LE BILINGUE Ecole Jeannine Manuel Paris’ student newspaper
June 2021 image from pexels.com
Letter from the editors Dear readers, As the summer nears, another school year comes to an end. And what a year it’s been. A variety of global news events have garnered the world's attention one after the other, with the pandemic constantly lurking in the background. We’ve all been affected by it in a myriad of ways, on global, local and personal scales, but we, as a school community, have also managed to adapt to the ever-changing rules. Each new restriction was met with a swift solution that kept everything running as smoothly as possible despite the imposed changes: when schools shut, classes, clubs and even exams transitioned to an online format, learning and improving from the experiences of the previous year. We are immensely grateful for the dedication and tireless work of the school, its teachers and its administration, who have looked out for our education and well-being throughout this trying year. As the days grow longer and brighter, we appear to be nearing the light at the end of the seemingly endless tunnel this year has been. Restrictions are being lifted slowly but surely, the curfew has become less intrusive, restaurants have resumed outdoor seating, and vaccination is now open to anyone above the age of 12 years old. However, at this key moment, it is essential that we stay cautious just a little bit longer so that we can emerge from this pandemic once and for all and hopefully resume mostly normal lives come the new year. In this final issue of the 2020-21 school year, we bring you a variety of school news, from the pandemic version of the Course Contre La Faim to the Library’s annual BD and Manga Contest to the first ever Jeannine Manuel Voices contest. We also take a look at the school’s emblematic Chinese program, focusing on the “Chinois avancé” class that is offered to 1ere and Terminale students. We’ve spotlighted the History and Geography department in this issue, with short and funny interviews with two of its teachers, Mr. Briggs and Mr. Walker-Pearson. This issue also contains a healthy dose of art and culture, in the form of Le Bilingue’s own art competition on the theme of education and several book and movie recommendations. We’ve also included the winning essay from the Harvard Global Women’s Empowerment essay contest and poems written by the 1ere and Terminale Latin class, which will hopefully provide you with a literary and intellectual escape. Finally, the quotes peppered throughout the issue are a reminder of the importance and value of education, something to ponder as we head off on summer break. Lastly, we thank you, our readers, for staying with us throughout this year, and we look forward to producing many more issues next year. As such, if you would like to join our team, look out for information in September or reach out to us directly. We always remain open to your feedback, comments and questions, and welcome any articles you wish to submit to us. Please do not hesitate to contact us at studentjournalism@ejm.org. On that note, we wish you all a wonderful, fun and restful summer! Sincerely, The editorial team of Le Bilingue
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Table of contents Course Contre La Faim..............................................p.3 Jeannine Manuel Voices.............................................p.4 Chinois Avancé......................................................p.5-7 BD/Manga Contest...................................................p.8 Teacher Profiles ...................................................p.9-10 Harvard GlobalWE Essay Contest..........................p.11-12 Le Bilingue Art Competition.................................p.13-14 Ekphrasis............................................................p.15-17 First Aid Club..........................................................p.19 Photography Club...............................................p.19-20 Carmilla and the Origin of Lesbian Vampirism............p.21 Raya and the Last Dragons Review............................p.22 Film Recommendations............................................p.24
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Course Contre La Faim - William M. & Ulysse R. The ‘Course Contre la Faim’ is a yearly event that takes place in many countries throughout Europe and abroad. Many students participate in this race and commit to the fight against world hunger every year. The worldwide institution that organizes this race is called ‘Action Contre la Faim’ and was established in 1979. Its mission is to save lives by eradicating hunger in underdeveloped countries that suffer from conflicts and natural disasters. In fact, 260,000 students from 1,300 establishments participate in this project coming from more than fifty cities, both in France and abroad. The main objective of the event is for people to try and exceed their physical ability in order to help spread awareness and raise money for people suffering from hunger around the globe.
This year, the charity will use funds from the participants to finance their projects in Congo, where 27 million people don’t have access to sufficient food and live in poverty. In 2019, a new record was established as more than 3.6 million euros were raised for programs in Chad, Sierra Leone, and Afghanistan.
How it works is that each student finds sponsors and tries to involve as many people in the project as possible. The end goal is for the participants to run as many kilometers as possible to raise money. After the race, each student multiplies their pledges by the number of kilometers they have traveled and returns to their sponsors to ask for their promised donation.
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This year at EJM, the ‘Course Contre la Faim’ took place during PE classes. Students were given a form which they needed to fill out with their sponsors who will pay a certain amount of money per kilometer. Instead of taking place in the school courtyard, the race was held at the Stade Suzanne Lenglen in the 15th arrondissement (due to Covid restrictions). The format of the race also changed, as students were put into groups of four and took turns running one 400m lap for a total of one hour, in a relay-style race. Overall, the participants enjoyed this break from their usual sports lessons and were proud to have helped raise money for an important cause. All students participated and a total of 160 laps was run in one class.
