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Projects and Coursework
 Below you can find select French & Religion courses taken, as well as examples of my work from my time at Clemson University. Additionally, I have four years of instruction on the French language prior to attending Clemson.
                                 French

Literature and Culture Courses

  • Histoire de l’art du moderne au contemporain : (Université Paul Valèry): An immersive study abroad course from Université Paul Valery taught by a French professor to native English-speaking exchange students on the history of Modern and contemporary art history from the late 19th century to the modern day. There was a focus on familiarization with, and understanding of art terminology in French while learning how to appreciate and understand art from the modern movements, of which we were tasked with learning the history.

  • Art de Vivre Citoyen et Méditerranéen (Study abroad, taught in French) : This course was taught by a native French speaker at the UNC center in Montpellier and it focused on the lifestyle and culture of Montpellier and of the larger Mediterranean region. Interviewed locals on wine practices unique to the region, different lifestyles, the food of the region, and applied French language knowledge to the specific culture and history of the region in which I lived, as guided by a local.

  • Histoire Médiéval de la Méditerranée (Université Paul Valèry): An immersive history course taken at my host university on the history of the Mediterranean region during the Medieval period. I was the only non native French speaker in this class and was in a large lecture outside of which I was forced to analyze primary sources in French and put it into the larger context of the region, forcing me to familiarize myself with the history of the region through a European lens.

  • French Enlightenment (Fr 4200): course on French romanticism and Enlightenment era, readings of philosophers and other famous French authors of the day. Effective and challenging for my French reading level increasing my critical reading in French while gaining an understanding of French literature and cultural themes of the epoch. (taught in French)

  • French Civilization (Fr 3070):This course utilized a variety of media forms to study French culture and civilization at significant historical points, understand the role of women in society and the development of the nation, its architecture, and its collective identity. (Taught in French)

  • History of Modern France (Hist 3840): Entitled the history of modern France, this was an English-taught history course focused on the modern nation-state of France in the contemporary day, dating back to the reign of Louis XVI. The course focused primarily on the development of France in Europe, largely ignoring its international affairs, and this was done through a plethora of medias, largely primary sources and movies.

Language Oriented courses

  • French and Francophone Cinema (Fr 4120): class on the history of cinema with an emphasis on French film, directors and artistic styles developed and perfected as an insight to French culture in French and Francophone countries.Through watching and analyzing Francophone cinema, I became familiar with the French terminology associated with the specific field of cinema while getting an insight into the development of the artistic medium in France as a microchasm of society. (Taught in French)

  • Methodologie (UNC in Montpellier, Study abroad) : This course was taught by a native Frenchwoman on French writing styles and efficiency in orthography as well as an emphasis on literature and fluency in reading and writing at an advanced level in French. This course was successful in challenging me and it increased my written French comprehension. (Taught in French)

  • Communication pour Immersion (UNC in Montpellier, Study abroad): course taught in French by an American resident of France to improve my oral French comprehension and expand my vocabulary in addition to familiarization with cultural norms and the lexicon frequently used in Montpellier and France as a whole to have success abroad. The most impactful French course I have taken as it forced me to utilize and expand my French knowledge and communication skills through conversation. (Taught in French)

  • Intermediate French (Fr 2020): My first French course at Clemson, this was a foundational course that refreshed me on the basics of French grammar, oral and orthographic, and was integral to solidifying my French basis.

  • Intermediate French Conversation and Composition (Fr 3050): Although this was listed as a conversation course there was seldom conversation in this class other than the professor, and as such it focused on reading comprehension, and technical writing, and it slightly helped improve my French lexicon, though this course was one of the least impactful and beneficial of my French lessons.

Coursework examples

A paper from my Study Abroad art history course, this document is an analysis in French of several works of art belonging to the Cubist movement, demonstrating my French abilities. (written in French)

The paper linked here comes from my history of modern France course and it focuses on the Jean-Luc Godard film, Breathless/ Au Bout de Souffle. Written in English, this paper demonstrates a competency of French culture.

Coming from a study abroad class, this paper, written in French, is a literary critique of, and commentary on an excerpt of a French book.

This paper is from my medieval history of the Mediterranean course at Université Paul Valery and it is an analysis of a primary source and it demonstrates my French proficiency in an academic research setting. (written in French)

This paper was written for my Religious Studies Junior Research Colloquium and it is on secularism and Islam in France, showcasing research on, and awareness of the culture and political climate of France as well as laws and religion.

This paper comes from my French and Francophone cinema course and it is an analysis of my favorite French Film, La Haine. It demonstartes French my proficiency, cultural awareness and showcases work from a non-literature humanity course. (written in French)

Religion courses

  • History of Religion in the United States (Rel 3100): Reading intensive course that focused on the development and evolution of religion in a historical context in the United States from the early post-Columbian period to the modern day by analyzing primary sources, context and social developments that reflect society and religion in the USA. Forced me to challenge preconceived notions of America history, secularism and religion while expanding my critical reading and writing skills.

