SUM #108 PURPOSE

SUM

STUDENT UNION MAGAZINE

Purpose #108

Sum magazine Issue #108 Purpose Spring 2022 Cover by Jaeger Ehrenbeck Student magazine SUM is distributed by the Student Union of Malmö and reaches all students at Malmö University. Opinions that appear in the magazine are the students own and not neccessarily SUM’s.

SUM has to some extent modify pictures and texts, but no responsibility is taken for submitted material.

SUM is printed on Nordic Swan Ecolabelled paper.

Get in touch with us at SUM: sum@malmostudenter.se Print: Elvins Grafiska AB - tel: 042-159900 / www.elvinsgrafiska.se Editor in Chief: Dominika Pizoń Layout: Simine Azarnoush Contributers in #108: Jaeger Ehrenbeck, Sana Rehan Butt, Marieke Danne, Jonathan Gartmark, Magda Sjölin, Mi Erlandsson, Kimberly Palsäter, Ida Helgesson, Georgina Laskari, Charline Wolf, Saga Olsson, Vilma Andersson, Valgerður Lilja Björnsdóttir , Simine Azarnoush, Wiktoria Grzybowska, Sofia Grahn, Oskar Syrén, Isak Jönsson, Alva Bexell, Yulu Zhang, Maria Fernanda Volponi, Freja Johansson

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Förord från chefredaktören

Alla vi har förr eller senare funderat på vår individuella mening och meningen med allt som omringar oss. Några av oss söker än, några har slutat söka - men alla har funderat på det. Det är våra funderingar som överförs till ett kreativt flöde och skapar detta nummer med temat ‘Mening’.

Innehåll 04 05 06 10 12 14 Artist statement Jaeger Ehrenbeck

Unanswered Questions Sana Rehan Butt

Hur skriver du meningsfull musik?

Magda Sjölin

The purpose of our smile Marieke Danne

Minimalism: en övning i undergång?

Ida Helgesson

Life after university: How do I find my purpose?

Charline Wolf

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16 17 20 22 24 28

Själaport Saga Olsson

Hammarskjölds Manick Jonathan Gartmark

66 timmar av mening Ida Helgesson

Human nature

Valgerður Lilja Björnsdóttir

The purpose of education: get us working or thinking?

Simine Azarnoush

My Neighbor’s Zucchini: a short story Wiktoria Grzybowska

Foreword from the editor in chief We all have, sooner or later, thought about our individual purpose or purpose of everything that surrounds us. Some of us are still searching, some of us have stopped doing so - but we all have thought about it. It is our thoughts that now transfers to a creative flow and that creates this issue themed ‘Purpose’.

32 36 38 40 46 49

Tjugotalets ansikte: Arkitekturessä om Nya Malmö tingsrätt Oskar Syrén

An Honest Life Georgina Laskari

The Purpose of Reflection Sana Rehan Butt

The Elephant in the Room: An interview with the Student Union Isak Jönsson

The Subtle Passing of Freedom Saga Olsson

50 52 53 55 57

Capitalist Marathon: Is it worth running?

Maria Fernanda Volponi

Give me time, stream of consciousness Maria Fernanda Volponi

Välkommen till projektet ”Känslokartor” Freja Johansson

Semmeldagen 1 mars Valgerður Lilja Björnsdóttir

Kårens sidor

The purposeful walk Alva Bexell

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Artist Statement

From the artist of Sum #108’s cover art Text & illustration: Jaeger Ehrenbeck

There is a deep beauty and transience in life that words often fail to describe. My work focuses around trying to evoke this fleeting emotion, and is a woven tapestry of fleets of fancy, fractured memories, and passing fascinations. I grew up in a small sleepy town by the sea in America, called Edenton. I credit my upbringing there for my love of art; my memory of it conjures up imagery of sweltering Summer nights, cicadas and crickets chirping, colonial architecture, and the deep blue infinite where the twilight sky meets the sea.

Memories are an odd thing, you can’t remember everything, they’re fractured, and yet so profound, you only remember what mattered. My work follows a similar principle; I only paint what is pertinent, and what I want the viewer to feel. In this sense I could be described as a Neo-impressionist. I only concern myself with capturing the impression and transience of things.

I work regularly in oil paint, gouache, watercolor, graphite, charcoal, and ink. My process is almost never the same.

Oftentimes I have no idea what I’ll paint, not until I put a few lines on the canvas. My main influences are the paintings of Jeremy Mann, many of the more obscure illustrators from the golden age of illustration in the 1890s, such as Joseph Clement Coll, 1890s-1920s French fashion pochoir, the post-impressionists, and my favorite artist, Lynd Ward.

The cover of this magazine is my first reaction to “purpose.”

Purpose is so subjective, it’s something we choose, I believe. As an optimistic nihilist, I think this is incredibly freeing. There is only a feeling of futility when you’re lost in your purpose. Zen gardens are the perfect example to me, they symbolize the constant movement and state of change. Everything we love and cherish will be gone eventually, and yet we rake the garden each day, creating beauty. We challenge futility with purpose, and we create our own meaning. ■

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Unanswered Questions Text: Sana Rehan Butt - Sanarmb11@gmail.com Photo: Georgina Laskari - Instagram: @la_georgina_ph

I may be Me, Me that you see.

I may be You, You that I see.

Who am I? Who are You? The world is too small Too big For both you and me.

You may be my reflection I may be yours But we are distinct, Unique in our own being.

I may be your reflection You may be mine But we are the same In this world we live in.

The purpose of your being Is to spread love and kindness, Yet you function

Not as your purpose: For you are ruthless and unkind, Unhappy in your body and mind.

The purpose of my being Is to be nurturing and whole, Yet I function Not as my purpose: For I am part of Broken missing puzzle pieces Trying to find my way back.

Here we both are You in you Me in me.

Both lost Both Disoriented.

Not knowing The answers to: Who am I? Who are You? ■ 5

Hur skriver du meningsfull musik?

Text: Magda Sjölin Foto: Mi Erlandsson

Är du sugen på att börja producera låtar men är inte helt säker på hur du ska göra? Denna intervju berättar artisten CAYSA om hur hon får inspiration till hennes egna låtar och vilka tips hon har till andra artister.

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“Jag var hopplöst förälskad i en person som bara ville att jag skulle vara en skyltdocka, bara något fint att kolla på”.

Foto: Mi Erlandsson

Kajsas musikkarriär har pågått hela hennes liv.”Musiken har alltid varit en stor del av mitt liv; såsom att vara med i kyrkokörer, deltagit i talangtävlingar och haft alla möjliga spelningar”.

Kajsa berättar att hennes låtskrivarkarriär inte började förrän i trean på gymnasieskolan Rytmus i Malmö. 20 åringens debutsingel ”It’s over” skapades efter att ha avslutat en ohälsosam relation. “Jag var hopplöst förälskad i en person som bara ville att jag skulle vara en skyltdocka, bara något fint att kolla på”.

CAYSA’s senaste singel “I can’t scream out” är en låt som handlar om att vilja frigöra sig, men där andra försöker få en att göra saker man själv inte vill. Hon beskriver låten som ”den perfekta dansgolvslåten”. I slutet av låten hör man två röster som pratar med varandra och Kajsa berättar att det är ett inspelat klipp från hennes mobil där hon 2016 bråkar med en vän.

Omslaget till ”I can’t scream out” symboliserar hur andra försöker dra i en för att göra saker som är mer accepterande för de istället för att acceptera en som man är.

Medverkande: Kajsa Pettersson, Anna Lundin, Felix Thurfjell

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Hon fortsätter berätta att hon brukar spela in ljud för att använda i sina projekt. “Ibland hör jag något ljud som jag tycker låter coolt, det kan till exempel vara vatten som rinner från stuprännan och då tar jag fram mobilen och spelar in det direkt”.

2022, samt släppa sin första musikvideo.

Med andra småprojekt i farten är hon spänd på att se hur kommande år kommer se ut för henne.

Hon har många artister hon ser upp till och har som inspirationskälla. En av dessa artister är den populära artisten Billie Eilish. ”Jag har alltid en stark visuell tanke när jag skapar, lite som att se en film och vilja skapa musik till just den scenen”

- Var öppen för alla idéer. Bättre att prova än att ha missat en idé som kunde varit guld.

- Våga misslyckas. Man kommer inte lyckas på direkten, snarare gå fel i början. Det ger en kunskap som man kommer ha stor nytta av för att lyckas nästa gång. Det är så jag har gjort för att lära mig om hur det funkar att jobba som independent artist. ■

Bild från en tidigare writing session.

Foto av: Kimberly Palsäter Med på bild: Christopher Svärd, Mi Erlandsson, Kajsa Pettersson

Förutom att studera musik på Löftadalens folkhögskola färdigställer nu Kajsa sin debut EP som kommer våren

Kajsas tips till nya låtskrivare:

“Ibland hör jag något ljud som jag tycker låter coolt, det kan till exempel vara vatten som rinner från stuprännan och då tar jag fram mobilen och spelar in det direkt”.

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”Jag har alltid en stark visuell tanke när jag skapar, lite som att se en film och vilja skapa musik till just den scenen”

9 Foto: Mi Erlandsson

The purpose of our smile Text: Marieke Danne - Instagram: @marieke_dne Illustrations: Jonathan Gartmark - Mr.jonathan.gartmark@gmail.com

Waking up in a new city feeling lonely but also excited for a new challenge.

Meeting someone who welcomes you with a smile.

Showing your gratitude, You smile back.

Exploring the neighborhood - strangers all around.

Rushing, calling, texting.

One saving smile breaks through broken souls Easy to overlook Important for that one person catching it Gaining a spark of courage For the upcoming day.

Taking a break - lunch for one.

After studying the menu you start daydreaming Remembering all the shared laughs with your friends.

While playing board games it smells burned someone forgot the bread in the oven but it doesn’t matter ‘cause by sharing a laugh, you share love.

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An infectious laugh brings you back to reality positive energy fulfills the restaurant turning it into a warm surrounding a place where people want to stay.

You move on aimlessly running through the streets.

Just the old library makes you stop.

You find the book you talked about.

Thinking about him receiving it lifts up your mood ‘cause by sending the book, you send a smile.

And all of a sudden the feeling of loneliness slowly fades away knowing the purpose of your smile is to make others smile. ■

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Minimalism: en övning i undergång?

Text: Ida Helgesson Foto: Simine Azarnoush

Jag lyssnade på Allvarligt talat i P1 där serietecknaren och poddaren Liv Strömquist fick frågan om varför så många tycker om att inreda med färgen vit. Hon gav tre förslag på svar på frågan varav ett av dem var att vi är inspirerade av antiken.

Vi ser marmorruinerna framför oss och uppfattar det som den ultimata skönheten. De svala släta uråldriga ytorna. I det antika perspektivet blir våra vita soffor, väggar, köksluckor och gardiner plötsligt klassiska, historiemedvetna och evigt vackra. Många resonerar att vitt aldrig kan bli fel. Man utgår från ett långt och praktiskt perspektiv: “När jag är en helt annan person med en ny stil om fem år” eller “när vi blir pensionärer och ska sälja huset”, inte vad man tycker om eller vad som är vackert. Men sanningen om antiken är att alla de statyer och monument som idag är vita i sin ursprungsform var färglagda där vanligt använda färger var rött, gult och blått. De svala släta ljusa ytorna är alltså inget annat än slitage.

Detta fick mig att tänka på den litauiska klimatoperaperformancet Sun & Sea som visades på Malmö konsthall i november. Det är en levande installation där strandbadare framför en opera med klimattema. En rik mamma beskriver sin upplevelse av att simma i det stora barriärrevet i Australien: “What an amazing sight!

Those coral horns, that bleached, palid whiteness(…)

You have to see it! Words cannot describe it!” Kvinnan har sett de blekta korallerna och tycker de är underbara.

Kanske är korallreven vår tids antika tempel. Om hundra år kommer vi att snorkla i korallreven och förundras över deras bleka, ömtåliga uppenbarelse.

Bortglömda är de klara färgerna och myllrande livet. Säger detta något om mänsklighetens anpassningsförmåga? Om vår överlevnadsintinkt och en envis förmåga att se det vackra i det fula? Är den minimalistiska inredningen en övning i att nöja oss med minsta möjliga, en övning i undergång? Eller skulle vi kanske njuta lite mer av livet om vi inredde våra hem i den antika färgskalan, klargult, rött och blått? ■ 12

Någon att prata med?

