WIL Conference

Preview

Contraceptive
Innovation

Suis-je Charlie?

PAGE 05

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the

PULSE

Jacobs University Student Newspaper Since 2004

Leaving Footprints While

The Outlook of a Fresh USG
Integrated Cultural Studies 2015,
Germany

We need a structure, we need goals,

and we need an outlook that shows us
where were heading.

or this reason, the Undergraduate

FStudent Government (USG) is trans-

forming itself.

Siegfried Wegmann, the President

of the USG, and Aaron Ames, the new
Vice-President, have elaborated a 7

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Leaving Footprints 1

DEAR POTW READERS,

point plan that clearly delineates what

aspects need revision, and how this can
be brought about. First of all, the USG
will introduce regular office hours, during which all parliamentarians and the
presidents will be approachable for the
students, who can make inquiries, raise
concerns, and contribute
their ideas to the work. Second, an attendance policy
for USG meetings will be
implemented. This will ensure the dedication of USG
members and the efficiency of the body. Third, the
tracking of committee projects will constitute a crucial
part of USG workings. The
Vice-President will assist the
committees in setting and
meeting deadlines, which
will make the direct support of the different committees possible and result
in better and faster accomplishments.
Fourth, parliamentarians will present
weekly committee reports to all parliamentarians and students present in
USG meetings to render their successes
visible and to provide the opportunity

Letter from the Editor

Finally you are holding it in your

hands: the first Spring 2015 issue of
the Pulse of the World. We would like
to voice heartfelt apologies for the
long days of desperate waiting for the
release of this issue. Having surmounted technical difficulties and logistical
obstacles, the Pulse of the World team
is presenting to you the latest news
from on and off campus.
In the Jacobs Life section, you will find
an article on the first student-initiated
Womens International Leadership Conference, which will take place on campus in mid-April.
The Outside the Bubble section contains information on three recent developments in the field of contraceptives.
In Food for Thought, an opinion piece
on #Juniverse and a reflection on the
wide proclamations of Je suis Charlie
incepting after the attacks on the staff
of French magazine Charlie Hebdo are
published. Furthermore, globetrotters
will find a guide to accompany them
through Barcelona, and culture lovers
will find advice for small adventures in
the surroundings. Last but not least,
you will find a game review of Middle
Earth-Shadow of Mordor.
As the sun has finally decided to reveal itself in all its glory, the Pulse of the
World team wishes everyone an effective refueling of energy for upcoming
deadlines and examinations.

BEST REGARDS,
LISA-MARLEN GRONEMEIER

WIL You Join Us?

03

Nobody is born a Terrorist

08

Art On! Results

04

Upcoming Cultural trips

10

A Guide to Barcelona

11

Middle Earth - Shadow of Mordor

12

OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE

EDITORIAL

Issue 39 Monday March 23rd, 2015

Letter from
the Editor

Moving Uphill

by Lisa-Marlen Gronemeier

OF THE
WORLD

It Which Must Not Be Named

05

Whats Happening?

06

JACOBS LIFE

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Sports Desk 2

The Jacobs Show

07

Find Us on Facebook or
Catch Up at
www.pulseoftheworld.com

02 Jacobs Life

MEET THE STAFF

Editor-In-Chief
Lisa-Marlen Gronemeier
Section Editors
Christopher Casebeer
Satyaveer Gopychand
Beenish Waris
Copy Editors
Safiya Mann
Victoria Lynn Nolte
Creative Designer
Ciara Mulvaney
Christopher Casebeer

to check their work and make necessary

improvements. The fifth point is the escalation levels. The hierarchy within the
USG is traditionally very low. Now, the secretaries will assume a decisive role and
closely cooperate with the committee
members, to ensure that they receive the
attention and recognition they deserve.
Introducing parliament feedback is the
sixth point on the strategy plan. Committee members will have the opportunity to attend the regular meetings,
present their work, and receive instant
feedback. Moreover, this will provide a
stage for the oftentimes invisible contributors, whose input will be recognized.
Finally, USG press releases will be published on a frequent basis to keep students
informed about all steps the USG takes
and allow for their engagement and
contribution. President Siegfried Wegmann explains: Imagine the USG as an
island surrounded by tons of dirty water.
Trying to shovel bit by bit will not save
us. We need a huge crane that will instantaneously shovel the water from all sides. Instead of trying to find solutions to
single problems and hoping that the rest
will evolve, Ames and Wegmann want to
fundamentally transform the USG.
Next to the 7 point plan, the presidents
deciphered ten key problems that need
to be addressed. For instance, clubs are
not subject to regulations. Sometimes,
they are provided with money whose use
never becomes apparent. Attendance
is very low in some clubs, as students
seem to value academic achievements
more than extracurricular engagement.

For these reasons, the USG is aiming at

introducing a club system, which will
lend support and consultation to clubs
and provide advertisement opportunities. Another example is the new 5th semester of semi-mandatory internships
and study abroad which will not exempt
students from paying their tuition, as
Catch Up on the Latest
introduced by the leadership. Since this
News and Results
has caused great upheaval, the USG now
wants to push the leadership to better
assist students in finding and applying
to internships and programs in turn. The
development of these solutions, howe- Mens
Football
ver, is in the hand of dedicated and passionate committee members. The ideas
Jacobs vs.
Last Game
will be discussed and decided upon by
SV Werder
Results: Home
the parliament.
Bremen V
15.3
The transformed USG will be accompanied by a benefit package for invol- Next Game: 22.3 15:00
ved students. Parliamentarians of the away at TSV Hasenbauren II
week and USG members of the week
will be honored. Furthermore, lounging
times during USG socials will reinforce
the internal spirit of the USG, which will
be passed on to students during USG of- Womens
Football
fice hours in the College Offices. These
will also provide the opportunity to inJacobs vs.
Last Game
vite the leadership, instead of meeting
OSV BremenResults: Away
in RLH offices. An incentive structure
haven II
15.3
is implicated in this newly elaborated
outlook. Consequently, the USG will be Next Game: 22.3 11:00
harder to get into and stay in, but also Home vs. FC Huchting
more desirable as official recognition for
great accomplishments and dedication
is at the core.
The USG president resumes: The USG Mens
is the only way to make a lasting change Basketball
at our university. You can make a contriJacobs vs.
bution that will remain for generations Last Game
Bierden
to come. We have to be aware of the Results: Home
Bassen
fact that the USG exists since 2001 and 15.3
has been shaped by students achieving Next Game: 22.3 19:00 Achim
great things. And we can achieve great away at LesumVegesack III
things, too. This is one of the great opportunities Jacobs provides. We are so
close to leadership and admin that it
is possible to make a change, by continuously giving our input. We just have Womens
to show that we will not back down. Eve- Basketball
rything you do matters. Now, it is on eveJacobs vs.
ry single one of us to decide if we want Last Game
Results:
Home
MTV
to be remembered at this university and
Tostedt
15.3
make valuable experience. And most
importantly, improve students lives. Be- Next Game: 21.3 18:00
cause thats what the USG is here for.
away at VFL Stade

