MARCH 2022
Zemmour Protest
ISSUE NO 6
Photo by Bianco Bartolini
Article by Ismaeel Yaqoob, guest reporter
Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured in Jan. 2017.
Putin’s War Changed The World (More Than The Pandemic)
Photo by The Russian Presidential Press and Information Office, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via http://www. kremlin.ru/events/president/news/53742/photos
Russia in the corner, China’s embarrassment, the EU financing arms, and heavy sanctions: following the invasion of Ukraine, a new political, economic, and social order arose. Article by Florian Heydecker, staff reporter The pandemic transformed the world, but Putin’s war is changing it much more, and at lightning speed. In some cases, it is an immediate earthquake; in others, it is a tectonic shift that will have enormous consequences in the future. Vladimir Putin was once considered a genius, an over-the-top strategist.
Now, he is a lonely, isolated man who made the mistake of a lifetime — underestimating the Ukrainians and the West. He was a leader to entice; now, he is a violent and dangerous dictator. Hollywood movies usually display the US president handling a nuclear briefcase, but reality has proven that the Russian president appeals more to this strategy. Russia is
an international pariah, dragged into a corner politically, economically, and financially by the man who wanted to make it great again. Although the country has undoubtedly potential to figure among the great powers, the ruling armed kleptocratic regime is a severe obstacle to its development. Russian democracy was already debilitated, and now, repression will probably become even
“It’s a good day / To fight the system,’’ the famous lyrics by Shungudzo blared out as we stood together, on the Franco-Italian border, in solidarity with the everyday mistreatment of refugees in this exact place. We stood in solidarity with the women, the Muslims, the Jewish people, the disabled, and every minority that Zemmour has targeted in his bigoted campaign for presidency. continued on page 18
Babel Initiative 2022 ou la découverte du pays du jasmin !
harsher. Germany is changing: pacifist until a few days ago, terrorized by its past, secured to Angela Merkel’s mercantilism, today it decided to rearm — putting in place 100 billion euros for the army, and sending weapons to the defenders of Ukraine. continued on page 2
Great Mosque of Testour in Tunis Photo by Morgane Abbas
Article par Morgane Abbas Dès le premier jour où j’ai pris mes fonctions de “Head of logistics”, j’ai tenté à maintes reprises de m’esquisser une image du portrait de ce voyage tant attendu. continued on page 23
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The Menton Times
MARCH 2022
Putin’s War Changed the World (More Than the Pandemic) With Germany, Europe awakens: it buys weapons for the first time, and Ursula von der Leyen announced that Kyiv could join the EU, a prospect that, if materialized in a fast accession procedure, could further galvanize the Ukrainian resistance and disrupt Putin’s project. It is a situation that — if Emmanuel Macron, Mario Draghi, and other Western European leaders rise to the occasion — could lead to the construction of a concrete European Defense. This process would occur under the aegis of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Putin’s aggression strengthened the unity of the West to an unexpected level, which until a month ago was considered almost non-existent. Turkey chose to side with the West; Sweden, and Finland could join NATO; and Switzerland abandoned centuries of neutrality, including banking neutrality, by freezing Russian bank accounts. The countries of Eastern Europe, frequently overlooked by the West, have found a new role — starting with Poland and the three Baltic states. The experience and memory of Soviet domination provide both Baltic and Eastern European states with leverage in the European Union decision-making process. Now the EU is no longer just Germany and France. Above all, the EU will undergo a consolidation process to handle foreign policy with coordination. Business and trade can no longer detach from geopolitics. Recent years have witnessed the rise of autocratic regimes that challenged democratic values, and Putin’s bold move has turned the trend: autocrats and dictators are sturdy in appearance, yet their stur-
Operations in Eastern Ukraine during conflicts in 2016 Photo by The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Flickr
diness can lead to political isolation, economic recession, and perhaps institutional collapse. Xi Jinping’s China was taken aback and showed all its embarrassment. At the UN Security Council, China abstained on the resolution condemning aggression against Ukraine, not vetoing it as Moscow did. It has an onerous balancing act to perform now. Beijing has many clients but no friends; Xi Jinping says he has one, Vladimir Putin, who has chosen excessive adventurism. As Putin attacks Kyiv, he disrupts the hegemonic agenda of China, which has different methods and timelines for conquering Europe. Putin positions himself as the leader of the new order in the Eurasian supercontinent, a role Beijing has no intention of leaving to others. Not only that, with its aggression, the Kremlin is strengthening the
West and its democracies instead currency areas will exclude the of weakening them. China’s leader Russian banking system. This polcannot appreciate that: it risks roll- icy combines with the now strong ing back its strategy of enfeebling tendency in China to close down America and Europe by years, and entire sectors of its economy and it can undermine its theory of the bring activity back under the strinWest’s inevitable decline. China gent guidance of the Communist needs Russia to confront Washing- Party, to the detriment of private ton geopolitically and access vital individuals who have been the resources, especially energy. But in main protagonists of the boom of the enormity of the step taken by the past decades. The trend towards Putin, it sees dangers and serious decoupling — the dollar-euro area setbacks. Beijing is monitoring, but on one side, the yuan on the oththe conflict er — will might not Yet, we already compre- presumably provide Chi- hend that that morning of strengthen na with the February 24 saw the dawn the climate desired loser. of a new world. Before long, of conflict. we will understand if we The latter The wave of enjoy it. would entail sanctions severe conbearing down on the Russian econ- sequences on supply chains and omy can potentially accelerate the increasing protectionism involving process of decoupling free and state Europe and the world. economies. The dollar and euro
Ukraine News
MARCH 2022
The Menton Times Staff Editor-in-Chief
Celeste Abourjeili
Menton Policy Review President
Florian Heydecker Copy Chief
Ayse Lara Selçuker
CAPTION
Photo courtesy of CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Shutterstock
Head of Design
Ada Baser
Marketing Team
The invasion of Ukraine accelerated the character of the new Cold War of the 21st century. The emotion, the tears, the demonstrations that crossed European cities in the last weeks communicate that Putin’s assault has not only moved governments, politicians, armies, and diplomacy. Citizens are more in shock than they have been in
decades. The tragic pictures and videos from Ukraine outscore even the risk of witnessing gas and electricity prices rise. Indeed, emotions will fade as time goes on, and differences of opinion will come back into focus. Yet, we already comprehend that that morning of February 24 saw the dawn of a new world. Before long, we will understand if we enjoy it.
Yearbook Sneak Peak A jam-packed year that went by in the blink of an eye — it would be impossible to list off all of the events without consulting our photo albums. That’s why the yearbook exists! With the design efforts of our very own Lenora Dsouza and Viola Luraschi, the photos you all submitted to the yearbook have been compiled to demonstrate the many different activities we participated in throughout the months. If you did not pre-order, do not fear! There might be a few extra copies to purchase come distribution in late-April!
Lenora Dsouza Viola Luraschi
Section Editors
Morgane Abbas Lara-Nour Walton
Head of Photographers
Hugo Lagergren
Photographers
Wang Di Emilia Kohlmeyer Staff Reporters
Florian Heydecker Viola Luraschi Angeliki Vytogianni Luca Utterwulghe Saoirse Aherne Cameron Sterling Magdelena Offenbeck Colin Lim Guest Reporters
Angela Saad Isabella Aouad Ismaeel Yaqoob Georgia Mckarrecher Markus Vaher Victor Wauters
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A Student Perspective on the Russo-Ukrainian War
Ukraine News
Article by Markus Vaher, guest reporter Estonian second year student Markus Vaher created a group chat following the Ukrainian invasion, in which students share information and updates. In five responses, he sums up his experience.
MARCH 2022
My sources vary quite a bit. In a large part, especially for information about battles and bombings, I follow Ukrainian Telegram channels like the Kyiv Independ-
Foreign Relations, of which I am a member. And Twitter, of course, but as a source it is not very reliable.
1. Why did you create the Ukraine group chat? What is the purpose? The day that the war broke out was very cloudy and depressing here in Menton. I remember waking up in the early morning, way before my alarm. The war had started a mere two hours earlier, but my parents and close friends had already texted me. Just a few minutes later, I found myself plunging into the news, making coffee and breakfast on the side. What I was seeing really struck me differently. I felt that I wanted to discuss the situation with others from our campus, and perhaps inform those who were less up to date with the events that have taken place in Ukraine in the last decade. Half an hour after I waken up, the group chat was born.
2. How have you been following the invasion so closely? Are there any apps or sources you would recommend? Following a live war from a distance is always quite exhausting, it is very emotionally draining. It takes up a lot of your time, and distracts you from whatever else you might be doing. But if it matters to you, then you will keep following the events.
Markus Vaher (left) and Ayse Lara Selçuker (right) protest in Nice on Feb. 27, 2022. Photo by Markus Vaher
ent, Политика страны, Украина сейчас, and Киев сейчас. For information about Russian and Belarussian internal opposition, NEXTA Live and Осторожно новости are quite good. A lot of information also comes through Estonian media and the Estonian Council of
3. As an Estonian, how do you feel about the safety and security of your country and family? How does being Estonian impact your perception of the invasion?
24 February, the day that the war started, was also Estonia’s 104th independence day. The speeches and celebrations that day took on a very different, darker tone. Our people remember history. We remember the battles, the killings, the deportations and carpet-bombings of World War II. We remember - my parents from first-hand experience - the silent terror of the [Russian] occupation [of Estonia]. So, of course, the symbolic meaning of this conflict is very deep for us. We remember how our people, language, and culture were being erased, and we are now seeing a revived attempt at that. I have never stepped foot in Ukraine, but we have a lot of common historical experiences with the Ukrainian people. Today, I do not see a direct threat to the safety of my friends and family. Our country is a highly committed member of NATO and the EU, our society is heavily opposed to any form of Russian domination and influence. Compared to an attack on Ukraine, an attack on Estonia would be even more costly for Putin’s regime. We have already proved this with the level of military support we are offering to Ukraine: proportionally to population size, Estonia has provided the largest amount of military aid of any country, and in absolute terms, we are in third place after the United States and the United Kingdom.
4. What do you think has motivated Putin? Do you think he has an upper hand?
Ukraine News
MARCH 2022
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pitals and nine schools. There are up to four million people that have left the country, just as many have been displaced within. It is very hard to tell today how the health and well-being of these people can be ensured, or how they could safely return to their homes in a relatively short time-frame. A lot has been done, but nonetheless the international response
Protester gather in Nice on Feb. 27, 2022 in support of Ukraine. Photo by Markus Vaher
For a long time I was skeptical Union in 1939, it took the invadabout the narrative that Putin just ing forces 36 days to occupy the wants to rebuild a Russian empire country. It seems highly likely that in the former territory of the Soviet Ukraine will pass that mark, albeit Union, perhaps because I expect- at a great cost to human lives. Yet it ed him to is nowhere be more close to r a t i o n - Since the war started, howev- losing the al. Since er, I have begun to give more war. The the war credit to this view of [Putin] q u e s t i o n started, as an imperialist. is whether however, Ukrainians I have becan win gun to give more credit to this view back their land. of him as an imperialist. After all attacking Ukraine was a very high 5. What have been the risk, but low reward endeavour. biggest outcomes and And he still went for it. challenges of the war thus I do not think he has an upper hand, however. As of my writing this article [March 28, 2022], the war on the ground has come to a stalemate, whilst Putin is losing on the information and economic fronts. He has won very little so far, and even if he can drag the conflict out, there is little for him to gain. On a more personal level, he seems to have lost a large part of the legacy he sought to make for himself. Even the judo belt was taken away.
far? Do you see these persisting? How do you feel about the international response?
The biggest positive outcome is that Ukrainian society has been reoriented toward the West. If Ukrainians and Russians might have gotten along well a decade ago, the animosity between them, between normal, everyday people, has grown very large. And so Ukrainian unity and commitment to Western values have never been as large as today. After all, Ukrainians are the only people who have died fighting under the European flag. The biggest negative outcome is, obviously, the cost in human lives and livelihoods. This war has already resulted in more than a thousand civilian deaths, including the confirmed bombings of three hos-
There is an important historical comparison. When Poland was attacked by Germany and the Soviet Ellie Carter, Gayle Krest, Stacey Buturla and Krzysztof Kałużny attend the protest. Photo by Markus Vaher
A lot has been done, but nonetheless the international response should be stronger, especially regarding a lot of lowrisk measures, such as humanitarian aid, military intelligence sharing, limiting Russian disinformation, and working on ending the European dependence on Russian fossil fuels. should be stronger, especially regarding a lot of low-risk measures, such as humanitarian aid, military intelligence sharing, limiting Russian disinformation, and working on ending the European dependence on Russian fossil fuels. The slow response in many of these areas is perhaps behind technical challenges that the public is not aware of. But in other cases it might be a lack of political will or real commitment. The proposal of a NATO-backed no-fly zone, however, is a technical question. Too often, it is seen as a symbolic or diplomatic question rather than a purely military one, but at the end of the day, it is the military calculus that matters. As of now, it is unlikely it will ever be established.
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News
The Fair of Menton
Article by Angeliki Vytogianni, staff reporter
MARCH 2022
of the Menton fair in some personal and not-so-personal highlights of the past weeks. This way we can relate not only to the ups and downs we experienced in this fair, but also observe how crazy this town is.
Starting in mid-January, most Sciences Po students in Menton started coming back from their Christmas holidays only to find a noticeable Let’s start change — But we should look at the with the a surprise glass as half-full: when life first visin Bastion. gives you lemons, you make it: it’s Bright, lemonade. The magic of the around 5 loud, and fair, at least for the Sciences p.m., alfood-scent- Po students of this town, was ready geted, it ofthat you could visit at any ting dark fered fluffy time of the day or night, guar- and chilly t e d d y anteed to have a fun time, ( January bears, wild with some bizarre moments weather). rides, and sprinkled in there. The fair, any other however, fair games is at its one could imagine in this crazy peak; the crepes are coming out small town. If you are currently a one after the other, hot chocolate Sciences Po student in Menton, is being made in bulk, and the chances are you did not miss the lights are shining bright and colorfair that took place throughout the ful. Now, it is your first night in month of January, even spilling into Menton, so you naturally gravitate the beginning of February. towards the flashiest diversion in town to see your friends and spend Disclaimer: this is not an investi- time with them, as they all get back gative article to uncover the truth after the Christmas break. hiding behind fairy lights and annoying fair music. I did not get Scene 2: It’s a nice, sunny morning the scam behind the teddy bear on the Riviera, and, following your games. Nor did I manage to figure New Year’s resolution, you put your out how to win an iMac, a PS5, or trainers on and decide to go on a whatever it is they offer. I also don’t run. The only difference is that the know how they make some of the Bastion area is now occupied by the best crepes I’ve had in Menton, or flashing, noisy fair. So, on your trail how the burgers, fries, sandwiches, by the beach, you have to shuffle churros, and other fair foods tast- through cantinas of food, multiple ed so good. But while writing this different stands of games, shooting during the last few days of the fair, challenges, and rides. I have realized one thing: it’s the magic that does the trick — the am- Scene 3: The January 2022 COVID biance of celebrations, parties, and cluster has been tearing the campus liveliness that we all so desperately apart and sending a good majority needed. As the campus suffered a of students into isolation. As you brutal Omicron attack, classes for have been getting restless inside the spring semester officially start- your apartment, you decide to put ed, and the post-holiday blues hit, on your KN95 mask and go on a the fair was there to help keep the short walk to get some fresh air. Of Mentonese ummah’s spirit high. So, course, you avoid the fair so as not I am simply transmitting the magic to transmit the virus to all the locals
The fair in Menton attracts children and adults alike to its many attractions. Photo by Vanessa Lolomari
or visitors that are having fun there. What you realize as you are walking far away from any other people, is that the fair, with the lights and the setup, still beautifully decorates this part of the Cote d’Azur. Scene 4: The season has started and house parties are being thrown every weekend, so naturally, you get ready, you pre-game, and before you go to the party, you take a stroll around the fair area. Maybe a churro stand is still open, maybe the rides are more fun after a couple of tequila shots. Maybe the lights are just more mesmerizing, creating
the club atmosphere that we need since COVID measures are still in effect. The scene continues later as well, before going home and calling it a night, a walk through the – dead at this time – fair of Menton is almost mandatory to get the feels of a summertime festival town. Scene 5: It’s a regular Wednesday evening, you have finished your fifth or sixth hour of class, but instead of going straight home and under your covers, you and your friends decide to go to the fair, have a crepe, a burger, a beer, some churros, or a slice of pizza, chatting away
MARCH 2022
with your friends. This leaves you feeling like you suddenly escaped your university student reality to go to simpler times. The next few scenes, however, include some not-so-positive reactions and experiences in the fair. First of all, the scam of the challenges! I interviewed many students, and no one could say that they won a brand-new PlayStation, Macbook, or iPhone. I am fairly certain that the only “wins” we can count are some small furry animals. We should also mention the noise and annoying playlist of four pop songs ON REPEAT for the entirety of the month. Naturally, students that live close to the area were not amused to be waking up to the noise of the fair, hearing people scream through microphones, and getting the same songs stuck in their heads. Lastly, the pirate boat ride going back and forth high into the sky was responsible for some sparse injuries here and there. I know someone that decided to do the ride and ended up flying for most of it, while also falling on their knees and bumping their arms around. But we should look at the glass as half-full: when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. The magic of the fair, at least for the Sciences Po students of this town, was that you could visit at any time of the day or night, guaranteed to have a fun time, with some bizarre moments sprinkled in there. Even though it operated in “Menton time,” opening around noon and shutting down around 8 p.m., it was still an experience to walk through at 3 or 8 a.m. It also signaled a second part of the festivities in Menton, beginning just after the Christmas market and right before the Lemon Festival, adding a very warm atmosphere to this town. If you ask most students of this campus whether or not they miss the festival, you are guaranteed to get a positive answer. Because truth be told, when life (or the mayor in this case) gives you a fair, you make magic out of it.
