“Uddannelsesby Herning welcomes all students, new and returning alike. We look forward to getting to know you, and to make great events together. Whether you want to organise or just participate, welcome to a study city where your ideas can come true!� Uddannelsesby Herning is an organisation that helps students with their initiatives, events and projects, and aims at making study life in Herning the best possible, with a unique and appealing student environment. Follow them on Facebook to learn about their events, competitions, useful links and the latests news: www.facebook.com/uddannelsesby.herning.
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Uddannelsesby Herning - Birk Centerpark 40 - 7400 Herning Tel: 9626 1111 - Mail: uddannelsesbyherning@erhvervsraadet.dk
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FOCUS Staff & Contributors Founder/Editor in Chief Edvard L. Tramsen Writers Valeria Solonari, Marc Ramos Garzon, Sara Constantinescu, Vaida Pakulyte, Martina Kiehas, Dayana Tsvetkova, Wojciech Żmijski, Tine Sørensen Photographers Tine Sørensen, Sara Constantinescu, Marc Ramos Garzon Graphic Designers Alina Vlaicu, Dayana Tsvetkova, Tine Sørensen, Marc Ramos Garzon Cover and Illustrations Alexei Patrascu Sponsors for this issue Uddannelsesby Herning, Magpie Lane, Jydepotten, Herning City Forening, Bakkehuset & Musikskolen Ikast Contact General enquiries: edvard@startitherning.dk
Advertise with us Contact us: edvard@startitherning.dk Want to get involved? FOCUS is always on the lookout for new contributors, writers, photographers, illustrators and designers. Copyright is reserved.Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited. FOCUS student magazine uses all the materials with permission from the owners. 2013 - FOCUS STUDENT MAGAZINE
FOCUS MAGAZINE
4 : CREW
THE CREW
Edvard Tramsen
Vaida Pakulyte
Valeria Solonari
Alexei Patrascu
Alina Vlaicu
Sara Constantinescu
Martina Kiehas
Marc Ramos Garzon
Tine Sørensen
Wojciech Ĺťmijski
Dayana Tsvetkova
FOCUS student magazine is a non-profit student initiative started in January 2013 with the first issue out in March. The project began as an entreprise with willing and volunteering young people from the Herning area, who shared an interest in developing and creating a unique Student Magazine, and furthermore to share interesting written content with the students of AU Herning and TEKO. Through local companies and organisations, we were able to fund printing costs and make the magazine available for free for students.
FOCUS MAGAZINE
TABLE OF CONTENTS : 5
TABLE OF CONTENTS 10 12 17 19 22 24 28 36 40 42 48 51 56 62 65 68 72 76 78
HEART - Herning’s Museum of Contemporary Art I am a graduate. What is next? Sports in Herning and Ikast - Brande Exchange life in Herning Eventsjæle One baggage life Alexei Patrascu Memories of an intern in Seville SOSU School Alex Da Silva: perks of graduate life Living in Birk Centerpark Stereotypes around Campus Student Activity Association - Fall 2013 Kontrast One man’s trash is another man’s treasure SKUB Herning - Ski Club Career Corner: the Road to Success The World at your Feet Ausra’s Photography FOCUS MAGAZINE
6 : EDITORIAL
EDITORIAL
EDVARD LUCIUS TRAMSEN Editor-in-Chief FOCUS Student Magazine
Welcome reader, to the fifth issue of FOCUS Student Magazine! This is a very special publication as it will not only reach our usual followers in Herning, but stretches even further out around Denmark in thousands of copies. Through a collaboration with Uddannelsesby Herning, we have created this unique magazine to promote not only our educational institutes and study life but more important to spread our vision of sharing an inspiring unique student magazine. This volunteer project was initiated by students of AU Herning and VIAUC TEKO, funded by local companies and supported by Uddannelsesby Herning in January 2013. We set out with the simple goal of creating our own independent magazine, aimed at informing and invigorating students while highlighting and promoting the endeavors undertaken in the local community. This initiative quickly grew within a few months in both size of participants and followers. Our readers came to expect a high quality magazine, which combined valued skills of AU Herning and TEKO: innovation, communication, sophistication, design and last but not least our specialties in different areas. The benefits and possibilities of an international team working together are massive and I hope that our magazine will be useful in some way in shaping or motivating the lives of this generation. FOCUS MAGAZINE
Each member of FOCUS origins from a different cultural, personal and national background and as such our content will be quite unparalleled. Entrepreneurship is a theme broadly encouraged both among the students and the educational courses, and it is also where FOCUS draws its energy from. Therefore a lot of our articles will be covering projects that in one way or another can be said to be triggered from independent thinking in this fast-paced, small, yet global community. In this issue you will find a varied collection of articles from the team of FOCUS. Get up close and personal in interviews with some of our very own and amazingly talented students. Discover new areas of interest with a wide selection of articles covering different local projects and ideas. Be inspired and informed with advice from our experienced writers, who have studied, worked and tried firsthand many of the challenges, that you are likely to face in your life as well. Lastly you can explore some
very unique stories in our creative pieces about study life, students and of traveling in our world. A few previous articles, which we rated highly have been revamped as well and incorporated. In future issues of FOCUS, collaborating with the many local student organizations, we hope to again and continuously keep you connected with an up-to-date and comprehensive event calendar of Herning area. Finally we hope that our readers will carry on in supporting and stimulating our work. As summation and on behalf of FOCUS Student Magazine, I bid you welcome to our small journalistic world. We hope that you enjoy this issue of FOCUS and your life as a student alongside us in Herning or on whichever path you choose. All the best, Edvard
8 : EDITORIAL : SAMMEN ER VI BEDST
SAMMEN ER VI BEDST WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER Følgende er fælles borgmester-ord til FOCUS Studieblad til kommende studerende. Lars Krarup fra Herning kommune og Carsten Kismeyer fra Ikast-Brande kommune. These are the shared words from the mayors to FOCUS Student Magazine for coming students. Lars Krarup from the Herning municipality and Carsten Kismeyer from the IkastBrande munucipality.
TOGETHER FOCUS MAGAZINE
SAMMEN ER VI BEDST Vi synes selv, vi har rigtig meget at byde på her i hjertet af Jylland. Også når det gælder om at være et spændende uddannelses-område med masser af muligheder for at skabe et godt fundament for arbejdsliv og karriere. Noget af det, der er særligt for os, er at vi er gode til at skabe løsninger i fællesskab. Derfor har vi i de to kommuner Herning og Ikast-Brande etableret netværket Uddannelsesby Herning sammen med erhvervslivet og uddannelsesinstitutionerne i området, så vi i fællesskab kan blive endnu bedre til at tiltrække nysgerrige og videbegærlige unge, som får lyst til at komme, bidrage til egnens liv og meget gerne også slå sig ned for en længere periode, så vores erhvervsliv også i fremtiden er sikret kvalificeret arbejdskraft.
pågældende virksomhed efter studierne. Vi vil også gerne have, at I har det godt, mens I studerer. Derfor arbejder vi i Uddannelsesby Herning også løbende på at forbedre studiemiljøet ved at have fokus på for eksempel gode boligmuligheder, særlige studietilbud og ikke mindst forskellige arrangementer på tværs af uddannelsesinstitutionerne, hvor I får mulighed for at have det sjovt og skabe netværk. Velkommen som studerende i Herning og Ikast-Brande kommuner. Vi håber, I finder jer til rette med jeres studier …. og at I bliver glade for at være her!
Vores uddannelsesinstitutioner har tradition for at have et tæt samarbejde med erhvervslivet, og derfor har I som studerende her i området nogle unikke muligheder for at komme til at omsætte teori til praksis. Ud over at det giver en ekstra dimension til jeres studier, er det bestemt også et samarbejde, vi værdsætter. For vi oplever heldigvis, at flere af de studerende, som for eksempel er i praktik i en virksomhed i deres studietid, ender med at slå sig ned her, fordi de får fast arbejde i den
Carsten Kismeyer, borgmester i Ikast-Brande
WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER We ourselves believe, that we have a lot to offer here in the heart of Jylland (Western part of Denmark). Also when it comes to being an interesting educational area with plenty of possibilities to create a strong foundation for working life and career. One thing, that is particularly unique to us, is that we are good at creating solutions in unity. Therefore, the municipalities of Herning and Ikast-Brande has established the network Uddannelsesby Herning (Educational City Herning) together with the local business and the learning institutes in the area. Together, we can be even better, at attracting curious and knowledge hungry youth, who is inspired to join, supply their own lives and preferably even move in for a longer period. This way our local business are secured competent workforce even in the future. Our leaning institutes have a tradition for a close cooperation with the local business – because of this you as students in the area have unique opportunities to experience transitioning theory to practicality. Luckily we do experience that many of the students, who for example have had an internship in a local company during their studies, end up living here, because they are offered permanent, steady work in this company after graduation. We also want that you enjoy yourselves while studying here. That is why we are working steadily with Uddannelsesby Herning to improve the study environment by focusing on, for example, good living conditions, special student offers and even various events across the educational institutes, where you will have the opportunity to have fun and network. Welcome as a student in Herning and Ikast-Brande. We hope that you will fit in nicely with your studies‌ and will enjoy being here!
Lars Krarup, borgmester i Herning
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HEART Herning's Museum of Contemporary Art
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or more than four years camera-toting tourists gazing at the both beautiful and clean surroundings of Herning or students running on bicycles around the city’s university campus, have been snapping pictures of a one-level, gleaming-white and nameless building. Years later after its release, here I stand in front of this relatively new museum and my stomach thrusts out like the one of a little girl’s, knowing that this is merely the understated representation of what the artistic future will hold. The HEART Museum of Contemporary Art, the city’s gloriously modern 21st century custom gallery, covers a good 60.000 square feet with a serene landscape that had languished in a state of solitude until several years ago. At the plea of the Danish and foreign curators, the American architect Steven Holl roused himself to recover the image of the site. He managed not only to offer a certain consistency to Birk Centerpark, but also to consecrate it as a mark of the conceptual map that describes the contemporary Danish artistic domain. Herning’s prominent relationship with textiles and art formed the inspiration for the design concept, as a fabric theme has been carried throughout the project; from the shape of the building resembling a collection of shirtsleeves viewed from above, through its wall finishes, which again yield a fabric texture to its exterior. FOCUS MAGAZINE
TEXT VALERIA SOLONARI IMAGES MARC RAMOS GARZON
Since 2009, it stands as the only institution in Herning devoted to art, and it is intended to be an innovative forum combining visual art and music, ranging from masterpieces of abstract expressionism and pop art, to recent works by young and emerging artists. Both permanent and temporary exhibition galleries also hold place for a 150-seat auditorium, music rehearsal rooms, a restaurant, a media library and an active landscape, all intended, truth be told, to offer as much entertainment as possible to the tourist-hungry Herning. Making excellent use of the wide open spaces of Birk Centerpark, this vast gallery displays the work of the world’s finest artists, while also holding an important position in the area of promotional activities of contemporary Danish art. Being oriented towards the public and envisaging a highly free and innovative selection of works, it fulfills the need of being both a vital arbiter of new art, architecture and design, presenting groundbreaking exhibitions dating early 1930’s till today. The HEART Museum showcases the most ambitious and challenging art of our time by emerging mid-career artists, such as Paul Gadegaard, Bjorn Norgaard, Joseph Beuys, Mario Merz, Knud Hvidberg, John Korner, Piero Manzoni and Troels Worsel among others.
HEART MUSEUM : LEISURE : 11 HEART is a perfect snapshot of a certain stratosphere of both ‘au debut and fin-de-siecle’ art world, with hits that either defined eras or promise to do so. Among them we have powerful artistic abstractions by the late mad genius ‘Pope of Pop’ from the United States, Andy Warhol; Piero Manzoni’s quirky straw sculpture; childish and colorful themes of imprisonment by Korner, to the impressive works of art by Sven Dalsgaard and Joseph Beuys. Already uniquely positioned with a program focused on contemporary art from all over the world, Herning, a dynamic and rapidly transforming territory, is now presenting the contemporary art with such novelty and dynamism that is not regularly exhibited or represented within the mainstream of either European art fairs and international exhibiting institutions. Herning strives to be different. The city has, now for many years, looked outwards, in unexpected directions, and invited the best of the world’s art and artists to be involved in the city’s cultural life. Therefore, HEART promises nothing less than the exquisite with this year’s special showcases: ‘John Korner – Caught’ and ‘Super 100 – 100 Super Works from the Collection’. These top-quality exhibitions are a vital source for art lovers, allowing them to both discover new developments in contemporary art and experience rare museum-caliber artworks. Having already covered the grounds on where to marvel at these works of art, now the issue remains on how to better understand contemporary art and come to appreciate their dexterity. It is a frequently heard and
repeated comment, and sometimes complaint, that contemporary art is created by artists who don’t actually know how to paint; that they somehow manage to get away with simple abstractions and explanations without offering the full-spectrum of design and art. The idea behind this type of artistic manifestation comes from the simple theory of creating blindly and thoughtlessly. There is no doubt that technique is very important, but without thought, an artwork will have no idea or soul, which means in turn that it would not touch modern viewers in a meaningful or lasting way. An authentic piece of artwork has many levels of perception and association. If different viewers have different reactions to the artwork, it just underlines the artistic quality of it. Abstract art requires you to have an open, inquiring mind; you must enter the painting and see where it takes you. Understanding abstract art does not come naturally for everyone. It is the kind of art that makes some people scratch their heads and say: ‘My 5-year old brother could do that.’ What people do not realize is that the best abstract artists have excellent drawing skills, a finely honed sense of composition and a deep understanding of the workings of color. Most abstract artists have the ability to draw a perfectly rendered rose or a realistic portrait, but they choose not to. Instead they choose to express their creativity by creating a visual experience that is more free and unencumbered by the weight of objects. Abstract art gives you the freedom to explore the art and assign your own meaning to the piece, thereby enriching a viewer’s experience on that particular work of art. The principal goal of most contemporary artists is to push the public to think! Conclusively, even though you may not be the most eligible art lover and appreciator, Steven’s renovation of HEART is itself worth a trip to the city: cool, light and with a touch of modern elegance, with lofty rooms giving postcard views. HEART’s naked ensemble, unbowed by the crystal splendor around it, holds center stage outdoors declaring its presence, like it or not. Inclined towards an era of cynicism, with a premium on conceptual art and refinement, HEART serves up another kind of very local cocktail – a chilly mix of minimalism and irony. Enjoy!
