Bonjour, merci et bon appétit: NGU’s annual French celebration
Samantha Meyeres, Staff Writer
Whether you are a fluent French speaker or the extent of your knowledge is “Bonjour” and “Bon appetit,” there is an open seat and a French sweet treat waiting for you the last Friday of March.
North Greenville University’s annual French celebration will take place on March 28 at 10 a.m. in the president’s dining hall. This event is held in participation of the International Francophonie Week, a week-long celebration of French culture and language.
This yearly week of festivities ranges from concerts to films to festivals across the world, all showcasing the diversity and depth of the Francophone, or French-speaking, cultures.
At NGU, the French students, dressed in slightly more formal clothes than their typical school attire, work together to lay tables with flowers and desserts that hint at the European culture they are celebrating. Guests trickle in and French music floats in the background as students, staff and speakers take their seats.
The celebration itself consists of student presentations of projects they have done over the year and music, with classes coming together to form a choir as well as individuals stepping out to perform solos. There is also typically trivia or raffles that result in prizes for the audience. To conclude, a guest speaker takes the stage to share a word of encouragement.
Liliane Toss, professor of language at NGU, organizes the event every year. She said that the French celebration is the highlight of the semester for the French program, and that it would not be possible without the help of her students.
“My students always impress me with how well they do their job,” she said. “They set up and take down, present and sing and are always so willing to help.”
This year’s celebration will focus heavily on the alumni of NGU’s French program. Among the alumni guests in attendance will be Isaac Stargel and his wife Eden, who are now putting their French to use as missionaries in Egypt. Other alumni joining them will be Mikayla Addison, John Barham and Drayton Henderson.
Several alumni who are not able to make it to the event in person have sent in videos detailing their positive experience in the French program at NGU. The videos will be played as part of the event.
The main speaker of the event is Jacob A. Rogers, associate priest for discipleship and families at St. Luke Anglican church in Hilton Head, South Carolina, and priest at Special Jurisdiction of the U.S. Armed Forces and Chaplaincy. When deciding the speakers for the event, Toss said they usually invite guest speakers who are related to French culture that can share a word of encouragement and speak to the importance of knowing a language.
The celebration is open to all who wish to attend. Toss said she is grateful for the support of the staff of the college of humanities and sciences for their attendance every year. She also said that Solange Caldwell, the leader of the Francophones de Greenville association, makes an effort to come to the event when her schedule permits.
Toss encourages all her French students to bring their friends and said she hopes that many more NGU students will come to enjoy the food, culture and experience.
Senior interdisciplinary studies major Jordan Bezek performed a solo in the celebration in 2024 and will perform again this year. She said that the event is one she looks forward to.
“It is a cool opportunity,” Bezek said. “I love encouraging other people to be a part of it because I feel like not enough people know that we have a French program.”
Bezek took the French I and French II courses to fulfill the language requirement for her major, but she grew to love the language. She said that being able to integrate her love for music and for French together is a unique opportunity that the celebration provides.
“It’s just a blessing to whoever comes honestly,” she said. “It’s a good time. Why not come and enjoy it?”
