Fall 2012
Volume 21
The Hope College French Department Presents
The French Newsletter
Features
2 French Students Overseas
Students Present Unique Research
3 Oh La Loire!
Kristin Stevenson
Triomphe in Paris
Emily Handy
4 Hapdou and Hakila in Cameroon
Gretchen Baldwin
Faculty News
5 Hope Alumna Translates French
Poetry: Kathleen McGookey
French Events Promote Cultural
Understanding
6 Hope Students Present at the
Michigan Academy
Salam and Bonjour!
Brenda Cuellar
Les défauts
poem by Whitney Yoder
7 Outstanding Scholarship Awarded
Favorite French Films
8 L’arbre de la francophonie
poem by Arnaud Muhimpundu
Reasons to visit Rennes
Devin Ryan (’13), Midland, MI
Majors: International Studies and Management; Minor: French
Devin is pictured above, third from left
My time in Rennes through the Council on
International
Educational
Exchange
(CIEE) was not only a great time, but also
definitely a life-changing experience. The
semester began with a three-day orientation in Paris, during which we took a
guided tour of the city and visited the
Louvre Museum, the Cathedral of Notre
Dame and several other cultural landmarks. At the same time, I got to know
other CIEE exchange students from all
over the United States, people who would
later become good friends and with whom I
still maintain contact. En route to Rennes,
capital of the coastal Brittany region in
Western France, we made a stop at the
Cathedral of Chartres, one of the most well
known gothic Cathedrals in France. This
would be the first of several CIEE excursions to other famous sites in France,
including the abbey of Mont Saint-Michel
and châteaux (castles) of the Loire Valley.
Upon arrival in Rennes, I met my host
family, the Le Carvennecs, and started
another lifelong relationship over a
traditional Breton dinner of galettes, a type
of crêpe made of buckwheat flour. About
a week later, I began courses at the
University of Rennes, studying in the
part of the university meant for foreign
students. I was able to participate in
courses alongside students from countries
all over the world, sharing a love of
learning the language we all had in
common. The university offered courses
that encompassed nearly any discipline
imaginable, with subjects ranging from
the evolution of medieval architecture to
the different perspectives represented in
modern French media. Since the courses
were taught entirely in French, I was
able to study subjects that interested me
as well as improve my language skills.
For five months, I had one of the best
experiences of my life, with incredible
people. I would recommend studying
abroad to every one of my classmates.
The broader perspectives I gained and
numerous relationships I formed while
abroad are justification enough for
anyone to experience and learn from
another culture.
The French Newsletter
Fall 2012 :: Volume 21
French Students
Overseas
2011-2012
Nantes
Kristin Stevenson
Nice
Nice
Lauren Solosky
Kelsey Jeletz
Paris
Emily Handy
Charles Patchak
Michaela Roskam
Katie Sluiter
Mary Tripp
Rennes
Cameroon
Ilar Edun
Sofia Hedman
Devin Ryan
Rebekah Skinner
Gretchen Baldwin
Morocco
Brenda Cuellar
Fun Fact
75 countries sharing the French language
are grouped by the Organisation internationale de la francophonie.
French Students Present Unique Research Topics
Hope College’s 11th Annual Celebration
of Undergraduate Research is a
multidisciplinary event in which
students, faculty, parents and community members partake in discussion and
look over the presentations of cooperative student-faculty research. The
French Department supported several
of its students’ research endeavors
during this celebration.
Athina Alvarez (’13) presented her research entitled, “Exploring Utopia
through Graphic Novels in Les Cités Obcures by Schuiten and Peeters.” Alvarez
discussed François Schuiten and Benoît
Peeters, two of the most prominent
20th century graphic novel authors.
Alvarez explained how the authors use
the cityscape to highlight the ambiguity
of the cities in their series. Of her own
presentation, Alvarez writes that its
purpose is to “show that the graphic
novel can be used as a valid medium of
expression to successfully evoke worlds
that are either utopian or counterutopian.”
