L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014 www.italoamericano.com 6 Spotlight on Chapman University's Italian Program F.I.L. Members Revisit S.J.C. Mission It has been said that Latin is dead. Truth be told, so is that fern on my porch after a week of scorching heat. But what is very much alive is the love for the Italian culture and language. And no where is this more apparent than in the classroom of Chapman University's Professor Federico Pacchioni. On a warm September morning, I drove up to visit him. After driving past the ever so charm- ing Orange circle, lined with antique stores and coffee shops, I arrived on campus and soon entered the classroom where the coolness of an air conditioner greeted me, and found students dressed in shorts, t-shirts, and jeans awaiting their class to start. Moments later, the profes- sor, with dark curly hair and a kind smile, walked in. Raised in the cities of Cesena and Modena and educat- ed here and overseas, Professor Pacchioni has for the last few years brought his love for both teaching and his native country to Orange County. In addition to building the Italian program, the professor has also authored a book about the brilliant director, Federico Fellini, enti- tled Inspiring Fellini: Literary Collaborations behind the Scenes. In the book, the profes- sor talks about Fellini's relation- ship with his screenwriters, dives into Fellini's extraordinary world, and looks at those who have inspired the legendary director. Now working on his second book about Italian pup- pets, Pacchioni himself spends many days and evenings inspir- ing others while teaching a whole new generation about the Italian culture, arts and language. "I wanted to be a bridge between two cultures," the professor told me. That bridge would come in the form of Italian studies which was created as a minor four years ago. Today, the program is flourishing with about three hun- dred students taking Italian classes each year. Another major component of the program is the Italian Council which as the professor says "collaborates with the Italian faculty and students to promote the teaching and learn- ing of Italian." Mrs. Vicky Carabini, the Council's chair and a pillar of the Italian community, informed me about the council's primary goals: "The Italian stud- ies council is a non-profit college initiative whose goal is to benefit the teaching and learning of the Italian studies. Moreover, the tradition of community service is inspired by the generosity of the many individuals such as Sebastian Paul and Marybelle Musco, whose love for the Italian language and culture led them to develop the Musco Endowed Chair in Italian stud- ies." Thanks to the efforts of such individuals and many more throughout the community, stu- dents are further able to experi- ence, in addition to their scholas- tic studies, events organized by the Italian club, and have access to the Italian Heritage archive and group study room at the Leatherby Library. One such student is Sabrina Chapman, whose family hails from the south of Italy. She hopes one day to pursue film in Italy and as she quotes, "be fluent enough to blend in when I go back to Italy." Perhaps what is most exciting is the admiration and passion for la vita Italiana that the program instills. As with any culture in America, with time and assimila- tion, the language and traditions often tend to dilute and dissipate. Professor Pacchioni is working hard not to have that happen. Not only is he keeping the Italian spirit alive, but most importantly, he is also making the learning of Italian and its culture a practical and viable choice for students. He does so in two ways. One is to adjust to a student's particular major while the second is to cre- ate such a heightened interest that the students will want to visit and perhaps continue to work or be affiliated with Italy in some professional way: "We encourage a relationship between their passions and to develop a love of Italy;" the professor stat- ed. "We adjust to their particular interest." This flexibility attracts stu- dents such as senior Steven Porfiri. With his great grandfa- ther from Sarnano, and having visited places such as Rome and Florence, Steven, who majors in screenwriting, told me it would be "wonderful if RAI would be interested in having an American writer for their programming." That passion, ignited with- in these classes, is exactly what the professor ultimately hopes for. Back at Chapman, I sat next to junior Brian Clemens, a music major who loves the Italian cul- ture and finds the language help- ful for music terminology. There, I could see how the pro- fessor's hopes and goals were put into action. In class, not only did the professor speak only in Italian, but he made the class appealing and interactive to the younger generation. We enjoyed listening to the singer and rapper, Jovanotti, and watching a video of two good looking Italians converse with one another. This was not the boring classes I remember where I spent hours learning about Passato Remoto. After practicing dialogues with Brian, I told him at the end, "Bravo. Sei Bravo,". The tall young man smiled and put on his backpack. "So, are you Italian? Sei Italiana?" he asked me. No, I was not Italian, nor was he. And yet, on that September morning as we learned about this wonderful country's regions, art and cui- sine, and listened to the lyrical sound of la lingua italiana, we both knew that what mattered most was not so much our ori- gins, but what we took away- that kernel of passion and love for Italy was that day's greatest lesson. For updates on upcoming events and news from Chapman Italian Studies visit:http://sites. chapman.edu/pacchioni On Sunday, September 21, 2014, members of Families of Italian Lineage not only enjoyed, but learned about many aspects of San Juan Capistrano Mission, in a tour given by Docent Venus Franceschi. None of those attending knew that San Juan was Italian. His name was Giovanni Chiori (attor- ney) and at the age of 30, his wife passed away and he decided to become a Franciscan Priest and lived in a town in Italy called Capistrano. Also, many members did not know that AMERICA was named for the explorer AMERI- GO VESPUCCI who came to the New World in 1502. Also that all the Missions in California were started by Franciscan Priests. They also were made aware of the fact that Santo Giovanni di Capistrano was beatified in 1690 and canonized in 1724. Why? The reason IS THAT HE SAVED CHRISTIANITY in 1456 at the Battle called "The Seige of Belgrade". The tour lasted for 1-1/2 hours and all went to El Adobe Restaurant for lunch. JoAnne Wallar was in charge of buying and distributing gifts to all attending the tour and lun- cheon. GAyA LyNN Professor Pacchioni at Chapman University Some of F.I.L. members under the statue of Father Junipero Serra, embracing a young American Indian, with the inscription: To Father Serra for his benevolence toward the Indians VENuS MAzzONI FRANchEShI

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