Introducing a new study abroad program to the moon

Written by Neila Armstrong, staff writer

Caption: On April 1, 2020 SOM (Studies On the Moon) announced their fall 2020 study abroad program to the moon: To infinity and beyond!

Due to worldwide panic concerning COVID-19, travel abroad companies are starting to pull their programs in China and many European countries. According to their website, CIEE is suspending operations in 10 European countries, including Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal and Spain. This is causing many students to experience additional stress and anxiety as they are forced to change their upcoming summer and fall plans. 

Campball Dabb, ’18, a sixth year senior, said, “As a Spanish major, I am really upset because the last credit I need to graduate is a credit for study abroad. I was looking forward to partying in Spain, and now I have to slum it in South America.” 

Additionally, when Chinese major Carly Maynard, ’22, was asked about her study abroad plans in regard to her major she responded, “I will dig to China if I have to. 

However, on April 1, 2020 SOM (Studies On the Moon) announced their fall 2020 study abroad program to the moon: To Infinity and Beyond! Partnering with NASA, SOM has hired a faculty of scientists to conduct courses in Astro Physics, Cosmology, Astronomy and Scientology. Additionally, excursions include a trip to the dark side of the moon, a hiking expedition along the Montes Apennines, the moon’s highest mountain range, and a tour of one of the largest craters in the Solar System, the South Pole-Aiken basin. The program is accepting 100 lucky students to learn about space and explore the unknown. 

Lodging for the program will be on a state-of-the-art spaceship that can board up to 150 earthlings. The ship includes dining facilities, classrooms, NASA compliant science labs, a bowling alley and just enough oxygen to last a semester. 

The tuition of the program costs $238,000 and will include spaceship lodging, a space suit and unlimited packs of astronaut ice-cream. SOM is committed to making space education accessible to all students. Scholarships awards range from $500-$200,000 based on students’ performance on the SOM examination, which consists of a mixture of problems relating to organic chemistry, astro physics and rocket science. 

When Program Director Buzz Lightyear excitedly announced the launch of SOM, he said, “We want to respond to this COVID-19 intergalactic emergency in a safe and responsible way. That is why we created SOM. We hope you will join us as we go to infinity and beyond.”