The debate over whether to pronounce the name as “No-der Dame” or “No-tra Dahm” hints at the oft-forgotten French heritage of Our Lady’s university. In recent years, however, this Francophone culture has been experiencing a resurgence across campus.
Founded in 1842 by six Holy Cross priests from Sainte-Croix, France, Notre Dame’s French history runs deep. “Even before Father Sorin and his six companions arrived, there were already missionaries in the area originally from France,” Brother Jacob Eifrid, C.S.C., Assistant Teaching Professor of French and Francophone studies at the university, told the Rover. “[Fr]. Stephen Badin was born, lived, and studied all in France [before] he was ordained in the United States. Michigan, [northwest Indiana], and the surrounding areas were all ministered by French missionaries.”
“[The roots] are in our name,” said Karim Maziri, a senior studying global affairs and economics and one of the co-presidents of the campus French club. “[The name]—the University of Notre Dame—is a very big part. There’s a very big French identity on campus and we also have a pretty big Francophone community and that Francophone heritage, too, from France. We’re seeing a lot more attention to it today.”
“France has the world’s most renowned [food], art, music, literature, and is a long-standing and beautiful civilization,” Br. Eifrid commented. “From religion to culture, there’s just something very captivating about it. It’s given so much and people are interested now in what it has to offer.”
Students have been able to explore their newfound interest in Notre Dame’s French culture in an ever-increasing number of ways. The offerings have expanded in recent years to include Café Français, a monthly social event with food and topics where participants spend an hour speaking only in French; a French language book club; and French-film suggestions, amongst others.
“Compared to other universities, our French culture is really strong,” said Kaitlyn Boston, a sophomore art history and French major. She explained, “We have all these different activities, like French Mass, a basilica tour in French, the club, an art exhibit. … There’s always tutoring, there’s always food.”
The French way of life was a major element that drew Boston to study the language. She told the Rover, “I love the food, the environment, the way of life. People sit down to drink their coffee; they take their time and that’s something I really enjoyed about this culture. It’s less hustle and bustle … and that made me really interested.”
“I’ve always appreciated how you can express your feelings in French. It’s a very in-depth language,” Maziri said. Highlighting the attraction of French culture, he said, “There’s [sic] so many similarities in the way they eat and live, in a very carefree manner.”
Maziri also explained how the French Club has been able to drive this revitalization, telling the Rover, “I remember myself freshman year: I went to a few meetings, and then I started seeing things like a macaron workshop, a cheese workshop, and some other events. And I was like, ‘Wow, if they even speak a little bit of French here, we can continue practicing.’ And over the years, we’ve seen much more of an interest in that.”
Maziri emphasized the impact of faculty involvement, adding, “What I really like is the faculty helps, too. They promote [the club] in their classes. All the professors help us with our events. There’s a really active student and faculty role in it, and I think that’s helped us get it to the classes.”
Events held by the French Club, such as a yearly cheese making workshop, macaron baking events, monthly French Masses, receptions, and a recent Valentine’s Day card writing event during Language and Culture Week, have all attracted large crowds.
Br. Eifrid encouraged students at Notre Dame interested in the resurging French heritage and culture: “Studying a language—especially French—opens you up to the world. [It] gives you chances for community, communication with people you’d never expect, [and] a plethora of opportunities in life. But that’s not the only thing. It’s to be a part of this beautiful and rich history, this civilization that’s [shaped] the world and brought together so many people because of [its] language and culture.”
Luke Fisher is a freshman from Detroit living in Siegfried Hall. He is majoring in theology and also struggling his way through the Program of Liberal Studies. If he’s not snacking during class or repeating the same joke for the 15th time that day, you can usually find him doing the chapel crawl around campus. To join in (or chat), reach out at lfisher8@nd.edu.