The BugMarch 2014

Rebel Spirit

Pioneering the Politics

I Dare You!

Venturing into the Wild

University College

Editor’s Note By Kate Sytnik

“Don't ask yourself what the world needs, ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do that. Because whatthe world needs is more people who have come alive” – Howard Thurman

Being first-years at College, we find ourselves right at the centre of the whirlpool of breath-taking opportunities. These

days chances are just floating around in the air waiting for us to reach out for them, grab and hold on for dear life.

Well, you would say, isn't it just great? Yes, it is not simply great, it is infinitely exciting, but there is a hindrance to

having this variety at hand: at some point you have to choose. And here comes the problem, because often times

there is nothing as limiting as freedom. But even if you think you are ready to give something a go, it always pays off

to ask yourself why am I opting for this path? Is it because it is what inspires you and makes you heart thump? Or is it

something that you believe is right to do because you were brought up this way? Is this something that society

expects from you?

We chose the topic, ‘Making your mark in history’, for this issue especially to inspire you and show that there are no

limits to what you can achieve if you set your mind to it. Read the story of two of your fellow students, Koen Wies and

Mauro Stel, on page 14 to see that no matter if people point to your young age, you can start your career right now! It

is not necessary to wait for the grey hairs and a stack of diplomas to accumulate in your drawer to be recognized. Flip

the pages to find yet another living example of that, Tung Tung Chan (page 4), who at 23 already has flourishing

marketing business along with managing teaching both at EUC and privately. Discover the story of her success and 5

tips to live your own life to the fullest. Not much of a homebody and want to broaden your horizons? Follow the

example of Elizabeth Kloppenborg and Ashleigh Woodend (page 10), whose adventures in ‘the wild’ have already

revolutionized their worldview.

Not merely satisfied with examples, but want a concrete action plan? Take a look at our Life Advice and learn the

Recipe of making your own mark (page 7).

If you feel a bit less rebellious and are more comfortable with traditional ways of carving one’s name in the annals of

history, get inspired by the thought-provoking verses in the poetry section (page 17) and unleash your own fountain-

pen to create a timeless masterpiece that might appear on our pages in the next issue!

Our first issue is really personal, we all tried to share what makes us passionate about life: writing, photography,

traveling, inspiring people and many other things that did not make it to the pages. We hope that we succeeded in

giving you a loving reminder of how beautiful life is.

The very best of luck with all your undertakings,

The Bug!

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EditorialBy Ernest Thiesmeier

Working while studying sounds like an easy task to some and like a loads of stress to others.

The most striking argument for getting a job next to our studies is the fact that you become eligible for Dutch

student support. If you study in the Netherlands, of course. This also counts for foreign students, although only

when they are citizens of the European Union. Sorry!

Of course, it is not enough to just clean your housemate’s room for 5 Euros once a week. You have to show a

contract, proving that you are working for 32 hours per month. To get your hands on such a contract, Dutch

language skills are definitely a plus. But once you get it, the government of the Netherlands will send you a

monthly support in the form of fries and krokanten. Forget that. It is actually money, the amount of which is

depending on your parent’s income.

You will also become eligible for a personal OV-Chipkaart. A nice little card, enabling you to use public transport

for free on either the weekends or during the week. Finally you will be able to do groceries by tram! Just imagine

to be financially independent from your parents! OK, maybe just partially. It's a pretty good feeling. That's at least

what some people told me.

Getting study support does not have to be the only motivation to pick up a job. The experience can be valuable

in itself, as many students never worked a single hour in their life before graduating from university. And does a

degree alone really prepare you for the world behind the borders of the campus? I doubt it.

Working while studying does not necessarily have to mean that you work in a supermarket. There are many

organizations out there, including voluntary ones where students can engage. Even on the campus there are

several opportunities. You could work for the Erasmus Magazine. Or you could join in your student association.

There are a lot of possibilities which can confront you with new challenges. Challenges from which you can learn a

lot.

For example, coping with even more deadlines then you are already faced with. An argument which brings us to

the downside of working while studying. It is definitely demanding to have a job next to your study. However, this

is nothing you could not cope with if you have some decent time-management skills. But having an upcoming

exam, an essay and a grumpy boss can stress you out quite a bit. Sometimes you will be forced to focus on one

thing. Will you study or will you work? This might endanger your studies, as you are faced with a choice. Putting

work into something you paid for (your studies) or into something you get paid for (your job)?

