Insider Volume 23 Issue 11

INSIDER 4.12.2020 | VOL. 23 | ISSUE 11

STUDENT MAGAZINE OF XAMK

Featuring Know Yourself Finland Online Tips/Tricks Review Recipe Movie

STAFF

EDITORIAL

LIDIIA BENKOVSKAIA

JOONATAN BERG

AVE-LIIS KOOBAK

EVA MOROVSHCHIK

IKRAM BECHARI

MARIAN KEINAN

VLADA POLISHCHUK

MERVEILLE BIVU NDONGA

INSIDER STUDENT MAGAZINE South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences Paraatikenttä 7 45100 Kouvola INSIDER ISSN 1457-1587 Editor in Chief: HUGH CLACK

PHONE +358 44 702 8758 WEBSITE insider.xamk.fi EMAIL insider@xamk.fi 2

EDITORIAL Independence day is coming...

These week issue is special because today Senior Lecturer & International Studies Coordinator at Kouvola Campus, Professional photographer at Valokuvaaja Hugh Clack is having a birthday!

Editorial staff congratulates you and wishes all the best!

besides it the play of actors is very worthy too.

Hugh Clack wrote these week about online stores and their impact on local retailers and Merveille Bivu Ndonga’s article is about 6 things that you shouldn’t do in a rush.

However, winter has been already here. Today’s Stay safe, follow the new covid-19 restrictions and the fourth of December, it means that Christmas enjoy our new issue. is coming to us in less then 3 weeks. There is not a lot of snow still but I am sure that these winter will be full of it (because if not, it will be really disappointing).

Faster than Christmas is coming the end of the Autumn semester. Studies these year have confronted a big variety of problems because of Coronavirus and it’s impact on our everyday life.

Hopefully, it does not affect a lot on the students knowledge and results.

This week issue consist of amazing articles, in which everybody can find something to read. Do you know anything about Independence Day in Finland? It’s national holiday here so don’t miss it, more info about these day is inside the article, which is prepared by Lidiia Benkovskaia.

Ikram Bechari is sharing with us an easy receipt of making home cookies, also there are some useful tips so read the article till the end. Marian Keinan has a movie review these week.

A film is called «Billie» and is a documentary on the famed jazz singer, Billie Holiday. Ave-Liis Koobak has made a book review. T he novel «Call Me by Your Name» is written by an American author André Aciman in 2007. Also, there is an amazing movie based on this books. It was filmed in Italia so views are catching a breath,

Written by Eva Morovshchik 3

KNOW YOURSELF 6 Things to never DO IN A RUSH Finally, we are in December. The month when families gather together to celebrate Christmas and enjoy the present. Who doesn’t love Christmas? Can’t find no one. Before we go to winter break, I have something on my mind that I would like to share with you. As the title suggests, my topic for this week is 6 things to never do in a rush.

"Fragments"- series of paintings

Have you ever wondered where the rush comes from?

Have you ever heard that different cultures value time differently?

Hurry is often a cultural thing by this I mean that people all over the world are not in a hurry in the same way.

You've probably heard of siesta (a nap) which has its roots in Spanish culture. Siesta is especially common in the middle of the day, especially in a country with a warm climate zone, and is usually a rest period after lunch. During siesta which is usually 13-16, shops and restaurants are closed, schools have extended food break. Practically the whole country goes to rest for a moment. Here I exaggerated a little, but you understood the idea. People are in no hurry, while in other cultures e.g., in Asian culture, the situation is quite the opposite.

Environmental requirements and fulfilling responsibilities significantly increase people’s sense of rush. Rush can arise from external issues in an environment where competition is fierce.

Does quality suffer? I find it impossible to maintain quality if there is a constant rush to accomplish whatever you need to accomplish. Is there any medicine or cure for this? Yes, scheduling my friend.

“But hurry is also a relative concept. What is urgent for one, may not be urgent for another”.

Rush arises from the foolish practices of everyday life, and the way we do things.

The hurry comes from inefficient use of time, you do not plan days, weeks or months in advance. And you wonder why you are grayed out? Rush produces unnecessary stress. Postponing things for later is the

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worst thing you can do for yourself. I have to admit here, that I myself tumble down to do this. In the morning, the alarm clock is postponed with a snooze.

Does this help me? it rings again in five minutes. I am as tired as I was five minute ago. I call it the human mind.

