ThE MESSENGER - Franco-American School of New York
ThE MESSENGER - Franco-American School of New York
ThE MESSENGER - Franco-American School of New York
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French-<strong>American</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong><br />
The Messenger<br />
Two Cultures, Two Languages––One Paper<br />
VOL. IX NO. V Ju n e 2012 FREE<br />
FASNY Headmaster Retires<br />
<strong>School</strong> Says Farewell to Mr. Robert Leonhardt<br />
By Julian Salz and Olivier Weiss<br />
When Mr. Robert Leonhardt took the school by storm as Head <strong>of</strong> the <strong>School</strong> in<br />
2002, he sought to take FASNY to the next level. Though already extremely successful all<br />
told, we barely had a high school, the French and <strong>American</strong> curricula were not as closely integrated<br />
as they are today, and the concept <strong>of</strong> a Ridgeway campus would have seemed somewhat<br />
inappropriate and grandiose. Now, under his leadership, four 12th grade classes have<br />
graduated and a large, integrated campus should soon become a reality. FASNY has grown<br />
from a “Mom and Pop” establishment into a community that is pr<strong>of</strong>essional and thriving, yet<br />
warm and tight-knit.<br />
We at The Messenger have sought to paint a picture <strong>of</strong> the man, his time and fantastic<br />
record at FASNY, and what’s next for the school by speaking to the Chairman <strong>of</strong> the Board<br />
<strong>of</strong> Trustees Mr. Mischa Zabotin, Mr. Leonhardt himself, his successor Mr. Joël Peinado, and<br />
his assistant Ms. Debbie Kozlowski, who, sadly, will be leaving the Mamaroneck <strong>of</strong>fice and<br />
moving to the Fenimore <strong>of</strong>fice to assist Mr. Peinado.<br />
As tough as being Headmaster must have been, the man with the familiar bowtie and<br />
bearded smile made it clear that he was prepared: “I knew what I was getting into,” he assured<br />
us. He explained that he had been armed with a vision for the school that led him through<br />
his first few years: “the academic administration had to be pr<strong>of</strong>essionalized in order to permit<br />
growth.”<br />
His assistant Ms. Kozlowski—Debbie, to most <strong>of</strong> us—agreed. When asked what Mr.<br />
Leonhardt’s crowning achievement at FASNY was, Debbie responded that it was much more<br />
<strong>of</strong> the “little, behind-the-scenes things that not many got to see” that was the most seminal<br />
aspect <strong>of</strong> his tenure, noting that he “pr<strong>of</strong>essionalized the school<br />
and brought it up to standards.”<br />
Continued on Page 3<br />
Student Body Elects Next Year’s Council; Michael Anderson President<br />
By Emanuelle Rizk<br />
As with most <strong>of</strong> FASNY’s student government<br />
elections, students scrambled into the gym in a<br />
disorderly manner, vying for a seat on the privileged<br />
benches. Many had learned just that morning that<br />
the speeches were to be held that day; others were still<br />
wondering what was going on. Regardless <strong>of</strong> what<br />
group they were in, students murmured excitedly as<br />
to whom they thought was going to be elected, before<br />
hearing the speeches. Catherine Hampton,<br />
the current school president, stepped in and<br />
told students to do the opposite <strong>of</strong> what they<br />
were now doing: to vote for the best-suited<br />
candidate for the job, not the most liked.<br />
“This isn’t a popularity contest,” she<br />
reminded them.<br />
Two candidates for treasurer, three<br />
candidates for secretary, four candidates for<br />
vice president and a single, elected-by-default<br />
president were sitting in a semi-circle on the<br />
stage. Among them were next year’s <strong>of</strong>ficers:<br />
Catherine Hamet (’13), Penda Sarr (’13), Olivier<br />
Weiss (’14), and Michael Anderson (’13).<br />
Though their speeches mostly fol-<br />
In this Issue<br />
Page 2<br />
How the<br />
Internet distracts<br />
us. By<br />
Margaux<br />
Salz<br />
lowed the typical FASNY candidate’s enticing yet improbable<br />
<strong>of</strong>ferings, each scored a point on originality.<br />
Catherine leaned on her experience: with her older<br />
brother, James, having been in the student government,<br />
she had the knowledge <strong>of</strong> an old-timer as to the<br />
demands and needs <strong>of</strong> the job.<br />
Penda stepped up to the microphone and almost<br />
immediately set a cheerful mood in the auditorium.<br />
She announced that she knew most <strong>of</strong> the students,<br />
if not personally then by name. She said that if she were<br />
Campaigning this year featured fewere m&ms, more memes.<br />
M83 and Roy<br />
Hargrove in<br />
concert. By<br />
Will Horikawa<br />
and Julian Salz<br />
Page 7<br />
Illustration by Emanuel Wickenburg<br />
elected, she would make it her priority to listen to each<br />
and every child that needed to be heard, then transmit<br />
any requests to the rest <strong>of</strong> the student government.<br />
Olivier walked confidently to the center <strong>of</strong> the<br />
stage; most students already knew him from his moving<br />
speech for Black History Month. He announced that<br />
he wanted to give back to the school that had already<br />
granted him so many opportunities by making FASNY<br />
an even more open and accepting community.<br />
Although Michael was already elected, he delivered<br />
a speech with the other candidates, listing<br />
his ideas and starting to build on a relation <strong>of</strong> trust<br />
he will be fortifying during the following year. “Either<br />
way,” he joked, “you’re stuck with me.”<br />
The speeches given by this year’s set <strong>of</strong> candidates<br />
were promising. The students seemed to<br />
have a lot <strong>of</strong> faith in them, as most went to vote,<br />
but as many pointed out, it will be hard to equal<br />
the work <strong>of</strong> this past year’s student government.<br />
Hopefully the new group will set even higher standards<br />
for the years to come.<br />
“We had a great group this year and we hope<br />
that next year’s group will not only live up to<br />
their legacy, but will continue to grow,” said Mr.<br />
Ellinghaus, Student Council faculty advisor.<br />
In Review Page 9<br />
Seniors<br />
Strike<br />
Again
2<br />
Social Networking in Real Life<br />
By Lucie Desvallées<br />
I’ve been thinking lately<br />
about what life would be like<br />
if you did exactly what you do<br />
on Facebook or Twitter.<br />
Let’s start with Facebook.<br />
Would you ever go up<br />
to a random person and poke<br />
him or her? I guess you can,<br />
but that would be somewhat<br />
Internet Distractions<br />
By Margaux Salz<br />
The only thing harder than actually working<br />
on an essay or a “devoir maison” is mustering up the<br />
courage to sit down at your desk and begin these most<br />
challenging tasks. There is little to no motivation aside<br />
from the looming threat <strong>of</strong> a bad grade and a descending<br />
average, and worst <strong>of</strong> all, the tiniest fly becomes a<br />
thousand times more entertaining when compared to<br />
the grueling task <strong>of</strong> analyzing Shakespeare.<br />
Our parents faced the same challenges as we<br />
have when it came to being focused, but our generation<br />
has to deal with an even worse, even more insurmountable<br />
obstacle: the Internet. Whenever we are at<br />
home we are no more than two minutes away from a<br />
computer or mobile device such as an Iphone, Ipod<br />
touch, and Ipad. With an ever growing network <strong>of</strong><br />
Wi-Fi spreading throughout the country and world,<br />
it is becoming hard to find places without a mobile<br />
Internet connection.<br />
Unlike the traditional TV where it was frequent<br />
to have no interesting shows to watch, the<br />
Internet is on-demand entertainment: there are millions<br />
<strong>of</strong> websites scattered across the web, making it<br />
easy for the oldest grandmother and youngest child to<br />
find something <strong>of</strong> interest.<br />
There is no need to list the most popular sites<br />
that have been making headlines, like YouTube, Twitter<br />
and Facebook, but there are many other sites that<br />
are also helping us waste away our life, one page after<br />
the other. Although it would be ironic to list these in<br />
an article aimed at curbing our viewing <strong>of</strong> these sites,<br />
it seems only necessary in the name <strong>of</strong> journalism<br />
to name them: Reddit, memespot, smartphowned,<br />
9gag, 4chan, memegenerator, Tumblr and many,<br />
Community<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
odd. Chances are that, sooner<br />
or later, that person and others<br />
will be scared <strong>of</strong> you and block,<br />
or even unfriend you. First <strong>of</strong><br />
all, let me just ask: how would<br />
you actually block someone in<br />
reality? I am going to let you<br />
answer that. And, obviously, I<br />
understand that you can stop<br />
being friends with someone.<br />
Another question:<br />
Would you give someone a<br />
‘thumbs up’ if you were to like<br />
his or her shirt? I am pretty<br />
certain that the answer would<br />
be no; if you were to hold your<br />
thumb up at someone, without<br />
even talking, you would<br />
definitely make that person uncomfortable.<br />
Liking your own status<br />
updates is comparable to commenting<br />
on something you<br />
said. For example: You say, “I<br />
just adopted a dog” … then you<br />
add, “Wow, what I said was so<br />
cool!” Does anyone realize how<br />
self-centered that is?<br />
Now we move on to<br />
Twitter.<br />
Honestly, I think that<br />
“following” someone in the real<br />
world just may make you seem<br />
like a stalker. Personally, I don’t<br />
many more.<br />
How does one resist to the temptation <strong>of</strong><br />
watching people get hurt on YouTube and contemplating<br />
the oddly relatable Success Kid meme? When<br />
considering the option <strong>of</strong> starting homework a list <strong>of</strong><br />
better things to do immediately pops into any lazy student’s<br />
head: most <strong>of</strong> them having to do with the Internet.<br />
The most menial <strong>of</strong> tasks, like writing a short<br />
Graphic by Clemence Wassen<br />
article, becomes monstrously arduous in comparison<br />
to sitting idly on Facebook and Tumblr while shoving<br />
food down your throat. Nowadays it takes a two hour<br />
reward <strong>of</strong> Internet after every assignment to be able to<br />
even cope with work.<br />
For those with little self-control, the idea <strong>of</strong><br />
just shutting yourself up in your room and working<br />
studiously until every single project is done seems like<br />
a bad joke (especially when considering the fact that<br />
there’s Wi-Fi in your room and either a laptop, Iphone<br />
or tablet right by your side). The most radical option<br />
think people would really care<br />
if you “had cereal for breakfast”<br />
“Would you give someone a ‘thumbs up’ if<br />
you liked his or her shirt?”<br />
or “just took a nap.” Of course,<br />
on Twitter, you will end up with<br />
500 followers<br />
just by<br />
saying “aced<br />
my test.”<br />
I t<br />
isn’t only<br />
these socialnetworks<br />
where<br />
one does<br />
things that<br />
wouldn’t be<br />
done in real<br />
life. On a<br />
phone, you<br />
put a caller<br />
on hold; if<br />
you really<br />
put someone<br />
on hold<br />
it could be very rude. In every<br />
social network, you ask someone<br />
to be your friend; if you did<br />
that in real life you would seem<br />
a bit desperate.<br />
Overall, social networking<br />
is just another way in which<br />
our means <strong>of</strong> communicating is<br />
evolving, even if it makes you<br />
look strange in real life.<br />
<strong>of</strong> all, unplugging your Wi-Fi and/or shutting <strong>of</strong>f the<br />
Internet seems as drastic as taking life-support away;<br />
not to mention the other members <strong>of</strong> your household<br />
would be less than enthusiastic about having to detach<br />
themselves from their screens long enough for you to<br />
get your work done, which is especially true for 11th<br />
and 12th graders who work for hours on end.<br />
Is there really no other option than learning<br />
self-discipline to be able to work? Can we actually stay<br />
studious while rejoicing in the glory <strong>of</strong> the Internet,<br />
with all its memes, movies, music, and clever e-cards?<br />
Scientists have stated that we spend seven and a half<br />
hours per day in front <strong>of</strong> a screen, which, when you<br />
think about it, doesn’t sound like much <strong>of</strong> an exaggeration.<br />
We do spend a ridiculous amount <strong>of</strong> time<br />
on the web, and technology will only become more<br />
and more intrusive as we continue living: if you think<br />
an Ipod touch with Wi-Fi makes it hard to study,<br />
wait until you can strap the Internet to your face<br />
with Google glasses.<br />
It seems impossible to live without being<br />
connected to the web, and yet its biggest adversary<br />
is school and homework. One <strong>of</strong> the challenges <strong>of</strong><br />
students in the years to come, which must not be<br />
taken lightly, will not be access to information for<br />
research papers and projects, but rather the ability<br />
to disconnect from the Internet to get back to real<br />
life. Not only do our academic careers depend on our<br />
self-discipline, but our social lives as well: Facebook<br />
and Twitter do not count as hanging out with friends,<br />
and never will. Every student could benefit from a<br />
little less time on the computer, and much more time<br />
doing almost anything else; maybe like learning Croatian<br />
or mastering the harp.
