The International | Issue 1

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A LETER FROM THE

EDIToRS _

6 WELCOME Here it is!

We proudly present the first edition of The International. The one and only International Media and Communication (ICM) magazine created and designed by our very own ICM students. After two months of hard work, we finally managed to create a magazine that’s not only about school, but also about student life, human interest, and other topics that are appealing to students.

job interviews and in the end, we formed a dedicated team with students from every year, both Dutch and International. The International team exists of eighteen members and is divided into three departments: School, International, and Student life. Together, we wrote all the articles, reviews, and columns. We also took the pictures, and designed the whole magazine.

We know that there are already some student magazines in the Faculty of Communication and Journalism, e.g. de Trajectum and de Padualaan, but what makes our magazine different from the rest?

Well as some of you know, our study is in English, which means that besides Dutch students we also have a lot of international students. International students who also wish to keep up to date and know what is hip and happening.

This would be more difficult for the international students because all the student magazines are in Dutch.

And that’s why we were asked by school to create this magazine.

This first issue is full of interesting reviews, columns, and articles.

Besides the insight story about the whole situation with Monte Amador, we’ll suggest places for you to go to in Amsterdam and where to ice skate now the frost is over. We’ll also tell you about the student board and how to deal with homesickness.

When we emailed ICM students about our search for journalists, designers, and photographers, we were really scared that nobody would like the idea of an ICM magazine. But fortunately, there was nothing to be scared of; we received a great number of high quality emails. We had a lot of

w w w . f a c e b o o k . c o m / theinternationalicm.

We hope you have fun reading The International. If you have any feedback, ideas for articles or any other questions or comments, please feel free to email us on the-international@hu.nl.

Stay tuned with:

Until the next issue!

Kitty Beem, Laura de Kievit and Roos Barneveld, Editors in Chief of The International.

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IN THIS ISSUE

4 SCHOOL 4 6 8 9 10

6 17 21

Monte Amador The Red Tie Gala The Augmented Truth My Bucket List Students For Students: The OC

INTERNATIONAL 11 Amsterdam Has It All 12 Meet An International 14 What To Expect When You Go Abroad 15 Going Down Under

STUDENT LIFE

11 14

16 17 18 21 21

Coping With Homesickness Old Man Winter Has Arrived Keep Your Head Warm (DIY) Curd Cheese Pizza The Fear Of Being Average

GENERAL

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MONTE AMADOR By: Roos Barneveld

It all started a few months ago. The Faculty of Communication and Journalism (FCJ) was filled with rumors, many of the students were talking about it. Monte Amador, one of the finalists for best teacher of the year 2012 at Hogeschool Utrecht (HU), was leaving. People made up multiple reasons. Every week, another reason was the talk of town. We decided to look for answers; is Monte really leaving? What’s the reason? And most importantly; why are the students so affected by him leaving?

T

he actual reason of Monte leaving lies outside of the ICM management team and Monte himself. Former State Secretary for Education, Culture and Science Zijlstra decided that in 2014, 70% of all Hoger Beroeps Onderwijs (HBO) teachers should be in possession of a master’s degree.

Stepwise, this number would increase to 80% and finally 100% in 2020. Besides this new rule, HU also believes that teachers should have a master’s Degree.

Martijn Span, head of Human resources at the FCJ, stated in a de Padualaan article: “In 2007 the HU management decided that all teachers should be in possession of a master’s Degree.”

In practice, these rules mean that if a HU teacher does not have a master’s degree, he/she must leave after 2 years time for a period of at least 3 months before they can be re-hired for another temporary contract. Monte was hired for his professional background and is not in possession of a Master’s Degree, therefore he had to leave despite of his qualities as a teacher.

As a reaction on the whole situation with Monte, Maartje Drok and Bob Blom set up a petition to support Monte and to start a discussion about the HU policies. In the cover letter they sent with a petition, they’ve stated: “We warmly welcome you to sign our petition and even leave a comment about Monte and how he has influenced you.”

So many students did. Hundreds of students signed the petition and 102 students left a comment. Those comments gave use the answer to the question of why Monte is so popular. Students mentioned a few things about his character:

“He’s kind, understanding and very intelligent. That’s very rare these days.”

This must be a great relief for the students and teachers of the entire faculty because losing such an inpspirational teacher would be such a great loss.

His work experience:

“He has so much experience in his field.”

We, The International, decided to ask ICM students what they think of Monte Amador and the new rule that all HBO teachers should have a master’s degree.

And his passion for his job and his students:

Sanne Collée.

“I am yet to meet a teacher with so much passion and love for everyone of his students as Monte does.”

Next to the positive comments, there were a few critics out there. Students understand that rules are rules and that they should be followed, but they also believe that the HU should make sure when a situation as this one arises, everything must be worked out. Students want to receive more information and adequate substitute teachers, they shouldn’t be the victims of these situations.

In an official response to the petition, Monte says how he feels about the petition and all the comments, “Mostly, I want to express my deep gratitude for the ambition of those students involved in the petition and those that have not only supported it, but are (perhaps more importantly) discussing it as well.”

He also explains the whole situation and his feelings about it. Finally in his response, he answers our last question; is he coming back?

“ICM and I are currently reviewing the possibility for me to return in Block D. I’m also taking advantage of these 3 months to focus on some of these new ideas, business and being creative.”

Monte is the kind of a teacher that gives you a good feeling about your work and even if it sucks, he’ll find a nice way to tell you how to improve it. I think a teacher is not obliged to have a master’s degree. He has a way of teaching that makes students love him as well as it makes them study. This is a skill that most teachers with a master’s degree don’t even possess.

Olaf Nagtegaal.

Monte Amador is one of the most inspiring teachers that I’ve ever met in my life. As everyone knows, there are good and bad teachers. Some teachers explain their subject in a proper and clear way and some just suck. But as I’ve experienced in my first year at ICM, Monte is different.

If you want to describe him you could say that he’s a passionate guy; passionate about the things he knows, the theory, the skills that he has developed in his career, but also passionate about the experience he gained and the stories behind it. I believe that this is the reason why students are pleased with having him as a teacher. He teaches his subjects in a professional but especially a convincing-happy manner. A good example is when he’s giving feedback, he lets the students explain ideas, and afterwards he gives compliments about the things that he really likes and provides proper feedback about the things that could be changed. Monte never over criticizes your work and that’s what I really like about him.

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I believe that having a master’s degree is essential for a HBO teacher. Otherwise teachers with “some’’ knowledge about the courses could be hired at universities. I don’t want to say that this is a bad thing, because these people probably have a good foundation for being a teacher.

But with a study, that has set guidelines for the students, teachers have to have all the knowledge about these guidelines.

