FOCUS Student Magazine - Issue 3 by FOCUS Student Magazine

MAGAZINE

Issue 3 April 2013

FOCUS Staff & Contributors Founder/Editor in Chief: Edvard L. Tramsen Writers: Valeria Solonari, Marc Ramos Garzon, Sara Constantinescu Martina Kiehas, Vaida Pakulyte Dayana Tsvetkova, Alina Vlaicu Photographers: Sara Constantinescu Graphic Designers: Alina Vlaicu, Dayana Tsvetkova, Alexei Patrascu Sponsors: Uddannelsesby Herning, Burger King, Magpie Lane, Jydepotten, Heart Museum, TEKO Friday Bar, STARTit Herning, Student Activity Association, Birk League 2013, Student House, Friday Bar 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. Cover Cover Illustration: Alexei Patrascu http://alexeipatrascu-works.blogspot.com/ Copyright is reserved.Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited. FOCUS magazine uses all the materials with permission from the owners. 2013 - FOCUS MAGAZINE

THE CREW from writers to graphic designers and photographers, meet the team behind this monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s exquisite FOCUS

FOCUS 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 volunteers young people from 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 MAY

Exchange Life in Herning

Horse riding in Herning

Career Corner: Portfolio

Keep Moving

Fashion & Music

Meet Pia Schildknecht

Stereotypes around campus

Events Calender

EDITORIAL

Greetings, reader of FOCUS magazine! As our magazine is growing and cultivating it’s style, we are looking to the development and future of FOCUS. Starting this project we made our vision clear: to supply the students of Aarhus University Herning and TEKO with current, relevant news and information from the local scene. Our mission has been to create a high quality and free issue available to anyone with interest to our institutions. Finally FOCUS is about getting you connected to the events and projects going on. After only a few short months, we have grasped a unique and personal student magazine style, our volunteer count has grow. We’ve networked and connected with many local organisations and companies, who now support and are part of our initiative. This was only possible through the massive commitment and enthusiasm of the people, who helped in creating and grinding the magazine towards our shared aspiration. So far the journey has been on winding roads ever reaching for higher plateaus. However we’re nearing the end of this study year, and sadly a lot of the team of FOCUS will not be available in the next semester. The full potential of FOCUS has not yet been reached, which is why we are working towards continuing this project with new staff. For this reason we have been working on creating a solid and structured foundation for FOCUS and its conditions, so that new volunteers will easily be able to continue this legacy.

This also means a call to arms for anyone with an interest in journalism and writing. You will soon find our posters around campus with more information on how you can participate. Focus is not subject to anyone but the joint staff and the ideas of the students a part of the project. Meaning our initiative is also able to cover any topic, we choose to write about and any subject that we find interesting and relevant. The purpose is to inspire, provoke, engage and inform the more than 3000 students of AU-He and TEKO. The endeavour is a simple one; sharing educational and cultural content with a fresh and fun spin. This is what we look for in the people, we incorporate and the stories we deliver to you. Our ambition for this magazine goes even beyond Herning and our ideas and dreams for the future are ones that we strive and fight for every day. FOCUS is about being an active participant in creating your own path in life, be it in creative writing or expanding minds. Until next time, please enjoy this month’s issue of FOCUS, the student magazine of AU-Herning and TEKO.

Edvard L. Tramsen,

Editor & Founder of Focus edvard@startitherning.dk

EXCHANGE LIFE IN HERNING

Text: Vaida Pakulyte Photography: Sara Constantinescu

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 Netherlands and Stephanie from Canada are two Erasmus students who decided that Herning will be the next station in their journey of discovering cultures, different study environments and new places. Both Stephanie and Danny are staying in Herning till the end of June. Few more months and they will get back to lives they were used to. Therefore Focus magazine decided to ask what is it like to live and study here.

