Author: William Merrick | Major: Classical Studies & History | Semester: Summer 20204

Me and the Roman skyline

   I came to the University of Arkansas as a political science major; however I quickly found in the course of my studies that I was far more passionate about history – in particular the Classical world. I switched my majors accordingly to classical studies and history, and for the past several years have studied Roman civilization, history, and literature. When I found out that my thesis advisor Dr. Muntz was leading a history-based study abroad program in Rome, I eagerly seized the opportunity to solidify and expand my knowledge of Rome in the field. This summer I went to Italy to study through the University of Arkansas Rome Center as part of a five-week program.

            Arrival in Italy was rather disorienting. The travel day was very long, and from the time I got up to go to the airport to the time I put my head down on a pillow in Rome it had been around thirty hours. I was in something of a jet-lagged stupor, and it didn’t help that neither I nor anyone in my group had any real experience with the Italian language prior to this trip. I had been warned of the culture shock that often accompanies arrival in another country, however there is little substitute for experiencing such things firsthand. That said, a single night’s sleep did me a world of good. When I took stock of my situation the next morning, I realized that the locals were very friendly and generally willing and able to speak basic English. Furthermore, by the time that our first full day in Rome was finished I had a working knowledge of how to navigate public transit and find my way around the city. Following these first couple of days, I found adjusting to the local culture a surprisingly quick process.

The academic portion of the trip felt almost like traveling Rome with a highly educated and specialized tour guide. We spent a few mornings in lectures, providing the basic historical and cultural background for things we were going to see in the city, however the majority of our time as a group was spent making our way through Rome or to various other locations on day trips. This entailed everything from an ancient Etruscan necropolis to St. Peter’s Basilica. As someone who has devoted a significant portion of his undergraduate tenure to studying Rome and the Romans, getting to see sites like the Pantheon and Trajan’s Column in person was an incredible experience. I found myself particularly fascinated by the Roman and Imperial Fora. Very few of the visits we made throughout the program could hope to parallel them in terms of sheer density and culture, so much so that I truly felt that I could have spent a week there without properly taking it all in. These visits helped make everything I have learned about Rome much less abstract, and I now have firsthand experiences which have granted me a much more vivid conception of various historical locations and events. For this reason alone, I cannot recommend studying abroad strongly enough to anyone with an interest in history.

Aside from my travels as a part of the program, I also traveled a fair amount with my roommates. We went to places like Pompeii, Naples, Florence, Venice, and Ravenna. Traveling to other places in Italy was a truly fascinating experience and provided opportunities to get a sense of how varied Italian culture can be. Furthermore, traveling personally allowed us to supplement what we were learning about on the official portions of the study abroad. One can much more easily envision an ancient Roman town after having visited Pompeii or appreciate the nature of the Renaissance after being in Florence. We met a variety of interesting people who hailed from places ranging from Canada to Greece, not to mention interacting with the locals wherever we went.

Studying abroad was an excellent experience, and one that I would strongly encourage anyone who can to fit into their undergraduate tenure. What I have written here has only scratched the surface of my experience. I ate delicious food, met fascinating people, and perhaps even made a few friends along the way. I count myself extraordinarily fortunate in that traveling to Italy not only provided me with a glimpse into other places, but also into other times.