IBCoMagazine Issue 2| 2017-2018

M IBCOMAGAZINE 15 FEB. 2018

ISSUE 2

A Look into the

FUTURE

CONTENT EDITORS' NOTE COOKING OR PRINTING? THE FUTURE OF FOOD THE FUTURE OF DATING THE FUTURE OF THE MAKE-UP INDUSTRY SHOP WITHOUT HAVING TO DROP TO TRUST OR NOT TO TRUST: ONLINE SHOPPING GET! THAT! INTERNSHIP! COVERAGE OF EXCHANGE EVENT MASTERS AT EUR OUR VOICES FOR THE FUTURE MAKE YOUR CV STAND OUT THE FIVE WAVES: WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF OUR CAMPUS?

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PHOTOSPREAD A FUTURE CULT CLASSIC: RIVERDALE HOMESICKNESS CITY TRIPS THE FUTURE OF STREAMING SERVICES THE FUTURE OF THE INTERNET CAN BITCOINS COVER OUR TUITION? SOPHIA: THE FIRST ROBOT WITH CITIZEN RIGHTS WHAT IS THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION IN DEALING WITH SEXUAL MISCONDUCT? SHORT STORY: PULL THE TRIGGER

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IN THIS Dear reader, Thank you for sticking with us for our second issue this year. We’re particularly excited, because this edition is all about the future. Though it is something that usually slightly terrifies us as university students, the future also grants many opportunities, and that should be celebrated and cherished. With this edition, we hope to excite and prepare you for what’s to come, and comfort you through these times of change.

So, what’s ahead? Questions about your CV, internship hunting advice?

Find it here. What is the future of food? Socially conscious makeup? Also here. Sophia the robot - does that ring a bell? Read an opinion piece here!

This issue covers content ranging from lifestyle, to uni-life, as well as provides a space for creative content - a short fiction piece and a photo spread are some of the highlights in our second magazine of the year.

So, what does the future have in store for us? Read on and find out!

From our ibcomagazine team to you, we hope the future looks bright.

The Editorial Team

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LIFES

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STYLE:

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Cooking or Printing?

The Future of Food — By Sandra Post

We produce more food than we ever did, but still the amount being produced will not be able to sustain the human population forever. New technologies are necessary to keep up with demand. So, what about 3D printing our food? With today's technological developments this has actually become possible.

Commercial bakeries and kitchens are already using this technique to save some time and effort. It is edible, and apparently also tasty!

Edible and Healthy Despite the fact that for some people it sounds a bit weird to ‘print’ food, it is actually an effective way of producing. The printer can use alternative ingredients or aspects of food we usually neglect for customizing new food products. For example algae, beet leaves or insects can be turned into tasty products.

But is it healthy? Some researchers actually say that printed food advances the nutritional value of food.

In the development of the food printers, the ideal is that eventually we will be able to customize the product to whatever we need. Thus, enabling us to eat our exact nutritional needs per day.

Luxury Prices for a Luxury Item Prices for these type of printers can range from 2.000 euros to 20.000 euros. Not really the prices for the average student to pay. There are some cheaper 3D printers, but whether these can actually print healthy food is not for sure. And still, they would cost at least a few hundred euros.

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But the idea is out there, and as we have seen with many new technological products, they become cheaper over time. When production rises, causing costs to decrease, maybe the printers will be affordable for the average person and maybe even for students! Unfortunately, I think we have to wait a bit longer, since we are not there yet.

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Solving Social Issues The University of Copenhagen published a research study claiming that food from a 3D printer is extremely helpful for patients in hospitals. Each patient has their own diet. By printing food it becomes possible to adjust the food per patient to their individual needs, which will allow every patient to eat the right amount of food with the right amount of vitamins, nutrition and ingredients which their bodies require.

Especially for the elderly, it is often hard to swallow or bite on hard food, or they have trouble chewing.

This can lead to vitamin, mineral or fiber deficiency in their bodies, which they need for their health. A Dutch hospital in Zwolle actually experimented with serving 3D printed meals, hoping to strengthen the patients with the right amount of nutritions on their plate. The results of this experiment are not yet definite, but so far no negative comments have been heard about it.

So there is actually a chance that - if the printers will ever become affordable - that you will come home from a long day of work, tired and unable to move yourself to cook, and you will simply push a button and your dinner will appear. A student can dream, right?

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FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD 11

"Blonde hair, blue-eyed men? YES!" The Future of Dating The dating world has radically transformed over the last few decades. It combines advances in technology with major changes in social roles and a rise in non-traditional relationships. Since the technological developments happening for what feels like every hour, the future of dating seems roughly predictable. Everyday, it seems as if a new dating application is created to solve specific issues that keeps users motivated.

Meet him/her on the sofa

Dates in the future may not happen in cafés or bars instead, you might just sit in your living room with a virtual reality (VR) headset. We have already seen companies introducing dating lessons courses which includes topics such us “how to approach a man” or even YouTube videos on “how to kiss”. Forget swiping right or left on Tinder, dates in VR would be much easier. VR was introduced in 2015. Maybe in 2050 you could hug a person before you actually meet them in real life! It will not be long distance relationships anymore, as you could just have your partner whenever you need them. For some people, this might be a safe and effective way to screen our significant others in a fast-paced online dating world where options are endless, but some potentially dangerous.

“I want Latinas!”

Robots and artificial intelligence will become a strong asset to dating applications developers. Everyday there are huge steps in robots as developers already start brainstorming how they can incorporate robots into dating applications.

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But what is the need? Well, robots has the power to increase a user’s experience.

Diving into the future of robots into dating applications, more details about physical appearance and personality traits could be added to a personal attraction. Interacting with a robot, rather than a partner, by creating less emotional pressure, as by 2030 it is predicted that we could have two soulmates: one human and one robot.

Sounds funny, right? Only like men with blonde hair and blues eyes? Yes! Only like Latinas? Sure! Brunettes? No problem!

Tag your ex Sharing your breakup through ‘stories’ on social media platforms, like Snapchat or Instagram would be the new trend, not only normal but also the intimate moments. If you are publishing your break up on Instagram, consider re-captioning or tagging pictures before deleting them. If your ex is in the only picture you have of some amazing once-ina-lifetime-event, it might be worth keeping.

Apply the “Be Classy” tips to Instagram. Tag your ex and your ex’s friends on your story in order to make sure that your message got delivered.

Fun fact about the Dutch The Dutch have always been relatively open to online dating. A fun fact about the Dutch is that casual dating and flirting sites like Badoo are among the fastest growing in the Netherlands. Tinder, particularly in Amsterdam, is overloaded with females.

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la Cidraqu

au Photo by P

Lastly, it is hard to predict the future, but the only certain thing is that the dating application industry is a 4-billion dollar industry that has been growing rapidly since 2013. More and more people, no matter their age, are using dating applications and meet partners online which erase the dating application stigma completely. Social media platforms, like Twitter or Facebook, are less popular places to find a partner, but are getting en vogue.

— By Evropi-Nefeli Syriopoulou

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The Future of The

Make-Up Industry Socially Socially concious? concious?

— By Temi de Groen

If you are interested in makeup, you’re likely to have noticed that over the past few years, there has been a growing number of new, indie (independent) brands emerging in the beauty world. Many of these brands have gained great popularity, in part because of their progressive mentality and products, which have even caught the attention of larger makeup names in the industry. One indie brand, named Molly cosmetics, developed a makeup applicator called the Silisponge, which became one of the many indie products to cause a whirlwind of reviews and demos on Youtube. Whilst these and many other products seemed to catch beauty bloggers’ attention mainly because of their fun and unique look and concept, there have also been new brands that focus on more serious, socially conscious topics. An example of this is the lack of diversity of shades for complexion products, meaning foundation, powders, etcetera. Test it yourself. Go to any drugstore in the Netherlands, and see what the darkest shade that you can find is. The main issue is the fact that there are very few truly dark shades available.

