Union Board plans road trip to Atlanta

Escaping with a car full of buddies for a few days of excitement on a road trip gives students the opportunity to avoid endless lectures and long reading assignments.\n"Road trips are a student's best friend," said senior John Gable. "Getting away from school and going somewhere fun always helps."\nTo give students this opportunity, the Union Board's Road Trip Committee is offering a trip to Atlanta over Halloween weekend, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2. Students interested in going on the trip should sign up by Oct. 24 at the activities desk on the first floor of the Indiana Memorial Union.\nFor $125, which can be charged to a student's bursar account, students get transportation to Atlanta in a chartered bus, hotel accommodations at the downtown Best Western, complimentary breakfast served at the hotel and a travel pack that provides train routes and places to go within walking distance.\n"We want students to get a break from their rigorous schedules," said Road Trip committee director Cory Buckner. "They can take in the surroundings of a southern city with a lot of attractions."\nThe sights to see range from educational to fun -- Atlanta is home to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s historic birthplace museum. There, students can get a comprehensive view into the civil rights leader's life. Other attractions are the numerous malls around the downtown area that feature a range of stores from casual, such as Gap, to upscale, such as Gucci.\n"Atlanta is a glamorous city," said Road Trip committee assistant director DePhon Robinson. "Also, it is a big student discount city. It helps us out financially."\nStudents have the freedom to choose their own destinations during the trip, Robinson said. This includes the variety of places to go out at night.\n"Morehouse College is having their homecoming that weekend," Robinson said. "Those going on the road trip can participate in tailgating, (attend) the actual football game versus Clark (Atlanta University), and the number of official after parties at night."\nMorehouse's homecoming event won't be the only place to be. Atlanta offers nightlife experiences for all college students. People do not have to be 21 to enjoy the fun.\n"I went there last year for the (NBA) All-Star game," Buckner said. "What's great is that the clubs stay open late and there is a lot of dancing. It's just a lot of fun."\nThe theme of the trip is "Southern Hospitality in Atlanta." \n"People speak a lot down there," said Robinson, a graduate student who did his undergraduate studies at Morehouse. "That's the one thing I miss from there. It's just southern hospitality true to its form."\nThis is not the Road Trip Committee's only trip in the works. For November, it's planning a trip to an Indiana Pacers game and in the spring, one to Memphis, Tenn. But for now, Buckner is focused on Atlanta and signing up as many students as possible.\n"We have 73 people already signed up," Buckner said. "I want students to get a view of a southern city's lifestyle that offers a lot."\n-- Contact staff writer Colin Burns at coaburns@indiana.edu.