When asked what his biggest obstacles or<br />
toughest decisions were, Mr. Leonhardt said that no<br />
decision was impossible, but rather that there were<br />
many important ones. Some <strong>of</strong> the most memorable,<br />
he said, were launching the Ridgeway project, taking<br />
on the lease for the Scarsdale campus, and opening<br />
the 11th and 12th grades, which he said was especially<br />
difficult given time constraints, the need to convince<br />
10th grade students to stay at FASNY, and the process<br />
<strong>of</strong> gaining accreditation from the French government.<br />
When asked about his leadership style, everyone<br />
pointed to the same word: “teamwork.” Mr. Leonhardt<br />
put it humbly, describing himself as “too lazy to<br />
be a micromanager; I’m more <strong>of</strong> a teamwork guy.” Mr.<br />
Peinado said that Mr. Leonhardt “believes in his people,<br />
delegates choices, and always works in committees.”<br />
He added that the atmosphere Mr. Leonhardt<br />
created was “non-hierarchical,” in which it was not<br />
about power, but about everyone working together.<br />
Mr. Leohardt will certainly be missed. “He’s<br />
almost like a father figure to me,” said Debbie. “He’s<br />
not just a boss, he’s a friend and a role model.”<br />
She fondly recalled how, when<br />
telling a story, Mr. Leonhardt always<br />
“takes on every accent that the people<br />
in the story have, because it could be<br />
Brooklyn, or German, or French, and<br />
you’re so engaged in it because he’s so<br />
hilarious, and he remembers everything<br />
word for word.”<br />
Mr. Zabotin described his relationship<br />
with Mr. Leonhardt as being<br />
“based on open and honest communication,<br />
on mutual availability and on trust.<br />
Those are also the hallmarks <strong>of</strong> a good<br />
friendship, which our relationship has<br />
become.” And when asked to describe<br />
Mr. Leonhardt in a few words, Mr. Peinado<br />
said: “articulate, funny, intelligent,<br />
team-builder, and visionary.”<br />
Asked about his vision for FAS-<br />
NY, Mr. Leonhardt’s said it “starts with<br />
the new campus. We’d like to expand to<br />
<strong>School</strong> Life 3<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
Teamwork a Central Theme <strong>of</strong> Mr. Leonhardt’s Tenure<br />
Continued From Front Page<br />
“It’ll be different without his famous<br />
bowtie or, as Mr. Zabotin<br />
puts it, his uncanny ability to<br />
quote La Fontaine for any given<br />
situation.”<br />
1200 students in the near future.”<br />
The tuition will have to stay at the same rate,<br />
the curriculum will expand to include more non-native<br />
French speakers, and a new academic track will<br />
be created. Mr. Peinado added that the courses might<br />
be more diversified through means <strong>of</strong> having more<br />
than just the French curriculum, which will, in turn,<br />
reinforce the international aspect <strong>of</strong> the school. Some<br />
students, in fact, might not even need to speak French.<br />
He qualified¬ this, though, by saying that the French<br />
baccalaureate still needs to be a focal point.<br />
On the transition from Mr. Leonhardt to Mr.<br />
Peinado, the former said he believes that there will be<br />
very little to no change. Mr. Peinado said that he is<br />
“not looking to go in a different direction,” stating that<br />
Computer Program to Undergo Fundamental Change<br />
By Amelia Getahun-Hawkins<br />
FASNY has <strong>of</strong>fered Computer class for the<br />
past sixteen years but it’s time for a change. While<br />
the school plans to use computers more than ever,<br />
FASNY has decided, essentially, to cut the class itself<br />
in half.<br />
Computer classes will still be into groups <strong>of</strong><br />
regular, intermediate and ESL, but they will only<br />
take place for one semester per year, except for in the<br />
ninth grade, because those students need a full year<br />
<strong>of</strong> the class for their Brevet.<br />
Why only one semester? Like many independent<br />
schools that cut the class entirely, the administration<br />
feels that one semester is enough for<br />
FASNY students to absorb the basics <strong>of</strong> Computer.<br />
However, C-omputer classes are not being entirely<br />
stopped because students still need to acquire basic<br />
computer skills.<br />
To make up for the half <strong>of</strong> the program that<br />
we miss, computers will be integrated more in regu-<br />
lar classes and students will obtain computer skills<br />
through them. For example, high school students<br />
will learn programming in math class.<br />
Many will be disappointed about the shortening<br />
<strong>of</strong> one <strong>of</strong> their favorite classes, but the time<br />
will be used during the other semester for Study<br />
Hall and elective classes. Also, the administration is<br />
trying to put in place a pilot program for students<br />
using laptops in class.<br />
The one sticking point might be one <strong>of</strong> those<br />
most fundamental skills: typing. Since formal computer<br />
classes have been canceled at the lower school,<br />
the Larchmont and Mamaroneck administration<br />
want to make sure that students acquire good typing<br />
skills.<br />
It’s also a time to ask about First Class—<br />
will it be the program <strong>of</strong> the future? Mr. Peinado<br />
says that the technology department is looking into<br />
changing from First Class to a Google-based mail.<br />
the transition will have a “positive and serene” essence<br />
to it and that he will make sure to keep the school “true<br />
to its mission.”<br />
Mr. Zabotin, in a letter he wrote for the Gala,<br />
said that Mr. Leonhardt made sure that FASNY did<br />
“not let academic excellence come at the expense <strong>of</strong><br />
well-rounded, respectful, and unassuming students,”<br />
and, in his interview, he said that Mr. Peinado compliments<br />
this view <strong>of</strong> the school with his “holistic approach<br />
to pedagogy,” concluding that he was the obvious<br />
choice for the position <strong>of</strong> Head <strong>of</strong> the <strong>School</strong>.<br />
Mr. Leonhardt, for his part, doesn’t plan on<br />
retiring and sitting on Florida’s sunny beaches just yet;<br />
he is waiting for what the future may have in stock.<br />
Asked to reflect on his plans, what he’s learned<br />
at FASNY, and what he will miss most, he said that,<br />
after his health scare in 2009, he feels not only much<br />
healthier, but also “much better,” and that his lying<br />
in a hospital bed provided for a lot <strong>of</strong> perspective<br />
and insight for the graduation speech he delivered to<br />
FASNY’s trailblazing class <strong>of</strong> 2009. When it comes to<br />
life lessons, he believes that he has “developed a deeper<br />
understanding <strong>of</strong> the importance <strong>of</strong> listening<br />
carefully; I have learned to be very<br />
patient.” He says that he will certainly<br />
miss, above all, “the people, and the opportunity<br />
to work in a bilingual environment.”<br />
It seems clear that Mr. Leonhardt’s<br />
leadership for the past ten years<br />
has not just changed an entire school for<br />
the better, but also instilled in FASNY<br />
his own values <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essionalism with<br />
warmth, trust with responsibility, and<br />
growth with stability. It’ll be different<br />
without his famous bowtie or, as Mr.<br />
Zabotin puts it, his uncanny ability to<br />
quote La Fontaine for any given situation,<br />
but his legacy remains, and so does<br />
his sparkling personality. As he led the<br />
school through its largest expansions, so<br />
he leads a new chapter in his life, and we<br />
wish him the best.<br />
Illustration by Zoé Guyot
4<br />
Art: what is it? That’s a pretty good philosophical<br />
question, and, depending on what and<br />
whom you study, you’re going to get a lot <strong>of</strong> different<br />
answers. For me, art is a representation <strong>of</strong> abstract<br />
concepts through means <strong>of</strong> symbolism and creativity.<br />
Art is about the human mind and its varying,<br />
faceted interpretations <strong>of</strong> life and all <strong>of</strong> its succeeding<br />
events. Art isn’t limited by tradition, and the<br />
means by which it is conveyed<br />
are not subject to arbitrary restrictions.<br />
Art manifests itself<br />
in book form just as it does in<br />
dirt because it transcends the<br />
material through which it was<br />
made by appealing to the ideal<br />
and the symbolic in us, by appealing<br />
to our reason.<br />
Today, art is taking on<br />
many different forms. Books<br />
are becoming less tangible and<br />
more and more digital. Movies<br />
are disappearing from the big<br />
screen and transferring over<br />
to the small and the mobile.<br />
The big things in music aren’t<br />
albums anymore; they’re actually<br />
live concerts.<br />
But here’s one more change that may not just<br />
be recognizing reality, but a matter <strong>of</strong> opinion: video<br />
games can now be art.<br />
Consider a couple <strong>of</strong> the video games that<br />
have come out over the past few years. Consider<br />
Grand Theft Auto IV, which tells the tale <strong>of</strong> a thirty<br />
year old Eastern European immigrant, Niko Bellic,<br />
who comes to America in search <strong>of</strong> the <strong>American</strong><br />
Dream. He arrives in Liberty City (NYC) to be greeted<br />
by a cousin who, many years prior, had done as he<br />
did. Soon, however, Bellic finds that America’s streets<br />
aren’t really paved with gold, that his cousin doesn’t<br />
own the mansions he claimed he had, and that life<br />
in Liberty City can be just as painful and violent as<br />
life in his home country. As he attempts to restart<br />
his life, he gets bogged down with organized crime<br />
as the debt and the shadows that had haunted him<br />
in Eastern Europe come to bite him even when he’s<br />
a quarter <strong>of</strong> the way across the world, in the land <strong>of</strong><br />
the free and the home <strong>of</strong> the brave. As the stoic main<br />
character goes through the storyline, he meets more<br />
and more people, each with their own problems,<br />
their own outlooks on life, and their own meanings.<br />
Although Grand Theft Auto IV may be crass, violent,<br />
and pornographic at times, this only adds on to artistic<br />
conception and vision <strong>of</strong> the lonely, biting, greediness<br />
that can be <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong> City. It’s a game that has<br />
more layers than possibly imaginable, a game that is<br />
deep in meaning and rich in ideas, giving it a unique<br />
ability to attract people from each end <strong>of</strong> the intellectual<br />
spectrum.<br />
Or how about Fallout: <strong>New</strong> Vegas, a game<br />
centered on civilization’s post-nuclear apocalypse?<br />
The world ended with a loud bang on October 23rd,<br />
2077, as China and the United States engage in The<br />
Great War, in which the two countries launch their<br />
respective atomic bombs at each other following a<br />
Second Cold War. Your character is a courier working<br />
for the Mojave Express in the vast expanse <strong>of</strong> the<br />
Mojave Desert in 2281, and the world is still heavily<br />
Opinion<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
The Evolution <strong>of</strong> Video Games: Is It Art Now?<br />
YES! NOT REALLY!<br />
By Olivier Weiss<br />
scarred from the nuclear Armageddon<br />
two centuries ago. There is a<br />
power struggle over the control <strong>of</strong><br />
the Hoover Dam between a U.S.based<br />
government called the <strong>New</strong><br />
California Republic (NCR) and<br />
Caesar’s Legion, an authoritarian,<br />
slave-holding regime with a cult <strong>of</strong><br />
personality centered<br />
around<br />
Caesar, and Robert<br />
House, an<br />
enigmatic billionaire<br />
genius<br />
who protected Las Vegas from<br />
nuclear destruction in 2077 and is<br />
still alive, through his own genius,<br />
in 2281, forwarding his vision <strong>of</strong><br />
a free <strong>New</strong> Vegas with an atmosphere<br />
<strong>of</strong> decadence without<br />
elitism. Your character is in the<br />
middle <strong>of</strong> it all, and must decide<br />
whether to help one <strong>of</strong> these three<br />
sides, or help himself control <strong>New</strong><br />
Vegas.<br />
Through amazing dialogue,<br />
thousands <strong>of</strong> sub-quests that are indirectly linked to<br />
the main storyline, and a Rat Pack-Sinatra-cool-‘50s<br />
atmosphere, Fallout: <strong>New</strong> Vegas truly captivates, not<br />
just because <strong>of</strong> its dark, caustic, dripping humor or<br />
violence, but also because it confronts the player with<br />
different philosophies <strong>of</strong> life, hard moral choices, and<br />
an overwhelming sense <strong>of</strong> building fun and achievement<br />
as the game goes on and on. In short, Fallout:<br />
<strong>New</strong> Vegas is art.<br />
Assassin’s Creed, Portal, the Halo series, the Elder<br />
Scrolls series, Heavy Rain, Red Dead Redemption,<br />
the list <strong>of</strong> amazing, artistic video games goes on and<br />
on. Video games can aspire to great things.<br />
They can be insightful, pr<strong>of</strong>ound, and revelatory<br />
just as they can be insipid, stupid, and total<br />
trash. Just because Call <strong>of</strong> Duty is a waste <strong>of</strong> $60<br />
doesn’t mean that the Fallout series is as well, just like<br />
how Twilight is a waste <strong>of</strong> paper, but Crime<br />
Illustration by Louis Le Jamtel<br />
and Punishment is worth being assigned by<br />
a school for summer reading.<br />
Whether you buy my argument or not, video<br />
games are no longer limited to Pac-Man. As technology<br />
improves, so video games will become less and<br />
less restricted, and so they will become a part <strong>of</strong> the<br />
mainstream, just as movies had a century ago. If you<br />
are an adult and you pride yourself in intellectual<br />
curiosity and open-mindedness, please do yourself a<br />
favor and try one <strong>of</strong> the games I’ve listed. I promise<br />
you, you won’t regret it.<br />
By Emanuel Wickenburg<br />
Every single video game requires creativity,<br />
skill, intellect and painstaking hours <strong>of</strong><br />
work to produce. What, then, differentiates<br />
it from a painting, a novel, a poem, a song,<br />
or any other result <strong>of</strong> similar skill and effort<br />
that is considered an ‘art’? Some would say<br />
that nothing does, that Call <strong>of</strong> Duty is just<br />
as much an art form as the “Mona Lisa.”<br />
I believe there is a difference.<br />
I believe that art is defined not just by<br />
what is put into the making <strong>of</strong> it, but also<br />
by the emotional effect it has on people. Art<br />
should convey something valuable to the<br />
beholder; a sculpture or a painting may <strong>of</strong>fer<br />
a different view, the artist’s unique way <strong>of</strong> looking at<br />
things and finding aesthetic beauty in elements <strong>of</strong> real<br />
life, a book or film can transmit the author’s or the filmmaker’s<br />
ideas, and a song can inspire, can provoke emotion.<br />
Video games may have potential to do this, but<br />
they haven’t sufficiently explored that possibility yet. A<br />
video game doesn’t teach anything, doesn’t enlighten, and<br />
doesn’t give a fresh perspective on life, because while play-<br />
ing, the gamer is in charge and simply “acts” as in real life.<br />
The video game <strong>of</strong>fers an imitation <strong>of</strong> everyday life.<br />
Not only do video games fail to expand people’s<br />
minds in the way art should, they also have a negative<br />
impact on people’s lives. Art is supposed to help people<br />
in some way, and if something has the opposite effect it<br />
shouldn’t qualify as art.<br />
After all, who would want to succeed in real life<br />
when there is a much simpler virtual world where you<br />
don’t have to worry about consequences for actions and<br />
your only objective is not to get killed? Real life seems<br />
complicated and overwhelming in comparison, and all<br />
your energy is transferred to succeeding in an electronically<br />
generated, escapist world. This is not my conception<br />
<strong>of</strong> a work <strong>of</strong> art.<br />
Finally, video games may have a negative effect<br />
on public health. Scientists continue to investigate the<br />
correlation between exploding child obesity rates in the<br />
US and the growth <strong>of</strong> the video game industry among<br />
many factors. It is logical that many kids and teens would<br />
not want to run around outdoors and sweat when they<br />
could spend the day comfortably glued to their s<strong>of</strong>a, maneuvering<br />
a virtual world and exerting only the muscles<br />
in their thumbs. The obesity epidemic and lack <strong>of</strong> exercise<br />
drastically shorten life span and reduce quality <strong>of</strong> life.<br />
Taken a bit further they have been projected to cause a<br />
tremendous tax burden on the country due to the extra<br />
medical support needed.<br />
For these reasons, video games are an industry,<br />
rather than an art, which is supposed to benefit Mankind.<br />
That being said, video games may have the potential<br />
to become an art if executed differently; and, after<br />
all, maybe it’s the fact that they are not an art form that<br />
makes them so fun.
