true colors student union magazine
#103
KICKSTARTA
din yrkeskarriär i sommar! Sjuksköterska, fysioterapeut, arbetsterapeut eller biståndshandläggare? Vi söker dig som vill ha ett ansvarsfullt sommarjobb som kan bli första steget på en utvecklande yrkeskarriär hos oss! Läs mer och sök lediga jobb på malmo.se/malmobehoverdig.
Var med och n e id t m a r f g g y b för ososmsoargllasam! t / Hälsa, vård &ialpsykiatri LSS & soc
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The current editors in chief would like to say thank you to the editorial team and readers who made this issue possible. Contact us at instagram: sum_magazine facebook: Sum - Student Union Magazine email: sum@malmostudenter.se
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Sum magazine issue #103 True Colours February 2020 Cover photography by Miltos Iakovidis Student magazine SUM is distributed by the Student Union of Malmö and reaches all students at Malmö University. Opinions that appear in the magazine are the students own and not neccessarily SUM’s. SUM has to some extent modify pictures and texts, but no responsibility is taken for submitted material. SUM is printed on Nordic Swan Ecolabelled paper. Get in touch with us at SUM: sum@malmostudenter.se Ads: FörbundsMedia AB - tel: 040-6021400 / www.fbmedia.se Print: Elvins Grafiska AB - tel: 042-159900 / www.elvinsgrafiska.se Editors in Chief: Moa Hörnfalk & Miltos Iakovidis Contributers in #103: Nikos Vrantsis / Vera Boateng / Max Nyberg / Lovisa Björkman / Lara Jönsson / Emma Carneholm / Priscilla Silva / Simine Azarnoush / Miltos Iakovidis / Moa Hörnfalk / David Hamark
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Content
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True colors of Malmö Farre Shafaie
Kul i Malmö Hanna Hörnbäck & Hannah Nilsson
Portraits Moa Hörnfalk
The beauty of contrast Vera Boateng
Auras Simine Azarnoush
Reality of failure Lara Jönsson
Places Emma Carneholm
Masks Max Nyberg
True colors of a black sheep Priscilla Silva
Shapes Miltos Iakovidis
Hostile design Nikos Vrantsis
Year 2020 Lovisa Björkman
Information Kåren 3
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NYHET! Unik försäkring för lärarstudenter: Studentförsäkring Leva
Inga andra studenter har något liknande Studentförsäkring Leva hjälper dig om du råkar ut för både små och stora olyckor. Råkar du till exempel ut för ett olycksfall eller en sjukdom som gör att du inte kan studera på ett tag, och du förlorar ditt studiemedel, får du ersättning från försäkringen. Besök vår webb eller kontakta oss så hjälper vi dig.
0771 - 21 09 09
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KONST OCH DESIGN PÅ ÖSTRA GREVIE FOLKHÖGSKOLA På Östra Grevie folkhögskola erbjuder vi grundläggande konstutbildningar för dig som vill fördjupa dig inom konst och design. Många söker vidare till konstnärlig högskola eller fortsätter med egen yrkesverksamhet. Alla utbildningar är tvååriga, där det valbara andra året innebär mer eget arbete med projekt, portfolio, arbetsprov eller praktik. Du har tillgång till alla skolans verkstäder och lärare samt teckningslektioner, kroki, workshops och föreläsningar.
fotografi konstgrafiken textil konst och design fria förberedande konstlinjen grafisk design – nya media grafisk design – visuell kommunikation www.ostragreviefolkhogskola.com
True colors of
Malmรถ. Illustration by Farre Shafaie
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Hanna & Hannah har
kul i Malmö. Hanna Hörnbäck och Hannah Nilsson är 25 respektive 28 år gamla. De är just nu kollegor på fritidsförvaltningen i Malmö stad där deras främsta arbetsuppgift är kommunikation på förvaltningen. Hanna och Hannah är båda utbildade produktionsledare och har läst programmet Produktionsledare inom Media på Malmö Universitet. Hannah Nilsson tog examen 2016 och Hanna Hörnbäck tar examen i år. Hannah minns webbproduktions- och produktionsledningskursen som det absolut bästa med utbildningen. Detta för att kurserna gav bra grunder i både webbplatsbyggande och projektledning, kompetenser som varit väldigt användbara i arbetslivet. Hanna har kursen grafisk design som favorit då studenterna tilläts att vara kreativa och arbeta i Adobe-programmen. Generellt har programmet lärt Hanna väldigt mycket inom projektledning men också inom det grafiska. Hanna och Hannah talar varmt om programmet Produktionsledare inom Media. Det är en bred utbildning som ger en bra grund inom flera olika områden och gör det möjligt att arbeta inom många branscher. Utbildningen erbjuder dessutom en del valbara kurser och möjlighet att nischa sig på olika sätt. Programmet ledde Hanna och Hannah till var dom är idag. De arbetar som kommunikatörer på fritidsförvaltningen i Malmö. Deras främsta uppdrag är att projektleda Kul i Malmö, Malmö stads plattform för gratisaktiviteter för barn och unga. Deras roll är en mix av projektledare och grafiker. De framställer allt ifrån innehåll till sociala medier, kampanjer som syns på stan till budget- och kommunikationsplaneringar.
