Folyosó is a year old! It began in the spring of 2020, when school in Hungary had gone online in response to COVID-19. In the fall of 2020, we were briefly back together in person; then, in November, we returned to online instruction and did not return to school until mid-May. During this time, students wrote stories, essays, short absurdist plays, and speeches. We present many of these works here, in the Spring 2021 issue.
First of all, we offer you the Wall. What is a wall, what does it mean, what functions does it perform, and how does it affect our lives? Students from Varga and the Lycée Sainte-Pulchérie in Istanbul took up this topic in many different ways, giving us a labyrinth of walls to wend our way around.
Speaking of walls, in honor of this theme, Csilla Vágóné, the lab technician at Varga, contributed several of her photographs of of student-decorated walls to the Folyosó Gallery.
Next, we present a series of absurdist mini-plays by members of Class 9B. Here you will see a turtle pursuing her dream, a clock and a watch engaged in existential argument, a man visiting a grocery store to buy an elephant, and much more.
This issue also features a collection of speeches—again, by students at Varga and the Lycée Sainte-Pulchérie. Some of these are accompanied by audio recordings. Read and hear what the authors have to say about reading, self-transformation, interplanetary colonization, social media, sharks, the environment, and the real source of love.
If you have a penchant for flash fiction, please visit the Story Hour section, where members of Class 9B tell miniature stories from real life. They are funny, touching, and human; some of them are sure to evoke memories of your own.
As for the art, it is an honor to feature Lilla Kassai’s Renaissance Studies (from which the cover art is excerpted) and her drawn interpretation of Michelangelo’s David. Thank you, Lilla, for all the art you have contributed to Folyosó so far.
Folyosó is a place for students to take intellectual and creative risks, to test out ideas that will develop over time, and to enjoy immersion in reading and writing. All of the pieces were chosen for their unusual and genuine qualities.
We hope you enjoy this first anniversary issue of Folyosó! As ever, we welcome your submissions and comments.
Sincerely,
Diana Senechal
English and Civilization Teacher
Editor of Folyosó