April 2014 – DEV – The Umbra Institute – Study Abroad in Italy

Umbra is proud of our DE Students!

Two Umbra students, Lauren Spadine and Shannon Berenbaum, enrolled in the Direct Enrollment program at the University of Perugia, have gone above and beyond in their studies this semester, spending long hours studying and working with a tutor at Umbra; as a result, they performed admirably on both of their final exams.

The majority of exams in Italy are oral, something quite different from the system in the United States. In an interview-like style, the professor individually asks the student questions about anything covered in the course material during the semester.

Lauren and Shannon’s classes were all in Italian, meaning they not only had to study their academic content all in Italian, but they also had to do their final exams in Italian. Final exams are graded out of 30, with 30 being a perfect score (and something hard to come by!).

This semester Lauren took Christian Archaeology and Historical Geography of the Ancient World; Shannon took Informational Law and Public Governance and Politics. In an amazing (but not surprising) feat, both students received excellent final scores.

Congratulations to Lauren and Shannon for a great semester!!

Shannon Berenbaum (left) and Lauren Spadine (right) — Shannon Berenbaum and Lauren Spadine

What do famous opera composer Verdi and modern Italian singer Jovanotti have in common? They’ve both been featured in the “From Opera to Rap” choir workshop, which began this semester at Umbra!

The brainchild of professor Antonella Valoroso, the workshop is held bi-monthly in the evening. Prior music experience or Italian proficiency are not required; students who like having fun and who enjoy music are more than welcome to join. This semester a handful of interested Umbra students, including two music majors and an Italian student from the University of Perugia, made up this informal choir.

Each session a new song in a different musical style is introduced, giving a full picture of the history and extensiveness of Italian music. Guided line-by-line through the song by charismatic instructor Sergio, the students listen to the pronunciation of the words and repeating them back. After they’ve practiced the lines, they get to the fun part of performing the song together. Besides providing a way to express their love for music, many of the students have said that the workshop has helped them improve their Italian pronunciation!

The last workshop of the semester ended with the “Serenata Rap” by Jovanotti: a quick-paced rap full of romantic rhymes and tricky phrases. Quite a challenge for the students to take on – but they succeeded admirably and finished the semester on a high note!

Students practicing at the last "From Rap to Choir" workshop of the semester — Students and choir instructor Sergio practicing at the last “From Rap to Choir” workshop of the semester

Earlier this semester, students enrolled in AHST 371: Leonardo da Vinci: Artist, Genius and Scientist traveled to Florence and Milan to see first-hand works by the Italian Renaissance Master, Leonardo da Vinci. The Uffizzi, Palazzo Vecchio, Castello Sforzesco and the Cenacolo of Santa Maria delle Grazie were all on the schedule for a very busy, but engaging weekend. In this bonus installment of our Student Voice mini blog series, we asked Dominic Baldoni, an Art History and Music double major from Lebanon Valley College, to share his experience with us.

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It’s difficult to choose what the “most exciting” part of this fieldtrip was, but I think I can narrow it down to two things – getting to visit the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and Il Cenacolo (Last Supper) in Milan. I loved going through the Uffizi and recognizing the works that I had studied in previous classes and it was great to gather new information on not only the Leonardo paintings on display, but also the Botticelli, Verrocchio, and Michelangelo works as well. In Milan, Leonardo’s Last Supper definitely lived up to my expectations. Getting to see the massive fresco in real life is much more inspiring than on a PowerPoint slide.

Many of the topics we’ve been studying in Dr. Hoch’s class have dealt with not only Leonardo’s innovations and specific styles of painting and drawing, but the reasons behind his very specific use of symbology, and themes that have related to his self-appointed task of describing and understanding the world he lived in. Dr. Hoch showed us around the galleries to the homes of many paintings we had seen in our lectures, and for me, it was a chance to put my memory to the test – not only trying to remember artists, dates, and titles, but to recognize the themes, motifs, and history that influenced so many of Leonardo’s own works.

In terms of challenging and supporting what has been discussed in class, I definitely admire Dr. Hoch’s own knowledge and references when it comes to Leonardo scholars. I believe there is always more than one reason or theory behind an artist’s stylistic influence. Leonardo’s characteristic use of sfumato and chiaroscuro are staples in Renaissance art class discussion, but where did these influences come from? Is it simply Leonardo’s hyper-realistic way of representing the natural world, or is he consciously trying to change the 15^th century Italian style of painting? I always play “devil’s advocate” in situations like this, and it often gets me in trouble… Either way, it is always nice to devote some time in front of these paintings to not only look at the final product, but to look at the work in progress. These masterpieces weren’t painted in a few minutes – the items weren’t pasted in from a clipboard. Every brushstroke was purposeful, and every composition had a purpose – I just think it is fun to ask, “Why?”

After several intensive and fun-filled months of community engagement, co-design, constructing, painting and plant preparation the first green installations and hanging planters will be positioned and celebrated along Via Fiorenzuola in the Borgo Bello neighborhood.

Join students from the ESUS 310: Urban Spaces Rebuilding Community in Perugia course as they celebrate another important step in the Borgo Bello Association and Umbra Institute’s collaborative efforts to bring new beauty, care and conviviality to this neighborhood’s lovely – but sometimes neglected – back lanes through active and effective community participation. Festivities will take place tomorrow, Wednesday, April 16th from 3 – 5:30pm on Via Fiorenzuola.

