USA Nijmegen | year 1, fall 2014 | the Issue | 1
Editor-in-Chief
Cherelle de Leeuw
Co-Editors
Janneke Lourens Raoul Doomernik
Special Thanks To
Markha Valenta
Writers
Tessa Baan Ilse de Wit Linda van Rooij Loes van den Wijngaard Frank Kruijsbeek Lotte de Bitter Jutta Serrarens Sander de Nijs Iris van Dorp Cherelle de Leeuw Janneke Lourens Raoul Doomernik
The Board
Timo Nijssen Anne van Amerongen Robin Driessen Joël Janssen
Ads & Sponsors SJEFprint Studystore Café ‘t Haantje DressMe Clothing
Design
Cherelle de Leeuw Francis Arts
Contact
USA Nijmegen Erasmusplein 1 Room 7.02 6525 HT Nijmegen theissue@usanijmegen.nl facebook.com/theissuenijmegen
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index 4 | State of the Union 5 | A Word from the Board 6 | Midterm Elections by Janneke Lourens 7 | Islamic State by Cherelle de Leeuw 8 | Ukraine by Frank Kruijsbeek 10 | Opleidingscommissie by Lotte de Bitter 11 | Student Representation by Iris van Dorp 12 | America Explained: Halloween by Sander de Nijs 14 | American Studies and the Politics of Israel/ Palestine by Markha Valenta 17 | The Fappening by Tessa Baan and Ilse de Wit 17 | Minor Issue: Spanish by Jutta Serrarens 18 | Malcolm X by Linda de Rooij 20 | Worldwide Wi-Fi by Loes van den Wijngaard 21 | Foreign Affairs: Laramie, WY by Raoul Doomernik 22 | USA’s Committees Introduce Themselves 24 | Upcoming Events USA USA Nijmegen Nijmegen || year year 1, 1, fall fall 2014 2014 || the the Issue Issue || 33
¡VIVA LA REVOLUCIÓN!
SHORT NEWS
Welcome to the Issue, our all-new USA Nijmegen American Studies magazine. Indeed –Take 5 magazine is no more. For that very reason, we decided to place the enormous fist on the cover. It’s the symbol of revolution: new beginnings, doing away with the old. A new academic year has started, USA Nijmegen’s got a new board, and on a more global level – have you watched the news recently? Ukraine (page X), IS (page Y), worldwide WiFi (page Z), Emma Watson’s gender equality speech… You get the point.
#HeForShe
Change is afoot, and in this Issue we’re gonna try and make sense of those changes. “But what do you need a whole new magazine for? We already had one!“ is something some might say. And that’s true. But sometimes you need to turn over a whole new leaf for the sake of progress. The Take 5 didn’t have a clear goal, but we do. We aim to inform, to connect and to expand horizons – on campus, in the United States and around the entire world. We want to answer questions that you may have on any given subject related to the US. We want to keep up a steady flow of information via Facebook. This is the very first Issue ever. It’s not perfect, probably. But I’m insanely proud of everyone who has contributed and what we’ve accomplished since our first meeting. You guys rock. I hope you enjoy. Love,
Cherelle de Leeuw Editor-in-Chief Questions, suggestions and comments are always welcome (see colophon for contact details) The Issue can only exist if there are people willing to participate, so please feel free to come to a meeting or join our little group.
Emma Watson made quite the impact with her UN speech regarding the launch of a new gender-equality campaign, He For She, that wants to make clear that gender equality is not only a problem for women.
“Men, I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation. Gender equality is your issue, too.” - Emma Watson
Ebola As we speak, about 3,000 people have died from the Ebola Virus Disease. Beginning symptoms seems like a regular flu, but can result in internal bleeding and death. The outbreak is located in West Africa, but could spread. President Obama has sent troops to battle the disease.
“If ever there were a public health emergency deserving of an urgent, strong and coordinated international response, this is it.” - Barack Obama
No To Independence The Scots had a referendum on independence, as you might’ve heard, which failed. 55% to 45%. But now what? The Union will remain intact (at least, for a while), and British Prime Minister David Cameron will grant Scotland more power over tax and spending. There has been rumors that the UK is going to take a more Federalist approach to government, but that remains to be seen.
“‘My opinion is I cannae trust [Alex] Salmond. He’s got a head like a haggis and no reason penetrates it.’’ - a local at Balmoral
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Firsts are always special. I remember the first time I set foot on our campus, feeling a bit nervous while I walked towards the registration desk in the Refter, but I also felt like something good was about to begin - a fresh start. I felt the same on September 8th, during the ALV. As soon as Iris decharged the XIth board, and transferred all the power to me, I felt a bit intimidated by the task at hand, but also keen to get started. I’m sure most of you felt a similar sensation during the first few weeks. Whether you are a freshman who is still trying to figure out where on earth SpA 01.16 is, or a senior student who just discovered the wonderful terrible new DE Coffee Kitchen (delicious coffee, impossible payment system) — it always takes some time to get used to university life again after the summer break. And yet it feels good to be back. The events we’ve had up to now have been great successes. There has certainly been no lack of member enthusiasm so far. From the overwhelmingly popular First Years’ Lunch (which, I must remind you, was #FREE), to the fully booked bowling event, and from the fantastic Premiere Party we organized together with G.A.G., to the record-breaking Pub Lecture Dr. Jarret Geenen held. And this is only just the beginning of course: we have so much more planned for you this year. A study association can only thrive when its members are interested in what it has to offer, and I am confident that that will not be an issue this year. We hope to see you soon at one of our events, and you are always welcome to have a chat with us while enjoying a nice cup of #FREE coffee or tea during our members’ hours! (In case you want to stop by, check Facebook for up-to-date info). On behalf of the XIIth board,
TimoChairman Nijssen 2014-2015
USA Nijmegen | year 1, fall 2014 | the Issue | 5
2014 Midterm Elections
By Janneke Lourens
As you all may or may not have heard the midterm elections are right around the corner. The general elections are held every two years after the quadrennial elections for the President of the United States. On November 4, 2014, the two federal offices of the United States are up for election. The 2014 midterm election will offer 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives, 36 seats in the U.S. Senate. There are, however, also elections on state level (like the gubernatorial elections which will offer the governorship of 36 states and 3 territories) and local elections. Nevertheless, since I do not want to bore you guys with too much dry and boring midterm election info, I will only briefly zoom in on the Senate, and the U.S. House of Representatives elections.
U.S. House of Representatives
All 435 seats of the U.S. House of Representatives, which are representing the 50 U.S. states, are being contested in the midterm elections of 2014. The winners of these elections will serve in the 114th U.S. congress, which will be from January 3, 2015 to January 3, 2017. In 2012, when President Obama won the re-election, the Republicans maintained control of the House with 234 seats and the Democrats held the remaining 201 seats. As of October 2014, the division in the House is as follows: the Republicans maintain their 234 seats, whereas the Democrats only have 199 seats left in the House, which means that there is a vacancy of 2 seats. Traditionally speaking there are 218 seats needed in order to have a majority in the House. Out of a total of 435 seats, 196 are viewed as “safe Republican” in the upcoming election and 159 seats as “safe Democratic”, which leaves the House with 80 remaining seats. Furthermore, the Republicans would have to win at least 22 seats of these 80 seats, whereas the Democrats would have to win at least 59 seats of the 80 seats in order to reach a majority in the House.
