Reflecting on Roma #HogsAbroad in Italy #ThrowbackThursday

Lately, I have been teaching myself how to move on when things do not go as planned. This is a concept that was difficult for me to understand, and frankly, I am still learning. You see, my personality is very Type A. I like to plan. I like to know what is going on. Most of all, I like to be in control.

My study abroad experience has taught me more about myself and my attitude than I ever knew possible. I have been challenged and tested beyond measure. During my study abroad trip, my world was turned upside down. My trip that was supposed to last a little over 4 months in Rome turned into 2 months. As I sit on my back porch at home in Missouri, I don’t feel anger or frustration anymore. I have accepted that there are some things I cannot control. However, I do know I can control my attitude. There is so much I am thankful for. I am blessed to have seen all the things I was able to see. I know that I was able to experience more in 2 months than most can in a lifetime. I am blessed to have made life-long friends. I am blessed to have had faculty members that cared about me. I am blessed to be safe in my home now.

My program at the University of Arkansas Rome Center was one in a million. I was in the Global Studies program. I was one of 19 students in this specific program, and my class was lucky enough to be surrounded by faculty members who were, and continue to be, truly invested in our experiences. Our classes differed from those at our home campus in Fayetteville because we learned both in and out of the classroom. Rome was our classroom. We were able to apply concepts from class in our lives, and we made connections from textbooks to ancient ruins. You would never be able to imagine how magical the atmosphere is until you experience it for yourself. There is no way to replicate the experience of studying abroad, and I would argue there is no way to replicate the UA Rome Center. I am so lucky to have had the chance to study there. It is not every day that your class takes you to unimaginable places like Tivoli and Hadrian’s Villa.

Because of the courses I took at the UA Rome Center, I will progress as a worldly young professional. Global Studies is the study of all that is happening in the world now and how our past is leading us into the future. It is the concept of communication and technology and drawing connections from one end of the world to the other. It is understanding how as we move toward globalization, things begin to look different. These concepts and this understanding of our world moving forward will help me always place things into perspective. In my career, I will be better able to communicate with diverse cultures and be able to think on a larger scale.

As I sit in my rocking chair and watch my dogs play, I can’t help but look out into the trees and imagine a skyline of history and rich culture. I think of my 1.5 mile walk to school and how time always seemed to fly by. I’d exit my apartment building, pay 1 Euro for a shot of espresso and be on my way. I’d pass street vendors selling scarves one day and sunglasses the next. I’d dodge the young school children in a rush to catch their fast-paced parents. I’d look over the river and across the road at Vatican City. I would smile at the quiet bridge in front of Castel Sant’Angelo and admire the sun dancing across the ancient stones; I knew that within another hour it would be full of tourists and street vendors alike.

Sometimes I wonder how many different cultures and languages were on that bridge at any given moment; at times, it seemed like the whole world was right there. Soon after the bridge, I would find myself at the gates of Palazzo Taverna, my school. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t give to walk up those uneven steps and be out of breath again. I remember the walk like it was yesterday. Every day was a new adventure.

A piece of advice for those studying abroad in the future, and a piece of advice I wish I would have known, is to not save things for later. I kept telling myself I had all the time in the world to see things and do things I wanted. The truth is, you never know what will happen. Sometimes, “later” won’t come. Lucky for me, the Eternal City shall continue to thrive.

Roma, I’ll be back.

--
Before the suspension of Spring 2020 study abroad programs, recent graduate Grace Vehige (Bachelor of Science in Agri Food & Life Sciences, Agricultural Education, Communication & Technology, Spring 2020) spent the Spring 2020 term at the University of Arkansas Rome Center with the help of the Honors College and the Nathan "Kitt" Rom Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship. Read more from Grace at https://gvehige.wixsite.com/servicetorome,

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Rome is my Classroom #HogsAbroad in Italy #ThrowbackThursday

Rome is my classroom. I’m pretty lucky to have class instructors who feel the same way. We have a well-balanced system of learning at the Rome Center. With nearly half our class time in the classroom, the other half is spent learning outside the classroom. I must say, I’m so thankful for that.

At the Rome Center, we have “open” and “closed” weekends. This past weekend was a closed weekend. That means we shouldn’t travel outside of Rome because there is something significant for school going on in Rome. Significant is certainly one way to describe it.

Alongside a few of my classmates, I was finally able to visit the Vatican Museums, the Colosseum, and the Roman Forum. Wow! We started the weekend at the Vatican Museums. This was a trip I had been looking forward to because of my Catholic faith. Vatican City is the “capital” of the Catholic faith. I had the opportunity to see paintings and structures that I’ve studied my whole life. It was breathtaking…. And crowded! Our guide shared that on a normal day in the museums, nearly 35,000 people visit. While no pictures were allowed in the Sistine Chapel, it was incredible. I stood in the center of the chapel staring ahead at The Last Judgement and straight up at the Creation of Adam. It’s as amazing as it sounds. I also learned a lot about Michelangelo and his experiences while painting the Sistine Chapel.