Danny Groothuis Age – 23

Someone who inspires me – Since music is an important part of my life, I choose DJ Derric May who is one of the creators of techno which is the music genre I am really dedicated. 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. 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? How do you experience it? I divide life here in two parts – study life and 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 wonderful exchange students with whom every day is different and memorable. Are there any differences between education systems in Denmark and Netherlands? I noticed more than 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, they are 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 auditorium with 700 people and have no chance to ask a question that concerns you. What was the best moment you had here so far? It was 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. So many hugs, wishes and warmth from people all around Europe made me feel like in 7th heaven.

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 – university is just few steps away, I volunteer as a DJ at local parties, play football in the Birk League, travel and explore Denmark in and out. Shortly said, it wonderful to feel that you are living for a reason. One thing you are definitely bringing back home from Denmark? Most important thing is the memories I will always keep in mind, nothing compares to that. Other than that, I will fill my luggage with knowledge I gained, improved English, basics of Danish and a piece of LEGO – something that represents Denmark. How has the exchange semester benefitted you so far? It 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 already planning reunion all over Europe!

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 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 had here? It’s hard to choose one moment. Maybe one of the first nights I’ve spent with exchange people, I mean when I realized the experience was really starting or I would say also a weekend I’ve spent with 9 other friends in Copenhagen. It was just me-mo-rable!! We really enjoyed the moment.

Stephannie Matte Age - 22 Someone who inspires me – Guy Laliberté, co-founder and current CEO of Cirque du Soleil. Quote that describes me – It is not enough to do steps that must one day lead to a goal, each and every step must be a goal itself as it guides you forward.My next Destination – I will have a short trip back to Canada and then I am planning to move in to Copenhagen – a bit bigger city life is waiting for me. What is your opinion about student life in Herning? How do you experience it? The fact that Herning is a pretty small city really emphasizes the student life atmosphere. The 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.

How is your every day life different here in Denmark? I don’t have a part time job, I am not living with my parents anymore, I have the opportunity to travel a lot during the semester, 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 definitely bringing back home from Denmark? I 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 time here and want to remember everything. 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: Martina Kiehas Photography: Susanne Giltrup

HORSE RIDING IN HERNING The average person might think that there is not much going on in Herning – horse riders will see it differently. Horse riding is often associated with snobbism - the kind of sports for rich people. This might be true for some countries. In Denmark, however, horse riding is quite popular and Herning has a lot to offer for anyone with an interest in horses. All roads lead to riding stables There are five registered riding clubs in Herning and many other privately run stables. Riding schools, such as Herning Rideklub or Hammerum Rideklub are the places to contact, if you would like to learn how to ride a horse. If you are confident about your riding skills and would prefer to ride without supervision, you might be lucky enough to find a horse owner who does not have sufficient time for his or her horse and is happy about you exercising it. The riding clubs also announce competitions on their websites, so if you are not interested in getting on horseback but want to watch others who do so, this might be just the way to spend a Saturday afternoon. Four-legged Stars in Herning Apart from these competitions, Herning hosts some high-profile events. The highlight of the horse riders’ calendar

is for sure the European Championship that will be held in Herning in August 2013. However, there is also an annual highlight that attracts horse riders from all over Scandinavia and Germany: the horse trade fair “Hest & Rytter” that is always held in March. One part of the trade fair are the stands where you can buy everything a horse rider can possibly dream of - there are also competitions and the stallion licensing, where Denmark’s most promising young stallions are presented. Jane Giltrup – student and horse rider There are many horse interested people around AU and TEKO and one of them is Jane Giltrup. Jane is a Danish girl who grew up in Brazil and began riding horses when she was 7. However in order to get to know the country her parents are from, she decided to study in Denmark, which brought her to Herning. As a true horse-addict, she did not want to give up on her hobby and looked for a horse to buy. Jane stumbled over Willini and fell in love head over heels. Since then, Jane and the Danish mare are inseparable and are training for competitions. Even though Jane has enjoyed her studies here and says that she met great people, she still plans to move back to Brazil after graduating – together with Willini.

