Mucho gusto! Let's get to the fun stuff first. I love journaling, dancing in the gym, and being outside in some sunshine. I am from Tucson, Arizona and a '28. I am a proud first generation and low-income student who comes from a loving Mexican and Native American family. An early riser and bubbly personality are some ways to describe me. So before you leave, welcome to Dartmouth! I am Dezstany and I hope you join me on this journey into the woods!
This course was one of the reasons I chose to apply early decision to Dartmouth! I know, how could one course even influence such a big decision? Hearing Professor Duthu describe cases regarding the dispossession of Native tribes, the cultural tensions that many Native youth experience because of the effects of the Doctrine of Discovery, and economic development issues amongst many Native reservations made me edge out of my seat with excitement. The description did not disappoint because although it is one of my earliest classes, I always find myself running to class to learn something new. Professor Duthu presents in a way that wakes you up, makes you laugh, and encourages you to ask some pretty tough questions about tribal regulations. It has been extremely interesting how "bullets of the past are hitting present targets", meaning that many federal policies that happened decades ago still have very noticeable impacts in Indian Country (land in which tribal members own or previously occupied). I love being able to schedule office hours for any leftover questions. Would definitely recommend it!!
Lotería! The name of a traditional Mexican lottery game played during holidays. My final project was presented through the form of Lotería. In this class we analyzed the political and economic settings that domestic laborers and caregivers face within the United States and in Latin America. I really valued the different students that the class attracted as we all became extremely close in the ten weeks we worked together. This class was both an Art and Culture Identity credit so our assignments were extremely interesting as we got to do a lot of interactive learning with movies and plays!
Should we commit a small wrong to save many? Equality or equity? What does it mean to practice effective altruism? I know, very philosophical questions yet that’s the whole point. This class was a crosslisted course between the Government and Public Policy departments. I greatly enjoyed this discussion led class as we talked about issues regarding immigration, the meaning of work, and technological regulations in the labor force. The readings were a usual amount for a Government course as it averaged to about thirty pages per class. I was able to make new friends based off of our class discussions which helped make the class feel more collaborative. Professor Rose was always open to meeting outside of class for office hours and encouraged participation in an effective manner. Walking away from this course I am able to talk about current issues from various philosophical viewpoints.
Being based in Rome allows us to be only a two hour train ride away from the city of gelato, Renaissance, and so much more. As someone who is religious, it has been beautiful to see people from all over the world come to Rome to celebrate the year of Jubilee. The baroque art is present all over the city through its grand churches, constant gold, and emotional painting styles. In Florence, the beauty is still present but less overwhelming because of its Renaissance style.
The first day we were based in Florence, we had a tour of San Basilica of San Lorenzo and the Medici Chapels. The Medici family was significantly powerful in Florence who controlled the markets, money, and military during its establishment period. As I walked into the church, it felt a bit more calm than the churches I have discovered in Rome. Common shapes in Renaissance churches include both squares and circles; thanks to the tour I learned that the square represents the four elements and the circles are an illusion to the concept of "never ending". Michelangelo, yup that Michelangelo, designed the plans for this Basilica. An interesting fun fact is that it was never designed by him because he no longer agreed with the principles of the Medici family by this time. Hence, Michelangelo escaped to Rome but his body is still buried at San Basilica of San Lorenzo.
After this tour was done, we had the opportunity to visit the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. We had an additional pass that allowed us to climb up to the top of the duomo. The view was beautiful from the top as there was a mix of city, rivers, and the eye-catching green trees that rest right outside the river.
I am really grateful for the balance that this program provides whenever we do take trips outside of our home base, Rome. None of the students were responsible for finding hotels or booking tours as we had the support of Vincenzo, our wonderful Academic Programs International (API)director. Vincenzo helps make sure all events run smoothly and safely, which is honestly a big help when you are traveling in a new city while still adjusting to the language.
The next day was our free day where we got to explore Florence on our own. Since we were there on the first Sunday of the month I got to go see a special museum for free! Any guesses on which one I went to?
Here is a hint…
Ladies and gentleman, I present to you the David Statue by Michelangelo. The statue rests in the Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze. As I mentioned, it was Domenica al Museo which means that all state owned museums are free on the first Sunday of the month. Students on the Full Immersion Rome Program, also have a preset hundred euros that make up their cultural fund to limit any financial barriers to connecting with the city. So if needed, this also could have been a purchase under my cultural fund as most museums do require an entry fee.
After that, I kept exploring the city of Firenze with Chiara, our loving and beyond caring student assistant director. Chiara studies medicine and lives in Rome; she has not only become a close friend but she has also been a crucial part of my language learning. Thanks to Chiara knowing so much about the city and language, she helps plan cultural events for us. Additionally, whenever I need a restaurant recommendation or an extra phone call to practice my Italian she is right there. Through Chiara I have been able to travel through the city of Rome in a more fun and effective manner as I know all of her suggestions are safe and reliable. And a quick shoutout to my girl Pleyiwon, a Dartmouth '28. Pleyiwon never fails to bring positive energy and laughter on this trip as you can tell in these photos<3.
Lastly I got un affogato, an espresso with gelato. Normally I am not a coffee drinker but this drink made me want to speak more Italian. In my opinion, Florence is the best spot to get these in all of Italy.
Thanks for joining me on our weekend to Florence. Time to get back to learning the passato prossimo (past tense in Italian) for class on Monday.
Don't worry though because the train ride back to Rome is almost as pretty as a drive up to Hanover during the fall season!
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