Volume IX Issue II December 2012

The ediTorial Board wishes you

good luck wiTh Finals, saFe Trips

and amazing holidays!

merry chrisTmas and a happy new

year!!!

By Rebecca BellContributing Writer

John Cabot University students have mixed feelings about finals - some are worried while others are relaxed.

Jessica Kallqvist, 22, has her hands full when it comes to final exams. She is taking five classes and feels that she has a lot to study for. “There is so much to remember I get nervous. There is so much to do in so little time,” she said.

Mariah Mckechnic, 21, isn’t worried about exams saying “I just don’t get worried about finals.”

Mckechnic is an art major taking four classes, and typically she only has one final per semester and it is usually a paper.

Michelle Lenartz, 20, feels well prepared for finals this semester, saying, “I feel that the professors here have taught me quite a bit this semester, they all know their stuff really well, and are passionate about the topics.”

While she may feel prepared for finals Lenartz still studies. She likes to study in her room where she can play her music and concentrate without worrying about other people distracting her.

Remy Hassett, 20, likes to study in the library, saying “the library is where I’m most productive. I always rewrite my notes, I can’t just reread them. Normally I’ll rewrite them as they are, then rewrite them again summarizing them a bit more. At home I’ll go through this several times and end up going from 20 pages of notes to like two.”

While Hassett’s studying process is very involved she is not very stressed about finals, saying by the time Thanksgiving passes she feels pretty done with school.

Emotions vary as finals wEEk approachEs

indExpagE 2.........campus lifE

pagE 3.........campus lifE

pagE 4.........campus lifE

pagE 5.........politics

pagE 6-7......christmas in romE pagE 8.........film fEstival

pagE 9.........food cornEr / film fEstival

pagE 10.......EvEnts at Jcu

changEs in drinking bEhavior among studEnts whilE studying abroadBy Emily SilberContributing Writer

Rome - It’s 5:00 pm, Tuesday evening, and the Campo de Fiori piazza is crowded with study abroad students from John Cabot University (JCU). Whether sitting below the monument of philosopher Giordano Bruno, gathering around the fountain, or eating and hanging out at one of the many restaurants or bars, the majority of students have one thing in common: they are drinking.

“Going out and drinking is one of the main forms of socialization here,” said Kristen Harker, 22, a JCU student from San Diego, California. “I think students are more willing to drink, and drink more often, because they feel like studying abroad is like vacation and have more of a party mentality because they are in a different country.” Harker is one of the many study abroad students who is swept up in the alluring nightlife and exciting atmosphere of Rome. “It’s just our generation. As college students that’s what we do: go out and drink.”

As someone who turned 21 before coming to Rome, Harker admitted that her level of drinking has significantly increased since being abroad, and that she goes out about four to five nights a week. When asked how many drinks on average she usually has per night, she admits that she would prefer not to say but that “I drink above what I think most people would normally drink.”

In an article on the psychology of ad-dictive behaviors, “When in Rome: Fac-tors associated with changes in drinking behavior among American college stu-dents studying abroad,” Eric Pederson, Department of Psychology, University of Washington, and his co-authors, found that American students drink twice as much when abroad. The article listed several contributing factors, including the lower drinking age in the majority of countries where study abroad programs are located, “allowing those under 21 to have greater access to buy alcohol and the ability to drink in public,” Pederson said.

Paul Piane, a bartender at The Abbey Theatre, an Irish/American pub near JCU, explains that another dynamic that leads to more drinking is the way female stu-dents are targeted by many bars. “It’s a marketing technique,” said Paine. “That’s why we allow free drinks for girls and have ‘Ladies Night’ on Thursdays. If you bring in girls, guys will follow. Italian guys in particular go to these places for one reason, and it’s not because they like Irish music.”

Another American restaurant/bar,

Continued on Page 3

2

The maTThewcampus lIfe

Jcu studEnts want a drEss codEBy Gabriella Di BenedettoContributing Writer

Rome – A number of John Cabot University students feel the university should establish a student dress code. For some it is a matter of respect, for others it is a cultural matter and for others it is just plain common sense.

Marianna Pallini, 22, from Arezzo, It-aly, said that students from other parts of the world tend to show respect for their surroundings, but she said that especially Americans lack in decency towards them-selves and others. “Students come to Italy; therefore they should respect its culture,

which entails to respect a dress code. Even professors should clean up and avoid ac-cessories like flip flops or shorts, main-taining a casual-formal look and giving a good example to students,” she said.

“We are in a college setting, therefore we must dress accordingly, it’s not ok to state that in America students dress however they want, because we are not in America; we are in Italy,” said 21- year-old Paola Scotto di Frega, from Naples, who was wearing leggings, a long black blouse and white shirt that completely covered her shoulders.

Scotto di Frega suggested a dress code; even uniforms might not be a bad option. But other students feel that the matter should be brought up to students but they should make their own decisions.

Alexandra Nikole Fernandez, 22, for-mer student at JCU from Virginia, said the idea of a dress code should be ad-dressed during orientation week because pajamas, basketball shorts, booty shorts or wife beaters are completely inappropriate. “Not only is it bad for JCU’s reputation, but you never know who you will meet

that day,” said Fernandez referring to business leaders and academics who visit the university.

