Franzcesca Chiara DE LA CRUZ, Maalavika HAREESH, Thomas LANDERRETCHE, Sylvain SAINTE-MARIE
Image Credits: Thomas FUNKLEDER
Above: students gathered in the main hall outside of the Grand Amphitheatre on Sciences Po’s Le Havre Campus
Not your typical year-opening ceremony, now is it? All across the different campuses of Sciences Po, the Rentrée Solennelle is a symbolic occasion for the academic year to officially begin – and an opportunity for the institution to flaunt its specialities. For the Le Havre campus, this took place on Thursday the 12th of September. Traditional outfits and suits filled the hallway that day, ready for “Meet the Paris Admin” – a two-hour Q&A format session with Paris’s Dean and Head of Student Life along with Mr. Hauchecorne. Students raised their concerns, as the presence of the central administrative body is rare on regional campuses. It was presented as a time for open dialogue.
In the beginning, all looked to be in order. The day started off with the welcoming of different personnel; among those present were marine officers, departmental and regional officials and civil security representatives. This was followed by an afternoon of speeches from the admin and different officials, as well as an inaugural lesson from Dr. Champaka Rajagopal. The session came to an end with artistic performances by the BDA.
Our campus director, Michaël Hauchecorne, delivered his speech in the Grand Amphi in front of guests, before leaving the floor to Dean Jeanne Lazarus. Suddenly, after a few minutes of her speaking, she was interrupted by a 2A student standing up from the assembly and reading a statement from the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) LH group. A strained silence descended on the assembly as everyone listened to the impassioned reproaches of the students from SJP. The dean made the attempt to resume her speech after this initial outburst, but soon it was made clear that the student protesters would interrupt her every time. It is recorded that, in total, the dean’s speech was cut off four times after each attempt to resume her address. Each speech made by students in the audience received warm rounds of applause from students in attendance, though not unanimously. Cheers and silence, applause and indifference, eagerness and frustration played against one another throughout the room. Some stood and applauded the intervention, others left. In the spirit of this medley of varied and contrasting reactions from the assembly, the officials’ “apolitical” departure from the amphitheatre was drowned by most students’ cheers, much to the discontent of the admin and the guests. As the fourth claim was read out, Mr. Hauchecorne called on everyone to leave the amphitheatre, before engaging in heated discussion with the students involved in the disruption.
Above: Campus Director Michaël Hauchecorne addressing the assembly at the Rentrée Solennelle welcome ceremony
This clash of interests ultimately cut the Rentrée Solennelle short. After a few dozen minutes of students filling the campus halls in a trance of confusion, intrigue and excitement, the event was set back into motion with the inaugural lecture made by Dr. Champaka Rajagopal on urban development in a liberalised India. The 2A and 1A sessions were separated, however. To end that day, only the Thaï dance from Nicky (2A) was performed in the hallway. Notable enough was the absence of the majority of guests and the whole of Paris’ administration after the initial interruption in the Grand Amphitheatre took place.
What to do, what to say after such an unconventional start to the year? A week after the event and the protest actions that characterised it, Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) LH convened an independent meeting, attended by both second and first-year students to explain the organisation’s objectives and to answer potential questions. Here, second year students such as Lino Battin, Samy Sefouni, and Angèle Doray explained to the first year students the history, intentions and protest mechanisms of SJP.
A representative from SJP clarified that their recent actions were aimed at capturing the attention of the administration and other key stakeholders, rather than disrupting the event itself. This latest protest follows previous efforts by SJP, including fundraisers, petitions with over 2,000 signatures, and multiple blockades on campus to raise awareness for their cause.
During the meeting, SJP addressed concerns about their recent protest, including a lack of communication with first-year students and accusations of anti-Semitism, which they firmly denied. They clarified that their protest targeted individuals they view as supporting a “genocidal state,” not any specific ethnic or religious group. The group also distanced itself from pro-Palestinian graffiti that led to a campus event cancellation.
Looking ahead, SJP plans to expand its media outreach through social media and connections with media houses such as Libération, all while continuing its advocacy for Palestinian justice. They maintained that the tone of future actions will depend on developments in Gaza and any potential disciplinary actions from the university administration.
Meanwhile, the campus administration has expressed its chagrin at the disruption caused by protesters affiliated with SJP, believing the Rentrée Solennelle to be neither “the time nor the place for a constructive discussion.” This and more was stated in an email addressed to the first year cohort soon after the event. Director Hauchecorne’s email, sent alongside a letter from Jeanne Lazarus herself, describes the interruption as “not acceptable,” emphasising the negative impact such disruption could have on partnerships. Lazarus emphasised the need for open dialogue and declared a desire to work with students.
“I assure you of my availability for all forms of dialogue, my openness to all questions, and my willingness to listen and pay attention” – Jeanne Lazarus, in a letter addressed to all first year students of the Le Havre campus.
