Kansai University Professor Keiko Ikeda (left) welcomed Professor Philip Ngyuen (center) and Clemson University Professor Kumiko Saito (right) to IIGE in preparation for their Fall 2019 “Business and Japanese People” COIL collaboration. Photo courtesy of IIGE.
Kumiko Saito, assistant professor of Japanese, visited Kansai University’s International Plaza and Institute for Innovative Global Education (IIGE) on June 11, 2019 to discuss plans for Kansai and Clemson’s new collaborative endeavor in international virtual and physical exchange. Her trip was made possible thanks to a Global Learning Seed Grant awarded by Clemson’s Office of Global Engagement. Kansai University is a private university located in Osaka, Japan.
Saito will teach a new course on business and Japan starting in the Fall 2019 semester in which 6-8 weeks of virtual exchange, known as COIL (collaborative online international learning), will be embedded. During the COIL period, students will collaborate online with students at Kansai University to learn about Japanese business and management through hands-on experiences.
Students who wish to expand this virtual exchange to on-site experiential learning in Japan will be able to participate in “Clemson in Japan,” a new short-term summer program at Kansai University which Saito will start in Summer 2020. This summer program, open to all Clemson students, will include an intensive Japanese course and optional internship in Japan. Students who enroll in the COIL course in Fall 19 and participate in the summer program in 2020 will be awarded a JASSO scholarship, which pays approximately $800/month toward expenses in Japan thanks to IIGE’s support.
Professor of French Eric Touya. Photo courtesy of Clemson University Relations.
CLEMSON – Professor of French Eric Touya came to Clemson 11 years ago from the “south-west of the south-west of France,” somewhere between Dax and Bayonne, near the birthplace of Vincent de Paul and Maurice Ravel, and not very far from illustrious authors and thinkers like Montaigne and Montesquieu. It’s about as far away from South Carolina, geographically and culturally, as one can get—but Touya has made it his life’s work to bring those two worlds together and show his students the Earth is much smaller than we imagine.
“Eric Touya brings to Clemson the best of the philological and enlightened European traditions of thought. It is a tradition of research and teaching rooted in the evolution of ideas and the inalienable concept of citizenship,” said Salvador Oropesa, chair of Clemson’s Department of Languages. “The idea is that we, students and professors, are citizens of the world, with rights and duties; we learn from the past to make a better future. Dr. Touya has been a champion of the Language & International Trade program because it puts together the humanities and the ethical creation of wealth to make a better world.”
Touya researches and teaches the French language and 19th-21st century Francophone culture (cultures shared by groups of French-speaking people from different areas) and literature courses. He emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches to literature, art, theory, ethics and society in his extensive list of classes. Some of the courses he offers include studies in French literature and theater that introduce students to authors like Proust, Sartre, Camus and Simone de Beauvoir. His “Contemporary French Civilization” class invites students to approach the social, cultural and political issues that define France in the 21st century. He also teaches a “Francophone Women Authors” class that examines the works of women authors, characters, themes, genres and movements in Francophone literature, and “French Feminism and Theory” in which he explores the works of major figures of French feminism such as Monique Wittig, Hélène Cixous, Julia Kristeva and Luce Irigaray.
“I enjoy the interaction with the students who are curious learners, and eager to examine through literature major philosophical and political questions but also explore cultures and modes of thoughts different from their own,” said Touya. “I am particularly interested in the progress each student can make and I like to impart to them a certain rigor and a sense of enjoyment.”
While he loves bringing French language and culture to his students in the classroom, his favorite thing is bringing the classroom across the ocean to France.
“A defining moment for me was when I began to co-lead in 2010 with Col. Lance S. Young the ‘Paris-Normandy program’ through which Clemson students revisit the journey of American soldiers during WWII in Normandy, Paris and Northern France,” he said. “I felt a bond with the students as an American, even though I am originally from France, as we reflected on the past and paid homage to Clemson students who now rest in Normandy and gave their lives for the liberation of my native country and the world.”
Touya continues to lead groups of American students to France every summer, offering them the opportunity to learn about their country’s and world history “but also about themselves.”
In his free time Touya enjoys the beauty of Clemson’s campus, and of nearby wilderness areas like Table Rock Park. He received his D.E.A. in Comparative Literature at the Université de Paris IV, Sorbonne, and his Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Chicago. He received the John B. & Thelma A. Gentry Award for Teaching Excellence in the Humanities in 2012 and the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Service in 2017. His most recent book is Simone de Beauvoir: le combat au féminin (Paris: Presses Universitaires de France/Humensis, 2019).
