FRANCOFILES Summer 2004

Calvin College Interim to Quebec

In January 2004, for the fourth time since 1997, a group of Calvin students, accompanied by Glenn Fetzer, traveled to Chicoutimi, Quebec for language immersion, winter activities, and for a cross-cultural experience. Chicoutimi is two hours north of Quebec City. It lies on the far side of the Parc des Laurentides, on the banks of the Saguenay River. A city of about 75, 000 people, Chicoutimi is about 95% francophone, and thus, is an ideal place for language immersion.

Thanks to a well directed Ecole de langue et de culture québécoise at the University of Quebec at Chicoutimi, the three week interim trip is well-organized. Quebecois teachers are part of the program, as are skilled animateurs who are quite familiar with the region, and a conscientious administrative staff. Language courses (all in French), homestays in French-speaking households, a weekend trip to Quebec City and some winter-related activities were all part of the package. For students interested in speaking only French, this interim permitted an almost entirely 24 / 7 French language experience.

What were some of the “winter-related activities”? Skiing (both cross-country and downhill), but also snow tubing, winter camping, a visit to a borealium and the outdoor zoo at Saint-Félicien, dog-sledding, snow-shoeing, and, of course, trying to keep warm.
With average daytime temperatures of -15 (Fahrenheit), with nighttime temperatures regularly lower (and with some wind chills of -40 Fahrenheit), we all realized that this winter Grand Rapids has been rather warm, by comparison.

This year the ten of us from Calvin were not the only ones participating in the “Français et neige” program. In addition to the staff, there were fifteen others enrolled in the program at Chicoutimi and getting to know them was rewarding. The particular trip is not the only Quebec interim organized by members of Calvin’s French Department. In the 1980s Claude-Marie Baldwin and Ellen Monsma led interim groups to Jonquière, also in the Saguenay region. Although the venue has changed somewhat over the years (for example, to keep costs down, we no longer include a Montreal component), the type of experience is much the same. Although it doesn’t draw the numbers of students attracted to language and culture programs in France, the Chicoutimi interim numbers thirty-five “alumni”. The nine students who participated this past January were
Amanda Cavender (Lake Forest, IL)
Zara Rix (Lexington, MA)
Melia Fast (Selkirk, NY)
Sarah Huisman (Grand Rapids, MI)
Carol Irvin (Sioux Falls, SD)
Jennifer Kett (Ann Arbor, MI)
Peter Velthuizen (Hagersville, ON)
John-Harmen Volk (Fredrickton, NB)
Taryn Wassink (London, ON)

In addition to the language and activities component, this year for the first time students earned credit for the college’s Cross-Cultural Experience component. In fulfillment of the requirement, the Calvin contingent met several times outside of the university to discuss readings related to the history and cultural distinctiveness of Quebecois society. We talked about issues such as how the world looks from a different cultural and linguistic perspective, as well as practical matters such as being Christians in a largely secular setting. At the end of the interim, students submitted essays on questions of how to act as guests in a host country, on what being different entails, and on the importance of observation as part of becoming successful at cross-cultural communication. In the process of discussing these issues, the students came to provide emotional and spiritual support for each other. And in learning about how to live in another culture, they learned, inevitably, a great deal about themselves, their personal resourcefulness, and their faith.

Professor Glenn Fetzer

Multi-sensory Structure French course

“Wow…. Has it really been a year since I started this class? I remember mid-way through first semester; I thought I was never going to be able to finish this class for another 5 months. But I did, and it feels great! I think this was one of my better classes, not just because it taught me French, but because it taught me motivation, determination, organization…… I think I will hold on to those longer than I will French….. Thanks for …..treating us with respect……”

That is how a student in French 113 recently described what it felt like to complete the last course of a 3-course French sequence especially designed for students who struggle to learn a foreign language.

This course sequence was developed by Professor Irene Konyndyk, who got the germ of an idea for it seven years ago. She had long believed that everyone can learn a foreign language, if the method of instruction were the right one for their learning needs. She began to research the topic of “Foreign Language Learning” and “Learning Disabilities” and discovered that there were several scholars (primarily in the LD field) who had been doing research in this area. She spent 3 years reading everything she could find on the topic, gratefully accepting an Alumni grant to do some of this work. She also spent time at the University of Colorado at Boulder, which is one of the few institutions of higher education in the U.S. with a modified foreign language program for at-risk students; she carefully examined their program in Latin, Spanish, and Italian. She then put together a proposal for a 3-course sequence in French at Calvin (to her knowledge the only such program in French in the nation) and spent the 2000-2001 academic year getting approval for the sequence from her department, the Educational Policy Committee, and Faculty Senate. She began teaching the course in the fall of 2001 and has now completed the 3-year pilot program. The sequence was once again reviewed by the college, and has now been approved as a regular course offering in the curriculum.

