Photos taken by Shruti Elango (University of Virginia), Student Correspondent for CET Siena, Summer 2023
In my Women Gender Studies class, we worked on a project that combined WGS and Data Science! We analyzed the gender pay gap in various countries, specifically in the United States. Here is a group of ours presented the analysis of the data we obtained as well as combining this information with what we learned regarding gender studies throughout history and how it plays into the gender pay gap.
On Friday, we visited Cinque Terre (5 lands in Italian). It is a group of 5 cities on the coast with beautiful houses on the edge of the coast along the cliffside. My three roommates and I visited Riomaggiore, the beaches were only rocks, and most of the swimming we did was in the marina. For Friday and Saturday, we swam for hours and laid on the rocks like seals, reading, talking, eating, and enjoying the views.
Near the end of our stay, I noticed many people jumping off a nearby cliff. With my fear of heights, I knew this would be something that would be truly difficult for me to accomplish, but I’ve always wanted to cliff jump, so I committed. Crawling up the cliff, I reached the second tallest spot I saw people jumping from and leaped. The jump was so exhilarating and truly was a top moment of my summer here in Italy.
On the last weekend of my stay here in Siena, my roommates and I decided to go big and visit Paris. With the train strikes, we had to reschedule our plans to come a day earlier and stay in Pisa before our flight to Paris. In Pisa, we saw the infamous leaning tower.
We finally reached Paris on Thursday, and Paris was truly amazing. We saw Musee D’Orsay, the Louvre, and even the Eiffel Tower. The crepes I had for breakfast were the best I’ve ever had, 10/10 recommend. Learning to use the metro system was a bit difficult, but after months of practice in the various cities we visited really helped.
On Tuesday, CET hosted a ceramics workshop. We worked in the dark to truly feel the clay and let our emotions take control in our pieces. We made a pinch pot and a fossil press of some plants we picked out from the garden. Personally, I chose lavender, sage, and some daisies to press onto my clay before it was fired. This workshop was a lot of fun and a great way for us to bond with each other.
Before the week’s end, I visited Florence to see the infamous David. I was excited to visit the Uffizi and see Caravaggio’s Medusa. Fun fact: I wrote an essay about this piece of art in my short essay for UVA, which I truly believe helped in my acceptance. I was so excited to see the piece in person because it means a lot to me personally.
With hearts heavy, it was now the end of CET Siena 2023. I loved my summer here in Italy; Siena is my favorite city. Its charm and beauty are unlike anywhere I have ever been before. This summer exceeded my expectations, and I truly made friends for life and memories that will follow me for a millennium. I am grateful that I had this opportunity, and I truly urge others thinking about studying abroad to make that leap and expand your horizons despite the fear of leaving the comfort of your own home. This summer is one I will never forget.