lingua franca spring 2019 - salem state...

Lingua Franca ● Vol 16 ● 2018-2019 1

LINGUA FRANCAAN ANNUAL NEWSLETTER PUBLISHED BY WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES AT SALEM STATE UNIVERSITY salemstate.edu/languages Volume 16 • 2018-2019

THE FREDERICK A. MEIER BOOK AWARD 2019: ANTHONY DIVIRGILIOby Michele C. Dávila, ChairThis year the faculty of the World Languages and Cultures Department unanimously voted to give the Frederick A. Meier Book Award to Anthony DiVirgilio, an Italian major. This award is a product of the Ed Francis Endowment that we received in 2013. Thanks to this generous donation from Dr. Francis, this year we were able to award Mr. DiVirgilio both a book and $700.00.

The Frederick A. Meier Book Award goes to a student that:

• Is a senior at Salem State University and a major in the world languages and cultures department

• Displays distinctive leadership in the discipline, such as in university student organizations and student government activities

• Achieves academic excellence

• Exhibits meritorious service to the discipline, such as in campus and community service

• Is committed to increasing awareness of cultural diversity and promotes respect for difference and inclusivity on campus

Anthony is a double major with both the World Languages and Cultures and the Interdisciplinary Studies departments. He is the president of the Italian Club and an Italian tutor, and he is always willing to help with the department’s activities. You can see him around campus on the Champions of Philanthrophy poster as a Philanthropy Ambassador. He really believes in diversity and giving back to others. His main advice to new students is to be involved and get to know your department and university.

Anthony received his award during the Phi Sigma Iota Induction Ceremony to be held on April 10 from 5:00-7:00 pm at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, MA.

Please join us in congratulating Anthony, the recipient of the Frederick A. Meier Book Award 2018!

Congratulazioni Anthony!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

The Frederick A. Meier Book Award 2019: Anthony DiVirgilio 1

¿Qué pasa? Quoi de neuf? Novità? 2

Bill Clark, Professor Emeritus of French and World Languages. October 29, 1937-June 18, 2018 3

French Translation News 3

WLC Certificate in Translation Students Intern and Translate for MA Legal and Court Institutions 4

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Citation for Outstanding Performance: Ronnette Wongus 5

S.I.T.E. Program in Lombardy, Italy: “Buon Viaggio Samantha & Luciano!” 5

Italian Club Attends Italian Expo in Cambridge 5

2019 HOPE Award Winning Essay: The Importance of Language 6

2019 HOPE Award Runner Up: L'Importanza delle lingue in un mondo transnazionale 7

The Multilingual Origin of the Unites States I: Spanish 7

Phi Sigma Iota International Foreign Languages Honor Society 9

Greek Letters in the Names of Fraternity Houses and Honor Societies 9

Semester Abroad in Oviedo, Spain 11

Spring Break Service in Puerto Rico 12

Adventures of Italian Alumni 13

World Languages: The Gateway to New Horizons 14

Graduate Study in Spanish 15

Jarchas from SPN 706 Graduate Students 15

The 2019 New England Contemporary Italian Film Festival 16

Mexico in Black and White 16

EDITORS: Jon Aske Kenneth Reeds

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WORLD LANGUAGES AND CULTURES

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Lingua Franca ● Vol 16 ● 2018-20192

¿QUÉ PASA? QUOI DE NEUF? NOVITÀ? Department News Abounds

Department News:We are proud to announce that this year the following will graduate from Salem State University: 7 graduate students with a MAT in Spanish, 5 majors in World Languages and Cultures (with concentrations in French, Italian, and Spanish), and 43 minors and certificate students (in French, Italian, Spanish, German, Arabic, and translation).

The following thesis were presented at Undergraduate Research Symposium this year:

• Michael May « Analyse sociolinguistique des mots culinaires dans la langue française: les différences entre le français québécois et le français métropolitain » (thesis in Spring 2019)

• Sophie Swiniarski « Comment l’Accord de Paris rend la diplomatie entre la France et les États-Unis plus importante que jamais » (thesis presented Fall 2018)

The following thesis were presented at this year’s Graduate Research Symposium:

• Sarah Colossimo: “Los gitanos en el mundo hispano: ¿ciudadanos o parásitos”

• Robert Dugan: “El Fujimorismo: ¿salvación o castigo?”

• Cristina Jáuregui: “La independencia de Cataluña: ¿justicia histórica o manipulación política?”

• Holly Parsons: “El sueño imposible: español en cuarenta minutos por semana”

• Katherine Rattey: “El mito de la unificación española en dictadura y democracia”

• Jessica Silva: “Viajando con recursos auténticos: herramienta para la competencia de un segundo idioma”

• Stephanie Swiszcz: “El mercado de la islamofobia en España”

• Leonila Téllez-Valle: “José Rubén Romero: una obra en el olvido”

• Rehana Yusif: “La independencia no elimina el pensamiento colonial: Guinea Ecuatorial y el primer mundo”

Faculty News:Elizabeth Blood published an English translation of Felix Gatineau’s 1919 Histoire des Franco-Américains de Southbridge, Massachusetts, which was well-received in Southbridge and among French-Canadian genealogists in the United States. Franco-Americans (descendants of French-Canadian immigrants) are the third largest ethnic group in New England today! The translation, entitled History of the Franco-Americans of Southbridge, Massachusetts, by Felix Gatineau, is available on Amazon or Via Appia Press (viaappiapress.com/). You can watch the video of Prof. Blood’s talk “Southbridge 100 Years Ago” presented at the Jacob Edwards Library in Southbridge on YouTube: youtu.be/Q5DYkHtyRZQ

Michele C. Dávila had the following publications this academic

year: “Los avatares de la muerte en la obra de Yanitzia Canetti” in the book Descifrando Latinoamérica: Género, violencia y testimonio (Deciphering Latin America: Gender, Violence and Testimony. Eds. Margarita Peraza-Rugeley & Susana Perea Fox. México: Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, 2018, pp. 40-59 and “Miss Bala: agencia indirecta de un personaje entre la espada y la pared”. Agencia, historia y empoderamiento femenino. Eds. Dianbe Marting, Eva París & Yamile Silva. Santo Domingo, RD: CDLEH, 2018, pp. 51-64.

Kristine Doll’s second book of poetry, The Light of Ordinary Days (The Seventh Quarry Press: Wales, UK) is due out this summer, 2019. She has been invited to return to the Yale Club (New York, May 17) and the Grolier Poetry Bookshop (Cambridge MA, May 21) to read her poetry. Doll recently published her interview with SSU poet and professor Kevin Carey: “Kevin Carey: Poet of Place.” The Seventh Quarry Poetry Magazine. 27, Winter /Spring 2018. Wales, UK. She also translated from English to Spanish the book preface in Stanley Barkan’s As Still As A Broom/Tan quieto como una escoba. New York: The New Feral Press, 2018). Several of Doll’s poems as well as her translations from Catalan into English and from English into Spanish were published in Australia. Read the poetry here: doubledialogues.com/issue/issue-21/

Kenneth Reeds presented the paper “From the Frontier to the Sea: A Story of How Everything Changes, but Stays the Same” as part of Fairfield University’s Imagining the Coast: A Public Symposium on the Humanities and the Sea at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT. He is also working as an External Reviewer for the assessment of the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Eastern Connecticut State University.

Anna Rocca presented new research on Tunisian author Nidhal Guiga at the Society for French Studies Conference, at the University College Cork (UCC) in Cork, Ireland, in Summer 2018. In October, she also presented a paper on Franco-Martinican writer Fabienne Kanor at the South Central MLA annual conference in San Antonio, TX. In 2019, Dr. Rocca published a book chapter on Tunisian artist Héla Ammar entitled “Héla Ammar: Art & Beyond” in Art and Healing: Gender, Genocide, and Aesthetic Expression, published by the University of Nebraska Press. Dr. Rocca also published an article for the peer-edited journal Romanica Silesiana, published by the University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland. The journal issue is entitled Le Maghreb: entre conflit et consensus and her article “Algeria: Sarah Haidar’s Reflections on Conflict.”

