FOCUS Student Magazine - Issue 7 by FOCUS Student Magazine

Hello! I’m Focus Student Magazine. Check out what I have inside!

LIFESTYLE 22 26 34

Trend report //Most powerful Spring/Summer ’14 Trends Identity under your skin /A tattoo is worth a thousand words 10 tips on how to... DIY student apartment / Learn tips and tricks on how to decorate on a budget

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PEOPLE 12 20 36

A multifarious man/ The story behind Michael Evan Goodsite I want to know more/…about a fellow fashion student in her search of success Interculturality/ Turning your passion into your job

CAREER 16 30 32

THE 8TH OF MARCH

MUN is coming to Herning/ Learn more about Model United Nations 3 pieces of advice/ Interview with an advertising company, Zupa Recommended Word, interrupted/ Train yourself for public speaking

Ratemash p12

Zuckerberg and his pretty faced Harvarders in real life.

TEXT: Frida Hoffmann International Women’s Day is celebrated in many ILLUSTRATION: Agnieszka Łukasiewicz countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. This day is an official holiday in some countries like Moldova, Ukraine and Russia, but it is very popular throughout the entire world. Today it is usual for men to give women, either friends, mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters or colleagues, flowers, chocolates and other small gifts. In some countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, it is also considered as an equivalent of Mother’s Day, where children are giving gifts to their mothers and grandmothers. In Italy on the other hand, men give yellow mimosas to women as a way of celebration.

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THE 21ST OF MARCH

On March 21st, in many Polish cities, one can see groups of children traveling in different directions, usually on their way to a lake or river to drown a “Marzanna”, a tradition dating back to the 16th century during the reign of Mieszko, as a sign of accepting the Christian religion by destroying pagan gods. And what is this “Marzanna”, you may ask? Known as “Morena” in other Slavic countries, “Marzanna” is the female goddess of winter, darkness, sickness and even death. For this celebration, people have to build and dress up a straw puppet, dip the puppet into every puddle and pond they walk by, before drowning it into a river or lake. Sometimes people also burn this witch, this standing for chasing away winter and making room for spring. However, while outsourcing many of my Polish friends, I found out that this custom is most likely meant for children, and that students usually enjoy a free day from school, the so called ‘wagary’ or ‘the day of Truant’, while most adults have less interest in taking part in this activity.

A multifarious man -

PERSPECTIVE THE 1ST OF MAY

10 18 44 CULTURE 6 40

Spring traditions around Europe/ Celebrating Spring in different ways Åll bored in Ålborg?/ One of our crew members is sharing her diary entry on Aalborg

MICHAEL EVAN GOODSITE

The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. Many might think of the maypole dance or the crowning of the Queen of May, but each country celebrates this day by Annet Muru in their own special way. Michael E. Goodsite; AU-H In Great Britain for example, the most popularimages: celebration rituals are the crowning of May Queen, dancing around the maypole and an English folk dance, called Morris dancing. In Finland on the other hand, the celebration takes place mostly in the evening and it’s called “Vappu”. Most of us know professor Michael Evan Goodsite as the Head of Department at AU Herning. Some others might have heard May Day celebration is the only street-carnival festival, which takes place on the Finnish territory. It about his other activities as well. But let’s face it – we cannot brag about knowing much more about our #1 person at AU is mostly known as the Finnish Walpurgis Night and since the end of the 19th century, this traditional Herning. That is why FOCUS had a nice informal chat with Michael to discover who is behind the title of ‘Head of Departupper-class feast has been taken over by university students, who usually ‘crown’ statues around town ment’ and find out more about him as a person. with different kind of caps. In Germany, “Walpurgisnacht”, the night from the 30th of April to the 1st of May, is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Brocken (the highest of the Harz Mountains of north-central Germany) and await the arrival of spring. There are different activities that people do, depending on the region, and these can vary from lighting up huge fires to playing pranks with neighbors. Lastly, in Estonia, “Volbriöö” is again celebrated throughout the night of 30th of April to the 1st of May, when the latest is also a public holiday called “Kevadpüha” (Spring Day). Very similar to the German culture, this celebration also derives from the gathering of witches during that night; this is why some students in Tartu dress up as witches and wander the city streets.

The first encounter/ Everyone can be blamed for fast-thrown judgement… Exams are not everything!/How being active can take you a step even further than grades can Ratemash/ Zuckerberg and his pretty faced Harvarders in real life

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We can debate forever about whose celebration is more important, but all that counts at the end of the day is to prepare a martenitsa or a martisor for you fellow colleagues or to give some nice flowers to the ladies around you!

EDITOR’S LETTER

Changes. They might be scary but they are not always bad. To change is to improve, which is why I love transformation and new beginnings, especially the exciting ones like FOCUS Student Magazine is undergoing at the moment. It’s an adventure, to say the least! Firstly, as you may notice, the Editor’s Letter has a slight feminine touch this time, which indicates to some small changes occurring in the team working on our little masterpiece. Moreover, we have also gone through changes when it comes to the new identity of the magazine, seen mostly within the enhanced visual identity – a fantastic new logo, A4 magazine size and always with at least 40 pages of interesting content. Undoubtedly, conducting such adjustments ropes in enough struggling at first, but as you know, if there is no struggle, there is no progress. So, to put it briefly, the Spring Issue that you are holding right now is not just a beginning of a new publishing year for FOCUS but also a beginning of a new mile on our path towards improvement. Needless to say that all the previous ’miles’ that we left behind are part of ourselves and definitely helped to come to the point where we are now. The same goes with people. Improvement is largely possible thanks to the experience gained through life which is continuously changing our thinking and the comprehension of ’right decisions’. What would YOU change in your life if you would have the opportunity? I asked my team, out of curiosity, what would they tell to their younger selves – you can find their thoughts about it on the next page. In the spirit of all these exciting developments, I would like to point out that one thing that we have not changed is our commitment to bringing you knowledge, happiness and plenty of inspiration in the form of a quarterly FOCUS Student Magazine. I truly appreciate my wonder-team of extremely passionate and determined students who are embracing the changes around them and are still staying on course. The dedication that goes into each and every issue is remarkable. You have earned my respect in just these few months. And above all, THANK YOU to our readers for making it all real!

Staff

Executive editor Annet Muru

Graphic Designers

Sub-editor

Valeria Solonari

Agnieszka Łukasiewicz Alina Vlaicu Annika Ganson Dan Krupskis

Financial manager

Proofreaders

Wojciech Tomasz Żmijski

Chairman

Edvard L. Tramsen

Take care,

Annet Muru Executive Editor

Contributors Special thanks Carina Hess Orpheas K. Katsikis Claudia Marian Lavinia Ghimbaşan Marc Ramos Garzon Dayana Tsvetkova

Zenita Lund Arco Grafisk A/S Rafał Zajac /photographer http://www.rafaelzajac.com

Ileana Cocoş Raluca Dumitru Loredana Muşat

Photographers Writers

Alina Vlaicu Raluca Dumitru Frida Hoffmann Loredana Muşat

Katrīna Eglīte Alexei Patrascu

Illustrators

Katrīna Eglīte Alexei Patrascu

Copyright is reserved. ® Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited. FOCUS Student Magazine uses all the materials with permission from the owners. 2014 ®

THE CREW

What would you tell to your younger self?

ANNET “Keep calm and carry on! I wouldn’t change any of the decisions I’ve made because otherwise I wouldn’t be where I am now, doing the things I do. “

EDVARD “Go the distance!“

loredana “It does get better!”

WOJCIECH “Do what you want to do, no need to ask for opinions all the time!“

RALUCA “Enjoy the company of your loved ones more, love yourself more and make the most out of your life!”

VALERIA “Don’t listen to your older self... She still doesn’t know any better!!“

ALEXEI “Draw more, party less!”

FRIDA “My Dear, if you are skipping breakfast, you won’t be thinner. You might faint on the way to school and it is not funny. Anyway, I am too young for this question!”

AGNIESZKA “Just do it!“

ALINA “Travel more!”

ILEANA “Read more, each book is like living another extra life!“

KATRINA “Honey, don’t eat that much candies! You’re sweet enough!”

ANNIKA “One day you’ll think that all this is funny. Very funny!”

Spring is nature’s way of saying let’s party!

