Natan Gomez, a Cévenol on the podium of the regional eloquence competition: “If I could have shouted it from the rooftops, I would have done it!”

Natan Gomez, entouré de ses profs et de la directrice du lycée Pasteur. MIDI LIBRE – CHARLES LEDUC

This student from the Pasteur high school in La Grand-Combe, aged 17 and living in Saint-Privat-des-Vieux, near Alès, shone during the final of this event, organized in particular by the Groupe Dépêche Foundation .

"Knowing that the school holidays are over, I became a “normal”""But the next day, all the teachers congratulated me. I tried not to get a big head; I took it upon myself. If I could have shouted it from the rooftops, I would have done so!" Thursday February 8, at the Théâtre des Cordeliers d’ Albi (Tarn), this 17-year-old student, enrolled in 1st ÆPA (Animation, childhood and the elderly) at the private vocational school Pasteur, in La Grand-Combe, raised the colors of his establishment, and even of the Cévennes.

A competition under the sponsorship of Me Robert Spano

That day, he won the ex aequo third prize of the 16th edition of the regional eloquence competition, organized by the Fondation Groupe Dépêche and the rectorates of the academies of Toulouse and Montpellier, with the support of the council regional d’Occitanie and the Albigensian commune, under the sponsorship of Me Robert Spano, President of the European Court of Human Rights (2020-2022).

A whole class was behind Natan Gomez

Almost three weeks ago, this young resident of Saint-Privat-des-Vieux defended, in his loud words, the position of his class on the theme chosen this year: “Your essential freedoms& ;rdquo;. "I’was up for doing it", he said. "Already, during my performance to become class representative, I was eloquent. And then, I like to interpret." But I had to write a text. And if Natan Gomez obviously had all the makings of a cornerstone, his comrades got their hands dirty. "They were all behind you!", recalls Laurence Daboval, professor of literature and history, who co-works on this project with her colleague Séverine Fournier, professor of animation. "That’s what made me happy", whispers the teenager. And then, he says, this experience generated "a cohesion" within his class of 18 young people sometimes having strong characters…

"At the end, it's a crazy atmosphere. This is great!

This cohesion was also manifested on the day of the final, in Tarn, where, like last year with Lamia Chemami (read below), almost all the students made the trip. "I’was stressed. I felt like I was going too fast, but it went well, says Natan Gomez."In the room, my comrades encouraged me a lot. They made me rehearse. They comforted me the day before." Enough to put him in good conditions to declaim his text. A pleading during which the high school student embodies a "Monsieur Liberté" who expresses what he feels while browsing the world, with the final message that "our essential freedoms are those of others". Laurence Daboval remembers the atmosphere during the results, after the passage of the fifteen candidates: "Everyone is screaming. In the end, it's a crazy atmosphere. This is cool!"

“We offer. We tell them “Let's try””

Pasteur High School has become a regular in the regional final. Each of her three participations led her there, notably the second prize that Lamia Chemani won last year. And next year ? "If co-intervention is preserved within the framework of the vocational high school reform, with my colleague Séverine Fournier, we leave again", confides Laurence Daboval, before looking towards her second grade class, whose students would then be required to participate in the eloquence competition. "I feel it good. And I have two kids who are super strong in French." "Good results create emulation& quot;, notes the animation teacher."We propose. We tell them “Let's try” and, if it doesn't work along the way, we stop." Natan Gomez then shows up: "If I can help heat them, I'll be there!" These Pasteur teachers agree that " projects like these help young people grow". As director Corinne Follana also says: "Participating in this competition opens young people towards the outside." She adds that’it "is important to develop the cultural part of the high school".

Today, Natan Gomez is still on cloud nine, even if he admits that he would have liked to be "a a little higher" on the podium, even winner of the Coup de cœur prize. "But third, it’s a relief and an explosion of joy", he specifies. In addition, he is now "much less shy when it comes to speaking in public". He who loves theater and did it in college is even considering getting back into it. And for his professional future ? "It’is already listed on my resume…", he laughs.

He has an appointment on March 11, in front of the Grandcombiens

By then, Grandcombians will soon be able to familiarize themselves with the text that this Pasteur class wrote. Indeed, the town hall invited Natan Gomez to read it, Monday March 11, at 2 p.m., in the Square de la Résistance, during the unveiling of the plaque in homage to Mélinée and Missak Manouchian, newly pantheonized.

The Pasteur private vocational high school is organizing its open days on Saturday March 23, from 9 a.m. to noon. Information on 04 66 34 06 72. I subscribe to read more