German

SAMIRA: God I hate German, remind me why I took this class?

GRACE: Because you need a language requirement

SAMIRA: Yes, but why’d I have to choose German.  I could have taken Spanish, or something completely different…like Arabic!

GRACE: Didn’t you take German in high school?

SAMIRA: Yes and I hated it then too.

GRACE: But isn’t that why you chose it?

SAMIRA: Yeah yeah, I wanted the requirement done quickly.  That was stupid of me.

GRACE: But you hate languages in general.

SAMIRA: Not always, not at the beginning.  When you learn colors, and numbers, and present tense.  That stuff is fun.

GRACE: Cause it’s easy.  But that doesn’t get you your language requirement.

SAMIRA: I know, I know.  But I have to analyze this German poem.  If there’s anything I hate more than German, it’s analyzing poetry.  So those 2 things combined, yeah I’m in hell.

Drew bursts in 

DREW: Check your e-mail

GRACE: Huh?

DREW: Your e-mail, have you checked it recently?

GRACE: No, we’re kinda studying

DREW: Well, they made another announcement

SAMIRA: About “The Incident”?

GRACE: What’d it say?

DREW: They have no leads, but they suspect off-campus involvement

SAMIRA: Of course they would say that.

DREW: Can’t admit to one of our own doing it

GRACE: Do you really think it was someone here they did it?

DREW: I don’t know.  I really don’t.  I don’t want to think so, but it could have been anyone here more easily than it could have been someone off-campus so I don’t see how they could rule it out so easily.

SAMIRA: Gotta keep face.  Keep our reputation.

GRACE: Looks like it doesn’t it.

SAMIRA: I think we need to have those campus-wide dialogues.  This on the heels of their last announcement is going to rile people up.

DREW: It already has.  Have you been checking the message boards recently?

GRACE: No, I’m trying to stay off them for a while, too much procrastination.

DREW: This has pretty much taken over the boards.

GRACE: People angry at the administration?

DREW: Not just the administration.

SAMIRA: Who else?

DREW: Anyone you can think of.  It’s turned into a debate on interracial relationships.

SAMIRA: There’s nothing to debate

DREW: They’ve found things, trust me.

GRACE: Shit

DREW: We’re scheduling interracial dating panels for tomorrow night and discussions of race for the day after tomorrow.  They’re going to happen in the dorm common rooms.  Then we’re going to have a huge diversity awareness presentation this weekend.

SAMIRA: I might not go.

GRACE: Samira, you have to go, this was your idea too remember.

SAMIRA: Not if people are going to attack interracial relationships, it’s like attacking who I am.  I don’t know if I can sit there and listen to that crap.  Trust me, I’ve heard it all.  This was supposed to be a solidarity thing not a debate.

DREW: It’s also about education.  Educating people on the realities of race and interracial relationships.

GRACE: If you don’t defend what you know to be true, then who will.  And it’s not as if it’ll all be attacks.  I can’t imagine that there are more people against interracial relationships than there are for them on this campus.  We’re a pretty educated bunch. Please Samira, there are so few mixed race people on this campus.

SAMIRA: Don’t I know it.

GRACE: And you’re living proof that interracial relationships work.  Use that.

DREW: Samira, I know how you feel.

SAMIRA: Do you?

DREW: Of course I do.  When my relationship with Grace gets out, there will be a lot of people not happy about it.  But that sure as hell won’t let it stop me from standing up for us and for myself.

SAMIRA: I’ll think about it.

DREW: Don’t be afraid of other peoples’ stupidity, it’s not worth it.

SAMIRA:  I’ll think about it.

DREW: Well, I hope I see you there.  We still on for tonight babe?

GRACE: Of course.

DREW: I’ll let you guys get back to work then.

SAMIRA: I hate German poetry!

DREW: Huh?

GRACE: Don’t worry about it.

DREW: Right.

Drew exits