l`essor - pfmp - Professional French Masters Program

L’ESSOR
newsletter of the professional french masters program
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Volume 12, Issue 1
SPRING 2015
ALUMNI PROFILE : LILIANE CALFEE
Soleil Media founder talks creativity, her work and the PFMP
Liliane Calfee (MFS 2007, international
development) is President and Creative
Director of Soleil Media. She lives in
Chicago.
special points of interest
 Book reviews: French writers
process Charlie Hebdo and
freedom, female converts to Islam
share their hardships, and an
anonymous French soccer star tells
all
HOW DID THE PFMP HELP YOU
GET THERE ?
 Alumnae Liliane Calfee and Sarah
Craver talk about their work, their
career paths, and how the PFMP
helped them along the way
 Current Students and Alumni : what
are they doing now ?
in this issue
Alumni profile : Liliane Calfee
(Soleil Media)
1
PFMP Alumna Sarah Craver:
« Preschool, en français »
2
From the Director
3
Nouveaux livres : Je suis le footballeur
masqué
4
Current students & alumni
5
Nouveaux
Alumni
profile
livres: Nicole
: Nous D’Amour,
sommes on
working with America’s largest
Charlie
trading partner
6
Nouveaux
Alumni
profile
livres: Michelle
: Converties
Harrison, on
promoting Quebec in the Midwest
9
Beyond the classroom
9
WHAT DO YOU DO NOW FOR A LIVING ?
First and foremost, I’m a storyteller. Whether it’s filming
a documentary in Kenya or acting as editor in chief for
the most influential luxury wedding blog, my job is to
craft relevant and captivating content. About three years
ago, I decided to marry this love for “l’art de la communication” with the revolutionary power of the digital
world and my company, Soleil Media, was born!
I selected the PFMP because it was the
only program I found that combined my
two career interests: le français and
international development. My dream
was to travel the world and tackle the
roots of its disparities. Motivated to
draw out the most of my PFMP
experience, I chose to do two sixmonth internships. As fate would have
it, both while working in the immigrantrich projects of Paris and for the
French version of the Peace Corps in
West Africa, I was positioned in a communications role. It was also during
this mind-blowing year that I would
write my first blog, produce my first
documentary, and start my professional photography career.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST
CHALLENGES IN YOUR LINE OF
WORK THESE DAYS ?
The challenge is that the digital world
is a constantly evolving landscape. It
changes so rapidly! Luckily, I’m surrounded by a dynamic group of young
creatives and tech professionals who
(continued on p. 3)
Page 2
Preschool, en français
Author Sarah Craver (MFS
2009, media/arts/cultural
production, third from left),
with her colleagues at the
Club Nounours
How can bilingual
education initiatives
reach more of the
public sector?
How can French
language learning
be encouraged and
marketed to
skeptical audiences?
PFMP alumna Sarah Craver brings
her experience to the kids’ table
“Bonjour, Freddy! Ça va?” I ask in a bright, almost
exaggerated tone. It’s eight-thirty on a Monday
morning, and the coffee hasn’t quite kicked in yet.
The three-year-old standing before me offers a
nervous smile and gives a thumbs-up, removing
his winter gear and making his way into the
classroom. Books in French and English line the
shelves; posters in either one language or the
other adorn the walls. My co-teachers say Bonjour,
Freddy, ça va ce matin? as he enters the
classroom. Once his classmates have arrived and
school gets underway, Freddy and his friends will
sing songs at circle time such as “Bonjour,” “Il y a
du soleil,” and “Lundi, mardi, mercredi.” (All sung
to the tune, of course, of well-known children’s
songs.) In order to obtain snack, he will be instructed to ranger son tapis and trouver une place
à la table.
Freddy is one of my students at the bilingual
French-English school, Le Club Nounours, where I
have been a teacher since September 2014. It is
a well-known private preschool in the greater Boston area, serving a community of children with
many different cultural heritages. Our team at one
campus consists of fifteen staff members, most of
whom are 20- and 30-somethings: a delightful
collection of American Francophile nerds (like
myself), French expatriates, or citizens of other
Francophone countries. The school’s director hails
from Paris, but has lived in the U.S. for about thirty
-five years. In the classroom, French and English
intermingle, depending on the activity and the
week’s academic goals. The administrators and
teachers speak mostly in French to each other
throughout the day.
