During the second session of summer school, a Beginning Drawing, taught by Hagop Najarian left to study in Italy for four weeks.

There were 24 students who went on the trip to Italy along with two advisers.

The group of students had been preparing for this trip for quite some time before it left, learning history, culture and the language.

While in Rome, the students studied many historical buildings, statues, and the city life. The students went to school at the University of Washington Rome campus and learned how to draw four days out of the week from 9 a.m. to noon by Najarian.

They also had 24 hour access to the studio, so they could work in the studio whenever they liked.

They went on many walking and bus trips around the city looking for things to draw or sketch in their books.

Mostly everywhere you travel in Rome is by walking unless you have a moped or a smart car, which only one person can fit in.

The class’ main focus was in Rome, but students traveled to little hill towns that had their own style to them.

“Rome has a very busy life to it and each city has its own charm,” Najarian says.

Rome has so much great art that the students got up close and personal with many famous places such as the Michelangelo’s David, the Vatican, St. Frances of Assisi and the Colosseum.

The students lived in the center of Rome called the Piazza Campo Dei Fiori, which was near the Vatican.

The students did have homework like a normal Beginning Drawing class would have except they got up close to the real thing.

Students were overwhelmed by all the different ways the people in Italy live their life.

They live a very different lifestyle than Americans. “They live life first and jobs are second,” Najarian says.

They actually make time to go home and shut down their businesses from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. everyday just to spend time with their family.

Everyone was so intrigued by all the history around the city their sketch books were filled with many drawings.

The students took four major field trips while on their visit and had lots of free time to just explore the cities and have some time to reflect on the historical sites.

The students even kept a journal everyday to write their thoughts, ideas, and drawings. Students engaged in activities in the city such as the disco in the colosseum, that had a variety of music for everyone’s enjoyment and dinner.

The food was excellent and fresh everyday. The students could go down to the market place and get fresh fruit, vegetables and practically anything they wanted.

Many students tried coffee and gelato for the first time.

Whenever the students got thirsty they would drink out of the public water fountain that was placed on every corner.

Najarian plans on making this an annual trip for the class and will continue to stay in Rome.

“Where else can you go that you have so much art history wrapped up in one city,” Najarian says.

The trip cost $2,500 for four weeks in Italy. The students paid for the trip themselves and some students had help from financial aid and student loans.

Jun-Sik Kim contributed

to this article