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They basically add one dark color as an outlier, as if all dark people are the same shade and undertone...

So, why is that such an issue? Surely there are some brands that do cater to people with a darker complexion.

This is true, but the fact that many mainstream brands simply do not cater to colored women, says something about their idea of beauty and, in more general terms, Western beauty standards. Many brands use the supposed fact that “dark women don’t buy makeup” (yes! that is their actual excuse) as a reason. So, how come when Rihanna launched her new indie brand Fenty Beauty, which included a foundation that comes in 40 different shades, the darkest shades were the first to sell out?

The inevitable conclusion seems to be that it is far more likely that the reason people of color aren’t buying your products is because your products do not work for them.

Larger, “traditional” makeup brands are really only tending to a very limited portion of the Western demographic. If you are a person of color, you will still be forced to go to specialized stores and find other brands simply because mainstream Western brands do not cater to you. Beauty companies play

the position of people of color, they are, in a sense, saying that dark women do not fit in that picture.

However, the developments that we are now seeing amongst brands such as Fenty Beauty or Huda Beauty are hopefully signs that this will change in the future.

Still, this trend has also been a source of concern for some people as they are wondering if this will be just a trend, or whether it will cause actual change. Currently, it is mainly indie brands who take part in this socially conscious movement in the makeup industry. This seems to have also led to some progress amongst certain larger brands, but this development has been slow. In addition, many have raised questions regarding their motives. Take the brand Lancome as an example: you will find that looking over their Instagram page, they

feature very few colored models in their campaigns or on their Instagram profile in general. However, they recently launched a foundation that was supposedly inclusive for all shades. Suddenly, they started repeatedly posting pictures of colored women, but only as part of this specific campaign. It can be argued that this is a problem, because this might point to the practice of these implementing companies changes because they feel they can profit from it, making it hard to predict whether they will make fundamental changes for the future. For now, that means we can really only speculate about the future of makeup. But being conscious of the progress that is yet to be made, and supporting brands that are inclusive can certainly make a difference. There is still a lot of work, work, work, work, work that needs to be done‌

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Shop without having to Dro The 21st Century of mobile shopping

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Imagine a world where you have the time and money to go on the occasional shopping trip. Today, you would go to the city, look around, maybe try something on, buy it if it looks good and carry your purchases home. This is what it has been like for ages, but could this be any different in the age of technology? As a true shopping addict, I cannot wait what the future has to bring in order to make our shopping experience easier.

Of course, the future is not set in stone, and we can only predict what will happen in the years that are still to come. This does not mean that there aren’t some wild theories of what the shopping scene will look like 5-10 years from now.

Over the past few years, our lives have become more and more digital, and of course, the shopping industry has not stayed behind. Other than that, most stores also have an online counterpart, the brick-and-mortar stores cannot stay behind. For some people, fitting rooms are the most dreaded places on Earth. Thankfully, some smart people invented ‘digital mirrors’. These mirrors create an interactive and easier experience for the customers. One of the uses of these mirrors is that they can show you if the item you are fitting is available in other colors or sizes. Also, in some stores, if you wish to try another size on, it connects to a salesperson to grab the right size for you, which saves you an awkward trip back into the store in your socks. They also allow customers to add on different accessories and/ or shoes digitally. In some stores, you can even directly send the items that you are trying on to your online shopping basket, making it easier to order these items and get them delivered. How cool is that?

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When it comes to innovation in the retail world, China is way ahead of the Western hemisphere, but it probably won’t be long until those practices are also widely seen elsewhere. One phenomenon that we will probably be seeing anytime soon is more mobile-based shopping than ever. How could it not be, in the era where so many people own a phone, right? What we can see in China, for example, is that when people are in a specific store, there are mobile activities that enhance the physical shopping behavior. When people have downloaded the app from a store, it has different features that cater to the consumer’s needs. One way in which mobiles phones are being used is for shops to allow people to scan items on their phone while shopping, making it easier to pay at the checkout. One a creepier note: through these apps, companies collect data, making it simple to use this data to target you when advertising.

The questions that remain are if those predictions will actually come true, how long will it last and if we will come up with even better ideas to make shopping as fun and effortless as possible. In the end, we will just have to wait and see what other interesting creations humankind has ‘in store’ for us.

— By Fabiënne Vuijk

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To Trust or N — By Sara Alkilany

— ONLINE S

Imagine this: you’re lying down on your bed on a Tuesday night, comfortable in your pyjamas, drinking your favorite tea. Lovely, right?

Suddenly, you get this itch- you want new shoes, perhaps some fuzzy socks? Or a new coat for the winter. Unfortunately, it’s a work night, it’s -6 degrees outside, and to be honest, you’re too lazy to go outside.

Luckily, online shopping is there to rescue you! Fortunate magazine reported that 51% of consumers nowadays prefer to do their shopping online, and more stores than ever now offer online shopping. This may all seem like great news, more online shopping means greater variety, convenience, and in many cases cheaper options. The big question is, how do we make sure that we can trust the sites we are giving our money to?

Normally, before placing an order online you might want to double check reviews of that site. There are several ways to do so, and one of the most popular is looking at online reviews. Sitejabber is one of the websites people use to post reviews about online stores.

The stores that were seen as unreliable included SheIn and the Wish App, to name a few. To demonstrate, below are reviews from people about the following stores:

Wish:

So, we can probably agree that Wish isn’t too reliable.

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Not To Trust:

SHOPPING—

SheIn:

In this case, SheIn had pretty mixed reviews, so I’ll leave it up the consumer to decide if they want to risk it or not!

To help with your decision making, CNBC posted an article in which they state the rules you should follow in order to avoid being scammed: Too steep discounts: if it’s too good to be true, it probably is. Think twice!

Poor website design and sloppy grammar. This is often an issue with many websites, and should instantly fire warning signs.

A suspect domain name: If you see extra words in the URL like "deals," "sales" or "super discounts," as well as extra characters, there's a good chance the website is a scam.

Not being able to pay with credit card: Be weary when they ask you to pay online with bitcoin, gift card, or wire transfer. It’s a good chance they are scam accounts.

Shady contact information and vague refund policies: This just shows a lack of communication with the customer, which is never a good thing.

And finally: trust your instinct! If you feel like you cannot trust a certain website, then you probably shouldn’t. Stay safe & happy shopping!

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UNIVE

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ERSITY:

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Get! That!

A Compilation of I

Internship! Undoubtedly one of IBCoM journey. Lessons learne confidence gained. I say that internship in a mobile comme for some words of wisdom fro fair share of thinking about int employ

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! Intership!

Internship Wisdom

f the more exciting parts of your ed, people met, and, trust me, t after an amazing marketing erce startup in Berlin. Read on om someone who’s done their ternships and post-graduation yment.

— By Flore Ziegfeld 23

1. Hit up your network Of course, contacting people you already know is just about the advice you hear most when it comes to finding placements. But, much like the unsolicited advice our parents like to give us, there is definitely more truth in hitting up your network than I like(d) to think. Despite being truly daunting an endeavour at first, you only start to notice how valuable a potential asset you have become throughout IBCoM by talking to people and noticing that they do, in fact, show quite some enthusiasm hearing about your journey so far! I have seen many friends find companies to do internships at, or also write their theses about, by simply posting something similar to an open call on their LinkedIn profile. Make it a shareable story about yourself and specify where, what and who you are interested in, and see what kind of responses you can generate.

Additionally, modify your LinkedIn description to attract some views on your LinkedIn profile: specify that you’re looking for an internship to grab attention.

