Issue 2

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ISSUE NO.2

EL INDEPENDIENTE

IE UNIVERSITY STUDENT GOVERNMENT/NOVEMBER 2013/

WHAT HAPPENED WHILST YOU WERE PROCRASTINATING

“COMPARATIVE LENSES: EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS” •••

•••

Snapchat rejects Facebook buyout US air force to strengthen screening process – by doing Google searches 11 million

Toronto

people

Mayor

affected by

Ford

Philippines

admits

hurricane

buying drugs

Diamond called the Pink Star has fetched a record price of $83m Pope is mafia target, says prosecutor STUDENT CLUBS ANNOUNCEMENTS •••

Sai Agnihotram Inspired by Professor Marco De Benito Students, especially those much like myself, have little to no understanding of common truisms, yet we carry around the air of this absurd pretension like we truly know the nature of things through common understanding and convention.

Unfortunately, common, isn’t really common and neither is it true as is oftentimes proved by our educators.

As such, it is quite simple to avoid confronting the status quo and indulging deep into the nature of what things are or how they came to be. Why would you?

You aren’t really thought to think critically; your indoctrinated by the subtleties of our professions; subjugated to the air of paternal exactitude of your professors; and finally constricted by the standards your institutions impose on you.

• FINANCE & INVESTMENT

Common sense has yet to falter. Why this is happening will be the purpose of this CAREER INSIGHT” EVENT FRIDAY article.In this case I’d like to confront the 22ND NOVEMBER AT 6PM. common understanding we have of • PILATES - TUESDAYS -1930. educational institutions. Specifically I ROOM 132 • IE NEON PARTY - BOSS - would like to shed a little light on the nature of its evolution using a FRIDAY 22ND NOVEMBER • LATIN AMERICAN CLUB - comparative lens derived from my rather MONTHLY DINNER (DOMINICAN) - limited knowledge of history.

CLUB - “MORGAN STANLEY

21ST NOVEMBER.

We can learn a great deal about our educational institutions and even DISCUSSION SERIES question the legitimacy of their so-called STYLE AND THE • ‘Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)CONSTRUCTION OF SELF • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 7PM, that is the ethical code of conduct their business entity envisions.

ROOM 142 •

IE HUMANITIES CENTRE

Consider the historical period of the Middle Ages, at the time of the feudal contract. The concept of a University was as an overarching edifice of knowledge, however its roots were not bound to physical constraints, not to walls, not to overly fancied projectors, not to the underemployed board rooms, not to the ostensibly sound provisions of attendance quotas, but rather to the amalgam of people and the value they procure.

“The university was above all the place of enlightenment” Be they pontifical, state owned or private, the university was above all the place of enlightenment, of learning the visions of the ancient, the theology of the gods, or the codification of Justinian in a strive to attain an understanding of order.

What is a university now? The vestiges of the past have all gone. Now it is much more a palimpsest with the blueprint of a capitalist machine mired all over it. It is bound to the physical elements, it is no longer in the hands of the educator or the educated. Be it the perversion of our economic circumstances or the decisions of executives, we have become simply clients. Yet, even as clients, or more appropriately the major stakeholders, we are loosing our bargaining power. Our decisions are limited, our findings will have a copyright, whilst we have little to no transparency about the ownership or inner operations of the business.

In return, we neglectfully adhere to standards that only allow the university to sift through human potential in order to assert its standing in the market place - all for an instalment of your choice paid by your parents.

Is this the price of a decent education?

HOW DO THEY ALL STAY HEALTHY? •••

Maria Valls

For some time I've noticed a curious aura with both actresses and models. It seems ‘suspicious’, (and I put it in quotation marks because I'm a big fan of quotation marks) that no one, absolutely no one, is on a diet.

Coincidence? I think not! When asked something as obvious as “So tell us, how do you stay so healthy and keep your body in such good shape?” it would make sense to say “radishes and carrots are my only friends.”

Well, no.

The ‘only thing’ they do is: drink only water, eat healthy, eat fruit, lots of vegetables, low-salt and/or organic food, avoid donuts, croissants, muffins (as if all that fattens kills you), exercise every day, and occasionally respite from “fat” by enjoying a yogurt. But, of course, over a half of them are vegetarian.

“What? I'm not obsessed with my diet, I just look after my figure.” Really ladies, really! How is it possible that we have shifted from admiring the curvaceous Marilyn, to worship those broomsticks wearing clothes while parading down worldwide catwalks?