FOCUS MAGAZINE
12 : CAREER : GRADUATION
I AM A GRADUATE. WHAT IS NEXT? Graduating from a university is a big milestone in anyone’s life. Certification is in hand. Exams are over. Most of us think it is a ticket to a better life or a new beginning – a new student life, job or different experiences. The opportunities that lie ahead are countless and everyone picks their own path, so there is no universal formula of what should be done. FOCUS student magazine decided to interview two AU Herning students to discover what will they do next. ICM graduate Sigita decided to go straight to the job market and get more practical experience and HAIM graduate Skirmantas is ready to continue his studies at AU Herning.
SIGITA PLYSKAITYTE
Graduate, International Communication & Multimedia Next Stop - London You have just graduated from AU Herning. How does it feel? I guess nobody will be surprised if I say that it feels surreal. The last week of exams were crazy. My thesis defence in Visual Design and Print Production was on Tuesday, the graduation on Friday and I left the country a few days later. So, I am still trying to realize what happened. Some weeks you just chill on the couch, sleep and eat junk food, and some weeks you turn your life around in every possible way. FOCUS MAGAZINE
What are your plans now and why did you choose this direction? In the middle of July I am going to start working in a leading e-commerce company based in UK. After I did my internship it was pretty easy to decide what to do next. I know I love what I do, I am good at this and also I enjoyed England and London very much. Since I had no ties to Lithuania or Denmark, I decided to try and take over the black tea and muffin country. Can you recall any funny things or memorable stories about your time as a grad student at AU Herning? No particular story comes to my mind; except maybe my latest awkward incident, when after my bachelor oral exam presentation I asked for a glass of wine, instead of water. It just slipped out probably from nervousness or habit. What is the biggest difference for you now that you are out of the university and into the real world? Definitely less time – I work office hours from 9 to 17.30. Since I am not a morning person, free time is mainly evenings and weekends. So I always trying to plan ahead and get best out of it.
GRADUATION : CAREER : 13
Do you think that nowadays a Master’s degree is a necessity or a matter of formality? Depends on the education. I can only talk from my perspective - ICM graduate, Media orientation - for us it is possible to graduate and find a job without master’s degree, because factors like experience and portfolio are often more important. Do you plan on studying again? I do for sure. I even have PhD in my plans! However before that I will take a Master’s, but right now I am giving myself some time to really think about it and choose the right study program. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? It is very hard to talk about future, particularly with everything that happened during the past years. But I am sure whatever I will be doing I will be happy. Therefore I am open to see what life brings me.
“Some weeks you turn your life around in every possible way“
What recommendations would you give to AU Herning to improve graduate education? In general, I am happy with our education. However, I was missing some more integration with real life companies and real cases. If that is successfully fulfilled, students would be more ready to go and work in real companies afterwards.
FOCUS MAGAZINE
14 : CAREER : GRADUATION
“Be open to new things. Your degree is just the start of the rest of your life “
SKIRMANTAS LETUKAS
Graduate, International Management Next stop - Herning You have just graduated from AU Herning. How does it feel? This semester was hectic as any other. We worked on the thesis a lot and time passed so fast, that when I look back now, it seems somebody has pressed the STOP button. Other than that it feels great, as now I have time to breathe in before carrying on with my career. What is your next plan and why did you choose this direction? Well my plan is rather straight forward and highly impacted by the circumstances. I am planning to continue studies in AU-Herning in Master program, namely Marketing and Business Innovation. Moreover, I will carry on with my job as student assistant job. Sounds pretty feasible to me. Frankly, I thought over different options and this seemed to be the most optimal. Where do you hope your degree will lead you? Well my expectations are always high so I would prefer to keep it for myself. Can you recall any funny things or memorable stories about your time as a grad student at AU Herning? In general, I enjoyed my time in AU Herning a lot, both professionally FOCUS MAGAZINE
GRADUATION : CAREER : 15
and personally. But, if I have to point out one significant event I would name the day in the second semester. It was the day when I got the highest grade for the third time in a row and I found out my precious girlfriend got admitted to AU Herning. That was great and everything happened in one day. I just love the feeling when hard efforts pay out.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? Too long to foresee; weather forecasts sometimes fail to guess what will the weather be tomorrow, so it is a rather difficult task for me. Everything is so dynamic that I would not dare to imagine that far. However, I know that I will be utilizing my opportunities.
What is the biggest difference for you now that you are out of the university and into the real world? I guess I am so much attached to the university that my real world will stay the same, as I will continue with a Mater’s degree. I have developed my personality, strengthened a number of s competences such as English, my knowledge within particular subjects, understanding of businesses and so forth. To conclude, I have become more competitive in the market.
What recommendations would you give to AU Herning to improve graduate education? Hmm, there is always place for improvement. I am thankful for the rewarding experience that was provided by AU Herning.
Do you think that nowadays a Master’s degree is a necessity or a matter of formality? I would say that it does not matter what you study, though it is always creditable that you seek for knowledge and that you show that you are eager to learn. What makes you competitive is your willingness and capability of creating something useful or relevant. I am talking about the quality work and performance. A diploma will be something “nice to have” but the essence is beyond that, your quality.
Graduating is advancing from one stage to another not only from an educational perspective. Years after finishing school, university students will look back and see how they built both their educational and personal skills. TEXT VAIDA PAKULYTE IMAGES SARA CONSTANTINESCU
MICHAEL EVAN GOODSITE
Head of Department, AU Herning On Graduation ”When I graduated from University, I was excited to get out into the “real world” - I swore to myself that I would never set foot onto a University again! But, I was wrong! Success in life and experiencing something new many times go hand in hand together. As I studied more, I found the University as the place where I wanted to make my career. So my advice for new graduates is simple: be open to new things. Your degree is just the start of the rest of your life. No one says that it has to define you. Just let it help you open the first door to the rest of your career. I am proud of you all and wish all the best in the future!”
FOCUS MAGAZINE
FODBOLD, FÆLLESSKAB & FADØL PÅ SU
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Tilbuddet gælder til alle FC Midtjyllands hjemmekampe i Superligaen 2013/2014 Tilbuddet gælder kun mod fremvisning af gyldigt studiekort
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STUDIESTART PÅ MCH ARENA Til hjemmekampen mod FCN i weekenden d. 13.9-16.9-2013 inviterer FC Midtjylland traditionen tro ALLE studerende til studiestartsfodbold på MCH Arena - GRATIS! (Billetter kan afhentes i billetboderne på Unibet Tribunen mod fremvisning af gyldigt studiekort)
SÅDAN KØBER DU DIN STUDIEBILLET Studiebilletter kan købes i billetboderne ved Unibet Tribunen på MCH Arena Studiebilletterne sælges kun i løssalg Der er IKKE mulighed for at forudbestille billetterne Der tages forbehold for udsolgt
www.fcm.dk
SPORTS IN HERNING AND IKAST-BRANDE : LEISURE : 17
SPORTS IN HERNING AND IKAST-BRANDE: WHAT CAN YOU WATCH? Herning is not only work and study, there are plenty of free time activities you can choose from, specially when talking about sports. Our municipal authorities definitely know how to attract people with sport possibilities. However there are not only the possibilities to watch sport events, you can also join one of the clubs and move from a sitting place into the middle of the field. A great deal of sports are covered,
some widely popular, some less, like football, basketball, rugby, american football, lacrosse, handball, boxing, hockey, golf, cycling, horse riding and more. Indeed all kinds of sports at every level: from amateur to professional. The best thing is that there is always a place for new people. No need to be shy or scared, you are always welcome to start playing or running or shooting in any sport club.
Let me take you for a small tour around the stadiums and sport arenas in Herning and Ikast. Places where you can meet players from all over the world, already known in Europe, but also young future superstars, taking the first steps in professional sport. Very important to mention is that all clubs in Herning and Ikast are trying to attract students with discounts, free drinks at the stadiums and other perks.
FCM FOOTBALL MCH ARENA Kaj Zartows Vej, 7400 Herning www.fcm.dk FCM – Football Football, the most popular sports discipline in Europe, obviously has a presence in Herning at the highest Danish level. FC Midtjylland, the football team with the best academy in Denmark, that focuses not only on sport, but also school and social life. If you study in one of the schools in Ikast, most likely one of your classmates is a European football star. FC Midtjylland is a professional Danish football team from Herning
and Ikast. The team was the result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad. FC Midtjylland competes in the Danish Superleague and plays in a small, modern stadium called MCH Arena with a capacity of 11.800. Some well-known players in Europe, like Winston Reid, Victor Fisher, Simon Kjær and Sune Kiilerich made their first steps here in Ikast and Herning. The club is a “whole region club”, because they cooperate with more than 150 teams from the region.
FOCUS MAGAZINE
18 : LEISURE : SPORTS IN HERNING AND IKAST-BRANDE
FCM HANDBALL IKAST BRANDE ARENA Stadion Alle 2b, 7430 Ikast www.fcm.dk FCM – HANDBALL One of the best European handball clubs is right here in Ikast, do not hesitate to visit the Ikast-Brande arena. FCM Handball is the pride of the whole region, Danish champions in season 2012/2013, playing regularly in the European Champions League. They have players from all over the world and are known to most
handball fans. Often playing in Ikast, where we have 2550 seats and 300 standing places. Ikast-Arena is the best place to go if you want to see Olympic Champions, World Champions and European Champions in one place. Something of a phenomena, is that in a small city like Ikast you can meet those players, but not only at the stadium but also during your casual
Monday shopping, shopping for groceries just like you. In my opinion FCM Handball match is a must-see activity in the region, even if you are not a big fan of handball. The best thing about handball is that it is pure action all the time, no time for breaks. If you need some time to rest from the books and see some action, check out handball in Ikast.
HERNING BLUE FOX KVICK ARENA HERNING Holling Knudsen 1, 7400 Herning www.bluefox.dk HERNING BLUE FOX If you like cold and pure fight on the ice, KVICK Arena is a place where you should definitely have a look. The Blue Fox is a Danish professional ice hockey team playing in the top Danish ice hockey league. The team has won the Danish championship 16 times with the latest title coming in 2012.
OTHER SPORTS
FOCUS MAGAZINE
We cannot compare them to NHL teams, but our city team is one of the best in Denmark and you can be sure that each season they are playing for the championship. Some players are part of the National Team.
The important thing for us students is that the club offers us discounts when you want to buy tickets for a game. All you need to do is bring your study card.
OTHER SPORTS Studying in our region also gives you the chance to watch pretty big sport events over the year, like the Swimming European Championship (December 2013), Volleyball European Championship (September 2013) and Handball European Championship (January 2013).
The place with the most events, not just sports but also concerts and such, is Jyske Bank’s “Boxen”, right next to the MCH Arena. Check out the site at www.mch.dk. TEXT WOJCIECH ZMIJSKI IMAGES NIELS HUSTED, EDVARD L. TRAMSEN
EXCHANGE STUDENTS IN HERNING : CAREER : 19
EXCHANGE LIFE IN HERNING Few can argue that an exchange semester abroad is one of the greatest periods in the student life. Being an exchange student in Herning is not an exception. Lets meet and get to know a couple of them! Danny from the Netherlands and Stephanie from Canada are two Erasmus students who decided to spend a some study time abroad in Herning, where they discovered
other cultures, a different study environment and new places. Both Stephanie and Danny stayed in Herning until last June, and FOCUS student magazine asked them about their experiences.
FOCUS MAGAZINE
20 : CAREER : EXCHANGE STUDENTS IN HERNING
DANNY GROOTHUIS THE NETHERLANDS, 23
Someone who inspires me. Since music is an important part of my life, I choose DJ Derric May, one of the creators of techno, the music genre I am really dedicated to. What is more surprising is that he turned 50 and he stills plays in clubs all over the world. His energy and passion are truly inspiring and drives me to keep on doing what I love the most; play my music, LOUD. The quote that describes me –”Carpe Diem”– is the best motto for me at this point of my life because I really want to enjoy every day of this exchange semester. My next destination. Backpack trip in USA – which could become part of my internship in IKEA, once I am back to Holland. What is your opinion about student life in Herning? Life here has two sides: 1. study life and 2. Erasmus life. I enjoy both for sure. The fact that the classes I attend are much more practical and motivating to participate in, is what keeps me constantly engaged. Plus, I am surrounded my fellow exchange students with whom everyday is different and memorable. Are there any differences between education systems in Denmark and Netherlands? I noticed more than a few. The great side of the education system here is that it is much more practical and personal. - I like that teachers know my name, everything is open for discussion and it’s not just A or B, I am learning to be more critical in my thinking. In Holland, for example, you might end up sitting in an auditorium with 700 people and have no chance to ask a question that concerns you. What was the best moment you have had here? My birthday party on 5th of April. It had everything I could wish for and when the clock turned 12 I realized how many great people I met here. FOCUS MAGAZINE
How is your every day life different here in Denmark? My life is much more busy cause I am actively involved in the campus life – the university is just few steps away, I volunteer as a DJ at local parties, play football in the Birk League, travel and explore Denmark. One thing you are bringing back home from Denmark? The memories is the most important, nothing compares to that. Other than that, I will fill my luggage with knowledge I gained, my improved
English skills, the basics of Danish and a piece of LEGO – something that represents Denmark. How has the exchange semester benefitted you so far? It has opened my eyes in terms of cultural understanding – I find it really important to communicate successfully and a multicultural environment is the best place for practicing that. Plus, I made a lot of awesome friends and we are already planning a reunion all over Europe!
