As our summer study abroad programs are soon going to be in full swing, here’s a reflection from Junior Health and Human Science major Lauren Pritting about her experience in the LMU Summer in Rome faculty-led program in 2017:
My summer abroad in Rome was one of the greatest experiences of my life. I grew as an individual and became more independent and adventurous. I was also given the opportunity to learn about an incredibly influential man in an incredibly beautiful place. One of the classes I took while abroad focused on Inferno. We read the book and unpacked the meanings behind the words. This was such a challenging class, but the topic was so interesting that I wanted to spend time doing the work. Dante Alighieri’s Inferno was inspired by the streets of Italy and being there myself, it is easy to understand why. The buildings are packed along the streets and tower over the sidewalk, there are hundreds of people but they all seem to flow together perfectly, and the food everywhere is to die for. As we walked around, we started to notice all the little ways Dante has impacted Italy. Phrases and quotes were etched into the walls of buildings and on the street corners, there were museums, posters, and houses dedicated to Dante, and everyone knew who he was. While we were there, we found out that the students in Italy all read the trilogy throughout their schooling. They spend years reading and learning and it takes about that long to even begin to understand every detail. Reading and literacy are so important in Italy, and seeing the importance the people put on Dante was truly inspiring. I am so glad that I was lucky enough to be able to experience the Italy that Dante experienced, and I cannot wait to go back!