From Rome, Thanos Writes... tag:blog.stthomas.edu,2007:/rome/67 2007-11-11T19:30:51Z News and Information from the Bernardi campus of the University of St. Thomas Movable Type 3.2 Everything is Fine! tag:blog.stthomas.edu,2007:/rome//67.1341 2007-11-11T19:00:43Z 2007-11-11T19:30:51Z A couple of weeks ago I had asked our students a few questions regarding their experiences during their first month in Rome. It is always interesting and fascinating for me to hear what the students'experience in a foreign country is... Thanos Zyngas http://www.stthomas.edu/rome/ A couple of weeks ago I had asked our students a few questions regarding their experiences during their first month in Rome. It is always interesting and fascinating for me to hear what the students'experience in a foreign country is like and whether coincides with my observations of how I think they are doing or feeling about things. For the most part, I am right on the dot and I am able to have their pulse of how things are going and be able to assist them and support them when necessary.
Among the students'favorite site or places they have seen so far are the Basilicas of St. Peter's, Santa Maria Maggiore and Santa Cecilia. "It is a pilgrimage each time I make my way to the basilica because I can simply feel the presence of God as soon as I enter through the massive doors,"said Seth Gogolin refering to the St. Peter's Basilica. "The beauty of the Church is unmatched and I am blown away by the details of all the statues and mosaics".
And as far as the basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, John Norman identified two aspects that according to him make the basilica amazing; "First, the mosaics that are so much a part of this major basilica come alive with the stories that they tell. I spent over an hour looking at the stories on the wall. Additionally, each major basilica has relics from their namesakes or other prominent apostles. But there are no relics of Our Blessed Mother, thus, what is more fitting to have at the heart of the basilica than the relics of the crib, which held Christ as our Blessed Mother held Christ. It was a very moving experience for me."
As far as notable cultural differences, students noted among others, the following:

1. "Definitely the driving" said Kelsey Askwith. "The lack of traffic and parking laws is very different from the US. In the US, police are everywhere to catch you doing something wrong while you're driving".

John Norman said that "In America, we are always into doing this or that, checking things off on our To Do Lists, etc. We hate wasting time. In Italy, they begin with a trust in the fact that what needs to get done will get done. They practice an "active waiting." They are ready for traffic jams where they may be stuck for several minutes. They don't get upset if the culprit is not in view. They're OK with not being on time. Things start when they get there. That's there life."

"Walking just about everywhere", added Seth Gogolin. "Unlike in the United States where we drive just about everywhere even if it is less than a mile, there are very few distances even if they are very far which you do not walk"

"Motorinos!!" added John Lodoen "They can go anywhere and do anything and no on cares."

"The siesta time demonstrates a 'go with the flow' attitude the Italians seem to have. They get their rest and take breaks to visit. We push through the day and 'get things accomplished', said Anne Carpentier

"Fashion" said Jenna Lavold, "Everyone here is more sophisticated. People spend more money on clothes than food and it shows. Even sweat pants become a designer statement. Another big difference is the way that people portray their affection for each other. It isn't accepted in America to make out on a park bench...or in front of a church"

"Italians are much more reserved, especially when out eating. When we go out, we tend to be louder, and this is obviously looked down upon. Also, they do everything so much more slowly here; in America, we rush through our meals and just do everything at a much faster pace," said Vanessa Fangmeier

"Eating is very different here than it is in the states. In the states you are in and out of a restaurant in less than an hour. Here you are expected to "unwind" with your meal, and fully realizes its delicacy and fulfillment," said Connie Hafner

For me who's been living and working in Rome for several years now, I have become used to the way of life here and I have adapted and even though for people who are here only for a short period of time, it might seem that the city and the people might just be going with the flow like the waters of the Tiber river and everybody is just laid back and does what he/she wants, that's really not the case....In fact, there are laws and policies and guildelines and standards and consequences for those who do not follow them. The people really work and everybody goes to work in the morning and things are happening and are moving forward. Perhaps it is the difference in the way of how things get done or how people go about with their daily routine, but all notable 'differences'' that one might catch and notice right away are what makes this culture and its people so special and so unique that with the right attitude one can embrace and become a part of this beautiful way of life.


