Issue 2 Changing Colours

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2014/2015 - Issue 2

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changing colours

Beauties of Autumn IBCoM Treasures Family Exchange Postcards

Editorial Dear fellow IBCoMmers, Was it only yesterday we were leaving our coats at home, enjoying the sun and making the best out of Term 1? It feels as if the first term has jumped on an express train, rapidly leaving us behind with nothing but exams and being able to see our own breaths outside. Refreshing sodas have been replaced by pumpkin spice lattes, Spar has filled its shelves with stacks of the tasty Sinterklaas snack (chocolate) pepernoten and the L-lecture halls have proven once again how a thick jumper is necessary to avoid turning into Frozen’s Olaf during a 3 hour lecture. Autumn is here. Winter is coming.

While the first year students have tasted the bittersweet anxiety of surviving their first exam period, the second years have once again showed how Facebook can be a life saver during this stressful time. In the meantime, the third years are either backpacking through Asia, partying in the USA or exploring the beauties of Europe (and perhaps studying a litte bit as well). Read more about the life-changing experience of going on exchange on page 18. The grey weather is making the skies look bleak, but our time as IBCoM students is flourishing, and just like countless other matters, changing colours.

Did you know that our beloved IBCoM staff changed colours by moving from the L-building to the M-building?

We wish them all the best in their new ‘homes’, secretly expecting a house-warming soon. Moreover, what’s up with the new building names? We are convinced that changing all of them had no other purpose than to leave us guessing...

What’s the fall without a little nostalgia and desperately longing for the magical Christmas days to come? Find out how IBCoMmers reacted to our beloved Santa myth (page 32), and what kind of Christmas traditions there are all over the world (page 10). Furthermore, read all about the Zwarte Piet debate (the Dutch are so weird) on page 24 and find out what kind of autumn depression you might suffer from (page 20) and how to deal with it (page 29).

The IBCoMagazine team has worked hard to provide you with an issue full of autumny colours and heartwarming stories to guide you through these bleak autumn days. Our message to you: take a sip from your pumpkin latte, open up your umbrella and embrace Autumn and its changing colours!

Roos Haverman Editor-in-Chief Roos Haverman Managing Editor Natasha Schoen Copy Editor Rhea Vernon Art Director Akef Ibrahimi Advisory Team Emma Hamilton

Brenda Grashoff

Johannes von Engelhardt Gaffar Rampage Cover Model Jun Watanabe

Writers Nabila Hisbaron Haylee Kelsall Margarita Kovalchuk Yvette Hogenelst

Stijn van Venrooij Ilse Zwaan

Annabel van Gestel Aleksandra Medvedskaya Laetitia Schreiber Anna Subich

Credits 2

Content 4 beauties of autumn 13 6 interview with an ibcom alumni 8 bucketlist 10 christmas around the world 13 ibcom treasures media highlights 15 family exchange postcards 18 what type of autumn depression do you have 20 kralingse plas 22 inclusion is the new black 24 18 rotterdam: a place to be 26 28 thoughts of a procrastinating ibcom student 29 how to prevent autumn apathy 30 space, mars and more‌ for dummies 32 my first heartbreak 35 social events calender

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beauties of autumn 10 reasons why autumn is awesome by stijn van venrooij and julia francesca

pictures by julia francesca

Autumn has arrived; that means rainy, stormy weather, the days getting shorter and our sight reducing due to the fog. Thinking back to a summer full of sunshine and parties then can make you feel quite down. But don’t worry: there’s no need to see autumn as a depressive season, it can be really awesome as well! Here you’ll find the top ten things you can do in autumn better than in any other season. Advise: read this while wearing a warm sweater and with a cup of hot chocolate in your hands for the ultimate autumn experience.

"Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower,” as Albert Camus puts it and he was completely right: autumn's magic is in the changing colours of the leaves. Therefore, go out and enjoy this colourful nature!

Go for a walk in the park and enjoy the sound those leaves make under your feet. For the extra kick of joy jump through the leaves like a little kid - if you dare.

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But it’s not just the leaves that make the views so pretty. Autumn comes with windy and rainy weather (most of the time), but on sunny days the sunsets are simply stunning. In fact, autumn and winter sunsets are the most vivid ones (in terms of colour) that you will ever see.

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Days get shorter and temperatures colder - if that isn't a good excuse to just not be productive and stay in bed or on the couch and snuggle up in a fluffy blanket, well, then we don't know what is. Enjoy the cosiness at home... ...and the cosiness of comfortable clothes. Because now is the time to forget about getting in bikini shape and to get out your oversized sweaters and other warm seasonal clothes. Wear the sweater. Feel the sweater. Be the sweater.

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Speaking of staying at home: what about doing a movie marathon or watching all those series you always missed but wanted to watch? Now is the time! Get your Netflix, Popcorn Time or TV running and simply relax with a good movie. On your couch - or in bed.

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Cold times are hot chocolate and/or tea times. Yummy! And don’t forget about coffee: there is finally a reasonable justification to drink more of it, as it doesn’t just keeps you warm, it helps you to wake up when the weather is dark and dreary as well. Oh, and for those of us who are completely and utterly addicted to hot chocolate (and let’s be fair: who isn’t), be sure to check out the Chocolate Company Cafe in the Markthal!

We all had to change the clocks end of October, and that’s another fact that makes autumn awesome: Autumn gives you one more hour of time. Whether you spent it partying, studying (bless you), sleeping or ... whatever you did with that extra hour, it is definitely a blessing! Appreciate this little miracle, it only comes by once a year.

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Autumn might not be the happiest season for pumpkin-haters: now you can see, buy, decorate, eat or drink pumpkin literally everywhere. There are some pumpkin carving competitions in and around the Netherlands, for example in Amsterdam. Starbucks also has a seasonal offer these months, the Pumpkin Spice Latte - we warmly recommend you to try it (This is not an advertisement. We are in no way affiliated with or being sponsored by Starbucks with free coffee and cheesecake. If only.)

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It’s getting windy out there and please make sure to not fly away yourself - but a must do in autumn is flying a kite. It will make you feel like a child again, so let’s go and all channel our inner twelve-year-olds!

For the ones that are still not convinced about autumn being an awesome season, here’s an extra reason: Sinterklaas is close and after that Christmas (including Christmas break) will come sooner than you think!

In short: there is no reason whatsoever to feel sad in the coming months. We will survive!

