The students of the nutrition and food science study tour are gearing up for one month of backpacking through Europe.
Eleven students and faculty director David Martin, assistant professor in nutrition and food science, will cover 12 cities in their 28-day trek across the continent.
"It's what I would describe as a very unique international travel experience," said Martin O'Neill, nutrition and food science department head. "Most students sign up to study abroad in a classroom setting. These students spend spring in the classroom planning, and in the summer they set out to execute."
O'Neill began the program when he came to Auburn in 2003, and he said it has since become known as the "Bang Bang Tour of Europe."
He led it every year until Martin took over last year.
"He was actually a grad student of mine," O'Neill said, "and he had gone on the trip on two different occasions as a grad student, so it was a very easy transition for him to take the reins."
This year the group plans to visit cities in France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Italy.
"We set them about planning this trip around an academic theme, and for the last few years it's been gourmet tourism," O'Neill said. "They're broken into four groups. Each group has a week they're responsible for, and during that week each student in the group is responsible as a duty student for one element of the trip."
A duty student plans the activities the group will do in a given city.
Drew Lowry, junior in animal science, is the duty student for Krakow, Poland, a city new to the program this year.
"It's the biggest city that's close to Auschwitz," Lowry said. "That's kind of why we picked it. Obviously Auschwitz is included in there and the impact of World War II. We'll also visit Wawel Castle from the 13th century."
O'Neill stressed the importance of this period of preparation.
"(Everything) has to be planned for. If it's not on the planning grid, it's perfectly plausible that we could turn up to Paris and not see the Eiffel Tower," he said.
Lowry said his biggest concern is adhering to this strict agenda.
"We're on such a time constraint," he said. "(I'm most nervous about) something going wrong that would get us off pace. Our trip is all about schedules, and getting off schedule would really put us in a bind."
Martin said his priority is keeping his students out of harm's way.
"Safety is my number one concern--just making sure the students are safe, but also having a good time, learning and getting most out of the experience," Martin said. "I want to make sure everyone gets home in one piece."
A common safety concern in Europe is the high incidence of pick pocketing, something the trip's participants learned last year.
"My purse almost got stolen," said Caroline Davidson, junior in public administration. "It had my wallet, my passport--all my personal info. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone reach their hand for my purse, so I instinctively stomped my foot down and pinned the guy's hand. We got into a staring match, and he starting calmly speaking to me in French.
"My friend on the trip who spoke French fluently came over and translated. He was saying over and over, 'Congratulations, I was trying to steal from you, and you caught me.' It was one of the scariest moments of my life, but also one of the funniest. But it taught me to be careful."
Being careful is just one of the many things students learn during this full trip abroad.
"Three to six months after, I receive letters from the parents of those students who have noted an absolute difference in their perspectives on life," O'Neill said. "It's very gratifying.
'That's what it's about: cultural immersion and expanding your worldview. It's very easy to live in the little bubble that is Auburn. When you do leave, it's usually to one country. This trip does a lot to open their eyes."
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