The Sports Desk

4:1

1:6

58:60

39:59

Jacobs Life 03

WIL You Join Us?

by Maya Gutewort
Biochemistry and Cell Biology 2016,
Germany

n April 2015 Jacobs University is go-

Iing to inspire you: Our campus will

host the first student-initiated Womens

International Leadership Conference
(WIL) in the interest of advancing
womens roles in the professional sphere
and contributing to more gender equality in leadership positions.
Hot topics like work-life balance, leadership skills or career planning will be
addressed by successful professionals
from politics, business and STEM disciplines.
The numbers speak for themselves:
Women only hold 24 percent of all senior roles in companies and only 12
percent of businesses worldwide have
a female CEO (source: International
business report 2014). As of
January 2015 only 1 in
5 parliamentarians is
female and less than
10% of all sovereign
states in the world
are being governed by female leaders (source: UN
Women: Facts and
Figures, 2015)
These issues are something both men and
women should be concerned about. Therefore, the aim of the
conference is to create a platform for
dialogue and advocacy, where you can
connect with innovative and entrepreneurially minded professional women
as well as men who have taken on the
lead in the advancement of womens
leadership from around the globe.
This inclusive approach will result not
only in visions, but in concrete proposals
how to overcome the barriers which women encounter on their way to the top.
You will be able to share experiences,
learn about current developments in

the workplace and the future of women service television broadcaster ZDF, for
leadership or even discuss concrete which she has served as vice chairwoideas regarding individual career paths. man since 2010. Apart from her career
Throughout the conference, networ- Stahmann is married and the mother of
king events will take place that ensure two daughters.
that speakers, companies, and university students can make long-lasting conNext to this unique networking opportacts. This includes also a networking tunity interactive workshops are offered
brunch allowing for interaction in a re- which will offer professional skills such
laxed setting. In order
as work-life balance,
to encourage students
leading and manafrom all majors to atging teams, or conWIL is not only about,
tend invited speakers
but in itself a step towards fident public appeacome from natural scimore womens leadership. rance. For all students
ences as well as social
and aspiring scientists
Aila Hauru
science leadership powho are interested in
sitions.
finding out about existing career opportunities in the German
One of the speakers will be Uta Pasz- science community the workshop "Creakowski who heads a research group at ting Futures in Science: Scenario-based
the Department of Plant Sciences at the Career Planning is on the schedule. It
University of Cambridge. She is the mo- will be led by Angelika Trbswetter who
ther of three children and is the author is a Research Associate at the Fraunhofer
of a Springer publication on advice for Institute. It starts out by providing thewomen who aim to have both a ca- oretical and conceptual input and then
reer and a family.
turns to an interactive format, allowing
Another interesting guest participants to explore and determine
is the German politician their options within the German science
Helga Trpel. She was and research environment.
the minister for Culture
and the integration of
It is highly unlikely that gender equaimmigrants in the City lity in leadership positions will be acState of Bremen from complished within the next decade ,not
1991 to 1995 and has even in an economically highly develobeen a member of the ped country like Germany, but by stiEuropean parliament since mulating the dialogue and motivating
2004.
more people to get engaged we are
contributing to the progress.
Also Anja Stahmann, the official guardian of the WIL conference, was involved
So, WIL you?
in Bremen politics. She was a member of
parliament at the city parliament of Bremen between 1999 and 2011 where she
acted as the parliamentary party leader
as well as party spokeswoman on education and media policy for the Greens.
After her re-election to the city parliament of Bremen in June 2011, she was
elected Bremens Senator for Social Affairs, Children, Youth and Women. In the
years of 2008 to 2011, Stahmann was a
board member of the German public-

04 Jacobs Life

Art On! 2015

Results!

2nd

1st

3rd

Outside the Bubble 05

It Which Must Not Be Named

by Hannah Behrens
Biochemistry and Cell Biology 2015,
Germany

S na,
ex,

contraception,
vagicondoms, penis. Words
that most people are hesitant
to use in public. While it might
be embar rassing, it is nonetheless really impor tant. Therefore
this ar ticle discretely updates
you about three recent develop ments in the field of contraceptives for him and her.
1) Sexy contraception
I n 2010 a new contraceptive
was in all newspapers, Nestroro ne, a hor monal gel. I t wor ks like
the contraceptive pill, can be
applied to the sk in and does not
have side effec ts, such as weight
gain and acne. As opposed to
the pill breastfeeding women
can use it which is great because
there probably is not a worse
time to get a baby than when
you just had one.
Combined with an antiviral gel
that was developed the same
year the idea of sex y contraception came up. Why not make a lub r icant that combines this contraceptive gel and HIV prevention.
Near ly as good a condom and
something the gir l can put on.
The media went craz y about it,

although 25% of all women will

coverage in the Guardian, BBC
contrac t sexually transmitted diand the Telegraph. Then siseases at some point in their life.
lence. Nothing for 4 years.
With lovabilit y condoms this will
Finally, at the end of last year hopefully change.
some news! Phase one and t wo
tr ials were successful and a phase three tr ial will be conduc ted
with 2300 women from Europe
and the US. Unfor tunately Antares, the company behind this
new drug, does not give us any
infor mation on when this last
tr ial might be finished, but let s
hope it is soon.
2) Lovability Condoms

And the best thing: The condoms are produced in M alaysia direc tly at the plantation,
when the rubber is sti ll fresh.
The quick processing results in
a reduc tion of the nast y rubber
smell, which has tur ned you off
so many times.
3) Bill and Melinda Gates
No, this is not about the intimacies of Bill and M elinda, but
about a condom of the futurecompetition by the Bill and M e linda G ates foundation. The
mission of the competition was
to invent a condom that significantly preser ve or enhance ple asure.

