The students in ENGR 271 Roman Structures, Engineering & Society are headed to Rome! We began our acclimation and knowledge building over the summer with readings, online discussions, and research-curiosity-projects! A key text that we have built a Roman engineering foundation upon is Bill Addis’s “Building: 3000 Years of Design Engineering and Construction”. Over the fall semester our Roman engineers have been meeting in small groups to start structural analysis on seminal structures; we have had a survival Italian language mini-course; and we have started our class discovery on the intersection of engineering and society. Our hard working, curious students (and instructor) are ready to go! A presto, Rome! 

Engineering among the Roman ruins and renaissance masters’ works has been a phenomenal opportunity to understand the foundation of our field. Yet, mass today at St. Peter’s Basilica held an unanticipated gift. We may not have understood everything that was said in Italian, but the significance of the worldwide church held a new, nuanced meaning as we participated in the mass with people from around the world. Yes, the soaring space creates the effect that the designers intended, but a stronger much more essential sense of what it means to be present in one’s faith exists in this space, regardless of the structure. Our families are celebrating the Epiphany today; it may be viewed as a celebration of the fulfillment of hope. Experiencing the hope of the Epiphany in this sacred space is an extraordinary opportunity and gift. (Friends back home, the Epiphany was officially celebrated on Friday in Italy.) As we left the Basilica we joined the crowd, mass if you will, in St. Peter’s square. The Pope appeared at noon and addressed the packed the crowd who waited to see and hear from him. This has been a phenomenal day.