What happened to Tech Rome?

[dmcguirt23]

Yeah, Tech's study abroad options are definitely a little lacking. Last fall I tried to get Dr. Willoughby to sign Tech on to an exchange program so I could study overseas next year. I called him and met with him once a week for probably a month trying to convince the administration to sign on with the International Student Exchange Program. I have a friend that went through them at his school and had a blast studying at Utrecht University. Something like 250 U.S. schools are part of it and I think around 300 foreign schools. Long story short, the higher ups couldn't find $2500 to register Tech with the program, so now I'm doing a "domestic exchange" to UConn and then going abroad for a semester from there.

[NathanDarby]

I too was very deeply dissapointed that they discontinued Tech Rome. I was lucky enough to get to go for free in '98 as one of the Merit finalists, but would have definitely gone anyway had Tech not paid for it. I can tell you it was a HUGE factor in me deciding to come to Tech in the first place. When the recruiter tells you they will give you a free summer in Rome, that is hard to turn down! It was hands down one of the best experiences of my life. There is such a difference in visiting a distant place and LIVING in a distant place, even if it is for a short time. You really felt a part of the neighborhood where the "campus" was located, and the locals looked forward to us coming every year. I could go back there today and still know the area like the back of my hand, just like any other place you call home during your life.

In a football related angle, I was of course playing at the time and had to be able to work out while there. I went the first day to what I was told was the nicest gym in Rome to see about joining for the couple of months we would be there. Of course the girl at the desk did not speak english, but went and got the owner, who was a really nice American fellow named Ed Cheever. You may have heard of his son Eddie Cheever, who had just won the Indy 500 a few weeks before we got to Rome. So being an American and understanding football and the need to work out, he hooked me up for the summer I got to enjoy his very nice facility. Actually it was about the only decent gym in town, as it turns out the Italians are not nearly as into working out as Americans are and health clubs like we know here just don't exist there. I gave him a Tech t-shirt and he said he would definitely be following our games. I did my running just down the street from our hotel at the Circus Maximus. It was really awe-inspiring to me when I would really think about it.....here I was getting ready for the football season on the same ground all those chariot races took place in front of 200,000 Romans thousands of years earlier. I was out there running one day and happened to have on Tech football shirt, and a guy came running up and stopped me. I don't remember his name, but he was a Tech alum visiting Rome with his family (not with the Tech Rome program) and he said the last thing he expected to see at the Circus Maximus was a Tech player doing sprints!

Anyway, I have so many great memories of that summer and I think Tech Rome was such a great advertisment and point of pride for Tech. It was always fun to tell folks that Tech had a satellite campus in Rome! It is a crying shame they did away with it. Hopefully it can be resurrected in the future.

[Dawgpix]

I too was very deeply dissapointed that they discontinued Tech Rome. I was lucky enough to get to go for free in '98 as one of the Merit finalists, but would have definitely gone anyway had Tech not paid for it. I can tell you it was a HUGE factor in me deciding to come to Tech in the first place. When the recruiter tells you they will give you a free summer in Rome, that is hard to turn down! It was hands down one of the best experiences of my life. There is such a difference in visiting a distant place and LIVING in a distant place, even if it is for a short time. You really felt a part of the neighborhood where the "campus" was located, and the locals looked forward to us coming every year. I could go back there today and still know the area like the back of my hand, just like any other place you call home during your life.

In a football related angle, I was of course playing at the time and had to be able to work out while there. I went the first day to what I was told was the nicest gym in Rome to see about joining for the couple of months we would be there. Of course the girl at the desk did not speak english, but went and got the owner, who was a really nice American fellow named Ed Cheever. You may have heard of his son Eddie Cheever, who had just won the Indy 500 a few weeks before we got to Rome. So being an American and understanding football and the need to work out, he hooked me up for the summer I got to enjoy his very nice facility. Actually it was about the only decent gym in town, as it turns out the Italians are not nearly as into working out as Americans are and health clubs like we know here just don't exist there. I gave him a Tech t-shirt and he said he would definitely be following our games. I did my running just down the street from our hotel at the Circus Maximus. It was really awe-inspiring to me when I would really think about it.....here I was getting ready for the football season on the same ground all those chariot races took place in front of 200,000 Romans thousands of years earlier. I was out there running one day and happened to have on Tech football shirt, and a guy came running up and stopped me. I don't remember his name, but he was a Tech alum visiting Rome with his family (not with the Tech Rome program) and he said the last thing he expected to see at the Circus Maximus was a Tech player doing sprints!