Using a cutting edge approach, this sequence meets the specific learning needs of students who have learning disabilities, AD(H)D, or some other difficulty which has an impact on their learning. In order to be admitted to the sequence, students must work through the Student Academic Services office which does intake on documentation of students’ learning difficulties, prior experience with a foreign language, and administers the Modern Language Aptitude Test (MLAT). Professor Konyndyk receives a dossier on each potential student which she carefully reviews before deciding which students to interview, and then deciding which students should receive priority for admission to the sequence. No first-year students are admitted. Priority is given to upper level students who need to meet Calvin’s 2-year foreign language requirement for graduation. In the fall of 2004 there will be 2 sections of French 111, and there is already a waiting list for the following year.

Some of the features of this innovative sequence are:
Multisensory (auditory, visual, kinesthetic, tactile) Language is primarily auditory, so Professor Konyndyk tries to make things visual wherever she can, e.g. giving students a daily handout with the transparencies of new material for that day. She also tries to make learning as tactile as possible, e.g. frequently having students use white boards to review verbs. The kinesthetic mode, while harder to do, is also used wherever possible, e.g. having students stretch a large rubber band to feel where the stress falls in a given word.
Structured (class routine, assignments, tests, logical order of concepts, activation of prior knowledge, small manageable chunks, frequent repetition, variety of activities, etc.) Everything is highly structured and predictable.
Metacognitive (helping students think about how they learn best – through weekly journals, daily homework correction, etc.)
• Controlled enrollment (limit of 15 students in each class).
• Weekly 30-minute one-on-one session with a trained tutor.

Professor Konyndyk says that she is continually learning and trying new things and that her students often give great suggestions for improving the course sequence. Her students are grateful that Calvin has provided them a way to learn a foreign language in a way that meets their learning needs.

Senior Breakfast

As has been the tradition over the past two decades, the graduating majors and minors of the French Department gathered with their French professors for breakfast at the Cherie Inn on the last Friday morning before graduation. This year, eight seniors gathered to reminisce, to be honored for their achievements and to bid “au revoir” to their professors and classmates with whom they have studied French over the past four years. A number of this year’s graduates had participated in the 2003 Semester in Grenoble program and recounted fond memories of their experiences there.

Following the breakfast, the seniors shared their plans for the near and not-so-near future.
Debbie Anema will be pursuing graduate studies towards an MA in Library and Information Science at Indiana University in Bloomington. Dianna Clinch will be returning to Boston for the summer. She would like to work in a PR firm in Chicago or pursue mission work in a French-speaking country. Laura Hoksbergen will attend the University of Illinois at Champagne-Urbana to work on an MA in Library Science.
Laura Hoeksema will work in Champagne-Urbana where she will room with Laura Hoksbergen. Aileen May will be working in theater in New Hampshire this summer apprenticing with Michael Paige. She hopes to continue to make a career in theater.
Melissa Riewald will move to Guelph, Ontario with friends and would like eventually to pursue graduate studies in philosophy, perhaps with an emphasis in contemporary French philosophers. Ali VanderWoude will be attending graduate school at the University of Wisconsin in Madison in the field of French literature and has been awarded a teaching assistantship. Reuben Vyn will live in France next year working in the French government’s “assistant d’anglais” program in the Grenoble region. He is interested in pursuing a career in foreign service.

The graduates were presented with a French Bible and encouraged to maintain their contact with the French Department.

Professors at Work

Professor Glenn Fetzer

Glenn Fetzer expects to see his book Emmanuel Hocquard and the Poetics of Negative Modernity in print by fall from Summa Publications. Since September he has spent a great deal of time editing that manuscript as well as drafts of another long-term project. He read papers this year on his work on poets of l’extrême contemporain (poets including Hocquard, Olivier Cadiot, Dominique Fourcade, and Claude Esteban) at conferences in Dublin and in Gdansk and has prepared those papers for publication. In March he participated with colleague Jolene Vos-Camy in a session on French film and pedagogy at the annual conference of the North American Christian Foreign Language Association, held at Northwestern College, in Iowa.