Proudly prepared! That is the

slogan of Pam and Tiffany G aines condom company. They
redesigned condom pack aging
to resemble cosmetic produc ts
and sell them in discrete and
women or iented settings such
as linger ie, jewelr y and cosmetic stores. You can also buy
At the end of 2013 11 projec ts
them online and get your favo - out of 812 applications were cho r ite quote or your boyfr iends sen and received $100,000 each.
face pr inted on the pack aging. S even of these use new mater ials
to increase sensation, e ither by
Pam and Tiffany are a mo using mater ials that feel natural,
ther and daughter social entsuch as mucous polymers, mate repreneur team who hope that
r ial from cow tendons and more
women will feel comfor table
elastic rubber or by using mate purchasing condoms in the fur ials that conduc t heat, are selfture. They obser ved that barely
tightening or shape memor izing.
any women car r y condoms with
The seventh projec t that propo them and instead expec t the
ses a new mater ial is look ing into
man to br ing them along. This is
super- elastic mater ials, hoping
they will make condoms thinner,
sof ter and cheaper.
Projec t number eight will create a break resistant condom by
coating it in nanopar ticles. Number nine will develop a condom
that is wrapped around the pe nis instead of squeezed on. Guys
do you really feel squeezed while
putting on a condom? Any way.
The last t wo projec ts are not

06 Outside the Bubble

wor k ing on condoms but on condom applicators. They will make
it possible to put the condom on
the r ight way in a single move ment and not tough it with your
hands. Why should you not touch
it with your hands? Well on your
hands you might have ger ms
that are not dangerous for your
hands but for other par ts of the
body.

Whats Happening? When?

BRIMUM
March 28th-30th, 2015

There are so many contraceptives, why more?

You are r ight, there are already
so many contraceptives out the re, male and female condom, pill,
diaphragm and sper micide, ste r ilization, loops and many more.
All of these have pros and cons.
The most used contraceptive
among women is the estrogenprogestin pill, which cannot
be used dur ing breast feeding,
can cause trouble like acne and
weight gain and is generally inconvenient for women who do
not live a regular, controlled life.
Unfor tunately the latter are tho se that already have a high r isk
for unwanted pregnancies. The
most used contraceptive among
men is the male condom, simply
because there is no (reversible)
alter native.

Image: Manish Kumar

Bremer Osterwiese
March 27th to April 12th, 2015

Therefore new methods for men

and also women are needed. Further more sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs) are still a huge
deal: 25% of all women get them!
Therefore dual contraceptives
which prevent pregnancies and
STDs are especially impor tant.
The condom for the first time
enabl ed women to control when
to have k ids in the middle of the
19th centur y. The bir th control
pill enabled the sexual revolution in the 1960s. M aybe a new
contraceptive could fur ther empower women, increase sexual
safet y and reduce annoying side
effec ts today.

Jan Rathke / BTZ Bremer Touristik Zentrale

http://www.bremen-tourism.de/osterwiese

Food for Thought 07

The Jacobs Show

by Sasha Boychenko
Global Humanities 2016,
Ukraine

eality television is not usually associated with sparking intellectual discussions, nor
does it hold much artistic value.
Thats okay. We still watch it
sometimes, when we need to relax or distract ourselves from all
those thoughts roaming around
in our heads. However, when an
educational institution, which
claims its pillars to be excellence and transdisciplinarity,
diversity and community, leadership and values, along with
mentioning high selectivity,
high academic standard and
the creation of knowledge, and,
finally, challenging curricula,
attempts to turn into
a reality T V show, that
is not okay.
A few months ago,
a very noticeable box
was constructed and
placed right in front
of the IRC, accompanied by an excessive
amount of arrows
distributed
around
campus and pointing towards the box,
as well as print advertisements, which
had an awful resemblance to most casting campaigns and
encouraged students
to enter now. Entering now referred to literally
entering the box, which turned
out to be a casting station,
where one could record a video
of themselves and consequently
become a potential actor in the
JUniverse the first docutainment about Jacobs University.
Docutainment. The newly in-

vented word itself already poses

a lot of questions, most importantly: In which way is it relatable to a highly selective educational institution?
Why do we need to create a
parody of a T V show and give
out cameras to students to portray their personal everyday
lives? Why would the university spend money trying to look
cool, especially in the times of
financial difficulties? What kind
of people would such an advertising strategy attract? Do we
want those people to be a part
of the supposedly highly intellectual Jacobs community?
It is obvious that the university
is trying to solve the problems
it ran into, and I would like to
acknowledge the fact that some
measures, which are being tak-

en, seem to be working very well.

One should also not underestimate the time it takes to actually change something in such a
complex situation. Furthermore,
the advertising campaign is fully justifiable due to the fact the
university undoubtedly needs
to attract more students as one

of the ways to ensure its continuous success. However, it is

important to consider the exact
strategies used for the advertising campaign. Perhaps, it would
be more beneficial, considering
Jacobs University s pillars and
values, to focus on the educational aspects of the university
by informing the prospective
students about the unique approach to classes and actually
working on preserving and improving their quality, rather
than trying to sell the Jacobs
experience as docutainment.
Or, alternatively, the university
could try to draw more attention to the accomplishments of
current and former Jacobs students, which are both numerous
and impressive. There is plenty
of opportunities to promote
Jacobs by highlighting what it truly is
about which, I am
convinced, is so much
more than the great
social life (which we
certainly do have) and
entertainment.
The
future generations of
Jacobs University students should be able
to appreciate the academic excellence and
the learning opportunities as much as
we do or more. The
means of achieving
a goal are equally as
important as the goal
itself even more so,
when the goal is to maintain
a unique student community,
whose interests stretch far beyond having fun.

