IBCoMagazine Issue 1 | 2021 - 2022 |

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The mysterious path of an IBCoM student

Written by Bao Thu Nguyen & Dameli Mukasheva Photographed by Alisa Mahaletska Designed by Rea Roitner

Second-year IBCoM student, yes, that’s you.

With one year of online class, you finally made it to the university and on-campus education, feeling exactly like a confused freshman but of course, without the freshman privilege. You get to study on campus, meet new people, gain experiences, come out of your comfort zone and start the life of an adult. Great!

Hold up, you got a new notification on Canvas it’s the new course! Internship!

You give yourself a moment of composure and then go full-on freak-out mode: “How on Earth can I find an internship? How can everyone seem to have already found an internship?” The myth about the future seems mysterious now more than ever.

Looking around, no one is here to give you the answer.

Whipping out your phone, you make a beeline for LinkedIn and behold, there they are, IBCoM third years, completing their internships with flying colours, writing 3-paragraph appreciation posts. This is getting more impossible with every passing second. You set out a quest for yourself to uncover the biggest myth in the universe within less than half a year. But where do you start?

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Your class, of course, which is starting in the G-building in 10 minutes.

Here's the thing, there is a myth that every now and then, the location of the G-building changes, and so do all the classrooms inside it. You have been here for 3 weeks, and you still get lost every single time. Does the G-building have something to hide, or do you just have zero sense of direction?

Running to your seat, you turn to your friend next to you. As someone who was born and spent their whole life in one city, you just find the lives that your friends are leading so fascinating. Some people grow up in five countries; others take gap years to travel half of the world; people from the other side of the Earth, surprisingly, 3 are in the same class as you, studying exactly what you are. In IBCoM, there are around 250 students.

You just keep digging and digging through these masses of people, all these smiling faces and bright eyes, and not a single time you are not surprised about their lives. No, you are not even halfway there in your tutorial group, so the backgrounds of all the IBCoM students will forever remain mysterious to you, and probably until you graduate.

"What did you do on the weekend?" you asked the girl sitting next to you. "Oh I was covering up a shift so that I can be free on Tuesday for the party."

Oh- a shift? Oh- the party? You stare at your friend that has been your classmate for 3 weeks, not knowing much about her, never passing small talk. You suddenly wonder, who are these people outside the class? Who are these people when they are not writing assignments and scrambling for summaries? Who are these people when they are not carrying the IBCoM label with them? They can be me. I can be them. Mysterious, isn’t it? The class begins. Hands suddenly start rising up in the air and endlessly continueto fight for the teacher’s attention. Questions, everyone has questions.

"What should my resume look like?”, “When is the deadline deadline?”, ”Can I go

abroad for the internship?”, “Can I do it online?”, “What if I won’t find an internship?”, “Where should I start?”. You hear the last couple questions and resonate with them, realizing that you are not lost alone in the mysterious confusement of it all. The comforting sense of sharing a common emotion gives you hope that despite the unknown and difficult road ahead, you will be okay, no matter what.

Thank you Ran, Ellie, Thomas, and Anna for the IBCoM insights!

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Bedtime stories Sterntaler

Illustrated by IsabellA Restrepo Designed by Gabi Olenicz Written by Talita Berz

I’d like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bedtime story that my grandma used to tell me when I was a child.

It is the story of Sterntaler. Once upon a time, there was a little girl who had nothing except the clothes on her back and a piece of bread in her hand. She was left alone in the world: her parents had died and she had no place to stay. So she went out of her village, hoping for the best. On her way, she crossed paths with many people less fortunate than her, asking her for her bread, her clothes, anything she could bear to part with. And every time, she gave, until come nightfall she was left alone, on the brink of the black forest, with nothing left. And as she walked through the lonely, dark forest, the stars started glowing, shining and turning liquid, dropping from the sky as disks of gold. And all the things she had given away, she had once more. She took her skirt in her hands, collected the disks, and wanted for nothing for the rest of her life.

