Isle student trips
to China canceled
A trip to China scheduled next month by the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council for public high school students has been canceled because of the severe acute respiratory syndrome epidemic.
However, seven students who won the trip through involvement with PAC clubs or classes, academic standing, good citizenship and recommendations, will be offered a chance to go to China next summer.
Lisa Maruyama, executive director of the council, said the trip to China was changed to Thailand and Cambodia because of SARS. Then that, too, was called off because of environmental and other problems.
The University of Hawaii Office of International Education also is "closely monitoring the situation" since all UH-sponsored travel programs have been canceled to countries restricted because of SARS, said Jenny Samaan, executive director of the office.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization initially asked that nonessential travel be postponed to China, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Singapore and Toronto.
They have lifted restrictions on Vietnam travel, Samaan said, but the State Department said Wednesday it wanted to wait 10 days to monitor the Vietnam situation.
"All programs to China are remaining canceled," she said. "The SARS situation in China is quite alarming, so people are in agreement about not going there."
Many of the funding agencies are allowing the money to be used for travel next summer, Samaan said.
"We are trying to approach this as postponement of programs rather than cancellations. That may or may not work into people's summer plans but if the situation clears up, things will be reconsidered."
Cancellation of the trip to China sponsored by the Pacific Asian and Affairs Council would have been a "missed opportunity" for five high school seniors.
But Maruyama said it was decided to reserve places for them, as well as the two juniors, if they want to take the trip next year.
She said 20 spots were budgeted for the council's inaugural travel program, funded by the Freeman Foundation, but the war and SARS affected applications. The application process will be reopened next year, she said.
Applicants must be in Pacific and Asian Affairs Council clubs or going to after-school classes on China sponsored by the council.
The classes include global studies with a media literacy credit involving computer technology and communications via the Internet, Maruyama said.
Conferences also are held on weekends, bringing students together to do simulations or plays, such as a global vision summit or youth advisory Kyoto Protocol, she said.
She said the classes began as a pilot project in the spring of 2001 and are "taking off," with seven on Oahu and one at Maui High.
Sixty students are in the classes and 90 students are active in PAC clubs.
The council's goal is to try to provide after-school classes in all public schools, Maruyama said.
State Health Department
Centers for Disease Control
World Health Organization
Canada Health Department
Hong Kong Department of Health