When Lily Phillips ’25 arrived at Smith and discovered that the French Club was defunct, she knew she had to change that. Phillips recently inherited a charter for the club on the Smith Social Network that the previous leader had tried to get recognized by the SGA. She decided to take action to have the club officially reinstated. She is acting as president, eager to begin planning for the future of the club.
Phillips’ love of French was inspired by her great-grandmother, a Smith alumna who lived in Dawes, formerly a French-speaking house on campus. “The French club has existed on and off since 1900,” Phillips said. “It’s hard to pin down one thing that this school is exactly known for, but our French studies [program] is outstanding.”
Records of the club from 1938 indicate that it was highly active in cooperation with the French department, holding plays in French and raising money for students to take a trip to France. Another cornerstone of the extracurricular study of French at Smith was Dawes House, established as an exclusively French-speaking dorm in 1941 when the outbreak of World War II prevented students from studying abroad in Paris. The house frequently held cultural activities and, during wartime, helped French soldiers and children in need. It became the last of a series of language houses at Smith. Each was gradually phased out, and in 2014 Dawes was converted into a dining hall and office space.
According to Professor Dawn Fulton of the French Department, Janan Fugel ’19 made efforts in her senior year to revive the French Club and have it recognized by the SGA. However, Phillips discovered on the Smith Social Network that it had been officially defunct since 2021.
“It was only defunct for less than a year,” said Phillips. “There was no transfer of power so it was just sort of off for maybe a semester.”
Due to the club’s erratic history, Phillips has faced some challenges getting the club approved to receive funding. According to SGA policy, the club can only receive $200 per semester for the first two years of its existence.
“Our club wasn’t officially chartered, so even though every member of the club has hundreds of dollars added to their bill for student activities, we don’t see any of that money,” Phillips said. “We have two years of incredibly limited funding, so we’re essentially broke for two years in spite of the fact that we’ve been a club for so long.”
The French department has been supportive, offering to help the club get back on its feet and raising awareness of it among the students in the department.
“I am thrilled to see the French Club coming back to life this year,” said Fulton. She also expressed her gratitude for Phillips and acting treasurer Mary Huffaker ’25 for their efforts. “I think it’s great to have a structure in place that can help students gather around a common interest. I hope it will be a space where they can enjoy French together, learn from peers about how to navigate study abroad and think about how to use French beyond Smith.”
Phillips hopes that in spite of these difficulties, the French club can continue to be an enriching environment for the Smith community by providing both cultural events and educational opportunities. Phillips also wants to help students improve their French skills in a laid-back environment outside of class.
“It’s a really important departure point outside of the department. Some people are scared to go to the French table because it’s in front of professors. It’s been important to me to find a way to practice conversational skills outside of the classroom.” Phillips also hopes that the club will attract the attention of students who did not have room in their schedule to take French, as well as native speakers.
“So far, our members seem to be having a great time,” Huffaker said. “I have loved meeting the first years as well as meeting others in the department who I have not gotten to know yet. All of our activities are planned with not only the intention of learning but with the intention of having fun and getting to know others who partake in the department.”
In the future, Phillips hopes to host activities such as cooking nights, movie nights and more casual events where members can practice their speaking skills. Phillips would also like to hold a food fundraising event to raise money for the club’s more lofty goals such as field trips and speakers. “A New York City trip is my pipe dream,” Phillips said. She would love to have the club visit the Alliance Française to attend cultural events like classes and lectures.
The financial challenges of running a club can be difficult to overcome. “Without funding it’s hard to do a lot. Paying for the rights for a movie is around $350, snacks are $70 and going on a field trip is a ridiculous amount of money.”
Despite these obstacles, Phillips is optimistic about the future of the next chapter of the French club. “It will always have sustained interest as long as people come here to study languages.”