After focusing on arts and cultural production
within the PFMP, and with varied educational experiences in my past, I found myself in a very new
role at the Club Nounours. A bilingual preschool is
unique, even in the Francophone-rich Boston area;
yet after my own studies and learning more about
child development and psychology, bilingual education has become one of my passions. Learning a
second language at a very young age makes an
enormous amount of sense, both developmentally
and – for those parents who are so inclined –
professionally.
One of the most intriguing aspects of my position
is discovering the best ways to reinforce the children’s comprehension and retention of French
vocabulary. My colleagues and I often discuss this
over lunch: what are the most effective ways to get
such young students to understand, and even better, to speak French? As a first-year teacher, I am
still in an experimental phase and enjoy the opportunity to try different approaches. I choose to speak
French in discrete settings: at circle time, during
snack, getting ready at the beginning and end of the
day, in order to minimize confusion of the two languages. A dancer by training, I rely heavily on gestures and movements when speaking exclusively in
French. When a child follows my instructions in
French, or answers one of my questions accurately
(even if the response is in English), I feel a sense of
satisfaction. Comprehension is often the first skill
developed in second-language acquisition.
In addition to the daily challenges and victories of
a preschool, working at the Club Nounours brings up
larger questions: how can bilingual education initiatives reach more of the public sector? With
French programs decreasing in secondary-school
programs around the country, how can French
language learning be encouraged and marketed to
skeptical audiences? How do other academic
subjects, such as the arts, science, and math, pair
with and enhance second-language acquisition?
These questions are
typical fodder for
discussion with the
three other teachers on
my team. I bring my
PFMP and other Francophone experiences to
the table, constantly
seeking creative and
effective teaching
methods while helping
Freddy and his classmates move beyond
bonjour on a daily basis.
Sarah Craver, wearing one of her
many professional hats.
Volume 12, Issue 1
Page 3
Words, Work and Possibilities
In 2000, I was hired to run the University of
Wisconsin’s brand-new Professional French
Masters Program. I had held a Ph.D. in French
literature for six years. Until then, I had dealt
professionally in two commodities: grammar and
authors. The PFMP presented new possibilities
for academics and students in French… but
wouldn’t we still be teaching grammar and
authors?
Of course, but they would be different. And so
would the grad students. Not interested in teaching or studying authors for a living, the PFMPer
wanted to use his or her French outside
academia. The word “author” suddenly felt
different. For the first time, the noun was less
important than the verb.
So with my (then) brand-new fountain pen, I
wrote two words on a piece of paper, shielded it
from the elements, and posted it on my door—
where it stays today, above my name.
Author possibilities.
This is what our students and faculty, and now
our large community of alumni, have been doing
for our first fifteen years at Wisconsin. This is
what the PFMP is for.
What kind of possibilities does the PFMP
offer? If we meet, dear reader, and you ask me
this in person, I will suggest that you talk with one
of our students or alumni for the best answer to
your question. They know best.
I get a lot of inquires about the PFMP in a
typical week, throughout the year, and our
External Advisory Board (made up entirely of
program alumni) routinely ask to be in touch with
prospective students. It’s a devoted and
connected group. The possibilities that our
By Ritt Deitz
alumni have found over the years have long led to other
kinds: the possibilities created by those very alumni, as
they remain involved with our students in the world of
work and the professions. If you are reading this and
interested in learning more about how you might use
your French in work outside of traditional academia, get
ready to pick up the phone and ask someone who is
doing it.
Our tagline in recent years has been similarly simple:
Use Your French. The possibilities I see unfolding in our
students’ work, and our alumni’s lives, revolve around this
motto.
PFMPers define their work by it. They are advanced
French speakers of all kinds—Americans, mostly, with a
few regular exceptions—who are used to moving among
adult native speakers. Sometimes they are native speakers themselves. Either way, they are all interested in using
their French as part of their work lives, as part of their
careers, and French is what gets them there after their
master’s degree.
Bear this in mind as you read through L’Essor. In our
student and alumni stories, and the things we do in our
program, you’ll find French studies like you’ll see them
nowhere else. In an age of quickly-multiplying master’s
degrees of all kinds, it can seem like just about everyone
out there has a master’s degree of one kind or another.
So graduate students in French must ask themselves this:
“What do I want a master’s in French to do for me? What
do I want to do with it?”
“Authoring possibilities” means doing. How can you
can create those kinds of possibilities yourself, using your
French? This question is what guides our work in the
PFMP. Just ask one of our alumni.
Calfee, continued (from p. 1)
understand how to harness its potency and stay two
steps ahead of online trends.
WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR WORK WILL
ACCOMPLISH ?