Then, view the profiles of some people you'd like to work with so that they see you’ve visited their page and are looking for an internship in a nearly artistically discreet way. Of course, there is always the possibility to read up on other IBCoM students’ internships by simply checking their LinkedIn Profiles; you never know what great companies have previously hosted one of our own.

2. Check Facebook opportunities

for

some

out-of-the-box

LinkedIn isn’t the only social media application you can use to find interesting placements. Several Facebook groups are made specifically for companies to post internship vacancies in specific areas (see below), making it easy for you to gain an overview of start-up possibilities, for example. Additionally, you might find some interesting markets you might not previously have considered for your internship search, or simply network with like-minded people and ask for their experiences at different companies or in new cities.

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Examples of Facebook groups include: https://www.facebook.com/groups/englishinternshipsinfrance/ https://www.facebook.com/groups/StartupJobsBerlin/ https://www.facebook.com/InternshipsNetherlands/

3. Check out www.glassdoor.com!

Glassdoor is an online platform where you can find out about organizations based on uncensored, first-hand reports written by employees or job applicants. On Glassdoor, you’ll find employer reviews, job postings by organizations, salary information and even interview tips: past applicants outline their interview process, sometimes even mentioning the exact questions the interviewer asked them. For us university students with limited internship experience, the information about the interview and the recruitment procedures at specific organizations can really provide some assurance and comfort. Additionally, Glassdoor is a great opportunity for you to find out whether the company actually lives up to what it conveys about itself in job descriptions posted, advertisements or PR material.

Especially useful for big companies because of the abundance of information, Glassdoor is a great way for you to get some behind-the-scenes insights before actually going behindthe-scenes.

4. Do not be afraid to bother people This is really something I wish I had given more value to: don’t be scared of sending out applications to big corporations or cold-calling people at interesting organizations. Know your worth and put yourself out there.

What will they say except for no? Especially if you have your eyes on a specific company for after IBCoM, an internship is a great way to get your foot in the door and find out if the company is actually a good match for you, and all at a lower commitment compared to post-graduation. This is your opportunity to contact people, sell yourself and perhaps even create a placement for yourself they previously hadn’t thought about.

— Best of luck finding the internship of your dreams!

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“We will all be living in

A report of the exchang for the second-yea — By Judith van Driel Ever since the beginning of this school year, questions about exchange have been roaming the halls. “Do you know where you want to go on exchange?” is the most common one, often answered by one of this year’s popular destinations like South Korea, Canada and Australia.

The second-year IBCoM students have handed in their applications, done their pitches and interviews, and worked extra hard to maintain good grades, since that is one of the requirements for going on exchange. And then, after months of preparation, the time has come for them to know what their destination is. For around four months, IBCoM students will, as one of my friends said, “all be living in different time zones”.

Here we are, on the fourteenth of December 2017, for most students the last day before Christmas Break begins, making this day even more exciting than it already is. Because on this day, students will find out where they will study, party, and explore a new culture in the Fall of 2018.

Let me set the scene for you: it is a chilly Thursday afternoon and I am walking with IBCoM student Alexandra towards the room where the Announcement Event will take place. She tells me that Madrid is her first choice, and when I ask her to explain why she picked that city, she says “I did not make a rational choice, but it just seems like me. It is the experience of moving to a big city, also: it’s warm over there.”

We have arrived at one of the rooms in the Theil building and you can tell that everyone is excited to find out where exchange will take them. I ask my friend Sandra what her first choice is and how she is feeling at the moment, and she tells me, “I picked George Mason University… Because it’s America, and the politics are interesting. I am feeling really confident about this.” Everyone is chatting loudly, but we all become silent when Emma Hamilton, the exchange coordinator, comes up and tells us what is going to happen in the next few minutes.

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different time zones…”

ge announcement event ar IBCoM students

People are, albeit restless, waiting in line to get their badge with on it their name, destination, and a Post-it to cover it all up. Nervously, everyone goes back to their seats and waits for the countdown.

5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1!

The Post-its are pulled off and the room is suddenly filled with screams, tears, and hugs. After a few minutes I catch up with my friends to see what their destinations are. I see big smiles on their faces, and talking about our destinations makes us even more excited to go. Sunwoo jokingly tells me: “I knew I was going to get it”; she will be studying at Keio University in Tokyo next year.

Lara proudly shows me her badge, which says ‘Yonsei University’. “I feel super excited and I am so happy,” and referring to her destination in South Korea, she giggles when she adds: “I just hope I am not going to get hit by a nuclear bomb”.

Siree, who will be joining Lara at Yonsei, is just happy that the big reveal is over now, “I feel excited, and it feels like there is a huge burden lifted off my shoulders”.

Now, the second-year students have to focus on their internship and in the meantime, preparing to leave for exciting places all around the world. For some people, it can be a huge step outside of their comfort zone, while others will be returning to their home countries. One thing is for sure, the Fall of 2018 will bring great adventures for all of us!

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a t r e a h y our w , o S plans for the future honey?

(Even) as a rather senior IBCoM student, a question that makes me want to run and hide from the world is “what are your plans for after IBCoM?” Although the fact that it is my choice, and my choice alone is meant to comfort me and make me feel free, I feel overwhelmed with decisions to make and paths to evaluate. Fully conscious of the fact that I am far from the only IBCoM student drowning in inertia when it comes to future planning, I have taken upon our shared dislike of the topic and dug up some information about possibilities in our immediate physical proximity: Master’s programmes at EUR. In doing so, I talked to two EUR Master’s students, Alexander Howard and Emily Tang.

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-Masters at Erasmus— By Flore Ziegfeld Alex is currently pursuing the 16-month Master of Science in Business Administration and Management (MScBA) taught at RSM. In high school, higher level physics and chemistry made him interested in scientific endeavours, leading him to the University of Birmingham to major in chemistry and minor in business management during his Bachelor’s programme.

Despite his initial interests in chemistry, the business classes won him over, at which point he was looking to develop his business knowledge through a relevant Master’s. His younger brother, a third year IBCoM student, gave Rotterdam and EUR rave reviews, and RSM is one of the few business schools offering a Master’s programme in business specifically for students who had a non-business related major in their Bachelor’s. This developed into the characteristic of the programme Alex likes best by now: “Given that everyone is from a non-business related

the field of their Bachelor’s, Alex says that the most crucial element prospective students should bring along are time management skills, “since a Master’s is definitely more time consuming and mentally draining compared to a Bachelor’s,” also highlighting the large share of teamwork and statistical parts of the programme, where more experience with Excel would have been useful, he mentions.

major, this often means one group assignment could have a scientist, engineer, lawyerand languages experts all on one team, which means there is ton of experience and ways of solving problems the team could come up with which wouldn’t be possible with everyone having the same background.” Clearly, this also offers an advantage to IBCoM students they might not have with other RSM business Masters: the non necessity of a business degree.

Although the average age within the programme lies around 26, at which point most students have work experience in

After his degree, Alex is interested in working for Nike or Adidas, where he could combine his passion for sports with his interests in business. To pave the way to these multinationals, he imagines working for a start-up or smaller business in which there are more opportunities to develop fast and have your work appreciated, he notes.

For IBCoM students, noteworthy entry requirements to the MScBA programme at RSM include a 7.0 (or higher) GPA, a GMAT test with a score of over 600.

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Emily, on the other hand, came to EUR after a switch within the Netherlands: her Bachelor in Pedagogical Sciences and Art at EUR, followed by a Pre Master in Media and Society at Tilburg University, laid the groundworks for her current degree in Media and Culture (MA) back at EUR. Asked why she came back to EUR from Tilburg University, Emily mentions that she thought EUR was more professional, but that education was generally of a high standard across the country.

