Le Bilingue 2023 02 February

LE BILINGUE

Letter from the editors

Dearreaders,Cherslecteurs, Wehopethatschoolandthenewyeararetreatingyouwell.

Commevousl'avezpeut-êtrevuauxinformations,lesEtats-Unisontconnujusqu'àprésent39 fusilladesdemasseen2023,cequiestplusquen'importequelmoisdejanvierdanslesrecords américains.Celareprésenteenmoyenneplusd'unefusilladedemasseparjour.Laviolence arméeacausélamortde70personnesetenablessé176.Deplus,lesstatistiquesmontrentque cesactesdeviolenceterriblesetdévastateurssontdeplusenplusfréquentsauxEtats-Unis,car deplusenplusd'Américainsachètentdesarmesàfeu.

"Atimeofaculturalcelebration…andyetanothercommunityhasbeentornapartbysenseless gunviolence.Allofusinthisroomandinourcountryunderstandthisviolencemuststop," KamalaHarristellsacrowdafterthe22ndJanuaryshootingduringtheLunarNewYear celebrationinMontereyPark.However,thisisprovingtobedifficult,withAmerica'sdivided Congressprovingtobeasignificantobstacle.

Beaucoupdisentqu'ilestbientroptardpourquelesloisaméricainessurlesarmesàfeu changent,carplusde45%desménagesenpossèdentunearmeàfeu,etuneétuderécentea montréquepour100Américains,ilyavait120armesàfeu.Bienquecesstatistiquesmontrentà quelpointlesarmesàfeusontancréesdanslasociétéaméricaine,denombreuxpayscomme l'Australie,laNouvelle-ZélandeetlaGrande-Bretagneontréussiàintroduiredesloissurles armesàfeuetàréduireconsidérablementlesdécèsliésauxarmesàfeu.

ThestagnantandunchanginggunlawsintheUSwillcontinuetocausetragedyaftertragedy unlesssomethingisdone.Itisoftheutmostimportancethatactionistakenurgentlytoprevent theunnecessarydeathsofmoreinnocentciviliansintheUS.ManyAmericansarefightingfor thepassingofnewgunlawsastheybegintoquestionthesafetyandsecurityoftheircountry.

Encettepériodetroublée,nousreconnaissonsencoreplusl'importancederesterinformésetde vousimpliquerdansvotrecommunautépourceenquoivouscroyez.Nousespéronsqu'à traversLeBilingue,nouscontinueronsàvousapporterdesinformationsquicomptent.

Nousvoussouhaitonsunetrèsbonnelecture!

Sincerely,

TheeditorialteamofLeBilingue

The Story of Saint - Valentine -Eleni T

SaintValentine's,inthelastfewcenturies,has beenlargelyestablishedasadayofcelebration forromanticlove.AtthecoreofthiswellknowndayisSaintValentinehimself.

There are numerous myths about this seeminglymysteriousperson.Thefirstofthe manystoriesaboutthisfigureisofaChristian priestlivingintheRomanEmpire.Atthis time,thiswasapolytheisticEmpireandvery oftenprosecutedthosewhorefusedtoprayto thePagangods,astheybelievedthiswasthe causeoftheEmpire’smisfortunes.Refusingto praytothesegods,Valentinewasputunder housearrestbyAusterius,ajudge.Thetwo beganhavingconversationsaboutwhoGod wasandAusteriuschallengedValentinesaying that if God healed his blind daughter, he wouldbelieveinhim.Ultimately,thegirlwas healed and Austerius’ entire family was baptized.

Valentine'swouldalsomarryChristiancouples. ThiswasevidentlynotallowedintheRoman EmpireandValentinewassenttotheprefectof Rome, Claudius II. Once again the two conversedandValentinetriedtoconverthimto Christianity.Seeinghimasathreat,theprefect orderedhimtobekilled.Beforedyingonthe 14th of February, Valentine sent Austerius’ daughteranotesigned“YourValentine”.

Asecondstoryfollowsthepathofadifferent Valentine,theBishopofTerni.Althoughsaidto havebeenadifferentperson,scholarspointout thatthetwostoriesaresuspiciouslysimilar.Both Valentinesperformedsecretmarriages,healeda childwhiledetainedandbothwereexecutedon thesamedayofthesameyear.

Thereisnoclearstoryaboutwhothereal personbehindsuchapopulardaywas.One thingissure,the14thFebruaryisadayto cherishlovedones.Toreadmoreabouthow Valentine’sdaybecameoneofthemostrevenuebringingholidays,readthenextarticle.

viaWikiwand

How Valentine's Day Became Commercialised

Clementine S

In2022,consumerswereplanningtospend23.9billiondollarsonValentine’sday-that’sover$175 perperson!Mostofthismoneywasputtowardschocolatesandothersweets,flowers,greetingcards, jewelry,anddatenights.OverhalfoftheUSsaidthattheywouldcelebratetheholiday,and76%said that“theybelieveitisimportanttoshowlove”onthisday.Buthowdidadaycommemoratingasaint becomesuchacommercializedholiday?

NotmuchisknownaboutwhoSaintValentinewas-therearemultipleSaintValentineswhowere martyredfordifferentreasons,soit’sdebatedwhichonewe’reactuallycelebrating.Toreadmoreabout St.Valentine,checkoutthepreviousarticlebyElinaT!(Creepylittlefunfact:SaintValentineof Rome’sskull,adornedwithaflowercrown,isdisplayedintheBasilicaofSaintMaryinRome.)

