For my first experience, I chose to take part in the Roman Experience, which was a semester-long course dedicated to teaching the way ancient Roman art, architecture, and engineering influenced the daily lives of Roman citizens, their culture, and how many of these artifacts act as pillars for similar facets of the modern era.
The experience started with weekly lectures which taught all the above, and would include numerous hands-on activities, like building an arch out of wooden blocks with a group of students, as well as testing the strength of concrete blocks that may be used in post-and-beam structures. Quizzes were also presented to test our knowledge of the subjects being learned.
The semester ended with a ten-day trip to both Naples and Rome, where we would experience all we learned in class firsthand. We visited many famous archeological sites and architectural wonders, including Pompeii and the Colosseum.
This experience helped me understand how important the Roman Empire was today not only in its political influence, but also its vast applications to modern day art and engineering. The trip also provided me with an improved skillset of public speaking, as I had to give a ten-minute presentation on the economic, political, and social impact of the Roman Forum.
Below is a link my project for the class, where I decided to use my newfound knowledge on classic Italian delicacies and bake a lasagna.