This is essential for the future profession of these students. For Monte though, I would say it does not matter that he hasn’t got a master’s degree. With the experience he gained in his former career, he gained enough knowledge about his workfield to be a great teacher.

it’s important that with every function you look at the person. Does he/she suit in the team he/she has to work in and more importantly, does he or she really know what they’re talking about. A piece of paper doesn’t say you have more knowledge. I think it’s more important for a teacher to be able to transfer his/ her knowledge to his/her students rather than teachers having the qualified papers, but are unable to explain it to others. So my opinion is to look at the person and whether or not he/she has masters degree.

SCHOOL

Photographs of Monte Amador (including cover) are taken by Reza Harek.

Elleke de Leeuw

I believe Monte is a great teacher. The unique thing about Monte is that he can get his students (well at least me) really excited about what he’s teaching. I think that’s because he’s excited about his subject. His positive and open attitude gives you the feeling that you can really do it and that you are good at it. Even InDesign gets me excited now. I don’t agree with the fact that a HBO lecturer needs to have a master’s degree. I think

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WHAT? ICM’S RED TIE GALA WHERE WAS THIS? CLUB LUX WHEN WAS THIS? 19/12/2012

_

THE RED TIE GALA

By Stefania Paolini Glitter and glamour, fancy dresses, high heels, fellows in suits…

These were all the ingredients of the ICM Red Tie Gala in Club Lux! Red was the color of the night and most of the guests have adhered to the dress code.

I

CM’s study association ‘ICM Dialogue’ organized a party last December to celebrate the beginning of the holidays.

A party created so you could have an excuse to dress up and have fun with your fellow classmates, starting off the Christmas break with a fancy party.

Check out Mr. Jeroen Heuts! It seemed like the teachers were having a great time and danced ‘till the early hours!

The ICM Dialogue did a great job organizing this party. I can’t wait ‘till the next one! What about you?

The dress code for the Gala was Red Tie, the ladies wearing fancy dresses with red highlights and the men wearing black suits with a red tie. Everyone was welcome, boyfriends, girlfriends, friends, etc. The prices of the tickets were €5, which you could buy both from contact person of your class or at the door. The lucky few who made it before midnight got a free drink.

The party was held at Club Lux, at Oudegracht, a luxurious location for a luxurious party. The ICM Dialogue arranged a good price for the drinks too; beer for €2, soda for €2 and wine for €2,50. Of course, they took care of the music as well. A DJ spinned records so the guests could dance all night long.

The overall atmosphere during the party was pretty good.

Everybody looked very classy and seemed to have a good time with their friends and loved ones. Even few teachers were present!

Photographs by Victoria Alexandrova

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Augmented Reality Enhance your day

By Dennis de Zwaan What do you expect 2020 to look like? Will everyone still use mobile phones and tablets? Or will new technologies have took up the horizon? Just for you we took time to answer these questions by taking a look at current trends. This time we take a look at a typical morning in 2020 for an architecture undergraduate,with a focus on Augmented Reality (an existing technology that adds virtual objects and imagery to the existing reality).

N

o shrieking alarm, no intrusive noises, or flashing lights wake Debrah from her slumber. No, her windows simply become more transparent over a minute time, allowing the sunlight to breach into the room and shine on the young girls features. Yet regardless, the soft awakening Debrah still finds room to mumble and grunt of displeasure, like any youth on an early morning. She has to force one foot out of bed, the second will follow eventually, some days one feels more exhausted than exhilarated when getting up from a long sleep.

The poster resizes to trigger and play the trailer of the movie; taking a spot in the down right eye corner of her iGlasses.

Finally risen, she grabs for her iGlasses - a slick designed piece of technology - and uses it to check her messages while heading towards her bathroom sink. Multi-

The hardware is already out there, and Google is not afraid to show you its potential.

tasking is simplified, allowing Debrah to brush her teeth and checking her friends Facebook updates through her iGlasses without much difficulty. Her friend Jenny went out clubbing again yesterday, no wonder she is always so tired during lectures. The thought of lectures seemed to spark a memory, Debrah still has to finish As she rushes out the door her iGlasses respond by automatically playing her morning music playlist and triggering Google Maps to guide her through the tour. To get to the central she would normally need to take the subway but there seemed to be constructions interfering with the normal schedule, Google Maps adjusts with up-todate information for using public transport and suggests taking an alternative route directly to her digitized glasses.

The young girl had been walking for awhile which allowed her to pay more attention to her surroundings and see the personalized advertisements float by in her screen. One of them seemed to be a poster for a new movie adaption from one of Nicholas Sparks’ novels. Debrah has been a great fan of movies like “The Notebook” and “Safe Haven”, so she instantly clicks on the poster with a slight hand suggestion. The poster resizes to trigger and play the trailer of the movie; taking a spot in the down right eye corner of her iGlasses.

When Augmented Reality helps you cook, dress, and even date. What would our world become like?

TRY IT!

For this article we chose to use two existing Augmented Reality Apps which you can use on the pictures displayed in this article.

Get the Layar app to see the videos hidden behind the photographs.

Get the String Showcase app to see how 3D Animation bursts from your screen when you scan the Dragon.

The trailer finished shortly after her arriving at the alternative subway route and when crossing the platform she sees many people passing by. Many of those owning Augmented Reality glasses similar to Debrah’s. Each owner seemed flashed alight with projections of their Avatar, a virtual representation of themselves with statements or advertisements, a small price for free apps. “I believe in Fair Trade” in light blue and green colors takes a great portion of

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SCHOOL

Debrah’s view while she follows a woman in front of her into the Metro.

Once seated Debrah switches her iGlasses to private modus, disabling most of the advertisement and allowing her to chat by hand gestures instead of by voice. She occupies herself by chatting with Jenny whose camera image pops up in the lower right corner while they converse. During the conversation Jenny transfers her notes on the tour to Debrah’s account.

Once out of the subway Google Maps kicks in again and points out the first building in the tour.

While facing the building, Debrah receives relevant information from Wikipedia projected on her screen and with her ShareNotes app she also receives all kinds of information collected by her fellow students. Which she can adjust, copy, or refer to from her own documents.

The first building is the Cathdral and once inside, her iGlasses provide the option to listen to the relevant lecture given by her Professor. What draws Debrah’s

attention is that someone has left a digital package in the Cathedral, containing footage of a wedding that took place and got recorded from the very position she is standing on. The finding intrigues her and she shares it on her Twitter page, allowing others to relive this moment through their glasses.

TRUE DISTINCTION

Some elements in Debrah’s story might be further away from reality than others but the technology is already out there. We aren’t that far from recreating our lives and per- spectives by augmentation.

Currently most of Augmented Reality still works through phones and tablets, but with Google setting the milestone with their Project Glass -or Google Glasses as they have been called in the media.- and other large developers like Microsoft and Apple supplying great hardware and easy development tools the room of possibilities seems end- less. The future holds both amazing as frightening aspects, both are beauti- fully portrayed in a great short films like “SIGHT” and “Domestic Robocop.”