CAREER CORNER: PORTFOLIO

Text: Marc Ramos Garzon

#strategic As I mentioned last time, being a student is time-consuming. There’s all the school work and parties to attend, and now some douche (not me) recommended you join some volunteer organization for fun, experience and improving your resumé (see issue #2). You know what else can improve your resumé? More experience! The joke is, though, that you already have it, you just don’t know it. Or you will. It is everything you create in your spare time, the projects you work on during your education and your passions. So how do you tap into it for a killer job after graduation? #early Set your goals from the start. You chose a study programme at university for a reason. Why? Where do you want to be? What do you want to work as? In a company? Which? When you have answered these questions, check what you need to get there. Don’t do it later, do it now. “Later” is too late.

Now that you know where you want to go, work towards it. Don’t pick project topics to pass the subject. Think how they can affect your goal. Do you want to work in Company X? Write a project related to what they do, using the skills they look for in their job offers, or in their area. Are you working on a hobby in your spare time? Could it be used to reach your goal? Of course you should have hobbies unrelated to your career, but some of them might be useful. An engineer creating robots in his spare time who blogs about it will have more chances to get into a job than his peers. #portfolio And that’s not just for artists, think of the engineer I just described. Point is, in this day and age you need to show others what you can do. The better you can show it, the more chances they want to hire you. And yes, there are some careers that will have a harder time doing this, but starting a blog takes 5 minutes, and you can write all about supply chain management advancements or your views on famous branding failures.

KEEP MOVING Writer & Photographer: Dayana Tsvetkova Since we are kids, we have been raised with the accomplishments of sports personas. As we look up to them, we might as well try to adopt similar qualities. A driven person is built from within. What we often fail to realize is that being an athlete is a state of mind. In the Birk Campus we are lucky to have a few of those people that endeavour to awaken our sport’s enthusiasm. Velislava B. Chardakova is a founder of Dance & Aerobics sessions and Wojciech T. Zmijski is a player in Birk League. Following up are one-on-one interviews with both of them. They share some insights about their active lifestyles and the excitement they get from “moving”.

Velislava Borislavova Chardakova (Val) Age: 26 For how long have you been dancing? I have always been a fan of dancing. Since teenage years I have been going to discos and clubs mainly to enjoy feeling free and having fun on the dance floor. While in high school I started going on Aerobics trainings, really dynamic and fun. Then in my Bachelor years I continued attending different group trainings for girls - from Yoga and Kalanetics till Tae-Bo, Shaping and different kind of Aerobics. I definitely liked the combination of keeping fit and having fun! How come you started the classes? After some years of practising Aerobics I was definitely in a need to attend something similar in Birk. I decided to try to provide classes accessible for the students, so that we didn’t have to travel to the centre in order to attend a class of Aerobics or other group training. Why did you mix dancing and aerobics? Well, it wasn’t hard at all for me to come up with this idea As I said above, I always have been enjoying dancing and combining it with Aerobics can keep people Fit and at the same time let them have fun while doing it. Can anyone join? Oh, definitely everybody can join! There is no need to have any particular experience. Of course, the more you attend the trainings the more you get used to the moves. But also during the training there are some movements who are repeating or some other which are easily grasped. What is your favourite exercise and why? My favourite exercise really depends of the music, because some exercises go really good with a particular song. But people who have attended my trainings have definitely noticed that on Lady Gaga’s songs I get somehow more inspired

and motivated to do more hardcore movements and exercises. You should attend and you will see it! Do you follow some diet to keep your body in shape? To be honest, right now I am not following any, but I am trying to keep some main rules as: Not eating very late and trying to eat crappy food like chips, Mcdonalds and etc. as rare as possible. Do you have any healthy tips for us? Healthy Tips - Keep Moving! Doing sports and other different activities are good for your Body and Soul! Everybody knows that sport is a good stress reliever! And of course, watch what you eat. Don’t get really obsessed by that, don’t torture yourself by some really drastic diets, but eat a little bit of everything. Better more often with small portions and of course - Lots of Water! And last, but not least - Find what your favourite sport is, because you have to enjoy what you do! Cheers!