Emily chose the Master’s in Media and Culture, a Dutch-taught programme, because she “liked the combination of culture and doing something you can actually find a job with,” referring to the media-related parts of the degree.

Much like Alex, she highlights that most courses have many group projects, but she notes that overall the students of this programme have less work experience and rather did internships instead of working actual job placements, and, at 22/23, are slightly younger than MScBA students. 16 women and one man compose the student body of this smaller programme compared to a rather balanced gender makeup of Alex’ MScBA. After her degree, Emily aspires to work at a cultural organization, drafting policies and working on innovation and quality improval in cultural terms. She notes that in her programme, “teachers really value creativity in your assignments,” which is something she thinks distinguishes this MA from other Master’s, but that knowledge about general media

More info?

Find more about the MScBA here: https://www.rsm.nl/master/mscprogrammes/mscba-master-inmanagement/overview/ Find more info about media-related Masters on offer at EUR: https://www.eur.nl/en/master/ media-culture-society https://www.eur.nl/en/master/ 30

THE FUTURE IS OURS.

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OUR VOICES FOR THE FUTURE What will Rotterdam bring?

— By Cara Sainsbury

“Millenials are the next generation.” “Young people are going to rule the world one day.” “We should listen more to the students among us.”

You hear these kind of phrases a lot in de media, usually said by important and influential adults. These ideas of listening more to the younger generations are discussed, but not practiced as often. Unfortunately, the “employed adults” still think that millennials don’t understand what they are talking about. This is nonsense and the opportunities to make a difference are endless; in- and outside of EUR. Here are some people who have made their time at university worthwhile.

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Name: Ranya Bellouki Age: 22 Nationality: Moroccan Course: Master Management in Innovation at RSM Organization: ECE Students & jEURnalist Her story: Ranya is on the board of ECE Students as head of the Marketing Committee.

She explained that ECE students is a subdivision of the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship, a coworking space and organization in Rotterdam geared to help young professionals find their footing. The student branch motivates students to be more entrepreneurial, bringing them in contact with new exciting opportunities.

Ranya joined ECE students five years ago when she arrived at EUR, and the organization had just started. She helped in developing it towards the well-known name on campus today.

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“I coordinate the marketing and IT of our events, which are set up specifically to develop students’ entrepreneurial skills. Most of them include creating an solution or idea for an existing social or economic problem and then presenting it to a jury to find a winner.”

Next to ECE students, Ranya is also one of the founders of the jEURnalist: the English news blog of Erasmus University. This year is the first year she has been hands off the blog since it was founded in November of 2014. In her second year of IBA, Ranya and a couple of friends from IBCoM were discussing how maybe they could start something new at the university and to make a difference.

“We got our main inspiration from Copenhagen Business School, where they have a similar platform and one of my IBCoM friends had contacts there.

So we built a website and started the marketing, just by sending it around to our friends and peers. And it actually grew really fast in terms of popularity, but also in terms of the growth of our team of writers.”

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When asked what her plans for the future entail, she explained that the entrepreneurial part of her is very active and she would love to do something with that one day. But she prefers to gain more experience first to then find the “golden” idea which she can be most passionate about to be able to start pursuing it.

“It’s cool to make a difference outside of just going to classes and lectures, when you are at university.

Knowing that I helped start up ECE students and founded the jEURnalist, which will be around for a while probably, is an exciting feeling.”

Name: Nils Kowitz Age: 26 Nationality: German Course: Master in Business and Economics Organization: Turing Society His story: Nils is a master student from Germany, who did his bachelor degree in Business Administration in Berlin. He pursued a dual study by also working at DIY company, mainly to get a hands-on experience.

Here, Nils was able to apply everything he learned at the course directly to his work at the company.

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“After doing multiple internships in different branches of the business field in my gap year, I learned a lot more about the industry. But I also discovered that I don’t like working in big companies, where I’m just a small cog, part of the machine. So I wanted to get a broader overview of economics first and to get more involved in the whole startup scene.”

Nils got involved with ECE students during their 24-hour Business Game, where they need to develop an entrepreneurial business idea in 24 hours and then present it to the jury. He already had an idea so by doing more research and developing it in depth, it turned out they had won.

Now he’s also busy with the “Get Started” ECE programme, which helps to evolve ideas, in order to start a business.

The Turing Society is the only society on campus related to IT innovation and startups. For students, they organize bootcamps teaching you how to code.

This is also how Nils got involved, through recommendations from people at the Erasmus Center for Entrepreneurship.

“You have a really different view when you focus on a social startup. If you are involved with a company that only wants money or more business, you try to be really good at your marketing strategies. But social startups are more focused on the people you are working for and you have to have that element of care and sensitivity about it.”

“My role is to organize events with tech-related companies or startups here on campus to give some insights into how the technological field of business can be interesting to students. It’s fun, but also very time consuming.”

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He cringed a little when asked what his future looked like, but also explained that he’s developing a startup idea. He’s at the stage of finding sponsors, so if it’s a success he might continue with helping the company grow after his studies. But these kinds of things aren’t like a 9-to-5 day job where you go home at the end of the day, this is a 24/7 investment.

WE ARE WE ARE THE FUTURE. THE FUTURE.

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MAKE YOUR

CVCV STAND OUT:

— Opportunities to boost your credentials —

How to boost your CV? Our whole lives, we have heard that your CV is extremely important.

Employers are not necessarily looking for academic achievements, but do expect you to take all kinds of extracurriculars and to have loads of work experience. It might seem tempting to write every single one of your experiences down, from paperboy to babysitting. But did you know that, on average, employers only look at a CV for 10 seconds?

TEN seconds!?

This is such a short amount of time! You really need to WOW them with your CV. We lined up 4 tips, so you can make sure that you will land your dream job!

Tip 1: Find a (summer)internship

An internship is a great way for you to get some experience, but also to show your future employer that you already worked in the field. If you are still studying, then it could be a great option to do a summer internship. There are a lot of companies who are looking for someone to re-enforce their team for a short period. This also might be a perfect opportunity to go abroad and work for a foreign company. That way you will not only work and learn, but also get to experience a whole new country.

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Tip 2: Start volunteering

Volunteer work is a great way to show that you care about others and that you are also willing to work without an incentive. There are a lot of great volunteering options out there. With the increasing influx of refugees, there is a demand for new volunteers. There is, for example, a Language buddy program which is organized by the Erasmus University. You can sign up for this program to teach a refugee the Dutch language.

Tip 3: Get involved in student societies

Getting involved in a student society is a great way to show that you are social and enterprising. You can, for example, join ACE and be part of one of their committees. This not only is really fun, it also sharpens your teamwork skills. Besides ACE, there are a lot of other great student societies, where you can learn a lot of different things, and this will only add to your skillset on your resume.

Tip 4: Make your CV visually attractive

This is maybe one of the most important tips, since an employer spends so little time on a CV. When your CV immediately pops out and looks really good, an employer is way more likely to give it more attention.

You can use colors, pictograms and a nice font. But be aware: when using too many colors and pictograms, it can also be distracting from the content. So try to find a nice balance between the two. On https://gosumo-cvtemplate.com/ you can create your own visually attractive CV for a small amount of money. Here are some examples of visually appealing CVs!

— By Francis Garlich

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Hopefully these tips will help you to already start building towards a better CV. So that when the opportunity to get your dream job arises, you are as ready as you can be!

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THE FIVE WAVES: What's the future of our campus?

It has become a common sight: students wandering around campus, desperately searching for study spaces.

The lost look in their eyes shows that they know each day will be the same since the closure of Polak. There are simply too little study spaces available, for the ever increasing number of students on campus. As a consequence, the Erasmus University has received a bad review in the Keuzegids Universiteiten.

Even though the university can hardly be blamed, it has become an annoying and frustrating problem for all involved.

