Former Huffers share experiences, encourage travel H arding Un iversi ty in Florence, HUF for shor t , is an experience many at Harding have shared. ----The trip starts out with the HUF students leaving the Harding campus, via bus, from the fr ont of the American Heritage Building . 3 idding their friends a fond adieu , the Huf fers left for Europe with eager anticipal ion . Of course there were a million questions running through the minds of these students embarking on their new endeavor. "Am I really ging to Europe?" "Will I make any new friends ?" "Are the Italians friendly?" Possibly the most important , "Will my plane be highjacked by crazed Lybian terrorists , ruin my chance of broadening my horizons , and thus waste all of my parents' money? " These were just a few of the fleeting curiosities coursing through the minds of the latest Huffers. Living so close to an average of 40 other students helped establish new friends. " ...eating every meal together and attending classes together were just a tew things that helped us to grow close. " , says Tom Heffington, a recent Huffer . Heffington , a sophomore, also stated that " ... seeing the girls without make-up" added to the feeling of family trust in life at the villa, a 16th century building that now belongs to Harding for the HUF program. There was no doubt that the feeling of being close helped while traveling. When asked about their daily routine , seniqr Andrea Grimm replied. "Oh my gosh ! That seems so long ago. It seems like a dream ... sometimes we would have classes for 6 to 7 days then travel 4 to 5 days. " The Huffers traveled to such places as Germany , Switzerland , and Austria. Of course one cannot help but shop while in Europe. After classes -students went to town to shop the open markets of Florence. Grimm stated, "It was like Christmas when people came back with all of their packages from shopping. " The HUF trip also provided cultural exHuffer huddle. T he 1985 fall semester students of Harding Un iversity in Florence gather on the roof of a building overl ooking part of the Italian countryside. - photo by Tom Heffington. periences. "The trip was especially great if you like art,' said Amy Blankenship , a sophomore. Experiencing things for one 's self was much more exciting than just studying about it in history clases. Seeing things such as the Acropolis , leaning tower of Pisa , Eiffel Tower , and Michelangelo 's David can leave one dumb-founded. "Just to .see the history of Europe and then come back to the States only to realize how young America really is .", was Grimm's reaction toward European culture. Huffers also had the opportunity to be involved in worship with a different way of life . This caused one to realize how God is universal, not just something taken for granted in the United States. Harding University in Florence is not something all can do but something to be done by all who can. 4 - Susan Deslauriers
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==