Wojciech Tomasz Zmijski Age: 22 When did you start playing football and why? I started to play football in 2002, when the Polish national team qualified for the World Cup in Korea and Japan after 16 years. I was 12 back then and this was the time I became interested in the sport in general. That was a big deal for my father and my grandfather, because they played football and I was “anti-sport” until 2002. For which team are you playing in Birk League? I play in Hammerum Hammers, this season I am also in charge of Birk League Tournament. Do you guys motivate each other during practices? Of course we do, but I don’t think it is good idea to write down how or which words are we using. How often do you meet? We are trying to meet at least once a week and during the weekends. What is your favourite thing about football? That everyone can win against everyone so unpredictable. How does it feel to hear cheering of supporters during a game? We don’t have many supporters during the games in Birk League (mostly because of the weather). That’s why we would like to invite as many people as possible for the games. When I played in Poland though it was motivating to hear cheering, my father (him again :) ) was the loudest fan during our games. Do you think girls can join you guys? Of course they can, we have a perfect example this year - No fear for beer - where we have three girls in the team.

Do you have any tips for people that might want to join the Birk League? Don’t be scared and shy to sign up, there’s always place for new players and new teams. We are trying to make this tournament bigger and bigger with each year.

FASHION & MUSIC

Deigaard&Ruby have found the perfect mix!

Two versatile TEKO students are taking us into an eclectic musical journey, giving us an inside scoop on their passion for playing with sounds.

Text and photography: Sara Constantinescu

As I was writing this interview, an elegant and captivating mix-tape was rolling in the background, almost dragging me in some sort of hypnosis or into a parallel universe. “ It is a bit different from what Emil and I want to play” , Alexander had told me, before sending me the mix. This only made me even more curious about their project and more excited at the same time about this challenging musical journey that I was about to embark on. 1 hour, 16 minutes and 40 seconds of “abstract music” as I like to call it, had just come to an end and that was when I started wondering who exactly are these two musically restless minds behind the DJ booth and how did their idea come to life. Alexander Diegaard studies Pattern Design at TEKO whilst Emil Ruby is taking a diploma in Visual Fashion Communication. Both of them are Danish with versatile interests and lively personalities. It already sounds like the perfect recipe for an eclectic duo that knows how to light up a party! So let’s start decrypting their project’s DNA, shall we!?

Why Deigaard&Ruby? Those are our surnames so it just came about naturally , but we are thinking about changing it to “Gefühl” (in German: feeling). What type of music do you usually play? Mostly Deephouse and Techhouse, some call it lounge. Is it your own music or are you only mixing it? We are mixing the songs together, trying to make a story out of the set, so it is not just picking all the time.

How did you guys “click” on a musical level? Alexander: Emil was in a rock band and I was more into Berlin’s underground electronic music. It might sound different, but it somehow worked out. Emil is very good at analyzing the electronic music and I have learned and developed a lot together with him. Do you ever have to “betray” your musical beliefs in order to please everyone listening to you or do you try to stick to your own style no matter what feedback you receive from the audience? We always stick to the music style that we like, and it sort of surprised us that people even liked the minimal tracks. The truth is that not all people can listen to this type of music and understand what makes it good. Where did you play so far? We have just started up, so it is a brand new project. Alexander has played in Copenhagen a few times and we have just played our sets during TEKO’s Friday. It is always a great experience to be surrounded by friends and fellow students. Was it a nerve-racking experience to mix together at TEKO’s Friday Bar? We were not nervous at all as we felt that we had a pretty good control of our set. The second set was quite different from the first one though, so that’s when we were more concerned about the people’s reaction. But judging from the pictures taken that day, it seemed like everyone was enjoying it!

