By Hugo Lagergren
February
We all know that sports are not what Sciences Po prides itself on, and neither is the Menton campus famed for its sporting performances at the annual intercampus Minicrit competition. However, this has not stopped the Bureau Des Sports (BDS) from outperforming itself at every opportunity this school year. They managed to collect over 2000 euros for the League Against Cancer for Pink October, nearly triple what they managed last year. Thanks to their apt negotiation skills, the bureau received sports equipment for each campus team for the first time in Sciences Po Menton history. And for their final trick… send nearly 100 students to the Alps for a five-day skiing holiday before the beginning of term — a feat that they executed perfectly.
On Monday morning, Sciences Pistes woke up early, eager to board the bus. The journey from the pebbly beaches of the Côte D’Àzur to the snowy tips of the French Alps began… and continued. After a few festive hours, the “are we there yet?” calls began in earnest. For eight hours, they persisted. A little downtrodden, we finally arrived in Risoul and checked into our rooms at “Yoonly & Friends” — well, at least those of us who managed to make it down the infamous icy steps. After a complicated check-in and a well-needed night’s rest, we were finally ready to begin exploring.
Being super excited to start skiing, we all woke up early to pick up our skis from the local rental shop and collect our ski passes. Many of the group had never seen snow, let alone set foot on a ski slope, so there was some understandable apprehension among a few, especially after seeing second-year Ilyes Mesbah and first-year Nael El Kihal bombing down the slopes at uncontrollable speeds.
Their speed and elegance, unfortunately, inspired second-year Lilou D’Inca, who, according to her, had not set foot on a pair of skis “for over ten years” to throw herself a little too enthusiastically down her first hill. After multiple barrel rolls and a torn ligament, the medical team managed to get D’Inca down the slope in one piece. Her ski holiday was promptly over. We hope our beloved cheer captain will recover quickly and bring home the Minicrit. The rest of the group remained in good spirits as we sat down for lunch beside the slopes.
It did not take long for the initial groups of flatmates and friends to dissolve. Almost immediately, 1A’s and 2A’s were becoming more comfortable skiing with one another. What was so brilliant about the ski trip was not the skiing or the parties; it was its ability to bring us all together.
“The ski trip really brought us closer together,” comments co-president of Bureau Des Sports, Romain Dufournet. “Five days of holiday all together is obviously going to be packed with emotion. I think constantly being around each other and talking to each other and just living in the moment outside the context of Menton and Sciences Po allowed us to create stronger bonds.”
After skiing, we were treated to some first-class DJing by DJMiketrackz at ”La Grotte du Yéti.” It might have been a ski trip, but it did not stop the Ummah from partying like it always does. The Après-Ski was a highlight. Beer in hand, the snowy outdoor party embodied the Mentonnais saying: “no stress, success.” It was a moment for everyone to relax and decompress before the work kicked in a few days later. The parties often continued well into the night, with Sciences Pistes getting to bed at times that could only make Mme. la directrice Yasmina Touaibia proud. This resulted in exceptionally slow mornings. However, the enthusiasm never waned.
Despite a few hiccups and more than a few drunk incidents, the ski trip was a tremendous success. Sciences Pistes faced their fears on the mountain, and they are stronger for it. Going into the second semester of the year, we have a tighter connection than ever.
As the monotony of essay writing and unanswered emails set in, I would just like to leave the reader with a notion that is important to keep in mind going into semester two, as it highlights the campus’ ability to surpass all expectations despite the adversary we face:
Samy, c’est un mec du R.