MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
Volume 15, Issue 03
Coffee, Papers and Interviews
photo by Luigi Maruani
PRESS TEAM working diligently to create each issue of the Munificence each day Lea Moukanas Staff Writer
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n the heart of the Palais de la Mutualité, far from the vociferous and overwhelming debate rooms, cozily rests the press team solely composed of editors, photographers and writers. Yesterday, as we were handing out the New Edition of PAMUN’s newspaper, we received numerous questions on our job at PAMUN: What is like to be a journalist at PAMUN? What do you spend your days at? How many issues of the MUNificence are they and what does this word mean? It is 8:10 when I cross the door of the Salon de Poissy, on the fifth floor of the Palais de la Mutualité, after having successfully passed the security check and humbly shown – ok no, shown with a lot of pride and excitement – my Press Officer Badge. Instinctively, I sit at my designated desk, turn on my staunch computer and start writing an article for the issue that is to be published and distributed this afternoon. Around 9 o’clock, allowing ourselves a break and regretting staying out late the night before, we try to sneak in the room next door to get coffee and croissants brought by our attentive editor-in-chef. The pause is short, yet invigorating: each warm sip of coffee makes us gradually forget weariness. We soon have to get back to our HQ: the deadline is in two hours. Using interviews and researches done the previous day, using our opinion or imagination, we work quickly and efficiently as a team to meet the deadline: it is now almost 11:00 a.m. I cannot write further on the day to come as I have to submit my writing in fifteen minutes. However, I know that in an hour, some of us will have finished writing, others will be stressing out to be able to finish their articles on time. I know that some of us will have lunch outside discovering of beauty of the Boulevard Saint Germain. Others – including the editors who will tear their hair in a couple of minutes to be able to edit and meticulously lay out every page of Munificence – will have lunch in the office. I know that this afternoon, at five o’clock, we will all face Blank Page Syndrome: What should I write about tomorrow? And at 5:50, we will all be distributing the new edition of the newspaper, exhausted but proud. And, I know that tonight, I’ll fall asleep on my computer, just wishing I could start this day over and over again.
INSIDE FOOD IN THE AREA
Find out where your fellow delegates recommend you eat tomorrow
– page 03
SNAPCHAT
See what delegates "had the hots" for their peers
– page 06
ADMIN TEAM
Learn a little bit more about the people behind the conference
– page 08
OPINIONS
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MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
Freedom of expression in Model United Nations and student journalism Henrik Elster Staff Writer
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n Saturday morning, 570 high-school students from nations as far-flung as China, the UAE, and Mexico poured into the gigantic conference hall at the Maison de la Mutualité for the much-anticipated opening ceremony of PAMUN XV. Needless to say, the cultural, religious and moral viewpoints of the participants in this conference are likely to differ extravagantly. From my perspective as a student journalist, the content of the speeches of the Secretary General, the Upper School Dean of Academics of ASP, and the keynote speaker, were not only compelling within themselves, but they also began to define freedom of expression in a modern, refined way. So, in an environment where openness is strongly valued and where delegates are constantly encouraged to discuss sensitive political issues in the most considered and eloquent way possible, do we still face critical restrictions in our expression? When Chloe Olsen, Secretary General of PAMUN, delivered an impassioned speech about the ongoing atrocities in the world and how the role of future diplomats is more important than ever before, few would be likely to disagree. What interested me, however, was the mock debate, presented before the entire delegation, in which chairs performed a scripted humorous enactment of a debate, whose aim was to show the rest of delegation what not to do. At one point, a satirical performance about Donald Trump was met with roaring applause and laughter from the audience. Obviously, the show was meant to be taken lightly. Yet, its implication, poking fun at a conservative American political figure, was crystal clear. Since it would be unfeasible and inappropriate for the PAMUN leadership to know the political beliefs of all of the delegates, is it safe to say that they were assuming a wholly liberal or anti-Trump audience? In any case, this assumption would be far from warranted. A student attending PAMUN, whose school in the UAE has several members in the delegation, told me that a female student from her school had been writing an article on the school uniform policy.
