A former Madison central student is studying abroad in Egypt in the midst of the protests.Evelyn Casteel is a freshman at the American University of Cairo. On Tuesday, her mother, Jamie Langston, spoke to her for the first time in three days."She didn't realize we weren't able to call her," Langston said. "The past six days have been a lot of wondering. She is trying not to use her phone in case she can't add more minutes. We spend a lot of time just watching the news."
Casteel's campus is just a 20 minute drive from downtown where the protests are reaching a fever pitch. She left for her second semester at the school on Wednesday."She's got food, money, they have on power and water. She felt like she was better off there then to brave it at airport," Langston said.On Tuesday the school was on lockdown. Classes have been canceled until Feb. 13 and students can't leave campus, but restaurants and the student union are open. Langston said her daughter isn't scared right now. She's mostly concerned for the historical artifacts and buildings that may be destroyed in the protests.Casteel's childhood bedroom is full of Egyptian art and literature. Langston wasn't surprised her daughter didn't want to leave the country."She doesn't want to risk leaving the campus and not getting to have the semester there," Langston said.