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‘Hyeres’ To Studying Abroad in France

July 05, 2009 7:00 AM

 

Justin Kruger, left, and Prof. Catherine Lewis in Hyeres, France. (Kyle Kalotschke)
 
ABC News On Campus reporter Kyle Kalotschke blogs:

A group of students were sitting by the ruins of a 13th century castle in France, panting heavily after the long, steep hike to get there. After catching their breath, they took out notebooks and began to write thoughts about what they observed, be it the ruins or the panoramic view of the town.

These students weren’t there for fun, though. They were there for a creative writing class.

“We met at an old church one day, and we’re meeting at the beach on Monday,” said Kaitlyn Shumelda, a sophomore creative writing major at Purchase College, a SUNY school in Westchester County, N.Y. “They are real hotspots for inspiration.”

Tanya DeNoon, a junior French major at the University of Buffalo, added, “When you’re in a classroom, you’re forced to think. When you’re outside, you have an open mind.”

The group is studying creative writing as part of Purchase College’s Study Abroad program. For each class, Professor Catherine Lewis takes the students to different areas in Hyeres, a small town on the French Riviera. Students then use these experiences to create stories based on different themes, including nature and silence.

Lewis, a professor of creative writing at Purchase since 1997, has taught in Hyeres three times.

I like the way she wants us to use setting as a character,” said Jamielynn Seguine, a junior philosophy major at Purchase. “It shows things in a different light and helps us create better stories.”

Shumelda added, “I like how she takes the time to meet with us individually and help guide us. She’s accommodating to people with different writing styles and different experience levels too.”

The Purchase study abroad program, led by Naomi Holoch, a retired French professor, has been going to France for 10 years. Students spend four weeks in palm-lined Hyeres living with a host family while taking classes. They then spend the last five days visiting Paris. When the program was first offered, only 10 or 11 students came on the trip. This year, 21 students are part of the program and a maximum of 28 were able to go.

“The opportunity to live with a family lets you be more than a tourist,” Lewis said. “The total cultural immersion that takes place wouldn’t be possible in a hotel.”

In addition to creative writing, the students are taking French classes in the morning at ELFCA, a French language school in Hyeres. After taking a short exam, students are placed into classes based on their skill level. In these classes students use different exercises, including watching video clips, listening to French songs and reading news articles, to develop their abilities.

“It’s useful for me,” said Justin Kruger, a recent graduate from the University of Buffalo. “The classes have helped me remember things I learned in French class in high school.”

The program also offers journalism courses this year. Journalism students are taking a regional reporting class and writing stories about social and political topics in France.

At lunchtime, the day after the trip to the castle, Seguine thought more about what she observed at the ruins while enjoying her sandwich. After a brief pause she said, “It was beautiful. A class like that really adds to my learning experience.”

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