Anyway, I have so many great memories of that summer and I think Tech Rome was such a great advertisment and point of pride for Tech. It was always fun to tell folks that Tech had a satellite campus in Rome! It is a crying shame they did away with it. Hopefully it can be resurrected in the future.

Great story!

[markay714]

Never was interested in travel very much when I was at Tech so didn't sign on for Tech Rome, but being jet lagged from my return trip from Moscow on Sunday, my perspective has changed a bit now. Got the privilege of travelling with a young lady who was returning to Moscow for the first time since she was 8. She lived in one of the former Soviet regions now an independent country. It sort of felt like a living history lesson with her - then reading about all of y'all's travels with Tech Rome it sure made me wish I'd taken advantage of it! Hopefully they'll revisit it!

[LT]

They stopped the program sometime while I was in school (early to mid 90s) but I do not remember the reason. There were still students participating, and Dr. Meade was still the sponsor. I remember that he was pretty upset.

I do not know the specific reason for cancelling the program.

another casualty to dr's beloved grad programs in biomedical and nano engineering ?

[inudesu]

another casualty to dr's beloved grad programs in biomedical and nano engineering ?

I heard it was more about this.

Left with Steve Rodakis.

But I have never heard a good reason for not finding a sucessor.

[TechDawgMc]

Almost every school I know about has worked on developing international experience classes -- especially in the college of business. We have a semester program in London and take about 4 short semester (usually 6 hours credit) international trips a year. Hard to understand why Tech would be cutting back in that area.

Never really considered TRome since I was in the College of Engineering and it was hard to get many classes that fit -- and I was poor, which didn't help either (I did get to spend a summer in Zimbabwe thanks to La. Baptists). I will strongly encourage my daughter to go when the time comes, though. It's just too much of a global society not to do so.

[aai004]

When I google Tech sometimes I see stuff related to a Rome campus. Can any of the old times tell me what it was all about? Did we really own/lease property there, did it run full time? or was it just a summer program at another university?

[qng001]

A study abroad program.

See thread: http://www.latechbbb.com/forum/showt...ech-Rome/page2

[inudesu]

We had a summer study abroad program that went to Rome for something like 30 years. It was awesome.

Last year was 2000.

[Dirtydawg]

We had a summer study abroad program that went to Rome for something like 30 years. It was awesome.

Last year was 2000.

That was one long summer.

[champion110]

It was an awesome program. Wish they still had it.........

[alaskantechrome99er]

Hi all!

My name is Lisa, and I went to Tech Rome in 1999. I believe that was the second-to-last year it was held? Anyway, a bunch of people from that year gathered today for a reunion. I live in Alaska, so I skyped in, and it was so cool to to see everyone!

I have lived in Alaska for most of my life. I attended undergrad at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (go Nanooks!! :-)). I still remember coming across a poster advertising Tech Rome in the hallway of on of the buildings on my campus (all the way in Fairbanks, Alaska!!). It was one of those posters where you could tear off the card, fill it out, and send away for more information. This was in 1998, so it wasn't so long ago that you couldn't use the Internet to send away for info, but that's just how I did it. I was at the tail end of a relationship with a guy that I was growing away from, and I was looking for a big adventure. I am of Italian descent, and had always dreamed of going to Italy to visit the place of my ancestry and feel a bit more connected to my family history. I'm about 6th or 7th generation American, so my family has been here for a long time, but I still wanted to see where it all began :-)

I said I wanted adventure, and boy, ask and ye shall receive! As I said before, I went in the summer of 1999, and it was the best summer of my life!! The view from my room at Casa Kolbe was the Palatine Hills, and I could see the Roman Forum if I leaned to my right. There was plenty of time for trips as a whole group and individual exploration. I got to see the Pope in person (JPII) - twice!! One of my favorite things to do there was go to Giolitti's gelateria, get a scoop of the champagne gelato, and hang out at Piazza Navona with my newfound friends, many of whom I still keep in touch with 15 years later.

I am so glad I tore that little card off of the poster and sent it in!

