Salad days...

The GerbertEuroClub is a Junior Association set up in 2009 and run by pupils under 18. It is a non-profit association regulated by the July 1901 law. We have a teacher who helps us. The GEC was created by members of the “Section Européenne”. It was created in order to improve our English communication skills, to promote the European ideal, and to help the foreign pupils in our lycée feel at home in Aurillac. I took part in and organized several activities.

In 2009-2010, I was in charge of a twinning project with two of my friends. We chose a college in England situated in an area which is twinned with Aurillac. I thought it would be easy to set up this project since we could be helped by the twinning committee of Aurillac. With the help of my teacher, I wrote to the college to present our twinning project. I suggested to them that our high school could host English pupils here and send French kids there.

I was thrilled the day I received the answer: they agreed to twin with us but they wanted to have more information. So, immediately, I sent them more details. I began, with the other pupils in charge of this project, to look for the cheapest means of transport.

Unfortunately, everything I had done was to no avail: they stopped bothering to answer our letters... I felt very disappointed; they had said “yes” to us and then, silence. We abandoned the project.

In March 2010, I went to the Puy-en-Velay to take part in the European Youth Parliament with nine other members of the GEC. I had to work in a commission on a subject with pupils from other French Lycées that had won a place at the national session. We had to find a solution to the problem of the digitization of books by private companies like Google.

To win a place at the EYP we had each of us, in our GEC delegation, to answer a question and to come up with a group project. The question was about our favourite European monument, and our project was to create electronic “postcards” which we would send to pupils in other European countries.

Taking part in the EYP enabled me to feel more self-confident and even to meet foreign students (there was a delegation from Germany)…

I did an interview of Coralie and David, who are actors and screenwriters.

I have regularly attended the Friday picnics organized by the GEC.

I have even taken part in the different barbecues which were given in order to host foreign students in our lycée and to have a good time. During these picnics, I usually practised my English, learnt more about the guests’ lives, and listened to the news reviews done by students.

I have taken part in the numerous debates of the GEC, like the one on the Roms last October or the one on the homeless in November.

I have visited some art and photo exhibitions organized by the GEC.

I have helped to organize the yearly Europe Day celebrations.

I sometimes went to the cinema evenings, which took place once a month; I have, for instance seen Frankenstein and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The films shown were usually black and white films, in foreign languages, which were subtitled.

This year was my last year as a member of the GEC. I feel proud because it was mostly members of my class that set it up and made it grow. I hope the GEC will continue even though we are leaving.

Thanks to the GEC, I guess I managed to become more opened-minded, more self-confident. It was another means of spending a good time with friends, of enjoying oneself while learning.

Article by Virginie R.