Discovering the Spirit of Saint-Omer
Saint-Omer, a small French town in the North Pas-de-Calais region, became my home for seven weeks this summer when I stayed and worked there as part of an internship exchange program between Georgetown’s French Department and the town. Connections between Georgetown and Saint-Omer go back to when John Carroll and his two brothers studied at the Jesuit College here in the 1700s, but I’ll go deeper into the history in a future column. Regardless of its historical significance or cultural attractions, Saint-Omer and its people have lodged themselves in my heart because of their deep sense of community and celebration. Being in France during these exciting and trying months has brought out an incredible sense of life in the people everywhere, and especially here in the North where community is incredibly important.
Just days after my arrival, I joined the rest of the Georgetown students and our French companions in Saint-Omer’s main square to watch France’s second game in the Euro soccer championship. Sitting outside, watching the game on big screens and singing the Marseillaise with the locals, we immediately felt closer to the town. This was the beginning of a great social experience, as every game France played, every goal scored, and every close save brought us into the arms of the French people. We cheered at the playful brilliance of French striker Antoine Griezmann and danced long into the night after France’s victories.
Not only did we celebrate alongside the French, we took part in a unique patriotic moment for France, as nearly everyone displayed their pride in the Republique as France advanced deeper into the tournament. The bleu, blanc, rouge was on full display everywhere and it was the constant talk of the town. When France upset Germany, the favorite, to advance to the final, elation broke out only to be cut short when France fell to Portugal in the final minutes of overtime in the final. I felt the national heartbreak in my acquired love for the French team, and we all resolved to congratulate Les Bleus just for making it so far.
On a more local level, just days after the final French loss, Saint-Omer’s community came together for its Jazz festival: four days of outdoor concerts, food, and wine. A new initiative only in its second year, the Jazz Festival attracted great interest, bringing out hundreds to enjoy the warm summer air, cold drinks, and silky tunes of local bands first in concerts set up in the town’s main squares and after in local bars. I saw during these days the wonderful French capacity to have a good time, as people swayed the night away until the early hours of the morning. Everyone from the mayor to little children came out and watched together, showing the importance of communal events.
However, amidst all of this fun and celebration, tragedy struck France just after its national holiday, Bastille day. In the wake of the awful murders after a truck drove through a crowd in Nice, France experienced a moment of national shock and mourning. Yet just hours before, I witnessed a carefree celebration of France’s independence and the ideas of its Revolution, as fireworks went off over Saint-Omer’s canal. In the days that followed, moments of silence took place across the country, and our vacation days were marked by a more somber tone.
But it was exactly that joie de vivre of the people in Saint-Omer, and the people of Nice, and people around France that made France a target. And to their enormous credit, the French did not let fear take hold of them and they did not abandon their peace of mind after these terrible attacks. Following the enormous displays of national solidarity I saw, I truly felt that I witnessed a glimpse of history. It may be that France’s politics are as divided as ever, but in the spirit of communities like Saint-Omer France is still strong.