DespitethefactthatSt.Valentinewasaddedtothecalendarofsaintsin496byPopeGelasiusI,theday didnotbecomeassociatedwithloveuntilmuchlater.Infact,itissaidthatthepopeinstalledthis holidaytoreplacetheRomanfestivalofLupercalia.Duringthisfestival,goatsanddogsweresacrificed andthenhadpiecesofskincutfromthem.Then,Luperci(specialpriestsforLupercalia)wouldrun aroundPalatinehill,strikingwomenwiththeseskins,supposedlygiftingthemwithfertility.Allthis beingsaid,manyscholarsclaimthatthereisnoevidencedemonstratingalinkbetweenthefestivitiesof LupercaliaandSt.Valentine’s.

Sowhendidthisdayfinallybecomeassociatedwithlove?In1382,GeoffreyChaucer’sParliamentof FowlswroteapoemhonoringRichardIIofEngland’sandAnneofBohemia’sengagement.Soonafter, inthe15thcentury,manypoemslinkingValentine'sdayandromanceemerged,suchasa1415poem writtenbyCharles,DukeofOrleansinwhichhereferstohiswifeas“matrèsdoulceValentinée.”

In1795,acollectionofromanticversesfortheholidaywaspublished,underthetitleTheYoungMan’s ValentineWriter.Writingthese“valentines”quicklybecamepopular,asin1835,60,000cardswere mailedintheU.K.400,000valentinescardsweresentfollowingadecreaseinpostageratesin1840, andtheysoonbecamemassproduced.ThisquicklyspreadtotheU.S.,withEstherHowland’smassmanufacturingofValentine’scardsadornedwithlacein1847.

Now,couplesaroundtheworldarereadytospendhundreds,eventhousands,ofdollars,forthissaintday-transformed-commercial-holiday.Despitethis,manyfindittobeingenuineandmaterialistic.

Atanyrate,itisstillfuntocelebrateyourlovedones,whetherthatbeonValentine’sdayornot.Make suretoletthemknowyoulovethem!

The Science Behind Love

- Isabella S

Love is an extremely diverse and broad umbrella term which encompasses affection thatonemayhavetowardsapartner(romantic love), family (familial love), pets, and even objects!Inthisarticlehowever,giventhetime ofyear,Iwillbereferringmainlytoromantic love.

Studiesonromancehaveexistedsincethe 1900swhenitwasbelievedthatinone’smind, desireandlovepulledagainsteachotherin oppositedirections,whichwasthepremiseof romance.

Therearebiologicalmechanismstodesire, love, and attachment. A significant psychological advance was made when the notionofattachmentstyleswasdiscoveredin the1980sbyMaryAinsworth.Shecreatedan experimentcalledtheStrangeSituationTask. Childrenwererepeatedlyabandonedandthen returnedtotheirparents,andtheirreactions madeupthedatathatwasbeingmeasured.

Thesemeasuredreactionsprovidedabasisfor thenotionofattachmentstylestobecreated: secure attachment (when the child engages withthescientistintheroomwhentheparent ispresentbutbecomesupsetwhentheirparent leaves, then shows visible joy when the caregiverreturns),anxious-avoidantattachment (wherethechildisinsecurelyattached-where thechildwouldtendtoignorethecaregiver andshowverylittleemotionwhentheparent leavesorreturns),anxious-ambivalent/resistantinsecureattachment(showdistresswhenthe guardian is still in the room and then is extremelydifficulttocalmdownwhenthe parentleaves.

Whenthecaregiverreturns,thechildshows resentmentorhelplessness),andisdisorganised ordisoriented(wherethechildtendstobetense andconstrainstheirbodilyfeaturesanddoesn’t knowhowtoreact.)

Whatisinterestingaboutthisstudyisthatasan adult,people’sattachmentstyledoesn’tseemto changefromthatofwhentheywereachild. Thisshowsthatfromanextremelyyoungage, we have neurons, nerve cells, and hormonal systems that are hardwired to react to abandonment and reunion, which are repurposedlaterinlife.Fromtheseearlystages ofourlives,ouremotionsandresponsesare tethered to the nervous systems of those surroundingus.Thisissupportedbymedical imagingandhormonelevelsinthebrain.These templates,however,canshiftovertime,asthey areplastic.Peoplewithsecureattachmentstyles tend to find and form more long-term relationshipsthanthoseinothercategories.

Oneareaofthebrainalonecannotcreatea feeling of love or attachment, as it is a simultaneouseffortfromtheentirebrain.The autonomicnervoussystemcontrolsbreathing, alertness, and many other subconscious functions,andgetstunedbyexperiences.The interactionsonemighthavecanalterthissystem. Theautonomicnervoussystemsofchildrentend tomimicthoseoftheadultssurroundingthem.

Empathyisthematchingofthealteringofthe autonomicnervoussystemsoftwopeople.A joint effort between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems creates bonding between people who experience attraction towards one another. The parasympathetic nervous system kicking in increasestheexchangeofpheromonesandpair bonding.Theneuralcircuitsofempathyand thesympatheticandparasympatheticnervous systemsarecoordinated:theprefrontalcortex, whichmakesdecisions,andtheinsula,which allowsustointeroceptandexterocept(notice what'shappeninginsideandaroundus),work togethertocreatefeelingsoflove.Theseparts of the brain are also closely linked, unsurprisingly,tothecentreforself-delusion, whichisnot,infact,asbadasitsoundsandis completelynatural.

