Freshman Trip Assignments

The freshman study trip to Italy and Greece is exactly that - a study trip, not a vacation. As such, there are specific assignments to be completed by students, either prior to departure or while on the road. These will be assessed and those grades will be applied to the students' second semester Humanities grade. The assignments are outlined below:

1) Student Tour Guides: Working in pairs, students will lead us through eight major ancient sites - Pompeii, Herculaneum, Capri, the Colosseum, the Forum, Hadrian's Villa, Mycenae, and the Acropolis. While the style of guidance can take many forms, all student tour guides will be expected to: a) tell the story of the site, b) identify and explain the significance of major structures/artifacts at the site, and c) provide the group with a handout outlining key points. Most importantly, the students' job is to make the site speak - to make it interesting. Ruins can feel empty and boring; the guide must make it feel real and relevant. The full assignment sheet is posted here.

2) Poem to the Dead: Following the style of the Greek elegy, students will prepare a short poem in memory of the dead to be delivered when we arrive at the River Styx in the Sibyll's Cave. The poem could be devoted to a specific person from the student's life, a famous Greek or Roman hero, or to the dead in general.

3) Honoring the Gods: The Roman Pantheon was originally devoted to the old Roman Gods and, as is clear from Greek epic poetry, honoring the gods was a mandatory act. We will celebrate our arrival in Rome by paying the gods proper respect at the Pantheon. In support of this, students will prepare a poem in honor of a specific Roman God of their choice, following models supplied from Greek epic poems.

4) The Oracle's Riddle: While many sought insight from the Oracle at Delphi, often its message was more of a mystery than an answer. Truth might have been there for the taking, but it was wrapped in a riddle - a riddle often only decoded when the person affected was past the point of no return. We will mark our visit to the oracle by sharing riddles. Each student will be expected to bring one riddle of their own choice (bonus points if the riddle is of their own creation).

5) Monologue: The great theater of Epidaurus is one of the most remarkable ancient sites still in existence. The acoustics are so spectacular that an actor's lines could be heard clearly from any part of the theater. We will test it out. Students will be required to select a monologue from any Greek drama of their choice (minimum 10 lines) and deliver it here. With passion.

6) Journal: Students will be expected to journal daily. Sometimes specific topics will be assigned; on other occasions, they will be free to reflect on whatever they choose.

7) Blog: To keep families in the loop, we will maintain a trip blog. All students will be expected to update it once.

Freshman Trip Itinerary

4/10 - Depart PHX

Naples: 4/11 - 4/14 - Staying at Villa Vergiliana

4/11 - Luxury and Slavery

• Arrive at Rome Fiumicino
• Picked up by bus from Villa Vergiliana
• Sperlonga: See the Grotto di Tiberius, ruins of an ancient villa situated in front of a major grotto along the coast. It's an excellent example of the type of luxurious, rural residences Rome's elites built for themselves.
  
• Capua: Spartacus's slave rebellion occurred here. Today there is a Gladiatorial Museum, the best of its kind.
  

4/12 - Frozen in Time

• Pompeii: a city buried alive by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 and one of our best glimpses into life in Ancient Rome (Student Tour Guides)
  
• National Archaeological Museum: Houses the richest finds from Pompeii, Herculaneum, and other ancient sites in the region
• Free time in Naples
  

4/13 - Frozen in Time, Pt. II

• Mt Vesuvius: We will climb to the top of the mountain that punished Romans but rewarded historians...
• Herculaneum: Though less famous than Pompeii, this is still a rich site, offering us another perspective on life in Ancient Rome - in this case, the perspective of an affluent town (Student Tour Guides)
  
• Oplontis: Emperor Nero's wife's villa, this boasts some of the best preserved frescoes from the era
  

4/14 - Island Life in the Ancient World

• Sail to Capri: Visit Greek and Roman remains and enjoy the views (Student Tour Guides)
  

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Rome: 4/15 - 4/19 - Staying at Flatinrome Termini

4/15 - Morning in Hell, Evening in Rome

• Visit the Greek Acropolis of Cumae before leaving Naples
• Lake Avernus and the Sibyll's Cave: We will journey deep into the earth, torches in hand, en route to the River Styx
• Bus to Rome
• Walking tour of Rome (including Pantheon, Trevi Fountain)
  

4/16 - Knowing Rome through its Ruins

• Colosseum: Gladiators! (Student Tour Guides)
  
• Forum: Politics! (Student Tour Guides)
  
• Trajan's Column: Cylinders!
  
• Palatine Hill: The heart of early Rome
  

4/17 - Knowing Rome through its Artifacts

• Capitoline Museum: The collection is massive. We will focus on the frescoes and stuccoes that tell the story of Rome and the tombstones that reveal a great deal about Roman religious beliefs
  
• Museo Nazionale / Diocletian Baths: Again, the collection is huge, but we will focus on one key part - the extensive assortment of tablets that provide historians with a wealth of information about Roman culture
  
• Optional Visit to Vatican Museum (Not included in trip cost)
  

4/18 - Knowing Rome through its Luxury

• Day trip to Tivoli
  
• Hadrian's Villa: The most opulent villa of its era, though sadly raided over the years (Student Tour Guides)
  
• Villa d'Este: A Renaissance re-imagining of the classical villa
  
• Optional Visit to Borghese Gallery (Not included in trip cost)
  

4/19 - The Rise of Christian Rome

• San Sebastiano Catacombs: One of the many surviving catacombs of the early Christian era, when the believers were persecuted by the Roman government
  
• St. Peter's Basilica: Not ancient, but can't be missed
  
• St. Peter's Necropolis: Deep below the basilica, this *does* have ancient origins
  