Before undertaking a new book project on the idea and practices of the French poetry anthology, he is working on two conference papers on poets from early and mid-century, Paul Claudel and Saint-John Perse. This summer he will spend three months in France, completing research at the Fondation Saint-John Perse in Aix-en-Provence and writing as much as possible (all the while enjoying the ambiance of the Vaucluse). He is eagerly anticipating teaching the French Poetry course again in the fall and is looking forward to teaching a DCM (Developing Christian Mind) section in the spring, with an emphasis on Africa through African film.

Professor Irene Brouwer Konyndyk

For the past three years Professor Konyndyk has served as the Director of Cross-cultural Engagement (CCE) at Calvin. During that time approximately 85 courses have received CCE designation; these are courses in which students engage with people of a culture different from their own, so that they develop cross-cultural sensitivity and competence.

In September, Professor Konyndyk will be leaving this administrative work to focus her energies on her Multisensory Structured French sequence [see elsewhere in the newsletter for a more detailed description]. She wants to develop additional teaching strategies, research new aspects of this kind of teaching, and disseminate what she has learned to the broader academy.

Recently she gave a presentation on it at MI-AHEAD (Michigan Association of Higher Education and Disabilities). This summer she will be giving a workshop at the Second International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities in Prato, Italy. Main speakers will include some of the world’s leading thinkers in the humanities. She will argue that meeting the needs of all students, especially those who have learning disabilities, is an important new direction in the humanities. It is imperative to do so, not only because many countries have federal mandates which require it, but that institutions of higher education which value the humanities should be leaders in providing alternative instructional methods, because foreign language learning is an important element within the humanities.

Professor Konyndyk is currently developing a scholarship plan for writing a book on the topic – something she hopes to complete before retirement.

Professor Leslie Mathews

Professor Mathews was invited to speak on “Integration of Faith and Learning: A Calvin College Model” at Seoul Women’s University during a trip to Korea last summer. The invitation was extended by Dr. Sun Yo Kim, a pioneer in the Christian schooling movement in Korea and Dean of the Education Department at SWU, whose acquaintance Prof. Mathews made during Dr. Kim’s sabbatical year spent at Calvin College in 2000.
Members of the Education Department at SWU were particularly interested in the specific and practical implications of integrating faith in the language and cultural studies in the French classroom. Dr. Kim and the president of SWU continued the dialog on a follow-up visit to Calvin this past November.

In her work on the board of the Alliance Française de Grand Rapids, Professor Mathews is heading up an initiative to offer beginning and intermediate level French language classes to the local community, similar to the series offered a number of years ago by the French Department. Based on the model of French classes taught at the Alliances in Chicago and Washington D.C., and in response to frequent requests from people desiring to renew their dormant French skills or begin studies for travel or personal enrichment, the Alliance plans to offer eight-week series of classes beginning in late September of 2004. Calvin College will serve as a co-sponsor of the program.

Professor Otto Selles

During Interim-Spring 2004, Professor Selles enjoyed a sabbatical. In his words: “Oddly enough, I had a hard time at first learning how to enjoy it. Of course, it was immediately a wonderful feeling to be free of teaching and administrative duties. But I felt at bit on edge as how to use best that freedom for I had multiple projects in mind.

The main project was to focus on Voltaire, particularly his writings on toleration and justice, with the goal of contributing a chapter to a book devoted to the topic. I read many of Voltaire's works that I had never had the opportunity to read. I also spent two weeks in Paris in June looking up sources not available in North America. I took every occasion I could, slugging my laptop and files on my back, to walk through the city, from library to library and back to my hotel.

I also spent some time on creative writing (beginning a new collection of poems) and read a great deal of books by the authors who participated in the Festival of Faith and Writing. At the Festival, Prof. Jennifer Steensma-Hoag and I gave a presentation of work we had show last fall at the Calvin art gallery.

My schedule also allowed me to spend more time with my family--and that included frequent rides to school, preschool excursions, coffee breaks with my wife at Schulers, visits to Ontario, and a very enjoyable family weekend trip to Chicago.”

