HOPE COLLEGE
VIENNA
SUMMER SCHOOL
SECOND ORIENTATION BULLETIN
15 January 2016
To all Vienna Summer School students and parents or guardians:
Thanks to all who promptly paid your $300 deposit on time to the Hope College Business Services.
Several of you still need to submit the “Assumption of Risk and Release Form,” the “Medical and
Mental Health History Form” (along with a copy of front and back of your insurance card), and the
“Student Off-Campus Program Responsibilities” sheet to the Fried International Center (Room 116,
Martha Miller Center); please do so at once. I hope that you have begun procedures for obtaining
passports and International Student Identity Cards (see first bulletin). Cindy Sabo from the Hope Health
Clinic will contact you about immunizations. This bulletin focuses on flights and class registration.
Remember that the 2016 Vienna Summer brochure, this bulletin and all previous and future bulletins
may be accessed online. Check out www.hope.edu/beyondhope/offcamp/vienna.html.
17. General Information on Flights: For 35 consecutive years, Witte Travel in Grand Rapids has
handled the group flight reservation process. You can get all the details and fill out the registration
sheet online (the form has several pages of information) at www.regonline.com/2016Vienna. Since
major American airlines were unwilling to book the 60+ Grand Rapids/Chicago round trips that I
usually need, Hope will provide complementary bus service from Holland to Chicago and back for
anyone who needs it on the group flight dates. Luckily, we have nonstop Chicago/Vienna round trips at
very convenient times on Austrian Airlines. Witte Travel can also arrange individual connecting
flights for those who need them from and to Grand Rapids, Detroit, Los Angeles, and other cities to
meet the Chicago/Vienna group flights.
Please read the online information from Witte Travel carefully, go back to the “Register Now” option,
and supply the necessary data and $100 credit card deposit no later than Monday, February 1. Witte
will email you an exact itinerary and price for your flight. If these are acceptable, you need to pay in
full by check (not credit card) no later than Monday, February 29. Please do so before the deadline
since we have about 90 people making reservations. Time is of the essence; you need to decide soon if
you want to reserve a Witte flight with or without an add-on. I shall emphasize many important flight
considerations in this second bulletin and explain them in detail at the meeting on Sunday 17 January
from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the first floor rotunda lounge in the Martha Miller Center.
My recommendation is to sign up for the group flights reserved by Witte Travel, but feel free to make
your own individual arrangements. I began exploring 2016 flight options in July and booked flights in
early September with Austrian Airlines (partner with United Airlines) for both sessions. Airlines
impose so many restrictions (especially with regard to numbers of individuals flying in the same group)
that Witte needs your flight application before confirming the actual booking.
For first-session students and those attending both sessions, I have reserved tickets on the same nonstop
flight from Chicago on Tuesday, May 10, at 4:00 p.m. with arrival in Vienna on Wednesday, May
11, at 8:35 a.m. For second-session students, I have reserved tickets from Chicago on Thursday, June
2, at 4:00 p.m. with arrival in Vienna on Friday, June 3, at 8:35 a.m. Return tickets for first-session
students are on a nonstop flight from Vienna on Friday, June 3, at 10:05 a.m. with arrival in Chicago
the same day at 1:35 p.m. For second-session students and those attending both sessions, the flight
from Vienna is on Sunday, June 26, at 10:05 a.m. with arrival on the same day at 1:35 p.m.
If you find an airline with less expensive flights or want to use frequent flyer miles with another airline,
please give me your itinerary by January 29, so that I know you are committed. You should be at the
Vienna arrival area (outside customs) no later than 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11 or Friday, June
3. Three years ago, students for the first session arrived on eight different flights (from the day before
until 3:30 p.m. the day of the group flights), and that was very inconvenient. I had to fly to Vienna a day
early to meet all the airlines. Since charter buses will bring us to orientation activities about a 90-minute
drive from Vienna, it is important to be on time. Last year, students for the first session arrived on five
different flights, but each flight landed about 15-20 minutes before the group flight.
Participants not from the Midwest may find more convenient flights into Vienna, but read the fine print
carefully. Some prices are for shorter durations or require that you travel on certain days. You may find
a cheaper flight to Frankfurt but must add $100 or more each way for train travel to and from Vienna
and more money for overnight stays. Last year students from eastern Michigan added Detroit/Chicago
round trips for less money than if they flew Delta from Detroit to Amsterdam to Vienna.
Advantages of the group flights: (a) most participants live in Michigan or Illinois and nearby states;
hence, a nonstop flight from Chicago is convenient; (b) you may return from Vienna on a different date
(within 60 days of departure) for about the same price; (c) you may also return from some other cities in
Europe (within 60 days of departure), though seat availability is scarce. The free-of-charge bus
service from Holland on May 10 and June 2 and back to Holland on June 3 and June 26 may be
reserved online. Please sign on the Witte registration if you want roundtrip or one-way bus
transportation (or inform me if you are making private airline reservations).
