Thank Gatsby It's Saturday What a Night! ‘Gatsby in Black’, the First 1 6+ Party of the School Year Was Subject Choices Are Considered a Success by Many

The Pupils' Voice

Thank Gatsby it's Saturday What a night! ‘Gatsby In Black’, the first 1 6+ party of the school year was Subject Choices are considered a success by many. Distressing Students

On Saturday November 1 6th, over 500 people from both the Kirchberg and Mamer schools gathered in Melusina, making it the most-attended school party in recent years.

For the first time, people had the choice to follow one of two themes, ‘The Great Gatsby’ and ‘All Black’. Using Scott Fitzgerald’s 1 925 novel ‘The Great Gatsby’ as a theme was met with both Tram in Luxembourg enthusiasm and scepticism, with many going out of their way to dress up for it and others deciding to stick to the more ‘safe’ option of ‘All Black’ by wearing a black set of clothes.

Inspired by the 201 3 film of the same name, the winner of the costume competition was Sintiya Zhelezarova through the ‘loudest cheer’ method, choosing a ‘Gatsbyesque’ outfit resembling that of Daisy Buchanan with Lou Reed dies at 71 whom Jay Gatsby had an affair with in Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel. The prize was a free ticket to the next party, which will probably be held in March.

Read on Page 2

Design: Mariana Antunes and Sintiya Zhelezarova

Your Pupils' Committee Do the students have a say in this Syria: Whose Problem is school? Are they allowed to decide for it? the future of the school? Who organizes the discos and parties? What’s the point of the class reps? Who organizes the talent shows and the ‘Battle of the Bands’?

Well, the simple answer to those questions is the pupils’ committee. The Pupils’ committee is a group of elected students from all ages in the secondary school that come together every week to discuss and A word from the Chief decide following events in the school. All the Editor members in the pupils’ com are elected by the class reps at the start of the year by presenting a short speech saying why they Page 18 should be elected. Read on Page 4 Orientation for 5th years All the 5th year secondary classes had their Subject Choices are Distressing Students orientation afternoons on If you're in fifth or maybe fourth Tuesday the 1 2th of year, probably at least half of November. Career advisors your teachers have already and teachers informed convinced you of your subject- individual language choices for the last two years at sections about upcoming school. Choose this, choose that, subject choices, and most teachers want you to internships and select his/her own subject for as universities. Students had many lessons as possible, of the oppertunity to fill out an course. Now you're stressed and online questionaire that don’t know what to do? guide them with decision making for possible future That’s a totally normal thing and careers. The results were no reason to get even more often hilarious but stressed. First, tell yourself that of informative at the same course it’s a difficult and time. More of these important choice for your future, When forms are handed out, students often become nervous.

meetings will follow. but you shouldn't be too worried Image: Chiara Sorgato about it. Think about what you The Secondary Cafeteria want to do later in life, and which do something which isn’t the yourself it’s your own choice for is now open from 8:00 in subjects you'll need for that. Also easiest. Maybe it’s also good not your own life so don’t let anyone the morning till 1 6:00. think about what you are good at to pick exactly the same things as confuse you about it, just trust Many students are very and which subjects are easier for your closest friends, even if the yourself and don’t let it stress you happy with the change you, but this shouldn’t be the lessons would be more fun, we too much! since it gives them the main reason for choosing a all know what it leads to. But no oppertunity to buy snacks subject. Sometimes it’s good to matter what other people say or Nadja Joachim and drinks later in the day. step out of your comfort zone and what I just wrote, always remind Edited by Eleanor Boland

Thank Gatsby it's Saturday (continued) Concert de L'Amité Organised by both schools’ Pupils Committees, the night’s drink of choice was apple-flavoured Manzanita, which is, according to James Walker, ‘the perfect blend of a C2H6O and apple resin making a drink perfect for even the most sensitive of pallets.’ Many shared this view, with Robert Hopwood stating that: ‘I liked it because I was thirsty.’ Making his first live DJ performance was Alberto Stocco who proved to be quite a hit, afterwards being the most-voted suggestion to DJ at the first BAC Committee party on December 1 4th. Alberto clearly Images: Chiara Sorgato noticed the enthusiasm of the crowd, saying “I had a great time Speeches, the orchestra performing, dancing and singing, poets because it seemed that everyone was enjoying my music. I hope to DJ reading and many more acts took place in our Salles de Fetes on again some time!” Renaud Deyber summarised Alberto’s showing as the evening of Friday the 22nd of November. ‘groovy’. The concert was titled "Concert de L'Amité" or "Concert The dance-floor was crowded and lively for the entire duration of Friendship". But many did not know that the event was secretly of the night, while at the same time people made the most of the in the honour of the Minister of Education of Luxembourg, Mrs generous outside space put at their disposition. Emma Madsen, being Mady Delvaux-Stehres. Mrs Delvaux-Stehres and many others did photographer for the night, captured all these moments on camera, not know this and it was only made clear when Mrs. Vassilacou putting together a nice and large collection of photos on the Internet. announced it. The Leisure Committee, a sub-committee of the Pupils’ The Orchestra, which has almost doubled in size since Committee who are in charge of organising social events that occur last year, performed 4 pieces. It was directed by Noel Morgan. throughout the school year, thought that everything went very smoothly Also, the "Nulux Jazzband" made its first performance on Friday, whilst also agreeing that this was probably the best-organised 1 6+ playing laid-back classics such as "Basin Street Blues". party yet. “We hope that all of you had a good time and we’ll do our We saw some great performances like the dance to best to make sure that the next party will be even better!”, Rapolas “Singing in the Rain” performed by Gwenaelle Ghislain and Malini Paulavicius said. Miles which was exceptional - just like last time we saw it at the 60th Anniversary concert in April this year. The duet by Clara Schneider and Aura Bernaconi and the dance to “Rock around the Daniel Murphy Clock” , performed by the Swedish 7th years and the band C- Safari were also very much appreciated. The night was certainly a success! Johanna Lindberg and Chiara Sorgato Music and Fun: Glow Disco great Success "WUB WOMP BOWOWOWO disappointed students made CHHHHH" - the dubstep is their ways to the emergency booming through the canteen. exits. It had turned out someone Hundreds of students are had smashed the glass and jumping up and down to the pressed the fire alarm button for beat, enjoying the party. a laugh. Luckily, there was no fire and after some waiting in the On Friday the 8th of November, freezing cold outside the party the Pupils' Committee organised could continue. The disco and an event for the younger the great beats continued students of the secondary without fault and ended on a school (specifically 1 -3 years) high note. called the Glow Disco. Special thanks have to be given I asked Daniel Murphy, member to the caretakers who helped the of the Pupils’ Committee and Backstage Crew carry the heavy one of the organisers how the equipment. Furthermore, thanks whole night unfolded. "Everyone Image: Ana Robertsson to the direction of the school for had loads of fun, both the fun seeing all those people jump Haubold and his team made use funding new technology for the younger kids dancing, and the to the music" said Clément of the Stroboscope, a flashing Backstage Crew bringing the older people helping out. At least Potocki, part of the Backstage white light turning the whole party to a much higher standard. 500 people showed up, meaning Crew. The music was chosen by thing into a crazy show. As the it was the biggest disco the Martin Kerschenbauer, Maxime name of the disco suggests, Overall, it has become a school school has ever had! It was such Pescatore, Geoffrey Vileyn , “glow sticks" were waved around tradition to go to the discos, and a success that we are thinking of Thimothée Cabos, Antonio Diaz, by individuals and made the the great vibe never fails and is holding another one for Robert Biehl and Felix whole thing a light sensation. It passed on every year to some Kirchberg as well as the one for Oberhausen-Krippeler. The party is said that the Pupils’ great organisers. All the profit Mamer." was dominated mainly by Committee bought 500 glow that has been made is going to Electro and Dubstep, two very sticks for the event. charity. The backstage team, consisting modern styles and common in out of many motivated students, parties. During the evening, a fire alarm Joshua Oudendijk was run by Stefan Haubold. was set off. Lights were quickly Edited by Niccolo Hurst They were in charge of the Whenever the crowd was turned back on and the music music and lighting. "It was great enjoying the bone rattling beats, stopped while crowds of

