By: Emily Costantino, News Editor
Did you know Susquehanna offered a virtual GO experience? No? Well, neither did the 13 other students who took a virtual trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe with me over winter break.
Susquehanna prides itself on requiring all students to participate in a study abroad program. Whether that be an entire semester as a GO Long or a two-week GO Short or even an entirely self-planned GO Your Own Way, if you go to SU, you must GO somewhere. But what happens when a student can’t go abroad? The answer is surprisingly hard to find and is kept hidden from most of the student body.
When I decided to come to Susquehanna, I knew the prospect of studying abroad would be difficult because I had a slew of health issues that made mobility a challenge for me. A GO Long would be impossible because I need to be close enough to my doctors and have quick access to the medications I need. I thought a GO Short would be doable if I could opt out of strenuous activities, so during my sophomore year, I met with the GO Office to discuss my options. Ultimately, this meeting left me more confused than before. The advisor I spoke with said a GO Short would be impossible for me because you are expected to complete all the scheduled activities. She then recommended GO Your Own Way, but there was no way I could go anywhere by myself without someone who understood my conditions. Eventually, I told the GO Office I couldn’t physically travel due to my health, and they informed me of an online program designed for students in my position.
This past winter, I completed the online GO program which focused on highlighting the unique cultures of South Africa and Zimbabwe. Oddly enough, the program was much more interesting and immersive than I anticipated. We spoke with students in both these countries and saw presentations hosted by artists, activists and freedom fighters from these areas. Overall, it made me want to visit these countries, but that’s the disheartening part. The GO program should be flexible enough for disabled students to travel abroad just like their able-bodied peers.
This isn’t just a problem for disabled students, it’s a problem for everyone. Sometimes life just happens, and unforeseen circumstances make it so travel isn’t possible. Many of my peers had accidental injuries, while others had health issues like mine. Some are parents who couldn’t leave their children behind. There were even people who are the primary caretaker for ailing relatives. However, we all had one thing in common: the GO Office shamed us for not fitting their mold.
All of us can tell the same story of being told our needs were an inconvenience to the university. One mother offered to bring her kids with her on a trip but was told she could not be “fully immersed” in another culture with her kids there. Another girl was told that taking care of her sick grandfather was not a good enough reason for an exemption. One student even had to drop a Spanish major because they were not able to travel to a Spanish-speaking country.
But the real question is, if this was an option all along, then why does no one know about it? Take a look at the GO website, there’s no mention of a virtual program. Why is that? Some of my fellow virtual travelers asked that very question and were told it’s to prevent students from being lazy and trying to get out of going abroad. In reality, many of us wanted to travel, but the programs offered were too linear for it to be feasible. The GO Office needs to have policies in place to allow all students to succeed, no matter health, injury or familial circumstances. SU needs to make GO accessible to all or forego the requirement.
