THE STAND an independent newspaper by CEU students & alumni FEBRUARY 2020 | ISSUE 101
CEU Vienna Campus 6
What the CAA Means for India 8
How to Conquer the Austrian Alps 18
Dear Readers Happy New Year and thank you for picking up 2020’s first edition of The Stand. With the new year comes a new editorial team as Matej and Flora have handed over to us (Adam and Freya). We are ever so grateful for all their help in the handover process (and beyond) as well as the assistance of editors past Talia and Sunna and the ever helpful Bernadett. We also could not have produced the edition without help from the wider editorial team and our writers, thank you all. We’re excited to announce that we’re expanding our online presence with the launch of a new internal Sharepoint site (Find us at https://ceuedu.sharepoint.com/sites/thestand) to bring all our activities together in one place. You’ll now be able to read all future articles online and we’re hoping to upload the back catalogue as the year progresses. We’re also working on an externally accessible blog so you can share our articles beyond the walls of CEU and that should be launched soon (follow our Facebook page from progress reports). We’re both really looking forward to what the rest of the year has in store for all of us and reporting some of that back to you. Best Freya and Adam
Letter From the Editors - Freya Cumberlidge and Adam Pontius - Page 2 What Your Houseplant Says About You - Talia Dunyak - Page 3 Closing Your Eyes, You Open Your Ears? - Maxim Radomskii - Page 4 Chairs of CEU: Ranked - Freya Cumberlidge - Page 5 Black Box: CEU Vienna - Daniel Brachter - Page 6-7 CAA: What Does It Mean For India? - R. Shinde - Page 8-9 Academic Horoscopes - Antia, Freya, Nikitha and Talia - Page 10-11 Anatomy of the CAA Protests - Viplav - Page 12-13 The Long Telegram - Adam Pontius - Page 14 Russia’s New Era? - George Tate - Page 15 Sexual Harrasment and CEU - Jennifer Edwards - Page 16-17 How To Conquer The Austrian Alps - Sunna Kokkonen - Page 18-19 Blue - Lili Toth - Page 20
2
What Your Houseplant Says About You Words and Images by Talia Dunyak Pothos This plant’s ability to creep and take everything is one of its best qualities. Being a DIY expert, you find yourself envisioning ways to encourage this plant to cascade over the book shelves that you’ve recently assembled. You can do anything, and luckily you have the patience to wait for this little plant to grow from one single strand into the waterfall of leaves that exists in your mind’s eye. Peace Lily You’ve had this plant forever, and sometimes you’re not even sure where it came from. Sometimes, you’ve thought about branching out and getting some other types of plants but you just love how expressive this one is. It wilts when it’s thirsty but perks back up so quickly once you water it again. It’s just an easy and comfortable plant, you really can’t think of a plant that is more open about its needs. Your mom once suggested that you repot it, but you never got around to it. It’s still fine though. Succulent You really want to be a good plant parent, but for some reason your succulent always looks a little wilted. So you water it again. And again. And once more for good measure. It’s so hard to ignore this pretty little thing and not water it, especially because you have so much love to give. Eventually find a wikihow on how to take care of succulents and release that despite everything, you’ve managed to overlove (and over water) your babe. Within one year, you’re a succulent expert and have a dozen plants. Cactus You got this because one of your friends once made a comment about how you need to care more for those around you, and it really hurt your feelings. Although she’s not your friend anymore, you took this to heart, and went out and bought a plant to prove her wrong. You care about those around you deeply, but maybe aren’t the best at showing it. This doesn’t make your feelings any less valid. You’re just a bit prickly. If anyone crosses you (or your squad), you’re ready to rumble. Monstera Somehow you scrounged enough forints to afford this puppy. It is your most prized possession in your flat, and that’s only partially because it really brings your jungle-woman aesthetic together. You have a strong desire to be instagram famous, and because of this you probably know what “sksksksk” means. Please note: if your monstera is variegated, you probably already are instagram famous. The Science Experiment You read online somewhere that you can grow an avocado tree by sticking the seed full of toothpicks and placing it in a cup of water. You love eating avocados, so you figured this was the perfect way to unlock an unlimited supply. You have no idea how long this will take, but despite your black thumb, you’re willing to give it a try. In a week or two you’ll forget about this seed and in a couple months your roommate will find it and wonder about your sanity. It still won’t have sprouted.
3
Closing Your Eyes, You Open Your Ears? How podcasts are conquering our time and the endless flow of content is trying to consume us Words by Maxim Radomskii A year ago my daily routine included a couple of lectures, 5-6 hours working at a laptop, staring at the screen, and 30 minutes on Instagram or reading a book occasionally. Screen, screen, screen. I don’t know about you, but over the past 5 years, I started wearing glasses. That’s because the whole world of intellectual labour has moved on to the screen (The ubiquity of 4G is only contributing to the fact that we are also resting in front of screens too). Real communication time is becoming exclusive. Just look at the “screen time” of your smartphone and recall that 10 years ago, all this was not there. The phone has become the most crucial thing in our life.
It’s another story with podcasts however, which have experienced a real rebirth in the last couple of years. Enthusiasts post episodes weekly, and in recent years they have been making fresh product. Among the podcasts, you can find almost everything: video game reviews, the history of Byzantium, or Python lectures for beginners. The personalization of interests of content and the desire to learn something new has generated incredible diversity.
Previously, we downloaded music and carried books in backpacks so that we would not be bored with transport. Now the platforms have taken care of this, even your favorite old vinyl records can be found on Spotify, and new music is pouring over the edge. The routine journey home or to work not only ceased to be boring, now you actually want to have a long road home to watch and listen to as much content as humanly possible. There are no long roads in Budapest. 30 minutes and you are wherever you need. In my hometown of St. Petersburg or in giant Moscow, a 2-hour daily commute doesn’t surprise anyone. It’s time you spend, but most often you don’t get anything from it, except for tired eyes or bad-quality communication. The modern economy of attention implies the time when you are locked behind the wheel of a car or on public transport is priceless because it is no longer yours. The world has been taken hostage by the idea of being as productive as possible every moment of your life. The only time we still didn’t know how to use was the commute. Audiobooks seem to have suggested a right way out. You do not read with your eyes, but with your ears, it’s fantastic. But the way audiobooks are narrated affects perception, and besides, we read faster than we listen. Yet if we recall the expectation of a new book, have you ever waited for the premiere of an audiobook along with the text?
