Allo?

This week end, I went to Nantes (a city on the Loire River, in the South of Brittany, close to the seaside) to visit a friend I met my first years after high school. The city is very nice, especially with a beautiful sunny weather ! I spent a very good time, thanks Thomas !

During this week end, I discovered a very French particularity I am going to share with you : the "allos". Studies in France are mainly divided in two : the university and some "high school" (the word-to-word translation but it corresponds more to a college). Anyone can go to the university without selection, at least for the first years (after when you specialize, of course, places are limited). And these "colleges" are more selective and often, to go there, you have to spend your two first year of studies in a intensive preparation before having some difficult exams.
Anyway, this friend is in a engineering college. The student life inside these places is very active. In each college, there is a "BDE" (Bureau des Eleves = organization of the students) which is the most powerful organization (it leads all the other organizations).

Such an organization is composed of around 30 people. To be elected, the team has to win two weeks of intensive campaign. That's the moment I arrive : I came to visit my friend during these 2 weeks, when the two main lists were trying to convince people to vote for them. To succeed, they collected funds during months (about 15 000 €, without counting all the gifts). Then, they organize big parties, give many gifts (travel tickets, T-shirts, TV... many things!) and... the craziest : they organize "allo" (allo = when you answer to a phone call).
An "allo" is you call someone of the list and you say "Hi, I am calling for an "allo-food", what can you propose? Crêpe? Ok, perfect, I live 46, rue de la chapenterie, you come in 30 mns? Perfect? see u!" and... 30 mns later, 2 people come to your place with some food, serve you, stay with you to chat and... that's it !! There is also "allo-drink" which works on the same way.
We enjoyed also the "allo-breakfast" with some nice people putting some jam on our bread...
By this way, we ate all the week end (and my friends for 2 weeks!) with some people bringing us some food they cookedand... for free!!!! Crazy, isn't it? And during the week end, it was 24h, you can call them at 5am, they will come !
Few years ago, there were also "allo-dishes" or "allo-cleaning"... but fortunately, this time is now over (at least in this college... but I think it still exists in some others)!

Conclusion : people are crazy !! Until where can they go to be elected?!!