The Matthew Online

Students take to the streets to protest schools reform

By Elizabeth Fleming 

Rome, Nov. 9 - Late last month Italy's Education Minister Maria Stella Gelmini’s controversial public education reform was approved by lawmakers, introducing radical changes throughout the education sectors that are deeply unpopular with students, parents and opposition politicians.

Leader of the Democratic Party, Walter Veltroni, is promoting a national referendum to repeal the decree. Students and parents are joining him with massive protests in Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples, Bologna, Bari and Turin.

In Rome, university professors and teachers joined in the effort by leading lessons throughout different piazzas in Rome; more are planned.

Critics say the new proposal -- which would includes spending cuts of nearly 8 billion euros, a return to single-teacher system for subjects in primary schools, and grades for conduct -- will set Italian schools back 30 years, damaging classroom reforms set in the 1970s.

The concept of having one teacher per primary school class will result in tens of thousands of teachers losing their jobs. Parents believe that a return to a one-teacher-per-class system (from three teachers today) will cause a drop in education standards and potentially the elimination of courses like theatre and music. And, cutting the school week from 31 hours per week to 24 will cause logistical headaches for working parents, others contend.

“This law pushes toward the direction of privatization in the University sector,” said, Rosa Filardi, a John Cabot University Italian instructor. “With privatization comes a huge separation between the rich and poor. Taxes will increase making it harder for some families to even send their children to university,” she added.

After the vote was taken, the 134 senators against the reforms joined the students, teachers, and other protesters outside in Rome's Palazzo Madamo. Veltroni believes that both schools and universities will be damaged by the new reforms passed and will have devastating effects on the education system. In order for a referendum to pass, Veltroni needs 500,000 signatures and in a city with nearly three million people, it will be interesting to see whether or not he reaches the goal.

Already, the Center Right government of Silvio Berlusconi, the architects behind the plan, are considering watered-down alternatives.

JCU students join pilgrimage to Assisi

By Christiana Rein

ROME, Nov. 10 - A group of John Cabot University students on Saturday joined 5,000 other university students from across Rome for the Sixth Annual Pilgrimage to Assisi, the birthplace of Saint Francis.

The day started with an early rise, meeting the leader of the group Father Osvaldo, born and raised in Assisi, in Piazza Trilussa to catch the bus. The students were later joined by another group of students from the Regina Pacis Parish and also Salesian nuns from Monteverde.

Upon arrival at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli, where Saint Francis founded the Orders of the Friars Minor in 1209, Cardinal Agostino Vallini, head of the pilgrimage from the Diocese of Rome, welcomed everyone and opened the ceremony with a mass. At the end of the mass, students exchanged the previously-received Tau, the Franciscan symbol used since the Old Testament. Saint Francis used the Tau for its similarity with the cross as a symbol of God’s hope and love for human beings.

The three kilometer pilgrimage immediately started after mass. Everyone headed up hill on their way to the town of Assisi, following the terracotta “Bricked Road”. At the end of the spiritual walk, the groups divided and could see the famous churches of Saint Francis, Saint Damian, and Saint Clare, enjoying not only the religious meanings of the visit but also the beautiful artwork with the particular panorama of the Umbrian hill town.

The closing of the ceremony took place in the Basilica of Saint Francis. At the end, everyone lit a candle and walked back from Assisi to Santa Maria degli Angeli for the return trip to Rome. Father Osvaldo ended the journey by saying, “I am glad the church offers this service for young university students because the future of the world is in their hands”.

Kicks, Melodies Fly at JCU Talent Show

By Adam Hembree

ROME Nov. 7 – Wednesday night marked John Cabot University’s first ever talent show, “JCU’s Got Talent,” inviting students and faculty to show their skills and sending all donations to aid against refugees of the civil unrest in Darfur. 

As a crowd of students, faculty and families looked on, participants sang, danced and even fought their way to well-deserved applause. Between Bach concertos, opera solos and a staged karate routine, a wide range of entertainment greeted the audience of the Aula Magna auditorium.  

At one point, host and English Professor Peter Alfano claimed that University President Franco Pavoncello had been scheduled to perform.  As he was “unable to make it,” however, the audience was treated to an “off-the-cuff” performance from Giorgio Silva di Bella of the Housing Department. His powerful rendition of “Balla mia Esmeralda” from Notre Dame de Paris was certainly a pleasant surprise.  

Jessica Taylor, a JCU student who performed two solo numbers on guitar, including one of her own composition, played with her band at “Good Café” down the street directly after the talent show.  

The headlining performance of the evening, however, was most certainly the final performance by the faculty band (pictured below), including six professors and one “future professor.”  The audience loudly enjoyed a set including “Stand By Me” and a rendition of “Sympathy for the Devil” that Mick Jagger would be proud of.  

The coordination of all of this fell to Students Taking Action Now Darfur, John Cabot’s largest student-run organization. STAND is a student division of the Genocide Intervention Network, and encourage international defense against violence targeting civilians.  

STAND will also have a donation table set up at “Battle of the Bands,” to be held on November 18.  All proceeds go to the Refugee Center on Via Nazionale.  

The organization put on a good show, in addition to providing free pizza and drinks, as well as snacks at every table. Student reaction was certainly favorable. 

“It was better than chocolate-covered election,” said Theology major Joseph Bramanti, 20.  

The responsive audience certainly shared his sentiments, providing boisterous support and even successfully calling for an encore, on one occasion. All left with the knowledge that John Cabot University does indeed have some talent to show off.

U.S. elections may be over, but the discussion continues

 By Brooke Payne 

ROME, Nov. 5 - There is a general sense of relief among John Cabot University students - both Democratic and Republican supporters alike - as the long awaited U.S. election finally ended last night when Barack Obama was announced the new president-elect.

Some students are elated with the outcome. Others are disappointed. Most though are just happy to move on.   

“I’m glad the election is over,” said JCU student Megan Schlag.  “We have the first caucus in Iowa and the election has dragged on for the past year.”  

Even though abroad, JCU students have been closely following the election and feel the effects of election exhaustion -  presidential debates were still watched, roundtable discussions attended, and arguments between students still ensued.    

“I’m sick of the arguments,” said JCU study abroad student, Courtney Gladu.  “I’m disappointed with the outcome, but what is done is done, and now I can only hope for the best.”  

The polls indicated for several weeks an Obama victory, but Obama supporters were still nervous.  Obama supporter and JCU student Juliette Laaka expressed relief. “I have renewed faith in American society, and am happy that citizens finally took a stand.  We desperately needed this change,” she said.

Along with many Obama fans, Laaka is awaiting the January inauguration and has tentative plans to attend. 

Still, the fact that Obama is the country's first African American president generates some concerns among many students.  The United States has a long history of racial tension, at times violent, that still exists in some parts of the country.  People are afraid of what extremists might do. Jamie Witt voiced this concern, “I’m concerned some parts of the nation and individuals will be a threat to the President. I worry about extremists trying to harm Obama and the general ignorance he may encounter.” 

This is one of the most prevalent concerns expressed among both Democrat and Republican students alike.  

As the election map indicates, the United States is still divided. The south is still predominantly Republican, while the Northeast and West Coast is democratic. The next year will indicate if the states can collectively work together to solve the extensive economic and geopolitical issues we face or if the division will remain and hinder the progress that must be made to get the United States back on track.