Conceiving, Designing, & Creating in Italian

Have you ever stopped to consider the relative tannin content of an Italian red, the colours of the Margherita pizza, or the origin story of the amphitheatre at Verona?  No?  How about the relationship between art and science, the enduring influence of Machiavelli on modern political life, or the operas of Verdi and Puccini?  These were just some of the ways students from Carleton’s Italian program chose to celebrate this year’s Settimana della Lingua Italiana nel Mondo (Week of Italian Language in the World).  

SLIM for short, this event runs annually during the 3^rd week of October and is an opportunity for Italian organizations around the world to celebrate the nation’s rich and influential cultural heritage and to recognize the unifying power of the Italian language. 

Each year the event is organized around a selected theme.  This year’s theme was “Lingua geniale: ideare, progettare, creare con l’italiano” (Ingenious Language: Conceiving, Designing, Creating with Italian), and Carleton students delivered, with an evening of posters, presentations, and performances for a full-house audience in the St. Patrick’s Building.

Following speeches by event organizers and School Director Don Myles, student videos showcased: brewing tips for fans of moka pot coffee, culinary tips for making a good Parmigiana di Melanzane, and a step-by-step recipe for tiramisu. 

There was even a performance of Puccini’s aria “O mio babbino caro ” (“Oh My Dear Papa”) by Italian student Shirley Valencia and a surprise visit by Dante Alighieri reciting the first famous stanzas of his Divine Comedy:

Followed by a singalong.

Also in the audience, Ms. Rebecca Scano of the Embassy of Italy in Ottawa presented prizes to winners of this year’s short essay competition. 

The Embassy was a co-sponsor of the event.

Following the awards, audience members had the opportunity to circulate and visit students’ poster presentations themselves.

Many of the posters were created by students new to the study of Italian.  Some with Italian grandparents, some with a passion for the culture, some with a degree program connected to Italy by the quirks of history, and the posters reflected this diversity.  They also reflected a jumpstart of sorts; students who only began studying the language in the fall suddenly found themselves fielding questions about the limestone rooves of trullis (traditional limestone structures found in southern Italy), the fashion houses of Milan, and the architecture of cathedral design. 

Then the pizza came out.  

In closing, it was a successful event!  Thanks so much to everyone who attended.  Thanks to our Italian students for their enthusiasm, commitment, and active participation in the overall process. And special thanks to Italian instructors Cristina Trevisan, Marcella Marceddu, and Claudia Rocca for all their hard work planning and preparing the event, to the Ms. Rebecca Scano and Embassy of Italy in Ottawa for their continued support, to Mike Barker for his technical and organizational support, and to Tabbatha Malouin and Heather Dugas for their behind-the-scenes assistance. There was even a dedicated “Paparazzo”.