Study abroad program sets out to explore Scotland this summer

Sixteenth century castles, lush landscapes, and ancient churches may sound like something out of a movie, but for SIUC students who have attended the "Arts and Culture in the Scottish Landscape," study in Scotland program, the experience is quite real.

"The whole idea, especially for people going overseas for the first time, is they tend to have a very black and white view of the world, and this trip changes that," said Daniel Overturf, a professor from the department of cinema and photography who will be traveling to Scotland with students this summer.

The trip runs from May 19 through June 7 and is sponsored by Study Abroad Programs. Students will have the opportunity to travel on their own as well as take class trips to the Orkney Islands, a group of islands off the northern coast of Scotland.

While the setting is beautiful, students primarily come to focus on their work, Overturf said. But they may come for different reasons, as the program pools students from all areas of academia. Overturf said the program recruits students from theology, photography, history, and students who may come from Scottish decent and are interested in rediscovering their roots,

Lee Buchsbaum, a graduate student from New Jersey studying photography, has attended the program for the past three years said he was intrigued in documenting the coal mines in Scotland as part of a larger project he has been working on. Buchsbaum said one of the reasons that he continues to go back is because he was so impressed with his first trip to the country.

"Wherever I went folks responded to me," Buchsbaum said. "Scottish people have a genuine pride of Scotland. They really had a desire to teach us what Scotland meant to them. All I had to do was talk and listen." Michael Onken, a professor of the School of Arts and Design, said the program has been very popular with art and photography students because of the influence of the Scottish landscapes in their art.

"There is a particular relationship that British artists and Scottish artists have with their landscape, because it's such a strong dramatic landscape," Onken said. "There is a particular sense of color and light and drama to the landscape that reflects in the art." Buchsbaum said from the experience studying abroad has not only taught the importance of other cultures but has also given him friendships.

"You can't be afraid to go out and mix with different people," Buchsbaum said. "It's a type of learning experience that you can never get from books, or a classroom, being there you learn from the corner of your eyes and the pores of your skin."