News
The Show Goes On, But For How Long?
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Boris Johnson faces mounting pressure from MPs, as the police mount an investigation into the Downing Street events held during lockdown. Article by Hugo Lagergren, staff reporter
come stronger, leaving him fighting for his political life.
Picture a group of 30 people gathered in the back garden of a house; a group of people who were invited to “bring their own booze” to the gathering, a gathering to which over 100 people had been invited. Now picture a small wooden table, topped with cheese and wine, with colleagues relaxing around it. While these scenes may appear normal at first glance, you are quickly persuaded otherwise when you learn that these activities occurred in Number 10 Downing Street, the heart of the British government, during a national lockdown.
Leaked emails and pictures show Boris Johnson and Downing Street staff continuously disregarding the rules that they themselves introduced to fight the pandemic.
These were the first 2 out of 12 events held at Number 10 currently under criminal investigation by the Metropolitan Police for breaching national lockdown laws — both of which Boris Johnson has admitted to attending. The events took place in May 2020, almost two months after the beginning of the first national lockdown in the United Kingdom. On the day of these events, 328 and 350 people died of COVID-19 respectively. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister and his staff partied. Allegations of these Downing Street gatherings during lockdown began to break in late 2021. Since then, the case against Boris Johnson’s administration has only be-
Other events include a birthday celebration on 19 June 2020, which was held in the Cabinet Room for the PM organised by his then-fiancé. ITV News reported that up to 30 people attended this party.
They also reported that singing took place and cake was served to everyone. On 13 November 2020, two more gatherings took place in Number 10. One to acknowledge the departure of a senior Downing Street advisor, and one, inside the Prime Minister’s private flat, to celebrate the departure of Dominic Cummings, Johnson’s former senior advisor, who had left the Prime Minister’s staff earlier that day. These events all occurred during periods where restrictions were in place and fines could be issued to anyone found in violation of these rules. Gatherings, both indoor or outdoor, of more than two people were illegal, with a few exceptions. Whilst work-related issues may have qualified as exempt, birthdays and drinks parties certainly did not.
Number 10 Downing Street is the home of the sitting British Prime Minister.
Photo courtesy of Number 10 Downing Street, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Flickr
Their behaviour is “difficult
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Editorial
to justify,” says Sue Gray, a senior civil servant who recently conducted an investigation into the events, especially as the public was forced to “accept far-reaching restrictions on their lives.” “The good people are outraged by Johnson’s ‘do as I say not as I do’ attitude. People couldn’t say final goodbyes to dying loved ones, couldn’t go to funerals and delayed weddings to obey the rules. Rules that Johnson just ignored,” says Liam Byrne, Labour MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill. He added, “Boris Johnson is an utter shambles of a prime minister, who has lied through his teeth about lockdown parties at Downing Street while presiding over a chaotic government that’s doing nothing to help ordinary families deal with the spiralling cost of living.” In a brief update before the full report is published, Ms Gray identified 16 events, during a period starting in May 2020 and ending in April 2021, that justified investigation, as they “represent a serious failure to observe” the high s t a n d a rd s required of government to lead the British people.
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Ms Gray’s update sheds light on the heavy drinking culture which is innate to Number 10 under Boris Johnson’s leadership. A drinking culture which, according to Ms Gray, “is not appropriate in a professional workplace at any time.” However, Ms Gray’s claims are not the first allegations against Johnson’s government regarding its excessive alcohol consumption. From the supposed installation of a “wine fridge” in one of the Downing Street offices, to the claims of suitcases full of booze being wheeled into Number 10, a tradition, which some sources claim, dates back to David Cameron’s Premiership, one is left to wonder how any work gets done in Number 10. An ex-senior advisor to Tony Blair spoke to the Menton Times about the scandal and said, when asked about the current drinking culture in Number 10, that “it just seems to be absolutely extraordinary […] The idea that the people manning the phones and talking to the world’s media about the British Governm e n t ’s view on developing events would be drunk, is absolutely amazing.”
“The good people are outraged by Johnson’s ‘do as I say not as I do’ attitude...” said Liam Byrne.
Furthermore, another photo emerged showing that Boris Johnson had attended a Christmas Quiz on 15 December 2020. The photo shows the PM standing behind two staff members, one wearing festive tinsel. The frame also contains an open bottle of champagne on the desk, in front of the group.
The ‘Partygate’ scandal falls at a time of rising tensions between Russia and the West, over Putin’s apparent intention to invade Ukraine (see page XX for Russia-Ukraine article) (This article was written before the invasion). The scandal has diverted Downing Street’s attention away from a rapidly escalating situation. Johnson has organized a series of
carefully calculated visits to vaccine centres and green energy projects, with the aim of restoring his heavily damaged image. The extended nature of the scandal, with Johnson trying to cling to power, has had serious consequences for Britain on the international stage, argues M P Liam By rne. “ The media around t h e world h a s looked on in amazement at this bumbling Prime Minister. As events on the Ukraine border underline, these are serious times that demand a serious leader. And Britain doesn’t have one in 10 Downing Street.”
no such culture” under previous Prime Ministers. The recent partying transgression is part of a long list of scandals that have gripped Boris Johnson’s career. From his time at the Daily Telegraph, where he conspired to have a fellow journalist beaten up, to the lies and manipulation he was accused of during the Brexit campaign, up until his Premiership, during which he has been accused of dishonesty and corruption, notably during the ‘Cash for Curtains’ scandal, the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal and now, ‘Partygate.’
Despite the numerous scandals throughout his career, Johnson’s rapid rise to the top job somehow continued. However, ‘Partygate’ appears to be seriously threatening his position for the first time.
Boris Johnson has repeatedly, throughout his career, been accused of dishonesty and a lack of professionalism. A failure of leadership was highlighted in Sue Gray’s report.“The leader of any organization sets the tone, […] and the Prime Minister has set the tone of the rules not really applying to him, and therefore, to anybody who works for him,” says the ex-Downing Street advisor. He added that this sort of behavior “is not OK, when you’re Prime Minister of the country […] The fact is, everybody knows that there would have been
Despite the numerous scandals throughout his career, Boris Johnson’s rapid rise to the top job somehow continued. However, ‘Partygate’ appears to be seriously threatening his position for the first time. The restrictions put in place by the government, to curb the omnipresent threat of the virus, subjected everyone to the same rules (apart from when Britain entered a regional tier system) and the same penalties — rules and penalties which also applied to the Prime Minister. Indeed, many conservative MPs are starting to lose faith in the Prime Minister. ITV News reports that as many as 20 letters of no confidence are believed to have been submit-
Editorial
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Boris Johnson sits in the Cabinet Room of Number 10 for a call with the President of the European Commision in Dec. 2020. Photo by Pippa Fowles, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Flickr
ted to the Conservative Party apparatus. This demonstrates that Conservative MPs are rapidly los-
million views on Twitter. Polls have also shown a large upswing in support for the Labour Party. So does Labour finally have enough support to overthrow 12 years of Tory rule?
Labour MP Liam Byrne said, “there’s an old saying that it’s governments that lose elections, rather than oppositions that win them. But Keir knows Labour won’t win by default. ing faith in Boris Johnson’s ability to lead. However, 20 is a long way short from the required 54 letters to trigger a vote of no confidence. The Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer MP has been praised for his handling of the situation, with his response in parliament to Ms Gray’s report receiving over three and half
While Starmer’s position is not nearly as comfortable as he would have wished for, his ratings in the polls as leader of the Labour Party have increased by 16% in the last 6 months. If Starmer is to dethrone Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party, then he must maintain this intensity with which he has recently been gripped. He has proven successful in discrediting Boris Johnson in the eyes of the public.
He must now start to build on this, by developing his plan for Britain and selling it to the British people. The former Labour advisor commented on the party’s ability to defeat the Conservatives. “They’ve got an enormous uphill climb, Labour. They have got to do something which has virtually never been done in British political history, in terms of turning around millions and millions of votes in England to swap from Tory to Labour. It is a massive challenge. Jeremy Corbyn trashed the party and trashed the brand of Labour and it is a very big ask to come back in one election.” Strategy-wise, Labour is divided on how to achieve victory over the Conservatives. Most Labour MPs
believe that Boris Johnson should be removed before the end of his Tenureship. There are, however, a small group of Labour MPs who believe that it would be better to keep the Prime Minister in office, due to the damage he has sustained, as it would greatly benefit them in the next election campaign. Labour MP Liam Byrne says, “there’s an old saying that it’s governments that lose elections, rather than oppositions that win them. But Keir knows Labour won’t win by default. We’ve still got trust to earn and plans to set out, that put our country on a new course.”
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News
MARCH 2022
Is Progress Possible on America’s Most Influential Bench?
Article by Luca Utterwulghe, staff reporter “Founding Father” Alexander Hamilton explains in his Federalist no. 78 that the judiciary is by constitution the weakest of the three branches in the American governmental system. The judicial branch lacks the “sword” of the executive branch and the “purse” of the legislature. Nonetheless, according to Hamilton’s conceptualization, the judiciary normatively plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of the Constitution and the superiority of the people. The doctrinal foundations of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) (and other local/state courts) are today threatened by the politicization of judicial processes and the underrepresentation of certain populations. The SCOTUS’s precarious situation is why we must pay particular attention to the open seat on the bench in light of Justice Stephen Breyer’s recent retirement announcement. Breyer’s exit signals an important choice for President Joe Biden, who has already committed to nominating the first Black woman to the Court. There are currently only two Justices of color on the bench, only one of which is Black. Moreover, there are only three women (out of 9 Justices). Of the candidates Biden is considering, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Leondra Kruger, and Michelle Childs are the most prominent choices; each currently serves on an appellate or state supreme court. The nominated candidate “would be only the eighth person in the court’s 233 year history who was not a white man,” as mentioned in
a Washington Post article. While Biden’s intention to nominate one of ten Black women candidates is a strong step forward for the diversification of the Court, the bench is far from a mirror image of American ethnic and gender demography. Ellie Carter, an American Sciences Po 1A, highlighted that “significant
on the opportunity cost of pursuing a law degree considering that one “could have otherwise gone straight into a full time job,” especially if burdened by “loans from an undergraduate degree.” An NPR article discusses the barriers to entry to the professional law sphere in noting that “many first genera-
The United States Supreme Court looms over the District of Columbia. Photo by Hugo Lagergren
disparities still exist in terms of race, sexual orientation, financial status, and even geographic location, with most justices throughout history being almost exclusively straight, white, wealthy Protestant men from the Northeast who graduated from an Ivy [League Institution].” Further, Carter argued that a critical element in the discussion on racial, ethnic, religious, and geographic discrepancies on SCOTUS is “the high cost of education” in the U.S., especially for law school, for which “average annual tuition and fees… is usually around $50k for three years.” Carter touches
tion college grads applying to law school don’t know the ins and outs of the application process” and lack “personal connections” who can help them navigate the system. Carter does not “think it’s a stretch to say that making education more affordable could eventually make these types of [judicial] positions more accessible.” In another sense, Biden’s pick will have significant implications for the Court’s future decisions on major questions relating to the American Constitution. Biden has expressed his desire to select a nominee who values the existence of “unenumerated rights in the Constitution” and
thus rejects a textualist approach to jurisprudence. According to NPR analysts, Biden’s pick will likely have little influence on “the ideological tilt of the court,” meaning that the confirmation process in the Senate may be less politically aggressive. Carter noted that “the fact that Biden’s nominee will need to be moderate enough to garner enough support to be confirmed by a pretty divided Senate means that, hopefully, [there] could be a positive outcome.” Celeste Abourjeili, a Lebanese-American 2A at Sciences Po, is slightly less hopeful: “The fact that we are even looking at the political affiliation of candidates and existing justices is already an indication that the neutrality of the court has been compromised.” The overarching issue, however, seems to be that there is a tendency for Justices to make decisions that, as Carter explains, are not “grounded in constitutional reasoning” and are instead based along “ideological lines.” It would be easy to conclude that Hamilton’s conceptualization of the judiciary was overly idealistic and naive to suggest that undoing two centuries of underrepresentation will be a smooth feat. It will take significant effort from all actors in the American political system to ensure that relying on reason, as opposed to partisan lines, remains the core of our judicial regime.
Editorial
MARCH 2022
Yves Juhel Elected Mayor of Menton
Article by Saoirse Aherne, Cameron Sterling, and Maria Azadian, staff and guest reporters
Introduction On February 6, 2022, Yves Juhel was re-elected mayor of Menton after a four month period of political turmoil. The office had previously been held by Jean-Claude Guibal, who had governed for 32 years, or six terms, with tenure spanning from 1989 to 2021. In late October, the office was vacated by Guibal, who died of a heart attack at age 80.
Authorities. According to Fanny, a 36-year-old shopkeeper, there was chaos after the election. The town was divided over who to support, with many conflicting views expressed on social media.
Round One: A Strong Showing of Conservative Loyalty After rushing to build lists by the January 13 deadline, Menton saw five competing factions: Collectif Citoyen Menton Autrement, Réconcilions Menton, Menton Avec Vous, Unis pour Menton, and Menton pour Tous.
Juhel, then the second-deputy mayor, was elected to succeed Historically, Menton has been Guibal by the 35-seat municipal a strong base for conservative council on November 9, 2021. His French politics, notably the party candidature defeated Sandra Paire, Les Republicains (LR). During then first-deputy mayor, by one this cycle, two lists — Collectif vote. Juhel’s victory is considered Citoyen Menton Autrement and controversial; one of his votes Réconcilions Menton — ran came outside of from the that label. Rassem...most of city hall’s staff are Collectif blement holdovers from the Guibal Citoyen National, administration, calling into Menton Aua party question the town’s ability to trement, led labeled escape its patterns of corrup- by Marjorie as extion and scandal. Jouen, is a treme by nonpartisan many. list seeking greater transparency in local Further, Paire, as the second-depgovernance. Réconcilions Menton, uty, considered herself to be the representing le Groupe Régional natural successor to Guibal. Fold’Europe Écologie, was headed by lowing her defeat, she led a string Stéphanie Loisy. Neither list made of resignations from the municipal it past the first round of elections council, leaving it nearly one-third on January 31. vacant. This was a calculated move, forcing the municipality to hold The second round of elections saw another election in the next three competition between the three months under article L2122-8 conservative lists: Yves Juhel’s of the General Code of Local
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Menton pour Tous, Anthony Malvault’s Menton Avec Vous, and Sandra Paire’s Unis pour Menton. In the end, Juhel’s list won with 43.11% (4,722) of the votes cast. He was closely followed by Paire, who won 40.24% (4,408). Malvault received the remaining 16.65% (1,824). Though the right wing saw a strong showing, it is important to note that turnout was relatively low, Photo by Saoirse Aherne hanging at 50% of the voting population. committed to “preserving Menton” while creating more housing. He is Important Issues in the also planning on making Menton Election a more active town by developing nautical sports, opening a The 2022 municipal elections in nightclub, authorizing places to Menton centered around three stay open later at night, and further issues: youth life, urban planning, developing Bastion. He also plans and security. Many citizens have on creating a committee to focus expressed concerns about the on youth life in Menton and a job economic difficulties that young service to centralize employment people face in Menton. As menopportunities for young people. tioned by Frederic, a 41-year-old With this, Juhel also hopes to refisherman, the youth encounter a vive tourism in Menton and attract lack of affordable housing opporyounger populations. tunities, need more aid in finding jobs, and more activities. On the issue of urban planning, many have expressed issues with On this issue, Mayor Juhel has sev- traffic in town. Arlette, a retired eral plans. In an interview with the 75-year-old, complained about Menton Times, he said that he is traffic and parking, specifically the
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News
MARCH 2022
platform on this issue is very vague with few concrete plans.
