Category: Short Term Programs

Submitted by Matthew Slawik on the 2024 PHIL program in Italy…

This last week in Italy has been a lot of fun. Last Tuesday we left Rome and took a train to Florence. I loved Rome but it was a nice change to go to a different city. Walking through Florence, you see how little has changed in the city over the centuries. You can still see the house Michelangelo was born in or the neighborhood church Dante went to as a child. One day we decided to climb a hill that overlooks the city. Me and a small group hiked up the top. Along the way we met a group of older British tourists who accompanied us up the hill and told us about their experiences in Italy and life. Once we got to the top, you could see the entire landscape of the city. Towering over the entire city was the Duomo which was built during the early Renaissance. It’s obvious in the design the difference in construction between that and later Renaissance works. After we were finished admiring the amazing view, we met up with some more of our classmates and decided to watch the sunset. It was nice sitting up there with everyone while someone played the guitar in the background. Even though I had just met these people only 15 days before, it felt like I knew them for years.

This past week in Florence really has been a great experience. Although we may not have seen as many historical sites or had as much to do as in Rome, just walking through the old streets imaging what it must have been like hundreds of years ago was enough. I also feel like I have grown even closer with everyone on the trip, we get along great and everyone truly cares about one another. This trip to Italy has been one of the best experiences of my life and as we enter the last week of the trip, I am excited to see what we see and explore. (Submitted on January 20, 2024)

Submitted by Emma Smyth on the 2024 Winter ENGL program in Athens, Greece…

I am an animal lover-–especially a cat lover. When I came to Athens, the amount of cats that wandered around the city was shocking! There are so many adorable stray cats everywhere I go. I’ve seen them at the Parthenon, the Panathenaic Stadium, the Agora, near churches, and outside restaurants (pretty much everywhere). Though I am concluding my second week in Athens, I still find myself aweing the cats and wanting to pet every single one of them. Something I noticed with the cat culture in Athens is how well taken care of the strays are. Many of the strays have received vaccinations, citizens leave out food and water outside of homes, and there are even cat shelters placed on the streets. I think the way that Athenians treat the cats speaks volumes of their character and kindness. In the United States, there are not nearly as many stray animals and they are often disregarded as a nuisance. This goes to show the differences in city culture around the world. Meanwhile in Athens, the strays are cared for and considered a part of the city itself. I really admire the subtle signs of kindness that Athens displays, such as the pet bowls and shelters on the sidewalks. Though initially intimidating, it is so heartwarming being in a thoughtful city with such character. And the cats are definitely the cherry on top! (Submitted on January 20, 2024)

Submitted by Sam Ferguson on the 2024 Winter HIST program in Italy…

One of the most unique and remarkable experiences I have had in Florence was at a soccer match played by the city’s local club, ACF Fiorentina. Fiorentina has long been one of my favorite teams in European soccer due to the unique beauty of its crest and jerseys, the storied history of the club, and the team’s resilience in recent years. The club is one of few teams to use the color purple in its designs – thus becoming known as La Viola – and this uncommon design choice has helped Fiorentina stand out from the pack with a unique and beautiful aesthetic. In addition, Fiorentina holds a storied history in Italian soccer, for although it has rarely won the Serie A (Italy’s national soccer league) it has featured numerous iconic players, including Roberto Baggio, Gabriel Batistuta, and Rui Costa. Although La Viola has suffered from bankruptcy and many other obstacles in recent decades, the club continues to persevere and play an important role in modern Italian football. 

At the match that my friends and I saw, Fiorentina played against fellow Serie A club Udinese. Fiorentina looked shaky at the start of the match, suffering from defensive errors that allowed Udinese to take the lead early on. However, by the second half La Viola had steadily reasserted itself, and in the 55th minute the club’s forward Lucas Beltran leveled the score with a brilliant header. By this point Fiorentina looked to be in control of the game, but in the 73rd minute Udinese gained possession, started a fast break, and scored a goal to retake the lead from out of nowhere. Over the next 10 minutes, Fiorentina tried and failed to equalize the score yet again, hitting the post once and squandering multiple other chances. However, in the 86th minute, a handball from a Udinese player inside the penalty box led to a penalty kick for Fiorentina, which the club’s other forward M’Bala Nzola buried into the bottom right corner to bring the game back to 2-2. Ultimately, the game ended with this score, and Fiorentina was able to earn a draw after coming from behind twice against Udinese.

