Who should be my next BDE?

Interviews conducted by Tyler Jaewon Kim.

Shanalee Diop (President)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?

A: Okay, so hi everyone, my name is Shanalee and I’m running for BDE president.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: Okay, so the decision of running for president was actually quite difficult because I was hesitating with all the different positions, but then I realized that’s actually the reason why president is the best fit because you’re supposed to kind of coordinate everyone and make sure that everyone is working towards the same goal and that’s exactly what I want to do.  And why am I the best fit? Well, first of all, I think I have quite an experience as a president of a student council and managing different events, organizing stuff and that’s just something I really enjoy and I’m passionate about. And I mean, when I arrived in Sciences Po I really had a terrible FOMO, I wondered what was I doing here, but there was one thing that I was sure about, is that I wanted to run as BDE president and I’m determined to do so.

Q: What will your top three priorities be for next year?

A: So, first of all, I think that one of the main issues this year is the fact that French students and international students are super divided, whether it’s in activities or lectures or just on campus, there’s always like two groups. And I think that it’s important to have more events and activities that leads them to bond. So like kind of not forcing them, but having an opportunity to kind of detach yourself from your “feel like home” group, then as next priority, I’d say kind of continue doing such a great work that the BDE is currently doing, but maybe make it more as I said inclusive, but also more creative. Because I’ll be honest, I was really debating whether I wanted to run for a BDE or BDA. And then I realized BDE fits me best, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t make BDE a bit more fun with new ideas and new events.  And lastly, we’d like with our Head of Comms and Head of Integration to make a focus on the 1As, because we all had a kind of tough experience arriving in Le Havre and getting used to everything. Everything was super overwhelming. So we want to work on that and give them more tools to make Le Havre feel like home quicker and better.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: That I’m extremely motivated, first of all, and that I’m sincere in my goals.

Louise Dumas (President)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?

A: Okay, so my name is Louise and I’m running for BDE president.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: So, I really want to create an atmosphere like in our campus that’s very welcoming and inclusive, so that goes through the integration of future 1As, but also through the events throughout all the year, so that we can all have time altogether, having fun, having events where everyone is welcome. So yeah, and what makes me the best candidate, I think it’s because I’m someone that is quite social, but at the same time, like I’m a bit also introverted. So I like to have time to speak with people. And I think I would be able to take into consideration the needs of everyone and how it’s best for them to be included in our community.

Q: What will your top three priorities be for next year?

A: So yeah, my first priority is the inclusivity of everyone, so especially 1As. My second priority would be fun events, so all types of events, whether it’s more for the party people, so parties, uh stuff like that, bar nights, but also events that are more on campus games and more chill. And I think my third priority would be safety. So whether that goes from in our events to be safe with like a VSS referent, safety taxis, things like that, but also in general having an atmosphere in our campus that’s very safe for everyone.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: Vote for me!

Bartholomew Loh (Vice President)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?

A: Okay, so firstly thank you Tyler for the sessions and my name is Bartholomew and I come from the dumpling list! I’m running for the vice president.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: Okay, so since high school, I feel like vice president is always the right position for me because I don’t love to be the person that leads the team but I love to be a great supporter – kind of like helps the leader with organizing the team and making everyone bonds closer together.

Q: What will be your top three priorities for next year?

A: Okay, so I think the most important thing about BDE is making the events more fun to have more diversity in terms of events. One of the ideas that I might be able to think of right now is maybe something for an exchange student to help them to integrate to the campus easier so we can have an event for them to get to know the other people. Yeah, so that’s firstly making events more fun and second, it’s about inclusivity to make it more inclusive for everyone to make it more safe and fun at the same time. And third, I think it’s about less stress to make everyone informed about the information and to know what you should do every week.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: Vote for Bart!

Zo-Ren Baey (Vice-President)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?  

A: Hi everyone. I’m Zo-Ren and I’m running for BDE vice president.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’m the best candidate per se, but what I can say is that I am very passionate for the role and I think that I have some relevant experience over the past, maybe nine years or so since even before high school, I have been really involved in student councils, event committees and I think I’ve learned a lot from them and I have a lot of fun with them and I think they were what really defined my time in school. I really enjoy working with people. I really enjoyed coming up with proposals and executing them on the ground. So I think that perhaps with this experience, I hope that it would help me lead better together with the president to offer insight to make sure that processes are overseen correctly, and to ensure that things flow seamlessly.

Q: What will be your top three priorities for next year?

A: For the next year, I think for the current students of Le Havre, I think that it is definitely to continue creating, to build on the work of the previous BDE, to foster an environment where everybody feels comfortable, and to create more opportunities or even on the ground beyond events and initiatives for people to get together to know each other better, to basically have a good campus life. And on the second level, which is basically after summer break when our 0As or the new 1As come in, to really make them have a good start. To allow barriers to be broken, to allow the next batch, the 25-26 batch to have a good time. And at the same time with that to foster inter-asso synergy so that we can present Sciences Po Le Havre as one, such that everybody will be able to find their best place here on campus.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: I think one thing to take away from this interview is that, as vice president, I hope to inject a bit more simplicity, as well as at the same time, systematic capability, to the way that BDE runs. I am a strong believer that processes, when simple, are the easiest to be executed. So not just within the BDE and its, BDE’s, relations with the school and with other assos and with administrations that this would best foster like things to be able to get done. And if you vote me for vice president, I will ensure that these processes are well established and well followed.

Minbi Roux (Head of Integration)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?

