Student Spotlight: An Encounter with Erik!

Erik Schulz is an Anthropology major at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He is minoring in Archaeology and, like other students, is also adverse to mushroom consumption. He enjoys riding his motorcycle and chatting over coffee. He's excited to travel to Sicily and learn all about Italian mummies. He is most intrigued by the cultural aspects of mummy studies. We tracked Erik down to ask him about taking part in the UNL Mummy Studies Field School this summer.

Hey, Erik! How did you hear about our program?

I heard about this program from Dr. Reinhard. He came to a class of mine and talked to us about the opportunity. 

What made you interested in our program?
I was most interested because of the mummies. It's not every day that you get to go see them! I am also doing this for the research aspect, because I have hardly any actual field research experience. I thought this program would help me build my skills and open up more opportunities in the future.

What are you most looking forward to about our program?
I am most looking forward to learning about the process for making the mummies themselves. I find it very fascinating. I am also really excited to go to Italy and to specifically see Sicily. I have not been yet and I love experiencing new cultures. 

What are you most worried/anxious about your upcoming adventure in Sicily?
I am a little nervous about the flight. This will be my first time flying by myself. The second thing that I am axious about are the days that I am going to spend there after everyone else comes back. 

What are your goals after you finish your undergraduate degree?
My goals after college are still unraveling for me. I would love to be able to move to another country or to a place that I haven’t been yet and study the people there. I am more of a cultural anthropologist, so I like to study groups, especially the ones that have had little contact with the rest of the world. With my studies, I like to focus on religion and spiritual contexts of groups or individuals. This would be my top goal: to go study people and possibly pursue a graduate degree.  

Is this your first time out of the country?
I have traveled outside the United States a few times. When I was a toddler, I lived in Germany for about a year, and then two years ago I spent a few weeks in England and Scotland.

Do you know any Italian words or phrases yet?
I am in the process of learning Italian. I am using the app Duolingo, and am making progress, but I still have a lot more to learn. 

Who is your favorite mummy?
I cannot really say that I have a favorite mummy, mainly because I do not know a ton of information about different ones. I am excited to learn a lot about these Italian mummies and maybe study other mummies in other places so that I can make a choice about which ones are my favorites.