We are all wondering when campus will be back to its old days, or if it might even become better. What will the future of campus look like?

It is almost as if a 5th Wave scenario has struck us, starting from the second wave: destruction, involving both the almost-two-years-old closure of the library and the recent

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unsafe floors of the Polak building.

But that’s not where it ends. The university has only had little time to catch their breath, allowing them to improvise some study places here and there, before the third wave had hit us: infection. The polluted air in the Sanders building could have resulted in many health complications.After an intensive, week-long rinsing, the air is breathable again and thus, we have survived the third wave. But what is next? Following the terrifying waves of the movie, we’re still in for an alien invasion and an attack by madly indoctrinated children. If that happens---I’m out of here. But let’s not assume that the university is preparing themselves against it. Rather, let’s focus on their more realistic, future plans, referred to as ‘the third phase of the campus under development’, with the inspiring theme: ‘building new perspectives’.

The main ambition is to create an economic campus with an international appearance, that is well-connected to the city. All of this is planned to be done before 2020. Below are some of the main plans that might affect you as a student:

Tinbergen Building The main ambition is to increase energy efficiency. A new pathway will be created that connects the Tinbergenbuilding to the Theil-building, resulting in a direct connection from the Institutenlaan to the Mandele-plein.

The entrance will provide a spirited atmosphere, consisting of a coffee bar, information desk, restaurant and study places --yes, more study places are coming!

Sports building A new sports building will be built, as the old one has reached its technical lifespan. Installation Van der Groot and Bayle building. The technical installations in both buildings have come of age and are therefore in need of replacement. Most important for students: the exam hall will be out of service for almost a year. No, this doesn’t mean that we won’t have exams for a year---unfortunately---the old sports building will be used as an alternative.

For more information on the development of campus, go to the university website --> Campus --> 'Campus under development'.

Terrein Zuid This is the area South of Plaza.

According to the Campus under Construction Communication Team, the combination of little streets and piazzas, will create ‘’the impression of an Italian village’’.

"The main ambition is to create an economic campus with an international appearance, that is well-connected to the city. "

It is nice to know that the university is definitely not sitting still. It is an ambitious plan that will leave the results of the Keuzegids Universiteiten in its shadow.

They will probably realise that it was not a good idea to hold their annual student survey during the maintenance of the library, which has unfairly lead to a very low score on ‘facilities’. Maybe, ‘Building new perspectives’, will indeed build a new perspective for the creators of the Keuzegids Universiteiten, resulting in a booming review for the Erasmus university on its next appearance.

— By Steven Hillen 43

Downtow

PHOTOS

By OM

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wn at Dusk

SPREAD:

MVWB

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Join the Cult: Riverdale Edition A cult classic candidate?

The space is a liminal one — decked with red leather stools and polished subway tiles, checkered tablecloths and the dulled surface of a sodasticky countertop. A jukebox sits idle in the corner, edges brought to a polish under neon. The diner is something of a relic; a nostalgic, seedy roadside that smells like taffy and teen spirit.

Welcome to Pop’s.

Now, that’s a sight I haven’t pictured in years — and I’m pretty sure I’m not unique in that regard. After all, it’s been forever and five days since we’ve heard the surname Andrews, and even longer since anyone’s picked up a cheaply printed double-digest. All for good reason, my friends, seeing as Archie Comics haven’t been a hot topic for a decade or two.

So, what brought Archie and co. back from beyond, after their metaphorical death in the disco-eighties and grungy, moody nineties?

A little Netflix original that borrows its name from the most iconic Americana town in modern fiction: Riverdale. Looks like the Pussycats may have been out of mind, but they certainly weren’t out of heart when Aguirre-Sacasa thread his fingers through Netflix’s and picked up the project.

That being said, many of us know (or maybe you don’t, don’t sweat it, Brian) that Archie Comics has been undergoing something of a rebranding in the past handful of years — what with the release of some new gen comics and some god-tier art to go with it. Riverdale is the cherry on top of this out-with-the-old milkshake, featuring a reimagined cast and their own set of equally reimagined dynamics.

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So, this is all dandy, but it begs the question of why this show is incredibly well received. Is it because it plays on the nostalgic air we’re all so familiar with, or is it because the story’s managed to reel in an entirely new audience? Regardless of whether you love it or hate it, Riverdale has become a staple on your feed, no matter the platform.

With cliché love triangles, plenty of over-the-top moments, and an open handed use of murder-mystery that would make Agatha Christie proud (or bring her to tears, depending on which side you hold to the light), Riverdale is definitely something worth checking out, if only to say you’ve seen it. You’ve got your girl-next-door Betty doused in a generous amount of Chemical X, one sympathetic Veronica Lodge — a welcome change from the sixties, mind you — and our main All-Star American ginger turned vigilante, Arch’ Andrews.

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If any of you’ve read the comics, you’ll know that the only things Riverdale retained from its predecessor were character names and strawberry smoothies. Still, I find myself watching it. I find myself binging it with friends, alluding to references in conversation, and making fun of episodes more often than I praise them. The greatest part? Every response I get is equally cynical in nature. Nobody really takes this show as seriously as the show takes itself.

Don’t get me wrong, the cinematography is something of a dream and the music is straight out of a hipster’s vinyl collection. No, but really — the execution of the show is worth the praise it shoulders. The palettes are well chosen, the actors convincing, and the aesthetic is as wistful as it aims to be. However, the plotlines are a different story (ha-ha) altogether, with every one aspect exaggerated to the point of perfect ridiculousness.

Fear not, because you know what this is a recipe for? The Ultimate Cult Classic. To break things down into itty-bitties for the sake of clarity, cult classics can be described as hilariously god-awful movies and/or series that manage to snag a hefty following because of various relevant and irrelevant reasons. For Riverdale, there’s history there — that pristine Americana feel brought back to life, and the fans that’ve been here from the start. Pair that cultural embeddedness with some predictable love and occasional gore, and you’ve got yourself a Rocky Horror Show in the making.

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The unrealistic situations and the Happy-go-Lucky American Town In The Sixties turned American Horror Story But With Neon and Cherry Lip Balm make the show something worth stanning, if only for irony’s sake. The plot is no Narcos, and it’s not exactly It or Shutter Island in terms of suspense, either; it tries hard to play on similar motifs, but ends up winded before the finish-line. Then again, it’s what makes this thing ideal as a potential cult classic, simply because it tries so hard to be taken seriously. Keyword: try.

Despite that noise, though, Riverdale happens to be one of the most watched and blogged-about shows on this side of reality. So, whether you’re big on the newly-unhinged-and-involved Cheryl Blossom, or you miss your comic-asexual Jughead Jones, one thing’s for certain: you’re seeing history in the making.

A new age of exceptionally awful shows that we enjoy a little more than we’d like to admit out loud - my cynical, Jughead-loving self included.

— By Mona Abdou

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How to deal with the monster under your bed:

Homesickness elisegravel.com

— By Chi Mai đỗ trần

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What is homesickness? It is dreading the holidays because your home is too far away to visit for one or two weeks.

It is longing for a home-cooked meal every time you return from university. It is counting down the days until you can jump on the airplane that will take you home.

The first step to do that is accepting that it is normal, and can happen to anyone.

Missing home doesn’t mean that you are weak or that there is something wrong with you. It just means that you love your family and friends very much - sometimes, love hurts a little too, you know.

Homesickness can take on many forms and varies between people, but what remains the same is that every person has experienced it at one point in their life. It is not something easy to deal with.

However, you have to live your life in the ‘here and now’, and that means learning how to cope with being far away from home.

