eMAG 27

Author & layout: Nadine Ellinger; Pictures: Nadine Ellinger, Kaz/pixabay.com

y the little things that make our everyda What’s life without color? Often it’s by rs it’s lending a helping hand to othe life a bit more colorful. Whether eme hobby like sword fighting or extr volunteering, or an extraordinary G. eMA , as you’ll read in this issue of running. The possibilities are endless in one ’ll find articles that deal with color Throughout the three sections you focus to “color up your life” literally and way or another. Some take the mot e the le others strive to inspire you to leav on the role of colors in our life, whi er clos a . And, of course, we’ve taken trodden path and try something new life. our make such a big difference in look at all those little things that take countries in order to help others; You don’t have to travel to far off are s y different initiataves and program our university, for example: so man it. ut abo nteer – read on and find out all aimed at students who want to volu ty of I hope this mag will give you plen So go ahead and color up your life! inspiration.

Your Editor-in-Chief, Nadine

eMAG is an independent non-profit magazine published twice a year, by students, for students.

It is part of a University of Augsburg Language Center course, as well as the Begleitstudium Problemlösekompetenz. Everything related to the production of the magazine is conducted in English. The aim of eMAG is to entertain and inform the university community about international, intercultural and local topics in the English language. As part of its philosophy, every semester eMAG donate an advertisement to a local charity. We also regularly publish articles on our website www.eMAG-augsburg.de.

The content of individual articles does not necessarily reflect the team‘s view and opinions. print run: 1,500 | price: for free | published: Jan 20, 2016 | printed at: Senser_Druck GmbH | copyright: 2016 eMAG. All rights reserved. | www.eMAG-augsburg.de

Table of contents 28

10

26

Whole wide world 6

5

18 36

12

Color up your life Eyes eat first Of trolls and knights Embrace change!

Art with a can Color forces Royal blue, azure, turquoise vs. blue

5 6 8 10 12 14

Keep it local

23 A canvas made of houses Hitchhiking around Europe About a passionate pole dancer from Portland A walk around China From Bavaria to Pennsylvania Watch.Read.Listen.

Dreams, doubts and drinks!

Let‘s get dirty!

How to stick them with the pointy end Meet the LAW CLINIC A little less talk - a little more action Tall friends, small friends We‘ve always been craft!

17 Winter? Spring? What?!

18 Channel your inner teacher

19

19 20 22 23

25 26 28 30 31 32 34 36 38

Kulinarische und literarische Verf端hrung...

Eyes eat first A student’s guide to cooking visually attractive food

Let’s face it: I’m not a chef. I’ve never claimed to be one and for all I know I will never become one. Every time I prepare dinner for myself, basically my meals all look like mashed potatoes mixed with something unidentifiable. Sure it tastes good. But most of the time I have to convince others to try. And even then they’re uneasy about it while eating. That’s not the end of the world. Worst-case scenario: I don’t have to share my dinner anymore. Fine by me. But what if I want to? What if I want to impress someone with my cooking? Turns out there are quite a few simple tricks how you can make food more appealing to the eyes.

Preparation: Choose your ingredients carefully. When cooking with vegetables, it’s really important to use fresh vegetables. They bring color to your plate, which is an important factor in food’s appearance.

So it’s important to use not just one, but rather different types of vegetables. Preferably in different colors, like red and yellow peppers. That way your meal will have that special look we are going for. Next: the actual cooking. There’s really only one thing to bear in mind. Don’t overcook the vegetables. No one wants to eat a slice of pepper that looks and tastes like a gummy worm that’s been bathing in a glass of water for a few days.

Presentation: This is probably the most important part. (It’s also the one step where I usually fail due to lack of motivation.) It starts with how you put the different dishes on the plate. Divide your plate into sections, so there’s a certain recurring theme going on. Just take a minute to think of how you arrange your dish. Also, don’t overload the plates.

Less is more! (Your guests will ask for seconds if they want.) Last step is decorating the plate. It’s the icing on the cake. Just put some slices of raw vegetables on the side of the plate. You don’t even have to do something special with them, like carving a flower out of a tomato. You can, however, pick a few real flowers and put one on each plate. But make sure they’re edible!

One last thing is also important: Be confident about what you’re doing.

You’ve achieved something; you’ve created a meal on a student’s budget. Don’t be self-conscious about it. Show some backbone. This may very well be the best your guests have eaten in a while.

Author & layout: Yo Vogel; Pictures: Sam Speidel

5

Thorin Oakenshield from the Hobbit Trilogy (€300)

Of trolls and knights Be adventurous – try fan culture!

Aren’t we all weirdos? Some people might be better at hiding it, but in the end, I think it’s true. The trick in life is to find out what kind of weirdo you are and to find friends with the same strange tastes.

Now that being a nerd is finally cool we should all be a little less judgemental. I found that people seem to be a bit put off when I tell them I like fan fiction and cosplay. But why are my quirky little hobbies any stranger than yours? Let me tell you a thing or two about one of my favourite things. You never know – you might enjoy it as well.

Loving fiction Who doesn’t fall in love with some fictional universe every now and then? Some take it a step further in becoming a little *cough* obsessed with them. We watch every single Game of Thrones episode three times, learn the Targaryen family tree by heart and dream up scenarios where our most beloved character might have survived a certain dinner party. We know all Marvel heroes by their full names or every single spell Harry Potter has ever learned. We just love spending time in these fictional realms. But when the last episode ends and no new ones are in sight for a year, what do we do with our lives then?

6

Expanding fiction For me the answer is fan fiction. When you know your way around the usual fan fiction websites (google is your friend) you can really find anything you like. The internet is known for some dark corners where trolls and other sinister creatures thrive. But brave adventurers shouldn’t be spooked by this. Every newbie has to fight their way through masses of terrible writing before they find a true gem. But once you find the first truly awesome story, your life feels just a little more complete.

The coolest thing is: You don’t have to answer to anyone. So you were moved to tears by a short story about two brothers happily having a snowball fight or truly believe that Spock and Kirk would be the cutest couple ever. It’s all just fiction. No one is there to judge you. So why not indulge yourself a little?

Crafting Fiction

Living Fiction

Another way of going back to the imaginative world you love is Cosplay, retelling stories through costume role-play. Basically, that‘s it: dressing up in your home-made costume and messing about. It brings your imagination to life!

On special occasions, you’ll see hundreds of cosplayers running all about. The biggest one in Germany takes place in Kassel every year.

During that time, the city hosts more than 30,000 guests that come solely for this fan subculture convention. During one weekend in September, you will see characters from series, comics and games walking around the city, waiting at tram stations, cluttering up parks and posing for pictures basically everywhere. You may even spot a few cosplayers in Augsburg during the annual Japanfest in the Botanical Garden.

The basic principle of it has been in existence forever (Seriously!

Nobles dressed up as the Round Table Knights in the Middle Ages.

True story). It‘s been an actual hobby since the Japanese turned it into one in the 90s. Since then countless archives and videos have been created online, but also live conventions, photoshoots and contests are taking place all around the world where fans dress up like their favourite character, meet up and have fun.

In the end, it‘s all about meeting people. It‘s an art, for both the photographers and those who create their costumes. You need craftsmanship to choose your make-up, to decide how to style your wig, which materials and tools to choose for the more elaborate costumes.

People usually start by turning their old clothes into costumes. And if you want to become more advanced: there are tips and help from other cosplayers all over the internet. Be it a template for a papiermâché Iron Man helmet or a plaid skirt sewing instruction. The costs can range from almost nothing up to several hundred euros if you make your own armour.

Once you embrace your inner nerd, you can colour up your life by recreating and sharing your imagination with others.

So then … onwards to adventure!

Tweek, Craig and Clyde form South Park (less then €20 per costume)

Author: Katrin Müller and Lisa Bittner; Layout: Lisa Bittner; Pictures: Michael; Ruffys Fotografie/facebook.de (Thorin), Sarah P.; Frozen_Fairy/animexx.onlinewelten.com (South Park)

Embrace change!