Consequently, it was promptly shut down by the principal. Similarly, the conservative nature of the country means that students aren’t permitted to discuss LGBT rights in their articles. Since students from this school attended PAMUN, there is a requisite for increased awareness of societal and cultural differences. So, while I’m awestruck by the ever-increasing diversity of the PAMUN delegation, I think that politically-careless attitudes such as those expressed in this morning’s performance could be detrimental to our attempt to simulate a real-life United Nations conference. Furthermore, delegates whose opinions differ from those who are liberally-minded might feel shunned, especially since the opening ceremony defines the conference’s political mindset, which should, theoretically, be neutral. Given the stringency with which the conference’s chairs enforce courtesy and adherence to UN policy when in session, I don’t see why the same sensitivity shouldn’t be held during the rest of the conference. An equally controversial issue arose several months ago within my school’s newspaper, whose content is rarely reviewed by adults prior to publication. Like PAMUN, an international school is home to a variety of cultures and backgrounds, and the beliefs held by a certain member of a student body will certainly differ in some way from those held by another. Incredibly, when Fox News became the subject of open ridicule in the newsroom, not only was it allowed, but it was also encouraged by the editors-in-chief. When I first mentioned my take on this event to one of them, I was met with something to the effect of: “This is my newspaper and I won’t accept Fox as a valid news source”. While I personally agree, I’m aware that others may not. It would be wrong for anyone involved with the newspaper to assess the value of a given source and openly use their personal convictions to define said newspaper’s stance. Still, in recent days, openness in the press has become extremely valued. Since the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris in early 2015, there’s been an uproar of a “I disapprove of what you say, but I will
defend to the death your right to say it”-esque mentality. Here, the unfortunate contrast between freedom of expression and the requisite for completely neutral reporting comes into play. One way around this conundrum might incite us, as critical thinkers, to logically determine if a particular news source is distorting facts. We should thereby be able to discard said source using concrete evidence rather than personal prejudices. An example of such evidence is a video released by the Fox News Corporation, which presents completely falsified statistics about the Obama administration’s effect on the American economy, and was obviously intended to portray the president in a negative light. For some, this would be enough evidence to consider Fox a biased and invalid source. In my opinion, however, the same line of logic can’t be applied to MUN, in which the expression of personal political opinions is all done to the first-degree, rather than through the criticism of news sources. There are obviously no objective ways in which we can determine the “worth” of a political party, like we can determine the worth a news source, even if said source echoes heavily-biased political sentiments. So, how can we, as blossoming adults and perhaps, aspiring journalists or diplomats, achieve a balance between neutrality and freedom of expression? Ideally, both PAMUN and the student newsroom should be venues of free-flowing discourse, as we adolescents learn how to respectfully converse about relevant world issues. Still, to avoid undue offence, as well as to realistically emulate the hallmarks of two very important professions, I think it important that a higher degree of importance be placed on the awareness of cultural, political, and social diversity. The issues covered in PAMUN XV are complex and controversial. To effectively debate them, all delegates should feel as though they’re in a politically-neutral environment. When beliefs are implicitly made fun of, I, for one, don’t see this happening.
OPINIONS
MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
3
Got the MUNchies? Caitlin Fowlds Staff Writer
Caroline Klaey Photographer
Everyone knows that the most important part of travelling is the food. Paris, with its wide array of cuisines, has offered mixed experiences for our delegates. With the PAMUN halls housing such a diverse population, one is offered comparisons between delegates’ local cuisine and Parisian food. Also, one can shatter stereotypes about what actually makes up the typical French diet (turns out, it’s more than just snails and frogs’ legs!).
Malik Al-Arnaout, Read Al-Qatari, Rakan Barghouty and Abdulkarim Abushullia Saudi Arabia
How does the food here compare to Saudi Arabia? It’s much better. How is it better? It’s more modern. What’s the best meal that you’ve had in France so far? An Italian restaurant, probably… Italian food, not French food… It’s way more expensive here. But I think you have more organic food here so that’s kinda good. Have you been to any restaurants nearby that you’d recommend to your fellow delegates? The Metro Cafe, around here, it was good. It had good pasta and burgers.
Do you have any restaurant recommendations nearby? We have many restaurants nearby and I think there’s a variety of very different restaurants. You can find Argentinian food, which is very good. Italian food, too. All the little bistros and bars which have French food is delicious. I don’t have a particular name, and a particular bistro that I can recommend, but there is a lot of choice. What’s the weirdest meal you’ve had recently? Ok, I’m French, but I tried snails. And it was not a very nice experience, but it was very special. You should all try it. It’s quite typical and it’s interesting. So that’s weird. It’s interesting that you’ve only tried it recently! It’s French food but you don’t really eat it. They say it’s French, but it’s like frogs’ legs. I’ve never tried frogs’ legs, and I’m not planning on eating them soon. I’ve tried the snails - it’s enough.
Sangwook Park South Korea
Sara Hamilton Jones The outskirts of Paris
How does the food here compare to the food in South Korea? South Korean food is very spicy, we’re very well-known for our kimchee. However, I think in Paris there’s a lot of cuisine that uses a lot of spices which I really like. Have you had any bad experiences so far? We were tricked by the Michelin guide and we were deluded by this restaurant called Pavillon Le Doyen. Can you please write in your article to never ever go there, because they are all horrible cooks - I could cook better than them. Other than that, Parisian food is amazing, I love it. What’s the best meal you’ve had so far? It was just at a bistro nearby, and I had ham and cheese crepes. I think that was actually my favorite.