AWs hweatallisknbowehbuillnyindg Pis eaelwrayMs aen deixaisttinigonpro?blem. How can someone join? Conflicts always occur between people . That is why the Peer They can contact Mrs. De Rijck or Mr. Cerf. Mediation Team in our school is ready to help. The PMT is a group of students who have gone or are going through a Does it take a lot of your time? training in order to learn how to help the people around them No, it does not. We sometimes have meetings during the 1 5 with their problems. minutes break and the training lasts three weekends. I have no idea how much time it will take me when I become a certificated But how much do we actually know about what goes on in the mediator. team? We interviewed Aura Bernaconi (a member in the PMT) to find out more about what happens in the team. Would it be awkward for you if Why did you join the Peer Mediation Team in the first place? you had to help an I joined because I really like to help people in conflicts, it makes me older student? feel very happy. No, not at all! It's a great thing to do. Do you like being a part of the Peer Mediation Team? There will be more Of course I do. Otherwise I would not have joined! information in future issues. Has there already been a problem that you have helped Image: Elisa Ynaraja Rodriquez solving? No, not yet because the training starts in November. I look forward Diana Öpik & Rada Biyukova to it and I always try to solve conflicts out of the Peer Mediation. Edited by Janina Garbo (continued) YOncoe utherelePctiounspareilfinsis'heCd thoe pmupilsmcomimtitttee eof that school External: Robert Hopwood, Elizabete Ludborza year is formed. But who’s in the Committee this year and how do I The External section is the part of the committee that contacts contact them? external places to the school, notably the European School of Luxembourg II. These are the people that keep contact with the There are many different jobs and people in the committee this year: Mamer School to organize events together.

President Vice President Harry Vigor Helmuth M. Reisner Conseil d’Education: Kristian Sutt, Lucas Marton The Cons d’Ed is where all the people in charge of the education in the school (basically the head teachers) meet to discuss future changes in the school teaching system. Two members of the pupils’ com have to be present at these meetings so that the students know what’s going on.

Conseil d’Admistration: Barry McCarthy, Roman Gorazd The Cons d’Ed is where all the people in charge of the admistration in the school meet to discuss future changes in the school teaching Harry Vigor is the president of Helmuth (also called Martini) system. Two members of the pupils’ com have to be present at this year’s pupils’ committee. is the Vice President of the these meetings so that the students know whats going on. This job takes immense pupils committee. His job is to responsibility, and very difficult aid the president in decisions, to achieve. He makes all the and to represent the Secretary: Anna-Liis official decisions (though committee and host the Anna-Liis’s job in the pupils’ committee is to record and note what advised by the committee) and meetings when the president happens at all the meetings, let it be a pupils’ com meeting or a hosts the meetings every isn’t available. He too has a class rep meeting. All this is saved so that the committee can keep week. Everything that is lot of responsibility and has a track of what’s going on. organized must be important job in the acknowledged by him. Also he committee. Helmuth is in the represents the committee when 7th year English section and Canteen and IT: Clément Potocki talking to the direction of the has been in the committee for Clément’s job in the canteen committee is quite important this year, school. two years. as Sodexo’s contract is ending, he can try to get the best food for the future of the canteen. The canteen committee consists of going to meetings with the headteacher, the A.P.E.E.E., and Sodexo, get Treasury: James Walker, Guilherme Azambuja the best food for the school. Clément is also part of the IT The job of the treasurers is all about the money of the pupils’ committee. committee. They decide how much money should be invested on events like parties and deal with the selling of the tickets. They make sure all the projects are on budget and see whether some ideas are Leisure: Daniel Murphy, Lucila Arguello, Tzvet Tzonova, Kwinten plausible or not with the budget available. This is a demanding and Jacobs Rapolas Paulavicius important job in the pupils’ committee. The leisure committee is the part that organizes all of the parties, discos and events. They contact the location, set everything up and get ideas for the events. This is the more practical side of the CoSup: Dominykas Malakauskas, Rapolas Paulavicius committee as there are multiple parties each year due to the high Every month, two members of all the pupils committees in the demand. As a matter of fact this takes up a huge chunk of the time European Schools meet in Brussels to discuss future changes in the available to the pupils’ committee. It is very time consuming to schools. This is also where each school can tell Brussels about their organize all the events and they spend a lot of the year doing so! problems or ideas. The meetings are very long and tiring and take up a lot of time. This section of the committee is import for the students of each school so that they can be informed about future Library and Newspaper editor: Niccolo Hurst changes. My job is to count the books in the library..

Internal: Daniel Ascoli, Keesjan Nijman, Mariana Antunes, Got any great questions to ask us? Just leave us a message at the Alexandra Messner-Greenwood, Sintiya Zhelezarova Facebook page ‘PupilsCom Kirchberg’ or send us a letter and leave The Internal section is basically the administration of the pupils’ it in our letterbox outside the 6-7th year lounge in B block. com. They create posters for events, they book and organize the meetings and class rep meetings, and they also talk to the direction of the school. They are the link between the Heads of the school Niccolo Hurst and the committee. This job is important and usually is one of the favourite after the elections. Two Graduates Reporting Back Laura Smith and Hannes Westermann both graduated in 2013. How are they doing now? The Pupils' Voice went to find out. Having graduated from the European School of Luxembourg in July I graduated from the European School of Luxembourg in 201 3 and 201 3, and having spent my whole summer relaxing and unwinding in decided to go study law in Lund, Sweden after. In some ways, England, Greece, and Spain, I was ready to go to University at the university here is very similar to school. There are still classes to end of September. attend, and there is still a “teacher” going through the material. The pace is a lot higher here, however. Also different is the working I am studying Music at the schedule– while in school, most of the work was done during the University of Bristol in lessons, here there are only 2-4 hours a day, and the rest is done England, and so far I’m having reading books and preparing for seminars, which are discussion a whale of a time. Compared periods. This leaves time for social activities – here in Lund, there is with the workload in 7th year, always something going on. Whether you are into parties, sports, doing only one subject seems singing or “fika”, which is basically coffee with something sweet and like almost nothing! Admittedly, a nice chat, you will always find someone who shares your my course doesn’t have many interests. contact hours per week (usually about ten), but there The biggest change for me is is still plenty of independent definitely living alone. Things I work to be done, like reading rarely considered before, such for essays, working on new as grocery shopping, doing the pieces of music, and laundry and cooking, have now composing. become things I spend time on every day. I live in a corridor It’s quite strange to be considered “foreign” in the country I was born where everyone has their own in, but having lived in three different countries, and being able to room, but shares a kitchen. This speak at least three languages makes me seem fairly exotic. I also is nice as you get to meet have to frequently explain what the European Baccalaureate actually people studying other subjects is, and that yes, I did do the equivalent of A-levels, and yes, I did than the one you chose as well. have ten classes, and yes, I did have three of them in French. I even have to reassure people that, yes, in fact, Luxembourg IS a country, All in all I find university and yes, I am sure. I do of course miss my family and friends, but extremely enjoyable. While it seemed unusual and different at first, I’ve made so many new friends and met so many interesting people you quickly settle in and then get to enjoy more freedom and here. University is supposed to be the “best years of your life”, and independence. Good luck to you all! so far, for me it is certainly looking that way. Hannes Westermann Laura Smith

Christmas Market 2013 Every year the "Association Sans Frontières" organizes the christmas market for the European School of Luxemburg I and II.