MY BUCKET LIST

BY LYSANNE KROUWEL

C

ongratulations on surviving last year and to be more specific: the world’s end. I’m glad to see everyone alive and well. I was afraid that we all might have been gone by now. How lucky are we?

Now that we’ve made the new year, we can all start with our new year’s resolutions. Isn’t that what everyone’s supposed to do? Create a list with the same things as the previous years: lose weight, quit smoking, exercise more, etc. Personally, I’ve never made such a list because firstly, I don’t smoke, secondly, I can’t stop eating, and thirdly, I’m way too lazy to make a list.

Today however, I’ll make an exception, only it won’t be my new year’s resolution list. No, it’ll be my bucket list. I guess many of you know what a bucket list is, but for the ones who don’t know it’s a list of things you want to do before you die.

I know it sounds easy, but it gets more difficult, because what in the world am I gonna write on my bucket list? Does it need to be serious, special, or funny? Maybe I have to divide my bucket list into different categories like; serious business, traveling around the world, just-for-fun, and amazing adventures. Oh, there are just too many things I want to do! Maybe I have to make a new year’s resolution for next year: Create a whole bucket list with every category I can think of and start working on the things I really want to do. Now that I have a year to create my bucket list, I think there might be a chance I get to finish it before I’m actually in my bucket.

Well, good luck everyone with the year 2013! I wish you all have an amazing year full of fun, happiness and awesome parties. Me, I’ll be working on my bucket list.

Lysanne

Bringing shade and light in your living room at the time of your choosing.

P.s. For those of you who need some inspiration, these things are definitely on my list: - Publish a book - Hold a baby lion - Volunteer at an animal shelter - Solve a rubix cube - Skydive - Live in New York City - Learn to play the guitar - Send a message in a bottle - Get in a taxi and yell ‘Follow that car’

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SCHOOL

By Laura de Kievit

T

he OC of ICM is an abbreviation for the Dutch word “Opleidingscommissie.”

Every study program has such an educational board. Our mission is to give students a voice that will be able to communicate with the faculty’s management regarding HU’s internal and external activities. We are thus, the connection between students and ICM’s management. Our main task is to give advice on how to improve the study program so we can make the best out of ICM. This concerns all years. It can include the content and structure of the various courses or the communication between teachers and students.

We would like to inform you about our main tasks/goals for the upcoming period and give you the chance to participate and make your voice count.

The main topics are:

COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE OC ICM AND ICM STUDENTS

We want to be more involved in the life of students in school. Therefore, we will approach all class representatives of ICM in the beginning of 2013 in order to receive individual feedback. We would like you, to follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/icmoc) so you can stay updated and take part in future discussions about ICM subjects.

IMPROVED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

Communication within HU’s biggest study program is never going to be as easy as desired. Therefore, the OC ICM is willing to remind the management and the teachers of ICM, that certain rules (e.g. e-mail 5 days policy) should be respected by everybody to guarantee plain communication between every party.

Our OC consists of seven members from different stages of the program (with various backgrounds) who are officially elected by all students at the beginning of this academic year.

EXAMS AND PROCEDURES

Exams and all its related topics (e.g. resits, grades, deadlines etc.). There’s a lot of space for improvement regarding exam-related topics. We want to collect and summarize information about the most important issues concerning exams and try to improve the exam procedures.

EVALUATION OF 1ST/2ND YEAR NEW CURRICULUM

Since 2011, ICM has a new curriculum.

With 4 different years and 2 different curriculums, its a challenging task to improve every part of ICM. We mainly want to focus on important topics concerning the new curriculum (such as courses, lectures, lecturers, schedules, etc.), in order to improve the program for the “new generation” of ICM students.

Is something bothering you in ICM? Do you have any proposals for improvement? Don’t hesitate to approach us via Facebook:

www.facebook.com/icmoc or by Email:

oc.icm@hu.nl.

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INTERNATIONAL

Photograph by Ewuot Huibers

AMSTERDAM HAS IT ALL!

By Roos Barneveld

A

msterdam has something to offer for everyone. Whether you like shopping, going to museums, dancing ‘till dawn or having a delicious dinner, Amsterdam has it all. We asked a local where would to go if we wanted to make the most of our day in the city regardless of interest or the balance of our bank account.

The Artist

Foam photography museum.

I f you’re a fan of photography, you should definitely go to Foam. With changing expositions every now and then, you can visit the museum multiple times.

Entrance: €7 (for students) Address: Keizersgracht 609 www.foam.org Bazar.

Looking for some place different to eat? Bazar is set in an old church and is decorated with the style of the middle east. The middle-eastern food is delicious and the plates are really big. The price of an average main course is around €12. Bazar is also nice for a cup of coffee with baklava when you’re visiting the famous Albert Cuyp market.

Address: Albert Cuypstraat 182 www.bazaramsterdam.nl

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Paradiso.

Most people know Paradiso for its concerts, what outsiders don’t know is that Paradiso also offers a great night out in Amsterdam.

With its Classic Noodlanding on Wednesdays and Noodlanding on Thursdays, the combination of hits, non-hits, classics, and alternative music makes this night a great night for almost everyone.

Entrance: €5 Address: Weteringschans 6-8 www.paradiso.nl

The Hipster

IJ-hallen.

Once every month, all the hipster girls take the ferry to the north side of Amsterdam for the biggest flea market in Europe: the IJ-hallen. Anyone can rent a stall and next to a tremendous amount of vintageclothes you can find almost anything.

Next edition: the first week end of February.

Address: T.T. Neveritaweg 15 www.ijhallen.nl 9 streets.

Located in the middle of Amsterdam’s famous canals, you’ll find 9 streets. This shopping area is famous for its beautiful small shops with less

famous brands. On top of that, vintage and lifestyle stores can be found here.

enthusiastic, which makes this tour entertaining and educative at the same time.

Mazzo.

Not only is the Italian cuisine great, but so are the entourage and the people. For a student, Mazzo might be a little bit expensive; pizzas, pastas, meat and/or fish range around €15 - €20. Regardless, the food is definitely worth the price.

Meeting point: Monument at the Dam. www.newamsterdamtours. com/daily-tours/new-am sterdam.html

Monte Verde.

A nice Italian restaurant to go to when you don’t have that much money to spend. All the pizzas and pastas cost either €5 or €6.

Address: Albertcuypstraat 15-17 www.restaurantmonteverde. nl/

Address: Rozengracht 114 http://www.mazzoamste dam.nl/en/ Chicago social club.

Good house and techno music in combination with beautiful people, that’s what the Chicago Social is all about. For the club, you most likely have to pay, but the bar is free of charge.

Entrance: Different per party Address: Leidseplein 1 http://www.chicagosocial club.nl

The Student

Free Amsterdam tour.