Fátima Serra presented at the following Conferences during the 2018-2019 academic year: “Hackers, mitos y leyendas: El silencio de la ciudad blanca de Eva G. Saénz de Urturi” at the XV Congreso de novela y cine negro: un género sin límites, Salamanca, May 2019; “Inconformismo, resistencia en el siglo XXI”: El olivo (2016) de Icíar Bollaín. Cine-Lit 9. Mujer y Género. Portland, Oregon, March 2019; “El drama de la persistencia de la crisis”, XV Congreso Internacional Voces Masculinas y Femeninas. Escritoras y Escrituras. Sevilla, Nov. 2018.


BILL CLARK, PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF FRENCH AND WORLD LANGUAGES. OCTOBER 29, 1937-JUNE 18, 2018by Fátima Serra

On Sunday, June 18, 2018, Emeritus Professor William Clark of the Department of World Languages and Cultures passed away at the age of eighty. Professor Clark was a beloved professor of French and other languages in what was then called Department of Foreign Languages, for thirty four years, from 1969 until 2003. Bill was also a first-rate flute player, playing second flute to his wife Beverly in Symphony by the Sea, the orchestra they cofounded. He was also an expert in wine, being a member of the American Society of Wine Educators, and he taught wine courses all over the North Shore.

When I arrived at Salem State in 1997, Bill Clark’s guidance and support helped me navigate the intricacies of this institution. I was coming from a different country and sharing an office with him was the best thing that happened to me at SSU. From day one, his work and generosity stood out: reviewing and editing junior faculty writings, tutoring students, sharing his syllabi and experience, and spending countless hours recruiting the next generation of World Languages faculty. Bill Clark made it all seem effortless and spontaneous, though I realized it was the product of great effort, dedication, knowledge, and preparation. I will always cherish the memory of his calm

demeanor and sense of humor, he helped me loosen up and be resilient at the same time. In short, he was a true mentor.

Bill’s wife, Beverly (Seger) Clark remembers with delight that in his last days he had the chance to reminisce about his Salem State days again. His cardiologist turned out to be one of the most outstanding students Bill ever had at Salem State, a Russian émigré, now Dr. Michael Goldstein. When he became sick, they spent some time sharing the memories and reconnecting again.

Bill spoke beautiful French and could handle himself in Spanish, Italian and Portuguese. He believed in World Languages. He supported the renewed efforts to add languages to our department and bring back language majors, after they had disappeared from the Salem State curriculum. He guided us through the curriculum creation process and led the charge to populate the department with new members. The result is a thriving program with a solid major, multiple minors and different paths for our undergraduate and graduate students.

Upon retirement from Salem State in 2002, music, reading French classics, The American Society of Wine Educators, and travels with his family filled his time with enjoyment.

In addition to his wife of 49 years, Bill left behind four children, seven grandchildren, as well as colleagues and fellow musicians who will miss him very much. We are happy to have had the chance to share part of his journey and celebrate his life.

dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/salem-ma/william-clark-7888325

FRENCH TRANSLATION NEWS

This semester, students enrolled in Dr. Blood’s FRE 400: French Translation Seminar will be completing French/English translation projects for community clients, including Christine Boulanger, a Parisian artist and author of the website www.visagesdenfaces.com (translations of online essays about the artist’s encounters with her subjects); Dr. Leslie Choquette, Director of the French Institute at Assumption College (translations of biographies of Franco-American authors); and Dr. Julie Whitlow of the Center for International Education (translations of brochures for the Intensive English Language Program), among others. Students had a Skype conversation with Ms. Boulanger in class one day and had the opportunity to ask questions and engage in conversation about her project, which aims to celebrate the diversity of cultures in Paris and create bonds between people of very different cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds by creating portraits and essays about Parisians of all walks of life.

by Elizabeth Blood


WLC CERTIFICATE IN TRANSLATION STUDENTS INTERN AND TRANSLATE FOR MA LEGAL AND COURT INSTITUTIONSby Kristine Doll

Part of the training in translation that our students receive includes translating for community agencies, institutions, schools and the court system. We have translated for the Essex County District Attorney’s Office as well as for the Essex County Probate and Family Court. Our current internships at the Probate and Family Court have focused on translating documents that play a significant role in the lives of the residents of Essex County, MA.

In March 2019, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Vinnie Procopio, Operations Supervisor for the Essex County Probate and Family Court. Mr. Procopio works directly with SSU translation students, guiding them through their internship at the Probate Court.

What is the Probate and Family Court and what function does it serve?

The Probate and Family Court is one of the divisions within the Massachusetts Trial Court that handles cases involving families and children, including divorce, paternity, guardianship, estates, adoptions and many more. The Essex County division serves 34 towns and cities throughout the Commonwealth.

How many people need the Probate and Family Court’s services?

The Essex Probate and Family Court takes in over 16,000 cases annually. In addition to the newly filed cases, there are thousands of on-going cases. An average of 300,000 to 400,000 court users enter our building every year.

What languages are used in the Court?

The Trial Court offers translators for any and all languages spoken throughout the world. Our highest volume of languages used throughout the county are Spanish and Portuguese.

Why is it important to have documents translated from English into other languages for the Court to function optimally?

The Trial Court’s mission is “Equal Access to Justice.” The Essex County Register of Probate, Pamela Casey O’Brien, offers multiple outlets of assistance to litigants who are not proficient in English. Court forms and instructions translated from English to other languages are used by litigants. We also offer a “Lawyer of the Day” Program which is offered on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Register has, and continues to use, technology and other forms of assistance to ensure Equal Access to Justice for all.

How long have you been with the Court?

I am currently in my sixth year with the Trial Court.

Would you recommend a career with the Court?

Absolutely! Working in public service can be both challenging and rewarding. The Essex Probate and Family Court prides itself on customer service. Court users can be nervous, afraid, stressed or overwhelmed when entering our building. We understand that the matters we deal with are both personal and important. Our staff takes all of these aspects into consideration when assisting anyone from the public, regardless of the language they speak

or how they identify. A career within the Trial Court can be prosperous and rewarding.

How have Salem State University students assisted the Court’s work?

The students from Salem State University have been a tremendous asset to our court. They have translated forms for court users to access during visits to the court house. They have also had the opportunity to shadow some of our Trial Court Translators during a court session. The hard work they have provided to our court will be beneficial to not only the public at large but to our entire staff. We are hoping to have the Salem State University translated forms approved for use state-wide by the Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court.

If you are interested in this opportunity to work with the Essex County Probate and Family Court, or any of the other internship and translation possibilities, please contact Dr. Kristine Doll at [email protected] or 978.542.6259.


THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS CITATION FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE: RONNETTE WONGUSby Michele C. Dávila

This academic year has been very exciting in the life of our own Ronnette Wongus. In the fall, not only was she promoted to Administrative Assistant II for her dedication and excellent work in taking care of us in the World Languages and Cultures Department, but she also received the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Citation for Outstanding Performance. She was one of the five SSU’s employees who received this honor. As part of the celebration, President John Keenan met with the awardees to congratulate them. Ronni also participated in the Commonwealth Celebration at City Hall with Governor Charlie Baker, who personally congratulated her.

In addition to receiving these honors, Ronni was invited as a Guest Speaker in the Empowered by Me event hosted by Andrea Wilson in Lynn, MA. Because of her powerful talk, this year she was selected for a publication titled Faces of Lynn. In it she describes her Four D’s to Live By: Discernment (maintaining her confidence in God for answers), Determination (not taking no for an answer), Drive (having the energy to succeed) and Dedication (putting yourself 100% behind your work). No wonder Ronni has received such accolades. We are proud of you Ronni!Ronni with Governor Charlie Baker

S.I.T.E. PROGRAM IN LOMBARDY, ITALY: “BUON VIAGGIO SAMANTHA & LUCIANO!”by Anna Rocca

The S.I.T.E. (Study Intercultural Training Experience) Program is an internship opportunity for English-speaking teaching assistant in schools of Lombardy, Italy. It is an opportunity for students or recent graduates from US Universities who wish to get a better understanding of the Italian language and culture, while assisting local teachers and getting professional training on teaching methods.

This year, Samantha Sullivan, a Major in World Languages and Cultures with a concentration in Italian and a Minor in History, and Luciano Rex, a Major in Theatre and a Minor in World Languages & Cultures, have been awarded a Teaching Fellowship for the academic year 2019-2020. Samantha Sullivan has been placed at the high school Liceo Simon Weil in Treviglio, province of Milan. Luciano Rex has been assigned to the high school Economic & Technical Institute Enrico Tosi in Busto Arsizio, province of Milan. Both students will leave in September 2019 and stay until June 2020! CONGRATULAZIONI RAGAZZI!!!