Gold for starfruit Written by Bao Thu Nguyen

It’s starfruit.

It’s sweet, it’s sour, it’s childhood you using your t-shirt as a bag and catching starfruits falling down your neighbour’s tree.

It’s green, it’s yellow.

It’s also golden.

“Once upon a time, there was a wealthy family. When their parents passed away, the big brother took all the valuable inheritances and left his younger brother with only a cottage and a starfruit tree. One day, a giant bird appeared, although he tried to chase it away and beg it to stop, it ate all the starfruits. The bird said: “For each starfruit, I pay one gold. Bring three-foot bag, and off we go.” Doubtful but curious, he hopped on the bird’s back the next day. It brought him to a rocky island made of gold. With his golden bag, he came home as wealthy as ever.

Envious of his brother, the older exchanged for his all properties for the starfruit tree and the cottage. The bird came back, giving the same promise, however, this time, he brought a ten-foot bag instead and stuffed it full. Couldn’t bear the weight on the way back, furious and exhausted, it dropped both him and his ten-foot bag down the deep sea.”

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When Humans Had Tails Written by Nimrat Kaur

“It’s so hard to live on my own! I really wish I could go back to living at home with you…” This is a conversation I have with my mom every day and I’m sure all of you have also wanted to go back to being free from all the work that comes with adulting. My mother replied by telling me a story from Odisha where people believed that many years ago, humans had tails. These humans went everywhere, swishing their tails and sweeping the ground. As the number of humans increased, the tails became a nuisance. People were always stepping on each other’s tails. One day the great God Kitunga visited Odisha. Before He knew it, someone stepped on His tail, He fell down and lost His teeth. God Kitunga got very angry. He pulled off His tail and threw it away. Seeing this, the other tails fell off and became blades of grass. People then used this grass to make brooms which were used to sweep the ground just like the tails. Therefore “change is the only constant in life.” So, the change that comes with adulting may be hard but a constant life would be so boring!

Father Frost Written by Dameli Mukasheva

Once, there lived two step-sisters. One was rude, ungrateful, and lazy, while the other was kind and hard-working. Everyone favored the kind girl, angering her step-mother who saw her own daughter treated unequally. So, she sent her step-daughter away to the cold winter forest. The girl was left alone in the snow, until the magical Father Frost approached her. “Are you warm, little girl?” he asked, to which she, turning blue, lied and whispered “I am warm, dear Frost.” Frost pitied the girl and offered her warm coats and his riches. The step-mother came back and saw the girl alive, healthy, and wealthy. She took her back home, and made her other daughter go to the forest to find new riches too. The naughty girl now was left alone in the snow, until Father Frost approached her and asked “Are you warm, little girl?” She screamed at Frost and said “Perish, get away, Frost! May you be cursed!” Father Frost got angry and made the forest so cold, that the girl froze completely. When the mother came back for her daughter, expecting to see riches, all she saw was a dead little girl in the snow.

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Legends of

Written by Jesse Pantin / Photographed by Alisa Mahaletska / Designed by Rea Roitner

The Woudestein Pantheon As the Woudestein campus of Erasmus University became increasingly populous, the buildings began to grow and morph, taking on lives of their own. Through the power of sweat, blood and tears (those of the students, of course), the buildings came to be known as great mythological creatures of now.

Polak the Shy

Polak the Shy, one of the newer additions to the Woudestein pantheon, is known to be rather shy. Though he’s always praised for his good vibes and study aesthetic, he’s still not quite ready to join the big shots. When he gets too much attention, he does a reverse Tinkerbell and starts to crack under the pressure. Despite his shyness, the people of Woudestein campus still praise him, and he is still a fan favourite.

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Mandeville the Mighty

Mandeville the Mighty is one of the taller, more imposing members of the pantheon. While she stands atop, watching over the many people walking below her, she is well revered; however, you must beware the Mandeville curse. Few have dared to venture farther than the third floor, for the Mandeville curse causes breathlessness and extreme fatigue if one attempts to climb her stairs to the top.