08 Food for Thought

Nobody is Born a Terrorist

by Francisco Diaz
Integrated Social Sciences 2016,
Uruguay

e sui s C ha r l i e i s nt ju s t a b o u t
st a nd i ng i n s o l i d a r i t y w i th
th e d e a d, i t s s e l f- i d e nti f i cati o n .
Two m e n e nte r s h o o ti n g i nto
Ch a r l i e H e b d os o f fi ce s, s h o u ti ng Al l a hu Ak ba r , k i l l i n g e l e ve n. S ud d e nl y m i l l i o n s i d e nti fi e d
th e m se l ve s w i t h a fa r l e f t-w i n g
ma ga zi ne a b ou t to d e cl a re b a n k r up tc y. I t wa s a l m o s t i n s ti n c ti ve l y : t he f i r st p e rs o n s ay i n g I
am C ha r l i e wa s a Fre n ch jo u r n a list t hat d e c l a re d w h o ca m e u p
w i t h t he p hra s e o n Tw i tte r be c a use he ha d n o wo rd s.
O ne of t he mo s t s u cce s s fu l s l o ga ns i n I nte r ne t h i s to r y wa s nt
th e re sul t of a b ra i n s to r m i n g s e s si on, or t he we ll - th o u g ht i d e a o f
a m a r ke t i ng m a n a g e r ; i t wa s a n
automat i c re sp o n s e, a re f l ex . Th e
pi c t ure of b l a c k ba ck gro u n d a n d
w hi te l e t te r s wa s s h a re d m o re
th a n f i ve m i l l i o n ti m e s i n Tw i tte r, use d i n d e m o n s trati o n s a n d
on t he cove r o f C h a r l i e H e bd os
n ex t i ssue. Eve r yo n e jo i n e d i n
th at l a c k of word s, e ve r yo n e wa s
so shoc ke d t hat th e y co u l d nt expre ss m ore t ha n th e s i m p l e i d e n tif i c at i on w i t h C h a r l i e.
Pol i t i c s consi s ts o n gi v i n g m e an i ng to w hat i s be yo n d l a n g u a ge. Whe n I say I a m C h a r l i e, w h e n
I gi ve word s to a h o r re n d o u s
eve nt, Im t a k i n g pa r t o f a p o l i tic a l a c t. Eve n m o re w h e n th e s e
word s a re sa i d at th e s a m e ti m e
by four mi l l i on pe o p l e a n d fo r t y
wor l d l e a d e r s, a s i t h a pp e n e d i n
the R e p ub l i c a n m a rch e s o f Ja n ua r y 11t h.
Eve r yo n e wa s o n
Cha r l i es si d e, w h o s e o n l y cr i m e
h a d b e e n to exe rci s e fre e d o m o f
sp e e c h.

Je su i s Ch arlie, and you?

B ut t he p ol i t i ca l a c t o f s ay i n g I
am X ne ce ssa r i l y i m pl i e s th e ex i s -

te n ce of a Y in t he p o li t ic al arena.
Th e re must b e so m eb o dy who i s
n o t I, o t her wi se it do esnt m ake
s e n s e to say t hat p hrase o n t he
f i rs t p l ace. When I i dent i f y myse l f, Im ac k nowledgi ng t he p re s e n ce of an O t her. And t hi s o t he r i z ati o n i s cent ral to p o li t ic s: i f
p o l i ti cs co nsist o n givi ng a lang u a g e to t he R eal, o t her i z at i o n i s
i ts f i rs t step : drawi ng a line b etwe e n u s and t hem .

ver ent irely k ill it o f f. There will

always b e so m eo ne who is not
M e even wi t h t wo p eo p le lef t on
ear t h.
Is an O t her t he co m edian Dieudo nn, who was ar rested for
wr it ing o n Faceb o o k I feel I am
Char li e Co uli b aly ? Are among
t hem t he M usli m st udent s that
ref used to resp ec t t he minu te
o f si lence to Char li e Heb do in
Frenc h sc ho o ls? And are thos e
who assi sted to dem o nst rations

Th e presence o f t he O t her rad i ca l l y ef fe c ts

my
existence.
Th e O ther
embodies
w h at I c ann o t trans ce n d and
therefore
i t f ru s trate s m e ; as
i t re ve als
my
hum a n co nd i ti o n .
If
th e re was
Photo: http://blogs.ssrc.org/tif/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Jen o O th e r, I
co u l d p ro je c t myse l f to inf i nit y. And t hat s why, agai nst M uham m ad c ar to ons in
a cco rd i n g to Hegel, eac h co n- Afghani st an, S enegal, Alg er ia,
s ci o u s n ess seeks t he deat h o f t he Palest i ne, etc, am o ng t hem, too?
O th e r . I n t he c ase o f t he co llec t i- Is ever yo ne who says Allah u Akve co n s ci o usness o f p o li t ic al sub - b ar when p ray i ng an O t her? The
je c ts, theres a co nst ant p ower p ro b lem wi t h J e suis C har lie is
s tru g g l e b et ween Us and Them , no t what is b eing sai d, b ut rather
e i th e r b ec ause t hey o p p ress us what i s no t sai d. Ideo lo gy is what
(we a re t he slaves) o r b ec ause yo u say, b ut also what rem ains lath e y th reaten o ur p o si t io n o f p o - tent, i m p lic it.
we r (we are t he m aster s) . I f t he re wa s no p ower di sp ar i t y, t here
The inf inite t hre at
wo u l d b e no p o li t ic s.
Islam i c f undam ent alism ta kes
Wh os t he O t her, t hen, when t he p lace t hat was o nce o ccu pied
fo u r m i lli o n so uls say I am Char- by Co m m unism in Wester n pu blic
l i e ? Wh o i snt C har lie? The K o u- di sco ur se. I t s t he b ig O t her that
a ch i bro t her s are no t C har lie, no r legit im i zes p ower st r uc tu res :
i s i t Amedy Co ulib aly ( who ente - when t he B er lin wall fell, We s ter n
re d a Je wi sh sup er m ar ket, k illing eli tes fo und t hem selves withou t
f i ve ). Al- Qaeda and t he Islam i c an enemy t hat co uld p revent peo State a re no t C har lie, t hey are p le f ro m quest i o ning t hei r au tho n o t Us. B ut who else i s no t Us? r i t y. I t was by t hat t im e t hat S aAnyo n e b ut m e c an b e an O t her, m uel Hunt ingto n wro te hi s thes is
a nyo n e c an b e p ar t o f Them . The ab o ut a Clash o f Ci vi liz ations,
O th e r i s always i nf inite, I c an ne - acco rding to whi c h c ult ure s are

