Junior Steven Stradley

Remarquable! Junior Steven Stradley finished first in a French oratory contest that is offered to students who study French in high schools and French Immersion schools across the metro area. Stradley recited a selection of French prose from “I’Etranger” written by Albert Camus. The competition took place on Saturday, Nov. 9 at the Ecole Bilingue, Louisiana’s only private French school accredited by the French government and the State of Louisiana. The school is located on Gen. Pershing Street in the uptown area of New Orleans.

Three judges — all French native speakers — asked Stradley and other students, in French, questions about their presentation. Stradley was also asked about his February trip to Toulouse, France with other Jesuit students, and about a recent visit to Jesuit by students from France. Monsieur Patrick Benoit, Jesuit’s only French teacher and current chairman of the school’s Modern Foreign Language department, assisted his student with his preparation.

Stradley and other first and second place winners will be recognized at a reception later this month. The Consul of France is expected to attend the event.