There is just nothing exciting about pizza and cheeseburgers anymore. So what do you do when you are craving something new and exotic? Luckily, the Foreign Language Club (FLC) is there to take students around to different restaurants to experience food from other countries. On Friday, December 4,26 FLC members and four adults from the high school went to a Cajun restaurant called Jazz, A Louisiana Kitchen.

Every year members vote for five restaurants and add two new ones to the list, a total of seven restaurants in all.

"Each restaurant we choose is a unique experience," said FLC Sponsor Mimi Jones. "Jazz on 39th Street really is a great representation of how laid back the south is. It is a restaurant and a pub; they are comfortable with and even encourage their patrons to sign the walls, the bathrooms, etc. It conducts the laid back/party atmosphere that made New Orleans so famous...a big stretch from the white linen covered table from last month's restaurant. Diversity is fun!"

"I thought everything about it was really neat, like the way they just had everything on the walls," said FLC Member Tori Shuskey. ""We got to write whatever we wanted wherever we wanted. It was all over the place."

FLC Member Hollie Sweezey was also fascinated by the 'wall art'. "There were just words over everything. It was amazing."

Of course, the food received positive reviews as well. "I loved the food at the restaurant," said Hollie, who had crawfish fettuccini to eat. "It was very good, a little spicy, but it tasted great."

Trying new foods is a great way to learn about other countries and their cultures. "It is the easiest way to get acquainted with one's culture. It is what's most accessible," Mrs. Jones said. "The true goal of this club is to help students step outside their comfort zone, and hopefully rid themselves of preconceived ideas or prejudices that they may have by trying out foods that they might otherwise consider disgusting, yet are expensive in other cultures."

Escargots, frog legs, and oysters are just a few of the foods that students are able to try on these trips. "Being open to something different is the first step to truly understanding another culture."

The trips to the restaurants not only teach the students about other cultures, but also things like calculating tips, communication skills when ordering, and even proper table etiquette. Plus, they are able to see how people in other places live.

"I truly believe that if we want our students to be well rounded, we must provide them with the tools to be comfortable anywhere," Mrs. Jones said. "Just because we are a rural community does not mean that our students will never be exposed to 'big city life style' or have to interact with international customers. It is one more weapon to add to their arsenal as they prepare for the future. You never know what may come. On a more global note, look at how many conflicts have been started because of misconceptions, prejudices...I know this might sound crazy...facing an oyster and facing someone whom you are afraid of because you don't understand each other are not the same, but you have to start somewhere."

These trips give students the opportunity to experience something different and new. They are also a great way to teach about other countries, but in a fun and relaxed way. Besides, who wouldn't want to drop the books and just eat? Sometimes the key to learning is through your stomach.