Franco-American Friendship Bridges Decades
What began as a course commemorating the bicentennial of the French Revolution evolved into a 20-year friendship.
D.A. Smith, professor emeritus of history, first invited French historian Ran Halevi of the Institut Raymond Aron in the Ecole des hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris to teach at Grinnell as the John R. Heath Visitng Professor of History in 1989. The two have kept in touch for more than two decades, and both say “it’s the mystery of friendship; that democracy of age” that transcends the differences and politics that may have been the genesis of the Franco-American scholarly relationship.
“Don’s idea to teach a course and lead a lecture series was ambitious,” Halevi said. “The first class began as a challenge . . . to bring someone from France to Grinnell, which I knew nothing about . . . to speak about France . . .in English. It was my first time to the Midwest. The prospect of teaching in English was alarming.”
Smith admits that he too was “anxious that it might not work out; 'what have I done?' I remember asking myself after everything was settled.” The experience proved rewarding for all concerned, and French historian and politician Alexis de Tocqueville may well have played a role in the long-term relationship.
In the mid-'90s Smith attended a four-week-long seminar at Princeton on John Stuart Mill and Tocqueville, and occasionally taught a seminar on Tocqueville in the years before his retirement in 2006. His own interest coincided with Halevi's and they remained in contact on both sides of the Atlantic.
“All good historians of politics are readers of Tocqueville,” Halevi said. “Don and I read Tocqueville differently for different perspectives and purposes, to nourish fruitful dialogue. We always find something new to say about Tocqueville.
“What is so symbolic is that I taught The Old Regime and The Revolution in 1989,” Halevi said. “and now I teach Democracy in America,” referring to both Tocqueville’s prescient 1835 book about the equality of Western social conditions and the short course he taught Aug. 26-Sept. 16. Halevi's return to campus this fall as an international visiting fellow also marks the growth of international studies at Grinnell, supported by the Center for International Studies.
When asked to compare Grinnell students over the 20-year period, Halevi says, “What I notice is that more students now are coming from elsewhere. They are well-trained and have profound perspectives. I came to know students better when assigned to a full semester, and I kept correspondence with several after the first big class of first-rate students.
“There are two parallel things that make the experience at Grinnell memorable: the teaching experience and the great friendships,” Halevi comments. “What bridges the two parallel things is affinity that brings opportunities to shape and blossom beyond all differences.”
Smith travelled to France last August where he visited Halevi and his family. “Through Ran, I have met two distinguished British historians. Those relationships have grown out of that first lecture in 1989. The contact with Ran has opened scholarly ties and associations I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
Tocqueville’s Democracy may not have foreseen this Franco-American friendship but the book and the scholarly friends have stood the test of time.
Returning "Home" to Teach About Homeland
When the 17-year-old Turkish girl came to Grinnell in the mid-‘90s, she could not have imagined that she would return to teach as a Center for International Studies (CIS) fellow among faculty members she so admired.
“It’s a great privilege,” said Funda Soysal ’96, of her recent fellowship and teaching experience in a special topics seminar on “Confluence and Conflict: Turkey as the Cultural Crossroads of Europe and Asia.”
“Why I came to Grinnell in the first place is coming full circle for me now,” Soysal says. The international student from Turkey majored in history and returned to her homeland to pursue a Ph.D. in Ottoman/Turkish history at the prestigious Bogazici University. Throughout her graduate study, she worked at several NGOs but always felt the tug of teaching.
She also kept in touch with Don Smith, professor emeritus of history and Soysal’s senior seminar instructor. Smith visited Soysal in Istanbul in 2001, and as Grinnell connections often work, she was later contacted by David Harrison, director of CIS, to consult with Grinnell faculty who were conducting research for a course on Turkey.
Last summer Soysal led a group of 10 who travelled to Istanbul to prepare for this semester’s course. The faculty members (Mark Montgomery, economics; John Wei, history; Kathy Kamp, anthropology; Jenny Michaels, German; Shawn Womack, theatre; Irene Powell, economics; Tyler Roberts, religious studies; Gemma Sala, political science; John Whittaker, anthropology; and Ellen Mease, theatre) also studied at Bogazici University as part of the faculty development seminar organized by CIS.
“Part of the CIS mission is to connect teachers and scholars,” said Montgomery. “Funda was extremely helpful to us in planning the course. We were pleased to be able to entice her to return this semester, with the help of CIS. It’s been a great collaboration.”
Soysal says the three-week fellowship back on the Grinnell campus also affirmed her own interest in teaching. “This is a big affirmation for me personally. I know now I can do it,” Soysal says. She taught Turkish history in the first module of the three-part humanities and social studies course.
