The Menton Times - Volume II, No. 6

VOLUME II, NO. 3

NOVEMBER 2022

NEWS

NEWS

Tuition Faces Historic Rise Amidst Menton Administrative Chaos

By Peyton Dashiell, Staff Writer

Double Earthquakes Devastate Turkey and Syria: What You Can Do To Help

By Ecesu Basara, French Section Editor

On the morning of Monday, February 6, at around four a.m. local time, the ground shook in Turkey. It shook so hard that even residents of Israel, Lebanon and Cyprus claimed to have felt the trembling. Authorities determined that the quake’s magnitude was 7.7, and its depth was 10 kilometers, which made its impact much more intense. The following day, another earthquake of a 7.6 magnitude struck at 11 a.m. and added to the ruin.

As of Monday, February 13, the death toll stands at over 35,000, and it, unfortunately, keeps rising every day.

When the initial earthquake rocked Turkey in the early morning, most people slept in their homes. Since many of these structures were not built to withstand such powerful earthquakes and collapsed, trapping people within, the extent of destruction and loss of life was tremendous. Search and rescue efforts are still being conducted in the Kahramanmaraş cities that were most impacted by the two earth-

quakes. As of now, more than 80,000 people have been injured, and it is estimated that 70,000 more are out on the streets for fear of their homes’ infrastructure.

The Minister of National Education, Mahmut Özer, announced that classes in the earthquake zone will not resume until March 1 and decided to close all universities in Turkey until the next academic year to use dormitories as temporary housing for survivors.

SEE PAGE 6

In Nov. 2022, word broke through French news outlets and social media that Sciences Po Paris tuition fees will increase by 7.5 percent for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The initial increase, which passed unanimously among the Sciences Po Paris board minus two abstentions, was planned at 9.5 percent.

However, it was slightly reduced after representatives from the Union Nationale des Étudiants de France (UNEF) and NOVA met with administration on Nov. 23, 2022.

SEE PAGE 5

CULTURE

Diving Into Iranian Cinema

By Sarina Soleymani, Staff Writer “At the 84th celebration of the Academy Awards in 2012, Asghar Farhadi — a renowned Iranian director — walked up on the stage to receive his award for best foreign film and give his acceptance speech. He expressed, “Iran is spoken here through a glorious culture (...) hidden under the heavy dust of politics.”

SEE PAGE 18

MENA

Sanctions: Relations Between the West and Iran Continue To Intensify

By Leo Gerza, Staff Writer

Since the end of January, the issue of the Iranian regime has slowly been consuming more dialogue within the European Union bloc. On the one hand, the discussion on how and to what extent the union needs to act against the regime is driven

by the latter’s continued brutality against its civilian population.

On the other hand, concerns over Iran stem much closer to home on the Ukrainian battlefront, where Iran has been exporting drones to assist Russia in its illegal invasion and occupation of Ukrainian territory.

SEE PAGE 23

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The Menton Times

FEBRUARY 2023

Sciences Po Bans Chat GPT

By Colette Yamashita Holcomb, English Section Editor With the recent creation of Chat GPT, dystopian visions of a world dominated by artificial intelligence (AI) left the confines of sci-fi.ChatGPT is the AI tool that has made headlines for its impressive range of abilities — from its potential to replace the London School of Economics president, as advocated in a student petition, to its capacity to pass bar exams and the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

The free program works similarly to Google: users type a question into a box and hit enter, to which the chatbox responds with everything from detailed explanations of code to essays on immigration law.

The general public has access to this groundbreaking soft-

ware for the first time. Yet, while its creation has opened new opportunities, it has also evoked new fears.

The service’s audience is not limited to students — its ability to explain complex topics concisely has drawn a significant number to the platform from across the globe. Some use it innocently — describing how to derive a formula, for example — while others have abused the technology’s power to have it essentially complete assignments for them.

Student use of the platform has sparked fevered discussion amongst the education community.

Sciences Po students at all campuses received a message addressing ChatGPT from Sergei Guriev, Sciences Po Paris’ Economics Provost, on Jan. 25, 2023.

“The use of ChatGPT or any other tool using AI, without the transparent referencing, is strictly forbidden in the academic space under the penalty of expulsion from the institution or even from the entire system of higher education,” Guriev warned.

While Chat GPT poses threats to academic integrity, many — including Guriev — also seem to see its potential as an educational tool and the changes it will bring to the future of education. In his message, Guriev announced that, in spring 2023, Sciences Po plans to host a series of conferences and workshops on teaching and research in the era of growing AI importance.

Across the Menton campus, students have been experimenting with the program and reflecting on its pros and cons. For example, some students argue that tools like ChatGPT will prevent future students from learning skills in research and argumentation. In contrast, others believe that aversion to this new technology parallels the apprehension around tools like Wikipedia becoming wildly available to our generation.

Therefore, the system must adapt rather than resist these developments.

“I agree [with the Sciences Po administration] that ChatGPT shouldn’t be used on exams, but I think it can be an important tool that makes work more efficient and shouldn’t be completely banned,” remarked one anonymous student.

On the other hand, some students believe that adaptation to these developments, including allowing ChatGPT and other AI tools, to be used on exams and assignments.

When asked about using the platform, many students said it helps them primarily with small tasks like writing emails. Some use it to make preliminary outlines for projects or to summarize readings but have found mixed results with its accuracy. “It is definitely a formulaic response; you can tell when an outline was written on ChatGPT because it always follows the same format,” a student said.

Several other students agreed with this observation, saying that it is impossible to rely solely on ChatGPT to complete assignments, but it can be beneficial to start brainstorming.

Similarly, many noticed that certain summaries of readings were inaccurate because they summarized the author’s work entirely — opposed to just the chapter or section — making them unreliable. However, as technology expands, it will likely become more and more accurate.

“Because ChatGPT makes tasks more efficient, it opens up our abilities to accomplish more in the time it saves, which creates more opportunities for societal progress,” concluded another student.

While opinions on its role in education may differ, it is clear that AI will only continue to develop and alter our society and education system.

News

FEBRUARY 2023

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Tuition Faces Historic Rise Amidst Menton Administrative Chaos

By Peyton Dashiell, Staff Writer In Nov. 2022, word broke through French news outlets and social media that Sciences Po Paris tuition fees will increase by 7.5 percent for the 2023-2024 academic year. The initial increase, which passed unanimously among the Sciences Po Paris board minus two abstentions, was planned at 9.5 percent. However, it was slightly reduced after representatives from the Union Nationale des Étudiants de France (UNEF) and NOVA met with administration on Nov. 23, 2022.

Citing inflation and the European energy crisis as factors influencing the hike, tuition at Sciences Po for undergraduate non-scholarship holders will rise to 14,437 euros, while graduate students can expect to pay over 20,000 euros. As recently as 20202021, tuition stood at 10,760 euros — this measure represents more than a 30 percent increase in just three years.

Furthermore, this tuition increase will have particularly severe consequences for scholarship holders. Neither CROUS nor supplementary scholarships from Sciences Po will rise according to this new calculation. CROUS scholarships will increase by a mere four percent, while Sciences Po scholarships like Emile Boutmy will increase by seven percent.

These plans directly contradict remarks made by Sciences Po President Mathias Vicherat, a former UNEF representative himself, as recently as March 2022, when he pledged that “les frais d’inscription n’augmenteront

pas” (enrollment fees will not rise) during his presidential term. But despite this promise, the tuition hike is not unprecedented. Measures taken following Vicherat’s ascendance to director of Sciences Po have been characterized by financial prudence. To bankroll the costly Paris campus move in January 2022, he announced that he planned to prioritize economic consolidation and profitable “continuing education” initiatives.

Additionally, the Sciences Po administration has remained silent in the face of the increase. While major French media outlets like Le Monde rushed to publicize the “vertigineuse” (steep) increase, Sciences Po administration has failed to release a sin-

gle statement or email to the undergraduate student body, forcing student unions like UNEF and NOVA to liaise between administration and students and share information about the tuition rise via Instagram and Facebook.

In a series of Instagram posts, UNEF president Anissa Chehbib labeled the increase as “une hausse colossale, qui nous révolte,” (a colossal increase that revolts us). Furthermore, UNEF noted that ongoing increases in inflation and cost of living have exacerbated the financial situations of low-income Sciences Pistes and their families. NOVA’s social media advocacy echoed these complaints — in addition to negotiating down to the 7.5 percent increase rate, they pledged to ensure that Sciences Po administration will improve social assistance measures and eliminate “useless expenditure.”

Additionally, Solidaire joined UNEF and NOVA in con-

demning the increase, telling President Vicherat, a former Danone executive, that “a university should not be run like Danone” and denouncing the “unacceptable process of liberalization and privatization of education and research.”

They also noted their exclusion from the meeting between President Vicherat and representatives from UNEF and NOVA. This announcement also comes at a time of particular administrative upheaval on the Menton campus — with the majority of the already weary administrative staff out on leave, the myriad of registration issues that naturally accompany the beginning of a new semester have largely gone unfixed as mid-February approaches.

