Tiger Tots: Lucie and Constance

Sébastien Philippe is a Research Scholar with Princeton University’s Program on Science and Global Security. His research focuses on addressing the global security and environmental challenges associated with nuclear arms and emerging technologies. Christine Blumauer, GS ’18, is the executive director of policy for the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development. Philippe and Blumauer are married and have two children, Lucie and Constance.

The Daily Princetonian: How old are you?

Lucie: I’m eight.

Constance: I’m three.

DP: What grade are you in?

Lucie: I’m in second.

Constance: I’m in first grade.

Lucie: No, you’re not.

Constance: Pre-K three.

DP: What do you like about the grade you’re in?

Lucie: I like that I learn more in second grade. Learning about biographies. Sojourner Truth won in court to get her son back because he was getting sold … and that was illegal.

Constance: I love playing with my friends.

DP: What’s something you dislike about your grade?

Lucie: That I have to do a lot of homework.

Constance: I don’t know.

DP: What’s your favorite subject in school right now?

Lucie: Writing.

Constance: Writing.

DP: What do you like to do outside of school?

Lucie: I like playing at the playground and playing with my friends. And judo.

DP: How long have you been doing that?

Lucie: For six months. I’m soon going to get my yellow belt.

DP: What do you like about judo?

Lucie: That I like to fight with people, and I don’t get to the principal’s office. (Lucie has never been to the principal’s office and knows that Judo stays in the dojo, her mom clarifies.)

DP: Constance, what about you?

Constance: Playing. And doing instruments! Doing the recorder.

DP: How long have you been playing the recorder?

Constance: A long time.

Lucie: No, no, no, no.

Constance: Yes.

Lucie: No.

Mom: Three days ago.

DP: Well, I hope it’s off to a good start. Do you guys have a favorite book?

Constance: I do. “Pete the Cat”!

Lucie: “Dragon Masters” series.

DP: Favorite movie?

Lucie: “Sing 2.”

Constance: “Sing 3.”

Lucie: There’s no “Sing 3.”

Constance (after a pause): "Thelma the Unicorn."

DP: Do you guys have a dream job?

Lucie: I want to be a surgeon that specializes in the heart. I want to help people get better, and I want them to survive. I want them to keep living; I don’t want them to die.

Constance: I want to fly in the air.

DP: In a plane, or just you?

Constance: Just me. In the clouds!

DP: I notice you guys speak French, have you been speaking [that] your whole life?

Lucie: We weren’t born in France. We were born here, but our parents taught us how to speak even though we were around people speaking English.

DP: Do you think your English is better than your French?

Lucie: Yeah, I think so. I also speak Spanish —

Constance: And me too!

Lucie: — and just a couple words of German.

Constance: And me too!

DP: What do you think is one thing the world needs more of?

Lucie: Trees.

Constance: Clouds.

DP: If you could invent something, what would it be?

Lucie: I would invent a flying car. It would be like an airplane but the size of a car. And the shape of a car, just with wings and more power.

Constance: I want to be a princess.

Lucie: Non, c’est qu’est-ce que tu veux faire. (No, it’s what do you want to do).

Constance: I want to do a toy monster. It would crawl on the floor and fly, and [help to] get the car in the air.

DP: If you became president tomorrow, what’s one rule you would put into place?

Lucie: I would want my school to have water slides sticking out of it to get out of the school and have fun. But they would only be water slides in the summer. They would be snow slides during the winter, leaf slides during autumn, and then flower slides during spring.

Constance: I would clean the floor.

DP: What is one thing you guys are really proud of?

Lucie: Speaking a lot of languages.

Constance: I love speaking in Spanish.

DP: What do you guys think about Princeton?

Lucie: I really like it, and I really like all the stuff in Princeton, like Bent Spoon.

Constance: I love living in Princeton, New Jersey.

Mom translates the question in French.

Constance: My parents!

DP: Is there anything you would change about campus?

Lucie: I would make it more high-tech. Drones that would deliver stuff and houses that are abstract.

Constance: Drawing pictures!

DP: Have you interacted with the students?

Lucie: No.

Mom: We see students when they go to the dining hall.

Lucie: At Yeh.

DP: Are there any observations you’ve made about students?

Lucie: They’re tall, they’re big, and adults, if they’re 18.

Constance: They’re nice!

DP: Is there any advice you would give to Princeton students?

Lucie: To do more homework! Everybody’s homework, and everybody’s jobs!

Constance: I want them to play. With the foods!

DP: Anything else before we wrap it up?

Lucie: Thank you for the interview!

Constance: Thank you for the interview!

Maya Chu is a Features staff writer for the ‘Prince.’

Please direct any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.