Le Bilingue 2021 04 April by Student Journalism at Ecole Jeannine Manuel

LE BILINGUE Ecole Jeannine Manuel Paris’ student newspaper newspaper

April 2021

Letter from the editors Dear readers, As France enters yet another lockdown, this one slightly over a year after the words “confinement”, “distance learning” and “Zoom” first entered our vocabulary, it is tempting to let our minds wander back to that time last year. However, although it has not always been easy, we as students have grown, learnt and adapted to this new system, helped by a school whose tireless work has allowed everything to run smoothly in an ever-changing situation. Through all the darkness, we can’t help but feel that the world is slowly but surely emerging from this year of strangeness, and, if we all keep adhering to the rules—this despite our desire for freedom—we will hopefully put all this behind us sooner rather than later. But enough about Covid-19. It is all we’ve heard about over the past year, so, as a change, we bring you (mostly) non-pandemic news in this brand-new edition of Le Bilingue. You will read about school news, including the activities of various clubs here at EJM, from the tournaments of the ever-popular debate club to the heartwarming actions of Pour nos Aînés. We also bring you political opinions, science articles and reviews which we hope will provide you with educational distraction. Our pool of writers also grew this edition as we were happy to receive and publish fascinating articles from students in 5eme and 4eme. As EJM’s student newspaper, we always welcome submissions of any type and from any students, which you can send to studentjournalism@ejm.net along with any feedback, suggestions or questions you might have. Conversations around the themes of diversity, discrimination and celebrating differences have always been important and relevant, especially in an international community such as ours, but recent events have given these issues even more prominence. Now more than ever are these conversations important. Now more than ever, as Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer whose kneeling on George Floyd’s neck sparked global outrage last year, is on trial, and as hate crimes against Asians are on the rise, do we need to address these deep-rooted issues in our societies. February is Black History Month in the US, and here in France, the week of March 21st is “La semaine contre le racisme et l’antisémitisme”. This week was widened into an entire month here at EJM, and student initiatives related to these themes appeared throughout the entire month of March. We’ve therefore included a special section at the end of this issue as well as the winning submissions from our writing competition. March is also Women’s History Month in many countries, including the US, and March 8th is International Women’s Day. As such, all this issue’s quotes are from powerful women of our past and present who fought--or are still fighting--for change, each in their own way; we hope that these quotes provide both inspiration and food for thought as you come across them in the pages of this issue. On that note, we wish you a safe and restful spring break and hope that you enjoy this edition of Le Bilingue! Sincerely, The editorial team of Le Bilingue

Lettre des Editeurs Chers lecteurs, Alors que la France entre à nouveau dans un nouveau type de confinement, déjà un an depuis que nous avons été obligés à apprendre un vocabulaire tout nouveau pour nous adapter à ce monde dans lequel nous vivons: confinement, distanciel, Zoom, sont maintenant des mots du quotidien. Même si cela n’a pas toujours été simple, nous avons pu, en tant qu’élèves, grandir et nous adapter aux exigences du moment, grâce aux efforts continus et incessants de l’école. Alors que nous entrons dans une nouvelle période d’apprentissage en ligne, nous pouvons enfin (et pour la première fois) apercevoir une lumière au fond de ce tunnel qu’est le Covid. Assez parlé de la Covid: ça fait un an qu’on ne parle que de cela. Nous avons par conséquent pris la décision de ne vous apporter que quelques articles sur l’actualité sanitaire dans ce numéro, en nous concentrant principalement sur les différents évènements de notre vie scolaire, des tournois de notre club de débat au bénévolat de l’association Pour Nos Aînés. Nous vous apportons comme toujours des articles d’opinion politique, de science et de critique artistique, venant de notre équipe toujours aussi dédiée au Bilingue, incluant de nouveaux membres de Quatrième et de Cinquième! En tant que journal de l’EJM, nous sommes comme toujours ouverts à vos publications, suggestions et questions: ontactez-nous à studentjournalism@ejm.net. Avec les événements récents dans le monde, la parole autour des thèmes de la diversité, de la discrimination et de l’acceptation des différences s’est libérée. Ceci est particulièrement important dans une communauté aussi internationale que la nôtre. Avec le procès de Derek Chauvin, le policier ayant fait usage d’une force brutale dans l’arrestation de George Floyd ainsi que la montée des discriminations envers les asiatiques, ces problèmes viscéraux de nos sociétés sont de plus en plus mis à la lumière et discutés. Février est aux Etats-Unis le mois du “Black History”, et en France, la semaine du 21 mars est la semaine contre le racisme et l’antisémitisme. A l’EJM, cela a été étendu sur un mois, afin de faire valoir toutes les initiatives de la communauté, dans le cadre de la lutte contre les discriminations. Nous y avons donc dédié une section à la fin de cette édition, qui contient entre autres les textes qui ont remporté notre concours d’écriture. Mars, c’est aussi le mois de l’histoire des femmes dans de nombreux pays, et le 8 mars, la Journée Internationale de la Femme. Par conséquent, ce numéro contient quelques citations de femmes du présent et du passé s’étant battues pour l’égalité. Nous espérons que cela vous donnera de l’inspiration lors de votre lecture de cette édition du Bilingue. Au nom de toute l’équipe du Bilingue, nous vous souhaitons que ces vacances anticipées soient aussi paisibles que possible, et que ce numéro du Bilingue vous plaise! L’équipe éditoriale du Bilingue

Table of contents Les Bouteilles en Plastique........................................ 4-5 News from the Debate Club..........................................6 Le Nouvel An Chinois a L’Ecole.....................................7 EPA: Walkin’ Clean..................................................8-9 Accélération digitale: on “like”?..............................10-11 Teacher Profile: Mr. McDermott..................................12 What is Pour Nos Aînés? ........................................14-15 Le Cauchemar Devient Realité.....................................16 Will History repeat itself in 2024?................................17 CRISPR: Could it Change Evolution?......................18-20 Enola Holmes: An Amateur’s Review............................21 Inclusivity at EJM club................................................23 Submissions from our writing competition...............24-26 Recommendations.................................................27-30

(graphics from freepix.com)

“You must never be fearful of what you are doing if it is right.” - Rosa Parks

Les Bouteilles En Plastique au Cœur des Débats dans Notre Collège Article conçu collectivement par la classe de 5e3 pour le concours Jeunes reporters de l’environnement et adapté par Louison S. et Prune R. Depuis la rentrée de la Toussaint, nous déjeunons dans des salles de classes pour répondre aux nouvelles recommandations sanitaires, et les carafes ont été remplacées par des bouteilles d’eau en plastique. Face à ce retour des déchets plastiques, l’Éco Committee a décidé de réagir. En ce 5 novembre 2020, nous nous retrouvons dans le couloir K pour accéder aux salles de déjeuner qui sont désormais attribuées à chaque classe. Nous sommes très surpris lorsque nous voyons arriver à notre porte des chariots chargés de nombreux packs de bouteilles en plastique. «Nous distribuons 300 bouteilles en plastique chaque jour », nous dit un responsable. En effet, pour le déjeuner, une bouteille est proposée à chaque élève. Vingt minutes plus tard, la poubelle de la salle est remplie de bouteilles à moitié bues et nous assistons, une fois sortis, à une bataille d’eau minérale entre deux

élèves de 5e ! Mrs Elliot nous explique : «Malheureusement, nous n’avons pas de point d’eau près des salles et cela serait techniquement compliqué d’en installer. » Elle ajoute que les carafes d’eau ne peuvent plus être utilisées : «(…) le personnel doit remplir de grands sacs et transporter la nourriture depuis la cantine en chariot vers les salles de classe. Ce serait encore plus compliqué de transporter également des pichets d’eau et des verres qu’il faudrait ensuite laver.»

Une réponse aux nouvelles restrictions sanitaires En effet, fin octobre 2020, la direction a dû trouver en urgence une solution pour respecter les consignes gouvernementales. Il fallait désormais limiter le nombre d’élèves, ne pas brasser les classes et nettoyer les tables après chaque passage. Ces conditions d’hygiène ne pouvant être respectées sans modifier la configuration de la cantine, il a fallu s’adapter en transformant des salles de cours en salles à manger. Nous sommes alors dispersés dans des “bulles” de quatre à cinq personnes appartenant à la même classe. Les points d’eau étant éloignés des salles, la direction s’est vue obligée de distribuer des petites bouteilles d’eau à chaque demi-pensionnaire.

Conséquence : des centaines de bouteilles à moitié remplies sont jetées chaque jour, provoquant un gâchis d’eau et de plastique que des élèves déplorent: «Chaque élève devrait apporter sa propre gourde. Imaginez si chaque école de France utilisait des bouteilles jetables, cela ferait 12 millions de bouteilles par jour ou 2,1 milliards de bouteilles par année scolaire ! », calcule un élève. Il continue : «Je pense que ce n’est pas la meilleure solution, mais on ne peut pas nous laisser mourir de soif ! »

Face à ce gaspillage, l’équipe des surveillants a réagi en récupérant l’eau des bouteilles pour les plantations de l’établissement. Cependant, Mrs Elliott relativise et suggère une solution : «L’école et la cantine proposent des bouteilles d’eau individuelles mais cela ne veut pas dire que les élèves sont obligés d’en prendre…»

d’autant plus son label d’Éco-école obtenu en juin 2020.

