Current Umbra staff member and Fall 2014 alumna, Ashley Webb, in collaboration with professor Antonella Valoroso and Spring 2016 alumna Shameesha Pryor, wrote Il matrimonio all’italiana visto da un’americana for Corriere della Sera’s La 27esima Ora. The article was published online, last night, by the most widely circulated news corporation in Italy, thanks to Professor Valoroso’s assistance and Italian translation.
The article was written after a social experiment the three conducted in Perugia, in an attempt to understand the cultural traditions behind the preparation and execution of an Italian wedding. For the experiment, Shemeesha posed “under-cover” as a bride-to-be and took in the experience of dress shopping in Italy alongside Professor Valoroso and Ashley. After an exciting and moving activity, Shameesha used her experience to complete her final research project for SOIT 360: Contemporary Italy: Culture, Society, and Trends; and Ashley wrote about the expectations of a bride versus the cultural impositions that are presented as boxes being placed on the shoulders of each bride-to-be.
Click here to read about Umbra’s Contemporary Italy course which inspired this social experiment.
On Saturday, Umbra students taking part in STFS 330: Sustainability of Food took a day trip to Italy’s Chianti region to learn from the renowned Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini himself. Students began their day with a glimpse at Dario’s shop, where he takes creative license to prepare meat in varied styles and flavors, always using every single piece of the cow.
Students then hiked through the surrounding territory to learn more about the geographical region in which Dario raises his cattle (some in the Chianti area, others in Catalonia, Spain) as well as the significance of agriculture in the area. They met and even fed hay to some of the local cattle before returning to the town of Panzano for lunch at Dario’s restaurant. Students enjoyed a meal that offered selections from every part of the cow, atop a placemat that illustrated the menu’s various uses of meat cuts.
Dario shares his thoughts on being a carnivore
After the educational tour and delicious meal, Dario personally described his work and philosophy as a butcher to the class. He discussed his belief that being carnivorous demands certain responsibilities, stating that it is important to provide animals with a healthy, happy life and a dignified death, and that his business model is based on this same cycle of life and death. The famous butcher repeatedly emphasized the idea that all parts of the cow must be used; a concept reinforced by his sense of responsibility and idea that to waste any part of an animal is an insult to the life of the animal and contributes to an unsustainable lifestyle.
Prof. Elisa Ascione translates the words of SapereFood’s Filippo
On Thursday night, ANFS 370: Anthropology of Food and ISLI 330: A Taste for Knowledge students met with Filippo Benedetti Valentini and Emanuela De Pinto, owners and founders of SapereFood Magazine, an online magazine focusing on agricultural topics relative to Italy’s region of Umbria. Filippo and Emanuela presented their magazine’s background as well as various journalistic techniques to help students with their semester project: contributing relevant articles to be published by SapereFood.
“We always address quality,” said Filippo as he explained the importance of Italian exports and more specific information about agricultural products that Umbria exports internationally. He then went on to describe quality food as that which: is created within hygienic conditions; maintains a substance balance and low to non-existent chemical levels; exhibits ideal organoleptic elements (pleases ones senses); and is derived from an origin that reflects the territory in which it is produced, and/or a tradition that stands the test of time.
This semester, students will visit local olive oil and porchetta producers to then contribute articles, based off of their research and experiences, to SapereFood Magazine. Anthropology students will specifically focus on quality origin as they each contribute a Food Story to the magazine’s website; while Taste for Knowledge students will focus on organoleptic sensations that will inspire food fiction stories for the website.
An online magazine focusing on agricultural topics relative to Italy’s region of Umbria
Filippo and Emanuela also presented the differences between print and web journalism, focusing on online journalistic techniques that will assist students with their writing assignments. Emanuela also added, “Where we do not arrive with our words, we can arrive with our photos.” She shared that students will also be asked to submit photos, explaining that web journalism demands photos that appear inspirational, that show technique, passion, and personality.
