By Ian Wesselhoff 

T he Department of World Languages & Cultures at Georgia College & State University is holding its first World Cultures Fest, a celebration of international cultures, art and more, April 14 at Peabody Auditorium. 

Coinciding with Pan-American Day, students in “Intro to Spanish Language & Culture II” will present research posters in Spanish and English about traditional celebrations and festivities from 16 Spanish-speaking countries. Posters will be presented in two sessions: from noon to 1 p.m. and from 5-6 p.m. 

Then, starting at 6 p.m., French students in an upper-level French drama class will perform a scene from “Une Tempête,” Aimé Césaire’s French-Caribbean adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” After an introductory summary in English, the students — who come from all different majors combined with a French major or minor — will join in a performance that embodies Georgia College’s liberal arts mission. 

During the Spanish poster presentations, students will showcase their findings and recreate an element of the celebrations they researched, from food or music to colorful masks and other cultural components. Just like the audience members, student presenters will have the chance to browse and interact with other students learning the language. 

“It’s important to see the connections between the things we celebrate here and the things they celebrate in other countries, because I feel like it makes people feel more connected,” said Annalie Parker, freshman biology major who will present a poster on religious holidays in Guatemala. 

From 4-5 p.m., the Spanish Club will also hold a food workshop, teaching students how to prepare traditional Hispanic snacks like Colombian obleas and Mexican esquites as well as serving traditional beverages. 

The French finale at the end of the day will be a culmination of work across disciplines and departments. Some of the seven students have prior acting experience, but most have not performed at all since high school. To prepare, the group had a rehearsal session with Dr. Amy Pinney, associate professor of performance at GCSU, and another with her students in directing class, to work on some physical acting fundamentals in preparation for the scene. They also worked with Dr. Youngmi Kim, associate professor of music and voice coordinator, on a hymn they will sing at the end. 

“What a liberal arts college does so well is those interdisciplinary connections,” said Dr. Hedwig Fraunhofer, professor of French. “So what if I have no background in music? There is somebody in the music department who can help us. The theatre people are willing to help us.” 

The students in Fraunhofer’s “Francophone Drama” class say they are excited to show off what learning a language can look like beyond conjugations and vocabulary, and to do it in a way that is fun, fresh and — most importantly — different. 

“I really don’t feel like there are many other places where you could get a group with a biology major, English major, history major, theatre major, math major and a rhetoric major together and say, ‘Yes, this group of students from all of these different backgrounds and interests are putting on a performance in French together,’” said Ethan Fender, junior biology and French double major. 

“It’s such a unique experience and such a unique exhibition ... You can do it all regardless of what’s on your transcript,” Fender added.

Header Image: Students in Fraunhofer’s “Francophone Drama” end a rehearsal for their performance April 14 for World Cultures Fest. Photo by Anna Gay Leavitt.