U.S. Senate
The The U.S. Senate consists of 100 seats. As of now there are 53 Democratics, 45 Republicans and 2 independent seats in the U.S. Senate. A total of 33 of the 100 seats are up for the regular elections. They represent the class 2 senators. Additionaly to the regular elections will be the special elections, which will be held to fill the vacancies of the 113th U.S. congress. There will be 3 seats up 6 | the Issue | year 1, fall 2014 | USA Nijmegen
for special elections, all of whom are from class 3 (Hawaii, South Carolina and Oklahoma). In order for it to be a fair play, the senators are divided into three classes, and there will be an election every two years. The winners of this year’s election will serve a six year term from January 3, 2015 to January 3, 2021. Currently, 21 of the 36 seats up for election are being held by Democrats, and the other 15 are being held by Republicans. However, different online political news sources and polling data aggrators, like RealClearPolitics, have predicted that the GOP (the Grand Old Party a.k.a. the Republican Party) will take control of the Senate by six or seven seats.
Democrats vs. Republicans
It has been mentioned in several news reports, for example on CNN and CBS news, that the people of the United States are not feeling very good about the direction their country has taken. There was a huge Democratic wave, also known as the Obama wave, back in 2008. Unfortunately, the popularity of the Democratics has been toned down a bit mainly since Obama’s second term. The incumbent president is not so popular anymore among most American citizens. Therefore, a lot of Democrats running for Senate seats have been distancing themselves from the president. They insist that voters separate their support for the Democrats from the support of Barack Obama as they want the midterm elections to be a more local affair, and not a national referendum. Unfortunately, Obama made it clear in his speech on October 2, 2014 that even though he is not on the ballot this fall, the Democratic policies are, “make no mistake: these policies are on the ballot. Every single one of them.” This is pure gold for the Republicans in their campaign against the Democrats as Obama again chains himself to the Democratic party. Furthermore, it has been speculated that midterm elections tend to go heavily against the party of the incumbent president, especially during the second term of a presidency. In that case, the Republicans are more likely to win. Moreover, with the Republican party still firmly in control of the House of Representatives it could be an easy task for them to remain in control, and even though the Democrats currently still hold the majority in the Senate, a six seat swing from Democratic to Republican would mean that the Republicans will also have control over the Senate, which effectively will tie the hands of President Obama for the last two years of his second term. Therefore, watch out for the upcoming midterm elections on November 8, and then we will know which way the wind will blow.
Islamic State
by Cherelle de Leeuw
What’s Going On in the Middle East?
James Foley, Steven Sotloff, David Haines, some 40,000 Yazidis stuck on Mount Sinjar, Turkmen, Christians… All are under attack or have been killed by the orthodox-Muslim terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or IS for short. The group came from seemingly nowhere, and now we can’t go a day without hearing about the horrific things the extremists do. But who are they, why are they targeting other Muslims and why should any of us care? Is the US going to act? Those are the questions I’m going to attempt to answer below.
What is IS and where did they come from all of a sudden?
Islamic State is a strictly orthodox Sunni Muslim terrorist organization that used to be part of Al Qaeda. Like Al Qaeda, its ideology is derived from that of the Muslim Brotherhood: it’s extremely anti-Western, promotes religious violence (jihad) and views everyone that doesn’t agree with the group as infidels (disbelievers). It wants to establish a caliphate: one transnational Islamic state, encompassing every Muslim on earth, a sort of Islam Golden Age revival (way back, before 1300, when the last caliphate ended) and an answer to humiliation by the West. A short history: the original group, Tawhid and Jihad, was founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqaqi in 1999. These jihadis pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda, after which it became known as Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI). AQI executed some high-profile suicide attacks, killing a large number of Iraqi government officials and Shia Muslims, among others. In 2007, Al-Qaeda in Iraq was defeated by US troops and Sunni militias – defeated, but not destroyed. In 2011, the group returned under yet another new name: Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (abbreviated to ISIL or ISIS). They supported Al Qaeda during the Syrian rebellions, but as ISIS claimed more territory, they started to disobey orders from Al Qaeda Central and killing civilians right and center. In February 2014, Al-Qaeda announced that it no longer had any kind of affiliation with ISIS, because, that’s right, ISIS’s tactics were too brutal for the terrorist group that was involved in 9/11. Yikes. The group has grown in size and influence ever since. Islamic State territory covers a few important oil pipelines, which (partly) explains one of the things that sets ISIS apart from other extremist groups: funding. They don’t have to rely on foreign aid, instead, they sell oil, collect
taxes (yes, really), sell electricity and (allegedly) extort humanitarian workers. Another notable thing is their propaganda: videos and a glossy magazine called IS Report – it’s all in English, which has made it much easier to go viral in the West. (And yes, the YODO image has actually been used by IS social media accounts.)
IS is only active in the Middle East – why the hell should we care?
Well, IS controls a rather substantial part of Syria’s and Iraq’s oil pipelines, which could have a severe impact on the global economy, which still hasn’t fully recovered from the 2008 financial crisis. Secondly, IS ground is a safe haven for terrorists. If IS were to strike the US or Europe, terrorists could simply fly back to Syria and face no repercussion at all. The fact that there are IS fighters with Western passports makes this even more dangerous – it’s much easier for them to fly across the globe. Lastly, Islamic State make the US look like a joke. They’re beheading American citizens for the world to see, and the fact that Islamic State is upsetting the very country in which the US has tried to establish a peaceful democracy (Iraq) doesn’t really help, either.
WWOD (What Will Obama Do)?
