Something Quite Curious?

Future not assured? Occupy Sabin! 

And something my little Connecticut town has not prepared me for... It's the regular protests occurring at my school and in my city. So far, there have been a total of six days of protests at school - in the form of occupations and manifestations - and five other days where there were no lectures as a result of this. I see that this is happening in the States now too but it's a project that has been occurring here for more time and with more regularity than at home.

SERIOUSLY creeping
me out.

Some background information is necessary here I suppose, aye? Sabin students are extremely passionate and active about their desires for change. This isn't just Sabin, but a large portion of Italian students who feel they aren't receiving they education they both need and deserve. They blame their government and protest in order to demonstrate for the cause. A secret source, aka my Italian friend Anna, said that lately the protests have maybe in a way lost sight of their goal recently:

1. Kids use this as a great way to skip school for a day 

2. There are so many protests that nobody is taking them seriously anymore 

3. Not everyone is respecting the idea and the process

Manifestation: when the students march around the city with signs or masks like these as police and news cameras follow them every which way. It lasts one noisy day.

It's your debt, we won't pay

Occupation: when the students "occupy" the school by remaining there day and night without allowing parental, academic or legal interference. It lasts as long as they can make it last.

Since these protests can potentially be dangerous, AFS has of course forbidden my participation. That's okay, I'm too precious a package for those games anyways! There are so many things about this that really just amaze me. First, that these kids actually sleep and smoke and drink and debate and protest in their school and nobody shuts that down right away? Second that they have so much passion that the time that has passed hasn't made them give up in the least on their cause? Third, do I sound naive yet?

Alice, Lorenza, Marta, Elena!
Aye my girls :)

The manifestations have only allowed to observe from afar. But Saturday morning when the students declared occupation, I realized I would have the chance to see the real deal. We took a vote and when the majority supported the occupation, so it began!

The first day, of course, is all fun and games. But by the time I returned Monday morning the kids had organized themselves into classrooms of discussion and debate.... or just sitting on desks in the hallways smoking and listening to music. It's actually pretty cool to (as well as I can) just sit back and listen to what they have to say, which is a lot.

And here's the bummer - occupations, in order to get a bigger crowd and just for the idea of being friendly, are open to other kids that aren't students of the particular school. Unfortunately, this means that everyone can come and have a good time without worry about the consequences of their actions. So Monday (or was it Tuesday?) afternoon, a couple of troublemakers came and broke into our vending machines to take some cash money and some over-priced omnomnom snacks. So that ended that, because it was just the excuse the police needed to cramp the style of that party.

During a manifestation, they
painted these red circled V's all
over the city.

So the next step is pretty useless. To finish the week, the students are required to go to school but there are no lessons. Post-occupation, pre-normalcy. We listen to lectures and watch movies all day. Not such a tough life! The first teacher in the first hour in the first day back to "school" asked each of us what our opinion was about what has happened at school. At the end of much debate and a few raised voices, she turned to me and said, "So, Natalie, what about you? What'd ya think?" More or less, this was my response -

"So as usual, I didn't understand everything. What I do understand is that these manifestations and the occupations are not perfect. They lack some respect and organization. But in my opinion, it has the potential to be a beautiful thing. When you see a problem and you want to change it, you try to make something happen. That's magnificent. I know it's frustrating. But maybe you have to keep doing it not for the sake of yourselves but maybe for the sake of a better future for your kids. I guess different governments and cultures are the reason this is the first time I've seen something like this, but in my opinion it's kind of cool."

Sasso's runnin this place

And get this... they applauded me. Have you ever been applauded for something you've said?! Do you know what a champion that makes you feel like?! Well, now we can wait a second to let my ego come back down.....hold on......... okay. hi. I have normal self-esteem again. 

After a sweet week of no lessons, I'm back to regular school now (and it is such a bummer). The only thing that has changed as a result of the occupation is now I can't get my snackin' on during school hours because there's a sad empty space where our vending machines used to be. I talked to a 30-some-odd year old Italian the other day he told me stories about the occupations he used to go to in high school... same things, different years. So what are they really accomplishing? And what's really changing? To the foreigner, it doesn't seem like much. Lost cause or beautiful battle? Your call, my friends.

Excuse me, this isn't Warped Tour.