What’s the weirdest food experience you’ve had recently? I think it was yesterday. I ate an eggplant with onions and it was so weird. How was it? Not so good, actually. Do you recommend any nearby restaurants for your fellow delegates? I saw a pizza place which looked nice. There’s something called Aux Verres Des Contact, which looks nice but is quite fancy. And there’s Cafe de Flore, which is a really famous cafe. It’s where all the famous people have their coffee, but (a coffee) is seven euros. And that’s for the espresso at the bar. Picasso and the whole gang used to get their coffee there.
Chloe Francois and Rose Vedrinelle Paris
4 FEATURE
MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
Social Media as News Kathleen Falconer Staff Writer
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elegates attending MUN are gathered from all four corners of the globe and everywhere in between. All are engaged in matters of international importance, whether those matters be of a political, economic or environmental nature. Consequently, it stands to reason that most delegates are avid followers of the news. Traditionally, this would mean they subscribed to the likes of The BBC, CNN or RT. However, there is a new platform for news that grows increasingly omnipresent: social media. We live in an age where every person has the ability to become a journalist of sorts. In fact, I'd go one step further and say there is an expectation, if not quite a requirement, for those with social media accounts to utilise these to comment on current events. For what other means could there possibly be to get across one’s views on the world? In the timeless words of Descartes, “I tweet therefore I am.” Thomas Jefferson once famously stated that, “Where it left to [him] to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, [he] should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” I wonder if his faith would extend to Facebook posts and Snapchat stories. Certainly there has been criticism of the starring role social media has played both in the sharing of news and the interaction of journalists with their readers. Certainly not all social media is the same, as Human Rights delegate of Bahamas outlines, “Maybe Facebook is good for the news because their [is]
some media you can’t find anywhere else, but the others like Snapchat are not as useful.” When asked about what role social media could play in engaging people with the news, Sorcha Leveque delegate for Benin in Disarmament said she thought, “it should be used to help the news, because I know that as a teenager you don’t really read the newspapers. So when a newspaper has a Facebook page it does help in getting teenagers to read their articles.” Helen Fergusson, Political Committee delegate for Malawi adds, “Usually when you read an articles, there are links to other articles that are similar.” And in response to those wary of it’s purpose in society? Rose Vedrinelle ECOSOC delegate for Benin suggests,“maybe they haven’t seen the use and potential it has but of course it’s just a way of communicating, of course we can communicate good news, bad news, wrong news, true news so of course there’s a risk that the source isn’t proper.”. Rose raises perhaps the most pertinent point, it is often assumed that traditional media is inherently reliable. All one seems to need is an acronym for a name and in the wave of a metaphorical wand, one is automatically blessed with a stamp of credibility. According to Harvard’s Journalist’s Resource Project, “Industry leaders have expressed mixed feelings about newsroom staff using social media to engage with readers and sources, partly because of According to the UN ,nearly 3 billion people have access to the Internet
COLLAGE of some of the most popular social media websites to date. Collage by Yoel Ben-Avrahan
the risk that they will disclose too much personal information or give opinions.” Because god forbid an intelligent human being would dare to possess such dangerous things as ‘opinions’? Personally I would argue those in the -what one might call- ‘traditional news’ industry who feel threatened by Social Media, are probably so inclined due to insecurities in their own publication. ‘Objectivity’ is a word thrown around constantly in journalism, and is a concept I find intrinsically corrosive to informed media. How can corporations with ‘target audiences’ and sponsors possible endeavour to be unbiased, and furthermore why should they. Better instead to be subjective, yet transparent and utilise Social Media platforms to open up discussions with people of all demographics. Social Media poses a threat to prehistoric
YouTube reaches more people between the ages 18-49 than any cable network in the US
56% of Americans have a profile on a social media site
notions of ‘elite media’- publications like the New York Times who literally determine what is news by informing other news sources what they will be covering the following day. Now the public has if not a starring, then certainly an Oscar worthy supporting role in establishing what is worthy of coverage. And this, I firmly believe, Mr Jefferson would have approved of.
