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Studentavisen for Agder GRATIS | November 2023<br />
GLADNYHET FRA VT // SHOULD NORWAY JOIN THE EU // WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF BOARD GAMES
Nominer en du kjenner til<br />
Kompis<br />
prisen<br />
Hvert år i anledning «Verdensdagen for psykisk<br />
helse» vil SiA Helse i samarbeid med STA dele<br />
ut «Kompisprisen». Kjenner du en medstudent<br />
som aktivt bidrar til inkludering og mangfold<br />
så kan du nominere denne studenten til prisen.<br />
SiA Helse, VT og STA inviterer til gratis frokost<br />
og utdeling av «Kompisprisen» 10. oktober,<br />
kl. 08:45-10:00 i kantina på campus<br />
i Kristiansand!<br />
Last ned<br />
Studentliv<br />
appen<br />
Nominasjoner sendes til eli.stalesen@sia.no<br />
.. og få full oversikt over hva som<br />
skjer på- og utenfor campus, samt<br />
flere eksklusive tilbud og fordeler.<br />
Last ned her
LEDER<br />
MØRKERE TIDER<br />
Mørket trekker innover Sørlandet, både på en bokstavelig og metaforisk<br />
måte. Dagene blir kortere, det blir senere lyst og tidligere kveld, og<br />
mørket som er eksamenskrav, praksis, og eksamensforberedelser er rett<br />
rundt hjørnet. Det er kanskje ikke så enkelt å finne det lille lysglimtet<br />
i hverdagen, i hvert fall ikke med bakteppet i verden av krig, konflikt og<br />
elendighet. Det finnes ingen måte å spinne det på, det er og føles mørkt ut,<br />
om man enten kikker på semesteret, neste året eller lenger inn i fremtiden.<br />
Mulig det å fremsette en dommedagsprofeti ut av nåværende og<br />
kommende hendelser er litt vel ekstremt, noe som dette årsstudiumet<br />
i historie har vist meg at menneskeheten har en begavelse å komme<br />
tilbake fra de verste kriser, som kakerlakker som bare nekter å dø.<br />
Men det betyr ikke at slike onder ikke er frustrerende, spesielt når<br />
man må sitte på sidelinjen og se på det skje. En følelse av maktesløshet<br />
setter seg inn, og det lille håpet man har flimrer i sitt siste lys.<br />
Men det viktigste er å ikke la den flammen dø helt ut, å la mørket være<br />
det eneste som omringer en. Det finnes alltid et lite lysglimt i fortiden,<br />
i nåtiden og i fremtiden, uansett hvor lite det virker. Spesielt i det<br />
som kan virke som et altoppslukende mørke. Men det betyr ikke at<br />
man skal vende et blindt øye mot mørke, leve i en vrangforestilling<br />
hvor alt er lyst. For uten mørket, hvordan vet vi hva lyset ser ut som?<br />
INNHOLD<br />
4 Gladnyhet fra VT<br />
6 Short-story: Whistle<br />
8 Autism and Masking<br />
11 Oppskrift: Sjokolade bit Muffins<br />
12 Studenttillitsvalgte spiller en<br />
viktig rolle i UiAs kvalitetsarbeid<br />
13 Album review: ‘the rest’ by boygenuis<br />
14 Review: Palia<br />
16 Culture Calendar<br />
20 Should Norway Join the EU<br />
22 Pit Stop<br />
24 Poems<br />
26 10 på UiA: Hvordan takler du eksamensstress?<br />
28 Five books I hate and why<br />
30 Galleri 250L Interview<br />
33 Unikum Rekrutterer<br />
34 Poduniverset<br />
36 Talent Show Photos<br />
37 Agony Aunt<br />
38 Weird and Wonderful World of Board Games<br />
Tobias Klausen<br />
redaktor@unikumnett.no<br />
4843 1050<br />
UTGITT AV: Studentavisen Unikum, ved Universitetet i Agder<br />
POSTADRESSE: Serviceboks 422, 4604 Kristiansand S<br />
BESØKSADRESSE: Universitetsveien 24, 4630 Kristiansand S<br />
ORG.NR.: 984 544 677<br />
TELEFON: 911 45 962<br />
EPOST: redaktor@unikumnett.no<br />
NETTSIDE: unikumnett.no<br />
TWITTER: twitter.com/unikumnett<br />
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/studentavisenunikum<br />
INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/unikumnett<br />
Publisert November 2023<br />
Utgave nummer 09<br />
Unikum er studentavisen ved Universitetet i Agder og andre<br />
institusjoner tilknyttet Studentsamskipnaden i Agder. Avisen er<br />
politisk og religiøst uavhengig, og blir drevet på frivillig basis.<br />
Unikum følger Vær Varsom-plakaten og redaktørplakaten. Føler<br />
du deg urettferdig behandlet eller på noen måte uriktig fremstilt<br />
av Unikum, ber vi deg kontakte redaksjonen.<br />
Redaksjon:<br />
ANSVARLIG REDAKTØR :<br />
Tobias Klausen<br />
REDAKTØRER:<br />
Nettredaktør<br />
Nyhetsredaktør<br />
Kulturredaktør<br />
Fotoredaktør<br />
Debattansvarlig<br />
GRAFISK ANSVARLIG:<br />
Natalia Bogdanova<br />
FORSIDE:<br />
Foto: Vlad-Florin Pop<br />
Avbildet person: Oriane Omnes<br />
Anjali Mariampillai<br />
Natasha Agatha Wangui<br />
Randi Andersdotter<br />
Evgeniia Kadyrova<br />
JOURNALISTER/SKRIBENTER:<br />
Adam Zawadzk, Alexander Horpestad, Alice Soleng,<br />
Babet Berning, Evgeniia Kadyrova, Freya Thomson,<br />
Halvor Nyhus Hagen, Henrike Jost, Jay Voltaire, Joachim<br />
Vogt, Mattias Johannessen, Michael Campbell, Natasha<br />
Agatha Wangui, Tobias Klausen, Vilde Hagen Svanberg<br />
FOTOGRAFER:<br />
Alice Soleng, Jay Voltaire, Mattias Johannessen, Tobias<br />
Klausen, Vlad-Florin Pop<br />
DESKEN:<br />
Àngels Aguilera, Adam Zawadzki, Alexander Horpestad, Alice<br />
Soleng, Aurora Trondsen Flatvoll, Eskil Furøy, Henrike Jost,<br />
Jakub Świerkocki, Julia Artuna, Mattias, Johannessen, Michael<br />
Campbell, Natalia Bogdanova, Sharmaarke Mohamed, Tobias<br />
Klausen<br />
KORREKTUR:<br />
Alice Soleng, Ida Marie Bruun, Jay Voltaire, Martin Hoftun,<br />
Michael Campbell, Ricke-Karia Vikingstad, Silje Gullhav, Tobias<br />
Klausen<br />
DAGLIG LEDER:<br />
Marion Bjørndal Søviknes<br />
TRYKKING:<br />
Bjorvand & Co<br />
OPPLAG:<br />
400<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 3
NYHET<br />
GLADNYHET<br />
fra Velferdstinget:<br />
Studentforeningene i Agder får<br />
2,5 MILLIONER KRONER<br />
EKSTRA i 2024<br />
Mattias Johannessen<br />
Skribent<br />
Illustrasjon: AdobeStock // kmit; Foto: Velferdstinget; Unikum // Mattias Johannessen<br />
For linjeforeningene som har<br />
slitt med økonomi og med lite<br />
oppmøte på arrangementer kan<br />
derfor dette som nå kommer<br />
fra Velferdstinget bli en meget<br />
god nyhet. I 2024 økes de<br />
studentsosiale midlene med ikke<br />
mindre enn 2,5millioner kroner,<br />
til totalt 5,15 millioner.<br />
De siste årene har det vært tøffe tider for studentene<br />
på Sørlandet. I 2020 kom Koronapandemien med<br />
alt som den medførte, noe som fikk konsekvenser<br />
for linje- og studentforeninger i Agder. I mai 2022<br />
skrev Unikum om flere linjeforeninger ved UiA,<br />
som slet med lav rekruttering og lite oppmøte på<br />
arrangementer. Siden ble det økonomiske kutt som<br />
kom til å plage student- og linjeforeningene ved alle<br />
de fem studiestedene, noe også Unikum var nær ved<br />
å bli rammet av i sin tid.<br />
Unikum besøker leder for<br />
Velferdstinget, Helene Brevik,<br />
student ved UiA, og politisk<br />
nestleder Vilma Himberg,<br />
student ved Ansgar, for å få mer<br />
informasjon om denne økningen<br />
som kommer. Brevik og Himberg<br />
kan fortelle oss at deres mål er at studenter skal<br />
kunne ha et sosialt liv:<br />
– Dette er viktig for å forebygge psykiske problemer<br />
og ensomhet, blir Unikums skribent fortalt av Brevik<br />
og Himberg.<br />
– Vi ønsker også at studenter ikke skal måtte oppleve<br />
å bli ekskludert på grunn av økonomi, og at de som<br />
føler seg utenfor nå skal få muligheten til å bli med i<br />
de gode fellesskapene som foreningene skaper<br />
4
Det økte tilskuddet som kommer nå, kommer likevel<br />
med en hake som det er verdt at studenter merker<br />
seg. Og det er at denne økningen ikke er sikkert at<br />
vil kunne vedvare til 2025. Unikum får opplyst at<br />
økningen i de studentsosiale midlene kommer fra<br />
Studentsamskipnadens overskudd.<br />
Leder av VT, Helene Brevik<br />
Politisk nestleder av VT,<br />
Vilma Himberg<br />
Unikum blir fortalt at økningen i studentsosiale<br />
midler er et resultat av lang tids arbeid, og har vært<br />
en omfattende prosess. Det har vært gjennom flere<br />
runder med studentsamskipnaden, og har involvert en<br />
redegjørelse på størrelsen på fondet og de behovene<br />
som stilles til dette. Basert på dette ble det fremmet<br />
ønske om en dobling av de studentsosiale midlene.<br />
Dette har resultert i at midlene for 2024 er blitt doblet:<br />
en økning vi får fortalt at er tidenes største gjort<br />
gjennom Velferdstinget.<br />
– Dette vil kunne gi bedre forutsigbarhet for studentene,<br />
og vil ivareta behov som er oppstått etter Koronaen.<br />
– Vi må fortsette å jobbe for å sikre økt støtte til<br />
samskipnadene, slik at SiA kan fortsette å ta vare på<br />
studentene i Kristiansand og Grimstad. Målet er at<br />
midlene til SSM blir inflasjonsjustert, og at vi kan gi<br />
foreningene den stabiliteten som de trenger.<br />
Brevik og Himberg kan videre fortelle at de ønsker<br />
å snakke om hvordan det statlige påvirker det<br />
lokale, og de oppfordrer studenter til å stemme ved<br />
stortingsvalgene.<br />
– Studenter bør følge med på hvilke partier det er som<br />
prioriterer studenter. Vi er med på å bestemme hvilke<br />
partier som har makta og som vedtar statsbudsjettet.<br />
Hvor mye penger SiA kan gi til SSM starter med oss.<br />
Avslutningsvis håper Brevik og Himberg at studentene<br />
vil få mye glede av de avsatte midlene som nå kommer.<br />
– Vi frykter at om denne økningen<br />
ikke hadde kommet, ville det kunne<br />
medført av foreninger hadde måttet<br />
legge ned. Og det trengs økte midler<br />
for å ivareta studentforeningene;<br />
hadde vi ikke fått denne<br />
økningen kunne det medført at<br />
studentforeninger måtte ha innført<br />
økte kontingenter.<br />
Brevik og Himberg kan videre si at<br />
kutt som har skjedd i samskipnaden,<br />
som har medført redusert<br />
helsetilbud, gjør det nødvendig å<br />
se etter alternative løsninger for å<br />
forebygge utenforskap og psykiske<br />
helseproblemer.<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 5
SHORT-STORY<br />
The Whistle<br />
Photo: Freepik // vecstock<br />
Aurora Trondsen Flatvoll<br />
Writer<br />
The university campus had transformed into a chillingly quiet<br />
place as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows<br />
across the desert pathways. Martin, Caroline, and Daniel, three<br />
close friends and first-year students, had spent the day buried in<br />
lectures and exam preparations. Now they yearned for the comfort<br />
of their warm beds.<br />
The crisp evening air carried a sense of foreboding. It was an<br />
uncanny feeling they couldn’t quite put their finger on, an unease<br />
that settled upon them like a heavy shroud. The trio had traveled<br />
this route countless times, but this November night was different.<br />
Caroline, an astute observer, was the first to sense it. Her pace<br />
quickened, she whispered to the others,<br />
“Do you guys feel like we´re being followed?”<br />
Martin could hear Caroline’s voice tremble slightly, a testament to<br />
her growing anxiety.<br />
“Come on, Caro, it’s just your imagination playing tricks at you.<br />
Besides you got me and the goofball over there”<br />
Martin nodded his head in the direction of Daniel, he was scanning<br />
the dim streets and the sparse trees that lined the sidewalks.<br />
Something about the night felt unsettling, but he couldn´t pinpoint<br />
what. As usual, when Daniel gets nervous, he starts joking.<br />
“Maybe Caroline is right?” he pauses, leaning in closer to Caroline,<br />
“Maybe we are being followed by the boogie man.”<br />
Daniel laughed, still Caroline could hear the uncertainty in his<br />
voice. As they continued their journey, the feeling of being watched<br />
persisted, every echo of their footsteps seemed amplified, and<br />
every rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze appeared suspicious.<br />
Caroline occasionally glanced over her shoulder, only to be met<br />
with the darkness of the desert streets, the anxiety in her voice<br />
grew more pronounced.<br />
“I can’t shake this feeling, guys, I swear it is like I can see someone<br />
lurking behind us.”<br />
Martin sighed, his patience wearing thin. He is the rational in the<br />
group, always thinking logically in every situation.<br />
“You´re letting your imagination run wild. We´re nearly home.<br />
Nothing is going to happen. I swear”<br />
Daniel, however, remained uneasy, convinced that something<br />
wasn´t right. He tried to ease the tension.<br />
“Okay, let’s say we are being followed. What´s the worst that could<br />
happen? We´re three against one! We can take him.”<br />
Their conversation ebbed, but the eerie sensation of being pursued<br />
continued to plague them. The occasional rustle in the bushes or<br />
the distant footsteps getting closer kept sending shivers down their<br />
spines.<br />
As they reached the entrance to a small park, the feeling became<br />
more oppressive. Caroline hesitated, her gaze darting around. Her<br />
eyes stopped on a dark figure behind a big Pinetree a couple of<br />
meters away.<br />
“I swear I saw someone behind that tree” she whispers urgently,<br />
pointing with a shaking finger at the tree she for a second ago saw<br />
a shadow.<br />
Daniel and Martin turned to secure the area, their hearts rising.<br />
The park, usually one of their favorite places, now seemed like a<br />