Despite the campus administration having stated its willingness to listen to students, SJP still has lingering doubts regarding the admin’s ability to cooperate. It is worth noting that no mention of the SJP protest, across any social media platform, was included in posts by Sciences Po about Le Havre’s Rentrée Solennelle. However, Hauchecorne gave his remarks on the matter in an interview with the newspaper Paris Normandie, condemning the protests last year as polarising while assuring that platforms for discourse would be implemented this year, such as conferences and mediation workshops.
Preventing an entire class from taking an exam, preventing students from accessing a conference… These are not normal behaviours in an institution like ours, and we condemn extreme polarisations.
Regarding students’ opinion on the matter, it seems that sentiments are divided. We attempted to quantify students’ opinions with scales (a 1 to 10 measurement system) and the results were often found in the extremes. For instance, when we asked if they agreed with the intervention by SJP, 60.3% of students voted in extreme cases (either voting 1, 2, or 9 and 10) with 26.4% disagreeing in the extremes and 33.9% agreeing in the extremes. Nevertheless, many students found common ground when it came to certain aspects of the event. For instance, 83.1% of people agreed that the cultural aspect of the event made it better and 52.9% of people also, overall, enjoyed the Rentrée Solennelle. However, it is important to note that only 54 people sent in their opinions on our anonymous Google forms, meaning that there may be a silent majority who genuinely feels indifferent towards the intervention and the Rentrée Solennelle.
Above: a group photo of students taken outside of the main building of the Le Havre campus
While there have been mixed reactions towards the event, some students revealed in interviews that the SJP meeting helped them understand the motivations behind the protest, and were glad it was held despite not agreeing with all the points discussed. Others felt that the meeting only strengthened their support for the cause and that the new school director won’t improve administrative response to these situations – this leaves students unsure about the future of political expression on campus. However, those interviewed feel that students studying politics should not be blamed for trying to change the world, and believe that more Sciences Po students are taking action on an important issue.
But Sciences Pistes of Le Havre, resilient to the tensions that had boiled over earlier in the day, chose not to let the occasion pass them by. Indeed, the cancellation of the highly anticipated prom picture, taken traditionally during the Rentrée Solennelle, did little to lessen their energy and enthusiasm. For as the long (and fortunately sunny) day drew to a close, many gathered gladly outside campus, to have a chat with classmates old and new and to take photographs in fancy dress. Nothing could diminish the buzz of excitement of a fresh school year that hung in the air on that fateful September afternoon.
Above: a group photo of students taken outside of the main building of the Le Havre campus
The good, the bad, and the busy from your fellow SciencesPistes.
By Syontoni Hattori-Chatterjee
Remember integration week? Do the performances and parties feel a million miles away amidst the trenches of midterms season? Here’s a reminder of times past when Le Havre weather was warm and Sciences Po life had the promise of fun.
Sweet Memories
SPE and LH Sessions’ Beach Concert and Stargazing. Photo credit: Thomas Funkleder.
Nara, 1A: “Integration week was super fun! All of the assos, along with SciencesPo made everything accessible to everyone and there were tons of activities to choose to attend. For most of the 1As it’s our first time being away from home, so I appreciate the support system our 2As and admin made available for us to help us settle down and integrate. By Saturday, the day of Appartathon, I think everyone warmed up to each other and experienced lots of “core memory” things. I’m positive everyone was able to find their people and feel comfortable being here thanks to integration week.”
BDA and LH Sessions Jam Session and Bar Night. Photo credit: Julos Dartiguenave.
Yu Xuan, 2A Year Rep: “Integration week was such a blur for me and I felt like the week passed by in a flash! I absolutely loved the vibe of the campus though, everyone was so kind, lovely, and so open to discovering new cultures during the club & cultural fair! Always so fun for me to see new faces and meet y’all cutiepies! <333”
Hard Work Behind the Scenes
Club Fair. Photo credit: Thomas Funkleder.
Humshinee, 2A and Street Dance Co-Captain and Musical Logistics Captain:
“As a club leader, thinking about integration week is the best part of the summer. As the Street Dance Captains, Morgane and I started talking in Early August about ideas and it was amazing but difficult to create new choreography. We had a video call at 10 pm Morgane’s time and 4 pm my time during which we made new choreography in 30 minutes and then at 3 am my time and 9 am Morgane’s time to finish it. The crew learned it in 2 hours and then performed it the next day.
As 2As, we were just so excited to be able to showcase to 1As, and let it be on the record that I was sick during the Club Fair, but through sickness and jetlag we all powered through. For the Musical Club, we were rehearsing starting at 9 am the day before the Club Fair. Laura landed at 8 am, then came into Le Havre at 3 pm, ate lunch and showered, and came to rehearse at 4 pm. I had so much anxiety seeing if we could pull everything together and Tuesday was running in between clubs and performances, from Shatta to Musical to Cheer. But overall, showcasing our clubs was so worth it.
