In the Spring of 2016, I enrolled in an Honors class with nineteen others entitled Art, Architecture, and Engineering: The Roman Experience. The class was led by three wonderful professors: Dr. Kristi Nelson, Dr. Gian Rassati, and Dr. Jim Swanson. Although this class didn't directly relate to my major, it aligned with my interests in Renaissance art; ancient Roman and modern European architecture; physics as it relates to architectural engineering; and my interests in becoming a global citizen of the world. The interdisciplinary nature of this course broadened my knowledge of all three subjects: each one overlapped with the other to combine and deepened my understanding. In addition to the coursework and weekly lectures, the diverse demographics of the class itself allowed for more in-depth and interesting discussions. In the class, students were as young as freshman and as old as fourth years, with majors ranging from bio-medical engineering to classics to nursing. Each person had something they could share with the class to teach everyone something new. With the classroom portion of this experience, I learned not only more about the importance and intricacies of Renaissance art and artists; ancient Roman architectural innovations, practices, and origins; engineering concepts and how they apply to the real world; but how all three influence and support one another. In the same way, the professors and students in the class came from diverse backgrounds, and influenced and supported one another's learning. I firmly believe that interdisciplinary class and collaboration facilitate learning in a way that a traditional learning environment cannot.
By far, the most I learned from The Roman Experience was outside of the classroom. The ten day study tour our class took at the end of the semester was vital to bringing everything we learned into the real world. Looking at the Pantheon, the Duomo, the Colosseum, etc. still standing after hundreds and thousands of years ago is an impressive site for anyone. Being able to appreciate the engineering concepts the ancient Romans used in order to make that possible deepens their impact. Anyone can appreciate the anatomical perfection of David , but knowing Michelangelo's experiences leading up to its creation enhances one viewing of it. Recalling the history of the architecture of St. Peter's Basilica and architecture's importance with regards to religion renders stepping inside the world's largest church a more fulfilling experience. In short, the class over the semester deepened my experience during study tour in Italy, and the study tour in Italy cemented what we had learned in the classroom. I will forever appreciate the invention and influence of all three subjects, not only related to Roman artifacts, but to the modern world as well.
For the duration of the trip, I kept a journal capturing my thoughts and experiences each day. I believe these journals exemplify my learning of not only art, architecture, and engineering, but of new cultures and traditions. My journals can be found by clicking here.