labyrinth of hidden threats. There was no one in sight.<br />
“I think you´re letting fear get the best of you,” Martin said in a<br />
calm voice, to reassure her.<br />
He gave Caroline a little pat on the shoulder. They continued their<br />
walk. Still unsure if their imagination was merely running wild in<br />
the dark, or if it was something lurking in the darkness, watching,<br />
waiting. Their footsteps echoed loudly as they passed under a<br />
flickering streetlight.<br />
Then they heard it, a sound that made their hearts skip a beat- a<br />
low, eerie whistle that seemed to emanate from the darkened park.<br />
The whistle was haunting melodic, yet sinister, like a siren´s call.<br />
Daniel stopped in his tracks, his eyes narrowing.<br />
6
“Did you hear that`” he asked, his voice was a mixture of fear and<br />
curiosity. Caroline clutched her bag tightly, “it came from the park.”<br />
Martin´s logical mind struggled to rationalize the situation.<br />
“It could be a homeless person or just some kids messing around.”<br />
He suggested although the tremor in his voice betrayed his<br />
unease. They deliberated for a moment, caught between the urge<br />
to investigate and the fear of the unknown. After a tense silence,<br />
Daniel took the lead, stepping cautiously towards the park´s<br />
entrance.<br />
“We should check it out,” he said, his voice determined but still full<br />
of trepidation.<br />
Caroline and Martin looked at each other and carefully followed,<br />
their senses heightened. The park was now a hunting realm, its once<br />
inviting paths obscured in the darkness. They moved stealthily;<br />
the leaves underfoot whispered their presence as they ventured<br />
deeper. The eerie whistle echoed again, more distinct this time,<br />
guiding them further into the shadows. The sense of being pursued<br />
was now undeniable, but by whom or what remained a mystery.<br />
A soft, mocking laughter emanated from the blackness ahead. The<br />
tension in the air grew almost unbearable. Caroline grabbed onto<br />
Daniel´s arm, as they continued, into the dark.<br />
At the heart of the park, they discovered a small, dimly lit clearing<br />
with an old, gnarled tree that the hunting whistle seemed to<br />
originate. The clearing was empty, besides the swaying branches<br />
and the chilly night breeze. As they stood there, disoriented and<br />
frightened, the hunting whistle continued, but there was no one in<br />
sight. The three friends were all alone in the threatening darkness,<br />
listening to the hair-raising tune, with no source to confront.<br />
Daniel, still with Caroline clenching his arm, breaks the lingering<br />
silence.<br />
“What is making that sound?” his voice is barely above a whisper.<br />
The whistle continued. It was starting to get louder and higher in<br />
pitch.<br />
“We should leave,” Martin said, still holding on to the belief in a<br />
logical explanation, starting to feel uneasy, maybe something<br />
wasn´t right after all.<br />
The trio didn’t hasten as they approached the entrenched of the<br />
park. The whistle echoed in the back. A little bit louder, a little bit<br />
closer with every step they took. The sense of being followed still<br />
lingered like a shadow. Their fast footsteps echoed in the silence,<br />
and the dimly lit streets held onto the uncanny stillness.<br />
As they walked, they began to hear faint whispers. Distant voices<br />
that seemed to dance just out of reach. Caroline grabbed a little<br />
tighter around Daniel‘s arm, her voice trembling as she spoke,<br />
“Do you guys hear that? The voices, the whispers….”<br />
The boys exchanged worried glances. They, too, were now hearing<br />
the shilling sounds that seemed to encircle them, taunting them<br />
from the shadows.<br />
The trio quickened their pace, their anxiety mounting as they made<br />
their way home to their apartment. The feeling of being watched<br />
clung to them like an unshakable nightmare.<br />
Finally, they arrived at the apartment, their shared unease lingering<br />
in the corridors. Martin´s hand was shaking as he was fiddling<br />
with the keys to unlock the door. Inside, the atmosphere was thick<br />
with paranoia. The mysterious voices they had heard still seemed<br />
to echo in the corners of their minds... but they were at least home.<br />
They could finally breathe.<br />
Seeking some sense of normality, they decided to order a pizza.<br />
Hoping that a warm meal and a goofy movie could ease their<br />
troubled minds. While waiting for the pizza to arrive, they sat<br />
down on the couch, attempting to ease up the tension with some<br />
laughter. They shared silly jokes and theories about their earlier<br />
encounters. Trying to convince themselves that it was only their<br />
imagination and the darkness combined that played with their<br />
minds. The feeling of being pursued started to feel like a shared<br />
delusion, and their spirits slowly lifted. As the minutes ticked by,<br />
and with the help of the warmth of their home, they relaxed.<br />
The doorbell rang, announcing the arrival of their meal.<br />
“Finally!” Daniel said on his way to answer the door, expecting<br />
to meet a friendly pizza delivery on the other side. But when he<br />
opened the door, he was met by an unexpected sight. The pizza<br />
delivery guy, dressed in the standard yellow PB pizza uniform had<br />
a sinister smile on his face. As he handed Daniel the pizza box,<br />
he began to whistle an eerie tune- a melody so familiar, the same<br />
whistle they had heard in the park. The room fell silent once again,<br />
their eyes fixed on the pizza guy. As he continued to whistle, his face<br />
grew more unsettling by the second. The feeling of being pursued<br />
had returned and was no longer a figment of their imagination. The<br />
trio stood frozen as the pizza delivery walked into their apartment.<br />
The sinister, hunting tune filled the corridor, as he closed the door.<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 7
OPINION<br />
Autism and masking<br />
Michael Campbell<br />
Writer<br />
Illustration: AdobeStock // OneLineStock<br />
The pressure to hide certain things about ourselves, or present<br />
ourselves in a certain way to better fit in is widely felt. It’s something<br />
we will often do unconsciously, as a strategy to connect with those<br />
around us. There are many different reasons we might find this<br />
necessary, and it’s undoubtedly an uncomfortable situation to find<br />
yourself in. For those of us on the spectrum, however, this strategy<br />
can be a lot more involved in our day-to-day lives, and can have a<br />
greater bearing on our overall mental health and wellbeing.<br />
Social interaction poses a variety of unknowns, and while it can<br />
lead to amazing encounters, and is an essential part of life, at the<br />
worst of times it can feel like sitting an exam for a subject you’ve<br />
never studied. For myself, I feel that a lot of my natural responses<br />
and behaviours in conversation, have been suppressed due to<br />
years of “masking.”<br />
What is masking?<br />
When I talk about masking, I am referring to the behaviour used by<br />
people on the autistic spectrum, to hide their natural neurodiverse<br />
characteristics. It means supressing certain things about ourselves,<br />
such as our intense interests, and stimming (more on that later).<br />
Masking can look different for each person, but might include<br />
mimicking neurotypical behaviours (by analysing and copying<br />
facial expressions and actions), or rehearsing conversations and<br />
making the effort to be extra accommodating to others.<br />
This particular aspect of being autistic, can be tricky as it often<br />
works too well in hiding the individual’s neurodivergence, meaning<br />
diagnosis can come years later than you might expect. In my own<br />
experience, the notion of me being neurodiverse, didn’t occur to<br />
anyone - most of all myself - until the age of 14, when a psychologist<br />
suggested I get assessed (being referred for depression, and leaving<br />
with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, had certainly<br />
not been on my bingo card that year). At the time I thought this<br />
information was useless, completely irrelevant to improving my<br />
mental health or life in general. Especially since those in charge of<br />
my support – a notoriously abysmal UK children’s mental health<br />
service (where my fellow depressed UK students at?) – followed<br />
up my diagnosis with a year long waiting list, for some cognitive<br />
behavioural therapy which I can only describe as lacking. 5 years<br />
later I’m only now beginning to understand that the diagnosis is<br />
a way to navigate my unique experiences, and cope with factors<br />
beyond my control.<br />
Why we mask?<br />
Being social can be difficult for many reasons. Personally, I often<br />
struggle to tell if my difficulties at any one time, are occurring<br />
because of my autism, or social anxiety (and I’m sure they<br />
collaborate frequently just to spice things up a bit). It can be<br />
very tiring attempting to dissect whether you are participating<br />
correctly in a conversation, or doing the right thing in a new place.<br />
Questioning whether I’m being too formal, or too informal. Should<br />
I talk now, am I interrupting, should I stop talking, have I said the<br />
wrong thing, have I been impolite, or am I being too polite? Should<br />
I make eye contact, how long have I been maintaining eye contact,<br />
should I tell them I’m autistic?<br />
Each person’s experience is their own, and being autistic is by<br />
no means a social death-sentence. It’s just key to note that social<br />
impairment is a massive challenge for those on the spectrum. The<br />
immense amount of pressure which comes with social spaces, can<br />
make it difficult for autistic people to feel at ease in public, and<br />
masking helps us to navigate the neurotypical public domain.<br />
Through mimicking and rehearsing, we can ensure smooth social<br />
interactions and avoid drawing unwanted attention, to things such<br />
as stimming. Stimming, or self-stimulatory behaviour, is a form of<br />
self-soothing through repetitive movements or sounds. Take, for<br />
example: hand flapping, repeating words or phrases, and excessive<br />
nail biting. These are each sensory stims which can help act as an<br />
8
anchor for autistic individuals. It’s worth noting that stimming can<br />
look very different depending on the person, and can be considered<br />
inappropriate or odd by public standards, leading to funny looks<br />
and harmful comments.<br />
Anyone can stim - it’s a natural behaviour - but once again it is<br />
something commonly done by autistic people to regulate their<br />
emotions or reduce anxiety. See the issue here? People on the<br />
spectrum stim to reduce anxiety in social interactions, but stimming<br />
is masked to avoid judgement in public, it’s a bit of a vicious cycle.<br />
The toll of masking<br />
Nighttime used to be my time of intense microdissection, obsessively<br />
combing through hours of social interactions, analysing my every<br />
response and action – cursing myself for every mistake and missed<br />
social cue. Autistic individuals are prone to overthinking because<br />
it feels safer inside our own heads. A space only we inhabit, and<br />
can feel some control over. This inevitably leads to overthinking,<br />
an unfortunate coping mechanism, which tends to do more harm<br />
than good. It is only time and a ridiculous amount of self-reflection,<br />
which has allowed me to reduce the obsessiveness with which my<br />
mind goes over a day’s interactions.<br />
We can be left with social fatigue or even full-blown burnout. The<br />
extra work to interact with society, the sensory input of noisy public<br />
spaces, and the high emotional sensitivity of autistic individuals,<br />
can mean complete withdrawal to recover.<br />
I often joke that the cure for autism is alcohol. The anxiety which<br />
comes with social interactions and being in public, disappears<br />
after a few drinks, and the exhaustion of constantly regulating<br />
my behaviour is gone for a moment (I’m fun at parties, I swear).<br />
However, it’s important to be mindful that the easiest, most<br />
immediate coping mechanisms, are often the most harmful in the<br />
long run.<br />
Additional to the physical and mental exhaustion, masking can<br />
cause confusion and distress regarding identity. Autistic people<br />
are often unaware that they have been masking as it becomes so<br />
ingrained into our public behaviour from a young age. This means<br />
that it becomes interwoven with our identity and can make it<br />
difficult to understand who we really are around other people.<br />
It’s hard to know who you are when you’re desperately trying to<br />
be like everyone else (think of a ditto having an identity crisis). As<br />
miserable as that sounds, I’m sure this is something many other<br />
autistic individuals have experienced, especially when children can<br />
be so cruel to what they have been taught to perceive as different.<br />
The aim to be accepted and how we tweak ourselves to achieve that<br />