Spring traditions around Europe TEXT: Raluca Dumitru ILLUSTRATIONS: Katrīna Eglīte

“Spring is nature’s way of saying let’s party” said someone once, but it is more than this that people associate spring with. Spring is definitely the season of a fresh start, a new and more empowered beginning. Some may even associate it with spring cleaning, when the houses are cleaned from top to bottom, having the deeper means of a clean mind as well. I for example, define spring as the season of change. I like going out more, enjoying the nature around me, taking long walks. But the real change I usually see is inside of me; somehow there is something about spring that makes me feel more powerful and capable. It is that time of the year when I feel like I can conquer the world and make all my dreams come true, and it’s so weird to think a simple season can inflict that into someone. One of the main reasons that made me write about these seasonal traditions are the memories that resurface when thinking about spring. Besides the usual Easter, which we all celebrate, it dates back to high-school times, when celebrating my own country’s traditions was one of the most pleasant and exciting things to do. They have all sort of faded away since living abroad. Welcoming spring is definitely a pleasant feeling and a thing that most people are longing for after a long and cold winter. It is enchanting to hear birds tweet, to see nature blossoming and smell the invigorating scent of nature, but probably this generic type of nature is not necessarily why we are waiting for it so much. I mean, I bet you all dislike the cold wind blowing in your face as much as I do, layering up with all the sweaters you have at home, and biking daily in a forever frozen wonderland. But what does SPRING really mean to you and your culture? THE 1ST OF MARCH Save the date for the 1st of March if you are going to Romania, Bulgaria or UK. This is the first day of spring and even though it is celebrated differently in the Balkan countries than in the UK, it is still as important and respected. On this day, Bulgarians approach their friends and family members with the greeting “Chestita Baba Marta” (“Blessings of Grandmother March”) and with each greeting they give a ‘martenitsa’, a small token made out of white and red thread. That person must wear the martenitsa until they see the blossom on a tree and then hang it onto on, as a gift to Mother Nature. The white and red were ancient colours representing the male and female, and the fusion of the two was considered a strong magical force for fertility in all of nature. This tradition is not very different from the Romanian and Moldavian ones. It is custom for men to give a “martisor” to the women in their lives, who then wear it pinned to their blouse. The red color symbolizes blood and womanhood, while white represents the male spirit and snow, their combination being very meaningful for relationships. Like the ‘martenitsa’ tradition of Bulgaria, the ‘martisor’, once worn, may also be tied onto a blossoming tree as a way of acknowledging the onset of spring. I can still recall the times when the boys from my school brought armfuls of ‘martisors’ and snowdrops (specific spring white flowers) and spread them around class, making us girls feel so much more appreciated. As for the people in Wales and of Welsh origins, they celebrate the Welsh culture and the life of their patron saint, St David, on March 1st each year. Many people pin a daffodil or leek to their clothes and some, especially children, often wear traditional costumes.

THE 8TH OF MARCH

International Women’s Day is celebrated in many countries around the world. It is a day when women are recognized for their achievements without regard to divisions, whether national, ethnic, linguistic, cultural, economic or political. This day is an official holiday in some countries like Moldova, Ukraine and Russia, but it is very popular throughout the entire world. Today it is usual for men to give women, either friends, mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters or colleagues, flowers, chocolates and other small gifts. In some countries such as Bulgaria and Romania, it is also considered as an equivalent of Mother’s Day, where children are giving gifts to their mothers and grandmothers. In Italy on the other hand, men give yellow mimosas to women as a way of celebration.

THE 21ST OF MARCH On March 21st, in many Polish cities, one can see groups of children traveling in different directions, usually on their way to a lake or river to drown a “Marzanna”, a tradition dating back to the 16th century during the reign of Mieszko, as a sign of accepting the Christian religion by destroying pagan gods. And what is this “Marzanna”, you may ask? Known as “Morena” in other Slavic countries, “Marzanna” is the female goddess of winter, darkness, sickness and even death. For this celebration, people have to build and dress up a straw puppet, dip the puppet into every puddle and pond they walk by, before drowning it into a river or lake. Sometimes people also burn this witch, this standing for chasing away winter and making room for spring. However, while outsourcing many of my Polish friends, I found out that this custom is most likely meant for children, and that students usually enjoy a free day from school, the so called ‘wagary’ or ‘the day of Truant’, while most adults have less interest in taking part in this activity. THE 1ST OF MAY The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian times, with the festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. Many might think of the maypole dance or the crowning of the Queen of May, but each country celebrates this day in their own special way. In Great Britain for example, the most popular celebration rituals are the crowning of May Queen, dancing around the maypole and an English folk dance, called Morris dancing. In Finland on the other hand, the celebration takes place mostly in the evening and it’s called “Vappu”. May Day celebration is the only street-carnival festival, which takes place on the Finnish territory. It is mostly known as the Finnish Walpurgis Night and since the end of the 19th century, this traditional upper-class feast has been taken over by university students, who usually ‘crown’ statues around town with different kind of caps. In Germany, “Walpurgisnacht”, the night from the 30th of April to the 1st of May, is the night when witches are reputed to hold a large celebration on the Brocken (the highest of the Harz Mountains of north-central Germany) and await the arrival of spring. There are different activities that people do, depending on the region, and these can vary from lighting up huge fires to playing pranks with neighbors. Lastly, in Estonia, “Volbriöö” is again celebrated throughout the night of 30th of April to the 1st of May, when the latest is also a public holiday called “Kevadpüha” (Spring Day). Very similar to the German culture, this celebration also derives from the gathering of witches during that night; this is why some students in Tartu dress up as witches and wander the city streets.

TIRED OF THEORY?

JOIN LAKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S STUDENT REPRESENTATION! LAK is the National Association for Communication, a union that serves your profession and offers you a variety of courses here at AU Herning. Become a volunteer and get: / Experience with marketing and event planning / Practice in project management / A national network of likeminded professionals / Influence in a large political organization / A practical perspective on your academic knowledge / A huge boost for your future career! Send us an email with a few words about yourself to frivillig.lak@gmail.com

NEXT EVENT

Demystifying Charisma - Workshop March 19th, 15:00-17:00

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THE FIRST ENCOUNTER by Dan Krupskis

I’m not looking for your mercy; I want you to remember this. Because you too, deserve a chance. Sometimes despite all your efforts to impress someone or just be yourself and stay cool about it, the perfect stranger walks away completely unimpressed with the rendezvous. The notorious first impression.

t’s a weird game where you’re supposed to be at your best at any cost. A game with a purpose to put you in a frame. And you better hope it’s a good one, because putting yourself out of it will be hard. Bad news is - it happens unconsciously! It happens so fast that you don’t even realize that you just stereotyped the hell out of a person. Even if the ‘performance’ was flawless; maybe it was his nose which reminded you of your really annoying landlord and suddenly every person you meet with this particular type of nose is subconsciously categorized by your brain as ‘no, thank you!’. Silly stuff, but nothing far from the truth. It’s an evolutionary thing we have going on, which helps you identify ‘human patterns’, to distinguish foes from allies. And you know you have done it also… You gave in to first impressions. Follow me for a moment here. Let’s talk about something haunting. Let’s imagine an extraterrestrial, intelligent, advanced life arriving to Earth. The first encounter. The problem is it’s spring, and it’s time for Eurovision. What do you think the extraterrestrials would think about us if the first thing they saw on Earth was us doing Eurovision? I can only hope in this case “The Independence day” will forever remain a plot of a movie.

In 1977, NASA launched the “Voyager program”, a scientific program that sent two unmanned probes into space. What is so special about these drones is that in 2012, “Voyager 1” travelled further into space than any man-made object in history, entering the previously unexplored region of space – interstellar space. The other interesting thing is that both drones contain a “Golden Record” on board. A “Golden Record” is a phonograph record containing information about our species: sounds from earth, pictures of human anatomy, greetings in various languages, photographs of historic and inspirational nature etc. Sort of a portfolio of humanity, meant to be found by another intelligent life, should one exist and encounter a Voyager.

But as the deal goes with portfolios and first impressions, not everything is included there, naturally. Few things weren’t put on the records - war was one of them. I guess we are not very proud about bombing our neighbors from time to time. Pollution didn’t make it in to the top charts of the golden record either. As well as Eurovision did not appear on the record as an example of our civilization’s achievements. I wonder why? Should the Extraterrestrials choose to give in to the first impression, it would probably not end that well for us.

Let’s be honest: it’s not like we are only about Eurovision. I would assume the peers of music are turning in their graves for many reasons now, but there is so much more to see and know before you can understand who we, as species, really are. Frankly speaking, we still haven’t discovered it all ourselves. We are still like children, fighting the strong ones and protecting the weak ones. And that’s why we deserve another chance. So just stop for a bit and listen. Give it another chance. Because first impressions are overrated.

A multifarious man -

MICHAEL EVAN GOODSITE by Annet Muru images: Michael E. Goodsite; AU-H Most of us know professor Michael Evan Goodsite as the Head of Department at AU Herning. Some others might have heard about his other activities as well. But let’s face it – we cannot brag about knowing much more about our #1 person at AU Herning. That is why FOCUS had a nice informal chat with Michael to discover who is behind the title of ‘Head of Department’ and find out more about him as a person.

Michael is and has been active on several fronts. He is a full professor of atmospheric chemistry, climate and global processes at Aarhus University, as well as a Visiting Professor and Senior Research Fellow in climate strategy at Thunderbird School of Global Management. He is the Centre Director at the Nordic Center of Excellence for Strategic Adaption Research and the Baltic University Programme Center, Denmark. Starting this year, he also became the new ambassador of climate protection in Herning. Michael is additionally appointed as one of the top level scientific advisors to the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, and is on the Board of Directors of advisors over 20 public and private organizations in 8 different countries. This list could go on and on. But one more fact which is worth mentioning is that Michael is a decorated military leader who has been an intelligence officer in a Special Forces Unit. Additionally he has been Commander and Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Army and NATO counterintelligence units with active service after 9/11. After finding out about all of these positions and appointments he has had, I was curious about the ‘simple stuff’ – who is Michael and what does he like to do?

