Unikum 08 October nett

Studentavisen for Agder GRATIS | Oc tober 2022

Å LYTTE, OG Å BLI LYTTE TIL // AZALEA // DEN SAMFUNNSBYGGENDE KONSERVATISMEN

Hvorfor

gråter jeg

så mye?

Er det viktig

å ha sex i

studietiden?

Hvordan

håndterer jeg

sjalusi?

Hvordan kan

jeg få mer

selvtillit?

Still anonyme spørsmål til leger, rådgivere,

psykologer, helsesykepleier og fysioterapeuter.

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LEDER

HVORDAN ØNSKER VI Å FORME SAMFUNNET?

12. oktober ble forslaget til statsbudsjettet

for 2023 lagt fram. Som

alltid skaper dette blandede reaksjoner.

Forslaget går blant annet ut på å

kutte støtten til gratis utdanning i

Norge til internasjonale studenter

(gjelder ikke EU/EØS-studenter).

Gratisprinsippet i høyere utdanning

er et unikt tilbud. Vi er et av

de siste landene i Europa som har

beholdt denne praksisen. Prinsippet

om at høyere utdanning skal

være tilgjengelig for alle, til tross

for inntektsnivå, er med på å utjevne

sosiale forskjeller.

Ved å ekskludere visse grupper studenter

i det nye forslaget så åpner

vi for å endre den ved flere anledninger.

I verste fall kan vi miste tilbudet

om gratis høyere utdanning

i Norge for alle studenter, er dette

noe vi vil risikere?

I tillegg er det problematisk at dette

ikke gjelder alle internasjonale

studenter og ekskluderer basert

på nasjonalitet. For forslaget gjelder

nemlig ikke studenter fra EU/

EØS. Jeg forstår at det er visse avtaler

mellom disse landene som vi

er nødt til å overholde, men det

føles usmakelig å sette ulik pris på

alles utdanning.

Nok et skummelt aspekt ved dette,

er at mange er nok ikke klar over

akkurat hva som ble foreslått. Det

angår ikke de fleste, og det er en

relativt liten endring. Jeg oppdaget

det ved en tilfeldighet mens jeg

scrollet på Unikum sin instagramkonto.

Vi må være bevisste på hvordan vi

lar samfunnet utvikle seg. Er dette

slik vi ønsker å ha det? Rettigheter

må aldri tas for gitt, da er de i faresonen

for å forsvinne.

INNHOLD

4 Å lytte, og å bli lyttet til

7 Poem: In the depths of an ocean

8 Leserinnlegg: SHoT 2022

9 Oppskrift

10 Short-story: Azalea (Chapter 2)

16 Poduniverset

18 Leserinnlegg: Eivind fikk fast jobb

etter oppgavesamarbeid

20 ¿De donde eres? Where are you from?

A Reflection

22 Poem: Polarization

24 Den samfunnsbyggende konservatismen

26 Short-story: Encounter at Jegersberg

32 Recipe

33 Poem: I need it to rain today

34 Unikums podunivers: Filosofipodkaster

36 International Trends in The Arts: Roma Futurism

Interview with Mihaela Drăgan

40 Unikum: We Are Recruiting

42 Book review

Anja Kathrine Laland Gyberg

redaktor@unikumnett.no

922 944 57

UTGITT AV: Studentavisen Unikum, ved Universitetet i Agder

POSTADRESSE: Serviceboks 422, 4604 Kristiansand S

BESØKSADRESSE: Universitetsveien 24, 4630 Kristiansand S

ORG.NR.: 984 544 677

TELEFON: 911 45 962

EPOST: redaktor@unikumnett.no

NETTSIDE: unikumnett.no

TWITTER: twitter.com/unikumnett

FACEBOOK: facebook.com/studentavisenunikum

INSTAGRAM: instagram.com/unikumnett

Publisert October 2022

Utgave nummer 08

Unikum er studentavisen ved Universitetet i Agder og andre

institusjoner tilknyttet Studentsamskipnaden i Agder. Avisen er

politisk og religiøst uavhengig, og blir drevet på frivillig basis.

Unikum følger Vær Varsom-plakaten og redaktørplakaten. Føler

du deg urettferdig behandlet eller på noen måte uriktig fremstilt

av Unikum, ber vi deg kontakte redaksjonen.

Redaksjon:

ANSVARLIG REDAKTØR :

Anja Kathrine Laland Gyberg

REDAKTØRER:

Nettredaktør

Nyhetsredaktør

Kulturredaktør

Fotoredaktør

Debattansvarlig

GRAFISK ANSVARLIG:

Mariana Rodrigues Sena

FORSIDE:

Giuvlipen

Anjali Mariampillai

Marie Susanne Mortensen

Adrian McAllister

Tobias Strædet Jacobsen

Johan Pedersen Betsi

JOURNALISTER/SKRIBENTER:

Anastasia David, Anjali Mariampillai, Aud Marit

Dahle Steinbru, Ida Marie Bruun, Ingrid Nordvik

Krossbakken, Johan Pedersen Betsi, José Antonio

Herrera, Konstanse Heide Åkerman, Martin Ellingsen,

Ole Markus Nordhagen, Paul-Daniel Golban, Rahul

Mitra, Tobias Klausen, Vilde Hagen Svanberg, William

Thanoothong Svensen

FOTOGRAFER:

Amalia Câmpeanu, Anastasia David, Anjali Mariampillai,

Ida Marie Bruun, Ingrid Nordvik, Krossbakken, Giuvlipen,

UiA Karriere, VT, STA

DESKEN:

Alexander Horpestad, Anja Kathrine Laland Gyberg, Ida

Marie Bruun, Mariana Rodrigues Sena, Odd Magne Vatne,

Paul-Daniel Golban, Sandra Victoria Eriksson, Tobias

Klausen, Åshild Magnesen

KORREKTUR:

Anjali Mariampillai, Ida Marie Bruun, Rahul Mitra, Sandra

Victoria Eriksoon, Vilde Hagen Svanberg

DAGLIG LEDER:

Halvor Nyhus Hagen

TRYKKING:

Bjorvand & Co

OPPLAG:

450

OCTOBER 2022 UNIKUM NR 8 3

AK TUELT

Å lytte, og å bli lyttet til

Ida Marie Bruun

Skribent

Alle, selv de mest ressurssterke, trenger noen. En venn, forelder,

rådgiver, foreleser. En som vil lytte, en tidgiver. På UngPrat hos Blå

Kors er det mange tidgivere. Det er det de kalles, de som gir av tiden

sin for å snakke med ungdommer og studenter i Kristiansand.

På universitetet i Kristiansand møter vi to smilende tidgiverne.

Prosjektleder for Ung Prat, Maria Engervik, har med seg

samtalepartner Phillip André Aabel. De har akkurat drukket kaffe,

og vi setter oss ned for å snakke om det å være en som lytter, og

en som trenger å bli lyttet til. Phillip og Maria forteller meg om

tjenesten de er en del av.

Ung Prat er en trygg, gratis og lavterskel samtaletjeneste fra Blå

Kors. Ungdom og studenter kan sende en SMS med «prat» til

2474. Da tar en samtalepartner kontakt innen 24 timer, og avtaler

hvordan og hvor man skal treffes.

- Vi tenker at det er viktig å komme dit den som ønsker å prate vil

være. Noen foretrekker å gå en tur og «walk and talk», andre vil

tekstes, og noen synes det er best å møtes på en kafe, sier Maria.

Hun forteller at man kan ha noen få samtaler, eller snakkes over

tid og utvikle en god relasjon.

- Mange opplever at når man skal snakke med noen så går ting så

fort! Man kan få en samtalepartner og snakke litt, men det man

kanskje trenger er å ha litt samtaler over tid. Det er ikke alt som

har en quick fix. Vi skal ikke undervurdere at utrolig mye i vår

tid går så raskt. Vi er alle begeistret for skjerm, men ting går fort

og man har mange roller og forventinger rundt seg. Midt i alt det

raske, er det viktig at man kan være i noe over tid. Bare det å få

roet ned takten, og finne en naturlig rytme i samtale med et annet

menneske.

Det er et godt poeng! Det høres ut som om du har en veldig fin jobb?

- Det er veldig spennende og fint, sier Maria. Det er spennende å få

være med å forme en samtaletjeneste som jeg opplever at unge har

bruk for. Hvordan opplever du det å være samtalepartner, Phillip?

- Jeg er enig! Jeg møter så mange unge mennesker, som alle bærer på

ulike ting. Dette er en fin måte å være med å gjøre ungdomsmiljøet

i Kristiansand bedre på, og byen til et godt sted å bo.

4

Er det noe som er litt utfordrende?

- Jeg tenker at når man står i samtaler over tid, så er det veldig

viktig å ivareta seg selv. Hos oss har vi hverandre, veiledning og

fagkvelder. Både det å ha kunnskap og å ha god støtte rundt seg, er

viktig for å kunne gi av seg selv og være god for den andre over tid,

svarer Maria. Phillip legger til:

- Når man hører om forskjellige utfordringer så har man veldig lyst

til å hjelpe og fikse ting. Men man må holde seg litt på avstand.

Man må bry seg og være der, men allikevel ikke la det gå for mye

inn på seg.

- Nei, svarer Maria. Man må være den de trenger at du skal være.

Hva er viktig når man skal snakke med noen som trenger en prat?

- Å være åpen for alle temaer og å lytte, sier Phillip. For mange

holder det å ha noen som aktivt lytter. At man føler seg sett, og

hørt. Jeg prøver å ikke være belærende, og komme med løsninger

og råd, men hjelpe personen å sette i gang noen tankeprosesser.

Man kommer som regel med de beste løsningene selv.

- Ja, det er noe med å legge til rette for at man skal kunne ha en

samtale med seg selv, skape rom for å tenke høyt, legger Maria til.

Å lytte er jo viktig i vennskap også, og med de vi omgås i hverdagen.

Alle kan nok lære noe av dette. Jeg kan fort kjenne på at jeg vil

komme med gode råd. Det er faktisk ganske vanskelig å være en

god lytter!

- Ja! Det er lurt å prøve å finne ut hva slags behov den man snakker

med har. Man kan så lett komme inn på egne erfaringer i stedet for

å lytte. Vi som jobber med dette er trent opp til å lytte uten å trekke

inn oss selv, men den evnen er viktig i vennskap også, sier Maria.

- De fleste trenger nok bare å vite at noen bryr seg, og at noen tar

seg tida til å lytte, sier Phillip.

Hvem er det som tar kontakt med dere, og hva snakker de om?

- Min erfaring er at det virkelig er hvem som helst, sier Maria, og

Phillip legger til:

- Ja, det er ikke en bestemt type. Maria fortsetter: - Det er veldig

individuelt. Noen strever med søvn, noen har problemer hjemme

eller med venner, noen opplever mobbing. Stress og press er det

flest snakker om. Mange synes det er mye med studiene, og med

framtida. Det kan være godt å få snakket om det, og kanskje se på

noen muligheter sammen. Mange trenger bare å få sortert tankene

og følelsene sine. Det er så godt og dempende på stresset når man

har noen å sortere tanker og følelser med. Det letter mye bare å få

et språk for det man går og bærer på. Hvis man bare går med det

og lar tankene spinne, så blir det så tungt å bære.

- Det er også mange som tar kontakt selv om de har det generelt

greit og har gode venner. Noen ganger skjer det ting som gjør at

man trenger litt ekstra hjelp, sier Phillip.

Er det noen som tar kontakt og sier at de vil prate, men at de ikke

vet helt om hva?

- Ja, det er det mange som gjør, svarer Maria. Da prøver vi å være

utforskende, og lete sammen. Vi prøver å finne et språk for det, og

finne ut hva som tar mest plass. Inni oss skriver vi en historie om

oss selv hele tiden, og det kan være fint å tenke litt over hva den er

og hvorfor, og hvorfor noen hendelser får mer plass enn andre i

narrative vårt. Andre ganger kan det være kjempefint å bare være

litt i det at man ikke vet. Det er godt å sette ord på det også.

- Stress og press kan komme i så mange ulike former, sier Phillip.

Selv om man ikke kjenner seg stressa, kan det komme til uttrykk

på ulike måter. Det kan være stress i forkledning. Det som er viktig

med sånne lavterskel tilbud og prating som vi tilbyr, er at man får

nøstet opp i ting før det blir til en umulig knute.

Ja, så man kan ta kontakt før ting er helt krise?

- Ja, det er jo en veldig smart investering, sier Maria. Og litt luksus

å få en helt egen samtalepartner.

Selv om alle tidgivere stiller opp frivillig, må hver samtalepartner

på Ung Prat ha relevant 3-årig utdanning og erfaring, og har vært

igjennom intervjurunder og referansesjekk.

- Ja, og det er gratis! Legger Phillip til.

Jeg kan av og til kjenne på at det ikke er vits i å snakke med noen,

for det endrer jo ingenting. Men dere opplever at dette har noe å si?

- Virkelig! Jeg fikk nettopp en veldig fin tilbakemelding, sier

Phillip. Jeg fikk beskjed om at vi ikke vet hvor mye det betyr, disse

samtalene. Og det tror jeg på! Noen ganger får vi beskjed om at

«dette var akkurat det jeg trengte!», mens andre ganger avsluttes

samtalen ganske kjapt, og vi får kanskje vite i ettertid hva det har

betydd. Maria legger til:

- I kommentarfeltene får vi ofte «takk for at du bryr deg.» Det er

tydelig at det betyr mye for de som trenger det.


Er det sånn at noen trenger å prate, mens andre passer som samtalepartnere som gir av seg selv? Eller kan man være begge deler

samtidig?

- Absolutt det siste! Vi er personer som trenger å snakke med noen alle sammen – uansett om det er en eller annen instans eller en kollega

eller venn. Og alle har ressurser å gi til andre. Vi har alle opp- og nedturer, sier Maria.

