Indiana University

Indiana University School of Journalism

Earthquake cancels students’ spring break travel to Japan

SoJ Web Report | March 11, 2011
Students in J460 International Reporting were to depart from Indianapolis to Japan March 11 but the spring break trip has been canceled due to the earthquake.

The school's top priority is the safety of the students, according to journalism dean Brad Hamm. Below is the school's message about the situation:



Students in the travel course to Japan will not travel during the break due to the earthquake and tsunami several hundred miles north of Tokyo. The Japan course is one of six special travel courses at this time through the School of Journalism, and all other programs are operating as scheduled.
 
Any change in our Japanese program going forward pales in comparison to this tragedy, which is the largest earthquake in Japan in a century. Our thoughts are with the residents of Japan and people in our community who have family and friends there.
 
While our students were scheduled to visit and report primarily in Hiroshima, a great distance from the epicenter, travel to Japan will be difficult over the next few days. The state department has strongly encouraged that all U.S. citizens avoid any non-essential travel at this time.
 
We will consider alternatives today for our Japan program by working with university officials and the students enrolled in this special spring semester course. Updates will be posted on the school website.
 
Bradley J. Hamm, Dean       
Kate Lee, Director of Experiential Education
Joe Coleman, Japan course lead professor
Bonnie Layton, Japan course assisting professor
japan thumb

Questions? Comments? Email the Web editor.

Meet our StudentsSpeaker SeriesInternship pix net free T-shirt