PCC Student Wins First Prize in French Poetry Recitation Contest

Pasadena City College student Sheridan Babcock recently won first place in the Advanced Students category at the inaugural French Poetry Recitation Contest, held at California State University, Los Angeles (CSULA). The event was sponsored by CSULA’s Department of Modern Languages and Literatures, in conjunction with the Modern and Classical Language Association of Los Angeles County (MCLASC).

Participants of the contest, which was open to high school and college students, were required to recite in French a poem of their own choice or from a recommended list. The judging criterion was based on diction, clarity and expression.

Sheridan chose to recite Charles Baudelaire’s “L’Horloge (The Clock).” His performance won him an annual membership for two at the Alliance Française of Pasadena, a French language and cultural center.

“I was studying the prose version of ‘L’Horloge’ at the time in one of my French language classes, and I really related to it,” Sheridan said. “It’s about how quickly time passes, and how we try and control time in vain. At 19, I feel like now is when I really need to make the most out of my time.”

Sheridan, who has completed French 4 in addition to other French courses at PCC, plans to pursue a doctorate in biopsychology before moving to France.

“The professors, especially Michèle Pedrini and Nicholas Martin, incorporate French culture and history into the classroom, making it about more than just a beautiful language, but a world that I want to explore,” Sheridan said.

MCLASC was founded in 1910 and provides professional development opportunities for language teachers and their students.