L’avenir du projet entre les mains des élèves Cette opération rencontrera sans doute des obstacles à ses débuts. Nous pourrions oublier d’apporter leur gourde, de la remplir ou celle-ci pourrait se renverser dans notre sac, ce que souligne Mrs Elliot : « Je pense que le plus difficile est de changer les habitudes des élèves.» S., en classe de 5e3, rejoint cet avis : «Bien sûr que j’aimerais être plus écologique et apporter une gourde, mais j’ai peur de l’oublier ou de manquer de temps pour la remplir.» L’idée d’ajouter un poids supplémentaire aux sacs déjà très lourds inquiète certains élèves qui craignent aussi de perdre leur gourde. Heureusement, l’Eco Committee a anticipé : les gourdes, nominatives et accrochées à l’extérieur du sac, pourraient être apportées vides à l’école et remplies une fois sur place. Le “projet gourdes” de l’EJM se dessine peu à peu. Les élèves, mais également les enseignants, ont déjà manifesté leur enthousiasme même si nous sommes tous conscients qu’il faudra du temps pour changer les habitudes. Si nous parvenons à relever le défi du passage à la gourde, nous serons conscients du pouvoir de nos actions sur la transition écologique de l’établissement.Ce succès pourrait bien nous donner des ailes pour entamer d’autres combats en faveur de l’environnement !

Une alternative aux bouteilles : les gourdes ! Les membres de l’Eco Committee ont imaginé différentes solutions avec la direction de l’EJM : «L’idée serait d’encourager les élèves à venir avec leur propre gourde et que l’école en achète pour les demi-pensionnaires. Cela permettrait de les réutiliser et d’éviter qu’il y ait une bouteille par personne jetée chaque jour.» explique Mrs Elliot. Les gourdes seront légères, pratiques et durables. Elles seront également équipées d’un mousqueton, qui permettra aux élèves d’accrocher leur gourde à l’extérieur de leur sac, évitant les dommages dus à d’éventuelles fuites. Sur chaque gourde, seront inscrits le nom de l’élève ainsi que le logo de l’école. Si le projet est réellement mis en œuvre par tous les membres de l’établissement, l’EJM aura un fonctionnement encore plus écologique et méritera

News from the Debate Club - Anna H.

(photo by Anna H.)

Since the beginning of the year, the EJM debate club has tried to maintain a semblance of normalcy given the current situation. It has continued to organize in-house tournaments and model UNs. This continuity has been extremely important to all its members as it is an opportunity to keep up skills and morale, as well as debate topics of interest. Below is the latest news from the debate club.

HMCE: This year, the EJM debate club has once again performed extremely well at HMCE (Harvard Model Congress Europe)! Although the online conditions were far from perfect, the event was a great success. Many had doubts about how it would work online, but it ended up going very smoothly. This event was much awaited as it had been canceled last year due to Covid, and is likely to be the

only international conference the school will be attending this year. The American ones - such as HMUN - are in a different time zone, making attendance much more difficult. The delegates adapted extremely well and brought EJM a great number of awards. The school won 3 “best delegate” awards thanks to Tamara B., Jade J. and Nicholas W. as well as 15 Honorable mentions. A huge congratulations to all the delegates who attended the conference from the entire community!

In house tournaments: The month of March is a month to celebrate diversity. The debate club therefore chose to include relevant and interesting topics relating to diversity in the debate tournament that took place between March 15th and March 22nd. These topics included the highly controversial issue of Affirmative Action, as the issue of

reparations for slavery, as well as the difference between Anti-Zionism and Anti-Semitism. The School’s model UN (JMUN) was supposed to happen before the break but it seems as though that will not be happening, it may be delayed but it is not looking like it will happen soon if it does. This event is always a great opportunity to practice debate skills in a conference setting but with less pressure than in larger conferences, and is much appreciated by members of the debate club. Overall, the debate club is holding up very well to Covid and although the situation is far from ideal, life goes on with the dedication and courage of the entire school community. However as all school clubs it does seem unlikely that it can continue during the distance learning period

Le Nouvel An Chinois À L’École - Jade J. 14 février 2021 - date la plus importante de l’année pour tous les chinois du monde entier. C’est à partir de ce jour qu’a débuté le Nouvel An Chinois. Cette année, nous accueillons l’année du bœuf - symbole de la bravoure et de la diligence. En guise de célébration, nos élèves ont effectué diverses activités culturelles, remplissant l’école d’une ambiance festive. (photos by Jade J.)

en collaboration,” a commenté une des participantes. Un grand merci au Club Chinois ainsi qu’à tous les participants: Lilou T., Lilas F.-C., Achilles B., et Gabriel T. pour leur engagement et leur enthousiasme, et pour l'œuvre magnifique qu’ils ont fait naître!

chez le département des primaires, où, malheureusement, la fête annuelle du Nouvel An que les élèves de primaire ont coutume de tenir n’a pas eu lieu cette année dû à la pandémie. Cependant, les parents, les professeurs et les élèves ont fait de

En second lieu, afin de mieux partager la culture chinoise, le Club Chinois a également partagé avec tous une liste de chansons et de musiques chinoises, traditionnelles ou contemporaines, en relation avec le Nouvel An, qu’il recommande à tous, et dont voici le lien. Des telles activités culturelles ont également été animées par les professeurs de Chinois en cours. De nombreuses classes ont eu l’occasion de pratiquer la calligraphie chinoise ou des découpages aux papiers rouges, de chanter des chansons, et d’effectuer toutes sortes de projets intéressants en lien avec la culture chinoise. Ces activités ont été globalement très appréciées par l’ensemble des élèves. “J’ai trouvé l’atelier de calligraphie de Mme Rousseau très amusant,” a dit une de ses élèves, “c’est une occasion d’être créatif, de fêter et d’apprendre les choses en même temps. Par exemple, je n’avais aucune idée qu’on pouvait écrire un même caractère des polices tout à fait différentes, et apprendre toutes ces polices a été très instructif ”. Comme vous avez pu le constater, les travaux effectués par chaque classe ont rempli les murs du couloir K.

Une grande partie des activités ont été animées par le Club Chinois de l’école, mené par Jade J., Zhihan W., Sara Q. et Lucie A.. Sur une période de deux séances, le club a mis en place un atelier pour fabriquer, à l’aide des autres participants, un énorme dragon dont les écailles sont constituées de caractères chinois. Les élèves écrivaient les caractères à l’aide d’un pinceau et d’encre chinoise, leur permettant de vivre une expérience de la calligraphie chinoise, un élément culturel central. Ces caractères ont ensuite été collés en serpentine afin de former un dragon chinois, accroché au couloir K. “C’était simplement une expérience géniale. La partie calligraphie a été très amusante à faire, et c’était d’autant plus agréable vu qu’il s’agissait d’une œuvre d’art créée La célébration s’étend également

leur mieux pour établir une ambiance de fête. De nombreux parents se sont portés volontaires pour décorer l’établissement avec des lanternes ou des 福 sur du papier rouge. Le Club Chinois a également créé une vidéo aux primaires leur expliquant l’origine et les traditions du Nouvel An. (Si vous voulez la consulter, voici le lien. Il vous apprendra de nombreux éléments concernant le Nouvel An et la culture chinoise!) Ainsi, le Nouvel An Chinois a été accueilli et fêté avec enthousiasme. Les diverses activités, toutes particulièrement intéressantes dans lesquelles les élèves ont pu s’immerger dans la culture chinoise, ont été animées en guise de célébration. Nous remercions vivement tous les organisateurs , tous les professeurs et tous les participants pour leur contribution à cette belle période de célébration!

EPA: Walkin’ Clean - Emmanouil L. et Raphaëlle D. Vos chaussures sont-elles toujours tachées, abîmées, sales ? Vous ne savez pas comment y remédier ? Et en plus vous souhaitez protéger l’environnement ? Alors Clean’in, le kit de nettoyage éco-responsable, est LE produit qu’il vous faut! Cela fait déjà 7 mois que notre équipe de 25 élèves travaille avec acharnement pour vous offrir le meilleur produit possible. Aujourd’hui, nous sommes fiers de pouvoir enfin vous dévoiler le résultat de tous nos efforts. Avec l’accompagnement de EPA-Île-deFrance et l’aide de Mme M’Fuka, nous avons réussi à construire une mini-entreprise florissante. Au fil des nombreuses séances que nous avons consacrées au développement de notre produit, nos idées ont commencé à se concrétiser. On a tout d’abord observé une mode assez récente autour des chaussures qui nous a poussé à nous intéresser à leur entretien. Après avoir réalisé une étude de marché, on s’est rendu compte que peu de personnes possédaient le nécessaire pour bien nettoyer leurs chaussures. Nous avons donc pensé qu’un kit de nettoyage de chaussures à la fois pratique, économique et éco-responsable était le produit qu’il nous fallait. On espère ainsi être utiles à toutes les personnes qui souhaitent entretenir leurs chaussures mais qui n’en avaient jamais eu l’opportunité auparavant.

produit qui ne respecte pas l’environnement et notre planète. C’est pourquoi nous nous sommes engagés à ce que notre produit soit entièrement éco-responsable. Le carton pour les boîtes est recyclable et provient de carton recyclé lui-même. De même pour la brosse, le chiffon et la fiole métallique présents dans la boîte. Le produit nettoyant a également été conçu par notre incroyable équipe Technique & Production afin qu’il ne soit composé, lui aussi, que de matériaux éco-responsables.

