French might not be your first language, but DU’s French Club, DU Francoscope, welcomes all levels of French, whether it is just “bonjour” or “Je t’aime” or a much more advanced level. In comparison to other student organizations, DU Francoscope is not as well known, but they host a variety of events from concerts, to etiquette dinners, cooking classes, movie nights and best of all, their annual Mardi Gras party, which took place last Tuesday from 5-7pm.
Junior Karoyln Castaldo, from Bedford, N.H. is an English major with French and marketing minors and has been the president of DU Francoscope for the past two years.
“The best part about [French Club] is just how excited people get about the events,” said Castaldo. “We don’t always have a ton of people like some of the other organizations, but the people that we do get are genuinely excited to be there and it’s a nice atmosphere and everyone is super welcoming.”
DU Francoscope doesn’t have any weekly meetings or fees but they host events throughout the year, usually once a month, where members can participate. According to Castaldo, there are usually around 30 people at each event and the amount of people has grown since last year.
The Mardi Gras party is one of DU Francoscope’s most popular events, according to Castaldo. Last Tuesday, people gathered in the Center for World Languages and Cultures in Sturm to enjoy classic Mardi Gras food, decorate masks and eat the traditional Mardi Gras King cake. Sodexo catered the event and made traditional shrimp étouffée, rice, gumbo and New Orleans style muffuletta sandwiches.
French Club also does a conversation table once a month where students can practice their speaking skills, no matter the level.
“We go to Starbucks or another coffee shop and have a professor come and lead the discussion,” said Castaldo. “It’s really fun because we don’t talk about class related things. We talk about movies we’ve seen, or our favorite book or whatever. It’s a good way to get into more of a conversational setting outside the classroom.”
There are six other DU Francoscope officers and one main moderator who is in charge of appointing the officers throughout the year. According to Castaldo, there is a mix of student participation, including a few grad students.
Last month, DU Francoscope hosted a new event, The Senegalese Sabar Drumming event. Students were taught how to play Sabar Drums from Professor Vieux Touré of the Lamont Music School.
“I think we put on events that aren’t super traditional…like the steel drum event, I don’t know who else would think of that kind of thing,” said Castaldo. “A professor came to us and said I know this person in the music school he’s from Senegal can you set something up and so we did.”
For anyone trying to master their culinary skills, The French Club also offers a cooking class in the spring, at The Kitchen Table which is a cooking school in Greenwood Village. The class will be around $10 and is taught in both French and English, according to Castaldo.
“The cooking class is awesome, it’s probably one of the best events,” said Castaldo. “You cook a traditional French meal with an awesome desert.”
From cooking classes to movie nights, DU Francoscope hosts a wide variety of events that are fun for everyone.
“We are really flexible with our events but we also just like to do things that are different and that other students wouldn’t normally get to do,” said Castaldo.
For anyone looking to join DU Francoscope, students can join the Facebook page to get a list of upcoming events, including this Thursday’s screening of “Coco Avant Chanel.”
