Issue 1 by IBCoMagazine

IBCoMagazine

2013/2014, Issue 1

What is Ibcom?? IBCoM Awards 2013

Bootcamp

We know what you did last summer

Editorial Dear fellow IBCoMmers, A brand new year, a brand new start! You have in your hands the very first issue of IBCoMagazine. This year, IBCoM is delighted to welcome its fifth batch of freshmen, thereby marking five years of the programme’s existence. From its modest beginnings as the first English-language Bachelor programme in its field in The Netherlands, it has grown into a respected international programme that is recognised all around the continent. The diversity of our students’ nationalities is a testament to this. Check out our infographic (‘Where are our IBCoM students from?’, p. 6) to find out more! As you’ve probably noticed, the publication has undergone a complete transformation (from its origins as IBCoM Insights). We are now IBCoMagazine, and along with a brand new design, we have a new team of student editors and writers ready to report on the happenings in the world of IBCoM. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our predecessors, without whom this first issue of IBCoMagazine would not be possible! In this issue, we explore different perspectives of IBCoM, from the students’ (‘What is IBCoM?’ p. 4) to the lecturers’ (International Communication Association Conference, p. 18). You will also read about the programme’s most important events: the third IBCoM Awards which took place at the Rotterdamse Schouwburg earlier this year (p. 12), and the IBCoM Bootcamp 2013 (p. 8). With a promising year full of friends, experiences and new adventures, I’m sure we will together be creating memories that will be talked about for the many months and years that follow. I hope you enjoy reading this issue of IBCoMagazine, and look forward to sharing the year with you!

Gaffar Rampage . Editor-In-Chief, IBCoMagazine 2013-2014

credits Editor-In-Chief Deputy Editor Managing Editor Copy Editor Art Director

Gaffar Rampage Julian Sonntag Monica Nicolova Rei Raksanugraha Monika Hlubinová

Writers

Anna Efimenko Ruta Ziabkute Anne van Rozendaal

Special thanks to: Advisory Team Brenda Grashoff Emma Hamilton Johannes von Engelhardt

Guest Writer

Johannes von Engelhardt

Photographers

Aron Kuisch JR Photography

Content 4 What is ibcom?

Where are our ibcom students from?

8 ibcom bootcamp 2013 12 ibcom awards 2013

we know what you did last summer

We Know What You Did last Summer

Best support team 17 international communication association conference

IBCoM Bootcamp 2013

IBCoM Awards

20 The rotterdam that ibcom recommends

onal student orga24 Ininternati sations 27 academic calendar 27 new editorial team 29 ibcomagazine is recruiting!

Best support team 3

What is

IBCoM By Anna Efimenko

IBCoM. Sounds new. Sounds fresh. Sounds creative. To some, it may sound unfamiliar and even suspicious. Many people have no clue what the faculty of Communication and Media is. If you study Business Administration, Economics, Law or Medicine, you would rarely hear questions such as: “So, what exactly do you study? Communication and Media? Never heard of it… what is it? What can you do with it? What will you become in the future? What subjects do you study? Communication technologies and their impacts? Communication as a social force? So… what do you study?” What? Why? How? …. Have you been showered by thousands of these questions? If no, you are lucky! If yes, I guess you might be really annoyed and fed up with people’s ‘curiosity’ about your study. Check out the Facebook status of one of our IBCoMmers and comments to it which well confirms that:

So, how do you answer all these questions? You, IBCoMmer, what exactly do you study? Let’s find out what our newly ‘IBCoM’ students have to say about this topic:

Vera Batelaan: “People are often wondering: “Are there any jobs in this field?” I don’t like that, because I think I wanna do something I like, which is this [Communication and Media]. It’s still broad and, I think, if I like something and I wanna go for it, I will be good in it, so I don’t see any problem, you know. I mean I’m not gonna study Law or whatever because something is good for your future…I would say communication is everywhere. Without communication there wouldn’t be any successful company, there wouldn’t be any successful anything! I think it’s super important! And it’s all out to bring that in communication studies. I think this program is special.”

"Oh... You study communication? You are going to party!"

Tessa Boon

So, why is it so that IBCoM seems unfamiliar and is not taken seriously? Is it because… People are not wellinformed about what communication is and may have a limited understanding of it (ex:communication simply as ‘interpersonal interaction’)?

Communication & Media is not that widespread as other faculties?

Not mainstream?

Communication is seen as ‘common sense’ and not worth studying or not perceived as a separate field of science?

The faculty is rather young?

So, what do you think? Why aren’t people aware of Communication and Media as a field of study with potential career prospects? Comment and give us your feedback on Facebook and by E-mail! For the next issue, we’ll interview the IBCoM staff members to find out what their answers are, so stay tuned!