Intercours<br />
A Column That Strives Not To<br />
Include Mature Subjects<br />
The Good<br />
and the Bad<br />
By Michael Anderson and<br />
Armand Latreille<br />
Intercours is back from<br />
a one-issue hiatus! If you hadn’t<br />
noticed that gaping awkward<br />
hole in the last Messenger issue,<br />
it’s because our last column<br />
was deemed a little too controversial<br />
by higher powers. As<br />
a result, we’ve come up with<br />
something not controversial at<br />
all: our unbiased opinions on<br />
random things! Actually, we’ve<br />
worked hard on this installment,<br />
to make up for the last<br />
one. We took some precious<br />
time away from Bac revisions<br />
and finals studying to collect<br />
our thoughts for a moment,<br />
and reflect on the year that<br />
was. Without further ado, this<br />
is Intercours’s season finale.<br />
Linsanity<br />
ES Workload<br />
Giants Super Bowl<br />
Jiminy Peak<br />
End <strong>of</strong> tyrant regimes<br />
Justice @ terminal 5<br />
The rentrée that wasn’t (flood)<br />
End <strong>of</strong> the world in 7000 years<br />
KONY 2012 YEAAAAH<br />
(just kidding, why is nobody<br />
paying attention to Syria?)<br />
NBA on Christmas<br />
Senior Prank<br />
End <strong>of</strong> the war in Iraq<br />
7th Billion baby born<br />
Spirit Week Spirit<br />
Halloween Parade<br />
Rugby Injuries<br />
Shark Mascot<br />
Space Shuttles retired<br />
Die down <strong>of</strong> Occupy movements<br />
Death <strong>of</strong> Steve Jobs<br />
S Workload<br />
Pakistan Flooding<br />
Knicks First Round Exit<br />
Greek Crisis<br />
The Entire Month <strong>of</strong> February:<br />
SAT, TPE, and Bac Blanc<br />
<strong>School</strong> on Saturday<br />
Rock Bottom Meh Awesome<br />
Opinion 5<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
By Armand Latreille<br />
Exactly a year ago, this<br />
newspaper published an<br />
article explaining why Nicolas<br />
Sarkozy would live<br />
to serve another term as<br />
the President <strong>of</strong> France.<br />
I thought it was a brilliant<br />
article that perfectly<br />
Illustration by Louis Le Jamtel<br />
outlined Sarkozy’s assets<br />
in contrasts to <strong>Franco</strong>is<br />
Hollande’s weaknesses. Needless to say, my prediction<br />
turned out wrong, and Hollande replaced Sarkozy as the<br />
incumbent <strong>of</strong> the Elysee Palace a month ago. Why did it<br />
come to this?<br />
Sarkozy’s presidency started with a misstep that<br />
would symbolize his governing style: instead <strong>of</strong> celebrating<br />
his victory with the thousands that were waiting<br />
in la Place de la Concorde, him and 60 select few barricaded<br />
themselves at Fouquet’s, one <strong>of</strong> the more “upscale”<br />
restaurants in Paris. Attendees included French<br />
billionaires, finance moguls, CEOs <strong>of</strong> important French<br />
corporations, and Johnny Hallyday. In other words, the<br />
entire who’s who <strong>of</strong> powerful French personalities was<br />
present. Needless to say, nobody in France except the 60<br />
people invited thought this was the best way to start <strong>of</strong>f<br />
a presidency. Imagine if Obama had suddenly decided<br />
to ditch his election party at Grant Park and instead<br />
head to a posh <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong> City restaurant to eat lobster<br />
with Trump, CEOs <strong>of</strong> Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan,<br />
Rupert Murdoch, and Bruce Springteen.<br />
During his campaign, Mr Hollande frequently<br />
talked about the dignity <strong>of</strong> the French presidency, radically<br />
more so than in previous campaigns. Indeed, he<br />
saw the important hatred; disgust, and distrust France<br />
as a whole felt for Sarkozy, and wisely ran a campaign<br />
whose semi-<strong>of</strong>ficial main slogan was “5 years <strong>of</strong> Sarkozy<br />
is enough”. Mr Sarkozy was never a president <strong>of</strong> the<br />
people, rather, he was viewed as a “bling, bling” personality,<br />
meaning attracted to all that shines and makes<br />
noises. It was easy to point out his dérapages, because<br />
they were frequent and gave fodder to tabloids. Sarkozy<br />
wasn’t educated through the traditional grandes écoles,<br />
the very prestigious and elitist French universities, unlike<br />
<strong>Franco</strong>is Hollande. He liked to say what was on<br />
his mind, and he was anything but s<strong>of</strong>t-spoken. Furthermore,<br />
he championed wildly unpopular austerity<br />
reforms that gave the impression he was disconnected<br />
from the hardships <strong>of</strong> the French. That, and his very<br />
publicized and self-proclaimed 140% pay raise didn’t<br />
help. Despite being a powerful speaker, his public behavior<br />
was detestable to many voters, whom saw in him<br />
a mean, arrogant, and incapable little man. Simply put,<br />
he was an anthipathetic president.<br />
French voters historically favor “close to the<br />
people” presidents. They need a president that they can<br />
relate to, and in many elections, the electorate favored<br />
the president whom they could picture themselves sit<br />
down and have a beer with. Sarkozy was literally the antithesis<br />
<strong>of</strong> the model president. Never in five years did<br />
France feel represented in him, and he never really acted<br />
to change that. He was vulgar and his early mistakes (like<br />
the Fouquet’s dinner) had a lasting impression. What’s<br />
more, voters recognized his efforts towards fixing the<br />
economy, and other overall policies: polls suggest that<br />
Sarkozy has a better record (against Hollande) in having<br />
“the authority <strong>of</strong> a head <strong>of</strong> state” and for being “capable<br />
<strong>of</strong> taking the right decisions faced with the current economic<br />
and financial crisis.”<br />
France’s Changing Political Scene<br />
Hollande entered the presidential race as a pr<strong>of</strong>ound<br />
outsider. Indeed, many speculate that, had Dominique<br />
Strauss-Kahn not been implicated in the murky<br />
rape scandal in <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong> last summer, he would have<br />
never secured the nomination. Hollande was rocked by<br />
ultra-left challenger Mélanchon, and was an easy target<br />
for criticism: he had, after all, never held an important<br />
government position; and his policies in home department<br />
Correze left the budget riddled with debts. However,<br />
he was s<strong>of</strong>t-spoken, humble, calm, and appealing<br />
to voters who simply wanted to get rid <strong>of</strong> Sarkozy.<br />
In trying times, the French needed to be re-assured,<br />
and Mr. Hollande did just that. While recognizing<br />
the width <strong>of</strong> the financial crisis, Hollande made a<br />
choice in opting to criticize the difficult steps Sarkozy<br />
had taken to end the crisis (pension age at 60, diminishing<br />
<strong>of</strong> public sector employees); and comfort the electorate<br />
with popular policies (attack on the richest, augmentation<br />
<strong>of</strong> teachers by 60, 000 posts). His proposal <strong>of</strong><br />
a 75% tax on millionaires is an example <strong>of</strong> a gratuitous<br />
promise, aimed at striking voter’s heart- not their brains.<br />
It’s easy to blame the banks, the rich, and the markets<br />
for the financial hardships France has to face. It’s harder<br />
to advocate unpopular reforms (read: austerity) needed<br />
to steer clear <strong>of</strong> trouble.<br />
Instead <strong>of</strong> pushing for a balanced budget, or<br />
a roll-back <strong>of</strong> state spending, both Sarkozy and Hollande<br />
stuck to calmer seas; promised to expand the role<br />
<strong>of</strong> the state and supervision <strong>of</strong> markets. Now, both <strong>of</strong><br />
them are smart men, which have many other intelligent<br />
aides. They know that this is not the recipe for<br />
better economic times.<br />
However, it seemed like any method was acceptable<br />
for gaining voters. Sarkozy, for example, toughened<br />
up his stance and advocated a borderline xenophobic<br />
agenda concerning immigration to woo extreme-right<br />
votes. As a result, no one was quite sure what would<br />
each candidate do once in <strong>of</strong>fice. For example, not many<br />
voters actually thought that Hollande’s tax proposal was<br />
credible. Many critics, however, observed that Sarkozy<br />
had the personality and potential to pass the hard reforms;<br />
while Hollande would likely be more influenced<br />
by the electorate. And, the vote reflected that belief.<br />
France was scared <strong>of</strong> Sarkozy, and it became Hollande’s<br />
election to loose. After Sarkozy failed to muster his eloquence<br />
during the single debate, it was clear that he had<br />
lost the vote.<br />
Was the election a total rebuttal <strong>of</strong> Sarkozy’s<br />
policies? Not really.<br />
While some <strong>of</strong> his reforms were unpopular,<br />
many saw the good in them. Furthermore, he wasn’t as<br />
radical as some people had hoped he would be, but the<br />
tendency showed promise. He fostered an important relationship<br />
with foreign leaders, particularly Germany’s<br />
Angela Merkel and USA’s Barack Obama. He did put<br />
France back on the map, and strengthened its relationship<br />
with its allies. On the home front, he wasn’t afraid<br />
to advocate a tough—but somewhat popular—stance<br />
on immigration and racial problems (see the ban on<br />
veils), and he set the country on the right path towards<br />
economic recovery.<br />
If anything, this election is the pro<strong>of</strong> that personality<br />
does have an impact on the voters. France showed<br />
up en masse against Sarkozy the man, not the president.<br />
And, as I re-read last year’s article, I realize that I, too,<br />
vouched for Sarkozy- the president, not the man. I was<br />
wrong.