A: Okay, so my name is Minbi and I’m running for the role of head of integration in the list of the dumplings.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: Well, I would say, like, usually some of my friends tell me I have the feeling of a kind of mom in the friend group and I think that’s one of the qualities that is important as a head of integration. Also, as a mixed kid, because I’m French and Korean, I would say that even if I’m French in France, I had to kind of integrate myself as a kid, because I wasn’t fully French, but I wasn’t also fully Korean either. So I had to kind of invent a kind of new identity to fit into society. And even if it wasn’t the same as what international students who are coming here to Le Havre experience, I think it’s a kind of little, kind of smaller, kind of the same, similar experience.  And also, as I’ve evoked before, I’m mixed, so like my mom is Korean. And as a foreigner, she also had to do some paperwork and various things, et cetera. So like ever since I was a kid, I was kind of familiar with this stuff.  So I think as someone who is familiar with this, it would be a great help for people, like for international students who are coming here to get some help from people who are already used to it.

Q: What will be your top three priorities for next year?

A: So as I have already wrote in my Instagram post in the account of our list, so the first priority would be to set up some kind of time slots during the vacation in order for the future 1As to call me directly to kind of help them with the paperwork in advance before helping them in real life in Le Havre when they arrive. Because when I was reading the group chat during summer vacation, I saw that some international students were asking some messages, like they might message something about how is life in Le Havre, how do you do this stuff and this stuff like four people work, blah, blah, blah. And I don’t know, I felt like it would be much more easier to just have some fixed time slots for a student to call a reference in order to tackle this thing and like it would be much more efficient. Another thing would be about the VSS referents, because I believe that the role and the responsibilities of the VSS referents are not really clear to people. Like the reason why I think this is because when I first started thinking of what I should do as a Head of Integration, I was thinking about the role of VSS and VSS referent. And well, I was thinking of what I should do, like what I should like what kind of measure I should adopt linked with this problem. And for every member, not for every member, but like when I asked some people about what they knew about the VSS referent role, it was kind of blurry. So I thought it would be important to make the role of the VSS clearer and also how big is their scope of action. Because due to some personal experience in Sciences Po it’s an issue that is very, very important for me to tackle. So yeah, that’s also one of my priorities. And one last thing is linked with integration. Well, I think it’s important to have a link between international and French students. But also, like the first thing you have when you arrive to Le Havre is the contact with the 2As.  And I think a good system of Godfamily would be important, because I know that some of my friends I won’t say a lot, but I know that some of my friends were kind of deceived with their god-dad or god-mom because like after a few weeks they started not to like not ghost each other, but like they started to talk less to each other. And I feel it’s quite a shame because it’s your first contact with Sciences Po. And like, it’s kind of precious, it’s a kind of new family in a place where you don’t have any relatives. So, yeah, I think it’s kind of important.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: Well, I would say just vote for me if you think I’m qualified enough for this job, because like, in the end, if I’m campaigning for this role it’s because I think I’m qualified, but I don’t know if it’s the case for you guys. So, yeah, so if you think I’m fit for the job, just vote for me, because like my role is to, please you and the 1As next year and to make you live the happiest community here.

Minha Lee (Head of Integration)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?

A: So hi I’m Minha. I’m Minha Lee and I am running for a head of integration in Sunny Side Up.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: I’m running for head of integration because I was also an international student who’s very new to Le Havre in general, but what I think makes me a good candidate is that I still have experience with French culture. I lived here a little when I was young and I continued in the French education system, so it’s not completely new to me, but everything that’s administrative or just like campus life in general was new. So I think that I have, I can be relatable, but I can also be really helpful when it comes to integrating students.

Q: What will your top three priorities be for next year?

A: My top three priorities, is that, first of all, to really well prepare all of the new coming 1As for next year, so whether it would be through communication or welcome kits. I’m really invested into making it really clear for them for their transition to be really smooth in Le Havre. Another thing that’s really on my mind is, for example, the godparent system. It has been played in place in the beginning of the year, but I’ve noticed that towards the middle and the end of the year, sometimes people forget that it exists. So a few events regarding godchildren, godparents, I think would be really nice to kind of keep the bond going. And my third priority is that a lot of people think head of integration is just for the beginning of the year for 1As only. And I don’t think that’s true. I think that integration is throughout not only your 1A, but also during your 2A and also when you’re going to your 3A, for example. And so what’s really important for me is to work with the admin. If you have any problems regarding campus life, it’s up to me.  And so I’m really here for 2As as well, for future 2As next year too.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: Just one thing, uh that I’m here to listen to you and that I’m here to communicate your thoughts whenever you need.

Gemma Tabet (Secretary)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?

A: So my name is Gemma and I’ll be running for the BDE and specifically the secretary position

Q: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: I think there are a lot of different qualities that I can bring to this position. First of all, I think our whole group as a whole works really well together as a team, and I think that’s also something very important that you don’t see me just as the position I’m running for, but also as our whole team, then specifically for me, I think, well you can see already what we’ve posted a lot on our own Instagram. I’m very well organized. I’m always on time, especially because I’m Swiss. I’m always keeping track of things through calendars and to-do lists.  And then my second quality I think that is also very important is that I’m very creative and I would consider myself as sort of an artist. And so this means that I’m able to create visual interpretations of different things. Like, for example, our logos for the Dumplings were designed by me.  And I think that’s just good evidence of how I can break down things clearly and effectively, and this is something that I don’t just do through drawings, but that I can also do through notes. And as anybody knows, if a team doesn’t know what to do and then the team’s not going to work out. So I think as secretary, I can really help the team and help the BDE create amazing events.

Q: What will be your top three priorities for next year?