On Monday, meeting everyone at the beach and singing was super fun. Big ups to LH Sessions for reaching out over the summer and seeing what people were willing to do. On Thursday, it was so fun coming back to Craft a year later. I remembered seeing our now 3As perform last year so it was cool being on the other side of it.
As a whole, as a Club Captain and Performer, my main goal and takeaway from integration week was to have fun and showcase what LH is all about and the relationships that we’ve built over the past year and will continue to build this year.”
Club Fair. Photo credit: Thomas Funkleder.
Sara, 2A and President of PROPA:
“Je dirais que c’était beaucoup de stress, énormément de stress, en fait c’était vraiment une pression que je me mettais et que je pense tous les autres membres des associations se mettaient parce qu’on veut donner aux 1A une semaine d’intégration et WEI incroyable pour qu’ils se fassent des souvenirs incroyables comme nous on a pu se faire des souvenirs aussi incroyables l’année dernière.
C’était beaucoup de pression, voir même certains mental breakdowns mais au final, quand on voit les réactions des 1A qui viennent directement nous voir et nous remercier pour ce qu’on fait et nous dire qu’ils ont adoré que ce soit la semaine d’intégration ou le WEI et juste quand on les voit et qu’ils s’amusent, franchement ça en vaut la peine.
Mais honnêtement ça me fait vraiment plaisir de voir qu’ils adorent parce que franchement moi je me rappelle que l’année dernière ma semaine d’intégration et mon WEI j’avais adoré, encore maintenant on en parle avec mes amis donc j’avais envie qu’ils aient exactement les mêmes émotions et les mêmes souvenirs que moi j’ai pu avoir l’année dernière en tant que 1A.”
Translation:
“I’d say that it was a lot of stress, an insane amount of stress, but really it was pressure that I was putting on myself and that I think all of the other association members were putting on themselves because we want to give 1As an incredible integration week and WEI so that they could make incredible memories just as we did last year.
It was a lot of pressure, even some mental breakdowns but in the end, when we see the reactions of 1As who come directly to see us and to thank us for what we’re doing and to tell us that they loved integration week or WEI and even just when we see them and they’re enjoying themselves, honestly it’s worth it.
And honestly it makes me really happy to see that they loved it because truly I remember last year that I adored my integration week and WEI, even now I talk about it with my friends, so I wanted them to have the exact same feelings and memories that I got to have last year as a 1A.”
Alex, 1A: “So I thought integration week was very entertaining since lots of different associations held various events. Almost every single one of them were fun and it was a great chance to [get to] know new people, both 1As and 2As. WEI, on the other hand, was also very fun and I could see that BDE and PROPA had put a great effort into it. The events were entertaining but the best part was definitely the 2 party nights! To be honest I think this tradition must be kept forever in SciencesPo.”
WEI. Photo credit: Enxin (Rosie) Han.
Rosie, 1A: “This was my first exposure to one of the best freshman traditions of SciencesPo – a very happy first weekend. I really enjoyed playing games with my classmates, making marshmallows, swimming, dancing, singing…etc. And I‘ve also met many people who are super interesting. We walked on the lawn together and looked up at a sky thick with stars like ice crystals, flashing and flickering, with beer… this atmosphere, it’s super super nice. I thought I will always miss my 18-year-old WEI trip, en France.”
BDA MuMA Visit. Photo credit: Thomas Funkleder.
HD and BDA Cultural Fair. Photo credit: Syontoni Hattori-Chatterjee.
Been There, Done That
Anya, 2A:“As a 2A it made me very grateful for the friends I had because I saw all of the 1As in the process of making friends and it reminded me of the good friends I have.”
Diva, 2A and somebody anonymously agreeing: “Glad I’m not a 1A. I have never been so fake as my first year integration week.”
The Most Mature and Reflective Tea You’ll Ever Read
WEI. Photo credit: Nicky Punnnahitanon.
Nikki, 1A: “Before going to WEI my friends and I asked many seniors about what exciting things we could look forward to, and many of them hinted to us that we could expect the wildest things happening like couples sprouting up everywhere, condoms littered all over the place, many people getting wasted. I think many of us were excited to see such spicy stories unravel — at least I was hahaha. (Un)fortunately, I didn’t hear of anything scandalous at all, but certainly I found something way more exciting: countless platonic relationships that quickly blossomed and strengthened, from jumping into the pool together to the screaming our lungs out at parties, from playing truth or dare on the floor of our chalets to boulangerie-hopping in centre-ville together in the rain. I know that in the next two years, whenever I get a headache from PI or feel lost along the Silk Road, I’ll definitely think back to these memories and feel this snuggly warmth in my heart.