Because of these three reasons, President Obama has decided to use military force (airstrikes, to be exact) in the area controlled by IS. Instead of trying to remodel the way society in Syria and Iraq is modeled (as in the previous Iraq war), the US now specifically targets IS and other extremist groups. The UN has agreed to a resolution proposed by the US to counter violent extremism. Now let’s just hope that it will be enough. USA Nijmegen | year 1, fall 2014 | the Issue | 7
UKRAINE: The Cold War is long behind us, but over the last few years the relationship between the United States and Russia has once again gotten real chilly real fast. The crisis in Ukraine highlights the renewed tensions that exist between the world’s two greatest powers. How exactly could what started as a political protest in the streets of Kiev turn into a civil war with international repercussions? In the domain of global politics, attention usually shifts quickly from one focus point to the next. No matter how intensely a conflict is brewing in one part of the world, it seems there is always some bigger fire raging somewhere else. Mere weeks ago the West and Russia were gearing up for armed conflict over the Ukrainian crisis, but the September 5 ceasefire agreement has apparently averted escalation. Occasional violations of the armistice, however have continued to cause both civilian and military casualties in the eastern regions of Ukraine, close to the Russian border. Furthermore, Russia and NATO are still submerged in diplomatic conflict over in economic sanctions which were put in place to pressurize Russia’s involvement in arming the separatist forces. Ukraine’s future remains unstable as long as both sides fail to achieve a sustainable peace. It has been a long ten months for the Ukrainian people. The eastern European country has been in constant state of uproar Ever since late November last year the. It all started on Independence square in the Ukrainian capital Kiev with peaceful demonstrations of pro-European factions demanding further European integration. The government of President Viktor Yanukovych, adhering to a strong pro-Russian course, refused to give in to the protesters’ demands and tried to squash the demonstrations. These attempts proved to be self-detrimental as popular and international support for the protests grew. Before long, the list of demands extended to include the impeachment of Yanukovych and resignation of his government. By February of this year, the movement gathered in Kiev had grown so immense and powerful that the protesters managed to oust the Yanukovych regime, after several violent clashes with the riot police. The former president and many of his fellow officials fled to Russia. Many Western leaders, including President Barack Obama,
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hailed the fall of Yanukovych as a new beginning for Ukraine. The European Union immediately promised to strengthen its ties with the new rulers, after receiving criticism for its initially hesitant stance during the early days of the protests. The Russian government of Vladimir Putin, a staunch ally of Yanukovych, strongly condemned the revolution, claiming that Ukraine was taken over by fascist groups. The whole revolution cost more than a 100 deaths and 1811 injuries, according to the Ukrainian ministry of Healthcare. As a new pro-European government led by President Petro Poroshenko and Prime Minister Arsenivy Yatsenyuk was installed and a Ukraine-EU Association Agreement was signed, a pro-Russian protest movement rose up in opposition to the new course the country was taking. This movement specifically gained traction in the Eastern and Southern parts of Ukraine where ties with Russia were historically closer . When pro-Russian military insurgents sprung up throughout the Crimean peninsula in the southeast of Ukraine , worldwide suspicion was cast on the involvement of the Russian government. These separatist forces wore professional military gear and used weaponry widely believed to be Russian, which led to international accusations that president Putin was preparing an invasion of Crimea. These fears were further cemented when the separatist s took control of the entire province, declared Crimea’s independence from Ukraine and announced that they would be organizing a referendum on the annexation of Crimea by Russia. Although President Putin had previously strongly denied involvement in the situation, the prospect of a referendum with direct consequences for the Russian federation allowed for an open threat to Kiev. Russia would protect the Russian loyalists in Crimea in case of a violent reaction of the Ukrainian government. Despite widespread international condemnation, especially from NATO, President Putin moved armies to the Ukrainian border to substantiate his threat. In March the referendum was held and overwhelmingly decided in favor of annexation, which officially followed only days later. Both Ukraine and the United Nations General Assembly dispute the legitimacy of the annexation as they refuse to recognize the independence of Crimea. After the annexation of Crimea, other similar insurgencies propped up in Eastern Ukraine. The region of Donbas, with its major cities Donetsk and Luhansk ,
by Frank Kruijsbeek
SOME BACKGROUND quickly became the center of violent conflict between pro-Russian separatist forces, led by the Russian-born Aleksandr Zakharchenko, and the Ukrainian military. Again, accusations of Russian involvement were raised, especially by the United States government which claimed it had satellite images proving the presence of Russian military forces in the Donbas region. Videos of Russian soldiers captured in battle by Ukrainian troops harshly tackled President Putin’s repeated denials of involvement. On April 17 the Kremlin officially acknowledged Russian military forces had been present in Crimea during the referendum, but held on to its claims that any violation of Ukrainian territorial integrity by Russian soldiers in the Donbas region was entirely accidental. NATO and the European Union refuted these denials and threatened with sanctions against Russian officials. Meanwhile, the fighting between the separatists and the Ukrainian military continued relentlessly. On June 19 during a heavy battle for the town of Yampil, in the Northern part of the Donetsk province, the separatists suffered substantial casualties. After capturing Yampil, president Poroshenko declared an unilateral ceasefire on June 20 only to break it himself again on July 1swith the attacks on Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. This renewed offensive put further strategic pressure on the separatists.
had acquired from Russia. Because the aircraft had departed from Amsterdam and the fact that most of the casualties of the crash were Dutch citizens, the Dutch Safety Board was tasked with investigating the incident. Preliminary findings of the ongoing investigation were published early September, and the final report is expected within the year. The incident involving the Malaysia Airlines aircraft made the conflict in Ukraine an matter of international importance Many within the international community held Russia responsible, despite denials from the Kremlin. NATO and the European Union have since sharpened their political and economic sanctions against Russia, which has similarly retaliated with counter-sanctions . This diplomatic conflict has put strong tensions on international relations and seems to have isolated Russia. The sanctions have been successful in forcing President Putin to use his influence with the pro-Russian separatists to get them to agree to the ceasefire that is currently in place. Given the fact, however, that this ceasefire has been violated several times already by both the separatists and the Ukrainian government, strong doubts are cast around the world that a sustainable solution for the conflict is in sight .
When a Malaysia Airlines flight on its way from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed near Torez in the Donetsk province on July 17 international outrage was raised intensely. Despite claims made by the separatist leaders that the Ukrainian military had shot down the plane, large parts of the international community held the separatists responsible for the downing. The United States government claimed it had evidence that a so called surface-to-air missile launched from separatist- held territory had shot the plane down. According to United States intelligence agencies the missile was launched by a BUK missile system, which the separatists
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Opleidingscommissie by Lotte de Bitter
I
am honored to present you this year’s OpCo, also called “Opleidingscommissie” of the English and American Studies Department. We are Michelle Everard, Barbara Dauwerse, Melanie de Bruijn, Lotte de Bitter, and Michelle Snaterse and we are the student members of the OpCo. The faculty members are Marguerite Corporaal, Dennis Kersten, Rina de Vries, Monique Tangelder, and Jorrit van den Berk. On behalf of our whole committee, students as well as teachers, I would like to give you some information about what we do. Every bachelor’s or master’s program in the Dutch educational system has its own OpCo. The department’s OpCo consists of five staff members representing the various aspects of the program (English Language & Culture and American Studies) and five students of the BA English Language and Culture representing its two BA programs (English Language and Culture and American Studies). Staff members join after having been recommended by the OpCo. The student members are officially elected by you, the student s, in the last week of May. The OpCo has two major tasks. On the one hand, we are a board that provides advice on any changes in the department’s educational program and the OER (Onderwijs- en Examenregeling). The OER is a formal document that includes the rights and responsibilities of both students and staff. Matters that are involved are for example: class attendance, regulations relating to the BSA, and deadlines for grading exams. On the other hand, we are coordinators of the quality of the department’s educational programs. The committee processes formally submitted complaints by students and staff, and organizes annual “panelgesprekken” with students at all levels and from both programs. We do this in order to spot any potential problems in the programs, ranging from lack of coherence within the courses to issues of workload. The “panelgesprekken” will be brief and are an important platform for students to express 10 | the Issue | year 1, fall 2014 | USA Nijmegen
their evaluations of various aspects of the programs and courses. Based on the results of these student interviews, the OpCo will submit a report to the “Dagelijks Bestuur” (the general management) of the department. Moreover, the evaluation forms that you fill out at the end of the course are important for the OpCo because it enables us to improve the quality of courses. If an evaluation is negative, the coordinators of the curriculum as well as the teachers of the course will be notified. Furthermore, ways to improve the course will be suggested, discussed, and implemented. So again, it is very important that you fill out these evaluations forms . The emphasis is on the open questions to give any recommendations since this is a way to effect future improvements of the course programs. Please bear in mind that your anonymity is guaranteed. Staff will not be able to trace your handwriting: the forms will be brought to the secretarial office and the instructor will never see them. After the forms have been processed, instructors will only be informed with the statistics of the course. Subsequently, they are invited by the chair of the OpCo, to take a look at the answers to the open questions in her office, under her supervision. We hope that you now understand what the OpCo is for, and last but not least, if you have any complaints about a course, teacher, or about the program in general, send an email to olcengam@gmail.com, and we will do our very best to give you a suitable answer .