Many students still miss language and atelier classes, and repeated emails and visits to the office rarely grant resolution.

While a student-led letter prompted a visit from the Paris administration and several measures to help administrative staff regroup and resolve issues, significant problems have persisted, making this steep rise in tuition even harder to fathom.

When students cannot take required courses, promises of campus facilities go undelivered and administration is unresponsive through it all, does rising tuition truly reflect the student experience?

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The Menton Times

FEBRUARY 2023

Double Earthquakes Devastate Turkey and Syria: What You Can Do To Help

By Ecesu Basara, French Section Editor

On the morning of Monday, February 6, at around four a.m. local time, the ground shook in Turkey. It shook so hard that even residents of Israel, Lebanon and Cyprus claimed to have felt the trembling. Authorities determined that the quake’s magnitude was 7.7, and its depth was 10 kilometers, which made its impact much more intense.

The following day, another earthquake of a 7.6 magnitude struck at 11 a.m. and added to the ruin. As of Monday, February 13, the death toll stands at over 35,000, and it, unfortunately, keeps rising every day.

When the initial earthquake rocked Turkey in the early morning, most people slept in their homes. Since many of these structures were not built to withstand such powerful earthquakes and collapsed, trapping people within, the extent of destruction and loss of life was tremendous. Search and rescue efforts are still being conducted in the Kahramanmaraş cities that were most impacted by the two earthquakes. As of now, more than 80,000 people have been injured, and it is estimated that 70,000 more are out on the streets for fear of their homes’ infrastructure.

The Minister of National Education, Mahmut Özer, announced that classes in the earthquake zone will not resume until March 1 and decided to close all universities in Turkey until the next academic year to use dormitories as temporary housing for survivors. Since this last

decision, university students and academic personnel have expressed their anger about the shutdown; one petition signed by over 76,000 people on the Change.org website states: “We can find different solutions for the people affected by the earthquake, do not distract us from our education, do not limit our opportunities. The number of university students enrolled is 8,196,959, while the number of students using the state dormitory is 678,763. Since there are many accommodation opportunities for earth-

quake survivors, we DO NOT ACCEPT the deprivation of more than seven million students!”

Many are suggesting that the nationwide university closures serve to minimize reactionary research efforts into the role of government

neglect in the post-earthquake destruction of Turkey.

Because of government carelessness before the natural disaster, contractors were allowed to utilize inappropriate materials and disregard fundamental seismic guidelines when determining how to build homes.

As temperatures reach a chilling -10°C in some affected areas, international organizations and the Turkish government scramble to aid those in need. However, the first response effort in Syria

remains much more complicated; the country, ravaged by war, is not receiving equal help as Turkey. They do not have appropriate equipment or search and rescue teams, and civilians often find themselves alone in rescue efforts.

In the West, most are hesitant to donate to Syria as they do not trust that their donations will reach the people in need.

If you would like to help, you can either donate through the Thracian and Anatolian Student Association (TASA) (all information is on their Instagram @tasamenton) or donate directly to the “Ahbap” organization, which is not affiliated with any political or religious groups and publishes their financial reports. TASA in Menton recently held a fundraising bake sale and has been collecting donations since the earthquake hit Turkey and Syria.

When faced with a situation this severe, it is imperative to remain cognizant of our chosen course of study. Our specialization in the Middle East entails a collective duty — we must band together to support this region in which we are all so invested.

Feature

FEBRUARY 2023

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Mourning Tiba Ali: A Reflection on Iraqi Honor Killings

By Peyton Dashiell, Staff Writer On Jan. 31, Tiba Ali, a 22-year-old Iraqi woman, was strangled to death by her father in Iraq’s southern Diwaniya province after a reported domestic dispute. In the days preceding her murder, Iraqi police reportedly attempted to mediate an argument between Ali and her father regarding her living arrangements. After being sexually assaulted by her brother in 2017, Ali moved to Turkey and wished to stay there permanently. She attended university, was engaged to a Syrian man, and gained over 20,000 followers documenting her day-to-day life on Youtube.

Sadly, Ali’s killing is not an isolated incident; honor killings are prevalent in Iraq, and they are best documented in the Iraqi Kurdistan region.

Hospitals in Iraqi Kurdistan report over 500 honor killings each year, but true num-

bers are likely much higher — many deaths claimed as suicides are believed to be honor killings concealed by responsible parties.

Ali’s murder immediately sparked condemnation and protests from Iraqi women’s rights activists and feminist groups, who highlighted increasing violence against women in Iraq and underscored the need for better legislative protections. On Feb. 5, 2023, hundreds of women mobilized before the Supreme Judicial Council in Baghdad to decry Ali’s murder and advocate for stricter laws against gender-based violence. Politician Ala Talabani, head of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan Bloc in the Iraqi Parliament, stated that “women in our societies are hostage to backward customs due to the absence of legal deterrents and government measures — which currently are not commensurate with the size of domestic violence crimes.”

Amnesty International joined a long list of human rights non-governmental organizations condemning the murder. Aya Majzoub, Deputy Director for the Middle East and North Africa division, echoed Talabani’s sentiment: “Until the Iraqi authorities adopt robust legislation to protect women and girls… we will inevitably continue to witness horrific murders.” The United Nations in Iraq called on the government to improve gender-based violence protections in accordance with international human rights standards and enhance aid services for survivors.

The international community was previously drawn to the topic of honor killings in Iraq after Dua Khalil Aswad was killed in Mosul in 2007.

Aswad, a non-Muslim Yazidi woman from the village of Bahzan, was stoned to death in front of over 2000 men for the purported “honor crime” of being in a relationship with a Muslim man. Four men, including Aswad’s cousin, were arrested and charged with her murder, but this is outside of the norm — Iraqi law is usually lenient toward domestic crimes and alleged honor killings.

Article 409 of the Iraqi Penal Code specifically mitigates punishments for murders of female family members suspected of honor crimes. Article 41 allows husbands to physically “discipline” their wives and face no penalty.

Draft legislation outlawing domestic violence was proposed in the Iraqi Parliament

in 2014 but stalled after the opposition accused it of aiming to erode Iraq’s “social fabric.”

Human Rights Watch defines honor killings as “acts of violence, usually murder, committed by male family members against female family members who are perceived to have brought dishonor upon the family.” Today, honor killings are most common in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia, but they have been strongly influenced by the legacy of European colonialism. Article 324 of the French Penal Code of 1810 reduced punishment for murders in which a husband killed his wife after suspected adultery. This law inspired similar provisions in countries with French colonial influence, including Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia.

While it is crucial that the Iraqi government removes this harmful provision and enshrines protection from gender-based violence into law, more work must be done to address the underlying issues. A woman choosing to live alone, escape abuse and build a life for herself should never be seen as a desecration of family honor and forcing women to live in fear of their husbands and male family members has no place in the “social fabric” of any nation.

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The Menton Times

FEBRUARY 2023

Déconstruction de la Pensée Dominante: l’Exemple de la Réforme des Retraites

By Ilyes Mesbah, Guest Writer Avant de commencer cet article, j’ai longuement hésité quant à la tournure que je lui donnerais. Comment convaincre mes cher(e)s camarades de se détacher de la pensée dominante, des arguments néo-libéraux qui sont si bien rodés et qui semblent être naturels, voire logiques ? Avant même d’énumérer les éléments de langage de la majorité, je tiens à expliquer ce qui me pousse, Ilyès Mesbah, à m’opposer frontalement à la réforme des retraites ainsi qu’à la logique qui se cache derrière.

Depuis mon plus jeune âge, j’ai vu mon père partir au travail aux aurores pour rentrer aux alentours de 18h, et ce, du lundi au samedi. Il rentre toujours avec une tête fatiguée, des mains lacérées par son travail dans les champs, le dos courbé à peine capable de prendre une douche et de se reposer. Si je vous raconte cela, ce n’est pas pour me

morfondre sur mon sort ou celui de mon père mais bien pour illustrer une réalité sociale trop souvent oubliée.

Des exemples de ce type, il en existe des millions en France, alors quand on nous explique qu’il va falloir travailler deux ans de plus quand ce même gouvernement à supprimer la

taxe d’habitation représentant un manque à gagner de 18 milliards d’euros par an pour l’Etat, autant dire que nous, enfants d’ouvriers, nous ne pouvons accepter cela.

Il est temps de s’attaquer à la rhétorique macroniste quant à la soit disante nécessaire réforme des retraites. Selon

Gabriel Attal “c’est la réforme ou la faillite”. Ah bon ?

Le premier argument du gouvernement repose sur les prédictions du CORE (le Conseil d’Orientation des Retraites). Dans ce cas, qui de mieux pour les expliquer que le directeur du CORE.

très long terme. Néanmoins, dans un des scénarios, les dépenses augmentent “sans augmenter de manière très très importante”. En effet, il paraît cohérent de s’aligner sur le scénario le plus pessimiste mais pourquoi le faire encore une fois sur le dos des plus précaires ?