Universitetskyrkan finns till för dig. Med oss kan du prata om vad som helst. Du är välkommen oavsett vad eller om du tror, vem du älskar eller identifierar dig som.

Vi vet att studietiden kan vara en kamp av många skäl. Många gånger behöver vi någon att anförtro oss åt och att tala med.

Vi i universitetskyrkan har många års erfarenhet av samtal med människor i olika skeden av livet. Vi har absolut tystnadsplikt och för inga journalanteckningar.

Tveka inte att höra av dig till oss!

Sofia Tunebro präst i Svenska kyrkan

Håkan Nilsson pastor i Equmeniakyrkan

Kontakt email: universitetskyrkan@mau.se eller förnamn.efternamn@mau.se instagram: universitetskyrkanmalmo facebook: UniversitetskyrkanMalmo hemsida: universitetskyrkanmalmo.se 13

Life after university:

How do I find my purpose?

Text: Charline Wolf Illustration: Jonathan Gartmark Mr.jonathan.gartmark@gmail.com

You are probably familiar with the question: So, what do you want to do after university? As students, our job description reads somewhere along the lines of “I am on my way to working in a field I like.” After all, this is the purpose of studying at university: Getting access to a wider range of future career opportunities.

But with the plethora of options available, it can be difficult to pin down the one thing for you. Karin Fälth and My Lindau are study and careers advisers for Malmö University’s career services and they have some tips on how to find what you want to do with your life and how to get there.

1. Know that others are in the same boat If it stresses you out to not have the answer to the question where you’re headed, it might help to know that others are struggling with the same issues as you are. It is quite common not to know what you want to do, and it’s okay, as long as you’re trying to figure it out. “A lot of students choose to study something that they might find interesting without actually reflecting on the job market or the job opportunities afterwards or where they would like to work with the competence that they will gain during their studies,” says My. She goes on to say that we all feel pressure to know where we’re headed. This may be comforting to you, but should definitely not keep you from going forward and making decisions.

2. There is room to wiggle Keep in mind that oftentimes, career paths are not a straightforward line, but they rather wiggle and move sideways. This means that sometimes, you get to where you wanted to be by exploring another path, or you may decide to change your goals through exploring something new.

Unforeseen events can happen and you may not always be able to influence all factors of your life. Through the pandemic, we all learned that life is uncertain, so it may be more feasible to plan for the near future rather than far ahead. Having several options is also a good idea. Don’t plan for only plan A, but also consider plans B and C. In the end, it may be worth not only looking straight ahead, but also to the sides.

3. Know your values My and Karin suggest making a value proposition for yourself. Sit down and take some time to reflect on your own values: What do I find important in the world?

Which issues would I like to see tackled? Which work environments can I see myself in? What kinds of people

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would I like to be around? These are important questions if you want to end up in a workplace where you align with the values of your organisation and coworkers.

• Career workshops and events - you can also find these on futurefinder, and it might be worth keeping your eyes open for announcements on Canvas.

4. Information

• Mentorship programmes - the university has a mentorship scheme, but you can also research for programmes outside the university by yourself. A mentor can be a source of information and support.

Information is the most important part in making decisions.

Seek out information about possible jobs in your field, find alumni, go to career fairs, and see which jobs are out there, what you need to get in, and how you can use the competences you gain from your studies. Websites like LinkedIn can be a source of inspiration: you can look at the profiles of alumni of your degree or other people in the industry you want to get into and find companies through them.

5. Talk to people This point goes hand in hand with the previous one.

Build on your research and ask people with interesting career paths for a Zoom fika. This way, you can gather new information on jobs in your field and even make first connections to the industry you want to work in. Reaching out to people also makes a good first impression. It may be scary, but people will see you as outgoing and ambitious and it can help you get into the recruitment process if people at an organisation remember you. “Usually, people are very friendly,” says Karin, and highlights that 70-80% of jobs in Sweden are gained through networking. People know that it can be hard to get in and are usually happy to help.

• Drivhuset - if you are interested in entrepreneurship, drivhuset can give you valuable information and support your plans.

6. Alleviate the pressure Whatever decision you might take today, it doesn’t have to be a decision forever. People are changing career paths more than they ever have. Whatever you choose to do now, does not mean you will never do anything else. “Even if you don’t choose this career path now, you might choose it later on,” says Karin. After all, your career doesn’t have to equal your purpose in life, so keep reflecting on your decisions, and keep your network broad. That way, you might come across an interesting career change in a couple of years, if that is what you want. ■

But also use other chances to talk to people: Go to career fairs and talk to organisations, even when they don’t seem to be suited for your field of study. You might be able to work at Ikea even if you study criminology, but you’ll never know unless you talk to them to see what they are looking for. And of course, talk to your friends and family about what you are doing and what you want to do. Talk about your goals and values and get their opinions on you.

The people that know you can probably give you the best advice and talk through your concerns with you.

Start now Yes, you might have no idea where you’re going - it’s okay.

But the ideas will not come on their own. If you have not thought about your career plans until now, then now is the moment to start. If you feel lost, there are resources available to help you: • Your faculcy’s career counsellor - you can book individual study and career guidance with them.

• Futurefinder - this is the university’s career portal, where you can browse through and apply for internships and jobs (futurefinder.mau.se).

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Själaport

Du ser din spegelbild i det klara vattnet Där är Du Djup som havet och havet djupt som din längtan Du tror att du bara är ovanför ytan, sitter på bryggan, ser din spegelbild och hör vågorna och vinden sjunga kanon i livets rytm En tanke slår, du ställer dig upp kastar ett sista ögonblick bakåt på den enda verklighet du känner till Tänk, om Du Är Allt Det du inte trodde fanns förutom i nattens drömmar Så dyker du mot bottnen i förnimmelsernas strömmar ■ Text: Saga Olsson - s.n.olsson@outlook.com Foto: Magda Sjölin

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A short story

Hammarskjölds Manick Text och illustration: Jonathan Gartmark Mr.jonathan.gartmark@gmail.com

”Professor Björn Hammarskjöld, förklarades död den femte juli, 2031. En anmärkningsvärd man på många sätt.

En man vars banbrytande teorier och verk revolutionerade verkligheten så som vi idag uppfattar den. Inte bara genom sina studier inom biologi och agrikulturkemi, men också för hans fascinerande konstruktioner inom maskinteknik. En man, vars fantastiska hjärna och genialitet saknade gränser.

Men som ni alla vet också resulterade i hans nedgång och mentala ohälsa som föranledde hans död. Vi på universitet väljer dock att komma ihåg det positiva som Björn gjorde för oss och omvärlden.’’

Mannen som talade inför församlingen stoppade upp för ett par sekunder och tog ett djupt andetag.“En dag som denna påminner mig mycket om första gången han satte sin fot på universitetet med den sprudlande entusiasm som inte enbart inspirerade sina elever men också sina medarbetare

till att ställa dem tuffare frågorna och begrunda allting en extra gång. Jag, personligen hade många fina stunder med Björn. Ett minne som sticker ut var en sen vinterafton, 2022. Vi delade nämligen labb på den tiden och trots att Björn inte skulle påstå sig ha några vänner, vill jag titulera mig som just det. Kanske till och med hans närmaste. Vi hade i många månader forskat kring framställningen av nya larvarter. Hade man frågat mig då skulle jag påstått att vårt arbete hade stagnerat kraftigt utan några anmärkningsvärda framsteg. Men frågade man Björn svarade han att arbetet fortlöpte alldeles utmärkt och planenligt. Dagarna i ända kladdade han, i mina ögon, omöjliga formler i sina notatblock och observerade livscykler och beteenden hos många tusentals existerande arter vi hade i labbet. Men just denna kvällen gjorde han inget av detta. Jag såg honom sitta och dra sig i skägget och stirra in i väggen. Trots att jag 17

sagt till honom flera gånger att han inte fick röka sin pipa inomhus satt han där och blossade.” Ännu en gång pausade mannen som under sista ordet bubblade till i rösten. Han hostade och återgick.“Självklart gick jag fram till honom, redo att ännu en gång be honom att släcka pipan. Men jag stoppades i min framfart, för till min stora förvåning fick jag syn på en tår som gled ned längst kinden på karlen. Björn hade aldrig slagit mig som en speciellt känslig individ och istället för att be honom släcka pipan ådrog jag hans uppmärksamhet genom ett subtilt andetag. Jag frågade hur det var med honom. Han svarade mig koncist och monotont utan att släppa blicken från väggen, ’Min värld är trasig.”

Denna gången pausade mannen på ett sådant effektfullt sätt som bra talare gjorde. Ändamålet vara att folk skulle ta in allvaret av vad som sades. Och jag svarade honom, som den nonchalanta skitstövel jag var, ‘’Jag förstår… antar att du kommit till insikt om att arbetet inte leder någonstans?’’

Det var då han berättade för mig, med gråten i halsen att han funnit svaret och att han lyckats genmanipulera en viss larv just så som han önskade. Att den selektivt åt ohyra hos vilken gröda som helst och vars avföring gav näring till jorden. Jag misstänker att många av de akademiker som är med oss här idag känner till denna larven.”

Församlingen hummade instämmande. “Men varför är du inte glad Björn?’ Frågade jag. Han tittade mig djupt i ögonen och jag kunde se hans brustna hjärta, lika tydligt som jag ser er framför mig idag. Sedan svarade han, ’Detta projekt har bringat mig så mycket lycka, nu när jag äntligen funnit svaret, känner jag mig tom, som att mitt liv saknar mening…’ Just sådan var Björn. Han ville göra det omöjliga men blev aldrig glad när han lyckades, för då var det inte längre omöjligt.”Mannen stängde ögonen för ett par sekunder och snyftade lite lätt. Han harklade sig och återgick till talet.”Björn hade ett par sista önskningar varav en, i enlighet med hans testamente, var att kroppen som bar på hans själ skulle kremeras och spridas över de vackra, skånska rapsfälten som givit hans liv ändlöst med inspiration.”

Mannen som också höll i urnan hällde sakta ut askan över den gulklädda åkern han stod i.”Hans andra önskan var att, på hans begravning, skulle någon läsa ett specifikt handskrivet brev som han lämnat efter sig. Jag har tagit mig ann att göra just det” Herren plockade upp ett kuvert ur innerfickan på hans kavaj och tog på sig sina glasögon som vilade på hans huvud.”Jag, Björn Hammarskjöld, lämnar efter mig, till världens ledande forskare och ingenjörer min sista skapelse och maskin. Må den ge era liv mening och lycka.”

Dagarna som följde ledde till en mediacirkus.

Tidningarna översvämmades med frågor angående maskinen som döptes till ”Hammaskjölds Manick”. ”Är det en tidsmaskin?” ”Har mannen som revolutionerat jordbruket nu kommit med sitt sista bidrag till åkermarken?” ”Forskare uttalar sig: Troligtvis är det en rymdkommunikatör.” ”Hammarskjölds närmaste kollegor eniga: Maskinen är en teleportör.”

Hammarskjöld ville engagerades världens ledande forskare i att lista ut vad maskinens ändamål var och precis 18

så blev det.Många forskare lånade maskinen och under sina år av existens färdades den säkert mer än 100 varv runt jorden. Varav en del av försöken med att lista ut maskinens ändamål var avsevärt mer välgrundade än andra. JeanPierre L’aridaux, en mycket omtalad fransk oenolog och biolog fastställde och deklarerade, efter att ha begrundat maskinen noggrant, att den definitivt hade något och göra med botanik. Han tog därför med den till franska Coté du Rhone regionen, känd för sina vinodlingar. Där placerade han den under en vinranka och hällde i sin egenblandade växtnäring i maskinen. Direkt gav den ifrån sig ett hiskeligt tjut. Kugghjulen började jobba och en gas pumpades ut från piporna som stack upp på dennes ovansida. ”Sacre Bleu!” Skrek fransmannen som äntligen trodde sig ha knäckt mysteriet.

Sekunderna efter det allt för tidiga firandet stoppade maskinen upp ännu en gång. Jean-Pierre kom snabbt underfund med det inte var något märkvärdigt med gasen.

Det var bara växtnäringen som skjutits ut av maskinen.

Jean-Pierre spenderade flera veckor med maskinen innan han tillslut ändrade sin ursprungliga åsikt och fastslog att den troligtvis inte hade något alls med botanik att göra.

