International Courswork
Multidisciplinary Perspectives on the Bay of Naples
​This course taught me so much about the different aspects of Southern Italian culture. The professor pushed us to analyze layers of cultural differences that lay way beneath the surface of what tourists typically notice. We traveled to the nearby cities of Naples, Amalfi, Ravello, Herculaneum, and Castellabate, which were all very insightful in their own ways. In Naples, we were able to see the economic differences between the outskirts of the city and the wealthy neighborhoods of Sorrento. In Amalfi and Ravello, we compared the effects of tourism in the popular destination of Amalfi compared to the quiet mountain town of Ravello. Herculaneum showed us the roots of the nation’s culture and how citizens of the ancient cities lived. Lastly, Castellabate pushed us further out of our comfort zones by surrounding us with local Italians who don’t speak a lot of English. In addition to these excursions, we had guest speakers who opened our eyes to topics in Sorrento, and all of Italy, that we had not yet explored. Some of these topics include religion, economics of family corporations, the mafia, volcanology, and civil rights in Italy. These lectures revealed so much that I would not have realized without this course, and have taught me how to observe differences in culture in other places I travel throughout my lifetime. In this way, the experience I gained through this class, and through living in Sorrento, will stay applicable no matter where I end up or what I end up doing.
International Internship
For three credits, I was given the opportunity to work with conservationists at the Marine Protected Area of Punta Campanella. Ieranto Bay, which is located in this area, was historically used as a quarry, which greatly impacted the health of the marine ecosystem. Now that it’s protected, there’s a lot of work needed to continue to increase the environmental health of the bay. I help do this through several different projects. First, I help another student with her project measuring biodiversity in the Bay. She’s measuring the level of biodiversity using fish in the order Blenniidae. These fish, Blennies, live close to the surface, which makes them good indicators of environmental health because they’re particularly sensitive to environmental changes, especially pollution. By snorkeling and monitoring Blennies, we can tell if the Bay is effectively recovering. Additionally, I assist with another project by collecting ocean litter throughout the area. This litter is collected from both the Small Bay and Big Bay areas on the beach, ocean surface, and ocean floor. The trash is then categorized by the material it’s made out of to analyze the most common type of litter in each part of Ieranto Bay. This will lead to a better understanding of what kind of trash needs stricter regulations to protect our oceans. In the Bay, I also monitor the number of people and boats. I monitor the people in Ieranto every 2 hours based on what area they’re occupying, simultaneously, I watch for any unauthorized boats that enter the area. Since the area is protected, there is no motor activity, fishing, or anchoring allowed, so when an unauthorized boat enters, I must sound an alarm and ask them to leave immediately. This whole experience taught me about the specific operations that go into running a marine protected area, and how the process compares with that of America.