Week 4
It’s the end of the iSEED session, and I’m offering a few superlatives to capture the four weeks I spent in Bologna. All of these superlatives are relative to things I experienced, and I’m sure other iSEED students would have different lists.
Most Creative Class Project:
For the culminating project in our first course, I was a part of a team that used the RFID reader in the Arduino kit to read a hotel key and either grant or deny access, depending on the coding of the key and of the reader. This project stands out because it was a practical application of several concepts and raised many questions relative to the use (and abuse!) of RFID technology.
Favorite Restaurant (Near the Hotel):
I became a bit of a regular at a pizza restaurant just down the street from our hotel called Certo! The pizza was all handmade, and they served a particularly good Roman style for lunch each day. Also, the restaurant was open late, so I could always get a slice if we returned late from a field trip. The pizza also made a delicious breakfast, which saved me a lot of time in the mornings before class.
Most Improved Skill:
Unexpectedly, my grasp of the Italian language was my most improved skill. I routinely was mistaken for an Italian, and I ended up learning more words than I expected (given that I spoke no Italian when I arrived).
In addition, my CAD skills and my ability to complete projects as a part of a group were also strengthened during my time in iSEED.
Most Photogenic Location:
Our trip to Verona yielded some of the most beautiful photos I took during the trip. I was surprised by the extent of the Roman ruins in Verona, including an arena (like the Roman Coliseum) that is still in use today. I also saw Juliet’s balcony, a medieval castle, and works by Renaissance artists.
In this category, the city of Sirmione along the shores of Lake Garda and Mount Vesuvius near Naples would be runners up.
Best Field Trip:
We took a number of field trips in these classes, but the day we spent in Florence stands out as my favorite. Several students ended up visiting the sites with one of the professors, and it was a great way to get to know him better. We visited a few museums, including the Leonardo di Vinci Museum and a nautical museum, both of which focused on scientific advancement. We capped off the day with a trip up a mountain – with a spectacular view from the church on top – and a meal of Florentine beef.
Our time in Turin was also a highlight of iSEED, especially the time spent exploring the city.
Favorite Meal (Anywhere in Italy):
A meal we ate in Verona stands out as the best meal I had in Italy. At Locanda al Portici, I had a pasta dish with a cream sauce studded with truffles, and I don’t know that I’ve ever had anything to rival it.
Ultimately, academic efforts and personal endeavors blurred together in Bologna. I found mechanical inspiration in a botanical garden and personal inspiration in the works of di Vinci. By the end of the iSEED program, I had begun to understand how seemingly contradictory ideas could work in concert and hope to carry this understanding into my time at Rice.