6<br />
The Beast Lies Within<br />
By Maddie King<br />
“The Afternoon wore on, hazy<br />
and dreadfu(…; the sow staggered her way<br />
ahead <strong>of</strong> them, bleeding and mad, and the<br />
hunters followed, wedded to her in lust,<br />
excited by the long chase and the dropped<br />
blood.…. They were just behind her when<br />
she staggered into an open space where …<br />
butterflies danced round each other and the<br />
air was… still. Here, struck down by the<br />
heat, the sow fell and the hunters hurled<br />
themselves at her.…Then Jack found the<br />
throat and the hot blood sprouted over his<br />
hands. The sow collapsed under them. At<br />
last the immediacy <strong>of</strong> the kill subsided. The<br />
boys drew back, and Jack stood, holding<br />
out his hands.<br />
“Look”<br />
He giggled and flicked them while<br />
the boys laughed at his reeking palms.(…)<br />
Roger began to withdraw his spear (…).<br />
Robert stabilized the thing in a phrase that<br />
was received uproariously.<br />
“Right up her ass!”<br />
(…)<br />
This time Robert and Maurice<br />
acted the two parts; and Maurice’s acting<br />
<strong>of</strong> the pig’s efforts to avoid the advancing<br />
spear was so funny that the boys cried with<br />
laughter.(…) The butterflies still danced,<br />
preoccupied in the center <strong>of</strong> the clearing.”<br />
--Lord <strong>of</strong> the Flies<br />
For a bunch <strong>of</strong> twelve-year-old kids, the<br />
behavior shown in this passage from<br />
Lord <strong>of</strong> the Flies is not only unexpected,<br />
but frighteningly eerie. Set during<br />
World War II, the book recounts the<br />
strange evolution <strong>of</strong> a group <strong>of</strong> young<br />
British boys after their plane crashes<br />
onto an uncharted island. While, in the<br />
beginning, the boys, aged 6-12, continue<br />
to act with a “civilized” conscience<br />
and sense <strong>of</strong> responsibility, they soon<br />
embrace a life <strong>of</strong> savagery.<br />
This conduct can be viewed in<br />
two different ways: either as a mental<br />
regression into a more primitive state,<br />
or the emergence <strong>of</strong> evil from the very<br />
The French-<strong>American</strong> <strong>School</strong> Of <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong><br />
Messenger<br />
Ecole <strong>Franco</strong>-Américaine de <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong><br />
French-<strong>American</strong> <strong>School</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong><br />
World<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
depth <strong>of</strong> the human nature.<br />
It could even be a correlation<br />
<strong>of</strong> both. The author’s<br />
autobiography suggests that<br />
violent tendencies as a teenager<br />
was one <strong>of</strong> the greatest<br />
elements that inspired him<br />
to write the book. The time<br />
period is no coincidence either.<br />
In his memoir, William<br />
Golding, the author,<br />
admits: “World War II was<br />
the turning point for me.<br />
I began to see what people<br />
were capable <strong>of</strong> doing. Anyone<br />
who moved through<br />
those years without understanding<br />
that man produces<br />
evil as a bee produces honey must have<br />
been blind or wrong in the head.” Some<br />
suggest that the book is actually an allegory<br />
<strong>of</strong> the war: the boys start out as<br />
friends, brothers, even, yet are divided<br />
once some are unwilling to submit to<br />
those who are by that time insane with<br />
power and barbarism.<br />
Many psychological tests were<br />
made in the second half <strong>of</strong> the century<br />
concerning this type <strong>of</strong> radical behavior<br />
change. In 1971, Philip Zimbardo<br />
conducted his famous Stanford prison<br />
experiment. The procedure’s goal was<br />
to study the psychological reaction <strong>of</strong><br />
seventy-five perfectly normal men when<br />
given the role <strong>of</strong> either a prison guard or<br />
a prisoner.<br />
The results were shocking. After<br />
only two days, the prison guards started<br />
to psychologically and physically abuse<br />
the prisoners. Various forms <strong>of</strong> humiliation<br />
were handed out as punishment for<br />
bad behavior while the obedient were<br />
rewarded with better cells, meals and<br />
supplies. Six days in, the experiment<br />
shut down. The men’s reactions were<br />
even more extreme than Zimbardo had<br />
predicted: many <strong>of</strong> the guards seemed to<br />
have developed true sadistic tendencies,<br />
and the prisoners were, <strong>of</strong> course, traumatized,<br />
and grew to internalize their<br />
prisoner role as a result. One prisoner<br />
even had to be removed from the mock<br />
prison after 36 hours on account <strong>of</strong> violent<br />
crying, bouts <strong>of</strong> anger and screaming.<br />
In the end, Zimbardo concluded<br />
that the participants’ behaviors were<br />
more due to the intense situation rather<br />
than their individual personalities. He<br />
even wrote a book entitled The Lucifer<br />
Effect, which questions whether we can<br />
ever be sure we are inherently good.<br />
Numerous critics challenged<br />
Zimabardo’s verdict. Erich Fromm, notably,<br />
defended a different theory: that<br />
violent behavior such as this is unalterably<br />
due to character traits. He argued<br />
that the experiment carried out by Zimbardo<br />
was incorrectly and unjustly executed,<br />
and even referenced the Nazi<br />
concentration camps to support his<br />
views.<br />
Also, in a more recent context,<br />
soldiers in enemy territory have been<br />
known to have had similar irrationally<br />
violent behaviors. Abhorrent pictures<br />
<strong>of</strong> the military posing in insulting positions<br />
with Iraqi prisoners and corpses<br />
have frequently been turning up in the<br />
media. We have viewed these pictures<br />
Good luck to Debbie in her new post in the Fenimore <strong>of</strong>fice! We will miss you! Visit us <strong>of</strong>ten!<br />
Editors-in-Chief: Emanuelle Rizk, Julian Salz<br />
Managing Editors: Armand Latreille, Olivier Weiss<br />
with disgust and horror, and, uncomprehending,<br />
we have either assumed<br />
that these people were the “bad apples”<br />
<strong>of</strong> the bunch or attributed their actions<br />
to pure traumatic insanity.<br />
But can it be more than that?<br />
The truth is, a hostile environment<br />
brings out the worst in us. With a license<br />
to kill (or in the case <strong>of</strong> Lord <strong>of</strong> the Flies,<br />
a license to survive), people are capable<br />
<strong>of</strong> things they would not have fathomed<br />
doing when they had ethically and socially<br />
imposed boundaries. In studying<br />
Lord <strong>of</strong> the Flies, we observe that the<br />
boys begin to lose it not when they start<br />
murdering each other, but way before<br />
that: when they slaughter their first pig.<br />
Could this be the root <strong>of</strong> our<br />
problem? If, in your mind, you are able<br />
to kill, then you are able to harm. If you<br />
are able to harm, you are able to torture.<br />
And once you are able to torture, then<br />
there is very little separating you from<br />
utter sadism. Now say you were in a<br />
position in which you were personally<br />
handed a gun and told you had to kill<br />
the people in front <strong>of</strong> you if you and<br />
your people wanted to survive. What<br />
would happen then? Would you release<br />
the beast within?<br />
VOL. IX NO. V<br />
Middle <strong>School</strong> Editor: Margaux Salz Sports Editor: Paul Castaybert Design Editor: Clémence Wassen Copy Editor: Emma Guyot<br />
Drawings by Louis LeJamtel and Emanuel Wickenburg.<br />
Reporting Staff: Michael Anderson, Victor Counillon, Joaquin Delmar, Jurnivah Désir, Thomas De Villemejane,<br />
Amelia Getahun-Hawkins, Nicolas Granato, David Guyot, Zoé Guyot, Guillaume Horikawa, Emilie Kehm,<br />
Maddie King, Cedric Nakashima, Sophia Nee, Yuri Nessen, Elizabeth O’csay, Mathieu Rizk,<br />
Oumou Sarr, Jacqueline Sarro, Emanuel Wickenburg, Camile Williams, Irène Woo.<br />
Faculty Advisors: Mrs. Anne K. Culhane, Mr. Tom Faure<br />
Special thanks to Ms. Creteur, Mr. Guyot, Ms. Lopez, and Mr. Taylor<br />
www.nobelprize.org<br />
145 <strong>New</strong> Street, Mamaroneck, NY 10543<br />
(914) 250-0000 www.fasny.org
Despite what the<br />
uninformed or uninitiated ear<br />
may hear, there is no music<br />
quite as brilliant or original in its<br />
sound as Jazz, the music which<br />
was the anthem <strong>of</strong> a young<br />
and unfailingly optimistic<br />
generation. Sadly, the fascination<br />
for this sound waned with the<br />
rapid and dramatic evolution<br />
<strong>of</strong> the country which had<br />
nursed it. And for more than<br />
30 years, what was and is still<br />
today one <strong>of</strong> the centerpieces <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>American</strong>a seemed abandoned<br />
to an art form appreciable<br />
only to the “intellectual” and<br />
nostalgic. Thankfully however,<br />
America has not completely<br />
forgotten the tones and rhythms<br />
unimaginable by anyone else,<br />
and neither has Roy Hargrove.<br />
Th e 42 year-old<br />
Hargrove returned to the<br />
Village Vanguard in the West<br />
Village this past April to show<br />
the once “Mecca <strong>of</strong> Jazz” that<br />
the music and its audience was<br />
still breathing ferociously. But<br />
Hargrove is not merely one <strong>of</strong><br />
the young lions who emerged<br />
into the contemporary jazz<br />
scenes in the early 1990s.<br />
He is also at the forefront <strong>of</strong><br />
a neo R&B/soul group, the<br />
RH Factor, with which he<br />
won a Grammy in 2002. He<br />
also acted as a sideman for<br />
rapper Common and now<br />
fronts the Roy Hargrove Big<br />
Band. As has now become<br />
somewhat <strong>of</strong> a tradition, his<br />
quintet returned to one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
premiere but discreet venues on<br />
Manhattan’s lower west side to<br />
perform pieces from its most<br />
recent albums, “Earfood” and<br />
“Nothing Serious”.<br />
A Jazz show is unlike<br />
any other form <strong>of</strong> live music,<br />
blending a mood, acoustic, and<br />
personality all its own which<br />
does not exist in any other style.<br />
The Village Vanguard, which<br />
has played host to some <strong>of</strong> the<br />
best artists and live recordings<br />
in Jazz, is the perfect initiation<br />
to this music. The players<br />
are only a few feet from you,<br />
displaying their groans and<br />
cries <strong>of</strong> approbation. Jazzmen<br />
are playing nearly every night,<br />
laboring to create something<br />
completely original. The<br />
physical, mental and spiritual<br />
demands <strong>of</strong> this art form can<br />
be seen on the grimaces, smiles,<br />
and shouts <strong>of</strong> the players. Jazz<br />
In Review<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
Jazz: Roy Hargrove at the Village Vanguard<br />
By Julian Salz<br />
groups also share a communal<br />
intimacy, a will to play together,<br />
to maintain their own musical<br />
personality and agenda while<br />
working as an ensemble. This<br />
is why Jazzmen are considered<br />
to be the best musicians in<br />
the world, because their genre<br />
requires total commitment to<br />
communal creation. They are<br />
just as talented at listening to<br />
each other as they are at playing<br />
with each other.<br />
This is what Roy<br />
Hargrove did masterfully,<br />
playing six songs that truly<br />
showed the crowd the<br />
exceptionality <strong>of</strong> his talent<br />
and innovation. His last two<br />
albums, mentioned earlier, are<br />
fusions <strong>of</strong> post and hard bop<br />
with simple but incredibly rich<br />
and soulful melodic ideas. The<br />
length and brilliant simplistic<br />
originality <strong>of</strong> his phrasing<br />
during ballads is reminiscent <strong>of</strong><br />
Miles Davis, yet he also delights<br />
in exposing the influence Dizzy<br />
Gillespie had on him in his<br />
bop and Afro-Cuban inspired<br />
pieces. His now longtime alto<br />
saxophonist Justin Robinson<br />
pours just as much excitement<br />
as talent into his breathtakingly<br />
long and complex solos, leap-<br />
Dreaming in Outer Space with M83<br />
By Will Horikawa<br />
Following the release <strong>of</strong> a<br />
critically-acclaimed album Hurry<br />
Up, We're Dreaming and Midnight<br />
City, arguably the track <strong>of</strong> the year,<br />
M83 has been spending the majority<br />
<strong>of</strong> 2012 on a worldwide tour, and<br />
stopped by <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong>'s Terminal 5<br />
this May to play one <strong>of</strong> the venue's<br />
most dazzling, energetic and electrifying<br />
shows <strong>of</strong> the year. The French<br />
outfit took the stage right after a very<br />
M83 performing at Terminal 5<br />
strange looking alien creature, none<br />
other than the one feature on the<br />
Midnight City single artwork, who<br />
warmed up the crowd while a cinematic,<br />
orchestral composition followed<br />
his every move. Suddenly, the<br />
lights fade to black, and M83 begin<br />
their set with the aptly named "Intro",<br />
a heart-wrenching synth track<br />
which invigorates the crowd with<br />
lead singers Anthony Gonzalez &<br />
Morgan Kibby's escalating<br />
vocals. The mesmerizing<br />
is also in full effect<br />
for the very first time:<br />
the stage was filled with<br />
neon light cylinders and<br />
the walls were covered<br />
in a bed <strong>of</strong> scintillating<br />
stars (This is almost to<br />
be expected when your<br />
band is named after a<br />
galaxy, Messier 83). The<br />
band worked through<br />
an eclectic set list, incorporating<br />
songs from<br />
frogging between pitches at an<br />
almost frightening but thrilling<br />
rate <strong>of</strong> speed. Pianist Sullivan<br />
Fortner showed why he is one<br />
<strong>of</strong> the most creative players <strong>of</strong><br />
his time with R&B and funk<br />
inspired riffs evocative <strong>of</strong> catchy<br />
hip hop instrumentals. Quincy<br />
Phillips created what can only<br />
be described as a shining sea <strong>of</strong><br />
perpetually crashing symbols<br />
and fills, dabbling even in disco<br />
and rap beats that blended<br />
surprisingly well with Ameen<br />
Saleem’s cool bass.<br />
Hargrove’s quintet’s<br />
unique sound is driven by its<br />
many different albums,<br />
and because <strong>of</strong> this,<br />
they were able to create<br />
a concert experience<br />
that is second to none:<br />
in less than 90 minutes,<br />
I felt as if I had been to<br />
a sold-out stadium rock<br />
performance (Reunion,<br />
This Bright Flash), a 90's<br />
rave (Sitting, Couleurs),<br />
a local indie show (Year<br />
One, Year UFO), an 80s<br />
party (Steve McQueen,<br />
Graveyard Girl) an orchestral<br />
recital, the list<br />
goes on & on.<br />
But if there was one<br />
thing to remember from M83<br />
that night, it would simply be the<br />
fact that, more than the vast majority<br />
<strong>of</strong> independent bands today, they<br />
understand and value the context <strong>of</strong><br />
a live show and put in effect so many<br />
noteworthy adjustments to make the<br />
audience's experience a memorable<br />
7<br />
careful blend <strong>of</strong> the best <strong>of</strong> then<br />
and now. Each musician plays<br />
with one ear leant to the past<br />
and one towrds the future <strong>of</strong> Jazz<br />
which is just as unpredictable as<br />
it was in its heyday.<br />
Even if your ear is not<br />
one to be taken on an incredible<br />
journey by the solos <strong>of</strong> Coltrane<br />
or the tone <strong>of</strong> Miles Davis, you<br />
truly have not fully experienced<br />
live music until you’ve seen a<br />
jazz show. Jazz doesn’t have to<br />
be reserved for the intellectual,<br />
nostalgic or old, but right now<br />
it seems to be doing just fine on<br />
its own.<br />
Album cover for M83’s Hurry Up, We’re dreaming<br />
one: be it mixing down new layers <strong>of</strong><br />
sounds over already familiar songs,<br />
processing mind bending electronics<br />
through synth modules between<br />
tracks or simply jamming out on<br />
cowbells, the band always looks<br />
ready to perform like there's no tomorrow.
