W E E K L Ythe

c e n t r a l e u r o p e a n u n i v e r s i t y

An independent newspaper by CEU students and alumni November 4, 2015, Year 5, Issue 63

This Issue: CEU Smalltalk - 2 • Trevor Noah & The Daily Show - 3 • Investigating Financial Upgrades at CEU - 4&5

• An Inside Look into Campus Redevelopment - 6 • Watching You, Watching Me Exhibit - 7 • How to DeStress at CEU, Page 8

CEU REIMAGINED

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THE CEU WEEKLY

2

Small Talk

CEU SMALLTALK

Studies at CEU are intense and sometimes we find ourselves spending our whole week at school. However, life in Budapest has so much to offer. Beautiful sites, bars and clubs, as well as having a good time with your

fellow students. After long school days CEU students have a lot to discover. For this week’s issue we asked:

“What has been the best night for you in Budapest so far?”

~ Ann-Kathrin BeckSchool of Public Policy

Germany

Anastasia Zabusova School of Public Policy

Russian Federation

Paula GasparianRussian Federation Political Science

Istvàn SzabòHungary

Economics

First week Friday we had a meeting with our professors and then we all went out together. We were not thinking about classes yet, everyone was so relaxed. It was the orientation week and we were having such a good time going out with our professors!

I think my best night was when some people from my master’s program came to Budapest to visit and we went together to Gellert Hill and talked a lot. It is pretty cool there at night. You can see the whole city in lights, all the bridges and the Pest side.

Lynda Esendi Kenya

Economic Policy

One day we went on a city tour and then to my friend’s house. We cooked different dishes from different cultures and then we had some tastings. A friend of mine is from West Africa. He cooked jollof rice and it felt like home.

Corrado Minardi Italy/ Venezuela School of Public Policy

I had some friends visiting me two weeks ago. We walked around the city and went to A38 and partied on the boat on the river. It was really cool. I had never crossed the bridge at night before.

SAW YOU AT CEU

OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY 10/29. You: brown

hair, motorcycle boots with a huge brass

buckle. Me: skinny thing in a black hoodie (no

boots). I told you how badass your boots

looked. Really I just wanted your number.

Drink sometime?

WE MET AT Lulu’s Halloween party.

You told me you liked my sexy Ruth Bader

Ginsburg costume. I’d love to see what’s

behind that Boba Fett mask. Tell me what

color collar I had on so I know it’s you!

Had a missed connection? Send details or responses to sawyouatceu@gmail.com, limit 50 words. We’ll print a selection in the next issue, and will connect responses directly by email! Submissions will remain anonymous.

ISSUE 63

3

Trevor Noah

Comedy has long been an important aspect of democratic

political critique. With roots in the Greek agora, political satire is an ancient tradition that gives people a space to think about their society’s leaders and their blunders, as well as consider possible alternatives. This tradition is one of the reasons we should (almost) celebrate the presence of men such as Donald Trump in politics, and one of the reasons why we should certainly mourn the retirement of Jon Stewart from The Daily Show. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, and

that light is the dazzling smile of the show’s new host, Trevor Noah.Trevor Noah was not a likely

successor to Stewart. He had only worked at The Daily Show for four months before he was announced as the heir apparent. However, his position as an outsider to the United States not only grants him special leverage on the American political scene, it also lends The Daily Show an added worldly flair. Noah grew up in the Soweto Township on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa. When he was born, his parent’s relationship was illegal under apartheid: his mother is part Xhosa and his father is a Swiss German. After their relationship was discovered, Noah’s mother was jailed by the South African government and his father moved back to Switzerland. Noah was raised by his maternal grandmother. Noah’s intimate

Ben Spies

THE DAILY SHOW: TREVOR NOAH TAKES CENTER STAGE

experiences with racial friction give him an important perspective on racial equality at a time when it is an especially important issue in the U.S., and his African heritage is one of the core aspects of his comic routine.While working for Stewart, Noah

was the ‘Senior International Correspondent’. He provided insight into Boko Haram’s presence in Nigeria and played “Spot the Africa” with Stewart, a segment in which he lampooned American lack of geopolitical awareness by juxtaposing images of America’s crumbling infrastructure against new

construction projects in Africa. This is another one of Noah’s comic tropes, attacking the superiority complex inherent in American worldviews. Tellingly, this segment ends with a shot of a slum in Johannesburg. All joking aside, Noah refuses to look away from the darker side of politics.Despite the grin, Trevor Noah