Only fools rush in -wise men- - Aristotle Quotes The rush may be due to a lack of direction. However, the rush is often caused by fundamentally internal reasons, which can include different fears, tenacious beliefs, and stuck attitudes.

According to some experts, a busy person is no longer considered as important as before. Still, a large percentage of people feel busy.

Well, here’s my list 6 things to never do in a rush.

1. Fall in Love.

2. Make big decisions.

3. Give away your trust.

4. Eat your food.

5. Judge someone’s character.

6. Think you know someone.

Written by Merveille Bivu Ndonga

FINLAND

6.12.2020 - Finland 103!

Independence Day is one of the most ceremonial and popularly loved national holidays in Finland.

Independence Day (Itsenäisyyspäivä) is celebrated annually on 6TH of December This day is considered the country's national day and flag day. Until 1917, Finland was the Grand Duchy of Finland, which was part of the Russian Empire.

On 4th of December in 1917, the Finnish Senate signed the country's Declaration of Independence, which was approved by parliament two days later.

Festive events begin with the official ceremony of raising the national flag at 9 a.m. on Tähtitornimäki hill in the centre of Helsinki and are traditionally accompanied by speeches and songs.

and ending at Senate Square at about 6 pm. The presidential couple will greet students from the balcony of the Presidential Palace.

One of the main events of this day is the gala reception of the President of Finland at his residence of famous Finns, as well as foreign citizens who have done something useful for Finland in the past year. For decades, reception has been broadcast on television, and the television broadcast rating has for many years been the highest in Finland among all television programs.

On 6th of December, it is customary to light two blue and white candles in the windows of their houses from 18 to 20 pm. The exact source of the tradition is unknown. According to one version, this is a tradition since Swedish times, and candles were lit on memorable days for the royal family or on the days of the king's visit to Finland.

(Source: e-finland.ru) In cities, parades of the country's military forces are held, marches and processions are organized.

National flags are hoisted over houses and institutions, and many Finns decorate their houses with them and hang them on windows.

At noon, an ecumenical service with the participation of the President of the Republic and members of the State Council takes place at the Helsinki Cathedral (St. Nicholas Cathedral), which is broadcast live on TV. In the evening, student associations of the capital region conduct a traditional torchlight procession of students, starting from the Hietaniemi cemetery

This holiday is also celebrated in Kouvola. A service is held in the church, flowers are laid at memorials, a solemn holiday is being held in the city administration. This year, due to the pandemic, the holiday will of course be celebrated, but not on the same scale as last year.

Written by Lidiia Benkovskaia 5

ONLINE

Online purchasing: killing off local retailers?

Ever since the birth of the online store, there has been much debate about the Internet adversely affecting local retailers. Offering a vast selection of products in all shapes, sizes and colours, lower overheads, reduced prices, and a global reach, the online store can beat the local retailer in many ways. There is only one small setback for the online store – delivering the product to the customer takes time – however, the ability to offer free delivery and returns mostly offsets this waiting time.

Local stores enable customers to see, touch, and smell products with a view to making a purchase.

This tactile environment can help bring the customer to make their purchase decision, along with helpful advice provided by a salesperson in many cases. With the added bonus of being able to take your purchase home with you there and then, usually seals the deal.

However, what happens when the store doesn’t carry all of the products on offer? Maybe they only have certain showroom models that enable a customer to see a sample of the product, but the actual item might still need to be ordered for delivery – very common in many high-end furniture stores for example. Possibly the store carries products that a customer can take home with them, but they might not have all of the offerings from that particular manufacturer, so the customer is limited to what is seen. Buying a brand-new car? Most will need to be ordered from the factory in any case – but we would rarely make these kinds of purchases online. So, in this way there is still the need for local retailers, stocking products that we can experience with all our senses, even if sometimes we will need to place an order and wait for our purchase to arrive.

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Internet purchasing of physical products was still a 6

relatively small percentage of overall purchasing habits. The main issues were of trust – is this online store trustworthy or are they going to steal my money? – and of availability – can the product be delivered to my address? In the last 5 years alone, online purchasing has risen dramatically, with online sales more than doubling since 2014, and the growth is predicted to continue (Statista. com 2020). Manufacturers have also got wise to the Internet and how to make use of a zero intermediary sales channel – thereby eradicating the issue of trust as we are dealing with brand names. Add to this the proliferation of purchases made with mobile devices (mCommerce) and easier access to the internet whilst on the move, and we can see that customers are themselves embracing this technology enabled purchasing experience.