4
After the podcast “Serial” appeared in 2014, where Sarah Koenig tells the true crime story, everything changed. Podcasts ceased to be primitive audio-blogging and became a new form of digital journalism, for which you can get the Pulitzer Prize from 2020. The advent of advertising in podcasts, along with the growing popularity of AirPods and other wireless headphones, suggests that podcasts will continue to evolve. I call podcasts Soft Media because when you listen to podcasts, you don’t feel like you are wasting any energy. In this case, you can either learn something new or hear stories and empathize. And sometimes you just listen to the chatter about the new season of Sex Education or parental toxicity and do not feel so lonely. Damn, you laugh on the bus and no one understands why! There is only one problem. Podcasts open the way, not only to free education without any pain, but also to informational noise. That valuable time, while you gaze out the window of the bus, this is the time when companies can sell something to you. Putting on Airpods, which are so light you don’t even notice them, blurs the line between us and the content we consume. We used to reflect on the fact that we read less and ‘Like’ more, and soon we will hear about how to clean and filter our podcast feed. Wachowski seemed to be, in a sense, right about the Matrix.
Chairs of CEU: Ranked
STUDENT LIFE BUDAPEST
Words by Freya Cumberlidge Image by Kate Cumberlidge edited by Daniel Bratcher
Whilst man may be created equal, chairs are not. In this article I set out a definitive guide to the chairs of CEU, where to sit, at what angle and sometimes, when it might just be better to stand. We begin at the bottom and there can only be one winner here: It is the standard library chair. A chair so bad, I would like to give it a negative ranking; a minus chair, an anti-chair. It is not so much a sitting device, but instead, a slow and indirect journey to crippling back pain. This is a cursed chair, a direct challenge to academic endeavour, burn them all. Next come two fairly unassuming chairs: the standard classroom and the N15 café. Perhaps classroom pips N15 with its padding but other than this, I have nothing to say on them. They are chairs, not great, not terrible – simply chairs.
Now we move to the higher rankings, prestige chairs, chairs of value, chairs of comfort. And when it comes to the worst of the best, it has to be the low back library chairs. Comfy enough, but only really coming in to their own when combined with a table or other ersatz footstool (lean in to the lounge). They’re the chair for when you really should get that reading done, open up the article, and then, somehow, end up scrolling the Guardian for the next half hour before someone invites you for a coffee. A companion in lethargy. As we draw closer to the top we come to the chair I know many of you have been waiting for - the fancy spinny chairs in the Quantum Room. Whilst their squeaky leather and that bolt of terror as you lean back and discover the recline function for the first time might stand against them, there is no denying these are some of the best chairs in CEU. The smooth rolling action and the sheer joy that is twisting on them as you pretend to listen to your lecture cannot be matched. A superb chair. Personal Exposition – Although I know this lacks the universal relevance of previous rankings, I’d like to take the time here to shout out my own chairs. Perhaps a sign of extreme academic bloat, my current set-up in the PhD lab is comprised of three chairs; one for my stuff, one for me, and perhaps more importantly, one for my feet. They function for me, as the holy trinity does, separate and yet inexorably linked, a whole in three parts. Without them I could not do what I do, thank you chairs. Finally, hallowed of hallowed, CEU’s number one chair, but perhaps it is not even a chair at all. They are, of course, the sofas on the 6thfloor of the library. So comfy, so spacious, good for naps, good for the soul. A king of chairs, a worthy champion. WILDCARD: The Rector’s Chair. What kind of chair is fitting for the head of a prestigious university institution? How does Michael Ignatieff spend his time sitting? I decided I had to find out and so reached out to Michael to ask. It is, he can confirm, “very comfortable.”
5
Black box:
examining the CEU Vienna campus Words by J. Daniel Bratcher
As we settle into another eventful term of love, heartbreak and innumerable printing errors, I want to sit down and chat with everyone about the CEU Vienna campus. For the Budapesti cohort, I’d like to reminisce on our memories of Quellenstraße 51. For those there now, or will be there next year, I hope you can develop ways to improve the CEU Vienna campus, and I hope this thinkpiece can help stimulate this conversation. Getting off the number six tram, it’s clear to see that CEU Vienna campus is undoubtedly among the nicest office buildings in the neighborhood. Five floors clad in black glass obscure giant piles of Soros’ money – or so I imagine, considering students are currently prohibited from everything above the second floor. We’ve been told renovations continue above our classrooms, and while the noises we hear during class may evidence that, I think it’s lizards rolling around in piles of American cash, plotting the downfall of European cultures.
A gathering of known and certified writing hacks at work in the Estratto Vienna Café, in CEU Vienna (Picture by Matěj Voda, The Stand)
Central European University, Vienna (Picture by s.somkuti, flickr.com) The floors we have access to, however, have been designed by world-renowned IKEA designers and Sims creators. You’ll never suffer curved walls or furniture with too much personality – for the most part. That said, there was a certain charm to the roof mildew in one of the kitchenettes. But the kitchens are already what most CEU students prefer on the Vienna campus over Budapest, so let’s begin there. One student, Kristina, genuinely praised them as “really nice.” She likes that there are ample electric kettles, microwaves, and dishes available in the nine kitchenettes, though some kitchenettes go unused by students. I’ve heard there are pieces of paper on some kitchen doors to tell students not to use them, but it’s not like I’m literate anyway. Another student, Tata, even thinks the cozy, carpeted corridors are more inviting than Budapest’s halls. She enjoys the new Student Life decorations, which she finds colorful and lively. She and I agree that the decorations are a good start to making the campus feel more welcoming. Our dear managing editor Freya also
6
found things to compliment – not only are the corridors surprisingly intimate, but the nondescript, fluorescent-lit halls give a mysterious vibe to every late-night library break. They’re perfect for an axe-wielding murderer to get the jump on students, but they’re mysterious, nonetheless. But I think both these takes undersell CEU Vienna, as these halls transcend sensual, temporal and spatial bounds. These corridors are beautiful displays of art. The epitome of contemporary feng shui. A social experiment whose magnanimous impact has simply yet to be realized. They leave students always wondering where their next class is located, whether it’s week one or ten. They’re home to CEU’s energetic, optimistic students, yet the halls feel devoid of life. This is where CEU’s future lies, yet I’m always late for class. Which brings us to the classrooms. Not only do their thin walls promote social connections as far as two or three rooms apart, but they also possess the finest tech money can buy. I’m genuinely impressed by the smartboards installed in every classroom. The only thing more consistent than their implementation
avoid it. In theory, this is a great place to chill, but in reality, it’s kinda awkward to have your midday breakdown over a lukewarm kebab as a random janitress watches on.
