The following is a quick glimpse of who I am. I was born in Salinas, CA., but have lived in San Jose since I was a few months old. I am a 22 year old majoring in Speech Communication at San Jose State University. I am half-Italian (Sicilian to be exact)/half-Portuguese and proud of it! I have always been more involved with my Italian side though, for a number of reasons. My Italian grandparents live closer to me so I see them more and eat more Italian food. I am more familiar with the food (and love it), plus I hear more about the culture. For example, I always hear more about Italian festivals and Italian restaurants; not to say that the Portuguese culture isn't popular, it just seems as though it's not as publicized as the Italian culture. When I was at Santa Teresa high school a few years back, a few people had the idea to set up an Italian Student Union-better known as the ISU. There were other cultural clubs on campus that students could join, so a group of us decided that we should have a club of our own for the Italian culture and not just for eating pasta and pizza.
Ellen Cirigliano was the one who took it upon herself during her senior year to write the constitution for the Italian Student Union we wanted to start. She had a job ahead of her, but was intent on finishing it so the club could get going. Ellen made a constitution proposal, but it was rejected the first time around because we didn't seem to have a purpose. Furthermore, people might have thought it was just a "white" student union, due to the fact that Italians tend to look like "white Americans" so the distinction wouldn't really be seen. To our excitement, the constitution was rewritten and finally approved based on the fact that we had a cause and purpose for the club; which was to learn about our past and share experiences to enrich our own-to learn more about who we are. Ellen's mom, Angie, was extremely proud of her daughter for the effort she had made to get this club officially going. Angie said she, "...hoped to teach her girls about their culture and it seemed to work..." She also told me that it is great to see the heritage (customs/traditions and so forth passed down from ancestors) pass through the kids. Dave Gigliotti, a teacher and coach at Santa Teresa, who just so happens to be Italian, was approached to be the Teacher Advisor for the club. He says he, "Felt honored to be asked to be a part of the club and that it was an accomplishment to see an Italian Club finally started." He mentioned that others had tried before but without luck.
The first year was basic, which meant we had to put our hearts into the club to get it going. We had no money to start the club off with, so we started with member dues and then sold T-shirts to raise money. We talked about personal experiences within our culture and what we wanted the club to be about so it would thrive. When I talked to Angie about her role in helping the club be all it could be to thrive, she says, "I flew out of my chair when asked if I would help, of course I would. So I volunteered to oversee the club from a distance, but putting in my advice when needed." She says its great to see kids and adults work side-by-side to accomplish a shared goal; which in this case was the club. Angie wanted to show the kids that they could start something, work hard at it, finish it, and in the end become successful. At the end of the year, we had a pizza party so we could not only discuss planning events and how we wanted to run next year, but also how we could raise more money to back our ideas.
After Ellen graduated, her sister Andie and Andie's friend Gyla Lazzarino took over the club. There were a few of us seniors left in the club and we were excited to see what was in store for our club. Well this next year turned out to be more successful than the one before. Although we had slightly decreased in size, from 25-30 members the first year to about 20, this didn't hurt us because the members that were there were dedicated to making the club work. We decided to organize a pasta feed that included a raffle drawing, which enabled us to raise money. To do this, we started off by writing letterheads to the celebrities telling them what we were about and if they would support us by donating something autographed. Next was for us to visit community establishments to get donations for the raffle and for food to use in the feed itself. This went well because most of the food and supplies were donated, plus we also had real Italian chefs from the 'Sons of Sicily' prepare the food.
We were and still are also fortunate to have The Italian Men's Club donate and support us through the years. I'd like to mention briefly how the Italian Men's Club got up and running. Years ago there was a big earthquake in Italy where people from our country had friends, relatives, and countrymen in need of help. Four of the original members began collecting food, clothes, and donations to send and bring to Italy. The club was started and got bigger, and over time had grown to be about 60-70 members. This again is just a brief story of how the club began and there are more details, which I regretfully can not go into here. I had the chance to talk with one of their members, Peter Sogno, who said their club had heard of us through the grapevine. The club was impressed with our work, and has continued contributing donations and coming to the Pasta Feeds. Peter said, "The feed was great-great food, friendly atmosphere, typical Italian funÉ" he was also impressed by all the donations we received for the raffle. All of us in the club became friends pretty quickly and got along with each other well. At the end of the year we had a field trip to the beach to celebrate the club and our new friendships. After that, the club became a real success! In June of 1994, I graduated from high school, but promised to still be apart of the club any way I could. I let them know that if they needed anything, they could count on me.