WHEN IT COMES TO EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND, MICHAEL HAS: - B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona, USA (1994); - M.Sc. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Southern Denmark (2000); - Ph.D. in Environment and Climate from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark (2003); - MBA in Global Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management, USA(2008).

Scuba diving at Sarigerme, Turkey. Summer 2013

Where and how did you spend your childhood? I grew up in Tucson, Arizona, USA and enjoyed lots of outdoor activities. I was a Boy Scout (Eagle Scout), played soccer, baseball and American football and I also swam competitively. What was your biggest “monkey business“ during your years in university? I was pretty much a straight shooter and did not get into too much “monkey business“. In the U.S., scholarships are extremely dependent on your academic and personal character, and since I was on scholarship, I tried to take everything very seriously. Probably the closest that comes to “monkey business“, was learning how to parachute while I was in university. I had way too much fun with this and it took up too much of my time! If you would not be the Head of Department at AU Herning, which subject field, would you most likely work in? My field of Environmental Engineering and improving the environment. But when we forget about the likelihood now... who did you dream to work as when you were a kid? I dreamt of becoming an astronaut and was actually invited to the try-outs, but I am not really into a lot of motion and I realized that I was better at observing this, and study the atmosphere and space from the ground.

“PROBABLY THE CLOSEST THAT COMES TO “MONKEY BUSINESS“, WAS LEARNING HOW TO PARACHUTE WHILE I WAS IN UNIVERSITY. I HAD WAY TOO MUCH FUN WITH THIS AND IT TOOK UP TOO MUCH OF MY TIME!” What kind of hobbies do you have? My main hobbies are swimming and travelling. I still love to play soccer and sometimes I am a referee for soccer matches, but my schedule does not allow it that much. What is your travel IQ? And what is the place you would definitely go back to? I have not taken a travel IQ test, but it is probably very high. I have been to many countries. I love going to places with nice beaches, or where I have made great friends. I have found a reason to return to any place I have ever visited so I cannot name one single place I would like to go back to. If you could choose a super power for yourself, what would it be? Breathing under water. I love to scuba dive and this would make diving and exploring the oceans so much easier. What was the last book you read? “Attacks“ by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel. If you would get a chance to meet someone who has passed away, who would that be? Confucius or Plato – these two thinkers have really impacted society. What motivates you the most to take action?

Young Michael as a model

Seeing positive results. What has been the best piece of advice you have received? Be myself, know my strengths and weaknesses and always do what is right for me and for those around me, no matter how hard this may be.

“I DREAMT OF BECOMING AN ASTRONAUT AND WAS ACTUALLY INVITED TO THE TRY-OUTS...”

Before wrapping up the interview, I asked Michael to surprise me and the readers with something that we definitely do not know about him. The answer to that definitely exceeded my every expectation. It turned out that Michael was a model and an actor as a child. He explained how he was in both theatre and a movie, and even got to model in some advertisements. In his opinion, that time was not too professional, but it sure was a lot of fun. FOCUS Magazine is also publishing right here and right now one of the photos from Michael’s modelling portfolio back in his teenage days!

MOMENTS AT AU HERNING Share with others your moments of the day around the campus by adding an hashtag to your photos about the uni-life at AU Herning! We are following hashtags #auherning and #birkcampus on Facebook and Instagram! Every week, the ‘PHOTO OF THE WEEK’ will be chosen and shared on AU Herning’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/AUHerning These are the best picks so far!

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MUN coming to Herning MUNisarrives to Herning By Wojciech Tomasz Zmijski

By Wojciech Tomasz Zmijski

The first question that arises when we are talking to people about our The first question that arises when we are talking to people about our idea is: What is Model United Nations exactly? idea is: What is Model

Here is a small explanation. Model United Nations is a conference United Nations exactly? similar to the United Nations in which students participate as delegates Committees. Participants research formulate Heretoisvarious a smallUN explanation. Model United Nations is aand conference political based on the the countries they similar positions to the United Nations in actual which policies students of participate as delerepresent. It might sound like a high-school project but only last year, gates to various UN Committees. Participants research and formulate similar conferences took place Harvard, Oxford andcountries few other huge political positions based on theinactual policies of the they represent. It might sound like a high-school project but only last year, universities. Of course our Conference will on a smaller scale, but we similar conferences took in place in Harvard, and fewlevel. other huge have to start somewhere order to reachOxford our desired

universities. Of course our Conference will on a smaller scale, but we have to start in order to reach our level. This year This year MUNsomewhere will visit Birk Centerpark, itsdesired first conference taking MUN will visit Birk Centerpark, its first conference taking place place in AU Herning in the last weekend of March â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 28th , 29th, in 30th AU Herning in the last weekend of March â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 28th , 29th, 30th of March of March 2014. The idea behind it all is to involve students from AU 2014. The idea behind it all is to involve students from AU Herning Herning and TEKO. Since it is going to mark its very first conference, and TEKO. there are going to be three committees, which in the opinion of orSince it is going to mark its very first conference, there are going to be ganizers, are divided in such way so that everyone will be able to find three committees, which in the opinion of organizers, are divided in something to participate in.to find something interesting such way interesting so that everyone will be able The ascommittees follows: are as follows: to committees participate in.are The 1. Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN) 1. 2. Economic and Financial Committee (ECOFIN)(SOCHUM) Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee Disarmament Security (DISEC)(SOCHUM) 2. 3. Social, Culturaland andInternational Humanitarian Committee Model United Nations gives you opportunity to see how the real Unit3. Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) ed Nations work. You can also get involved in an amazing project, meetUnited new people and it will also you bettertounderstand thereal world Model Nations gives you help opportunity see how the Unitaround you. ed Nations work. You can also get involved in an amazing project, The skills that you will be able to gain are for example public speakmeet new people and it will also help you better understand the world ing, diplomacy and writing. It will help you in your life and the expearound you. rience could be very helpful for your CV. No matter what path you choose, college and beyond, Model UN can help you get there! Follow The that you will betoable gainand arebefor example public us skills on Facebook in order stay to tuned ready to sign-up forspeakthe ing, diplomacy writing. It will help you in your life and the expemain event of and spring semester in Herning.

rience could be very helpful for your CV. No matter what path you choose, college and2014! beyond, Model UN can help you get there! Follow See you in March us on Facebook in order to stay tuned and be ready to sign-up for the main event of spring semester in Herning. See you in March 2014!

Herning Model United Nations: https://www.facebook.com/HerningMUN

Exams are not everything!

How being active can take you a step even further than grades can.

TEXT: Orpheas K. Katsikis PHOTOGRAPHY: Raluca Dumitru GRAPHICS: Agnieszka ﾅ「kasiewicz

During the exam-period, you could notice a really standard, exam-related phenomenon; people getting anxious and nervous about their grades, as if they are the most important things in their lives. I myself may have gotten the same feeling from time to time.

“Every person represents his own opportunity. You are an opportunity… all by yourself.”

The thing is, that a single grade (or many accumulated grades, in that matter) will not largely shape your career/ life. Yeah, sure, having that wondrously beautiful ‘10’ as an average is a damn great plus. But what people often fail to realize, is that the University is not exclusively about the grades. It is also about what you do in your non-lecture/ non-homework time. Why, yes, that is also part of your University education; be it going out and having a drink, socializing or reading a book, you can find the educational aspect in almost anything. Education does not have to be technical; it is also about the people, and the relationships you cultivate. As much as many would like to think of the Job Market as a highly logical and structured field, many times it is not. Being well networked can get you much further than just having top-skills – then again, a combination of both can make you a superstar. That is why you should attempt to do other interesting things in your free time. Using myself as an example, I have recently approached the SAA with an idea about hosting our own Model United Nations – a conference that simulates the workings of the United Nations - a perfect occasion for guys to wear suits and for girls to try out their new heels. Apparently, the SAA saw this as a good skill-crafting chance for our Student Community, got involved, and now, having gathered a great team, we are in the process of organizing it. Apart from that, I also wrote an article on Medium and after posting that particular article, I got asked to write something for Focus Student Magazine as well. That, only from getting my thoughts and ideas out in public! The bottom line here is to get yourself out there, in any way possible. Do you have a special thought? Write it down. Do you have a special skill? Showcase it. Only in this way will people get to know you and handout opportunities to you. You cannot go around blaming people of not recognizing you, when you do not take the necessary steps in handing them the plate with your name on it. And one extra thing. Ask. Apart from getting yourself out there, also ask questions. I mean, ask everyone who you feel might have an answer. Do you want an internship in a particular company? Just ask them if they would like to hire you, you might get lucky, who knows? Do you want to get to know someone? See if you have any mutual friends around. Or are you simply in need of help? Seek it from your network. You would be surprised about how willing people are to help. Especially if you play the “Hey, I am a student” card. So, do not stress that much about grades, it is good to have them, but Hades will not come and take your soul if you get a 02 instead of a 10 in Micro. Just go public. Network and court serendipity. Every person represents his own opportunity. You are an opportunity… all by yourself.