Visitors admire the campus’ lavish furnishings, guided by unpaid students (Picture by Alexander Chitsazan, flickr.com) is our professors’ inability understand how to use them.
to
The classrooms are smaller than in Budapest, but this is great if you prefer smaller class sizes, as I do. Unfortunately, that actually translates to squeezing 25 students in a classroom designed for, optimistically, five people. On the bright side, this is a fantastic way to research how competent grad students are at arranging seats. Social anthropology students, eat your hearts out. This is where I was going to criticize the Vienna classrooms. Specifically, I’ve seen students outright fall from their chairs because the floors have malleable metal grates. I’ve seen students trip over holes in the floor meant for electric outlets (many of which are now damaged as a result). Now, I’m no stranger to educational institutions trying to kill or dismember me – I’ve had a university escalator rip a shoe right off my foot and grind it to bits. I was going to blame this on Americanization in Europe, but I’ve been reminded that personal responsibility in public places is an essential facet of European cultures, especially in the east. So as we break our legs and sever our spines, we should thank CEU for helping us integrate into a common European identity. Finally, we have our social spaces. There’s the café (pictured left); some flock to it, some avoid it. It isn’t as affordable as Budapest – but again, what in Vienna is? While the food
can be disappointing, the barista sometimes gives away leftover sandwiches to students at closing – just worth noting, fellow bohemians. For those who don’t want the café sandwiches… I hope you enjoy kebab, because most of what’s nearby. There’s a cafeteria a block away, but the two times I tried to eat there, it was either closed or reserved for an event. However, a trusted source explained that “it was like €11 for a [expletive] lunch.” Yum. But contrary to popular belief, there are other places on campus for students to congregate besides the café. For starters, there’s a library – one with at least a dozen books. The library was terribly bare to begin with, but it’s genuinely improving. Perhaps by 2021, it’ll be usable. Across the hall is the Coworking Lounge, which as the name implies, is where students claim to work as they gossip and eat food. Alongside the reservable study rooms here, it’s a decent place for group activities. On the ground floor, there’s also a Student Lounge. As this name implies, students are generally unaware this place exists or actively
The library’s futuristic facilities (Picture by Diane Geraci, library.ceu.edu)
7
Speaking of places students are generally unaware of, the ground floor also has the Touchdown area, the computer labs and a locker room. If you even know these places exist, it’s probably because you’ve had to meet a professor here, or the library isn’t depressing enough for your cultivated tastes. There’s also the Auditorium, Glass Hall and Somic Labs, but the Auditorium and Glass Hall are just a pair of boring rooms pedestrians can gawk at from the street, while the Somic Labs are probably where that axe murderer lives. The fancy computer mockups on CEU’s glowing press releases aren’t the reality of CEU Vienna. To be fair, after getting kicked out of Hungary, CEU basically ran to Vienna with its tail between its legs. The building is a stopgap until a better campus can be bought, but this isn’t something the students are entirely privy to. More importantly, if you’re a student now, it won’t matter how beautiful a CEU campus is in five, ten years. Hell, it sure won’t matter for me, since – as a one-year student – I’m unlikely to ever return to the Vienna campus. But I hope CEU looks at these issues, and I hope the students that will be returning to the Vienna campus next year continue to press for improvements to the campus. I didn’t even touch on major administrative issues at CEU Vienna, such as the lack of adequate psychological services, writing center services, or flexibility in professor office hours. As CEU moves more of its primary operations to Vienna, I’m sure these things will be tackled, but it’s up to CEU students to ensure things happen. I’d be lying if I said the Austrian term satisfied what I hoped to get out of my graduate school experience, but CEU Vienna still has plenty of potential. But as a good friend once told me, being part of something that only has potential isn’t living up to your own potential.
Citizenship (Ammendment) Act, 2019: What Does It Mean For India? Words by R. Shinde
Street protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Mumbai, Rahul Jadhav India recently passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019 in December 2019. Since then, there have been polarized views on the amendment made to the Act, and many have argued that it will lay the groundwork for persecution of minorities in India. The Act, passed under the ruling government of the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), has created quite a stir in the political climate of the country. The passing of the Act has led to widespread protests, primarily lead by minority communities and students. The government has, in multiple instances, responded by using force against unarmed and peaceful protesters. These nationwide protests and police brutality against protesters led to extensive coverage by the national and interna-
tional media. A spokesperson representing the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed concern that CAA is “fundamentally discriminatory in nature”. CAA was presented by the Government as a means to protect persecuted minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. However, it will allow only Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Buddhists and Christians to seek Indian citizenship. There will be a fast-track process for such persons to achieve citizenship by naturalization under the Act. Therefore, the main criticism of the Act has been that it has completely excluded Muslims, and thus, is prima facie discriminatory. Article 14 of the Indian constitution
8
guarantees each person equality before law and equal protection of laws. Muslims are the largest religious minority in India. CAA, that was passed with an aim to protect persecuted religious minorities, explicitly excludes Muslims seeking citizenship in India. This is not only against the ethos of the Indian constitution, but a great threat to the diverse fabric of India. Thus, the message that is being sent is one of discrimination and exclusion against Muslims. It is an abuse of the government’s law-making power, which is being used to further the divisive politics indulged in by the ruling party. The argument made in defense of CAA is that it will help persecuted minorities attain Indian citizenship
from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. First, the government has provided no explanation as to why it has chosen these three countries in particular, except that their official religion is Islam. This has no explainable connection with the goal it aims to achieve. Second, the exclusion of Muslims from seeking amnesty is neither justified nor legal. The classification is arbitrary and discriminatory. The Registeries Along with CAA, the government also plans on implementing the National Population Register [NPR] which will then be used to prepare the National Register of Citizens [NRC]. NPR was first introduced in the Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003. Rule 4(4) gives the Local Registrar (a government official who is in charge of collecting the data) power to scrutinize the citizenship of any individual whose citizenship seems “doubtful”. The Registrar then has to submit the NPR with appropriate remarks for further inquiry. This gives wide and unchecked powers to the Registrar to deny citizenship to any person. Coupled with CAA, NPR and NRC create a wholly unconstitutional setup that creates a dangerous possibility of persecution of Muslims, along with other minorities. There are a few key issues that arise with the creation of NPR and NRC. Despite the Government’s claim that NPR and NRC are unrelated, NPR is an exercise in collecting biometrics and creating a database of the usual residents of the country that would require 15 demographic details collected from citizens. These include the controversial government ID known as the Aadhar card, voter ID, driving license etc. In conjunction with the CAA, this becomes a deadly weapon in the hands of the government to disenfranchise minorities. Many members of minority communities do not hold the necessary documents to prove their citizenships. If the Registrar deems their citizenship “doubtful”, they may seek an inquiry of such persons under NPR. There is no definition for the term “doubtful”, making the powers of the Registrar wide and ambiguous. There is no specification given as to which