Van der Goot the Worldly

Van der Goot the Worldly gets her name from the many cities within her body. Spanning many continents of the Earth, she is known for her size and… for first years, it’s particularly confusing when she doesn’t have any signs with room numbers. Knowing how to get to Sao Paolo is nice, but not helpful.

Theil the Gluttonous

Theil the Gluttonous is the most feared of all the members of the Woudestein pantheon. Above ground, he’s a bright, elegant stallion. However, as soon as you enter his bowels below ground, you enter an infinite labyrinth with no escape. Theil swallows his victims, and they never see the light of day again.

Tinbergen the Infected

Despite having more than three hours of sleep per night (unlike most of the mortals of Woudestein Campus), Tinbergen the Infected still fell ill to a mysterious illness unlike any other. Although she’s one of the more minor deities of the Woudestein Pantheon, her disease still caused disruption throughout the campus.

Many rumoured that the illness was caused by her loneliness during the lockdown. Other say that she simply fell ill for the attention, since most of the mortals don’t think twice about the building that looks unsurprisingly similar to Mandeville the Mighty.

Sanders the… building you go to print when Polak was closed.

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Marit our everyday lives: in names and brands, buildings, languages, and so on. ment, wonder, terror, and mystery in life. It shows both the best and the rewarded and bad behaviour will be punished. Take superhero movies, the villain never wins: it’s always the “good guys” that prevail over the “bad”

o

y g

yt h

ol

important foundation that still influences present-day culture and media, and, if we study it, we could learn more about the world.

w o N of

The M

Monique creatures. When I think of such fantastic elements and super-natural behaviour, I am reminded of the relationship we have with horoscopes in our modern time. turn to horoscopes and read about my sign and what

depict certain elements of long-lost souls. I believe our incorporation of horoscope readings and our interest in earlier times is based on the hope of finding a soul like ours. Reading about creatures who overcame fights need to acknowledge the characteristics of our own. Even more importantly, it can make us feel understood and a

Gauri stories. It talked all about the wonderful world of elves and hobbits, wizards, witches and mermaids. I was so invested in these stories because I always saw myself living in this magical world. As I got older, I thought this feeling of wanting to escape into a magical place would disappear, but it actually never did. In fact,

day life and completely indulge in these other realms of being. If there are so many stories based on myths, one must be true right? I do not know about you, but if someone invites me to become a wizard at Hogwarts, I would not think twice.

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Designed by

Mi humans came up with to interpret the chaotic world. Common knowledge. But mytholoof science and rationality, no one believes. But the world never stops being chaotic and we, and make sense of our mediocre existence in that of an overpowering world. Think about the myths we form or are socialized into about ourselves, other people, love, culture, politics. For example, introvert/extrovert binary. Or the American dream. True or not, they make the world much simpler, give us more peace, and hope. And so, they remind us of one thing: the smallness of our being.

Trang stories and fiction. While many myths remain true because they excavate humans’ past experiences and serve as valuable lessons for today’s generations, some of them were questioned about their appropriation in the contemporary world. Many of the world’s most noticeable and

Th eM y t

Although some myths can provide a shared understanding, many challenge traditional tales by asking why a particular type of person is the central figure. For example, the majority of stories portray the heroic

h o l

to be more submissive and seductive. Compared to this day, women are more powerful and independent. Therefore, the intersection of myth and the present represents new angles, providing these stereotyped identities with more stories to tell.

Rashmi

og

Every living person on this planet has grown up with tales and fables we now translate to myths. The art of storytelling is as old as time and yet is a crucial part in our current visionary and future developments in this world. Myths connect us as human beings and are a way of

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f No

w

children can learn more about the world. Growing up I was in love with stories and their magical touch. Feeling like nothing is too crazy to dream of has always struck me. In myths there are no limits. Perhaps, that is why we love and value myths so much. To absorb yourself in a place where everything is possible and hatred gets defeated. Our own ideas, dreams and goals for the future not feasible. If only we knew the power of myths in our society. Perhaps, it is time for us to turn those myths to reality and watch the magic happen.

