Feeling Lonely at School

So today I realized how terribly lonely I was at school.  I really thought I had made good friends here, but as I looked around the classroom, there was not a single person I would be able to call a pal. And tomorrow I doubt I will be able to relate to any of these people I thought were my friends either. And the day after that is Sunday so, once again, probably not. I know this sounds really sad, but as soon as the bell that signaled the end of school rang, I walked out with my head held high and a big smile on my face. You are probably thinking, “Aw, I feel really sorry for Alex. I hope it gets better.” I am courteously asking you to please stop.

The truth is that there is no reason for you to feel sorry for me. It would actually be quite absurd to assume that I have no friends here. Well, I had no friends today, but today was different than most days. Today, I was alone. Today, I was seriously the only student in my class that attended school. All the rest of my classmates, as well as a good majority of the school, were on strike.

[Disclaimer: I am simply stating that which I have been told. This in no way reflects upon my political stance either in Italy or in the United States. I choose to abstain from articulating any of my opinions regarding politics on this blog. I do not claim that any of the following is fact, yet rather the interpretation from my sources.]

Now, in America, most people would look down upon such behavior as “truancy” or “ditching”, but this is not the case. But here the students were actually on a purposeful strike against the Italian government’s Ministry of Education. According to some of my sources, the Italian government is trying to add new educational programs, yet cutting back drastically on the overall funding, resulting in many teachers losing their jobs. This eventually trickles down to the students, almost all of which participated in today’s “sciopero”, which for some included a march of hundreds of students going from school to school protesting. Many students, though, used this as an opportunity to stay at home for a day. In America, such a manifestation would probably lead to some students getting suspended or other reprimands, but here the school actually somewhat approves of the strike. My guess is that since the students are picketing for an increase in funding for the school, the administration appreciates the effort and therefore allows the truancy. All a student needs for the absence to be justified is a signature and a note that says, “I was on strike” and I think they are off the hook.

The reason I will have no friends at school tomorrow, though, is that I will actually be going to Trieste for the weekend for a Rotary (Rotaract, actually) event to see the Barcolana – the Mediterranean’s largest regatta.  I have actually made some great friends and love hanging out with them. Most days at school are quite enjoyable because of this.

Here are some pictures of the strike.

Part of the strike in Piazza San Lorenzo in front of my school. These students, as well as others across Italy, went from school to school calling for change.

A picture of my classroom. I took this opportunity to photograph it, not only to prove that I was there alone, but also because it would be a bit awkward to pull out the camera on a regular day.