On Sunday morning, our classroom moved to the Colosseum. Our group was able to roam the same paths that ancient Romans and gladiators once walked. Where emperors once watched the games, there now stands a cross. It was amazing to imagine what they must have seen while standing where they once sat. Despite the construction inside, the Colosseum was in better condition than I imagined. While walking around the outside of it, I imagined myself as a young Audrey Hepburn in “Roman Holiday”.

Later Sunday afternoon, our group continued our tour over at Palatine Hill. We walked through the Roman Forum, which has ruins of ancient homes and government buildings in the heart of Rome. One of the most fascinating stories we were told was about the priestesses of Vesta. These 6 women were selected to remain chaste for 30 years while they kept a fire burning in the Temple of Vesta. The fire was kept burning “for the good of the state”.

When it comes to crossing the city and making it from Point A to Point B, the metro makes traveling around Rome very convenient. I walked out of the Colosseo metro station and practically walked right into the Colosseum. It’s fun navigating the public transportation… but only when there’s not a time crunch!

On the way back from our trip on Sunday, my roommate and I stopped for one of our favorite treats: gelato! If you ever find yourself in Rome, or in any part of Italy, I highly recommend eating as much gelato as you can. It’s also fun to try new flavors and new places! Frigidarium is one of my favorites; they dip their gelato in hard shell chocolate. The picture below is from Guttilla, and I tried dark chocolate and apricot gelato. Yum!

--
Before the suspension of Spring 2020 study abroad programs, recent graduate Grace Vehige (Bachelor of Science in Agri Food & Life Sciences, Agricultural Education, Communication & Technology, Spring 2020) spent the Spring 2020 term at the University of Arkansas Rome Center with the help of the Honors College and the Nathan "Kitt" Rom Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship. Read more from Grace at https://gvehige.wixsite.com/servicetorome,

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Making Rome... Home. #HogsAbroad in Italy #ThrowbackThursday

This semester, I'm studying at the University of Arkansas Rome Center. Even though I am double majoring in Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Leadership, I am at the UA Rome Center with 90 other students who are studying fashion, architecture and global studies. I am one of the few students in the global studies program, and I just so happen to be achieving a minor in the subject while I am abroad! Not only do I get to study in a place full of history and culture, but I also get to advance my academic portfolio and not set myself behind in school. How cool is that?

I love the Rome Center. It is located in a wing of Palazzo Taverna in Rome’s historic district and right across the river from Vatican City. Yep. It’s that cool. The classes are different from the U of A for many reasons; however, many of the instructors like to say, “Rome is our classroom.” We spend about half of our time in the classroom and the other half touring historic sites in Rome, linking each to something we’ve discussed in class. Rome, quite literally, is our classroom. It is a dream!

Of course, the faculty and staff encourage us to take trips and appreciate all that Europe has to offer. A few friends and I have recently taken a weekend trip to Florence and Pisa. While it was just a short train ride north, it was all so new and exciting. In Florence, I toured the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery, where I was able to see art by Da Vinci, Botticelli and Michelangelo. Seeing the Statue of David in person… unbelievable! My friends and I walked and shopped and laughed. I ate the best margherita pizza of my life. Hands down. Florence was quiet with a medieval ambiance; I truly loved it. We spent Friday and Saturday there, but by Sunday, we were bound for Pisa. We did the typical tourist pictures with the Leaning Tower, and of course, had so much fun. It was a great trip!

Learning the ins and outs of transportation in Rome has been interesting. I’ve learned to navigate the metro and trains, but I haven’t been brave enough to attempt the bus. I have heard from many of our faculty at the Rome Center that the buses typically run off schedule and can be a little unreliable. If you’re a planner like me, the sheer uncertainty is enough to steer you away. However, I prefer to walk. Sometimes we will walk 5 miles in a day or more! The walk from my apartment to school is around 25 minutes one way. Walking by Castel Sant’Angelo, Porte Sant’Angelo and Vatican City on my way to and from school makes the walk easy. There’s nothing like crossing a bridge (built in 134 A.D.) over the Tiber River on a walk to school. In case you were wondering, I still can’t believe I’m here. I’m not certain I’ll ever get tired of it.

In terms of advice I have, based on what I’ve learned the past 3 weeks – bring peanut butter! I LOVE peanut butter and have searched only to find Nutella. There is Nutella everywhere here. Nutella gelato, Nutella croissants, Nutella muffins, Nutella toast, etc. I’m sure there’s peanut butter somewhere, so have no fear, I will find it.

Ciao from Roma!