Giovanni Francesco D’Arrigo, 23, known as G-Frank, from Laguna Hills, California, said he does see the benefit of a dress code, “but I do not see it working for our rebellious generation.” G-Frank said he did see students go to school in bathing suits in California because they would go to the beach after class. “It depends on where and how you grow up,” he said.

Then there are those students who highlight the fact that JCU is a university that promotes freedom of expression and

therefore students should be free to dress however they want.

“I went to the New York Military Academy, where I was forced to wear a uniform. Here at JCU, it is a breath of fresh air and the school does not hold the right to limit our freedom,” said Josh Alexander Hernan-dez, 20, from Mi-ami, Florida. “To es-tablish a dress code

at JCU would not only rob students of individuality and personality, but also rob them of their liberal ideals.”

Pierre Fara Baranyanka, 20, from Monaco, said he would “personally be angry if John Cabot established a dress code, because dressing is a form of expression and freedom.”

Tariro Mzezewa, 21, from Maryland, said, “You know what message you want to send out. Yes, we are in Italy, but we go to an American college, therefore we should combine the two cultures, not have one prevail on the other. We are old enough to make our own decisions.” However, she admitted that she would feel uncomfortable if professors were to dress as “slackly” as students.

Andrea Lanzone, Assistant Dean for Student Academic Affairs, said, “Do as the Romans do. By this I mean that we are in Italy, therefore we should act as Italians act. I believe universities today suffer from a serious illness: to think that college is a continuation of high school. College is not a school; it is a professional environment and students need to behave

accordingly. Do not come to class how you woke up.”

Lanzone said a mandatory dress code would make JCU take a step back and support the idea that it is just another school. But he added: “Students need to see JCU as a work place. It is about common sense. Therefore, professors should tell students face-to-face to behave and dress accordingly. I also do not appreciate them eating during class hours.”

Federica Capoferri, Assistant Professor of Italian, Chair Modern Languages and Literature Dept, who is seen as one of the “most chill professors” by students with her “multiple earrings, tattoos, and mili-tary-like boots,” said that there should be no dress code for professors.

As for students, she has noticed that “recently they take more freedom in the choice of what they wear to school”. Although she is against prohibition, she thinks that “especially American female students should be warned of their choice in attire if they do not want to be treated as outsiders or differently.” She made the example that in America, short shorts are considered casual, while here, they are considered extremely provocative, therefore American girls are immediately noticed.

Mary Merva, Vice President and Dean of Academics, said the uniqueness of JCU is due to the fact that “our student body reflects many aspects of the world and it is by examining how we live within this concept that we may learn and gain greater wisdom and understanding of this world that increasingly places individuals in con-texts with others”.

“The university,” she said “enables students to appreciate, benefit from and contribute to the richness and diversity of other cultures” and that it encourages sensitivity to diverse ethnic origins. She said the reputation of the school is not based on the clothes its students wear. “Dress code is a very interesting issue to address as it highlights the role of individual freedom versus the role of a state in controlling that freedom,” said Merva.

During her lectures, she said she fo-cuses on what the students can take from the experience, “not what they wear.” “I personally try to look at the individual and get to know them rather than make pre-determined judgments based on outward appearance. Looking into someone’s eyes and listening to them is what matters,” she said.

3

The maTThew The maTThew CAMPUS LIFe

Drinking continuEd from pagE 1Sloppy SAMS, located in Campo Di Fiori, caters to college students studying abroad by offering discount shot specials, Jell-O shots, pitchers and beer pong. “The ma-jority of our customers are tourists or for-eign students,” said Makenzie Newman, a Sloppy SAMS’ waitress from Bozeman, Montana. “I have yet to see American students come into sloppy SAMS to eat. They’re usually only in to drink and based on their condition at the end of the night, I’d say their drinking is a bit excessive.”

As a club promoter in Rome, Matt Reynolds, 21, from New York City, explains that his main goal is to get people, particularly students, to spend money at the clubs he promotes. One way to do this is by offering them free entry or discounted drinks, he said. “On some nights the clubs will have a few hours of unlimited drinks and everyone tries to get as many as possible before that time is up,” said Reynolds. “In general, I tend to target study abroad students because they are not super concerned about their performance in school. They come to Europe to drink, travel and experience a new culture. A lot of them are not 21 yet either, which means it’s a new thing for them to be able to drink legally, and they take full advantage.”

Reynolds, who is also a student at JCU, has been living in Rome for the past five months and has done his share of drink-ing and partying. “Every night I see peo-ple drink past their limits. Sometimes they puke, sometimes they can barely walk or stand straight, and sometimes they even pass out in inappropriate places,” said Reynolds. The first night of the semester when all the JCU students moved in, Reyn-olds remembers how one of his friends got really drunk, disappeared, and they found him later “curled up in the fetal position

between two homeless gentlemen.”Michelle Miele, 20, from Bloomfield

Hills, Michigan, is one of the few students at JCU who said her drinking behavior has not changed significantly while being abroad. “I only go out once or twice a week. In general I don’t drink a lot because I like to get a good amount of sleep and school is much more important to me,” Miele said. “However, I would say I do drink more here than when I’m home. It has to do with the people I’m friends with and the environment. At home my friends mostly stay in, but here everyone goes out, so I will too for social purposes.”

According to research supported by the U.S. Department of education and the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, “targeting perceptions during pre-abroad programs may have an influential effect on student study-abroad drinking rates.”

