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www.lycoming.eduF E AT U R E
If you had the chance to travel
anywhere in the world, would you head
straight to the Louvre, dance in front of the Mona Lisa and see if her eyes followed you? Would you try to
follow the Great Wall of China to its end? Or would you see just how far the Tower of Pisa leans?
When the Lycoming art department began to plan its May Term study abroad trip for 2014, one of the
first things the professors did was go to the students and ask, “Where do you want to go?”
“We speak to the students and try to get a sense of the areas that they might be interested in visiting,”
visiting assistant professor of art Michael Darough said. “After speaking to them, the art faculty
considers a lot of factors before solidifying the location, but Italy became the best choice for this past
summer.”
The richness of Italy’s cultural heritage goes without saying and for students to have an opportunity to
do things like learn how to blow glass in Venice and make leather in Florence is thrilling in itself. But for
them also to be able to tailor bits and pieces of the itinerary to meet their interests is above and beyond.
“One student was interested in the commodification of Italian history and culture and to what extent
the globalization of American culture was prevalent in Italy today,” assistant professor of art Seth
Goodman said. “This became the centerpiece to his creative research while traveling, which he examined
with drawings and photography.”
Students saw some of the greatest artworks in the world, visited historic sites like The Colosseum and
The Basilica of St. Francis, and also were able to take some of what they learned home to further their
artistic or scholarly interests as well. Who could ask for more?
Now, the question is: Where to next?
For the May 2015 study abroad trips, according to Philip Witherup, acting coordinator of study
abroad and travel courses, Lycoming students can travel to study romanticism in
Germany and Austria with the German and music departments; take a course
on “being Irish” in Dublin with the psychology and education departments;
or learn about international business with the Institute for Management
Studies program in London and Belgium. All they have to do is knock on
Mr. Witherup’s door and start planning.
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Where would you go?
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ART STUDENTS CUSTOMIZE TRIP TO ITALY
BY MATTHEW PARRISH ’06