Jeannine Manuel Voices - Anna H. This year has been a challenge for all of us. Many of the most awaited events have been canceled and the lockdown—not to mention the confusing half online half in-person schedules—has led to our routines mostly consisting of monotonously watching time go by and waiting for this pandemic to finally end. However, when faced with this difficult situation the EJM community has risen to the occasion and found ways to maintain the extracurricular activities as much as possible. The debate club, for example, is a longstanding tradition at EJM which many of us participate in. But more than simply maintaining previously existing extracurricular activities, this year has also brought some new and exciting events, one of which is the Jeannine Manuel Voices contest.
The contest was organized by the Fondation Jeannine Manuel, and has already proven to be a success. The jury was composed of Ms Julie Dao and Ms Kaminski along with professionals whose names you will recognize such as Karine Costa (especially known for her work in Disney movies such as Aladdin with “Ce rêve bleu”), Amir Haddad (known for being a finalist in The Voice in 2011 and representing France in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2016 with the song “ J’ai cherché” which finished 6th place), and Nikos Aliagas (presenter of The Voice France). This activity gave the opportunity to many of our fellow classmates to share their range of musical talents including singing, but also playing the piano or guitar in the hopes of being selected to participate in the competition. These talented artists have practiced for hours to better their techniques and show off their skills; some have even written their own songs. The day of the competition was at the highest level. The results will be coming out in June, as well as the recordings of the superb performances by many of EJM’s up and coming talents.
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Chinois Avancé - Talia C. Depuis plus d’une quinzaine d’années, l’EJM propose à ses élèves un enseignement du mandarin dès le CE2. C’est une expérience innovante qui permet aux élèves de développer leurs connaissances du mandarin dès leur plus jeune âge. À travers des chansons, des textes, des voyages ou encore des vidéos, tous apprennent à communiquer, à lire et à écrire. Ils progressent de façon significative chaque année et découvrent de nouveaux caractères inclus dans ces ressources. Des examens officiels tels que le YCT 3 en 5ème, le HSK 3 en 3ème et le HSK 4 en 1ère viennent valider les progrès effectués. C’est dans cet esprit que le groupe de “Chinois Avancé” a été instauré il y a deux ans.
L’amélioration du niveau est donc conséquente et permet d’atteindre celui du bac IB en fin de Terminale, au contenu “plus exigeant, stimulant et avancé.” selon M. Auquier. Madame Zhou relève que “dans toutes les classes, le travail est toujours axé sur les compétences linguistiques des élèves. Néanmoins, les élèves qui font partie des classes du chinois avancé sont exposés au langage authentique à l’écrit comme à l’oral, non pas didactisé. Par exemple, si un texte contient beaucoup de nouveaux mots, beaucoup de longues phrases, les professeurs ne vont pas le simplifier, mais vont le présenter tel qu’il est aux élèves” ce qui valorise donc l’authenticité des textes abordés lors de ces deux années.
Nous avons pu échanger avec Monsieur Auquier, directeur des classes de 1ère et de Terminale, ainsi qu’avec Mme Zhou & Mme Zhao, professeurs des classes de 1ère et Terminale des groupes de chinois avancé, qui nous présentent les bienfaits de ce cursus.