A: So top three priorities, I think, is, first of all, to listen to the students. A BDE is working for the students, by the students. So my top priority is to make sure that all the events that we’re doing all the activities are what the students want. So we want to make sure your voices are heard. My second priority would also be, well, as secretary to make sure that the team is working effectively and that inside the team itself, we’re all listening to one another. So I guess that could be sort of like highlighting empathy because I think it’s important that everybody’s different perspectives are heard and that we are all working together. And then my third priority is just to create amazing events. I really want, seeing what the BDE has done this year, I really want to keep that going and even try to even top it, although they have done a very good job.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: I would like for them to know that as secretary, I will be here for them and that our whole team will be there and to vote dumplings!

Aarav Gupta (Secretary)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?

A: I am Aarav and I’m running for the position of secretary of the BDE with the list Sunny Side Up.

A: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: I think overall, first of all, as to why secretary, I think secretary is one of the most important positions in the BDE, because unless there’s structure and there’s organization to the BDE, real plans cannot be executed. To me, at least, it’s about having well structured discourse and making sure that the discussions that take place within the bureau are leading to an outcome, more than just having discussions and talking in air. And for me personally, I believe that because I have ran for so many student offices back in school, be that Model UN, Dramatic Society, Debating Society, etcetera, etcetera, I have had experience with well structured discourse on things and well structured meetings, planning, etcetera, etcetera, especially when it comes to doing that with friends, because I feel like there’s a huge difference between doing it in a corporate environment when you’re working with simply coworkers than when you’re working with people who you are really close to, that personal-professional distance at the same time, making sure that there’s a good environment needs to be made and I think I can really provide that, which is why I think I will work well for the secretary of the BDE.

Q: What will be your top three priorities for next year?

A: My top three priorities: I want to, of course, have fortnightly meetings, because I believe that it’s the best way of ensuring that you have all the qualms of the student community met by the BDE and that integration is easier into the community, because integration is not about the first week, about the welcome week or about the weekend of integration.  It’s way more than that really. It’s about the integration into the student bodies for those who were not active during WEI or who were not feeling themselves when they first came to Le Havre. So for me, that’s my first priority. These fortnightly meetings need to be again, well structured, they need to have proper minutes recorded, etcetera, etcetera. That’s my role as secretary. My second most important thing that I want to do as a secretary of the BDE is to ensure that students have all their important deadlines known to them because right now with my student peers experiencing that they were not aware of a lot of deadlines about CAF, about getting their Visa processed.  A lot of them are minors and they don’t know what to do after they become an adult. So I feel like if there is somebody who is able to tell them, not just about deadlines on events, on academic work, about their administrative responsibilities when they come to a college when they come to Sciences Po, I think that’s my second most important priority. And the third is transparency and accountability. I believe that what happens in the BDE meetings, even if we cannot, of course, record the meetings and put them out online, we can at least give people regular updates about what the BDE discussed, what we are planning next so they know that they voted us for a reason and that we are doing what we were voted to do. So I think these are my top three priorities that I will have once I’m elected as the secretary of the BDE.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: I think that one message would be that to me, everything is about how approachable this list is of the BDE of the Sunny Side Up. Because I believe that we can try integrating well into the community – getting students integrated well into the community from our end – but if it’s not a two-way discussion, if you’re not approachable, then this would not work out because we need to know the problems of the student community to help them integrate better.  We need to know what went wrong, what is going on and what might go wrong and we need to know this from the student community itself. And yeah, I think this particular list myself included. I feel like we are definitely an approachable bunch. We are a diverse community, first of all. And secondly, we try to talk to as many people and be as approachable as possible. I think that’s what I want people to take away from this interview.

Elena Friess (Treasurer)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?

A: So my name is Elena, and I’m running for treasurer in the list of Sunny Side Up.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: So I wanted to run for treasurer because I think it’s an interesting position where you can learn new skills and improve quickly in it. And you’re also very useful to the BDE because you organize the whole budget and I like the importance of this post. And I think I would be good at this post because first I’m organized and I’m also an approachable person so you can ask me questions and I can come to you about deposits, for example for the events, and other things. So I want also to improve myself in some skills, for example, organizing budgets because I already did it, but I want to do it more deep, I think.

Q: What will be your top three priorities for next year?

A: So for next year, first, I would like to build an efficient and smart budget for the BDE.  I would like to help the new students and the actual students to open and close their bank accounts, especially for the international ones. And I would like with the rest of the BDE of the bureau to organize great events and great integration week, especially.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: I think I would like them to forget my rough voice because I’m kind of sick, so I would like them to hear a harmonized voice so that it’s perfect.

Mattys Ramnauth (Treasurer)

Q: What is your name and what is the position that you are running for?

A: Hello guys, my name is Mattys Ramnauth and I’m running for treasurer.

Q: Why did you choose to run for this role? What makes you the best possible candidate for it?

A: So I am both French and Mauritian. I’ve grown up in France for my entire life, 18 years in Lille – kinda boring. Which is why I wanted to come to Sciences Po actually because I really wanted to do that 3A somewhere else. And yeah I’m running for treasurer. So I was thinking of which Assos should I do and then I just came up with the fact that outside of being a serious student I’m not the one who will be the goofiest hanging around and doing something. I’m not that motivated by sports as well so definitely BDE and inside the BDE definitely treasurer. I love being on the computer all the time and you can probably see me I’m always in the library reading the most random stuff ever I just like to collect data and that’s I feel like the ways through which I could be the most useful to everyone and I think that’s why I ran for treasurer. If there was one role for which I could’ve run I think it would’ve been this one. When I was like Assos I was like yeah treasurer or I’m not doing it.

Q: What will be your top three priorities for next year?