Also, I love that the BDE provided condoms – even though I felt like almost nobody ended up using them for the right purpose hahaha (my friends and I were dissecting a female condom in our own room, fascinated to be seeing it for the first time!!) This is very new for me, something I’d never expect to see back in Singapore where I went to high school because there, abstinence is still very much at the forefront of our sex education (possibly in Thailand where I originally grew up).
Initially I was shocked – likely shaped by the environment I’d grown up in, I instinctively wondered whether this would encourage potentially risky sexual interactions, but very quickly my friends and I started having discussions about it and I was amazed to discover just how open minded people around me are towards this initiative. I realized that the condoms helped normalize safe sex and conversations about it, and as we grow up, we together can do so much in spreading this open minded attitude in our workplace and the policies we’ll help push for in society!
Another highlight of WEI for me is the food – omg it was just so ✨incroyable✨ with the charcuterie buffet and biscoff panna cotta being on top of the list for me. Simply unforgettable. Changed my life.”
I hope this recap makes you think fondly of your integration week experience at Sciences Po, the first for our dear 1As and the last for us 2As soon to be spread around the world. Now get back to studying SciencesPistes, I’m sure you have work to do.
by Nayantara Maitra Chakravarty and Claude Leroy-Pinto
For the last week, posters have been appearing across the walls of Sciences Po. Who hasn’t noticed them? What are they about? The Year Rep Elections! The elections for 1A year representatives are scheduled for next Tuesday. Numerous students are running, and the themes candidates are putting forward are quite similar: cohesion, coffee machines, support, meetings to share ideas, and administrative help. We have all seen the campaigns on Instagram, and we would like to commend all candidates on their great presentations and remarkable engagement. Although we haven’t made any voting predictions, we wanted to help you make your choice, which is why we have been interviewing all the candidates.
But first of all, we need to know what a year rep’s role is, and who better to talk about it than a year rep? We asked Yasu (a 2A year rep) about his experience. He explained that the role was mainly about creating a connection between students and admin (therefore meeting the administration more than once a week), listening to diverse students, and representing the LH campus across other Sciences Po campuses.
We asked each of the candidates three questions to help you get to know them better and make a more informed decision. Enjoy reading their answers and may the best candidates win!
Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Benjamin Henderson and Alexis Van Troostenburg De Bruyn
Photo Credit: @ab_yeareps_2024 via Instagram
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
Ben: My name is Ben. I’m from Chicago and I’m interested in questions of political philosophy, ethics, and environmental transition.
Alexis: My name is Alexis, from France, and I’m interested in economics, public policy, and Asia.
What is the main goal you want to accomplish?
As year reps, we would like to bolster the role of students in administrative questions. As we have recently witnessed, members of the student body feel that their voices are not contributing to the decisions the administration makes. We would like to start by founding a deliberative body between students and the administration in order to communicate with regard to disagreements, and ultimately reach consensus, or at the very least understanding.
Why should we vote for you and not someone else?
Since we’ve been tasked with representing ALL students, majority and minority alike, we believe strongly in separating our own positions from those of the entire student body. Unlike other candidates who might think they can speak for everyone, we want to let you speak for yourself and will help amplify your voice.
Lavinya Celly
Photo Credit: @straw_berry.knight via Instagram
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
Hi, I’m Lavinya Celly, a recurring 1A student. Dubbed as the ’Strawberry Knight,’ I’m a battle-scarred soldier who is here to lead our charge in pink and glitter!
What is the main goal you want to accomplish?
I wish for every student to feel like they’re at home here. I also want SciencesPo to become a stepping stone for everyone’s goals and dreams, not a bad memory.
Why should we vote for you and not someone else?
I won’t make statements like ‘do not vote for them,’ because I believe there are other candidates who are also worthy of your support. However, I stand out for one key reason: I’ve fought this battle before. Having already experienced the challenges of this year, I know what lies ahead, and I’m well-prepared to handle it. I’ve established a positive rapport with the administration, which means I can effectively represent and communicate on your behalf. Lastly, many of you already know me—I’ve been here, I’ve learned, and I’m committed.
Ultimately, voting for Strawberry Knight means choosing the one who knows the road ahead and has the experience to navigate it successfully 🙂
Junsei Sone and Paul-Aurele Allegrini
Photo Credit: @junseijustice_and_paulopeople via Instagram
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
Paulo: My name is Paul-Aurèle Allegrini, but you can call me Paulo. I’m from Corsica, and I am running to be your future Year Rep with Junsei. I’ve never lived outside of Corsica and was kind of disoriented the first days I arrived. So I can’t imagine how crazy it must have been for international students. I always liked to put myself in the place of others and my fellow students. Finally, I have had experience dealing with the administration, even during trouble, since I’ve been a delegate for all my high school years, and particularly when political trouble erupted in Corsica in 2022.
