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MOCK HONORS SELF- DESIGNED PROPOSAL

Complete this proposal prior to your experiences start date and upload it in the UHP Database
(https://webapps.uc.edu/uchonorsstudent). Create an experience (Add a new record) in the Tracking Project
tab and upload your proposal document as an attachment. The deadline for submitting proposals is the 5th of
each month (excluding July).
Proposals are intended to be well developed plans for your experience. However, experiences are exploratory in
nature, and we are flexible with changes throughout the experience. If your experience changes after receiving
approval on your proposal, contact your honors advisor to verify the changes still satisfy the requirements of an
honors experience.

Basic Information
Full Name: Kendall Smith
Title of Project: Italy Exploration
Thematic Area(s): Global Studies
Expected Start Date: June 1, 2016
Expected End Date: June 17, 2016

1. Abstract
Ever since beginning to take Latin as a high school freshman and studying ancient historical sites and, in
particular, Rome, I knew I wanted to visit Italy and could get a lot of valuable information from going to Rome and seeing
all the classically-linked places in Italy. I would like to spend two weeks in Italy to fully immerse myself in Italian culture
and go back to the place where the classics originated. I think staying in Italy would be extremely beneficial to my studies
as a Classics major.
I feel that this experience is very important to me because I have devoted a great deal of my time as a student to
the classics and I know that the trip will greatly enhance my studies as a future classicist, and even perhaps inspire a
career choice. To see the historical sites I have learned about in classes would be a dream come true. I have even
translated texts by famous Roman authors which describe places in Italy that I would be able to see when I go. Not only
will seeing ancient ruins and historical sites be fascinating, I know that experiencing modern-day Italy will help me see
how the ancient Roman culture is still alive and thriving today.
The biggest thing I hope to gain from this experience is a sense of the connection between the ancient world
which I have been studying, and the modern one in which I live. I think going to the places where there is a distinct record
of the ancient world will help me see the link between the two and how important studying Classics is. To accomplish this
goal, I have in mind several sites I would like to visit. I would also like to learn more about modern Italian culture, as it is
another interest of mine, and plan to take some basic Italian courses online before I leave. I have prepared a tentative
itinerary, subject to change based on suggestions from my advisor and if something does not go as planned while I am
traveling. It is as follows:
June 1: Fly from CVG airport to FCO airport in Rome. Travel to my apartment, unpack, and settle in
June 2: Visit the Colesseum, ancient Roman Forum, Arch of Constantine, and Atrium Vestae
June 3: Visit the Palatine Musuem and National Roman Museums, shop and sightsee by foot
June 4: Visit the Pantheon, Baths of Diocletian, and the Piazza Navona
June 5: Shop at Trajans Market and the Domus Romane, then travel to the Ostia Antica, the gates of the city
June 6: Take a day trip to the Vatican to see St. Peters Basilica and Sistine Chapel, stop at the Pantheon on the way back
June 7: Day trip to Florence and Pisa, come back to the Trevi Fountain

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June 8: Day trip to Ostia Antica, then return to the Circus Maximus and Circus Maxentius
June 9: Stay in Rome to see the Arches of Janus and Septimius Severus
June 10: Check out of my apartment, visit the Appia Antica for Roman aqueducts, travel to Naples and check into a hotel,
then go to Baiae
June 11: Visit Pompeiis ruins and neighboring Paestum and Herculaneum
June 12: Check out of the hotel, explore Naples by foot, see the Flavian Amphitheater, travel to Sicily, check into a hotel
and go to the coast
June 13: Go to the Villa Romana del Casale to see ancient mosaics, and see the Valley of the Temples
June 14: Check out of the hotel, day of travel to Milan, check into a hotel
June 15: Explore Milan, see the Trebbia Battlefield, shop and take in local culture
June 16: Travel to Verona for the Verona Arena, then to Venice for the Doges Palace
June 17: Check out of the hotel, take a train back to Rome and depart for CVG

2. Experience Advisor
Note: Advisor(s) should have knowledge or expertise in an area related to the experience. Honors advisors, undergraduate
students, and family members cannot be experience advisors.
My experience advisor will by my high school Latin and Greek teacher, Kelly Kusch. She has traveled to Italy dozens of
times and is very knowledgeable about which sites are worth my time to see and which will be most educational. I plan to
meet with her and email her my potential itinerary so that I can use my time as efficiently as possible. We will
communicate openly about my trip before and, if needed, during my time abroad and our planning sessions before I leave
will be used to discuss where I will be staying, how to use public transportation, and how to best go from historical site to
site.
My first meeting with Ms. Kusch will be on May 11, where we will go over my itinerary and talk about any changes I
need to make, and I will continue meeting with her weekly until my trip, as well as at least once afterward to reflect on
what I saw and did. I feel good about working with Ms. Kusch since I have known her for five years and she is the reason
I decided to become a classics major. Her contact information is below.
Ms. Kelly Kusch
[phone number]
kelly.kusch@covingtonlatin.org

