École Jeannine Manuel’s Student Newspaper
Autumn 2014
1
In this issue of Le Bilingue…
From EABJM, to EJM New year, new name
Pages 3-4
A time for change Feminism
Page 5-6
A fresh bite of Apple Apple’s innovation… or lack of it?
Page 7-8
Saint-Laurent Film Review Better than the last Saint-Laurent film?
Page 9-10
To join Le Bilingue or if you have any questions, contact us at studentjournalism@ejm.org
2
FROM EABJM TO EJM: New year, new name
U
nless you’ve been living under a rock for the last month or so, or you still haven’t checked your emails or the school home web page, you will not have bypassed the school’s name change. We have dropped “Active Bilingue” part, making the new name Ecole Jeannine Manuel. Be careful never to refer to the school as “EJM”.
to confuse people you meet, just say you go to École Jeannine Manuel. Of course we’ve asked ourselves, why the name change? This year our school is celebrating its 60th anniversary and to pay homage to the founder of our school and to celebrate such a memorable and important event, the school’s name was changed. This has involved a change of the school logo, school emails addresses, website URLs and several logins and passwords.
teaching that came around the 1950s and involved more interactive types of lessons that greatly differed from the more monotonous and squared classes that were common before and during the fifties.
“Every school now can call itself Active Bilingue.”
Illustration: Camille Hamant
This is strictly discouraged as it is the acronym for many other organisations. It’s the name of a modern Jewish school, the name of a business school and quite unsurprisingly, also the name of a rapper. So unless you want
At a meeting we attended at the beginning of this school year, we were given a presentation of for the school’s new name. The head of our school, Mrs Zeboulon has said that the words “Active Bilingue” have “lost the meaning that they used to have back when the school was founded” adding that “every school now can call itself Active Bilingue”. After a bit of research, we discovered that “Active” stands for a method of
3
Illustration: Camille Hamant
Of course nowadays almost every school is “active” and it does not hold the innovative and forward thinking connotation it used to have when the school was founded. “Bilingue” is pretty obvious, in our case a teaching system that involves learning in an international environment with students studying subjects in two languages. Nowadays in
Paris we find almost thirty schools that are recognized as bilingual. So being bilingual isn’t what makes our school unique and special either. The origins of our school and what it stands for are what truly define and separate us from all other bilingual schools in Paris. We all know about the inspiring story of our school’s founder, Jeannine Manuel, and the challenges she endured during World War II. Out of this struggle and suffering a beautiful dream and project were created. One that involved future generations and made sure that they had the ability to understand the world that surrounds them, an international world, to ensure that the war that had been fuelled by unawareness of the world that surrounded its perpetrators, would never repeat itself. How is the school reacting to this surprising news? Over the last week we’ve interviewed a sample group of pupils between the ages of 10 and 16 and asked for their opinions on the name change. Out of the 20 students that we interviewed, we found that 70% did not like that the school had changed its name, 10% liked the idea of the name change and a surprising 20% did not care. We must say
that most of the people that “did not care” were mostly new students. An unexpected 90% of the students were aware of the precise reasons behind the name change. When we asked a follow up question of whether or not they thought the school name change was necessary, 90% of them said it wasn’t! When we asked for reasons behind their dislike, we got an adorable answer from a ten year old “ it’s not a very pretty name, is it?”. A more constructive answer from a 14 year old was, “everything has to change, emails, logins, it’s a waste of time”. The name change has sparked the creation of a Facebook page devoted to criticizing the new name and glorifying the old one. “Everything has to change, emails, logins, it’s a waste of time”. Now the reasons behind this apparent dislike for the school name are obvious. We don’t need a deep analysis of our students to understand that the main reason we don’t appreciate the name is because we’re afraid of change and we are lazy. We’re scared of the school that we’re finally starting to understand and settle into, is changing, and we’re going to 4
have to change ourselves as well. After all, we out of all people shouldn’t be afraid of change and what is different
Image: Alice Bello
and new! The less complicated reason being that we don’t want to have to memorize a new email, get used to a new link to Viescolaire and we definitely don’t want to get used to saying “EJM”, oh sorry, Ecole Jeannine Manuel. However these are superficial and meaningless reasons. Just because the school name has changed it doesn’t mean the school and what it stands for changes. We as students and we as a school represent it, not its name. We and the history of the school are what the school is. Not its name. But the big question still remains, will they have to paint over the “A” and the “B” letters outside of the Emile Zola entrance?
BY BIANCA GALIMBERTI (2ndeIB)
A TIME FOR CHANGE -------------------------------
Karl Lagerfeld sent his models down on the Chanel runway during Paris Fashion Week a little while ago. The logo for the campaign “He For She” was written on a sign, as well ask “Ladies first”, “We Can Match the Machos”, “Boys Should Get Pregnant Too” and more. One model carried a clutch with the slogan, “Féministe mais féminin”.