Pierre-Louis Bras explique en commission des lois que dans trois hypothèses sur quatre les dépenses de retraites sont stables et diminuent à

Un autre élément qui a été martelé par la majorité, a été de dire que l’espérance de vie en bonne santé augmente et que par conséquent nous devons travailler plus longtemps.

Cet argument, en plus d’être faux, reflète la déconnexion totale de certains parlementaires et de la réalité sociale de notre pays. La direction de la recherche, des études, de l’évaluation et des statistiques explique qu’en 2016,

“Il est temps de s’attaquer à la rhétorique macroniste quant à la soit disante nécessaire réforme des retraites”

Opinion

FEBRUARY 2023

l’espérance de vie en bonne santé, c’est-à-dire le nombre d’années qu’une personne peut compter vivre sans

puisque rappelant que le taux d’emploi des séniors de 55 à 64 ans n’est que de 56% selon la Dares. Cela signifie

“il paraît cohérent de s’aligner sur le scénario le plus pessimiste mais pourquoi le faire encore une fois sur le dos des plus précaires ?” souffrir d’incapacité dans les gestes de la vie quotidienne, s’élève en France à 64,1 ans pour les femmes et à 62,7 ans pour les hommes.” Un argument renforcé par les sorties de Darmanin affirmant qu’il comprend la douleur des français puisque sa mère femme de ménage va aussi subir cette réforme (la rémunération des ministres en net est de 8400e…). Ainsi, le déplacement de l’âge de la retraite de 62 à 64 ans mène à des économies considérables puisque les personnes les plus précaires seront déjà soit mortes, soit incapables de travailler jusqu’à cet âge et bénéficieront donc d’une pension plus faible. Ce cynisme est d’autant plus douloureux que la majorité a récemment fait voter une baisse de la durée de l’assurance-chômage de 25% lorsque le chômage est inférieur à 9%. Pour couronner le tout, Renaissance se targue d’avoir fait baisser le chômage alors qu’il compte dans ses statistiques les micros-entreprises (incluant par exemple des jeunes qui travaillent en extras quelques mois dans l’année) mais aussi et surtout en radiant de plus en plus de chômeurs de pôle emploi. Cette précision est importante

donc qu’une grande partie des séniors ne cotisent plus à cet âge, survivons grâce aux aides sociales aussi grandement réduites sous les quinquennats de Macron. De plus, le gouvernement a aussi tenté de tacler les propositions de l’opposition (la vraie, pas celle des racistes) en acculant la Nupes de vouloir augmenter les charges sur les artisans et les ouvriers. Cela relève soit du déni, soit de la manipulation lorsque l’on sait qu’une des propositions a par exemple été d’augmenter les cotisations sociales (et non pas les charges sociales) de 2,5e ce qui permettrait de financer le déficit. En soi, ce genre de questions n’auraient même pas eu besoin de se poser si le gouvernement n’avait pas

des aides sociales. Toutefois, l’âme socialiste des macronistes semblent resurgir en nous répétant sans cesse que leur objectif est de maintenir le système de retraite par répartition. Comment croire ce gouvernement qui depuis le début s’inscrit dans la logique marchande et qui aujourd’hui, soudainement et pour l’intérêt des français refuse la capitalisation. Or cette réforme favorise la capitalisation puisque si les français conçoivent que leurs retraites seront amoindries il faudra bien trouver une autre solution.

des retraites et ne fait que semblant de s’opposer avec un peu plus de 200 amendements proposés (c’est moins que la majorité…). Alors oui, que certaines personnes acculées par le travail et n’ayant pas la chance de s’informer correctement votent pour le Rassemblement National me dérange mais je les comprends. Toutefois, que des Sciences Pistes censé être l’élite de la nation corroborent avec un discours de haine, de fake-news et qui légitiment ça par le discours pseudo-social du Rassemblement National me dégoute. En effet,

“je vous invite à aller dans la rue, qui a toujours été le meilleur moyen pour porter des revendications sociales” Plus haut, j’ai mentionné l’opposition en carton du rassemblement national soit disant pour le peuple. Rappelant quand même que Renaissance et le Rassemblement national se sont alliés à de multiples reprises contre l’augmentation du SMIC, la revalorisation des retraites au niveau du smic, la suppres-

“Cela signifie donc qu’une grande partie des séniors ne cotisent plus à cet âge, survivons grâce aux aides sociales aussi grandement réduites sous les quinquennats de Macron” supprimer la CVAE (environ 8 milliards), l’ISF et mis en place la flat tax (4 milliards par an) sans citer toutes les autres mesures qui réduisent les recettes et donc la qualité des services publiques et

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sion des aides publiques aux entreprises qui ont augmenté les dividendes aux actionnaires sans augmenter leurs salariés. Ce n’est pas tout :le RN a aussi refusé d’appeler à manifester contre la réforme

s’informer par les médias est important et nécessaire mais allez plus loin et regardez ce qu’il se passe réellement dans l’hémicycle. Encore aujourd’hui, le Rassemblement National et Renaissance s’applaudissent mutuellement, comme quoi le capital et le fascisme s’allient toujours.

Alors si vous être contre la réforme des retraites, contre le modèle néo-libéral que j’ai en partie décrit et que vous n’êtes ni raciste, ni sexiste, ni xenophobe, je vous invite à aller dans la rue, qui a toujours été le meilleur moyen pour porter des revendications sociales à ce qui ont tout et qui nous demandent à nous de faire des efforts.

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The Menton Times

FEBRUARY 2023

The NFT-fication of La Fête du Citron Spells Environmental Disaster

By Saoirse Aherne, Staff Writer

showcased as part of the festivities.

As February approaches, those familiar with Menton wait in anticipation for the event of the year, a UNESCO recognized expression of Intangible Cultural Heritage, a citrus celebration like no other: La Fête du Citron.

By 1928 the Menton area was the biggest lemon producer on the European continent, even acquiring the nickname “Rocher du citron.” Quickly, the lemon became the star of Menton’s annual parade and in 1934 the city officially named the event “La Fête du Citron.” Today, the Menton lemon proudly claims protection of geographical indication (PGI) — official recognition at the European level of its unique properties. Menton’s micro-climate makes it the perfect place to grow this golden fruit, which is said to be larger and less bitter than the standard. Currently, there are 15,000 trees which produce lemons that meet the PGI requirements, though this number is swelling with the help of the Association for the Promotion of Menton’s

Since 1934, the Lemon Festival has drawn in visitors from far and wide. In typical fashion, this absurd carnival began as a cash grab. Back when Menton was a popular winter getaway for the European bourgeois, a group of local hotel owners decided to host a Menton carnival to entertain their wealthy clients.

This first Menton parade in 1875 was a great success, but it was not until 1929 that the humble lemon got involved.

That year, an exhibition of citrus fruits and flowers was

Lemons (self-explanatory organization, very specific mission).

Presently, the lemon festival hosts 240,000 spectators each year, with 100 percent of tickets selling out in 2021.

The event uses 140 tons of citrus fruit to adorn floats, decorations and gardens. Best of all, a charming character by the name of John Lemon has become emblematic of the event. But this year, for Menton’s 89th Fête du Citron, our favorite yellow mascot has had quite the digital facelift.

Menton 3.0 - NFTs, Holograms, and Crypto: Oh my!

About two weeks ago, blissful and ignorant, I decided to research the upcoming Lemon Festival. Immediately, I found a stream of articles announcing the revolutionary

involvement of non-fungible tokens (NFT) in this Mentonese tradition. After a couple more searches, I found myself on the official page for the sale of John Lemon NFTs; it was horrifying.

Unsure whether to laugh or cry, I scrolled through page after page of John Lemon NFTs; chunky yellow ovoids wearing stupid little top hats, ugly goatees pasted on their non-existent chins, strumming poorly rendered electric guitars. It was sick. The entire collection includes 5,000 designs — so far 18 have been purchased.

The standard John Lemon NFTs are priced at 0.02 Ethereum coin, the equivalent of 30 euros. If you have even less self-respect and taste, however, you can purchase rare animated (moving) versions for 60 euros.

Opinion

FEBRUARY 2023

According to Yves Juhel, this is just the beginning. When speaking to Nice Matin, the Mayor promised many more NFT-related projects to come, declaring, “We already have ideas for next year... We will reveal the theme of the next edition at the end of it.”

Rock-Opera John Lemon will also perform every evening on the facade of the Palais de l’Europe in the form of a hologram. According to Nice Matin, this will mark the first NFT concert in the world. It will also apparently “enrich the intangible heritage of the city of Menton.” I’ll just leave that there.

Why? How? Why? This scheme is the brainchild of Mayor Yves Juhel and Stephanie Jacquot, second assistant to the mayor and deputy of events. Ms. Jacquot seems to be especially invested in the project, and reasonably so; on the Menton municipal council website, the description of her projects reads “city of tomorrow” and “digital.” According to Jacquot, incorporating modern technologies into the Fête du Citron will demonstrate that Menton is dynamic and innovative. A bold rejection of the image Menton has long cultivated as a quaint Riviera town frozen in history, Jacquot wants to revolutionize this “sleeping beauty,” as she puts it.