TEXT: Frida Hoffmann

A young spirit and an experienced mind, Safine Lykke Jensen worked in Portugal, lived in Cambodia, is a TEKO international student at the moment and has a beautiful 2 year-old son. When we first met on our introductory day at the university and after I got to hear these impressive facts about her, I realized that she is indeed a fascinating woman, spiced with never ending strength and youthful ambition. She started her career as a designer, and now, after many memorable experiences, Safine has finally figured out that this business is something worth to deal with.

Why fashion?

So designing was not your original plan?

I grew up with my mother and father, who are also a designer and respectively an architect, so it kind of felt natural for me to step into this world, it was instilled even in the way we lived at home. However, I started struggling with it when I became a teenager. I was like “No, I am not going to do the same thing as my parents”. In that moment I thought about becoming a lawyer. I remember that instead of reading romances and novels, I always enjoyed dealing with the Danish Law more; I was that into it!

No, not really. One time, I had a conversation with one of my mom’s cousins that left me completely speechless when she asked me: ‘Safine, this is not you, do you really want this? Can you see yourself working as a lawyer for the rest of your life?’ I was very unsure of what to reply. Then she followed up with introducing me to one of her really good designer friends, who was willing to hire me as his assistant, to help me get an overview of his company and most importantly, to welcome me into their creative team. Needless to say, that after my studies at TEKO and after gaining professional training during internships in the field, I had found my true vocation.

So designing was not your original plan?

Now that you’ve mentioned TEKO, what was your No, not really. One time, I had a conversation with one of my mom’s most memorable project there?

cousins that left me completely speechless when she asked me: ‘Saf-

Iine, hadthis justiscome backdofrom internship, where I had learned a lot. not you, you my really want this? Can you see yourself One of my goodfor teachers at TEKO, working asvery a lawyer the resthere of your life?’who I washave veryalways unsurehelped of whatsupported to reply. Then she followed introducing to one of and me, asked me and up onewith of my colleaguesme if we wanted herbereally goodindesigner friends,project. who was willing hire me as his in to involved an up-coming She had atofriend working help mecertain get an affair overview and most imaassistant, museumtoand that was of forhis itscompany 2009 opening. We were portantly,offered to welcome into creativeand team. basically a freeme hand fortheir everything anyNeedless amountto ofsay, that after my studies at TEKO and after gaining professional training money we needed and all that we had to do was to create something during internships in the field, I had true vocation.art muthat would have been appropriate tofound sell inmy a contemporary

seum. Overall, the project took one whole year and it was truly an amazing and extraordinary experience - the designed pieces are still

Now that you’ve mentioned TEKO, what was your most memorable project there?

available in HEART Museum’s boutique!

What did you create in the end?

I had just come back from my internship, where I had learned a lot. We collections. One was who based on one of their Onewere of mydesigning very goodtwo teachers here at TEKO, have always helped

exhibitions andme, theasked otherme oneand wasone focused the workifofwe a concepand supported of myon colleagues wanted tual It was notup-coming just designer work,She because hadworking to commuto beartist. involved in an project. had a we friend in

nicate withand different companies, deal project management, a museum that certain affair to was forwith its 2009 opening. We were to try andoffered find sponsors, make other basically a free hand foradvertisements everything andand anymany amount of tasks that came it. and all that we had to do was to create something money we with needed that would have been appropriate to sell in a contemporary art museum.did Overall, project oneback wholetoyear and it wasand truly an Why youthe choose totook come university amazing and extraordinary experience the designed pieces start studying again, if it seems you already experi-are still available in HEART Museum’s boutique! enced the fashion industry?

The main reason is the fact that I still want to know more! Although I have already out trying What did youbeen create in thedifferent end? things, worked for various companies in Denmark during my internships, had a job in Portugal, We were designing two collections. One wasbut based of their all of which were indeed very challenging, did on notone necessarily exhibitions andenough. the other one was focused the work of a concepmake me good Moreover, I am stillonyoung, 23 years old to tual artist. It was so notitjust work, had more to commube more precise, doesdesigner not bother mebecause to studywe three years. nicate withthough different to well deal and withI project And even I amcompanies, a mother as have tomanagement, manage them both thefind same time, I will doadvertisements my best in achieving the best to tryatand sponsors, make and many otherresults. tasks that came with it.

I have heard that you have your own shoe collection… Why did you choose to come back to university and startinstudying it seems youshoe already experiBack Portugal, again, I workediffor two Danish brands, which hired enced the fashion industry? me to source new factories for them, to control the production and the quality of the products. Doing this, I gained knowledge about The main is the fact that I still want nothing to know about more! when Although shoes and reason shoe production, an area I knew II first havestarted alreadyworking been outfor trying different things, worked for them. At the same time I started various to do companies in Denmark during my internships, had a job in Portugal, research on my own and also took a shoe-designing course. The only all of which were indeed very challenging, but did not necessarily make me good enough. Moreover, I am still young, 23 years old to

be more precise, so it does not bother me to study three more years. And even though I am a mother as well and I have to manage them one thing I did not learn at the time: ‘How much money will it cost both at the same time, I will do my best in achieving the best results. me?’ But in spite of this fact, I did manage to open my company and to create a collection of sustainable shoes.

I have heard that you have your own shoe collection…

When did you first start?

Back in Portugal, I worked for two Danish shoe brands, which hired me to source factories for them, to control the so production In May 2012 new I created my first and only collection far. It wasand showthe quality of the Doing this, I gained knowledgeFashion about cased in Bread & products. Butter in Berlin and at the Copenhagen shoes and shoe production, area nothing about when Fair. Everything went veryan well andI knew I got great feedback on it, even I from first started working for them. At the same time I started do DANSK Magazine. I also made it to ‘Top 100 Things ato Woman research on my own and also took a shoe-designing course. The should Wear’ in an American magazine. All in all, I was pleasedonly with one thing I did not learn at the time: ‘How much money will it cost the line, even though I was not able to sell it. me?’ But in spite of this fact, I did manage to open my company and to createstopped a collection of sustainable shoes. What you?

The distributors were a little bit afraid, because my shoes were rath-

When did you start? er expensive andfirst maybe a tad too special, not the kind of products

that they were sure about selling. Back then I still hoped some stores In May 2012 I created in myselling first and only so far. It was showwould be interested them or collection that I would try to sell them cased inInternet. Bread & Butter Berlin and ata lot theof Copenhagen Fashion on the I endedinup spending money on travelling Fair. went very and I got feedback one. on it,Thereeven and Everything on producing, and thewell result was notgreat the expected from Magazine. I also it to ‘Top Things a Woman fore,DANSK I decided that it was notmade the right time 100 to get involved with should Wear’ in an magazine. in all, I wasofpleased with I shoes anymore. OnAmerican the bright side, I didAll gain plenty experience; the line, even though I was not ablewrong to sell and it. what would I do differnow know more about what went ently if it were the appropriate time to start over.

What Whatare areyour yourfuture futureplans? plans?Are Areyou yougoing goingtotofollow followup up with the Bachelor Program? with the Bachelor Program? Yes, Yes,for forsure. sure.I Ithink thinkdoing doingjust justthe theAP APProgram Programisisalso alsofine, fine, but now that I started studying again, I think it is better but now that I started studying again, I think it is bettertotododo ititproperly; properly;I Ido donot notwant wanttotostop stopagain. again.I Iam ameven evenconsidering considering taking takingaamaster masterdegree degreeafterwards afterwardsasaswell. well.

Do you find it hard to manage everything that is going on Do you hard to manage everything that is going on now infind youritlife? now in your life? Although it is hard, yes, I know I have to keep things on the right track. I have worked hard andtoI know some things have Although it is always hard, yes, I know I have keep things on thejust right track. haveno always worked hardyou andjust I know things just haveit to be Idone matter the costs; havesome to learn to balance to be Sometimes done no matter the costs;ityou just complicated have to learnfor to me balance out. for example, is very to beitexout. Sometimes it is very complicated me to be tremely focusedfor onexample, school, when I spend time withfor my son, butexI am tremely focused on school, when I spend my son, butbiggest I am perfectly sure about the task order in mytime life.with My child is my perfectly about we theare tasktogether, order innothing my life. My is my biggest treasure sure and when elsechild can be more imtreasure portant.and when we are together, nothing else can be more important.

Trend Report Spring/Summer 2014 Text: Alina Vlaicu Illustration: Alexei Patrascu

I’ve always been interested in understanding the origins and evolution of the clothes we are wearing today. When were they first created? How they changed through time? How do we interpret them today? All these questions led me to one decision: to materialize my passion for fashion and trends through a series of short articles and illustrations in FOCUS Magazine. Our fashion adventure is starting right now, in the Spring/Summer 2014 season. We’ll start with two of the most impressive trends of this season: the powerful art prints and the mysterious and sophisticated ruffles. Unmistakably, this seems to be yet again the season of the woman.

THE ARTPRINT PRINTS THE ART

Inspired by Prada Spring/Summer 2014

Calling out on all the painters, street artists and illustrators! It’s your time to shine! The fashion world is giving credit to all the brush strokes, graffiti, murals and comics this season. The Spring/Summer 2014 is the season of the art print. Roy Lichtenstein, Jeanne Detallante, Brassaï, Tony Viramontes, Diego Rivera, you name it. Fashion has it all.

