Flowzine, May 2023

ISSUE 29 - MAY 2023

FLOW X ANIMO EDITION

Hi there!

Here is our special Summer Edition of the Flowzine. Together with the lovely people from Animo we put together a magazine with a variety of articles that cover a lot of fun and interesting topics. Great to read whilst enjoying the sun or at any other moment!

Have fun reading and let us know what you think!

Isa Kraaijvanger InFlow co-commissioner ‘22-’23

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COLOPHON Flowzine is the official magazine of Study Association Flow.

Issue no. 29 Contact: NL: inflowcommissie@svflow.nl EN: inflowcommittee@svflow.nl Commissioners: Isa Kraaijvanger & Puck Outshoorn Design: Isa Kraaijvanger Committee: Isa Kraaijvanger, Puck Outshoorn, Gavin Dam, Aleksandra Daniluk, Désirée van den Berg & Milan Baars Special thanks to: Ruben Kole, Laurens Schepers & Animo

CONTENTS

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06

09 10

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20

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The Issues of Current Travels

By Aleksandra Daniluk ChatGPT: A Double-Edged Sword of AI Language Models Models

By Kelly Burnet, Chris Andres, Gavin Dam & Isa Kraaijvanger The 5 - Cheap Holiday Destinations

By Milan Baars

IFAQ: Infrequently Asked Questions

By Ruben Kole

Stutter of Stress: Language Anxiety

By Milan Baars

The InFlow Watches - HSM 2

By Puck Outshoorn

How To Write A Summer Jam An Interview With Laurens Schepers

By Gavin Dam Summer Horoscopes

By Xandra de Bilde & Angela Veltman

Summertime SADness

By Puck Outshoorn

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Airports, Airplanes & Airlines The Issues of Current Travels

Everyone reading this has probably either experienced the cruel reality of traveling in 2022 and 2023 firsthand or heard about it from someone. Travelers who choose flying as their mode of transportation nowadays have to deal with delays, canceled flights, big crowds of other passengers, gigantic queues to the security check, lost luggage, and expensive tickets. Although it might seem that way, it is not like all these circumstances arose overnight. Similar situations indeed have happened before, just not with such magnitude.

Travel in 2022 was heavily problematized and ranked as the worst in history. Some issues were generated by natural causes like heatwaves, floodings, or extreme snow and cold temperatures. But that is just a small part of the whole issue. The first non-weather-related problems were spotted last year in June in many European countries. For Eindhoven Airport, it was specifically during the third weekend of this month. A huge number of passengers got stuck in a 3-hour-long queue for a security check and ultimately did not make it to their flight despite the plane purposely delaying its take-off to give

travelers more time to pass the security.

Soon after that, both Schiphol and Eindhoven Airport started advising their passengers to arrive 3 or even 4 hours before their flights to have enough time to get to their gates. Both airports even put a shelter outside the entrance so that big crowds of travelers did not have to stand in the rain waiting in line to even get inside the airport.

However, it is not just about the increased number of passengers, but also about the heavily understaffed airports. Because of Covid-19, when almost nobody was traveling for 2 years, airports had to lay off a lot of employees to make ends meet.

Although airports were aware of the problem and tried hiring more workers, they did not offer better working conditions and expected employees to receive the same poor treatment as before the Covid-19 pandemic. This was met with many people not accepting these terms and giving up on the job.

Last summer’s extreme ratio of airport employees versus travelers resulted in very poor service. The staff shortages, mainly in security, led to long queues and made a

lot of people miss their flights or have their flight delayed and even lose luggage as there were not enough workers to take it out of the plane and distribute it to the passengers at baggage claim. All this inconvenience led to Schiphol as well as Eindhoven Airport, which used to be in the top 15 airports in the world, being ranked respectively as 8th and 3rd worst airports.

This new ranking was based on not the whole summer, but just July of 2022.

As airports all across Europe were heavily struggling, some airports like London Heathrow started asking airlines to stop selling tickets for the summer as a way to ease the chaos and take more control over the situation. This was quite successful, but it did not happen without disruptions and some travelers were affected by their flights being moved to another day, another airport, or being canceled altogether.

Nowadays, the situation is a bit better, although occasional delays and long queues still occur. Furthermore, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 made oil, gas, and jet fuel prices skyrocket, not to mention inflation. This, in turn, influenced ticket prices which have been getting higher and higher, especially for cheap airlines and in the high-demand seasons. Not only are the tickets getting more expensive, but so is luggage. This counts for both checked-in luggage as well as a part of the priority package which enables a passenger to bring a second luggage item onboard. As it turns out, it is currently cheaper to pay for a checked-in 10kg luggage instead of priority which has always been the best deal for people who

like to travel often and lightly packed.

