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Italy Realized

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I have been back in Indiana for about two weeks now. I take the CityBus as opposed to a Vaporetto, the streets don’t flood, and my daily classes are much more STEM focused than our morning talks on art history or music. I have also, unfortunately, not eaten a single tiramisu in the past two weeks.   However, since departing from San Servolo, it has become apparent how much I learned in Italy, and how much of what I learned about has had a lasting impact on our world. Focusing solely on the Leonardo Da Vinci and the Renaissance aspect of what we covered on the trip, I am hard pressed to find a situation in West Lafayette where my newfound knowledge cannot be applied or is helpful in some way. For example, I am in Biology 110 and before spring break I set up a standing appointment with the course coordinator. When I showed up at his office the Tuesday after break I saw that he had a little graphic image of the  Annunciation of the Virgin  on the wall. Of course, I had seen it when I
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Early Morning Italian Adventure - Scavenger Hunt

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For the scavenger hunt, Leora, Angela, and I received the riddle: To whom she gave the cross, we just don’t know. But she gave her name to an Isle facing the Lido. On a pitch where you don’t throw, Find some giocatori and take a group photo. When I initially read the riddle I was super stumped. Because I was on a train with no wifi and sub-par data, I put the riddle aside and made a note on my phone to look into it when we arrived at our destination. I popped in my headphones to listen to some Baroque music and drifted off to sleep. When I woke up, Leora and Angela were very excited as they had cracked the riddle and they knew exactly where we were going. They brought me up to speed and explained the riddle. Giocatori translates to players, and “On a pitch where you don’t throw” references soccer, or as they call it in Europe, “Football”. We determined we were headed to a soccer park to find some players to take a pic with. Full disclosure, I would have total
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Italy Imagined Pt. 2

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I cannot believe that I have spent six days in Italy and have only one more full day before we leave. It simultaneously feels as if we have been here for an eon yet also for barely any time at all. Some of my preconceived notions of Italy and expectations for this trip have differed from the reality, while others have been met and exceeded. The first thing I noticed about Venice was the weather. I was expecting shining sun and chirping birds as per Pinterest, so I was a bit shocked by the rainy weather, and the misty gothic island vibes I got from San Servolo. I resigned myself to frizzy hair and accepted it with a good attitude. However, I was completely caught off guard by the first Acqua Alta. When it started, my general thoughts could be summed up in the phrase “Oh heck no”. I was not interested in the dry ground I stood on flooding within hours. I did not enjoy the Acqua Altas at all, but it did give me a unique perspective on Venetian culture and traveling in general. Ev
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The Modern Paradigm of Privacy

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Throughout class discussions and looking at art, we have discussed some key traits of the paradigms we have been studying. In the Medieval period we see a lot of anagogic space, gothic architecture, and enclosed confusing spaces. The Renaissance is marked by perspective, emphasis on individuality, and scientific pursuits. A question I have wrestled with this week is: What defines our paradigm and what does this say about the world we live in? I would say our modern world is defined by an ever-increasing globalization facilitated by the internet and social media. For example, Stephen Hawking just died. He was in England, but we found out about it as soon as we woke up even though we are in Italy. In the past, this news could only get to us as fast as a horse or steam ship or telegram, etc... could transfer it. In the Renaissance, along with individuality, the concept of privacy began to emerge. We are still very comfortable in the Renaissance paradigm, but I think that our ide
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