By Maude Thorens, Year 12
Hello, could you please give me your name?
Xavier Thorens.
What year were you at Ecolint?
I did only one year, from 1989-1990.
Okay. What did you do? What year was it?
So I did the final year of the Baccalauréat Français.
Ah, I see. And they don’t offer this at school anymore, do they?
No. At the time, you were preparing the French Baccalauréat at Ecolint, and you had to go and pass your exam in France. So you were just preparing for it, and it was a very small section.
We were maybe in the final year, we were maybe six or seven maximum students.
Were there dormitories at the time in Ecolint or no longer?
There were, but not on campus. There were a couple of buildings, or at least one, where there were dormitories for foreign students.
When you go to the campus, does it look the same to you? And do you recognize it? What are the most striking differences?
Well, the most striking differences are the Centre des Arts, which didn’t exist, and the new gym now. But at the time, we used to have a gym with a swimming pool. I prepared my baccalauréat of sports in this swimming pool.
Where was this swimming pool?
About where the Centre Sportif is now!
Oh, I see, and was the cafeteria the same?
I don’t know. No, the cafeteria wasn’t the same for sure, but I’m not sure I was eating. It’s been a a long time – 35 years ago! What’s interesting is that most of my teachers of course don’t work there anymore, especially because they were in the French section, but we had a very young professor who was there for his first year and his name is Luc Hamzavi. I think he’s still around!
It’s his last year here, right, and have you discussed with him the fact that you used to be at the school?
Oh, yes we do, when I go and bring my daughters to school, I see him from time to time and we enjoy speaking about the good old times!
So when you talk about the good old times, what do you mention as in, how do you feel when you go to the school?
Well, you know, at the beginning it was a trip down memory line, but now I’ve been going there for how many years? 10? 15? Yeah. So I got used to it.
Okay, I see, I see. And is there anything that’s identical or that hasn’t changed at all?
Yeah, the parking, the entrance, the château, even the primary school, I think, nothing else. And the main buildings on the left and the right, when you go in haven’t changed.
And what is your greatest memory at Ecolint?
Oh, I have so many. I was very happy to have a very successful piano player at school then. Because it’s an amazing school. And I remember something that was very good, I can’t remember the name, but we had some kind of role playing, like we were in the UN, although it was at Ecolint.
Student League of Nations. Yeah. I didn’t sign up, should I have signed up?
Well, I did it. Because of my experience with Student United Nations in my previous school, I was representing Russia and we won!
No way, and did you speak a lot?
About Russia. It was a strange… It wasn’t, you know, like an assembly where you speak, we were exchanging diplomatic papers.
It’s the same now!
So you could, if you were ready for it and you practiced real politics, you could cheat, like sending a letter to the United States saying, oh, everything’s okay, we will do that, and then doing the other thing. And it was very fun.
Oh my gosh. No, that’s really funny that it’s the same. And do you have any other memories that stand out to you?
I enjoyed it, I remember fondly, although I can’t remember the names, the P.E. teacher, the Philosophy and French teacher, and I was also studying German in the last year. No, it was an enjoyable year.
And one last important question, are you proud of being an alumni?
Oh definitely, I even have a pin!
Are you coming this June to the Ecolint Centenary Alumni meeting?
Yeah I definitely have to.
So you’re going to the alumni meeting. Do you have an alumni group of friends or something?
No… there are still a few around in Geneva, but I only see them around at the alumni.
But is it still fun and nostalgic?
Of course.
Great thank you!
Thank you Maude.