EXCHANGE STUDENTS IN HERNING : CAREER : 21 last thing concerning evaluations, then it is new for me to have only one exam on which your whole semester will depend at the end. What is the best moment you have had here? It’s hard to choose one moment. Maybe one of the first nights I spent with exchange people, I mean when I realized the experience was really starting or perhaps a weekend I spent with 9 other friends in Copenhagen. It was just me-mo-rable!! We really enjoyed the moment. How is your every day life different here in Denmark? I do not have a part time job, I am not living with my parents anymore, I have the opportunity to travel a lot during the semester, and cannot complain about it. Besides that, I have also learn that opening myself fully to a new cultures and embracing a new way of living can also mean: feeling lost while doing simple things, like groceries! One thing you are bringing back home from Denmark? might not bring food, because my taste is just different. But a ton of good memories and pictures! Maybe it sounds cheesy, but I really enjoy the time here and want to remember everything.
STEPHANNIE MATTE CANADA, 22
Someone who inspires me. Guy Laliberté, the co-founder and current CEO of Cirque du Soleil. My next destination. I will have a short trip back to Canada and then I am planning to move to Copenhagen – a bit bigger city life is waiting for me. What is your opinion about student life in Herning? The fact that Herning is a pretty small city that really enhances the student life atmosphere. It also helps that there is an abundance of academic and social activities offered
contributes to a rewarding student environment. Meeting people coming from all around the world made me broaden horizons, which I found very interesting. Are there any differences between education systems in Denmark and Canada? The biggest difference in academic terms would be the language. I used to study in French at my hometown university. If we really stick to the education system itself, I would say that I feel it is more theoretical here. However in both places I do feel that teachers are interested in student’s opinions. Discussions represent a major part of most of my classes, which is nice and challenging. One
How has the exchange semester benefitted you so far? It has been a great experience in terms of life and learning. I have improved my English and I adapted myself to anew way of studying, but especially, I’ve met great people and opened myself to plenty of new things. I am even planning to move in Copenhagen next year! That is a big step that I am looking forward to. TEXT VAIDA PAKULYTE IMAGES SARA CONSTANTINESCU
FOCUS MAGAZINE
22 : CAREER : EVENTSJÆLE
EVENTSJÆLE EVENT SOULS Most people have some kind of passion: be it tennis, singing, pottery or whatever you can think of. For around 10 students in Herning, who belong to a group called Eventsjæle, this passion is devoted to events in our fast developing city. I asked Bente Nybo, one of these ambitious young people, to answer some questions about this group she is a member of. Top reasons for becoming a part of Eventsjæle Eventsjæle was started in 2013 and its aim is to give students in the area the opportunity to gain some valuable experience. The tasks the members have to develop have to deal with fundraising, marketing and project management.Members of Eventsjæle also have a larger network than many other graduates. This means that they might be a step ahead of others who are also looking for a job. Another main objective is to make Herning a more lively, attractive city by organizing fun events. Eventsjæle welcomes any young men and women with initiative and energy who would like to join. When I asked Bente why she wanted to become a member of this group, she mentioned not only the value for her CV, but also that she meets really interesting people that she would not have met otherwise. She gets access FOCUS MAGAZINE
to relevant lectures and, maybe most importantly, that it is fun and she enjoys her time with all the other people. Eventsjæle is valued in Herning and therefore supported by MCH, Uddannelsesby Herning and Cityforeningen - let’s see an example of the great work the students do. The revitalized cinema Already in the 1930’s Herning had a cinema. However it has been closed for a long time, until Bente and her friends revitalized it this year as part of the “Herning 100” celebration. From meetings with a lady from the local history archive, to layouting posters and tickets, finding sponsors and selling popcorn – the Eventsjæle members covered a variety of tasks in this project. Interested? Eventsjæle is interested in new, committed members. So if you too have a passion for events, you should definitely get in touch: www.facebook.com/Eventsjaele As a member, you can bring in your own ideas and knowledge and the more members there are, the more events can be arranged. TEXT MARTINA KIEHAS IMAGES BENTE NYBO, DEVIANT ~COLAJA
FIND EVENTSJÆLE ON FACEBOOK Get in touch with eventsjæle www.facebook.com/Eventsjaele and let them know you are interested in joining!
ÅBNINGSTIDER MAN-TORS FREDAG LØRDAG
10.00-17.30 10.00-18.00 10.00-15.00
Klar, parat, shoooooppingstart! BRUG DET I ALLE BUTIKKER - FLERE GANGE, LIGE TIL DET ER TØMT. Forkæl din bedste ven, kæreste, mor eller far med et Herning City gavekort, og vær sikker på at gi’ en fantastisk gave, som falder i alles smag. Et gavekort til Herning City giver nemlig adgang til mere end 150 butikker at boltre sig i. Vi pakker den selvfølgelig fint ind i et omslag og en flot gaveæske. Shop amok i Herning City!
Stilfuld og enkel gaveidé til alle shopping elskere!
Køb dit gavekort her
/ Føtex, Bredgade 43 / Visit Herning, Bredgade 21 / Mediehuset, Bredgade 21 / www.herningcity.dk
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24 : LIFE : ONE BAGGAGE
O
ne Baggage Life
‘Own only what you can carry with you; know language, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.’ –
Alexander Solzhenitsyn
TEXT VALERIA SOLONARI IMAGES ALEXEI PATRASCU
A
s usual, summer flies by in the blink of an eye, and everyone around me is getting back into the groove of working and interning – except me, who still has a little more time to prepare for becoming a world traveler and an expert packer. Desperately trying to fit both my shoe collection and dreams and hopes into one baggage. Two weeks from today, as I will leave for London to intern at one of England’s most coveted fashion magazines, I will embark on a series of ‘firsts’. First time living abroad alone. First time living in an apartment alone. First time fitting my whole life into a suitcase, which is already pretty difficult for someone who never even attempted feng shui-ing her life before. I will approach a minimalist life however, trying to embrace the student life for as much as I can, while having the time of my life on a side note. FOCUS MAGAZINE
For every aspiring minimalist, the Holy Grail is living within one suitcase. It’s a lifestyle that comes from being able to reduce everything you have to only what you need and reaping all the rewards of not being weighed down by junky, excessive baggage. First, it should be mentioned that this way of living isn’t for everyone, just in case people start to think I’m advocating to everyone and their mothers start throwing stuffed backpacks on their shoulders and hitting the road. Nor am I saying it’s a permanent way to live – although I know it is possible to live long-term this way. I realize there’s something about the words ‘living out of a suitcase’ that scares people. It has bad connotations, as if one has no stability or adequate income or that someone is just unable to settle. For me however, these words have come to mean something completely different. They have come to mean freedom, fun, exploration and discovery!
‘One baggage’ doesn’t necessarily mean a concrete measurement like 1x 30 inch suitcase or a carry on. Essentially, it means reducing your stuff down to a level that’s right for you, which all depends on what moment of your life are you in, how much you can handle, where you want to go and what you need for your interests or studies and so on – as long as you get everything down to only. what. you. need. It’s also not necessarily about fishing rolled up shirts from a zip-up suitcase or hotel-skipping, although it can be about that as well. Imagine for a moment that you got to start over. A clean slate. For some reason you got a rare chance for a fresh start, and then somebody gave you one suitcase and you could put everything you needed in it for two, three months, or even longer. How would you pack? What would you choose? What did you realize you really had no need for? So here it goes…
26 : LIFE : ONE BAGGAGE
A.
B. Downsize your wardrobe
Basic de-clutter Clothing is usually the most difficult The first, most important step is to
get rid of everything you don’t need. Things that you’ve kept ‘just in case’, extras, backups, things that don’t work or fit, things you don’t use or have forgotten about or simply don’t like – it’s all got to go. Most people have more things they don’t need than they do, so a sensible approach that might make it easier would be to mentally get rid of everything, then bring back one by one things that are most essential to you. Be strict and firm and ask questions such as how often you actually use it and what reasons you’re really keeping it for.
area to tackle when it comes to downsizing. Trust me! When you have fewer garments, it’s important that most items can be worn in most kinds of weather and occasions. It helps to choose neutral colors (which you can brighten up with one or two accessories) so that you can pretty much mix and match whatever tops and trousers you would like to wear.
D. One in, one out
C. Go digital Whilst eliminating, you might find
that a lot of the things you have can be replaced, so you won’t have to lose them forever. Paperwork, photos, CD’s and books are just a few of the many things you can keep if you can get them in digital format. My less-than-half-an-inch thick kindle has replaced dozens and dozens of my books (and made them instantly searchable!) and my external hard drive replaces boxes of lecture notes, shelves of CD’s and albums of photographs.
Just because you’re down to less stuff,
it doesn’t mean that you have to stop buying altogether. There’s nothing wrong with getting something new if you swap it with something you already own (preferably by donating it away) since you’re not actually gaining in quantity. Think carefully before you buy – how long will it last? How useful will it be? Is it worth looking after it? Lastly, it is important to remember that situations and people change, and that not many people can live a single kind of lifestyle forever, whether it is living out of a suitcase, or living at home with one’s parents, or even leading a country lifestyle. People crave excitement and this lifestyle can give it to you, but do not be surprised if you see yourself looking for a change again – maybe a change of wardrobe or maybe a change of scenery. Hell…You are a student!e Life is everything you want it to be! So don’t let it be overcrowded by material possessions…fill it up with exciting experiences, beautiful memories and brilliant new ideas! FOCUS MAGAZINE
Smallegade 4 · 7400 Herning · Tlf. 9722 5510 · www.fermaten.dk
[ 30.08.13 ] Fermaten All Star [ 31.08.13 ] Magtens Korridorer [ 05.09.13 ] Mother Lewinsky [ 06.09.13 ] Kirstine Stubbe Teglbjærg [ 06.09.13 ] Flødeklinikken [ 14.09.13 ] Tudsegammelt [ 17.09.13 ] Comedy Zoo On Tour: Carsten Bang, Christian Fuhlendorff & Geo [ 20.09.13 ] Shaka Loveless [ 24.09.13 ] Teitur ( FO ) [ 27.09.13 ] Mercenary & Essence [ 04.10.13 ] Ulige Numre [ 05.10.13 ] Folkeklubben [ 08.10.13 ] Comedy Zoo On Tour: Torben Chris & Thomas Hartmann [ 11.10.13 ] NOAH [ 17.10.13 ] Carpark North [ 18.10.13 ] The Eclectic Moniker [ 24.10.13 ] Maceo Parker ( US ) [ 26.10.13 ] Sebastian Lind [ 01.11.13 ] Rasmus Walter [ 02.11.13 ] Fallulah [ 08.11.13 ] Thomas Dybdahl ( NO ) [ 09.11.13 ] Ginger Ninja [ 15.11.13 ] Specktors [ 22.11.13 ] Go Go Berlin [ 29.11.13 ] Pretty Maids [ 30.11.13 ] Linkoban [ 05.12.13 ] Mikkel Nordsø Band [ 06.12.13 ] Panamah [ 07.12.13 ] Dicte & Claus Hempler [ 12.12.13 ] Boho Dancer & Dangers Of The Sea
» Se hele programmet og køb billetter på:
www.fermaten.dk
28
ALEXEI PATRASCU
Alexei is our “in-house� illustrator and a number of articles feature his artwork. Alexei is 25, lives in here in Herning, and has recently started an Branding & Marketing at TEKO. He draws, paints, illustrates and makes music, and is passionate about arts, sports, music and advertising. FOCUS MAGAZINE
How do you describe you artwork? My art work is a clean, detailed, imaginary interpretation of subjects, ideas, concepts that I like or develop myself. In my art work I am in a quest of reflecting my emotions and understandings upon the world in a most unusual yet proper visual way. My work is a mixture of realistic and imaginary vision, made on the base of a concept that I create. I am always trying to add new ideas to my drawings, so the visuals can have an evolution.
What is the inspiration for your ideas and concepts? Usually inspiration comes from the wish of finding a new idea. Then it can be different, it can be an event or a simple discussion with a friend. I just need to grab on to something. Sometimes ideas give birth to other ideas completing each other. If I have a good idea it is a good base for several works which I can flavor with different subjects and themes.
29
What are you favorite techniques? Techniques are fun to play with. When you get tired of one you try doing something new, try out something you did not do before. I work traditionally for my personal art works but often I do illustrations in digital media; I enjoy doing both because I learn and bring knowledge that I get from drawing on computer to drawing on paper or canvas and vice versa... I also enjoy animation, which in my opinion can be seen as a technique of drawing.
Tell us something about your animations and how you started doing them. I started doing animation several years ago; two of my friends needed a video presentation on a given theme, for a project. That is when we had a week of non-stop drawing, so in the end we came out with our first stop-motion animation made out of 500 drawings in water color, on paper. After that I made several more short films and composed the soundtracks for them. Lastly, the
years 2012 and 2013 brought me 2 prizes: Anim’Est International Festival – “Best Romanian Animation” and Festival International des Très Courts – “Prix pour l’animation”. So where do you show you work? When it comes to animation I take part in film and animation festivals, from time to time. As for my drawings and paintings, most can be found on my webpage. I hope to soon start showing some of my work live in an exhibition or an event. FOCUS MAGAZINE
32
What do you work on now? I am working on a series of personal drawings and paintings, based on concepts like human relationships, spiritual appearance and emotions, that are illustrated in different media, but I try to keep a certain visual style for them. Several weeks ago I launched my graphic design and arts studio called VLAPA Studio (www.vlapa.com). It is a creative studio where we make still or moving visuals. We create for artistic, personal and business projects, and can do graphic design, animation, illustration and sound for the videos that we produce. We are a fresh and young team of creative professionals with lots of good ideas and skills. Feel free to check us out. The works in this article. On the left is a piece commissioned by the hard-core band WALK ALONE for the launch of their limited edition EP - Strangle Hold, released in 2013 on audio cassettes. They are really good friends of mine and I did my best to express their extreme music style. On the right, a poster and main theme of a short animation for an entrepreneurship project in Aarhus. What keeps you going in drawing? The passion for art is the main source of inspiration and motivation. It is hard not doing what you like and the more you do not work, the more you miss it. I can never get bored of it even if it is a job. It is a source of fun, so why stop doing it? Tell us something funny about yourself. Do not tell anyone, but I like doing free-style hip-hop in the shower! FOCUS magazine is really happy to have Alexei in our team, we are always stunned by his amazing artwork. Remember to check out the VLAPA studio at www.vlapa.com and his portfolio at www.pyxius.com. TEXT ALINA LILIANA VLAICU IMAGES ALEXEI PATRASCU FOCUS MAGAZINE
ALEXEI PATRASCU : PEOPLE : 33
FOCUS MAGAZINE
ÅBNINGSTIDER MAN-TORS FREDAG LØRDAG
10.00-17.30 10.00-18.00 10.00-15.00
Midtbyen sparker festen i gang! Man ved aldrig, hvad det næste bli’r, men man ved, det bli’r sjovt!