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interview with an

ibcom alumni by rhea vernon Meet Hugo Zwier, a former IBCoM student who was in the first year ever of IBCoM graduates. I interviewed him to discuss what life is like after IBCoM and to shed some wisdom for us fellow IBCoMmers as well as reflect on his experience at Erasmus.

Why did you choose to study Ibcom?

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Well, back in the day it was the only study that offered an international view on communication, and since I lived near Amsterdam I didn’t want to live in Amsterdam anymore and wanted to move out to Rotterdam to experience the real student life. So I went to the Introduction day for Ibcom and the teachers were very committed and enthusiastic about the programme even though we would be the first year to take part, and this gave me confidence in wanting to join the programme, and seeing how motivated the teachers were made me think this is the right choice for me.

Where do you work now and what does your role involve?

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I work at the Dutch ministry of infrastructure and the environment, as a communication advisor, which is right underneath the minister and secretary of state. My role is to advise people on political issues and to advise directors on how to use social media, and to also partake in the digitisation of the whole department and advising the department in how to be more efficient. Even though the position is in a department within the government, there is still a lot of internal communication but with an external vibe of a much greater communication throughout the government. The atmosphere at my job is very supportive and there is not a lot of competition between departments which is really nice but it can sometimes be a challenge to help each other under time pressure because in a big organisation such as the Dutch ministry time is sparse.

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What are some of the challenges of the job?

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Well, working with so many different departments means that all the departments work independently so there is little interaction between departments but then all the departments are also dependent on each other, and it can be hard showing each department that they also need other departments as well. In my role I’m trying to connect the departments but it’s hard when I try and to explain to them why they should be connected to other departments because they are very independent.

Overall the main challenge is trying to get people to see the organization as a whole, because I get a helicopter view of the organization there are so many departments which have their own specialization so trying to merge everyone together can be difficult.

‘‘One of the main things you get out of IBCoM is a fresh critical perspective which is very important’’

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How did Ibcom prepare you for the workplace?

Let me think, in general I guess working is kind of trial and error, but through Ibcom I learn that you do learn on the go. Also in Ibcom we had to do a lot of presentations and I remember while I was working on the presentations I thought this is such a waste of time! But now I’ve noticed how my presentation skills are key in communicating the points I want to make when presenting my story and opinion at my workplace. I think one of the main things you get out of Ibcom is a fresh critical perspective which is very important. What I was taught on my first day keep your fresh perspective and be critical, keep your opinion and always hold on to it and that’s really helped me in the work place. Ibcom allowed me to gain an innovative fresh perspective, on communication and media, as well as being critical.

How did Ibcom change you as a person over the three years?

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When I joined Ibcom I was more of a closed person but being in Ibcom helped me become more open minded because we were in an international environment with such diverse people. Also my exchange to Sydney really helped me develop as a person, because going to the other side of the world by yourself is a big challenge and my exchange experience really changed my life.

What was the biggest highlight of studying Ibcom?

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As I said previously exchange, but also graduation was a very special moment for me. It was great seeing everyone together in their gowns, and seeing your family and celebrating getting a degree, because that’s a big accomplishment. Also props to Emma Hamilton she organises everything and makes the graduation the best she can! She definitely deserves praise for that.

What tips would you give to Ibcom students in their first year?

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Enjoy student life while it lasts and enjoy being in Ibcom. Definitely go on exchange it’s really worth it, even though you might think it’s expensive it’s the opportunity of a lifetime and not every study gives you that opportunity. Think about your resume and keep it updated because you, don’t want to be graduated without a good resume, also adding extracurricular activities to your resume is helpful. Get a linkedin profile and link with me (Hugo Zwier)!

Did being an Ibcom Alumni help you stand out in the job sector?

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I think Ibcom helps you stand out from other candidates because it’s an international course it shows you are open-minded and independent, and exchange also looks really good on your resume.

Where do you carry out your internship when studying Ibcom and what was your role?

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I did my internship at De Persgroep Nederland (responsible for various daily news papers like Algemeen Dagblad and de Volkskrant) within the Netherlands. I was responsible for internal communication, and coordinating communication while the company was moving offices.

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How would you describe Ibcom in three words?

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Outspoken, international and fun!

Bucketlist 10 random things to do in Rotterdam by laetitia schreiber Yes, I know. It’s November. The days are short, the sky is grey and the temperature is falling down...

But before you start getting depressed because you feel like you are going to have a bad cold, just remember that in almost one month, it’s Christmas time! White snow, hot chocolates and fancy Christmas dinners are coming. Unfortunately, there is still one month to go... However, I have made up for you an adventurous bucket list in order to make this waiting time go faster. Don’t worry, Christmas will be there before you know it and you’ll almost regret that this “adventurous” month went by so quickly. Let’s try these 10 random adventures!

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Rain. We are in November and this month could probably be renamed as ‘Rainember’. If you are like me and think that rain and its grey clouds are depressing and anti-vitamin D, then you should try to turn this unpleasant meteorological phenomenon into a funny adventure.

Take a shower in the pouring, Dutch rain and let it

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ago, I put my colourful and flashy shirts, dresses and jackets away in order to replace them with my sober, colorless and boring sweaters, trousers and gloves. Honestly, I miss the joyful and flashy colours and I bet I’m not the only one missing them. So, get

get some flashy and colourful paint and spray it all over your bike!

3. The year of 2014 can

be seen as the ‘Selfie-Year’.

However, selfies on a beach in Australia, during Beyonce’s concert or even at the final of the World Cup in Brazil are so yesterday…

Why don’t you try breaking the record of Ellen Degeneres’ selfie with its overloaded-celebrity-per-

wash away all your cloudy up, go thoughts. Who knows?

Maybe it will bring a bright centage by smile on your face!

It will make your day more cheerful, plus, that way, it will be very easy to find , namely the Erasmusyour bike between all these bridge? ‘bikes-crowds’.

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4. I am not going to

talk you about where to go out in Rotterdam, because you’ll probably know everything about it. Instead I’m going to

do a cycling tour through Rotterdam taking a creduring the night. Go out ative selfie on Rotterdam’s and discover Rotterdam by night. Look around and Swan glance at the buildings, the suggest you to

bridges and the small little houses. You’ll discover this city under a new light.

Anyway, don’t forget to put some lights on your bike, literally.

5. After cycling on the 6. It’s almost winter and for

the next couple of months you are not going outside without a good and comfy sweater or coat. In other words, nobody needs a bikini body this time

7. Kralingse Bos is the green

area of Rotterdam. The changing colours of the leaves are gorgeous this time of the year.

