Seton Hall is bringing a new study abroad program where instead of travelling across the ocean, students can take a trip down the Garden State Parkway to one of New Jersey’s most iconic locations.
Next Spring, SHU’s Office of International Programs is redefining what it means to “go abroad” by creating a culture-shattering program with a five-day immersive journey to Seaside Heights, New Jersey.
Everything worth experiencing to enrich a Pirate’s education can be found at Exit 82. This program gives students a chance to fully experience what some call one of the most unique and misunderstood cultures in America.
Seaside Heights, known as “Sleazeslide,” is filled with boardwalk pizza smells and the constant sound of club music.
During this trip, students will be driven down to one of New Jersey’s most iconic towns, and of course, get their gas pumped on the way (because Jersey kids don’t pump gas, remember?).
Upon arrival, students will stay in an authentic Jersey Shore motel. The motel has features including a flickering neon sign out front and patterned sheets, filled with questionable stains.
From there, students will embark on daily excursions designed to broaden their intellectual horizons.
The first stop will be the legendary Jersey Shore house, where Pirates will analyze the sociological impact of hair gel and group identity rituals like “GTL” (Gym, Tan, Laundry).
Another day is dedicated to the Seaside boardwalk, a chance for students to experience the ultimate exposure therapy. Students can observe advanced economic systems involving claw machines, fried Oreos, and $20 T-shirts that say things like “Mommy’s Little Meatball.”
But the experience does not stop there; no cultural immersion would be complete without food.
Students will engage in a hands-on tasting seminar focused on pork roll (or Taylor ham) and students will participate in a debate on which name is factually correct. This part of the trip aims to foster respectful dialogue while acknowledging that no consensus will ever be reached and people from New Jersey are stubborn.
Perhaps the most academically rigorous component of the trip is people watching. Students will be on site, with notebooks, documenting behavior, fashion choices and mating calls. Faculty will emphasize that this exercise sharpens observational skills while raising deeper questions about humanity itself: Why are we the way that we are?
The program is especially targeted at out-of-state students to have them learn the ins and outs of the culture of the state in which they are being educated.
Students who complete the program will receive academic credit and, more importantly, a newfound appreciation for the diversity of human experience.
These Pirates will return to campus forever changed, carrying with them memories of fake tan, boardwalk fries and the faint sound of a drunk person yelling into the night.
Sofia Kasbo is the Managing Editor of The Setonian. She can be reached at sofia.kasbo@student.shu.edu.