Dick Murray, en känd Australiensk marinbiolog envisades länge med att Jean-Pierre hade fel. När oenologen till slut medgav att mackapären inte hade något med botanik att göra fick Dick sin chans. Han tog med den ut till havs och hissade sakta ned den under vattenytan på en plats där valar ofta rörde sig. Murray var nämligen övertygad om att maskinen kunde översätta valsång. Så fort vattenytan nuddade manickens underdel började kugghjulen sakta snurra. Allt eftersom den sänktes ytterligare började kugghjulens rotation accelerera. Dick kände sig skapligt säker på att han var inne på rätt spår.

Det passerade inte många sekunder innan en val gjorde sin närvaro sedd. Marinbiologen var extremt hoppfull om att äntligen lösa gåtan med Hammarskjölds manick. Valsången startade men manicken som hade en undervattensmikrofon apterad, gjorde inte mer ljud ifrån sig än det av vatten som pumpades ut av rören. Hoppet blev bokstavligt talat som uppätet när valen tillslut slukade maskinen. Enligt ett avtal som Murray hade undertecknat var han förpliktad att återfå Hammarskjölds Manick med alla medel nödvändiga.

Tragiskt nog var han och hans besättning därför tvungna att jaga fatt i valen och klyva dennes väldiga buk på mitten för att så extrahera maskinen ur det mäktiga däggdjurets ändtarm. I media kallade man händelsen för ”Moby Dick Fiaskot”.

Den colombianska entomologen Juan Rodriguez var nästa man att bidra med sin expertis. På grund av Björn Hammarskjölds tidigare arbete med insekter var han hundra procent säker på att maskinens syfte hade något med just småkryp att göra. Hans experimentella idéer ledde till såväl skrattretande som tragiska försök i att lösa gåtan. En individ bland civilbefolkningen berättade att Juan grävt ned den i flera dagar i hopp om att den skulle kläckas likt ett ägg. En robotspindel av någon sort var hans förväntade resultat. Det var självklart inte utfallet. Vid ett annat tillfälle befann han sig tillsammans med maskinen, djupt i Amazonas regnskog.

Hans idé grundade sig i att det var något slags musikaliskt instrument som insekter reagerade på. En reaktion mycket lik dans. Hans frenetiska trummande på maskinen i en

avlägsen regnskog var en oerhört ogenomtänkt och dåraktig idé. Resultatet blev en jaguarattack. Utfallet var dessvärre inte något att fira denna gången heller. Professor Rodriguez upphittades ett par dagar efter med svåra skador, men vid liv. Dessvärre ledde det till år av rehabilitering innan han återigen kunde gå.

Maskinen tog månader att lokalisera på nytt. När den väl återfanns hade ett annat geni envisats med att han visste vad maskinen gjorde. I liknande jargong fortsatte maskinen att skeppas runt världen i ett tröttsamt sökande efter mening. Sommar blev höst, höst blev vinter, vinter blev vår och vår blev sommar. Igen och igen och igen. Till slut fastställde forskare att maskinen skulle demonteras.

Hammarskjölds Manicks sista anhalt blev MIT där högst kompetenta ingenjörer skulle plocka isär maskinen och en gång för alla lista ut dennes funktion. Händelsen lockade stort intresse från omvärlden och blev därför direktsänt i internationell TV. Ännu en gång upprepades historien och ett nytt fiasko uppenbarade sig framför miljarder av människor som spänt hoppades på att äntligen få svar på frågan som förbryllat omvärlden i åratal. När arbetet väl påbörjades plockade dom försiktigt isär ett av de yttre kugghjulen. En okänd vätska pumpades abrupt fram från rören på ovansidan. Vätskan etsade bort metallpipornas väggar och slutligen rann det ned över mackapären och kvar lämnades ett vagt minne av uppfinningen som skulle förändra världen. Det som inte frätts bort satt sammansvetsat med alla dom andra komponenterna som utgjorde maskinen. Efter incidenten såg den mer ut som ett konstverk av abstrakta mönster i metall än en världsomvälvande maskin. Trots missödet, gav inte världen upp i sin jakt. Många ingenjörer dedikerade år till att försöka lista ut maskinens ändamål trots att det nästan var omöjligt att utvinna något från högen av smält metall.

Många filosofer började även begrunda varför professorn implementerat en självförstörelsemekanism hos maskinen.

Teorierna var många, men ack så fel de var.

Snön föll lätt och ännu en sen decemberkväll låg över universitet som Hammarskjöld utfört så många av sina underverk på. En afton mycket lik den som omnämnts i talet på hans begravning, 30 år tidigare. Laboratoriet som under vanliga omständigheter kryllade av folk stod nästan helt tomt. Den enda som fortfarande befann sig på platsen var en äldre herre, troligtvis inte långt ifrån pension. En man som under sina mest aktiva år på universitet, delade just det labbet han befann sig i med självaste Björn Hammarskjöld. En man som tidigare titulerat sig som Björns närmaste vän. Mycket hade självklart hänt sedan de åren men professor Hammarskjölds skrivbord hade hållits intakt, inte bara som en hyllning till geniet, men även som inspiration för elever, professorer och doktorander.

Självfallet hade skrivbordet rensats på notat, dokument och annan väsentlig information som kunde hjälpa i sökandet efter syftet på hans sista bidrag till mänskligheten. Det enda som låg på bordet var en bild av herr Hammarskjölds skäggiga anlete och pipan som han brukade röka.

Gubben, som 30 år tidigare hade talat på Björns begravning och troligtvis var hans närmaste vän kände en vind av melankoli och nostalgi över svunna tider. Han satte sig ned vid skrivbordet och stirrade på bilden.”Nu har du allt fått som du ville va?” Sa han med en trött uppsyn och

smått irriterad stämma. ”Ingen har listat ut det än, gamle man. Antar att det krävs ett utomordentligt geni för att någonsin gissa sig till vad maskinen gjorde,” sa han tydligt mer enerverad.

Det var nämligen så att även han hade spenderat många år med att försöka knäcka koden, lösa gåtan som var Hammarskjölds Manick. Han fortsatte stirra på bilden av sin före detta kollega. Hans ansikte ryckte av frustration. ”Varför kunde du inte bara berättat!?” brast han ut och bankade händerna i bordet. Ett märkligt klickljud ljöd, som att något öppnade sig. Snabbt föll han ned på knä för att undersöka dess härkomst. Under skrivbordet fick han syn på ett litet lönnfack som gapade lätt. Sakta sträckte han sig mot facket och öppnade det ytterligare. Ett enkelvikt papper gled ut. På framsidan av det stod texten, ”Mitt sista projekt.” Ivrigt vek han upp pappret. Kunde detta vara vad han hade hoppats på? Eller var det bäddat för ännu en besvikelse? ”Läser du detta är jag med största sannolikhet död. Min sista skapelse, som är den jag är absolut mest stolt över, har troligtvis nått rubrikerna i tidningarna. Sannerligen ett bättre bidrag än någon av mina tidigare maskiner och upptäckter. Till eftervärlden lämnar jag med den syfte, mening och lycka. Något jag själv aldrig lyckades uppnå i livet. En maskin likt ingen annan du någonsin bevittnat. En maskin, vars enda syfte är att ge världens vetenskapsmän en evig mening med livet.”

Mannen läste texten flera gånger tills han slutligen inte kunde hålla tillbaka ett leende. Han gick sakta bort mot en bänk i närheten där en brännare stod framställd. Han skruvade på gasen och antände lågan. Långsamt förde han pappret över elden och lät det ta fyr innan han kastade det ned i vasken bredvid, där det sakta ändrade form. Brevet gick från att ha varit det tusentals vetenskapsmän sökt efter i åratal till att bli en meningslös, svart obetydlighet av sönderbränt papper. Han stängde av brännaren och började sakta lunka ut från laboratoriet med ett skrockande skratt. I dörröppningen vände han blicken tillbaka mot skrivbordet och skakade på huvudet.

“En maskin, vars enda syfte är att ge världens vetenskapsmän en evig mening med livet.”

Han skrattade till igen. “Nog har du lyckats med det, din gamle tokstolle.” ■

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66 timmar av mening Text: Ida Helgesson

SUMs hundraåttonde nummer har temat “Purpose”, grovt översatt till svenskans mening. Snart har vi nog alla upplevt en längre karantän, total isolering i ett litet utrymme lite för länge. Det är antagligen så långt vi kan komma från något som känns meningsfullt. När jag hamnar mitt i meningslösheten brukar jag ofta sätta på en serie. Det hjälper till att glömma bort sin egen värld för en stund. Så om du sitter där med ett positivt test och är sugen på en 66 timmars minnesförlust ger jag dig här, utan inbördes ordning, mina bästa serietips.

The White Lotus

7 avsnitt á 1h, 1 säsong, 2021 (totalt: 7h) Mörk parodi på amerikanska chartersemestrare på Hawaii.

Vi får följa tre olika sällskap under en semestervecka på ett lyxigt hotellkomplex där de navigerar mellan olika i-landsproblem som att de hamnat i fel svit eller har dålig uppkoppling samtidigt som de under ytan hanterar både sorg, identitet och relationer. Det är en välproducerad serie som man sugs in i, avsnitt för avsnitt. Musiken och ljuset förhöjer stämningen där undertryckt panik blandas med helhjärtad avslappning.

We are who we are

8 avsnitt à 1h, 1 säsong, 2020 (totalt 8h) Nästintill perfekt dramaserie av Call me by your nameregissören Luca Guadagnino. Vi får följa två tonåringar på en amerikansk militärbas i Italien där de utforskar varandra och sig själva. Det handlar om att vilja passa in i en grupp samtidigt som man sticker ut, känslan av total samhörighet blandas med evig ensamhet. Manus, skådespeleri, miljöer och musik smälter samman till något extra som man kan se flera gånger.

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High maintenance

34 avsnitt á 30 min, 4 säsonger, 2016-2020 (Totalt 17h) En cyklande weedförsäljare i New York störtar rakt in i folks vardag, flera stycken i varje avsnitt. Vad som helst kan hända men man lämnas nästan alltid med en känsla av vardagslyx, det vanliga är inte så tråkigt ändå. Man blir också sugen på att cykla i New York. Något av det bästa med denna serie är enligt mig att huvudpersonen som borde vara viktigast blir ramen som innehåller något annat och dessutom får vi aldrig veta vad han heter.

Pose

25 avsnitt á 1h, 3 säsonger, 2018-2021, (totalt 25h) Glitter, passion och lidande. Pose skildrar ballroomkultur i åttiotalets New York med dansen, kläderna och attityden.

Samtidigt är den en berättelse om den självvalda familjen, AIDS-epidemin och klassklyftor. Man blir inte sugen på en resa till 80-talets New York men om du vet en person som inte försökt vougea efter att ha sett denna, ring mig.

Euphoria

9 avsnitt á 1h, två säsonger, 2019-, (totalt 9h) När detta skrivs har första avsnittet på andra säsongen av succéserien Euphoria precis släppts. Det är en mörk men glamorös high school-skildring lika fylld av våld och gränslöshet som neonljus och ansiktspaljetter. Rue och Jules är ett drömpar som både kommer värma upp och skära i ditt hjärta. ■

Sum söker två nya chefredaktörer inför höstterminen. Är du en av dem? Är du en driftig, nyfiken och kunskapstörstig student är det här arbetet för dig. Att vara chefredaktör på SUM är att lära för livet och innebär att du är din egen chef med en helt egen redaktion.

Att vara redaktör på Sum innebär studntals intensivt arbete när det är dags för tryck 2 gånger om året.

Ni kommer att ha ett nära samarbete med Kårens kommunikatör men också ett samarbete med tryckeri.

Sök till chefredaktör om du vill producera nästa läsårs två nummer av Sum. Om du tycker det låter intressant hör av dig till oss på sum@ malmostudenter.se!

SUM 21

HUMAN NATURE Text by Valgerður Lilja Björnsdóttir Ig: @valalilja Illustrations by Vilma Andersson Ig: @gruffagruffa

When flowers sprout from my bones And tree roots wrap around my body; I will be the earth The earth will be me

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It won’t matter what I’ve built All that matters is that I was kind; That the energy I gave Returns in a better form

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The purpose of education: get us working or thinking?

Text, photo & illustration: Simine Azarnoush

Malmö University is changing one of it’s programmes, seemingly removing all the good and useful parts and turning it into something vague and borderline useless. But is it really the job of a university to provide tools for our future work life, or should it provide an informative and critical education and lay the ground for future research?

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There is a programme at Malmö University called “Produktionsledare: Media”, or “Project Management within Publishing” as it’s called in English (or PM for short). It is an incredibly rich programme which teaches the art of printing originals, provides the basics of Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign, project management, graphic design, web development, marketing and so on.