Par ailleurs, le programme de Chinois Avancé “propose d’appliquer le chinois comme une matière ayant plus d’importance, de valeur” et permet d’apporter “une meilleure compréhension de la langue, qui contribue à mieux la pratiquer. En suivant ce programme, les élèves qui appliquent ce qu’ils ont appris peuvent Ils sont tous les trois unanimes: c’est un programme travailler dans un domaine où l'échange est valorisant qui s’adresse aux élèves les plus “forts et motivés, ayant grâce à leurs connaissances de la culture par les textes été identifiés en 2nde et ayant assisté à une réunion authentiques, plus adaptés qu'ils ont étudiés pendant d’informations sur le IB course, langue B Standard ces deux années.” Level Certificate, et prêts à relever le défi.” Les capacités écrites et orales des élèves sont donc Monsieur Auquier souligne que “le groupe est plus considérablement améliorées comme nous le fait restreint que celui des classes de chinois “normal”, ce comprendre Mme Zhao: “Nous avons des exercices qui est un avantage” et permet une progression plus d'écriture et d'expression orale pour chaque sujet du rapide et conséquente, bien que les élèves “puissent programme. Par la pratique, nous développons ainsi parfois avoir le sentiment qu’ils n’avancent pas assez les compétences orales et écrites des étudiants. Voicar ils doivent faire face à des textes plus authentiques ci deux exemples d’exercices oraux réalisés par deux nécessitant une certaine maîtrise de la langue.” élèves de 1ère, suivant le programme.” Mesdames Zhou et Zhao insistent également sur l’authenticité des textes comme étant la “plus grande différence avec le chinois “standard”.” En effet, le chinois avancé “suit le programme du Chinese B Standard Level du bac international (IB): un programme qui propose des supports authentiques en lien avec les 5 thèmes principaux: Identities, Experiences, Human Ingenuity, Social organization, Sharing the planet”
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Pour ce devoir, il s’agissait de décrire une image extraite du manuel de Mandarin B en la reliant au thème correspondant, l’identité. Devoir 1: 这张照片似乎是在下午拍摄的，因为外面有很多 阳光。
人们在一个封闭的房间里，不是很大，有木地 板。有两扇门和两扇窗户，让我们看到外面的高 楼大厦。因此，这个房间肯定在中国城市的某个 地方。房间的一面墙壁上有镜子，所以它一定是 个舞蹈室。房间的主色调是木地板的棕色和墙壁 的白色，一扇门是红色的。 窗户也为房间带来了 很多光线。 我们可以看到房间里有八个人，包括七名妇女和 一名男子。
我认为，像这样的团体舞蹈活动是一件非常好的 事，因为它们可以使人们锻炼身体，同时促进与 其他人的交流。 在法国，这样的活动不是很多。即使有一些针对 中年人或退休人员的俱乐部，例如跳舞或瑜伽之 类的活动，它们仍然很少见，参与者人数也不 多。晚上在中国，老年人可以参加广场舞，而年 轻人可以唱卡拉OK。 在法国，人们通常更喜欢 去餐厅或和朋友一起去酒吧喝啤酒。总的来说， 不同的国家具有不同的文化身份。 Devoir 2: 在这张照片中，我们可以看到一群人，他们可 能正在上舞蹈课。他们都面向镜头的方向。他 们在一栋楼里的舞蹈室练习跳舞，房间里几乎 没有任何装饰，只有白墙和镜子。他们可能在 中国的一个大城市里。从窗户看去，天气十分 晴朗。
照片中有七个女人和一个男人在练习舞蹈动 作。前面的四个女人穿着五颜六色的衣服，后 l’image commentée dans le devoir 1 面的四个人则穿着深色的衣服。他们都在微笑， 所以他们可能很开心。她们的年龄差异很大。 这些人都穿着裤子，大多是运动裤；上身穿毛 例如，一个女人似乎至少有60岁，而另一个女人 衣，还有穿运动鞋。 其中一些人还穿着大衣，其 似乎有30岁左右。他们中的大多数人可能都有孩 中四名妇女戴着围巾。因为他们穿着厚衣服，所 子。她们似乎既不富裕也不贫穷，因为她们的衣 以我们可以假设现在是冬天。后面的四个人的衣 着很普通。 服颜色很深，大部分是黑色的，而前面的四个人 则穿着浅色和明亮的颜色：棕色，红色，白色， 我想他们是在训练广场舞。广场舞在中国非常流 黄色等。 行。 我们看到人们正在一起跳舞，有一样的动作。 图片中的每个人看起来都很高兴，所有人都在微 笑。 气氛似乎愉快而友善，每个人都喜欢跳舞。 我认为第一行中的每个人都可能在五十岁或以 上，第二行中的每个人都可能在四十岁或以上。 这八个人中有一部分可能是大妈们，因此已经退 休了。旁边的男人和女人可能是一家中国医院的 护士，而前面穿着红色和蓝色的女士可能是退休 工程师。 每个人都是已婚或离婚的情况，并且有一个或两 个孩子，甚至可能还有孙子。 此外，他们的健康状况非常好，因为他们每周至 少跳舞一次或两次，这可以使他们保持健康并避 免生病。 这张图片说明了一项活动，它是中国文化认同的 一部分。图片中的舞蹈室或广场舞等舞蹈活动是 中国特定文化的一部分。它们使中国人能够表达 自己的独特身份，并与其他国家有所不同。
这是由群众自发组织的一种活动，参与者多为中 老年人，形式多为集体舞，少则几人，多则上百 人。 中国人喜欢广场舞。中国有很多老年人，他们经 常感到孤独。他们一起跳广场舞可以帮助他们减 少孤独感和认识新朋友。广场舞在其他年龄层也 很受欢迎。然而，年轻人往往因为工作繁忙而没 有时间去做。但是，也有些人会抱怨，因为因为 音乐太吵，导致他们无法休息。 在法国，我们没有广场舞。法国人经常和陌生人 一起上街抗议，但他们不想和陌生人一起在街上 跳舞。对于中国人来说，法国人在一起抱怨却不 想在一起玩耍，可能会显得很奇怪。在法国，老 年人的活动不多。因此，他们经常遭受孤独。年 轻人有其他活动。他们经常做运动，结识朋友， 或者去餐馆和咖啡馆。在法国，下班后去喝一杯 是非常普遍的，已经成为文化的一部分。就我个 人而言，我不喜欢晚上我家附近有广场舞，因为 如果噪音太大，我就无法工作或睡觉。不过，我
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认为如果在白天进行，而且没有太大噪音，也是 一件好事，因为它可以使人们聚集在一起，使他 们快乐。