Gubi-oligarchy: The Role of the Guibal Clan in City Hall Jean-Claude Guibal, the late mayor, had a 30-year career in office characterized by corruption and scandal. Throughout his tenure, Guibal systematically spread his clan throughout important regional positions, with, according to Issey Bavarian, (Co-President) of Comprende la Mafia,“a family member in nearly every pertinent political body.” Guibal himself took part in this practice, heading the “communauté d’agglomération de la Riviera française” for 20 years. In addition, his wife, Colette Giudicelli, was Senator LP of the Alpes-Maritimes from 2008 until her death in 2020. She was also appointed deputy mayor by her husband in 1989, staying in the role for twenty years. Guibal’s daughter in law, Celine Giudicelli, remains the director general of the SPL ports of Menton.
Yves Juhel’s campaign posters were hung around Menton before the election in Feb, 2022. Photo by Saoirse Aherne
danger of speeding motorcycles. Juhel also has plans for this, hoping to expand the use of electric bicycles and charging stations. There is also the issue of security.
Many, such as Arlette, complained that the police do very little and that there is a general security issue in France. Juhel agreed, naming the issue first when asked about problems in Menton. However, his
Guibal’s time as mayor saw the eruption of numerous scandals. A 2016 complaint filed by the anti-corruption association, Anticor, accused Guibal of using public funds to purchase 20,810 euros worth of cigars between 2006 and 2009. This case was dropped such that it was “insufficiently characterized” according to the Nice prosecutor. Anticor has filed other complaints pertaining to issues such as the award of fraudulent contracts and favoritism. However, the validity of these claims is questionable. Though Anticor claims to be a “bipartisan” group, it is represented by the leader of the opposition Parti Socialiste (PS) in the Menton City council. Furthermore, in July of 2021, the townhall, the headquarters of the local public office company, the
ports of Menton, and the home of Celine Giudicelli were searched by local authorities. These searches were part of a larger investigation led by the Nice public prosecutor’s office over allegations of “influence-peddling, corruption, illegal taking of interests, and misappropriation of public funds,” with regards to the ports in Menton. The Guibal clan is not the only actor that has been accused of corruption. In November of 2021, Olivier Bettati, former mayoral opposition candidate, was arrested along with 35 others in connection to a network of organized crime operating throughout the Cote d’Azur. The operation aimed to bring down Aurelio Garcia, dubbed the “Godfather” of the Cote d’Azur by Nice Matin, for his connection with criminal association, racketeering, extortion, running gambling circles, and influence peddling. Also, as reported by Nice Matin, police accumulated hundreds of hours of evidence via microphones which were planted in bars and apartments across the region. These tapes revealed a number of racketeering projects, involving construction companies, along with intentions to “take over Menton: on its port, its private beaches, and its public market.” Olivier Bettati found himself implicated in this investigation due to a member of his “Menton Demain” list: Carole Bacoue. Bacoue is the girlfriend of Jean-Laurent Comparetto, the lieutenant of Aurelio Garcia. In spite of this, he was released from prison after five nights and sources close to the investigation claim that the Menton aspect of the case is largely unfounded.
Same Story, New Actors? Though many hoped that a new mayor in November of 2021 would mark a new era of Mentonese politics free from corruption and scandal, this has not proven to be
MARCH 2022
the case.
Following the first round of the election, Stephanie Loisy, the After Juhel’s initial election in Nocandidate for Europe Écologie vember, Menton saw an onslaught les Verts, criticized irregularities, of corruption allegations. Juhel claiming to have noticed that “two claimed to have witnessed two ballot boxes were not sealed before trucks the end of removthe vote and ing 600 There were also two fires on that an askg of January 30, election day. sessor was redocuThe parents of Sandra Paire fused access ments reported a fire in the court- to the polling from yard outside their ground station at town floor apartment. Hours later, 8:02 a.m.” hall the Roquebrune-Cap-Martin to be home of Anthony Malvault’s There were burned. parents also caught fire. also two fires He also on called January 30, for an audit on the town hall election day. The parents of Sandra computer, which allegedly resulted Paire reported a fire in the courtin the discovery of an illegal email yard outside their ground floor monitoring system. Both of these apartment. Paire’s mother, Georaccusations are now under invesgette, speculated that the fire was tigation by the Nice Prosecutor. intentional, however, authorities However, after Juhel’s allegation of maintain it was an accident. Hours document theft, Sandra Paire notlater, the Roquebrune-Cap-Mared, “Nothing has disappeared since tin home of Anthony Malvault’s all the files are computerized.” parents also caught fire. Though Paire has filed a complaint “for Malvault’s parents, residing on the defamatory remarks in response lower floor, were unaffected, one to Juhel’s accusations.” In Deof Malvault’s business studios was cember of 2021, the investigation lost. The candidate stated “I really into missing documents from the hope this is all accidental. But no Mairie progressed as three relatives lead is ruled out. It came an hour of Guibal were taken into custody. after the election results fell… And with the legal case for which I was Going into the January election, summoned, this address — where tensions mounted. On January 27, one of my companies is domiciled an anonymous citizen attempted — has circulated a lot.” to have Anthony Malvault’s late registration canceled, accusing What is next for Menton? him of lying about his motivation for moving to Menton. Malvault This month’s municipal elections registered his list after the deadline mark the first time that Menton of December 24, in accordance has had a new mayor in over 30 with Article L30 of the Electoral years. Running on a platform Code which asserts that those of youth engagement and civic domiciled in another municipality revival, Juhel’s tenure in office may for professional reasons may regbring desperately needed changes ister after the deadline. However, to the town. However, most of Malvault moved to Menton on city hall’s staff are holdovers from December 31 and established his the Guibal administration, calling scooter company on January 5. He into question the town’s ability to presented this evidence at a public escape its patterns of corruption hearing and was acquitted of all and scandal. charges on January 28.
Editorial
The End of Affirmative Action? Article by Magdalena Offenbeck, staff reporter In January 2022, the United States Supreme Court announced that it would hear two cases, one against Harvard University and one against the University of North Carolina, seeking to ban affirmative action in university admissions. The conservative Supreme Court majority is likely to overturn a legacy of race consideration in college admissions. The history of race as a factor in college admissions begins in the
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affirmative action was confirmed in scenarios when race is one of many factors considered in the admission process. However, in the same year, the court declared points-based admission systems that grant extra points to minority applicants unconstitutional and contrary to the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourth Amendment. Both Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are now accused of discrimination by giving race overwhelming importance in admission procedures. The difference between the cases is that Harvard is charged with discrimination against Asians while the University of North Car-
The benefits of diverse student cohorts in university environments and the positive effect of upward social mobility in the larger society have continually been emphasized by university administrations and the Supreme Court. 1960s when Harvard University announced concrete measures to increase the percentage of African American students in its cohorts. Harvard’s plan of action was then adopted by many of the major institutions for higher education in the United States. Aiming to counter the inequality caused by the history of racial segregation, the policies have effectively promoted upward social mobility and diversified cohorts at US universities. Since its implementation, affirmative action has faced criticism by those who favor admission procedures that are entirely based on academic merit. In the landmark 2003 Supreme Court case Grutter v. Bollinger, the constitutionality of
olina is accused of favoring Black and Hispanic applicants. The plaintiff, Students for Fair Admissions,’ argued that Harvard’s disproportional consideration of race violates the Equal Protection Clause and Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. The case was tried in 2018 in the state of Massachusetts but, after a 15-day bench trial in 2018, a lower court in Massachusetts found Harvard not guilty of “race balancing,” otherwise known as admission quotas for racial groups at the university. Many consider it unlikely that the Supreme Court has taken on the case to reaffirm the ruling of the state court. What would the end of affirmative action mean for university commu-
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Editorial
MARCH 2022
nities in the United States? Deans average standardized test scores of Yale, Columbia, and Harvard and are subjected to structural obUniversity have spoken out against stacles that are not encountered by the lawsuit. In a statement released their white counterparts.2 Howevon the Columbia University web- er, the plaintiff argues that affirmsite, President Lee Bollinger Broad ative action comes at the expense asserted that “public awareness of of Asian students, who have lower the unrelenting impact of racism chances of admission with equal demands a recommitment to affirmative While the official judgment will action, not its only be released in 2023, the abandonment,” end of affirmative action will bring deeming afchanges to the framework of colfirmative ac- lege admissions. However, it may tion essential not be necessary to equate this considering the to the end of student diversity in nation’s history. higher education. He further described a ban on affirmative action as “calamitous or higher test scores and are confor universities and for the ideals sistently ranked lower on the perembodied in the Constitution.”1 sonality scores of the admissions The end of affirmative action could process. significantly decrease the number of Black students admitted to elite Public opinion seems to confirm universities in the country as Black the plaintiff ’s view. A 2019 surand Hispanic students have lower vey by the Pew Research Center concluded that 73% of Ameri1 “President Bollinger on Affirmative Action and the Supreme Court.” Columbia University Office of the President, 2022.
2 “SAT Scores.” National Center for Education Statistics,U.S. Department of Education, 2021.
cans think that race should not be considered in college admissions. However, there is stratification between racial groups, with 78% of Caucasians opposed to affirmative action compared to 65% of Hispanics and 62% of Blacks. This gap persists with political leanings. While 88% of Caucasian Republicans are against the consideration of race, this number falls to 66% among Caucasian Democrats. The consideration of other factors such as legacy status, gender, or athletic ability is equally deemed inappropriate by the majority of survey participants.3 Therefore, the case puts into question a number of controversial admission practices, especially the elitist concept of legacy admissions. If affirmative action is found to be unconstitutional, the question of feasible alternatives arises. The benefits of diverse student cohorts in university environments and the positive effect of upward social 3 Graf, Nikki. “Most Americans say colleges should not consider race or ethnicity in admissions.” Pew Research Center, U.S. Department of Education,2019.
mobility in the larger society have continually been emphasized by university administrations and the Supreme Court. Especially the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was a major proponent of the policy. Yet, a similar degree of diversity could be achieved by taking into account the socio-economic background of applicants. Black and Hispanic communities are generally more socio-economically disadvantaged. According to a US government census, the median income of Black households in the United States is $28,000 and $41,000 below that of White and Asian households, respectively.4 The gap is slightly smaller for Hispanics. Considering household income and access to education resources would hence have similar effects on student diversity to affirmative action. This is not to deny the intersectional experience of members of the Black or Hispanic communities that face disadvantages compared to whites with a similar socioeconomic background. Rather, it acknowledges that the individuals who experience similar levels of poverty equally merit a chance in the higher education system. It further takes into consideration the racism and systemic discrimination that Asian communities are victim to, and counters stereotyping in admissions where the achievements of Asian students are not valued equally because of their ethnic background. While the official judgment will only be released in 2023, the end of affirmative action will bring changes to the framework of college admissions. However, it may not be necessary to equate this to the end of student diversity in higher education. A range of alternative tools could continue to protect the interests of socially disadvantaged students.
A group of affirmative action supporters gather before the 40th Anniversary of the 1963 Civil Rights March on Washington D.C. Photo by Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Flickr
4 “Real Median Household Income by Race and Hispanic Origin: 1967 to 2017”. U.S. Census Bureau, 2021.
Feature
MARCH 2022
The Ethics of Gene Editing
Article by Isabelle Aouad Arelle, guest reporter The genome is the blueprint of our being. Each person’s genome comprises 20,000 to 25,000 genes, which define our physical traits, immunity, and even some of our abilities. Genes are made up of strands of DNA, and much like words, a change in just one letter can change the whole meaning of a gene. In fact, such a microscopic mutation in one gene can sometimes translate into a serious genetic illness. Gene therapy is the introduction, removal, or change of DNA strands to repair or alter a gene and thus cure a genetic illness. This kind of treatment has been accelerated by the discovery of CRISPR (an acronym for Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats), a protein that cuts targeted strands of DNA with unprecedented precision, faster, cheaper, and more efficiently than ever before. The groundbreaking discovery of CRISPR has the potential to cure and even prevent at least 8,000 genetic diseases that afflict people with cancer, hemophilia, diabetes, and cystic fibrosis, among many other lifetime diseases. We have the knowledge to cure thousands of people severely suffering from genetic diseases, yet many oppose this cure, which they dismiss as “unethical.” Are we “playing God” by attempting to alter our genetic code? Is changing the very nature of our being justified by the fact of sparing a person from a psychologically and physically painful disease? CRISPR’s potential in genetic engineering gives us immense power to make people’s lives better, but comes with significant risks
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if it were to get out of line. Adopting CRISPR gene therapy threatens to open a Pandora’s box with chilling consequences. For one thing, biohackers could use CRISPR gene editing methods to enhance their abilities or alter their traits. Biohackers believe that we do not need to accept our bodies’ shortcomings CRISPR is a tool scientists use to edit DNA. if we can engineer Photo by NIH Image Gallery, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons our way past them and boost our physical and cogni- with insufficient knowledge of the technology threatens to exacerbate tive performance. However, this technology, which could seriously existing inequalities between famiphilosophy could cause significant harm their health. This example lies who could afford germline gene harm in the hands of inexperienced illustrates the dangers of making therapy and those who could not. and reckless ordinary people. One CRISPR technology widely accessuch example is biohacker Josiah sible due to its potential to be used Despite these frightening potential Zayner, who injected himself with for self-enhancing purposes. threats, I believe that CRISPR gene DMA from CRISPR gene-editing therapy could be a game-changer technology at a biotech confer- Moreover, another essential risk in treating genetic diseases more ence while live-streaming his ex- accompanying the widespread efficiently and painlessly than othper iment. adoption er medications, chemotherapy, Z a y n e r Despite these frightening po- of CRIS- and other existing treatments curhas now tential threats, I believe that PR tech- rently do. Nevertheless, the applibecome a CRISPR gene therapy could n o l o g y cations of CRISPR gene editing biohacking be a game-changer in treat- would be should be strictly regulated and celebrity ing genetic diseases more its appli- limited to modifying somatic cells with thouefficiently and painlessly cation for (all cells apart from reproductive sands of germline cells). Somatic gene editing is not fol lowers. gene ed- inheritable and would thus act as a Strongly advocating for the iting. Germline gene editing is the promising analogous treatment for “democratization” of such a pow- process by which an individual’s the adult undergoing the therapy. erful technology, Zayner founded genome is edited so that the change As long as caution and regulation The Odin. This garage-run com- is inheritable. This is achieved are applied to control such a powpany sells biohacking supplies through genetic alterations within erful technology, its effect could be ranging from 20 dollar DNA to an the germ cells or the reproductive a great relief for suffering patients 1849 dollar DIY genetic engineer- cells, such as the egg and sperm. worldwide. ing kit. Although he is currently This kind of treatment would afunder investigation for practicing fect the adult receiving it and their medicine without a license, his future offspring. By altering the company is still running. Biohack- genetic makeup of entire generaers are still conducting experiments tions, this application of CRISPR
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Editorial
MARCH 2022
Amman Travel Review
Article by Lara-Nour Walton, staff reporter I spent my early childhood draped on couches in Heliopolis, spitting sunflower seed shells into ashtrays, curling up with cousins under the glow of Pixar movies. My fingers were perpetually sticky with mango. I sat on everybody’s lap, kissed everybody’s cheek. I slept in intergenerational apartments – blood relations on each story. I once knew Cairo by heart. I traced its corners, memorized its streets from balconies and car windows. But my great grandmother’s death marked a definitive shift in the Egypt that I had grown up with. Her passing proceeded several more uprooting family losses. Without our Cairo-based matriarch, remaining relatives began to leave downtown for satellite cities. With the ascendance of Al-Sisi, bridges and highways diced up the metropolis, defacing its once recognizable figure. My relations scattered. Cairo lost all its unity, diminished to a blur of billboards and bustle, on my way from the airport to Sheikh Zayed. I wondered if the Egypt of my girlhood was gone forever. But, what I lost in Egypt, I found in Jordan. Jordan does not look like Egypt. Amman, the capital, is a sprawling city– boxy, and entirely limestone according to the Kingdom’s strict building code. Amman is uniform and retains very little of Cairo’s chaos. Jordan does not sound like Egypt. Shamy Arabic is sweeter–
less guttural than its Egyptian counterpart. Fewer car horns are heard in the streets. The muezzin is more inconspicuous. Jordan does not smell like Egypt. The molokhia is spiced differently, the pollution hangs lighter in the air. But the sense of community, family, liveliness, that had vanished from my Egypt, it lives on in Jordan. When I landed in Amman this spring break, I was brimming with anticipation. My conception of the SWANA region was limited to my childhood experiences. I wondered how Jordan would stack up. My excitement was timidly matched by my traveling companion/tour guide, English Track 1A, Sami Omaish. Much like me, Omaish grew up between the Middle East and states. His Jordanian family magnanimously agreed to open their home to us for the vacation. Omaish’s palpable nervousness in Queen Alia Airport was familiar to me. Every time I return to Egypt, I too have airport crises– panicking about whether I will spontaneously lose the ability to interact with my relatives or, worse, forget how many bises are required for standard greetings (two). I suspected that his anxiety, just like mine always is, would soon be quelled by the open arms of family.