THE DREARY SEASON •••

Vegard Haveland

The young man’s voice penetrated Albert’s silence – his body shivered as he was drawn away from his momentary solitude and back to the rustic metal bench beneath him. As he stared deep into blue, the quayside breeze swept back his greying hair. He hoped the sea wasn’t too cold today…

Albert’s bloodshot eyes cast a furtive glance at this stranger. Upon his feet he wore tasselled loafers, the kind of shoe Albert would ordinarily have deemed overly intricate, pretentious for a man of his age. The man’s shockingly blue temerarious eyes, which stared so expectedly at him, would too have caused Albert irritation on any other day. Jane would have agreed he thought, she liked him, appreciated the unremarkable, the concise and the normal. Today however, he became engulfed by colour – the brown of the leather and the blue of the eyes.

Recognising the time it had taken him to procure a reply, Albert cleared his throat. ‘It seems winter is upon us… the dreary season. Defiantly pulling the curtains on the year’s action yet setting new beginnings into motion – strangely refreshing is it not?’

Yet, what worries me most about this is: what will their grandmothers think? What grandma would let her granddaughter eat that? A drama! Because, what can I say, I would not change a good chicken soup in Spring, some lentils in Summer, and gazpacho in Fall (my grandmother has lost track long ago of the seasons and annual temperature), for anything in the world.

“What will their grandmothers think?”

Getting back on track because I'm starting to divert attention from models to my grandmother, I can only say that one must be happy with what he or she has.

Because that's what makes us unique. I do not want to give a speech in High School Musical style, but we should start acknowledging what we have and realise that we have it for a reason. You have stay healthy, both physically and psychologically.

To reach that point we must love and feel sure of ourselves. Becoming a little Biblical "First of all, is to love yourself." And this is so. Therefore, I state that you should show the rest the best you have and never desist! Above all, I say to you, be yourself, not someone you are not ‘Everybody else is taken’ . Do it for your grandmothers at least.

The man sunk back into the bench and gave a nonchalant nod in acknowledgement, sparing his mind a few seconds to mull over what he had just heard.

Albert was unaware to this response and indifferent as to whether he had or would receive one.

It wasn’t until another 15 minutes of communal solitude had passed that Albert became aware of the man’s presence once again. The scent of a cigarette began to merge with the saline atmosphere and roused Albert from his reminiscences. The aroma lifted him from his past to his future. The word ‘future’ troubled Albert, he didn’t quite understand it.

Time passed. The young man cast the butt behind him as he began to stroll from the bench. As the cigarette scuttled towards Albert’s feet each bounce produced a dramatic array of sparks. It’s final contributions to life before expiry. Without a backward glance the young man addressed Albert. ‘You’re right what you said.

Winter is supposed to signify this end, but like any other season it rolls into another doesn’t it? Good day.’

The man’s voice echoed through long after his footsteps had died. The sea was oddly calm as Albert stepped from the pier to his future, his face blank and displaying no emotion - as if what he was doing was normal…

SALAMANCA

SIESTA?

•••

•••

Maria Emilia Mancero

Beate Ancevska

“Salamanca is well known for being a students’ city.”

This pre-Roman city posses a unique wonder through its streets. The beautiful churches, museums and parks offer a deep understanding and feel into what Salamanca was centuries ago. Its prehistoric façade is attractive to the eyes of any tourist and the many mysterious designs that challenge your observation and awareness of the archaic facts. Salamanca is not amazing only in the day, but it offers a night life too. Night tours through its lighted historical maze of avenues, beautiful dinners surrounded by its Plaza Mayor. But of course there are your student bars to have a drink, dance, and an amazing night.

Salamanca is well known for being a students’ city. Close to Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, the city is raring up for the “Nochevieja Universitaria”. This tradition started in the late 90’s to create a small student gathering so as they could celebrate the holidays with their friends before they all returned home. Rumours spread and now it is a huge celebration supported by the town hall and sponsored by various brands. It is a celebration which you would not regret experiencing along with your own friends and around 35,000 more students while eating the traditional 12 gummy bears, and dancing!! If you are interested start preparing for the most amazing experience in December.

Nicolas Prieur "Little Segovian Sunset"

A serious part of our university experience is to fully experience and respect the Spanish culture, to adapt to things that might seem different at first. I personally find the siesta culture here particularly interesting, and it was hard to adapt to it. The stores would just occasionally be closed at the moments I needed them the most.

However, after a little thinking and researching, I realised, that I need those siesta hours in my life, and there are reasons for that.

Let’s admit – it is far easier to find a time to take a nap than to find the time to go to sports.

However, the great thing is that they both benefit to our health; so a good long Spanish siesta is sometimes beneficial. Harvard School of Public Health found that nappers were 40% less likely to die of heart disease than non-nappers.