However, cycling around the lake is kind of mainstream and repetitive. Why don’t you

stop by Dudok Patisserie and taste the best apple pie you’ll ever eat. It is of the year. So,

literally like fireworks in your mouth!

Erasmusbridge in order to get an awesome selfie, you might want to get back to where you’re from. Taking the bridge again? Boring and monotonous. Instead,

try

the ‘maastunnel’, it’s literally a

tunnel under the river Maas.

It’s quite easy to find and access since the entrances/exits are indicated with big “hier” (English: here)and “daar” (English: there) signs.

just

go skinny dipping in it instead?

Oh, but please be aware that you might get a cold afterwards...

8. Rotterdam’s skyline con-

tains some pretty high buildings. Have you never dreamt of actually going on top of one of

go to the Nhow Bar Lounge and have a drink while enjoying the beautiful view. The drinks are a bit more them? Well,

expensive, so maybe you’ll have to eat cheap pasta the next couple of days…

9. If you weren’t able to

get tickets for the last Muse concert, because, well, you are a student, therefore you are broke, then I have got the solution for you. Put your

listen to your favourite songs of the band while cycling through Gouvernestraat. This street is headphones on and

Rotterdam’s ode to the English band Muse. Of course, the ambiance isn’t even close to what you could have experienced at one of their concerts, but I assure you that you’ll have a nice cycling tour.

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10. The Netherlands. The

country of bikes, stroopwafels and windmills. Bikes and stroopwafels are rather easy to find in the centre of Rotterdam, but what about windmills? If you go only 15 kilometers east of Rotterdam,

arrive in the unique village of Kinderdijk. In this then you’ll

cute village you’ll find almost 20 windmills, and that’s probably more than you have seen your entire life

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad

christmas around the world by annabel van gestel In less than a month it will be here again: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. All over the world, the birth of Jesus will be celebrated abundantly in very different ways. When I think about Christmas, I think of Christmas trees, presents, family, church and lots of food. However, this type of Christmas, as it may be known to many of you as well, is not how it is celebrated in many parts of the world. In the Netherlands, even though the Christmas I described is celebrated here too, we even have a whole other version of Christmas, called Sinterklaas. For all you lovely internationals who just recently moved to Rotterdam, I will briefly describe what the celebration of Sinterklaas actually is. Then, since IBCoM is such a diverse community, I will highlight a couple of Christmas traditions in different parts of the world. So next time you talk to someone from Mexico, the US, or Asia, you will have a general idea of what Christmas means to them.

Sinterklaas is a festivity that’s exclusively celebrated in the Netherlands, Belgium and some (former) Dutch colonies. What many people don’t know is that Santa Claus, the guy with the big belly who brings presents during Christmas, was actually derived from the Dutch figure Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas (a dialectal pronunciation of the name Saint Nicholas), is a solemn old man with a long white beard and a red miter and cloak. Even though Sinterklaas is a mythical figure, the inspiration for his character was Nikolaos of Myra, a Christian Saint born in Turkey in the year 270, who later became a patron saint of children. Over the course of several centuries, the celebration has evolved to what it is today. Riding his horse on the Dutch rooftops, Sinterklaas brings presents to children, assisted by Zwartepiet (the controversy around this figure can be found in Akef and Sepiedeh’s article on page 24) Sinterklaas and his Zwartepieten arrive each year halfway through November on a steamship from Spain, which is celebrated with a big arrival ceremony. In the 2 to 3 weeks leading up to his birthday on December 5th, (ironically, it was actually his dying day), each night, children set their shoes by the fireplace and put in something for the horse (a carrot, most commonly), or a drawing for Sint and Piet. In return, the Zwartepieten enter through the chimney to fill the children’s shoes with sweets or small presents. Then, on December 5th, it is pakjesavond, or “present night”, and children receive loads of presents. Since Sinterklaas is such a big celebration in the Netherlands, it is pretty common for Dutch families to keep it a little more simple during Christmas. Though this may depend a lot on preference of the family.

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A traditional Christmas as it is most widely known, at least to westerners, probably is the US/UK type of Christmas (arguably because of all the awesome Christmas movies such as Home Alone and Love actually). Christmas traditions in the US and the UK include Santa Claus, who brings presents on Christmas Morning, abundant decorations, and the ritual of lighting giant Christmas trees such as those in New York and Washington D.C. Because of the many different cultures in the US, Christmas traditions do vary a lot throughout the country. Generally, Americans go all out with decorating the outside of their houses, sometimes even with statues of Santa, snowmen, and reindeers. A popular characteristic of Christmas in the UK is carol singing. Carols are special Christmas songs usually about the birth of Jesus. Carol singing is one of the oldest customs in the UK. People sing in public places or go from house to house to collect money for charity. An aspect of Christmas that truly belongs to both the US and the UK (as well as in most countries that celebrate Christmas) is food. Families gather to eat a traditional meal usually consisting of roast turkey, goose, duck or ham. In my family, it generally is the most stressful part of Christmas but when we all sit around a beautifully decorated table, it’s also my most favorite part.

“A Mexican legend that’s related to Christmas is the legend of the Poinsettia flower. “ In Mexico, there are some other very interesting Christmas traditions that aren’t found elsewhere. Here, Christmas is celebrated from December 12th to January 6th. The Christmas celebrations begin with Las Posadas (coming from the word for inn), a series of procession and parties that lasts for nine days until December 24th. In these processions, children walk through the streets with two of them dressed up as Mary and Joseph and the others carrying decorations and painted clay figures. They sing a traditional song to ask for shelter and in the end of the ritual, everyone is invited inside a house where they say prayers of thanks and a traditional star-shaped piñata is broken. A Mexican legend that’s related to Christmas is the legend of the Poinsettia flower. The legend goes that a poor peasant girl was going to mass on Christmas Eve but felt very sad that she didn’t have a gift to present to baby Jesus. On her way to the Church she picked some plants but felt embarrassed because she couldn’t give more to Jesus. When she put the bouquet at the bottom of the nativity scene, the green plants changed into beautiful red flowers. From that day on, the bright red flowers were known as the ‘Flores de Noche Buena’, or ‘Flowers of the Holy Night’.

