Indonesian earthquake hits close to Goshen College former study abroad hosts

GOSHEN, Ind. – Upon hearing the news and seeing images of the impact of a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake that shook the Indonesian island of Java near the historic city of Yogyakarta in the early hours of Saturday, May 27, Goshen College Director of International Education Tom Meyers recognized familiar places. Through the college’s study abroad program, Study-Service Term (SST), faculty leaders took groups of students to study, serve and live with families in Yogyakarta for three-month stints in 1998 and 2001.

Meyers expressed strong appreciation as well as concern for Duta Wacana Christian University, where Goshen College students studied when they were in Indonesia. Since Saturday’s earthquake, Meyers has received word that the colleagues he worked with at the university in Yogyakarta are safe. E-mail messages he has received from them describe some physical damage to the university buildings, their own experiences with the traumatic natural disaster and their efforts at helping with relief to the village of Bantul, which was the most severely affected. The Indonesian university is planning to send students and staff to volunteer at hospitals and relief stations, as well as collecting donation and aid items for them. The earthquake killed more than 5,000 people, injured thousands and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

“Our hearts go out to the thousands of people in the region who are suffering from the after effects of the earthquake, many without shelter,” said Meyers. “Our thoughts and prayers are with them at this difficult moment and in the months ahead as they rebuild their communities.”

Meyers most recently visited Yogyakarta in October 2005 as part of an assessment process that eventually resulted in a decision to move the 2007 SST unit to Cambodia, because of Indonesia’s political instability. There are currently no American universities with long-term groups studying in Indonesia, according to Meyers.

“I was very impressed with the work they [at Duta Wacana] are doing and saddened that Goshen College is not able to have a program there right now,” Meyers said. The Indonesian university has an emphasis on Christian-Muslim dialogue.

Goshen College also has eight Indonesians among its international student body. None of them are from the area directly affected by the earthquake and none have reported that their families were affected. Myra Karina, a 2006 graduate from Semarang, Indonesia, said that her parents, who live about three hours north of the quake area had traveled down to the region to spend the weekend offering aid and relief in ways that they could.

Meyers suggested that persons who would like to contribute towards earthquake relief could donate to Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), who have had workers in Yogyakarta. To donate, visit the agency’s Web site at: www.mcc.org.

Editors: Director of International Education Tom Meyers is available for interviews by calling: (574) 535-7346. For more information about this release, contact Goshen College News Bureau Director Jodi H. Beyeler at (574) 535-7572 or jodihb@goshen.edu.

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Goshen College, established in 1894, is a four-year residential Christian liberal arts college rooted in the Anabaptist-Mennonite tradition. The college’s Christ-centered core values – passionate learning, global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking and servant-leadership – prepare students as leaders for the church and world. Recognized for its unique Study-Service Term program, Goshen has earned citations of excellence in Barron’s Best Buys in Education, “Colleges of Distinction,” “Making a Difference College Guide” and U.S.News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges” edition, which named Goshen a “least debt college.” Visit www.goshen.edu.