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Fritidsförvaltningen arbetar för att erbjuda Malmöborna en meningsfull fritid. Kul i Malmö är ett sätt att göra just det och dessutom att få göra det helt gratis. På projektets hemsida kulimalmo.se finns fritidsaktiviteter för alla unga malmöbor mellan 6 och 25 år - året runt. Visste du till exempel att du som student kan gå på ridning hela våren, eller varför inte boxning? Det går också att testa Roller Derby eller gå på matlagningsträffar och såklart mycket mer. Detta går alltså att göra varje vecka eller helt enkelt när det passar dig. Besök hemsidan kulimalmo.se för att hitta aktiviteter som du gillar. Just nu arbetar Hanna och Hannah för att förbättra utbudet av gratisaktiviteter för unga Malmöbor och har därför startat en kampanj där frågan ställs ”Vad vill du göra?”. Tanken med kampanjen är att erbjuda möjligheten att skicka in egna önskemål och tankar om vad malmöborna önskar göra på sin fritid. Detta för att de ska kunna anpassa aktiviteterna efter vad som efterfrågas. Så gå in på malmo. se/dintid och skicka in just dina önskemål! Photo by Martin Monikander Text by Hanna Hörnbäck & Hannah Nilsson
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Portraits by Moa Hรถrnfalk.
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The beauty of contrast. Imagine if everything in the world only existed in two colors. From the color of the feathers on birds, flowers and even human beings were either black or white. Or imagine that the human mind only consisted of a binary thought-system and our cognitive abilities were only two-dimensional? What if you were asked to envision yourself living in a place that only has two extreme temperatures: extreme heat and extreme cold?
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Made up of beautiful colors. Such a description may grip one with the vision of gloom and dystopia. For some, it may even be impossible for their minds to perceive what may seem to be an abominable thought. Why should they? Are we not blessed with a wonderful, colorful world, which in the famous lyrics of ‘What a wonderful world’ by Satchmo, has skies of blue and clouds of white and the colors of the rainbow? Our human minds are potent powerhouses that have generated some brilliant ideas that have been instrumental in the progression of mankind and contributed immensely to the sustainability of our environment. Perhaps what is most paramount about our world is that we as human beings are made up of beautiful colors. Just like other elements of nature, we possess a similar innate quality that has granted us an invaluable ability to have colors consisting of unique shades and hues, physically and within us. Therefore if this is the will of nature, that human beings can exercise independence of our words, thoughts, actions, and feelings, why have so many rules been installed to rigidly monitor and to some extent suppress our “true colors”? “Dramatic”, “weird”, “loud”, “talkative” and ”uncivilized”. These are a few examples of labels that I have been given because I was simply expressing myself. Although I did not do this in a way that was necessarily offensive nor demeaning to anyone, due to the gross unappreciation of my character that is original and highly nonconforming, I have been constantly disregarded and looked down upon by some.
And I know that I am not the only person that has had this experience or is still having it. I find it very odd that we as human beings can appreciate the beauty of variety amongst every other thing except amongst ourselves. We have yardsticks in the form of protocols and code of conduct that we expect everyone to subscribe to. Although I do think it is necessary to have some rules to govern our behavior sometimes, we have made this a universal ideal and it has restricted freedom of expression. For myself and some other people out there, it has made us extremely self-conscious and anxious when we find ourselves in the company of other people. Clearly, we have a long way to go when it comes to being able to fully embrace diversity amongst ourselves. There is no simple blueprint to achieve this, however, we can choose to educate ourselves about the importance of having inclusiveness in our cultures. Also, instead of making quick judgments and blatant disparaging remarks about people we are not familiar with, we can create a small edit function in our minds where we filter out ignorant remarks and instead try to get to know them. Text by Vera Boateng Photo by Carlos Quintero
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Photography by
Simine Azarnoush.
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AURA PHOTOGRAPHY
What would your colors be? Aura Photography is a photographic technique which shows a persons aura. The auras size, colors and shape show your mental, physical and spiritual ratio, as well as your personality and your characteristics. A red aura indicates a powerful, energetic and passionate individual. It shows vitality, competitiveness, strong willpower, and being survival-oriented. An orange aura shows creativity, productivity, an adventurous and courageous spirit who relates to their emotions. Their confidence and creative power is their main strengths. A yellow aura shows creativity and intelligence. It appears around the analytical thinker and the detail oriented, as well as the playful and optimistic.