Every cloud has a silver lining

Often we stick to our bad habits or stay in situations that harm our emotional life, just because we‘re afraid of change and bad experiences. Let’s be honest: is it better to live a life we don’t really like only because we‘re scared of what may come? Or should we be game enough to leave our comfort zone and work towards a better life and more happiness?

We all tend to forget that bad experiences like a break-up or an unwanted pregnancy can also change our life for the better. Of course, at first these experiences may hurt or shock us, but still they provide an opportunity for personal development. After a break up, for example, you have to learn how to live without your partner again, but this isn’t as terrible as it seems at first glance. You get the chance to get to know yourself better, to develop new, better habits and to become stronger and happier than ever before. In other words, you can create a completely new life.

But all this only happens if you want it to and if you‘re ready to work for it. You have to come out of your shell and explore new avenues. It’s worth the trouble! I promise.

I talked to five people who’ve experienced challenging situations, but who are all very happy about the trouble they’ve been through.

“

I was rejected twice by a universit y that offers a masters program I‘ve wan ted to do for four years now. I had to take an exam twice to find out whether I was apt for the course, but, unfortunately, I didn’t pass. I was incre dibly sad after the second rejection and had no idea what to do.

“

nurse Sandrine, 26, , I started to study a

ary social year eI After my volunt for me, becaus pletely wrong k m in co th as to w e at . I don’t lik subject th y out my career pp ab ha ea un id ly no ib d still ha I was incred e us ca be e, about this tim ce. about my choi y exam with e, I passed m rs nu ed er st gi I’ll begin my Today, I’m a re the near future in d gs an es ad out all the thin awesome gr . I’m thrilled ab d re ca un fo th al ve he ha I in studies I know that w no e I us if ca d, be great an that will come, elf. I’m feeling ys m r ay fo w n e io m ct sa the right dire hing again the , I’d do everyt issed any of m ve ha had the choice to t I wouldn’t wan I did, because es. nc these experie

Sophie, 22, volunteer

I learnt from this experience that you can’t always have things your way. Som etimes things take a little longer than expected or life takes you somewhere else. In my case as far away as Eastern Friesland. I didn’t want to was te my free year and decided to do voluntary service at a sheep farm. I’m learning new thin gs and gain new experiences every single day and, who knows, maybe this will help me with my future studies as well.

“

7. To outsiders I’ve been a single mom since 200 or a burden. I k” “lac a of this often appears to be kind boys after two my with e alon live to sly decided consciou family. our into man a failed attempt to integrate a new in my everyday life, Of course, there a several challenges important decisions for example, when I have to make be alone, since you to on my own. Still, it can be easier with your partner ents ngem don’t have to make arra much more selfme beco I’ve way, this all the time. In le woman, I‘m sing a confident in the last few years. As a relationship. in do dn’t coul I at free to do all the things

Ramona, 42, consultant

“

In November 2012, I fou nd out I was pregnant. At first, it wa s an awful shock for me and my family. I cou ldn’t cope with the situation and felt overwh elmed.

Since the day when I fou nd out, I‘ve never regretted any of my dec isions. My daughter’s now two and a half years old. I believe in fate and I‘m very thankful for mine, because I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.

My daughter hasn’t on ly shown me what miracles look like; we can also share our everyday family life with a wonderful man at our side. When you dec ide to be a mom, it’s not about what you giv e up in your life; it’s about what you get ba ck. I’m proud to be a 21-year-old mom!

Laura, 21 , kindergarten teacher

dent

Isabell, 24, stu

hip . The relations d my first love ha as I w , it 15 up as e w I ok When n we br ; however, whe ng lo ry ve st la didn’t e. very hard for m that my , I know now nd rie yf bo t en curr hat I expect Thanks to my ’t give me w dn ul co dI p hi ns superficial an former relatio e. It was quite e lik us be ca to be p ly hi as probab a relations yself, which w hat m w d, be en to e le th ab wasn’t elength. In the same wav u can be we weren’t on nship is that yo tio la re od go etely a in co partner mpl really counts can trust your u yo at th e, ar who you opinions. are the same and that you sh

“

Author: Sarah Arnold; Layout: Sara h Arnold & Nadine Ellinger; Pictures: private, OpenClipartVectors/ pixabay

9

Art with a can Can graffiti be art?

A gardener for the city of Augsburg In 2012, around 470 “Augsburgblumen”, simple graffiti drawings of a flower, could be seen in and around the city of Augsburg. Opinions about the project were as varying as mankind itself. In the end, the young sprayer had to pay €12,000 and probably won’t spray any flowers onto walls any time soon. When asked how he felt about the spraying while doing it, his simple reply was “like a gardener”.

What’s so fascinating about creating an image in a public space? What is it like in our own cities and what about abroad? Let’s have a look!

“Puschel liebt dich”…or not?

Once upon a time, a nameless sprayer decided to spray “Puschel liebt dich” on the walls of the Peutinger school in Augsburg. We could go into a detailed discussion about social regulations here or whether you really need to spray your love for someone somewhere?! Or who is Puschel?!

His girlfriend or his cuddly animal? We’ll probably never know. Instead of reporting it to the police, the school saw it as something that could become the school’s theme. Today, it’s an integral part of the building: Every time the walls are painted, the graffiti is immediately added again.

Some people even say that one of the graduation classes made it their motto.

So is graffiti just another way to express one’s feelings? (Not all of them; don’t get me wrong, but some might be). And feelings need to be expressed, right? So, the city of Augsburg started an initiative in 2009 to provide legal space for sprayers. Over the years, they have expanded it to six places around the city. And that’s not all: they even hold workshops for anyone interested in spraying.

In addition, the SWA started their own project in 2012 to take action against the illegal sprayers by filling spaces with graffiti created in workshops. Local ice hockey fans, youth-clubs and apprentices can decorate city utilities and the city itself. Independent groups can sign up as well.

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Let’s go international – Is Bambi the new Banksy?

Maybe you’ve heard of the British artist Banksy, whose stenciled graffiti has made street art fashionable. Still, some people think his graffiti is vandalism. However, the majority of people appreciate his socio-critical works. For a few years, he hasn’t been the only famous street artist colouring up London’s walls; his female counterpart, Bambi, is catching up with his success. While Banksy still manages to keep his identity unknown, there are a lot of clues about Bambi and her not-so-secret life.

As she’s supposed to be a famous singer in her real life, the most likely nominees are stars such as rapper M.I.A. and popstar Paloma Faith.

Anyway, no one really knows who she is yet. Unlike Banksy, Bambi’s art is less political and is usually about modern “idols” and superstars such as rapper Kanye West or supermodel Kate Moss. Her portrait of Amy Winehouse in a Camden town doorway introduced her on the international stage. Now she sells her works for lots of money to superstars and other A-liners. Street art is losing its negative, illegal image more and more and is being bought by people with money and status. But can we still call that street art? And can you sell feelings?

What it all comes down to What makes street art street art? Is it that it’s seen on the streets and sprayed illegally by unknown sprayers at night? Or has street art simply become an art form such as Dadaism or Expressionism. Street art, the art of the 20th century? Let’s face it, what really makes it fascinating is that people like you and me can become sprayers overnight, or that we can express our feelings in an extraordinary way. People have already stolen and then tried to sell walls that were sprayed by Banksy. Or, who knows: Maybe we’ll be able to look at street art in the Louvre in a couple of years?

Author(s): Johanna Jork, Melanie Pfanzelt; Layout: Richard Luta & Nadine Ellinger; Pictures: Johanna Jork, Nadine Ellinger, Nikiko/pixabay.com

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Color forces The importance of colors in everyday life

To start with, here’s a task for you: look around for a moment! You perceived them, didn’t you? Yes, you did! All those colors – blue, red, brown, green, perhaps white... There are so many things that we just take for granted and thus hardly pay attention to or think about – including colors.

Color preference

Color persuasion Color perception is a play between light and the human brain, and, you’ve probably heard this before, all cats are grey by night. Check it out and try to see any colors in the dark – not completely in the dark, obviously. You only identify nuances of different grey tones, brighter or darker, through to black, depending on the intensity of the light source, for example, the stars and the moon.

