Students interested in learning more about Paris Noir, one of the University’s most revered study abroad experiences, are invited to attend an information session scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. in 219 Sims Hall. For more information, contact Janis Mayes, director of Paris Noir and associate professor of African American studies, at jamayes@syr.edu.
Students in the Paris Noir 2015 program at the Elysee Palace
The program, which will celebrate its 16th anniversary in summer 2016, is a six-credit, five-week program sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences and SU Abroad. It is designed for students who are interested in learning about the influence and dynamics of black culture, literature and experience in Paris, both past and present.
“There are no walls around this classroom: the city of Paris and the surrounding areas transform the student’s learning experience,” says Mayes. “Panel discussions, music, open-mic poetry, visits to museums and artists’ studios, and African markets are just some of the public culture texts and spaces or public culture lessons students will explore while in Paris. It’s an incredible opportunity and I look forward to traveling to Paris next summer with a new cohort of students.”
Nearly 200 students have participated in Paris Noir over the years; many say the experience changed their lives in unimaginable ways.
“When I say Paris Noir changed my life, I mean it quite literally,” says Kishauna Soljour, a former Paris Noir student. “Now I’m getting my Ph.D. in history and my research focuses on the African migration to France after World War II.”
Paris Noir is open to all Syracuse University students, undergraduate and graduate. Like other SU Abroad programs, this experience is also open to students from other colleges and universities.
Space is limited; need-based grants are available to interested students. The deadline to apply is Saturday, Feb. 20; all deposits ($550) and Conditions of Participation forms are due on that date. Students are responsible for the cost of their airfare as well as most of their meals.
Students interested in applying to Paris Noir should visit the Paris Noir page on SU Abroad’s website. If they have questions, they should contact Marie Kulikowsky by email at mkulikow@syr.edu or Caitlin Jarvis at cajarvis@syr.edu.
