French Alumni Newsletter Summer 2022

FRENCH ALUMNI NEWSLETTER

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RECENT PhDs

SUMMER 2022

IN THIS NEWSLETTER:

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Recent PhDs

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Graduate Updates

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G rad Lunch and Outstanding Major

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Calvin World Languages Forum Lecture

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Grads Abroad

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Alumni Updates

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Faculty and Staff Updates

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French Film Festival

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2022 Editor Otto Selles

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Emily O’Brock (’11)

I defended my dissertation and graduated with a PhD in French literature and medieval and renaissance studies from New York University this past May. My interest in medieval French literature began with reading La Chanson de Roland and Marie de France’s Lais in my survey of French literature course at Calvin and has continued with the study of less canonical medieval texts. My research brings together literature, theology, art history, and cultural studies to trace the significance and symbolism of the honeybee in medieval France. More precisely, I examine the manifestations of two medieval understandings of bees and the relationship between the two. The first understanding of bees is sourced in Virgil’s fourth Georgic and holds the bee up as a quasi-divine creature that is superior to humans.

The second ranks the bee below the 1

human with other animals and it originates from the works of Aristotle.

Beginning in the Scholastic period, these two understandings co-exist side by side, but it is the Virgilian position that almost always wins out. I spent a year traveling all over France hunting down these bee texts in archives and rare collections libraries. This work with real medieval manuscripts was my favorite part of graduate school and I plan to do as much of it as possible in my future research projects. Next year I have a postdoc to teach in the French department at New York University and I will be on the job market this fall.

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Jared Warren (’11)

A few years after graduating from Calvin, I started a PhD program in history at New York University where I specialized in modern Polish and East European history. Since completing the coursework portion of the degree, I’ve spent most of my time in Europe. I made the choice to weather the Covid-19 pandemic in Poland, teaching at the University of

GRADUATE UPDATES

Warsaw on the side. I defended my dissertation—on Zoom!—last year before accepting a one-year postdoc position at the European University Institute in Florence. Thanks in no small part to my French studies, I was able to pick up enough Italian to survive daily life and to do research in Rome at the Vatican archives. Since then, I’ve been lucky to receive an offer for a junior teaching position at the Department of East European History at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. I’m currently in the middle of my first semester of teaching (the German summer semester runs until the end of July), and it’s been a joy to have a full course load of subjects I’m passionate about.

I haven’t had as many opportunities to speak as much French as I’d like the past few years, but French was and remains an invaluable part of my research and teaching prep. Now that I live in Bavaria and am transitioning to a professional life in German, David Smith’s and Corey Roberts’ language courses have proved even more valuable than I ever imagined!

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Alice Crowe

While I was at Calvin University, I majored in Political Science, minored in French, and was on the Pre-Law track. I recently started a job as a paralegal at a law firm in Raleigh, North Carolina, and I am also preparing to take the LSAT this summer. I plan to apply to law schools this fall for the following academic year.

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Darby Frederiksen

I graduated this spring with a B.A in Linguistics and a minor in Global Development Studies. My favorite activities at Calvin University included leading a Language and Linguistics Club and participating in Dance Guild. Over the summer, I am teaching swimming lessons and practicing French before spending the fall semester in Grenoble on Calvin’s study abroad program. I will study at the CUEF at Université Grenoble Alpes to complete my B.A. in French and am looking forward to exploring the city, improving my language skills, and savoring local cuisine.

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Hanvit Park

I am enjoying the summer in Korea with my family which I have not seen in a long time! Temporarily, I am teaching English to Elementary kids in an after-school academy. This fall, I will be entering the Nursing program at Calvin and continue my studies.

Later, I hope to work abroad through a non-profit organization using my Public Health and French majors which I have already completed at Calvin.

produce at local farmer’s markets as well as engaging the community through nutrition education programs.

Then, in the fall, I will be going back to France to participate in TAPIF where I will be teaching English at the primary level in the Académie de Toulouse. I am very thankful for all the experiences that God provided to me while at Calvin, but I’m so excited to see what He has planned in this next chapter of my life!

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Christina Romano

Though my class’s college experience was far from typical, I’m grateful for all that I was still able to do during my time at Calvin, especially in the French department. By God’s grace, I studied abroad in Grenoble my sophomore year, I led upper-level conversation groups for two years, and I had a “normal” graduation ceremony where I graduated with majors in French and public health and a minor in biology. This summer, I will be focusing on my passion for public health by working for Eastern Market in Detroit. I will be selling

Grace Steenwyk

This summer I’m working at a coffee shop in Grand Rapids while simultaneously taking a summer French course. I’ll be participating in Calvin’s study abroad program in Grenoble, France this coming fall and will officially receive my undergraduate degree in French and Social Work in December. My post graduate plans are currently undecided, though I’m interested in working with refugee resettlement and immigration supports and services.

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GRAD LUNCH AND OUTSTANDING MAJORS FALL 2019

The day before commencement, French grads joined Professor Jolene Vos-Camy and Professor Otto Selles for a Haitian lunch at Chez Olga in Eastown. During the lunch, the Outstanding Majors were announced: Christina Romano and Hanvit Romano. They received the award in recognition for their commitment to learning French and for their contributions to the French program during their studies.

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FALL 2019

CALVIN WORLD LANGUAGES FORUM LECTURE Professor Jolene Vos-Camy gave a lecture as part of the Calvin World Languages Forum lecture series on March 31, 2022. Her talk, titled, “A Mass Baptism of 50 West Africans in Southern France in 1681: What Does It Mean?” described an event in Marseille that was reported in the Parisian newspapers. Though galley slavery is never specifically mentioned in the 1681 article, this was in fact the cause for celebration at the Mediterranean port because Louis XIV always needed more rowers for his galleys, and as a Christian king, the goal was always to convert the muslim slaves. This lecture was based on Jolene’s recently published article: “« Il s’est fait un grand baptême à Marseille » : le sort de cinquante Africains rapporté par le Mercure galant” (published in Papers on French Seventeenth Century Literature, Vol. XLVIII, no. 95 (2021)).

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GRADS ABROAD

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The Teaching Assistant Program in France and Grad Studies in Brussels

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Annaka Ediger (’21)

The past seven months I spent teaching English in France through the TAPIF program was a wonderful experience, in large part due to the people I met there. Joining the TAPIF program was a last-minute decision: at the end of August, 2021 I was convinced to go by a fellow alumna who was also doing the program and flew to France the last week of September.

During my stay I worked with kids aged three to seven in two schools, an “école maternelle” and an “école primaire”, both of which had launched bilingual programs in English and French the previous year. I received a warm welcome from both students and teachers. Every day when I arrived at my schools, I was mobbed by kids coming to give me hugs and tell me about their days. When I started, the students understood some basic English but were not able to respond

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in English. It was amazing to see their growth throughout my stay. By the end of the school year most of them were able to respond in full sentences and understand multi-step directions, all given in English! The teachers I met there became good friends and resources, even the ones I didn’t work with on a regular basis. One of my favorite experiences during my stay was when a fellow teacher brought me and some friends to an underground concert venue. We spent the night listening to a jazz concert and met so many interesting and creative people!

Traveling was another wonderful part of my time in France. I was able to visit another Calvin French alumna in Brussels where she is studying for her master’s, and we had a great time exploring and showing each other our hometowns in Europe. Overall, the TAPIF program was an amazing experience where I was able to grow in my knowledge of French language and culture and make lifelong friendships.

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Susannah Epp (’21)

Going into my TAPIF year, I had absolutely no idea what my year was going to look like. All I knew is that it would be a completely different experience from my semester abroad.

My work placement was in a town of 1,000 people, in an elementary school with around 180 kids from ages three to eleven, whose English skills didn’t extend much past “-ow h-are you?” and “-ow h-old are you?”

Whatever they lacked in English, they made up in fascination with the strange American with green streaks in her hair who came all the way across the ocean to teach them.

The teachers often marveled how the students retained more English from an hour of my teaching than they did from weeks of theirs. That did not stop them, however, from being frustratingly rowdy if left alone for too long with said American who they thought did not speak any French.

The program doesn’t allow assistants to speak French with the kids to force them to speak English. It didn’t quite work that way. But it was really funny to have them ask me questions in French, which I clearly understood and responded to, and then see how shocked they were at the end of the year when I revealed that I actually spoke French the whole time!