This is what the JCU Orientation Program strives to do at the beginning of each semester. “I believe that drinking in general is an issue that needs to be addressed in any college environment,” said Beatrice Nanni, Student Services Associate Manager at JCU. “It’s a cultural problem that comes from students growing up with this idea that when they go to college they have to drink a lot. Students studying abroad need to take a step back and look at the reality of the situation: yes drinking is part of the culture in Italy, but it is drinking in moderation, and it is considered as more of an art.”

During the Orientation Program, Ben Peracchio, the Vice Consul for American Citizen Services at U.S. embassy Rome, was brought in to discuss topics concern-ing drinking and partying while abroad. “Many students are abroad for the very first time and may not be aware of the many re-sources at their disposal,” said Peracchio. “Rome is a big city and unfortunately some students find themselves in trouble.” Dur-

ing his lecture, Peracchio described how the Embassy could be of assistance af-ter a long night or weekend of partying and listed multiple suggestions for how students could protect themselves while drinking.

“It’s important to talk about drinking while abroad at John Cabot because it’s part of the Italian culture that’s housing them,” said Pilar Murgia, Student Ser-vices Manager at JCU. “They should try to learn about what this beautiful country has to offer, and orientation, simply put, is a way to orient them.” Murgia has been in Rome for approximately 28 years, 10 of which she has spent working at the uni-versity. During this time she has observed that drinking while abroad “depends on the goal and mission of the student.” “If their objective is to drink, then that’s ex-actly what they will do, but there are also those who choose to study,” said Murgia.

JCU Vice President and Dean of Academics, Mary Merva, said the university tries “to promote responsible drinking.” “An institution can’t pressure students to do something they don’t want to do, or try to control their freedom. This is an issue every university has to deal with; it doesn’t matter if it’s overseas or in the United States,” she said.

“All Universities want to say, ‘we’ve done X, Y, Z and have certain programs to prevent dangerous drinking,’ but just to cover issues of liability. I don’t think these programs effectively solve anything. It’s up to the students to decide when enough is enough and how they want to live their lives. I don’t see them as weak or bowing to peer pressure. I have more respect for them than that. I just hope students will start thinking of themselves as young scholars,” she said.

Jcu studEnts call for morE study spacEBy Danielle FalconeContributing Writer

ROMe - Working together on a group project, Michelle Miele and three other John Cabot University undergraduate students tirelessly searched for a place to study. They tried the Tiber Café which was too noisy, hunted for an empty class-room with no luck, and ended up at the library that was closed by the time they arrived.

Miele, a 19-year-old study abroad student from Albion College in Michigan,

Continued on Page 4

is one of many students struggling with the lack of study space at JCU, and doesn’t think size is a legitimate argument. “My home university has about 1,400 students, so it’s pretty similar to here. I think it should have similar resources,” she said.

JCU currently has a number of “formal” study spaces, including a residential study room in the Gianicolo Residence Hall, terraces on both campuses, small study-only rooms, and the Frohring Library, which is in the midst of an expansion that will incorporate new space for study-seekers.

Chiara Abbondanti, a 22-year-old degree-seeking student, says that considering the size of the school, which grew from around 800 to 1,200 students in the last three years, the current amount of formal study spaces seem fairly reasonable. Abbondanti argues that the university is only now adjusting to the size of the student population. “I think it’s only an issue now that we have a lot of students,” she said.

As for the Frohring Library, some students find the study area to be sub-par as well. Michelle Imperiale, a de-gree-seeking student in her second year at JCU, said the library is her favorite

4

The maTThewCAMPUS LIFeStuDy Space continuEd from pagE 3

crEating spacEBy Jani GozaContributing Writer

Professor Peter Flaccus looks over his works in progress, in the corner of his bright and welcoming studio. He wipes dust off the surface of the wide, wooden workbench and switches on one of the hotplates, which will quickly melt the sunshine yellow wax now hardened and fixed in its small aluminum pot. “It is all a process,” he explains, “and process is the key to being creative.”

Flaccus attributes his process of creativity, and the freedom he feels to express himself through art, to his open and uncluttered style of life. He rides his bike to his studio and to John Cabot University, where he teaches painting and

drawing two days a week. He walks to the farmer’s market just steps away from his front door in Piazza San Cosimato.

He sits back in his metal rocking chair, in the viewing area of his studio and brushes his hand through his wavy salt and pepper hair. The top buttons of his blue checkered oxford shirt are open, his sleeves rolled up to his el-bows. “Being an artist is difficult, there are no guarantees. The only compensa-tion is that you get to set up your life the way you want, in a way that feeds your creativity.”

Flaccus uses a process in his art called encaustic, painting with colored beeswax on large wooden panels. He describes

the wax as “cumbersome and slow,” qualities that lend themselves to his methodical approach to creativity. He says the slow process allows his creativity to flower, because his mind is constantly moving forward into new conceptions while the materialization takes time. The result is a cache of ideas he can develop into new pieces.

He moved to Rome in 1993, after spending much of the ‘70s and ‘80s in the booming art scene of Soho, New York. He admits that Rome is not the vital and stimulating atmos-phere he may crave if he were a younger artist. “But now,” he says “I

appreciate more some stability and tran-quility.” And he already has plenty of material to work with. He does not rely on lightning strikes of inspiration, so his art evolves naturally out of his experi-ence and his environment.

