The High School for Agricultural Sciences in Chicago took a trip to Paris this past week. They obviously did not know that this school trip would change their lives forever but it did. While they were there, the students were put in a room and were told to message their parents telling them they were alive and safe. At the point when the students were told to do this, they did not know what was going on in the city outside of those four walls. Shortly after reaching out to their parents, they were notified of the atrocious events. Upon arriving to the Chicago O' Hare airport, the students were reunited with their parents. The reunion was an emotional one for obvious reasons. Anyway, their being there made me realize yet another thing that was affected by these attacks in Paris. My brother, sister, and I were planning on taking a trip to London next month but that is definitely not happening anymore. It is not so much me being disappointed in the fact that I won't be able to spend my Christmas in England but that because of such terrible people we will be limited of things that we can and cannot do. For instance, my sister and I were also planning in spending our summer in London, she would go for an exchange through SMU and I'd go for an intensive. Students from the United States go to Europe all of the time through foreign exchange programs and come back totally new people because of their experiences. Now, those options will be available still, yes, but one has to consider if it is truly worth it in times like this. That being said, we have to be prepared for anything anywhere. When I learned that there had been an attack at a soccer game and at an Eagles of Death Metal concert, I got so overwhelmed. Attending soccer games and going to concerts is something so close to home, something I do. And the Eagles of Death Metal are a band I've heard of, which made it all the more scary because this goes to show this can truly happen anywhere. Also, when I say that we must be ready for anything here in the US, it is because we must always be ready, yes, but DC was threatened which adds a whole other layer of paranoia.
Our world has progressed so much in certain things but these horrific events in France prove that humanity moves backwards as much as it does forwards.
Chicago Students Story
ISIS threat on our capital, DC
I also considered a summer intensive in Europe. I completely agree with you, and events like these truly make everyone question their safety. The fact that this happened as people were coming together as families and communities is very alarming, as no one expects their outing to turn into a tragedy nor a passage in a history book.
ReplyDeleteMaddie Hanratty
It can be hard dealing with these tragedies. I'm not sure if there was terrorism at this scale, back in the time that we are studying in APUSH. It seems to have erupted in the past century and a half. It feels like using violence to make a point or force people into following what u believe in is unnecessary and wrong.
ReplyDelete-Kiyanna Elliott