St. Thomas forwarded a Europe Travel Alert last week from the U.S. Department of State to students who are currently in Europe or departing for Europe in early 2017.

The State Department issued its Europe travel alert before that, warning of the possibility of terrorist attacks in Europe during the holiday season.

The alert did not discourage travel to the region but urged additional caution and vigilance while in or traveling to Europe.

“U.S. citizens should exercise caution at holiday festivals, events and outdoor markets,” the State Department’s alert read in part.

Adding to the U.S. Department of State’s alert, St. Thomas said it will be monitoring security messages from the department and other external sources.

“We also work closely and collaboratively with our partners to ensure that we are not placing students in unsafe situations,” the St. Thomas Office of Study Abroad stated in the alert. “The University of St. Thomas and our partners consider your safety a top priority.”

Ali Sauer, a sophomore at St. Thomas, was one of the students who received the email. Sauer is traveling to England and Ireland over January Term with a UMAIE program sponsored by St. Thomas.

“Initially when I got the email, I was a little freaked out,” Sauer said. “I checked the U.S. Embassy website and they specifically talked about known threats around the holiday season, and I am technically going after Christmas and New Year’s, so I am not that worried.”

The university announced in the alert that though they have not yet canceled any programs, they will not hesitate to cancel a program or change an itinerary should a specific location be deemed too risky.

“After talking with my parents, they kind of calmed me down, but I thought it was interesting that St. Thomas said that they will not hesitate to cancel,” Sauer said. “But as of right now I am not too worried about it.”

St. Thomas suggested ways to mitigate risk and ensure the safety of travelers, including following all instructions, carrying a phone at all times, being aware of surroundings and registering international travel with the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program.

Travelers can register their travel through the State Department. By enrolling in STEP, travelers will receive security messages regarding their destination.

“Me and my parents are just going to monitor the situation over there and keep frequently checking the U.S. Embassy website,” Sauer said.

Contact the St. Thomas study abroad office with further questions.

Lydia Lockwood can be reached at lock0052@stthomas.edu