Last week a number of students and local folks attended Dr. Letizia Modena’s original and engaging lecture. The talk shed new light on the complex reality of lesser-known areas of Rome, on the role that highways have had in molding community life in the city’s outskirts, and on the work that filmmakers and writers are doing to mend communities and develop a new sense of identity.
Open to all who want to improve their language skills, learn about the Italian culture, share their talents, speak with native speakers, and socialize with members of the local community and other students!
Note the kids’ expressions… (thanks to Mr. Musco for this great pick!)
“Walk, Write, Film: Reimagining Urban Renewal in Italy”. A lecture by Dr. Letizia Modena (Vanderbilt University). Thursday October 29, 7:30-9 p.m. Argyros Forum, room 209A. Prof. Modena surveys how Italian fiction and cinema search for what it means today to inhabit the city.
Balmy autumn weather, great company and amazing Italian food made Paul’s Pasta Piazza Party the place to be on Chapman University’s campus this past Columbus Day. The Attallah piazza with all its magic, cheer, and color was transformed into an Italian square. The event had a wonderful turn out, and we want to thank our amazing host and hostess, Paul and Marybelle Musco, who continue to give so much to our Chapman University family. Also, thanks to the Italian Club for contributing to the event, and in particular to Sara Delucchi and Adrian Bortoni for their speech, and Danielle Miyazaki and Lucy Franco for their performances. Below a few pictures from the event.
Vicky Carabini, a committed supporter of Italian education and community in Orange County, and patron to the Italian Studies program at Chapman University was recently recognized for her tireless efforts in preserving and fostering the Italian heritage in the region. In addition to serving as the Chair of the Italian Studies Council at Chapman, she is the ambassador to Capestrano, Italy, sister city of San Juan Capistrano. In addition, she is an active board member of the Italian Arts Council, the History Mission Preservation Board and serves as the Orange County Area Coordinator for the National Italian American Foundation.
In her acceptance speech, Vicky stated that “Growing up Italian is all I’ve ever known.” She grew up in America surrounded by grandparents who worked hard to build successful lives in America and who fostered the American dream, but who “still instilled the traditions from bella Italia—the food, the culture, the holidays, the importance of family and their deep love for their homeland.”
At fifteen she visited Italy for the first time and fell in love with the land her grandparents had left behind. When speaking of Italian Americans, she had this to say: “Our roots are deep with passion, and we have this innate ability to try to be more Italian than the next Italian American. In fact most Italian Americans usually just refer to themselves as simply ‘Italian’. Those born in the US of Italian descent are more boastful of their heritage than those born in Italy.”
By raising her two daughters to speak the language and embrace their Italian heritage, by acquiring dual citizenship with Italy for herself and her family, by purchasing a farmhouse in Tuscany that actively produces olive oil, and by her active involvement in so many Italian cultural organizations, Vicki is the ideal example of the third-generation Italian American who has had great success in building a bridge between America and Italy. She said, “My grandparents left their beautiful homeland – little did they know that we would return and keep our heritage alive. It truly is a heritage of the heart.”
Her speech ended on a poetic note with the words by Robert Browning: “Open my heart and you will see graved inside of it, Italy.”
Below Vicky Carabini (third from the right) and other dignitaries at the award ceremony on October 4th.
Earlier this semester, Marybelle and Paul Musco graciously invited Chapman students working on an Italian Studies degree, the Italian faculty, and Chancellor Struppa out to dinner at the famed restaurant Il Barone. Chef Franco Barone, who is originally from Sicily and is considered one of the great chefs of Orange County, prepared a magnificent full course dinner for all to enjoy. Paul Musco felt that students needed to experience what “real Italian cuisine looks like,” and certainly they did! Sara Delucchi, president of the Italian Club, described the dinner as “the best meal of her college career.” Below are a few pictures from this splendid evening.
Luca Vullo will offer an entertaining and instructive workshop on the peculiar code of non-verbal communication that distinguishes Sicilians (and Italians at large) throughout the world. Artist in residence at Middlebury College Italian School at Mills College, in Oakland, Luca Vullo has worked on commercials, music videos, documentaries and educational material. Currently living in London, the Sicilian filmmaker has also worked as body language coach for theater and held workshops on Italian non-verbal communication in different UK universities.
Come to learn with Luca this Wednesday evening, 7pm, Beckman Hall, 4th Floor Patio.
Monday October 12, 5:30 p.m. – Attallah Piazza at Chapman University
Join the Fun and Celebrate with Us!
Enjoy an Italian feast of Rigatoni alla Musco, Italian meatballs and sauce, and fresh focaccia. Sample olive oil and enjoy a taste of the 85-pound Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese wheel. With food in hand, sit down and enjoy good Italian live music. And be certain not to miss a demonstration in the art of pizza making by Chef Jim Doti.
Mille grazie to host e hostess extraordinaire Paul and Marybelle Musco
