School Days (Part II)

I spoke to some of my new colleagues and learned that at the end of collège (middle school), students apply to several lycées throughout the city. Most ended up at mine because it was their only offer for high school. Many of the students have disciplinary issues and absenteeism isn’t uncommon. There are no sports teams or other rallying points for school pride. All of this is in contrast to the posh public lycée located a few blocks away, where the city’s top students attend. They are preparing to enter the most prestigious universities in France and take a very rigorous curriculum. There are, however, some students with wider worldviews than I imagined. While most of the questions about America center on celebrities (“Do you know Chris Brown?” “Have you ever been to Hollywood?”) or my personal life (“Are you married?” “Would like a French girlfriend?”), some have focused on broader issues. “What is your opinion on the continued US involvement in Iraq?” “Does your state have the death penalty? When was the last time it was used?” I try to present not only my own personal views, but also include other opinions that may exist so students can see that these are not one-sided debates for the US.