This was supposed to be Lara Getz’s junior year abroad, “but it got cut a little short,” the Tulane University junior said Monday.
Indeed. Since Friday, the 20-year-old has been in the midst of the turmoil that has surged through the streets, plazas and alleys of Alexandria, Egypt, where she has been studying since September. The past few days have been “really amazing,” she said. “Hard, but amazing.
“It’s been absolutely extraordinary to see the people of Egyptfinally stand up to 30 years of oppression from a president who has taken away so many of their rights.”
Getz, one of four Tulane students who had been studying in Egypt, was speaking on her cell phone from the Alexandria airport while boarding a charter flight with other students to Prague, Czech Republic. From there, they will fly to the United States.
Getz, who spent three days trying to get out of the history-rich city, was at the airport for more than 24 hours.
Even though the government of President Hosni Mubarak had tried to keep people from organizing last week by cutting off Internet access and some cell-phone service, Getz said, “the people still managed to become a united front and march through streets and stand up to a regime that no one wants anymore.”
Getz, a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., was speaking from experience. She lived in Egypt with a local family and went to a protest with the woman she called her host mother.
Living with that family was “a phenomenal experience,” she said, “because when the revolts and protests started, it was in my house, and I was living with it.”
As the protests have continued, “it has been extraordinary,” Getz said, “and I have realized just how strong the Egyptian people are” in showing their steadfast opposition to Mubarak’s regime.
“They’re probably, frankly, the strongest, most amazing people I’ve ever met,” she said.
With about 4.1 million people, Alexandria is Egypt’s second-largest city.
Despite the rampant lawlesness there -- looters have stolen weapons from police stations, and criminals have escaped from jail -- Getz said she never felt she was in danger.
Instead, she saw people unite to direct traffic when no police were around and form neighborhood patrols to protect their parts of the city from violence.
“Obviously, this is a very hard time for them,” Getz said. “They’re doing their best to stay strong and protect themselves and their friends. ... It’s interesting to see them rise to the challenge.”
Getz and her fellow students “have friends all over the city,” she said. “They have all been helping us, been concerned for us and taken it upon themselves to help us even though they don’t know us very well.”
Despite her fascination with the process, Getz knew she had to get out. She is one of 22 students in Egypt in a program run by Middlebury College in Vermont, and Middlebury organized the flight that took the group to Prague.
Getz had been majoring in political science and history, but she said she had just received approval to design her Middle Eastern studies major that embraces the Arabic language, Middle Eastern politics and Middle Eastern history.
“I plan on coming back,” she said, “I’ll be keeping track of the situation, and as soon as I have the opportunity to go back, I will.”