8<br />
By Yasmine Kacha<br />
The 2012 Art Show<br />
By Emilie Kehm<br />
The school art<br />
show has proved to be yet<br />
another success. Like every<br />
year, students from grades 6<br />
through 12 take the opportunity<br />
during this event to<br />
display their best work since<br />
September. From morning<br />
until those last seconds before<br />
the opening, students<br />
from all ages come together<br />
to set up each other’s work,<br />
decorating the halls <strong>of</strong> the<br />
school with a mix <strong>of</strong> vibrant<br />
colors, covering the usual<br />
white paint on the walls.<br />
Starting at eight,<br />
the lucky middle school students<br />
have the help <strong>of</strong> FAS-<br />
NY mothers to set up their<br />
work in the hallways during<br />
the whole day, careful that<br />
no art pieces are stomped<br />
on by students scurrying to<br />
class. Mr. Murray and Mrs.<br />
Gisondo, the art teachers,<br />
supervise the setup.<br />
However, for the<br />
high school, it is a little<br />
more difficult to handle<br />
things independently. Dur-<br />
ing the day, the older students<br />
try to concentrate in<br />
class, but to no avail; they<br />
are thinking <strong>of</strong> the last projects<br />
they need to finish.<br />
As the last bell<br />
rings, they run to the art<br />
room to get their projects.<br />
Before the art show, the<br />
art class becomes a chaotic<br />
workshop. Many students<br />
finally finish up projects<br />
that were taking forever to<br />
complete in the year and<br />
everyone runs back and<br />
forth from the class to anywhere<br />
in the school.<br />
Opening time<br />
draws near, the students,<br />
becoming more edgy by<br />
the minute, finish displaying<br />
their last pieces <strong>of</strong> work,<br />
fix up the tiniest little detail<br />
that completes the project,<br />
and try to get out <strong>of</strong> the<br />
room as fast as possible before<br />
anyone sees them.<br />
As the last student<br />
leaves with the stapler, the<br />
first few parents arrive. The<br />
school, now turned into an<br />
Art Show<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
By Emeline DeNarp<br />
art gallery, gives a chance<br />
to the young artists to lead<br />
their parents around and<br />
show them what they have<br />
accomplished. This year,<br />
the gym has provided more<br />
space for the growing 10th,<br />
11th and 12th grade artists<br />
to display their numerous<br />
and wonderful works <strong>of</strong> art.<br />
Thanks to teachers<br />
and many other students<br />
working together, the gym<br />
became a room for imagination.<br />
Paintings and<br />
drawings hadn’t been the<br />
only talent that night. Music<br />
groups <strong>of</strong> all genres were<br />
able to play on the stage,<br />
giving a nice atmosphere<br />
to the gym while the crowd<br />
enjoyed the displays as well<br />
as food and drinks. This art<br />
show has successfully proven<br />
the capacities <strong>of</strong> the students<br />
at the school and will<br />
continue to be a wonderful<br />
tradition at FASNY.<br />
By Raphael Charlier<br />
By Guillaume Detobel<br />
By Clara Martin<br />
By Gabriel Mehaignerie<br />
By Jean-Raphael Decaux<br />
By Madeleine Herne
Senior Prank 9<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
All photos by Emanuelle Rizk
10<br />
Science<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
« Si l’abeille disparaît, l’humanité en a pour quatre ans. »<br />
- Albert Einstein<br />
Créons le B(u)zzzz Sauvons les abeilles!<br />
Par Elise Wendt, Naomi Daniel,<br />
Mattéo Karagoz et Camille Payen<br />
L’abeille influence de<br />
façon indirecte les humains ;<br />
elle assure plus de 10% de la<br />
production de plantes cultivées,<br />
telles que l’arbre fruitier et les<br />
tournesols. Cet insecte féconde<br />
par pollinisation une moyenne<br />
de 80% des fleurs dont se nourrissent<br />
des herbivores comme le<br />
mouton ou la vache. L’abeille<br />
est donc le pilier de nombreuses<br />
chaînes alimentaires.<br />
Aujourd’hui, nous observons<br />
une diminution de la<br />
Les Rêves<br />
Par Emanuelle Rizk<br />
Il y a quelques mois,<br />
une fille que nous nommerons<br />
Marie vit sa petite<br />
sœur se transformer en<br />
monstre hideux tandis<br />
que ses parents, hébétés,<br />
fondaient sous le soleil<br />
de Février au milieu de<br />
poissons volants. Ne sachant<br />
que faire, Marie se<br />
retourna afin d’éviter ces<br />
visions d’horreur, se retrouva<br />
nez a nez avec un<br />
homme tenant un couteau,<br />
trébucha, et tomba<br />
dans un puits sans fin.<br />
Elle se réveilla en sursaut,<br />
haletante et terrifiée.<br />
Malgré toutes<br />
les innovations ayant<br />
eu lieu dans les siècles<br />
précédents, les rêves<br />
restent parmi les plus<br />
bizarres et mystifiants mécanismes<br />
du cerveau humain. Ceci<br />
alors que tous les êtres humains<br />
rêvent, sauf dans les cas<br />
de problèmes psychologiques<br />
extrêmes. De quoi ? Uniquement<br />
de personnes qu’on a<br />
déjà rencontrées. Il se pourrait<br />
que l’homme tenant le couteau<br />
dans le rêve de Marie ait été<br />
en fait le gentil monsieur qui<br />
était serveur dans son restaurant<br />
préféré quand elle n’avait<br />
même pas cinq ans. Son visage<br />
avait depuis longtemps été<br />
rangé dans son subconscient, et<br />
elle ne pouvait donc s’en rappeler<br />
lorsqu’elle était éveillée.<br />
Aujourd’hui, ce qu’on<br />
a comme informations au<br />
sujet des rêves s’appuie sur<br />
l’interprétation des individus<br />
qui ont rêvé. Ainsi, on sait que<br />
population des abeilles. Leur<br />
disparition est due aux insecticides<br />
utilisés par les humains<br />
pour protéger leur agriculture.<br />
Mais peu savent que leurs<br />
produits affectent la fécondité<br />
des abeilles. En effet, les abeilles<br />
femelles pondent 10 œufs de<br />
moins que les abeilles qui ne<br />
sont pas au contact des pesticides.<br />
C’est pour cette raison<br />
que la population diminue progressivement.<br />
Mobilisons nous !<br />
certaines personnes ne rêvent<br />
pas en couleur, et que ce groupe<br />
Sigmund Freud, père de la psychanalyse<br />
constitue à peu près 12% de la<br />
population, s’accroissant avec<br />
l’âge. Mais on ne sait pas si<br />
l’expérience de rêver est modifiée<br />
s’il y a absence de couleur.<br />
De toute manière, on ne peut<br />
même pas être sur que ces faits<br />
Par Florencia Loca, Emma Hemmerlé, Jocelin<br />
Thomas, Théotime Janssens de Bisthoven<br />
L’abeille joue un rôle<br />
majeur dans la reproduction<br />
des plantes. Les insectes<br />
pollinisateurs, comme la mégachile<br />
de la luzerne, assurent<br />
plus de 10% de la production<br />
de certaines plantes cultivées.<br />
Comme ces insectes volent<br />
de plante en plante, ils aident<br />
certains végétaux à gagner du<br />
territoire.<br />
Cependant, les abeilles<br />
semblent condamnées par<br />
l’urbanisation, l’agriculture in-<br />
soient vaguement vrais : peutêtre<br />
les rêveurs ne se rappellentils<br />
pas correctement leurs rêves.<br />
Presque tout ce qu’on<br />
sait des rêves vient de simples<br />
observations. En réveillant des<br />
élèves juste avant leur phase de<br />
rêve, des scientifiques ont put<br />
remarquer qu’au bout de moins<br />
d’une semaine, ceux-ci exhibaient<br />
déjà les signes des phases<br />
préliminaires de la psychose, ou<br />
la folie. Que nous montre cette<br />
expérience ? Rêver est nécessaire<br />
au fonctionnement de l’être humain.<br />
Il faudrait donc pousser<br />
vers bien plus de découvertes<br />
vis-à-vis de ce qu’il se passe dans<br />
le cerveau lors du sommeil.<br />
Non seulement cela servirait à<br />
en savoir plus sur cet organe si<br />
complexe, mais peut-être pourrait-on<br />
même utiliser les rêves<br />
pour soigner des individus traumatisés,<br />
voire malades mentaux.<br />
Les ‘interprètes de rêves’, qu’on<br />
rencontre bien moins souvent<br />
qu’auparavant, cherchent toujours<br />
a déterminer la signifiance<br />
de nos rêves, qu’ils soient<br />
tensive et les développement des<br />
cultures qui ne contiennent pas<br />
de fleurs. De plus, les abeilles<br />
sont également mises en danger<br />
par les insecticides utilisés dans<br />
les cultures.<br />
Plus essentiellement et<br />
finalement, la biodiversité animale<br />
et végétale est menacée<br />
par la disparition des abeilles.<br />
Une réduction des espèces végétales<br />
pourrait être à la source<br />
d’une diminution d’oxygène<br />
dans l’air et d’une pénurie de<br />
ressources alimentaires. En sauvant<br />
les abeilles, nous nous sauvons<br />
nous-mêmes.<br />
L’artiste Salvador Dali dépeignait souvent des scènes semblablement<br />
sorties de rêves.<br />
effrayants, agréables ou tout<br />
simplement bizarres. Bien que<br />
cette discipline soit loin d’être<br />
exacte, elle souligne la place importante<br />
qu’occupent les rêves<br />
dans la vie de tous. Pourquoi la<br />
petite sœur de Marie se transforme<br />
en monstre ? Peut-être<br />
qu’en poussant les recherches<br />
dans les rêves, on pourra bientôt<br />
formuler quelques hypothèses.<br />
Pourtant, le monde<br />
des rêves est toujours indéchiffré.<br />
On se demande encore<br />
que représentent ces actions<br />
imaginaires, s’ils peuplent notre<br />
sommeil pour une raison spécifique.<br />
Mais surtout, le mécanisme<br />
des rêves nous force à<br />
nous interroger a propos des<br />
Ecrit pour la classe de Mme Lopez<br />
capacités incroyables de notre<br />
cerveau. Il est quand même<br />
effroyablement extraordinaire<br />
que nous puissions nous rappeler<br />
presque chaque chose que<br />
nous avons vécue, chaque personne<br />
que nous avons entrevue.<br />
De plus, ces souvenirs dont on<br />
ne sait pas qu’on se rappelle<br />
sont dans notre subconscient.<br />
Y aurait-il un moyen<br />
de les faire revenir à la surface<br />
? Avec cette technologie, nous<br />
pourrions créer un type de<br />
surhumain, qui n’oublie pratiquement<br />
rien. Et peut-être les<br />
rêves sont-ils la clé qui nous ouvrirait<br />
la porte à des innovations<br />
aussi incroyables que celles-ci.<br />
Tout le monde ne rêve pas de la même manière!<br />
- 5-10% des gens ont des cauchemars au moins<br />
une fois par mois<br />
- Les femmes rêvent autant de femmes que d’hommes, alors<br />
que les personnes dans les rêves des hommes sont majoritairement<br />
masculines<br />
- 80% des handicapés rêvent comme s’ils n’avaient pas leur<br />
handicap. Par exemple, un homme paralysé depuis la naissance<br />
marchera dans son rêve, et un homme sourd entendra.