has, for me at least, meant that I can often become insecure about<br />
what my personality really is.<br />
Since the beginning of high school, I can remember struggling<br />
with the thought that I am a boring person, in fact I recall asking a<br />
rather dismissive teacher what I should do about this at the time,<br />
as it was bothering me so much. Truthfully, I still worry about<br />
this. However, I know that this is another unfortunate effect, of<br />
the continuous management of my own behaviour around other<br />
people, to not draw too much attention, or come across as odd. I<br />
find it difficult to let myself become excited or react instinctively,<br />
due to the thick barrier I have constructed over years of masking<br />
my personality, and reactions to suit others.<br />
To add another layer of confusion, by focusing so hard on the rules<br />
of conversation and coming across pleasantly, autistic individuals<br />
can lose track of what is actually being said to them. There are<br />
so many unspoken rules to conversation, which we have to keep<br />
up with, that the words being spoken can take second priority, in<br />
order to maintain the appearance of acceptable engagement in<br />
the conversation. I often feel like the penguins of Madagascar: Just<br />
smile and wave boys.<br />
On a lighter note<br />
It is important to note that we are not deceiving or attempting to be<br />
untrue to those around us. When we become close to our friends<br />
we can “unmask” and feel much more comfortable, but it should<br />
be remembered that masking is often unconscious, and shouldn’t<br />
be taken personally if someone is doing so. Masking is just a way to<br />
navigate a social world we are unequipped for. We are passionate<br />
and want to connect with those around us as much as the next<br />
person. These are just a particular set of difficulties which people<br />
on the spectrum experience.<br />
So yes, dear reader, it may be shocking, but your charismatic and<br />
devilishly handsome writer does experience social difficulties.<br />
However, I would like to see this as something meant to connect<br />
people, not pull us apart. These differences and unique struggles<br />
allow us to broaden our understanding of one another, and make<br />
the world a little bit more accessible. ly. He was disturbed by the<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 9
KRISTIANSAND–HIRTSHALS | 3 timer og 15 minutter<br />
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400-500 g, frys<br />
Øvrige dager 99 90<br />
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299 90<br />
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Indrefilet av storfe<br />
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Øvrige dager 349 90<br />
SUPER-<br />
DEAL<br />
649,-<br />
SPAR 250<br />
499,-<br />
FRA<br />
249,-<br />
Rituals adventskalender<br />
Pris i Norge: 899,-. Gjelder alle dager<br />
Björn Borg boxere<br />
5-pk. Tilbud i november. Gjelder alle dager.<br />
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Øvrige dager 349,-/399,-<br />
colorline.no | 22 94 42 00<br />
Ved bestilling på terminal og telefon tilkommer servicehonorar<br />
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Ikke-medlemmer fra 50,- per person. Ta med bil fra 190,-. Tur/retur samme dag. Bestilles tidligst 14 dager før avreise. Spesielle betingelser gjelder.<br />
10
KULTUR<br />
OPPSKRIFT<br />
OPPSKRIFT<br />
Sjokolade bit Muffins<br />
Illustrasjon: freepik // freepik<br />
Tobias Klausen<br />
Editor in Chief<br />
Finnes det noe bedre enn muffins? Kanskje, men akkurat denne oppskriften<br />
ligger på topp over muffins jeg har kommet over i min bakekarriere. De<br />
holder seg saftig utrolig lenge, og er lett å ha med å gjøre både i forkant<br />
og etterkant av baksten! Jeg anbefaler selvsagt å ha et muffinsbrett til<br />
denne baksten, men utrolig nok funker det uten også MEN det er nok<br />
litt vanskeligere å holde formene stabile mens du fyller dem med fyldig<br />
deig. Uansett er disse en banger om det er til brettspillkveld, vors eller<br />
bare en liten premie til deg selv for å overleve atter en stresset dag!<br />
Hvor lang tid å lage: 1 time<br />
Vanskelighetsgrad: Enkel<br />
Hvor mye: ca. 20 små muffins<br />
Foto: Unikum // Tobias Klausen<br />
Ingredienser<br />
• 175g smør,<br />
romtemperert<br />
• 200g sukker<br />
• 2 egg<br />
• 350g hvetemel<br />
• 3 ½ teskje bakepulver<br />
• 1 ½ teskje<br />
vaniljesukker<br />
• 1 ¾ dl helmelk<br />
• 125g hakket sjokolade<br />
eller sjokoladedråper<br />
(anbefaler<br />
melkesjokolade)<br />
Fremgangsmåte<br />
1. Forvarm ovnen til 180 grader.<br />
2. Med en håndmikser, bland sammen smør og sukker i ca.<br />
3 minutter til den er kremaktig. Når du er ferdig, sørg for å<br />
skrape kantene slik at du får alt med deg på neste steg.<br />
3. Tilsett 1 egg og bland det sammen. Når det er blandet,<br />
ta det neste egget og gjør det sammen. Skrap igjen<br />
ned fra kanten, man vil ikke miste noe røre!<br />
4. Bland alle de tørre ingrediensene i en egen bolle, og<br />
hell halve melblandingen inn i røren og rør det forsiktig<br />
inn slik at det er så vidt blandet. Deretter hell melken i og<br />
bland like forsiktig. Avslutt med resten av melblandingen<br />
og tilsett sjokoladedråpene/den hakkede sjokoladen.<br />
Nå kan du endelig røre slik at alt blir godt blandet!<br />
5. Sett frem papirformene slik at de er klare, helst i<br />
en muffinsform om du har. Bruk 2 skjeer til å flytte<br />
deigen fra bollen til formene. Fyll en skje nesten helt<br />
opp med deig, og bruk den andre til å skrape det ut fra<br />
første skjeen. Rinse and repeat til alt er fylt opp!<br />
6. Stek muffinsene på nederste rille i ovnen<br />
i 20-22 minutter eller til de er gylne.<br />
7. Ta dem ut av ovnen og legg dem over på en rist for<br />
å la dem avkjøle i ca. 20 minutter, ellers er de så myke<br />
at de faller fra hverandre (men ikke la det stoppe<br />
deg fra å kanskje prøvesmake en litt tidlig
AK TUELT<br />
Studenttillitsvalgte spiller en<br />
viktig rolle i UiAs kvalitetsarbeid<br />
Natasha Agatha Wangui<br />
Nyhetsredaktør<br />
Foto: Unikum // Natasha Kamanzi; Illustrasjon: AdobeStock // sabelskaya<br />
UiA er kjent for sitt fokus på studentmedvirkning og kvalitetsarbeid,<br />
og en viktig del av dette engasjementet kommer fra de tillitsvalgte.<br />
Disse representantene er valgt av sine medstudenter for å stå opp<br />
for deres interesser og sikre at studentstemmen blir hørt i ulike<br />
prosesser ved universitetet.<br />
- Mer enn bare evalueringer<br />
På Bare studenthus i Kristiansand<br />
sentrum har vi møtt Azin Qadiri<br />
(22), en studenttillitsvalgt på<br />
årsstudium i statsvitenskap, og<br />
forteller at det er flere grunner til<br />
hvorfor han ville verve seg.<br />
- For det første så tenker jeg<br />
at det kun er positivt med litt<br />
ledererfaring på CVen. Og for<br />
det andre så har jeg planer om å jobbe og hjelpe mennesker<br />
internasjonalt, påpeker han. Jeg ønsker også bidra til en grei kultur<br />
i klassen, derfor planlegger vi nå en samling for klassen slik at folk<br />
kan bli bedre kjent, sier han.<br />
- Viktig å være imøtekommende<br />
Rollen som studenttillitsvalgt går langt utover å kun delta i<br />
evalueringer og møter, ifølge Qadiri.<br />
Han sier at en av de viktigste oppgavene handler om å være synlig<br />
for klassen sin slik at studenter skal kunne føle seg trygge på å<br />
oppsøke ham.<br />
- Mye av studietiden handler om trivsel. Min oppgave som tillitsvalgt<br />
er å snakke individuelt med studenter. Jeg har hjulpet enkelte med<br />
skolenerver. Jeg opplever det å være imøtekommende veldig viktig.<br />
Også evalueringer er avgjørende for studentene, understreker han.<br />
- Vi tillitsvalgte har en viktig rolle i å sikre at studentenes<br />
perspektiver blir representert. Når det viser seg at enkelte viser<br />
misnøye ved evaluering, så tar vi det opp med ledelsen og finner<br />
en god løsning på problemstillingene, sier han til studentavisen.<br />
God dialog med ledelsen<br />
Ved UiA er evalueringsprosessen en viktig faktor for<br />
kvalitetsarbeidet. De tillitsvalgte er ifølge universitetets nettsider en<br />
del av et kvalitetssystem, som innebærer å gi studentene best mulig<br />
læringsutbytte og personlig utvikling i relevante utdanninger.<br />
Anna Langebråten (21) er også tillitsvalgt<br />
ved statsvitenskap. Hun opplever at det er<br />
god kommunikasjon mellom tillitsvalgte<br />
og studieveiledere, og forteller at det<br />
planlegges et evalueringsmøte med klassen<br />
før juleferien.<br />
- Vi skal få til et evalueringsmøte der vi<br />
får tilbakemelding fra studentene selv<br />
om hva de synes er bra, hva som kan bli<br />
bedre og eventuelt om noe de ikke er<br />
fornøyd vedrørende studieprogrammet<br />
vårt, deretter går vi videre til studieveilederne og gir studentene<br />
oppdatering gjennom prosessen, sier hun.<br />
Viktig rolle i evaluering av emner<br />
Studenttillitsvalgte spiller en viktig rolle i evalueringen av<br />
enkeltfag, og deres deltakelse er avgjørende for å sikre kvalitet i<br />
undervisningen ved UiA.<br />
E-læring- og IKT-rådgiver, Siren<br />
Vegusdal, uttrykker betydningen av<br />
studenttillitsvalgte og deres bidrag i<br />
denne prosessen.<br />
- Studentenes deltakelse i evalueringen<br />
av studieprogrammer og emner er<br />
avgjørende for å sikre at undervisningen<br />
tilfredsstiller studentenes behov og<br />
forventninger. Hver studieretning har<br />
minst en studenttillitsvalgt per studiekull<br />
for både bachelor og masterprogram. I tillegg til dette deltar en<br />
studenttillitsvalgt og minst en ph.d.kandidat i studieprogramråd<br />
for ph.d.program, sier IKT-rådgiveren til Unikum.<br />
Oppmuntrer flere studenter til å delta<br />
For å oppmuntre flere studenter til å delta aktivt i evalueringen av<br />
studieprogrammer og emner, oppfordrer UiA studenttillitsvalgte<br />
til å ta en ledende rolle i å inspirere og oppfordre medstudenter til<br />
deltakelse.<br />
Ifølge Vegusdal sender UiA ut automatiske påminnelser og<br />
oppfordringer til deltakelse via mail og Canvas når det gjelder<br />
digital evaluering.<br />
- I enkelte emner blir det satt av tid til seminarer eller andre møter<br />
for å gi studentene muligheten til å delta i evalueringen, noe som<br />
ofte fører til et høyere svarprosent. Universitetet ønsker at så<br />
mange studenter som mulig benytter muligheten til å gi verdifulle<br />
tilbakemeldinger, da dette gir UiA verdifull innsikt som bidrar til<br />
å heve kvaliteten på deres studietilbud, forklarer hun videre til<br />
studentavisen.<br />
Foto: Privat Foto: UiA<br />
12
Album Review:<br />
REVIEW<br />
Photo: boygenius<br />
Does ‘the rest’ by boygenius<br />
live up to the sad girl hype?<br />
Freya Thomson<br />
Writer<br />
boygenius is a band consisting of three talented artists: Phoebe<br />
Bridgers, Julien Baker, and Lucy Dacus. Their music is typical of<br />
the indie or folk-rock genres, and it’s often described by its fans<br />
as ‘sad girl music’. For all of us sad girl music genre lovers, the<br />
announcement of this EP was highly exciting. After the masterpiece<br />
that was ‘the record’, this EP had a lot of high expectations to live<br />
up to. Especially, as it only consists of four songs. However, I do<br />
personally believe ‘the rest’ lives up to the<br />
sad girl hype. It feels very intimate, and<br />
captures a lot of emotions and feelings<br />
we all experience, but commonly fail to<br />
discuss or speak of them.<br />
Track 1 – ‘Black Hole’<br />
On this track, Baker begins with a soft<br />
and fragile tone in verse one, and in<br />
verse two Dacus and Bridgers take over<br />
gracefully. Verse two is everything. It<br />
has a slightly different feeling to the<br />
beginning of the song, following the<br />
instrumental. It feels slightly messier,<br />
despite the lyrics having a pattern. The<br />
final lyrics in the song “My thoughts, all<br />
noise, fake smile, decoys / Sometimes, I<br />
need to hear your voice” stand out to me.<br />
It describes the grounding I need, when<br />
everything in my life feels out of control, and out of order. I act<br />
in an out-of- body positive manner, when I am with others, until<br />
I speak to my partner, and suddenly that comfort brings me back<br />
together as a whole.<br />
Track 2 – ‘Afraid of Heights’<br />
This is the track where Dacus takes the lead. I believe this song<br />
resonates with many of us. The lyrics “I wanna live a vibrant life /<br />
But I wanna die a boring death” make me feel heard. I want to travel<br />
and try new things. I want to live, but I don’t want to take too many<br />
risks, and I want security. The song focuses on two individuals, one<br />
who has a lot of fear, and one who fears nothing, and the lyric sort<br />
of plays on the desire to have both. Following this, Dacus states<br />
“Not everyone gets the chance to live / A life that isn’t dangerous”,<br />
reflecting on her privilege to not have to live in fear all the time,<br />
and the peacefulness and contentment that comes from security.<br />
Track 3 – ‘Voyager’<br />
This is the track in which Bridgers leads. It refers to a dying<br />
