Experience as a volunteer in India

This summer I had one of the best experiences of my life. I participated in a solitary project in India.

Halloween: from a 2,000 year-old tradition to a modern festivity

EEB2 Debate Club Invite Michael Gahler To Debate About Europe

EEB2 challenged Michael Gahler, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), to join a club debate on the future of Europe. 

The proposition team put forward the motion that the EU is doomed to failure.  Michael Gahler accepted the challenge to oppose this motion and the event took place on Tuesday 16th February in Salle Polyvolante.

EEB2 students prepared well for the debate and impressive arguments were made on both sides.

Over 500 people attended – all our S3 and S4 students.  Thank you for the support!

Well done to:

Ligaya

Alessia

Amy

Christina

Sofia

Gustavs

Emma

At the end of the debate, the motion was rejected – the EU is safe for now ☺



By Colm Kehoe

Edited by Gustavs Zilgalvis

"Brussels is a graveyard of living beings"

Belgium shut down all schools on the 23rd of November. The decision was made by our Prime Minister, Charles Michel. I was happy about it at first because it meant I didn't have to finish my math homework, but then, I realised it wasn't right at all.

The numerous measures taken over the past few days have made fear grow in our hearts. We often hear Charles Michel saying that the threat is "imminent". The threat of what, terrorism? The fact is that we have no idea of what is going on in this country. Belgian police authorities say it’s for our own safety that we don’t know anything yet, but is it really if we are too scared to leave our house?

The terrorists attacked Paris, aiming to destroy our culture and our way of life. They haven't attacked Brussels yet but we are doing the job for them anyway: we are destroying our lifestyle right now by shutting everything down.

The problem is that the government is doing this because they don’t know what else to do. Yesterday on the Belgian talk show "C'est pas tous les jours dimanche", the president and spokesman of the Free Union of the Public and Police Function, Vincent Gilles, admitted that they don’t know what the security level 4/4 means. This is because the government created the different levels of security without saying which necessary measures had to be taken, and where. 
I agree with the fact that we are “better safe than sorry”, but only to certain extent; we shouldn't just be safe, we should also feel safe and yet all these measures to the continuous “imminent threat” just make us feel scared.

by Sarah Mignot

Interview with Mr. Park

On Monday 19^th October, Professor Jinwhan Park from the Gyeongsang National University South Korea came to eeb2. Mr. Park is the president of “Philosophy with Children and Youth Network” in Asia and the Pacific (PCYNAP), he came to our school to explain this philosophical and ethical idea and I had the pleasure of interviewing him.

When you think of philosophy, you think of the academic one, the one we study, also known as the study of  nature and  its causes, of the principles of reality, of knowledge and our values, all based on logical reasoning. Mr Park's intention is not to teach academic philosophy to children. What he wants to do is teach them more about practical philosophy. By doing that, he teaches children how to be able to make an ethical and logical judgement in a particular situation. "It is crucial that younger students learn how to make a good judgement because some of them might be the future leaders of democratic societies so the sooner they are able to do it the better", he says. 

Humans but No Humanity

At least 120 people dead, 352 wounded, 99 of them severely. Six attacks shook Paris last night on Friday, 13^th November. 

17 people killed by a suicide bomber in Baghdad, Irak, on Friday at a memorial service for a militia fighter killed in batttle against the ISIS.

Suicide bombings in southern Beirut, Lebanon on Thursday 12^th, kiling 43 people and at least 239 wounded victims. 

What do all of these attacks have in common? They were all sanctioned by ISIS.

Close-mindedness and intolerance are our biggest enemies these days. ISIS is chasing after innocent people for the belief that they are right and have for “mission” to kill anyone who does not follow their radical ideals, forcing thousands of people to seek refuge in other countries and causing nations to live in fear.

The Maori Dynasty

Many people know of the British royalty, the Japanese royalty or the Belgian royalty. However, not many people know that the Maori, living in New Zealand, have their own royalty too, despite having been a British colony! It is time for their history and lineage to be revealed!

 

First of all, who are the Maori? The Maori are the indigenous polynesian people of New Zealand. They were the first settlers on these islands, after having gotten there by the means of canoes from the polynesian islands. They lived there in isolation for more than seven hundred years, during which their culture and social customs, the basics coming from the polynesian customs, flourished.

They created tribes, a horticulture and later also a strong warrior culture.

The European colonists, mostly of Great Britain, started arriving on New Zealand in the 17th century; An arrival that changed the way of life of the Maori drastically. The Maori tribes, also called “iwi”, started to adopt many aspects of European society and culture.

Interview with 2016 Fashion Show Designers

Each year after a great day of Footfest, we look forward to seeing the talent of our students showcased in the fashion show. Several designers work all year long to make their collections “runway ready”. This past weekend, the model auditions took place. Students walked in front of the designers in hopes of being selected to be a model for their collections. We talked with Jenni Karhunen, Martina Murasso and Alessia Tosetti to find out more about it. We look forward to seeing their collections at this year's Footfest.

Why We Should Help The Refugees

Since the beginning of the Syrian Civil War, in 2011, four million people have left the country, looking for better conditions of life elsewhere. To this day, countries like Turkey and Lebanon, which are geographically located near the war-torn country, have received and helped the great majority of the refugees. But now they are coming to Europe, and it is time for us to make an important decision, that will change Europe, and very likely the world.

