ISU Bengal

Issue date: 10/31/07 Section: Life

It is 4,984 miles to Paris, France, from Pocatello, Idaho, according to zenithair.com and Misty Clover can't wait to cross the distance. She has dreamt about going to France since she was a little girl and Saturday night she and the ISU French Club brought a taste of it to Pocatello.

The aroma of Beef Daube Provencal and Crème brûlée blended together with the light classical sound of a harp and flute created the illusion of a French meal in the country from the ISU Pond Student Union Building Ballroom. ISU students, faculty and staff and community members gathered to get to know a culture that is an ocean away; while others came to the event to experience Americans experiencing them.

Others, such as Moroccan exchange student Jihaua Hakimi went to the event to enjoy American culture

"I came here now to experience true American culture," said Moroccan exchange student Jihaua Hakimi. "This is the true America."

"It's so nice here. The smell, I swear, reminds me of Moroccan food," Hakimi said.

Area high school French students attended the event in order to procure some extra credit. These students wanted to try something other than the popular Spanish culture during their high school years.

"I hear Spanish all the time and it doesn't sound as pretty (as French)," said Highland student Katie Kelly.

Clover also likes the way French sounds. She said she began studying French because it is the language of love. "I think it's romantic. It's really pretty. It has such a flow to it," Clover said.

Clover, who is president of the French Club, said the event was harder to put on this year because the French Club sort of "died out" for a while. Chartwells chef Chris Gilliam said there were only about eight French club students helping to prepare the meal for 400 people, but only around 150 showed up.

Clover was pleased, however, with the people who did attend. "It's nice to get all of the (French-speaking people) collected together at a big event like this. "

And Clover will have the opportunity to be around a lot more Francophone people when she covers the thousands of miles distance to spend a semester-a-broad in France this coming Spring Semester.

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