Liberal Arts students learn about Roman history firsthand on trip abroad

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Instead of just reading about the ancient city of Rome, a group of Liberal Arts students got to experience the city and its surrounding wonders firsthand this summer through one of the college’s education abroad programs.

The program in Rome — Study Tour of Roman History and Archaeology — was one of 13 faculty-led course trips that took place this summer through the College of the Liberal Arts. Over an 18-day stay in Italy, students learned firsthand about Roman history by visiting ancient sites inside and outside the city.

Classics and ancient Mediterranean studies major and German minor Haven Harrington was a part of the program this past June. She said the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom “significantly enhanced” her academic journey at Penn State.

“This experience allowed me to walk the same stone streets as the Romans did 2,000 years ago, and it allowed me to examine the magnificence of these ancient ruins with my own eyes,” the Paterno Fellow and Schreyer Scholar said. “Being able to see (and sometimes touch) such historically significant ruins in one of the most prosperous cities in all of history was highly impactful.”

Students were able to choose whether to take the class for three credits or six credits. Though all students on the trip had to sign up for the three-credit CAMS/HIST 199 Roman Cities course, students wishing to earn six credits could also sign up for CAMS/HIST 499 Foreign Study, which required them to write a research paper on an approved topic.

During their time in Italy, students visited sites such as the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Pompeii, and the Mausoleum of Augustus. At each site, students listened to lectures by faculty and their peers.

Makenzie Hoag, a third-year student, said her favorite site was the port city of Ostia. The anthropology and classics and ancient Mediterranean studies double-major said she was impressed with how well-preserved the city was, both considering its age and its short distance from the active volcano Mount Vesuvius.

Inside Ostia — which Hoag explained was once a trade port with access to other cities and empires across the Mediterranean Sea — Hoag said she enjoyed seeing firsthand the ancient warehouses, baths, mosaics and under-floor heating.

“Anytime I visit a new set of ruins, I am taken aback due to the vastness of individual buildings and towns, in addition to a feeling of awe that places and things like this were not only possible but plausible, thousands of years ago,” Hoag said.

In addition to the opportunity to learn more about her interests and to make closer friendships, Hoag said the trip helped her gain some insight into her future career.

As someone who hopes to eventually work in a museum and archaeological dig sites, Hoag said her blended study of anthropology and classics and ancient Mediterranean studies helped her see artifacts and monuments through a unique lens by allowing her to “look at something and synthesize the science and the historical aspects of why it survives today.”

Hoag said her blended study also prompted her to further consider the ethics of archaeology while on the trip.

“Many of these items being found would probably have physically benefited from staying where they were, as opposed to being unearthed and moved,” she said. “However, the act of finding and studying these artifacts gives people priceless knowledge about the past civilizations and their societies.”

In order to help make these experiences accessible, the College of the Liberal Arts offers enrichment funding through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network for Liberal Arts students looking to pursue out-of-classroom experiences.

Harrington said receiving enrichment funding from the college helped her succeed on the trip.

“Without the financial aid provided by the College of the Liberal Arts, I would not have been able to attend this remarkable program,” she said.

Harrington said the Paterno Fellows Program pushed her to participate in this experience, as well as providing additional funding.

“I'm proud to be part of a program that encourages students to strive for greatness and enriching academic experiences that go beyond the standard classrooms at Penn State,” Harrington said.

Interested students can learn more about faculty-led course trips and other education abroad experiences through the Liberal Arts Career Enrichment Network. The Career Enrichment Network is a resource for Liberal Arts students who are seeking opportunities to engage in career-related, international and professional development activities. Students can meet with a career coach to discuss internships, education abroad, research, the Liberal Arts Alumni Mentor Program, and more. Through donor support, the Career Enrichment Network is able to provide Liberal Arts students with funding to participate in many of these experiences.