Ciao a tutti!! As we are approaching our fourth week here at OU in Arezzo, students are getting settled in and excited about the semester ahead of them. The last three weeks have been full of jet lag and exciting activities, but there’s no better place than OUA to experience all of this. Let’s take a look back and see how we got here…
On August 19th, 49 students from OU touched down in Rome, anxious for the time they would finally get to see Arezzo and OU’s beautiful campus. After a short bus ride, staff began assisting students to their rooms so that they could get unpacked and ready for the four months ahead of them. The first week proved to blow students’ expectations out of the water. The Student Affairs team at OU in Arezzo had many activities planned to help students get acclimated to this new city and meet all of their classmates. From a tour of Arezzo and gelato crawl to a BBQ welcome dinner and a movie night, there were activities for everyone to enjoy.
The second week of the semester brought classes, and this year, the academic side of OU in Arezzo is strongly focused on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics – otherwise known as STEAM. This curriculum includes courses such as Organic Chemistry I and II, Calculus, and Circuits, just to name a few. Also, OUA has the pleasure of hosting Dr. Jane Wickersham as the Faculty in Residence for this year. She will be offering two courses this fall, The Renaissance and Italy: Making a Nation? Even though classes are in full swing, OUA knows how to keep students involved and excited for future events this semester – starting with the OUA lock-in and La Giostra del Saracino.
In honor of successfully completing the first week of classes, the Student Affairs team, along with the help of Dr. Wickersham, planned a lock-in for students. Students got the chance to meet even more people while participating in a scavenger hunt and playing games. Dr. Wickersham, the Faculty in Residence, hosted a “Letter to Yourself” writing party for students and will give them back before they return home in December. The weekend continued with a group trip the antique fair on Saturday and a community outreach event to help OUA students meet people from the city of Arezzo.
Perhaps the most exciting event so far was this past Sunday: La Giostra del Saracino. A reenactment of a 14thcentury tradition, the joust is a fun way to bring the four quartiere, or “neighborhoods,” together for a day of friendly competition. The day begins with a grand parade throughout Arezzo that displays all of four neighborhoods for the city to see. Located in the Grand Piazza, the joust begins with a stunning opening ceremony of flag throwers and music. Once the joust starts, all four neighborhoods get two chances to score the highest by hitting a target with a lance; the neighborhood that scores the highest is awarded the golden lance. Even though the neighborhood that the Rooney Family Center is in lost, Porta del Foro, all students had amazing time.
There’s more still to come as students get ready to wrap up their third week in Arezzo with an all school trip to Pompeii, Naples and Capri. Stay tuned for more exciting updates from the #OUAFall18 group!