This years christmas market was a great success. The market opened its doors on Saturday the 23rd of November. From 9.30 am to 4.30 pm people could visit the market, try many different foods or just buy some christmas presents for family and friends. More than 1 9 different nationalities from the European School of Luxembourg had set up their stands. The income, which is for charity, has not been calculated yet, but it could be more than ever before. The market has existed for 30 years. Usually it is guided by the parents and students of the school. Every year the girls and boys from the swedish sectionnare singing their "Santa Lucia" while passing through the crowds. Other nationalities may also sing, dance or present something else. Everybody can visit the Christmas market, even those unaffiliated with the school.

If you are interested in joining the "Associations Sans Frontières" Helena Mello Rose Edited by Janina Garbo feel free to contact Ana Robertsson: [email protected]. Schülermesse Luxexpo Am 1 5. November hatten ESvetryodrayiweescomteoacrBossepeToploe wlhdo work on “When I worked in New York I sold cotton Schüler und Studenten aus ganz Luxemburg die the streets, unknown people that we observe candy for 1$, each day I managed to sell day after day without questioning ourselves Möglichkeit sich bei der who they really are. That is why I’ve decided to 1.000 units. I was a lucky man!” Schülermesse in der interview three men that work on Luxembourg’s him something new. We wondered why he had Luxepo nach verschiedenen streets - each one with a different story to tell us. decided to work as a candy seller and when we Studiengängen und Arbeit asked him he laughed and said: “Honestly, there is zu informieren. Die The Living Statue Haupthemen dieses Jahr waren Architektur und We first interviewed this Konstruktion man from Kosovo that has been working in Lux for two Staatsbesuch in der years. Every day he spends Türkei Präsident Abdullah eight hours outdoors Gül hat Großherzog Henri remaining completly still und Großherzogin Maria until someone gives him a Teresa in die Türkei couple of euros, isn’t it eingeladen.Jean Asselborn, incredible? Luc Frieden und Etienne Schneider begleiten sie bei “I consider my job an not a specific reason. I guess it was just destiny”. dem viertägigen Programm. expresion of art, Mit Militärmusik that’s why I like it” The Juggler verabschiedete Großherzog Henri sich auf dem Findel The Candy Seller He is from Moldavia, Czech Republic, but he has vor der Luxemburgischen never been recognized as a Czech citizen. He has Fahne und stieg in das Patrick is a French candy seller. He now works in had a very difficult life. He was ejected twice from Flugzeug. Während der Luxembourg but he has travelled all around the the European Union and he was arrested in Italy Großherzog sich mit world. He even worked selling cotton candy in New because he was considered an illegal immigrant. Abdullah Gül über die York for one year. During the seven years that he's been living in Wirtschaftsbeziehungen Luxembourg, he has tried to find a better job, but beiden Länder unterhält, On a normal day Patrick starts working on his as he wasn’t qualified enough he was never begibt sich die candy stand at 1 0 a.m. and returns home at 6 p.m. employed. This is one of the many touching Großherzogin in das Every day he drives from France, where he lives, stories of the people we don’t always notice when Flüchtelingscamp Nizip 2, to Luxembourg to be able to sell cotton candy and we walk cross the streets of our city. das etwa 5 000 syrische warm caramel nuts. Flüchtlinge beherbergt. Conchita Carrascosa and Raquel Gomez Lerma Außerdem wird sie He really enjoys his job as he always meets new Edited by Ana Rita Teixeira zusammen mit Unicef costumers from different nationalities who teach Winterkleidung austeilen.

New Tech Innovation on Busses Upcoming Concerts in Luxembourg BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE (Rockhal) ONE REPUBLIC (Rockhal) As part of the HotCity network, free WiFi soon Tuesday, 4 February 201 4 Saturday, 8th February 201 4 will be available in all city busses. Price: €29 Price: 32€

How exactly this is going to work is still unkown, but 1 9:30 20:30 hrs the city of Luxembourg officially announced it a few months ago. The Wifi will be installed in all busses by the end of the year 201 4. Because there are just 60 bus stops (out of 550) equipped with electronic boards for travelers to see the exact departure times of the bus, the other 490 are getting individual QR codes so we can see the departure times on the HotCity app with our smartphone. If you don't have a smartphone you can text a certain number to receive JAMES ARTHUR (Rockhal) FALL OUT BOY (Den Atelier) the exact times. Lots of new innovation coming up - Saturday, 1 st March 201 4 1 4th Tuesday, 4th March 201 4 stay tuned! Price: €1 6, Price: €34 20:30 hrs 20:00 hrs Nadja Joachim Edited by Eirik Cervino Tirion Lindsay Fire Truck swallowed into the ground Tram in Luxembourg? It was a perfectly normal Thursday when the Fire Brigade of Grevenmacher was driving through town. Suddenly, the truck crashed through the tarmac.

The apshalt had given away due to the weight of the vehicle. The main cause of the accident is not totally clear yet, but many suspect there was a huge mistake in the construction of the road. Further investigations will take place in the following days.

Luckily there were no casualties, but the fire truck was badly damaged. Image: Luxtram

Many keep saying that the tram will be built soon, but not a single pebble has been moved to make space for the rail tracks. So what will actually happen?

In 2007 the Luxembourgish state and the city of Luxembourg started the project Luxtram. The members of this organization are planning, funding and answering all questions about the future tram in Luxembourg. They are also making preparations for the constructions in a way that the tram network can be connected with the busses, which is not an easy thing to do.

Because of difficulties with the law and the organisation, the project is not progressing very fast. However, Claude Wiseler, Minister for Sustainable Development and Infrastructures, is positive about it all and is sure work will Image: Guy Jallay begin soon.

The government say construction will start in 201 4, the same time as the Greenpeace Demonstration production of the vehicles will begin. In 201 7, the first line between the Gare On 1 8th September, 30 Greenpeace activists (the ‘Arctic and the Luxexpo in Kirchberg will start running (no one knows when it’s really 30’) were detained in Russia after the Russian authorities going to start), whether there will be more problems or difficulties then. seized their vessel when protesting against drilling in the Arctic. Many Luxembourgish citizens are very skeptical about the idea and many do not support the whole project. “It’s a waste of our money,” says Pol Schneider, In Place Guillaume, around 60 Greenpeace supporters a proud Luxembourgish citizen. “We already have at least 1 0 busses between held a demonstration, demanding justice for the 30 the Gare and Luxexpo arriving and departing every 5 minutes, so what’s the activists. point of investing millions in a tram?”

