KINGSTON, RI – DEC. 6, 2024 – Italian Conversation and Composition (ITL 305) students recently competed in (and won) a creative contest held by the Italian Consulate in Boston, engaging school and college students across the consulate jurisdiction (Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont) for the 24th edition of the Italian Language Week in the World that this year focused on the theme: “L’italiano e il libro: un mondo fra le righe” (“Italian and the Book: The World Between the Lines”).
The group was led by Michelangelo La Luna, Professor of Italian in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, who teaches the course and has been faculty at University of Rhode Island since 2003. He was also the Director of the URI Summer Program in Calabria, Italy, and of the URI Italian International Engineering, Business, Computer Science, and Pharmaceutical Science Programs.
“This award is a testament to their hard work and dedication to the Italian language and culture. It also serves as an example of the positive impact that language study can have on both academic achievement and personal growth,” said La Luna.
The Italian Consulate invited students to explore the connection between language and literature, delving into some of the most influential voices in contemporary Italian literature. The consulate assigned 3 awards to each category: Elementary, Middle School, High School, and College students and teachers. Students selected a piece of Italian literature and recreated the text as a script with details that pertain to their experience.
URI students Nicholas DiNatale, Grace Gagner, Katie Lemme, and Josh Raposo won the college/university level category with an adaptation and performance of Gianni Rodari’s short story, “Il filobus numero 75” (The Trolleybus n. 75). The students received a $100 gift card to spend at IAMBook, an Italian bookstore in the North End of Boston. A glass medal was also awarded to La Luna as the winning group’s instructor.
Grace Gagner, a junior human development and family studies and Italian double major, began her Italian career in high school with her high school teacher who was also taught by professor La Luna. Gagner is 3rd generation Italian, and while her family no longer speaks the language, she wants to feel more connected to her heritage and ancestors.
“This project was really amazing because it was an honor to be guests of the Consulate, but it was also an incredible experience hearing so many speak Italian,” said Gagner. “My classmates and I work so hard and in this process we all did something out of our comfort zone, and we grew together. The university has provided me with so many opportunities and great friends within the department.”
Nicholas DiNatale, a mechanical engineering and Italian double major, echos his classmates on the enlightening experience as a student and Italian-speaker. He pays much credit to professor La Luna, “This is my first semester with Prof La Luna as a professor. Since the beginning of the semester, we have had a great relationship, and I appreciate his teaching style. I have chosen another of his classes next semester, and I look forward to having him as a professor for my first 400 level class as a junior.”
The judging committee was chaired by Harvard Professor Lino Pertile, who hand-selected the performance and script from over 200 entries submitted by approximately 600 students from New England. The award ceremony took place in Boston, on Friday November 15th, in the presence of renowned Italian writers Dacia Maraini and Marco Malvaldi.
“An important piece to mention here is that this contest was part of the celebration of Boston as The Capital of Italian Culture in the World. This is huge as this recognition is given to only two or three cities in the world,” said La Luna.
Prior to the competition, the Italian Consul of Boston, Arnaldo Minuti and the cultural attaché Ivana Marroncelli, visited URI campus in October. La Luna invited the Consul to participate in the first ever Italian Heritage Month in partnership with the International Guitar and Mandolin Festival. In classic Italian style, La Luna prepared a home-cooked dinner for the esteemed guests that celebrated dishes from the south of Italy, like Puglia, Calabria, Sicily and Campania.
While this win is a point of pride, La Luna is a dedicated faculty member who cares deeply about student participation and involvement on campus. “Let students perform! It’s very important. It opens your mind, your heart.”
Watch the full performance here: https://youtu.be/0getLIvk42c
