French Club is new at Lincoln East High School. Not completely new, though, as the club was held in years past, but was not in session for the 2024-2025 school year. However, the club was revived by sophomores Kinzie Dittmer and Jilliana Venema. French Club is now held after school on the last Tuesday of every month in room 123.

“I saw that there was a German Club, and so I asked if there was a French Club, but there wasn’t, and we thought that that was sad,” Dittmer said during a meeting. “So me and my friend decided to start it back up.”

The October meeting of French Club began with an explanation of the jewel heist that had recently taken place in the Louvre Museum in France, and then proceeded to highlight some other cultural landmarks of France besides the Louvre.

Although the club is still developing its identity in its early meetings, the club leaders intend to lean into the current agenda, doing informative presentations on French culture and putting more of an emphasis on hands-on activities and games.

French Club is not exclusively for students in French class, or even students who are interested in learning the language. Activities are focused on learning about current events and cultural details of France (and French-speaking regions) and don’t require any prior knowledge of the language.

As the club fleshes out its place in East’s community once again, it is already beginning to take on a club identity, with a friendly atmosphere and a sense of unity. For those with a free schedule and an interest in customs beside their own, French Club is a great place to check out.

“I have a lot of friends there, but I also have met a lot of freshmen and upperclassmen that I wouldn’t have unless I started French club and started seeing those people,” Dittmer said. “I really like making new connections that I wouldn’t normally see outside of class.”