Come take a look … and (maybe) get a chance to plant a little living symbol of Umbra’s commitment to making Perugia a better place for all.

In the final installment of our special, three-part mini blog series, we take a look into the daily routine of a Fair Trade Intern. Joe Yankelowitz, of Washington and Lee University, is studying abroad in Italy and currently enrolled in Umbra’s INIT 350: Academic Internship and Seminar: Fair Trade course.

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“I always show up hungry, and I regret it,” Breanne says to me as we restock the shelves of food in the Monimbo Fair Trade store. Filled with a variety of food items, all produced under the ethical guidelines of Fair Trade principles, Monimbo tests our snacking discipline for the three hours a week we work there as interns. Most trying is a wall of chocolate, borne straight from the halls of Wonka. Delicious temptation… near the spice rack.

Besides tending to the food shelves and staring longingly at the dozens of chocolate varieties, Breanne and I have a number of responsibilities at Monimbo. We tidy the store, organize new inventory, run errands for the shop, and seek to corral the controlled chaos of the back room. I guess I would characterize our working hours as a cross between retail and the Wild West, but in Italian.

Italian, the language, adds a fun dimension to the Monimbo internship. Millena, the commander-in-chief, speaks to us primarily in Italian and encourages us to practice our linguistic skills. We do this through interacting with the customers, whom we angle for like fishermen. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, I eagerly offer to help the store’s clients. Currently, I’ve hooked three chances, and they’ve all gotten away. Once, my Italian failed me, another time it was my underdeveloped knowledge of the store, and the third time I choked. Millena is patient with me, though, and knows that I’m no expert in Italian, or retail. I’m awful at retail.

At its heart, the internship is a crash course in Fair Trade. Each day in the store we see firsthand the results of the social, economic, and ethical principles of Fair Trade and its geographic reach. This experience supplements our in-class readings and gives life to our discussions on issues surrounding Fair Trade. It immerses us in the unique and holistic world of Fair Trade economics. It also reminds us not to skip lunch.

In the second installment of our special three-part mini blog series, Muhlenberg College student, Hannah Goldberg shares her study abroad experience teaching English in Perugia as part of Umbra’s INIT 350: Academic Internship and Seminar: Education course.

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When entering my first day of the education internship, I hoped that I would be able to give the students everything they wanted to gain out of coming to an English speaking American culture workshop. Little did I know that throughout the experience, I was going to gain so much more than I ever even thought I could give them. This internship in Perugia, Italy has taught me that Education requires a high amount of commitment. At the same time, I have learned that this commitment comes easily when you see the passion that the students have to learn what you can offer them.

During internship hours, we typically focus on their ability to find comparisons between American culture and their Italian culture. When they are able to find this link, our culture no longer seems like such a foreign concept to them, and it is rewarding to hear them come to this conclusion. While these discussions go on, the students don’t realize how much they are practicing their English language which is a great benefit. This exercise allows them to practice as much as possible, but in a relaxed setting that they wouldn’t normally find in a regular classroom. The best thing about this internship position has definitely been being able to treat the students as peers, and seeing how much more each of us can gain from that relationship.

Teaching here has given me much more than I could have hoped for, and I have been so thankful for that looking back through this experience.

The Umbra Institute was one of the main sponsors of the Roger Smith Food Tech Conference in New York this past weekend. The food conference, which gathered scholars from across the world to discuss the effect of technology on food culture, was the fourth edition of the series. The Umbra Institute, whose innovative curricular concentration in Food Studies is now in its third year, also sent its associate director for the Food Studies Program, Zachary Nowak. Nowak, currently pursuing a doctorate in American Studies at Harvard University, gave two presentations. The first posed questions about the French notion of terroir, “the taste of place,” while the second was a historical investigation of pasta in Umbria.

As Umbra’s spring semester is winding down, we asked several students to reflect on their study abroad experiences in Perugia. Ashley Patino, an alumna of Virginia Commonwealth University and a participant in Umbra’s Food Studies Program shared the following with us. This is the first in a special, three-part mini blog series.

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After hitting a point of transition at home (and having experienced Perugia once before), I sought out another reason to return. I found the Food Studies Program. It was almost insulting to not have heard of it sooner; everything it includes seems too good to be true. For those interested, or even mildly curious about gastronomy, the Food Studies Program offers a way to go beyond yourself.

Through food, thousands of miles away from home, one can dive further to another time and space. Dario Cecchini’s lardo, for example, smeared on crostini and tasting so rich and prizing against the backdrop of another day of serenity in Tuscany… Prof. Elisa Ascione sheds enlightenment on the evolution of lardo, how it has come from a working-man’s calorie pack to a snack of protected origin and artisanry.

Aside from the field trips and feasts, the best part is having exciting professors who each have their own personality and expertise. They make the program; presenting students with a parabolic perspective of food, approaching food from dieting habits and agriculture through time to today’s instability and business markets. All of this is within an environment that encourages learning not just from the professors, but also from each other. There is something really special about being in a group that is conscious of the stories food has to confess. Meeting members of the community, going into their kitchens, sharing their lives- is unforgettable.

The best experiences change your point of view, teach old things, and inspire new things. The Food Studies Program is one of those experiences and I have no regrets.

I mean, am I allowed to be jealous of myself?