This summer 2024 Pantheon Institute had the pleasure of hosting an amazing Hofstra University Communications study abroad program. Lead by faculty Randy K. Hillebrand, this course allowed students to study international media, history and its impact on current events and Italian culture. Students traveled throughout Italy and investigated different facets of Italian life, heritage, customs, and identity.
A final culmination of the program is a fantastic multimedia project that dives deep into different perspectives of life in Rome. Roaming the Streets of Rome Hofstra University Students Take on Italy investigates the historic rivalry of the Lazio and Roma soccer clubs, how Roman street cats are an indelible part of Roman patrimony, the evolution of modern Italian urban planning amid the ancient ruins, and the history of Jewish resilience in Rome.
One piece, Meaningful Beauty: Roman Architecture, explores how social and cultural identity are shaped by architecture over time. Authors Alexa Cervo, Lexmia Ozuna, Karoline Otavalo, Julianne Amante, Amanda Mechell, and Alex Suozzi interview Pantheon Institute’s own Romolo Martemucci and his perspective on the transformative nature of physical spaces.
Read the full article to learn more about why Romolo describes walking through the streets of Rome as a, “dance with the ancestors” and check-out all the amazing journalism written by Hofstra University students on their website.
A big thank you to Professor Hillebrand, Hofstra University, and all participant students. We hope you enjoyed Rome as much as we enjoyed hosting you!
