Submitted by Melanie Menagh
“Everything’s slower. They appreciate life more there. They take three or four hours for dinner,” explained Ashley Billings, Black River High School senior, fresh back from Paris. A dozen BRHS students just returned from a two-week exchange program in France. All had a huge OOO-LA-LA, for la vie Parisienne. “We went up on the top of the Eiffel Tower,” reminisces junior Amanda Bortlein. “We saw everything for miles. It was amazing.”
Students spent the first week touring around Paris. Then they headed to the southwest to St. Gaudens where each was the guest of a French family. “I really liked St. Gaudens when we stayed with our host families because it was more immersion in the society,” enthused junior Nikita Howard who stayed with the Roux family. “You got to try to speak French with the families and see what life is really like.” Differences noted? “They have containers of concentrated juice syrup like a foot tall,” related Bortlein. “If you want a drink, you pour a centimeter in a glass and add water.”
Another big difference? School. Classes go from 8 to 5, and rules are rigid. “The school day is so long, and the teacher’s don’t tolerate talking,” Howard reported. “It was very strict: You weren’t allowed to eat, drink, use the bathroom; you cannot leave the class. If you skip one class, you could be facing expulsion.” Fortunately, students relaxed in their off time taking trips to the beach and shopping.
French families’ own kids came to Ludlow, stayed with Vermont host families, and sat in on BRHS classes in March. Then BRHS students stayed with their French visitor’s family on the other side of the pond. This is the third year for the exchange program, initiated by BRHS French teacher, Bruce Pollard. “It’s not just a tourism visit; it’s a linguistic experience.” Pollard said.
“Students get to use their language skills living with a French family, and experience French food, music, whatever. Kids learned a lot of French, tried foods they never had before, saw new things. A lot of (the BRHS students) haven’t travelled much,” Pollard observed. “For some, it’s the first time they’ve flown. They see there are other people out: there different races, nationalities. It opens their eyes and their horizons.”
"You don’t get these chances very often, so you should take them,” observed Billings. Her own favorite? “Having a picnic at the Eiffel Tower at night,” she said. “Seeing that whole beautiful thing all lit up, you say to yourself ‘I can’t believe I’m really here.’”
Mr. Pollard and the students wish to acknowledge the generosity of many local supporters, including the following: Booster Club, American Legion, Depot Gallery, Benson’s Chevrolet, Irene Berry, Shaw’s, Blue Sky Trading, Outback Pizza, The Castle Inn Spa, Ludlow Village Store, Crows Corner Bakery, Winter Bazaar Craft Merchants, DJ’s Restaurant, Pleasant Valley Market, Jackson Gore, Chef Mei, Café at Delight, Wicked Good Pizza, Killarney’s Irish Pub, Subway, Singleton’s Store, The Book Nook, Boot Pro.