Science<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
Manger ou conduire, il faut choisir!<br />
Par Aurore Jousset-Drouhin<br />
Nous connaissons tous<br />
le terme « Boire ou conduire,<br />
il faut choisir ! » Il nous vient<br />
à présent une nouvelle expression,<br />
en rapport cette fois-ci<br />
avec le nouveau dilemme international,<br />
les biocarburants.<br />
« Manger ou conduire, il faut<br />
choisir ! » Mais pourquoi ?<br />
Les biocarburants sont, depuis<br />
quelque temps, une solution<br />
plausible contre la pollution.<br />
Malheureusement, il serait<br />
bien trop facile de pouvoir<br />
s’en arrêter la. Les biocarburants<br />
connaissent certains<br />
inconvénients par rapport à<br />
l’environnement mais aussi<br />
par rapport à l’Homme. Mais<br />
quels sont ces facteurs qui<br />
font de l’agro carburant un<br />
sujet si controversé?<br />
Il existe<br />
trois générations<br />
de<br />
biocarburants<br />
: la première<br />
se base principalement<br />
sur<br />
des plantes<br />
oléagineuses,<br />
comme, par<br />
exemple, le<br />
tournesol, dont<br />
on extrait les<br />
huiles qui sont<br />
ensuite mises<br />
en transestérification<br />
pour<br />
pouvoir donner<br />
une huile<br />
végétale qui<br />
sera mélangée<br />
au gazole. Si<br />
les plantes oléagineuses sont<br />
introuvables dans la région,<br />
on peut alors se relier à la<br />
fabrication d’éthanol grâce<br />
à la fermentation des sucres<br />
(betterave/canne à sucre) ou<br />
d’amidon (blé/maïs/pomme<br />
de terre) dans lequel on rajoute<br />
de l’isobutylène pour<br />
enfin pouvoir le mélanger<br />
à de l’essence. Cette première<br />
génération présente<br />
déjà de sérieux problèmes<br />
qui affectent non seulement<br />
l’environnement, mais aussi<br />
l’alimentation de l’humanité.<br />
Pour pouvoir vous donner un<br />
aperçu du problème, prenons<br />
comme exemple la culture de<br />
maïs au Mexique. Sa culture<br />
représente plus de 60%, voire<br />
plus, du budget de base de<br />
plusieurs Mexicains. En 2007,<br />
on assiste à une hausse brutale<br />
des prix, chose qui amènera à<br />
la crise de la « tortilla ».<br />
Les Etats Unis rachètent<br />
une grande partie de<br />
cette récolte pour pouvoir<br />
produire de l’éthanol, donc<br />
des biocarburants. Il ne reste<br />
donc rien pour la population<br />
du Mexique. Selon Lester<br />
Brown, il faut 2,5 quintaux de<br />
maïs pour faire le plein d’un<br />
4x4. Avec<br />
cette même<br />
q u a n t i t é ,<br />
on pourrait<br />
nourrir<br />
une famille<br />
mexicaine<br />
pendant un<br />
an. Un simple<br />
exemple<br />
suffit : le<br />
graphique<br />
c i - c o n t r e<br />
représente<br />
l’évolution<br />
de la surface<br />
des<br />
terres agricoles<br />
par habitant.<br />
En 2000, la<br />
surface disponible<br />
cultivée par<br />
habitant est<br />
de 0.25 en<br />
hectares. Un<br />
résultat déjà<br />
m é d i o c r e<br />
sachant que<br />
la population<br />
est de<br />
plus de 6<br />
m i l l i a r d s .<br />
D’après les<br />
statistiques,<br />
en 2050,<br />
la population<br />
aura<br />
augmentée<br />
de plus de<br />
3 milliards. La surface cultivée<br />
sera de 0.14 hectares.<br />
Pour pouvoir nourrir la<br />
population, il faudrait alors<br />
que la production alimentaire<br />
augmente de plus de 70%. Si<br />
l’on continue à suivre la première<br />
génération, cet exploit<br />
sera-t-il possible ?<br />
C’est alors que la deuxième<br />
génération rentre en jeu.<br />
Pour pouvoir limiter les impacts<br />
sur l’Homme ainsi que<br />
l’environnement, la recherche<br />
travaille sur un autre développement.<br />
Ce deuxième essai<br />
utilise comme matière des<br />
végétaux non alimentaires,<br />
c’est-à-dire des résidus de bois<br />
ainsi que des déchets agricoles<br />
comme la paille. Les éléments<br />
seraient alors soumis à une<br />
gazéification suivie d’une syn-<br />
thèse, ce qui donnera alors<br />
de l’hydrocarbure qui sera<br />
ensuite mélangé à l’essence.<br />
Même chose pour les cul-<br />
tures et les taillis, qui seront<br />
eux, soumis à une fermentation.<br />
Cette technique reste un<br />
avantage au niveau de la surface<br />
cultivable, mais présente<br />
de nombreux problèmes,<br />
notamment face à la déforestation.<br />
L’Indonésie est un pays<br />
où la culture des palmeraies se<br />
fait en grande quantité, pour<br />
pouvoir produire des huiles<br />
d’agrocarburant. Elle abrite<br />
aussi une des dernières populations<br />
d’orangs-outangs. Pour<br />
pouvoir produire cette huile,<br />
il est nécessaire de déraciner,<br />
donc de détruire ces arbres.<br />
Les primates se retrouvent<br />
alors sans habitat qui leur<br />
est propre, et sont donc plus<br />
vulnérables au monde qui les<br />
entoure. On ne peut donc pas<br />
appeler cette méthode une<br />
méthode viable à long terme.<br />
La troisième génération<br />
est encore au stade de la<br />
recherche en laboratoire. Mais<br />
on sait déjà qu’elle serait faite<br />
à base d’algues, et serait plus<br />
11<br />
Ecrit pour la classe de Mme Lopez<br />
que prometteuse à long terme.<br />
La méthode serait la suivante<br />
: on synthétiserait des lipides<br />
trouvés dans les micro algues<br />
grâce à du dioxyde<br />
de carbone.<br />
La raison<br />
pour laquelle<br />
cette génération<br />
pourrait être<br />
la bonne est sa<br />
rapidité. En effet,<br />
les algues se<br />
développeraient<br />
plus vite que<br />
certaines plantes,<br />
ce qui rendrait<br />
les hectares<br />
utilisé beaucoup<br />
moins importants<br />
en nombre.<br />
Il est, pour<br />
l’instant, impossible d’en dire<br />
plus sur cette technique car<br />
elle n’a pas encore été testée.<br />
Mais, on peut quand même<br />
se demander si ces algues<br />
n’auront pas un effet secondaire<br />
sur la population qui<br />
s’en nourrit. Le fait que cette<br />
plante se développe rapide-<br />
ment permet d’en prendre<br />
une plus grande quantité, une<br />
quantité qui, malgré ca, pourrait<br />
devenir trop importante.<br />
Les résultats restent à voir.<br />
Les biocarburants restent<br />
un sujet discuté de tous<br />
côtés. Cette nouvelle vision<br />
de l’écologie pourrait devenir<br />
très utile, ou alors très problématique.<br />
Pour l’instant les<br />
trois générations présentées<br />
ont pu montrer de l’espoir,<br />
mais cachant un effet secondaire<br />
fatal sur la nourriture,<br />
ainsi que l’environnement.<br />
Manger ou conduire, il faut<br />
choisir !
12<br />
Hugo Cabret: un chef-d’œuvre<br />
Par Irène Woo<br />
“If you lose your purpose ... it’s like you’re broken.”<br />
—Hugo Cabret<br />
Tendresse, légèreté, humour, tristesse,<br />
anxiété et réjouissance, tous sont présents dans<br />
le chef-d’œuvre intemporel qu’est Hugo Cabret.<br />
Le film nous émeut au plus pr<strong>of</strong>ond de nousmêmes,<br />
en suivant les pas d’un jeune orphelin<br />
nommé Hugo Cabret, dans la gare du Paris<br />
des années 30. Puis, à travers la vie de George<br />
Méliès, un contemporain du jeune héros, la<br />
magie du cinéma nous est dévoilée et nos yeux<br />
s’émerveillent comme ceux d’un enfant. Hugo<br />
Cabret, en bouleversant ainsi nos sens, s’affirme<br />
aux rangs des Grands Classiques.<br />
Le film nous plonge dans un autre<br />
univers, celui de Paris dix ans après la Grande<br />
Guerre. Hugo vit avec son père, veuf, dans<br />
une horlogerie. Un jour, celui-ci rapporte d’un<br />
musée un vieil automate particulièrement<br />
complexe. Ils tentent ensemble de le réparer<br />
mais un incendie rendra le jeune Hugo orphelin.<br />
Il se défie alors de réparer le seul héritage<br />
de son père.<br />
L’automate devient donc la pièce centrale<br />
du puzzle qu’est Hugo Cabret.<br />
Survient alors l’antagoniste, le chef de<br />
gare l’Inspecteur Gustave. Accompagné de son<br />
chien féroce, il surveille la gare en quête d’un<br />
orphelin qu’il pourrait envoyer dans une sombre<br />
prison nommée orphelinat. Ses méthodes<br />
immorales et brutales contrastent avec son histoire<br />
amoureuse. En effet, il tente de séduire la<br />
jeune fleuriste, qui tout d’abord le repousse à<br />
cause de sa fausse jambe. Cette caractéristique<br />
du film touche tous les autres personnages. En<br />
effet, le réalisateur nous livre une réelle étude<br />
psychologique de tous ces personnages, en étudiant<br />
tous leurs aspects, brutaux ou naïfs dans<br />
le cas de l’Inspecteur.<br />
Enfin vers le milieu du film, l’histoire de<br />
Georges Méliès se place au premier plan. Petits<br />
et grands se verront émerveillés par ce conte de<br />
l’histoire du cinéma, réalisé avec douceur et tendresse<br />
enfantine. Nous suivons donc les pas de<br />
ce grand cinéaste avant et après la Guerre, dans<br />
son palais de verre puis dans sa petite échoppe<br />
dans la gare. Les costumes et les caméras de<br />
l’époque défilent devant nos yeux pour éveiller<br />
en nous quelques mémoires passées.<br />
Que dire alors ? Hugo Cabret est un<br />
chef-d’œuvre, signé par le grand réalisateur Martin<br />
Scorsese. Tout nous enchante, tant la musique<br />
que les thèmes abordés. Toutefois, le film<br />
débute sur une approche très « photographique<br />
». Le silence prône alors que des scènes magnifiques<br />
défilent. Ces scènes intéresseront surtout<br />
les cinéphiles, avec douceur et volupté,<br />
mais peuvent paraître longues. Cependant, ce<br />
petit bémol ne ternit pas l’image intemporelle<br />
d’Hugo Cabret.<br />
“I like to imagine that the world is one<br />
big machine. You know, machines never have any<br />
extra parts. They have the exact number and types<br />
<strong>of</strong> parts they need. So I figure if the entire world is<br />
a big machine, I have to be here for some reason,<br />
too.” —Hugo Cabret.<br />
Note: 4,5/5<br />
Games<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
The Perfect Locker<br />
By Amelia Getahun-Hawkins<br />
Option: S ou ES?<br />
By Margaux Salz<br />
Two FASNY Students Make Kangourou Finals<br />
Congratulations to Axel Ehlinger (’14) and Cyril Douady (’17) on their outstanding performance in the<br />
Concours Kangourou, the national French mathematics competition!<br />
Axel placed 10th out <strong>of</strong> over 11,000 contestants with his score <strong>of</strong> 102.5, while Cyril placed 5th out <strong>of</strong> over<br />
53,000 with a perfect score <strong>of</strong> 120.<br />
It doesn’t take a differential equation or exponential function to graph the level <strong>of</strong> their success. Their math<br />
skills belong on a higher order. To say the two students have made FASNY proud would be no hyperbole—or<br />
parabola, for that matter.<br />
The two flew to Paris June 1st with math teacher Mr. Guyot to take part in a final competition at Lycée<br />
Louis le Grand. Though neither student took first prize at the final tournmaent, this did not detract—or should we<br />
say, subtract—from their trip. The apex <strong>of</strong> the journey: they also got to see friends and family in France!<br />
Whenever a 9th grader<br />
is asked about their future, it’s<br />
always the infamous: “What<br />
section are you going into?”<br />
which marks the beginning <strong>of</strong><br />
endless hours <strong>of</strong> debate. Go to<br />
S and spend endless hours immersed<br />
in science, or choose ES<br />
and analyze every world economy<br />
possible? Although the answer<br />
to these harrowing questions<br />
need only be delivered<br />
towards the end <strong>of</strong> 10th grade,<br />
there are some choices that<br />
need to be made much sooner.<br />
At the end <strong>of</strong> 9th grade,<br />
students are given the choice<br />
between more options than<br />
ever before, such as two extra<br />
hours <strong>of</strong> art, literature, public<br />
speaking, or even additional<br />
math, physics and chemistry.<br />
Although these carry more<br />
weight in academic careers<br />
than previous decisions about<br />
chorale and music, they still<br />
can’t match up to the looming<br />
choice between S and ES.<br />
Decisions for 10th<br />
grade are a baby step compared<br />
to this choice, but they already<br />
reflect the future determination<br />
<strong>of</strong> taking S or ES. Those<br />
who are ready to devote themselves<br />
to S and all its scientific<br />
wonder will rush to additional<br />
math and physics classes, but<br />
those who are already planning<br />
to go down the path <strong>of</strong><br />
ES will probably choose different<br />
options, such as Public<br />
Speaking, or even Literature.<br />
The good thing about<br />
such a small step is the fact<br />
that scientific options act like<br />
a small taste <strong>of</strong> S, minus the<br />
crushing workload and buck-<br />
ets <strong>of</strong> stress. For those still on<br />
the fence about their choice <strong>of</strong><br />
section, it’s a better alternative<br />
than signing up for S, going<br />
through a few weeks <strong>of</strong> hell, and<br />
then backtracking over to ES.<br />
It’s also certainly better<br />
than finding yourself in ES<br />
when all you dream about is<br />
spending hours staring at a physics<br />
manual, and being unable to<br />
fulfill that wonderful ambition.<br />
In addition to giving<br />
future 10th graders more opportunities<br />
than the traditional<br />
choice between chorale and music,<br />
and art, Latin, and <strong>American</strong><br />
Math, 9th grade options<br />
give students with a burning<br />
passion for numbers and atoms<br />
a chance to delve deeper into the<br />
subject without spending twenty<br />
hours a week on the subject.<br />
Others get the chance<br />
to engage in more developed<br />
art classes and explore the possibility<br />
<strong>of</strong> a future career in art.<br />
Public Speaking, something<br />
that no student has seen so far<br />
in their education, is a refreshing<br />
change and the opportunity<br />
to try something new (and<br />
discover you’re a master at manipulating<br />
people and should<br />
pursue a career in politics).<br />
10th grade options<br />
are a small stepping stone<br />
that prepares students for the<br />
choices they will have to take<br />
when choosing between S and<br />
ES. The fact that they are so<br />
small is just an advantage over<br />
the seemingly overwhelming<br />
decision <strong>of</strong> picking a section<br />
and making the first academic<br />
career-changing choice.<br />
All photos by Mr. Guyot
Cat and Mouse Maze<br />
See if you can find your way out!<br />
Summer Word Search<br />
2-3. What bargain hunters enjoy.<br />
6-22. What we all should be.<br />
4-5. A written acknowledgment.<br />
4-26. A day dream.<br />
6-7. Such and nothing more.<br />
2-11. A talon.<br />
10-11. A bird.<br />
19-28. A pigeon.<br />
14-15. Opposed to less.<br />
F-7. Part <strong>of</strong> your head.<br />
18-19. What this puzzle is.<br />
23-30. A river in Russia.<br />
22-23. An animal <strong>of</strong> prey.<br />
1-32. To govern.<br />
26-27. The close <strong>of</strong> a day.<br />
Susan Lothe<br />
Games 13<br />
June 2012<br />
Tic-Tac-Toe<br />
Crosssword Puzzle<br />
By Arthur Wynne<br />
Sudoku<br />
Difficulty: Hard<br />
Dots - Make more squares<br />
than your opponent!<br />
33-34. An aromatic plant.<br />
28-29. To elude.<br />
N-8. A fist.<br />
30-31. The plural <strong>of</strong> is.<br />
24-31. To agree with.<br />
8-9. To cultivate.<br />
3-12. Part <strong>of</strong> a ship.<br />
12-13. A bar <strong>of</strong> wood or iron.<br />
20-29. One.<br />
16-17. What artists learn to do.<br />
5-27. Exchanging.<br />
20-21. Fastened.<br />
9-25. To sink in mud.<br />
24-25. Found on the seashore.<br />
13-21. A boy.<br />
10-18. The fibre <strong>of</strong> the gomuti palm.
