Le Bilingue First Issue of 2019
Ecole Jeannine Manuel Paris
Student Newspaper
Letter from the Editor: Dear Readers, As we enter this new year and slowly get back into our daily routines, Le Bilingue is proud to present you with its first issue of 2019. In this issue, we decided against having a running theme, and focused instead on reflecting the various views and personalities present in our student body. We found it important to focus on the ‘student’ aspect of this “student” newspaper, and give some new writers a chance to try their hand at various styles of articles. As you scroll through the pages, you’ll be able to find anything and everything, ranging from a fun and easy recipe, to a more serious, personal essay. By varying the content of this newspaper, we believe that you, the readers, will be able to find something that reflects your own personality and catches your attention. On that note, we hope you enjoy this issue of Le Bilingue and wish you all a very happy new year. Sincerely, Chiara J. Editor in Chief
Table of Contents ❖ Vacations Around the World ❖ Valentine’s Date Ideas ❖ Bohemian Rhapsody : Movie Review ❖ Never Enough : Grade Inflation in the US ❖ Homework : A Necessary Evil? ❖ Why We Need Activism in Modern Film ❖ Recipe : Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Vacations Around The World By Joonyoung P.
One experience in particular unites the children of the world: school. Kids grow up by going to school for a set period of time and are taught according to the chosen curriculum in each country. With school, however, comes a time of rest and relaxation, and all the schools in each country run their own holiday schedules; which could be considered the best period for us students. When the school closes and what the children do during that time are in some sense country-specific, and that can show not only how its children learn but also how its society is managed. So, I want to share some of my ideas on the school holidays in France, US and Korea by interviewing my friends.
France – the right to rest School in France start in September and ends in early July followed by a 2-month summer vacation. During the school year there are 4 breaks of 2-weeks length after a 7-week work period. The first holiday is in late October with the Halloween and sometimes a short school trip runs in that period. The second holiday break students receive includes the Christmas season, an occasion for many to hold a family reunion. The third holiday, often called a ‘ski holiday’ runs 3 different schedules depending on the administrative district in which a school is located. That allows children the chance to maximize their fun without having to worry about traffic jams on the slopes. The fourth is in late April, also known as Easter break. Needless to say, this is the best time to travel since the big school exams end and good weather is just starting to grace France. Overall, French school holiday gives children a regular break which helps them recover properly.
US – enjoy the change of seasons In US schools start in September like in France, but the summer holiday start in June and goes on for almost 3 months! The mid-term holiday schedules are slightly different to individual States, but they generally tend to last between 1 to 2 weeks. After a short pause on Thanksgiving Day, 1~2 weeks of Christmas holiday follow for the yearly family reunion. Between late February and early March, students are given a Mid-Winter-Break for a chance to partake in winter sports, including skiing. After that comes Spring-Break, starting in late March. On this occasion, family members get together once again for celebrating the coming spring and the Easter as well. During the long summer season, children can enjoy various activities as they wish: summer sports, family trips, summer camps, internships, etc. For children in US, the school holidays are a chance to enjoy the changing seasons with family and friends, away from stress-inducing schoolwork and deadlines.
Korea - endless study, deep rest Korea, along with Japan, is the only country where the school year starts in March and ends in February. They have only 3 school holiday schedules, which means that they don’t run mid-term-holidays at all, except for a few national holidays. Their studies continue until the end of the school year, which might partly explain the higher level of performance when it comes to testing. The summer vacation runs only 4~5 weeks between July and August. During the Fall term, students have a short pause by the ‘Chu Suk’, a traditional holiday, similar to Thanksgiving in the Occident, around September and October. The winter vacation, slightly longer than the summer vacation, runs 5~6 weeks between late December and early February. During that period, students enjoy another traditional holiday called ‘New Year’s Day’ by lunar calendar. Unfortunately, this period is included in the winter school vacation, so the children do not have additional school break at all. In February, after less than 10 days’ final school period, they have 1~2 weeks holidays for preparing the new school year. In short, Korean students continuously work 4 months at one time.
Valentine’s date ideas By Valentine S.
