What鈥檚 it like to eat in the world鈥檚 oldest restaurant? Or to visit a thousand-year-old castle or cathedral? Or to walk where cultural icons such as Shakespeare or Mozart walked? Or even to discover that, while people may seem different, in some respects they鈥檙e similar to us?
After a three-year hiatus, four 91福利社 study abroad classes traveled overseas for Spring Break and an opportunity to visit historically significant cities and landmarks, as well as experience the unique culture of each country. AU Abroad, a faculty-led short-term academic program offered through the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement, offers students opportunities to immerse themselves in the sights, sounds and tastes of other cultures.
For some students, this was their first trip out of the country鈥攁nd among them were those who had never flown before. There could be a little culture shock as students learned to navigate streets marked by different-looking signs and learned to use public transportation鈥攕omething much more commonplace outside the U.S. Others had an opportunity to actually use the language they鈥檝e learned in class to communicate.
鈥�It鈥檚 empowering, it opens up the world and makes the student feel they鈥檙e a citizen of the world鈥� to realize we鈥檙e part of a bigger world,鈥� said Dr. Candace Livingston, associate professor of art history in the South Carolina School of the Arts.
鈥�91福利社 has a broad selection of study abroad programs for students to choose from. However, AU Abroad has consistently been one of our most popular study abroad options because students and parents feel comfortable with the fact that the programs are led by 91福利社 faculty. In addition, the students get to travel together with their peers. They are exploring a new culture together, simultaneously experiencing new food, sights, and sounds, and these shared cultural experiences are not only memorable, but fun,鈥� said Ann Themistocleous, 91福利社 director for global engagement.
Faculty-led teams
Dr. Howard Kim, associate professor of music/piano; with travel assistant Dr. Chris Neuenschwander, professor of accounting, led a tour of Austria. Cara Wood, associate professor of theatre; with travel assistant Jessica Johnson, assistant professor of theatre, led a tour of England. Dr. Jennifer Triplett, associate professor of sociology; with Dr. Kayla Weston, assistant professor of human development and family studies, led a tour of Ireland. Dr. Krissie Butler, department chair of Modern Languages and Cultures and associate professor of Spanish; with travel assistant Dr. Candace Livingston, associate professor of art history, led a tour of Spain.
In Austria, Dr. Kim and his group explored the nation that gave the world Mozart, Beethoven and other great composers. Seeing Mozart鈥檚 鈥淭he Marriage of Figaro鈥� at the Vienna State Opera House was a highlight of the trip for Dr. Kim.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a dream for me because I鈥檝e been studying this music all of my life. To actually see where they did all this鈥擨 really want to take in everything鈥攖he music culture of the city, the look and feel – Sch枚nbrunn Palace, where the Holy Roman emperors stayed. They were big supporters of the arts. They would have concerts in their palaces,鈥� Dr. Kim said.
Student Emma Reeves recalled, 鈥淲e were on this escalator coming up from the train station and all of a sudden you see this massive cathedral; it’s so tall that you almost have to do a backbend to look at the very top of it鈥� it was just so amazing to be in its presence and going inside. My jaw just dropped. It was amazing.鈥�
Dr. Kim鈥檚 group also visited St. Peter鈥檚 Stiftskulinarium, which is not only a five-star restaurant, but is believed to be the world鈥檚 oldest restaurant, founded around 803 A.D. Dr. Kim was impressed by how his students handled adjusting to the culture; many took initiative and visited museums such as the Vienna Museum of Natural History and sites not originally on the itinerary but enriching, nonetheless.
鈥淭hey were so immersed in wanting to learn and really get in there,鈥� Dr. Kim said.
In England, Professor Wood, who has been teaching a course titled 鈥淪hakespeare鈥檚 London,鈥� along with her students, saw firsthand the legendary playwright鈥檚 world, visiting the Globe Theater and also experiencing a Shakespeare play. The group also toured Stratford-Upon-Avon, Shakespeare鈥檚 hometown. Then it was on to London to tour Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London.
鈥淚 have never traveled outside of the country before, but England was always the place I have wanted to go,鈥� said Rachel Radin, a junior clinical psychology major with a minor in human development and Family Studies. 鈥淚 think what impacted me most from this trip was seeing how much history has stayed alive in everything we saw, from Christ’s Church at Oxford to Windsor Castle. A couple of my favorite places we visited were Windsor Castle and seeing plays in the West End. Both of those were unforgettable experiences.鈥�
Dr. Triplett led a group that explored Ireland鈥檚 rich history and culture. They visited Galway and Cork and also experienced the ancient beauty of the Ring of Kerry and Cliffs of Moher. In the Irish capital of Dublin, they got a glimpse of the day-to-day lives of residents grappling with poverty and addiction, as well as seeing how they鈥檙e being helped.
鈥淥bviously we got to do a lot of touristy things in Ireland and see the beauty and the landscape of the country, but we took time to focus on homelessness for a few days, or just talk about it as a team,鈥� said Ericka Dash, a Christian Studies major. The group also visited Dublin Central Mission, a faith-based organization that helps the homeless with food and necessities. Thomas Cahood, a theatrical and lighting design major, had earlier traveled to England and France, but this was his first trip to Ireland. When asked about favorite parts of the trip, he said 鈥淕oing to the Cliffs of Moher, because it snowed a lot. It was fun to run around in the snow at such a scenic location.鈥�
A group of students traveling to Spain saw firsthand a country that鈥檚 been at the crossroads of different cultures.
For Dr. Butler, who once studied abroad in Spain and has been back several times, there were still new sights to see. It鈥檚 fun for her to watch students as they experience Spain for the first time.
鈥淢aybe I鈥檓 just biased, but Spain is one of those places where you can spend months and months; it just wouldn鈥檛 get old, because whether you鈥檙e in the north, the south, the east鈥� it鈥檚 all so very different in Spain, and that鈥檚 what makes it so lovely,鈥� said Dr. Butler. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 good to give (students) a taste of what being in Spain could be and also they can see the differences between the mid section where Madrid is and then when you go down south how different it is鈥攊t鈥檚 a lot more of the African influence.鈥�
Lily Tomlinson, a senior majoring in Spanish and Marketing, says her favorite spot was The Alhambra, a majestic palace and fortress located in Granada. The Spain group enjoyed traveling to Cordoba, Madrid and Toledo; immersing themselves in a rich culture and cuisine.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 get a grasp on what food tastes like from a textbook. You can’t get a grasp on what being among so many other cultures and so many other people, you can’t grasp that from a book,鈥� Tomlinson said. 鈥淚t is an unbelievable experience.鈥�
鈥�I had never been in a cathedral before, so it was very awe inspiring鈥攖he largeness, the scale, the craftsmanship of everything in the cathedral was really cool,鈥� said Elise Brewster, a senior majoring in kinesiology. 鈥淲e rode one of the really fast trains, and I never, never traveled by train before. That was really fun.鈥�
Radin commented, 鈥淓xperiencing another culture makes me more appreciative and aware of how other people live their lives compared to mine.鈥�
About AU Abroad
AU Abroad is a faculty led short-term academic program. Eligible students can apply for up to a $1,000 AU Abroad scholarship to offset the course fee which is most of the travel cost. For details about AU Abroad, contact the 91福利社 Center for Global Engagement at studyabroad@andersonuniversity.edu or (864) 231-2141.