Statistics from Jay Bear, YouTube and the United Nations
NEWS 5
MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
WHERE DO WE GO NOW? HEARTS N’ FIGURES Karya Sezener Staff Writer
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ith the literal change in material space being undergone by refugees, the rest of the world is left to go through a metaphorical one. Policies and outlooks on refugees are to be shifted, for the substantially large number of asylum seekers is a variable that ultimately demands change in stances that were present in times without crises. What’s determinant is whether or not governments choose to make that shift. Refugees don’t have a choice when leaving their countries. But governments do have a pressing decision to make about whether or not they want to make their diplomatic relocation. “We want those with the prospect of remaining to be integrated, but we also want those of no prospect of remaining to return home”, declared Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany. This statement suggests that a plausible approach is to minimize the aforementioned metaphorical shift as much as possible. By the integration of refugees into the pre-crisis state of living, it is possible to refrain from sensationalizing the situation like mainstream media does. It appears that this attitude is functioning. German participant Jan Miller says, “The main problem with the refugee situation in Germany is that, from the outside, a lot of people are over-interpreting the severity of it all, because in Germany there is a huge divide between the people who are very helpful in the situation and those who are very negative to it. However, the situation as a whole, it’s actually quite commendable! We had a very good approach to actually having camps set up. Everything’s running relatively smoothly, now that the number of refugees is being regulated, there are now being controlled and checked when they come in. And, it’s actually working really level. A lot of refugees are very open and very welcome to integrating into the German culture. They’re very friendly, very aware of the situation and very thankful. It’s fun working with them”. When asked about how the refugee crisis has affected his personal life Jan says, “I got involved in a program where we’re teaching refugees German and English, as operating languages for when they look for jobs. And, I must say, personally I’ve held quite a bit of a bias against people from the Middle East for quite a time, especially against Islamic culture. And they’ve been totally thrown out the window. I’ve been blown away by these insanely friendly people. They’re very cooperative, very nice and they’re very polite.” This suggests that the globally adverse crisis has had almost a positive impact on Jan’s life. Jan says, “Quite so. But most Germans don’t see it to be negative. 80 percent of Germans are appreciative of refugees.”
Moving on to the country that hosts the largest number of refugees in the world, “Turkey’s shouldering quite a bit of refugees.” says Jan, “But, it seems to be too much, at least that’s what we in Germany think… We think that there are too many refugees and that they’re not getting the attention and the help that they need properly.” Turkish participant Eren Günes agrees: “The refugee crisis had a huge impact on Turkey, as it was one of the countries with the highest refugee rates. But, I believe that it [the situation] was not treated correctly by the government. The refugees come into the country but they do not find the education or the shelter that they need from the government. They just let them in and they don’t take responsibility.” Advisor from ENKA Schools in Istanbul, Frédéric Kopp offers a more temperate view: “The tension is too concentrated on one region of Europe, which is Turkey” he says, “We can see how this affects Istanbul”. Ceren Selman from Istanbul follows, “I do see changes in Istanbul recently, but I don’t know if they can necessarily be linked to the refugee crisis. Not really Istanbul itself, but I do think the population has a bit more of an anti-Syrian, anti-refugee sentiment”. Eren Günes adds by saying, “I don’t totally agree because there are parts of Istanbul where the rate of homeless people has highly increased due to refugees. Since the government does not take care of these people, the citizens have an anti-refugee mentality.” The notion that the views of nations and of their people have a cause and effect relationship is clearly observable. Jan, whose country is actively supportive of refugees has an eminently positive view of the crisis, whereas our Turkish participants report that the people of Turkey may be hosts of a negative mentality due to the government’s less welcoming actions, such as denying work permits. However, it is important to consider that although Turkey is being offered financial help from other nations, the emotional assistance is not of consideration. “Of course money is needed, but it’s not enough” says Frédéric Kopp, “I think it is above all a human crisis. So, we need to think in a human way, not only in terms of figures. All these people do need material things, but first of all they need to see that they’re being accepted.” It is indeed a crucial point that this crisis is a juxtaposition of statistical figures and humane motives that come from hearts. Perhaps the compass that will direct us where to go next is the skill to learn how to juggle the two.
6 NEWS
MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
Terrorism Does Not Happen in a Vacuum Hamza Sait Staff Writer
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errorists don't consider themselves terrorists. The terms “terrorist” and “terrorism” were both invented by the western world, and as some would argue, are invoked by the western world as well. From the events of Afghanistan during the Cold War until the Iraq war, hundreds of thousands of innocent people have been killed. What the western world fails to realize is that no innocent person dies alone. These people have friends, families and loved ones who are suffering from their loses. Some of these individuals have decided to hold those who committed these acts of violence accountable for
their actions. The result of which is what most people call “terrorism”. Groups like Boko Harram and the supposed Islamic State exploit these individuals of their suffering. They take people who have lost their loved ones, strap a bomb to their chests, and claim that the more they kill, the more God will love them in the afterlife. A realization of what is at play needs to be understood within western society. The values that are being fought for by the west is going up against people who have nothing left to lose. Following the events of 9/11, George W. Bush gave out what is known as the Bush Doctrine, a speech that declared the United States at war with
TERRORISM The United Airlines Flight 175 crashes into the southern tower of the World Trace Center in NYC during the September 11 attacks. Photo taken by Robert J. Fisch.
terrorism. The American government proudly proclaimed “either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists”. Yet what Bush and the rest of the American government failed to realize was that terrorism is an idea. Which begs the question: How do you wage war with and idea? As a result of these events, the Second Iraq
War occurred. Thousands of innocent people were killed, the region was unstabilized, militia groups conquered, and now a supposed Islamic state has risen from the ashes. Ironically, at the end of all this, more terrorism has been created in an effort to fight terrorism itself. Our approach to solving terrorism needs to be
smarter and we need to learn from our mistakes. When we wage war against people in an effort to solve the issues, it appears the issue simply grows larger. There is no straightforward path to solving this terrorism, but until we learn from what history has taught us, we will simply not make any progress solving the problem.