Ja, jeg føler jeg kan ha opp- og nedturer samtidig også, jeg!

- Ja, ting er ikke svart-hvitt. Det kan være vanskelig å ta kontakt, nettopp fordi man ER en ressurs. Noen synes det er enklere å snakke med

en man ikke kjenner, sånne som oss, enn å benytte seg av tjenester på skolen sin eller snakke med noen som er tett innpå. Men poenget

er at det er ikke sånn at man ikke er en ressurs om man trenger noen.

Phillip nikker bekreftende. De to snakker om appelsiner mens jeg fotograferer dem, og ler sammen som gamle venner. Intervjuet går

mot sinslutt.

- Vår visjon er at ingen skal stå alene, og ingen skal gå alene. Det høres kanskje klisje ut, men det ligger mye i det hvis du tenker på hva det

faktisk betyr. Ingen skal føle det sånn. Som mennesker har vi kanskje en slags plikt ovenfor hverandre også. Vi må prøve å se muligheter

i hverandre, og verdsette den andre, avslutter Maria.

Jeg tenker at jeg har fått mye å tenke på, og at jeg må øve meg på å lytte. Og at jeg er veldig glad for at det finnes sånne som Maria og

Phillip i verden.

6

POEM

Anastasia David

Writer

Photo: Anastasia David

In the depths of an ocean

In the depths of an ocean

time moves in slow motion.

The water gets colder,

but my soul smolders.

While the light becomes blind,

I lose my peace of mind.

I dive to find out the unknown

which illuminates the darkness like a precious stone.

The water trembles with me,

I’m getting closer to another reality.

What a tremendous world

where everything is pearled!

Life swims everywhere here,

I cannot feel fear.

Loud sounds touch my ears

The whales are in choirs.

Am I just a mere sightseer?

Or why I had to appear

In the depths of an ocean?


LESERINNLEGG

2022

Skrevet av Konstanse Heide Åkerman (Politisk nestleder i Velferdstinget) og William Thanoothong Svendsen (Leder for studentorganisasjonen i Agder).

Mange studenter er ensomme, men

aldri før har så mange studenter vært

ensomme her i Norge. For to av fire

studenter sier at de har få eller ingen

venner på studiet sitt, viser studentenes

helse og trivselsundersøkelse (Shot

2022). Ikke bare har så mange

mennesker det ensomt, men en av

tre studenter sier også at de opplever

alvorlige psykiske plager. Hvordan

har vi som samfunn kommet til dette

stadiet hvor vi har så mange ensomme

mennesker, og hvor en av tre studenter opplever å gå rundt med

alvorlige psykiske plager?

Samfunnet har sviktet studentene, og myndighetene har vært trege

på sin respons i å motvirke denne økende trenden av ensomhet

og psykiske plager, hele 35 % av studenter har alvorlige psykiske

plager. Bildet er komplekst og det er ulike grunner til en slik

utvikling: sosiale medier, isolasjon, økonomi og rusproblematikk.

Det disse problemene har til felles er at de kan forebygges hvis

samfunnet legger opp til å satse på studenter og bedre deres

hverdag.

Velferdstiltak som bidrar til aktivitet, gjør det lettere for studenter

å komme seg gjennom studiet til normert tid og sikrer at færre

studenter dropper ut eller faller utenfor samfunnet. Dette gagner

studenter personlig, men også samfunnet som helhet, det sikrer

at studenter får bedre utbytte av studiet sitt og at flere fullfører

studiene. Samfunnet tjener godt på at studenter fullfører på

normert tid og får en god overgang til arbeidslivet. Det er i alles

interesse å satse på studentene.

Psykisk helse henger sammen med studenters generelle levekår

og økonomi. I det nyte statsbudsjetter, har regjeringen kun gitt

studentene mer penger ved studielån, noe som utgjør ca 330 kr

mer i måneden. Det har alltid vært økonomisk tøft å være student,

forskjellen i dag er gjerne at mange studerer lengre og at det er

flere som studerer. Koronapandemien har påvirket økonomien for

hele befolkningen. De økonomiske utfordringene som dukket opp

i kjølvannet av pandemien, som økte strøm- og matpriser, skaper

flere utfordringer for en allerede utsatt økonomisk gruppe. Dette

gjør at det er viktig at Stortinget og Regjeringen øker studiestøtten

til minst 1,5 G (grunnbeløp) i studiestøtte samt 12 måneders

støtte, fremfor å gi studenter kun mer lån. Dette motvirker også

klasseforskjeller mellom studenter med ressurssterke og mindre

ressurssterke foreldre.

Et annet tiltak som fungerer mot ensomhet, er deltakelse i

studentforeninger og annen form for frivillighet. Regjeringens

støttepakke til studentaktivitet har vært viktig under pandemien,

og disse midlene videreføres nå til å skape enda mer sosial

aktivitet blant studenter. Statistikken viser at av de som deltar i

slike aktiviteter, er det kun 26 % som svarer at de har få eller ingen

venner, sammenlignet med 47 % av de som ikke deltar. Regla

er altså: aktiv student er frisk student! Studentorganisasjoner

som Velferdstinget i Agder og STA, bidrar til å legge til rette for

studentaktiviteter og linjeforeninger, som forbedrer studenters

psykososiale helse. Et godt tips for studenter som ønsker mer

aktivitet i sitt studentliv, er å følge med på studentkalenderen på

universitetets nettside.

Tallene fra årets Shot- undersøkelse er dystre, og de viser til

en stadig økende trend. Åpenhet og diskusjon om problemene

er viktig for å vise at de som sliter ikke er alene. Samtidig er

det viktig å understreke at mange studenter er fornøyde med

studiestedet og mottakelsen de har fått. Hele 6 av 10 studenter

er fornøyde med det helsetilbudet de har, mens de som sliter

gjerne skulle fått hjelp tidligere, og gjerne også blitt henvist

til ytterlige institusjoner utover

helsehjelpen som er å finne på

universitetene. Fastlegekrisen øker

denne problematikken ettersom

mange studenter ikke får en fastlege

når de flytter til nytt studiested.

Styresmaktene må handle raskt,

og se at tallene fra årets Shotundersøkelse

understreker

viktigheten av å handle, framfor å

være tiltaksløse.

8

OPPSKRIFT KULTUR

Scones med tranebær

og valnøtter

Ingrid N. Krossbakken

Skribent

Kos deg med scones og noko varmt i koppen ein kald haustdag.

Ingrediensar:

450g kveitemjøl

50g smør, kaldt i terningar

50g sukker

2 ts bakepulver

¼ ts salt

2,5 dl mjølk

100g tørka tranebær

Ein handfull valnøtter

Slik gjer du:

1. Forvarm omnen til 220 grader

2. Ha kveitemjøl og smørterningane i ein bolle, smuldre snøret i mjølet

3. Rør inn sukker, bakepulver og salt

4. Tilsett mjølka og vend forsiktig, ikkje kna deigen for mykje

5. Velt deigen ut på eit bord med litt mjøl på og kjevle ut deigen til ca. 2cm tjukkleik

6. Bruk eit glas for å trykke ut scones og legg dei på ein bakepapirkledd steikeplate

7. Steik dei i ca. 20 min

8. Nyt gjerne med syltetøy og rømme eller til dømes brunost

Foto: Ingrid N. Krossbakken


Tobias Klausen

Writer

zalea

– Chapter 2 –

Welcome to House Alighieri

Foto: AdobeStock // redzen

Azalea had once read ‘if you stare into the void, remember,

the void will stare back’ and the ominous outline of those

words harkens in the back of her mind as her eyes trail the

property housing the mansion, scouring every brick, every edge and

every inch of it. The mansion which has previously sung the ballad

of emptiness, now strings the melody of life, Azalea swearing she

could hear music, beckoning her to the entrance encased in dark

wood, the sound barely a whisper at the very edge of hearing, yet

no resonance has ever been as clear. The very logic of nature is in

a battle with the reality Azalea faces, her rational mind searching

every cavern of knowledge for plausible explanation, yet none will

surface as reason stands no chance in a place like this, at least not

that of humankind. The invitation provides no additional clues,

the old parchment contained within simply extending a sincere

invitation, the curtesy written in ancient cursives.

The estate is encased in an iron fence, its skewers soaring to the sky,

yet the main gate has no intention of keeping visitors from entering,

its broken locks providing nothing but broken promises of safety

from unwanted visitors, or perhaps, salvation for escaping victims.

Azalea had done research prior to her congenial visit, the mansion

had previously been a mental asylum, however, once abandoned,

an unknown buyer had acquired it and turned it into the luxurious

mountain that she gazes upon. No names were provided in the

article nor pictures, only an omen of the misfortune that befell

Rutledge Asylum, the slaughter committed by one of the inmates.

Azalea discards the thought before the fright can stifle her courage,

her hand instinctively going towards her neck in an attempt to

grasp her resolve, yet momentarily forgetting she surrendered it to

Dahlia, only the chilling air greeting her trembling fingers.

“Why am I scared?”

This thought continuously rings in her mind.

“Why am I shaking?”

An ominous aura lurks in the air, stifling whatever courage

remains. Hesitation seizes her, as the roots of fear coil around her

legs, or perhaps it is the aiding hand of caution? Before her body

becomes a stump rooted by ambiguous nature, she hears the bell

toil.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

Dahlia’s warning rings in the back of her mind. Midnight is

approaching, and even in her brief time in the town, she had learned

that midnight was synonymous with unknown danger. She still

recalls the grim look of the hostel clerk, the dark rings underneath

sunken eyes a testament to a sleepless waking, the unwashed shirt

proof of negligence and fingernails filled with dirt, despite the lack

of a garden and plants. If only Azalea had dug beneath the false

platitudes, she would have realized that the dirt was from all the

digging. From ashes to ashes, dust to dust.

Eight times.

Azalea grabs her bag, the little container embroidered by

houndstooth swinging in motion as she hastily scurries across the

ginormous forecourt, hoping to arrive upon the doorstep before

the utter collapse of her determination.

Ten strikes.

She rings the doorbell, not knowing that a looming danger inches

closer with every ring. If she knew, politeness would have been

left at the threshold and she would barge in. Yet in ignorant bliss

the act of civility is prudent. Once a first impressions is molded,

it proves hard to reshape, not handling the effortless clay, but

sculpting stone.

10

SHORT STORY

Illustration: Unikum // Sohpie Stubbe

As the twelfth chime echoes into the distant, devoured by the

emptiness and fog seemingly gathering around the outline of the

town, the giant door opens and grants her passage. Just as it closes

with finality behind her, it obstructs the sound of the thirteenth

strike, and she is spared a terrible fate.

What meets her, is a confirmation of her previous suspicions.

The entrance hall is filled with hundreds of burning candles, the

wax slowly dripping into the golden plates they reside on. What

had previously been dull and broken wooden panels plaguing

the flooring are now sparkling parquets, practically mirrors

in their shine and decorated with lavish and crimson-colored

carpets leading to two doors and a staircase. From the outside,

Azalea guessed approximately three floors, her initial visit neither

confirming nor denying her theory as the first-floor stairway was

broken upon her arrival. Yet now, it is fully intact, a gorgeous sight

as it leads to a stained-glass mural depicting a garden with a tree in

the middle, a mountain looming in its background. Azalea’s stare

follows the multitudes of luxuries and peculiar objects, oozing of

rich cultures from across the world, and some which she has never

seen the likes off.

her bag in the process.

“Excuse me, Miss Azalea?”

From a door underneath

the stairway, emerging

from a tiny door, a

stark contrast to

the being dwelling

within, a robust,

young man appears, a

butler’s outfit draping

him, the buttons on

his white shirt in

constant battle with

his chest, and a welltamed

jungle of brown

hair sprouting from

his head. His sudden

appearance causes

the ball of nervousness

planted within Azalea’s

gut to implode, sending a jolt of

shock through her system, dropping

“Ah, I’m sorry, I did not mean to startle you! Here let me help you!”

he excuses as he rushes to the bag’s aid.

“No, I’m sorry, I was lost in my own trail of thought, you don’t have

t-”

“You’re our esteemed guest, the first in a while actually, of course

I will help you!”

Azalea studies Eric, studies his body, his movement, his features,

as he swiftly moves to aid her. In her mind, veiled in a thick fog,

something is trying to reveal itself, but is lost to the gray sea, sunken

into its depths, but its shine penetrating the transparent surface.

Had she met him before? In her quest for remembrance, she had

forgotten civility, blushing at her own discourteousness.

“Yes. To your prior question I mean. I am Azalea. You don’t need

the miss part though,” she smiles between blossoming cheeks.

“Perfect! As I’ve said, we’ve been expecting you, or well, Mister

Alighieri has been, the entire family actually, but me too of course!

So I went ahead and prepared-!”

“A dinner party. How many moons have passed since our last

visitor? Not even the grandest of banquets could celebrate this

tremendous occasion.”

Obscuring the stained-glass mural is an outline of an adult, clad

in darkness. But as he inches closer, the darkness is revealed to be

merely a black suit. He walks so elegantly and effortlessly down the

staircase, one would easily confuse walking with levitating, a black

cane adorned with an emerald snake coiling around it, its jaws

wide, ready to gnaw at the red marble residing comfortably at the

top. His face provides no features, all tucked away and concealed

by a black mask, yet what the chiffon fabric can’t shroud are two

piercing, lavender eyes, measuring up every ounce of Azalea.

“I hope to remedy the lack of courtesy our butler exudes, do excuse

his lack of manners, I partially blame his lack of experience in our

house. My name is Adam Alighieri, I am the head of the House

Alighieri. And our easily excitable help here is Eric, no last name

needed, he is merely a spectator to tonight’s grand spectacle,” Adam

explains softly. Despite never sounding monotone, no intonations

nor word stress convey a single emotion, only the intricate semantic

web communicating his intentions.

