For students who bleed orange and blue, the University is the “center of the universe” in a sea of cornfields; but Small Town America, a group in Allen Hall, discovers meanings veiled behind the stretch of homogenous land with each monthly trip.

Jonathan Schlesinger, sophomore in LAS, said he founded Small Town America in fall of last year. The idea developed his junior year in high school when he participated in Ragbrai, a bike trip from east to west across Iowa.

“I love small towns – the people, the culture, the history,” Schlesinger said.

The diverse group of suburban, city and rural students embark on a weekend rural excursion each month.

“We are always looking to push out into the unknown,” Schlesinger said.

Past trips include Philo, which is the “Center of the Universe” according to its water tower, the Arthur Cheese Festival, the Harvest Moon Drive-In, Early American Museum in Mahomet, Paxton Majestic Theatre and the world’s only hippie memorial in Arcola.

The Arthur Cheese Festival, with its national cheese-eating championship, was a personal favorite, Schlesinger said. The competition involved devouring a pound of cheese in five minutes, he said.

Allen Tran, junior in ACES, grasped the National Cheese Eating title after a close race with, according to him, “a large woman.” Tran, with a resume devoid of food competition experience, knew he needed to push ahead in the last thirty seconds.

“I had visions of the hot dog eating champion,” he said, in reference to the last moments of the race. “I think I hit something I am good at.”

The group also participated in a cheese-curling event, which imitated the Olympic ice-sport, said Tran, who did not receive honors in that area.

Tran joined Small Town this year, which exposed him to a world beyond cornfields.

“There is a culture out there that is very interesting,” he said.

Students who do not venture outside the University miss out, Tran said.

Nick Ludmer, second-place broomer in the cheese curling, raved about the Arthur Cheese Festival.

“That was fantastic,” he said.

Ludmer, who joined Small Town last year, said he noticed how each town included a center. “It seems more friendly and homey,” he said.

Dana Haley, sophomore in business, said she observed the absence of chains in the towns, with buildings labeled “Drug Store” and “Hardware Store.” The town layouts include one main street, which mark their downtown areas, she said.

Haley said she attended the “Kiss Me Kate” performance at the Paxton Majestic Theatre last year for her first trip with Small Town. The play involved actors of all ages, from high school students to people in their seventies, she said. The communal interaction to “reach a common goal” distinguished Paxpon from the suburban experience, she said.

Schlesinger said the plans for this year include a Thanksgiving dinner with Southern food and a trip to a goat cheese farm to watch goats being born. Last Friday Small Town held an overnight retreat at the Kalyx Center, a renovated barn in Monticello and hike to Allerton Park the next day for the Fall Festival. The trips are low-cost since they are sponsored by Allen Residence Hall..