IBCoM

Bootcamp by Ruta ziabkute

2013

“It is by far the hottest weather throughout these 4 years,” that is what new IBCoMers had to experience at bootcamp according to one of the IBCoM lecturers, David Novak. Sunbeams everywhere you turn, shorts, light t-shirts and an uncountable number of sunglasses. People running for life, eating biscuits, speed dating with lecturers and many more.. Lots of laughter, new friendships, positive attitude and joy. All of this was shouting three simple words - IBCoM Bootcamp 2013.

see the life outside the busy Rotterdam and join the routine of a countryside or a village such as Bruinisse.

That morning at the lecture hall, once you come in, you could see most of the floor covered in travel bags, sleeping bags and jackets. It seemed like a fortress built from things meant for bootcamp. Once everyone was sitting, Jeroen Jansz started an introduction round for the staff. However, all of it did not take long, and it only took a couple of words from Emma Hamilton for everyone to put the introductions behind them. Freshman ran to get their things, find their IBCoMpanions, then rushed to the four buses waiting for them. Everyone double checked their last names and sat into the appropriate bus. Throughout the trip to Zeeland, Holland’s nature was welcoming the newcomers. Green fields, narrow canals, little ships, water all around us and Dutchiness in the air. People got the chance to

Once we reached our destination, a huge crowd marched towards the Stoofpolder, the campsite we were staying at, to see who and what is waiting for them. Once everyone found their rooms alongside with the roommates, everyone went to the main hall where all the memories eventually were born…

Every IBCoM Bootcamp is known for its stories. Some are divine and some are strange, yet they all make these two days so great and memorable. When approached, most of the new IBCoMers mentioned the feeling of ‘togetherness’ at least once. Another thing that people really could not forget was the party

feel like they are friends and are happy to be here.

Every IBCoM Bootcamp is known for its stories

I went to speak with a girl standing right by the canteen doors and asked her about her experiences. This is what she told me: “Yesterday at the cafe, we were a real group, all together, all dancing together.” The girl seemed so excited about bootcamp, her new friends and the upcoming studies as well. When I asked her where she comes from, she said “It’s complicated…”. After I rephrased my question and asked her for her nationality, “Around the world,” which was stuck in their minds she just sighed, took my phone and wrote it down herself for good. “Everyone was partying together and every- Wanisha, 18, Dutch/Surinamese/Indian/Indonesian. body was dressed up.” (Sepiedeh, 18, Persian/Dutch); “I liked the outfits, people in traditional dresses.” (Jun, The whole day was full of all the activities, new peo19, Japanese/South Korean). Also, the time spent at ple that everyone met, parties and all the fun IBCothe Café Petit afterwards truly made our IBCoMers

Mers had. This is why some of the youngsters lost the game and hugged their pillows sooner than others. However a group of four people were strong enough to meet the new day – “I didn‘t sleep last night at all, and we went to see the sunrise and it was weird, because we wanted it to be beautiful like a romantic movie scene but it was very cold and we weren‘t patient. We left even before the sun rose. We saw the colours and that was it, we left.” (Akef, 18, Dutch/Afgan).

“Yesterday at the cafe, we were a real group, all together, all dancing together.”

Alongside the new IBCoMers, some older ones had some things to say as well. According to one of the IBCoMpanions Hanna Kimmel, the best part throughout the entire bootcamp was the moment when an amazing crowd invades the tiny bar in the vil-

lage and disturbs the prevailing peace. What surprised our Anna Efimenko was seeing another IBCoMpanion (Denise) in a strawberry suit during the party at the main hall. Finally the guys had a say in it as well, and Jason shared his experiences from the party ‘Around the world.’ He noted that the strangest and best thing from the bootcamp was walking into the main hall wearing a pink outfit and blowing bubbles.

ning when people asked when the party was over so that they could go to the bar. But it was a good thing as well, because they are feeling good together and they want to go out. And they are enthusiastic.” Lecturer David Novak was surprised to see three or four people at the party wearing American flags. The fun thing for him was the party – “I actually think it’s fun to stand behind the bar and make little jokes at the students and help peers. I find it actually entertaining. I was back there for most of the night last night serving beers. I find it odd.”

Our very own teachers and staff wanted to have a part in this experience-sharing quest as well. Assistant professor Tonny Krijnen mentioned that there were so many strange things during bootcamp. However, there were memories from the party as well. He said, “The strangest thing was actually yesterday eve-

Another lecturer of ours, Ahmed Al-Rawi, learned a couple of new things this year as well. One of which

was that he found out about the game “Ninja,” which was played on the second day of bootcamp and which was a complete surprise to him. “To be honest, I thought you were jumping. But then Jeroen told me that, no, this is a game. This was a surprise ‘cause I couldn‘t understand. They kept on explaining it to me, but I couldn‘t understand. Touching each other, I don’t know what that was. I don‘t know how you did it…” Another striking thing that he encountered was during the pub quiz, when everyone had to guess the TV show or a movie after listening to a theme song for ten seconds – “I only knew three or four songs only, which was a disgrace. I should watch more TV.”