Section 09
Food For Thought

incompat i b l e w i t h e a c h o th e r. Wh e n
four mill i on p e op l e go to a s o - ca l l e d
R epublica n M a rc h a nd s i n g L a M a rs eillaise, t he y a re st i ck i n g to th i s
id ea of t he We st ve r s u s th e R e s t .
We h old to t he va l ue s o f Fre e d o m
a n d D em oc ra c y, t he y a re s ti l l i n th e
M iddle Age. The We st n e e d s o f i ts
own lan gua ge to va l i d ate i ts p o s i t ion of p owe r, i t ne e d s to co nvi n ce
itself th at t he p ove r t y o f th e re s t o f
t h e wor l d ha s not hi ng to d o w i th i ts
own weal t h.
I t s rou ghl y t he sa m e ju s ti fi cati o n
p rocess t hat l i e s b e hi n d th e i d e a o f
M er itocra c y : I r i ght f ul l y e a r n e d my
mon ey a nd t he p oor a re p o o r b e cau se th e y d ont wa nt to wo r k . Th i s
way, th e op p re ssi on o f th e m a s te r
over th e sl ave i s cove re d by a ve i l
of Word s t hat a l l ows th e m a s te r to
s leep in t he ni ght a nd k e e p s th e s l a ve comp l i a nt. O n t he o th e r s i d e s o meth in g si m i l a r ha p p e n s : Al - Q a e d a
l e ader s, i n p osi t i on of powe r th e m s elves, a l so ne e d t he i r ow n l e gi ti m i zin g lan g ua ge, t hat of th e ji h a d. Th e
id ea of a C l a sh of Ci v i li z ati o n s s u i ts
t h e powe r f ul on b ot h s i d e s, th o s e
wh o n eve r d i e.

i ts re s i d e nt s c an p eacef ully enjoy

th e i r we a l t h. B ut t hese ef fo r t s are
i n va i n w h en t he m o st alienated are
yo u n g Eu rop eans, descendant s o f
i m m i gra nts t hat were greeted wi t h
o p e n a r m s in t he p o st-war era, when
Eu ro p e n e e ded c heap lab o r fo rce to
re b u i l d i ts elf.

The O th e r a s a p s ycho p at h
U ru g u aya n t hinker S andino Nez
ca l l s i t a glo b al im m une system :
th e re i s n o p o lit ic al o r ideo lo gi c al
e n e my, o nly ar b it rar y ano m ali es.
Th e re i s n ot so m eb o dy who o p p o s e s to my po li t ic al co ncep t, b ut so m e th i n g th at at t ac ks my b o dy and
my l i fe. Th e ter ro r ist i s li ke a c ancer,
s o m e th i n g wi t ho ut a language, t hat
wa nts to k i ll m e just b ec ause i t s in
i ts n atu re, so m et hing t hat o nly sp e ci a l i s ts k n ow how to get r i d o f. U nl i k e a p o l i tic al p ro b lem in whi c h I
ca n d o s o m et hi ng, i n t hese k i nds o f

Followi ng t hi s re a s o n i n g, Eu ro p e tr ies to c l ose i t s bo rd e rs to i m migrants a nd re f uge e s, l i k e a g ate d

commun i t y w i t h fe nce s, wa l l s a n d
s ur veillance c a me ra s, be h i n d w h i ch

I n realit y, t he f undam enta lis t is

as hum an and rat i o nal as I am. H is
wo r ld is as lo gic al as m ine; it s ju s t
a ver y dif ferent o ne. B ut to accept
t hat an Islam i st i s just ano ther Hu m an b ei ng i m p lies reco gnizing the
im m o rali t y o f m e t r y i ng to k ill him.
I t do esnt m at ter how m uch the
O t her har m ed m e , to ac k nowledg e
his hum anness and deny it ,ma kes
m e a m urderer to o.

I t s t he e co no my
I t is easier to see t he I s la mis t
as a c raz y m an t han t r y i ng to u nder st and him . I n t r y i ng to s ee the
co ntex t o f hi s ac t i o ns, Im ack nowledgi ng hi s Hum anness. Bu t a ls o,
to t ake a c lo ser lo o k to t he g loba l
p ower st r uc t ures t hat s u r rou nd
t he p ro b lem m ight m ean to realize
t hat p er hap s we are ai m i ng at the
wro ng O t her.