The next big endeavor is to take my professional skills
and apply them to the hankerings of my heart. Here in
Chicago, the South Side’s ghettos mimic some of the
most broken and impoverished places on the globe.
Similar to the development successes I’ve seen
abroad, I want to put the focus on the community of
young women and girls. My hope is to start an intensive
summer media camp that provides an opportunity for
girls from all over the city to come together, share
their stories (and their differences) through photography and film. The end goal is to offer an
outlet that fuels self esteem, creativity, and ultimately serves to usher in a group of strong, compassionate women leaders.
ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR PROSPECTIVE
STUDENTS CONSIDERING THE PFMP ?
A master’s degree doesn’t mean what it used to.
Therefore, a program that specifically caters to
your professional development will definitely give
(continued on p. 4)
Director, PFMP
Author possibilities :
this is what our
students, faculty and
alumni do. This is
what the PFMP is for.
My hope is to start
an intensive summer
media camp that
provides an opportunity for girls
from all over the city
to come together and
share their stories
through photography
and film.
Page 4
Calfee, continued (from p. 3)
It’s on you to get
the most out of the
opportunities you’re
offered.
Rock your
internship.
Liliane Calfee on location
in Southeastern Kenya,
shooting a documentary
for Health by Motorbike.
you an edge. But it’s on
you to get the absolute
most out of the opportunities you’re offered.
Rock your internship.
Embrace all opportunities to learn, even if it
feels totally irrelevant.
And most importantly,
network, network, network!
Nouveaux livres : Vive le foot professionnel ?
par Sarah Matier
(business)
Il est trop facile
d’oublier que ce sont
des êtres humains,
pas de simples
robots programmés
pour nous diverter.
Sarah Matier
ANONYME. Je suis le footballeur masqué : dans
les coulisses du foot français. Paris : Hugo & Cie,
2015. ISBN : 9782755617832. 223p. 16,50€.
Beckham, Gerrard, Zlatan : tous ces grands
joueurs de foot ont leur propre (auto)biographie,
dans laquelle ils racontent leur vie de footballeur
tant sur le terrain qu’en dehors. Est-il donc vraiment nécessaire d’inonder le marché avec un
autre livre révélateur sur ce sport, surtout si on
n’en connaît pas l’auteur ?
En fait, c’est exactement cet anonymat qui
est le point fort de Je suis le footballeur masqué.
En restant sans nom, l’auteur donne plus l’impression que ce qu’il dit est la vérité, pas seulement une version édulcorée qui a pour but de
susciter plus d’admiration.
L’auteur est franc ; dès fois il est très cruel. Il
n’hésite pas à exprimer son aversion pour un
ancien coéquipier ou un entraineur. Il dit ce qu’il
pense, et cette sincérité est vraiment rafraîchissante.
Bien sûr, si on parle foot, on parle aussi argent. Il y a un consensus global, même parmi
les plus grands fans de foot, que les footballeurs
sont trop bien payés. Et il est vrai, beaucoup
d’entre eux ont un salaire exorbitant ; l’auteur
n’essaie pas de le cacher. Loin de là, il réserve
tout un chapitre pour expliquer le système des
salaires, des primes, et des clauses de contrat, y
compris « des milliers d’abus qui découlent de
ces clauses » (142). Néanmoins, si l’auteur ne
réussit qu’à communiquer une seule idée au
lecteur, c’est que la plus grosse difficulté qu’a
un footballeur est qu’il n’est vu que comme une
marchandise. Il constate que, aux yeux du ma-
nagement, « le joueur
est une action. Rentable ou pas »(130).
De cela, l’auteur
réussit à humaniser
les footballeurs. Il
est trop facile d’oublier que ce sont
aussi des êtres humains, pas de
simples robots programmés pour nous
divertir. Oui, ils sont
bien compensés
pour leur travail, mais leur vie n’est guère facile ni
enviable, surtout pour ceux qui n’ont jamais cherché la notoriété. La pression sous laquelle jouent
ces athlètes est énorme : il faut toujours gagner,
toujours bien jouer, et toujours garder sa place
parmi les onze « starters ». Si ces athlètes finissent
leur carrière avant leur 35ième anniversaire, ce n’est
pas seulement à cause de leur forme physique
épuisée – leur état mental a souffert aussi.
Alors la prochaine fois qu’il verra Olivier Giroud
faire une crise puérile sur le terrain après un but
manqué, le lecteur de ce livre réagira avec un peu
plus de compassion. Peut-être.
