COMMUNITY: Poly remembers the victims of an act of terrorism that achieved global attention.
By Caroline Iglesias, Staff Writer
On November 13, 2015, several terrorist attacks occurred in Paris, France. Terrorists targeted people roaming the streets of France and dining in the city, people simply going about their regular Friday night. Citizens were held captive for several hours and over 100 Parisians and visitors died.
The mystery behind these raids have yet to be uncovered, but on the evening of November 20, 2015, Poly held a peace rally in response to these brutal attacks.
Poly’s peace rally was put together within a week. French teacher “Madame” Kristen Kund advised and assisted in carrying out the event. Many students helped Kund in advertising and organizing the rally. “I was really proud of how much we were able to accomplish in such a short amount of time,” Olivia Cichocki-Bartlett (12) said. In honor of the victims, some students sang moving songs that evoked peace and love for the world while others read poems. “I really felt a sense of connection that brought everyone together,” James Han (11) remarked. To conclude the ceremony, the students gathered together around a peace sign spray-painted in the grass, lit the glow sticks they were provided and sang Imagine by John Lennon. “When we finished our song and our candlelight vigil, you could really feel the love and the positive energy among the student body, and I feel that really made a difference in our community,” Kund said.
Despite the fact that the Paris attack was a distant act of violence, it not only brought the Poly community together, but it also brought the world together. Its force became similar to an active magnet. It brought communities, governments and families together to honor fellow, innocent human beings.