We all have our own fashion tribe this Spring/Summer season. Follow these designers’ power impulse and fight for whatever matters most to you, because rebooting the feminism scene seems to be this generation’s new goal.

What’s next? For this season, fashion brands decided to gain confidence and attention by collaborating with the world of artists. Keep your eyes open for future inspiration and be ready to live the millennial way of wearing prints.

Origin Textile printing was first developed in China back in 220 B.C. Europe began importing printed textiles from India only in the early 17th century. Exposing rich colored, exotic designs and having good fastness properties, these fabrics got rapidly popular. Being initially seen as a threat to the powerful silk-weaving industry in Europe, the textile printing was banned for few decades, starting to be successful only one century later. Beginning with William Morris, the English textile designer from the 19th century, textile printing became a true art in Europe. Nowadays, fashion designers from all over the world take inspiration from the art culture and push the techniques of textile and printing design one step forward with each season. Both Phoebe Philo at Céline and Miuccia Prada launched experimental and aesthetically exciting fashion manifestos for this season, making us to revise our closet again.

Spring/Summer 2014 There is a feminism revolution out there and it seems that Miuccia Prada is the leader of it. In Prada’s Spring/Summer 2014 collection, giant cartoony women faces were transferred onto clothing and crowned afterwards with sparkling tops. Prada committed six visual artists in order for the house to be able to design an entire mashed-up, collage-like, art inspired collection. The prints were all bold, in unexpected colors: dark blue, khaki and yellow were contrasting with sparkling rainbows. The focus of this collection was on the bra, a strong expression of feminism. They came covered with jewels, attached over coats or over tunic dresses. This collection was a colorful, glittering and glamorous revolution for the fashion world, as for the textile printing itself. Moreover, Phoebe Philo turned Céline’s DNA inside out for the Spring/Summer 2014 collection. Giant hand-painted brush strokes, rather seen in fashion illustrations such as those of Tony Viramontes, dominated this collection. Philo’s approach to art prints was both technical and aesthetical. She used woven jacquards and knits, masterfully executed, instead of literal printing. And this is not all; the coats came down covered in roller painted like patterns, with wide lapels and large cuffs. Everything from the ribbed T-shirts, the long transparent pleated skirts, both covered in giant colorful brush strokes, to the almost tribal looking make-up and the fascinating accessories, all were made to express the power of the women.

How to wear them? Wild-up your printed dress with a feathered headband! Wear jewels applied over prints for a more accurate tactile feeling! Jeweled Bra + Sports Knee Socks + Pop-Art Print = LOVE

THERUFFLES RUFFLES THE There is something about the royalty and yet the simplicity of a ruffled dress or skirt, especially if we talk about the more recent approaches of this kind of fabric manipulation. Used initially as collar adornments, the ruffles got their way down on the clothes, being attached on wrists, hems or covering the full surface of a garment in balanced or random designs.

Origin Dating back to the 15th century, the ruffles still represent a strong expression technique for today’s fashion designers. Nina Ricci, Bottega Veneta and Dries Van Noten all presented Spring/Summer 2014 collections, where the ruffles are integrated either in romantic, dramatic or royal urban outfits. Even though used initially as shirt decoration for men, the ruffles truly became refined in women clothing, being often associated with pure femininity. Just remember the Rococo portrait of Marie Antoinette made by Madame Lebrun, or the Versace “mille-feuille” dress that Sarah Jessica Parker wore in Paris for the 6th season of the “Sex and the City” series! Or even more, have a look at the Dries Van Noten Spring/Summer 2014 collection to see a minimalist interpretation of ruffles as strip golden tinsels on the show-opening dress!

Spring/Summer 2014 Peter Copping, Nina Ricci’s head designer recently presented his collection based on the romantic relation between feminine and masculine, having numerous interpretations of it: a transparent, microscopic detailed dress was balanced with a masculine collarless redingote, a pencil skirt with a tuxedo top, etc. What Tomas Maier did at Bottega Veneta was to give this season a dramatic, very lady-like look, highly experimenting with one of this season’s trends. He literally manipulated the fabric, giving it a real sculptural ability. Using cotton woven with copper, he was able to obtain origami looking details, with an almost perfect folding memory. The sculptural skirts combined with boxy short-sleeves shirts gave the silhouette a true modern equilibrium.

Dries Van Noten, “one of fashion’s most cerebral designers”, as New York Times described him, uses the ruffles in a royal, yet discreet and relaxed manner. You would probably think that combining Japanese and Peruvian clothing styles, while adding golden frills as details would get us to nothing more than a kitsch result, but Dries succeeds in merging them together, obtaining a whispered, urban and sophisticated expression of royalty. Adding golden lamé ruffles on raw cotton tank dresses or covering a dress in rich, furious black ruffles defined the relaxed, masked richness of this collection. Following our fashion journey to sheer transparent fabrics, this season’s ruffles are asymmetric, ethereal and soft. Made in poplin, lace or cotton, they are transparent, black or in pure white. Moreover, the gold crosscurrent of this season gives your outfit a little bling with discreet metalling pleats and ruffles.

What’s next? Rumor has it that the future fashion seasons will be keen on exploring the ruffle effect. Set on the powdery pastel colors, the ruffles will receive botanical and 3D interpretations. Expect a prettiness invasion of lace, romantic cherry blossoms and botanical screens.

How to wear them? Don’t overwhelm your silhouette! Combine ruffles with structural pieces! Wear ruffles on one garment only! Keep accessories to a minimum!

Inspired by Dries Van Noten Spring/Summer 2014

FREE SHUTTLE BUS DEPARTURE AU-HERNING: RETURN AARHUS:

10:00 15:00

• Meet companies • Free photo & CV check • Presentations about job seeking

CAREERDAYS THE LARGEST JOB AND CAREER FAIR IN DENMARK

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“What are you going to do about your tattoos when you’re older?” “... I don’t know, mate, probably grow an epic beard and hangout with other badass tattooed dudes and generally look awesome. What are you going to do when you just look like every other old bastard?” - Anonymous

Text: Valeria Solonari Illustration: Katrina Eglite Photography: Alexei Patrascu Has anyone ever seen that movie from the 1970s entitled ‘Tattoo’? It told the story of a demented tattoo artist (played by one of my favorite movie-psychopaths, Bruce Dern) morbidly obsessed with a model; he abducts her, holds her hostage and expresses his undying love by covering her entire body with his creations (against her will, of course). I could be euphemistic or totally exaggerating, but I do consider myself a vehement expressionist. As a function of my creative nature, I must express myself, speak my truth and illustrate my vision… even if it means comparing one of the most beloved art forms to dementia. Although the aforementioned is certainly a very extreme and undeniably fictional situation, tattoos have been a powerful part of our cultural scene for a very long time. Their dark and lingering appeal transcends the stereotypical images of ‘tough guys and gals’ and all of their underworld friends. In this disposable society, tattoos symbolize permanence and they retain a power and mystique all of their own. Down through history, many famous personalities have adorned their bodies with tattoos: songstress Pearl Bailey had a heart on her upper thigh; David Bowie a lizard across one ankle; Cher tops them both in numbers and assortments, bearing a cluster of flowers on her butt and a black rose on one ankle, just to name a few; American pol-

itician Barry Goldwater bore a crescent with four dots in the shape of a snake bite. Heck, now even ‘Barbie’ has a dragon tattoo running down her entire back or bearing a butterfly on her stomach. Tattoos have actually become so popular in certain scenes that getting one might even run the risk of becoming a total cliché. For example, a friend of mine recently said that he is automatically less attracted to women with tattoos, not because he dislikes the mark itself, but because he feels like they probably just did it to follow a trend, and that gets just as dull when everyone has a tattoo as it does when nobody has them. While tattoos used to be considered rebellious, the more mainstream they get, strangely the less intimidating or surprising they’re becoming. Besides, when everyone is pinning and tweeting and tumbling their favorite tattoo designs to share, the ‘trending’ tattoo ideas are more likely to spread like wildfire. And puff! There goes your unique, one-of-a-kind, beautiful imprinted ornament.

However, this is not necessarily a bad thing! If you think about it, how else to change or to contribute to the very social conditions tattoos seek to challenge? The marketing of tattoos as being fashionable and chic has finally reached the stage of undermining the anti-consumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s values expressed by many neo-primitives. The attempts to use tattoos to counter demeaning and objectifying images of men and women have been subverted by the popularization of tattooed bodies in every fashion magazine out there and countless music videos.

Furthermore, the youth of today (myself included) have this FEAR of being ANONYMOUS! So we decide to express ourselves through different mediums and in a multitude of ways, whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s paint to canvas, hands to clay or ink to skin. The tattoo speaks to the ongoing, complex need for humans to express themselves through the appearance of their bodies and the popularity of the tattoo attests to its power as vehicle for self-expression, commemoration and social commentary. The body serves as the perfect canvas to record the struggles people face in life, these in the end motivating any form of radical or mundane tattooing.