excels at exposing the ugliness of the American political scene. He does this whether tracing the arguments of Right-Wing pro-life advocates to uncover their hypocrisy when it comes to gun control, or explicating the sectarian nature of the most recent Benghazi Hearings. Party politics are dangerous on all shades of the political spectrum, which is why his coverage of the first Democratic Debate was so disturbing. Perhaps, however, it is because of his grin that Noah is so spectacularly qualified for his new job. Trevor Noah, and the elite group of late night political comedians he has joined, is helping us take back democracy.Comedy may be the only remaining

medium through which politics can be truly scrutinized in our society. It has a magnetic pull that stems from the fact that when we laugh, we feel as if we are in on the joke, even if that joke was ultimately on us. Being included in the joke is a powerful way to deal with the exclusion from the political process which most of us face. What we want is generally disregarded, aside from intermittent elections, and even then our political desires are little better than pandered to and reduced to their most basic, un-nuanced, forms. Comedy allows us to participate through the laugh, which enables us to focus our attention and crystalize our opinions. allows us to participate through the laugh, which enables us to focus our

~ Connor McDermottHistory

United States

What makes life at CEU special for you?Check out CEU’s new student photo essay competition “Life in a Day at CEU”. The

contest is open to CEU community members. Each entrant should submit 5-10 images by 23:59 on November 30, 2015. Post your pictures to the contest event page

on Facebook and use the hashtag #FallforCEU.Include your name, academic program, what day your photos were taken and

provide captions (150 words max) to tell us a little more about each image.Entries will be judged by CEU students and staff panel based on the interpretation of the theme as well as on the basis of artistic merit. The entry which gets the most likes

on Facebook before the contest deadline will also receive a prize.Prizes include gift vouchers, CEU branded items and the best entries will be

exhibited at CEU.

Questions? Contact myceu@ceu.edu.

#FallforCEU

www.deadline.com

THE CEU WEEKLY

4

Financial Upgrades at CEU

“WHEAT AND CHICKENS” FINANCIAL AID BONUSES FOR TOP GRADES AT CEU

Yes, we all know that enlightenment or

knowledge is the finest fruit that our hard studying efforts should bear… but let’s admit it: we would all be unhappy if our excellent grades (due to sleepless nights studying) would generate some actual fruits! Or save us from the necessity of a part-time job to pay for living expenses in Budapest, allowing us to study harder or have more free time for other worthwhile activities. CEU actually does provide certain

financial awards for students of ‘the best academic performance,’ despite the fact that some of the students we talked to had never heard of such an opportunity before. The most ‘informed’ students told us that “they might let you move into the Residence Center if you have good grades,” and “you know, at Medieval Studies the best students get wheat and chickens.”All jokes aside, we believe that

rumors and mystery surrounding such policies at CEU needs to be replaced by facts. So, we stepped up and investigated just how students’ grades and transcripts can help to bear the fruits of our labor. In the end, it turns out you not only need a high GPA, but also a bit of luck…The most transparent and consistent

policy that we came across provides incentive for academic success such that the top student in each department or school will receive 200 EUR after graduation. This policy does not differ between the departments due to prestige or overall funding, and also does not differ whether there is a tie over highest GPA in a department.

Everyone receives the same award across departments without bias. If you’re interested in the details, you can read more about it here: www.ceu.edu/academics/student-awards.Another arena for merit-based,

financial rewards can be found in Article 3 (3) of the CEU Financial Aid and Student Fee Payment Regulations Policy, which states that those who performed in the “top 20% in their classes based on GPA ranking after the Fall semester” (or after the first year for 2-year master programs) “may be considered for financial aid upgrade.” However, a second line states: “in case their academic department/school has remaining funds from the financial aid allocation.” The bottom line is that the possibility

of financial upgrade depends first and foremost on whether your school or department has the funds at the end of the year (usually due to dropouts or a discrepancy in the planned number of students versus those who accepted the offer). Moreover, it also depends on whether your school or department decides to use that leftover money to upgrade current students’ existing

financial aid packages. According to Zsuzsanna Blum, Director of the Financial Aid Office, this is the main reason why students are not informed about this opportunity until January (or September for those in 2-year programs): “Departments are encouraged by us not to promise or even hint on anything to students because it is impossible to know in September - October what would happen in January. Students should not have high expectations.” Such a stance is quite understandable

and accounts for the delay in information regarding whether upgrades will be available and how much will be provided to students. However, one student, from a school that had leftover funding due to a number of dropouts earlier in the year mentioned during an interview, “there were several questions that arose once we knew there was the possibility of extra money at the end of the year. Should I quit my part time job in order to study harder for top grades, which would make it possible not to have to work? How much money or how much of an upgrade would

