Top 3 TV Shows to binge-watch during the summer

Warning! All these shows are rated +16 and deal with mature themes, please keep that in mind if you decide to watch them.

You might have noticed advertisements for this show in the digital panels in the metro: this is because Orange Is The New Black just released its third season on Netflix in June. The summer break would be a great opportunity to catch up on this wonderful show (personally, it's my favourite show ever), or even start from the beginning. 

The Role of the Observer, the Self and Detachment

The world exists as a thing in itself and as an appearance through the senses of the observer. The world of appearances consists of things as we know them by the ordinary means of sense experience and scientific investigation, in other words the empirical world. For Kant these experiences are the phenomena that make up the world. This nature of duality in the world reveals our limitation of knowledge as we can never know the world as it is in itself, but merely how it could appear to us as scientists, philosophers or ordinary perceivers. As Schopenhauer beautifully puts it- “The world is your idea”.

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.

Pluie d'étoiles

photo (c) Mikko Lagerstedt

Mini sausage rolls

Mini sausage rolls

Ingredients:

• Mini sausages (or just cut normal sized ones)
• Puff pastry (1 pack out of the fridge)
• Mustard or ketchup (optional)
• 1 egg yolk

The Debating club

We all know: "The importance of learning public speaking for young people today - that students who develop public speaking skills have a skill for life” (Mrs. Andries). This is why our school decided to start a Debating Club. The idea came from an article published in 'The Washington Post’ which explained that debating is needed for educational progress, for work and for full participation in democracy.

Our school was really amazed about the enormous response from the pupils. After so many applications the debate started thanks to Mr. Kehoe who has organized it with the help of other teachers. It was a program held during ten weeks (every Tuesday from January 20th to March 24th) at lunch time in the Prefabs. During this period all 72 students of years 4,5 and 6 who applied could participate in the debate. Furthermore everyone in the school who wanted to could go and watch it.

A simple winter's tale

I heard a story long ago

About a distant land

Where lived a boy, hair white as snow

His name was Merriland.

The town he lived in was a bore

The train passed only twice;

The people there were very old

And didn't seem so nice.

Their eyes were green as emerald

They shined so bright at night;

Though many of them were just bald

No one had hair so bright.

Poor little boy named Merriland

He saw them stare and stare,

He bought a hat from a small band

The price of a train's fare.

He blended in without a sweat

He had turned into glass

And on the streets, brunette, brunette

"I think, produced in mass!"

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.

Pizza and the formula of the universe

My Daddy taught me that the universe has been expanding for a long time now; apparently it has been doing so ever since the Big Bang. Even Einstein said that, so it must be true. This means that before I eat a pizza I should at least wait 10 minutes before I start, because during that time my pizza is going to expand and then the volume of my meal will have increased whereas the calories won't. Additionally, since my stomach will also have expanded, it won't even trouble me to eat an even bigger volume of pizza.

Tree of Life

Hello everyone !

I am Lexa, a sixth year student from the French section, and I want to present a painting I have recently done. It represents a tree inspired by the ancient Tree of Life, from the Scandinavian mythology, and it was done with acrylics on a cotton canvas in approximately five hours. This is the fourth painting I have ever done on a canvas, and I am pretty proud of it, despite some mistakes I think I could have avoided.

What was my inspiration for this work ? This 1958 documentary film gave me the idea.

Les Mini-Entreprises de EEB2

Cette année, plusieurs mini-entreprises ont vu le jour à l'EEB2. Oui, mais une mini-entreprise c'est quoi ?

Partout en Europe, on offre la possibilité aux jeunes étudiants (en S6 à l'EEB2) de découvrir le monde de l’entrepreneuriat et de le concrétiser d'avantage. Pour cela, des étudiants créent et gèrent leur propre entreprise pendant quelques mois d'une année scolaire.

Ils occupent chacun différents postes clés dans les départements ressources humaines, commercial, financier et technique, et développent des compétences qui leur seront utiles toute leur vie. En effet, les jeunes perfectionnent non seulement leurs techniques de vente, mais apprennent également en quoi consiste vraiment la gestion, la publicité, le marketing, la comptabilité et plein d'autres notions encore. Vous avez sûrement déjà entendu parler des mini-entreprises de notre école ; mais qui sont-elles vraiment ?

Why should we develop a critical mind?

In present day society, there are numerous ways of thinking, which are cut off from us – not because we’re incapable of them but because various blockages have been developed and imposed to prevent people from thinking in such ways. Being open-minded and having the capacity to see things from more than one point of view is a virtue that people should be encouraged to strengthen from an early age and which can often be found absent in parents and teachers – the people who are responsible for our education. Thus we must take it upon ourselves to not naively accept what is placed in front of us as the only option and use reason and creativity as the tool to free us from the narrow sphere of thought that is adopted by most people in the world right now.

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

'Where did the little spoons go?'

We've all stolen spoons before. No? Okay.

After about a month of anticipation, we present to you the newly launched website. We are ready to start this project with contributions from you.... the students of EEB2.

We know there are a lot of great writers out there, and even more people with interesting ideas to share with other students. We are reaching out to you right now and addressing every writer, artist, any person with a sense of creativity or with an intellectual mind. We hope that the Woluwe Independent will become a collaboration with every one of you who have a passion for something and want to share it with others, establishing bonds, new connections, and starting discussions.

We invite you to submit any content you like- whether you just saw a great movie and would like to recommend it, or you’d like to discuss something that’s been on your mind-  a personal or a worldwide issue. It could be anything.  An essay or a couple of lines on a subject, whatever you feel is right. The WI is here as a platform for communication inside our school, so use it to share what you love, what you want others to notice, even if you choose to do it anonymously.

That being said, we will be waiting for your submissions. Don’t be shy and let’s get this show on the road!

 - The Woluwe Independent team.

FOR SUBMISSIONS, QUESTIONS, HATE MAIL : woluweindependent@gmail.com