Samantha Sullivan

ITALIAN CLUB ATTENDS ITALIAN EXPO IN CAMBRIDGE

On April 6, members of the Italian Club attended the Italian Expo in Cambridge, MA. The expo included talks on immigration, live music, food, authors, and much more. The only universities present were Wellesley College, Brandeis, and Salem State University.

Italian Club at the Expo: Samantha Sullivan, Anthony Divirgilio, Mataya Winchester, Ashley Greco, Ben Geary, Bayron Contreras


HOPE AWARD 2019

“Speak a new language so that the world will be a new world” – RumiThe World Languages and Cultures Department’s annual HOPE Award: Doing Humanitarian work, Creating Opportunities for those in need Promoting Peace in the world and Sharing your linguistic and/or cultural Expertise with others.

Award Prizes: Up to $150 and your essay published in the next edition of Lingua Franca

Essay Topic: What does Rumi’s statement about the importance of language mean to you? How does speaking more than one language contribute to the development and improvement of the world? Does the ability to speak a new language enhance your life and your understanding of others? You are encouraged to discuss personal experiences or plans you have to use your knowledge about languages to contribute to your community.

Details: Open to all students who have taken language courses in the department of World Languages and Cultures. Essays should be no longer than two pages and must be written in either English or any of the languages represented by the department (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, or Spanish).

Evaluation Criteria: Importance of contribution and clarity of expression.

Deadline: Essays must be received by March 26, 2019.

Submission/Questions: Kristine Doll, PhD ([email protected]) Anna Rocca, PhD ([email protected])

Each year, the Department of World Languages and Cultures holds an essay competition exploring the dynamic relationship between community and humanitarian service, education and leadership; particularly in the context of improving our world.

This year, writers were asked to respond to this quote from Rumi: “Speak a new language so that the world will be a new world.”

This year’s FIRST PRIZE is awarded to Aminata Keita for her essay, “The Importance of Language.” SECOND PRIZE is awarded to Anthony DiVirgilio for his essay, “L'Importanza delle Lingue in un Mondo Transnazionale.” HONORABLE MENTION is awarded to Sasha Burgess for her essay, “Idiomas y Culturas: Seeing New Worlds Through Language.”

2019 HOPE AWARD WINNING ESSAY: THE IMPORTANCE OF LANGUAGEby Aminata Keita

In the modern world, no one will be surprised by the knowledge of several languages, but few people think about what the real importance of language is. Language, as the central element of human communication, not only assists us to transmit information about the world but also to participate in its creation. Without language, it would be impossible to accumulate and transfer experience, build a society, and develop the benefits of civilization. Consequently, the more languages a person knows, the more one has the power to change the world. According to Rumi, a person who speaks a new language creates a new world, and therefore everyone interested in the development of the surrounding world should be interested in learning new languages.

The ability to speak more than one language gives a person unlimited opportunities with which to explore the world and develop oneself. A foreign language is a kind of code to another culture, by deciphering it one can better understand other people, appreciate their experience as well as their material and spiritual holdings. The particular advantage that the study of other languages provides is not the opportunity to study or work abroad, but rather, the ability to communicate with people in their own dialect, becoming at the same time a part of a single society that has no boundaries.

I think, when Rumi spoke about the importance of language and how knowledge of several languages extends the limits of human capabilities, he had in mind precisely the possibility of uniting human souls and creating a single cultural experience through communication in the language of the other person. If one looks at human history or mythology, it becomes evident that the issue of unity through language has long been considered. For instance, the story about the Tower of Babel and the division of a common language into different languages of the world assists in understanding that knowledge of the neighbor’s dialect is the key to harmony and building a perfect world.

Based on my experience, I can say that mastering another language was useful to me in familiarizing myself with the culture of another country and allowed me to get to know its features better. So, a few years ago, I was fascinated by the culture of Japan, and I wanted to learn how to read the original Japanese traditional haiku poems. Unfortunately, Japanese turned out to be quite tricky for me, and I was not able to study

it sufficiently to speak fluently, but my knowledge was enough to read my favorite haiku by Matsuo Basho in the original:

Spring passes and the birds cry out — tears in the eyes of fishes.

This haiku is Sam Hamill’s translation and has always been my favorite. I wanted to know what value Basho put into his original expression and what signs he used to describe the departure of spring. To my surprise, the words in Japanese turned out to be very simple, free of profound metaphor and vividness, and were simple words that assisted my understanding of the aesthetics of Japanese culture, which Basho conveyed in his lines. Thus, even a superficial study of another language enabled me to better understand the culture of another people, the features of their vision of the world, thereby expanding my perception and making me more susceptible to the beauty of the world around me. Moreover, I am sure that the study of other languages will assist not only me but also every person who wants to learn new things, to expand his vision of the world and to improve by uniting with other people.

Summing up, I agree with Rumi's opinion about the importance of learning languages for self development and for the perfection of the world. My experience of learning Japanese assisted me to better understand the culture of Japan, and especially the poems of my favorite Japanese poet Matsuo Basho. I am sure that knowledge of other languages is beneficial for any person who wants to understand himself and the world around him better, and also to contribute to the cultural development of society.

HOPE AWARD 2019

“Speak a new language so that the world will be a new world” – RumiThe World Languages and Cultures Department’s annual HOPE Award: Doing Humanitarian work, Creating Opportunities for those in need Promoting Peace in the world and Sharing your linguistic and/or cultural Expertise with others.

Award Prizes: Up to $150 and your essay published in the next edition of Lingua Franca

Essay Topic: What does Rumi’s statement about the importance of language mean to you? How does speaking more than one language contribute to the development and improvement of the world? Does the ability to speak a new language enhance your life and your understanding of others? You are encouraged to discuss personal experiences or plans you have to use your knowledge about languages to contribute to your community.

Details: Open to all students who have taken language courses in the department of World Languages and Cultures. Essays should be no longer than two pages and must be written in either English or any of the languages represented by the department (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Italian, or Spanish).

Evaluation Criteria: Importance of contribution and clarity of expression.

Deadline: Essays must be received by March 26, 2019.

Submission/Questions: Kristine Doll, PhD ([email protected]) Anna Rocca, PhD ([email protected])


2019 HOPE AWARD RUNNER UP: L'IMPORTANZA DELLE LINGUE IN UN MONDO TRANSNAZIONALE by Anthony Di Virgilio

Penso che la frase di Rumi significhi che la nostra capacità di capire e parlare lingue diverse ci permette di conversare con persone di culture ed etnie diverse, e che questo contribuisce alla crescita personale e alla consapevolezza culturale. Inoltre, quando capisci una lingua straniera, sei capace di usare la tua passione e le tue abilità per beneficiare del mondo in modi diversi. Quindi, più lingue conosci, più modi hai per aiutare il mondo, perché la comprensione di molte lingue è una abilità appllicabile in altri contesti e non esiste un modo solo per utilizzare questo talento.

Personalmente, ho migliorato la mia capacità di parlare, scrivere e usare l'italiano durante i miei anni di studio a Salem State, ma ora che mi avvicino alla laurea questo semestre, ho iniziato a pensare a come posso usare la lingua italiana in un modo innovativo per aiutare il mondo dopo la mia laurea. Ho iniziato a immaginare il lavoro dei miei sogni che mi permetterà di usare l'italiano in combinazione con la mia vera passione nella vita. Ho pensato di connettere il mio amore per l'italiano, i viaggi e la pallacanestro e provare a diventare uno scopritore di talenti internazionale per pallacanestro. Molte squadre della NBA hanno molte scopritori di talenti in diverse regioni del globo. Spero un giorno di diventare uno scopritore di talenti Europeo, in Italia più che in altri stati,

perché oggi le squadre nella Lega Basket Serie A in Italia, sono seconde solo alle squadre dei club spagnoli in tutta Europa. Chiaramente questo non sarà un lavoro facile da creare. Per ora sono uno studente in una classe per scopritore di talenti sull’ internet, che mi ha permesso di parlare con scopritori di talenti internazionali e executive della NBA. Spero che questa esperienza possa aiutarmi ad ottenere una posizione che non richiede un’ esperienza nel campo, che infine mi porterà al mio lavoro da sogno di diventare uno scopritore di talenti Europeo per la pallacanestro. Mentre mi preparo per la laurea, comincio a riflettere e a comprendere come ho beneficiato personalmente nel continuare a imparare una lingua straniera a Salem State. Le lezioni di lingua e cultura globale a Salem State, mi hanno permesso di capire di più sulla mia personalità e il mondo favoloso che condividiamo. Sono grato di avere avuto l’opportunità durante il mio tempo a Salem State di andare in Germania e in Grecia per imparare dalla loro cultura, e di avere avuto anche la possibilità di viaggiare in Sicilia e di usare l’Italiano in un contesto reale. Non dimenticherò mai le persone che ho incontrato all'estero e le persone nel dipartimento di World Langauges and Cultures a Salem State, che mi hanno aiutato a realizzare il mio scopo nella vita. Amo Salem State, amo le diverse culture nel mondo, e non vedo l’ora di affrontare il futuro.

