French Club Benefits

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Photo courtesy of Sarah Dooley

Mrs Knick standing with pride in front of an Eiffel Tower painting in the french clubs room.

For the first time in a long time, the French club is gaining popularity throughout Silver Creek High School and students have taken the club by swarm. Students have always been curious about new cultures and the french club has caught their attention. The french club studies the French lifestyle and helps teach students about not only France but Spanish cultures as well.

The host of the club, Tracy Knick who is a French teacher at Silver Creek High School, started the club with very few students. It started as a co-curricular and soon enough students became eager to join. It was a pleasant surprise to Knick’s after the club being vacant for so long and helped grow the club’s community.

The French club has benefited students by letting them take their time with the studies and interests on French culture. They’ve helped students learn about things like the French lifestyles, fashion and food in France.

Knick stated, “we let the club develop into what the students want”

In the French club students make presentations about what they learn in their own time like fashion or comparisons and celebrate the French holidays with things like traditional food and big parties.

At the start of the French club 1/3rd of students have never even taken French. This shows that even if a student doesn’t take a French class they could still join to learn about France and the language in the club. They do collaborations with Spanish teachers and classes or clubs as well and help combine the two cultures to learn from one another. The two cultures collaborate with celebrations, holidays and learn off of one another.

Not only do students learn the language and how to speak French but they learn about the culture and events in France. This club has helped students study the culture and learn more than most can in just a regular French classroom.

A freshman in French club named Elsa Wirkkanen says “i joined because it seemed like fun and I enjoyed French”

Elsa hasn’t been in the French club for more than a month and she has already enjoyed her time there. Her favorite part of the club is the food. The club brings in food and beverages like almond cake and Italian soda to share amongst the students. The club provides them with the food so they can experience some of the French culture for themselves which is most of the students favorite part about the club.

Another student who loves the food provided in the club is Renesa Dawadi, another freshman in the french club.

Dawadi states “I learned a lot about culture in France and how different it is compared to ours.”

In the club she has learned about the different holidays and celebrations that happen in the French culture such as Noelles Christmas and All Saints’ Day. She’s also learned about the difference between American culture’s lifestyle and the French culture’s lifestyle and how leisurely France is compared to America. She joined the club because she takes French and was curious about the club and what it was about.

French club can help students improve their interest in French and get them places they never thought they would be.

There are many class of 2023 graduates who are also in the French club this year. They will be graduating with honors and only 1% graduate with french honors a year. Three students in the club will be a part of that 1%. The secretary of french honors and events coordinator Natalie Vanderschaaf, Conor Zaruby, and Maddie Meniahan, the president of french club will be the students graduating with honors.

This shows that the club can benefit students no matter the grade and no matter the skill level. The French club is for anyone and everyone and students cant wait to see what’s next.