When we arrived at the Omaish household, my hunch was confirmed. We were welcomed with guffaws, embraces, and a piping hot lunch in the dining room. Omaish’s grandparents are the epitome of Arab elders. His grandfather, Sami Omaish Sr., bellows on the phone and is acquainted with everyone in the neighborhood. His grandmother dotes on every guest and knits her eyebrows when there isn’t enough khobs on the table. His family was the veritable backbone of our View overlooking Amman. Photo by dimitrisvetsikas1969, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https:// trip: uncle Ziad organized our creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via pixabay
transportation from Petra, to Wadi Rum, to the Dead Sea; great aunt Samira, a downstairs neighbor to Omaish’s grandparents, gave me and English Track 1A Basak Üstün a bed to sleep in; cousin Laith led us to one of the best meals of the trip, Jordanian mezze – hummus, falafel, pita bread, pickled carrots, and baked cheese. Amman felt like a homecoming to me – the bevy of children, the animated conversation, the unwavering warmth – was reminiscent of my early years in Egypt. But there was an unknown face of SWANA, one that I never witnessed in Egypt, that I delighted in during my stay in Jordan. The youth scene in Amman is positively effervescent. Although spending bountiful time with young adults in Cairo, I never truly strayed from the sphere of domesticity. But, in the capital’s trendy locales, I experienced SWANA for the first time without familial restraint. It was in the Jabal Amman and Weibdeh neighborhoods where I was exposed to a cafe culture rivaling both Paris’ and Vienna’s. Rumi Cafe operates to a soundtrack of English, Arabic. They do cafe favorites with an Arab twist – saffron hot chocolates and cardamom cakes grace the tables of patrons. Down the street, Wild Jordan offers an array of coffees and smoothies that would make Starbucks quake in its boots. Snacks like apple pie and lentil soup were fan favorites among my travel partners. And if the menu was not enticing enough, the windows offer panoramic views of the Amman – the ancient citadel in direct eyeshot. But, Books@Cafe was my favorite establishment. Although boasting the title of “the Middle East’s first ever internet cafe”, it had the most unreliable wifi of all the ones we visited. This, however, could be
Sami Omiash and Basak Ustun smile in Wadi Rum. Photo by Lara Nour-Walton
overlooked. Books@Cafe is the type of business that, I believe, should be in every SWANA city. On the ground floor, local art is sold, creating a vibrant market for young Jordanian artists. Stacked up against kaleidoscopic wallpaper are shelves upon shelves of books in both Arabic and English. Stooped over laptops and books are school age people – the 50% off student discount presenting reason enough to frequent the coffee house. A hub for the Jordanian artistic, literary, and youth scenes, Books@Cafe also doubles as a haven for Amman’s queer community. This cafe represents joy. It is accessible and tolerant – a space where people of all backgrounds are encouraged to create, to learn, to share some delicious food and drink. And joy is not only relegated to Books@Cafe. It is evident everywhere. It is woven into the fabric of the robust youth culture. It is painted into the murals that decorate almost every street. It mingles with the smoke in the jam packed shisha bar. Jordan is the renewal of my Cairene glory days, but it is also unlike anywhere else I’ve been before.
Editorial
MARCH 2022
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“Isn’t that the campus where…?” Article by Magdelena Offenbeck, staff reporter It was arguably the recent administrative scandal which sparked mass intercampus outrage on social media that first put Le Havre on the radar of most Sciences Po students. Upon transferring to Menton merely a month after the incident, I most frequently was asked “what happened with your admin?” when I told students that I came from Le Havre. It seems that the Normandy campus is now associated with two things: bad weather, and an even worse admin. However, my experience as a 1A for the first semester cannot be simplified to these two terms. The port city of about 274,000 inhabitants that inspired Jean-Paul Sartre’s “Nausea” creates a student experience of its own. Whether it be housing in shipping containers, nightly electric scooter races, or stargazing on bunkers from World War II, Le Havre has about as many similarities with Menton as it has differences. Here is my experience with the two campuses on opposite sides of France.
The Weather Questions about the failure of the Le Havre (LH) administration are quickly followed by jokes about the Normandy weather. These are not unfounded, as it does rain constantly. Not only do the rain and the freezing cold of northern European winter make walks to class painful, but the wind will, at times, make it feel as though you are walking on a treadmill on maximum incline. Summer starts early and winter ends late, but when the sun does shine, the city transforms. The ocean promenade fills with skateboarders, ice cream shops, and brave swimmers who dip their toes into the 16-degree Atlantic Ocean. The cafés and parks
come alive, and there is a sense of common appreciation for the rare days of sunshine. While it may be unfortunate that LH students are forced to leave their summer clot-
student activities, there are five different dance clubs ranging from Bollywood to Contemporary, three campus bands, as well as a sailing and a Mixed Martial Arts club to name just some. Furthermore, where the curriculum fails to holistically engage with most parts of Asia, student clubs, such as the Southeast Asia Society, fill the gap and create opportuThe sun sets on the Sciences Po Paris, Le Havre campus, overlooking the harbor. nities for Photo by Magdelena Offenbeck cultural hes in their suitcases, the weather exchange. The party life also does have two advantages. Firstly, does the Sciences Po reputation complaining about the rain and justice, even though the Menton wind with fellow Sciences Pistes is warmth favors more frequent and as much of a conversation starter larger events. As home to 13,600 as it is a bonding experience. students, Le Havre boasts a wide Secondly, even though the wind selection of bars — open yemakes every day a bad hair day, ar-round — which can be used as there is no risk of sweating on your an alternative to house parties. way to class.
The Student Life What Le Havre lacks in scenery, it makes up with vibrant student life. As there is no Côte d’Azur that provides a student experience for itself nearby, students have created a range of associations and clubs that entertain when the Le Havre city environment does not. Throughout the week, the hallways of the half-a-building campus Sciences Po shares with INSA become alive when student initiatives hold their meetings. In addition to the usual
The Region
Menton and Le Havre may both be port towns on paper, but they could not be more different. LH stands as a relatively isolated industrial city that has yet to be connected to a high-speed train network. Hence, there is nothing comparable to the ten-minute trip to Italy or short stopover in Monaco that Menton students use. Despite the lack of speedy public transport, LH is approximately two hours away from Paris by train, which allows for frequent day trips
to the capital. Within Normandy, the regional capital Rouen and Caen are readily accessible. But, the most scenic nature can be seen at Étretat, which offers white cliffs with a view of the Atlantic Ocean. Le Havre itself is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its post World War II concrete architecture designed by Auguste Perret. The city’s unique historical look creates an interplay of Parisian architecture and Soviet-style cement in the centre. Additionally, the hills above the city, notably the commune Sainte Adresse, still have countless French Norman style villas overlooking the ocean. While the statues and artistic constructions across the city only marginally counteract its dreary gray, stargazing on deserted bunkers while overlooking the ocean does provide for an inimitable experience.
The Typical Day After checking the weather app to find out whether rain, wind, or clouds will be the challenge of the day, a LH student typically puts on a rainproof jacket and takes a Lime to campus. Limes are electric scooters that owe their name to their green-white color and can be found everywhere in the city. They are as much death traps as they are practical and constitute
Le Havre students gather during la rentrée. Photo by Magdelena Offenbeck
the main mode of transportation for those who do not like to cycle. As most teachers can take a direct train from Paris, Zoom classes are a rarity. However, one may need to
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Editorial
make use of Zoom links when the bridge connecting most student residences and campus is closed, forcing students to walk around the entire basin. Between classes, students use the spacious library which is equipped with computers and study rooms. After class, student life usually takes place in 2A apartments or the many student residences. Most 1As live in CROUS residences, government-sponsored housing that usually offers rooms with en-suite bathrooms and kitchens for around 300€ a month. The most famous residence is arguably the repurposed “A Docks,” where students live in repurposed shipping containers. Even though Le Havre is a larger town, most students live close together, and it is almost as challenging to avoid SciencesPistes on the streets as it is in Menton.
The Admin It is only appropriate to finish this portrait with a note on the controversial Le Havre administration. In general, the issues one faces with the admin in LH are similar to those in Menton. Both campuses share unresponsiveness, ignorance towards student needs, and a lack of organization. While the recent scandal concerning the LH campus director was a particularly shocking incident, it arguably only highlighted one institutional issue. Sciences Po fails on several ends to provide adequate support to its students, especially outside of the academic framework. In the course of the LH administrative scandal, many of the problems that were identified and passed on to Paris were entirely out of the hands of the regional campus administration. While they were no less pertinent and urgent, this created the image of an administration that fails on more levels than that of other campuses. Upon coming to Menton, I can only posit that the situation here is not as dissimilar as one would think.
Zemmour Protest
MARCH 2022
Sciences Po Menton students did not disappoint, responding avidly to our call out, by in two days, mobilizing a coalition of students, local residents, trade unionists and activists from Italy through Nice.
The crowd was a diverse tapestry of people from all around the world, all political colors, races, and languages coming out to reject the visit of Zemmour in Menton. There was something powerful about the moment where hundreds shouted towards the border police that formed a wall between us and Zemmour who was interviewing officers at the frontier post, “Solidarité avec les réfugiés.” We demonstrated that we were not turning a blind eye to the humanitarian crisis at this border and view justice as the right of passage for refugees. Our chants echoed through the town of Menton that day, from “Riviera Antifa,” to “On est tous contre le racisme,” to “solidarité avec les sans-papiers.” Music blared from campus anthems like “C’est la vie” to the Zemmour remix of “Ne reviens pas” to Stormzy’s “Shut Up” to “Boushret Keir.” We brought an energy that older activists told me they had never seen in Menton. They thanked us for giving them hope that the university was producing conscious students with initiative, energy, and drive. As a Muslim living in France, it has been difficult facing the day to day reality of an extremely charged and hostile political discourse that targets my community. This election has chosen our community as the scapegoat, and while the elites run free from their corruption scandals and the cost of living crisis slaps the most underprivileged communities hardest in the face. Here we are debating my mother’s right to wear a scarf over her head. The reality of Eric Zemmour’s discourse is not polemic or controversialWith his plans to force
Ismaeel Yaqoob leads the demonstrations protesting the presence of Eric Zemour during his visit to Menton in January 2022 ahead of the French presidential elections. Photo by Bianca Bartolini
Muslims in France to change their names to something more “french-sounding,” his essentialist view on gender roles, and criticisms of so-called LGBT propaganda, it is outright fascism. Let’s not forget that he has also been convicted twice now on charges of provocation of racial hatred for his numerous discriminatory comments against Muslims. He has also sought to rewrite history, talking up part of France’s collaboration with the Nazis under Petain. This rhetoric is setting France back generations on the progress it has made at the political and legal level when it comes to discrimination and minority rights. A day before the protest we hosted a sign making session, in which students demonstrated their solidarity and disgust at the candidate’s visit with phrases such as “Zemmour rentre chez toi;” “On est tous les enfant d’immigrés;” “Solidarité avec les femmes du monde entier;” “les jeunes contre fascisme;” “LGBTQI fièrement contre Zemmour” “Plus d’amour, pas Zemmour.” The colors, creativity, and designing skills were all a perfect demonstration of the artistic flair and talent within our student body, that was truly activated in this beautiful show of solidarity with all marginalized groups.
The truth is that Menton is a beautiful place, where some very ugly things happen. Menton is a town where the streets are perfect and the sun is always shining, but just a few kilometers away, a humanitarian crisis is taking place with daily police violence at the border. It is often easy to turn a blind eye to these things —that is the nature of these operations. They exist, so we do not see anything. This time our small town where the far-right typically flourishes sent a clear message that there is no place for fascists here. Eric Zemmour spends his days running a campaign that targets any and every minority that exists. We marched in solidarity with refugees, Muslims, women, Jews, the LGBT community, immigrants, people of color, and all other minorities to say that we will not let his presence be normalized. We will fight against his politics of hate. We shouted for solidarity with refugees, we shouted to condemn racism and misogyny, we shouted for our community from all around the world. We have taken up space, been loud and unapologetic in our sleepy university town, uniting locals and the international student body alike in a beautiful display of hope, peace and love that we can be very proud of.
MARCH 2022
Association Recap
Article by Celeste Abourjeili, Editor-in-Chief
final poem display in collaboration with SciencesPoésie to read, talk, and share thoughts about love.
On the 19th of February, students from each of the various campuses
February For the month of February, Environnementon was active in promoting a belated Veganuary. Students were encouraged to give up meat and become vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan for the entire month. Besides recipe recommendations and TikToks on its Instagram, the association hosted a vegan barbeque with a plentiful menu at the Zoo on February 20.
BDA’s Valent’art Week was both online and on campus. While the board members presented each day some of their favorite artworks on love via Instagram, the week was full of events. Monday was kicked off by an Acoustic Romantic Jam Session by our Music Club in Espace Etudiant, as well as the opening of poem submission. On Wednesday was held a workshop on “the art of Healing” in which our participants talked and drew their representation of love. The week finished on Friday with the
happy) participants.
BDE x Babel Valentine’s day party
SSA Relationships Talk On February 22, the Student Support Alliance hosted a spa night and screening of Inside Out. Students channeled the spirit of Valentine’s Day into self-love with nail-painting, homemade face masks, and a classic feel-good movie.
Sciences Palestine book club
BDA Valent’art week
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BDE and Babel collaborated to host a party at Soundproof on February 19, which was moved to Sablettes and Bastion as the night progressed. The party included students from other campuses who were visiting for the Prix Richard Descoings.
Vegan Barbeque & Veganuary
Throughout the month of February, Sciences Palestine held its second book club of the year. Every Sunday, participants discussed the short poetic novel “Touch” by Adania Shibli, combining literary analysis with insight on the Palestinian struggle. The next book club will be about “Salt Houses” by Hala Alyan — it’s not too late to join!
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Babel culture week
Students participate in the LFP x MEDMUN simulation in the Richard Descoing amphitheater. Photo courtesy of Le Fabrique Politique
LFP x MEDMUN simulation On February 10, students came together in the big amphitheater to watch a collaborative simulation between LFP and MEDMUN.
Philosophical Society x UGE event: what kind of leftist are you? Students gathered together in the Soundproof living room on February 12 to find out what kind of leftist they are. With interactive activities, the event led to fruitful discussions about ideology, and more specifically, what constitutes a leftist ideology.
Prix Richard Descoing
gathered in the conveniently-named Richard Descoing amphitheater to witness candidates compete in the prestigious ‘Prix Richard Descoing’ competition. The yearly competition celebrates the eloquence and rhetorical skills of Sciences Po students. Menton’s own Raphaël Phanor took home the prize for enthusiasm.