On top of all that, the students get the opportunity to apply to lots of electives in any field you’d like to specialize in.

A seemingly fantastic and fun programme, with lots of students getting job offers before they even finish all of their courses and even more of them finding employment right after they graduated. You can work in marketing, media production, production management within publishing, web agencies, or almost any other modern and creative field.

This is the programme I’m studying and finishing this semester. And this programme is going to be changed.

It’s chaning into something seemingly terribly theoretical and hands-off. While the change is not going to affect me in any way, since I’ll graduate before the changes are implemented, it feels bittersweet to know that I’ll become one of the last PM-students.

What made me personally choose this programme was the fact that students seemed to have an easy time getting jobs after they graduated. Job security was very important to me and seeing how this programme at Malmö University seemed to break down the barriers between students and

their future work life, especially in such a notoriously competitive and nepotistic industry, it sealed the deal for me.

Current classmates of mine who’ve studied a different, more theoretical version of this programme switched over to PM because of the practical parts of the programme, like the project management course. When I applied for my internship, they said that my education almost made me seem tailor made for their team. All of this really makes me question Malmö University’s decision to make such fundamental changes to the programme. Why on earth would they do something like this?

When we received the news, the reasoning seemed to be something along the lines of “This school is a university.

And universities are theory oriented” and in a way I do understand their reasoning. The highest levels of education consist almost entirely of doing research and publishing your academic work. It’s about the pursuit of knowledge more than anything else. But universities are still a type of school, and shouldn’t schools also prepare you for a job and turn you into a competent, contributing citizen? Is the purpose of education to provide tools or knowledge?

?

?

?

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”... students who just aren’t that interested in math and Shakespeare, who think algebra is useless, can go watch Amazon training videos for a couple of years and get right to work in the fulfillment warehouse.”

This is a debate which actually has been going on for decades, and it has been described by Dan Olson in his Youtube-video “Comfortably Doug” like this: “The roots of public education are split between two major motivators, the first being philosophical, and the second being industrial.

The philosophical argument is that knowledge is inherently valuable, and it is a moral good for society to educate everyone, that a society with a widespread familiarity with the physical sciences, mathematics, ethics, literature and the arts is a more inventive society and a more ethical society.

The industrial argument is that school should exist to prepare you to work. This is rooted in the real history of public education, as many efforts to expand public education were driven by industrialists whose growing empires needed more specialized laborers to do the work of middle management, which mostly means accounting. [...] There’s tons of people who will argue that we really should have two school tracks, so that students who just aren’t that interested in math and Shakespeare, who think algebra is useless, can go watch Amazon training videos for a couple of years and get right to work in the fulfillment warehouse.”

In Sweden, we actually do have something called Yrkeshögskola, or Higher Vocational Education (Vocational in this case meaning ”Directed at a particular occupation and its skills.”). It is a non-academic education, usually 1-2 years long, where one learns specific skill sets and the tools for a specific job. In the past, this might have been looked down upon as a lowly form of education for people who wanted to be truck drivers, car mechanics or other less glamorous jobs. But these days, there are YHprogrammes that can turn you into a 3D artist, an engineer, a project manager, an app developer, a UX designer, a game developer or game designer, a medical secretary, a specialized nurse, even a gold smith. The possibilities seem endless, and the days of YH-programmes only leading to low-level jobs seems to have faded away.

And there is one specific YH-programme which has caught my eye before: Art Director and Copywriter. It’s a two year programme unlike my current 3-year degree, it has similar courses to PM and it puts way more time on internships than PM does. Maybe if I had studied there instead of Malmö University I’d already be out in the world, having a job that I like, I wouldn’t have to write all these academic essays, and I’d have more time to do internships and build a network.

There are even high school programmes in Malmö now where teenagers can study graphic design, product design and other fields similar to PM. Maybe if that had been available to me when I was a teenager, I might have already learned everything I need to know to get a job within the field and wouldn’t even need PM at all.

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And maybe Malmö University is aware of this and has decided that these types of vocational lines of education, PM included, are simply not their duty to provide anymore.

Or maybe the school is cursed with an inferiority complex and is still fighting to be respected as an actual university by removing anything remotely practical in their syllabuses.

God forbid they should still be seen as a mere college.

The reason I didn’t apply for the YH-education for Art Director and Copywriter is that the school is located in Gothenburg. I didn’t have the opportunity to leave for Gothenburg just like that, so PM was heaven sent for me. It is also way too late for me to apply to a high school and is no longer an option for me.

The debate described by Dan Olsen above is a debate about the education of children and teenagers, not adults who are now choosing their line of upper education based on what type of job they want. Should the debate be expanded to university students as well, one should notice that the students being debated about are being viewed as two distinct types of people with no in-between. This is something called a false dichotomy, or a false dilemma.

Most of us don’t only want a theoretical education, or only a practical line of education. Most of us want a relevant combination of both. Why are tools and knowledge looked at as mutually exclusive? What point is there to all this critical thinking and knowledge if it doesn’t come with an accompanied action or a new possibility to do things?

PM was theory and practicality combined. While there are practical elements in some of the courses, there were some theoretical moments that were so dense that I wanted to quit studying altogether. Is that not theoretical enough?

While MAUs reasoning might be understandable, there’s still this nagging feeling present which says that they are in fact shooting themselves in the foot by doing this. Maybe it’s a calculated risk they’re willing to take because they’ve decided that the programme isn’t aligned with the school’s purposes anymore, but I still feel betrayed by this decision even if it affects me personally in no way.

Maybe it’s the fact that the knowledge and successes I’ve gained from this programme will no longer be available for anyone else to gain the same way I did.

I started this programme with no prior knowledge of the media world or its tools. I had no social network, no skills or tools, especially not compared to my classmates.

But as I’ve gotten through the programme I’ve learned tools, I’ve gained skills and embarked the dreadful world of LinkedIn and networking. PM has opened the door to the nepotistic and seemingly impossible-to-enter world of media. Now it seems like the door is closing behind me and knowing what it has given me, I wish I could force it to stay open for anyone who wishes to enter after me. But of course, these people will probably find newer, better doors elsewhere, with a purpose which aligns with their wishes to learn. ■

”Maybe if I had studied there instead of Malmö University I’d already be out in the world, having a job that I like, I wouldn’t have to write all these academic essays, and I’d have more time to do internships and build a network.”

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My Neighbor’s Zucchini A Short Story Text: Wiktoria Grzybowska - grzybowska.wa@gmail.com Illustration: Sofia Grahn

Life was nice and mellow in the little town where Alice lived. It was far away from any major cities and surrounded by evergreen forests. There was a lake there, with water that would heat up just enough in the summer and freeze completely in the winter. A ribbon of even cycling tracks and sidewalks swarmed around the lake, through the town, and near the forests. The streets were tidy, the air was clean, and small businesses driven by kind neighbors were thriving. Alice looked upon the town, and her adorable little street, and felt content. It was the perfect place to raise a family.

Her own house was tasteful and elegant, yet cozy. She kept it clean, but not pedantically, and she let her family have a say in décor – but not too much. Her children were well-behaved, but not submissive, and she took pride in letting their precarious personalities shine through the veil of good manners and discipline. Her husband was a kind, handsome man, who made enough money so that his family lived comfortably, but not enough so that they would become spoiled and gauche. Alice stayed at home to raise the kids for a few years, but now that they were growing up, she got a job at a flower shop. She didn’t need one, but she wanted it. She was proud of the life she built, and rightly so.

Alice walked through the house, perfecting the angles of pots and vases with her manicured hands. She walked into the den, where on a shelf stood her many local trophies. Mostly gold ones, for winning, but runner-up awards, too—she was highly motivated, but not neurotic. The Cobbler Competition was one of her favorites, and she strived for classic tastes and simplicity, where others tried to out-do one another. She won it many times over the years. Daffodil Days was a lovely festival that she excelled at, but she chose to only attend as a spectator since she’d become a flowerarranging professional.

It was in good taste, she thought. On the very top of 28

the shelf were her most treasured awards—squash-shaped cups from a zucchini harvest competition held yearly during the Summer Celebrations. Of course, she knew it was silly, but it was one of the town’s oldest traditions and she thought that counted for something. Alice was a winner nine years running. Her zucchinis were always the biggest and the heaviest. The skin was firm and a pretty shade of green with white stripes and spots. She blew at one of the awards to get rid of the little piece of dust that had found its way there. The feeling of contentment overcame her again.

Everyone was good at something, she thought. And Alice was good at being the best.

The zucchini spot in her garden was perfectly sunny, the soil was just the right amount on the acidic side, and any weeds and pests that had the nerve to appear swiftly met their demise. Alice worked her garden into perfection, satisfied and sure that one of the little bushes would produce the year’s winning zucchini. She could bet on the one on the right. It had mere four leaves, but it was positioned perfectly to get the most sun. She had a good feeling about this one. She could already see it growing her the baseball bat-sized vegetable she needed.

On the other side of the fence, her neighbor was digging into the soil with no less volition, if not much skill. She was new in town, and Alice knew from her friendly welcome-tothe-neighborhood visit that she had moved here with her family from a large city. She had probably never held a trowel in her hand before, and it showed. She was beating the ground clumsily, apparently trying to plant seeds under an old tomato cage the previous house owners left behind. Alice chuckled seeing this and put on her most cordial smile.

“Need a hand?”

The neighbor looked up at her and chuckled.

“I don’t think even you could salvage it,” she said, smiling widely. “I thought it’d be cool to make use of the space and grow something organic for the kids, ya know? But God help me, I’ve no clue about any of this.”

“Oh, there’s a learning curve to this, but you’ll

figure it out in no time. My first-ever tomatoes never even got red before they died. Don’t let the early failures discourage you.”

“Right, right, I won’t.”

“I’ve got some gardening-for-beginners books you could borrow if you wanted?”

“Oh, that’d be great, thanks,” the neighbor nodded enthusiastically.

“What are you trying to grow, by the way?” asked Alice, pleased with how the little chat was going. She could see herself becoming a friend and a gardening mentor to the new, cool, big-city neighbor. They would work in the garden together, and then drink red wine and talk about books. They would shop for gardening tools and organic fertilizer and then drive to the city to see a hip, indie band in concert. They would give each other’s kids rides to school, and the kids would become lifelong friends, or maybe something more.

“Zucchini,” said the neighbor.

“We like it in a stir fry.”

Alice drew in a quick breath. She could feel her smile becoming strained and her little fantasy fading away.

“Yes,” she said, her voice suddenly cold and flat. “A stir fry is nice.”

For a reason she had not yet decided on, Alice thought that entering a town competition so soon after moving in was in poor taste. Everyone was encouraged to compete, of course, and the point was to bring neighbors together, yes, but a newbie should remain a spectator. Alice never lent her neighbor the books she had promised, and when she came around to ask for them, Alice had her husband make up a lie. Alice is not feeling very well. I think she looked for the books but couldn’t find them. Oh no, it’s nothing serious.

Sorry about the books. Thanks. Bye. Alice was annoyed. She knew other people had every right to enter the competition, but she also knew what to expect from the other town folk.

She knew their gardening methods, the varieties they used, and that they did not care for winning all that much. Some entered to get free tickets for the festival activities. Some, especially the senior citizens, just liked having their harvests assessed and complimented. She knew nothing of this woman.

She was going to enter the competition, that much was obvious. Her planting timing wasn’t perfect (Alice had started a week before), but there was still enough time to grow an impressive zucchini. Using that old tomato cage was ingenious, too. Alice grew her zucchinis the traditional way, but she read that vertical growing had its advantages. She had no reason to worry, of course. She witnessed first-hand how clueless the neighbor was about growing vegetables. She seemed to have just gotten lucky with the cage. No reason to worry at all.

But still, Alice was going to keep tabs on her neighbor’s

zucchinis. Just in case.

Alice continued to care meticulously for her zucchinis, but she would only go out to the garden when she was sure her neighbor could not see her. Over the next few weeks, Alice would often stand in the living room window looking out from behind the curtain until she was sure the neighbor left her house. Then, she waited a few minutes more. She did this because on the third day of the espionage the neighbor had forgotten something and come back home to grab it. Alice had to hide behind her rose bush, and it made her feel stupid. She was more careful the next time.

Every day, after she was done caring for her zucchinis, she would stand by the fence and investigate the neighbor’s side of the fence. She could see the vines climbing on the cage, and it was quite radical growth for such a short period. Alice realized that the neighbor’s yard had a few minutes more sunlight a day.