Après une expérience exceptionnelle,
Sarah Matier (business) vient de finir son
stage PFMP à Loko Sport Événements, à
Niort (France). Elle présentera son projet
de fin de parcours en mai, après quoi elle
aimerait travailler dans le domaine du
sport international.
Volume 12, Issue 1
Page 5
Current Students & Alumni
Jamie Adler (MFS 2014, international education)
is finishing up her first school year as a study
abroad advisor at the College of Wooster. It has
been an exciting year getting to know nervous
prospective study abroad students, and helping
them out in all stages of their journeys. She is
also gearing up for her "European Tour" where
she will visit six programs across Europe this
summer, including some in France.
Sarah Moore Allen (MFS 2009, media/arts/
cultural production) has left her position as Associate Director of Technical Writing and Marketing/
International Business Subject Matter Expert at
AT&T and moved with her family to Seattle, Washington. A stay-at-home mom, Sarah can finally
focus more on creative writing and on becoming
involved in the Alliance Française de Seattle.
LEFT: 2015 International Women’s Day planning committee, including PFMPers Kirstie Yu (second from left, back row) and Sarah
Schwartz (far right, front row). RIGHT: PFMP international development student and lead bowler Michelle Ziarko with PFMP tuteurs and
fellow PFMP student Sarah Schwartz (international ed.)
Ali Barger
(business) a obtenu son B.A. en littérature française à Cornell University dans l'état de New York
en 2013. Elle s’intéresse au commerce international, et particulièrement à la finance.
Shannon (Takacs) Becker (MFS 2008, media/
arts/cultural production) has just defended her
doctoral dissertation in French at Purdue University and has been hired as an Assistant Professor
of French Linguistics at Northern Illinois
University.
John Brunner (MFS 2012, business) is Midwest
Food & Beverage Trade Advisor for
Business France in Chicago. He
recently organized a trade tasting,
at which 15 Rhone Valley vineyards
met over 70 American importers
and distributors, in hopes of developing business in the Midwest.
John also led a partnership between Business France and the For
the Love of Chocolate Foundation
of the French Pastry School of Chicago. The partnership brought 4
producers of crémant wine to Chicago, pairing their wines with 20
local bakeries and pastry chefs at
the Foundation’s annual gala.
Kathleen Campbell (éducation internationale)
termine son stage au sein du Service des Partenariats Internationaux à ESCP Europe en juillet
2015. En ce moment elle profite bien de sa vie
parisienne et elle commence à chercher du trav(continued on page 6)
Ali Barger (business)
Erin Edwards is a
Communications
Consultant at The
MATCH International
Women’s Fund in
Ottawa, Ontario.
L-R: PFMP students Barbara Jedele,
Brynn Powell, Jonathan Gatke,
Stephanie Olson, Angela Bublitz,
Joshua Marris, and Sarah Schwartz, at
the annual Department of French and
Italian picnic.
Page 6
NOUVEAUX LIVRES : après Charlie Hebdo
COLLECTIF. Nous sommes Charlie : 60 écrivains
unis pour la liberté d’expression. Paris : Le Livre
de Poche, 2015. ISBN : 978-225308733. 168p.
5 €.
Cet ouvrage cherche à
rendre hommage à ceux
qui sont morts au nom de
la liberté, et à affirmer
que la liberté d’expression
demeurera une pierre
maîtresse de la
France laïque.
Suite à la tuerie du 7 janvier survient un livre qui
présente de nombreuses perspectives sur ces
tristes événements. Nous sommes Charlie : 60
écrivains unis pour la liberté d’expression invite
le lecteur à réfléchir au sens de cette attaque et
à la valeur de la liberté d’expression et de
presse.
L’objectif de ce livre est de mener lui-même
son « combat » contre ceux qui assassinent « la
liberté de penser et de créer ». Ainsi les auteurs
de ce recueil constituent les soldats de première
ligne, et le fil conducteur qui passe parmi les
textes met en relief l’importance et la nécessité
de la liberté d’expression. Selon Jean-Louis Fournier, « On a le droit de ne pas apprécier Charlie
Hebdo… » (70) ; Caroline Fourest s’est notée que
la publication Étude des jésuites a publié les
caricatures de Charlie Hebdo en signe d’hommage. La réaction des millions de Français et
d’autres pays est celle de la solidarité et de la
compassion.
A première vue, j’attendais un vif débat sur la
question des valeurs républicaines, des limites
(suite à la page 11)
Current Students & Alumni (continued from page 5)
ail dans ce domaine aux Etats-Unis, au Brésil et
en France.