Tattoos, as some of us have already experienced them, are a form of self-expression so much more personal and definite than the traditional art, that at some point may have unexpected repercussions if you don’t take the time to think them through. So if you think it’s hard to forget a lover when his face still haunts your dreams, consider how much more difficult it would be when that face is indelibly stored deep within your scar tissue - the lyrics ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ take on a new and painful perspective when you apply tattoos to the subject at hand, am I right? All in all, as these young people illustrated above, tattoos are a powerful means by which a generation can assert independence and commemorate important events, ranging from going away to college to living alone for the first time even to getting married. In marking these rites of passage, young people give tattoos multiple and at times contradictory meanings; while some invoke tattoos as signs of rebellion or rejection against authority figures and mainstream values, others utilize them in more nuanced ways, to either assert their own definitions of maturity and autonomy, or to simply cover themselves in pure art. Is it right or wrong…well, who’s to say? Many things are relative and beauty is, after all, in the eye of the beholder. Whatever particular statement the young people are making nowadays with their body art, I believe the act of getting a tattoo increasingly serves as a strong vehicle to mark adulthood.

ZUPA RECOMMENDED Zupa Recommended is a fusion of 2 companies, Zupa in Copenhagen and Recommended in Århus and its main activity is 360° marketing. There are approximately 250 people working in Denmark for this company and it is considered to be the best in the marketing scene in the Denmark.

pieces of advice to young Branders by Ann Brandt, Team Manager in Zupa Recommended, marketing and branding company

YOU CAN’T KNOW EVERYTHING AND BE GOOD AT EVERYTHING. Choose an area and make yourself an expert at it. Better to be good in one area and regular in some other areas, than to be average in all the things that you have to do. BE OPEN-MINDED. BE VERY CURIOUS - scan everything you see. Be someone who is interested in different people, different cultures and who is not afraid to look deeper into things.

These are the three traits that are very important when seeking a job in this business.

Some time ago, on a short trip to Århus, my class and I, together with our Branding teacher, visited Zupa Recommended. I have talked to Ann Brandt, the Team Manager of the company and I have asked her marketing related questions, in the hopes of bringing an insight into this world to our curious eyes and ears. I have also tried to develop an idea of how a person working really works in this field. TEXT: Raluca Dumitru

Dear Ann, what is your background? I have an education from Aarhus University in Communication and various courses in Branding & Marketing. So far, I have worked in advertising in Norway, Columbia and other parts of South America. And what is your current position right now at Zupa Recommended? I am the Team Manager at Zupa Recommended Århus; I am in charge of talking to our clients, I do presentations and analyses, I define the target groups, basically most of the work up until the creative part starts. Another thing I do is to gather information and set up the team. I’ve been here for many years, so I know how to divide the jobs, which person in the company is the most appropriate one to do certain tasks and why. Do you think the market outside is different compared to the market in Denmark and in what sense? Yes, definitely, it is very unalike. Well, the culture is very different. In Denmark, price is the most important factor in business, whereas in the United States for example, the brand is of higher importance. The brand is the first driver and the price comes second, but in Denmark the situation is the other way around.

brainstorming and hard work. Experience also plays an important role, but often, from what I have noticed, the best labor comes from working in a group, where people are respectful to each other and where they are very different from each other. I prefer to work with people of different backgrounds, of different ages and with different opinions, because it is at that point when the greatest and most distinct ideas ‘see the light of day’. While working at Zupa Recommended, what do you think was the best collaboration you ever had? Dansk Supermarked, because it was a big and long-term collaboration.

What challenges do you face on a daily basis? Lack of time, because we are very busy and we work a lot. The most challenging part I think is that sometimes the clients’ expectations and budget do First of all it is important to not fit together. Trying to deliver the best result with the required budget in the best possible way be a team -player, besides is an everyday challenge. Clients are usually very having courage and be focused on the ‘return of investment’ and that open-minded. just kills a good campaign sometimes, because the focus is directed towards the budget. Another problem with Danish companies might be that they miss a little bit of courage and they are afraid to stand out. If you want to be unique you have to do something unique.

How do you perceive marketing? Marketing is a simple way to make the customer aware of a product, a service, a good offer or basically anything. But beyond that, marketing has a cultural role as well as an entertainment role. Think of TV-commercials, where there is a lot of humor and you can basically hear it everywhere, at work, in the streets. It is something that sticks in your head. That is marketing! What do you think makes a difference between a regular marketing campaign and a great marketing campaign? From a client’s point of view (referring to the firms working with advertising companies) it is the sales, which show the success. However, from a marketer’s point of view, the ‘great’ factor comes from a combination of a simple idea that is able to deliver great results. The complexity level of an idea, more than often does not guarantee last-longing success.

What importance do you think marketing has in today’s world? Marketing is very important, because there are so many products and so many offers out on the market today. It is difficult for the consumers to decide which products to choose, based on what they need. Marketing plays an information role here; it helps in making the decision. How do you usually come up with ideas and solutions? It is a combination of creativeness, thinking outside the box,

What traits does a person have to have in oder to be good in this area? First of all it is important to be a team-player, besides having courage and being open-minded. There are not so many things to do on your own in this domain. Everyone, starting from the copywriter to the creative thinkers have to work together. You have to accept other’s ideas and perceptions. It is a funny business because one has to have enormous drive and accept the way of working of the people next to you. And it is definitely not a place for sensitive minds. What do you like most about your job? Probably the clients, or that I do different types of work every day and I meet a lot of different, well-educated and exciting people. Also the fact that I get to earn a lot of knowledge about all different kinds of products, companies and so on. Every company wants to work in a different way and I basically do the same; I will work with different products in different ways, and that can only excite me. Do you think that in the future, ZUPA will take customers from outside and not only from within the country? It is difficult to say that, because we do not have a lot of international skills or references. At this point our main focus will be Denmark, for the next couple of years at least. But of course, further on, we will try to develop the necessary skills to think outside Denmark.

WORD, INTERRUPTED TEXT: Carina Hess

TEXT: Carina Hess We all know the feeling. As a student, we face many situations in which we have to speak to an audience, no matter if it is in class, during a seminar or exam. For some of us, this task seems easier than for others. The main difference that determines whether a speech is a fun or intimidating experience is that some people have developed communication skills which provide them with confidence. There is no one recipe that works for everyone. It is more of an experimental learning process and what works for some will not necessarily work for others. The following points are thus mainly a structured guide that you could try for yourself, in order to boost your communication skills.

TRAIN YOUR BODY

CREATE ENERGY

Good speakers have vocal power. Anxiety tenses our muscles, which minimizes one’s vocal power. A small voice is not heard and will lead to a loss of concentration amongst the audience. Relax, breathe and try to release the physical tension of your body to regain vocal power.

No, you are no spiritual medium. But good communication does create energy. If you feel it yourself, the audience does too. Try to choose the kind of energy you want to create, not overly excited or tense, but something that suits you as a person. It will take time and practice but one day you will be able to use it for your own advantage.

USE BODY LANGUAGE Good news first, being fully aware of your body movements is impossible without years of training. Instead, create a sense of urgency in your mind. “I have to communicate this message to the audience”. Actors use this trick as it corrects body language unconsciously and creates commitment and therewith confidence.

COMMUNICATE A CLEAR GOAL AND OBJECTIVE What point do you want to bring across? What exactly do you want to say? How can you hold people’s attention? Provide an amount of clear information that is necessary to understand the topic but does not overload the audience, and use a suitable language you know your listeners understand.

USE VISUAL AIDS Power Points, flipcharts, videos, whiteboards – there are many types of visual media available for presenters. Every each of them has its pros and cons, so use the one that makes you feel most comfortable.

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE The audience is your friend. They are not there to see your faults, nervousness or mistakes, but rather to hear what you have to say. Your message. That means they are indeed interested. All you have to do is to deliver the information they need or want to know. Remember that they are very likely to be just as nervous as you – they don’t want to miss anything important!

MAKE YOUR MESSAGE MEMORABLE There is nothing worse than boring presentations. So, start off by saying something interesting or catchy. Tell a story, use humor, make a route map, anything to make sure you communicate your topic with engagement. One thing that sets the right mood and sinks in a dose of confidence.

HOLD EYE CONTACT The commitment will show immediately and makes the audience aware of you. The newly found confidence will then automatically result in eye contact, as you will feel that you want to deliver the message.

USE PROMPTS Prepare index cards or printouts where you can write down key terms. One common mistake is to write down and memorize entire sentences. What might work for some often leads to presentations that sound unnatural. Remember: key terms only. Once you are in front of the audience, your wording changes anyway. Let it happen, it makes you sound natural. All you have to do is to bring your point across.

BE YOURSELF Every single one of us is different. We are unique. Trying to change ourselves makes us and our presentation seem strange and not trustworthy. So, you might as well accept who you are. The audience will feel that and accept you too. Just give yourself a chance!

10 TIPS ON HOW TO... DIY your student apartment!

INSPIRATIONAL MOOD BOARD Tear pages from old magazines, then overlap them on newspaper scraps; nevertheless, use your own paper work, from sketches, drawings, collages, sample materials etc. Talk visually!

