Personal Journal: Menlo teen lives la vie en rose at French camp Personal Journal: Menlo teen lives la vie en rose at French camp (October 19, 2005)

By Sarah McCracken

Special to the Almanac

Sitting in a circle with a large group of friends on a calm afternoon, I'm filled with contentment. A camp counselor, Sabine, strums a guitar and sings about peace with another staff member, Christophe.

We're here studying French at a summer camp called Lac du Bois, part of the Concordia Language Villages immersion program in Minnesota. The song, of course, is in French.

Every other Sunday, Sabine and Christophe sing as part of a peace ceremony that brings us together for a quiet moment of reflection. Although Hackensack, Minnesota, is far from my home in Menlo Park, right now the world could not be more beautiful to us, a group of kids who have come together from all over the world.

Going to a summer camp at the Concordia Language Villages is like living in another world. It's complete linguistic and cultural immersion, so campers have no idea what is happening outside their villages.

When I'm here, I bask in an atmosphere of happiness and security. The staff helps "villagers" connect with each other, whatever the language skills they have. How can you tell it's a happy place? All day long, people break into song.

The program started in 1961 as the idea of two Concordia College professors. Today it teaches 13 languages, from Norwegian to Korean.

"You can be who you really are without having to live up to anyone's expectations," says Helena Anderson, 15, of Georgia, who has come to the French program for six years.

A third-year camper, Ali Grange, 15, of New York says she returns because "there's such a feeling of family here."

"I love all the crazy traditions," she adds.

Nearly every activity, however small, has a tradition. To help the villagers learn the languages, there are songs for almost everything -- even for salad and bread at meals.

A favorite tradition is "International Day," when all the campers meet in Bemidji, Minnesota, for a huge party. There are cultural and linguistic exchanges, lots of celebration, delicious food, and singing and dancing. Each village presents short skits on the year's theme. This year it was "Creating Cultures of Peace."

Beyond teaching languages, the program strives to inspire empathy for other cultures and countries, says Katie Helde, a 16-year-old Minnesotan, who returned for the seventh time this summer.

This summer, my third, I lived the life of a villager at Concordia for an entire month instead of just two weeks. It had its difficulties -- the homework (I earned high school credits) and the occasional bout of homesickness -- but it was worth it.

I think each villager, however young or old, however good at the language, grows from the experience. There are counselors and campers from all over the world, and living together in a village shows us the beauty of our differences. Enduring friendships are made and the time spent learning and developing as people is unforgettable.

Thinking how I used to complain about spiders in the bathrooms, the lack of electricity in the cabins, and other trivial things, I'm ashamed because I know that I would give anything to be back there, with so many people I love.
INFORMATION

More than 13,000 people participate annually in the 13 language programs. A notable alum is Chelsea Clinton, who attended the German camp. For information, call (800) 222-4750 or go to concordialanguagevillages.org.

About the author: Sarah McCracken of Menlo Park is a junior at Menlo-Atherton High School. Her language skills got an extra workout this summer when her family hosted a French exchange student.

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