Student Representation or, how to let your voice be heard in Radboud University matters
Every Radboud student knows how incredibly tricky the complex structure of student representation can be. To create some clarity this article aims to help you find the structure in this wibbly-wobbly thing we call the Faculty of Arts.
Opleidingscommissie (OLC/OpCo)
For a detailed explanation about the Opleidingscommissie see previous page. Within the broader structure of the Faculty of Arts the OpCos provide the input on individual departments. This input is used to understand problems happening in more than one department and to exchange best practices. The OpCos play a critical part in creating coherence in the Faculty and make sure that other levels at the Faculty are informed about what goes on in the individual departments.
Facultaire Studentenraad (FSR)
On a faculty level the student voice is heard through the Facultaire Studentenraad Letteren (FSRL). The six students who are in the FSRL are elected in May by the student population. It represents the students at faculty level meetings and in a number of committees such as the internationalization committee and the university library committee. You can contact the Facultaire Studentenraad Letteren if you have any concerns that matter at a faculty level at fsrletteren@gmail.com. This year the FSRL will help in creating the new faculty living room which will be a place for all students to hang out and relax for a bit between classes. Other matters the FSRL will be dealing with this year are the evaluation of onderwijsintensivering (the reason we now have more lectures and seminars) and of course the onderwijs- en examenregelingen (OER) in which all the academic rights of students and teachers are
by Iris van Dorp
bundled. Once every six weeks the FSRL has a meeting with the Faculty board and the onderdeelcommissie (OC). The OC is delegation of staff members who are elected as well. This meeting is called the Facultaire gezamenlijke vergadering (FGV) and many issues are discussed here, such as new appointments for professors and the Faculty budget. When decisions are made during the FGV the FSRL makes up 40% of the votes while the OC has 60%. This does not mean that the students are powerless, through discussion members of the OC can be persuaded to vote along with us and the OC and FSRL tend to agree on quite a few issues.
Universitaire Studentenraad (USR)
On a university-wide scale students are represented through the Universitaire Studentenraad (USR). Members of the USR have a say in matters that affect the entire university, like extended opening hours for the University Library, English proficiency of professors, and prices of Refter meals. The USR consists of fourteen people, eight of whom are elected through student elections. The six others represent Nijmegen’s six koepelverenigingen: Bestuurlijk Overleg Studentenverenigingen (BOS), Nijmeegse Studenten Sport Raad (NSSR), Samenwerkings Overleg Faculteitsverenigingen (SOFv), International Student Organizations Nijmegen (ISON), Christelijke Studentenverenigingen Nijmegen (CSN), and Charitatieve en Culturele Koepel (CHECK). The USR has meetings with the ondernemingsraad (OR) and College van Bestuur (CvB) in which they contribute to university policies. This meeting is called the universitaire gezamenlijke vergadering (UGV). Any additional information about the USR can be found at www.numedezeggenschap.nl.
Studenten Informatiepunt (STIP)
One of the new ways in which the Faculty of Arts is trying to clarify matters for students is by creating a central place of information for them. As of this September that new place is called STIP (Studenten Informatiepunt Letteren). STIP can be found on the 7th floor of the Erasmusbuilding and is open from 8:30 to 17:00 on every weekday. There is a student counter that can help you with small problems such as Osiris, Blackboard, and scheduling conflicts. For bigger issues you will be sent to the responsible staff member. The desks for Career Service Letteren and the International Office Letteren can also be found here. The new website also offers an array of information. From exam schedules to information about plagiarism, you can find it all at: www. ru.nl/stip. USA Nijmegen | year 1, fall 2014 | the Issue | 11
America Explained
Year after year, English and North American Studies students gather to dress silly, be merry, and have a couple of drinks –or well, more than a couple . This wonderful tradition has been termed by our elders as Halloween, but as it turns out, this phenomenon is not exclusively ours. After much research, we at the Issue have discovered that some 120 million Americans also celebrate Halloween annually. After even more research, it even appears that they did not steal this idea from us, but that Halloween stretches back two thousand years! Obviously, we were dying to know more about this holiday’s background. Halloween started as Celtic New Year’s Eve, as the Celts believed that the spirits of the dead came back to earth that night. To ask their gods for safety, the Druids would burn sacrifices and wear costumes (sound familiar?) made of animal skins and heads. After the Romans conquered Celtic territory, the traditional feast slowly combined with the Roman commemoration of the dead, and the feast of Pomona, the Goddess of fruit and trees. However, as Rome Christianized, so did this holiday hybrid. In time, the first day of the Celtic New Year coincided with Christian All Saint’s Day, also known as All-hallows, and the day before it became All-hallows Eve, or Halloween. In the early colonial days in America, Halloween was mostly celebrated in the Southern colonies. The Northern colonies were dominated by Puritans, and well, Puritans don’t like to have fun. In America, telling ghost stories also became a part of Halloween. However, it wasn’t until a large number of Scottish and Irish immigrants came to the United States in the nineteenth century that people started to wear costumes 12 | the Issue | year 1, fall 2014 | USA Nijmegen
By Sander de Nijs
and went from door to door to ask for food and money. In the late nineteenth and early in the twentieth century, media and community leaders encouraged people to take the frightening things out of Halloween, which served to make it a less superstitious and more family friendly holiday. Nowadays, Halloween is very much a holiday for children, who dress up and go trick-or-treating, where they go to people’s homes and ask for candy. Traditionally, if people refused, the kids would ‘trick’ them or pull a prank , however, this has become less common over the years. Many Americans also set up elaborate decorations in their front yards and on their houses to impress children and their neighbors. However, Halloween has a whole other, less innocent side as well. In high school, students come to school in costume, and have small parties, but in college, Halloween is mostly a good excuse to party. And what better way to party than in your most slutty costume? If you think I’m kidding, try googling “Halloween college girl costumes.” We can’t show those images here. Or, as Lindsay Lohan’s character says in Mean Girls: “Halloween is the one day a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything else about it.” Of course, Halloween is also great for American businesses. Every year, 72% of adult Americans hands out candy, according to History.com. Pumpkins are everywhere (including pumpkin spice latte s). Haunted houses and hayrides, where people are driven around in a field, become immensely popular. But the question is: do we really mind? I know I don’t. Halloween is a very special holiday because it’s enjoyed by people of different age groups, by people who enjoy scares and dressing up, and by people who just want to have fun. Because of this, it is truly a stereotypical, inclusive American holiday.