There has always been a special connection between humans and colors. Not to mention the popular question: “What’s your favourite color?”

Surveys say blue ranks first, followed by red. But why? Okay, what’s blue? The ocean. The sky. Both symbolize infinity, expanse, longing, freedom. Blue is rather calming, fresh and even cold, but still strong.

Red, though, is different, isn’t it? Exciting, noticeable, erotic, warm or even hot. The color of fire and life. Life? Just think of blood. In ancient times, lapis lazuli blue and purple were the most expensive colors and even more valuable than gold. Lapis lazuli is a rare mineral, and the purple comes from snails. Both colors were reserved for the powerful, since only they could afford them.

Do colors have an influence on our mood?

Well, there’s feng shui, that says which color is best for which room. And Goethe’s “Color Theory” attributes different characteristics and influences to each color. In everday life, colors have an influence on us – sometimes in a positive, sometimes in a manipulative way.

Most people are certain that, when it comes to shopping, they’re led entirely by logic and only buy products accordlingy. Well, not really! Every day we’re deceived by one of the most effective tools in advertising: color. You don’t believe me? Think about Nivea’s logo and, let’s say, Fanta’s. What was one of the first things that came to mind?

It might have been the color blue in the case of Nivea and orange for Fanta.

Colors directly speak to your subconscious, and your brain reacts within seconds, changing your mood and leaving a lasting impression.

Companies use this tool in their ads or logos to persuade, convince and motivate their customers. Everyone knows what the McDonald’s logo looks like because of the yellow and red. People identify the brand with a certain color, which increases its recognition value.

Let’s take the color blue, which is rather positive. It suggests trust, security, seriousness and harmony. There are certain kinds of companies that use it in their logos - banks and insurance companies.

They want their clients to feel safe and secure. So that’s why we find this color in the logos of Deutsche Bank, Allianz, Sparda Bank and Axa. Red is a signal color. It’s bold, dynamic and youthful.

Companies like Nintendo, Netflix or Vodafone use it. Red is also appetizing. Really? Think about it McDonald’s, KFC, Burger King. Hungry yet?

If companies want to seem happy and full of energy, fun and confidence, orange is the color of

their choice. Nikelodeon, Fanta and Harley Davidson are among those companies which want to promote this kind of lifestyle.

So now you know.

Next time you go shopping, pay attention to the colors around you and how the companies want to manipulate you.

Color therapy Cors aren’t just used in ads, but also in therapy. Specific colors are thought to have a tremendous influence on your mood. According to the ICD10, depression, ADHS and other psychological conditions have been alleviated by using colors.

So called color- or chromo-therapy has been used to change a person’s mood for centuries. Colors are said to go through the body, and, if they touch a specific

spot, have a healing or mood changing power. Every color has a specific meaning and the power to influence both body and mind.

The main color used for treating depression nowadays is blue, as it helps patients to relax and be calm.

Red is the first chakra, which is situated at the base of the spine. Then, there’s orange, at the lower abdomen. Yellow, as the third chakra, is located at the solar plexus. Green is connected to the heart, indigo, the sixth chakra, is situated just above the center of the brow and the middle of the forehead.

The last chakra, violet, is on the crown of the head. Interested in finding out more?

Just take a look at the world wide web!

There are a lot of scientists that disagree, though. They argue that chromo-therapy is nonsense. But is it? Don’t colors really change everything you see? When coloring up your life by buying colorful things, for example, or going out in the natural world – isn’t that when you’re the happiest?

Authors: Melanie Schuster, Jana Egloff, Susi Tallmadge; Layout: Melanie Schuster, Susi Tallmadge; Pictures: Lisa Bittner, Melanie Schuster, monstreh/pixabay.com, Global Panorama/flickr.com, Mike Mozart/flickr.com

Royal blue, azure, turquoise vs. blue Do women really see more colors?

Alright, let’s start with a little experiment… you’re going to see three colors right here:

Question #1: Are you male or female?

Question #2: Which colors do you see?

Question #3: Did you cheat and read the title first?

(Because you shouldn’t have, didn’t I say that?)

OK, let’s get real. What’s this article actually about? Well, it’s about what you know and maybe don’t know (at least I didn’t), about the relationship between colors and gender. It’s about stereotypes that you might think are inaccurate, but are actually kind of true, and about others you might regard as true but have no idea why. And it’s about taking a second look at colorful issues you come across in everyday life.

So imagine you see a baby girl and a baby boy. Which colors do you associate with these little human beings? Right, most of you probably thought of pink and blue. But why is that?

Before the 20th century, there was no such thing as a norm for baby colors; some even argued that pink was once predominantly a male color, as it was associated with strength, in comparison to blue, which seemed delicate. The well-known color-gender pairing norm of today was established because the French, who set many fashion trends during the 20th century, used pink and blue together, as well as through strategic mass marketing.

But what else makes girls different from boys concerning colors. How about red-green color blindness as our next stereotype? Or is it one?

And if not, why is it that significantly more men are affected by it?

Because yes, it is true that about 8 out of 100 males versus only 1 out of 200 women suffer from this condition. It impacts either the perception of red, and all colors that contain red, or the perception of green and therefor all colors that contain green. This means that the affected colors are indistinguishable from each other for red-green colorblind people’s eyes. It’s all to do with genetics, more specifically, the X chromosome, because this is where the disease is encoded. Luckily for girls, it’s more likely that a functional gene on their second X chromosome compensates for the loss on the other; boys, on the other hand, only have one X chromosome (they are XY), so a faulty gene on their only X means the disease is automatically expressed.

And finally… of course, I can’t leave you hanging with the experiment we did at the beginning of the article.

In order to answer the question that initiated this entire article: No, women don’t actually see more colors, but they are better at perceiving color differences! This means they differentiate more easily between fine nuances of shades of colors. Men, on the other hand, scored better in tests involving t h e ability to notice fine details and fast movements.

It wasn’t until 3 years ago that some researchers from the City University of New York reached this conclusion.

This difference between men and women is due to the effect of testosterone on the development of nerves in the visual center during the embryonic stage of human development.

So whether you find yourself in a conversation about social conventions, genetics, or men vs. women in general, maybe with the help of this article, you can shine among your friends with some colorful facts about colors.

Author: Elisa Herbig; Layout & pictures: Christian Männling

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A canvas made of houses Slum painting projects on the American continent Drab surroundings will make a drab daily life. This is an idea that two Dutch artists, Jeroen Koolhaas and Dre Urhahn, have turned into projects that give people in slum areas a form of hope.

Any beautiful poster or skilful painting can make a grey building block a lot nicer, right? Haas & Hahn, as they call themselves, went a step further and made whole building facades their canvas.

Eight years ago, both Dutchmen filmed a documentary about Rio de Janeiro, where they really got to know people in the Vila Cruzeiro slum or favela. The artists experienced people’s daily strife and the dangerous times when drug gangs start violent wars against each other or the police. They noticed that most people had built their houses themselves, building their own quarter with their own hands.

However, plastering and painting them was too expensive for most residents.

So, could they give people hope by painting their favela? The Dutchmen decided to try and began their first project. After having painted an extensive mural of a boy holding a small dragon kite, they were overwhelmed by people‘s reactions in the slum. “You didn’t paint the kite itself.” People said. “Will you paint more?”

The artists realized that they were indeed changing something for the people in the Rio favela, and dared to extend their project. They collected money and painted a whole block of houses in a colourful pattern. The result is amazing to look at; google their Rio Project and you‘ll see.

Even more importantly: Koolhaas and Urhahn decided to hire young unemployed people to do the painting, and let them participate in the planning process. The project now belonged to the people living in the favela. The painting wasn’t only supposed to nourish the soul, but the body as well, for a while.

The project gained international attention, so the city of Philadelphia asked our Dutchmen to attempt a similiar project in Germantown, the worst part of the American city. So they did.

They started organizing barbecues, and trained and paid people from Germantown to paint a whole avenue. You can see the result on the small picture on the right.