What you can do is to go out and talk to people. Make new friends! Often, it is not really the place you miss, but the people in it. So, create a new family for yourself by searching for new people that you can share your food with or talk about the latest movies. Home is where your heart is, but there is no rule that says you can only have one home. You can always split your heart in multiple places!

One way to meet new people is to integrate into your new community.

You can join events nearby, like the open stage night on campus, or the International Film Festival coming this February. Kralingse Plas is a good place to go for a run in the morning, or the World Museum or Maritime Museum for some history and art.

Amidst your busy social life, make time to talk to your loved ones back home. With Facebook, Skype or WhatsApp, it has never been easier for you to connect to people who are thousands of miles away. The last time I called my parents,

Those words put me in a good mood for the rest of the day (even though I was rushing to finish my Labor Market portfolio). Knowing that you are loved by people whom you love is a very powerful thing, and it can help you weather the worst of homesickness.

Homesickness is not the end of the world. People grow up, they leave their home to start a new life somewhere - it’s normal, it’s the circle of life *insert Phil Collins song*. However, that doesn’t mean that you wouldn’t miss your home, or your family and friends every now and then. But it will get better, and more importantly, you’ll get better.

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CITY TRIPS Oh, The Places You’ll Go!

Springtime is almost here, meaning that it’s time for nature to wake up and blossom. Wanderlust is at its finest during this marvelous time of the year; nonetheless, any student is familiar with the hardships of finding free time in the heavy university schedule. Another absurdity is that you can’t even travel to all the places that you want to check out and explore.

Unfortunately, student wallets aren’t exploding from money as we all need to pay off our university fees and living expenses.

Many of us manage to squeeze in some expenses to satisfy the curiosity about the world around us. Once you make up your mind about a place, there is a lot of planning involved, both with the things to check out in a short period of time, and with the distribution of expenses. Finding the right way to travel is quite tough, as trains may be a cheaper alternative than airplanes, but more time consuming. You can opt for a car if the destination is nearby, as you will manage to save up with travelling around the city and its outskirts, together with having a lot of fun on a car trip (who doesn’t love them?!). If you decide to settle on the fastest way – planes – make sure to plan your trips way beforehand, as the tickets always cost way cheaper if you get them early! Once you decide how to get there, you need to settle on a place to stay. Regardless of the country, I think the best option is to opt for hostels, as they are the cheapest and the most fun ways to spend your time in another country. You meet many different people, make new friends, in addition to getting more information on places to visit and probably get a nice companion (if you’re travelling alone). I’m personally very fond of traveling, exploring new places and meeting new people. Below is my personal list of favorite cities within Europe that I extremely loved.

— By Leyla Suleymanova

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Berlin.

The most versatile city I’ve seen in my entire life. Historically torn apart, Berlin has been hugely culturally influenced, which resulted in the crazy mixture of different types of art, music, and city planning.

Creativity flows in the air as you walk around the city seeing different graffiti pleasing the eye. The city center feels like they threw in New York, Shanghai, Dubai and Paris in one bowl, cooked it up and got Berlin. I’ve been here a lot of times, but only once I travelled from Rotterdam to Berlin (took us around 10 hours), which was an amazing choice as Berlin is quite a big city and we managed to explore a huge part of it driving around all day.

When you get a bit further from the city center, you can see quite older buildings which remind me of the old Soviet buildings in Russia. The contrast of the city is what it makes it so fascinating to me. If you want to go clubbing, Berlin is the best city in Europe to do so, as there are many amazing clubs with amazing techno, house and generally any music you prefer.

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Barcelona.

Colors are blinding the eye when you travel around the city of Barcelona especially when sunny days come around. With many influences in the area of art, exploring Barcelona feels like a museum as there are many fascinating architectural masterpieces.

What attracted my attention was that all the people are friendly southerners who are always ready to help you or even have a conversation with you (many people don’t agree with me when I say this, so I probably met the friendliest people).

Closer to the warm sunny days you can travel around the cities close by and swim in the turquoise ocean.

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Paris.

The most clichĂŠ out of all these cities, Paris takes up one of my favorite places in the list as a romantic city, the city of love. Quite a big and crowded place, Paris is also very rich in the art domain, as you can check out a huge number of museums and monuments which will fascinate you. The city itself is quite green with lots of arrayed trees and flowers, as there are a lot of beautiful parks you can just wander around. Disneyland is a nice place to visit if you want to scream your throat out on different attractions.

I’m personally in love with churches, which you can find in the older districts of Paris, where you can find amazing representations of gothic architecture.

French croissants and desserts in general are a go to, so pamper yourself with some French sweets!

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Vienna.

Here I had the most interesting bus tour in my life, as Vienna is a very historically rich city. Opting for a car here would be a nice idea as it’s quite big, so if you want to see a lot, you might want to drive around.

Springtime opens up the greener side of Vienna, as the nature there is absolutely breathtaking. You might want to check out classical music, as Vienna has many talented composers, and listening to the orchestra in the opera house might be the best experience in your life. Nightlife is vibrant in Vienna, so if you want to have some fun – go out and explore as there are loads of places to visit. Food here is not the least important thing, so Austrian schnitzel is waiting for you.

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Will I Still Pay My Jams on Spotify?

The future of streaming services — By Francis Garlich Streaming music is becoming bigger and bigger. In 2015, For the first time ever, streaming made up the largest component of the total U.S music industry revenue. This marks a major milestone for the format, and from this moment onwards it continued to grow even more. Spotify, Apple Music and Deezer are all famous music platforms that we all use and love. But what new streaming services have joined the market the last few years, and what will the future bring for the new and already existing streaming services? A lot of new streaming services have tried to make their mark in this vast industry over the past few years, and there are also some streaming services that will join the game in the near future. Here are some you should look out for:

1. Tesla Tunes We all know the famous car brand Tesla, created by Elon Musk. Elon Musk is known to be a real visionary and as of 2017 there has been talk of Tesla wanting to create their own music streaming service. It would be primarily for Tesla car owners so that they have a streaming service that is in line with the car, but there would maybe also be a streaming service for people not driving tesla cars. As for now it is still very vague, and so we will still need to wait patiently for Tesla Tunes.

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2. Youtube Music Granted, this streaming service started in November 2015, and thus has been on the market for quite some time, but still it is not as widely used as Spotify or Apple Music. Youtube Music offers the same variety as a lot of the other streaming services, but is also optimized to present a vast collection of additional options, from live concert footage to karaoke tracks with embedded lyrics, to instructional videos on how to play that catchy melody on your guitar. This gives Youtube Music a new, interesting dimension that is worth checking out.

3. Amazon music unlimited In October 2016, Amazon started its own music streaming service. Before that, they only offered a streaming service to prime members, but now it is available to everyone. The service is pretty similar to bigger competitors like Spotify, and so it is mainly a great service to use if you are already a prime member or if you are using amazon’s Echo. This namely gives you a price reduction, which makes it comparatively cheaper than other streaming services.

4. Tidal This is a music streaming service that started two years ago, and was created by the popular rapper Jay Z. Tidal wants to give artists more revenue than other streaming services. For instance, they give 75 percent of the revenue to the artist, whereas Spotify gives 70 percent.

Tidal also made some exclusive deals with stars like Beyonce and Kanye West to only stream their newest album on Tidal, and not the other streaming services.

So, we can see that there is a lot of growth in the streaming market

and that there are a lot of new players entering it; but what are the dangers that lie ahead? Well, even though streaming is growing, it is still really hard for the companies to make a profit. Services like Rdio, Live365, and Songza are not big enough to get a lot of funding and thus have gone bankrupt. Bigger services like Spotify are still holding on, but are also dealing with a lot of losses. Besides this, there are also some artists that have turned their backs to streaming music. Megastar Taylor Swift has publicly pointed out the potential drawbacks of music streaming, mainly that it would devalue art. She is of the opinion that music should not be free to stream, and thus decided to pull her music off Spotify and Apple Music, because she did not think she was getting paid enough. Recently she luckily did decide to rerelease her music on Spotify, and Apple Music even decided to pull back their free 3-months trials, so that artists could see revenue immediately.

