Month: November 2005

Last Thursday, as most Italians went about their normal routines, students, staff, and faculty members gathered to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Professor of Creative Writing Cindy Clough baked the turkey and organized the event for those students staying in Perugia over the holiday weekend. The staff and students not only brought their appetites, but also the traditional trimmings for the banquet–homemade bread, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, dressing, a variety of pies, and mulled wine.

In photos: students take part in Umbra’s Thanksgiving feast; a group of students relax after finishing the meal; Caitlyn Dunlap and Umbra program director Charles Jarvis share a moment over a turkey dinner.

Professor of Creative Writing Cindy Clough is sharing her love of the outdoors with Umbra students with similar interests. Clough has now led two hiking excursions in the Umbrian hillsides. This Saturday will be the third excursion as the group plans to hike along the ridge between Assisi and Spello, a six-hour trek.

Clough has spent several years in Italy, but this is her first semester teaching at the Umbra Institute.
(photos by Leah Jeffries)

Last night Umbra students got into winemaking, literally! Umbra staff member and amateur winemaker Zach Nowak taught the first lesson in a three-part series on the ins and outs of wine. Nowak started with the theory of winemaking, discussing the chemistry and biology of fermentation, a look at various kinds of yeasts, and their life cycles.

Finally, they discussed the steps in industrial wine production. The highlight of the night was, of course, the actual winemaking. Students Dustin Toy and Sarah Wobbecke removed their shoes, washed their feet, and got into a small tub up to their knees in grapes. The two stomped away for a half an hour, at which point the freshly pressed grape juice, or “must,” was siphoned off into bottles. Each student received a small packet of yeast, an airlock, a cork, and instructions to turn the must into wine. The next meeting of the class will discuss clarifying the wine and decanting, while the last class will be the actual corking and labeling.
In photos: Sarah Wobbecke stomps on a bucket of grapes, with the help of Dana Trafton. Wobbecke and Dustin Toy spent half an hour up to their knees smashing grapes. At left, Caitlyn Pyden shows off a bundle of grapes before they were turned into must as Zach Nowak tries to teach the students about the winemaking process.

As midterm exams approach and students begin researching for final papers, Umbra professors hosted a writing workshop for students. As Jim Schwarten, professor of Italian literature and cultural studies, said, “Even the most seasoned writers can benefit from looking critically at their own work.” Students attended the workshop to learn ways to improve their writing style and clarity. Program Director Charles Jarvis also discussed academic resources at the Institute – an academic library, online databases, and a group of peer reviewers.

The Umbra Writers’ Workshop was led by Jim Schwarten, professor of Italian literature and cultural studies; John Rogers, professor of literature; Cindy Clough, professor of creative writing; and Charles Jarvis, Umbra Institute Program Director.