Published May 22, 2017
On May 6, the University of Louisiana Monroe World Language program, in conjunction
with area high schools, hosted a Festival of World Languages.
This is the ninth year of the festival, and more than 200 students registered. The
schools which sent participants included, West Ouachita, Ouachita, West Monroe, Neville,
Sterlington, River Oaks, Ouachita Christian, McKinley Senior High in Baton Rouge and
Booker T. Washington in Shreveport. The theme was “A Language Awakens,” taken from
the “Star Wars” series.
Students had the opportunity to attend presentations offered on a variety of topics:
- “The Choctaw Language” by Dr. Mary Adams, English
- “ULM Study Abroad in Costa Rica” by Josh Hall and Taylor Boute, ULM students
- “A Long Time Ago in an Empire Far, Far Away” by Bryan Butler, World Languages
- “Chinese New Year” by Fang Yi Liao, World Languages
- “Gorée: Island of Shame” by Valerie Matejowshy, World Languages, and Terri Honoré,
ULM student
- “It’s Some Kind of Elvish: Meaning and Monsters in Old and Middle English” by Will
Rogers, English
- “Venezuela” by Francis Vásquez, Communication graduate student
The invited speaker was Bray Harris, a 2009 ULM Modern Language graduate. He spoke
on his experiences and work with the Spanish language. Bray is a staff sergeant with
the Louisiana National Guard. Harris was selected as Language Professional of the
Year for the National Guard and Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for the 415th Military Intelligence Company.
Currently he is the Command Language Program Manager for the Military Intelligence
Company of the 769th Brigade Engineer Battalion. He was deployed to Afghanistan and has served in Utah,
Arizona, Georgia, Missouri, and Mississippi. He is also a right of way Agent for
the Louisiana Department of Transportation and a Keller Williams agent.
Bray Harris was the speaker at the 2017 Festival of World Languages on May 6. Harris
is a ULM 2009 graduate in Modern Language. He is a staff sergeant with the Louisiana
National Guard and Command Language Program Manager for the Military Intelligence
Company of the 769th Brigade Engineer Battalion. Submitted photo