THE MULTILINGUAL ORIGIN OF THE UNITED STATES I: SPANISHby Michele C. Dávila

Figure 1North American lands claimed by European powers in 1700, including New France, New Spain, and the 13 British colonies

The names of many of the states and cities of the United States of America reveal much about the multicultural, and therefore, multilingual origins of this country. Many of these names were established centuries before its independence. First of all, we have the name America, that is the feminine form of Americus, the Latinized version of the first name of the Italian explorer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci, who explored the continent from 1501-1503. It was in 1507 that the first world map produced by German Martin Waldseemüller was published with the name America for the continent. That means that all individuals of this side of the world have the right to call themselves Americans. In fact, the world, including the US, used to catalog it as one continent until after World War II when the United States decided to make a division between North and South America (forgetting Central America all together) and started teaching that the Americas were two continents. The rest of the world still catalogues the so-called “New World” (new to non-native peoples) as one continent, which is the reason the Olympics’ symbol is comprised of five rings: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and America.

The first European language spoken in what is today US territory was Spanish (Old Norse was the first one spoken in parts of what is known today as Canada). The first settlement was San Agustín, Florida, founded in 1565, today St. Augustine. The Spaniards maintained settlements in the area of what is now Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and

Conutinued on page 8


Louisiana during the 16th century and part of the 17th century. It is estimated that at this time there were 300 indigenous languages north of Mexico, and another 300 south of Mexico including Central America.

Of the names of the 50 states, 22 come directly from native languages, and a few others come from Spanish and French. The Spanish started their colonization through missions throughout the territory that were in use for many years. They existed in Florida (1565-1709), Georgia (1568-1684), The Carolinas (1566-1670), Louisiana (1763-1801), Texas (1689-1830), New Mexico (1598-present day), Arizona (1629-1828), and California (1726-1834). Their aim was to convert the indigenous people. This contact proved quite lethal to these native communities due to the transmission of European diseases for which they had not natural defenses.

The following eight states’ names come either directly from Spanish or were named by Spaniards deriving them from other languages:

Arizona is a state whose territory was under Spanish influence since 1539. The origin of its name is debated. Some sources say that Spaniards called it that way from an O’odham phrase “al sonak” that means “little spring,” but most likely it comes from the Basque phrase “aritz ona” meaning “good oak,” which was the name of a ranch in what is today the Mexican state of Sonora near where slabs of silver were found 1737, something which put this region on the map. Another suggested source of the name Arizona is the Spanish phrase árida zona ‘dry zone’, but that is surely not the case, if nothing else because the order of the words is so unnatural in Spanish. This desert region was Mexican territory until they were ‘ceded’ to the US in 1848 after the Mexican-American war, with some portions staying Mexican until 1853.

California, first sighted by Europeans in 1542, is a made-up Spanish name that comes from the book Las sergas de Esplandián (The Adventures of Esplandian) by Garci Ordóñez de Montalvo, published in 1510. The novel represents a fictional island with the name California ruled by a queen called Califia. Until the 18th century it was believed that California was an island. The Spanish established twenty-one Catholic missions in this territory and from the names of those missions, mostly taken from the names of Catholic saints, come the names of many Californian cities. Some of them are: San Diego (the first one founded, in 1769), San Luis Obispo (1772), San Juan Capistrano (1776), Santa Clara (1777), Santa Bárbara (1786), Santa Cruz (1791), San José (1797), and San Francisco (1823). Other cities with religious Spanish names are San Bernardino, San Benito, San Mateo, San Joaquín, Sacramento, Merced and Los Angeles, which is derived from a virgin’s name (originally Asistencia [meaning sub-mission] Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles). Other well-known Spanish city names in California are Monterey (King’s mountain), originally a “presidio” (royal fort) and later first capital city of California until 1850, Calaveras (Skulls), El Dorado (The Gold), Placer (Pleasure), and Plumas (Feathers). California was part of Mexico until 1847.

Colorado is a Spanish word that means ‘red’, which was given to this region due to the color of the soil that gives its color to the Colorado River. Its eastern side was part of Mexico until 1803, the central part until 1845 and the western side until 1848.

Florida was discovered by Juan Ponce de León in 1513 while looking for the fountain of youth, and it remained a part of Spain until 1819. The name Florida is derived from the Spanish phrase Pascua Florida (Easter), because it was during this holiday that the Spaniards saw the territory for the first time.

Montana comes from the Spanish word “montaña,” meaning mountain, but interestingly it was instead explored by Frenchmen and was part of the French territory of Louisiana until 1803.

The name of the state of Nevada comes from a Spanish word nevada, meaning ‘snowed’, derived from the word nieve, meaning ‘snow’. It is a shortened version of the phrase Sierra Nevada, meaning ‘snowed mountain range’. The other famous Spanish name of the state is Las Vegas, that means ‘the fertile plains’. Nevada was part of Mexico until 1848.

The name New Mexico, or Nuevo México in Spanish, is recorded for the first time in 1563. The word Mexico itself comes from the Nahuatl name for the Valley of Mexico region, which was the heart of the Aztec empire. The name for this region comes from a native ethnonym, since it meant something like ‘place of the Mexica’, a Nahuatl-speaking people from this region, and some think that that name may come from the name of a legendary leader and war priest. An interesting fact is that in 1995 the state of New Mexico designated the bilingual song “New Mexico – Mi lindo Nuevo México” as the official state song, a first for this nation. Santa Fe, meaning holy faith, has been the capital since 1610.

Texas had been explored by the Spaniards since the 1540s. In the Chronica de la provincia de N.S.P.S. [Chronicle of the Province of Our Lady Perpetuo Socorro], written in 1737, Francisco de Zacatecas mentions Texas as the name for the indigenous people living in the area and as a province. It is believed that the name comes from the Native American Caddo word táysha' that means ‘friend’ or ‘ally’. The letter X at the time was pronounced like English sh in Spanish, which explains the spelling of the word Texas. Later when the sound sh changed to h in Spanish, all spellings of words containing this sound were changed from X to J in the 19th century, except in in word of well-known place names, such as Mexico and Texas. The English pronunciation of this word is, of course, what is known as a ‘spelling pronunciation’. A curious detail is that Spanish also has a word teja (plural: tejas) that means ‘roof tile’, used to refer to the typical terracotta roof tile used on traditional Spanish houses in some parts of Latin America. The Spaniards called the place La misión de San Francisco de los Texas. Texas also had missions such as San Antonio where the Álamo, meaning ‘poplar tree’, is located.

Spanish wasn’t the only European language that has left its imprint on the place names US territories in the Americas. France had a lot to do with what we know today as the United States. Stay tuned to the next Lingua Franca for information on some of those names.

Some of the basic information in this article is taken from the sites State Symbols USA, Fact Monster, Infoplease, and Facebook.


PHI SIGMA IOTA INTERNATIONAL FOREIGN LANGUAGES HONOR SOCIETYby Michele C. Dávila

The World Languages and Cultures department is proud to announce the names of candidates who have been inducted into the Phi Sigma Iota Honors Society for 2019. Phi Sigma Iota is an international honor society that bestows academic honor and recognition in the field of world languages and literatures. To be invited to join this prestigious honor society is a testimony to scholastic and community excellence and leadership.