MEDMUN Drunk Crisis MEDMUN’s crisis team gathered students together at Soundproof on February 19 to simulate the Menton administration in a battle against lemon-robbing students. The simulation ended student autonomy, the death of the evil dog of Rue Longue, and immense student wealth — in real life, the event ended with drunk (and
In the build-up to Babel’s trip to Tunisia, the team organized a week full of cultural events ranging from a cooking session, to a henna station, to a movie night at the Eden cinema. The Tunisian-themed events got students excited for the spring break.
Columbia Dual BA Event On March 19, Foxes & Lions did a “hazing” night to officiate 1A dual BAers into the program. It featured trivia questions about Columbia and a push-up contest, among other fun activities.
Mafia remembrance protests On March 21, Understanding the Mafia collaborated with several other associations to march to the Franco-Italian border bearing the names of victims of the mafia. They were met at the border by a partner association from Italy.
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MEDMUN Coming Soon:
MARCH 2022
What does the Mediterranean Model United Nations Conference of 2022 have in store for Menton? Article by Georgia McKerracher, guest reporter Believe it or not, it really is that time of year already. The official Mediterranean Model United Nations is just around the corner, beginning on Friday, 1 April. Not only will the conference witness some of our globe’s brightest young minds coming together from all corners of the world, but they will be tackling some of the most intriguing geopolitical crises facing the North African, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean regions. As the first in-person MEDMUN conference Menton has seen in two years, the anticipation permeating MEDMUN’s Mentonese branch is palpable. Despite a series of stresses, strains, and a few emotional breakdowns, we’re finally going to see people from all over the world gathered in our very own Menton. One only needs to exchange a few quick words with MEDMUN’s members to feel the excitement in the air for the event. While there have undoubtedly been ups and downs punctuating the experiences of all members, an overwhelming sense of pride and dedication unites them all. Basile Rochet, the Secretary-General of MEDMUN for 2021-2022, highlighted this sense of complex amour surrounding his role in the organisation. While he described his experience as a member as being “intense,” and considered how throughout the year he has “rarely [had] a week off,” he still concluded that the fruits of his labor are undoubtedly worth the trials and tribulations. Likewise, Deputy Secretary-General Celeste Abourjeili reflected that despite her expe-
riences with MEDMUN “varying greatly over the last two years,” having been peppered with COVID-19 crises, lockdowns, and a multitude of other stresses, “at the same time it’s super exciting to see it all come together for the first time.” PHOTO: The MEDMUN Board for 2021-2022
MEDMUN Secretariat and Crisis Board members Photo by Wang Di
The various members of MEDMUN have been endlessly devoting their energies over the past semester to make this exceptional experience come together, culminating in remarkable results. Every individual has tackled different challenges across their respective areas of responsibility, ranging from Angeliki Vytogianni, the Head of the English Committee, to Giulia Vigoriti the Head of Finance. Seeing all of these hardworking individuals gradually come together, amalgamating their once-discordant ideas and coordinating their actions to create an ever-clearer image of what MEDMUN 2022 is coming to look like can be described as nothing other than elating. “I can’t wait to see the final product after watching our amazing team work all year towards this,” said Abourjeili. “I’ve seen our team put in so much hard work… we’ve put [the event] together from scratch.”
Take the example of Emilio Egger Prieto, the English-Speaking Committee Coordinator, as just one example of the back-breaking lengths MEDMUN’s members have taken to coordinate this conference. “As the MEDMUN conference is coming closer, being part of the
MEDMUN board is becoming more and more stressful,” he said. However, Egger Prieto is finally beginning to see the “light at the end of the tunnel” with the conference taking place in only two weeks. “Over the course of the year, I have honestly developed a sense of pride in the amazing work the team has put into our committees… seeing everything come together will just be so satisfying.” Having found over 100 delegates to be involved in these committees, taking charge to assign them to positions based on their interests and skill sets developed from past MUN participation, Egger Prieto is only one of the members who has toiled tirelessly to piece the patchwork of the conference together. Rochet and Abourjeili have both reflected further upon how grateful they are for the continued work of all members, with Rochet specially recognizing the “sacrifices” individuals have had to make in preparation for the long-anticipated event. “I am proud of my team,” he posited “When I see everyone in the team taking their free time to work for MEDMUN, it’s a great satisfaction.” Sandra El Alam, Chair Coordinator for
the French Committees, while acknowledging that various hitches punctuated her recent MEDMUN experiences, stressed that she is “proud of the teamwork” and that it is all worth it for the “thrilling” chance to “meet people from all around the world… all coming for MEDMUN.” Abourjeili’s words were particularly poignant in her final reflections on MEDMUN’s proudest achievements. “A project of this scale is never an easy feat, and of course problems are inevitable.” Although she, Rochet, and other members admitted to several disagreements between one another, “MEDMUN would be nothing without this collaborative dynamic… every single member of the team serves an integral role in our conference.” MEDMUN 2022 is,without doubt, shaping up to be one of the most unique experiences in Menton. The vast array of delegates from all over the world unite together in a sleepy-town-turned-global-forum for stimulating debates concerning some of our world’s biggest issues. You can keep up to date on the happenings of the event from April 1 to 3 of April through MEDMUN’s Instagram.
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MARCH 2022
The Event of the Year:
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Student Agora brings TEDx to Menton
Article by Saoirse Aherne, staff reporter Our generation has witnessed the world become increasingly polarized. We were raised on technology which drives conflict, swings elections, fractures families, and facilitates the manipulation of millions. Division colors our everyday existence, but do we understand it? From where does the phenomena of polarization arise? In what way
upcoming Student Agora TEDx conference on April 9. We hope that in the process of understanding these issues, the means by which they can be overcome will begin to take form.
Division. Dilemma. Dialogue. The Student Agora has been a presence on the Menton campus since 2016, though it has since
Two Sciences Po students pictured giving a speech at a TedX event held in Menton in 2018. Photo courtesy of the Student Agora
does the human psyche interact with digital platforms? How is technology being harnessed to sustain conflict and control the spread of information? And how does this impact our society at large? All this and more will be discussed in the
gained the TEDx logo. However Agora has always aimed to create
a platform for honest dialogue pertaining to contemporary issues. Agora president, Orianna Merer, underlines that the association connects actors within the Menton campus, drawing in artistic talent and consulting expertise from other student-led organizations. But beyond this, Agora aims to involve the community of Menton as a whole by inviting local residents to the April 9th event.
Agora The marketplace in Athens, used for popular meetings, or any similar place of assembly in ancient Greece. The name of this organization encapsulates its mission to create a meeting space where ideas can be explored and developed. In this pursuit, Agora emulates the values of our campus community; we aim to question all that we perceive, we seek to challenge our worldviews, and we build spaces in which productive and authentic discussion flourishes.
Agora - The marketplace in Athens, used for popular meetings, or any similar place of assembly in ancient Greece.
Each year, the Student Agora organizes a conference, drawing in
external and internal speakers to discuss a common theme. The first Agora conference was hosted in 2017, centered on the theme “Dare to Know.” This event showcased a Nobel prize nominee, a Middle East Broadcasting Center spokesperson, and a Syrian online celebrity among other impressive internal and external speakers. Since then, the Agora has continued to facilitate discussion surrounding topics such as “Walls and Shadows” in 2018, “Tales of Expression” in 2019, and “(R)evolutions: Motions for Change” in 2021. Moreover, the Agora has brought the world to Menton and Menton to the world by connecting a network of activists, journalists, filmmakers, politicians, correspondents, and even a Nobel peace prize winner, with the students of our campus. Though the mission of Agora has been interrupted by the presence of COVID-19 over the past two years, Agora returns in 2022 stronger than ever. This year, the conference will be centered around the theme of “Division, Dilemma, and Dialogue,” with a focus on the role of digital platforms in the phenomenon of polarization. Merer notes that what makes Agora so special is the diverse array of internal and international speakers who participate in the conference. She underlines the value of providing an equal platform on which both students and experts can share their experience. According to Merer, an excellent roster of internal speakers has been selected to present at the upcoming conference, from Ismaeel Yaqoob, who will discuss the means to create productive dialogue on campus, to Ferida Altun and Carmen Guintrand, who will explore the instru-
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mentalization of political identities in the upcoming French election. Attendees of the Agora conference can look forward to six thoughtful and provocative speeches from some of our very own Mentonese SciencesPistes on April 9. This year’s external speakers are equally as impressive, coming from across the MENA region, North America, and Europe. Each of the external speakers is described in greater detail below:
Daoud Kuttab
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestianian journalist, media activist and former professor of journalism at Stanford University. Currently, Kuttab is the director general of a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and advancing independent media in the Arab world. At Agora 2022, Daoud Kuttab will be discussing how journalists in the MENA region can overcome censorship.
Remy Dandan
Remy Dandan is a French lawyer and YouTuber. On this platform, Dandan provides legal and personal perspective on fundamental rights and freedoms in French public law.
MARCH 2022
Makram Rabah
Makram Rabah is a lecturer in the Department of History at the American University of Lebanon and author of a number of books, notably “A Campus at War: Student Politics at the American University of Beirut, 1967-1975.” At Agora 2022, Rabah will be discussing the assassination of his friend at the hands of Hezbollah and the subsequent efforts of cyber armies to silence calls for justice. Rabah will explore threats to freedom of speech in the digital sphere in the context of Lebanon, pairing his insight as a seasoned professor with personal anecdote.
Gary Klein
Gary Klein is a senior scientist at MacroCognition LLC and a research psychologist. He has developed several research and application methods such as the critical decision method and the knowledge audit for doing cognitive task analysis. Klein was a pioneer in the development of the field of naturalistic decision making. At Agora 2022, Klein will help to contextualize the psychology behind polarization and decision making in conflict situations.
Amanda Montell
Amanda Montell is a linguist and the author of two acclaimed
The host of the 2017 Agora x TedX event begins the proceedings, as participants wait to the speeches. Photo courtesy of Student Agora
non-fiction books; Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A feminist guide to taking back the English language. Cultish was named one of best books of 2021 by NPR. Montell is also the creator and co-host of a podcast, “Sounds Like A Cult,” which peaked at #20 on Spotify’s top podcasts in the USA. At Agora 2022, Montell will delve into the power of language as a tool for indoctrination and polarization.
Join us this April!
Agora is sure to offer one of the most enriching on-campus events of the year. What makes it stand out, by Merer’s account, is the centrality of storytelling. Agora provides a place for educational growth, but in a medium that is personal and vulnerable. Agora aims to evaluate issues through the lens of human experience; an approach sometimes forgotten as Ezzedine Ghlamallah we study the technicalities of social Ezzedine Ghlamallah is a teasciences here in Menton. Indeed, cher, researcher, and doctoral Merer is optimistic that the Agora student in management sciences event will humanize what we expat CERGAM. After eight years of lore every day in class, deepening experience in the world of finance our understanding issues in the insurance, he decided to add MENA region and beyond by an ethical providing a dimension to portrait of his career by What makes it stand out, the individuco-founding by Merer’s account, is the al experienSAAFI in centrality of storytelling. ce. Places 2014. SAAFI are limited provides so be sure to consulting services relating to the book your tickets now to partake legal and financial feasibility of in a true celebration of exploration structuring insurance solutions. and curiosity. Aid us, the Student Ghlamallah has contributed to “et- Agora, in our mission to foster hical finance” sections in newspaproductive discussion regarding pers such as the Tribune, the Argus topics which have long acted as a de l’Assurance, and the Huffington source of conflict on our campus Post. At Agora 2022, he will provi- and in the world at large. de insight into Islamic finance.
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MARCH 2022
23
Babel Initiative 2022 ou la découverte du pays du jasmin !