The teachers themselves were also thrilled to have me around. I was invited to real French dinners that lasted close to six hours long, hiking trips, and family outings during the many two-week vacations. I was totally right in thinking that my TAPIF experience would be different from my semester abroad.

Instead of the busy city life, I got to experience the quiet charms of the French countryside and the generous hospitality of the people who live there.

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Rylan Shewmaker (‘21)

I moved to Brussels last September, 2021 for a master’s program in Urban Studies. Though my courses are taught in English, my day-to-day life takes place largely in French: I have a French housemate, attend events in French, and work at a café where I serve clients in French.

Brussels is a very friendly (and chaotic!) place to live. The city is officially bilingual (French and Dutch), but you can hear many more languages as you walk through its streets; Brussels’s residents come from all over. Sometimes, especially when I first moved here, that meant I had to explicitly ask people to speak French with me, as people are so used to using English as a “bridge” language when they hear a different accent from their own.

Attending graduate school abroad has allowed me to study urbanism in a more sustainable city, as well as save a bit of money on tuition fees, make friends from around the world, and be immersed in my second language.

I’ve been really grateful to move in the context of a program, so it hasn’t been too difficult to meet new people and build a life here. My program lasts two years, and I’ll qualify for a “search year” after graduation in which I can look for a sponsor for a work visa to stay in Europe, which means I’ll be in Brussels for at least two more years.

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Parc de Forêt in Brussels; Rylan in the center of the group.

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After that, I’m not sure what the future holds. I hope that I’ll be able to get a work visa and stay in Europe for at least a few years longer, and then maybe move back to the US equipped with these new experiences. Or maybe I’ll start learning Dutch and fully commit to Belgium! **PS: If you’re reading this and are curious about graduate school abroad, please feel welcome to reach out to me!**

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ALUMNI UPDATES After I received updates mostly from alums of the last 20 years, I made an appeal to alums from earlier decades to contribute. While one “legacy” alum wondered if recent alum would be interested in their stories, I trust that you all will.

I have found it both moving and encouraging to see where your Calvin French degree has taken you, whether your use French in your work or keep up the language as best you can through Duolingo or Netflix shows!

—Otto Selles, editor

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Carol (Rottschafer) Kramer (’60) 1

I did make some money my second year at Calvin teaching French to some third and fourth graders after school in Oakdale Public School, and a little French History along with it.

That I used as “funds for fun” while I was still in Calvin.

I taught elementary school fourth grade in Jenison, MI., then I taught in the Grand Rapids Public Schools.

I kept returning to grad school as I got a “free ride” from the U of M for summer school and night school to get my Master’s in Education. I continued going to school nights and weekend and got another Master’s the next time in Social Work and picked up a license in School Social Work from Grand Valley State. I was a School Social Worker (SSW) for about 16 years for the GRPS. During that time, I continued going to school and got a doctorate in Marriage and the Family.

For several years I continued as a SSW during the day and started up as a therapist after school and Saturdays.

At that time, there was only one other

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female therapist in Grand Rapids in private practice.

I finished my years at the GRPS for my retirement benefits and then left the schools to work full time as a Professional Therapist in my own office. After many years, I retired from my private practice, and I joined a group that early on did telephonic counseling and worked with them for 12 years counseling about 30 hours per week I decided to retire again when I got to my 80s, but I have just re-credentialed this year again to keep my licenses updated. I don’t know if I will decide to go back to work once more. I love my work.

It is quite amazing how many job offers I receive each week to continue to work remotely from all over the country, despite my age...

Meanwhile, I frequently thank God for all He did for me with a great education from Calvin and the kinds of opportunities He put in my pathway to continue to grow into the person I am today. All praise goes to God. Will I work again doing counseling? I will see once what God has in store for me.

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Wybe Bylsma (’61)

After graduating in 1961, I taught high school French in Canada. Upon Ieaving teaching, my wife and I cared for many years for foster children.

Later, I enrolled in a counselling program and began a friendship evangelism ministry among university students that took me to 44 countries, particularly to China (20 summers) and Nepal (8 summers). A key element in this ministry involves counselling for emotional wounds and relationship hurts. This ministry has flowered into a multifaceted restoration approach that includes economic healing as well. During the last seven years, my ministry has expanded to East African countries, where my wife and I provide small business loans in the context of a Christ-centered life vision to very poor university graduates. Feel free to contact me at wybe@eagle.ca.

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Evert Vroon (’65)

Greetings from Fairmont Hot Springs on the west side of the Rocky Mountains in British Columbia, Canada. We spent a week here with our oldest son Dave and his wife

SUMMER 2022

Jennifer. We are of the class of ‘65 and I have fond memories of living in La Maison Francaise with notables like the late Calvin professor Rod Mulder who played guitar for our Saturday night “hootenannies”. They were multilingual.

I taught French and English for 13 years before becoming principal for 17 years where I would only observe the French teacher and maybe make a suggestion. I also speak Dutch and some Frisian. All these have been useful in my communication with others whether in business or church when dealing with immigrants from the Congo or so when I taught English as a second language.

I’m grateful to God, Calvin and others for the many opportunities I’ve had to use these languages, experience other cultures and show how these can be used to bless others even as I have been blessed.

Que le Bon Dieu vous bénisse!

Evert (and Linda) Vroon Edmonton, Alberta.

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David Ippel (’67)

I graduated from Calvin in 1967. I was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, raised in Grand Rapids where my father taught History at Calvin until he retired.

My first taste of the French language when I was 10 years old, and we were living in Ann Arbor, where my father was finishing his dissertation to achieve a PhD. Our neighbors were from Lebanon, and I spent a lot of time with them. Their mother introduced me to Lebanese desserts and to French. The next year, back in GR, I took a summer conversation class at a local Catholic school.

My professor/advisor at Calvin was Arthur Otten, and I enjoyed him immensely. Learning the language, reading French: he helped me create a personal “year abroad” for my junior year where I took a ship from NYC to Le Havre and studied in Paris, taking classes at the Sorbonne, Alliance Française, and the Institut de Français des Professors à l’étranger-

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David is wearing an outfit he received from a French-speaking refugee mother from the Congo who has recently settled in the Detroit area.

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basically allowing me to focus on language, grammar as well as general courses on French art, history, politics, etc. I lived in a ‘foyer protestant” with students from Columbia, France, and Madagascar. This was a time when YANKEES GO HOME was written on many walls! I loved Paris, the people I met from the University, the communities, and visiting sites that Victor Hugo wrote about, the skies that Camus wrote about, and on and on!

When I graduated in 1967, I joined the Peace Corps and spent a little over 2 years in Burkina Faso (at the time Upper Volta) in West Africa, a former colony of France. My French was very helpful and gave me a head start on learning the local language.

I worked with an agricultural agent in a number of villages - where we worked in getting additional wells, a cooperative for selling their produce, and various agricultural initiatives that the government had established as their priorities.

Returning to the States, I started a hiatus from French (working in social services and in healthcare) until now!

I retired 8 years ago and have been volunteering with Samaritas - a social services agency in Michigan which has a strong program in resettlement of refugees. So, every week, I get to oil my French a bit more in having discussions with refugees from the Middle East and from Africa who speak French as their second language after Arabic or Swahili. That is quite a treat.

My son is currently studying Theology in Paris Centre Sèvres. He is studying to be a Jesuit priest and has about 3 years to go. His studies have taken him to Jordan, Iraq, Peru, as well as Paris and Chicago! He has a much better grasp of language than I do and is speaking French comfortably after 10 months.

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Leanne Wierenga (’67)

I graduated in ‘67 and went on for my PhD to a career teaching French Lit and Culture, first at the University of South Dakota (1974-1980) and then at Wittenberg University (1980–2011). I am happily retired and travelling as often as I can.

Carrie (Van Veen) Blauwkamp (’70) 6

I graduated in 1970 with majors in French and Secondary Education.

There were no French teaching jobs available in this area, so I took an editorial job at Zondervan, where I spent my whole career. The emphasis on grammar and composition and literature in my French classes were a real benefit for a publishing career.

I fell in love with Paris on the first French interim abroad in 1968 and have been back many times, most recently with my daughter. What a joy to re-experience this beautiful city through her eyes!

Deborah (Wyngarden) VanderWoude (’73) 8

I spent forty years teaching at Chicago Christian High School in Palos Heights, IL, thirty-five of those years teaching French. I was an active participant in the Chicago/Northern Illinois chapter of AATF, one of the very active chapters in this part of the country. It was a very enjoyable career. I grew up in Holland, MI and graduated from Calvin in 1973.