The enthusiasm for NFTs is perhaps inspired by a project recently carried out by another Riviera town, the city of Cannes. In June of 2022, Cannes sold at auction 10 “digitized versions” of real locations within its jurisdiction.

The event brought in 330,000 euros and marked the first sale of real estate through NFTs. According to Arnaud Oliveux, the auctioneer of the digital property, this opens the door to a future where buyers and investors can truly “live in the metaverse.”

Whatever Jacquot and Juhel’s motivations, the duo were not alone in the mission to digitize Menton. The 5,000 rock-opera John Lemons were designed by a street artist from Nice who goes by the name Faben. The artist, whose real name is Benjamin Fabris, has recently engaged in a number of NFT-related projects and believes his work will “take the mascot of the Lemon Festival into the metaverse.”

The other actor responsible for this dystopian saga is MyHologram, a company founded by Vanessa Rigaud.

MyHologram has worked on a number of collaborations with museums, and has notably already collaborated with Faben to release a line of NFTs in September of 2022.

For the Lemon Festival, MyHologram has worked closely with Faben, creating digital sculptures of his designs. MyHologram is also responsible for marketing the NFTs, however, they remain the city’s property until sold.

Controversy!

Beyond aesthetic sin, this project is also an “ecological disaster,” according to a representative from the Menton-based group Stand up for the Planet. In a rant posted to Facebook, this association proclaimed that “A single NFT represents a journey of about 800 km by car,” which is equivalent to 200 kilograms of carbon dioxide. The environmental impact of NFTs is mainly due to the large amounts of electricity required to facilitate Blockchain, the technology through which NFT transaction and ownership is recorded. However, identifying the exact carbon footprint of an NFT is quite difficult as each time an NFT is produced or sold, another carbon cost is endured. Digiconomist estimates that one Ethereum transaction demands 33.4 kilograms of CO2, though an NFT can undergo infinite transactions over its lifetime. Artist and programmer Memo Akten calculates that an NFT transaction produces 14 times more emissions than mailing a piece of artwork.

With regards to the John Lemon collection, I have high doubts that all 5,000 will sell.

Nonetheless, the carbon footprint of their creation — or “minting” as it’s called — was significant in and of itself. If adding one NFT to the blockchain uses about 83 kilograms

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of CO2, as many cryptoblogs have informed me is the case, then this collection is already responsible for 415,000 kilograms of carbon emissions.

That is the equivalent of flying from London to New York about 421 times.

The looming threat of climate change has been more evident than ever over the past year, especially in the Cote d’Azur. Droughts across the region during the summer stunted the local lemon crop, and many citrus farmers will thus not be able to claim official Menton lemon status for their fruit. In the coming years, rising sea levels will pose significant challenges to this coastal town as increasingly heavy storms will bring about landslides. The city itself recognizes the need for environmental action, having recently pledged to transition Menton into a “Green city.”

In light of this, the creation of John Lemon NFTs is not only unnecessary and laughable, but it is also a sign of the city’s hollow commitment to environmental action.

La Fete du Citron is already wasteful by many metrics.

The festival consumes a sizable chunk of the city budget on displays and decorations, purchasing thousands of fruits which are often destined to rot rather than be eaten. At a time when such events should be reimagined in a more sustainable fashion to preserve both tradition and the environment, it is disappointing to see the city of Menton do quite the opposite.

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The Menton Times

FEBRUARY 2023

First Harvard Sciences Po Student Summit Takes Place in Paris

By Anna Hazolyshyn, Staff Writer Not long ago, “visit Paris” appeared on my 2023 “grand to-do list,” and what better reason for a trip than the Harvard Sciences Po Student Summit? Two days before the conference, I was finally able to dig out the ticket from my spam box, book a hostel and hop on the overnight train that took me to Paris in no time (short 13 hours).

The Harvard Sciences Po Student Summit marks a first-of-its-kind collaboration between two student organizations — the Harvard Undergraduate Foreign Policy Initiative (HUFPI) and the Sciences Po Policy Project (SP3) Network. As Cameron Sterling, a conference delegate from the Menton campus puts it: “Every university has those networks for people that are interested in different things, and SP3 is that for Sciences Po students (interested in diplomacy).

The point (of the conference) was to connect young people with professionals to understand better different career paths and practical issues one might face in the field.”

The summit took place over two days and mainly consisted of panel discussions ranging from energy and climate change to defense and security. Sterling shed light on the

organization of the panel discussions: “I was working with a student from Harvard, and we moderated the combined (due to last-minute cancellations) Trade and Security panel. We also came up with

developing those based on the demographic of the panel, too, since you had younger people, older people, people from civil society, etc...” A brilliant example of the versatility of speakers would be

Sterling herself noted: “It was really engaging, particularly because it was amazing to observe older individuals remain so active and so hopeful about the climate effort, and see them speak alongside someone like France’s youth delegate for climate.”

Each panel ended with a question and answer session. A Reims student felt that “even though they did open the floor for the questions, sometimes you wanted to participate in the conversation more actively and interject when an interesting point was raised. Often you felt more like a bystander.”

His remark makes sense considering that “there weren’t that many people in the audience.” The consensus is that the experience could have been elevated had the format been adjusted to encourage more direct interaction.

“The point (of the conference) was to connect young people with professionals to understand better different career paths and practical issues one might face in the field.” a variety of career and general issue-based questions that would be of interest to the audience. It was interesting

the panel on climate change, which many students singled out as one of the most insightful and entertaining ones.

One of our students confessed that “the conference did not live up to my expectations, [since] the big personalities we were promised did not come,” but was quick to add that “there were nonetheless nice and interesting speakers.” Another participant countered this by claiming that she “expected a high level of speakers, which we got.” She further pointed out that “it was interesting to see the differences in their

FEBRUARY 2023

approaches: while French were highly methodological, Anglo-Saxon speakers were more eloquent and linked one topic to another in surprising ways.” Nevertheless, they were all, as a student from Reims put it, “all in the same sort of liberal orthodoxy range.”

Opinion

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whether you are looking for strengthen their security en- [people] specifically.” A few advice, an internship or a gagements or whether the times I have heard people say job.” Her hypothesis was sup- U.S. can do more to support that “it is a shame that we did ported by responses from a France in managing the en- not have that many opporfew of the participants I spoke ergy crisis caused by the war tunities to interact with the to, who admitted students on the other that “the Linkeside [Harvard],” due dIn potential “it was all very general and to it being an intense was valuable” to surface-level” two-day summit. In them or that they the future, however, “wanted to find it would be advisable Without a doubt, the stu- an organization to do the civ- in Ukraine? “It was very cool to incorporate more social or dents’ favorites from the ic engagement this summer to come up with a policy rec- break time into a day to give summit were Nizar Yaiche, with.” Many others, howev- ommendation and have a the students opportunities to former Minister of Finance of er, came for the content and professor respond to us and interact with their peers more Tunisia, and Brian Wong, a “critical analysis” and were critique it,” Sterling shared and build closer ties between geopolitical analyst and cur- disappointed to find that, before continuing: “Having the two communities. Though rent Ph.D. at Oxford Univer- mostly, “it was all very gen- had a little bit of work expe- we did not get to speak to the sity. Funnily enough, the two eral and surface-level” and rience, giving a brief or being brain behind the conference able to cut things down to — Sciences Po Menton’s own “while French were highly issue-solutions proved to be Louai Allani-Guellouz — durmethodological, Anglo-Saxon very important.” It was an ex- ing the conference’s closing speakers were more eloquent and cellent opportunity to reflect remarks, we were promised linked one topic to another in and engage more closely with this is not the last time Sciencsurprising ways.” the material and receive val- es Po students are collaboratuable feedback from the pro- ing with Harvard peers. We were adored for vastly differ- that they “didn’t learn any- fessionals, and to work with look forward to seeing what ent reasons. The charismatic thing new.” However, as one a group of people who share more the two student bodies Yaiche moved everyone with of the members of our Men- the same passion for policy- have in store for us. his transparency, practical ton community suggested, making. “This was concrete advice and personal anec- “maybe that wasn’t the point and practical,” one student If I were to choose the single dotes that were precious and of this conference; you don’t says. “I (liked) the sympo- most important thing I took encouraging for the aspiring always need to learn more in- sium the most, which was away from this conference, it leaders in attendance. In the tellectual stuff; we do enough the only workshop we had, would be a reminder to hold case of Wong, it was amusing of that already as university as we finally had the chance on to your values, which nearto observe how people were students.” This brings me to to speak and to express our- ly every lecturer mentioned sitting with their jaws agape, everyone’s favorite: the Policy selves. Plus, I got to work almost religiously (so it must impressed with how well or- Symposium, the crème de la with people I did not know be important, right?). While ganized and delivered the crème of the Harvard Scienc- before, those from Sciences emphasizing the importance lecture was. Wong’s impecca- es Po Summit.

Po and Harvard.” For many, of mentorship, the speakers ble debate-like style of framit was the “Harvard” aspect were the embodiment of that ing the presentation, which This conclusive part of the of the conference that they ideal, dedicating their time discussed the link between conference created a unique were drawn to, be it because and sharing what cannot be media, technology and geodescribed as anything othpolitics, did not go unnoticed.