As summer is quickly approaching, everyone who wants to spend it in another country needs to deal with an added layer of advanced planning and extra steps.

However, it is not about wearing a facemask on the plane and social distance anymore. Particularly important is looking at investing in travel insurance for yourself and the family or friends you want to travel with. Now it is more necessary than ever to have travel insurance that covers any hotel cancellation and flight interruptions in case things change, especially in case something is stated as non-refundable. Travel is definitely different at the moment, but by being informed and prepared you can still enjoy your summer of 2023!

Cha GPT: “We’ve trained a model called ChatGPT which interacts in a conversational way.

The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer follow-up questions, admit its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests.”

This is how OpenAI introduces their AI called ChatGPT, which you’ve probably heard about and might even use yourself on a frequent basis. ChatGPT has fastly become enormously popular, as it is capable of many things, like writing SEO-optimized web pages, answering different types of questions (as long as they are politically correct) and writing all types of articles and essays for you. Despite the endless possibilities that ChatGPT offers in numerous domains, not everybody is convinced. The AI still has a lot of limitations and, in the short time that has been present, caused many controversies.

The Opinion of the World

Countries worldwide have responded differently to the emergence of the AI text generator and the fast rise in users. In assessing the implications of the system on its citizens, some countries have announced regulations, while other governments have just expressed concerns. There is no consensus yet on which rules could effectively restrict AI or to which extent this is necessary to ensure users’ safety and privacy.

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A Double-Edged Sword of AI Language Models In countries with heavy internet censorship, North Korea, Iran and .

Russia, the AI software has been officially blocked and does not allow users in the country to sign up.

China especially has announced official restrictions on AI technology and protocols on how to manage the technology. Nevertheless, experts argue that it is more about state control than public safety since the rules say providers of generative AI tools must ensure the output is compatible with socialist values. Also, this drastic action to control AI technologies might have something to do with Alibaba, which has unveiled a possible rival of Chat GTP. The generative artificial intelligence model will be integrated into the company’s apps.

Italy became the first Western country to ban it entirely due to a data breach that allowed users to view the titles of conversations other users were having with the chatbot. EU countries are looking at Italy’s actions on ChatGPT, inspired to study if harsher measures are necessary and how to coordinate this. The European Union has passed privacy-protecting regulations for years, like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which governs how we can

use, process, and store personal data. Regulators argue that it can apply to the rapidly emerging category of generative AI companies. The EU considers ChatGTP as a form of general-purpose AI used in high-risk applications that could affect people’s fundamental rights or safety.

ChatGTP was banned in Western Australia’s public schools before the start of the school year in January. In different countries like the UK and the Netherlands, students are mainly advised not to use ChatGTP in academia. Schools and Universities warn that it’s a form of cheating despite being hard to detect fraud because they cannot distinguish a completely AI-generated essay from student work. The Dutch government finds enforcing stricter classroom rules unnecessary because schools can organize education how they see fit, but suggest teachers pay attention to possible student fraud.

Limitations & Pitfalls

Are these concerns justified and should we be hesitant in the use of ChatGPT? Maybe.

ChatGPT is a pretty impressive AI language model, but it’s not perfect. Like all AI models, it has limitations and pitfalls that can affect its performance. For example, one of the most significant challenges ChatGPT faces is its limited knowledge of the world beyond 2021, which is like having an encyclopedia with a hard cutoff date and can be frustrating when trying to get up-to-date information on current events or recent developments. So, don’t ask ChatGPT who the Yankees are playing against tonight.

Another issue with ChatGPT is that it sometimes generates incorrect information or

responses. Even though it has a vast database of information, it doesn’t always understand the nuances of certain topics. And because its responses are based on patterns and probabilities instead of true comprehension, it can make mistakes or cause misunderstandings. This means that you can’t always rely on ChatGPT to give you accurate information or answers. For example, when you ask ChatGPT about the Spanish genocide in the Philippines, it denies the fact that it happened.

Additionally, ChatGPT is not able to support its claims with the correct sources. When you specifically ask the AI to write something and add sources, it will give non-existent ones, making it hard to fact-check the text that has been written. So, be careful if you want to use the AI for any of your academic writing.

