Building Hope

The narrator recounts the history of a school that once ran in chaos. Students drifted in and out as they pleased, very little was taught, and gangs, bravado and brawls were part of daily life. Then a prominent politician took an interest in the school, arriving in an election year, and soon the narrator's school was in his sights. He was appearing on radio and television, promising to repair it, and the narrator watches the campaign with open skepticism.