Studies in France halted Protests affect Midd students at universities

Author: Scott Greene

Protests in Paris have presented a literal roadblock for Middlebury students abroad, as strikes by major universities have prevented them from attending classes.

Numerous universities, including Sciences-Po and Sorbonne Nouvelle, have gone on strike against France's new First Employment Contract (CPE). Schools in Paris are holding weekly voting sessions at which they determine whether or not to participate in the "blocage," or the suspension of classes.

"The students know when they go over there to French public universities that there is always a slight risk of a strike," noted Michael Geisler, dean of schools abroad and professor of German at Middlebury College.

Protests and riots have historically been and continue to be a viable form of political protest in France. Uprisings in 1968 helped to undermine the legitimacy of General Charles de Gaulle, who resigned the following year. Similarly, students have intervened most notably in 1986, 1994, 1995 and 2005 to halt government plans.

Geisler said that based on past experience, most suspected that French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin would have withdrawn the controversial law and quelled the protests. Thus far, however, no such action has occurred.

For the first two weeks of strikes, many faculty members continued classes on an informal basis. However, as some universities have entered their sixth week of striking, Middlebury has taken steps to ensure that its students are able to complete their studies this semester. Thirty-seven Middlebury students - a total of 50 undergraduate students - are currently studying in Middlebury Programs in France.

"We decided to provide substitute courses for our students," Geisler said. Director of Off-Campus Study David Macey added that Middlebury responded to the situation rather quickly. "Other American programs have not yet done anything," he claimed.

Putting forth large sums of money, Middlebury has hired professors and is offering its students seven courses. These courses, which began last week, represent an amalgamation of the various fields currently pursued by Middlebury students in France. Middlebury Students must decide next week whether to take advantage of this option before they begin a two-week Easter vacation. Even if the universities re-open and halt their strikes, Geisler says that the students will stay in these substitute courses. "We can't just hang in there and wait to take a chance," he explained.

Though most students remain out of classes, some scools have in fact restarted. Naomi Haefner '07 recently returned to her school after its two weeks of strikes subsided.

"Because my campus was only closed for two weeks I think we will be able to finish the semester as planned," she said. She added that though she took a makeup class, she doesn't expect to take any more "provided that [her] Parisian university doesn't go on strike again."

Haefner expressed satisfaction with the assistance that Middlebury has provided her during such an academically uncertain time.

"Middlebury has been very good about organizing makeup classes for everyone," she said. "They even started to organize some for me personally."

Middlebury students have resided at the epicenter of the demonstrations from the beginning, many of them experiencing the protests first-hand. Will Martin '07.5, currently attending Sciences-Po, experienced a demonstration as a passive observer.

"It was a peaceful event, with chanting, singing and dancing," he observed, "until night fell when the students protesting the CPE were joined by almost every other marginalized social group from in and around Paris."

He added that much of the ensuing protest, especially its violent aspects, came from kids aged around 15 years. "Cocktails were being thrown on cars that were incinerating, and fire was being set to anything and everything," he said. "Anything that was made by the state - signs, bus stops - was being consumed by hand by the masses."

Sara Dewey '07.5, studying art history at Paris IV, echoed Martin's observations. Her school was one of the last to join the blocage, voting to do so only three weeks ago. She observed the resulting destruction a day after the initial riots, walking down Paris' Place de la Sorbonne.

"I couldn't believe it was Paris," she said. "Cars were smashed all over the street, even flipped over, and mopeds and scooters had been burned. Now Place de la Sorbonne is completely blocked off and there are cops absolutely everywhere in the city."

At the same time, the recent events in Paris have afforded Middlebury students a unique opportunity. Macey remarked that students have been able to start independent projects on the strikes, some while continuing their language studies through the French for Foreigners program.

Martin agrees that he has been exposed to an unlikely perspective and said that "as for being in the thick of it, I like it, it's interesting to see this expression first-hand."