relationship with many issues. I think the change in lyrics is what<br />
highlights the tragedy of this relationship. Bridgers sings “But I used<br />
to believe no one could love you like I do (Mmm) / And I‘m startin‘ to<br />
think that it might be impossible not to (Mmm)”, which highlights<br />
the love she felt for this person, but then<br />
hints to the realisation of falling out of<br />
love. Then later in the song she sings<br />
“You thought I‘d never leave and I let you<br />
believe you were right”, which illustrates<br />
the downturn in the relationship, and<br />
how they were holding something back<br />
from this partner. It is a melancholic and<br />
echoey track, that deserves a listen on a<br />
down day.<br />
Track 4 – ‘Powers’<br />
This is my personal favourite from the<br />
EP. Julien Baker takes the lead on this<br />
song. I am in love with her voice, because<br />
it feels so delicate and raw. Yet, Baker is<br />
describing their so- called villain origin<br />
story, using classic comic book tropes<br />
and descriptions. The lyrics: “The tail of<br />
a comet burned up in an instant, the destruction of matter / There’s<br />
no object to be seen in the supercollider / Just a light in the tunnel<br />
and whatever gets scattered” are just so beautiful to me. Because<br />
I feel we all experience that feeling of falling apart, of destruction<br />
in life, and being pulled into different parts, and not feeling fully<br />
there. Baker’s description of disarray and change in oneself, is so<br />
visual in this piece, it deserves a listen.<br />
If you haven’t already put this album on. It is perfectly suited for<br />
the dreary days in autumn, or the long darkness we face during<br />
winter. This EP made me buy a t-shirt from their website. I think<br />
that says a lot. I became a fan after the release of ‘the record’, but<br />
‘the rest’ solidified my love for boygenius. Play into your ‘sad girl’<br />
desires and listen to this.<br />
I give it 5 stars.<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 13
REVIEW<br />
Palia review<br />
Another cozy game or something more?<br />
Warning: I am not a pro gamer!<br />
Photo: Epic Games<br />
Evgeniia Kadyrova<br />
Photo Editor<br />
The cozy game era is around the corner. Who does not like to relax<br />
after a long day in a different reality where you can create your<br />
own world? The place where you can garden and decorate your<br />
house. If you are one of those people, I have good news for you.<br />
Palia is the perfect game for relaxation. In the world of Palia, you<br />
get a plot of land on which you can create your own house, a garden<br />
and various crafting machines, such as a seed-making equipment.<br />
However, Palia is more than a cozy game with the gameplay where<br />
you grow something, sell it and decorate your house. The game has<br />
a main storyline which is about solving a big mystery. I will tell<br />
you a little bit about it, but just do not tell anyone. Why do people<br />
reappear out of nowhere on this land that has been unmanned for<br />
a long time and is filled only with magical creatures?<br />
The game is filled only with magical in-game characters, but you,<br />
as well as other people on the server, are humans, since the game<br />
is an open multiplayer world (MMO). Thus, Palia is a cozy game<br />
with repetitive relaxing action sequences, but is also kind of an<br />
adventure and solving riddles type of game. Moreover, it means<br />
that you can play together with your friends on the same server.<br />
Isn’t that cool? I know the answer - it is!<br />
In-game characters are the inhabitants of the world and are<br />
quite diverse, meaning that each one has its own backstory and<br />
individual personality. By building and improving relationships<br />
you get access to individual quests that help you get to know<br />
the inhabitants better. Some of them are trying to improve the<br />
relationship with their teenage daughter; some are rebellious<br />
and want to follow their own path not chosen by their parents. I<br />
can say that the game is not just a cozy game that is sharpened<br />
on the performance of monotonous tasks, as it helps the brain to<br />
rest. Indeed, the mysteries of the past of this world is not the only<br />
mysteries that awaits you in the game. When you are in the mood<br />
for relaxation you can fish, collect materials, decorate your house,<br />
14
garden and much more. When you<br />
are in an adventurous mood, the<br />
game also allows you to explore<br />
ruins with various riddles.<br />
The game was released recently<br />
and is in beta development, thus<br />
the developers spend a lot of time<br />
on player feedback, adding stuff to<br />
the gameplay and creating events.<br />
In other words, the game is alive.<br />
At the moment, the whole town in<br />
the game is filled with Halloween<br />
decorations, which also creates an<br />
autumn atmosphere in the game.<br />
Most importantly, this game is a<br />
safe space with a nice community<br />
that is non-toxic and has an LGBTQ+<br />
friendly atmosphere. The romantic<br />
relationships in the game, yes this<br />
is also a part of the it, can develop regardless of the gender of the<br />
in-game character. Moreover, nowadays, there are not many MMO<br />
games that create a safe non-toxic environment for players, thus a<br />
nice community is a really great advantage of this game.<br />
Despite all the pros, Palia like most games has its cons, but they are<br />
mostly related to the bugs of the game as the game is still in beta<br />
development, so this is pretty much expected.<br />
Palia will definitely be boring for fans of a twisted plot and<br />
constant action adventures. However, if your goal is to relax in a<br />
cozy town with a nice community and in a safe cyber atmosphere<br />
with elements of adventure and mystery, this game is definitely for<br />
you. At first glance Palia may seem as another cozy game, but if you<br />
look closely, it‘s full of mystery and secrets that are waiting you to<br />
be uncovered. What is more suitable for autumn-evenings than a<br />
cozy plus kind of an adventure game with elements of mystery and<br />
riddles?<br />
And lastly, one more little secret from me, but do not tell anyone,<br />
promise? I heard something about a secret market that is only open<br />
at night. Shh, the town mayor doesn‘t know about this…<br />
Photo: Palia.com Photo: Palia.com<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 15
CULTURE<br />
culture doesn‘t have to<br />
cost an arm and a leg!<br />
Adam Zawadzki<br />
Writer<br />
Vilde Hagen Svanberg<br />
Writer<br />
Illustration: AdobeStock // Katsiaryna<br />
Photos: Kilden; Kristiansand Kommune<br />
Whether the theatre, cinema or concert hall, a night on the town is a night to remember!<br />
Winter may be approaching, but, then again, so are you. Go forth and enjoy.<br />
16<br />
THEATRE<br />
What: Fiesta De La Noche (Party of the<br />
Night)<br />
Where: Teateret<br />
When: Saturday 11. November, 21:30 –<br />
Sunday 12 November, 01:30<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: house@teateret (House at the<br />
Theatre)<br />
Where: Teateret<br />
When: Saturday 18. November, 21:00 –<br />
Sunday 19 November, 01:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Riksteatret: Drømmen Om En Hvit<br />
Jul (The Dream Of A White Christmas)<br />
Where: Kilden<br />
When: Tuesday 21. November, 19:00<br />
Price: 185 – 455<br />
What: Juleminner – Herborg Kråkevik<br />
Og Kåre Conradi (Christmas Memories –<br />
Herborg Kråkevik and Kåre Conradi)<br />
Where: Kilden<br />
When: Saturday 2. December, 18:00<br />
Price: 525<br />
MUSIC<br />
What: Atmospheric And Catchy Soul<br />
(The Source Culture)<br />
Where: Kilden<br />
When: Friday 10. November, 19:00<br />
Price: 100 – 200<br />
What: „Breath of Life“ Concert with Kve<br />
(The Source Vocal Ensemble)<br />
Where: Grim Church<br />
When: Friday 10. November, 19:30<br />
Price: 150 – 300<br />
What: DJ NÖCTURNAL ËVIL...... KILLS<br />
YOU!<br />
Where: BARE studenthus<br />
When: Saturday 11. November, 21:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Classical Lunch Concert<br />
Where: Campus Kristiansand – Hall 1,<br />
Sigurd Køhns hus, UiA<br />
When: Wednesday 15. November, 13:15<br />
– 14:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: LULI<br />
Where: BARE studenthus<br />
When: Wednesday 15. November, 20:00<br />
Price: 100 – 175<br />
What: JEJUNE<br />
Where: BARE studenthus<br />
When: Friday 17. November, 20:00<br />
Price: 150 – 200<br />
What: GUTTA speller NORSK ROCK (The<br />
Boys Are Playing Norwegian Rock)<br />
Where: BARE studenthus<br />
When: Saturday 18. November, 20:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Mezzo-Soprano Meets Mahler<br />
(Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra)<br />
Where: Kilden<br />
When: Thursday 23. November, 19:30<br />
Price: 150 – 425 (150 for U30s)<br />
What: Michelle Ullestad<br />
Where: BARE studenthus<br />
When: Friday 24. November, 20:00<br />
Price: 250 – 350<br />
CINEMA<br />
What: Werkmeister Harmonies<br />
Where: Cinemateket<br />
When: Thursday 9. November, 20:00<br />
Price: 80<br />
Hungarian and Slovak speech, English<br />
subtitles.<br />
What: X: The Life and Times of Malcolm<br />
X (The Metropolitan Opera)<br />
Where: Kino<br />
When: Saturday 18. November<br />
Price: TBC<br />
What: From Russia with Love – 50th<br />
Anniversary<br />
Where: Kino
Culture calendar for students<br />
09.11 - 06.12<br />
When: Tuesday 28. November<br />
Price: TBC<br />
What: The Magic Flute (The Metropolitan<br />
Opera)<br />
Where: Kino<br />
When: Saturday 2. December<br />
Price: TBC<br />
LECTURES/COURSES<br />
What: Course in APA7<br />
Where: Campus Kristiansand, room TBC<br />
When: Monday 13. November,<br />
13:15 – 14:00 + Monday 27.<br />
November, 10:15 – 11:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Filosofipub: Våre liv på skjerm –<br />
hva gjør det med oss? (Philosophy pub:<br />
Our lives on the screen – what does it do<br />
to us?)<br />
Where: Håndverkeren<br />
When: Monday 13. November, 17:30<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Eksamensboost – digital<br />
(Exam boost – digital)<br />
Where: Digital<br />
When: Monday 13. November,<br />
18:30 – 19:15<br />
Price: Free<br />
NB: The link will be sent after signing up.<br />
What: Eksamensboost (Exam boost)<br />
Where: SiA studentsenter<br />
When: Wednesday 15. November, 16:45<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Course in IEEE<br />
Where: Campus Grimstad, A2021<br />
When: Thursday 16.<br />
November, 12:00 – 13:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 17
What: Samskaping for fremtidens<br />
samfunn: Kunst, mennesker og<br />
relasjoner (Co-creation for the society of<br />
the future: Art, people and relationships)<br />
Where: BARE studenthus<br />
When: Monday 20. November,<br />
09:00 – 11:30<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Kurs I Zotero: Hold orden<br />
i referansene (Course in Zotero:<br />
Keep track of your references)<br />
Where: Campus Kristiansand, D3006<br />
When: Wednesday 29.<br />
November, 09:30 – 11:30<br />
Price: Free<br />
ART<br />
What: Utstillingsåpning<br />
Kunst ER! Kunstnergruppen<br />
Lambretta (Opening of<br />
the exhibition Art IS! The<br />
artist group Lambretta)<br />
Where: Kristiansand<br />
kunsthall<br />
When: Saturday 11.<br />
November, 14:00 (lasts<br />
till 14 January 2024)<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: White Balls On<br />
Walls (documentary about<br />
the Stedelijk Museum in<br />
Amsterdam who works<br />
to change their White<br />
and Western focus)<br />
Where: Cinemateket<br />
When: Thursday 30.<br />
November, 17:30 – 22:00<br />
Price: 80<br />
OTHER<br />
What: Thursday Quiz at BARE<br />
Where: BARE studenthus<br />
When: Every Thursday<br />
Price: 30<br />
What: Velkommen til åpen lesegruppe!<br />
(Welcome to the open reading group!)<br />
Where: Kristiansand<br />
Folkebibliotek (Library)<br />
When: Monday 6, 13, 20, 27 November<br />
and 4 December, 17:30 – 19:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Nybegynnerkurs med<br />
Egdehirden (Beginner course with<br />
Egdehirden, historical weapons)<br />
Where: Gimlehallen<br />
When: Friday 10. November,<br />
18:00 – 20:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Jul på Fiskebrygga<br />
(Christmas at Fiskebrygga)<br />
Where: Fiskebrygga<br />
When: Saturday 11. November, 13:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Eksamens Stretch (Exam Stretch)<br />
Where: Spicheren treningssenter<br />
When: Thursday 16, 23 and 30.<br />
November, 11:30 – 12:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Move and Eat<br />
Where: Spicheren treningssenter<br />
+ SiA studentsenter<br />
When: Friday 17. and 24. November<br />
+ Friday 1., Monday 4. and Monday<br />
11. December, 12:45 – 15:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Posebytorgets julemarked<br />
(Christmas market at Posebytorget)<br />
Where: Ekserserplassen,<br />
Tordenskjoldsgate 64<br />
When: Saturday 25.<br />
November, 12:00 – 16:00<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Klubb Skamløs (Club Shameless)<br />