这次旅行让我学到了很多东西。人如果与自然共 处，就能找到宁静。有必要了解这些人的生活方 式，才能举一反三。经过这次旅行，我感觉到自 己与动物、自然和地球的距离更近了。我被这 Voici également deux devoirs en lien avec le thème 些人常年生活在这里的勇气所感动。早上5点钟 2, expériences: lifestyle. Il s’agissait ici de choisir une 醒来，看到山上的日出，我觉得很舒服。我明白 photo personnelle en lien avec son mode de vie, ainsi 了，我要努力改变一下自己的生活方式，更好地 que décrire et commenter cette photo 尊重自然和环境。这些人的生活方式让我知道， 我可以用一种更接近自然的方式生活。 Devoir 1: 大多数人都是在陆地上生活。但有些人决定在海 Les élèves de Terminale ayant suivi ce programme lors 上生活，要么几个星期，要么一辈子。在这张照 des deux dernières années nous témoignent de leur 片中，你可以看到我的母亲、姐姐和我在帆船 expérience: 上。我父亲从小就喜欢大海，所以节假日我们经 常去船上生活，那是一种完全不同的生活方式。 “J’ai beaucoup apprécié, non seulement parce que le 首先，船是倾斜的，因为我们有一个帆，你可以 programme est intéressant et permet d’avancer plus 在图片中看到，所以我们走动的时候必须小心， vite et d’avoir plus d’interactivité avec le professeur, 不要摔倒。另外你还要把你的东西收起来或者挂 mais aussi car les classes sont plus petites. Cela nous 起来，以免弄坏。图上是好天气。但情况并非总 permet d’être soudés.” 是如此。有时候，你必须呆在雨中开船。在侧面 可以看到晾晒的泳衣。船停下来的时候，不管什 “Ce programme permet de découvrir différents as么时候，都可以去游泳。在船上没有无限电，所 pects de la culture chinoise, que nous ne découvrons 以不能一直给手机充电，而且大海中间没有网 pas en chinois normal. Grâce à ces cours, je souhaite 络，所以不能和外面有任何联系。另外，我们不 continuer le chinois l’année prochaine.” 能一直购物，所以要计划吃两个星期的食物和用 品。晚上我们可以看外面的星星。生活在海上有 “Les quatre périodes par semaine nous permettent 很多优势，比如美丽的风景或者安静的环境。但 de bien développer nos connaissances et bien prépar缺点是经常会出现问题。这种生活方式不是每个 er les examens de HSK4 et du IB.” En contrepartie, il 人都能接受，但我非常喜欢。 faut être conscient du temps et des efforts que ce programme demande. Devoir 2: 这是我去吉布提旅行时拍的照片。我和父亲还 “Si on est bien concentré en cours et que l’on porte 有表弟表妹们一起旅行。这次旅行，我们决定 un véritable intérêt pour la langue chinoise, ce pro到沙漠去看看人们的生活方式。我们去了一个 gramme nous permet de réaliser des progrès concrets.” 叫 "DJALELLO "的营地。周围什么都没有，只 有自然、沙漠和岩石。人们住在小房子里。墙壁 “J’ai pu développer mes capacités de compréhension 是用石头做的，屋顶是用稻草做的。墙壁并没有 orale; j’ai aussi appris beaucoup de vocabulaire ce qui 完全封闭。这房子，叫TUKUL，是一种特殊的 m’a permis d’améliorer mes rédactions et ma com房子。我们早上很早就被朝阳叫醒，晚上很冷。 préhension écrite.” 里面只有地上的一张床垫和一个枕头。睡觉一定 要有蚊帐，不然晚上动物太多，蚊子太多。周围 “Je recommande très fortement ce programme à ceux 有许多不同的黄色和绿色，很美。想到人们一年 qui s’intéressent au chinois et veulent approfondir 四季都住在这里，真是不可思议。这与我们的生 la langue de manière plus poussée! Il permet aussi 活方式截然不同。没有wifi和网络连接。淋浴很 d’avoir un vrai “boost” pour l’oral” 冷，我们在星空下洗澡，因为卫生间没有屋顶。 我看到，人与自然的接触。 如果我们沉默下来， En somme, pour les élèves motivés qui souhaitent 就能听到动物的呼唤和风的呼吸。生火是为了在 continuer l’étude du mandarin pendant leurs études 夜晚温暖我们。通过这次旅行，我看到了人与自 supérieures avec l’essor de la Chine dans le monde, ce 然可以和谐相处。这是一次不可思议的经历，让 programme est pour vous ! 我看到了不同的生活方式。
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BD/Manga Contest - Anna H. To all of you who participated in the 11th annual Comics and Manga contest: well done! This year, 15 inspired artists from all grades at EJM participated in this contest. Their work is displayed at the CDI where the voting took place. The entries stayed anonymous until the award ceremony. This helped voters remain impartial in order to select the winner of this year’s edition. All of the contestants were extremely talented and this made it quite hard to choose only one participant. The “Woke Librarian” comic, whilst not in the contest, was much praised. Congratulations to the winners whose comics are displayed below! You can see all the submissions on display at the library or here, on the school website.
the award ceremony at the CDI
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Meet... Mr. Briggs (freepik.com)
Teacher
- Elizab
Teachers. We spend (what might seem li know nothing about them (past their g they’re just like us… This issue, we’re hi depart
What’s something you can’t live without?
My guitar – music feeds the soul! (Second Place goes to an early morning, hot mug of coffee.)
Guilty pleasure?
The salty crumbs and remains of broken Doritos at the bottom of the bag, always to be washed down with a can of cold Coca Cola.
What’s a book that changed your life?
The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan (nerd alert! There are actually fourteen books in this series, which I enthusiastically recommend.)