Article par Morgane Abbas, chroniqueuse Dès le premier jour où j’ai pris mes fonctions de “Head of logistics”, j’ai tenté à maintes reprises de m’esquisser une image du portrait de ce voyage tant attendu. Plus les jours passaient, plus mon imagination était nourrie. Plus les jours passaient, plus l’angoisse de la préparation laissait place à l’excitation du départ. Finalement, plus les jours passaient, plus ce qui n’était qu’un lointain mais ambitieux projet devenait réalité. Pourtant, me voilà une semaine revenue sur les rives de la côte d’Azur, et je peux me permettre d’affirmer avec certitude que les petits moments où je m’autorisais à rêvasser de ce voyage étaient encore loin de ce qui m’attendait. En effet, est-il réellement possible de s’imprégner d’un pays sans avoir touché son sol, respiré son air, goûté à ses délices ? Sans avoir senti son parfum, parlé à sa population et découvert ses paysages ? Pas vraiment. Et puis, ce qui fait sûrement la beauté d’un tel voyage, c’est qu’en réalité, même avec toute l’exactitude avec laquelle mes chers camarades de Babel Initiative et moi-même avons pu l’organiser, c’est peut-être les petits et grands imprévus, les activités décidées sur le tas, les bouts de conversation volés avec les chauffeurs de taxi, les passants, les enfants, les marchands du souk, les serveurs qui on en fait la beauté. En somme, voyager de telle sorte, c’est suivre son programme tout en se laissant guider par les surprises que le vent voyageur a à offrir…
Lundi 28 février:
Après une arrivée plutôt musclée à l’aéroport de Tunis-Carthage, il
Babel board and researchers during their day trip to Testour, Tunisia. Photo courtesy of Morgane Abbas
était temps pour ce premier jour de laisser place à la découverte de la belle capitale tunisienne. Ainsi, s’est d’abord naturellement organisée la visite de l’imposante avenue ““( ” حبيب بورقيبةHabib Bourguiba”), d’ailleurs au croise-
des printemps arabes (bien que le terme ne fasse pas consensus). Elle est marquée par sa grande horloge et la statue du leader Habiba Bourguiba. Cette rue en elle-même permet d’avoir un important aperçu historique et culturel de la
Dès le premier jour où j’ai pris mes fonctions de “Head of logistics”, j’ai tenté à maintes reprises de m’esquisser une image du portrait de ce voyage tant attendu. Plus les jours passaient, plus mon imagination était nourrie. Plus les jours passaient, plus l’angoisse de la préparation laissait place à l’excitation du départ. Finalement, plus les jours passaient, plus ce qui n’était qu’un lointain mais ambitieux projet devenait réalité. ment avec l’avenue «»محمد الخامس (“Mohamed V”), elle aussi grandiose. L’avenue émane de la place du 14 janvier 2011, rebaptisée en hommage à la révolution
ville. De par son son majestueux théâtre municipal construit au début du siècle dernier et marqué par la forme de ses courbes, ses incalculables cafés et restaurants, ses
magasins, ses luxueux hôtels, ses banques et ses arbres alignés qui rappellent dans une certaine mesure l’avenue des Champs-Elysées, cette avenue est un dynamique centre de vie. Plus intéressant encore, elle amène directement sur «“( »ساحة االستقاللla place de l’indépendance”). Une place pas spécialement grande en superficie, mais qui ne l’empêche pas d’être un concentré de monuments historico-culturels et un passage obligatoire pour quiconque s’affirmant touriste à Tunis. Ainsi, en son plein centre s’érige la statue d’une des plus grandes figures qui fait la fierté du peuple tunisien depuis le quatorzième siècle : le sociologue, philosophe et historien Ibn Khaldoun. On retrouve à ses deux extrémités d’un côté l’ambassade de France en Tunisie, de l’autre, la majestueuse cathédrale Saint Vincent de Paul. Puis, en
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continuant un peu, nous sommes finalement arrivés sur les souks de la fameuse «“( »مدينةla vieille ville”). C’est donc la que notre balade s’est naturellement poursuivie, et nous avons déniché parmi les petites ruelles un magnifique restaurant, «“( »فندق العطارينfunduq al attarin”) où nous avons pu goûter pour la première fois aux délices de la cuisine tunisienne. L’après-midi, il s’agissait d’assister à une conférence organisée en partenariat avec le Global Institute 4 transitions avec quatre invités d’honneur: l’historienne Sophie Bessis, le philosophe et anthropologue Youssef Seddik, la journaliste Myriam Belkadhi ainsi que l’écrivain, acteur, réalisateur et metteur en scène Raja Farhat. Cette dernière a eu lieu au sein du magnifique palais «“( »دار األصرمdar alasram”), absolument époustouflant de par ses luxueuses pièces et ses décorations. Il s’agissait alors, notamment dans le cadre des projets menés par les chercheurs, d’écouter ces quatre invités sur des sujets aussi larges que la place du dialecte tunisien dans la sphère publique et la politique, la pertinence de la notion de “tunisianité” ou encore l’évolution de la place du religieux à travers les générations…
MARCH 2022
une dualité de couleurs réellement agréable pour les yeux. Nous avons donc passé une bonne partie de la journée à visiter la demeure du baron Rodolphe d’Erlanger, peintre franco-britannique de renom ayant vécu entre la fin du XIX ème et la première moitié du XXème siècle. Cette dernière est un joyau luxueux qui regroupe des jardins magnifiquement conçus et ornementés, des pièces réhabilitées pour exposer les travaux du peintre, orientaliste et musicologue ainsi qu’une série de salle dédiées à l’exposition d’éléments culturels à l’instar d’une myriade d’instruments de musique issus du monde oriental, certains étant
pois-chiches, de pain, de thon et d’épices diverses lorsque le second est un beignet frit et saupoudré de sucre. Je dois avouer avoir eu une petite préférence pour le sucré, car bien que le “leblabi” soit délicieux, je n’étais pas encore habituée au goût très prononcé de la harissa. Pour finir, quoi de mieux que d’apprécier un bon «»شاي بالنعنع, un thé à la menthe sur les hauteurs du “café des délices” qui offre à celui qui s’y rend une vue panoramique sur la mer. Les équipes de Babel ainsi que celles de “Shadow Babel (sciencespistes ne faisant pas partie de l’association
théâtre romain ainsi que l’amphithéâtre. Nous nous sommes principalement attardés sur deux d’entre eux. D’abord, ce que l’on appelle « »المنازل الرومانيou “les villas romaines”: un ensemble de vestiges d’habitations romaines situées aux alentours de la colline de l’Odéon, dont la plus célèbre et la mieux conservée demeure sans hésitation “la villa de la volière”. J’ai trouvé cette partie du site archéologique de Carthage agréable à visiter pour se ressourcer. Cet endroit est un mélange de vestiges, de ruines, de végétations dont une présence remarquable de fleurs jaunes qui semble lui donner une dimension hors du temps et de
mais ayant effectué le voyage avec nous) se sont rendues sur le site archéologique de Carthage, qui figure au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO depuis une quarantaine d’années maintenant. Cependant, je n’aurais pas la prétention d’affirmer que nous avons visité l’ensemble du site tant celui-ci est vaste et dispersé. Ainsi, parmi les endroits notables à visiter, on retrouve notamment le quartier Magon, le musée Paléochrétien, les thermes d’Antonin, le Tophet de Salambo, les Villas romaines, le
l’espace. C’est également un endroit qui réserve quelques surprises. Quel fut alors mon étonnement lorsqu’en m’éloignant du groupe quelques minutes et en m’embourbant dans quelques passages étroits, par simple curiosité, je suis tombée par hasard sur une magnifique construction architecturale: la mosquée « »مالك ابن أنسou la mosquée “Malik Ibn Anas”. Dans un second temps, l’équipe s’est dirigée vers «»حمامات أنطونيوس ou “les thermes d’Antonin” qui constituent un ensemble thermal
Mercredi 2 mars :
Mardi 1 mars:
À une vingtaine de kilomètres de Tunis, nous voilà maintenant à Sidi bou Saïd, un village qui ne laisse aucun voyageur indifférent. En tout cas, c’était sûrement l’un de mes endroits préférés. Malgré le temps qui n’était pas au rendez-vous, il est difficile de ne pas être séduit par cet endroit que l’on surnomme “le petit paradis blanc et bleu”, qui m’a d’ailleurs rappelé dans une certaine mesure la ville montagneuse marocaine de Chefchaouen qui porte les mêmes couleurs. Sidi bou Saïd se situe néanmoins au bord de la mer, et on confondrait presque la couleur des vagues avec celle des murs des habitations, des cafés et des restaurants. Le village offre
Carthage baths
Photo by Morgane Abbas
d’une rareté et d’une ancienneté remarquables. Cet impressionnant palais porte finalement le nom de «“( »النجمة الزهرةl’étoile de Vénus”) et il fait désormais office de Centre des Musiques Arabes et Méditerranéennes (CMAM). Également, je peux facilement affirmer que ce mardi fut la journée de découverte gastronomique par excellence. Deux noms s’érigent alors: le « »لبالبيou “lebalbi” d’un côté, et le « »بمبلونيou “bambalouni” de l’autre. Le premier est composé principalement de
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MARCH 2022
remarquable de par sa superficie et sa conception, le plus grand du continent africain. Ces thermes, qui datent du IIème siècle après Jésus-Christ, sont le résultat des actions de deux grands empereurs
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tenu à exposer. Bien que le groupe fut plus dispersé, chacun vacant aux occupations qui lui plaisait, une bonne partie d’entre nous n’a pas résisté à la tentation de retourner une seconde fois à Sidi Bou
Cette visite m’a marquée parce que personnellement, je ne pouvais pas m’empêcher d’imaginer toutes ces populations qui se sont succédées, influencées mutuellement, et qui étaient présentes sur ce même territoire où je me trouvais des milliers d’années auparavant, en train de construire l’histoire de la Tunisie. romains : Hadrien et évidemment l’empereur Antonin le Pieux qui a donné son nom au site. Pour finir, les activités sur le tas dont je parlais en introduction, c’est précisément ce que nous avons expérimenté ce mercredi soir. Amira, notre camarade qui a aussi fait office de guide et traductrice pendant le séjour avec Nour, nous informe que l’orchestre national de Carthage donne dans la soirée un concert de musique de films dans le fameux théâtre de l’avenue “Habib Bourguiba” évoqué quelques lignes auparavant. Nous avons donc sauté sur l’occasion et la majorité d’entre nous a passé une soirée fantastique bercée par le son des violons, violoncelles, flûtes, percussions et autres merveilles musicales. L’orchestre, dont j’ai été frappé par la dimension intergénérationnelle, nous a fait voyager au cours de la soirée au sein d’une myriade d’univers tous différents les uns des autres: de Marvel à Harry Potter en passant par Pirate des Caraïbes ou Inspecteur Gadget, il y en avait pour tous les goûts ! Finalement, un moment totalement improvisé qui s’est avéré être l’un des plus savoureux.
Saïd. Nous nous sommes donc retrouvés au bord de la mer et à notre agréable surprise, nous avons passé l’après-midi à discuter, du moins à essayer de communiquer avec un groupe d’enfants tunisiens qui s’avéraient être présents au même endroit et en même temps. Sans Nour et Amira, la communication fut plus compliquée mais nous avons pu nous immiscer complètement dans le dialecte tunisien sous le rire amusé de la bande de copains. Ensuite, nous nous sommes livrés à une partie géante de volley-ball et je dois dire que l’on s’est bien amusés, même si le niveau de l’écrasante majorité reste à déplorer (camarades, vous pardonnerez mon réalisme parfois cru).
Vendredi 4 mars
Jeudi 3 mars:
Si je puis me permettre d’utiliser un mot du jargon des jeunes, la journée du jeudi fut plus “chill” et je n’aurais donc pas autant de con-
La mosquée Malik Ibn Anas Photo by Morgane Abbas
Moment
Statue of Ibn Khaldoun
Photo by Morgane Abbas
unique du voyage: qui dit vendredi dit “Day-trip” avec un guide présent exprès pour nous ! Journée physiquement fatigante certes, mais de loin l’une des plus enrichissantes, puisqu’elle nous a permis de traverser en quelques heures plusieurs endroits iconiques de la Tunisie. Et bien que le bus qui nous attendait 7 heures pétantes ait pu se dresser comme une épreuve infranchissable pour certains au vu des soirées arrosées de la veille, l’expérience n’était pas regrettable.
Premier arrêt: la ville de Testour, un exemple flagrant de la manière dont la trajectoire des pays du Maghreb et de l’Espagne ont été intrinsèquement liés au cours de l’histoire. En effet, Testour est une ville andalouse par excellence puisque la ville, telle qu’on la connaît aujourd’hui, a été fondée peu de temps après la Reconquista qui toucha le Sud de l’Espagne au XVème siècle, par une partie des populations musulmane et juive chassée de cette région. C’est donc réellement au XVIIème siècle que la ville a pris forme. Cet héritage andalou et judéo-musulman est clairement visible, notamment via l’unique Grande Mosquée de Testour. Unique pour deux raisons: d’abord, ses aiguilles tournent dans le sens inverse, et ses chiffres sont aussi positionnés dans le sens inverse des horloges classiques. Encore plus surprenant, on y observe clairement deux étoiles de David qui incarne le judaïsme. La symbolique est donc forte et rappelle que les deux religions arrivaient à coexister de manière pacifique
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haginois, numide, romains, libyco-puniques et byzantins. Il est important de souligner que c’est le site archéologique romain le mieux conservé d’Afrique A cat, out of many in the city, sits in the sun in a window. du Nord. Photo by Morgane Abbas Nous étions et unie. Deuxième moment fort à donc en capacité d’observer les Testour: la visite de la maison de ruines du capitole, des habitations, «“( »حبيبة مسيكةHabiba Msika”), des bains publics, de l’impressidiva tunisienne morte assassinée onnant théâtre où se déroulaient à 27 ans par son amant Eliahou les activités culturelles… Cette Mimouni pour des motifs qui visite m’a marquée parce que demeurent encore flous. Sa maison personnellement, je ne pouvais pas est maintenant convertie en centre m’empêcher d’imaginer toutes ces culturel, on y revient notamment populations qui se sont succédées, sur sa vie, son parcours et sa fin influencées mutuellement, et qui tragique. Après un passage assez étaient présentes sur ce même bref au souk de Testour, l’activité territoire où je me trouvais des physique était au rendez-vous pumilliers d’années auparavant, en isque nous avons effectué une rantrain de construire l’histoire de la donnée improvisée dans la nature Tunisie. au sein de paysages montagneux à Cet article ne En tout cas, si Ibn Battûta disait saurait être lui-même que “voyager vous laisse complet sans d’abord sans voix, avant de vous y inclure le transformer en conteur”, j’espère retour d’autres alors avoir pu être à la hauteur de membres ayant cette maxime. pris part au voyage… quelques dizaines de kilomètres. Il s’agissait principalement de profiter de la verdure que la nature avait à offrir et du déjeuner en plein air que l’agence de voyage nous avait préparé. Puis, dernière activité de la journée mais pas des moindres: la visite de l’époustouflant site archéologique de Dougga. Ce fut ma visite préférée du voyage. Joyau du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO depuis 1997, il se veut à lui tout seul être un mélange harmonieux des héritages civilisationnels cart-
leave behind much, because of Covid and other restrictions, we didn’t really get the association
“The passion, dedication and drive brought by every single member of Babel is what made this year’s trip and this years’ initiative so wonderful. It would not have happened without this... Even though I knew the board was amazing, the way that the trip came out, the events we didn’t plan, the free day-trip, dinner, the conference… I couldn’t have imagined how it would look like until I actually experienced it.” Lilinaz Hakimi intact. It was kind of dying out and it was our job and our year to fight this association that is the oldest one in Menton campus and history. At first, it was a bit difficult because I think that struggling off with some of the unknown, but having a partner as Leon as a vice-president did make it all better and made it all feel much more
Lilinaz Hakimi (présidente de Babel Initiative) : “Being president of Babel Initiative 2021/2022 was a mix of terrifying , exciting, fascinating, learning on the job and compromising experience. It has been a wonderful year with the team. I think that first of all, on a general basis, the work we did as a board was incredible and exceeded my expectations. As a president, I was a bit unprepared because our previous leaders didn’t
manageable. Then, having a team as amazing as the one that we had as a board revived it. The passion,
Café des Délices, Sidi Bou Said Photo by Morgane Abbas
dedication and drive brought by every single member of Babel is what made this year’s trip and this years’ initiative so wonderful. It would not have happened without this. On the other hand, we have our researchers who have been nothing but dedicated to their research. They were here to do on-the-ground research and they
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took this opportunity seriously. They did a wonderful job while we were in Tunis. For me as a president, I could watch the board take the benefits of being in Tunis after all their hard work and on the other hand, see the researchers exceeding my expectations in the level of dedication and drive. They were committed to what they were doing and they weren’t here just to mess around. Even though I knew the board was amazing, the way that the trip came out, the events we didn’t plan, the free day-trip, dinner, the conference… I couldn’t have imagined how it would look like until I actually experienced it. It was the work of 30 board members who worked during the whole year. Even during the roughest times having such a team was almost like having a small family, it made it all worth it. I am excited to see what this association does next year and where Babel is going to be taken!”
Amira Zargouni (pôle culturel) : “C’était fantastique. Déjà, c’est très rare de faire des voyages universitaires où personne ne se fait cambrioler, où personne ne tombe malade la première semaine. C’était juste des moments magnifiques mais surtout successifs, ce que j’ai adoré. C’est difficile de choisir un moment préféré, mais j’ai adoré voir les yeux de chacun en découvrant une nouvelle nourriture ou un nouveau street-food. Également, un de mes moments préférés était lorsque l’on a tous mangé du “leblabi” à Ould el Bey, au cœur de la Marsa. Tout le monde venait entre deux heures de boulot, et nous nous étions là, tous ensemble en train de manger, c’était incroyable. J’ai été très chanceuse parce que beaucoup de personnes de l’équipe parlent arabe, même s’ils sont encore en train d’apprendre. Je n’étais pas toute seule, il y avait également Nour et ça s’est très bien passé. Cela m’a fait bizarre car d’habitude
c’est le vol que je fais toute seule, ou je ne connais personne dans l’avion, alors que là j’étais hyper-bien entourée. Pareil chez moi, cela m’a amusée d’avoir des gens dans ma chambre. Aussi beaucoup de fierté,
through the eyes of our Tunisian board members as well as thanks to the incredible on the ground work of our dedicated team of researchers. From the enchanting ruins of Carthage, to the rooftop
“Cela m’a fait bizarre car d’habitude c’est le vol que je fais toute seule, ou je ne connais personne dans l’avion, alors que là j’étais hyper-bien entourée... Aussi beaucoup de fierté, parce que c’est l’occasion d’être la mini-ambassadrice pour le coup, je vous ai fait faire ce que je fais en un mois, en une semaine.” Amira Zargouni parce que c’est l’occasion d’être la mini-ambassadrice pour le coup, je vous ai fait faire ce que je fais en un mois, en une semaine.”
Ishan Nathaini (pôle logistique): “Tunis was more than a research trip to me. It was about interacting with locals, imbibing myself into the tunisian culture (getting a tunisian haircut done), and most importantly creating new bonds with some Mentonese people I had never spoken to on campus. Tunisia is a country which felt just like my home country, India, except the signs were in Arabic. Everyone we spoke to was so welcoming, providing us with some really tasty Makloub (a Tunisian specialty) for free as tourists. In summation, it was an experience worth remembering. I can’t wait to go back to Tunisia again, but this time fully immersing into the culture and learning Arabic!”
Virginia Barchiesi (pôle des chercheurs): “Traveling to Tunisia with Babel as a member of the Board has been an extremely enriching and exciting experience. I have been able to learn more about the heritage and the culture of this amazing country
sunsets at the Medina and the sweetness of Bambalouni, Tunisia has been a whirlwind of memorable delights. A top highlight for me has been immersing in the local Friday market of Testour. Hearing a language we mostly wouldn’t understand, sharing a glimpse of a daily life so different from what we are used to, yet so similar, a whirlwind of different sensations made me feel completely and fully in that moment in time and place, present. A trip we surely won’t forget.”