February is arriving sooner than you think it is, and with February comes Valentine’s day … For all of you lovebirds out there who don’t know what to do for that romantic day, here are a few Valentine’s day date ideas : Ice skating at the gigantic Patinoire of Boulogne Billancourt where you can show off your skills and have a fun and wintery moment Promenade at Montmartre, get your portrait done, have a nice dinner, see Paris under the setting sun from the top of the hill Going on a trip to Disneyland for the adventurous and whimsical ones out there who love fairytales and attractions Baking something is always fun, messy and gives memorable moments filled with laughter and full stomachs as well as a very big mess. You could make cookies or cinnamon rolls (go check out Laure’s recipe for that), or perhaps your favorite desserts? be creative and have fun! Discovering the quartier Latin and eating dinner there. It is one of my favorite places in Paris, and I highly recommend going there The Ile Saint Louis where you can eat Berthillon Ice creams ( the best in town) or maybe a hot chocolate depending on the weather. You could go on its bridge, the Pont Saint Louis, and eat your ice cream while watching the entertainers that are often there, such as a piano player, roller bladers who do figures, musicians, or even a clown If you like old movies, then the Filmothèque du Quartier Latin is great for you! it’s also near l’Ile Saint Louis, so you could go there before or after watching a good old film
MOVIE REVIEW
Presenting her Majesty, Queen By A. Z. “Bohemian Rhapsody”, a film directed by Bryan Singer, is a celebration of the musical phenomenon that is Queen (you may have heard of them). Depicting real life events of the band’s claim to fame, it is specifically focused on the frontman - Freddie Mercury - and his exuberant refusal to conform to stereotypes. A biopic presenting the revolutionary rock band’s story through the numerous marks of their iconic songs, their outstanding success is recounted. Through a journey of unity and divergences into solo careers, the mysteries of Freddie Mercury’s fighting against his darkest inner battles are uncovered (at least as accurately as possible): we are shown his struggles with his own sexuality and life under the spotlight, specifically his fight against the fatal illness - AIDS - all while maintaining his flamboyant performances and sustaining his debauchery of a lifestyle. The aim of this film is to pay homage to the legendary, one and only Freddie Mercury. Does it do him justice? Why not, as much as it possibly can, at least. You can’t expect to get all the facts straight in a 2 hour production. But as far as I’m concerned, the general consensus is one of satisfaction: fans like it, the Queen band members like it, the press likes it... all are satisfied. It’s definitely worth a watch, in my opinion. You should watch it, really, although such a genius as Freddie simply escapes the realms of filmic representation. All I can say is: there’s only one Freddie Mercury. He has, is and will go down in history - let’s leave it at that.
Never Enough The rise of grade inflation in the American school system By Ellie L. Whether I want them to be or not, my grades are constantly on my mind. This is a common concern for most students at this age, and that's normal. However, I think I speak for the majority when saying that I have become less concerned about learning and more focused on getting the perfect grade. As a student in the New York public education system, I was used to getting full marks on my work. Since middle school, I have been taught that if you did not get a 100% on assignments, your work was bad, that you did not understand the assignment or simply did not work hard enough. Having a perfect average was achievable, and in a way, expected. Homework was more busy work as a result of teachers struggling to fill a quota and enter grades into the system. It was easy to forget about the importance of actually learning the information and to become fixed on the final product.
This is my first year in a school outside New York City public schools, and already I’ve noticed drastic differences in the education, but more specifically, the grading system. The largest, most obvious, difference I’ve seen is the importance of grades. Fewer assignments are graded, I maybe have three or four graded assignments maximum in each class, and they all have the same coefficient. At my former high school, we had assignments due and graded in every class, and we received a daily grade in participation, as well as test grades every two weeks. This type of grading system takes the focus of class away from actually learning and gears it more towards getting a good grade in that class, whereas here, I can focus more on absorbing and understanding information rather than memorizing and regurgitating it on exams.
