LPD Student of the Week: Helen Bermudes

Name: Helen Bermudes

Age: 19

Hometown: Sacramento, CA

Year: Sophomore

School/Major: English Education, Steinhardt

Local Recommendation: The restaurant Kitsch is my favorite place for aperitivo. You pay €12 for a beverage and there’s an all-you-can-eat buffet included. It’s different than the buffets that are in the U.S.- aperitivo happens in restaurants all over Italy! The meatballs at Kitsch there are the best food I’ve had in Florence so far!

Cultural Moment: One time the ATAF (local transport) worker came on the bus to make sure everyone had a ticket and I gave him mine, but it wasn’t validated (stamped with the date), so he ended up charging me €50 for the ticket in my hand, which I had already paid €35 for. Most expensive bus ticket I’ve ever paid for. Never forget to validate your bus pass when you get on the bus!!

LPD Reflection: The projects I’ve completed and the talks I’ve attended at LPD have allowed me to learn about what a collaborative process writing, and communications in general, is. Every piece we post on the blog has been worked on by multiple people. Someone has to research the topic, find visuals, take pictures, conduct interviews, and format the website. I love being able to see this process from the very first drafts of research, to the final post or talk. Right now I’m researching the history of Northern Africa in World War II in preparation for an upcoming talk. I also attended the EU In Focus series in the beginning of the semester which allowed me to learn about a different government, and illustrated how the topics discussed in U.S. politics are reflective of global trends and larger issues. Overall it’s exciting to learn about artists, poets, and historical topics I never would have known about if I wasn’t involved with LPD in Florence!