NOUVELLES DE BUCKNELL€¦ · ü La Princesse de Montpensier by Madame de Lafayette

Bucknell University French & Francophone Studies Program Newsletter Issue 10: Spring 2018

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NOUVELLES DE BUCKNELL

In this issue v Program updates &

happenings v News from professors,

students, and alumni v Class Close-Ups v Prizes and Awards v TA and French Exchange

Students spotlights v And more

Contact us

v Professor Nathalie Dupont [email protected]

v Research Fellow Max Alter [email protected]

We want to hear YOUR story!

Please contact us and let us know what you thought of this newsletter! If you’re a graduate, we would love to hear your story in order to enhance our website and future newsletters.

Check out our program website or follow us on Facebook at french@bucknell or Professeur Residence: Bucknell en France.

Bienvenue! Welcome to Bucknell University’s French & Francophone Studies Program latest Nouvelles de Bucknell. We are thrilled to introduce our 10th issue! Time flies! Please inform us of any aspect of our program you would like to know more about. Your feedback is much appreciated!

Professor Nathalie Dupont & Max Alter

The Official Bucknell University French & Francophone Studies Program Newsletter


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1968-2018: 50th Anniversary of Mai 68

“To mark the 50th anniversary of France’s wide-sweeping student and worker revolt in May 1968, various Parisian institutions are staging events and exhibitions about one of the biggest upheavals in the country’s society since the French Revolution. The rebellion began at Nanterre University, north-west of Paris, before spreading to the Sorbonne, where Jean-Paul Sartre addressed students, leading to workers occupying factories.” (Anna Sansom, The Art Newspaper, May 2, 2018)

A fresco by Philippe Lakits (Centre Pompidou) © The artist

Ë

Best Baguette in Paris

In April 2018, a jury of 15 members tasted a total of 138 baguettes in nearly five hours to find a winner to supply the French presidential palace with baguettes for a year. Mahmoud M’seddi, a French-Tunisian baker (215 boul. Raspail, 14th arrondissement), is the latest winner of this annual Parisian competition. He is the fourth North African in the last six years to win the award. The French baguette should be listed as a Unesco cultural treasure, says France’s President Emmanuel Macron.

This 10th issue is filled with interviews, photos,

and excerpts to give you a firsthand look into what we’ve been up to from January through early May 2018.

We publish a newsletter every semester not only to keep our colleagues, friends, and family updated, but also to testify about the overwhelmingly positive effect that studying French can have on an individual’s life.

Current Bucknell students, faculty, and alumni alike all share a passion for this foreign language and culture, and this newsletter is designed to celebrate it in a fun and enjoyable way.

Bonne lecture!

Baguettes being judged during the Paris competition in April 2018 © AFP/Getty Images.


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In Our Classroom Professor Renée Gosson on French Colonialisms

Bucknell Humanities Center Grant

Thanks to the generous support of both Bucknell’s Humanities Center (via a Mellon Humanities Teaching Lab Grant) and The Leanne Freas Trout Fund for Research and Teaching in French & Francophone Studies, Professor Renée Gosson designed a new 200-level course titled Les Colonialismes français (French Colonialisms) during Summer 2017, in collaboration with five research assistants, all French & Francophone Studies Majors. Independently and together, they identified relevant, level-appropriate and interesting sources for this new course, in addition to granting Professor Gosson the opportunity to work closely with a bright and motivated team and outside the traditional classroom context. Integration of Intervenants

We were able to integrate multiple and diverse voices into our course offered in Spring 2018. Five francophoniste experts were invited to send us a 15-minute video recording, followed by a 30-minute live Skype session, during which they addressed the primary questions of our course, in addition to engaging us in their respective areas of expertise (from Québec to Louisiana, the French West Indies, North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Indochina). ◊

Guests included: January 29, 2018: La Diaspora acadienne Clint Bruce, Professor and Director of the Centre acadien at the Université Sainte-Anne, Nova Scotia

February 14, 2018: Les Antilles Annette Joseph-Gabriel, Assistant Professor of French, University of Michigan

March 5, 2018: Le Maghreb Amine Zidouh, Ph.D. Candidate, University of Miami; incoming Assistant Professor of French & Francophone Studies (Fall 2018)

March 26, 2018: L’Indochine Kathryn Edwards, Assistant Professor of History, Tulane University

April 18, 2018: Les héritages coloniaux Crystal Fleming, Associate Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies, SUNY at Stony Brook

Campus visit March 28-29 by Stéphanie Mulot, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology, Université de Toulouse, Jean Jaurès who spoke to French students of all levels about the traces of Guadeloupe's slave history literally right beneath the surface of the postcard landscapes of this French Caribbean Island.