TheworksofHelenFischerpointtothefact that romantic relationships can truly be dividedintothreeseparateareas:desire,love, andattachment.Positivedelusionisthebelief thatonlyonepersonoutofthenow8billion thatliveonthisearthcanmakeanotherperson feel“true”love.This,plainlyput,istheprocess that consists of gaslighting yourself into believing that only one person is special enoughtobeabletomakeyoufeellove,and then,somewherealongtheway,yourbrain tuningitselftomakethisdelusionintoreality. This,however,iscriticalforthelong-term stabilityofarelationship.

Brainscanshavealsoshownthatthesaying “opposites attract” is scientifically accurate: neuralactivitysuggeststhatpeopleseekout partnerswhoserestingbrainstatediffersfrom theirs. The biology that resides below our conscious awareness such as hormones and pheromonesshapesthewaythatwechoose, interpret,andactwithromanticpartners.No matterhowmuchwetrytorationalisethe conceptoflove,asubconsciousinexplicable layer that we as a society have named “chemistry”seemstobebehindinexplicable addedattraction.Thereis,however,abiology to“chemistry”whichboilsdown,simplyput, to a coordinated dance of testosterone and oestrogeninthetwopartnerswhichleadsto theelusiveconcept.

While the concept of true love may be complex and daunting, on average, we, as humans,finditatleastthreetimesinour lifetime,soaroseonValentine’sdaythisyear couldverywellleadyoutoit!

Movies To Watch On Valentine's Day

Luisa G

ThisyearValentine’sdayfallsonaTuesday,sowhatbetterwaytospendtheeveningafterschoolthan watchingcosymoviesonacouch.Whetherthatiswithapartner,afriend,familyorbyyourselfloveisagreat partoflifeandthat’swhyit’simportanttocelebrateit.MostpeoplethinkValentine’sdayisforthoseina coupleorapartner,butValentine’sdayisactuallyaboutcelebratingthebondwiththelovedonesinyourlife. Whetheraloneorwithcompany,treatyourselftothemagicinthesemovieswhileyouremembertoprioritise yourself-love.

Romance movies:

→ To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before (college suitable)

Thismovieisafunnyrom-com aboutagirlcalledLara-Jeanwho haswrittenletterstoalltheboysshe haslovedthroughoutherlifeand keptthemhiddeninabox.Oneday however,heryoungersistersends themouttoallthecorrespondents withoutLara-Jeanknowing.This leads to a complicated and unexpected romance which developsinahilariousway.This movie is perfect to watch alone, withfamily,withfriendsorwitha partneranditwillassuredlymake youlaughoutloud.

→ Moonlight (lycee suitable)

Thismovietellsthestoryofa young black man who is raised by a poor, addict mother in Miami. Chiron embarks on a journey to discover his identity and sexualityasagaymanwhen he develops feelings for his friend Kevin. Warning: this moviewillwreckyouandit’s verylikelythattearswillbe shed. It’s passionate and beautifulatthesametime,and ultimatelygut-wrenching.

→ The Notebook (college suitable)

Thismovieissetinthe1940sandis moreofasad-tragic-romancetype ofmovie.Sograbsometissuesif youwatchthisone.It’saboutamill worker called Noah who falls deeplyinlovewitharichgirlcalled Allie.However,hehastoleaveher in order to fight in the Second WorldWarandwhenhereturnshe discovers Allie is engaged to a differentman.Buttheirlovestory doesnotendthere…You’lljust havetowatchittofindout,Iguess. Thismovieistherealdefinitionof loveandsomanydescribeitasthe all-timebestromancemovie.

Firendship Movies

The other woman (college suitable)

Thismovieisperfectifyouwantto ditchromancethisValentine'sdayand insteadberemindedoftheimportance of friendship. It’s a hilarious movie about a woman named Carly who discovers her boyfriend Mark is married.CarlyandMark’swifethen discoverthatMarkischeatingonboth of them with yet another woman. Whenallthreewomenlearnabout eachothertheydecidetogangupto plot revenge on Mark and in the process they develop a strong friendship.Thismovieisareminder thatalthoughromancecanbethrilling, friendshipalwayscomesbeforeguys!

Stand by me (college suitable)

One of my all time favourite movieshasgottobeStandBy Me. This is such a genuinely heartwarming movie about the friendship between four friends whosetoutonajourneytofinda missing body. Something about this movie is so magical and specialandittrulycaptivatesthe realvalueoffriendshipinsimple gestures.It’ssetinthe1950’s,but the friendship message lives on fromthepasttothepresentand thefuture.

→ Bride Wars (college suitable)

Haveyoueverthoughtabout getting married at the same timeasyourbestfriend?Ifyou watch this movie you will discoverit’snotallrainbows anddaisiesasyouwouldthink. This movie is absolutely hilariousandfilledwithjokes andpranksthatwillmakeyou burstoutwithlaughter.Most ofall,thismoviewillremind you of the importance of lastingfriendship.