Finally, ChatGPT is prone to bias, like all AI models, which means it can be influenced by the data it was trained on. If the data input is biased in some way, ChatGPT’s responses may also be biased, which poses some ethical concerns.

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Our (& ChatGPT’s) own Opinions

So, to conclude the world and the people in it, have a lot of concerns regarding ChatGPT and its uses. The model has limitations and everybody seems to have an opinion about it, but nobody is sure what the best course of action is regarding the chatbot. Whilst writing this article, we discussed our own opinions and found ourselves at the same crossroad. On the one side, ChatGPT can be a very useful tool in different domains. On the other side, however, questions about ethics and the number of limitations make us hesitant to use it. We trust ourselves more, mainly because we do not enough about the chatbot to confidently make use of it.

If you ask ChatGPT itself about its opinion, it will answer that it has no personal opinions or feelings since it is just a machine. However, the chatbot is very conscious of the debate that has been taking place regarding AI. When you ask if AI should be restrained in the future it will give the following answer:

When being asked how to deal with the rapid developments in the domain of AI, ChatGPT gives a long list of suggestions which includes, addressing biases, providing training and education, and developing regulatory frameworks.

All in all, It seems as though the chatbot itself is quite sure on how to tackle the existing concerns and problems that people might have. Maybe ChatGPT can be a part of the solution, whilst simultaneously being a part of the dilemma that we face regarding the rise of AI.

“The question of whether AI should be restrained in the future is a complex and multifaceted issue. On the one hand, AI has the potential to bring about enormous benefits to society, such as improving healthcare, automating tedious and dangerous tasks, and solving complex problems that humans cannot easily solve. On the other hand, there are concerns about the unintended consequences of AI, such as job displacement, bias, and even the possibility of AI being used to cause harm.”

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The 5

Most Budgetfriendly

Holiday Destinations An exciting city trip or the laziest holiday on the beach.

Summer is coming up and that means enjoying a well-deserved trip.

However, this can be quite a challenge as a student, as traveling becomes more expensive every year and the liquid assets of students are sometimes limited. Luckily, the InFlow Committee is here to help. We assembled a list of five amazing holiday destinations, that are known for being relatively cheap!

1. Algarve, Portugal

The Algarve region in Portugal is a popular summer destination that offers stunning beaches, crystal clear waters, and plenty of sunshine. You can explore charming coastal towns, try delicious seafood, and enjoy water sports activities for an affordable price.

2. Sofia, Bulgaria

Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria and a hidden gem that is often overlooked by travelers. The city offers a blend of modern and historic architecture, delicious cuisine, and plenty of cultural attractions. You can enjoy a stroll through the city’s parks, visit museums and galleries, or explore the nearby mountains for an affordable price.

3. Palermo, Italy

Palermo is a vibrant city in Sicily that offers plenty of sunshine, beaches, and historic sites. You can explore the city’s stunning architecture, try delicious street food, and soak up the local culture for an affordable price. Palermo also serves as a gateway to the stunning Aeolian Islands, which can be visited for a day trip.

4. Budva, Montenegro

Budva is a small coastal town in Montenegro that offers a combination of stunning beaches, a charming old town, and affordable prices. You can enjoy water sports activities, explore the historic landmarks, or simply relax on the beach.

5. Riga, Latvia

Riga is the capital of Latvia and a city that offers plenty of culture, history, and affordable prices. You can explore the city’s many museums and galleries, enjoy the local cuisine, or stroll through the parks and gardens. Riga also serves as a gateway to the nearby Jurmala beach town, which is a popular summer destination.

In conclusion, Europe offers plenty of affordable summer holiday destinations that are worth exploring. So, pack your bags, grab your passport, and get ready to explore the best of Europe without breaking the bank!

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IFAQ

InFrequently Asked Questions - Answered by Ruben Kole -

In times when asking questions is easier than ever before (looking at you ChatGPT) there are many frequently asked questions also called FAQs. When your question is not present in this list, it may leave you feeling left out or stupid. That’s why I would like to introduce a list of infrequently asked questions (IFAQ) for those of us who are curious but afraid to ask “stupid” questions. Since these questions are not asked every day, it might prove hard to answer them but I will try nonetheless.

As a non-first-year active member of Flow, I would really like to join the Informal activities committee (IFAC). Do you recommend this?

If you like having to organize an activity every month and nearly having a mental breakdown when you realize that it is more work than you thought combined with having the chance to meet people who might become your best friends within a month, then it might be a good fit for you I guess.

Why is Perry the Platypus green if real platypuses are brown?

