Stephen F. Austin State University

Dr. Owen Smith and his wife, Dr. Anne Collins Smith, two professors of philosophy and classical studies at Stephen F. Austin State University, will lead 10 SFA students on a study-abroad in Greece July 11-29.

Dr. Owen Smith is teaching two courses in association with this trip: ENG 348 Travel and Literature: Oral Poetry in Ancient Greece and ENG 405 Topics in Comparative World Literature: Classical Theatre.

Dr. Anne Collins Smith is accompanying as a second faculty member, which the study broad office recommends in case an emergency arises.

Students will blog about their experiences while theyre in Greece, and their entries will be posted on the Euro Blog at www.dailysentinel.com. Students in the SFA College of Business, who toured Europe earlier this summer, also utilized the Euro Blog.

Dr. Owen Smith said he and his wife have made numerous trips abroad, including a trip to Greece last summer to lay the foundation for this trip. Although this is the first time they have led students on this type of adventure, they have traveled with students under other circumstances.

While an undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I we t on a six-week archaelogical dig in Israel, Smith said. Anne also served as a chaperone on a trip to France with our sons high school French Club.

Preparations for this trip began shortly after the Smiths arrived at SFA in 2004, when they were approached about the possibility of leading a group of students to Greece.

After consultation with colleagues, both at SFA and other institutions, who have led trips abroad with students, Anne and I took a three-week working vacation to Greece during the summer of 2006, Smith said. During that trip we familiarized ourselves with logistics of using public transportation in Greece, communication and banking. We visited ancient sites that we considered for inclusion in the study-abroad trip, taking detailed notes on their state of preservation and their accessibility to students. We also visited museums in Athens and consulted guides, who provided us with invaluable advice concerning the practical aspects of the trip.

Upon their return from Greece, the Smiths worked closely with the Office of International Programs to develop an itinerary for the trip and to advertise the opportunity for students to travel.

I have prepared for the courses that will be taught in association with this trip much as I would for any course I teach at the university, Smith said. Anne has prepared for her role as an accompanying faculty member by studying modern Greek, which is pronounced quite differently from the classical Greek that we have both studied and taught.

Smith said he and his wife have met the students who will be traveling with them and he has given them preliminary assignments on Greek language, geography and history to be completed before the trip.

Smith said some students are taking these classes to complete a minor in classical literary studies.

I cannot think of a finer capstone to a course of study in classical culture than a trip to Greece that affords students the opportunity to examine in a scholarly context a variety of sites that figure so prominently in Greek culture and history, he said. The opportunity to experience an ancient Greek play performed in an ancient Greek theatre provides students with an incomparable opportunity to understand a vibrant art form that provides us with an unparalleled view into ancient Greek culture. Among other things, students will visit several ancient Greek theatres and attend the staging of ancient Greek drama at the reconstructed Greek theatre in Epidaurus.

The 19-day trip to Greece includes two travel days and 17 days in Greece itself.

After a short time in Athens, where students will receive an orientation to Athens and Greek culture, they will leave on a five-day bus tour of Greece. They will visit sites associated with the Mycenaean period in Greek history (1600 to 1150 B.C.E.), including Mycenae, Tiryns, and Argos; the Sanctuary of Asklepios at Epidaurus, with its ancient Greek theatre; Olympia, the site of the ancient Olympic games; and Delphi, the site of the famous Oracle of Apollo, Smith said.

This portion of the trip will conclude with a visit to the island of Mykonos, where students will be able to relax and swim in the Aegean Sea, he said. The group will then return to Athens, which will serve as our base of operations for the remainder of the trip. We will examine in detail the principal sites of antiquity in Athens, including the Acropolis, the Theatre of Dionysus, the ancient Greek Agora, and the Roman Forum. We will visit several of the museums in Athens, notably the National Archaeological Museum. We will also make several side trips from Athens, including a trip to Elefsina, the site of the ancient Eleusinian Mysteries, and a trip back to Epidaurus, where they will attend a modern theatrical adaptation of the Lysistrata by the ancient comic playwright Aristophanes staged on the ancient Greek theatr there. Students also will have the opportunity to participate in optional side trips, such as a one-day cruise of the Saronic Gulf and a trip to the site of ancient Corinth.