In addition to the national prestige that Phi Sigma Iota confers, members are also eligible for publication and scholarship opportunities as well as for national and international internships, including those of the Washington Center, the United Planet, and the U.S. Department of State Student Internship Program, among others. Because Phi Sigma Iota is a member of the Association of College Honor Societies, there are additional opportunities for grants, scholarships, and preference for Federal Jobs.

Inductees include undergraduate majors and minors, graduate students in the MAT in Spanish program, faculty members and members of the community. New members are recruited by invitation from faculty based on exceptional academic and community achievement and leadership in foreign language studies.

The induction ceremony is held annually in the Grand Ballroom at the Hawthorne Hotel, Salem MA.

Graduate Students: Sophia Grammenos Leonila Tellez-Valle

Undergraduate Students: Emma Coady Shannon Cooney Vanessa Cunha Demi DiCarlo Eduar Rivera Maldonado Andrew Muttiah Jessica Tassinari Emily Waldman Mataya Winchester

Faculty/Administrators: Marc Ebenfield Lauren Prema

Honorary/Community Members: Domenic Amara Adam Cutler

Induction Ceremony Guest Speaker: Domenic Amara

As last year, this year’s induction ceremony also features the presentation of the Frederick A. Meier Book Award. This award is given annually to an outstanding senior.

For more information, contact either Dr. Kristine Doll ([email protected]) or Dr. Anna Rocca ([email protected]), faculty advisors.

GREEK LETTERS IN THE NAMES OF FRATERNITY HOUSES AND HONOR SOCIETIES by Jon AskeThe most basic and general meaning of the word fraternity is ‘a group of people sharing a common profession or interests’ (COED), sort of like a social club. Modern fraternities developed from the medieval artisan guilds. However, in the United States, the word fraternity is used nowadays primarily to refer to ‘a male students’ society in a university or college’ (COED), in particular one that has a fraternity house (or frat house) where its members reside, a sort of glorified residence hall. Such societies have existed in the US since the 1770s. The word fraternity comes from Old French fraternite (Modern French fraternité), equivalent to the native English word brotherhood. It comes from Latin fraternitas ‘brotherhood’, a noun derived from the adjective fraternus ‘fraternal’, itself derived from the noun frater ‘brother’.

The female equivalent of a fraternity in US colleges and universities is a sorority, a name derived in recent times from the Latin word for sister, soror. The term sorority means ‘a society for female students in a university or college’ (COED) and it is only used in North America, since, as in the case of fraternities, this institution does not exist in other countries, even in the English-speaking world.

Not all universities in the US have fraternities or sororities, however. Salem State University does not have fraternity houses, though there are some student organizations that are considered ‘fraternities’ in some sense, at least on the University’s website, though they are more like clubs. Two of these are ‘Men’s Organizations’, namely Alpha Sigma Phi and Sigma Alpha Epsilon, and two are ‘Women’s Organizations’, Phi Sigma Sigma and Theta Phi Alpha.

University fraternities in the US are known for using Greek letters in the names, which is why their members are sometimes known as Greeks. A fraternity may have chapters in different universities. The ten largest fraternities in the US are the following, with the number of members and number of chapters: Sigma Alpha Epsilon, 304,000 and 246; Sigma Chi, 300,000 and 246; Sigma Phi Epsilon, 289,000 and 234; Lambda Chi Alpha, 280,000 and 218; Tau Kappa Epsilon, 265,000 and 290; Pi Kappa Alpha, 240,000 and 220; Sigma Nu, 225,000 and 184; Beta Theta Pi, 183,769 and 138; Alpha Tau Omega, 181,000 and 141; and Alpha Phi Alpha, 70,000, 796.



Modern university fraternities started as (academic) honor societies and their Greek-letter names have that origin as well. An honor society is ‘a society for the recognition of scholarly achievement especially of undergraduates’ (MWC). One such honor society is Phi Sigma Iota, the International Foreign Language Honor Society which includes “modern foreign languages, but also Classics, Linguistics, Philology, Comparative Literature, Bilingual Education, Second Language Acquisition and other interdisciplinary programs with a significant foreign language component”. Phi, Sigma and Iota are the Latinized names of the Greek letters Φ (Phi), Σ (Sigma), and Ι (Iota), as we will see in some detail below.

Two other well-known honor societies are Beta Beta Beta, for biology, known for its initials ΒΒΒ, and Beta Kappa Chi, for

natural sciences and mathematics, known for the initials ΒΚΧ. (Note that the upper-case versions of these letters in these two names are identical to the Latin alphabet letters. This is not surprising, since the Latin alphabet is derived from a version of the Ancient Greek alphabet. The lower-case version of Greek Β is β, and of Κ is κ, and of Χ is χ.) In the field of language, in addition to Phi Sigma Iota, there is also an honor society for Literature of all Languages called Lambda Iota Tau (ΛΙΤ). A few honor societies only contain only two Greek letters in their names, such as Psi Chi (ΨΧ) for psychology or Kappa Pi (ΚΠ) for art. In all, there are 68 honor societies associated in the Association of College Honor Societies (ACHS).

To understand the use of Greek letter names in the names of these honor societies and fraternities we need to understand first of all the importance of classical languages in education prior to the 19th century. Until the early 1800s, higher education in the West involved primarily the study of Classical Latin and Ancient Greek. Students were required to have studied Latin for many years before they could even apply to enter a college or university to get an undergraduate education where Latin figured prominently. In college, Ancient Greek was considered to be even more prestigious than Latin, since even the Romans, the original speakers of Latin, considered Greek culture and language to be the pinnacle of civilization and borrowed copiously from the Greeks. But whereas Latin was a major subject in high school for the few planning to go to college in those days, one had to go to a university in order to learn Greek. These two classical languages and the study of “the classics”, that is to say, “the works of ancient Greek and Latin writers and philosophers” (COED), was central to higher education before the development of the modern sciences.

By the way, Ancient (Biblical) Hebrew was another language that was often added to this language mix at the university, typically only after one already knew Latin and Greek well. The reason for the importance of Hebrew is that this was the language of the Christians’ Old Testament, what for the Jews is the Hebrew Bible or Tanakh, and religion was immensely important in those days before the expansion of modern sciences to universities.

Many of the older Ivy League universities have words in their crests or logos in one of those classical languages. Thus, for instance, the crest or “arms” for Harvard University, which was founded in 1636, contains a shield, three books, and the word the single Latin word veritas, which means ‘truth’. There have been two other mottos for Harvard University in the past, both in Latin: In Christi Gloriam ‘For the glory of Christ’ and Christo et Ecclesiae ‘For Christ in the Church’, but Veritas seems to have been the earliest one and it is also the current one.

The official motto of Yale University, founded in 1702, which appears in the university logo, is actually in Hebrew, namely which is transliterated into the םימתו םירואLatin alphabet as Ūrīm wə-Tummīm. It is a phrase from the Hebrew Bible, found in the breastplate worn by the High Priest. It has been translated as Lights and Perfections or Light and Truth. The official crest of Yale University also has a Latin version of this logo, Lux et Veritas ‘light and truth’, added for good measure, as you can see below.

As we mentioned earlier, honor societies—and thus fraternities—came to be characterized by names containing Greek letters, typically three of them. The first honor society to use Greek letters in its name was the Phi Beta Kappa Society, an academic honor society founded in 1776 at the College of William and Mary. Instead of choosing a Latin motto, like most other such academic organizations did at the time, they chose the Ancient Greek motto Φιλοσοφία Βίου Κυβερνήτης, which is transliterated into Latin script as Philosophía Bíou Kybernḗtēs. This phrase translates into English as Philosophy is the Guide of Life. This three-word phrase was abbreviated by the names of their first letters of the words in this phrase ΦBK, transliterated into Latin as Phi Beta Kappa, and eventually that became the name of the honor society.

Other organizations started imitating Phi Beta Kappa’s naming format, resulting in numerous other honor societies with Greek letters in their names. At first, these societies were elite academic organizations or societies at colleges and universities, and their three letter names stood for actual mottos, as in the case of Phi Beta Kappa. Such societies came to be called fraternities after the Latinate word fraternity, as we saw earlier. The first all-female societies were known as female fraternities, though later they came to be known as sororities. Fraternities and sororities are also known as Greek letter organizations (GLOs).