I earned a Master’s degree in French language and civilization from New York University. After retiring in 2018, my husband and I moved to Zeeland, MI and took in my dad who is currently 99 years old (also a Calvin alum). I have a part time job at Meijer and enjoy reading and walking.

Jennifer (Kamp) Tretheway (’72) 7

Every day I am so thankful for my French studies at Calvin, where I graduated in 1972. After 41 years in financial services, followed by 3 years at the US Department of Labor, I finally retired. My husband and I split our time between our homes in Chicago, Tucson, and Lake Tahoe. There is a very active Alliance Française in Chicago, which has many classes and programs (both in person and virtual). I enjoy keeping my French language “alive” by using some online classes, as well as watching some French TV series. Our church in Chicago (Fourth Presbyterian) has a Center for Life and Learning for adults over 50, and there is a native French woman who leads an advanced conversation class, which is excellent.

I am now introducing my oldest grandchild (age 9) to language study, and she’s a natural, as her best friend has just moved back to the US from Amsterdam and has encouraged her to learn Dutch. My husband and I are active outdoors and with our family and church, and several charities.

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Carrie in Paris with her daughter Julie Woody.

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Jean Groenenberg (’75)

Granby, Québec, le 1er juillet, 2022 Bonjour à vous qui êtes ou étiez à Calvin College, Cela fait presque 50 ans depuis que j’ai commencé mes études à Calvin College. J’y ai passé beaucoup de temps au département de français; il m’en reste de beaux souvenirs.

Je peux vous parler de ma vie en français au Québec aujourd’hui. Je viens1 de donner ma démission à l’école où j’enseignais l’anglais aux adultes.

Je fais l’école du dimanche une fois par mois à l’Église Fusion. Puisque je n’ai pas de petits enfants, j’ai adopté une famille congolaise de quatre enfants.

Non, non, ils ne restent pas chez moi, mais je les inscris et je les amène aux activités sportives et culturelles. Mon mari tient une quincaillerie ; il m’a fallu dix ans pour apprendre à dire les prix en « quatre-vingt-dix-neuf » ou en « quatre-vingt-quinze ».

C’est aujourd’hui la fête du Canada.

On a fêté la St-Jean-Baptiste, la fête nationale du Québec la semaine passée. Aujourd’hui les gens sont en congé et ils restent calmes.

Bonne salutations à Calvin University.

Jean Groenenberg 10

Teresa Aukema Heath (’75)

My husband Dan and I have worked with Wycliffe Bible Translators for 45 years, retiring in August. We worked in French-speaking countries in Africa.

We first served in Cameroon with the Makaa people to put their language into writing, help people to learn to read and write it, and translate the New Testament into Makaa, mostly with translator Pastor Bekolo. I also worked in language project management, using both English and French because Cameroon has both as official languages. The last six years, we served in Côte d’Ivoire, where I worked in language project management, this time almost exclusively in French.

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Rick Stravers (’76)

I served 20 years as Executive Director of Open Doors Kalamazoo, enjoying partnership with people who needed homes. I retired in 2018.

I married Laurel Andrews in 2019.

I’m a priest in the Episcopal Church and enjoy helping with liturgies at Episcopal churches around Kalamazoo. I am also a long-distance member of a Zen temple community in Chicago, grateful for the practice of Zen meditation. Spending a year experiencing life in Paris (1974-1975) was surely the best of my many wonderful educational experiences. I am deeply grateful for that experience and for the writers I came to love at that time, especially Gérard de Nerval and Guillevic. Victor Hugo’s poem “Demain, dès l’aube” is still a frequent and much-appreciated companion in my life. I love the memories from 214 blvd Raspail (Central College’s office) and 61 rue Madame (my student residence). What an exquisite privilege it was to be there.

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Geraldine (Selles) Ysselstein (’79) 12

Language and Art make connections at my art gallery in Victoria, Prince Edward Island. This was true again only a few days ago when Adoun Hadjer and her mother and aunt visited my shop. They were looking at a display of Mi’kmaq beadwork and exclaimed (in French) that the desert groups in Algeria practiced the same kind of colorful and intricate craft.

Adoun told me that she was surprised that she was the only Algerian when she moved to the island but now several families have joined her, and they have a sense of community together. Her visiting mother and aunt described their education in French in the 1950s and how now in postcolonial times their daily conversation is a mixture of Arabic and French (strong coffee and baguettes are still a staple as well as the round traditional Arabic bread). Sharing my landscape with travelers and conversing with them is practicing hospitality. Here is a link to my gallery’s website: www. birchtreegallery.ca

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I am grateful to my professors at Calvin (Edgar Boevé, Chris Overvoorde, Helen Bonzelaar and Claude-Marie Baldwin and Prof.

Otten) for preparing me for this journey.

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service. While at Calvin, I lived in the French house and made great friends there. I’m still in contact with them thanks to Facebook. I remember French suppers in the dining room, French Chapel, and enjoying some bûche de Noël. I’m retired now and am looking forward to my next chapter. I enjoy traveling and learning languages.

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Jon and Julie are happily married and living in Tokyo, Japan. Jon is the Chief Marketing Officer for Amway Corporation in Japan and Julie (’85 Accounting) is an Accounting Professor at Calvin who teaches during the Fall semester. Both Jon and Julie are involved in Tokyo Union Church, a Protestant church that is celebrating 150 years of English language worship in Tokyo. This is our second time living as expats in Japan, having moved back recently (during Covid!) after an earlier assignment from 20132016. We both greatly appreciate the effort we put into learning French—it gives us confidence as we now work to improve our Japanese.

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Amy Plantinga Pauw (’81)

I am the Henry Mobley Professor of theology at Louisville Presbyterian Seminary, where I have taught for thirty years. My most recent book is Church in Ordinary Time: A Wisdom Ecclesiology (Eerdmans).

My French still regularly comes in handy, whether I’m reading theology or talking to friends from Congo. My research on John Calvin’s French writings on marriage and celibacy informs my continuing advocacy for the full participation of LGBTQ Christians in the life of the church.

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Jon Voskuil (’87)

Misty Thakur (’87)

After graduating in 1987, I got my teaching certificate from Michigan State University. Then, I moved to the Rio Grande Valley on the border with Mexico. I taught French for four years. I have taught ESL for fourteen years and was a counselor for twelve.

I’m now retired and watch French programs on the MHz streaming

France has been a key part of our lives since Calvin. We met in Paris, while there with Calvin during Interim 1985 with Professor Claude-Marie Baldwin.

We lived in France for three years during the late 1990s with our young family. We had a great experience with our neighbors in the Paris suburb of Ville d’Avray. Currently, we both serve on the Board of the ACFU, a US-based organization that helps fund and manage the American Church in Paris. ACP was our church home when we lived in Paris. If you are ever in Paris on a Sunday, we encourage you to stop in and enjoy the wonderful ACP church family that meets on the Quai d’Orsay. Our current life has us splitting time between Tokyo (current assignment), Grand Rapids (home) and Paris (where we hope to spend more time in our recently purchased apartment). We have three unique, wonderful adult children: Jon, Thomas, and Abby. Our daughter Abby just graduated from Calvin with a Political Science degree and will be serving in Budapest, Hungary with Resonate Ministries, working with the Hungarian Reformed church serving

refugees from Ukraine and other areas.

While Covid slowed down global movement and opportunities, we want to encourage students to continue to study languages and to use their skills and talents to serve God everywhere they are called.

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Nom de bleu, c’est pas possible que ça fasse déjà une trentaine d’années!

Quand j’étais étudiant à Calvin, le français faisait tout à fait partie de mon cœur. Mais après avoir obtenu mon diplôme j’ai changé de cap, et j’ai suivi un cours de bibliotéchonomie à l’Univerisité du Michigan, où j’ai fait ma maîtrise. Depuis ce jour-là, je suis bibliothécaire professionnel, la plupart du temps à l’enseignement supérieur.

J’ai obtenu mon PhD en éducation, et aujourd’hui je suis directeur d’une bibliothèque dédiée à la recherche médicale. Je commence à penser à ma retraite et, à cause de mon BA en français, ça me rend heureux de penser à la prendre dans un pays francophone. Le français, c’est inscrit dans mon ADN depuis Calvin, donc il

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Jeff Ring (’89)

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Ann is interviewing Ange Marius Pagbanda about the Healing the Wounds of Trauma program in the Central African Republic.

m’est important de nourrir cette partie de mon âme Je voudrais exprimer mes remerciements les plus sincères à Prof. Jolene Vos-Camy. Tous les deux, on était étudiants au même temps à Calvin, et ça me rend très, très content de savoir qu’elle continue la tradition de former les étudiant(e)s de français à Calvin. C’est la meilleure héritière possible de Prof. Baldwin, la première “marraine” du département de français.