I’ve also found that the standard of a ‘good grade’ is drastically different than that in New York. I would consistently receive top marks (100-95) for mediocre work, whereas here I find myself working harder and getting lower marks. The reason is grade inflation. Right now almost all American schools are suffering from the epidemic of grade inflation to a point where it is going to be nearly impossible to stop. It begins with parents and administration pressuring teachers to give their students good grades, to make their students look smarter and their schools look better. This causes other school to do the same in order to compete with the rising GPAs (Grade Point Average) of other schools. Suddenly, students have it in their minds that the only acceptable grade is an 100 or A+, partly because now they are so easy to get. Now in America we have thousands of students with perfect grades applying to top tier colleges with none of them standing out. A perfect GPA means nothing anymore, as it is so achievable, even to mediocre students. With smart, hardworking students receiving the same marks as less motivated students, it becomes impossible for colleges to successfully evaluate students. However universities are just as, if not more, affected by grade inflation. Pressure from parents on students and faculty is much more intense because they are paying so much for their children to go to college that they push back on the school and their child when they do not get top marks. Out of the many academic programs all over the world, the IB is one of the least affected by grade inflation. This was at first a shock to me and something that I had to get used to, however now that I have a better understanding of the grades and what they mean. A 15 here holds more value then a 20 ever would in the states.
Homework : A Necessary Evil? Homework: you either love it, hate it, or don’t do it. Although it’s now become a staple for most school systems around the world, not everyone agrees that giving students extra work to do at home is actually helping all that much. In fact, some systems have decided to forgo homework as a whole and focus on the in-class teaching experience. Due to these controversial opinions on something so present in students’ lives, we asked two of our staffers to have a little friendly debate on whether we truly need homework as a supplement to school hours. Here’s what they had to say.
Pro Side by Diya B.
Giving students homework has proven to have a number of benefits, especially on younger children. Regularly doing assignments at home encourages discipline and develops time management skills, while also fostering an increased responsibility and organisation for the students’ academics. Collected assignments can also serve as an indication of a student’s level of learning and progress, which allows their teacher to ensure all students are at the same level by individually helping each child based on their work. Homework can also help prepare them for tests and quizzes, and help them apply skills learned in class, rather than simply learning concepts theoretically. Working at home, an environment children feel at ease in, also allows them to be more productive.
Con Side by Anna K. Giving out homework has become quite a controversial issue in this day and age. Many have stated that homework is not a necessity to enhance students’ academic performance. For example, Finland’s education system is a direct representation of the fact that students can perform well in school without being assigned any homework at all. It may come to a surprise that Finland is ranked first in Europe for having the most outstanding education system despite the fact that the work the students are not obligated to do any work outside of school. It does seem like a drastic measure, yet, Finland’s high school graduation rate clearly shows the positive effects as it extremely high by 93%, whereas countries with good education systems like the US and Canada has a graduation rate of 75% and 78% respectively. Furthermore, 2 out of 3 students go onto university, which is the highest rate in all of Europe. In 2006, the analysis of the mean scores for PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) demonstrated that the students in Finland got a highest score with a significant difference to other countries like China (Hong Kong), Canada, Taiwan, and Japan. These data may seem doubtful, but the lack of assigned homework in the Finnish education system is compensated by many different factors. The first being the teacher-student interaction. Finland has the same number of teachers as New York, however, they have half the number of students. The teacher-student ratio is 1 to 24 in New York, which is quite common, whereas it is 1 to 12 in Finland. Secondly, there are more qualified teachers in Finland. In order to teach, Finland requires teachers to have a minimum of a master’s degree, whereas most countries only require the bachelor’s degree. Moreover, it may seem like spending more time on work ameliorates a student’s academic intelligence, however, this is proven not to be always right. Students in Finland are given an average of 75 minutes of recess a day. On the contrary, the US students only get a mean of 27 minutes. This shows that homework is not what essentially improves student’s academic level. This brings us to a conclusion that homework is not necessary at all.
Why We Need Activism in Modern Film By Sofia M. Almost every film is somehow influenced by its creators and their opinions and views. Through their movies, filmmakers reflect and raise awareness on various world issues. Right now, cinema is more socially and politically engaged than it has ever been, and some of the most successful films of 2018 go against prejudice and inequality in ways that can truly transform people’s lives.