Summer 2017 Mellon Humanities Teaching Lab Research Assistants [ From left to right: Sophie Giuliani (’19), Sarah Epsten (’19), Chloe Cottineau (’19), Lauren Hudson (’18), and Rose Quispe (’18).


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Class Close-Up

Worse than Pretty: Princesses in

Seventeenth-Century French Literature

Teacher

Professor Julian Ledford

Focus

This course on the representations of princesses in French literature aligns itself with other college- and graduate-level courses devoted to the discovery and the exploration of literary texts by French women writers from the Grand Siècle. Considered the “masculine century” by leading French literary scholars—such as Faith Beasley (Dartmouth College) and Lewis Seifert (Brown University)—studies on seventeenth century French literature have traditionally focused on rigid notions of academicized classicism and male heroism in the context of a burgeoning French court. In recent years, however, seventeenth-century literary scholars have focused on the writing of women to interrogate definitions of masculinity and to renegotiate the presence and contribution of women during this period. The focus of this course, then, is actually three-fold: 1) the discovery and new exploration of obscure, and canonical texts of women writers from the seventeenth century, 2) the study of the representations of women within these texts, and 3) the preliminary inquiry into the performance of masculinity in the texts studied. The pursuit of such a complex and dialogized course of study requires an equally complex organizing framework that allows for various discourses on court culture, courtly literature, literary history and criticism, classicism, feminism, and masculinity. On all fronts, the figure of the literary princess serves this purpose best. Thus, using the princess to guide our exploration of the fairy tales, novels, and plays we read, we not only find out how

princesses were represented in the literature of women writers from the seventeenth century, but we also discover new themes, several questions, and possible answers that create a princess discourse that challenges the traditional approaches to literature of the Grand siècle.

Key takeaway

Besides the many rewards gained from studying new texts in the college setting, the main takeaway from the specific texts read in this course is a dialogued understanding of the cultural, literary, and historical significance of princesses in the long seventeenth century and their continued effect on the cultural products we consume and observe today. Through textual analysis of primary sources and their matching secondary sources (scholarly articles from peer-reviewed journals) and methods of comparative cultural studies applied to derivative works (film and opera), students become aware of three main things: 1) the princess as a guise for a very complex woman whose perpetual movement between power and powerlessness reveals a cycle that was very real during the seventeenth century, 2) the princess as a robust character used by women writers of the period to discuss varied and disparate themes, and 3) the princess as a metaphor for the salon, a female-centered gathering space in which tradition is interrogated, deconstructed, and redefined. The princess, then, is not presented in this


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course as a powerless victim of her sex whose beauty is dangerous solely because of its power to attract many diverse peoples and circumstances. On the contrary, in the hands of women writers of the seventeenth century, the

beauty of the princess is painted with realism, and she is given reason and voice that make her worse than pretty. ◊

On the reading lists ü L’Heptaméron by Marguerite de Navarre ü La Princesse de Montpensier by Madame

de Lafayette ü La Princesse de Clèves by Madame de

Lafayette ü Phèdre by Jean Racine ü Les Contes de fées by Madame d’Aulnoy

Other texts ü Hippolyte et Arice (opera) by Jean

Rameau & Abbé Simon-Joseph Pellegrin ü La princesse de Clèves (film) by Jean

Cocteau and Jean Delannoy ü La Princesse et la sirène (short film) by

Charlotte Audebram

Le coin du dictionnaire

Mots nouveaux « Le Petit Larousse et le Petit Robert, les deux principaux dictionnaires du monde

francophone, présentent chaque année des mots nouveaux reflétant la diversité d’une

langue qui ne cesse de se renouveler. »

Le Petit Larousse invite à « liker » (apprécier) des « vlogs » (blogs vidéos).

*

Et c’est en 2017 que le Petit Robert a ajouté à son répertoire

l’expression « alumni »…

Source : https://information.tv5monde.com/info/un-schmutz-sous-la-gouttine-les-nouveaux-mots-des-

dictionnaires-francais-237181

En français, S’il vous plaît…

Comment traduit-on spoiler en français ?

Et qu’en est-il de selfie ?

