June, 1997 Hartford Courant
Honors |
To Paris! to France, To Da Vinci! To Dance!
La Vie Boheme!
By David DiVincenzo
"People say that Paris is the city of love, but you can never feel the love unless you go there," said Luisa Azevedo, president of the Central French Club. Luisa joined several Central classmates on a trip to France in April. During their week long stay, the group visited Paris and sites in the countryside, including the castles of the Loire region, and the monastery on the island of Mont St. Michel.
"When I got off the airplane I expected "La Vie en Rose," a famous French song, to be playing," joked Luisa.
The French club benefits from the hard work of French teacher Ms. Lise Rinaldi. Seniors Sylvia Gomes and Vivian Chen joined Ms. Rinaldi and Luisa on the journey. "It was a pleasure to take them," said Rinaldi, who credited Luisa for her contributions to the club. "Luisa was chosen to be president because of her strong organizational skills and her ability to come up with many new ideas," said Ms. Rinaldi.
One highlight of the trip was a visit to the Musee du Louvre, the magnificent palace on the banks of the Seine. The museum's masterpieces include Leonardo DaVinci's Mona Lisa and sculpture by Michelangelo. The group also toured the beaches of Normandy, the site of the allied invasions of World War II.
Other favorite activities included attending a dance club and riding the elevator up the Eiffel tower. "When we went up the elevator, Paris got smaller as the sun set," said Sylvia.
In addition to their years of studying French language and culture, the group prepared for their trip by learning about French impressionist painters from Art and Humanities instructor Mr. Ron Spiegelhalter.
"It's great to be exposed to different cultures. I learned a lot going to France and speaking to people who live there," said Sylvia.
After all of their fun and adventures together Vivian concluded, "We'll always have Paris!"
