International Studies HUE & HUG JIuggers'describe life infithens Li fe at Harding University in G reece (HUG) possesses a different flavor than life o n the Searcy campus. W h ile the camaraderie between scucienrs and professo rs remains the same, the sights, sounds and smells that surround H uggers (name for H UG smdems) afe comp letely diffetent. H ere in G reece, the sky is lit by a sil ky, Medi terranean sun , the food is laced with olive oil and (he beautiful Agean Sea is only a few meters away. Perhaps the most striking difference between HUG and home is found in dorm life. Stat ioned at the Congo Palace Hotel in the Athens suburb ofGlyfada, students are constantly surrounded by a whirlwind of activity. No longer is campus life unleashed on sprawling green lawns and aged brick buildings, but instead it is contained within the hotel. At al l hours of the day, HUG's single computer is occupied by students anxious for a states ide connection . Elsewhere in the hotel, Huggers wash their laund ry in their bathtubs with on ly a box of Tide and the stomp ing motion of their own fee t to simulate the machines back home. Ac meal times, the group is served three-course di nners by wai te rs who eclipse the self-serv ice and the pink conveyor belt of the Aramark cafeteria. O ther hotel guests add a global flavor to dorm life. They are the Walton Scholars of the HUG gtoup, whose language fi lls the hallway. Huggers have heard, in a single day, English spoken by Assembly of God missionaries on retreat, Russian spoken by a visit ing volleybal l team, Mandarin spoken by Chinese photographers and a mind-boggling mixture ofall major languages, which is spoken by the Greek cleaning lad ies on their daily rounds. Like do rm life, G reek town life is unique as well. Tiny Greek scooters and cars race constantly to and fro 18 Student Life on Georgiou Avenue, which is located in front of the hotel. Street-corner cafes outnumber fas t-food restaurants, offering such local treats as souvlaki, baklahva and gyros . Such ordinary aspects of daily living may t rivialize the "fo reignness" of H UG. Be assured , however, that the student experience here is unique simply because it is so confined. Imagine living wi thout the distan t waves of hello that one finds on Harding's sidewalks. In Glyfada. there are no happy reunions with rarely seen friends because the fo rty students eat, sleep and study under one roof. Soli tude comes only during the few hours of sleep each n ight, and it ends each morn ing with a roommate's "Iong-time- no-see" grin. Fortunately, such close proximi ty does not breed claustrophobia, but instead fosters deep friendships that are cul t ivated by the spi rit of Ch rist. Huggers worship together each day, whether it be in chapel or at the Chu rch of Ch rist in Athens. Finally, HUG is special because it helps students learn unusual ski lls. They learn to sleep while sitting in uncomfortable tour buses. They learn to listen inten tly to a tour guide, scribble coherent notes and take pictures fo r the folks back home, all while walking to the next site. Most importantly, living in G reece for th ree months broadens both the mi nd and the heart. W ithout the recognized cultural cues to guide daily life, H uggers can and must live more deeply and fu lly than they do at home. Upon returning home. HUG studentsare canned by theMedi terranean sun and tend to smell ofolive oil. However, their souls have been strengthened , for they have a greater knowledge of God, the Bible, rhe world and themselves . - Hobby Chap in and Erica Lee Harding Un iversity in Greece (HUG) studenrs gather underneath a pavill ion before beginning one of their many tours. HUG is the second m OSt popular International Studies location, juSt behind Hardi ng University in Florence (H UF), with students having to sign up several years in advance to insure a place.
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