SNAPCHAT CORNER
VALENTINE EDITION
FEATURES 7
MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
Cupid’s Arrows Land Differently Around the World
Valentine’s Day in Different Locations Oksana Nikitenko
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Staff Writer
he 14th of February is a day spent celebrating love and relationships, whether said relationships are between you and your significant other, friends, family, or even food. Not only are there different people you can celebrate Valentine’s Day with, there are also different ways, depending on the country you are from. Located in the heart of South America, Brazil does not celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14th, but rather a similar holiday on June 12th called Dia dos Namorados (which roughly translates to “Lovers’ Day”, or “Boyfriends’/Girlfriends’ Day”). It is timed to coincide with St. Anthony’s Day on June 13th, who is the patron saint of marriage. This day is celebrated with gifts and decorations, which is similar to the Western version of Valentine’s Day. One reason for celebrating this day in June is because it leaves more time for Carnival in February. (Refinery29) Both Estonia and Finland are very considerate towards people who do not happen to be in a relationship on Valentine’s Day (or those who just prefer food over people). Regardless what your reason is for being single, you can take a ride on the love bus - yes,
that is the actual name - which could lead to a potential encounter of meeting your significant other. It seems like these two countries are trying to make Cupid’s job easier. However, even if this process is not successful, you still get to spend a day riding around in a cool bus with your friends. Specifically in Finland, Valentine’s Day is also known as Friend’s Day, which, as the name states, is traditionally celebrated with your squad, because who needs a boyfriend/ girlfriend, right? (Euronews). Moving onto the land where kimonos are worn and delicious sushi is consumed, Japan celebrates February 14th with a feminist twist. Instead of the stereotypical notion that men must give women gifts, it is the other way around. A common gift is chocolate, but there are two types. Homemade honmei-choco is usually given to people you have a romantic relationship with, or wish to have. Whereas store bought giri-choco is given to platonic relationships, such as the ones you would have with friends, or professional relationships, like with coworkers and teachers (Japan National Tourism Organization). A month later on March 14th, White Day is celebrated, and that is when the men return the favor
VALENTINE'S DAY traditions being shown from vaious different countries.
Graphics by Mary Galloway
by giving women white chocolate or other white gifts. (Refinery29) In Philippines, the consequent outcome of falling in love, marriage, is celebrated on Valentine’s Day. Couples line up for mass weddings on this day. In 2003, “200 couples married in one ceremony in Quezon City, and a total of 4,000 couples were married throughout the country” (Xinhua). One of the most conservative countries in the world, Saudi Arabia, has a very interesting way of celebrating Valentine’s day: it does not. Crazy, I know, but this holiday is officially banned in Saudi. It is therefore illegal to sell any romantic paraphernalia, such as roses and cards. This is due to
the Muslims’ belief that this holiday promotes alcohol consumption and premarital sexual intercourse (BBC News). But love conquers all, so there are other ways to get gifts, such as an underground market for red roses. Iran, Malaysia, and Indonesia have enacted similar bans (WorldPost). Similar to the United States, and frankly any country that celebrates this holiday, cards are a common form of expressing your love and affection in the United Kingdom. People traditionally send anonymous cards as the Victorians believed that signing your name was bad luck. This country also claims that they started the practice of giving
roses as the flower was traditionally recognized as the flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love. (The Telegraph) Although Wales is a part of the United Kingdom, it has a different day upon which it commemorates love. Rather than consecrating February 14th, Welsh people celebrate St. Dwynwen’s Day on January 25th during which “men traditionally give women hand-carved wooden spoons as a romantic gesture.” (Wales Online).
8 FEATURES
MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
MEET the
MAIA MATISSE As deputy head, what does you job consist of? My job basically consists of fixing everything in each committee that has to do with the admin. Also if a country is missing their placard or a student doens’t have a country that’s what we have to fix
ADMIN
What's your favorite thing about being on admin? I both love and hate that it’s kinda both hectic and stressful cause it gives me something to do and it feels like i’m actually doing something with my life. It’s like I’m actually making a difference.
PAUL WILLEMS Which is more stressful, preparing for the conference or the conference itself? I think the most difficult thing overall was that we arrived at the conference, and we thought we were prepared for everything but we came in and then nothing was ready, and schools added delegates last minute, and in the end everything was perfectly fine, because we were organized and ready for it, but it was in no way easy. What is your favorite memory from PAMUN? My first year, I was an admin, and we played tic tac toe with the chairs, the chairs were really cool by the way, and then we sent it as a note to a delegate, and the delegate got so scared that they didn't send another note for the whole conference. It still makes me laugh.
photos by Luigi Maruani and Ana Madero
Ana Madero, Sofia Camacho & Svenya Braich Staff Writers
ADMIN TEAM MEMBERS from left to right: Francesco, Audrey, Brenna, Vivian, Paul, and Jessica hard at work in the Admin room at the American School of Paris on a typical weekday after school.
