There are many ways to say “I love you” and in many different languages. In Montmartre, Paris, France stands a 430 square foot Wall of Love that contains 612 tiles with the phrase ‘‘I love you” written 311 times in 250 languages.

In November, during National French Week, the foreign language department, inspired by the wall in Paris, created a Love Wall in Springer Hall to represent the diverse expressions of love.

The Nazareth Love Wall was created by Ms. Balge’s French II Honors class who had been researching Paris monuments and wanted to recreate the famous wall.

The original Wall of Love was created to be a contrast for the symbolism of division and separation a wall is usually associated with. The creator of the original wall wanted it to symbolize what he saw as “the most beautiful of human feelings.”

Similarly, the French class wanted to have a tangible symbol of Nazareth’s love and diversity, as well as the diversity of the French-speaking world. Mrs. Balge said she sees the wall as “a great reminder to speak with respect and love while we’re at school.”

The Love Wall also meant a great deal to Sophomore Connor Uphues who helped assemble the wall. He said that the wall was educational for him and that, “[he] could now communicate with many different people to tell them that they are meaningful to [him].”

All Roadrunners were invited to contribute to the wall and students were excited to see their submissions on the wall throughout the week. It was an impressive show of fellow classmates’ words, which they had learned in various languages, whether it be through class, family, friends, or songs.

One could also see the importance the wall had in many students’ lives as they saw themselves and their cultures represented. Ms. Balge said that many French II Honors students, as well as many Nazareth students, speak other languages besides English at home; the Love Wall gave these students an opportunity to “show others in the class and the school a part of their family’s culture.”

Both Ms. Balge and Uphues viewed the wall as a success receiving 100 submissions from the faculty and student body. These submissions were written in over 50 languages showing the diversity and respect of the Naz community.

Uphues shared that he has bonded with his fellow French students and the student body over the creation of this wall. He mentioned that he believes, “Each student that worked on this project helped in their own way to ensure that this project succeeded and was met with positive feedback.”

Ms. Balge is proud of the wall and looks forward to creating another display next year. The Love Wall was a perfect way to engage students in National French Week in their own personal creative way. It was well received throughout Nazareth, and the entire community is excited to see what the French classes will create next year!