Madame West, head of Leesville’s French department, has big plans for this year’s Wake County French Festival, on Wednesday, March 19. The competition, held at Moore Square Magnet Middle School, calls for enrichment in several areas of French culture and language.
There are twelve categories in which Leesville students will compete: traditional songs, spelling bee, original group dramatics, poetry recitation, theater performance and talent and cultural exhibits. These all will continue to encourage the comprehension of French culture.
The festival is open for students grades six through twelve; each will compete within their own level for the chance of winning first, second, or third place.
“I think it’s important to take people to the festival because it gives them a reason outside of class to use their French, and it gets them to see the French speaking community in Wake County,” said Madame West.
The traditional song chosen for the intermediate level is En Passant par La Lorrain (through Lorraine), and will be performed by Sean Ferrel. The song also has the potential to be a duet.
“I’m not sure [but] Madame West was talking about getting someone else to go with the song because its actually a duet,“ said Ferrel. Ferrel says that it’s a children’s song that tells the story of a girl and her shoes.
In the poem category, the advanced levels will be reciting “Le Domeur du Val” (Sleeper of the Valley). A poem called “A Quoi Bon Entendre” (What Good to Hear) has been chosen for the intermediate.
Alex Ballard, who participated in eighth grade and won, will be representing Leesville in this coming festival as well. He likes to go to the festival for a reason other than cultural enrichment.
“Its really fun to meet other people in the county who are interested in the same things I am,” said Ballard.
Also, for the first time, the festival will have a theme which is completely open for interpretation; encouraging uniquity and originality in every category. The theme is called Le Français: Notre Planèt (French: Our Planet), which can be construed in several different ways.
This experience will continue to teach students the diversity of the French-speaking culture.
