A Drexel University freshman has started an Italian club to serve as a vehicle to express Italian heritage and pride across campus. Mario De Lorenzo, studying computer engineering, started the “Italian Pride” club after realizing that the university lacked an organization dedicated to Italian culture, which made it challenging to stay connected to his treasured roots.

“I want to give a voice to the Italian students,” he said. De Lorenzo, an Italian native who has lived in the United States for three years, managed to stay closely linked to his culture when he lived in New York City, which has Little Italy in Manhattan and Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. However, he consistently observed an absence of Italian-American appreciation in the Philadelphia area and specifically at Drexel, so he was inspired to make a change for Italian students.