Everyday at 11:15 and 13:15, you can join a 3-hour tour that will show you all the highlights of Amsterdam for free. The guides are young and very

De Gieter.

Beer for just €1,25? There is no place where beer is cheaper than here. When you’re so tipsy that you can handle the Dutch music and other singalong’s, the Gieter is definitely a place where you can have a great night!

Address: Korte Leid- sedwarsstraat 179

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INTERNATIONAL

MEET AN INTERNATIONAL

By Maria Golovanova

W

e, as students of the ICM program, have been given a unique opportunity to become acquainted with different countries. Being in an international program has opened doors to diverse cultures and natonalities, students of ICM HU come from all over the world. The International decided not to throw this opportunity away and share it with you guys, our readers.

Therefore, meet Jenny Witte, a 2nd year ICM student who has shared with us how how to spot a person from Hamburg and revealed the secret of why Dutch people look a lot happier than Germans.

Why did you choose to study in the Netherlands?

For practical reasons. I wanted to study in English, but I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to handle the university in my hometown; it’s massive and I preferred the more personal approach of the HU.

What is Hamburg famous for?

For a lot of things. The first one I can think of is the Reeperbahn - the redlight district which is the #1 tourist attraction, and party paradise. Then there’s the fish markets and the Elbchaussee - a famous street leading along the Elbe River, full of massive houses owned by relatively famous people. The world’s largest coherent warehouse complex called the Speicherstadt is also situated in Hamburg; it’s about 100 years old and it’s very impressive. The ‘Hamburger Dom,’ a huge funfair with all sorts of rollercoasters and rides, is as well very famous and it takes place three times a year.

What surprised you most in the Netherlands?

Frankly, it was the most trivial thing: I was utterly shocked by the Dutch prices for toiletries, as those generally are twice as expensive as in Germany!

From where in Germany do you come from?

I was born in Hamburg then moved to Wedel, which is a suburb of Hamburg, but I still spent most of my time in Hamburg (school, partying, shopping and friends). Hamburg is located in the very north of Germany and is the second largest city of Germany.

The port of Hamburg is third largest in Europe and one of Hamburg’s largest attractions. Could you tell more about it?

Yes, Hamburg’s port is indeed one of the trademarks of the city. The port conveys a lot of shipping traffic from all over the world and is rather a very important economic piece of the puzzle. There are some awesome spots around the harbor where you can go to watch the container

ships. Something that is really famous and also popular amongst tourists is a harbor tour by boat.

Are there any traditions held in your city?

I’m not sure if it counts as a proper tradition but people from Hamburg definitely like to use some certain “slang” terms that identify them as people from Hamburg toward other German people.

Most significant is the welcoming ‘Moin Moin’ which used to be typical seamen slang. Within the younger generation, the word ‘Derbe’ has made its way into common language and is a significant tag for people from Hamburg as it is hardly that established anywhere else. In Hamburg you hear it everywhere, even in songs. I think it could be best described as a slang substitute for ‘very’ or ‘really.’ So instead of ‘das war total super,’ someone from Hamburg would say ‘das war derbe geil!’

What is the most beloved place of people from Hamburg to hang out at?

Hamburg’s district ‘Sternschanze’ is popular for people around our age. It’s a pretty alternative area with lots of different bars, pubs, cafes, a massive park, and also many cool and unusual clothing shops. The Sternschanze is a popular area for decent demonstrations, but also known for squatting and riots; every year on the 1st of May, people - mainly left wings youths - go crazy there, and start street battles with the police.

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L I heard that Germany hosts a lot of different festivals and regular events. Did you visit any of them?

Yes, that’s true and a lot of them take place in Hamburg.

Music-festival-wise, I have two favorites that annually take place in Hamburg. First, is the Reeperbahn Festival which takes place around September and lasts for three days. The cool thing about it is that it is spread all over the Reeperbahn as more than 20 different clubs and bars take part in it. So you buy a ticket, get a timetable, and then you can hop from place to place to see more than 150 different bands and acts.

Did anyone famous come from Hamburg?

Actually, our very own Chancellor Angela Merkel was born in Hamburg as well as fashion designer, Karl Lagerfeld.

What is the distinctive character trait of German people?

‘Typical Germans’ are punctual, precise, and accurate but also hard-working. They can be pretty square and narrow-minded in my opinion. There are other generalizations about us but I wouldn’t believe all of them.

Apart from music festivals the ‘Hafenfest’ (Harbor’s festival) is the biggest and most famous festivity happening in Hamburg. It’s a huge fare with great fireworks at night, stages, food stands, music, and uncountable ships of course.

A lot of 2nd year ICM students are going to do their minors abroad next year and HU has a partner university in Hamburg, so could you please tell a little bit about this university and Hamburg student life?

I’m utterly certain that people will love student life in Hamburg! The housing situation in Hamburg is pretty terrible at the moment though, but I’m not sure how it would exactly work in connection with the minor. Besides that, students from HU should be prepared for something completely different from what they’re experiencing right now.

Hamburg’s University is massive, has several campuses all across town, and hosts about 40,000 students.

What is the traditional German cuisine?

The traditional German cuisine in general is quite healthy, I’d say. Germans value good quality, fresh, non-artificial ingredients. We like potatoes, good beer, rather dark bred, and of course bratwurst! A typical and well known dish for Hamburg consists of all kinds of fish.

The Netherlands and Germany: in your opinion, what are their similarities and differences?

I don’t think the Dutch and the German are that different. They have the mentality and culture in common. What’s different is the biking. Also, the Dutch people often seem happier to me and less stressed than

My second favorite is the Dockville Festival. This one is a shared art and music festival that lasts two days. The Dockville takes place in Hamburg’s district called Wilhemsburg and it’s also highly recommendable, at least if the weather isn’t completely terrible (it happens in August which means very high chance of rain).

Germans, or at least than the people in Hamburg. Maybe that’s the positive result of using a bike.

What do you miss the most about Hamburg?

The bread and apfelschorle (apple juice mixed with sparkling water). I actually just miss Hamburg in general and my friends obviously, which for me are connected to Hamburg. Just being there, the familiarity: familiar streets and familiar places. But I really do love Utrecht too and Hamburg isn’t going anywhere. So as long as I know that I’ll return to Hamburg eventually, everything’s fine.

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A LIFE ABROAD: WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU

By Adelina Prioteasa For those of you who are lucky enough to go abroad, you’ve already figured out the perks for yourself, but what about the rest of you? Have you ever given it a second thought? Have you ever wondered how this adventure could be to your advantage?

U

nfortunately, breaks only last for a couple of weeks, so I’m guessing some of you are still missing your warm bed and late-night parties. But a student has to do what a student has to do: survive, that is. Which is even a tiny bit trickier when you’re an international student. Which begs the question: what does being abroad generally imply?

