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graziadiocenterilpostino · 3 months ago

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Alumna & Former Faculty Spotlight: Violetta Pasquarelli-Gascón

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background in languages.

My name is Violetta Pasquarelli-Gascon. I am of Italian and Spaniard descent. I was born in Venezuela and lived there until I came to the States to pursue a higher education. I am fluent in Spanish, English and Italian, and have been a retired Italian instructor since December 31, 2023. My husband and I have two grown-up children, and we are grandparents of two little girls.

I graduated from the University of California at Irvine (UCI) with a Bachelor’s degree in computer science and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). I worked for an Institutional investor in Newport Beach as an Investment Analyst, investing in Fixed Income securities. After 13 years working there, I resigned and went to work with my husband who was starting his private label cosmetic manufacturing company.

2. What drew you to pursuing your studies at Cal State Long Beach and what degrees did you get? What opportunities developed from your experiences as a student?

One day while I was working at the company, I had a powerful inspiration to learn more about my Italian roots. That inspiration took me to the most amazing and self-fulfilling career path.

I started learning Italian as much as I could on my own, and a few months later I had the opportunity to take lessons from a dear friend. While I was working full time and taking private Italian lessons, I decided to continue my Italian studies at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo that had a 3-year Italian program. I used to go to school in the evenings after work. My passion for Italian continued strong. After I completed my studies at Saddleback, I applied for a Bachelor’s degree in Italian Studies at CSULB. During my years as a student in the Italian department, I met wonderful professors. I met students that, like me, were eager and passionate about Italy.

I was thriving. As soon as I completed my bachelor’s degree, I wanted to continue with my graduate studies, but at that time CSULB only offered undergraduate studies in Italian. Under the advice and request of Dr. Donato, the Interdisciplinary department created an Interdisciplinary Master program for me. The highlight of this type of program was taking courses from other disciplines within CSULB.

My passion and my love for Italy grew even more; great opportunities came up and I took them all, one by one slowly savoring the fruits that came for those experiences. Here are some of them:

A trip to Recanati (in Le Marche) – A professor from Campus L’Infinito came to us to give an informational talk about the school. Dr. Donato gave me the go ahead and that Summer I was on my way to Recanati. I happily ended up being the scout who gathered information to start the student travel abroad program to Campus L’Infinito. I went to Recanati several times as a student to improve my language skills and to get to know my Italian roots. During that time, I met amazing people who became my dear friends.

Another opportunity that led me to further advance in my learning quest was an Italian renaissance class that I took in the history department at CSULB. I was so inspired with what I learnt that the Summer after I took that class, I went to Florence and Rome, and under the guidance of some Italian professors, I went to churches, galleries, museums and saw in person the paintings, sculptures and architectural wonders I had studied in that class. That trip was exceptionally fulfilling!

Another opportunity presented itself after I took a graduate upper-division class, Teaching Methodologies. This class led me to something amazing; something that I did not foresee in my already 5-year studies at CSULB…a teaching job! Who would have imagined that I was going to be an Italian instructor? A few years later I was teaching Italian in the same department that I started at as a student.

3. How was your experience teaching at Long Beach? Why teach Italian specifically to Spanish speakers? How did you incorporate your different languages into your classes? What teaching approach did you use to facilitate the teaching of Italian to Spanish speakers?

My experience teaching Italian has been one of the best highlights in my professional life.

Teaching Italian to Spanish speakers was also rewarding and exciting. I was always pleased with my students’ accomplishments and their progress. The classes were taught in Italian and other languages were incorporated when needed.

In the Italian for Spanish speakers course students use Spanish in specific ways to facilitate their Italian learning process; Spanish opens a window of communication between languages and cultures.

I taught the course using the flipped classroom teaching approach: lectures were minimized; the focus of the class was on the students, not on the instructor. Students became active learners from the beginning to the end of the lesson; one of the most important features of this approach is that students do their assignments at home so in class they are ready and prepared to discuss their acquired knowledge, and to reinforce it, they practice the language and learn about the Italian culture in small groups via meaningful activities. The class tended to be always lively, interesting with discussions and conversations about the subject. I enjoyed teaching this class very much.

Some of the benefits of learning Italian language and culture through the mother tongue are as follows: Students understand the importance of their mother tongue in the learning of the Italian language. It also promotes pride in cultural and linguistic heritage. It promotes reflection on languages and allows students to develop knowledge and competences via association, transfer, comprehension, comparison and so forth. Students are more self-confident as the student develops the ability to transfer personal knowledge when learning another language. Students were motivated to learn even more because of the ease of learning and communicative results of using Spanish as a bridge to learn Italian.

4. What is your favorite country to travel to and why?

My favorite countries to travel to are Italy and Portugal.

Italy because it is part of my Italian heritage, and I enjoy visiting with friends and going places that I haven’t been before.

Portugal because my daughter and her family live there and since I go often to Lisbon, I would like to learn Portuguese to immerse myself in the day to day living.

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 3 months ago

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Aluma Spotlight: Leslie Chavez

Please introduce yourself and tell us about your time at CSULB.

My name is Leslie Chavez – a first-generation Chicana graduate. I obtained a double Bachelor’s degree in French & Italian studies in 2018 and, from 2018-2021, I pursued a Master’s degree in Italian Studies. While at CSULB, I really enjoyed being a member of the Italian Department’s community because it was centered on both the similarities and diversities that exist within and between Roman languages and cultures. During my time there, I had the pleasure to take on the roles of both a student and a Teacher Associate for the department. I was thus able to acquire and pass on knowledge from experienced and passionate professors. Overall, I really enjoyed my time at CSULB because of the learnings, connections, and experiences I gained from my time there.

2. How have your experiences in the Italian department and language learning benefitted you post-graduation?

After obtaining a Master’s degree in Italian in 2021, I got hired for a remote teaching/tutoring job in an online private language school in 2022. I definitely consider this gig more of a “side hustle” because the hours are very little. I typically work 1-4 hours per week teaching Italian or Spanish language and culture to individuals of all ages. Post-graduation, I also volunteered to translate a few documents for fun. In reality, I grew more interested on the scientific aspects of speech and language, and specially on how to treat Speech-Language Pathologies. That is why I also begun pursuing a career path in 2022 that is also focused on language and culture but through the articulative, expressive, and receptive aspects of language. The field is speech and language pathology. I must say, my journey with languages post-graduation has definitely evolved throughout the years, and although I’m not teaching languages, I am currently providing treatment methods of speech and language. My connection with culture has also grown with the American Speech and Hearing Association’s ethical requirement to continue acquiring cultural knowledge throughout the practice and provision of culturally competent services.

3. Now that you’ve graduated, is there anything you miss about the student or campus life?

I definitely miss being able to connect with other professors and students on campus. Studying online limits the ability to have meaningful connections, so I sure miss being in-person.

4. What are your future career plans or long-term goals?

As I am 2 courses from obtaining my BS in Speech and Hearing Sciences and a license to practice as a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant (SLPA), I plan on finishing my courses and applying for my license as an SLPA in California. I also would like to return to CSULB’s Bilingual Speech and Language Pathology Master’s program, starting Fall 2025. I would like to become a bilingual SLP with the aim to have my own private practice that supports primarily underrepresented communities.

5. You have had the pleasure of visiting Italy, what is your favorite Italian food and why?

My favorite Italian dish while in Italy was Bologna’s Lasagna alla Bolognese and, of course, gelato!

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 3 months ago

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Student Spotlight: Ananna Ahamed

Would you tell us a bit about yourself and your background in Italian.

