The 2014

Spotlight Winners
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What Is the Deal with Bitcoin?

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Jacobus 2014
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Jacobs University Student Newspaper Since 2004

PULSE
Behind the Departure of C3s College Masters
Jacobs, why they are important and what exactly has gone wrong for the C3 College Masters in the past two years.
Tell us first a bit about it means to be College Masters. What does it entail? ZEN: On the one hand, the most important function is within the college. We are role models for the students and have a very intimate connection with them almost like substitute parents really, or older brothers and sisters. Its about being there for students that are partly very young and coming from regions which they have left for the first time in their lives its the first time they leave their parent-protected space. I think that we have always tried to create a protective space for them here where they are away from their familiar space at home. Our other role is liaising with leadership and the administrative department. We are the link between the students and the admin meaning that we find ourselves in a sort of a mediating position between the two. So we are the ones that communicate the interests of the students to the leadership and the interests of the leadership back to the students.

OF THE WORLD
Issue 34 Thursday April 10, 2014

the

Why They Came, Why They Loved It, And Why They Have To Go

Letter from the Editor

DEAR POTW READERS, We suddenly find ourselves in the middle of the semester asking ourselves how the time flew so quickly. Nonetheless, the POTW is back once again to provide you with the opportunity to catch up in the midst of midterms and assignments with the latest news and events! A lot is going on some things all too suddenly. Some of these things are the current change processes taking place here at Jacobs. Initiatives are being taken but we have yet to see how these eventually manifest themselves. Our Jacobs Life section touches upon this. It also explores the upcoming departure of College Masters. Additionally, some big events such as Spotlight and Jacobus recently took place and you can find some information and recaps of them in this issue. Internationally, so much has been happening that we have decided that while it is impossible to cover it all, we can at least provide you with some important headlines and details to keep you informed. We also take a deeper look at the protests taking place in Turkey in the Outside the Bubble section. Last, but certainly not least (especially in this issue!), our Food for Thought section is filled with plenty of personal stories, opinions and creativity regarding everything from the Oscars to gender issues to the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We hope you enjoy the issue, thank everyone who contributed to it, as well as encourage you to share your thoughts and ideas about it or contribute to future issues. This is your platform to say what matters. Happy reading! BEST REGARDS, NADINE EL-NABLI

by Nadine El-Nabli

Integrated Social Sciences 2014, USA-Egypt

n March 26th, College 3 (C3) College Masters Aidan Boyle and zen Odag announced to the C3 community that, after two years as CMs, they would be resigning at the end of the Academic Year. This was met with much sadness and disappointment, but also understanding from the students. This announcement comes at a time during which the structural future of Jacobs Universitys college system is being questioned and discussed. In the midst of Jacobs current hustle and bustle, the C3 College Masters have been confronted with many problems of communication with administration leading them to decide to leave their College Master position; a position which they find quite crucial for the structure of the university and for the needs of the students especially. The Pulse of the World sat down with them on April 5th to discuss in more depth what role College Masters actually play at

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Farewell to the C3 College Masters EDITORIAL Letter from the Editor JACOBS LIFE Spotlight Winners About the Change Teams 1 1 4 5

The TEDx Conference Jacobus Impressions OUTSIDE THE BUBBLE Whats Going On in Turkey

5 7

USG 101 6 Sports Section 8 9

FOOD FOR THOUGHT Trouble in the USG Palestinian Children The Struggle of a Palestinian Aye, Aye Captain! Too Pretty for an Oscar?

11 12 13 13 14

Transphobia 14 Bitcoin 15

World Headlines 10
Find Us on Facebook or Catch Up at www.pulseoftheworld.com

02 Jacobs Life
AIDAN: Also, we have to look after the welfare of individual students that might have particular problems. They might have conflicts with their roommates, psychological problems, maybe even suffer from depression or are generally just overchallenged by this very intense academic environment. Some seek academic, career guidance, or want recommendation letters. We sit on university committees, student suspension appeals; we elaborate alcohol and emergency policies; we manage, coordinate and mediate; we have to deal with an enormous variety of issues. We are on-call 24/7 and recently have to get official cover if we leave campus for more than a day! The College Master position goes beyond a job, it is a vocation. It plays a critical role in the JU product. What drew you to this position? preciate the arts, especially dance, music and have been actively promoting them; we regularly involve students in our own performances. I have even created a music group with members from the outside community, the alumni and the students. Thats one of the dimensions that attracted us as well we thought it would be nice to be close to a great source of talent. What have been the best things about being College Masters and what were some challenges? ZEN: Well, the greatest thing about it is the college life and the fact that through our genuine connection with the students we are really seen as role models, and as supervisors we are highly respected by the students. This is a job that comes with hard times, while at the same time being severely affected personally. One of my happiest moments was representing students in difficulty at suspension appeals meetings and then seeing them graduate! ZEN: On the administrative side, the hardest part for us was the difficult relationship with our superordinate. We received very little moral support, little approval, or nothing very positive that would make us want to continue. AIDAN: The gap that exists between the colleges and the Administration needs to be bridged and communication greatly improved. We must all remember the colleges are a huge part of the JU brand! Could you shed some light on your reasons for leaving after two years as College Masters?

ZEN: We are an international couple so we feel at home in an interZEN: I would say national environment we have three reasons and we have a lot to for leaving; firstly, the give. In fact, we believe College Mastership we make an excellent takes a lot of time fit as College Masters away from our persobecause of this, because nal careers; in contrast we can cater to all theto all other College se different perspectiMasters on campus, ves - we know exactly we dont have the what the students are same amount of infragoing through and we structural support a can really be supportipost-doctoral student, ve; we are role models academic support, for them as well. But or any type of career also, our family life is so support. The College Masters at their last College 3 Winter dinner. much easier in this environment because ila is loso much approval from the students side, The second thing is that we committed to ved by the students and we have so many which is something very enriching. the College Mastership on the promise of babysitters! We think that life as a family certain conditions, which were also conwith children is a lot easier in a space like AIDAN: We would also like to acknow- tractually implied, for example, a formal the college. Its a paradox because from ledge the other College Masters because position for Aidan. He has been teaching the outside you probably have the impres- thats the team we worked in. We have quite a lot in our community [University sion that family life is actually not compa- heard rumors and stories from years and Study Courses] (USCs) and APS courses tible with a college where your privacy is years ago about College Masters not get- and he is also involved in the career serintruded on. But it hasnt been like that ting along very well. Contrary to this, this vices. So we actually came into the posifor us in fact, it is exactly the other way team of College Masters has worked very tion in the hope that JU would formalize around. We receive so much support for effectively together over the last two ye- his already existing multiple roles into a raising our child and we would have also ars, improving the support we offer and package to integrate him as a part-time very much liked to raise our second child generally unifying our college policies to lecturer/coach for the College Mastership in the college environment because it is so ensure an even better place for the stu- period. This didnt happen. Furthermore, supportive of families and creates an ex- dents to live. Its been a great experience it is contractually implied that I should cellent learning environment for children working with our colleagues. One of our get support for my academic career as a that are as international as ours. most emotionally difficult experiences compensation for my College Master duwas losing one of our students to cancer. ties, but that didnt materialise either. We AIDAN: One of the other driving forces That was heart-breaking and one of the were frequently consoled with words that to become a College Master is the fact most demanding moments of our lives. It it would eventually happen, we just had that we are very social. We enjoy ming- is always a challenge to deal with peoples to wait a little longer - but it never maling with the students and attending the well-being and to support them through terialized. So we feel quite let down and different community events. We both ap-

