I am writing this from the front lawn because there is a beautiful moon tonight with the biggest halo around it I’ve ever seen. So I’m lying on my back with the laptop open 180 degrees in my lap doing a no-look blog entry. Enjoy.
It was 2 days ago that the “blockage” of my university started. I was in class when it stated - a couple guys poked their heads in to say that they were shutting all the buildings down. My paleoenvioronment professor (who I like a lot) told them he would actually be continuing, and so of course they argued for about 10 minutes before the two left. Just a few minutes later though, about 15 striking students came in and everybody erupted into debate. Students were yelling at each other and debating with the professor and everything.
Basically, the president of France is reforming the university system, pushing it a little closer to privatization. Students, professors, and other leftists (and anyone who appreciates nearly-free higher education) are upset, so they’ve been on strike for a few weeks. The next logical action they’ve taken is to keep everybody else from having class by blocking doors to all the buildings with chairs and tables and standing around to make sure nobody gets in.
Anyway, I found these interactions between students extremely interesting. I’ve never seen students get so fired up before about defending their education before. I guess in the states we couldn’t really get any more privatized than we already are… either way, it felt really cool to be involved in a totally different system, to watch it changing, and to watch everybody get really fired up about it.
Another thing these students are doing is occupying night and day an amphitheater on campus. I didn’t really know what all that entailed, but I decided to go get involved.
It was a party. Not too big (I mean, 75-ish people in a giant amphitheater doesn’t seem like that many), but a bit rowdy. The drinking didn’t bother me but the new no-smoking-in-public-buildings law was apparently out the window, and the place was so filled with cigarette smoke I could feel myself contracting second-hand lung cancer. Apparently, ALL FRENCH PEOPLE smoke (except for my host family thank heaven).
I though it was going to be a much more interesting political gathering. I mean, right around midnight they tried to open up a debate, but everyone was too drunk to respect that happening. I hung around for a while but decided not to pull out my sleeping bag and crash there. I guess I didn’t feel too comfortable with all the drunken students (and random non-students, of which there were a lot, including a couple homeless I think). Luckily I friend that lives next door to campus. It was just tricky to scale the giant gate to campus with my backpack and guitar and a bit of wine in me.
Besides this cultural experience, all is well (not that it was a bad experience). I have had my favorite French song in my head all day, which has been a pleasure. I played ultimate this afternoon, and I just had a wonderful dinner. So I’d say that’s all and thanks for reading.
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