Martha Rundles '99: Fantastic people with an incredible connection
I recently returned from the Hamilton College Junior Year in France Program's Cinquantenaire, where five decades of alumni reunited in Paris for a weekend to celebrate our shared study-abroad experience. It was wonderful to come together with my old classmates in Paris — site of what we all describe as "the best year" of our lives.
For a stretch of four glorious days, my former classmates and I reflected upon the richness of our '97-'98 year abroad — reminiscing about fantastic excursions to remote destinations in France; lunching and dining with friends all over Paris; sharing cultural oddities from respective experiences with our families; grabbing a chocolat chaud before grammar class; visiting the great museums of Paris under the tutelage of our art history professor; and talking and laughing endlessly in Reid Hall. One of the main reasons that I chose Hamilton was because of the College's France program — and the actual experience did not disappoint.
One of the most rewarding parts of the reunion was meeting the alumni from other years. Even though the historical backdrop of our respective years ranged dramatically — from the Civil Rights Movement to the Monica Lewinsky scandal — amazingly, we all told virtually the same story about living in France, experiencing Biarritz, studying at Reid Hall and walking the streets of Paris for one perfect year.
Not only did my classmates and I leave the reunion recharged with the memories of our year abroad, but we met a new group of fantastic people with whom we share an incredible connection.
Thank you, Hamilton!
Alan H. Bath '51: A pioneering year at the Sorbonne
For the record, in 1949-50 three of us — Bob Richter, Jack Orem and I — created our own highly unofficial Junior Year in France. Bob took the lead. We petitioned the Hamilton faculty to accept credits from the University of Paris, were surprised by agreement and equally surprised to be accepted into the foreign students' program at the Sorbonne. We attended, completed the course and returned to Hamilton for our senior year, graduating with our Class of 1951.
I lost track of Jack shortly thereafter, but for Bob and for me that year marked the start of a lifelong fascination with France.