Jacobs Life 03
very nave in having signed up just based on trust. AIDAN: Yes, that is very disappointing. Career development is something that is important to everyone who is working at JU. We have to ask, what is the effectiveness of the JU dual career policy in our case? ZEN: Thirdly, and most importantly, we could have probably coped with all of this, but we have gone through such an amount of psychological distress concerning communication with our superordinate that our position is no longer tenable. We do not feel supported, nor do we feel respected. This is a job where you really need the backing of your superordinates, otherwise you are constantly in danger of not being supported for the decisions that you sometimes have to make in a college on behalf of students. And if you are not fully backed up by administration you find yourself in a very vulnerable position. Where are you headed/would you like to be headed after leaving as College Masters? AIDAN: Well, zens employment continues for a number of years until 2017. She is obviously going to focus more on her on-going commitments and research at BIGSSS and evolve her career plan through that. On the contrary, I find myself having to radically change my game plan! But I always enjoy a good challenge and this opportunity gives me a chance to focus more on selling my technology expertise to prominent institutes and businesses in the Bremen/Hamburg area. I am excited about having more time to network and I will also be aggressively promoting my previous international business and marketing experience. Any more comments on your departure? ZEN: Strangely, there is a rumour that the colleges are malfunctioning and that the internal system of the colleges doesnt work well and should be restructured and reorganized; well, that is not the case at all. In fact, in C3 we have a highly functional team with an outstanding college office manager (Rob), excellent resident associates and student team. I believe that we have had probably one of the most functional and effective teams on campus. And we strongly believe that if conflicts do arise, it is nothing systemic but rather personal issues. And because of this harmoniously functioning team we have a very attractive and rewarding atmosphere in our college. The key to success in all colleges is based on the promotion of an excellent working and living environment we treat each other with integrity and mutual respect; we consider all team members contributions and needs. Our College 3 group is one of the most effective groups we have ever worked in. AIDAN: We feel that we probably have even the best-run college on campus. Of course some of the other College Masters may contest that! On our arrival, we quickly found common ground and through conversation and dialogue we achieved an excellent equilibrium. We listen to everyones problems; we act on the teams suggestions, and implement immediate solutions to problems. ZEN: So, despite rumours that we are leaving because it is too challenging here for our family, we want to make it very clear that, on the contrary, C3 has been great for us, and our College Master colleagues are wonderful! We are leaving for reasons that are totally unrelated to our life in the college and our personal lives. And that is why we are also quite disappointed. The job itself has been highly fulfilling, and it is non-college related reasons that led us to make this very difficult decision. AIDAN: Moving on, we want to work with people that really make us feel they want us in their team. We want to feel like we are working towards a well-defined goal, and that there is integrity, honesty and transparency on behalf of all people involved; we want to be in a team which reflects our own values - where each member is respected, appreciated and compensated for their contributions to a common mission. Whats your fondest memory from these past two years as college masters? What will you miss most? AIDAN: As College Masters, weve been very involved with the students, for example supporting the rowing club, the badminton club, bringing them out mountain biking and jogging, and teaching them dancing. We take part in activities like Arts Olympix and Sports Olympix and were in there with the students, screaming and shouting with excitement! Also, it has been fascinating how you can watch a 17-year old come in as a total greenhorn kid, and then in one or two years see them transform into a mature man or woman. It has really been a great experience to

MEET THE STAFF

Editor-In-Chief Nadine El-Nabli Executive Board Members Franziska Ehlert Sarah Reitz Section Editors Lisa-Marlen Gronemeier Beenish Waris Emre Yildiz Copy Editors Christopher Michael Casebeer Paola Solimena Lorna Schuette Layout Designer Ciara Mulvaney
watch that process take place and to be part of it. ZEN: Finally, it is heartbreaking for us to leave the students, many of whom have been like big brothers and sisters, and role models, to ila. It is a shame our new baby wont have that privilege. Are there any last words you would like to say to the College 3 students? Or anyone else? AIDAN: I think we would like to say that they should try and nurture the type of relationship that weve had together with them in terms of our honesty with each other, our integrity in terms of what we believe in, and always move towards a common goal. Also, be appreciative of each other and of anyone they are working with. Be respectful. That will nurture positive relationships and a positive environment. ZEN: I would like to add that it has been a privilege for us to be part of the C3 community, not just through our role as College Masters, but also as friends and older brothers and sisters. I think that the experience we had in C3 I believe from the student perspective as well was a luxury that not everyone will have in his or her life and this is something we will keep in our memories always. From the Pulse of the World, we thank you so much for your time. You will certainly be missed as College Masters at Jacobs but we wish you the best of luck!

04 Jacobs Life

Spotlight 2014
The Winners

The TEDx Conference at Jacobs

by Yingzhao Zhu
Integrated Social Sciences 2016, China

The Tree of Life

arch 23rd was a busy day for Jacobs Universitys campus because of this special and exciting event. After more than three months of careful planning, preparing, and hard work by the five organizing committees and the four main organizers, TEDxJacobsUniversity was finally here! TEDxJacobsUniversity was divided into 3 parts: an opening during which a TED introduction video of the history and mission of TED talks was streamed, followed by seven talks from internal and external speakers and four streamed TED talks, and ending with a post reception. The event took place in the IRC Conference Hall with live streaming in Conrad Naber Lecture Hall at 12:15pm. However, the organizers tasks started at 10am as they were in charge of setting up and the receiving visitors. From projectors and microphones to cookies and drinks for the breaks, everything was perfectly set before the event started. The large amount of arriving guests and students made for a great turnout at the event. Your mum must have asked you to sleep well, not to smoke, drink less, but must have missed thisAppreciate the molecular maintenance machinery, concluded Dr. Martin Denzel in his talk on How Genetics Help to Understand Aging. He gave the listeners an insight into genetics and their impact on human aging. It was followed by an interactive activity for exchanging ideas and scientific fun facts during which all of the guests, students, and speakers were able to meet, talk, and discuss fun facts related to science. The talks offered by the speakers covered a wide range of topics, especially focusing on neuroscience, biology and the correlation between science and developing society. The second talk by Dr. Derric Nimmo was about mosquitos it was exciting to see that such a small insect can contain so much biological knowledge - nature is full of magic! Subsequently, speaker Tilak KC offered a personal talk: Depression and Academics, which mainly revolved around his own experiences dealing with depression and

bipolar disorder while attending university. After the live talks and two streamed talks, the guests and speakers paused for refreshments whilst continuing the amazing exchange of ideas. The second half of the event contained four more live talks and two streamed talks filled with inspiration. Starting with Dr. Onur Gntrkns talk on "Cognition without Cortex, and finishing with Dr. Axel Langes talk "Darwins Dilemma, the students and guests enjoyed high quality academic presentations along with relaxing jokes and fun facts. Prof. Steven Ney, one of the internal speakers, talked about How D-Thinking Could Put Social Entrepreneurs Out of Business, which opened up the listeners minds to the sociological side of science with some general ideas and concepts. In comparison, the talk by Dr. Micha Drukker on "Embryogenesis 2.0 focused on biology. Interested listeners found this inspiring and insightful. Finally, one of the streamed talks and the last talk - was Keith Barrys Brain Magic a demonstrative talk about psychological magic and creating empathic links. In his talk he referred to it as voodoo and a magical way to control peoples minds, while he performed incredible tricks. Still in the mood for voodoo, the moderator tried his own magic on the four main organizers; then finally, he expressed his gratitude to the guests and speakers for the successful event and it ended. The post reception started at 17:30 in the IRC foyer. On the menu were delicious finger foods supplied by Apetito. The guests and students had extensive talks about the different fields and a great time mingling with other people. With 80 students and 20 external guests present at the actual event, this years TEDxJacobsUniversity was a big success. It surely promoted the academic exchange among speakers and interested listeners as well as spread inspiring ideas in rapidly developing fields. Final remark: Huge shout out to our wonderful main organizers Annelie Muehler, Oana Gurau, Yohana Tesfamariam, and Anja Djokic and to the entire organizing team! You guys did an amazing job!