Haas & Hahn financed their work via kickstarter and by raising international attention. When they‘d finished their projects, they wondered whether they could do even more. How much was possible? In 2014, the artists started their latest project: painting a whole quarter in Rio de Janeiro. Their concept art went viral on facebook this year. Both admit that they don’t know how much this project will cost: time, money, paint, patience. But they will try. Their art is a cooperative effort to really change people’s lives.

Author & layout: Katrin Müller Pictures: Muhammed Ali Khalid, commons.wikipedia.org; Chensiyuan/commons.wikipedia.org; cco public domain/pixabay.com

Hitchhiking around Europe Your thumb is more powerful than you think I’d heard a lot about hitchhiking before I started my trip around Europe, and my head was full of both positive and negative ideas before I got into the first car I stopped with my thumb. The funny thing is that most people with a negative attitude towards hitchhiking have never done it themselves. You know the kind of thing… it doesn’t work, it’s way too slow and even dangerous, but these opinions don‘t reflect the time I had during a month of travelling around the Netherlands, Germany and Austria in cars whose drivers I didn’t even know.

I started near Hamburg with a good friend of mine who’d already hitchhiked a lot. He’d told me many of his road stories, and was especially proud of a trip from Istanbul to Augsburg in only two days.

When we stood at the roadside, he told me it was all about the location and getting attention. Basically, you have to stand where the cars can stop to pick you up, and you need to be visible, even if that means singing and dancing. And we did that a lot.

But the first car stopped after five minutes, and I couldn’t believe our luck. The middle-aged man who picked us up even went out of his way to take us to the autobahn, and dropped us off at a service station on the condition that if we ever saw other hitchhikers, we’d have to take them along. Of course, we agreed. Half an hour later, we got a ride from a very young man in a white van. My friend and I sat in the back, drank coffee and listened to relaxing music while the man drove us all the way to our first destination in Holland, where we were going to visit a friend of ours. We’d covered 300 kilometers with only two rides on the first day, and I had a whole month of hitchhiking ahead of me.

What I learned during my time hitchhiking is that there’s nothing to be afraid of because most of the time people are even more scared of picking you up. But if you look harmless and friendly, they might overcome their fear and dare to take you along. For example, an old woman who picked us up in the dark in the middle of nowhere told us: “Normally I don’t give anyone a lift, but you looked so friendly, I couldn’t resist.” I had many more experiences with a lot of awesome people, and although there were so many, I remember all of the rides because they were all special.

Author, layout & pictures: Johannes Bade

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About a passionate pole dancer from Portland And a city of colorful people Portland isn’t just any city in the States; it’s an artistic place where people with tattoos over their whole body live, and where there are more strip clubs than anywhere else in the state.

Portland – anything but conventional If you think that the North-West of the United States is prudish and conventional, you’ve never heard of Portland, Oregon. “Portland is a place where all the weirdos who have always thought that they don’t fit in finally feel at home.” That’s how a Portlander once described his home town to me.

So let me tell you about Kristina, a 26 year-old Kazakh, who has lived in Portland since the age of four and who loves to dance. Pole dancing, to be more precise. When I first met her on my trip to Oregon, she took me on a colorful journey. Wanna join me?

More than a cheap strip show Kristina invited me to the KIT KAT CLUB where she shares her dancing passion with other girls. I expected a cheap strip show, but my doubts disappeared a few seconds after entering the establishment. The girls performed highly professional burlesque, breath-taking artistic moves on the pole. Apparently, pole dancing is quite common in Portland, much more so than in Germany.

“Five years ago I decided to start pole dancing because I just love to dance,” Kristina told me. “I soon realized how intense the hobby is.

It requires a strict daily workout and a balanced diet.” Of course, the girls need manpower to be able to hold themselves head down on the pole and to slide down, stopping two inches above the floor. This is art, meticulously practiced.

What also surprised me in Portland were the tattoos; everyone I met on the streets seemed to have at least one. People without one are the exception! That’s why most pole dancers don’t show that much bare skin: their whole body is covered in colorful, decorative paintings.

What I took away from my time in Portland? Feel free to color up your life by pursuing your passion, no matter how unconventional it might be. It’s colorful! That’s all that counts.

Author & layout: Lisa Krause; Pictures: Jörg Brinckheger /pixelio.de

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that rst color da.The fi n a Like . p d e re it hina is -and-wh C k t c u o la h b b a a but inking , althoug anything d when th ese skin – yellow t in u m B r . u China is in o y hin e sk comes to color of C to have pale, whit e e it p th s e d probably d n A in China ideal is nal flag. the natio inese, the beauty mic development major Chinese o h t n s C o o t c st e y in m for mos e superfa n, the sk th o f ti o c te e s ro u e. beca ental p of the tim environm rey most g , ly the little te ral world a n unfortu erse natu iv d e s, th l: cities is, lorfu ese food is just co ll as Chin e fe eir li w th s e s a d e , n in e hitecture way Chinese sp st of Ch rc re a e e th d a d An the an-m mention and its m of China g – not to in s u o h nd clothing a . e m ti re u leis

中国

There are p eople everyw here. All day night - every and all par t of ever y city is full people. Drivi of cars and ng in China is like floating current. And with the pedestrians always have priority :( Th the least e streets ar e lined with buildings, m high-rise iles long, es pecially for apar tments residential .

A walk around China Things that may surprise you on your first visit

The most common businesses besides clothing stores are different kinds of snack bars. It seem s that the Chinese are eating all the tim e ;) and they actually have three warm meals a day. They vary from very simple snack bars to the finest gourmet restau rants. But you can usually get a full me al at a low price.

The young generations adore the comfortable, modern and chic western lifestyle (at least, what they imagine western life to be like). The best example is Starbucks, where a cup of coffee or juice costs almost €10!?!, and where you have to queue almost all the time. And there are snacks bars (many of them run by locals), only selling expensive but very popular soft drinks everywhere.

The most common drink for Chinese is not tea – just warm water. There are big cans filled with boiled hot water in public areas like airports, train stations, museums or libraries, for you to help yourself to a cup.

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China is n o longer a country of instead, it’s bicycles; a country of emopeds. Th e only disad bikes and electric vantage is difficult to th hear them approach. In at it’s public transp general, or t is quite convenient and cheap, nowadays too, metro, bus or no matter whether you travel by taxi.

see Don’t be surprised if you ple peo y middle-aged, elderl s. eet str or rks pa dancing in the re the her They gat during the day or after dinner to keep fit, socialize and have fun.

On the subway, you’ll soon notice that nine out of ten people are always looking downwards, staring at their smart phones (texting, gaming, reading, listening to music, watching soaps..), no better than Europeans.

By the way, the most common online communication platform is WeChat in China. If you want to contact somebody, no one will ask for your phone number; they’ll ask for your WeChat account. Since Facebook, Youtube and Twitter are not allowed in China, the status of WeChat is even higher than that of its European counterpart WhatsApp ;-))

If you have enough money, you can buy almost anything in China – goods, services, or even marriage and mistresses.

It‘s a really materialistic society in which almost everything can be purchased. But the Chinese also live very actively; they are positive, friendly, warm-harted and empathic (most business relations are based on personal relations, not just on money). So if you‘re interested in this fast-changing, fascinating land, just keep following the e-MAG website.

Author: Han Tu; Layout: Katharina Soffer; Pictures: Han Tu, Stefan Schmidt, You Li, Global Panorama/flickr, tefl Search/ flickr, V.T.Polywoda/flickr, Cheon Fong Liew/flickr, joachimtraun/flickr

itting on e people sp You may notic isily trying to clear no k that the ground, or u probably thin yo – s at ro th r but, , thei nt sa ea pl ghly un the s this is thorou It’ al. it seems norm urp sl unfortunately, d an ople smack at th s same when pe ow sh ly al hich actu while eating, w ious. the food is delic

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From Bavaria to Pennsylvania A semester abroad at the University of Pittsburgh I’m a graduate student at the University of Augsburg, a student assistant at the FIM Research Center, and former editor of eMAG. This fall I had the pleasure to spend a semester at the Joseph M. Katz Graduate School of Business at the University of Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania. These past five months have been an unforgettable time for me and I will try to capture some of the highlights in this article.