Junsei: My name is Junsei Sone, I come from Japan, and I’m running for year rep this year. I’ve lived not only in Japan, but I’ve also grown up in California, so I think I have a diverse upbringing. As one of the international kids, I hope to represent the diverse interests of the people as a year rep.
What is the main goal you want to accomplish?
Paulo: My main goal as a year rep would be to truly give a platform for every student to express themselves. Whether it is online, in person, anonymous, or not, I want the students to feel like they actually have a voice. This is why I truly want to be neutral and listen to absolutely everybody and their concerns. I want to really ease the tension and confrontational atmosphere that can exist between the students and the admin. Finally, I want to be a voice and a sword against every type of behaviour that can make students feel bad/ troubled, such as any form of discrimination or bullying.
Junsei: I want to create an air for open dialogue, which is something that I thought after the SJP protests. I’m not trying to criticise them, but after their explanation session about the protests, I feel that opposite stances should also be listened to. I want to achieve an atmosphere of respect and active, open dialogue.
Why should we vote for you and not someone else?
Paulo: Because, firstly, I would (even if the videos we post may make some of you think the opposite) take this role as seriously as possible. I do believe a year rep has duties. And as your year rep, I would respect those duties with my utmost sincerity. Being a voice for ALL students, listening to everyone, advocating for all, fighting every inconvenience (even the smallest) and discrimination, and, very importantly, being neutral, completely neutral to be able to speak and listen to everyone.
Finally, only one candidate Puts the People in Power ! So remember, vote #Paulo4thePeople and #Junsei4Justice 🗳️🐲!
Junsei: First and foremost, I think that one of my strengths is organisational tasks – going to the admin, negotiating about what we can do – I think that’s something I’m pretty good at. I’ve been doing that in high school too. I think some of my qualities are listening to people, understanding what they are thinking, and seeing things from their perspective. My qualities enable me to bridge the gap between the admin and students and also to negotiate effectively. I think that I am the most passionate about the actual work that the year rep will be doing – I’m not hinting that everyone’s trying to do this for the position or just to add it to their CV – but I actually like listening to different people even when they are in conflict and finding out what they want and what their ideas are. I also wrote in one of my proposals about better organising coursework because everything is so disorganised in my opinion.
Professors send all their deadlines and requirements for coursework by email, while we’re also getting random emails about other events happening on campus. The professors are not the only people sending emails, and in my opinion you should be able to see all the coursework that you have on a single page, because that’s usually how universities work. You have proper pages to organise it. Even with the Student Union negotiations – I am an international student paying the full 14k tuition, and I’m not eligible for any scholarships at this point. This is a problem that concerns me too, so it motivates me to make a change. With these qualities as a mediator and my passion for the work itself, I would like to present myself as the best candidate.
Charlotte Nasser-Belaud-Rotureau
Photo Credit: @charlotte_year_rep via Instagram
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Charlotte, I’m from the countryside near La Rochelle in the west of France. I would describe myself as a radiant person – I’m always positive, I’m always smiling, and I always want to talk to people and make them feel comfortable. I feel like I’m a safe place, so everyone can talk to me.
What is the main goal you want to accomplish?
I’d like to facilitate academic registrations by allowing more flexibility. I know that some of us didn’t get the choices and time slots that we wanted, so I’d like to create a chat where everyone can get the opportunity to talk to each other and change schedules. While it’s impossible to create a system that’s perfect for everyone, this will at least give those with classes from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. a chance to find better options. A practical feature would be to include details of club schedules, allowing students to choose based on that and still participate in the activities or sports that they enjoy. Moreover, I think we need more information about the first year internship – this would help students plan ahead and find more opportunities in advance, especially for those who want to do their internship in their hometown, which can sometimes be challenging. I think that year reps should also keep students informed about the Seas and Oceans certification, as this project influences some of the choices we have to make. We need to be aware of all the opportunities available to us at Sciences Po.
It can be very overwhelming to try to participate in all the events, so I think we should make it easier for students to connect both on campus and off. Different backgrounds and nationalities can sometimes be a barrier, even though we’re quite mixed in seminars. It would be great to create interest-based groups that blend both international and French students to help strengthen our bonds. We have so much to learn from one another, so sharing cultures is an opportunity we shouldn’t miss. International students make up more than half of our cohort, but they still face issues with French administration, so as a year rep I’d like to help both international and French students navigate problems with housing, utilities, or social services.
Why should we vote for you and not someone else?