A: So if I were to be elected my first priority would be that okay first of all I’ve witnessed many internationals struggle with the LCL creating account thing, I come from an international background as well and half of my family dealt with the French system and I know how painful it is so I would really love to make sure that this process goes as smoothly as possible so people can actually enjoy what happens at the beginning of the year. After this I think something that may be missing sometimes is the transparency, how is the money actually spent. Of course I cannot reveal like the actual bank account but I would love to have small talks or maybe just an instagram post to tell your money that you’re giving me right now is going to be used for this this and this, right? That’s something I would like to bring to build confidence in people. And finally I would love to be someone that you can reach out to so easily, I’m like always on campus so fees payments you can just find me and I may have a phone addiction right so I should be able to answer you whenever my help is needed.

Q: If readers could take away just one thing from this interview, what do you want it to be?

A: I would love people to see me as a serious student, I think within BDE you have many different roles some of the roles ask for people to be extroverts like going for everyone and talking and interact. I think that for treasurer definitely the one thing that you need is someone who is organized, who can plan in advance and I want to show this image to the people.

Mushus, Meet Your Candidates for HD!

by Nayantara Maitra Chakravarty

Yatika Singh

Q: Okay, can you give us a quick introduction to yourself?

A: Okay, my name is Yatika and I’m running for HD. I’m from India and I want to transform the pre-professional side of HD because I believe in the other aspects HD is doing excellently, but I think there can be a major revolution, if I may say so, for the pre-professional side.

Q: What would make you the best candidate for it?

A: I am extremely committed to making sure that everybody is successful. I want you to succeed and I will do anything possible for that. And I’m very good at utilising the resources of the pre-existing institution and mobilising them for your needs. And as a student council member at my last school as well, I was also very actively involved in connecting alumni to mentor students. So I’m very familiar with working in pre-professional areas. And I want to implement things like that, even at Sciences Po.

Q: What are your top three priorities for the next year?

A: My top three priorities for the next year would first be to make sure that students at Sciences Po, whether it’s first years or second years, do not feel unequipped to take on the professional world after Sciences Po ends. Whether you’re doing a master’s or not, I believe that everybody should have some core professional competencies in terms of soft and hard skills, such as networking and conflict management, to make sure that you feel comfortable in the future workspace. Secondly, I think one of my priorities would be to make sure that SciencesPistes at the Le Havre campus are exposed to as many different perspectives and voices through HD speakers as possible, whether it’s for your career related talks or for academic or cultural or political talks. But I believe that the speakers could be expanded and we can also add panel discussions and roundtable discussions and more of a Q&A interview style presentation to the speaker events. My third priority for HD would be to make HD a cozy environment which is not very intimidating because sometimes HD becomes larger than itself and I feel like it’s very important to make it rooted and grounded in what students actually want, whether it’s in the cultural aspect or the political aspect or pre-professional, anything it may be. So I want it to be inclusive, accessible and mobilized for you.

Q: If viewers should take away one thing from this interview, what would it be?

A: The only thing I want you to take away, if I have to make it the only thing, would be that I am ready to work for you and I am extremely committed to making sure that your speeches get what they deserve when they’re in an institution which ranks number two in the world for politics.

Swapnarka Arna (CJ)

Q: Can you give a quick introduction?

A: Hello everyone, I’m CJ and I’m running for Havrais Dire, HD.

Q: Why are you running for this position and what makes you the best candidate for it?

A: Well, since the very beginning, I’ve been extremely involved and active in politics, not only on campus but off campus as well. I’m a journalist on this topic. I’m an indigenous rights activist. And also, I fight for the rights of even the most marginalized communities. I think we need more political activism and more involvement in politics on campus, and we need to provide a platform where we can freely express our views.

Q: What are your top three priorities for the next year?

A: It’s very simple. First of all, unite the French and international students. Secondly, is to protect free speech. Your speech matters, your views matter, and we need to protect it. And finally, we need more political activism on campus. Bring back politics to campus. This is the heart of student life. We need more events, more fundraisers, more guest speakers. Bring it all.

Q: If viewers could take away just one thing from this interview, what would it be?

A: It’s very simple. CJ cares and CJ delivers. I have ideas on what to do. I want to bring in ambassadors who can enlighten you on world politics. I want art for activism, where we use art for activism. It’s pretty self-explanatory. I want more fundraising events to help people in need, whether it’s from climate disasters in Asia, or human rights defenders, or helping women in Afghanistan. This is what we want to do. We want to create an impact, not only on campus, but on the world around us. And that’s the difference that we as students of Sciences Po need to make.

Viren Gemini

Q: Can you first give a quick introduction to yourself?

A: My name is Viren Gemini and I’m a 1A on this campus.

Q: Why are you running for HD and what makes you the best candidate?

A: I’m running for HD because I’m interested in making sure that we have a more streamlined approach to debate, speaking, and cultural events and activities. And after a lot of deliberation, I came to four main ideas that I want to implement if I get elected. I want to make sure that I have a clear aim if I do get the chance to be a part of HD. And I want to focus on expanding some clubs that are dormant at the moment and making sure that HD is a bigger deal. Working with other campuses, I’ve had the opportunity to go to some. Recently I went to Reims and I was able to talk to people. They’re very interested in collaboration. That’s something that I’m very open to. And the other week collaboration beyond campuses, but use leveraging Sciences Po’s network to make sure that the existing clubs have wider access and more projects that they can work on. For example, the Economic Society, the Finance Investment Society, and the Geopolitics Society. And that links me to my third point, which is my idea of creating a think tank that will focus on the Asia Pacific. So really emphasizing our unique identity as a campus, something that brought us all here together, the idea of analyzing and common providing commentary on the Asia-Pacific actively. And I really want to work on that with collaboration from multiple clubs in HD and make that a streamlined initiative for next semester that will be consistent. And last but not least is the student voice. I want to work on a citizen’s assembly, something that I’ve heard the Year Reps talk about. I’ve heard chatter around campus and that should be something that’s very active and consistent and make sure that student voice is heard on all matters.

