Each summer an entire class of Flinn Scholars engages in a group study-travel seminar. This year’s seminar, held in Hungary and western Romania, runs from late in May to mid-June. Here’s a day-by-day account.
Ben Lang (‘08)
The day started early, with various Flinns taking runs or doing yoga in the hall. For those who didn’t start their day at six thirty, the day began with breakfast at eight. While the cheese and eggs for breakfast left many of us wishing for more hot sauce, or at least some chorizo and tortillas, conversation was as lively as always. We then hopped on the bus for a beautiful drive through the Romanian landscape, alternating between rolling green hills, small villages, and abandoned industrial factories left from the reign of Chacescu.
Our first stop was Hunnedora, where we set out a picnic lunch in the shadow of a castle used since the 14th century. Our lunch was relaxed, only bothered by a few cute dogs looking for handouts. There was a festival taking place and we were soon invited to demonstrate our (lack of) archery skills, as well as take a swing with swords and other weapons. The group then toured the castle, which had been rebuilt at least six times over the centuries. While our guide had some different interpretations of stories we had heard elsewhere, we quite enjoyed the view from the castle walls and the beautiful architecture contained within.
Once we escaped the castle, even making it out of the torture room alive, we headed to Deva. Here we found a shelter for kids having family issues at home or wishing to continue their studies when their parents could not support them. The volunteers at the shelter gave us a tour, and then we were thrown into the yard for hours of playing with the children. Soccer balls, children, and other toys all went flying through the air. After a dinner to recuperate, we headed back out to the yard again to have the Americans get owned by the local boys in soccer and for even more playing and fun. We missed the opening game of the Eurocup, but our game was far more exciting. Even the least children-enthusiastic among us had kids hanging off of them by the end of the day. By the end of the night, everyone was worn out, and while we stayed up chatting for a bit, we soon fell fast asleep in our bunkhouse.