Pepperdine Graphic

Italy

Early Return: Florence

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Art by Madeline Duvall Hours before getting the news, the Florence program participants were certain they weren’t going home. "We got the email at 3 a.m., and we were like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” sophomore Alyssa Rabie said. The last week of February, COVID-19 cases had increased tremendously throughout Italy. Rabie said other universities were beginning to close and masks … [Read more...] about Early Return: Florence

‘I’m Not Ready to Go Home’: Students Forced to Say Goodbye to Florence

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The Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, more commonly referred to as the Duomo, stands in the center of Florence. Photo by Milan Loiacono   Pepperdine students abroad in Florence, Italy, must promptly return home to the United States as the university suspends the international program for the remainder of the semester. Pepperdine sent a university-wide email Feb. … [Read more...] about ‘I’m Not Ready to Go Home’: Students Forced to Say Goodbye to Florence

Rushed Return: How Shanghai Students Adapt in Response to Program Suspension

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Students from the Shanghai program gather outside Leo's Taco Truck in LA after returning to the Malibu campus. Pepperdine made the decision to suspend the program on Jan. 28 due to the coronavirus outbreak, and now the 38 students are navigating the unexpected move back to California. Photo courtesy of the Pepperdine Shanghai Instagram Fewer than two weeks after … [Read more...] about Rushed Return: How Shanghai Students Adapt in Response to Program Suspension