For those of you who are living away from home in a completely different environment, feeling slightly lost, but willing to take the bull by the horns: welcome to your life abroad.

Where homesickness is at its best, yet the satisfaction of leading an independent life surpasses it.

I can’t bring myself to generalize too much about being abroad. It differs from one person to another depending on personalities, peers and the situations one is in. However, if I’ve learned anything from being abroad, it’s the fact that no matter what experience you encounter, be it good or bad, there’s always something to learn. Most importantly, there’s always something to discover about yourself.

As students, we’re very easy to mould. We’re going through that point in our lives where we have to decide where and what we want our future to be like. Being abroad however, opens more doors for you. You meet new people from different cultures, you’ll learn about these cultures and others will learn about yours. Most importantly

ly, you’ll learn how to deal with different cultures, which will undoubtedly make you respect people a lot more.

Additionally, you’re going to see your native country differently, your president differently, you’ll get a sense of what globalization is. You’ll figure out that the lesson you learn from being abroad can never be studied out of a book.

“It was being abroad for a longer time, by myself, that gave me a stronger feeling of truly travelling.”

for it to take over your emotions. How am I going to make friends? Will I be able to settle in? What about the language? Questions like these are what take over your mind when you’re leaving your home country to study abroad. To be honest, I believe that with a little confidence, anything is possible. After all, not everyone could just choose to go abroad.

It takes guts to make the decision and bravery to go through with it.

Five years ago, I would have never pictured my life the way it is now. I’ve changed tremendously in the last couple of years. Although I’ve travelled before with my family, there were just little trips that gave me a taste of new cultures. It was being abroad for a longer time, by myself, that gave me a stronger feeling of truly travelling.

I sometimes find myself having a drink, sharing my experiences of being abroad with my fellow expats. We aren’t from the same culture, yet the mere act of trading stories about where we come from was enough to link us together and build the foundations of a friendship.

If there’s something that’ll never leave you from being abroad, it would be fear. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes this fear will be in the back of your mind, but yet, it’s natural

Ever since I came to the Netherlands, I’ve been telling people how great it is to travel, almost begging them to do it. Nowadays, it’s pretty easy to take your passport and simply go somewhere, just for the fun of it, only for a couple of days. It’s invigorating and at the same time, it gives you the feeling that there might be other things out there worth exploring.

The biggest aspect I’ve learned from being abroad is that it gives you perspective. A problem has multiple solutions, just as a mere picture of a tree can be taken from different angles, adding a little something to each and every one of them.

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INTERNATIONAL

I

n 3 weeks time, I’lll be taking my large suitcase out of the shed and start packing - with a 21kg restriction - for 6 months. I won’t take much (I don’t have much here anyway; moving from place to place becomes more difficult the more things I acquire) – because where I’m going, at least for a while, shorts and a light top would do.

Yes, I’m changing hemispheres. I’m going to study in Melbourne, Australia.

Quite a lot of ICM’ers have asked me how I’ve “made” it, how I got the prestigious spot out of the two offered, so I’m glad to have this opportunity to explain, and later on to tell you about my experiences down under.

First of all, I have to say that as with everything in life – if you work hard and are passionate about something, you’ll eventually achieve it.

Studying abroad was my dream since the tender age of 12, and studying in Australia became a dream in 2009; after I spent a year there, travelling and working.

When I got the provisional selection email, in March last year, I was thrilled. But provisional only means that the HU reserved a spot for me – it didn’t mean I got accepted yet. To be officially accepted, I had to do a TOEFL test, send in all the documents, wait for an answer from the partner university for a month and a half, get an expensive visa, and of course

apply for OV-Chipkaart remuneration and Studiefinanciering abroad – in short, A LOT of paperwork and annoying bureaucracy had to be done. The process is long, it requires some amount of effort and money, and it’s sometimes nervewrecking. But it’s well worth it, because in 3 weeks time, I’ll be packing my suitcase, and heading to my dreamland.

Going down under

So, after realizing my first dream, it seemed as though the next one would remain a dream at the time – I could never afford the tuition fee in Australia.

Regardless, I wanted to be sure to have the opportunity to study in the partner university of my choice when the time (in this case, my third year) comes. I knew I need to get all the credits required as soon as possible, and on top of that, I made sure that I got somewhat high grades, so that if I ended up competing with someone for this spot, I’d have an advantage.

By Nirit Michaeli

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home is where the heart is

STUDENT LIFE

By: Sarah Marie Picolet Most people will feel homesick at some point in their lives, for us students, it’s the point where we move out of our parent’s house and continue on with the rest of our lives. The question is: what do we do when that punch of homesickness hits us?

I

magine leaving the life you know behind, every single thing you’ve come to familiarize: your room, the scent of your mum’s cooking, the constant fighting with your siblings for the remote control or the spontaneous hang outs with your high school friends. For most or maybe even all of you, these are some things you’ve had to leave behind.

As students, we’ve been given the opportunity of independence and a life on

1

Download Skype and talk to your friends and family.

One of my best pickme-ups from being sad about missing home is “skype-ing” with my high school classmates and laughing about certain memories. It made me realize that things are a lot easier these days. Modern technology has simplified the ways we communicate with each other, take advantage of that opportunity.

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our own. We move into a new room and it just seems like we can do whatever we want; the world is in the palm of our hands. The scary thing is, the student life can get kind of lonely and sometimes, we just need a little taste of home.

Whether you’ve travelled far from a different country or just recently moved out of your parent’s house here in the Netherlands, homesickness will hit you one

way or the other. Traveling from Indonesia, that little pinch of homesickness hits me every time I hear someone driving a scooter. That’s the thing with homesickness; the smallest things can trigger it.

Although I’m still missing home, I’ve come to learn that some things do help me get back on track with my new life in the Netherlands. Here are a few tips that have helped me cope with homesickness:

Form new friendships: get a bond going. Your

friends back home might be one of the things you miss most about being away, but that just gives you the opportunity to make new friends. After all, your friends back home are most probably doing the same thing; it shouldn’t mean you have to be alone. I know what some of you are thinking: making friends isn’t that easy. The first step is to just show effort. It could be as easy as inviting someone out to watch a movie or asking a few classmates if they want to have a study session, they rest should fall into place.

2

Keep yourself busy.

Talk to someone.

4 3

Being homesick isn’t a sign of weakness; it just means you long for familiarity. A good way to cope with homesickness is to talk to your friends about it; they’ll know how to cheer you up. If you’re stubborn like myself and don’t want to make a big fuss about it to those around you, go to the school counselor, that’s what I did. There’s something about telling a stranger about my troubles of being away from home that just surprisingly helped.

Don’t just sit there in your room thinking about how much you miss home. Being alone and thinking about home is a recipe for disaster when it comes to homesickness; nothing good can come from it.

