As previously noted, the Hawthorne High School Clarion is now publishing older articles from past Clarion issues. What is featured here is from Volume 3, Issue I, published in Ocotber 2003.

The mission of the Italian Club has always been to thwart negative stereotypes by portraying Italians in a positive light. In the first two months of school, the club has already accomplished this by participating in a number of events.

The first event the club participated in was the Christopher Columbus Parade in Nutley, NJ on October 12th. Many other towns also had Italian Clubs represented; however Hawthorne High School had the largest representation. Members carried a large banner in honor of Italian heritage. The club also attended a feast in Newark in honor of San Gerardo (Saint Gerard). Club members enjoyed Italian culture through fine food, excellent music, and engaging with other Italian-Americans.

On October 22, the club held an Italian breakfast to celebrate Italian Heritage Month. Club events were discussed and members were updated about future events in an effort to get as many members involved as possible. Italian food and music were also enjoyed at the breakfast. To fund these events, the Italian Club held a t-shirt and sweats sale. The black clothing with FORZA ITALIA and the Italian flag was very popular with club members and Italian-Americans in the community.

The club also sponsors a pizza sale once a month after school in the main hallway. Officers are also planning an Italian movie night fundraiser in the auditorium. An Italian film will be shown and fine Italian delicacies will be available for purchase. The Italian Club has a membership of over 100 students, and is a well-respected organization.
“Ms. D’Amato is a fantastic teacher, and the effort that she puts into running the club is phenomenal,” says Mr. Van Winkle in praise of the club. “As a co-advisor of the newspaper, I know how much work, time, and effort are put in to make a club successful.”

The club is also being driven by the high motivation of the club officers. Co-Presidents Eric Tamm and Beth Alimena, Vice President Dominic Margarucci, Historian Jenna Gnade, Secretaries Melissa Quiroz and Michael Puluse, and Treasurer Ashley Cornett are committed to exposing club members to Italian culture through fine arts.

“We will be seeing a performance of The Nutcracker in December. Co-President Eric Tamm will be dancing in this classic ballet, and we are excited to support an Italian-American who is involved with the fine arts,” says Beth Alimena. “The club also plans to get into the city to see an opera in the near future.”