A Cal State Bakersfield student is in Belgium studying abroad and saw the mayhem unfold Tuesday morning.
"This morning I was going through my normal daily routine here. I'm studying abroad, but I'm also doing an internship for EY while I'm down here, and so I was just taking the metro to work in the morning and I decided to go to work early," Alex Dobrenen said.
Dobrenen said when he got to the office he could feel the tension in the air, people were running around and seemed distressed. That's when he found out about the bomb blasts that destroyed the airport.
"We went up to the roof, and we could actually see the smoke from the airport, from the bombings there and so it became this surreal moment where everything became really real," Dobrenen said.
Dobrenen said the tension took over the city, saying everyone was a little frightened, not knowing what would happen next.
Dobrenen said he was thankful he went to work early, because the next bombing was one that targeted the subway and exploded on the same train he would have taken to work.
"I am just really thinking about the families of the people who lost loved ones today... and am thankful for what I have," Dobrenen said.
Dobrenen said he has had lots of well wishes from family, and spoke with his concerned mother this morning assuring her he was okay.
"When she was sending me off initially, the people had been saying 'well Belgium is like a hub for terrorist activity, but you don't want to deprive your child of the experience of studying abroad," Dobrenen said.
He said everything seems to be calming down now and he has plans to continue traveling around Europe but will be taking extra precautions and possibly changing his plans to stay safe.
Dobrenen is studying economics and classes ay Vesalius College are canceled for the rest of the week.
Below is a message from the Dean of Vesalius College Brussels:
In coordination with the VUB, College Management has decided to keep the College closed between now and this coming friday (included). No classes will take place and staff members are also asked to work from home. Classes will resume after the Spring Recess (11 April 2016) and your professors will be in touch about make-up classes. My apologies to all students and professors for the inconvenience this will cause – but safety needs to come first.
In Brussels, please stay vigilant and follow closely the advice of the crisis centre (sic) (at the moment the highest security level – level 4 – has been announced) and monitor local news. The travel advice of the US embassy in Belgium also publishes regular updates.
Follow closely the travel advice of the Belgian airport authorities regarding flights and travel. In all likelihood, the Metro will still stay shut tomorrow.
The College will organise a series of workshops on the theme of terrorism and also offers psychological counselling (sic). Please rest assured that heightened security measures are already in place in close cooperation with the VUB.
Please also follow the College’s website for regular updates (www.vesalius.edu). Please also do not hesitate to contact me or your professors if you have any questions, worries or simply a need to talk. We are all here with and for you.
With all my best wishes for -despite all sorrow- a peaceful spring recess,
Dr. Joachim Koops
Dean of Vesalius College
