By JANINE HEGARTY ’10
Dead Serious Columnist
In light of all of the changes being instituted at Wellesley, many students have carried out a variety of actions in order to let the college administration know about their discontent. Formal protests in the form of dining hall boycotts and student reformers camped out in tents around campus began the moment students became aware of these modifications. This foreign correspondent, who is currently stationed in Aix-en-Provence, France, decided to take to the streets to get the opinions of a local French student who comes from an impressive revolutionary background (see the five billion revolutions as evidence).
Hegarty: Thank you so much for talking with me today.
Engaurd: It is nothing, ma chère. Please, ask me what you will. I will satisfy your wishes.
Hegarty: …Right… Anyway, students in the U.S. are frustrated that many drastic policy reforms are occurring as a direct result of the global recession. I’m interested to hear your thoughts about how protests about these matters would be carried out here in France.
Engaurd: Strikes.
Hegarty: Ah yes, the famous French strike. Could you tell us more about this long honored French battle technique?
Engaurd: When we disagree about something with our employers or the government, we strike.
Hegarty: Can you tell me about how you use the strike to make a stand?
Engaurd: Bien sûr! Take the students currently striking at the university. We take our striking very seriously. We have AG’s (general assemblies) every week in the Grand Hall to determine how to fight for truth and justice.
Hegarty: And not the American Way. Sorry, couldn’t help myself. Could you describe one of the AG’s for our American readers?
Engaurd: Well, hundreds of French students sit in the Hall while a panel of student representatives calls up students to speak about what should be done to support our cause, for many hours. Sometimes we sleep at the school because the meetings take so long. We have voting AG’s on Tuesday to determine how and when to blockade the school.
Hegarty: Our readers are not familiar with the French concept of blockades. Can you explain?
Engaurd: When I say a blockade, I mean an impenetrable barrier.
Hegarty: So you like to Lord of the Rings it up, with the “You shall not pass” and all that?
Engaurd: Quoi?
Hegarty: Nevermind. But how do you create this barrier? I mean, you make it sound like it rivals the Great Wall. Boards, bricks, what?
Engaurd: Chairs.
Hegarty: Chairs? As in the object you sit on?
Engaurd: But of course. Chairs are incredibly versatile. And when stacked floor to ceiling at every door and accessible window, they are like, how you say: Maces. Yes, maces. So just in case a student, perhaps a foreign student, cough cough, who was dying to attend class, managed to pick the locks on the gates, the doors, and the chains, s/he would have to contend with a veritable mountain of chairs a couple feet thick.
Hegarty: Ha. Right, yes. Hmm. And you mentioned that these weekly meetings occur on Tuesdays. Why Tuesday instead of Monday? I mean it seems that it would make more sense to have them on Monday than…
Engaurd: QUOI? Monday instead of Tuesday? C’est ridicule! We would not a have a long weekend if we did that. Please don’t ask me silly questions. AG on Monday, tsk.
Hegarty: Well on that note. This is Janine Hegarty, signing off from Aix-en-Provence.