Everyone knows that a year rep needs to be responsible, approachable, and engaged. But what sets me apart is my commitment to seeing projects through to the end. I want to give students with ideas the chance to bring them to life, and not let them get lost along the way, so I’m really determined to motivate the administration to find quick solutions, and I’ll follow up as many times as necessary to make sure we reach our goals. I may not be the most extroverted person, but I’m sure that my determination will benefit all students. My friends often describe me as a ‘quiet force’, and I think that’s pretty accurate because I always put others before myself and I will gladly make all my resources available to students. I also want to get involved in this project because I love providing support and assistance to those who need it – in high school I helped resolve conflicts between students and teachers or with the administration, so I know that my temperament and listening skills will allow me to successfully meet everyone’s needs.
Anh Nguyen
Photo Credit: @anh_your_anhswer via Instagram
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
I am Anh from Vietnam, and I’m in the Dual Degree with Columbia. I grew up moving around a lot around Southeast Asia and Australia, which gave me a sense of curiosity and understanding about other cultures. I am interested in journalism, human rights, and law.
What is the main goal you want to accomplish?
I aim to foster a more inclusive community where each and everyone of us could be heard, and their concerns addressed. Our cohort happens to be a very diverse and dynamic one, which is amazing, but which could also mean not all of our voices are not equally heard. I aspire to be the approachable year rep who you could come to with your concerns and suggestions, and the action-oriented year rep who you could trust to deliver tangible adjustment in the community to best suit your need.
In terms of agenda: In terms of student life, I plan to urge for our common spaces more well-kept, more comfortable and more friendly to co-working. I further plan to—of course—better our diet on campus: less costly, healthier, more diverse, and functional food and drink options! With regards to the facility, I will push for a form to timely report issues, be it with the power sockets, dysfunctional clocks, or broken toilets. In terms of academics, I will urge for recording of lectures, because life is tough, and sometimes you just cannot make it to one of them.
Why should we vote for you and not someone else?
I believe that I am highly approachable and compassionate—I am a safe middle ground for you to speak up, be it about your actionable suggestions or simply your random rants. I further believe that I have a capability to coordinate, as I have experience from my nationwide student organization back home, which hosted twice the number of students on our campus. I further have a strong determination to bring about tangible result, from the tiniest changes up, which I believe is much more powerful than lofty, grand, yet unachievable promises.
And for such reasons, I believe that I should be your Anhswer!
Bartholomew Loh
Photo Credit: @bartyearep via Instagram
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Bartholomew teck hou LOH, you can just call me Bart and Barthol, or Barty. I come from Malaysia, which is a very diverse country, and I love Sciences Po because it is as diverse as my country, if not more.
What is the main goal you want to accomplish?
So first things first, I think about the vending machine. We should have a democracy system where everyone can choose, like we should do a Google form about what we want to have in the vending machine. The second thing I think about is the international students and their relation with the French students. I think what we are missing is some people willing to really talk to each other. On the French side, there’s people who are very outspoken as well as international students, and everyone is kind of friendly. We just lack those kinds of people that can bring everyone together, so if there is an international student and a French student as the year rep this year, I think it really can bring everyone together rather than just two international students.
Why should we vote for you and not someone else?
I think it would be great having a girl and a boy, an international and a French student.
I have this experience for like all my whole life that I can do things before the deadline. I always submit things before the deadline. I have the experience in my school, so in my high school I do in my student association, and I have been a club president, so I do have the skills to organise things. I basically think I have the right skills for this job!
Paul Colas and DC
Photo Credit, left to right: @dc.for.year.rep via Instagram
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
DC: My name is Debashmi. I go by DC over here because no one can pronounce my name properly. I’m an international student from India. I love cats, dumplings, and adventure sports. I’m still trying to figure out how to settle in and call Le Havre and its weather home.
Paul: I’m Paul. I’m from southwest France, like far from here. (I say chocolatine. Don’t get fooled by people that tell you otherwise they are wrong.) So, well, I have never done representation through high school or middle school, which I don’t think is a problem because I have done representation before; I’ve been a scout for 10 years, 11 now. As a scout, I’ve done representations of my units at a territorial and national level.
What is the main goal you want to accomplish?
DC and Paul: We have so many issues on the campus; we’re sitting right now in front of the vending machines, in which there is nothing except a bag of Skittles and a can of Coke. And as a campus that has the second largest hypermarket, Carrefour’s CEO on its board, that’s really concerning. I think the BDE is getting new vending machines. So that’s not why we’re running. We just wanted to highlight the fact that there aren’t going to be enough options, like not even a sandwich. Also about the vending machines, we understand that it is obviously not our job to do something to replace it and everything. But our job is to make the student heard, like make their voice go to the admin. So that, like, what we can do about it is we heard that the students want more diversity, want more health, want more healthy snacks, and everything intervention machines. And that is something we can do. Like that is a message we can bring to the admin. We cannot guarantee you that we will be; [we can try].