After the presentation, students further prepared for their projects by asking questions about how producers are selected as article protagonists, who makes up the SapereFood audience, and how to maintain an ethical approach should a producer not meet expectations.
Click here to read Food Stories and Food Fiction written by past ANFS 370 and ISLI 330 students.
Christina and her Museum Studies classmates are given a tour of a local museum to learn more about what keeps a museum running
GLASGOW, Scotland — Umbra Institute (Fall 2014) and Roger Williams University (Spring 2016) Alumna, Christina Sargeant, just began her first week at the University of Glasgow where she will be pursuing a Masters in Museum Studies. Thanks to her studies at Roger Williams University, Christina discovered that her love for history and desire to preserve it could ultimately evolve into her ideal career path. This course of study inspired her course selection at the Umbra Institute, in Perugia, Italy, and ultimately, her search for a Graduate Program.
At the Umbra Institute, Christina enrolled in the Museum Studies Internship, which has since evolved into CESP 352: Museum Studies Seminar & Practicum. The Internship, like the Seminar & Practicum, was divided into two parts: the seminar, in which Dr. Antonella Valoroso guided students through disciplinary theory and personal reflection, relative to the historical and cultural functions of a museum; and the internship, or practicum, during which students worked directly with various partnered museums to get hands-on experience in their field of interest. In response to a brief interview, Christina shared, “I enjoyed the archiving work and assisting in the organization of textile artefacts, as it gave me a glimpse into what I might do in the preservation or the archivist department of a museum”.
Christina chose the University of Glasgow primarily because of the way the students are taught there. She described the program as being relatively similar to the course she had taken at Umbra, “…though it is more in depth, including six lectures with coinciding seminars, instead of just one.” In the end, Christina believes that Glasgow’s program shares Umbra’s philosophy of interactivity and community engagement. For example, while enrolled in a restitution and provenance course, she will be complimenting the in-class theory with her work in an exhibit at the Hunterian Museum. “I am building off of the foundation that Umbra provided me with as I increase my knowledge of the subject,” said Christina in reflection as she described how her time at Umbra, which helped prepare her for the Masters program in Glasgow.
When sharing how studying abroad affected her career, Christina ended the interview by saying, “Going to the Umbra Institute opened doors for me in ways that I never expected and I can’t describe how excited I am to start this new chapter of my academic career”.
Thanks to her experiences at home and abroad, Christina is now looking forward to a successful year of hard work and study in Glasgow; due in part to her education but more so to her passion and dedication.
The Umbra Institute hosts a travel workshop at the beginning of each semester to help students understand some of the best ways to get around Italy during their study abroad experience. Below are a few scenarios and a few preventative tricks that might keep you out of sticky situations.
You arrive to your hotel but the neighborhood looks sketchy, the staff is rude, and your room looks nothing like the photos online.
Use Google Maps to explore your destination
Google is your friend! It is good to thoroughly research a location before booking a trip there. Read online reviews from multiple outlets to get a well-rounded view.
Use Google Maps to check out the area. Google’s street view is a great tool to see if the area looks friendly or not. Check to make sure your hotel or hostel is near public transportation that runs during the times you will need it and see how far away you will be from other locations you plan to visit during your trip.
You fly into Rome on Sunday night but your flight is delayed and you miss your last train to Perugia.
Always give yourself extra time to catch a train or bus after a flight
Public transportation schedules in Italy can be tricky, and they don’t always run on time. Don’t forget to review the train and/or bus schedules before booking your flights. You want to make sure your flight lands before the final train or bus leaves for Perugia (or your destination city) so that you don’t end up stranded in an airport or train station far from home. Sometimes, it is best to try to catch the second to last train so that the last train is always available in case your flight is delayed.
It is always a good idea to review any train changes you may have to make during your trip, to make sure that you will have enough time to get to your next train (sometimes only 10 minutes is scheduled and any delay on your first train could make you miss your second!). Take a picture or write down the train numbers and exact times of arrival and departure for each one.
You are on a train and a man in a TrenItalia uniform starts yelling at you about your ticket.