Home-cooked meal or take-out?
I’ll roll with a to-go meal, as needed, although I really enjoy cooking and baking. I make a pretty mean spaghetti with homemade meatballs, and my chocolate chip cookies are well-appreciated in goûter circles.
Childhood idol?
Spiderman and/or Wolverine. I spent an awful lot of time in front of the television. On any given day, I would have been hard-pressed to claim either comic book hero as my #1 idol. A hybrid version of these two characters would be awesome: a web-slinging hero with adamantium claws… this would make for some interesting mischief :-).
What’s one thing you’d say to your past-self?
Build more Legos. (Also, male pattern baldness runs in the family.)
Cat person or dog person?
Growing up, we had a dog (Shadow) and there were always a couple of cats in our home. These days, my family includes our two Siamese cats.
What role would you play in a movie?
I would be John McClane in the movie Die Hard, whose character was played by Bruce Willis.
What was your first concert?
Although I can’t recall the very first concert, one of my fondest memories was seeing the Black Crowes open for Robert Plant (Manic Nirvana Tour).
Favorite TV series?
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There are too many to choose from, however, Game of Thrones was very entertaining, and I think HBO did a great job of transmitting the details and ambiance from the novels into a visual format.
Profiles
beth K.
ike) hours on end in the same room, yet grading tendencies). But as it turns out, ighlighting the History and Geography tment.
Meet... Mr. Walker-Pear son
What’s a country that you’ve visited or would like to visit?
(freepik.com)
As a history teacher the top three on my list to visit certainly are: Israel, Egypt, and Greece.
What’s your go-to breakfast food in the morning?
I never eat breakfast; the better question might be when I last ate breakfast which has to be a few years ago at least.
What is your life motto?
Out of many, one that I can say is to "do what is right and speak the truth".
Pineapple on pizza, crime against humanity or perfect balance of flavors?
To each their own, but you will never see me with pineapple on pizza!
Favorite movie/TV series?
This might sound crazy but in the past year (probably longer) I have not watched any TV series nor movies. I will just watch random clips on YouTube.
Best Broadway play/musical?
Hamilton without a doubt. It is a crime against humanity to suggest any other musical is better!
Childhood idol?
Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson - I used to love the NBA growing up.
What was your first concert? Lil Wayne in Toronto
Night owl or early bird? Night owl for sure.
Cat person or dog person?
Dogs - I am allergic to cats.
BONUS:
Mr Walker-Pearson enjoys playing the Assassin Creed video games (something which his 6ème students will surely know to be true after they have seen countless educational tours of Athens and Egypt)! They are the only video games he buys and he believes them to be “magnificent”
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Harvard GlobalWE Essay Contest Every year, Harvard Global runs a Women’s Empowerment Essay contest, which was open to EJM students in 1ere. We bring you Sarina S.’s winning essay below. The essays written by Fleur S. and Emily B. recieved Honorable Mentions and can be read here and here on the Harvard GlobalWE website. Congratulations to all the participants and especially to the winners on their powerful essays on important topics!
Political Playgrounds by Sarina S. She stared at herself in the mirror, her hijab tightened leaving no strands of hair visible and her manteau, oversized and loose, covering her figure. Tears running down her flushed, makeup-less, cheeks as she trembles questioning: “Why?” She blamed herself for this tragedy and so did they. Her family accused her of stealing their honour, the khales (aunts) gossiped giving her dirty looks, the jury and her entire country turned their back on her. Instead of compassion, she received coldness. As for him, he roams freely, head held high like he has nothing to be ashamed of. Rape culture in Iran is extremely apparent in the lives of all women. Hyper-awareness, avoiding eye contact with unknown men, ensuring you’re never alone and gripping our hijabs tightly, are behaviours that we’ve learnt and adapted as Iranian women. These fears are not unique to this country, yet how the country handles them is. Rape culture isn’t only recognizable but institutionalized. Iran is an Islamic fundamentalist state, which judges each law and action upon religion. This drives the oppressive systems that harm women. Young girls, as soon as they hit puberty, are forced to wear the Islamic veil- Hijab. Any woman who fails to follow this law can serve up to 3 months in prison. A sacred practice, intended to be a choice, has been stripped of all its value and imposed, reducing women’s existence to a mere sexual temptation. One that should be hidden away and covered through clothing. By our law, marital rape is legal. According to the Quran and as declared by Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic revolution, “a woman must surrender to her husband for any pleasure”. The ingraining of this phrase in our legal system allows sexually repressed men to abuse their wives knowing they can never gain justice. Unless stated/allowed otherwise on their day of marriage, that woman cannot legally file for a divorce. Leaving her trapped with no escape. But what if she wasn’t a woman? What if she was a young girl, aged 13, who involuntarily got married and is facing this violence every day? Judicially, this isn’t a problem: she is at a legal age, obeying her husband's needs. This outrageous reality is the result of a government that uses religion as a form of mass manipulation. The purposeful mistranslation and misinterpretation of the Quran push forward their misogynistic and discriminatory agenda in gaining political ownership of women’s bodies, treating them as a political playground.
