Students travel to Italy
Published: January 25, 2012
Josh Palmer and Alonso Gutierrez enjoy pizza in Italy.
Most college students return to their hometowns during winter break, but 20 Lyon College students spent their time off in Italy.
The students took a 13-day trip to Italy titled “The Opera of Italy,” along with music professor Dr. Joel Plaag and campus chaplain Rev. Nancy McSpadden. The trip, a part of the Nichols International Studies program, was intended to teach students about Italian art and culture by immersing them in it.
Junior Alonso Gutierrez said he was more than happy to spend his winter break in Italy, and enjoyed his time there.
“We arrived in Amsterdam, but we only stayed there for a few hours on our way to Rome,” Gutierrez said. “Rome is a big city. We arrived two days before Christmas. The first day there we visited the Vatican Museum. I was surprised to see plenty of Egyptian art in there.
“We also saw the Sistine Chapel, and it was great,” he said. “You can see the pictures of it everywhere, but standing right in front of the painting was amazing. We also visited the Colosseum, which was astonishing! The architecture was very imposing, especially at night.”
Besides the famous artwork they got to experience, the students also had the privilege of seeing Pope Benedict XVI speak.
“Christmas night we attended mass at the Santa Maria Maggiore church,” Gutierrez said. “On the 25th we went to the Vatican; we saw the Pope while he was giving the Christmas speech. It was quite impressive when he gave Christmas blessings in over 40 languages; since I am Catholic this was a very amazing experience for me.
“Our next trip was to Florence. This was, for sure, the most interesting city (and the most overpriced as well). It is full of stores and people from all over the world. We went to the Florence Cathedral or ‘Dome.’ Actually, we went to the top of the Dome (around 600 steps). It took us a while to get to the top, but the view of the city was amazing.”
Junior Josh Palmer also got to experience Italy with the other students.
“We got to see the Roman Colosseum,” Palmer said. “We toured the Uffizzi Galleria and the Accademia, where Michelangelo's David is.”
Palmer said he learned so much about himself and his friends during the trip.
“I gained a wealth of knowledge concerning a tourist's experience in Italy,” he said. “I definitely gained lifelong memories that continually make me want to return to Italy, even though I was so ready to get home.”
Gutierrez said he agrees the Nichols International Studies Program trip was very beneficial.
“I most definitely gained experience and plenty of knowledge. I even learned some Italian,” he said.
The Nichols International Studies Program began in 1988 when trustee Shuford Nichols donated $1 million for the establishment of a foreign travel program. The first overseas trips were taken in 1991 to London and France.
The Nichols International Studies courses are taught by members of the Lyon faculty and include about two weeks of study abroad. Nichols courses are offered following the end of the fall and spring semesters.
Palmer said the Nichols trips are a highlight of students’ educational careers at Lyon.
“The Nichols Program allows students to gain knowledge that can't be learned in a classroom,” he said. “I gained so much from this program, that it's hard to put into words just how the program affected my life. If a Lyon student has the opportunity to sign up for a Nichols trip that they would be excited about, they would regret it for the rest of their life that they didn't take the opportunity.”
Upcoming Nichols International Studies Program trips include excursions to Turkey, Germany, Greece, Israel, Spain and Canada.