美国高中交换生在北京写支持民主留言被罚

choi

VOA Chinese, June 8, 2014
www.voachinese.com/content/newton-student-20140607/1931881.html

, which is based on

Ellen Ishkanian, Unwelcome Words on Democracy; Newton student’s messages in China are called out of bounds. Boston Globe, June 6, 2014 (front page).
www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/0 ... fi6folwK/story.html

Quote:

(a) “Newton North High School senior Henry DeGroot was visiting a school outside Beijing on a semester abroad this year when he decided to have some fun and also make a point by writing prodemocracy messages in the notebook of a Chinese student.

“‘Democracy is for cool kids,’ he recalls writing. ‘Don’t believe the lies your school and government tell you,’ said another message, and ‘It’s right to rebel.’

“But when Chinese school officials found out, he had to serve five hours of detention. And when he returned home, it got worse: Newton school officials barred DeGroot from his prom [when he was back in Newton, Massachusetts].

(b) “DeGroot was among a group of eight Newton students on a four-month study abroad program, under a longstanding partnership between Newton and the Beijing Jingshan School. The episode happened when the Newton group visited another school, in a small town outside of Beijing.

“At the end of a two-hour visit with the Chinese students, school officials asked the Newton group to write their e-mail addresses in the students’ notebooks so they could stay in touch. That’s when DeGroot said he wrote the prodemocracy phrases in one of the notebooks.

(c) “But a Chinese teacher who reads English saw the phrases and told principal Fan Luyan of the Beijing Jingshan School 北京景山学校, host to the Newton students.

“The principal was highly insulted, according to DeGroot.

choi

Follow-up:

Ellen Ishkanian, Chinese Exchange Program’s Founders Criticize Newton North Student; Rip student’s words plugging democracy. Boston Globe, June 6, 2014. www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/0 ... TKOqLRCO/story.html