Mondegreen by Myles Trifon

Instrumental

Photo Source Andrea Prieto

Asian Jhatka
Dance

Project Stonehenge
Entertainment

Bluegrass Lullaby by Jan-David Franke

Singing

Jacobs Life 05

Achtung! Changes Happening!

Introducing the Change Teams
[3] Academic Programs and Research (e.g. including better German courses, expanding transdisciplinary courses and research, summer internship and exchange programs); [4] Process Organization (e.g. implement focus areas, adapt existing university structure, develop infrastructure for change process, hire new deans for some majors); [5] Transfer & Executive education (further programs and communication issues). According to the change team members, the student representatives have already been introduced to the respective administration and staff, and the first restructuring meeting has already taken place. Besides, even if the change process contains many discussion points (around 80 for now), the change teams and the leadership will try not to disturb regular orders of the ongoing academic and societal life here on campus. In the second student assembly, the new change team introduced the results from the Vision 2018 workshops, the change teams with each members responsibility and focus areas, in combination with the third workshop and the #7 leadership letter how will the changing process affect the student body and what can the students do to make the policies better? As the ideas of Vision 2018 already emerged in the first workshop, the #7 leadership letter introduced six strategic goals for the year 2018: the clear implementation of the explored focus areas: health, mobility, and diversity; securing the leading scholars in each focus areas in Germany and in the world; developing attractive undergraduate programs with the admission ratio of 1:6 at least; access to 4 million Euro externally funded financial solutions for the talents that cannot cover the expense; contribution margin more
by Yingzhao Zhu
Integrated Social Sciences 2016, China

ven with a much smaller audience and less impact on the discourse on campus, the second student assembly, which took place on March 14 in ICC Conference Hall, still achieved its goal: to introduce the USG, the young learner position, the change teams and the changing process after the new president entered the stage. Since the previous president Prof. Dr. Peitgen resigned, the question of where will the university be heading to has been in the focus, no matter where: on campus, in Bremen and in Germany. As a private university, Jacobs is an innovation that challenges the norm of the university education system in Germany. Even though Jacobs showed excellent academic achievements since its foundation, its situation seems to get worse as time passes by, facing financial problems and previously a decreasing participation of the student body in the decision-making process. After President Windt was appointed predsident, the leadership started to organize workshops in order to promote the communication with the student body and the community, and one of the first measures are change teams and workshops. What is the change team, then? Ten undergraduates will join the five teams composed of administration and staff in the discussion about further proceedings. The five teams deal with separate areas: [1] Admission, Fundraising and Alumni (e.g. empower the alumni, restructure financial aid, and target demographics); [2] Marketing and Communications (e.g. increase awareness locally and globally);

Change Team I Admission, Fundraising & Alumni Main: Mike Lamsfu Deputy: Yulia Zatula Change Team II Marketing & Communications Main: Tobias Schraink Deputy: Fiona Harnischfeger Change Team III Academic Programs & Research Main: Hanna Smidt Deputy: Yohana Tesfamariam Change Team IV Process Organization Main: Nicholas Lee Deputy: Akber Jafri Change Team V Transfer, Executive Education Main: Frdrique Mittelstaedt Deputy: Siegfried Wegmann

than 30%, and the annual negative result no higher than 6.9 Mio. Euro. In addition, the third workshop has already formed a team composed of four undergraduate students, four graduate students, and six professors to propose further steps on exploring the updated focus areas with meetings beginning in the coming days. The university is still in the theoretical exploration and open debate period, so it is easy to understand students anxiety with regards to the changes. The restructuring process has already launched with formed change teams taking part, and the program cuts will first be implemented in 2018. These changed are about the student body, so ideas, suggestions and advice are more than welcome at any time by anyone to the change team or to the USG. The change teams and USG will keep updating information on the details of the changing process open to the students, and accelerate the process as much as they can.

06 Jacobs Life: USG 101

USG: 2nd Change Assembly

by Yingzhao Zhu
Integrated Social Sciences 2016, China

Q: The change team needs to go to people. Why does the change team have no clear idea on students ideas? A: The change team updates the USG and presumably the student body. We are reaching out on limited impact to all students. Also, the change team members should actively seek communication with students. Q: Is there a regular platform for everyone to participate? A: Participation is a really nice idea. We could have casual lunching meeting for communication. Also, all USG meetings are open. We are discussing carrying out informal lunch meetings at the same time, and we will make sure discussion still has a clear direction. Q: If I have new input, how should I send it? A: There are USG email addresses to which you can send your proposals/ ideas to, and we are trying to figure out how the information channel will work. Q: Students are interested in the change process but dont see any changes now or at least not yet When will students be updated? A: As soon as the change teams start working, thats when we will all know whats going to happen. Change teams will be directly involved in the concrete actions going through structures and policies. Q: How will the USG be involved in the major cutting process? A: Nothing has been conclusively cut or set yet. The change teams are discussing these decisions. Besides, the change teams would be looking into the details as they go there would be more focusing and re-focusing rather than cutting. Contact Us at usg.secretariat@jacobs-university.de

Jacobs Life 07

08 Jacobs Life

Catch Up on the Latest News and Results Jacobs Running Club

by Darlina Mamaqi
Foundation Year, Albania
When was the club founded? Captain Siegfried Wegmann: Back in the days, maybe 4-5 years ago, a PhD student named Claudius Hardt founded the Track & Field Club. He gathered a few friends and went to the biggest relay in the north of Germany, the Race between the seas (Lauf zwischen den Meeren). Over time, more people joined our ranks and participated in races off campus. At the beginning of this academic year, we renamed the club to Running Club. How many races do you participate in? SW: Usually we participate in 4-6 races per semester. We race everywhere: from along the Weser river to Hamburg and Oldenburg. This year we are even planning to attend a race in Gttingen. Running with 500-1000 other people off campus is an amazing experience. We were always very fortunate with the weather and the tracks in places like Oldenburg are just breathtakingly beautiful. I love to run through these tiny German neighborhoods where parents with their kids cheer for everyone. And every time we run through these gorgeous, old forests I forget for a moment that I have homework, papers and presentations waiting for me at home. How does the practice work? SW: We offer five running sessions per week. Attending one session per week is mandatory but we encourage everyone to come at least twice a week, especially when we are preparing for an upcoming race. When we meet at the tennis court we decide on the track and the distance (anything between 5-10km). Any last thoughts? SW: There is more to this club than simply running on and off campus. We are a group of friends who are there for one another. We share the good days and the bad days and if someone thinks they cannot run any further or faster, we are there for support and motivation. Just a few days ago we cooked together, once a semester we all go out for dinner and after Spring Break we also want to go climbing. Spending time together outside the running sessions makes us grow together even more and I love that about this club.