Q: And what makes you the best candidate to do this?

A: I believe I’m willing to allocate a lot of time. That’s something that I believe is very important for someone that’s running for assos. I put a lot of time into thinking whether I’ll be able to dedicate the effort and what it takes to achieve what I’m saying, which is nothing easy and which is nothing minor. It involves taking the initiative to organize events, inter-campus events, collaborations, these are not things that are going to be easy and I want to work, I want to put in the effort to talk to admin, to talk to other campuses, to talk to other institutions, corporations, reach out to them, use the Sciences Po network to make sure that we are having, we are creating an environment that’s vibrant and full of conversation, learning, cultural exchange, and pluralism, where French international students, all of us can come together and talk.

Q: Lastly, if viewers could take away just one thing from this interview, what would it be?

A: Vote for Viren!

Felicia Aldiyani

Q: Could you first give a quick introduction to yourself?

A: Hi everyone! I’m Felicia, I’m from Indonesia, and I’m running for HD.

Q: Why are you running for HD and what makes you the best candidate for it?

A: I’m running for HD because this semester I’ve been involved in quite many HD clubs so I kind of observed how 2As organize the events and I’m just more familiar with the environment of HD and I also have quite aspirations of what kind of events and what kind of campus life that I want to implement through HD. And what makes me a perfect candidate is because I myself already saw how two ways they coordinate, they’re working together to make HD a more friendly environment for everyone and to provide everyone with the best programs that they all dream of.

Q: What are your top three priorities for the next year?

A: So I actually have three main programs. First is the Speak Up series. So as usual, we will invite guest speakers but this time it’s quite different because we also want to open the stage for you guys, for students. So if you have any knowledge about anything, any topic that you’re interested about, and you want to share it with fellow friends, we’re opening up the stage for you. And then second is career advancement tracks. I feel like campus is a perfect place for us to grow and to seek opportunities in terms of career preparation. So we also want to have workshops, seminars, and invite speakers such as interviewers to help us with knowledge about cover letters, interview preparation for internships and career networking also. And the last program is mentor mentee project because I feel like us coming from different school backgrounds, we don’t have the exact same skills and knowledge in terms of academic research and writing for classes. So with mentor 2As who are willing to mentor the 1As, there will be a collaborative project between pairing the 2As and 1As.

Q: And lastly, if viewers could take away just one thing from this interview, what should that be?

A: One key takeaway from this interview is that we hope that as the next HD board, we will be able to provide and facilitate you guys with whatever you dreamt of when you’re thinking about HD and whatever you need for your pre-professional career preparations and stuff. And don’t forget to vote for me.

Phuong Anh Nguyen

Q: Could you give a quick introduction to yourself?

A: I’m Anh. I come from Vietnam. I grew up in the south of Vietnam and I traveled a lot. I lived for a while in Malaysia and Singapore. I am obsessed with academic and pre-professional opportunities. Growing up, I received a lot of help when it comes to career guidance and academia. And for that reason, I want to give back and I want to foster an energy of LinkedIn obsession, be professional and academia obsession on campus. And for that reason, I’m running for HD.

Q: What makes you the best candidate for HD?

A: First off, I think I have the skill set that is required for HD, which I define by being able to reach out to cool people, being able to scout for opportunities, and having the mindset of giving it back and spreading this energy on campus. I have had exposure to a lot of pre-professional and academic opportunities. So personally, I received a lot of help when it comes to exploring different industries. I heard from alumni in my dual degree about it, and I was feeling that it’s a pity that it’s only shared to a very small group of specific people. And with that exposure and that very concrete idea of how pre-professional opportunities should look like, I think that is a significant leverage for me to become in the HD board to further spread and make this opportunity more accessible to everyone. Furthermore, I have an appreciation for diverse cultures. I travel a lot. I just grew up with parents who are obsessed with traveling. And I noticed that we have a lot of cultural initiatives on campus. However it could have been much more diverse and inclusive. And that is what I want to push for as a potential HD more member.

Q: What are your top three priorities for the next year?

A: So first off, I want to push for more learning opportunities from alumni and professors. and institutions as in Sciences Po or institutions that Sciences Po is connected with. I think Sciences Po has an amazing network of alumni and professors however we only know of them through like a very formal capacity like in class or small talk and if we ever have any cool opportunities it’s because of individuals reaching out to professors and I want to make that less of an exclusive-sounding thing and more of something that is available to everyone. For example, hosting talks from professors. I think we have amazing professors within the school itself. it’s not always the case that we need to reach out to far off people. So facilitate more learning opportunities with our alumni professors. Second thing is to make cultural clubs or associations more inclusive, more diverse. We have voices that are not yet entirely heard on campus. I noticed that personally in my role as year rep. And third is to make the process of implementing new initiatives more efficient and faster within the administration. And I have had experience doing that as Year Rep as well.

Q: Lastly, if viewers could take away just one thing from this interview, what would it be?

A: I am committed to promoting more accessible opportunities and more diverse and inclusive cultural initiatives. And I think I could do the job.

Carmen Leong

Q: Can you give us a quick introduction to yourself?

A: Hi, I’m Carmen. I’m running for HD.

Q: Why are you running for HD and what makes you the best candidate for it?

A: So I’m running my campaign based on three principles, accessibility, communication and transparency. I chose to run along these lines because I think I would like to make HD more accessible to the student body. And you’ll see later in my campaign, or you’ll have seen in my campaign election video, that I interviewed a few students to ask what they would like to see for HD in the coming year. And this is the kind of dialogue between HD and the student body that I’d like to bring more of through feedback platforms. For communication, I’d like to make HD a more regular presence on campus. Lastly for transparency, I think a lot of us don’t know what goes on behind the scenes within HD’s board. And so when running or deciding to run for HD that was something that I kind of struggled with, and I had to reach out individually to the members of the board So if I am elected for HD I would like to increase the transparency of what we do behind the scenes. For example, how we are managing the budget, how we are delegating it to the different clubs. I think you should vote for me for HD because I am collaborative and if you come to my events on Tuesday night and Thursday morning, you will be able to see that I work well with my potential board members. I’m also organized and responsible and creative.