Professor Rita Selles

It’s great! It’s fun! You get snacks! You do crafts! These are just some of the comments you might hear coming from students in Hiemenga Hall during the third week of July. Are these Calvin students? No, actually, they are “little people”—kids, keen to be part of an eclectic mix of languages and cultures, ranging from French to Swahili, German, Korean, Spanish and Japanese.

Welcome to Calvin’s Foreign Language Camp, held every summer for one week for children ages 7-10. Rita Selles, camp director, has also been its French instructor for the past couple of years. The children enter decorated classrooms—another world, and know that something exciting is going to happen. They are eager learners, and learning they do, through songs, games, and hands-on activities. They also get to enjoy (with more or less gusto) ethnic snacks during a mid-afternoon break. The final afternoon of the camp culminates in grand finale during which the children get to “show off” to their invited guests the fun they had and the learning they did while at camp.

Children find that their ability to learn new words and phrases a fascinating adventure. Along with stories of how people live in other countries, it’s a passport to another culture. And although language camp at Calvin is just a modest introduction to other cultures and languages, it is the beginning of a journey that children remember and enjoy.

This year, Language Camp runs from July 19-23, 1:00-3:30 p.m.

Professor Jolene Vos-Camy

Professor Vos-Camy worked in the fall on revisions to her paper “Theatrical Intersections in the Novel: Scarron’s Roman comique” for publication in the Actes of the North American Society for Seventeenth-Century French Literature Conference held at Dartmouth College in May 2003. This article presents the essential elements of Prof. Vos-Camy’s doctoral dissertation, completed in 2000. In the spring she presented a paper titled, “Developing ‘Un air de famille’ for the Christian Mind” at the North American Christian Foreign Language Association at its meeting in March 2004 at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. Though the topic seems quite distant from Prof. Vos-Camy’s previous scholarly work, there is in fact a theatrical link: the film, Un air de famille, is based on a play by the same name, written by Agnès Jaoui and Jean-Pierre Bacri. Prof. Vos-Camy’s paper explores specifically the cultural aspects of the film and their use in the Christian classroom based upon her experiences of using this film two years in a row in her Developing a Christian Mind course (a course required of all freshmen). This summer, Prof. Vos-Camy is working on expanding that paper into article form. In addition, she continues to serve as a contributing editor to French 17, a descriptive bibliography of French seventeenth-century, work that requires a couple weeks of perusing various academic journals in search of any article on French seventeenth-century literature.

Reading French in Grand Rapids: Chez Alice et Julien

Looking for a local forum to read and discuss recent works of French fiction? If so, you need look no further than Chez Alice et Julien. Several years ago Pierre Camy founded a French book group at Schuler Books and Music (named in honor of his and Jolene’s children) that is open to all who want to read recent fiction and discuss their reading in a supportive atmosphere.

The group meets every two or three months, usually on a Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm (consult the book group table at the 28th Street store for details or check online at www.schulerbooks.com). Pierre chooses books published since 1990 that have been popular among the French reading public. Many have been awarded France’s top literary prizes. Most books are available for less than $15 and are accessible to readers with varying degrees of reading confidence.

From the almost twenty titles that have been featured over the past years, these stand out:
Grâce et dénouement, by Alice Ferney; Le Non de Klara (winner of the 2003 Prix Inter-CE National), by Soazig Aaron; Dans ces bras-là (Prix Fémina 2000), by Camille Laurens ; Cœur brûle et autres romances, by JMG LeClézio ; and Autres jeux avec le feu, by Linda Lê. Ranging in style and language from the elliptical and spare to the colorful and lush, these novels engage a range of human experience and emotions. Among them, Grâce et dénouement represents one of the most riveting. It is the account of a former nurse turned book vendor who, over the course of many months, befriends a band of gypsies on their terms. From reading to the children to gradually becoming a trusted advocate for the struggling and vulnerable group, the main character becomes the vehicle through which we get a glimpse of the fragility of life, the need for respect, and the power of story.

Any former French majors and minors wishing to connect with a French book reading group are strongly encouraged to consider Chez Alice et Julien.

French Department Graduates Remember

Jean M. Hunt (née Holkeboer) (1963)
Prof. Art Otten and the entire class burst into laughter one day when a young man in class translated très chic as “three chicks.” Also my summer at l’Université Laval à Québec was invaluable – another funny experience when a beggar asked me for “quelque sous” and with my limited experience listening to spoken French I had to say “Répétez – s’il vous plait.” Needless to say, he was not too happy with me.

