Save the Cats!

Cat Sanctuary. Credit: NY Times

A old memory from Rome came to mind today. One early morning in Rome--and when I say early, I mean just closed the bar early--my friends and I waited anxiously for the first bus of the day to appear. We sat at the bus stop across from the ruins of Torre Argentina, a site that hosts four Roman temples and the remains of Pompey's Theatre, where it is said Julius Cesar was stabbed. As I slumped in my exhausted state, a lone tabby cat sauntered across the deserted road to investigate the source of ruckus that was our crew. Considering it was a stray, it was in decent shape: healthy coat of fur, good weight, no signs of injury or malnutrition. This was a car I could take home with me. At the time, I did not realize that Torre Argentina was more widely known as the "cat forum," because of its large population of feline inhabitants. I found myself returning to the square a couple days later to find hundreds of cats playing, lounging and enjoying life amidst the ruins. I also noticed large crowds of people watching them, too, and I soon came to love visiting this site in Rome over the next few months.

This initial memory floated back to me this morning as I listened to an NPR report about the Torre Argentina Cat Shelter Association being handed an eviction notice. It was shocking. The shelter began in 1994 in a small enclosure at one end of the ruins. Over the years, founders Lia Dequel and Silvia Viviani convinced the city to provide the once primitive shelter with electricity and running water. Volunteers care for some 200 cats at the site, which are all neutered and vaccinated, along with thousands of other across the city. The group also finds homes for cats, about 125 each year. Now, archaeological officials said the shelter is illegal and must shut down. But the cats can stay, of course.

Their argument? The shelter is unsanitary and threatens to spread disease. In addition, the group claims the shelter was built without proper planning permission. But these statements have been aggressively combated by volunteers. The archaeologists said the cats make it difficult to preserve the ruins, and it is the responsibility of the organization to protect Rome's history.

It seems odd that authorities are trying to shut down what has essentially become a tourist attraction and a key part of the city's heritage. But Dequel and Viviani said they are not giving up without a fight. They submitted a petition on the Culture Ministry website, which has scored over 6,000 signatures. After the news broke, the mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, said the cats are a part of Rome's history and that the shelter was not to be bothered.

I personally see no benefit in shutting down the shelter, as it help control the cat population of Rome and takes care of all these cats that would otherwise have no where else to go. If you're interested in voicing your opinion, feel free to leave a comment. Or go ahead and sign the petition and SAVE THE CATS!

Onion Article Touches on Travel Truth

I was flipping through The Onion the other day as I waited for the train, and I came across an article about how colleges are encouraging students to go abroad and "dick around." A quote from the article states:

According to a report published this week by the U.S. Department of Education, an increasing number of universities now offer dick-around abroad programs that give students the chance to hang out and do jack shit in another country.

 As anyone who reads the newspaper knows, the stories are completely fabricated and contain no real names or facts. But this article got me thinking about the time I spent abroad in Rome during my junior year of college. Yes, I had classes to attend, homework to do, tests to take, but in reality, I didn't work nearly as hard as I did when I was back in the U.S. I would skim through chapters, spend only an hour studying rather than my usual four and I never spent a Saturday sitting in the library writing a paper--except for that one final essay due for my Italian Literature class, but whose counting? Europe turned me into a bit of a slacker, or at least as much of one as I could possibly be. Then I really thought about it...I went out a lot, partied until the wee hours of the morning, drank way too much wine for my own good and met some interesting people along the way. And I was not alone in my escapades, my classmates were right by my side. Perhaps The Onion is on to something.

While the article takes it to the next level with statements like, "The chance to spend every night partying in pretty much the same way they would have at home is an experience they'll never forget," and "many students won't even apply to a school that doesn't provide programs that allow them to take bong hits in major world cities for academic credit," there is a hint of truth in their satirical wit. Students traveling abroad have the luxury of a more laid-back schedule. Many programs do not offer classes on Fridays, so students can have more time to travel around the country, or venture over to other countries, a privilege their colleges at home would never think of giving them. For many students, classes only count for credit, the grade does not affect their GPA; so as long as they pass, that's all that matters. This takes a lot of pressure off students to perform well, so they can spend less time studying and more time exploring--or partying.

The article exaggerates the point that students are wasting their time abroad, spending all their free time doing absolutely nothing of consequence. (Obviously, I know the writers do not actually believe that, but for the sake of argument...) I disagree. I would say all of my activities abroad were very worthwhile, even the nights out at the bars. I got to explore an ancient city, visit gorgeous monuments, learn about Rome's bloodied past and witness true works of art. A day walking around the city was not a waste, but an eye opening experience to another culture. The free time I was granted gave me the chance to do things I never thought I'd be able to do: take a tapas tour in Barcelona, shop in the streets of Vienna, ride a gondola in Venice, go skydiving in Switzerland. I would not say any of those experiences were moments of "dicking around."

The classes that I took over there educated me to a certain degree in the areas of literature and philosophy, but it's the stuff I learned outside the classroom that really stayed with me over the years. So I will proudly tell all those college students out there to go ahead and sign up for one of these dick-around-and-do-nothing study abroad programs...it will truly be one of the best things you ever do.