Eh bien, selon l’Office québécois de la langue française, le premier

se dit « divulgâcheur » et le second, « égoportrait ».


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What is the best aspect of being a French professor at Bucknell?

What I like about Bucknell is the total freedom of choice in the courses and research fields, not to mention the means made available to us to help achieve various projects. Obviously, this great latitude comes with the immense responsibility of educating future agents of social change. Working with these committed students is a precious privilege.

What are your research specialties?

I am interested in the intersection of food practices and theories of gender, and I pay particular attention to modest cuisine and vegetarianism in order to think about the conviviality at the table as an aesthetic and discursive practice, where class identities, masculinities, femininity, and sexualities intersect.

Tell us a bit about your most recent publication.

In 2017, my colleague Michael Garval (North Carolina State University) and I coedited a special issue of the peer-reviewed journal Contemporary French Civilization titled Beyond Gastronomy: French Food for the 21st century. In this interdisciplinary volume, including contributions by eleven international researchers, we seek to re-imagine 21st-century gastronomy.

Here in an excerpt from our introduction: In view of recent developments in academic research on Food Studies, this volume seeks to investigate the tensions related to the development of a transnational gastronomy in light of ethical, political and aesthetic considerations such as the question of gender in

professional kitchens, animal suffering or the influence of migratory flows on the culinary, areas in which French practices lag behind. Our ambition is to question first of all the somewhat outdated notion of a gastronomic France sometimes still considered, within the Hexagon and beyond, as a “pays de cocagne.” We then aim at anchoring the contemporary and future stakes of gastronomy in a French society in the process of renewal. The current issue attempts to shed some light on the human, inter-relational and responsible potential of this gastronomic renewal, through a critical approach and a transdisciplinary perspective that will seek to comment on the recent movements and the transformation of this central object of study that gastronomy represents today? For more details, see: http://online.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/toc/cfc/42/3-4

Who is your favorite French or Francophone filmmaker?

I like Christophe Honoré’s cinema (Les Chansons d’Amour in 2007; Les Bien-aimés in 2011, for example). Honoré is also a stage director and a novelist, which gives him, in my opinion, a noticeable artistic sensitivity.

Which book, in your opinion, should every learner of French read?

If I had to choose a single book (how difficult!), I would suggest Guy de Maupassant's novel Une Vie, where we follow Jeanne's sublime and terrible destiny. Bonne lecture pour l'été! ◊

Faculty Spotlight Professor Philippe Dubois


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Philippe Dubois 19th-20th century French literature; food studies; transnational identities, gender performance, queer theory. David Morton & Leanne Freas Trout Professor (French & Francophone Studies Program). Nathalie Dupont 20th-21st century French literature, poetry/poetics, literary theory, avant-garde and experimental approaches to literature, sociology and politics, film studies, Québec studies. French & Francophone Studies Program Director.

Julian Ledford Early-modern French and Francophone literature, with a particular focus on women writers and their contribution to discussions on masculinities.

Pamela Glass Our Academic Assistant extraordinaire!

Renée Gosson Literature and culture of the French Caribbean, commemorative gestures to remember the trans-Atlantic slave trade, slavery, and their abolition in France and in the French West Indies. BEF Acting Director, AY 2017-2018.

Angèle Kingué Fiction writing; contemporary Francophone Africa; the teaching of African culture and literature; Francophone African women writers; youth literature, oral literature. BEF Director and Faculty in Residence, BEF, Tours, France, AY 2017-2018. John Westbrook Post-revolutionary French intellectual history and culture; contemporary France; surrealism and the avant-garde; history of education in France.

Philippe Dubois

Co-ed. with Michael Garval of “Beyond Gastronomy: French Food Culture for the 21st-Century.” Special issue of Contemporary French Civilization 42.3-4 (2017); including a chapter in that issue titled “Par-delà la gastronomie: Restaurer la République” (p. 441-454).

Nathalie Dupont

“Savoir dérouter. Pierre Senges, érudit égarant.” Literature and alternative knowledge. Spec. issue of Contemporary French & Francophone Studies/Sites 20.4-5 (Dec. 2016): 657-666.

Renée Gosson

“'Tous ceux sans qui la France ne serait pas la France': The case for a French national museum of colonial histories.” French Cultural Studies 29.2 (May 2018): 120-137.

Angèle Kingué

Vénus of Khala-Kanti. Translated by Christine S. Hartley. Bucknell University Press, 2015.