As Soysal leaves, the faculty whom she guided in her homeland are teaching modules about the modern day Turkey they learned about last summer. Student interest in the course has been high, with more than 30 students registered for the initial course.
“Learning is lifelong, and we are learning along with the students,” Montgomery said. “This course is an experimental model for incorporating faculty research and travel into the curriculum. It’s been a great experience in team teaching.”
Soysal too will take learnings from her Grinnell team-teaching experience as she returns to graduate work and teaching in Istanbul. “I will tell my students at home that they should demand to learn more. It was great to feel that kind of pressure from students here. I am very impressed with Grinnell students—how sharp their questions are, how high their high expectations are, and how serious they about their learning. Their answers are so to the point.
“It’s also been a different experience to see faculty as people. I still can see why I thought this place is wonderful though . . . it has changed a lot and yet is so familiar . . . one I know by heart.”
Soysal compliments Grinnell on its vision and commitment to public affairs by choosing to offer a course on Turkey. “I think the questions about Turkey are not easy ones to answer. I was happy to learn that Grinnell offers its students the chance to tackle these questions with the help of such a diverse group of faculty. The students gain a great appreciation for complex issues and to go beyond easy dichotomies,” Soysal concludes.
Two Classes, Worlds Apart
Visiting fellow Ranjith Amarasinghe smiles quickly as he tells the story of Grinnell student Damian von Schoenborn ’10 who has taken two of his classes, worlds apart—one at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, and one at Grinnell sponsored by the Center for International Studies.
Amarasinghe is in his final week of teaching a four-week short course on “Human Rights and Democracy,” a cause of personal import to him. Earlier he gave a public lecture on “Minority Rights and the Conflict in Sri Lanka,” where he described the overlaid tensions. At his home university, Amarasinghe initiated a center for the study of human rights for undergraduates and community members. The senior professor of political science has taught more than 20 years and participated the entire time in the Intercollegiate Sri Lanka Education Program (ISLE), the longest-running student and faculty exchange program in that country.
“Professor Amarasinghe is not only a political scholar of human rights, but also an advisor to Sri Lankan policymakers on ways of seeking a durable peace to the longstanding civil conflict,” said David Harrison, director of the Center for International Studies. “His visit to Grinnell gives students an ‘insider’s view’ of government’s role in protecting minority rights.”
Von Schoenborn was a student in Amarasinghe’s politics course in Sri Lanka too. “What's impressive is that he knows world history and customs almost as well as he knows the history and inner workings of Sri Lankan politics,” the senior mathematics and political science major said. “Soft spoken and humble, he veils his immense breadth and depth of knowledge until softly prodded. Once prodded, he will discuss just about any topic at great length until both parties come to an understanding.”
Amarasinghe says his Grinnell experience has been “quite positive,” students “very interesting,” and the campus “beautifully maintained and arranged.” The onset of cold weather on the campus, however, causes his smile to diminish until he relates that his next Midwestern stop is in Nebraska to visit his son. Then on to Carleton and Bowdoin, where he will give a public lecture on each campus.
Amarasinghe will return to Grinnell to participate in a faculty panel discussion on human rights on Thurs., Nov. 5 at 4:15 p.m. in Forum South Lounge. He will return to his home country in mid-November where he continues to teach and spread the message of human rights into his retirement.
"The Contingency Plan" Premiers October 7-10
The Grinnell College Department of Theatre and Dance will premiere the U.S. production of “The Contingency Plan” by British playwright Steve Waters, Oct. 7-10, in Flanagan Arena Theatre in the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts on the Grinnell campus.
The play, which debuted in London and was hailed by critics as a “massive achievement,” focuses on current debates about responses to environmental disasters caused by climate change. The production combines elements of family drama, farce and thriller, with a conservative British government in power and a young, maverick glaciologist predicting catastrophe.
The Grinnell premiere is an adaptation of Waters’ BBC radio play, redesigned for the stage by director Lesley Delmenico, associate professor of theatre and dance. Waters, a lecturer at the University of Birmingham (England), collaborated with the Grinnell student cast during a two-week campus residency which was sponsored by the college’s Center for International Studies and included a playwrighting short course.
Curtain times are 7:30 p.m. for the Oct. 7, 8 and 9 performances and 2 p.m. for the Sun., Oct. 10 performance. Tickets are required for this free event and may be obtained at the Bucksbaum Center for the Arts ticket office beginning Oct. 4 from 12-5 p.m. daily. The Bucksbaum Center for the Arts is located at 1108 Park St. on the Grinnell College campus. Box office and ticket information is available at http://web.grinnell.edu/theatre/facilities/box_office.html or by calling 641-269-4444.