Celeste Abourjeili (membre de Shadow babel) : “What Babel was doing was super cool and the research projects seemed really interesting. I really appreciated the effort of Babel to include Shadow Babel into the events. Going to the theater was fun and free, which is cool and I think it was nice to be able to join the big group while being able to have a smaller group. Overall, I really loved the experience of Shadow Babel.” Voilà, je crois avoir déjà beaucoup bavarder. Je rajouterais simplement ces quelques mots. Existerait-il finalement une meilleure sensation que celle de voir se réunir de manière si harmonieuse les efforts, émis pendant plusieurs mois, d’un
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ensemble d’individualités, qui s’expriment de la manière la plus flagrante et surtout naturelle, au cours d’une semaine petite par la durée mais pourtant si grande par l’expérience ? Parce que oui, je reste intimement persuadée que voyager est l’une des plus belles opportunités que la vie a à offrir, parce que c’est la façon la plus parfaite d’appréhender l’autre comme son parfait égal tout en mettant en valeur sa différence. Voyager, c’est enfreindre la loi de la distance pour embrasser celle de l’humanité. Voyager, c’est aussi apprendre à connaître ses camarades de travail sous un autre angle, en nous rappelant par la même occasion que notre perception de nous-même et des autres est si partielle et petite. En tout cas, si Ibn Battûta disait lui-même que “voyager vous laisse d’abord sans voix, avant de vous transformer en conteur”, j’espère alors avoir pu être à la hauteur de cette maxime. Je souhaite finalement adresser mes chaleureux remerciements à la présidente de Babel Initiative pour l’année 2021/2022, Lilinaz Hakimi, ainsi qu’au vice-président Leon Oberreiter, qui ont fourni un travail acharné de longue haleine remarquable pour que ce voyage ait lieu ainsi que tous mes autres camarades du board: Nour Chérif, Amira Zargouni, Ecem Olanca, Garance Cointepas, Lucile Bourrin, Nikola Avramovic, Virginia Barchiesi, Ishan Naithani, Wang Di ainsi que Frida Hellen.
Ces remerciements s’adressent également à l’ensemble des chercheurs qui se sont investis dans ce projet qui ont rendu cette expérience unique : Aya Abdoh el Marrakchi, Zineb Bel Mahjoubi, Anis Karrakchou, Nadine Zaki, Bianca Carrera Espriu, Ella Mae, Viktoria Iskina, Vasco Queiro, Stanislaw Naklicki, Sienna Bertamini, Markus Vaher, Luca Utterwulghe, Lenora Dsouza, Kareena Maniyar, Benjamin Vitenson, et Alicia Barker Astrom.
Elections Held to Name Campus Cat
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Feature
Article by Ayse Lara Selçuker, staff reporter AA cat from seemingly nowhere appeared on the Menton campus fresh into the second semester of the 2021-2022 academic year. One of the campus guards, Marc, said that he had simply appeared one day, and Jose and the students had taken initiative to take care of it. Rumor has it that the cat once belonged to Jose a couple of years ago, returning almost 2 years later to its home.
MARCH 2022
elections. Before revealing which name actually won, and in order to get a better understanding of the
Right after proposing this suggestion, she thought of another one.
Abu Bakr (27.9% approval)
Venti (6.6% approval) Suggested by 1A Emilio Egger Prieto, also in Sociology class, this name earned four votes. Yet Egger Prieto had a keen agenda when he chose the name: “Ventimiglia is a very important part of the Menton experience. Menton without Ventimiglia is like Darkness without Light or Heat without Cold. They define each other and coexist naturally. This is why I advocated to have Venti permanently represented on our campus.”
Once the Mentonese had accepted the kitty as part of its community, it was time to give him a give him a name. On the ninth and 10th of March, a text into the school-wide group chat, “Risen 1As,” prompted a twopart election to suggest and elect a name for the Sciences Po kitty: “The cat in front of Sciences Po does not belong to anyone but the Mentonese Sciences Pistes. His/ her name should thus be decided by no other than the people themselves…” As of 10:30 a.m. on March 9, all Sciences Pistes gained access to the first Google Form allowing them to suggest names. By the same time the following morning, the form had collected 15 different recommendations. The next day, later in the afternoon, each of these names was aggregated on a second and final form, upon which 61 students exercised their fundamental right to vote, ultimately providing a definitive name for the kitty. The election allowed individuals to vote for multiple names, taking an approval-rating approach to
The number of votes received for Malthus (five) was shocking for some, given how pertinent the subject was in the first semester 1A curriculum. Some suggested that a sort of post-economic stress disorder led to the strict rejection of the instinctively funny name suggestion.
Balthazar (9.8% approval) Muammar Cat-Dafi wears his hat while he walks around the front entrance of the campus. Photo by Ayse Lara Selcuker
elections, we interviewed some of the nominators to get a better understanding of the story behind their proposed name.
Hubert (6.6% approval) The first vote was cast at 10:31:23, in the thick of sociology class, by 1A Lilith Springer. Her suggestion, Hubert, gained four votes, approved by 6.6% of voters. When asked why she chose the name, she quipped, “because it’s an AWESOME name,” shortly adding that it also “reminds” her “of a friendly ghost that is always there but doesn’t really talk, exactly like the cat.”
Receiving 17 votes, “Abu Bakr” was the runner-up to the winning name. “He [Abu Bakr] has the same birthday as me, and, in my view, cats are kind of malicious creatures who are still worshiped for some reason.” When the time came to vote, Springer cast her ballot in favor of her own two suggestions.
Malthus (8.2% approval) The next submission came from 1A Saoirse Aherne, fighting for the representation of economic principles outside the classroom.
For 1A Ferida Altun, this name, which earned six votes, was “the first name that crossed [her] mind as soon as she saw the cat’s face.” To justify her choice, she explained the history behind the name. “Balthazar is a name coming from royalty, meaning ‘God protects the king.’” The cat seemed rather dominant to her and “the fact that the cat carries (the domination) is a bit of an inversion of the traditional domination relationship (God protects the cat)” made her smile.
Rayantoufiq (11.5% approval) This creative name was suggested by 2A Ilaï Beressi. Some suggest that it was selected in reference
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to his roommate and Menton 2A Rayan Toufiq. Although, when directly asked about his suggestion, Beressi explained little, simply saying, “Well… Isn’t it obvious?” and sending a picture of Toufiq smiling thereafter. “Look at him.”
Ibn Khaldun (16.4% approval) “Ibn Khaldun” received 10 votes. Along with the following two names, this candidate was suggested by 1A Isabel Cronin, who established that she liked the idea of naming animals after historical figures. “Ibn Khaldun is one of the most influential figures of our degree focus so it felt like a good option. He comes up in many of our courses and is a name most of our campus is hopefully familiar with.”
Machiavelli (13.1% approval) Earning 8 votes, this name was, in all likelihood, too familiar to the 1As who, at the time, were wrapping up their readings and presentations on Machiavelli’s “The Prince” for their political science seminars. Cronin said that the same reasoning for “Ibn Khaldun” applied to “Machiavelli.” She thought that this was “a sick name for a cat,” adding that then “we could nickname it ‘The Prince’ which would have been cute.”
Tabbouleh (14.8% approval) This one of Cronin’s suggestions which dominated the candidate pool received 9 votes. Cronin reflected: “The second best names for animals are the food-based ones,” (Cronin’s cat back home is named Alfredo Linguini, “so I thought a popular Middle Eastern dish would suit the Middle East campus
cat quite well.”
Leviathan (4.9% approval) The unpopularity of this choice, accumulating only a measly 3 votes, could have been attributed to its placement in the selection pool as the penultimate option. One could also theorize that the wealth of other historical names stole Leviathan’s thunder. Surprisingly, 2A Stanislaw Naklicki was more outraged at the electoral process than the unenthused reception of his name suggestion “I was convinced the form was anonymous. I feel deceived,” he lamented. The nominations were not anonymous, and nowhere on the form was this indicated. Naklicki added: “I wanted to call him whale but I forgot how to say whale in English so Leviathan was the only thing that came to my mind as an alternative.” Perhaps “wave” would have earned more votes. No one will ever know.
Yasmina (cat) as opposed to Yasmina (person) to do so we have to refer to the latter as Yasmina The Person (19.7% approval) The 1A who suggested this name preferred to remain anonymous, but they had clear reasons for their suggestion. “Right now, there are two Yasmina’s monopolizing powerful positions at Sciences Po Menton. We have… the director of our campus and the Yasmina in MDL (the boys’ dorm on campus). Both (are) arguably powerful and intimidating people. I was thinking if we named the cat ‘Yasmina,’ we would have to refer to the other Yasmina’s as ‘Yasmina the Person’ and take their power away a little bit because the cat would be called just ‘Yasmina.’ There would therefore be three powerful girls running Sciences Po Menton.”
Sciences Pussy (19.7% approval) 1A Giulia Vigoriti chose this name but was disappointed by the 12 votes cast for it. When asked why she chose the name, she simply said, “It was funny! Pussy = Cat. But apparently I am too funny for the average SciencesPiste.”
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because it was a pun, but I regret it because I think it’s mean to the cat and maybe disrespectful to the people of Libya.”
Muammar Cat-Dafi’s birth certificate finalizes the naming process. Photo by Ayse Lara Selcuker
Vigoriti also warned the Feminist Union, telling them to “watch out,” because she might potentially recycle this name suggestion for a student initiative.
قط Suggested by 1A Emilia Kohlmeyer, this name came with its own platform: “This is why you should pick this: It’s funny because qat. It can be translated to qt (cutie). It’s a great name. Good night.”
Dog (11.5 % approval) Suggested by 1A Gayle Krest and earning seven votes, the name “Dog” was submitted “because it’s a Cat” and she thought that was funny.
THE WINNING NAME: Muammar Cat-Dafi (59% votes) The modest 1A who suggested this winning name (which gained 36 votes) wanted to remain anonymous. They reflected: “I submitted Muammar Cat-Dafi
It was particularly enlightening to ask each student who suggested a name for their reasoning behind their choice. Perhaps if each nominator had created a platform presenting reasons why the campus should choose their name, we would have seen different outcomes Without further ado, congratulations to Muammar Cat-Dafi, for officially joining the Sciences Po Menton community and having such an important role in Mentonese history. The certificate above recognizes that the Electoral Council has approved that the name has won with necessary requirements met. The cat has since been given a distinctive dictator hat, described by a Sciences Piste as a “generic military hat.” Perhaps the cat, once set to be called “Yasmina(cat) as opposed to Yasmina(person) to do so we have to refer to the latter as Yasmina The Person” is organizing a coup against its hypothetical opponent Yasmina… Menton will never know where this cat came from, what its goals are, or where he found Gaddafi’s hat.
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Ode à la Joie de Vivre
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MARCH 2022
Sciences Alcoolémique
Ô vous qui avez cru, les boissons enivrantes, les jeux d’argent, les stèles et les flèches divinatoires ne sont qu’une souillure, l’œuvre du diable. Écartez-vous de lui, afin que vous réussissiez. Texte saint non défini Boire du vin et étreindre la beauté vaut mieux que l’hypocrisie du dévot. Omar Khayyam Article par Victor Wauters, chroniqueur invité Enfants de la débauche, amants de la culture, partisans de l’hédonisme, ce message vous est adressé. Vous vous reconnaitrez car ces traits bousculent la conformité sociale qui règne et ne passent donc jamais inaperçus. Vous vous reconnaîtrez aussi car c’est le cœur qui parle et rien n’est plus fort que le lien entre deux âmes connectées. Nous ne sommes pas des alcoolistes radicaux, nous ne sommes pas non plus des fous inconscients, ni même des dangereux toxicomanes, mais plutôt des illuminés de la vie et de tout ce qu’il y a de plus beau, touchés par l’inspiration divine et éclairés par la lueur interne et éternelle de la folie carpe diemienne. L’alcool, pour reprendre les mots de Braudel, est “un voyageur clandestin infatigable”, qui parcourt un chemin accidenté, truffé de fanatisme, d’interdits, de morale hypocrite et accusatrice, qui abreuve les sillons qu’il trace de rêves et de comptes des milles et une nuits. Trop longtemps, ce mode de vie a été répudié, dénigré, traité de souillure par des pseudo-dévots aigris, mais safi, khalas, la reconquête titubante mais insoumise est en marche. Levez vous, bien droits, avec
fierté! Ne vous cachez pas, nous savons qui vous êtes, cela serait de fuir le devoir qui vous appelle. Ne soyez pas des alcooliques anonymes mais plutôt des bon-vivants assumés! Vous savez aussi qui nous sommes, car les bruits courent et se répandent comme une traînée de poudre dans ce petit village perdu. Mais n’ayez pas peur, nous vous tendons la main, nous vous tendons un verre aussi, un verre de cette potion divine. La potion de tous les possibles. La grandeur et la décadence sont une science, alcoolémique, que nous explorerons ensemble et dont nous serons les pionniers. Que cet opium éthylique devienne la religion du peuple! Nous vous tendons la main, d’une main ferme et sûre d’elle, qui n’a de but que de lier les humains entre eux, de les faire se rejoindre pour former une communauté unie, un groupe d’illuminés heureux, pour danser entre nous, alcoolistes, la valse à trois temps des alcools de nos vies. Une équipe de 16 tarés, certains diront, ou de 16 personnes inspirées, passionnés, mais surtout 16 personnes unies par des liens indéchiffrables aux yeux de ces moralisateurs aigris et cyniques. Remontons à la source de cette
fontaine de jouvence. Il fut un temps, à Menton, ou la conscience collective ne reconnaissait pas l’importance de ce Call of the Wild intrinsèque à l’humain, ou du moins, elle ne la reconnaissait pas à sa juste valeur. Voyez cela comme une Jahiliya de la sobriété. Il aura fallu que trois fous goûtent à ce liquide d’outre-monde, qu’ils s’imprègnent de ces effluves de rhum dans leurs voix qui chantent, qu’ils touchent à cette vision a mi-chemin entre le mirage alcoolisée et la rêverie mystique pour que le campus sème la voix de la raison en faveur du murmur de l’instinct. Il fallait transmettre ce message, impérativement, éclairer, émouvoir.
sont là pour vous guider dans votre voyage sensoriel. L’idée n’est pas de libérer un déferlement de pulsions alcooliques, mais plutôt de vous faire découvrir l’amour de la vie, d’une autre manière. Les grands démagogues vous ont parlés de conquête de l’espace, inutile d’aller aussi loin, nous vous parlons de la conquête de vous mêmes, des sensations que votre corps vous procurera, des idées foudroyantes que votre esprit fera naître. Prenez le temps, ou plutôt trouvez le temps, de nous rejoindre, le temps d’un soir ou les temps de plusieurs verres, pour embrasser la vie et vous délecter de ce breuvage
Prenez le temps, ou plutôt trouvez le temps, de nous rejoindre, le temps d’un soir ou les temps de plusieurs verres, pour embrasser la vie et vous délecter de ce breuvage qui vous fera goûter au paradis. Ce liquide miraculeux de ceux qui vous donnent envie de vivre car oui, cette boisson c’est de l’eau de vie. D’abord avec les moyens du bord armés un petit appartement et un grand cœur, de petits groupes mais de grands verres, de petits moyens mais de grandes rencontres. A coups de pas de danses chaloupés, de discours biscornus et d’amour mutuel, ils ont entrepris ce projet. Un an plus tard, 13 personnes rejoignent le navire à la conquête de nouveaux horizons, des vignobles du sud de la France aux champs de citronniers de Campanie, en passant par la cuisine marocaine. Ces moussaillons des mers d’alcools
qui vous fera goûter au paradis. Ce liquide miraculeux de ceux qui vous donnent envie de vivre car oui, cette boisson c’est de l’eau de vie. Laissez nous vous guider sans crainte dans cet univers salvateur mais résolument pieux régi par une autre temporalité et une autre divinité, puisque le génie sort de la bouteille. Goûtez à une nouvelle réalité! Si nous ne pouvons pas arrêter la débauche, c’est qu’elle constitue un pilier fondamental de la nature humaine. C’est la victoire de l’éthanol sur l’obscurantisme car l’ivresse illumine! Vin sec et mat!