I am sorry to inform you about the fact that platypuses are not actually real. Just as Santa is a marketing scheme for northern Finland, so is the platypus for the country of Australia! Dan Povenmire, the creator of the show in which Perry was introduced, stated that since the animal was made up, he could choose any color he liked and he ended up choosing teal. Fun fact: The “Hey, where’s Perry?” was inspired by misinformed tourists who upon arrival in Australia would ask for the whereabouts of platypuses.

As a CSAI student, I have never heard of Alan Turing. Can you explain who he is and what he did?

Alan Turing introduced the world to the greatest invention since recorded lectures. He thought of both the Turing test and the enigma code. Enigma means difficult to understand. The code you receive from others when doing group work is almost always difficult to understand. Turing came up with a code that translates other’s code to his own coding style. It also happened to translate German to English I guess, I didn’t read that part carefully.

I want to know everything about the different types of lettuce. Can you help me?

You’re in luck. If you go to Flowzine 26, page 17, then you will find an extensive description of all types of lettuce.

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Can you consider yourself a master of Communication and Information Sciences if you still struggle to explain your job to your grandparents?

While still technically having achieved your master, it does show that there is still something to strive for. You can still hold on to your academic title with pride. While you may not be a Master of Communication, you can still legally call yourself a Master of Communication.

What even is DSS? DSS stands for DS small, where DS stands for dual screen. A dual screen small! So, it’s something with two small screens. Even though it makes no sense to have two small screens instead of one larger screen, but who am I to judge?

Grüner Veltliner is my favorite type of wine, where should I buy this?

Try to see if there is some left in the dumpster near your house. This type of wine ripens best when exposed to the smell of garbage.

Can I live without a brain if I have a really good personality?

Yes. Most people will see right past this minor inconvenience. Your friends won’t even notice the difference between the normal you and the brainless you as long as you are your ever-so-charming self.

Distract everyone from the fact that you cannot form a single comprehensible sentence by blinding them with pleasant behavior. You can’t move a single muscle? No problem!! Your endearing personality will blind-eye every one of your incapabilities.

Do you want to be my best friend?

As an answerer of questions, I do not have the ability to feel emotions or have preferences. My main goal is to answer these infrequently asked questions. I am here to provide helpful and informative responses. In case you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask them.

Do you know what gaslighting is?

No, I only speak the truth.

I hope you have gained some knowledge while reading this rubric. If not, never hesitate to ask more questions. They are never as stupid as they may seem and finding the answer may be even more fun than asking the question.

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Stutter of

Stress

Language Anxiety & How to Tackle it!

Have you ever had that feeling where your palms start sweating, your heart​​ rate increases and your mind goes completely blank whilst trying to speak a foreign language? This phenomenon is called language anxiety.

Language anxiety is a very real thing that affects people who are trying to learn a new language or speak a language that is not their native tongue.

Sometimes the effects are only small and you only get a bit nervous. But other times, the stress about having to speak in a different language can cause a complete blackout with symptoms that relate to having a panic attack.

This can hinder you from communicating in other languages and, for example​ , bonding with strangers on your holiday.

The main cause of language anxiety is ​​quite a​ n ​obvious one. It’s ​​​namely​ being afraid to make mistakes and having a fear of failure. Understandably, nobody wants to look foolish in front of others, and when you’re speaking a language that you’re not completely comfortable with, the fear of making mistakes can be overwhelming. The pressure to perform perfectly can make it difficult to relax and speak naturally, and this can cause even more mistakes.

Making more mistakes makes you then even more nervous and self-aware of your mistakes, which then once again can increase the pressure of speaking fluently. It’s a vicious cycle that is hard to get out of once you get uncertain. Another cause of language anxiety is the fear of being judged.

People who are learning a new language often feel like they are being judged by others based on their language abilities. This can lead to a lack of confidence and self-doubt, which only makes the anxiety worse.

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Tips To Reduce Language Anxiety So, what can you do to reduce your language anxiety? Well, there are a few things that can help.

First, try to relax and remember that making mistakes is a natural part of learning a new language. Nobody is perfect, and nobody expects you to be perfect either. Most people are already quite impressed and pleased if you make an effort to communicate in their native language and most will understand the struggle to do so. Try to put it in this perspective a bit and you’ll notice your stress will reduce instantly.