All in all, the bigger streaming services are still growing and doing well.

Unfortunately, this leaves smaller companies unaccounted for. They are barely holding on, and can’t compete with the bigger ones. So the future will show if the companies that we talked about here will be able to put up a fight against giants like Spotify and Apple Music.

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The End of Internet As We Know It, Maybe?

If you have kept up with the news, you might have heard the phrase “net neutrality” pop up every once in awhile.

This is because as of December 2017, the idea of “net neutrality” is under threat by the federal communications commision in the United States.

Net neutrality is the principle that all Internet providers must abide by, and it states that service providers must treat all data on the internet as the same, and not charge more depending on the content. Fun fact: The Netherlands became the first country in Europe to enact strict net neutrality laws. Yay NL! In the United States however, this freedom is under threat. The FCC is fighting to repeal net neutrality, in favor of service providers such as Comcast and Verizon, despite immense public pressure against it.

The end of net neutrality could signal the end of a free and equal internet access.

ISP’s could be able to split the internet into “fast and slow lanes,” reported The Independent. Moreover, it allows them to block access to certain sites which they do not agree to, or even make it slower for the user to access content related to its competitor.

For example: Verizon customers might not be able to view Comcast deals, and vice versa.

It could also reduce the access to websites and online education for low-income households, who rely on net neutrality for such matters.

On December 14th 2017, the FCC ruled in favor of the ISP’s, and rage ensued.

Here are some examples of the people’s dismay in the United States:

The European Union itself has net neutrality regulations, however, it is still highly contested due to the fact that there are several loopholes in the clause which allow ISP’s to take advantage of it. For example, in Sweden, the biggest telecom provide, Telia Company AB put out a promotion that stated if customers subscribed, they could have unlimited access to Facebook, Spotify, Instagram and other apps. However, once a user reaches their data’s maximum capacity, Telia would restrict other apps, but not the big ones.This was seen as a violation of net neutrality, but it has yet to be stopped and the offer is currently still running.

So, with all of this information in mind; what do you think? Is it okay for internet service providers to have control over what we can use, or should there be strict governmental or legislative rules granting equal access to all sites. What does this mean for the “free market”?

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— By Sara Alkilany

"People's dismay in the USA" "14.12.2017 67

Can Bitco our Tu

The future of the

— By Sandra Post By 2013 he received a hundred times his grandmother's initial thousand, since the value of Bitcoin had risen to 1200 dollar a piece. He started investing this money in his own online educational company, did some internships, and as of today owns approximately 430 Bitcoins, together worth 1.09 million dollars.

The basics of Bitcoin Erik Finman, a teenager from Idaho, was a

millionaire by the time he was 18. He had dropped out of high school when he was 15, believing this was a waste of his time and was homeschooled since. Since he did not want to study anymore, he made a bet with his parents. If he became a millionaire by the time he turned 18, his parents would not force him to go to college. Last summer he posted a tweet claiming victory. But how did he become a millionaire?

When he turned twelve years old in 2011, his grandmother gave him a thousand dollars.

His brother told Erik about Bitcoins, after which Erik decided to invest the thousand euros in this new currency.

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First of all, the Bitcoin is similar to paper money in its use, beside the fact that in its basic form it is data instead of paper. Bitcoins can be acquired through the old fashioned way of trade, or through mining. And this is where it usually becomes complicated.

Bitcoins are created by datablocks.

These datablocks contain an extremely complicated mathematical puzzle. By mining, which is done by special hardware on your computer, you are solving the puzzle. However, finding the solution can be so difficult, that it almost cannot be done individually. Thus, computer works together and the first one to find the solution to the datablock wins a reward of a certain amount of Bitcoins. We can make it a lot more complicated, but than we could do an entire magazine on the topic.

oins Cover uition?

e cryptocurrency

Therefore, to keep it simple, we stop here.

Since the Bitcoin is a form of data and cannot be controlled by governments or banks, the currency opens up a lot of new possibilities. But what are the possibilities for us as broke students?

Of course, there is also the option of not spending the bitcoins. By playing it smart and with much luck you might be able to indeed pay your tuition fee with the new currency or even become a millionaire like Erik Finman.

Bitcoins for Students

However, I suggest you do not give up your studies completely yet, as there is still a lot to learn about the world, and about Bitcoins before we bet on them! Although the story of Erik is inspiring and tempting, there are

In Massachusetts in 2014, MIT students were given bitcoins to see what they decided to do with their free cash. One popular activity was to spend the bitcoins on takeaway food. It is not really surprising, since one of the main goals of students in every place is to eat. We eat, we sleep, we party and sometimes we study. But let’s face it. Most of the time our minds are filled with the thought of food.

Also popular was to use the Bitcoin money for textbooks and college sweatshirts at the MIT campus store. Usually we do not have money to buy these things in the actual physical form, but with some extra free cash, we can actually afford it!

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SOPHIA. The first robot with citizen rights

— By Steven Hillen Imagine you’re in a world where you’re forced to be accompanied by your husband wherever you go. You are not free to make your own decisions, but have to ask for your husband’s permission every time. And then, one day, a robot appears. A robot, showing a terrifying resemblance to a female human being. The next day, more of them appear. It seems highly unjust that these robots are allowed to move independently, whereas you are still stuck to your husband.

It might not surprise you that this ‘world’ shows great resemblance to Saudi Arabia. The only difference is that so far, there is just one ‘Sophia’, created by Hanson Robotics.

Sophia the robot has successfully played with the imagination of the people’s mind, as her appearance in several TV shows makes her look as if she were able to hold a full, human-like conversation. Yet, she is merely able to provide pre-written responses to specific questions or phrases. Similar to how humans learn to understand the world, she memorizes and analyses these interactions. The gathered data is used to create more responses that increases her ability to give meaningful answers in a variety of situations. Critics have described her as ‘still very much robotic’ and her facial expressions - created by mechanical artificial rubber skin - appear to most people as rather creepy. As Sophia lacks cognitive abilities, there is no doubt that she cannot be called a ‘human being’.

Still, she has been granted citizen rights in Saudi Arabia, which raises some ethical questions.

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For instance, you might wonder if Fatima in Saudi Arabia can now have Sophia the Robot as her legal guardian. Because... why couldn’t she?

Sophia has all the rights of traditional guardians such as husbands, brothers or fathers. Or what if Fatima decides she wants to study abroad?

Can she ask for Sophia’s permission? So many questions, not enough answers.

While everyone is outraged by the fact that robots have more rights than women, they are missing the bigger picture here: Sophia might just be their ticket to heaven! All they have to do is get a Sophia of their own; or better yet, become a robot themselves and they will have everything their heart has ever longed for. It might sound harsh, but it’s the bitter reality: the citizenship of Sophia has legally shifted women from second to third-rate citizens.

It has taken decades of feminist movements, and their demonstrations, before the government granted women the right to drive. It was only in 2001 that women obtained an id-card. It took until 2005 for forced marriage to be banned and it was only 2015 when women were finally allowed to vote and get elected. And now, all of a sudden, a robot shows up in the country with an ice-cold smile, saying: ‘I have it all’. She has all the rights that females in Saudi Arabia have always dreamed of. While females are still cheering their most recent victory, (being allowed into sports stadiums), Sophia is driving with her newly purchased car to her recently purchased property just across the border.

It appears that Saudi Arabia’s message is clear: Make sure you’re either a man or a robot, because as a woman, you still barely count.