Ann Plantinga Kapteyn (’90) 17

I have been working for Wycliffe Bible Translators for 24 years now, helping Bible translators in the Central African Republic (CAR) make their translations into local African languages more accurate and clearer.

During Bible translation checking sessions, five or six languages are usually being spoken or read: French (our language of communication), Greek (the original language of the New Testament), English (for consulting commentaries), Mpyemo (the target language that they are translating into), Sango (a national language of CAR that has an excellent Bible translation), and sometimes other local languages. Of course, we don’t all speak all those languages; the only language that all of us speak is French. So French is our lifeline!

I recently completed a Doctor of Intercultural Studies degree at Fuller Seminary, and I wrote my dissertation on the impact of a certain oral storybased trauma healing program which is designed for communities with

high trauma and low literacy. The program is called Healing the Wounds of Trauma: How the Church Can Help.

I discovered through my research that the program helped local people a great deal! Once again, French was the language I used for the interviews and focus groups, even though the program has been translated into 20 local languages in CAR, because when people talk about an intimate topic like trauma, they prefer to use their first languages rather than French. I continue to be grateful for the excellent education in French language and literature that I received at Calvin.

Julie (Vander Laan) Van Eek (’93) 18

Since graduating from Calvin, I’ve been teaching French in various settings and places, including high school, middle school, homeschool groups, adult education, and now elementary school, in both Ontario and B.C. Currently, I’m teaching the AIM French program (https://www. aimlanguagelearning.com/) and developing this and supplemental curriculum for grades K-6 at Calvin Christian School, Hamilton, ON. I’ve been at this school for the past 7 years, and I have found it a joy to teach elementary students. Like most people, I’m challenged to find the beautiful and elusive balance between work, church, community, and family life, but it’s all been good! Our oldest daughter (aged 23) will be heading off to France next year to work and study, so my interest of French must 13

have rubbed off on her a little! Our youngest son will be heading to Calvin in the fall, and I’m hoping he might take some French courses! As for my own continuing studies of French: I keep trying over the years to find immersive experiences here and there, one of which was eating “les cuisses de grenouille” at the restaurant just outside of Rondeau Provincial Park, close to Chatham, ON. Highly recommended!

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Megan (Bush) Diercks (’98)

I continue to be active in the French teacher world. I have taught French at Colorado School of Mines since January 2011. I served on the American Association of Teachers of French’s (AATF) Executive Council, both as the editor of the National Bulletin (2016-2021) and as the regional representative for the Northwest region (January-June 2022). In April 2022 I was named as the new executive director (sécretaire générale) of the AATF, beginning on July 1. I’m very excited about serving

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French teachers and students in this new role and encourages all current Calvin alums who are French teachers to renew or join!

of child welfare and mental health.

Currently I serve as Chief Operating Officer of the Kent County Community Mental Health Authority, where responsibilities include ensuring that all residents can access effective mental health care regardless of the primary language that they speak.

I enjoy keeping up French language skills through print and film media, chatting with francophone friends and colleagues, and practicing on Duolingo.com. I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan with my husband and eightyear-old son.

Anastasia Niehof Tuckness (‘98) 20

I’m enjoying life in Iowa where I now work as a Cataloguer at the Ames Public Library, after a long stint there in Youth Services. With my husband, Alex, I also stay busy with our church, Cornerstone Church of Ames, with a particular focus on our college ministry, The Salt Company.

Gardening, cooking, and reading round out my favorite activities.

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Since my awakening in 2015 when I recommitted my life to Christ, I have been focused on prayer. I have since then led the state of New Hampshire in prayer for organizations like National Day of Prayer, NH Prayer Canopy, and the Billy Graham Evangelical Association. This year, I published her first book on prayer called The Heart of Prayer, The Essential Guide to Knowing God Through Prayer with Morgan James.

My hope is to see the body of Christ draw closer in a relationship with God through prayer. As I state in my book, I believe prayer is a heartto-heart conversation. The book outlines foundational elements of prayer but delves into the matters of the heart that bring freedom and transformation. My book is available

Darren D’Ippolito (’00)

I graduated in 2000 with dual majors in French and English in addition to secondary education and then had the opportunity to pursue a master’s degree in French at Bowling Green State University. The first year of the program was in Tours, France, which was an absolutely amazing experience.

During my time there, I obtained the “diplôme approfondi de langue française” (DALF) which is the French equivalent of the ESL. Vocationally I opted not to pursue teaching with the hope that I would find work in international business, but the Lord had other plans for me. Currently, I am a co-owner of a specialty commercial insurance company, and coincidentally we do have business in Canada including Québec; so French has come up in a business context.

My wife, Renee, and I still maintain friendships we made while living in Tours. We have four children (17, 15, 13, & 7 years old) and live north of Pittsburgh, PA. In addition, we have maintained a strong connection to the French Department, and several years ago I had the privilege of accompanying Prof. Vos-Camy and a group of students for an Interim trip to Cap-Haïtien, Haiti.

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Bev Ryskamp (’00)

After graduating from Calvin, I completed law and social work dual degrees at the University of Michigan.

In the years that followed, I have practiced law and worked in the fields

Dena Stahlheber (’01)

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on amazon.com and other retailers and the digital companion workbook is available at www.heartofprayer.com/ shop.

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Sarah Kramer (’02)

Salut! I currently work as a Librarian just outside of Raleigh, North Carolina. Although I don’t typically use French in my day-to-day, I try to keep it up through practicing on Duolingo. In my spare time I love to travel, go to movies (Petite Maman was excellent), and enjoy the outdoors.

It’s hard to believe that it’s been over 20 years since my time at Calvin, but I still appreciate how my language education helped me gain confidence in new situations, be open to new cultures, and gave me more expansive ways of seeing the world and solving problems.

Dianna (Clinch) Thomas (’04) 25

research (and some writing) in Spanish. But a love for Latinate etymology has very surprisingly come in handy when generating names for new products -- my unique ability to reach into romance languages for creative naming options has made me a “naming guru” among advertising colleagues.

I am looking forward to bringing my daughters, 12-year-old twins Clara and Ruby, to Quebec City later this summer, where I plan to make them order all their own meals en français!

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Joo Eun Kim (’05)

After graduating from Calvin, I studied at USC Law School. I’ve practiced law at a firm and gas company and taught legal writing at USC. Three years ago, I moved to the Dallas area and have been staying home, raising my two children, ages 10 and 8. I serve as a small group

I live in Boston and have been working in the advertising industry since graduation. I am currently a Senior Copywriter at Wayfair, and have previously written for Aetna, CVS, and a variety of other retail and lifestyle brands at several ad agencies. I love using my creativity at work daily and continue to dabble in the arts when possible.

While French is not officially a part of my career, I finally got the call of duty just a few weeks ago: the French translator for Wayfair was unexpectedly out and we had a suite of French ads that needed to be proofread and delivered to the Quebec market immediately. I was able to jump in to help. All those years of French finally paid off, haha!

It’s actually surprising how often a knowledge of French has been helpful when proofreading materials or curating ad content.

A love for romance languages has come in handy in surprising ways. My attempts to learn Spanish and Italian are not in vain. While working as an editor for Harvard University, I had to proofread Italian invitations (yes, really); and as a freelance scriptwriter for a Dominican production team, I had to perform most background

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leader and Sunday School teacher at my church. I believe God called me to Dallas for a reason, and my passion is with the refugee community that is growing here. I hope to use my French skills for God’s Kingdom. Gloire à Dieu!

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Cari (Kooger) Vixamar (’05)

This update comes from sunny Saskatchewan, in Canada. Much has happened in the 17 years since leaving Calvin with a degree in Secondary Education (French major, Music and History minors). My career began at an international English school in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, in 2005. I spent 3 years there, teaching secondary History and Social Studies, while using my French background to gain fluency in Haitian Créole. I returned to Canada in 2008 and spent a few years focusing on motherhood. In 2014 I became a Kindergarten teacher’s assistant at Ecole St. Mary, a Catholic, French Immersion school. In 2017 I transitioned back into teaching, and for the past 5 years I have continued to work in French Immersion, teaching primarily Music, Drama, and Visual Arts in Grades 1-8.

