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Witnessing History Unfold
International students who stayed in Egypt during the uprising tell their tale 
AUC international students in Tahrir amidst tear gas
In considering where or if to
study abroad, international
students often go through a
mental checklist of questions. What
will I eat? Where will I live? Will I
make friends there? Suffice it to say,
the question, Will there be a
revolution?, seldom makes the top
three. Yet, as the world watched the
January 25th Revolution, many
international students at AUC, some of
whom had only just arrived in Cairo,
were privy to this transformative event
in Egyptian social and political life.
Having recently graduated from
Tiffin University with a degree in
criminal justice, Tim Larsen came to
Cairo in June 2010 to study over the
summer at the Arabic Language
Institute. Larsen was selected as a
resident adviser (RA) at AUC's
Zamalek Dormitory and was in the
first days of his new position when the
revolution began to gain momentum.
"There was a tremendous amount of
excitement and nervous energy around
the dorms in the first days," said Larsen.
"Some of the study-abroad students
were very excited, while others were
concerned. I felt that my role during
this time was to do my job as an RA
here and try to have a calming effect."
Other students found themselves
purposely or accidentally in the
middle of much of the action in
Tahrir Square. Frank Rasmussen and
Mads Noergaard-Larsen, two
journalism students from the Danish
School of Media and Journalism, saw
the revolution as a way to further
explore their intended craft. "We
applied to AUC to explore life in the
region, and as we were preparing to
come to Egypt, we had begun to hear
about the Tunisian Revolution and
the possibility that it would spread to
Egypt," said Noergaard-Larsen. "I was
aware of my role, not as a protester,
but as a documenter. When we were
in Tahrir Square on the 25th and
28th, we were careful to protect those
with whom we spoke. Even through
the tear gas, it was an exciting feeling
in the square and also a fascinating
place to be because everyone was, in a
way, a journalist."
Rasmussen echoed the same
sentiment. "To be present for such a
pinpointed moment, as a foreigner, you
hardly feel that you are worthy of such
involvement. I have a humbled attitude
toward the bravery of the Egyptian
people," he said.
Like Rasmussen and Noergaard-
Larsen, Clare Lofthouse, who came to
AUC as a study-abroad student for a
semester, was able to experience some
of the events at Tahrir Square. "I was
very wary at first, but when we were
on the square, we were greeted with
smiles and welcomes," she said. "People
were very helpful and watched out for
our safety."
Lofthouse returned to her native
England briefly in the middle of the 18
days, but is pleased to have been able to
return to Cairo to finish her semester
at AUC and experience life in Egypt
during the transition. "I study political
science, so this is another reason to
remain in-country, as it is firsthand
experience and learning directly related
to my interest," she noted. "The whole
country talks politics now, which is
great for my learning."
By Madeline Welsh
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