• Capuchin Crypt: Bones, bones, and more bones
  

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Delphi: 4/20 - Staying at Pan Hotel

4/20 - Visiting the Oracle

• Fly to Athens
• Bus from airport to Delphi
  
• Visit Delphi archaeological site

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Athens: 4/21 - 4/22 - Staying at AthenStyle Hostel

4/21 - Ancient Greece in a Nutshell

• Mycenae: Ruins from the land of Agamemnon and Menelaus (Student Tour Guides)
  
• Epidauros: One of the best preserved Greek theaters
  
• Athens: Arrive late afternoon for a stroll around town
  

4/22 - The Glory of Athens

• The Acropolis: You might have heard of it (Student Tour Guides)
  
• National Archaeological Museum: One of the greatest collections in the world

4/23 - Fly Home

Freshman Trip Transportation Plan

What follows is the complete overview of all transportation we have booked/chartered or will ultimately use while in Italy and Greece:

FLIGHT: Phoenix to Athens (ATH), via Chicago O'Hare (ORD) and London-Heathrow (LHR)

• AA782 to ORD, AA86 to LHR, BA632 to ATH
• Depart Phoenix 10:20am on 4/2
• Arrive Athens 5:30pm on 4/3

BUS: Hop-In Sightseeing will handle all of the transportation in Greece, picking us up from the Athens airport, taking us to Delphi, Mycenae, and Epidaurus, and then returning us to Athens.

FLIGHT: From Athens to Rome on EasyJet

BUS: Sibilla Bus Company will provide our transportation from Rome's Fiumicino airport to the Villa, around the Naples area, and from Naples to our apartment in Rome afterward.

BOAT: Hydrofoil to/from Capri

METRO: In Rome, we will travel primarily on the metro with occasional bus use

FLIGHT: Rome to Phoenix, via Chicago O'Hare (ORD)

• AA111 to ORD, AA1733 to Phoenix
• Depart Rome at 11:30am on 4/15
• Arrive Phoenix at 8:40pm on 4/15
  

Freshman Trip Packing List

The guiding principle is to pack light. We request that students limit themselves to one backpack or dufflebag that fits airline carry-on requirements (55 x 40 x 20cm), along with a smaller daypack. This is particularly important on our Athens->Naples flight, where checked baggage charges are applied - AND, to make matters trickier, you are not allowed a personal item on that flight, so your daypack has to fit in your larger suitcase/backpack.

Obviously, that limits what they can pack! Laundry services will be available, so students don't need to bring enough clothing to survive the trip. But, they should make careful choices about what to bring, paying particular attention to three factors. First, the weather - April can bring pleasant, mild days, but it can also bring cold and rain. In Rome, average April temperatures range from a high of 67 to a low of 45, with an average of 2.7" of rain. Athens and Naples have similar ranges, though we have better odds of sunshine in the former. The main point here - students should have something warm and something to keep them dry. Second, cultural sensitivity - long pants are a better idea in Italy and Greece than shorts. They're essential if you plan on entering St. Peter's or any other church/cathedral. Italians, by and large, dress well; if you aim for the scruffy look, you will clearly be out of place. Finally, be prepared for a lot of walking. Bring comfortable shoes.

Use the following as a rough set of guidelines. Remember - they do have stores in Italy and Greece. You can buy something if the need arises.

CLOTHES
-Five shirts (short/long sleeve), socks, underwear
-One warm pull-over (add a second, thin layer if you get cold easily)
-Two pairs of pants
-One pair shorts / skirt
-Hat
-Optional: Scarf, gloves, other assorted sources of warmth

GEAR/ACCESSORIES/ETC
-Good walking shoes
-Sandals or flipflops
-Umbrella (collapsible, easily carried)
-Mini flashlight / headlamp
-Digital camera (optional)
-Sunglasses
-Journal/Pen (we will supply a small journal)
-Toiletries (Travel size, in a plastic bag)
-A few energy bars
-Optional: Cell phone, European plug converter (if needed)
-Watch (or some other time-keeping device)

MOST IMPORTANT
-Money belt
-Passport
-Debit card or money
-Trip binder (we will supply)
-Your trip guide plans

Finally, why not read something kind of relevant? Here are a few options that come to mind:

• I, Claudius by Robert Graves - Considered the best work of historical fiction based in ancient Rome, Graves writes this as the autobiography of Emperor Claudius. It begins with Augustus and moves through the Julio-Claudian dynasty. Meticulously researched, it offers a great look into the early Roman Empire.
• Sprezzatura: 50 Ways Italian Genius Shaped the World by d'Epiro and Pinkowish - 50 short chapters on important people and developments in Italian history. It starts in the ancient era, with pieces on the Roman calendar, Roman law, Julius Caesar, and more. But, it tracks Italian contributions from there all the way to the near-present, with chapters on St. Francis, Michelangelo, Garibaldi, and Ferrari. With sections ranging from 5-10 pages, it's an easy travel book, as you can read in short spurts without having to worry about losing the narrative flow.
• Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal: The Building of St. Peter's by R.A. Scotti - A fascinating story of the building of the Vatican's basilica, in which many of the great figures of the Italian renaissance are featured. If you're interested in architecture, the renaissance, or the Church, this is a great, highly readable option.
• Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille - Easily the best book I've read on the Italian mafia. As much investigative reporting as it is historical non-fiction, this book is vividly written and the high drama Stille builds might actually get your heart beating.
  
• If you want to read something by an Italian writer, my favorite is Italo Calvino. Some of his works can be difficult to unpack, but The Non-Existent Knight and the Cloven Viscount are fun fantasy stories. Invisible Cities is brilliant, and certain to be unlike anything you've read.