Nov. 14, 2000--
Students from BYU's Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies arrived back in Utah late last night, a month early.
University administrators decided to cut their time short because of the violence in the region.
News Specialist, Carole Mikita reports.
None of the students we talked with said they were afraid. They were very happy to see their friends and family members, but expressed a sadness at having to leave the Holy Land.
Parents, other family members, former roommates and friends all waited anxiously for a plane with many of the students from BYU's study abroad program in Jerusalem.
Parents are relieved that the school decided to bring them home now.
Annie Thayne, parent of BYU student: "I WAS VERY NERVOUS. IT WAS HARD TO GET AHOLD OF HIM SOMETIMES, BUT THAT MEETING THAT THEY HAD WITH THE PARENTS, THAT BYU ARRANGED, THAT HELPED A LOT."
Kim Bertin, parent of BYU student: "SEEMS LIKE WE'RE PROGRESSIVELY MORE NERVOUS LAST FEW DAYS." "Why's that?" "SEEMS LIKE THERE'S MORE VIOLENCE, SEEMS LIKE IT'S MORE FOCUSED AT THE ISRAELI AREAS WHERE THEY WERE."
The students left in late August and have completed their classwork, even exams. For the past month, 174 of them have been traveling through Galilee and the Sinai and were not supposed to return for several more weeks. But because of the violence in and around Jerusalem, the school sent them home.
They missed touring both Egypt and Bethlehem. So, as they greeted their loved ones warmly and with tears, they have mixed feelings about returning.
Micalena Hansen, BYU student from Jerusalem: "IT WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND I'M SAD IT'S OVER. I'M GOING TO MISS IT. I'M GONNA MISS THE LAND, I'M GONNA MISS THE PEOPLE. AND I'M GONNA MISS THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE IT WAS."
Michelle Bertin, BYU student from Jerusalem: "IT WAS SAFE. IT WAS SAD TO LEAVE. WE WEREN'T READY, BUT IT WAS GOOD TO COME HOME."
Christian Larsen, BYU student from Jerusalem: "YOU GO OVER THERE AND YOU GET IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE AND IT'S HARD TO LEAVE THAT AND COME BACK TO NORMAL LIFE."
For the time being, teachers and administrators will stay at the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. The University has not yet decided whether to send students next semester.