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The second one is a bit less handy when y​ ou already are​​​in an actual situation in which you have to speak a foreign language. But as the saying goes: Practice makes perfect. The more you practice speaking in the language, the more comfortable you will become. Find someone who speaks the language fluently and practice with them regularly. The more you speak, the more natural it will feel and the more confidence you will have when having to communicate in this language. And don’t forget that language learning is a process. Small mistakes and setbacks are included in every process. Just don’t be too harsh o ​ n​​​yourself.

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If all ​​​these tips​do not do the trick for you, we want to share one last piece of advice. Just have a drink. Or two. Or even more, we don’t mind. Alcohol will reduce your self-awareness and will make you forget your nerves for a while. But keep in mind: too much alcohol will decrease your general speaking abilities, let alone speaking in a foreign tongue.

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In conclusion, language anxiety is a real thing that can be a major obstacle to language learning. But with a little bit of practice, patience, self-confidence​,​and a cold beer, you can overcome it and become fluent in every language you see appropriate to communicate in or impress your newly made holiday friends.

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2

T H E I N F LOW WATC H E S . . .

HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL

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After our review of The Shawshank Redemption, we felt it was time for something a bit more light-hearted.

However, we wanted to watch a movie that was highly regarded.

That left us with only one option: HSM2, the best movie in the trilogy.

(Fight us on this.) Spoilers ahead!

After the first movie, about a high school musical that never actually took place, this movie starts with our favorite East High Students asking themselves ‘What Time Is It’, with the only possible answer being: summertime! After shouting about it indeed being summer at poor Ms. Darbus (icon) and looking at a for some reason massive clock in her classroom, they leave with an unnecessarily complicated song and dance routine. If only they’d spent so much time perfecting their grades, they’d all get scholarships.

Because that is where the plot truly takes off. After realizing that college costs money (shocker), the students want a job. Since Sharpay still has an eye on Troy, she arranges for him to get a job at the ‘Fabulous’ country club she vacations at. However, she didn’t expect Troy to bring the Wildcats. Mr. Fulton, his boss, agrees to this since he apparently needed 20

Sharpay’s Redemption more staff members to come in at the last minute. Bad preparation on his part, but it works out for the plot.

Having arrived at the club, the students now face a new struggle after realizing they have to actually work for their money. Not having expected this, they spend a whole scene complaining until Troy convinces them they can ‘Work This Out’. After damaging the pots and pans for another musical sequence, they finally get to work – until about five minutes later, when Troy and Gabriella realize that ‘You Are the Music in Me’ and sing about it at the piano. And yes, in this movie Zac Efron actually IS singing, in case you were wondering.

Sharpay realizes that the Wildcats won’t be going away easily and has a new plan: getting them fired. She makes sure that Troy and Gabriella get caught by Mr. Fulton while having a picnic and swimming in the pool, highly illegal things for staff members. She also recruited her brother, Ryan. He, in the meantime, is sad about not being invited to the staff baseball game, although this makes perfect sense since he is a rich guest. He joins anyway and listens to Chad sing about how ‘I Don’t Dance’, but my Chad Dancing Counter (5 times throughout this movie alone) says otherwise.

The second part of Sharpay’s plan is the evilest of all: helping Troy get a basketball scholarship and introducing him to some

famous basketball players. This leads to Troy forgetting dates with Gabriella, getting promoted and his friends being upset about him not showing up to the baseball game from before. In return, Sharpay asks Troy to sing with her at the annual talent show. Why this club has a talent show, we’ll never know, but it’s here and it has a theme: Redemption, fitting in with our last column.

Sharpay steals the love song from before and sings about how ‘You Are the Music in Me’ with Troy – if this is the music she feels within, I think she needs some help, because it’s uncomfortable to listen to and has way too much going on in the background.

After being neglected for the entire summer, Gabriella decides she’s ‘Gotta Go My Own Way’ and breaks up with Troy. Their employment at the club is almost over at this point, so I would’ve just stayed to get paid, but maybe Gabriella’s ‘own way’ includes massive student debt. We’ve all been there.

Troy asks himself whether he is the type of guy who means what he says, saying we can ‘Bet On It’. I highly doubt this, since he’s been blowing off his friends and girlfriend for the entire movie, but if Chad can lie about his dancing, then Troy can do the same about his personality, right?

different song. Sharpay knows nothing about this and is unable to perform. Then, while Troy is on stage, Gabriella shows up to sing with him about ‘Everyday’ of their lives.

That’s a big promise, but hopefully, we can bet on it that they’ll keep it this time.

Sharpay, being the queen that she is, gives the talent show award to Ryan, who didn’t even perform, but who cares! Redemption indeed. The cast then celebrates being done with work by singing how it’s ‘All For One’ and that the best summer has just begun.