For him, environment and lifestyle are vehicles for his art, and the charming streets and warm culture of Trastevere provide a healthy atmosphere for both. But don’t go calling him an ‘expatriate.’ “I hate the term. I am happy here in Rome, but it doesn’t mean I’m some sort of exile.”

When he moved into his current studio three years ago “the place was a real cavern,” he says. But after a year of renovation, a complete overhaul of the gloomy, drab basement level flat, Flaccus has created a bright and welcoming workspace. With its capacious arched ceilings and white walls, perfectly disposed to contrast the vibrant fuchsias Peter Flaccus, Wall Painting-Red, 2012

183 x 200 cm

Peter Flaccus, Three Ellipses, 2008138x240 cm

place to study, but with restrictions: “Only if it’s not hot or loud or smelly,” she said.

Study-abroad student Lindsey Livacich dislikes the library for a different reason. “Even when I’m at Guarini, I can hear everything outside the library. It’s not quiet,” she said.

The lack of comfortable and ample study spots has forced many students to create their own study environments that include either staying home or going to a coffee shop. When Veronika Wuest, a study-abroad student from UCLA accus-tomed to ample study space any time of day or night, was asked about her favorite study spot, she said, “Not on campus—a coffee shop.”

Some students use the Tiber Café, but there is a consistent amount of clatter from plates, utensils, and coffee cups, as well as six TVs, that “are always blaring CNN or MTV at you,” Wuest said.

For some students, however, it’s not a question of quantity but of quality. Melissa Abate, a senior who transferred to JCU more than two years ago, said, “Unfortunately a lot of the study spaces that we have at John Cabot are located next to or below loud rooms.”

For example, she pointed to the study room at Gianicolo that is next to the gym, and because there is a door connecting them together, many students find the stereo in the gym to be a major distraction while studying.

While every student has their own idea for a solution to the problem, the university assures students that they are being heard.

Elisabetta Morani, the head librarian and as she refers to herself, the “interpreter of users’ needs of collections,” has along with her staff spent countless hours assessing the situation surrounding study areas.

They have intensely interviewed stu-dents to address their academic needs,

organized the information into a struc-tured report and presented it to the ad-ministration. As a result of their efforts, the Frohring Library is currently work-ing on a new addition that will accom-modate 40 new seats for library-goers. The small chapel-turned-library, located between the library and the Lemon Tree Courtyard, should be ready for students by the Spring 2013.

As for the complaints, Morani said, “I take it as an opportunity for creating awareness.” Having heard their pleas for more space consistently for numerous years now, Morani understands that the students need more space to study, but she encourages them to understand the university’s restrictions. “I am trying to make [these needs] compatible with the environment, trying to balance space available with the city’s restrictions.”

In some ways, her hands are tied. Her solution: “I was about to suggest a boat on the Tiber.”

Continued on Page 10

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The maTThew The maTThew POLITICS

how wE all lost ElEction night- no mattEr who you supportEd

Q & a with piErfEdErico asdrubali

By Patrick JohnsonContributing Writer

On November 6 America chose a govern-ment. It was not an inexpensive affair- over $6 billion in ads spent across one Presidential race, 33 Senate races, and 435 House of Representa-tive Races (of which 81 were closely contest-ed). And what did our $6 billion and almost two years campaigning buy us? 1 net gained Senate seat (gained by the Democrats) and 2 cumula-tive House seats (also net gain Democrat). es-sentially, America bought the status quo.

For many reasons, this makes me very happy. I voted for President Obama, and will defend his record vehemently. I applauded the out-comes of Senate races all across the country, and was proud to see my preferred senator ree-lected in my home state of California. But tak-ing a step back from individual glee or sorrow over the outcome of November 6 night we need to acknowledge the bigger picture: we are a fiercely divided nation, and in our division our system is failing.

Let’s look at some numbers: In September 2012 the approval rating for Congress was at 13 percent (Gallup Poll). In October just before the election it jumped to 21 percent, but that is still one of the lowest approval ratings for a congress before an election ever. The rheto-ric surrounding Congress is glum: “gridlock,” “partisanship,” and “useless” are used to de-

By Patrick JohnsonContributing Writer

Professor Pierfederico Adrubali teaches International Economics at John Cabot University but also works for the Council of Ministers. Italian citizens have been protesting against austerity measures and what better time to delve into the mystery of how Italy plans to fight its way out of the current financial crisis.

Patrick Johnson: Can you clarify what it is exactly you do for the Council of Ministers?

Professor Asdrubali: I work as support staff for the Council of Ministers, which is led by Mario Monti. My current work focuses on the rebuilding of Aquila, a town devastated by recent earthquakes.

PJ: How is the Italian government actively working to solve the aging population crisis?

PA: Right now there is no active or long-term plan for the ‘seniorization’ of the population. The best we can do is to encourage immigration, as immigrant families usually have the most children.

PJ: How is Mario Monti’s government deal-ing with Italy’s economic crisis? Should the Italian people prepare for some radical chang-es?

PA: The current crisis was not caused by some type of swelled state budget, it was a result of poor investment. Some of the countries in most need of help, such as Spain, had smaller debts than even Germany. Accordingly, Italy will not undergo much austerity or change. What has been done in terms of austerity so far has largely been to save face with Germany, and encourage them to provide continued assistance. The one exception to this is perhaps Greece, which really does require a sizable change.

PJ: No austerity measures? Doesn’t Italy need to work more and spend less to get out of this mess?