How U.S. business schools are different Networking: Navigating the U.S. job market without an extensive network is extremely challenging. First semester MBA students are encouraged to go to massive career fairs, such as the National Black MBA Conference in Orlando, which features almost 300 employers and offers little booths for on-the-spot job interviews. Many fellow students have successfully received internships, job offers, or simply extended their networks through events like that.

Practical experience: The MBA program emphasizes practical experience and experiential learning. Students are asked to solve real world business situations early on, rather than spending a lot of time on learning scientific concepts or methodologies. For my part, I worked with three businesses this semester: I analyzed market opportunities for a pet food brand, wrote a business plan for a local startup, and did a consulting project for a major institutional bank.

Community: The university sports teams are a driving force for a community feeling that doesn’t exist at German universities. Pitt Football games are attended by 30,000 students, alumni, and other supporters of the university. Everybody wears Pitt gear and shouts Pitt cheers. In addition to that, the university itself organizes regular events, such as an orientation week for new students, homecoming of alumni, or graduate get-togethers in bars.

My favorite things about Pittsburgh Favorite thing about the city: The three big sports teams. Whether the Steelers (American Football), Pirates (Baseball), or Penguins (Hockey) are playing, this city is crazy for their excellent sports teams!

Favorite thing about Oakland (university neighborhood): The Hemingway’s Bar. A college bar that’s almost always packed with students. It offers burgers, chicken wings, salads, and pitchers of beer for $5.

Cathedral of Learning

Favorite thing about campus: The Cathedral of Learning. A 42 story building in the heart of the university district that hosts classrooms, team rooms, and a breathtaking Hogwarts-like assembly hall.

Workload: U.S. schools have a much Coming home to Germany: I’m currently still in Pittsburgh, higher workload during the semester. but my semester is coming to an end. My two fellow In Germany, it is the students’ students from Augsburg and I had a great time here and responsibility whether or not they I recommend going abroad to everyone. The Pittsburgh read the mandatory readings (which exchange program is excellent for many reasons – some generally results in them not being Nic of which I have covered here. My favorite thing, however, ola i Mu elle read). In U.S. schools, however, r, Manfred Schoch, Dominik Gerbing was the practical focus of the MBA program. When I the students’ work is continuously come back I want to continue to work in an environment assessed. Cases are analyzed, where I can apply my theoretical knowledge to real world problems. My homework assignments get graded, and class discussions contribute to the students’ participation grades. As a side effect, U.S. grades tend to be job as a student research assistant at FIM offers great opportunities to better, because in some classes the final exam only accounts for 50% or combine academic knowledge with practical experience through their many applied research projects. less of the final grade.

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Author & pictures: Manfred Schoch; Layout: Nadine Ellinger

Watch.Read.Listen.

Watch: Pleasantville

Listen: Chris Stapleton “Traveller”

Being yourself can be hard in high school, but it can be even harder when you’re stuck in a 1950s TV show. That’s the lesson that David (Tobey Maguire) and his sister Jennifer (Reese Witherspoon) learn after magically being transported into David’s favorite sitcom “Pleasantville”. The black and white paradise called Pleasantville seems to be every goody two-shoe’s dream come true. The wholesome citizens of Pleasantville are in a constant state of happiness and lack every unpleasant emotion, the weather is always sunny and warm, the fire department only has to rescue cats, the high school basketball team is undefeated and scores with every shot, and a guy gives his school pin to a girl as a symbol of his love. But by sleeping with Skip (Paul Walker) on their first date, Jennifer raises a storm. Skip sees a rose in color and spreads the word about his new-found pleasure. Shortly after, some of the people of Pleasantville appear in color, since they finally dare to do things out of the ordinary and live out their dreams and suppressed wishes. They start to read, paint, and even talk about leaving Pleasantville. But before long, the more conservative citizens start to see “coloreds” as a threat and try to put an end to all the selfdiscovery going on around them.

Up until November 4th, Chris Stapleton was virtually unknown to anyone who isn’t an Alternative Country music fan. Then, the unthinkable happened. Chris Stapleton won three major awards at the 2015 Country Music Association Awards (CMAs) for his album Traveller and America began to wonder: Who is Chris Stapleton anyway? Well, they answered this question by actually buying his album and just like that, his album sales increased by almost 7,000 percent, shooting to #1 in the week following his triumph. And here’s the best part: for the first time in a long time, you should believe the hype.

Traveller has a very relaxed feel to it. Listening to this album is like a drive through Midwestern deserts, with the sun shining and no car in front or behind you. It’s just that enjoyable. This guy can sing and conveys his emotions so convincingly that you can feel every single word. The topics of the songs vary between love, heartache, life on the road, and the demons that haunt so many musicians. Musically, there is Country, Americana, Rock, and Blues. Some highlights include “Traveller”, “Fire Away”, “Tennessee Whiskey”, and “Parachute”. So if you want to listen to something new that’s outside the mainstream, give Traveller a spin.

I’m sure you’ll love it.

With Pleasantville, Gary Ross created a visually impressive allegory of the restraints of social conventions that translates perfectly into the 21st century. The beautiful message of Pleasantville is to discover and embrace who you really are. The people of Pleasantville were tired of the same old same old. They wanted more from life and they longed to be free to make their own choices. They gained this freedom by simply being themselves and letting their true colors show. And this discovery of the true colors of Pleasantville and its citizens makes for a worthwhile, entertaining movie.

Read: Humans of New York “Humans of New York, stories“ is a collection of photographs and the stories behind them by Brandon Stanton. The photographer started his project five years ago when he strolled along the streets of NYC to collect portraits of the city’s inhabitants. Around the one-thousandth portrait, he came up with the idea of not only collecting images but also the stories behind these people.

This book is a more in-depth collection of his work than his blog and Facebook page. It shows people in different stages of life and hundreds of people’s perspectives. What turned out a bit disappointing, though, was that in contrast to the description of the book, the stories are less profound than one might expect. Most of the quotes are the same length and contain the same content, as they can also be found on the photographer’s Facebook page. Only a few pages are dedicated to more pictures and longer individual stories.

Authors & pictures: Alisa Lechky, Johanna Jork; Layout: Nadine Ellinger

Dreams, doubts and drinks!

Exam time = treat yourself

Alright, so it’s exam time. You get up early, start the day with a revitalizing detox smoothie and eat your bowl of granola with a wide range of seasonal, organic fruits. Afterwards it’s time for your daily 8k run around Augsburg, during which you free your mind for a fully productive day of studying. Freshly motivated, you sit down at your perfectly organized desk, knowing exactly what you have to study today. Staying calm isn’t a problem, since you have helpful notes for every lecture and seminar. You never study after 6 pm, so you can enjoy your evening and relax in your hot bath tub.

Reality

More reality

Let’s get back to reality! I wake up at 11-ish with my head on my books after studying all night. The first thing that comes to mind is COFFEE, COFFEE and, yes, COFFEE. I stumble out of my bed, knowing there won’t be any food in the fridge because nobody has time for grocery shopping while studying.

Lucky me - there’s still a cold slice of the pizza from last night, or was it the night before? While I’m chewing on my terrible pizza, I start to structure my day. I have one million thoughts in my head, which sometimes even impairs my linguistic abilities. That’s when I start to…what was I going to say?

Anyways, I start thinking about things like “why didn’t I start studying earlier?”, “I’ll never ever pass my exams…” and “Wow, we really need some wall art in the kitchen”. The next thing I remember is me googling “cool wall art for the kitchen”. Yes, I easily get distracted when I know I have to study.

I think the problem is that I distract myself to suppress the steady panic that’s ALWAYS present. What’s that rash on my neck? Let’s call mom quickly. I only have to hear her say “Hey, sweetie!” on the other end and I start crying like a child who’s dropped her lollipop.

What’s wrong with me?! After telling my mom that everything and everyone is just unfair and, what’s more, that I’m incapable of growing up, I listen to her motivational ”YES-YOU-CAN” speech (Obama would be proud of her). After hanging up, I feel better, but still depressed. My soul needs ice cream.

what‘s odd about your exam time?

Is drinking the answer?