Eric himself blushes at his own indiscretion:

“Oh my gosh, so sorry, I did forget to say my name! I’m Eric, so nice

to meet you!”

He sticks out a hand, but before Azalea can even consider returning

the civility, Adam smacks Eric’s hand with his cane.

“Do not sully our guest’s hand. Need I remind you of your position

here? You are not to interfere, you are merely here out of necessity,

nothing else. This is my house, my home. You will play your part if

needed, if not, we’ll have a vacant position to be filled, won’t we?”

Azalea quells a surprised yelp, then a bobbling desire to comfort

Eric, red marks trailing the outline of the cane’s impact on his hand.

However, disrespecting her host upon their first interaction would

not bode well, especially one which may aid her in her (quest/

pursuits?). Manners taught through harsh fashion is not uncharted

waters to her, yet she hopes that it is a dying tendency, seeing the


repercussions of austerity.

“Mr. Alighieri, I’m Azalea. A pleasure to meet you. I believe Dahlia has informed you of my situation?” Azalea bows.

“Ah, indeed, her words of your predicament have reached me. But let’s not dawdled with trifles, come, you must meet the family. I have

informed them of your arrival and they’re all ecstatic to meet you,” Adam replies.

Adam claps his hands and its echo reverberate through the halls, underlining the mass of the mansion, its many endless halls, corridors,

and passages.

“Eric, carry Azalea’s luggage to the guest room, Azalea, follow me to the dinning hall please. Eric will arrive shortly thereafter with the

food.”

With her bag tucked neatly beneath his large arms, he leans in and whispers to Azalea:

“You don’t have to do this. You can wait until morning and leave. Never forget, retreat is not the way of the cowardly and in acceptance

there is courage as well-”

“Do you seek the fury of my cane once more, Eric? A whisper is but a suppression of guilt, yell loudly the truth or forever remain silent.”

Before Azalea can question the meaning of the caution, Eric scurries quickly into the door on the left. The feeling that had been brewing

for so long in her gut is softly coming to a boil. She hadn’t found a tangible word to describe it yet, however, the burning sensation could

not be anything less than bleak.

“My dear, do not take his words to heart. Eric is but a wolf in sheep’s clothing, luring you to the path leading to his jaws. Heed not his

words. Now, leave the gloom be and let us meet the family, shall we?” Adam says while gesturing towards the right door.

Apprehension still lurks in Azalea’s mind, warning her of the trickery that seemingly is afoot. However, it has been screaming to her since

she first found the article and since her first contact with Dahlia, it is too late to give into its unease now. Once more she clamors for her

vial for an infusion of bravery, yet she meets and old friend once more, the empty air. Especially now, it is too late.

Adam leads her into another room, containing the same Renaissance styling, from the marbled wall ornaments to the sleek furniture, an

enormous wooden table planted in the middle, two chairs at each end of six in the middle. Adam takes his seat at one end, gesturing for

Azalea for her to take the opposite. She had expected to see the rest of the family as she walked in, yet the only semblance of any other

guests, is a picture placed by one of the chairs, of what Azalea could not guess by the looking at its backside. A dissatisfied sigh escapes

Adam, the first sign of any emotion Azalea had seen him utter.

“I strictly instructed them to be here by 12 o’clock. I hope you do not take this delay as a bad omen, I ensure you, we, the family Alighieri,

could not be more thrilled to see you after what Dahlia has told us of you and your plight,” Adam says.

Azalea’s hopes upon arriving in the town were that she would find enlightenment to all these burning questions yet instead, they keep

piling, the flames of uncertainty constantly fueled. It is time to put it out before the inferno engulf her.

Foto: AdobeStock // master1305

“Mister Alighieri, you truly have my gratitude for taking me into your home and even consider helping me. But Dahlia has told me

nothing besides the power your family possess and your willingness to lend it to someone who proves themselves worthy. What is this

power and how do I prove myself to you?”

“Curiosity is what led the plants to abandon water and embrace land. It is inevitable really. But it will all be clear in due time, now let’s

call for the slothful.”

Azalea’s polite nature did not allow her to rebel against the dismission, it seems the fire would burn just a bit longer, but she would soon

extinguish it. Adam lifts a tiny bell and with the flick of his wrists it rings thrice, its resonance traveling through ever wall, every corridor,

ever nook and cranny, and the family knows, it is time for dinner.

12

Somewhere

In pits of hellfire and despair

Two flies gluttonize on the feast of the hopeless

Their banquet disrupted

Somewhere

By the bell ring.

Dissonance of wrath screams

An audience entranced by rage and hate

The concert cancelled

Somewhere

By the bell ring.

Laying in a garden of skin

A flower is lustfully plucked bare

The ripening stopped

By the bell ring.

Somewhere

Surrounded by putrid death

A seething envy seeks a justice unfound

The quest paused

By the bell ring.

Somewhere

In the comfort of a bosom

A drowned corpse cling to life and sloth

The slumber disturbed

By the bell ring.

The Alighieri’s she had thought it sounded like a legend, a fairytale even, but in her recent encounters with the peculiar, what seemed

like reverie became reality.

“Ah, wonderful, everyone’s here. Shall we start with introductions? A face needs a name. But you are a shy bunch, so perhaps a mere

‘hello’ is enough. We’ll begin with you, Elisabeth.”

Closest to Azalea sits a young girl, approximately the same age as Azalea, with keen eyes manically measuring Azalea. A smile is plastered

on her face, not one of friendliness but of personal pleasure. She taps her feet and hands, one of the hands being covered by a black glove,

the other indiscreetly attempting to touch Azalea. Azalea politely retracts her hand.


“Sitting beside Elisabeth are the twins, Gaab and Gabriel.”

Next to the manic girl is a young boy, huddling in a black sweater,

on his head a giant pair of glasses resides, the glass made up of

a hundred tiny hexagons. He looks to be around 14-years old. He

smirks at Azalea with a mischievous smile. Right by his side is an

adult man, in the same sweater, however, two hoods are additionally

attached to it. Despite the massive size of the clothing, Azalea could

at first glance see how anorexically thin he is by staring at his

famished features. He did not meet Azalea’s gaze, instead staring

into his empty plate. At first Azalea thought the twins remark was

merely a joke considering their clothing, but as she deciphers their

features, she realizes they share overtly many.

“And then there’s Luc- no, excuse me my dear, did not notice the

costume change, there’s Lilith.”

Opposite of him sat a woman, draped in the most beautiful, blonde

hair Azalea had ever seen. She is applying make-up, the lipstick

viciously painting her plumb lips, and with a delicate finger, she

erases the excess. Once her gaze is ripped from the mirror, she

notices Azalea’s gaze and she winks at her.

“Of course, can’t forget our dear Ma-”

“It’s Wary now,” the girl interjects.

“Wary, right.”

The final guest is a young girl, her hair a concoction of the blackest

black and brightest red, matching her garments. Azalea could

sense the adolescence of her, the girl’s attitude conveying as much,

as she deliberately avoided Azalea’s gaze, everybody’s gaze for that

matter. She plays with a suspiciously sharp pick.

“And finally, Sarah.”

The picture which previously was turned now stood in the empty

chair atop what seems like a speaker. The woman in the picture has

radiant, brown hair, braided in breathtaking patterns, tied with a

pink bow. But what radiance that lacked is in her eyes, no spark

can be found within them.

“As you can surmise, she could not attend. She has…a condition

however…”

“I’m…here. Hello, whoever is…listening,” it sputters from the

speaking beneath the frame.

At first Azalea thought the speakers were of suboptimal quality, then

realized that the sluggishness is not caused by the transmission,

but by the speaker.

“Now, let’s feast, for the night will be long, but the fruits we shall

reap will be worth the labor,” Adam announces.

Awkwardness lingers in the air, as the family starts trading plates

and dishes, exchanging bare conversations and empty platitudes

with one another. The more Azalea observed them the less they

appear to be a family, more so six strangers. No one engages with

Azalea, except the occasionally pinch by Elisabeth or the kiss

Lilith would blow. Gaab and Gabriel squanders with one another,

Wary attempts to burn her meat with a lighter and an occasional

struggling moan erupts from Sarah’s radio. Finally, Adam claps his

hand together:

“Now that we’ve all met and feel ready for the challenges to come,

it’s finally time to provide our dear Azalea with some answers.”

Azalea leans forward in her chair, before realizing the impolite

implications and retreats back.

“We do possess the power which you seek. But, this power is not

merely just for resurrection, quite frankly, it is so much more. And

before relinquishing it, we, the family Alighieri must determine

if you are worthy of it. How do you prove your worth? Simple.

Everyone here has a precious possession, retrieve it from them,

and I shall grant you passage to the resting place of the power you

desire. If you want to resign from this trial, you are free to do so at

any time. Have I made myself clear?”

The entire dinner table turns towards Azalea, a grin plastered on

everyone’s faces. The boiling in her gut occasionally releases a

sputter of searing pain, but she clenches her teeth, finding comfort

in her hopes, for within those rules, is the safety she needed. An

exact description of the power she needs, the power she must find,

not merely the resurrection of her hopes.

But the resurrection of her mother.

“Yes, all is understood. If that is what you demand of me, I will do

it, I promise,” she responds, some of her words shaking underneath

the pressure of her counterfeit resolution.

“Perfect,” Adam says and with a simple snap, the family disappears.

All that is needed, is to retrieve the family’s possessions. She would

persuade every single one of them. Suddenly, it all becomes more

feasible, a goal which is obtainable. For what had once been obscure

dreams and promises are now real objectives, all which Azalea is

determined to overcome. Adam walks slowly around the table until

he has completely closed the space between him and Azalea.

“You may attempt to persuade them, but some of the family will not

relinquish their possession with ease. No, perhaps persuasion will

not work at all on them,” he says.

Then, he leans in, closing any empty space between his face and

Azalea’s ear:

“I will not judge your methods of retrieval, what matters to me is

your acquirement of the possessions. Simply put, if you feel it’s the

only way, I will not stop you.

Even if you have to kill them.”

Continues in November...

14

Svar

— og —

vinn

Svar på

studiestartundersøkelsen,

vinn billetter til

Palmesus!

Alle førsteårsstudenter

ved UiA får tilsendt

studiestartundersøkelsen på

e-post. Hvis du svarer er du

med i trekningen av billetter til

Palmesus og gavekort på kino

og i SiAs kantiner.


KULTUR

PODUNIVERSET:

Vilde Hagen Svanberg

Skribent

Illustrajon: AdobeStock // starline

Høsten er her for alvor, og hva passer vel bedre i høstmørket enn å høre

på en god podcast! For mange kommer høstdepresjonen også snikende for

tiden, så her er det fokus på humor, god stemning og kanskje litt «spooky

season». Dette er et knippe av mine favoritt-podcaster for tiden.

FAIR ENOUGH

I denne podcasten møter du de to brødrene Lachland

og Jaxon Fairbarn fra bushen i Sør-Australia. De har

lenge vært ekstremt populære med hjemmelagde videoer

på YouTube og TikTok der de har millioner av

views på videoer som «How to Catch a Kangaroo» der

hunden deres stiller som kenguru, og «How to Train

for the Winter Olympics in Rural Australia» der et gammelt

badekar brukes som slede. De har også hatt en del

live-show innen komedie, og – som jeg nylig oppdaget

– en podcast! Jeg er solgt. Jeg er nok over gjennomsnittet

interessert i Australia siden jeg selv har bodd der,

og kanskje dialekten er litt vanskelig for noen, men jeg

anbefaler likevel å gi dem en sjanse. Dette er humor på

høyt nivå. I podcasten kan du høre alt fra dikt gutta har

skrevet til hverandre, hvordan Lachland brakk beinet

og hvorfor Jaxon sovnet i en grøft, til hva de gjorde i

helgen og hva svaret er på den gåten du hørte på barneskolen.

16

SHXTSNGIGS

Har du fulgt med på TikTok har du garantert sett eller

hørt disse gutta før. Bestevennene James og Fuhad

kommer fra Storbritannia og tar et oppgjør med

mangt en problemstilling og dilemmaer. De stiller ofte

spørsmål som «Hva gjorde partneren din som fikk deg

til å miste interessen?», «Hva var det slemmeste du

gjorde som barn?», «Hva er den største løgnen du har

fortalt?» og «Hva er det sykeste du har gjort for penger?».

Lytterne sender inn de villeste svarene, og du

blir både sjokkert og underholdt av hvor mye rart folk

finner på. Gutta har verdens mest smittende latter og

er heller ikke redd for å gi sine ufiltrerte meninger om

alt mellom himmel og jord. Jeg garanterer deg en god

latter om du hører på denne. Har du ikke alltid tid til

å høre podcast i en time, så ikke stress! De har flere

episoder på rundt 10 min, og liker du det enda kortere

kan du jo søke dem opp på TikTok?

VILDES

FAVORITTER

TUSVIK OG TØNNE

Hvor skal man begynne med disse damene? Jeg vet

at Sigrid Bonde Tusvik og Lisa Tønne ikke er for alle,

men jeg elsker dem og har vært trofast lytter av denne

podcasten i hele 10 år! Ja, for i høst har de nettopp

10-årsjubileum. Du kan si hva du vil om dem, men de

snakker rett fra levra på både godt og vondt. De er klar

over at de av og til går over grensen, men det er denne

pushingen av grenser jeg synes er både forfriskende og

fascinerende. I tillegg kommer de med sine synspunkter

på dagsaktuelle temaer, spesielt kvinners rettigheter

og kvinnehelse, pluss at de deler erfaringer fra eget

liv over en lav sko. Jeg kan med hånden på hjertet si at

det ikke er noen annen podcast jeg har ledd og grått så

mye av, og det føles ut som besøk av to gode venninner

hver gang det kommer en ny episode.