14<br />
Aries (March 21-April 19)<br />
Aries is back in business! You have a new, better<br />
outlook on life. You’re so much happier, and so are<br />
the people around you. Your great energy is making<br />
life more enjoyable. You’re truly a kind person so don’t<br />
ever feel bad about how you chose to live with your<br />
new found confidence. It’s perfectly normal. You either<br />
have or will make a new friend in the near future. The<br />
friendship may be lifelong or very ephemeral. Only<br />
time will tell...<br />
Gemini (May 21-June 20)<br />
Happy birthday Gemini! Now, stop worrying about<br />
dreams. Start worrying about something you actually<br />
have control over. Also, lately you have been coming<br />
<strong>of</strong>f strongly to some people. This is good in some<br />
circumstances, but lately, it hasn’t been that great for<br />
you. It has been getting on some people’s nerves. Try<br />
listening to other people instead <strong>of</strong> always talking. You<br />
don’t always have to have the last word either. Don’t get<br />
too caught un in your new endeavors. They won’t last<br />
long.<br />
Horoscopes<br />
By Jacqueline Sarro<br />
Taurus (April 20-May 20)<br />
It has been a really busy and rough month for<br />
you. So many things to do, in so little time.<br />
Don’t worry though, it’ll all be over soon. Keep<br />
your head above water for a little while longer.<br />
Soon everything will return to it’s normal<br />
pace. You will feel better physically, mentally,<br />
and emotionally in the weeks to come. Treat<br />
yourself to something nice and that you enjoy.<br />
You deserve it.<br />
Cancer (June 21-July 22)<br />
You have been feeling a little unfulfilled lately. You<br />
are not living to your full potential and you know<br />
it. This is bringing you down. You need to make<br />
yourself more useful. If you’re in bad mood, you<br />
can instantly lift your spirits by forcing yourself<br />
to smile. It’s scientifically proven. Plus, smiling is<br />
actually contagious. So by forcing yourself to smile,<br />
you’ll lift the moods <strong>of</strong> the people around you.<br />
If that’s not enough to make you feel better, get<br />
involved in a charity that you believe in. It will be truly inspiring. Helping others is<br />
the best way to feel good about yourself.<br />
Leo (July 23-August 22)<br />
Someone very close to you has let you down. It has<br />
been bothering you immensely, even though you<br />
refuse to show it.he reason that person is acting this<br />
way is because they’re insecure. Don’t be fooled or<br />
intimidated by them. You’re way better than that.<br />
Brush it <strong>of</strong>f you shoulder, c’mon! Summer is almost<br />
here, it’s time to meet new people and have a great<br />
time. It’s also time to relax. Take some down time,<br />
unwind and hang loose.<br />
Virgo (August 23-September 22)<br />
You’re a genuinely nice person. You alway have<br />
been. It will pay <strong>of</strong>f soon. Karma will come right<br />
back like a boomerang and give you what you have<br />
been giving to people. You’re in for a treat. You do<br />
tend to hide your feelings though. You don’t need<br />
to do that all the time. Express how you feel. It’s<br />
okay to do so. No one will blame your for it. Stay<br />
gold kid.<br />
Ju n e 2012<br />
Libra (September 23-October 22)<br />
You have suffered a loss which has taken a toll<br />
on you. You haven’t been yourself since. Slowly<br />
you are getting back in the game but it is truly<br />
hard. You need to accept the fact that what you<br />
had, weather it be big or small, very important<br />
or less important, is gone. You need to move on.<br />
You’re in luck though. Life will deal you very<br />
favorable cards in the near future. Keep your<br />
eyes open and don’t miss it. It will brighten your life again and put you right<br />
back on track. You will be the beautiful you, once again.<br />
Sagittarius (November 22-December 21)<br />
Your intuitive side is beginning to shine<br />
through. You have an undervalued streak<br />
<strong>of</strong> wisdom. Follow this hunch. Something<br />
amazing might just come out <strong>of</strong> it. Your new<br />
awesome ideas will just come to you. Don’t<br />
forget to exploit them. It would be a shame<br />
to waste this potential. If anyone tries to resist<br />
or put you down, don’t let them. Stay serious<br />
about this and make sure they know you’re<br />
serious too.<br />
Scorpio (October 23-November 21)<br />
You’ve been acting super silly lately. Your<br />
peers find it very amusing. You’re not afraid<br />
to laugh at yourself Scorpio. This is a quality<br />
that not all <strong>of</strong> us have unfortunately. You’re<br />
a lucky one. Keep on the sunny side. Your<br />
quirkiness will take you places and you will<br />
be successful. There’s nothing really major for<br />
you to worry about at this time, so just keep<br />
being you!<br />
Capricorn (December 22-Januray 19)<br />
Be careful about starting this new commitment.<br />
You will be great at the job—don’t worry about<br />
that, Capricorn. You always excel, no matter<br />
what you do. It’s just that your eyes are bigger<br />
than your stomach and you already have so<br />
much on your plate. You should wait a little<br />
while, maybe? It’s up to you. You’re stronghearted<br />
and occasionally hard-headed so it’s<br />
unlikely that this will change your mind. That’s<br />
fine, though. Keep doing what you do.<br />
Aquarius (January 20-February 18)<br />
You finally built up the courage to do something<br />
you have been wanting to for a while. This is<br />
great. You recently hurt a few people around you.<br />
Your relationship with them may not be ruined,<br />
but it won’t be the same undoubtedly. Sometimes<br />
you let people influence your thinking too much.<br />
Think logically and for yourself. Hopefully you<br />
will realize some <strong>of</strong> the things that are normally<br />
hard for you to. This would help. To fix the things<br />
around you, just don’e lie. Be honest. Honesty is key.<br />
Pisces (February 19-March 20)<br />
You made a hard decision. It will either go really well or<br />
very badly. Hopefully it will go well. You need to hope,<br />
cross all your fingers and toes. Something you thought<br />
would never happen in your whole entire life recently<br />
just happened. If that didn’t occur, don’t worry, it will<br />
soon. Good luck. Everyone around you is skeptical<br />
but supportive. Don’t worry about it it. Follow your<br />
gut feel. Additionally, you will come across something<br />
or someone long lost. You will have a great time<br />
reminiscing Pieces.