Q: Lastly, if viewers could take away just one thing from this interview, what should it be?

A: I think viewers should vote for who they think is most capable and who they believe will carry out their promises.

Meet your candidates for SPE!

Interview conducted by Maalavika Hareesh.

*Responses have been edited slightly for clarity

Nathan Gehin

Q: Could you quickly introduce yourself?

Nathan: My name is Nathan. I’m a Sciences Po student in 1A, and I’m running for the post of National Coordinator of SPE.

Q: Why are you running for the position you’re running for, and what makes you the best candidate for it?

Nathan: I’m running for SPE as the national coordinator because I love talking to people, and I love to spread the message in every Sciences Po. I think I can be good at that because I’m always enjoying it, and I’m always happy to talk to new people and to try to organize new things, in partnerships with Sciences Po universities. I think I have a lot of ideas for this job. For example, trying to find new partnerships with other universities, maybe in a more global, European way.

Q: What are your top three priorities for this year?

Nathan: To make SPE a major association on this campus because we need to be everywhere and to promote sustainability. Secondly, I think organizing more fun stuff around sustainability can be a great thing to promote sustainability. And finally, as I already said, trying to organize new partnerships with other European or world universities can be a great thing. Like they organize the MUN, we can organize a COP. It can be fun.

Q: If viewers could take away just one thing from this interview, what should it be?

Nathan: Just one thing. Vote for me, vote for ecology!

Sylvain Sainte-Marie

Q: Could you quickly introduce yourself?

Sylvain: I’m Sylvain. I’m running for SPE as the Local Coordinator. I’m pretty much interested in everything, but especially in the environment, and the political question related to the environment; how can we make people involved in this, find solutions, debate and the relation between democracy and environment. I’m also interested in concrete actions, and that’s why I want to run as a local coordinator.

Q: Why are you running for the position you’re running for, what makes you the best candidate for it?

Sylvain: For SPE, we don’t really run for any position specifically, but I think the position that suits me the best will be local coordinator; the one who is in charge of the relation between the campus, the student community, and the global LH events, activities, and different initiatives taking place there. So, I think what makes me the best or good enough for this position is because I already had the opportunity to create contacts with a lot of associations around LH. For instance, Hangar Zero, where I’m volunteering right now and where I plan on organising some events. And, also, Havre de Vers and some other associations. I think that’s what helps me mostly for this position. And, well, I speak French, and I like to connect with people.

In this position, I’d like to establish long standing links between those different associations around LH and the campus so that people throughout the years have easy access to those associations.

Q: What are your top three priorities for the next year?

My top three priorities, I think first would be to have a sort of a program for SPE for the next year; a program based on the next board that will be elected and also what people want so that SPE maybe feels more open, more people can join, propose their ideas, and we can go ahead like this.

Second will be, I think really the link between Hangar Zero and the campus is something interesting and maybe improving this.

Third, contributing to more sustainable products available on campus. We already have the Veggie Baskets, but maybe further those types of initiatives for the next year.

Q: If viewers could take away just one thing from this interview, what should it be?

Sylvain: It’s not “vote for me”. I think that SPE is important, and you can do whatever you want with it. It’s also your association.

Thomas Landerretche

Q: Could you quickly introduce yourself?

Thomas: My name is Thomas Landerretche. I’m a 1A, and I’m running for SPE’s head of communications position.

Q: Why are you running for the position you’re running for? What makes you the best candidate?

Thomas: I feel that SPE’s voice deserves to be heard more on campus. I want this association to have as much attention and love as other associations such as the BDE or the BDA and I feel that my attention seeking personality and my creative mindset regarding problems and promotion would serve SPE greatly.

Q: What are your top three priorities for the next year?

First of all, having a greater social media engagement with SPE which includes more stories, more posts, more promotion of our events because the events of SPE are really interesting and cool. I feel that with more social media promotion, it could be accessible to more people.

Secondly, I would love to propose this campus and other Sciences Po campuses to use green energy. I feel that would be a great policy to implement.

And thirdly, I’d love to organize more events with local LH grassroots organizations. For example, Hangar Zero where we could organize a day where we all go to and help them with their renewable wall projects and other projects that they have.

Q: If viewers could take away just one thing from this interview, what should it be?

Thomas: I hope that viewers can take away the message that SPE deserves more love, respect, and attention, and I feel that I could bring that to this association.

Slopes, Mishaps, and Hospital Beds: Our Unforgettable Ski Trip with Sciences Po

By Bartholomew LOH and Le-ann PADE

All images credited to the authors.

If you ever want to question your life choices, just go skiing for the first time. Preferably on a mountain where the only thing you know about skiing is that “pizza” means “slow down.” Unfortunately, nobody tells you that “pizza” only works when you actually know how to control your skis.

Saint François Longchamp felt like a winter wonderland-at least from the safety of the lodge. For someone terrified of heights, though, the ski lift was the first big challenge. It rattled and groaned as it climbed higher, and I gripped the cold metal bar like my life depended on it.

The moment the ski lift brought me and my roommate up to the ski slopes and we tried to move out of the lift, the inertia pushed me forward, and I couldn’t control it-I fell. Hard. As if on cue, the second my skis touched the ground, I fell again. Hard. Then, just like that. One moment, I was with my roommate, the next moment, I found myself alone on a blue route, which, despite being labelled “intermediate,” felt like a vertical drop of death.

