A person walks into a boulangerie-patisserie (French pastry shop) and orders chocolatine for 1.00€, somebody else walks into the same pastry shop and orders pain au chocolat and gets charged 1.50€ – chocolatine and pain au chocolat are the same thing.

The chocolatine vs. pain au chocolat debate is only the tip of the iceberg of the discussions at Central Kitsap High School’s French Culture Club. Advised by Madame Yee in Room 3208 on Wednesdays, the club explores the holidays and traditions of French-speaking countries.

The club’s president, Colette Miller, sits down to talk about what of the French language and French culture interests her.

“I think I like figuring out what words mean and interpreting the specific meaning.” Miller said. “It’s not really about the language, exactly, it’s about the culture more. What interests me about French culture, too, just to look outside of myself.”

People in clubs usually are on common ground with each other on club was made for, so Miller talks about being in a club and the appreciation that comes from it.

“I like being able to work on something and have other people appreciate it,” Miller said. “and be dedicated to something enough to want to work on it and make it grow.”

As much as this moment is a gift, being why it’s called the present, Miller looks forward to what’s to come and what the French Culture Club has done already.

“I’m more looking forward to the future because of Covid.” Miller said. “So far, I think I’m just proud that we were able to do meetings during Covid. We watched a movie at the end of the year last year, that was fun.”

She further talks about what the club did when everyone was stuck at home during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. As much as it halted a lot of things, the virus didn’t reach everything.

“All of last year we had Zoom meetings. When we went back in person, we had one, but I’m not gonna count that.” Miller said. “We had meetings every month through Zoom, so we did stuff we could do at home. We played puzzles online together and talked about artists, French artists. We made paper origami masks for Mardi Gras.”

French Culture Club gives the information of the rich francophone cultures as well as activities for people with an affinity for the belle traditions, the sound of the language, or any form of interest.

“I like ‘pomme’, which is just ‘apple’, I just like the way it sounds.”