SPEAKING WITH SHADOWS

Har du noensinne befunnet deg på et historisk sted

og lurt på hva veggene ville sagt om de kunne snakke?

Stemmer disse historiene overens med de man

lærte i historietimene på skolen, eller skjuler skyggene

en annen historie? I denne podcasten fra English

Heritage får du høre om personer som historien har

glemt. Vi får være med å besøke gamle gods og slott

over hele England der vi lærer mer om de som bodde

der og hvordan livet var for dem med historier helt fra

1700-tallet og frem til mer moderne tid. Du lærer om

alt fra den modige tjeneren som kanskje ble Storbritannias

første svarte pub-eier, til krig i Essex der polske

spesialstyrker trente i hemmelighet. Du kan selvfølgelig

også høre historier om mer overnaturlige ting som

hekser, spøkelser og gamle asyl. Noe for enhver historieinteressert

smak her altså.


LESERINNLEGG

Eivind fikk fast jobb

etter oppgavesamarbeid

Eivind Omdal skrev både bachelor- og masteroppgave for Agder Energi. Det resulterte i fast jobb

etter endt studieløp.

Av: Aud-Marit Dahle Steinbru, rådgiver ved UiA Karriere

Eivind Omdal har studert fornybar energi ved Universitetet i Agder

og leverte masteroppgaven i vår. Nå har han fast jobb i Agder

Energi.

– Oppgavesamarbeid med Agder Energi har gitt meg mye verdifull

og arbeidsrelevant erfaring, sier han.

Veien inn i virksomheten startet tidlig med et samarbeid om

bacheloroppgaven. Da kom Eivind i kontakt med Per-Oddvar

Osland som er avdelingsleder for analyse i Agder Energi Nett. I

etterkant ble Eivind tilbudt en deltidsjobb ved siden av studiene,

som deretter førte til et samarbeid om masteroppgaven.

Gir relevant arbeidserfaring

Eivind forteller at han synes kunnskapen han får gjennom

studiene ikke alltid er like lett å koble til problemstillingene ute i

arbeidslivet.

18

– Oppgavesamarbeid er en fin måte å få innblikk i

arbeidsoppgavene i en bedrift og hva utdannelsen din faktisk kan

brukes til. Jeg hadde også et ønske om å jobbe for Agder Energi

Nett. Et oppgavesamarbeid med selskapet var en fin mulighet for

å øke mine sjanser for en fast stilling i selskapet etter studiene,

sier Eivind.

Studenter tilfører ny kompetanse

Eivind ble tilbudt en fast stilling i Agder Energi Nett allerede før

han var ferdig med masterstudiet. Per Oddvar Osland i Agder

Energi forteller at samarbeid med studentoppgaver gir nyttige

resultater og flere fordeler for bedriften.

Form halfwidth– Studenter tilfører ny kompetanse innenfor

områder som fornybar energi, industriell økonomi,

programmering og maskinlæring. Vår erfaring er at man gjennom

en studentoppgave har tid til å fordype seg i et emne, samtidig

som resultater kommer frem relativt raskt. Dette medfører at

samarbeidet oppleves som verdifullt for oss. I tillegg ønsker vi å

komme i kontakt med fremtidige arbeidstakere. Energibransjen

UiA satser på flere oppgavesamarbeid

Eivind anbefaler andre studenter å jobbe med en bedrift gjennom

et oppgavesamarbeid.

– Du får en mer praktisk tilnærming til problemstillingene. I tillegg

er det en fin mulighet til å få et stort nettverk i en bedrift du ønsker

å jobbe for, som øker mulighetene for å få en fast stilling senere,

sier han.

UiA ønsker å legge til rette for at enda flere studenter skal få

arbeidslivskontakt gjennom oppgavesamarbeid.

Anna Kristine Ravnaas er rådgiver ved UiA Karriere. Der hjelper

hun virksomheter med å få kontakt med studenter gjennom

koblingsportalen UiA Kompetansetorget. Hun ser et stort ønske fra

studentene om slike sjanser som Eivind har fått med Agder Energi.

er i sterk vekst, og vi trenger flere kloke hoder i årene fremover,

sier han.

Å skrive en oppgave for en bedrift gjør at man som student får

en oppdragsgiver som man må forholde seg til. Mange studenter

lurer på hvilke forventninger oppdragsgiveren har til dem. Osland

forteller at samarbeidet skal være verdifullt for begge parter.

– Vi forventer at studenter er nysgjerrige, motiverte og selvgående.

Gode samarbeidsegenskaper er også viktig. I starten er det mest

vekt på å forstå problemstillingen. Etter hvert blir det mer fokus på

gjennomgang og diskusjon av resultater. Det er viktig at studenten

jobber aktivt mellom møtene og sørger for fremdrift i arbeidet.

Vårt bidrag er å gi innsikt i reelle og aktuelle problemstillinger,

gi veiledning underveis og lære studenten hvordan man jobber

effektivt og målrettet, sier Osland.

Mer enn bare fokus på karakterer

Osland forteller videre at erfaringen studentene får ved

oppgavesamarbeid gjør at de kan tilegne seg kunnskap som det er

vanskelig å fange opp på skolebenken. De danner dermed et godt

utgangspunkt til videre arbeidsliv. Han ser at det er motiverende

for studentene å jobbe med reelle problemstillinger der resultatene

faktisk betyr noe.

– Vi ser at studentene som har vært i kontakt med arbeidslivet

gjennom studietiden, raskere kommer i jobb når de er ferdige.

Oppgavesamarbeid er derfor et viktig samfunnsoppdrag for

virksomhetene i regionen vår, og en fin mulighet for bedriftene å

vise frem de mange og attraktive mulighetene som finnes her, sier

hun.

Ønsker du å komme i kontakt

med arbeidslivet gjennom et

oppgavesamarbeid?

Besøk UiA sin koblingsportal:

kompetansetorget.uia.no

– Når man vet at resultatene skal tjene til mer enn å oppnå en

karakter, så føles arbeidet mer meningsfylt. I tillegg er det viktig

å forstå hvordan arbeidslivet fungerer. I en bedrift er det ofte

nødvendig med samarbeid mellom ulike kompetanseområder.

Dette er en erfaring man ikke får like enkelt gjennom studiet, sier

han.


OPINION

¿De donde

eres?

Where are

you from?

A Reflection.

José Antonio Herrera

Writer

Ilustration: AdobeStock // freshidea

I have always wondered what people meant, when I am asked

this question. What filter is one supposed to sift oneself through

in order to produce a satisfactory response? What is the actual

question? My father is Mexican and my mother is Puerto Rican.

In the US, the general expectation is that you are actually from

where your parents or ancestors most recently immigrated

from. By this logic, I would have been Puerto Rican and Mexican,

but was generally considered more Mexican than Puerto Rican.

As a youth, it seemed that some people just wanted to quickly

label and dismiss me. “Oh him? He’s Mexican”. One can never

really tell what this kind of glib summation means, especially

when you are 7. And what about my Puerto Rican side?

Throughout my life, my linguistic blend of Spanglish and

Mexican/Puerto Rican dialects seemed to puzzle other Spanish

speakers. My conversational Spanish never sounded like a

mother tongue. The phrases and idioms known to native sons

of Latin America were lost on me. So I would alter my cadence

and try to match the speaker’s. Sometimes it worked. Some

Mexicans would listen to me, take a breath, and pause for a

moment before asking if I was from Mexico City. Dominicans

often asked if I was Ecuadorian or Puerto Rican. What were

they observing? Did I sound like a stuck-up city dweller or a

naive local from a small village? Would I be labelled ‘gringo’?

Would it be assumed that I wasn’t ok to socialize with?

As much as I tried to sound “Latin” enough, there was nothing

I could do about my looks. I am still not sure what people see

when I come into their field of view. I share many traits with

certain Latin Americans. Wide, stocky torso. Short legs. Long

arms. Despite a scarcity of facial and body hair, the hair on

my scalp is thick, wavy and dark. I don’t look like most Puerto

Ricans I have met. People have asked me if I am Italian or

Arabic. I met a cop of Italian descent once and we could have

passed as brothers. The genetic legacies that show flows of

human migration are unpredictable. Some Dominicans are

20

mistaken for African Americans or Haitians and vice versa.

One of my Puerto Rican teachers related stories of Indian men

singling her out to flirt with.

Sharing the same language and similar appearance can bring

people together. Differences can lead to sharp divisions and

imagined hostilities. I have often felt and misunderstood

the tensions between Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. In my

neighborhood there were Dominican bodegas and Puerto

Rican bodegas. The Dominican bodegas played merengue. The

Puerto Rican bodegas played salsa. In both, Central Americans

were the stock clerks or butchers. Also, they sold very similar

variants of the same foods.

Puerto Ricans are US citizens. In my opinion, this created

resentment among them and other Latin Americans.

Dominicans have to apply for visas and resident permits.

Otherwise, they risk illegal immigration. However, they lived

in the same neighborhoods as Puerto Ricans, and competed

for the same jobs with the disadvantage of being born on the

island that wasn’t a US territory. Or they could be more easily

exploited by employers. No green card? You get half the pay.

Don’t like it? Take a walk.

My mother once set an odd precedent by warning me not to

spend time with my babysitter’s son. That is correct, a boy my

age was out playing and probably roughing it in the streets of

NYC during the early 80s. He was learning how to breakdance,

play NYC style basketball and throw graffiti tags up. I was

indoors watching a cartoon rabbit terrorize a hunter with

a speech impediment, or a housecat and mouse try to maim

each other in an epic battle for access to the feast housed in

the refrigerator. His mom was my babysitter while my mom

worked. They were friends. A Dominican woman and my

Puerto Rican mom. My mom thought he spent too much time

en la calle/in the street. That he was too wild. That he was a bad

influence on me. Was this a colonial legacy rearing its head?

I was in Catholic school! If Catholic education wasn’t good

enough to keep me from becoming a common thug, what was

the point of sending me there for 7 hours a day, 5 times a week,

9 months of the year? The irony is, he was one of my protectors.

I wasn’t tough. I needed him to navigate the hierarchy in the

neighborhood. Among others, he kept an eye on me that I didn’t

always know was there.

In the US media, Spanish speakers could be lazy alcoholics or

nosy neighbors. They were portrayed as emotionally volatile,

obsessed with dancing or as insanely jealous casanovas. They

were often the “troubled youth” on episodes of police dramas

or family sitcoms. A typical storyline could be something like:

Juan isn’t a bad kid. His older brother is in a street gang and

the local shop just got robbed. Officer Murphy thinks he can

get Juan to give up his brother. Sure, I saw people like these

in my community but these personalities were just as present

in other cultures too. We didn’t have a monopoly on less than

desired personality traits.

On the Latin American channels like Telemundo or GalaVision,

I saw serious or comedic interviews with politicians, artists and

musicians from all over the world. Additionally, I witnessed

the hip emphasizing gyrations of Iris Chacon, who hosted some

kind of variety show from Puerto Rico. My mother discouraged

me from being corrupted by her as well, and changed the

channel. Not only was I being shielded from the streets, my

hibernating libido was in no danger of awakening (thanks,

mom!). There was Walter Mercado, a gifted and flamboyant

“psychic” who made appearances on different programs. He

dressed like a Las Vegas magician. Charo was often invited to

appear on many US talk shows. Outside the US, she was known

as a talented singer and flamenco guitarist. American media

always reduced her to a caricature of a Latin American woman:

shrill voiced and thickly accented.

Further, I didn’t understand why there were so many jokes in

US culture at the expense of Latin Americans. They can do the

job but so slowly. They don’t work and often steal. They sleep

so much. They never sleep because they are always having

house parties at night. They have drinking or drug problems.

They have so many kids. They are so poor. They never legally

immigrate, etc. In recent years, many contemporary comedians

often joke about the Mexican work ethic, the quality of their

house parties, the great street foods and aftermath of nights

that began with tequila shots. Is this progress? Maybe it is

not ideal, but I would say so. It can make people curious and

appreciative of the cultures outside their own. Personally

speaking, I want to know what people think of one another.

I wish people were more curious about each other. We can

learn a lot by asking one simple Swiss army knife of a question,

which I invite you to use on a fellow neighbor or student:

Y de donde eres?


Paul-Daniel Golban

Writer

Ilustration: Unikum // Loana Grozav

Polarizare

necunoscutul împarte întotdeauna

lumina în direcții opuse

un funigel te îmbrățișează de mâini –

vara cea dogoritoare a trecut

iar soarele tot mai negru lasă treptat loc toamnei cumpătate

un ochi zâmbește zăpezii –

(iarna lumina surâde pe un fulg de nea)

celălalt plânge

după dispariția păsărilor care despart zarea

în două cu zborul lor

anotimpurile sunt pereții soarelui

pământul îi este oglindă

viața pare jumătate de cuvânt nespus

soarele încălzește viața până dispare

pământul rămâne în oglindă încremenit

nuclee și atomi îngheață în dificultate

în timp ce viața întârzie lângă tine

monotonie îmbracă peisajul într-o mie de cuvinte

în depărtare voci își caută gazda

ai grijă să nu îți arzi corneea în noian

ia ochelarii cu lentila difuză

22

în întunericul ochilor lumina renaște

POEM

be careful not to burn your cornea in the snow moguls

in the distance voices are looking for their host

monotony covers the landscape in a thousand words

while life lingers near you

the nuclei and the atoms petrify in difficulty

the Earth hovers in the mirror astounded

the sun melts life into disappearance

life seems like half of a word unsaid

the Earth is its mirror

the seasons are the sun’s walls

in two with their flight

after the disappearance of the birds which part the horizon

the other cries

(in winter the light smiles on a snowflake)

an eye smiles to the snow –

take the glasses with the diffuse lens

in the darkness of the eyes the light is reborn

and the sun blacker and blacker gives way to the moderate autumn

the searing summer has passed

a gossamer embraces your hands –

the light into opposite directions

the unknown always splits

Polarization

(to be read from bottom to top)


DEBAT T

Den samfunnsbyggende konservatismen

Martin Ellingsen

Skribent

I mange tiår, kanskje siden slutten av 2. Verdenskrig, har

konservatismen blitt sett på som nokså u-trendy. Ja i en del

kretser ville det å kalle seg konservativ nesten være å begå sosialt

selvmord. Likevel vil jeg påstå at konservatismen er bedre enn sitt

rykte og har behov for en aldri så liten renvasking. Ikke bare det:

Jeg vil også argumentere for at bevegelsen er nøkkelen for en god

og bærekraftig fremtid for Norge, og resten av Europa.