Katelyn Hemmeke (’12) presented
“Two Controversial Swiss Referendums
and Their Consequences.” The first of
these recently passed anti-alien laws
2
was a ban on the construction of minarets Césaire’s political life with his play on
(Islamic prayer towers), and the second the final months of Congo’s Father of
allowed for automatic expulsion of any Independence, Patrice Lumumba.
foreigner convicted of crimes. Hemmeke Natalie Woodberry (’14)’s research
discussed both the climate that propa- entitled “Improvements in the Social
gated the approval of these laws as well Conditions of Women in the Maghreb
as its consequences.
and Possible Future Developments
In her research entitled “The struggle of Because of the Arab Spring,” explores
Malian women for the respect of their current feminist movements in North
physical integrity,” Lauren Miller (’13) African countries. Woodberry argues
exposes the horrors of female genital that when religion and government
mutilation in Mali, where 94% of the fe- merge, the inferior status of women is
male population is subjected to the abuse maintained in the family, in marital life,
disguised under tradition, religion and and in the workplace. She specifically
discusses the impact of the Arab
culture.
In her research entitled, “The Theater of Spring.
Aimé Césaire: Une Saison
au Congo,” Gina Veltman
(’12) studies the work of
Aimé Césaire, beloved political leader, eloquent poet,
and fierce anti-colonialist.
Césaire published several
plays during his lifetime,
which reflect the themes of
oppressive colonialism, the
struggle to break its chains
and the frequent failures of
former colonies to build new Professor Brigitte Hamon-Porter, Gina Veltman, Lauren
governments. Veltman links Miller, Katelyn Hemmeke, Athina Alvarez, Natalie
Woodberry and Professor Isabelle Chapuis-Alvarez.
Fall 2012 :: Volume 21
The French Newsletter
Oh La Loire!
Triomphe in Paris
Nantes, France
Emily Handy (’13), Plainwell, MI
Majors: French and International Studies
Kristin Stevenson, Flint MI
Majors: French and International Studies
La France… Where can I begin? I spent five
months in the magnifique city of Nantes, a port city
not far from the western coast of France. My
experience there was so much more than I could
have ever imagined it to be. Nantes is a lively city
full of diversity and tradition. The more time I spent
in the city, the more I felt myself engaging in and
becoming a real part of life there. My favorite part
about living in Nantes was my host family. They
were absolutely amazing and welcomed me with
arms wide open, easily making me feel right at
home and helping me make the transition into
French society. Our daily conversations helped my
language skills grow immensely, especially our
lively discussions every night at dinner. Lasting at
least an hour, they were always entertaining,
whether they consisted of serious debates or humorous stories. My host family was truly a blessing
in my life.
Aside from my host family, life in France was just as
superb. Whether it was eating lunch near the
fountain at Place Royale in Nantes or visiting the
castles of the Loire Valley, I have great memories to
cherish forever. I made French friends through the
weekly Franco-American conversation club offered
by IES, my study abroad program. Thanks to my
new French friends, I began to really live life as a
resident, not a tourist. I adjusted to the city and…
Continued on Page 7
I always knew that I wanted to study in
Paris, home to some of the most historic and
famous monuments that represent European
history. I relished being able to visit le Louvre,
la Tour Eiffel, l’Arc de Triomphe, le Musée
d’Orsay, la Place de la Concorde, and the
renowned Château de Versailles. I loved living
in the city of endless baguettes, Paris Fashion Week, and the pinnacle of French
politics, being able to witness an exciting
French Presidential election. The IES
French Studies program allowed me to take
part in cultural experiences and visit some of “Studying abroad
the most amazing land- gave me so much
marks in France while
more to hope for
studying.
in the future”
The IES program calmed
my worries about the new
city, language and culture. My political, history,
film, literature, and grammar classes further
helped me learn about the French culture, perspective and history. It was my first time living in
a huge city, taking the métro, speaking French to
natives, living with a different family, never
wearing “sweats” in public, and experiencing a
foreign presidential election. At first, I was nervous about beginning life in Paris, but the excitement of these first-time experiences made living in
Paris that much better.
