The accounts of racial tensions during a study abroad trip to Finland by two Winston-Salem State University students are being disputed by other students and the program director.This summer five WSSU students participated in the MIRT research program in Helsinki, Finland. Junior molecular biology majors Tiffanie Adams and Alethea Barrino said they experienced name calling and undo physical contact as a result of racial tensions in the country. Adams said that because of the negative social climate, she was put in Finnish jail for three days on the accusation of stealing equipment from her research site.Although the students agreed with each other that the study abroad experience was worthwhile educationally, they weren’t all on one accord when it came to saying that negative experiences arose from racially charged attitudes. Camille Stanley studied hypertension at the BioMedicom center in Helsinki. The 21-year-old chemistry major from Charlotte said that the study abroad experience provided her with unique opportunities.”I feel like I learned a lot of stuff that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to learn in the U.S.,” said Stanley. “Overall I wouldn’t mind going back.”Part of the reason she would travel to Finland again is because of the atmosphere.”The people were very friendly and open. Of course they weren’t used to seeing African-Americans, but I had no problem as far as calling names,” said Stanley.Senior molecular biology major Portia Garner carried the same sentiments.”I never experienced any type of racial tensions,” Garner said. They (research professors) tried to understand and help us as much as they could.”Garner, like Stanley, said she couldn verify Adam’s situation, or falsify it.”I can’t speak for anyone else, or say what’s true or what’s not, but I know me, Camille and the other girl didn’t experience anything like that.”Dr. Kim Tan is the MIRT program director at WSSU. He said that there has never been a case like Adams’ before.”In the eight years that we’ve been involved with this program, we’ve never had this problem,” said Tan.Tan, who joined the research students in the first three weeks of their trip, had to write an incident report for the university. He says that the professor that Adams worked under also wrote a report describing the incidents. The university cannot allow The News Argus access to these documents concerning the case due to legalities.Tan says the MIRT program, which operates under the National Institute of Health, or NIH, is a very competitive program that teams up with top notch schools in different countries. He says the incidents of one student is not a reflection of the prestigious program.”If a student did not take full advantage because of misunderstanding, it is our student’s loss, not the program’s loss.”