There was an old walnut tree in Alice’s garden that would cast a shadow in the early morning hours.

She wondered if those minutes made a difference and if she could convince her husband to chop the tree down.

Two weeks before the competition, Alice had her heart set on one of the zucchinis. It was not yet the biggest, but it had the most perfect shape—straight and cylindrical. She would measure its length and circumference and log it into her journal. She bit down on her nail and felt the nude polish chip in her mouth. She spat it out on the ground. She used to enjoy this process. Watching and measuring her zucchinis brought her pride and comfort, year after year, but this year something was different. She looked at her zucchinis’ numbers and sighed. They exceeded expectations. They were perfect.

But somehow, she could not bring herself to rejoice—a heavy lump of anxiety sat in her belly. She looked over the fence, where her neighbor’s zucchini was hanging down from the tomato cage, and it was glorious. Alice had never seen this variety before. It was more bulbous than the one she grew, and the skin was very light, with no spots on it whatsoever. She felt a sting of jealousy. There was no way that a total amateur would grow zucchini this perfect. The neighbor lied about it, just as she lied about not wanting to enter the competition. (Alice found out their eldest were in class together and had her kid ask the other about it; the neighbor’s daughter didn’t know anything about any competition, but Alice knew it was a load of lies). Alice grew more worried and furious with every day.

The neighbor was clearly trying to make everyone think she had never even heard about the festival so that she could win by surprise and make an impression in town.

Alice felt disgusted. She worked years for her reputation as the town’s best gardener and grower, and this woman was going to ruin it. All her hard work would be destroyed in a single day, by her lying, conniving neighbor and her zucchini. This woman made all the best gardening choices and then made it look clumsy and accidental to fool 29

everyone. Everyone except Alice, that is, who started to suspect the neighbor owned a gardening business before she moved into town.

And so it went, up until the competition’s eve when Alice had lost all hope. She stood in the evening sun and let her tears fall onto her biggest disappointment yet—her notgood-enough zucchini. She looked with blurry eyes over the fence where her neighbor’s zucchini was hanging from the cage, all gorgeous and bigger than Alice’s. She put her shaking hands over her face and wept quietly until sadness gave way to anger. The fury was burning a hole in her chest as she grabbed her digging fork and took strides towards the gate. She wanted to stab the zucchini over and over and over again until it was nothing more than a gooey lump of an undiscernible vegetable. And so, she did, and then she collapsed on the ground, and then wept a little more, while the realization set in that she could not compete the next day.

Her neighbor’s zucchini was still hanging, untouched, guarded by the eyes of its family, who sat at the dining table overlooking the garden, blissfully unaware of the turmoil happening mere meters away. Alice cleaned up her massacred zucchinis, washed her face, and went to bed without kissing her family goodnight.

On the day of the competition, she wore big sunglasses and a silk scarf over her head. She looked, on her way out, into her neighbor’s yard and saw that the biggest zucchini was gone. She knew it. That snake. She really went to all this trouble to fake her not entering the competition, rather than own up to it. She should have just come and said it, thought Alice, it was the polite thing to do if you were to steal someone’s crown. But clearly, the lying was part of the fun. Alice had taken some psychology classes in college, so she felt confident in her diagnosing the neighbor as a sociopath. In the town center, a small crowd had already formed, and people were going up the stage they had set up, holding their precious, big, green squashes in their

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hands. She furrowed her brow, trying to observe the whole spectacle without getting too close. She couldn’t see the neighbor, which she thought was typical. Of course, she would be late to the competition she knew she’d unfairly win. She probably considered it a power move. But time went on, and badges and trophies were presented, and the neighbor was nowhere to be seen. An older man, who was in third place the year before, won the squash-shaped trophy with a vegetable that was considerably smaller than the ones Alice smashed up the night before.

She bit down hard on her lip as she felt an uncomfortable mix of confusion and panic set in. Why wasn’t she here collecting the award?

Alice was having trouble breathing and she saw, more than felt, how her whole body was shaking. She ran out of the town center and hid away in a back alley to experience her horror in seclusion. She felt too distressed to cry and considered for a moment punching the brick wall but calmed down just enough to decide against it. She caught her breath and started walking home. The walk relaxed her, but the sight of the empty tomato cage made her jaw clench again and she walked one house over quickly before she had the chance to change her mind. She opened the gate, strut through the yard, and banged on the neighbor’s door. She wanted an explanation.

She wanted the neighbor to admit that she went to all this trouble just to torment her and show domination. It wouldn’t make it better, but she wanted to hear it so that at least she’d have someone to direct all those feelings at.

The door opened and the neighbor smiled.

“Oh, hi Alice. Are you feeling better?” she said, playing her role to perfection.

“Why didn’t you compete?”

“Sorry?” the neighbor looked confused, but Alice

didn’t believe this for a second.

“Why didn’t you compete?” she repeated. “Did you do all this just to vex me?”

“Vex you? What?” the neighbor let out a chuckle and the confusion on her face started giving way to something else.

“What did you do with the zucchini?” Alice was almost screaming. “You grew this giant and didn’t even compete!

You did all this just so that I wouldn’t win!”

The neighbor stood silent for a moment and Alice could see that the ‘something else’ forming of her face was an expression of judgment. She suddenly felt ashamed, even though she didn’t have anything to be ashamed of. It was the neighbor that was in the wrong.

Wasn’t she?

“We ate it,” said the neighbor in a disbelieving tone. “We made a stir fry.”

Alice was concentrating on her ears, breathing into them, and trying to stop them from burning, but she could feel them getting hotter every second.

“But, then,” her voice suddenly got creaky, “why grow it so big? What’s the purpose of that?”

She clasped her hands together to stop them from trembling and she exhaled slowly. She was dreading the answer. Perhaps because she had known it all along.

The neighbor pursed her lips together in an awkward smile. She shrugged.

“There isn’t one.” ■

Unik försäkring för lärarstudenter: Studentförsäkring Leva

Inga andra studenter har något liknande Studentförsäkring Leva hjälper dig om du råkar ut för både små och stora olyckor.

Råkar du till exempel ut för ett olycksfall eller en sjukdom som gör att du inte kan studera på ett tag, och du förlorar ditt studiemedel, får du ersättning från försäkringen.

Besök vår webb eller kontakta oss så hjälper vi dig.

0771 - 21 09 09

lararforsakringar.se 31

Tjugotalets ansikte Arkitekturessä om Nya Malmö tingsrätt Text & foto: Oskar Syrén, Bebyggelseantikvarie Instagram: @o.syren

Sedan jag flyttade till Lund kommer jag inte längre till Malmö så ofta. Jag överrumplas därför varje gång jag kommer med tåget, av den kolossala nya byggnad som rests intill spårområdet. Den är det sista man ser innan tåget försvinner i underjorden inför anhalten på Malmö C nedre. Ändå har jag vetat i åratal att den skulle komma och att den skulle vara mycket stor. Arkitektrenderingarna av en ny domstolsbyggnad slogs upp i tidningarna när planerna offentliggjordes 2018. De såg mycket imponerande ut. Ett lysande glaspalats med många vinklar och volymer, vilket alltid är en god sak när det gäller arkitektur. En livlig fröjd för ögat. Nu står nya tingsrätten där, exteriören är så gott som färdig. Hur blev det? Lever den upp till de glänsande visionsbilderna?

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Byggnaden utgörs av fem glaskuber stående på ett rätblock av tegel. Glaskuberna är inbördes förskjutna framåt och bakåt, samt har en uppsvängd taklinje som slutar i olika höga spetsar. Det är som att kuberna lyfter en hand till hälsning åt alla anländande och avresande vid stationen.

Tillsammans bildar ensemblen av byggnadskroppar liksom en liten välkomstkommitté. Den danska arkitektfirman Henning Larsen Architects har genom greppet med den böljande taklinjen på ett skickligt sätt lyckats ge ett lustigt, rörligt uttryck åt vad som egentligen är en enorm och ganska stram kontorsbyggnad. Att genomförandet är skickligt märks vid en jämförelse med den intilliggande, lika enorma kontorsbyggnaden för E-on som också är under uppförande. Även där har arkitekten försökt skapa liv i de stora fasaderna genom böljande linjer. Men genomförandet är inte lika elegant, och greppet faller platt och gör bara glasschabraket ännu mer olidligt.

Men olidlig är nu inte nya tingsrätten. Tvärtom finner jag den angenäm att se på. Frågan är bara om ett lustigt, rörligt uttryck är riktigt lämpligt för en domstol. Tingsrättens nya byggnad påminner en hel del om en byggnad som uppfördes i Hamburg för ett par år sedan, konserthuset Elbphilharmonie. Även där vilar en överbyggnad av glas med vågiga toppar på en kloss av tegel. Liksom i Malmö åstadkoms där en spänning mellan det strama och det lekfulla. Det passar ett konserthus perfekt. Det högtidliga 33

i den finkultur som filharmonin rymmer signaleras, men eftersom det är fråga om ett hus för konst och kultur lämpar sig också ett mått av utsvävning i arkitekturen.

I Malmö är det fråga om en byggnad för rättsväsendet.

Med det kommer ganska särskilda förväntningar om vad byggnaden ska utstråla. Det strama i Malmöbyggnadens fall står detaljarbetet i fasaderna för. Glasvolymerna med ribbor av lättmetall ger starka Mad men-vibbar av kontorsskrapornas 60-tal. Den förvisso vackert murade sockeln av tegel påminner om ett affärscentrum vid Värnhem. På ett olyckligt vis känns alltså huset kommersiellt snarare än som den samhällsinstitution det är. Man har säkert velat att det ska utstråla tyngd och seriositet. Jag tycker att det blir lite väl tungt, trots den lekfulla taklinjen. Man kunde tro att en domstol skulle vilja utstråla öppenhet, demokrati, kanske mänsklighet och värme. De värdena finns det inga spår av i arkitekturen i det nya tingsrättshuset. Man lyckas istället med konststycket att ge auktoritära vibbar och samtidigt verka flamsig. I tävlingsjuryns utlåtande kan man spåra en annan intention.

Där står bland annat så här: ”Byggnaden tar en tydlig plats i staden och utstrålar karaktär utan att vara auktoritär”.

Man vill ha något karaktärsfullt som ska se bra ut på håll, gärna något nyskapande. Men man gör det inte lätt för sig om man vill uppfinna hjulet på nytt. Även om man har lyckats väl med att skapa ett landmärke har man verkligen misslyckats med att finna ett lämpligt uttryck för den funktion som huset ska rymma. Arkitekten kanske borde hållit sig till en för domstolar så klassisk tempeldesign.

Det är en välbeprövad metod för att utstråla både seriositet, demokrati och humanism.

Det här är en konstig miss, men jag tror att arkitekten har varit upptagen med att manifestera något annat: Platsen.

Huset liknar en fullriggare, ett stort femmastat segelskepp. Är det avsiktligt? Det vore en synnerligen välvald symbolik för platsen. Inte för innehållet! Men för platsen. Malmö är en hamnstad och själva platsen där huset står låg en gång en bit ut i Lommabukten. Byggnaden drar till sig blicken och för mig är den spontant en skön syn. Det står inte stramheten i vägen för; den dynamiska volymbehandlingen som för tankarna till fulla segel är svår att inte förföras av.

Tingsrättens nya byggnad har helt enkelt personlighet. Den syns, och den ovanliga formen etsar sig fast på näthinnan.

Byggnaden är inte bara ovanligt synlig på grund av sitt läge vid bangården, utan också sin storlek. De stora glasseglen sticker upp och förändrar de viktiga vyerna av stationsområdet från Universitetsholmen och från gamla stan. Det är tur att den förvaltar den händelsen väl genom sin djärva arkitektur. Detsamma kan tyvärr inte sägas om alla torn som byggts i Sverige det senaste årtiondet.

Genom sin skala och höga arkitektoniska klass befäster domstolsbyggnaden Malmös claim på att vara en storstad.

Så långt det mesta gott alltså. Jag kan dock känna en farhåga över hur gatumiljön ska bli i den framväxande hamnstadsdelen. Den stora domstolsbyggnaden har

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mycket långa, slutna fasader, vilket inte brukar vara en bra utgångspunkt för en promenadstad. Prova själva att traska runt kvarteren öster om Värnhemstorget så förstår ni. Och med fler jättebyggen planerade längs bangården fruktar jag att Malmö håller på att efterapa ett amerikanskt Central Business District, inte bara i arkitekturen, utan också i planeringen.

