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letter from the editor jjjj a new year and a new directionmm though helvetica is a great font let s face it it s overused and it was time for a change so with this our fourth magazine the blending staff is pleased to show off some of our new changes and we re not just talking about our new font ­ rockwell perhaps the most noticeable change is a new graphic design style that we believe better fits blending s original mission of showing florence campus s international students blending in with the city of florence and the italian culture nowhere is this more apparent than on the cover this is only the second time that a photograph of students has been featured on the cover of a blending publication and in this edition s cover we are happy to have katie ellis and katherine guzman literally blending in with a very purple polka-dotted background they are joined by chef maximilian zedelmeier to the left and instructor grace joh at the back who are blending in equally as well with their surroundings here in florence you may also notice a new logo at the top of the cover taking a little artistic license with our new font we redesigned the logo to create something that is more contemporary and better suits the publication s student-generated content flipping through the pages of this edition you will also find some new additions to the traditional blending content in an effort to showcase the artistic achievements of florence university of the arts students we have illustrated some articles with student-created paintings sketches and graphic designs from the circles art show that was hung at the ganzo cultural association in april of this year we have also added a calendar of events so students can remain better informed about activities sponsored by student services and be sure to check out the special futurist section submitted by simonetta ferrini s contemporary italian literature class on pages 12 and 13 we at blending are very proud of this issue so with no further adieu we present to you circles around florence happy reading nathan scott and the blending editorial staff blending 4 1

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founder gabriella ganugi magazine 4 executive editorial directors editorial creative director nathan scott design director alberto simoncioni executive editor grace joh assistant editor francesco grassellini creative consultant kandace phyall editorial contributors lauren duncan simonetta ferrini amanda filiaggi adrian gallegos nicholas hess bonnie hodul margot hoffar doo soo kim colleen kitka josh larson julia litchblau michelle mack sofia morales francisco olivi chris parthemos stephanie perna kelyn petrie kendall sale toni scialdone marina zecchino yueyi zhang photographic contributors lauren duncan sofia morales artwork contributors julia lichtblau michelle mack mary quinius wendy strauss abbey surrena this is a product of the student services department of florence campus published by ingorda publications and printed in may 2009 by publisher press service srl for more information please contact creative@florencecampus.it 2 u fa blending 4

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contentsjjjjjjj blending magazine spring 2009 27 6 7 10 11 12 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 25 26 27 28 29 31 32 33 35 index running circles around lucca nerds il calcio florentine rings a literary circle dante s 9 circles the mystery of the medici crest perfect as giotto s circles a circle of heritage gucci gucci gucci un altra direzione maiolice and other hand-painted beauties pizza makes the world go round le uova della primavera red grape roundup making the rounds at vinitaly the wine life two americans in prague circles under my eyes an italian circle of friends talking in circles on a train 31 1 4 9 36 departments letter from the editor calendar of activities did you know final look cover art by nathan scott blending 4 3

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student services calendar of activities june 2009 mon 1 classes begin yoga the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm sports night fua via magliabechi 1 9:00 pm tue 2 holiday school closed wed 3 contemporary italian film series squola via dell oriuolo 43 12:00pm zumba the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm aperiganzo ganzo via dei macci 85r 6:00pm thur 4 sports night fua via magliabechi 1 7:00pm blending student newsletter #1 ganzo via dei macci 85r 8:45pm fri 5 friday walks cascine park picnic ponte s trinite 2:00pm mon 8 yoga the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm sports night fua via magliabechi 1 9:00pm tue 9 contemporary italian film series squola via dell oriuolo 43 12:00pm abs legs the gym via guelfa 116 12:00pm hill tops p mich s miniato via magliabechi 1 5:00pm pilates the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm wed 10 zumba the gym via guelfa 116 5:00pm aperiganzo ganzo via dei macci 85r 6:00pm thur 11 sports night fua via magliabechi 1 7:00pm blending student newsletter #2 ganzo via dei macci 85r 8:45pm fri 12 aft amalfi coast friday walks gelato lab piazza duomo steps of chiesa s maria del fiore 2.00pm mon 15 yoga the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm sports night fua via magliabechi 1 9:00pm tue 16 contemporary italian film series squola via dell oriuolo 43 12:00pm abs legs the gym via guelfa 116 12:00pm hill tops hill tops fiesole piazza s marco 5.00pm pilates the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm wed 17 zumba the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm aperiganzo ganzo via dei macci 85r 6:00pm thur 18 sports night fua via magliabechi 1 7:00pm fri 19 discover italy viareggio beach mon 22 sports night fua via magliabechi 1 9:00pm tue 23 contemporary italian film series squola via dell oriuolo 43 12:00pm wed 24 holiday school closed thur 25 classes end 4 blending 4