Absolute Best Self- Love Movie: I feel pretty (college suitable)

ItisgreattohaveadaytocelebrateloveandRomance,however theloveyouhaveforyourselfshouldbecelebratedeveryminuteof everyday.ThatiswhyIlovethismovie,becauseithighlightsthe importanceofself-loveandconfidence.Themovieisabouta womanwhostruggleswithinsecurities,howeveraftersufferinga headinjuryshesuddenlyseesherselfasthemostbeautifulwoman. Shedevelopsoutstandingconfidenceandbecomesmorefearless everydayandstartstoturnherlifearound.

My Sports Trainings

- Jacob G

EverySundayafternoonIamforcedto spend multiple hours completing assignmentsandstudyingforfuturetests,all because Saturday has turned into my training day. This is a great contrast betweenmyusualbusyandschool-filled schedule.Sometimesit’snecessarytotake part in various hobbies, in different environments, like I have done with ultimatefrisbeeandbaseball. Mydaybeginswithatwohourfrisbee practice from 11:30-1:30 at the Cité Université fields next to Stade Charlèty. Beforepractice,Imakesurethatmybagis packedwithcleatsforfrisbee,abaseball glove,twobottlesofwaterandapacked lunch.Sincetheweatherhasbeengetting colder over the past few weeks, it’s importantformetobringextraclothesasit is extremely uncomfortable to play disc whileonlywearingshorts.UnfortunatelyI onlyrealizedthisaftermakingthesame mistakeseveralweeksinarow.

EveryweekIseemtofollowthesame routine:Ileaveatthelastpossiblemoment andrushtogettopracticeintime,justfor ittostarttenminuteslate.Thisisusually becausepeopleneedtimetostretchand throw.Then,wegetintoseveralgroupsto practiceourforehandandbackhandthrows andourplacementonthefield.Inagame ofultimatefrisbeetherearefiveplayerson eachteam,withtwohandlersandthree playersinastack.Thejoboftheplayersin thestackistocutandmovearoundthe fieldsothatthehandlerscanmakeeasyand effectivepasses.Myroleontheteamhas beentheplayerwhocutsaroundthefield andattemptstofindopenspacestoadvance theteamupthefield.

Eventhoughthisisonlymyfirstyearbeing partofanultimatefrisbeeteam,Ihave alreadyseenimprovementinmanyareasof mygame,which areskillsthat Ienjoy utilizingduringtheSundaypick-upgames withmydad.Afterourdrills,wesplitoff intotwoteamstoscrimmage.Thesegames are fun and implement strategies and techniqueswehadbeenworkingonearlier.

After practice is over, I usually linger aroundforawhilebeforepackingupand headingtobaseballpractice.Practiceisheld atalocalgymnearParcdeBercy,whichis a 25 minute bike ride from Cité Universitaire. Since early November, practicehasbeenheldindoorsinorderto focusonconditioningandarefinementof ourbaseballskills.Thesewereimportantto re-visit before the season began. Even thoughthenumberofplayerswhoshowup constantlyfluctuates,westillconsistently haveenoughplayerstohavearealpractice. What’sinterestingtomeisthatevenafter feelingexhaustedduringfrisbeepractice,I am able to regain most of that energy during the baseball sessions. However I don’tthinkIwouldbeabletogothrougha thirdpracticeatfullcapacity,unlessitwas golf.

WhenIwasinNewYork,mysports schedule was more spread out than it currentlyis.Iwouldhavemysoccergame on Saturday and then my school team practiceeverydayduringtheweek(soccer duringthefall,basketballduringthewinter andbaseballduringthespring).Inreality,it doesn’tmatteraslongastheactivitiesyou are taking part in are enjoyable and fulfilling.

Video Game Editorial - Ev A

Welcomebacktovideogamesmonthly,yourfavoritesegmentof Le Bilingue whereIramble aboutvideogamesandwhyyoushould(maybe)buythem.Thismonth,thegameswillbe themedaroundeveryone’sfavoriteFebruaryholiday.Unfortunately,I’mnotveryfamiliar withgamesintheromancegenre,andmostaren’texactly…suitableforthisformat.Sowe’ll bedoublingthedate,andcelebratingPublicSleepingDayonFebruary28th!Thismonthis allaboutgamesthatyoucanplayinshortroundsbetweennaps,or,asistradition,aresoniche thatthey’llputhalfofyoutosleep.

Rounds

Genres: Indie, action, casual, multiplayer LearningDifficulty: Veryintuitive(2/10)

HardwareRequirements: Refrigerator (or equivalent) 0/10

GameplayDifficulty: The only challenge is your opponent(3/10)

Roundsisbynomeansaseriousgame.OriginallyreleasedbythelegendaryLandfallGames (proprietorsofotherwell-knownindietitlessuchasTotallyAccurateBattleSimulator,Stick Fight,andClustertruck)asanAprilFoolsjokein2021,ithasbeengivencontinualsupportby thedevelopmentteamsincethen.AswithmanyofLandfall’sjokes,thegame’sserversarestill upandrunning.Thereisasizableplayerbaseeventoday,withapeakofaround1000players daily.

Thegameisplayed-asthetitlesuggests-inrounds.Eachgameyouareplacedona2D battlefieldwithyouropponentinafighttothedeath.Bestofthreegameswinsaround,and bestoffiveroundswinsamatch.Thefun,ironically,isinlosing.Foreachroundyoulose, youareallowedtopickonepowerupcard.Thesecardscanbeanythingfrombiggerbullets todemonicpacts,andthereisnoshortageoffuninteractionsbetweenthem.Wanttohavea homingshotthatdrillsthroughwallsandhitslikeasmallisland?Homing,drillshot,andbig bulletwillsetyouupforaperfectgame.Learningthecardsisn’thardeither,astheyaregiven anintuitive(ornumericaldependingonyourpreferences)description.

