Interim 2009 |
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The May 2008 trip to Greece was so successful that Prof. McCutcheon has decided to begin to offer this trip on a regular basis. Whether or not that means offering the course annually will be determined at a later time; but for the time being, we at least know that the trip will certainly take place again during 2009's Interim semester. |
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There will likely be a few changes to 2009's program, all of which will be seen by students as significant enhancements. For example, while the trip will still include visits to Vergina, Dion, Mount Olympus, and the tomb of Philip II, opportunities for much formal and informal contact with students and faculty in the study of religion at Aristotle University, and will still take place in May, it will last a little longer than last year's 12 days (this year it will likely be May 13-30). This additional time might allow for a few more excursions (such as a nearby annual firewalking festival) and will permit us to have lectures from Aristotle University faculty, to better prepare students for the archeological sites and museums that they will. We will hopefully have presentations from Aristotle University graduate students, concerning their research topics, and we will even make it to the beach for a day. We will be staying in the city center, just a short walk from Aristotle Square, and the course will begin in Tuscaloosa, where we will be joined by Ms. Vaia Touna (our Local Coordinator), who will co-teach four classes to prepare us for the trip (e.g., we'll learn some basic modern Greek vocabulary [Kalimera = Good Morning]) and help us become better acquainted with the history and layout of the city of Thessaloniki. |
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Prof. McCutcheon (pictured above with 2008's students, from left to right: Chris Hurt, Jaci Gresham, Sean Beadore, and Keke Pounds, at the Arch of Galerius, which dates to the 298/9 CE) will once again lead the trip, Mr. Pachis will once again participate by putting our academic program in place, and our local coordinator will once again be Ms. Vaia Touna, who begins her Ph.D. in the study of ancient religion at Aristotle University in the Fall of 2008. (Rollover: a wonderful lunch, joined by faculty and students from Aristotle University, following our tour of Vergina and Dion, near Mount Olympus.) |
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The 2009 course (which earns 3 credits for the students) is now being planned and will hopefully be approved during the Fall 2008 semester. If so, it will be advertised very early in the Spring 2009 semester. Seats in the class will be limited to a small number of REL majors; high demand for the course may necessitate criteria--such as the number of successfully completed REL hours or GPA--to determine a student's eligibility to participate. Due to the program's enhancements, the costs will rise as compared to 2008's subsidized costs--though Prof. McCutcheon will once again work to ensure that the trip is as affordable as possible. |
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We would like to thank Willi Braun, Jaci Gresham, and Keke Pounds for permission to use their photos on this site. The site was created by Jaci Gresham. |
