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As we celebrate Italian Heritage Month this October, it is fitting to highlight an institution that has become a cornerstone for the Italian American community in Massachusetts: Fitchburg State University's Center for Italian Culture. Funded by a $1 million endowment from Fitchburg State alumna Amelia Gallucci-Cirio in 1999, the center has been ins...

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Who is your favorite Italian American in history? Whether it be an athlete (Joe DiMaggio), founding father (William Paca, signer of the Declaration of Independence), actor (Robert Di Niro), singer (John Francis Bongiovi Jr. aka Jon Bon Jovi), scientist (Enrico Fermi, father of nuclear science in America), explorer (Amerigo Vespucci who our continen...

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Newton’s Italian-American community gathered around the City Hall back lawn Wednesday evening and raised the Italian flag to celebrate their heritage. “All the Italians in this community, all the Italians in this audience, keep your heritage alive,” speaker Kevin Wright said. “Be proud of who you are. Be proud of what you stand for. It’s up to us t...

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This is one in a series previewing the inductees going into the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke, Massachusetts, on Saturday. The “original” “Zorro” was a fictional character, created in 1919, typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante who defends the commoners against tyrannical officials. He was the precursor to many of the...

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The College’s Committee on Appointments and Promotions (CAP) decided against hiring an Italian professor for the 2025–26 academic year, effectively rendering students unable to study Italian at the College. The decision prompted outcry from several students currently or previously enrolled in Italian courses, who will now have to enroll in an Itali...

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The Springfield Sons & Daughters of Italy celebrated Columbus Day in the south end of Springfield Monday morning. Christopher Columbus himself was Italian, despite having completed his voyage from Spain. Attendees of the celebration told 22News that this holiday means more to them than a 3-day weekend. The Springfield Sons & Daughters of Italy host...

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Columbus Day is in honor of the day Christopher Columbus landed in the Bahamas in 1492, but some people question the holiday’s origins. Many businesses and schools are closed for Monday’s holiday, which has taken on a new name by some states in recent years, to honor its true origins. There is an ongoing debate over whether or not to call the holid...

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This weekend I read and digested “Our View: It’s time we bid Columbus farewell” in the weekend edition of The Sun Chronicle (Oct. 12-13). The editorial makes the case that Columbus Day should be formally dropped and supplanted by Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This reader could not disagree more. The Sun Chronicle has published numerous pieces illustrati...

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Over the last several years there has been a concerted effort to marginalize Columbus and Columbus Day and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. All of this under the pretext that atrocities occurred because of Columbus coming to the Americas. History chronicles the actual events and the atrocities that took place post Columbus during the Cortez...

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Hundreds of people gathered in Worcester for the annual Shrewsbury Street Italian Heritage Parade and Festival. Now in its third year, the parade was lead by grand marshal Kevin Marcadante, president of Mercadante Funeral Home. Some may also know him for running the annual Memorial Day veteran flag placement at St. John Cemetery, or his work as com...

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