OK girl, you really need to focus now. Let’s get started. Think of the bright career ahead of you. I have to study, but I don’t want to! I want freedom; I have the right to be free, but exams make me feel I’m trapped. Feeling oh-so-rebellious, I go out for some drinks with my friends, just to celebrate that WE CAN! Tomorrow I’ll continue studying, I promise myself. You’ll be surprised, but these personal moments increase my resolve to pass the exams. When I’m out with my friends, escaping from everything definitely colors up MY life.

Amelie G.: Tijana D.: In my study group we have “food orgies” I perfect my “avoid-learning system”.

Till T.: (burgers, ice cream, chocolate, pizza, etc.)

There’s too much distraction at home; to reduce the stress.

Lorenz F.: that’s why 99% of my life takes place I force myself to at least 4 weeks of in the library. sobriety.

Author: Susanna Pavlidis; Pictures: Susanna Pavlidis & Marcela Rascón; Layout: Roma Rodriguez

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Let’s get dirty!

Extreme running in AuX

Extreme running is getting more and more popular. People want to leave the streets and go back into nature. There are obstacle races, cross country races or themed events like the Zombie Run. It doesn’t matter which event you participate in, there are always challenges that make it fun for everyone to reach the goal. Thomas Maisch built up the Uninator group at Augsburg University, and they have now been practising for nearly five years.

new. He discovered the so-called mud races on the internet. We first participated in the Braveheart Battle Run in 2011. After this event, we formed a group called Racing Cops vs. Gefahr aus dem Süden. I was responsible for the prisoners, the Gefahr aus dem Süden, and my partner was responsible for the Racing Cops, who dressed like policemen. Some time after this I formed the Uninator group. Two teams at the same time got very stressful, so I decided to coach only the Uninators.

eMAG: Hi, Thomas! Let’s talk about your passion – running. Why did you start running?

I already offered some sport courses at the university when I started to participate in mud races. Somehow Mrs. Höss-Jelten, the coordinator for Hochschulsport, noticed this and asked me if I’d like to offer extreme running classes at the university. I gave it a try. And I have to say that a lot of students were and still are interested in it. They want to leave their normal life behind and break with conventions. They want to escape from their daily routine.

What made you offer classes at the university instead of in a track and field club?

Thomas: That’s a good question. I only started running when I was thirty-two. I did judo when I was young, but I was forced to run during training, so I refused to run in my free time. At the age of thirty-two, I found out that running helped me to cope with my daily stress. I started by running only five kilometers, but when I got better, I started to participate in triathlons.

And why are you now doing all this crazy stuff?

I recognised after about five years that the people at these events had changed. I made a joke in the transition area, and someone shouted at me that this was a challenge and not some fun event. This was when I said to my triathlon partner that we should do something

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So, what made you start this sport and why should other people try?

Well, I can only speak for myself, each and every one of us experiences this kind of sport differently. The reason why I started was the desire to experience something with other people and to step out of my comfort zone. You have to accept pain and the fact that you’ll reach your limits in order to overcome obstacles.

At first there’s always a goal, and you have to practice in order to achieve it. And this means stepping out of your comfort zone and getting better.

Who can do extreme running? Are there any specific requirements?

You have to have some basic endurance because we usually run about four kilometers a lesson. But the most important requirement is your dedication. If you don’t have the will to do this sport, there’s no chance of improving yourself. When you’re new at lessons, you’ll be supported by our team. You’ll be part of our team, and we’ll support you wherever we can.

Our group is always open for everybody.

You can participate every summer at Hochschulsport. I’m happy for everyone to participate in my class, and I’ll help them all to get out of their comfort zone and reach their sporting goals.

Authors: Alexander Gallwitz, Stephan Schön; Layout: Alexander Gallwitz; Pictures: Augusto Notari, Conny Voll, Jan Wolf, Thomas Maisch

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How to stick them with the pointy end Sword fighting in the 21st century

Modern day sword fighting is part of a group of sports collectively called Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), which is trying to revive European fighting styles from the Middle Ages and Early Modern Ages. In Augsburg one place you can learn how to sword fight is at the “Europäische Schwertkunst” sports club, owned by Alexander Hollinger. The style taught there is ‘Bloßfechten’, which was originally used for duels with sharp two-handed swords without any protective gear. Naturally, these duels didn’t last too long and ended rather unfortunately for one or even both participants.

Modern-day sword fighters start with sword simulators made from synthetic materials to reduce the risk of injury.

More advanced pupils use metal sword simulators with blunted edges that are flexible enough to allow them to stab someone without running them through. During practice fights they now use protective gear, including a padded jacket, thick gloves and a fencing mask.

For example, if your partner attacks you with an ‘Oberhau’, a blow from above, you can counter with a ‘Zornhau’, where you take a step to the side and let your sword fall on your opponent’s. Naturally, they will try to counterattack and defend themselves against this. The fight is over as soon as someone makes a mistake or is too slow and gets hit.

Attacks and defensive moves are designed to use as little movement as possible, which saves time and strength. This separates sport sword fighting from medieval show fighting or most sword fighting as seen in movies or TV series. Historical or fantasy movies want their fights to look spectacular and last longer, whereas a fight between two trained swordsmen can be over in as little as five seconds.

So you might not learn to fight like Highlander or Jaime Lannister from Game of Thrones, but sport sword fighting will improve your body, mind and coordination and reduce stress. And believe me, it’s a lot of fun.

Unfortunately, there has been no continuous tradition of practised swordsmanship in Europe. By the 19th century, medieval sword fighting wasn’t actively practised anymore or had been transformed into other sports like fencing.

Luckily for us, a few ‘instruction manuals’ survived in the form of medieval manuscripts, such as those written by Peter von Danzig and Hans Talhoffer in the 15th century. With the help of these and other sources such as drawings, medieval sword fighting was brought back to life.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually have to be taller or stronger than your opponent to win in a sword fight. Leverage and speed are more important than brute force. This makes sword fighting suitable for most people, regardless of physical strength. The attacks and defences often work in sequences.

Further information: www.europaeische-schwertkunst.de www.hemac.org

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Author & pictures: Sarah Ehrmann; Layout: Katharina Soffer

“You do what?” – That is the response I get most often when I tell people that I sword fight. Yes, sword fighting is an actual sport, and no, we don’t all dress like knights.

Ihre Zahnarztpraxis direkt beim Königsplatz

Michael Coghlan/flickr

Zahnarztpraxis Martin Würl Hermanstraße 5 86150 Augsburg

Telefon: 0821 - 51 00 58 www.zahnarzt-wuerl.de

Meet the LAW CLINIC A new way of helping refugees

Donating clothes or teaching German to refugees isn’t your cup of tea?

Why not join the Law Clinic Augsburg? The Law Clinic movement in Germany was initially inspired by students in Scandinavia who offered legal advice to those who couldn’t afford a lawyer. One year ago, dedicated students adapted the concept of Law Clinics in the UK and brought it to the University of Augsburg. Since then, the Law Clinic has trained more than one hundred students and will soon go into practice.

So what do they do?

Like other Law Clinics in Germany, its main aim is to help refugees to apply for asylum. This takes the form of presentations in which they provide refugees general information about the procedure for granting the right of asylum, as well as individual consultations. However, it has nothing to do with citing legislation articles.

“Eventually, what we do is only applied law,” says Ellen, a member of the Law Clinic committee. Or like Patricia, also a member of the committee, puts it: “We will give them practical advice: Be on time for your hearing. But it might take a few hours till it’s your turn, so you had better bring some food.“ Also they work in small groups on legal reports for the city of Augsburg, which may then be used in the respective asylum cases.

Who can join?

Even though it’s called Law Clinic, it’s not only law students who can participate. Everyone who wants to learn about basic and applied asylum law and is eager to do their bit in the current crisis is welcome to join. You have the chance to apply at the beginning of the summer term and then take part in a one-year program, during which you’ll attend different lectures and workshops held by university staff, experts on law and fellow students. Currently, they’re working on a cooperation with the University’s Language Center, which will allow language students to participate as translators. During the year of your training, the Law Clinic can be pretty time-consuming. But in the end, Ellen says, “you’ll get what you give.”

