listen to a conversation between a student and his archeology professor. Hi, Larry, did you have a question about the assignment? No, your handout was clear. I just wanted to tell you I was really inspired by what you were telling us in class about your first archeological excavation in England. There\'s actually a backstory if you\'re interested. Sure. So I actually used to be an architect, and I\'d been working in England for an international firm, really? Yeah, the project was a hotel complex, and I was the on-site architect, and just as the work was getting started, the workers unearthed and. Ancient Roman statue, and at that point, all construction had to stop because of the laws protecting ancient statues, right, cultural heritage laws, so the construction stopped, and local archeologists had to be brought in to do their own excavation to determine whether we could continue building where we\'d planned. Meanwhile, I had nothing to do, so I asked to join the archeologists as a volunteer, and I was hooked. When the project ended, I came home and went back to graduate school in archeology this time. Wow. So I was kind of wondering, are there possibilities for us, for undergraduate students to participate in excavations. Definitely. Professor Barker led a group excavation in Italy last summer at a medieval villa. Her students loved it. She\'s going back this summer. You can still sign up. I\'ve got a construction job already lined up. It\'s my dad\'s company. So basically, I\'m committed. Too bad. Yeah, I know if I decide to study archeology in graduate school, I\'ll be able to join excavations. but that\'s a big if. Does the department ever offer hands on field work courses for undergraduates during the school year, either the fall or spring semester? No, but an idea like that has been floated at faculty meetings to include an archeological dig as part of an undergraduate course for just a week, maybe two as part of the course. really, where. look out the window. Sorry. this entire campus was farmland back in the 18th and 19th centuries. In fact, during the recent renovations of the stadium. some farm tools were discovered, and other objects too. Who would have thought and this class is going to be offered soon. It was only a proposal, and the faculty rejected it. Why? Probably because it had never been done before. Oh, come on. But that was a while ago. Since then, a few professors have retired, and a lot of new faculty have come on board. Of course, that\'s no guarantee. But then again.