For many international students, the possibility of war with Iraq adds to the difficulty of living so far from home.

The constant coverage of the conflict weighs on the minds of people everywhere, including some Penn State students. The perpetual flow of current events has rattled the sense of security for some on campus.

José Pacas (freshman-electrical engineering) is from El Salvador. He expressed concern but is not ready to buy a plane ticket home.

"State College is a small town and I don't think bad things will happen here," he said. "I know that El Salvador isn't in trouble, and I'm not in trouble, but if the war turned to nuclear or biological weapons, that could be really scary."

Marcello Khattar (junior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management), from Brazil, shared similar sentiments, but also added that he is not sure how war would effect him.

"I think that the biggest threats to the U.S. are terrorist actions or biological attacks," he said. "I wasn't here during 9/11, so I don't know how war would impact us. However, I wouldn't withdraw from school or my internship because of the threats."

Ali Erol (freshman-electrical engineering), whose family lives in Turkey, is willing to stay at Penn State, but his reasons are much different than most.

"I feel safer here than I would at home because my war is not the physical. I am becoming educated, which is a different kind of war for my people," he said.

Camila Prates (junior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management), unlike others, expressed feelings of doubt and fear. "My family is from Brazil, and we have actually talked about that lately," she said. "Nuclear war scares me most. I would go home until things calmed down, but I would come back." While feelings on remaining in State College varied, one common concern comes from President Bush's solid stance on the war.

"George Bush has his mind made up. No matter what the people say, he is very decisive on his own," said Tania Santiago (freshman-business), from Puerto Rico. "That is scary to me."

Erol agreed. "[The president] can do whatever he wants, but for the sake of democracy he should consider what the people have to say," he said.

Bill Mahon, Penn State spokesman, said feelings of anxiety among international students are natural. "They are probably a reflection of some of the anxieties we are all feeling," he said.

Mahon used the reactions of students during the Gulf War to compare to the anxiety students could face today.

"While the anxiety can get very high, as it did 10 years ago, not many will leave," he said. "I think the communication we have today will help with that too. Telephones and the Internet keep people close to home." He also reminds students resources are available in Boucke Building for those having trouble coping with fear.

"It's hard to know exactly what's going to happen," Prates said. "Not having a full sense of security is definitely something hard to live with."