What are your musical inspirations? It is difficult to answer because itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s all kinds of music. We play electronic now, but we are talking about messing around with other genres, like old school Hip Hop and Soul, to develop ourselves. Within the electronic music we find musicians such as Frivolous, Stimming and DJ Koze very inspiring. Koze is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best remixers. Stimming uses the surrounding sounds to make music and Frivolous is so unique that you can only love it. Are you planning to continue this project in the long run after you finish studying at TEKO? Alexander is moving back to Copenhagen this summer and Emil is moving to Aarhus, so it will be a bit difficult to practice often. But of course we will stick together and visit each other as often as possible - and luckily for us, Denmark is not that big. If you were to choose, would you sacrifice a career in fashion for one in music? Of course, we concentrated on what we are studying and going for a future in the field, but it is healthy to have a hobby where you have the opportunity to grow and learn a lot. Music is something we surround ourselves with every day and everyone has an opinion about this, which makes it interesting to work with. So now the rhetorical question comes: When will we be able to hear these guys again? I think we might have to call them in for a Focus Magazine reception!

Burger King Herning is supporting the local student environment by funding the TEKO Tigers Birk League - check out the FOCUS article covering this project! As a student of AU-Herning and TEKO youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re able to receive a special 20% off at Burger King with discount cards exclusively available around Birk, at the Friday Bar and during Birk League finals!

BURGER KING AD

Silkeborgvej 82A, 7400 Herning

MEET PIA SCHILDKNECHT! Text: Alina Vlaicu As our last article talked about a TEKO student, for this issue I want to present you a TEKO graduate. We will meet Pia Schildknecht, the person behind Phusime and Stormsalen. Pia finished her Design Technologist - International Marketing studies at TEKO in the summer of 2010. Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s see what happened till now! 1. How did you experience the TEKO environment? I loved being a part of an international atmosphere and learning about other cultures and how to cooperate with other nationalities. It also gave me a great base for an international network of former TEKO students. Besides that I learned a lot about my own role in an international group and I also got a clear view of my weaknesses and strengths. The great thing about TEKO is the broad range of topics you get in the two first semesters. You get a good understanding of the entire value system of the creative industry. I have always been a hard s tudent to have in a class - I have a tendency to question everything - and read everything else than my homework. Lucky for me - I had a teacher in TEKO that gave me a bit of free range. 2. When and how did you start Phucisme and Stormsalen? I started PHUCISME right after the summer 2010, with conceptual artist and designer, Phuc Van Dang. I created our business plan as a part of my final exam, based on Alexander Osterwalderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business model canvas. We wanted to create a company that one cannot put into a box. For the both of us the creative process can be applied to basically everything. We work with the sense that everything is connected - so we work in a crossing

between culture, design and art, however still very focused on the business perspective in these areas. In the beginning of 2012 we finally got to create STORMSALEN - a new way of thinking co-creation. I am one of seven founders. We were six companies that joined forces and now we are one creative house. We created an actual company together - and now have the qualifications to compete with bigger design and graphic companies. We are seven professionals with totally different qualifications - which give us a clear competitive edge in everything from public art, marketing/PR, product design, art and interior design, together with lectures, workshops. The common nominator is that all the projects are user-based and often based in workshops with users and clients.

3. I saw that you work with artists from different countries. How do you choose your collaborators? We love new fresh talent – that’s it. And if we see the right chemistry - that is the base for every successful partnership. We should have fun working together. It is all about sharing - If you have a great contact / producer / friend or an advice - share it! It is good business karma. 4. What are the three most important things that you learn from the people that you work with? Never be afraid to fail. Failing only evolves you as a professional. Network is everything - both on a local, national, international level - it makes your day more fun - and it is a great way of gaining new friends, partners, and customers. Knowledge is power. Read everything. 5. Tell us something funny about your team, funny habits, names, words… We started PHUCISME in my apartment and had everything from CEOs, craftsmen, artists and collaborators sitting by our kitchen table discussing everything from new concepts and collections to finances and logistics. It created a familiar atmosphere. PHUCISME is based on Phuc’s name = Phuc is me Phuc has a terrible fear of heights - which was kind of an issue when we had to create an art piece that was 15 meters high. My table in STORMSALEN is in a constant mess. I am quite messy. But I still know where everything is. One Friday every moth we arrange an “after work bar” in STORMSALEN - where we get together with our new collaborators, network and great friends. We have a pretty awesome workshop in the cellar - where we can work with wood, painting and metals. I am the janitor in STORMSALEN - and spend the most amount of time there. We are not the biggest fans of fancy fashion parties. We prefer dark pubs with regulars. Sometimes you meet people with massive life experience - and great stories.

