A new French affinity house will open next fall, enabling students to immerse themselves in the language without leaving Hanover.
The affinity house will be located at 16 North Park Street, one block South of Lyme Road, in the building previously occupied by the International Students Center, said John Wilson, project architect for Facilities Planning and Architectural Services. The International Students Center moved to Brewster Hall last fall.
"The house will not only be devoted to French culture, but also to the Francophone world," French and Italian Professor David LaGuardia said.
The College offers academic programs in three French cities and LaGuardia said students returning from the programs expressed interest in creating an atmosphere at Dartmouth to continue that experience.
"This is an opportunity for students to continue their French experience after returning from Foreign Study Programs," French and Italian Professor Lynn Higgins said.
Four students and one native-speaking French graduate student will live in the house, Wilson said. "Hopefully the room rents will cover the operating costs, but I'm not positive," he said.
LaGuardia said residents will speak only in French within the house.
The first floor will contain a library where students can research Francophone culture and interact with those living there, French and Italian Professor Daniel Desormeaux said.
The International Students Center, which occupied the facility for 20 years, outgrew the house and complained about its location and lack of social space.
But the French Department believes the house will accommodate their needs, Desormeaux said. "The place is big enough to organize major receptions for majors and parents of graduating seniors," he said.
Student requests for French affinity housing prompted the department to make a formal proposal to College administrators, LaGuardia said.
"The administration seemed enthusiastic, gave lots of support and acted quickly," LaGuardia said.
The College operated a French affinity house "many years ago" in an area isolated from campus, Desormeaux said.
When planning for the new house, the department consulted students, who requested that the house be located near campus, have cooking facilities and be connected to Kiewit Computation Center, he said.
The house will provide space for various cultural and academic events including lectures, films and visits by literary figures, Higgins and LaGuardia said.
Various departmental events, like a weekly coffee hour for students and French professors, will take place in the house, LaGuardia said.
"It is easier for students learning French to express himself or herself outside of the classroom," Desormeaux said.
"It is important for the Dartmouth community to know that the main reason for the creation of the French house is to bring them something more than just taking a class," Desormeaux said.
Higgins said a native French speaker from the Ecole School Normale Superieure de Fontenay-aux-Roses, a graduate school outside of Paris will live in the house.