The solution lies in not letting down on both. Sounds stressful? It can be but it's doable. And if you really want to

build up something, you better start today.

Content Page

On the front page

Rebel Spirit

Pioneering The Politics

I Dare You!

Venturing Into The Wild

Index

Staff Profile: Tung Tung Chan

Life Advice: Recipe For Making History

Venturing Into The Wild

Flex Page: Photography

Student Profile: Koen Wies & Mauro Stel

Creative Writing: The Meaning Of Remembering

Poetry Section: Elegant Words And Such

Makers of The Bug

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14

17

10

4

7

10

13

14

16

17

19

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Staff Profile

Tung Tung Chan

Rebel SpiritBy Kate Sytnik

23-year-old joyful Chinese, Tung Tung Chan is one of the skills trainers at Erasmus University College. When she was 16,she dreamt of becoming a superstar and even attempted to start her stage show business career in Taiwan, where shewent to pursue her dream, leaving Malaysia behind. Disappointed soon enough in the superficiality of the industry, shehit the road once again and came to Rotterdam to study International Media and Communications. In three years of herBachelor's, Tung Tung not only managed to become one of the best 40 students in the city, while her hands were fullenough with three jobs to support herself and demanding work at IBCOM student committee, but also founded herown marketing consultancy company.The BUG could not help but wonder how Ms. Chan worked this miracles and immediately set off for an interview tounfold the secret of her success.

Your journey seems mind-blowing, but have you encountered any difficulties along the way?Yes, surely. First of all, Malaysia, where I come from, is a very sunny place, so it was quite a challenge to survive my first

Dutch winter, which happened to be the worst in last 30 years, with loads of snow and constant wind. Of course, cultural

differences were sometimes a hardship as well. People seemed to be distant and formal discussing neutral topics like

weather and politics. In Asia it is normal to ask more personal questions even if you meet someone for the first time.

Also, my fellow Dutch students had a habit of slipping into conversations in Dutch as soon as the class ended. It created

a sort of polarization in the group excluding internationals from communication.

Did you take the lead and approach the Dutch group to remind them of the international part of the faculty?Yes, I’ve never been afraid of approaching people and always tried to change the situation. Well, I think I’ve been a

leader since I was born. (Laughs) For instance, when I realized I was dissatisfied with the quality of IBCOM program, my

friends and I set up a student panel that evaluated the course and send suggestions to the faculty board. I just believe

that quitting is not the way to go, instead you should try to make the best of what you already have. It’s not that black

and white in life, so do what you can and see what happens. By the way, IBCOM community still exists and it’s truly

rewarding to see it grow.

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Staff Profile: Tung Tung Chan

Such a stance requires a great deal of persistence. Do you have a personal motto that keeps you going?Remember where you come from. When I compare my life now to what it’s been like before I realize how much I have

to be grateful for. Malaysia is quite a racist country, so as I Chinese I was considered a second-class citizen there. This

means that I could not get healthcare or scholarship from the state. The fact that I am a woman made it even worse. So

when my middle-class parents decided to invest their saving in my education in Holland, their friends were like ‘Are you

really putting your future at stake? She is just a girl.’

It’s truly admirable what your parents did, it must have taken a lot of courage. So, do you feel the pressure to perform, tolive up to their expectations?Surprisingly, I don’t. Even though I do try to help my parents as much as I can and I would like to be able to support

them in future, I focus on my happiness first, because ultimately any parent wants to see his child being happy. I want

to be successful for myself. So I do think at the back of my head about my parents, but I keep my eyes on my personal

growth and development.

That sounds fairly ambitious. Do you aim to be the best and try the hardest you can?I don’t try to be the best no matter what. It has to be something that I feel right about and comfortable with. I don’t

want to reach for the stars, because it’s impossible and will only make me feel miserable. Instead, I look at the situation

and think what I can do with my capabilities. When I achieve the goal that I set out for myself, I am satisfied.

What is your driving force? What do you wake up for in the morning?By thirty I want to be fully, completely independent. I dream of having my own piece of land with a self-sustainable

house, because I don’t want people to be able to tell me “Tung Tung, here is your electricity bill, and here is your gas

check’’. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to separate myself from society, I just have a clear idea of how I want to live

my life. So I would say this is my driving force, as only when you are independent, you can fulfill what is truly inside you.