“Il nous serait impensable de fabriquer un produit qui ne respecte pas l’environnement et notre planète”

Cependant, à notre époque, il nous Puisqu’il s’agit seulement d’un serait impensable de fabriquer un module éducatif, nous devons

également choisir une association vers laquelle iront tous nos bénéfices. Nos actions et engagements ne seraient pas complets sans en choisir une qui prône les mêmes valeurs que nous. L’intégralité de nos bénéfices sera donc reversé à l’association Pur Projet, une

ONG française qui vise un meilleur développement durable et une meilleure préservation des écosystèmes à travers le monde. En achetant notre produit, vous plantez deux arbres dans une des régions du monde qui en a le plus besoin, dans le cas présent le Brésil. Toutefois, rien ne vous empêche de choisir vous-même à quel projet vous souhaitez contribuer. Pour

cela, il vous suffit de répondre à un questionnaire de satisfaction élaboré avec soin par notre équipe Commercial & Relation Client et auquel vous pourrez accéder grâce à un QR code présent dans la boîte.

Cela fait maintenant deux semaines que toutes nos équipes se sont mobilisées pour produire assez de kits dans le peu de temps dont nous disposons. Désormais, et ce depuis le mardi 16 Mars, les ventes de notre produit sont lancées ! Vous L’écologie est un enjeu clé pour no- pouvez d’ores et déjà commander tre groupe et nous tenons à faire votre propre kit Clean’In ! Pour tout notre possible pour promou- ce faire, plusieurs options s’offrent voir cette cause. à vous : commander directement sur notre s ite internet, sur notre compte Instagram ou bien en envoyant un mail à l’adresse officielle de Clean’In’: cleanin.official@gmail.com. Avant de commander, il est tout à fait possible d’obtenir plus d’informations concernant le produit sur notre site ou sur Instagram. Par ailleurs, nous allons organiser plusieurs stands dans l’enceinte de l’école dans les semaines qui viennent ; gardez donc un œil sur vos mails pour

ne pas rater l’opportunité d’acheter un kit en personne ou simplement d’échanger avec notre équipe !

Avant l’utilisation du produit Clean’in:

Après l’utilisation du produit Clean’in:

Nous espérons que vous serez pleinement satisfaits par le produit et nous attendons vos retours avec impatience !

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart” - Helen Keller

Accélération digitale: on ‘like’ ? - Jeanne F. La pandémie mondiale révolutionne notre rapport aux outils digitaux. Coronavirus / Couvre-feu / Confinement / Distanciation sociale / Masques / Gestes barrières / Zoom / Youtube / Netflix / Deliveroo / Amazon / Tik Tok Que faisiez-vous pendant le confinement du mois de mars? Vos yeux étaient rivés sur des écrans 24h/24. Grâce à l’enquête que l’équipe a menée auprès de 20 collégiens et lycéens, nous remarquons que 100% des personnes interrogées affirment avoir utilisé leurs écrans plus que d’habitude. Certes, ces outils technologiques nous ont permis de partager, contacter, communiquer avec nos proches. Cependant, 8 personnes / 10 déclarent un effet négatif sur leur utilisation : ils ont ressenti paradoxalement de l’isolement et de la solitude. Selon un sondage Odoxa-Backbone Consulting, plus du tiers des moins de trente ans a déjà consulté pour des questions psychologiques depuis le début de la crise sanitaire ou envisage de le faire. Voici notre guide pour redevenir maître de la technologie.

Trois heures par jour sur TikTok?

218 milliards de téléchargements d'applications en 2020, soit une progression de 7% par rapport à 2019.

27% est la hausse d'util-

isation qu'a connue TikTok par rapport à 2019.

885 000 podcast en France

Voilà à quoi se sont résumées nos journées : TikTok ! Il est prouvé scientifiquement : l’utilisation des réseaux déclenche une sécrétion de dopamine qui génère une addiction. Les adolescents sont obnubilés par Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, FaceBook... 33% des étudiants de notre enquête ont avoué qu’ils n’étaient pas satisfaits du temps passé sur leurs téléphones et ont trouvé cette dépendance toxique.

en 2020. Le taux a quasiment triplé depuis 2019.

2) SUIVEZ CE QU'IL VOUS PLAÎT

1) HEURES LIMITÉES

Les parents n’osent pas toujours installer un temps limite d’utilisation sur les écrans de leurs enfants par peur de les restreindre. Chers adolescents, instaurez vousmêmes ces limites.

Suivez et commentez seulement les publications que vous aimez, celles qui vous apprennent des choses, que vous admirez.

3) RETIREZ LES NOTIFICATIONS

“jean_but18 a aimé votre publication”. “Lola est en train d’écrire...”. Stop. Arrêtons les notifications, elles nous stressent et nous distraient.

Durant le mois de mars 2020, 100% des élèves et étudiants ont suivi leurs cours par visioconférence. Mais finalement, ils n’ont pas réellement appris. D'après notre étude, 22% d’étudiants ont admis avoir vécu un manque de concentration, un découragement et ont perdu pied au fil de leurs études. Ne pas toujours avoir la possibilité de voir leur professeur a été difficile. 6 astuces pour écouter et apprendre efficacement via les cours en ligne.

(pexels.com)

COURS À DISTANCE : comment se concentrer?

Dormez. Il est impératif pour un collégien ou lycéen

de dormir au minimum 8 à 10 heures. Le manque Respirez. Inspirez, expirez. Faites des pauses. Soufflez de sommeil a une incidence directe sur la qualité de cinq minutes avant de reprendre. Le stress, on n’en votre concentration, la capacité de mémorisation et veut pas. Faites entrer le calme et la sérénité avant de vos fonctions d'apprentissage. se mettre à l’attaque face a Zoom, GotoMeeting ou encore Teams. Bougez. Oui, vous êtes envahi par la flemme et la lassitude. Mais, bougez, dansez, musclez-vous. Une relax- Travaillez à votre rythme. Prenez ce temps pour ation et de l’exercice aidera beaucoup à écouter votre réfléchir et pensez avant de faire cet exercice de professeur. Plus on est actif, plus on apprend. mathématiques. Vous avez du temps, n’est-ce pas? Alors, ne vous précipitez pas et choisissez votre proOrganisez. Programmez votre journée. Procurez-vous pre vitesse. un agenda. La satisfaction d’une journée passée sera un plaisir. Rien que de cocher une case de votre "to do Rangez. Triez vos vieilles affaires. Jetez ce stylo sans list" vous fera sourire. Une fois une tâche accomplie, mine. Aérez votre bureau. On ne travaille bien que vous serez enclin à faire la nouvelle. Plus on s’organise, dans un environnement pur, frais et rangé. plus on aime ce que l’on fait.

LES OUTILS DIGITAUX QUI ÉTONNAMMENT NOUS AIDENT À REPRENDRE L'ACTIVITÉ PHYSIQUE : NOS TROIS RECOMMANDATIONS POUR FAIRE DU SPORT À LA MAISON. Voici trois influenceuses compétentes qui permettent de faire fitness ou yoga chez soi. Chloe Ting propose des programmes de musculation, Pamela Reif des séances avec musique d'échauffement et YogaCoaching des vidéos de relaxation pour améliorer sa souplesse.

En effet, la pandémie mondiale nous a amenés a utiliser d’avantage les outils digitaux. Certes, ils peuvent avoir des effets néfastes mais ces inventions nous sont toujours très utiles au quotidien pour respecter la distanciation sociale. Pour conclure, ce n’est pas la technologie qui crée ces impacts négatifs, mais la façon dont on l’utilise. Faites-en bon usage !

r e h c a e T : e l fi o r p (freepix.com)

Mr. McDermott - Elizabeth K.

Teachers. We spend (what seems like) hours on end in the same room, learning and discussing, yet know nothing about them. But as it turns out, they’re just like us… Meet… Mr. McDermott, head of the English department Something you can’t live without? Sad to say—my telephone.

Guilty pleasure?

Any sort of cheese—absolutely love a simple meal of baguette and cheese.

Country you’ve visited and that you wish you could go Best Broadway play/musical? back to?

Favourite places ever were Laos and Cambodia—sim- Last play I saw in New York was Girls and Boys by Dennis Kelly starring Carey Mulligan. She was alone ply beautiful. on the stage and her performance was stunning. That's when you realise how much presence one person can Go-to breakfast food? have. Porridge and honey.

Best childhood memory?

One thing you’d bring on a desert island?

I think as a literature teacher I really must say books. If I had just one book to choose from, then I would probably choose a collection of short stories by variPineapple on pizza, crime against humanity or perfect ous writers. Or failing that, suntan lotion as otherwise I'll be burnt to a crisp. balance of flavors? Family holidays at the seaside (even when it rained most of the time).