The pasta feed raised a lot of money (I'd rather not disclose) and the donations we received for the feed and raffle exceeded our expectations. Community donators included Southwest Airlines, Cosentino's and Chili's restaurant to name a few, plus many, many more. When we had contacted Southwest Airlines to donate, we ended up finding out that we had a similar interest, The Ronald McDonald House (which you will soon read about). When I spoke to Adrienne LaRoche from Southwest Airlines and asked her what made them decide to donate to our cause, she said, "It was an easy decision due to the fact that we shared the same charity." We are very grateful for the support we have received over the years from everyone. We owe them a lot; we wouldn't have been able to do all this if it weren't for them. We also had several "celebrities" that we are very thankful to have answered back to our letters and donate items such as: Rosie O'Donnell, Oprah Winfrey, Steve Young, Matt Williams, Jerry Rice, the 49ers, John Elway, Mark McGwire, The Clash, Brooks and Dunn, and Santa Teresa's own Joe Nedney (Miami Dolphins-now on the Arizona Cardinals). To everyone out there, thank you from the heart!
The decision was made to make a difference with the money, and the idea of donating the money to The Ronald McDonald House, located in Palo Alto, was conceived. The Ronald McDonald House is a place for families all over the country to stay when their children go through extensive therapies due to cancer and other ailments. The children might have also just undergone surgery performed at Lucile Salter Packard Children's Hospital or Stanford Medical Center. I'd like to give some brief facts about the Ronald McDonald House, which can also be found on their website. The House in Palo Alto was built in 1979 and was the 5th in the country to open. It reopened in 1992 with 24 bedroom/bathrooms in 3 wings. Each wing has a modern kitchen, a living room/family room, and laundry facilities. There is also an "Immune Wing" for children whose immune systems are compromised. Families are provided with room and board, food, computers, and other items to make their stay comfortable. The great and wonderful thing is that no family is turned away because of a financial situation. I talked with Maureen Kennelly from the House and asked what the feelings were when first approached by the ISU to donate to their charity. She told me that, "It was very rewarding that the kids would take the time to raise funds for the charity. Santa Teresa is the first high school to follow up on their donations. The donations have helped by keeping the cost down for the families staying there, it's relief for the families that have a lot on their minds." The club also started bringing Christmas trees to The Ronald McDonald House to help out and make it look festive. They plan on bringing trees this year as well. My sister, Jenn, had become involved as a Co-President (along with Tami Abinanti and Amanda Hilty), so I became more active as an alumni member, helping to get donations for the raffle. Last year didn't go as planned for us, due to some events that took place, so in turn we weren't able to have the pasta feed. However, this year we're back and ready to come alive.
The following are some comments from the interviews that I conducted about the overall feelings on the Italian Student Union and what has been accomplished so far. I have tried to group them according to question for you. Regarding the Ronald McDonald House: Personally, I was proud and glad that we could give something back to the community, and to the people that could really use the help. My sister, Jenn, said it was great to see the difference they've (ISU) made, especially when members of the club were able to meet a couple families that benefited from their help. Angie said she, "Feels very good about donating the money there; it's also nice to know that the money stays in the center." She also said that we're comfortable with the organization and that it's a very compassionate charity; it just feels good.
