Students enjoy warm summer air while overlooking a plaza in Madrid. Photo from efcollegestudytours.com
Every summer, Milligan’s humanities program offers the humanities tour: a trip overseas in which students can earn humanities credit hours.
This year’s humanities trip is the Mediterranean tour. The class will be traveling to Spain, Italy and Greece on a 14-day voyage.
The group will be flying out of Atlanta on May 14. After a whole semester of preparation. Along with the trip to Europe, the travelers are required to complete the humanities tour class.
The class meets once a week on Thursdays at 9:30 a.m. Class time is devoted to learning how to best prepare for the trip. The class discusses etiquette and procedures for sightseeing, what to pack, how to avoid theft and much more. Along with tour specific preparation, the class also studies art and history from the cities on the tour.
The course work for the class includes writing and replying to weekly discussion boards, taking weekly online quizzes, doing a creative project and five bingos. In order to win a “bingo,” students must engage with the arts whether that be original art work or attending a choir concert. The class is also required to read two books, “Walk on Water” by Madeline L’Engle and “The Sun Also Rises” by Ernest Hemingway.
“I really enjoy the humanities tour class. We get to do a lot of interesting activities. I am also a fan of all the interaction between people on the tour,” said sophomore, Karsten Miller.
This year is the 50th anniversary of both the humanities program and the tour. The leader of the tour is humanities professor, Dr. Walker Edin.
“I crafted this particular tour around my own life-changing adventures in Rome and Florence, as well as my time spent studying Spanish in Madrid, Spain in preparation for applying to Ph.D. programs,” said Walker Edin.
Months of thought and preparation have gone towards selecting the best locations to take this year’s tour group. The locations were chosen by Walker Edin.
“When I contemplated what the 2019 tour might look like, I started with a blank European map and reflected on my own experiences studying and living abroad. Then I talked to every student and former leader I could find to gain a better understanding of what makes an excellent tour,” said Walker Edin.
“Designing the tour continues to be a labor of love, and I am grateful to our wonderful students and my fellow faculty leaders for embarking on this adventure with me.”
Nearly 40 faculty, students and graduate students decided to undertake this journey together. It is the largest group in the tour’s history. Each student had to apply and be accepted in order to meet the requirements for the tour.
The tour will be divided between five major cities in three different countries. The trip begins in Madrid, the capital city of Spain. The group will then travel to the Spanish city of Barcelona. Next, they will venture further east to Florence and Rome in Italy. The last destination on the tour is Athens, Greece.
“I can’t wait to go to Spain, Italy, and Greece. They are three of the most beautiful countries in Europe. I’m so happy this is the tour that was chosen” said sophomore, Casey Luevanos.
Much of the logistics of the tour is handled by Education First. This is a company that offers college study tours to locations across the world. EF is well-renowned for efficient, safe and enjoyable tours.
The tour is an exciting time for a handful of students. These students have been looking forward to the trip for months. The wait is nearly over. The group will be leaving less than a week after final exams.