As Bootcamp was coming to an end, everyone started packing their things into these bags which were not big enough to put all the new experiences and stories in it. This is why some of these memories were left there, in Zeeland, Bruinisse and will be picked up again exactly in a year when some of them will return, only this time as IBCoMpanions. When going towards the bus, if you turn around you would be reminded once more of how different we all are. You can see various religions, various continents, hobbies, height, values, nationalities and various goals. All international and different. And yet all here, at the IBCoM Bootcamp 2013…

IBCom Awards 2013

It was sundown on a warm, summery evening, and the square of the Schouwburgplein, surrounded by Rotterdam’s main cinema, theatre house, and concert hall, was bursting with life. After all, it was after hours on a Friday, and the sun was shining in all its glory. On the square, a circus festival was in full swing, with acrobats and other circus artists showing off their crafts in various colourful tents. Unbeknownst to most passers-by, in the adjacent Rotterdamse Schouwburg, preparations were underway for the third IBCoM Awards.

by Ruta Ziabkute & Gaffar Rampage

Barely an hour later, the contrast of atmospheres in the area was quite a sight to behold. IBCoM students, lecturers and staff started to gather around the entrance in their shiny suits and dresses, ready for one of the biggest nights in the IBCoM calendar year. Slowly, they started streaming into the venue, led by the red carpet. Some took the opportunity to let photographers capture their glamorous outfits at the photo corner, while others headed over to the bar and mingled around in the growing crowd. Minutes after the warm welcome by the host of the evening, IBCoM student Bilal Kabdani, the first group of people approached the stage with their instruments and caught everyone’s attention. First year students Nicol, Thijs, Aron and Tom were a cosy and promising beginning of the event. The second performance was by a beautiful couple, second year IBCoM students – Deva & Dianthe. They subtly introduced us to one of their favourite songs by Alexandra Stan, Mr Saxobeat, and as a present to all of us, shared their joy on stage. Afterwards, our very own rapping host introduced two active and enthusiastic second year students, who jumped on the stage – Frank & Tom. The guys blew the audience away starting with the song ‘Venus’ originally by the Dutch band Shocking Blue. At the end, guests saw the fourth

act which was performed by 4th year IBCoM student Clarissa Alberg and her band, which served as the icing on the cake for the evening. Nation-wide known and X Factor participant Clarissa was a perfect ending to the awards ceremony. All four performances were by the IBCoM students who were eager to share their talents, music and spread a marvellous mood.

However, let’s not forget the main reason why everyone came to the Rotterdamse Schouwburg that night. Throughout the whole event, in between performances, the guests and nominees were eager to find out the winners of the categories. Teachers, staff as well as IBCoM students rushed to the stage to announce the person who will get the IBCoM Awards 2013 statuette. Nominations were kindly presented by our beloved teachers such as Lela Mosemghvdlishvili, Rhythma Kapoor, Etienne Augé, Johannes von Engelhardt, James Hein and staff member Emma Hamilton. As in every awards show, the suspense was in the air, some people were nervous and others simply wanted to hear the results they’ve all been waiting for. And finally, at the end of it all, the winners were clear…

Even though the ceremony ended, the performances didn‘t. Right after the end of the ceremony, Lennart Schwung stepped behind the DJ panel and officially started the informal part of the IBCoM Awards 2013. Everyone hit the dance floor and allowed themselves to truly enjoy the one and only awards night throughout the academic year.

Winners of the IBCoM Awards 2013: Best Lecturer Johannes von Engelhardt Most Inspiring Lecturer Etienne Augé Mr IBCoM Daniel van Vliet Mrs IBCoM Safae Bouazza Most Ambitious Student Shelley Barendregt Midnight Warrior Jovan Dukanovic Facebook Fanatic Bilal Kabdani Fashionista Award Jacko van Dijke Founded by IBCoM students Maurice Pagano, Christoph Rosenthal and James Dooms in November 2010, the IBCoM Awards is an annual event celebrating the excellence of the programme’s students and staff, as voted for by the students and staff themselves. It is IBCoM’s hallmark social event and aims to bring all IBCoMmers together with a programme that has included musical performances, DJs, and the award ceremony itself. In 2013, the event was incorporated into the programme’s student organisation, IBCoMmunity.

We know what you did

LAST SUMMER by Julian Sonntag

A layer of clouds, majestic and grey, is slowly but surely covering larger and larger parts of the sky above the Netherlands, and they are expected to fully lock out every spark of sunlight, blue sky and warmth from reaching the Dutch population dangerously soon. For all the IBCoM-students, just like for all the other students at the Erasmus University, this clearly indicates that the couple months of summer and sun this country gets to enjoy every year, have come to an end. the “neighbourhood”, such as Germany and France. Consequently, whatever purpose or any sorts of activities the IBCoMmers dedicated their eight weeks of potential freedom to; they certainly ought to make a well-reflected choice! Whether people focused their time on their family and friends at home or in Rotterdam, or on work, career prospects, volunteering, travelling or just on their couch, they (hopefully) all did so because this was the way they had set their priorities. In the end, only oneself could decide, what it would take to make the summer of 2013 a good one.