Las Posadas in Mexico

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Source: fiestadereyes.wordpress.com

Even though Christians make up only a very small part of the Asian population, Christmas is still celebrated throughout the continent. The different Asian countries know very distinctive traditions that differ a lot from those in other continents. In Japan, for example, Christmas has become very popular, though it is not a national holiday. Streets are decorated with Christmas lights, gifts are exchanged (especially among couples), and trees are lit. Interestingly, it is customary to eat fried chicken on Christmas Day in Japan. This happened as a result of a big advertising campaign by KFC in 1970 and it is therefore the busiest time of the year for the fast food chain in Japan. The Philippines, being one of the only Catholic countries in Asia, widely celebrate Christmas. So widely, that Christmas carols can be heard in shops as early as September. Official celebrations start on December 16th, when the first of nine early morning masses, called ‘Misa de Gallo’ are held all over the country. The Christmas celebrations last until the first Sunday of January when Epiphany, or the Feast of the Three Kings is celebrated.

Apart from Western influences such as Santa Claus, Christmas trees and Christmas cards, the Philippines have native traditions as well. An example is the ‘parol’, which is a star-shaped lantern made out of bamboo and paper that represents the star of Bethlehem. Also, on Christmas Eve, Filipinos stay up all night to hear the ‘simgang gabi’ or the Christmas Eve mass, which is followed by a midnight feast, called Noche Buena.

Even though I just described how Christmas is celebrated in a couple of countries, I hope that this article has informed you of the different ways to celebrate Christmas around the world. When you ever find yourself in one of these countries during Christmas, you will know what to expect and you’ll hopefully be able to surprise natives with your knowledge of their traditions.

In my hometown, Oisterwijk, Sinterklaas is a really big celebration and my dad (on the right) has been the Hoofdpiet (main Piet) for almost thirty years now. During the arrival ceremony in Oisterwijk I have the honour to assist him and Sinterklaas.

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IBCoM treasures by yvette hogenelst & ilse zwaan Even though we might know each other just as IBCoM-students, we certainly got more to offer! IBCoM is home to many treasures that need to be discovered, from musicians to photographers‌ So take along this treasure map and go treasure hunting with us!

Scan/Click on the QR-codes to find out more!

Rebekka Keus (BA-1) Singer-Songwriter

Danny Parker (BA-2) Photographer

Sami Hamoudi (BA-3) Singer

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Charlotte Ha (BA-2) Actress

Shirin Engel (BA-2) Photographer

Daniel Boonstra (BA-2) Singer-Songwriter

Nicolas Avellaneda (BA-1) Photographer

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media highlights

by haylee kelsall

isis

When our last issue came out it seemed as though the world was about to go to war against ISIS, with both media and political figures becoming obsessed with the IS threat, and the imminent (world) war about to break out. Well, apart from ISIS now being known as IS (Islamic State) what’s changed since last issue? Not a lot apparently, and if anything the crisis appears to be deepening. A coalition led by Obama and the USA has been formed to fight against the IS threat, and it’s currently involved in a series of air strikes directed at the IS forces around Kobane.

Kobane has been under siege for over a month, and the coalition-backed Kurdish forces say they have almost regained control of the strategic small city. An apparent IS fighter however, in a phone call to NBS News, has advised that this is not the case and that it is IS who have almost gained control of the town. In addition, he warned against sending in additional troops to support the Kurdish forces, and claimed that a suicide attack register had attracted pledges already. In other words, his warning means that should more troops enter Kobane they face considerable risk from bomb attacks, and that the IS Army is not afraid to die. The IS have also released another video of a British hostage – photographer John Cantlie who was kidnapped along with the late American journalist James Foley, in Syria November 2012. However, instead of the graphic videos showing Western journalists and aid workers being beheaded, this one shows Cantlie posing as a news reporter and giving an update of the situation in Kobane. Numerous media sources have commented on the scripted propaganda-like reporting of the video in which Cantlie criticizes the US military and various media agencies for their failings. He highlights the lack of Western journalists in Kobane, and argues that western media are not reporting on events correctly, alluding to the notion that indeed IS are in control of Kobane. Whether this is indeed just IS propaganda or there is some truth to it is difficult to say, but it seems like those who have fled from Kobane into refugee camps in neighbouring Turkey won’t be able to return home for a good while yet.

Numerous countries have now expressed concerns about their nationals travelling to fight alongside IS and the potential threat those nationals pose should they return home. In recent weeks, there has been numerous stories about young highly educated individuals from many European nations travelling to Syria to join the Islamic State Army. The UK’s Guardian newspaper obtained a UN Security Council report which claims that over 15, 000 people from more than 80 nations have now travelled to Syria and Iraq to fight alongside IS. In an effort to combat such travel, many nations are considering travel bans, and some, such as Australia, have already implemented law changes to stop nationals from travelling to become foreign fighters. But what about the threat back home? Two recent ‘terrorist’ attacks have been carried out – one in New York, and one in Ottawa - both of which have received considerable media attention. At time of writing, although these two separate incidents have widely been referred to as terrorist attacks, the information made public about each perpetrator would suggest they’ve been labelled as terrorists due to recently converting to Islam. Whether these were indeed terrorist attacks or not is difficult to say until all the facts are in, but the media has already linked their actions to terrorism. This of course, has heightened the uncomfortable feeling for many that they too could be at risk, even in their nation seemingly untouched thus far by IS.

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Photo - BBC

three crashes in two days The commercial space industry has suffered two major setbacks in just three days, as rockets from both Orbital-Sciences and Virgin Galactic have crashed. On October 28th, an Orbital-Sciences rocket loaded with supplies and equipment bound for the International Space Station exploded moments after lift-off. The rocket, aside from bringing much needed supplies and equipment. had another mission too. Unfortunately for the astronauts, the rocket was supposed to return to Earth carrying the International Space Station’s waste, or more specifically, human waste. This part of the mission is particularly important; things are more difficult without gravity, you can’t just flush a toilet into space. If you did, the flushed matter would also enter into orbit, and well, astronauts would risk being killed by hurtling poo later on – not a very fun way to go out. No injuries were reported at least, however there is speculation that Orbital-Sciences may lose their contract to supply the ISS with NASA to either another commercial space enterprise or indeed the Russian space mission.

Just three days later on October 31st Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo crashed into the Mojave Desert, raising questions if indeed the company is ready to offer space tourism. SpaceShipTwo successfully separated from the craft which carries it, WhiteKnightTwo, however it crashed shortly thereafter. Only one of the two pilots was able to escape successfully with a parachute back to the ground, leaving the question of what went wrong. This was the 55th flight for SpaceShipTwo, but only the fourth to include rocket firing – that is, making use of its rockets. At time of writing no official statement has been released by Virgin Galactic, however many media outlets have reported they were testing a new fuel combination. Before this accident, it seemed that Virgin Galactic were getting ready for their first passenger launch, with flights rumoured to begin in 2015, although this now seems unlikely.