Hi everyone, my name is Ananna. This is my first year as a graduate student. I am doing my MA in Italian. I completed my Bachelors at UC Riverside. I grew up in Italy and lived there for eight years. I attended elementary and middle school in the city of Bologna. I completed my minor in Italian at UCR and am also a teaching assistant for Italian 101A. My favorite Italian book series is Fairy Oak and my favorite cartoon is Winx Club. Even if they are meant for children, they bring back nostalgic memories of my time in Italy. I also love Italian music, and my favorite Italian singer is Tiziano Ferro.

2. What led you to choosing Cal State Long Beach as the university for your studies?

I first heard about Cal State Long Beach’s Italian program when I was in high school. I had taken an Italian course at LACC, and my professor highly recommended CSULB for its strong Italian program. Although I ended up going to UC Riverside for my undergraduate degree in history, I kept CSULB in mind.

When I decided to pursue my MA, I researched the program and really liked what it had to offer. After meeting with Dr. Vettore, I felt even more convinced that CSULB was the right place for me.

3. Now that you’ve completed your first semester as an MA student, has anything surprised you about your studies so far? What are you looking forward to the most going into next semester?

As a History major, I’ve found that my MA is heavily focused on literature, which has been a different experience from my undergrad courses. Going into the next semester, I’m excited to read more works by Italian authors and engage in discussions with other graduate students to hear different perspectives and opinions.

4. Do you have concrete plans after you graduate? What would be your ideal career choice?

After I finish my Master’s program, I plan to continue my studies for a History PhD. I want to become a historian and a history professor.

5. What do you miss the most about Italy?

What I miss the most about Italy is pretty much everything—the different lifestyle, the people, and of course, the food. I especially miss snacks from Mulino Bianco. I also miss my friends and the places. Italy’s rich history is another thing I long for, especially walking around the cities and discovering buildings and monuments that are over a hundred years old at every corner. As a historian, I truly appreciate the cultural significance of the architecture.

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 3 months ago

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Faculty Spotlight: Enrico Vettore

Dr. Enrico Vettore, Professor of Italian

Chair of the George L. Graziadio Center for Italian Studies

Please tell us a bit about yourself and explain how you wound up at CSULB.

I was born and raised in Padua, Italy, where, after the liceo classico (5 years of ancient Greek and Latin, and a very solid foundation in literature and philosophy) I went to the University for my BA in Italian, while earning my diploma in classical guitar performance at the Pollini Conservatory of Music.

After the BA, I enrolled in a course of modern Greek Language and Literature at the University of Padua. I was already deeply in love with Greece and its culture, and that class inspired me to apply for a scholarship to go to Greece. I was awarded a 5-month scholarship to study at the University of Thessaloniki. After those first five months, I applied for, and earned, another scholarship to extend my stay. I also started working as a teacher of Italian in private schools and at the Italian Institute of Culture in Thessaloniki. Thanks to my experience as a teacher in Greece, I was able to spend every July and August in Florence teaching Italian in a private school where students came from all over the world. Quickly, my original 5 months became 5 years. I realized that I wanted to do more than just teach, and that my love of literature demanded that I delve into it again, but more in depth. A colleague of mine recommended the Italian program at the University of Oregon, in Eugene. Applying to U of O is probably the best thing I have done in my life. I found excellent professors and a beautiful academic and human environment that allowed me to thrive and to become the best version of myself, humanly and academically. I spent five beautiful years there for my MA in Italian and PhD in Romance Languages. I then was hired as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Italian at Kenyon College, in Ohio and after two years I applied for the tenure track position at Cal State Long Beach. I was hired in 2007. Looking back, I could say that without my study abroad experience I probably would not be here now.

2. Tell us about your position as Chair of the Graziadio Center for Italian Studies. What does your job entail and what do you enjoy the most about it?

I have been the Graziadio chair for almost five years now– I started during the pandemic. In this capacity, I teach two courses per semesters (this semester Dante’s Comedy and a new graduate course on engaged Italian literature), advise graduate and undergraduate students, advise Club Italia, organize the center’s activities and events, which entail inviting scholars, writers, artists, filmmakers, or organizing one-day events like the one on Pasolini a few years back or the CICIS conference that took place there at Cal State two years ago. All these events and activities are conceived to offer our community and our students opportunities to learn more, and in a different way, about Italian language, literature, and culture. I am in a handful of RGRLL committees as well.

Another important aspect of my job is recruiting students. It is not a mystery that many language programs are suffering all over the United States and we are not an exception. I spend a lot of time meeting with prospective minors, majors, and MA students explaining all the advantages of studying a second or third language, and the range of courses and approaches that our program offers. It is a lot of work, but when I started as a chair, we had only one major and now we have almost 10. That gives us some hope for the future. Finally, with Graziadio assistant Diego Brol Batres, I tour our classes, community colleges, and high schools in the area to promote our program and our summer study abroad program in Recanati, Italy. We have had a great success so far: students come back energized and with the desire to learn more and better. Most importantly, once at home, the effects of this transformative experience become more and more visible.

3. As a student, you partook in several study abroad programs. How did these experiences change your life and what advice do you have for anyone considering one?

As I mentioned before, going to Greece has literally changed my life. I can safely say that without this experience I couldn't have become the person I am today. I learned so much, academically and personally. I came to know people from all over the world, using Greek as a lingua franca. I realized that I had a lot to learn–– about the world and myself. It was a humbling, at times painful, but necessary experience that played a role in what I am today.

When our students go abroad for a month during the summer or, even better, for one semester or two in Venice or Florence, not only do they delve into their studies the world, and themselves; they also become more and more able to see things from a different perspective and this makes them more empathetic, more understanding, more adaptable and malleable. In other words, it makes them better human beings. What more can we ask from a learning experience?

4. Is there any research or project you are currently working on? If so, could you give us a behind-the-scenes sneak-peek?

At the end of April, I will give a presentation on the idea of the desert from an ecopsychological point of view in two films by Antonioni at the CSULB Comparative Literature Conference. My aim is to understand what role the desert plays in relation to the main characters. Both think the desert is empty, both eventually die, while at least one of their antagonists sees the desert as full of life, and progress as the real agent of desertification of the planet, and of human affects.

My next project is to study Luigi Pirandello’s short stories from the standpoint of uji, a Japanese Zen term usually translated as “being-time.” Uji expresses the identity of being and time, of being and impermanence. My preliminary excursion on this has revealed that Pirandello’s characters fall into different categories, characterized by increasing levels of awareness of their own impermanence. The ones who have embraced the nondualism of time and being in their own experience of/as impermanent, in-flux “events” are those whom Pirandello deems the most authentic ones.

5. You have a furry friend, please introduce her.

Here’s Sedona, sitting pretty.

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 3 months ago

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Club Italia

This spring, Club Italia has gone through some leadership changes as former president, Aylin Saavedra, graduated along with other officers. With her departure, Lesly Valtierra, one of our many wonderful students, has taken over as president. Below, you will find the Club’s current officers for the Spring 2025 semester:

President: Lesly Valtierra

Vice-President: Yashaira Gonzalez-Ledesma

Secretary: Alondra Rueda

Treasurer: Ananna Ahamed

Director of Digital Media: Brenda Villarreal

Club Italia has worked tirelessly to maintain a strong and supportive presence in the CSULB community. Last semester they exemplified that through hosting their monthly, one hour Tavola italiana meetings. This semester, they implemented some changes and instead are hosting their monthly book club, and Chiacchierata e cafè, the spiritual successor to Tavola italiana. See the flyer below for the times and dates.