Find something else to do, find a job, join clubs, volunteer, the chances are that you’ll meet someone who shares the same interests as you. Applying for The International was one of the best things I could have done because it kept my mind off missing home and it helped making me accomplish Tip #3, making new friends.

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Old man

STUDENT LIFE

WINTER

By Kitty Beem

has arrived!

S

now has fallen and the first frost has reached the Netherlands. Finally, the opportunity to glide on the ice and skate our troubles away has arise. With a long history of skating tours and our famous “Elfstedentocht,” it’s a typical Dutch tradition to get on the ice. Well, at least for those who know how to adapt to the situation!

WHEN TO ICE-SKATE

Ice-skating during the winter is always possible by visiting indoor ice rinks, such as “de Vechtse Banen” in Utrecht. Even so, nothing compares to the experience of natural ice skating. Before you enter the ice, there are some rules to follow:

Always be sure the ice is thick, you can always tell it’s safe to skate if you see other skaters on the ice. It’s crucial that you don’t enter the ice if there isn’t anyone on it. Seeing others skate is a sign that the ice can carry you.

Never skate in the dark, it might be adrenaline-pumping or romantic if you’re with a significant other, but you’ve been warned! You can’t recognize weak spots in the dark, if you fall through the ice, you won’t be able to orientate yourself.

Sharpen your skates. When you don’t use your ice-skates for a long time, they get blunt. With

blunt skates, you’ll lose grip very quickly on the ice.

If there’s snow on the ice, don’t enter it! Dark ice is stronger than white, transparent ice.

Beware of bridges, plants, and branches, under these places the ice is less thick.

With these tips, you’re ready to enter the ice yourself! The only problem left is, where?

When it’s really cold, the north from Utrecht offers some nice places to skate. Such as de maarsseveenseplassen, tienhovenscheplassen and breukelveensche plassen. Refer to the map for details!

FUN FACTS

Women like to hug the ice more than men do, injuries due to ice-skating occurs in 57% of the cases by women.

If you fall in the ice, swim to the darker area. In contradiction to what most people think, the opening of the ice is the darkest.

Ice – the crystalline solid formed when water freezes – covers 10% of the Earth’s land mass, and forms 7% of the oceans.

Hot water freezes faster than cold water.

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BENELUXLA

THE HOUSE OF THE RISING SUN

By Kaisu Nevasalmi What is the story behind the SSH student apartment complex at Beneluxlaan? Is it all just a bunch of myths or is the truth of living there really as crazy as it sounds? The International set foot to the premises to investigate.

“F

or some time we thought we had a carpet in the toilet, but after a while, we realized that it was other people’s hair,” says Julia Malassu, a Finnish International Communication and Media student from Utrecht University of Applied Sciences. We’re sitting around an Ikea table in Julia’s room, Christmas lights glistening in the window. Cem Çifter, a Turkish student in an English language programme at the same institute, nods beside her and

got broken or how it is so dirty.

Both Julia and Cem ended up living in Beneluxlaan for their five month exchange period after getting a late confirmation of the exchange from their home universities. By that time, Beneluxlaan was the only short stay housing option SSH had to offer for them.

“I think it’s the last resort for many of the students who come

impression was that her room was big and that the empty building smelled like cleaning products.

“I was one of the first ones to get here and it was kind of scary here. Like a ghost house.”

The Dirt

What really bothered them both was the dirt that had stuck in the kitchen and the big, empty, cold showers and toilets. Julia and Cem explained that cleaning at Beneluxlaan is up to the students to arrange. The general rule amongst the tenants is that everyone cleans after themselves, but it doesn’t always work out.

Sometimes, the cleaning causes dilemmas.

“There’s supposed to be a cleaning schedule, but I don’t know anyone who actually following one. I like to clean up as I don’t like to live in dirt, but if you clean up all the time then people think that they don’t have to clean as someone else is doing it for them,” Julia claims and Cem agrees.

From left to right: Cem, Victoria, Kaisu and Julia.

continues: “That’s the same in my floor, because there are no girls living on my floor. They’re all guys who shave and cut their hair, so there’s just hair all over the bathroom. No matter how much water you use, it just doesn’t come off. It’s disgusting.”

Legendary SSH student’s short stay apartment building at Beneluxlaan has a reputation as one of the best party locations in the Utrecht world of students.

When asking what people know about Beneluxlaan, they usually start telling a story about the various parties, how something

here, as it was the only affordable choice left when I applied,” Julia says. “I could choose the room though, but at first I wasn’t sure if I would live alone or share. I just randomly picked one room out. Still, as it was the first time I had moved to another country or lived on my own, this was the easiest way to go with.” With the same reasons, Cem applied to Beneluxlaan, even though he didn’t like the idea of living with others.

Julia and Cem were one of the first ones to move in to the legendary building last summer.

The full building accommodates about 115 students. Julia’s first

As Cem and Julia are showing around the building, there are trash bags lying around in the hall, punched holes in the walls and some windows, dirt and grease stuck everywhere in the kitchen and even tomato sauce smeared on the walls. Every floor has its own distinctive smell. We pass a table in the corridor, where people have just had dinner. They have left little cakes behind on a plate.

“I wouldn’t eat them if I were you,” Cem says. “I mean, it is Beneluxlaan after all.”

On the SSH website, it states that “quality is top of our list.”

Jesse van Mourik from SSH explains that the Beneluxlaan building used to be a nursing

home for the elderly about seven years ago, but as they only have had rental agreements for a year or two at a time, it’s difficult to plan improvements. SSH does understands that there’s an enormous demand for student apartments in Utrecht, so even though they know that Beneluxlaan is not the neatest, they try to offer some solutions on the market.

Party on

The one thing that Beneluxlaan is famous for are the parties. Every student seems to have some kind of a party memory from the place. One story includes drunken students and a shopping cart, which lead to an “insane time” riding the cart around the corridors, falling over as they went. The other one describes how someone passed out in the hall and he slept there happily through the night, people seizing a beeping fire alarm from the ceiling just to make it stop.

Parties or smaller gatherings happen several times per week, but bigger events are held once a month.

“Usually parties are not any crazier or wilder than any other house party, but once a huge party got cancelled. Hundreds of people were invited, tickets were sold outside and there was going to be lights and good speakers.

SSH however, was informed about it and the party was cancelled, which caused friction between the tenants. People wanted their money back from buying tickets and the organisers wanted to know who told SSH. Even police were patrolling outside when the party was supposed to take place,” Cem and Julia describe.

“Vandalism is something we experience a lot in this particular building,” Jesse van Mourik explains. “The people here in

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STUDENT LIFE

LAAN SUN

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Beneluxlaan are quite partyminded, so they’re a bit irresponsible in a way that they don’t take care of their environment. Alcohol and other drugs are used when there’s a party, and maybe not everyone is used to it. People think they can do more when they’re away from home.”

