Alumni Connect
A few of our Summer fellows took time to catch up with recent Tufts alumni. Check out some of the interviews below!
Tufts in Talloires! What is it you may ask? Tufts in Talloires is a six week program in the French alps. Here is the link to the Tufts in Talloires website. Although it is in France, all courses are taught in English by Tufts professors who travel to Talloires every year along with the students. There are also one or two courses taught in French as well! What better place is there to learn French than in France?
Tufts in Talloires is a popular program for Engineers who may have more difficulty studying abroad during the school year. All Tufts in Talloires students take two classes, totaling to six credits. Students will select these classes when enrolling in the program. The courses change each year, but there is always at least one arts course and at least one natural science course. These courses are popular amongst students because they help fulfill distribution requirements. One course that is always offered in Talloires is Flowers of the Alps. Students love this course because it counts towards the natural science distribution requirement and it’s also a great way to see the French countryside! I loved the frequent hikes involved in this class because it was a great way to learn outside of the classroom and see more of Talloires.
All students stay with a host family in Talloires. If you’re like me and don’t speak French, don’t let this dissuade you from applying to Tufts in Talloires. A lot of families speak some English, have children who speak English, or speak another language. You can also be paired with another Tufts student who speaks French. I spoke Spanish with my host family because the father had immigrated from Spain. I was also able to pick up some French while there! I practiced with Duolingo before going to Talloires and frequently asked other Talloires students there who had taken French classes how to say various things. It was a lot, but I did learn quickly! In the rest of this blog, I, along with other former Tufts in Talloires students discuss: the host family experience, classes, Talloires, food, and travelling.
The Host Family Experience
Kamar Gody E22 Mechanical Engineering
My host family consisted of two parents and 3 children. We lived in a village surrounded by mountains and clouds that would fall over the mountains every morning. The house was rustic and felt like such a comforting environment that they invited me into. My host family wasted no time in treating me like I was a part of the family. I had chores such as setting the table, cleaning dishes and closing the chicken gate at night and in return, I got several non-house guest privileges such as going in the fridge for a snack in the middle of the night and using the family bike for a ride around the village whenever I wanted. My favorite moment in Talloires was the very last night I had with my host family. They took me to a fancy restaurant by the lake in Talloires. We ordered our food. Walked right from the table to take a dip in the lake, which is apparently normal, and then went back to the table to eat a phenomenal meal. I had the smothering reblochon chicken. After dinner I took my camera out and got photos of the family to remember them by. The kids made me jump back in the water with them and we started having a water fight. The oldest sibling taught me how to swim earlier that summer, so we floated out further and watched the sunset as a family until the stars lit up the sky. This was literally one of the best nights of my life.
Ezri Horne A21 + SMFA21 Anthropology and Studio Art
During my time at Tufts and Talloires, I lived with a lovely family as well as another Tufts student in Annecy. I didn’t speak any French before the program, and at first, I was very nervous about the language barrier as well as the experience of an entirely unknown family dynamic. I am so grateful for the generosity from my hosts and for their willingness to take me into their weekly routines including a Sunday luncheon with my host moms’ father and sons who lived away from home. During the weeknights when we didn’t have too much homework, Tati, my Tufts roommate, and I would stay up watching reruns of BBC shows like Inspector Poirot with Katherine (host mom) while Jean-Marie (host father) went upstairs to paint. They would often switch the subtitles to French and the audio to English to make sure everyone could follow along. We would always enjoy a cup of tea from Katherine’s extensive collection while we watched.
Classes
Jada Worthy A22 Computer Science
I took Human Development & Learning and Flowers of the Alps. For Human Dev, we discussed our educational experiences and how they compare among various pedagogies implemented into different types of schools. For Flowers of the Alps, we learned the latin name, common name, and family name of various flowers and plants that grow in the Alps. We were also taught very interesting facts about the individual plant families, including Rosaceae, Brassicaceae, and many more. Both classes required work, some more than others, but I would say, just like the social and tourist experience, the academic experience in Talloires is personal and unique for every student.