6.Tell us about your style and when you realized you wanted to work in the creative sector. I have been a creative spirit my entire life, and had my first exhibition when I was 18 years old. This was when I meet Phuc. Since then we worked on some other project together and we went traveling together. Over a lot of great nights with a lot of brainstorming and red wine - we came up with the concept of PHUCISME. And one day in the spring of 2010 - he called me and said if I wanted to give it a go. I come from an entrepreneurial family - and it is in my blood. So I had to say yes. PHUCISME’s style is based on Phuc’s illustrative universe and his ability to create shapes and concepts for his product designs. We sit across each other every day and work very closely in the creative process.

7. I saw that many of the symbols that you use at PHUCISME are inspired by geometry. Why? We love geometry - because you can find it everywhere. In nature, architecture, art, in our everyday life - however we love to match it up with organic shapes to break and balance the geometry. 8. Where do you find inspiration? I find inspiration everywhere - everything from the people, nature, the streets, my favorite cities, food, music, and even in the local newspaper - and I am always online looking for inspiration and news. I often find the small moments in my everyday life as the most inspiring. 9. What other projects are you working on? Just to name a few: New collection for Bolia.com, New products for PHUCISMEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portfolio, Street art project in Horsens, a new concept for art festival, consultants for a divergent thinking classes at a primary school and STORMSALEN just got accepted into a major EU project in business model innovation, which means that I have to move my office to Reykjavik for three months this summer. 10.What hobbies do you have? What do you like to do in your spare time? I am so lucky that I have made my hobby to my full time job, which means that I am always looking for new inspiration and new ideas. Other than that - I love being with my family and friends. Photography, diving, traveling, cooking, playing computer games, going to flee markets, cycling and so much more.

11. Do you have some advices for TEKO students? Allow yourself to make mistakes. Always carry a notebook - write all ideas down - all the great, the bad, and the crazy ones (those are usually the best). AND AGAIN!! Know the importance for meeting new people from all over the world - have fun with it - and start to build your network. LAST TIP FFROM PIA: A lot of the best ideas come from sharing a bottle of wine. Break the rules and follow your gut. You can find Pia and her team here: http://piaschildknecht.com/ http://phucisme.dk/ http://www.stormsalen.dk/

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Herning is a city, which offers great opportunities to realize new ideas, and that will make it fun being a Herningangster.â&#x20AC;?

Creating a unique and appealing student environment in Herning

Uddannelsesby Herning - Birk Centerpark 40 - 7400 Herning Telefon: +45 9626 1111 - Mail: uddannelsebyherning@erhvervsraadet.dk

Stereotypes around campus. Let me give you a tour!

Text: Valeria Solonari Illustrations: Alexei Patrascu Innovation. Inspiration. Creativity. We toss these words around daily. Are they just fancy ways to say ‘I’ve 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’s a widely-held and poorly-articulated imageof 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’ve 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 isn’t 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 don’t all fit into the same mold. To sow the seeds of discussion, I’ve 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?

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. 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, possibly bordering on perfectionism. Moreover, when they feel like their creative juices are drying up, or when they’re prevented from expressing themselves artistically, they may fall into a deep introversion. Always caught in sown-at-the-crack-of-dawn 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’m sorry. Not everyone can tell the difference between lawn and cambric.