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USA Nijmegen | year 1, fall 2014 | the Issue | 13
American and the Politics of On December 4, 2013, the American Studies Association (the professional association of American Studies professors, teachers and students) unleashed a storm of controversy when it resolved to support BDS. BDS refers to the international movement of “Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions” directed at the state of Israel in order to pressure it to cease its occupation and theft of Palestinian lands; the discrimination and violation of Palestinian human rights, including those of Arab-Israelis; and the forced removal of Palestinians from areas desired by Israel. Begun in 2002, with a call from Palestinian civil society for a comprehensive economic, cultural and academic boycott of Israeli society, a specific campaign focused on academic and cultural institutions took shape by 2004-05. The campaign was strongly inspired by the historical boycott and divestment campaign against South African apartheid. The call fairly quickly began to gain some support in western Europe, but took longer in the US. In April 2002, British academics issued a call for a moratorium on European research and academic collaboration with Israeli institutions. In France, an appeal to the European Union not to renew its 1995 Association Agreement with Israel was issued by the University of Paris-VI (Pierre-et-Marie-Curie) in December 2002 and was endorsed by several other French universities. Similar calls were published in Italy and Australia, while in the United States, student and faculty groups at several universities including New York University, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Princeton launched divestment from Israel campaigns. The movement was reinforced when in 2004, the International Court of Justice found that Israel’s Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territories was illegal. By 2013, European students, academics, businesses and NGOs were supporting BDS in growing numbers. Indeed, Israel faced a potential crisis when it seemed its universities and companies would lose out on some $700 million for research from a European Union program after new guidelines prohibited
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investment in any institutions operating in territory Israel seized in the 1967 war. At the last moment, however, Israeli and European officials negotiated to allow Israel to continue participating. Meanwhile, the Teachers’ Union of Ireland had endorsed an academic boycott of Israel and there had been several serious attempts within Britain’s largest professors’ group, the University and College Union, to do the same. Even the Netherlands responded, including right around the time of the American Studies Association (ASA) vote, when the company Vitens announced that it would not do business with Israel’s national water company, Mekorot, because of Israel’s policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Most recently, PGGM, a big Dutch pension fund, has liquidated its holdings in five Israeli banks. Romania has forbidden its citizens from working for companies in the West Bank and more churches and religious communities in a variety of countries are backing BDS. Particular attention was drawn to the movement when the Hollywood actress Scarlett Johansson quit her role as ambassador for Oxfam in order to keep her advertising contract with SodaStream, an Israeli drinks firm with a plant on the West Bank. These developments were read by many in the US and Israel as simply a reflection of European hostility and growing anti-Semitism. Correspondingly, many thought the boycott would not take hold in the US. The strongest international ally of Israel, and its most generous economic funder, the US also sends a regular stream of tourists and emigrants to Israel. Within the US itself, there is a long tradition going back to the 19th century of understanding Israel as the Promised Land and Jews as God’s Chosen People. For evangelical and conservative Christians who make more than half the US population, this understanding continues to deeply shape their perception of the Israel/Palestine conflict. More generally, Hollywood has a long history of stereotyping Arabs and Muslims that continues to shape mainstream perceptions of the Middle East. Last but not least, a significant set of Jewish and Israeli lobby
n Studies of Israel/Palestine by Markha Valenta organizations exist, with networks that reach into the highest levels of government and business, the better to transmit a pro-Israeli standpoint to politicians, institutions and the public at large and to challenge what are perceived to be anti-Israel views. The overall effect of these shared geopolitical interests, shared economic relations, narrative representations, and PR is that Americans overwhelmingly support Israel and all too rarely identify with Palestinians. Correspondingly, the BDS movement was not taken very seriously and considered to be the terrain of crackpots and radicals. One of the crucial moments of change came, therefore, with the decision by the American Studies Association (ASA) to support BDS. This might seem surprising. An organization of some 4,500 members, it is one of the smaller professional academic organizations. Nor was it the first but rather the second professional academic organization in the US to support BDS – following in the footsteps of the (even smaller) Asian Studies Association. And yet the decision, reached through a democratic vote among members (of whom just under 2/3 voted for BDS), sent shockwaves through the US academia and far beyond. With incredible speed, the presidents of more than 80 United States colleges condemned the vote. At least five academic institutions — Bard College, Brandeis University, Indiana University, Kenyon College and Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg — have withdrawn from ASA membership. The legislatures of New York and Maryland both proposed bills to prohibit colleges and universities from using state monies to fund faculty membership in—or travel to—academic organizations like ASA that boycott the institutions of another country. The purpose of these bills, as some of their drafters admitted, was to prevent organizations like the ASA from engaging in this kind of speech and to punish those organizations if they do—merely because the state disapproves of the content of that speech. Meanwhile, one hundred and thirty-four members of Congress signed a letter condemning the ASA. Subse-
quently, a bill was introduced into the (national) US House of Representatives that would cut off federal funding to any academic institution that boycotts the State of Israel. Though this bill would not immediately affect the ASA, which relies on no federal funding, it goes significantly beyond the legislation introduced in Maryland and New York. With time, if passed, it may have repercussions for the ASA insofar as it defines an institution’s participation in the boycott to mean, among other things, that “any significant part of the institution” (such as possibly a department that voted with the ASA) is boycotting the State of Israel. The reactions to these developments, however, were equally swift. 150 scholars, headed by star professors Judith Butler and Rashid Khalidi, and including many of the most senior and well-known professors across America, condemned these attempts to censor and intimidate Israeli critics. The Center for Constitutional Rights and the New York Civil Liberties Union declared their opposition to these bills. The New York Times strongly came out against the proposed New York legislative bill, writing “The New York bill is an ill-considered response to the American Studies Association resolution and would trample on academic freedoms and chill free speech and dissent. Academics are rightly concerned that it will impose a political test on faculty members seeking university support for research meetings and travel.” On campuses, faculty and student organizations set up debates and workshops at universities across the country, including for example Swarthmore College’s Hillel club (a national Jewish student organization), which invited critics of Israel to campus despite an explicit prohibition sent out by the national organization to all campus groups. At various universities, faculty wrote public letters disagreeing with the standpoints of their own university presidents. So, for example, John E. Sexton, president of New York University, was accused of hypocrisy for speaking out against the ASA boycott while failing to criticize the United Arab Emirates, where N.Y.U. operates a campus, for its repression of academics
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and restriction of the travel of Israeli scholars. Key issues in this debate have been those of academic freedom and freedom of speech. Those against the boycott argue that it entails a fundamental violation of academic freedom and the free flow of ideas in the academic community and beyond. Curtis F. Marez, president of the American Studies Association, however, argues that critics’ assertions that the boycott threatened academic freedom are misplaced: the boycott, after all, targets Israeli institutions and their representatives, not individual scholars or students. Individual scholars and students remain fully free to participate in all elements of events organized by the ASA and its members, as long as they are not formally representing an Israeli institution (as a dean or president would). At the same time, those who support the boycott point to Israel’s own denial of academic freedom to Palestinians. So, for example, due to Israeli restrictions imposed in cooperation with the government of Egypt, it is extremely difficult for any of Gaza’s 1.7 million Palestinians to travel abroad to study, attend academic conferences, or to leave for other purposes. Entry into Gaza by foreign academics has been similarly restricted. At the same time, since 2000, Israel has prevented students in Gaza from traveling to study at universities in the West Bank, some of which offer fields of study and degrees not available in Gaza. According to a report from Israel’s Ha’aretz newspaper, between 2000 and 2012 Israel let just three (Palestinian) Gazans travel to study at universities in the (Palestinian) West Bank. The most recent controversy to come out of these developments has been the de-hiring of Steven Salaita, a Palestinia-American professor of Native American Studies who was offered a tenured position at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign last spring. During the summer, he tweeted extensively in angry protest at the invasion of Gaza by Israel, often using crude language and controversial statements. Once (Jewish) donors to the university discovered that Salaita was about to begin teaching there, they pressured the president of the university to not complete a final component of the hiring process. As a result, Salaita and his wife, both of whom had already quite their previous jobs, now have been
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left with no jobs, no home, no health care and no insurance, even as their son is not attending school. The response from the academic community across the US and beyond has been fierce. More than 5,000 scholars have let the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana know that they will boycott the university, not only cancelling all personal appearances at conferences and lectures, but also refusing to write (crucial) letters of recommendation for faculty. Multiple professional organizations, including for example the highly respected American Historical Association have expressed criticism, while dozens of department and faculty on the campus have submitted a vote of no-confidence in the president. So far, this has not resulted in the resumption of Salaita’s position at the university, but the conflict continues. As I write, a Jewish advocacy group called AMCHA is warning students about 218 Middle East studies professors in colleges and universities across the country whose classes might contain “anti-Israel bias, or possibly even antisemitic rhetoric.” The AMCHA initiative is highlighting these professors because during the conflict between Israel and Hamas this past summer they signed a petition calling for an academic boycott of Israel. In response, 40 of America’s foremost Jewish Studies professors, including Hasia Diner of New York University and Robert Alter of the University of California, Berkeley, have signed a statement calling AMCHA’s actions “deplorable” and a threat to academic freedom. While all of this back and forth might seem confusing, there are a couple crucial points: with the decision by the American Studies Association to support BDS – and the furious responses to it – BDS has now entered the American public eye, national politics, and the academic mainstream as a central issue. The issue is highly divisive within all the communities it touches: most particularly, American Studies, Jewish, Israeli and academic. Rather than reflecting a split between (pro-Israel) Jews and (pro-Palestine) Muslims, however, it reflects a fundamental shift in US and international society, where increasing numbers of Jews and non-Jews, both, have become deeply critical of Israel and its policies of expansion for the first time since its foundation.
