Professor Eliane DalMolin shares some information about the latest French Poetry Night, which took place in the Student Union on December 10, 2015:

I have initiated and organized the French poetry night for many years. I have always understood “poetry” in its largest context as a creative process  and performance involving music, singing, acting, dancing, writing, reading and reciting. In other words our “soirée poésie” is always a combination of varied acts of creativity in a very festive mode.

To this end, I have worked with the students and faculty of the French and Francophone program and with the French Club. This collaboration has proved to be fruitful and successful. Despite very little means but thanks to exceptional energy, the success of poetry night has been undeniable year after year. However, this past year was extra special thanks to the energy and commitment of this year’s president of the French Club, Shabaz Khan. He was a pleasure to work with and his style, vision and intelligence made this French event the most attended to date.

While I produced the evening by teaching creative writing, providing poets and artists, rehearsing them and working in close collaboration with each talent, Shabaz deployed all his expertise into the logistics for the event: organizing a (delicious!) buffet, creating posters, advertising, selecting the appropriate venue on campus, using french Club funding wisely, leading the French club members who helped with different tasks related to the organization of the evening.

The attendance was optimal as we filled the space in the student union (I counted as many as 75 attendees). In addition, due to the open location in the Student Union, a lot of curious passers-by also came in to inquire about the soirée and the activities of the French Club.