George Fox University | Academics | Juniors Abroad Trips - 2005

Courses Descriptions - May 2005

You may register for one trip and be on the wait list for a second trip.

All classes will meet Spring Semester 2005 at 6:30 on the day listed.

You are required to attend all class sessions.

GEED 375A Rwanda/Uganda - Lon Fendall

This trip will focus on the adjoining countries of Rwanda and Uganda, in the heart of Africa. The two countries are blessed with beautiful mountains, huge lakes, and wildlife, but are off the beaten path of tourism. Nevertheless, they have some wonderful attractions, and students will be able to visit some of the national parks (hopefully, those that are home to the mountain gorillas), do some hiking, boating, and possibly even some white water rafting on the upper Nile River. The two countries are similar and different. Both were claimed as colonies by the Europeans -- Uganda by the British and Rwanda by the Belgians. Both became independent in the same year, 1962. Uganda is larger than Rwanda and more diverse ethnically. Both have been scarred by ethnic and political conflict in the last four decades, but are emerging from these hard times through peacemaking and reconciliation. Students will learn about the history of the two countries, the causes of conflict among the people in modern times, and the role of Christians in providing healing and reconciliation in the region. Participants will see the front-lines work of Christian ministries among women, children, refugees, AIDS patients, traumatized people, and the desperately poor. Students will be challenged mentally, emotionally, and spiritually as they learn more about GodÕs dearly loved and often neglected Central African people. Meets at 6:30 on Wednesday

The proposed study tour to Costa Rica and Panama will be one of great contrasts from bustling modern cities to sleepy laid-back villages, from large metropolitan churches to small country churches, from lush tropical rainforests and jungles with a myriad of flora and fauna to warm sunny beaches and from bright sunny days to hot tropical downpours. Students will see spider monkeys, fluorescent crabs, crocodiles, poison dart frogs, many kinds of birds and definitely hear and possibly see howler monkeys. Students will have opportunities to learn about the Central American culture of these countries from the Central Americans themselves and learn how they impact each other. They will learn about U.S./Central American relations, businesses, and economies. Each student will be able to participate in many outdoor activities, including water activities, hiking, ecotours, zip line through the rainforest canopy and white water rafting. Very important aspects of modern culture are religion and Christianity. We will visit various religious institutions, worship with local believers, and experience their unique cultural adaptations of the Christian faith. Two to three days during our study tour we will put our faith into action as we serve alongside our Central American brothers and sisters in a couple of short service/humanitarian aide projects. Meets at 6:30 on Monday

GEED 375C Paris to Berlin - John Bowman

This trip focuses on the major cultural centers of Central Europe. Traveling in comfortable trains to Paris, Vienna; Krakow; Prague, and Berlin, we will discover firsthand old-world charm as well as efficient modern political systems. Our time in Europe will include visits to famous cathedrals, castles, palaces, historical monuments, and museums. Group activities include a Danube River cruise, an excursion to the mountains of Poland, and a tour of Auschwitz. There will be opportunities to attend music events (folk, jazz, and classical), and sufficient free time to engage in relaxed independent meandering through fascinating outdoor craft markets. A key objective of the trip will be to enable us to acquire an expanded global perspective and a deeper understanding of our own culture and values. Preparation for the trip will include background study of the target cultural centers and the events that made them great. Meets at 6:30 on Monday

GEED 375D France/Italy - Marley Brown, Caitlin Corning

Come join us on a non-stop learning adventure as we travel through Italy and France and experience areas rich in art, history, religion and geography. We will start in the Eternal City of Rome; travel by train to the beautiful medieval town of Assisi and then experience the Tuscan hillsides on our way to Florence. We will conclude our time in Italy with a day in the romantic city of Venice. A night train will take across northern Italy and along the Mediterranean Sea to Arles (an important political city known as "Rome in Gaul," and backdrop for many of Van Gogh's works). Our last train ride will bring us to Carcassone, where we will feel as if we have entered King Arthur's court as we experience a fortified medieval city. A coach will take us through France to prehistoric caves, the pilgrimage site of Rocamdour, a canoe trip down the Dordonge River, the World War II martyr village of Oradour Sur Glane, through Joan of Arc's country, the Loire valley with its extravagant chateaus, Leonardo da Vinci's home, Mont. St. Michel, the D-Day beaches, the Bayeux tapestry, Monet's home and gardens and then on to Paris. Our visits to the most frequented pilgrimage sites in Europe (The Vatican and St. Peter's Basilica, The Basilica of St. Francis, the little chapel of Porziuncola, the Black Virgin of Notre-Dame Rocamadour, the abbey of Mont-Saint Michel, and Nortre Dame in Paris) and our opportunities to experience famous works of art (Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel, and important museums at almost every stop along way) while reviewing important moments in history are bound to have a powerful impact on you and your worldview. Meets at 6:30 on Monday