The 30 have been detained for 2 months, and the court is Don't give up hoping that there will be a tram. It will be built, but whether we expecting to extend their detention for a further 3 months. need it or not is another question. They have also been accused of piracy, which, if they are found guilty, will lead them to a 7 year imprisonment. Visit luxtram.lu for more information.

On a Saturday afternoon, in Luxembourg, the Nadja Joachim demonstrators led a candlelit parade through the city, and Edited by Ana Rita Teixeira then proceeded to take pictures, which shall later be sent to the Russian embassy.

Greenpeace Luxembourg’s Martina Holbach said in an interview: “The 30 Arctic activists are neither hooligans nor pirates. The charges, which could lead to seven years in prison, are largely disproportionate. They are nothing more than an attack on the right to a peaceful protest.”

So far, the global Greenpeace movement has managed to gather over 2 million signatures for a petition to free the ‘Arctic 30’.

Alexandra Laidlaw Edited by Eirik Cervino Marshall Mathers returns in „LP” t rnalis , sic jou pression ur mu f self-ex Style o ofo a form o but Mem life. It is express Marshall Mathers (also known as Eminem) gives an insight le in our e try to great ro ething w many c plays a ons, som ongs by on the making of this fall’s biggest and most awaited rap ic. Musi d emoti ten to s e Mus souls an t. We lis songs w album, in his exclusive interview with the Rolling Stone. The into our this bes w many window s know agine ho ntly. album “Marshall Mathers LP 2” was released on 5th a e teen out. Im c differe annot. W ay in day ts musi often c ands, d interpre spaper November 201 3. sts and b eryone s a new rent arti me. Ev ithin. A r “Marshall Mathers LP” is considered to be one of diffe ur lifeti to hide w alents o to in o a place oming t Eminem’s best albums yet, by his fans, which means the new ll listen ation or and upc on wi of inspir ut new usic has a form ers abo effect m album has some big shoes to fill. “Calling it The Marshall Either as our read n to the forming attentio we live. Mathers LP 2, obviously I knew that there might be certain ill be in so draw in which we w e will al e world expectations” he says, however he does not want to indicate wever w e and th ums. Ho es peopl alb ic chang that the album is a sequel. The title has a sentimental value als. Mus individu to him, so he struggled with choosing the right material for the CD. “I wouldn't want to call it that just for the sake of ki Wilczyns calling it that. I had to make sure that I had the right songs” onstanty K nalist The album itself contains tracks varying from the usic Jour M single “Berzerk”, produced by Rick Rubin, whom working with was mentioned to be ‘a great experience’, to other songs including collaborations with Kendrick Lamar, Nate Ruess and Rihanna. As mentioned before, the album is not a sequel which means that “there's not going to be, like, continuations of every old song on there or anything like that” says the artist. To him it is a nostalgic comeback to all the vibes that inspired him during the production of the first CD.

Rock musician Lou Reed dies at 71 with the Jades in 1 957, did not gain popularity nor did the band.

However, meeting John Cale was a turning point in his career. They formed a band which was firstly called The Warlocks, but over time was changed to The Primitives and Falling Spikes. Finally they settled for the name: The Velvet Underground. The band became one of the most influential bands of rock and roll. Reed however left the band in 1 970 and his career came to a standstill.

In 1 972 he made a comeback with his album transformer produced by David Bowie, which showed him in all his former glory. His most popular singles were "Walk Image: KTLA on the Wild Side", "Satellite of Love" and Lou Reed, lead singer of Velvet the media that in May he had undergone a "Perfect Day”, and his most popular albums Underground, died on 27th October 201 3. liver transplant and due to that he had were "Berlin", "Sally Can't Dance", "Rock 'n' The cause of his death was not revealed, cancelled five planned concerts in Roll Animal", "Metal Machine Music" and but as the magazine Rolling Stone California. „Coney Island Baby" speculates, it was connected to complications after his liver transplant. For those who haven’t heard of Lou Reed, The death of this rock legend will be he was a rock icon and a Rock and Roll Hall mourned by many. Reed had admitted on numerous occasions of Famer (into which he was inducted with that he was an alcoholic and that he had his band, Velvet Underground). Reed, born Edited by Emily Ross been coping with drug addiction for a long Lewis Andrew, but called Lou, was born on time. His wife, Laurie Anderson, revealed to March 2nd 1 942. His first single, released Izra's Column Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion Review Good Old Times Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion is a stand- Space battle late-game tend to be very Just one second, I need to check whether alone expansion pack for the highly overcrowded and the only strategy you can I’ve got new mails. And I need to see if I acclaimed Sins of a Solar Empire. It’s a 4X employ is who you focus your fire on. When have any friend requests on Facebook. Oh, (the 4X’s being Explore, Exploit, Expand you first start playing PvP (Player vs. Player) I shouldn't forget: maybe someone and Exterminate) Sci-fi RTS in which the you have the tendency to get quickly uploaded a new video on YouTube. Then I objective of the game is to eliminate the outplayed by the people with more need to refresh my Twitter feed to see which opposing factions or to win an allied victory. experience, unless you expand very fast. celebrity has Tweeted about them going to sleep or having breakfast. And then, after an The expansion is a great improvement from All-in-all it’s a very good game with a clean hour of “just checking this and that”, I ﬁnally the already great game that is Sins of a HUD (Heads-Up-Display, or the information start doing my homework. Solar Empire. It has added more victory you see in front of you when you are types, improved the graphics, 3 new playing) and UI (User Interface, actual In the 21 st century you can’t evade it: factions, new ships and lots more. But gameplay menus and options) , good internet. How great internet is to keep in looking on the negative side, the game has graphics and numerous customization contact with friends and acquaintances and a good story behind it but no campaign options. I give this game an 8/1 0 for people to share your whole life with them, so bad it which was also been a problem with the who play alone but a 9/1 0 if you have a is when you try to do something good and original, because of this playing alone gets group of friends to play with. Enjoy! productive (yes you heard it right: doing very boring very fast, but they compensate homework and studying for tests is good!). by a very good multiplayer system which Eirik Cervino Game Expert Just watching this Vine and just posting runs smoothly. Edited by Johanna Lindberg that... Before you know it, another hour has passed.

Even while writing this text, I get distracted by all those WhatsApp messages I’m receiving. But what can we do about it? Should we, just like Tom Hanks and my mom, start using typewriters again? Typewriters on which we can write and do our homework but where we won’t get distracted by the attractive icons of Safari, Firefox and Google Chrome?

And then something else: the 21 st century’s vocabulary. In the text above, almost a quarter of the words were only added to the dictionaries since this century (and then I’m talking about the online edition). To refresh a feed, to Tweet, to post a status. And everyone (well, except maybe the oldies form three centuries ago) knows what I’m Image: Pcgamer talking about when I need to update my status, follow a celebrity and retweet their Written by Edited by Konstanty Wilczynski Eirik Cervino Tweet. And all this when most of the people Gamefall What's coming? using Social Media aren’t even from the NBA 2k1 4 Battlefield 4 Assassin's Creed: Black Flag 21 st century. Consider that.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you’d hear the loud sound of people typing on their typewriters in the library and hearing a “Ping!” every minute when they have to start

Released on October 1 st, the Battlefield again is leading in Again a sequel to the Assassin’s Creed a new line? That it would be a special event newest successor of the long the multiplayer genre of FPS. series, at its best. The vast, open and when you could watch television with the reigning series of NBA 2k is It's Introducing the “levolution” detailed world beats GTA V free roam area. whole neighborhood sitting around one one of the best basketball feature. It is a new feature Amazing side missions give an Assassins games on the market, and is allowing the player to make all Creed 2 reminiscent feel, however the main television watching The A-Team or Friends. hard to compete with. The strategic choices to make his missions suffer from repletion and same Or that only the richest have a computer at new defensive AI has been gameplay easier, varying from modules which you will come upon over and home and that this computer is bigger than improved, more realistic closing the shutter gates by over again. Also the lack of assassinations moves that are easier to pull pressing one button, to taking in a game entitled “Assassin Creed” is quite the table where it’s standing on? off and of course a ton of new down a huge skyscraper with deceiving. A great game, powerful engine, animations. the help of your teammates. however this game is more of a pirate game Sigh... Good old times! than an assassin game. Yasmine's Fashion Tips Upoming Movies Catching Fire (a sequel to the Hunger Games) on the 22nd of November What is in this fall?