At the same time, online retailers have managed to grow and grow, with some becoming household names in their own right – just look at Amazon.

With delivery times being drastically reduced to just a couple of days, overnight, or even same day in some cases, the issue of having to wait a long time for your precious purchase is now mostly a thing of the past. Add to that the ability for you to track your package as it makes its way across the world to your home, and you feel a continued part of the purchasing process – a connection.

Local retailers have had to compete with the Internet at many levels, but for some years have started to embrace rather than compete. The dual business model of online, and bricks & mortar stores, have in many cases merged into one, with retailers having their full offerings online and selected products in physical local stores. This brings to best of both worlds for the customer – the ability to experience products in store and take home their purchase, combined with a full product offering available online, for example if the size/

PURCHASING

colour of the in-store product is not to their liking.

For the retailer, it also brings advantages – being able to reduce in-store stock but still have all products on offer for sale.

Now we see more and more the hybrid model of purchasing online and collecting in a local store.

This could be that the purchase is made online, and then the product is delivered (mostly free of charge) to the local store. However, many stores are now using the system that the customer is reserving the product online and simply visiting the store that same day to collect the item, thereby spending less time on the in-store purchase – something that has now been increasingly fuelled by the current Corona crisis. In this way, local stores are taking advantage of the convenience of online purchasing with the customer choosing when they wish to receive their purchase.

This hybrid model has been adopted by many stores over the last couple of years, and is increasing all the time. One of the leaders in this type of business model here in Finland, has been Verkkokauppa.com – combining the

website address with the name of the store, clever. The store has also gone slightly further by offering in-store terminals for customers to be able to conduct the purchase process “remotely” whilst in the actual store. However, even this is nothing new, catalogue stores had been using this business model decades ago, albeit using printed catalogues and paper forms instead of a website.

In conclusion, we have seen advances in technology allowing both stores and customers to make the purchase experience more streamlined and efficient, and one where the customer has more choice in how, when, and where the purchase decision is made. Local stores are no longer at the mercy of the Internet, far from it; they have mostly taken up the challenge and are prepared to compete on a global scale, at a local level.

Hugh Clack Editor in Chief 7

TIPS/TRICKS

How to cheer yourself up during the pandemic?

Everybody has bad days. The main thing is not to dive fully into the negative with your head.

These simple tricks will help you.

1. Physical activity

journey, then you are probably able to do something less ambitious, but enjoyable. Think about what it is. Delicious food, warm bath, spontaneous shopping, etc.

8. Meditation

Remember the connection between mental and physical health. Therefore, dance, jump, do a Meditation reduces stress levels and regulates light warm-up: any physical activity is suitable for emotions. the production of endorphins.

9. Relax 2. Cheerful playlist Bad moods are often the result of stress and Make a playlist of your favorite tracks that energize fatigue. If this is your case, allow yourself a break. you. No melancholy: sad music will only fuel your Put your phone and business aside, leaf through a already dull mood. magazine, take a walk, or just take a nap. A short timeout may well restore strength and mood.

3. Good movie 10. Thank you to yourself Go watch new items on the big screen: as expected, with popcorn, or have an intimate movie Another simple exercise that will remind you that night at home. everything is not so bad. Make a list of things you can thank yourself for. Did you have a tasty and 4. Simple goals hearty breakfast? Excellent. Have you written a helpful article? Great.

Bad mood and apathy deprive you of strength and performance. Don't berate yourself: If the day is Remember that lingering bad mood can be a sign bad, plan three easy things instead of ten hard of depression. And if you do not manage to cope ones. Achieving a goal, however small, will bring on your own, then perhaps this is a reason to back a sense of self-satisfaction. contact a psychologist.

5. Call a friend Surely you have chats with friends - write there: a good portion of words of support, jokes, and stickers with cats will fix the situation! Better yet, call your loved ones.

7. Small desires The fulfillment of desires is always encouraging.

And if right now you cannot go on a long-awaited 8

Written by Vlada Polishchuk

REVIEW

"Call Me By Your Name"

by André Aciman

Call me by your name is a novel written by American writer André Aciman. It’s about a blossoming romance between 17-year-old American Italian Jewish boy named Elio Perlman and a visiting 24-year-old American Jewish scholar named Oliver in 1980s Italy.