The crash of SpaceShipTwo perhaps suggests that we aren’t quite ready yet for space tourism, although Sir Richard Branson has vowed to continue the program.

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Photos - Virgin Galactic - Reuters

#gamergate threats at utah state university Anita Sarkeesian was due to speak at Utah State University about her research into women in gaming. She received death threats online should she go ahead with her lecture, and the individual making the threat stated it would be a “Montreal style massacre” in reference to the 1989 shooting of 14 women at an engineering school in the city. Although Sarkeesian has received numerous death threats in the past, particularly with relation to the #gamergate controversy, this time she did cancel her appearance. Why? The USU, due to Utah State Law, was unable to enforce a ban of firearms in the auditorium. If individuals hold a concealed firearms permit and indeed wished to carry a gun with them into the lecture, there is nothing that the University could do to stop them. Due to the threat of a mass shooting, Sarkeesian made the decision to cancel her appearance to protect not only herself but the attending students.

Photo - Newstatesman

Malala yousafzai Malala Yousafzai was awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize in October for her continued commitment towards ensuring girls have the right to an education. At the age of only 17, she has become the youngest person ever to be recognised with the award. Her struggle became the focus of international media attention when in 2012 the Taliban attempted to assassinate her. Since then, she has become a figurehead in the push for rights of children across the globe to live a life free from oppression. On the 29th of October, she was awarded another prize – this time the World’s Children’s Prize for the Rights of the Child. The only person to receive both the Nobel Peace prize and the World’s Children Prize was Nelson Mandela, and even then those awards were 12 years apart. Malala has donated the $50,000 prize to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), to go towards the rebuilding of schools in Gaza following the recent Israel-Palestine conflict. Malala donated the money for reconstructing around 65 schools which were damaged in the conflict, as she believes Palestinian children, and for that matter children everywhere, have the right to education in a safe environment.

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Photo - Guardianlv

by Nabila hisbaron Perks of being a third-year IBCoM student? Going on exchange!

For many, this is the time to push the boundaries and discover a different part of the world. Different terrain, cultures, people – it’s a whole new rhythm for an entire semester. I mean, why not explore an entirely new scene that you might not otherwise be able to visit, let alone live, outside of the IBCoM experience? Students travelling out of Rotterdam get to pick from partner universities in six continents, an impressive number (sadly, Antarctica isn’t very Wifi-friendly for us Communications students). It’s opportunities like these that gets all the IBCoM students dwindling their thumbs, waiting for their turn for this travel experience!

Though they might be afar, these outgoing exchange students are still very much a part of this big IBCoM family!

Ever wonder what it’s like to go to school in a different continent? How do they adjust in their new homes? Well, IBCoMagazine will let you peer into the lives of three featured BA3 students who are currently on exchange! We were their postbox, allowing these students to send postcards to the IBCoM family back in the EUR home-base.

From Istanbul to Sydney to Hong Kong – we have some incredible postcards from abroad. It will be something BA2 students can look forward to soon, and it will show the fresh BA1 kids exactly what the exchange-hype is all about!

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what type of autumn depression do you have? by anna subich At some point in autumn all of us get it: colors grow dim, food doesn’t seem to have any taste, studies begin to irritate us and friends disappoint. Deprived from vitamins and sun, we are slowly plunged into autumn depression.

But not all of us are depressed in the same manner: everybody gets this unique paranoia. This quiz will help you to diagnose your own type of autumn depression and suggest which measures you should take before it’s too late.

1

You favourite composition recently

Recently, your food intake was dominated by

b c

“Requiem” by Mozart

Kapsalon from that Turkish place by the corner.

a

3

Your view of the world corresponds more to the following

c

Get into the train and rush in an unknown direction in an attempt to run away from yourself.

Walk in the foggy fields in search for the Truth.

Watch series and cry alone in your room.

Everybody around is gifted and blessed except for yourself, and there is probably a curse lying on you, and you are just a victim of obstacles.

Happiness is not possible, since it contradicts Darwin’s theory of evolution

a c

c

During the weekend you

b

b

b

“Creep” by Radiohead

a

2

a

“The End” by The Doors

Home-delivered pizza

Pasta, your roommate mercifully offers to you, because you don’t find any power to cook anymore.

4

In your opinion, humans originate from…

Fish Aliens

b

The devil

Life is a captivity that we all seek to break out from.

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c

a

5

Your favourite landscape at the moment

6

You are pretty sure that after graduating from University you will…

Lifeless plot of land on the outskirts of a megapolis

a

b

Wash the floors in Woudstein campus Become an office clerk

c

Rocky desert with windmills all around and purple sky above

Never find a job and live in Rotterdam Central Station

a crater on the moon

“The Last Judgment” by Bosch

the shrinking of the universe

b c

“Scream” by Munk

We will all suffocate from chemical weapons

b

c

9

Your favourite painting at the moment

The end of the world will look like…

7a

8 a

a

b

“The Persistence of Memory” by Dali

c

We will freeze to death

Your favourite drink when you are all alone in your room on Saturday night Absint

a

Whiskey

More A’s…

Hamlet Living is suffering. All earths beings strive for non-existence. You do not belong to this world and you know well that nothing matters for the Universe. You are tired of hypocrisy and fake values you see in people. Friends betray, your girlfriend thinks you are mad. There is poison in a goblet. Only exams and deadlines prevent you from breaking the vicious circle and leaving Sansara.

b Tea

More B’s…

10 c

1984 The world is an evil place. Big Brother is watching you. You’ve got to the bottom of the Matrix to realize that our society is controlled by reptiles-illuminates who organized 9/11 and pour fluoride to the drinking water in order to keep all of us stupid. They know your phone number, your mother’s date of birth and the color of your underwear.

You suspect that Facebook is just a system of mass surveillance, still you do not dare to delete your account with all your FB friends over there. The gun is charged.

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More C’s…

One Hundred Years of Solitude All people are deaf egoists. Everybody is busy with his/her own well-being, staying indifferent to the sufferings of others. We come to this world alone, and we live it alone. You and your parents will never understand each other again. These people are not your friends, this life is not your life, love does not exist. Yes, you still go to Bed, but it’s just a way to drown the gloomy reality in alcohol.

The planet will be eaten by ants.

