UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — This summer, Liberal Arts students had the opportunity to travel to Rome, Italy, on a faculty-led course trip for two-and-a-half-weeks. The trip — titled “Study Tour of Roman History and Archaeology” — was led by Thaddeus Olson, assistant teaching professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies and Erin Hanses assistant teaching professor of classics and ancient Mediterranean studies and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. The trip allowed students to explore topics of European history in a real-world setting.
“Though I have taught in Rome many times, this was my first time as a faculty leader for Penn State students through the CAMS Rome program,” Hanses said. “The group was engaged, thoughtful, and motivated and we had so many positive experiences exploring the history and archaeology, and food of Rome.”
Nicola Kirkwood, a second-year student majoring in anthropology, went on the trip.
“We participated in on-site lessons, presentations, touring, behind-the-scenes private showcases and hands-on experiences in identifying and marveling at these one-of-a-kind wonders,” Kirkwood said.
The trip allowed students to take such experiences and utilize them to gain a better understanding of their classroom studies at Penn State. Many students said their courses prepared them for the trip and that their experiences abroad will allow them to learn better in the classroom.
Dan Schaffer, a fourth-year student majoring in history, psychology and classics and ancient Mediterranean studies, explained how the trip tied in with his courses.
“My courses gave me a basic understanding of the material before I went, but the trip truly gave me a new view on Roman history,” Schaffer said.
As for Kirkwood, she explained how a specific class at Penn State motivated her to attend the trip.
“I took Roman Civilizations my first semester here, and it helped me to understand the general workings of what life was like then,” Kirkwood said. “It really gave me an overview of the specific events and people we would be discussing in detail on the trip.”
Likewise, she explained how her experience in Rome impacted her course of study.
“My interests are forever changed,” Kirkwood said. “If I could go back and do it all over again, I would in a heartbeat just to make sure that I heard every last word in lecture and experienced every last thing both on site and in the city. It sparked a genuine love for this part of European history, one I intend to pursue and expand upon educationally.”
Besides partaking in lectures and on-site presentations, students had the opportunity to explore Rome on their own and discover their favorite out-of-classroom experiences. For Schaffer, it was visiting the famous Colosseum. For Kirkwood, it was difficult to pick just one.
“It's incredibly hard to pick just one experience from the trip that I loved, as I was on cloud nine the entire time,” Kirkwood said. “For me, seeing and being able to actually go inside the historical buildings I have read so much about was the most amazing part of the trip. I have always loved history, and being able to walk literally inside of it was heaven on earth.”