I think that from a culinary point of view, it's probably a crime against humanity, but having said that, I don't Book that changed your life? The books that really made me fall in love with litactually dislike the taste! erature when I was younger are anything by Charles Dickens, Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë, The Best TV series? Six Feet Under, Breaking Bad or In Treatment (have Go-between by L.P Hartley and anything by Graham now watched the Israeli, American and French ver- Greene (with a special mention for Brighton Rock). These were the books that I devoured when I was at sions of this show and find them fascinating). school.

“If you don’t understand, ask questions.

If you’re uncomfortable about asking questions, say you’re uncomfortable about asking questions

and then ask anyway.” - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

(graphics from freepix.com)

What is Pour Nos Aînés? - Anna H. Pour Nos Aînés is a club that was recently created at school to help old people in nursing homes during the confinement. It is an initiative that aims to share music and concerts by students to the elderly. It has since expanded to other projects to help nursing homes. It was started as a response to the impossibility to do inperson concerts as some students from the school used to do. For all of you who are interested in knowing more about this club, its founder, Tamara B., has accepted to help explain what this club really is.

What is your club’s mission? Pour Nos Aînés' mission is to bring more joy into the lives of the elderly and put a smile on their faces especially during these difficult times of COVID-19 where it was impossible and now very difficult to see their family or friends.

How was it created? Before the confinement, I performed in EHPADs for the residents in concerts organised by the amazing Pascale Blachez, a mother at EJM. When the pandemic hit, we couldn’t see them anymore and I thought that it must be very difficult for them. I contacted Pascale and asked if I could help and she was thinking about collecting videos and then making a “Confinement Concert” for the elderly to continue the project. I thought that it might be helpful to have one place to put everything for the elderly on, and so created the website pournosaines.com. From there, Pascale sent me her fantastic compilations, in which both I and her feature, performing with our families, and we made a form where people could send videos (giving their “droit à l’image”). We were thrilled at how many people

replied and sent us wonderful contributions and would like to give a huge THANK YOU to all those people. We received videos from our school EJM, the very musical school l’Ecole Alsacienne, the choir Sotto Voce that I was a part of and many other places, amounting to over 100 videos! We spread the project from music, which is a core aspect of Pour Nos Aînés', to also collecting letters, poems, drawings, photos and messages as well. We contacted EHPAD companies, and managed to reach the head of communications at Korian, a company with 800 EHPADs. It is thanks to her and Pascale’s tireless calling of EHPADs personally that the link of the website was shared all over France and we reached EHPADs in Normandy, Clermont-Ferrand, Bretagne, Marseille, the South of France and countless other places. I was given the opportunity to present this initiative by Madame Laure Zéboulon which featured in the EJM video sent to the school at the end of the year, and also performed the song “Y a de la joie” that I sang for the elderly, changing the lyrics for them. There is so much that can be done for the elderly and so this year, I created the club Pour Nos Aînés at school where we all work on helping the elderly together, be-

cause teamwork makes the dream work! We made the Operation Saint Valentin where our Team held a rose bake sale- selling roses we had bought from the great fleuriste Boule de Neige next to school who gave our Team a formation on how to package them, giving us behind the scenes experience and sharing his craft with us. We sold them all, and using all of the profit,

we bought another batch of roses which we packaged them and put the names of each resident and brought it to the EHPAD de l’Orme in person along with personalised messages of support and encour-

agement we had collected during the bake sale and letters to the residents from EJM students. I would also like to give a huge thank you to the fabulous animatrice Sandrine who was in contact with us along the way, and we were so surprised and touched when their EHPAD gave us chocolates as a thank you!

What projects are you currently working on? We are currently working on our “Projet Anniversaires” where we collect videos of students singing Happy Birthday to the residents. We then send a compilation of these videos with a personalised message to each of the residents at the beginning to over a dozen EHPADs who keep on asking us for more since the Retirement Homes have so many birthdays each month, including very special 100 year birthdays! If you would like to share your own, please send it to contact@pournosaines.com.

We also have a “Projet Technologie” up our sleeve: Sandrine told us that the residents had received tablets for Christmas in order to contact their loved ones during the confinement yet that they couldn’t use them and would love to master these three things: photos, searching on Google/Youtube and using Email. Therefore, we will hold a virtual course on Zoom where we help them use them and have a one-on-one student-resident relationship so that each resident can have personalised attention. We will then follow up by sending them posters to clearly explain how to use what we will have gone over so that they can easily check in case they forget.

Our vision is to continue what we are doing, organise live concerts once again and spread to multiple schools so that we can have the biggest positive impact we have and create a partnership “1Ecole1EHPAD” between schools and Retirement Homes so that each EHPAD can benefit from connecting with today’s youth and have this invaluable intergenerational link, creating a long-lasting relationship between the two.

Another project we are planning is “Operation Muguet” which is essentially the same thing as Operation Saint Valentin, just with muguets instead of roses.

What are some future projects you may have? What is your aim in terms of expansions and recruiting? I was recently contacted through our website by an EHPAD in Clermont-Ferrand who was requesting more virtual concerts and we are regularly contacted by EHPADs with requests for live concerts in their patios and from a very controlled, COVID safe area. We have already organised and performed in EHPADs from their courtyards so that the residents can listen from their windows and we hope to do so again very soon!

If you are interested in joining Pour Nos Aînés, send us an email at: contact@pournosaines.com and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram: @pournosaines This initiative is truly fabulous and I hope this touching and sincere example of altruism can be an inspiration to all of us. A special thanks to Tamara B. for her help and her participation.

Le Cauchemar Devient Realité: Impact de la Covid-19 sur la Restauration - Laura T. De Janvier 2020 à aujourd’hui, la Covid-19 a impacté des milliers de personnes : restaurateurs, journalistes, chercheurs, banquiers, chefs d’entreprises, dentistes, informaticiens, salariés...

Impacts de la pandémie

économiques : “il y a des frais qui restent impayés, des loyers, les assurances, la location de certains matériels...” nous a-t-elle expliqué. C’est pourquoi Hélène Darroze a dû trouver des solutions pour ne pas entraîner une fermeture définitive de ses restaurants. Le Click

D’après un sondage que nous avons réalisé auprès d’environ 290 personnes travaillant dans le monde entier, près de 90% considèrent que la pandémie a eu un impact sur leur travail. La restauration a été un des secteurs les plus impactés par la pandémie, avec plus de 6 sociétés sur dix déplorant une perte de leur activité d'environ 50%. Pour prendre la mesure de cet impact, nous avons interviewé Hélène Darroze, cheffe gastronomique étoilée. Peut-être avez-vous commandé un burger de sa ligne créée pendant le confinement, ou l'avezvous remarquée sur le plateau de l'émission Top Chef, tournée avec de fortes contraintes. Tout d’abord, la pandémie a eu des conséquences fâcheuses sur les trois restaurants de cette cheffe étoilée, et sur leur économie. Le restaurant gastronomique d’Hélène Darroze, le Marsan, n’accueille plus personne depuis le 14 mars. Jòia, son bistrot, est resté fermé six mois. Et à Londres, Hélène Darroze at The Connaught est tout autant déserté depuis plus de cinq mois. La fermeture de ses restaurants a entraîné de fortes pertes

La cheffe Hélène Darroze & Collect, nous a-t-elle dit, est “une activité qui rapporte moins de chiffre d’affaires”. Néanmoins, en raison du manque de solutions pour remplacer la restauration “en personne”, elle a créé une ligne de burgers à emporter. Heureusement, “ça revient moins cher” nous a-t-elle confié, et ça a été rapide à mettre en place: “Il nous a fallu peut-être quinze jours / trois semaines pour être efficaces”. De plus, Hélène Darroze, comme de nombreux autres chefs, a sorti un livre de cuisine, et un autre sortira dans quelques temps. Grâce à la vente à emporter et aux livres sur la cuisine “comme on fait à la maison”, Hélène Darroze espère compenser les pertes économiques dues à la pandémie.

Aides du Gouvernement De nombreuses aides gouvernementales ont été mises en place pour aider les sociétés touchées par le virus. Plus de 97% des sociétés de restauration y ont fait appel, puisqu’elles ne reçoivent plus de clients (dont elles dépendent). Tout d’abord, il y a eu le chômage partiel. Hélène Darroze a précisé que “tous les pays n’ont pas fait ça [...] c’était un très gros effort du gouvernement”. Il y a deux ou trois mois, des aides plus conséquentes sont arrivées, “un peu tard” nous a-t-elle confié, “par rapport à nous qui avons dû fermer tellement longtemps. On a perdu beaucoup d’argent avant que ces aides soient mises en place”.

Remise en Question La pandémie a aussi eu des impacts non économiques sur la restauration. Hélène Darroze s’est interrogée sur l’origine des produits avec lesquels elle travaille. Elle pense que les restaurateurs ont “une vraie responsabilité par rapport à ces producteurs”, et qu’ils sont “encore plus responsables de la protection de ces producteurs, ils doivent les mettre en avant, mettre en avant une agriculture plus locale avec des circuits courts”. Elle n’est pas la seule à avoir changé de fournisseur : 79% des sociétés de restauration ont aussi changé de fournisseur, pour soutenir l’agriculture et l’économie française, largement impactés par le virus.