  • Hinduism (Rel 3120): This course emphasized familiarity with the various Hindu traditions as I read several foundational texts of Hinduism, such as the Ramayana and excerpts of others, such as the Baghavad Gita, to gain a better understanding of the tradition. This class leaned on interactive group work which helped me work with others on projects that garnered a better understanding of the tradition and its tenets as the religion has evolved from its inception to the modern day.

  • Survey of Old Testament literature (Rel 3010): This literature course was effective in challenging me to grow my critical thinking skills by analyzing texts from the Old Testament as a means to understand the Jewish tradition, the motivations of the authors, and the various traditions that influenced the Talmud and its stories as part of regional culture.

  • Survey of New Testament literature (Rel 3020): Similar to the Old Testament class, this course focused on the New Testament, its authorship and various meanings while comparing the discrepancies in accounts in hopes to better understand the tradition and text upon which it is based. A reading and writing intensive course which forced me to critically analyze these texts in its historical context. .

  • Diplomacy in Crisis (Posc 4890): This political science course, instructed by a former diplomat and Yugoslav official, it focused on theories in international political settings in times of turmoil and looked at certain scenarios such as the Balkans and Kosovo, Ethiopia and the Tigray, and Ukraine and Russia. This was done through primary sources and interviews with individuals to garner better understanding of the global geo-political order and contextualize it and the importance of events.

  • Ancient Philosophy (Phil 3150): A balanced and effective course, this class was underpinned by the works of Plato, Aristotle, and other selected individuals of the epoch whose works are considered foundational and influential for the western world as they explore the idea of virtue, censorship, and liberty.

  • Moral Philosophy (Phil 3040): This course dwelled on moral issues which have plagued and continue to force us to question the ethics of our society, and the moral decisions we make through analysis of works of individuals such as Aristotle, Mill, and Kant, as they too seek to understand what morality is, what is just, what virtue is, and the implications of defining these terms.

  • Religions of the Ancient World (Rel 3080): This class centered on the ancient Greek polis, or city state, and delved into religious life as manifested there, in the form of cults, legal codes, sacrificial norms, and the role of religion in public life. We also focused heavily on reading several texts from the period, including the Odyssey, to gain a better understanding of these precepts.

  • Islam in the West (Rel 3350):  A reading intensive course which focused on the history of Islam in a "Western" context, challenging conceptions of the presence and role of the religion in the Occident through application of theory, primary sources, and history. Effective course for challenging bias, expanding knowledge on the religion, its history and prevalence in the contemporary age, and the prejudice faced by it caused by negative stereotypes perpetuated through media.

  • Islam (Rel 3150): This course focused on the history of Islam, the dynasties and cultures associated with the religion, and its doctrine. This was a reading intensive course which incorporated outreach with the local mosque to meet with Muslim leaders in local society and discuss the faith, emphasizing reflection on various traditions within the religion, such as Sufism and Salafism and the evolution of the faith and its variegated interpretations.

  • Senior Seminar - Islam and Modernity (Rel 4900): A small socratic-style seminar of religious studies majors which focused on several theories of modernization and their application to the Islamicate world in the contemporary day. By applying the learned theoretical lenses to the tradition and various scholars' arguments, I engaged in discourse around the western notions of religion and modernity and its application to Islam.

  • Junior Research Colloquium (Rel 3990): A faculty led research colloquium in which I chose my own topic of research under a Professor who helped guide me in my research and crafting my thesis. This course enabled me to research the evolution of French secular policy, laicity, as enabled by (neo) Orientalism in contemporary French political discourse, combining my passion for French at the intersection of Islam and secularism, with applied theory. A reading intensive course as I conducted my research and crafted my novel thesis.

  • Methodologies and Theories of Studying Religion (Rel 3000): This was a challenging course which forced me to critically read, understand, and apply theory to the study of religion by analyzing various scholars' approaches to defining religion. The theories learned in this course were then applied as I sought to define religion according to my own notion, created from an amalgamation of these theories.

  • Witchcraft and Heresy (Hist 4700): This was one of my favorite courses, and it focused on learning the history of Christianity in Europe during late antiquity on, as heretical offshoots appeared and the church eventually began to seek to eradicate these groups, leading up the witch hunts. These tasks were accomplished by analyzing primary source documents from the period and synthesizing them with historical context to grasp a better understanding of the culture of persecution, alterity and oppression of women in western society through a socio-religious lens.

  • Religions and World Politics (Posc 4080): This class emphasized defining and understanding religion conceptually and as a manifest entity in our world, and its intersection with, and involvement in, politics on a global scale through looking at a variety of organizations claiming religion as motivation, such as the BJP and Al-Qaeda. This was achieved through media, including interviews, secondary sources, and other primary sources which were interpreted and used in conjunction with applied theory

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