As Italian-Americans and part of the Italian Studies program at Lafayette, Marissa Bocchiaro ’20 and Adrianna DiMarco ’20 founded the Italian club to bring the richness of Italian culture to campus.
Music professor and Italian Studies program coordinator Anthony Cummings is the official faculty adviser for the club. Cummings said that there are a lot of Italian American students at Lafayette, and the purpose of the club is to “give a home to Italian-American students to celebrate their heritage.”
The club, which was officially approved by student government on March 7, will focus on Italian culture, including its history, art, music and food.
According to Bocchiaro and DiMarco, food will be a big part of the club. They are planning to bring Italian food to their weekly meetings. Some of those meetings may consist of members learning to cook cannoli and other Italian food.
Cummings said that the club will also visit Italian restaurants in the area such as Sette Luna, at least once a semester, and half of the cost will be covered by the budget allotted to the Italian Club by the Italian studies program.
Cummings plans to bring the club to Little Italy in Manhattan, as well going to see Italian operas once every two years and visiting St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church in Easton, to learn more about Italian religious culture.
Because Cummings is still on his sabbatical, the club will formally be active once he returns to campus in August.
He said he hopes that the club will be able to encourage more Lafayette students to participate in the summer programs in Italy, especially Rome and Florence.
Although the club is named the Lafayette Italian Club, there is a clear distinction between it and the Italian Studies program here at Lafayette, said Cummings. The Italian studies program is interdisciplinary. Students study Italian art, music, history, government & law and the Italian language itself.
The club is open to any interested students regardless of discipline and background.