44 HUA Land [SHUT] Down Under Students and staff hope for future opportunities to travel to Australia and Asia. The International Programs office canceled the Harding University in Australasia (HUA) study abroad program for fall 2020 due to COVID-19 on June 30, 2020. Students and faculty who planned on attending HUA were disappointed after realizing the trip couldn’t happen. “The cancellation of this year’s fall program left a void in my life and a feeling of disappointment for the students who were looking forward to a trip of a lifetime,” HUA Director Pamela Little said. Even though going to Australia was a lifelong dream for many, sophomore Camille Smith said she lowered her expectations in the wake of COVID-19. “I have wanted to visit Australia for as long as I can remember,” Smith said. “I kind of assumed that HUA was going to be canceled, so I was not too surprised when they sent the official email out.” The trip’s cancellation also affected the class registration process for students who originally planned to enroll in courses at HUA. “We had to make two schedules for the fall whenever we were figuring out if we were going or not, so it has just caused a lot of weird things logistically for our schedules,” sophomore Anna Westbrook said. Other students experienced similar problems. Smith said canceling the trip forced students with more restrictive schedules to change their plans. “I think it probably affected a number of students who may not have the opportunity to go now due to scheduling conflicts,” Smith said. “This may have been the only time studying abroad was able to fit into their course plan.” Despite the negatives of the situation, the directors of HUA and the students involved remained confident about the return of the program in following years. “I am really optimistic HUA will resume next fall,” Little said. “Hopefully, the students who didn’t have the opportunity to come this year will be able to go next year.” Westbrook encouraged students to look at the bright side of the situation and hope for better things in the future. “I know it is disappointing,” Westbrook said. “I was excited to grow relationships, but there will be good things that come out of this. We might not know what they are yet, but there will be some good.” story by Daniela Cuellar Junior Georgia Dunning sits with elephants during HUA . Students mourned trip cancellations in fall 2020. | photo courtesy of Georgia Dunning Junior Georgie Dunning scuba dives in Australia. International programs promoted adventure in many forms. | photo by Georgia Dunning
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