A green aura indicates compassion, harmony and a willingness to serve. It shows love towards people, animals, and nature. It also indicates balance and growth. A blue aura reflects a person who is emotional, expressive, and supportive of others. Communication, honesty and serenity are key words connected to this color. A purple aura appears around the intuitive, the artistic, futuristic, and idealistic. They are imaginative visionaries and daydreamers. A white aura shows spiritual transcendence, higher dimensions, a connection to the ethereal and non-physical. Text and photo by Simine Azarnoush
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Reality of failure.
I’ve lost my passion to write, and along with it my ability to spell write. My educated guess at the time being wright. I’m not sure where the added letters came from and it surely didn’t feel right, but since I wasn’t even certain how to spell right, I went with it. Much to my professor’s dismay. It used to come naturally, writing and spelling, a second nature of mine as forced as breathing is to a standard human. An inner force begging for an outlet in whatever form - many times bar coasters being the unfortunate victim since I seemingly never learned to carry a little pad of paper with me. I was on my first year of university at the time, and wasn’t sure when exactly I lost this passion, nor picked up this obstinate misspelling of simple words I once knew. I suppose it sort of happened gradually, rather than overnight. Its loss went unnoticed by me until it was a glaring hole inside of me where I was waiting for it to return. I started to look at who to blame, and the only place to point my finger was education. The same place that had given me the freedom of writing, was also the place limiting my inspiration into rules and regulations. Writing became less fun, no longer a sign of freedom but now a signed agreement, one which I’d apparently skipped reading the small license text as detailed as Apple’s.
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I started questioning the one thing you should never utter. Am I good enough? It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy that kids, students and grownups alike tend to ask themselves daily; one that should rather be rephrased to something as simple as can I do better? But nevertheless, there I was at an esteemed university, asking myself a doomed question and without an answer to give myself. My transfer script was what had gotten me in, but what if I actually didn’t deserve this spot? What if there was some poor soul out there, with the knowledge of how to spell write, whom I had stolen this spot from just because of letters and numbers on one single piece of paper deciding how educated you are and thus deducting your worth. I started comparing myself with the other students. They didn’t seem to struggle under the same rules and regulations, suffering from a loss they didn’t even know was there until it was too late. While I wanted to have a lecture called Referencing 101, they got involved with Model UN, the uni-version of TED talks and volunteer work. While I wanted to have wine induced Netflix procrastination sessions, they were establishing meetings with Goldman Sachs. I felt like somewhere along the way, I’d missed an exit and found myself on the road of becoming a one-woman band. Which wouldn’t be so bad if I had an ounce of musical talent. And although I have no doubt people would pay me to stop the orchestra of horror, I doubt any sustainable living could be made from it. I went against the stigma and finally asked my fellow students the
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feared question and opened what turned out to be Pandora’s Box. They all felt the same immense pressure. Whether 18 or 25, we were all struggling to be the best version of ourselves while learning to be a grownup despite failing something as simple as adapting to normal sleeping patterns. There are countless of ‘how-to’ guides, telling future and current students how to best plan their time to be the ideal student. But none of them can tell you how not to eat 20 chicken nuggets on a night out much less warn you about how it feels to be manufactured into becoming a student of the academic world. We students like to believe we’ve got everything under control, that we are manufactured for this type of world. But in reality, none of us are. We’ve all got different interests, and they’ve all led us here. We’re all embarking on a foreign path, one which we find equally interesting as intimidating.
Focus on mental health. Although I found solace in my fellow students shared fear of failure, my passion for writing didn’t return. I felt like I somehow had entered a boat race, yet while the rest of the students had speedboats, I was stuck in a sinking wooden rowboat. And I was sinking fast. Rather than admit defeat I continuously tried to drain my forsaken boat of its quickly increasing water while keeping up in the boat race. Foolish, perhaps. But that was how bad my fear of failure was. The prospect of not getting to the finishing line was scarier than facing what hid underneath the surface. And thus, I continued in this endless race, much like a perpetual motion machine. My mental health took a back seat to my studies, and it wasn’t until some unguided events took place that I found myself on the couch of a therapist, trying to formulate the words that had been stolen from me. I felt like a failure, but I knew I had to admit defeat. At least I had enough sense left to realize I couldn’t keep at it, despite what the closest people around me had expressed. “You only have a year left, just get yourself together and complete your studies.” “Darling, if you just party less I’m sure you’ll do just fine.” “This is a great degree to fall back on, just finish it and then do what you want.” So rang the words around me, but I remained adamant not getting myself back into the boat race with my leaking rowboat. I needed to focus on my mental health, and myself. As my mental health gained power, my love of words returned. Suddenly, I had this inner awoken voice that was begging for an outlet once again. I dusted myself off and got back up again. I may have failed, but I had learned what studies actually mattered to me – and which did not. Math and French aren’t for everyone, and that’s okay. Instead, I had come across newfound interests I would never have realized if it hadn’t been for this failure. And so, I’m back at it again, this time with a degree that is much more suitable for me. My story doesn’t necessarily end here, I might fail again. But at least this time around, I have learned the reality of failure. Don’t fear it, rather focus on what you can control.