Fiorentina’s performance was not a terribly impressive showing, but it created an exciting match that contributed to an electric atmosphere at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. This intense atmosphere was also fueled by the club’s amazing fans, who provided an extraordinary energy throughout the entire match. This energy was most prominent in the section containing Fiorentina’s ultras. Ultras are especially intense and passionate soccer fans who express their fervent support through the use of chants, flags, and pyrotechnics. At our match, the ultras constantly shouted chants that supported Fiorentina, attacked Udinese, and lambasted the referees whenever they made a decision that went against La Viola. They also waved giant flags and set off purple smoke bombs as massive demonstrations of support for Fiorentina. This non-stop activity peaked during Fiorentina’s goals, both of which led to wild celebrations from fans all throughout the stadium. The passion and intensity of these fans, coupled with their powerful use of flags, chants, and pyrotechnics, was unlike anything I had ever seen at an American sporting event. The devotion of La Viola’s fan base made me realize the intense importance that this team holds for many citizens of Florence. For many people, their allegiance to Fiorentina is an integral part of their Florentine identity, and this powerful link between club and community was a truly incredible thing to witness. (Submitted on January 20, 2024)

Submitted by Kate Lilly on the 2024 Winter ETE program in Barcelona, Spain…

The first several days in Barcelona consisted of an intense adjustment period. Aside from  the obvious transition imposed by the time zone change and subsequent jet lag, I suddenly found  myself in an environment unlike any other I had ever been in. I am from a small town in rural  southeastern Pennsylvania—life there is starkly different from the bustle of Barcelona, with its  gothic architecture, narrow streets, hilly slopes, energetic nightlife, and 1.6 million people. That  being said, it was a transition I welcomed wholeheartedly. While I found myself overwhelmed  here and there within my first hours in the city, it quickly ebbed into excitement at all the  newness I was experiencing. My favorite “new” in my first week in Spain, by far, was my  program’s day trip to Montserrat mountain.  

On Saturday, we met our program director, Dr. Lewis, bright and early at our apartments  in the Gràcia neighborhood of the city. We then made the trek to the Metro station (another  lifestyle adjustment). After two separate train rides, we arrived at the stop for Montserrat, about  one hour outside the city. From there, visitors boarded a separate train to carry us almost all the  way to the mountain’s peak, where the Basilica sits. I chose to write about this particular  excursion due to how awestruck it left me. My group spent about three hours at Montserrat,  which consisted of taking many photos of the breathtaking views and joking about the three plus-mile hike to get to the peak of the mountain. This excursion came early on in our trip, and it  truly set the tone for a wonderful first week in Barcelona. It was deeply impactful for me, as  someone who has lived in somewhat of a smaller bubble her first twenty years of life, to see such  beautiful things that are so wildly different from what I have always known. Regardless of the  hundreds (if not thousands) of other people that had chosen to visit Montserrat that day, and the  different languages that were being spoken all around us, it did not feel crowded or  overwhelming. Instead, it felt refreshing to spend time in a place that represents peace and unity.  The cross constructed to look out over the edge of the mountain side was both beautiful and  grounding to see. People of countless different religions, backgrounds, and races/ethnicities came  to the same place to see the same thing. Furthermore, while we are all students in the Elementary  Teacher Education major, not all sixteen students on the trip (including myself) knew each other  prior to arriving. The time spent traveling to and from Montserrat as well as that spent fighting  our way up the mountain gave us ample opportunity to talk. It felt great to go beyond the surface  level connections that we already had formed in our shared college and area of study and learn  more about who my peers are—I’m not sure I would have had the chance to connect with them  otherwise. Though the steep climbs were tiring, we ended the day extremely appreciative to have  seen a more scenic side of Spain and gotten to know more about each other. I highly recommend  a visit to Montserrat for anyone in the Northern Spain area! (Submitted on January 20, 2024)