I spent five hours-yes, FIVE-tumbling, rolling, and sliding my way down that mountain, with only my bruises to keep me company. At one point, a kind elderly lady stopped to lend me a hand and, with a warm and motherly voice, suggested that I should go to ski school. Ouch. If my pride wasn’t already buried in the snow, that comment finished the job.

Somehow, I made it to the bottom, convinced I was done for the day. That was until I met Charlotte, Sarah, and Téa, who offered to take me down the same blue slope again-promising they wouldn’t leave me behind. Hoping for redemption, I agreed. But as we started our second descent, the sun slid behind the peaks, casting long shadows across the snow and draining my energy with every turn and tumble. Every fall felt heavier, every attempt to stand back up slower. Even my friends, who had been lifting me up over and over again, could see how much I was struggling. By the end, even the mountain workers advised me to start walking if I wanted to get down before nightfall. Completely drained, I had no choice but to accept defeat and trudged my way down the slope, each step feeling heavier than the last.

By the time I finally made it back to the lodge, my entire body felt like it had been battered by an avalanche. With a groan, I promised myself that I would rest the next day.

Spoiler alert: I did not.

The next morning, Boo texted me bright and early, determined to help me master the green route. After the bruising from the day before, I was relieved to find this path relatively flat. Still, I moved at a snail’s pace, terrified of losing control. Boo urged me to pick up speed, but my survival instincts had other plans. Despite my timid progress, I felt proud-I made it down without any major wipeouts!

Later in the day, I practiced with other beginners, which eased my nerves. Their shared trepidation made me feel less alone. By the next day, feeling slightly more confident, I ventured onto a mix of green and blue routes. Each successful run sparked a tiny rush of adrenaline, and I found myself craving more challenge.

With newfound confidence, I decided to challenge the red route: Le Samouraï. Accompanied by Timothy and Yu Xuan, we set off towards Valmorel.

It all started well-until another skier from nowhere crashed into me. His ski ended up between mine, and before I knew it, we were accelerating down the slope together in an awkward, tangled mess. In a desperate attempt to free himself, he kicked his leg out, sending me airborne. For two surreal seconds, I was flying through the air, before gravity reintroduced itself, and I crash-landed into the snow.

Something felt wrong. I tried pushing myself up with my left arm, but it refused to cooperate. Realizing the issue, I switched to my right arm and managed to get up. Then I gathered back with Timothy and Yu Xuan at the bottom of the mountain, and we took another cable car back for another round of practice.

As we ascended, pain exploded in my left arm, now locked in a rigid 90-degree angle, and I knew something was seriously wrong. I immediately went straight to the rescue centre, where the ski patrol guy, with an almost comical level of caution, asked me three times if I was absolutely sure I needed medical evacuation, because he was only obligated to bring me to Valmorel, and not back to Saint François Longchamp. By the third time, the pain was unbearable, and I could only say, “YES!”

He strapped me to a rescue sled, and I slid down the mountain, collecting fresh snow in my face along the way. An ambulance took me to the hospital, where the doctor (bless his soul) tried his best to realign my arm. After X-rays and a handful of painkillers, I finally dozed off.

When I woke up, I panicked. WHERE was my phone? WHAT time was it? HOW would I get back to Saint François Longchamp?

Then came the worst news: getting back to Saint François Longchamp from Valmorel would cost 600€.

Cue panic mode.

I requested my roommate to check Uber and Bolt-150€ to 250€, much better, but no one picked me up. After 40 minutes of futile attempts, a kind medical assistant called a taxi for me.

The driver arrived, and I hurriedly got in-on the wrong side. “Other side,” she said, clearly amused. It was only then that I remembered that in Malaysia, the passenger seat is on the left, and I hadn’t sat in a car since coming to France. As I settled into the right seat, I glanced at the steering wheel, and suddenly realized something: this woman was driving a Porsche.

As she drove, my heart pounded-not from pain, but because the fare kept climbing. 100€… 200€… 400€-I watched my bank account shrink in real-time.

At last, I arrived back at Saint-Francois-Longchamp, arm in a sling, wallet much lighter. Selena helped me haul my belongings upstairs, where I collapsed onto the bed. The good news? I had insurance. The bad news? This is France, and the wheels of bureaucracy turn slowly. So, while I wait for the paperwork to process, at least I can say I survived the trip-just not quite in one piece.

I had convinced myself that I was the unluckiest person on this ski trip. Who else ended up soaring off a slope like a misguided rocket, paying a small fortune for a Porsche taxi ride, and staring down a hospital bill?

Turns out, I wasn’t the only casualty. My friend, Lu-Ann-who had seemed perfectly at ease on the slopes-was nursing her own dramatic tale. While I was busy wrangling with bandage and insurance forms, she was quietly recovering from a fractured pelvis, courtesy of an ill-fated blue run (and a tempting Nutella waffle!). Suddenly, my arm injury didn’t seem so unique.

Her experience taught me two things: one, mountains can be merciless to even the most confident skiers; and two, it’s strangely comforting to realize I wasn’t alone in my post-holiday misery. Here’s her side of the story:

I was incredibly excited to return to skiing after taking a few years off. Since my parents-who always preferred sandy beaches over snowy peaks-never learned to ski themselves, I mostly taught myself. Perhaps it was the mouthwatering aromas of raclette, tartiflette or even croziflette that pulled me back to a ski trip, more than my confidence in hitting the slopes again.