documents shall be required if a person’s citizenship is questioned under NPR and can lead to an exclusion from NRC. The point of this exercise is to identify “illegal migrants” in case the person is unable to furnish the required documents for the purposes of NRC. This becomes especially problematic for Muslims. Since the authorities have wide and excessive power to disenfranchise any individual under the NRC, Muslims are further barred from applying for citizenship under CAA. If a person is declared as an “illegal immigrant”, they can be sent to detention centres that are being set up across the country. So far, about 29 people who could not prove their citizenship have died in these detention centres. Many Indians remain undocumented due to various reasons, despite having lived in India all their lives. Apart from Muslims, other individuals such as members of various constitutionally recognized scheduled tribes and trans-persons are also under the threat of persecution. Ongoing Lawsuits As of today, 60 odd petitions remain pending in the Supreme Court of India that challenge the constitutionality of CAA. Even though the general presumption is that every Act passed by the legislature is ex-facie constitutional until demonstrated otherwise, CAA displays a glaring unconstitutionality as it goes against the very ethos of Article 14 of the Constitution. Since NPR and NRC will also be a part of the process under CAA, secularism in India as guaranteed under the Constitution is under threat. The very fabric of the Indian society would be altered by implementing the law as it stands today. The Supreme Court on 22 January, 2020 refused to grant a stay on the implementation of CAA. It has called upon the Government to submit its response and the judgment is currently awaited. Government Response Various and conflicting statements have been made by the members of the ruling party with respect to CAA and NPR/NRC. Initially the govern-
9
ment had proposed a nationwide NRC. However, after widespread opposition to the same, it was stated that there is no proposed NRC. Only NPR shall be created and it will not have any consequences for Indian Muslims. However, the provisions of the rules relating to NPR show a completely different picture. The arbitrary and ambiguous nature of the powers given to government authorities clearly shows that there is an underlying intent of the NPR to finally lead up to NRC. Millions of Indian Muslims now face a threat of disenfranchisement and persecution. The government has already started constructing and operating detention centres which in themselves violate international human rights laws. The Big Picture Despite the government’s claims that CAA will help religious minorities seek Indian citizenship, the underlying message of the ruling party is clear-- it aims to put Indian Muslims at a position of disadvantage and use CAA as a tool for persecuting the community. The ruling party is known for its hard lined Hindutva ideology and has, in no uncertain terms, made it clear that India should be a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu State). The law combined with the political realities is a direct attack on the secular fabric of India. Along with Muslims, other undocumented members of minority communities also face threat of persecution. The government has put out conflicting statements regarding NPR and NRC, creating confusion around the same. However, despite the varied statements, NPR is seemingly laying the groundwork for NRC. The petitions before the Supreme Court are currently pending as the nation watches in anticipation as to what the apex Court will hold in the matter. In a time where dissent is discouraged and systematically suppressed, many legal experts have openly criticized the regime in the hopes that the Government will review its policies. However, the outcome of the same remains to be seen.
Academic Horoscopes Death or Graduation: Find Out What The Future Has In Store Words by Anita Lekova, Freya Cumberlidge, Nikitha Vincent and Talia Dunyak Capricorn - 22 December-19 January New year, new you. Capricorn, it’s time to start taking it slow. Learn to unwind and grab a bio raw cake at Estratto with friends (We KNOW there is no planet B). Library time is important but laughter even more so. Don’t let yourself get lost and forget to live in the moment. Laugh it off, love it on, live it up. Watch out on February 25th - it could be an important day for you. Ideal Thesis Topic: Why Tuition? The Importance of Professional Programmes in CEU 2025 Aquarius - 20 January-18 February New year, new you. Aquarius, you have a tendency to over analyse but it’s time to leave that behind. Go out and take a walk across the Chain Bridge, symbolising your journey into the new year. Snap some pics and start that travel Instagram you’ve been talking about since you moved here. March 3rd seems like the perfect time to take a trip, have you thought about Bulgaria? Ideal Thesis Topic: From A(ristotle) to Z(izek) - A Teleology Pisces - 19 February-20 March New year, new you. Pisces, stop crying, winter is basically over! Your seasonal depression can become regular depression again! Let go of attempting to grapple with the injustice of the everyday and embrace your inner Hungarian. Grab the palinka and get to dancing. Text your new boo, not your old boo and see where it takes you. This could be the start of something new. It feels so right to be at CEU. February 29th brings with it a rare opportunity. Ideal Thesis Topic: Lady Fish: The Policing of Female Empowerment in Environmental Discourse Aries - 21 March-19 April New year, new you. Aries, step away from the stapler and take a breath. Manifest your destiny (just make sure that destiny happens outside of Nador 15). 2020 is going to be your year, start working to usher in a brand new you and a fresh outlook on life. Something, somewhere is calling to you and once you work out what, there’s no stopping you. March 16th is the perfect time to march to your own drum. Ideal Thesis Topic: Should Academia Embrace the Far Right? A Philosophical Exploration Taurus - 20 April-20 May New year, new you. Taurus, we all love a rabbit hole but it’s time to stop reading about the ‘perfect armchair for you’ and start working. Whilst it’s important to take time to relax, don’t forget what you came here to do. And please, if you’re going to nap on the 6th floor sofas, try not to dribble. March 11th will usher in a new season of productivity. Ideal Thesis Topic: Do We Really Need Compassionate Policy? Prioritising the State Above the Individual Gemini - 21 May-20 June New year, new you. Gemini, you’ve got so much going on but make sure you’re not pulling yourself in too many directions. Check in with yourselves. Sometimes it’s okay to say no and take that time to reconnect. When one side pulls you left and the other side pulls you right, maybe it’s time to start heading straight ahead. And sometimes, straight ahead is the Blue Bird karaoke bar on Goszdu. February 23rd should offer some great opportunities for dog spotting (go out and get those wholesome bois). Ideal Thesis Topic: Who Am I? Negotiating the Manifestation of Split Personalities
10
Cancer - 22 June-23 July New year, new you. Cancer, time to switch up that secret crying spot. Everyone knows about the 6th floor toilets in N13. Remember your friends are here to support you and a grade is just a grade. Try setting up a regular schedule and get that routine down (don’t worry, you can always programme in time for tears). March 8th will bring you unexpected joy, just don’t forget the flowers. Ideal Thesis Topic: Orban’s Two Genders: Worker and Mother Leo - 23 July-22 August New year, new you. Leo, get with the programme, it’s not all about you. We know you have a great personality and even better hair, but maybe it’s time to step out of the spotlight and see what lifting up others can do. You might find that you learn more than you were expecting. That being said, don’t lose sight of your own vision, if you have something to say so go out and say it. March 17th might take you down an unexpected path. Ideal Thesis Topic: Why China Shouldn’t Get A Turn: Retaining US Hegemony in the 21st Century Virgo - 23 August-22 September New year, new you. Virgo, crack open a cold one with the boys at Bambus Bar and celebrate another job well done. There’s no stopping you now, keep riding this train to graduation. Keep your files in order and your notes colour-coded and your thesis will write itself. Just remember the best way to rise to the top is to bring others with you. Dress up nice on March 22nd. Ideal Thesis Topic: What Do You Mean? Interpretation of Common Law in Intergenerational Property Disputes Libra - 23 September-22 October New year, new you. Libra, time to make some real-world decisions. Graduation is coming sooner than you think and it’s time to update your cover photo on LinkedIn. Keep it professional and light, this is your future we’re talking about. Remember you have the skills to succeed, you just need to sell yourself (and maybe your soul). Brace yourself for a March 7th epiphany. Ideal Thesis Topic: The Grass is Always Greener: An Autoethnography of Post and Pre-Migration Experiences Scorpio - 23 October-21 November New year, new you. Scorpio, come out of your bed and into the kitchen a little more buddy. It’s time for a snack. Get to know your floormates and you never know what might happen! Let go of that grudge you’ve been holding since your last group project. Now breathe. Have another snack. March 13th beware. Ideal Thesis Topic: How To Fuck a Number? Imaginary Numbers in Pre-Pythagorean Mathematics Sagittarius - 22 November-21 December New year, new you. Sagittarius, it’s time to start focusing less on school and more on you. Remember that kid who winked at you back in October? Well it’s time to wink back. It might just be a spring fling, but you never know where it might go. Try out that new falafel place ‘round the corner and really spice it up. February 14th is the day for you. Ideal Thesis Topic: Prostitution Along the Pilgrims Path - A Journey to Jerusalem
11
An Anatomy of the Protests Against the Citizenship (Ammendment) Act, 2019 In India
Protest in Hamburg Germany in support of the protests against the CAA law in Indida. Photo taken by Virendra Singh. Hamburg.