Sarah Craver (MFS 2012, média / arts / production culturelle) est professeure au Club Nounours,
une école maternelle bilingue français-anglais à
Newton, MA, près de Boston. Danseuse, elle développe en même temps un organisme artistique
pour réunir artistes francophones et anglophones
dans des résidences professionnelles.
Erin Edwards (MFS 2010, international development) is a Communications Consultant at The
MATCH International Women's Fund in Ottawa,
Ontario. The MATCH Fund supports grassroots
women's rights organizations in the global south.
PFMP students celebrate at one of
Madison’s many music festivals
(Fall 2014)
Après sept années en France, Ethan Footlik (MFS
2008, EU Affairs) s'est installé à México, où il
travaille en tant que traducteur indépendent et
apprend l'espagnol.
(continued on page 7)
Jessica Dean (business), right, and colleague,
during Jessica’s Fall 2014 internship at French
advertising agency Nouvelle Cour (Paris/La
Courneuve)
Volume 12, Issue 1
Page 7
Current
(continued from page 6)
Julia Grawemeyer (MFS 2008, media/arts/
cultural production) teaches French at Kenyon College and Otterbein University in
Ohio, as well as English as a Second Language to immigrants in Columbus. She also
translates romance novels for a French
publisher with, as she calls them, her network of French-language ''coqu-editors.''
TOP: Ashley Herrick (MFS 2013, business) and friend, on a recent Frenchimmersion paddle excursion she organized in Louisiana
BOTTOM: Mary Beth Lambert (MFS 2007, EU affairs), in visor and glasses, with
members of her running group in Paris last summer
Laura Gross (MFS 2012, media/arts/
cultural production) is currently in her third
year as Operations Manager for the Children's Chorus of Washington in Washington, DC. She is helping young singers with a
French-themed season of music in preparation for a ten-day tour in France this summer. She is organizing a gala for the Children's Chorus at the French Embassy this
spring and is looking forward to hearing the
children sing in many well-known cathedrals
in Northern France during their tour.
Bryan Hammerquist (Business, 2011) is
Technical Account Manager at SendGrid, an
email services provider based in Boulder,
CO, where he interacts with accounts from
North America and Europe. Outside of work,
he makes sure to take advantage of Colorado's ample opportunities involving the outdoors, craft beer, tech and French.
Ashley Herrick (business 2013), assistant
director for the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area, spends her days exploring the
unique cultures, landscapes and natural
resources that make up America’s Foreign
Country. She recently organized the first
public French-immersion-focused paddle
trip in Louisiana and has already received
requests for more. Ashley also works with
the French American Chamber of Commerce and is the co-founder of Francopportunités, a Baton Rouge-based grass-roots
initiative to live, work and play en français
in Louisiana.
Nicholas Hitch (business) travaille depuis
mars 2015 pour Canac, une entreprise
québécoise de quincaillerie située dans la
région de Québec. En tant que traducteur et
réviseur linguistique, il s'occupe de la traduction du site web ainsi que de la rédaction et de la révision des textes en français
(continued on page 8)
Page 8
Current Students & Alumni (continued from page 7)
et anglais. L'entreprise est en train d’élargir son marché jusqu'à Montréal, où leur clientèle sera bilingue.
Barbara Jedele (éducation internationale, 2015) fait actuellement son
stage à l'Agence Erasmus+ à Bordeaux. Elle travaille sur la revue scientifique de l'Agence ainsi que sur une enquête nationale auprès des
universités françaises.
Melanie Kathan (MFS 2014, media/arts/cultural production) works at
Rhapsody Arts Center, a music school in Verona, Wisconsin, where she
contributes to communications, marketing, and event-planning efforts. She is also a free-lance editor and French tutor in the Madison
area.
Ashley Koerner (MFS 2013, éducation internationale) est conseillère
aux étudiants internationaux à la Madison English as a Second Language School (MESLS), au Wisconsin.
Mary Beth Lambert (MFS 2007, EU affairs) works at the U.S. Department of State in the Community Relations Division, Passport Services. Her current portfolio includes managing Passport Services' website and social media platforms and directly supporting 7 passport
agencies (out of 29) with their outreach needs. Her French language
background served her well last summer, when she served 6 weeks in
the consular section at the U.S. Embassy in Paris, adjudicating nonimmigrant visas and conducting interviews in French.
