French teens welcomed in Philadelphia about-face

[Nambe]

The Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA The French consul has welcomed 10 French exchange students whose trip to Philadelphia appeared in jeopardy after a private school rescinded its invitation, with one teacher citing backlash against France for its opposition to the U.S. war with Iraq. ---

Springside School, a private girls preparatory school in Chestnut Hill, a Philadelphia suburb, said it decided in March to suspend the 27-year-old exchange program amid concerns over travel and terrorism. However, a longtime French teacher who is the program's coordinator sent an e-mail message to a French colleague in May citing anti-French sentiment and saying that two host families had withdrawn as sponsors "because they did not wish to house a French student." ---

The unofficial trip is being supported by a group of parents, some with students at Springside, who opened their homes to the students. Among them was Lori Gayman, a Springside graduate and mother of a 14-year- old boy, who after learning about the cancellation volunteered to be host to a student.

"It was embarrassing, it was sad and it was very upsetting," said Gayman, who is providing a home for Simon Benfoech, 15. "There are so many misunderstandings and assumptions about other cultures because we stay in our little boxes and don't look outside into the world." ---

Je suis desole que mon president soit un idiot.
Je n'ai vote pour lui.