An Investigative Piece by Ekaterina Efimenko and Meiko Boynton Aimed at Dispelling the Rumors Surrounding

CEU Departmental Practices of Upgrading Financial Aid Packages for Academic Performance

www.eduxprss.com

ISSUE 63

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Financial Upgrades at CEU

~ Meiko BoyntonSchool of Public Policy

United States

Ekaterina EfimenkoLegal Studies

Russian Federation

I receive? And most importantly, what are the criteria for selection?” In regard to these questions, CEU

policy suggests that “partial fellowship recipients can be considered for full fellowship; full tuition scholarship recipients can be recommended for partial or full fellowship and partial tuition scholarship recipients for up to a full tuition scholarship. Self-financing students can also be recommended for an upgrade and can be awarded up to a full tuition scholarship.”However, questions and uncertainty

around the department or school’s financial upgrading options and policies remain, and clearly show the need for more consistency and transparency. Another student we interviewed from the Department of Economics said that such a rewarding system “creates unnecessary competition” and disturbs a sense of student collective or mutual help in studying process: “Our program is rather small and we often discuss homework together.” Other students indicated that they do not like the overall idea of financial aid upgrades since those who already have a full scholarship package feel like they do not receive adequate praise or incentives for their success. Many students in the Department of

Legal Studies were rather frustrated when they found out that an “unofficial grade” for a pass/fail class—which was understood to only be for the students’ own knowledge—turned out to be crucial for a financial award, labeled a ‘thesis support reward.’ Similarly, several students at the School of Public Policy mentioned that they had asked numerous times last year whether extra funds would be available at the end of the year and what the selection criteria would be for financial upgrades. These students were given contradictory and

confusing information, which led to unease, discontent and an exacerbation of problems within the school. Some students had heard that the selection would be based on merit, some that it could be based on financial need or some other special criteria, while yet other students had heard that there would be a ‘trickle down’ policy—meaning that those considered in the top 20% of the GPA scale would exclude those students not eligible for upgrades because they already received the highest package, thus making the disbursement even more far reaching.

“Should I quit my part time job in order to study

harder for top grades, which would make it possible not to

have to work? ”While some students feel that the

School of Public Policy is luckier than most in the amount of funding it receives, there is still no excuse for mismanagement and disregard for student wellbeing across any department or school. As Serge Sych, Vice President for Enrollment Management and Alumni Relations mentioned, “I consider students as clients,” and emphasized the commitment to making sure students get the information they need. This sentiment expressed from his office seems to ring true, as it has encouraged students to speak up and give their impressions and feedback in order to make a process that is helpful for everyone. To conclude, it is clear that students

in any school or department would prefer to know as soon as possible what the selection process and criteria consists of for any additional funding being provided by CEU. Even if the

department or school does not know how much money would be available at the end of the year, the majority of the students we talked to for this piece agreed that (1) any and all policies regarding this issue should be transparent and clear and (2) students be informed of such policies from the beginning of the year. Other students suggested that perhaps it would be better to have one common fund for the university that collects all “unused” money from students who eventually decide not to enroll. This common fund could then fairly distribute an excess for upgrades evenly between departments. Under such a system, it is guaranteed that at least one person per department would benefit. As this piece was being submitted

for publication, we were informed by Student Union that they are currently working on fighting the lack of transparency in the budget— not only in terms of financial aid, but also, for example, in terms of sponsorship for CEU departmental and club events. We therefore will keep the CEU community updated on this issue, and hope to be able to follow-up with the SU on these efforts for our next print issue later this November.

www.crackiitjee.com

www.edcgov.us

THE CEU WEEKLY

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Campus Redevelopment

Campus Redevelopment: CEU Doubles Down on Nádor

~ Natalie Janes History

United States

Throughout the course of the current term, the CEU Campus

Redevelopment Project seems to have enjoyed increasing publicity. Aside from the educational diorama on display in Nádor 11, a different sort of promotion for the project has materialized this semester at Nádor utca 15, the site of a new main campus building that will be the first phase completed out of an ultimately three phase development—scheduled to be finished in 2019.Some years ago, a growing student

body forced the CEU administration to consider whether to remain in its current downtown home or expand elsewhere, according to Žofia Pažitná, project officer at the CEU Campus Redevelopment Office. The administration discussed the option of relocating to some place less central, where a "green field campus" might be possible. A then-recently-inaugurated President and Rector John Shattuck finally favored the idea of staying put, so that CEU would instead expand within its original space between

