Tuesday March 25, 2014

By:  Vincenzo Cunsolo

As you can probably tell by my name, I’m Italian, and it’s always the prime observation made by everyone I meet. Yes I eat a lot of pasta, yes I have a big family, yes I know how to make wine, and yes ladies I’m a romantic. But I’m not in the mafia, or at least I don’t want you to know that I am, and I’m not a muscle-head, fist-pumper from the Jersey Shore. I have always considered myself as an Italian-American, but Italian first and foremost. However, last week on my trip to Florence, Italy, I began to question my heritage. 

Over Spring Break, I went on the University’s trip to Florence. I first heard about the trip last semester in when Dr. Matchak made a presentation to my Introduction to Professional Writing class. I thought it would be cool to finally visit the homeland, yet when I got there I was overwhelmed. The flight was a nine hour drag; even though the airline provided food and T.V, I can’t sit still for anything that long. When I got to the hotel, I spent at least fifteen minutes trying to figure out how to turn on the lights, and I wasn’t really digging the twin-size beds.

But when I left the hotel and began to walk around the beautiful city of Florence, I was quickly at ease. It didn’t take long for me to become accustomed to the city streets; the first night my cousin and I took a stroll to Santa Croce square and laid-back on the steps of the breathtaking Basilica. Then, the same night when we went to a restaurant, the waiter approached us speaking Italian, and again I began to feel overwhelmed.

My father was born in Sicily; he moved to America when he was eleven, which gives me dual-citizenship; however, I don’t speak Italian. Despite, having a father who speaks the language, and despite taking four years of Italian in high school and one year at Salem State, I only managed to accumulate the basics. My father never spoke to me in Italian, and in high school my teacher was too busy getting pregnant every year. Suddenly, I didn’t feel Italian anymore; I was just another American tourist.

Luckily, the majority of the people in Italy spoke English, and eventually I was able to enjoy my trip. It was great. I bargained with a gypsy, I scaled all billion or so steps of the Duomo of Florence to the top where the view was amazing. I traveled to Venice and took a ferry to the Piazza San Marco and then to the Murano glass studio to witness how they make their famous glass products. I hopped on a bus to the hills of Siena and had gelato in the middle of the Campo, and even my uncle who I haven’t seen since I was ten came to visit from Milan.

My vacation started out slow, but eventually it turned out to be wonderful. I realized how much I don’t know about Italy and how much I want to learn. I’m definitely going back someday to checkout Rome, Milan, and Sicily, but not until I lean how to speak the language, and not until I learn more about the culture.

I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed spring break. Megan McAuliffe, a fellow student, also went on the trip to Florence. “I’m very glad I went on the trip to Florence. It was amazing. It is hard to describe all the sights I saw and how majestic it all was. Like the Duomo, I could never put into words how truly amazing it was to see it with my own eyes. It’s not something you can put into words because pictures do these beautiful sights no justice whatsoever.”

Two other students, Victoria Gaddy and Alison Sabean, went to St. Joseph, Missouri with the Community Service Club. Sabean described her service saying, “We worked with Habitat for Humanity to do work on a house – specifically siding, painting, and building two porches.” And Gaddy expressed her gratitude. “Going on my second Alternative Spring Break trip has taught me more about myself and others than I could possibly imagine. I have never experienced greater kindness than that of my group-mates and the people of ‘St. Joe’ Missouri, I don’t consider these people friends, I consider them to be my family. I would do anything to relive this Spring Break trip. “

 I’m sure everyone who attended these trips, escaping the freezing cold of Salem, had something similar to say. I’m sure everyone felt like they stole and brought home a little piece of their spring break: I know I did.

 “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, / Old Time is still a-flying: / And this same flower that smiles to-day / To-morrow will be dying.”

I am not Robert Herrick; in fact, I don’t even have the brain capacity to be Robin Williams from Dead Poets Society. However, I am preaching the same played out stich: Carpe Diem.

The week before I left for Italy, My friend Jay and I went around the Salem State University campus and asked students to share their plans for Spring Break, and with the exception of a few going to Florida, New York, and others returning home, we succumbed to the conclusion that Salem State students don’t possess the travel bug.

I understand money is an issue for students; my wallet isn’t exactly backbreaking either, but I’m managed to take time off to attend the university’s trip to Florence, Italy. If Italy isn’t exactly your desired destination, Salem State also offers other trips to places like Barbados and Montreal, Canada where financial aid is available. Or like Allison Sabean and Victoria Gaddy you can help work with Habitat for Humanity. And if you actually took time and looked around the campus’s bulletin boards, then you would have already known this and you could have experienced something fantastic, but instead the deadline passed while you were sleeping in your dorm room.

In case you were wondering, Jay, once again, climbed Mt. Washington, but I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t want to take on something that ambitious.

Now, I’m not telling you to travel abroad, do community service, or scale giant mountains; I’m not even telling you to leave the state. I just want you to leave your bed. Mid-terms are over; it’s a time to celebrate, so next spring break get off your ass, call up a friend, and do something different. Take a road trip. Get that tattoo you’ve been saving for, go see that band you love, or just take a walk. Anything is better than sleeping away your spring break. Because when you sleep you have nightmares. When you have nightmares you wet the bed. When you wet the bed, your roommates make fun of you. When your roommates make fun of you, you get angry. When you get angry you curse at bad drivers. And when you curse at bad drives you get knocked out by an old man with a cane. Don’t get knocked out by an old man with a cane.

Forget sleep and next year be sure to make plans and enjoy your Spring Break; it only comes around once a year, so gather ye rosebuds while ye may. 

Contributor’s Note:  Vincenzo Cunsolo is an English major and will graduate this coming May.