Club Highlight: Italian Club

Viva Italia! Are you looking to diversify your knowledge about new cultures around the world? Do you like listening to music, taste testing unique foods, or partaking in competitive activities with prizes? If so, then the Italian club is for you! The Italian club is run by Prof Castano (Prof) in room 316 and meetings are typically held on Wednesday’s roughly once a month. 

What is the Italian Club? 

Anyone is welcome to participate in this club, no matter the language that you take in school or if you have an Italian background. You don’t need to be fluent in the language to partake in activities and conversations either! The Italian club is a very relaxing environment and it is a place where students can become closer to their heritage, spend time with friends, and/or learn about an entirely new culture and lifestyle. You can get a little glimpse of the Italian spirit within our home of Ramapo! 

What are some activities in the club? 

The Italian club doesn’t solely focus on experiencing just Italian culture. Joining this club gives you the opportunity to learn about other countries’ cultures as well, such as life in French and Spanish speaking areas. They often merge with the language clubs at Ramapo and participate in activities such as a multicultural just dance competition, bocce tournaments, and soccer matches! Other activities include a music festival where you get a glimpse of the Italian top hits and learn about new icons and pop stars. They also do a film festival where you can watch classic Italian films and delve into what the film industry looks like in comparison to the U.S. When speaking with Amelia Saunders, a junior club participant, she said “My favorite activity that the Italian club has done was the bocce tournament. I’ve never played bocce before, so it was a really unique experience and it was especially fun to be there with my friends!” 

How does the Italian Club get involved outside of Ramapo? 

The italian club is a great way to get involved in the community and help out those less fortunate who need a hand. In the past, the Italian club has created go fund me pages and raised money for children who are struggling at local hospitals. The most recent project of the club is the food drive where collected items are being sent to the children in Haiti with the help of French teacher, Dr. Bureau. According to Prof Castano, the advisor of the club, “There are many political crises occurring in Haiti, causing citizens to battle hunger, violence, and disruption. We will be collecting all boxed, canned, and non perishable foods. Look for items such as beans, cereal, canned vegetables, pretzels, peanut butter, rice, coffee grounds, etc.” Ultimately, the goal of the drive is to spread holiday cheer and for Ramapo to partake in the season of giving. 

The Ramapo Italian club has many future fun plans and is welcoming any and all new members. Look out on schoology for its next meeting!