The Sports Desk

Mens Basketball
Last Game Results: 09 March

JACOBS

76:68 BREMEN 1860 IV 53:31 5:1 JACOBS 0:7 JACOBS

Womens Basketball
Last Game Results: 30 March

JACOBS SG BEVERSTEDT

Mens Football
Last Game Results: 23 March

KSV MED

Womens Football
Last Game Results: 23 March

FC BURG

A Basketball Interview
by Darlina Mamaqi
Foundation Year, Albania

he Mens Basketball team ended the season on 9th March. It was a good one, characterized by more wins than losses. Lets know more about the last events. The following is an interview with Henrik Thomsen, captain of the basketball team. How did you start playing basketball? HT: During my childhood, I lived in the US for 2 years and when I was seven years old, I joined the winter basketball club there for the first time. When I was ten years old, I returned to Germany. First I joined a handball club, and then I continued to play basketball for a specific age group club in Vegesack. We used to have practice twice a week, and the coaches were not the best, but just okay. Then, in high school, the coach was really good and he wanted to create a basketball team to represent the school and not the local surroundings, and he made it. Also, I participated with my team in Olympia, in Berlin, where we presented Bremen. Your last match was on 9th March and you won. How did you feel about it? HT: The match was pretty cool. We were really happy that we won our last home game. It was a close game: during all periods we were in advance. Important is that during the whole season people have come to see us play, especially the basketball girls. Additionally, we as a team were offering free food to encourage people to come. Each of the teams gave mon-

ey and we managed it perfectly. I hope more people will show up to see us and I hope we will continue on winning. After all, it is more fun playing basketball for Jacobs than for local Bremen clubs. Did you celebrate after the match ended? HT: Actually, no. We were just happy that we won. We are planning to organize something with the basketball girls, after their last match on 3rd April. What are your expectations for next season? HT: I will graduate this semester, but I am pretty sure that Tyler, the co-captain, will keep the team going. I hope it will be fun as always and enough people will show up. We have been in the league for two years now, and this season we ended up in the 5th place from a total of 8 places. In the preceding years I hope the team will participate in a basketball tournament, where it can properly represent Jacobs University. I am satisfied because our goal as a team was to create a platform of competitive basketball, and we achieved it. Are you willing to play for a higher category? HT: No, I am not. It sounds more logical to stay in this league, because the practice twice a week and a match for week fits the schedule. Jacobs is essential for academics. So if we are part of a higher league, the guest matches will be hours away, and it means we will have to spend a whole weekend with trips and games. It would only make sense if Jacobs offered sport scholarships.

Outside the Bubble 09

What Is Going On?

The News on Turkey
people marched to the Park to resist the government which was increasingly using police violence as a political tool against opposition. The protests were not solely the accumulation of resentment against oppressive discourse at an arbitrary moment. It was the police violence pulled the trigger: without this material condition, the Gezi Park would not be the symbol which gives its name to the biggest social movement of Turkey. Erdoan dismissed the protestors as a bunch of apulcu (looters) and blamed them to act illegitimate, illegal and immoral. Erdoans discourse stimulated the transformation of a small environmentalist protest into the biggest social movement in all over Turkey materialized at the Gezi Park. Ironically, the protestors embraced the term apuling to describe their collective struggle anti-democratic government while rejecting any other labeling. So indeed, protestors participated the protests individually (94,3%) and the majority were not affiliated with any political organizations (79%). They resisted against restrictions on freedoms and oppressive discourse of Erdoan. A total of 87% believes that their rights and freedoms are officially violated by the government. Protestors were mainly outsiders of the national will: middle class with secular life style, socially disadvantaged groups, the LGBT individuals, religious and ethnic minorities such as Alevis and Kurdish citizens. AFTER THE GEZI PROTESTS The protests succeed to save the Gezi Park due to peoples strong resistance, constitutional and legal struggle over the project and domestic and international solidarity with the protestors. But the Gezi Park was just a symbol of resistance by the people who are not allowed to pose any challenge or opposition against the government. The resistance was punished: over three thousand arrests were made, more than eight thousand people left injured. Erdoan aggressively ignored criticisms and condemnations over police violence; indeed he said that the police had written a heroic saga during the protests. Erdoan has never offered his condolences for the loss of lives due to the police violence. The number of civilian death toll increased to 7 re-

by Ece Gven
M.A. International Relations 2015, Turkey

Where there is power, there is resistance. says Foucault. Perhaps, timeless wisdom of Foucaults quote says something about the protests all over the world. What is going on in Turkey is nothing less than a legitimacy crisis of a democracy and resistance of people against power. Since the summer of 2013, millions of people in Turkey protesting the Justice and Development Party government and the Prime Minister Tayyip Erdoan. The recent death of a 15 year of Berkin Elvan as a victim of police violence and the ban of Twitter has reignited the flame shortly before approaching local elections. UNDERSTANDING THE NEW SOCIAL MOVEMENT OF TURKEY With its roots in political Islam, the JDP has been ruling Turkey since 2002 as a democratically elected government in secular Turkey. Erdoan and his party has always been a matter of anxiety regarding democracy and secularism. After winning the last elections in 2011 with almost half of the votes cast, Erdoan publicly promised to be the PM of other half of the population as well in order to address the criticisms about increasingly authoritarian attitudes of the regime. However, the JDP began to employ a new style of hegemony which seeks to articulate the neoliberal defense of the free market economy with an oppressive and conservative discourse which openly polarized the society as proponents and opponents of the JDP Moreover, Erdoan made many public statements about individuals private lives such as how to arrange family, gender and sexuality, abortion, alcohol consumption, media and internet, religion, popular culture and art, dress codes, social morality. THE GEZI PROTESTS The protests started as a small environmental protest upon another controversial urban planning project of the JDP municipality in Istanbul proposed to build a shopping mall and private residences that includes the cutting down the trees in the Gezi Park. On May 28, 2013 few environmental activists occupied the park to block the bulldoze of one of the few remaining green spaces in the European center of Istanbul. On May 31, the police intervened in the park very early in the morning when protestors were caught up in their sleep. The police attacked peaceful protestors by excessive use of teargas and water cannons and burned down their tents. The initial police intervention became the turning point of the protests. After this brutal and disproportionate police violence, thousands of

cently: On his way to buy bread for his family during the protests of last summer, Berkin was hit on the head by the tear gas canister and survived in coma for 269 days. He passed away on 11 March 2014. People both in Istanbul and over 30 cities took the streets to bid farewell to Berkin in one of the most crowded funerals in Turkish history. Police intervened to people who were protesting over Berkins murder. Later that day 22 year old Burak Can was killed by a gunshot on the sidelines of a police crackdown on protesters. Although the murder remains unsolved, Erdogan praised Burak as a martyr while blaming protestors mourning for Berkin as the murderer of Burak. He also defined Berkin as a terrorist and defended the police. This instance represents the peak point of Erdoans polarizing discourse. And this discourse is the one of the most crucial facts to understand the protests in Turkey besides police violence. The JDP, which is ruling Turkey over a decade, has been challenged not only by the protests but currently by the biggest corruption scandal in Turkish history including allegations against the key JDP members. Social media played the most significant role both in mobilization and communication of the protests due to censorship in mainstream Turkish media which has been strictly controlled by the government. "There is now a menace which is called Twitter, Erdogan said during the protests. "To me, social media is the worst menace to society. After audio recordings on social media exposed alleged government corruption, Erdoan threatened to shut down Twitter and other social media platforms that challenging his authority. We will wipe out all of these, he said. "The international community can say this, can say that. I dont care at all. Following Erdoans statements, Twitter has been officially banned in Turkey. Shortly after the ban, Twitter use breaks new record in Turkey. Foucault was right! Where there is power, there is resistance.

