Monday,
March 10, 2008
Sicilian American Student in
The
ANNOTICO Report
Rachel
Martin spent a semester in a study overseas program in her grandparent's city
of
Once
described by
In
the early 4th century BC, Dionysius built a
massive fortress on the small
The
journalists describe Siracusa as a small town, but it
has a population of 120,000.
Martin
from her report stated "Studying abroad taught me so much about European
culture and changed my views from ethnocentric to more global", but from
her report she missed the incredible rich history of the City of
An
American Perspective on College Life in
By
Brigitta Andrews
By Tiffany Greaves
February 12, 2008
Some college
students dont make study abroad a priority. For senior Rachel Martin, it wasnt
even a question.
I always
knew I wanted to study in
Martin spent last
spring in
Her classes
varied from cooking, history of the European Union and Italian language, to
political theory of Plato and Aristotle. Martin said she loved the cooking
class because she learned to cook Italian food the way authentic Italians
prepare it. She even learned to gut a fish.
Martin said her
typical day began with a 20-minute walk to the market where she would buy food
for the day. None of the students had vehicles, and there was no local public
transportation in her area, so walking was the prime mode of transportation.
She would go to
two or three classes before the town shut down for a two hour lunch break.
Unlike
Businesses
over here would close in the afternoon," she said. "Everyone took
naps. It wasnt a big deal to
re-open the businesses on time. It was something to get used to. Things
there are about quality, not quantity."
A typical night
would consist of a home-cooked dinner, soccer at a local park, studies or
venturing out for some gelato. No television or internet made time for reading
books, relaxing and building close relationships with friends and roommates.
One thing Martin
noticed was the difference between young Italian girls and American girls. She
said it was strange that Italian girls were nowhere to be seen. At night, bars
were packed with Italian men and American girls. She said it was even accepted
for an Italian man to have an Italian and American girlfriend at the same time.
The men
there are really assertive. College life is really different there than here.
No one really lives on campus, they usually live at home with their moms,"
she said.
Martin also
recalled being treated with kindness and respect. She said everyone in the town
knew each other and treated her like family. Back in
Studying
abroad taught me so much about European culture and changed my views from
ethnocentric to more global. It taught me independence and how to figure things
out on my own because I didnt speak the
language," she said.
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Italia
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