INSIDER 15.03.2019 I VOL. 21 I ISSUE 19
STUDENT MAGAZINE OF XAMK
EDITORIAL STAFF
POLINA VISHNYA Kouvola Current Affairs
LEIF HEFLIN Kouvola Current Affairs
MINH-TRANG LE Kouvola Current Affairs
LONG NGUYEN Layout Editor
MARIJA MARASH Kouvola Current Affairs
ANNA RYNDINA Kouvola Current Affairs
LENA GELFERT Kouvola Current Affairs
NIKITA MUNENKO Kouvola Current Affairs
GLORIA TAZZINI Layout Editor
ELIZABETH AKINLABI Kouvola Current Affairs
LIDIIA BENKOVSKAYA Kouvola Current Affairs
MUHAMMET ÇAKIROĞLU Kouvola Current Affairs
INSIDER STUDENT MAGAZINE South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences Paraatikenttä 7 45100 Kouvola Editor in Chief: Hugh Clack INSIDER ISSN 1457-1587
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PHONE +358 44 702 8758 WEBSITE insider.xamk.fi EMAIL insider@xamk.fi
FACEBOOK / INSIDERSTUDENTMAGAZINE
HUGH CLACK Editor in Chief
EDITORIAL
After unforgettable celebration of Insider’s birthday, we are ready to work hard again for the next 20 years, even though “spring fever” is getting stronger every day and students are dreaming of swimsuits, bicycles and white nights. In this post-anniversary issue you can solve the riddle of lost gloves, have nice talk with Irina Torvinen about fashion & design, and find your soulmate with the help of Xamk Tinder. Besides, all old-school ‘Tetris’ fans must check out the review of the latest version of the game. Moreover, people who are still unaware about the *Ship Startup Festival, should surely take a look at the poster for the program which contains information about available internships and other important events. Spring is nature’s way of saying “Let’s Party!”
Anna Ryndina
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INSIDER’S 20 YEARS CELEBRATION Rome wasn’t built in a day. Same goes for Insider. It started off from the tiny idea of informing students about events going on around the campus, lunch menu and other general information along with special articles. Slowly, slowly, step by step Insider grew into something big and significant. All great achievements take time and it is fascinating to observe their path of development and evolvement along the way. It always starts with one step, one word, one action and then become overgrown with events, people, attainments.
such events and bring people together. Different people but united with the same idea. What else could be more inspiring?? Snacks and networking were followed by beautiful and emotional piano performance by Lidiia Benkovskaia and a few more speeches from current Insiders. I must admit it is amazing to be surrounded by so diverse people with so many unique skills and interests and those are all my colleges from Insider.
20th anniversary of Insider was held in Paja last week. It was great to see so many Insiders from past and present times visiting and also founders of the Insider taking part in this important event. It started with an inspiring speech of our editor in chief – Hugh Clack who welcomed everyone and told a brief history of Insider and changes that have been made through all these years. Later several words were told by Insider`s pioneers describing how Insider was operated at their times. After listening to the speeches everyone enjoyed snacks and drinks which were really delicious, thanks to canteen service in Paja. Even though, I still can’t figure out how mushrooms can be filled with mushrooms, but anyway food was just perfect for this event. It was awesome to see old and new Insiders gathering in groups greeting each other and sharing their experience of being a part in Insider. One of the incredible features of this event was opportunity to network and exchange experience and impressions. I believe this is the major reason to organize
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As the time flew it was already close to the end of the evening and we moved to Old Tom bar in the city centre. Old and new Insiders together with the Capitan of our ship had a couple of beers, laughed a lot and get to know each other better. The rest of the evening is a mystery for me lol. All in all, I would like to say that I am enormously happy to be a part of Insider and participate in this journey together with my amazing colleagues and I look forward to new adventures that this journey will bring. Text: Polina Vishnya Photos: Anna Ryndina and Long Nguyen