Where: Teateret<br />
When: Saturday 25. November,<br />
21:30 – Sunday 26 November, 01:30<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Jul på Gimle Gård<br />
(Christmas at Gimle Gård)<br />
Where: Gimle Gård<br />
When: Sunday 26. November, 12:00<br />
Price: 55 – 110<br />
What: BE HEARD! Storytelling Night<br />
Where: ARKIVET freds- og<br />
menneskerettighetssenter, Vesterveien 4<br />
(ARKIVET Peace and Human<br />
Rights Center, Vesterveien 4)<br />
When: Tuesday 28. November,<br />
19:00 (Doors open 18:30)<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Nøtteknekkeren (The<br />
Nutcracker)<br />
Where: Teateret<br />
When: Friday 1. December,<br />
19:00<br />
Price: 550<br />
What: Nattbad på<br />
Aquarama (Night<br />
swimming at Aquarama)<br />
Where: Aquarama<br />
When: Friday 1.<br />
December, 21:00<br />
Price: 225<br />
What: Førjulsmarked<br />
på Søgne gamle<br />
prestegård (Christmas market<br />
at Søgne gamle prestegård)<br />
Where: Søgne gamle prestegård<br />
When: Friday 1. – Sunday 3. December<br />
Price: Free<br />
What: Julemarked på Kristiansand<br />
museum (Christmas market<br />
at Kristiansand museum)<br />
Where: Kristiansand museum<br />
When: Sunday 3. December, 12:00<br />
Price: 110<br />
18
Tips from Vilde<br />
Christmas is approaching! That means plenty<br />
of Christmas markets, and Christmas plays<br />
to attend to. Probably many more than<br />
what we’ve been able to fit in this calendar.<br />
Christmas in Kristiansand really is something<br />
special, and I especially recommend visiting<br />
Gimle Gård, and to go ice skating when the ice<br />
rink is back up, in front of the cathedral in the<br />
city centre.<br />
Tips from Adam<br />
As a student of the Faculty of Fine Arts, I’ve had the great privilege<br />
of attending a couple of concerts by the Kristiansand Symphony<br />
Orchestra, at Kilden, alongside other students here for their full<br />
degree, or on an international exchange, like me. Watching and<br />
listening to musicians at the height of their creative prowess, are<br />
experiences I’ll savour for a very long time. In fact, I enjoyed myself<br />
so much that I’ve booked myself in to witness them in action for<br />
the rest of the semester. Yes, they come that highly recommended.<br />
‘Isn’t that rather expensive?’ you may be wondering. If so, then<br />
you needn’t worry. If you’re under 30 years of age, Kilden offers<br />
discounted tickets, and if you’re also lucky enough to be studying<br />
within the Faculty of Fine Arts here at UiA, you can attend selected<br />
concerts for free.<br />
More tips from Vilde<br />
Before Christmas, we unfortunately have to<br />
get through exams. I would really recommend<br />
attending some of SiA’s and UiA’s events, to help<br />
prepare for a stressful exam period. That said, I<br />
also recommend attending the exams of music<br />
and art students! Most have not been announced<br />
yet, but keep an eye out for your hard working<br />
fellow students, and help support them while you<br />
get to experience amazing music and art for free!<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 19
DEBATE<br />
Henrike Jost<br />
Writer<br />
Illustration: Freepik // freepik<br />
Should NORWAY<br />
join the EU?<br />
Norway remains one of the few Nordic countries not to have<br />
joined the European Union, despite having tried four times in 31<br />
years. The first two attempts, in 1963 and in 1967, were blocked by<br />
a French veto (Geelmuyden Rød, 2022). In the third attempt, the<br />
French did not veto, allowing the membership process to move to<br />
its final stage. This gave Norwegians the opportunity to vote on<br />
whether their country should join the EU in a referendum. On the<br />
25th of September 1972, 53.5% of Norwegians voted against joining<br />
the Union, resulting in Norway remaining outside it. Norway made<br />
another attempt about 20 years later: In 1994, Norwegians again<br />
voted by a small majority to remain outside the EU (Neumann, 2002).<br />
Since then, there has been no meaningful debate on the question.<br />
With crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic or the Russian invasion<br />
of Ukraine, as well as the upcoming elections in 2025, the question<br />
of Norway’s relationship with the EU reignited. The debate was<br />
formally reopened by Erna Solberg (Høyre) at Høyre’s annual party<br />
conference this year (Berglund, 2023). Currently, Høyre is the only<br />
one out of the ten parties represented in the Storting to advocate<br />
Norwegian EU membership (Europabevegelsen, 2017). A survey<br />
conducted by Sentio shows an increase in the number of positive<br />
voices across Norway from 27% to 33% in favor of EU accession<br />
(NRK, 2023). Among young people, this percentage is even higher<br />
at 56% (Berge & Heldahl, 2022). The share of EU opponents remains<br />
more or less stable at 56% (NRK, 2023). It is therefore time to<br />
revisit the debate and look at the pros and cons of Norwegian EU<br />
membership.<br />
One of the overarching arguments used by EU opponents is the<br />
preservation of Norwegian sovereignty. They are afraid of ceding<br />
decision-making power to the EU level and having decisions<br />
imposed on them by Brussels (Neumann, 2002). Instead, they<br />
argue that decision-making should be kept at the Norwegian level<br />
so that the best solutions for Norway can be found. Furthermore,<br />
it is argued that Norway is more flexible in how it manages issues<br />
as it does not have to negotiate a common position with the other<br />
Member States (Neubacher et al., 2016). This struggle is often visible<br />
in the media, especially in regard to migration, where member<br />
states seem unable to find common ground. However, it is also<br />
true that we live in a time of crisis, be it the climate crisis or the socalled<br />
refugee crisis. Such cross-border issues demand collective<br />
policies and solutions that can tackle the problems more effectively<br />
through pooled knowledge and resources. Together with the other<br />
27 Member States, Norway could tackle these issues more effectively<br />
and efficiently. This also holds true for inflicting change around the<br />
world and making Norway’s voice heard. Together with the other<br />
Member States and through the economic and normative power of<br />
the EU, Norway would be more powerful in fighting for the norms<br />
and principles on which it prides itself, such as the rule of law and<br />
human rights (Neumann, 2002). Especially in times when the US<br />
is no longer a dependable ally with another Trump presidency<br />
looming on the horizon, the need for strong allies besides the US<br />
increases. Not only regarding shared values and norms, but also as<br />
a security guarantor. With Trump being potentially the president<br />
of the US again NATO’s fate is up in the clouds. A membership<br />
within the EU could then be a more safe option to ensure security<br />
(Berglund, 2023). Thus, through its geographical closeness as<br />
well as the shared values the EU seems to be a suitable partner.<br />
Norway already is closely tied to the EU through EFTA (European<br />
Free Trade Association) and the European Economic Area, which<br />
allows it to have access to the European Single Market (European<br />
Parliament, 2023), which is crucial for Norway as it is economically<br />
dependent on the EU. 80% of Norway’s Exports are going to the<br />
EU (Sinram & Kindermann, 2016). However, access to the Single<br />
Market does not come without strings attached. Norway has to<br />
transpose the rules that regulate the Single Market into national<br />
law and comply with it without having the opportunity to voice its<br />
opinion during the policy-making process (Sinram & Kindermann,<br />
2016). These include policies regarding research and technical<br />
development. as well as social policies, consumer protections,<br />
and environmental policies. If Norway infringes any of these<br />
policies the EU can invoke sanctions (Sinram & Kindermann,<br />
2016). It is thus questionable whether the current relationship is<br />
not infringing Norway’s sovereignty and democratic legitimacy<br />
more than a Norwegian membership would. In that case, Norway<br />
would have a say in the legislative and executive organs of the EU<br />
such as the Council of the European Union, the European Council,<br />
and the European Commission. Another argument that could<br />
appease the EU opponents could be the subsidiarity principle that<br />
is anchored in the EU treaties. This principle argues that policies<br />
should always be made as closely to the people as possible so that<br />
the EU only becomes active when issues cannot be more effectively<br />
resolved on the regional or national level. Additionally, the EU has<br />
policy instruments such as Directives at its disposal, which allows<br />
countries a degree of flexibility when it comes to how a policy<br />
objective is achieved.<br />
Another argument that EU opponents might bring forward is that<br />
it will be costly for Norway to join the EU. It is true that Norway<br />
would have to contribute to the EU budget and adapt to certain EU<br />
processes and procedures, which comes with its costs. However, as<br />
Norway already fulfills many of the EU membership requirements<br />
(the so-called Copenhagen Criteria), the process of adapting to<br />
the EU will not be as expensive as it would be for other countries<br />
(Neubacher et al., 2016). Moreover, Norway is already paying<br />
20
about 388 million euros a year to the EU due to its membership in<br />
the European Economic Area. Broken down this comes to 76€ per<br />
Norwegian annually which is almost as much as Great Britain paid<br />
when they were still an EU member with 89€ per citizen (Sinram &<br />
Kindermann, 2016). This does not make an EU membership appear<br />
so costly anymore. Furthermore, the membership could benefit<br />
the Norwegian economy through easier trade negotiations that are<br />
facilitated through the collective economic power of the EU and full<br />
access to the single market (Berglund, 2023). The collective power<br />
will also make it easier for Norway to regulate big tech companies<br />
such as Facebook and Google (Løkke, 2022).<br />
Lastly, one of the overarching arguments opposing Norwegian EU<br />
membership is Norway’s fishing industry and agrarian industry.<br />
The Norwegian fishing industry is not only important economically<br />
to the country, but also culturally. People are concerned that<br />
Norway‘s fish sector will be harmed by other EU countries accessing<br />
Norwegian waters to fish (Neubacher et al., 2016). A Norwegian EU<br />
membership could also hurt Norwegian farmers as their products<br />
can not compete with the cheaper agricultural goods from other<br />
European countries driving Norwegian farmers into insolvency<br />
(Neubacher et al., 2016). Thus, both of these sectors could potentially<br />
be impaired by Norwegian EU membership. However, only a<br />
small share of Norwegians are working in these two sectors which<br />
means that not as many people would get hurt by a Norwegian<br />
accession to the Union (Neumann, 2002). Furthermore, through<br />
the membership Norway would have complete access to the Single<br />
Market which does not only mean new potential opportunities for<br />
Norwegian businesses and economic growth, but it would also<br />
offer Norway the possibility to sell its fish more easily in the other<br />
Member States (Löffler, 2003).<br />
As outlined, there are arguments both for Norwegian EU<br />
membership and for maintaining the status quo. Depending on<br />
one’s own priorities, one may prioritize the arguments differently<br />
and will arrive at a different answer to the question: should Norway<br />
join the EU? Norway and the EU must continue to work together,<br />
be it through the continuation of EFTA, Norwegian accession to the<br />
Union, or some third way. Whatever direction the debate regarding<br />
Norwegian EU membership takes, the most important thing is to<br />
answer this question through a democratic process.<br />
Sources:<br />
Berge, J., & Heldahl, H. (2022, August 16). EU-sjokk på ny måling: De unge vil melde Norge inn.<br />
Berglund, N. (2023, April 5). Erna fires up Norway’s EU debate.<br />
Europabevegelsen. (2017, September 8). Vurdering av partienes europapolitikk.<br />
European Parliament. (2023). Der Europäische Wirtschaftsraum (EWR), die Schweiz und der Norden.<br />
Geelmuyden Rød, E. (2022, July 14). Should Norway Join the EU? Research on Democracy and Peace Suggests So.<br />
Löffler, R. (2003). Norwegen ante portas? Die wieder auflebende Debatte über einen möglichen EU-Beitritt schafft<br />
neue Allianzen (pp. 79–91)<br />
Løkke, E. (2022, April 5). Derfor bør Norge bli medlem av EU.<br />
Neubacher, C., Silva, J., & Thil, P.-J. (2016, October). Norwegian Exceptionalism: How the European Union can use<br />
Norway to further European Integration.<br />
Neumann, I. B. (2002). This little piggy stayed at home: why Norway is not a member of the EU. In L. Hansen & O.<br />
Wæver (Eds.)<br />