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Shannon Marcus (’05)

Greetings from Bowmanville, ON, east of Toronto. I have just finished my 7th year as principal of Durham Christian High School. Leading through the pandemic has presented us with a unique set of challenges and opportunities for growth, and we are tired! My husband Mark and I have 2 daughters and by the time of this publication we will have likely welcomed our 3rd child. We enjoy the Canadian parental leave system, and faithfully take turns staying home with our children for the 18 months allowed us. I don’t directly use my French language skills on a daily basis, but my Calvin education is never far from my memories.

Our school staff has about 5 Calvin graduates and we reminisce fondly about our various experiences there.

Valerie (Saarloos) Bokma (’06)

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I graduated in 2006 from Calvin University. Since then, I have spent

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the last 17 years teaching various grade levels and subjects. Much of my time has been spent teaching French Immersion which has been such a great way to keep up my French language skills while doing what I love. I have also been very blessed with a wonderful husband and three great kids. I had the pleasure of working in the French department while at Calvin which gave me a great opportunity to connect with some of the great professors there. I had the pleasure of doing a semester in France. The intense immersion experience really developed all of my French, but especially speaking. I looked forward to enjoying my summer by the Great Lakes in Ontario visiting a cottage, gardening, playing sports and spending time with my friends and family.

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Jacqueline VanderMale (’07)

I currently resides in NYC and am the head of marketing for an independent lifestyle hotel brand, Arlo. Since Calvin, I continued studies and application of French for a bit, teaching high school French in Miami, and segued into marketing and branding in the travel industry after graduate studies at University of Texas. I have lived in Miami, Ann Arbor, Austin, and NYC and split time between NYC and Miami. Hobbies and passions include every and all outdoor activities, exploring new cities, volunteering with inner city students, design, writing, and sustainability.

Rebekah (Kent) and Mathew Sandefer (’06) 30

Rebekah and I currently live in Southeastern Massachusetts. I am in the prep school world, and she works in a local public school. We are thrilled to be using our French studies at Calvin for gainful employment! I am looking forward to teaching a course next year on modern French theater.

We have not been able to visit France recently, but we are planning to spend a week this summer in Montreal with our two kids, Rachel and Kent.

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I have recently started a new role as an agent with Alive Literary Agency.

In this position, I represent authors to publishers, helping to refine their messages and build their careers.

Before joining Alive, I served as an acquisitions editor at Zondervan and Harvest House Publishers. I live with my husband, Noah, and our two daughters in Oregon’s Willamette valley. We attend and serve Emmaus Lutheran Church in Eugene, Oregon, and can usually be found hiking, camping, and creating chaos in the kitchen.

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Nunana Nyomi ‘08

After living in the Netherlands for 6 years, my wife Lindsey (‘09) and I moved to the Swiss mountain town of Leysin along with our two children Isaiah (age 5) and Ruth (age 2) in August 2021. I am working at Leysin American School as a university advisor and diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (DEIJ) coordinator.

Lindsey has been doing the most important job of being the primary caregiver for the kids while they are so young. It has been great to live in the French-speaking part of Switzerland where I have plenty of opportunities to use the language in my day-to-day life.

Thank you, Calvin, and the semester in Grenoble, for my strong foundation in the French language! It’s been so helpful in our transition to living here.

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Jackie Smith (’08)

After 12 years living in Paris, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Denver, I moved back to Grand Rapids in late 2020 with my husband and two kids (5 and 2). I continued working remotely for a Denver-based nonprofit after moving to Michigan.This July I started a new position as a Research Manager at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University. My family and I have been happy to be near family again and to be enjoying beautiful summers on the lakes.

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Lara (Matzat) Seebeck (’08)

I live in Westerville, Ohio with my husband and 3 sons, the youngest was just born in May! After graduating from Calvin and teaching English in the Lille area, I got my MA in Communication Studies and worked for an educational nonprofit for several years. After my 2nd son was born, I stopped working to stay home with them. While I don’t have many opportunities to speak or use French, I will occasionally entertain my friend from Quebec with a conversation.

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Natalie Wiersma (’08)

I am Lead Architect at Design by Melo, a small architecture firm in the Twin Cities Minnesota area that specializes in community engagement and design to promote the voices of BIPOC entrepreneurs. An integral part of the work involves deep sensitivity to cultural differences in order to realize and elevate my client’s unique vision and craft spaces that reflect the diversity that exist within our communities. My creative voice takes inspiration from the stories of the people I live and interacts with and I am blessed to be creating meaningful spaces that have lasting impact.

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Karin Abma (’09)

I live in Frederick, MD with my husband and two kids. Last year I took part in the “great resignation” to start my own nonprofit consulting company, Karin Abma Consulting, where I support nonprofits with communications and now mainly grant writing. This summer I will be taking part in a pitch competition for femaleled small businesses to compete for a $10,000 grant to help launch their business. I rarely speak French, but occasionally listens to a podcast or two to try to keep some of it.

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Image taken at the site of the new Brooklyn Park Small Business Incubator, a project which received $1M of federal funds to renovate a vacated strip mall to install a collaborative coworking space focused on encouraging local small business growth, planned to open in 2023. Natalie is first on the right of the group.

Jimelle Aquino (’09)

Just like everyone else, I am learning to navigate life with the changes and uncertainty that the pandemic brought. During this time, I changed jobs, and am currently an accounting/ management consultant for a financial consulting firm in NYC. The pandemic has also put a halt on most of my travel plans, but I plan to get back to traveling and exploring again (with French Riviera high on my list) in the near future.

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Jimelle in Switzerland, before the pandemic.

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Anita (Rice) Gennetay (’09)

My little family of four is gearing up to move to Strasbourg, France in September. We booked our one-way tickets, and we have our passports ready. We’ll be returning to my husband’s large and welcoming family. His brothers both have young ones like my one and almost-fouryear-old, so we plan to gather all the little cousins together in one spot.

I’m especially grateful to the Calvin French department for setting me on this path through a life that brings me so much joy and cheese and wine and baguettes.

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Sarah (Hadley) Prather (’09)

After graduating from Calvin, I moved to Houston, Texas to teach French and English—much to my surprise I am still living here! I am currently living in a suburb of Houston with my husband Alan, who is also a teacher.

We had our first child in January: Jude Prather.

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Alison (Troast) Van Denend (’09)

Kaylee (Kooiman) Hamann (’11)

During the pandemic, I reinvented myself and moved to Portland, Maine with my husband Luke. We are enjoying the gorgeous coastal scenery, plethora of breweries, and slower pace of life. After surviving a few Michigan winters at Calvin, Maine winters are a breeze!

I now reside in Phoenix, AZ with my husband Carsten Hamann (‘11) and our three boys Castor, Atlas, and Ragnar. After moving across the pond and all over the country over the last decade, I am happy to have finally settled into what I expect to be our “forever home.” The 2022–2023 school year will be my second year teaching Mathematics at Rancho Solano Preparatory School where I will also be serving as Department Chair.

Rancho Solano is an international high school, so although it has been many years since I formally used my knowledge of the French language, I have befriended the French teacher and many of the French-speaking students in order to brush up my skills.

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I transformed a hobby and passion into a vocation and am working as the Safety Net Coordinator at the Animal Refuge League of Greater Portland.

I manage over 200 foster families who take in hundreds of animals each year, as well as help coordinate transportation for animals from crowded shelters in the southern U.S. and Caribbean islands for a second chance in Maine. Saving lives each day is immensely rewarding—and I’ve even used my French language skills with some potential adopters!

I have been teaching for twelve years at three different high schools and have taught French, English, and AP Capstone. The past few years of teaching have been quite eventful with a flood (Hurricane Harvey) and COVID-19. I decided this spring that it was time for me to step away from the classroom in order to spend time with my son.

Calvin me manque beaucoup, et j’espère que tout le monde va bien!

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So Heon Park (’11)

After graduating from Calvin, I worked for a non-profit organization in South Korea. Then, I pursued my legal education at Regent University School of Law (Regent) in Virginia Beach, VA. Regent is a Christian law school where I met great friends and professors who have helped me grow as a Christian lawyer. During a legal internship after my first year of law school, I was able to use my French skills to assist refugees by communicating with French speaking foreign government officials. I met my husband, Steven, in my last year of law school. We got married in 2017 right after graduating from law school. Then, I practiced law as a prosecutor for more than 3 years.