Patrick Malarkey (MFS 2013, international development) was recently
hired by Population Services International (PSI) as a Program Coordinator for West and Central Africa. He supports two countries, Benin
and Guinea, across a wide variety of programs and needs. Passionate
for all things "development," he looks forward to deepening his
knowledge of worldwide development mechanisms, particularly in how
they are deployed in the Francophone world and is excited to be afforded the opportunity to travel to those areas and see the work
firsthand.
Jackie Mauer (MFS 2013, international development)
(continued on page 10)
YOUR GIFT SUPPORTS PFMP STUDENTS
The generosity of PFMP alumni and other donors has allowed us to create important scholarships for PFMP students. These gifts directly
help our students defray important living expenses, both in Madison and while they do their internships abroad.
DONATE ONLINE.
It’s easy—go to https://secure.supportuw.org/MultiPage/processStep1.do, and make sure to
type "Professional French Masters Program Support Fund" in the "Designation” box.
TO MAKE A GIFT BY CHECK:
please make your check payable to the University of Wisconsin Foundation, write
"Professional French Masters Program Support Fund" in the memo line and send to:
MERCI
University of Wisconsin Foundation
U.S. Bank Lockbox
P.O. Box 78807
Milwaukee, WI 53278-0807
Volume 12, Issue 1
Page 9
Nouveaux livres : Que veut dire convertir ?
RIVA, VIRGINIE. Converties. Paris : Seuil,
2015. ISBN : 978-2021180671 . 188p. 17 €.
Dans son nouveau livre, la journaliste et
spécialiste de religion Virginie Riva présente
onze portraits de Françaises anonymes et
converties à l’islam. Toutes poursuivent différemment leur chemin. A travers ces « portraits », Riva souligne le processus de conversion, les difficultés rencontrées, et la réalité
d’une convertie française. Elle nous montre
que la conversion n’est pas uniquement une
question de religion, mais d’identité. Cette
nouvelle identité comprend des changements:
de prénom, de vêtements (y compris l’adoption du voile), d’hygiène personnelle, de régime et même de son propre corps. Parmi les
conséquences de la conversion : du stress au
travail et la désapprobation de la famille.
Riva écrit sans porter jugement. L’islam, la
deuxième religion en France, reste une
énigme. Le Bureau des Cultes ne dispose
officiellement d’aucune statistique sur le nombre de conversions; ceci n’est pas étonnant
car la majorité des conversions ne sont pas
officialisées par les mosquées.
Qui sont ces femmes? Après une enfance
difficile et sans religion, Assia se convertit
moins de six mois après la rencontre avec son
futur mari. Son désir de participer au Ramadan est le catalyseur de sa conversion. Pour
Assia, la religion catholique est « déformée »certaines fêtes venant d’un mélange de traditions chrétiennes et païennes. Pour Assia,
l’islam vient dans la continuité des prophètes
et permet donc à ses pratiquants de vivre leur
foi. Pour Assia, la laïcité française cible surtout les musulmans. Lorsqu’il faut voter, c’est
sa religion qui la guide : elle a préféré les
Beyond the Classroom
par Kourtney J.A. Knop
Verts, qui avaient proposé d’intégrer deux
nouveaux jours fériés pour l’Aïd el-Kebir et
Kippour.
Après un mois passé au Maroc avec sa
famille musulmane, Claire, psychologue et
féministe, choisit elle aussi l’islam. Le
catholicisme, avec les concepts de la
Trinité et de l’eucharistie, ne l’a pas convaincue. Elle décide de porter le voile non
seulement par pudeur, mais aussi comme
obligation envers Dieu. Elle appartient à Al
Houda, une association de femmes musulmanes, et milite contre la loi du 15 mars
2004 en déclarant le port du voile un «
droit fondamental ». Claire appelle cette loi
« raciste » ; selon Riva, Claire oublie que le
voile met directement en question la
laïcité, élément fondamental de l’identité
française.
Riva semble très consciente de la responsabilité qu’elle a envers ses sujets.
Malgré des discussions difficiles, le lecteur
n’est jamais autorisé à juger ces « converties ». A la fin du roman, on a toujours
beaucoup de questions à propos du rôle
de la religion dans la société. Bien que la
religion soit une affaire personnelle, comment la société devrait-t-elle réagir quand
la religion se plante dans l'arène publique?
L’islam est-il compatible avec les valeurs
de la République française?
Kourtney J.A. Knop (MFS 2003, affaires
européennes) est avocate à Wilmington
(Delaware), où elle travaille, entre autres,
pour défendre les victimes du trafic
humain.
