Anyone thinking about class registration for next fall may want to consider for education abroad option-Saint Louis University’s Madrid campus.

The small size of the SLU campus in Madrid allows for many opportunities and new experiences. Students come from all over the world and exchange cultural knowledge while they study the history of Spain or travel to Egypt.

“The beauty of this campus is the mixture of the cultures. It is not just a Spanish experience; it is an international experience. We hope people come here to learn about Spain and to meet and touch different cultures,” said Phyllis Chaney, Director of Campus Housing.

There are more than 45 nationalities represented among the enrollment of 610 students. Permanent students study for two years and then have the option of finishing their degrees at the home campus or other university. Visiting students come to spend less than two years. This semester, there are 235 visiting students, and 95 of them are from the home campus. The composition of the campus students is 30 percent Spanish, 30 percent international and 40 percent American.

“The raddest part of about the campus is that there is such a huge diversity. It provides so much more than of a learning opportunity outside of the classroom,” said junior Andy Stanek.

This diversity is housed in the two main buildings. One building holds the classrooms and a snack bar, while the other building holds offices, the library and three computer labs.

Students have several options for campus housing while studying in Madrid. They are able to live in the dorms or with Se’oras and their families in apartments. Some students decide not to live in campus housing and find their own apartments.

The Madrid campus offers many extra-curricular activities to get involved and to meet new people. There is the Sierra Club, which is an outdoors club. It has offered skiing and hiking trips this semester and more excursions are being planned. There are soccer and volleyball intramural teams that play against other universities in Madrid.

For those who like to be on stage, the play this semester is A MidSummer’s Night Dream by William Shakespeare. Also, the Latin Dance and Spanish Dance classes have a performance at the end of the semester to show what they have learned.

Students are able to write for the campus newspaper La Voz del Valle or the campus magazine Albanico. There are also volunteer opportunities through which students can visit an AIDS hospice or a soup kitchen.

For students who want to learn and practice their Spanish there is an intercambio program. The program connects a native Spanish speaker an English as a Second Language class with students wanting to converse in Spanish. The native Spanish speakers are able to practice their English and the students wishing to learn Spanish is able to practice.

The Madrid campus also sponsors class trips. Some instructors enrich the course by adding a learning and traveling experience. Students who are not enrolled in the course are able to go on the weekend excursions if there is enough space. The Spanish Culture and Civilization course has three different trips. That class’ destinations include Granada, Cordoba, Ar?gon, San Sebasti?n and La Rioja. The Volcanoes Of Spain Course has a trip to the Canary Island of Lanzarote to see the Volcano Park every March. The Archaeology of the Mediterranean Civilizations class has a trip to Seville this weekend.

“We have the same courses as the home campus, but we try to teach the courses with more of an international view. You can see that in the faculty and the course itself,” said Rick Chaney Ph.D., vice provost of the Madrid campus.

The Madrid campus also offers trips for spring break and for after the semester. For spring break, students can join the Archaeology of the Mediterranean Civilizations course on a trip to Tunisia or go on a Holy Land Pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

After the semester’s end there are several intensive courses that include trips. The European Art and Art History course travels to Madrid, Seville, Paris and Rome. Mesoamerican Archaeology class will study in Guatemala, Mexico. One of the most popular intensive interim courses is the excursion to Egypt to learn about its ancient history.

Students most often choose to travel on their own as well as go on some school-sponsored trips. There are many places to visit in Spain. Most students venture out of Spain during the course of their studies as well.

Madrid also has a lot to offer for those who want to find out. There are many sights to see during the day, including the famous Prado Museum.

At night, there are numerous “discotecas” in which to dance the night in at least until 6 a.m. when the metro (public transportation) reopens.

“I am learning so much from living in a different culture and from traveling to so many different places just in a weekend,” said sophomore Carmille Elayda.

Although there are so many experiences with different cultures, the Madrid campus does offer some comforts from the states. The video lending library allows students to rent English-language movies. There is also Tedide, the campus golden retriever, whom everyone adopts as his or her own.