Check out our Club’s past events from this year!
Art Immersion Day
On October 23 in line with the University of Tennessee’s goals to provide opportunities to engage in rich learning that is collaborative, inquiry-based, experiential, and intercultural, the Italian Program is pleased to offer Italian Art Day. This event spans a whole morning (9:10 am – 1:30 pm), involving all classes of Italian, and taking place at the International House. Well-renowned local artist Annie Rochelle studied Restoration and Conservation in Florence, Italy, and will illustrate how her work has been influenced by Italian classic art, connecting the past with the present via material culture. This event is offered to provide our undergraduate students with direct learning experience, and first-hand art appreciation. The artist will illustrate the origins of her inspiration, and how she performs her work, all by allowing students to start on their very own watercolor projects.
Student Opera Showcase!
On March 4th, the Italian Club collaborated with the Music Department here at UTK to organize a showcase for the Opera students! With the videos below, you can watch as our wonderful participators put on some masterful performances of Italian opera pieces!
Screening of Tigre Reale!
On February 29th, at the Cox Auditorium at 6pm, UTK’s Italian Program, World Languages and Cultures, Cinema Studies, and the College of Music, collaborated for the first time ever with The Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, as they welcomed members and non-members alike for a wonderful screening of a re-construction of the historical mute film Tigre Reale (1916). The event was accompanied by a live performance presented by Italian musicians Stefano Maccagno (piano) and Furio Di Castri (double bass).
Angel Tree Charity Drive!
This past holiday season, our club had the pleasure of partnering with the East Tennessee’s Children Hospital for their annual Angel Tree charity drive. Our club was able to raise over $350 in donations! Right before the end of term, our club officers were able to go out and use the donations to buy gifts for the children!
Pictured above is our club VP Chiara Ravelli, and our faculty member and distinguished Professor Daniela Cambie at the gift drop off!
International Festival!
On October 20th, the club had the absolute pleasure of participating in the campus’ annual day long International Festival. The club had the opportunity to introduce the Italian department to incoming freshman students and the rest of our faculty and staff through food, games, art, etc.
Homecoming Week: Chalk PED!
Homecoming week is a big deal here on Rocky Top, both for its significance in American tradition and college sports. As a way to celebrate Homecoming, UT organizes a set of events for the entire week that clubs and organizations can participate in and compete with each other, as they challenge their artistic capabilities in alignment with each year’s theme. The Homecoming theme for 2023? There’s No Place Like Neyland!
Pictured here are our Co-Presidents Gianna (on the left) and Haileigh Walsh (on the right) with one of our Events Coordinator, Stefano, as they took part in one of the campus Homecoming events, Chalk PED Walkway, with the rest of our officers and members pictured below.
Immersion Day!
For one of our less frequent events, the Italian department organized a cultural immersion day for all of our Italian courses. The day gave students the opportunity to practice conversational Italian, learn of cultural traditions and customs, such as the game of Tombola, a traditional Italian version of bingo which is usually played during Christmas celebrations, the history of Carnevale and its famous masks, and even learn how to make a traditional Bruschetta! Additionally, immersion day provided students with other departmental informational showcases such as study abroad and more.
Check out UT’s The Daily Beacon article about the event here!
International Coffeehouse!
Another of our notable events is the club’s participation in the International Coffeehouse events series organized by our campus’s International House on October 6th! The Coffeehouse allows for students and faculty to meet and chat about the upcoming semester, as well as showcase a small part of the language departments and other language programs to the rest of the students and staff on campus.
Paint The Rock!
On October 2nd, our club officers and members gathered at the infamous “Rock” on our UT campus to paint it in honor of the beginning of the Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month!
Student Engagement Fair!
At the end of the very first day of classes, all the campus clubs and organizations gather and set up information tables all the way up and down PED walkway as an introduction to the new academic year and get new students to join their rosters! It’s an incredibly wonderful way to start off the semester and new academic year!