archive
Arabic & Quran: A Transformative Experience!
With the timely need for understanding, humility, and gratitude in celebration of our humanity as a multi-faith, multi-linguistic, and multi-racial creation, please take a few moments to read Aliya's blog post: Arabic & Quran: A Transformative Experience. Aliya's story is all of our stories in finding serenity in our faith and the power of language in the process!
"Touched" by Ebru: Language-Art Interface
Our Arabic program at Loyola University Chicago was honored to welcome well-known Chicago-resident Turkish artist, Sevim Surucu, to a special Ebru art workshop with our Arabic students Fall 2018. Please enjoy our last entry this semester for "students’ voices", a blog that shares some of our Arabic students' reflections and photos on events sponsored by the Arabic program at Loyola.
Ibn Haldun University: Arabic Immersion In Istanbul
Dr. Sawsan Abbadi visited prominent Arabic programs in well-established study abroad centers and universities in Jordan and Istanbul as part of the Liebentritt Faculty Development Award. This blog shares a few insights about the Arabic Program at Ibn Haldun University; a rigorous program for Arabic language and cultural studies with immersion experiences. With attention to recent demographic changes due to Syrian refugees and immigrants in Istanbul, the program is well situated to offer mini immersion experiences modeling that of Arabic neighborhoods.
“What’s up?” Arabic @ CIEE Amman
Dr. Sawsan Abbadi visited prominent Arabic programs in well-established study abroad centers and universities in Jordan and Istanbul as part of the Liebentritt Faculty Development Award. This blog shares a few insights about CIEE- Amman/Jordan; a study abroad program for Arabic language and cultural studies with immersion experience and travel around fascinating personal exposure.
"How Do We Proceed with Our Own Internal Conflict?: On the Translation of Mihail Sebastian’s “For Two Thousand Years”
A review by Julia Elsky, PhD, Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Program Director for French.
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D. Scott Hendrickson, S.J. Honored as Founding Member of First European Chapter of Alpha Sigma Nu
D. Scott Hendrickson, S.J. of the department of Modern Languages and Literatures at Loyola was inducted into Alpha Sigma Nu by his twin brother, who is president of Creighton.
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Feature
Life Begins Anew—Rediscovering the Austrian Writer and Exile Fred Heller
Reinhard Andress, PhD (Professor of German), has spearheaded the reedition of a volume of short stories by Fred Heller, Das Leben beginnt noch einmal (Life Begins Anew)...
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Feature
"After Ellis Island? Italians at the Border in the Age of Trump"
After Ellis Island?
An editorial by Cristina Lombardi-Diop, PhD, Senior Lecturer and Director of the Rome Studies Program.
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Above and beyond
Above and beyond
History major Michelle King spent her summer interning at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.
Arabic @ Loyola Give Thanks
Arabic learners at Loyola University Chicago shared their heartfelt collage of voices and images using a few learned Arabic words to express multi textual deep reflections. In selected samples here, we share feelings of gratitude to the blessings of families, friends, professors, schools, nourishment, besides hope, peace, compassion, resilience, and selfless sacrifices to help us grow. Our thanks to Chairperson Susana Cavallo and Dean Peter Schraeder for all support for the Arabic Program Minor @ Loyola.
Retiring Modern Languages Professor Volunteers Time to Teach Prisoners
Loyola Professor Andrew McKenna is taking his teaching to a new classroom – one in Stateville Correctional Center to be specific.
The French professor in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures will retire from Loyola after teaching at the University for over 40 years, but will continue to volunteer his time at a maximum security prison teaching writing intensive and literature classes.
Dr. McKenna currently teaches two college-level courses to the prisoners in the facility, driving downstate once a week.
Dr. McKenna said he had been interested in teaching prisoners for quite some time, and credits philosopher René Girard and his mimetic theory of human violence for sparking his interest in the role of prisons in society. He has done extensive research on the U.S. prison industrial complex, which he calls an “international scandal.”
Dr. McKenna has also published several articles on the value of teaching in prisons and is working with lobbying groups to advocate for structural change and publish the work of students within the prison system.
“We want people to stop seeing incarcerated men and woman as utterly different from us,” he said.
According to Dr. McKenna, although many of the men in his classes are long-term offenders who are unlikely to be released from prison, they enjoy his classes and produce impressive work.
“The men I teach are self-selecting,” Dr. McKenna said. “For them, these courses are a way they can get out of their cells, and their minds can escape from their bodies.”
He said the writing they do contributes immensely to their self-understanding. His students also read and interpret literature, with a focus on works produced by African-American authors.
“I see literature as an active means of agency and of truth,” Dr. McKenna said.
He brought his passion for literature to his classes at the University as well. Originally from the East Coast, Dr. McKenna moved to Illinois in 1970 to teach at Northwestern University before joining Loyola’s community several years later.
“I knew Loyola and the Jesuit community would be a congenial space to operate,” Dr. McKenna said.
During his time at Loyola, Dr. McKenna taught both French language and literature in translation, and also led a summer study abroad program in Southern France.
His colleague in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, David Pankratz, said students have always looked upon him with high regard.
“He has a reputation for being very encouraging and pushing students to do their best,” Mr. Pankratz said. “If you’re serious about French, he’s one of the best.”
Past retirement, Dr. McKenna plans to spend time with his children and grandchildren, travel with them in Europe, pursue further research and of course, continue teaching at Stateville. He also plans to teach two additional courses this fall at Loyola.
“It’s the best use of my time,” Dr. McKenna said. “I don’t golf, I don’t play bridge – what else am I going to do?”