Når vi tenker på konservatisme kan man få assosiasjoner til en rekke

navn og bevegelser, fra den gjennomtenkte og beleste statsviteren

Asle Toje og den sindige unge maleren Øde Nerdrum til populister

som Victor Orban og Donald Trump eller den familieorienterte

Giorgia Meloni, den kommende statslederen i Italia. De står alle for

svært forskjellige ting. De er også i svært varierende grad moralske

forbilder. Jeg ønsker ikke her å forsvare alle former og varianter av

det som kalles konservatisme. Men jeg vil påstå at det eksisterer en

slags norsk versjon av konservatismen, som vi alle burde omfavne.

Nøkkeltanken i dette debattinnlegget er at jeg mener vi må endre

hvordan vi ser på og definerer konservatisme i Norge: fra en

ideologi, til et sinnelag. Å være konservativ er ikke noe du er mer

av bare du er lengere ute til høyre på en slags politisk skala, eller

mindre av når du er til venstre på den skalaen. Miljøpolitikk kan

være konservativ, så vel som kamp mot overdreven privatisering.

Det å være konservativ, er rett og slett en bestemt logikk eller måte

å tilnærme seg politikk og kultur på, som jeg mener har noe å tilby

hele det politiske spekteret.

Denne tanken har jeg hentet fra et essay i Føniks, tidskriftet til

studentforeningen FAKS, som ble skrevet av Rune Eidsaa, en filosof,

sindig sørlending og en god venn [1]. Det var et essay som fant

stor klangbunn i mitt hjerte og som har påvirket mange av mine

politiske synspunkter siden. Han oppsummerer kort og godt både

konservatisme som holdning, og hva den har å tilby de forskjellige

politiske bevegelsene i Norge i dag.

Hva kjennetegner så denne holdningen, og hvilke følger får den for

samfunnet?

Et sentralt aspekt som Rune trekker frem er at konservatisme har

en iboende usikkerhet, eller tvil, som bør ligge bak all politikk.

Vi har ikke alle svarene, men vi tror at vi i det minste har noen.

Verden er ikke perfekt og det står ikke i vår makt å gjøre den

perfekt, så man skal unngå å bygge utopiske fremtidsvisjoner som

man kjemper seg frem mot.

Dette innebærer f.eks. at “det klasseløse samfunnet”, eller en

slags perfekt superstruktur som kan skape fred i verden, beskytte

all natur og sørge for at ingen diskrimineres avvises som en

ønskedrøm. En ønskedrøm som i verste fall kan lede oss inn i

direkte onde, autoritære og kompromissløse systemer. Derfor

arbeider man heller for å finne konkrete løsninger på konkrete

problemer, helst så oversiktlig, problemnært og lokalt som mulig.

Det snakkes også om en tro på gradvis endring, og at man ser

politikken i et land over et langt tidsperspektiv. Det sies at Rom ikke

ble bygget på en dag. Norge ble heller ikke til på en dag, men har

blitt bygget opp over mangfoldige generasjoner. Dagens velstand er

blitt jobbet hardt, lenge og klokt for. Vi arbeidet i tiår med å bygge

ut vannkraften i landet. Det var ikke for å selge strøm til utlandet,

men for å sørge for billig strøm til alle husstander og levedyktig

industri i hele landet, som skaper arbeidsplasser, inntekter og

familier. Som en ren bonus fikk vi også en strøm som var både

utslippsfri og bærekraftig.

Der de fleste land som oppdager store naturressurser gjerne selger

forvaltningsrettigheter til private selskaper (slik vi nå gjør med vår

egen vind), valgte Norge i stedet å nasjonalisere oljen. Vi har gjort

profitten fra oljeeventyret om til verdens største aksjesparefond.

Det vi har fått til er unikt på verdensbasis, og en gave til alle

kommende Norske generasjoner. Slik har vi bygd opp landet

med de lange linjene i hodet. Konservatisme i Norsk forstand må

bety å fortsette denne tradisjonen, og ikke bare tenke kortsiktige

løsninger der horisonten på problemløsning er 2030, eller neste

stortingsperiode. Vi må derfor holde fast på de lange linjene.

Som konservativ, må man også se på politikk, økonomi, kultur og

historie som noe vi egentlig ikke fortjener. Både du som leser dette

innlegget, og jeg som skriver det, har fått vårt språk, vår kultur, vår

historie og våre verdier, vår frie presse og vår utdanning i gave. Vi

står dermed nå også ansvarlig overfor både de som kommer før

oss, og de som kommer etter oss, for å forvalte det godt, slik at også

neste generasjon kan bygge videre på 100 generasjoners arv. Dette

betyr at vi tilnærmer oss politikk, økonomi og kultur som noe vi

forvalter og har et ansvar for, ikke bare noe vi skal skumme fløten

av eller utnytte for egen vinning.

Den konservatismen jeg har beskrevet til nå kan oppsummeres

som;

24

-Ydmyk i visjon, og ikke utopisk.

-Et blikk på lange, samfunnsbærende linjer, og en fornektelse av

kortsiktige løsninger.

-Politikk som forvaltning og ansvar, ikke noe som er til for egen

vinning for seg og sine.

Dette kan virke som en utvannet definisjon uten noe konkret å

gripe fast ved; noe vagt som verken sier A eller B, litt som Knut

Arild Hareide i de fleste politiske spørsmål. Det er jeg dypt uenig i,

av to grunner. Den første grunnen er at disse verdiene, selv om jeg

ikke har knyttet de opp mot noen konkrete politiske saker, like fullt

tvinger oss til å ta avstand fra en god del av dagens politiske idéer.

Og den andre grunnen er at det å tørre å stå imot de idéene virkelig

krever baller i disse tider, og vil gi deg nok kamper å kjempe og

saker å støtte, for et helt liv.

FNs klimamål er f.eks. det jeg ville kalle utopiske, og krever en

massiv, (og i konservatives øyne, alt for stor) overføring av makt til en

gjeng svært godt betalte byråkrater rundt omkring i internasjonale

organisasjoner, som ikke har vist seg kompetente eller dyktige nok

til å styre samfunn eller fortjene vår tillit. Like fullt er miljøvern

både konservativt (om gjort riktig) og helt nødvendig. Vi må bare

ha rett tilnærming.

Å nærmest påtvinge vaksinasjon av hele Norges befolkning, samt

å stigmatisere de som valgte å ikke ta en halvveis utprøvd vaksine,

selv i en (i forhold til dødstall) mild pandemi, er ikke konservativt.

Det er snarere tvert om en uansvarlig impulsreaksjon på en krise,

der den potensielle faren var velkjent, men noe man ikke var

klar for politisk. Kommunikasjonen fra pressen, det offentlige og

samfunnet ønsket forståelig nok å minimere faren for en potensielt

dødelig sykdom, men tok ikke høyde for det faktum at tillit er en

av de viktigste ressursene Norge har, og hvor dypt den tilliten ble

ødelagt i enkelte deler av samfunnet. Den ødelagte tilliten vil bli

husket også når den neste krisen kommer.

Å privatisere alt som finnes i landet, og å gi utenlandske investorer

full tilgang til helt nødvendige Norske kjerneressurser som mat,

energi og kritisk infrastruktur er heller ikke konservativt. Det er

uansvarlig og alt for markedsliberalt. Dermed kan ikke konservative

på høyresiden hvile på sine laurbær. Den delen av konservatismen,

jeg tenker særlig på det man gjerne kaller “tweed”-konservatismen,

må ta ansvar for at man nærmest har abdisert politisk, og latt

nyliberale kjøpmenn selge mye av det viktigste vi har på det åpne

markedet, som om det var tyggis og fotballsko.

Vi ser dermed også at konservatismen ikke bare er ydmyk, tenker i

lange linjer og setter ansvar høyt. Konservatisme handler også om

å tørre å ta en rekke mer konkrete standpunkter som kan komme

til å skaffe deg anseelig motgang; det være seg fra studievenner,

samfunnsopponionen eller kapitalkrefter. Skal man stå imot slikt,

og effektivt målbære slike verdier i praksis, så trenger man også

nettverk, støttespillere og likesinnede. Dette er noe av grunnen til

konservatismens lokale, partikulære, stedbundne fokus.

Her ligger også noe av det unike i konservatismen, i hvert fall

i den formen jeg har beskrevet her, og som jeg håper kan bli en

Norsk mainstream-bevegelse; Det er noe iboende menneskelig

i det. Bevegelsen spres ikke av bedrifter i profittdrevet jag, eller

av organisasjoner som representerer vage interesser, nettverk

eller utføring av konkrete oppgaver. Den konservative bevegelsen

spres av ekte mennesker, som lever ekte liv, som tar vare på ekte

samfunn og som tør å kjempe for saker som koster.

Slik jeg har beskrevet det til nå, kan det konservative sinnelaget

være å finne i det aller meste av den brede politikken: vi kan

kjenne den igjen i deler av verdigrunnlaget til partiet Rødt. Vi kan

finne den i fagforeningsbevegelsene knyttet opp til klassisk APtenkning.

Vi kan finne den i MDGs miljøvern, i KRFs familiefokus, i

Senterpartiets fremheving av regionenes og utkantstrøkenes rolle

for å bygge landet og økonomien, og vi kan finne den igjen i FRPs

generelle aversjon mot at staten skal løse alle problemer.

Men i hvert av disse partiene finner vi også ikke-konservative

elementer, tidvis direkte antikonservatisme. Dem om det. Mitt

forsøk her har vært å forklare at konservatisme er sunn fornuft, og

er noe som alle burde tørre å snuse på, uavhengig om man kjenner

seg mest igjen i Rødt sin politikk eller hos FRP. Konservatismen har

noe å tilby alle bevegelser som tør å være ydmyke nok, langsiktige

nok, og ansvarsfulle nok, til å tenke saker grundig gjennom før de

handler, og forankre politikken sin i menneskelige nettverk, ikke

bare ansiktsløse selskaper eller politiske organisasjoner.

Når jeg her har påpekt at menneskelige nettverk og relasjoner

er nøkkelen for konservatisme, passer det seg kanskje å forklare

hvor man kan finne slikt. Om noen ønsker å lære mer, eller finne

likesinnede, er det bare å kontakte meg som har skrevet dette

innlegget, eller ta kontakt med FAKS Kristiansand på Facebook.


Encounter

at Jegersberg

Rahul Mitra

Writer

Ilustration: AdobeStock // gorsayaka

26

SHORT STORY

Everything that I am about to narrate

here is true. Yes, I could have mixed

up some of the finer details, for I was

lost and disoriented when it happened,

but overall, this is a true

story. Whether you believe

it or not, is up to you. My

only concern is to tell you

everything truthfully, so

that, you, too, may know the forces

that live amongst us.

This incident took place

sometime around the

third week of October,

perhaps at 17:00 or 17:30

in the evening. My mind was

not at ease, filled as it was with

worries and uncertainties. I had

many things to do and little time

to do them in. And yet, a restless

spirit was upon me. I found that I

could not focus on any one task.

So, instead of wasting any more

time, I threw on my jacket, grabbed the backpack

and headed out for a walk in the Jegersberg forest.

This forest is just a year-long acquaintance, but it

feels like a trusted friend. There is comfort among

its well-trodden trails. A walk here never fails to

silence the chatter, remove extraneous thoughts

and make me feel at peace with the world. Not just

that, I firmly believe that if you want to be at one

with Norway, you must get on good terms with its

nature. For Norway is nothing but these forests and

lakes, these rolling hills and hidden valleys and

these sheer vertical cliffs that rise straight up from

the sea, overlooking miles of fjords sparkling in

the sun. There is something jagged and raw about

the nature here, but it is never brutal and always

accepting if you give it the respect that it is due.

The old gods, the trolls and spirits still lurk in the

deeper recesses of these places, and it is only fitting

that one should seek to propitiate them when one

is looking for answers. Thus, a walk in Jegersberg

is never just a walk, but a way to call forth the

blessings of the Universe.

And so it was that day. As I wound my way along

the trail that leads to the main Jegersberg lake, the

Øvre Jegersbergvann, my very heartbeats started

synchronizing with the rhythms of the forest.

The smell of wood and rain and wet earth filled

my nostrils and all around me was Jegersberg,

ablaze in the reds and oranges of late autumn.

Many of the trees had shed their leaves and their

trunks gleamed a ghostly white as bunches of wet,

decomposing leaves squished underfoot.

I walked deeper and deeper into the forest.

I had a need to get lost, and so a little way off from

Vafflebua and on the trail that leads towards Gillsvannet,

I decided to veer off the known path and follow a small,

barely visible trail that led up the side of a low hill.

The forest was gloomy here. Bare, white trunks crowded

in on me from both sides as I clambered up the steep

slope. It was the magical hour of twilight, when the sun

has already set, leaving behind some reflected light that

lights up the horizon. As I huffed and puffed my way up,

I could see the skyline through the trees ahead and knew

that I was coming to the crest of the hill soon. When I got

there, I found that it was the top of a ravine. From here,

the land sloped steeply down. Odd-looking bushes and

white tree trunks, curved into the most fantastic shapes

grew all along this slope and the bottom was covered in

deep shadow. On the opposite side was an open, grass

covered valley with the treeline in the distance.

