A huge crowd of SF State students responded to the Study Abroad Fair on a sunny day Wednesday reinforcing the reputation of university for being the top campus in the CSU to send more students abroad.

The event organized by the Office of International Programs (OIP) drew nearly 1,000 students -according to one official's estimate- to the tables of more than 30 organizations that handed out flyers, applications, brochures and candies to get students’ attention. One of those organizations had sweepstakes offering free tours to Ireland.

“We are doing great,” said Kati Bell, of one the organizers and an advisor of the OIP, referring to the students’ response to the event. She called the event “successful.”

She said she expected an increase of students asking for information the days following this event; for that reason, the OPI has added extra days of information for students inquiring about the study abroad programs, which can be found at www.sfsu.edu/~studyabr/calendar.htm.

“I want to do something within my field,” said Mary Vasiltsova, 23, who studies creative writing. Vasiltsova is considering going to either Chile or Argentina, where she has a friend, so she can learn about those cultures.

Micah Mucklow, a 22 year old a visual anthropology major was dissatisfied with the information he gathered at the Accent table.

“I want to study abroad because I want to improve my Spanish,” said Mucklow

“They have programs in Spain and Spain is not a cheap country,” Mucklow said. “I am looking for the cheapest place to go,” he said.

For some students money is an issue in deciding to go abroad. Accordingly, the OIP invited for the event organizations that offer especial discounts on airplane tickets.

STA Travel is one of them.

“We have great prices for students because we have students in mind,” said Michael Wilson, a STA agent whose worked for the company for more than seven years.

In addition to affordable student airfare, STA offers housing arrangements when overseas.

Students came to the event with many questions in mind. Representatives of each organization had the opportunity to lobby for their school or program, each vying for student intrest.

“There is some competition going on,” said Vanessa Valero, a representative of Worldwide Classroom, an organization that offers over 4,000 schools and institutions around the globe from which to choose from. “But I think the students make their own decisions,” said Valero, sporting a big smile.

She said SF State students have always been willing to go out and learn about other cultures.

“We are like a virtual library,” Valero said of her institution.

Dr. Yenbo Wu, director of OIP, explained that there is no competition because there are different kind of programs and schools that require knowledge of foreign languages, and “programs that offer a lot of different options.”

Some of those options include going abroad as an undergraduate or after graduation.

“For me college credit is not important,” said Renee Robbins, 24, who is earning her masters degree in linguistics. She is planning to go abroad after she finishes her degree, and plans to do it without any school or institution involved.

“It will be cheap if I do it on my own,” Robbins said.

For those thinking of going abroad after graduation there was the Peace Corps, an organization that drew more students than any other on campus today.

“It is always great coming to SF State,” said Scott Webb, regional recruiter for the school. He said the Peace Corps has a long relationship with SF State. Over the years 1,100 SF State students have gone over seas to volunteer for the Peace Corps, he said.

But not everybody was pleased with the students’ response to the event.

“I did not expect a huge turnout in this school,” said Katherine Giuffre, the admissions advisor for Tel Aviv University. “The number of applicants have dropped because of the intifada,” she said.

She also said that she would have liked to see “more schools represented in the event and many more programs.”

The OIP organizes this event annually. Every student can apply, including those with disabilities.

“The OIP always accommodate to them,” said My Yarabinec, coordinator of Study Abroad and International Exchange Programs.