Arkitektur skiljer sig från annan konst genom att alla är tvungna att se på den. De byggda miljöerna har stor inverkan på vår hälsa. Och stora och höga hus kommer med särskilt höga insatser - ett arkitektoniskt felsteg blir ju smärtsamt synligt. Kanske är de stora husen också särskilt svåra att göra vackra. I Stockholm har en del prestigeprojekt slutat riktigt illa de senaste åren - bildgoogla Stockholm waterfront och Nya Karolinska sjukhuset (om ni vågar). I Malmö som har mindre att förlora finns kanske mer plats för arkitektoniskt utsvävande och nytänkande.

Danska Henning Larsen har gripit tillfället till båda delarna och skapat en finmärkesbyggnad. Tingsrätten är en viktig byggnad som sätter stadsbilden för generationer framåt. Även om Malmö har förärats flera symbolbyggnader de senaste åren - konserthus, arena, bostadshuset vid Slussplan, och det nya nytt sjukhuset som är på gång - m.fl. - känns det stort att få vara här för det tillfället.

Samhällsutveckling är en ryckig process. Städer präglas ofta av särskilda perioder i sin historia då utvecklingen varit särskilt stark. Det Malmö jag först mötte i min barndom var mycket präglat av tiden kring nittonhundratalets mitt. Det Malmö mina ofödda barnbarn ska gå i kommer sannolikt fortfarande bära tjugotalets ansikte.■

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An Honest Life Text & photo:Georgina Laskari - Instagram: @la_georgina_ph

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An Honest life, is a life with purpose Be you Your true you I know It is hard We care too much What others say What about your inner child?

Your inner child is you You are always there Watching Waiting For the day you will Be you Your true you I know It is hard But An Honest life, is a life with purpose ■

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The Purpose of Reflection Text: Sana Rehan Butt - Sanarmb11@gmail.com Photo: Georgina Laskari - Instagram: @la_georgina_ph

I remember when my mother passed away in an accidental death almost ten years ago, I would pause and reflect and at times, question the many questions: What if she had not gone there at that time? What if I was with her? Could I have saved her? Would she still be alive? What if she were alive, how would things be different?

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The word “if” seemed too heavy to contemplate then but yet, there it was, staring right at my face at my most vulnerable stage of life. Reflecting over my mother’s death did make me sad then and even now to this day, it does, but it also makes me appreciate and ponder over how great of a human being she was: gentle, kind, giving, humble, selfless and wholesome. When a loved one is alive, one tends to forget to appreciate the person behind the familiar face. One takes him or her for granted, foolishly believing they will live on forever, one half not even ready to imagine that something bad could happen to them and the other in complete denial of ever letting that person go.

”It is true, honest, blatant and unapologetic, almost uncouth and haphazard, yet making perfect sense to you.”

When Covid-19 initially shut down the whole world for over a year, it brought with it not just the virus but also ample time for people to ponder and reflect over things which they had long forgotten. The virus changed people’s lives drastically and continues to be a hindrance to many in their day-to-day activities. Yet, at the same time, it has given the people space to reflect about who they are, what their needs and wants are, how the others see them and most importantly, reflect on the world they live in. Time and again, us human beings have abused the world, destroying it, altering it for our own gains. The air we breathe in and the tons of waste we produce are our own doings, harming the world we live in. What world are we going to leave for our future generations? If we want to leave anything for our future, it is high time we preserve and protect the world we live in. This can only happen once we reflect on our behavior and actions. We need to be mindful of our actions in order to conserve and protect the world, a shared world, common to us all.

The concept of reflection has not been new. All of us, at one point or another, have done it and continue to do so because of a number of reasons. Amidst the chaos and turmoil that our thoughts and life are in, the pause in the form of reflection is welcoming, almost needed to break the monotony and the fast-paced digitalized world we live in today. Reflection, in its own silent and peaceful way, speaks volumes at times. It reiterates what your heart says even though your mind is trying to override it. It is true, honest, blatant and unapologetic, almost uncouth and haphazard, yet making perfect sense to you.

Reflection, on its own, is not an easy route to take especially when the outside world is loud and noisy.

Reflection needs a quiet space where the dots, even if they do not connect, are in a conversation with each other. It needs ample time, along with care and sometimes being kind to oneself. It is a process that might bring forth a lot of pain but at the same time, the good memories and happy cheerful moments associated with it, like in the case of my mother. Thinking and reflecting about my mother brings me peace but at the same time, makes me sad. I like to think about her when it is raining, looking at the outside world from the comfort of my window, the sound of rain barely audible, with my thoughts and feelings brewing loud and clear. Reflection is hard but it is very much needed especially in the contemporary world we live in. Isn’t the purpose of reflection to revisit the good and the bad so we may rejoice, learn, remember? What are some things you reflect on? ■

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The Elephant in the Room:

An interview with the Student Union Text: Isak Jönsson Photographer: Magda Sjölin

A blue elephant marks the Student Union of Malmö University, but of the around 24 000 students that study at campus, few really know the people behind it or acknowledge its presence. I took the liberty to talk to the Student Union’s current President and Vice-President.

It is a windy Thursday when I walk up to the building that houses the Student Union. The redbrick building is caught between the tall glass spire of Niagara and the modern building of the Student Center. The two dwarf the home of the Student Union, which also serve as host to the Student Pub and Kölsvinet, two places that serve as meeting points for students at campus. The brick building is four stories tall, with the third level home to the Student Union and the cubicles of student associations. Due to the pandemic restrictions the workplace, kitchen, and cubicles are empty, save for the room shared by Lilli Auginski and Konstantina Klonari which are busy when I arrive. A pot of coffee is being made in the kitchen and I am offered a cup as we sit down for the interview.

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Thank you for having me. Now would you like to introduce yourselves, who you are, your interests and how you came to be involved in the union?

L: “Well, my name is Lilli and I am currently, still 27 years old, though that will change in a few months. I came to Malmö in 2018 taking a Masters in Urban Studies. I was elected President in 2020, so this is my second mandate.

I would say my interests are urban planning, people, and architecture which to my surprise have been a large part of my work as a president in the union. There is a lot of work with Malmö Stad about student housing and apartments, checking how the university venues are, how it looks between the university buildings and how accommodating campus is to students. I was not expecting that a lot of my interest would be involved.”

K: “I am Konstantina and I am 23. I also came to Malmö in 2018, but for a Bachelor in English and now I am VicePresident here for my first mandate. Regarding my interests I am interested in education, how educational processes work, some philosophy and literature. I really like the social aspect of working in the union, with the association fairs and introduction week for new students, but also to go back and focus on the educational aspects.”

Konstantina Klonari, Vice-president Lilli Auginski, President

L: “Such as ‘broad-recruitment’ and ‘broad-engagement’.

That is one thing when you start working at the union; you start to learn a lot of inside lingo of the higher education politics.”

Building on that, how did you two get involved with the Student Union and why did you join it? Why did you want to become president or vice-president?

L: “First I think people get involved in other ways, as representatives and speakers for your class or program.

I was a student representative for the Syllabus Revision board for the institution of Urban Studies. I ran for the spot because I was dissatisfied with my own education. Not that it was a bad education, but I thought it could be so much better. Urban Studies did not have a single lecture on postcolonialism, even though a lot of urbanization in the world stem from colonization. I wanted to change that, so it got me interested in student influence.”

“I was also very active in a student association, LGBTQ+ Students Malmö during 2018, which caused me to spend a lot of time in the building. So I got to know the union people and was always at the outskirts of union realm, so to speak. And then I got sucked into the vortex and now I am here.”

K: “It was very similar for me. My first year I was a student representative for my program, then the next semester I joined FUM. I got involved with student associations and got sucked in by union people asking if I could come to one of the council meetings.”

L: “Do you want to tell us your main reason for joining the council?”

K: “I wanted to make friends.”

L: “The real reason. You wanted the hoodie.”

K: “I wanted the hoodie. But I also wanted to get involved in the council and later became a candidate for the board and got elected.”

L: “Come for the hoodie, stay for the fun.”

K: ”Exactly! I was active in a lot of student associations and was also a formal student representative in the KS International Council. So I was always around the union and a member of FUM and I ended up elected as vicepresident.”

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So you more or less get involved because you want to improve on things, influence for the betterment of the students, get engaged in student associations, and then you just get sucked in.

But how is it to work in the union. You mentioned getting dragged in, in part because of friendly people and colleagues. Though I can guess there is always some workplace friction. How does a normal work day look like?

L: “There is no normal workday, that’s the best part.

Every day is different. Some days we are stuck behind a screen, another day we are swamped with emails and the next day we are throwing a BBQ for the students and out there having a good time talking with other people. It is all over the place, for better or worse. But its fun, you get to test a lot of different work areas. We all have different responsibilities assigned and main work fields, but it also changes every week. You can meet with high up politicians in Malmö one evening and the next day make coffee for students in Kölsvinet and clean up after them. It is all the highs and the lows, and everything in between. It is quite nice.”

“We get to work with different fields, from event organization, communication, marketing issues, to counseling students, to negotiate with the university. We get to test a lot of skills when we work with all these things.”

K: “I agree, I do not have any day that is identical. You never know what to expect and in a way that is amazing, it never gets boring. You always have something to do. My favorite part is the Introduction Week, even though you

worry whether it will turn out good or not good. In the end the results, making students happy, is worth it.”

L: “One happy student makes the day. Even though you have had a bad day, been to a bad meeting or missed a deadline, having one student be happy and say ‘thank you’ makes the day and is all that matters.”

K: “Having a good work environment helps a lot. Me and Lilli work well together, we know that when one is being irritable it has to do with a bad day and not each other.”

L: “You learn to work in a group. That people come from different sides and to tolerate a variety of opinions. For example, in meetings you can still respect each other as people, even though you do not agree or share the same opinion. It is a good experience for when you will work in ‘real’ jobs.”

Well, the work is real, but unlike other jobs you are not hired. Everyone in the board is elected by the students.

L: “In the board everyone is elected. We do have two fulltime hires in the office; one communicator and one administrator. They are not elected, but they also have no political mandate. So they cannot vote on any decision that is made.”

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”Some days we are stuck behind a screen, another day we are swamped with emails and the next day we are throwing a BBQ for the students and out there having a good time talking with other people. ”

How have your decisions and work been affected by the current pandemic? Restrictions, distance courses, and a lot of digitalization have been enforced. A lot of associations had to cancel their events. It is not exactly a normal situation.

L: “It is what it is, ups and downs. I got elected by first trying to get into FUM, the council, and then thought; if I get in I can try running for the board and president. It was before the pandemic really hit Europe. I remember the previous President saying; ‘it is not a pandemic, yet’. Then when I got elected as President it was; congratulations you are the president and Corona is a thing now.”

“I had to put my plans and ambitions on ice. Dealing with the pandemic came first. The rush to digitalization, how it affected the students and be on our toes to make sure the university made smart decisions. Decisions that would not be harmful to the students and decisions that would help the students. Focus shifted from work environment questions like how does the teacher behave and communicate with the students in the classroom. Suddenly students’ work environment changed; now they are sitting, sleeping, studying, recovering all in the same room and some students live in a 12 square meter cage. Not every student has an ergonomic desk, a good chair or computer.”

“We had to think about all of this. It was different working with those issues and we can definitely learn something

from it and use it in the future: How we talk about space, how we talk about campus, how we talk about enabling education for people with different life models. Every student is different and has different conditions.”

K: “Things that I never thought of was brought up by the pandemic. For example how we discussed camera use in FUM last year. How the university wanted students to make use of more than one camera. What student has or have the money for two to three cameras to set up a studio, just so that the teacher can see if they are cheating or not.”

L: “That is something we achieved. We tend to not be good at acknowledging our wins, most of the time it feels like fighting windmills. But here I am proud to say that we stopped the decision to implement two cameras for exams at home. The Student Union pushed really hard against that decision.”

“When it comes to student activities, there have been almost no physical events by the student associations. That is slowly changing with it opening up, until Omicron forced another set of restrictions. Otherwise I think we have been privileged in Sweden, in the way that there has not been a lockdown and unhindered movement.”

K: “We are glad that the restrictions are getting lifted around February, with associations already planning physical events. The activity and social events on campus is increasing, at least from last year.”

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Alright, and finally let us talk about the Student Union’s future. You talked about reactionary actions, like stopping the decision to implement a two camera policy.

Are there any proactive actions you do to help students?

Are there any active goals the union is pushing or goals you want the union to push once you are able to?