HANGING CLOTHING RACK Find a resistant rope, slide it through a metallic tube and then hang it from the ceiling by measuring the necessary length for positioning the clothes.

AIR-DRY CLAY POTS â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Air-dry Clayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is a recent craft mania, inexpensive and very easy to use, in comparison to the traditional pottery method. *Used for: small decorations, frames, jewellery, dishes and pots.

WOODEN PALLETS BED Re-use wooden pallets in different ways: mattress holder, coffee table, clothes rack, working desk etc. *Suitable for garden furniture as well

5. OLD T-SHIRT CUSHION CASE Refresh your closet by transforming old t-shirts and sweaters into original pillowcases. You could then cut the leftover material into smaller scraps of fabric and fill the case with them.

Text: Lavinia GhimbÄ&#x192;Ĺ&#x;an Illustration: Claudia Marian

9..

10.

RE-USED CANS AND WINE BOTTLES Whether painted, embellished or wrapped in rope, re-purpose them for new possibilities: random decor, avant-garde lamps, vases or pencil holders.

TREE BRANCHES AS JEWELLERY STAND Re-use broken branches after a Danish storm to hang your jewellery and accessories; it will create a natural ambient.

WOODEN BOXES FOR SHOE DISPLAY Do you have one too many pairs of shoes? Forget about the boring classical shelves by improvising wood/plastic/ cardboard boxes display.

STACKABLE LADDER Finding an old ladder might be an interesting journey as well as building one yourself; but just forget about its original purpose and transform it into a less crowded storage space.

7. MACARONI-GARLAND Have you ever realized how many shapes of macaroni there are? Put some aside from your Italian meals, keep them as such or colour them up, string them on thin threads and voila! Create fun and one-of-a-kind decorative garlands.

INTERCULTURALITY:

turning your

passion into your

JOB Text: Loredana Musat Illustration: Katrina Eglite Layout: Annika Ganson

Tina Magaard, associate professor at Aarhus University Herning, has quite an intercultural background, which she was happy to share with us. Tina was born in Herning and lived in several countries since she was 19. She has a PhD from Sorbonne, with electives in Political Philosophy from Sciences Po Paris (Political Science), with a focus on intercultural communication, and politico-philosophical underpinnings to cultural change. Tinaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s experiences are very interesting and maybe they will inspire some of us, who have the same desire to travel and get to know this wonderful world full of possibilities.

37 Was being a professor something that you always have wanted? Well, you could say so! Research interested me basically from the first day I entered university; I instantly knew this was the thing that I wanted to do. Besides the theoretical part, I liked the practical aspect of intercultural communication: how it helps people, students on their way of finding a job or within their everyday lives. And I believe it does help them very much nowadays, in this globalized world, where most of the companies are internationalizing. What was your biggest dream when you were young? Usually, when you are young, you want to change the world, and that’s a good and important thing, but as you grow up you somehow become more modest and realistic. However, it is always important to have this passion and desire to change. How did I want to change the world? It was important for me to create awareness, I was very curious about other cultures; I found it hard to believe that others didn’t have the same interest as I did, so maybe that was the unrealistic desire to change the world and make it more intercultural. It is still part of my identity to promote intercultural awareness, but definitely in a more prudent way, I hope. What is the biggest challenge when teaching? It’s a good question, because I’ve been teaching in so different places and so the challenges are different as well; I think it depends very much on the culture. There is this generation gap though: students today find it harder to read than I did back when I was a student. Students nowadays are born with multimedia and communicate more through it than via writing.

I know that you have a love for traveling. Could you tell me a bit more about the countries you’ve lived and worked in and how did you decide to go abroad? After I finished high school, I didn’t want to start university immediately; I started working in a restaurant, where I met a Belgian family, which invited me to work as an au pair girl for them. I went to Brussels with them and because I really enjoyed my time there. I decided to do my bachelor degree there, extending my stay for three more years. However, most of the artists and professors I admired were in Paris, where I ended up moving for my graduate studies. I lived in Paris for 12 years, both studying and working, but even while I was there, I still had this urge to go abroad. I lived in an Indian house for two years and then in an Italian house for other two. It was indeed a great experience and I got to learn so many things from all those different cultures. Other than that, I also worked in Finland as a professor and had some longer stays in India, USA and Italy. Was it hard to adapt to the different cultures? How did you manage to do it? You know what is the most difficult part? It’s returning back to your home country. When you go to a foreign country, you are aware of the fact that you are in a new place and you have to adapt yourself to it; and if you have the will to do so, you can manage. Of course, I had my moments when I doubted whether staying there was the right thing for me or not, when I thought that the differences in values and habits are so big that I wouldn’t be happy there, but you grow

past them and discover the positive parts of these kind of experiences. I believe going abroad makes you very conscious of who you are yourself; it works like a mirror of your own culture. People have this misunderstanding that in order to know other cultures, it means you have to get rid of your values and adapt to the new ones, but it is not like this. It simply makes you more flexible and you gain the capability of understanding others more easily. It’s very important to keep an open mind, because something might seem odd from the outside, but only when you understand the values behind it, it starts to make sense.

None and many. Sometimes I feel the need to go back to Paris, since most of my friends are there, but then most of my childhood friends are here, in Denmark. So I suppose the answer to your question would be the European Union! For me, moving from Herning to France or the other way around, is like moving within the US, from Chicago to Seattle for example; it’s not that hard to do. Paris is close enough for me to go on weekends and holidays when I feel like it. Moreover,

Skype is a wonderful tool to keep in touch with friends from all over the world.

“Be open to what is coming up in your life without forgetting who you are!”

Why was it hard to return home? It was difficult because when I was in those other places, it didn’t take long to adapt, because I was so eager to do it. On the other hand, when you go back to your country, you imagine that since you’re back home, everything will easily go back to the way it was and it actually doesn’t. It’s funny because I’ve been teaching repatriation to my students for years and it was like having a taste of my own medicine. I was away for 15 years during my adult life, which is the period when you develop yourself and discover your own values; and if you add up, my whole system was formed in France. Moreover, being away for that long also meant that I’ve built up a network in France, even internationally I could say, but not in Denmark. So when I came back to my home country, I realized I had to build a network here from scratch, which was more of a challenge than I had expected. During my first years, I was often in doubt and only wanted to go back to France, but now I have a family and my child is very happy here, therefore so am I. In which of these countries do you see yourself living for the rest of your life and why?

Everyone refers to university as the time when the crazy stories happen. Could you share a funny story from student days?

Well, I can’t remember one in particular, but we basically had a lot of fun. We went out every weekend, met new people and generally just had a good time. It was a great time for me in Paris, because people were always dancing and having fun, just the way I liked it. This is a difference I noticed when returning to Denmark. At parties, Danes can stay seated for hours in a row, and they don’t necessarily feel the need to dance and enjoy the way I am used to. But I try to adapt and find pleasure in partying the Danish way, while introducing sparkles of new inspiration when possible.

Do you have any piece of advice for our students? Be open to what is coming up in your life without forgetting who you are! /

Åll bored in Ålborg? TEXT: Agnieszka Łukasiewicz PHOTOGRAHY: Rafał Zajac

I have heard before of these vegetative tribes that don’t have sun for like half a year, eat mostly frikadellas, practice hygge and use a strange language called jysk. They say they are Åll bored because they live in Ålborg, but after living there for four years myself, I think they might want to reconsider that last thought. I’m inviting you to virtually join me on this extreme day in the city, a day I have already tested on my harsh weather-proofed Polish skin, many times before…

*AttrActions: Budolfi Kirken (St Budolfi Church) - the cathedral church for the Lutheran Diocese of Aalborg in Northern Jutland, situated on Algade Str, the oldest street in Aalborg The Historical Museum of Northern Jutland - situated on 48 Algade Str Lindholm Høje & Viking Museum (Lindholm Høje Museet) - the burial site of Lindholm Høje is one of the most beautiful ancient monuments in Denmark from late Iron Age and the Viking Age; situated on 11 Vendilavej Str, Nørresundby Karnival - “Trendy times” will be the theme of the 32nd edition of Northern Europe’s biggest carnival; Aalborg Carnival is held in the streets of Aalborg and in Kildeparken on Saturday 24th of May 2014 Aalborg Tower - a 54.9 meters tall observation tower, built on the top of a hill out of lattice steel, measuring a total height of 105 meters above sea level Kunsten-Museum of Modern Art situated on 50 Kong Christians Allé; Zoo - one of Denmark’s biggest zoos, opened in April 1935; situated on 63 Mølleparkvej Str Platform4 - a non-profit user-driven venue that experiments with technology in combination with artistic genres such as music, theatre, contemporary art, design, hacking, architecture and much more; situated on 38-40 Karolinelundsvej Str *GAstronomy: 1000fryd - the house is run by volunteer activists and two parttime managers; situated on 10 Kattesundet Str Sticchis - Neapolitan country style kitchen; situated on 32 Kastetvej Str Café Ib René Cairo – situated on 16B Reberbansgade Str *BArs: Viva La Revolution – club situated on 6 Maren Turis Gade Str Rock Cafeen; Robin – bars on Jomfru Ane Gade Str