Interested?

Check out their website www.lawclinic-augsburg.de or attend their information meeting at the beginning of next term. The exact dates will be announced on their website and Facebook page.

The information used in this article was obtained in an interview with Ellen Birke and Patricia Payome Villoria, who are both members of the Law Clinic committee. Law Clinic Augsburg is a student project supported by the law faculty of Augsburg University in cooperation with the city of Augsburg and the Rechtsanwaltskammer OLG Bezirk München.

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Authors: Nadine Ellinger, Katharina Soffer; Layout: Katharina Soffer; Pictures: DarkoStojanovic/pixabay

A little less talk - a little more action, please How to become an enthusiastic volunteer

Do you know people who are always telling you that they want to do something for others, something unselfish, but who in the end never do anything? Their excuses for not “doing something” are very similar: no time, too busy and the well-known laziness. And to be honest, I was one of those lazy people. I’ve always wanted to do voluntary work, colouring up other people’s lives, but I had simply no idea how, where and when…

By chance I realised that the solution to the problem of widespread student laziness was just around the corner: the Career Service at our university offers a program for students who want to participate in a non-profit project. And by having been involved in this program, I’ve realised that you are never too busy to help others (maybe too lazy, but that’s a different story).

What’s “Do it”?

The program is called “Do it”, and is aimed at students who want to do voluntary work, develop their skills and gain experience. The volunteers work for a 40-hour, non-profit project of their own choice for one term. There are different kinds of projects, for example, helping the disabled, organizing a Christmas market or sharing time with children. But it’s not only about helping others; you can also develop an awareness of the feelings and opinions of your fellow human beings.

Overcoming laziness: My personal experience with “Do it” Last term, after I had overcome my weaker self, I decided to join the program and worked in a social department store called “contact” for over 40 hours. It’s an inexpensive shopping option funded entirely by voluntary contributions.

And, believe it or not, I had a splendid time. I was responsible for the books department, which involved putting all the new books into the right places and tidying the shelves. The range of books was and still is amazing: from Goethe to Shakespeare, from Poe to the Brontës – basically everything a booklover’s heart desires. Equally amazing was the number of books which arrived every day: floods of wellpreserved classics or much-loved bestsellers. And there was also the unofficial part of my job: chatting with the customers and other employees about travelling, hobbies and their own stories, which was even more fun. During this time, I met some extraordinary characters who’ve been volunteering for years and who’re still enjoying every second of it.

“Do it” not only means doing the work and getting a certificate; it means doing something useful and having fun while doing it. The program brought me back down earth because life as a student isn’t only about grades, term papers and exams; it’s also about gaining experience and trying out something new. There are times when you have to stop talking and just start doing. You won’t change the world, but you’ll colour up your own life as well as that of others.

If you want to know more, check out the website of “contact” (contact-in-augsburg.de) and of the Career Service (uniaugsburg.de/einrichtungen/career-service).

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Author & picutres: Julia Huß; Layout: Elisa Herbig

Tall Friends, Small Friends How to colour up a child’s life Are you already active as a volunteer? No? So, maybe the “Große Freunde – Gemeinsam die Welt entdecken” project would be of interest for you as a student. It’s a mentoring programme in Augsburg which tries to improve the lives of primary-school children who come from homes with a low socio-economic status. The aim is to counteract educational injustice and to help to develop children’s personalities by spending time together. Antonia Huppertz and Carina Hartmann, both members of the “Große Freunde e.V.” management team, told us more about the project in an interview…

How does the project work?

Social workers at local schools ‘recommend’ several children to us who they think would benefit from having a mentor. At the same time, students apply to participate in the project at university. It’s a big responsibility, so we want to make sure that the students are suitable. Before pairing a mentor with one of the children, we have to get to know the students better in order to find out about their interests and hobbies, so that the child and the mentor have as much in common as possible.

After the matching process and an introductory informational meeting for the students, we arrange a first meeting between children, parents and mentors, so that they can get to know each other. Then the students and children can start interacting in meaningful ways together. The students have to be part of the project for at least one year, because the more time they spend with the children, the more the relationship can grow and the greater the impact. All the students and both of us regularly attend supervision meetings to clarify questions, to remove uncertainties, and to share experience.

Who funds the project?

The project is financed completely by donations.

What’s the relationship between the student and the child like?

They meet regularly, say one to four hours a week, and spend their spare time together.

What they actually do depends on their interests and hobbies; the possibilities are almost endless! Some enjoy swimming or nice walks, while others like cooking or baking, doing craftwork or painting, playing board games or visiting local sights in Augsburg.

Why should someone become part of the project?

The opportunity to get to know a child that might be quite different from you is very valuable! Besides, both small friends and tall friends, as it were, will develop and grow as a result of the special relationship. It’s great to see how you can enrich a child’s life in such a simple way.

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Can everyone participate in the project and how?

Everyone can become part of the project! Simply write an email to info@grosse-freunde.de or search for “Große Freunde” on Digicampus, Facebook or go to our website www.grosse-freunde.de.

What’s the best thing about ”Große Freunde“?

Seeing the relationships grow, as well as the children’s development.

Some sponsorships have already existed for many years. The longestrunning one has just celebrated its third anniversary!

Carina, Antonia and I promise: the project will not only enrich a child’s life but also yours. So come on, put a smile on a child’s face and add a little colour to the world.

Author & pictures: Anna Engstler; Layout: Lisa Bittner

We’ve always been craft!

An interview with one of Europe’s greatest breweries

eMag: Mr. Priller, I’ve been traveling this summer and something caught my eye. Everywhere I went, there were craft beer festivals or ads for them. What is your opinion about this trend?

Could you say that the development towards craft beer brewing didn’t really happen in Germany, especially in Bavaria, because of the number of breweries ?

Mr. Priller: The question is: What do you call craft beer? There’s a definition that comes from the U.S. which refers to the production volume. In my opinion, this is a false definition. Craft actually means artisanal, but it’s more than just that. It’s a new, different philosophy.

While the traditional markets say: let’s have a look at the target audience and try to brew something that suits everyone, the rest will be done by marketing. Craft says: I have an idea, a vision of a product. I want to do something absolutely different. In the end, we’ll see if someone likes my beer. Nowadays it’s a lot easier to do so and to promote even small projects if they’re good, because of the connections in social networks.

The development in Bavaria is in its infancy. Bavarians, as you may know, stick to their traditions and aren’t what you could call early adopters. There’s a much bigger scene in cities like Hamburg and Berlin, but it is slowly happening here as well. There’s no doubt that this scene will also develop in Bavaria, but there’s a chance that we will interpret it differently. We won’t start to just brew new international kinds of beers, but will find our own way. For example, at Riegele we have Europe’s biggest yeast bank, which is a treasure; we have the know how in our brewery, we have contacts with hop growers worldwide, we have an extremely wide spectrum of different kinds of malt and were named Germany’s best craft beer brewers last year. We’ve done so many things for our beer. For example, everybody in my team is an official beer ambassador, we have beer sommeliers in our house and been on a long journey, as it were. We think that if you want an excellent product, it has to come out of the art of brewing. So this art of brewing’s our first priority.

Let’s have a look at this development. It started in the U.S. But why did it start there? In the U.S. this homogenization of beer was carried to the limit. In the end, there were five breweries and products called “Bud Ultra Light”, with the drinkability nearly the same as water.

Because of this development of homogenization, there was space and as a reaction to it, and the trend of artisanal beer boomed, starting about 30 years ago. But because this kind of homogenization didn’t happen in Germany, we’ve always been craft. Still, because of the trend, we’re getting supplemented by new product groups and our range is growing.

So could you say it’s just a reaction to the commercialization of beer?

Yes, exactly. The homogeneous beer was pushed by marketing. And at some point people realized that they were just drinking marketing, instead of a good product. These people felt the breweries just giving them the runaround, so they started a journey back to the product.

That’s were they wanted to differentiate: in the product, not the marketing. So, as a producer you had to be authentic, transparent and had to have the know how. This may be more complicated, but gives smaller breweries a chance because bigger breweries aren’t interested in this type of production.