The Fappening The night of August the 31st was a great night for many fans, and an awful night for some celebrities. Over 300 nude pictures of many celebrities, such as Kate Upton, Jennifer Lawrence, Victoria Justice, Ariana Grande and Kirsten Dunst, were released by anonymous hackers that night. It is said that their iCloud accounts (an online storage system provided by Apple) were hacked, and that it took the hackers just one weekend to do it. The erotic pictures first appeared on the anonymous imageboard anon-ib.com, then the ‘/b/ thread’ or ‘random thread’ of 4chan.org and later it was posted in the /r/celebs section of reddit.com. From there they quickly spread all over the internet. The hacker first posted some ‘sample pictures’ and also a list of names of the hacked celebrities. He said he would post the rest in return for bitcoins (electronical money). Online the leak was given the name ‘The Fappening’.
Minor Issue
The reactions of the hacked celebrities are extremely diverse. Victoria Justice and Ariana Grande for example, state that their pictures are fake. Actress Victoria even posted on her twitter account “These so called nudes of me are FAKE people. Let me nip this in the bud right now. *pun intended*”. But other celebrities, such as Jennifer Lawrence and Kirsten Dunst admit that the pictures were indeed stolen from them. Kirsten Dunst even says they did indeed come from her iCloud account, by posting on her Twitter: ‘Thank you iCloud, piece of shit’
By Tessa Baan and Ilse de Wit
Apple denies that the leak was the result of a widespread attack on the iCloud system. They released a statement saying: ‘After more than 40 hours of investigation, we have discovered that certain celebrity accounts were compromised by a very targeted attack on user names, passwords and security questions. None of the cases we have investigated has resulted from any breach in any of Apple’s systems including iCloud or Find my iPhone.’ Basically, Apple says it’s the victims’ own responsibility, and that the users should have had better passwords and security questions. On Sunday the 21st of September, even more nude photos were posted on 4Chan. More photos were posted of the celebrities mentioned above, but also photos of other stars were uploaded. Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens were among the women who have fallen victim. That these women are victims is something that some people seem to forget. On the internet, there are tons of people who say that the women are at fault and that they should not have made these photos in the first place. There are also people who think that that is nonsense, and that people should be allowed to take photos of themselves if they want to, because nobody expects that their private pictures will end up online. The harsh reality, however, is that the internet is not a very safe place for private documents, hackers can get to almost everything if they really want to.
Spanish Language and Culture By Jutta Serrarens
Donde esta la biblioteca, hola supermercado de las bancos por aqui, muy bien, and tequila. That was about all the Spanish knowledge I had before I started with the minor Spanish.
minor to students who followed Spanish in High School or have already taken a course in Spanish. You will then learn a lot. I would not recommend this minor for those who do not speak Spanish at all.
I can now proudly say that I can talk about pretty much everything in Spanish, as long as you give me five minutes to think and a little help of Google Translate. For American Studies students, the Spanish minor consists of three courses: Basic Spanish Grammar, Spanish Fluency, and Spanish-American Culture. The teacher of the first two courses is Miss Muñoz-Moreno. She is Spanish and practically the whole course is in Spanish. That makes the courses very difficult if you have no Spanish knowledge at all. Therefore I would only recommend the
The exams are difficult, but manageable. Your fluency will be tested in an oral exam together with a partner, so be prepared for that! The grammar has a sit down exam which is relatively easy if you study for it. The SpanishAmerican Culture course also has a sit-down exam. This minor is not just one to get easy credits, but if you work for it you will succeed! To those of you who are still brave enough to choose this minor I say Hasta la vista and buena suerte (I had to look that up on Google Translate).
USA Nijmegen | year 1, fall 2014 | the Issue | 17
Malco
The man behind the movement, a
“I have a dream’’ may possibly be one of the most famous lines in the history of America ,and maybe even the world. To reach the goal of equality and to abolish racial segregation in the 1960s, Martin Luther King inspired many people with his peaceful and strong words. But as seen today in for example Ukraine, Iraq and Syria, not all conflicts can be solved with peaceful demonstrations and inspiring speeches. Some people, especially radicals, believe violence is necessary for change and revolution. A man once said “Sometimes you have to pick the gun up, to put the gun down.’’ That man was Malcolm X.
Malcolm X?
As father of the Black Power philosophy and spokesman for the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X is a name that many people may know, but few can explain. You might hear someone say “Malcolm X, that’s that black guy, right?’’ Which is true, of course, but not a very accurate explanation of the ‘phenomenon’ Malcolm X. Although his name rings a bell, the history and ideas behind this extraordinary man are somehow not very well known to people. So who was Malcolm X? And what drove him to become a key figure in the Black Power movement?
Early life
Born in Omaha, Nebraska, Malcolm Little was born the fourth child of eight to Louise and Earl Little, on May 19th 1925. Malcolm did not have an easy life. Father Earl was a preacher and loyal follower of civil rights activist Marcus Garvey, which meant that Malcolm was exposed to racial harassment from an early age on. The Ku Klux Klan and the Black Legion started to pay the family regular visits, until Earl and Louise decided it was enough: they moved to Lansing, Michigan in 1929. The harassment, however, did not stop there. The Little family home in Lansing was burned to the ground, while the white firemen stood by and watched the house burn to ashes. Two years later, father Earl was found dead on a streetcar track. Although many people
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thought he was pushed, the police ruled it an accident which meant no insurance policy was paid to the Littles. Louise was left to fend for her eight children all by herself. Unable to get over the death of her husband she had an emotional breakdown and was committed to a mental institution in 1937. With no parents left to take care of them, Malcolm and his siblings were split up over orphanages and foster homes.