Surely, most IBCoMmers will have developed some excitement to reconnect with their fellow classmates and to move on in their beloved communication studies at this point. Yet, the majority will simultaneously look back at the past eight weeks, brooding over how quickly their summer and (possibly) their months of fewer attachments and responsibilities could have flown by so painfully quickly. Although two consecutive months off school seem like a miracle at first sight, they could still be considered scarce goods when comparing the Dutch school system to other countries in

For some IBCoMmers, especially the ones who moved to Rotterdam from further away, their summer “duty” of going home was never really in question. Whilst many of the Dutchies among us travel to their hometowns every or every other weekend, and others from the countries around it make it home several times a year, some can only see their families once, or possibly twice in a year.

Aniruddh Mukhopadhyay

Take Aniruddh as an example. The tight academic calendar only allows him to travel back home to India in the winter and in the summer vacation. The rest of the year he spends in Rotterdam, around 10.000 kilometres away from his friends and family. That being said, Aniruddh has never really considered spending his summer vacation anywhere else: “When it’s summer, it’s got to be India!” Visiting friends and family were not the only thing that made Aniruddh’s summer plans a plain sailing. He also wanted to use the time to learn and discover new corners and facets of India, pointing out its rich cultural and gastronomic diversity. Interestingly, Aniruddh feels that his first year in IBCoM has already changed the way he perceives his home country. “This time, I viewed my culture from a different and much broader perspective, which enabled me to see and appreciate new things I had never noticed before.”

Judi Stein

On the other hand, going home did not take on the peak position on Judi’s priority list for this summer. Instead, she decided to spend most of the time in Rotterdam to explore and to get to know the city better. During the academic year, Judi has a pretty tight schedule, but in the past weeks, she had enough time to check out Rotterdam’s summer events, such as all the festivals, different markets and the open-air cinema ‘Pleinbioscoop.’ Also, she took advantage of the normally rather hidden sunny and warm side of the Netherlands, and found enough opportunities to relax at Kralingse Plas. Luckily for Judi, many of her friends had stayed in Rotterdam as well, which for her meant “company from all over the world.” Yet, fun activities are not always for free, and Rotterdam is not the cheapest city either, and therefore, Judi worked at her side job for many days throughout the summer, to allow her some financial freedom. And on top of that, she took on more responsibilities as the new president of Sigma Delta-Phi, the female international student association at Erasmus. Conclusively, Judi’s summer had many facets, and she is very happy she “made the decision for Rotterdam.”

Aron Kuisch

Work was also the main component of Aron’s summer months, yet in his case, cultural and ideological features were prioritized over financials. As part of an ambassadors’ program organized for first- and second year university students across Holland, Aron spent six weeks in Chile, to represent the Netherlands and to do research as well as visit and train local committees in subjects such as team-, crisis- and time-management. Primarily, Aron chose to apply for this program because he is an avid traveller, but also because he expected this experience to make up a beneficial new component on his resume. Now, looking back, learning to live in a completely different culture as well as the work experiences and new friends he has made in South America were the things he claims the most valuable for his personal development.

Nicholas Cointepas

When Nicholas worked out his summer plans, he thought a bit ahead of time. About the time after IBCoM and a potential Master’s study. About his career prospects. In January already, he decided to sacrifice a lot of time he could have potentially spent in the summer sun, with beach sand, ice cream and parties, for an internship in community management and social media technologies at a start-up company in Amsterdam. During his two months’ time at the business, Nicholas learned to maintain the social presence of the company on platforms such as Facebook at Twitter, and what sort of strategies and sales tactics they’d be grounded by. Furthermore, he helped to rewrite the website and worked in the campaign infrastructure to create and execute social media campaigns. “I did it because I have been studying for a while now and I wanted to do something that would be a good addition to my CV and a great learning experience,” so Nicholas’ reasons led him to dedicate his summer vacation to this full time internship.

Ina Scharun

After having spent the past nine months in Rotterdam, constantly busy with IBCoM, debating and other obligations, staying at one place over the summer this year was no option for Ina. Instead, an interrail ticket and a couple of cheap flights brought her to Slovakia, Croatia, and all the way down into Spain and Portugal. As is known, living costs in Rotterdam are comparably high and Ina’s travel budget therefore quite low. Yet, she managed to stick to it by almost exclusively relying on “surfing” the couches of randomers, or of friends she had met on previous travels. On her way, Ina made sure to cover loads of cultural and scenic highlights, such as the Alhambra in Granada and the coastline and beaches around Lisbon. But also some parties will stay in her memory, like the “Picnic Elektronik,” raving through the night while overlooking all of Barcelona. Memories like these and all the new friends she has met on her way are what Ina holds the most valuable things she has gained from her trip. On top of that though, it motivated her to start learning Spanish now, which is why she chose it as an Elective for the upcoming terms.