]]> 10 Giorni Dopo... tag:blog.stthomas.edu,2007:/rome//67.1276 2007-10-04T21:14:22Z 2007-10-04T22:37:53Z Sono gia' passati 10 giorni da quando gli studenti sono arrivati e piano piano hanno cominciato ad ambientarsi a Roma. Fino ad ora, sembra che si trovino bene nella Citta' Eterna nonostante i loro molti impegni. Il tempo e' ancora... Thanos Zyngas http://www.stthomas.edu/rome/ Sono gia' passati 10 giorni da quando gli studenti sono arrivati e piano piano hanno cominciato ad ambientarsi a Roma. Fino ad ora, sembra che si trovino bene nella Citta' Eterna nonostante i loro molti impegni. Il tempo e' ancora buono e quando non hanno lezione stanno spesso fuori scoprendo la citta'. Abbiamo programmato alcune gite che faremo nelle prossime settimane e quindi non vedono l' ora di farle.
Today several of the students went to the Diaconate ordination of students from the North American College and from conversations I had with several of them, they really liked the procession and all the ceremony rituals that took place inside the St. Peter's Basilica. Yesterday, several of the students made a trip to the beach, to Ostia, which is the closest beach to Rome and easily reachable by the public transportation. This Sunday, a lot of the students signed up to go on a day trip to Norcia, a small town in the province of Perugia in southeastern Umbria, located in a valley amidst mountains. The students will have mass with the Benedictine monks,followed by a picnic lunch in the town's central square. Norcia is known for its air and it's picturesque scenery, and is a base for mountaineering and hiking. It is also widely known for sausages and ham made from wild boar and pork, to the point that Norcia has given its name to such products: norcineria. I am sure several of the former Bernardians who have been to Norcia can attest to the peaceful atmosphere of the town and of course the Norcina sausage.
(Currently listening to "Wake Up Call" by Maroon 5)

]]> Off the Beaten Path.. tag:blog.stthomas.edu,2007:/rome//67.1257 2007-09-28T18:12:58Z 2007-09-28T18:46:04Z Despite the rain on and off today, I was able to round up my students and get on with some cultural visits I had planned and organized for them this morning. In an effort to get the students familiar right... Thanos Zyngas http://www.stthomas.edu/rome/ Despite the rain on and off today, I was able to round up my students and get on with some cultural visits I had planned and organized for them this morning. In an effort to get the students familiar right away with the city and get them to move comfortably around I divided them in four small groups with six-seven people in each group, gave them a map and told them to meet me at the Colosseo where we would meet our guide and then walk to the three sites that I scheduled for us to visit that are off the beaten path. Our first stop was at the Chiesa di S. Stefano Rotondo, the largest circular church in Rome. Under the church there is a 2nd century mithraeum (Mitreo) related to the presence of the barracks of Roman soldiers in the neighborhood. The cult of Mithras was especially popular among soldiers. It was a great opportunity for us to visit the Mitreo as it is closed to the public due to currently being excavated. In addition, we found out from our guide that there is mass at the church of S. Stefano Rotondo only once a year on December 26, which is the Feast of S. Stefano. Our next stop was the Church of the 'Santi Quattro Coronati', which means the Four Holy Crowned Ones (i.e.martyrs), and refers to the fact that the saints' names are not known, and therefore referred to with their number and that they were martyrs, since the crown, together to the branches of palm, is an ancient symbol of martyrdom. According to the Passion of St. Sebastian, the four saints were soldiers who refused to sacrifice to Aesculapius, and therefor were killed by order of Emperor Diocletian (284-305). As our guide explained, the bodies of the martyrs are kept in four ancient sarcophagi in the crypt. Our last stop was the Temple of Claudius, which as it was explained to us when the emperor Claudius dies in 54 A.D. his wife Agrippina promoted the erection of a temple dedicated to him on the northern part of the Celio Hill.