“Are you a feminist?” This has been a question that many people have recently reconsidered, especially after the impassioned and quite frankly, brilliant speech Emma Watson made at the UN headquarters in New York. I would say that vast majority of people who do not label themselves feminists do not understand its definition. Emma clarified that “Feminism, by definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunity.” Emma promoted the campaign He For She which supports the political and economical equality between men and women throughout the world.
Illustration: Camille Hamant
These can all be interpreted in many ways. The show received thousands of mixed reviews – some saying that Lagerfeld is a “genius” (said Joyann King from Harper’s Bazaar) and others saying that it seemed “cynical, moneygrabbing” (Julianne Escobedo Shepherd from Jezebel). Many say that the runway show seemed to reduce feminism to a trend rather than an essential movement. However, Lagerfeld did promote a campaign that supports gender equality. Whether he used it all as a joke for professional gain or not, his show grasped the attention of influential celebrities, news reporters, teenagers, parents and was broadcasted all over the world.
“Feminism, by definition, is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunity.” - Emma Watson In her daring speech Watson urged not just the advocation of feminism, but the fight that comes with it . Of course it is great that many around the world are supportive of the feminist movement, but saying so does not really change the struggles that women are facing all around the world every single day. But we can make a real difference. By simply having a discussion in debate club or with friends you are helping people to better understand feminism and in turn to combat the injustice that is sexism and discrimination against women. In simpler terms, what Watson is saying is that we need to put our money where our mouth is.
This hopefully made a positive impact and spread knowledge of feminism. He not
5
only tried to bridge the gap between fashion and feminism but also made the powerful statement that arguably the most well recognized brand in the world, Chanel, is supportive of He For She.
(…) “advancing the rights of women and children advances humanity” (UNICEF)
Sexism, as well as racism, are outrageous and should never be tolerated. No matter what skin color you have or what gender you are, social, political and economic rights should be equal for each sex. The importance of gender equality becomes increasingly crucial for future generations, “advancing the rights of women and children advances humanity” (UNICEF).
Watson was reminding us of our duty to promote gender equality and to empower women. Over the last 15 years, there has been a shift in gender equality. The percentage of the pay gap in between genders has decreased, as has the amount of uneducated girls in the world. However, we obviously still have a lot of work to do. By ensuring that all children get an education, we are securing them a more stable and fruitful future. You can encourage people to support this. The first step we can take is taking a stand for feminists. We can help fulfill millions of women’s dreams with just a few simple steps. Only 2 countries out of 130 have achieved gender equality at all levels of education. There is no denying that It’s time for change.
A recent study from Save the Children shows that 70% of the world’s poorest people are females. Children born to educated mothers are far more likely to live a healthier life, and having an education empowers women to make healthier life choices and leads to greater economic opportunities.. According to the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, women in Mali with a secondary level education or higher have an average of 3 children, whereas women with no education have an average of 7. Tragically, two-thirds of the world’s 799 million illiterate adults ages 15 and over are women.
BY CLAUDIA SINCLAIR (2ndeIB)
© He For She Facebook
6
A fresh bite of Apple Apple’s release of new iPhones ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s 2014. Nowadays having a mobile phone is vital. Communication is an evergrowing business sector that has changed drastically over the past fifteen years, ever since the unveiling of the first smartphone. Over the years, companies have risen to power, and fallen. New trends have been set, and demand is growing rapidly. But there is one company that has always been considered superior by consumers: Apple Inc. Ever since 2007, when the iPhone was first released, it has been the phone-to-have. Always leading in the market and consumer rates, Apple has kept its number one spot in phone innovation for its simplicity and productivity. Its fantastic customer service and elegant and abundant Apple Stores are only a plus. One man even claimed that his iPhone distorted and caught on fire in his pocket, burning his leg. Recently, as many of you know, the iPhone 6 and its bigger brother, the 6 plus, have been released. Following the
unveiling, people have been complaining about lack of improvement, lack of innovation, and hardware problems, like the bendable iPhone Six Plus which acquired its own hash tag on social media: #bendgate. One man even claimed that his iPhone distorted and caught on fire in his pocket, burning his leg. This has changed some people’s opinions on Apple’s innovative mission and have now looked to lean towards Apple’s rival, Android Phones. There are several companies producing several different types of Androids so Apple has to work hard in order to keep up with extensive research and technological advances made by several other multi-billion dollar companies such as Samsung, HTC, Motorola, and LG. Most of the IPhone 6's features have remained unchanged from its predecessor the 5s, which has sparked some commotion from the general public, who were expecting something completely new. The 7