If you would like to stay updated with all the fun events that Club Italia has planned for the future, make sure to follow them on social media:

@clubitalia.csulb on Instagram

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 9 months ago

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A letter on what's new at the Graziadio Center

Dear Friends of Il Postino,

Welcome back to the 2024-25 Academic Year!

The semester has just started, but things are already moving full speed at the Graziadio Center. However, before delving in what lies ahead, a few words about the recent past, whose impact on our future cannot be underestimated.

During the summer, more than forty students (from both CSULB and San Pedro High School) spent four full weeks studying Italian at Campus L’infinito in the Marche region. This summer study abroad program in Recanati was once again very successful and was in fact one of our largest groups to ever go. While July is usually the month of choice for most of our students, this time, some of them opted to go in June and some in August. Our Graziadio Center Program Assistant, Diego Brol Batres, accompanied the June and July cohorts and provided them with guidance during their stays. Also, four students were participating in this study abroad for their second time: a testament to the strength of this program, and to how much students love it. Both returning and new students made the best of their time there and are now back to studying Italian at CSULB.

Speaking of returning students, Lesly Valtierra rejoined us after spending a semester at the Università Ca’ Foscari Venice, where she took a variety of courses on Italian literature, history, and culture and thoroughly enjoyed her time there. You will be able to read her thoughts about her experience in the next issue of Il Postino.

We have to re-mention Venice because Italian BA student Antonina Campbell has been selected as our first ever CSULB recipient of an Erasmus+ grant for her fall semester mobility in Venice! Antonina will study Audiovisual Translation and Italian Literature and will have the opportunity to take a course in the nearby lovely city of Treviso. Congratulazioni e in bocca al lupo, Antonina!

The Italian program has admitted a new Master student, Ananna Ahamed. Ananna earned a double BA in History and Comparative Ancient Civilizations. She wrote her senior thesis in history on Italian Americans’ resilience in WWII and her honor thesis on child abuse in Greek mythology and poleis. She is also the recipient of the CLA Equity Scholar Program scholarship for the Fall 2024 semester. You will read a full profile of Ananna in the Spring issue of Il Postino.

Instead, in this issue, you will be able to find interviews featuring Dr. Clorinda Donato, recently MA graduate Diana Aizenstein, and one of our current students of Italian, Aylin Saavedra, who went back to Recanati this summer. Dr. Donato’s multifaceted academic career and joyous desire to learn is bound to inspire students and colleagues alike, while Diana and Ailyn’s insights on their careers as MA and undergraduate students will certainly resonate with our current and past students.

Our graduates and undergraduates are often looking for a more hands-on approach to learning and using the Italian language. For this reason, we are closely working with two Italian American associations to secure funds that will allow our students to participate in paid internships during the academic year. This way, they will not need to worry about missing income.

Finally, the Graziadio Center is also working to create a new series of events to celebrate Italian American Heritage Month. Some of the events that you will be able to enjoy this semester include:

A joint presentation entitled “Italian Neo-realism and Satyajit Ray” featuring Dr. Pravina Cooper (Comparative Literature) and me. It will be held via Zoom, at 6:00 PM on October 3rd.

A talk featuring independent scholar Luisa Del Giudice, PhD, who will present her latest book, In Search of Abundance: Mountains of Cheese, Rivers of Wine, and Other Gastronomic Utopias on October 24 at 3:30pm, in-person.

A screening of Director Daphne di Cinto’s short film Il Moro. Di Cinto will join us for an in-person Q&A session on November 12th following the screening.

We will provide more specific details of these events soon; please check your inbox and your social media accounts for updates.

All the best for a serene and productive Fall 2024 semester!

A presto,

Enrico

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 9 months ago

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Faculty Spotlight: Clorinda Donato

Dr. Clorinda Donato, Professor of French and Italian

Director, The Clorinda Donato Center for Global Romance Languages and Translation Studies

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself and your background prior to working at CSULB.

Let me tell you something about my linguistic experience as a child in order to better situate my work within my familial and academic experiences. I was not a heritage speaker of Italian because my parents did not want their daughters to carry the stigma of possibly speaking English with an accent and being identified as “other” with respect to accent less, “native” English-speaking children. However, they were very proud of being Italian and imparted a love of Italian culture and language, even though they didn’t speak Italian with us. In reality, they would have been speaking the dialects of Calabrese (my father’s dialect) and Abruzzese (my mother’s father’s dialect) and Neapolitan (my mother’s step-mother’s dialect). My father also spoke standard Italian, which he had learned at school before immigrating to the United States at the age of 13. I always loved hearing my parents speak in dialect at Italian American gatherings and remember my father telling me about the linguistic diversity of Italy and the importance of speaking a dialect and also speaking standard Italian. He knew what this meant first-hand, for during WWII he worked for the American government in the OSS, or Office of Special Services, collaborating with the partisans to liberate Italy from the Nazis. He was selected for this work because of his fluency in a Southern Italian dialect, his proficiency in standard Italian, and his impeccable English skills. He was very interested in language study and had mastered English through hard work. He taught himself French and Spanish, and spoke to his Spanish-speaking clientele in Spanish in the city of San Fernando, where he had a business selling exercise equipment: Donato Gym and Health Equipment Company. There is no doubt that I acquired a love of languages in all of their diversity from my father. I observed the possibilities multilingualism afforded him and decided I wanted to be multilingual, too. When I went to the university, I studied Italian, French, Spanish, and German. In high school I was forced to study Latin because I was university-bound. This turned out to be the ideal foundation for what is now my work in global Romance languages and translation studies. And why global, you might ask? Because we need to be aware of the many varieties of Spanish and French that are spoken, as well as the multiple dialects and varieties of Italian. We must also be aware of historical factors that affected how languages evolved, such as colonialism and migration. We must celebrate the Italian spoken in Argentina by the Italians who immigrated there, or the French spoken in Quebec. It is this richness that we want to retain and recognize, one of the primary goals of the Clorinda Donato Center. I am happy to have had the opportunity to share something about my past that explains my current research and teaching interests.

2. At CSULB you’ve taught Italian, French and translation courses. Tell us more about your fields of expertise and how you became interested in all of them. Are there any major differences in how you approach the different class subjects you teach?

I like too many things, and I also like to write about too many things and teach too many things, but I am the kind of person who thrives on doing new things and trying out innovative approaches and topics. That is probably why I became interested in how knowledge was produced, explained, and disseminated in encyclopedias in the eighteenth century, which also included translation as a means of knowledge transfer. Indeed, translated encyclopedias is a topic on which I have co-edited a collection of scholarly essays with my colleague Hans-Jürgen Lüsebrink: Translation and Transfer of Knowledge in Encyclopedic Compilations, 1680-1830:

All of those languages certainly come together again in my work on global Romance languages, which I have discussed elsewhere in my answers, but in that regard, there is nothing of which I am prouder than the multilingual textbook Juntos: Italian for Speakers of English and Spanish. How incredible was it to work with our own faculty members to produce this book! Cedric Oliva, who once worked at CSULB (and is now at Bryant University), Daniela Zappador-Guerra, and Manuel Romero all collaborated on it over many years.

I also work on Italian women writers and sexuality, using feminist and queer approaches to analyzing texts. I am particularly interested in these topics from a historical perspective, and my monograph, pictured below, The Life and Legend of Catterina Vizzani.

Sexual identity, science and sensationalism in Eighteenth-Century Italy and England, is about a case of eighteenth-century transgender and the research into gender and sexual preference studied by the eighteenth-century anatomist from Rimini, Giovanni Bianchi.

