Students spend a week in Italy with “The Water Horse” director
SEARCY, Ark. — Twenty-two Harding University students will spendspring break immersed in Florentine culture while capturing highlights
of the University’s semester-long international program in Italy — all
with the help of feature film director Jay Russell.
Russell has directed such films as “The Water Horse,” “Ladder 49,”
“Tuck Everlasting,” and “My Dog Skip.” He will act as an on-site
mentor for students as they gain real-world experience in film, news
writing and public relations.
Students will stay in the Avanti Italia Bible School building in
Scandicci as two distinctive groups, working closely with the students
who are already there studying for the spring semester at Harding
University in Florence. One team will focus on producing a
documentary, following HUF students as they study and live at the 16th
century villa that is home to the program. The other group will
capture life inside and outside the villa through writing and
photography, telling stories of the residents and their social and
political surroundings.
Dr. Jack Shock, professor of communication and director of the mass
communication program, said the trip will give students the
opportunity to come back with a changed worldview. “This is the time
for students to get up from the desk and go out to talk to real people
in real places about real things,” he said.
The course is a collaboration between Harding’s International Programs
office and the College of Communication and will provide an
opportunity for enhanced, hands-on learning while showcasing the
highlights of the program in Florence.
“The chance to go overseas and do some reporting and learn about the
culture and learn about what issues are important to the Italians is a
great experience for our students,” said Dr. Jim Miller, assistant
professor of communication. “This is a very focused opportunity for
students to practice their skill-sets in an international culture.”
Students participating in the course will also observe traditional
Florence highlights, such as churches, museums and markets. They
depart for Italy today, March 4, and will return March 13. Both Shock
and Miller will accompany the group, along with other faculty.