Dan ger i s p owe r s b e s t fr i e n d. I n a

s tate of e m e rge nc y, wh e n o u r l i ve s
a re at r isk , i s w he n we l e a s t q u e s ti on powe r. S i x te e n Fre n ch d i e, a n d
Hollan des p op ul a r i t y g o e s u p 2 1
p oints, hav i ng d one n o th i n g b u t g o
to a dem onst rat i on w i th An g e l a M e rkel.
An d the ke y of t he Wa r o n Te r ro r
is th at we a re a l ways u n d e r th re at.
No preve nt i ve m e a sure i s e n o u g h ,
we c an a l ways b e atta ck e d w h e re
we least ex p e c t i t. Eve n th e l e a s t re l e vant ci t y, l i ke B re m e n , ca n b e th e
v ic tim of a te r ror i st atta ck . We a re
in a per m a ne nt st ate o f e m e rg e n c y,
in wh ich our l i fe i s d e ci d e d b e h i n d
Top S ecre t f i l e s, a nd i n w h i ch ru l e rs
a rent account a b l e to th e p o p u l ati on . D emoc ra c y d oe s no t a pp l y to s e cu r it y cr i se s.

co nsensus t hat all f undam e nta lis m

i s b ad and t hat yo u c annot neg o t iate wit h ex t rem i st s. B ec au s e you
c ant nego t iate wit h a c ancer : the
O t her i s seen as a p hi lo s ophica l
zo m b i e, an ent it y t hat lo o ks hu ma n
b ut has no co nsc io usness. The O ther
is illo gi c al, yo u c ant di sc us s with
t he O t her. The O t her do esnt think .
And i f t he O t her do esnt t hink , it is
m uc h easier to dehum anize it and
no t hesi t ate in k illing i t.

Image: http://cdn.frontpagemag.com/wp
-content/uploads/2015/01/charlie-hebdo-

p ro b l e m s I c an do no t hing.
Th e te r ro r i st, m o re t han a p o li t ic al
e n e my, s e e ms like a ser ial k i ller : m o ve d by s o m e k i nd o f m ent al i ssue,
i n ca pa b l e o f reaso ni ng, he is just a
b l o o d th i rs t y m o nster and yo u ne ve r k n ow where he wi ll st r i ke nex t.
Th e res b e en a so m ewhat general

Ter ro r i sm i s no t t he problem,
b ut t he co nsequence o f an ea r lier
p ro b lem . Glo b aliz at i o n. Ter ror is m
is an o utco m e i n t he p o li tica l a nd
c ult ural arena o f a glo b ali zing pro cess t hat was, i n t he b e ginning,
p urely eco no m ic. When such a ra dic al c hange hap p ens in the eco no my, yo u m ust wai t fo r cons e quences in p o li t ic s.
Glo b ali z at i o n is no t li ke a n a d for
U ni ted Co lo r s o f B enet to n, s imply
showi ng c hi ldren o f all races playi ng to get her. Glo b ali z at i o n is the
dest r uc t i o n o f t he m any local eco no m ies and t heir sub st it ut ion with
a single, glo b al eco no my, for the
b enef it o f, m o st ly Wester n , cor po rat i o ns. And t he co nt radic t i ons that
co uld hap p en i n a lo c al capita lis t

10 Section
Food For Thought
econ omy a re now m u l ti p l i e d to th e
global sc a l e.
D u r ing t he p ost-wa r, Eu ro p e n e e ded ch e a p wor kforce to e n s u re h i g h
levels of grow t h. The C h a r l i e H e bd o
sh ooti ng i s a conse q u e n ce o f th i s :
th e Koua c hi b rot he r s we re th e ch i l d ren of wor ke r s t hat Fra n ce n e e d e d,
an d th at we re b e i ng k i ck e d o u t o f
th eir home count r y by a p ove r t y
cau sed to a gre at ex te nt by ye a rs
of Europ e a n col on i a l i s m . O n th e
same l i ne, w i t hout th e We s t s n e e d
for I ra qi oi l t he re wo u l d h ave n e ve r
been fe r t i l e ground fo r s u ch a ra d i cal org a ni zat i on l i ke th e Is l a m i c Sta te. Th e e conomy ne e d s f l ex i b i l i t y o f
capital a nd wor kforce to grow, b u t
th is of te n b r i ngs so ci a l co n s e q u e n ces.
An a nte ce d e nt o f g l o b a l i z ati o n
could b e found i n t h e d i s cove r y o f
Amer ica i n 1492. Af te r th i s e ve nt,
Europe saw how i t s e co n o my co u l d
n ow exp a nd i t se l f to a n e nti re n e w
contine nt. Europ e a r r i ve d to th e
N ew Wor l d for e co n o m i c re a s o n s,
an d, n e e d l e ss to say, th i s h a d te r r i ble soci a l conse que n ce s. M a ny Eu ro pean s d i e d i n b l ood y s l ave re vo l ts i n
th e Car i b b e a n. R e vo l ts l e d by pe o p le th at ha d ne ve r b e e n to Af r i ca : d e scen da nt s of sl ave s b ro u g ht to Am e r ica due to t he ne e d fo r l a bo r. To d ay,
Arabs t hat have ne ve r s e t fo o t i n th e
M iddle E a st, c hi l d re n o f th e wo r kforce t hat Europ e n e e d e d, a re tra vellin g to I ra q a nd Sy r i a to jo i n a n
Islamic St ate t hat i s at wa r w i th th e
West.

Af ter the asto nishment

S o w hat s l e f t of Je s u i s C h a r l i e
t wo m ont hs a f te r ? Th e i n i ti a l l a ck o f
words i s ove r a nd we n e e d to gi ve
a meani ng to t he e ve nt. B u r i t s
useles s to p ra i se R e p u bl i ca n va l u e s
wh ile a sk i ng our se l ve s w h e n w i l l th e
Islamis t t hre at st r i ke a g a i n . As l o n g
as Ara b s fe e l op p re s s e d by th e We s t
( both i n t he M i d d l e E a s t a n d w i th i n
Wester n soc i e t i e s) th e Is l a m i s t th reat wi l l a l ways b e th e re. To fe e l
con sta nt l y unsa fe a n d i n fe a r o n l y
h elps re i nforc i ng t he cu r re nt powe r
str u c tu re s.
We shoul d not ot h e r i ze th e o p presse d. We shoul d n o t o th e r i ze
t wo o r p ha ns comp l e te l y a l o n e i n
on e of t he p oore st Pa r i s i a n d i s tr i c ts.
R adic a l I sl a m i st d i sco u rs e, o n e cl i ck

away, ch annels t he vio lence t hat re s po n d s to a p receding o p p ressi o n.