In teaching any content, one must be aware of who the audience is: Undergraduate? Graduate? A mix? And one must pay attention to the scholarly tradition of the discipline, whether it be language teaching, literary research, historical research, or translation so that students learn how to situate the knowledge they are acquiring within the proper framework, so that they might ask engaging research questions of what they are learning and discover new pathways through the knowledge that might enable them to make an interpretative contribution, too. This means that no matter what I teach, I try to find ways to enable students to make their own discoveries about the content while learning the various perspectives from which that content may be considered. Once again, it is a privilege as a student to be in a classroom where knowledge is being shared, just as it is a privilege to be a professor sharing my knowledge with the students and learning from their perspectives on the content we are studying together.

3. In the Spring 2024 semester, the Clorinda Donato Center for Global Romance Languages and Translation Studies officially opened. What was the inception process of this program like? What are you looking forward to the most with the Center?

I have always been interested in incorporating translation studies into our department because training in translation always deepens a student’s understanding of a language while providing tools that may be useful on the job market once they have received their degrees. Though none of you were here back in the nineties when I was department chair, I hired a professor of translation studies who mounted a major option in Spanish translation. Unfortunately, the program was not maintained and when he retired, it was lost. Yet the value of translation studies was evident, though it was also clear that a new iteration of the program needed to be expanded to all languages and to new areas of translation studies such as audiovisual translation and localization. When the Board of Trustees of the California State University recognized the official creation of the Clorinda Donato Center for Global Romance Languages and Translation Studies in 2017, our work began. We hired faculty and created new programs—the minor in translation studies, the BA option in translation through the Department of Linguistics, and the Graduate Certificate in Translation Studies. We also launched an internship program that is entering its fourth year. All of this is possible thanks to the generous support of Mario Giannini, a businessman and good friend of mine who believes in our mission and in the value of languages. Together with Manuel Romero, Associate Director of the Donato Center, we have been able to take on new projects and equip the space we now occupy in LA1 with state of the art labs for interpreting and for training on industry standard platforms for audiovisual translation. I am looking forward to opening up our course offerings and degree programs to include an even greater variety of opportunities and level of professionalization for our students.

4. Are there any other projects or publications that you’re currently working on? Can you give us a sneak peek into some of them?

I am working on a book-length manuscript on Fortunato Bartolomeo De Felice, the Italian eighteenth-century encyclopedist whose encyclopedia, published in Switzerland, was the topic of my dissertation. Over the past few years, a great number of new documents have surfaced, in particular his correspondence with Monsignor Onorato Gaetani that has shed new light on his network and status in the eighteenth-century Republic of Letters. I have had the privilege of co-directing the doctoral thesis of Isabelle Kelman (French professor in RGRLL) which addresses this correspondence in particular. In this way, I have been able to return to studying and writing about the topic that first intrigued me enough to pursue a doctoral degree. The book I am writing is very important to me as I realize that I have amassed a great deal of knowledge about De Felice and insight into his beliefs and worldview that others do not have. We are discovering that he was a much more influential figure than he was previously thought to be, and his story merits retelling to situate him within the European framework in which he operated and to resignify the Italian Enlightenment in ways that have been heretofore neglected or invisible beyond the purview of Italian scholars.

Another project I am developing is a collection of essays on the Intercomprehension of the Romance Languages, based on the French and Italian for Spanish Speakers courses we teach at CSULB and the course I teach on Intercomprehension (which I am teaching this semester), “The Road to Multilingualism: The Intercomprehension of the Romance Languages.” This is related to the global Romance languages part of the Clorinda Donato Center, and it is one of the things I hold the most dear in my academic life. Our students are multilingual; most often, they are heritage speakers of Spanish whose linguistic and cultural knowledge was not being engaged in the classroom. Instead of expanding their linguistic knowledge by pointing out the connections between Spanish and other Romance languages, we were denying them the opportunity to employ the precious tool of their linguistic repertoire in the acquisition of French or Italian. We began teaching these courses in 2007 and 2009 respectively and we are now beginning to fully understand how a “networked” approach to language learning reaps benefits not only in the acquisition of new languages, but in the reinforcing and expanding of the languages they already know, both Spanish and English. And it has been possible to understand the phenomenon of third-language acquisition thanks to all of the teaching associates and faculty members over the years who have taught these classes—from Joanna Tatro to Jaclyn Taylor, to Violetta Pasquarelli-Gascon, to Daniella Zappador-Guerra, to Alessandra Balzani, to Francesca Ricciardelli, to Elizabeth Chan, to Emily Cota, and to Graziadio Assistant Diego Brol Batres himself! And I haven’t even mentioned the French teaching associates and faculty who have participated in this pedagogical innovation as well. As I write these answers, I am in Groningen, The Netherlands, presenting research from our Italian for Spanish Speakers courses at the 13th International Conference for Third Language Acquisition that Joanna Tatro, Francesca Ricciardelli, and I conducted over the course of the past academic year . This is a growing field, and our work is at the forefront of pedagogical innovation in language teaching.

5. What is a little-known fun fact about yourself? Also, with all of your experience, what is the best piece of advice you can give to students?

I was a rock singer in local bands in the San Fernando Valley in the late sixties. I sang songs by Janis Joplin and Grace Slick from the band Jefferson Airplane. I still love rock and pop music and follow it closely. I am currently a huge fan of Chappell Roan, whose voice, song writing skills and stage presence have quickly become iconic. She is the Lady Gaga of this generation (I love Lady Gaga, too). Gaga’s singing of our national anthem at Joe Biden’s inauguration will go down in history as one of the most commanding renditions of “The Star Spangled Banner” to have ever been performed. Maybe Chappell Roan will be invited to perform our anthem at the next inauguration?

The best piece of advice I can give to students is to never pass up the opportunity to learn something new. People often say “Why should I spend my time learning that? What good will it do for me?” To say something like that is to ignore the power of the interconnectivity of knowledge. In the eighteenth century, my primary field of literary and historical specialization was the French encyclopedia of 1751. Diderot and D’Alembert likened their work to a tree of knowledge as well as a circle of knowledge (the meaning of the word, “encyclopedia”). Both came to symbolize how all knowledge is interconnected. Having written my dissertation on an eighteenth-century encyclopedia, I became intrigued by the view of these philosophers that knowledge existed in a networked way. The more you know, the more you recognize, and the greater the number of connections you are able to make. During my undergraduate and graduate studies, I spent many hours in classrooms and language laboratories learning Italian, French, Spanish, and German (in that order). People used to always ask me why I spent my time that way. First of all, I loved learning languages, and I immediately understood that you could never learn too many. I was also motivated by the desire to be able to at least understand the titles of important research papers and books that I was finding in languages I didn’t know. German was crucial here, for much has been written in German on the topics I research (German scholarship on Romance languages and literatures has always been very strong). What a relief after only one semester of German! I could already read titles and understand if the paper or book was going to be important for my research or not. I had also wanted to study Japanese and Russian, but at that point, I was already deep into my dissertation writing and I had to deal with looming deadlines. There is a crucial balancing act in academic work. It is important to close some doors when you open new ones. We can easily find ourselves overwhelmed by having opened too many new projects without finishing old ones.

