As another semester rolls around, we say our hellos and goodbyes to many things. We say goodbye to our restful breaks, and hello to another assortment of classes. We also say goodbye to friends and classmates embarking on their studies abroad, and hello to those who are just returning from their trips. Studying abroad gives students the opportunity to live, learn, and work in a completely different location than the one they call home.

In an emailed memo sent to employees of the University on Oct. 13, Washington University’s International Travel Oversight Committee (ITOC) announced that Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank would be placed on the University’s Travel Suspensions Conditions list. The update means that University-sponsored travel to the aforementioned locations is prohibited until further notice, effective on Oct. 9.

While traveling, you may still have the tendencies of an American tourist, but with respect and an appreciation of other cultures as well as your own, you are sure to make the most of your trip.

I’m disappointed that there seems to be no clear administrative ruling on how to approach Thanksgiving this fall, but because of that, individual choices matter. 

“When I called Student Health Services, I was told not to worry about traveling home over break. But, things I am being told by friends and family at home indicates otherwise.”

Faced with the decision of whether to take a third term as vice president of the National Academy of Sciences or become Dean of the Faculty of Arts & Sciences at Washington University, biology professor Barbara Schaal chose the latter. Schaal, whose work in evolutionary biology has taken her everywhere from Washington D.C.

Hurricane Irene hit the northeastern coastline early Sunday morning, forcing many students coming to Washington University to change their travel plans. Airport closings in cities such as Boston, Providence, New York and Philadelphia resulted in more than 11,000 cancelled flights, according to the Associated Press.

Having just come back from our own senior spring breaks, we’ve heard a lot of talk around campus about everyone else’s. Whether yours was incredible or awful, it’s fresh in your mind and fresh in ours. We’ve compiled a list (by grade level) of what makes for a good spring vacation.

The 2009 flight cuts from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport have made it difficult for many students to return home, especially on short notice due to an emergency or family function.

Have you ever considered exploring the sights of a new country? Did you dream of studying abroad but couldn’t fit it in your schedule? With the economic recession particularly hurting the airline business, international flights are now cheaper than ever.