PA: When you face a problem like this you have two options: You can implement austerity measures sure, but that can make the problem worse. You’ll enter into a li-quidity trap, in which nobody has money to spend, and thus the government receives no revenue, and nothing changes. The better op-tion is to be more surgical: close loopholes and generate revenue through efficiency. Ap-proximately 25 percent of Italy’s GDP is lost to the black market, such as the Mafia and tax evasion. Tapping into that wealth would be much more beneficial than re-stalling the

economy through austerity. Unfortunately, Mario Monti’s

government has a short time frame. Surgical implementation of austerity is not an option in so short a time frame, and they’ve instead done austerity cuts across the board, without attention paid to necessity or merit.

The net effect is that the good is thrown out with the bad, and those that are left have to pick up the slack, but often they have less good workers to pick up the slack with.

PJ: What about Italy’s incredibly generous labor laws. Such as the law that states a public worker cannot be fired for any reason. Shouldn’t those laws be revised to be more efficient?

PA: “It’s true that this law has made for some ridiculousness in the past, such as the public worker who committed murder and went to jail, but was not fired from his job. But these laws are in place for good reason. A problem in the past has been politically motivated firing. If you’re a public worker from the ‘out’ political party, your job is no longer threatened.

scribe Congress much more frequently than any adjective remotely reflecting approval. Is this the Congress that we want to reelect? On election night, almost to the letter, it appears America sent an emphatic “Yes!”

In fact it’s highly dubious that any among us would want this exact combination of con-gressmen and women reelected. We all want our OWN version of Congress elected. We want a Congress that can swiftly respond to a crisis and grapple with the real issues of our time…oh but don’t let the other side get in on the issue: they’re thinking is wrong. Make no mistake friends, it’s we who cause the grid-lock on Capital Hill. We only have ourselves to blame.

So one arm of government is deadlocked, and poised to remain so for a few years. How about the other two? Unfortunately there are less-than-encouraging numbers there. The Supreme Court, after divisive cases such as Citizens United and Healthcare reform, has similarly suffered approval ratings around 44 percent (New York Times).

And the President? Well if the popular vote is any indication, exactly as many people dis-like Obama as like him- 50 percent of votes for him, 48 percent for Romney, 1 percent other. As a country we could not be more evenly split if we tried.

And this, in a nutshell, is why we all lost on election night. Our own partisanship resulted

in a reelected divided government, with-out any party’s plan or leadership given a strong mandate for change. Without clear leadership and direction the problems fac-ing our country- most urgently the fiscal crisis- are going to be poorly handled.

The saddest part is the low probability that anything will change in the near future. Pundits, especially on the left, will tell you that the GOP will have an internal “civil war” after this embarrassing loss against a weak incumbent- but they’re wrong. The GOP just got half the country to vote for their man- if we go by the popular vote rather than the Electoral College this was practically a tie. Why would they change anything? If you listen to the pundits on the right, they believe not only that the election was lost due to a mistimed hurricane, but they are confident that the Democratic party will evaporate in four years when the economy still has not recovered. No the GOP will remain exactly as they are, and hope that next time around the coin lands on the other side.

As with all great nations, I’m confident that in the face of external threat we would band together and forget our differences. We did with Sandy. But short of a national crisis, we will continue to bicker and weaken ourselves through stagnancy.

6

chrIsTmas spIrIT In rome The maTThew

During the Christmas season, you’ve got lots of opportunities, from midnight Mass (al-though getting tickets can be tricky) to “Urbi et Orbi” on Christmas Day (no tickets needed).

The brass ring of the experience is, of course, midnight Mass at St. Peter’s. While that’s a

very, very special (if crowded) experience, it’s also tougher to book than a scavi tour. If you want to take a shot, then fax or write the Prefecture of the Papal Household at +39 06 6988 5863 with your information. The detailed information about the booking can be found here - http://www.vatican.va/vari-ous/prefettura/en/biglietti_en.html.

Even if you don’t have tickets to midnight Mass, you can still attend. You’ll just have to stand out in the piazza and watch the ceremony on Jumbotrons; not quite the same, but still pretty neat with thousands of people packed into the square. Just remember that it’s actually at 10pm, not midnight.

Celebrate Christmas at the Auditorium! Rome’s Auditorium hosts a num-ber of Christmas-themed events, running from Dec. 8-Jan. 8 (with some events running later, too).

Goings-on include a Christmas fair, ice-skating rink, and lots of concerts from Christmas Italian music to gospel. For detailed information and schedule go to Auditorium’s site: http://www.auditorium.com/eventi/5095629.

If you want to join other Catholics in the celebration of the Holy Hol-iday, you may visit several churches around Rome, where the mass is celebrated in english: the American Catholic Church of Santa Susanna has a children’s pageant mass, feast of the Holy Family, and lots of other services throughout Christmas.

For non-Catholics, the Anglican Church of All Saints’ holds holiday services, including the Service of Nine Lessons with Carols, and the St. Andrews Presbyterian Church of Scotland has services throughout the

Christmas season. Other churches with non-Catholic servic-es in English during Christmas include the American Episcopal Church of St. Paul’s Inside the Walls, the Methodist Church at Ponte Sant’Angelo, and the non-denominational Cavalry Chapel.

