What’s Inside: ‘The Best Thing’ 1-2 • Semester Highlights 2-3 • Active Learning as a MOJO 4-5 • Forza CEA! 5 • CEA + SRISA Collaboration 6-7 Meet the Staff 7 • 2013 - The Year of Italian Culture in the U.S. 8

As an Academic Year student who has been in Florence since last August, I’m often asked by friends and people from home about my most valuable experiences here. They want to know what I’ll carry with me most deeply when I return to the U.S., what I’ve enjoyed the most, what I will miss about Italy. I always have a million different things I could say, but every time I have gotten this question my answer is, without hesitation, volunteering. Through the CEA C’è initiative offered at the Florence Global Campus, students can get involved in a truly diverse variety of organizations in Florence, catering to different areas of interest with time commitments adaptable for each student. This is one of CEA’s greatest strengths and one that sets it apart from other American universities in Florence. I began volunteering last fall, teaching English once a week to a 5th grade class at a local elementary school. I immediately enjoyed it, even when it was hard for me to control the kids or give an Italian explanation of the classroom activity I had prepared. After one semester, I was asked by their teacher to return for the spring, and since then I have really learned to improve the ways I teach. The lessons have covered grammar, vocabulary, and topics in American culture, about everything from Harriet Tubman to the Easter Bunny. The kids are hilarious and

sweet, and from them I have learned such an enormous amount that it is difficult to put into words. Of course, they have helped me improve my Italian, but beyond that, they have given me a far better understanding of what being a nine-year-old kid in Italy today is like. We talk about what cartoons they watch, what games they play, what they think is cool, and somehow I am always reminded of how completely the same I was at that age. They are creative and generous, and have made me drawings that I want to keep forever. At the moment, I have a little pile of these in my apartment made up of smiley faces, hearts, fire-breathing dinosaurs, a giant purple mushroom, and lots of happy pictures of me. With my first semester in Florence behind me, I started the New Year wanting to volunteer more. For the Spring 2013 semester I began working with an organization called AMG, operated by the Florentine institution Misericordia in order to house, support, and rehabilitate people with severe physical and mental disabilities. My job is to assist the staff of educators with recreational activities. From week to week these have been anything from arts and crafts projects to choreo-graphing a dance to “In Fondo al Mar” from La Sirenetta (that’s “Under the Sea” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, for those of you who, like me, have only seen the movie in ...

Repubblica, 6News from the CEA Global Campus in Florence Issue 4, Spring 2013

‘The Best Thing’Re�ections on a Year of Volunteering in Florence, By Rachel Delozier

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Spring 2013 OrientationOn January 11, CEA students visited the Verrazzano Castle & vineyard as a part of thespring orientation program. Students toured the castle and cellars, and learned someVerrazzano history along the way. We sat down to a fantastic lunch and expert-led analysis of Verrazzano wines, including how to analyze wine based on the shapes revealed when the glass is tilted. Then we tasted, dined, and relaxed. It was a great day for getting to know each other in a beautiful and historical location.

Italian Cooking ClassLauren Finch (left) poses with the cookinginstructor at one of CEA’s always popularincluded activities. Here the class is makingtiramisu, the traditional Italian dessert madewith eggs, cream, and coffee-coaked cookies.What’s not to smile about? Also in the cookinginstruction, students learned how to makehomemade gnocchi and eggplant parmesan.

... English). I could never say that this has been an easy experience for me, because, truly, some of the patients face challenges that are difficult for me to ever completely understand. The medical conditions they struggle with are diverse and sometimes tragic, but I cannot say I have any idea of what they even are. The fact is, knowing would not be important. This is, without a doubt, one of the friendliest, most touching places I have ever spent time in. For me, the hugs, smiles, and laughs to be found here make helping out a real privilege. Each day, when it is time for me to leave, one patient I have gotten to know fairly well insists on going with me to the gate. As he rolls his wheel-chair down the driveway, it is a slow goodbye, but one that always touches me. I feel luckier than I can express. The admiration and respect I have for the patients here is deep, and I am enormously grateful to be able to work alongside the people who help them every day. I could spend hours talking about why I think volunteering is important. I firmly believe that there is no better way to learn about a culture than to get involved in it and help out. Not only have I gained a valuable sense of some of the challenges facing the Florentine community, but I am also meeting the people who care about fixing them. My time volunteering has helped me to understand how Italians support each other — how they teach their children and take care of those in need. To anyone who wants to know what the best thing from my year in Florence has been, this is my answer above all. Rachel Delozier majors in Classics and Art History at the University of Arizona. She spent the 2012-2013 Academic Year studying at the CEA Global Campus in Florence.