“Having had a little bit of work er than precious advice and A Menton student asserted experience, giving a brief or insights into the work in the that Wong’s speech was “very being able to cut things down to world of policymaking and ininteresting and surprisingly issue-solutions proved to be very ternational affairs. easy to follow. How refreshimportant.” ing!”

“To visit Paris” turned out to setting to synthesize all the they were “considering go- be a great success!

When asked, “What do you ideas heard over the two days ing to Harvard later on and think attracts people to sum- to produce a unique and ef- so wanted to discover more mits like this?” Sterling sup- fective policy in response to about it from its students” or posed that it is “the chance the posed issues like how simply because they wanted to make career connections, the U.S. and France could to “meet new people, Harvard

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The Menton Times

FEBRUARY 2023

February Sports Recap

By Hugo Lagergren, Staff Writer

points deduction or exclusion from the League.

Football

Brazilian footballer Vinicius Jr. said that not enough is being done to combat racism in Spanish football and Spain more generally. Vinicius tweeted, “Let’s start to punish those people, or we’ll go back to how it was before,” following an incident that saw Brazilian basketball player Yago Dos Santos being subjected to racist abuse during a EuroCup game.

Borussia Dortmund player Sébastien Haller scored his first league goal since his return three weeks ago from chemotherapy. Haller was diagnosed with testicular cancer in August of last year.

Since then, Haller has continued to raise awareness in the football community for the fight against cancer. The date of his goal coincidentally fell on International World Cancer Day – an occasion which Dortmund marked by displaying a tumor on the field before the game started.

L’Olympique de Marseille managed to knock out bit-

Manchester City has been charged with 115 breaches of financial regulations by the Premier League. The charges mark the end of a four-year investigation conducted by Premier League officials into the club’s financial dealings from 2008 to 2020.

The breaches can be split into three categories. The main issue raised by the Premier League relates to the financial irregularities of Man City’s business dealings. Secondly, the Premier League requires clubs to be transparent and honest about their financial activities, which they say has not been the case with City. And lastly, the Premier League has accused City of not cooperating fully with the investigation.

Two years ago, similar charges were brought forth by the Union of European Football Associations against Man City.

However, after being reviewed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the charges were thrown out.

According to the Times’ chief sports writer, Martyn Ziegler, City will not be able to appeal the charges this time. The Premier League has not issued sanctions at the time of writing. Possible sanctions include fines, possible

ter rivals Paris St-Germain (PSG) in the last 16 of the Coupe de France. PSG’s poor form in the previous few matches has seen them drop points several times. This has put pressure on the manager, Christophe Galtier, to deliver silverware in an increasingly tricky season for the Parisian side.

Rugby After a narrow victory against Italy, Six Nations favorites France continued their shaky start to the tournament by losing to a well-oiled Irish team, who looked organized and structured compared to their French opponent, which struggled to escape their own 22 at times. On the other hand, the number one ranked Irish team has moved to the top of the table with comfortable victories over France and Wales.

Scotland has continued their impressive run of form, with victories over England and Wales, to move to second in the Six Nations behind Ireland. A big test for Gatland’s

men will be in two weeks when Scotland travels to the Stade de France to face a wounded French side.

Handball Denmark beat France in an exhilarating final to claim a historic third successive International Handball Federation World Handball Championship. After the Danish victory, operators of the Oresund Bridge, which connects Sweden and Denmark, lit the bridge in red and white to honor Denmark’s achievement. For co-host Sweden, the tournament ended in disappointment as they lost 39-36 to Spain in the bronze medal game.

Basketball Lebron James became the National Basketball Association’s all-time top points scorer with 38,387 points as the Lakers fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s point total — a record he has held since 1984.

American Football The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 38-35 to win their second Super Bowl in the last four years. For the second time, Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Chiefs, was awarded the National Football League Most Valuable Player Award.

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Menton à Risoul: Sciences Pistes Spend Last Week of Break at Annual BDS Ski Trip

By Hugo Lagergren, Staff Writer We all know that sports are not what Sciences Po prides itself on, and neither is the Menton campus famed for its sporting performances at the annual intercampus Minicrit competition. However, this has not stopped the Bureau Des Sports (BDS) from outperforming itself at every opportunity this school year.

They managed to collect over 2000 euros for the League Against Cancer for Pink October, nearly triple what they managed last year. Thanks to their apt negotiation skills, the bureau received sports equipment for each campus team for the first time in Sciences Po Menton history. And for their final trick… send nearly 100 students to

the Alps for a five-day skiing holiday before the beginning of term — a feat that they executed perfectly.

On Monday morning, Sciences Pistes woke up early, eager to board the bus. The journey from the pebbly beaches of the Côte D’Àzur to the snowy tips of the French Alps began… and continued.

After a few festive hours, the “are we there yet?” calls began in earnest. For eight hours, they persisted. A little downtrodden, we finally arrived in Risoul and checked into our rooms at “Yoonly & Friends” — well, at least those of us who managed to make it down the infamous icy steps.

After a complicated checkin and a well-needed night’s rest, we were finally ready to begin exploring.

Being super excited to start skiing, we all woke up early to pick up our skis from the local rental shop and collect our ski passes.

Many of the group had never seen snow, let alone set foot on a ski slope, so there was some un-

derstandable apprehension among a few, especially after seeing second-year Ilyes Mesbah and first-year Nael El Kihal bombing down the slopes at uncontrollable speeds.

Their speed and elegance, unfortunately, inspired second-year Lilou D’Inca, who, according to her, had not set foot on a pair of skis “for over ten years” to throw herself a little too enthusiastically down her first hill. After multiple barrel rolls and a torn ligament, the medical team managed to get D’Inca down the slope in one piece. Her ski holiday was promptly over.

We hope our beloved cheer captain will recover quickly and bring home the Minicrit. The rest of the group remained in good spirits as we sat down for lunch beside the slopes.

It did not take long for the initial groups of flatmates and friends to dissolve. Almost immediately, 1A’s and 2A’s were becoming more comfortable skiing with one another. What was so brilliant about the ski trip was not the skiing or the parties; it was its ability to bring us all together.

“The ski trip really brought us closer together,” comments co-president of Bureau Des Sports, Romain Dufournet.

“Five days of holiday all together is obviously going to be packed with emotion. I think constantly being around each other and talking to each other and just living in the moment outside the context of Menton and Sciences Po

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allowed us to create stronger bonds.”

After skiing, we were treated to some first-class DJing by DJMiketrackz at ”La Grotte du Yéti.” It might have been a ski trip, but it did not stop the Ummah from partying like it always does. The Après-Ski was a highlight. Beer in hand, the snowy outdoor party embodied the Mentonnais saying: “no stress, success.” It was a moment for everyone to relax and decompress before the work kicked in a few days later. The parties often continued well into the night, with Sciences Pistes getting to bed at times that could only make Mme. la directrice Yasmina Touaibia proud. This resulted in exceptionally slow mornings. However, the enthusiasm never waned.

Despite a few hiccups and more than a few drunk incidents, the ski trip was a tremendous success. Sciences Pistes faced their fears on the mountain, and they are stronger for it. Going into the second semester of the year, we have a tighter connection than ever.

As the monotony of essay writing and unanswered emails set in, I would just like to leave the reader with a notion that is important to keep in mind going into semester two, as it highlights the campus’ ability to surpass all expectations despite the adversary we face: Samy, c’est un mec du R.

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The Menton Times

FEBRUARY 2023

Babylon: Lettre d’Amour au Cinéma, Lettre de Haine à Hollywood, Mais Quelle Lettre Nous Adresses-Tu Chazelle?

By Layla Hammouda, Staff Writer De la merde.

Et puis de l’urine, du vomi, de la transpiration, et du sang. Voilà ce qui ponctue l’empire Babylonien bâtit par Damien Chazelle, également réalisateur des machines à succès que sont La La Land et Whiplash. C’est alors dans la décadence et la vulgarité que Chazelle nous fait passer par les trouées de lumières d’Hollywood, afin de nous présenter l’effervescence du cinéma

scatologique qu’est Hollywood, on se fait prendre la main par Manuel, jeune homme à tout faire aspirant à une grande carrière dans le cinéma. Il nous entraîne d’abord dans une fête grandiose, animée par une élite frivole, un pur concentré de chaos que même la caméra n’arrive pas à saisir — enchaînant vainement les travellings et les panoramiques.

Manuel rencontre à cette même fête Nellie La Roy — incarnée par Margot Robbie — qui se dit déjà star, mais qui n’a en réal-

“ Jusqu’où la puissance cicatrisante de la beauté des grands écrans pourra-t-elle justifier la cruauté du monstre Hollywoodien? ” muet à la jonction des années 20 et 30.

Dès la première scène, on voit un éléphant déverser ses excréments sur un homme, c’est la souillure originelle qui marquera la proximité du realisateur avec le spectateur, au point que la merde en impregne l’objectif de sa camera. Alors afin de pénétrer dans l’univers

ité au début que pour elle son ambition et sa hargne d’artiste torturée. Ils converseront sur leur amour pour le cinéma, nous laissant d’emblée apercevoir la lettre d’amour que réserve Damien au 7e art.

