Welcome to Italy

Michelle Barbero, Staff Writer |

On November 3, students were immersed into the Italian culture at the Center for Multicultural Experiences multipurpose room located in Lee Hall. Shnel Case and Abdul Jallow educated attendees about several aspects of Italian culture.

Every Friday, the International Students organization discusses a different country. The “Welcome to Italy” event had one of the largest turnouts yet, with about 70 people in attendance. The presentation summarized important aspects of the culture, including its history, food, and important landmarks.

Italy was founded in 1861. Italian is one of the romance languages, which stem from a form of Latin that the Romans spoke. Other romance languages include Catalan, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. The most popular religion in Italy is Roman Catholicism. All Saints’ Day, which takes place on November 1, is an important holiday in Italy. On this day, known in Italy as Festa di Tutti i Santi, all of the Catholic saints are celebrated.

During the presentation, students were able to get a better understanding of what the country looks like through the incorporation of a video entitled “The Beauty of Italy.” Italy is made up of a vast range of environmental elements, such as mountains, beaches, farmlands, islands, lakes, and more.

There are a lot of noteworthy and historical places in Italy. Three places that were discussed were the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pompeii, and the Colosseum. The Tower of Pisa is a bell tower located in the city of Pisa that is famous for its tilted appearance. Pompeii is a town that is now a historical archeological site due to the fact that it was buried in ash by the eruption of Mount Versuvius in 79 A.D. The Colosseum is located in the city of Rome and is the largest amphitheatre ever built.

Several popular Italian dishes were also discussed. Carbonara is a pasta dish that originated in Rome. Carbonara mainly includes spaghetti, Romano cheese, and a cream sauce made with raw eggs. Another common pasta dish is gnocchi, which are potato-based dumplings. One dish, “Wedding Soup,” consists of vegetables and meat, such as spinach and beef meatballs. This meal actually originated in the United States, and it is an important part of Italian-American culture.

The presentation concluded with a comedic discussion of “rules for Americans” when traveling to Italy. Some rules that were included on the list were to only drink wine and water with meals, to drink cappuccinos in the morning, and to not ask for salad dressing.

Attendees of the program were then treated to fresh pasta.

Sophomore student Julie Duffy attended “Welcome to Italy” and said that events such as this one are “important because it is vital that every student feels welcome and appreciated no matter their race and religion. How a person is represented can impact their self-image and worth.”

Make sure to stop by the Center for Multicultural Experiences multipurpose room on Fridays to learn about a variety of cultures while receiving diversity LEAD credit and authentic food. The next event will be exploring the culture of Thailand on Friday, November 10 at 4:30 p.m.