I made my way across the ravine and as I got to the crest

on the opposite side, the residual sunlight disappeared

from the sky almost as if some giant, unseen hand had

turned off a light switch somewhere. Darkness came

crashing, and with it came a wild wind and big drops

of rain. All of this happened in an instant.

About 300 metres in front, I saw a huge ash tree standing

alone in the middle of the valley. It was enormous, with

branches spread out in every direction and covered with

dense, green leaves even in this late season. I ran for

the shelter of it’s branches, and stood there shivering,

as I waited for the rain to abate. What I could not

understand was where this rain had come from, for

there hadn’t been a cloud in the sky when I started out,

nor any mention of it in the weather forecasts.

The forecasters must have got it spectacularly wrong, for

I have never seen a storm like this in Kristiansand. For

the first time ever in Norway, I heard cracks of thunder

that made me jump and saw flashes of lighting tearing

up the sky, lighting up the inky curtain of blackness

that smothered everything around me. In the intervals

between the lightning bolts, I espied a faint, flickering

light far ahead. Hope grew within me- perhaps there was

a house or a village where I could find shelter from the

storm.

I started making my way there when the thunderstorm

had weakened a bit. However, as the rain calmed down,

the sound of the wind became overpowering. It sounded

like the howling of hundreds of huskies, or perhaps

wolves, and it had a rhythm of its own – one moment

the wind would be tearing through the valley with this


Everything that I am about to narrate here is true. Yes, I

could have mixed up some of the finer details, for I was

lost and disoriented when it happened, but overall, this

is a true story. Whether you believe it or not, is up to you.

My only concern is to tell you everything truthfully, so

that, you, too, may know the forces that live amongst us.

This incident took place sometime around the third week

of October, perhaps at 17:00 or 17:30 in the evening.

My mind was not at ease, filled as it was with worries

and uncertainties. I had many things to do and little

time to do them in. And yet, a restless spirit was upon

me. I found that I could not focus on any one task. So,

instead of wasting any more time, I threw on my jacket,

grabbed the backpack and headed out for a walk in the

Jegersberg forest.

This forest is just a year-long acquaintance, but it feels

like a trusted friend. There is comfort among its welltrodden

trails. A walk here never fails to silence the

chatter, remove extraneous thoughts and make me feel

at peace with the world. Not just that, I firmly believe that

if you want to be at one with Norway, you must get on

good terms with its nature. For Norway is nothing but

these forests and lakes, these rolling hills and hidden

valleys and these sheer vertical cliffs that rise straight up

from the sea, overlooking miles of fjords sparkling in the

sun. There is something jagged and raw about the nature

here, but it is never brutal and always accepting if you

give it the respect that it is due. The old gods, the trolls

and spirits still lurk in the deeper recesses of these places,

and it is only fitting that one should seek to propitiate

them when one is looking for answers. Thus, a walk in

Jegersberg is never just a walk, but a way to call forth the

blessings of the Universe.

And so it was that day. As I wound my way along

the trail that leads to the main Jegersberg lake, the

Øvre Jegersbergvann, my very heartbeats started

synchronizing with the rhythms of the forest. The smell

of wood and rain and wet earth filled my nostrils and

all around me was Jegersberg, ablaze in the reds and

oranges of late autumn. Many of the trees had shed

their leaves and their trunks gleamed a ghostly white as

bunches of wet, decomposing leaves squished underfoot.

I walked deeper and deeper into the forest.

I had a need to get lost, and so a little way off from

Vafflebua and on the trail that leads towards Gillsvannet,

I decided to veer off the known path and follow a small,

barely visible trail that led up the side of a low hill.

The forest was gloomy here. Bare, white trunks

crowded in on me from both sides as I clambered

up the steep slope. It was the magical hour

of twilight, when the sun has already set,

leaving behind some reflected light that

lights up the horizon. As I huffed and

puffed my way up, I could see the

skyline through the trees ahead

and knew that I was coming to

the crest of the hill soon. When

I got there, I found that it

was the top of a ravine. From

here, the land sloped steeply

down. Odd-looking bushes

and white tree trunks, curved

into the most fantastic shapes

grew all along this slope and

the bottom was covered in deep

shadow. On the opposite side

was an open, grass covered valley

with the treeline in the distance.

I made my way across the ravine and

as I got to the crest on the opposite side,

the residual sunlight disappeared from the sky

almost as if some giant, unseen hand had turned off

a light switch somewhere. Darkness came crashing,

and with it came a wild wind and big drops of rain.

All of this happened in an instant.

About 300 metres in front, I saw a huge ash tree

standing alone in the middle of the valley. It

was enormous, with branches spread out in every

direction and covered with dense, green leaves

even in this late season. I ran for the shelter of it’s

branches, and stood there shivering, as I waited

for the rain to abate. What I could not understand

was where this rain had come from, for there hadn’t

been a cloud in the sky when I started out, nor any

mention of it in the weather forecasts.

The forecasters must have got it spectacularly

wrong, for I have never seen a storm like this in

Kristiansand. For the first time ever in Norway, I

heard cracks of thunder that made me jump and

saw flashes of lighting tearing up the sky, lighting

up the inky curtain of blackness that smothered

everything around me. In the intervals between the

lightning bolts, I espied a faint, flickering light far

ahead. Hope grew within me- perhaps there was a

house or a village where I could find shelter from

the storm.

I started making my way there when the

thunderstorm had weakened a bit. However, as the

rain calmed down, the sound of the wind became

overpowering. It sounded like the howling of

hundreds of huskies, or perhaps wolves, and it had

a rhythm of its own – one moment the wind would

be tearing through the valley with this unearthly

sound ringing in my ears, and the very next instant

it would die down, and the sounds of howling would

grow faint – like a whisper coming from far away.

28

28

I was stumbling and slipping on

the slushy ground. Up ahead,

I could make out the dark

shadow of a long, gigantic

building from which the light

was coming. As I came up to

it, the harsh, insistent cawing

of a crow cut through the

wind and the rain and with

a start I realised that there

was another shadow moving

about outside the building. The

light, which seemed to be coming

through the chink of a massive

door, was momentarily blocked

and I saw that there was another shadowy

figure at the door. This person was knocking

at the door and shouting to attract attention.

I was about 100 meters away when I saw the door

open slightly. A hefty-looking woman wearing an

old-fashioned skirt and bodice. A sense of relief

surged over me. I decided to throw in my lot with

this stranger and started running, so that I could

ask for shelter together with him or her. However,

as I got closer, I realised things were not going

according to plan. The woman was gesticulating

with rapid gestures and saying something to him –

she seemed angry.

Finally, she slammed the door quite violently just

as I got there. The stranger who had been looking

for shelter before me seemed to be in shock. Now in

the faint light coming from the home, I saw that

he was probably a tramp. He was wearing a loose

cloak made of some coarse material and carrying

a crumpled bag in one hand and a long, sturdy,

walking stick in the other. As he turned around to

look at me, his face came into the light- a gaunt,

long-suffering countenance, with a straggly white

beard that was dripping with water and wet hair

that seemed plastered to his scalp. At the spot where

his left eye should have been was a red, fleshy wound.

There was something both ravaged and terrifying

about him. He exuded the same energy – a mix

of madness, shrewdness, pain and world-weary

experience that I have seen in the faces of the

homeless and the drug addicts in big cities all over

the world. Perhaps he’s one of those, I thought to

myself, one of this tribe that I have seen hanging

around on the benches of the park next to the

Kristiansand cathedral. Rage bubbled up inside

me even as I thought this. Did the woman shut the

door in his face just because he looked homeless?

How could someone be so inhuman as to refuse

shelter in the middle of a storm?

Fuelled by this rage, I started beating on the door.

Louder and louder, I shouted till the door suddenly

opened and out came the same woman. Up close, she

seemed even bigger, with a face like Erling Haaland

and a physique to match. Faced by this amazon, my

anger suddenly melted as she started shouting at me. I

could barely make out two or three phrases….’stikk av’,

‘Elfablot’, ‘idiot’, ‘drit’ and so on.

Anyway, long story short, this paragon of Norwegian

physicality basically shook a stick at us, shouted a

bundle of abuses and once again slammed the door

shut. This time though, there was no anger inside me.

Also, in trying to get away from her, I had basically

slipped and was now lying ass down in the mud as I

looked up at the old man. He offered me a hand and

started saying something as he helped me up.

Unfortunately, my Norwegian is really basic and it

looked like he couldn’t understand my English. And so

we were at an impasse, as I racked my brain for all the

wonderful things I had learnt in Norwegian class. Now

let’s see, I could fluently say things like ‘han reiser med

tog fra Oslo til Trondheim’, ‘Tom og Lisa drikker kaffe’

and ‘Det er Magnus. Han kommer fra Bergen’. I could

also count from zero to thirty in Norwegian numerals

and tell the time ‘Klokka er fem over fem’ for instance.

However, he hadn’t asked me the time and nor was he

interested in that blasted Magnus (or Tom og Lisa for

that matter), so there was not much that I could offer by

way of conversation.

After some gesticulations on both sides, I pointed him to

the ash tree and we quickly hot-footed it there. It must

have had a really thick canopy of leaves, for despite all

the rain and wind, the ground underneath was still

remarkably dry. The old man, started wringing the water

out of his beard and cloak, as I took off my backpack

to check how wet it had gotten. To my surprise, I found

three packets of McDonalds chicken McNuggets that I

had bought earlier and stuffed into the backpack in the

morning. This cheered me up and led to a brainwave. I

had finally thought of something intelligent I could say

in Norwegian to my companion.

‘Hi, Jeg heter Rahul, Hva heter du?’

The old man perked up on hearing this and let loose

with a whole torrent of Norsk. It was as if I had lobbed

one small pebble from a catapult and been answered

with a machine gun volley. I did make out that

however, that he was heter’ed Váfuðr and was

myself forced to admit that ‘Beklager, jeg

snakker ikke Norsk.’ At this the old man

looked visibly disappointed as he peered

at my face with his one remaining good


doubtful as he fished out one of those dry, cold nuggets and hesitantly put it in his mouth. It seemed as if he had

never had a Chicken McNuggets in his life.

Be that as it may, however, his reaction was both instantaneous and joyful. A beatific smile lit up his face, he

tilted his head just like Mark Wiens does and a very contented ‘aaah…’ escaped from his lips. He followed this up

with a very excited set of gesticulations to let me know he loved it, and then in a matter of seconds polished off the

remaining nuggets. Then with a big smile, he looked at me as if to ask, any more? I handed him the second packet

with the very same result.

I couldn’t believe that anyone could possibly like those pieces of very, very dead, cold and dry chicken and so I also

had a bite to confirm that no one had switched the chicken nuggets for something better. Nope, it was the very same

piece of completely flavourless, mystery meat that I had always known. But I was intrigued – how could a possibly

homeless guy and an imbiber of drugs not know about Chicken McNuggets?

Anyways, he gobbled up the second packet and so with a sigh, I offered him the remaining packet. It vanished in

a trice, and now my friend let out a deep sigh, closed his eyes and leaned back against the tree trunk with a very

contented air.

As Váfuðr ruminated about his latest gastronomical experience, I was left to reflect upon my situation; I had a

thesis proposal and a Unikum article to submit, I had to revise for a Norwegian mid-term exam AND I had work

over the next three days. I was lagging behind in the Norwegian class, had no idea what to write for the article

and I was already behind on the thesis proposal deadline. On top of all that, I was caught here in the middle of

this storm of the century. Panic rose within me as I thought of all the hours I had wasted and what would happen

on the morrow.

Presently, as I was thinking these gloomy thoughts, my companion stirred from his rest, opened his bundle and took

out an antique-looking earthen jar along with two cups, and filling up a cup, he offered it to me. I didn’t much

like the look of it, but he was insistent and I felt scared to refuse, so I drank and downed it all in one big gulp. It

was warm and sweet and honey-like, evidently alcoholic for it burned as it went down.

Dear reader, I do not know what was in that drink, but evidently it was just what I needed. As the drink burned its

way to my stomach, an incandescent white flash went off in my brain and a burst of energy ran through my veins.

Such a feeling of energy and power pulsated through my body that sitting still seemed almost unbearable. I felt

an almost uncontrollable urge to move, to run and to shout. I felt like I could do anything in the world, even fly.

Whatever it was I had just drunk, it had gone to my head.

I talked animatedly to my new friend, laughed loudly and boisterously thumped him on his back, chided him for

being a sissy when he refused to join me in a rain dance, and basically, made an ass of myself. I do not remember

much of what happened after that, except a few scenes here and there. I remember a flash of me hugging the tree

as if my life depended upon it and another of me lying in some bushes in the rain and insisting to Váfuðr that I

wanted to sleep out there ‘in the open’. I do not remember when and how the storm abated, or where Váfuðr went

or how I found my way back home. All I know is that I have been writing on this story since the moment I got back

home. It is now 3AM and I have many other pressing deadlines, I am tired and hungry but I am still writing like

a madman, for I have tasted the mead of poetry.

30

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RECIPE

American

Mac and Cheese

Anastasia David

Writer

Do you have several types of cheese in the fridge and are wondering what to do with

them? Worry not, for in 3 simple steps, you can make yourself the best American mac

Ingredients (serves 2):

150 gm pasta (short and

twisted macaroni)

25 gm butter

25 gm flour

300 ml milk

200 gm grated cheddar

+ cheeses you have in your fridge

½ tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

Instructions:

1. Boil lightly salted water in a large pot. Once the water starts boiling, add

the pasta. For this recipe, I recommend short and twisted macaroni.