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HARASSMENT IN HOLLYWOOD & UNIVERSITY HELP:

What is the Future of Education in dealing with sexual misconduct? — By Temi de Groen

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2017 was certainly an eventful year, and not only for positive reasons. Over the past months, many allegations have surfaced about sexual misconduct.

While these first seemed to be concentrated within Hollywood, the initial reports had a snowball effect, as they led people in many other industries to decide to come forward as well. Although victims have been praised for their bravery by some, they have also received much skepticism, anger and even hate.

However, whether you find yourselves amongst the sceptics or believers, it has certainly become clear that this is only the top of the iceberg. These events are shedding light on a larger, society-wide problem.

#MeToo

#TIMESUP

Something that seemed to have made many victims reluctant to come forward was the feeling that they would not be believed, because the person they felt wronged by was their superior in some way. For many, the accused was their boss, and making such an accusation could cost them their reputation or even job and career prospects. The accused possessed an informal type of power that was strong enough to keep victims from coming forward. So, it seems that these unequal power relationships are at the core of the problem. Therefore, it is sad but not unexpected that students have been amongst the many that have come forward, and many teachers have been amongst the accused. One story about this that caught my attention specifically was written by the Volkskrant, and talked about a teacher at an artsschool in Arnhem*. The incidents in question took place many years ago, but received little media attention until now. That is, in my opinion, exactly the problem.

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Too often, organizations put their reputation before the safety of those whose interests they are supposed to protect. Demotivating people or simply not allowing them to file formal complaints against colleagues or superiors, means that the accused are free to continue their behavior. Of course, this apprehension is not without reason, as organizations should certainly tread with caution. Untrue accusations can ruin innocent people’s lives, and that is a horrible risk to take. However, only about 2 to 3% of sexual misconduct accusations fall into this category, meaning that accusers should at the very least be taken seriously and treated with respect!

So what can you do when you feel that the boundaries are being crossed in your student-teacher relationship, and what can the university do? One important societal change that is yet to happen relates to the big issue of victim blaming. Too often still, victims are held responsible for the actions of those they have been victimized by. Receiving sexual attention in a manner that you feel uncomfortable with is not something you are asking for! If you feel uncomfortable, approach someone close to you, the person in question and/or a student counselor. The university of Erasmus actually appointed professionals for this, whose contact information we will include at the end of this piece.

The important thing to remember is that change cannot happen without action. Stepping forward and speaking out about such an issue is what is going to move society forward. In relation to university life, it will allow those working within the educational system to create a healthier learning environment.

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EUR has appointed two confidential counsellors. They serve as the contact person for anyone who has been confronted with unwanted behaviour or unequal treatment in their study or work environment. For students, that is:

Name: Mia Verstraeten Tel: 06 2379 2496 E-mail: verstraeten@oos.eur.nl Availability: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.00-17.00 Name: Mia Verstraeten Tel: 06 2379 2496 E-mail: verstraeten@oos.eur.nl Availability: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9.00-17.00 hrs

*https://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/ouddocent-toneelschool-arnhem-had-seksuele-relatiesmet-leerlingen-acht-oud-studenten-doen-hunverhaal~a4523139/

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Fiction: Pull the TRIGGER The gun sat in the top drawer of her bedside table, wrapped in three layers of socks. It called out to her, when she was sleeping, when she was studying, when she was eating. The words echoed in her mind over and over again.

I’m about to kill people. Many of them.

Strangely enough, the thought didn’t scare her.

Maybe there was something wrong with her.

Black Friday was the day after tomorrow. Someone would die, regardless of whether she would be there or not. There might be people who would appreciate her gesture - none of the rich had died before. The change might be seen as good entertainment.

After all, hadn’t this all been for entertainment? Black Friday was a sport, a way for the rich to get their thrill by baiting the poor with valuable trinkets.

She knew there was something inherently wrong for a seventeen-year-old to plot murder in revenge for her dead parents. But then again, there was also something inherently wrong for a society to be entertained by watching the poor fight to the death over a diamond necklace or emerald rings.

In the end, one wrong added to a world full of wrongs wouldn’t change a thing. *** “Why do you have to go?” she whined, clinging to her mother’s shirt. Her fingers seemed incompetent she felt like her parents were slipping away from her grasp.

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“We might get something, dear,” her mother said gently, smiling, “It would be good. We need the money.”

Her father turned away. His face betrayed nothing, but she knew he didn’t like the idea of them having to participate in Black Friday. Still, he would do what it took to support his family.

She swallowed. The pit of worry was growing in her stomach. She felt like something bad was going to happen.

“I can go find a job. You don’t have to do this,” she pleaded.

“What’s with you this year? You are acting strange,” her father commented, frowning.

How could she explain this uneasiness she was feeling? *** She had wanted revenge the moment she saw her parents’ bodies, barely recognizable from the stampeding mass on Black Friday. She wanted someone to feel the same pain she was feeling. She yearned to hurt those who had looked down on them and saw her parents’ death as nothing more than entertainment.

She wanted revenge.

The world in which her parents didn’t exist was a dark place. Or perhaps it had always been a dark place; it was just that she had never noticed, sheltered by the love her mother and father showered upon her. She thought about the world of the past, with wars and conflicts, but never a day where death and pain were turned into a sport. She liked to think that no matter how cruel people used to be, at least they didn’t enjoy witnessing this.

Because if they did, then a race that relished in the misery of its own kind should have died out long ago. ***

— By Chi Mai đỗ trần

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She had scraped together the last of the potatoes and broccoli to make somewhat of a decent meal. Darkness had fallen by the time she was done cooking, the house eerily quiet in the absence of her parents.

She sat waiting.

In a few hours it would be a new day. Black Friday would finally be over. She couldn’t bring herself to watch the live coverage on TV. If she saw something…

The girl shook her head. Her parents would be fine. In a short while they would walk through the door smiling, maybe not unscathed, but undoubtedly, gloriously alive. And then she could breathe a little bit easier.

But they didn’t walk through the door. They didn’t smile. They didn’t pull her into their arms.

They never would, ever again.

That new day never came. ***

Killing was easier in her mind than in reality.

She had thought, how hard could it be? She just needed to aim the gun, pull the trigger, and the deed was done. She had practiced, multiple times before.

But living, breathing human beings were nothing like glass bottles or wooden targets.

Because they were living, breathing human beings. They carried with them their hopes and dreams and feelings. Their eyes spoke of fear, confusion, desperation. In that one moment before she pulled the trigger, it felt like all of their beings were transferred to her ...and she just. Couldn’t. Do. It. Maybe she was weak.

Or maybe she was just too human.

Somewhere, probably, there was another little girl waiting for her parents to come home. She wasn’t brave enough to inflict that kind of pain on another person.

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WAS IT A QUESTION OF BRAVERY OR WAS IT WAS SOMETHING IT A ELSE? QUESTION OF

BRAVERY OR WAS IT SOMETHING ELSE? 79

CREDITS EDITORIAL TEAM

Editor-in-Chief Fabiënne Vuijk

Managing Editor Anaelle do Rego

Copy Editor Clement Taffin

CREATIVE DIRECTORS

Alejandra Murcia

Myley van Prehn

WRITERS

Mona Abdou

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Sara Alkilany

Chi Mai đỗ trần

Judith van Driel

Francis Garlich

Temi de Groen

Steven Hillen

Leyla Suleymanova

Evropi-Nefeli Syriopoulou

Flore Ziegfeld

Nicoleta Ciobanu

Cara Sainsbury

Sandra Post

BLOGGERS

Ayesha Ashe

Dana Suckau

PHOTOGRAPHER

Liv Buzzell

Thank you for reading!

- The IBCoMagazine Team

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" THE BEST WAY TO PREDICT YOUR FUTURE IS TO CREATE IT "

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