Julian Ledford

Review of Holly Tucker. City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris. The French Review 91.3 (March 2018): 229.

John Westbrook

“Patrimoines alimentaires en images scolaires.” Keynote Address. Festival d’histoire de Montbrison, France, Nov. 2016.

Faculty & Staff

Recent Publications


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Tell us about your “journey” with French language and culture.

Je suis canadienne, so, I’ve been studying French since – let’s say – the 3rd or 4th grade. And because Canada is officially a bilingual country, there are always publications, announcements, and so on, to read in both English and French. My mother’s family lives in the Cantons de l’Est in Quebec, but this region was mainly anglophone when I was a child (my cousins are bilingual though). In 2013, I lived in Montreal for five months while I was working at McGill University – I had a wonderful time!

Being a history professor, do you look into historical documents or other sources written in French? How does French play into your courses about North American history?

When I arrived at Bucknell in 2014, the Department of History asked me if I could teach “the French and Indian War,” but in Canada it’s called “the French war.” Thus it’s absolutely necessary to explain the lasting imprint that the French regime has left in Canada. When we learn about North America during the 8th century, we read a lot about “les colonies de la mer et les colonies de la terre,” Acadie and Québec, the Baie de Fundy (which was called back then the Baie Française), Montréal, and Québec city. Most of the time, we study the French maps, such as the ones drawn by the

Parisian J. N. Bellin. We also talk about the fur trade, the travelers, the Métis, etc. In my class on environmental history, we learn about the formation of Montréal, the history of the St. Laurent River and of other rivers related to French history, as the Red (in Manitoba).

And I must admit that my husband (who grew up in Ottawa) and I speak in French when we don’t want our 4-year old son to understand!

What Québécois or French Canadian book or film would you recommend to French students?

A book or a film? Why not a visit? Go to Montréal! Read a book about Acadia (by Antonine Maillet for example) or learn about Kouchibouguac National Park through Ron Rudin’s web-based stories (e.g. http://leretourdesvoix.ca)…◊

Professor Campbell, Historienne Professor Claire Campbell specializes in the environmental history of North America and the North Atlantic world, and the history of Canada. Her research seeks to use environmental history to expand public history, and public discussions of sustainability and environmental policy. Her most recent book is titled Nature, Place, and Story: Rethinking Historic Sites in Canada (2017).


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How is daily life in France different than that of the States?

One aspect of life in France that I did not necessarily expect was how relaxed day to day life was. I had thought my daily routines would be pretty similar to those at Bucknell, just in a different country, yet, I was completely wrong on that front. While I lived there I was the most relaxed I had been in ages, mostly because it was nothing like the high-paced environment of Bucknell. Of course everyone still worked, attended school, and studied, yet their philosophy towards these things seemed to be very different. People weren’t working insane hours or carrying their work in to the evening, and students easily balanced eight classes a week with many café breaks with friends in between. From what I could see, people appreciated and valued their free time a lot more and respected traditions like eating together as a family each night and keeping close contact with friends and family. I am very thankful for having been immersed in this way of life, because the ease with which they lived allowed me the time to really appreciate the culture around me. I had the freedom to explore all that Tours had to offer me on my own time, from exploring museums and parks, to just sitting by the river or getting a coffee. Because of this, I left feeling like I really knew the culture and place that I had lived, which was something I had hoped for going into the program.

What was your favorite aspect of studying abroad?

My favorite aspect by far of studying abroad was the host family I lived with. Prior to arriving in France, I was actually the most nervous about having to live with a family and worried that it would be a major drawback of

my experience. Now, however, I cannot imagine how my stay would have been without them. I was placed with a mother and her three young children, all of whom I ended up becoming very close with. Each day I would spend time with the family – playing with the kids before dinner, eating together, and watching TV in the evenings. My host mom was great and would often take us out to dinner, movies, or other events going on in Tours, like street fairs or the Christmas market. Spending so much time with the family not only allowed us to create these strong relationships, but also enhanced my French acquisition greatly. Though I often couldn’t understand what the children were saying to me in the beginning of the semester, by the end of my stay I was well habituated to each of their voices and able to carry conversations easily. My host mom also enjoyed having friends over and bringing me with her when she visited friends and family, which allowed me to meet a much greater variety of French people than I would have on my own, and exposed me to all sorts of variations in age, accents, and types of homes, which was really great to see from a cultural perspective.