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Sabrina Lee (’13)

I am a PhD candidate in the Department of English at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign and expect to graduate in spring 2023. My dissertation project, “Otherworldly Modernism: Magic, Mediums, and Coloniality,” uses ethnic and decolonial studies to understand the production of modernism and modernity. While I primarily focuses on anglophone literature, I have found my French degree crucial to my project as well: Marcel Proust and Frantz Fanon are among the francophone authors I writes on. One of my favorite projects from my graduate coursework was the transcription, translation, and explication of one of Proust’s letters, which can be found here: https://www.library.illinois.edu/rbx/ letter-from-marcel-proust-to-jacqueshebertot-31-january-1917/. Besides teaching in the English department, I have worked as the managing and reviews editors for American Literary History, and I will be a TA for Asian American Studies this fall.

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Esther Schuurman (’16)

It’s hard to believe it’s been 6 years since graduating from Calvin! After graduation, I accepted a teaching position in British Columbia, Canada.

I’ve been teaching Grade One at Unity Christian School ever since! I met my husband, Yenuel, here and we have been married for 3 years. This past school year, I have been on maternity leave with my daughter, Miray. It’s been a really special time together and I am looking forward to going back to work 2 days a week next year.

During naptimes, I am working on my Master’s online through Dordt College specializing in literacy development.

Aside from work, my husband and I are connected with a children’s home in Kenya. We help raise funds for the children’s tuition and school expenses through an organization called Hungry for Life International. On the weekends, we enjoy spending time hiking and biking, taking care of our chickens and hazelnut orchard and spending time with family. I haven’t had a lot of chances to use my French

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other than substituting teaching in a few French classes and watching some French shows on Netflix (Lupin, anyone?). https://www.hungryforlife.org/ project/kenya-nairobi-shiphra-centremarthas-home 46

Jennie Meulenberg (’17)

Bonjour! After graduating from Calvin in 2017 I moved out west to Seattle to earn my Master’s in Urban Planning at the University of Washington.

I’m currently working for the City of Seattle as a Transportation Planner, where there is always something new and exciting to work on. When I’m not working, I try to take advantage of the beautiful city and surrounding outdoors. I’m busy hiking, kayaking, skiing, and camping. I have not had a chance to use my French in some time but am waiting for the day when a French-speaking tourist needs help or I get an opportunity to travel to a francophone country! I am fortunate enough to have traveled a bit over the past year (including a trip to Peru!) and will be headed to Bangladesh to visit my sister this September. I have such great memories of my time in the French program at Calvin and I made life-long friends from my trip to Grenoble!

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Emily Bass (’20)

I graduated in 2020 with a French major and Philosophy minor and I’ve just finished teaching my first French class! It was an 8-week refresh class for the Grand Rapids Alliance Française where we focused on grammar, culture, and vocabulary for students at the A2 level.

I’m preparing to move to Amiens, France this fall as an English teaching assistant through the TAPIF program.

I leave in October 2022 and will be there for 7 months. I’m still waiting on my school assignment, but I’ll be teaching at the primary school level!

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Astrid Callegaro (’09)

I graduated from Calvin in 2009 with a double major in French Language and Literature, and International Relations. I went on to complete a masters degree in International Relations in Geneva, Switzerland,

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which brought me closer to the humanitarian world. I then worked with the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) for about 6.5 years in Switzerland, China, Panama, Greece (for the Syria Refugee crisis), and Tunisia. In 2017 I decided to leave the UN to pursue an MBA at the Polytechnic school in Milan (Italy), to switch to the corporate sector, and to focus on my passion for Learning & Development and Talent Development.

This led me to work with Netflix in the Netherlands, and then Nespresso in Milan. In January 2020, right before the start of the COVID pandemic, I moved to Oxford (UK) and joined Oodle Car Finance, the fastest growing motor finance company in 22

the UK, as Head of Learning and Development. I am absolutely loving Oxford, where I live with my husband and our two pet rabbits. We are also expecting our first child, and are thrilled about what the future holds.

If current students or alumni/ae travel through Oxford, don’t hesitate to get my contact info - I’d love to show you around!”

FACULTY AND STAFF presentations were online, which had its pros (no travel) and cons (no travel).

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Professor Ali Haveman (’04)

The most exciting changes in the Haveman household over the past year have been a new adventure in online teaching, a new (to us) vintage camper, and a new school for the boys.

In the Spring of 2021, I was part of the Calvin Global Campus Instructional Design cohort along with several other World Language colleagues.

From this came the new French 150 - Accelerated Elementary French, an 8-week online asynchronous class that covers the same content as French 101 and 102. Two brave souls are completing the course during Summer 2022 and have so far been hitting it out of the park as they complete each week’s content at their own pace.

During the summer of 2021, we took on a labor of love in the form of a 1959 Avion R23 silver camper. It’s a step up from our 1970s Jayco pop-up.

This year we tackled the brake lights and next year we’ll take on adding bunks and fixing the plumbing. One day Ross and I hope to also polish the outside to its original mirror finish.

Last but not least, the boys are all attending the same school now, Rose Park Christian Elementary School, where they started in the fall of 2021.

Max will be in 3rd grade, Berkley will be in 1st grade, and Archer will be in 4s Preschool this school year. All three are very excited for the upcoming Rose

Park Ranch, where they plan to build a greenhouse and a barn for a couple goats and chickens. After a few hard years during the pandemic, we are looking forward to what the next year brings.

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Professor Otto Selles

During 2021–2022 I had the opportunity to teach intermediate and advanced language courses as well as courses on Quebec and 18th-19thCentury French literature. I continued to serve as chair of the World Languages department. I participated in the Core Governance Committee and a committee that studied shortterm off-campus study options now that the January Interim is no longer offered.

In April, I gave a paper titled “In the Steps of Maria Chapdelaine? Coming of Age Stories in Recent Québécois Cinema” for the Kentucky Foreign Language Conference (Lexington, KY). In June, I gave a paper related to 18th-Century Huguenot history, “Prophétesses de Sion: Women and the Multipliant Sect (Montpellier, 2020–2023),” for a conference on “Women and Religion in EighteenthCentury France: Ideas, Controversies, Representations,” hosted by Queen Mary University of London, UK. Both

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I have been busy preparing the Fall 2022 Study in France program; eighteen Calvin students have registered. As in the past, they will study at the Centre universitaire d’études françaises (CUEF), Université Grenoble-Alpes, and will be lodged with French host families.

Weekend excursions to Lyon and Paris have been booked, and I am considering the options for different day excursions in the Grenoble region.

My wife Rita and I are very glad to be returning to Grenoble.

As to our children, Anna (‘17) is in her last year of law school at U. Michigan and is specializing in immigration law; Isabelle (‘19) is an editor for CB Insights, a Manhattan-based “market intelligence” company, and Luc (‘21) is with Veeva Systems, a data management company. Sign of the times—both Isabelle and Luc began and continue to work fully online.

During the winter, I volunteered again as a ski patroller at Cannonsburg and Nubs Nub (Harbor Springs) and remained involved in advanced firstaid training. I have kept up my “side gig” of portrait photography—see https://www.ottosellesphotography. com. This summer I have been working on a fine art landscape photography project and assisting Rita with bakery deliveries from time to time. For the first time in over two years, I returned this summer to Ontario to see family and friends, which was a delight.

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Emily VanderWeide

Almost three years ago, I had the opportunity to start working at Calvin University in the Spanish Department. Shortly after that, all the language departments unified, and now I work as the Administrative Assistant for the World Languages Department.

I am originally from Arequipa-Perú, where I lived my whole life until I moved here four years ago. I am a graduate from the Universidad Católica San Pablo’s Law Program.

I enjoy working in the World Languages Department because I can use my Spanish and work with students from different nationalities interested in culture, learning, and traveling. For the past two years, I have been working with the French Department on organizing different activities, like the French Film Festival. I also work with all the French tutors and communication group leaders who enjoy French and are passionate about the culture. If you are ever on campus, please don’t hesitate to visit me at the World Languages Department.

Professor Jolene Vos-Camy (’91) 4

This past year I taught several French courses across the range of levels. I always enjoy teaching students in the Multisensory French sequence who have difficulty learning language.

Even if learning a foreign language is a challenge, it can still be so much fun. The same is true at the advanced levels where I regularly ask students to draw responses to the readings and

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Emily with student assistants and tutors. She is in the center, just above the student holding a plate.