Rodney Mulder (1964)
I lived in the first French House on Thomas Street from 1963-1964. It was a great experience. I always had great respect and memories of Art Otten and John Zeigler.

Carole Monsma (1968)
Taking an exam – looking up – seeing a tornado go by! The trees bent, the winds howled, but we finished on time! I also remember the first conversation I overheard in French. It was in Calais after coming over to France on the ferry. A group of French housewives were in a heated discussion – about? Yes! I think I understand! It is about FOOD!

Margaret Postuma (née Faber) (1969)
Prof. Arthur Otten wearing his jaunty beret on the old campus at Franklin Street, was a familiar sight. I remember him correcting me in class when I said “bienvenue” in response to his “merci.” At that time “bienvenue” was used only as a welcome greeting. I thought of this on a recent trip to Quebec when I repeatedly heard “bienvenue” used to say “you’re welcome” in response to “thanks.” I guess over the years it has become an acceptable usage. I wonder what Prof. Otten would have said about this!

Jim (Pieter) Zeyl (1970)
French Interim Abroad. Probably one of the first ones with Professor Otten and his wife. Studied at the Université de Montpellier during this interim. Very informative, particularly about the history of the “Hugenots”.

Deborah (Wyngarden) VanderWoude (1973)
As a freshman at Calvin, I was in the very last registration group. I intended to take Spanish, not wanting to continue my high-school Latin. There were no open sections of Spanish, so I signed up for French! Arthur Otten and Claude-Marie Baldwin were great sources of encouragement to me while I was at Calvin.

Anita G. Prange, nee Colyn (1982)
I participated in the first Interim to Québec with Claude-Marie Baldwin in January 1982. We had a fantastic learning experience together. Little did I know that in October of the same year I would be leading a group of 20 senior high school students on a one week trip to Montreal and Quebec. I was prepared!

Renée Bill-Nieuwsma (1986)
I remember our Interim in France where I was an aide. I think I learned the most during Interim because of the practicality of using the language.

Kimberly Tiesma Schenk (1989)
I remember Marie Claire Baldwin being an excellent teacher and professor Otten coming to class nine minutes late every time!

Danielle DeJong (1991)
I have fond memories of my trip to France during Interim in 1989 with Mme. Baldwin. I enjoyed the time in the Youth Hostel in Paris and the time boarding with families in Avignon. I recommend the Interim to all!

Tanya DeMoor (1994)
I do not use French very much in my current job or life, but being a French Major was a wonderful experience. I loved my professors and fellow students. Professor Fetzer is one of the best professors I have ever had, graduate school included. He was always understanding and willing to listen. He also had a great sense of humor and included that in his classes. I hope that other students appreciate him as much as I do.

Joanne (Hoffman) Broekhuizen (1996)
I loved all my French professors – Baldwin, Fetzer, Wilkins and Konyndyk. I spent a semester abroad in Angers which was fantastic! I also always enjoyed French chapels and French movie nights.

Anastasia Niehof (1998)
I have fond memories of French chapel, especially French Christmas carols. The best memories I have are from my time on the Quebec Interim 1997 with Professor Fetzer – from dog sledding to “chocolat chaud”!

Megan Diercks (Bush) (1998)
One fond memory is when Susan Weidenaar, Matt Miller and I were separated from our Interim in France group (in ’96). It took us 12 hours and 6 airports to make it back to Grand Rapids! What an adventure!

Sarah Ann (Blanchard) Carlblom (1999)
My most vivid and lasting memory of the French department is the semester that I spent in France. That is an experience that broadened me as a person and had a profound effect on the person that I am today. Calvin’s abroad program is well-rounded, encompassing culture, art, personal relationships and academics.

Chandra Pasma (2001)
I don't have any specific memories of my time in the French department - it was a great place to work and a great place to learn, however. I miss the faculty and their warm and caring nature. I miss taking their classes, working on their projects with them, and hanging out in the office talking about n'importe quoi.
Laura Black (2001)
My best memory is certainly the interim in France in January 2000. Stories and pictures from that trip have become indispensable to my teaching!