Preparing for the Pasta Feed was a chore at times with all the letterheads to send out and all the establishments to go to. We made it a blast though by seeing who could get the most donations so the time went by faster. Most of the preparation started in December and continued until the actual day of the event in April. Here are some comments on the feed: It took months to get together, Jenn was grateful to the Ciriglianos' for all their help from previous years of experience (it helped ease her stress), and also appreciated support from us, her family, and other members of the club. Tami claims, "There is a lot of planning to do for the feed. You need to get the letterhead out in advance, telling about the club and our cause, so people know what you're about." She also mentioned that she had fun going to the establishments to inform them of our club and what we were getting donations for. Angie's comments are as follows, "Éa roller coaster of emotions. You need to go out there being proud of the ISU and be aggressive about getting the donations-you've got to want it. You try to get donators to match their previous donations and also whatever they can give, and let them know how much you appreciate their support. Getting the donations for the food also helps lessen the financial load so we have more money to put to other places." She told me that it's great to see the community get involved and also the coming together of dedicated members to accomplish the goal. Since the Italian Men's Club has attended the pasta feed as well, I asked Peter Sogno for his reaction-he says, "It was a great feed-typical Italian gathering and very friendly. I was also impressed with all the donations you received." Just hearing all the raffle prizes let the people at the pasta feed know that we really got out there and worked for this and were supported in return. Jenn told me, "I was surprised at some of the donations we received for the raffle that were from well-known celebrities". I also feel the same way, and we both agree that the end result of all the work is both fun and satisfying.
Next was the question, "How did it feel to be apart of something for your culture?" First, I personally, "Feel that it is something to be proud of. It encourages you to hold on to your culture, make new friends that share in the experience, you learn more about your heritage, and come together as a family." This is something I have begun to feel strongly about in the past years. I realize that I am growing up and don't want to lose my roots in the process. My sister adds, "Éit feels great to have an older club, Italian Men's Club, support us and our efforts." I think this shows that the elders in our community are proud of us for trying to hold on to our culture and that we are active in doing something about it. Other feelings are, "You don't need to be Italian to have fun in the club", "Believing in your heritage is important", and "It's comforting to parents to see the heritage passed on through the kids to know there might be a chance of keeping it alive. Hopefully our children will teach their children and so forth through the years."
I then asked how people felt this club related to San Jose. The answers are as follows: Jenn said, "We were one of the first schools in San Jose to have an Italian Student Union and then soon others wanted to know how they could start one of their own; this helped spread cultural awareness. We also donate back to the community in the form of The Ronald McDonald House, which feels great!" I would have to agree with my sister; it feels good and warms the heart to know that we can help others and enjoy the process. The community donates to us, in forms of food, supplies, raffle prizes, support, and more, so we like to help promote them in turn. We also create awareness so that younger generations become interested in knowing the cultural heritage of Italians. Dave comments that, "There is a high population of Italians in our community and it's exciting to see the youth carry on the tradition of culture." Maureen Kennelly adds, "It's great to see a group of kids with a sense of values and hopefully future teenagers will continue to volunteer".
A comment by Angie that I feel is important is that, "You get donators in the community to see that there are good kids out there that deserve credit-not just kids that do drugs, gangs, and other such things that give them a bad reputation, a bad rap. It also lets them know that there are people out there willing to support them and their great efforts."
The last question I asked examined overall feelings on the experience so as to get in any last comments people may have had. My own feeling is that it is great to be an alumni member and I can't wait for this year to get started. We already had our first-ever car wash Saturday, October 17, 1998 that I enjoyed participating in which helped to raise money to start this year off right. I saw some kids out there that were really getting into it and they seemed to be dedicated to the club. I feel with the members that I saw putting effort and heart into the car wash, the club will hopefully be a huge success this year. Adrienne LaRoche said, "The kids went above and beyond, and I really enjoyed receiving the Thank You Cards-we will continue to support them." She also enjoyed the picture she received in a frame from the pasta feed. Angie concludes, "Thanks to Dave Gigliotti for his support and belief in us-thank you and we greatly appreciate it!" I will continue my efforts as an alumni member to get donations, help out whenever possible and then of course help eat at the pasta feed.
In conclusion, I'd like to restate the points I have made. I talked about my story, how the club was born, interviews with people that were involved with the club, and how it relates to San Jose. My sister and I believe, (as I'm sure others will agree), that culture and knowing one's heritage is a very important part of one's life Éa connection not to lose sight of. This is our identity and our culture-it's important to know who you are and although we are all American, we also have many things to offer from our different backgrounds. One final thought about the club that I think I can say is felt by everyone, is if asked, "Would you do it all over again?" the answer would definitely be yes!
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