18. Group Flights for Session I Only Students: If you signed up for Session I only and plan to return
to Chicago the day after the first session ends, the process is simple. Dates (May 10-June 3) are listed
on the application form, and the roundtrip cost is $1, 060 (cheaper than the last few years). As soon as
you register and pay the $100 credit card deposit, Witte will send a confirmation with the final price. It
would be helpful to do so soon since we are a large group. If you need to fly out of or into another
connecting city on those dates or extend your stay in Europe, supply this information soon in the spaces
provided, and Witte will send a confirmation with the exact itinerary and price.
19. Group Flights for Both-Sessions Students: If you signed up for Sessions I and II and plan to
return to Chicago the day after the second session ends, the process is simple. Dates (May 10-June 26)
are listed on the application form, and the roundtrip cost is $1,060 (cheaper than the last few years). As
soon as you register and pay the $100 credit card deposit, Witte will send a confirmation with the final
price. It would be helpful to do so soon since we are a large group. If you need to fly out of or into
another connecting city on those dates or extend your stay in Europe, supply this information soon in
the spaces provided, and Witte will send a confirmation with the exact itinerary and price.
20. Group Flight for Session II Only Students: If you signed up for Session II only and plan to
return to Chicago the day after the second session ends, the process is simple. Dates (June 2-June 26)
are listed on the application form, and the roundtrip cost is $1,345 (about $300 cheaper than last year).
As soon as you register and pay the $100 credit card deposit, Witte will send a confirmation with the
final price. It would be helpful to do so soon since we are a large group. If you need to fly out of or into
another connecting city on those dates or extend your stay in Europe, supply this information soon in
the spaces provided, and Witte will send a confirmation with the exact itinerary and price. I shall meet
you at the Vienna airport on June 3. Special note: In case you are wondering why the return flight is on
Sunday rather than Saturday, you will be guests at several special festivities with Hope alums and
Austrian dignitaries on June 24-25 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Vienna Summer School.
21. Deviations: What if you need to fly from Atlanta or Pittsburgh or Seattle or elsewhere to Chicago
for the group flights or on a different airline? What if you wish to return to the United States from a city
other than Vienna on a different date? All of these matters can be handled easily if you provide the
necessary information on the Witte application form as soon as possible. Witte is also willing to
facilitate and coordinate flights for visits from relatives, friends, and significant others.
22. Whom to Contact for Special Needs or Answers to Flight Questions: If you are confused or
have special needs not mentioned above or need more information, please phone Witte Travel in
Grand Rapids and ask for Ms. Cindy Gless, the travel consultant for the Hope College Vienna Summer
School. She will be far more helpful and specific than I can be! You may call toll-free or email:
Ms. Cindy Gless, Witte Travel
Email: cindyg@wittetravel.com
Telephone: 1-866-954-9678 (toll-free) or 1-616-954-9678
Other agents may assist Cindy as deadlines draw near, and they will be equally helpful and pleasant.
Remember to identify yourself as a Hope College Vienna Summer School student or parent; Witte
Travel informs me that mothers usually make all the travel arrangements!
23. Session I Only or Both-Sessions Students without Group Flight: Some of you may not need
group flight arrangements because you will already be in Europe or can use frequent flyer miles or are
working with your own travel agent. You must still inform me of your plans (plus I need a copy of
your flight schedule) by January 29. If you arrive earlier by plane or train, you should be at the Vienna
airport arrival area (outside customs) no later than 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday, May 11. As soon as the
group flights arrive and everyone retrieves luggage and clears customs (not a big deal in Vienna), two
private buses from Elite Tours will depart from the airport and head to the lakeside village of Mörbisch
(southeast of Vienna and a short walk from the Hungarian border) for a three-day orientation. There is
almost no public transportation to this village.
24. Session II Only Students without Group Flight: Please inform me of your plans (plus I need a
copy of your flight schedule) very soon; if you arrive that morning by plane, you need to be at the
Vienna airport no later than 8:45 a.m. on Friday, June 3. A bus from Elite Tours will bring you and
those on the group flight to the Austro-American Institute of Education (Operngasse 4, where we have
classrooms) in downtown Vienna. If you arrive a day earlier by plane, I shall give you directions on
how to get the fast train from the airport to the city center. If you arrive in Vienna by train, just come
directly to the Austro-American Institute of Education across from the Opera by 10:00 a.m. on June 3.
25. Deadline and Payment for Those on Group Flights: For those selecting a round-trip group
flight, Witte Travel will send you a confirmation and request credit card information for your deposit
before February 1. Final payment by personal check is due no later than February 29. Even though
most seat reservations are guaranteed, it takes time to process each application separately, and I lose
rights to unclaimed seats after February 1. Please send the payment to:
Witte Travel and Tours
Attention: Group Tour Department
3250 28th Street, S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49512
26. Deadline and Payment for All Others Making Arrangements with Witte: If you are on the
group flight departing the United States but not returning with the group (i.e., a different date or city),
or if you are not on any group flight but are negotiating with Witte Travel for other flights, your
deadlines for payment are the same. Your final payment, too, must be by personal check to Witte
Travel (see address in item # 25); credit card payments are not allowed.