Appreciate the tradition of Italian na-tivity scenes: as well as C h r i s t m a s cribs appear in churches around the

town, Rome boasts both a museum of more than 3,000 of them and, during Christmas, a temporary exhibition of 200 presepi from artists across the globe. The annual exhibition “100 Presepi,” found-ed in an attempt to revive the tradition, is open at the Santa Maria del Popolo’s Sale del Bramante till January 8th.

Right next to Rome’s imperial forums, meanwhile, is one of Rome’s least-known museums: the “Angelo Stefanucci” Museo Tipologico Internazionale del Presepio (Via Tor de’ Conti 31/a). Located in the Church of Sts. Quirico and Giulitta, the museum has more than 3,000 presepi, ranging from a 17th-century Sicilian crib built out of shells to Catalan works made from plaster. Others are made from terra cotta, glass, pearl, marzipan — even eggs. From Christmas to epiphany (Jan. 6), the museum will be open weekdays, from 5 to 8 p.m.) and on holidays from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Access is free, although a small donation is appreciated.

7

The maTThew chrIsTmas spIrIT In rome

Head to a Christmas mar-ket! There are plenty of them around Rome this time of year, the most famous being, of course, that in Piazza N a v o n a , w o r k i n g from Dec 8 -

Jan 6. Another big Christmas market, Villaggio di Natale Ice Park, which is a representation of the Christmas village itself, can be found in Parco Tor di Quinto, 55 from Dec 1 - Jan 10.

The award for the market most easily mistaken for a party — and for boasting the biggest variety of super-hip gifts — goes to the Happy Sunday Market (Via di Pietralata 159/A; www.happysunday-market.com). This is where Rome’s trendiest young designers showcase their clothes, jewelry, art and handicrafts, along with records, vintage clothes, and books. Open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on one Sunday each month, the market, which takes place in a converted factory in Rome’s outskirts, also offers brunch, aperitivo and, often, live music.

T h e internationally-r e n o w n e d academy of Santa Cecilia hosts holiday-t h e m e d concerts on four nights

in December: Handel’s Messiah followed by Christmas songs on Dec. 17, the Messiah again on both the 19th and the 20th, and a Christmas concert on the 23rd.

Give back to the community: from Dec. 1-23, the Emergency Christmas Market is on at Palazzo Velli on Piazza Sant’egidio 10, in Trastevere. A Christmas market with a twist—proceeds from the goods, which include everything from Nepalese hats to Cambodian silks to Italian panettone, go to charity. The market runs

Monday - Thursday and on Sunday from 11am-8pm.

Enjoy delicious Christmas sweets! Bakeries are brimming over with yummy holiday offerings like panettone, torrone and pandoro. Make sure to taste the goods!

Go ice-skating: the Auditorium’s not the only place you can enjoy one of the amusing activities of the winter. You also can skate un-derneath the iconic silhouette of Rome’s Cas-tel Sant’Angelo. Other skating rinks in Rome include those at Re di Roma, Tor di Quinto, and Villa Gordiani.

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The maTThewROMe FILM FeSTIVAL 2012By Federica Brizzi and Francesca Mirabile Staff Writers

A new artistic director (Marco Muller), a new Rome Film Festival this year. A Festival dominated by Asian productions, experimental movies, tons of late cancellations and lots of promises but few fulfillments. Among the international stars announced to visit the eternal City were Charlie Sheen, Jude Law, Bill Murray, and Quentin Tarantino but only Sylvester Stallone and James Franco made it to the red carpet, leaving many disappointed. Fortunately the movies were less disappointing and we covered the best of this year’s edition.

P.S. We miss the old Festival. Let’s hope for next year!

MENTAL Directed by: PJ Hogan.Cast: Toni Colette, Rebecca Gibney, Caroline Goodall, Liev Schreiber.

Politically incorrect, hilarious and engaged are just three of the many adjectives one could give to PJ Hogan’s Mental.

An Australian family has to deal with the apparent mental disorder of the mother Shirley Moochmore (Rebecca Gibney). The neighborhood does its best to underline her being insane and at the end she’s sent to a mental institute. Her kids, convinced of suffering of mental ilnesses themselves and neglected by their father, will understand that those who try to drive them apart are the real mentals thanks to a singular and unpredictable nanny Shaz (Toni Colette).

Under the surface of a comedy, Mental conceals much deeper and serious themes such as that of discrimination, critique of the institutions and parenthood.

After less engaged American comedies (but not less beautiful) as My Best Friend’s Wedding starring Julia Roberts, Hogan switches to a more multi-faceted cinematic view where every element is im-portant and linked to each other, and at the same time connected to a bigger picture that is up to the spectator to grab and to reconstruct personally.

A GLIMPSE INSIDE THE MIND OF CHARLES SWANN III

Directed by: Roman Coppola.Cast: Charlie Sheen, Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman,

Katheryn Winnick, Patricia Arquette.

After father Francis Ford Coppola (The Godfather), and sister Sofia Coppola (Marie Antoinette), finally 47-year-old Roman Coppola joins the family movie directing business presenting at Rome Film Festival A Glimpse Inside The Mind Of Charles Swann III, which was surely successful among the audience at the pre-miere, but maybe unlikely to be appealing to the Italian market. Starring Charlie Sheen (Two And A Half Men) as designer and ladies man Charles Swann, the movie tells the story of Charles’ visionary and crazy recovery from an important break-up, and of his eventual decision to turn his life around. The movie charms both the spec-tators with its colourful mise-en-scène and the comicity of the lines, and both the moviegoers who will find refer-ence to past masters like Fellini in Coppola Jr.’s work.

