Last week the Marlboro chapter of UNICO held their 30th annual student essay contest that is open to all 7th and 8th grade students. Each essay is about 300 words and reflects some aspect of Italian culture, history or about a person. Each year students choose one topic from a list that UNICO creates.  

 

The 1st Place winners were Anthony Sessa and Chloe Collier in 7th and 8th grades, respectively. Each received $200 and a commemorative plaque at a dinner held in their honor at the Ship Lantern Inn in Marlboro.

 

The essays were judged on creativity, originality, organization,  presentation of ideas, development in relation to the topic, vocabulary, grammar, spelling and neatness.

 

Anthony Sessa wrote about the Italian city of Sorrento that overlooks the Bay of Naples in the Campania region of southern Italy.

 

Sessa wrote that according to Greek legend the city was named by Odysseus after the mermaids, also known as sirens, who were thought to swim off the coast. Sorrento was often attacked by pirates, which led to the building of high walls that are now in ruins that can be seen today.

 

Sessa noted that Sorrento is known for its wine, olive oil and citrus fruits. Lemons were brought to Sorrento by Jewish immigrants and is now thriving in the area and is used to make limoncello, an after-dinner drink. He described how to make Sorrento’s signature dish called Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina, using potatoes and tomato sauce, grated cheese, basil and mozzarella baked to melt the cheese while forming a crust on top.

 

Sessa wrote that Sorrento’s Museo Bottega Della Tarsia Lignea shows off how to craft inlaid wood, which the city is known for. He noted there is a statue of the city’s patron saint Antoninius and nearby is the famous Piazza Tasso.

 

Sessa concluded by writing that Sorrento is known for its food, architecture, history and scenery, adding, “I can’t wait to visit one day.”

 

Chloe Collier took 1st Place last year in 7th grade and won again this year in the 8th grade. This is the ninth time in the contest’s 30 year history that a student has won two years in a row.

 

Collier wrote about the Appian Way, meticulously describing the construction of the Roman road that began in 312 BC and that it was used to transport the military and supplies for its conquest of southern Italy. She pointed out that the road became the central route for trade, diplomacy and cultural exchange in the country.

 

“Additionally Roman engineers placed milestones along the 360 mile route, which improved navigation, communication and coordination throughout the empire.”

 

Collier wrote that the routes passed beautiful landscapes, the plains near Rome, the hills and rocky regions of southern Italy and the port city of Brindisi, noting that it was, “a significant and strategic endpoint and a commercial hub.” The Appian Way connected Capua, Benevento and Taranto, “which reinforced the infrastructure necessary to support Roman expansion...and contributed substantially to the Roman Empire’s economic, social and cultural vitality. Merchants, diplomats, and soldiers traveled along the Appian Way, which helped to cultivate Roman society...and enabled the development of Roam law, language and culture into the newly conquered territories.”

 

Collier concluded by pointing out that the Appian Way, “was more than an engineering marvel, it was a prominent foundation that formed unity across the Mediterranean...and supported Rome’s transformation from a Republic into a sprawling Empire.”   

 

Anthony Sessa said his mother encouraged him to enter the contest to gain some extra credit, “and I thankfully won and I got to spend a lot of time with my family doing it.”

 

Chloe Collier enjoyed writing about the Appian Way, “because we haven’t learned about it yet and I got to research it on my own and find out about it.”

Father Brian Collier said he was “super” proud.

 

“You can’t measure how proud to see your kid get up there, express themselves and have the courage to do it and the time and work they put into it and to be recognized for it. It’s a proud moment for my wife and myself.”

 

Luke Sessa said, “It was exciting to watch the process and for Anthony to do the research, ask questions, to put the thing together and for us to work with him to structure it in a way that made sense. We have family from Sorrento so it was a nice feeling to see the involvement there. It was really a proud moment and to see him speak in-front of everybody was certainly a challenge at age 12. We’re very, very proud.”

 

Nick Johannets said UNICO always promotes the idea of Italian heritage by sponsoring this annual essay contest. He said this year they chose some of the topics from the national UNICO magazine, saying, “We wanted to spice it up a little bit this year and it was a good update on our topics. We try to get something interesting for the kids and interesting for the people who come to the dinner here. It’s a nice process and I think we did pretty good.”