If that is not convincing enough, there is a positive relation between afternoon naps and weight loss. Columbia University compared sleep patterns, and proved that more sleep hours can reduce the l i ke l i n e s s o f o b e s i t y. T h e researchers suggest napping after lunch, which fits perfectly with the siesta in Spain. So why not take advantage of the fact that everything is closed, and just join the nation in an activity that is proven to be healthy!

We all know that sleep is good for us, but people still argue that napping is not beneficial at all; it is just a means of procrastination. A friend once told me not to start napping in the afternoons, because ‘once you nap, you never come back.’

This meant that I would lose all my afternoons like that, and quitting napping could be as hard as quitting cigarettes. Yet, the bits of afternoon sleep help one to stay up later, which is the time we all deal with the largest proportions of our work.

Other studies by University of California found that sleep – including napping – helps transfer memories from their temporar y hold to more permanent store. Other studies have found that naps provided cognitive boosts and improved perception. What else a proper university student can ask for?

We need the memor y and creativity boosts that sleep provides, and we need those a lot.

I took a nap just before writing this because thinking about s l e e p m a k e s m e s l e e p y.

However now, when I have finished writing this article, I am persuaded to put down my laptop and go for another power-nap. Now I am sure that it will only benefit me. It is the healthiest of all the procrastination methods. So sweet dreams!

If you are a student, member of staff, or a professor and would like to write for the El Independiente please send us your article or idea to tetchells@student.ie.e du

THE PARADOX OF LIVING AN ‘INTERNATIONAL’ STUDENT LIFE

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Tudor Etchells It occurred to me the other day, that wherever I live, I will never be able to have a ‘regular’ relationship with someone.

It will either be long distance, or it inevitably will be; temporary and isolate on a number of levels.

As an international student, studying at an international university I should live up to the joyful stereotype of being connected; having friends in countries that I visit, and most often, I’m lucky enough that I do. Yet, in spite of this, I scarcely meet them. Our friendships reoccur in these small moments, and eventual memories. The ‘international’ tendencies, that most probably brought us together will bound to lead to us to geographically moving away from each other; we all know how difficult it is to keep these friendships from withering away.

We can all characterise relationships that have been traced by such phenomena. A best friend of two years, whom you met in another far-off city, that now lives back in the U.S. or the childhood friend, still at home.

“If you are on the move, your friendships won’t stay seated either.”

The friendship with the other international friend of yours, resuscitated by Skype, works. Both enjoying the thrill that comes from being outside the comfort zone of home. You instantly relate to the trials and tribulations of cross continental living. Yet, as seasons in the year, you pass in and out of each other lives. Consistent and marked. Although you grasp the moments with each other, you aspire to grasp them again and again. Such rendezvous decided solely by what country you both happen to lay in that morning.

At home, things don’t change though, the streets hold the same traffic, your local corner shop still possess that odd smell and your childhood friend is still there. The friend at home and yourself often avoid any contact over the internet as each one is totally enveloped in their own new life; there is no maintenance, it is self sustaining. But this friendship can easily turn sour when the friend at home starts to become envious of the ‘international’ one of the pair, the pretentious one, speaking x number of languages, in z number of countries.I find it all preludes to an ‘internationally connected’ loneliness; that follows you round on the endless flights, the mystic public transport system of a new city, the highways of new continents and all under the same glaring daylight. That childhood friend struggles to relate, the one in the US is $597 away, and the friend alongside, is not going to Madrid next year.

If you are on the move, your friendships won’t stay seated either. The friendships will always be there, and so will you, occasionally colliding into eruption, often stranded.

IE HUMANITIES CENTRE DISCUSSION SERIES STYLE AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF SELF WITH PROFESSOR AMANDA DENNIS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 7PM, ROOM 142 •••

What is style? The question has long preoccupied philosophers and literary critics as well as fashion designers and marketing executives. If style is how we see the world, what we choose to pay attention to and what we leave out, it is also what makes us recognizable to others. Even our most unintentional characteristics and gestures—our manners of walking or speaking—signify. Knowing that we convey signals all the time, how do we manage the appearance of ourselves that gets projected to the world? Is style something we consciously hone, or is it something we are born with, inescapable, like our bodies?

In consumer capitalist society, advertisers have turned the anxiety of style to their advantage, and people style themselves by choosing brands that signify in recognizable ways. A choice that seems “natural” (we buy a pair of shoes because we like them) is arguably determined by mass advertising (we buy a pair of shoes because they convey belonging to a particular social class or other information within a codified language of signs). Finally, in our information age, style emerges as a criterion for selection—a filter or strategy for organizing attention insofar as it helps us determine what to take in and what to leave out.