As we just said, originally fraternities were more like social clubs, literary societies, and honor societies, from which


they had developed. Eventually, some of these societies came to have buildings or residential houses where their members resided while attending college. That was the origin of fraternities as we know them today. The first one such fraternity house is believed to have been the chapter of Alpha Delta Phi at Cornell University, in the late 1800s.

As we saw, it wasn’t until the mid-to-late 19th century, when the study of Ancient Greek and Latin ceased to be a major part of higher education, that the use of Greek letters in the names of these Ivy League schools’ social organizations or fraternities really took off. Eventually, the Greek-letter names of the new societies did not really stand for anything or represent a motto like they did in the case of Phi Beta Kappa, though in some cases words were derived from the letters in the names after the fact. Note that not all honor societies and fraternities are named this way, though most of them are. Some societies that started with other names, such as Adelphean Society, founded in 1851 at Wesleyan, a women’s college in central Georgia, was later renamed Alpha Delta Phi.

Let us go back now to the name Phi Sigma Iota, the main honor society in the US for students of foreign languages. This society was created in 1922 and currently has 161 chapters and over 40 thousand members, some of them at Salem State University. It is not clear that those Greek letters stood for anything in the beginning, but eventually they came to stand for the words φῐλότης (philótēs), meaning ‘friendship, love, affection’, σπουδή (spoudḗ), meaning ‘zeal; haste; earnestness’ (and in Modern Greek, ‘education’), and ῐδῐωμᾰ (idíōma) meaning ‘peculiarity, specific property, unique feature’ in Ancient Greek.

Speakers of Spanish will recognize this last word as being the word for ‘(foreign) language’ in this language and in other languages, such as English, this word has come to have meanings related to language as well. In later versions of Greek, ιδίωμα (idíoma) came to mean ‘dialect (language variety)’and ‘idiom, peculiar phrase’, in addition to ‘peculiarity, habit’. This Greek word was borrowed into Latin as ĭdĭōma with two the first two of these meanings, namely ‘a peculiarity in language, an individual’s peculiar form of speaking’ and also ‘phrase with a peculiar meaning or idiom’. The English word idiom, borrowed from Latin through French, still has those two meanings, though the second one is more common. In Spanish, the word was borrowed from Latin some 500 years ago as idioma, with the same meanings, but eventually it came to be used for ‘the language of a nation’, synonymous with lengua ‘language’, which also means ‘tongue’, but typically only in the context of foreign languages.

Let us look at the three letters of the name Phi Sigma Iota. In Archaic and Classical Greek, the letter Phi (ϕεῖ in Greek), written uppercase Φ and lowercase φ or ϕ, was pronounced like an aspirated P, much like the English P in the word pan. This letter came to be pronounced as our F in the later part of Classical Antiquity, in Koiné Greek, the Greek used in the eastern Mediterranean at the beginning of our era as a lingua franca when the Romans took over this region. The Romans did not have the aspirated P sound. The Latin letter P represented the sound of an unaspirated P, like the Greek π (pi), and like the P in the Spanish word pan, the Italian word pane, or the French word pain. The Romans borrowed many words from Greek that had this letter, and rather than borrow the letter itself, as they did with other Greek letters that did not exist in Latin,

they transliterated it into their alphabet as PH. English has borrowed many of these Greek words from Latin too. Actually, any English word that has PH in it, from photography to physics, ultimately comes from Greek (usually through Latin). In English, we pronounce PH in such words like an F, of course, the way Phi came to be pronounced in Koiné Greek. Spanish also borrowed many of the same words, but in the 19th century it was decided to change the PH spelling of these words to F, for the sake of consistency. Hence photography in Spanish is fotografía, and physics is física. The letter is known in English as Phi, pronounced like fye, though in the name of the honor society, the more common pronunciation is like fee.

The Greek letter Sigma (σίγμα) had the upper-case form Σ and two possible lower-case forms, σ and ς (the latter is used only in word-final position and the former, elsewhere). In Hellenistic times, a stylized version of these letters was used, which look like the Latin letter C: upper-case C and lower-case c. This is the source of the letter for the s sound in the Cyrillic alphabet used in Slavic countries such as Russia and Bulgaria which was derived from the Greek alphabet. Greek Σ was equivalent in sound to the Latin letter S.

Finally, the Greek letter Iota (ιώτα) was (upper-case) Ι or (lower-case) ι, was fully equivalent to the Latin letter I. Note, however, that the lower-case Greek ι did not have a dot, and neither did the Latin I. The dot would not become part of the letter I in languages with the Latin alphabet either until much later in the 11th century as a way to distinguish the I’s stroke from other letters’ strokes in cursive. A variant of this letter would much later become a separate letter, namely J. The name of this letter in Spanish is jota, which comes from the Greek name Iota.

Abbreviations used

• COED = Concise Oxford English Dictionary

• AHD = American Heritage Dictionary

• MWC = Merriam-Webster's Collegiate 11

SEMESTER ABROAD IN OVIEDO, SPAINby Allysha Dunnigan

SSU has solidified its long-standing relationship (since 1999) with Oviedo University with the signature of an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two institutions. This summer, as in past years, a cohort of eighteen SSU students will attend the Spanish Language Immersion Program during Summer Session I. Spanish majors, minors and other students who want to add Spanish to their careers form the 2019 Oviedo cohort.

Less well known is the semester-long program in Oviedo that some WLC majors have completed in the past. Many of them have shared their adventures with the campus community in past editions of Lingua Franca. It is important to emphasize that the program is not only for WLC majors. This past fall, Ally Dunnigan, a Communications major and Spanish minor, spent a whole semester in Oviedo. She went to Spain because



she wanted to learn Spanish and fulfill her dream of travelling through Europe. Being a commuter, she also wanted to experience studying away from home.

Here is what she has to say about her experience.

Studying abroad was the greatest experience of my life thus far. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to embark on this magical adventure. Going into it, I was extremely nervous, as would anyone who decides to move to a foreign country with a different language for three months. At first, I was overwhelmed by the cultural change, the language that I was not fluent in, and living with a family that I had just met. After about a week and a half, however, I began to feel more comfortable and settled in. My five-foot tall host mom was the sweetest Spanish woman and she helped make my experience so much better. She cooked me three meals a day, did my laundry, made my bed while I was at school, and rubbed my back when I was sick. She spoke with me at lunch and dinner and helped me work on my Spanish. She brought me into her family and treated me as one of her own. Living with my host family helped when I got homesick because I had a family in Spain to care for me and talk to me and ask me how my day was, which meant a lot.

I learned so much from the locals and in return, I talked with them about my life and growing up in the U.S. Some of them became life-long friends that I keep in touch with through Facebook. Our favorite place to go in Oviedo was Calle Gascona. We were obsessed with the sidra (cider) and we became friendly with the workers at many of the restaurants and would have conversations with them when we went and say hi to them when we saw them around the city. It was awesome to walk around Oviedo and see so many people outside enjoying life.

Seeing all of the churches everywhere we went, including the beautiful cathedral, is one of the aspects of Oviedo that I miss the most, besides the sidra of course. Hiking to Mount Naranco and visiting the Picos de Europa mountain range were amazing experiences and had some of the most breath-taking views I had ever seen. I look at pictures from my trip almost every day and still get sad that I am not there. I appreciate all that Oviedo gave me and the comfort and welcoming feel that I had while living there. The little cafes that we visited between classes and the tapas that we would eat with our new group of friends are some of the little things that were also so much fun.

Allysha Dunnigan in Asturias, Spain

Spending a semester in Oviedo was the best time of my life and left me with incredible memories and lifelong friends. I keep in touch with my host family because they have made an impact on my life and I will never forget them. I am planning on returning to Oviedo within the next two years because I miss it so much already. Oviedo taught me a lot about myself and helped me grow more independent and confident in myself and my future. I learned a lot about the Spanish language and culture and brought those lessons home to Lynn with me. (I have olive oil and bread at dinner every night now, for instance.) I left a piece of my heart in Oviedo and I will always consider that city my second home.

SPRING BREAK SERVICE IN PUERTO RICOby Ronnette Wongus

Salem State University, in collaboration with ServeUP Intervarsity Organization, took 54 students from four universities to Gurabo, Puerto Rico on a service trip during spring break 2019. The trip’s goal was to help the residents of the island to restore their homes that were impacted by Hurricane Maria almost two years ago. The students were from Salem State University, UMASS Amherst, Central Connecticut State University and the University of Vermont.