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july 2009 mon 6 classes begin yoga the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm sports night fua via magliabechi 1 9:00 pm tue 7 contemporary italian film series squola via dell oriuolo 43 12:00pm abs legs the gym via guelfa 116 12:00pm hill tops p mich s miniato via magliabechi 1 5:00pm pilates the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm wed 8 zumba the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm aperiganzo ganzo via dei macci 85r 6:00pm thur 9 sports night fua via magliabechi 1 7:00pm blending student newsletter #3 ganzo via dei macci 85r 8:45pm fri 10 discover italy malenchini farm piazza s marco 2:00pm mon 13 yoga the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm sports night fua via magliabechi 1 9:00pm tue 14 contemporary italian film series squola via dell oriuolo 43 12:00pm abs legs the gym via guelfa 116 12:00pm pilates the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm wed 15 zumba the gym via guelfa 116 5:00pm aperiganzo ganzo via dei macci 85r 6:00pm thur 16 sports night fua via magliabechi 1 7:00pm blending student newsletter #4 ganzo via dei macci 85r 8:45pm fri 17 friday walks cascine park picnic ponte s trinita 2:00pm mon 20 yoga the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm sports night fua via magliabechi 1 9:00pm tue 21 contemporary italian film series squola via dell oriuolo 43 12:00pm abs legs the gym via guelfa 116 12:00pm hill tops hill tops fiesole piazza s marco 5.00pm pilates the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm wed 22 zumba the gym via guelfa 116 6:00pm aperiganzo ganzo via dei macci 85r 6:00pm thur 23 sports night fua via magliabechi 1 7:00pm fri 24 friday walks gelato lab piazza duomo steps of the church of s maria del fiore 2:00pm mon 27 sports night fua via magliabechi 1 9:00pm tue 28 contemporary italian film series squola via dell oriuolo 43 12:00pm wed 29 aperiganzo ganzo via dei macci 85r 6:00pm thur 30 classes end blending 4 5

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running circles around lucca one student s visit to lucca s piazza anfiteatro text photos by lauren duncan within the circular walled city of lucca lies another round arena sure to amaze any visitor as if a microcosm of lucca s encompassing walls piazza anfiteatro stuns those who stand inside it with its perfectly elliptical shape.the piazza today a modest plaza lined with cafés and boutiques was once a roman amphitheater bustling with assemblies and gladiator games construction began in the 1st century b.c and took decades to complete sometime between 70 and 96 ad a rich luccan funded the project so that it could be finished during the middle ages the plaza adopted the name parlascio derived from the latin word parlisium meaning amphitheater hence the arena was home to gladiator fights and other forms of roman entertainment yet anfiteatro s fate took a dark turn during the 6th century during the gothic wars of 535 ad the amphitheater was seized and its arches closed rendering the circle impenetrable its closure led to its partial decay until homes were built on its remaining ruins these homes triggered a walking through the piazza today a sense of historical significance seems to seep from its curved yellow walls behind the quaint shops and friendly eateries lies a turbulent past that is still visible in some parts of the area roman ruins can be found in some of the buildings that wrap around the plaza as well as in the lowest of the four arches through which people can enter.the charming city of lucca has much to offer yet piazza anfiteatro in all its circular glory is perhaps the most breathtaking sight of all www.italyguides.it bright turnaround for the piazza as they soon transformed into shops and eating places in the 1800s a luccan architect further transformed the piazza by establishing it as a crucial structure in the city center it was at this time that via dell anfiteatro the street surrounding the piazza was constructed 6 blending 4