Let’s see^so it’s currently November one month or two months into the fall season and some of us may wonder: What are some major fall trends? This column is here to inform you exactly what is in or out in this beautiful season, got to match our attire to our desire! The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug on the 1 3th of December Yes, yes I know what you will say at this point: But Luxembourg has close to no interesting shops! But well my fellow fashion lovers this just makes our case a little more heroic, for now we must strive to find all these fashion pieces and looks in what little we have! Let’s jump back to summer 201 3’s fashion trends; am I hearing highwaisted shorts and crop tops? Well obviously I can’t hear you but you get the point, and I am here to either inform or further inform you to the fact that you must Vampire Academy (based on not fear! This simple summer look can easily be transitioned to the fall time with two Rachelle Meade’s novel) in March simple words: fallify it! Instead of highwaisted shorts, highwaisted jeans are totally in this fall season together with long sleeved crop tops! Voila! Furthermore, these items can be easily bought in Luxembourg in shops like ‘Extrabold’, ‘H&M’, ‘Zara’ and of course you can order online!

But although we are one or two months into fall, winter is also only one month away Divergent (book by Veronica Roth) and that means Christmas, New Years and all that good stuff! For the winter time in April the same things apply as for the fall time but since it is very cold in Luxembourg socks are a great addition to your outfit. Knee high socks are an essential for the winter time because there are just so many way you can style them! Whether with thick tights or leggings you can pair them with any kind of shoes really, and H&M has a great selection. The Maze Runner (based on a novel by James Dashner) in July

How to look good when the temperature drops? For this winter I think being comfortable is really a main point (and of course staying warm). Combat boots, oversized jumpers, scarves and lovely coats are the way to go. Beanies are extremely in during these seasons and they are an essential to your wardrobe. Cute ones can be found in many places including Pimkie, H&M and Extrabold. Maroon or hunter green coloured skinny jeans or thick leggings are a fall/winter 201 3 trend.

Black and White? That is definitely a winter trend as well as darker colours with a bright coloured scarf or jacket. Leather leggings are also a big trend this year, they were a summer trend but they will conquer the winter trends as well. If you are interested in buying a pair they are available in Zara and H&M as well as other stores and of course the internet..

Shoes Let’s talk about shoes, walking down the corridors in school you will see many people wearing Uggs or Ugg-like boots but this year I have noticed more and more people wearing combat boots, especially Doc Martens. Doc Martens are shoes that are great for rain and most of them (the leather ones) are also great for snow which is a definite advantage in Luxembourg! They can be found in stores like Patricia Underground in Luxembourg city as well as online. Riding boots, which are the long boots that reach close to your knee caps are also a great trend along with hunter boots.

Edited by Sara Wronski How to Become a Successful Ebay Seller Ebay is a great way to sell stuff that is just collecting dust in A low starting price is very attractive to buyers. Studies have shown your attic. Taking a picture and putting it up online only takes a that low starting prices are much more appealing and potential few minutes. Within a couple days a buyer might have placed a buyers will save the product on their "Favourites" list. nice bid and your item is ready for shipping. I'm afraid this is a bit of a risky move for expensive items. If you Because Ebay is such a big platform with millions of users, you know they are worth at least €1 00 then maybe you should raise the always want to get the best price out of your product while still starting price to make sure you will definitely reach the bottom limit ensuring you have great costumer satisfaction and high standards. it's worth. This might seem difficult, but with a few tips and tricks it is actually quite easy. Write a good Description

As a buyer you want to know exactly what you are paying for. You want to be honest and describe the state your product is in, what it is made of, brand name, dimensions and possibly the reason you're Research your Product selling it. Always assume the buyer doesn't know anything about the product. Imagine you found a model car under your bed and you've decided to put it up online. You sell the car for €30 and you soon realize it Positive Feedback was actually worth €60. Frustrated? You could've made much more profit if you had researched your model car to see how much you Positive feedback is super important. If you are friendly, honest and could've (and should've) sold it for. a trustworthy ebayer, your ratings will most likely always be thumbs up. It shows other buyers what you've been like in the past and if But it's not only the underpriced products: In fact, most people put it's worth buying from you. their items on for an expensive price which leaves them with no sales. On other occasions, sellers put a second hand item on ebay Set up a Income / Expenses Spreadsheet for a price for which the buyer could've bought exactly the same item in the store, new. With all these fees, shipping costs and payments things can quickly become unorganized. I strongly recommend you to set up a Learn about Packaging and Shipping spreadsheet using Excel where you have a basic overview of how much profit you've made and how much money you've spent. As soon as you have successfully sold your item and received your lovely cash, it is time for you to do some more work: shipping. Allow International Buyers

Before putting anything online, check your local post office for Most Ebay sellers don't allow international buyers (buyers from pricing. Depending on the size of your package, prices will differ. other countries) because it's more fuss and work. But remember we're in Luxembourg, and there aren't many ebayers around in this Make sure you protect your items with some bubble wrap or country. That is why I strongly recommend you to sell around the newspapers. We don't want the buyer to receive your broken globe. camera... Customize your Title

Start auctions at 0,99€ Customizing titles is probably the most important tip I can give you. The words people type into the searchbar have to be in your title, otherwise the chances of him finding your product are quite small.

If you are selling jeans, don't put the title "Blue Jeans" because it's not specific enough. There are at least 500,000 jeans being sold on ebay right now, so you are definitely going to have to put in something like "Blue Jeans, Levi, size __, worn twice" Don't use adjectives such as "look", "beautiful" or "incredible" in your title.

I am sure you can make some money online with these tips. Try it out, maybe you're a business person after all!

Joshua Oudendijk Edited by Sara Wronski

Images say more the words - Make sure your item is captured well by the camera and it's the only thing on the picture. Cristiano Ronaldo: An Arrogant Iceland: Small country, big Genius? oppertunities Everyone’s heard of Cristiano Ronaldo. It is an incredible chance for this small nation of only 320.000 people to participate in the FIFA world cup. Let’s face it, even the people who don’t like football know him. He’s everywhere: adverts, magazines – he even has his own fashion line. The whole country is waiting for the game ‘of their lives’ Idolised by millions of fans, adored my millions of girls, and the favourite of against Croatia. If they win, they will be participating in the the cameras during matches, you can’t not know him. football World Cup held in 201 4 in Brazil. Croatia seems to be the favourite in this competition but the Icelandic people believe in their nation and in their football team.

After a very difficult economic crisis, Iceland has regained strenght and power and all fans are uniting for all these bad moments their country has witnessed.