But for that you have to think, confront your fear and ask yourself what is it that you really want, otherwise no one can

help you to reach your goals.

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Staff Profile: Tung Tung Chan

What kind of mark do you want to leave behind?When I was a teenager I hated school, and if someone told me that learning can be so much fun and knowing things

feels so good, I wouldn’t believe. I blame this entirely on the Asian educational system, so I will do my best to make

the change. I am thinking of getting a Master’s degree in education, gaining credibility and reputation here to

change the way we learn and teach. Still, I understand this might be a bit too radical, so I decided to start where I am

and influence people one by one. I have an umbrella goal, but I am really open to whatever happens in between.

Thank you very much for the interview! The BUG wishes you success with your revolutionary mission!

Go and

support

Tung

Tung’s talk

at TEDx on

March, 6 .

Five Tips from Tung Tung to live your life to the fullest

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Be passionate about what you do to succeed

Build your own network and maintain relationship, people are always in the first place

Happiness does not come from outside, from job tiles, merits or being rich or smart, it is always about love

To make your life meaningful, leave something behind for others

Don’t forget who you are and where you are coming from

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Life Advice

Recipe For

Making HistoryBy Noah Bloem

Dear Bug, much like Robin Williams playing John Keating in Dead PoetsSociety, my English teacher is an astoundingly inspirational father-likefigure that is pushing me to make my mark in history. He saw medoodling in my copy of A Clockwork Orange, so he told me to use mygift outside of the classroom and pay attention. As such, I decided toheed his advice. Now, I live in Mesa, Arizona and there’s a shop calledHistory by George, so I thought that would be a great place to leave mymark. However, apparently it’s against the law here to graffiti arampaging stampede of one-legged roosters all across the store’swindows. I’m currently on the run from the police, but I’m still looking tomake my mark in history, what should I do?

I will be very straightforward: you are a genius! Who would have ever

thought to graffiti a stampeding mob of one-legged roosters? It’s

phenomenal! I personally think you’re really up to something and I feel

that you should continue this. Understandably, the police being after

you is a slight hindrance, but you should rather see it as a blessing.

You see, if you want to make a mark that will last through all ages, then

the fact that you are being chased by cops will make you a legend.

Here’s my advice. Escape the area, but as you drive away stop every

kilometer or so and graffiti a rampaging rooster leaving a whole trail of

stampeding birds behind. Also, it would help to leave small hints here

and there to make it look like you’re Spanish. Perhaps, color the

roosters like a Spanish flag or write random Spanish phrases to

accompany them such as “¡Ai Caramba!” or “¡Mis pantalones están

ardiendo!”

If all goes well, and you manage to eventually evade the law, then

you’ll go down in history as “El Gallo de un solo pie”, the man who led

a stampede of one-legged roosters to freedom. I just want a credit for

coining that name. Oh, and if you get caught, this story is still likely tobecome the world’s favorite small town news article, so no worries.

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Life Advice: Recipe For Making History

Dear Bug, I am a Tinder addict. I mean, I am a real addict. Since I got theapp four days ago, I haven’t stopped swiping left and right. In fact, I’mtyping this question while simultaneously Tindering. Despite the fact that Ican no longer feel my thumb and I’ve only slept a total of three hours inthe past three nights, I finally got my first match! She’s beautiful and by farmy favorite of all the right swipes, so I started chatting with her. Theproblem is that she wants a man that can make history. Her ex-boyfriendsinclude Bruno Mars, Mark Zuckerberg, Harry Styles, and even my heroes,Sean Rad and Justin Mateen! How can I possibly convince this girl to evengive me a shot?

Well, you certainly can’t match up to any of her exes, so you should just

give up. Just kidding. It never hurts to take a chance. Take solace in the

fact that she also broke up with every single guy that you listed above.

Even Justin Mateen! Think about it, I haven’t heard of a single person in

the world that would even consider breaking up with that guy. Although,

perhaps, she was dumped by every single one of her exes, in which case

that argument doesn’t hold much water.

But if you really want to impress her by making history, create an app. A

multi-billion dollar one at that. Just look at WhatsApp, they did alright.

Sure, it takes a bit of training and an idea that blows everyone else out of

the water, but how hard can it be? Certainly not as difficult as setting a

record for most amount of time spent on Tinder, which I’m pretty sure you

have a solid shot at. Stay positive. Go conquer the world. Also, I wouldlove an app that teleports food to me. Get that down, and you’re Gucci.