Jolene in Germany with May-term students.

present their drawings in class. When students create a visual rendering, it makes the discussion much more memorable and engaging no matter what their artistic talent.

Literature: An Expression of, and Reflection of our Humanity.” This year I had an article published on the topic of Mediterranean slavery in 17th century France: “« Il s’est fait un grand baptême à Marseille » : le sort de cinquante Africains rapporté par le Mercure galant.” I gave a lecture on the same topic for the Calvin World Language Forum this past spring.

I hope to have a related article out soon on Molière’s play Le Bourgeois gentilhomme.

This was the first year Calvin offered May terms instead of January interims. In May 2022 I took 16 German-language students to Munich, Berlin, Lübeck and Kiel where we all improved our German and really enjoyed the travel, food and cultural sites. I led this trip because the administration cut a position in German in summer 2021, leaving a gap. So, I stepped in to help the German program. It was very hard to lose another colleague in World Languages due to financial pressures.

In the realm of scholarship, I presented a lecture in June on zoom to an audience of Chinese students at Zhongnan University of Economis and Law in Wuhan, China. The title of my two-hour lecture was “French

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I continue to serve at Calvin as ViceChair of Faculty Senate and chair of the Committee on Governance (the committee that oversees all faculty governance committees). I enjoyed working closely these last years with our last president, Michael Le Roy, and am looking forward to working with our new president, Wiebe Boer, who, as he pointed out to me, also has American, Canadian, and European Union citizenship!

FORMER FACULTY AND STAFF

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Professor Glenn Fetzer

I just completed his tenth year as department head of Languages and Linguistics at NMSU. In May (2022), I took 16 students to France for the biennial Study in Paris program.

In September of this year, I begin a term as President of NMOLE (New Mexico Organization of Language Educators) and am beginning a second term as a director of the New Mexico Humanities Council, where I’ll be chair of the Grants Committee.

Currently, I am preparing a course I’ll be teaching for the Honors College in Spring of 2023: “Introduction to the Global Humanities in the 21st Century”, a course that will carry core credit for humanities. Tamara is a student in the Master’s of Public Administration (MPA) program.

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Though I am grateful for the new job opportunity, I miss interacting with French students, and I miss my fantastic colleagues in the French department! I am grateful that Emily took over for me as the world languages department assistant. If you’re ever on campus, feel free to pop in and say hi to Emily, or to me!

Professor Irene Konyndyk (‘71) 3

It is hard to believe that I retired 10 years ago, after more than 30 years of teaching in the German, Dutch,

Renee De Vries

After serving the Calvin World Languages Department for nearly 23 years, I took a different position on Calvin’s Global Campus Team in September, 2020.

I currently serve as Calvin’s graduate studies coordinator. Our team launched a number of (new) graduate programs. Check out the selection of graduate programs Calvin offers at calvin.edu/academics/graduateprograms—we have fully online programs, and some are offered on campus.

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and French Departments. My book (Foreign Languages for Everyone: How I Learned to Teach Second Languages to Students with Learning Disabilities) came out in 2011. For the past decade I continued to consult, do many conference presentations and lead workshops across the U.S. and in Canada. Two years of very little professional activity, due to Covid, have confirmed my decision to now retire from that work as well, although I will maintain my website for a while yet. I have had a wonderful career and I pray that my work has helped provide teachers with researched best practices to assist struggling students become successful second language learners. My husband and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary in 2021 and we heartily recommend Otto Selles as a photographer! These past years I have been writing my family history. Our children and grands are all doing well.

Professor Leslie Mathews (‘72) 4

Like many of you, this past year found us seizing upon some of the opportunities that the previous two years had put on hold. We made numerous trips to Nashville to visit with daughters Lindsay and Andrea’s families, but the big trip was to Pasadena to see our son Bryant’s family for the first time in two years! That was our first stop on our 8400-mile 32-day road trip, which included a stay in Napa for our 50th anniversary. We continued up the northwest coast and along the Canadian border, visiting 7 national parks. A postponed proper celebration of our anniversary was a cruise with the family in the Caribbean this past month (June).

We transition from Savannah to G.R. every July. A highlight last year was presenting a talk in October on careers in translation for the World Language Department at Calvin and seeing colleagues there.

Our time in G.R. this summer will start with a visit from the family of new grandson Ezra John (born in May) - grandchild number 7-, some Alliance Française events (I still serve on the board) and will wrap up with a trip to Portugal and Normandy.

Our months in our Savannah home include biking trips on many coastal islands, tennis and pickleball (bien sûr), volunteering with seniors and our island Cercle français. I presented “J’ai deux amours- Mon pays et Paris” (Josephine Baker) at our French song evening! And yes, Translations Unlimited is alive and thriving.

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Rolf Koch erhält hohe Ehrung

Westerwald & Region Y

Mit der Landesverdienstmedaille ist der ehrenamtliche Umweltbeauftragte der VG Westerburg und Vorsitzende der Lebenshilfe Westerwald ausgezeichnet worden. Seite 18

Fotos,Videos,Berichteaufwww.rhein-zeitung.de/westerwald

Forscher auf den Spuren der Gräfin von Isenburg Heimathistoriker und amerikanische Literaturwissenschaftlerin folgen der geflohenen Adeligen aus dem 17. Jahrhundert nach Grenzau und Neuwied Von Maja Wagener M Höhr-Grenzhausen. Was macht eine kanadische Professorin für französische Literatur, die in den USA lebt und arbeitet, in Deutschland, genauer: an der Burg Grenzau in Höhr-Grenzhausen im Westerwald? Ein kleines Büchlein über die zweite Frau des Grafen Ernst von Isenburg-Grenzau aus dem 17.

Jahrhundert hat Jolene Vos-Camy und Heimatforscher Dr. Michael Adlung aus Höhr-Grenzhausen zusammengeführt. Gemeinsam folgten sie den Spuren des „Westerwälder Blaubarts“ auf die Burgen Grenzau und Isenburg über Schloss Arenfels bis nach Büdingen.

Auf den historischen französischen Roman „La Comtesse d‘Isembourg“ von Antoinette de Salvan de Saliès aus dem Jahr 1678 stieß der ehemalige Lehrer aus der Kannenbäckerstadt im Rahmen seiner Nachforschungen zum bekannten und zu Lebzeiten durchaus mächtigen Grafen. „Über Google Books habe ich es dann gelesen“, berichtet Adlung. Ein Glück, denn es gibt nur wenige der Orginal-Exemplare in Deutschland.

Die Novelle sei einer der ersten feministischen Romane, weiß Michael Adlung. Die Autorin war mit der Gräfin bekannt und sah sich als eine Art Verteidigerin der Frau, die sich – jung und schön, wie sie war – nach ihrer Flucht vor dem gewalttätigen Grafen mit einem Getreuen vielen Unterstellungen ausgesetzt sah. Die Vorwürfe zum Beispiel der Untreue seien nicht nur durch den Roman, sondern auch durch weitere Quellen widerlegt, sagt Jolene VosCamy, Professorin für französische Literatur und Genderstudien an der Calvin Universität in Michigan. Das macht sie in ihrer wissenschaftli-

chen Veröffentlichung „Les aventures de Marie Anne Françoise von Hohenzollern, Comtesse d’Isembourg“ deutlich, die Michael Adlung 2018 gelesen hatte – woraufhin er Vos-Camy die deutsche Übersetzung des Büchleins schickte. Der Kontakt war geknüpft.

