Roland Adjovi, assistant professor of History and Political Studies, and Dr. Kate M. Bonin, assistant professor of Modern Languages, provided Arcadia students the opportunity to meet lawyer, human-rights activist, and author Bamba Bakary Jr. on Oct.13.

Originally from Côte d’Ivoire, West Africa, Bakary, who resides in Geneva, Switzerland, spoke to students in Dr. Bonin’s Business French course about Bakary’s recently published novel, Comme un papillon sur ton chemin (Pantheon, 2016). The novel describes love, fashion, and politics in a post-colonial and increasingly globalized Africa.

Côte d’Ivoire is one of 22 African States where French is the official language; Dr. Bonin’s students prepared questions in French for Bakary about his novel and poetry, his writing process, and the challenges facing modern-day Côte d’Ivoire.

“This meeting gave Arcadia students a great chance to use their French skills in a real-life speaking situation, while also learning about what daily life is like for Ivoirians today,” Dr. Bonin said.