TARDirected by Edna Biesold, Sarah-Violet Bliss, Brice Thierry Cheung,

Gabrielle Demeestere, Alexis Gamb (with the supervision of James Franco).

Cast: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Jessica Chastain, Zach Braff, Henry Hopper, Bruce Campbell.

Being a PhD student in english at Yale University and having attended graduate school at Columbia University’s MFA writing program, James Franco appeared to be the only rational choice to interpret American poet C.K. Williams in the movie Tar. Named after one of the many collec-tions of poems by Williams, the movie was a experimental project done by NYU graduate students, shepherded by Professor James Franco. The movie is a travel throughout the writer’s life; from his past relationship with his mother (played by Jessica Chastain) and his present one with his wife (played by Mila Kunis). Tar literally brings us into the sensibility of the artist and into his special way of looking at things.

Williams’ words are used in the background, while vibrantly colored photographs flash on the screen. Sometimes, the movie appears to be more about the other four senses than that of the mere sight; it is the audience who holds the hand of the dearest ones, who smells the freshly cut grass, who senses the bittersweet taste of coffee.

On November 16, the Teatro Studio of the Auditorium Parco della Musica di Roma hosted a meeting with Franco himself. He was 35 minutes late, but he looked great and his fans forgave him and soon as he walked into the room. After a true storytelling of his early life and career, Franco was asked to distinguish between cinema and art: he admited to have passed from one to the other even in one of his own works, Rebel. The project involved young many-sided artists and was meant to bring back on the big screen the cult, Rebel Without a Cause in an alternative way. Nonetheless, in Franco’s opinion cinema cannot be considered art because it is also a means of entertainment, whereas art in its purest form is not and the artist is therefore freer to create a limited number of original works. What Franco tries to do in his life and career is mold the two worlds together, so that people can feel art as close to them as cinema is. This is exactly what Tar is about: bringing the life of an artist into a work of cinema.

Continued on Page 9

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Tired of eating pasta or salad? Willing to try something different? A new, interesting fast food just opened in Via del Moro, 37. Its name is Zafferano, like the exotic plant drawing its origins from the Arabic word zaʻfarān. And Arab is the cuisine there.

With its luminous glass windows, this little corner of Arabic world perfectly fits into the multicultural atmosphere of our dear Trastevere. After Chinese, Japanese and Indian restaurants, we can tickle our palates with specialties from the Middle East.

The menu offers just the right amount of specialties that will sat-isfy your tastes and save you from spending half an hour to decide what you want. Meat and vegetarian dishes are served, as well as a set of typical desserts that only wait to delight you. Colorful dishes of couscous, tasty Falafel patties, tender Fatayer pies can be wisely accompanied by intriguing beverages, such as nango juice, mint tea or goyave juice.

The only thing that remains to be said is: “bil hana wish shifa’!”

The maTThew fooD / ROMe FILM FeSTIVAL 2012

food cornErBy Francesca Passudetti and Paola Scotto Di Frega

Staff Writers

two nEw opEnings in trastEvErE

ZaffErano

Antica Focacceria San Francesco, historic restaurant founded in Palermo (since 1834), opened its doors in Rome. The inaugural ceremony was held in the evening on Thursday, November 15th.

Antica Focacceria brought its popular Sicilian specialties in Pi-azza della Malva (former Bar della Malva). The menu offers many Sicilian traditional dishes that respect the old recipes, and preserve the use of homemade products.

If you’re in a hurry you must order a Schitticchio, that is a popu-lar mix of mostly fried specialties including panelle, cazzilli, aran-cini etc. However, the menu will also please you with characteris-tic Made in Sicily first courses, second courses and fresh salads. Eventually, you cannot miss a sweet taste of cannoli, sette veli, or cassatina. What is more, the restaurant offers the possibility of en-joying a typical and different aperitivo for only 7 Euro.

exciting scents, unique flavors, old sensations: this is Antica Focacceria San Francesco.

antica focaccEria san francEsco

BULLET TO THE HEADDirected by Walter Hill.Cast: Sylvester Stallone, Sung Kang, Jason Momoa,

Christian Slater, Sarah Shahi.

For the keenest moviegoers, Walter Hill is one of the most important American directors of the 80’s – films such as Southern Comfort, The Warriors, and 48 Hrs. are well known and remembered by any action movie lover.

Hill’s newest work, Bullet to the Head, was pre-sented November 13 at the International Film Festi-val. Even though it was out of competition, the movie was one of the most applauded along with other inter-national works like Mental and Populaire.

We are in New Orleans and a Korean cop (played by Sung Kang) is forced to ally with a mercenary kill-er of Italian origins, Jimmy Bobo (played by Sylvester Stallone, in flesh and muscles on the red carpet and at the screening). The two will of course start enjoying each other’s company, also helped by the sentimen-tal developments between the cop and Sly’s fictional daughter (played by Sarah Shahi). The movie is light and the plot is basic; nevertheless, Hill is a master in mixing a country concert with the slaughtering of a character or in giving the anti-rhetorical grand finale just seconds before the closing credits.

BREAKING DAWN: PART IIDirected by: Bill CondonCast: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor

Lautner, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Peter Facinelli.

