Brenna Patrick
Staff Writer
The French-inspired cultural night called A Taste of France will be held Nov. 16. in the Pond Student Union Ballroom at 6 p.m. The event is the annual fundraiser for Idaho State University’s French club.
Tickets are $7 for students, $8 for faculty and $9 for the public. They will be sold Nov. 6 through Nov. 15 in the SUB on weekdays until 2 p.m.
Proceeds will go towards funding French Club events, activities and trips, said sophomore Haile Ward, French Club president.
Ward did much of the managing for the night and is excited to see the club’s hard work pay off.
“It’s a huge event. It is really high energy and the food will be delicious,” Ward said.
There will be musical performances by students and people around the community, namely a French pop-inspired band called Walther’s Wallpaper.
The band has been playing at this event for five years. It performs American and traditional French songs with its own added twists, according to Ward.
The theme of the night will be “L’automne en France,” which translated means “Autumn in France,” and it inspired the French harvest theme.
The cuisine served is influenced from French-speaking cultures, said Adviser Anne Brookman.
Orange-maple-glazed chicken will be served. It is from the Quebec culture, where French is spoken.
Food will be prepared in the Chartwells kitchens by Food Service Director Chris Gilliam, French club members and French student volunteers.
“[The club] is a really nice group of students that really like being together. I don’t think it would work as well if the members didn’t have a good synergy together,” said Brookman.
The event will also have raffle prizes, featuring baskets with themed gifts and other prizes.
Raffle tickets will be sold at the event for $1. Winners will be announced throughout the night.
Ward wants to increase others’ French knowledge, because it is easy to relate to.
“It’s a way to educate the students and community about French culture,” she said.
She hopes A Taste of France will show people similarities and differences between all the cultures.
This is Brookman’s second year as adviser. She said the event planning is going smoother than in the past.
The event gives the club “a reason to come to together and work together,” Brookman said.
French Club Vice President Laurel Gardner, a sophomore, said she helped Ward with booking the event, creating the posters and menus, and finding entertainment and decoration ideas for the event.
Gardner hopes the night will be a great event and that many people will attend to broaden their perspectives of other cultures.
The French Club has been at ISU for 15 years. Club members hold meetings once a week, said Brookman.
Gardner said all of the French Club officers tutor other ISU students in French.
There will be more opportunities for students to join the club later this year, when the members do activities like movie or game nights, Ward said.