Nous suivrons ainsi l’ascension de Nelly en parallèle de celle de Manny, tous deux s’offrant corps

et âme à l’industrie Hollywoodienne. Alors Hollywood, à la manière d’un ogre qui dévore tout sur

Ainsi, Damien Chazelle reprend la frénésie de Whiplash pour aborder une fois encore cette idée de lutte

“chaque personnage finit par ressentir le besoin de s’échapper, de se libérer” son passage, se nourrira des rêves de nos deux ambitieux, pour le meilleur mais surtout pour le pire.

Assurément vers la fin des années 20, l’arrivée du son dans le cinéma mettra en sourdine les aspirations de nos protagonistes, et celles de bien d’autres stars établies- tel que Jack Conrad, joué par Brad Pitt.

Hollywood après avoir digéré rêves et ambitions, recrache alors, expurge, que ce soit par l’urine, le vomi, la transpiration ou encore la merde. Le premier épanchement de l’éléphant dévoilait alors le cycle de cette industrie qui propulse puis abat les fantasmes au rythme de son évolution. Assurement, dans Babylon, chaque personnage finit par ressentir le besoin de s’échapper, de se libérer, en dansant frénétiquement vers l’obscurité; que ce soit par le suicide, la dependence, ou la retraite.

permanente. A l’image de Sisyphe, Hollywood se violente et lutte, et comme on parvient à s’imaginer Sisyphe heureux, libre à nous de voir de la beauté dans l’impitoyable ephemerité cyclique hollywoodienne. Là, est la lettre que nous adresse Chazelle, une lettre dont la ponctuation finale est un point d’interrogation.

Babylon fait il testament d’un cinéma qui s’embourbe dans la merde, dans la crasse qu’il a lui même etalé faisant sombrer avec lui Nellie et bien d’autres?

Ou ne nous mettrait il pas plutot face à une opération digne d’un alchimiste, battant la merde en neige afin d’en extirper de l’or? Afin d’apporter réponse à ce dilemme, Chazelle invite le spectateur à inspecter la salle de cinéma dans laquelle il se trouve, à s’inspecter lui-même.

Culture

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Le film se finit sur Manuel devant un grand écran des années plus tard, sans voix face à ce que l’avènement du parlant a signifié pour le cinéma, mais surtout pour ceux qui le regardent. On le voit scruter la salle, examiner chaque spectateur avant qu’on ne puisse plus distinguer l’individualité dans la masse du public.

Tel un aveu pour Chazelle, le réalisateur reconnaît être héritier de ces cycles d’Hollywood qui dévore puis recrache les ambitieux qui s’en approchent au profit de son évolution.

Chazelle reconnaît s’inscrire dans une industrie où semer l’individualité des spectateurs afin de se tourner vers la compacité des publics était devenu presque une condition pour être profitable. La

réception de Babylon au cinéma, l’échec total de ce mastodonte de 3 heures au budget astronomique, prouve que Chazelle est

leur et l’espoir de ceux qui y croyaient n’étaient pas nécessaires pour offrir ces croyances et cette beauté aux spectateurs.

“Toute la beauté du cinéma ne se trouverait-elle pas justement dans ces cycles qui célèbrent l’éphémère en faveur des ondes du beau qui nous comblent en tant que spectateurs? “ allé au boude sa démarche; au point de se donner luimême raison.

Mais rappelons nous, la lettre que Damien nous adresse se termine par un point d’interrogation.

Alors quand les larmes de Manuel coulent devant Singing in the rain , on ne peut s’empêcher de nous demander si toute la dou-

Toute la beauté du cinéma ne se trouverait-elle pas justement dans ces cycles qui célèbrent l’éphémère en faveur des ondes du beau qui nous comblent en tant que spectateurs?

Babylon, dans toute sa décadence qui peut nous paraître au début si lointaine, s’adonne alors

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au recul de l’idée du spectateur. Jusqu’où la puissance cicatrisante de la beauté des grands écrans pourrat-elle justifier la cruauté du monstre Hollywoodien? Jusqu’à quand sera-til légitime pour les masses des salles de cinéma de délimiter les frontières du beau? Une infinité d’autres points d’interrogations que Chazelle nous adresse comme un cri du cœur, face auquel on ne peut être insensible. Répondre dans l’immédiat à sa lettre si dense serait alors sot, mais pour le moment, on peut reconnaître que c’était une belle lecture.

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The Menton Times

FEBRUARY 2023

Diving Into Iranian Cinema

By Sarina Soleymani, Staff Writer “At the 84th celebration of the Academy Awards in 2012, Asghar Farhadi — a renowned Iranian director — walked up on the stage to receive his award for best foreign film and give his acceptance speech. He expressed, “Iran is spoken here through a glorious culture (...) hidden under the heavy dust of politics.”

To me, this quote exemplifies the importance of Iranian cinema: it is the brush that cleans the political dust off of Iran, giving a glimpse into the culture, the interactions of the people, the food, the scenery, the good and also the bad.

Within these representations, we still find snippets of the real political context that Iranians live in. Yet this time, these depictions come from Iranian people, as opposed to Western or Islamic media, with ulterior motives behind the narratives they choose to

display. Iran is truly exceptional when it comes to cinema, with numerous brilliantly creative figures that push their way into mainstream media. Let us take a quick dip into some of my cherished recommendations in this oceandeep world of Iranian cinema.

My favorite film of all time, and the first mention on this list, is Asghar Farhadi’s “A Separation.” Winning the previously mentioned Best Foreign Film Oscar in 2012 gave international recognition not only to Farhadi, who continued to win various awards for his subsequent motion pictures, but also to Iranian cinema as a whole. Farhadi’s work generally focuses on human complexities and the varying web of interactions between people that create delicate situations in which the characters are being challenged. He aims to show human vulnerability, underscoring that oftentimes there is not an

obvious answer, a distinct good or bad. He carefully uses naturalist camera work to make the storyline more real, using simplistic techniques and camera angles to follow the characters. This characteristic sets him apart in the film industry.

While all of his work, including “About Elly,” “The Salesman,” and “A Hero,” all deserve their spotlight, the one film that was genuinely above and beyond is, in my eyes, “A Separation.” With one of the most complex yet easy-tofollow storylines, “A Separation” commences with the divorce of two of the main characters: Nader and Simin. Simin wishes to leave the country with their daughter, while Nader needs to stay to care for his father, battling Alzheimer’s. Their situation complicates itself after Nader hires a caretaker for his father, a pregnant lady named Razieh, who comes

from a religious and lower-class background. Following a misunderstanding, Razieh and Nader get into an explosive argument, causing Razieh to have a miscarriage resulting in a trial against Nader. Here, the two families become intertwined, and every sentence they say and every frame that precedes this moment gets examined to reveal the truth.

We empathize with both sides of the story and become emotionally invested while appreciating the rationale behind their actions respectively. It uses a subtle technique to portray its message. It even gives an accurate glimpse into modern Tehran, the varying lifestyles and the socio-political and economic conditions of the people living there. It is truly a masterpiece in which every frame matters and is a remarkable stepping stone to entering the world of Iranian cinema.

My next recommendation comes from an undoubtedly noteworthy Iranian director, Jafar Panahi.

His films bravely express the voice of the Iranian people, their restrictions and the systems they are trapped in. His phenomenal work, dealing with much of the political will of the Iranian population, is often deemed a threat by the regime resulting in his six-year sentence in Evin prison and a ban from film-making. This ban, however, did not stop Panahi as he continued to publish works such

Culture

FEBRUARY 2023

as “This is Not a Film,” “Taxi,” or “No Bears,” which would move on to win international awards.

Yet, the piece that I would like to shed light on is “Offside” (2006).

Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, a strict practice forbade women from entering sports stadiums.

The storyline follows six girls who, for various reasons, sneak into a football match dressed up as men.

They each get caught, and we watch them spend the rest of the game in a detention section of the stadium before getting sent off to the police station accompanied by the men who detained them. The latter are young boys doing their mandatory military service and are thus forced to detain these girls even if they do not necessarily want to.

What is so beautiful about his film is the humanization of these characters, the destigmatization of the people in Iran and how Panahi highlights that the people are not their government. The characters all end up bonding throughout the film: the girls and the military men befriend one another and show signs of mutual trust and care. By first commenting on the underlying hypocrisies and paradoxes within this law, Panahi uses football to comment on the society and Islamic regime, the restrictions it puts on the people and the people’s response to it.

Here, the girls rebel even if they know the consequences, and the men comply, even if they do not wish to because they know the ramifications of disobeying.

The ban on women in stadiums is a dominant issue in Iran, highlighting the discrimination in this gender apartheid regime.

In 2019, Sahar Khodayari, unfortunately, set herself on fire after her trial in which she was prosecuted for entering a stadium.