“Yes we can!” That’s the motto of the Icelandic football fans which they were singing after the game against Norway. The score was 1 -1 but it was a great moment for all the supporters.

Now, with a big mental preparation and support from their fans, the Icelandic squad is ready to face Croatia.

Brazil, Iceland is coming!

Gregori Quiros Image: Getty Edited by Konstanty Wilczynski Despite a couple ridiculous misses that the media never fail to point out, Ronaldo is, undeniably, brilliant. This season alone, he has scored five hat-tricks for club and country, his total for Real Madrid being 23. His current career total is 349 in 540 appearances in club football, plus 47 goals for Portugal. Not only is he good with both feet, but on top of that he’s an amazing dribbler – he is famous for his “step over” trick. However, he has often been accused of not passing the ball enough. When Ronaldo left United in 2009, The Telegraph called him “the genius without a soul”, claiming that the fans were tired of his “pouting and posturing”. In 2011 , he said “I am rich, handsome and a great player”. We have further indications of Cristiano Ronaldo being arrogant in his ex- teammate Wayne Rooney’s autobiography My Decade in the Premier Image: weglobalfootball League. Rooney says that Ronaldo “can’t walk past his reflection without admiring it” and that, in the pre match routine, “Ronnie turns to his reflection and stares, psyching himself up”. According to Wayne, Ronaldo Underwatersport Advanced Level If you are interested in watersports and you want to do an “loves his clothes”, and favours only the most expensive brands. original sport not everyone performs (let alone knows) , then we suggest Octopush. But maybe Ronaldo isn’t as arrogant as his constantly changing hairstyles might suggest. He says that he doesn’t drink alcohol as his father died of Octopush is also known as Underwater-Hockey. Like the an alcoholism-related condition when Ronaldo was just 20 years old. Also, name suggests, ”Underwater- Hockey”, Octopush is in November 201 2, he sold his golden boot for 1 .5 million and donated the exactly like hockey but played under the water. This sport money to fund schools for children in Palestine. Earlier this year, he has become popular among teenagers and adults alike in showed another aspect of his modesty: he said he felt “sad” when he countries such as the UK, Canada and Australia. scored the goal that knocked Manchester United out of the Champions League in March, and didn’t celebrate his goal because he “respects the Clara Schenk Sports Journalist people of Manchester”. Edited by Ana Rita Teixeira W S N U

So maybe Ronaldo is a bit full of himself, but with his wages and the : e g a m adoration of millions of fans, who wouldn’t be? He’s still a genius, and one I of the best – arguably the best player – in the history of football. Even if he is arrogant, he is still amazing on the pitch, which makes up for it.

Francesca Chapman Edited by Ana Rita Teixeira “Secret" Footballers: A New Trend Unlike their fellow players, who have for the more direct version of an Secret Footballer seems different from how published (often ghostwritten) autobiography; the authors aren’t scared to he describes the other players, and he autobiographies, these two footballers tell the “truth”, so we hear about everything, himself admits that he never wanted to have taken the anonymous routeG from wild Christmas parties, to the reality of become what he pre-season tours, to the process of choosing calls “embittered We’ve all seen the autobiographies of big the “Player of the Year”, to the true role of older players like Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard agents and kitsmen, to the players’ attitude professionals”. and Fernando Torres on the shelves. True, towards the fans as well as homosexual But the worst some of them have been described as teammates. thing – even “honest, but even they cannot compare with more the harsh reality presented in what seems to “I am the Secret Footballer”, described as a outrageous than be the most popular type of football book “recklessly honest read that pairs guilty the tales of the nowadays: the anonymous one. “I am the pleasure with moral compass”, seems to be players’ parties Secret Footballer”, one of these books, was what inspired “The Secret Player”, though – is that we said to be “better than any turgid football this one takes the “honesty” to a whole new have absolutely biography on the bookshelves”. level, telling even more “shocking” stories. no proof that the books were written by professional Both books, “I am the Secret Footballer” and Despite being found in the Sports section of footballers and not by journalists. What “The Secret Player”, are said to have been most bookshops, these books are suitable would a pro get out of it? Certainly not written anonymously by two different not only for football fans, but are also popularity, as it’s anonymous. So could the footballers. Both came from magazine interesting for those who aren’t that books have been written by journalists? columns – “The Guardian” and interested in football. Skip over the technical Although they seem believable, the “FourFourTwo” respectively. It seems that an stuff if you must, and these books will take anonymity of the author would be a perfect increasing number of players are now opting you on an emotional journey, leaving you way for a journalist to earn more money; or, with a sense of mystery at the end. Many it could just be the fantasy of a bitter sports people who have no interest in football have journalist trying to blacken the world of enjoyed these two books. football.

On the shelves of some bookshops, “I am That would be a disappointing explanation of the Secret Footballer” has become more two very entertaining and thought-provoking popular than the legendary “I am Zlatan books, as it would be great if there was Ibrahimovic” (and this one is incredibly someone out there who is different from all honest: “Hatred and revenge are what gets the rest. [me] going”, Zlatan admits), and the fact that the former’s sequel hits the shelves on the The truth is that we may never find out who 7th of November just goes to show its wrote the books. It would be a scandal for increasing popularity. the footballer, and absolutely pointless for the journalist to reveal himself, so we may Despite certain differences, both the go on guessing for decades. But then that’s anonymous books leave us with a final part of the beauty of these books. What do conclusion: “professional football is an you think? individual game played in a team context”, Go on, read it for yourself, and then you can where “everyone is in it for themselves”. This make your own decision. goes to show where a life of being bombarded money and idolised can lead Francesca Chapman you to be. And it’s not all that great. But the Edited by Ana Rita Teixeira

READER MAIL Your opinions matter to us. If you have any comments about Protect the articles or you just want to share your personal opinion about a environment and topic with everyone else, feel free to send The Pupils' Voice an don't litter :-) email [email protected] The Pupils' Voice Nouvelle Stratégie : Luxair Vise les MDo yoau gneiedcaacilty tIhast tyoau hnavbe nuevelr visited before? A city in Europe? And with a direct flight from Capitales Européennes Luxembourg? We propose Istanbul, the magical city of Turkey.

You can get from Luxemburg to Istanbul in about 2 ½ hours. It is the only metropolis in the world that lies on 2 continents – Europe and Asia – and was the capital of culture in 201 0. Also, it is one of the cultural capitals of Islam. A well-known church is the Hagia Sophia. It is a famous orthodox church located in the European part of Istanbul. Another nice thing to see is the International Istanbul Film Festival. It takes place at the end of April in several cinemas and it has been organised since 1 982. For music fans we propose the Electronica Istanbul Festival. It takes place on three days in August on eight different open- air stages with famous DJ’s and acts. Istanbul is the culinary mirror of the whole of Turkey. You can eat specialities from almost every part of the country and many restaurants also serve an international menu. Basically Istanbul is something for everybody – so Image: Gregori Quiros why not go and check it out? Luxair a ajouté 3 nouvelles destinations européennes dans son réseau dans le cadre de sa nouvelle stratégie d’ouverture vers le vieux Clara Schenk & Asta Seppänen continent. Edited by Francesca Chapman

C’est ce que Luxair group a annoncé dans une conférence de presse en dévoilant les nouvelles destinations : Dublin, Stockholm et Lisbonne.