Selected recent events on campus
DEJEUNER DU PRINTEMPS PFMP. Featured speaker: French journalist Clara Schmelck (journaliste
médias et rédactrice-en-chef adjointe, Intégrales Mag, Paris). "Attentats terroristes et 'valeurs
républicaines': comment comprendre le fondamentalisme français?"
Free film screening: "On n'est pas des marques de vélo" with documentary filmmaker Jean-Pierre
Thorn. An emerging hip-hop artist, Bouda is deported from France to Tunisia, then illegally returns to
his home in a banlieue of Paris.
International Studies Workshop. Focusing on steps you can take now to transition smoothly into the job
market.
In Defense of Anthropology: The Colonialism Canard. Herbert Lewis, Anthropology. Part of Anthropology
Colloquium Series.
Info session: International Journalism and Marketing Internships.
In addition to a full
schedule of graduate
courses, PFMP students
attend activities
related to their academic
work and interests
throughout the semester.
UW-Madison offers
hundreds of talks and
events every semester.
Most events are free, and
the public is welcome.
Page 10
Current Students & Alumni
(continued from page 8)
Megan Maley (MFS 2005, EU
affairs) just celebrated 10
years working at Nike. She
began her Nike career at
Nike France in 2005
and worked there for 4 years
before moving to London,
Amsterdam, and back in to
London again for her current
role of Marketplace Transformation Director. She and her
fiancé Nikolaus are getting
married in June.
L-R: Department Chair and
PFMP Faculty Co-Director Gilles
Bousquet, PFMP student
Barbara Jedele, and Aix
Marseille Université President
Yvon Berland
Stephanie researched
women’s socioeconomic
activities in Cameroon’s
model forests, the difficulties they face there,
and how their
participation in
women’s cooperatives
helps provide new
opportunities.
Joshua Marris (business) est actuellement en
stage à Paris chez INIT Marketing, un institut
d'études qui se spécialise dans la satisfaction
client. Il espère appliquer ces compétences
après, dans le domaine vinicole.
Students at the annual (Fall) picnic of the Department
of French and Italian, following the annual French vs.
Italian soccer match.
ness) is a project manager at Newedge, now
owned 100% by Société Generale. She lives in
Chicago.
Kristi Martin (MFS 2011, business) is a Strategy
Manager at the digital startup RadiumOne in Chicago, where she manages the sales planning
team across the Midwest and Canada. One of her
ongoing projects includes helping grow the Quebec business and continuing to working with clients such as Telus, Toyota and Chrysler.
Kelley (Swanlund) Patriat (MFS 2013, international education) is Assistant Director of Admissions and Administration at the Global Language Institute in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Jackie Mauer (MFS 2013, international development) has spent this winter and spring in Guatemala developing an after-school program and
training local women in pedagogy for Konojel, a
small non-profit addressing on nutritional and
educational needs in the community of San Marcos la Laguna.
Stephanie Olson (international development) has
just finished her PFMP internship at the Réseau
africain de forêts modèles
(RAFM) in Cameroon, where
she researched women's
socioeconomic activities in
the model forests, the difficulties women there face,
and how their participation in
women's cooperatives helps
them surmount these difficulties and provide new opportunities. She is particularly interested in how the support of women's development in these rural areas can also support conservation efforts to protect biodiversity in the Congo Basin.
Zoe Plaugher (MFS 2009, international development) is working on a Master of Social Work
at The Catholic University of America. For the
past nine months, Zoe has worked with lowincome immigrant survivors of gender-based
violence as an intern at Ayuda, in Washington,
D.C., where she has been grateful to put her
French skills to use.
(continued on page 11)
Lisa Parisi (MFS 2006, busiKristi Martin (in blue), with her regional VP and
Montreal colleagues at the Quebec RadiumOne
launch party.
Alumna Mandi Schoville (MFS 2005, international education)
promoting French at a local International Day.
Volume 12, Issue 1
Current Students & Alumni
Page 11
relations and high politics.
(continued from page 10)
Elena (Potanos) Robbins (MFS 2013, international development) is Administrative Manager at
Jewish Social Services of Madison, Wisconsin.
She works on promotion of the organization to
media outlets and assists with immigration workshops, particularly the expanding Francophone
clientele. Elena lives in Madison with her husband, Sean, and daughter, Coraline.
Mandi Schoville (Education, MFS 2005). Mandi is
in her third year working as Liaison Stage for the
Professional French Masters Program. She recently represented France at International Day at
Elm Lawn Elementary School, teaching students about French language and culture.
