Italian is more than a language — it’s a way of living, according to Italian professor Marina Melita.

In looking for a way to promote its department on campus, the Italian Studies Advisory Board wanted to do something different. Out of this mindset came the creation of the first Italian Festival Week at Elon University.

Italian Festival Week featured a number of unique events. Among these were screenings of films related to Italian culture, a pasta eating contest and a lecture by UNC professor Dino Cervigni, one of the nation’s leading Dante scholars, according to Victoria Tillson, Italian professor at Elon.

The inspiration for the event, she said, came from wanting to go beyond traditional means of promotion.

In charge of the general oversight of the Italian studies program at Elon, Tillson was a key figure in bringing Italian Festival Week to campus.

“We didn’t want to just simply offer the typical pizza and a movie night, but provide students with a gamut of opportunities to explore the way Italian culture impacts not only the Elon community, but their everyday lives,” she said.

According to Tillson, the process of creating Italian Festival Week got off to a slow start because of budgetary concerns.

That changed when funding was secured.

[quote]I want our students to see that Italian is so much more than the grammar that we teach in class. - Marina Melita, Italian Professor[/quote]

“It was like an explosion of activity,” she said. “All of a sudden, I had 20 emails a day in my inbox regarding developments surrounding the organization of each event.”

The schedule of events was determined after a long brainstorming session during an Italian Studies Advisory Board meeting. Tillson said she feels the events do a good job of accurately representing Italian culture.

“We are presenting so many different elements — history, film, food, cities, music and dance — that I believe there is something for everyone,” she said.

In addition to the events previously mentioned, a study abroad photo contest and dance performances were on the schedule.

Tillson said she had high hopes for the program.

“I would like for people to take away the enjoyment that comes with exploring Italian culture,” she said.

Tillson said the goal of Italian Festival Week is to entertain and educate. However, according to her, another goal was to showcase what a dynamic Italian Studies program the university offers.

Melita said she hopes Italian Festival Week can successfully promote the Italian Studies department.

“I would like people all over campus and in the surrounding community to know that we have a thriving Italian department here on campus," Melita said. “Though we are a small discipline at the moment, we are strong and we are determined to make ourselves known. By letting people know that we are here, we are hoping to encourage new people to enroll in our classes.”

But like Tillson, Melita’s ultimate goals for the week was to go far beyond promoting the Italian studies department at Elon. Acknowledging that “this is probably my bigger concern for the Italian Festival Week,” Melita wants the emphasis to be on Italy’s culture or, as she puts it, “I want our students to see that Italian is so much more than the grammar that we teach in class.”

According the Melita, the week has kept tradition alive.

“ (It's) based on centuries-old traditions that are still going strong today and that is what we are trying to highlight this week,” Melita said.