Nádor, Zrinyi, and Oktober 6 Streets. And so began the process of conceiving of a plausible alternative to a more traditional liberal arts college layout, presumably one more self-contained and on the urban periphery.A potentially major point of

contention was the issue of finding a way to reconcile a building that simultaneously reflects the uniqueness and singularity of CEU, but that still ultimately maintains respect and gratitude for the rich architectural legacy of Budapest. This is especially important considering that CEU actually happens to be located within a UNESCO World Heritage Site: namely, the city of Budapest itself. The CEU campus redevelopment team was adamant that the project’s design exhibit reverence and gratitude for Budapest’s historical tradition, while still managing to express CEU’s pride.“We wanted something special to us,

as special as us, and that is not some kind of industrial design that’s sort of just thrown out there, and just off the shelf,” Pažitná says. “We wanted

The CEU Weekly’s Natalie Janes Sits Down with Žofia Pažitná to Learn More about CEU’s Campus Redevelopment Project

something that we helped to create… and that really reflects and provides an understanding of what CEU stands for.”The redevelopment team conducted

an international open call search to find the best architectural practice for the job, drawing an impressive seventy-nine applications. The winning proposal, by architects Sheila O’Donnell and John Tuomey, was chosen for its closeness to CEU’s vision, demonstrating an ability to provide for students, care for the community at large, and attention to detail throughout. Pažitná says the Nádor 15 project

emphasizes connectedness between a broad array of departments, students, countries, and identities, serving as a symbolic crossroads. Though the sleek design pictured in the renderings reflects a modern and progressive lifestyle, she believes the building will acknowledge its rootedness in the local community and not be in conflict with the character of other, older neighborhood buildings.The project has drawn attention in

more ways than one. Locally, the construction site of the new Nádor 15 campus building is a conspicuous new feature on Nádor utca, as evidenced by the large crane lifting supplies up its many stories. Internationally, CEU’s campus redevelopment campaign has also received acclaim for its Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology (BREEAM) accreditation. Except for just one other project in Sweden a few years ago, its design and execution plan received a higher BREEAM rating than any other development project in continental Europe.

Flickr: ceuhungary

ISSUE 63 Watching You, Watching Me

SURVEILLANCE IN FOCUS

~ Calum CameronSchool of Public Policy

Scotland

HRS

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Steps away from the CEU campus sits the Open Society

Archive, a treasure-trove of materials documenting the Cold War, dissidence in the Soviet Union, and Human Rights abuses across Central and Eastern Europe.

It is a fitting venue for Watching You, Watching Me, a new photographic exhibition examining surveillance.

In an age where public and private realms are increasingly blurred, and new technologies both empower and control us, this exhibition reflects on concepts of privacy, power, censorship and personal freedom.

10 featured artists explore how photography can be both an instrument of surveillance and a tool to expose and challenge its negative impact. From Colonel al-Qaddafi’s internet surveillance center in Tripoli, to the covert monitoring of Muslims in Brooklyn, the stories told are varied but all urge us to question our privacy in the 21st century.

American artist Hasan Elahi embarked on a project of self-documentation after being investigated by the FBI for terrorist

activities following an erroneous tip-off. To put the FBI as ease, he has spent the last decade sending over 70,000 images documenting every aspect of his life. 32,000 of these are featured in a striking composite image. Expect lots of photos of food and toilets.

Blue Sky Days by Tomas Van Houtryve looks at the effect of drones on personal privacy. He was inspired by the words of Zubaur Rehman, the grandson of a women killed by a U.S. drone in Pakistan: “I no longer love blue skies. The drones do not fly when the skies are gray.” Van Houtryve’s

chilling images are taken from a drone he flew across the US, “targeting” the kinds of gatherings described in strike reports from Pakistan and Yemen, such as weddings, funerals and groups praying.

Watching You, Watching Me is free and open to the public from October 14, 2015 to December 8, 2015, 10am-6pm all week except on Mondays.

TIME TO DESTRESS!

The MidTerm Week is in full swing and I know that at this very moment you already feel like going

crazy. That’s why it is so important to take your time and DeStress. The CEU Weekly has prepared some useful advice on how to relax and stay healthy, calm and, most importantly, in full shape to succeed during exams.1) Go to bed at the right time: Unfortunately, during the exam period, it’s rare to enjoy a full 8 hour beauty sleep. The good news is, you don’t exactly need those 8 hours! The important thing is to wake up between the sleep cycles because waking up in the middle of one leaves you feeling tired and groggy. An average adult needs 5-6 full sleeping cycles to stay fit. Sleepyti.me/ is a sleep calculator. You just plug in the time at which you want to wake up and it gives you 3-4 options as to when to wake up! Say, if you have to wake up at 8:00 AM, you can go to bed at 11 PM, 12:30 PM, 2:00 AM or even 3:30 AM. Check it out!

