This American Life_550_ Three Miles_Audio

Mpitondra teny

• Speaker 1 0:46
• Speaker 2 2:29
• Speaker 3 0:00
• Speaker 4 3:41
• Speaker 5 18:59
• Speaker 6 55:34
• Speaker 7 50:20
• Speaker 8 59:42

1. 0:00

   Toko 1: Hey there, everybody. 149s · Speaker 3

   Hey there, everybody. If you're listening on our podcast or at the internet, there are words in this episode that we have unbeeped. If you prefer a beeped version of the show, you can find that at our website, thisamericanlife .org. Hey the…

2. 2:29

   Toko 2: They couldn't believe the campus. 72s · Speaker 2

   They couldn't believe the campus. They felt like everyone was looking at them. And one of the students started screaming and crying, like, this is unfair. This is, this is, this is, I don't want to be here. I'm leaving. I'm leaving right no…

3. 3:41

   Toko 3: And I went over to talk to her, as did Lisa. 77s · Speaker 4

   And I went over to talk to her, as did Lisa. that's she jumped up and she said we've got to get out of here we've got to get out of here we've got to get out of here and I thought it was a joke at the beginning I didn't realize you know and…

4. 5:00

   Toko 4: It was definitely dramatic. 299s · Speaker 2

   It was definitely dramatic. This incident when the kids visited Fieldston happened 10 years ago. And I heard this story from so many different people. The teachers, kids from both schools. Allison Rowland was a junior at the private school,…

5. 10:03

   Toko 5: Lisa told me she had no idea where Melanie was. 292s · Speaker 2

   Lisa told me she had no idea where Melanie was. But she said, you know who you should call? Ashley Wallace. That was Melanie's best friend. She'll know what happened. Oh, me and Melanie were pissed off. What happened? We were definitely pis…

6. 15:03

   Toko 6: Weirdly, the one person I contacted who had a real idea of what happened to Melanie was the teacher from Fieldston, the private school, Angela Vasos. 235s · Speaker 1

   Weirdly, the one person I contacted who had a real idea of what happened to Melanie was the teacher from Fieldston, the private school, Angela Vasos. Someone told me Angela had taken a special interest in Melanie after she got so upset at F…

7. 18:59

   Toko 7: When it came to down to me and her, I was, you know, what she was trying to avoid. 301s · Speaker 5

   When it came to down to me and her, I was, you know, what she was trying to avoid. Melanie was not going to fail at high school. She would go to college with no babies. and live far, far from New York City, period. You can say things like, …

8. 24:00

   Toko 8: -ass girl from the hood. 62s · Speaker 2

   -ass girl from the hood. I felt like I didn't belong there. I just felt like, you know, I have no business in this building. I don't remember them. They were just like a sea of white, blonde, blue, green eyes. I couldn't possibly bring myse…

9. 25:03

   Toko 9: Yep. And I was just like, okay, this is private. 300s · Speaker 3

   Yep. And I was just like, okay, this is private. So this is everything kind of like is a fucking lie that you see your whole life growing up on TV shows or movies. It's like, OK, this is not free. This is not available for kids of color. Th…

10. 30:03

    Toko 10: that in the end, Melanie did not make it, because they never saw her again. 300s · Speaker 1

    that in the end, Melanie did not make it, because they never saw her again. They couldn't have known. Seeing Fieldston was not what made Melanie want to run away. It was this. You go through something to just get turned down is a waste, too…

11. 35:04

    Toko 11: So for you, like, to have people tell you you're exceptional or for me to say people remember you as being very smart, it's just sort of like, it's like salt on a wound or something. 144s · Speaker 1

    So for you, like, to have people tell you you're exceptional or for me to say people remember you as being very smart, it's just sort of like, it's like salt on a wound or something. I don't, yeah, like, how do I measure that intelligence? …

12. 37:28

    Toko 12: I didn't really, for myself, I didn't really see college. 160s · Speaker 2

    I didn't really, for myself, I didn't really see college. You know, for myself, I saw... Just not being a homeless guy. At 15 years old, Melanie could see a future with college and graduate school. Not only that, everyone around her could s…

13. 40:09

    Toko 13: of course, is Raquel. 300s · Speaker 3

    of course, is Raquel. Raquel is beautiful, driven, and just quick. She's the friend you want sitting shotgun when you're lost driving. Raquel and Jonathan were both selected for the FieldSyn program. And for Raquel, seeing Fieldston was a r…

14. 45:09

    Toko 14: and we both were like, this is a lot, this is crazy, I wasn't expecting this. 78s · Speaker 1

    and we both were like, this is a lot, this is crazy, I wasn't expecting this. And would you guys talk about that? Yeah, we talked about it. It was nice to have somebody to talk about it with because, you know, my parents hadn't gone to coll…

15. 46:28

    Toko 15: I need to go to class. 232s · Speaker 3

    I need to go to class. You need to talk to somebody. And then there's another voice that's like, no, you're going to be embarrassed. It's embarrassing. Like, anyway, you're not going to have the money. So how is that going to help? You know…

16. 50:20

    Toko 16: Yeah, Raquel, of course I remember her. 134s · Speaker 7

    Yeah, Raquel, of course I remember her. She went to Bard, Bard College. Yeah, she did. She's a teacher now. She's already graduated? She graduated and she's teaching. I'm so proud of her. That's beautiful. Oh my God, I'm so proud of her. Th…

17. 52:35

    Toko 17: Even though I got my foot in the door by having a good resume and maybe giving a good phone. 111s · Speaker 4

    Even though I got my foot in the door by having a good resume and maybe giving a good phone. when I get in there, I'm like, this, I don't deserve this. Like, it's not, you know, the pay grade salary was above what I deserved. And like, this…

18. 54:26

    Toko 18: And I'm going to be very sincere with you. 67s · Speaker 5

    And I'm going to be very sincere with you. I am 36 years old. I have two master's degrees, and I'm all but dissertation at this point. I'm working on my dissertation now, and I still feel that way. It is something that will never leave. Thi…

19. 55:34

    Toko 19: That's why I'm so ashamed of my job. 135s · Speaker 6

    That's why I'm so ashamed of my job. I don't really tell people what I do for a living. You know, I felt like we were there to service people like that, and that's what I service. I service people that definitely... express that they're bet…

20. 57:49

    Toko 20: Hannah Jeffy Wild is one of the producers of our program. 112s · Speaker 7

    Hannah Jeffy Wild is one of the producers of our program. It's now been three years since we first broadcast this story. Raquel, Jonathan, and Melanie all decided they wanted to be educators like their teacher, Pablo Muriel. And Raquel's be…

21. 59:42

    Toko 21: This is unfair. 9s · Speaker 8

    This is unfair. I don't want to be here. I'm leaving. I'm leaving right now. I'm going home. I'm Eric Glass. Back next week with more stories of This American Life.