Allinall,Roundsisgoodcasualfun,somethingLandfallseemstohavedowntoascience.If you’reboredandwantsomethingtoplaythat’squickandfun,giveRoundsaspin.

Genres: Flightsim,multiplayer

HardwareRequirements: VRHeadset,probablyadiscreteGPUtoo(7/10)

LearningDifficulty: Willtakeanafternoonortwo(6/10)

GameplayDifficulty: Awalkinthesea(5/10)

Thefirstruleofflightsimulatorsisthatyoudon’ttalkaboutflightsimsbecausenobodycares (see,thisiswherethesleepingbitcomesin).However,withmymild…*looksatprinted flightmanual*…lyseriousaddictiontothesegames,Ican’thelpmyself.Countyourselflucky thatI’mnotgoingonaboutDCS,thatonecouldbeawholearticleinandofitself.

VTOLVRistheglassofjuicethatyourparentsgaveyouinsteadofwinewhenyouwere little.Whileitdoesn’thavethedepthorcomplexityofagoodChardonnay,ittastesdarn good.It’sagatewaydrugtoflightsims,ifyouwill.Itsimmersionandsenseofscaleare unparalleled,evenamongotherVRtitles.Thisgamewillgetyouinvestedinflying:dropping laser-guidedbombsfromthirtythousandfeet,racingmerefeetoverthewaterwithantiradiationmissiles,lockedinadogfightwithasupermaneuverableopponent,orevenjust cruisingbetweenairports.Ithasasurprisingamountofdepthaswell,withsystemslikeradars, TGPs(targetingpods),RWRs(radarwarningreceivers),andmanydifferenttypesofweapons modeledtoareasonableaccuracy.Thegameevenhasfouraircraft(withtwomorein development)representingdifferentrolesthatyoumightfindinamodernairforce.

Perhapsmostimpressively,theentiregamewascodedbyasingledeveloper-thesameone whomadetheBDArmorymodforKerbalSpaceProgram.Anddespitethemassiveworkload ofmaintainingandimprovingthegame,theystillfindtimetointeractwiththecommunity betterthanmanytriple-Astudios.Ifyou’reatallinterestedinmilitaryaviation,Iabsolutely recommendgivingVTOLVRaweekend.

Brownie Recette

INGRÉDIENTS:

-200gdechocolatnoir

-200gdesucre

-200gdebeurre

-100gdefarine

-4oeufs

-130gdenoix

PRÉPARATION:

Préchauffervotrefourà180°C

Fairefondrelebeurreaveclechocolataumicro-ondepuismélanger

Dansunsaladier,fouetterlesoeufsaveclesucrejusqu’acequelemélangeblanchisseet soitmousseux

Ajouterensuitelafarineetmélanger

Incorporerlemélangechocolat/beurrefondusetbienmélanger

Concasserdesnoixetlesajouteràlapréparation

Répartirlapréparationsuruntapisdefouràrebordsetenfournerpour15minutesà 180°C

Unefoiscuit,sortirdufouretlelaissertotalementrefroidiravantdeledémouler

Àl’aided’unemportepièceenformedecoeur,découperlebrownie

Saupoudrerunpeudesucreglacéoumettredesdécorations

“Il n ’ y a qu ’ un bonheur dans la vie, c ’est la vie, c ’est d’aimer et d’être aimé.”

-George Sand

Hello !

school entrepreneurship club

Bag'Ette -

Aya.M

We are 2nde students at the Jeannine ManuelschoolandwearepartoftheLes Idéateursproject,whichaimstointroduce youngpeopletoentrepreneurship.

OurcompanyiscalledBag’etteandweare designing a reusable baguette bag made fromfabricthatweassembleourselvesto avoidpollutionandtransport.Ourbagaims topreserveandprotectthebaguettesothat itkeepsitsconsistencyandtasteforaslong aspossible.Ourprimarygoalistofight againstwaste,butalsotocreateabag,100% madeinFrance,whichwillallowyouto buyyourbreadinanecologicalway.

Veryrecently,thebaguettewaslistedon the UNESCO world heritage list, and promoting this artisanship and French cultureisextremelyimportanttous.

WewillstartsalesattheendofFebruary andthebeginningofMarch!We’llseeyou soon:)

Besuretofollowourinstagramaccountto seeourprogress:@bagettebag

Bonjour !

Noussommesdesélèvesde2ndeauseinde l’écoleJeannineManueletfaisonspartiedu projetlesIdéateursquiapourbutd’initier lesjeunesàl’entreprenariat.

Notreentreprises’appelleBag’etteetnous sommesentraindeconcevoirunsacpour baguettesréutilisablefaitàbasedetissuque nousassemblonsnousmêmeafind’éviterla pollutionetletransport.Notresacapour butdeconserveretdeprotégerlabaguette afinqu’ellegardesaconsistanceetsongoût lepluslongtempspossible.Notreobjectif estaussideluttercontrelegaspillage,etde créerunsac100%madeinFrance,quivous permettrad'achetervotrepaindemanière écologique.

Pourfinir,trèsrécemment,labaguetteaété inscriteaupatrimoinedel'UNESCO,et nous aimerions pouvoir promouvoir cet artisanatetcetteculturefrançaise.