Garanti for en festlig og farverig Night Out!
/ Fermaten / Fox & Hounds / Gadespejlet / Murphy’s / 60’eren / Piano Bar / Baren / Petit Bar
✶ BYENS LEGEPLADS FOR OVERRASKELSER, OPLEVELSER & SHOPPING ✶
ÅBNINGSTIDER MAN-TORS FREDAG LØRDAG
10.00-17.30 10.00-18.00 10.00-15.00
VÆRSGO. Hyggen er serveret! Glæd dig over udvalget af caféer og restauranter i midtbyen!
/ Brasseriet / Bryggeriet / Café Fry / Café Poulsen / China House / Dyrby’s / Kebab House / Gusto Sandwich / Kylling & Co / Café Karma / Napoli / Papa’s Pizza / Noa Café / Mad Donna / Ristorante Ravello / Vores Café & restaurant / Restaurant La Done / Hotel Eyde / Ristorante Marco Polo / San Marco
✶ BYENS LEGEPLADS FOR OVERRASKELSER, OPLEVELSER & SHOPPING ✶
Memories of an intern in
Seville
TEXT & IMAGES SARA CONSTANTINESCU
INTERNSHIP IN SEVILLE : CAREER : 37
U
nlike many students, the arrival of July hasn’t marked the start of the usual, carefree and lazy summer holiday. Instead, for me it meant the scary, exciting and thrilling start of my first internship, which took me from Denmark all the way to Spain, in a magical city called Seville. Seville would become my new home for three months and already after one day spent there, the beginning of my summer adventure couldn’t be more promising!
Despite the almost unbearable heat, Seville welcomes you with a breeze of beauty and mystery from your very first encounter with its exotic parks, with the intimidating Cathedral and Giralda, or with the spellbinding Plaza de Espana, which will literally leave you speechless! On a side note though, if you are looking for a quiet travel destination, then Seville is not for you. Not only are the locals the loudest people I’ve ever seen, but the city is also filled up with curious tourists that you should definitely
The destination Before taking my official role as an intern, in a serious and hectic office, filled up with stressed yet positively energetic “sevillanos”, I had an entire free week to explore the surroundings of the beautiful place that would become my new home for 3 months! You might have already guessed what I am about to tell you, but I will say it anyways: This city is magical! And it’s not only the “touristic areas” that matter, but even the most hidden, silent and narrow streets which all ooze energy and passion!
expect to interfere with your moments of relaxation. Then there’s the hectic (almost dangerous) traffic, which to me was indeed a bit scary at the beginning, as I was coming from Denmark where everyone obeys the traffic rules. Horse carriages strolling around the paved streets day & night, scooters, bikes, motorcycles, cars, runners and strollers, all build up a vivid painting of energy and continuous movement which seems to slow down only around 6 AM, when I discovered I could have my (almost) quiet morning run.
After I surpassed my “tourist” stage, I was fully adopted as a temporary local by this heavenly place, also thanks to my modest Spanish skills, which have slowly improved. The Andalusians are extremely helpful and friendly to foreigners, making sure that their visit to Seville won’t be the last one.
FOCUS MAGAZINE
38
The office So after getting my proper cultural introduction to the Sevillian paradise and after a generous portion of astonishment, I was ready to finally be introduced to the “office” - the place where I was about to spend 3 months as an intern. Let me start by saying that going to work every day at 8 AM is definitely different than going to university. There is no room for delays or for Facebook updates while pretending to do your work on the computer. The “office” has all eyes on you, and as a “small”, inexperienced
FOCUS MAGAZINE
intern, you need to let the others know that you deserve that extra desk in the room. So being serious, punctual, committed and obeying your supervisor are a few key touch points to keep in mind while doing an internship, together with an extra pinch of spontaneity and initiative of course. Although the work I was given at the beginning was mundane and uncreative (fancying Excel much, anyone?), it slowly became more complex and challenging. More and more responsibilities came along the way, and I was also given the chance to develop
my creative. In the end though, the essence of the experience was far beyond the actual tasks I was given. It was about the productive and energizing atmosphere from the office and about the wonderful colleagues who surprised me with an unexpected birthday present, making me feel extremely happy, although far away from home. I honestly feel incredibly blessed for having had the chance to live so many priceless moments while gaining my first work experience! TAKE RISKS!
39 My internship company is called EME Catedral, a 5 star hotel-boutique in Seville which has a really fascinating story and a fashionable appeal. I was immediately drawn by its unconventional luxury and uniqueness therefore I decided it would be very interesting to explore my university department (Branding & Marketing) within the hospitality and tourism industry. After all, fashion will always be a part of my life and I am sure I will end up pursuing a career within this field, but my adventurous self decided to try something new! One thing I learned from my own experience is to always seize any opportunity that allows you to do something new and different. Career-wise, I am positive that exploring, taking risks and working hard are the “must-do’s” that will surely bring some magic to your life!
FOLLOW MY STORY AT WWW.SARACONSTANCE.COM FOCUS MAGAZINE
40 : CAREER : SOCIAL & SUNDHEDS SKOLEN
SOSU SKOLEN: MULIGHEDERNES SPRINGBRÆT Yasemin Baser Poyraz er et levende bevis på, at mulighederne ligger åbne med en social- og sundhedsuddannelse i bagagen. Efter uddannelsen til social- og sundhedsassistent har Yasemin taget yderligere to uddannelser. - Uddrag fra artikel skrevet af Tania Fogh Sørensen
Y
asemin vidste ret tidligt at hun ville være sygeplejersker. “Jeg vidste bare ikke, hvordan jeg skulle blive det, og hvilken vej jeg ville gå, fortæller Yasemin Baser Poyraz, som har opfyldt sin drøm om at kunne trække i den hvide kittel. Faktisk er hun gået skridtet videre og har også uddannet sig til sundhedsplejerske. Guld værd “Social- og sundhedsuddannelsen var det rigtige for mig, fordi der er en god vekslen mellem teori og praksis. Jeg har tilegnet mig den professionelle tilgang til mit fag, lærte om medmenneskelighed, og hvordan man møder andre mennesker”, siger Yasemin Baser Poyraz, som har bragt sit første møde med social- og sundhedsfaget videre frem i sit uddannelsesforløb. “Den viden og de erfaringer jeg havde med mig, da jeg bagefter læste til sygeplejerske, var virkelig guld værd. Jeg kunne bruge mine kræfter på at koncentrere mig om teorien og om mine opgaver, for det håndværksmæssige havde jeg med mig fra Social- og sundhedsskolen og fra mine praktikker.” Godt alternativ Yasemin Baser Poyraz blev erklæret egnet til at tage en HF, men en samtale med en studievejleder åbnede hendes øjne for et alternativ. FOCUS MAGAZINE
“Da jeg sagde, at jeg ville være sygeplejerske, fortalte han om den grundlæggende social- og sundhedsuddannelse, som måske var noget for mig. Jeg synes selv, at det lød spændende, og det var også et plus, at jeg kunne få løn under uddannelse, fordi jeg var ved at flytte hjemmefra”, forklarer Yasemin. “På skolen oplevede jeg succes, fordi jeg havde mulighed for at prøve mig selv af, og jeg havde mulighed for at udvikle mig gradvist og i mit eget tempo. Desuden var der et tæt forhold mellem elever og undervisere, og man fornemmede virkelig, hvordan underviserne tager hånd om os”, siger Yasemin Baser Uddannelse, der udvikler Yasemin Baser Poyraz, håber at mange andre unge og uddannelsessøgende vil se igennem fordomme og forventninger og vælge lige netop den uddannelse, som passer til dem og deres kvaliteter. “Hvis man er et sted i livet, hvor man tænker, at man ikke magter at tage en HF eller en anden gymnasial uddannelse, men gerne vil udvikle sig fagligt, men også personligt, så er en social- og sundhedsuddannelse et rigtig godt bud.” “Det gode ved uddannelsessystemet på social- og sundhedsskolerne er, at man kan bygge videre i trin alt efter, hvad man ønsker og evner”, siger Yasemin Baser Poyraz, som ved
præcis, hvad hun taler om. Sidste efterår blev hun nemlig ansat som underviser på Social & Sundheds Skolen, Herning, hvor hun nu deler ud af egen viden og egne erfaringer.
TEKST EDVARD L. TRAMSEN, UDDANNELSESBY HERNING BILLEDER SOSU SKOLEN
SOCIAL & HEALTHCARE SCHOOL : CAREER : 41
SOSU SCHOOL: A SPRINGBOARD FOR OPPORTUNITIES Yasemin Baser Poyraz is living proof that the opportunities lie open with a social and health education in the suitcase. After graduation as a social and health assistant, Yasemin has finished two more courses. - Excerpt from an article written by Tania Fogh Sørensen Yasemin Baser Poyraz knew early on that she wanted to be a nurse.“I just did not know how it was going to happen and which way I wanted to go” tells Yasemin, who has fulfilled her dream of wearing the white coat. Golden opportunity ”The social and health education was the right choice for me, since there was a balanced exhange between theory and practicality. I aquired the professional approach to my subject, learned about compassion and how to meet other people”, says Yasemin Baser Poyraz. “The knowledge and the experiences I brought with me, when I was studying to become a nurse, were truly worth gold. I could spend all my efforts on focusing on theory and assignments, because I had the practical experience from the social and health education and my internships.” Good alternative Yasemin Baser Poyraz was declared eligible to take an HF (degree to prepare for higher education) when she had to choose her youth education, but a discussion with a counsellor opened her eyes to an alternative. “When I said I wanted to be a nurse, he told me about the basic social and health education. I thought it was interesting and it was also a bonus that I would get a salary during my studies – since I was moving away from home” Yasemin explains. “At school I experienced success, because
I had the possibility to try myself out and with the opportunity to develop myself gradually in my own pace. Moreover there was a close connection between students and teachers, and you really got the feeling the teachers were taking care of us” says Yasemin. A developing education Yasemin Baser Poyraz hopes that many other young and education seekers will look through the prejudice and expectations, and choose exactly the education that fits them and their competencies. “If you are in a place in your life, thinking that you are not up for an HF or another similar degree, yet still want to
develop yourself professionally and personally, then a social and health education is a really good offer. “The good thing about the system at the social and health school is that you can build on with steps depending on your wishes and competencies” says Yasemin, who knows exactly what she is talking about. Last autumn she was in fact hired as a teacher at Social & Sundheds Skolen Herning, where she now shares her own knowledge and experiences. TEXT EDVARD L. TRAMSEN, UDDANNELSESBY HERNING IMAGES SOSU SCHOOL FOCUS MAGAZINE
Alex Da Silva: perks of graduate “My eyes opened to completely new ways of living I had never thought of...” WORDS TINE SØRENSEN
e life
ALEX, GRADUATE PERKS : PEOPLE : 43
A
s I am sitting here in the sun, sipping my cup of coffee, I feel relief after handing in the bachelor project that is almost surreal. I spent the last months of my life at university, looking out of the window at the people BBQ’ing and sunbathing, knowing I would not make it home till midnight. Well that is if I was lucky and as hand-in got closer, surely I was not the only one noticing how the university fridge filled up and the couches in the hall got occupied by sleeping people. It is a tough process, and I am happy it is over. Handing in this year however felt different than any other semester. I did not just pass another project; here comes summer and then back to university again. No, this is the end of my AU Herning university era and that also leaves me a bit nostalgic and insecure. What now?
I am sure that some of you newly graduates already have future plans laid out, some are changing those as we speak and some of you do not have any at all. Today I ran into a former ICM student, and it is his story I am about to share with you, since it reminded me of why we sometimes have to stop ourselves from worrying, planning and stressing too much about the future. The only thing certain about the future is that nothing is certain at all. Alex da Silva, as many may know as the former ICM student counselor, experienced his plans going perfectly opposite to anything he had ever expected. In 2012 he handed in his bachelor and was more than ready to graduate. Plans of backpacking Australia and an anthropology master study were already set for the year to come. But as the semester came to an end, something else happened. He did not pass his bachelor project. FOCUS MAGAZINE
44 : PEOPLE : ALEX, GRADUATE PERKS
N
aturally I felt bad about the situation” Alex said, “my plans and dreams got turned upside down in an instant. This also affected my job, which I lost soon after. I did not know what to do, and I was not going anywhere with my life.” As life took its turn on him, Alex received a phone call from an old friend who just moved to Copenhagen. Having nothing to hold him back, a simple visit to his friend was the start of a completely new beginning. The biggest thing of 2012 Alex explained, was finding out about Retro café (www.cafe-retro.dk). This is a place where over 200 people with different backgrounds volunteer. The café itself is run by internationals and the profit donated to a good cause. “It became the place where I would live, sleep and volunteer throughout the rest of the year. People at the café opened their arms and accepted me straight away. It was a shortcut into a social group, which introduced me to many new places and interesting spots around.” “By being in this environment my eyes opened to completely new ways of living I had never thought of. I starting doing yoga and meditation as well as attend a Buddhist center. After I got to know people from different groups, I got to discover more alternative ways of living outside the conventional way of consumerism and capitalism. Ironically this was in fact what I wanted to do in the beginning, to study anthropology and to get to know more people living as a part of the system but with a twist.” “One of the things I discovered by volunteering at Café Retro is that it does not feel like work. I enjoy it because it is like hanging out with your friends. For me volunteering gives work meaning, and I feel I am contributing to the greater good.”
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My big question became, how could I sustain a living like that?
B
eing inspired is easy, but to make a change you have to conceptualize what you need.I learn at the Buddhist center that by lowering my needs and by understanding that my beliefs and expectations are simply creations of my mind, I can think outside the box and learn to be happy about myself in whatever situation.” “Culture and traveling are passions of mine, that is why I work for the AU Rolling University twice a month. It gives me enough money to cover my living cost for one month.