2. Time for the sauce! Place a pan on low heat and add the butter . After it melts

completely, add all of the flour in one go and mix thoroughly until it is homogenized.

3. Now, pour the warm milk, gradually, and in small batches, and mix well after each addition.

4. Boil the bechamel sauce over low heat, stirring continuously, until

it acquires a creamy consistency (approx. 10 minutes).

5. Grate the cheddar cheese and add all the types of cheese you have in the

fridge (I put parmesan, mozzarella, melted cheese, gouda cheese).

6. Add salt and pepper.

7. Transfer the cooked macaroni to a ceramic bowl and layer the bechamel sauce

on top. Now place this in a pre-heated 200 degrees Celsius oven and leave for 10-

15 minutes. You can also put grated parmesan on top to get that brown crust.

Finished! You can enjoy hot or cold mac & cheese. It can also be eaten as a takeaway, for lunch.

Photo: Anastasia David

32

POEM

Foto: AdobeStock // master1305

Anjali Mariampillai

Web Editor

I need it to rain today

i need it to rain today

cry a little in solidarity with me

let it pour down in heavy tears

let me listen to the sound of your fears


so i can have these impurities

sticks and stones washed away


so i can sprout flowers again

because my heart has dried for so long

and i think i’m ready to feel

again

so i need it to rain today

pour down

harsh and stormy and cold

i could use the friend in you


KULTUR

Unikums podunivers:

Ole Markus Nordhagen

Skribent

Alle poddene som jeg omtaler her, dreier seg ikke kategorisk om kun filosofi. Når det er sagt, så er det kanskje heller ikke så

lett å kategorisere filosofi som noe som inneholder kun x, y, z, etc... Det skulle i grunn være mulig å forsøke problematisere

prosjektet om å kategorisere noe som helst overhode, hvis en skal være litt vanskelig. Her er uansett en samling av det

undertegnede vil anbefale for tankevekkende høring, og et medvirkende middel for en kontemplativ høst.

PHILOSOPHIZE THIS!

Hostet av entusiastiske Stephen

West, er Philosophize this! en

standard innenfor universet av

filosofipoder. Fra tidlig antikk

til moderne tider, dekkes mange

sentrale filosofiske tenkere

i noen av de viktigste intellektuelle

strømningene i – fortrinnsvis

– vestlig filosofi. Med vekt på

innføring, gjerne med fokus på et

bestemt tema eller begrep, er dette en god inngang til, og

oversikt over, mye av vår filosofikanon. Det er derfor ikke

overraskende at denne har vært mange ex. fil-studenters

beste venn for å få noen grep om en tenker. Ofte velger

West en historisk eller sosial vinkling som han kontekstualiserer

sin tolkning innenfor, hvilket noen ganger gjør

ideene jordnære og relaterbare, samt aktivt forfrisket i en

ny kontekst – andre ganger er det risiko for tendensiøse

og kanskje litt for enkle tolkninger. Dette er likevel kun en

liten asterisk, som kommer med denne serien som jeg har

hørt fra A–Å, og som er en soleklar anbefaling på denne

lista.

THE DISSENTER

Dette er en podkast jeg oppdaget nylig, og allerede har hørt en del episoder av.

Her inviteres vi med av velartikulerte Ricardo Lopes

på dypdykk i episodenes tema. Ledende forskere i sine

felt drøfter kapitler fra sine aktuelle bøker innenfor alt

fra rasjonalistisk moralfilosofi, nytenkende lingvistikk,

nyanserende biologi, og aktuell psykologi, med mye

mer. Noen av episodene jeg har lyttet til tar også for seg

posisjoner innenfor et forskningsfelt hvor utfordrende

tverrfaglige premisser blir diskutert, som er særlig stimulerende.

I den ene episoden drøftes etikk i relasjon

til lingvistikk, evolusjon og psykologi, og i den andre er

det metafysiske, sosiologiske og biologiske premisser

som vurderes innenfor lingvistikk. Dermed bør denne være interessant for deg

som ønsker å få både oversikt og innblikk i fagfelts mulige posisjoner og krysningspunkt,

og tankeføde for flere av verdens mange utfordringer. Med en høy frekvens

av nye episoder og denne listens desidert største bak-katalog, er dette en pod

en skal god tid på å høre ferdig.

For deg som ønsker å lytte til ganske involverte faglige diskusjoner innenfor et bredt

spekter av forskningsfelt.

For deg som ønsker å bli bedre kjent med vestlig filosofihistorie

fra en engasjerende og underholdende dude.

I samtale med akademikere og kunstnere, så vel som sam-

EINAR DUENGER BØHNS FILOSOFIPOD

funnsdebattanter og kjendiser, hører vi UiAs Einar Bøhn

diskutere klart og morsomt rundt tankevekkende klassikere.

Samtalene er gode, innholdsrike, og bør være interessante både for nybegynnere og viderekommende. Bøkene som

diskuteres passer flott med gjestegalleriet, hvor vi blant annet finner UiA-kollegaer Hilde Vinje (Platons Drikkegildet

i Athen) og Håvard Løkke (Arisoteles´ Den Nikomakiske etikk); filosofer Arne Johan Vetlesen (Sartres Væren og Intet)

og Lars Fr. H. Svendsen (Heideggers Væren og Tid); komiker Lars Berrum (Camus´ Myten om Sisofus) og biolog Dag

O. Hessen (om Zapffes Om det tragiske). Med både unik formidlingsevne og en god føring av diskusjoner, er dette en

veldig kul pod for både innvidde og uinnvidde. Det er et fint punkt hvor folkelig språk og akademisk ekspertise kan

møtes for å formidle interessante ideer.

Sjefen sjøl har også lagd pod hvor han leser alt av Nietzsche med Kristoffer Schau, og er for tiden aktuell da han for tiden leser Kierkegaard

med gjøgler Lars Berrum, og bibelen med filosof Ole Martin Moen (i hver sin podkast, respektivt).

For deg som ønsker å lytte til tankevekkende diskusjoner om tidenes filosofiske og litterære klassikere.

34

Filosofipodkaster

Illustrajon: AdobeStock // pikisuperstar

VERDIBØRSEN

NRKs egne P2-bauta har en

lang og stadig voksende katalog

med diskusjoner om

aktuelle spørsmål relatert til

verdi, etikk, filosofi, historie og

samfunn. Her er det mye interessant

tankefôr, enten det er

Verdibørsens verdipanel, representanter

for norske tenketanker,

humanister, akademikere

eller samfunnsdebattanter som reflekterer. Dette programmet

svarer godt til behovet for refleksjon rundt

norsk offentlig diskurs, og kan nok være interessant

både for studenter og ikke-studenter. Denne podcasten

er også fin for å få bryne seg på ulike perspektiver

på aktuelle saker, og en fin inngang til engasjement

ovenfor dagsaktuelle spørsmål for dem som er glad –

særlig – i verdispørsmål. Noen ganger er formidling av

filosofi her på ganske grunnleggende nivå. Likevel kan

den andre ganger være heller omfattende. Dessuten

er det et bredt assortiment av idéer som òg får pusterom,

så det føles aldri bortkastet å lytte til verdibørsen.

Verdibørsen sendes på radio og legges ut som mindre

klippede podkast-episoder.

For deg som er interessert i å reflektere rundt aktuelle

verdi- og samfunnsspørsmål.

THE PARTIALLY EXAMINED LIFE

Med en stadig voksende og imponerende katalog, og

produsert av en liten gjeng amerikanere med fagbakgrunn

i filosofi, får vi diskusjoner av innflytelsesrike

og aktuelle filosofiske artikler og bøker. Du

får for eksempel høre halvannen time dedikert til en

diskusjon av tre artikler som forstår spørsmålet om

hvorvidt vi har fri vilje og ansvar (i resonans eller

dissonans med determinisme), hvor en episk argumentativ

uenighet mellom filosof-far P. F. Strawson

og filosof-sønn Galen Strawson konstrueres for lytteren (episode 93). Her gjør

forklaringer og fortolkninger bruk av teknisk fagfilosofisk vokabular – som

også ofte diskuteres. Denne gjengen prøver å få deg med på diskusjonen og

sikter gjerne på å diskutere på en innbringende måte. Likevel er det nok noen

ganger en fordel å lese teksten på forhånd og ha grep om sjangeren som diskuteres.

Det er også ofte morsomt å høre uenigheter utfolde seg, og særlig

nyttig å få alternative tolkninger, ekstra fakta, og andre koblinger enn de man

gjør selv. De har også et underholdende intervju med John Searle.

For deg som ønsker en digital vikar for kollokviegruppe i fagfilosofi og klassiske

idéhistoriske tekster.

CLOSER TO TRUTH

Den velkledde Robert Lawrence Kuhn er travelt opptatt med å intervjue ledende filosofer, teologer, fysikere,

matematikere og nevrobiologer, for nettopp å komme seg nærmere sannheten om mennesket og verdenen

vi befinner oss i. Her er det store spørsmål som ofte blir pedagogisk forklart av intervjuobjektet, ofte fulgt av

deres egne forsøk på å besvare det, eller å forstå det på en litt annen måte. Eksisterer fri vilje, Gud, sjel, flere

verdener og abstrakte objekter? Hvis ja – hvordan? Vi får høre pedagogiske oppfølgingsspørsmål som leder

samtalen i et lende som gir innsikt til dem som ikke er kjent med tematikken og oversikt for dem som setter

seg inn i nye tanker, løsningsforslag og nye horisonter i menneskets kunnskaper. Podcastepisodene er basert

på usedvanlig flott filmede intervjuer (tilgjengelige bla.a. på YouTube) fra tv-programmer vist på PBS. I det

utvidede Closer to Truth- universet finnes også en enda større katalog av materiale fra ledende filosofer og

vitenskapspersoner enn i det tilsynelatende avsluttete podcastbiblioteket. For øvrig er oftest angloamerikansk filosofi (til forskjell for

såkalt kontinental filosofi) representert, men det finnes også noen klipp som diskuterer østlig filosofi. Dessuten finnes det også noen

klipp som tar for seg kontroversielle ideer ofte forbundet med new age-bevegelsen.

For deg som vil lytte til pedagogiske forklaringer på kompliserte problemstillinger innenfor filosofi og kosmologi, fra noen av verdens ledende

filosofer og vitenskapspersoner – med herlig dramatisk jingle og dramaturgi.

Foto: AdobeStock // gorsayaka


AK TUELT

International Trends in The Arts:

Roma Futurism

Paul-Daniel Golban

Writer

Mihaela Drăgan is an actress, playwright and singer from

Bucharest, Romania. In 2014, she co-founded the independent

Roma feminist theatre company Giuvlipen (meaning feminism

in the Romani language), alongside Zita Moldovan. In 2015, she

played in the movie Aferim!, which won the Silver Bear at Berlin

International Film Festival. She is also a trainer at Theatre of the

Oppressed, where she works with Roma women to tackle the

specific issues they have to deal with. In 2017, she was one of the

six finalists for the International Theatre Award from New York,

an award that recognises women’s excellence from around the

world in the theatre. PEN World Voices International Play Festival

named her one of the ten most respected dramatists in the world.

Some of the themes represented in Giuvlipen’s performances

include topics such as early marriage or arranged marriages, hate

speech, the evictions of Roma people, the hypersexualization of

Roma women by non-Roma men and sexuality issues regarding

the Roma communities. In my talk with her, we focused especially

on the cultural movement created by her and how it impacted her

career, namely Roma futurism, where the figure of the Techno

Witch takes centre stage, and the practice of witchcraft is key in

abolishing systemic racism. I hope that some of the magic of Roma

futurism transpires in this interview.

I would like to start by asking how you came up with the concept of

Roma futurism. In a previous interview, you talked about the artistic

residence in Hong Kong from 2018 at Para Site Contemporary Art

Centre as the birth of the cultural movement, where the position

of the witch and witchcraft take centre stage to create a ritualistic

language where the oppression regarding the Roma reaches its

end. Was that something that came natural to you or was it more

difficult to create this futuristic concept? And what triggered the

idea?

- I wanted to write about Roma futurism and during my residence

I read about Afro futurism and other types of futurism. The idea

of witchcraft came from alchemy and wizards. After I researched

there about magical practices, I came back to Bucharest and I

did the same thing and it was clear then that witchcraft was an

important element in Roma futurism. And it seemed to me that it

is closely linked to technology, as technology seems to retain some

kind of magic.

36

Interview with Mihaela Drăgan

So, I think you arrived naturally at this concept.

- Yes, but not suddenly, after I read a few things about it. I was

inspired by Silvia Federici’s book Caliban and the Witch: Women,

the Body and Primitive Accumulation from 2004. Everything came

together. What triggered the idea was the fact that in Roma culture

we do not have this perspective about the future. And we do not

really have art about the future or SF art and I thought it was the

right moment.

I also think that Roma communities from other countries do not

have this cultural movement called Roma futurism.

- Yes, this was a concept that I developed, and I hope that other

Roma artists will use it in their work. I am convinced they will

do it in their own way. But that is the reason I wanted to develop

it, because this notion did not exist in Romania nor in any other

countries among Roma culture. We are all the time besieged to

do all sorts of contemporary shows or related to our history and

that leaves little space to do something experimental. That was the

trigger.

You recently worked with the concept of Roma futurism by

holding a seminar in Zürich, Switzerland during the Out In The

Loop Festival that took place in September 2022. How does Roma

futurism translate into practice? What were some reactions and

personal views from the participants?

- It was very dope. I did some workshops on Roma futurismbefore

and during the pandemic or all sorts of presentations about it.