27. Scholarship Funds for Flights: Scholarship funds apply only to Hope College costs (tuition,
room, board, etc.). You cannot “borrow” from a scholarship award to pay for your airplane ticket.
28. Cancellations/Changes of Tickets: Tickets are generally nonrefundable once they are issued 90
days prior to departure except for medical emergencies, deaths, State Department warnings, etc. You
may cancel reservations or change your return date after tickets are issued, but please read the
conditions in the Witte application information.
29. Travel Insurance: In addition to benefits conferred by your personal health insurance and ISIC
(International Student Identity Card), Hope College gives each program director a policy that provides
each student with “Trip Cancellation/Lost Baggage/Emergency Medical/Repatriation Insurance.”
30. Eurailpass: A few have asked about the Eurailpass (newly dubbed RailEurope), but you will not
need one (transportation is covered for the group's weekend and day trips) unless you plan to
travel for more than a week after the program (check www.raileurope.com). You may purchase a pass
through Witte Travel without the usual $10 service fee up to a few weeks before departing for Europe.
There is no rush to obtain these early. Witte prefers that these passes be paid for separately.
31. Weekend Trips: In a future bulletin, I shall provide hotel names (some with colorful web sites)
and addresses and phone and fax numbers for the locales for the three-day orientation program and each
weekend trip. On most weekends, we leave immediately after Friday morning classes. The first day of
classes for the second session is Monday, June 6, so that is a free weekend for students attending both
sessions. For second-session only students, this will be an orientation weekend within and close to
Vienna. In case you have friends or relatives planning to visit you, here are the tentative places and
dates for the times that we shall be traveling outside of Vienna:
First Session:
May 11-13
May 20-22
May 27-29
Second Session: June 10-12
June 15 (Wed.)
June 18-19
Mörbisch, Austria
Salzburg, Austria
Prague, Czech Republic
Budapest, Hungary
Bratislava, Slovakia
Mountain trip in Austrian Alps
I realize that this seems soon to make flight decisions, but I am holding huge blocks of tickets that
airlines want to sell. I must surrender most unpaid-for reservations after Monday, February 1. I also
need precise numbers to make down payments on hotel reservations for weekend trips and for housing
in Vienna. I am glad to provide as much help as possible, but Cindy Gless at Witte Travel can answer
your individual flight questions at a much faster rate and with much more expertise.
32. Class Registration: Hope just announced this week a new policy that eliminates online registering
for off-campus courses. Now it is my responsibility to do it for you and with you. Most of you will
register on sign-up sheets at the Sunday 17 January meeting. You must enroll for the class(es) for which
you were listed in your acceptance letter (not always your first choice). For those accepted for Religion
295, IDS 172 (Empires), IDS 481 (Senior Seminar), or Independent Study, you need to do nothing
because there is only one designated number for your course. You are the lucky ones.
The “Art and Architecture” course has four different listings; you must sign up for the one that will
give you the credits that you need: Art 111 (FA1) or Art 295 or Hist 131 (Art, CH2), or Hist 295 (Art).
The “Musical Traditions” course also has four different listings; you must sign up for the one that will
give you the credits that you need: Music 101 (FA1) or Music 295 or Hist 131 (Music, CH2), or Hist
295 (Music). The “Modern Austrian History” has two different listings; you must sign up for History
131 (Hist, CH2) or Hist 295. The “Economic and Business” course has four different listings; you must
sign up for Econ 200 (SS2) or Econ 211 (SS1) or Econ 395 or Mgmt 395. If you miss the January 17
meeting and are in one of these courses, email me your selection no later than January 21.
A student enrolled in Art or Music or History (each listed as a separate History 131) may count
that History 131 course for Cultural Heritage II credit only if that student has taken or will take
IDS 171 or IDS 175 for Cultural Heritage I. If you need IDS 172 for Cultural Heritage II credit, you
must take “Empires of the World, Empires of the Mind.” Every year a few students make this mistake.
Please see the Vienna brochure for details about options for each course. Check with your academic
advisor to make sure that you are getting the credits that count toward your graduation requirements.
The next bulletins will contain much more pleasant information about classes, clothing, housing, etc.
Sincerely yours,
Stephen I. Hemenway
Director, Vienna Summer School
Office: 616-395-7616
Home: 616-399-1905
Email: hemenway@hope.edu
No one ever said travelling is easy.
-Lilian Braun
Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples
cry, laugh, eat, worry, and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try to
understand each other, we may even become friends. --Maya Angelou
Climb if you will, but remember that courage and strength are nought without
prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a
lifetime. Do nothing in haste; look well to each step; and from the beginning
think what may be the end.
--Edward Whymper