The how-to's of safe travel

Beth Holloway once told Auburn University graduate student Lindsay Waits that her daughter Natalee wanted to attend college on the Plains, but the University of Alabama offered her a scholarship.

Natalee Holloway would likely be a junior in Tuscaloosa had she not disappeared in Aruba nearly three years ago while on a high school graduation trip.

Waits said she likes to think Natalee is at Auburn now though, since has spent the last two years looking at safety guidelines for students traveling abroad for the foundation Beth Holloway founded in her daughter’s memory — the International Safe Travels Foundation.

“When I paid attention to Natalee’s case, what I saw was a young girl,” Waits said. “I saw every young person.”

Like Beth Holloway, Waits didn’t want to see anything like what happened to Natalee happen again. And, at the time, she needed a research topic for graduate school.

Waits decided to look into how aware students are of safety guidelines when traveling. Her research has become the curriculum Beth Holloway shares with traveling students across the country. Waits said it was first introduced to Auburn students studying abroad last spring.

“Students are pretty confident before they leave,” she said, but, when she asks them about the process of say, court proceedings, in their destination country, they are at a loss.

“No one can say what happens over there,” Waits said. “It’s not their fault though. They’ve just never been told.”

“Beth experienced this. She went through it,” Waits said. “She wants to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

She shares the guidelines Waits created with any student group traveling abroad, even a high school band. After Waits graduates May 10, she will likely start traveling for the foundation as well. She said they really want to saturate the Southeast with their message.

And then, hopefully, they can get the curriculum federally mandated for all study abroad students. Without any federal regulations for students traveling abroad now, Waits said young people are getting different messages or no message at all. And that is unacceptable for Waits.

“Students aren’t made aware of these things before they go. It makes no sense,” Waits said. “I couldn’t believe there wasn’t anything out there for these students. I’m shocked we are the first ones.”

Since the curriculum was born here at Auburn, Waits believes the Plains is a good place to start requiring the curriculum. It hasn’t happened yet, but she said her college, the College of Human Sciences, supports the endeavor wholeheartedly. It’s just a matter of time before it spreads to the other colleges here.

“It started here in Auburn and we want to keep it going here at Auburn,” she said.

aweaver@oanow.com | 737-2534

For more information, visit www.internationalsafetravelsfoundation.org. For questions, e-mail Waits at safetravelsinfo@aol.com.

Safe Travel Tips

- Before you leave the country, activate international calling on your cell phone.

- If you are not carrying a cell phone, check with your destination country to see if international calling cards are available there.

- Also check to see if cell phones can be rented there and if international calling is an option.

- Leave all valuables, jewelry and extra credit cards at home.

- Pack copies of your passport’s identification page and other important information separate from your passport.

- Also, pack contact information for your home country’s nearest embassy in the event of an emergency.

- Register your trip through the State Department’s travel registration page.

- Never divulge your departure date.

- Never disclose your hotel room number to anyone.

- Never carry your passport with you when you go out. Always take a photo ID and cell phone with you whenever you go out.

- Ladies, don’t wear heels.

- Don’t carry cash.

Source: www.internationalsafetravelsfoundation.org