TIFTON — Six Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College students, along with journalism professor Tom Grant, spent a month in Oslo, Norway on a study abroad program.

The students — Shannon Kehoe, Leila Baxter, Jesse Shiflett, William “Billy” Malone, Ethan Reddish, and Dalton Spangler — covered music, policies, arts and culture across the country.

“They learned a lot of stuff about the culture about Norway they wouldn’t be able to learn without being there,” said Grant.

Grant pointed to the generally reserved nature of Norwegians, as well as the country’s politics.

“Politics in Norway are a lot different…It’s a very leftist country, if you look at America as being in the middle,” said Grant.

One of the goals of the trip was for students to meet with professional journalists and photographers, to build their skills as well as portfolios. Sometimes that meant fighting for good photograph spots at rock shows.

“From Bergenfest to Tons of Rock, I was getting as close as I could until someone stopped me,” said Shiflett. “I still may get one or two really great shots before they stop me. And it’d be a shot that no one else would get because once they stopped me, they were going to start watching and make sure no one else did that.”

And half the world away from his family, Shiflett met more of his family, cousins via his great-great-grandfather who immigrated to America.

Armed with an email, a name and a general vicinity, Shiflett and Grant searched flower-lined country roads before finding them.

Along with politics, music festivals and concerts, students covered a three-hour Olso Pride parade, part of Oslo’s week-long celebration of “gay culture and…increased acceptance and respect for the gay part of the capital’s diverse population,” according to Oslo’s tourism website.

“At three hours long, it was quite the spectacle,” said Grant..

Now back at ABAC, the students are producing video projects from the work in Oslo.

Baxter and Reddish are working on the Oslo Pride Parade.

Shiflett is working on a story about the controversy stirred over Oslo’s mission to be the first European city with a car-free downtown by 2020.

Kehoe is producing a story about urban agriculture in Oslo.

Malone interviewed Gurls, a Norwegian jazz band.

Spangler is putting together a story about the largest rock and metal festival in Norway, Tons of Rock where Ozzy Osbourne performed.