Peebles Squire (MFS 2013, international development) is in-house writer and content manager at
Securing America’s Future Energy in Washington,
D.C. While his French is currently best put to use
reading up on oil giant Total S.A., he is happy to
be back in his favorite milieu of international
Nicole Udriot (MFS 2013, business) has left her
position as Consular/Administrative Assistant at
the Swiss Consulate in Atlanta and is now the new
Marketing and Communications Director at the
Alliance Française d’Atlanta.
This January, Kate Williams (MFS 2013, international development) joined Broadreach fulltime as International Education Coordinator. Kate
is thrilled to use her language, travel, and teaching background to custom design international
education opportunities for middle school, high
school, and college groups. Kate's current projects span Latin America, Europe, Asia, and The
Caribbean; but she's especially excited about
upcoming educational travel in Guadeloupe where
she relies on her French language skills to communicate with local partners and introduce students to la francophonie. Currently based in Asheville, NC, Kate welcomes visitors to come explore
the gorgeous Appalachian highlands.
Kate Williams, leading a group of
students in the French Alps last
summer
Charlie (suite de la page 6)
présumées de la liberté d’expression en ce qui
concerne les croyances religieuses, et ainsi de
suite. En réalité, ce livre n’a pas intérêt à s’immiscer dans un débat national sur la laïcité. Tant
mieux. Selon les auteurs, il n’est pas question de
si Charlie Hebdo avait jeté de l’huile au feu ; cet
ouvrage cherche à rendre hommage à ceux qui
sont morts au nom de la liberté, et à affirmer que
la liberté d’expression demeurera une pierre
maîtresse de la France laïque.
Bien que ce livre n’ait guère envie de se lancer
dans le débat, on y note deux sous-thèmes assez
sérieux : en premier, une discussion des motivations des assassins. Deuxièmement : un effort de
cerner l’identité des assassins—est-ce qu’ils sont
« des nôtres », des Français ? Ou sont-ils devenus
à un moment donné, au cours de leur radicalisation, des gens « autres », des étrangers, des inconnus pour qui la République n’a pas de place ?
Ailleurs, sur d’autres thèmes, les écrivains ne
sont pas tous d’accord sur l’interprétation des
événements. Alors que l’un critique tous les fanatismes et la perversion de la religion, d’autres,
comme Laurent Binet critique la croyance en Dieu
lui-même—« Il n’y a qu’un seul Dieu, et il n’existe
pas » (17).
La richesse de ce livre est assez paradoxale :
soixante écrivains, avec leurs poèmes, leurs histoires, leurs pensées, et leurs hommages, offrent
des textes à la fois énormément diverses en esprit et unis pour une seule cause noble et juste :
la liberté de penser, de créer.
Ces assassins sont-ils
« des nôtres », des
Français ? Ou sont-ils
devenus à un moment
donné des gens « autres »,
des étrangers, des
inconnus pour qui la
République n’a pas de
place?
Alec Niedermaier (MFS 2011, développement
international) travaille en assurance qualité et
informatique chez BestMark, Inc., une entreprise d’études de marché. Il passe son temps à
apprendre de nouveaux langages informatiques (php, css, python), à apprécier les
pièces de théâtre de Corneille, et à coordonner
son mariage avec sa fiancée ce juin dans le
Minnesota. Il habite à Washington, D.C.
L’ESSOR
Newsletter of the Professional French Masters Program
Professional French Masters Program
University of Wisconsin-Madison
618 Van Hise Hall
1220 Linden Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Tel: 608-262-4090
Fax: 608-265-3892
E-mail: [email protected]
@ThePFMP
http://pfmp.wisc.edu
PFMPers at a Madison dinner
given in honor of the Aix
Marseille Université
presidential delegation in
Madison, October 2014.
L-R:
Students Angela Bublitz,
Barbara Jedele (international
education), Jonathan Gatke
(international development),
alumni Annique Kiel (MFS
2004, international education) and Christopher
Beaver (MFS 2005, EU affairs)
The University of Wisconsin-Madison Professional French Masters Program is an interdisciplinary master’s degree program for
college graduates who want to use their French to build careers outside the academic classroom. The PFMP has concentrations in
business, French education, international education, European Union affairs, international development and media/arts/cultural
production, all culminating in a personalized professional internship abroad and a professional portfolio. We also offer the
Capstone Certificate of Professional French Studies, which includes partial master’s coursework and the full internship in all
six concentration areas.