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Kralingse plas

julia francesca

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Inclusion is the new l Note: lumn Editoria pinionated co o n a this is

by sepiedeh orafa

black

& Akef ibrahimi

I know black is technically not a color, but let’s pretend it is. Every year in the Netherlands, St. Nicholas and his Black Pete’s come to bring gifts, sweets, and joy. This seems like a beautiful scenario, except it is not. Black Pete is an extremely controversial figure and has gained a lot of media attention after artist Quincy Gario launched his project ‘Black Pete is Racism’ in the Summer of 2011.

This project was definitely not the start of the so-called “Black Pete-discussion”, even though many people like to think it is. Just to give an example, back in 1987 children’s TV show Sesame Street addressed the issue by having Gerda Havertong, a black woman, explain to Big Bird that she faces racism before St. Nicholas even arrived. The discussion was not given much attention by the media however, until the ‘Black Pete is Racism’ project started, more specifically when Quincy Gario got arrested. As a part of his project Quincy and three friends wore t-shirts with the words “Black Pete is Racism” and went to the official welcoming ceremony of St. Nicholas in 2011. They were warned by the police, but insisted that this is their right to express their opinion freely. Later, they got arrested violently without fighting back. The reason for their arrest is still unclear, if the police wanted to protect the children from a ruined St. Nicholas, I would assume they wouldn’t have beaten somebody up in front of their faces.

Anyway, as you could imagine the event caused a lot of controversy surrounding Black Pete and the celebration.

Where did this Pete guy come from anyway, causing so much trouble?

Many people like to pretend that this is an extremely difficult question to answer, when in fact it is not. It is pretty obvious where Black Pete comes from. Recently, a documentary on the origin of Black Pete was released by Bibi Fadlalla for NTR, a Dutch public broadcasting platform. In the documentary we see Frits Booy, writer and St. Nicholasexpert, explain that Black Pete is indeed a slave. Black Pete is not as old as many people think. According to Frits Booy, in 1850, which is coincidentally the height of the Dutch slave trade, writer Jan Schenkman introduced Black Pete to the public. Black Pete was given a slave-like appearance, including his clothing and accessories, because he is supposed to depict a slave. He is based on Moorish slaves, and was added to the Sinterklaas fest because people felt like this white man needed something that would give him more status. Through the years, Black Pete developed more physical characteristics that are associated with black people, like the big red lips and afro hair. Black Pete is a slave-caricature. Yes, he is. Painting from mid-18th century

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Photo: Dutchreview

It seems ridiculous that there is still a controversy surrounding this poor fella, right? Many Dutch people would like to correct you on that. Yeah, that’s right, stop right there! See, Black Pete might have been racist that long ago, but it’s really not meant to be that way now. He is just a happy helper, here to give sweets and gifts to the kids.

We wouldn’t want to take that away from the kids, right?

Moreover, it’s a tradition, it’s been here for so long, you can’t just change it because a few people are offended by it. In that case, please remove the white chocolate macadamia cookies from Subway or change the name to notdark chocolate macadamia cookies. Am I being serious?

No, but many people defending Black Pete are! Something that is inherently racist will continue to offend people and be a symbol of systemized oppression, even if you don’t mean it that way. See, I can step on your foot and even if I don’t mean to hurt you, it still hurts. More importantly, if you want to bring children into this discussion, it is more logical to not bring them up with a celebration of a racist caricature. Not only is this tradition not that old, but it has changed already. Back in my day, Black Pete carried around a bunch of tied together sticks and he would hit the naughty children with it. This is removed along with other aspects that promoted child abuse, for obvious reasons. A 1997 research conducted in the US and UK has found that children are already aware of skin color around the age of 3 to 4, before they could read any text on any t-shirt. I really believe that Dutch children have the same level of awareness. Why then, do we expose these children to blatant racist power relations every single year, if it is not to sustain a dangerously systemized oppression?

Photo: PIET 2014, Nederland Word Beter (the Netherlands’ getting better)

Let’s paint this picture one last time: The white man arrives on his boat full of black helpers to come bring all the good kids in the Netherlands gifts and sweets. The helpers are there to, besides taking care of the manual labor, be foolish, dance around and pull pranks, what else are they good for? The most important feature of these helpers is that they are white with a black face painted on… Gee, wonder where we’ve seen that before? How about we try and paint this picture with different colors. Colors that allow all people to be able to enjoy this celebration without being dehumanized. Colors that do not help sustain a system of discrimination. Let’s change the colors of oppression to colors of inclusion.

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rotterdam a place to be by anna subich Earlier this year, much to our surprised glee, the New York Times notified its readers that Rotterdam is actually the №10 place to visit while you are still dwelling on this earth. To be honest, until that point some of us here were cravenly surmising that Rotterdam is quite a dull gloomy hole of bone-piercing winds and white collars, which doesn’t have much to offer for a poet’s soul - not nearly Amsterdam. But NYT managed to convince us we were wrong.

“Post-World War II reconstruction has changed the face of one of Europe’s largest ports, where striking, cubed architecture gives shape to the most modern skyline in the country. This is a banner year for ribbon cuttings to celebrate both new and reconfigured space,” – the article proclaimed. It then went about Starbucks at the Central Station and Michelin restaurants - indisputable virtues, but not something you are going to love the city for if you are a mere mortal.

In the meantime a closer look revealed that in the upcoming months Rotterdam is going to serve as a center of attraction for some properly fascinating events. There is finally this feeling in the air: Rotterdam is a place to be. So down with embarrassment about the fact that we are not as honey as Utrecht, as historic as Delft, as smart as Leiden, as free-spirit as Amsterdam. They are not in that list at all, by the way.

New Rotterdam Markthal: an ode to consumerism October saw the opening of Rotterdam Markthal – a conceptual food market, covered with a spectacular arch of glass and concrete. It’s hard to say precisely what the Markthal is. It is definitely about food, but its food items look more like museum exhibits: not a lot, very expensive and in general not too mouth-watering. It is about luxurious apartments - but who of you, having a few spare millions in the pocket and in his sanity, would like an apartment in a supermarket, with hundreds of random people rambling in your stairwell every day? It is then about architecture and design – or rather someone’s wild psychedelic fantasy, with gigantic holograms of onions and tomatoes soaring in the air. Anyway, the mere fact that her majesty Queen Maxima personally cut the red thread on the opening of this shopping mall should already arouse your insane curiosity.