Upon my arrival in Paris, I first walked up to the
top of the Arc de Triomphe. I looked out over
Paris and saw, for the first time, the Tour Eiffel,
the Champs-Elysées, Notre Dame, the Seine, and
the many streets that I would eventually stumble
upon during my… time in Paris. The scene was
not what I… expected; it made me nervous. I have
never lived in a city with over two million inhabitants and many more tourists, but it was not until
I started to trek the streets, walk along the Seine
every day, and picnic in the many extravagant
jardins that I truly made Paris my home.
Part of what helped me adjust to Paris and enriched my experience was the IES French Studies
program through which I took my courses. The
staff at IES informed us of many cultural events…
Continued on Page 8
3
The French Newsletter
Fall 2012 :: Volume 21
Hapdou and Hakila (Courage and Patience)
homework. Unlike Hope, going home is
not necessarily relaxing here. Host
families mean making small mistakes,
regular requests for repetition, and
improvisation.
Gretchen Baldwin (’12), Portage, MI
Major: International Studies
Minors: French and Studio Art
Upon getting off my plane in January, I
met my program manager, let him help
me with my bags, and promptly walked
right past our car, having misunderstood
his directions.
“My every moment is unconventionally academic.”
Rough start.
My journey to Cameroon is my fourth to
the African continent, and it has been by
far the hardest. While the duration of the
trip is daunting, it was not what
exhausted me. A semester abroad for
anyone is some combination of wild,
inconvenient, exciting, and tiring at any
given time. To be immersed in French is
never to really leave class. When I buy
beans and beignets from the street
vendor down the road, our interaction is
Gretchen, niece Ousaima, and Maman
Hadja in Ngaoundere, Cameroon
But with the exhaustion comes a
paradoxical exhilaration. One of the
most miserable moments one can have
here is to hear the English words, "You
don't speak French, do you?" from the
person in line behind you in the grocery
store. But no number of those moments
matter when a university professor tells
you that his first impression of your
speech is fluency, or when your host
family points out a particular improvement. It is absolutely impossible to
immerse yourself in a culture and…
Continued on page 5
Fantastique Faculty!
Anne Larsen made progress on two
books. The first is on the life, reception,
and educational philosophy of Anna
Maria van Schurman, a remarkable
seventeenth-century Dutch Golden Age
linguist who knew fourteen languages.
The second is a critical edition and
translation of Van Schurman’s manuscript Latin and French letters to her
mentor, which she is co-editing with
Steve Maiullo. Highlights of her
sabbatical include a research trip to the
Netherlands (Utrecht, Leiden, Franeker, Leeuwarden, and Amsterdam) and
Paris (Bibliothèque nationale de France,
and the Paris libraries of the Mazarine,
Arsenal, and Sainte Geneviève), and
travel to university and public libraries
in New York and Chicago, with side
visits to museums, colleagues, and family
members in the US and Europe.
Additionally, she organized and chaired
panels at the annual conference of the
Renaissance Society of America,
attended two specialized conferences on
early modern women, vetted a book
manuscript for a press, refereed articles,
wrote a couple of book reviews, and
prepared a paper for a fall conference.
All in all, a wonderful year!
4
In November 2011, Brigitte HamonPorter organized and chaired a session
at a conference in Saint Louis, Missouri,
titled
“International
Francophone
Studies: Transitioning Literature of the
Maghreb” at the Midwest/Modern Languages Association conference where
she also presented her research on
Maïssa Bey, an Algerian author. She
had two book reviews published in the
French Review journal. She is… currently
working on an article on Maïssa Bey
and the politics of gender in postcolonial
Algeria.
