2008 Woodie Awards
Stop and Taste the Gelato
Chelsea Williams
Issue date: 9/25/06 Section: Life & Times
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It may have been the surreal twenty minutes of flying over the Alps, the first time I heard someone yell "Ciao!" in the water taxi station, or the moment I encountered the congregating pigeons in St. Mark's Square. At some point, I realized that my summer of preparation and anticipation was over, and that I was finally a world traveler.
I have been in Italy for one week, attending orientation at Venice International University, on the island of San Servolo. I am here for the fall semester, along with about 70 other students, from America, Israel, Germany, Holland, Italy, and Japan. Every student has been placed with a roommate from a different country, so we have immediately bonded (over pasta, coffee, and gelato, of course). The location is incredible. If I jumped out my dorm room window, I would be swimming in the Venetian Lagoon.
Given that this is my first time outside the United States, I have been thoroughly amazed by every detail of the experience thus far. From getting to know the international students to dealing in Euros and trying to bargain at the market in rough Italian, the first few days have made for culture shock at its best. Not everything has been wonderful, however; as temporary residents, we have to overcome the hurdles of slow government offices and pay a lot of money before we can truly settle in. While quite a few students have already traveled by train to nearby towns like Verona and Padova, I am still learning my way around Venice, and plan on taking trips to Rome, Florence, and Palermo later in the semester.
The atmosphere at VIU is a marked change from Rollins. Although both have beautiful campuses, VIU is very finite. The island is about as long as a football field, and only half as wide. I have only been in class for one day, but I can already tell that the academic environment will also be different.
When I found this program through Duke University, I was initially attracted to the classes taught by visiting international professors. I am enrolled in courses taught by Spanish, German, and Italian professors. The classes are small, just like at Rollins, but the style of teaching is much less lecture-oriented than any American class I have taken. There is not much homework, and grades are based purely on a final research paper or oral presentation and class participation. We only have classes four days a week, and there is a school-sponsored coffee break on Mondays, which is my favorite part.
I have been in Italy for one week, attending orientation at Venice International University, on the island of San Servolo. I am here for the fall semester, along with about 70 other students, from America, Israel, Germany, Holland, Italy, and Japan. Every student has been placed with a roommate from a different country, so we have immediately bonded (over pasta, coffee, and gelato, of course). The location is incredible. If I jumped out my dorm room window, I would be swimming in the Venetian Lagoon.
Given that this is my first time outside the United States, I have been thoroughly amazed by every detail of the experience thus far. From getting to know the international students to dealing in Euros and trying to bargain at the market in rough Italian, the first few days have made for culture shock at its best. Not everything has been wonderful, however; as temporary residents, we have to overcome the hurdles of slow government offices and pay a lot of money before we can truly settle in. While quite a few students have already traveled by train to nearby towns like Verona and Padova, I am still learning my way around Venice, and plan on taking trips to Rome, Florence, and Palermo later in the semester.
The atmosphere at VIU is a marked change from Rollins. Although both have beautiful campuses, VIU is very finite. The island is about as long as a football field, and only half as wide. I have only been in class for one day, but I can already tell that the academic environment will also be different.
When I found this program through Duke University, I was initially attracted to the classes taught by visiting international professors. I am enrolled in courses taught by Spanish, German, and Italian professors. The classes are small, just like at Rollins, but the style of teaching is much less lecture-oriented than any American class I have taken. There is not much homework, and grades are based purely on a final research paper or oral presentation and class participation. We only have classes four days a week, and there is a school-sponsored coffee break on Mondays, which is my favorite part.
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