INSIDER’S 20 YEARS ANNIVERSARY POEM Two chairs at the feet, Three issues a head. A circular waist, To give ample space, comfort, And a place to be fed. Colored orbs of oxygen and spit, Down the stairs of a familiar room, Supremely lit, As a pianist played a cozy tune. Do I look alright? Is my shirt tucked tight? The penguins worry and fret. Am I shining bright? Am I a majestic sight? The pheasants chuckle and jest. We drank red, white, and sparkling. We ate feta, reindeer, and melon things. We gave speeches about the present and past. We laughed at each other for growing old, so fast. Keep peace, a toast, Let him brag the most. For 20 years is no easy feat, Being the editor in chief, Of a 200-part team of elites. A trip to the bar capped off the night, Some stories of travels and whiskey, Flying across the world in their mid-twenties, And of how it came up, And out, And all over the place, So quickly. Its nice to part of a group, To be accepted is felt in the heart. I hope this will not be the last, Of a magazine, Whose idea, whose voice, Is not so easy to impart. To contribute to a greater cause, Has been such an utter blast! Here’s to another 20, Insider, I wouldn’t have it any other way, Let’s do this again, Until time ceases to stay. Text: Leif Heflin, Photos: Anna Ryndina and Long Nguyen
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PROFILE How has this experience changed you in person? I now have a wider perspective of the world. I view the world differently than before. I understand better that not everything is about me. I have learnt to be open and flexible and understand other people who come from a different culture. I encourage people to go outside of their comfort zones. Because if you do not, you will not learn new things. In order to get better and see the whole picture, you need to see what is out there. Have you gone for an Erasmus program already? I went to Spain for my Erasmus. I have learnt to speak Spanish, discover new culture and meet people as well. I stayed with a Spanish family. At first, it was challenging because I could not speak Spanish. Little my little, I found my place, speaking and also, I also had a Spanish teacher who inspired me and taught me Flamenco culture.
Irina Torvinen What is your name and where are you from? My name is Irina Torvinen, I am from Helsinki. What do you study at Xamk? I study fashion and costume design. I am currently in my 4thyear. How many countries have you visited? I have visited about 30 countries. Seychelles, Spain, Taiwan, South Africa, etc but I really enjoyed traveling to countries.
What are your passions? I love creating things with my hand, handcrafts, fashion designing, travelling, languages and learning new things. I think the most important passion is learning. It is also the biggest passion I have. It applies to every single thing. Who inspires you the most? God inspires me the most. He has created everything, He is the author of creation as well. What is your favorite meal? I love Spanish food and Finish pastries. My favorite food are Finnish Macaron casserole and Spanish Lentil soup.
How many languages do you speak? I speak fluently Finnish, English and Spanish. And I am currently improving my Swedish Language.
Tell us your latest collection that you are working on? I am working on wedding collection. I will make about 1-4 dresses. It is inspired by the Spanish gipsy culture which is known by flamenco music.
Do you have any work experience? I have worked with a charity organization for two years in a ship travelling majorly around Asia.
Where is your most favorite place on Campus? I love Paja at our Kouvola Campus. I love the architecture and the privilege to work in here.
Text and photo: Elizabeth Akinlabi
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FINNISH AND RUSSIAN HOLIDAYS FEBRUARY AND MARCH Kalevala’s Day (Kalevala päivä) Holiday in honour of the Finnish and Karelian national poetic epic “Kalevala”. Celebrated on 28th of February, this day is the official raising of the national flag. Every year in Finland and Karelia, the Kalevala Carnival takes place on the day of the festival in the form of street costume procession, as well as theatrical performances based on the epic and musical song marathon. The main hero of Kalevala, the old songwriter Väinämöinen, who creates magic or cunningly produces a boat, a fishing net, a kantele musical instrument and other things; in other runes, he creates the world tree - a pledge of the well-being of the universe, extracts wisdom for people in other worlds, participates in sowing the first arable land.
because it symbolizes annual renewal. Once upon a time, old things were thrown into the fire, so that the fire swallowed up all that was sad and sinful. The strength of the fire depended when the early spring came, and with the help of the ashes they cultivated the fields so that there would be a good harvest.
Maslenitsa East Slavic traditional holiday celebrated during the week before Lent. This holiday is a kind of marker showing the boundary of Winter and the beginning of Spring.