PS. I hear that Casa Kolbe has since been renovated into high-end condos and a four-star hotel. No more sneaking up to the 4th floor to try and catch a glimpse of the monks, or hanging out in the lobby with Fabio and Maurizio!

[alaskantechrome99er]

Hi all!

My name is Lisa, and I went to Tech Rome in 1999. I believe that was the second-to-last year it was held? Anyway, a bunch of people from that year gathered today for a reunion. I live in Alaska, so I skyped in, and it was so cool to to see everyone!

I have lived in Alaska for most of my life. I attended undergrad at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (go Nanooks!! :-)). I still remember coming across a poster advertising Tech Rome in the hallway of on of the buildings on my campus (all the way in Fairbanks, Alaska!!). It was one of those posters where you could tear off the card, fill it out, and send away for more information. This was in 1998, so it wasn't so long ago that you couldn't use the Internet to send away for info, but that's just how I did it. I was at the tail end of a relationship with a guy that I was growing away from, and I was looking for a big adventure. I am of Italian descent, and had always dreamed of going to Italy to visit the place of my ancestry and feel a bit more connected to my family history. I'm about 6th or 7th generation American, so my family has been here for a long time, but I still wanted to see where it all began :-)

I said I wanted adventure, and boy, ask and ye shall receive! As I said before, I went in the summer of 1999, and it was the best summer of my life!! The view from my room at Casa Kolbe was the Palatine Hills, and I could see the Roman Forum if I leaned to my right. There was plenty of time for trips as a whole group and individual exploration. I got to see the Pope in person (JPII) - twice!! One of my favorite things to do there was go to Giolitti's gelateria, get a scoop of the champagne gelato, and hang out at Piazza Navona with my newfound friends, many of whom I still keep in touch with 15 years later.

I am so glad I tore that little card off of the poster and sent it in!

PS. I hear that Casa Kolbe has since been renovated into high-end condos and a four-star hotel. No more sneaking up to the 4th floor to try and catch a glimpse of the monks, or hanging out in the lobby with Fabio and Maurizio!

[ITdrummer]

Hi all!

My name is Lisa, and I went to Tech Rome in 1999. I believe that was the second-to-last year it was held? Anyway, a bunch of people from that year gathered today for a reunion. I live in Alaska, so I skyped in, and it was so cool to to see everyone!

I have lived in Alaska for most of my life. I attended undergrad at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (go Nanooks!! :-)). I still remember coming across a poster advertising Tech Rome in the hallway of on of the buildings on my campus (all the way in Fairbanks, Alaska!!). It was one of those posters where you could tear off the card, fill it out, and send away for more information. This was in 1998, so it wasn't so long ago that you couldn't use the Internet to send away for info, but that's just how I did it. I was at the tail end of a relationship with a guy that I was growing away from, and I was looking for a big adventure. I am of Italian descent, and had always dreamed of going to Italy to visit the place of my ancestry and feel a bit more connected to my family history. I'm about 6th or 7th generation American, so my family has been here for a long time, but I still wanted to see where it all began :-)

I said I wanted adventure, and boy, ask and ye shall receive! As I said before, I went in the summer of 1999, and it was the best summer of my life!! The view from my room at Casa Kolbe was the Palatine Hills, and I could see the Roman Forum if I leaned to my right. There was plenty of time for trips as a whole group and individual exploration. I got to see the Pope in person (JPII) - twice!! One of my favorite things to do there was go to Giolitti's gelateria, get a scoop of the champagne gelato, and hang out at Piazza Navona with my newfound friends, many of whom I still keep in touch with 15 years later.

I am so glad I tore that little card off of the poster and sent it in!

PS. I hear that Casa Kolbe has since been renovated into high-end condos and a four-star hotel. No more sneaking up to the 4th floor to try and catch a glimpse of the monks, or hanging out in the lobby with Fabio and Maurizio!

I traveled to Rome and Venice for my Honeymoon this past June. To put it plainly, I LOVED Rome. We loved it so much, actually, that we are going on another European vacation this summer to Rome, Paris , and London. Rome is such an awesome city with amazing history. I will have to try out that Gelateria you mentioned. Our favorite restaurant, and one we are specifically going back to this next time, was called Ristorante Allessio near Roma Termini. Very quaint little restaurant with great food.