Words By Viplav On December 11, 2019, the Parliament of India passed Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 amending citizenship Act, 1955. It granted citizenship to Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain and Parsi refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan citing that these religious groups were have been persecuted. However the legislation excluded Muslim refugees from the three countries, in spite of the fact that Ahmadiyya Muslims in Pakistan and Hazara Muslims in Afghanistan have been persecuted in those countries. Critics have pointed out that by excluding Muslims from the religious groups that are being given citizenship the federal government has violated Right
To Equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution of India. Moreover religion cannot be the test to grant citizenship as secularism is a core tenet of the Constitution of India. Therefore, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 strikes at the heart of secularism in India. No wonder a legislation of this nature has been passed by an incumbent government which has a Hindu fascist leaning.Many in India are of an opinion that this legislation is a foundation brick for a Hindu majoritarian state and it is same as the Nuremberg laws 1935 laid a foundation to turn Germany into a Aryan State. The Implications Legislation
of
the
The incumbent government wants to set up a National Reg-
12
istry Of Citizenship (NRC) by carrying out a door to door survey of the house to identify and deport illegal immigrants from the country. As a result, people residing in India have to prove their citizenship by showing documents such as property records, Permanent Residential Certificate, Electoral Rolls and driving licenses etc , proof of birth of not only themselves but their parents and grandparents. Therefore, anybody’s citizenship could be disputed if one fails to submit those documents and once the person exhausts the remedies, he shall be stripped of the citizenship, disenfranchised and be sent to detention camps. However, by the virtue of CAA, if one is a Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikhs Jain and Parsi and without documents, one would
automatically be granted citizenship. But not Muslims, who shall be rendered stateless and be sent to detention camps. Pastoral communities who number in the millions move from place to place in search of pasture and water for their livestock. Indigenous communities in remote hamlets in the forests would definitely not have the documents that are suggested , this process would be an undue burden on the poor of any religion, they would have to spend extra resources to obtain those documents. Reminiscent of the Nuremberg Laws of 1935? The Reich Citizenship Law and the Law for the Protection of German Blood and Honor were announced at a Nazi party rally in Nuremberg in 1935 and later were promulgated to make only Aryans as the citizens of Germany and to strip Jews, Roma and other minorities of their citizenship ,disenfranchise and make them stateless. CAA+NRC has the same potential as the Nuremberg laws to strip minorities of their citizenship, disenfranchise and make them stateless in India. Moreover the federal government issued 2019 Model Detention Manual which mandated all states in India to have at least one detention center with the security in these centers being on par with concentration camps that existed in Germany. Harsh Mander, a prominent human rights activist who visited the detention center in the state of Assam told Quint news “that since NRC is going to be implemented and CAA has excluded Muslims, the detention centers
are creating a vision of concentration camps.” Muzzling Dissent and the Peoples Resistance On 15th December, students at Jamia Milia University, located in New Delhi, were peacefully protesting against the CAA at the entrance of their University. From nowhere intoxicated wild beasts in police gear with batons in hand descended on the peaceful student protesters. They lobbed tear gas shells, smashing everything on their way, barging into the library and classrooms raining blows on students, smashing computers and breaking window panes and at Aligarh Muslim university,in Uttar Pradesh which is three hours drive from New Delhi, the police unleashed a brutal crackdown on the protesting students, injuring several of them. When the Supreme Court of India was petitioned about the police brutality on students in Delhi, and the subsequent breakdown of law and order, the Court refused to issue a direction. The court held that they cannot issue a direction in the atmosphere of riots. What has become clear is that the Supreme Court of India, which is the last guardian of the Constitution, has abdicated its role of protecting the law, and its silence on the police excess has legalized the Government’s unconstitutional methods of suppressing dissent. This uncivilized, inhumane and unlawful behavior of the police acted as a trigger for a nationwide protest in India.
13
The States ruled by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) are notorious in curbing dissent, they imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code, a colonial era provision which restricts the assembly of four or more people in an area. The state of Uttar Pradesh, which is ruled by the BJP government, was boiling with hundreds and thousands of people out on the streets protesting the unjust citizenship laws. The police fired at unarmed protestors across the state killing twenty three. It is pertinent to note that the majority of those who died in the police firing were Muslims. However, barring the BJP ruled states, the protests have been peaceful and non-violent across the country, millions of people cutting across class, gender, caste and religion joined the protests against citizenship laws holding a copy constitution of India and reciting the preamble which is: “We, The People of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular Democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens, Justice, Liberty, Equality, Fraternity!” The sight of millions of protesters on the streets of India resisting the Hindu fascist government’s onslaught on a secular Constitution reminds us of “the peoples march on Versailles chanting Liberty! Equality! and Fraternity! during the 1789 French revolution. Therefore, this peaceful and non-violent revolution in India gives light in the time of darkness.
