Grenoble Students Return Early After Paris Attacks

In light of the recent anti-terrorism police raids across France, the Academy recalled the seven seniors and faculty member abroad in Grenoble on Monday. The raids followed an organized series of terror attacks in Paris, starting last Friday night, that left at least 129 people dead and many more injured.

“The horrific events in Paris began to have a more direct impact on our students when a set of anti-terrorism raids were carried out in Grenoble in the early hours of Monday morning,” English instructor and Director of Global Initiatives Eimer Page said. “With less than a week of the program left, it seemed the right decision to return early.” Over the weekend, she consulted security experts at International SOS, who would have been involved in emergency repatriation if normal travel was disrupted.

Page said that although there was no U.S. Department of State evacuation notice, the Off-Campus Committee—consisting of Chief Financial Officer David Hanson, Dean of Students Melissa Mischke and Page—collaborated with the abroad Modern Languages instructor Katherine Fair and Principal Lisa MacFarlane to bring the students back to the Academy.

“It’s better to pull us out now while we have a safety buffer than if something were actually to happen to Grenoble.”

Fair and Page were in constant contact between Friday night, when the events began to unfold, and Tuesday, when students landed in Boston’s Logan International Airport at 6:10 p.m. They both ignored time differences, corresponding throughout the night as needed. Page said that Fair had local cell phone numbers for all the students and checked in with them both in-person and through calls. In addition to Fair’s precautionary measures, Page included students and host families in the emails she sent to their parents to keep both parties updated.

Originally, students were scheduled to depart on Sunday, Nov. 22 and spend the last week in France wrapping up activities with their teachers and host families. Some host families had plans to celebrate the students’ departures and to lead walking tours around the city of Grenoble. But once the French police carried out anti-terrorism raids in Grenoble early Monday morning, which uncovered caches of weapons and money, the Off Campus Committee decided to take action. Currently, the seven Grenoble seniors are not obligated to be on-campus until next term, though a handful of them returned.

Throughout the recall process, Hanson was on call to discuss any financial considerations with Page. Fortunately, Air France was accommodating to the Academy’s request to change flights, so the last-minute arrangements did not incur a large expense; nonetheless, Hanson said that even if the airline had not been so flexible, the students’ safety still would have been prioritized.

“I let her know over the weekend that finances were not a factor to consider in making the decision about whether or not to cancel the trip,” Hanson said. “Our only concern was the safety of our students and ensuring that they had safe passage back to the United States.”

Senior Audrey Hood said that she was sad to leave Grenoble because it had been an amazing trip, and it was hard to leave her host family on such a short notice. Still, she supported the school’s decision, recognizing the difficulty of predicting how big of an effect the attacks will have on Grenoble and how safe the area will stay. “When you’re responsible for seven students and a teacher, it’s best to play it safe. I won’t criticize the administration for being concerned for us,” she said.

Hood said she had not felt unsafe in Grenoble. The group was far away from Paris when the attacks struck Friday night. She also emphasized the importance of staying calm during attacks like this, noting how frequently they still occur around the world. As sad as the attacks can be, she believes it is important to be prepared for them and not be overtaken by fear.

Like Hood, senior Fedja Čelebić was ultimately satisfied with the school’s decision to bring the trip back. “Even though we were very safe, thanks to France’s state of emergency and heightened security, if we had stayed here, the Academy and our families and friends would have been under immense stress for the week to come,” he said. “It’s better to pull us out now while we have a safety buffer than if something were actually to happen to Grenoble.”

According to Hood, the group of students had a meeting right after the attacks and were kept well informed throughout the weekend. Fair had told the students that she, the school and the school’s resources were there for them at all times, if needed. “This was something that had always been true throughout the whole trip, but she made sure to reiterate that we were not alone in this. I felt very well taken care of,” Hood said.

Page shared similar sentiments regarding Fair’s actions throughout the trip. “I want to commend Mme Fair for her calm, responsible management of this difficult situation,” Page said. “I know she was beyond impressed by the responses of the students too; I’m sure there will be much more processing as the weeks go on, but they began that processing together as a supportive group in Grenoble.”