Students invited to information session for spring break experience 'Eternal Rome' on Sept. 21

Ohio University students are invited to an information session on Wednesday, Sept. 21, at 5:30 p.m. in Bentley Annex 402 to learn about a spring break study abroad experience in Italy called Eternal Rome – Piety and Power.

Students can discover the rich religious and political history of medieval Rome over spring break, March 11-18, and complete OHIO requirements.

"During this one-week intensive travel program, students will focus on the physical transformation of the city of Rome and the impact of political and religious leaders, visiting sites and museums reflecting Rome's ancient, medieval, Renaissance and modern eras," said Program Director Jaclyn Maxwell, professor of history in the College of Arts and Sciences. "Participants will keep a journal which they use to prepare a final project after returning to campus."

Students will earn OHIO credit for HIST 4536 – Eternal Rome (3 credit hours) and HIST 4930 – Independent Study (1 credit hour). The class will meet on a weekly basis before spring break to discuss readings and prepare for the trip. This course fulfills Ohio University's Tier III General Education requirement, a BRICKS Capstone and Learning & Doing Bridge, and a requirement for the Certificate in Law, Justice & Culture.

Planned excursions include the Roman Forum, Colosseum, the Castel Sant' Angelo (the emperor Hadrian's mausoleum), the Pantheon, the ancient Roman port city of Ostia Antica, ancient Christian catacombs, the Vatican Museums, St. Peter's Basilica, and many other museums and historic sites.

Students can find the application in the GO App system. The application deadline is Oct. 1.

"Dr. Maxwell’s spring break study abroad program was a big turning point for me. Her passion for history and love of the city inspired me to push on with history because I knew it was my calling," Ohio University alumna Kristin Osborne '18 said of the Rome experience. "While I was on that trip, I decided to go to graduate school and pursue a Master of Arts in History. Had Dr. Maxwell not pushed me to go on that trip, I may have never overcome the feelings of inadequacy that had masked my love of history for so long.

"Reconnecting with history on that physical level, being in the spaces that people inhabited for hundreds of years gives you a sense of duty. I understood that my duty was to responsibly share history and stories with people," said Osborne, who earned a bachelor's degree in history from the Honors Tutorial College. "This trip did not cure my mental health conditions and over the years I have found new ways to cope with them. However, the History Department at OHIO gave me a sense of purpose and duty that helped me overcome those obstacles."

For more information, contact Maxwell at maxwelj1@ohio.edu or visit Eternal Rome – Piety and Power.