The Long Telegram 74 years later Words by Adam Pontius Truman’s attempts to treat the Soviet Union as a partner in building the post-war peace. Kennan had been warning his superiors in Washington about the Soviet Union’s stance towards the United States for months. He had already sent off an earlier warning while explaining the Soviet Union’s stance on Bretton-Woods several weeks earlier. Sick and eagerly anticipating the end of his time in Moscow, Kennan began to dictate what would George Kennan 1947, Harrs and Ewing, US Library become one of of Congress Wikimedia the most famous — and There was nothing particularly spelongest — cables in the history of cial about Joseph Stalin’s “campaign the State Department to his secrespeech” on February 9th, 1946. It tary Dorothy Hessman. Later that hit all the usual points: self-conevening, Kennan would send the gratulation for winning the war report via telegram, apologizing for its against fascism, a call for renewed unprecedented length. peacetime industrial growth, and a warning about the warlike tendenRenowned Cold War historian John cies of capitalism. The election was Lewis Gaddis reasons in his biogra for show only, and the results were phy of Kennan that the lengthy predetermined. Indeed, Stalin had analysis would not have been noticed made dozens of speeches just like it at all were it not for the unorthodox since taking power several decades delivery. Lengthy missives like Kenbefore. Most Russia watchers wrote nan’s were more often filed by mail in the speech off as simply more of a pouched dispatch that could take the same. In Washington however, days to reach Washington, if it wasn’t Stalin’s speech struck a surprisingly buried on one someone’s desk along discordant note. Already flummoxed the way as many of Kennan’s earlier by Stalin’s rejection of economic aid warnings were. The Long Telegram, at the Bretton-Woods conference like Kennan himself, is often misunand alarmed by evidence of Soviet derstood.More known now for his penetration of the United State’s criticism of American efforts to woo nuclear program, President Truman Stalin directly after World War II than took Stalin’s speech as the final piece his later more nuanced stances on of evidence that the Soviet Union Cold War strategy, the Long Telewas simply not a credible negotiating gram is too often interpreted as the partner. Confused by the lack of analfirst iteration of what would become ysis from the State Department and Truman’s aggressive response to the the American embassy in Moscow, Soviet Union. the White House put out a call out for a better explanation of the Soviet The actual text of the Long Telegram Union’s intransigence and seeming spends much of its length analyzing aggression. Soviet politics and foreign policy, and Kennan confines his suggestions on The State Department turned to American policy to the last fifth of his George Kennan, the eccentric wire. Even within those suggestions, deputy head of mission in Moscow Kennan emphasizes that the best and a marked critic of Roosevelt and
14
approach to dealing with the Soviet Union is to increase the resiliency of the United States and Western allies, negotiate with Moscow from a position of military strength, and depend on what Kennan viewed as the Western World’s superior internal integrity. As he wrote in 1946, “gauged against Western World as a whole, Soviets are still by far the weaker force. Thus, their success will really depend on degree of cohesion, firmness, and vigor which Western World can muster. And this is factor which it is within our power to influence” (pg. 9). In Kennan’s view, the Soviet Union was neither a very reliable ally of the United States during World War II nor a credible partner in its aftermath. He never viewed the Soviet Union as a particularly credible threat to the Western World either. Both the Soviet Union’s aggression towards the United States and its adoption of an unusually virulent form of Marxism were emblematic of traditional Russian historical insecurities and the Soviet regime’s inherently brittle nature. Russia under Soviet rule would never consider the United States or any other Western state to be anything but a threat and would seize any apparent opportunities to exploit Western weaknesses. Nor would the Soviet Union ever feel secure or strong enough to pursue the same path of world domination on which Nazi Germany and Japan had embarked a decade and a half earlier. The Long Telegram emphasized that Soviet aggression stemmed from paranoia and weakness, not strength and will for conquest. Kennan argued in the Long Telegram that American policy towards the Soviet Union should be unblinded by prior assumptions: based on a careful and realistic understanding of the its regime, history, and people. Kennan would later develop his views on the Soviet Union and the Cold War into the strategy of containment, a middle way between the Roosevelt administration’s friendly policy towards the Soviet Union and the... con’t on page 17
Russia enters a new era. Sorta. Kinda Words by George Tate
During the Stand’s winter recess Russian president Vladimir Putin decided and announced in his annual address to the Parliament — think the American State of the Union, only with the same guy all the time — that the current constitution of Russia requires serious fixing. The address was broadcasted by all the major channels, as well as in the metro cars and on the major Moscow malls. Putin has been either the first or the second man of Russian state for the past twenty years. Therefore, he could not, and planned not, to provide any explanation why it was this January that he finally reached a conclusion that the constitutional regime needs to be changed, for the possible answers are either that it took him twenty years to realize something is wrong, or (which is even worse) that the reasons for this whole affair are purely political and have nothing to do with the well-being of my poor country. And so Russia went to bed with a constitution created by Putin’s predecessor Boris Yeltsin — and woke up to learn that it would still be the same constitution, nothing much was going to change, only everything was going to be better and different. Constitution was to be made great again. Here are the key features of the brave new Russian world, proposed by the president: • No more tricks similar to the one he pulled off: the same person can only be president twice in a lifetime. Not twice, then a pause, then twice more. • On the other hand, only someone who lived in Russia for 25 consecutive years can be elected president (ironically, in 1999-2000 Putin didn’t fit this description himself, because of his Dresden vacation, sponsored by KGB). • The President can now fire the prime-minister without firing the rest of the cabinet. • Ministers are now confirmed by the parliament, not simply appointed by executive order. • Newly established State Council
will be given many new powers, but nobody knows which exactly, but the assumption is they’ll be vast and unchecked — think good old Politburo, bu… no, actually, no but: just good old Politburo. • No more international laws overriding national laws. Who cares about Geneva convention and The Hague convention and all the other very boring conventions anyway, really? • Added to the mix was a bunch of populist measures, like enshrining in the constitution the necessity of pension indexation, which is codified in the federal law anyway. And it only got better: what happened next sounds more like a second-rate vaudeville, but, unfortunately, it is my state’s understanding of a proper constitution-amending process. It was announced that an assembly of honourable and distinguished citizens would be established. The role of this assembly was to create a legal framework for president’s ideas and proposals. The first meeting of the assembly featured some truly incredible legal minds, such as ataman (leader) of Russian Cossacks Nikolai Doluda, or writer and ‘political commissar’ of a Donetsk paramilitary group Zakhar Prilepin. The participants agreed on matters of procedure and protocol — and to gather again shortly to actually begin working. Two days later speaker of Gosduma — Russian lower chamber of parliament — Vyacheslav Volodin announced that he already had all the necessary amendments in a codified and finalized form, and so a relevant bill was introduced to parliament. Saber-wielding cossack Doluda and gun-wielding riter-turned-commissar Prilepin were left to fiddle with their toys. The problem is, however, that the creators of the constitution did not envision it being amended by a simple parliamentary vote; it requires approval by ¾ of the regional legislatures, or a referendum. For the sake of decorum, a decision to have a national vote was made. So that is where we seem to be headed right
15
now — not that it really matters. Putin has not lost a single election in the past 20 years, by the virtue of his considerable political skills as well as considerable election fraud and falsifications. Like all responsible and serious businessmen, Russians only began exporting election-meddling after having fine-tuned the procedure on the domestic market. Obviously, such events were accompanied by a media frenzy in the Russian-speaking world. No potential scenario — from Puting getting tired and preparing his departure to Putin lowering a stalinist iron curtain — was left unmentioned. With astonishing unanimity, the opposition and the servile pro-state media claimed that Russia had just entered a new era that was going to be qualitatively different from the past. We were either at the doorstep of heaven, or in a speed elevator to hell. In my opinion, this seems to be a mixture of oversimplification and wishful thinking. The reality of Russian politics is that procedure and law have little influence on how things are done. The majority of commentators focused on the wider implications of the proposed changes as if they were set in stone. However, it is important not to forget that the same person is still in charge of the whole process, and there are no guarantees that Putin won’t decide to change everything once again as we get closer to 2024. Ultimately, the mistake, as I see it, is that the situation is interpreted strategically. But this is a misleading way of looking at it: the constitutional amendments are merely Putin’s tactical manoeuvres, aimed at regaining full control over the political narrative today. By upending the status quo, Putin is now once again the only one who’s in the know. Achieving that advantage was the main purpose of the whole enterprise; 2024 is four years away, and it is still anyone’s guess what will it look like — just like it was anyone’s guess before. What just happened is merely a way of ensuring Putin gets there unscathed.
