Last year, David Marlow enthusiastically packed his bags for an expedition to Egypt to get education from real life instead of the pages of a textbook.

It brings such a new perspective, Marlow, a junior in political science from Rochester, said. It doesn’t seem like reality in a textbook. When you are there, it’s almost too much to imagine.

Marlow received this education during one of the yearly trips to Egypt and Greece sponsored by the SIUC Philosophy Department.

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Robert Hahn, associate professor in philosophy, started the trips to Egypt and Greece to give students the opportunity to explore and experience different countries.

The trip makes learning fun and exciting, Hahn said. This is an extremely great way to learn. It’s all hands-on.

Along with its innovative approach to learning, the vast academic knowledge of the program’s tour guides makes these trips much different from a typical vacation. The annual program in the ancient world experience, Expeditions to Greece and Egypt, was developed in 1982 by Hahn for just that purpose.

Students from other schools across the country accompany Hahn and professors specializing in philosophy, archaeology, Egyptology, architecture, astronomy, and art history from other schools. These scholars lead students around the ancient pyramids and coliseums.

The students make sundials and star-maps, recreate ritual processionals in traditional costumes and reconstruct clay models of ancient architecture. On past trips, students even have taken part in an ancient foot race in a Greek coliseum.

Marlow said the team approach to teaching using a variety of different experts was a good way for him to learn.

[It] was one of the best parts, he said. I would recommend the trip to anybody.

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So far, 618 people from ages 18 to 77 have made the trips to Greece and Egypt, and 62 different professors have been able to show their expertise to those who have attended. Each year, 60 people go to both Greece and Egypt and have experiences that could never occur in the classroom.

It is very interdisciplinary, Hahn said. There are so many things that you get to do that you normally would not be able to do. There’s a series of different things that make learning fun.

Factoid:The cost of the trip is about $2,500 per person, plus airfare. This year’s expedition to Egypt will be from May 15-28 and the expedition to Greece will be May 28 to June 10. An informational meeting about the 16th annual Expeditions to Greece and Egypt will be 7 p.m. Tuesday in the Vermillion Room of the Student Center.