"Slice of Italy" Showcase To Be Presented by Study Abroad Students

Photo courtesy of Rebekah-Anne Allen

Over spring break, the Office of International Programs (OIP) oversaw a study abroad program in Italy where students learned how the subjects math and art intertwine with one another. According to the program flyer and overview, the study abroad group spent 11 days in Italy and visited 5 different cities, including Rome, Deruta, Sansepolcro, Anghiari and Florence. The group were staying in the Palazzo Meredith, which is owned by a family in Sansepolcro. 

During their trip, the group studied Piero Della Francesca, an Italian artist who, according to Britannica, was a part of the Renaissance movement and was known for using math in his work through his exploration of perspective. The class was meant to highlight the ways that art has shaped modern math and how math and art are not subjects exclusive to one another. Since Piero lived in Sansepolcro in the 1400s, the study abroad group was able to see a lot of his artwork and his house. 

For Celebrating Student Achievement (CSA) Day, the group will be doing a presentation titled “Slice of Italy,” where they will showcase the things they got to experience while in Italy, including the sights, food, art and more. The Herald got to interview three members from the study abroad trip about their roles in the project and their favorite experiences while away. 

Rebekah-Anne Allen, ‘25, was responsible for contributing to the introduction section of their presentation and gathering information to put together. While in Italy, Allen shared that she enjoyed the Blockprint art project where they chose a picture they took and carved it onto a block. However, her favorite part of the trip was getting to connect with the other students, especially those that she wouldn’t have regularly gotten the chance to interact with. She enjoyed being able to build “strong” and “lifelong” relationships with her peers. 

Salma Montasser, ‘25, is another one of the presenters for the “Slice of Italy” presentation. Montasser noted that she enjoyed seeing the different sites and architecture while on their trip and found it fascinating to think about how people were able to build such incredible buildings without “machines to do the heavy lifting.” She also praises the “engineering and math skills” they would have had to use to incorporate such details into the buildings.

Victoria Kopitsch, ‘25, was responsible for contributing to the “Sights and Architecture” slide show for their presentation. Victoria’s favorite part about the trip was “all the amazing people” she got to meet along the way, one of her favorites being the owner of the Busatti company. Along with meeting some of her best friends, she also feels like she was able to “use a different part of [her] brain.” As a hospitality and tourism management major on a trip that focused on art and math, she found the “creativity and perspective” from this trip to be “truly amazing,” since it allowed her to see things from a different lens than what she is used to. 

Allen says that the audience should expect their presentation to be “interactive, fun, and full of humor” since she, along with the 21 other students and faculty, got close and made each other “laugh non-stop for the whole trip.” Montasser also says that individuals should expect to see their experiences through their PowerPoint presentation and also anticipate the interactive portions. Kopitsch explains that “people should look forward to learning how integrated math and art are” as well as hearing the stories they have to share about their experiences while in Italy. 

The presentation will be held in the Harris Building, Room 214, on Apr. 10 from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. for anyone to see on CSA Day, and Meredith students can use this experience as an Academic and Cultural event! 

By Elaina Irving, Opinion Editor