Sexual Harassment and the Neoliberalization of CEU Words by Jen Edwards Imagine you’re a department head at CEU and have spent the last 18 months in a perpetual state of semi-crisis, trying to keep up with your huge workload while the university you’ve worked at for years is in the final stages of being unceremoniously booted from Hungary. For the whole of the negotiations with the Hungarian government, and now with the process of accreditation in Austria, there’s been tremendous pressure to avoid any negative press about the university and to present a united and harmonious front to the world. Your department needs to continue to recruit and maintain the reputation that’s been built up over the last 20 years. Now, if you would, imagine that amidst all of this, a student comes to you with a complaint about an inappropriate interaction they recently had with someone in the department. A fellow student has repeatedly made inappropriate sexual comments towards them. You’ve received… minimal training on the relevant policy, and even less training about how to appropriately react to students who may be emotionally distressed. You probably have the best intentions.You might even believe them. So, you turn to the CEU policy on harassment and try to follow the procedure to the best of your ability. You find that the easiest and most clearly recommended path to handle the situation is to encourage an informal resolution. You tell the student who came to you that the best way forward is to have a meeting with the person they have had the issue with. The meeting happens, the issue is discussed, maybe the alleged
perpetrator of harassment apologizes in some way and says they won’t do it again. Both parties sign a document saying the meeting happened and this doesn’t need to go further up the flagpole. The student who made the initial complaint does not request a formal complaint, so this process is over. Everyone wins, right? Okay, now imagine you’re a student who’s had a fellow student make repeated, increasingly lewd comments about your body. They occasionally get too close, maybe touching you more than they should, never technically inappropriately but it definitely makes you uncomfortable. You tried to laugh it off at first, but it keeps happening, even after you’ve asked them to stop. You’ve had enough, so you look into the sexual harassment policy and decide to take the issue to the first person it reccomends you turn to, the chair of your department. You meet with your chair, and it seems like the meeting goes well they say they support you and are taking this very seriously. A few days later, your Chair says that the policy suggests an informal resolution. They tell you they will schedule a meeting with the student who has repeatedly harassed you, which you have to be present at. This meeting is very awkward, and your colleague makes a half-hearted apology, they’re “sorry you feel that way” and it “was never their intention to make you feel uncomfortable”. Your classmate signs the form saying they won’t do it again, you sign it too because that’s how it works. You don’t receive a real apology for the distress they’ve caused you, you still have to see them in your cours-
16
es and at departmental events, and eventually they graduate and move on from CEU. There will never be a record that this happened at all. A couple weeks goes by, and you don’t feel good about how this ended. When you look into the process of filing a formal complaint, you find that you will have to provide a degree of detail that you don’t really have, including documenting the specific dates of the incidents you were harassed (it’s been going on for a while, but you can’t pin down specifics), evidence (which you don’t have, since all of the harassment happened during in-person interactions) and witnesses (Maybe you told a couple people in the department what was going on? Does anyone remember it?). Oh, and you should file within 15 days of when you reached the informal resolution. You decide it’s probably not worth going through that whole process, so you try to move on and focus on your coursework. Both parties in this situation did what they were supposed to do. They followed the procedure to the letter, made logical choices and the policy worked as it was designed. This is precisely the problem. In “Reckoning Up: Sexual Harassment and Violence in the Neoliberal University”, Alison Phipps describes the outcomes of such a process as instituional airbrushing: “the neoliberal shift from university as community to university as corporation… [means that] all flaws must be airbrushed out”. As CEU increasingly centers its focus on finances and fundraising, the need for institutional airbrushing is
increased. Add in the pressure for a successful transition to Vienna, including the accreditation of an entire undergraduate program and far more competition from other universities, and you start to see why it might be more desirable for faculty and administrators to push victims of sexual harassment towards informal, undocumented resolutions. It’s possible that department chairs, members of the disciplinary committee and policy makers for the university are not even actively aware of the impetus for institutional airbrushing, and it’s nearly certain that these folks aren’t trying to cause more harm to students who have been assaulted or harassed. They just have a builtin conflicts of interest, where the two points of tension are between career/ institution and harm reduction for victims. Therefore, the way they read the relevant policies is inflected with the attempt to balance these two tensions, which ultimately cannot be resolved. When looking at the current sexual harassment policy for the university, the key wording here is in Article 21.2 of the CEU policy on harassment: “At
the meeting mentioned under Article 17.1 with a resource person and/ or the recipient of his or her complaint, the Complainant may insist that his/her complaint be forwarded to the Disciplinary Committee and a formal procedure be carried out.” (emphasis added). The language of “may insist” or “can insist” is repeated several times throughout this section. What does it mean in this circumstance to ‘insist’? What language constitutes insistence, and how do we reconcile this with cultural difference or social stigma around sexual harassment? I would like to make the case here that this lingual clause can be read by a department head as good justification that the issue has been adequately resolved, and puts the impetus of pursuing further action on the victim of harassment/assault, with the added power differential between faculty and student making this already difficult situation more impossible to navigate. Within the increasing neoliberalisation of CEU, the current policy on sexual harassment and assault not only justifies, but indeed demands
“Kennan” continued from page 14 ...hardline anti-communism of the later years of the Truman administration. Containment emphasized maintaining control of several strategic regions in the world while waiting for the Soviet Union to collapse under the weight of its own contradictions. Kennan himself would become influential, but his strategy was never adopted by any administration. In yet another stroke of irony, he was criticized in both the later Truman administration and Eisenhower administration for being too weak on Moscow. Washington had perhaps overlearned Kennan’s warning about Stalin and Soviet Communism, and neglected Kennan’s analysis of the Soviet Union’s weakness. As we now know, Kennan’s predictions on how the Cold War would end came true just over forty years later in spite of the fact that the United
States adopted a far more aggressive, forward, and costly policy than containment. Kennan filed the Long Telegram on February 22nd, 1946, seventy-four years ago this month. Kennan was very much a man of his time, and I do not know what he would make of the state of Russo-American relations in the 21st century. The world is a very different place now than it was when Kennan filed his report. There are however some striking similarities between our time and his. Now, as then, we stand at a pivotal moment in Russo-American relations. There are serious questions about Moscow’s reliability as a partner on the world stage and how the United States ought to respond to seeming Russian aggression in Europe and the Middle East, and interference in our elections. While Vladimir Putin’s Kremlin is hardly
17
the practice of institutional airbrushing, putting pressure on authority figures such as department chairs and heads of disciplinary committees to resolve ambigous situations in ways that protect the institution and prevent real reparative justice for victims. I acknowledge that in some ways, my critique is impossible to resolve within the neoliberal university, and short of tearing the whole thing down, no one solution will adequately solve the problems. However, I think that one way forward is to change the process of reporting, creating a formal role in the university that is outside of any one department, with someone who is not beholden to the politics of dayto-day changes at the university, who would be the known resource person, trained in best practices for handling victims of sexual harassment and assault, and who can work more meaningful on addressing sensitive cases. Many universities in the United States already have this kind of position, and while it has not resolved all problems, it would be a productive step forward for CEU.