(From L-R) CAAH Dean Richard Goodstein, Destanee Douglas, and Languages Department Chair Salvador Oropesa. Photo courtesy of Clemson University.
The following students were honored at the annual College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities (CAAH) awards ceremony on April 12 at the Brooks Center for the Performing Arts:
Joey Martinek, Award for Excellence in Spanish
Katrina Killinger, Japan-America Association of South Carolina (JAASC) Award for Excellence in Japanese
Harrison Kerr, Clemson Chinese Laoshi Award for Best Beginner
Matthew Hagan, Joan Bridgwood Award for Excellence in Russian
Destanee Douglas, Language and International Health Award for Excellence
Katie Ann L. Day, Jordan A. Dean, Sr. Annual Award in French Studies
Bennett Andrew Maeres, Draexlmaier Language Award for Excellence in German
Mari Lentini, Patricia Walker Wannamaker Language and International Trade Award for Highest Merit
FPS members Sheridan Cofer, Mari Lentini, Anna-Caroline Bridgeman, and Kelly Burns (far end of table) with the French-American Chamber of Commerce of the Carolinas at a networking event in Greer. Photo courtesy of Mari Lentini.
French:
The French Professional Society (FPS) is a pre-professional society for students with a strong interest and background in French and/or French-American relations that wish to apply these interests to their career. FPS meets monthly as a club as well as informally with individual members who want to learn more about the opportunities available to French L&IT/L&IH majors. Meetings throughout the semester focus on professional development and aim to introduce and inform members about study abroad, internships, and career paths.
FPS member Kelly Burns (right) at the Language and International Business Conference. Photo courtesy of Mari Lentini.
The Spring 2019 semester began with a joint meeting with the Clemson French Club where students learned from the editor of the on-campus international affairs magazine, The Pendulum, about the opportunity to write an article of an international affairs topic of their choosing, experience the research and editing process, and become published in a magazine. As part of the Language and International Trade Council, FPS helped to plan and develop the 2019 Language and International Business Conference. The society also strengthened its relationship with the French-American Chamber of Commerce of the Carolinas (FACCC) and partnered with them for a networking night in Greer and attended FACCC networking nights in Columbia. At these events, FPS members connected with French Language and International Trade alumni and American and French business associates in the upstate region.
The incoming 2019-2020 FPS President is Mary Veideman. More information is available on the FPS Facebook page.
Sigma Delta Pi 2019 induction ceremony. Photo courtesy of Anna Whitfield.
Spanish:
The Iota Phi Chapter of Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, hosted its annual induction ceremony on March 2nd in The Brown Room of Cooper Library. Six new members were inducted. During the ceremony, Angelica Werth gave a presentation about her experience studying abroad in Córdoba, Argentina. The event was organized by chapter sponsor Rosa Pillcurima, lecturer of Spanish.
Students at a roundtable discussion. Photo courtesy of Clemson University.
The Department of Languages hosted the annual Language and International Business Conference (formerly the Language and International Trade Conference) on March 13 in the Hendrix Student Center. The conference provides leadership opportunities to students of foreign languages, promotes awareness of international businesses in Upstate South Carolina, and gives students networking and job opportunities. The theme of this year’s event was “applying language in the global marketplace.” The 2019 conference included a keynote speech by Justin Prescott, a Clemson alumnus and Senior Consultant at Ernst and Young in Tokyo; a panel discussion with Chamber of Commerce members; and a roundtable discussion with Clemson students and international business leaders.
The Declamation awards ceremony in Tillman Hall. (Photo courtesy of Clemson University.)
On October 27, 2018, the Department of Languages hosted the 46th Annual Declamation Contest. This poetry recitation contest brings together middle- and high-school students from the region, who come to the Clemson campus for the day to show off their language skills. This year, 485 students from 31 middle and high schools in South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina registered to compete in ASL, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Russian and Spanish. Clemson students also volunteered to set up, help with registration and parking, supervise contest rooms in Daniel Hall, and lead campus tours. The campus tours were a new offering this year, with approximately 80 contestants and their families participating.
Some members of the Declamation Committee. From L-R, Anne Salces y Nedeo, Amy Sawyer, Su-I Chen, Julia Schmidt, and Dolores Martín. (Photo courtesy of Clemson University.)