As pointed out, the possibilities to fill the summer break were endless, and we hope all of you look back at it in satisfaction, knowing you have made the perfect choice. And even if you have spent your entire summer on your couch not worrying about a thing…be assured you were not alone, and as you have made it into the next year, you definitely deserved it, too!

Best

support team

IBCoMagazine is immensely pleased to congratulate the winners of the Erasmus University Top Support Award, our very own IBCoM Support Team, represented by Evelien Meeuwisse, Brenda Grashoff, Emma Hamilton, Miriam Heemskerk, RenĂŠe Mast and Camilla Beijersbergen! The Top Support Award was introduced in 2013 and aims to reward the high quality of services provided by the winners to the university. The winner of the Top Support Award Team is certainly an example of exceptional performance: ambition, teamwork, professionalism and kindness all characterise the IBCoM winners. This prize is a well-deserved addition for the hard work and passion for perfection our IBCoM staff has been showing.The IBCoM Support Team was able to give the International Bachelor of Communication and Media a flying start in a short amount of time and represent the programme at its best! Once again, congratulations from IBCoMagazine!

International Communication

Association Conference Academics like to talk. And they like to travel. So each year, communication and media scholars from around the world come together at the conference of the International Communication Association (ICA) to present their work, find partners for collaboration and have a drink with their international colleagues. This summer, the 63rd ICA conference was hosted at the Hilton Metropole in London. More than 2,800 academics attended the five-day conference, presenting around 2,000 papers in 469 different sessions. IBCoMagazine spotted several IBCoM lecturers at the ICA and interviewed some of them about their conference experience.

Arno van der Hoeven

Marjon Schols

(PhD candidate / lecturer, Media & Communication)

(PhD candidate, Media & Communication)

At the ICA, I presented a paper written together with former IBCoM lecturer Amanda Brandellero, titled ‘the localized popular music heritage of the Netherlands in museums and archives’. This study is part of my PhD project on popular music heritage, cultural memory and identity. In the paper, Amanda and I examine how Dutch museums and archives give shape to popular music as a local form of cultural heritage. I always find conferences a good occasion to get feedback on your work and meet people with similar research interests. This time I met two Japanese researchers who are setting up a music archive in Japan. Coincidentally (or not), I saw them again at the British Music Experience. Like me, they seized the opportunity to do some ‘field work’ in London. Earlier that week I had also visited the major David Bowie retrospective exhibition in the Victoria & Albert Museum. Thus, London proved to be a perfect conference location to get inspiration for my dissertation!

ICA 2013 London was the first time I attended this huge annual international communication conference. It was an interesting chance for me to present my work, to talk to other scholars and to get inspiration for a new paper on online political participation. In my presentation, I discussed the results of a study about the impact of teenagers’ Internet use on the relationship with their parents: though spending more time online negatively impacts the parent-child relationship, spending more time online on communicating and for school has a positive impact on the parent-child relationship. Certain online activities appear to reduce the level of conflict over Internet use within families. I spent most of my days in the air-conditioned conference venue, listening to presentations or discuss research with other scholars, but there was also time for some entertainment: a boat trip on the Thames with colleagues from Rotterdam.

Jeroen Jansz (full professor, Media & Communication) My London ICA conference experience started two days before the main conference. ICA’s Game Studies Special Interest Group organized a Pre-Conference about current issues in research on video-games. A precon is far smaller (40 participants) than the huge main conference, which I find particularly attractive. Another asset of a Game Studies precon is the mean age of the participants. Game Studies as an academic field is young, and so are its researchers. It sometimes puts me in an awkward position as I am almost always the oldest guy in the room. This year my peculiar position was even more emphasized as I presented our research paper on the attractions of the so called ‘pink game’ GoSuperModel. This is an online modelling game that attracts a huge young, female audience. The girls of about 8 to 12 years compete in modelling and dancing. The precon audience found it funny to hear

that I participated in the game as MiniMe. When I did, I made sure that it was registered officially that I was there for research purposes. My talk resulted in an interesting discussion about whether children of this age are capable to reflect on their reasons for using media. I defended our position embedded in Uses & Gratifications Theory that well designed scales in a questionnaire provide a good tool to help participants answer the ‘Why I Play’ question. When I got home from London I received the good news that the academic journal Computers in Human Behavior had accepted our paper for publication. That was my silver lining around this year’s impressive ICA conference. For the article by Van Reijmersdal, Jansz, Peters & Van Noort see: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/ S0747563213002392

Jiska Engelbert (assistant professor, Media & Communication) The conference in London was my ‘first’ ICA, and while I have been at some big conferences before, I have never seen anything like this. The conference venue was gigantic and its corridors, rooms, staircases and bars were literally swamped with scholars, ranging from young researchers who seemed to be as awestruck as I was to world-renowned scholars who seemed pretty relaxed about the fact that dozens of people would constantly want to walk up or talk with them. It was great to catch up with international friends and colleagues and to discuss (plans for) research. The best thing about the ICA, though, was the sheer excellence of presented work. It is pretty difficult to get accepted to present your work at ICA, which was clear from the quality of papers and contributions. I

particularly loved a thought-provoking plenary about the role of social theory in digital communications research. My own paper focused on the role that members of political parties, and particularly the language they use, play in legitimising their party’s controversial decisions or politics. Other papers in my panel explored similar issues, such as the way in which ex-soldiers rationalise their role in human rights violations and how political institutions in the EU justify discrimination against new EU-members. I really loved having my rookie experience (and the fact that the conference was held in fabulous London certainly helped …)!