But other than that, I have cut most of my expenses. I live on a couch at the café, I enjoy the free activities and offers around Copenhagen, I travel by hitchhiking and through the use of couch surfing and I get most of my food trough dumpster diving.” “Other than saving money, these actions alsohelped me become more aware about myself and the world I live in.” “Take dumpster diving for example; this is becoming more and more popular among the young people in Copenhagen. Not for the lack of money but for political reasons, to sustain a better environment!”
ALEX, GRADUATE PERKS : PEOPLE : 45 and understand better how I can help to improve it. I no longer desire the dreams I had previously and after handing in my bachelor again this year, I will continue to volunteer. This time I am joining European volunteer services in Iceland, where I will improve conditions for homeless people.”
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o the newly graduated students: Do not worry if you passed or failed, if you do or do not have plans. Sometimes the unexpected aspects of life are what breaks the conventional way of thinking and opens you up to something even better, something that you did not think of, but was exactly what you needed.” “There is a great Indian saying; everything ends well, if it is not well, it has not ended yet. Therefore, go out embrace life and celebrate what comes next. At the end of the day the right or wrong, good or bad situation will be a matter of your perception.”
E
veryday supermarkets throw out 40% of their goods. This would be enough to save the whole world from starvation. Things are wasted, not because they are bad but because a packaging is broken or because a product is out of season. When you think about it, it is ungrateful that, bananas picked in Colombia, shipped all the way to Denmark, transported into supermarkets, placed and handled by the employees are thrown out when they are still good. There is something very wrong with a system like that!“ “Some people may feel embarrassed that I go trough trash, but I am proud of not participating to the system.”
“People ask me how I can live like that, and what about my private life? - But to be honest, I get so much in return from these experiences and the people I get to meet that this have become much more valuable to me than any material possession I have had previously.” “All in all I failed my bachelor, but because of where it got me, I am very grateful for that. I did not get to do the things I had planed, but what I got to experience was much better.” “I got to “study” my interest in real life situations and be a part of it myself. I have learned much more about the reality we live in every day FOCUS MAGAZINE
ÅBNINGSTIDER MAN-TORS FREDAG LØRDAG
10.00-17.30 10.00-18.00 10.00-15.00
Motion, sjov, leg og velvære for alle. Helt unikke rammer for hyggebadere, motionssvømmere og andre, der holder af vand & velvære!
LAD BATTERIERNE OP I HERNINGS TOPMODERNE VANDKULTURHUS Forkæl dig selv med et besøg i DGI Huset Herning, som tilbyder fitness, holdsport, svømning, klatring og wellness i helt unikke omgivelser. Under et tag tilbydes du alt fra afslapning i vores skønne og stille wellnessafdeling til sjov & leg i vores mange bassiner i svømmeafdelingen. Nyd en forfriskning fra vores Café, som tilbyder et stort udvalg af sunde fristelser. Tag en pause i vores pejsestue på første sal eller nyd udsigten over midtbyen fra vores outdoor spa på toppen af bygningen. Meget mere end en svømmehal!
/ Massage & wellness / Fitness & holdsport / Unik svømmeafdeling / Café & pejsestue
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Students get 10% discount on non-reduced prices!
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IE T A TO GER
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JYDEPOTTEN Bredgade 27 - 33 Herning - www.jydepotten.dk
48 : LIFE : LIVING IN BIRK CENTERPARK
BIRK CENTERPARK: WHERE? WHAT? WHY? WHERE? Different names, including Birkistan with lot of different nationalities (Birksters) and small white houses in the middle of nowhere. If you’re expecting a campus like the ones from American movies, then unfortunately, or fortunately, our Campus will not fulfill your expectations. Birk Centerpark has its own way of “campusing”: Welcome to Birk, please have a look around! It might be quite confusing. It is not really centrally located, you sort of have a park, except it’s more like a grassy labyrinth… however it is definitely the Centrum of everything happening when you are a student at AU-Herning or TEKO. WHAT? Having lived in 3 different places in Herning in the past 3 years, I can say from experience that you can best be part of all the socially active events, when you are closest to the source. The advantages to living right where everything begins are it’s a lot easier to commute to and from and be the first one to participate in all things fun around. And there are a lot of things going on. Starting off with just the fact that the average age of most tenants in Birk is between 18-25 years. Most of the students living here are international, so you find yourself in a tiny campus community composed of a broad FOCUS MAGAZINE
national diversity and mix of traditions adapted to the cold Danish weather. You don’t have anyone complaining about too loud music or too many parties - unless it is exam time or you forgot to invite them. If you are just freshly arrived and haven’t had time to really get to know your neighbors, Birk Campus has a yearly tradition called “Tour the Chambre”. In this event everyone shows their houses to visitors and prepares some snacks and drinks. To participate you sign up as a host and there is sort of a planned route with “visiting times”.
At the end of the day, everyone, participants or not meet at the Student House for a big party, sort of “Good to see you after holidays” party. After you are settled in, you can start exploring. Although the campus is situated ca. 4 km from Herning downtown, you will quickly find out that going to the center by bus or bike becomes an evening workout, when you really need to get there. There are enough occasions to socialize within the premises of the campus.
49 For one, you have the Student House two steps away and there are always parties happening somewhere close by. The Student House is open twice a week, showing Champions League, Eurovision and other important events happening around the world. At least once a month there is a huge party with a specific theme, free entrance, cheap prices and a great atmosphere attract more people than just those living in Birk Centerpark. The nature is another astonishing thing that strikes you. After you get used to the somewhat isolated and very silent area, despite the noisy tenants, you will find it quite pleasing that you will not have to wake up in the morning, open your window and face a nosy neighbor starring at you across the street. There are no tall buildings, no urban noise, nothing to disturb your studies in your spare time.
WHY? Birk Campus adapts to you as you adapt to Denmark. If activities happening around AU-Herning and TEKO are not fulfilling enough for you, the Danish environment offers many possibilities: bike roads, jogging, and volley during summer, lakes with sandy beaches for picnic and the rare summertime hot days. One of the most awesome things about this place is that there are so many beautiful and fascinating people that have brought along from their home country a small piece of magic, and you get to share that. You can make friends and enrich your life experience through more than the bachelor or master programme that brought you here in the first place.
the is the biggest football tournament in Herning, and many other activities. In my opinion, even if it sounds cliché, Birk Centerpark is the place to be, while studying in Herning. Arguments against say that is isolated and far from the city or shops, but after a few weeks of biking to Bilka or Hammerum, it’ll take just minutes. See you in Birk! TEXT WOJCIECH ZMIJSKI IMAGES FRUEHØJGAARD
The people in charge of activities here in Birk Campus are trying to keep you occupied all year with events, for example Birk League,
THE STUDENT HOUSE At the heart of Birk Centerpark you will find the Student House, ready to provide you with good entertainment and a cold beer, or another drink of your choice, if you prefer another poison.
The Birk campus Student House opens Tuesdays and Thursdays from 20 to 23. Also open select Fridays and Saturdays for special events.
Stay tuned in Facebook: facebook.com/BirkCampus For special events, offers, and pictures of the parties. FOCUS MAGAZINE
ÅBNINGSTIDER MAN-TORS FREDAG LØRDAG
10.00-17.30 10.00-18.00 10.00-15.00
Oplev det hele i Herning!
✶ BYENS LEGEPLADS FOR OVERRASKELSER, OPLEVELSER & SHOPPING ✶
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Stereotypes around campus Let me give you a tour!
Innovation. Inspiration. Creativity. We toss these words around daily. Are they just fancy ways to say ‘I have had an idea?’ Those of us who are marketers, designers and engineers are often labeled as creative. But what do people mean by that? There is a widely-held and poorly-articulated image of the stereotypical creative person floating about in our culture. Is it Daniel Libeskind? Albert Einstein? A fellow student who I sat next to yesterday? After meeting and interacting with many creative types over the years, I have had to continually expand my definition of what creativity looks like. Sure, sometimes it manifests itself in the traditional way: creating something out of nothing. That lightning bolt of inspiration, or ideas from out of the blue! But other times, being creative is a
slogging, noodling process that develops at a snail’s pace. This is not to denigrate the classical creative mold, or to lower the bar in defining what we see as creative. It just means that there are different types of creative people and methods out there, and that we do not all fit into the same mold. To sow the seeds of discussion, I have identified, with the help of my awesome student friends and colleagues, eight unique types of creativity, knowing full well that these people exhibit multiple facets and bleed into different categories. But given the stereotypes our school departments custom, tell me, have you found yours yet? TEXT VALERIA SOLONARI IMAGES ALEXEI PATRASHCU FOCUS MAGAZINE
THE FASHION DESIGNER
THE BRANDER & MARKETER
While good fashion design will never bring about world peace, it can make a person feel better and empowered. It was only obvious that fashion and appearance would be a logical progression from these descriptive words.
A mobile game that has topped the charts, tests whether brand recall exists without a brand’s defining characteristic - its name. It poses an interesting question for marketers, too: Is your brand identity so strong that people can identify it merely from the trade dress, without seeing the name? What about the people studying Branding and Marketing? Can they be identifiable without any book titles, like ‘Building Strong Brands’ peaking out of their bags?
The Fashion Designers are able to keep one foot firmly planted in the real world, while poking their heads through the looking glass of fantasy. They crane their necks to see beyond the boundaries of reality, and then snap back to the world as we know it and share their fashionable insight. This creative type’s output has a focus in detail, high quality, bordering on perfectionism. Moreover, when they feel like their creative juices are drying up, or when they are prevented from expressing themselves artistically, they may fall into a deep introversion. Always caught in sown-at-the-crack-ofdawn personal designs, they are the ones who people want to be friends with and share ideas with. Hell, some even want to be like them! But not all of us are able to, I am sorry. Not everyone can tell the difference between lawn and cambric.
It seems so, by only with their look of I-can-make-yourich-let’s-run-a-business-together after only seeing your napkin doodle. It seems that fashion research and marketing, and creating unique brand identities that are recognizable and desirable to the public, is what Branders and Marketers do best. They compile their findings, opinions and ideas into graphs, charts and written explanations like no other, and can pursue you into doing something, even if it does not benefit them personally. They are progressive, stubborn and supreme idealists. And also the CEOs of their own company: Me Inc.
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THE PATTERN DESIGNER
THE PURCHASER
When you look at one of these people, you might not see a traditional creative type. There is no genre-inventing or trendsetting happening in front of them. Instead, the Pattern Designer is someone who draws on the knowledge, styles, and thoughts of others - remixing, reworking, and building them into better structured things.
The majority of this creative type is exceptionally passionate about what they do, while at the same time, they can display an extreme degree of objectivity. Without passion, they lose interest in difficult creative tasks, and without objectivity, the task lacks credibility and may end up not very good.
But make no mistake about it! These creative minds combine playfulness with antithesis of endurance, doggedness, and perseverance. Having as a second mother tongue programs like Gerbers Technology Accumark, Pattern Designers can immediately picture the high-level design in their heads, after referring to the name of a particular pattern. Being the technical backbone to the manufacturing process that goes around in design, they are also great at maintaining a more efficient communication between designers. They tend to be both conservative and rebellious, traditional and extraordinary. They recognize that failing to stretch one’s boundaries causes stagnation, leaving the world unchanged, while at the same time, knowing that constant risk-taking rarely fosters novelty or improvement.
Those combining education in fashion merchandising and business are needed to held accountability and profitability of stores, negotiating with suppliers and orchestrating the sales force, back office support staff and security departments into a cohesive and successful team. ‘Oh, hello! In need of a supplier? A statistic? A pat on the back?’ The Purchasers are viewed as little brainy accountants, the glue that holds everything together. They give, they struggle, they find a way to make it happen and they keep their head focused no matter what. So whenever there is an important project that ends with finances and budget plans, we can all admit to the craziness that is revolving around finding an available purchaser. Do no t take it the wrong way; is it only that you are so much better than the rest of us?
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THE RETAILER
THE BUSINESS ECONOMIST
The only creative type drawn a little bit more into interior design than the rest of the fashion pack. The Retailers are those engaged in the sale of goods and services directly with the ultimate consumers; they are those also in charge of designing the stores windows and plan the layout of it in order to appeal customers, and those who are determined to communicate their design skills, education and business acumen as professional visual merchandisers.
Well, well, do not these Business Economists look very dapper indeed in their fancy little suits and shiny shoes as they head to these big important business meetings? Ahem, not really, because these are still infant businessmen and women, still running around from lecture to lecture and class to class in their frumpy little sneakers, with no appearance of any cufflink whatsoever. But their strong presence surpasses any fashion rule. Economics is not a collection of facts to be written down and memorized, in the same way as they cannot be judged on the basis of the right shirt and trouser.
Drawing by day and carving wood by night, as some would say, this creative type is expected to learn the views of what the design process entails and how to justify the selection of a variety of finishes, taking into consideration the value of the field of interior design. Always on the watch for innovative interior aesthetics, from wall colors, window treatments to pillow patterns, that would be just scratching the surface of what a retailer can add to the designer-customer relationship. They go beyond cosmetic concerns to ensure that a space feels harmonious through and through, as much in retail channels as they do in life, for the people around them.
They have the ability and knowledge to combine economic analysis with the practical aspects of business, while working daily with high-levels of calculus and linear algebra. Business Economists study the ways that society distributes scarce resources and conducts research and learn how to advise all sorts of organizations and trade associations, on issues such as inflation, interest rates and employment level. So yes, if you are looking for the ones who walk with numbers and equations above their heads, it is them. But if he tells you to get tea instead of coffee in the morning, you should better listen. They are the people of tomorrow after all.
THE MANUFACTURING ENGINEER
THE MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATOR
Admit it. From the day you peered into Steve Job’s frameless spectacles, you have ached to look more like him, as if ‘I am brainy and brilliant and you are not.’ Well, luckily this stereotype has already mapped the essential strategy to be considered hip, innovative and a tad more intelligent than the rest of the crowd, by only with their look of angst, as if the technological fate of the world lay in their not-so-moisturized hands.
Master writers and communicators 3.0 for print, online, social media and multimedia – a person to grab someone’s attention for a change nowadays.