Photo: Anna Subich

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Get in the Ring - Olympics for startups Trying to position itself as a main startup hub in Europe, since recently Rotterdam hosts the most delicious events for innovative business. This autumn Rotterdam is the perfect place to be for the young entrepreneurs: in the end of November the International Final of “Get in the Ring” contest will be held at Van Nelle Fabriek. Acclaimed “Olympics for startups”, “Get in the Ring” is a spectacular competition of the best startup ideas around the globe.

Since 2009, over 3,000 startups have participated in GITR, resulting in over €6 million in investments. This year the organizers displayed unprecedented generosity: while the normal tickets for the final go at a price of 90 euros, students can get them for only 15 euros. Being in Rotterdam, being a student and not attending the final of “Get in the Ring” is thus almost a crime.

When: 21 November 2014 Where: Van Nelle Fabriek Tickets: http://getinthering.co/

International Film Festival Rotterdam This year like every year Rotterdam hosts the International Film Festival – one of the biggest public film festivals in the world, actively supporting independent cinema.

In the previous years the festival saw such names as Giuseppe Gaudino, Zhang Youan, Ryōsuke Hashiguchi and Christopher Nolan. IFFR is comparable in size and status to Cannes, Berlin and Venice, but in contrast to these eminent festivals, IFFR promotes friendly relations between the directors and the audience. There are no red carpets and golden statuettes, but an open space for independent talents and discussion. IFFR is always the best occasion to entice you friends-cinefiles to Rotterdam. There is an opportunity to get a free entrance to the events volunteering on different positions - from the wardrobe to the artists’ assistance. However the volunteering spots are usually filled up already in summer.

When: 21 January - 5 February 2015 Where: Different venues Tickets: https://www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/

Two Hundred Years of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The Atlas Van Stolk' exhibition in Kunsthal.

A grand exhibition timed to the two hundred years anniversary of the kingdom of the Netherlands will be taking place from December until March in the renewed Kunsthal. The exhibition includes a vast layer of artifacts, documenting the daily life of the kingdom since 1813. On the prints, there are drawings and photographs of the cities rise from the ruins, as well as marshes being drained, women obtaining emancipation, minorities fighting for their freedoms, and exploring hi-tech being raised in a cult. Bicycles and sheep in the meadows are the only constants.

When: 20 December 2014- 8 March 2015 Where: Rotterdam Kunsthal

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Thoughts of a Procrastenating IBCoM student During the exam period by roos haverman By the time you are reading this, second term has kicked off and the exams are, depending on your results, a dark or colourful period somewhere in the past. Pulling all-nighters to study those final theories, drowning ourselves with coffee and putting all our effort in trying to formulate clever and eloquent answers, oh the joys of being a student during the exam period! Unfortunately, a lot of us (dare I say, the most of us) aren’t very efficient when it comes to studying, regardless of the free hours that were supposed to be fruitful study sessions. Below a list of random thoughts of a procrastenating IBCoM student.

“

I am so keeping off Facebook today to do some productive studying.

Oh look, Peter’s dog’s got a new haircut! How cute!

”

“ Speaking of Facebook: refresh. refresh. refresh. “

“

After weeks of not doing anything I really deem this exact moment the right time to go clean the entire house!

”

“ I will start studying at 1 pm. Shite, it’s 1.01 pm. Let’s start at 2. “

“ “

This summary is so long. It’s probably best to postpone reading it to tomorrow, in the meantime I will be able to contemplate the meaning of life.

”

Today is going to be a productive day. I’m going to study so hard, but first I need to go to Albert Heijn, the hairdresser, the gym and finish that TV show I’ve started this morning.

“

”

“

This body needs some fuel before it’s going to do brainwork. Let’s make myself the most luxurious and laborious lunch in history!

”

“Surely I can take a short nap before I start studying? “

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Photo: Annabel van Gestel

“

WHY, oh WHY don’t we have a free week after the exams, in that case I would have something to look forward to. *drowns in self-pity*

How to Prevent Autumn Apathy by alexandra medvedskaya Grey skies, constant raining, colder temperature - it’s hard to avoid the feeling of tiredness, depressive moods, and lack of enthusiasm. There is even a medical term for that: seasonal affective disorder, or SAD (reminds of our mood during that time, huh?).

So, how to fight it and remain positive? We’ve got a few tips for you: One of the main reasons there is an apathy Craving for chocolate? It would during the Autumn period is the lack of sunhelp your body to secrete the light. An experiment of VU University of hormone thrombotonin, or the Amsterdam showed that bright light is more happiness hormone. Another effective than antidepressants. Therefore, try anti-stress food is Dutch cheese, to spend as much time as possible outside nuts, rabbit meat, chicken, beans, during mornings and and afternoons, while herring, figs, and…water. Choose the sun is still shining. Go out during lecyour favorites and create a hapture breaks and walk or bike instead of using py-mood diet. metro (or, at least, go for trams instead!).That would help you to stabilize your mood and Try to escape routine and travfeel better. el somewhere. Thankfully, the Netherlands are not that big Another way to release the so, why not to go to the nearby Smile and laugh. Even if you hormone thrombotonin is do town? Even your neighborhood don’t have a reason to - just sports. There is no necessity to might appear very interesting. find it! Watch a comedy, meet go straight to the gym, choose Change of scenery and wander- up with friends, or just smile whatever you like best. Jogging ing around a new place would at yourself in the mirror. or biking outside would also have a refreshing and positive Laughter also increases your help you to combine this tip effect. with the first one from our list. immune system and tones Even walking would work, just your body. move!

Sleep! Sounds crazy and impossible for most students, I know. But that would really help to Actually, autumn is Take out candles and essential improve the physiological state, since lack of an amazing season! If oils from your drawers, because sleep affects your nervous system. In case you you still doubt it, read aromatherapy is another easy didn’t have enough sleep once - go to bed (no, the article «Beauties and effective way to cheer up. not the club) 1,5-2 hours earlier to fill a sleep of Autumn» on page 4 Vanilla, mint, sandal wood, and deficit. If it becomes chronic, wake up and go and get some inspiraorange have a stimulative effect, to sleep earlier - you’ll get used to it in about tional ideas for loving whilst scents of basil, ylanga week. Also, sleeping between 13:00-16:00 it, forget about sadylang, dandelion, and incense could refresh and recuperate you. Just don’t ness and apathy! would calm you down. sleep more than 1,5 hours, otherwise you’ll get the opposite effect. So, finish your assignments next morning, turn off Facebook and go for a nice sleep!

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Space, Mars and more...