Johannes von Engelhardt (PhD candidate / lecturer, Media & Communication) This was by far the largest conference I have been to so far. The immense size of the conference clearly had advantages and disadvantages. While the sheer amount of people, sessions, and talks will inevitably make your head spin, the immense thematic variety also means that you can cherry-pick those presentations that truly interest you. Also, it gave me the chance to meet up with international colleagues and friends that I hadn’t seen in a long time. My own academic interest lies in media representations of distant human suffering. Together with a colleague from Belgium, I had therefore organized a panel

session at the ICA on the question of what it means for Western audiences to be faced with images of distant suffering caused by violent conflict or natural disaster. For this, we had managed to bring together some of the most prominent and interesting academics in this field to present their work and engage in lively discussion. As part of that panel, I gave a talk on the future of the field and on ways in which this area could build on theoretical approaches developed within moral psychology. All in all, ICA 2013 for me was an exhausting but very worthwhile experience.

The Rotterdam that IBCoM Recommends

By Rei Raksanugraha

A good bargain, a fun night out, a great meal? Whatever you may be looking for, Rotterdam is sure to have it. But which places will offer you the best of the best? That is the question, and here are some answers your fellow IBCoMmers would like to share.

The great Bargains Low on cash? Who isn’t? Here are a couple of places where you can find a good bargain for when your wallet starts running thin somewhere around the end of the month!

Piekfijn (Blaak, Prins Alexander, Charlois) For all your second-hand needs, Piekfijn caters to everything from clothes to furniture. You can either go to their branch in Mariniersweg (Blaak), Aluminiumstraat (Prins Alexander), or Wolphaertsbocht (Charlois). Should you ever get the chance to drop by, your only concern would be how to bring home all the things you buy!

The market (Blaak and Afrikaanderplein) Let’s not deny the great deals the markets offer. Rotterdam has two main markets to note. One is hosted at Blaak on Tuesdays and Saturdays. This is the largest market Rotterdam holds, with around 450 stalls selling everything from foodstuff to antique decorations. The second largest market of Rotterdam is held on Afrikaanderplein. Every Wednesday and Saturday, roughly 200 stalls are opened, selling different goods with a general focus on those with Antillian, African or South American descent. Photo by: http://www.magicphotoworld.com/

Marktplaats

Alright, so perhaps this isn’t an actual, physical store. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less worth mentioning! Marktplaats.nl hosts a large variety of advertisements for goods—most of them second hand—that people all over the Netherlands are looking to sell. So if you’re still looking for that kitchen pot or even a violin to annoy your housemates, or looking to sell off your own, make sure to check it out.

The Countermeasure to Hunger Let’s face it. Cooking at home is often troublesome, and the amount of dishes that come afterwards may not be worth all that trouble anyway. So if you’re in the mood for something different, grab a jacket and head out! Here are a few cafes/restaurants your fellow IBCoMmers highly recommend.

Cafe Belmondo (Goudsesingel)

Photo by: www.spottedbylocals.com

Is a group project coming up, and meeting at the campus just seems too boring? Café Belmondo would be a great choice to work in. With free WiFi, plenty of tables, silent study rooms and a steady flow of food and drinks just a few metres away, you would never want to leave.

De Lange Muur (West-Kruiskade) This Cantonese restaurant serves you great-tasting dishes at very affordable prices. Since it’s located right by the intersection of West-Kruiskade and Kruisplein, there is no way you can miss it. Don’t forget to try the Peking duck and the dumplings—they are to die for!

Dudok (Meent) You have not tasted apple pies until you have tried Dudok’s. Located in the shopping street Meent, just off of Beurs and Goudsesingel, it is a small but lively café, perfect to satisfy that persistent sweet tooth after you’ve hit all the shops your feet can afford.

Photo by: www.dudok.nl

Gamasot (Pannekoekstraat) So maybe you’re getting bored of bread and potatoes. It’s time to hit the good Asian food, so why not have some Korean every once in a while? Gamasot will offer you amazing Kimbap, and a nice break from the wheat.

Hotel Bazar (Witte de Withstraat) Photo by: www.momondo.com

So maybe Korean food may not be what you’re looking for, but you’re still dying for some exotic fare. This Mediterranean restaurant might have what you’re looking for. Located in the ever-so-popular Witte de Withstraat, it’s a great place to have a fun meal out.

