The Light at the End of the Tunnel is an Oncoming Cement Truck

When I got to Lycee Vaucanson this morning I was met by the familiar sight of a large group of students mingling outside. The front gates were blocked, again, by dumpsters. I greeted a few of my students and then, as the pattern's become, walked down to the teacher's parking lot entrance.

Today was a little different though. Normally, a staff member stands inside the gate of the parking lot opening the door for students and staff. Today there was a second group of students and more dumpsters blocking this gate. 'Hmm,' I thought.

I watched a teacher drive up in her car. She inched in, honked a little, waved a lot. A student went to her passenger side window and they spoke for a bit. She parked the car halfway in the street, emerged, and walked up to the gate with her magnetic swipe card. The gates didn't open. She got back in the car and drove away.

Then another teacher walked up and we spoke for a bit. I can't remember what she said. My mind was running through 'How do I say in French 'Should we climb the fence?' followed by tyring not to imagine her doing it in her 6 months pregnant condition. Then she told me we could try the service entrance on the other side of campus. So, we walked around the block and were met by a staff member at this third entrance. He let us in. There were no students or garbage blocking the way.

The teacher I work with at 8am was already in the classroom. Alone. I asked her how she got in. "I'm a wreckless driver," she joked. (She arrived at 7:30, before the students) Four students showed up for class, all of them boarders who were blocked in just as I had been blocked out. I wondered if they knew about the service entrance.

Everyone I spoke to was surprised that the strikes continued. After Tuesday's large national protest the major unions called on the government to withdraw the CPE before April 17. Everyone thought that the strikes would be on hold until then. I guess the students thought otherwise.