]]> Light in Our Soul tag:blog.stthomas.edu,2007:/rome//67.1253 2007-09-27T20:22:12Z 2007-09-29T12:49:59Z The beginning of a new semester is always exciting and vigorating and it gets even better when you get a group of students who are so anxious and excited to begin their adventures and spend four months in the Eternal... Thanos Zyngas http://www.stthomas.edu/rome/ The beginning of a new semester is always exciting and vigorating and it gets even better when you get a group of students who are so anxious and excited to begin their adventures and spend four months in the Eternal City. It has been busy in the last couple of days as the new batch of Bernardians arrived and moved in to Bernardi. All 25 students this semester have arrived on time and as scheduled with no major delays, which allowed me and my staff to proceed as planned with Student Life Orientation. For the most part, all students have been attentive and participated during the Student Life Orientation asking several good questions as well as sharing their purpose and the reason why they chose to study in Rome. The first days or the honeymoon period as I like to call it is always the introduction of what the group will be like as the semester unfolds. And as I already began getting to know one by one our students, I have been very impressed and happy by what they shared and by what they want to learn while studying and living abroad. For this reason, I have asked each and everyone to think individually about what they want to accomplish during this semester and write it down on an idex card that I gave out to them on the first day, which I will be collecting on Sunday. Then, I'll be following up with what each student wrote on it so I help them to accomplish their goals or meet their needs, if not all, at least the majority of them. We talked a lot today about respect, responsibility, faith, growing as an individual and as a community, and the role and the significance of each one of the students being a part of the Catholic Studies program in the Eternal City. It is my hope that the rays of light i have seen today in our students soul and mind and the commitment they made when several of them shared what their purpose is while in Rome, continues shining and enlightening them throughout the whole semester and when time comes to go back home they take back an experience that they will cherish for many more years to come.
(Currently listening to "When You're Gone" by Avril Lavigne)

]]> Extreme Makeover! tag:blog.stthomas.edu,2007:/rome//67.1237 2007-09-18T21:44:05Z 2007-09-19T06:36:06Z Since August 20, we have begun major construction works to renovate our bathrooms on one of the two student floors in Bernardi. Since over the last few years we have had several bathroom maintenance problems due to the old plumbing... Thanos Zyngas http://www.stthomas.edu/rome/ Since August 20, we have begun major construction works to renovate our bathrooms on one of the two student floors in Bernardi. Since over the last few years we have had several bathroom maintenance problems due to the old plumbing system of the building and due to the many student complaints of bad smells coming out of the pipes or various water leaks coming from all different corners of the walls in the bathroom areas, it was eminent at some point to replace everything, particularly the old plumbing system with a new, up-to-date one and give the shower areas on the first floor of the two student floors, an extreme makeover. Plans are also underway for also renovating all the bathrooms on the second floor, which will be another major project to be carried out next summer at the end of our summer program season (around August 20). As you can imagine these types of projects can be quite expensive especially dealing in another currency so any funds we receive from friends and alumni of the programs hosted at the Bernardi Campus as well as from the hundreds of guests we have had over the years, you know that everything will go into making Bernardi an even greater and more comfortable place for many more generations of students and guests to enjoy it while studying and living in the Eternal City.
(Currently listening to "1973" by James Blunt)

]]> Spring '07 Semester Reflections tag:blog.stthomas.edu,2007:/rome//67.1191 2007-05-25T12:11:25Z 2007-08-05T12:13:03Z Buon giorno and greetings from Rome dear friends, It is that time of the year again to take a step back and reflect on the past four months, as the spring ’07 Catholic Studies semester program in Rome comes to... Thanos Zyngas http://www.stthomas.edu/rome/ Buon giorno and greetings from Rome dear friends,

It is that time of the year again to take a step back and reflect on the past four months, as the spring ’07 Catholic Studies semester program in Rome comes to a close. In less than two weeks, our students will end another chapter of their college careers, four of their best months in Rome – a memorable semester that will hold a special place in their hearts and minds for many years to come.

“This semester has been an amazing experience,” animatedly shared UST junior Anne Marie Stiles. “Not only have I had the opportunity to travel around Europe, meet an amazing group of friends (referring to her fellow Bernardians), but I have also grown immensely as an individual. Meeting the new friends over here and growing closer to them by the day, I have realized how to love others.”

Another UST student, sophomore Mark Pavlak expressed similar thoughts as the program also provided him the opportunity to expand his horizons and branch out with other people. “I came into this program not being familiar with many people,” said Pavlak. “I've grown as an individual thanks to everyone else here (referring to the Bernardi community). We all try and reach out to everyone to try and know something about them – and I've tried to do the same. Friends are something so precious – especially friends who share your passion for your faith.”

Typically, at this time of the semester (and every semester, for that matter), there are many emotions, feelings and anxieties that might overpower our students, as each one of them is about to reach closure on this wonderful experience and move on with his or her life. As our students are getting ready to make the trip back home, they will fill their luggage with souvenirs and other purchases they made while here. But they will take away much more: the great things that Rome has taught them – the history, the art, the geography, and the culture. And beyond all that, they will also take everything they internalized from the Eternal City; the invaluable knowledge, the experiences that contributed to their growth in becoming a better person, a better student, a better son or daughter, a better citizen.

