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| Upcoming Events | |
Summer 2011
* Thursday, July 14th - Bastille Day Pot-luck Picnic. Come one, come all and bring a dish (or snacks, or beverage) to share! We didn't get to do anything for the 4th of July, so come show National Spirit for the 14th of July! (Check FB and your Inbox for further details).
* Thursday, August 4th - Monthly Happy Hour. Even though many folks go on vacation, we'll still have our monthly get-together for those who are in town for the summer. Check FB and Google groups for more details.
More Info: HarvardClub.fr
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| MEMBERSHIP |  Are you a member of the HCF? If not, join us today for good times and compelling events!
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Les Echos are resounding!
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Our esteemed club, the Harvard Club of France, has made the press! If you didn't catch the "L'Enquete" on us in the Friday February 4th, 2011 edition of the economic newspaper Les Echos, never fear. It is online in perpetuity here.
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Harvard Mobile Web & iPhone Applications
| | Harvard has announced a University-wide initiative to deliver useful, usable, and mobile-appropriate content to the Harvard community locally and worldwide. To take advantage of this technology, go to m.harvard.edu, or download the Harvard app from the iPhone app store to see the latest news and campus information on your mobile phone. |
| More Advantages of being a Harvard Alumni |
The Harvard Alumni Association is going to reward you for your Harvard Club of France membership!
As a member of the HCF, in 2011 you are eligible to receive Harvard Magazine at a significantly discounted annual subscription rate.
The annual subscription form is here. Register now (login required). If you need assistance please contact Harvard to initiate your individual annual subscription and continue receiving Harvard Magazine at your preferred address.
Discounted rates for International Harvard Club members are 54% off reg. subscription price: Regular annual subscription price (six issues): US $65
Harvard Club member price: US $30
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Issue: # 11
| July/August 2011 | |
 President's WelcomeDear Friends, Until recently, July 4th was primarily known around the world and in Paris as American Independence Day. This year, we had the lovely surprise to hear about our fellow Executive Committee member Larissa Pommeraud giving birth to adorable twin babies, Soleil and Sinclair; a perfect date for two French-American kids...and possible future Harvardians. At the Harvard Club of France, we try to groom them from an early age. If the current trend continues, the chance of having a special HCF kindergarden as a special members-only incentive is increasing... Both parents and non-parents should nevertheless think seriously about renewing their HCF memberships. 2011-2012 dues have been slightly raised from last year but they remain highly affordable by Paris standards. As you all know, for the past year, we have had a club coordinator -our own Courtney Pulitzer- and this has meant increased costs. In addition, the last number of events (around 20 since September 2010) means additional costs, even though I must stress that our successive Treasurers -Benoît, Larissa and Meriem- have kept a good handle of our modest budget. Let me also warmly thank our 24 Club benefactors whose contribution is greatly valued. We hope others will feel stimulated by last year's program to become benefactors as well. It is the best way to help the HCF. Some of last year's highlights have included: University President Drew Faust's gala dinner at Hôtel de Lassay, HCF World Holiday party at Hôtel Talleyrand; a great 16th All-alumni Peniche party; the annual Harvard-Yale cocktail at the U.S. Embassy; talks by Professors Antoine Picon (GSOD), Michele Lamont (FAS), Roland Baron (HMS); and a week-end in the Loire Valley. For 2011-2012, a presidential election year in France and in the US, we are welcoming all suggestions for speakers and events from all members. August will be a rather quiet month, but I look forward to seeing some of you at our Happy Hours on August 4th and to all others I send my best wishes for a great vacation time. See you at the rentrée! Sincerely, Philippe Philippe Le Corre - President of the Harvard Club of FranceFrance Amériques
9, Avenue Franklin Roosevelt, Paris
Web: http://www.harvardclub.fr/ |
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16th Annual All-Alumni Peniche Party ~ June 8
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 It was a calm, balmy night on Wednesday, June 8th for Harvard's 16th Annual Peniche Party on the Concorde Atlantique peniche. Docked on the Seine, alumni of all ages, hailing from our beloved Harvard, Yale, Columbia, MIT and other schools, arrived in twos and threes to board. Cocktails were served on the upper deck, where most people stayed well into the night. A nice hearty buffet was served below, where the DJ played to an empty dance floor. It was too beautiful a night to be inside and dancing!
Organized in large part by HCF Executive Committee member Emmanuel Cassimatis, this night was a great kick-off into the summer season. Everyone there had a good time, confirming why we've been doing this for 16 years--it's a big hit and a welcome addition to the Paris alumni event "scene!"
More pictures here: (click on "Event pics")
* Please note: A pair of glasses were found on the peniche at the end of the party. If you (or a friend of yours) lost a pair of glasses, please contact me and we will arrange for you to get your glasses back!
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| The Harvard - Yale Annual Cocktail ~ June 30 | | On yet another lovely spring evening, Harvard Club of France, HBS Club de France and Yale Club of France members arrived (this time) one by one (due to security measures) at the United States Ambassasor's residence for the annual Harvard - Yale cocktail party on Thursday, June 30th.
Guests were able to enjoy the reception rooms and gardens, while sipping champagne and nibbling on petit-fours after the acknowledging speeches by HCF President Philippe Le Corre, YCF President Everett Hutt, Ambassador Charles Rivkin and HFSF Co-chair David Michel. Awards were presented to the lucky (and exceptionally bright) students from both schools and Ambassador Rivkin was presented with one of the HCF shiny new commemorative medals.
Pictures will be on the website soon!
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Harvard Women France: Kevin Finel Workshop ~ July 6
| |  The Harvard Women France initiative has picked up momentum. About a dozen women from the Harvard Club of France and the HBS Club de France have gathered over several luncheons to create an exciting agenda in the Fall for female alumna in France. Some special events will also be open to men.