2) Do yoga: A 2008 University of Utah study shows that regular yoga practise helps a person regulate their stress levels. Also, during MRI scans, yoga practitioners had the

lowest activity in areas of the brain associated with pain response. Controlled yoga breathing is even proven to provide relief for depression. And, of course, yoga is the safest way of staying physically (and mentally!) healthy.3) Eat a healthy diet: Yes, we are what we eat! Here are 3 products you should include in your daily diet to be in a better mood, to boost your brain activity and keep your energy level high. Almonds can do wonders to your mental and neurological health because of Phenylalanine they contain. It stimulates the production of dopamine, adrenaline and noradrenaline — which make you feel happy and energised — in your brain. Fruits and veggies contain vital nutrients that foster production of dopamine, provide antioxidants, and make you feel happier and more creative. Dark chocolate increases the production of endorphins and enhances your concentration.4) Try meditation: Meditation has been shown to increase emotional well-being by lessening worry, anxiety, stress and depression. It can improve your mood and help you relax. Meditation also increases your focus, memory retention and helps you ignore distractions. If you want to improve your immune system and energy level — meditate!

~ Maryna Nazarian Economics

Ukraine

A room in Libya’s Internet surveillance center, August 30, 2011

© Ed

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The CEU Weekly is a student-alumni initiative that seeks to provide CEU with a regularly issued newspa-per. The CEU Weekly is a vehicle of expression for the diversity of the perspectives and viewpoints that in-tegrate CEU’s open society: free and respectful public debate is our aim. We offer a place in which current events and student reflections can be voiced. Plurality, respect, and freedom of speech are our guiding principles.

About the CEU Weekly

Have an Opinion?Contact Us About Our Op-Ed Policy &

Ways to Contribute:ceuweekly@gmail.com

Distribution Points: Reception Nádor 9, Nádor 11, Library, Cloakroom & CEU Dorm ceuweekly.blogspot.com

Editor in Chief: Aaron Korenewsky Managing Editor: Ekaterina Efimenko Contributors: Ann-Kathrin Beck, Meiko Boynton, Calum Cameron, Natalie Janes, Connor McDermott, Camilo Montoya-Guevara, Maryna Nazarian, Zarina Nurmukhambetova, Ben Spies, Ilana Ullman, Alexandra Wagner, Anastasia Zabusova

Like us on Facebook!www.facebook.com/TheCEUWeekly

LIBRARY FRUIT AND BISCUIT BAR

~ Maryna Nazarian Economics

Ukraine

To help you in your ‘Zen’ beginnings, CEU has organised a DeStress week on November 9-13. Here are some amazing events you can attend:

DESTRESS AT CEU: NOVEMBER 9-13

*Any opinions expressed by contributors and/or interviewees herein are those solely of those persons and do not reflect the opinions of The CEU Weekly or CEU.

Where: In front of the Library When: November 9-12 (Monday - Thursday) 3:00-5:00PM

HAPPY MOMENTS THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY - DISCUSSION WITH

HENI GRIECS Where: Okt. 6/7, Room 435 (Nov. 9)

Okt. 6/7, Room 234 (Nov. 13) Time: 5:30PM

RELAXTION HYPNOSIS WORKSHOPWhere: Nador 11, Room 616When: November 10 (Tuesday) 5:30PM

DANCE WORKSHOP Where: Okt. 6/7 Room 101 & 102

When: November 10 (Tuesday) 6:00PM

MINDFULNESS MEDITATION BY BRANISLAV KOVACEVIC Where: Nador 11, Room 006 (TIGY) When: November 11 (Wednesday) 5:30-6:30PM

TAI-QIWhere: Nador 11, Room 616

When: November 11 (Wednesday) 5:30PM

YOGAWhere: Sports Center When: November 12 (Thursday) 6:30PM IMPROVISATION WORKSHOP BY ANDREW

ORGANIZED BY CENTER FOR ARTS AND CULTURE

Where: Okt. 6/7, October Hall When: November 12 (Thursday)

6:00PM PHILANTHROPY

AWARENESS DAY 2015 Where: Nador 9, Octagon Area

When: November 13 (Friday) 10:30AM-3:30PM

WINE TASTINGWhere: Basement Lounge Participation Fee: 1000HUFWhen: November 13 (Friday) 6:00PM To see videos from previous years’ events and more, visit: http://www.ceu.edu/studentlife/destress-week!