In May, she accompanied
students and faculty of the Hope
DEMA department in England for their
May Term. She enjoyed introducing the
City of Lights and serving as a guide to
the students during their weekend in
Paris. During the two Hope College
Alumni receptions in London and Paris
which she attended, she had the pleasure
to get acquainted or reacquainted with
former Hope students. Part of her
summer was spent preparing a new Fall
FYS course on the Arab world.
In the fall, Isabelle Chapuis-Alvarez
taught a new course (F345) on Life
Writings. In March, she organized a
session on Topics in French Culture and
Literature at the annual conference of the
Michigan Academy of Arts, Science and
Letters held at Alma College, during
which four of her students presented
their research with great skill. Professor
Chapuis-Alvarez also made a presentation entitled “La Montée des Communautarismes est-elle une Menace pour la France et le
Reste de l’Europe ?” After teaching a May
term, she has enjoyed a wonderful
summer vacation dedicated to traveling,
sightseeing, visiting museums and
exhibits, and reading. Her travels took
her to Sardinia (Italy) and various
regions of France (Loire Valley, MidiPyrénées, Provence, Alsace, and Paris).
Her summer was also marked by two
very remarkable family events. Her son
Stélios (’08) got married to one of her
former French students (’09) in Fontainebleau (France). The ceremony was
the occasion to reunite three classes of
Hope French students and many other
alumni from Hope. Finally, she celebrated in August the 21st Birthday of
her daughter Athina (’13) in Southampton (Bermuda). After such a rich
summer vacation she is getting ready to
dedicate herself to another enriching
academic year of teaching and pursuing
her research in Greek.
Fall 2012 :: Volume 21
The French Newsletter
Hapdou and Hakila Continued…
Hope Alumna Translates French Poetry
language not your own and not
experience failures. But the victories
outweigh the discouragement of the
failures tenfold. I have never been
more proud of myself academically
than when I was there, because my
every moment is unconventionally
academic.
During her time at Hope
College, Kathleen McGookey
majored in French and studied for a year in Paris. Among
her many accomplishments,
she is an author, parent, and
has taught writing and literature at Interlochen Arts
Academy, Hope College, and
Western Michigan University. Her work has appeared
in forty journals and ten
anthologies. Her books are
Whatever Shines, and October Again. In a recent
project, she translated French poet Georges
Godeau’s fourteenth book of prose poems, We’ll See.
She lives with her family in Middleville, Michigan.
Below is a poem by Georges Godeau, and the
English translation by McGookey.
Being in Cameroon has been a
mélange of the unexpected, the
inspired, the random, and the totally
unknown. In this country of over
250 ethnic groups (each with a
dialect to match) I have picked up
not only French, but have added a
bit of Pidgin English, Fulfulde, Meta
and Yemba to my repertoire. I have
been blessed to live with not one,
but three host families. Each could
not be more different than the one
before it, and each has given me a
fresh perspective on the country and
its great diversity.
And the diversity here extends
beyond the language and the people.
I have seen everything from the
outer Sahel to palm trees on the
Atlantic coast to dunes of volcanic
ash on top of Mount Cameroon. The
language nuances and cultural
norms that I pick up in one place
may be a help or a hindrance in the
next, but I never knew that until I
was in the thick of the newness. It is
astounding how lost and broken one
can feel in one moment and how
independent and capable in the next.
Four months is not enough time to
explore Cameroon. It probably isn't
enough time to explore much of
anywhere, and it certainly isn't
enough time to master a language.
But the opportunity to get a four
months' head start on a place, to
have a taste of long-term life
overseas, is something I would not
have gotten without studying
abroad. This promised to be difficult
from the moment I stepped off the
plane and I would not change a
thing.
Georges Godeau, born in
1921 in Villiers-en-Plaine,
France, worked as an
engineer, and published sixteen books before his death
in 1999. His work won the
Prix du Livre in PoitouCharentes. Although widely
translated into Russian and
Japanese, few of his works
have appeared in English.