Ronnette Wongus (Ronni) from World Languages and Cultures and Lauren Prema from The Center for International Education chaperoned the trip for Salem State University. Fifteen of our students and the two chaperones worked with the St. Bernard Project to provide assistance with the restoration process in Gurabo and Loiza, Puerto Rico. The restoration process consisted of moving furniture, painting, scraping fences, laying floor tiles, power spraying cement, cutting down trees, putting up drywall and landscaping.

Due to the significant loss and lack of resources to restore their homes, many of the residents of these communities have relocated or left the island. During our visit some of the students were able to talk to the locals who said that they are still in need of assistance and just cannot afford to do the work to restore their homes. They appreciated what we were doing for them.


Ronni at work in Puerto Rico

Some of the poorest areas that were hit by the hurricane are still experiencing the loss of running water and electricity, which is a recurring problem. Our students experienced a day with no running water and a half-day with no electricity. With the loss of running water, a truck had to come to refill the tank, which could take several hours or days. Once the water tank was refilled, we preserved water by using buckets and hoses to shower. Housing was in the Irradia

Volunteer Housing Center in Gurabo, Puerto Rico where our students slept on bunk beds and cots and our chaperones slept on mattresses on the floor while lizards attached themselves to the walls and ran through the center. Many of us had never experienced these elements, but we never complained and stayed focused on the recovery work.

While this was a service trip, our students got to experience the beauty of Puerto Rico. They visited beautiful beaches in San Juan and Carolina, local shops and ate the most amazing food. One of the best parts of their visit was to hear the beautiful sounds at night of the coqui frog and see the amazing sunrise in the morning. Our students said it was an honor and a privilege to help the residents of Puerto Rico and they hope that the people they met can soon get back to normalcy.

ADVENTURES OF ITALIAN ALUMNITwo recent graduates from our Italian program wrote to share with us the places where language study has taken them since leaving Salem State.

Cody and Javier in Italy

Cody Star Mulliner: Italian Minor-Psychology Major. She graduated in May 2018 and has been awarded a SITE (Study Intercultural Training Experience) scholarship for an eight-month internship (1st Oct. 2018-31st May 2019) to teach English and American/UK culture and history to ages 14-19 at the Liceo Scientifico ‘ISS Cremona’ in Milan, Lombardy. She has also been awarded the 2018 Phi Sigma Iota Scholarship for $2000 to support her stay in Italy.

My life has been an adventure so far. I have been embracing the solitude by visiting museums and monuments, reading, writing, and attempting to meditate. I was lucky to meet a few other undergraduates who are working for the SITE program, along with a few new friends from Cinisello Balsamo, in the province of Milan (where I’m living). It is nice to be meeting so many like-minded people! I am also tutoring a 40-year-old woman biweekly here in Milan to help her with her English. I am very honored to be valued as an educator by someone so much older than I! One thing I love about Milan is how much nature they have. I have already visited 5 parks to work on my lesson plans—it's very urban pastoral! I have had the pleasure to travel quite a bit too: Venice, Florence, Brescia, Lake Como, and Bergamo in Italy so far; as well as Sofia, Bulgaria; Zurich, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; Dusseldorf, Germany; London, and most recently Nice, France (such stunning coastal views!). Before my return home in June, I have also planned trips to Naples, Pompeii, Amsterdam, Budapest, and Prague! I am

absolutely loving travelling. Typically, I stay at hostels, and have met the most fascinating people there! I’ve also visited more museums in the past months than I think I had in my entire life. I am even starting to develop a little taste for art. I’ve surprised myself with my newly acquired interest in surrealist and modern art, having always assumed I would prefer the classics! I am currently reading The Inferno again as part of a New Year’s resolution to read one book each week for the whole year.

These past few months have been ones of growth and development for me, at both the personal and the professional levels. Through my work for the SITE program of Lombardy at IIS Cremona in Milan, I have had the opportunity to teach students ages 14-19. In addition to CLIL and FCE courses, I have lead classes in English language on American and English literature, history, European geography, and philosophy. I am fortunate to have the liberty to design the majority of my curriculum and have had the pleasure and honor of doing lessons on the Civil Rights Movement, Transcendentalism and Thoreau, Analyzing “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, and The American Dream, to name a few.

So far, teaching has taught me patience and self-discipline as far as interacting with students and staying to a strict schedule for lesson planning. I am amazed by the students’ level of language learning and insightful additions to each lesson. I have found that as a teacher, I learn something new each day too.

Living alone in a foreign country has been a humbling and empowering experience. Actions such as opening a bank account, navigating a different culture’s social queues, and negotiating a rent contract have proven to be a whole other world in the sense of using a second language as well as true independence.

Moving forward, I am looking forward to the rest of the school year. I will soon be starting a unit on the Vietnam War for a 5th year CLIL course, in addition to various other courses such as Irish Folklore for my second-year students. I am excited to continue to improve both my Italian and teaching skills, and plan to reinvest what I’ve learned back into the community and/or further schooling upon my return to the United States.



Javier Rodriguez: Italian and Psychology Major-Spanish Minor. He graduated in May 2018 and has been accepted into the Master Program in Italian at Middlebury College. For this program, he spent the first 6 weeks in California during the Summer and is now attending the accelerated academic year in Florence, Italy.

Dear friends,

After graduating from Salem State with my bachelor’s degree, I decided to pursue a Master of Arts in Italian Language from Middlebury College. This program took me to Florence, Italy where I have been living since September 2018. During these months, I have had the chance to enrich myself with the academic and cultural experiences that this marvelous country has to offer. Additionally, I have experienced a personal growth that I never imagined I could reach. I have discovered so many aspects of myself that I never knew existed, but above all, I have been able to find clarity regarding the path I want to follow in my life. Being away from the United States has shown me that there is a whole world out there to experience.

As part of my master’s program, I was required to take courses at the University of Florence. It has been an extraordinary experience because I met interesting individuals and realized

how similar we are. As human beings, we tend to focus on our differences instead of realizing how beautiful and precious we are. Learning and accepting others is the first step to achieve a better world, and that includes learning and embracing their cultures and languages.

Right now, I am taking a course about Dante Alighieri’s poetry, il dolce stil novo, and writing my thesis. The subject of my thesis is an Italian writer called Dacia Maraini, and I will be studying the development of women’s situation in Italian society through the characters from her novels.

Having studied Italian and Spanish languages at our university and now with my experience at Middlebury, I have decided that I want to continue with this pathway, and I will be applying to a doctoral program in Romance languages this fall. I have been considering extending my sojourn in Italy once I finish my academic program. I believe that staying in the country will help me develop as a person and as a student. Living in Italy, the United States, and Guatemala made me realize that having knowledge of more than one language is essential to be a citizen of the world. Languages are similar to a key that opens many doors, doors that take us to other worlds beyond our borders. I could have never imagined living in Italy. Thanks to my love for world languages, here I am. Essere in Italia mi fa bene.

WORLD LANGUAGES: THE GATEWAY TO NEW HORIZONS

Kelsey Davison (class of 2015) entered SSU without knowing exactly where her education was going to lead her. She chose to supplement her Geography major with a minor in Spanish, a decision that has shaped her trajectory since, from her choice of study abroad programs to her Peace Corps destination in Paraguay. Her next step is a graduate degree at Harvard University to become a clinical psychologist to serve the Latino Community. Nothing better than her own words to illustrate how the addition of World Languages to your career can lead you to uncharted territories that you never dreamed of.

To me, the words education and opportunity are interchangeable. When I started my undergraduate career at Salem State University, my belief in that statement was lukewarm at best. An undergraduate degree was a mere point of entry to the labyrinth that is life, something to be done. During my freshman year I worked full-time and attended night school while fulfilling my general requirements. The mix of students I then became a part of is what led me to readjust my perception of what it was I was doing and the opportunity I had.

The community at SSU is the university’s defining attribute. Many of my classmates hadn’t solely driven over from a neighboring city, they had traveled thousands of miles to be in a seat equal to mine. That realization is what suddenly gave my place there more weight. In a world of political contentions, understanding humanity as a whole is what is needed most. Although I had the opportunity to work toward that in Sullivan and Meier Hall, my insatiable curiosity drove me to want more.