CEA Florence Spring

The Best Thing (continued)

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When in RomeThe weekend of January 25 & 26, CEA studentswent to Rome. The students conquered the cityby doing just about all possible in their two daystay. They visted the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon the Colloseum and Roman Forum, inaddition to the Vatican Museums and St. Peter’s Basilica. Here students (from left) Adam Ellis, Chelsea Vaz, Cassie Root, MelissaJohnson, Jacqueline DiChristofano, and Benji Goldman pose in front of the Spanish Steps.

The Splendor of SienaOn February 15, a group of CEA students spent the day in the Tuscan hill town of Siena. The students were guided by a Siena local and learned a bit about the history of the seventeen contradre, or neighborhoods, in which the town is separated in for the annual traditional medieval horse race. To the right, the entire group of visiting CEA students pose in the Piazza del Campo, the main square of Siena.

A Stroll Through AssisiOn March 22, CEA students visited the Basilica of San Francesco in Assisi, where expert art history guides and CEA Professors led them to see the magnificent frescoes by Giotto and Cimabue. The group then separated for lunch, free time, and then joined back together to getback to fabulous Firenze... so long, Assisi! Pictured to the left are a group of the students eating lunch together at a typical Italian restaurant during the CEA day trip to Assisi.

“Even though I only had classes at SRISA, CEA was agreat program to go through. They were always responsive and even gave me a fun job of traveling from museum to museum with other classes. Besides that they make you feel at home with the constant events and excursions where everyone could get together and mingle. I met some coolpeople even though I was only at the CEA Global Campus during my work study experience.”-Lauren Finich, Clifornia State University, Monterey Bay

Lauren was the Class Excursion Photographer though the CEA work study for the Spring 2013 semester. She studied in Florence duringthe spring semester as a CEA Studio Art & Fashion Design student.

Semester Highlights

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When classes began in early January, I was tremendously impressed by my professors’ abilities to make their class come alive. Most possess a radiant passion in their particular subjects. The common trait amongst them is curiosity. I am being taught how to embrace my innate curiousity again. I always think of children and their nonexistent attention spans due to this organic sense of amazement with the universe. I’ve realized that the subject matter is irrelevant to the significance of the classroom experience. It extracts from the spirit of the instructor. These timeless classroom experien-ces perpetuate each weekday. Their passion, little by little, acquaints with mine. It wasn’t until arriving in Florence that I realized how

seemed to be spiritual to me. My three favorites were a set of photos showing a person right after they wake up and right before they go to bed. These two times are when people are most alone with themselves. Another exhibit displayed portraits of individuals immediately following a yoga class. I connected with this because this natural yogic “high” bonded me to the study of meditation. The last was a series of people on a beach. There was a quote and/or description of the photographer’s intention near each selection. The first quote that stuck with me:“C'e uno spettacolo pui grandioso del mare, ed è il cielo, c'e uno spettacolo piu grandioso del cielo, ed e l'interno un'anima.” -Victor HugoThis quote was introducing the beach photos.

happy I feel when I am outside walking without a destination, my camera at my side. My photography professor began his career path as a lawyer and received his PhD. Professor Jacopo Santini realized after all the work and school, that he wasn’t fulfilled. I recall him saying the first day; “I hope to teach you blind-ness. Then, how to see again.” “Get lost with your camera, alone. You cannot be lost if you’re with someone. Do this and you will have gained something.” My favorite excursion was the trip to the Museo Nazionale Alinari Della Fotografia. The small and inviting atmosphere greeted me immediately. The arrangements were simple and I remember admiring the blank walls in relationship to the photo displays. There were about six exhibits portraying a differentconceptual theme. Each photographic theme

Before it was translated for me, I already under-stood the general message by observing thefaces and expressions of the subjects. In class during our critiques, I find it important for the photos to speak for themselves. Leonardo Da Vinci once said, “The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.” The strongest critiques are discussions after the audience has a chance to observe in silence. Each person makes a connection with a work of art in a unique way. I was proud of my conscious decision to look at the photos before summon-ing my professor to translate the quote by Hugo. The quote read:

"There is a more grandiose scene (view) than the sea and it is the sky; there is a more grandiose scene than the sky and it is the inner self (the bottom, the depth) of a soul.”