Photo Source Australian Broadcasting Corporation

10 Outside the Bubble

528 PEOPLE SENTENCED TO DEATH BY THE EGYPTIAN COURT

Since the removal of President Morsi by the military, there has been a harsh crackdown against the supporters of Morsi. In the recent trial the court sentenced 528 of the 1200 Morsi supporters on trial to death. They are expected to appeal against the decision (BBC News).

World Headlines

CHILE STRUCK BY AN 8.2 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE: TSUNAMI WARNING ISSUED

Earthquake struck the northern parts of the country at 20:46 local time (23:46 GMT. The epicenter was estimated to be around 86km north-west of the mining area of Iquique. Some areas were hit by high waves forty-five minutes after the earthquake. The three northern areas have been considered disaster zones and evacuation efforts are ongoing (Google News).
FUKUSHIMA NUCLEAR DISASTER DOES NOT ACCELERATE THE CHANCES OF GETTING CANCER:

Photo Source BBC

Photo Source CBC News

Three years after the nuclear power plant disaster took place research conducted by United Nations has dismissed the idea that exposure to this radiation would cause the chances of cancer to increase in the population (ntv.de).
THAILANDS ARMY CHIEF DOES NOT CONSIDER MILITARY TAKEOVER AMIDST THE PROTESTS

General Prayuth Chan-ocha clearly ruled out the option of a military take-over as the Thai capital braced itself for continuing protests against the government as the elections draw nearer. The red-shirts or pro-regime protests were also anticipated (Google News).
TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ERDOGANS PARTY AKP EMERGED VICTORIOUS IN THE RECENT ELECTIONS DESPITE THE CONTROVERSY SURROUNDING HIM.

Photo Source Daily News Egypt

FRENCH PRESIDENT HOLLANDE CHANGES MOST OF HIS CABINET MINISTER AFTER THE RECENT MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS LOSS

UNITED STATES PUT DIPLOMATIC PRESSURE ON RUSSIA TO WITHDRAW ITS TROOPS FROM THE EAST BORDER OF UKRAINE

Party for Justice and Development (AKP) won against the main opposition party Republican Peoples Party (CHP) with 45.6% votes. CHP meanwhile were only able to get 27.8% of the votes (secim. haberler.com). This victory came after the ban on Twitter and YouTube were imposed in Turkey.

Right wing parties such as Front Nationale parties won a greater majority in the recent elections. This resulted in President. This the French president to regain the initiative after the Socialists lost power in 155 of Frances largest towns (online.wsj.com).

President Obama demands removal of Russian troops from the border of Ukraine on the grounds that this presence is intimidating and causes insecurity among the people of Ukraine (BBC News).

Food For Thought 11

Trouble in the USG

by Anonymous
o you know what the USG has been working on lately? No? Neither does anyone else. No, this is no exaggeration. For a group of young parliamentarians who campaigned on a platform of transparency, representation, student dignity, and effective student government, the reality is quite bleak. To begin with, minutes of student government meetings are to be made available to the student body. However, the last time this happened was the first week of October 2013no effort has been made since to increase student knowledge of decisions made by the USG. Committee reports have not been published to the USGs website since Spring 2013. Upon realizing that the USG does not fulfill its responsibility to inform students about what it is doing, I decided to find out what the average student knows about current events in the USG. In conversations with fellow students it became clear that few students even know when or where the USG meetings take place, much less what has been going on. One student commented: As far as anyone knows the USG does not do anything except have lemonade stands. What I, and others, would like to know is why is the USG is not making an effort to involve the student body and disseminate information to students? What are theyour elected officialsactually doing? Beyond the general lack of communication, I have to come to discover that members within the USG are engaging in unethical practices that should really be known and scrutinized by the student body. I refer specifically to an agreement between the housing committee and a group of Computer Science students approached with the task of creating a platform for handling the application and assignment of student rooms. The group of students agreed to take on the project of fixing the old platform, amending the code, and making it more open to future maintenance. In return they asked for the privilege to hand-select their rooms for next year. After some negotiations both parties settled on a two point bonus. A considerable bonus, but not unfair for the work they would put into designing this. The housing committee originally (non-bindingly) agreed, but when approached by the possibility of campus life taking over the project, abruptly cancelled their arrangement with the CS students. Finally when the campus life deal fell apart, the CS students were again asked if they would

take up the project. It was not until the students had begun their work on project that they were informed that the original agreement for payment would not be honored. Upon voicing their disagreement, the students were accused by the housing committee chair of exploiting the USGs desperation and blackmailing the USG. Understandably the students felt attacked, cheated, and were given the impression that the Housing committee never intended to honor their agreement. The USG meeting on April 6th spiraled into an uncontrolled argument about whether or not the agreement that was negotiated in order to salvage the housing process for this year will be honored. The housing chair claimed that it is not fair for the students to get an advantage in room selection and that they should be compensated differently. The students position was that it does not matter who makes the platform or how they are paid, but they cannot tolerate being treated in the manner they were treated by the housing committee. The final resolution was that the students will build the new platform and the original form of payment, bonus points in the housing application, will be honored. Furthermore, the USG agreed that the Chair of the Housing Committee will apologize to the CS students for his statements and actions. However, in discussing the need to apologize anothercompletely unne-

cessaryargument erupted. The Chair of the Housing Committee attempted to reassert his position that they should not be given an advantage in room selection and we should look for other options. A Representative of the Computer Science students working on the new housing application platform retorted: Youre treating us as if we are your latenight booty call. To which the Chair of the Housing Committee replied: Thats because you are. An apology is expected within the week; however, given the way this situation unfolded and how poorly it was handled, I am extremely interested in seeing how this apology will be carried out.

12 Food For Thought

Children of the Occupation

A Palestinian Childhood
jected to inhumane practices such as public caging, exposure to extreme weather conditions, threats and acts of sexual violence, and military trials without representation. A UNICEF report on the issue states that children have been threatened with death, physical violence, solitary confinement and sexual assault, against themselves or a family member Most children confess at the end of the interrogation (UNICEF report, 2014, pg.17). The grotesque act of terrorizing children by an occupying force has created persisting psychological problems according to several testimonies. The brutal and hateful nature of these arrests is not only well documented, but is easily found through research. Assuming the duties normally under police authority elsewhere, it is often the heavily armed soldiers who perform night time arrests (between midnight and 5:00 am). In many other instances, children are arrested on their way back from school. Last year, Wadie Maswadeh, a 5-year-old Palestinian child was also arrested for throwing stones, was later released. The evidence indicates nothing less than a system of fear and intimidation designed to break not only the children, but ultimately their parents as well. It is worth mentioning that while Israeli children would never be subjected to the same treatment described above (as this is against Israeli law), the government of Israel denies that same right to Palestinian children. Indeed, equality does not extend even to the youngest of Palestinians. It is understood that in no other country are children systematically tried by juvenile military courts that, by definition, fall short of providing the necessary guarantees to ensure