Don’t forget to validate your train tickets
In Italy, it is often required that you validate your train ticket before boarding the train. Italian train personnel will ask you at least once, per train ride, for your Biglietto (ticket); they will then check to see if it is validated and, if it is not, you may be eligible for a fine.
To validate your ticket, you are going to want to get it stamped by a small green and white machine. The stamp will keep you from getting fined €50-€60 during ticket checks.
If you buy your train tickets online, you do not need to validate your ticket.
Bus tickets do not always need to be validated but it is always a good idea to have the ticket available in case the bus driver decides to check it.
You visit a museum in Florence and see that a student discount is available. However, the attendant at the ticket stand refuses to sell you a discounted ticket.
Bring your student ID for discounts and look out for events with free entry
Some museums, cafes, restaurants and other locations will offer student discounts to students under the age of 26. ALWAYS bring your student ID to try to take advantage of the great offers available.
Keep in mind that some discounts are only available to citizens of the EU, but hey, it never hurts to try!
It is also good to remember that, in Italy, most museums and some monuments offer free entry on the first Sunday of every month.
You get to your hotel in Rome only to find out that the front desk won’t let you check in and is insisting you find another place to stay.
Hotels and Hostels around Europe require that you show ID in order to stay the night. Even when you are in Italy, you should bring your passport for overnight trips. It is also a good idea to bring the credit or debit card you used to book your room (as proof of purchase) as well as some extra cash in case the hotel/hostel charges a small tax for staying the night (the tax is usually not included in your online bill).
In the end, traveling throughout Italy (and Europe) can be great fun! The best thing you can do is plan ahead and expect the unexpected. Travel is never predictable and it is always best to be prepared!
For current Umbra Students who plan to travel, do not forget to fill out the Umbra Travel Form online or in the student services office.
HSIT 380: Cosa Nostra: Cinema and History of the Mafia is a course that covers the emergence of the Mafia phenomenon both in Sicily and America and its continuation in contemporary society, while also looking into how the criminal organization is portrayed and perceived in cinematic fiction. Throughout the course, film is used to supplement historical discourse; however, the course is more than a cinema course, it also includes an engaging opportunity to reach out to the local community through a collaboration with Libera, an Italian anti-Mafia organization.
Libera was established in 1995 with the purpose of involving and supporting those who are interested in the fight against mafias and organized crime. Thanks to Italian Law n. 109/96, the Italian government is able to seize property from Mafiosi and give it to co-operations such as Libera. One such property is the Col di Pina farm in Pietralunga which Fall 2016 students will be visiting to work alongside Libera staff and volunteers. Their project for this fall will involve harvesting potatoes which will later be used for a fundraising dinner event that students will attend.
“Working with Libera will show students one way to achieve a fusion between academic discourse and activism; students will be trying to ‘better’ the local reality outside of the classroom,” shared HSIT 380 professor, Elgin K. Eckert, as she described her preparations and expectations for the course.
HSIT 380 is also available as an iCourse (the “i” represents an Italian language component and additional academic credit).
Location 
Current Umbra staff member and Fall 2014 alumna, Ashley Webb, in collaboration with professor Antonella Valoroso and Spring 2016 alumna Shameesha Pryor, wrote Il matrimonio all’italiana visto da un’americana for Corriere della Sera’s La 27esima Ora. The article was published online, last night, by the most widely circulated news corporation in Italy, thanks to Professor Valoroso’s assistance and Italian translation.
Students then hiked through the surrounding territory to learn more about the geographical region in which Dario raises his cattle (some in the Chianti area, others in Catalonia, Spain) as well as the significance of agriculture in the area. They met and even fed hay to some of the local cattle before returning to the town of Panzano for lunch at Dario’s restaurant. Students enjoyed a meal that offered selections from every part of the cow, atop a placemat that illustrated the menu’s various uses of meat cuts.
Prof. Elisa Ascione translates the words of SapereFood’s Filippo
HSIT 380: Cosa Nostra: Cinema and History of the Mafia