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The west is no better. The Islamophobia and demonization of Iran make it so that not only are we ambushed and sabotaged by our government but seen as a punchline by the West. They point the finger at the traumas faced by Iranian women and praise themselves for be-
ing more advanced, instead of lending a hand. Once again, considering Iranian women as political playgrounds. Systemic discriminations aside, Iran has an incredibly religious/traditional population, especially in rural areas. The existing taboo around sex denies women of education or help unless married. This traces to basing the honour of families on the purity and virginity of their daughter, these girls consequently get moulded to fit the disturbing image of what a respectable girl, and thus honourable family, should be. Leaving no surprise that these villages blame rape cases entirely on the women who stay ashamed, quiet and keep a low profile to survive. Fortunately, that is not the case everywhere. Iranian women are aware of their lack of power regarding the government but also their individual power. They break barriers and start conversations that terrify the regime, educating those around them. In modern, urban cities, the people — notably the younger generation — understand the overbearing problem surrounding rape culture and aren’t afraid to call it out. When the influential Persian musician Mohsen Namjoo faced rape allegations, Iranians believed and stood with the victims in unity. They gave these women courage to speak their truth regarding a powerful figure in this conservative country. They expressed their power and demanded justice for their sisters, resulting in an ongoing trial. Likewise, “The Girls of Enghelab Street” revolt and protest, courageously taking off their hijab and placing it on a stick all whilst standing in the exact location where the Iranian revolution took place. Together, despite the danger, women socially pressure the Iranian mindset to evolve through the tool and blessing of education. I firmly believe education is the first step to change and admire those who take advantage of it and raise awareness. Iranian women are powerful, and they know it, their bodies are not political playgrounds. Their bodies contain souls, filled with beauty, intelligence, sympathy, and strength. They are political activists, whose voices need to be heard.
“Education is the key to unlocking the world, a passport to freedom.”
– Oprah Winfrey
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Le Bilingue Art Competition We invited students to submit artworks on the theme of education, using this list of quotes as inspiration. We present here the two winning submissions by Carla S. and Nila L. Congratulations to them and to all the participants (you can view all the artworks here)!
- Carla S. 5e
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- Nila L. 6e
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Ekphrasis Depuis le début de l’année scolaire 2020-2021, et malgré les péripéties sanitaires que nous avons endurées, le cours de latin de Mme. Lavaud (regroupant à la fois les latinistes de Terminale et de Première) a toujours persisté dans sa volonté d’approfondissement de l'éducation antique de ses élèves. Pour clôturer cette année scolaire mouvementée, Mme. Lavaud a donc décidé de donner à ses élèves la tâche d’écrire un ekphrasis, un style de poème décrivant une œuvre d’art (réelle ou fictive) avec une précision appartenant à l'hypotypose, et cela en s’appuyant sur des œuvres tirées des collections du Musée du Louvre. L'ekphrasis est un art antique: déjà Homère en faisait usage dans l’Iliade, décrivant le bouclier du vaillant Achille, forgé de la main d’Héphaïstos. C’est donc à cet exercice auquel se sont prêtés les latinistes assidus de la classe de Mme. Lavaud, et ci-dessous le florilège de leurs œuvres, alliant humour, beauté et majesté.
Diane chasseresse
Source: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010278930
Couronn’ de lune, arc en argent, Sauvage louve dans le temps, Tunique courte dans le vent…
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Sa biche noble à ses côtés, Biche de cornes d’or dotée, Parmi les cieux semble flotter. Diane chasseresse, par sa franchise étonne Déesse si discrète et pourtant si puissante, A travers la chaleur, la tempête et l’automne, Chasse mais malgré tout sait se montrer clémente. Maîtresse incontestée des forces de la nature, Mais aussi protectrice des enfants, nouveaux nés, Elle occupe sans doute une place attitrée, Sa majesté brillant sans perles ni parures. - Anouk P.
Maréchal de Villiers Des cheveux aussi légers que la brume, Une collerette aussi délicate qu’une plume Mais un homme de stature Autant puissante que Mercure. Ton menton scindé en deux, Est aussi graisseux que gracieux. Ce clivage s’enracine Dans mon esprit comme le mythe de l’Androgyne. Mais que vois-je donc ? Trois sourcils ! Blasphème ! Non ! Une moustache qui brille ! Bien plus imposante que celle de Poséidon Douce et moelleuse, elle s’apparente au coton. - Mia C. & Madeleine B.
Source: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010236762
Le Jugement de Midas
Sur le mont Tinolus, deux musiciens s’affrontent. Le faune aux jambes de bouc, aux oreilles allongées, joue sa flûte de roseau. Un son étrange et gai en jaillit: la flûte de Pan captive.
Source: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl020214631
Le dieu du soleil, des arts, aux longs cheveux dorés se perdant dans sa toge rouge, manie sa lyre d’or. La douce harmonie enchante: les arbres s’immobilisent, l’air s’arrête, le vent cesse, les murmures se taisent. Tous les regards se tournent vers leur élu: Apollon, le dieu flamboyant. Seul le roi de Phrygie pointe le satyre du doigt. Voilà le jugement de Midas qui suscite le courroux d’Apollon: derrière la couronne du roi, surgissent des oreilles d’âne. - Emma L.