This month, on Wednesday, July 6th, HWF opened its doors (well, the doors of the Cercle de l'Union Interalliee club) to about 20 women to listen and learn from noted French communications specialist, coach, NLP and hypnosis trainer and practitioner Kevin Finel.
This elegantly-attired and velvety-voiced modern-day Rasputin (in only the best terms) spoke on how to become a better communicator as a woman, interacting with women or men, how to remove obstacles or resistances in negotiations and discussions and how to generate enthusiasm. He held the group in rapt attention and yet was light and humorous in his examples and in engaging responses. Networking before and after for all the participants was a great way for these Harvard alums to meet and discuss effective communicating. Stay tuned for announcements on the Fall line-up! |
| Member Spotlight: Brian Jongseong Park | | |
Harvard graduates tend to be interesting. And graduates who find themselves living in one of the most interesting cities in the world, well, that just adds uniqueness. This is why we are starting a new feature in the newsletter featuring a member each month.
 This was a busy month but I had time to send our standard questions to HCF member Brian Jongseong Park. His answers were so thought-full I decided to include them all here, untouched. Enjoy!
What school did you attend at Harvard? Degree? Year of graduating?
I graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. (a fancy way of saying B.A.) in 2005. I concentrated in mathematics, and I was in Eliot House.
What is your favorite Harvard memory?
There are so many memories from Harvard to choose from. For one of the first big snowfalls of the season freshman year, a couple of friends and I walked around Harvard Yard and eventually all the way to Weeks Footbridge in the middle of the night as the snow was falling and covering the campus. I took at least five classes throughout my college career in the Sackler Museum building, and I loved walking through its collections of Near Eastern, Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Islamic, and Asian art from time to time. I loved the intramural sports competitions, especially volleyball and soccer, and winning the Straus Cup junior year was a highlight. I even got to be part of an art collective called Present! that held draw-your-own-comics nights or held silent street parties where everyone danced to music from earphones.
When did you move to Paris? Why?
I came to Paris two and a half years ago. After graduation I was in the South Korean army for two years for my mandatory military service. When I was discharged in 2008, an economic crisis was in full swing and I wasn't quite sure where to go next. But my parents were living in Paris at the time, so I ended up here later that year. My father is a diplomat, so my family moved frequently between different countries when I was growing up. After I left for college, we had half-seriously agreed that should my parents ever be posted to a French-speaking country, I would come stay for a while to try to master the language (I had studied French in school).
So I came to Paris to stay with my family for a while, see the sights, and to plan my next step. Initially I thought I would apply to jobs in the U.S. But now that I was here, it didn't take long to figure out that it wouldn't be half bad to get a job in Paris. After months of interviews and paperwork for the visa and work permit, I found myself working at AXA, a French insurance company, and living in my own apartment in the 15th (my parents had left France by then).
What is your favorite Paris moment thus far?
Living in Paris has been full of amazing experiences. Watching tennis at Roland Garros, Friday evenings at the Louvre Museum, wandering through town with friends on Nuit Blanche, a special guided tour of the Hôtel de Ville, picnics and open-air cinema at La Villette...
Why did you join the HCF?
The first HCF event I came to must have been the 4th of July picnic on the Champ de Mars in 2009, when I had got the job but was waiting for the work visa. I enjoyed meeting everyone at the picnic. I had hardly kept in touch with anyone from Harvard during my time in the army, so this made me realize just how much I missed interacting with people from Harvard. I wanted to keep this up and continue to meet amazing people, so naturally I signed up for HCF.
What is your favorite HCF memory thus far?
Besides the picnic, last year's Holiday Party was a memorable HCF experience. The Hôtel de Talleyrand was a magnificent backdrop and the bingo was a blast. We were all a bit confused about the bingo rules, but I guess that was part of the fun. President Drew Faust's visit was another highlight.
Is there anything unusual/unique you do during your free time in Paris?
On Sundays, I sing in a Korean church choir. I sang in the Harvard Glee Club freshman year. Though I couldn't keep up the time commitment to continue in the Glee Club, I love singing and I'm glad to be doing choral singing again here in Paris. My choir includes many professional singers, including several members of the National Opera, so it is a humbling experience to be singing with such talented people. I feel incredibly fortunate.
Have you traveled much while living in France? Where?
I used to travel a lot more before I started working, that's for sure. Champagne, Normandy, Brittany, the Loire Valley... I went to London several times and also made my way to Oxford, Manchester, and York. I had less time to travel when I started working, though I did get to visit Strasbourg and Barcelona on short trips. But I racked up quite a few miles just a few weeks ago-I went back to Korea for a few days, visited my parents in Finland for a few more, and took a day trip to Estonia. Now I'll be staying in Paris for most of July and August, just as I have done the past two years. The locals may scramble to get out of the city in the summer, but I find that summer is actually a great time to be in Paris.
* * * * I'd like to thank Brian for being so open with me for this interview, and I hope you enjoyed reading about one of your fellow HCF members.
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Calling All Harvard Professors!
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| If you (our dear readers) have any connections with a Harvard professor, please let us know! Many of them travel to Paris and we would love to see if they might have availability to speak for us during their stay.
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Coordinator's Corner
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Well hello there! Yes, 'tis me, your humble Club Coordinator. This little corner at the bottom of the newsletter will be where I post any final thoughts or comments about the previous month or upcoming events. Next time I'll include a little biographical information about myself.
As always, we hope you enjoyed this newsletter. Please send us any comments. I look forward to seeing you at an upcoming event, Courtney Pulitzer, Club Coordinator
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