Alice
C’est notre première visite. D’emblée, elle
me choisit. Son beau visage s’allume et, sans
gêne, elle s’approche, elle repère ma
prothèse auditive; dix secondes, elle réfléchit. Puis elle badine avec mon verre, elle
s’appuie sur mon genou, elle prend un papier
et dessine. Je regarde et croque aussi un
petit homme. Elle rit et m’adopte, pour la
vie. Avec l’accord de ses parents car elle a
deux ans et moi soixante-dix.
H
It’s our first visit. From the beginning, she
chooses me. Her pretty face lights up, and,
quite naturally she approaches, she spots my
hearing aid; for ten seconds, she considers it.
Then she prattles with my glass, she leans on
my knee, she takes a piece of paper and
draws. I watch and also roughly sketch a
little man. She laughs and adopts me for life.
With her parents’ permission, because she is
two years old and I am seventy.
French Events Promote
Cultural Understanding
In order to promote cultural appreciation,
enhance out-of-class learning, and encourage
the practice of the French language, the
French Department works hard to provide a
variety of Francophone cultural events
throughout the school year.
The 2011-2012 school year kicked off with
Professor of French at Western Michigan
University, Dr. Vivan Steemers, who gave a
presentation entitled, “Splendeurs et misères
du roman africain subsaharien des années 50
en France métropolitaine” discussing her
doctoral area of study, francophone subSaharan literature and its reception in
France in the 50s and 60s.
In October, French students Delaney
Erickson (’12) and Natalie Woodberry (’14)
were invited to present their research on
topics respectively concerning Iranian author
Chahdortt Djavann’s writing on the hijab,
and the social position of women in the
Maghreb.
To conclude the Fall semester, Noël
Lemouël, Senior Hardware Engineer at
Johnson Controls Inc., a local business in
Holland, MI gave an informative comparison
of French and American professional
environments.
Rachel Boeve (pictured), currently working
in Cameroon with Wycliff Bible Translators,
arrived at Hope College in the spring to
speak on “French in the Mission Field,”
discussing her experiences as a nurse for a
missionary team.
Hope graduate Stélios Alvarez came to
discuss his career and “Leveraging Language
Skills in Global Business.” After completing
a Masters of Business Administration at
Grand Valley State University, Alvarez
pursued his career in International Marketing with the Beauty Division of Amway.
The French Department also sponsored two
round tables of returning study abroad
students, where future travelers were able to
ask questions and gain advice and insight. In
addition, French Students enjoyed regular
warm gatherings for the Ciné-Club to watch
French films at the Maison Française.
Rachel Boeve (R) in her Yaounde Office with a
co-worker
5
The French Newsletter
Fall 2012 :: Volume 21
Salam and Bonjour!
As a Muslim country colonized by
France and Spain, Morocco still
retains an important influence from
Europe. It is also at the crossroad of
the Middle East and Sub-Saharan
Africa which gives its culture a
unique flavor. Its multilingual
setting is like none I have experienced before. As you walk down
Mohammed V Avenue, you hear
French and Darija, the local Arabic
dialect, while the news and the
Qur’an are in Fus’ha, or classical
Arabic. In the North, I was able to
use Spanish and in the South I was
able to learn some of one of the
many Amazigh languages. Bizef
loghat nam?! (A lot of languages
yes?!)
My experience there was phenomenal! I was in a program called SIT
Morocco: Migration and Transnational
Identity. For the first two and a half
months, I lived with a beautiful
Moroccan host family of four,
Fatima, Mohammed, Soukaina, and
Amine. The last month was spent
doing research to allow me to learn
more about Moroccan culture.
Throughout the semester, I took an
intensive Arabic (Fus’ha) class
every day for three hours. A class on
migration was taught by a Moroccan professor afterwards. Two
evenings of the week, I took a
Brenda Cuellar, Fennville, MI
Majors: International Studies and
Political Science
French course. This is where my
French journey began. I discovered
my love for both Arabic and French
during my time in Morocco and
hope to continue to study them
during my last year at Hope
College.
