STUDENT LIFE I INTERNATIONAL I SOCIAL CLUBS I ACADEMICS I PEOPLE I LEADERSHIP I ATHLETICS I ORGANIZATIONS HUG students were caught in a sandstorm during their weekend in Santorini. The Harding University in Greece (HUG) spring 2018 group experienced a sandstorm from the Sahara desert while on a six-mile hike on the Greek island of Santorini. Near the end of the semester, the group took a two-day trip to Santorini and stayed in Oia, a town on the northern part of the island. Santorini was known for its sunsets, and although the group arrived on the island in time to witness chis natural phenomenon, the sandstorm hindered their plans. Junior Luke Humphrey recalled arriving on the island. "When we first got there, we were really disappointed because Santorini's known for its famous sunsets, and we were staying in a city where it's the best view ever," Humphrey said. "The very first night we were there, it was really cloudy, and we were just really hummed about chat." The following morning, the group rode a bus south to Fira, the island's main city. After lunch, the group began a six-mile hike back to Oia. The cloud cover in the sky seemed unusual. Sophomore Kinsey Stubblefield said the sky cast a pale hue on the ground. "The way that it looked, it's really hard to explain," Stubblefield said. "The only way I can explain it is imagine watching The Wizard of Oz before Dorothy goes to Oz where it's black and white. Imagine being Dorothy and seeing in black and white." On the hike back, the wind began to pick up. Sand, rocks and dirt swirled in every direction, and students had to stop at times to shield themselves. Junior Laura Waldron remembered the intensity of the event. "We got an hour or so into the hike, and all of the sudden, the wind was so aggressive," Waldron said. "It was knocking us a few steps sideways. We were kind of on cliffs and edges of these hills. At first, we were like, 'This is fun,' and then we were kind of miserable at the end of it." Upon completing the six-mile trek, the group returned to their hotel in Oia, and every member was covered in dust. "Later that night, as it got into evening time, kind of near chat sunset time again, the entire sky turned yellow," Stubblefield said. "Everything was yellow. It seemed the real night sky was never going to come." Though the intensity of the sandstorm prevented any chance ofwitnessing one of Santorini's sunsets, Waldron appreciated the opportunity to experience such an event. "Once I set aside how miserable it was to be pelted in the face with dirt for a few hours, I just kept saying over and over again, 'Man, I feel alive,"' Waldron said. "It was so cool to experience so much power." story by Zach Bissell The banks ofSantorini, Greece, receive a coating ofdust and sand from the Sahara Desert on March 22, 2018. Members ofthe spring 2018 HUG group experienced the sandstorm while on a six-mile hike. I photo courtesy of Hannah Grace Freeman JuniorsMeredith Holmes, Ashlyn Wilson, Emelia Thomas and Hannah Grace Freeman hike to Oia, Greece, during a sandstorm on March 22, 2018. The HUG students returned to their hotel completely covered in dust. I photo courtesy of Hannah Grace Freeman 41 I HUG
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