Ira Lizenko

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HALLOWEEN BASICS Written by Nadine Meerovici | Illustrated by Isabella Restrepo | Designed by Gabi Olenicz

October 31st was his favourite day of the year.

He never got to dress up when he was a minuscule troublemaker. The lack of enthusiasm given by his context was not a great combination with his spontaneous bursts of energy. Every time the terrifying event was nearby, he came up with perfect ideas for perfect costumes, representing a constant change through time.

He, vaguely, remembered being seven years old and desiring to be a cowboy. Wearing a leather, intimidating brown hat, equaled respect. He never got to wear his costume, though, since he forgot to try, make an effort, and construct it.

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As he was now an established man, his years of laziness were over.

He was older, which meant he was ready to dress up concretely. A fundamental part of Halloween is scaring people, but this was never his objective. To him, Halloween was the whole atmosphere, represented in carroty coloured pumpkins and chilling fogs appearing out of nowhere.

Asking individuals for sweet, flavour-filled snacks based on his costume was not his main goal anymore, he was a performer. The times when he abandoned his ideas were also gone, vanished, at least for the time being.

Choosing carefully what outfit he was going to impress people in, the decision to recreate the god of the underworld rose. Hades, he thought, was the best way to portray himself.

The few weeks left until the spiritual event took place were thrilling. He thought about how the representation of Hades needed to be accurate, and how he would achieve that. The first thing that came to his mind was how this god of the underworld had a defining colour: black, a tone associated with death, the lack of living. It is not painful, though. Hades was not cruel, as other portrayals depicted him to be. He was expected to be fair towards the dead, after all, they stopped living for a reason. He would represent Hades in a black Greek toga, with a gold-coloured crown.

He was the king of the underworld, and his crown would prove it to everyone.

The night to impress people finally arrived. Upon the gigantic number of festive celebrations, he chose to attend the one where most people were going to demonstrate a presence. He arrived late, but not too tardy to the point where alcohol made its fulfilling presence. It was a mid-late entrance, a balance between the sober and the drunk. From this point onwards, the night became a blurry point in time.

He found himself awake near a lake, with his toga and his crown still intact. Not remembering how he got there, he noticed darkness, so his assumption was right: not too much time had elapsed. While trying to use his last neurons and remember something, anything, he perceived a boat coming in his direction. Curiously enough, he waited for the person to arrive. When he got to the shore, the person greeted him. Calmy, the stranger told him he’d take him to his home, to which he did not refuse, since somehow he knew what he was talking about. There was no explanation needed, no questioning required. He realized he was not in his current world, accepting the role of Hades in some sort of ancient Greece. He also knew this is what he had to do now; his core ambition. He stepped in the boat, and let his companion take him to where he needed to be. Being his first Halloween, he was definitely not disappointed.

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MYTHOLOGY REINVENTED EXPLORING THE PAST AND WRITING THE FUTURE

by Victor Mihai Vencsel

Quick question: who is Thor? What about Loki?

Now I have a feeling that most of us would think of a certain comedic but tragic duo when faced with these questions, and I think that's pretty cool, even if some overly snobbish

mythology

enthusiasts

might

disagree. Modernising the mythos of ancient civilizations so that the characters fit into novel roles is a natural process really, and Marvel are not the first ones to do it. If only we take a look back into the history of many religions and cults, we can often observe this

exact

process,

as

old

pagan

gods

undergo metamorphosis and become saints, for

example.

By

reinventing

classic

characters, not only do you shine a new light on that which is old, but you also manage to show how humanity has changed in the meantime. With each reimagining, characters like Loki and Thor become so much

more

dimensional

than

just

a

characteristics,

set and

of

one-

instead,

they adapt, they evolve, and they express modern-day struggles that sometimes can't be overcome just by hitting the cause of their problems really hard with a magic hammer. And I think that's pretty neat.