by Fadi Abu Jabal

International Politics and History 2014, Jordan

have decided to dedicate this brief piece on the topic of a practice in the occupied West Bank that is too often ignored and underreported. After Israels military occupation of the West bank after the Six Day War in 1967, numerous atrocities have been committed by the occupying forces. This includes, -but is not limited to - house demolitions, the construction of colonies and checkpoints, the abuse of Palestinian children, and the flagrant impunity with which these human rights offenses are committed. In many cases, the army kidnaps Palestinian children as young as 12 years old and holds them in Israeli administrative detention without chance of bail. According to the Defense for Children International; Each year approximately 500-700 Palestinian children (12-17 years) from the West Bank are prosecuted in Israeli military courts after being arrested, interrogated and detained by the Israeli army, police or security agents. It is estimated that since the year 2000, around 7,500 Palestinian children have been detained and prosecuted in the system (Defense for Children International-Urgent Appea, UA 1/12) As of January 2014, it was reported by Defense for Children International (DCI) that 183 children between the ages of 12-17 were incarcerated in Israeli Prisons. According to a January 2014 report by The Public Committee Against Torture in Israel (PCATI), children suspected of minor crimes (such as throwing stones at armed vehicles) were sub-

respect for their rights.the ill-treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system appears to be widespread, systematic and institutionalized(UNICEF Report, February 2013). It is important to reiterate that the soldiers operating in the occupied territories act with almost absolute impunity, as they are in most cases exempt from consequences for human rights violations. As a recent Amnesty International report states, The frequency and persistence of arbitrary and abusive force against peaceful protesters in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers and police officers and the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators suggests that it is carried out as a matter of policy (Amnesty Int., Feb. 2014). The same report even went so far to declare the soldiers operating in the West Bank and Gaza Trigger-Happy. There are many anecdotes that attest to this brutality. A 13 year old Palestinian school girl named Iman al-Hams was wandering in a refugee camp near an Israeli watchtower in Gaza when she was shot 17 times and murdered. The killer, an Israeli army Capitan (who had made it clear he identified her as a little girl who was scared to death), had emptied the entire magazine of his automatic rifle into her lifeless body. The Capitan later stated that he would have repeated the assault, even if the wandering child had been as young as three years old. In what has become a sadly predictable outcome for such atrocities, he was tried for minor offenses and acquitted of all charges by an Israeli court. When Imans father was asked to comment on the verdict, he had this to say: The soldier murdered her once and the court has murdered her again. What is the message? They are telling their soldiers to kill Palestinian children(The Guardian). In another incident last Wednesday, Yusef Abu Aker Shawamreh, (age 14) was also shot dead. The boy and his friends, in an attempt to help their families make what amounts to 1 dollar a day, were trying to harvest a wild plant near the separation barrier in Gaza (Amira Hass). The point I am trying to make here is that these cases are not unique. The systematic abuse of Palestinian children and the utter disregard for human life displayed by the occupation forces is not the exception, but rather the rule. Though this brief essay cant provide adequate information regarding the entire travesty, if you want to know more on the topic dont hesitate to ask or to conduct your own research into the matter.

Photo Source Khaleel Reash/MaanImages

Food For Thought 13

by Nada Hashweh

The Struggle of Being Palestinian

to me a place where I stood freezing in the winter, studying on its ground while I wait for soldiers to open the gates, met children who try to sell chewing gum in order to help support their families, old women who shared their stories, and shop-owners who offered me to stay in their stores while shootings and teargas were all over the place. Then the refugee camps, a whole new environment and symbol of strength. In refugee camps, you have a room that fits 12 people; around 2 or 3 families live in one room, cook and help each other. Occupation is insecurity, the fear of walking in the street looking like an Arab because you can be harassed, attacked, and shot. Occupation is the absence of the right to live peacefully, where my neighbors house was demolished and an Israeli settlement was built. Occupation is falling asleep while crying and wishing that my dad will stay alive in Gaza, that our house is not the next bombing target. Occupation is the discrimination, the humiliation, the unfairness of life, the unequal rights to education, health, jobs, security, safety, movement, freedom of speech, and hope. Despite all the struggles, and the trauma that I live in, I have been honestly blessed and lucky to be a Palestinian. Normal families try to protect their children when they are young hoping that once they are mature, they will be able to face reality. As a Palestinian, my family wasnt able to provide me with this comfort zone; by the age of 10 I had already witnessed the roughness of life, and the misery of people. People ask me how didnt I give up until now? And my answer is my nation. I am inspired by every Palestinian who resists under daily struggle. I am inspired by the smile on the childrens faces behind their pain, by the generosity of people, by Palestinians ability to not give up when life is brutal, by their passion, dreams, and strength under occupation. Being a Palestinian is the richest lesson I have learnt, one can truly see the world in a different light but that will never stop me from dreaming, hoping, and doing.

Aye,Aye Captain!
by Gustav Geier
.30 in the morning. The sun is rising, the tension is rising. The tide was never so low in the Lesum River, we were never so deep in the water. The air was never so foggy, the minds were never so clear: One wrong decision, one wrong stroke and the race is lost. It is getting serious, the time is running down: 3, 2, 1 Row! Eight sculls are pushed into the water, eight legs are pushed against the footplates, four women are moving, four braids are jiggling, two women on stroke, two women on bow, one boat and one rhythm. High finishes! Strong finishes! Harder on stroke! Harder on bow! Together! The rowers are looking at the waves, the sky and the sea gulls behind them. Keep your eyes in the boat! The cox is the only one that can see what is coming up, what is in front of the boat. She has the power to steer the boat but is dependent on her crews power to move the boat. Without movement, there wont be steering. Currently, President Windt is steering the Jacobs University Boat. She has decided to follow an entirely new route by not only looking straight but also looking back to her crew and asking them: Where do you want to go? What are your strengths and weaknesses? Is the balance off? Where is your finish line for a successful race? However, this transparency expressed in the Leadership Letters combined with perfectionism leaves room for obvious weaknesses: Are fundamental changes only financial ones or do they also involve character changes? I made the decision for [] focus areas whereas Health, Mobility and Diversity sound more like Apetitos desperate New Years pledges. And how good is our cox if she even listens to low-voice rumors in the crew, I would like to repeat that the rumor [] lacks any basis in fact, and does not see the stock of a tree in front of the boat? This leads us to several questions: Is she only writing letters or walking the talk? Can we see her only as a good cox or as a captain with a captain having not only power over the steering but also responsibility for the rowers? But as the outcome of this years Hanse Boat Race against the HSBA remains unclear, so do these questions. Until then, let us practice hard and make improvements for our university, for our crew! Jacobs community, girls and guys, lets move the boat! To President Windt: Aye, aye, captain, steer us out of the crisis!