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Life Advice: Recipe For Making History

Dear Bug, I just got super into cooking and I’ve even recently won abaking competition with my chocolate bread pudding! However, myparents are not exactly psyched about my new passion. They wantme to become an IMAX screen cleaner. I know it’s an odd job, butapparently there’s quite a market for the task. With their aspirationsfor my life, I’m having trouble convincing them to allow me to go toculinary school and pursue my dream. How do I convince them thatcooking is the way to go for me?

Well, I’m glad you turned to me for help, because it just happens

that I am a professional amateur too when it comes to cooking, so I

have a recipe just for you. Cook this for your parents, and you’ll

never have to worry about them doubting your passion for the

culinary arts again. I call it ‘The Recipe for Making History’.

Steps Instructions

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Mix the sugar, spice, and everything nice into a piping hot cauldron and stir until smooth

In a separate bowl, grind the chili sauce and jasmine tea leaves together into a paste

Slowly add the paste into the cauldron and let simmer for 10 minutes

Once the mixture turns a sort of rainbow color, add the Chemical X

Watch your dreams come true

Ingredients

Sugar

Spice

Everything Nice

Chemical X

Chili Sauce

Jasmine tea leaves

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Venturing into the WildBy Xandra Daswani

Are you thinking of going abroad in either the upcoming summer term or even the next winterterm? If so, you might find interesting the experiences that EUC people, who have already had theopportunity to go abroad and experience what other countries have to offer, shared with the BUG.We personally believe that going abroad is something everyone should do at least once in their life,as it can give you a unique insight in how differently the reality can be experienced in this world.

Our first daring explorer is Elizabeth Kloppenborg, who went off the beaten track of taking electives

during the Winter Term. Instead of bending her neck over books, she went to the Cambodian island

of Koh Roh Samloem. Elizabeth wanted to go to Asia for a while, but she didn’t specifically know

where, so when her friends recommended this beautiful island and she decided to give it a go. She

went to Cambodia to participate in a charity project, and while being there, she also received her

PADI certificate. From the beginning, Elizabeth was looking to do something adventurous for a

month that she was spending in Cambodia, and for sure she found it.

The charity project Elizabeth was involved in was about doing surveys on seahorses by recording

their measurements in the water. She also volunteered at local schools, as well as doing a few beach

cleanups. Even though there majority of participants was Masters Students studying Marine

Conservation and Marine Biology, Elizabeth did this project out of her own interest, for the sake of

experiencing something new. Besides the charity work, she travelled around the country during her

time there. Elizabeth went to Siam Reap and Angkor What exploring the temples there, visited

Kampot and experienced Kampot peppers and the crepe market. Sounds like a worthwhile

experience of cultural diversity, doesn’t it?

Elizabeth’s trip neither helped her clarify major choice for next year, nor even did it tie into EUC’s

academic program. The main reason she went on this trip was to experience travelling on her own

and get out of the Rotterdam and the bubble of EUC to get entirely new impressions. Coming fresh

out of high school, Elizabeth thought it was a great opportunity and the right time to go abroad.

She admits, “If I didn’t get into EUC, I would have taken a gap year to travel. But EUC being so broad

and open to student’s requests, it seemed like a good opportunity to start studying without

neglecting my desire to travel.”

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Those Who Went Abroad…

Our second interviewee is Ashleigh Woodend, who went abroad on a study trip to Ghana last

school year. The three and a half trip to Ghana was a part of EFR, which is the Economic Faculty

Association of the School of Economics, and it was their second year organizing a trip to a

developing country. In this project, there is a group of about twenty students, whose task is to do a

research for NGO in the Netherlands. A branch of NGO, called Life Build, is connected with EFR

active in Cameroon building schools and bringing water to small villages in the country. Life Build

wanted to expand their operations to Ghana, so they thought it would be a great opportunity to

send students there to explore the possible ways of bringing water and electricity to villages. All the

students, including Ashleigh herself, went on a trip all across Ghana to collect data.

Even though she was a bit nervous about the trip beforehand, the experience turned out to be

beyond comparison for her. At some point, she started to have doubts, thinking she was getting

into something a little too crazy for her liking. But when she actually came to the country she could

not have been happier with her choice. During her stay in Ghana, Ashleigh learned a lot about how

to be independent and think critically.

