Students explore European landmarks on study tour during Christmas break

Published by Concordia University, Nebraska 8 years ago on Mon, Jan 18, 2016 9:53 AM
Students and faculty who attended a study tour of Europe visited Big Ben in London, England. Pictured (l-r): Emma Blanke, Karlene Embretson, Professor Robert Hermann, Sarah Scamehorn, Jalyn Woollen, Spencer Owen, Mary Wheeler, Audrey Rich, Justus Thompson, Professor Daniel Thurber, Clara Rich. Not pictured: Professor Julie Johnston Hermann (taking photo).

Dr. Daniel Thurber, professor of English at Concordia University, Nebraska, hosted his 22nd study tour of Europe for students from Dec. 26, 2015, to Jan. 9, 2016. This year’s trip includes travels to Dublin, Ireland, London, England, and Copenhagen, Denmark.

“In our travels together, I encourage the students to notice what they are learning about themselves and the larger world in which we live,” says Thurber. “I encourage them to notice how our Lord is planting seeds in their lives during our journey, which can help prepare them for the ways in which they can minister to the needs of people later on.”

In London the students visited well-known landmarks including Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and Kensington Palace.

The group also visited the houses of British literary icons, including Jane Austen’s House Museum in Bath, England, and the Charles Dickens Museum in London. The group took a train to Stratford-upon-Avon in England’s West Midlands; it is the birthplace of William Shakespeare, where the students saw a performance by the Royal Shakespeare Company.

In Denmark, students explored the Royal Palace of Amalienborg in Copenhagen and the Kronborg Castle, the inspirational setting of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” in Helsingør.

The study tour concluded with a stop in Dublin, Ireland, where the students visited the Writers’ Museum, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and National Gallery and National Museum.

Thurber has led more than 500 students to Europe and Asia.

Participants on Thurber’s 2015-16 European study tour include (students’ names in alphabetical order by state, city, last name):

  • Justus Thompson, sophomore, Parker, Colo.
  • Spencer Owen, senior, Arcadia, Iowa
  • Mary Wheeler, senior, Lee's Summit, Mo.
  • Karlene Embretson, sophomore, Falls City, Neb.
  • Audrey Rich, freshman, Lincoln, Neb.
  • Clara Rich, senior, Lincoln, Neb.
  • Emma Blanke, senior, Seward, Neb.
  • Sarah Scamehorn, sophomore, Sterling, Neb.
  • Jalyn Woollen, senior, Wilcox, Neb.
  • Concordia Professors Julie Johnston Hermann and Rob Hermann

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