In closing, let me say that being a student is a unique time of freedom in one’s life. If you can afford not to work, or to work no more than 20 hours a week, take advantage of that, even if you have to take out student loans (or more student loans). I do know what that means, as I had to take out loans to complete every level of my education. But how grateful am I that those loan programs existed and that I was able to complete my education without having to work full time. So, that is my other, related piece of advice. Don’t work full time while you are a student if you can help it. I know that for many students it is the only way to have the resources to go to school, and I respect that. Going to school no matter how you have to do it is the number one priority. But when you can, give yourself the time to learn -- another language or a new sport, or join a club, or a reading group, or go on study abroad, once or more than once. You will never get that time as a student back again so use it to expand your horizons in any way you can!

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 9 months ago

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Alumna Spotlight: Diana Aizenstein

1. Please introduce yourself and explain what initially drew you to the Italian department at CSULB.

My name is Diana Aizenstein. I recently completed the graduate program in Italian Studies at CSULB. I was initially drawn to the program by accident while searching the internet for new and challenging reading material in Italian. I somehow came across the reading list for the comprehensive graduate exam and was impressed with both the breadth and variety of the literary canon. It is something that continues to interest and inspire me even beyond graduation.

2. What long-term plans do you have with your Italian MA? Do you have any plans on travelling to or living in Italy?

I have not decided which career path to take yet with my master’s. For me, it was always more a matter of personal enrichment. I would like to make plans to revisit the Tuscan town of Lucca in the future, which is where my family originates from, including, also, Forte dei Marmi...simply because I love the sea!

3. Has your Italian benefited you in ways you didn't expect prior to studying the language? If so, how?

My husband is actually the one who noticed my finely honed interpretive skills in cinema, literature, and art. Thanks to Professor Vettore's humble erudition in these areas, now even a simple television series can take on much more symbolic meaning.

4. What are some of your favorite things to do during your free time?

I have a lot of interests, but not a lot of free time, so whatever it is, it always includes espresso!

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 9 months ago

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Student Spotlight: Ailyn Saavedra

1. Would you introduce yourself and explain how you first became interested in studying Italian.

Hello everyone! My name is Ailyn Saavedra, and I'm in my last semester at CSULB, majoring in Public Relations with a minor in Italian. My interest in studying Italian began when I had to choose between an art, music, or language class. I had always wanted to learn a new language, and since I'd dreamed of traveling to Italy, I thought, why not learn Italian? After taking the introductory 100A-level Italian course, I fell in love with the language and enrolled in the next course. After two Italian courses, I knew I wanted to continue learning until I could be fluent, and incorporate this into my future.

2. How has your time studying at CSULB been? What is your favorite part of campus?

At first, my time at CSULB was a bit lonely. But that changed when I started taking Italian classes and attending Tavola Italiana. After two semesters of Italian, I studied abroad in Italy, and it deepened my passion for the language and culture. It also introduced me to new friends, who then became the ones I would turn to and hang out with on campus, making my experience at CSULB more enjoyable. After that, I became very involved in Club Italia. My favorite part of campus is the Graziadio Center, located in the Italian Department. It's a cozy area, perfect for studying or relaxing between classes, and it's close to the Italian professors, making it an ideal spot for students studying Italian.

3. You're currently an officer for Club Italia. Can you tell us a bit about the Club and tavola italiana?

Yes! I'm currently the President of Club Italia. Club Italia is a welcoming space for anyone interested in learning more about Italian culture and language. Our events, known as Tavola Italiana, are centered around all things Italian culture. In the past, we've played Italian card games, explored Italian cinema, watched the famous Sanremo Music Festival, and hosted games to help improve language skills. It's a fun and engaging way for people to immerse themselves in Italian traditions and language.

4. You've participated in the Recanati Summer Study Abroad before. How was your experience? Is there anything specific students should know about the program?

I've had the pleasure of participating in the Recanati Summer Study Abroad program twice. The first time was so beautiful that I decided to participate again. It not only helped me improve my Italian but also gave me the chance to experience Italian culture firsthand. The program allows you to immerse yourself into the Italian lifestyle for four weeks, meet new people, and form lasting friendships. There’s so much greatness about this program that I wish everyone knew. If you're interested in learning more about the program, feel free to reach out to me at [email protected].

5. What are your favorite Italian words and why? Do you have any that you dislike?

Some of my favorite Italian words are farfalle, roba, and amo. My favorite is farfalle because it just flows effortlessly off the tongue. Roba is a recent favorite I learned while studying abroad this summer; the literal definition is "stuff" or "things," but it's also used in various expressions and can be slang. Lastly, amo, which means "I love," is a beautiful word that Italians often use to refer to loved ones and friends. I love how it's a term of affection that feels so warm and personal. There aren't any Italian words that I dislike! :)

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 9 months ago

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Club Italia

This Fall, Club Italia has gone through some leadership changes as former president, Antonina Campbell, was accepted into a study abroad program in Venice. However, with her departure comes the return of Lesly Valtierra who participated in the same program during the Spring. With these changes, the Club’s current officers for the Fall 2024 semester are as follow:

President: Ailyn Saavedra

Vice-President: Lesly Valtierra

Treasurer: Maria Tapia (Gaby)

Director of Communications: Yashaira Gonzalez-Ledesma

Director of Digital Media: Alberto Sanchez Alonso

Director of Fundraising: Jazmin Guadarrama

Club Italia has worked tirelessly to maintain a strong and supportive presence in the CSULB community. Last semester they exemplified that through hosting a panel that highlighted the professional experiences four CSULB language alumnae had outside of teaching, thus demonstrating the unique opportunities possible to all students of languages. This semester, they plan on continuing to host their monthly, one hour Tavola italiana meetings. See the flyer below for the times and dates.

If you would like to stay updated with all the fun events that Club Italia has planned for the future, make sure to follow them on social media:

@clubitalia.csulb on Instagram

Club Italia CSULB on Facebook

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 9 months ago

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An update on the Recanati Summer Study Abroad Program

As many of you already know, the Graziadio Center has had an amazing partnership with the Scuola Dante Alighieri - Campus Infinito for several years. Every summer our students of Italian travel to Recanati, Italy in order to participate in their month-long study abroad where they get the chance to learn and improve their Italian, partake in multiple half-day and full-day field trips, become immersed in the culture, and eat plenty of yummy Italian food. The 2024 summer edition was one of our most successful ones yet, as a cohort of over forty students traveled with program assistant Diego Brol Batres to Recanati–one of the largest numbers we have ever had. As always, those who decide to apply through CSULB will receive a discounted price and are therefore able to participate at an affordable price that includes lodging and tuition. Included in this summer’s cohort were several high schoolers and parents, alumni, and students of other universities hence anyone–CSULB student or not–of any level of Italian can apply. If you are interested, please reach out to Diego Brol Batres at: [email protected] for more information. You may also find additional information at Campus Infinito’s website. Don’t hesitate to reach out today!

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 1 year ago

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A letter on what's new at the Graziadio Center

Dear Friends of Il Postino,

Welcome to the Spring 2024 semester!

It is already March, and things are in full swing here at the Graziadio Center.

On February 7th, the Graziadio Center, in collaboration with the Clorinda Donato Center, RGRLL, and Università Roma3, organized a one-day event on the Telecollaboration program entitled Empowering Language Learners: Multilingualism And Motivation In Telecollaboration Programs. Professors Diego Cortés Velásquez and Elena Nuzzo (Roma3) gave a presentation and a hands-on workshop on telecollaboration. A roundtable with former participants enlightened our audience on the benefits of this pedagogical approach and a second roundtable, led by our instructors, focused on the future of this collaboration that started some six years ago. The event gave us food for thought and a clearer vision for the program’s future iterations. Meanwhile, it has been decided that our students of ITAL 100B, a class taught by Joanna Tatro, will participate in the Spring 2024 Telecollaboration.