43 08:00 am So here I am. John F. Kennedy’s Square. Trains, buses, taxis and Kildeparken, a park on the other side of the train station. I can hear from far away the church bell ringing. It must be Budolfi Kirken*, with its silver tower and beautiful white walls. Let’s take a walk through Boulevarden! 09:00 am On the same street as the church, there is The Historical Museum of Northern Jutland*: quite funny on the first floor – showcasing the history of its famous carnival, and quite creepy on the second – with many dark wooden chambers of Aalborgian’s ancestors. Scandinavia was always very mystical in my eyes. Take for example the Vikings’ graveyard in Lindholm Høje * – only a stone-filled emptiness, forever at a loss for trees and flowers. You can almost feel the Vikings still lingering around with their pagan songs and barbaric dances. Well, today you can experience cute sheep there wandering around, sometimes eager to be pet, other times just hungry for your shoes. The more nerdy types of people usually go to the Viking Museum as well (I don’t get why you can’t be satisfied only with the sheep), where they can buy some souvenirs for grandma. 10:30 am I heard that the Karnival* is right around the corner, but no one ever mentioned that the ‘gate to hell’ would only be open for a day. Everything starts very innocently - drinking vodka at 10am shouldn’t feel that much different than at 10pm… 12:00 pm Wrong. It does feel different. Thousands of people can see your face in daylight and let’s agree, there are things that some shouldn’t see! If, by any chance, you are ever sober at one of these ‘events’ (you may not handle it, I’m warning you), you will experience an out-of-this-world craziness, lots of colorful people dancing in the middle of the streets to the beat of the drums; it resembles the carnival in Rio de Janeiro, except the missing 15 °C of warmth outside. Imagine streets full of Danes - surreal! 16:00 pm I don’t know how I ended up there, but I was begging to be taken back down. They call it the Aalborg Tower* - when you are lucky and there is a sunny weather (pun intended), you can see the beautiful meanders of Limfjorden and the industrial part of Aalborg blending into the traditional buildings, opening up to one of the most dazzling panoramas. 16:30 pm Wow, it’s shaky up there. For those who would rather not feel like spiders on a web, blown sideways by the Nordic wind, there are two options: one is Kunsten*, which can be found below the tower. There lies a little sculpture park with benches where you can eat your lunch, or you can choose to go inside the museum, which offers great modern art. The second option is the good ol’ ZOO*. The animals are of course the same as everywhere else… maybe just a tad happier for living in the most joyful country in the world! 17:00 pm I just met really cool guys. They saw the sunset near the harbor, ate a vegan dinner in 1000fryd* and are now heading towards Platform4* – a very alternative place with many interesting activities during summertime. 18:00 pm ‘Buongiorno signorina!’, that voice melts my heart each time I visit Sticchis*. This is one of den hyggeligste pizza places ever made. You can literally eat as if it’s a Sunday evening at your parents’ house, only that you have to pay for the meal in the end. If you are looking for a more colorful place, you should also visit Café Ib René Cairo*.

*GlossAry: Frikadellas – Danish meatballs At Hygge - a Danish concept closely related to ‘coziness’ Jysk – a term for the western dialects of Danish, spoken on the peninsula of Jutland Limfjorden - The Limfjord is a shallow fjord in Denmark that separates the island of Vendsyssel-Thy from the rest of the Jutland Peninsula

20:00 pm Today might feel almost like Christmas for alcoholics. After this morning’s libation, you can try and get wasted one more time in the evening. The ‘magic place’ is situated on Jomfru Anne Gade, known by some people as ‘the street’. It’s not a regular street however - ‘Whatever happens on Jomfru, stays on Jomfru!’ The parallel street is much calmer, you can go to Viva La Revolution*, where many hipsters will find their promised land, but all things fair, they do have one of the best club music to dance, twist, shake and even somersault to. I choose to stay in Rock Cafeen* because, well, no one would ever try to copulate with you while dancing. By the end, we will probably finish in Robin* singing ‘I’m a Barbie girl’ anyway. Yeah, that’s how you know it’s time to go home. 05:00 am And soon before starting sleepwalking, I put my last surviving brain cell to good use and realize that this day was actually not that boring! A church bell ringing rudely interrupts this promiscuous thought. Wait, where I am again? John F. Kennedy Square?

Ratemash

Zuckerberg and his pretty faced Harvarders in real life. TEXT: Frida Hoffmann ILLUSTRATION: Agnieszka ﾅ「kasiewicz

“I am the 10th hottest girl in the University of Cambridge! Oh, no wait, I am already the 7th!” That was my best friend who is studying history in the lovely town of Cambridge and who is, as a matter of fact, one of the prettiest creatures I have ever met. Honestly, I was not satisfied with this 7th place, but it was still cool, and I was still proud of her. She defended the pride of Hungarian Girls Abroad. That’s how it all started. It happened in October and now she is a model at a very famous agency in the United Kingdom and is travelling around the world to show up on catwalks from Hong Kong to New York.

45 Now, come on, I’m just joking. She is just studying hard and writing essays every weekend about the industrial revolution in France, but she is still the hottest in the library and everybody is very aware of this fact. Ratemash is a big game, which can make you famous for no more than one semester, or as long as the freshmen are arriving to campus. But what is Ratemash exactly and why it may be offensive for someone? “An invite-only community where you rate people and if there is a match, we’ll introduce you and let you chat. We tell you where the hottest parties are going on and the coolest places to hangout.” This is only the official description on their homepage. But in fact the website takes your profile information without your permission and uses your personal pictures and further shows them for rating purposes to other students. They can decide then if you are ‘hot’ or ‘not’. That’s basically how the system works. If you are curious enough or just want to give your vote to your best friend, as I did, it is ridiculously easy to access the web page at ratemash.com. If you open the URL mentioned above, a minimal designed page appears with a little information placed carefully. Almost all English universities can be found, listing all the hottest undergraduate students, and classified in “leaderboards”. Both girls and boys. Easy and fun… Michael Healy, the founder of Ratemash, has a more sophisticated and detailed point of view about the idea. My explanation was maybe a bit too harsh. He mentioned in an interview that the system just wants to help you to find the coolest party places in your area, and helps lonely students find each other stressing, however, that it’s not a dating site at all. They keep connection and work closely with bars, pubs and even modeling companies. Healy’s opinion is that Facebook is too community oriented, it means that there are people which you have never met before, because you don’t even know they exist. Ratemash is different. Ratemash doesn’t give a damn about your social level or skills; it just takes your ‘face’ and lets others decide how attractive you actually are. Tons of pretty girls may be sitting in their dorm rooms and studying hard and not living up to their social life at all. In the last few years, the representatives of these universities figured out what’s going on in web 2.0 world. They were absolutely indignant and ashamed. They warned the students to check their privacy settings on Facebook, or write complaint emails to the Ratemash official address. The NUS (National United of Students) called the phenomenon “unacceptable”, “stalker’s dream” and “a gross invasion of privacy”. They could be right, and the statement is fairly legitimate. But, there is a huge BUT, they forget about the existence of Facebook. The whole concept started having social media as a starting point, and from now on, almost everyone on the world wide web uses the site. And don’t tell me that you are not rating your “future friends” in your mind, while deciding to confirm or give someone the cold shoulder. This is pure psychology and you can’t control your instincts. No matter your personal beliefs on Ratemash, this site is and will forever be known as a first-class rating device and a mash of the current nightlife. The author (that’s me, nice to meet you) finds it to be a harmless fun, and she just imagined how it would be between AU Herning boys and TEKO girls. Can you imagine those messy designers and nerdy engineers battling up? Because I can, and this is what I call student’s multi culti paradise!

Hygge- og arbejdscafé / Cosy workingcafé Hotelkontor evt. på timebasis / Hoteloffice Lej et mødelokale i anderledes omgivelser / Rent of different Meetingroom Drik en kop kaffe, te m.v. / Coffee, tea ect. Køb en lækker arbejdsmenu / Workingmenu Lej et værelse, hvor der er ro til arbejde/fordybelse / Rent of workingroom Bliv inspireret af kunst og unika / Art and unika

v/ Pernille Bang Kristensen Mindegade 2, 7400 Herning Tlf. 60 40 78 88 Mail: pbk@cafetik-refugiet.dk www.cafetik-refugiet.dk

Køb specialiteter – gaveideer / Sale of specialities and gifts Bliv inspireret af foredrag / Get inspired by lectures

e This could b r the place fo your ad!

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Upcoming events by SAA* *more to come in May!

FEBRUARY 7th Table Football Tournament at The FridayBar AU-Herning 14th Speed Dating at The FridayBar AU-Herning 26th SAA Movie Night at Network Lounge 28th Bacardi Full Moon Party at TEKO

MARCH 9th Icelandic Cultural Night at Network Lounge 14th P-Day with X Contract & Kjurious at The FridayBar AU-Herning 20th Cook n’ Talk: Danish & German cuisine at AU Herning’s canteen 28-30th Herning Model United Nations at AU Herning

APRIL 2nd TED Marathon at Network Lounge 10th Cook n’ Talk: French & Italian cuisine at AU Herning’s canteen 27th Spanish Cultural Night at Network Lounge