And that’s the thing with failing. Although it is a fairly demoralizing and disconcerting experience, there is always a lesson to be made. With risk of quoting the great philosopher Confucius, there is a lesson to be learned behind his words: “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.” You don’t have to look far before you see the beauty in failure. Many of the great scientists, politicians, and artists of the past were first deemed failures before succeeding and thus leaving a legacy behind them. We celebrate these people’s success but often overlook the path that got them there. Just like we overlook our own path. For each failure I had at university, I found another way to go about my studies and strive after my passions. Granted, nobody sets out to fail, thinking gee I simply can’t wait to make this project go tits-up so I can learn some worthwhile lessons. Of course not. We don’t tell ourselves we hope we fail our degree or get fired from our dream job so we can build some emotional and psychological resilience. The lessons learned come after the depression, disappointment and anger wears off and enlightenment slowly starts to set in. If we choose to let it do so. Often, we get lost in idolizing success. Although we are all guilty of doing so – no matter the age – I believe students especially, being as impressionable as we now are, tend to this. By talking more openly about the acceptance of failure, we are already on a path more enlightened. Or in my case, a path in which I have regained my ability of spelling simple words such as write. Text by Lara Jönsson Photos by Laura Chouette, Malte Wingen & Oscar Nord 23
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Illustrations by
Emma Carneholm @troll_prins.
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Be a part of the next issue! Join our editorial team for the next issue. Take the chance to work on your resume by creating text, photos or illustrations for MalmÜ University’s student newspaper. Contact us at sum@malmostudenter.se!
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Illustrations by
Max Nyberg maxwnyberg@gmail.com
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Malmö: The true colors of a black sheep.
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A few days ago, I sat by myself at a café in Lund. It happened to be Arrival Day, so the place was packed with all the newly arrived international students looking for a place to escape the rain and mingle with their new friends. The lack of empty tables pushed me to sit next to a pair of English-speaking girls who were sharing their first impressions of Sweden. From their accent, I deduced they were American. Without paying too much attention to their conversation, I took out my computer, put on my headphones and decided to mind my own business. However, as I was about to press play on Spotify, I heard one of them say: “And then they told me, ‘Do not go to Malmö, it’s a dangerous place! And especially, avoid Rosengård.’” Apparently, Malmö’s reputation as “the black sheep” of Sweden precedes it, even beyond its borders. I spent the rest of the day pondering those words in my head. The comment made me feel slightly offended but I didn’t quite understand why. I am not a Malmö native. In fact, I had been given the same warning when I first came to Sweden as an international student four years ago. It’s true: for Swedish standards, Malmö is a dangerous place. It is the door to the European continent and therefore, the perfect spot for smugglers and other criminals to execute their dirty deeds. It is also home to many people who, like myself, have found a community and a home away from home despite the cultural and language barriers. This is perhaps the reason why I found that comment insulting. To simply refer to Malmö as “that dangerous place” is to reduce the collective experience of its people to a statistic while ignoring everything else.
We are real.