La ligne vers la capitale de l’Eire fut le terrain de bataille de la communauté irlandaise au Luxembourg, car après de longues négociations avec Luxair group, le mouvement « Save the Luxair LUX- DUB route » ne put sauver cette ligne qui fut arrêté il y a deux ans. Quand à Stockholm, elle réjouit la communauté Suédoise implanté au Luxembourg et facilite la communication avec la Suède.

Luxair volera vers Dublin avec des avions type Bombardier Dash8 Q400 et pour la capitale suédoise en Embraer 1 45. Mais la plus grosse surprise fut l’annonce de la réouverture de la ligne vers Lisbonne après 7 ans d’absence, laissant la place sur cette ligne aux compagnies TAP

Image: IISES Portugal et à la britannique Easyjet qui commencera les vols vers la capitale Lusitanienne le 1 0 décembre. Les vols vers le Portugal seront opères en Boeing 737-700w.

Les prix seront à partir de 99 € TTC et tous les vols vers les nouvelles destinations commenceront le 30 mars 201 4. Rate yo ur holidays and travels here Gregori Quiros Edited by Francesca Chapman

3 Innocent Gestures That Can Get You Killed Overseas (Well...if you continue doing them) Finishing Your Meal In Thailand Giving an Even Number of Flowers Giving the "OK" Sign in Brazil in Russia Here in Europe it is considered polite to Giving an even number of flowers in Russia The OK sign in Brazil is the equivalent of the finish off our plates. In Thailand, if you finish is seen as death, so maybe not a very good finger in the US. So when you are diving... every last bite of your meal, you are implying thing to do. Of course, at funerals, they are maybe not let your partner know everything that you weren't given enough. accepted... is OK. By Eirik Cervion Column Rome What not to miss Edited by Bianca Ramazio The 21st century meltdown In this article I’m going to talk about some places you cannot miss when Global warming is the rise in temperature of the Earth's you visit Italy’s beautiful capital, Rome. Note: these sites are chosen by atmosphere. According to the BBC News website, by the time a personal preference and experiences. baby born today reaches the age of 80, the Earth's temperature will have risen by 6 and a half degrees. Castel Sant’Angelo Castel Sant’Angelo used to be the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian, but Some governments have tried to tackle the problem in various because of its fortress-style construction, it has been everything from a ways: in 1 997, the Kyoto agreement, in which countries should safe house to a prison. try to reduce their CO2 emissions, was signed by 1 91 countries, and most of them have adopted this agreement. The Roman Forum However, the United States have not actually put it into One of the most popular and well known sites in Rome makes it an practice, they have only signed it. As one of the biggest obvious choice. Unfortunately it isn’t the easiest of places to navigate - countries in the world, this is a major setback for tackling the when I was there they closed it 45 minutes early which I thought was a problem of global warming. bit weird - but other than that the place was great and the building are well preserved and well kept. On a smaller scale, we can stop global warming by doing simple things like switching off lights when leaving a room, The Vatican Museum recycling things that we no longer need and using public This is the one place you really cannot not miss. It was very well transport instead of going by car all the time. organized and the things they displayed would make any fan of history drool. They display everything from Babylonian tablets (1 894 BC-1 595 I think that it is very important that people understand the BC) to the Sistine Chapel. effects of global warming. Otherwise, if we don't act soon, things could start to get worse. In the worst case scenario, sea The Colosseum levels could rise by up to 2 metres. There are already islands in I obviously have to mention the Colosseum. It’s as big and as grand as the Pacific Ocean such as Tuvalu that are disappearing everybody says it is and it really shows you what people could do it because of rising sea levels, and countries like Bangladesh those days. and the Netherlands could be at risk too. The Pantheon Anthony Upton The one of the most well preserved ancient buildings in the world; it’s truly grand with its huge domed roof. It has been a centre of religion for the entirety of its existence housing the roman gods and later was converted into a church by the Christians.

A Great Destination for Your next Holiday: Lisbon Lisbon is the second city in the ranking of preferred destinations in either, Lisbon is a city where the night life continues till daybreak! Europe; it’s great for those looking for a holiday full of life! The Portuguese capital is a lovely sunny city, where the old and the new If you’re just looking for a chilled and relaxed vacation, then go for crash against each other. There are so many things to do and see in walks in town, enjoy the landscape and don’t forget to pass by places like Alfama with its tiny streets and houses, or “Castelo de São Jorge” where you get a beautiful panoramic landscape from the city with the River Tagus as the background. To finish your tour eat a well-known “Pastel de Belém” in the parks in front of “Mosteiro dos Jerónimos”.

Have a good trip and don’t forget to taste one of the Portuguese specialties, the famous “bacalhau”.

Lisbon, it’s great for families with different tastes. Ana Rita Teixeira For those who like to discover new cultures and are interested in Edited by Francesca Chapman history and art there’s a large choice of museums. But if you are more into sports and adventure there are many open air activities available on the outside of Lisbon. And at night you won’t get bored ts less Fac l bly use Martin Aronde Incredi z Stoyanov & 10 Random & Beatri

Fact#2 The ultimate test of self control is sitting next to bubble wrap and leaving it alone. Fact#1 Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

Fact#3 Piñatas are victims of child abuse.

Fact#4 Jumping off a cliff doesn’t kill you, it’s actually the sudden stop at the bottom that does.

Fact#6 Strangers are like birds. If you run at them screaming and waving your arms they will run away.

Fact#5 As soon as you hold a sharpie marker you’ll want to draw on everything (such as a Lamborghini).

Fact#7 If you wear the right colored Fact#8 There would be many unlucky apron, you can hand out free samples of people if chain mails really did work. whatever you want at the supermarket.

Fact#1 0 There are much more productive things Fact#9 If everyone had OCD (Obsessive Compulsive you could be doing right now. Disorder), we would live in a cleaner world. Christmas Facts The first Christmas tree wasn’t a tree at all; it was made out of dyed goose feathers.

At first, Santa Claus wore many different coloured robes: green, purple, blue and brown. It was in 1 931 that Coca-Cola made him wear red.

The popular Christmas song ‘Jingle Bells’ was originally called ‘One-Horse Open Sleigh’.

In Russia and Ukraine, Christmas is celebrated on the 7th of January, not the 25th of December like in most countries.

In the Czech Republic, on Christmas Eve, single women throw one the monastery of their shoes over their shoulder and if the heel is facing towards Every ten years, the monks in of silence to are allowed to break their vow them, they will stay single. However, if it faces away from them, o by and it’s one speak two words. Ten years g they should start making wedding plans... for a second monk’s first chance. He thinks before saying, “Food bad.” For many people of Japan, traditional Christmas dinner is KFC! It is rd.” Ten years later, he says, “Bed ha so popular that you would have to make a reservation to eat at a KFC in the country at Christmas. He gives the It’s the big day, a decade later. long stare and says, “I quit.” head monk a A ric h sheik sends his son to Berlin for university. Two months later he monk says. finds a golden letter in his mailbox. “I’m not surprised,” the head since you got “You’ve been complaining ever "Dear Father, Berlin is great. But what I don't understand is why here.” every one comes to the university by train every morning while I always arrive in my Mercedes." The sheik sends his son a letter back including a one million dollar cheque.

"S on! Stop embarrassing our country! Go and buy yourself a train!" Chief Editor's Column Joshua Oudendijk Dear readers,

I’m glad to be part of, what I hope to be, a historical school year. To add even more warmth to the community, we are proud to present to you “The Pupils’ Voice”, the official European School of Luxembourg I newspaper.

