2016
December 22 Screening & Talk with Author & Filmmaker: Author, filmmaker, speaker and Yale alumnus, Minter Dial (Y87) did two screenings of his new film, The Last Ring Home, that debuted on PBS (USA) and History Channel (ANZ) on Nov 11 2016. It is a WWII documentary, a personal story of love, courage and honour, that covers the magical tale of his grandfather's 1932 Annapolis Naval Academy ring that was given, lost and then found under the most remarkable circumstances 17 years after his death. Taking 25 years to research and having interviewed over 100 members of the Greatest Generation, it is a serendipitous journey of self-discovery and an opportunity to count our blessings. Along the way, Minter's father, Victor (Y59) experienced a sense of healing and bonding with his own father whom he last saw when he was just 3 years old. The film won Best Foreign Film at the Charleston International Film Festival.
November 15 Dinner with the Yale Club, Suzanne Mustacich: Author, Wine Spectator Contributing Editor and Yale alumnus Suzanne Mustacich talked to us about and read some excerpts from her prize-winning narrative nonfiction book, Thirsty Dragon: China’s Lust for Bordeaux and the Threat to the World’s Best Wines. The wine merchants of Bordeaux and the rising entrepreneurs of China would seem to have little in common, and yet these two communities have found their destinies intertwined in the conquest of new markets. At once a tale of business skullduggery and fierce cultural clashes, adventure, and ambition, this is a behind-the-scenes investigation of the challenges facing the world's most famous wines.
October 18 Dinner with the Yale Club, Thad Carhart: Best-selling author and Yale alumnus Thad Carhart will talked to us about and read some excerpts from his latest book, Finding Fontainebleau, a nonfiction narrative based on his own childhood years in France. The book touches on a variety of issues from post-WWII European security to French public education to the architecture of the Château de Fontainebleau itself - all through the eyes of an American boy lost to the charms of postwar France.
September 25 Piano concert, Kamilla Arku: London-based pianist Kamilla Arku is a graduate of Yale University and the Royal Northern College of Music. Kamilla has taken part in prestigious programmes such as the Britten Pears Young Artists Programme and she has been awarded with renowned scholarships and prizes. The concert featured French masterpieces along with contemporary works by Yale composers. http://kamillaarku.com/
September 11 Walking tour with the Wellesley club: members of the Yale and Wellesley clubs enjoyed a history-filled afternoon exploring some of the off-the beaten-path areas of the Marais.
September 9 Annual Ivy Clubs Mixer on the Seine: The festivities were held aboard the péniche « Concorde Atlantique ». The 20th edition of this mixer gathered alumni and friends from a wide range of U.S. and international schools.
July 25 Rooftop bar Happy Hour with the Columbia and McGill clubs: Located in the Oberkampf area, this rooftop bar has an amazing view of the Sacre Coeur.
July 11 Yale Club of France Annual Meeting: Our annual meeting fulfilled our legal obligation as an « Association 1901 ». It included the approval of last year’s minutes, the President’s review of events, the Treasurer’s report and election of Club officers. The current year’s officers are listed here.
June 14 Yale Book Award Reception: We bestowed the Book Awards to three outstanding high school juniors. The ceremony was a joint event with the Harvard Club of France, which awarded scholarships to Harvard-bound French students. It was held at the Hotel Tallyrand on the place de la Concorde.
May 30 Dinner with the Yale Club: Recent Yale grad Magd Lhroob discussed her research on the role of religion in civil war and her analysis of the Syrian civil war as a case study.
May 28 Ivy Alumni+ Community Service Day: Stanford Club of France and the IVY+ Alumni associations organized this event, which increased awareness of fluvial pollution, as a part of the annual day of service.
May 24 American University Clubs of France Annual Embassy Reception: We were invited to the American University Clubs of France 23rd Annual Embassy Reception & Summer Cocktail in the presence of the Honorable Jane Hartley, U.S. Ambassador to France.
May 12 Harvard Club of France presented “Ecole 42”: an innovative, tuition-free STEM school founded by telecom magnate Xavier Niel based on peer-to-peer teaching. A visit of the school was followed by a panel discussion with higher education specialists, including one of the school’s co-founders.
April Admissions: For September 2016 matriculation (class of 2020), four students were admitted. There were 51 applications from France (vs 45 in 2015). The admit rate of 8% is close to Yale’s overall rate. Many thanks to our interviewers, who managed to receive nearly every candidate.
March 31 Arts Arena Yale School of Music Recital: Yale has the only professional school of music in the Ivy League and is a worldwide leader in educating creative musicians. This year’s recital was given by mezzo-soprano Evanna Chiew, who recently made her Carnegie Hall debut with a performance of Sibelius and Mahler. She was accompanied by the pianist Yevgeny Yontov, an international gold-medal laureate.
March 15 Dinner with the Yale Club: global energy and climate change: We dined with Paul Simons (JE ’77), Deputy Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, who spoke to us about global energy and climate change. Paul currently serves on the board of the Jackson Institute and on the Yale President’s Council on International Activities.
February 22 Yale School of Art Lecture: Robert Storr, Dean of the Yale School of Art, delivered the 8th Yale Arts Arena Lecture at the Columbia Global Centers Europe.
February 11 Paris Feb Club Party: The club took part in this winter Yale tradition, which has now gone global.
February 3 Dinner with the Yale Club — Tova Leigh-Choate: Tova (SM ’97, PhD ’09) is a medievalist and musicologist who is currently completing a book on liturgy and commemoration at the royal abbey of Saint-Denis under the 12th-century abbot Suger, best known for his activities as regent of France, historian, and patron of art and architecture. The talk connected the architecture of Saint-Denis with its musical liturgies. It highlighted some of the ways that art, architecture, objects, song, and even food and drink combined to promote the memory of the saints and the royals buried in the abbey.
January 25 Reading by YCF Author Gerald Shea: Gerald talked about his book “Song Without Words: Discovering My Deafness Halfway Through Life” (French version: « La vie malentendue – J’étais sourd et je ne le savais pas ») and discussed his next work, “The Language of Light”, to be published by Yale University Press.
