International Studies HUF Spending a semester abroad Jfl behind the scenes look at the sights, sounds ofJIV$ Harding Universiry in Florence, Iraly (HUF) is undoub tedly the best college semester a student could ever hope to have. Nightly in the boys' room, during the fall semester, Ethan Tanksley, sophomore, can be seen raising his arms high above his head and screaming, "This is the greatest night of my li fe!" This is a ritual that is gene rally repeated by chose around him in a rather barbaric and pre-Neanderthal SOrt of way, all involved completely oblivious ro the ridiculousness of the si tuation and aware only that they are in the most beautiful city in the world for three months. T he group is given numerous guided (Ours of the city and its museums and is al lowed ro go into town virtually every day ro enjoy the beauty of Florence. This. mixed with a few days of class. is worth sixteen hours of credit (Owards graduation. No one worries about laundry or food because everything is taken care ofbyAnna and Renata. who are better CO the H UF participants than most parents are ro their own ch ildren. And if one has a quest ion about anyming ar all, Robbi e and Mona Shackelford, rhe direcrors of HUF, are always happy ro help. Their son, Jonathan. blends right in with the students. spending many a night in the boys' room. However. nOt every day is spent in Florence. The group travels to the major rowns ofTuscany. Rome and Cinque T erre. a group of five small rowns sandwiched between the Alps and the Ligurian Sea. O ctober brings a trip to Naples and Pompeii. and November promises an extens ive rour of Greece. Mixed between all of this are twO weeks of free travel anywhere in Europe. When all the rouring and time in Florence is done. 22 Student Life the students are always happy ro return to the villa. their home. "The villa is my home away from Harding. which is my home away from home. which makes the villa my home away from my home away from home." Matt Roberts. sophomore. said. "This place is really neat." Many. even though they love the HUF experience. find it [Q be a li t tl e unusual. The students are in a different country for th ree monthswith no preliminary knowledge of language or cusroms. However. the months of planning. working and looki ng forwa rd to HUF finally materialize with no disappointments for 30 students who are nothing less than lucky to find themselves in this situation. Of course. the program still keeps the Harding atmosphere alive. Whether singing songs in an old church. worshiping with local Ital ians. singing out across the Mediterranean or JUSt having a regular chapel service. God is an ever-present reality. The magnificence of it all is that God is only enhanced by the surrounding of such a magnificent culture. Each student takes advantage ofevery second of the semester. dreading the day they leave. and loving every day he is at HUF. No one wiU leave Europe without plans to return in the futu re - the sooner the better. Every student would subscribe ro junior Matt Smelrzer's philosophywhen he says, "HUF is defin irely the greatest invention ofthe century- except maybe for Einsrein 's Theory of Relariviry. Oh yeah, I like rhe microwave. roo. " He continues. "I think everyone should come here for a semester and experience the greatness of Europe and the villa." - Justi n Burron Participants in the fall semeste r' s Harding Universicyin Florence (HUF) program gather at (he Piazzale Michelangelo, which overlooks the city of Florence. HUF students had (he opportuniry to frequently visi t the city as well as Havel around Europe using the Eurai l pass.
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