Liesje Konyndyk (2001)
I remember how supportive the department was of its students. I was very appreciative (my senior year) of Prof. Mathew’s willingness to write me recommendations for jobs. It also says a lot that she was willing to write me another one two years after I’d graduated. That is just one instance of how the French Department cares for and takes care of its students.

French Alumni Updates

Jon Feikens (1964)
I’ve been practicing law in Detroit since 1967 while at Calvin. I spent my junior year in Paris at the Institute of European Studies, an American junior year abroad program. I first returned to France in 1984 to visit my son who was spending six months at The University of Aix. Since then I’ve been back several times. My wife and I have spent some good times in Paris. Our favorite hotel is the Hotel de l’Abbaye, 10 rue Caselte.

Rodney Mulder (1964)
I got a MA in French and taught French at Grand Valley State University from 1966 to 1969. I then studied sociology and social work and taught social work until 1994 when I became Dean. I’m just finishing 37 years at GVSU.

Joanne Heerema (1966)
After Calvin, I received my MA in French at U of M on a Ford Foundation Scholarship. Then taught one year at Medicine Hat College, then obtained a BED degree at U of Calgary while teaching same courses there. Then taught for the Dept. of Education in Calgary at Sir Winston Churchill H.S. 1969-86 as Dept. Head and set up the French part of the International Baccalaureate program. Retired in 1986 and traveled the world. My son mark lives in Los Gatos. He is an electrical engineer, is married to Kim. They have four children.

Garry Glasbergen (1967)
I have been involved in Christian education since graduation (27+years as a principal) and have taught grades 5-8 French classes from time to time. Three of our four children are married and we have 6 grandchildren, four of whom are students at my school. My wife Helen enjoys traveling – during the last years, March break has found us on the Caribbean; this past March we were in Hawaii.

Evelyn DeJong Diephouse (1969)
I work as a Specialized Interim Minister, serving Reformed and Presbyterian churches when they are between called pastors. My husband David and I have three daughters, one son-in-law and a granddaughter.
Sid Jaarsma (1970)
I started teaching French in 1970 at the East Edmonton Christian School in Alberta. I taught mainly in grades 7-9. After 15 years we moved to Abbotsford BC and I taught there at the Christian Secondary School grades 8-12 for 8 years. I retired in the fall of 1993 and my wife Annie and I have been on several volunteer mission projects. We’ve worked for CRWRC, Youth with a Mission, Chr. Ref. World Missions, World Wide Chr. Schools, Gleanings for the Hungry etc. This way we can do a fair amount of traveling and be useful at the same time. When we are home we work one day a week in our Bibles for Mission Thrift Store.

Claude-Marie Baldwin Vos (1971)
My husband and I have a ministry of prayer. We receive prayer recipients in our home for prayer and rest. We also travel in the US and internationally to speak/teach and pray in churches and at conferences.

Deborah (Wyngarden) VanderWoude (1973)
I have been teaching French for the past 25 years, full or part-time at Chicago Christian High School. Early on I went on 3 Europe trips with students. I am married and have two children. I received an MA in French language and civilization in 1983 from New York University.

Lynn MacLeod Hand (1983)
After graduating from Calvin I went on to do graduate work in Linguistics at the University of Chicago, where I met my husband John Hand. We now have two daughters, Sarah (9), and Rachel (5), and in addition to being a full-time mom, I do some free-lance editing (occasionally making use of my French!). I’m also involved with my daughter’s Christian school. I serve on the Board and am chair of the school’s Education Committee, which among other things oversees the school’s foreign exchange programs and curriculum.

Emily (Dykstra) Smith (1989)
My husband Jim Smith (’90) and I have a four-year-old son, Kevin. Last spring I graduated from the University of Rochester with a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature. My research was in 18th Century French and English fiction. I first read La Princesse de Clèves for Mme. Claude-Marie Baldwin! (Ms. Mathews, your French civilization course has proved invaluable to my teaching! I still consult old notes from that course).

Jayne Rauwerda (1990)
I married Jim Rauwerda two years after graduation. We have a three-year-old daughter Annie. I taught Elementary middle school for four years and then went to medical school at Michigan State. I am completing pediatric residency in Grand Rapids – eagerly awaiting all French-speaking patients!