screen is bigger ( IPhone 5s: 4 inch IPhone 6: 4.7 inch display and IPhone 6+: 5.5 inch) yet, sorry for the Apple-crazed photographers, the new IPhone’s camera remains unchanged (8-Megapixel sensor); quite a few people were disappointed with this,
Image: Pedro Damasceno
especially because of the fact that some other companies are investing in much better camera sensor lenses etc. The software being run is iOS8, Apple’s new update. The 6 is ‘optimized’ for this new system, but its processor and battery are similar to that of the 5s, so performance-wise, both devices are quite potent, yet similar. Adding to this list of downsides is the IPhone 6’s
Image: Pedro Damascenoe -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
price tag. It costs around 850900 euros off-contract for the 64 are around the same price; with a few exceptions. New indie companies (such as Cyanogenmod) have been releasing much cheaper, yet potent phones to the public for a much cheaper price (ex: Cyanogenmod’s Oneplus One: released to public at 300 Euros, for specs almost equal to that of the 6 plus’). Is the new Apple phone really worth it? Android fanatics have recently been taunting the new device by saying "Apple users, if you have any problems with
gigabyte version. Most other flagship phones in the market your phone, ask us, we've had these features since 2012". Android users are somewhat happy at the release of this new phone as they believe that more consumers will leave Apple and start to look at Android devices. Some are saying Apple doesn’t even have anymore originality! In a survey conducted, we found out that 100% of mobile device owners who preferred iPhone over Android have never owned an Android device before, and 95% of those who have owned both devices previously sided with Android
8
over their IPhone. This comes to say that once you get Android you’ll most likely prefer it due to the phones’ “remarkable customizability and functionality”. So… Are you interested? Do you believe Apple needs to re-think their innovative values? Are the IPhone 6 and 6+ really a bang for the buck? BY PEDRO DAMASCENO (3ème) AND SAMUEL PANAGROSSO (3ème)
Saint Laurent, film review oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Nine months after the release of “Yves Saint Laurent” which was directed by Jalil Lespert, a second biopic depicting the life of the famous French fashion designer was released in theaters entitled “Saint Laurent”. Although both movies treat the same subject, they have very contrasting approaches and the second one has a singular particularity: Gaspard Ulliel, who plays the lead role, studied at our school! He graduated years ago from l’Ecole Jeannine Manuel in the ES filière. This film, directed by Bertrand Bonello, first competed for the Palme d'Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. It has also been selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 87th Academy Awards. It was released in cinemas on the 24 of September 2014 although it was originally scheduled to be released on the 14 of May 2014. Another difference between the two films is that Pierre Bergé (Yves’ business partner and lover) did not provide his blessing or grant access to the Yves Saint Laurent archives for Bonellos’ film. This is hardly a problem as we remain amazed by Anais Romand’s wardrobe. Bonello’s version focuses more on a specific period of the creators’ life (from 1965 to 1976), completely skipping Saint Laurent’s youth. For example, we do not witness his early training with Christian Dior or the establishment of his relationship with Bergé (Jérémy Renier) did in Lespert’s interpretation. Instead, we bounce directly to the peak of Saint Laurent career, which coincides with the appearance of his inner demons. The movie begins in 1974: Yves Saint Laurent rests in a hotel room in Paris, incognito, as he calls a publication to agree to an interview. We then jolt
back to 1967 where his company is buzzing with activity and Yves sketches non-stop, listening to music. The scene shifts to a nightclub where Saint Laurent sees a blonde dancer, Betty (Aymeline Valdae) in which he identifies, going so far as to ask her to work for him. We race through the 1968-1971 collections as Yves receives affectionate letters from Andy Warhol and we witness yet another club scene where he makes the acquaintance of Loulou (Lea Seydoux) who also joins his entourage. The rest of the movie is a collection of altering passages between the club scenes and his work (he has to create 4 collections each year). He meets Jacques de Bascher (Louis Garrel) who will become his lover. Then begins the spiral of his consumption of cigarettes, love, and pills. We flash-forward to an old Yves (Helmut Berger) as the movie rounds up to an end. Yves Saint Laurent died in 2008. Overall, this movie is original and interesting but a bit too long (it goes over 2 hours and a half). Keep in mind that biopics are difficult to handle because too much information could bore the viewer, but Bonello fashioned a more abstract film than Lesperts’ to show us Yves internal demons and the influences in his life. I regret not seeing Saint Laurent’s youth but the producer admitted to cutting down some scenes after having witnessed the other account for he wanted “to directly leap in the heart of the matter”. So, who do you think best embodies the designer, Pierre Niney or Gaspard Ulliel? Rating: 2.5/3
BY JADE BIENSEANT DE ROOSE (2ndeS) 9
© Saint Laurent Allociné
10
Editors-in-chief
Louis Dunbar-Johnson (2ndeIB) and Alice Bello (2ndeS) Contributors
Bianca Galimberti (2ndeIB) Claudia Sinclair (2ndeIB) Camille Hamant (2ndeIB) Pedro Damasceno (3ème) Samuel Panagrosso (3ème) Jade Bienseant de Roose (2ndeS) Cover by
Pedro Damasceno (3ème)
11