Luke Wittingham, Graduate Student in French and Italian Studies: I focus my research on mapping queer diasporas in West Africa. I plan to publish extensive literature exposing the inhumane social formations targeting queer communities in Senegal.
As an undergraduate I studied Spanish and French while teaching myself Wolof. After acquiring fluency in both Dutch and Swedish I became very interested in Germanics. German has become an important element of my graduate education. I initially understood Germany’s position in Europe through its historical placement by both the French and Dutch. Upon studying German, the language and culture has exposed me to an intersectional understanding of contemporary and historical European relationships. I am inspired to move to Berlin to put my studies into context within actual German culture, as well as sample the array of opportunity an international city such as Berlin has to offer.