In november of last year, the council of Staffanstorp released a highly controversial TV ad encouraging people to move to their municipality. However, after one watches the ad it becomes clear what kind of residents they were looking for. The commercial begins with a group of young men attacking a passerby woman and her daughter by throwing a beer can at them. Although the scene is black and white, one can clearly distinguish the streets of Möllevången, one of Malmö’s most culturally diverse neighborhoods which has been in the news a lot recently for crime-related incidents. “Many of us wake up in a city we once called our hometown,” expresses a concerned voice, over the sound of sirens in the background. “But the rise of insecurity and the lack of integration has made many feel lost in their own city.” It is also worth noting the looks of both the victims and the assailants, the first ones having blonde hair and blue eyes whereas the second ones could be described as more “foreign looking” by some. Cut to the next scene and we see the same woman and her family, now in full color, leaving the corrupted city for a life of peace, tranquility and never-ending summer in Staffanstorp, “as the rest of Sweden should be”, according to the closing message. The commercial received harsh critique from the general public and certain media outlets who accused the council of Staffanstorp of racism and spreading an anti-immigrant rhetoric. Even companies like Clas Ohlson, whose logo appears in one scene, decided to distance themselves from the controversy, stating that their brand was used without their knowledge. For Malmö residents, however, the ad came as a direct attack and the cherry on top of a bitter cake that had been building up for years. As a response to Staffanstorp, a local organization called HelaMalmö released a short video titled “#viärpåriktigt” (We are real) recreating the commercial from the perspective of four young Malmö residents talking about their dreams, hopes and hardships in an attempt to humanize their stories. 35
We are not going anywhere. HejaMalmö’s response strongly resonated with me. Like the youth featured in that video, I know what it’s like to grow up in a city with a bad reputation. My hometown of Tijuana, in the northernmost corner of Mexico, is known as Sodom and Gomorrah in the north due to the amount of illegal activities that take place in broad daylight. Just like Malmö, Tijuana is also a pariah, a victim of its circumstances. Only a few kilometers of fence-and not a wall, as Donald Trump wants us to believe- separate Tijuana from its American sister of San Diego. Despite their proximity, the contrast between the two is mindblowing. While San Diego stands tall, clean and impeccable, Tijuana falls rough, dirty and threatening. This proximity has also made my city the official port of entry for drugs, guns and even people being trafficked into the United States for decades. Moreover, Tijuana has always been a city of migrants, as it remains the preferred destination for those who wish to accomplish the “American Dream” and enter the United States with or without documents. Those who don’t make it or who are unlucky enough to get caught prefer to stay in the city working at one of the many international factories or “maquilas” than going back home. This constant flow of new arrivals makes Tijuana a hugely diverse city and, like Malmö, a constant target or anti-immigrant politicians and media outlets, who like to blame the newcomers for the problems of a dysfunctional local government. After living in Tijuana for the majority of my life, it’s hard to not feel empathy for Malmö, a misunderstood border city often outshined by its bigger sister Copenhagen and famous for all the wrong reasons. At the same time, Malmö stands out as disruption, a challenge to the Swedish comfort. The reality is that no matter how much bad press it receives, Malmöites will continue to see beauty where everyone else sees chaos. From the graffitied walls of Möllan to the glass buildings in Västra Hamnen to the cobblestoned streets in Gamla Staden, Malmö has a place for everyone no matter where they came from. To say life in Malmö is perfect would be a lie, but then again, does it really have to be? Perhaps what makes places Malmö and Tijuana interesting is precisely that feeling of uncertainty. Staffanstorp can keep its fake sense of perfection and pre-fabricated sunshine. We’re not going anywhere. Text by Priscilla Silva Photo by Priscilla Silva and Max Bohme
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Hostile design. There cannot be a central stage without a backstage; same goes for the city. Beyond the glamorous central districts of shining facades and the comfortable halls of the well-to- do, beyond the instagramable sites and landscapes of tourist consumption, another urban atmosphere is to be found. Pushed away, usually in the urban suburbs — despite the discourses and ambitious urban plans to reach inclusion and counter inequality — poverty writes a different scenario of a life performed into controlled, circumscribed territories that form the urban ‘no-go zones.’ Quarantined and segregated, these territories are valuable in many different ways. They generate not only poverty but also political debates on how to counter it; lectures from professors on segregation and inequalities; the inevitable text-book in which the professor presents these lectures as a commodity for sale in the market. They create new job opportunities for ambitious writers of crime novels and VICE reporters to recover stories accommodated under engaging titles that will interrupt the monotony and security of the boring lives of the prosperous demographies. They offer alternative destinations for adventurous tourists who want to get off the beaten tracks and witness a more real reality. They are valuable as long as they remain circumscribed. But sometimes there is a leak and poverty slips out of the zone it is supposed to be. Its messengers intrude into glamorous territories, causing complaints of honourable gentlemen who protest against the sad spectacle of homelessness and misery that destroys the prevalent idea of beauty, disrupts a coherent consumption line of pleasure, brings down the prices of real estate and damages business. So these gentlemen try to come up with subtle ways to get rid of this annoyance. And, boy, don’t they come up with great ideas! Nails on headboards and spikes on ledges, sloping benches divided in half by iron arms, so that one can sit but not lay flat. All these inspirations have been called ”defensive designs”. 40
There are many of them, even though they are hard to notice. For example, in the train stops of Malmo C, next to the tracks and wagons that smoothly drop or absorb the multitude, one will find some unapologetically inconvenient benches. The defensive trait of the benches is to be found in their sloppy qualities, their sliding bases. While sited you gradually slide; and you cannot, for any reason lay flat without falling. Now, one might question the rightfulness of the word defence; defence suggests a legitimate provision to counter an attack. It is a rather polemic word, the requires an attacker, an invader, a threat. So the discourse is built in a double manner: first, it diagnoses the ‘invader’ and consequently localizes negativity. Second it articulates the treatment to this ‘invasion’ and produces a ‘positivity’, in this case ‘defensive designs’. But defences against whom? The ‘invaders’ are the homeless who would seek an underground, warm shelter; somewhere to lay down and rest. But as the market logic dictates, a train station cannot welcome stability. It is a matrix of flow and movement.
