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26
SPRING
2012
Letters to the editor
We have often been encouraged to write articles for the IC
Alumni Newsletter, and after some reflection, I am forwarding
you, a text in “English” that documents a few impressions and
memories I have of my IC years in the early fifties, when I was a
student in the Section Secondaire (French Section). In particular,
I mention a number of teachers who left indelible impressions
and instilled fond memories of my early education. It might also
be interesting if the text also appeared in French for the interest
of French scholars!
I am referring principally to Mr. Roger Valla, Director of
the French Secondary School, as well as Messrs. Seylaz and
Genestlé, who taught French Literature and were, in turn, French
Department Heads;. Additionally, there was Mr. Doubine, Dr.
Habachi and, of course, Maurice Dumont, Head of Mathematics
and Physics for umpteen years.
Although a headmaster, Roger Valla also taught History and Ge-
ography, and he had a very special approach to teaching, which
did not involve cramming our memories with facts but had us
actively participate in class discussions so that we could achieve
a better understanding of historical as well as economic events
and developments through the ages! I recall an answer I gave at
a ‘Bac Blanc’ (which is an interim test) with a visiting professor,
when asked about the economy of Poland. I said that the USSR
was profiting from the exploitation of oil production in Poland.
I was given zero as a grade. When I reported it two days later to
Mr. Valla, reminding him that that was what he had taught us,
he replied with a smile: “You should not repeat everything you
are taught in class. In fact, you were unlucky to have fallen on a
communist leftist teacher!”
One other recollection was a school outing (excursion) when we
walked along a somewhat long path to the top of a cliff-like hill.
At the time, I decided to climb it rather than take a long walk
along the footpath. We arrived at the top almost simultaneously
and Roger Valla told me with a sneer: “Sehnaoui, c’est dire que la
ligne droite n’est pas toujours le plus court chemin!”
Seylaz and Genestlé were monuments in French literature. We
were lucky to have, such great French teachers in our day. Seylaz
was an old man who analyzed texts in moods rather than in
depth, with his 18th century-like romantic dreamy eyes, while
Bernard Genestlé was a far more dynamic analyst who concen-
trated on practically every word. Both developed in us a love for
poetry and poetic prose!
Two other History and Philosophy teachers also had a very rich
impact on us in the upper secondary, namely Mr. Doubine, who
taught the Philosophy of History, and Dr. René Habachi, who
taught us the History of Civilizations. Both thrilled us with
interesting facts and explanations as to the links between various
countries and their leaders. In the process, they often drifted
off subject, giving us their thoughts and beliefs on a number of
issues.
However, the teacher who had the greatest impact on me was
Maurice Dumont. He taught Mathematics and Physics, and
brought us to appreciate the theories of numbers and sciences. In
Mathématiques Elémentaires, during our ‘année terminale’, we
had seven separate books on Maths:
Arithmétique, Algèbre, Géométrie Pure, Trigonométrie, Géomé-
trie Descriptive, Cosmographie, Mécaniques
Although we were only eighteen years of age, Dumont, with his
cigarette, almost drooping from his lower lip non-stop, developed
in us a love for maths and physics, and made us feel as proud as
though we were master mathematicians and physicists. He stayed
at IC for several years of civil strife, as Assistant Headmaster of
the French Program, and spent many years in Mechref, keeping
IC’s campus under safe control, together with our beloved Tom
Weaver.
Alas, all these old teachers are no longer with us, but they have
left deep and lovely memories for those of us who were lucky
enough to have studied under their helm!
I could go on and on with recollections of classes, incidents, and
general memories of my full high school years at IC between
1949 and 1956, but that might be rather tedious reading for most
of our readers.
Elie Antoine Sehnaoui ‘56
IC Trustee Since 1971
Trustee Emeritus Since 1994
Class of 1979
Courtesy of Nadim Hammam