Active Learning as a MOJO Photographer By Anna Frendl

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After grasping the beauty and depth of this quote, I looked at the photos again and this time, peered directly into each person’s soul. Their soft eyes told me a story. The sea backdrop was infinite, much like each human spirit positioned near it.Anna Frendl is from Wisconsin and studies communications & media at DePaul University in Chicago. She spent the 2013 Spring Semester studying at the CEA Global Campus in Florence. As a part of her curriculum, she took the course Photography in Florence. She was also the Mobile Journalist (MOJO) chosen for the Florence campus in the spring.

It’s no secret Italians are wild about their national sport, soccer (‘calcio’ in Italian). Attending a Fiorentina home game is one way students at CEA in Florence get to know this vibrant subculture of Italy. What’s more, every regular semester students have an opportunity to play in a tournament among the many international schools based here in Florence. We asked the Spring 2013 team captain, Jeffrey Zifrony, to share some details and highlights about this experience.

competitive teams my whole life, includingclub teams and high school soccer. Most of the guys on the team have recreational experience with soccer, but a few played in high school as well, so we have a mix of talent.

Do you have any nicknames on the field?I’m ‘Deffy’ Jon is ‘Donny’ Nick is ‘Pundy’ Matt is ‘Schwartz-man’ Zach is ‘Weiss-man’ Eric is ‘Roth-man’ Adam is ‘the Slippery Mongoose’ Then there’s Lauren and Morgan, too.

Did you go to a professional soccer match while you were abroad? If yes, what was it like?We all went to the Fiorentina - AC Roma game at the beginning of the semester. Our goalie, Jonny, has been to many games throughout the year—he just can't get enough! The games are a lot of fun and really rowdy (as expected). The atmosphere definitely rivals the scene at an NFL football game back in the States.

How has being a part of the soccer team added to your study abroadexperience?Being a part of the team has been awesome! In addition to being a workout to help burn off the carbs from all the panini we’ve eaten, the games have provided an outlet for us to make friends in our program while also having a great time.Jeffrey Zifrony is from Maryland and studies Finance and Economics at Indiana University.

How did CEA’s team do this season? The regular season went well. We made it to the playoffs as the 6th seed in our conference with 13 points, so we played the 3rd seed, the school ISI. It was really close! The game ended in 1-1 draw, but unfortunately we lost in penalty kicks 4-3. The playoff seedings were a bit off, because we lost two games without even playing: for one game we were disqualified for not having any girls on the field, and for the other we got caught in a schedule change and didn't know we had a game.

What was your experience with soccer before coming to Italy?I grew up playing soccer and have played on

Pictured are players (left to right) Jonny Heiber, Nick Pund, Zach Weiss, and Jeffrey Zifrony at the Florentina - AC Roma game.

Forza CEA! Student Je�rey Zifrony Talks Soccer

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Kicked off in the Fall 2012 semester, the Florentine Culture & Studio Art Hybrid Program allows CEA Florence students to take classes at both of our institutions in the regular semester: both electives and Italian language at the Global Campus in Florence, and studio art classes at Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA). Please visit the CEA website for more information.

By Jaclyn Mann Being a studio art major with a focus in graphic design, I couldn’t pass an entire semester not enrolled in studio classes. When choosing to go abroad, I had to be sure the program had studio classes at a challenging enough level to transfer for credit back to my home university. While choosing Florence as a destination was a no-brainer because of the abundance of art in the city, with so many programs to choose from, finding the best option was difficult. In the end I chose CEA's Florentine Culture & Studio Art Program, a hybrid of CEA’s language and elective classes together with studio classes at the Santa Reparata International School of Art (SRISA) because it helped me fulfill studio classes while abroad. It's awesome to be enrolled at an international school with students from other cultures as well as American students. Although I do not have any classes with foreign students personally, the opportunity to interact with them throughout the school building outside of classes and after hours has been great. I believe that the most valuable part of studying abroad isbeing exposed to as many cultures as possible, and so this aspect of taking some classes at SRISA has made my experience even more unique. Two of my roommates have class with agirl from China and a girl from Germany, and I know that has been a great experience for them as well. I love to hear about the cultural differ-ences they are able to learn from their international classmates.