Hopefully, they’ll finally stop complaining about everything.

All in all, HSM2 is a great watch. Since it has some plot holes and lies about dancing and betting, however, we can’t give it a better review than The Shawshank Redemption, and therefore we give it a

4.9/7

With his friends and girlfriend being upset, Troy is left with just Sharpay, while Ryan teams up with the Wildcats. On the night of the talent show, Ryan tells Troy to prepare a

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- An Interview With SMLY FCE -

Can you tell us something about yourself?

My name is Laurens Schepers, or as some would call me SMLY FCE. I’m known to most people as the Treasurer of Flow, but my big passion is music production and this is something I spend a lot of time on! I started producing music at 15 years old. Since I have more than a decade of experience, I thought I would teach the readers something about their favorite summer hits!

How did you start out in the music industry & Who was/is your inspiration?

Basically, I got interested in electronic music and the different styles and genres that were available at this time. This was also approximately the time that the Swedish House Mafia were already immensely popular, and their most popular songs were released already and hyped up. I got interested in Avicii as well, and liked the new and refreshing style that he had. Avicii was the main point where I thought that I wanted to do the same thing, actually. After a few months, I tried to find potential ways of creating music or mixing music. I started with a free mixer on a computer, and basically just played with it. Then I found out that there was a program called FL Studio (Fruity Loops Studio) and started using that. Of course, at this time I did not have any money so everything was coincidentally found for free. Then a long period of years went by where I practiced and tried to make music. In this period I learned a lot about mixing (tweaking knobs and looking at WAV samples) and tried to improve myself. Then a label called Decrypted Records found out that I existed, and I was able to release some music there as well as on a label called Kiwistage music. Unfortunately, this did not go further into the bigger labels (sad face).

As for my inspiration, you might have noticed that the Swedish House Mafia and Avicii are high on the list. I also take a lot of my inspiration from Eric Prydz and I am a big fan of Lucas & Steve at this moment. I think these artists are able to create good and unique sounds that are really euphoric and amazing to listen to. It’s party with a good melody and is something that I want to create as well!

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How does music production work/what’s important?

Basically, like I tell everyone, music production can be considered as building blocks that perfectly align with each other. If building the blocks is done, you should have a track. In more detail, it’s as follows: You start off with creating sounds in a so-called ‘Pattern’ which you can see below:

As you see, a lot of things might be happening already. The box which displays ‘Kick’, ‘Clap’, etcetera (and has a beautiful circle) is the Pattern. The tiny blocks of which some are bright and some are not are basically the notes in this case. The person that has made the Pattern has created a drum loop here.

Once you are done with everything and created the amazing melody that you think will rule the world, you are going to pick out sounds or create them yourselves. There are multiple ways to get the sounds that you have in your mind, which all depends on the genre you have in your mind. For summer tracks you can go into multiple ways, looking at acoustic instruments (such as a piano, guitar, or saxophone).

Once you have everything, you need to think about the general construction of the full song.

This looks like this:

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Well, basically a lot of colors, blocks and lines. All of the shorter blocks are the patterns you have just created. The longer blocks with one line in them are so-called ‘Automation Clips’, which give you the possibility to rule one specific aspect of a sound. Do you want to gently let a sound fade in? Then you put an Automation clip on the volume. Here you can also put in samples of different sounds. If you record a vocal sung in by someone, you get a sample that you simply copy and paste in here. There is really nothing much to say about it, rather that the song should have a clear construction and should be align with what you want! And when you even think about being done after the construction is done: No you are not! Then the most important thing comes into place, which is mixing. Mixing is making sure that every sound that you use, even every layer for a melody, sounds clean and nice.

Clean basically means that the sound should not have any unnecessary frequencies in there, when needed might already be sidechained or does not play too loud. The explanation that I personally have received is that whenever a track is not mixed, every sound will have some form of a competition with each other to see who’s the loudest. A bass sound might play on a higher sound level then a lead sound (melody). That makes mixing so important. Whenever a mix sounds bad your track sounds bad. There are, in my opinion, three mixing aspects that are most important.

• Sidechain: A sidechain cuts away a millisecond of a sound so that a kickdrum can be heard. Also, it gives the sound a bit more of a groove to it. Without this, the kickdrum might not be heard to its fullest extent, which is very important in Dance music.