International Women’s day Historically, it has emerged as the day of women's solidarity in many countries in the struggle for equal rights and emancipation. On 28th of February 1908, at the call of the New York Social Democratic Women's Organization, a rally was held with slogans on equality of women. On this day, more than 15,000 women marched through the whole city, demanding a reduction in working hours and equal payroll conditions with men. In addition, there was a requirement to grant women the right to vote. Nowadays, the 8th of March includes the well-established tradition of giving flowers and other gifts to women.
Each day of Maslenitsa have their own name: Monday - meeting Tuesday - tricks Wednesday - gourmet Thursday - binge Friday - crack evening Saturday - sovkies Sunday - off (end of Maslenitsa) During all holiday people dance, eat pancakes, sing songs, play different outdoor games, meet with friends and relatives, all in all have a lot of fun! The main event of carnival is the burning of the Scarecrow, in ancient times it could symbolize only one thing - the funeral of the cold, in other words - the burning of stuffed winter. Effigy of winter must be burned at the stake also
Text: Lidiia Benkovskaya Photos: ethnopark-rk.ru, children’s encyclopedia, Lidiia Benkovskaya
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GAME REVIEW: TETRIS 99
If you are a fan of Tetris, you probably have heard about the latest version of the all-time famous game on Nintendo Switch. This version is free to download, exclusively for members of Nintendo Switch Online. As the popularity of the battle royale format is rising, Tetris 99 is a combination of classic Tetris and last-man-standing gameplay, which you combat against 99 other people. I have had the chance to play Tetris 99 on my friend’s Nintendo Switch over the weekend. Let me tell you, the game is dangerously addicting. My friends and I were impatiently waiting for each other to finish their turn so that the other could play. As opposed to normal Tetris where one just has to focus on one’s gameplay only, Tetris 99 opens up a whole new kind of pressure to the players. When you clear a line or get a tetris, your opponents get attacked. There are four modes for players to choose from: Randoms (opponents and targets
are random), Attackers (one attacks the players who attack them), K.Os (one is opted to attack players who are about to lose) and Badges (which you collect from K.Os). After reading a few articles online, the game is far more intricate than it may seem, I had a hard time completely grasping the concept of the game, but that is basically the general idea. Other than that, the rule is exactly like the classic version, with your regular pieces and tactics. Competing with 99 other people is not easy. The furthest I could go is #16, while my friend somehow made it to top 5. We were playing with the Switch itself, so it got heavy and difficult to hold at times, so if you can, grab a controller and play it on a bigger screen for maximum gamer experience. A twist on the most played game of all time, why not?
Text and photo: Minh-Trang Le
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SHAMONE!
Michael Jackson, the king of pop, was traditionally seen on stage with one hand in the air or holding a microphone and one hand on his… member. With a mighty thrust he would accentuate the pivotal moments of his music, then casually backup through the smoke by means of a moonwalk. If you ask someone how they would dress up as him for a costume party, they might say, a black leather jacket a la “Bad”, or a shiny red v-shaped jacket to resemble his zombie transformation in “Thriller”. One thing that will likely persist across the many variations is his preference for wearing a single glove, because (as stated on quora. com) “less is more”.
Where is this fence?
It is common knowledge that Jackson passed on in the year 2009 but is not so common knowledge that his spirit remains on this planet. It remains in a country which can statistically be proven to not exist – Finland. In a country where nothing is stolen, excluding bikes, items will remain on the streets for days or weeks. Walking through the forgotten city of Kouvola, I have seen many instances of this. Single, lonely, forgotten gloves are left behind. They are not quite as extravagant as Jackson’s past attire but then again, Finns are often reluctant to call attention to themselves, so maybe he was just blending in.
Great Scott! That is the year Jackson performed in Helsinki!
“Finlayson in Tampere.” So, you’re saying there is a connection between Michael Jackson and comfortable sheets? “No, haha, Finlayson the area, not the shop. But who doesn’t like cozy sheets?” This might seem unrelated, but in what year were you born? “That’s an odd question…1997…why?”
“Coincidence? I think not! Illuminati confirmed.” My thoughts exactly.
When was the first time you saw these single gloves?