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That being said, I am glad that through comics, shows, movies, and videogames more and more people get the chance to explore the wonderful world of ancient mythology, truly a treasure trove of unbelievable absurdity that makes you question the sanity (or sobriety) of those that came up with the stories (looking straight at you, ancient Norseman who thought "Loki gives birth to a horse" is a great plot point). Mind you, ancient mythology is generally speaking incredibly weird and the characters portrayed are more often than not aggressively immoral,

”exploring these long-forgotten worlds is a journey that's worth embarking on” especially

by

Even

exploring

so,

today's

standards. these

long-

forgotten worlds is a journey that's worth embarking on, if not for the ridiculousness factor, then for the chance to view the world through the eye of a human that wandered around the Earth just as aimlessly as we do, only hundreds or thousands of years ago.

Setting our sights back on the present, we can see how more and more elements of folklore from around the world manage to infiltrate modern fiction, becoming staple elements of fantasy and science fiction and everything in between. We've already talked about Marvel, but there are so many other examples of this in all forms of media.

The vampires and werewolves of Transylvania are the first mythical creatures that come to mind (having lived in Transylvania all my life and all that) when I think of this phenomenon, as they managed to appear everywhere in one form or the other (ha, get it?). I think this is a fun way to showcase a culture's folklore, even if in some cases you might end up with something so different from the original, that it's practically its own thing. Still, I can't stop thinking about the cultural significance and artistic potential that is hidden within less-known folklores around the world. Just recently, I threw myself down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos and Wikipedia articles about Baltic mythology, and even without going in too deep, I could already visualize the creativity that could erupt from such a rich source.

A word of advice then: explore your local mythos, delve into the wonders of mankind's fictional history, see what treasures you can find. You might end up learning about the not-so-exciting Treegod, God of Trees, renowned for his unmoving nature and impressive ability to perform photosynthesis. Or you might learn about all kinds of wondrous creatures with stories to match.

Tell your friends about them. Find out what they know about their own cultures. And who knows, maybe one day, your favourite god might become the next media hit.

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Model Elliot Zepeda Kim | Photographed by Thanh Nguyen & Lam Ngoc Do | Designed by Gabi Olenicz

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L D A E IBC of

LY SIN ts

S

CoM Studen

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THE

BEAUTY

POP

MYTH:

CULTURE

CHALLENGING

OLD

BEAUTY

STANDARDS WRITTEN BY SCHANIA BAEZ SCHIPPER/ ILLUSTRATIONS BY JÜLIDE AYTUĞ / DESIGNED BY REA ROITNER

Beauty standards have influenced what one deems to be beautiful and desirable. For generations, women had to adhere to having a slim body, slim face, and flawless skin with no trace of impurities. Nowadays, there seems to be a shift in society. Our generation of people is advocating for pop culture to be more inclusive and representative of realistic bodies. reason for this may be the increasing influence of social media.

A social media presence makes us more susceptible to the unrealistic representation of beauty standards, which in turn could have negative consequences when it comes to the perception of oneself. The question is whether these demands are being integrated into pop culture today.

Recent movies are shifting their representation of the ideal woman.

They are slowly moving from hiring actresses with slim waists and faces to those with more rounder features. Think of Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence. The actress has a curvy body and a round face. The producer even asked her to be on a diet to adhere

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to a slender body type. Her refusal of doing so provided the world with a character that represented a realistic body type in a big Hollywood film.

Moreover, actress Florence Pugh, who recently made her debut as Natasha Romanov’s sister in “Black Widow”, provided our generation with—a broadshouldered, fuller-faced character that challenges the ancient beauty standards of the film industry has preferred in the past.

