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.
Le Dragon Déchaîné 