Annie Girton ’19 Student Spotlights


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Beside French language and culture, how were you able to engage in your other passions while in Tours?

During my time in France, I was fortunate enough to visit a French primary school twice to observe some different classroom settings. The first morning I went, I was in the equivalent of a first grade classroom, where I observed grammar and math lessons, as well as an English lesson which I was able to help teach. During my second visit, I was in a preschool class during which I saw a wide variety of activities that were part of their daily routine, and I was even allowed to run one of the center stations with the kids. I was surprised to see that even though these students and teachers spoke a totally different language, what they were learning and teaching was not all that different from what I had observed here in the U.S. Going into a foreign school is not something many people have the chance to do, so in that regard this was definitely one of my most remarkable experiences abroad. Overall this opportunity gave me a chance to connect everything that I have been learning at Bucknell, not only with the real world, but within a completely different cultural context as well.

Tell us your story of how you first got into French and where that journey has taken you.

The first time that the French language was introduced to me was when I was in eighth grade and getting ready to transition to high school. Starting the new school also meant we were allowed to choose which foreign language we wanted to study. When various teachers came to my middle school to present each option, I was completely taken with the French program. I had never considered myself a language person before, but French excited me. I enrolled myself in French 1 the following year and loved it. I had no prior exposure to French, yet the language

was easy for me to pick up and learn. Each year, I signed up for the following course, excited to learn as much French as possible during my high school career. However, when it came time to choose classes for my senior year, I came into a problem, as having started in French 1 I was only eligible for French 4 by that point, while other students who had started high school at French 2 were able to take AP French their senior year. So I decided to do the French 4 work over the summer, and was able to take AP my senior year. Though I had always wanted to reach this level, once I got there it was very difficult. I was behind everyone else and had to spend a lot more time studying and working one-on-one with my teacher to increase my verbal skills. I ended up doing well on the exam which encouraged me to continue studying French during college. By this point I already had dreams of studying abroad in France, so I was overjoyed when I attended an information session for Bucknell in France during first-year orientation, and decided the program was perfect for me. I took French 104 that semester, and enjoyed it so much that I decided to double major in French. From there I took several French courses over the next two years, culminating with the full course load of French courses I took abroad last semester. Taking French at the university level has been one of my favorite experiences here because I have been able to move away from learning the basics of French to really learning in French and figuring out what personally interests me through the wide array of courses I haven’t taken.

What do you study here at Bucknell and what do you plan to do for a career?

At Bucknell I am majoring in both French and Education with a concentration in support services for children and adolescents. Something that has been a really great aspect of my time at Bucknell is the overlap between


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these two domains hat I have been able to explore. Last year I took a course with Professor Westbrook on the history of the French education system, which combined with my observations in the French school have given me a very valuable and rare opportunity to make connections between the two areas I am most passionate about. I am hoping to continue to do this though working with Professor Westbrook on his research project this summer, and hopefully doing some of my own research on related subject matters next year. Though I was

initially on track for becoming certified as an elementary school teacher, I recently changed my major and hoping to work one day as an emotional, social, or behavioral therapist for children. I am still unsure exactly how I intend on reaching this point and am currently considering different areas of psychology or social work that I may want to pursue, but I definitely plan to attend graduate school following graduating from Bucknell and continue to narrow in on what exactly I want to do in the future and prepare myself for that the best that I can. ◊

What do you study here at Bucknell and what do you plan to do for a career?

I'm majoring in French, Biology, and Studio Art. My original plan was to go to medical school after Bucknell and be a surgeon, but I'm not so sure now!

Tell us your story of how you first got into French and where that journey has taken you.

I started French in 6th grade when everyone was required to take a language. We had the options of French, Spanish, and Italian. Everyone took Spanish and I couldn't be like everyone else so it came down to French and Italian. I went on a vacation with my family to a resort in the Carribean that a lot of French people went to. I met these two boys who were my age at the time, maybe 10 years old, and they taught me “un, deux, trois” and dared me to go up to their friend and say “Tu es moche et tu pues!“ and run away. It wasn't a very nice thing to say, but I was hooked and that's how I chose French.

How was being away from Bucknell and in Tours for a semester/a year?

I loved being in Tours for a semester. Most of the time I was so focused on either trying to really immerse myself in my new surroundings or having fun traveling around France and the rest of Europe that I never really felt homesick. I did occasionally miss Bucknell, but you can't really complain when you're having the experience of a lifetime.

