From fashion to cannoli, from espresso to music, or from pizza to cinema, the Italian culture is regarded highly by people from all across the world and from many different cultures. Bringing the Italian culture onto the Wheaton campus is an important initiative for students like first-year Stevent Cleto, and has even inspired the creation of a new Italian club on campus.
Though ideas of starting an Italian club have been floating around campus and the Italian department, Stevent’s determination to shed light on Italian life brought ideas of the club to fruition.
“It’s an idea that they already had in the Italian department,” Stevent said. “I decided to take it underway and start planning for it, and that’s the step we’re at now [with the club].”
While many clubs surrounding languages on campus focus on speaking their respective languages, Stevent wants to let fellow students know that the Italian club is about more than just the language.
“I don’t expect anyone to know the language and come with perfect Italian or to even know words in Italian,” Stevent said. “I expect people coming in [to] want to learn about the [Italian] culture and things that make the word ‘Italian’ what it is.”
Though faculty involvement with the Italian club is minimal, faculty advisors such as Italian professor, Alberto Bianchi, are thrilled to see what the club can do for students and the campus as a whole.
“Any activity that will foster community building, especially for students of Italian, while providing a venue to promote Italian culture – not only its rich cultural tradition but a different world view – can enrich the Wheaton community,” Bianchi said.
Other important information:
- The Italian club will be meeting Thursday from 5-6 p.m. in the language lab in Meneely