One of the highlights of my
semester was an excursion to a
village called Oulad Ghanin. Since
my family did not speak Fus’ha, I
learned much more Darija simply
by being completely immersed in
the language. Khadija, Allal, Malak,
and Marwa were my family. During
my time in the village, I cooked with
my host mom, conducted interviews
with male migrants who travel to
and from Spain, and attended an
engagement party where I ate and
socialized with beautiful women.
This was a big turning point in my
life as I grew in my relationship
with Christ through the struggles of
language barriers, difficult cultural
differences, and having to constantly eat since we were welcomed
by so many families. I will never
forget the words, “Kooli Kooli”
which mean “Eat, eat!” Throughout
this unforgettable experience, I
really learned what it means to
“Trust in the Lord with all of your
heart, and lean not on your own
understanding” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Hope Students and Faculty Present at the Michigan Academy
Les défauts
Quand je me regarde, je pousse un soupir,
Car je vois en moi le pire.
Je vois mes défauts,
Mes pensées en morceaux.
Je vois en moi l’Auvergnat qui s’emporte,
Qui barre les fenêtres et qui ferme sa porte,
Qui écrit son nom sur chaque bout de bois
Et qui ouvre son cœur de trop rares fois.
Je vois en moi le gone sortant de l’école,
Celui qui a honte de la chair de sa chair, et comme lui, je m’affole.
Nous nous éloignons des inconnus
Pour nous dérober à leur vue.
Je vois une femme avalée par la foule enragée.
Elle est jetée par terre, incapable de bouger.
Elle est comme moi à chaque fois que je sais quoi faire, mais que j’hésite,
Chaque fois que je me sens paralysée et déconfite.
Je vois en moi le Papa qui préfère
Vivre entouré de la saleté dans l’enfer
De son bidonville où il s’est réfugié
Plutôt qu’enlever sa couronne en papier.
Four French students presented their research during the 118th
Annual Conference of the Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and
Letters, to be held at Alma College on Friday, March 2, 2012. The
Michigan Academy of Science, Arts, and Letters promotes exchanges
among researchers at colleges, universities, government agencies, as
well as research and business organizations. Currently 32 colleges and
universities, including Hope, support the academy through institutional memberships.
Je vois l’égoïsme dans mes murs de défense tordus,
La honte de ma honte chez ceux que j’aime le plus,
Le faux-semblant de ma réponse «Oui, tout va bien. »
Et le mélange de mon manque de contrôle et de ma prise de contrôle enfin.
Junior Athina Alvarez of Grand Rapids presented “BD et Utopie Les
Cités Obscures de Schuiten et Peeters.” Senior Katelyn Hemmeke of
Hamilton presented “Deux Votations Suisses Controversées et leurs
Conséquences.” Junior Lauren Miller of Boyne City presented “La
Lutte des Femmes Maliennes pour le Respect de leur Intégrité
Physique.” Sophomore Natalie Woodberry of Saint Paul, Minn.,
presented “La Condition de Vie des Femmes au Maghreb et les
Perspectives d’Avenir à l’Issue du Printemps Arabe.” While Professor
Isabelle Chapuis-Alvarez, presented a paper titled :“La Montée des
Communautarismes est-elle une Menace pour la France et le Reste de
l’Europe ?”
« Chère fille, cœur de mon cœur,
Arrête de te déchirer. Je suis ton Auteur.
Il est vrai que tu as des défauts, mais de toute façon,
Je ne veux pas de ton abandon.
6
Mais Dieu, tu prends mon visage dans ta main,
Tu me détournes du miroir de dédain.
Tu m’ouvres les yeux et les oreilles,
Mes pensées se ravivent, je t’entends, tu me réveilles.
Car quand je te regarde, je vois ta foi,
Je vois mon sang qui a coulé pour toi.