Stefanie Alpert ’18 2018


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How did studying abroad improve your knowledge of French language and culture?

My French improved more in the semester that I was in Tours than it had in all previous 10 years of learning it in school. When you're forced to speak French with people who don't know English or don't know it well, you have to get creative to figure out ways around it. It also helps to hear French everywhere you go and to learn what people actually say in certain situations, as opposed to what the textbooks tell you.

What is an aspect of French culture (music, book, film, etc.) that you recommend every student indulge in?

There are so many amazing aspects of the French culture (especially the food), but if I have to pick one concrete thing, I'd recommend that everyone watch the movie Le Fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain (Jeunet, 2001). It's one of my favorites! Anyone can enjoy it, even if they don't know French very well. I think it gives a really fun, quirky perspective on Paris and how people live there. ◊

Scholarships The Leanne Freas Trout Scholarship is awarded annually to a member of the rising junior class and French major. It is designed to recognize high academic achievement in French, strong promise of active and enthusiastic linguistic and cultural immersion, and positive leadership within the classroom and program.

© Class of 2020 Recipients: Olivia Amoruso, Samantha Camden, Emma King, and Cameron Wade

Ë

The Candis Boyer Coxe Cultural Enrichment Fund provides a number of scholarships for students who wish to spend a semester or a year abroad in the Bucknell en France program. This fund is designed to enhance students’ cultural immersion experience.

© Spring 2018 and Fall 2018 Recipients: Christina Reddi and Amaryllis Kanyabwero

Virelangues Le Petit Larousse définit les virelangues comme un « groupe de mots difficiles à

articuler, assemblés dans un but indiqué ou pour servir d’exercice d’élocution ».

À vous de jouer… ü « Le mur murant Paris rend Paris

murmurant. » ü « Les chaussettes de l’archiduchesse sont-

elles sèches ? Archisèches ! » ü « Lulu lit la lettre lue à Lili et Lola alla à Lille

où Lola lie le lilas. » Source : http://focus.tv5monde.com/virelangues/


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Life on the Majors’ Side: A Culminating Experience

After gaining an understanding of French & Francophone literary and cultural traditions in coursework at the 200-level, students complete their French major with at least two 300-level courses or seminars, offering an in-depth study of particular aspects of French & Francophone literature, culture or linguistics. One of these most advanced courses must be designated as a Culminating Exercise for the French major. Under the supervision of the course instructor, senior French & Francophone Studies majors give a scholarly presentation based on their research at our Annual Senior Research Colloquium, as evidence of their fulfillment of the program’s objectives regarding presentation and research skills.

Congratulations to Our Graduating French & Francophone Majors and Minors


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How has being immersed in another language and culture been?

I can summarize my experience in the following words: difficult but extremely rewarding. In terms of the language, I've progressed so much thanks to this invaluable opportunity to practice my reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in France. As for the culture, being in a different country, interacting with the inhabitants, and attending school has all been a learning experience. [Sophie spent all academic year in Tours].

What classes are you currently taking?

I'm taking quite a few classes here: 18th century French Literature (lecture and seminar), Translation, Approaches to Translation (essentially Methods of Translation), History of Art (lecture and seminar), History of Music, Cinematic Genres, and a Gastronomy Course (although this class is finished now).

How is daily life different in Tours than in the States?

First, Tours is a city. Admittedly, it is not the size of New York, but it is still a city. I've only ever lived in fairly small towns in the suburbs.

That's one of the first differences between my daily life in Tours and daily life in the States. That, and also I suppose I should say that it really isn't strange to see someone walking around with a baguette here.

What suggestions or tips would you have for students looking to study abroad?

Be sure to look up the country you'll be studying in! For students looking to study in France, the Campus France website has a lot of useful information. Also, be sure you deal with two very important things: money and phone. For cash, it might a good idea to come over with some already converted. After that, try to find a bank that won't charge fees when you withdraw cash. For the phone, buying a sim card is an option, although some people might already have an international plan. It is a good idea to figure out what you are going to do before you leave the States. Finally, have a good time! You're in an entirely different country! Profitez bien de votre séjour! ◊

Meanwhile in Tours… Sophie Giuliani ’19


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Tell us about your experience studying French at Bucknell. (Classes, study abroad, etc.)