Will History Repeat Itself in 2024? - Elizabeth K. (opinion)

Anyone and everyone knows the suspense-filled show that was the last presidential election. The winner was called by the media 4 days after polls closed, following many sleepless nights and endless false allegations of fraud supposedly being facilitated by mail in voting. Yet it would seem that a similar scenario is not only possible but likely for 2024.

Current US President Joe Biden

(wikimedia.commons.com)

As the saying goes, the early bird gets the worm, and it seems Joe Biden is not wasting any time during his first few weeks in office. In his first official press conference held Thursday, March 25th, Biden stated that he expected to run for re-election in 2024. Donald Trump, his predecessor, has also shown interest in running again, having been defeated by Biden in the last election. So how probable is it that in 2024 we relive the nightmare that was the 2020 presidential election?

“Biden was explicit in his response [...] whilst Trump has only toyed with the idea in public.”

(wikimedia.commons.com)

But just how likely is it? Biden was explicit in his response, not bothering to mask the words that would essentially bind him to the 2024 election (his exact words were ”My plan is to run for reelection”), whilst Trump has only toyed with the idea in public. Nevertheless, sources claim there isn’t really doubt about it, and that it’s simply a matter of time before he announces his candidacy. This leads to the inevitable question: who are Former US President Donald Trump Americans going to be voting for 4 years from now, and will new ballots need to be drafted at all?

Many Americans had hoped that Biden’s victory would symbolize a turning point in American democracy, after 4 years of Donald Trump’s presidency, rejecting once and for all his policies and manner of governing.. The question is what could be the effects of a return of Trump to the White House, with a potential new popular backing. What could such a thing mean for the future of American democracy? The United States of America was built on a basis of racial diversity, which seems to be out of fashion. After one black President, Barack Obama served two terms, and a female Presidential general election candidate, Hillary Clinton, it seems the country has decided to backpedal. No substantial female candidate was considered to have an actual shot at the Presidency in 2020, the one who did arguably make it, Kamala Harris, had to take the back seat to Joe Biden, becoming Vice President. How many more old white men are going to rule the United States of America, a country with an 18% Hispanic population, 12,2% African American population, and 50,8% of women, before the chain, perpetuated for centuries, breaks? Either way, my bet is that 2024 will be a copy-paste of the 2020 election, with Joe Biden securing the nomination from the Democratic Party and Donald Trump being welcomed back with open arms by most of the Republican Party.

CRISPR: Could it Change Evolution? - Tom D., Alexandre R., Chi-Yu H., Ines V. Recently, there has been a lot of debate surrounding the rise of genetically modified organisms and their possible implications. Genetic modification using the CRISPR-Cas9 protein can greatly advance our medical care as it has the potential to cure genetic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and cancer. However, genetic engineering faces many challenges that must be addressed before it can reach its full implementation.

The idea of CRISPR came from microbiology. A common belief is that bacteria and viruses are bad for people, but few people know that there is a type of virus that infects bacteria called bacteriophages. By injecting its genome into the bacteria, the bacteriophage uses the microbe to reproduce, killing it in the process.

(wikimedia.commons.com)

Very few women have gotten a Nobel Prize in chemistry since its invention, only 5 actually, out of 183 winners. The fact that two women have gotten the Nobel for their work and are recognised for it, as sometimes men took all the credit for them, shows a leap towards a more gender-equal scientific community. The two women who discovered CRISPR have different nationalities: Emanuelle Charpentier is French and Jennifer Doudna is American. Furthermore, since they have won the Nobel Prize together with different nationalities, it promotes the idea of a growing international scientific community. Our era is defined by glohow a bacteriphage infects a becterium balization and this award reflects that very well. Their scientific discovery unleashed a whole new world of In 1987, a Japanese molecular biologist called Yoshizupossibilities for genetics. mi Ishino discovered CRISPR, or Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats while studying E. coli from the large intestine. While studying them, he found a strange phenomenon (now known as CRISPR): repeating arrangements of base pairs in their DNA. The reason why this is unusual is that the same arrangements define the same characteristics, thus it seemed like a wasted space on the genome. It turns out that this phenomenon is also present in other bacteria and people didn’t know why until 2005. That is when a French scientist, Rodolphe Barrangou, devised an experiment where he put fresh bacteria up against bacteriophages. Unsurprisingly, most of the bacteria died, but the scientist studied the few that DNA is short for deoxyribonucleic acid survived and found that repeating patterns occurred Firstly, let’s define what a gene is. The smallest unit of again. After more research, he came up with the conlife is a cell, and within these cells, they are DNA mol- clusion that these repeating patterns called CRISPR ecules (or deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA has a double were actually caused by the bacteriophages. helix structure with the following base pairs A, C, T, and G: A pairs with T, and C with G. A specific se- How are bacteriophages and CRISPR related? Well, quence of base pairs codes for a gene that defines a bacteria have a defense mechanism: when one surcertain characteristic (red hair, big eyes, etc). vives a bacteriophage attack, it will snip a strand of

DNA from the virus. It then inserts that strand of lise it because not only will research take less time and DNA into its own DNA. This is where CRISPR comes cost less, but it also opens new horizons to products into play. In order to distinguish the bacterium’s origi- yet to be created. nal DNA from the bacteriophage’s DNA that has been inserted, the bacterium will add a specific arrangement of base pairs called CRISPR that sandwiches the bacteriophage’s DNA. These base pairs (or CRISPR) essentially signal: “whatever is in between us is the DNA that we snipped from bacteriophages.” In the future, when the bacteriophage attacks again, the bacteria will produce guide RNAs that identify the bacteriophage. When the RNAs successfully identify the virus, they will command the production of a protein called Cas9 which acts like a scalpel that cuts a strand of the virus, thus altering it.

(wikimedia.commons.com)

Cas9 is the magic potion here. With it, scientists will be able to do genetic operations. To start with, they’ll need to know about the gene they want to insert, which they can get from a database of some sort. Then they can make a guide RNA and its Cas9. Finally, they will be able to inject the RNA and Cas9 into a person. The RNA repeats the process of identifying the DNA, and the Cas9 will be able to snip the desired (or undesired) strand of the DNA. This is how genetic operation theoretically works with CRISPR/Cas9, and while it is not yet viable in humans, researchers are currently working to perfect it.

(wikimedia.commons.com)

The medical innovations that are currently being researched with this apparatus are mesmerizing. The genetic scissors are being employed in many investigations in the subjects of immuno-oncology (cancer), regenerative medicine, and numerous genetic diseases. For example, in regenerative medicine, CRISPR is being combined with stem cells (cells that haven't been differentiated yet, and could, for example, become blood, nerve or liver cells) in order to find a treatment for diabetes. A group of scientists at Washington University discovered a way to transform stem cells into pancreatic B cells. The latter releases insulin into the blood and allows sugar levels to decrease. The Wolfram syndrome is when the gene WFS1 causes the apoptosis (death) of the pancreatic B cells. With the use of CRISPR scissors, the scientists modified the WFS1 gene and found after six months, mice had regular blood sugar levels. Curing diabetes would be 3d model of the cas9 protein a major step forward in medicine considering that A specific genetic scissor called CRISPR-Cas9 is easier in 2018, about 10% of the American population had to operate and gives quicker and better results than diabetes, and in 2017, the total cost of treating diathe prevailing technology in genetic modification. betes was about $327 billion. A cure would not only Many companies specialised in pharmaceutical and improve livelihoods but also help the economy. agricultural industries want the license in order to uti-

Genetically modified crops, also called GMOs, are being increasingly used all around the world. In the US, 94% of all soybean crops are genetically modified. GMOs have been amply criticized in the recent years. Despite the scientific consensus and the many regulations they face, many people still believe these foods can harm them. Others argue that the plants’ increased photosynthesis gives them an advantage over natural variants and could cause damage to the environment. Despite this downside, GMOs have many positive effects. They have increased nutritional benefits, increased yields and resistance to weeds and insects. The reduced use of pesticides has many ecological benefits since excessive usage of it has led to the poisoning of water sources. GMOs can prove to be very beneficial for developing countries that are still largely dependent on agriculture. Due to their benefits, more and more GMOs are grown in developing countries. You may have been reading this article thinking, this is all too good to be true. You are unfortunately right. CRISPR does come with a handful of fallbacks and possibilities that, in the wrong hands, could be devastating. The first one is that research has shown that in the parts of the genome where CRISPR is not acting, mutations may occur. These mutations can have serious repercussions that scientists can’t necessarily anticipate. A tested mouse had only one of its base pairs changed in its genome, and it presented more than 1500 mutations. The scientific team of CRISPR later said: “None of these DNA mutations were predicted by the computer algorithms mainly used by researchers to look for any unintended effects” . Another negative aspect of CRISPR is that it could be used not only

in wrong ways but also in unethical ways. That’s exactly what a Chinese scientist did with the embryos of two twins in wanting to give them genetic resistance to HIV. This man, He Jiankui, was sentenced to three years of prison and a 430,000$ fine. This is just one example of how CRISPR could be used for unethical purposes. Adding on to that, we know that just changing 1 in 1 000 000 000 base pairs in the genome creates hundreds of unwanted mutations. People should exercise precaution when using CRISPR on humans. Imagine CRISPR being used for eugenics, for a dictator's wish to create a “perfect human”, whether it be arian or godlike. Some scientists have created what some may call “super-animals”, such as anti-malaria mosquitoes in Africa, or cows that only give birth to male calves which give more meat. These applications of CRISPR are extremely interesting but introducing a novel animal into an environment could have devastating consequences. What if it has mutations that make it inedible to its predator? It could disrupt a whole food chain and maybe even cause the extinction of multiple species. The uncertainty of the consequences linked to CRISPR are something to be carefully studied before using it, for who knows what the result will be. To conclude, the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissor is as revolutionary for the scientific community and genetics as it is dangerous. The potential power of this tool is enormous: it can not only change organisms, but maybe even mankind in its entirety. The business potential that comes with CRISPR also is incredible. Could CRISPR eventually cure genetic and autoimmune diseases as well? Only time will tell.

POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS OF THE CRISPR-CAS9 GENETIC SCISSOR:

(wikimedia.commons.com)

Enola Holmes - An Amateur’s Review - Melody Z.

Released on September 23rd, 2020, Enola Holmes immediately received massive viewership, becoming Netflix’s most watched movie during the first week following its release. Enola Holmes was directed by Harry Bradbeer (Killing Eve, Fleabag) and features a star-studded cast including Millie Bobby Brown, Helena Bonham Carter and Henry Cavill.

London, disguising herself as a boy. Now for the review. I’ll be honest, having watched and loved both Robert Downey Jr. and Benedict Cumberbatch’s performances as Sherlock Holmes, I was a little disappointed by Enola Holmes. I think of Sherlock Holmes and picture a quirky yet lovable sociopath against a backdrop of thrilling mystery, cinematic innovation and captivating soundtracks. Whether it’s the whole production or simply the characters, there is something intrinsically different about the Sherlock Holmes movies and the show Sherlock that I thought was lacking in Enola Holmes. Perhaps the intention was to detach Enola from that legacy, to create a separate character with her own story and attract new fans, in which case it has definitely succeeded.

But who is Enola Holmes, you ask? Well, the character was created by Nancy Springer in her Young Adult series of detective novels: The Enola Holmes Mysteries. The movie is actually based on one of these books, The Case of the Missing Marquess. Enola is Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes' younger sister. She lives with her mother, Eudoria, who brought her up to be everything a Victorian lady should not be (independent, stubborn and clever). (Spoilers ahead! In the next 2 paragraphs) When her mother disappears on her sixteenth birthday, Enola calls Throughout Enola’s adventures, we upon her renowned brothers to discover that her mother is a sufhelp. They unfortunately, prove fragette on a mission to pressure virtually useless as Mycroft is hell- the government to allow women to bent on sending her to boarding vote. Through various characters, school so she may learn to be a we learn about suffrage, feminism proper lady, while Sherlock is busy movements and women’s rights at working on another case. Enola the time, through the ingrained therefore decides to take matters and omnipresent misogyny of Vicinto her own hands and escapes to torian England.

Enola eventually gets sent to a ladies’ college by her brother Mycroft where she’s meant to learn the ways of ladyhood to become a good wife, mother and homemaker. The conditions in which Enola and the other boarders live are quite shocking—though there is obviously something to be said about the dramatic aspect—the girls are in uniform, marching around the school grounds like soldiers and punished as such, all to be taught such arts as standing up straight, eating properly and embroidery. Their future is clearly and tragically laid out in front of them. I’ll note that the focus of the movie doesn’t seem to be the mystery but rather Enola’s journey and it’s fairly easy to forget about her initial goal. I also found the movie long—2 hours—which is usually manageable, but Enola Holmes felt like it dragged on a little too much before the final, determining plottwist. I did, however, appreciate that the supposed love story didn’t overshadow the plot and Enola’s adventure. I won’t say Enola Holmes is a bad movie because it isn’t, and it wouldn’t have had as much success if it were. Overall, I consider it more of a coming-of-age story bathed in action and comedy than the detective story I was expecting. Though I was disappointed because I based my opinion on what I had already seen in other Sherlock Holmes spinoffs, I highly recommend you watch it and form your own opinion on the movie.

“History has shown us that courage can be contagious and hope can take on a life of its own.” - Michelle Obama

Inclusivity at EJM Club - Beatrice P. Here at EJM, we dedicated the period between March 21st and March 28th to combatting discrimination and bullying, as well as the celebration of differences and diversity. While there have been initiatives throughout the school year in favor of this movement, they were all given the attention they deserve through the numerous workshops, discussions, and informative pamphlets distributed on slurs and bullying. However, at the Inclusivity at EJM Club, these ideas and initiatives are taking place year round. In light of the murder of George Floyd by police on May 25, 2020 and the social unrest that followed, students at EJM saw the importance of exploring and more importantly combatting biasies revolving around ethnicity, gender and religion, especially amongst younger students. They wanted to answer questions along the lines of ‘Where does bias come from?’, ‘Why is it harmful?’ and ‘How can we look past it?’. That is why Vasily M. (1°IB) and Sascha R. (1°IB) decided to co-found the Inclusivity at EJM Club . The idea of the club is for members to create presentations on different social issues, and to then present them to younger students in homeroom class or other free periods, to help them understand and fight discrimination. They felt that having younger students hear these ideas coming from their older peers would facilitate discussion, and create a safe and familiar environment for asking questions and expressing ideas. I met with co-founder Vasily M. to hear a little bit more about the club:

Why did you choose to start the In- What was your main goal in start clusivity Club? ing this club? We started the club because we believe inclusivity is a very important issue in communities, especially those in school. This has become an important topic which we believe should be addressed.

The goal of the club is to prove young students with clear information and ideas on the biases that our society is subject to. Definitions of key words such as feminism will be provided to students as well as different oral activities, which we think will help students to think critically about the topic.

What is your role in the club? As a co-founder of the Inclusivity Club, I help in leading some of the discussions which are held via Zoom with other members. As our club is just starting to take action, I will also be helping with the organization of which members will present which social issue or bias.

Writing Competition! As part of the anti-discrimination iniatives of the month of March, we organized a writing competition where participants were invited to submit texts on the theme of discrimination and/or celebrating differences. We publish here the top submissions from college and lycee: Congratulations to Romain T. in Terminale and Romane V. in 5eme! Thank you to all our participants for all the creative, thought-provoking and touching texts we received--you can read them by following this link. Look out for another competition coming soon!

COLLEGE:

(illustration from freepix.com)

- Romane V.

Most people didn’t approach her but didn’t bother her either. I, for instance, was part of those people. In class, she always sat by the windows, in the back. She often seemed to daydream looking out, but whenever teachers called on her she would answer every time, correctly. Teachers never truly realised that she wasn’t part of any friend group and didn’t treat her any differently. But amongst the students she was. She wasn’t bullied, wasn’t part of most gossip, wasn’t much envied. But she was discreetly stared at, quietly mocked, sometimes looked down on. Being smart, athletic, slim, gentle, none of those reasons were the true cause of it. She was discriminated against for her peculiar eyes. Her brown eye and blue eye. I didn’t know her, I’d barely talked to her, I’d never looked her in the eyes. My friends thought she was a weirdo with all her good grades and nice sport moves as well as those eyes. I didn’t agree with all their prejudice, but I couldn’t entirely deny her not being normal. She was different, I mean we all are but her, I don’t know. I can’t put a word on it. She was intriguing. Way more than other people. You now know the reason for all my close observations. She intrigued me. As a matter of fact, she still does today. Don’t take me for a stalker though! Not me.

And then, one day, I made a move. It was in first period, in November, that I decided to sit next to her. We had Science class that morning, a biology test. As per usual, she headed for the back table by a window. I followed, looked at her and asked: “Is this spot free?” She placed her bag at her feet, sat and stared at me. I stared back and felt kinda stupid. I guess I was expecting her eyes to not give off the same emotion and intensity because of their different colours. But no, they held the same spark, the same confidence. She tilted her head to the side and replied with a small smile, “You may sit if that’s what you are willing to do.” “Thanks”, I added with a chuckle. Class started in about 10 minutes. So I’d better start a conversation. Or try to at least. “What do you often like doing in your free time?” It took me long enough to ask that she was already looking out, her back facing me. Her cheek resting on a loose fist, she simply twisted her neck and rested her other cheek on the same fist to face me. She looked from the table, to my chest, to my eyes. Not once did her eyes reflect any doubt. Nor in the brown nor in the blue. “I guess I cherish mostly dancing or reading,” she looked across to the front of the room and slid both hands in her hair, “and writing when inspiration comes by. What about you?” she nodded towards me. Even though I felt like she was slightly forcing conversation, her voice came out soft. I very well knew she didn’t like to talk much. And out of nowhere, I realised I’d always seen her hair as brown, but never acknowledged that it had a light ash tint. Straight, smooth, cut by the shoulders in thin bangs. A small cough snapped me out of my daydreaming. “So..?” “Sorry! Um I enjoy football, running and sometimes, rarely but sometimes, writing,” it came out without warning. I’d never told anyone before I liked writing. But she didn’t mock me or tease me, even though I knew my cheeks were warm. She showed me her small smile again. “What type of writing? If I may ask.” “Well usually poetry or lyrics, but sometimes I like simple quotes…” “Alright” I couldn’t help wiping my hand at the nape of my neck and lowering my eyes. “What type of dancing do you do?” “Street jazz mostly. Or modern. Depends.” And that was the end of our conversation as Mrs Winner stepped in and yelled her usual “Good morning students!”. She handed out the test and we worked in a solid silence. When time was up, my neighbour and I still hadn’t exchanged another word. Then the bell went and Mrs Winner spoke: “Class dismissed” and everyone got up, rushed out the door. Once in the corridor, I turned and said to her, “See you around,” and headed off. “Hey Zachary?” I spun on the spot. She came over to me and looked into my eyes again, hers a soft cocoa powder and a yale blue, “Let me know when I can hear one of your works if that’s ok,” she shone her same small smile and went off. “La… Lavender?” I had to say something, “wanna have lunch together later?” First idea that popped up and I couldn’t say it wasn’t a nice one. She stared, tilted her head to the side and said, “Sure.” “Oh, and call me Zach,” I winked, she smiled and both departed. People could think of her the way they wanted. On one condition: she had the same rights as anyone, so no treating her in a reproachful manner. She was physically ‘abnormal’, nonetheless winsome. But she isn’t a monster or alien. “Don’t judge a book by its cover”. Heard that before? Bet you have.