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Source: https://collections.louvre.fr/ark:/53355/cl010236897
Sestine : Alphée et Aréthuse
C’est une histoire malheureusement trop courante Et trop intemporelle puisqu’on reconnaît encore ce désir Criminel, qui débuta lorsque Aréthuse dans les eaux D’Alphée se baigna. Du prétexte qu’elle soit nue Se sert-il pour justifier qu’il La poursuive à travers les mers, jusqu’à l’île D’Ortygie. “Elle le cherchait”, dirait-il. Pourtant elle court Désespérément, elle maudit la venue D’Alphée. C’est alors qu’elle formule un désir, adressé aux dieux d’en haut. La suivante d'Artémis veut être changée en cours d’eau De source, transportée sur une île, Afin d’échapper au brutal désir De celui qui lui fait la cour. Artémis exauce son souhait, une nuée Soudain l’enveloppe, masquant son corps nu. Nous retrouvons la scène décrite par notre tableau: Le fleuve, sa main qui court Sur la hanche d’Aréthuse, les mille Flèches du carquois d’Artémis, qui l’arrache à son désir. Elle l’emporte à Ortygie, en concordance avec le désir D’Aréthuse. Pour protéger la chasteté de ce corps nu, Redoutant du fleuve tenace qu’il Ne revienne, Artémis la change en eau De source, une fontaine dont la source toujours court. De même court Daphné près des eaux Du Pénée face au désir D’Apollon soudainement advenu. - Mateo S.
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“In school one learns to ask stupid questions of life” - Marty Rubin
(typewriter graphic from freepik.com)
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School Clubs First Aid Club
- Tom D.
The First Aid Club was formed by Charlotte L.M. and Emilie B. with a goal to promote and share first aid reflexes through posters, videos, and other projects in the making. The team has grown since they started the club at the end of 2020 and now holds ten members who work together to actively make the whole school aware of how to stay safe ! We tackle every situation going from panic attacks to handling a phone call with the emergencies so that you can be informed of the right steps to take. We are always looking for new members and are certified HSD/CAS hours. Be sure to contact c.lemounier22@ejm.org or e.babu22@ejm.org any time if you have any questions concerning the club! Stay safe!
“Architecture”
Photography Club The Bilingue Team reached out to Anahita B. and Sophia K., 1°IB students and founders of the Photography Club which was opened early this school year. We asked them if they could introduce their club and tell us how it works. Here’s what they sent us: As part of a CAS project, I started a photography club in late November 2020. The goal of the club is to make students who are passionate about photography at EJM come together in a project in which they can express their creativity. I also wanted to create a place where students would be able to escape, in a way, from all that has been going on with Covid recently. The club works in the following way: we send a prompt once a week, usually on Tuesdays, and the participants have until the following Monday to send us a photo. This might be one they took during the said week, or that they found in their photo gallery. We then gather all the photos and post them on our Instagram account, @ejmphotographyclub, where we have over 200 followers.
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logo by Theophile M.
We asked the brand new First Aid Club for a short piece about what they do and why they created the club. Perhaps you’ve noticed some of their informational posters around school...
With the help of Mrs. Koncewicz, we have prepared a few events. First of all, on the week of the 15th March, we announced a prompt on Discrimination and Inequality on the occasion of the national Week against Racism and Anti-Semitism that the school was taking a part in. We are also currently working on publishing an online exhibition containing a large collection of the photos that have been sent to the club. Finally, we were thinking of using the K-Corridor as a place to exhibit photos. We would choose up to three photos per prompt and have it there on display for students to see. The club started off with about 20 people and now has more than 40 members, going from 4ème to Terminale. If you’re interested in joining, here is the link (https://forms.gle/Qqg7jN5D7FwhewJR9) and be sure to look out for future events!
