Sept. 15, 2012
For Immediate release
For more information, contact Kim Weismann at 774-4305 or Richard Stenberg at 774-4262
WSC Humanities Department sponsoring trip to Norway

 WILLISTON, N.D. - Williston State College's Humanities Department is pleased to announce that it will sponsor an excursion to Norway in March 2013, and invites area residents to come along. They are working together with National Educational Travel Company (NETC), which lined up the itinerary for the trip.

 "With so many locals who are of Scandinavian descent, it was a pretty obvious choice for a location," said Richard Stenberg, Associate Professor of History at WSC, and one of the advisors of the trip. Also advising and traveling with the group will be Kim Weismann, Communication Instructor at WSC.

 Travelers will leave from Bismarck on March 4, returning on March 15. Total cost of the trip, with 10-14 paying participants, will be just over $5400. If there are more travelers signed up, the cost will go down: $4900 for 15-19; $4640 for 20-24; with the final breakdown $4270 for 40-44 travelers.

 "The cost includes round-trip airfare and all other transportation once we get to Norway; traveler assistance; medical and travel insurance; hotel accommodations in centrally located three- and four-star hotels for 10 nights; and two meals per day," Weismann said. "We are working together with NETC which will provide a full-time, bilingual tour director, and we will have a local guide at sites and on city tours."

 "While at first glance it may look like a lot of money, when you stop and realize that the cost includes all travel - and if you know how expensive it is to travel overseas, this is pretty inexpensive," Stenberg said. "Also, with the meals that are included and 10 nights in very nice hotels and tour guides - this is actually a very reasonably priced trip."

 The group will land in Trondheim and will spend several days there, exploring the city's rich historical landmarks, as well as taking in the culture. They will then travel to Bergen via train and will spend a couple of days there. A highlight of the time in Bergen will be a four-hour Fjord cruise.

 The trip will conclude with a few days spent traveling around the nation's capital, Oslo, which is also Norway's largest city.

 In preparation for the trip, a class will be taught which will familiarize participants with Norwegian culture, language and other necessary information. Members of the community who travel with the group are not required to take the class, Weismann said.

 "We would like to invite anyone interested to give us a call and get the information," Stenberg said. "For many from the area, it would be a chance to travel to the homeland of their ancestors. For others, it will be an opportunity to take a guided tour of a beautiful country."

 Weismann emphasized that anyone wanting to take advantage of the trip will need to let them know by Oct. 15.

 For more information or to sign up, contact Weismann at 774-4503, Stenberg at 774-4262, or email them at Richard.Stenberg@willistonstate.edu or Kimberly.weismann@willistonstate.edu. Call toll-free at 1-888-863-9455.