Lingua Franca

The Students of Italian 303 “amazing racing” through Salem

By Rayanne Menery

Students in Professor Menery’s Italian Conversation Class during a Scavenger Hunt

Before Leaving the Classroom for the Scavenger Hunt

The Students of the Conversation in Italian Class (Italian 303) were racing through the City of Salem one evening in March while finishing a scavenger hunt completely in Italian.  Some students planted the clues before class, while the rest of the students were trying to catch up all the way to the end of the hunt.   We ventured from the Friendship ship, in which students had to call a cell phone number by counting the number of the masts, to finding a clue in the hand of the statute of Sabrina the witch.   The students used their Italian skills to navigate through the city while also using a GPS system, Morse code and utilizing employees at some local establishments such as the Hawthorne Hotel.  After finding a clue under one of the benches in a park, the students found the last clue at the Bella Verona Ristorante where they were treated to an authentic Italian meal while speaking in Italian.   The students in the scavenger hunt were Marshall Jespersen, Damon Jespersen, Christine Bancheri, Andrea Capoilupo, Anna Lucia DeLoi, Victoria Parker and Philemon Awah Ngeh.  All enjoyed themselves while dressed in costume as they deciphered the clues. Who knows? Maybe you will see another group in upcoming weeks venturing throughout the city. I was extremely proud of the enthusiasm and the Italian echoing through the streets of Salem. It was a nice review of the Imperative tense as well!