"He wanted to make sure that not only were we learning the language, but also that we were experiencing the culture and the lifestyle," Luccio said. "He would help us firsthand with that by arranging activities for us and coming along with us."
Cavatorta, who began teaching in the College's Italian department six years ago, will leave Dartmouth in the fall for the University of Arizona. When asked what he enjoyed most about his time at Dartmouth, Cavatorta emphasized how rewarded he felt when his students were able to learn how to speak a new language.
"I believe that Dartmouth has one of the best language programs in the United States," he said. "I learned to speak English while being here and I loved it because in language classes you have a wonderful relationship with your students."
Patricia Lambert '08, one of Cavatorta's former students, credited him with the talent to make the Italian language fun, and said he has contributed to the Italian department both inside and outside of the classroom.
"He really keeps things together in the Italian department," Lambert said. "I was in the Italian suite in East Wheelock and Beppe was the advisor for that. He was also the advisor for the Italian club, and he was always at the Italian table [in Thayer]."
Lambert went on to say that Cavatorta would often come into the Italian suite on Sunday mornings and have breakfast with the residents. He is married to professor Anna Minardi, who also teaches in the Italian department, a relationship many of their students believe has contributed to the family dynamic that Cavatorta achieved with his students.
"He and Anna are really a couple as a presence," Lambert said. "And it's been really great having that dynamic added to interactions with them--it creates a sort of make-shift family feeling."
In addition to Luccio's trip, Cavatorta has led two other Italian LSAs to Rome and Siena.
Lauren Hassouni '07 went with Luccio on Cavatorta's LSA to Rome in the spring of 2005. She, like Luccio, noted that he would often reserve a soccer field and all the students on the trip would play weekly soccer games with him.
For Cavatorta, soccer isn't just an opportunity to connect with students, though -- in his pre-professor years, Cavatorta played professional soccer as a teenager in Italy.
"He was actually a professional goalie for PARMA in Italy once upon a time," Hassouni said, referring to the top division soccer club. "[And] he's really interested in spending time with students outside of the classroom."
Cavatorta confirmed this, stating that while on the trips, he and his wife, who would often accompany him on the LSAs, enjoyed having pizza and coffee with the students, going to movies with them, or inviting them over for cookies.
"On LSAs we are a very good team," Cavatorta said. "I believe the more interaction you have with your students, the better results you will have from them, and we do that."
Hassouni also mentioned that during the week vacation students were given in the middle of their LSA, she and her roommates had Cavatorta and his wife over to dinner in their apartment one night.
"We cooked dinner together, and he taught us Italian songs," she said.
Cavatorta sports red hair, which is indirectly responsible for his collection of fifteen Guinness t-shirts.
"Once, I was in Virginia at a Burger King and the waitress looked at me and asked if I was British, and I said, 'No, I'm Italian,' and she goes, 'No way. I'm Italian, you are not Italian,'" he recounted. "After that, I decided to play along with that concept. So I wear Scottish and Guinness t-shirts to play on the fact that people often think I'm Irish."
Though Beppe noted that he is sad to be leaving Dartmouth, he emphasized that his departure is in the best interest of his career. If Dartmouth were to open a tenure track position that correlated with his specialties, however, he said he would consider returning.
"I love Dartmouth, my colleagues, and my students, but I also have to think about my career, and my career here ... I've reached my top," Beppe said. "But I would definitely come back."
Minardi, who has also been offered a contract at the University of Arizona, plans to remain at Dartmouth for the 2007-2008 school year, after which she will go to the University of Arizona to teach with her husband.