Believe it or not, my favorite French classes had to do with the exploration of art history, dissecting the meaning of French paintings through symbolism, colors and placement. French history also captured my attention, but the most profound and lasting impact came from my fall semester in Tours with Bucknell en France back in 1988. I can still remember the terrifying feeling as we drove in the pre-dawn hours that first morning, being dropped off at our families one by one. I was blessed to stay with the Pouillet family who had three teenagers with a sense of humor. The oldest, Jean-Joseph, came to stay with my family the following summer.

How have you used French since leaving the university?

After graduation from Bucknell I spent a summer at Middlebury’s excellent language program, but beyond that my use of French sat on the back burner as I pursued a veterinary career. Living in Vermont, I am treated to French radio out of Montreal and some of my farmers speak Canadian French. An unexpected sequela of my overseas experience is a friendship with a refugee family living nearby. My time in Tours helped me to understand how it feels to be in a foreign land with strange

language and surroundings, and has engendered compassion for those in similar circumstances.

Describe your experience working in Haiti.

In January ’08 I traveled with Christian Veterinary Mission to the country of Haiti where we spent a week treating animals in the mountains. Surprisingly I was able to understand about a third of the French Creole spoken there, along with having people yell ‘blanc!’ at me in Port o Prince. Haitian Creole is spelled phonetically, so that the word ‘bois’ is spelled ‘bwa’. The Haitians are a joyful people despite their dire circumstances.

Is there anything else you would like to share with students studying French here at Bucknell? (Good books to read, recommendations, etc.)

My advice to current students is to cultivate friendships with foreigners, French or otherwise. Relationships are my treasured takeaway from Tours. Three of my nieces are studying French and two of them have become snapchat and facetime pals with two of Maman Pouillet’s grandchildren. This past

summer I accompanied my niece Megan to France to spend a few weeks with Jean-Joseph’s daughter Prune. I stayed four days chez Elizabeth Pouillet (right on photo) and put my French to good use (with prior practice on Duolingo), walking around Tours after all these years. We visited the office at the Université François-Rabelais and ran into Professor John Westbrook! Sometimes life comes full circle. ◊

Alumni Spotlight Julie Kyle, Class of 1990


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Professor Philippe Dubois organized a series of two conferences on the themes of Travel Literature and Life Abroad by Patrice Terrone, Professor Emeritus at Université de Grenoble, France. On Tuesday, February 6, from noon-1pm, Dr. Terrone, who was the coordinator in Grenoble for Swarthmore College and Boston University for almost 30 years, offered a talk in English titled “My Life Abroad,” which discussed the challenges and rewards of study abroad. On Thursday, February 8, from noon-1pm, in his lecture titled “Voyager comme écrire, c’est toujours aller vers les autres” (in

French with English subtitles), Dr. Terrone spoke about travel literature as a way to relate to otherness. As always with the French & Francophone Studies Program, a nice lunch reflecting the lecture themes was provided on both days.

On Tuesday, March 27 as part of the Debussy Centenary Symposium celebrating the life and music of French composer Claude Debussy, Elissa Alvarez and Philippe Dubois curated a discussion of French Poetry by Baudelaire and Verlaine and Debussy songs with students from the Department of Music and the French & Francophone Studies Program (Elizabeth Lampe ’18, Katie Manuel ’18, and Nuka Gvilia ’21). Dr. Stéphanie Mulot, Professor of Sociology and Anthropology and researcher in the Laboratoire caribéen de Sciences sociales (Point à Pitre, Guadeloupe, and Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, France) was the guest of honor in Professor Renée Gosson’s new course, French

Colonialisms. Combining their two disciplinary (and sometimes conflicting) perspectives (sociology and humanities), Professors Mulot and Gosson co-presented an Invitation au voyage en Guadeloupe on Thursday, March 29, from noon-1pm, where they discussed about both sites de mémoire and sites d'oubli in Guadeloupe, with the goal of moving students beyond a “sea, sex, sun, Club Med” version of the French Caribbean and toward a more intellectual tourism. A Caribbean menu accompanied their visually illustrated talk. ◊

Event Spotlights Every year, visiting scholars from all over the world come to campus to

share their research, knowledge and international perspectives on a wide range of subjects related to French and Francophone Studies. Here’s what happened this semester…


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Why did you decide to study in the United States?

I have always wanted to travel, discover new cultures, new people, and new ways of thinking. I decided to come here because I study psychology and the United States is very advanced in this domain compared to France – Americans are much more open to new methods of therapy and care. In fact, I was always interested in the American culture, lifestyle, and student life on campus. That’s why I decided to come here. And I don’t regret it!

