(BEAVER FALLS, Pa.) – Geneva College Alumnus (1949), former Beaver Falls Mayor and World War II veteran Bruno Campese will read selections of his poetry in the West Reading Room of McCartney Library on April 21, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.
The Geneva College English Club hosts the special night of poetry with Campese, who looks forward to returning to his beloved Geneva to share his writing with the campus and community.
Born in Freedom, Pennsylvania in the 1920s, Bruno Campese moved to Beaver Falls when he was five years old. Upon graduating from high school, Campese immediately entered the military and spent time in Germany at the end of World War II. Due to his active military service, Campese was able to enroll at Geneva under the provisions of the G.I. Bill.
Beginning in 1946, Campese took classes full time and graduated with his bachelors in history, science, and psychology in three years. He completed his degree just ahead of the wave of World War II veterans who also attended college under the G.I. Bill.
Soon after graduating in 1949, Campese started teaching science in Beaver Falls High School. He taught there for the next 37 years. During that time, he also served as a City Councilman and served a four-year term as the city’s Mayor.
“I owe a lot to Geneva,” he says. “I was always thankful to Geneva for really giving me the shot; it was just what I needed to get into my life’s work.”
“Because of my great love and almost reverence for Geneva, I wrote a couple of poems about Geneva,” says Campese, who started writing poems at age 15 as a way of expressing his thoughts. He has since written 50 to 60 poems and 15 short stories. Along with his poems about Geneva, he wrote poems about his time in Germany, family, historical events and many other topics.
“We proudly hail thee, Oh Geneva, / please of thee to have been a part, / Your colors fly high in the sky… / but also in our heart,” begins Campese’s poem “Proudly We Hail Thee, Oh Geneva.” He will read this poem and others during this special evening of poetry. Further samples of his poetry can be found in the Spring 2017 edition of Geneva College’s literary magazine, The Chimes.
All are welcome to attend the poetry reading in the West Reading Room of McCartney Library at 6:30 pm on April 21, 2017. Coffee and cookies will be provided.
Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 40 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, Adult Degree Programs with fully online and classroom options, and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva’s programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Three Best Value Regional University with one of the Top 100 engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God’s Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today’s world.
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