Criminal teenager
Attending West Junior High School in Lansing, Malcolm was the only black student in his class. Despite being class president and excelling academically, Malcolm dropped out of school at the early age of 15, resenting “white’’ schools. When Malcolm told his teacher he wanted to become a lawyer, he was told to think about more realistic goals. So he moved to Boston to live with his sister Ella. In desperate need of a job and money, Malcolm soon became a well-known face in the underground criminal world of Boston and New York, by selling drugs. Trying to maintain his wealthy lifestyle, Malcolm got in too deep and was arrested in 1946 on burglary charges. As a black man he got the maximum punishment of ten years in jail. His white accomplices were pardoned.
The Nation of Islam
Feeling lonely and isolated in jail, Malcolm started reading and writing. It was around that time that his siblings wrote him about “the national religion for the black men’’ where god was black and called Allah. Being immensely interested in this new religion, Malcolm wrote a letter to the leader of this religious group, called Elijah Mohammed, who wrote him back. He explained to Malcolm that white people were devils who put hell on the black
olm X
, and the movement behind the man. By Linda van Rooij people and that blacks should be proud and fight for equality and freedom. Malcolm found this hard to believe, but the more books he read, the more often he found stories about white people oppressing the black people. These stories of racial harassment and unequal treatment, combined with his own background, made Malcolm decide to dedicate himself to this new religious group: The Nation of Islam. Upon his release day in 1952, he officially changed his last name to X. He saw the name Little as a relic of slavery, a name given to his ancestors by their masters.
By Any Means Necessary
Because he was naturally charismatic and a great public speaker, Malcolm soon became famous for his speeches on equality and freedom. As an appointed minister and spokesman for The Nation of Islam, he taught people to be proud of the color of their skin. He told them he wanted freedom, equality and justice “by any means necessary.’’ This meant that Malcolm was not afraid to use violence to reach his goals, unlike his fellow Civil rights movement leader Dr. King. With his passionate and inspirational speeches on the radio and television, Malcolm stood out, portraying a forceful and uncompromising belief in a violent revolution. He attracted many new members. Soon The Nation of Islam was a group of thousands of people.
Assassination
Everything went great until 1964, when something unexpected happened. Malcolm broke away from The Nation of Islam. Malcolm found out that Elijah Mohammed, his mentor and hero, had not abided to the rules of the Islam. He had had many affairs and fathered many illegitimate children. Malcolm, shocked by this betrayal formally left the religious group behind. That same year, he went on a pilgrimage to Mecca. There Malcolm’s beliefs concerning white people changed for the better. He returned to America with an optimistic and more positive view regarding a peaceful solution to the racial problems. However, before he could spread his new ideas, he was killed in Manhattan in 1965, just when he was about to give a speech. His assassins were three men, all from The Nation of Islam. They had rushed in and shot him at point blank range, fifteen
I am for violence if non-violence means we just continue postponing a solution to the American black man’s problem just to avoid violence. - Malcolm X times. Malcolm was announced dead when he arrived at the hospital, leaving his wife Betty Shabazz and their six daughters behind.
Legacy
Malcolm X’s teachings and particularly his military, violent views on society became the roots of the infamous Black Panther Party, founded in 1966, one year after Malcolm’s death. This radical movement used Malcolm’s ideas to establish a movement that wanted to overthrow the white status quo, often using threats and actual shoot outs to make an impression. The Black Panther Party, however, was not the only organization that used Malcolm’s ideas: he was an inspiration for many other black groups used his ideals to create movements.
Influence
Malcolm X is seen by many as one of the most significant people in the history of the United States. As a speaker, writer and leader he inspired and influenced many Black Power Movements. Living in the era of the Civil Rights Movement, Malcolm taught people to be proud and to take action against oppression. Even though most people disapproved of his violent preaching, Malcolm always stayed true to his own beliefs, which ultimately drove him away from the movement that made him famous today. The fact that Malcolm’s methods are still criticized would not have bothered him much. As he once said “If you have no critics you’ll likely have no success.’’ USA Nijmegen | year 1, fall 2014 | the Issue | 19
Worldwide Wi-Fi
A blessing or a threat? By Loes van den Wijngaard
There are few people, especially among the youth, that do not have a smartphone, a laptop or a tablet that they use during the day. People use them to entertain themselves or to look up information that they need. If a worldwide Wi-Fi network gets created, it will become even easier for people to use their devices at all times. This development is two-sided: will it connect the world or only be a threat to he social life of its users? And is a worldwide Wi-Fi network possible to create or are there too many problems that have to be dealt with when creating such a network? The idea of a worldwide Wi-Fi network has been on the rise over the last few months, and contributes to the idea that the Internet can be seen as a threat to society. A few months ago word got out that Steve Jobs, the co-founder of Apple who passed away in 2011, had plans to develop a Wi-Fi network that would be available everywhere, at any time and for everyone. Steve Jobs was not the only one with this vision because the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, has similar plans. He has the ambition to connect everyone all around the world, even if it will cost millions of dollars. Connecting everyone seems like a great idea, but it is disputable whether this is truly a desirable development or only a step back. There is a lot that has to be thought of when creating a worldwide network, not only the effects that it would have, but also the practical aspects hat have to be considered when trying to create such a network. There are four major practical issues.
1. Electricity
First of all, the shortage of electricity in the developing world has to be considered, since the utility poles in Africa are not built to support all telephones and laptops with internet. In order to solve this problem, there need to be different types of poles and wiring which can provide proper internet access.
2. Money
This is, of course, a very costly process, which leads us to the second problem: many countries are not able to provide such amounts of money.
3, Infrastructure
Because of this poverty, it is almost impossible to create a broadband infrastructure.
4. Illiteracy
Lastly, there is the issue of widespread illiteracy. Everywhere in the world, but especially in third world countries, there are many people that are not able to read or write. One in four people in the developing world are illiterate. These
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people will not be able to participate in connecting the world trough Wi-Fi and the use of social media, since they can not post or read anything. Zuckerberg does not seem to have come up with solutions for these problems, but he is very set on making sure that everyone around the world will be able to have access to the internet. He is willing to invest a lot of money, time and effort in this cause. Yet it still has to be proven if connecting the world is possible or not. These practical issues are not the only things that have to be taken in consideration, because once it has been realized, we will also have to think about the effects a worldwide network will have on society. It seems perfect, being able to contact your friends on your phone all the time or being able to look up information anywhere. But is it really as perfect as it seems, or will it only have counterproductive results, because will people only be focused on socializing via their phones and laptops, instead of in real life? By looking around during breaks at school or work, or at a bus stop, it will become clear that almost every single person will check their phone at least once, or will just be looking down at their screen without any pause whatsoever. Instead of talking to the people around them, people focus more on the devices they have in their hand and the social contacts they have on those. The chance that two random people will have a spontaneous conversation while waiting on their train, or while in line at the grocery store has shrunk immensely, because people have cut themselves off from contact with one another. It has gotten easier to make friends online, since there are so many social networks available to do so. You can find friends via Facebook, Twitter, Tinder, et cetera. It is possible to connect with people all over the world. The creation of a worldwide network would contribute the unlikeliness of people creating new social contacts in everyday life, and would let them focus more on the contacts they already have, or the people they meet over the internet. People have sacrificed conversation over connection. In this case, it can be said that connecting the world is a disadvantage, because people start to alienate themselves from those directly around them. The growing popularity of the internet and social media has its advantages. It is easier to connect with people all around the world and information is available for anyone, anytime. Yet, it also has the risk of people alienating themselves and restricting themselves solely to the social contacts they create on the internet. It can be said that a worldwide Wi-Fi network is either enriching, or impairing for society and the world. Either way, it will take a long time to create such a network, and we will have to wait and see if it will ever be possible to realize it.