In defence of the European Schools - An open letter in response to POLITICO

Last week, the European edition of POLITICO published an article about the European Schools. The Euroschools rarely attract any press coverage and the internet has remained generally free of journalists caring about our system until now. Once their article appeared on the front page of their website, thousands of students and parents instantly read their critique of the European Schools.

The article was clearly a hit. After four days it remained the second most read article on the POLITICO website, receiving even more views than the coverage of the Greek crisis. It painted a misleading picture of a crumbling education system that alienated most of its students through bureaucracy, and ignoring nationality in a school system resembling a Kafkaesque nightmare. Contact with students as well as graduates and parents upheld our view that the article was misguided and prioritized controversy over fact. In fact, after talking to one of the students who was quoted in the article, it surfaced that her positive outlook of the schools had been overshadowed by cherry-picked criticisms.

The Jerusalem Syndrome – When everyone thinks they're holy

Last month, as we all know, was Easter, a Christian celebration marking the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For such a celebration it is very popular amongst many people, regardless of their religion, to spend their Easter holidays at the place where it is said it all happened: Jerusalem.

In big groups people arrive and wander around the city, taking pictures, admiring the Temple Mount (called “Haram Al-Sharif), the Western Wall or simply let the interestingly holy feeling of the city wash over them.

It happens though, that the peaceful visit in Jerusalem takes a completely unexpected and surely entirely unwanted turn. It seems that the whole “holiness” of the city can suddenly turn someone from completely normal to a bed sheet-wearing self-proclaimed saint who has made it their mission to preach loudly in the streets of Jerusalem. A rather mortifying experience for all involved.

Do the Failings of Education Systems in Developed Nations Mirror the Failings of Capitalism?

Education systems in developed nations– that is to say advanced institutionalized education structures  - all exist within a narrative of competitive, meritocratic and success driven ideologies. With this in mind, it is not difficult to see the parallel between education systems in developed countries and a free market economy. In a time when capitalism is more and more criticized for its systemic flaws we should examine our education systems and ask why they have continued to water the roots of our free market economy by producing alienated, dissociated workers. Alienation, individualism and the constant drive for financial accomplishment are all by-products of both developed nations’ education systems and capitalism. The failings of developed nations’ education systems mirror the failings of capitalism, which conditions students to a life of consumerism, exploitation and alienated labour. 

Interview with Professor Christopher Brummer of Georgetown University

‘To get to where you want in life, you always have to go through a period of hard work.’

Only 36 and already highly successful. I interviewed Christopher Brummer, law professor at the prestigious Georgetown University in Washington D.C. He started his career at a young age in Germany, and has traveled the world since. He is a great fan of Star Wars and has built quite a collection. I spoke with him over skype, and asked him more about his fascinating life.

Why should we read?

In the light of the newspaper launch, we might sit back and ask ourselves as to why we should even waste part of our precious time reading. The outside world provides so much excitement and action, so why stay inside and pick up a book?

The answer is actually quite simple: contrary to popular belief, literature doesn’t close the door to the outside world; instead it opens many more than we’d normally not? have access to. Through books we can experience different cultures, societies and events that would, under normal circumstances, pass us by. Books make us understand the world better. For instance, the Renaissance itself is proof enough that printing is the key to spreading thoughts, opinions and information. Reading encourages critical thinking.

Short story: "Travelling in time"

The time machine has been invented. I look at my brother; I must have misheard. Quickly, I gulp down my cereal and slam the door shut.

The time machine has been invented. I turn my head. No, it can’t be, I must have misheard. Quickly, I push my books into my locker and hurry up the stairs.

The time machine has been invented. I close my eyes and shake my head. I must have misheard.

The time machine has been invented. I must be dreaming. Please, pinch me. My friend obliges. I don’t wake up. It hurts.

They’re looking for test subjects, volunteers. This is new.

My friend looks at me. Yes, we’re signing up.

The wary man in the lab coat stares at my chart, then at me, then at the chart again. I cross my legs. I nibble at my nails. I look down. You’re free to go.

The time machine isn’t what I expected. It’s small, insignificant. I didn’t even notice it at first. I stare at the tiny machine.

My blood is pulsing, my feet are tingling and I’m soaked in green light.

I was told not to touch anything. Just moving one little rock could change the passing of events. I could destroy human existence, with it the invention of the machine, my own conception would be undermined and I would have never lived. But could I then not stand here, not altering the time and therefore still being been born? But then I would exist to alter the time and then I would have changed it…No, I should stop these thoughts. This paradox proves to be too much for my simple-minded brain. 

The stench makes my nose curl. I open my eyes. I have exactly 2 minutes before I dissipate into thin air.

"Thunderstorm"

At 4:33 am, when the street was quiet
I was awake, pale skin glowing, fingers drumming
Eyes glazed, slouched over a computer screen
And I felt happy and miserable all at once
At 4:35 I turned off the lights but left the curtains open
Darkness seeping in, a thunderstorm roaring
A flash of light and a bellowing crack
And I was tucked into bed, safe
A thunderstorm sang me to sleep
Gave me peace from wakefulness
And when I woke up, I didn’t remember my dream
Or the way the bright light must have filled the room that night
When the thunderstorm sang me to sleep.

by Anonymous