This ineffable outrage is depicted in films such as “Offside,” where one begins to understand the complex feelings of the people in this system. The film also subtly referenced Iranian social movements, including the White Hijab movement, where Iranian women would either wear a white hijab or take off their hijabs, generally on Wednesdays, to protest against the mandatory veil rule. This entrancing ended with the intriguing directorial choice of playing the old Iranian national anthem before the 1979 revolution while depicting the people’s celebration of the Iranian team winning the march and qualifying for the world cup. This was a strong yet subtle political statement, embodying the population’s disapproval of the regime even if they wish to celebrate their country’s win.

This heart-wrenching and captivating story provokes smiles, laughs and tears in minutes and is certainly not a film to miss!

On a more mundane and philosophical level, there is “Taste of Cherry” by Abbas Kiarostami. As one of the most renowned directors, Kiarostami set an important precedent for the film industry in Iran with several movies, including “Where is The Friends House?” or “Close Up.” He

often depicts the Iranian countryside and uses his spectacular camera movements to illustrate its beauty. In this film, Kiarostami uses an intriguing storytelling technique where he keeps the main character a mystery. We know almost nothing of him, his family or his economic background. The extent of our knowledge is limited to his name, Mr. Badii, and that he is suicidal. Throughout the film, Mr. Badii takes a car stroll in the hills of Iran, picking up passengers who he hopes will carry out a job for him in exchange for money. He hopes to find someone who will go to where he wishes to be buried early in the morning and call his name twice. If he responds, that person will save him, take the money as a reward, and go back home. If he does not, that person should bury his body and take the money for themselves and return to their life. As he picks up these characters, they engage in conversations where they discuss the morality of suicide: the passengers try to discourage him using varying philosophies. The atypical storytelling is particularly compelling as it focuses on the concept and the message — brilliantly revealed in a plot twist that is communicated through just one sentence — as opposed to the main character and his reasons for wanting to commit this act. This film teaches us to appreciate the simple joys of life and highlights this with humble anecdotes and candid yet breathtaking camera shots portraying the scenery of Iran.

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Finally, a classic recommendation is the animation adaptation of Marjane Satrapi’s “Persepolis.”

These delightful sketches give a historical overview of the Iranian revolution and the Iran-Iraq war, portraying a period of dramatic change in Iran through the eyes of the book’s author — Marji. It is astonishingly nostalgic, even relatable, despite being set in a different time frame.

This authenticity is found through the transparency of Marji and her thoughts and feelings alongside the interactions she observes in her family and society at the larger level. Satrapi depicts how the revolution was transformed into something other than what it was intended and the uncertainties of the time.

Persepolis is a digestible, genuine and open-minded account of Iranian history and culture, striving as an excellent starting point for those interested in grasping the Iranian perspective on these events.

Artistic expression has always been central to preserving such a rich culture despite challenging conditions, and cinema does not fall short within this context. Indeed, these are just some of the many fascinating films in the kaleidoscope that is Iranian cinema that illustrates the reality of the Iranian experience.

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The Menton Times

FEBRUARY 2023

Ethical Eating Made Simple with Environnementon’s P’tit Bio Basket

By Angela Saab Saade, Staff Writer Ethical Eating Made Simple with Environnementon’s P’tit Bio Basket Butternut squash, carrots, tomatoes, potatoes, leeks, lettuce, endives, onions, avocado, kiwi, apples, pears, oranges and bananas — you may be thinking, “what a bland set of crops,” or, “what a phenomenal combination of delicious ingredients.” Once I read what I had written, I thought, “this could be a children’s song.” Unlike what the picture below may insinuate, the presented list is not just a bunch of fruits and vegetables in a basket. Each of these items may be transformed into a delicious meal rich in flavors, colors, vitamins and biotics, either combined

with the right ingredients or prepared individually to yield positively surprising outcomes. This article will demonstrate how I used my P’tit Bio basket.

More importantly, we will explore — in tandem with Environnementon’s “Veganuary” initiative — the environmental impact of different diets.

The P’tit Bio Basket is Environnementon’s way of providing you with the necessary resources to facilitate your preparation of more ethical and eco-friendly plant-based meals. Sold at eight euros, while the original purchase is priced two euros more from P’tit Bio in Menton, the basket is extremely cost-efficient. The co-president of Environnementon, Esther Boulekouane, affirms the aim of this discount is “to offer

the student body a cheap option to have this sound and plant-based alimentation.” Fifteen baskets are sold every two weeks.

I certainly encourage you to try it out; my two roommates and I have bought it twice this semester and would have purchased it more often had we had the chance! Kindly note this is not an ad; I am not even part of the association, but I am fond of great deals, yummy food and noble mission.

Perhaps the easiest and most convenient meal during this cold weather is vegetable soup. My roommates and I collectively chopped some onions, carrots, potatoes and leeks. It took us no more than ten minutes to chop them all up and place them in hot water with two vegetable

broth cubes, olive oil and spices to taste. We also dropped in lentils as a protein source. Alternatively, you may choose to add tofu, chickpeas or beans.

About thirty minutes later, we ate the soup alongside a baguette, which was the perfect way to end the long and tiring cold day.

With the lettuce and endives, I made a delicious side salad for my baked potatoes, topped with balsamic dressing, olive oil and salt. I also ate the lettuce and avocado on toast with zaatar, a delicious Levantine dried-herb mix.

As for the half butternut squash, I tried it for the first time this year. However, when I devoured what my roommates had cut up in cubes, baked in the oven with some olive oil and salt and tossed into our

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communal salad of baked vegetables and tofu, I instantly noticed my culinary world expanding. I can attest that I have disregarded a superb vegetable for the first nineteen years of my life — I hope you have not been missing out too.

Lastly, the fruits of the basket were eaten as snacks, alone or with peanut butter (which, by the way, appears to be sold at a great deal at Menton’s Asian Store!)

There are countless ways you could choose to eat the fruits and vegetables from your P’tit Bio Basket.

Regardless, they emit far fewer carbon emissions than animal-based products, especially meat. As a reference, the Carbon Food Calculator estimates that one kilogram of meat produced in the region of the European Union emits 24.13 kilograms of CO2 emissions. On the other hand, one kilogram of squash emits 4.1 kilograms of CO2, one kilogram of tomatoes emits 3.36 kilograms of CO2, and all other vegetables and fruits included in the P’tit Bio Basket emit under 1.3 kilograms of CO2 emissions per kilogram. Figures for the impact of daily versus weekly meat consumption and other protein sources have been presented in the images below as a general overview. To better understand the impact of your consumption, you may refer to the Harvard Foodprint Calculator, the BBC Calculator or others. Furthermore, on its Instagram page, Environnementon has shared various recipes that may ease your transition to a more sustain-

able lifestyle. Some other resources that may be of relevance are itsvegansis, veganiina, dr.vegan, _sunchef, fitgreenmind and thecheftomy. Pick and choose!

While this article sheds light on the impact of each consumption on the ecosystem that we so vitally need to survive as a human species and as a planet, it is by no means claiming that these individual steps will solve the worldwide dilemma of the unethical, environmentally degrading animal-based industry. The need for greater initiatives is undeniable, but it does

not mean we must remove all responsibility from ourselves. Indeed, as the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. Still, in this day and age, ignorance is no longer an excuse, especially being educated citizens of the world. We must all take the initiative if we have the means, individually, within our communities and global institutions. It is not a chronological process, where one starts small and ends big, but rather a combination of changes in individual lifestyle habits and entrenched communal norms. There is no point in beating yourself up if you enjoy eating meat or

other animal-based products; we have been accustomed to such habits from a very young age. Rather than unrealistically attempting to cut off all animal-based food, you may try to reduce consumption instead. As Boulekouane expressed well, “It is really simple to tell someone to go vegan/vegetarian (and make them conscious of their environmental footprints), but it is way better to provide tools for the transition and to show people that being vegan is not dull, nor annoying.” I hope this article has done precisely that.

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How Jihadists Are Ravaging Burkina Faso

By Isabella Hehl Dalla Zuanna, Staff Writer When discussing the targets of violent jihadists, Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq are often the focal points. Yet, one of the countries most ravaged by terrorism today is Burkina Faso. Ranked fourth in countries most impacted by terrorism by the 2022 Global Terrorism Index, it suffered 732 deaths, 231 injured and 216 overall attacks last year. In the past, the jihadists in Burkina Faso — mostly Jamat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen and Islamic State West Africa — targeted pro-government forces such as the military and state officials. However, in the last several years, the targets have mostly become civilians, volunteer defense forces and sometimes even tourists, who are confronted by improvised explosive devices (IED), small-arms attacks, assassinations and kidnappings by jihadists aiming to expand their territorial control. As a result, there are now more than one million internally displaced Burkinabe, most of whom were forced to leave their homes as a direct result of the extremist violence.