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Who actually decides what is ‘normal’? 42
A guy named Stuart Semple realised the cynicism of the discourse, the brutality of these designs and planned a counter-narrative. He rebranded all these bad-hearted inspirations as ‘hostile designs’. Moreover, he created ‘design crime’ stickers and distributes them to anyone who has detected and wants to label such a design. He finally invites us to photograph and tag them on social media using the hashtag #hostiledesign.Beyond the dispute over the discourse and spatial production of these designs lies a contradicting perception of what constitutes a public space and who is entitled to it. Who is allowed to have access to it? Is it open to everyone or is it accessible only to those who fall into the ‘norm’? And who actually decides what is ‘normal’? What are we allowed to do and what is conventionally prohibited? How do we understand public space and what potentials are there in it? #selectedbytraitors Text by Nikos Vrantsis Photo by Adrian Dascal and Nikos Vrantsis
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Illustrations by
Emma Carneholm @troll_prins.
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Year 2020. The year 2020 feels like a new beginning for many and it´s time to throw out those old habits and start with new ones. Never before have I heard as much talk about self-care and healing as of now. This is a new outlook on how we want to live our lives. Not only going for those quick fixes but actually solving problems on a deeper level, building from the ground up. In 2020 sustainability is seen in every aspect of our lives, we are interested in mindfulness, health, and new technology. We try to create a simpler life by decluttering our homes, focusing on solutions to climate change and we are getting more involved with consumer politics. This past decade can be described as quite the mess and now it´s time to clean it all up with these trends for 2020.
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Mindfulness and mental health. During 2020 we are looking for ways to reduce our stress to improve our mental health. There is a screen-less revolution taking place making digital detox last year´s Christmas gift in Sweden with the so-called phone box. Many professors and doctors talk about the impact of screens and one who got well known during 2019 from his summer talk in P1 is Anders Hansen. A new trend within this category that can seem a bit daunting is the dopamine fasting which is to during a certain period not consume anything that gives you dopamine such as sweet or fat foods, sex, social media and even working out. Too much dopamine is said to blunt the pleasure system and stress the brain, dopamine fasting is supposed to slow down the system and brain so the pleasure can increase when the fasting is over. A trendy method for stress-relief is forest bathing, which has become the big new mindfulness movement. Turn off your cellphone because this movement is all about embracing the woods with all of your senses, especially walking barefoot and enjoy the simple things in life. The practice is praised as a simple yet effective way of self-care. Decreasing the levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, by being in the forest has been proven by scientists at the University of Michigan. The levels decrease the most when you are in the forest between 2030 minutes. This technique of experiencing nature can also be expressed in the trendy wellness movement Blue mind which is inspired by the book and TEDx talk by Wallace J Nichols. Taking care of our oceans and lakes are of the greatest importance for our and the world’s health. To be by the water, swimming, surfing or sailing can have stress-reducing effects in our otherwise hectic lives. While doing these two trends of forest bathing and blue mind we can exercise another trend, clean breathing. Clean breathing can be done through yoga and meditation and by being conscious of what air we consume by breathing air that is not contaminated by polluted particles. Doing this has benefits such as clearer skin, improved concentration, and relaxation as well as reduce risks of asthma attacks, stroke, and heart attacks. This trend is seen in our homes and outdoors. To improve the air quality in your home I can recommend getting plants that are air purifying. NASA has a list of recommendations such as Peace Lily, Ivy and Aloe Vera. Other popular ways to increase the air quality in our home can be with home fragrancing, diffusers, and purifiers.