Competitors recited two poems, a mandatory selection and a second selection. They were evaluated by 64 judges, who included Clemson faculty and staff and members of the community. After the judging was complete, students and their families attended an awards ceremony in Tillman Hall. The event also gave participants a chance to explore the campus, eat in a dining hall, and learn more about the school by joining a tour. Past Declamation participants have attended or are now attending Clemson to study foreign languages.
The contest’s continued success is due to the hard work of the Department’s faculty and staff, all of whom volunteer at the event, especially the Declamation Committee of Su-I Chen, Melva Persico, Doroles Martín, Anne Salces y Nedeo, Amy Sawyer, and Julia Schmidt. The Department is grateful for the continued support of donors Dr. Rob Roy McGregor, Jr. and Dr. Ralph Rynes; the volunteer judges; and the Dean’s Office of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities.
Congratulations to Sarah Waldvogel, one of six recipients of the $15,000 Marcus L. Urann Fellowship awarded by the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. Sarah is a 2018 graduate in Genetics and Biochemistry with a minor in German. While at Clemson, she served as president of the German Club and traveled to Germany to study the history of the European Union. Sarah is currently pursuing an M.D./Ph.D. at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Read more about her award here.
Kevin J. Burke III, Marisol Miranda and Lauren Cvitkovic
As Clemson students, our primary goal is to walk across that stage at graduation knowing that we have made a positive impact on this university, and world, in some capacity. It is an instilled sense of camaraderie and pride that drives this objective into implementation. We live on this third rock from the sun knowing that life, at the present, is finite; it is, therefore, our responsibility to leave this world better for not only our own posterity but for all the children of this world who will come to inherit it. Whether this means aiding developing nations to refine their current infrastructure or establishing economic or healthcare reforms in order to promote growth and safety, every project has the potential to help make the global community better as a whole.
At Clemson, students have the opportunity to serve on research teams through the Creative Inquiry (CI) program. This program is utilized to promote not only research skills among students, but also allowing certain groups get the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. One such CI is “Building Healthier Communities in Las Malvinas”. In this project, a group of Clemson students acts as liaisons for the university in the country of the Dominican Republic, specifically in the Las Malvinas community.
Building Healthy Communities in the Dominican Republic fall trip 2016. Photo courtesy of Arelis Moore de Peralta.
The objective of this project is to promote healthier living in the community, recording observational measures to ensure that the community is living under health standards based on “CDC evidence-based protocols.” Students can either serve solely on the research team or have the added opportunity of traveling to the Dominican Republic to aid in the on-the-ground operations behind the project. The students that have represented this project come from a variety of different majors and paths in life, all in the name of trying to bolster the Las Malvinas community in this developing nation.
Ask yourself these questions: Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others? Do you wish to leave a worldly impact while earning three credits towards your degree? Do you want to study abroad while at Clemson? If you answered yes to at least to one of these questions, this is the opportunity for you to accomplish all three. If you are interested in this project, there is both the CI with” Building Healthier Communities in Las Malvinas” in addition to an extracurricular club that has been formed in order to fundraise to further our service efforts. For more information relating to this project opportunity, please contact Dr. Arelis Moore de Peralta at ared@clemson.edu.
Two students in the Department of Languages have been selected as the 2018 Christopher J. Duckenfield Scholars. Congratulations to Jessica Harris, an Economics and Philosophy major with a French Studies minor, and Hannah Pearson, a Modern Languages-ASL and English major with a concentration in Writing and Public Studies. Both are juniors in the Calhoun Honors College.
The program provides Jessica and Hannah the opportunity to study at St. Peter’s Summer School at Magdalen College at the University of Oxford in England. The cost of their room, board and tuition will be covered by the scholarship. They will select a course in English literature, Medieval studies, or environmental studies to complete during the summer. When they return to Clemson in the fall, Jessica and Hannah will give a presentation to the university community on their experiences.
The Christopher J. Duckenfield Scholars Program was established by the family and friends of Chris Duckenfield, who was Clemson’s vice provost for computing and information technology. He was also an alumnus of St. Peter’s College of the University of Oxford. The program enables one or two members of the Calhoun Honors College who demonstrate extraordinary talent, motivation, commitment, and ability to attend St. Peter’s College. Duckenfield Scholars also are expected to demonstrate the ability to adapt to the tutorial style of learning that exemplifies university education at Oxford and elsewhere in the United Kingdom.
