261: The Sanctity of Marriage
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"Okay, we are ready to begin." "From WBE's to Chicago, it's this American life distributed by Public Radio International." "When you guys are ready, we can start." "Okay, today we will be selecting our bride and our groom for the mock wedding." Miss Hand is adult living class at Rock Island High School near the Illinois-Iowa border has as part of its curriculum a mock wedding. These happen in high schools all over the country, and if you're from a place where they have them, they don't seem like a big deal at all. Today, performance Hannes class can choose decorations and bridesmaids outfits. Before they talk to florists and a caterer, they have to choose a bride and a groom. And the money on favorite for groom is the Andrew. Because he's just like the most outgoing person, the person that's actually one of the guys, because we have very few guys, one of the guys that are actually into it, you know? The Andrew's gonna be the groom. "I think Andrew will get the groom." "Out of the boys, if he's a mere, the Andrew." "This is Kevin, another contender, I think we're running neck and neck." "Yeah, he wanted it too, but..." "This is Stacia." "I don't know, I think more of the kids in the class sort of vote, more towards the Andrew because he's like the class clown, he makes everybody laugh when everything." As for who will be the bride, Jackie says the girls talked about it during Jim. "It's not that much compensation because a lot of girls don't know if they want to be it. I think it's three girls, me and Heather and Keena, so we were the only thing that really said I wanted to be it. And I know a couple of people that have said that they didn't want to be in it. I don't think anybody else wants to do it." Ms. Hannah uses the overhead projector to walk the class through a budget for the wedding, which is $250 by the way, so the kids will have to raise themselves. Then she takes nominations. Everybody votes on little slips of paper that she hands out. "To anyone who has not voted." AJ is sent to the chalkboard to tell the results, as Ms. Hannah counts the ballots. In a style that is less like the Illinois Election Commission and more like Jeff Probbs on Survivor, she basically pulls out each ballot, unfolds it, and reads it. Even AJ looks surprised, but these early returns don't hold up, and in the end it is the predicted favorite, D'Andrew, who will be mock marrying Jackie. When the results are announced, D'Andrew, who admits that he used to have a little thing for Jackie, jumps up and sits next to her. Of the 11 juniors and seniors who showed up for class today, one as a baby, and one looks at the boyfriend. She's engaged. I asked Ms. Hannah if the idea of this curriculum is to encourage kids to get married. But to my surprise, she says no. She's just showing them how. The same way this class shows them how to rent an apartment or buy a used car. Even here, in small town, Illinois, hours in the big city, even the teacher who teaches marriage has complicated feelings about marriage itself. The students could not believe that I wasn't married when they found out I was not married
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