On March 7th at 5:00 PM, Dr. Ilaria Tabusso-Marcyan (ASU) gave a talk entitled, “The Feminine Aspect in the Cultural Roots of Slow Food” in LA1-204 and via Zoom.

Dr. Tabusso-Marcyan examined the feminine aspects of Italian farming culture within recent Italian history and their influence in shaping the cultural foundations of the international movement of Slow Food. Ilaria’s presentation covered parts of her recently published book, The Cultural Roots of Slow Food: Peasants, Partisans, and the Landscape of Italian Resistance (Lexington Books, 2024).

Our last event for the semester will be a talk by renowned scholar Serenella Jovino (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill) on Italo Calvino’s animals and the Anthropocene, the date and other details will be shared soon.

Last summer, some twenty students took advantage of our summer abroad program in Recanati and spent four full weeks of class in this beautiful, little town in the Marche region. They enjoyed the experience enormously and came back galvanized and ready to continue their studies in Italian at CSULB. The importance of the Recanati program cannot be overstated, as it has historically helped us increase the number of our minors.

Program Assistant Diego Brol Batres is working to ensure that the new cohort will be as numerous and satisfied as the previous ones. He has toured high schools and community colleges to recruit students and has given presentations here at CSULB to prepare students for their time in Italy. It looks like another 20 students will go to Recanati this summer!

This issue of Il Postino features interviews with our Majors, MA students, alumni, and, for our Faculty Spotlight, alumna and instructor Jaclyn Taylor.

All of them have spent time in Recanati or in Italy (Lesly Valtierra is currently studying at the Ca’ Foscari University, in Venice!). They are our best ambassadors in that they can share their experiences and passion for all things Italian. They all have their own personal perspective and a unique background, and it is a pleasure to have them share their thoughts and enthusiasm on the pages of our newsletter.

Thank you all for your contribution to Il Postino–we wish you the best for this semester and your overall academic career!

Next semester, we hope to have up to eight new BA students. Which means, if everything goes as planned, and we are doing our best to achieve that, we will have a total of 14 Italian Studies majors in Fall 2024! This is a sign of a positive trend that started last year and hopefully will continue for the semesters to come. Showing growth is a good sign, especially when many language departments struggle and are under scrutiny all over the country.

Club Italia is another tremendous asset for the Graziadio Center, as it works tirelessly to promote Italian on campus. We thank you for all your work!

With Lesly Valtierra studying in Italy, Club Italia was in need of a new Treasurer; their new lineup of officers is now:

Antonina Campbell, Ailyn Saavedra, Nikki Jerman, Alberto Sanchez Alonso, Maria Gabriela Tapia, and Josue Mendiola

To find out each officer’s role, look for the Club Italia section below!

In addition to hosting Tavola Italiana (every other Wednesday at 5 in AS-384), they are also preparing an event to showcase how a BA in Italian can help you in your post-CSULB life (and perhaps change it)!

We will provide details on this exciting event soon; please check your inbox and your social media accounts for flyers.

Buon semestre e a presto!

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 1 year ago

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Faculty Spotlight: Jaclyn Taylor

1. Please tell us a bit about yourself & describe what first made you interested in learning Italian.

My name is Jaclyn Taylor, I’m a part-time lecturer and translator – this semester I’m teaching Italian, comparative world literature, and supervising some communications activity sections, which has been very interesting, since it is outside of my subject area. I came to Italian (and CSULB) through what administrators often like to call a “non-traditional” route – I was a working transfer student, though it is clear to any lecturer that most of our students work, and nearly half of students in the CSU are transfers. While in community college I knew I wanted to get a Spanish BA and exhausted every Spanish course available to me there (and any other course that interested me), while also working as an astronomy TA, in a science fiction and mystery bookstore, as an event coordinator, doing bookkeeping – I don’t know where I got the energy! At that time, you were also required to complete courses in an additional foreign language for the Spanish BA. That requirement turned out to be the one that changed the trajectory of my life in a very positive way. I had originally taken Japanese at El Camino College due to it mostly sharing pronunciation with Spanish, and did quite well my first semester, but I realized I did not have the time to really dedicate myself to learning a new writing system, and I struggle with certain kinds of memorization tasks. Soon after completing that semester my late father decided to retire and move to the Central Coast, so I moved in with a friend in Long Beach. I saw that Italian was offered at LBCC, knew the pronunciation was also similar to Spanish, and decided to take it with Dr. Mihaela Mehr, who went to CSULB herself. During those classes it became very clear to me that my background with another Romance language was an asset – I would constantly say “oh, that’s just like in Spanish!” and she eventually told me about the intercomprehension-focused program in Italian here. This was back in 2014. Finding that out was fundamental in getting me to choose CSULB – I had the grades to transfer pretty much anywhere, but I was really interested in that approach which felt cutting edge and community-conscious. That, along with the coursework I saw in the Spanish BA program, is why I came here in 2015 to continue my studies, adding an Italian minor, since at that time I already had too many units completed to double major. I loved the faculty in RGRLL and the intercomprehension and translation coursework available, made friends in Italy due to a series of serendipitous events which gave me an opportunity to write and speak in Italian daily, and I decided that once I finished my BA, I would do the Italian MA (after a small detour doing a translation internship in Recanati). As a grad student I got to teach Italian for Spanish Speakers several times, which was really exciting; I loved being able to combine my interests and particular skill sets in our department and see my students have those same “oh, that’s just like in Spanish!” moments I had ten years ago.

2. What kind of advice do you have for someone who is interested in the Italian Studies program at CSU Long Beach?

Now I’m sure this may not be a popular answer, but I think being passionate about the culture and history of Italy, positive and negative, is really essential to getting a solid grasp on the language. Yes, it’s a beautiful country! Yes, the food is great! Yes, the clothes are stylish! Yes, you should go there and do the touristy things! But it also has a really fascinating, and at times ugly, political history that has a lot of lessons for us here in the States. Then again, where isn’t that the case? I think you tend to love something even more when you can embrace it for what it is, warts and all. Our program, to me, has a strong interdisciplinary approach that gives you a lot of room to pursue your interests, and students with a wide breadth of knowledge tend to thrive because they can make the kind of connections that are essential for understanding the current moment in which we find ourselves. I also think it’s important to get to know your instructors and be open to any opportunity that comes your way; so much of what I have been able to do has been the result of the genuine support and mentorship I have received from instructors who are now colleagues, like Dr. Clorinda Donato, who knew me and my skills as a student and often asked, “hey, would you be interested in - ?” thereby giving me the opportunity to say “yes!!” Being open to learning everything you can in the time you have here and saying yes to exciting opportunities that at first may feel scary is a huge part of your growth not just as a student, but as a human being. Say yes to things!

3. Apart from teaching, you are also involved in translation. Do you have a favorite work you’ve translated?

This is like asking a parent who their favorite child is (I’m an only child, so I’m always the favorite)! I’m kidding. Maybe. Each translation has a special place in my heart, because I have learned so much from all of them. Sometimes too much. I think I have a real fondness for a translation I did during undergrad of part of Torquato Tasso’s epic Gerusalemme liberata, because it is the first one I really remember challenging me, and it ended up as the closing piece in Translation Becomes Eclectic, Vol. II, which was exciting – it might be my first publication. I did it in an Italian translation course I took with our current chair, Dr. Aparna Nayak, and it was my first introduction to the idea that there were different theories of translation. Now that I work for the Clorinda Donato Center for Global Romance Languages and Translation Studies, I get to draw on all of my experience, knowledge, and research skills gained during my BA, MA, and the translation graduate certificate I also received here as a member of the program’s first cohort, and it feels really validating to know all of that hard work is being put to use, rather than just living on my wall in a diploma frame. More recently, I enjoyed translating an article on pilgrimage tattoos in Loreto in the early modern period, written by Massimo Cattaneo – it was utterly fascinating and, to be quite honest, really gross. These were tattoos made by cobblers who would carve into the skin of pilgrims using their shoe-making tools, and then rub ink into the wounds. A shocking quantity of saliva is involved. Let’s just say I love any translation that gives me something to talk about at parties.

