[T]HIS EVENING, there appear[ed] to have been a massive explosion at a jewelry shop here in Cagli…
       At dinner it was said that fire and rescue officials believed that one man was trapped under rubble. When a few of us walked back to our school, we saw a large crowd of Cagliese gathered near the scene of the accident. Just like in America, people became curious. The throng of people also alerted us to how serious a situation the Cagliese were faced with.
       It’s also interesting to see how these people who were before names or faces play particular roles in this small community. Some of my fellow students noted that some of the men we’d seen before at caffes or restaurants were firefighters. Seeing the men in action provided yet another window into their lives. Seeing a community handle a crisis or tragedy is generally more of an indication of the reality of the community.

--Christopher Nelson
(Loyola)