We also need to keep in mind that these actresses played protagonistic roles in their movies. Similarly, actress Danielle Mcdonnald, a plus-size actress, was given the lead role for Netflix’s original movie: Dumplin. However, her character’s appearance was constantly pointed out in the movie and contrasted with the appearance of another character, which adhered to the beauty standards that have been implemented into our minds.

The film industry is not the only one implementing these changes. The fashion industry has also been adapting to current times. Magazines are being more inclusive of different types of models, those who are tall, short, slim, or plussized. Ashley Graham was the first plussize model who appeared in a sports magazine in a swimsuit, and Halima Aden became the first model who appeared in that same magazine with a hijab. Even fashion icons are creating a space where there is more inclusivity of body types.

The Rihanna Fenty Show includes models with differing heights and sizes.

One major factor for the change of criteria might be the level of importance an agency or magazine puts into the personality of the model. Model Aliana King was told she was too short to be doing modeling jobs, yet she has booked numerous projects. She explained that it all had to do with her personality–where she lacked in heights she compensated with charisma.

This illustrates how the fashion industry may be diverting its focus from the traditional beauty standards to–what seems to be –the renewed beauty standards.

Both industries show how they have challenged the beauty myth throughout the years. However, they have not completely strayed away from these old beauty standards. High fashion runways still prefer models that adhere to those ancient beauty norms. Their runways include slender-built models, with a slim face and flawless skin.

And even though films are portraying plussize actresses in leading roles, they are contrasted with characters that do adhere to the old beauty standards. Even so, the need for more representation, the inclusion of different body types, unfiltered faces, and realistic beauty standards is there. Our generation is paving the way to evolve what one sees and deems to be beautiful.

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Wr i t t e n b y Ta l i t a B e r z | P h o t o g r a p h e d b y T h a n h N g u y e n | D e s i g n e d b y G a b i O l e n i c z

Mythologized Medley Drink up, my love, Ambrosia baby with a liquid heart; There are so many versions of you.

A flower growing next to a river bed. forget it not, It lives in this dreamscape: Growing, Grounding itself next to ripples of light, petals pressed into darkened earth Imbibing the ocean spray next to it.

Its presence is drowned in all the possibilities of its life: Look at you, peering at the water, reaching for your reflectionWon’t you dive in?

Dripping Dropping Down.

Gone from your fairytale mother and father Through the dark brush of evening, You have nothing but wishes on your back.

Trail them behind you, Breadcrumbs, lentils, your edible source of choice And leave the past there; A past of abandonment, love, sadness, or care.

Thick pine trees, forest moss, The smell of rotting grassroots and humid earth.

Tingy, fruity, darkUmami almost, Making you believe you could eat the whole forest.

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Up, high in the air A woman looks down at you from the clouds Her sky-home shows the changing of seasons.

Looming, gigantic, boulder of heaven As fixed in time as stone: Mountainous lady, Holly-like Changing the seasons, passing on the time, Kissing you, you crying, freezing, melting, heating, Passing the junctures of time in cyclical patterns.

The tremors of change stick to you, Throw trials and tribulations in your path.

The struggle seems endless.

You look out to that change-covered sky, hopeful.

The forest at the back of your mind now, You wish to escape from the ground, moss and dirt of past Unknown river-current pulling you down, go forward: Ascending angel, birdboat Floating, Flying and falling from the sun.

In your mind, your dreams, you are Pressed against the wind, Fighting through the rain squawking with every flap of wing for someone to pay attention to your life: Watch outDon’t fly too close to the fiery light, You might fall back into the forest if you go too quickly.

Hush, fairytale lover, You are yourself, you are alone When you look into that speckled puddle of a mirror you do not know what you want to be.

But that’s okay: You have time.

You are on your path from the past to the future Tangled in fate-spun webs, Falling forwards.

Every day you wake up in a dark, dizzy forest, And every day the path is trodden again.

So go again: Corenate your heart into the morning, Look at the sunrise reflected in the rippling water, start anew: Your future so daunting, your past so bright, Wake in the mythology of this incandescent night.

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