4. You have traveled to Italy several times, what is your favorite place to visit?

Obviously, it is easy to say I love Rome, because it is a big city with lots to see and is highly navigable by foot and public transit as a solo traveler or with others, but my fondest memories are from visiting small towns in Abruzzo with my good friend Cristina. There is a cute little beach town called San Vito Chietino that I like to visit, where you can get fresh caught and fried seafood and see some trabocchi, which are fishing platforms that are particular to that stretch of Adriatic coastline. I also love a hilltop town called Guardiagrele, which has a lovely art nouveau park (which they call liberty style in Italy) with beautiful greenery and a view of both the sea and mountains. It is also home to a bakery known for a rich, cream-filled pastry called sise delle monache which isn’t appropriate to translate here but has some affinity with a memorable bit character from Total Recall.

5. You have three pets, please introduce them.

My partner and I do have three! We have our little old man Andy, who is an arthritic but very sweet white German shepherd. He’s at least 12 now and naps a lot. I joke that he looks like Baby Yoda because of his big ears, which I also call his satellite dishes. We also have two cats, Moo Moo and Hazel. Moo Moo was found starving and dazed here in the streets of Long Beach by some good friends, and we adopted him from them in the beginning of 2021. They named him Moo Moo because he looks like a little cow, and the name stuck, even though he mostly chirps like a bird or makes tiny grunts. He’s about as heavy as a cow now, though. Hazel is a slinky little tabby-tortie cat we adopted from a rescue in San Luis Obispo county in October 2022 when she was 4 months old. Her favorite time of day is bedtime! She runs to our room when she thinks we’re packing in for the evening. She is pretty quiet like Moo but loves to sit in the window and chatter at birds, or run around the house like she’s about to get caught after doing some sort of mischief. Moo and Hazel like to compete for the top of their cat tower, which means I have seen many improbable (and incredibly cute) kitty sleeping arrangements.

Jaclyn in Abruzzo

Moo and Hazel

Andy aka Baby Yoda

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 1 year ago

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Alumni Spotlight: Alessandro Russo

1. What first piqued your interest in the Italian language and why did you decide to get an MA in Italian Studies?

My parents immigrated from Naples, Italy and our regional language Neapolitan was always spoken in the house, among my parents, grandmother, siblings, and aunts. Although not standard Italian, this imbued within me a strong connection to Italy and an interest in knowing more about the country of my ancestors, especially during my teenage and early adult years. I began immersing myself in Italian music, films, magazines, and books to familiarize myself with Italian culture and develop an ear for standardized Italian. I also took my first college courses in beginning and intermediate Italian at local colleges to enhance my knowledge of Italian language and culture. I worked in the public sector for many years afterwards and was not able to formally study Italian though I continued to engage with anything Italian including making friends and acquaintances with other Italians and Italian Americans. It wasn’t until I began attending Cal State Long Beach and spoke to Dr. Carlo Chiarenza who encouraged me to change my major to Italian. Soon after I met with Dr. Clorinda Donato who heard my spoken Italian and immediately boosted my confidence that I could pursue an Italian BA. Dr. Donato changed my major that day and that is when I seriously began to study Italian Language, Culture and Literature more in-depth. When Dr. Donato became the George L. Graziadio Chair of Italian Studies, she hired me to be her assistant. At the time, the MA in Italian Studies did not yet exist though Dr. Donato had been working very hard on a proposal to create the program. I played a small part in assisting her during the process. She gave me the awesome responsibility of helping create the survey piece and writing its executive summary which was included in the final proposal. The MA in Italian Studies became a reality in Fall 2014 and I immediately enrolled. I was the second graduate of the program. All thanks to the extraordinary professors who mentored and encouraged me which include Dr. Clorinda Donato, Dr. Enrico Vettore, Dr. Carlo Chiarenza and Dr. Pasquale Palmieri.

2. You are Italian-American, do you have friends and family in Italy that you visit or speak with often?

I have a vast network of relatives and friends in Italy that I communicate with often and visit as often as I can. The largest of which is my mother’s side as she was the only member of her family to immigrate to the United States. My cousins and their spouses along with my three siblings have a WhatsApp group where we often talk to each other. It helps keep the family close even if far away. I also have connections to more distant relatives on my father’s side with whom I stay connected. This includes my second cousin who I have vacationed with often and whose home I stay in when I’m in Italy. While pursuing my MA in Italian Studies we had a Visiting Fulbright Scholar Dr. Pasquale Palmieri with whom I developed a friendship. I was also able to attend his wedding in Caserta, Italy in 2018.

3. You currently work at CSU Long Beach for the Economics department, what kind of work do you do there?

My title is Administrative Analyst/Specialist so I’m basically the operational manager for the department. I handle most all aspects of the administrative functions of the department. My responsibilities include fiscal spending and budgeting, faculty travel, classroom scheduling, curriculum submissions (new and updates) including catalog updates, hiring of lecturers and student employees, assisting with tenure-track faculty searches and collection and maintenance of department materials and data, to name a few. We staff members are like the spokes on a wheel that provides the support and stability for the campus to run 365 days a year.

4. What has been your fondest memory at CSU Long Beach so far (as a student or staff member)?

I have so many fond memories as both a student and a staff member. However, if I have to pick one it would be the last day of my master’s degree comprehensive exams. This was the day of the oral examination where I was interviewed by Dr. Donato and Dr. Vettore on what I had written during the two-day comprehensive exams. The oral exam had just finished and they asked me to step out in the hallway. I was so nervous and practically jumping out of my skin when another faculty member walked by and saw how anxious I appeared. This other faculty member told me not to worry and that I will be called any minute back into the room. At that moment, Dr. Vettore peered out of the room and solemnly asked me back into the room while gesturing with his finger. I apprehensively walked into the room as Dr. Donato threw her hands up and exclaimed “Congratulazioni!!” and Dr. Vettore smiled and said “Alessandro Russo virgola M.A.!” (Alessandro Russo comma M.A.). I breathed a sigh of relief and a feeling of profound pride and accomplishment came over me. I was so happy to have shared that moment with two of the professors I hold in such high regard. As I left the room all the pent up nervous energy was lifted and I was floating on cloud nine. I immediately called my family to tell them the good news.

5. What is something unique about yourself that you would like to share?My family often asks me to sing Neapolitan songs at parties, especially at weddings. My dad had always been the go-to for singing at family functions where he would belt out songs like “’O Sole Mio” or “Torna ‘a Surriento”. When my family discovered I could hold a tune like my dad, I inadvertently took his place after his passing. I’m often joined by all my cousins as I lead into “’O Sole Mio” though I prefer “’O Surdato ‘Nnammurato” or subtle ballads such as “Reginella” . I am very proud of my “napoletanità” that I have always immersed myself in the language, history, culture and traditions of my ancestors. So much so that I have involved myself in genealogy and discovered that my great grandfather Raffaele Russo was a Bersagliere (member of the Italian army infantry corps) during The Capture of Rome on September 20, 1870 that was the final event of the unification of Italy (Risorgimento) and around 1820 his grandfather Giuseppe Russo (my 3rd great-grandfather) was a royal horseman for Ferdinand II of Bourbon, King of the Two Sicilies. My family roots run very deep in Naples.