• Equalizing: This tool gives you the possibility to lower specific frequencies, put more emphasis on specific frequencies, or cut away some frequencies. This tool is mainly used to clean up the sound for unnecessary frequencies, and make sure that every sound has a specific frequency to operate in. For instance, a bass sound should have a lower frequency in contrast to a sound used for the melody.

• Compression: This tool allows you to control the sounds and gives sounds a specific level that they are not allowed to pass over. It cuts away wherever you put the line. Also, it gives the effect that whenever you use layering, sounds are being glued together. There is even a program for compression called ‘The Glue’!

These are basic mixing methods. Underneath, some effects are explained by using a circle, in which the circle is the sound. Note that the sound goes from left to right, and up and down should display the volume of the sound. I hope you understand this, otherwise you simply have circles (good luck):

Circle without effects

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Circle with

compression

Circle with the effect ‘gate’

Circle with delay

Circle with reverb

And then the final part: Mastering. Mastering is mainly done so that your track can be played among several sound systems. This also includes enhancing the stereo mix (making a track sound wider).

And then you listen to your song, think it is cool, release it and approximately ten people listen to it over one year. This is how music is produced!

What are some typical traits of summer music?

For some songs, the language is very important. For example, Spanish is used for a lot of summer hits. This is because a lot of people associate a language like Spanish with the hot sand of the beach, the sun on their face and a cocktail in their hand! Another important trait of summer music is that, a lot of the time, it’s very simple music. More in the sense of easy palatable melodies, repetitive yet nice lyrics that people can really jam out to. Summer hits also have to different goals, one being to make people happy and another to get people to relax and make them chill out. Some great examples are Salsa Tequila by Anders Nilsen which is a song in major key, which are usually used to make people in a happy mood.

On the other hand you have a song like Hot Skin by Sam Feldt and Kav Verhouzer which is played in minor key, which are used to make people more emotionally relaxed.

Still not sure if you are able to write a Summer Jam yourself?

Don’t worry, the InFlow Committee has got you covered! We have created the Ultimate Summer Playlist for you to listen to this summer, so scan the code below and enjoy!

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Summer Horoscopes Pisces

Capricorn

December 22 - January 19 This summer will bring you closer together than ever with your friends. Lean into this energy and spend time together with the people closest to you. New and existing connections will energise you and make sure you get the best out of this season.

Aquarius

January 20 - February 18 Bad weather may affect your plans this season.

Heat waves and unpredictable storms can bring chaos to your plans. Things will not go as planned, but being adaptable and keeping calm can still make your summer pretty great.

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February 19 - March 20 This summer, it’s all about you. Focus on what you want to do and get the most out of this season.

After working hard and putting others first all year, it’s time to do something for yourself.

Taurus

April 20 - May 20 Try not to overheat this summer. The high temperatures of the season may come with some pretty heated conversations as well. Keep your cool and enjoy the summer to its fullest extent.

Aries

March 21 - April 19 This summer is a time for adventure and exploration and could be the perfect opportunity to experience something new. Use the summer months to their fullest potential and you will make memories that last a lifetime.

Gemini

May 21 - June 21 With more free time on your hands, this summer will be a great time to explore new interests and hobbies. Expand your horizons and explore what life has to offer. It’s a good opportunity to find new activities that energise you.

Cancer

Scorpio

June 22 - July 22 Summer is the season of adventure. It’s the perfect time to make plans and get out of your comfort zone.

You can use this energy to make sure you have an exciting summer that will bring joy and fulfilment.

October 23 - November 21 This season is all about taking risks and enjoying life to the fullest. You’ll be feeling more confident and able to take on any challenges that come your way, so now is the perfect time to plan ahead.

Virgo

August 23 - September 22 This summer, enjoy some well deserved rest. Relax and take a break from all the work that you have done so far this year. Focus on activities that will help you recharge and stay balanced.

Leo

Sagittarius

July 23 - August 22 This summer, you will find renewed energy in nature.

Try to spend as much time as possible outside and enjoy what earth has in store for you. The burst in energy will have you prepared for anything you may face.

November 22 - December 21 This summer will be full of surprises and bring you unexpected opportunities and exciting changes. Try to be prepared for anything that comes your way and make the most out of every moment.

Libra

September 23 - October 22 You’ll go on amazing adventures this summer.

The stars are in your favour to travel to beautiful places and explore. Start planning - this summer is sure to be an unforgettable one.

Summer sports

What Olympic summer sport are you based on your Zodiac sign?

