Approximately 29 college students from Forbach, France and eight of their professors are currently visiting Americus. The group arrived Sunday and will depart Saturday.

The students are staying on the campus of Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW), and the Windsor Hotel is accommodating the faculty. The group is from the school of Lycee Blaise Pascal. Lycee Blaise Pascal is situated in the northwestern part of France by the German border, and it has an enrollment of 1,700 students and about 200 faculty members, explained GSW business professor Michael Fathi, DBA.

The eight faculty members visited Americus City Hall Wednesday, and had time to talk with Mayor Barry Blount.

“We are so happy to have you visiting in our town,” Blount said through the group’s interpreter Marie-Claude Chanteloube, who is also an English professor at the French college.

Chanteloube has been to Americus several times.

“I hope you all are enjoying our beautiful weather,” Blount said to the group in a third floor meeting room of City Hall.

“Yes we are, because it was snowing when we left home,” Chanteloube responded.

GSW established a relationship with the French school 15 years ago. Since 1995, the two institutions have been exchanging students and faculty members (In odd years, GSW goes to France; in even years, French students come to GSW).

“I bring you and the people of Americus greetings from our mayor and city,” said Lycee Blaise Pascal President Jean-Marie Haas to Blount through the interpretation of Chanteloube.

Haas then told Blount a little bit about his hometown. He said Forbach and Americus are similar in size and quality of living. The French town throughout it’s history depended on iron and coal mining as its economic engines, but that industry no longer exits in Forbach, according to Haas.

“We have had to change with the times and embrace new technologies. Our people are very capable and hard working,” Haas said, through Chanteloube.

“Our two cities have something else in common, because our citizens are very capable and hard working as well,” Blount said with a smile.

Haas thanked the United States for saving the French people during World War II. He presented a personal letter from the mayor of Forbach requesting that Forbach and Americus become a “sister cities.” Blount agreed with the idea and presented the group with gift bags.

He also talked about the virtues of South Georgia Technical College.