We want to work on an academic level, regarding peer support groups in terms of just having a better student community, like for the PI readings, where everyone’s struggling collectively. That’s why we want to have support groups in place, like with regards to academics or emotional support. It’s not on the Wednesday evening when everybody has a club that people are going to work on the PI readings.
Also, the clubs have started, and we often don’t know where they are, and when they are, they’re just all over the place. And we all find it important to have extracurricular participation; that’s a topic on which we would like to work.
One more point we just wanted to highlight was especially the access to the events that happen on the main Sciences Po campus. When guest speakers come to Le Havre, we often don’t have access to the conferences, or they are scheduled when we have classes. So if you are not free, you’re sort of excluded from it. On the main campus, they have truly good events, and we’re not always aware of it because we don’t receive emails every time.
So maybe like a board like Moodle where you have all the Sciences Po Paris events, even doing like a video or sharing in order for you all to have access to the events.
We’re still under the Sciences Po banner, all campuses should be aware of what is happening. If we can’t use the advantages that come with being a Sciences Po student, like listening to world leaders and attending their conferences, it’s pretty useless, right?
Why should we vote for you and not someone else?
DC : Paul and I chose each other because I feel we were very diverse people. We identify as different genders. We come from very different places. He comes from the south of France, and I come from India. He’s from a Francophone country, and I’m from an Anglophone country. So when it comes to representing everyone on campus, I think we make a really good fit because we’re one of the most diverse duos running in practically every [way].
Minbi Roux and Elena Friess
Photo Credit: @elena_minbi.4yearrep via Instagram
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
Elena: My name is Elena. I’m in the dual degree with HKU at Sciences Po Le Havre. I’m running for a year rep because I want to represent the promotion in front of the admin and to build projects for the whole class, and I would be glad to be elected with Minbi.
Minbi: I’m Minbi I’m in the normal degree with Sciences Po. I’m French and Korean, and I would like to present myself for year rep in order to like every other year rep to represent students but also to kind of make a better cooperation with the admin rather than having the impression of having two opposite blocks, like just to make life easier here as a student.
What is the main goal you want to accomplish?
Elena: I think we wrote it in our Instagram post that our main goal was to be attentive and reliable for people, to listen to their needs, problems, and projects, and to carry their voice to the admin. So that’s why we are not only proposing projects and ideas but also showing that we are the ears that they need if you want to.
Our goal is not only to transmit projects of people to the admin but also just to help them personally because we know that as French students we already know that administration in France is quite difficult, so I don’t imagine how it can be like for international students, so just even as a person, if we can help them, rather than just being a year rep. Help them as a friend, as a co-student. So if we would remember like one project, would it be like helping more like international students get used to the French way of functioning and French administration? I think we should build cohesion between all students. Rather than having a division between French and international students, just to make a pause.
How would you create this unity? Like, how would you manage to reassemble?
I think first it will be like we said to be 24/7 reachable and attentive for international and French students. We’re available in person also with our Instagram account, for which we also made an email address so that you can write to us, and it could be totally private with us. You don’t need to go to see us, and to show that you go to see us, it’s more like you can write to us, and it will be private and confidential.
Why should we vote for you and not someone else?
Minbi: I think you can talk about us as a duo, but as for me, for example, I have been a member of the city council of my hometown for at least two years during high school, so it’s not the first time for me to like to talk in front of an administration and to convey concerns or like to just put in place some projects that are important for us.
I think I might be suitable for this post because I just won’t be afraid of administration because that’s something I’m used to.
Elena: I know I like these functions. I was class representative for the last seven years and also represented in different reunions like administration councils or international section councils in Strasbourg, and I could represent the students and the students of my high school, and I liked just the functions to represent them, and I know I can deal with all the work it came with. If there is any problem with the admin about protests, for example, I think we would have to stay neutral about it and even if we have some ideologies or ideas about it we would have to be neutral and it won’t be a problem for us to stay neutral about it.
I don’t know if people know about it, but I’ll take an example. In the 80s or 90s, one of the directors of Sciences Po thought about canceling or suppressing scholarships for some of the students. At the time, students back in the day decided to protest against this measure, and at the end, the decision of the director was cancelled.
So with this example, I think that’s one of the stakes. One of the main goals of being a Sciences Po student is to represent our ideas and to make people know about them. I think what matters the most is to represent our values. The most important thing for Sciences Po students is to represent their own values because we’re in Sciences Po; we’re in a social science school, so it’s one of the goals of our institution, I guess.
What matters the most is to represent our values, but at the same time, I think we have to differentiate the values and the way to express them. The separation between being a Sciences Po student and being the representative of Sciences Po students is in all. We will be able to differentiate what they want and the way they want to show it to the world. We would understand it, but we would have to stay neutral to make it possible.
