From festivities surrounding French holidays to engaging cultural activities, the French Club has been busy hosting engaging meetings centered around food.

  The club recently celebrated Mardi Gras, which is widely celebrated in France and even Francophone parts of the United States such as New Orleans. Oftentimes decorative masks are involved in the festivities, so the club adorned masks with paints and markers. 

  Like with most French Club meetings, there was food involved. Club president senior Athena Golovchenko brought in a replica of  “galette des rois,” also known as a king cake. Often made for holidays like Epiphany, this  cake was just another way the club showed their festive spirit.

  “It’s great that French culture has a lot of opportunities to try new foods and generally share the joy of eating with our club members while we learn new things,” said Golovchenko.

  Looking forward, the club has plans to visit a French restaurant and explore culture outside of Masco. Additionally, since four out of the five leadership roles are filled by seniors, they are reflecting on effective strategies for keeping club members engaged and excited to come to meetings.

  “We always try to have a mixture of things in the meeting, so hopefully no one is sitting there bored,” said senior secretary Mia Maddaleni. “For example, we will have an activity as well as French themed food.”

  The importance of food at the meetings goes beyond just cultural education, and the officers believe it can often be a way to ensure that younger students feel included and welcomed in the club.

 “A lot of our members are underclassmen this year, so I think it’s really important to not just make the meetings fun, but to make sure that everyone feels welcome and like they belong,” said Golovchenko. “That’s part of why I’ve been sure to have some sort of food at every meeting: I consider food as a way to bring people together and share something with them.”

  Food has been an integral part of the meetings for the entire year, and each meeting incorporates it in a different way. Back in October while the French exchange students were at Masco, the club put together goodie bags for American and French students alike that contained traditional American candies. At their Christmas party, club members decorated their own versions of the classic French holiday dessert “Bûche de Noël,” also known as a yule log.

   In this regard, the officers are aware how food can often be a bridge between learning about French culture and the social aspect of the club. After the Bûche de Noël decorating, the club members watched an animated video about Santa from a French perspective and listened to French Canadian holiday music. The officers hope to show this connection between food and culture once again if they make the club outing to a local French restaurant.

  This year’s French Club leadership has put in momentous effort to get younger members engaged and excited to come to meetings, and that engagement often begins with food. As they continue to learn about French culture in an authentic and meaningful way, food is often one of the most important aspects of this education.