KOKOMO, Ind. - What can you learn about organizational communication or philosophy from visiting the site of a 19^th century communal society?

Quite a bit, as students from two Indiana University Kokomo classes recently discovered on a Kokomo Experience and You (KEY) trip to New Harmony, Indiana, the site of two early American utopian communities.

Donna McLean, associate professor of communication arts, and Christopher Buckman, lecturer in philosophy, led the trip for their organizational communication and political philosophy classes.

"We could look to see if these were organizations, what have we learned that we can apply to make sense of them?" said McLean. "They can apply the theories we've learned to see how it helps us understand these utopias."

New Harmony was home to the Harmony Society, which began on the Wabash River in southern Indiana in 1814. The Harmonists were religious Separatists from Germany who pursued Christian perfection through every aspect of their daily conduct. They sold New Harmony to Robert Owen in 1825. He, along with his business partner William Maclure, hoped to establish a model community where education and social equality would flourish.

Sophomore Will Van Heyningen, Rochester, considered the society through the lens of political philosophy and history.

"I've always loved history, especially getting to learn about local history so you can relate it to the life you're currently living," he said. "It was a great opportunity to see how some of the concepts we've been talking about in class applied directly to this historical site. We've talked about the central governing system set forth by Plato and Aristotle, then went to New Harmony where that concept was applied and worked very well for a time. Everyone was provided housing and food, and everyone worked. In a textbook you can read about it, but in practice you can see why it made sense, and why it worked for a time. It was an opportunity to see how these philosophical ideas we're studying can be applied in the real world."

Senior Vivianne Pentland said it was fascinating to see the sites in person, after discussing utopias and dystopias in class.

"We've talked about lots of historical ideas of what utopias mean," said Pentland, from Kokomo. "It was interesting to actually go and see and learn about a place where they really adopted that ideology for themselves, what their perfect life would look like."

Ashlan Scheiter, a sophomore from Kokomo, was surprised to learn there had been utopian societies in Indiana.

"I had no idea New Harmony was even a place, let alone a utopian society, prior to hearing about the trip," she said. "It was cool to visit and learn about the history."

They were especially interested to learn how technologically advanced the members of the societies were for their time, but also how their ideals led to their downfall.

"At the time they were super advanced compared to other communities around them. They had really developed making wine and bricks and prided themselves on making quality product," she said. However, they believed that because all people were equal they should live like brothers and sisters, rather than as families.

"There were only two children out of the last wave of that society," Pentland said. "How do you continue your legacy if you don't procreate?"

Mattelyn Cutler, a senior from Westfield, was curious to tour the sites and see for herself how the utopian society worked.

"It was interesting to see how they functioned up close, and its successes and flaws," she said. "They were very successful for that period of time."

For Charles Zimmerman, a freshman from Logansport, the trip provided connections both to what he's learning in class and the people around him.

"I got to know our faculty members better, and connected more with other students," he said. "It's a great way to build a sense of community."

The trip was offered as part of the IU Kokomo Experience and You program, which provides students with unique, hands-on opportunities to explore the fields they want to enter after graduation. Travel has been a hallmark of KEY since it was founded. The goal is to provide students with real-world experiential learning opportunities, connect them with people, and offer a travel experience within their major.

Education is KEY at Indiana University Kokomo.

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