Stephen Fitzmaurice, assistant professor of ASL, published “Best Practices for Educational Interpreters in South Carolina,” a technical assistance resource for the South Carolina Department of Education Office of Special Education Services. He was also featured in the Member Spotlight of the national Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf.
Alma García-Rodríguez, lecturer of Spanish, received her Ph.D. in Spanish literature from the University of Florida. Her dissertation focused on the representation of the city in six novels from the Hispanic Caribbean: Santo Domingo, La Habana and San Juan. She took a Neo-Baroque perspective to study these cities as elements that stand against an established order and authority in order to create a new identity that governs itself. She plans to continue researching Caribbean literature.
Daniel Holcombe, lecturer of Spanish, published the essay “Salvador Dali’s Everyman: Renaissance and Baroque Classicism in ‘Don Quixote and the Windmills (1946)’” in Cervantes: Bulletin of the Cervantes Society of America. Here he traced Dali’s classical trajectory through art historical analyses of the third watercolor illustration from the artist’s first illustrated edition of “Don Quixote.” He also published “Salvador Dalí’s “Don Quixote: High Art or Kitsch?” in Laberinto Journal. He was recently named an editor of this online peer-reviewed journal published by the Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. His article in Laberinto defines Dalí’s role as an illustrator of the 1946 text. It also reveals how Dalí achieved what critics have deemed impossible: the rendering of both fantasy and reality in the same pictorial composition. Holcombe presented related research at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association conference in Atlanta in November 2017. He also published a book chapter, “Marco Berger: Homoaffective Edging and Cinematic Queered Continuums,” in Intimate Relationships in Cinema, Literature, and Visual Culture, edited by Gilad Padva and Nurit Buchweitz for Palgrave Macmillan. In the chapter, Holcombe combines queer theory with Jacques Lacan’s psychoanalytical theory l’objet petit a to analyze the spectator gaze and cinematic techniques in two films by Argentinian director Marco Berger.
Jason Hurdich, lecturer of ASL, was named the Marie Griffin Interpreter of the Year. The award, given by the Southeast Regional Institute on Deafness, recognizes his outstanding service to the deaf, hard of hearing and deaf-blind communities of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee and the Carolinas. Read more about his award here.
Salvador Oropesa, professor of Spanish and Department Chair, published the article “‘El Quijote’ en la trilogía de la frontera de Cormac McCarthy: Neobarroco del Southwest” in the Colombia-based journal Lingüística y Literatura 72 (2017): pp. 135-55. In his abstract, Oropesa said: “We read Cormac McCarthy as a novelist of the Baroque of the Southwest paying special attention to syntax, vocabulary, and intertextuality. The bulk of the critical attention on McCarthy is anglocentric. We cover the influence of Spanish literature, mainly Cervantes, in the Border Trilogy.” He also presented the paper “La Trilogía del Baztán de Dolores Redondo como guía de liderazgo en el contexto de la novela policiaca contemporánea española” at the XXVII annual congress of the International Association of Female Hispanic Literature and Culture November 8 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
Kelly Peebles, associate professor of French, published the article “The Head, the Heart, and Hysteria in Jeanne Flore’s ‘Tales and Trials of Love’ (c. 1542)” in the Journal of Medical Humanities. She presented the paper “Mothering in the Shadow of the Crown: Royal cousins, religious refugees, and the nurturing influence of Renée de France” at the Royal Studies Network’s Kings & Queens 6 conference, which was held in Madrid, Spain, September 12-15.
Graciela Tissera, associate professor of Spanish, presented her research on armed conflicts and historical memory in film, “Paco Cabezas y Gilles Paquet-Brenner: intersecciones de la memoria histórica en el cine,” at the IX Congreso de Análisis Textual Trama y Fondo (University of Valladolid, Spain) in October. Tissera also attended the II Congreso Internacional Figuraciones de lo Insólito en las Literaturas Española e Hispanoamericana organized by the University of León, Spain in October to present her research paper “Jorge Luis Borges y David Roas: percepciones de múltiples universos y seres soñados.” The research focused on the perception of time, space, and personal identity related to supernatural dreams and idealist philosophy in the fiction of Borges and Roas.
Eric Touya, associate professor of French, gave the lecture “Make Civil Rights and the Humanities Happen at Your Library” on October 12 at the 2017 South Carolina Library Association Conference in Columbia. He also read the paper “Humanizing Economics: Pedagogical Approaches to Transforming the Homo Economicus” at the 32nd Annual Interdisciplinary Conference in the Humanities held October 27 at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton.
