By MORGAN TARPLEY

mlt017@latech.edu

 

Dolliann Hurtig, an associate professor of foreign languages, was a chosen speaker at Henderson State University-Arkadelphia April 7.

Hurtig spoke on “French Civilization and Culture” at Henderson’s 11th Annual International Focus Week held April 3-7; the event is the equivalent of Tech’s International Days.

Hurtig spoke about different themes of the French culture using songs and poetry about controversial issues.

“I used a song about the issues that girls have with their bodies and how most girls want to look like supermodels,” Hurtig said.

“I didn’t want to speak about the French songs like the ‘I love you, and you love me’ fluff, but I wanted to give students a deeper understanding of the issues of the French culture and how the same issues face the world, not just the United States.”

Hurtig said her next song dealt with the treatment of Arab immigration, and the other songs and poems were about the Cajun culture.

“The [Arab] song was about how four generations of Arab immigrants called the Beurs are facing persecution and having doors shut in their faces, even though they are [natural-born] French citizens,” Hurtig said. “The Cajun song is about the ‘grass is greener on the other side’ phrase, and the poetry is about the expulsion of a group of French people from Nova Scotia who settled in South Louisiana.”

Hurtig was invited as a guest speaker by Bob Yehl, the chair of the International Focus Week committee and chair of the Huie Library at Henderson, along with Tech alumnus Herman “Doc” Gibson, a member of the International Focus Week and chair of the department of sociology at Henderson.

Gibson said Hurtig was chosen to speak due to the theme for Henderson’s International Focus Week.

“Every year for [Henderson’s] International Focus Week, it is devoted to generally a specific global region or cluster of countries,” Gibson said. “This year the region focused on was Western Europe, which included France, Germany and Belgium.”

Gibson said all the speakers spoke on some aspect of history, politics, culture and language of the three countries.

“[Our committee] wanted to find someone to speak on French culture and civilization, so I checked at Tech and found Dr. Hurtig, who has her doctorate in French from Tulane,” Gibson said.

“We thought, ‘Who better to talk about French than someone who had studied in South Louisiana and who specializes in French literature?’”

Lee Mitchell, an instructor of French at Henderson, said Hurtig gave a presentation to his elementary French class.

“[Hurtig]’s speech was perfect for my French class,” Mitchell said. “Her speech, based on contemporary French and international issues, was very interesting.”

Gibson said Hurtig did an excellent job as an International Focus speaker.

“[Hurtig] took two current songs from the French culture, a Cajun song and poem to show a glimpse of modern French issues and culture,” Gibson said. “She spoke to my sociology class, and she kept the students interested by using modern issues in French songs and poetry as a way to give insight to French culture.”