Dr. Mario Mancaluso In honor of Italian Culture and Heritage month, Garden City High School recently welcomed Dr. Mario Mancaluso, author, professor, and Pompeii scholar to present an in-depth program to Mrs. Lea Brunetti's Italian classes about the thriving city of Pompeii, its culture, architecture, religion and government, its untimely demise during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and its rediscovery after being buried for over 1600 years.

The high school students were captivated by Dr. Mancaluso's presentation, and responded with enthusiasm: "Dr. Macaluso demonstrated a vast understanding and love for Pompeii," Greg Butler commented; while Ryan Theobalt remarked, "This lecture made Pompeii come alive." Brittany Mercante stated, "Even though I had already visited Pompeii, I learned more background history that could help me with understanding the Italian culture in the future."

Junior Kelsey Quinn, a member of Mrs. Brunetti's Italian 4 Honors class, wrote an informative summary of Dr. Mancaluso's program:

"Mrs. Brunetti's Italian classes were recently honored with a special presentation by well-known Italian professor, Dr. Mario Macaluso. Dr. Macaluso is a retired professor, as well as the author of several novels and of one of the textbooks that many of the Italian students at Garden City High School are currently using. It was such a privilege to have Dr. Macaluso visit and discuss Italian culture, specifically about the ancient city of Pompeii.

After learning some background information on Pompeii, Dr. Macaluso showed the students a PowerPoint presentation that he had created about his recent trip to the ruins of Pompeii. The city was completely destroyed by the volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The city was fully buried and not uncovered until 1748. Today it is a very popular tourist attraction, as it provides insight into the culture and lifestyle of a city during the ancient Roman Empire. Archaeologists have discovered beautiful jewelry and pottery in the ruins, leading archaeologists to believe that Pompeii was a major jewelry-trading center of the Roman Empire. Pompeii was technologically advanced, featuring aqueducts, a series of pipes in the ground that were part of the city's complex water distribution system. Pompeii was also famous for its villas and public baths. Overall, Pompeii was a thriving cultural city of the Roman Empire and its rediscovery has enriched not only Italy's history but has also expanded our knowledge of the achievements of our Italian ancestors.

The Italian classes truly benefited from Dr. Macaluso's visit and came away from it with a clearer understanding of the life and culture of the Italian people. It was such a privilege to meet him. Hopefully, he will return and share with us even more about Italy's rich past!"