Sara Cipriani
Photo Credit: @sara_for_year_rep_ via Instagram
Can you briefly introduce yourself?
My name is Sara Cipriani, I’m 18 years old, I’m French and Italian, and I come from the south of France. I wanted to come to Le Havre because I studied Chinese for 7 years and wanted to explore that culture deeper and this language that I am really passionate about. I am really interested in the link that Europe has with Asia in general, that’s why I chose this campus.
What is the main goal you want to accomplish?
I want to make this campus a safe place for everyone, to make everyone able to speak their minds and be listened to because this is a really big problem in Sciences Po and I really want to make sure that the admin can hear us and so be sure that the campus becomes a safe place for everyone since there’s a zero tolerance policy against any violence for any reason.
I’ll install weekly or monthly meetings in order to host events in the amphi so everyone will be able to tell me what they’d like to change and what they want to improve on campus. I also want to create an anonymous chat box about issues people don’t want to talk about in public, and I also wish to be really accessible for everyone to reach out to me because in university it’s hard to always know who you’re supposed to talk to depending on the issues you are facing. That is why I want to be a link between the students and the admin.
Why should we vote for you and not someone else?
I think you should vote for me because I am great at representing others, already have experience for representing people and to bring others voices at higher level
like when I was in the south of France I was in the youth parliament of my region so that helped me to listen to my fellow friends and to be able to make their voices heard and respected.
Camille Platon and Paul Ramperez
Photo Credit: @camille_year_rep_ via InstagramPhoto Credit: @votepaulyearrep via Instagram
Could you please introduce yourself?
Camille: My name is Camille Platon, and I come from the south of France. I can speak English, French, and a bit of German, and I’m currently learning Mandarin. I’m also half French and half Vietnamese, so I have a double culture, and I would say that I’m mainly influenced by my Asian family who come from Vietnam and Laos.
Paul: I’m Paul Amperez, I also come from South France. My main hobbies are playing guitar and meeting new people. I’m pretty sociable, and I like to engage myself with others in general.
If we should remember only one thing about your program and the main ideas you want to fight for, what would it be?
Camille: I think it would be to make sure that there’s no gap between the international and the French students, because as we are the most international campus of all the Sciences Po campus, it’s really important that we all stick together, and that our cohort is connected, and I don’t want any person to feel left out and to have problems of integration. I want you to see me as someone with whom you can talk with no pressure and no judgment.
Paul : We have pretty much the same ideas, I really want to focus on integration, and notably because the diversity of this campus is certainly the thing that I prefer, so I would like to create solidarity and mostly cultural exchange between the people.
And about concrete measures, I will insist on communication through an Instagram page, where we will post all the news about the administrative stuff, but also where people will contact us about integration, cultural exchange, and all the issues they could encounter, problematics, and notably through an anonymous chat.
Why should we vote for you and not for other candidates?
Camille: Because I would say that I have really great communication skills that I got with my personal experiences. I worked since four years in an sailing club, so I have encountered a lot of different people, from the elderly to children, so I don’t have any problem with communication, and I’m also not afraid of conflict, so I will not hesitate to speak to the face when there’s an issue that needs to be solved, and I will be ready to defend the ideas and the point of view of the students in front of the admin.
Paul : I’m really involved in all the things I do, and I think I’m social and empathic, so I will be there to understand people and to really find a solution for every issue there.
And there — you’ve seen it for yourselves, readers. This year we have a whopping 15 candidates running for year rep – we’re spoilt for choice! With so many appealing options, choose wisely, Mushus!
On Thursday, March 2nd, Simon Grangeat, author of French contemporary theatre, has accepted a zoom conference with the French theatre club. They have had the occasion to learn about his experience, his vision of theatre and the play he has written and that they are using as their final representation: T.I.N.A. une brève histoire de la crise (There Is No Alternative: a brief story of the crisis).
Droplets of rain, grey clouds, and the wheels of a few suitcases scratching the concrete. Frightened faces asking, “you don’t have working coffee machines”, “is that the entire campus?”, “is the weather always so gloomy?”, or “where can we eat something in less than 10 minutes?”. Questions that us, Havrais, keep on asking to ourselves. You might think this is the beginning of yet another complaint about the wonderful city we get to call home for two years. But you’d be wrong. Because this weekend, Perret and Niemeyer had everything to offer, and all campuses got their breath taken away by Bharatanatyam, clapped to Bollywood, danced to LH sessions. This weekend, this nation’s elite got drunk au Fût, and slept less than a 6-month-old toddler. Yes, this weekend, we listened to the most wonderful speeches, heard a member of government offer a Kinder Bueno, and Stéphanie Balme became a swimming teacher. Le Havre hosted le Prix Richard Descoings.
Le Dragon Déchaîné 