GEED 375E Ireland, Wales and England - Michele Johnson, Tom Johnson

This Juniors Abroad trip is all about Christian history and culture in Britain and Ireland from earliest times to the present. We will tour Ireland¹s historic Dingle Peninsula with sites dating to the 400 B.C. and spectacular views of the ocean and the Blasket Islands. We make our way, with two stops (Killarney and Cashel), through the deep-green Irish countryside and eventually get to vibrant, modern Dublin, home of Trinity College and the Book of Kells. Crossing by immense ferry to Wales, we experience medieval castles and the culture of a small Welsh town (Conwy). On to England, we see Roman Britain (the walled city of Chester, Hadrian's Wall, and the Roman baths at Bath); three spectacular cathedrals (Durham, York, and Bath); two cool castles (Warwick and Windsor); experience Shakespeare in Stratford-on-Avon; visit Oxford University and a well-preserved medieval town (Lacock); explore mysterious Stonehenge; and finally make our way to London, where we have four nights and three days to see it all (theater, museums, Westminster Abbey and Parliament, the Tower of London, St. Paul¹s Cathedral, the Thames, ³pub grub,² and much more. You¹ll learn a lot more about yourself, your faith, and the cultural history of this beautiful part of God¹s world on this Juniors Abroad adventure. Meets at 6:30 on Wednesday

GEED 375F Greece - Tim Tsohantaridis

Students studying about and visiting Greece will learn about and experience Greek culture, history and influence on the modern world. We will visit both Northern Greece and Southern Greece to experience biblical history, Greek civilization, and modern Greek life and religion. Our visits will include historically rich centers such as Philippi, Thessaloniki, Mt. Olympus, Vergina, Meteora, Athens, Corinth, Ancient Olympia, and many others. We will also visit the village of Sevasti, birthplace of your professor, and the town of Katerini, the historical center of Greek evangelicalism and a typical refugee city for displaced Greeks during the turn of the 20th century. At the end of the three weeks, our understanding and appreciation of Greek history, arts, land, and people will be greatly enhanced. Meets at 6:30 on Wednesday

GEED 375G Australia - Paul Chamberlain, Jim Foster

This tour will study the history, culture, and practice of science by studying and visiting various locales in Australia. Students will have opportunities to explore a variety of rich and distinctive ecosystems, such as natural eucalyptus forests, tropical rainforests, pineapple and banana plantations, and marine habitats. Of particular interest will be our visits to such sites as the Blue Mountains, the Whitsunday Islands, the Great Barrier Reef (the only living organism that can be seen from space), Featherdale Wildlife Park (the home of numerous koalas, kangaroos, wallabyÕs, wombats and Tasmanian devils), a 26,000-acre cattle station, and tropical cairns. To add to the cultural flavor of the tour, students will have the opportunity to visit sites in and around Sydney, including the Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbor, and various museums. Meets at 6:30 on Monday

GEED 375H Rome to Normandy - Steve Grant

This European Study Tour will highlight the art, history and architecture of Medieval and Renaissance Europe by beginning with ancient and modern Rome. The influences of early church history and its effect on art and architecture, and impact of World Wars I and II on Europe will be a major focus. Significant museum, architectural and historically significant sites will be included. In addition to Rome, many other cities/sites to be experienced on the tour will include Florence and Venice, Italy; Salzburg, Austria; either the unique and beautiful Hallstatt in Austria, or the unique and unforgettable Rothenburg in Germany; as well as Munich and Dachau, Germany; Paris and the beaches at Normandy, France. Meets at 6:30 on Wednesday