But Ashleigh’s trip wasn’t all that glossy. During her stay, she and the group had put up with the

conditions of some of their accommodations. It was definitely a reality check for them, leaving no

choice but to adjust to what they had. For example, at first the food turned out to be not that

everyone has expected. But as the trip continued, the group found some great specialties that

Ghana has to offer. Now Ashleigh genially recalls, ‘Having everyone experience the same situation

together was fun in a sense, because no one had to tough it out alone’.

This trip was a game changer for Ashleigh, because, even though she knew she was interested in

development and growing economics, only there did she realized what kind of work she wanted to

do later on in life.

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Those Who Went Abroad…

Watching the news on CNN and documentaries on developing countries and getting to know that

there are people around the world that are having a hard time is one thing. But psychically going to

one of these villages in Ghana and seeing that children have to walk a great distance to go to school

with broken shoes as well as they are out of reach of electricity and water is a whole different story.

Then, it is a great confrontation on how some people really live. For Ashleigh it was really tough to

hold her emotions back seeing all this. When she came back to the Netherlands from her travels,

she had a feeling that she had such a great life here that she can’t keep it solely to herself. One day

she wants to help people, who are willing to learn, in Ghana, and start a scholarship for them or

even send them books for self-education.

This idea has been inspiring Ashleigh since she came back from Ghana. Though, the trip also taught

her that people aren’t always what they seem. The combination of people in her group taught her

that by giving people a chance and getting to know them, you can be more open.

As this journey was an unforgettable experience, Ashleigh does advise trips to random countries to

expand your horizons, meet new people, and make memories that will last a lifetime.

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Flex Page

PhotographyBy Xandra Daswani

Art is something that inspires many people in the world today. It givespeople the freedom of expression that is beyond comparison. One image orpainting can have a massive emotional impact on a person. Photography ismy medium of expression, it is my own creative outlet, where I can showcasewhat beauty the world has to offer in just one frame. Being behind thecamera and looking through the lens gives me a whole new insight and afeeling of incomparable freedom, making my own choices on how toperceive the image I want to obtain.

Some people say that the value of the image is that it lasts longer than the

moment itself, and it certainly does. But having those images and seeing

them also gives you a reminder or flash back of that particular moment in

time. This ability to catch the moment and keep it with me forever is what I

find fascinating. Photography isn’t just something I do because it seems like

the easiest way to express myself, it is what I feel passionate about and I am

keen to share with everyone I know. But if you decide to do photography

yourself my best advice for you would be: don’t be tempted to blindly follow

the craze for documenting every second of your life, do it only if it inspires

you and allows you to realize your creative potential.

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Student Profile

Koen Wies & Mauro Stel

Pioneering the PoliticsBy Ernest Thiesmeier

Did you know that two of your fellow students are aspiring politicians? Mauro Stel and Koen Wiesfounded a party to run in the municipal elections. There their party ‘Studenten Politiek 2.0’ iscompeting for the seats in the ‘gebiedscommissie’, an advisory board to the city council. As they arerunning for elections in Kralingen-Crooswijk, their goals are improvements for students in theneighborhood. "Things such as student housing, transportation and the overall attractiveness of theneighborhood for students”, are issues that they want to tackle as Mauro explains.

But how do you study, run for elections and have a political post at the same time? For Koen Wies

this does not pose a problem. Time management is the key for him. In this matter the Problem-

Based-Learning (PBL) system of EUC comes in handy. “The good thing about PBL study is that as

long as you are focused during the session and prepare for it well, you get a great understanding of

the subject while having a spread workload’’.

On the day of the interview, Koen seemed to have already finished his PBL. That might explain why

he was the only one being seated in the discussion at the municipality. An event resembling a

political talk show, just without broadcasting. Most people looked like they knew each other and

colloquial handshaking could be observed all over the place. As a member of the smallest party,

Koen had to enter the stage first and give an introductory speech. As “The Bug” authors by default

do not have sufficient Dutch abilities, the details of the speech as well as of the discussion will remain

shrouded in mystery.

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Student Profile: Koen Wies & Mauro Stel on Running for Elections

Attending discussions like these is part of the political life Mauro and Koen have to engage in. Mauro

explains that there was a bit of a hassle with setting up the party, but ‘Studenten Politiek 2.0’ is now

well up and running.

“Setting up the party wasn't that easy. Because, well we actually set up the party two days before the

deadline. So we had to do all sorts of bureaucratic stuff for that. But once it has been established

everything goes on smoothly.”