Th e m i l l io ns t hat ident i f ied t hem s e l ve s w it h C har lie gi ve away t hei r
pr i va c y i n exc hange fo r a sec ur it y
th at w i l l n ever b e ac hieved. While all
th e po te nt i al K o uac hi b ro t her s feel
th e m s e l ves even m o re exc luded. M e a nw h i l e, Al- Qaeda and t he Islam i c
State f i n d i n t he R ep ub li c an m arc hes
a re a s o n to co nt i nue t heir f ight, and
th e v i ci o u s c i rc le go es o n.
I t s n o t b ad to say I am t he vic t i m .
O n th e co nt rar y, t he dead o f C har lie
H e b d o n eed to b e ho no red. No b o dy
s h o u l d d i e fo r what t hey say, and
fre e d o m o f sp eec h is ab o ut let t ing
e ve n th e m o st st up id o p i nio ns b e
s a i d. B u t we need to ask o ur selves
w h o th e vi c t i m i zer ac t ually is. I t s
n o t a b o ut c reat ing a f alse di c ho to my b e t we en t he Euro p e o f Freedo m ,
Eq u a l i t y and Frater nit y and a religi o u s, b a r b ar ic and i nto lerant M iddl e E a s t, b ut ab o ut under st anding
th at i t was I m p er i ali st Euro p e who
cre ate d the b east. And it c anno t b e
ta m e d.

Cultural Trips in
March/April
by Julia Psilitelis
Integrated Cultural Studies 2015,
Germany

1.
S o m et hing I o nly recent ly
fo u n d o ut ab o ut i s t he yo ut h ato n e m e nt o f t he Thalia Theater Ham bu rg. Fo r o nly 39 yo u ( yo ur self and
fr i e n d s ) can vi si t up to six p lays.
Th e y a l s o give yo u t he b est t ic ket s
th e y s ti l l so i t s go o d to b uy t hem
a s f a s t a s p o ssib le i f yo u want to sit
i n th e fro nt row fo r o nly 6. While
m a ny p l ays are i n G er m an, t he ho use
i s a l s o gi v ing i t s st age to inter nat i o n a l th e ate r co m p ani es, so yo u m i ght
e ve n fi n d a p lay in yo ur nat i ve lang u a g e. Also Die S c hut z b efo hlenen
by E. Je l i nek has Engli sh sub t it les.
2.
I ho p e Im no t rep eat ing
mys e l f too m uc h when I suggest t he
B e r n a rd ex hi b i t io n at Kunst halle
Bre m e n . The new tem p o rar y ex hi b i ti o n wa s shown ( i n a di f ferent fo r m at
th o u g h ) in Par is b efo re and i s dis-

p lay ing t he o euvre o f an a r tis t that

is o f ten fo rgo t ten alt ho ugh he wa s
f r iends wit h m any o f t he moder n
avant- garde ar t ist s suc h as G au g u in
and van G o gh.
3.
The B r i t ish ar t i s t Hanna h
Co lli ns was ho no red wi t h the SPECTR U M i nter nat i o nal p r ize for pho to grap hy o f St i f t ung N ieders achs en.
The award cerem o ny o n M a rch 6 th
at 7p m at Sp rengel M useum Ha nno ver was o p en to t he p ub lic and the
p ho to grap her i nt ro duced her wor k .
The ex hi b i t io n last s f ro m 07 .0 3 u ntil
07.06, and t he Sp rengel M u s eu m is
a great p lace to go to anyhow. The
m useum do es no t adver t i se a nything
so yo u have to k now ab o ut it, however I wo uld c laim t he collec tion of
m o der n and co ntem p o rar y ar t is the
b est i n No r t her n G er m any. I t inclu des co unt less m aster wo r ks by ar tis ts
f ro m t he f i r st row.
4.
S o m et hi ng t hat i s nt rea lly
date sp ec if ic is a vi si t o f the Uns ere
L ieb en Frauen K i rc he. I realized that
t his b eaut i f ul c hurc h o f te n rema ins
unno t i ced, alt ho ugh i t has probab ly t he inter i o r t hat i m p resses me the
m o st. And i t s lo c ated r i g ht nex t to
c it y hall, t he m ain square with R o land. Enter o n a sunny day a nd you
will f ind t he inter i o r i llu minated
by co unt less b o ld co lo rs coming
t hro ugh t he st ain glass windows.
The info r m at io n c ard i s availa ble in
num ero us languages and there is a
f ree ex p lanato r y t alk ever y firs t Su nday o f t he m o nt h, 10am .
PS: I was really hap py to s ee s o
m any o f yo u at t he HF B K o pen hou s e
event. Ho p e so m e o f yo u will continue ex p lo r i ng.

Section 11
Food For Thought

A Guide to Barcelona
by Julia Psilitelis
Integrated Cultural Studies 2015,
Germany

spe nt l a st se m e s te r a b ro a d i n
Spa i n, so i t s natu ra l th at I wa nt
to pre se nt my f avo r i te ci t y i n my
most re ce nt host cou ntr y. Pl u s, th e re are R ya n Ai r f l i ghts f ro m Bre m e n
( alth ou gh I hi ghl y re co m m e n d n o t
to fly onl y to t hi s one p l a ce, a n d ce rtain ly not j ust for a fe w d ays ). Ju s t
n ote t hat G i rona i s a bo u t a n h o u r
away.
Th ere i s one p l a ce yo u p a s s m o re
or less d a i l y, a nd i n B a rce l o n a th i s
is Cata l unya . I t s at L a R a m bl a , th e
main st re e t a l ways cra m m e d w i th
both lo c a l s a nd tour i s ts a l i k e. Al o n g
it on e c a n f i nd count l e s s n i ce p l a ce s,
such a s t he ma r ke t h a l l B o q u e r i a .
Follow i t a l l t he way s o u th to g e t to
Por t Ve l l. I l ove sp e nd i n g ti m e by th e
water a nd so wa l ke d th ro u g h Ba rce lon eta to re a c h t he b e a ch .
Plac a d e l a S e u
with it s ol d c a th edra l i s a no th er ce nt ra l p oi nt
an d a gate way to
th e Bar r i o G t i co, th e b ui l d i ngs
th at h ouse m a ny
atelier
shop s.
Plaza R e a l i s a
won de r f ul p l a ce
to spe nd som e
time a nd j ust e nj oy the ge ne ra l
atmosp he re of b e i ng i n a M e d i te r ra n ean m e t rop ol i s. The po p u l a r n e i g h bor h oo d E l R ava l i s f u l l o f m a r k e ts,

