A Major Chapter: The Collegiate Scholars Program’s Annual Greece Trip
Written by Victoria Kelly
A month ago, I looked up nervously from the podium in the Heritage Room of Mossey Library, about to defend my Collegiate Scholars Program thesis after months of meetings with advisors and endless edits. Now, I’m about to graduate; and a few days after that, the rising seniors in the program will be headed to the airport for the annual trip to Greece. Though my time in the program has come to an end, I look back fondly on the memories and adventures I have had and am excited for my younger friends.
The Collegiate Scholars Program (or CSP for short) grew out of what used to be our Honors Program and is now run by classics professor Dr. Eric Hutchinson. Trying to run an honors program has a unique problem here at Hillsdale—almost all of the students who come here would be eligible for honors programs at other colleges. Many are worthy, but few are willing to take on the extra work designed to add to our growth as the next generation of scholars.
To that end, there are several requirements of CSP: students in the program complete at least four one-credit classes specific to CSP that loosely correspond to the program’s theme any given year. All students in CSP attend a retreat at the beginning of each school year, and there are additional opportunities for retreats to the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal in Mecosta, Michigan. Taking CSP 101 is another universal requirement, in which students gain a shared introduction to the thinking of the Liberal Arts Tradition. Juniors in the program take CSP 301: Life of the Mind to prepare for the culminating endeavor: the design, execution, and defense of an interdisciplinary senior thesis on a topic of the student’s choosing.
But there’s more.
One of the biggest selling points for recruits to CSP is the heavily subsidized two-week trip to Greece, generally taken between a student’s junior and senior years. Ironically, when I joined, I didn’t care so much about that perk. I just wanted more challenges for myself and another academic entry on my resume for applying to law school. But when my junior year rolled around, I decided to be adventurous. I talked to my parents, decided to go to Greece, and applied for my passport.
A few days after finals, the air seemed full of excitement as our group of rising seniors and recent graduates assembled and headed to Detroit Metro Airport. After a lot of time in the air and a stopover in Frankfurt, Germany, we arrived in Athens. Since Dr. Hutchinson had already forbidden us from napping upon arrival—so that our sleep schedules could better adjust to our plans over the next weeks—we checked into the hotel and took off to find a gyro stand he had recommended from previous trips. It struck me (someone who hadn’t traveled much) how both normal and otherworldly it looked. There were little shops and street vendors, much as I’ve seen in some American cities or even at my home New York State Fair, but there were also orange trees, little Orthodox churches on almost every block, and sidewalks and street curbs made of marble.
Dr. Hutchinson had been right—the gyros did not disappoint. Nor did the gelato (which I faithfully, scientifically sampled in most of the locations we visited). While the elaborate breakfasts often included foods that looked familiar, I learned why people say that the food is of such better quality in Europe. Two friends and I decided to buy a carton of strawberries at a farmer’s market in Pylos, and we had no regrets enjoying the delectable fruit while sitting by the bay.
We spent several days in Athens visiting sites I recognized from my high school history books. The agora and the Acropolis became lands that I got to tread. We jumped between different eras in history, seeing where Socrates’ jail cell may have been (some friends and I visited the location of Aristotle’s school during free time), exploring Hadrian’s library from the Roman era, and visiting early Christian sites.
The numerous museums we visited held a plethora to learn, and we saw the site of sacred pilgrimages at Delphi and the location of the Eleusian mysteries (when I read ’Til We Have Faces over the summer after returning and saw them mentioned, I was excited). We also experienced history being made, with the national elections occurring during our visit. I even saw a Communist rally from afar.
We had our own adventures in the places my brain can only term romantic. Soon after leaving Athens, we visited AcroCorinth (a mountaintop fortress) where I was the first one to the top. I’ve always loved the outdoors, and I found that the history-filled Old World only amplifies that love. When we visited Nafplion, I and a group of adventurous souls hiked two extra fortresses in our free time. Most of us went swimming there after dark for the first time of the trip. Swimming again at Kalamata, we found some of the clearest water I have ever seen. One day, we took a boat tour through caves that were once supposed to be an entrance into Hades, and we also visited Olympia and ran in the same spot the old Olympic foot races were run.
The whole trip was not, however, just about adding to our Hillsdale learning and having adventures. Being there connected what I have studied with my personal life. Standing in Corinth where the Apostle Paul delivered his address made my faith exponentially more real. Seeing old pagan temples that had been converted into Christian churches and visiting the Byzantine Christian museum emphasized Christianity’s fight against belief in any other gods or idols than the one true God. Visiting the Palace of Nestor brought The Odyssey to life. Seeing a reconstruction of the boats Athenians used in war made me realize just how similar their lives were, in some ways, to my own. I could envision myself (even though I’m a woman and wouldn’t have been doing so) feeling the strange mix of fear, duty, and excitement of heading out to battle my city’s foes. Reciting a poem (an excerpt from Sir Walter Scott’s Lay of the Last Minstrel if you’re wondering; it’s anachronistic but felt weirdly fitting at the time) in one of the last original theatres standing—and having my friends hear me from the back!—humbled me about modern technology’s advancements in comparison to those of the ancients. The world, I found, is a lot smaller and more real than I sometimes am tempted to think, both in space and time.
All of this learning stuck because of the friendships I cultivated. Finding other people who wanted to spend their free time climbing fortresses made me feel that I belonged. I took lots of photos with close female friends, which I’m sure we will treasure for years to come, and I visited the National Cathedral with my Eastern Orthodox friends. I made new friends from Hillsdale that I had never met, and while some of them have graduated, I am sincerely grateful for the times we laughed and learned about the true platonic love among friends. Of course, the academic Hillsdalian conversations didn’t stop: we still had heated debates over dinner about philosophy, economics, and politics, challenging each other to develop what we think we know.
As the two weeks ended, a few of my friends broke off to continue with their own further travels in Europe, and the rest of us flew home to the USA. I went home to a busy summer of work and studying for the LSAT. I would love to go back to Greece some day, but I know that even if I don’t, these memories will live with me. I have two icons depicting Biblical scenes that I bought from one of the monasteries hanging on my bedroom wall, and I often wear the ring that resembles a victor’s crown that I bought in Olympia after I tripped and scraped my knee. I have pictures, memories, and connections to some of my favorite people. As I look back on my time at Hillsdale, I recognize Greece as a major chapter. I hope that it’s the same for all of the future CSP students who get to visit.
Victoria Kelly, ’24, is a proud country girl from upstate New York. On the rare occasion she is not studying or hanging out with all her favorite Hillsdale people, you can find her debating politics, practicing Tae Kwon Do, or swing dancing, preferably outside under the stars.
Published in May 2024