Junior students studying abroad may experience homesickness, whether they remain in North America at a location like Mexico or travel to distant lands like Shanghai.
To give them some contact from home, the Junior Class Council paid for shipping so students on campus could send care packages to their overseas friends from Monday to Wednesday.
Junior Kat Kennifer was enthusiastic about the program.
"I think it's great that the school is sponsoring packages for us to send for free," Kennifer said. "It encourages us to keep in touch with our friends studying abroad."
The second annual event was held this week in the LaFortune elevator lobby. Students could send anything they chose in a gallon-size plastic bag.
Junior class president Bob Reish said many students got a bag, went to the HuddleMart and purchased food to send. Junior Lauren Behr said she intended to send a variety of candy, cards and some American magazines in her care packages.
Any student on campus could send packages abroad, regardless of their class year, as long as they provided the location of the prospective student and their full name. The University handled everything else, including shipping charges.
The event was a great way to support the full junior class, Reish said, because most students studying overseas are part of the Class of 2009. The class council hopes to have the packages delivered before Thanksgiving, which would be enough time to sort out all the packages and get them to their specific destinations, Reish said.
"It's a great way to let people who are studying abroad know their friends are thinking of them and sending them a little part of home," Behr said.
Kennifer said she sent six separate care packages.
"I decided not to tell my friends about sending those packages because I think it would be more fun for them to get a surprise," she said.
The opportunity to send care packages will also be available during the spring semester, Reish said.