NRK. (2023, April 26). Flere sier ja til EU-medlemskap.<br />
Sinram, J., & Kindermann, K. (2016, June 28). Norwegen und die EU - “Norwegen übernimmt viele Regeln, die in<br />
Brüssel beschlossen werden.”<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 21
ENTERTAINMENT<br />
PIT STOP<br />
Illustrasjon: freepik<br />
Down<br />
1. Japanese food<br />
2. Dr. who enemy<br />
4. object falling from space to earth<br />
5. equipment in ice hockey<br />
8. the world’s coldest village<br />
10. weapon<br />
12. solid water<br />
13. oldest instrument<br />
Across<br />
3. Plant that has the narcotic drug opium in it<br />
6. the building blocks of everything<br />
7. voice amplifyer<br />
9. the rules that structure a sentence<br />
11. Artificial intelligence<br />
14. animal with stripes<br />
15. strongest muscle<br />
16. awareness of men’s health issues<br />
17. Chinese term meaning opposites<br />
that together form a whole<br />
22
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 23<br />
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POEM<br />
Babet Berning<br />
Writer<br />
Illustration: Freepik // pikisuperstar<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again.<br />
Sweaters on,<br />
Dresses off.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again.<br />
Days shorten,<br />
Sunlight decreases.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again.<br />
Thunderclouds forming,<br />
The canals freezing over.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again.<br />
Sleeping more,<br />
Sleeping late.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again,<br />
Spend it all,<br />
For temporary joy.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again.<br />
Skipping class,<br />
And social events.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again.<br />
Everything for a high,<br />
Or nothing at all.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again.<br />
The thoughts start,<br />
Drifting into the clouds.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
every year again.<br />
Why eat,<br />
When you want to feel.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again,<br />
Becoming hollow,<br />
Filled with dirty water.<br />
Winter is coming,<br />
Every year again.<br />
The same thing,<br />
Every year again.<br />
24
Joachim Vogt<br />
Writer<br />
Photo: Freepik // montypeter<br />
Leaves never fall<br />
You sturdy old oak,<br />
you who stand there so still,<br />
will you soak up these tears of ours<br />
that’s falling to the moss of your soil?<br />
Oh, and I see,<br />
the fiery warmth you contain within.<br />
Does it witness the toil of our hearts<br />
as we stand by you, alone,<br />
cold and forgotten in this freezing wind?<br />
Now, in the harvest of the orange moon,<br />
did our pleas of reassurance<br />
come to you too soon?<br />
Did your fire see the raging needed<br />
for our leaves of sorrow to fall?<br />
Onto our branches there is no wind,<br />
no wind to graze them at all.<br />
You mighty old tree<br />
we are naked where we stand.<br />
Your greatness stretches towards the sky<br />
while we walk right passed you<br />
paying you no mind, no mind at all.<br />
We are here, like you;<br />
no leaves to shield our bark,<br />
you say nothing to comfort our hearts.<br />
“Then let my silence show onto your spirit<br />
a life giving spark, of truth, and that’s the matter.<br />
Let it relay to your lies in the dark<br />
that eventually, you will break free of the tar<br />
placed upon you. And not to burn,<br />
but so that you will forgo the spurn<br />
of the shining light that you have been given,<br />
to carry within, to take the path<br />
of illuminating away your worry<br />
so that you will return<br />
to who you have always been.”<br />
You who stand underneath a mighty old tree<br />
give time and beautiful patience,<br />
look at the branches in the dark puddle’s reflection<br />
and you’ll see that leaves grow,<br />
they truly never fall.<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 25
Det går bra. Jeg har en del erfaring fra tidligere eksamener og fra idrett egentlig. Jeg presterer best<br />
under press.<br />
AK TUELT<br />
10 på UiA: Hvordan takler<br />
du EKSAMENSstress?<br />
Foto: Freepik // wayhomestudio<br />
Foto: Unikum // Alice Soleng<br />
Vilde Hagen Svanberg<br />
Skribent<br />
Tobias Klausen<br />
Ansvarlig Redaktør<br />
Eline, pedagogikk<br />
Jeg har egentlig ikke hatt eksamen før! Sist var på ungdomsskolen. Jeg sitter og øver nå, så jeg føler<br />
det går bra egentlig. Vi får god veiledning.<br />
August, musikk<br />
Akkurat nå går det veldig greit. Jeg har ikke eksamener til jul, så jeg gleder meg veldig til juleferie.<br />
Det blir nok verre til våren når eksamenene har hopet seg opp. Så spør meg igjen i april!<br />
Håkon, rettsvitenskap<br />
Pia, grunnskolelærer 5-10<br />
Jeg er egentlig veldig lite stressa, enn så lenge tar jeg det lugnt. Noen ganger er det bra å koble av<br />
og tenke på noe annet enn skole, så jeg tar veldig fri når jeg har fri.<br />
26
Angelo, global development<br />
I do sports and try to be active. I also like to spend some quality time with myself, like reading my<br />
Bible and doing different activities.<br />
Svala, barnevern integrert master<br />
Jeg pleier å være grei med meg selv når det kommer til mat, jeg bruker litt ekstra penger på det, det<br />
er viktig å kose seg litt. Jeg prøver også å få til å trene og studere sammen med andre.<br />
Elin, samfunnsrettet ernæringsarbeid<br />
Det takler jeg veldig dårlig! Jeg er veldig stressa, blir desorientert og vet ikke hvordan jeg vil<br />
strukturere arbeidet mitt.<br />
Max, IT årsstudium<br />
Jeg er koronakull, så jeg har aldri hatt eksamen før. Jeg vet ikke hvordan jeg takler det.<br />
Aurora, samtidsteater<br />
Jeg har ikke tenkt noe på det. Det ligger litt under overflaten, men det har ikke boblet opp enda.<br />
Isabel, teaching<br />
Bad. I try to relax in the evenings and go to bed early.<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 97 27
OPINION<br />
Five books I hate and why<br />
I take pride in almost always finishing a book. My thumb rule is to always read at least 150<br />
pages before judging, because you never know when things will take a turn for the better (I’m<br />
looking at you The Secret History). Sadly, this also means that I have endured quite a few<br />
books that were boring, abrasive, and despicable. Here are five books I hate and why.<br />
Photo: GoodReads<br />
Alice Soleng<br />
Skribent<br />
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon<br />
Nicola Yoon’s bestseller book received positive reviews, and it was adapted into a film in 2019. So,<br />
if you’re a hopeless romantic, this one might be for you. For me, however, this was one of the first<br />
books I gave a one-star review on Goodreads. Yoon’s book is about pragmatic Natasha and dreaming<br />
Daniel, who meet and fall in love in one day. After Daniel rescues Natasha from being hit by a car,<br />
they go get lunch, where Natasha reveals that she believes love is purely scientifical. Daniel responds<br />
with challenging her to go through the famous New York Times article, 36 questions to fall in love. My<br />
problem with this book is not necessarily the writing, because Yoon’s style is actually something that<br />
I enjoy. It’s fast paced, easy to read, and she keeps it interesting. However, I find the whole concept<br />
unbelievable and superficial. The idea of someone falling in love with someone, less than 24 hours<br />
after meeting them, is for me completely unrealistic. That’s a crush, not love. There are also some major<br />
character flaws in our two protagonists, which I can’t go into without spoiling. Let’s just say that it’s<br />
cheesy and cynical, and the entire book reeks of desperation.<br />
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James<br />
This one, some of you might be a bit more familiar with, because the movie adaption is worldwide<br />
known. My lovely friends gifted me this book for my 18th birthday, because they knew I would never<br />
invest in this myself. One day Anastasia is sent to interview billionaire Christian Grey, as a replacement<br />
for her friend who is sick. The interview is humiliating, but Christian Grey still manages to find his way<br />
into the exact hardware shop Ana works at, (creepy) and asks her out on a date. After leaving their date,<br />
Ana is almost run over by a rogue cyclist, but “luckily”, Mr. Grey is there to save her (this seems to be a<br />
trope). They share a moment, and Christian Grey tells her that he is not the man for her, even though<br />
they were not even together, and it was him who asked her out. There is much to hate about this book.<br />
The author is constantly trying to convince us that we should forget the fact that Christian Grey is an<br />
arrogant creepy asshole, because he is extremely handsome, sexy, and rich. Yeah, that seems about<br />
right. Ana is also a rip off Bella Swan (very likely since the book started out as Twilight fanfiction), who’s<br />
clumsy, shy, gorgeous, and extremely awkward. She’s not quirky, she’s just annoying. Furthermore,<br />
what annoys me the most about the book is the extreme lack of plot. Some will not believe me, but there<br />
comes a point during reading when you ask yourself: Really? Another sex scene?<br />
28
World War Z by Max Brooks<br />
This book is one of the many I have suffered through because of my 150-page rule. The book is 342 pages<br />
long, and after reading 150, I figured why not read the rest? Please don’t do this. You will be bored for an<br />
infinite amount of time. Brooks’ book is an oral retelling of a fictional zombie war, and we follow people<br />
from all around the world. The concept of a zombie war is interesting, and the book had great potential<br />
with its division of events in the war. Many books before and after it, has had success with the interview<br />
story format, and that is also not what kills this book for me. It’s the fact that even though it’s a dystopian<br />
tale of a fictional war, that doesn’t keep it from being the most boring book I have ever read. Firstly, we<br />
do not follow one character throughout the book. In fact, the moment one of the chapters are interesting<br />
enough that you would want to know more, they change the perspective to someone who is dull and<br />
sleep inducing. Most of the characters have no connections between them, and those who do, are written<br />
so far apart in the book, that you barely catch the reference. If I were you, I would save your money on<br />
this one, or maybe try watching the film instead. Who knows, maybe it’s less boring? Brad Pitt is in it.<br />
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover<br />
I do believe in love, I promise. However, I also think that romance is a genre that could easily go wrong,<br />
since we all have different perceptions of how love should be given and received. Ugly love is about<br />
Tate who moves in with her older brother. After finding a guy absolutely wasted on her doorstep, she<br />
learns that this is Miles, her brother’s best friend. The attraction is immediate, and they quickly embark<br />
on a friends with benefits situation, where Miles gives her two rules: to not ask questions about the<br />
past, and never expect a future. There are two main problems with this book. Firstly, half of the book<br />
is spent on telling Miles’ love story with another woman, never showing us why we should care about<br />
his “relationship” with Tate. Second, Tate’s attraction and refusal to stay away from Miles, stems from<br />
a clear lack of self-respect. Our protagonist admits several times during the book that it is stupid to<br />
stay with him, when she knows he cannot give her what she wants. Someone is clearly suffering from<br />
Einstein’s definition of insanity. Colleen Hoover is among the world’s most famous and controversial<br />
authors, and this one is not worth your money. Unless you like wanting to throw your books at the wall<br />
when you’re reading, then it’s a sure page-turner.<br />
A monster calls by Patrick Ness<br />
Burning rage fills me when I look back on my stupid self, who decided to bring this book to my grandfather’s<br />
house, devour it in two hours, and not have anything else to read, for the rest of the weekend. There is a<br />
special place in hell, for books that keep you up late at night, ends brutally, and leaves you with tears in<br />
your eyes. A monster calls is a book based on an idea by Siobhan Dowd, who sadly was never able to see<br />
it come to life. Together with illustrator Jim Kay, Ness tells the story of a boy who is visited by a monster<br />
in his dreams. The monster tells the boy stories, and forces him to face his true feelings. A monster calls<br />
is a short book, with many excellent illustrations, and my problem with this book isn’t like the other<br />
ones on this list. Most of the previous books have been one-star reads. Five stars isn’t enough to explain<br />
how gut wrenching, heart twisting and brilliant this book is. While expressing emotions is a good thing,<br />
I would rather not sob my heart out at 1 am, whilst trying to not wake up sleeping family members, who<br />