When I was in Zürich, there was this summer school with art

students from all over Europe and Asia; from China, Taiwan, Hong

Kong, Singapore, and from all sorts of artistic backgrounds, like

theatre, choreography, performance, screenwriting. I talked about

Roma futurism and I gave them some examples from us and then I

urged them to write. They could choose from writing a malediction

or a political healing ritual that was supposed to be relevant for

them and their experience in their own country. And to write it in

their own language, if they feel like it. And they actually wrote in

Chinese – Mandarin, Cantonese –, French, Italian. It was so dope to

see this, that English was no longer lingua franca and that it was

not necessary to understand everything as they would translate

and summarize, whether it was about the dictatorship in China or

what they had to deal with. And then they would say it in Mandarin

and a very cool energy would occur. It was indeed very touching.

I remember this group of three Chinese girls that wrote some

amazing stuff. One wrote a very dope malediction. And you start

to realise that even though there is a lot of censorship there, there

are a lot of young people that are pretty radical, with access to

information, you know? And that they are very politically aware of

what is happening. Another person wrote a curse on the aggressor,

and it was also very touching. One girl did not want to read, but it

was a cool process for her. This is pretty much what happened at


this workshop on Roma futurism. And we also talked a lot about the

political role of art and about the political discourses that dominate

the arts, or the global movements, like Black Lives Matter and the

memorial statues that were removed during the protests, a sign of

oppressive culture finally being eradicated. In short, it was very

cool and I learned a lot about the individual experiences in their

countries.

In 2022, the first feminist trap Romanian music album entitled

The Techno-Witches was released by Ferentari Studios. This also

made you a threat in another art field, in music. You took the stage

name Kali alongside Niko G (Nicoleta Ghiță), who is also an actress

in Giuvlipen, the theatre company that you co-founded alongside

Zita Moldovan. The lyrics are written by the two of you and the

producers are Wanlov, Andrei Horjea and Iulian Sfircea. What

made you decide to go into music? Was it in the works for a long

time? Did the pandemic made it easier for the two of you to get

together and finish this project?

- Yes, clearly. If the pandemic did not happen, we would not have

gotten the chance to do this because of the time constraints. If we

were having a theatre production, we would make some songs

there, but never with the idea of launching a music album. It was

dope that we had enough time for this and that we got a chance

to explore the musical aspect. I started this because of Nicoleta,

because she is very passionate about trap and has done this for

many, many years. And not only her, also the children from

Ferentari [a neighbourhood from Bucharest]. She is very good

at this anyway. And I wanted her to teach me. And it was dope.

Because somehow, I was getting tired of theatre. You need to take

a break sometimes. And it was the perfect moment, during the

pandemic.

I listened to the album more than a few times. And it doesn’t seem

like you it’s the first time you’ve done this. Your voice fits perfectly

with the melody, with the tone, with everything.

- When it comes down to technique, I progressed a lot. Last year I

was a mess. But in a year, I progressed. I also took canto lessons and

Nicoleta taught me, and I listened to a lot of music. I trained a bit,

but not as much as I would have wished. But for me it was clearly

a debut. And even for Nicoleta who has done this thing for many

years, because she did not make an album previous to this, or any

concerts. Everything was coming from passion, so to say. But never

to do this thing and to be paid for it. In order [for Nicoleta] to not

remain there, in the neighborhood, between their groups.

The music video for Roma Stars was released some weeks ago,

featuring Bianca Mihai. The song starts by saying “I want to be the

first Roma spacewoman, / To travel in space and to the moon, /

To go with the caravan of time to the future, / Come back to sell

progress at Obor fair.” (Obor is the biggest Romanian fair market).

It definitely is the motto of the song and of the album overall. But

is it difficult to sell progress? Are people more reserved or do they

buy it?

- It is a pretty slow process, this thing with selling progress. It is

Foto: Mihaela Drăgan // Amalia Câmpeanu

also a very personal process and an introspective one, by which

I mean that it never ends and that you are never only in the

position of the one who gives progress. I believe it is difficult. But

I think that having these messages in our songs is pretty fun. And

I realised, having my experience from theatre, that it’s easier to

deliver messages through music than through theatre, because

everybody listens to music and the access to music is much easier,

then in theatre. Therefore, this is an instrument that we can use. At

least to me it seemed that the potential is a lot bigger. This was the

discovery while working with this music album.

Recently, you came back with the play entitled Romacen in

Timișoara, Romania. The play marked the beginning of the cultural

movement we talked about. In 2019, you declared that “Roma

Futurism claims the figure of the Roma witch, so stereotyped in

the collective imaginary, and witchcraft becomes our artistic

and political response to the social inequalities and injustices of

the world we live in.” How do you look back on it? Was there a

difference between the public’s response and the feedback you

received from theatre critics or those who work in the arts?

- From 2018 I did all sorts of stuff regarding Roma futurism and

not only the theatre play Romacen, but also a music album and the

short movie The Future Is A Safe Place Hidden In Our Braids. So, I

was preoccupied with developing this movement and it continues

to be an artistic practice that I make use of. I still want to write

maledictions and healing rituals. I am still very passionate about

38

it and I am a good friend with the witches from Mogoșoaia whom

I worked with and I find that a certain swap is being produced

between us, because I learned a lot of things from them, but also,

they do the same from me. I mean, every time when something

crappy happens politically, I call them, and they do their rituals,

which was the case with that person from Salvini’s party [Matteo

Salvini], we were streaming the ritual. It is clear that somehow it

grew and I am glad that it did not remain only at an artistic level,

but that it arrived also to the real witches.

-The public does not have to have a formed discourse about

political theatre. The role of art is to deliver all sorts of experiences,

and you do not need any kind of training in order to enjoy a visual

or instrumental experience. There are some who come more

prepared and some who do not, but that is totally ok.

-The theatre critics write from a whole different perspective.

Sincerely, I do not think we have progressive theatre critics in

Romania. There are some, like maybe two or three women, but it

is easier at the same time in theatre. They are interested in this

feminist Roma theatre that we represent…

I really enjoyed how you used hair as a way to unite women, as a

metaphor for feminism. Could you talk a little bit more about how

you came up with this idea?

- Hair is very much used in witchcraft. At least that was the

connection in my mind. And I think it is pretty dope how it is used

now, in the movement of the Iranian women protesters, and in the

recent global movements of women cutting their hair. Hair, yes,

I find it becomes a metaphor for our struggle, for our solidarity,

for our rights. And at the same time, it bears a lot of energetic

charge and that is why it is used in witchcraft. There also exists this

practice, this custom, to have long hair. And that is why it is covered

at times, so you would not do spells on it, so somebody would not

take your own hair. And it seemed very safe this idea that, if there

was a future without oppression for us, it would be kept in the

braids of Roma women. In my mind it was this very poetic idea

that the future would be kept in the hair of Roma women, between

their braids. And if the moment comes, that is where the seeds for

such a future must be kept. It goes back to Olivia Butler – I like the

idea of the seeds being planted for the future. Visually, the hair is

very aesthetic. And, because a lot of Roma witches come from more

traditional families, they keep their hair very long and it’s part of

their corporality, of their gestures that they use while performing,

there is a connection regarding it.

Interview with Mihaela Drăgan conducted and translated by Paul-

Daniel Golban, October 2022.

Foto: From the set of Roma Stars // Giuvlipen


UTLYSNING

UNIKUM: WE ARE RECRUITING...

Cultural Editor

As the cultural editor, you oversee the culture articles published

in the magazine and on the webpage. This may include topics like

theater, movies, arts and music. You should have a good grasp of

the many cultural events happening in Kristiansand. You will also

be in charge of directing our writers regarding culture articles and

assist with their writing.

News Editor

As the news editor, you have to be up to speed with potential news

at UiA and the other universities and keep tabs on potential articles

and stories. You will be part of the Unikum team, participating

in meetings and contributing to the continued development of

Unikum as well as assisting our writers.

Photo and Video Editor

As the photo editor, you are responsible for the photo

production needed for articles and videos. You need a

technical understanding of camera work and know how

to assist those who want to learn as well as managing

the team of photographers and videographers available

at Unikum

Studio Manager

As the studio manager, you are responsible for the podcast studio at

Unikum. The studio is available for all students and it is the studio

manager’s job to keep track of who is using it and when.

40

Ansvarlig redaktør

Som ansvarlig redaktør i Unikum får du muligheten til å sette ditt

helt eget preg på avisen. Du vil være øverste leder og ha ansvaret

for å engasjere frivillige studenter til å bidra både journalistisk,

med design, fotografi, og andre oppgaver.

Denne stillingen gjør deg attraktiv for fremtiden. Mange av våre

ansatte har fått jobber som følge av erfaring hos Unikum.

Vi overlapper ved ansettelse slik at ny redaktør får nødvendig

opplæring og oppfølging. Noen dager med i desember 2022 må

derfor påregnes.

- Du må være student i Agder

- Bakgrunn i kommunikasjon og mediefag er en fordel, men ikke

et krav.

- Kjennskap til adobe creative cloud program, spesielt InDesign og

Photoshop er en fordel, men ikke et krav.

- Kjennskap til bruk av speilreflekskamera er en fordel, men ikke

et krav.

Vi tilbyr:

-Månedlig honorar på 6000,-

-Ledererfaring

-Nettverk i studentmiljøet

-Kontor ved UiA

-Referanser til CV

-Sosialt arbeid med mange nye bekjentskap

Unikum is Sørlandet‘s student

newspaper with an audience

of over 13,000 students. The

editorial team consists of 20 to

40 volunteers on a regular basis.

Unikum publishes one physical

magazine each month, in

addition to running our own

website, with digital copies.

With us, you‘re able to work with

and learn about journalism,

photography, podcasts, video,

design, illustration, social media,

marketing and proofreading.

Join an encredible team,

that will provide you with

unique and valuable skills and

experiences!

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2022 UNIKUM NR 87 41

KULTUR

Anjali Mariampillai

Web Editor

Photo: Anjali Mariampillai

Book review

The Secret History

and

The Picture of Dorian Grey

42

Leaves, in crimson red and fiery orange, are pouring down every

street corner, as the autumn season comes upon us. What better to

do in this cozy and cold weather, than pick up a book or two? And

let me tell you, you will not want to put these down. The Picture of

Dorian Gray and The Secret History, both fall in the same category;

what the kids these days call “dark academia” (Pinterest is full of

this, search it up). Both books embody a similar aesthetic, calling to

mind images of old literature, of candlewax dripping down stakes,

distant music floating up from unseen from pianos, big libraries

at old colleges, dark and stormy weather, academic madness, the

beauty of poetry and ancient languages, and wearing long trench

coats and scarves. You get the gist of it? Great, let’s dive into the

specifics.

In my opinion, no one combines poetry and drama quite like

Oscar Wilde, and he does this beautifully in The Picture of Dorian

Gray. The book tells the story of a young man, Dorian Gray, a

quite handsome one at that, getting his portrait painted. He is so

fascinated with his own beauty, that he makes a wish – that all the

marks of age in his life will only show up on the portrait, and not

on his own face, and thus, he will never physically age. With this

wish, our young man thrives upon his everlasting beauty, but also

must face the consequences of his wilting morality. Throughout the

book, we find Dorian in different situations, where he is faced with

the perks and faults of his beauty, and for how long can he keep

his composure? The two most important side characters we get to

meet are Basil Hallward, the painter, and of course the infamous

Sir Henry Wotton, a lord with questionable morals and a little too

much pride. Both characters have a lot to say in this horrifyingly

magnetic story.

College. From his narrative, we get to know Julian, the professor of

his Greek studies class, and the six students in this very exclusive

and tightly-knit class. The prologue, which features the death of one

of the characters kicks off the whole thing, and the rest of the book

lets us in on the mystery of how these students ended up there. We

get to experience from Richard’s perspective, how jealousy, power,

and betrayal can result in amorality, waves of guilt, and even death.

The book is a slow burn, it takes time to get to the really thrilling

parts, and to be honest, I almost gave up on the first try. However,

when I finally got to said parts, it was impossible to put this book

away. Author Donna Tartt does an incredible job of keep the reader

on the edge of their seat. Even the smallest details, and the thought

process of this main character makes you wonder. Each character

feels so relatable, that it leaves you wondering why? Are you

morally sound? Why does this feel like something I shouldn’t be

agreeing with? These questions will keep you up at night have you

reading this book.

As you probably get by now, these books explore the same themes,

but in very different and interesting ways. Both are definitely

considered classics, The Secret History being a more modern one

than The Picture of Dorian Gray. Both of these books have such

relatable characters, but at the same time you both love them and

hate them. However, these books are incredibly thrilling to this

day. If you love the dark academia sub-genre, you will love these.

The thrill of reading about characters descending into madness,

questioning every waking moment up until insanity, it really keeps

you up at night flipping page after page.

What makes this book so interesting for me, is how it brings you

face to face with your own sense of self. When you learn about

these characters, you also start looking into yourself. Why do we

sympathise with characters who are so morally wrong? Is this

what the author wants us to feel, or am I a bad person? These are

some of the questions you will be sitting with after turning the last

page. The language in this book is also extraordinarily beautiful.

Wilde writes in the way old love letters are written. Every line of

his work oozes with flowery poetry, and I absolutely love it. It is

worth mentioning the way the author discusses the concept of art

in the preface. If that preface doesn’t reel you into the story, then I

don’t know what will.

For some, this might be a heavy book to get into, as it can feel

slow-paced, but I promise you, once you get used to reading the

very poetic language you’ll dive into a world of art, misery, death,

poetry and all the things that come with them. Being somewhat of

poet myself, I think it is quite natural that this book is one of my

favourites. We do thrive in misery.

The Secret History explores the same themes as the previous book,

but arguably in a much more brutal manner. In this book you’re

faced with young students who in the midst of learning Greek and

Latin at college, find themselves turning evil in a way that is not

foreseen. The story, which is set in the 1980’s follows the protagonist

Richard Papen, a literary student, in his journey through Hampden


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