Vapiano (Binnenrotte) Though there are many Italian restaurants round, this seems to be IBCoM’s favourite. Vapiano is a great place to have some of that pasta/pizza you’ve been craving for. It is no romantic dinner material, but it can definitely provide you a pleasant atmosphere and delicious Italian food.

The Nights Out So it’s a Friday night and you don’t have any plans this week. You’re getting bored of the same old pub you visit every other night. Read on to find out what the other IBCoMmers might be up to!

Club BED (Coolsingel) A classic pick for any IBCoM student, Club BED is located right next to the City Hall down Coolsingel road. It is a great place to be because somehow, someway, chances are you will find a friend or two. Not to mention what a great place it is to meet new people as well.

Locus Publicus (Oostzedijk) Do you ever feel like Heineken isn’t enough, and you’ve grown tired of the collection of beer the nearest Albert Heijn offers? Locus Publicus is here to present to you over a hundred different brands of alcohol from all over the world, as long as you’re prepared to pay for all the drinks you’ll be tempted to try!

Rotown (Nieuwe Binnenweg) For all of you music lovers out there, this might be your cup of tea. Tired of listening to the fiftieth run of the same mainstream songs on the radio? Head down to Rotown. This concert venue, which also doubles as a café/ restaurant, prides itself in presenting you various live bands and performances.

Paddy Murphy’s Irish Pub (Rodezand) So a big football match is about to start in a few hours, and sitting alone in your room to watch it seems just a bit too sad for your college life. So why not have a great night out while watching your favourite games? Head down to the Irish Pub and meet its other international customers with great beer to go along with it. You might even find other sport-enthusiasts from the IBCoM Program.

Other Places to Check Out So maybe you aren’t looking for cheap yet great items, or a delicious meal, or a fun night. Whether you want to take it easy or spice it up with good exercise, here are some places you should look into.

Kralingse Plas/Het Park Need a healthy break from reality? Take a stroll through Kralingse Plas or Het Park, and not only do you get some exercise after hours of sitting in front of your computer, you could also hold picnics with your friends. If a walk isn’t enough, you can always invite people over for some recreational matches in the sports courts of Kralingse Plas.

Erasmus S-Building Grab a Sport Pass from Erasmus and make use of the Sports Building. They offer various sports that you can do. And after working up a good sweat, you can always hang around the cafeteria there. It may not be much compared to all the food the other restaurants offer, but who can complain when a sandwich only costs €2.50? Think of the money you can save! It is also very close to the G-building, so you can always skip all the hassles of exercise and get down to the food right after class instead.

Oude Haven Who doesn’t like sitting by a canal side, taking in the calming—and rather sleepy—Dutch skies, while enjoying a good glass of beer or two? Oude Haven is a strip of land perfect for such an afternoon, with cafes lined up on the street just begging for you to take a seat and enjoy a laid-back breather. Within walking distance from the Blaak station, it is easily accessible and is guaranteed to get you ready to jump back into action in no time. As you can tell by now, Rotterdam is a great mesh of anything and everything you will ever need. These are merely recommendations of your fellow IBCoMmers, but there are always new places to see and areas to explore that even they may not know about. So it’s now your turn to experience Rotterdam for yourself, and make sure to leave no stone unturned!

International

Student Organisations Student life is so much more than just studying

By Anne van Rozendaal

Most of the seats are taken. The lecture hall is filled with international voices: voices that disclose a slight nervousness, but most of all voices that are excited to start their new adventures at Erasmus University – in the small but at the same time big – IBCoM family. People chatter about their holidays, the unfamiliar and at times weird Dutch culture and the memorable moments experienced during Eurekaweek and Bootcamp.This year’s IBCoM students are ready. Ready to start their studies. Yet, IBCoM only holds the most unique, eager and curious students that did not only sign up for lectures, books and exams, but are certainly also ready to expand their horizon, develop themselves and have the best time of their lives! There is a great number of ways to do so. To guide this year’s freshmen, IBCoMagazine has explored five of the most popular student associations and organisations that will (guaranteed) enrich your life as an IBCoM student.

International Students Rotterdam (ISR) is an organisation founded in 2011 by a group of friends from Erasmus University. As its name already reveals, ISR focuses on building connections among international students in the city of Rotterdam. Vincent Cohen, president of ISR, explains to us why ISR was founded: „I founded this organisation because I want to help internationals integrate into Dutch society and my ultimate goal is to get them to love Rotterdam as much as I do. Therefore, anyone who I have ever recruited has the ISR spirit. ISR has an event calendar showing The ISR spirit is the intrinsic motivation to better student life.“ all the events that are relevant for internationals in Rotterdam. Fur- Cohen also mentions how ‘ISR connects students from the different eduthermore, you can find them at the cational institutions in Rotterdam – like Erasmus University, InHolland, ISR office at Bierstraat 113 or onli- Codarts and many more – by organising social, cultural, sports and acane via their website (www.isrotter- demic events.’ ISR thus wishes to comfort internationals on the practical dam.com), Twitter, or Facebook. as well as the social field and assists in finding accommodation and jobs as well.