would fear for my sanity. If complete emotional heart break is your thing, go for it, but I will never pick<br />
up this book again. I don’t think my heart could take it.<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 29
TOPICAL<br />
How much<br />
space does<br />
art need?<br />
According to<br />
Galleri 250L:<br />
NOT A LOT!<br />
Jay Voltaire<br />
Writer<br />
Photo: Unikum // Jay Voltaire<br />
Utilizing whatever is available is in the name at 250L,<br />
a student art gallery consisting not of a room or<br />
building, but a glass case. The gallery has the volume<br />
of a 250-liter tank, as they aim to think outside the box<br />
from within the box with their project.<br />
Marie and assistant, Paulina, are the creators of the<br />
gallery, and started the project earlier this year. Both<br />
are enrolled in the Bachelor i Visuell kunst og formidling<br />
(Bachelor of Visual Art and Communication) at Campus<br />
Kristiansand and they saw a need among their peers for<br />
somewhere to display their work.<br />
Photo: 250L<br />
30<br />
“The art students at<br />
the Department of<br />
Visual Arts and<br />
Drama at the Faculty<br />
of Fine Arts have<br />
not previously had a<br />
permanent student-run<br />
art gallery.” explains their<br />
brochure. Making the most of<br />
their creative spirit and can-do<br />
attitude they seized the opportunity<br />
to do something themselves.<br />
When you hear ‚gallery‘ you might think of the<br />
wide, white walls of a massive empty room, strict<br />
guidelines, maybe an equally picky curator to match.<br />
Galleri 250L is not that. The team states that: “the display was
gifted to us by SKMU (now called Kunstsilo). We have<br />
the tank to symbolize a gallery space. It connects to<br />
our concept of not needing a huge space to display art<br />
and communicate.” In line with the students‘ mission,<br />
Marie and Paulina say they want to make a place<br />
where all art is welcome. If you can think of a way to<br />
put it in, you can bring it in!<br />
Recent projects have been solo sculptures by their<br />
classmates and a physical collage piece made of<br />
works produced at a recent workshop, and they have<br />
big plans for the future. One upcoming project is in<br />
a similar vein, this time a collaborative workshop of<br />
the masters kunstfag students, and in the future, they<br />
hope to bring in established Norwegian artists from<br />
the Agder region.<br />
Being small has its perks, the gallery has been able<br />
to be located on two separate premises so far. Most<br />
recently it was on display at the student culture house<br />
BARE, and before this, it was present in the atrium on<br />
Kristiansand campus. This perk is also its downside,<br />
artists‘ work will have size restrictions, but obstacles<br />
can be overcome with creative thinking, and the team<br />
are open to all ideas.<br />
Through this, they aim to build a reputation for their<br />
gallery and give the contributors something solid for<br />
their resume and a taste of the gallery experience.<br />
Artists can be as involved or as hands-off with<br />
advertising and gallery processes as they desire.<br />
Have you seen the posters around? This<br />
distinctive style is all a part of the<br />
250L template and is produced by<br />
a process called Riso printing.<br />
It‘s not just a stylistic<br />
choice, Marie and Paulina<br />
wanted to choose an<br />
environmentally<br />
friendly option<br />
that was close to<br />
home. Riso has<br />
better efficiency,<br />
can be done<br />
on campus, is<br />
cost-effective,<br />
and as a bonus<br />
has a stand-out<br />
traditional print<br />
style.<br />
Photo: instagram<br />
For more information, you can find<br />
Galleri 250L on Instagram: @galleri250l<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 31
32
Studentavisen Unikum søker:<br />
REKRUTTERING<br />
Stillingen er honorert med 3500 kroner i måneden. Arbeidets start vil være 1. januar<br />
2024 med noe opplæring i desember.<br />
Med kontor ved UiA i Kristiansand og et redusert arbeidsomfang (beregnet 25%<br />
stilling) er dette en jobb som passer seg svært bra ved siden av studiene!<br />
Som nettredaktør i Unikum har du en sentral rolle i avisens drift. Du har ansvar for<br />
å påse at nettavisen og Unikums sosiale medier drives forsvarlig. Du tar selvstendige<br />
avgjørelser rundt publisering og utvikling av digitalt innhold, og følger opp og<br />
oppmuntrer frivillige som ønsker å bistå med innholdsproduksjon.<br />
Nettredaktørs kontrakt varer i 12 måneder og kan kun bli fornyet ett år av gangen.<br />
Kontrakten varer fra 1. januar 2024 til 31. desember 2024.<br />
Denne stillingen gjør deg attraktiv i forhold til fremtidige karrieremuligheter. Mange<br />
av våre ansatte har fått jobber som følge av erfaring hos Unikum.<br />
Vi overlapper ved ansettelse slik at ny nettredaktør får nødvendig opplæring og<br />
oppfølging. Noen dager med overlapp i desember må derfor regnes med.<br />
Arbeidsoppgaver:<br />
• Ansvaret for at avisen overholder PFUs presseetiske regler: https://presse.no/pfu/<br />
etiske-regler/<br />
• Jevnlig oppdatere og produsere innhold til vår nettside, dette innebærer planlegging<br />
av innlegg på Facebook, Instagram og nettsiden.<br />
• Produsere innhold til sosiale medier sammen med et team, og kunne delegere<br />
oppgaver til de frivillige.<br />
• Skrive nyhetssaker og annet kommentarstoff til avisen.<br />
• Engasjere og rekruttere nye studenter til å bidra i avisen.<br />
• Ha tett kontakt med ansvarlig redaktør, grafisk ansvarlig og ikke minst avisens<br />
frivillige.<br />
• Holde kontoret ryddig, og ta vare på våre kamera, mac maskiner og annet.<br />
• Delta på stands og andre arrangementer for Studentavisen Unikum.<br />
• Følge med på nettredaktør sin e-mail og opplyse om pressemeldinger og andre<br />
interessante saker dersom mulig.<br />
Kvalifikasjoner:<br />
• Du må være student i Agder.<br />
• Bakgrunn i kommunikasjon og mediefag er en fordel, men ikke et krav.<br />
• Kjennskap til adobe creative cloud program, spesielt InDesign og Photoshop er en<br />
fordel, men ikke et krav. Kjennskap til andre redigeringsverktøy på mobil slik som<br />
Canva kan være fordel, men ikke et krav.<br />
• Kjennskap til bruk av speilreflekskamera er en fordel, men ikke et krav.<br />
Personlige egenskaper:<br />
• Kan engasjere frivillige skribenter og annet til avisen.<br />
• Gode skriveferdigheter og god formidlingsevne.<br />
• Har nyhetsteft og interesse for aktualiteter.<br />
• Kunne ta på seg ansvar og samtidig være flink til å delegere oppgaver.<br />
• Å kunne strukturere og planlegge jobben etter hverdagen.<br />
Vi tilbyr:<br />
• Månedlig honorar på 3500,-<br />
• Verdifull ledererfaring<br />
• Utvidet nettverk i studentmiljøet<br />
• Kontorlokaler ved UiA<br />
• Referanser til CV<br />
Søker ny nettredaktør!<br />
• Sosialt og givende arbeidsmiljø med mange nye bekjentskap<br />
Stillingen er honorert med 6000 kroner i måneden. Arbeidets start vil være 1. januar<br />
2024 med noe opplæring i desember.<br />
Med kontor ved UiA i Kristiansand og et redusert arbeidsomfang (beregnet 25%<br />
stilling) er dette en jobb som passer seg svært bra ved siden av studiene!<br />
Som ansvarlig redaktør i Unikum får du muligheten til å sette ditt helt eget preg på<br />
avisen. Du vil være øverste leder og ha ansvaret for å engasjere frivillige studenter til<br />
å bidra både journalistisk, med design, fotografi, samt andre oppgaver.<br />
Ansvarlig redaktørs kontrakt varer i 12 måneder og kan kun bli fornyet ett år av<br />
gangen. Kontrakten går fra 1. januar 2024 til 31. desember 2024.<br />
Denne stillingen gjør deg attraktiv i forhold til fremtidige karrieremuligheter. Mange<br />
av våre ansatte har fått jobber som følge av erfaring hos Unikum.<br />
Vi overlapper ved ansettelse slik at ny ansvarlig redaktør får nødvendig opplæring og<br />
oppfølging. Noen dager med overlapp i desember må derfor regnes med.<br />
Arbeidsoppgaver:<br />
• Ansvaret for at avisen overholder PFUs presseetiske regler: https://presse.no/pfu/<br />
etiske-regler/<br />
• Produsere papiravis for studentene i Agder i løpet av deres to semester (10 utgaver<br />
fordelt på 10 måneder: aug, sep, okt, nov, des, jan, feb, mars, april, mai).<br />
• Avholde et ukentlig redaksjonelt møte der saker og annet diskuteres for kommende<br />
avis.<br />
• Delta på en designhelg en gang i måneden i lag med grafisk ansvarlig og andre, der<br />
kommende utgave settes sammen i Indesign.<br />
• Distribuere papiravisen etter hver ny utgivelse i lag med andre medlemmer.<br />
• Engasjere og rekruttere nye studenter til å bidra i avisen.<br />
• Lage innhold for vår nettside og til sosiale medier.<br />
• Skrive nyhetssaker og annet kommentarstoff til avisen.<br />
• Være kontaktpunkt for styreleder, nettredaktør, grafisk ansvarlig, podcastansvarlig,<br />
økonomiansvarlig, og ikke minst avisens frivillige.<br />
• Følge med på ansvarlig redaktørs mail, og sjekke postkassen jevnlig på vårt kontor.<br />
• Holde kontoret ryddig, og ta vare på våre kamera, mac maskiner og annet.<br />
• Delta på stands og andre arrangementer for Studentavisen Unikum.<br />
Kvalifikasjoner:<br />
• Du må være student i Agder.<br />
• Bakgrunn i kommunikasjon og mediefag er en fordel, men ikke et krav.<br />
• Kjennskap til adobe creative cloud program, spesielt InDesign og Photoshop er en<br />
fordel, men ikke et krav.<br />
• Kjennskap til bruk av speilreflekskamera er en fordel, men ikke et krav.<br />
Personlige egenskaper:<br />
• Kan engasjere frivillige skribenter og annet til avisen.<br />
• Er god til å skrive og har en god formidlingsevne.<br />
• Har nyhetsteft.<br />
• Håndterer personalansvar på en god måte.<br />
Vi tilbyr:<br />
• Månedlig honorar på 6000,-<br />
• Ledererfaring<br />
• Nettverk i studentmiljøet<br />
• Kontor ved UiA<br />
• Referanser til CV<br />
Søker ny Ansvarlig redaktør!<br />
• Sosialt arbeid med mange nye bekjentskap<br />
Legg ved CV og søknadsbrev på e-post til dagligleder@unikumnett.no.<br />
Eventuelle spørsmål om vervet rettes til daglig<br />
leder i Unikum. Tlf: 92207113<br />
Legg ved CV og søknadsbrev på e-post til dagligleder@unikumnett.no.<br />
Eventuelle spørsmål om vervet rettes til daglig leder i Unikum. Tlf: 92207113<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 33
KULTUR<br />
PODUNIVERSET:<br />
Vilde Hagen Svanberg<br />
Skribent<br />
Foto: AdobeStock // robob3ar; Vastram<br />
Høstmørket er her, og det kan bety mye rart. Men for en stjernehimmel-fantast som meg, betyr det at nordlys, stjerner<br />
og planeter begynner å bli ekstra synlige igjen! Jeg anbefaler en litt annerledes pause i eksamenslesingen, der du går<br />
en måneskinnstur med et par gode venner, på en av de mange stjerneklare kveldene vi har fremfor oss. Finn deg et<br />
sted uten for mye kunstig lys, på med stillongsen, og hell kakao i termosen. Det er på tide å telle stjerneskudd!<br />
ROMKAPSEL<br />
Romkapsel er en ukentlig podcast om romforskning,<br />
som ledes av Eirik Newth og Nils Johan Halvorsen.<br />
Eirik er utdannet astrofysiker, og har snakket om<br />
verdensrommet i 30 år. Nils Johan, mangeårig<br />
journalist og radioprogramleder, ble flasket opp på<br />
Star Wars, og er en uhelbredelig romnerd. Sammen<br />
har de denne spennende podcasten, om hva som<br />
beveger seg rundt i verdensrommet. Visste du for<br />
eksempel at det foregår seriøs leting etter gjenstander<br />
som romvesener kan ha etterlatt seg for lenge siden?<br />
Hva skjer om det blir urinlekkasje på romstasjonen, og<br />
går det an å produsere solenergi i rommet, og sende<br />
dem til bakken med laser? Og hva skjer egentlig hvis<br />
du har et syltetøyglass, og fanger noe av “ingentinget”<br />
i verdensrommet, og tar det med tilbake til jorda? Hva<br />
vil det være i det glasset her hjemme? Vil det være<br />
tomt?<br />
UKJENT: ER DET NOEN DER UTE?<br />
Lurer du på hva som skjedde med jenta med det rosa<br />
håret, etter hun var ferdig med å reise jorda rundt og<br />
date på TV? Hun lager podcast om verdensrommet<br />
og aliens, vel. I denne podden tar Line Elvsåshagen<br />
deg med ut i universet på jakt etter utenomjordisk<br />
liv. Hva er myter og hva er sant om ufoer, aliens og<br />
verdensrommet? For hva viser egentlig Pentagon sine<br />
hemmelige ufo-videoer, som ble lekket i 2017? Har folk<br />
sett ufoer fra Norge? Truer de Jordas sikkerhet, og var<br />
det egentlig aliens som bygde pyramidene i Egypt? Og<br />
sist, men ikke minst, er det egentlig liv der ute, og hva<br />
skjer hvis de kommer hit?<br />
34
EN UENDELIGHET AV<br />
STJERNER OG PLANETER<br />
EXPLORE<br />
Doktor Moiya McTier er den første i historien til å<br />
uteksamineres fra Harvard, med en dobbel grad<br />
i astrofysikk og folkloristikk/mytologi. Senere har<br />
hun tatt en doktorgrad i astronomi, og jobber som<br />
foredragsholder, forfatter, show-vert og filmkonsulent.<br />
Hun kan med andre ord ganske mye om universet og<br />
hvordan vi mennesker har prøvd å finne forklaringer<br />
på ting som skjer med oss. Men er vår verden den beste?<br />
Denne kunnskapen velger hun i podcasten «Explore»,<br />
å bruke til å forestille og utforske nye verdener, ved<br />
hjelp av fakta og vitenskap. Ville du f.eks. svømt i et<br />