Run by a large, mortivated team of students, “The Pupils’ Voice” brings you the latest news and updates about your school, Luxembourg, Media, Sports, Entertainment and plenty more! The free newspaper will be stuffed with interesting articles, stories, interviews and reports for you and your friends to read about and discuss. Please not during lessons though... ;)

Because your thoughts and opinions matter a lot to us, we have added a section named "Reader Mail" - it's open for each and every one of you. If you have any comments or queries about articles or topics that are currently being discussed, no matter if criticism or thumbs up, feel free to send them to [email protected] and let us know what you think. With some luck you will have a spot in the next edition!

Enjoy!

Syria: Whose Problem is it? The Syrian civil war has continued for 3 years, giving the peoples of other nations a grim reminder of the human capacity for evil. The images have been getting worse by the day, but no matter how vile the facts of the conflict become, the Western response has amounted to nothing but hot air. With the recent news of the gas attack, proven to have been launched by Syria’s totalitarian government, the leaders of the west were quick to pledge intervention. It seemed that the people of a devastated country would finally get the support they needed.

The hope did not last long, as President Barack Obama, reputed as a man of strong ideals and a firm believer in change, chose to handle the issue in a way which was at best questionable. After first proclaiming that intervention in the form of a targeted Night falls over Syria This rebel controlled area was bombared with airmissiles last month. military strike was the best course of action he chose to ask for congressional approval. die in the weeks that it takes the US opinions, will likely end up an incoherent Even though he claims that he did this in Congress to debate the issue, the decision mess with each congressman sticking on defence of his country’s democratic ideals, has several strategic drawbacks. Firstly, the his own small piece of red tape. the true reason for this decision is obvious US has lost any element of surprise it may to all. After Iraq the American people dread have had against the Syrian regime, giving An intervention along these lines will likely another campaign in the Middle East and it time to prepare; meaning that any military amount to little more than standing in the any decision for military action is likely to be intervention will be more costly in both background and cheering on the resistance. unpopular. Obama took this decision to money and lives, if not downright Thirdly, this reluctant approach to answering allow him to deny responsibility for the way unsuccessful. Secondly, this decision is a flagrant violation of several UN treaties on that this issue is handled and all its extremely controversial inside Congress. the part of the world’s most powerful military consequences, thereby preserving his With strong support both for and against force sends a clear message to the world’s somewhat shaken image. intervention if the proposition isn’t rejected despots: the West will hesitate to act if its outright then the details of the intervention, strictest rules are broken. They will feel Aside from the fact that thousands more will drafted together by congressmen of various liberated to experiment with inhumane weapons and cruel practices. The abnegation of responsibilities that causes tyrants will be unchained, but not their employee dissatisfaction over new furniture people. Those believing in an intervention in one place could allow a hundred have called this decision “cowardly” and thousand deaths in higher places. “dithering” and accused Obama of clumsily tossing his own responsibility to Congress Dominik Whittaker Syria Correspondant like an unpinned grenade; and from there Edited by Anthony Upton the problem goes onto the shoulders of other, less mighty, nations. Obama has effectively turned the most important decision the west has been faced with in decades into a farcical game of pass the Polls show sinking support for intervention A large parcel which few can take seriously (this majority of Americans strongly oppose a U.S. military was made more than clear when senator mission in Syria. McCain was caught playing poker on his Image: The White House phone during a senate hearing). of the world should realise that whether they What do you think? Let us know via are in charge of a group of three thousand email or facebook! The greatest problem is that Obama is not or a state of three hundred million, they are the only man in the world who is prone to there to bear the weight of their people’s [email protected] neglecting his duty in this way. This attitude problems, and to take charge of their to leadership has become a major vice of solutions as quickly and efficiently as facebook.com/thepupilsvoice the western world with leaders all too happy possible. For some smaller leaders a to do nothing about popular demands and problem may seem insignificant, but as throw any responsibility that may come their Michel de Montaigne once said “the souls of way on to whoever they think might be emperors and cobblers are cast in the same capable of bearing it for them. The leaders mould”, the same complacence and

Something every person has to You born, when our parents were out buying realize is that you will never really know how blue or pink clothes for us to grow in. It things look or sound in other people’s eyes started before you had your own voice when or ears even though I bet you would love to. your kindergarten teacher gave you a doll to Everyone wants to see how other people play with because you were a girl. It has see themselves, I would love to jump into gone from being expected to play with dolls, someone else’s skin for a little while and to being expected to look like one. But it is meet myself for the first time and the second not only the stereotypical boy and girl I am time and the third. I would love to see if I’m talking about, society expects you to be as pretty as my mum says I am, as sassy as many more things than dressed in pink. my friends say I have been, as insecure as I Society will always have expectations and see myself or as inspirational as I’d love to opinions so it is your job to either live up to be. those expectations and cry over their judgement or to get yourself together and But here is the thing, it doesn’t matter make your own expectations and opinions. whether these things are true or not because you will never be the judge of that. Why should you be what everyone else And maybe that isn’t such a bad thing, sure thinks you should be when you can become reality and people can be cruel but not as whatever you want to? We will never be cruel as you are to yourself when the only able to change the way of society if we don’t one who is there to judge is you. I would say start by changing the way of ourselves. We that your biggest critic is that person made are all ready to change ourselves to fit in to out of skin and bone you see when you look Image: Angela Gomez Fernandez the squared box we call society but society into the mirror. Your biggest critic is you. Of is not ready to change itself to fit us. We are course there will always be that parent who something someone else told you to do. practically just like a heart shaped picture has always expected more, that friend who trying to fit into a smaller, black and white, expects you to be in a certain way or that My only question here is, is it worth it to squared frame. teacher who thinks you are a genius take a brick out of your own wall of because they had your sibling last year. So confidence because someone else is Johanna Lindberg you are often beating yourself up about missing that brick in their own wall? Don’t Edited by Rada Biyukova things someone else told you was important. you ever get tired of how the world expects You get sad because you can’t do you to be? It started even before we were The Pupils' Voice

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Chief Editor Joshua Oudendijk Nadja Joachim Elisa Ynaraja Rodriguez Diana Öpik Meldra Vasarina Editors Rada Biyukova Angela Gomez Fernandez Euroschool Niccolo Hurst Izra ter Weer Raquel Gomez Lerma Eleanor Boland Helena Mello Rose Sophia Giordanengo Janina Garboutcheva Sophia Giordanengo Chiara Sorgato Chiara Sorgato Tirion Lindsay Luxembourg Ana Rita Teixeira Oriane Hiernaux Alexandra Laidlaw Eirik Cervino Chonchita Carrascosa Zoe Upton Eleanor Boland Chonchita Carrascosa Media Sara Wronski Konstanty Wilczynski Konstanty Wilczynski Emily Ross Johanna Lindberg Asta Seppänen Johanna Lindberg Eirik Cervino Oriane Hiernaux Beatriz Stoyanov Sports Niccolo Hurst Alexandra Laidlaw Ana Rita Teixeira Zoe Upton Konstanty Wilczynski Ana Rita Texeira Clara Schenk Travel Bianca Ramazio Gregori Quiros Francesca Chapman Francesca Chapman Martin Arondel Dominik Whittaker Meldra Vasarina Entertainment Meldra Vasarina Yasmine Ayman

Editorial Anthony Upton Proof Reader Daniel Murphy Martin Ardondel Diana Öpik Rada Biyukova