“The main reason when you start a club is that you want to share something,” Alex Chery, president of the French Club says.
Forming the French Club in the Spring 2004 semester, Chery wanted to share the French culture he had learned during his schooling in Haiti. Despite hurricanes during the Fall 2004 semester, he has worked diligently with club officers to put on many events for this semester.
Following three successful movie nights, the French Club plans to host a monthly movie night event. The films have included Amí©lie, En garde, and the Trois couleurs (Three colors) trilogy –
Rouge (Red), Bialay (White), and Bleu (Blue).
Chery intends to show movies that not only depict the French culture but also appeal to a wide variety of interests. “We will try to play a movie that is culturally diverse and focuses on relating to your surroundings.” He intends on inviting representatives from all of MacArthur’s student organizations to attend the movie nights in order to develop an inter-club network.
Soon to be a tradition for the end of each semester is the finals week picnic, which was the French Club’s most popular event last year. Chery said, “I think what made it really successful was that it took place during exam time with everyone trying to cram everything into the last minute, so why not do something to help them relax? The school depends on club leaders to do such activities.”
He added, “We really had an authentic French picnic. I give credit to many people,” including Cynthia Avari, who ensured the picnic served authentic French food. The food included baguettes, French cookies, coffee, fresh fruit, and a variety of cheeses.
Planning and executing the picnic was not free of trials, Chery noted, as was a field trip to the Bass Museum of Art in Miami. “It was an event that was really time constrained. It was an event we had been planning all the previous semester but had to be done the second week of the spring semester.”
Members had to carpool to the event, and Chery appreciated the assistance he received from his drivers, Echo Keif, Misty Hudelson, and the club secretary, Ariana Magdaleno. “Without them, the event would not have been possible.”
Since, at the present time, the MacArthur campus does not offer higher-level French courses, Chery hopes the club will fill the void felt by students who want to further their education in the French culture.
“It’s a vicious circle,” said Chery. “The administration is thinking that we don’t have enough students interested in upper-level French, so they can’t offer it, and the students who want to take upper-level French can’t because the administration won’t offer it.”
The club therefore assists those students who want to pursue studies in both the French culture and language. “Taking a class is not to know the language. Learning a language is to learn a culture in a world that is getting smaller. I hope students know that the French Club is for their benefit.”