L: “There are a plethora of goals, set up by our operational plan. Our ultimate goal or vision is the vague to make the student experience at Malmö University the best it can be.

And there are continuous baby steps towards that goal.

There is always something to strive towards to and make better. Then what the Student Union should be fighting for and what goals we would like them to have is up to the next generation of students. It is not us during this one particular year that should say ‘this is the direction we should go’ but rather dependent on new students and new ideas coming in.

Students that dare take space, to speak up and that is why it is so important for us to get candidates now. The candidacy period is open till the 13th of February, with us looking for new people to run for FUM and potentially the Student Union board.”

“There is so much to fight for. The new union building is something that concerns a lot of students that the student associations will not have a place to be in. They are not going to be. We have negotiated a deal that we will be in the new university house that will be built here. So the Student Union will remain. Now it is all the bureaucracy until then. The building we are in now will be demolished in 2023 and the new is expected to be finished in 2025. We need a temporary home until then. Depending on politics, with the Swedish election coming up, there will be things to fight for.”

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“One of the bigger obstacles is recruitment. In order to drive the questions we drive and to have power in our voice, so that we are heard, we need new students coming in. With fewer and fewer students being interested, fewer raising their voice, then there will be no voice to be heard.

That concerns me a bit. I have seen a lot of students just go in, study, get their degree, get out and find a good job. I do not blame them, who does not want a good job? But we need students that carve out a little bit of their time and to fight the fight for their co-students.”

Thank you for taking your time with this interview.

Have a good afternoon.

I leave Lilli and Konstantina to their work and go out to howling winds of Malmö. I leave with insight into the broadness of the Student Union’s responsibilities, the work its board members put into it, and the needs it have. Malmö University’s Student Union is one of many unions that form a net across Sweden, helping each other and students from Malmö here in the south, to Kiruna in the north. But they are not static, constantly being renewed by students willing to give time and help to their fellow students. People that candidate and engage in the student councils and put pressure on politician and universities both. The option to become a candidate for a spot in the Student Union council or board is open till the 13th February, while the election starts the 7th of March. With the pandemic hopefully and slowly receding, I wonder who will be the next students to take up the role of President and Vice-president.■

“We are glad that the restrictions are getting lifted around February, with associations already planning physical events.

The activity and social events on campus is increasing, at least from last year.”

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The Subtle Passing of Freedom Text: Saga Olsson - s.n.olsson@outlook.com Foto: Magda Sjölin

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In this number of SUM, we’ve had the chance to explore the subject of purpose. It is an interesting topic with many different takes and inputs. I have chosen to focus, not specifically on purpose in and of itself, but rather, what is purposeful- to me and hopefully others. I have chosen to explore freedom.

Freedom is something that I, and other people in my generation, never had to fight for. We have never really had a reason to pause for a while and reflect on our freedombecause it has always been there, safely walking in the shadow right next us, with no signs of leaving. We were born with it and believe it’s just something natural.

To go to school, see a movie with friends, go to concerts, the theater or spend a weekend with your extended family has been a big part of mine- and probably many of yourschildhood.

But soon after you start to reflect on freedom you realize a couple of things; we have not always had it, our great great grandmothers were still fighting for it, and in many places in the world people are fighting for it to this day.

Personally, I can distinguish two types of freedom that I can relate to. Type one freedom is the freedom that no one can take away from me. It is the freedom of sitting long hours in meditation experiencing only my breath. My legs probably hurt, back pain is sneaking upon me, and some suppressed anger from three years back in time just keeps coming up as a nagging thought, but still - I am fine. I realize in that moment that I am just an observer and that I choose how to feel in this moment.

Type one freedom also has to do with discipline and hard work in life. Many of those on the path of self-development might have come across Jocko Willink, a former United States Navy officer, who is now an author and a podcaster.

He has a famous quote that follows; “Discipline equals freedom”. It may seem harsh and unattainable, but I think it has some great wisdom to it. It is about realizing that you are the one in control of your life, and that your decisions today, like exercising or switching unhealthy foods to more nourishing alternatives, will lead to where you are tomorrow or in five years. To me, that realization is almost a bit intimidating, but mostly indescribably freeing.

Type one freedom is about the freedom you are in control of, the type of freedom that never really leaves you. Even in the worst of times it is there, even though you might have to dig a little deeper to find it.

Then there is type two freedom. This is the kind of freedom that, as I see it, stands in relation to other people’s freedom, what rights and opportunities we as a collective have, or don’t have. It is also the freedom I refer to most in this article.

I often think about how grateful I am to have the opportunity to go to university, have a nice home and a loving family that I can meet and talk to every week or every day. I even have the opportunity to participate in

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activities like social-dancing, going to festivals or just spending a whole day reading an interesting book. This, to me, has always been normal. But what happens when the normal slowly changes its shape and a new normal takes form? I would say that oftentimes this leads to something better for the society as a whole. Our species, after all, is programmed to develop and thrive for smarter solutions to current problems. But solutions do not always mean that things get better - it can also have the opposite effect.

What I see in our society today is a new normal taking place; our freedom taken away from us right in front of our eyes. Yes, I am referring to the new and uncompromising corona-restrictions and the world spreading vaccinepassports that ever more countries are starting to use. I am also referring to a society with an increased segregation of the people (it is almost like two “sides” to the whole corona situation have developed, right?) and a fear rising around me, which almost could be compared to a collective trance making it harder for people to find freedom in their minds.

Do we really want to allow a society where citizens are ranked as upper class and lower class, depending on their vaccination status? Are we okay with countries like Australia, forcing people into large covid camps against their will, for just having been in contact with someone who was infected, without legal procedure? It is happening right at this moment.

I don’t think any of these things will ever lead to anything good, and history has often shown the opposite when societies get divided.

This whole subject makes my thoughts wander to the classic book “Animal Farm” by George Orwell which gave me a deeper understanding of how power can be built with small steps- making people not notice the power they in return are giving up- until it’s too late.

The book is about farm animals who one night revolt against their farmer, successfully run him off the land, and then create the so-called “Animal farm”, which will be completely run by the animals. In the beginning of the book, the Animal Farm prospers. The pigs, which are the smartest of all animals, learn to read and write, which they then try to teach to the other animals with various success.

The animals also develop democracy and good cooperation between each other, having meetings every sunday to discuss the continuation of the farm. Not after too long though, a pig called Napoleon assumes leadership of the Animal Farm, and asserts that from now on, the pigs will make all the decisions- for the best of every animal. Over the years, Napoleon slowly increases his and the other pigs superiority, rewrites history for their own good, and starts indulging in luxury while the common animals are cold, hungry and overworked. Napoleon even starts making business with humans, which from the beginning would have been a huge crime.

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This book is an allegory which I find a very interesting and educative read, especially in the times we are standing in now. In the beginning of the book the animals started a revolution - they were finally free! But slowly their freedom decreased and they ended up being slaves of their own revolution, but it didn’t happen overnight.

There are many who would be prone to agree that “The end justifies the means”; people who would be willing to surrender ever more of our freedoms when told it might help against crises like the coronavirus. However, these changes would only be temporary, wouldn’t they? The conundrum here is that this “end” is never completely definable. The end is a fleeting concept, ever changing, and ever unreachable. If we gradually allow the implementation of a totalitarian system as our “means”, justified by whatever well intended “end”, then we will simply just be left with an oppressive system, ever sustained for power by elites, who will want to keep being in power. The freedoms we so gullibly give away could soon only be memories by our generation, and future generations might have to fight to regain these freedoms, if even possible.

I don’t know what is going to happen in the world, what the new normal will look like or if we’ll ever meet the old normal again. It is because of this unknowing that I think that we all have to start questioning what we think we know. I am not always great at this, but I am learning every day and I’m trying to be both a better listener and a more nuanced thinker.

Lately, all things above have occupied my mind.

Questions I’ve asked myself are: “Is the cause for giving up freedom so easily really reasonable?”, “Are my views and opinions reasonable?”, “When did we start to take our type two freedom for granted?”

Yes, when did we start to take our type two freedom for granted? That, to me, is a more interesting question. In history, people have died for us to get the freedom we have today in the west, and I find it more important than ever that we realize just that. I also find it important to see and feel freedom in and of itself, with its strong and beautiful purpose of love, equality and self-realization. And then, we can ask ourselves again: Are we really willing to give it up? ■

The purposeful walk An instruction manual Text: Alva Bexell Illustration: Yulu Zhang

While variations do exist, in a purposeful walk the upper body must in some way precede the legs. This is very important. The easiest way to accomplish this is to simply tilt the upper body forward. Be careful, however, not to tilt too far since this might result in you falling over.

The legs should move with an excess of force and the gait proceed in a straight line. Anything else would deceive an onlooker into thinking that they are seeing some ordinary pedestrian, out for a stroll. To walk with purpose means to lift one’s knees high. Don’t be afraid to goose-step, as long as you don’t sacrifice your forward tilt.

Arms may swing along the sides or remain rigid. Elbows may be lifted out from your body to signal your general jauntiness – if you have any – but no floppy movements of the hands are allowed.

The foot must be put down firmly, and in sync with the forward thrust of the body. Too much force could be seen as an act of aggression. If your purpose is to exact violent revenge on your enemies, however, this is an advisable strategy when approaching to let them know that you are near – and give them fair warning.

Head can be inclined forward, same as the torso – to signal your general propelling of yourself forward to get where you are going – but the scalp should never be perpendicular to the ground (that position is reserved for walking against the wind).

Phones need not be excluded from the equation, thankfully.

You may after all be staring at a clock: a purpose waits for no-one! Ignore your surroundings, forge ahead. There is no need to be sensible of traffic, traffic should instead be sensible of you.■ 49

Capitalist Marathon: Is it worth running?

Text: Maria Fernanda Volponi - mafernandahecht@gmail.com Illustration: Jonathan Gartmark - Mr.jonathan.gartmark@gmail.com

If you ask people around you about what they want for their lives, “happiness” will certainly be the main answer. The globalized system has established a fast-based world, where everyone seems to be up to something. New goals, new jobs, new thoughts about how your life can possibly change for the better, a stable enjoyment state of mind seems to be what the future can offer the best.

It is not questionable that our purposes are some of the things that keep us going. However, what is the price we have to pay to continue this incessant search for joy and achievements? Do we need to be always looking, always pursuing?

If you are not working, you are searching for a job, if you are not earning money, you are thinking about how to make it, and even if you are already employed and own a stable salary, it is uncommon to be satisfied. It seems that as we achieve a certain level of social status or fulfill a dream, the feeling of contentment becomes enough for a short time. Soon, you will probably want a higher job position, a more expensive material thing or some idea not already developed that will bring you a good level of serotonin.

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The philosopher Zygmunt Bauman (2000) describes liquid as fluids that “flow’, ‘spill’, ‘run out’, ‘splash’, ‘pour over’, ‘leak’, ‘flood’, ‘spray’, ‘drip’, ‘seep’, ‘ooze’; unlike solids” His thoughts about a liquid modernity involves a complete state of constant metamorphosis, it is not related to “keep its identity intact, but forever ‘becoming”. It is worth connecting his ideas to contemporary society which does not allow us to stop in time. As the same way liquid modernity is always changing, our way of living also declares unstoppable new goals. Transition is a characteristic in common.

Definitely, it is primordial to consider all social positions when critically analyzing human behaviors - people have different backgrounds, therefore different ways to perceive the world around us. Nevertheless, questioning your social role as an individual can change the way you live your own life, and more than ever, allowing yourself time to clear your mind is fundamental. Do not forget: breathe in and breathe out. ■

Among all of those emotions, when is it possible to find time to breathe? Not only the automatic body action but the true understandable sense that you do not need to run this capitalist marathon. Most of the time, letting our minds quiet is the best choice. You can close your eyes for a moment and feel fulfilled with who you already are, with what you already have.

It is imposed on us the necessity to produce and to have plans for the future, but not to accept a moment in which you do not need anything more, just breathe out, relax your jaw and listen to your heartbeat.

You do not need to be always moving and always dreaming, a life without purposes, without goals, without a despair for happiness is important. It is what it is.

This essay was written within a privileged perspective, therefore is important to recognize specific positions in the social structure. It is easy to sit down in front of a laptop and write a text asking people to stop and understand how we do not need to seek happiness constantly.

The meaning of purposes can not be simply stressed as a bad thing when you are someone desperately looking for reasons that will give you strength to be alive.