Integrated Social and Cognitive Psychology 2015, Palestine

find it very difficult to find the words to describe the reality Palestinians face daily. Im tired of providing facts, and numbers, as this will make me take the medias role in putting a number on a persons life. Occupation to me isnt only army forces or a war zone or tanks and guns. Occupation to me is a struggle that I have lived for the past 20 years and will continue to live through for the rest of my life. Starting with having no passport, to having so great trouble applying for a visa to any country I want to visit, and knowing that in most cases the visa application will be rejected. Moving to the airports where I am always taken out of the cue, in order to be searched individually (in most cases almost naked) and my bags completely unfolded and searched for hours. Next, is the apartheid wall, which will amaze you by its very high concrete wall structure and electric wires and cameras on top of it, demolishing many farms and schools as it is built through them to cut off Jerusalem from the West Bank. Then there are the checkpoints, which I would describe as zoo-cages; made out of metal cages and soldiers giving orders on when one can pass. Going to school in the West Bank from my house in Jerusalem was like a trip for me. It would take around 1.5-2 hours or even more (when it can take to max 15 minutes without checkpoints). Its sad to say this, but Qalandias checkpoint became a second home

14 Outside the Bubble

Public Ridicule Can Be as Deadly as Physical Violence

by Trevor Sloughter
Geosciences Ph.D. 2015, USA
arlier this year, a sports reporter named Caleb Hannan interviewed the inventor of a new golf putter. Ahead of the interview, the inventor, Essay Anne Vanderbilt (aka Dr V), insisted that Hannan only talk about the science. Hannan found this request only slightly perplexing and agreed. As he began writing his article, however, Hannan was drawn into a mild amount of intrigue and it became clear that Dr Vs credentials were fraudulent. It also turned out that she was transgender, which Hannan thought was absolutely fascinating. Hannan wrote a story that exposed Dr Vs birth name and full history, outing her as transgender to the world against her will (she asked him not to, he ignored her request), going into excruciating detail about her personal life utterly unrelated to her career, and actually suggesting that her decision to start identifying as a female was a part of her broader efforts to create a facade. Caleb Hannan actually proposed that identifying as transgender is a lie. Moreover, he wrote a mystery, unraveling a fraudster who wasnt even the gender they claimed. He wrote so clinically as to expose absolute callous disregard for the human at the center of the story. A human he refused to even recognize was a woman. Hannan referred to the female inventor as "he. Dr V killed herself days before publication. Forty-one percent of all trans-gender persons attempt suicide in their lifetime, compared to 1.6 percent of the general population. Transgender persons are 28% more likely to experience physical violence than those who are gender normative. GLAAD reports that 53 percent of anti-LGBT homicide victims were transgender women in 2012. If I wrote an article about a professor here, say Professor Bogaards, and only ever used the pronoun "she, I would be attacked quite viciously. If I wrote about Professor Unger only using the pronoun "he, Id be accused of slander. If I publicly outed someone as gay against their will, or exposed any other aspect of their intimate personal lives to the public, I would be viewed as scum. And so, Caleb Hannan is nothing but human scum. The worst of the worst. And he continued to congratulate his detective skills both in his own sick article and on his Twitter feed. Later he would lament how unfair it was that people were saying mean things to him. The transgender community is at best- at BESTviewed as a joke to the wider world. A source of hilarity. A mockery is made of them. Thats the best case. At worst our culture derides them, calls them liars. Transgender women are portrayed as frauds luring men into a trap. Often theyre conflated with homosexuals for no better reason than willful ignorance derived from general hetero-and-cis-minded bigotry. There is no excuse for mocking transgender persons. For those who are transgender, this further isolates them from an already unwelcoming world. They see a world that at its nicest finds their very existence to be hilarity itself. Songs like "Sweet Transvestite from "Rocky Horror Picture Show are offensive on so many levels: Conflating transvestism with transexuality/transgender (GLAADs media language guide notes that transsexuality is an older term for transgender but can be used to have a distinct meaning) is bad enough, but the characterization of transgender, transexual, and cross dresing persons in media as comically flamboyant, overthe-top hypersexuals, played by cis-gender persons, is no better than the black-face and slurred speech portrayals by racist whites. Stop for a moment and imagine being transgender. Imagine what its like to know that label applies to you, yet every time people use it publicly theyre ascribing aspects that are not you, and are offensive. Imagine growing up as child: children are cruel. They always find something to tease and to mock and for a transgender person this is constant from birth to death. According to the American Psychological Associatiom, transgender children are likelier than other children to experience harassment and violence in school, foster care, residential treatment centers, homeless centers and juvenile justice programs. Chrisler and McCreary (2010) report 3/4 of trans-children feel unsafe in school. Imagine being ridiculed or derided by celebrities, news anchors and politicians. Imagine not knowing whether your friends would accept you if they knew your gender identity was trans. You may say "Oh thats ludicrous, but in the world we live in, thats a real and genuine fear. Theres genuine violence against transgender persons, theres genuine harassment. And at the end of the day: refusing to accept their dignity isnt any better. Being transgender is not a joke. The feeling of exclusion and rejection people feel when theyre publicly ridiculed or when someone refuses to accept who they are (e.g. by using the wrong pronoun) leads to isolation, loneliness, depression, and quite often suicide. Finally, there is no excuse and there never will be. Bigoted behaviors are always wrong. If you make a terminological mistake, admit you made it and learn from it. If youve ever acted transphobic, dont deny it or defend yourself: recognize it and change. You wouldnt forgive an 18th century plantation owners racism because of his upbringing, so why should I listen to you complain that you just never thought about it? Just own up, move on, and get over it. Whether youre confidant in your understanding of the issue or not, please take a look at GLAADs reference guide for terminology at glaad.org/reference/transgender

Transphobia

Too Pretty?
For an Oscar?
by Marleen Freund
International Politics and History 2014, Germany

The sentence that triggered a massive internet shitstorm against the decision-makers of the Oscars. Facebook, Twitter, 9gag, were all full of annoyed, sarcastic, and irritated images of Leonardo DiCaprio failing to make the final step from nominee to winner. How could this have happened AGAIN? Yes, Matthew McConaughys role in the intense Dallas Buyers Club as an AIDS infected hustler was astonishing and a well deserved win, but why has Leo never managed to receive the golden statue for any of his movie characters? Lets go through his past nominations. He has been nominated for Best Actor three times. In 2004 he was nominated for his role as Howard Hughes, an American business magnate and aerospace engineer, in Aviator. His appearance was flawless and exceptional, leaving the viewer in amazement of the complex and psychologically disturbed character that he managed to portray. Unfortunately, this was not enough to convince the Oscar jury. They decided that Jamie Foxxs representation of the blind, blues musician Ray Charles had been more convincing, which it arguably was. The second nomination in 2006 was for Leos portrayal of Danny Archer in Blood Diamonda fictional and not as intricate character as Howard Hughes was. This performance, in comparison to the previous, seemed to lack the necessary depth to make the cut for Best Actor, which was handed to Forest Whitaker that year for his sensational depiction of the tyrannical and paranoid Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. This year, even though DiCaprios performance as the stockbroker Jordan Belfort was remarkable, it was not enough to outrun McConaugheys extraordinary performance. DiCaprio has continually lost against his fellow acting companions because of the difficult, intense, and inspirational characters that they have portrayed. As was also the case this year, the competition for Best Actor was very convincing and deserved the Oscar But what if there is another reason why DiCaprio has not received an Oscar for Best Actor? We have seen his talent for portraying difficult and intense characters from multiple movies; Aviator, The Great Gatsby, Revolutionary Road, The Departedonly to mention a few. Why has he not even been nominated for some of his roles?

