An Italian Style Club in the City

University of Toronto boasts 400 members in the very popular UTICA association

Being of Italian descent is not required; loving Italian culture in all its aspects is: from art to sports, gastronomy to fashion, literature to cinema. "Falling in love with Italy is not that difficult, even if one has no Italian parent or has never been to Italy," says Davide Di Iulio, in charge of communications for the steering committee of the University of Toronto Italian Canadian Association. "Our association was born in 1946 and in 2002 changed its name from Italian Club to UTICA; now we have 400 members."
These young people show no lack of enthusiasm and volunteer spirit; they attend the different faculties of the prestigious UofT and share a passion for Italian style. "We organized a welcoming barbecue, created a new website, and won for the second time the Club's Cup," listed a proud Di Iulio, 19; he's a soccer fan, cheering for Milan. "This was a nice tournament, where we played against other clubs of European countries such as Portugal, Russia, Croatia, and so on. We won every single game and are overjoyed of winning the Cup."
Davide Di Iulio loves talking about soccer and his teammates. "The team was handpicked and trained by our coach Bottoni with his assistant Jamie Crow," explains Di Iulio, who is enrolled in the Faculty of American and European Studies. "Our defenders were Lou Maiolino, Marco Giancola, and Dan Tiberini, while Gigi Mazzucco was our exceptional goalie." Di Iulio has words of praise also for the midfielders and attackers. "Our midfield was controlled by Daniele Lippi and Alessandro Marelli, team captain Giancarlo Soppelsa, our only foreigner Kricor Hashinian, Dave Di Gregorio, Marc Racco also known as 'the Ontario Zola', while our talented bomber was Massimo Rotondo. I was also doing my best as a member of the attack."
The players faced the games with great commitment, while offering fun and passion to their friends and UTICA chair Jean Paul Gilberto. An adrenaline shot, one might say.
The soccer games, the welcoming barbecue, and Pasta & Wine are events organized by UTICA members in order to get acquainted, have fun together, and feel a sense of belonging to the association that helps celebrate and maintain Italian culture, language and history both within the UofT and in the community at large. "Many of us are of Italian origin, but many more do not descend from parents or grandparents who immigrated from Italy. They are simply in love with Italy," adds Di Iulio. "They want to share with us their passion for Italy's culture, history, language, customs, sports, and everything else Italy has to offer and is envied for all over the world."
UTICA tries to be like a large, Italian-style family, and it invites students to become members, whether they are of Italian heritage or not, and to take part in the activities currently being organized. "Our next event will be our Pasta & Wine party; in late January there will be a cultural week; and in March a play will be produced," anticipates Davide Di Iulio. "We are working hard for these events, the apple of our eyes."
The UTICA committee includes a group of hard-working youth who work well together. In addition to chair J.P. Gilberto and Davide Di Iulio in charge of communications, there are vice chair Giancarlo Soppelsa, treasurer Jonathan Mazzucca, PR manager Robert Andreacchi, Recreation and Athletics manager Alex Bottoni, secretary and membership manager Jenn D'Andrea, promotions officer Dave Di Gregorio, cultural event co-ordinators Assunta (Suzie) Fuda and Melissa Giacomini, community relations manager Massimo Rotondo, councillor Roberto Saverino, social event co-ordinator Joseph Schirripa. "We are good friends, we feel bound by an invisible yet strong thread: our love for Italy," concludes Di Iulio. "We hope to be able to organize many events... and to find some time for studying, of course."
While saying so, Davide bursts in a robust laughter: one of those laughs that enclose the enthusiasm and eagerness of the youth of UTICA.
The association's website is at www.utica.ca.

Publication Date: 2004-12-12
Story Location: http://tandemnews.com/viewstory.php?storyid=4713