John P. Douma (1993)
In 1993 I enrolled at Calvin Theological Seminary. I graduated from CTS in 1998 with an MDIV and a strong concentration in overseas missions. I married Kim (Claerbaut) on July 25 of 1998. I have served as a Pastor here at Volga CRC since 1999. Kim and I have 2 children, Micah (born 9/1) and Leah (born 4/19). We hope some day to live in France witnessing to Muslims.

Tanya DeMoor (1994)
I am currently working as an adoption supervisor in the Special Needs Adoption Program at D.A. Blodgett Services. My job is to recruit and train prospective adoptive parents and to place special needs children with them for adoption. I have been doing this for three years and I love it. I am also planning on getting married in the next few months to a wonderful man from The Netherlands.

Anastasia Niehof (1998)
I taught high school English for one year in California right after Calvin. Since then, I’ve been living in Ames working at the driver license station. I hope to graduate with my masters in Library Science in December 2003.

Crystal Baik (1999)
I will be graduating from University of Michigan, School of Dentistry in May 2003. Will be working as a general practice resident at the Evanston Northwestern Hospital starting July 2003!

Megan Diercks (Bush) (1998)
My husband Dave and I will celebrate our 4th anniversary in June. I am currently teaching French (levels II and III) and German (level II) at Flower Mound HS in Flower Mound TX. I am finishing up graduate coursework at University of North Texas and am writing a thesis. I will take my exams and defend in August.

Sarah (Judd) Bowman (1999)
I am happily married to my husband Brad and living in Cincinnati, OH. We've been married for over two years and have enjoyed every moment. God has been very good to us! We are heavily involved in a church full of vibrant ministry opportunities. My husband works as a financial systems analyst for an investment firm in downtown Cincinnati, and I am teaching French and German full time for the Lakota Local School district. In the past I have traveled between two high schools, but am now enjoying the luxuries of working at only one of them. Things are going well, and I continue to learn
a great deal about the art of teaching. Recently I was called upon to do some informal interpreting at a local hotel, an arrangement that has the possibility of continuing on a monthly basis. Most important of all, however, is that Brad and I are hoping to start a family, so keep us in your prayers!

Brian Blankespoor (2000)
I have been pursuing a MS in geography at Oregon State University since fall
2001. I've been studying the topics of physical geography and water resources
related to a watershed in the West Bank (of the Jordan River) in the Middle
East. With this research, I have spent two summers there in 5 week periods. A few summers ago I was excited to travel and do some research in Lebanon where one of the official languages is French. It is a beautiful place often called "the Swiss of the Middle East." The other travel highlight in the land of francophonie is a trip to France in the fall 2001. I visited with my parents who were there as part of my father's fall sabbatical at Paris VII as well as had a rendez-vous with two other French major alumnae at Calvin: Laura Huizenga and Chandra Pasma for a day in Paris. (They were studying in France that year in part fulfillment of their master's degrees).

Chandra Pasma (2001)
I'm currently working on finishing up my Masters in French at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, trying desperately to finish my thesis on time. It’s a study of French feminism through the lens of the parity debate, a fascinating topic, but a lot of pages to generate in a short amount of time. I'm also teaching a class on French culture, which is a mixed experience at the moment since there's so much anti-French sentiment, but it means that I get to talk a lot about two countries that Americans don't know nearly as much about as I think they should: France and Canada. One of the benefits of being at an American school is that I get to meet distinguished visiting Canadians, like Roch Carrier, who graciously signed my five dollar bill. I intend to pursue a Masters in Canadian government. I have a feeling I'll end up in Ottawa, there's no place like the capital for a future politician. After that, I'm thinking of a Ph.D. in political science, but we'll see how next year goes.

Laura Black (2001)
After spending last year traveling all over the Northwest with a traveling dinner theatre, I moved back to the Chicago area and found a teaching job in middle school French, Although I won’t have this job again next year, I plan to continue teaching in this area.

Laura Huizinga (2001)
In May, I will graduate from Bowling Green State University with an MA in French. I spent all of last year living in Tours, France. After graduating, I may look for a teaching job or a job working with a Study Abroad Program -on verra!

Liesje Konyndyk (2001)
I just finished my third year of teaching math and French at Loy Norrix High School in Kalamazoo. I plan to teach summer school this summer and then take a year of leave to go study in Paris next year. I will spend the year there finishing my Masters of Arts in French (which I began last summer at Middlebury College). After that...who knows!!

Funding for this newsletter was provided by the Calvin Alumni Association and the Department of French.