Quand je te regarde, je ne suis pas furieux,
Car c’est le meilleur en toi que je vois le mieux. »
Whitney Yoder.
Fall 2012 :: Volume 21
Pi Delta Phi
A national honorary society, Pi Delta Phi celebrates
outstanding academics in French language and literature. This
year, new members, Athina Alvarez (’13), Delaney Erickson
(’12), Joe Habbouche (’12), Gina Veltman (’12) and
honorary member Karine Chagneau (l’assistante française)
were inducted into the society.
L to R: Karine Chagneau, Athina Alvarez, Delaney Erickson,
Professor Larsen, Professor Chapuis-Alvarez, Joe Habbouche,
Gina Veltman, Professor Hamon-Porter
Outstanding Scholarship Awarded
With every May comes the parting
of students and the end of the
academic year. Many of our
French students were presented
with awards for their determined
scholarship and dedication. Every
Spring, the college holds an
Honors Convocation to recognize
these excellent students.
The French Department encourages diversity and well-rounded
scholarship. The following students
were awarded departmental
awards for their wide array of
talents:
Athina Alvarez: John Montgomery Wilson Award in Art History
Jessalyn Bolkema: Albert E.
Lampen Mathematics Prize,
French awards were given to
Dorothy Grace Renzema Moore
graduating seniors: Delaney
Award for Excellence in Math and
Erickson received the AATF
Music
Outstanding Senior in French
Nicholas DeJongh: John H.
Award, Joe Habbouche was
Kleinheksel Mathematics Award
awarded the Linda D. Palmer
Sa’eed Husaini: Renze Lyle
Memorial Award in French, and
Hoeksema Prize in Political
Gina Veltman was presented the
Science
Marguerite Prins French Award.
Carter Jones: Robert W.
Cavanaugh Scholarship in Voice
Katelyn Hemmeke was awarded
Rachel Kabagabu: Political
the Erika Brubaker ’92 Award for Science Department Book Award
Proficiency in Literature as well as Leah LaBarge: Reinking Memorial
a Fulbright Scholarship by the
Scholarship
United States government for the
Shaylyn Pritchard: Biology Book
following year.
Award.
Marie Schrampfer: Phi Alpha
The Mortar Board, a national
Theta Freshman Book Award
honor society, inducted Charles
Brent Wilkinson: Metta J. Ross
Patchak and Leah LaBarge.
History Prize
Congratulations to our outstandPhi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest ing French scholars!
academic honorary society
inducted two French scholars, Joe
Habbouche and Katelyn
Hemmeke.
The French Newsletter
Oh La Loire!
Continued from page 3
integrated myself into typical French student life by
taking classes at the IES Center and the Université de
Nantes. In addition to my classes, I was given a
teaching internship where I taught English to
children ages 6 to 7. I taught one-hour sessions, four
times per week, and since I spoke mostly in French
with the young kids, I was very fortunate to have
another way to practice French in a professional
setting. And, of course, living in Nantes was not all
work. Apart from classes and my internship I was
able to indulge in the region’s savory gallettes, and
taste different varieties of Muscadet (a well-known
wine from the area), and learned to live life with a
fervor I didn’t know I had within me.
The Assistante Française, Karine Chagneau and French
student Sa’eed Husseini (’12) perform a skit for Images: A
Reflection of Cultures held in November 2011.
Photo by Greg Olgers, Public Relations Office, Hope College
Favorite French Films of the Year
Intouchables (2011). François and Omar Sy star in
the second-most successful French film of all time.
The film portrays the true story of an unlikely
friendship between wealthy quadriplegic, Phillipe,
and his hired help, Driss, a young man of
Senegalese origins from the outskirts of Paris.
Both find companionship as they slowly uncover
things about each other’s
lives. Intouchables was an
international success.
The Artist (2011). A silent, black and white film
winning 3 Golden Globes and 5 Academy
Awards, The Artist is a romance between two
1920s Hollywood silent film stars. Jean Dujardin
and Bérénice Bejo steal the show in this
internationally awarded film.