After Elio confesses his feeling Oliver kisses him, but when Elio tries to take things further, Oliver pushes Elio away. They start to grow distant and it is driving Elio insane. Finally, Elio get the attention he seeks, but regrets it after. He then comes to his senses about his feelings and continues the relationship between him and Oliver until Oliver has The narrator is Elio, who is thinking back to events to leave. After that they meet again on Christmas, of the summer of 1987. At that time, he was 17 and but oliver says he is going to marry someone next was living in Italy with his parents. Each summer year. They don’t communicate after that for many his parents would take a student to stay with them years, until they meet again. for 6 weeks and Elio would hate it, since he has to give his own bedroom to the quest. Oliver is I had already seen the movie before I read this the guest for the summer. He is described to be book. I was surprised how much more you got carefree and detached, and that makes Elio upset from the book than the movie. I really liked that at times because he seems more introverted. Elio I got more into Elios mind and the feelings he recognizes his bisexuality and his attraction to was feeling. The book is beautifully written and Oliver. translates emotions well. In other words, I really liked the book and would recommend reading it if you liked the movie.

There is a sequel called “Find me” that I am excited to read next to know how Elio has been after his first love Oliver.

Written and photos by Ave-Liis Koobak 9

Cookies

RECIPE

(This recipe is for 12 medium-sized cookies) Ingredients • • • • • • • • • •

½ cup granulated sugar ¾ cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon salt ½ cup melted unsalted butter 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 ¼ cups flour ½ teaspoon baking soda 3 oz milk or semi-sweet chocolate chunks 3 oz dark chocolate chunk

The preparation process step by step

with parchment paper.

6. Scoop the dough with an ice-cream scoop onto a baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes.

7. Cool completely before serving.

Tips • For a more intense flavor and texture, chill the dough for 24h.

• The longer the dough rests, the more complex its flavor and texture will be.

• Leave at least 10 cm of space between cookies and 5 cm of space from the edges of the pan so that the cookies can spread equally.

• If you don’t have an ice-cream scooper use your hand to form cookie-balls.

1. In a big bowl, whisk all the ingredients together: I wish you will enjoy the recipe. the sugars, salt, and butter until a paste forms with no lumps.

Bon appetit!

2. Add the egg and vanilla and beat them 3. Sift in the flour and baking soda 4. Fold in the chocolate chunks, then chill the dough for at least 20 minutes.

Written and photos by Ikram Bechari 5. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line a baking sheet

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STUDIO 123 Kymenlaaksonkatu 1 45700 Kuusankoski 044 375 3686 www.studio123.fi

4.12 - 10.12.2020 STUDIO 1 METSÄJÄTTI (7) | 12€ | 1h28min Thur 14:15 LOST BOYS (18) | 12€ | 1h39min Every evening 17:30 STUDIO 2 AIKA JONKA SAIN (12) | 12€ | 1h45min Thur 14:00 TOVE (16) | 12€ | 1h26min Every evening 17:00 STUDIO 3 RISTO RÄPPÄÄJÄ JA VÄÄRÄ VINCENT (S) | 11€ | 1h26min Fri, Sun, Tue, Thur 16:30 ELÄMÄÄ KUOLEMAN JÄLKEEN (7) | 11€ | 1h21min Sat, Mon, Wed 16:30

MOVIE Freaky Billie Holiday was Frank Sinatra’s biggest influence, and it is no surprise after hearing a few of her songs. The movie Billie came out in 2020 and it talks about her life as one of the greatest singers of her time. Billie had a difficult life. She was battling with drug abuse and only sang for the white people in America.

The documentary film is based on the writings of Linda Lipnack Kuehl, a journalist, who interviewed the people that knew Billie and after years of these interviews, she finally published them for the world to hear.

The film was conducted from audio interviews with Billie's close friends and acquaintances.

Billie grew up in an abusive household in Baltimore and later in Haarlem, where her talent was found. The film talks about her extremely sad life events that happened in Haarlem. She was sexually abused and when she joined the music band, she experienced racial abuse, and often she had to sleep in the bus while the white members of the band slept in hotels.

During this time Billie started working with pimps to earn some money and she was well known in the police department for being arrested many times. Although Billie became a semi-popular singer in the city, she was still treated badly and did not get the recognition she deserved.

The movie is extremely sad and horrific. It is rather sad that it was published during the holidays when people are usually are celebrating. I feel like it should have been published other times of the year and give it a larger role because the movie deals with important topics and it is not a holiday movie. However, if you want to see a glimpse of this woman's life, I recommend for you to watch the movie.

Students/armed services, pensioners 1€ discount on all full priced tickets of 10€ or more

Written by Marina Keinan 11