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a study of black toe-socks and giant divotsnnnn nerds jjjj text by nathan scott a couple of weeks ago i was having a conversation with a certain apicius chef of the german persuasion and as we sat on the steps of mercato centrale eating our molto piccante lampredotto panini i inserted the word nerd into the conversation i believe i used the word to describe a male forty-something that passed by wearing black toe-socks sandals a plaid flannel shirt and a leather beret ­ a description which seemed to me totally applicable apparently it didn t seem quite so obvious to chef max he looked at me and asked nerd what does it mean after stuttering out a vague definition of nerd ­ something about being socially awkward due to an overemphasis on the importance of academics and science fiction novels i began to think what really makes a nerd a nerd never did i imagine i would discover the answer to that very question while generating potential circle-themed article topics for this edition of blending magazine let s write about galileo and his heliocentrism theory and i read somewhere that there have been crop circles in ancona before or what about the sirente crater field that might be interesting the sirente crater field who comes to italy to visit a crater field a nerd that s who and apparently i am one of the biggest i still have yet to visit rome but mention a field of giant divots and i m packing my bags in anticipation but who wouldn t be packing their bags to go see one of the youngest crater fields in the world comprised of over 20 different depressions the field is found in the sirente area of the apennines in abruzzo it was discovered by swedish geologist jens ormö in the late 1990s who through thorough investigation disproved all other formation hypotheses such as mud volcanic activity and world war ii bombing damage to conclude that the craters were formed by a meteorite impact in 412 ad give or take 40 years the largest of the craters measures almost 10 meters is diameter and 2.2 meters in height it fills with water occasionally and forms a temporary lake during certain times of the year but perhaps the most fascinating part of this field of giant holes is that this is the only crater field to make it into the history books at the time of its formation sirente was inhabited by a roman community under the lead of regio iv augustea it was a highly civilized region and people were beginning to take notes an oral story that was later written down by an unknown author details the formation of the crater field as follows an uproar hitan uproar hit the mountain and quartered the giant oaksthe violent arrival violent goddess the goddess aintense heat overwhelmed the mountain and quartered the giant oaks announcing announcing the of the arrival of a sudden and sudden and intense heat shout echoed all people and a the echoed all around splitting the air with its over there in the distance in the over the people and a overwhelmed thearound splittingshoutair with its trail of violence all of a sudden trail of violence all of a sudden,sky a new there in the distance the other a new star never and before bigger than the other ones behind the top of nearer appeared star never seen before bigger than in the sky,ones came nearerseen nearer appeared and disappeared came nearer and the eastern mountains peoples eyesand disappeared behind thegrowing the eastern bigger soon the star shone looked atas a strange light growing bigger and light looked at the strange light top of bigger and mountains peoples eyes as large the new sun an irresistible dazzling bigger soon the star shuddered discolored and curled irresistible dazzling light the sirente sky the oak leaves shuddered pervaded the sky the oak leaves shone as large as a new sun an up the forest lost its sap.pervaded thewas shaking in a tremendous rumble discolored and curled up the forest lost its sap the sirente was shaking a huge silence fell it seemed as if sank into a the statue sank into a sudden chasm the satyrs and the bacchantes fell down senseless in a tremendous rumble the statuetime had stopped sudden near the temple at the foot of the sirente and looked like huge silence had seemed as if the had stopped in in the ancient wood chasm the satyrs and the bacchantes fell downitsenseless a the mountainfell itnever existed time entire valley became the ancient wood near the temple at sheep of the from the numerous like the mountain had the strong trees nor a human dumb not a breath of wind could be heard nor athe footbleatingsirente and it lookedherds nor a rustle from never existed the entire sound valley became dumb not a breath of wind could be heard nor a sheep bleating from the numerous herds nor a rustle from the strong trees nor a human sound pretty cool huh so while you re rushing around trying to see all the historical sights that italy has to offer you might consider taking a trip to sirente just don t forget your black toe-socks and leather beret because let s face it if you are going to be a nerd and visit a crater field you might as well dress for success blending 4 7

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be your dog acrylic on canvas artwork by michelle mack

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did you know random facts for a random life marie antoinette s sister marie carolina wife of ferdinand i of sicily and in 1992 doug bower and dave chorley were awarded the ig nobel prize a parody of the nobel prize that is given each year for achievements that make people laugh and think for the series of hoax crop circles they created in england starting in 1976 naples had special ovens built in the forest so she could enjoy pizza while her husband and his hunting party ate wild ducks and pigs killed in t h e ave ra ge woman s ring size is about 6 t h e ave ra ge man s ring size i s about 10 the hunt due to a slowing down in the earth s orbit around the sun a leap second was added to the atomic clock on december 31 2008 that means time jumped ahead one second all around the world at 23:59:59 more fish live along the edges of the arctic ocean above the arctic circle than anywhere else on earth manhole covers are round because a circle is the only geometric shape that cannot fall inside itself if manhole covers were any other shape the cover could possibly be shifted in such a way that it easily falls through the hole blending 4 9