The Manufacturing Engineers combine mathematics, science and economics to solve technical problems facing society, while baffling maintaining a deep fascination and love for Star Trek. For them all that matters in the universe can be placed into one of two categories: things that need to be fixed and things that will need to be fixed after they have had a few minutes to play with them. They like to solve problems. If there are no problems handily available, they will create their own. Other people do not understand this concept; they believe that if it is not broken, do not fix it. Well, Engineers believe that if it is not broken, it means that it does not have enough features yet. For them, the world is a box full of sub-optimized and feature-poor toys.
Multimedia Communicators and Creators use digital communications methods to create any variety of entertainment, graphic design, or artistic productions. You may not see them in a museum if there are no video installations and interactive works of art, or devouring hardcover paper volume of obscure French philosophy, unless it is on an e-book. They see beyond what is normal and regular, everything is a 3D virtual reality for them. This new, exciting and continually evolving field is nearly impossible to define or set bounds for it, as it is the land of creative ideas and experiments. And who is best at connecting the creative message and technology, with a strong dose of vigor, discipline and passion, than those who are trained to combine aesthetics, user-centered design and social interactivity to come up with something so spectacular?
56: LEISURE : STUDENT ACTIVITY ASSOCIATION
STUDENT ACTIVITY ASSOCIATION: AUTUMN 2013 Student Activity Association is the largest student association in Herning and Ikast. The volunteers in the association try their best in order to provide all students with activities which should help them to get rest from hard studying and reading books. In this article we would like to show you what is happening in AU Herning and TEKO during Autumn Semester 2013. Let’s start with a calendar of planned SAA and FridayBar events, and more events will be added during the semester as new volunteers get active (could be you!). TEXT WOJCIECH ZMIJSKI IMAGES ABSALON VATNHAMAR
AUTUMN 2013 CALENDAR August
October Freshman Day
4
FridayBar closes early SAA Event games
5
Surviving in Denmark
11
13
First FridayBar Table Football Tournament
15
Lithuanian Cultural Night
29
September
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November
1
J-DAY Concert
Woman of the Day
8
FridayBar closes early SAA Event games
25
FridayBar Late Night Lounge
15
Country Competition
27
Polish Cultural Night
17
Dutch Cultural Night FridayBar closes early SAA Event games FridayBar DeLuxe
20
Freshman Party
22
27
Mexican Day
29
STUDENT ACTIVITY ASSOCIATION : LEISURE : 57
WHO IS IN THE SAA? Meet Annet, Eva, Edgaras, Mick, Absalon and Wojciech – the students who are going to provide you with a lot of fun and introducing new students to the student life in AU Herning and TEKO right after the summer holiday. All of them wrote a few words about themselves and their plans.
ANNET MURU PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE 24, Marketing and Business Innovation Why did you decide to be in charge of the SAA? I have been a voluntary activist and fond of organizing different events for students during all my studies, already since primary school - it is just in my blood (thanks, mom!). So it was a natural course that I would join the SAA. After getting to know the school, students and SAA better, I felt that I can and want to contribute to the student life much more and be responsible for holding the reins of some activities - or as it turned out, the whole SAA. Plans for the next semester. Make the student life in AU Herning as variegated and fun as possible and show everyone our awesome work! Why should people join the SAA? I would definitely accentuate networking as one of the most valuable bonuses the members of the SAA will get. You will get numerous new connections, have a chance to work and have fun with a lot of passionate people and
diversify your skills through the experience you gain from arranging various events and activities. One big awesomeness! Describe yourself in 3 words: Full of life! :)
WOJCIECH TOMASZ ZMIJSKI CHAIRMAN OF THE EVENT COMMITTEE 22, International Business Why did you decide to be in charge of the SAA? I have always liked to be part of the student life and SAA gives me the best opportunity to do so. Plans for the next semester. I can promise you that SAA will be more visible, more attractive and more open to students. Why should people join the SAA? Because it is the best opportunity to be part of the university life, to enjoy student life and to meet new awesome people. Describe yourself in 3 words: Funny, spontaneous, determined. FOCUS MAGAZINE
58 : LEISURE : STUDENT ACTIVITY ASSOCIATION
KENNETH SØRENSEN CHAIRMAN OF THE PARTY COMMITTEE 27, Global Management and Manufacturing Why did you decide to be in charge of the SAA? I have always found joy in arranging social events and when I had the opportunity to join the SAA this was an easy choice for me. Plans for the next semester. we are arranging an AWESOME Freshman Party on the 20th of September. This is ”the party of the year” – you simply a can’t miss it! We will also continue our ongoing collaboration with the TEKO Party committee. Why should people join the SAA? Meet new people, gain practical planning and execution experience and improve your professional networks. Describe yourself in 3 words: Passionate, ambitious, hardworking.
DO YOU WANT TO JOIN THE SAA?
SEND US AN E-MAIL! SAA@HIH.AU.DK
MICK NØBBE RASMUSSEN CHAIRMAN OF THE FRESHMAN COMMITTEE 24, Business Development Engineering Why did you decide to be in charge of the SAA? I think it is very important for an institution to have a social organization for students. But why did I decide to be in charge of the Freshman Committee? The answer is pretty simple: I want to make the start for the new students safe, fun and most of all – unforgettable! The Freshman Trip is the first big social event for a freshman, and the place to meet other students and make friends for life. If everything has a good start, the future will be much easier. Plans for the next semester. To make the main event of the year – Freshman Trip 2013 – the best event of the year! Why should people join the SAA? To provide fellow students a good an unforgettable time at AU Herning. Describe yourself in 3 words: Leader, inspiring, responsible. FOCUS MAGAZINE
STUDENT ACTIVITY ASSOCIATION : LEISURE : 59
JOAKIM KEJSER FRIDAY BAR MANAGER 22, Business Development Engineering Why did you decide to be in charge of the bar? To be a part of the FridayBar’s future and to be able to influence it in a great direction, and to be in charge of all the fun! Plans for the next semester. We will be doing one or two more Late Night Lounges, we will have a great Freshman Trip and Freshman Party, and we will continue to serve ice cold draft beer! Why should people join the FridayBar? To be part of a fun group across study programmes, to be part of the activities at school and because they like to pour beer and chat up customers!
EVA LYKKE STENUM ACCOUNTANT 22, International Business Why did you decide to join the SAA? I wanted to do some kind of voluntary work and found SAA to be very exciting! (And I still do!) Plans for the next semester. We are going to control the economy and trying to make a profit, which could benefit everyone later on. Why should people join the SAA? Join SAA if you want to become a part of a great society, meet new people and have fun!
EDGARAS KRYZANOVSKIS ACCOUNTANT 24, International Business Why did you decide to join the SAA? Because taking care of real money is a lot more fun than going through pages of a big textbook. Plans for the next semester. To do my job as well as possible, since accountancy is very related to my specialisation. Why should people join the SAA? People make necessary connections in their adulthood, joining the SAA is a great start! FOCUS MAGAZINE
ÅBNINGSTIDER MAN-TORS FREDAG LØRDAG
10.00-17.30 10.00-18.00 10.00-15.00
Velkommen udenfor i Herning City JAZZ Aktiviteter Koncerter SHOPPING Events Tilbud, fristelser & dobbelt op på alt det sjove!
/ Mere end 150 butikker / Events & LIVE musik / Café- & torvehygge / Aktiviteter for hele familien / Shopping Nights / Fest & farver
✶ BYENS LEGEPLADS FOR OVERRASKELSER, OPLEVELSER & SHOPPING ✶
ÅBNINGSTIDER MAN-TORS FREDAG LØRDAG
10.00-17.30 10.00-18.00 10.00-15.00
Festlig sensommer. LIVE MUSIK
LØRDAGS JAZZ
Fredag 6. september kl. 20.00
Lørdag 7. september kl. 11.30
Fredag 13. september kl. 16.00
Oplev den gode stemning når Østergade viser sig fra sin bedste side, med live musik, masser af mennesker og godt humør. Musikken går i gang kl. 20.00, så vær der i god tid, for at få en god plads.
Torvet slår dørene op til lørdags jazz i midtbyen. Nyd en hyggelig shoppingdag i det fri - efterfulgt af frokost og hygge på en af vores mange restauranter, barer og caféer.
Festvalen “Bølgen” besøger midtbyen, hvor mere end 100 børn fra ind- og udland fester, synger og danser på Torvet.
M O D E S H OW
NORDEALØBET
TORVE KONCERT
PETER GABRIEL
Lørdag 14. september kl. 13.30
Lørdag 14. september kl. 14.30
Lørdag 28. september kl. 19.00
Vi tyvstarter Nordealøbet med et gigantisk modeshow på Torvet. Oplev efterårets nye tendenser og musthaves.
Vi skyder det folkelige motionsløb i gang fra Torvet. Kom og vær med, der er ruter i alle sværhedsgrader - og om du er løber eller tilskuer, er der garanti for godt humør og nogle hyggelige timer i midtbyen.
Peter Gabriel gæster Jyske Bank Boxen på sin nordiske turné 2013. Oplev når han fejrer sit 25 års jubilæum på jysk grund - med masser af hans populære superhits.
✶ SE DET STORE EFTERÅRS-PROGRAM PÅ WWW.HERNINGCITY.DK ✶
62 : LEISURE : KONTRAST
What by glance introduces a demolished facade with old wooden doors and walls covered with colorful graffiti are in fact the host of an exuberant cultural hub for Herning creative souls and active youth. Behind the neat and somewhat idyllic streets of downtown Herning is where you will run into what looks like a discarded tumbling down building. This indeed contrasts the traditional appearances you may come across around Herning city. What by glance introduces a demolished facade with old wooden doors and walls covered with colorful graffiti is in fact the host of an exuberant cultural hub for Herning’s creative souls and active youth.
The initiative of establishing a youth house spun out of need from Herning’s youth, calling for a place with room for more unconventional thoughts and ideas. 2005 Amir Rehman, one of the key founders of Kontrast, was engaged in the cultural and musical scene of Herning at the time. He recognized the demand for a social community of alternative lifestyles as well as an opportunity within the underground musical scene. Amir saw his chance at a political meeting in Team Teatret. A younger politician supported the idea of a youth house in Herning and
FOCUS MAGAZINE
with his backup the first workgroup towards Kontrast was established. 2006 Not long after, the local newspaper put down the idea, but the reaction from the youth was striking, who decided to march in protest. People were missing a place to meet and get out their thoughts and ideas. The result was the gathering of an association for the youth house. Now, politicians as well as the city counsels could no longer ignore the enthusiasm and engagement of its younger inhabitants. 2007 A meeting in the city town hall, dedicated the older part of the music school to Kontrast. Bethaniagade 3 B was the location, and where to find a better location than in the center of the city. 2008 Kontrast officially came alive!
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Kontrast helps give Herning an essence and an edge, which can also be found in major cities such as Aarhus and Copenhagen. It is the place where alternative culture can thrive and function as a meeting point for all types of people. Not only does Kontrast provide young people and citizens in general, an alternative to the conventional range of opportunities and leisure of the city, they also aim to engage people to influence the cultural life of Herning by offering an open place with space and opportunity to give new ideas a chance to be realized. Kontrast believe in a “do-it-yourself” philosophy. Anyone can come and join and help to shape the house. Monday meetings are open for people to come and propose a new action or an event of any kind. Anything is welcome from concerts to workshops, poker nights, beer tasting, music, art, drama - you name
it. Visiting Kontrast is therefore never one and the same experience, this impulsive and dynamic environment always surprises, inspires or even provokes you. Do not miss out the opportunity to pop by this contrasted alternative building in the heart of Herning. Whether it is for a coffee, a game of cards, to hangout with the friends or to rock up (something you must do) at one of their concerts. Reggae, dancehall, reggaeton, mombahton, breaks and dubstep are just a few out of the rare selection of underground tunes you wont find anywhere else in Herning. Find more information on Kontrast: kontrastherning.dk
TEXT TINE SØRENSEN IMAGES MARC RAMOS GARZON FOCUS MAGAZINE
DUMPSTER DIVING : LIFE : 65
H S A R T S ’ N A M S ’ N ONE A M R E H T O IS AN E R U S A TRE TEXT TINE SØRENSEN IMAGE ALEXEI PATRASCU
As a student you are more prone to think about where your money goes, or should I say where you want them to go. How exactly can I distribute my economy in a way that my fundamental need for wine, chocolate ice-cream as well as shopping in H&M are covered? - was a question I frequently found myself asking. As students we grab every chance to save money - or do we?
Having said that, money was not entirely the motivational factor that made me gather a bunch of friends on this little adventure that was about to happen. Since the majority of my friends are generally restless after 12 o’ clock at night, it was easier than I thought to make them meet up at an hour past midnight dressed up like something that looked like ninjas. Fully armed with plastic bags and flashlights we slowly rode our iron horses into the dark night towards Herning supermarkets to search for hidden treasures. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” is just the enthusiastic way of describing the search for reusable food or articles in garbage. This phenomenon is also known as dumpster diving, an commonplace activity within bigger cities such as Copenhagen and Aalborg where students frequently harvest today’s dinner from supermarkets trash. But dumpster-diving is more than just a way of saving money or simply collect free goods for yourselves. Many organizations in fact have taken advantage of this opportunity by donating their excess garbage to homeless shelters, public kitchen services and other places where people can easily enjoy the food. However is not it slightly revolting sneaking trough supermarkets trash dumps? Well if you know what you are doing it is neither dirty, nor is there anything wrong with secretly
rooting for food - so believe many young people, and for a good reason. The reason is that when we talk about food waste, we are not talking about rotting stuff or food that is beyond pale. We are talking about healthy and fresh food that is wasted on a colossal scale.
