COMMUNITY NEWS

Mepham student wins Italian poetry contest

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A Mepham High School student recently won a Long Island-wide Italian poetry contest.

Junior Kristen Corless earned first place in Level IV of an Italian poetry recitation contest sponsored by the Long Island chapter of the American Association of Teachers of Italian. To earn the top spot, she squared off against scores of students from across the region at SUNY Old Westbury on March 20.

Nassau and Suffolk high schools took part in the contest, with nearly 300 students participating in all. Corless recited “A Zacinto” by Ugo Foscolo. In the sonnet, Foscolo compares himself to Odysseus, the mythical Greek hero.

The Long Island chapter of AATI promotes the study, teaching and appreciation of Italian culture and language in school and the community. According to the organization’s website, the group provides a network for Italian language educators to share teaching ideas. The group also awards scholarships to high school seniors who have excelled in Italian, as well as gives the Dante Award to an individual who has promoted Italian in a noteworthy way.

The national AATI organization was founded in 1924. It has roughly 1,500 members across North America.