La Fable des Crayons - Romain Y. Au début, que les crayons rouges D’une vivacité sans mots. Ils dessinaient un monde qui bouge d’une couleur, comme des jumeaux.

(graphic from freepix.com)

Tous identiques et monochromes On finissait par se lasser Leur art, sans vie tel un fantôme Finirait bien par s’effacer. Mais un jour dans la trousse à crayons Arriva un curieux personnage Il était bleu. Et comme des lions Ils l’encerclèrent et lui firent barrage "D'où viens-tu?'' lui demandèrent-ils Mais il ne put même pas répondre Car par tout ces infâmes reptiles écarlates, le bleu se fit contondre Ils lui interdirent de dessiner “Pas de bleu dans notre rouge uni” Insulté, poussé, tapé, trainé; A l’écart des autres il fut mit. Un nouveau crayon fit son apparence Lui n’était bleu ou rouge, mais d’un jaune vif. Il eut un accueil identique et rance Puis se joint au bleu, triste et maladif.

Ils voulaient qu’on les traite comme les autres, Sans coups ou moqueries: qu’on mette des lois. Les rouges leur rièrent au nez: “C’est notre royaume ici. Vous, vous n’avez aucuns droits” Ils partirent en vitesse, par les rouges poussés, Menacés d’être coupés, brûlés ou pendus. Ils rentrent chez eux, tous deux désespérés Car ils n’ont pas gagné, car ils ont perdu. La vie continua sans qu’il eut de changements. Certains crayons leur jetaient des regards noirs, Pour leur audace, ils reçurent des châtiments Mais ils n’avaient rien fait! Ils ne purent y croire. Ne pouvant dessiner pour la communauté, Ils le firent en secret, en dessinant à deux. Oh mon dieu quelle surprise! De leurs couleurs mêlées, En naquit une nouvelle. Qu’est ce qu’ils étaient heureux! Ils la baptisèrent vert, la couleur de l’espoir et ils se demandèrent ce qu’ils pouvaient bien faire. Ils créèrent des nuances: vert-pomme, vert-herbe, vert poire Jaune et bleu purent sentir leur tristesse se défaire.

On se moquaient d’eux, ils restaient tout seuls; On les maltraitait, ils ne disaient rien; Ils n’y pouvaient rien: les rouges tels des meules Les broyaient, comme s’ils n’étaient qu’acariens.

La réalité les rattrapa aussitôt: “Peut être qu'on dirait qu’ils étaient hérétiques?” “Tant pis! On abandonnera pas de sitôt!” Ils se mirent donc en route, tous deux un peu sceptiques.

La société des rouges, elle, continuait: Les jeunes apprennaient l’art et le dessin, Les crayons jaunes et bleus restaient muets Eux étaient démons, les rouges étaient saints.

Jamais on avait vu de vert. Les rouges, curieux, demandèrent aux deux autres d’où venait cette splendeur. Au départ menaçants, ils devinrent vite envieux De la crucialité du mélange de couleurs

Ils étaient impuissants face à la masse. Certains tout de même avait pitié d’eux, Mais on disait: “vous êtes d’une autre race” Ils étaient en sous-nombre: seulement deux Par cette mise de côté, ils se rapprochèrent, Et découvrirent qu’à deux ils étaient plus forts. Ils décidèrent qu’ils iraient demander, chair Contre chair, qu’on arrête de leur faire du tort.

Cela ne se passa pas comme prévu Leur mine bien haute, ils allèrent voir les rouges Ils exigeaient d'abord qu’ils soient plus inclus et qu’ils puissent dessiner: que les choses bougent!

Ils furent acceptés au sein de la société Les rouges ayant compris qu’ils avaient mal agi: Toutes les couleurs entre-elles il faut associer, C’est comme cela qu’on crée de la beauté qui vit. Remémorez-vous donc, ce court enseignement Quand vous verrez des gens discriminer ainsi. Incluez tout le monde, même s’ils sont différents. La vie est bien plus belle quand tout le monde la vit.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Books, movies, tv shows, musicals on the theme of bullying or discrimination - Melody Z.

Books: Où est passée Alice? Dans cette petite histoire policière publiée en 2020 par la Préfecture de Police de Paris, Juliette et Sacha mènent une enquête pour retrouver leur amie Alice. Au cours de leurs aventures, ils seront confrontés au harcèlement, au cyber-harcèlement, aux risques que pose Internet ainsi qu’au respect des différences de chacun. Becoming Nicole For this heart wrenching novel about identity and acceptance, written by Amy Ellis Nutt and published in 2015, the author did extensive research to translate this true story to text in the best way possible. A couple lives serenely with their adopted twin boys until they start to notice a deep difference between them. One insists that he is actually female. Will this new reality tear the family apart? Face Face, written by Benjamin Zephaniah and published in 1999, speaks of a boy, Martin, whose face was badly burned after an unfortunate accident. He struggles to accept his new appearance and has to deal with problems from his friends and relatives. Six contre un Dans ce roman écrit par Cécile Alix et publié en 2018, Ludo est victime de harcèlement scolaire. Il ne sait pas comment s’en échapper, et ne sait pas comment demander de l’aide. Ses proches lui viendront-ils en aide? Cat’s Eye Cat’s Eye was written by Margaret Atwood and published in 2011. In the novel, Elaine returns to Toronto for an exhibition of her art. On her journey, she files through memories of her tough childhood full of betrayal and trauma. Will she accept her identity and work through her issues? Ruby tête haute Cet album écrit par Irène Cohen-Janca et publié en 2017 est l’histoire d’une maîtresse racontant à ses élèves l’histoire de Ruby, première enfant noire à intégrer une école réservée aux blancs en Louisiane, dans les années 60. L’auteure souligne l’hostilité des blancs envers les noirs pendant l’époque de la déségrégation aux Etats-Unis, et la lutte perpétuelle contre la discrimination.

Les Petites Reines Les Petites Reines est un roman écrit par Clémentine Beauvais et publié en 2015. Trois adolescentes, Mireille, Astrid et Hakima, partent pour Paris à vélo après avoir été publiquement humiliées par les élèves de leur lycée: quelles seront leurs aventures sur le chemin? Sweet sixteen Dans ce roman publié en 2013, Annelise Heurtier s’inspire des “Neuf de Little Rock” et décrit la première rentrée scolaire de neuf élèves noirs dans un lycée de deux mille cinq cents blancs en 1957 à Arkansas, à la fin de l’époque de ségrégation aux Etats-Unis. Ma réputation Écrit par Gaël Aymon et publié en 2013, ce roman suit Laura, collégienne qui préfère être entourée de garçons que de filles. Mais lorsqu’elle n’accepte pas de devenir la petite amie de Sofiane, elle est repoussée et isolée par son groupe d’amis. Sa rencontre avec Joséphine la sauvera-t-elle de ce harcèlement injustifié? Proud Proud is a collection of stories, poems and art by members of the LGBTQ+ community compiled by Juno Dawson and published in 2019. Each piece gives a unique, thought-provoking, sometimes emotional, sometimes funny, perspective in the broad theme of pride.

Books + adaptations:

Matilda (novel & movie & musical) Originally written by Roald Dahl, illustrated by Quentin Blake and published in 1988, this fantastically comedic children’s novel was adapted to the screen in 1996 by director Danny DeVito and finally brought to the musical stage by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin in 2010. It tells the story of a young girl, intelligent beyond her years, who is quite literally surrounded by idiots. Threatened by her wondrous mind, her relatives mock and shame Matilda. Will she find herself an ally on her first day of school? Stargirl (novel & movie) Stargirl is a coming of age novel written by Jerry Spinelli that explores the hardships of fitting in and figuring out who you are. It’s recently been made into a movie by Disney, it was directed by Julia Hart and was released March 13th 2020. We follow Leo who’s understood that to live unbothered you must not stand out, but when Stargirl arrives, defying every rule of the high school hierarchy, can he continue living his life in the shadows? The Hate U Give (novel & movie) Starr is a sixteen-year-old who lives in a poor neighbourhood but goes to a prestigious highschool when she witnesses the shooting of a childhood best friend. Relevant as ever, the novel was written by Angie Thomas and published in 2017. In 2018, the movie adaptation by George Tillman Jr. was released.