It is primordial to notice that it is not about the meritocratic thought that whispers: you can do it, you just need to work hard to get it, or about the white savior complex highlighting how individuals have to change the world bringing an African skinny child image to our minds. It is about looking at this spectrum of society - around 9.2% of individuals under an extreme poverty situation - and accepting that purposes may not still be part of the critical analysis already written here.

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I’m tired. I can’t breathe. I can’t feel. I can’t see.

I’m exhausted. I don’t understand, because I can’t breathe, I can’t feel, I can’t see.

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It’s despair. It’s fear. It ‘s anger.

I don’t have time, I don’t have a life I look around. Nobody looks at me. Everybody sees what I can see.

Goals.

Societies already built, dreams already dreamed. People don’t stop. I wanted to stop, wanted to feel, wanted to be who they can’t let me be.

Breathe in.

Run, run, run. My heart is running, my skin is burning, my stomach feels the pain of not stopping and counting.

Counting the seconds, the minutes, and maybe the hours.

Let me breathe, let me count, let me stop for an hour.

They work, they produce, they are happy. They have things to achieve and dreams to be dreamed.

But not me. Because I can’t see, I can’t dream, I can’t b r e a t h e…

Am I drunk? Am I blind? Am I dreaming about not dreaming at all?

Text: Maria Fernanda Volponi - mafernandahecht@gmail.com

Give me time, Stream of consciousness.

My head is always spinning, my heart always running, my hands always counting. Counting the seconds, the minutes, but I can’t count the hours, because I can’t breathe, I can’t feel, I can’t see.

I don’t want purposes, I don’t want goals. I want to sit down and count the hours that I have until I decide to count the minutes. I want time, time that’s not passing by my eyes.

Let me feel.

Let me see.

Let me breathe.■

Välkommen till projektet

”Känslokartor” Text: Freja Johansson Instagram: @frejaskonst, @freja.johansson

Detta är en samling verk som influerats av jämställdhetsarbetet, de binära könsrollerna och den flytande sexualiteten. Det vill säga delar av att vara människa. Verken blir därigenom oerhört personliga och egentligen röriga; det är vad jag kallar abstrakt feminism.

1. Det tredje könet De binära könsrollerna bygger på en föråldrad könsdikotomi, som strukturellt utesluter alla form av queera uttryck. I detta queera mellanrum som existerar mellan de binära könen och dess roller, kan vi hitta ett hem. Där vi överlappar, avstår och bygger vårt eget jag, vårt egna könsuttryck. Ett mellanrum där vi får definiera oss själva.

2. Blåögd Vi växer upp i en patriarkal, cis-och heteronormativt samhälle där vi förvrängs in till stereotypa roller av vad en människa ska och bör vara. Det är sedan upp till oss att skala av dessa påstådda sanningar om vem som är värda att skyddas och vem som vi skall skyddas mot. Vi måste skala av vår Blåögdhet.

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3. Vad är rätt om man aldrig upplevt fel Våra queera företrädare står kvar som soldater efter krig. Krig för sin rätt att och leva, och för sin rätt att älska. Vi som kollektiv får aldrig glömma dem de tvångskastreringarna som utfördes, de hatvåldet som drevs, den indoktrineringen av rädsla som implementerades. Framför allt, får vi aldrig glömma hur likt soldater i krig stred för sig själv och dem de älskade. Vi får aldrig glömma allt våra soldater gjorde, för att vi inte skulle behöva uppleva allt som var fel.

4. En konstnärlig kamp gentemot patriarkatet

I en kapitalistisk värld som tjänar pengar på vårt självförakt, är det en rebellisk handling att älska oss själva. Jag vill härigenom fortsätta kampen.

Låt mina verk fungera som ständiga påminnelser till egensinnighet och stolthet, som därigenom kallar mod. Låt oss föra en kamp där allas kroppar, allas hjärtan och allas liv är värdiga. En kamp som börjar med hur vi ser på oss själva.

Felfri och ödmjuk.

5. Feminist, javisst Den egensinniga feminister är den som går emot den normativa vägen, den sociala konstruktionen, vars kropp gör det lättare att efterträdare att följa.

Den feministiska antirasistiska rörelsen har en självklar plats inom hbtqi-rörelsen där alla kroppar inom paraplyet måste inkluderas för att.

Där transkvinnor, POC-kvinnor, funktionsvarierade kvinnor, erkänns och får ta plats i en rörelse som är till för dem. För oss alla. ■

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Semmeldagen 1. Mars Om det är något som jag har lärt mig sen jag flyttade till Sverige, då är det att svenskar tar två saker riktigt seriöst:

If there is something that I’ve learned after moving to Sweden then it is that Swedish people take two things really seriously:

kantareller och semlor.

chanterelles and semlor.

I år blir semmeldagen den 1. Mars och konditorier har redan börjat fylla sina fönster med den gräddiga bakelsen. För er som har helt missat semlor tills nu, de är vetebullar med kardemumma som är fyllda med mandelmassa och vispad grädde som äts innan påskfastan.

This year the semmel day will be on 1. Mars and the bakeries have already started filling their windows with the creamy pastry. If you have completely missed out on semlor until this point, they are a cardamom-spiced wheat bun that is filled with almond paste and whipped cream that are eaten before the easter fast.

Men var ska man börja? Efter noggrann undersökning har jag sammanfattat Malmös favoritställen för att köpa semlor.

But where do you start? After thorough research, I have compiled a list of Malmös favorite places to buy semlor. ■

P.S. Det finns också ett instagramkonto för er som har extra intresse: instagram.com/gemigsemla

P.S. For those of you with extra interest in semlor, there is an instagram account that rates them: instagram.com/gemigsemla

• • • • •

• • • • •

Bageri Leve Bagaren och Bonden St: Jakobs stenugnsbageri Pâtisserie David Mat och Chokladstudion

Hedh-Escalante Chocolatier Bellevue conditori Katarina Hollandia Söderberg & Sara

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SUM 56

Presidiumkrönika | Presidium Chronicle Simultaneously though, we also know that the University life can be lonely for the students, especially those who moved from another part of the country or from another part of the world itself, which is why the Student Union Malmö invests almost equal time on creating fun events for the students (eg music pub, lunch quizzes) and on helping students find people outside of their course who still share similar interests as them via the associations (like SUM, ESN Malmö, FAMUS etc). Because this way, the students can create their own little bubble, a family that connects them via more than just blood but with common interests, beliefs and a university life.

Purpose - What is the purpose of a Student Union?

It is probably since humankind started existing that people asked themselves time and again the age old question of meaning and purpose in life - from the ancient greeks to modern scientists - a lot of theories have been postulated and stories have been passed down hundreds of generations through oral history within collective memories of cultures pondering over philosophical Why’s and How’s of life.

When someone hears the words “Student Union” it’s theoretically quite easy to pinpoint the exact purpose behind it, it’s supposed to be an alliance among the students, an alliance that will guard their rights and ensure that their university is making the right decisions when it comes to their education.

Which is what we partly do here in the Student Union Malmö, we attend all the meetings in both faculty and central level, ensuring that the students have good conditions in their courses and the university building in general. Yet, at the same time, the Student Union Malmö wants to make sure that the students, no matter if they are a member or not, feel comfortable to approach us to discuss any type of problem that arose during their student life and feel confident that no matter what we are going to try our best to solve the problem in the best way possible.

So when someone wants to hear our opinion on what exactly is the purpose of the Student Union Malmö, we would simply say “Guardians of the Student life”, as we are supposed to guard the students rights and ensure they have the best experience possible in Malmö University.

Konstantina Klonari Vice-president of the Student Union Malmö

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Studentkåren Malmö söker funktionärer till SFS fullmäktige (SFSFUM) Den 5-9 maj står Studentkåren Malmö och Odontologiska Studentkåren värd för Sveriges förenade studentkårers fullmäktige vilket är SFS högsta beslutande organ. Under denna helg fattas beslut om hur organisationen ska arbeta, vilka mål SFS ska jobba för och hur studenters rättigheter bäst värnas.

Studentkåren Malmö söker nu funktionärer som kan hjälpa till med mötet och kvällsaktiviteter. Som funktionär kan du hjälpa till med allt från att stå i informationsdisken till att bidra till kvällsunderhållningen.

Låter detta som något för dig? Kom på vårt informationsmöte den 16 mars kl 17:00 i Kölsvinet, vi avslutar möte med att bjuda på hamburgare i vår kära Studentpub!

Förbered er för att fira Studentkårens 20 årsdag!

20 - 23 april är datum som är värda att komma ihåg!

Veckan fylls med pubquiz med speciella priser, rundtur i Kårhuset för att uppleva vår nu 20 åriga historia där allting rundas med en stor fest som har potential att riva Kårhuset!

Prepare to celebrate the Student Union’s 20th anniversary!

April 20 - 23 are dates to remember!

The week is filled with pub quizzes with special prizes, a tour of the Union House to experience our now 20-year history where everything is rounded off with a big party that has the potential to demolish our Union House!

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VAD HÄNDER PÅ KÅREN? WHAT’S GOING ON AT THE UNION? STUDENTFRUKOST STUDENT BREAKFAST

Tisdagen innan CSN var månad serverar vi en buffé komplett med våfflor kl. 09.00 i Kølsvinet.

TuesdaybeforeCSNeverymonthwe serveabuffetcompletewithwaffles at 09.00 in Kølsvinet.

SOPPLUNCH / SOUP LUNCH

Varje onsdag 12.00 - 13.00 kan du få en smarrig vegetarisk soppa i Kølsvinet för endast 15 kr med bröd och kaffe.

Every Wednesday between 12.00 - 13.00 you cangetadeliciousvegetariansoupinKølsvinet for 15 kr including bread and coffee.

Följ oss på Instagram, Facebook och Canvas för att ta del av våra fartfyllda vardag! Här kan du se vilka evenemang och tävlingar som är aktuella för er studenter.

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Canvas to take part in our fast-paced everyday life! Here you can see which events and competitions are happening right now.

BLI MEDLEM LÄTT

SCANNA QR KODEN (FUNKAR ÄVEN MED SNAPCHAT)

KAFFE MED KÅREN / COFFEE WITH THE UNION * Varje månad ställer vi fram lite godsaker på din fakultet och du kan hjälpa oss med att svara på viktiga frågor. Här kan du även träffa 15- 17 mars våra föreningar och vara med i vår tävling.

5 -7 april Every month we put out some goodies at your facultyandyoucanhelpusoutwithsomeimpor- 10.00 - 14.00 tantquestions.Youcanalsomeetourassociation here and compete in our competition.

KONTAKT / CONTACT - KÅREN FINNS FÖR ATT HJÄLPA DIG Presidiet Kårordförande / President Lilli Auginski 0760 - 50 95 64 ordforande@malmostudenter.se

Studentombud Teknik och samhälle - TS Lisa Hofmann 0707 - 57 75 69 ombudts@malmostudenter.se Kultur och samhälle - KS Arinzechukwu Onwurah 0707 - 57 75 67 ombudks@malmostudenter.se

Vice kårordförande / Vice President Konstantina Klonari 0707 - 57 75 62 vice.ordforande@malmostudenter.se Lärande och samhälle - LS Anna Jakobsson 0707 - 57 75 68 ombudls@malmostudenter.se Hälsa och samhälle - HS Sheikh Farid Uddin Ahmmed 0707 - 57 75 63 ombudhs@malmostudenter.se 60

Reception Kårhuset, Bassängkajen 8 Telefon: 040 - 665 75 65 Öppettider / Open: tis - tors kl 10 - 16, fre 10 - 13 receptionen@malmostudenter.se MISSA INGET / DON’T MISS A THING

LÄS MER / READ MORE - MALMOSTUDENTER.SE

Studentkåren Malmö studentkaren_malmo Canvas, gå till / go to:

mau.instructure.com/enroll/9MABRG

The current editor in chief would like to say thank you to the contributors and readers who made this issue possible.

Stay tuned for the next issue!

sum.malmostudenter.se sum@malmostudenter.se sum.malmo sum_magazine issuu.com/mahskara_malmo

SUM

. å d t å Fram nu. tR å m a r F 200 Å AR VI FIR

Kåren har valt, vilken bank väljer du?

I 200 år har vi hjälpt våra kunder att lägga grunden till sin ekonomiska trygghet och kanske till och med våga satsa på en idé eller dröm, vare sig det gäller att köpa eget boende eller starta företag.

Vi har under hela vår historia satsat på unga och studenter, därför är vi extra stolta över vårt samarbete med Kåren och att de valt oss som sin bank.

Välkommen du också!