The first few days on the slopes were nothing short of exhilarating. I admit, there’s always that nagging anxiety on the bus ride-did I completely forget everything from last time? But once I hopped onto the first chairlift, felt the crisp mountain air, and made my initial descent, it all came rushing back: the thrill of gliding downhill, the pride of nailing a turn, and yes, the certainty of a tumble or two. Thankfully, Saint-François-Longchamp and Valmorel catered to every level of skiers, from green slope enthusiasts to black slope (or off-piste-if you dared) addicts.

Every morning, our apartment descended into chaos as we layered up, searched for misplaced gloves, and ski passes. Lugging skis and poles to the lifts felt like a mini workout in itself, but before long, we fell into a routine-one that, messy or not, felt like a real part of the ski experience.

During the day, it was all about carving fresh tracks from the moment the lifts opened until the very last chair (and watch out for anyone who didn’t hurry up to catch the last ski lift!). Evenings brought a shift in energy: lively bars, bowling alleys, or cozy restaurants dishing up cheesy local specialties, accompanied by some juicy stories (of course, what happens on the ski trip stays on the ski trip!). In any case, my favourite moment was après-ski: the sweet relief of swapping ski boots for something more comfortable and savouring a warm drink or snack beside the slopes.

On the last day, determined to squeeze out every drop of fun before the dreaded chore of packing-I decided to tackle the notorious “Mollaret” piste. It’s sold as a gentle blue run, but fueled by the thought of a Nutella waffle waiting at the finish line, I let myself pick up speed. Then, one badly judged turn sent me flying a few meters forward; worse yet, my ski ended up tumbling 50 meters in the opposite direction, while I continued to roll downhill.

The pain hit me right away, but in my invincible state of mind, I took a few sips of water, gritted my teeth and motivated myself once again to finish this hell of a run. Reality only set in after I reached flat ground, when a sharp jolt reminded me that something was seriously wrong. A quick visit to the doctor later, the diagnosis became official: a fractured pelvis and a mandatory hospital stay. Suddenly, I felt like a real-life Alice in Wonderland, trapped in a room filled with tears-not so much from pain, but because I’d miss the bus home, school, and everything else my friends would be enjoying without me.

Sure enough, the bus departed without me, my belongings packed away while I stared gloomily out the hospital window. When the ambulance finally arrived on the 19th, it was a bizarre kind of freedom. Since then, life has been a steady cycle of bed rest, injections, physical therapy, and lots of painkillers. On the bright side, I now have a memorable tale to tell. These days, I hobble around with comically awkward crutches, and whenever people ask what happened, I simply shrug and say: “Blame the waffle.”

But rest assured-I’ll be back on the slopes next year. After all, if a fractured pelvis can’t keep me off the mountain for good, nothing can (except the hospital, ambulance and insurance bills)!

A Sustainable Darkroom?

by Kristýna Poláchová

As a person interested in analogue photography but also caring for the environment, I often asked myself: can a darkroom ever be sustainable? Through these reflections, almost as if I manifested it, I had the opportunity to attend a workshop on this specific topic last summer. This article will thus be an hommage to this workshop and to all the inspiration I gained from it as well as a ‘cookbook’ which came together afterward. I am thankful to Michaela Davidová for sharing these moments of experimentation and discovery with us.

Making the whole process of photographic development sustainable is not an easy task and the inclusion of a question mark in the title of this article serves partially to encourage reflection on the process as a whole. This question is not purely material or processual but also philosophical – do we perceive photographic material simply as a means for realisation of our ideas? Isn’t the darkroom itself an organism transforming and digesting materials? Let us ponder these questions further while we proceed to a practical application of this approach exploring ‘recipes’ for DIY film developers from less toxic materials.

For black and white negative processing, one generally needs a developer, an acidic stop bath, and a fixer to transform the taken latent (invisible to the eye) image into a visible one. Commercial developers are generally based on organic compounds derived from benzene. For plant-based DIY developers, we need to use ingredients containing phenolic acids (phenolic compounds structured on a benzene ring). Those can include coffee, mint, wild thyme, or urine. Phenolic acids can be extracted from them by, for example, pouring hot water over them and letting them cool down, boiling the plants in hot water, or by cold extraction through maceration (storing in an air-tight container in a liquid made of water, oil and alcohol for 3 days). The second ingredient needed is alkali since the developing process can only occur in an environment with pH>7, and alkali helps to achieve higher contrast and more grain in the final image. The most commonly used option is water-free sodium carbonate (= washing soda). The following ingredient is ascorbic acid (vitamin C) which helps to reduce the developing time. By mixing vitamin C (pure ascorbic acid) with sodium carbonate, we get sodium ascorbate. The final ingredient needed for a DIY developer is water.

The stop bath needs to be an acidic solution in order to interrupt the alkali-developing process. As a more accessible substitute for a commercial stop bath, we can mix water and white vinegar. Lastly, to make the image permanent, we need to bathe it in a fixer. There is not a perfect substitute for a conventional fixer (hypo or ammonium thiosulfate), but it is also possible to use salt-fix, although it serves more as a stabiliser and doesn’t have such long-term archival qualities.

0,5L Caffenol-C (coffee-based ‘soup’) recipe:

Ingredients:

– 20g of water-free washing soda dissolved in 1/3 of 0,5L of water

– 5 g of vitamin C dissolved in 1/3 of 0,5L of water

– 20g of instant coffee dissolved in 1/3 of 0,5L of hot water

(source: Blog – Plant-based/DIY developers – michaela davidova)

Directions:

We start by mixing the ingredients in separate containers with water at 24°C. First, we mix the solution with soda, then the solution with vitamin C, and lastly the solution with coffee.

We let the mix develop for 12 minutes, agitating during the first minute and then 10 times each following minute.

Film roll used: Fomapan ISO 100
Remarks: Pictures have quite high contrast, however the film is slightly over-developed. It is possible that 10 minutes of development would have been sufficient.