The discussion at the municipality seemed to be a success as well. Koen looked well prepared and

contributed to the discussion fruitfully. Of course, not as much as the other parties, but those were

clearly more experienced. Looking at the age of participants, it was also quite obvious that our

candidates were the youngest competitors. It is quite sad, as clearly the neighborhood is not a

typical residential area mainly populated by pensioners.

After the discussion ended, it was the time to pursue promotional activities for the two EUC students.

And it’s not an easy task with only two people, Mauro admits. “Actually two people is not enough.

You need probably four or five people to really set up a very good promotion board. And to execute

all sort of tasks you need even more staff to be involved. But that's probably something for the

future.”

Well, for the nearest future The Bug wishes Mauro and Koen good luck and we hope that fellow

students will support the two of them by giving their vote at the elections on March, 19.

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Creative Writing

The Meaning of RememberingBy Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

He had refused to throw the blanket away, even when the light blue colour had faded to grey and the stains and holes in

the fabric functioned as a timeline of the past fifty years. The blanket told the story of a young marriage, ten children, love,

pain and all other aspect of life and death. Often had I watched him going to rest and the image of my grandfather lying

in that beloved bed had etched itself in my memories. Finding him there that last morning was soothing.

Although his face was draped in wrinkles and the blue veins underneath his eyes darkened his expression, the frown on his

forehead had vanished and the shadow of a smile played around his thin, bloodless lips. The worn out body lay calm and

almost content, sunken away between the sheets. It felt as if the fine line of sunlight peeking through the mouldy curtains

had stolen the last spark of life from the cold corpse that once contained the wise and loving soul of my grandfather.

He would be remembered. The name of the man that had gone to find his peace in eternity would dwell on the lips of

those who witnessed his life. I knew that it would take many years before time would soften and eventually bury the

memories of my grandfather.

They say that all the people one encounters leave a little of themselves behind, pieces kept safe in the depths of our

minds. I think that the more these pieces are fed by the presence, actions, thoughts and wisdoms of the people we meet,

the more these persons become part of our lives. This leads to the reassuring thought that the true loss of someone in

oblivion cannot occur.

Even if I were to forget his blue and understanding eyes, his slow and fragile movements, the smell of his house, the sight

of him seated in that black leather fauteuil or the crackled sound of his voice, I would still know that the bond between

human beings called ‘love’ is stronger than time or thought.

To not be forgotten is perhaps the highest goal we can strive for, since all other aspects of life are evanescent. We take

example of those whose stories are written down or the hero’s we remember on their dying day. But aren’t the people we

care for, the ones we know and those we love not a thousand times more worthy of our remembrance? They are the

vastest memories in our minds; the most persistent matter in time. To me, the only mark in history we can make, is the oneleft behind in the heart and thoughts of others.

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Poetry Section

Elegant Words And SuchBy Noah Bloem

Creativity seems to be engrained within the human spirit. Yet, despite this fact, each personexpresses creativity differently. Whether it is through painting, dancing, public speaking,sports, or any other form, the fact is that creativity is inevitably revealed through our actionsone way or another. In an issue about making a mark on history, there seems to be a clearand distinct appropriateness of creativity, particularly because no matter what one may sayabout a lack of self-creativity, it is what sets people apart from each other. My personalcreative poison, as expected from one who writes for a magazine, is writing. So here are twopoems (obviously themed accordingly), in two very different styles and perspectives, the latterof which being a style I’ve never really tried before. Perhaps, with my own elegant words andsuch, I can carve my own mark into the fragile pages of eternity.

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History’s Record KeeperBy Noah Bloem

I have watched a thousand men

Try to climb the desolate mountain upon which I live

And force me to scribe their name with my immortal pen

But is never a gift that I may give

For I am History’s Record Keeper

I am the watcher

I am the scribe

I am the storyteller

I guard the archive of all time

And those that seek only fame for glory

Are not worthy of my pages’ divine infinity

I seek those that can weave an illustrious story

Show that for great deeds they have an affinity

To put not themselves front, but another

I am the great observer

I live on my mountain and see all

Of timeless tales I am the enforcer

Hoping someone will answer my age-old call

For I seek those that inspire me

Poetry Section: Elegant Words And Such

I Dare YouBy Noah Bloem

So you think you have a shot?

You think you can leave a mark on those

fragile pages of Human History?

You think you can step out of

The Dark?