Nouscommenceronslesventesfinfévrier débutmars!Veneznombreux:)

Allezsuivrenotrecompteinstagrampour voirnosprogrès:@bagettebag

USACO CompetitionMy Experience -

Chengyou J

USACOorUnitedStatesofAmericaComputing Olympiadisaprestigiouscodingcompetition. Everyyear,startinginDecembertoMarchofthe nextyear,competitorsparticipatein4roundsof contests each month. Divided into different groups depending on one’s current division, bronze,silver,gold,andplatinum,onlythetop fewpercentgettoadvancetothenextround,for example,fromsilvertogold,goldtoplatinum, andultimatelytothechampionship.Overdecades, USACO has seen its competitors increase in numberasmoreandmorelucrativeopportunities surfacedsurroundingsoftwaremaintenanceand creation.WhenIstartedpreparingforUSACO,it certainlyseemedthatthefirst3stagesweremere jokesforthosewhohavebackgroundknowledge ofcomputerscience.Butlastmonth,itprovedme wrong.

Priortothecompetition,mypreparationsweren't light.WhenIbootedupthecompetitionand passedthefirststagewithaperfectscoremaking meeligibleimmediatelyforthenextround,I wasn’tsurprised.However,thenextday,whenI returnedtoit,Iquicklyfinishedmycodeand uploadeditforgrading.However,Iwasmetwith arowofredmarksindicatingthatmycode doesn’tworkinmultipletestcases.Fortherestof thehours,Idevotedmyselftooptimizingthecode untiltheclockranout.Outoftheavailable1000 points,Igotjustover200points.

Whatisinterestingishow,aspreparation,I testedmyselfusingpastcompetitionsinwhich Iwon’talwaysdoperfectlybutdowellenough formetopass.IknewalltheinformationI neededforthecompetitionexceptIrealized howitisnotalwaysthelackofknowledgethat hindersmefromreachingtopscores.AsIlook backatmyhundredsoflinesofcode,Irealized thatImissedonesinglelinewithoutwhicha variableinmycodewon’trefresh,mostlikely causingtheerroneousoutcomes.Therewas another code wherein the output, I inadvertentlyaddedanextraspace.Itfeltlike successhadslippedthroughmyfingers.Butby makingtheseerrors,Inowknowwhereto look and find mistakes even in the most unsuspectingplaces.Thenextcompetitionwill besetonJanuary28andI’mlookingforward tomakingmycomeback.

Ofcourse,USACOisn’tforeveryone.Ifone dislikesthemeticulousprocessonemusttake tobeconfidentincoding.Personally,Iuse C++inthecompetitionandIhaveimproved quitealotsinceIstartedlastyear.While USACOisaprestigiouscompetition,itisn’t onlythecertificatethatisimportanttome.Itis alsotofurthermylogicalskill,andmypatience whenitcomestoachievingagoal.

The Dangers of ChatGPT on Education

- Trystan J

AIhaslongbeensomethingthatthescientificandtechnologicalcommunitieshavepondered over.However,now,companiesallovertheworldarecreatingnewAIs.Whilethey’renot exactlyfully“intelligent”,theyarestillimpressive.SomeoftheseAI.s,however,werequickly startingtobeusedbystudentsbecauseoftheirincrediblecapabilities.One,inparticular,has takentheworldbystorm:ChatGPT.

ChatGPTwascreatedbyOpenAI,whichhasalsocreatedotherAIssuchasInstructGPT, DALL-E2,andPlaygoundAPI,allofwhichareprogrammedtowriteyouanythingbased onyourrequest.ChatGPTdoesroughlythesamethingasalltheirotherAIs:onceyouaskit aquestion,itwillansweritusingdatafromanyandallsourcesofliteratureandmedia availableontheinternettoformulatearesponsestrikinglysimilartothatofarealperson Somestudentsdecidedtouseittotheiradvantage.

ChatGPThasrecentlybeenusedbystudentstofinishessays,answercomplexmath problems,writelinesofcode,andevenwritenewspaperarticles.Butperhapsthemost importantaspectofthesedangersistheuseofChatGPTmayalsoleadtoalackof imaginationandoriginalityinstudents'work.TheAIcanproducewell-writtenandaccurate responses,butitlackstheabilitytothinkoutsidetheboxandcomeupwithuniqueideas. Thisisbecauseitcanonlywritebasedonexistingsources(despitebeing“intelligent”).Itis constrainedtohowitwasprogrammed,andcan’tdoany“thinking”beyondthat.Becauseof this, students'potentialtothinkcreativelyandindependentlymaybelimited,whichis crucialfortheirpersonalandprofessionaldevelopment.Manyuniversitiesareconcerned abouttheuseofthistooltothepointthattheyhavestartedtocallittheendofstudent essays.

Inshort,ChatGPTisessentiallystoppingstudentsfromusingtheircreativity,stoppingthem fromthinking,orusingtheirbrainsingeneral.Meaningthatintheworstcasescenario, ChatGPTcouldbethedownfallof“normal”education

However,ChatGPTdoeswritelovelystories.

Onceuponatime,therewasayoungwomannamedSarah.Shewas akindandcaringperson,buthadalwaysstruggledtofindlove.One day,whileworkingatthelocalbookstore,shemetamannamed Jack.Hewassmart,funny,andcharming,andSarahcouldn'thelp butfeeldrawntohim.