I assume today, because of your passion of beer, you drink either your own beer or new beer you haven’t tried yet. But what did you drink when you were a student?

It also was a journey for me. As a student, I drank what was offered at parties. Sometimes this had consequences the next morning; sometimes it didn’t. But at some point I started to get more and more interested. I flew to the U.S. and had a look at 36 different microbreweries. I traveled to London and checked out pub after pub and tried their real ales. I found everything about it exciting. The more I learned, the more bullheaded and picky I became. After a certain time, I even refused to go to bars my friends wanted to go to because they just had bad beer. As a matter of fact, when I’m at a champagne reception today, the caterers usually know that I prefer beer and sometimes hand me beer instead of champagne.

That sounds like an interesting journey to me, Mr. Priller. I think I’ll start this journey now. Thank you for your time!

Thank you for the interview!

Author: Tesfai Merke; Layout: Katharina Soffer; Pictures: werdepate/pixabay

Impressum Herausgeber: Sprachenzentrum der Universität Augsburg, Abteilung Englisch I Universität Augsburg, D-86135 Augsburg T: +49/821/598-5189 E-Mail: info@emag-augsburg.de Redaktion (verantwortlich): Nadine Ellinger, Peter James Druck: Senser_Druck GmbH, Bergstraße 3, 86199 Augsburg T: +49/821/90649-0 Auflage: 1.500 Exemplare Anzeigen: Für in den Anzeigen verwendete Bilder sind die Werbekunden selbst verantwortlich; die Redaktion übernimmt für Verletzung von Bildrechten keine Verantwortung.

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How to cope with the season with no name

What do we call that season after winter and before spring? You know, those months when it’s too cold to wear shorts but too hot to wear your winter jacket? Well, it’s obvious it doesn’t have a name but it totally should have one, mostly because it’s a transition period we all go through, and don’t lie, we all struggle with.

Most of us university students have to deal with this “Not-too-hot-but-also-not-too-cold” season right after exams are done when we get a month break before the new semester. The first week of the break is fine; we all try to catch up on everything we’ve missed for the past couple of weeks due to finals, but it’s when the second week comes round that it finally dawns on you - you’re trapped in this season with no name.

What to wear?

The first thing you have to deal with is how you get dressed in the morning. This awkward month is the one month where you’re constantly checking your phone to see the weather and trying to match your outfit accordingly (again, don’t lie, you totally do this). Because one day is freezing cold and the next one it might be scorching hot. If you want to save yourself some trouble when it comes to this problem, do NOT put away your fall clothes and start taking some of your summer clothes out of your closet to give your appearance a little bit more color on those dull days between winter and spring.

Be active - Rain or shine!

The weather can also affect your mood; on the days when the sun’s shining we tend to be more cheerful. We want to leave our apartments for the sake of being out as the days are slowly getting longer and the grill season gets closer by the minute.

This totally contradicts those days when it’s cold, cloudy and there might be a shower or two. You know, those days when you don’t want to talk to anybody and your bed is the most reliable friend that you never want to let go of. Let’s face it: you probably own a million blankets and when it’s freezing outside, you become a human taco with Netflix as your only companion (plus junk food, but that’s kind of obvious).

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The key to making the most out of these days is being prepared and thinking of activities you want to do and that would make you happy. If you feel that now it’s the time to start with your New Year’s resolutions because you have more time, definitely do so! The only way you can transform this weird period is by staying active and, most importantly, doing something that you actually enjoy. Forget that a new semester starts soon, forget about having responsibilities for a few days and just try to live for the moment, discover new things or try something you’ve always wanted to try. Listen to that band you’ve been dying to listen to but never had the time, binge watch your favorite shows or catch up on the shows you stopped watching because school work was more important (and required).

This month might be an awkward phase in the year, but just remember that the only way to make such a dull and unpredictable time more exciting and more colorful is by making it your own and embracing the beginning of a new season.

Author, layout & pictures: Roma Rodriguez

Channel your inner teacher Charity article about “Studenten bilden Schüler”

Who doesn’t remember being in class at school and wondering what the heck the teacher was talking about? Especially in maths, English or physics (or, indeed, in any other subject). But most of us were lucky enough to be able to rush to mum and dad and ask for tutoring (after admitting to ourselves that we’d simply failed at that subject). Well, unfortunately a lot of children don’t have the privilege of attending such a tutoring class because of a lack of money. That’s where you can help. By being a tutor.

Jochen Taiber from the charity ‘Students educate pupils’ explains: “We provide tutoring for all kinds of subjects. For kids of all ages.

We’re always looking for people who want to make a difference in pupils’ lives by helping them with their homework, exam prep, etc. “ So you, as student, might think: I’m not good at teaching. But good news is: you don’t have to be a teaching pro (e.g. by knowing Professor Thaler’s book by heart); just have fun doing it. It would, of course, help if you knew something about the subject you want to teach and you should like children (obviously). And no, don’t panic; you don’t need to clean up your room. You can meet the pupils at home, or they come to the university, or you meet them in a room at a social institution.

How do you match pupils and students?

Well, it’s a little bit like filling out a CV; you tell them what kind of subject you can offer, when you have time and whether you want a boy or a girl and the age. And then you can start. You can “return”

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your pupil if at first you don’t get along well. But if the first meetings are fun, and ideally, productive, you can start meeting regularly.

Commitment is crucial.

How many times a week do I have to meet my pupil?

“It depends. Most student/pupil pairs meet each other once a week, but this might vary. Sometimes pupils need some extra help before an exam, so you might see each other more frequently and for less time, but it really depends. Whatever suits both student and pupil.”

OK, maybe you’re thinking: nah, this volunteering thing is all very well, but I barely have time for myself. But you might want to reconsider this: we students and humans in general spend so much time in our heads, constantly worrying about uni, stuff to do, finances etc.

Sometimes in order to help yourself, you need to get out of your head and focus on someone else. And, in the end, this’ll make you a lot happier.

“If your pupil says: ‘YAY! I finally have a good grade in the subject; I don’t have to repeat this class, thank you so so much,’ you know you’ve done the right thing,” Jochen Taiber says with a glint in his eyes. Working with children is so much more rewarding than with adults; children have their whole future ahead of them. And don’t we all deserve the same chances as others?

Who knows, you might tutor our next federal chancellor. We always complain how unfair life is. So this is your opportunity to finally do something about it. Do it for fun or to get out of your comfort zone and start coloring up your life by helping others! So stop complaining about your teachers and professors and do it better.

NOW is great! Not tomorrow, not next week. Now. Get your smartphone out, open your mailing program and write an E-Mail to: Studenten bilden Schüler e.V. studenten.augsburg@studenten-bilden-schueler.de Author: Astrid Szegedi; Layout: Katharina Soffer, Lisa Bittner; Pictures: Astrid Szegedi, Jakob Semmler

WHO‘S WHO Peter Jam es Course co ordinator

Roma Rodriguez Layout, 2nd deputy

r llinge ine E ief d a N offer & ditor-in-ch e rina S Katha y editor & t u p e d Susanna

dge allma er Susi T lead m a e Ads t

Stephan Schön Ads

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Han Tu Ads

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EMAG 27 Till Totzk e Layout

ittner er Lisa B d m lea a e t t Layou

g Herbi Elisa t Layou

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Cover: Lisa Bittner, pictures: Lisa Bittner, janewalshe/pixabay Table of contents: Lisa Krause , pictures: jarmoluk/pixabay last page: Katharina Soffer, picture: katzengraben/ pixabay

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Section dividers Main topic: Lisa Bittner, pictures: Lisa Bittner, janewalshe/pixabay Whole wide world: Katrin M端ller, pictures: Lisa Bittner, NASA/commons. wikimedia, Unsplash/ pixabay Keep it local : Till Totzke Special thanks Klaus Prem & Michael Hallermayer, press and support Michaela Kottmayr, finances Manfred Schoch , guest author

Thanks to our proofreaders Jenna Peel Kathy van Nice G端nter Jehle Carolin Hofmockel Jack Sigel Heather Bradley Kristen Jung Peter James