What made you want to start Admin? 2 years ago my sister was the head of Admin and I kind of followed her lead Mr. Reshef saw how dedicated I was to the group and how much I really liked organizing and passing notes and I thought that the group was a great idea because it’s a great way to learn skills you wouldn’t learn in class. So after my sister started Admin, I just followed her lead and it brought me here. What have you learned as head of Admin? So not only did I learn my organizational skills and leadership skills from being head of Admin, but I also learned that one person can make a huge difference. After one person is recruited, a huge swarm of people start gaining an interest in Admin and want to join. Just how one person can create such a difference. What’s your fav part about being head of Admin? Being with my friends and getting to know all of the admin. Most of the ADMIN are in my grade but also getting to know the lowerclassmen and just working with the executive team. They’re such a great group of people with such optimism. Also having deputees like Maia and Paul who are so dedicated and motivated to get this conference going. Also, working with Kelly Hunter, the IT wizard. We’ve worked on three conference together, two of which we worked together as members of the executive team. It’s been so much fun working with her for three years now. Can you tell us an embarrassing story about any past PAMUNs? I was in 10th grade in environmental. We had this really long room and there were wires were we had to walk . So I, the really graceful person that I am, start walking and I'm like passing a note looking very serious and everything. So she’s heading to the person all determined and she comes over and trips on the wires and like falls but catches herself. Then I move one foot as if to start going and I just collapse.
“ ” Admin have
been the brains
behind this whole conference and their dedication is the reason for our success
NEWS 9
MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
Young Fighters
EIFEL TOWER lit
up with a projection of the French flag after the November Paris attacks. Photo taken by Divulgação Prefeitura.
Henrik Elster
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Staff Writer
he November 2015 attacks in Paris raised a lot of questions. How safe are our borders? Is the migratory flux to Western Europe without its dangers to society? Still, one evidently crucial, yet sometimes overlooked piece of information lies with the origins of the assailants. Even though they all pledged allegiance to an Iraqi-based terrorist organisation, most of them were born and grew up in underprivileged areas of France and Belgium. More importantly, perhaps, all but one of the attackers were under age of thirty, and had been radicalized in their youth. Needless to say, it has become clear that the French demographic most prone to radicalization are disillusioned and alienated youth, whose quality of life is likely below the norm. Too often, when I tune into the radio in the morning, the top story is about a teenager who has vanished from a French suburb, and who is suspected of having fled to Syria to fight for Daesh. Thankfully, because of supposedly heightened security at borders since the attacks, it’s often reported several days later that they’ve been returned to their families. Inès, a 16-year-old French girl, jumped out of her home’s window to flee to Syria last December after having been radicalised online. She was found the next day. (BFM TV) Still, a large number of underage Daesh-recruits remain at large, and the the efficiency of the newly-implemented security measures across France is questionable. At around nine in the morning on the day after the November attacks, Salah Abdeslam, the suspected ringleader, successfully passed a police identity check whilst entering Belgium from France in a getaway car. He hasn’t been seen since. This occurred well after the French president Hollande had announced a national state of emergency, and demanded intense border controls. Furthermore, Abdeslam was already on a Belgian list of terror suspects (Telegraph), and his criminal record far from untainted.
Also, Hayat Boumeddiene, the wife of the the hostage-taker of the Parisian supermarket in January 2015, had long been suspected of terrorist allegiances. According to the Associated Press, official records show that she was very close to Islamic radicals known to French internal security services, and that she was interrogated by French officials about her reaction to al-Qaeda terrorist acts (BBC). Still, she successfully fled to Syria by road, air and train in just nine days, even though her name was clearly known to government services. Her path is well-trodden. As of last September, nearly 30,000 foreign recruits have entered Syria to fight for Daesh. Since, this figure is likely to have increased dramatically, in part due to terrorist organizations’ online presence. Social media proved to be incredibly useful during the November attacks. On Twitter, for example, “#PorteOuverte” (Open Door) trended, allowing Parisians to open their homes and provide safety to strangers, who were stranded outside on a night few will forget. Still, the use of social media to spread terror must be recognized. Last year, the New York Times published a detailed report of the online communications between a young Christian woman (called Alex in the article) in Washington state and various representatives of the Islamic State. Not only was she subject to kindness and flattery, but she was also bombarded with gifts and postcards from her “Twitter friends”. Despite the immense geographical and cultural distance between her and her interlocutors, the recruiters were able to create a connec-
tion with her which greatly surpassed ideology. After a failed relationship, Alex was enticed by the recruiters’ promise of marriage to a man in Austria. She was also interested in the idea of traveling to the Middle East to become more involved with Islam, seeing as she was becoming disillusioned with her Catholic upbringing. Similarly, Inès, the 16-year-old who attempted to flee France, intended to marry upon arriving in Syria to fight for Daesh. Interestingly, because of increased police presence in Europe and beyond, terrorist activities are largely being confined to the internet. Still, last December, the French government shut down three mosques suspected of radicalization, and between 100 and 160 others are likely to be shut down as well for various reasons (Al Jazeera). Weeks after Alex had converted to Islam, she still hadn’t met any Muslims in real life, and this is because radicalization is largely being done “virtually”. When I sat in on PAMUN’s Political Committee this morning, the delegation was focusing upon terrorism on the internet. Various solutions towards monitoring the spread of online extremism were proposed, notably as a tool in developing countries. Because of this rapid expansion of the presence of terror in social media, it’s become clear that the work being done by PAMUN delegates as they work towards a complete and effective resolution to combat terrorism is more relevant than ever before.