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Another type of meditation you should try this year is going to a brain spa with sound and vibration therapy. This meditation has traditional gong gongs and bells and is said to create cellular regeneration which creates energy and helps with pain and inflammation in the body. With all of these mindfulness trends being popular comes a not so surprising grown interest in spirituality, zodiac signs, crystals, tarot cards and other ways to guide us into the new decade. Crystals have gotten especially popular and you can now even find them in trendy clothing stores. If you wanna start the decade with a confidence boost why not try if a citrine crystal could work or if you want to find love, try rose quartz. When we talk about working out, for many there has been a switch to working out for mental health instead of physical appearance. Popular ways of working out in 2020 are virtual workouts in your own home, the rowing machine makes a comeback and HIIT gives space for HILIT, High-intensity low impact training. This style of workout contains movements that are easier on your ligaments such as pushups, squats and the plank. We can also see a trend of talking more about the importance of healthy and strong pelvic floor muscles, not only for after giving birth, but for improving our sex life and general health. This creates a market where salons like The Light Room open up for HIFEM (High-Intensity Focused Electro-Magnetic) Technolo-
gy which gives the same result as doing 11,000 kegel exercises in one sitting. Sleep for mental health and beauty is a hot topic where weight blankets are on the rise. These comforters are supposed to create a feeling of safety, help with anxiety and improve your quality of sleep. The strong plant-based trend keeps on growing stronger and more people are joining the movement. During 2019 the documentary “Game changers” had a great impact, where we could see especially more men joining the movement for health and fitness reasons. This has resulted in more companies investing in creating new meat substitutes, so we have a lot of new exciting food to expect in the future. A plant trend that is seen in our homes is to grow our own vegetables, lettuce, tomatoes, chilies and more. New ways of cooking and baking with vegetables and other alternatives such as banana flour and coconut flour instead of traditional flour. Sugars and sweeteners will get switched for nectars from sweet potatoes and syrups made of pomegranate and dates. Forgotten superfood seeds and grains such as bulgur, dinkel, teff, farro, and buckwheat will be more incorporated in our foods. We will continue eating kimchi and other fermented foods which has many health benefits. People are choosing to not consume alcohol or lower amounts of it which have spiked a trend for mocktails and non-alcoholic beer and wine options. Text by Lovisa Björkman Photo by Kenrick Mills
Behöver du lite mer "Det var så skönt att få prata av sig en stund. Jag är inte religiös eller så, inte så mycket i alla fall. Har min egen tro, liksom. Men i det där rummet kändes det som att jag fick vara jag, om du förstår? Det var ingen som dömde mig, jag behövde inte prestera, liksom. Det var som att jag fick lite mer hopp." Student, 24 Känns det bekant? Skulle du också behöva prata? Hör av dig till oss på universitetskyrkanmalmo@gmail.com. Alla är välkomna, vi för inga journaler och har tystnadsplikt. Välkommen! Maria, universitetspräst och Lennart, universitetspastor 50
hopp?
Issue #104 will be released in April 2020
For more info contact us at instagram: sum_magazine facebook: Sum - Student Union Magazine email: sum@malmostudenter.se
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Ordförandekrönika | Chronicle When it comes to parts of student influence, student unions are a natural partner and need to be an active part in the work. However, we also need to take a look at ourselves.
True Colors After #metoo and the #akademikeruppropet (the academic part of metoo) some action has been taken here and there, even though one can argue whether it has been enough. Karolinska Institutet (KI), Kungliga Tekniska högskolan (KTH) and Malmö university have taken the initiative to start a research project on gender-based vulnerability within the academy. The silence culture has been protected for far too long. We need to be able to question the structures and hierarchies that enable it in higher education. Students are an important part of the change that is to come. A part of the research project is a survey that will also be sent out to students which is why students need to understand why it is important for them to answer it.. We have to support each other in this process and we need to make sure that we all make our voices heard. The deeply problematic structures need to come to light, otherwise we can’t work to change them. Without student’s active participation in changing the system, proper results can’t be expected - there are many more students in universities than there are people working in the universities which is why it is vital that students are well represented in the answers.
Student Union Malmö’s work is based on values of knowledge, solidarity and equality. The student council of 18/19 voted through a new equal treatment policy and the constitutional student council 19/20 voted through an equal treatment plan. Currently, while writing this, the Student Union is doing a survey of its own about discrimination and bullying within the Union. We need to make sure that our student movement is as inclusive as possible. We need to know under which circumstances discrimination, any form of harassment or bullying takes place and we need to take action. Unfortunately it is a case of “when” it happens, not a case of “if” it happens, but we must be truthful. We cannot effectively work towards a more inclusive academia, university and education unless we look fearlessly deep into ourselves and into the problematic aspects of our own organization.The results of the survey are not up yet, but we will hopefully be able to share it with our members as soon as we have results and have been able to gather an analysis and/ or suggestions for further investigations. As the president I work to ensure everyone’s safety in the union. But all of us are responsible for respecting each other and making sure that we lift each other up and actually listen to each other. We should not shut each other down. Our work in the union is a step into the direction of seeing what structures are keeping us back. Then, we take the whole of academia! Remember, you can always come to the student union in cases of discrimination or bullying.
Jenna Pystynen President of Student Union 18/19
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A REPORT FROM THE UNION’S COUNCIL (FUM) What did the student union do in 2019?