Triangulating anecdotal evidence with speculation I have confirmed without a doubt that these gloves are the work of the deceased pop legend. But the question is – why did he do it? Maybe to remind us that life should be simplified in order to enjoy it. Maybe he wanted to teach Finnish residents how to walk on the ice – backwards, with a stylish shuffle. Maybe he really wanted “Annie” to tell us that she was okay, akin to your roommate leaving a sock on his or her doorknob. But my money is on this explanation: after all the years of heat on him, he just wanted to relax in the cold, underneath the Northern Lights.
“They have been there since I was born. There is an actual fence where all the mittens are put up to.”
Text and Photo: Leif Heflin
I interviewed one of the locals who also noticed this phenomenon – Anna Pihlainen of Tampere:
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LOVE IS IN THE AIR
The birds are singing, sun is shining, and it seems like everyone around you is in love. But what about you? All you can think of is this one specific girl/boy you saw at the last party and everything seems so hopeless because apparently you will never see him/her again – will you? Here is where we come in! The Insider team wants you to be happy and to help all of the hopeless romantic souls out there who still believe in the big, big love to find their perfect match! If a situation like that ever happened to you or if you are just simply too shy to start talking and communicating with your adored one, we will help you to find the words and the ways to get in contact. All you have to do is to come to our office, give us a short description about where, when, who and what and we will publish a personalized message in our magazine. You recognized yourself in one of the published descriptions and are curious who might be your secret suitor? Swing by the Insider office and we will get you in contact. Mission Love can start!
Text and photo: Lena Gelfert
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MOVIE REVIEW Captain Marvel DIRECTORS: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck SCREENWRITERS: Anna Boden, Ryan Fleck STARRING: Brie Larson, Samuel L. Jackson, Jude Law, Ben Mendelsohn FANTASY, ACTION, COMEDY BUDGET: $152 Million After 8 months of silence, we finally get a new Marvel movie and probably the most controversial one. Before, all the MCU films have been hit or miss. The vast majority of people agreed on that Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Ragnarok, Iron Man, all three installments of the Avengers, etc. were good, whereas Thor: The Dark World, Ant-Man and, oh my god The Incredible Hulk were mediocre at best or just bad. Never has it ever been that something from Marvel had so many arguments whether the film is good or bad. Captain Marvel takes place in the 90s with a lot of flashbacks to the 70s and 80s. Carol Danvers, a pilot from the States, was taken to the alien planet by Kree, after a horrible accident happened to her and her co-pilot. Kree is a race of technologically advanced creatures who has been in a never-ending war with Skrulls, a race of green shapeshifters. After an unsuccessful attempt to apprehend the leader of the Skrulls, Carol ends up on the Earth. Skrulls follow her and the adventure begins. The movie has a very relaxed tone to it. It is really funny, be sure that you will get good laughs all along the way. The old “fish out of water” scenario is carried out unexpectedly well. Samuel L Jackson has a surprising amount of screen time and two eyes, and he is as amazing as a young Nick Fury as he is after he loses an eye. Oh, and there is also a cat! The only downside of the movie is that Carol Danvers’s personality is just.. non-existent. You will remember her as a bitch. The most overpowered bitch in the Marvel universe, according to Kevin Feige. But there are other characters to care for, especially after a couple of plot twists. Captain Marvel is not the best MCU movie, not at all. However, it’s not too bad either. Brie Larson does all kinds of nonsense and there are rumors that she will not be with us for long, and studio is not thrusting her too much, although she does have a seven-film contract and is said to lead us into Phase 4. It doesn’t make the film bad. Funny, sometimes epic and twisted Captain Marvel is like fresh air after the 8 months of not having anything from Marvel but trailers. P.S. Expect an amazing heartwarming tribute to Stan Lee. R.I.P., Stan the Man.
Nikita Munenko
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Some call it internship. We call it the
best summer ever! We have several positions for summer 2019!
Go see them at www.patteries.com
Positions include: Marketing Manager position at *ship Startup Festival Mentor Manager position at *ship Startup Festival and many other internship opportunities to be part of the making of *ship Startup Festival 2019
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Maverick: This is what I call a target-rich environment.