Sports
MARCH 2022
31
At the Beijing Olympics, Norway Dominates Once Again with a Record-Breaking Performance
Article by Colin Lim, staff reporter The small number of spectators, the 100% artificial snow, the ubiquitous KN95 masks, and the obligatory 21 day quarantine for COVID-19 positive athletes made the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics vastly different from previous winter Games. . The second Olympics to be held during the pandemic, the Games of Beijing 2022 were similar to their more traditional predecessors in one notable way — Norway dominated the medal tables. The kingdom earned a total of 37 medals (16 gold, eight silver, and 13 bronze), outranking the Russian Olympic Committee and Germany for total number of medals, and surpassing Germany and China for the number of gold medals. The Norwegian athletes who won the most individual medals were biathletes, Johannes Thingnes Bø and Marte Olsbu Røiseland, and cross-country skier, Therese Johaug. Norway set the previous world record for the most gold medals won by any country in a single Winter Olympics (14 gold medals) at the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. In Beijing, however, Norway broke its previous record, earning 16 gold medals. This feat was especially impressive considering the absence of many of its athletes due to COVID-19. The windy conditions and harsh northern Chinese winter weather did not help either, with temperatures regularly reaching
Norwegian cross-country skier Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, 25, wins two gold medals, one silver medal, and one bronze medal at Beijing 2022. Photo by Alessandra Tarantino, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Washington Post
-15°C in Yanqing and Zhangjiakou, which hosted ski, snowboard, and biathlon events. Daniel Aakre Faradonbeh, a 1A from Norway, was delighted to see his country perform so well. He definitively declared, “we are clearly the best in the world at winter sports.” However, Norway’s victory led him to wonder why other Nordic countries who, “despite enjoying the same benefits as Norway (namely weather and money), are far, far worse than us.” Aakre Faradonbeh gave credit to Sweden, however, for earning half
the number of medals as Norway (eight gold, 18 overall), though he was quick to add that Sweden’s population is twice that of Norway’s. Friendly intra-Scandinavian rivalries aside, the immense and consistent success of Norway in winter sports competitions has intrigued both experts and casual observers. Boasting the highest Human Development Index (HDI) in the world, mountainous topography, and a cold climate, Norway’s successes begin to make more sense. Nonetheless, the magnitude of its training resources
are still difficult for many outside observers to comprehend. Team Norway’s performance in Pyeongchang caused Luke Bodensteiner, then-director of sport for the US skiing governing body, to tell his team “we are going over there, and we are going to figure out what the hell is going on and what they are doing.” The Norwegian winter sports machine will continue running strong as the country prepares for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games in Italy. The country is sure to remain a fixture in the world of winter sports.
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Sports
MARCH 2022
Sports Recap — February and March 2022 Article by Hugo Lagergren, staff reporter This sport recap is the first edition of a new project that the Menton Times has launched, in which it aims to recap all of the major sports news and events that have taken place during the weeks before each edition is published, in case you may have missed anything.
ced to disqualify Russia from the tournament. The ban also prevents Russia’s women’s football team from competing in any tournaments or matches. In a joint-statement with FIFA, UEFA also banned Russian clubs from participating in any European club competitions. This inclu-
sponsorship deal with Gazprom, a major Russian oil company. The termination of such a relationship will undoubtedly affect UEFA as the deal, in place since 2012, has been reported to be worth around 40 million euros per season. In addition to this, UEFA has decided to move the 2022 UEFA
Possibly one of the biggest stories currently within the football world is concerning the ownership of Chelsea FC by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, whose self-proclaimed “father and son” relationship with Putin caused the UK government to freeze Abramovich’s assets on the 10 March.
The sport community stands united with Ukraine: Like much of the world, the sporting community has rallied together to show its solidarity with the people of Ukraine. In light of Russia’s violent invasion of the country, each sport has found different ways of expressing its solidarity with Ukraine, often at the expense of Russian athletes. From the disqualification of Russian athletes to the wearing of the Ukrainian flag, the sporting world’s response has been strong, both on an institutional and individual level. The most significant show of support might be FIFA’s decision to disqualify the Russian national football team from participating in their World Cup qualifier versus Poland. The decision came after FIFA had initially declared that Russia would be allowed to compete under the name “Football Union of Russia.” After intense pressure from the Polish, Swedish, and Czech football associations (FA), its opponents in the World Cup qualifying knockout stages, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), FIFA were for-
2006 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 match between Germany and Sweden. Coming round only every four years, the World Cup remains the most prestigious sporting tournament in the World. Photo by IsakFotografi, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Flickr
des the Champions League, the Europa League and the Europa Conference League. As a result of this ban, Spartak Moscow were eliminated from their Europa League Round of 16 tie against RB Leipzig. This was the only Russian club still competing in a European club competition, hence the only club affected by UEFA’s ban. Russia recently lost its appeal to have this ban lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport. UEFA has also terminated its
Champions League final, which was originally planned to be played in Saint Petersburg, to the Stade de France in Paris. Following a request from the Ukrainian FA, FIFA has also postponed their World Cup qualifying match versus Scotland due to the ongoing fighting raging within the country. Originally scheduled to be played on the 24th March, it has been postponed indefinitely, with discussions under way for a new date, with the international break in June being the most likely option.
In the days after the invasion, sanctions were handed out to Russian officials. Yet, initially, Abramovich was not included in these sanctions. Abramovich made it clear that he wanted to shield the club from any political backlash, and hence, attempted to sell the club before the UK government managed to slap him with sanctions.
He failed to do so in time, and the UK government took control of Chelsea. A special license has been issued by the government which allows Chelsea to continue playing, however, after 10 March, no extra tickets could be sold and the club’s shop would be forced to close. The sanctions on Abramovich interrupted the sale of the club, however, the UK government has shown itself to be “open in the future to considering a license that
Sports
MARCH 2022 would permit the sale of Chelsea FC,” on the condition that Abramovich make no profit from the sale. As bids continue to come in, Abramovich estimates the club to be worth around 3 billion USD.
Mazepin has since been extremely vocal in criticizing Haas for their decision.
The International Tennis Federation (ITF) is one of the only major sports governing bodies which Abramovich’s love of the club is yet to impose bans on Russian remains apparent. He has stated his athletes. With Russian tennis willingplayer Danil ness to Medvedev forgo The most significant show of making the 1.5 support might be FIFA’s deci- history, by tabillion sion to disqualify the Russian king the top GBP in national football team from spot of the loans participating in their World ATP World he has Cup qualifier versus Poland. Rankings made off Novak to the Djokovic club over the last two decades, as for the first time, the ITF came paying this would, no doubt, have under intense pressure to ban a crippling effect on the club’s Russian athletes from competing financial structure. Abramovich is and revoke Medvedev’s position as expected to make a decision on the World Number 1. They responded club’s sale in the coming days. by stating the Russian and Belorussian athletes would be allowed The International Paralympics to compete, as long as they agreed Committee also ruled that Russian not to compete under the name or and Belorussian athletes would not flag of their respective countries. compete in the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics that day before the However, the sport with the biggames started. gest Russian representation is undoubtedly ice hockey, and for this In Formula 1, a few weeks before reason, people waited apprehenthe beginning of the 2022 season, sively for ice hockey’s governing US-based team Haas terminated body, the International Ice Hockey Russian driver Nikita Mazepin’s Federation (IIHF), to address to contract, as well as their main situation. Their response did not sponsorship deal with the Russian hold back. The IIHF banned any company, Russian UralkaWe don’t have posters of big or Beloli. This oil companies on our wall, russian decision or take our children to said players came after companies’ AGMs. On the from the FIA other hand, sport acts as a compe(Fédération temple for millions of people. ting in InternatiAttending football games and any IIHF onale de following clubs and nation- tournal’Automoal teams religiously results ments bile), Forin athletes being raised up “until mula 1’s and placed on a pedestal... further governing It is for this reason that it is notice.” body, gave so pleasing to see so many The Mazepin athletes supporting Ukraine Federathe go aheon an individual level. tion also ad to contiwithdrew nue racing Russia’s in Formula 1, on the condition hosting rights for the 2023 World that he race under a neutral flag. Juniors.
On the other hand, the National Hockey League (NHL), the most popular club ice hockey competition in the world, took a more moderate approach. Whilst the NHL has not banned Russian players from participating in the competition, it has suspended relations with its Russian business partners and has paused its Russian language social and digital media sites.
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following clubs and national teams religiously results in athletes being raised up and placed on a pedestal. This gives them a responsibility to behave appropriately, as their actions often resonate across wide swathes of society, due to the influence they possess.
It is for this reason that it is so pleasing to see so many athletes supporting Ukraine on an indiviRussian-born Alexander Ovechdual level. Certain football players, kin, hailed as one of the greatest ice including Polish striker Robert hockey players of all time, spoke Lewandowski, have started weaout ring armbanagainst ds with the the war Possibly one of the biggest Ukrainian and calstories currently within the flag. Premier led for football world is concerning League clubs peace. the ownership of Chelsea FC continue to Howeby Russian billionaire Roman broadcast ver, he Abramovich, whose self-pro- the Ukrastopped claimed “father and son” re- inian flag short of lationship with Putin caused on screens critithe UK government to freeze within the cizing Abramovich’s assets on the stadium beRussia 10 March. fore games and begin and Putin. fans showcase homemade banners, flags and slogans which highlight Many Russian athletes, including their solidarity with the people of Medvedev, have also taken this Ukraine. course of action. They call for peace, yet are unable to criticize Football: the Russian president directly. This highlights the fear that Putin Sadio Mané scored the winning instills within his citizens, even penalty as Senegal defeated within top Russian athletes who Mohamed Salah’s Egypt to qualify live abroad. for the 2022 Qatar FIFA World Cup amid controversy. Opposition As sport plays such a large role in fans shone bright-green lasers in our societies culture, it is imthe faces of the Egyptian players portant for the sports world to throughout the match. After the continue to take a strong stance match, the Egyptian FA claimed on Russia’s unprovoked act of that their team had been subjected aggression. The reason being that to racism and other intimidation we idolize sportsmen and women. tactics. Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana Economic sanctions successfully and Cameroon also qualified. cripple Russia’s economy, however, it affects people less on an indiviIn Europe, Portugal and Poland dual level. booked their place in Qatar at the expense of North Macedonia and We don’t have posters of big oil Sweden. Following a shock early companies on our wall, or take our defeat to North Macedonia, Eurochildren to said companies’ AGMs. pean champions Italy will miss out On the other hand, sport acts as on the World Cup for the second a temple for millions of people. time running. Attending football games and Canada managed to qualify for the
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Sports
MARCH 2022 dying embers of the game, the scenes were jubilant in Rome, with tears of joy being shed by players and fans alike.
Formula 1: The first Grand Prix of the Formula 1 season saw Ferrari reestablish themselves by completing a 1-2 finish, with Charles Leclerc taking his 3rd career victory in Bahrain. The Scuderia’s dominant display sets up an exciting three-way battle for the Championship, with Red Bull and a struggling Mercedes. Despite looking strong in testing, both Red Bulls were forced to retire late on in the race with powertrain issues, in what can be described as a nightmare start for the English team. Abramovich watches his team take on Fulham at Stamford Bridge in 2008.
Photo by John Dobson, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>
first time in 36 years. Uruguay and Ecuador joined Brazil and Argentina as the South American teams to have secured qualification for the World Cup. In other news, the Premier League title race is heating up as Liverpool moves within one point of Manchester City, following their poor run of form. With 9 games left in the season, and both teams still competing in the Champions League and FA Cup, the stage is set for an intense race to the finish line between Klopp’s Liverpool and Guardiola’s Man City.
window saw them bringing in the likes of Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Lionel Messi to strengthen their chances of Champions League glory. Their early exit from the competition can only be seen as a huge disappointment, and questions have intensified over manager, Mauricio Pochettino’s future at the club. Villarreal also stunned Juventus by thrashing the old lady 3-0 in Turin to send them through to the quarter-finals of the competition. The quarter-final draw in full: Chelsea vs. Real Madrid
Liverpool, who recently beat Chelsea to win the League Cup are no doubt looking to build on this, by completing a historic quadruple. A feat never before achieved by an English side.
Manchester City vs. Atlético Madrid
The Champions League Round of 16 provided some serious shocks as well. PSG were eliminated by Real Madrid, after a 17-minute hattrick by Karim Benzema sent the Bernabeu into raptures. Another disappointing end to PSG desperate attempts to get their hands on the elusive Champions League trophy. The summer transfer
In Ligue 1, Nice have continued their successful run of form as they jostle with Marseille for 2nd place in the French championship and qualification for the Champions League. This would be a first for the club, as Nice have never qualified for the Champions League. Their success has extended to the French cup, where Nice managed
Villarreal vs. Bayern Munich Benfica vs. Liverpool
Swimming: to defeat both PSG and Marseille, On 17 March, Lia Thomas became earning them a place in the Final the first trans swimmer to win the where NCAA they will This sport recap is the first women’s 7th place edition of a new project champiNantes. that the Menton Times has onship. launched, in which it aims to This has Rugby: recap all of the major sports reignited news and events that have the heated In Rugby, taken place during the weeks debate surFrance before each edition is pub- rounding beat lished, in case you may have transgender England missed anything. athletes’ at the participaStade de France to win the Six tion in sport, as many call for her Nations, completing their first title to be taken away from her. Lia Grand Slam in 12 years. Tries from Thomas, originally William ThoAntoine Dupont and Gaël Fickou mas, was ranked 456th within the saw France breeze past England in men’s event and jumped to 1st in a dominant display, much to the the women’s event, above Olympic delight of the 80,000 French fans silver medalist Emma Weyant. within the stadium. With France set to host the next Rugby World American sports: Cup in 2023, they will undoubtedly be considered the favorites, In American football, the Los as reigning Champions South Angeles Rams scored a late touAfrica have lost 4 out of their last chdown to win the 56th edition 7 games. of the Superbowl, beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. The final week of the Six Nations also saw Italy end their 36-match On 15 March, American basketball losing streak, with a stunning late player, Steph Curry of the Goldenvictory against Wales. After Paolo gate Warriors, made history by beGarbisi’s late conversion put Italy coming the all-time leading 3 point one point ahead of Wales in the scorer, with 2977 pts, overtaking Ray Allen (2973 pts).
Middle East and North Africa
MARCH 2022
35
As Morocco Opens its Borders, a Delicate Return to Normal Balancing public health and the economy
Article by Colin Lim, staff reporter
Photo by Colin Lim
is not just an abstract concept; in the Babel Initiative. He acknowledfact, many members of the Scienged his minority position, but was ces Po somewhat camMaryam Khattari empha- apathetic pus of sized the lack of sufficient regarding Menton advance communication the border comfrom airline authorities re- closure. He munity garding the suspension of did express are from flights, as well as the great sympathy Modeal of uncertainty... toward those rocco who had or have strong family ties to the missed the opportunity to visit country. Marrelatives during the month-long yam Khattari, break in between the autumn and a 2A from spring semesters. He has now reCasablanca, cently returned from Morocco and was very upset recounted how “enjoyable [and] over the border comfortable” it was “to see my closure, and family and to eat Moroccan food she expressed — the food I grew up with.” frustration over not being able The government reopened the to go home or borders on February 7, 2022 have her family following a series of protests from members leave tourism industry workers. As the the country to world enters a new phase of the visit in Europe. pandemic, with increasingly more She emphagovernments viewing COVID-19 sized the lack as an endemic disease, there still of sufficient remains some uncertainty. One advance comcan only hope that the dark days of munication travel bans will soon be behind us. from airline
curb the spread of the more conimportant milestone in intra-MEtagious yet less deadly variant, and NA relations on March 13, 2022. some, including Morocco, closed their borders entirely. This had a On a human level, Moroccan grave impact on its tourism sector, citizens and diaspora members which comprised 7.1% of its GDP overseas who wanted to visit relatiin 2019 ves in the and has Moroccan citizens and dias- kingdom been facing pora members overseas who could no a severe wanted to visit relatives in longer do decline the kingdom could no longer so. This
authorities regarding Anis Karrakchou has now rethe suspension of cently returned from Morocflights, as well as the co and recounted how “engreat deal of uncertajoyable [and] comfortable” inty that resulted from it was “to see my family and the lack of a clear end to eat Moroccan food — the date for the restrictifood I grew up with.” ons. Anis Karrakchou, a 2A from Rabat, also did not visit Morocco during the break; rather, he enjoyed time in Tunisia with
Toward the end of November 2021, news of the mysterious Omicron variant swept the world. It was another episode in the seemingly never-ending saga of COVID-19, a routine to which the world had become accustomed by that point. Governments around the world predictably imposed new restrictions in an attempt to
since the start of the pandemic, as well as general international commerce and economic activity. Royal Air Maroc had planned to launch direct flights from Casablanca to Tel Aviv on December 12, 2021, following the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel (coincidentally the only two MENA countries to have closed their borders in response to Omicron), and they finally reached this
Gnawa dancers perform in Marrakech’s Jemaa el-Fna Square in front of large crowds of locals and tourists.
do so. This is not just an abstract concept...