Off-campus course explores southern France

February 14, 2018

A group of Cornell College students ventured to France to study history, tradition, and identity in a course called Francophone Cultural Immersion.

Class photo in France
(Front row, left to right:) Professor Rebecca Wines, Dorothy Carmichael ’18, Jessica Budlong ’21 , Maimouna Dia ’18
(Back row, left to right:) Sara Renaud ’18, Max Ishmael ’20, Robert Petrie ’21, Madeline Blackburn ’18

Seven students and Professor of French Rebecca Wines stayed in the southern France region of Provence for the 18 days of Block 5.

The course was an opportunity to immerse themselves in the French and Provençal cultures of Aix-en-Provence, a vibrant university city founded by ancient Romans. During the three and a half weeks, they worked to achieve greater language fluency by living with local families and interacting daily with native speakers.

We tasted 11 kinds of cheese, made from cow milk, goat milk, and sheep milk. Students learned how to properly cut and plate cheese as well as about different cheese making techniques and the regions they come from.
Students learned how to properly cut and plate cheese as well as about different cheese making techniques.

“Through this immersive experience, they also deepen their understanding of their own cultural viewpoints by reflecting on how they have been influenced by the cultures, histories, and traditions in which they were raised,” Wines said. “I hope that students walk away from this course with the desire to learn more about French and Francophone cultures around the globe.”

The class included a cheese tasting, market visit, cooking class, art workshop, and a visit to a World War II transit camp. The group also went on excursions to the cities of Marseille and Avignon, among others. Such experiential learning opportunities gave students a hands-on chance to explore how southern France deals with the struggles between the urge to preserve the past and the reality that comes along with change over time. 

“My favorite part of the trip overall was the site excursions because they allowed me to experience the different stages of France’s history,” said Sara Renaud ’18.  “I really enjoyed the Roman and Greek ruins, the Pope’s Palace and walled city from the medieval period, the scattered monuments and markers of the French Revolution, and Camp des Milles and the lasting impact World War II has on the current culture of the people of France. This trip really opened my eyes to how much history can still be ingrained as part of everyday life.”

The French Department takes students abroad every other year.  Professor of French Devan Baty traveled with students to the Caribbean island of Martinique during the 2015-16 school year.

  • French class in Marseille

    The group in front of a mural in Marseille. The artwork was in the Panier neighborhood of the city, which is the oldest neighborhood in Marseille.

  • This is the view looking across the Old Port of Marseille towards the Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica.

    This is the view looking across the Old Port of Marseille towards the Notre Dame de la Garde Basilica. The group spent an afternoon in Marseille, enjoying couscous for lunch, visiting the famous Panier neighborhood, and surveying the ruins of the original port, built around 600 B.C. by the Greeks.

  • Walking around the late 13th century ramparts of Aigues-Morte, a city built by King Louis IX as a port of departure for his crusades.

    Walking around the late 13th century ramparts of Aigues-Morte, a city built by King Louis IX as a port of departure for his crusades.

  • Sitting in the Roman arena, which is still in use for concerts, bullfights, and other events–in Arles. (Max Ishmael '20)

  • Tasting two varieties of Galette des Rois (Kings' Cake), one from the south of France and one from the North. The person whose piece contains the "fève" (a bean) is crowned king or queen. Similarly, the person whose piece hides a miniature figure (either a character from the Christian nativity scene or, more whimsically, some other character from life or movies) becomes royalty for a day.

  • Maimouna Dia '18 found a figurine of a sheep in her piece of the galette des rois and so got to be queen for a day.

  • This photo was taken during the visit to the Pey Blanc vineyard and winery just outside of Aix. The class walked through the vines and olive trees, learned how the wine is made, and tasted red, white, and rosé varieties. (Sara Renaud '18)

  • Students are testing to see whether the water in this fountain–one of over one hundred in Aix en Provence–really is warm, as its name proclaims. Aix is built on a cluster of natural springs, although not all are warm, and acquired both its name (dubbed Aquae Sextae by the Romans) and its reputation as a spa town as a result.

  • A picturesque storefront in the Panier district of Marseille

    A picturesque storefront in the Panier district of Marseille.

  • View of one of the interior courtyards at the Palace of the Popes in Avignon.

    A view of one of the interior courtyards at the Palace of the Popes in Avignon.

Tags: