March 2025
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Last month I talked about the fact that October 2025 will mark the 40th anniversary of the Dante Alighieri Society of Denver. Plans are currently underway for not only the commemoration of this landmark date but also a rededication to the mission of the Society, to “share and celebrate the richness of the Italian culture and language with the entire community”. Plan now to join with the Dante Alighieri Society and other members of the Denver Italian community at large, to be a part of the celebration. We’ll keep you updated on details as planning moves forward.
I was recently introduced to a concept I’ve never heard of before, the “third place”. Ray Oldenburg, an American sociologist, created this term to describe the places outside of the home (the first place) and the workplace (the second place) where people go to converse with others and connect with their community. I strongly suspect that the founders of the Dante Alighieri Society of Denver found their “third place” when establishing and then maintaining this very important and relevant organization. And I know that many of us, including myself, have found the DAS to be their “third place” as well. I would hope that every member, whether active or not, might give some consideration to making the Dante Alighieri Society your “third place” where you can become an integral part of sharing and celebrating the richness of the Italian culture and language with each other and with the entire community.
Grazie, John Giardino