While the majority of Nicholls students most likely spent intercession working, planning their summer vacation, preparing for summer classes or a combination of these activities, six students from the University Honors Program embarked on a quest to jolly ol’ England in search of knowledge and culture. “The goal of Honors Abroad is to transcend the textbooks and the classroom and immerse honors students in different countries and cultures, expanding their knowledge and experience. Honors Abroad students will return to Nicholls with a more international perspective that they can apply to the rest of their studies and in their careers,” Director of University Honors Program, John Doucet said.

June 12 marked the return of the Honors Abroad England 2007 program participants from their 34-day voyage across the Atlantic.

The group, led by Coordinator of Honors Abroad Martin Simpson, spent the first three and the last four days of the trip in London. While in London, students received the opportunity to visit historically-noteworthy locations like Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London, the British Museum, the Imperial War Museum and the National gallery of Art.

Simpson said while some students took advantage of the distinguished standard of British theater and saw such shows as Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables, all viewed a performance of Othello at the world-renowned Globe Theatre.

More than 380 years after the pilgrims left in search of the “new world,” Nicholls students set out on their journey to the historic port city of Plymouth, England, to obtain course credits in Honors Humanities 381.

The class was taught by Gina MacDonald, associate professor of Languages and Literature, and held at University of Plymouth.

Simpson said the objective of the abroad program is to expose students to cultural experiences vastly different than what they are used to in Louisiana.

Steven Piazza, business pre-law junior from Houma, said he felt the trip was a success.

“It was a very immersive trip that put us both in the countryside and the city and gave us a chance to experience the wide variety of English culture,” Piazza said.

Hilary Ledet, nursing junior from Cut Off, said she loved Plymouth more so than London and would definitely like to return one day. She said the locals were extremely kind.

“Everyone [in Plymouth] seemed happy to talk to us, and they all asked about the war,” Ledet said.

The students stayed in the University of Plymouth dormitories and had English literature class Monday thru Friday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

One aspect about campus life in Plymouth the students said they found particularly interesting was on Friday and Saturday nights, the student union was transformed into a night club- complete with alcohol, a line to get in the door, cover charge and American music.

Piazza said he was surprised to see so many students out drinking during final exam week.

Along with their English class, Simpson said, students were given time to tour the countryside where they took the opportunity to climb the cliffs at Tintagle, the alleged home of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and go off-shore fishing in the Plymouth Sound. Other visits included day trips to the cities of Bath, Exeter and Dartmouth, as well as a visit to the Eden Project, a reconstruction of tropical and Mediterranean environments set in two biomes.

Simpson said he believed the students really enjoyed their time in England and the program accomplished its goal of exposing students to foreign culture and college life.

The Honors Abroad Program will be traveling to Costa Rica in December and has future plans to visit Washington D.C.

Students were required to pay $600.00 for the trip. The rest of the trip was funded by private donations.

“Honors Abroad is wholly subsidized by private donations. Patrons of the Honors Program understand the value of increasing the perspective of honors students through international experience and have donated funds as an investment not only in the honors students themselves, but also in the communities from which honors students were raised and to which they are most likely to return as professionals,” Doucet said.