Two Schools, One

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“Being enrolled in the hybrid program through CEA was a great experience for me. It allowed me to not only study at the CEA Global Campus, but also gave me the oppor-tunity to take classes through an international school of art, SRISA. I enjoyed this because it gave me a wide range of classes to chose from, and allowed me to grow not only intellectually, but artistically as well. And, for me, studying art right here in Florence was a must!”-Madeline Baartman, Iowa State University

“ With the fact that I was not at the same school every day of the week, it gave me the chance to explore Florence and make a variety of friendships. Since my major is graphic design, I knew it was important for me to study art while studying in Florence, especially since it is an art capital. But I didn't want to be limited on only art classes, so through the hybrid program I was able to take all types of classes while still focusing on art at the same time.”-Elizabeth Bodzy, Arizona University

The staff at SRISA is incredible. It truly feels like a family. Even teachers I don't have class with know me by name and will take the time to stop and ask how I am doing, or how my day is. I love that every day when I walk through the doors I can always expect a loud "ciao!" or "buongiorno!" from the ladies who work at the front desk. Before studying here, I had not been the biggest fan of drawing in general (especially given my transition to doing most of my artwork through computer gener-ation), yet I can say that my figure drawing instructor, Andrew Smaldone, has taught me to appreciate anew the work that the hand can produce. In addition to my figure drawing class, I am taking a textiles batik course. Learning to batik has been incredible for me because textiles work is an art I had never experimented with before my arrival in Florence. It has put the skills of my graphic design background to use, but in a much more traditional way than on a computer screen. I have made some really lovely scarves and headbands throughout thesemester that will be one of a kind gifts for my

friends and family at home! Another cool thing about SRISA is the range of talent among the student body: some students have been drawing and painting since they were able to hold a pencil; others have some experience from high school maybe; and still others who even claim to have no artistic experience at all. A girl in my figure drawing class has never taken an art class in her life, and seeing her talent improve throughout the semester has been fun. I would suggest the hybrid program to any student coming to Florence, even if in the end it’s just to fulfill general education credits. After all, you are studying in a city with such a significant artistic heritage, why not push yourself and try some-thing new by giving the right side of your brain some use?Jaclyn Mann studies graphic design and marketing at Indiana University. She spent the 2013 Spring Semester studying at the CEA Global Campus in Florence. Along withthe help of academic advisor Amy Gulick, she was the creator and editor of the Issue 4, Spring 2013 CEA Newsletter

Amazing Experience

CEA Global EducationPiazza della Repubblica, 650123 Florence, ItalyTel: +39 055 285025Fax: +39 055 2655564

www.GoWithCEA.comFind us on:

Emily SchiavoneMarketing Coordinator

Amy GulickAcademic Advisor

Mariella TurchettiCampus Life Assistant

Letizia IaliniCampus Life Advisor

Dr. Zachary T. AndrousAss’t Academic Dean

The question I hear most from students when they learn I have lived in Italy for nearly 18 years, posed usually with curiosity is, “What has made you stay?” I reflect before answering, mostly to find the right choice of words, but the answer is quite simple: I am completely in love with Italian culture and still feel there is much more to learn and discover. Italian culture is what lured me in when I visited Rome as a mere teenager. I was hooked from the first melodic sound of “buongiorno!” upon entering a caffe’ intense with the aroma of coffee and the head-spinning clanking of cups and saucers being arranged. My first opera moved me to tears by the sheer beauty of the music. But the Vatican Museums is likely theplace where I could have been clinically diagnosed withStendhal’s Syndrome, that psychosomatic disorder that causes

increased heartbeat, dizziness, fainting, confusion and even hallucinations when an individual is exposed to art, usually when the art is particularly beautiful or a large amount of art is in a single place. I have never recovered, and hence my settling in Florence, the place where the name of the syndrome was actually coined, to help others, like myself, discover Italy’s treasures. As an expat friend of mine, who is in her mid-eighties and moved here in the 1950s, says: “Italy is beautiful, and there’s not a damn thing anybody can do about it!” And what she means is, and what I mean when I say Italy is beautiful: It’s not just the art and landscape, but Italy’s entire cultural heritage: its archaeological treasures, music and theatre, science and technology, fashion and design, language and literature, cinema and photography, food, traditions, territories... it is Italian culture in its entirety. The year 2013 is the year of Italian Culture in the United States, and for those students returning to the U.S. after this brief sojourn in Italy, there is a plethora of initiatives taking place to celebrate Italian culture. Check it out at www.italyinus2013.org. All over the U.S. for the entire year there are film festivals, festivals on Mediterranean cuisine, art exhibits, design trade shows, online initiatives to explore Italy’s regions. I encourage everyone to help celebrate this special year of Italian culture, and continue your study abroad experience even once you’ve returned home. There is still so much to discover!–Grayson Splane, Florence Program Director

Meet the Rest of the CEA Florence Sta�

From the desk of the Program Director...

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2013–The Year of Italian Culture in the United States