William & Mary student Zarine Kharazian ’17 shares news about her research on “the right to be forgotten” and differing views between the U.S. and France when it comes to preserving (or deleting) one’s digital past. Zarine is a double-major in French and Francophone Studies and Government. Read the whole story!
Every year the French & Francophone Studies program organizes a lively conference to showcase student research. The Fête de la Recherche is both a moment of intellectual exchange, and a sociable event with music, fun stories, and good food. The students deliver presentations entirely in French, and answer questions about the process of doing research abroad and in a foreign language. They often present drafts of an ongoing honors thesis, as well as papers written in connection with recent internships in Paris or Bruxelles. Others share the independent research they did while studying abroad in Montpellier. For the first time, the 2012 Fête de la Recherche will also feature a conversation with recent alumnae who will talk about the value of the French & Francophone Studies major even after graduation. The third annual “Fête de la recherche” in French and Francophone Studies will take place on Saturday, November 10th. Come meet Students who will share information about their past or ongoing research projects in French and Francophone Studies, and learn about the challenges and rewards which come with such projects.
This year:
alumnae Eve Grice (McCormack-Reboussin 2009), and Laura Wagstaff (McCormack-Reboussin 2007-09) will come to discuss how the skills they acquired as French and Francophone majors/minors help them in their professional lives.
McCormack-Reboussin 2012-13’ scholar Daniel Hodges will talk about his ongoing honor’s thesis which examines French involvement in Congo from the 1880s to today.
Catherine Lipper, who studied with IFE in the Spring will talk about “Bruxelles: une ville au centre des relations internationales”
Kayla Grant, will present her research on French nineteenth century literature: “L’être dans la lettre: l’épistolaire et le roman psychologique à la fin du 19eme siècle”
Elisabeth Bloxam, will share her personal research about her French grandmother :”La Deuxième Guerre Mondiale: l’histoire de ma grand-mère”
Emma Dammon, who did the Summer Montpellier program will present her work on string instrument craftsmanship in the city: “Les Luthiers à Montpellier”
and Elizabeth Gohn will also present the research project she conducted in Montpellier this past summer: “Arènes de Nîmes: contemporanéité d’un monument antique.”
Come have breakfast with, listen to music and have some interesting discussions with our students.
When? : Saturday November 10th. 9am-12pm.
Where? : Room 101, Andrews Hall 605 Jamestown Rd Williamsburg, VA 23185
USE THIS TIME TO TALK TO THE FACULTY ABOUT YOUR IDEAS!
THE FINAL PROJECT CAN DISCUSS ANY TOPIC PERTINENT TO FRENCH & FRANCOPHONE STUDIES, AND CAN BE WRITTEN IN EITHER ENGLISH OR FRENCH.
The McCormack-Reboussin scholarship is awarded on an annual basis to a rising senior (= current junior) French and Francophone major at the College. It is worth a total of $12,000: up to $4,000 to support research to be conducted in a French-speaking country or region during the summer between the junior and senior years, with the remainder ($8,000 or more) to be applied toward tuition and fees for the senior year.
The research must treat an intellectually relevant topic related to the French language, to French/Francophone literature, or to the culture of a French-speaking country or region.
The scholarship recipient is subject to review by the French & Francophone Studies faculty of the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures and must remain in very good academic standing during the junior year in order to remain eligible for the summer research grant and the tuition grant for the senior year. If awarded the scholarship, detailed plans for the use of the summer research grant (i.e., a detailed written proposal outlining the definitive topic, the type of research to be conducted, the projected itinerary, and the projected budget) must be prepared under the supervision of a faculty research adviser in French and submitted for the approval of the French faculty prior to the end of the spring semester of the recipient’s junior year. The on-site research funded by the Mc-Cormack Reboussin Scholarship shall be conducted during the summer between the junior and senior years only and shall serve as the foundation for further study of the topic during the recipient’s senior year. The tangible final result of the research has normally been an Honors Thesis, with accompanying defense.
For practical information about how to apply, please go to our webpage
This year the DEADLINE for the submission of all application materials is Monday, November 26, 2012 at 5:00 P.M.
Complete applications are to be submitted to Sharon Palma in the main office of the Department of Modern Languages & Literatures, located in 210 Washington Hall.
Finalists will be invited to an oral interview during the first weeks of December.
Please do not hesitate to contact any faculty member in French & Francophone Studies for further information about this wonderful opportunity. You really should consider applying!
Bridget Carr, one of our graduating seniors in French and Francophone Studies, was kind enough to sit down and talk with us right after she defended her Senior Honors Thesis on French relations in Senegal. Prof. Nicolas Medevielle and I talked to Bridget about her study abroad research, how she used that research to develop her honors project, and what her plans are after graduation.
Students of French & Francophone studies have done original research for years. In order to recognize students who embarked in such projects and inspire other students to do the same, the French & Francophone studies section decided to create an annual Student research conference in 2010. In this video interview, Stephanie Kumah, a senior (French & Francophone/Government) who presented her ongoing Honor’s Thesis at the Fete speaks to Prof. Magali Compan about her project.
Our second annual French & Francophone Studies research conference took place on Saturday, Nov. 12, and featured five twenty-minute formal presentations and five poster sessions, all in French, by students who are doing, or who have just completed, original research on French and Francophone topics.
Some of the projects were honors theses in progress; others were research papers related to student internships in Paris; and the poster sessions were the result of our 2011 study abroad program in Montpellier, France. Our students enrolled in advanced French & Francophone classes were all in attendance, and the seniors did a great job introducing the speakers before each presentation.
The event also featured lots of good food and Francophone music, so that the atmosphere was festive and social. Our objective, after all, was for students to get to know each other, to share their experiences, and to learn from each other. The Fête was meant to be inspirational, and we certainly were impressed by the students’ projects and archival research, as well as by their exceptional confidence in speaking in a foreign language before such a large audience.
The event was kindly sponsored by the Charles Center and the Reves Center for International Studies.
Our first annual French & Francophone Studies research conference took place on Saturday, Nov. 13, between 9am and 1pm, and it featured six twenty-minute formal presentations by students in our program. These talks featured: three ongoing honors theses projects; research done as part of a student internship in Paris; an original video produced in one of our classes; research conducted in a museum in Montpellier. More specifically:
* Philippe Halbert (’11) spoke of his research in the French national archives, and explained his thesis about the changing functions and popularity of monsters in the early modern imaginary
* Michael Smith (’11) presented his honors thesis on literary representations of Haussmanization and the anxieties it provoked
* Eve Grice (’11) described her honors thesis research on the tensions between colonialism and post-colonialism in the recently opened CNHI (Museum of Immigration) in Paris
* Bridget Carr (’12) critiqued development aid strategies in France’s former colonies
* Ashley Hoover (’11) and Sami Tabbara (’13) spoke of the intertextual references they built into their original video production
* Danny Yates (’13) discussed Said’s understanding of Orientalism in reference to paintings and writings by Delacroix
Six other students majoring in French & Francophone Studies introduced the speakers and prepared questions for our two general discussion periods.
This year’s program was sponsored by the Charles Center and by the Reves Center for International Studies.