According to Julia, it’s difficult for SSH to fight the vandalism, as it’s not always easy to find out exactly who is responsible.

There’s a housing officer present everyday, making sure that things are in order and helping people with their questions and housing related issues. However, one person is not enough to see and prevent everything. Jesse thinks that the biggest reasons for people behaving irresponsibly are both the parties and the structure of the building itself.

“If there are smaller units where students live, it’s easier to find out who’s causing trouble, also because of peer pressure from the house mates. In a bigger building with open corridors like Beneluxlaan, it’s easier to deny who’s responsible,” she ponders.

Taking part of the deposit of the tenants is one of the new ways of dealing with vandalism.

This hasn’t had a warm welcome amongst the students living there. They feel it’s not fair to lose money because of something that someone else did and would not admit, not because they would be responsible themselves.

“We have to find some kind of a compromise. It can’t be that people just keep destroying the building. The money for the repairs has to come from somewhere,” Jesse from SSH claims. “It’s also that we have reserved money for building improvements, but sometimes we have to use some of that money for repairs. Then we can’t have the improvements. We want to concentrate on people who are responsible, but that’s not always possible.”

about a couple of guys throwing a TV out of the window, breaking a corridor door window and leaving blood traces behind, Julia explains.

“It was a complete mess, there was glass everywhere. After that, they got kicked out.”

What’s surprising is that when this happened, there wasn’t any party.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

Although the place has its downsides, Julia says that you can get used to it eventually, the place turns into a home. The best thing for everyone seems to be the people who live there, the Beneluxlaan community.

People talking, having fun and spending time together makes everyone in the same situation feel more like at home.

“We cook together, take the tables out from the kitchen to the hall and eat there. We just all hang out and make excursions together. We have a good time.

If I was offered my own apartment now, I don’t think I would take it,” Julia says smiling.

The SSH contract of Beneluxlaan is only temporary, so in a couple of years the story of the most famous student housing might come to an end. Walking through the multicoloured corridors Julia says: “Eventually, you even get use to the parties. It’s great that there’s always someone to hang out with. It may be not the best place to live but it is a good place to make friends.”

Photographs by Victoria Alexandrova

As a last resort, people have even been kicked out of Beneluxlaan after breaching their rental agreement. The latest case was The International | 19

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STUDENT LIFE

M R A W D A E H R KEEP YOU

By Melanie van Leeuwen

O

ne of the best things about winter – besides Christmas, snow, winter sports and knitted sweaters of course – is that we can wear beanies and hats again. While cycling through the city, I’ve seen more and more people wearing this great piece of fabric on their heads and as few of you may already know, I am a big fan! I just can’t help wearing one, they’re comfortable and so handy for a bad hair day.

Other than that, they’re cute, stylish, plus, they won’t fail you in keeping your head warm on those super cold and windy days and let’s be honest, we often have days like that in Holland.

Beanies come in different sizes, colours and materials, giving you the opportunity to mix and match. In this DIY (Do It Yourself), I’m going to teach you how to make your very own beanie. It’s actually really simple and it’ll take about 30 minutes of your time.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

First of all, you’ll need an old sweater or vest. Something that’s knitted and not heavily patterned will work best. Besides that, anything stretchy will work for you. Other than that, you’ll need a pair of scissors, a needle, thread and some beginner sewing skills.

x

Grab a cup of tea, sit down and let’s get started. What you need to do first is cut your sweater horizontally in half. Grab the half without the sleeves and cut that half vertically and equally.

Are you still with me? Great!

Now, you should have two small pieces, that’s right, two. Which means you can also make a present for that friend of yours who’s birthday is coming up this month. For now, we’re just going to work with one piece, so choose the one you like best!

Next, make sure you fold the piece of material you chose inside-out. You can start by sewing the upper-side of the material with a zigzag stitch and make sure you just sew one side!

Once you’re done sewing, pull the ends tightly. This creates the side you sewed to come together. Once you’ve made a knot in the thread, sew the remaing side to finish sewing.

Once you’ve made a knot, turn the beanie inside-out and that’s it! You’ve just made yourself a beanie. If you’re feeling a bit more creative, you can pimp it up by sewing buttons on it or sewing a pom pom on the top, whatever suits your style.

Keep that creative mind flowing!

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STUDENT LIFE

CURD CHEESE PIZZA

BY ANDRÉ ERNST

This easy-to-make recipe substitutes yeast with low fat curd cheese which works quite well because the curd dough increases in size like it is expected from a pizza dough. If you make a dough with yeast, it can take you about two hours to make the dough. Only taking up 30 minutes of your time, this curd cheese pizza is a good food choice for students on a budget and students who don’t want to spend hours cooking. Additionally, this recipe is very simple and it allows you to add ingredients your favour, you can also overlay the pizza dough with the ingredients that you want to use.

Serves: 4 persons Preparation Time: 30 minutes Costs: €5 – €10 (depends on the ingredients you want/ choose)

Ingredients:

200g low-fat curd cheese 4 tablespoons of milk 8 tablespoons of olive oil 400g of flour 1 pinch of baking soda 1 teaspoon of salt 1 El Oregano 1 egg 1 package of ready-made tomato sauce 1 pack of pizza cheese Your own ingredients could be: salami, tuna, mozzarella, etc.

Materials:

1 Blender 2 Baking papers

Steps: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

Mix the ingredients together in a blender.

Roll the freshly made dough to a ball.

Put the flour in between two baking papers on the table.

Spread the dough in between the two baking papers.

Use a rolling pin to form the Pizza dough.

Preheat the oven with 150 degrees.

Put the pizza dough on the baking powder.

Make small holes with a fork in the pizza dough.

Bake the dough in the oven for 10 minutes in 150 degrees heat.

Prepare the tomato sauce according to the package.

Take the pizza dough out of the oven after 10 minutes and add the tomato sauce and your own ingredients.

Bake for another 10 minutes in 150 degrees heat.

Take the pizza out after 10 minutes and serve sliced.

THE FEAR OF BEING AVERAGE

BY LENNART A. BRAATZ

Why is it that we’re all so abnormally afraid of being average? It seems that in times of social media and the constant battle for attention, one of our greatest foes is the average. We believe it makes us somewhat invisible or trivial or even inferior. We battle for attention, strive for acknowledgment, or prostitute ourselves for five minutes of fame. We all want to be somebody instead of nobody; we spend nights awake crafting plans to become more visible. We want to differ from the norm. Oscar Wilde wrote that “Indifference is the revenge the world takes on mediocrities.” Whoever doesn’t exceed average won’t get attention.

But is being average so bad? Does it mean failure? Why does being average have such a negative connotation?

After all, being average means being with the masses.

