UNCA to Host French Week November 4-8

UNC Asheville will host French Week November 4-8. Events are free and open to the public.

Eliane Brouard, a member of the National Ministry of Education in Paris, will discuss "Education in France" at 4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, in UNCA’s Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall. The talk will be given in English.

UNCA senior French major Jessie Shuman and Gerard Wybo of the St. Merri Church in Paris will present a talk on "La vie des SDF en France" ("The Life of the Homeless in France") at 12:15 p..m Tuesday, Nov. 5, in UNCA’s Carmichael Hall room 232. The talk will be given in French. Shuman recently completed research on the subject while studying in Dijon and Angers.

Cathy Pons, UNCA Foreign Languages Department chair, and Sam Kaplan, UNCA assistant professor of mathematics, will discuss "French in Our Backyard: The Waldensians of Valdese, NC" at 10 a.m. Friday, Nov. 8, in UNCA’s Laurel Forum, Karpen Hall. The talk will be presented in English. The Waldensians are a Protestant group of medieval origin. After excommunication by the Catholic Church, the group survived in the Alps of France and Italy. In 1893, a group of Waldensians moved to Burke County. Their settlement eventually became the town of Valdese.

A number of activities will be geared toward students, including a French declamation contest, a trip to the performance of "Dangerous Liaisons" by the Highland Repertory Theatre and the weekly lunch for French speakers in the UNCA Dining Hall.

For more information, call Cathy Pons, UNCA Foreign Languages Department chair, at 828/232-2440.

Media Contacts:

• Dr. Cathy Pons, UNCA Foreign Languages Dept. Chair, 828/232-2440
• Jill Yarnall, UNCA Public Information Assistant Director, 828/251-6526