Assemblies

Assemblies at Dráva Völgye Középiskola Somogyi TISZK Közép és Szakiskola

Last Wednesday I was asked to be a part of a skit for an induction of the freshmen classes that would last from 3:00 to 5:30, with skits, marches, songs, and contests at a level of noise that might put to shame our most spirited spirit assembly in Seattle. Numerous and deafeningly effective noise-makers did their part to honor the entering classes.

So began the first of two school assemblies from which I will draw the following contrasts.

Assembly one.

Perhaps because the school is divided by programs—Water Management, Forestry, Academy, Marketing and Drama—competition happens horizontally across age groups, which means older Forestry students are yelling their hearts out in support of younger Forestry students, whereas at Roosevelt Seniors use all of their size, scam, ritual and cool to make certain Freshmen know they are tiny nothings in comparison. Most of the noise in DVK’s assembly was meant to celebrate not jeer.

Second, much in Wednesday’s gathering would probably be suspect or outright forbidden in a Roosevelt assembly. Examples: One. Female teachers called on to sing and told to sing a sexy song to a male teacher. Two. A clothes gathering competition, during which a huge number of boys ended up shirtless. Three. Shoeless tug of war over soaped-up floor in the middle of the gym. Four. The Bouncing Spear. One partner holds a water balloon high in the air, while the other jumps up and down with hands and whittled spear tied behind the back trying to pierce the water balloon held between the steady hands of a partner.

And would all of Roosevelt attend an assembly after school for two and a half hours?

Assembly two.

The next morning, another assembly followed up immediately. Whereas the first was a rowdy costumed event, the second was a solemn uniformed event, honoring the Hungarian revolution of October 23, 1956, during which thousands were imprisoned and killed by the Soviet victors. Though the assembly wasn’t nearly as long as the first, I can’t think of a time when the entire student body of Roosevelt was as silent and proud. Drama students sang songs, enacted a play, danced, and though I understood almost nothing, I felt the anger and grief, which, while perhaps third millennium students feel little of the history, was preserved in a dignified poise, and I was absolutely moved. The assembly ended in a song every student knew, the Szózat, and it went right into my bones.

Postscript, Hungarian gatherings.

Is it typical for Hungarian soccer fans to throw fireballs onto the soccer pitch and for police in riot gear with dogs and tear-gas to empty an entire bank of bleachers, as occurred with visiting fans from Budapest, or for people to yell out Csokoládé! Go back to your tree, chocolate monkey! to the visiting Black players from Budapest, as was the case with some fans from Kaposvár?