It means meeting requirements, keeping up with the competition and not being alone. Being average does not mean gaining much reverence but it also means immunity of mockery and taunt. It’s nothing bad, it’s just what we make of it. Truth is that this fear is deeply connected to the Internet and social media. We all know the countless videos which we are exposed to every day, “People Are Awesome” or Showreels of people presenting their skills in some sport or hobby. We see these people and feel that we need to be like them, that we as well should have awesome skiing, snowboarding or parcour running skills. But the people we see, the people we use as a guideline for our own life are professionals and far too often we forget this important fact.

I don’t mean that we should be lazy. It’s good to strive for perfection, to pursue goals, and to aim high. It’s what keeps our society going, but we should learn to be happy with what we are. Being average is what we make out of it, it is an abstract concept defined by us. We would be a lot happier if we change this definition just a little bit, make it a bit more neutral and friendly.

Aim high, but be happy with what you are!

nmo

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STUDENT LIFE

what to do, where to go

By Judith Blankman

After doing schoolwork as a die-hard for nine weeks – reading the (BORING) books, studying the material and applying all information into the projects – a student deserves some spare time! But how can we spend this free time in the best possible way? That’s when I come in!

I’m your personal provider for the best and /or worst suggestions to consider in your leisure.

I AMsterdam

The Cooldown Café

Do you find the nightlife in Utrecht fun but a bit predictable? Are you interested in a different surrounding? In other words, are you ready for the next level of partying?

Perhaps Amsterdam is a great option for you!

With the intention of partying in one of the most popular clubs of Amsterdam, I was travelling to this well-known/notorious capital to experience its nightlife with a dear friend and her fellow roommates.

Unfortunately, we ended up in somewhere completely different. A bar on the Rembrandtplein in the centre of Amsterdam,

Worldwide, Amsterdam is known for its red-light district and coffee shops, which you can find on every street corner. Surely, you could visit Amsterdam for just these two “delights,” but it would be a waste to miss everything else that Amsterdam has to offer.

Every Wednesday and Thursday night, around 93.000 students from Amsterdam leave their student houses for a good night of partying.

The list of bars and clubs in Amsterdam is long, there’s something for everyone; from the most popular clubs (where many famous Dutch stars are filling the VIP section,) to small bars in shady alleys.

The thing about Amsterdam is that not every place will accept old-sneaker wearing guests or girls on tramples uggs. No, Amsterdam requires a fancy outfit. You should also take into consideration that the most popular clubs ask not only for an entrance fee, but will also charge you with high drinking prices! Another piece advice: decide beforehand which club you want to visit, so you won’t find yourself all dressed up in some shabby bar.

Another impossibility was finishing your drink, since most of the liquid ended up our outfits instead of in our mouths. Personally, I felt like I was part of a school of fish in the ocean, moving with the rest to end up in a new and uncomfortable position.

Surprisingly enough, I had a really great time! I was as sober as could be, my clothes smelled like a combination of beer, wine and cigarettes and still, it felt as if I had the best night of my life.

For more information on The Cooldown Café, visit: http://www. cooldowncafe.nl/

or

https://nl-.facebook.com/TheCooldownCafeRembrandtplein

called the Cooldown Café.

Even though the Cooldown Café has room for over 300 people, it still felt like a cosy bar. The Christmas balls hanging on the ceiling and Christmas decorations spread all over the bar, it gave the room a positive atmosphere. However, this changed quickly when we tried to place our coats in the cloakroom, which was placed in the back of the bar, near the toilets. You can imagine that this was an impossible mission with an entirely packed bar!

Will we ever get home?!

Perhaps the best part of Amsterdam at night is that no matter where you are, there’s always a way back home.

NIGHT TRAIN Every Friday and Saturday, there’s a night train for the route from Amsterdam to Utrecht. For the Randstad, there is a night train every night. For more information

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STUDENT LIFE

check on night trains, visit: http://www.ns.nl/reizigers/reisinformatie/ informatie/naar-schiphol-en-nachttreinen PEDI CAB If you do not want to cycle by yourself, you can use a Pedi cab to take you to your accommodation in Amsterdam.

Pitch Perfect

Director- Jason Moor Scenario-Kay Cannon Cast – Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Anna Camp & more

International Fair 2013: Beyond stereotypes

(Photo Credit: Peter Iovino)

NIGHT BUS There’s a night bus between 1:00AM 5:00AM that will drive you to all places in the region of Amsterdam. To use this bus, you can use your OV-Chipkaart, you have to buy a ticket.

BICYCLE When you stay the night in Amsterdam, this is a very convenient option. Unless you have to cycle from Amsterdam to Amsterdam South. I promise you, you do not want to cycle that route! To paint you a picture, the distance is comparable to cycling from Hogeschool Utrecht to Utrecht Central station and halfway back.

Fifty Shades of Grey

Author - E.L. James Publisher - Uitgeverij Prometheus

Pitch perfect is an American film comedy directed by Jason Moor, after the novel of Mickey Rapkin. The story is about Becca, a girl who is forced by her father to go to college, where she is offered to try studying for one year before she can leave for LA to start her dreams of being a DJ and producing music. In the mean time, she joins one association; the Barden Bellas. Together with the the Barden Treblemakers, the Barden Bellas are the most successful vocal groups of the college. These two groups will compete in the International Championship of Collegiate A Capella. This typical feel-good movie makes you want to join a student choir, and for the ones who cannot live without a love story, don’t worry, Becca has a dreamy love interest!

Need I say more? Fifty Shades of Grey is the first edition of the trilogy by E.L. James. The story is about a 22-year old girl, Anastacia Steel, who lives an ordinary life as a college graduate. The moment she meets Christian Grey – a wealthy, young and handsome business men – this will all change. The entire story is basically about the sexual relationship between the two characters – a young, insecure girl and a rich man with the urge to have dominant and submissive relationships. With the explicitly-described sex scenes, the overall reaction of readers are bursts of laughter, red ears and a lot of new knowledge to try at home. If you are looking for a very interesting time, this book is waiting for you in the bookstores!

This February, the Faculty of Communication and Journalism is going to become the most international it has ever been! On Thursday, February 21st ICM Dialogue is hosting an International Fair in the faculty’s canteen.

International Communication and Media (ICM) students from all over the world team up and form groups according to their nationality and culture. Dutch students are also asked to present the various regions they come from (e. g. Brabant or Limburg). Instead of an entrance fee, presenters as well as visitors have to bring food from their home country. Drinks can be bought on the spot. Furthermore, there will be workshops (teaching others your language, music or how to make crafts). At the end, performers and musicians are invited on the stage to show sketches about stereotypes or play (traditional) music.

Feel like participating? Contact ICM Dialogue members by including your native country and how you want to contribute: Franziska Brodkorb franziska.brodkorb@student.hu.nl Iva Krasteva ivaivanova.krasteva@student.hu.nl Kristina Galstyan kristina.galstyan@student.hu.nl Jeroen Heuts jeroen.heuts@hu.nl

the international team

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