“Window”
“Shadows”
“Architecture” “Water Reflections”
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Carmilla and the origin of lesbian vampirism - Melody Z. We all know Dracula. The OG vampire who lives isolated in a castle in Transylvania.What you might be surprised to know is that in 1872, 25 years before Dracula was published, Sheridan Le Fanu wrote Carmilla. Brief summary: Laura, a young woman living with her wealthy father in Styria, invites Carmilla, a mysterious girl with strange habits, to stay with her after a carriage accident that’s left Carmilla seemingly very weak. The two girls quickly strike up a strong friendship though Carmilla is very secretive about her past, her family and where she came from. Over time, Laura starts to experience strange dreams that take a toll on her health and Carmilla regularly displays spontaneous and passionate feelings of love towards Laura that somewhat intrigue her. Laura recounts her tale in letters to a certain Doctor Hesselius, another of Le Fanu’s characters. (free pdf online, free ebook online) Vampires are thought to stem from Strigoi in Romanian mythology though mythical blood drinking creatures weren’t a rare occurrence in any culture and most likely had their role in the development of the vampire legends. The Strigoi are undead spirits that feed on blood to gain vitality. They can also turn into an animal or become invisible and are said to sneak onto houses at night to drink the blood of young women. Another inspiration for Carmilla and the lesbian vampire trope in general is Elizabeth Bathory of Transylvania, a hungarian noblewoman of the late XVIth century who was accused of and sentenced for the murder and torture of numerous girls. Rumour has it that she drank and bathed in their blood to retain her beauty and youth. Over the years, Carmilla has been the subject of many retellings and adaptations, notably a Canadian YouTube web-series released in 2014 which is set in modern day Silas University, in Styria, where Laura is studying journalism when her roommate, Betty, goes missing and is promptly replaced by the mysterious Carmilla. It’s essentially the tale of how a lesbian vampire and her journalist roomante team up (read: fall in love) and save the world. The show is filmed in a vlog format with episodes ranging from 2 to 15 minutes over three seasons. (season 1 on YouTube) Carmilla, the web-series, is in my opinion a perfect example of street fantasy as, at Silas, the occult and normal worlds are essentially blended to create some form of magical chaos. A 200 year old student’s consciousness sucked into a computer? Let’s put him on a USB drive. The library’s alive? But I still need to borrow a book. And, much like in the original novel, sexuality isn’t made to be a big deal, we’ve got our resident lesbians, nobinary characters, and more! Carmilla is an often overlooked story—I wonder why—but it truly was, in many ways, ahead of its time and, even today, continues to inspire people to tell her scandalous story in a different way for younger generations to enjoy.
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Raya and the Last Dragons Review - Jade J. used to creating. In Raya, we can identify some traits of Mulan and Merida - two iconic Disney feminist figures preceding this daring princess. The Southeast Asian setting - the only Asian setting, in fact, apart from Mulan - is also an interesting choice, contributing to the cultural diversity of Disney protagonists.
Raya the warrior princess and Sisu the dragon Raya and the Last Dragon, the most recently released Walt Disney animated film, came out in March 2021, following Frozen II as the newest Disney hit. It was directed by Don Hall , featuring Star Wars star Kelly Marie Tran as the iconic character of Raya, and Chinese-American actress Awkwafina as Sisu the dragon. The plot takes place in ancient Southeast Asia in the fictional kingdom known as Kumandra, a land where dragons and humans once coexisted peacefully until the attack of the druun, a plague turning everything it touched into stone. The plague was stopped by the last standing dragon, Sisudatu, with her powerful gem. Since the plague, peoples of Kumandra have been divided into five enemy tribes fighting for possession of the dragon gem. Each tribe is named after a dragon feature - Tail, Talon, Spine, Fang and Heart.
The truly impactful aspect of this film is the touching theme of trust it depicts. The story begins with a betrayal: Namaari, princess of Fang, tricks Raya into showing her the dragon gem so that she could steal it from Heart. Since then, Raya has vowed to never trust anyone anymore. Sisu, on the other hand, disagrees. One of the key moments in the movie takes place when Raya tells Sisu that “The world has broken, so you can’t trust anyone’, while the dragon retorts that “maybe the world is broken because you don’t trust anyone”. Kumandra might be a fictional setting, but we can all hear the tragic truth in Sisu’s words reflected in our own world where numerous conflicts and discriminations persist due to a lack of trust. At the end of the movie, the druun is defeated thanks to a restoration of trust between the five tribes, when Raya and Namaari put their pasts behind them, combine their gem pieces and destroy the plague together. As Sisu puts it, trust ‘may seem impossible, but sometimes, you just have to take the first step’.
*Warning: Spoiler alert! * The story takes place five hundred years after the plague attack and is centered around Raya, the princess of Heart. One night, the tribes wrestle for control of the dragon gem, causing it to shatter into pieces which brings back the druun. To save her people, Raya seeks for Sisu, the final living dragon, and finds her six years later. Together, they embark on a journey across Kumandra in the attempt to gather all pieces of the dragon gem to defeat the druun.
In my view, this movie definitely makes up another one of Disney’s masterpieces. It is packed with a plotfull of thrilling adventure and intense action, enriched by comic figures, namely the hilarious character of Sisu. It also presents profound themes, especially the theme of trust but also the value of friendship, family Raya and the Last Dragon will undoubtedly be an- and faith. Despite its Disney label, I believe it is toother Disney classic. The iconic character of Princess tally accessible and enjoyable by audiences of all age Raya represents a unique type of princess - the ad- groups. venturous, sword-wielding warrior woman diverging from the classic type of female protagonists Disney is
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“Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today.”
background from freepix.com
– Malcolm X
Film recommendations - Nikolai T.
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oUR TEAM Alessia V. Georges T. Melody Z. Elizabeth K. Anna H. Gabriel G. Jade J. Talia C. William M. Tom D. Ines V. Rumi S. Ulysse R. Oscar M.
Co-editor in chief & layout Co-editor in chief Co-editor in chief Editor & reporter Editor & reporter Editor Reporter Reporter Reporter Reporter Editor Editor Social media & reporter Social media
A SPECIAL THANKS TO: Ms. Stathopulos
CONNECT WITH US! issuu.com/lebilingue bloglebilingue.wordpress.com @lebilingue studentjournalism@ejm.org