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The French Newsletter
Fall 2012 :: Volume 21
L'Arbre de la francophonie.
La francophonie est comme un arbre de notre belle France.
Ses feuilles sont de couleurs variées et vibrantes
Et elles représentent à travers le monde les personnes différentes
Qui sont unies par leur amour de la culture et de la langue de la France
Adjoussou a seulement treize ans. Il est noir
Et travaille dix heures par jour dans les collines de Côte d'Ivoire
Pour récolter des fèves de cacao
Le travail est dur et il fait chaud
Mais Adjoussou ne se plaint pas
Même s’il ne mange pas de chocolat
Apres son travail il apprend le français
Car il rêve d’aller un jour en France pour y travailler
La francophonie est comme un arbre de notre belle France.
Ses branches sont de tailles et de formes différentes
Tout comme le sont à travers le monde les divers pays
Mais la francophonie tend ses branches et les unit
Amina a dix-huit ans et son pays est la Tunisie
Sa vie est régie par le coran, le livre saint des musulmans
Les femmes dans ce pays ont été opprimées pendant des décennies
Mais au printemps dernier une révolution a renversé le gouvernement
Amina s’est battue pour plus de liberté
Car elle croit en la devise: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité
Mais aujourd’hui elle a peur à nouveau
De ne pas obtenir ces droits fondamentaux
La francophonie est comme un arbre de notre belle France.
Les racines de l’arbre s’enfoncent dans la terre pour trouver l’eau
source de vie
Et la francophonie puise sa richesse dans les cultures de tous les pays
Qui tiennent la culture française pour référence
Triomphe in Paris
continued from page 3
around the city as well as sponsoring excursions.
My first weekend in France, the IES staff took us
to the Loire Valley for our orientation weekend.
The Loire Valley is known for its numerous
châteaux (castles); we visited the Château de
Chambord (the largest château in the valley) and the
Château d’Amboise, where Leonardo da Vinci lived
and died. The staff also took us to the city of Reims,
where French kings were crowned. In Reims we
visited the unique Mme Pommery Champagne
Cave and the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Reims.
The courses through IES Abroad were tailored to
my interests and offered many practical courses to
facilitate learning the language and the culture. For
example, my stay in France coincided with the
2012 French Presidential elections. To better help
students understand the election process, IES
designed a unique new course devoted to the
discussion of these upcoming elections. It was so
fascinating to have a class that would help me
converse with the locals about the “hot topics” and
debates.
My semester in Paris was a life-changing opportunity that helped me grow and gain a more concrete
perspective of life. I knew that studying abroad
would be beneficial academically, psychologically,
and socially, but in actuality, it gave me so much
more to hope for in the future.
Anh Hung et Phuong sont cousins et vivent à Ho Chi Minh
La plus grande ville du Vietnam, ce petit pays au sud de la Chine
Dans leur ville qui s’appelait Saigon ou le Paris de l’Extrême Orient,
Ils apprennent le français comme beaucoup d’étudiants.
Avec le lycée français ils vont parfois à Hanoi la capitale
Mais ils préfèrent leur ville avec tous les vestiges de la période coloniale
[…]
La francophonie est comme un arbre de notre belle France.
Il est chargé des rêves et de l’espoir des peuples du monde
Et grâce à la francophonie on essaie d’atténuer les souffrances
De ceux qui souffrent afin que cesse le silence.
Arnaud Muhimpundu.
From the Editor’s Desk.
Merci to those who submitted their essays on their study abroad experiences in France and their poems in French. Un grand merci
also to Gina Veltman (’12) for her editing, designing and formatting skills. The French Newsletter is published by the French
section and funded through the Department of Modern and Classical Languages. Please contact Professor Brigitte HamonPorter (hamon@hope.edu) for items to be included in next year’s issue. Comments and queries from alumni are always welcome!
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