Kamille Bernard A21 Economics and Political Science
In addition to Flowers of the Alps, the other class I took was EC-91: International Lessons for the Social Safety Net: Health, Unemployment, and Related Public Policies in France and the United States. This class was split with discussions about French social insurance policies and U.S. social insurance policies. Comparing the social insurance policies of two separate countries not only allowed me better understand the varying cultural values, but also allowed me to obtain a deeper understanding of social insurance.
Ezri Horne A21 + SMFA21 Anthropology and Studio Art
During the Math of Social Choice, our Professor Christoph Borgers played the piano for us on one of the last days of class. It was really special to learn about a professor’s other talents in a way I don’t think I would have on the Medford Campus. Similarly, Professor Borgers would often hold office hours in the Basecamp café where you could discuss the homework over a cup of coffee.
Talloires
Jada Worthy A22 Computer Science
The beauty and purity of Talloires was absolutely mesmerizing! The little village is so quiet and quaint, Lake Annecy is so pristine, and the mountains stood so proud as if they knew how beautiful they were. It wasn't until I found my getaway spot, la plage, when Talloires became ten times better. So when the weather was nice, in between or after classes, or on Wednesdays when we didn’t have classes, I would take a trip down to the beach to clear my head, complete homework assignments, study, or to simply relax.
Kamille Bernard A21 Economics and Political Science
I lived a mile away from the Priory (the building where classes were held). I was able to walk across the street and be on the beach in minutes. I could also look up to the mountains and see snow at the top. My host family had a beautiful countryside house with chickens right outside! Though I was about an hour away from the city of Annecy, I was still able to visit the city quite frequently. I loved the relaxing environment of Talloires and being close to the beach was definitely ideal when the heat wave hit near the end of the trip and everyone wanted to spend the whole day at the beach.
Food
Jada Worthy A22 Computer Science
For food, I can confirm that there was definitely a lot of bread and cheese that was served with every meal. I was also very surprised with how many new foods and dishes I’ve tried, seeing as I am a picky eater. Most of what my roommate and I ate was either from the farmer’s market, butcher shop, bakery, or something grown in our host family’s backyard, so all of the vegetables, fruits, meat, bread, and cheese were fresh and organic. For the most part, our meals were light and simple, giving us the sustenance we needed for the day. Also, the huit à huit shop (a small supermarket) was a great place to pick up some familiar and new treats, drinks, and snacks.
Travelling
Kamar Gody E22 Mechanical Engineering
Traveling in France was thrilling. I went to Paris with a large group of friends, and I also would frequent all the neighboring villages and cities with my host family, but my favorite trip was visiting Lyon by myself. My host mom grew up in Lyon, so she gave me a few places I should visit. It was really nice to have an experience all to myself. Being able to reflect on life and travel on my own itinerary. I took the Oui bus from Annecy to Lyon and began visiting all the best Museums in this art district of a city. I got into most of them for free because of my international university student status. One museum had a whole floor dedicated to one of my favorite shows “The Walking Dead,” and another had artwork made by a Black artist from London, portraying black love and family. I used the city Lime scooters to travel from one end of the city to the other, and it felt freeing to roam wherever the wind would take me. I rode through an open zoo, flew past the 8-mile-long city canal, and found the largest bridge that had such a breathtaking view over all of Lyon. In between stops, I would sit in the nearest café and order a drink while watching how people interacted. Everyone was so content without any hurry and it was nice to escape for a day and feel like a spectator of a different world.
Ezri Horne A21 + SMFA21 Anthropology and Studio Art
The hikes I went on in France were some of the most breathtaking experiences I have ever had. I went on two of the optional day hikes with the guide Pier, who was full of information, observations, and witty commentary. On the ride back to campus after the first hike my legs were already aching, but the hike was worth every step it took to get to see the view from the top of Croix d’Allant. On the second hike, the pathways were still very snowy so we didn’t go all the way to the top of the summit, but instead, we got to sled down part of an alpine slope which was a very memorable trade-off.
A few of our Summer fellows took time to catch up with recent Tufts alumni. Check out some of the interviews below!