Even though the British exit from the European Union might seem far away, for some UCA students it hits too close to home.
UCA alum Grayson Owens studied abroad at Edge Hill University in England during the fall of 2015. When he studied at Edge Hill, he said there was little talk about Brexit. Now, he says, that has changed.
“My friends from there discuss now how they are not happy about Brexit and believe it is not a good choice,” Owens said.
He said he’s worried about the relationship between the United Kingdom and the European Union.
“Immediately after the count was made public my friends abroad reached out and voiced their concerns,” he said. “We are all worried how this decision may affect future generations.”
Owens expressed his concern about the permanence of “potential partnerships” and said he wasn’t sure how Brexit might affect the flow of students who intend to study abroad or the funding available to those students.
“I hope U.K.’s decision to leave the EU does not cause a ripple effect that diminishes the relationships between the U.K. and other European countries,” he said.
UCA senior Terry Wallace is currently studying abroad in Konstanz, Germany. He’s seen reactions from friends who live in both the EU and the U.K.
“A lot of the people seem shocked about Brexit. I think the general reaction among most of the Germans and other Europeans I’ve seen has been confused and piteous,” he said. “They definitely regard it as a bad decision, and they feel bad for the British.”
Wallace’s German friends weren’t the only ones surprised by the vote. He said the people he knew from the U.K. were caught off guard as well.
“My friends from the U.K. are uniformly furious about it. It came as somewhat of a shock to them,” he said. “They’re angry with everyone who voted to leave, and fearful of what it means for their future.”
Wallace himself is not optimistic about the fallout from Brexit.
“I think it’s an awful decision, to say the very least,” he said. “It’s looking very likely that the U.K. as it stands now is going to crumble very soon.”
image via www.ibtimes.com