“I have learned how to survive and flourish in a foreign city, relying only on myself and, crucially, on God,” expressed University of Notre Dame junior Brian Boyd. “Approaching this semester as a pilgrim, not a tourist, has shown me in very concrete ways the redemptive power of suffering and the beauty of the little things in life.”

For many of our students growing in their faith has been a valuable learning experience living and studying in the Eternal City for four months. “I have grown as an individual in so many ways, as the Lord does not withhold his generosity to even the greatest of sinners,” said UST junior Isaac Huss. “And it is He who is the source of any good growth in my life, most especially this semester. He has shown me on so many occasions that He is indescribably in love with me, and He wants to show me that love at every opportunity.”


A four-month experience in the Eternal City has affected our students greatly. Many humbled themselves when need be, others stood tall for their convictions, and still others grew stronger in their faith. "As an individual I have grown spiritually and intellectually," said junior Bill Vagenas.

For John Carroll University junior Ryan Cubera this semester in the Eternal City placed him in a community of people of different backgrounds, from different schools and a different seminary. “Living with my fellow students has been a challenge in remaining open to the various aspects of the Catholic faith that are made manifest in their unique characteristics,” said Cubera. “It has been a challenge to seek to be open to the vibrant faith without reducing it to a "cookie cutter" Catholic, forcing everyone into a reductive stereotype.”

Through their daily interactions, these students have embraced the locals as well as other people they met in their journeys and each shared a piece of his or her life with them. Some made mistakes, and learned from them, or so we hope! Many took risks such as to love bigger, not to be afraid to view cultural differences as a positive experience, and to endlessly work on becoming a better person. They have shown their maturity, wisdom and spirit of adventure. They made memories and lifelong memories that they will be with them through a lifetime.

“My semester has been a huge point of growth in my life in many ways. The cultural experience has enabled me to appreciate other ways of living as well as my own. Also, living in such a close knit community has allowed me to get to know people on a much different level,” shared UST junior Amanda Kuehn. “In addition, the faith experience of studying in the heart of Rome and with such faithful Catholics has made me stronger as a person and has enabled me to grow deeper in faith!”

For the homebound parents and friends awaiting a chance to see these students, hug them, and hear all about their son’s or daughter’s or friend's experiences, they also know how much their loved ones have changed and how much they have grown as they are not the same person that they were when they left home.

As I reflect on this spring semester, it is my hope that our students who study abroad and experience firsthand a different culture will continue making a concrete difference wherever they may be and with whomever they come in contact. I hope they will always be able to embrace others whether they are like them or not, embrace them with love, care, compassion, kindness, genuineness and all the good virtues that anyone could have.

But no matter what life has in store for each of our students – the ups and downs, the challenges, the joys, everything that is part of life’s journey – we will continue to be enriched by keeping the faith, by praying for one another, by believing, and by continuing to grow.


A presto,
Thanos

]]> Easter Celebrations tag:blog.stthomas.edu,2006:/rome//67.1163 2006-04-19T14:53:18Z 2007-06-14T14:54:02Z Buon giorno and greetings from Rome dear friends, I know it's been a while since I last corresponded with you, but you know how busy our lives can get and before you know it the days, the weeks and the... John Kinsella Buon giorno and greetings from Rome dear friends,

I know it's been a while since I last corresponded with you, but you know how busy our lives can get and before you know it the days, the weeks and the months are just flying by quickly. The Easter celebrations in Rome have come and gone with Pope Benedict XVI celebrating his first Easter Mass as pope. His messages were about peace and pleading to the world and governments for peaceful resolutions to their crises and problems. On special occasions or holidays we all mainly tend to send messages of peace and love to one another and we all hope that the day after tomorrow will be a better and a brighter one. Have you thought lately of a genuine kind act that you have done for someone only just by showing compassion and pure genuiness without any interior motive, but only just to make another person feeling good and happy. And we hope that the other person would pay it forward to someone else. It takes a lot of effort because as you probably know we all tend to be caught up in our 'little' world and many times we forget what is out there as well as the substance of what it means to be a loveable, kind human being. So, if you are reading this piece hopefully you will get motivated and kick it up a notch, too and be 'good' not only today, but every day really...

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