“Healthy and fresh food is wasted on a colossal scale.” What you can actually find in garbage bins is fresh bread from today, cheese, candy, wine, cold cuts, pastries, fruit, milk, yogurt, or DVDs, CDs, books, games and much more. The reason is that supermarkets every day discard large batches of goods for what seems to be no good reason. Wrecked, exceeded last sales date, out of season, or simply not able to live up to the retailer’s very boxy quality are reasons for fresh and fully functional goods to be disposed. Dumpster diving is completely legal since trash in Denmark is not owned by anyone. If you have to break in to get to the garbage, it is another matter, but as long as it is freely available in a public area there is no problem. “If you do not make trouble or destroy property, we do not do anything“ says Amager Police. FOCUS MAGAZINE
66 : LIFE : DUMPSTER DIVING
Even though the phenomenon of diving into trash bins is popular among students, it is rather a reaction to the illogical waste of food and goods rather than to save money. Why on earth are we throwing out what is in perfectly good condition that just does not seem right? With dumpster-diving, not only do you avoid supporting the enormous lifecycle of overproduction and waste with your money, you contribute to what must seem to be a fine and sustainable solution. In reality, dumpster diving derives from the far more serious issues concerning extreme waste in our society. The truth is that what goes on in supermarkets containers only reveal the very top of the iceberg.
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Large numbers of production does not even get to leave its fields before it is wasted, partly because of bad infrastructure and partly for not having the right size and shape that marketers and consumers demand. From cradle to grave, up to half of the goods we produce worldwide goes to waste. Waste within the Danish landscape is growing faster than it can be demolished or recycled. Forests get chopped down, water reserves and fossil emissions are used to produce more and more goods that we simply end up throwing out. Indeed our overconsumption and poor ability to recycle are assuring that the ecological limits of our planet are being crossed.
“The ecological limits of our planet are being crossed.� But you do not have to look up statistics to understand what is happening. Take a look around you. Pass by the containers behind the glass house (Birk Campus) or take a walk around downtown Herning, you will in matter of no time find a perfectly functional interior design for your house, and that includes television and microwave. If you also know how to fix a broken tire or simply put a chain on a bike well you will find yourself one fine looking well functional vehicle as well.
DUMPSTER DIVING : LIFE : 67 Students and citizens are frequently throwing out furniture and hardware of good conditions, not because they are broken, but because they are moving out or maybe just wanted something newer and better looking than what they had before. Every year new students arrive at Birk Campus, and every year the furniture that are discarded could have helped their new place but instead these are thrown out, money is spendt on new furniture, that after two to three years will be thrown out again.
“You do not have to look up statistics to understand what is happening.“ In regards to our little adventure, I would not exactly call it successful. It was not as easy to find the supermarket containers as we thought, so the excitement was great when we finally came across one. We literally dived into it headfirst to discover some old sausages, cheese and bread. Around 12 packages of cheese, and a few burrito bread rolls became our final harvest, which nobody really was too certainto eat anyway. Never the less, I think with a little practice and knowing where to go it would definitely become a lot better. Is dumpster diving is the solution to the problem of overconsumption and production? Maybe not, but I think it is a reaction. A reaction to a problem people has taken advantage of and found a solution to within their own capabilities. It is great to understand people use their logic and common sense rather than guides, rules and restrictions that have not yet allowed consumers to shop in balance with our own earth’s restrictions.
TEKO Friday Bar Open every second Friday and at special occasions, offering students a cool and cosy atmosphere. Stay tuned on Facebook for information at the “TEKO Friday Bar” page
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SKUB Herning
a Ski Club in a city without snow?!
Uddannelsesby Herning has established SKUB Herning with a student from TEKO, one from AU Herning and another from Erhvervsakademiet MidtVest. Meet Camilla, Thais and Rasmus, and read the story about the Ski Club in the city without hills or snow. CAMILLA NORLYK FEIERSKOV 24, International Branding & Marketing, VIAUC TEKO
THAIS ELHOLM BIRKBAK
24, HA, AU Herning
TEKST/TEXT EDVARD L. TRAMSEN, UDDANNELSESBY HERNING BILLEDER/IMAGES DAYANA TSVETKOVA
RASMUS BALLEBY
21, Finansøkonom/AP Financial Management, EAMV
What is SKUB Herning? Camilla: "SKUB" is Danish for "push" and that is our aim with the Ski Club. To push our boundaries, our new friendships, our knowledge and ourselves into trying new things. // SKUB står egentlig for Ski Klub Uddannelsesby Herning, men er ligeså meget en metafor for, at vi vil skubbe hinandens grænser og afprøve nye og anderledes aktiviteter. Thais: SKUB Herning is a club for students where you get the opportunity to socialize and experience social unity around one’s ski or snowboard interests. We are trying to make possible what for many individual students is, simply, FOCUS MAGAZINE
impossible. You get the chance to do fantastic stuff with your entourage and make new social connections through various events. // SKUB Herning er en klub for de studerende hvor man får muligheden for at hygge og skabe et socialt sammenhold omkring ens ski eller snowboard interesser. Det er noget vi prøver på at gøre ved hjælp af alle mulige, og for mange studerende, umulige aktiviteter. Man kommer ud og laver en fantastisk masse sjove ting og sager, alt lige fra filmaftener til kitesurfing og hele skiture.
H
ow did you get started with SKUB Herning? Camilla: First of all, because it gets really frustrating to see every university in Denmark leaving the
country in weeks 4 & 5 to go skiing, when you cannot join them. Second of all, when you like skiing and know the environment you wish you could take it home with you and do it all in Denmark. Lastly, of all the amazing experiences that I have skiing, I would really like the chance to pass them on and give to others. I guess that was the motivation for starting, so I talked with my friend Morten from Danish Ski Federation, who spoke with “Uddannelsesby Herning” and then it began. // Det blev virkeligt frustrerende for mig at se alle andre universiteter tog på skitur i uge 4 & 5, hvor vi ikke kunne deltage. Udover det, så har jeg haft nogle af mine bedste oplevelser på ski og det vil jeg gerne give videre til andre. Selve
SKUB HERNING, SKI CLUB : LEISURE : 69 miljøet omkring skiløbet er helt specielt og det er det, vi gerne vil skabe. Derfor talte jeg frem og tilbage med min ven Morten, fra Dansk Ski Union, som talte med Sofie fra Uddanelsesby Herning, og nu er vi her. Rasmus: I joined because I thought it sounded like an exciting project with many opportunities, and to work with something that you like is always nice. // Jeg kom med fordi jeg syntes det lød til at være et spændende projekt, hvor der var mange muligheder, samt at få lov til at arbejde med noget som man godt kan lide er altid dejlig. Thais: I got a call from my friend Camilla, whom I have been skiing with for some years. And she asked if I wanted to make a Ski Club for the educational city of Herning. I could not say anything but YES. // Jeg blev ringet op af en af min veninde Camilla, som jeg har stået på ski med I nogle år, og spurgte om jeg ville være med til at gøre den her uddannelsesby lidt mere spændende. Så kunne jeg ikke sige andet end ja, senere fandt jeg ud af at Dansk ski forbund er meget involveret og støtter os til bedre forhold.
What is your best experience with skiing? And the worst?
Camilla: It is very hard to have a bad experience skiing and even then, they are completely overshadowed by the good ones. I have however had one crash that was very hard to recover from. I can think of 100 “best” experiences, but my first season as a ski instructor in Austria was very special. I still smile when thinking back about it and I met some of my dearest friends during those 6 months. I remember one of the last days where the weather and the snow was perfect and we brought a BBQ and some hotdogs to the mountain. We built a kicker (ski-jump) and just had the perfect day doing tricks, enjoying the sun and each other’s company.
// Det er meget svært at tænke på noget dårligt fordi det bliver overskygget af det gode, men jeg har haft ét styrt der var svært at komme sig ovenpå. Jeg har mange gode oplevelser, men min første sæson som ski instruktør i Østrig var helt speciel. Jeg smiler stadig når jeg tænker tilbage på det og nogle af mine bedste venner, er folk jeg har mødt i løbet af de 6 måneder. Thais: The best experience of skiing was a day when my roomie in our traveling camper and I were out skiing. We went to bed fearing it might rain in Saalbach and when we woke up there it was, true enough, rain. So we sighed in chorus and I proposed to go up the nearby glacier, the Kitshsteinhorn, and see if the weather is just as bad. To our surprise there was Keiserwetter (great weather) and 80 cm of fresh powder snow. Also there were no people and we could run from the clock 8:00 to 4:00 p.m. without a single interruption of either lift queues or overcrowded piste. The worst would of course be the days, when you go back home for the season. A really bad experience I had was on my season in St. Anton in Austria, where I crashed at 12.30 and broke my thumb on the year’s best powder day. // Den bedste oplevelse på ski må være en dag hvor min roomie i vores omrejsende camper og jeg, var ude at stå på ski. Vi gik i seng i frygt for at det skulle regne i Saalbach, og da vi vågnede var der rigtigt nok regn. Vi sukkede i kor og tænkte lad os tage op på Kitshsteinhorn (en nærliggende gletcher) og se om vejret er lige så dårligt. Til vores overraskelse var der Keiserwetter (solskinsvejr) og 80 cm helt frisk powder, desuden var der ingen mennesker og vi kunne løbe på ski fra klokken 08.00 til 16.00 uden en eneste afbrydelse af hverken liftkø eller overfyldte pister. Det værste må jo selvfølgelig være de dage man er taget hjem fra sæson. Men en rigtig dårlig oplevelse jeg har haft var på min sæson i St. Anton i Østrig, hvor
jeg styrtede klokken 12.30 og brækkede tommelfingeren på årets bedste powder dag. Rasmus: The worst is probably cross counttry skiing, it is so boring. I prefer to ski with more speed. The best I have tried was on a Christmas Skiing Holiday in 2012, when we were out on a glacier where it was so windy and the snow drifted so much, that you could barely see your skis. While you ran straight down in a good speed, the only thing there slowing you down, was the wind. // Det værste er nok langrend, kedelig som bare pokkers, der må gerne være noget mere fart. Det bedste jeg har prøvet var på min jule-skiferie i 2012, hvor vi var ude at køre på en gletscher hvor det blæste så meget og sneen føg så meget at man knap kunne se sine ski. Samtidig med at man kunne køre lige nedad med en go fart mens vinden sørgede for at bremse.
In DK there is not much snow - so
what kind of activities do you do in a Ski Club? Camilla: There are no limits. It can be everything from wakeboarding to skateboarding, watching a ski-film or having barbeques and beers. The aim is to practice things that are a little different from, for example, football, but it mainly is about creating an environment where we can all just hang out. It all builds up to a skiing trip in week 4 & 5. We are going to France and will be joined by a minimum of four other universities from Aarhus, Aalborg and Copenhagen. We will be living under the same roof and there will be loads of amazing activities, e.g. concerts and competitions. The price for 1 week including hotels, liftpass, equipment will be around 3650 DKK., which is a bargain! // Vi laver alt muligt lækkert! Alt fra wakeboarding til skateboarding, løb og mountainbiking. Det kan også ske, at vi bare ser en skifilm og drikker nogle øl. Målet er, at vi skal lave noget som FOCUS MAGAZINE
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How do I join SKUB-Herning? Send an e-mail to skub.herning@gmail.com to hear more or to join! And keep an eye on Facebook, where we also will be very soon. // Send en e-mail til skub.herning@gmail.com. Vi kan måske svare på alt, - og ringe til dig hvis du vil høre vores sprøde stemmer.
GRATIS ieret annoncefinans magasin udgivet af Herning City
er anderledes en fx fodbold, men at det samtidig skal være noget der kan forbedre vores viden eller kunnen inden for skiløb. - eller øl-drikning. (Er det for meget? - så mange øl drikker vi jo heller ikke) Det hele munder ud i en skitur i uge 4 & 5 hvor vi tager til Frankrig med min. fire universiteter fra Aalborg, Aarhus og København. Alle skal bo under samme tag, så der er gode muligheder for at være social. Vi rejser med Danski som arrangerer store koncerter og undervisning til de der har lyst. Prisen kommer til at ligge på ca. 3650 DKK, inkl. alt undt. mad., så det er et KUP! Thais: There are a variety of activities that we really would like. We make regular club activities, like cozy evenings where we eat a little, drink a beer and have some great team bonding. However, the idea is to cultivate one’s relationship to the sport, we want to get out and stand on water skis, roller skis, wake boarding and kite surfing. We have even talked about building a ramp FOCUS MAGAZINE
out to the wakeboard lake and see if we can get some ski sets available along with a freestyle instructor and try to do real park rides for a day. //Der er en lang række aktiviteter som vi rigtigt godt kunne tænke os, vi vil lave almindelige klub aktiviteter med lidt hyggeaftener hvor vi spiser lidt, drikker en øl og får et godt sammenhold. Men ideen er at pleje ens forhold til sporten, det vil sige vi vil ud og stå på vandski, rulleski, wakeboarde og kitesurfe. Vi har snakket om at bygge en rampe ud til wakeboard søen, og se om vi ikke kan få nogle ski sat til rådighed sammen med en freestyle instruktør og prøve at være rigtig parkrider for en dag.
Do I have to be really good with skiing to be a member of SKUB Herning?
Camilla: No, as long as you have the courage to try skiing and some of the other activities that we do you can just have a look at the activities that everybody else is doing until you want to participate as well.
// Nej. Det vigtigste er lysten til at prøve noget nyt og udfordre dine egne grænser. Det er også okay bare at ‘hænge ud’. Vi kommer til at lave nogle ting hvor vi alle sammen er på udebane og kommer til at se dumme ud. Thais: No, it is by no means a requirement, it is important that you want to participate in activities and have the desire to learn to ski. It is as much built on unity, as it is built on your skiing level. It is impossible to find people who all have the same level. // Nej, det er på ingen måder et krav, det er vigtigt at man har lyst til at deltage i aktiviteter og har lyst til at lære at stå på ski. Det er ligeså meget bygget på sammenhold, som det er bygget på ens egenskaber til at stå på ski. Det er umuligt at finde nogle der alle sammen har det samme niveau.
ÅBNINGSTIDER MAN-TORS FREDAG LØRDAG
10.00-17.30 10.00-18.00 10.00-15.00
2013 NR. 3 · MAJ
2013 NR. 3 · MAJ
Herning City’s magasin ZOOM’er det hele! HERNING
HERNING
GRATIS ieret annoncefinans magasin udgivet City af Herning
ZOOM. HERNING CITY’S EGET MAGASIN. Herning City udgiver magasinet Zoom fire gange årligt. Det er GRATIS og bringer dig tættere på midtbyen med udvalgte nyheder og upcomming events. Læs om musik, sport, mode og interviews med ildsjæle og personligheder fra nærområdet. Snup det i butikkerne i Herning City og slap af med god, underholdende og relevant læsning for dig, som elsker BYEN! Og det er helt gratis!