Foreign Affairs
Forever West
By Raoul Doomernik To tell you the truth, when I received word that I had been accepted to the University of Wyoming I was not exactly thrilled. My mind started racing, wondering why in the world I had listed UWYO as my top choice on the application to study abroad. Spite and envy are words that aptly describe how I felt towards my friends who had been accepted to such lavish, private universities as Loyola in New Orleans or Siena College in Albany. They’d definitely have the time of their lives, partying it up during Mardi Gras, or casually going to New York City over the weekend. There I was, feeling anxious and slightly dejected, about to start my semester abroad in Wyoming, a state the size of the United Kingdom with a population of half a million. Half a million.
on a plain; there were mountains to be seen in the distance, but the town and its surroundings were pretty much flat. While the lack of hills was convenient for getting around, it made for an extremely windy climate and if it weren’t for this wind, the cold would be much more bearable. Then again, because the air was so dry, the cold in Laramie was a completely different sensation from the rainy, wet cold we get over here. Nonetheless, Wyoming is breathtaking. I had done my fair share of Google Maps research to explore the area I would be living in before I arrived, but the scope of Wyoming’s wilderness took me by surprise. Time and time again I’d find myself marvel at endless highways without a single person or building in the distance.
Truth be told, I reassured myself, even though UWYO is perhaps not as glamorous as Loyola or UC Berkeley, or pretty much anyplace, there were a few specific reasons I had in mind when I made the decision to favor Wyoming over the rest—I just didn’t think I’d actually be going there. I started off by checking out UWYO’s course offerings. I know, faculty would be proud to hear me say that, but I wanted to focus on subjects within or related to American Studies, more specifically on those areas I couldn’t focus on as easily here at Radboud University. UWYO’s Latino Studies department especially offered those courses I could see myself enjoy taking. Secondly, I wanted to be able to see as much of the U.S. as humanly and financially possible. Given UWYO’s close proximity to Denver, much of the American West lay within reach for me to explore. Most importantly however, I wanted to see a part of the U.S. I would never be able to see if it were not for this opportunity—something unlike anything I had ever experienced before. And it was.
Wyoming’s otherworldliness struck me culturally as well. I knew that I would be living in a state that is far more conservative than the place I call home, where people were likely to have a completely different opinion from me on things like welfare, human rights, or gun legislation. Fun fact: Wyoming’s official nickname is not the Cowboy State, but the Equality State, which I interpreted ironically on multiple occasions. Often times I felt misunderstood by locals—one time, a lady on the bus asked me, “So you’re from Holland—how can you possibly agree with the fact that all drugs are legal in your country?”—but I realized that this process works both ways and I tried my very best to be as respectful as possible every time I fundamentally disagreed with someone. Moreover, not once did I feel unwelcome or uncomfortable in my surroundings. People were generally very warm, friendly, and genuinely interested in my life and where I’m from, and I’ve met a couple of amazing people that I will always be in touch with.
When I arrived on the UWYO campus in Laramie—a town of just 30,000—after a forty-eight hour trip, it felt like I had landed on a different planet. There was no grass; underneath the snow lay dirt and rocks. There were hardly any trees to be seen except for pines; the elevation of over seven thousand feet (roughly two kilometers.) makes for a harsh, dry climate. Despite its elevation, Laramie is situated
Some believe that exchange is all about the place you list as your top choice on your application. That goes double for me; after all, while I strategically chose Wyoming because of its proximity to seemingly much more interesting places, I got jealous of other people who got to go to these cool party schools, fearing that I wouldn’t enjoy my own exchange. However, anyone who has studied abroad will tell you that in the end, exchange is not about the location. While Wyoming is wonderful, and I’d recommend it to anyone uncertain of their choice, I wouldn’t go as far as saying that I made the right call to pick Wyoming. I am fairly confident that if I had gone to any other place I would have had an equally amazing experience. So, if you are thinking about studying abroad, a word of advice: do not focus on the location all too much. Rather, just go with your gut and do what feels right for you—it’ll be awesome no matter what.
USA Nijmegen | year 1, fall 2014 | the Issue | 21
Activities With much pride we present to you the activities committee for the new academic year! From left to right we have Stijn Roovers, Janna Colen, Marieke Wannet, Ilse de Wit, Tom Duteweert, and Raoul Doomernik, and on the floor (“draw me like one of your French girls”) we have the lovely Thom van Liere. We will be in charge of organizing all the events and activities that USA Nijmegen has to offer. Throughout the year, we hope to amuse you with a number of amazing events, both academic and not so academic (beer!). From pub lectures and movie nights, to theme parties and formals, the activities committee has got it all! We’ll work in close collaboration with GAG, and perhaps some other study associations, but there will also be a lot of USA Nijmegen-exclusive events. We hope everyone is looking forward to our activities as much as we are, and we hope to see all of you as much as possible this year!
Study
Hi there! We are Lotte de Bitter and Isabel Steenbergen and we present to you this year’s study committee of USA Nijmegen. You might wonder what is in it for you guys? Well, our job is basically to help you with any study-related questions or problems you might encounter this year. We will do our utmost to answer all your questions concerning the course material. If it comes to our attention that more students are struggling with the same problems we might consider arranging extra ‘classes’. These classes will be taught by either a teacher or a second/third year student. Furthermore, we also have quite a collection of summaries concerning different courses and we would be more than happy to share them with you if you would like. We hope to see you soon! Do not be afraid to contact us, we promise not to bite.
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Travel
Hi! We are this year’s study trip committee for USA Nijmegen: Rick, Lotte, Robin, Isabel, Troy, and Vincent. Our plan is to organize a trip (destination TBA) that will be both academically informative and a lot of fun. Our trip will take place in Europe, as we will try to take you on an adventure that will add to your understanding of America from a more European perspective. We will also do some touristy stuff since we cannot be academics all the time. Naturally, there will also be plenty of opportunity to do some exploring of your own. More details about the program, costs, and date will be announced during an information session later this year. We hope to see you there!
Studentfor-a-Day
Hi there! Let us introduce ourselves, we are the astonishing new student-for-a-day committee of 2014/2015! As we all know, choosing the study that suits you best can be quite difficult and we are here to help the new kids out! We will make sure that soon-to-be freshmen have a good time experiencing what American Studies exactly means and hopefully, we will see many of them joining us next year. So, if you know somebody who happens to be interested in learning more about our amazing study, let us know! We will be happy to enthusiastically guide him or her around the campus for a day. ď Š You can also reach us by sending an email to: meeloop.americanstudies@gmail.com. Hopefully we will receive many entries! Cheers ;) Yvette, Ceciel, Lisa and Pleun.
USA Nijmegen | year 1, fall 2014 | the Issue | 23
Events Upcoming
Be sure to keep an eye on usanijmegen.nl/agenda for the most recent info regarding USA activities!
October Week 42 Week 44 Week 44
16/10 City Upon a Hill Pubcrawl 27/10 Pumpkin Carving 30/10 Halloween Party
November Week 46 Week 48
Theme Party 27/11 Thanksgiving Dinner
December Week 49 Week 50
2/12 Pub Lecture Formal