Dear Readers,

This has been an exciting Michaelmas for the CLC. The term kicked off with our Print Launch Party at Caius College Bar. With signature cocktails and multilingual music, the event was a wonderful occasion to catch up after long summers or even longer years abroad. We cannot praise the previous team enough for assembling a beautiful tribute to languages and travel entitled “Retrospections”. As we start to plan our own Print Edition for 2026, it only becomes clearer how big the shoes are we have to fill. You can read the magazine online or borrow it from the MMLL library.

As Week Five dawned, and our desire to flee the Cambridge bubble grew, it was a pleasure to plan a writing workshop on the theme of escapism. A hot drink in Waterstones café was the perfect antidote to our rainy Friday blues, and the range of prompts – from French films and Thai art to Mark Zuckerberg’s grandiose plans for the Metaverse – provided plenty of fuel for conversation. The event was a collaboration with Attraverso Magazine, an exciting new publication which prints poems and their translations side-by-side without revealing which is which. Michaelmas term ended with us joining Varsity’s Bridgemas pub social, a brilliant opportunity to meet fellow student journalists. 

This term also saw us crown the winners of the 2025 Schools’ Essay Competition, recruit new editors and writers, and get to work producing articles. We’re so happy with our team, which this year includes a talented group of photographers and illustrators. From Milei’s victory in Argentina’s October elections to the history of London’s first Chinatown, the range of this term’s output was vast.

If you would like to get involved with the CLC, applications for writers and columnists are always open. Alternatively, you can send us a pitch for a one-off article, or browse our list of suggested ideas. We’re also seeking photos for our Travel Photo Gallery (more details at the end of the newsletter). I’ve been Alex, a fourth-year French and history student, and one of the Editors-in-Chief of the CLC. I’ll now pass you to my co-editor, Soraya, who is on her Year Abroad in Argentina.

As I’m writing these lines from Buenos Aires, nearly 7000 miles away from Cambridge, watching the sun fall behind a different river, in a completely different season, the soft gravity of Cambridge still tugs at my thoughts. Whether it’s the emails pinging on Outlook at strange hours, or photos of Bridgemas formals, it’s clear that this small community stretches across continents and we all remain part of the same conversation. So, keeping this in mind, I do hope that during the Winter Vacation, you can take the time to read some wonderful articles and admire some beautiful photos and illustrations by our team.

That’s all from us at the CLC for this term. We’ll be back in the new year to announce the theme of our 2026 Print Edition, exciting events in Lent term, and the launch of our Fifth Annual Schools’ Essay Competition!

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas,

Alex Brian and Soraya Shakibi

Co-Editors-in-Chief 2025-26

Americas

Apuntes del fin del Mundo I: Modern Musings on Buenos Aires

Written by Soraya Shakibi, this thought-provoking text explores architecture, the arts, dictatorship, and decline in Argentina’s capital city. “It feeds the narrative of everlasting splendour and dignity on the continent, yet fails to look at its gnarly reflection in the mirror. Some days I feel very much at the bottom of the world,” the article concludes, as the author’s personal experiences enrich the text’s description of Argentinian identity and politics.

Milei Wins Argentine Midterm Elections

In response to Argentine president Javier Milei’s surprising landslide victory in October, Rebecca Turner comments on Milei’s controversy. Praised for helping Argentina’s economy by lowering the rate of inflation, Milei has been critiqued for cutting state spending and accentuating social disparities. This article notes the significance of Trump’s announcement of a $40 billion investment into Argentina, contingent on Milei winning the midterm elections.

The Biological Notion of Power: Symbiosis in U.S.-Latin American Relations

It is best to describe this fascinating article in the author’s own words. Emma Whitaker-Pitts writes, “I believe that it would be interesting to conceptualise the continents of North and South America as different organisms and use the branches of parasitism and mutualism as metaphors to reveal patterns of symbiosis in late twentieth-century U.S.-Latin American diplomacy.” With a focus on immigration and the notion of mutual dependence, this text is an engaging spotlight on the complexities of U.S.-Latin American relations.

Asia

Limehouse: London’s First Chinatown

Alexander Reeves-Bonoldi explores the history of Limehouse, the London neighbourhood once home to the capital’s first Chinatown. Limehouse was inhabited by Chinese labourers employed by the East India Company, who experienced discrimination and marginalisation. Yet the well-loved Chinatown of London today, rather than a peripheral space, is what the author views as a central symbol of what it means to be British.

Europe

Layers of History: Photographing Paris

Léa Girard highlights the multi-layered nature of Paris, a city defined by its combination of old and new, through photography and thoughtful descriptions of certain spaces in Paris. The Hôtel de Poulpry, for example, built in 1640 as a private residence for aristocrats, is now a space for the alumni of a French science university to congregate. Reflecting on their own experiences in the city, Girard offers a creative portrayal of urbanism that highlights how much history can be learnt from structures that one might assume had remained the same since their construction.

Travel

Prophet Daniel Street, Central Alexandria, photographed by Jake Altmann

Alexandria: City of Lonely Wonders

Jake Altmann traces the immense cultural and modern historical heritage of the city of Alexandria through a statue of Saʻad Zaghlūl, an Egyptian independence campaigner and revolutionary. This statue portrays a key figure in the Egyptian fight for freedom from British colonialism. Reflecting on this pivotal period of Egyptian history, the author encourages an attentiveness towards monuments of cultural heritage and a curiosity to explore beyond mainstream tourist destinations.

The Somewhat Sorolla Guide to Valencia

Soraya Shakibi draws on her personal experiences in Valencia to create a historically-oriented guide to the city. The article draws parallels to the paintings of Valencian-based artist Sorolla and his optimistic, bright view of the city. While modern innovations have altered Valencia’s appearance since Sorolla’s 19th and early 20th century artwork, this guide maps the city’s historical legacy onto the streets and buildings of everyday life. We thus not only get an insight into some unmissable spots to visit, but also their cultural significance.

Year Abroad

View from the Arc de Triomphe, photographed by Alex Brian

Beyond the Chicken Coop III - Paris « en plein hiver »

Luca Howes contemplates his experiences of Paris in the depths of winter. Freezing weather and little daylight are compounded by the need to adapt to a new environment - a combination which reminds him of the Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch, in which a prison cell called “the chicken coop” symbolises the isolation of being an émigré in Paris. Yet, the article also finds light amid these gloomy months, as Howes overcomes the stresses of moving abroad and indulges in delicious French cuisine.

Beyond the Chicken Coop IV - Hoop Dreams

In his latest instalment, Luca Howes reflects on the ways in which moving abroad impacts one’s hobbies and pastimes. His passion for basketball was temporarily put on pause, as his life in Paris and the opportunities it provided presented a more immediate focus of his energy and time. Yet, returning to the sport, especially in such a basketball hotspot, proved a rewarding way to foster connections, restore confidence, and most importantly create a sense of joy.

Brit Abroad - European not so much

While on her year abroad in Italy, Mae Auckland decided to conduct an experiment. What did students at her university think of Brits? Their first response: “Bevono tè tutto il giorno, e piove sempre” (They drink tea all day and it's always raining). Fairly accurate. More concerning was their description of British people as “altezzoso” or haughty and arrogant. These responses encourage Auckland to reflect critically on the meaning of Britishness in both its positive and negative dimensions.

Have some amazing travel photos? Want them to be featured on our website? Submit them by DM on our Instagram or email clcyearabroad@mmll.cam.ac.uk with your submission!