Two semesters and a summer abroad during an undergraduate career is logistically complicated. Staff from the World Languages and Geography departments responded to my lofty goals with unrelenting “yesses” and boundless support. What

by Kelsey Davison

Kelsey Davison travelling the world

comforted me most of this response was their belief in what I was doing. Cultural exposure of this nature is difficult yet fulfilling. I never felt more incompetent than during my first days in Chile with broken Spanish. I never believed in myself more than in the weeks that followed, knowing that I, alone, had continued onward in a foreign place.

It has been four years since I graduated from SSU. The opportunities provided there continuously burgeon into new possibilities. My Spanish fluency led me to 27 months of Peace Corps service in Paraguay and mastery of a new tongue, the native language Guaraní. This then shifted my focus to the world of human development and psychology and pursuit of a graduate degree. Yesterday I attended Accepted Student’s Day at the Harvard Graduate School of Education where I begin class in August. In Walt Whitman’s Leaves of Grass he wrote, “I am an acme of things accomplished, I an encloser of things to be.” I hold these words close as reminders of those that supported me to where I am, and how they will stay with me wherever I maybe.


GRADUATE STUDY IN SPANISH

Interested in teaching Spanish? Looking for a licensure program?

Our Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) Spanish, salemstate.edu/MATSpanish, offers solid academics, flexibility and partnerships that lead to obtaining the initial and professional licenses needed for a career teaching Spanish.

One hundred percent of our enrolled students are current employed as Spanish teachers, even before having finished the program. That is in part because Spanish is a “high-need subject area” in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Salem State will hold its School of Graduate Studies Open House on Sunday, April 27 At the Open House you can learn more about the MAT in Spanish Program and the admission process. The MAT Spanish Coordinator, Dr. Fátima Serra, [email protected] and representatives from graduate admissions will be present to answer all your questions.

What makes our MAT in Spanish different?

• It has a methods sequence that is focused on teaching Spanish and is taught in Spanish is a unique learning opportunity for our students.

• Students acquire strategies to enable diverse populations to succeed at learning another language.

What makes it stand out:

• Strong package of Spanish courses taught entirely in Spanish by full professors

• Our program includes a Spanish linguistics course and a research project in Spanish that many programs do not have.

• The research project is a unique opportunity to work closely with faculty and to present in a formal environment such as the MaFLA (Massachusetts Foreign Language Association) Conference. Our program has involved our students in MAFLA through student internships, board service, conference presentations and newsletter articles.

Practicums:

• A strong partnership with more than 50 area schools throughout Greater Boston and the North Shore offering excellent fieldwork opportunities.

• Educators already working in the classroom may be able to complete their practicum at their place of employment.

Program Start: Fall, Spring, Summer

Course Formats: Evening, Hybrid, Online.

JARCHAS FROM SPN 706 GRADUATE STUDENTS by Kristine Doll

Jarchas (kharjas) are brief poetic jewels dating as far back as the 10th century. They are the first poems written in Mozarabic, a Romance dialect spoken in southern Spain. Jarchas appeared as the final verses of longer poems written in Arabic or Hebrew and were usually sung to audiences who would have recognized them. Jarchas are characterized by notes of desire, longing and sensuality. Written by men in the voices of women who long for the return of their beloved ones, jarchas are poignant glimpses into the emotional realm of men and women in early Spain. The following short poems in jarcha style, were written by graduate students in the course SPN 706.

Estás al fin del mar gris y vacío tus perlas reflejando sombríamente y yo mirando de orilla esperándote mi habibi querido al horizonte – Sarah Murphy

Sadiiqi se ha vuelto a ir Wa hada al-marra es para siempre Ya umii, si mi corazón no vuelve ma’i ¿Qué haré cuando amanezca sin él?

Traducción: Mi amigo se ha vuelto a ir Y esta vez es para siempre Ay madre, si él no vuelve conmigo ¿Qué haré cuando amanezca sin él? – Stephanie Swiszcz

¿Cóm’ vivre yo meu sidi Daniel? Sin el rojo de tu pelo y el azul de tus ojos Sin tu cariño habibi, Nada tiene sentido. – Maria Koehler

¿Ke farey, yaummi? Al-wahs me no faras. Garid bos, mamma sinal’habibnon bibre’yo¿What will I do mother?I know, you won’t abandon me.Tell me mother I won’t live without my love.– Anabella Dominick

Mio habib me mueroPor tuyo hararaRegresa pronto, mi qualbEstá vacío sin tuyo amor.– Karen Harvey

Quand te vidi, sadiqi, Mea lugha non sentia, Meus olhos foram todos Nocte feitos y non vedian.

Cuando te vi, amigo, No sentia mi lengua, Mis ojos se me oscurecieron Como la noche y no veían nada. – Scott Sumrall


THE 2019 NEW ENGLAND CONTEMPORARY ITALIAN FILM FESTIVALThe New England Contemporary Italian Film Festival celebrated its second year! Once more, Professor Anna Rocca organized a three-night event on behalf of the Consulate General of Italy in Boston. The 2019 New England Contemporary Italian Film Festival is sponsored by the Department of World Languages & Cultures and supported by The Italian Club and the Center for International Education. The three free showings were open to the Salem community at large and they were very successful, attracting an unprecedented number of students as well as people from the Greater Boston area.

Based on a true story, and directed by the young Alessia Scarso, the first movie, called Italo, recounts the story of a mongrel dog that thanks to its social skills earned in 2011 the honorary citizenship of Scicli, a little town in South East Sicily, in the province of Ragusa.

Directed by Giuseppe Petitto, the second movie, Parlami di Lucy, is a dark thriller centered on a mother, Nicole, who tries to protect her little girl from obscure threats that will eventually discover an unbearable truth about Lucy.

In L’Accabadora, the director Enrico Pau explores a territory rarely seen in Italian cinema. Set in rural Sardinia and its largest city Cagliari during the Second World War, the movie tells the story of Annetta, who keeps the inherited secret of mercy killing passed down through her mother. But the war brings deep social changes, and Annetta finally finds an alternative life path of love.

MEXICO IN BLACK AND WHITEby Kenneth Reeds

Coke or Pepsi? Mac or PC? Republican or Democrat? We know the world is filled with infinite shades of color, but we work hard to reduce it to dichotomies. Black and white is easier than the complexities of grey. Perhaps this attractiveness of the simple is the reason that Mexican cinema has recently presented us with two black and white visions of Mexico City in the form of the films Güeros (2014) and Roma (2018).

Instead of the simplicity, however, that colorless films

might suggest, Güeros and Roma are movies that embrace the ambiguous. Indeed, it is possible to argue that the image they present of Mexico City is multi-layered and contradictory to such a degree that they are impossible to reduce to succinct description. This invitation to manifold interpretations is frustrating for some. With this in mind, after seeing Güeros, I asked an advanced course on Latin American culture this year how they felt about watching a movie that challenged and pushed them to reach an interpretation that might be impossible. The conversation that ensued illustrated a point: Artistic films like these are understood in personal ways. The complexities and depth of the movies provided space for students to each develop their own interpretations. Their ideas were very different, even flatly opposed at times. In the end, I suppose, their readings of the films reflected more who they were and their cultural baggage rather than the films. In other words, instead of changing forever our comprehension of the movies, the deepest and most valuable insights were personal.

This embrace of the ambiguous is important. Human nature seeks simplification. We prefer life to be clean and neatly organized. Yet the world pushes back, knocking things out of well-defined categories or presenting something that does not fit in any of our pre-established boxes. I used to laugh at the story of Barnes and Noble and the Bible. Where should they put the Bible in the store? Which section is appropriate? If they put it non-fiction, they will offend some people. Fitting it on a shelf in fiction would satisfy some, but anger others. In the end, they spread it about the store. There are copies in fiction, non-fiction, even self-help! This anecdote is humorous, but it also illustrates the point: Even as we seek to reduce the world into simplified categories, it resists.

With this in mind, I encourage you to see Güeros and Roma. Both films that at once are excellent and merit criticism. It is possible to say that they are artistic. This is true insofar as art should help us see the world for what it is and thanks to movies like Güeros and Roma’s use of black and white, we can better explore the infinite tones and layers of grey in our multifaceted and contradictory world.

lingua franca spring 2019 - salem state...

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