“When you’re so far away it feels like you’re not there for your country,” she said in a broken French-English accent with a hint of regret.
Sophie Docquois, a junior English major who is studying abroad at California State University, Long Beach, and other students both international and local, faculty and staff are still grieving for the lives lost in Paris.
The world seems a little bit smaller when countries come together in solidarity after heinous attacks, like the shootings in Paris last Friday.
“It’s weird to think that I know these places, I’ve been there tons of times,” Docquois said. “It’s terrible to think that these places have changed now.”
Laura Benaderette, a junior international management major who is also studying abroad at CSULB, said that she, Sophie and their fellow Parisian schoolmate Léa Chardonneau, a junior linguistics major, were eating in the dining hall when they heard the news about the attacks in their hometown.
“We were all together when it happened. First of all we didn’t believe that it was happening; that’s not possible,” Benaderette said. “After we started to understand what was happening, we cried. It was really horrible.”
Although all the girls’ family and friends have been accounted for, one of the most difficult experiences as a French student studying abroad in America during the attacks was contacting their friends and families.
“We just have to continue to live. We don’t have any other choice. France is a really, really safe country,” Benaderette said. “You have to study abroad if you want to open your mind and learn about other things. There is no safe place, I mean, this is Paris, this is not like the Middle East or something.”
According to the New York Times, ISIS is responsible for killing 129 people in the Paris terrorist attacks on Friday.
“I think it’s what they want. They attacked Paris because they wanted us to fear them,” Chardonneau said. “I think that it’s horrible, but when it’s done, it’s done, and they’re not coming back. But, I thought so in January with Charlie Hebdo, and I was wrong.”
Robert Marcus, the director of the International Studies Program and Global Studies Institute at CSULB, said that the program is adamant about continuing their goals as a program, in spite of the attacks.
“We still want students studying abroad. We are still encouraging students to. We’ve spent a lot of time focusing on security issues and how to respond to different events,” Marcus said. “Of course in an event like this there’s no response, whether it’s Paris, London or Los Angeles. There’s no way to really prepare for such an eventuality.”
The study abroad spark has not dimmed for Laura, Lea and Sophie. As honorably demonstrated by CSULB student Nohemi Gonzalez, who was killed during the attacks, the excitement and wonder is still there.
“I think everyone who has the chance to [study abroad] should do it. When you hear about a girl who was going to spend a semester there…she was having fun. And [then] her life ended like this,” Docquois said. “I’m thinking that it could happen here. It could be me, it could be you. You cannot stop living because something has happened. It’s sad to say that.”
Luz Hernandez, whose son went to high school with Gonzalez, is troubled by the loss of life.
“It’s a cruel world right now. You guys are so young, and we shouldn’t have to be doing this,” Hernandez said. “You should all be enjoying your lives, there is no reason for so much evil to be out there. You need to enjoy your life and move forward.”
And move forward we will.