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MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
The Living Legacy of the Keynote Speaker Hamza Sait
An Interview with Sara Kamboj
Staff Writer
What do you enjoy the most about the new venue? I think the new venue is so unique. At UNESCO everything was very cozy and together, but here at this new venue everything is nice and spread out. Every committee gets its own section and taste. For example COP 21 is a completely different committee with different committee with different rules of procedure so to have it in a different area we are able to make it truly feel like a special committee. Plus it is such a beautiful building. What's your favorite part about your role as DSG? I love the fact that we have been working for 11 months on this conference and finally be able to see all your hard work unfold right in front of your eyes. The conference is running so smoothly. Originally we were scared everything was going to be so hectic, but since I have been here everything has been working so well, and I have been really able to enjoy the conference. How did you deal with the venue change and the rescheduling? It was quite difficult. When the events of November 13th happened there was a lot of uncertainty whether or not the conference was going to be cancelled or rescheduled. Thankfully, despite our setback the whole executive team had such a positive outlook on the situation and now we are so happy with the way the conference turned out. How did you get started with MUN? The first time I ever got involved with MUN was press back in my old school in New Delhi in 8th grade. It was a small conference, and honestly I was a bit scared to be a delegate at first. When I moved to ASP I stepped out of my comfort zone and became a delegate and I loved it so much! Since then I worked my way up the ladder from mentor chair, to chair, and now DSG and it has been a really great adventure. What are your hobbies outside of MUN? I play the piano, and I love film!
Don't Mess with the Boss(an) Hamza Sait Staff Writer
An Interview with Zoe Bossan
What do you enjoy the most about the new venue? I like the fact that it’s small. I can worry less about people messing around. I also feel like it much easier for the chairs to manage everything now that we have smaller committees. It’s much harder to manage a committee when it’s very big. I know that last year a lot of delegates complained about not getting a chance to speak, so hopefully with the smaller size committees more delegates will have a better chance to speak. What's your favorite part about your role as DSG? I really enjoy helping out and problem solving. It always feels so good to help others figure out the conference. How did you deal with the venue change and the rescheduling? I love the new venue, possibly more than the last one. UNESCO is of course amazing. It’s where all the real debates happen, it’s the real deal. This new venue on the other hand is modern and fresh. It has a lot bigger committee rooms with much more space. I feel it is a really cool step forward in the evolution of PAMUN. How did you get started with MUN? In 9th grade, my favorite teacher was the MUN director. He would always work really hard to make sure those who were in his class were able to make the cut to go on trips. It was so cool and so much fun! What are your hobbies outside of MUN? I love visiting in museums. There are so many incredible museums in Paris, I think they are so cool. My favorite is modern art!
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MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
How well do you ACTUALLY know your country?
The Mystery of the Onesie
Blythe Edwards & Megumi Sano
Sonja Milekovic
Staff Writer
I
n MUN, delegates are responsible for protecting their assigned countries’ interests by completely immersing themselves in the role of a diplomat. But here’s the real question: How much do these proud delegates ACTUALLY know about the countries they represent? The MUNificence staff decided to investigate. We asked them several key questions about the nations they are representing. Here are some excerpts: Q. Largest industry? Nigeria: “Oil…and fraud.” — Ed Plaut Algeria: “Couscous…and slaves” — Mina Mortchev United States: "Guns!" — Dan Millar Q. Political system? Afghanistan: “It's a democracy for now but not really functioning… if you know what I mean” — Ebrahim Jamshid Bhutan: “Could be a monarchy or maybe a communist regime?” — Theophile Ramon & Tom Sander China: "We've clearly got a multi-party democracy!" — Jon Sullivan Sudan: "Chaos." —Reda Al-Qatari Q: Political leader? Gambia: “I think [the president’s] last name is like Ya Ya or Jay Jay…” — Eric Lasry Q. Surrounding countries? DPR Korea: “You have China above and the lesser Korea below.” — Daniel Saldanha Q. National figures? United States: “Donald Trump.” — Ben Lindgren Gambia: “Jesus.” — Eric Lasry Malawi: “Not available...” — Charles Buckman Guinea: "ME" — Ammar Al-Qatari Q. Capital? Maldives: “Maldivia?” — Alyssia Dauchez, Esther Haik Gambia: “Gambia City!” — Eric Lasry France: "...No clue." — Joseph Hilditch Q. National dish? Costa Rica: “Cocaine.” — Alp Kismir Samoa: “Fish?” — Affan Ahmed Gambia: “A hamburger or something?” — Eric Lasry Guinea: "Water." —Ammar Al-Qatari Q. National sport? United States: “Football (the real kind!)” — Ben Lindgren Gambia: “Working in the fields.” — Eric Lasry Micronesia, Federates States: "...Tennis?" — Faisal Nasser Q. Landmark? Malawi: “They have a lake! Lake Malawi!” — Charles Buckman So we can conclude that even if MUN delegates aren’t fully aware of their countries, at least they have some creativity in their answers!
