In response to the results of the congressional and presidential election, as well as the fear of President-elect Donald Trump getting the opportunity to choose incredibly conservative justices for the Supreme Court, many UR undergraduates are seeking to study abroad to avoid the chaos.
“The influx of applications have been absurd,” Olga Whelmd, the head of UR’s Study Abroad office, said. “We aren’t really quite sure what to do. We kind-of are hoping Russia tries to annex Alaska. If they succeed, we can potentially open up a new location for students, as well as create a further glimmer of hope for Hillary by eliminating some red.”
And the fallout went beyond the expected liberal response—conservatives students want to go abroad, too.
“I plan on going to China next fall,” said junior Bobby Gilmore, an individual whose political beliefs are common south of the Mason-Dixon line. “I want to compare who has the better wall.” UR’s Study Abroad office offers a wide range of choices and attempts to give all students the chance to enjoy an experience overseas. But with the fear of being rejected, many students took it upon themselves to travel abroad on their own and subsequently caused the Canadian immigration website to crash hours before election results were finalized.
When asked about his feelings regarding more UR students choosing to study abroad, Trump simply responded, “Which one?”
The Campus Times is currently looking into whether Professor of Computer Science Ted Pawlicki’s $16 dollars for bus tickets to Canada is transferable to cover a portion of plane fare to other countries. Students are cautiously optimistic.
