Spring Quarter Speakers

Jackie Wolfstone (Former Rome Student),  Elizabeth Brown (Henry Museum), Eugene Webb (Emeritus Professor of International Studies)

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"Advice on Living in Rome"
Jackie Wolfstone
April 16

• Rome seems huge at first, but you will get to know it very quickly.
• Airport and train station are the scariest places.
• Do not get in a cab unless it has a working meter. Have a conversation with the driver in English before you get in a cab.
• Personal time is important.
• Try to balance your time with the group and on your own. 
• When alone you get ideas that are not colored by the observations of others.
• Try not to get caught up in the politics of being with a group of people.
• Try to meet other tourists, but not only Americans.
• Don't worry about being overly polite. It is okay to ask direct questions.
• If people notice you, talk to them.
• Build up relationships with the vendors in your area.
• Don't ignore the old people. Some do know English and will be happy to talk with you.
• In Rome you won't have intuition like you do here. The signs you look for won't match up. However, it would be a mistake to let that keep you from talking to people.
• Don't go anywhere you where there is no clear exit. Don't get in a car with anyone.
• Try to ignore the whistles, cat calls, and other sounds that Italian men make when they see American women.
• If you look at Italian men, they think you want them. Don't make any eye contact.
• Women will learn more about the culture because people will approach them.
• There will always be things that you do not have a chance to do.
• Plan to return to Rome. Don't try to see everything in one trip.
• Recommended Book of Travel Writing: Ears on Fire, by Gary Max Glazner.
  

"Henry Art Museum Visit"
Elizabeth Brown
April 23

• Each exhibit engages you in a different way.
• Titles can give you some clue about what the show/artist is going.
• Do not touch anything in a museum or gallery.
• There is never a "right" answer. Some responses are more fruitful, some are closer to the artist's intentions, but there are many possible responses.
• Use writing as a tool to explore what is happening to you as you respond to new circumstances.
• What do you do when you cannot read the information at an exhibit? You will always be able to understand the date, so some sense of history will be available to you.
• Looking can give you something different than reading does.
  
• Recognizing the material, use of light, subject matter, et cetera does not require reading.
• Compare/Contrast is a useful technique for looking at art.
• Think about what things are made of and how they were created.
  
• Sculpture exists in space. Spend time in space with it. Walk around a sculpture. Look at it from multiple angles. 
• Spend time. Just sit in front of one thing for a while and let it sink in.
• In Rome, see as much as you can. Some of the things that don't initially interest you might mean more to you later on.
• Don't worry about what it is supposed to be, think about how it makes you feel.
• These tips do not necessarily stack up. Each one opens up new possibilities.

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"Religion During the Roman Empire"
Eugene Webb
May 28

Professor Webb will be giving a series of lectures at the UW Rome Center in September 2003. Students from the Honors Rome Program are welcome to attend the lectures. The topics are listed below.

Lecture Topics

I. The Religous World of the Roman Empire
The religion of Isreal
Christian Origins
The tradition of the Rabbis
Zorastrianism, Mithraism, Gnostic dualism, etc.

II. The Imperial Church
Constantine and his heirs
Ecunemical councils and Orthodoxy
Pentarchy
The Enchantment of Empire

III. Schism of East and West and The European Middle Ages
Schism
Crusades
Pope vs. Emperor in West
Theology and Philosophy in the High Middle Ages

IV. Renaissance and Reformation
The rise of the nation state
Ockham
Luther
Calvin
The Protestant work ethic and Nation Building

V. Early Modernity and Enlightenment
The Galileo affair
Scientific method
Rationalist critiques of religion
The French revolution
The religious dimension of Marxism

VI. The Challenges of Modernity
Darwinism
Demythologizing
Cognitional theory
Religious pluralism
Religion and nationalism