Belege für die Ergebnisse ihrer Forschung hat die Literaturwissenschaftlerin auf verschiedenen Reisen gesammelt, in denen sie die Spuren der Gräfin von IsenburgGrenzau aufnahm. Eine davon führte die gebürtige Kanadierin, die unter anderem an der Sorbonne in Frankreich studiert hat, nun in den Westerwald. Zusammen mit Michael Adlung besuchte sie die Burgen Isenburg und Grenzau. Hier gab Burgherr Dietmar Spiegel einen kleinen Einblick in die Geschichte des Bauwerks. „Es ist ein besonderes Gefühl, hier zu stehen“, sagt Vos-Camy und sieht auf den dreieckigen Turm der Burg Grenzau. Für den Tag im Leben von Maria Anne hatte Adlung zudem etwas Besonderes arrangiert: Eines der wenigen gedruckten in Deutschland vorhandenen Originale des Romans, das sich im Büdinger Schloss befindet, konnten Adlung und Vos-Camy mit Erlaubnis der Fürstin bei ihrer Tour einsehen. Auf einer ihrer früheren Reisen konnte Vos-Camy unter anderem Einblick in ein unveröffentlichtes Manuskript einer Nonne nehmen, die mit Maria Anna von Hohenzollern-Hechingen im Convent von Albi zusammengelebt hatte. Dorthin hatte sich die Gräfin mithilfe des Bischofs von Albi zurückgezogen, als die Zudringlichkeiten ihres einstigen Fluchthelfers und Beschützers unerträglich wurden. „Solange sie Geld hatte, hat er sie beschützt“, erzählt die Literatur-

Heimatforscher Michael Adlung (links) folgte mit Jolene Vos-Camy (Mitte), Professorin für französische Geschichte, den Spuren des Grafen Isenburg zur Foto: Maja Wagener Burg Grenzau und Burgherr Dietmar Spiegel. wissenschaftlerin. In dem Kloster sei sie frei gewesen.

Nach dem Tod ihres Ehemannes, der kinderlos starb und die Westerwälder Linie des Grafengeschlechts deshalb mit ihm, sei die Gräfin als Nonne ins Kloster eingetreten und sogar dessen Mutter Oberin geworden: „Sie war wegen ihres

freundlichen Wesens überall beliebt“, erzählt die Professorin.

Schließlich habe die Katholische Kirche, die die Gräfin als Vorbild präsentieren wollte, sogar schriftlich niedergelegt, dass sie ihren Mann habe verlassen müssen – ein außergewöhnliches Zeugnis für die Kirche im 17. Jahrhundert. Seitdem

ihr der Roman 2008 zum ersten Mal begegnet war, beschäftige sie das Schicksal der Frau, erzählt Jolene Vos-Camy weiter. Wie sehr es auch ihr eigenes betrifft, verriet die Professorin in einem stillen Moment, umgeben von den prachtvollen Sommerblumen im Hof der Burg Grenzau. Der Roman habe ihr den

Novelle war einer der ersten feministischen Romane Die Novelle „La Comtesse d’Isembourg“ von Antoinette de Salvan de Saliès aus dem Jahr 1678 erzählt aus dem Leben der Gräfin, die als Maria Anna von Hohenzollern-Hechingen mit gerade einmal 15 Jahren dem 30 Jahre älteren Adeligen versprochen wurde. Dessen erste Frau war an einer Kolik gestorben, vermutlich durch Gift verursacht, das ihr der

Graf verabreicht hatte. Nach Jahren unglücklicher Ehe und aus Angst, selbst umgebracht zu werden, flieht die Gräfin mit der Hilfe eines Pagen und dessen Bruders nach Paris, um später in der Nähe von Albi sesshaft zu werden. Das Büchlein, das ihre Geschichte erzählt, war in Deutschland nahezu unbekannt – bis Adlung es nun ins Deutsche übersetzen ließ.

Die Suche nach einem Übersetzer, der des alten Französisch mächtig war, sei schwer gewesen, verrät er: „Bei der deutsch-französischen Gesellschaft in Mainz wurde ich fündig“, berichtet er und lobt die Arbeit von Dr. Alfred Kinzelbach.

Interessierte erhalten das Buch für 25 Euro bei Michael Adlung per E-Mail an mic-ad@web.de. maj

Mut gegeben, ihren eigenen gewalttätigen Ehemann zu verlassen, sagt sie.

Die Situation, die Antoinette de Salvan de Saliès in ihrem Buch beschreibe, sei heute noch Realität vieler Frauen: Die Schwester, die sie um Hilfe bat, versuchte sie zu überreden, bei ihrem Mann zu bleiben. Die Frau sah sich den Vorwürfen des Ehebruchs ausgesetzt, weil sie jung und schön war. „Für mich war sie sehr mutig“, stellt Vos-Camy fest. „Ich sehe diese Gewalt jeden Tag“, macht die Professorin deutlich. Und das sei es schließlich, was sie ihren Studenten beibringen wolle: Literatur habe mit der Realität zu tun. Das sage sie ihren Studenten, berichtet Vos-Camy weiter: „Literatur ist nicht nur ein Buch, das man aufklappt – es ist das echte Leben.“

German newspaper article in which Jolene and her research on Marie Anne 35-Jähriger Françoise von „Siesta Augusta“ eröffnet die Promenadenkonzerte Hohenzollern, Comtesse d’Isembourg (von Isenburg) were featured. wehrt sich wegen Saison in Koblenz startet am Pfingstwochenende M Koblenz. Am Pfingstwochenende startet die Konzertsaison der Koblenzer Promenadenkonzerte.

Gleich zum Auftakt geht es mit einer neuen Konzertreihe los: Bei der „Siesta Augusta“ präsentierten DJ Babor (Rumpelstilzchen) und Patrick Agricultor (Kinterbunt) mit Gästen an jedem ersten Sonntag im Monat chillige elektronische Beats am Rheinufer. Die Premiere findet passenderweise am Sonntag, 5. Juni, von 15 bis 20 Uhr im Rahmen des Kaiserin-Augusta-Festes statt.

Weiter geht's am Pfingstmontag, 6. Juni, 10 bis 16 Uhr, mit Jazz, Blues und Fusion von x-dream, dem Urgestein der Koblenzer JazzSzene. Die Formation um Bandleader Theo Enders präsentiert am Rheinufer ihre neue CD „x-dream vol.2“ mit Eigenkompositionen und aktuellen Bearbeitungen diverser Klassiker. Neben den klassischen Promenadenkonzerten (sonntags

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Haargummis

von 15 bis 17 Uhr) und der erfolgreichen Afterwork-Lounge (donnerstags von 19 bis 21 Uhr) finden auch wieder viele Kooperationen und Festivals mit regionalen Partnern wie dem Verein Freiraum, KoKo Unplugged, der Musikschule der Stadt Koblenz oder der Uni Koblenz-Landau statt. Neu sind der Familien- und Erlebnistag mit der Hildegard-von-Bingen-Schule (12.

Juni) das Frauen-Musik-Festival „Women*OnStage“ (25. Juni) mit dem Frauennotruf Koblenz oder auch das Festival der Europäischen Jugend am 3. September mit pop rlp und dem Kultur- und Schulred verwaltungsamt der Stadt.

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Bei allen Konzerten ist der Eintritt frei. Das komplette Programm findet sich im Internet unter der Adresse music-livekoblenz.de/nachrichtenveranstaltungen/promenadenkonzert.html

In der Konzertmuschel in den Koblenzer Rheinanlagen wird im Rahmen der Koblenzer Promenadenkonzerte wieFoto: Kai Myller/Music Live e.V. der ein attraktives Programm geboten.

M Koblenz. Mit einer Anzeige wegen Nötigung und Beleidigung ist in der Nacht auf Mittwoch der Einsatz einer Polizeistreife zu Ende gegangen. Die Beamten sichteten in der Frankenstraße in Koblenz einen 35-Jährigen mitten auf der Fahrbahn. Darauf angesprochen, ging er zunächst mit starrem Blick ohne Reaktion weiter und blieb erst nach mehrmaliger Aufforderung stehen.

Ausweispapiere führte er nicht mit sich, die Identität konnte jedoch geklärt werden. Bei der anschließenden Durchsuchung weigert er sich, seine Taschen zu leeren. Als Grund gab er an, dass in seinen Taschen Haargummis wohnen würden, denen dort besonders warm sei. Als er doch durchsucht wurde, schrie der Mann laut und widersetzte sich fortlaufend. Als ihm Handfesseln angelegt werden mussten, beleidigte und bedrohte red er die Einsatzkräfte.

FRENCH FILM FESTIVAL September 2022Molière The French Film Festival this year will feature four plays by Molière, filmed at the French National Theater in Paris (La Comédie-Française), in honor of the 400th anniversary of his birth.

Thursday, September 8: The Imaginary Invalid Monday, September 12: Tartuffe Thursday, September 15: The Miser Monday, September 19: The Bourgeois Gentleman The films will be shown at 7:30 pm in the Recital Hall located at the Covenant Fine Arts Center. Visitor parking is available in lots 9 & 10. All films are subtitled in English. Admission is free!

For more information call (616) 526-6361). Sponsored by the Calvin French section of the World Languages of Calvin University, the Alliance française of Grand Rapids, the Calvin Honors Program, and the English Department of Calvin University.

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