While misunderstandings may exist regarding cultural norms about
formality and personal space, Americans and French share a deep
commitment to democratic values and individual liberties, said Willa
Z. Silverman, professor of French and Jewish studies. "To begin with," said Silverman, "both the United States and France are diverse and pluralistic societies, so the notion of 'national character' is something of a mythical construction. This being said, I will offer that the French, whose society had rigid hierarchies for many centuries, place a greater, if subtle, emphasis on boundaries and distance -- between public and private space; between and among social and generational groups; and between strangers and intimates."

Filmmaker Lisa Gossels shared her Emmy award-winning "labor of love" with Penn State Harrisburg recently. The producer, co-director, and co-editor of the acclaimed documentary film "Children of Chabannes," Gossels told the audience in the crowded Olmsted Auditorium, "It's a joy to share 'Children of Chabannes' with you. It was truly a labor of love. Films of goodness are in short supply these days." Goodness may be an understatement of the true story depicted in the 90-minute film that tells the story of the unsung heroes of Chabannes, a small village of 300 in France, who saved more than 400 Jewish refugee children during World War II -- including Gossels' father and uncle.

Sarah Weaver, undergraduate student in French and Francophone Studies and International Studies, is one of 20 award recipients of the 2007 Undergraduate Discovery Summer Grant.