Claim a piece of that cake

for yourself?

And eat it shamelessly

before me?

Do You Think That?

Well then

Take a Big step back.

Because this is not your house,

It’s Mine.

And that’s not your cake,

It’s Mine.

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And this is not your time,

It’s Mine.

And I’ll be damned if

I let you take it from me.

But if you insist

And you want to take these pages from me

And write your own name,

And if you want a piece

Of my cake,

And if you want to live In this house,

And if you want to claim

This time as your own,

Then Bring It On.

I Dare You. I Am Ready.

And I Will Not Lose.

Makers of

The BugEditorKate Sytnik

WritersKate Sytnik

Noah Bloem

Ernest Thiesmeier

Xandra Daswani

Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

LayoutAnne-Sophie Halbertsma

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Kate SytnikI was born and raised in Moscow, Russia. So, yes, my actual name is Ekaterina, but I

flinch every time someone calls me like that, since it is a full name, and in my

country we usually have all sorts of short versions that are used every day.

I always yearn for new experiences, and I believe that a day is lost if I haven’t learnt

something interesting. That’s why, one of my strongest passions is travelling. I adore

visiting unfamiliar places and plunging into a whole another reality with all the

breath-taking architecture, quirky local people and peculiar traditions.

I don’t like ready answers and easy pathways. For me this applies even when it

comes to movies and books. So, I don’t usually watch those colourful blockbusters

where the main message is written all over the screen, neither I read ‘it’s just a story

I wanted to share’ kind of books. I love being left with the ‘’ What the hell just

happened” feeling after the lights go on in the cinema or when I finish the last page

of the novel.

Noah Bloem I was born in Amersfoort in 1994, but was quick to move from my roots, taking my

first flight at two weeks old to grow up in Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the United

States of America. I, through a series of strange and random events, ended back in

the country of my birth and nationality largely because I have no idea what I want

to do with my life. I enjoy writing and I enjoy life. As such, I ended up writing life

advice for The Bug, among other things, naturally. My advice is always spot on and

should not be questioned in any way, shape, or form. In other words, my words are

absolute. I also like long romantic walks by the waterside or other picturesque

locations, although preferably not on the actual sand part of the beach because

sand is annoying and gets everywhere.

Ernest ThiesmeierMy name is Ernest Thiesmeier and my home is the

city of Berlin, somewhere in Germany. I have

Luxembourgian and German roots but I spend

most of my life in the German capital.

Last year I moved to Rotterdam and am currently

enrolled in the Erasmus University College. I do

not only write for “The Bug” but also for “Erasmus

Magazine” as well as on my own blog. Writing is

my passion and my hobby. Be it in German or in

English. In the meantime I try to make sense out of

the world. Not always an easy task.

Okay, I admit there is more in my life then just

writing articles. I enjoy filming and finding new

places. Sometimes I enjoy filming new places. In

any case, new stuff is nice.

At the time where this issue gets published I will

be 20 years old. I hope there will be another 20

years in my life and many more issues of “The

Bug”. Hopefully you enjoyed the read!

Xandra DaswaniI was born and raised on a beautiful island called

Curacao, did high school and a year of university

in the United States. You can say this Dutch

weather is not the idealist thing at for me because

it results me to “hibernating” through this cold.

Photography is one of my favourite hobbies since I

took classes in high school and always striving for

new ideas. I am a type of person to be laid back

and let things happen. A quote that truly describes

how I live my life is: Live and let live, which is the

modern concept that one should let others live

their lives as they see fit. Now being here in the

Netherlands makes me want to have ideas on how

I am going to conquer adventures around Europe!

Anne-Sophie HalbertsmaI grew up in The Hague in The Netherlands, raised

by a Belgian mother and Dutch father. I also have

an abnormally sweet younger brother who I

cannot stand ever since he grew stronger and

taller than me.

I spent most of the time in my life doing too many

things, trying to figure out what I enjoy most.

Turns out I am a rather happy person and find

happiness in most of what I do, resulting in the

absolute incapability to choose what I want. Even

doing the groceries is a real challenge.

Luckily, I do know very well how to appreciate the

small things in life, such as Winnie the Pooh,

Happy Socks, chocolate, space cats, pictures of

Ryan Gosling and the smell of pipe tobacco.

And now I’ve come to EUC, continuing doing bits

of everything, including writing for The Bug and

making sure this magazine looks attractive!

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