Marion, 13 ans pour toujours (roman & film) Cette pseudo-biographie publiée en 2015 retrace l’histoire de Marion Fraisse, victime de harcèlement scolaire. C’est sa mère, Nora Fraisse, qui se donne comme mission de partager les horreurs qu’a subis sa fille, comme un hommage, dans l’espérance que des mesures plus strictes seront enfin prises dans les écoles. En 2016, cette tragédie est mise sur écran par le réalisateur Bourlem Guerdjou. Bridge to Terabithia (book & movie) In this story of friendship and imagination, twelve-year-old Jess meets Leslie on her first day at school. They quickly become friends and together they create a fantastical world to rule together, Terabithia. In parallel, they repeatedly receive unwanted attention from the school’s notorious bully, Janice. Written by Kathrine Patterson and published in 1977, the novel was brought to screen for Disney by director Gábor Csupó. Thirteen Reasons Why (novel & TV show) In this novel written by Jay Asher and published in 2007, Clay receives a set of 7 cassette tapes retracing the events that led to one of his classmates, Hannah’s, suicide. Each tape names one person and their part in Hannah’s story. The first season of the TV show of the same name is loosely based on the novel. It was produced by Netflix and released in 2017. The show gives the story a dark and thriller-like spin. Wonder (novel & movie) In this novel, written by R. J. Palacio and published in 2012, Auggie, a sixth-grader with a severely disfigured face, goes to school for the first time after being homeschooled for most of his life. He is introduced to the harsh and cruel realities of middle school, but worse. Auggie and his family must learn to navigate this unfamiliar, unpredictable world. Over the years, there have been many accompanying books published and, finally, in 2017, a film adaptation directed by Stephen Chbosky. Simon v.s the homosapiens agenda (novel & movie) This novel was written by Becky Albertalli and published in 2015, its film adaptation, titled Love, Simon was directed by Greg Berlanti and released in 2018. We follow Simon, a high-school junior, as he navigates the status quo and the pressure of coming out of the closet while entertaining a digital conversation with the mysterious “Blue”. Simon is blackmailed by a classmate who threatens to release the messages unless he helps him. Carrie (novel & movies) Carrie is a novel written by Stephen King and published in 1974 about a young high school student, Carrie, in 1979 who was an unwanted child abused by her mother. She’s fiercely bullied at school but discovers she has telekinetic powers and decides to use them to enact her revenge. In 1976, a first adaptation was released, directed by Brian De Palma, a sequel titled The Rage: Carrie 2 directed by Katt Shea was released in 1999. David Carson directed a re-imagining of the novel in 2002, and finally, in 2013, the most recent version was released, directed by Kimberly Pierce. Petit Pays (roman & film) Publié en 2016, ce roman de Gaël Faye se déroule lors des mois précédant le génocide des Tutsis au Rwanda. Gabriel vivait au Burundi avec sa famille quand les tensions entre Tutsi et Hutu commencèrent à s’accentuer et il vit les effets qu’eurent cette tragédie sur le comportement de ses proches et de son cercle familial. L’adaptation cinématographique réalisée par Éric Barbier est parue en 2020.

Diary of Wimpy Kid (novel series & movies) Diary of a Wimpy Kid is a fifteen book long series, with several supplementary books and spin-offs, written by Jeff Kinney which was first published online in 2004, then in print in 2007. It follows the daily adventures of Greg with his dysfunctional family at home, and his unconventional friends at school. Four movies and an animated short film were released depicting the events of four different books. The first was directed by Thor Freudenthal and released in 2010, the others were directed by David Bowers and released in 2011, 2012 and 2017. Middle school (novel Series & movie) In 2011, Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life, written by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts, is published, marking the beginning of James Patterson’s thirteen book long—so far—Middle School series. Steve Carr directed a movie adaptation of the first instalment, released in 2016. Readers and viewers alike may recognize something of a Diary of a Wimpy Kid-like vibe. Pesky school bullies, power-hungry principals and abusive stepfathers are what make up most of Rafe’s days as he sets out on a quest to break every rule in his school handbook. Can he prove that individuality matters as much (if not more) than standard test results? Noughts & Crosses (novel series & play & TV show) This novel series by Malorie Blackman, first published in 2001, details an alternate 21st century where the crosses (people of colour) are superior to the noughts (white people). In this world of discrimination, we follow Callum, a Nought, and Sephy, a Cross. They’ve been friends forever but what will happen when a Romeo-and-Juliet-esque love starts to blossom between them? In 2008, the first book of the series was adapted for the stage by Dominic Cooke who retitled it Black & White. It was readapted by Sabrina Mahfouz in 2019. A TV show was released in 2020 for the BBC, titled Noughts + Crosses. Holes (novel & movie) Holes was written by Louis Sachar and published in 1998. The film adaptation directed by Andrew Davis was released in 2003 by Disney. Fourteen-year-old Stanley Yelnats is cursed like every generation of Yelnats for the last five generations, this gets him unfairly sent to a juvenile correction camp where a very threatening warden forces the inmates to dig holes, supposedly to build character. A century earlier, an African-American is killed after being seen with the town’s teacher, sending her on a criminal revenge quest.

Movies, TV shows and musicals: Moonlight In this powerful Golden Globe, BAFTA and Oscar-winning movie directed by Barrie Jenkins and released in 2016, we follow Chiron’s life through childhood, adolescence and adulthood as he navigates his life in Miami with aggressive bullies and an addict mother amidst the crack epidemic while struggling with his sexuality.

Wicked In this musical by Stephen Shwartz, first performed on Broadway in 2003, we explore similar highschool bullying problems in Oz. From the moment she was born, Elphaba was different, and her father hated her for it. When she goes to university for the first time she must deal with discrimination from her peers and popular girl Galinda. What will be her move be when she discovers she has magical powers?

Hubie Halloween This heart-warming Halloween comedy follows Hubie Dubois on his favourite night of the year, Salem’s renowned Halloween night. Since he was a kid, Hubie’s been the town’s laughing stock despite having the purest intentions and kindest heart. Will things finally change when people start disappearing on Halloween? Released in 2020, the movie was directed by Steven Brill. Mean Girls (movie & musical) Directed by Mark Waters and released in 2004, Mean Girls tells a story of highschool drama and cliques. Cady is new in school and struggles to make friends. When she’s unexpectedly accepted into the most popular girl group, she quickly realizes that they’re toxic and takes this opportunity to bring their leader, Regina down. This only worsens the situation as the students all turn on themselves. The Karate Kid (franchise) The Karate Kid Is a franchise consisting of five movies and two TV shows. In the first instalment, directed by John G. Avildsen and released in 1984, Daniel and his mom move to LA, where he quickly falls prey to his new school’s infamous star student and bully. He finds an Ally in Mr Miyagi who teaches him karate to defend himself. 3 sequels were released in 1986, 1989 and 1994, the first two were also directed by John G. Avildsen and the last one by Christopher Cain. In 2010, a remake directed by Harald Zwart was released. An animated series directed by Larry Houston was released in 1989 and, more recently, Cobra Kai was released by YouTube in 2018. It takes place 34 years after the first movie. Easy A Easy A was directed by Will Gluck and released in 2010. Highschool student Olive releases a series of videos filmed on her webcam detailing the events that led to her sudden rise to popularity and just as sudden downfall and public humiliation brought on by highschool cliques and rumours. The Babysitter In this comedic horror movie, twelve-year-old Cole, who is relentlessly bullied in school, is left in his babysitter, Bee’s, care for a weekend. Thinking she’ll use this opportunity to have fun with some older friends, he stays up to spy on them, what he discovers may change his life forever. In the sequel, Cole deals with the fact no one believes his story which brings on more bullying from his peers. The first movie by director McG was released in 2017.

oUR TEAM Alessia V. Georges T. Melody Z. Elizabeth K. Anna H. Gabriel G. Jade J. Beatrice P. Ines V. Justin P. 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 Editor Editor Social media Social media

Contributing Writers: Laura T. Jeanne F. Louison S.

Prune R. Emmanouil L. Raphaele D.

Tom D. Chi-Yu H. Alexandre R.

cover image courtesy of Justin Ziegler

A SPECIAL THANKS TO: Ms. Stathopulos CONNECT WITH US! issuu.com/lebilingue bloglebilingue.wordpress.com @lebilingue studentjournalism@ejm.org

Le Bilingue 2021 04 April

Articles inside

Submissions from our writing competition

CRISPR: Could it Change Evolution?

Inclusivity at EJM club

Le Cauchemar Devient Realité

What is Pour Nos Aînés

Will History repeat itself in 2024?

Teacher Profile: Mr. McDermott

News from the Debate Club

Les Bouteilles en Plastique