Theybegandatingandsoonfelldeeplyinlove.Theyspenttheirdays exploring the city, trying new restaurants, and having long conversationsabouttheirhopesanddreams.Theywereeachother's bestfriendandconfidant.

Astheirrelationshipgrewstronger,Jackknewthathewantedto spendtherestofhislifewithSarah.Heproposedtoheronabeautiful beachatsunset,andshesaidyes.

Theyweremarriedinasmallceremonysurroundedbytheirclosest familyandfriends.TheyhoneymoonedinEuropeandtraveledto severalromanticdestinations.Theyreturnedhomeandbuiltalife together,filledwithlove,laughter,andadventure.

Yearspassedandtheyfacedmanychallenges,buttheirlovenever wavered.Theysupportedeachotherthroughgoodtimesandbad, andtheirloveonlygrewstrongerwitheachpassingday.

Intheend,SarahandJackknewthattheyweretrulyblessedtohave foundeachother,andtheylivedhappilyeverafter.

writtenby:ChatGTP

One Year Anniversary - Ilya

Anoriginalworkofstudentfiction

R

Wewereallalone,justusandabunchofdeadpeople.Thecoldsnippedatmelikeacat constantlyscratchingatmyface.Myeyesfeltfaintlydampfromthebreezehittingme, makingmyhairbouncealittlemorethanIwouldhaveliked.Thetipsofmyearsfeltasif theywerethecoldestpointsonEarth,brightredfromthebloodrushingtokeepthemwarm MynosesniffledasIbreathedin,inhalingthescentofleaves,dew,anddeadrottingbodies justbelowus.Thecrunchofsnowbeneathmylargebootswasthesolesoundfillingtheair, alongwiththeoccasionalbirdcallmakingsurethatwewereawareofthenaturethat surroundedus.

Ishiveredasweslowlywalkedupthehillpastallthegraves,myhandshaking,almostunable toholdhers.Thesilentcemetery,filledwithnamesanddatescoveredbysnow,wasalmostas beautifulasshewas.Herbrownhaircurleddowntohershoulderslikeaslowmoving waterfall,turningthiswayandthatinacombinationthatonlynaturecouldreplicate.The flakesofsnowinherhairsparkledasifminiaturestarshadcomefromtheskyandhadchosen hertofallonto.Herthinscarfwhichwasprobablybarelykeepingherwarmwasastormof colors,greenandbluemixedtogethertocreateapersonalitythatnormalclothingwouldn’t have.Shehadalwaysbeengoodatthat,standingoutandfindingtheperfectthingstoadorn herselfwith.Herlargedarkbluecoatwaszippeduptoherchin,hidingherneckandmaking herlooksmallerthanshereallywas.Usuallyshe’dforgethercoatandshe’dusemine,but todaywasanexception.Hergreeneyeswerelikepressedcircularemeraldswithtwoseparate burningflameswithineachoneIfyoulookedhardandlongenoughintothem,youwould findtheanswertoeveryquestionyouhaveeverhad,andwilleverhave.Hereyeswere excitingtolookinto,butkindtoo.SomethingaboutthemmademefeellikeIwouldalways beok.Eventhoughthesunwascoveredbythethickgrayclouds,sheglowedwithacertain warmlight.AllofthesethoughtsIwantedhertoknow,butkepthiddenforsomestupid reasoninthebackofmymindthatIcouldneverquiteexplain.

HerhandinminefeltlikeasmalldelicatebirdthatIhadtoprotectfromallthecoldinthe world.Iclencheditstrongly,yetcautiouslyasifthehanditselfwasaliveandIhadtobe carefulnottocrushit.Together,ourhandsfeltwarmandinseparable,foreverintertwinedin aknotthatcouldbeatanythingtryingtocutthroughit.

Wefinallygottothetopofthehill,ourbreathingslowingdowninoddintervals.Ilooked aroundusattheastonishingview,thecityspreadoutbelowuscoveredinafog,makingit impossibletodecipherbuildingsfromeachother,butitwasclearthatsomethinggrandand beautifulwasinfrontofus,somethingbiggerthanwecouldeverbe.Andyetwecouldn’t seeitatall.Ifounditamazing.

Westoodnexttoafamilygrave,abeautifulblackmarbletombwiththenamesofthe familymembersinscribedontothesides.Onenamecaughtmyeye.Itwasthenameofan ordinaryboy,nothingparticularlyspecial.Whatstruckmewasthesoleyearthattheboy hadlived,dyingatexactlyoneyearold.Thesnowstartedtofallinheavieramounts, coloringherhairevenwhiter.Shetookadeeploudbreath,andwobblyexhaledthrough hernose,thebreathcomingoutandfloatingawayintotheair.Herfingersmovedinmy hand,andslowlyspreadmyhandsothathersfelltoherside.Ilookedovertowardsher.She continuedtostarestraightahead,thesnowflakesonhereyelashesmakingitseemlikeher eyeswerelettingoutbrightbeamsoflight.Iclearedmydrythroat.“Thisisperfect,isn’tit?” AfterashortpauseIadded,“It’sbeenanamazingyearwithyou.”

“Wehavetostopthis.”

Myheartstoppedforpreciselyonesecond.Myrighthandjumpedtomyleftwristtofidget withmywatch.Mynosesniffledassnowfellontoit.Iswallowed.