ba k e r i e s, vi nt age sto res, and sp ec ial i ze d s h o p s, fo r ex am p le fo r ( viny l)

re co rd s. There are p lent y great and
ch e a p pl aces fo r fo o d, o f ten wit h
s pe ci a l ti es f ro m
o th e r co unt r ies.
Ar t
n ouveau
a rch i te c tu re i s
th e m o s t p o p u l a r a r t st yl e. G a u d i is t he
most
fam o us
ex a m p l e
wi t h
h i s d e s i gns fo r
e nti re
li vi ng
s p a ce s,
c hurch e s, a n d p ar ks.
M y f i rs t e n co unte r w i th G audi
wa s h i s Casa
B atl l o. Vi si t ing
his
b u ildings,
h owe ve r, i s quite
ex pensi ve.
A fe w bl o c ks no r t h is G audi s Casa
M i l a / Ca s a Pedrera. M y f i r st evening
e n d e d w i t h G audi s m o st f am o us yet
s ti l l u n fi n ished c at hedral L a S agrad a Fa m i l ia. Ano t her huge sp ace de si gned by G audi i s Parc Gell.
L lu s D o m nec h i
M o nt aner s m aster p i ece i s t he
Palau de la M usic a Cat alana. I t s
wo r t h watc hi ng
a show just to
ex p er ience
t he
o r igi nal at m o sp here at ni ght.
Also, t here are
num ero us
ni ce
b a rs a ro und ( my p er so nal f avo r ite is
Anti c th e at re) .

The m o der n ar t i st s Pi cas s o a nd

M i ro b o t h have i ndivi dual mu s eu ms
i n B arcelo na t hat are quite different.
Yet my f avo r i te i s t he M us eo Natio na l de Ar te
Catalua
on M ontju ic.
The
mountain
a ls o offers
b e a u t i ful
green
s p a c e s ,
v iews
of
t he
cit y
(especially
f rom
the
Miramar
Mirador,
which has
a fu nicu la r
connect ion to the
h a r b o r )
a nd cu ltu ral i nst i t ut i o ns. M o st o f t h e Olympic
f ac i lit ies are also in t his area .
Fo r m o re info r m at io n o r other cit ies in Sp ai n [ Euro p e] , vis it http://
w w w.wavesandsk yscrapers.com/
b arcelo na/

12 Section
Food For Thought

Middle Earth - Shadow of Mordor

by Saad Ashar Jalees
Integrated Social Sciences 2017,
Pakistan

I lore and world of John Ron-

n a game based in the rich

ald Reuel (J. R. R) Tolkien - with

a few retcons here and there you are Talion, a ranger who has
been ordered to guard the Black
Gate and make sure that no evil
force ever cross its borders and
enter the lands of Gondor. Bored
yet? The game makers thought
so, because two minutes in, you
are attacked by a band of orcs.
After taking part in an excellently integrated fight tutorial, one
thing leads to a family tragedy
of Shakespearean proportions
and suddenly, Talion is being
sacrificed to resurrect an Elven
spirit.
The sacrifice is botched, and
now Talion lives between life
and death, playing host to an Elven wraith who is filled with life
lessons and very much willing to
lend Talion some of his strength
- all the better to slaughter orcs
and weaken Saurons Army.This
is where the game shines, the
combat so fluid its criminal.
What you have is a very violent
and swift killing machine who is
able to take 50-odd orcs headon. Numerous ways of dispensing deaths include beheadings,
flaming arrows, flaming swords,
throwing knives, teleportation
beheading and so much more.
The game also has a dash of parkour, as Talion can climb anything and everything that even
vaguely resembles a wall. This
makes the game so much more
fun, opening up a lot more options for the player when it
comes to approaching the enemy. This gives way for players to

adopt the stealthy

approach. Playing
as a stealthy character can be rewarding as you can
stop
strategically
annoying enemies
from bothering you
whilst you fight
the more power ful
ones.
This brings us to
the system that
has everyone in a
tizzy - the Nemesis
System. Every orc
starting from the
position of captain and up has a
unique personality,
with their own set
of strengths and
weaknesses (which
can be found out
through the clever
use of threatening orcs). Should they be able
to defeat you, whether by accident or intent, they will be
promoted and their weaknesses
will eventually change over to
strengths. The more you keep
on failing to kill that particular
orc, the higher the chance youll
end facing him as someone who
is invulnerable to everything.
This isnt exclusive to the Ccaptains either. Should a nameless orc (one of the countless
sword fodder) kill you, next time
theyll have a name with a new
title, an endearing personality
and strengths & weaknesses to
match. The best part is that they
will acknowledge you. Thell refer to the time you either failed
to kill them or how they killed
you before they engaged in
combat. Its a nice touch which
makes the fights have more of
a personal stake in them. This is

not a random dude youre fighting - this is an orc who has risen
up the ranks and become a fearsome opponent because you
have continuously failed to kill
him! This is one of the finest instances of organic storytelling I
have ever born witness to.
Story-wise, Shadow of Mordor
is nothing to write home about,
but in terms of gameplay and
mechanics, it is a gem. I heartily
recommend this, a beautifully
violent game, one thatll make
you want to come back for more.
Right now, Shadow of Mordor
can be bought on Steam for
49,99 EUR, though I personally
recommend waiting for the inevitable Game of the Year Edition . .

Waving to Apathy

Section 13
Food For Thought

14 Section
Food For Thought

Tuscany, Italy, Spring 2012