Boy Erased (2018) Image: Mirror Online
‘My father didn’t have stories or films he could look at and consider when he sent me to conversion therapy.’ - Mathew Shurka, an anti-conversion therapy activist says in his article for Variety. Today, when parents of young queer people look for information about sending their children to conversion therapy, they are presented with films like “Boy Erased” and “The Miseducation of Cameron Post”, that refute the theory
that this brutal practice can ‘cure’ homosexuality. In the near future, thousands of teenagers will be subjected to conversion therapy. Seeing some of the most famous actors in Hollywood in these films like these can make their parents reconsider this choice, it can show them that they’re not alone, and it can save their lives. Whether it is prejudice against gay people, people of color, or any other oppressed group of people, cinema is one of the most authoritative platforms for raising awareness and getting a political message through. It can influence its viewers more profoundly than any form of advertisement or PSA and evoke emotion through characters and situations that will change the way they see the groups of people that they represent. Every year, there are more and more films that touch on subjects that were once tabooed, and cinema is now much more than just entertainment - it has the power to make a difference, and it has been doing so for a long time. Films are inspired by reality, and reality is influenced by films, so with an increase in activist movies defending causes will come an equally significant impact on society’s perception of them.
RECIPE
Easy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingrédients For the cinnamon rolls: ●
Butter, for coating the pan
●
3/4 cup granulated sugar
●
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
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5 cups self-rising flour, plus more for dusting
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2 cups whole of milk
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8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the glaze: ●
2 cups powdered sugar
●
1/4 cup whole milk
●
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Equipment 1.
Mixing bowls
2.
Measuring cups and spoons
3.
Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
4.
Baking dish
5.
Pastry brush
Makes 15
6.
Knife
314 calories (for 15 rolls)
7.
Whisk
Inspired by https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-ma ke-the-easiest-cinnamon-rolls-235030
8.
Pastry scraper
9.
Rolling pin
Preparation 25 minutes
10.
Wire cooling rack
BY LAURE S. Preparation 1.
Heat the oven: Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Coat a baking dish with butter; set aside. Make and fill the rolls while the oven is heating.
2.
Mix the filling : Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar and the cinnamon together in a small bowl; set aside.
3.
Make the dough: Place the flour and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Mix the milk and 4 tablespoons of the melted butter together in a bowl. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until a soft dough forms and no dry bits of flour remain.
4.
Knead the dough: Transfer the dough onto a generously floured work surface. Sprinkle with more flour, then knead until the dough is fairly smooth, sprinkling with more flour as needed to prevent sticking. Do not overknead or the cinnamon rolls will be tough.
5.
Roll the dough out: Flour a rolling pin and roll the dough into a 60 by 25-cm-long rectangle about ½ a centimeter thick, with the longer side facing you.
6.
Fill the dough: Brush 2 tablespoons of the melted butter onto the surface of the dough, using it all. Sprinkle it evenly with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a 1 cm border.
7.
Roll the dough up: Starting at the long end closest to you, roll the dough up tightly into a log, using a pastry scraper as needed to help release the dough from the work surface. Pinch the seam together at the top.
8.
Cut the dough: Position the log seam-side down. Cut the dough crosswise into 15 pieces.
9.
Fill the baking dish: Place the cut rolls cut-side up in the baking dish.
10.
Butter the rolls: Brush the tops of the cinnamon rolls with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
11.
Bake the rolls: Bake until puffed, golden-brown, and a toothpick or skewer inserted in several spots comes out clean ; about 35 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze.
12.
Make the glaze: Place the powdered sugar, milk, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth; set aside.
13.
Glaze the rolls: When the cinnamon rolls are ready, place the baking dish on a wire cooling rack. Drizzle evenly with the glaze, then let cool 15 minutes before serving.
Our Team Chiara J.
Editor
Laure S.
Food Editor
Valentine S.
Writer
Joonyoung P.
Writer
Claire S.
Writer
Elina B.
Writer
Massimiliano A.
Writer
Isabella A.
Writer
Ellie L.
Writer
Maxen W.
Graphics
Sofia M.
Writer
Angelina Z.
Writer
Anna K.
Writer
Diya B.
Writer
Special Thanks to: Ms. Elliot Ms. Stathopulos
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