“Whatdoyoumean?”Iasked.Thewordsspilledoutofmymouthanddribbleddown, acrossthewavesofwind.Itfeltasthoughsomeonehadjusttakenaknifeandbeganto carveoutmychestslowly.Mybreathingbecamemorerapidassheanswered.

“Ithinkthingshavechangedbetweenmeandyou,andIthinkitwouldbeunfairtoyouifI didn’ttellyouthetruth?”Sheturnedtolookatme,butnotintomyeyes.Hervoicewas soft,andyetherwordscontainedthevenomyouwouldfindwithinasnake’sfangs, penetratingmyskin,eachphraseshepronouncedcreatinganadditionalpunctureasIbled. Shecontinuedhertorture.

“Ifweweretocontinuethis,IwouldjustbehurtingyoumorethanifIdidthisassoonas possible.I’msorry.”

IstoppedlisteningtoherItfeltasthoughmyheartwasbeingpulleddownbyaforcemuch strongerthangravity.Ithitthegroundandleftalargegapingholeatthecenterofmysoul. Iclenchedmyteethhard,andbitdownonthetipofmytongue.Ifelttearsforminginmy eyesasIkeptswallowingemptinessinmymouthforthesolepurposeofpreventingmyself fromlettingoutascream.Thedarkgraycloudsdecidedtounleashaheavierdownpourof snow,thetinyparticlesbecominglargerinsize,hittingmyface.Theblindingwhite coveredmyeyes,enlargingthedistancebetweenus.Mynoseinhaledsharplyandexhaled quickerasmyheadstartedtohurt.

“Whatdoyoumeanyou’resorry?You’retheonewho’schoosingtodothis.You’re choosingtohurtme.”Sheflinchedatmywords.“You’vedecidedthatforsomereason,I needtobepunishedforwhateverI’vedone.AndwhathaveIdone?Youhavenobasisfor thepainthatyou’recausingme.”Ipausedasmychestheavedtryingtointakeenough oxygentocontinuemysentence.

Shefinallylookedmedirectlyintheeyes.Whateverglowthatwaspreviouslythere,whatever answersIhadonceseenhadcompletelydied,andIcouldseethecorpseofherbeautylyingfar withintheblackholethatwashereye.

“Thisishardformetodo,youknow?”Sheraisedhervoiceslightly.Icouldhearsomethinginthe backofherthroatalmostthreateningme.

“Hardforyou?Whatdoyouknowaboutthingsbeinghard!?”Ifeltmyvoiceassertitselfinits volume.Thesnowaroundusquicklyturnedtohail,hittingthetopofmyheadharder,probably messingupwhateveroklookmyhairhadpreviouslyhad.

“Iamtheonewhohastoputupwithyouandyourfakelove.Don’tyourealizehowhardthisisfor me?Youwereeverythingforme!Isawgoodinyou,Isawwhyyouwerespecial,Ihavetreated youwiththeutmostkindnessandcareforthepastyearandyouruineditallwithinoneminute. Andyousayit’shardforyou?”Myheadflaredwithpain,mymouthrantosputterwordsthrough mylips.Ifeltoutraged,myfistswereclenchedwithmynailsdiggingintothepalmsofmyhand causingthemtocryoutinanguish.Icouldonlyimaginehowmyinsaneeyeslookedtoher,andI wasgladthinkingofthefearIwascausingtogrowinsideofher.Ihadonemorequestiononthe tipsofmylips.

“Didyoueverevenloveme?”

Throughthepoundinghailsoundinglikegunfire,Icouldbarelyseeherface.Herbrownhair lookedraggedanddark,losinganysenseoffluidity.IfIcaredenough,Iwouldlookharderpastthe meteorsoficefallingaroundandbetweenusandrealizethatshewascrying.Butinstead,Iturned awayandleftherwiththedeadpeople,asdeadasanyfeelingsIhadhadforher.

Echoes of love

Anoriginalworkofstudentfiction

- Sinchana R

Yourchocolatebrowneyesthathadmeltedintotherightshadeofcinnamon pixiedust.Yourhairthatshinedastheraysofsunlighthitit.Yoursmileasitlitup theroomandmyheart.Thecoolbreezeasyouchasedmedownthestreets, runningpastbustlingcrowdsandtrafficfilledroadseachstridethelongerthanthe last.Yourlaughasyoufinallycaughtupwithme,asIteasedyouforhowlongit tookyou,whilstcatchingthebreathyouhadlongtakenfromme.Yourarms aroundmeasIstaredatthehauntingghostsofmypast,eachmemory’sstab nothingbutadullthrobwhenyousattherebymyside.WhenwouldIforget? WhenwouldIstopwalkingthroughthealleysthatwehadclaimedourownand findanewpathtofollow?Never.Itwouldn’tandcouldn’thappen.Iknewit becauseinordertostoplovingsomeoneyouhadtowanttoandIneverwould, for,you,youwereeverythingpeoplewishedforandmore,andyouhadgivenme atasteofwhatitwaslikeforthattobemine.Ibrushedmyfingersacrossthe pagesofouralbumsandscrapbooks,thecountlessbooksthatfilledmyshelves, each one with your name inside. Each and every memory was a painful gravestoneofthelovewehadhadtoburybutIshouldhaveknownitwas coming,fornothingthatbeautiful,nothingthatperfect,couldhavelasted.

A little pause?

- Daniel L