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? It seems so, by only with their look of I-can-make-you-rich-let’s-run-abusiness-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 doesn’t benefit them personally. They are progressive, stubborn and supreme idealists. And also the CEOs of their own company: Me Inc.

The PATTERN DESIGNER

The PURCHASER

When you look at one of these people, you might not see a traditional creative type. There’s 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. 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 show a tendency for being 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

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. 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. Don’t take it the wrong way; is it only that you are so much better than the rest of us?

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. 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.

Well, well, donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t 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. 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, employment level and interest rates. So yes, if you are looking for the ones who walk with numbers and equations above their heads, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 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’ve ached to look more like him, as if ‘I’m brainy and brilliant and you’re 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. 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’ve 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 don’t understand this concept; they believe that if it’s not broke, don’t fix it. Well, Engineers believe that if it’s not broke, it means that it doesn’t have enough features yet. For them, the world is a box full of sub-optimized and feature-poor toys.

Master writers and communicators 3.0 for print, online, social media and multimedia – a person to grab someone’s attention for a change nowadays. 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 aren’t any video installations and interactive works of art, or devouring hardcover paper volume of obscure French philosophy, unless it’s on an e-book. They see beyond what’s 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?

Again, these creative categorizations are not hard and fast representations. Many of us exhibit multiple qualities in lesser or greater amounts, but these creations might be a helpful visualization for every individual to acknowledge how she/he may be perceived from outside. The FOCUS team is very interested in your thoughts with these constructions, and welcomes dialogue about these types of creativity! You can reach us through email: edvard@startitherning.dk, or on the official Facebook page of the magazine!

EVENTS CALENDAR Student Activity Association Wednesday, May 1st, 18:00 - 21.30 AU-HIH Cantina - Cook and Talk Sunday, May 12th, 18:00 - 21:00 Networking Lounge: Estonian Cultural Night

Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 10:00-17:00 Student Ticket 50kr Exhibitions: Saturday 4th, 12:00 - Herning 100 & the future: The development of the cultural life during the last 100 years is brought to life in the centre of Herning. Drop by HEARTs stand, get transformed into art and participate in the competitions. Tuesday 14th, 15:00-18:00 What is it worth?: Come to appraisal-day, where Bruun Rasmussens’s “appraisers” will determine the worth of your art, antiquities and design.

Open every Friday and at special occasions, offering students a cool and cosy atmosphere. During May month open on Friday the 3rd, 17th and 31st. More info on events will follow at TEKO Friday Bar on Facebook.

Thursday 23rd, 18:00-21:00 - Lecture on John Kørner, dinner included: Expand your knowledge on John Kørners works and his contemporaries, as the museum invites you to a lecture, taking you behind the scenes of HEARTs current exhibition (with museum director Michael Bank Christoffersen). Afterwards, you can enjoy dinner in HEART Cáfe - Dinner 18.00 / Lecture 19.30-21.00. Please check www.heartmus.dk for any updates and changes.

Saturday 4th (deadline for signup on the 2nd) Creative Bubble Workshop For entrepreneurs and innovators, check us out at Facebook.com/STARTit Herning.

There will be several matches played throughout May, on the field behind the Student House in Birk Campus. To see the exact lineup please see Facebook.com/BirkLeague2013 Sunday 5th, 13:00 - 17:00 Monday 6th, time to be decided Wednesday 8th, 16:00 Monday 13th, time to be decide Thursday 16th, 16:00 - 17:00 Sunday 19th, 12:00 - 16:00

VIDEA Entrepreneurship Centre, TEKO Building E

The Student House is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 20:00 - 23:00. For more info check: Facebook.com/BirkCampus. Wednesday 1st - Champions League Semifinal Wednesday 8th - Movie night Thursday 9th - Closed due to holiday Thursday 16th - Birk 100: Bazar + byfest Saturday 25th - Champions League Final

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