hav styrt av matriarkalsk blekksprut, eller fly over en<br />
planet mens den roterer med en sverm av migrerende<br />
veps? I hver episode inviterer hun eksperter for å<br />
hjelpe til med å bygge opp nye verdener fra scratch, og<br />
deretter snakker hun med en fiksjon-fan, og dypdykker<br />
ned i deres favorittverdener.<br />
MEININGA MED LIVET<br />
Det er fort gjort å få litt eksistensiell krise av alle<br />
disse spørsmålene om universet. For hva er egentlig<br />
meningen med det hele? I denne mer lettbeinte<br />
podcasten, møter du de kjente vertene Live Nelvik<br />
og Ronny Brede Aase. De lurer selv på hva meningen<br />
med livet er, eller rettere sagt, hva gir livet mening?<br />
Hva gjør deg lykkelig? Dette er en koselig reise inn i<br />
det hverdagslige, der det settes spørsmålstegn ved alt<br />
fra ekteskap og David Beckham, til lus og kaker. Bli<br />
minnet på hvor mange fine og spennende ting som<br />
skjer rundt deg hver eneste dag, og bli bevisst på egen<br />
hverdagslykke! En podcast til ettertanke, som definitivt<br />
gir et lite pust i bakken.<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 97 35
Unikums<br />
TALENTSHOW<br />
Pictures by Vlad-Florin Pop<br />
36
TIPS<br />
Jay Voltaire<br />
Writer<br />
Illustration: AdobeStock // matiasdelcarmine<br />
Agony Aunt<br />
Q: How do I avoid getting recruited by the illuminati?<br />
A: Oh honey, life throws struggles at us that we could never prepare for, but avoidance simply is not the answer.<br />
When we feel tempted to avoid something we should take a step back and look inside ourselves. Think about<br />
why you are so afraid of the Illuminati? Many times we find that really, it was a fear about our own adequacy.<br />
Q: My friend wants me to start tap dancing, should I join her?<br />
A: DO NOT JOIN HER. There are many reasons why tap dancing with a friend is a bad move. For starters,<br />
it‘s tradition in many cultures to only tap dance with strangers, and depending on where you live, doing<br />
otherwise can be a serious taboo. Secondly, „tap dancing together“ may not truly be what you think it is,<br />
I would check her closet just to be sure. I believe the only proper way to go from here is to fake an illness<br />
whenever the subject is brought up, and promptly exit the conversation until she stops asking.<br />
Q: I think my cat is whispering poems into my ears when I<br />
sleep, disturbing it. How can I make her stop?<br />
A: If there’s one thing we all hate, it’s disturbing poetry. Have you thought about how she feels? Your cat simply is<br />
doing what she knows. It’s up to you to educate her on the finer things in life and introduce her to something more<br />
soothing. I’m sure with some (insert good poem here) you will be lulled into the sweet release of sleep in no time.<br />
Q: My roommate actually believes that she‘s Voldemort, and keeps sleepwalking<br />
and barging into my room screaming „Avada Kedavra“, what do I do?<br />
A: You know what they say: you can pick your nose, and you can pick your friends, but you can’t pick<br />
your friends’ noses. In this case maybe you can! If your roommate has fully committed to the look, she’s<br />
going to need to blend into society sometimes. This is where you come in, give the gift of a set of prosthetic<br />
noses this Christmas and she’ll be back on your side in no time. Good luck with cohabitation bliss!<br />
Q: Dad keeps insisting I join him in the fish tank. Do I?<br />
A: Not everyone still has a fish tank in their lives, and it sounds like your father is just making the most of the<br />
time he has left. A little time in the tank is good for everyone now and then, as long as we keep our wits about<br />
us. Look how good it was for Darth Vader‘s health! So don your snorkels and white undies and jump in.<br />
If you have any<br />
burning questions<br />
you’d like Agony<br />
Aunt to answer, send<br />
them in by using the<br />
QR-code right here!<br />
Q: I keep finding my bathroom sink filled with Mystery Gloop. It<br />
looks disgusting but smells delicious. Should I have a taste?<br />
A: Once in a person‘s lifetime we are presented with a life altering decision, a call to<br />
action. Just as many were drawn to eat the coffin cheese, this is yours. Seize the day!<br />
Q: I feel like everyone in my life is either lazy or procrastinating. What should I do?<br />
A: Oh look it‘s 5 o’clock. Ask again later.<br />
<strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 9 37
OPINION<br />
The Weird, Wonderful (and Expensive)<br />
World of Board Games<br />
Tobias Klausen<br />
Editor in Chief<br />
Photo: Unikum // Tobias Klausen<br />
Step 1: What Games Do You Like?<br />
When looking for board games it’s easier to filter out and decide<br />
where to start based on what you like. Do you want a social<br />
deduction game like Secret Hitler? Do you want a dice game, where<br />
the gameplay mainly revolves around the combination of physics<br />
and cursed white squares? Do you want to build the ultimate card<br />
deck to crush your opponents’ hopes and dreams? Do you want to<br />
experience the epic highs and lows of a story-driven adventure? A<br />
good way to figure this out, and just in general, go to YouTube and<br />
watch videoes of some of the most-talked about board games within<br />
the community (Terraforming Mars, Wingspan, Root, Carcassonne,<br />
Mansion of Madness, 7 Wonders etc.) Taking a gander in a store<br />
and looking for board games that has an art style that appeals to<br />
you is also a perfectly appropriate way to determine if this may be<br />
something for you. But before you pull out your credit card and do<br />
the final tap of doom, let’s head to step 2.<br />
Just from reading the title, I bet you have conjured up the imagine<br />
of a sweaty nerd, sitting at his desktop with a freshly popped<br />
Mountain Dew and a bag of Doritos. Well, joke’s on you, I got a<br />
chocolate milk and bag of Sørlandschips staring at me from behind<br />
the screen so I’m at least 65% less sweaty. Regardless of my cardinal<br />
sins of mixing chocolate milk and chips with my palette, I am here<br />
to explore, showcase and perhaps even convince you that there is<br />
a vast, wonderful world out there filled with board games that go<br />
beyond the scope of Monopoly, Catan and Ludo. Especially now that<br />
it’s too cold to be outside and it’s socially acceptable to be inside<br />
95% of the time. Much like video games, board games have broken<br />
out of their niche appeal of being predominantly for the grandest<br />
of grand nerds, with board/card games like Card Against Humanity,<br />
Exploding Kittens, Secret Hitler and more, they’ve proven that they<br />
have a place in the mainstream.<br />
However, with such a broad and vast catalogue, where do you<br />
start? And more importantly, how sweaty do you want to be?<br />
And even more importantly, how susceptible are your friends<br />
to being lured into what could possibly be a 3-hour experience,<br />
where everyone feels too exhausted to continue, but persists as to<br />
not let the past 180 minutes go to waste? Hopefully by the end of<br />
this article, you’ll have the answers to these questions, and maybe<br />
we may have a new board game addict among us, ready to wreak<br />
havoc on Outland or forcing your group of friends to play obscene<br />
board games with you.<br />
Step 2: Do Your Research!<br />
Take it from a veteran who’s just bought whatever seems even<br />
slightly appealing, do some form of research before deciding<br />
on a purchase. Board games are a costly affair, they can range<br />
from 400kr all the way up to 2500kr (yes, I have spent that on a<br />
single board game, no I do not want to talk about it). Some board<br />
games may seem obscenely good from their production value (art,<br />
components, dices etc.), but as soon as you lift the lid, you realize<br />
that the budget went to the marketing and the box and not towards<br />
playtesting and the actual “fun” factor of the board game. So, before<br />
you even consider violating your credit card, sleuth around on the<br />
internet, watch reviews, see what kind of game it is and potentially<br />
what it excels at and where it falls flat. A fantastic website for this<br />
is BoardGameGeek, where you can read other people’s reviews<br />
(people on the internet are usually bashfully honest) and it even<br />
rates how complex a board game’s mechanics and gameplay is.<br />
Also, do check the different pricing! It can vary greatly depending<br />
on the website. I often use Prisjakt.no to gauge the prize on board<br />
games. Outland may have most of the popular ones, but in my<br />
experience, they’re also the most expensive. Gamezone on the<br />
other hand is usually more reasonable, and their headquarters<br />
are in Kristiansand meaning that when you order online, it doesn’t<br />
take forever to get here. Proshop I’ve had a god experience with,<br />
and if you want something more exclusive that they haven’t gotten<br />
to Norway yet, Zatu Games works too (UK based)!<br />
38
Step ???: Protect your Babies<br />
I am a sinner in this category. A good investment for the longevity<br />
of your board games is to sleeve the cards. This means stuffing<br />
them into protective plastic that ensures your cards won’t get worn<br />
out. Personally, I haven’t felt the need to do so yet, but I do think<br />
it’s a great investment if you have one specific game you play a lot<br />
and love.<br />
Step 5: The Intoxication Starts<br />
Step 3: Learning the Board Game<br />
You might be used to the easy life of Monopoly that has an<br />
instructional booklet with a maximum of 5 pages. Well, for some<br />
of the more advanced board games, you might be looking at the<br />
entire chronicles of Narnia, cause these booklets can be T H I C<br />
C. One of the largest I’ve seen thus far is 30 pages. And we all got<br />
enough studying to (not) do at university, so it might not be too<br />
tempting sitting at home and reading for hours, almost taking notes.<br />
I learned this the hard way, instead, look up YouTube tutorials. It’s<br />
much easier to get the grasp of the basics when someone explains<br />
and shows it, and then consult the booklet when you encounter<br />
specific problems during your first play session.<br />
And make sure you do this before you play it for the first time with<br />
your friends. If you’ve already been able to lure a susceptible and<br />
gullible group of friends to join you in this tantalizing activity,<br />
make sure not to waste their time, or you guys try to learn the game<br />
together. It’s quicker and more fun if one person already knows the<br />
basics or at least, knows where to find the answer in the booklet.<br />
Step 4: Luring in the Friends<br />
You don’t have friends? Make some. On a more serious note, board<br />
games aren’t for everyone. You might have friends who aren’t<br />
too into it, then you might have to find some on Facebook groups,<br />
Discord servers or maybe meet a group at Outland. But, if you’re<br />
like me and have some nerds in close proximity, they can be an<br />
easy target. Make sure to be upfront about what you want to play, if<br />
your group isn’t prepared for a 3-hour board game session, then it<br />
will drag on and some won’t feel too inclined to participate during<br />
the session and definitely won’t be lured again.<br />
Once you start loving board games you never go back. But take it<br />
from a recovering addict, make sure that before you buy a new<br />
board game, that you know it will make it to the table. If you have<br />
a group that despises social deduction games, maybe not buy the<br />
new one that just dropped to raving reviews that you think looks<br />
cool. Or don’t buy 5 new board games in a month, and only play 2<br />
while the rest gathers dust in the corner. It’s like you’re hit with a<br />
little rush of dopamine when you receive a new one, but make sure<br />
to combat the urge with rationale, otherwise you’ll end up with an<br />
empty bank account and a crippled wallet.<br />
Step 6: Have Fun!<br />
There’s nothing more to this step, welcome to the wonderful world<br />
of board games and I hope I haven’t (completely) ruined your life.<br />
If you’re a bit unsure still on what to start with, here are a few of<br />
the board games in my collection that I absolutely adore!<br />
Everdell<br />
Flamecraft<br />
Smallworld<br />
Stardew Vallet: The Board Game<br />
Bloodborne: The Board Game<br />
Betrayal at House on the Hill<br />
Blood on the Clocktower<br />
Try to make more out of the night as well! We usually start by<br />
cooking and eating dinner together while talking about whatever.<br />
Place the board game that you’ve planned for the evening on the<br />
table so they can have a look, peek inside the box or flip through<br />
its booklet. Board games are even better with some snacks and<br />
soda, make this day your cheat day. Even alcohol can be quite fun,<br />
just avoid getting hammered, it would be a travesty for one little<br />
spillage to ruin an entire game worth about 1500kr.<br />
SEPTEMBER <strong>NOVEMBER</strong> 2023 <strong>UNIKUM</strong> NR 97 39
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