Capricorn - Badminton Aquarius - Greco-Roman wrestling Pisces - Basketball 3x3 Aries - Skateboarding

Taurus - Table tennis Gemini - Equestrian jumping Cancer - BMX racing Leo - Archery

Virgo - Beach volleyball Libra - Water polo Scorpio - Trampoline gymnastics Sagittarius - Canoe slalom

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SUMMERTIME

SADness

AO Warning: This article contains information on Seasonal Affective Disorder (a type of depres-

sion). If you might not feel comfortable reading this but do want to read the rest of the article, you can read everything up until the last heading named ‘Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)’. .

With the sun finally starting to shine again after the cloudy and rainy days of the past months, you’ve surely heard people commenting about their happiness with this new weather. Exposure to sunlight is good for the production of, for example, vitamin D and serotonin, explaining why people tend to feel good during this time of the year. However, the spring and summer can bring their own troubles with them. .

Daylight Saving Time

.

Daylight saving time, or summertime, means advancing the clock by one hour in the spring.

The reasoning behind this is that since the sun rises quite early in the summer, earlier than most people get out of bed, advancing the clock makes mornings seem dark and the evenings light for longer. A disadvantage of this, however, is how it affects certain people. For example, some people experience sleeping trouble after this time change. In fact, it can take us weeks before our biological clock is used to it.

Summertime has a bigger effect on our biorhythms than wintertime does because we are more capable of adjusting to an extra hour of time than an hour less. Your biorhythm is also geared to follow the hours of light we have. There are fewer hours of sunlight in the winter, so our brains can adjust to the dark hours in the evening better during this season. This helps us sleep better.

Evening people also tend to sleep less in summertime than in wintertime because of this.

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Hay Fever

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A common problem that starts to arise during the spring is hay fever. This common allergic condition affects up to 1 in 5 people. During spring, tree pollen is released, followed by grass pollen during the end of spring/the beginning of summer. Although symptoms tend to get less severe for people as they get older, they can still cause some trouble. .

Common symptoms of hay fever include frequent sneezing, a runny or blocked nose, and itchy, red, or watery eyes. Less commonly, people can also experience headaches, fatigue, and the loss of their sense of smell. Unfortunately, there’s no cure for hay fever, but there are some treatment methods. Since avoiding exposure to pollen is close to impossible, especially during the summer, there are some other measures you can take: - Taking antihistamines prevents an allergic reaction.

- Going outside with (sun)glasses on reduces your exposure to pollen.

- Applying a small amount of Vaseline (petroleum gel) to the nostrils traps the pollen there.

- Taking a shower and changing/washing your clothes after being outdoors removes the pollen from your body and clothes. .

Seasonal

Affective

Disorder

(SAD)

SAD, or Seasonal Affective Disorder, can be another consequence of the seasons changing.

SAD is a type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. People sometimes call it ‘’winter depression’’, because the symptoms tend to be more severe during the winter and this type is the most well-known. However, this is not the only type of SAD. Besides the more common fallonset type of SAD, where symptoms of depression occur in the late fall until the early winter months, there’s also the type of ‘’summer depression’’. This spring-onset type has symptoms starting in late spring or early summer. .

the hormone that makes you feel tired. People with SAD can have a higher level of melatonin, explaining the fall-onset symptom of feeling sleepy and lacking energy throughout the day.

Serotonin, a hormone that affects your mood, appetite, and sleep is also affected. Lower serotonin levels, caused by a lack of sunlight, are linked to feelings of depression. The lack of sunlight also impacts the body’s internal or biological clock, as mentioned before. Sunlight is used to time various important functions, such as waking up and going to sleep. When the lower light levels during winter disrupt the biological clock, symptoms of SAD may arise. .

Whether people experience the fall-onset or spring-onset type of SAD, the symptoms remain partly the same. They can include a persistent low mood and a loss of interest in everyday activities.

However, some symptoms are specific to only one type of SAD. People experiencing ‘’winter depression’’ can experience oversleeping, appetite changes, and a general feeling of tiredness and low energy, while ‘’summer depression’’ can cause insomnia, poor appetite, weight loss, and increased irritability. It’s unclear what exactly causes people to experience Seasonal Affective Disorder. One theory, however, arose from the fact that some cases appear to run in families.

This suggests some people are more vulnerable to SAD as a result of their genes. Another theory links SAD to reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter days in the fall and the winter, which could explain the fall-onset type of SAD. Following this theory, the lack of sunlight during shorter days has an impact on the hypothalamus.

This is the part of the brain that affects the production of melatonin, for example, which is

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