as oppressive as Stalin’s regime, it is similarly brittle, prone to paranoia, and worryingly reliant on factually dubious dogma. Now, as then, American opinion is divided between factions that either argue that the United States has done far too little to bring Moscow into the Western fold or that we have done far too much. Both sides solipsistically spend more time dissecting American policy rather than analyzing Russia. In rereading the Long Telegram some three-quarters of a century later though, I am struck by how much of his analysis focused explicitly on understanding the Soviet Union rather than being couched in terms of how the United States ought to react to the Soviet Union. We would do well to consider Kennan’s approach today.
How to Conquer the Austrian Alps Words and images by
Sunna Kokkonen
CEU’s new home base in Vienna grants easy access to world-class natural wonders. Pick your level and go explore!
Alpine Intern
Junior Hiking Partner
Senior Mountaineer
Stadtwanderwege The city of Vienna offers 12 official well-marked trails – and all of them can be reached via public transport! The sceneries vary from the Prater fairground to pinewood forests overlooking the Vienna Woods.
At the UNESCO gates The small town of Baden is famous for its thermal baths but it offers a green escape for outdoor lovers, too. Baden serves as a gateway to the UNESCO Natural Heritage site of the Vienna Woods and there’s plenty of natural wonders to marvel at: crystal clear streams, caves, tall forests and abandoned castle ruins.
Greet the Iceman Have you heard of Ötzi (no, not the aprés-ski DJ)? The 5000-old-mummy was accidentally discovered by a hiker couple in 1991. Ötzi perished on the Italian side of the mountain, which resulted in his body being placed for display at the Bolzano Museum of Archeology. You can visit his final resting place in the Ötztal Alps by taking the bus to Vent and hiking towards Similaun. The trail is somewhat demanding as it goes up to 3000 meters, and it is recommended to stay overnight at a mountain hut (either Martin-Busch or Similaun huts are recommended).
Drink & Hike Every autumn, the city of Vienna organizes a wine hiking day (Weinwandertag) to celebrate the new harvest. All three route options meander through the vineyards in the rolling hills of Vienna, and participants can sample the offerings from various local wineries along the way. The paths may not be demanding but a couple of glasses of Sturm do add to the overall difficulty level! Join the bike party Watch out, Amsterdam and Copenhagen, Vienna is about to steal your titles as the European biking capitals! Vienna is home to countless bike lanes and bike parking stations, and the city bike system is virtually free, given that one switches their bike to a new one every half-hour. Take a trip to the riverside to wave at barges and cruise ships, or marvel at the unique-styled buildings along Ringstraße at your own pace. But remember: Austrian laws don’t allow biking under the influence!
The hometown mountain Have you spotted the tall mountain west from Vienna on a clear day? The summit is called Schneeberg and it’s located only 65 km away from the city. The easiest way to visit the “home mountain” is by taking the the cog railway (Schneebergbahn) up and hiking down. More seasoned mountain lovers can also hike up and down comfortably in one day.
Karwendeltal – Introvert heaven The Sound of Music and fairytale-like Instagram photos have made sure there is no shortage of visitors in Austria at any time of the year. If you’re fed up with selfie sticks and noise, head to the Karwendel valley, characterized by the lack of motorized vehicles (except for the most experienced rangers and farmers navigating the seemingly impenetrable tracks). The only sounds one will hear during the 2-3-day hike are cowbells, glacier streams and the occasional thunder.
Mountain etiquette 1. Trails are generally very well and clearly marked, so buying pricey maps for a short tour may not be necessary. If you decide not to carry a paper map with you, at least take pictures of a map or download one into your phone. 2. Greet your fellow mountain folks! A quick “Hallo”, “Servus” or “Grüß Gott” will do. 3. Distance doesn’t mean anything in the mountains. A kilometer can take anything from 15 minutes to two hours depending on the terrain. 4. Take enough water and snacks with you. Only drink from streams if you are sure there are no sheep or cattle kept upstream. 5. Many high-altitude routes are only open from July to September. 6. On multi-day trips, you can stay overnight in mountain huts. They also serve delicious food and drinks. 7. Don’t feel bad or competitive if a couple of 80-year-old grannies run past you on the trail – they were simply born that way.
18
Young cows in the Karwendel valley
The Wiener Blick viewpoint
Credits
Halfway up Schneeberg
Editors in Chief - Freya Cumberlidge and Adam Pontius Cover (Front) - Talia Dunyak Cover (Back) - Lili Toth Editors - Freya Cumberlidge, Talia Dunyak, Sunna Kokkonen, Adam Pntius, Nina Soulier, George Tate Layout Team - J. Daniel Bratcher, Freya Cumberlidge, Talia Dunyak, Sunna Kokkonen, Adam Pontius, George Tate WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? Write to us at ceuweekly@ceu.edu
Follow us on Instagram & Twitter: @ceu_thestand Like us on Facebook: facebook.com/TheCEUStand
Distribution Points CEU Vienna: Library, Front Desk, Cafe CEU Budapest: Library, N15 Cafe, N9 Oktagon...
Check out the Sharepoint https://ceuedu.sharepoint.com/sites/thestand
19
@lilith_ot