38 student life A song from the ‘60s released by James Brown stated “it’s a man’s, man’s, man’s world,” but for the students that embarked on the Harding University in Paris (HIP) semester abroad, it was a woman’s world. Sophomore John Cannaday was the only male in a group with 13 women on the spring 2008 trip. Cannaday signed up for the trip only a month before the group left, so he was well aware of what he was getting himself into and embraced the experience with open arms. Surrounded by women for a whole semester was a hard thing for one man to handle. Senior JoAnna Kirk admitted that sometimes the girls would get caught up doing “girly” activities and Cannaday would be out of the loop. “We always wanted to go shopping, and he wasn’t into that,” Kirk said. Cannady, being the odd one out, also caused several good laughs throughout the semester. “When we would go out, we would do a roommate check,” junior Allison Evins said. “He didn’t have a roommate, so we always had to be like ‘John, John?’ and make sure he was there.” Living arrangements were also interesting for Cannaday. The grouped stayed in an “aparthotel,” and while the girls would be surrounded by each other the whole time, Cannaday would be on a different floor by himself surrounded by other guests. “I always ended up with the single room in the hostels because I was male,” Cannaday said. “I didn’t complain much.” Before departing for the trip, Cannaday spent time with his guy friends to soak up every last bit of male bonding he could. “I shared some of my concerns about being with all girls, and we conjectured about what my marital status would be upon returning and the scale of things that could be a result of a semester without men,” Cannaday said. “We didn’t go into the woods, hunt deer or shoot guns, but they Caroline Damron, a junior, studies the architecture of Dijon, France, while touring the city March 3, 2008. The HIP group was able to explore the city and sample its specialties — dijon mustard and spiced bread. Courtesy of Caroline Damron Senior JoAnna Kirk attempts to remove the sword from the stone April 12, 2008, at Disney World Paris. A group of students spent the day at the amusement park, enjoying the American rides and food available at the park. Courtesy of JoAnna Kirk Carina Schrei, a senior, looks out onto the Mediterranean Sea on May 5, 2008, at Cinque Terre, Italy. Students were able to free travel across Europe during their stay in France. Courtesy of Caroline Damron Enjoying their dinner, junior Sally Tucker and senior Sarah Hug relax while traveling by train February 17, 2008, from Belgium back to Reims, France. A group of students spent a few days in Brussels and Liege, Belgium, before returning to their hometown. Courtesy of Caroline Damron
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