Alessandro Russo

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 1 year ago

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Student Spotlight: Mary Conte

1. Tell us a bit about yourself and what made you interested in studying at CSU Long Beach.

I was born in New York and moved to California because of my work. Actually–I moved to California twice because of my work, come to think of it. One time I was working at a music company in New York (which is also Capitol Records) and my boss wanted me to help work on a new computer system which would extract the most important information from contracts in a computer system to help pay royalties to the recording artists. This record company at the time had labels not only in New York City, but also in Toronto, Canada and also in Nashville and also Los Angeles as well as the UK.

Another place I worked at was as a legal consultant for Price Waterhouse Coopers. They also had many projects with various companies e.g. Universal Studios, SONY, and startups about how to make sure the various divisions could communicate. They needed to know how to distribute their products, and whether they could develop new ones.

I know this sounds simple but actually the sales people really need to know if they can sell a movie in Italy or Germany for example, and then the people who actually do the work of sending the 'elements' need to know the particularities of what each country requires. Also someone may be able to create a feature film from a script but NOT be able to create a TV show. Also music has its own dimension of complexity.

Regarding CSULB, two things happened. One: someone in one of my classes said that his wife was attending Cal State Long Beach, and they had an excellent Italian department and also an Italian club. Another: I met a gentleman over 40 who was taking classes in the theater department. He was a part-time actor but wanted to expand and enrich his skills, so he was attending Cal State Long Beach. One day I looked up the web site and left a message for Professor Vettore, Chair of the Graziadio Center, because I felt I could not find any way to deepen my Italian skills as an adult and I wanted to be able to speak Italian fluently. And he actually emailed me back and we spoke about what I was looking for and what might be required. I also learned that I might be eligible for Italian citizenship, so my paperwork is at the Italian Consulate. It's kind of a contest will they respond faster than I obtain a MA in Italian. We will see.

2. In addition to Italian, you’ve also studied French. Can you tell us more about this and what led to your eventual switch to Italian?

I'm fortunate to have traveled a little and have met people of different cultures and have been a person studying in France or Italy and not knowing all the customs and that helps me have patience with others that don't necessarily know how we do things. We in the US, We in California, and We at this particular company. So I may be dealing with the artists, but also their managers, and their other musicians which are many times from all over the place. And there are so many layers with visas and embassies and money. All over the place in the US and all over the place in the world.

What I have found is any opportunity to speak someone else's language or to be curious about someone else's culture is always appreciated. I got an MA in French right out of college because I had participated in a cultural exchange program after high school, because I met a French exchange student in one of my French classes who was living with a family of one of the teachers) and was fortunate to have had 3 years when I lived in France.

But my family is Italian, all the grandparents. Sicily & Calabria and Ancona & not far from Naples (Castellammare di Stabia) just one-two train stops from Pompeii! They are always kind of overwhelming. My parents are first generation and they both went to college and we all (me and my three brothers went to college). Because that was a way to get ahead.

And I met someone at a conference who was organizing a trip to Italy, and I hadn't been there since college, and my spouse had never been there. So, we decided to sign up at the Italian Cultural center in Los Angeles, and take a class, because I would feel ashamed to not be able to say something to people because I was too lazy to learn some of the basics. And although we signed up for Italian, they put us in a class of 'Italian for Tourists". Well that was a disappointment. But as I wanted to learn more Italian I found that there were many classes that were like this for adults. Mostly geared to tourism only.

3. Do you have any recommendations for anyone interested in an MA in Italian Studies?

Although at the time I wasn't excited about the pre-requisites I had to take, it was great to be able to meet undergraduates and graduate students, and to lay that foundation of grammar and literature. One of the things to definitely participate in is the program we have with Roma Tre students. And definitely take a translation class. Also, so far I've met two presidents of the Italian Club, and they work really hard to have interesting cultural programs.

4. Outside of school, you work as a lawyer. What do you enjoy about your job? Do your language skills tie into your career in any way?

Right now I work for an agency which signs artists from the US and all over the world and helps them tour. Our niche is folk or roots music. For example tonight at Cal State LA we have an artist Sonya Jobarteh (considered Africa's first female griot kora virtuoso) playing with Taj Mahal. I think we may have someone coming soon to the Carpenter Center. We did have an American artist (New York based Irish-American fiddler) play with the Long Beach Symphony orchestra.

5. Do you have a favorite city you’ve visited in Italy? If so, which one?

How do you pick a favorite city in Italy? I loved Torino because there aren't so many tourists, and at the big outdoor market I can also speak French! We got to rent bikes and ride in Abruzzo along the Trabocchi coast. I forgot about this but I think when I was single I went to Italy and got to do a tour with Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter and Andy Hampstead and his wife. Andy Hampstead is the only American to ever win the Giro d'Italia. Yes I do own one of the best production bicycles ever made, it's Italian, a Calnago C-40. But that's another story…

Mary and il cane Marcus Aurelius

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graziadiocenterilpostino · 1 year ago

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Student Spotlight: Yashaira Gonzalez-Ledesma

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background in Italian.

Hello! My name is Yashaira and I am from Porterville, California, a small town found in the Central Valley. I am currently a second year in the Italian Studies B.A. program. I grew up speaking Spanish as my first language and eventually learned English throughout elementary school. As I grew older, I realized how important it was to speak several languages. Not only will knowing multiple languages bring new opportunities, but it will also help you connect to a new culture that may be completely different from your own. My interest in Italian grew stronger during my junior year in high school due to my appreciation for my mother tongue, Spanish. My appreciation for the Spanish language made me discover my interest in other romance languages because they are all similar but very different in their own way, which is something that amuses me. Therefore, I decided to major in Italian Studies and have been enjoying my journey of learning a lot about the culture while also learning the language

2. You have mentioned wanting to study abroad at the Recanati Summer program in Italy. What about it interests you?

Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to study abroad at the Recanati Summer program

in Italy, but I do wish to eventually participate. I believe that studying abroad will not only help me improve my Italian speaking skills, but it will also help me understand Italian culture even further. Based on what a few of my peers have told me about their experience there, I believe that this opportunity will help you better understand what Italy is like as a country and how Italians are as people, meaning that you will get a better understanding of Italian’s mannerisms, behavior, interests, etc. Therefore, I believe that the Recanati program in Italy would help me get even further immersed in Italian language and culture.

3. What are your long term academic or career plans with your Italian Studies BA?

My career plan with my Italian Studies BA is to become a teacher. After taking several Italian courses at CSULB, I have grown to love the Italian language and culture and I think it is important that others get the opportunity to become passionate about a language such as Italian. In order to offer this opportunity to others, I would love to teach younger children about Italian culture and language to help improve their knowledge of a romance language. Additionally, I would love to incorporate the International Business minor along with my Italian Studies B.A. and potentially become a digital or creative marketing manager at a magazine company in Italy.

4. What is a fun fact about yourself?

A fun fact about myself is that I love anything that involves creativity. A hobby of mine is photography and this hobby started when I was about 11 years old. At that age, I began volunteering to photograph sport events at my school and this eventually made me realize how much I enjoyed it. I eventually got my own digital camera which drew my interest in photography even further. My favorite thing about it is that one singular picture can convey several meaningful messages to the public. Along with capturing meaningful messages in a photograph, photography makes me appreciate my surroundings by reminding me how beautiful they are.

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