I’m at Governor’s School!! For French! And it’s pretty cool! Wooo
??
What is the North Carolina Governor’s School??? Well, it is a 5.5 week summer program, open to rising 11th and 12th graders (depends on the subject area), for ‘gifted students’ whom have demonstrated interest in the pursuit of knowledge, or excellence, in a particular subject. The North Carolina Governor’s School is the longest running and oldest in the nation, founded in 1963 by the then-governor of North Carolina as a response to the Cold War.
On the East campus (there are two campuses), students represent the subjects of Natural Science, French, Mathematics, English, Choral Music, Instrumental Music, Social Science, Dance, Theater, and Visual Art. Selected from a pool of over 1600 applicants from around the state, 336 of us make up the community of GSE, and roughly the same number provide and build the community of the lawless West campus. Most subjects are represented at both campuses, though there are some differences in music and foreign language. French, for example, is unique to East while Spanish is the only ‘foreign’ language at West.
In short, Governor’s School is a month-long academic party in which we, the students, expand upon previous knowledge of life and our respective subject, network/make friends, and discover the joys of dorm living and college dining.
So you learn what, exactly??
The theme of my ‘Area I,’ French, is “Memory and Identity.” Within the francophone realm, how is memory expressed? How does history differ from memory? How does language create an identity and add to a culture? These are the questions that provide the basis for our coursework and research projects. Since the commencement of the 2018 session of Governor’s School two-and-a-half weeks ago, we have discussed memory versus history, Mai ’68, and the identity crises of francophone Louisiana.
More than anything, however, we are not focusing on learning new material so much as learning and growing from what each person brings to the group. Since each person in my French class here, at GSE, has a different relationship with the French language, and different experiences with it, we are all able to contribute in a unique way that, since we are also all relatively passionate about learning the language, seems to work.
Currently, all 13 French students are working independently on a memory project that will require family interviews and self-reflection, with the ultimate goal being the creation of a podcast on a family memory or story. To add a visual component, we are also collaborating with the art students to explore the creative outlets in visual art to express memory. The task, as of now, seems a bit daunting, but I’m excited for the artistic component. I do, however, still need to decide upon a family story to pursue.
Area II
Area II, often described as a philosophy course, mixes students of all Area I subjects together to examine life critically and to question. 2.5 weeks in, we have discussed human appreciation of aesthetics, begun to look into the metaphysics of the quotidian, explored the applications of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, and watched several films that correspond with the themes we are expected to explore.
Thus far, we have viewed the following films: Run Lola, Run, The Truman Show, and The Eagle Huntress. Each film provided the text and context for our follow-up discussions on time, reality, and aesthetics. While each discussion and topic is interesting and thought provoking, I tend to want to fall asleep during Area II as time seems to slow, dragging on minute by minute, in that particular class. Perhaps, I will have a greater appreciation for Area II after the mid-session break, or, alternatively, when I need to come up with an interesting question for the daily Snapchat streak QDJ.
Area III
The final class component of Governor’s School, outside of the optional electives, is Area III. Nicknamed AP Feelings by staff and students alike, this area serves as a place to better your understanding of yourself and the people around you. In Area III, I have been witness to or participated in some pointless, but memorable, conversations centered around questions such as, “Would you rather fight one horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses?, and the GSE favorite, “Is a hot-dog a sandwich?” Thrilling.
The most important aspect of Area III is, however, serious. As we become more familiar with ourselves, we begin to recognize the values we hold dear, and those of our peers. We learn how to be better beings in a crazy world, which we acknowledge and talk about. We discuss events that cause us pain to remember or acknowledge, and work through why we have those reactions.
The most powerful films we have viewed as a campus are Obedience and Remembering My Lai. These films, purposefully difficult to watch, forced us to reexamine our preconceptions about the goodness of humankind and the motives of our country. Because, as stated before, everyone has different beliefs and experiences and outside influences, the conversations that came in the wake of these films revealed drastically different points of view, even as we had all seen the same disturbing film.
Halfway
As I reflect upon the last 17 (??) days, it’s hard to imagine a time when I did not know the people with whom I interact everyday. In two-and-a-half weeks, we have truly formed a little community. The atmosphere of Governor’s School is fun – far from a strict realm of professionalism that one may expect at a program called Governor’s School. The adults here are accepting, the majority of the students are as well, and nearly every person I have conversed with has given me new insight. I will be leaving campus tomorrow for the mid-session break, which coincidentally coincides with my birthday (!), and I will miss it – maybe not the food, but the people, the electives, the late night jams to Vance Joy with my roommate, Jessica. I am genuinely excited for what is to come.
xx
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