3. Connection to Learning Outcomes

a. My first learning outcome for this experience is to use all my experiences to tie events from the ancient
world to the modern world. This is an ongoing goal that will last throughout the entire trip as I visit
classical historical sites and ancient ruins. The places I plan to go are sites and cities I have been learning
about for years and seeing them in person and hearing what the tours have to say about them will really
intensify my learning experience. Reading about places and monuments and battles is one thing, but
seeing them for myself will be quite another, and I know this trip will help me as a classics major.
Classics are what I have chosen to dedicate my life to and learning about them so in-depth so early in my
studies is going to immensely help me form connections when I return to the classroom. To prepare
myself for this immersion into the classics for two weeks, I plan to study old texts I have translated by
Caesar, Cicero, Vergil, and Catullus, and even try to translate excerpts of other texts which pertain to the
places I will be visiting. I would like to spend at least 10 to 15 hours before the trip reviewing my old
translations and compiling texts to take with me to Italy, and then at least one hour per day while in Italy
while traveling or before bed to translate and read about the places I will be seeing that day or the next
day. The estimated time commitment for this learning outcome will be the two weeks I am actually in
Italy, as well as about 15 hours before I leave.
b. My second learning outcome is to be able to experience Italy, present-day, as much as possible as well.
Although the modern attractions are not as important to me on this trip as the ancient ones, I have tried to
incorporate a good mix of both into my itinerary. Since I plan to study Italian independently of my other
studies, I will be able to immerse myself well into Italy and interact with locals and understand what is
going on. I estimate that this will be done over the course of a semester, as I plan to look for an online

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course to teach me basic Italian. I am going to devote at least one hour per day for a semester so that I am
prepared on my own when I go to Italy. I anticipate that learning the language will take at least 150 hours
with both actual online class time and studying on my own. If needed, I will set aside more time to study
cultural customs and information about daily Italian life if it is not covered in the class.
c. Finally, my last learning outcome is to accomplish traveling on my own. I plan to travel by myself, not
with parents or friends, and I know this will be a lot of work. I will be in charge of my own money,
luggage, hotels and apartments, food, and schedule, and while this seems daunting, I intend to meet with
my advisor and consult as many resources as I can so that I know I will be prepared by myself. I will try
to find an Italian class that also covers culture and customs, but I will also do some research and talk to
people who have traveled or lived in Italy so that I know what to expect. I would like to devote about 20
hours to this learning outcome, and I intend to write down notes about what I need to know and what I
should do in an emergency, should one arise, so that I travel efficiently and safely. Altogether, before the
trip I would like to spend at least 175 or 180 hours in preparation, and then two weeks on the trip. I know
this is a big task, but it is worth it to me because this knowledge I gain will be used to further my studies
and can be used after I return home too.

4. Academic Resources Connected to the Learning Outcomes

a. I plan to use the set of poetry written by the Roman author Gaius Valerius Catullus. I have translated
around three dozen poems written by him which describe many parts of Italy, including several which I
have planned to see on my trip like the Via Appia and Baiae. I think Catullus is an excellent resource
because unlike other authors I have read, like Vergil, Catullus wrote about real life, not epic poetry or
descriptions of war. I think using his accounts of ancient Rome will help me visualize how Italy has
changed over the hundreds of years since he wrote his poetry.
b. To learn Italian, I would like to use the online resource, One Word Italiano, as well as free YouTube
series. I found one uploaded by the user Lavori in Corso Genova which discusses conversational Italian
and enables me to learn at my own pace. The online course is a good resource which will keep me
accountable by having regularly scheduled evaluations, and the YouTube series will be a good way for me
to supplement what I learn and rewatch the videos as I need while I travel.

5. On-going Reflection
I would like to use several different mediums to reflect on my trip, since it is so meaningful to me. I will be taking a
professional digital camera with me when I travel so that I can take high-quality pictures and videos, as well as using my
phone to document everything I do. I want to be able to summarize my trip using photography, from everything to the
historical sites to the food to where I will stay. I think reflecting visually will be interesting for me to look back on when I
am studying in later years. I also plan on journaling each day and later, uploading my journal entries, photos, and videos
to my Honors Portfolio. I have a series of questions prepared to keep myself focused on my academic goals and to write
as much as possible while I am away:
What destinations did you see today?
What did you do in preparation for seeing each place? What ancient texts did you read or translate, and
how did your knowledge of Latin and Greek culture enrich how you spent the day?
What skills did you use from your Italian classes and what cultural differences did you observe?
How did you become more independent today, and did you have to overcome any unforeseen
circumstances?
What connections can you make between the modern things you saw today to what classical things you
have studied, and vice versa?
Did you make an effort to use what you have been studying today even if it wasnt necessary (speaking
Italian, partaking in a local custom, extra translation or reading)?
What was the best part of the day and how can you plan better for tomorrow?

6. Sharing Your Learning

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I know that when I get back, I want to be able to document my experience and share it in as many ways as possible.
Firstly, I will use social media to showcase my photography, and I would like to compile vlogs for each day I am away by
combining videos, pictures, journal entries, and voiceovers so that all the ways I chose to reflect can be in one place. My
journal entries, vlogs, and photos will be posted on my Honors Portfolio, and I plan to ask the head of the Classics
department, Susan Prince, if there is any way I would be able to share my two weeks with other classics majors, perhaps
in a presentation during a Classics Club meeting or informal seminar on campus. I also want to ask my experience
advisor, Kelly Kusch, to come back to my old high school, Covington Latin School, and speak to students there who are
taking Latin and Greek. I think being able to inspire young students interested in classics would be a very important way
to share my experience, and I think they are my target audience, because not everyone who takes Latin and Greek realizes
that the classics are still very important today.

7. Budget (if applicable)

My budget will primarily consist of airfare and lodging while I am away, as well as travel between cities by train or
intercity by public transportation. As far as I can anticipate, my budget will be as follows:
1. Airplane ticket from CVG to FCO: $1910
2. Stay at a studio room in Rome ($25/night): $175
3. Archeologia Pass (reduced/free entrance to several Roman sites): $20
Since I am in the early stages of planning, I will consult my advisor and other knowledgable people to determine which
places I should stay when I am not in Rome, as well as which method of transportation to use. For this reason those things
are not included on my budget but I will be using my own money as well as a grant from the University of Cincinnati. I
am prepared to pay for most things I will be doing but need help mainly funding my travel.