For Dummies by natascha schoen Ever looked up at the sky and wondered...what is out there?! Well, I have and I am not alone. Space exploration is the discovery and exploration of celestial structures in outer space. The point of this article isn’t to provide you with a history of Space exploration but rather to focus on current big events occurring related to Space exploration.

Remember how big the Moon landing was? A small step for man so on and so on. Well, imagine taking an even bigger step...to Mars.

Milky Way

Photo: E.L. Wright (UCLA), The COBE Project, DIRBE, NASA

Space Lets talk about Outer Space itself before we touch upon a planet in our Solar system. Space, as far as we know, is a boundless void between celestial bodies, which includes Earth. It is filled with galaxies, planets, stars, comets, black holes and much, much more. We are currently located in the Galaxy Milk Way on Planet Earth (I hope I wasn’t surprising anyone with this information). There are many reasons for exploring Space, a few of which are to learn more, search for life on other planets, develop new technologies, ensuring long-term survival for humans etc. Some argue that we should first focus on our issues here on Earth before expanding to Space but history has taught us that human curiosity is too powerful to do so. So, within the our solar system there are eight planets, one of which has become increasingly interesting: Mars.

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Mars One Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun. It is home to mountains, moons (phobos and Deimos), dust storms, volcanoes, valleys, polar caps (hopefully with some ice on them) and more. It is quite a bit colder than Earth, averaging at - 60 degrees celsius. So, why would Humans leave Earth to this red, seemingly deserted, cold planet.

Believe it or not, it is the most habitable planet for us in our Galaxy and one particular organization is very set on being the first to establish a human settlement on Mars, which is Mars One.

Mars

Photo: NASA/ESA

Mars One is a not-for-profit organization that aims to establish a permanent human settlement on Mars. Thats right, permanent. No going back, ever. Even though it seems like a crazy idea, Mars One has had thousands and thousands of applicants ready to live on Mars. So, what is their plan? The first crew should land on Mars by 2025.

Every two years thereafter, additional crews will be sent up to join those already there and the whole process will be filmed as a documentary. Between now and 2025, several other missions will occur. More details on the mission road map can be found here. This is the next so-called giant leap for mankind will definitely inspire generations to come and, relating it to our IBCoM study, could become the world’s biggest media event. If you would like to know more about Mars One, then click here to subscribe to their newsletter or connect with them by using Facebook, Google+, Twitter and LinkedIn. Photo: Mars One

Mars One is not the only one who wants to explore Mars. There are plenty of other organizations such as NASA, ISRO and The Mars Society. NASA and ISRO both sent robots and Mars Orbiters to Mars already. The two most famous robots currently on Mars are the Opportunity and Curiosity rovers. Fun fact: Mars is the only Planet only inhabited by robots! Opportunity and Curiosity both execute activities chosen by NASA such as collecting data and making some fabulous images. Recently, ISRO’s MOM and NASA’s MAVEN, two Mars orbiters, were sent to Mars, both of which are now successfully flying around the Mars Orbit. Mars is a growing area of exploration and curiosity. We had all better watch out otherwise we may one day find Mars being a more popular planet than Earth itself!

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My first heartbreak the old man in a red robe with the long beard by margarita ‘daisy’ kovalchuk When did you realize that the door into childhood has been closed? Was it when you did not fit the height requirements of IKEA playground anymore? Or when you started watching MTV instead of Nickelodeon? Perhaps when the outfits selected by mum were no longer “cool”? The truth is that we all entered adulthood once fairytales left our minds, once there was no more expected candy in advent Christmas calendars… once we stopped believing in Santa. Several IBCoMmers agreed to recover this sad episode from their memory, and to share their heartbreaking stories.

New Years Eve was always perfect and magical until I was 8 years old. A week before, I lost my favorite toy, I started to search for it everywhere, including my mother’s closet. There, I found a huge beautiful book full of my favorite fairytales. I realized quite quickly what this book was supposed to mean (after all these rumors running through the primary school, saying that the magic happens in a nearby toy store). Still, I did not want to believe it and I decided to wait and see what happens. On the morning of the 1st of January, I indeed found that book under the Christmas tree. My parents were surprised and freaked out when I suddenly started crying as all the childish beliefs crushed in my head. After that we made an agreement that my parents would still leave presents under the Christmas tree and we would never speak about it again.

a v o k l i B Maria

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In Sweden Santa is an essential part of Christmas Eve, we expect him to arrive to our home before we eat dinner. Normally, it is dad that "has to suddenly go out and buy milk or the newspapers" and then "Santa arrives" with the gifts that he hands out. Until i was quite old I was really afraid of Santa, and started crying when I saw him because that guy actually looked quite scary to me. However, when he handed out the gifts he was not that scary anymore! When I was a little more older, there was one Christmas when we had a neighbor that acted as Santa but he was not very well dressed and his outfit was sloppy, so then I started doubting Santa‌ Today, Santa is still really important for me, deep inside. Christmas would feel really empty without him even if i don’t believe in him anymore.

erik Borjes

son

I found out Santa does not exist mainly through my older cousins- they used to make fun of me because I would still believe in it. However, at the age of around 11, I just realized it was not physically possible for an old man to slide down the chimney.

i t t u n g a eliana p 33

As a kid I think I was even more stubborn than I am now. At one point you have come to an age that other kids don’t believe in Sinterklaas anymore and want to ruin it for everyone by telling the others that “Sinterklaas is fake”. Well, nobody could spoil it for me! It did not matter who or what they said; my loyalty for Sinterklaas was unstoppable. Until the point that it was embarrassing to still believe in Sinterklaas, so my mom had to explain to me the ugly truth. I was brokenhearted and in tears... The only thing that could cheer me up a little bit was the fact that next year I could help with “Operation Sinterklaas” because my little brother still believed in him.

lennart

wenner

e s o r ammy

s

I never truly believed in Santa as the magical person who delivers all the presents to the kids. In Germany we have a different person called the Christkind who does that, and my family always used this tale. However, a striking moment, in terms of Santa Claus, was when I found out that he was put into existence by Coca Cola. Although I can’t remember the context of the conversation, I remember being in 7th grade of school (so I was about 12 years old), my German teacher stated that Santa Claus was invented by Coca Cola. A lot of my classmates knew that already but I was totally shocked and looked at my teacher in pure and honest disbelief. I remember this being a very big moment for me, because I never heard that story before and took the design of Santa Claus for granted, but after knowing it was from Coca Cola it made perfect sense.

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by alexandra medvedskaya

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Thanks for reading the

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the next issue will come out on 11/02/2015 Š 2014/2015