Brandon Twp.- “Why was Paris a target? What is Paris doing about it? Who will be next? How many died? So sad. 🙁 Why did it happen?”
Just a few days after the Nov. 13 terrorist attacks in Paris, France, Kelly Sawyer stood in the classroom where she teaches French to students at Brandon High School contemplating how to start a discussion about what had happened. Fourteen years earlier, she was in the same room when she was informed that planes hi-jacked by terrorists had flown into the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City.
She was apprehensive as she looked over these students, who were high school juniors now, but had been toddlers at the time of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
‘I could not easily connect the reactive feelings of both events,? said Sawyer. ‘I decided to broach the topic with each class and see where it took us. Some classes welcomed the discussion and wanted to elaborate, question or give insight to the horrific attacks, but for some it was too difficult to stretch into a productive conversation.?
In Sawyer’s highest level class, French 3, she decided to assign a ‘Chalk Talk? exercise, dividing students into three groups of six, in which they would not speak, but write thoughts, feelings, and questions about the events of Nov. 13 down on paper, using markers and pens and then allowing the groups to walk around and write positive comment or questions on their classmates? papers.
“My brother is currently in Germany for a year. This really worries me with the terrorist attacks.”
“It’s almost as if they want a violent reaction’it sure would help them gain more support for their ’cause.?”
“Islam is peaceful. ISIS is not. Religion is not the problem’extremists are.”
Katherine O’Neill, a BHS junior, believes the project was helpful.
‘We are too young to remember the 9/11 attacks and we just don’t talk about it,? she said. ‘It’s hard for us to grasp and it seems far away, but just because it’s not happening to us doesn’t mean it’s not happening and isn’t real. With Chalk Talk, we get to bounce thoughts off each other. There is less of a fear of saying the wrong thing. We have a lot of uncertainty? will there be more attacks? Will people react with hatred? We need more unity.?
BHS Junior Nolan Tews said he feels for the people in Paris and wants to talk about why the attacks took place and why France was chosen as the target.
‘Chalk Talk helps get our thoughts down and is an effective way to have a discussion,? he said. ‘You get to see everyone’s perspective, not just your own.?
Waleed El-Chaer has a perspective that is unique compared to the majority of his classmates. The junior’s maternal grandmother, as well as his great-aunt and several cousins, all live in Beirut, Lebanon, where a pair of suicide bombings the day before the Paris attacks killed 40 people, injured more than 200 and went seemingly unnoticed by the rest of the world compared to the attention for Paris.
El-Chaer visited his family in Lebanon five years ago for two months and said despite the country’s troubles, it was beautiful.
When he heard about Paris, he read numerous articles to further his knowledge. While what had happened in France was scary to his classmates, he has already been afraid with what is happening in his mother’s native country.
‘I feel the world is more afraid with Paris,? he said. ‘There is more attention there and there are probably a lot of reasons for that, but Lebanon worries me, it is a fragile country. I just wish it would stop and we could all get along… There are so many things different countries disagree upon. Talking helps us understand each other. The problem with some people is they don’t understand a situation before they speak and make it worse.?
While El-Chaer understands some people are concerned about allowing refugees into the United States for fear of also allowing terrorists in, it doesn’t seem right to him to keep a whole group of innocent people out who are trying to get a better life for their families, much like his parents did when they immigrated to the U.S. before he was born.
“I find it crazy that this is happening in the modern world.”
“It’s never stopped.”
“Will this tear the world apart or bring it closer together?”
‘It is not surprising that acts of terrorism create feelings of terror,? said Sawyer. ‘I am proud of the cooperation and contribution of thought my students provided to address the horrible events in France as well as other areas of our world.?