What do you study and what do you do?

Right now I’m finishing up my 3rd year of psychology and I’m applying for a Masters’ program in clinical neuropsychology in France next year. This semester, I am enrolled in “Clinical Neuroscience,” “Social Psychology,” and “Trauma Psychology” courses. I’m also taking “Modern Dance Technique I.” Outside of class, I spend time with my roommates, my friends, and I’m taking advantage of my remaining time here before returning to France!

How would you compare French and American academic life?

It’s very different! In France, there’s no university campus; everyone lives on their own and then comes together for class. I like the campus because it’s more convivial; there’s a real community and everybody is close to one another. On the other hand, it is sometimes hard to get away from studies, since I spend all my time on campus, which can be tiring. I really like the small numbers of

students in each class. It’s not only easier to create relationships with students and professors, but also to participate. I think I’m learning better because of it. I like Americans’ teaching methods, which is less focused on academic performance, but more-so on participation, motivation, and investment. I find that much more engaging!

What is your favorite Francophone film?

My favorite French film is Léon, also known as Le Professionnel in Quebec. It’s an older action movie (1994), written and directed by Luc Besson, that really moved me.

What French book would you recommend that all students of French should read?

Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry! It’s a classic, everyone knows the book, and it is wonderful to read. A little bizarre, perhaps, but I think that it is a book that you should absolutely read at least once in your life. So if students of French have to read just one book, it’s certainly that one. ◊

Alexandra Ithier French Exchange Students Student Spotlight


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What do you do at Bucknell concerning studies and work? At Bucknell, I’m a Teaching Assistant, so I assist professors and students in the French & Francophone Studies Program by helping them when they need it, collaborating on projects, etc. I also bring a little bit of French culture on campus and I represent the culture of Tours at Bucknell. I try to be a good ambassador for the Bucknell en France exchange program, which allows students to come annually to Tours. In addition, I’m currently working on my Master’s thesis titled “French Cinema in French Foreign Language Classes.” At Bucknell, I try to combine my professional experience with my research interests.

Why did you decide to come to the United States instead of staying in Tours?

The partnership between Bucknell and the Université François-Rabelais in Tours is a very good one, as it offers a great opportunity to progress in multiple areas, such as in English language learning and in the pedagogy of second language acquisition. I decided to come to the United States because studying abroad is an asset on a resume in addition to providing a lot of valuable experience.

What’s your favorite part of being a TA?

What I like most about being a TA is the sense of being useful. When students have a question, the ability to help them and watch them progress towards understanding is really fulfilling. I also really enjoy being in charge of the conversation courses, in which I can talk about culture, arts, cinema, or music with my students. It’s always really interesting!

What do you like to do for fun?

In my free time, I like to learn about culture, watching films or TV series, visiting museums, attending concerts, etc. In Tours, I go to the movie theatre, museums... Here in Lewisburg, it’s more complicated because the town is small, but I go out often with my friends and we try to discover as much American culture as we can.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself.

I had the opportunity to travel to over ten countries (mostly in Europe)! The United States is the first country outside of Europe that I have visited. I am now very enthusiastic about discovering the world further outside of European borders. ◊

Meet our TA : Kevyn Dupuy Kevyn Dupuy is a teaching assistant in the French and Francophone Studies program from the Université François-Rabelais in Tours, France. He is currently studying for a Master’s degree in the teaching of French as a foreign language.


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French Club Events This semester, the French Club organized two major events! On Thursday February 22, Club members met at the 7th Street Studio (Craft Center) to cook salty and sweet crêpes. A delight! Then, on April 19, everyone celebrated the end of the academic year with a Grand dîner and competed in a French and Francophone themed trivia. International Commons was packed and filled with French and laughter.

Faculty Spotlights Teaching

Research

Awards

A little bit of French in the life of…

Alumni Stories Who are they…

Where are they now…

How French studies shaped their life…

Students Spotlights Named Scholarships

and Awards

Graduating Senior Awards

Life in Tours, France

Fall Courses Love & Friendship in Early

Modern France

Subversive France: Rebellious Voices in Literature and the Arts (19th-21st centuries)

Francophone Africa: Redrawing Frontiers, Redefining issues

NOUVELLES DE BUCKNELL€¦ · ü La Princesse de Montpensier by Madame de Lafayette

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Transcript of NOUVELLES DE BUCKNELL€¦ · ü La Princesse de Montpensier by Madame de Lafayette