Written by Angelika Santaniello
Photography by Pulse Radio
From Friday 21st February to Monday 24th, Pulse (LSE’s creative and music network) travelled to France, partly in collaboration with their Sciences Po (Reims campus) counterpart, Soundsystem. The agreement between the societies entails Pulse attending one of their events and the Soundsystem network would co-host an event in London with Pulse on April 4.
The trip was formed by 20 Pulse members, including members from the main committee, sub-committee, and members who are tied closely to Pulse’s network. The partnership event, which took place on Friday 21 February, involved a team of 20 members from Soundsystem.
The Beaver spoke to Stella, Pulse’s president, about the logistics and her experience. Stella characterised the collaboration as one of “[learning] from each other”. This involved creating projects with a team composed of both Pulse and Soundsystem members.
Beginning as “a collaboration and not precisely a trip”, the plan developed into “forming something concrete with us going there”. Driving the project were connections formed by members of the Pulse committee and Soundsystem members, like Jade from Pulse, whose twin sister, Laura, is a member of Soundsystem.
The flagship event was a house party in Reims at one of the student ‘party flats’; ‘party flats’ refer to apartment buildings that usually accommodate students renowned for a tradition in which each inhabitant hosts a house party. The event involved both Soundsystem and Pulse DJs, as well as being an opportunity for members of each network to socialise.
Stella drew parallels between Pulse’s and Soundsystem’s events. Being based in London, Pulse organises large-scale events, being able to “create that sense of community and family”. Located in Reims, Stella explained that Soundsystem “taught [Pulse] how to organise great house parties” and “the energy and the vibe you want to create”.
Each Pulse member was matched with a member of Soundsystem, who hosted them. “We never met but we were so grateful for them hosting us in their homes,” Stella stressed. The day also involved a DJ workshop and a group pub dinner. Stella framed the experience as being “chaotic in a beautiful way”.
The remaining days of the trip were shaped by Pulse’s trip to Paris. Conferring with the rest of the group, the Pulse President remarked two trip highlights.
Stella’s first highlight was the Soundsystem collaboration after-party. “We were celebrating life [feeling a] sense of community, which is something we always felt being part of Pulse. Even with the people from Soundsystem it felt like we knew them for our entire lives,” she concluded.
Regarding Pulse’s excursion to Paris, Stella observed the “community sense” fostered by the group’s meeting at sunset on the steps of Montmartre, rendering another trip highlight.
Summarising the trip, Stella described the atmosphere as “quaint” attributed to the “very intimate and almost nostalgic feel, not about flashy events, but meaningful experiences.” Moreover, she framed the energy as “undeniable” and “electric”.
A “pulse of creativity […] fuelled” the trip. “It wasn’t just about the music and the trip but about the way the whole experience brought us together,” she remarked.
Stella used the trip as an example of Pulse being about “authenticity” and “feeling free to be yourself”, reflecting Pulse’s ethos to be a space for students’ self-expression and creativity.
