Students in a Western Humanities study abroad class view an exhibit recently at the Historial de le Grande Guerre (WW I museum) in Péronne, France.
Two SUNY Geneseo students were interviewed recently on the France 3 public television channel during their study abroad class’s visit to the Historial de la Grande Guerre (World War I museum) in Péronne, north of Paris.
The Western Humanities II summer class, led by Professor of Languages and Literatures Beverly Evans, stopped at the museum en route to Ypres, Belgium, when the French TV crew interviewed seniors Cassidy Christensen from Baldwinsville, N.Y., and Jordan LaFever from Newfane, N.Y., about their experience at the museum.
“The students were thrilled and felt very honored to be featured,” said Evans. “The museum is always happy to see our group return every summer.”
Evans said the group's French national guide-interprète, Pierre-Jean Cornuat, has accompanied Geneseo's classes to Belgium and Normandy the past 11 years and always does an excellent job.
The class’s visit is particularly meaningful this year because of the ongoing WW I centennial celebrations in France and surrounding countries. The students will spend two days in Ypres to study WW I and three days in Normandy to explore Caen, The D-Day beaches and several other WW II sites. They also will visit the medieval city of Bruges, Belgium. In Paris, the course focuses on the French contributions to western civilization, complemented by trips to selected sites of particular interest such as Historial.
The course typically runs in July and August and the students study western literature, history, culture and institutions primarily through great works of Western European thought from 1600 to the present.
The student interviews, broadcast in French, is available at this link. http://france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr/hauts-de-france/emissions/le-journal-de-l-ete. Selet Le journal de l’été Diffusion de 17/07/2017.