Tip:

Sigma Delta Phi (SDP) is the first international platform for female students at Erasmus University. SDP was founded by two international students in 2011 and has continued blossoming ever since. Judi Stein, current president of SDP, proudly promotes the association during the Eurekaweek and explains: „Our main aim as [a] student association is to bring both international and Dutch girls together to develop not only personal relationships, but also expand our networks in various fields. We plan different types of social activities, ranging from business events and speakers, social drinks, city tours, trips abroad, monthly dinners, and many other social events.“ SDP’s ’sisters’ study IBCoM, IBA, IBEB and Econometrics, yet this year they are open to all other studies as well, making the family even more diverse. SDP provides the opportunity to practice and obtain skills like marketing, organising, promoting and designing while at the same time gaining some very nice friends!

Tip: Boys don’t worry, SDP also organises parties and date nights at which guys are allowed! Girls, if you want to join or learn more about the SDP sisterhood, find them on their website (www.sigmadeltaphi.nl), Twitter or Facebook. The girls are open to a conversation at any time!

Histartes is the faculty association of the Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC). Students of all enclosed studies can become a member of the association to participate in activities, committees and maybe even the board. Amber Verbeek, Histartes’s Marketing/ PR Manager mentions that: “Histartes aims to maintain the study interests and to broaden the perspectives of students. We try to achieve this by organising study trips, lectures, excursions, workshops and other events. Next to that, several social activities create a connection between people from the different Histartes members buy their study studies of the ESHCC faculty.” books with a royal discount! To learn more, stop by their office (L3-001), Besides having fun and meeting new people, Histartes also focuses on visit the website (www.histartes.nl) or personal development and enhancement next to the regular curricufind them on Facebook, Twitter, Flic- la. Furthermore Verbeek emphasizes: kr and Vimeo. “Histartes helps students to look into the future and to achieve their dream jobs by offering a new network. Last but not least, Histartes gives students a chance to go to cities they have never been to [in our Short & Long Trips] for cheap prices.”

Tip:

The Erasmus Student Network (ESN) Rotterdam is a very well known internationally oriented student organisation that is settled all over the continent, including in Rotterdam. ESN cooperates with the International Offices of all faculties of the Erasmus University in order to enhance the academic and social experiences of international students.

Tip: Visit ESN’s social drink every Tuesday at Club BED Rotterdam! A guaranteed awesome night out. Also check out ESN via their website (www.esn-rotterdam.nl), visit them on Facebook, Twitter or stop by at the office in N1-13.

ESN organises a multitude of well-visited activities. An example is their social drinks on Tuesdays, during which Club BED Rotterdam is packed with both international as well as Dutch students, ready to party. Aside from that, ESN organises cultural trips, dinners, the buddy programme and more. Aron Kuisch, member of the sports committee, tells us more about ESN: “ESN Rotterdam is the 'go-to' organisation for the exchange and international students of Rotterdam. It organises a wide range of events and activities throughout the year, including crazy social drinks every Tuesday. I myself am part of the sports committee. I joined ESN because I really enjoyed the social drinks in my first year as an 'international student'; there was always this great vibe and cool group of people.”

IBCommunity Go IBCoM! What started out as a small group of people organising the IBCoM Awards – a ceremony dedicated to IBCoM in which students and teachers are given awards in various categories – gradually developed into a real student organisation: IBCoMmunity. Diana Caravia, IBCoMmunity’s current president, explains the organisation’s aspirations: “What we want is to make IBCoM more known within the Erasmus University, to show what IBCoM stands for, to raise awareness over the need of internationality in our campus and also to help the program get better and better over the years. We do this for example by organising social IBCoMmunity organises the 4th edi- drinks and movie nights with guest lecturers.” tion of the IBCoM Awards this year, stay tuned! If you wish to know more IBCoMmunity might be a small organisation yet the dedication is vivid about IBCoMmunity, visit the web- and very much represents what the IBCoM programme stands for. Besite (www.ibcommunity.org) or find coming a member of IBCoMmunity is thus the best way to get to know IBCoMmunity on Facebook and your fellow students (also from the second and third year), learn how to Twitter! organise events and actually show the rest of IBCoM a very good time!

Tip:

Good luck choosing! 26

Academic Calendar 17.9. Official Welcome

Photo: www.depts.washington.edu

20. 9 . Ceremony & Drinks for BA-2 students

Photo: www.flavoractiv.com

3.10.

16.11.

2nd IBCoM Graduation

Eur open day

Photo: www..eshcc.eur.nl

Photo: www.facebook.com

Introducing the

new Editorial team Editor-in-chief Deputy editor Managing editor Copy editor art director photographers writers 27

gaffar rampage julian sonntag monica nicolova rei Raksanugraha monika hlubinova anna efimenko, ruta ziabkute anna efimenko, ruta ziabkute anne van rozendaal

thanks for reading the

the Next issue will come out on 25/11/2013 ÂŠ2013/2014