Out of competition and out of stars to fill the red carpet due to the brilliant decision of screening it in contemporary with the LA premiere, Twilight Saga’s Breaking Dawn Part II was another number of the Festival. The lack of their idols did not decourage the teenagers from buying the tickets for the premiere, which was a success in terms of sales. Bella is by now a vampire, and that would keep her family safe from the Volturi. However, a false rumor about her daughter Renesmee being an immortal child sets off the Italian vampire family against the Cullens.

While the first part of the movie partially lacks of action, the second is pretty entertaining and surprising and provides an adequate end to the commercial phenomenon of the saga.

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The maTTheweVenTs aT Jcu

About Us

The Matthew is the student-written and student-managed, nonprofit newspaper of John Cabot University.

The Matthew is published while classes are in session during fall and spring semesters. No part thereof may be reproduced in any form, in whole or in part,

without the consent of the managing editor.

Op-eds and Letters to the Editor may be submitted for publication by e-mail to newspaper@johncabot.edu.

Advisor Rosamaria Mancini

Editor-In-ChiefMatthew Carlebach

Head Copy Editor Tariro Mzezewa

Layout Editor Anna Prosvetova

SecretaryKsenia Kurileva

Editorial Board

creating Space continuEd from pagE 4and oranges of his abstract works, his space showcases his colorful art. It also plays an important hand in its creation. “Now I have the space I want. I was able to set up a situation where something surprising could come out of it.”

Flaccus does not see art as an esoteric endeavor to uncover some great inner genius, but a process of curiosity, of forming a relationship and sensitivity with the world outside of oneself. And what better way to create beauty than by being surrounded by it. For Flaccus, the process of creativity is much more interesting than the inner muse people imagine. He says, “that is just some myth people use as an excuse to never start being creative.”

By Patrick JohnsonContributing Writer

John Cabot University welcomed Nigerian businessman and founder of the Diamond Bank Pascal Dozie who spoke to students about the economic and political state of the nation. Dozie was accompanied by his wife, also a business leader in Nigeria.

In a room full of curious business-minded students, the duo answered questions about doing business in Nigeria, a notoriously com-plicated and corrupt country, but one that may hold the economic key to Sub-Saharan Africa.

prEsidEnt and foundEr of diamond bank nigEria visits Jcu

not losing hEr marblEsBy Jani GozaContributing Writer

Rome - John Cabot University welcomed Dr. Elizabeth Bartman, an expert on Greek and Ro-man art, to speak about a famed art collector in the cutthroat art dealing markets of 18th cen-tury Europe, Henry Blundell. The event, held on October 23, chronicled how Blundell, and other members of the competitive art trade, amassed large and renowned collections of antiquities in the late 1700s.

The event was sponsored by the Archeological Institute of America (AIA), Rome-SPQR Society and was part of a series of special monthly events held to celebrate the 40th anniversary of JCU. The mission of the series is to promote cross cultural dialogue in Rome in the tradition of American liberal arts education.

Some 40 students and faculty members filed into Aula Magna Regina, on the Guarini cam-pus, to hear Dr. Bartman present a concise and entertaining overview of Henry Blundell’s per-sonal life, his position as a wealthy landowner, and his progression into the surprisingly zealous art collecting scene of the aristocracy of 18th century Britain.

There were also members of the Roman branch of the AIA present, who are currently in the process of petitioning to be an official-ly chartered society within the organization of over 250,000 people worldwide. The group is short 15 members of this official accreditation. They offered a discounted student membership,

which includes an exclusive eligibility for fel-lowships worth up to $1000 that can be applied to a number of archeological field schools.

Dr. Bartman is the president of the AIA and has been serving the society in many capacities for over 30 years. She has published several books and numerous articles on classical Greek and Roman sculpture and is a renowned scholar throughout the world of art and archeology.

The article she detailed in her talk, “Henry Blundell’s Marbles in the Context of the Grand Tour,” was inspired by the potential sale of Blundell’s private collection of ancient marbles, the greatest in England outside of the British Museum. At the threat of losing such a treasure, English citizens voiced strong opposition, bringing into the spotlight the importance of the collection and of classical art and artifacts at risk of disappearing from public scholarly attention.

Dr. Bartman is grateful to the AIA, and to the budding community of supporters of archeology in Rome. She emphasized the need today for such societies to advocate the

The event was held in October. They painted a picture of optimism and

brushed aside the ideas that Nigeria was back-wards or inoperably corrupt. They assured stu-dents that Nigerian business operates like busi-ness in any other country. The recent advances in infrastructure have made it possible to con-duct business, women are more accepted in the workplace, and the banking system works well.

Dozie explained that doing business in Ni-geria is just the same as anywhere else in the world. He evaded questions about corruption noting, “Every country in the world has corrup-tion.”

Although some of Mr. Dozie’s answers were vague, the presentation was enlightening to the state of business and politics in Nigeria.

Students, especially International Business students would do well to re-gard Nigeria’s importance. It has the second largest GDP on the African con-tinent. “Nigeria is to Africa as America is to the world,” Dozie said. “Be ready, for Nigeria is here to stay.”

importance of archeology and most importantly the preservation of ancient sculptures. “Sadly,” she said, “too many of these marble sculptures end up as scrap pieces,” seen as worthless junk because of the extensive restoration they underwent in the 18th century.

Dr. Bartman’s presentation, which included a large collection of slides to provide visual context to her account, was followed by a question and answer session and a reception in the Lemon Tree Courtyard of the Guarini campus.