Sh a r k Sp o r t S<br />
Januar y 2012<br />
EURO 2012: The Best Preview in Town<br />
By Ar m A n d LA t r e i L L e<br />
The Monday that follows my French BAC, I<br />
plan to wake up early. Yes, this is unusual. But, I don’t<br />
plan on taking out my SAT book and start practicing<br />
that $#@%&*^ Written section, or to start reading<br />
Crime and Punishment. No, I will be wearing my<br />
favorite French soccer jersey, a beret, and head <strong>of</strong>f in a<br />
bar somewhere in Manhattan to watch Les Bleus take<br />
on those pesky Englishmen.<br />
This will mark the start <strong>of</strong> the UEFA Euro<br />
2012, the greatest international competition after the<br />
World Cup. Played in Poland and Ukraine, this competition<br />
features the best European national squads<br />
(including Turkey), and is essentially an orgy <strong>of</strong> pretty<br />
good football (we’ll refer “football” as soccer in this article,<br />
because it’s the proper way to talk about it) for<br />
someone like me who has lots <strong>of</strong> time to waste and<br />
yell at a TV screen. This guide is aimed at the casual<br />
observer and the die hard fan, in hope that they find it<br />
a useful help to understand what’s happening, or just<br />
discussion fodder with friends while waiting for the<br />
games to begin.<br />
As a sure-fire indicator, we will use the <strong>of</strong>ficial<br />
betting odds to win the tournament in parentheses,<br />
but I certainly will make a few changes that reflect my<br />
personal opinion.<br />
I The “Even If You’re Not A Soccer Fan There Is No<br />
Excuse Not To Watch Those Teams Play” group:<br />
Spain (2.75-1 odds <strong>of</strong> winning it all), Germany<br />
(3-1), Netherlands (6-1)<br />
Quite possibly the three best teams in the international<br />
stage right now, according to the UEFA ranking at<br />
least. Spain is world champion, Netherlands played the<br />
Final, and Germany also scored 3rd place. Of course,<br />
the stakes at the Euro are considerably less important<br />
than the World Cup, and that might reflect on the<br />
level <strong>of</strong> play. However, these three teams will aim for<br />
nothing less than the final round. Their core nucleus<br />
<strong>of</strong> talented player has not changed since South Africa,<br />
and neither have their coaches. They still have their<br />
weaknesses: Spain’s small ball tactic <strong>of</strong> tiring the opponent<br />
while controlling the ball is risky against good defenses,<br />
Germany relies too strongly on counter-attacks,<br />
and Netherlands have a serious problem in getting the<br />
ball in scoring range. Bold Prediction n. 1: Neither <strong>of</strong><br />
these teams wins the Final.<br />
II Les Bleus: France (11-1)<br />
I feel like dedicating an entire section to the French national<br />
team, just because I can. And, in case you were<br />
wondering, France is my pick to win the tournament<br />
(only because I’m French), though I do rationally rank<br />
Early Shower!<br />
Coach Laveyssieres’ Team Talk, Interrupted!<br />
them after Spain, Germany, and the Netherlands. The<br />
problem with France is that the entire team is still playing<br />
with a chip on their shoulder regarding the South<br />
African disaster. “Redemption” is the key word here.<br />
This Euro is its only chance to redeem itself, even if the<br />
nucleus <strong>of</strong> the South African team is almost broken<br />
up. I say almost because many important players took<br />
part in the training boycott: Lloris, Evra, and Ribéry<br />
to name a few.<br />
Laurent Blanc has done an amazing job in rebuilding<br />
the team, and it has not lost since 19 games.<br />
His inclusion <strong>of</strong> a new, talented, group <strong>of</strong> players as<br />
the mainframe <strong>of</strong> the squad worked perfectly. In other<br />
words, the best thing to happen to the team is that players<br />
no longer looked backwards, but forward: all <strong>of</strong> them<br />
had nothing to loose (the team’s reputation and level <strong>of</strong><br />
play hit rock-bottom) and everything to win. The objective<br />
was clear: Euro 2012 or bust. Now, it is fair to say<br />
that the holdovers form South Africa have an irreplaceable<br />
role in the team. On the other hand, many critics<br />
have argued that “bad boys stay bad boys”, and that the<br />
antagonisms that wrecked the team apart will eventually<br />
come back if Laurent Blanc allows holdovers.<br />
So far, the level <strong>of</strong> play has been geared <strong>of</strong>fensively,<br />
and it has produced acceptable results: wins<br />
against Germany and England, for example. I say, let’s<br />
stick with the talented youth. They are fun to watch,<br />
and deserve their shot. My starting 11: Lloris- Debuchy,<br />
Rami, Méxes, Evra- Nasri, M’Vila, Malouda, Ben<br />
Arfa, Benzema, Menez.<br />
III The “Teams With History That Have A Role To<br />
Play If They Don’t Want To Get Assaulted When<br />
They Come Back From Poland”: England (10-1),<br />
Italy (14-1)<br />
Both <strong>of</strong> those teams have rabid fan bases that will<br />
not hesitate to parade around with the coach and/or<br />
player’s heads on spikes if they do not have a satisfactory<br />
outing. In England’s case, looking at their road<br />
to the tournament makes me feel good about France’s<br />
chances against them. In the midst <strong>of</strong> captain John<br />
Terry’s troubles because <strong>of</strong> his Premier League antics,<br />
coach Fabio Capello stepped down (or was pushed<br />
away), throwing the national team into disarray. To<br />
make things worse, eccentric striker Wayne Rooney is<br />
suspended for the first two games <strong>of</strong> the Euro (which<br />
includes the match against France (!!).<br />
As the saying goes, England traditionally does<br />
better when its expectations are low (a rare occurrence<br />
among English fans), so it is half-safe to assume they<br />
will make it out <strong>of</strong> the group, but my guess it that its<br />
overall fate hinges on the game against France. Bold<br />
Prediction n. 2: France wins against England, the<br />
latter spirals down and lets Sweden take 2nd place.<br />
15<br />
As far as Italy goes, I must refrain myself from<br />
referring to the scandalous rigged-match scandals that<br />
threatens to undo the team’s unity and perhaps doom<br />
its hopes in going deep this summer. Ooops. I must<br />
also refrain myself from mentioning their horrible<br />
football philosophy which consists <strong>of</strong> leaning on a stellar<br />
group Juventus-bred defenders as well as one <strong>of</strong> the<br />
greatest goalkeeper <strong>of</strong> all time to hold the goal, and live<br />
in counter-attacks.<br />
Finally, I must strive to hold an objective stand<br />
and overlook the fact that they are poised to meet<br />
France in the quarterfinals, possibly on their way to<br />
the final. But, I can’t because I hate this team more<br />
than the English, and I hope Spain wrecks them when<br />
they meet in the first round.<br />
IV The Host Teams That Have Little Hope <strong>of</strong> Going<br />
Deep: Poland (40-1), Ukraine (50-1) These are the<br />
two host teams. They will benefit from a psychological<br />
advantage, because fans will show up en masse. I’m not<br />
even sure I can name one player on each team, but they<br />
have to be mentioned anyway; that’s it, let’s move on.<br />
V The Team with The Best Player <strong>of</strong> the Tournament:<br />
Portugal (18-1)<br />
Can we just please all agree on this? Cristiano Ronaldo<br />
will be the most talented guy on the field for the duration<br />
<strong>of</strong> the Euro. His stellar season at Madrid might carry over<br />
to the Euro, but it’s unlikely you can pretend to a semifinal<br />
with the team Portugal will assemble. Furthermore,<br />
Ronaldo is known for not showing up internationally.<br />
That makes it unlikely Portugal can go deep.<br />
VI The Team with the Best Jersey: France<br />
I’m not kidding. The home jersey is the best since 2000.<br />
VII The Team with the Worst Jersey: Ireland<br />
What the hell is this green thing?<br />
Honorable Mention: Ukraine, with a jersey straight<br />
from the end <strong>of</strong> Soviet Union era.<br />
VII The Wooden Spoons<br />
Nobody cares about them. More bold predictions!<br />
Bold Prediction n.3: Greeks bankrupt the tournament.<br />
Bold Prediction n.4: European governments receive<br />
a mysterious message from an unknown courier that<br />
threatens to cut <strong>of</strong>f all oil and gas pipelines from Russia<br />
if they win against the Russian national team.<br />
Bold Prediction n.5: Cristiano Ronaldo scores 23<br />
goals and single-handedly wins the Cup for Portugal.<br />
Rational prediction: As the great Gary Lineker once<br />
said: “Football is a simple game; 22 men chase a ball<br />
for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans win.” This<br />
year is no exception. Germany wins the final.<br />
Parents, coaches, teachers, staff, and players all scrummed at the annual rugby tournament.<br />
Only Mr. Laveyssiere received an early shower. Photos by Mr. Faure
Mr. Taylor<br />
When the date was announced<br />
for the Greenwich-FASNY rugby match,<br />
people laughed. They thought that Greenwich<br />
would crush the FASNY players, like<br />
a little ants. Critics complained that the<br />
FASNY were too small. FASNY were indeed<br />
the underdogs, but Greenwich had a<br />
lot <strong>of</strong> trouble dealing with them.<br />
Both teams<br />
stepped on to the<br />
field. It was time for<br />
kick-<strong>of</strong>f. The game<br />
started. The game was<br />
one hell <strong>of</strong> a ride. Every<br />
time Greenwich<br />
scored a try, FASNY<br />
responded. After a<br />
try by Greenwich’s<br />
number 8, Cyril passes it to Aleksi. He’s<br />
gone. He’s too fast. He powers past the<br />
defense and is well into FASNY’s half before<br />
he is brought down! The crowd goes<br />
wild. From there, Gonzague Demoulin<br />
pulled the ball out <strong>of</strong> a ruck and passes<br />
the ball to Paul Castaybert, who scores<br />
the FASNY’s first try <strong>of</strong> the day, bringing<br />
FASNY within one try <strong>of</strong> the lead.<br />
But that’s when disaster struck: Nicolas<br />
Granato was down. As the players and<br />
coaches kneeled down next to him, he<br />
was slowly carried <strong>of</strong>f the field. FASNY<br />
parents and players cheered for Nicolas,<br />
as he exited the field with a concussion<br />
A couple <strong>of</strong> moments later Matheo<br />
Remy shows his skills and agility and scores!<br />
With FASNY only down a few points due<br />
to missed conversions from nearly impossible<br />
angles at halftime, the parents stare<br />
in shock. FASNY is in the lead! But the<br />
Sh a r k Sp o r t S<br />
Januar y 2012<br />
FASNY Middle <strong>School</strong> Rugby:<br />
A Rising Team<br />
By Thomas de Villemejane<br />
injury train is not derailed, as Thomas de<br />
Villemejane gets stomped on the eye by a<br />
pair <strong>of</strong> cleats. As he exits the game, Greenwich<br />
scores again.<br />
After a powerful Paul Castaybert<br />
try and yet another try by Greenwich’s<br />
number 8, the score is 19-17. As the crowd<br />
cheers, number 8 has crossed the line<br />
The Evolution <strong>of</strong> Rugby Kids<br />
again. He is a beast. One second, Paul is<br />
celebrating, and the next, the score is 26-<br />
17. But here comes Aleksi Goulet to the<br />
rescue. He shoves players <strong>of</strong>f, he runs past<br />
everybody and scores. 26-22. But everyone<br />
here knows time is running out. FASNY<br />
receives the kick. They give it to Aleksi.<br />
He’s <strong>of</strong>f! But someone somehow catches<br />
up to him and tackles him. The ref looks<br />
at the coach and signals that this is the last<br />
play. Number 9, Gonzague, looks at Louis.<br />
He passes it to Louis Lejamtel, who runs<br />
towards the try line. The crowd is on their<br />
feet. Moments before Louis runs past the<br />
line, the ref signals the end <strong>of</strong> the game.<br />
Louis had stepped out <strong>of</strong> bounds!<br />
In the end, the score didn’t matter.<br />
FASNY played a heck <strong>of</strong> a game, and that’s<br />
what mattered. Everyone played really well<br />
and now, FASNY is one scary team!!!!<br />
On Est Les Champtions!<br />
On May 5th, FASNY held the first Annual Varsity Rugby Tournament,<br />
and the boys beat out the competition to win the cup.<br />
The tournament included Greenwich High <strong>School</strong>, the Lycée Français<br />
de <strong>New</strong> <strong>York</strong>, and South Shore Rugby Club. FASNY beat local rivals<br />
Greenwich 15-10, then lost to South Shore 20-10. FASNY then demolished<br />
a weakened Lycée 40-5.<br />
FASNY then faced <strong>of</strong>f with South Shore once again in the final. At<br />
half-time, it was all tied up and the atmosphere was tense. FASNY took over<br />
in the second half, though, and pulled <strong>of</strong>f a gritty 25-10 victory.<br />
“A beautiful display <strong>of</strong> what French rugby is all about was demonstrated<br />
and we can only hope for more next year,” wrote coaches Julien<br />
Laveyssieres and Jérôme Faure in a celebratory e-mail to the community.<br />
Left: As Jack Faure (’12) hoists the trophy, Coach Laveyssieres shows<br />
his pride and Trustees Chairman—and father to players Sacha (’12)<br />
and Lucas (’13)—Mischa Zabotin applauds the victory.<br />
FASNY Middle <strong>School</strong> Rugby:<br />
Meet the Players<br />
Par Paul Castaybert et Louis Le Jamtel<br />
La saison de rugby 2012-<br />
2013 a été une des meilleures saisons<br />
de l’équipe du collège depuis la création<br />
du programme de rugby de<br />
FASNY en 2008-2009. M. Ekotto<br />
et Robin Deroche (’13) ont entraîné<br />
l’équipe avec l’aide de M. Taylor.<br />
Leur passion dans les entraînements<br />
et les matchs a beaucoup<br />
contribué au succès de l’équipe.<br />
Mais ce succès n’aurait pas<br />
été possible sans les joueurs. Les<br />
avants ont fait, la plupart du temps,<br />
un excellent travail : la première ligne<br />
consistait de joueurs très solides « Les<br />
Rois des Rucks »: #1 Coby (The Wall)<br />
Hilelly, #2 Louis (Rambo) Le Jamtel,<br />
#3 Jules (The Last <strong>of</strong> the Le Jamtels)<br />
Le Jamtel. Ces joueurs se sont trouvés<br />
dans chaque ruck de la saison.<br />
La deuxième ligne de<br />
l’équipe utilisait un mélange de force,<br />
agilité et rapidité, les « Tough Guys »<br />
: #4 Mark (La Brute Epaisse) Faguer<br />
et #5 Paul (Chewbacca) Castaybert.<br />
La troisième ligne avait des<br />
joueurs qui travaillaient dur, mais<br />
qui, après le match, se regardaient<br />
dans le miroir pour des heures pour<br />
s’assurer qu’ils n’avaient pas abîmé<br />
leur figure. « Les Beaux Gosses » :<br />
#6 Jean (Aussie, Aussie, Aussie, Oi,<br />
Oi, Oi) Horikawa, #7 Thomas (Everybody<br />
Loves Him) Horikawa,<br />
#8 Hector (Goldilocks) Sonnois.<br />
Mais, quand les titulaires<br />
étaient fatigués, il fallait des excellents<br />
remplaçants pour maintenir le<br />
haut niveau de rugby. Benoît (Su-<br />
per Mario) Charriaud, Augustin<br />
(The Peacemaker) Rivoire et Louis<br />
(Allez La Belgique) Marchand remplaçaient<br />
les joueurs de la première<br />
ligne. Les gros de la deuxième ligne<br />
étaient substitués par Thomas (The<br />
Creator) De Villemejane et Mathieu<br />
(Do I Really Have to do This) Rizk.<br />
Pour les trois quart, il y<br />
avait : Gonzague (Salut les Filles)<br />
Demoulin, Aleksi (Crazy Canuck)<br />
Goulet, Mathéo (Creator) Remy,<br />
Cyril (I’m better than you) Douady,<br />
Alban (You did what) Douady, Nicolas<br />
(Seeing Stars) Granato, William<br />
(Ginger) Mason, Nathan (Fais<br />
Gaffe) Poisnel, Guillaume (Coeur de<br />
Lion) Dupaquier, Melchior (Hippie,<br />
Cowboy, Who actually knows what<br />
he is) Deroche, Mattéo (Eh! Ca va<br />
pas non) Trulli. Finalement, notre<br />
capitaine était Marcel (No comment<br />
needed) Dupuy D’Angeac.<br />
La star de l’équipe, pourtant,<br />
était Aleksi Goulet qui<br />
utilisait sa vitesse pour marquer<br />
un maximum d’essais.<br />
Chaque joueur a fait son<br />
plus grand effort pour gagner<br />
des matchs, mais surtout, pour<br />
s’amuser. Avec un équilibre de<br />
joueurs sérieux et amusants, les deux<br />
étaient possibles. Il faudra faire de<br />
même l’année prochaine, mais sans<br />
les 4e (3e de 2012-13). Nous leur<br />
souhaitons une bonne saison avec<br />
l’équipe du lycée, et nous espérons<br />
que les 6e de l’année prochaine<br />
seront aussi sérieux et amusants.