R STILSIKKE RSaséIKKER EIL MT SOe: FM lS ti S .P ra S.O.A Saselin ERl Sasé SOMSM .O.A.P ti Rocker k og Herning ert-aktuelle Pin t: Fart på med MTB Musik: Konc or Sp • ri ert linge Mode: Lækk
Saseline: Fra lle Pink og Herning Rocker
ert-aktue med MTB Musik: Konc ort: Fart på ert lingeri • Sp Mode: Lækk
Læs midtbyens GRATIS magasin!
Læs i ZOOM
/ Interviews & portrætter / Bio- & boganmeldelser / Mode & livsstil / Inspiration & musthaves / Aktivitetskalender / Shopping i Herning City
✶ BYENS LEGEPLADS FOR OVERRASKELSER, OPLEVELSER & SHOPPING ✶
72 : CAREER : GRADUATION
CAREER CORNER: THE ROAD TO SUCCESS Let me begin by saying I write from experience. Years and life give us a completely different perspective, and looking back it is much easier to see our mistakes, all those missed opportunities. However let’s not dwell on the negative: this piece is about positive advice on how to embark on a trip down the road to success. Whatever success means for us individually. If you have been reading the previous Focus Student Magazine issues, you will know most of what I will tell, but this is an interesting chance to see everything in a global plan, rather than as separate tidbits. WHAT DOES SUCCESS MEAN? Professional success is finding a field you enjoy working in, and then a job in that field that does not feel like a chore, and that is engaging and challenging. That is no easy task. I know what most of you are thinking now: the hard part is finding the job. Wrong. What is hard is finding out what one likes doing. Some are lucky. Some know what they want to do from the get go. The rest of us, well, we first have to find it. When you discover what you are passionate about, the rest will just come naturally (it might be slow, but it will). So there you have it, that is the first step. Find what you like to do. FOCUS MAGAZINE
But how does one go about that? Good old trial and error. Simply try everything you feel drawn to. Do you think you could code a killer app? Make it. You think that marketing campaign was a disaster for that brand? Come up with a better one. Are those Hollywood movies too shallow for you? Grab a camera and make a YouTube series. What do you have to lose? If you hate doing something, scratch it off the list and jump to the next thing. If you had fun, give it a couple more shots and see how it feels. To me, this is the hardest part. Of course, there are other things to bear in mind. THE CORE I wanted to give a fancy name to this section, mainly because this should be the most fancy you offer. What I call the core is what you bring to the table at a professional level. What can you do? How can you do it? What proof do you have that you can do this? It is your experience. And here we need to make a stop and define experience - because it is not just working experience in regular full-time or part-time jobs. Your experience is everything you have done or are doing. This includes jobs, projects (personal or academic), hobbies, volunteering, summer camps, internships,...
TEXT MARC RAMOS GARZON IMAGES ALEXEI PATRASCU
In a way, these are what make you a great product. The same way you choose a tasty pastry at the bakery over the dull ones, a company will pick an applicant that looks more delicious than the rest. So how can other activities besides your studies influence “how you taste”? Volunteering: It shows passion and commitment, plus it is, after all, work, just unpaid. Volunteering sometimes sounds like NGO or charity, but volunteering could be anything. No need to go far for an example, everyone involved in this magazine is a volunteer (By the way, we are recruiting!). Positions of responsibility in any volunteer organization also boost your profile, being a leader, secretary or treasurer in one is a way to make yourself more employable. Internship: Perhaps this is the most obvious, and nowadays a normal step in most people’s career. Projects: Those projects you write for school or university can also be aimed at improving your profile, and not only your skills but also your interests. Are you an ambitious engineer who wants to work for Siemens? Make sure those projects are about wind power. Are you a fashion enthusiast studying economics? Try analyzing the Chinese export market.
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74 : CAREER : GRADUATION
Personal projects (as part of your hobbies) can also have an impact and be relevant to a potential employer. I am not saying everything you do needs to be relevant, far from it, we all need activities to relax and disconnect from our career. But pay attention to the opportunities that might be there, and use them. For example, a web designer who likes horse riding could make a webshop selling horse riding equipment. THE CONTEXT Remember your skills do not exist on a vacuum, and there are other factors at play, when walking the road to success. First of all, you are a person, and you have your merits and flaws, doubts, hopes and dreams, like everyone else. Most companies do not just want a heartless machine that can fulfill the job, but someone who can fit in the organization. If you are easy to talk to and friendly during an interview, rather than nervous and answering curtly and very politely, you score more points than other applicants. Being open and talkative will also show your passion about the field. Not just in a job interview, but in all interactions with people. Of course, do not bore others to tears about how great an economist you are, but make yourself known as the economist passionate about a topic, like water pumps. It should not come as a
FOCUS MAGAZINE
surprise, the whole article is about branding yourself. Talking to others about your person as a brand is marketing yourself. And like that we have come to a key element in the road to success: your network. Network is just a word, and what it really means is the people you know. Look, it is all the people you know, not all the CEOs you know, not all the HR employers you know; it is everyone. Your friends, family, colleagues, but also your doctor, your hairdresser, your yoga instructor,‌ they all know other people. After all, the human being is gregarious by nature. So brand yourself to them, to all of them. Casually mention how great it would be for you to mold plastic pieces for LEGO to your doctor, chat a bit with your neighbor about how cool it would be for you to be on a television set. What their memory will retain is what skills you have. And they might have someone in their network who is looking for someone just like you. Social media can be a great help here. There are tons of places online you can display your portfolio, blog, or connect with others in the field (like LinkedIn). And you can stay in
contact with your network more easily, if they are on Facebook, for example. Just be careful what you publish online though, it is two clicks away from everyone, even possible employers, and that could work against you, depending on how you behave online or what they can find. Another advantage of internships, volunteering, writing projects in a team,‌ is expanding your network. Who knows, perhaps if you write a project for a company they will want to hire you, or a volunteer writer position could land you a job in a newspaper. Be on the lookout for opportunities and use them. Much, much more could be said about networking, but I am running out of space here. BOTTOM LINE Everything is connected. Find your passion/s, develop them (which should be easy, since they are your passions, what you enjoy doing) and tell the world about it. That is pretty much it. The bottom line is, you are a product, made attractive by your skills, passion and experience, wrapped with your personality. But all products are on a market, and you need to brand and promote yourself to your network and employers.
ÅBNINGSTIDER MAN-TORS FREDAG LØRDAG
10.00-17.30 10.00-18.00 10.00-15.00
Oplev det hele i Herning! LEN EUROPEAN SHORT COURSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS 12-15 DECEMBER
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76 : CAREER : INTERNSHIP IN ATLANTA
THE WORLD AT YOUR FEET
MOR
TEN
Erhvervsakademi MidtVest is a learning institution with presence in Holstebro and Herning. They focus, as the name suggests, on business studies, preparing young people for a career in business with a focus on internationalisation. How do they do that? They have established agreements with foreign higher education institutions, in close collaboration with several British universities, and mobility programmes with universities across Europe. Moreover, their students engage in internships across the globe (incl. Dubai, USA, Australia, Thailand,...). When you think about it, it is the most logical step, an internship abroad, in a global environment for people who study international business. Learn more about the study programs and internationalization at eamv.dk.
where M studie ORTEN d
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MORTEN BLIGAARD-CHRISTENSEN Morten is young and ready to take on the world. Originally from Holstebro, he later moved to Herning to study International Marketing at EAMV MidtVest . He has nothing but positive words about his choice “Both the social and learning environments at EAMV MidtVest are great. I have developed a lot, socially and as a person, but most importantly I acquired knowledge and experience in several subjects”. After finishing his studies in International Marketing, he decided to stay and refine his skills, choosing to study a bachelor in International Sales and Marketing Management. This education runs for three semesters, and Morten is ready to begin his last now, the one reserved for an internship.
You can feel the excitement about this next adventure in his life: living and working in Atlanta for half a year. AN INTERNSHIP ABROAD Together with his friend and study colleague Mathias, Morten secured an internship at the Danish American Chamber of Commerce in Atlanta, Georgia. “This will be a fantastic experience and I am really happy that I will get to understand and live the American culture and way of working. It is time to put in practice everything we learnt at EAMV”. Morten is really excited about his internship, where he will be in charge of tasks related to his studies: organising events, contacting sponsors and making new contacts, as well as other tasks connected to business and marketing.
INTERNSHIP IN ATLANTA : CAREER : 77 Morten is very glad to have had this rare chance, and he “did not hesitate a second to take this opportunity as it presented itself”. A great opportunity now, indeed, and a building block for his career in the future. This is a great way to start one’s career, within an international organisation where he will acquire experience and contacts, and to top it off, in a recognisable institution.
Would you also like to start your career like this? Regardless of what and where you study, inform yourself now about your options, you will not regret it! TEXT MARC RAMOS GARZON IMAGES STEVE HARDY MARC RAMOS GARZON
ow, n s i TEN R O M e re wher his futu g makin
Museum of Contemporary Art
VIDEA is a centre for entrepreneurship activities at VIA University College.
www.heartmus.dk
VIA UC students with energy and ideas can contact them via Facebook or at VIDEAherning@viauc.dk FOCUS MAGAZINE
78 : PEOPLE : AUSRA BABIEDAITE
AUSRA'S
PHOTOGRAPHY TEXT DAYANA TSVETKOVA IMAGES AUSRA BABIEDAITE
Ausra Babiedaite is 24 and studied
an AP in Multimedia Design and a BA in International Communication and Multimedia.
First off, can you tell us about
yourself and how you got started with photography? I came to Denmark in 2008 to study Communication and Multimedia Design. I lived in Aarhus for 4,5 years and I just moved to Copenhagen.
However, it all became more serious when I started my studies. I just carried my camera everywhere with me – to events, parties, friends’ birthdays, when going for a walk... Then I got a bit bored from just taking random tree pictures and I noticed that I mostly enjoy taking pictures of people. While taking pictures of random people, I started to get the idea of whom I wanted to take a photo of, where and how exactly. Then I began to plan photoshoots.
The first photoshoots that I did cooperating with other people were for Viktorija.Agne jewelries. I had a great experience working with a designer and a make-up artist. At that point, I began to understand that photoshoots are much more than your ideas, professional camera and good lightening. You need to have models, make-up artists, designers, clothes, costumes, decorations and so much more to realize those ideas.
I started taking pictures already at school, but it was just a game for me, I never really looked seriously into it.
How would you
describe your work to someone who has never seen it? You press the shutter button and hope for the best. No, it is actually way much more than that. Most of the work takes place when planning for the shoot and during the process of postproduction. Shooting is the fun part, yes it takes a lot of energy, but it is the fun part I would say.
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What does photography mean to you?
It is my way of showing how I perceive people, how I see them. Photography means a lot to me, it provides a possibility for me to express my emotions, feelings, my dreams and visions. I was never much of a talker, so this is my way of communicating. Sometimes words are just not enough or I just cannot pick the right ones. I think everything around inspires me and is reflected in each capture of mine. It is not a job for me, it is a kind of a state of mind that I am in when I am taking pictures. I could even say that I charge myself with a good energy when I photograph. This energy really keeps me going.
How did your study program help you develop your photography style? I believe my photography style is formed by everything that surrounds me. I have spent 3 years in university, so it must have made an influence on my photography. The study program touches a wide range of subjects and I believe it gave me an understanding on how I should actually present myself as a professional. My photography style as such is developed more according to my personality and my perception of the surroundings and beauty in general.
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Why are you in Denmark and how does the country influence your work?
I am impressed with the Danish sense of style and fashion. I always see many people on the street that I would love to take pictures of and it really inspires me. Since I am obsessed with fashion photography, Denmark is the perfect country, because it is full of fashion. I also noticed that most of the Danish people do not really have to try to be fashionable and stylish, it is almost natural for them, they do not overdo it and that is what I love about them. Less is more, right?
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AUSRA BABIEDAITE : PEOPLE : 81
What inspires you? Who are your
If you could photograph any person
favourite photographers?
My inspiration always has been and will be music. I never work without my music. I have separate playlists for shooting and editing pictures and the playlists vary on the style of the photoshoot. I like to have some music while shooting because I can feel that it inspires and relaxes not only me but also the model. I always ask if the model likes something specific, if not I always play something that would help us in the shoot. I cannot pick one photographer because there are so many of them and they are so different! I could start with Annie Leibovitz. From the very beginning she was my hero and I always followed her career. I think she is legendary and I love the way she changed the concept of a portrait and fashion photography in general. She always tried to look at things from a different angle, which made her pictures unique.
in the world, who would it be? Tim Walker is also one of the most inspiring photographers in the fashion industry and a true storyteller. Every time I look at his pictures I feel like I am reading a small story, it is amazing how Tim Walker is able to say so much in his pictures.
I have to mention Cara Delevingne and her eyebrows. Since my passion is fashion photography, I would love to work with top models. And she is top of the top for me! Also Abbey Lee Kershaw, just because she can be very versatile in the shoots.
Alexandra Sophie is also extremely inspiring. Her pictures are always so feminine and dreamy.
What projects are you working on
Zoey Grossman is one of my favorites, because she has this Indie style tendency in her shoots. I really like Amber Asaly pictures and how she works with the film. Finally, Marla Singer is worth to mention as well. Her pieces always distinguish with bright colors, which I love, amazing postproduction and unique concepts.
I am working mostly on my own personal branding at the moment. I was always busy with studying, working and I never really put myself 100% into photography. Now, I have the greatest opportunity to do what I love and have a passion for. I am developing my own website, which will launch at the end of summer, and I am also planning to have a lot more shoots – summer is perfect for that. I always look for interesting new faces and personalities that I could capture.
right now?
Where would you wish to wake up tomorrow?
Chefchaouen in Morocco. I am a huge fan of a blue color. The town where every house is painted in various shades of blue seems pretty insane for me. Would love to shoot there.
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