Staff Writer
T
he beginning of any conference is meant to be memorable; the best ones are always a delicate balance between seriousness and a touch of humour. PAMUN XV’s astounding opening ceremony is definitely one to add to the books. The fragility with which the Security General, her trusty Deputies, along with the chairs, took to the stand in front of roughly 500 eager students to introduce PAMUN. They discussed the issues that were on everyone’s minds: our world is going to hell in a handbasket. But they were able to counteract the seriousness with their mock debate, aimed to educate delegates on proper procedure in an entertaining way. If some of you are missing these hilarious moments the chairs showed us what not to do as a delegate, there’s some highlights on the daily PAMUN Snapchat summary on Facebook (shameless self promotion). However, there is one moment that, although entertaining, left us wondering: what animal was that onesie? In an attempt to discover the answer, I went out on a mission to find out what delegates and chairs thought. There was a mixture of response: some thought it was a pink bunny, others a pink sheep, a few pigs and a rare few expected it to be a unicorn. Raagini Sarkar, Chair of Political Committee spoke to me on the issue. “Before I found out, I thought it was a unicorn.” I was eager to find out what it really was. In order to do so, I tracked down Anibal Gomez, Co-Chair of Political Committee and with the help of Hamza, a fellow Press member, asked him. He said that he honestly did not know but that the owner, Louis de Minivielle, would surely know. So along with Hamza, I went on a search to find Louis and settle this once and for all. Along the way, we continued to ask what it was. Most delegates answered either rabbit or sheep. I was adamant that it was a sheep due to the fluffy texture of the costume from my peripheral view of the costume onstage. Finally, we tracked down Louis, in his comfy chair on the ECOSOC stage. Hamza asked him and came back with a shocked face. I asked him, “What? Does he not know what it is?” “No he knows what it is…” “What is it? Is it on the list?” “It’s an alpaca!” Once my initial shock had worn off and my mind had wrapped around it, I could kind of see why it was an alpaca. Alpacas are fluffy like sheep. But for all those who answered anything but, they will either be disappointed that their choice of a fluffy bunny or a pig were not correct. Conversely, you could be extremely excited to hear that it’s an alpaca. But alas, the end of our mystery is here and I have to say, it was an interesting journey. I will seriously consider dressing as an alpaca for my school graduation now. If I can get the same response as Anibal did, why not?
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MUNIFICENCE February 14, 2016
GAME CORNER!!
My MUN experience was ______________ (adjective). Fill out this Mad Libs to find out what your MUN experience was like this year: 1._______________ (exclamation) 2. _______________ (adjective) 3. _______________ (noun) 4. _______________ (adverb) 5. _______________ (number) 6. _______________ (verb) 7. _______________ (adjective) 8._______________ (name) 9._______________ (exclamation) 10._______________ (adjective) 11._______________ (adjective) 12._______________ (number) 13._______________ (adjective) 14_______________ (adjective) 15._______________ (verb) 16._______________ (emotion) 17._______________ (noun) 18._______________ (country) 19._______________ (verb) 20_______________ (other country) 21._______________ (type of food)
Blythe Edwards & Megumi Sano Staff Writer
[1. _______________] it’s so [2. _______________] I grabbed my [3. _______________] and [4. _______________] walked into the room where the other [5. _______________] delegates were [6. _______________] ing. I saw down and looked around the room. The [7. _______________] girl sitting next to me - her name was [8. _______________] - said, “[9. _______________] Look at that [10. _______________] onesie!” After the very [11. _______________] ceremony we all went to our conference rooms. We spent [12. _______________] hours debating clauses. It was very [13. _______________] but my chair was extremely [14. _______________] so I stared at her while [15. _______________]ing. I was very [16. _______________] when the coffee break finally arrived. I was walking to the bathroom when I saw my [17. _______________]! Anyway, I passed some resolution that helped [18. _______________] [19. _______________] [20. _______________]… I couldn’t wait till lunch since I was super hungry and craving [21. _______________].
Answers will be on Facebook tomorrow!