In 2019, there were two different student council’s - there was the council of 18/19 and then 19/20. Student council’s work for the academic year, not the calendar year, hence the overlap.
What were they up to?
Some of the things the student council worked on other than the reoccuring errands were... • They appointed a delegation to SFSFUM • Both councils discussed how the council could be more active and take more space. • Determination of a new equal treatment policy. • Determined an equal treatment plan on the constitutional FUM meeting. • Begun the work of renewing the old opinion documents of the Student Union. • Had its first committee for the Union award that is given out each spring for a total amount of 10 000kr. • Held a gala for student engagement where the first Union award were given out. • Discussed what role party politics could have in student council and in the Union. • Discussed the council’s views in climate justice and how it manifests on the Union’s locales and properties. • Discussed how to concretize the operational plan for 19/20. • Started discussing how to act when FUM member do not show up to meetings. • Had a by-election to elect a new Student Ombud. • Had a researcher in one meeting presenting a very important and substantial mental health research project • Started discussing possibilities of having Union sections • Approved a new association: Amnesty
International student group Malmö university, welcome! • Held a workshop on course plans • Certificate on international merits with guests from international office
That’s a bunch of stuff! Why is this important?
The student council is the Student Union’s highest decision making body. Did you know that you as a member of the student union can also make your ideas heard in the union!? Yup, it’s totally possible! According to the constitution, a Union member has the right to put a motion or interpellation to the Student Union Council and have such considered. Do you have some ideas that you would like the council to discuss or take a stance on? Have you encountered issues in your education that you believe there needs to be a wider discussion about? Contant the Student Union president Jenna Pystynen and you can together put it on the next meeting agenda! Are you unsure how to write a motion? Worry not, the board can send you some amazing tips in support of writing a comprehensive document. Are you interested in spectating to see what the council discusses? Most of the meetings are held on the fourth floor of the Union house. If unsure, contact the president of the union. As a union member you are always welcome to come and listen.
Do you want to see what has been discussed?
Go to the Student Union Malmö’s homepage malmostudenter.se and go to ”Kårens dokument”, there you can find all the protocols of previous meetings.
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Rösta i Kårvalet! Mellan 9 - 22 mars kan du rösta i Kårvalet! Utan din röst finns det ingen Studentkår. Under februari månad har alla studenter på Malmö universitet haft chansen att kandidera till en plats i Kårens fullmäktige. Vi behöver just DIN röst för att ta fram nästa års fullmäktige. Totalt är det 19 studenter som blir invalda av alla som kandiderar. Totalt kan du rösta på 5 stycken kandidater. Röstar du har du dessutom chansen att vinna riktigt fina priser så som en Ipad eller våra goodiebags. Stå upp för din rösträtt som student!
SÅHÄR FUNKAR KÅRVALET Du som student röstar fram dina kandidater i Kårvalet De 19 ledamöterna med flest röster bildar Kårens fullmäktige (FUM)
Därefter har de som är med i FUM möjligheten att söka till en plats i Kårens styrelse!
En Kårstyrelse bildas med en Ordförande, en Vice Ordförande, fyra studentombud (som alla arbetar heltid på Kåren) samt tre iddeella ledamöter.
Gå till val.malmostudenter.se och våra andra kanaler; Facebook, Instagram, 54 Twitter och Canvas för att se hur du kan rösta!
Bli medlem i Kåren!
Varför det, kanske du tänker? Förutom att just ditt medlemskap gör så att din utbildning blir bättre är det dessutom väldigt kul att vara med i gemenskapen tillsammans med andra studenter. Vi ser till så att du är representerad på varje nivå av Malmö universitet och ger dig även en rolig
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FÖLJ OSS PÅ INSTAGRAM! @STUDENTKAREN_MALMO Följ oss på Instagram för att ta del av våra fartfyllda vardag! Här kan du se vilka evenemang och tävlingar som är aktuella för er studenter och kolla in bakom kulisserna! Här är det våra ombud, presidiet och kommunikatör som berättar löpande vad vi gör i vårt arbete mot studenter.
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KONTAKT Kårordförande Jenna Pystynen 0760 - 50 95 64 jenna.pystynen@malmostudenter. se Vice kårordförande Yuliyan Konstantinov 0707 - 57 75 62 yuliyan.konstantinov@malmostudenter..se Studentombud Hälsa och samhälle Oscar Hydén 0707 - 57 75 63 oscar.hyden@malmostudenter.se
Teknik och samhälle Mladen Dimitrov 0707 - 57 75 69 mladen.dimitrov@malmostudenter.se Kultur och samhälle Diego Annys 0707 - 57 75 67 diego.annys@malmostudenter.se Ej knuten till fakultet Julia Buschmann 0707 - 57 75 68 julia.buschmann@malmostudenter.se
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