The J-Term Experience

MEG LUCE, Italy, Business Department:

 Ciao!! This past J-Term I was lucky enough to travel to Italy. Our trip consisted of all business majors and while we were there we focused on different global marketing strategies that we could observe in different Italian businesses. We fist started our trip in Rome, then traveled on to Florence, Bologna, Venice, Genoa, and Milan. In each city we got to visit different types of businesses and sometimes even get to speak with the highest executives in the company. 

While in Milan, my roommate and I were assigned to do the background research of a fur company, Giuliana Teso, and the general market of fur. We were lucky enough to meet the Carlo Teso, son of Giuliana and creative director of the company. He met with us in one of their showrooms, and told us more about himself. After the meeting, we were even lucky enough to try one of the coats on (mine was worth half a million dollars!) We also met with businesses such as Piaggio (creators of Vespas), Lamborghini, Maserati, Ducati, Fincantari, and Castellani Winery. In each city, we were also able to make a lot of cultural stops. We were able to visit the Vatican, the Duomo in Milan, the Borgehse Gallery, the Trevi Fountain, and many more. We also ended up learning a lot about the culture, and usually were very surprised. For example, you drink your coffee at a bar, its usually one third of the size of our coffees, and then you eat some sort of pastry stuffed with Nutella. Not all Italians speak English, or if they do they will choose not to, no matter what they tell you back home. All of your dinners consist of about 5 courses.

 Being able to make this trip will probably be one of the highlights of my life. I am an art major and art history minor as well as a business major, so this trip was perfectly fitted for me. I was able to further my knowledge of the business world and experience the art that I have fallen in love with since studying it at Hartwick. Being able to fall completely into a different culture is one of the most exciting feelings someone could have, and something that I will never forget.

STEPH LUCE, London and Paris, Art History Department:

I went to London and Paris over jterm. The class was Museum and Monuments and it was a class that was in the art history department. In london we went to the British Museum, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, London Tower, London Bridge, National Portrait Gallery, Dulwich Picture Gallery, Victoria and Albert Museum, National Gallery, St. Pauls, Buckingham Palace, Olympic Village, Westminster Abbey, Wimbledon, Houses of Parliament, Kensington Palace, Notting Hill, Abbey Road and we saw the changing of the guards. In Paris we went to the Louvre, Musee D’Orsay, Musse L’Orangerie, Eiffel Tower, Quai Branley, Palace of Versailles, Notre Dame, St.Chapelle, Musee Rodin, the Tomb of Napoleon, Pompidou, the Opera House, Moulin Rouge, Arc de Triomphe, Sacred Heart, the Pantheon and the cemetery at Montparnasse. Everyday we would go to these places with the class but then we would have time to go off with ourselves. It was so much fun to get to explore London and Paris and see everything there was. We explored so much that I actually was able to figure out the tube and the metro, which are so much easier than the New York City subway.

 Both London and Paris had great food. It was my first time having fish and chips while in London and it was absolutely amazing and I probably had it about eight more times after that. In Paris the best food was what the hotel had for breakfast. At the breakfast there was a lot of stuff but the best part was a real French croissant and nutella. My favorite part was probably seeing the artwork of Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh, Picasso, Monet and many others. I have learned about these artists and have been obsessed with them since I was little so actually seeing their work was breathtaking. During the trip I learned a lot and I also made a lot of new friends. I have never been out of the country before this trip and I went without knowing anyone on my trip but I am happy I went because it definitely changed my life.