For the last three consecutive years, civilians have been the most targeted group by terrorists. On June 5, 2021, jihadists murdered over 160 people in Solhan in the Yagha province and injured more than 40. Considered the most

vicious and deadly attack in Burkina Faso in the last several years, the terrorists — of which the group is unknown — began their attack by assassinating a volunteer defense force militia and then proceeding to strike the village, killing the civilians inside and burning down their houses and a market. Tragically, of

nity feels unprotected and excluded by its government, especially by the youth — in part due to corruption and inequality of wealth, resources and security — will show less of a tendency to resist the territorial expansion of the armed groups. The terrorist crisis also impacts elections in Burkina Faso. With a his-

the 160 people, 20 were children.

tory of coup d’états, the rise in terrorism further impairs fair election processes, as mass displacement challenges voter turnout.

As one of the poorest countries in the world, more than half of its population lives on 1.90 U.S. dollars a day, and its terrorist crisis only worsens the situation. Factors such as recent climate shocks, the growing population and food insecurity stagnate poverty levels, especially impacting urban areas, where the unemployment rate is 50 percent.

This poverty, inefficient governance and geographical inequality in state security have allowed for the country’s vulnerability to terrorist attacks.

The country’s military weakness and inequality have given credibility and opportunity to non-state armed groups.

Regions where the commu-

Due to insufficient troop availability, the Burkinabe government has increasingly recruited civilian auxiliaries, which are rapidly trained and sent to various at-risk regions. Unfortunately, these new recruits have increasingly become the main target of extremist groups, suggesting that volunteers have now replaced the military on the front lines. However, these volunteer defense forces have been accused of numerous human rights violations by Burkinabe civilians and international organizations, such as illegal killings and

the targeting of native Peuhl, an indigenous people mostly concentrated in northern Burkina Faso in geographically isolated, economically marginalized and dry areas.

The government has also committed many human rights violations, including torture, unlawful executions of suspected criminals and Islamists and arbitrary detentions. Prison overcrowding is a severe problem in Burkina Faso, and most prisoners are not informed of or guaranteed their legal rights. Access to education has severely decreased in recent years due to insecurity.

The Burkinabe government closed 10 percent of schools in May 2021, resulting in more than 300,000 children being out of school.

The vicious attacks of Jamat Nusrat Al-Islam wal Muslimeen and Islamic State West Africa have not only caused hundreds of deaths and injuries. As a result, the poverty level has worsened, mass displacement continues, education levels deteriorate, human rights violations occur frequently, the law loses its meaning even to government officials, and the overall political future of Burkina Faso is unstable. The crisis is not just a terrorist one; it is humanitarian and deserves swift, effective and international action.

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Sanctions: Relations Between the West and Iran Continue To Intensify

By Leo Gerza, Staff Writer Since the end of January, the issue of the Iranian regime has slowly been consuming more dialogue within the European Union bloc. On the one hand, the discussion on how and to what extent the union needs to act against the regime is driven by the latter’s continued brutality against its civilian population. On the other hand, concerns over Iran stem much closer to home on the Ukrainian battlefront, where Iran has been exporting drones to assist Russia in its illegal invasion and occupation of Ukrainian territory.

The discussion on how to address these actions has developed into a practical debate on how to most effectively sanction Iran to limit and deter exports. It has once again underscored differences in how far European Union leaders are willing to go to assist widespread retaliation against authoritarian repression. Simultaneously, sharpened rhetoric directed against Iran within these debates has contributed to escalating tensions between both sides.

On Jan. 19, the European Parliament passed a resolution calling for the union to recognize Iran’s elite forces and its subsidiaries as “terrorist organizations,” mainly in response to the regime’s lethal repression of civilian protesters. The resolution, however,

is not binding, and the European Union’s chief of foreign policy, Josep Borrell, made clear that “you cannot say I consider you a terrorist because I don’t like you.” Therefore, the proposed designation will not be introduced until it has gone through the correct legal process. In retaliation, Iran claimed that it would vote on whether to designate European armed forces as terrorist organizations in a tit-for-tat move.

Iran also threatened that negotiations to restore its 2015 nuclear deal would be entirely off the table. While both of these largely symbolic moves are unlikely to materialize, it demonstrates renewed tension in the verbal dialogue

ion, and their assets can be frozen. On the same day, the U.S. Treasury announced it would join by targeting the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a large group of its senior members and Iran’s Deputy Minister of Intelligence and Security Naser Rashedi. “Along with our partners, we will continue to hold the Iranian regime accountable so long as it relies upon violence, sham trials, and the execution of protestors,” said the Treasury Department.

between both sides which will likely be reflected in more aggressive policy toward each other soon.

and organizations. Notably, the list of sanctioned individuals included Deputy Prosecutor General Ahmad Fazelian because he weaponized the judicial system for political purposes. The British foreign minister, James Cleverly, said, “judicial figures using the death penalty for political ends… are at the heart of the regime’s brutal repression of the Iranian people.”

However, the European Union and the United States acted decisively to implement new sanctions on Iran. The union voted to add 37 Iranian officials and organizations to the sanctions list. Those targeted by sanctions cannot travel to the European Un-

In a rare moment of synchronization, the U.K. acted in step with the union and the United States, also acting to sanction Iranian individuals

In retaliation to the series of coordinated sanctions from the West, Iran blacklisted 34 individuals and organizations in the European Union and the United Kingdom. The list of blacklisted individuals covers members of the European parliament, military commanders, city officials, and three executives at the French Magazine Charlie Hebdo, who had been accused of publishing a series of satirical caricatures depicting the elite of the Iranian regime. In the U.K., individuals blacklisted included legal officials such as the Prosecutor General and several intelligence officers.

Amidst the 44th anniversary of the regime, President Ebrahim Raisi targeted the West in an invigorated speech where he was met with chants of “death to America” and “death to Israel.” This continued aggressive rhetoric comes at the same time that relations between Iran and Russia are coming ever closer together. On Feb. 8, the Central Bank of Iran (CBI) claimed that it connected Iran and Russia’s financial messaging services to facilitate an expansion in bilateral economic relations. This will undoubtedly further solidify the alliance between both countries and will need to be met by continued cooperation on foreign policy between member countries within the union and between Europe, the United States and the United Kingdom.

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Prices Soar as the Egyptian Economy Enters a Recession

By Catarina Vita, Staff Writer Egypt, which has been in an economic recession since before its manifestations of political discontent in 2011, accumulates 85.6 percent of its economy in debt.

As Egyptians demanded “bread, freedom and social equality” during the Arab Spring, their nation was plagued with precarious living standards and an unstable economy. Protests petitioning better administration of the economy brought global awareness to the Egyptian situation.

Unemployment raged due to serious issues in infrastructure — such as the precarious maintenance of roads and unhelpful urban planning — besides the grave mismanagement of national economic investments. From 2013 to 2014, 6 percent of the Egyptian Gross Domestic Product was directed to fuel subsidies, which neglected the healthcare and infrastructure sectors. The towering unemployment rate of 13.4 percent in 2013 is largely due to infrastructure itself; the lack of road maintenance makes the working commute harder, similarly to the urban planning that could be better. As a result, Egypt enters a vicious cycle — or downward spiral — of dangerously low economic growth.

The Egyptian Arab Spring activists in 2011 watched the economic recession rise from 9.8 percent to 13.5 percent in 2013 — and this percentage only grows. Besides the over-

investment in the fuel industry, the funding of long-term projects, such as building a new metropolis and the artificial “Green River,” a chain of lakes below the desert, also bog down the Egyptian economy. These two projects specifically exacerbate Egypt’s emergency climate crisis.

When Nadeen Ebrahim from

tian economy — climbed.

Investors in Egypt swiftly retracted, causing the Egyptian pound to depreciate 14 percent against the U.S. dollar.

Grain prices flew as Russian blockades made accessible trade impossible. Egypt, with Russia and Ukraine as two of its biggest importers of grain, no longer offered accessible

“Investors in Egypt swiftly retracted, causing the Egyptian pound to depreciate 14 percent against the U.S. dollar. “ the CNN asked Professor Nabeel Elhady at Cairo University about his input on Egyptian artificial states, he responded that carrying water to an artificial metropolis is far from sustainable — environmentally and financially.

Egypt continued to suffer economically in 2022. The impacts of the war in Ukraine reached the Middle East as fuel prices — the main source of investment in the Egyp-

bread prices, leading to widespread food insecurity.

From 2021 to January 2023, the prices for chicken, a standard item for the Egyptian diet, went from 30 Egyptian pounds to 70. Chicken swiftly turned into a luxury item in Egyptian kitchens, and the National Institute of Nutrition responded to criticism with the suggestion of eating chicken feet, which is not commonly eaten in Egypt,

according to CNN. Using a photoshopped picture of the world-famous soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo and the proposed meal idea, starving Egyptians resorted to this advice, and the price of chicken feet doubled. The National Institute of Nutrition swiftly deleted the post after Egyptian influencers and news organizations noticed the falsehood of the image.

Home to over 100 million people, Egypt undergoes a downward spiral of economic insufficiency. The issues of food shortage and insecurity, lack of governmental credibility and raging unemployment simultaneously join hands during this crisis. For over ten years now, Egyptians have demanded “bread, freedom and social equality.” Hopefully, with global cooperation and more efficient economic investments, the Egyptian people will receive what they have for so long been asking for.