--
Before the suspension of Spring 2020 study abroad programs, recent graduate Grace Vehige (Bachelor of Science in Agri Food & Life Sciences, Agricultural Education, Communication & Technology, Spring 2020) spent the Spring 2020 term at the University of Arkansas Rome Center with the help of the Honors College and the Nathan "Kitt" Rom Memorial Study Abroad Scholarship. Read more from Grace at https://gvehige.wixsite.com/servicetorome,

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

My First Study Abroad Journey #HogsAbroad in Panama

Hi my name is Qirui Cui. I am a Bumpers College Honors Student who is majoring in Crop Science and minoring in Crop Biotechnology. This spring break, I participated in the Study Abroad Program: Panama Agriculture and Cultural Tour.

It is my first study aboard journey, and it is the first time I set my foot on Central America. I loved this trip. Panama is a beautiful country with diverse topography. People in Panama are very lovely and passionate. This trip is an eye-opening experience for me.

As a crop science major student, the tour of the pineapple farm was my favorite. I am so happy that I had a chance to visit the pineapple farm. It was the first time that I learned something about the tropical crops. Now, I know a bit more about these crops in a different aspect, from the crop management side, food processing side, to the economic side. I enjoyed hearing stories from the grower, such as how they processed their food, whom they sold their products to, and their view of the pineapple industry.

I am grateful that I had such a great opportunity to visit Panama! I experienced so many things that I never thought of before, and I learned a lot from all the tours we had in Panama. I will recommend my friends and classmates to attend this program if they have a chance in the future!



--
Senior Crop Science major Qirui Cui spent the spring break 2019 in Panama with the U of A Faculty-Led: Panama Agricultural & Cultural Tour with the help of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.

Don't miss your opportunity to study or intern abroad! Start your search at http://studyabroad.uark.edu/search/

Sheroes Hangout #HogsAbroad in India

Sheroes Hangout is a café run by acid attack survivors and spearheaded by the Stop Acid Attacks campaign. The café serves food and drinks all day, hosts various events and parties, and has a wall of fully stocked bookshelves for visitors to read. Everyone ordered warm drinks and we got a couple of orders of masala fries for the table. While we waited we passed around some of the articles on the table and learned more about the café we’d walked into and the organization behind it. For more information visit their website at https://www.sheroeshangout.com/agra

Once our drinks came our waitress told us a little more about herself and the café and put on an informational video for us. We learned about the lack of laws set up to protect survivors and prosecute perpetrators of acid attacks and the lack of regulation surrounding sale of acid. Our waitress told us a main reason behind acid attacks is when a woman rejects a man. We heard interviews from various survivors in the video and learned the reasons given for their attacks: in one case a woman’s in-laws urged her husband to throw acid at her because she hadn’t had any sons. Another woman was at work when she was attacked by a customer.

Through watching the video we learned more about the Stop Acid Attacks campaign and how they work to bring more attention and regulation to this issue and empower women who are survivors. They help survivors rebuild their lives after their attacks and try to help them financially through the long process of healing and the multiple surgeries that usually entails. They also work with these women to help them build skills and secure employment. In many cases survivors isolate themselves and many are ostracized from their families because of the reaction in the wider community. This is where Sheroes Hangout comes in. The café employs many women as waitresses and cooks and also serves as a space for women to promote the trades they work on. One girl in the video told about how she was able to pursue her passion of fashion design and opened up a small boutique in the sheroes hangout to sell the dresses she designs. The language used by the women in the café emphasized the point that they were not victims, they were survivors, and they were stepping up to make good of a bad situation.

Sheroes Hangout was very unique among our experience in India for several reasons. One thing that stood out about Sheroes was the fact that this is the only restaurant we ever saw female waitstaff. Throughout India we always had waiters and never waitresses. I think this is because young men who were from more rural backgrounds or had less schooling were able to go for these kinds of jobs when it might not be considered respectable for a young woman. We met many female students at the undergraduate level and graduate level universities we visited, and high-skill jobs for both genders exist in the fields they were pursuing, but at lower skill levels there is a big gender disparity in the work force. The Stop Acid Attacks campaign works with Sheroes Hangout to provide these occupational opportunities to survivors while creating a safe work environment for them. Throughout this study abroad program we were shown the very best of what India had to offer in its beautiful monuments and scenery and the technological advances we were told about at the various farms, universities, and institutes. Our perspective was made richer by learning from the women at Sheroes about this widespread issue.

*feature image borrowed from culturetrip.com*

--
Jaden Talley, Biological Engineering major

--
Students spent the January Intersession with our Experiential Learning in Indian Agriculture faculty-led program. Read more from the U of A Faculty-Led: Experiential Learning in Indian Agriculture program at https://ipo.uark.edu/india/

For more information about Bumpers College study abroad programs, go to Bumpers' international page. Bumpers College offers faculty-led programs to Belgium, India, Mozambique, New Zealand, Australia, and Italy; courses and exchanges in France and Austria; internships in Greece and Scotland; and research in Brazil, the Philippines and Greece.