And the Oscar for best actor goes to... Matthew McConaughy

Outside the Bubble 15

What if DiCaprio is simply too pretty? The roles that DiCaprio has played always remain attractive, unlike other actors who had to change their looks for their characters. Even when going through all his past appearances there is not one role where we would be as surprised as were when Matthew McConaughy hungered himself down to the weight of a peanut in order to fit the part he was playing. To make matters more interesting, when going through the long list of Academy Award Best Actor winners, it becomes more and more clear that men or characters with a slight edge always seem to make the cut. Daniel Day-Lewis for example. He is not the prime candidate for Sexiest Man Alive, but an extremely talented actor who has won the Oscar twice already for his roles as Abraham Lincoln in Lincoln and as a ruthless oilman in There Will Be Blood. It is of course in the eyes of the beholder who is handsome, who is not, and who has the extra portion of edgyness in their character portrayal. Nevertheless, it does seem striking that all previous Best Actor winners have had some sort of extravagant detail or change about them for their movie roles. It is not as if all the previous winners were not handsome, like Colin Firth, Jean Dujardin and Sean Penn, but these men have something different about them when compared to DiCaprio. Their looks have often been described as more classical or hard-worn, yet DiCaprio is often considered just as beautiful. This idea of being too pretty for an Oscar would not be very relevant if there were not other talented actors who are sharing the same fate. Brad Pitt the ultimate sex-symbol for millions of people also falls under the pretty boy category. Even when he is old, as in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, or as an American army lieutenant who scalps Nazis in Inglourious Basterds, we always regard him as extremely pretty. Unfortunately, this prettiness, if the theory holds true, undermines his chances of receiving an Academy Award. He has been nominated twice for Best Actor throughout his career but never made the cut. What about Johnny Depp? Depp has been nominated for Best Actor three times but lost each time. We all know that Johnny Depp is a perfectly talented actor; yet again, there are no golden statues in his cabinet. Is Depp simply too pretty?It seems as though there is a slight prejudice towards beautiful male actors and the personalities or characters that they portray in their nominated films. So far, none of the three has received the prestigious Best Actor award. In the case of DiCaprio it seems even more shocking as he has portrayed the most intense and daring roles throughout his career, most of which have not even been considered for a nomination. He has fought hard to extinguish the innocent pretty boy image that we all remember from Titanic and it is about time that his talent receives recognition by rewarding him with an Oscar. Nevertheless, the competition should never be underestimated because there are many actors out there who deserve an Oscar just as much as he does.

Will Women Participate in the Next Economic Revolution? by Ernesto Rodriquez

Alumni, Class of 2013
n the last few years, a new form of wealth has come to existence: Cryptocurrencies. And Bitcoin is the most popular one. Bitcoin is a completely new concept for money, which has the potential to radically transform economy like the changes caused by Fiat-backed currencies last century. Bitcoins are decentralized, meaning that no central authority or bank has regulatory power. They are used across many countries and have caused countless hours of politics since they are taking power to steer economy away from governments and banks. So what precisely is a Bitcoin?A Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency. A cryptocurrency or alt-coin is data designed to behave in a similar way to money. Roughly speaking, an alt-coin is the proof of work of solving a difficult math problem. This proof of work is signed with a digital signature (the wallet), which belongs to the person who carried out the work. The digital signature allows the owner to transfer ownership of the work and allows others to verify ownership of the work. Solving problems with computers to obtain alt-coins is known as mining. Alt-coins behave like money. They are scarce since computational resources must be invested to create them. Once in existence they can be passed from person to person and ownership can infallibly be verified. They are liquid since it is easy to transfer them, even across geographically distant locations. It is also possible to split the ownership into smaller fractions. They dont posses intrinsic value, but they are valuable as a trading mechanism. What about women? Bitcoins can be described as an economic movement, and sadly women arent taking part. Currently, 96% of Bitcoins users are men. To further explore this issue, I asked my female friends for opinions as for why this is so. They are Jacobs students who will remain anonymous but I consider them outstanding women. They constantly impress me with their remarkable accomplishments and in many cases have shown respectable success in fields currently dominated by men. The strongest argument, to which all but one agreed, is the monetary risk of cryptocurrencies. They claimed that men are more willing to take risks, even if the risk is stupid. One friend, who studies social sciences, mentioned that there are several academic studies that show men tend to take more risks in financial aspects and women tend to take more risks in their emotional lives. The higher tendencies men have to gamble also suggest they are bigger risk takers. Another friend, who studies natural sciences, affirmed that the biological differences between men and women explain why men tend to take more risks. The friend who disagrees to this argument believes that the biological differences between women and men have no impact in our potential to master skills, succeed in a task or engage in an activity.The second strongest opinion, to which all agreed, is that women are less informed than men about topics such as banking and technology. One of them argued that men have the tendency not to engage women in discussions about such topics and believes because of the social construct that women are not, or need not, be interested in technical fields. I found this an interesting remark because often enough women have told me that I would be more attractive if I talked less about such topics. All but two of them had not heard about Bitcoins until I mentioned them. This suggests a possible tendency because Bitcoins have made it several times to headline news and still remained ignored.Another argument was that Bitcoins are used for illegal purposes such

Bitcoin

as buying drugs or hiring killers. That may very well be true, but the money currently dominating the economy is equally used for those purposes. Whats worse, governments have created inflation with ordinary currencies to sponsor wars, which are later paid by the civilians in the form of debt. Other currencies, like diamonds, are used to fund genocides. Artificial inflation is harder (and more expensive) to create with altcoins so if you are striving for world peace, you might consider alt-coins as a more peaceful alternative to other currencies (ehm, cough, cough... Dollars).Two of my friends mentioned that they consider Bitcoins rather abstract or pointless. It is true that they are not tangible and might look like another form of online payment, but they offer something special: Freedom! Cryptocurrencies are not bound to central banks nor regulated by any authority. As an appreciator of idealism, I consider cryptocurrencies to be fair and pure. I dont use them because of practical reasons but rather ideological ones. Bottom line. I believe there is no single argument to explain the lack of participation of women. It is difficult to draw conclusions about human behavior since the complete theory is obviously beyond mankinds power of abstraction. Nevertheless, reasons exist to believe the risk argument. When our biological machinery evolved, women faced more dangers than men. For instance, while pregnant, a women was much more vulnerable, required more resources to survive and giving birth in the wild was life threatening. In the civilized world this is no longer true but our biological machinery did not evolve in a civilized world. The gap no longer exists in the civilized world but our biological machinery did not evolve in a civilized world. The lack of interest argument is certainly a strong one. Career paths involving technology are more often pursued by men. One friend is convinced that society discourages women from doing so. For me, the reasons are still a mystery but I believe everyone should be interested in technology since it has strong impact in our lives. I have witnessed technology being useful from designing new machines to fighting human trafficking or relieving natural disasters. Bitcoins are important and relevant, it is unclear to which direction they will take us but they will certainly give economics a hard shake. I believe women should take part in the movement since lots of wealth is being created with them, which is only enjoyed by men. This is a call to arms for women, something big is happening and you are not participating. Engage men in discussions about technology and finance, participate in the Bitcoin marketplace and find out how Bitcoins can be used to exchange goods and services. Explore the impact and changes that will result from the adoption of Bitcoins; I assure you they will be big. My sister is completely ignorant to technology and she started using Bitcoins before I did w/o my help.
FUN FACTS ABOUT BITCOINS (SO YOU KNOW HOW RELEVANT THEY ARE):

*The Bitcoin 2014 conference takes place in Amsterdam! You should consider attending to know more! *There are around 12,750,000 Bitcoins in circulation, at the current price of 450 Dollars/Btc it means there exist 5,737,500,000 Dollars of wealth in Bitcoins. *The computational power of all computers used for Bitcoin mining is 6 times greater than power of the top 500 most powerful super-computers combined *There are many other cryptocurrencies besides Bitcoins. The most popular alternative is the Litecoin. I consider it superior to Bitcoin.

16 Photography Club Presents: Buergerpark at Spring Time

BY ALESSANDRA BERTONE

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