Students at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma may learn about Europe in World Thought and Culture class, but this spring, they can experience it first hand.

 

Two USAO faculty members, Dr. Brenda Brown, professor of English, and Dr. Stephen Weber, professor of music, will be leading educational tours to Italy and the United Kingdom respectively.

 

Brown and Weber are hosting an informational meeting about the trips at 7 p.m. Thursday in the Choir Room, Davis Hall 124 on USAO’s campus. The trip is open to students, faculty, staff and the public.

 

The trip to Italy covers three major cities, Venice, Florence and Rome in a nine-day trip. Highlights in Venice will include a guided tour of St. Mark’s Square as well as the Grand Canal. After a visit to the University of Bologna, travelers will journey to Florence to take in the sights at the Piazza della Signoria as well as the famed Accademia.

 

From there, the tour will spend three days in Rome. Travelers will visit begin their exploration of the city with a guided tour of Vatican City where they will experience the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica along with the thousands of years of history accumulated within their walls.

 

The remainder of the time in Rome will be split between guided tours of the city to see famous locations like the Colosseum and free time to take in sights like the Pantheon and the Spanish Steps.

 

Travelers choosing the trip to the United Kingdom will begin with five days in Ireland where the journey will pass through four destinations – Shannon, Killarney, Blarney Castle and, finally, Dublin. While on the Emerald Isle, participants will have the opportunity to visit the Ring of Kerry as well as stop off in Trinity College to view the Book of Kells. Stops also are planned at Cashel Rock and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

 

The tour is then scheduled to travel by ferry to Wales where it will take the travelers to Beaumaris Castle. After a day passing through the stunning landscape of the Welsh countryside, participants will visit Stratford, the birthplace of William Shakespeare and taking a tour of Oxford University before heading on to the crown jewel of England, London.

 

The guided tour of London includes visits to Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, Piccadilly Circus, St. Paul’s Cathedral and Hyde Park. The United Kingdom trip also is scheduled for nine days.

 

The tour is organized and operated by EF Tours, which provides an educational approach to travel abroad experiences. USAO sponsors the trip to provide students with the opportunity to experience other cultures and further their knowledge of other parts of the world though alumni and community members are encouraged to participate.

 

Those who cannot attend the meeting but are interested in either trip should call Brown at 405-574-1207.