Junior Will Davies had to cancel his summer abroad due to the fact that the country he was meant to be travelling to does not exist.
In March, Davies applied to be a part of UNC’s Summer in Genovia program. The UNC Study Abroad website described the program as “a chance to learn about the rich culture and history of Genovia.” Davies was notified of his acceptance in mid-April.
“They sent me an e-vite and everything,” Davies said. “It looked legit.”
Davies planned to take several courses over the summer, but figured it was “just a fluke” when he couldn’t find the course catalog online. In fact, he couldn’t even find the University of Genovia’s website. It wasn’t until he tried to buy a plane ticket that he realized the country did not exist outside the world of “The Princess Diaries”.
“I tried to book my flight and they laughed at me and then hung up,” Davies recalled.
UNC Study Abroad advisor Karen Brand said the program was meant to be a prank. “To be fair, we made the application due on April Fool’s Day. We thought it was pretty clear.”
Evidently not, as Davies had already quit his job in order to make time to study abroad. “I normally work at a Harris Teeter over the summers. I don’t think I’ll be able to get my job back. Probably because I filled the manager’s car with fruit flies and slashed his tires before I left. Also, it’s short notice.”
Aside from Davies’s ruined summer, the incident draws up a few more concerns for academics. “Will is a PWAD major,” said Howell Barton, a political science professor. “It’s deeply disturbing to me that he didn’t know Genovia was a fake country.”
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