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il calcio text by sofia morales more than just a sport for italians soccer is a way of living it is fun exciting and tragic italy is definitely one of the countries where there is a passion for soccer it is highly disputed it is emotional and spontaneous players are praised but also condemned.there are 20 teams playing in the serie a the highest level in the italian soccer league system among those teams we can find fiorentina better known as the viola all around florence you can buy jerseys t-shirts sweat shirts scarves and caps of the fiorentina florentines are very serious about their team on match days you can sometimes find fans on piazza della repubblica singing and you can be sure to find many bars transmitting the match if you were to go to a florentine household you would probably find everyone watching the match on tv stadio artemio franchi is home to the viola with a capacity for 47,282 people you are sure to enjoy attending a match italians cheer sing and shout themselves to death it is truly an amazing experience although fiorentina last won the serie a in 1969 it is still a very strong team.this year they are fighting genoa for the fourth place the fourth place is very important because only the first four in the seria a classify for next season s champions league europe s most prestigious club cup fiorentina s star player is adrian mutu he is from romania and plays either striker or attacking midfielder he has been playing for the fiorentina since 2006 when he was also named best player of the season by il calcio la viola will always be loved by every florentine and soccer will remain an important part of the italian culture for them soccer is simply more than a sport 10 blending 4

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a student s florentine engagement florentine rings text by kendall sale a new ring has arrived in florence and it s perched upon fua student lisa chamber s finger lisa and her fiancé matt turner met during her sophomore year of high school his senior year the two became acquainted while playing a card game after school and have been dating for the past four years lisa is currently a 21 year-old painting major at plymouth state university in hopes of discovering a culture abundant in art and history she decided to spend this semester studying abroad in florence about three weeks after she arrived the day before valentine s day lisa received a mysterious phone call from an unknown italian phone number a voice that sounded like matt s told me to go outside said lisa she ran outside confused and finally spotted her boyfriend running down the opposite side of the street i freaked out when i saw him after giving her surprise visitor a tour of her apartment lisa took matt to her room to get settled in suddenly matt left and returned with something in his hand he got down on one knee and asked lisa will you be mine forever i was just so happy said lisa i just flung myself on top of him and gave him a huge hug the newly engaged couple is currently having a house built in goffstown new hampshire where they will move to when lisa returns from florence they plan to hold their wedding after lisa completes graduate school for art therapy a surprise proposal in italy is quite the fairytale said lisa of her engagement i couldn t have asked for anything more 11 blending 4

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a literary circle the futurist movement text by simonetta ferrini s contemporary italian literature class futurism was one of the most important and artistically disruptive european avant-garde movements of the first decades of the 20th century founded in 1909 by f.t marinetti italian futurism influenced different forms of creativity such as poetry painting sculpture theater and music in poetry the futurists tried to break away with the traditional themes and structures of the past in their different manifestoes they rejected the use of rhymes and abolished punctuation articles adjectives and adverbs they used non-conjugated verbs replaced prepositions with mathematical signs and introduced onomatopeic sounds and graphic effects so that the final result was an explosive mixture of new revolutionary forms of expression in both poetry and painting they celebrated the advent of modernity in all its forms speed technology movement city life crowds and factories they scorned romanticism wornout poetical clichés and any idealization of the past forgotten and ignored for a long time after the end of the second world war because of their support to the fascist regime of benito mussolini the futurists have only recently been rediscovered and re-evaluated for their considerable artistic achievements and innovations two important exhibitions have been held in rome and milan to celebrate the centennial of this rebellious visionary movement we as students of contemporary italian literature would like to offer our own personal contribution to the official celebrations with a futurist poem we created as a group the poem is meant to be an expression of our deep gratitude appreciation and emotional response for everything we have learned experienced and absorbed throughout our time in italy and as a memory of a very enjoyable time spent in class 12 blending 4

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