April 16, 2009
Members of St. John’s University’s The Loughlin Society and
their guests continued their education while being treated to a
sumptuous dinner in an intimate setting at Tournesol in Long Island
City during the “Romance of French Food and Wine” event held on
Thursday, April 2, 2009. An evening of good food and brief
seminars was put together to thank these members of one of the
University’s giving societies and to give them a rare opportunity
to learn more about another culture without leaving the
city.
Photo Gallery
Guests enjoyed dinner from a choice of four delicious French
dishes followed by coffee and dessert, while gaining new
understanding of French culture from St. John’s University
Associate Professor of Languages and Literature Zoe Petropoulou and
Assistant Professor for the Discover New York Program Diane
Paravazian.
The professors brought the history and traditions of one of
Europe’s most cultured nation’s to life using food and wine. Their
object was to raise awareness of the value of the many hands-on
cultural programs offered at St. John’s which are necessary
supplements to traditional methods of learning. “Language and
literature academic programs prepare students to only be
linguistically competent,” shared Petropoulou. “We strive to
instill social consciousness and cultural awareness in our
students. These initiatives help to create changes in behavior that
aim at awareness, acknowledgement, engagement and action.”
In addition to the learning component, donors were delighted to
take part in the evening’s activities on a social level. “It was a
lovely affair,” said Sandra Rogers '69GEd, '75PD. “I felt like I
was sitting under the Eifel tower enjoying a wonderful Parisian
meal.”
As a follow-up to the popular Romance of Italian Food and Wine
last year, this event was also a success, giving donors both a
valuable and fun experience as well as displaying the kind of
programming and teaching from which St. John’s students benefit
thanks to their generosity.