the bug - stereotypes!

1

THE MOST LIKELY TO…Of the EUC people!

WHAT DO UC’S THINK?!?

May iss

ue

“When you try to stand out from the crowd, you get into the crowd thattries to stand out from the crowd.” - Jared Leto

This month we ventured to step onto quite a marshy ground. We decidedto take a critical look at the society and our position in it, unmasking thegreat many stereotypes that constitute it.

Individual versus society - this is the formulation that we are the mostaccustomed to encountering in the media and in everyday life. It is thisexorcised hero, different and unique, that rebels and frees himself from thebonds of society, who the rest either admires or loathes. It seems like thereis no middle ground, no neutrality, or better put, tolerance towardsdifference. This ‘otherness’ is either covertly desired as an ultimate end ofone’s existence or stigmatized as a psychotic deviation. Outcast, quirky,weirdo, outsider, queer. How many more labels do we have for those whoare not like us? But how do we know what we are in this context? And if weare consciously admitting that we are the grey mass, then why do we needthat? It appears that in this social ritual dance everyone feels hostilitytowards each other and an acute need to protect one's own damaged self-esteem. Paradoxically, the ones desperately trying to stand out are inreality those who depend on public opinion the most. They don’t need tobe special, they yearn for the feeling of it, which can only come from theoutside recognition. Defying social patterns, they fall the victims of theworst of them themselves.

But what if we put it differently? What if it were to be individual andsociety? Essentially, it is the only way it can happen in reality: to be special,you need a baseline of mediocrity. Because if everyone is excellent, how doyou know the excellent? This simple logic rests on our commonunderstanding of ‘’specialness’’ as something existing exclusively whenexternally acknowledged. As a result, people feel the need to shout abouttheir convictions at every corner. Not quite trusting their own views, theylook for confirmation and eventually lose the originality they were sostriving for.

Editor’s NoteStereotypes

By Kate Sytnik

2Editor's Note - Kate Sytnik

Third time is the charm, so let's try to follow into the footsteps of the wise.It was already in the eighteenth century that Jean Jacques Rousseau solvedour dilemma, proclaiming the idea of the individual in society. But eventhough we had the answer all along, it didn’t seem to comply with ouregoistic nature. Ironically, we crave the sense of belonging and connectionwith other people, but at the same time want to stay slightly above them,just a bit, so that the insatiable worm of the ego doesn’t die starving. In sodoing, we construct a pedestal to be perched on from stereotypes,judgments and prejudices.

So what do we do with this? How do we remove this comforting veil andfight blind stereotyping? The ostensible solution is acknowledged in theexpression ‘’to think outside the box’’. But I would rather advise you tothink like there is no box, because there really isn’t. Try to become moremindful and aware of your motives and perceptions, unpeeling one by onelayers of previous experience, education, cultural traditions, and so forth.However, I have to warn you, you are embarking on a daunting mission.

3Editor's Note -Kate Sytnik

Feeling thrown into the storm without a safety vest? Then, let us guide youthrough a careful dissection of stereotypes, their nature and use, so as toget you ready to bid farewell to them. A good place to start is Anne-Sophie Halbertsma’s wake-up call essay, in which she scrutinizes attitudesin modern society (p. 8). Move on to the editorial to get an analyticalperspective from inimitably impartial Ernest Thiesmeier (p. 6). Before youget too panicked, here is a little bit of comfort. In his other piece, Ernesttests national stereotypes and finds that most of them are actually not thatfar away from reality (p. 35). To see that they can be as harmful andridiculous as useful and true, discover the typical phrases of ‘’sportsmen’’,‘’frat guys’’ etc. carefully selected by Xandra Daswani (p. 10). The lens iseven turned upon ourselves in Noah Bloem’s interviews about UniversityCollege stereotypes (p. 24). For illustration turn to the photo project withthe creative direction of Anne-Sophie Halbertsma (p. 31). For other bits offun, check out the hilarious life advice by Noah (p. 42), ‘’Most Likely to’’ listby Xandra (p.10), poetry by Anne-Sophie (p. 20) and explore ourexperience of being stereotyped on page 39. To get a final kick ofencouragement, read my interview with our student counsellor, SaraO’Keeffe, where she shares her Gothic past and wisdom on how to findbalance between individualism and conformism (p. 14).

Thinking for yourself and being vulnerable as you are is bloody scary atfirst. But believe me, it is equally rewarding. Once you remove everythingthat blurs your perception and commit to seeing straight, you will discoverthe joy of living with meaning instead of blindly existing.

Sincerely yours,

THE BUG

4Editor's Note - Kate Sytnik

Stere

5

Content

Editor’s noteBy Kate Sytnik

2 Stereotypes

Editorial By Ernest Thiesmeier

6 A stereotypical editorial

Creative WritingBy Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

8 Thoughts on Civilization

Flex PageBy Xandra Daswani

10 Stereotypical Sayings The Most Likely to …Freak Biography

Staff ProfileBy Kate Sytnik

14 Sara O’Keeffe

Poetry PageBy Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

20 Stereotypical Slang

What’s BuzzingBy Noah Bloem

24 Inter UC’s & their stereotypes

Picture PageBy Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

31 Stereosupertypes

Student InterviewsBy Ernest Thiesmeier

35 Country Stereotypes

The Bug PageBy all the Buggies

39 Have You ever been stereotyped?!?

Life AdviceBy Noah Bloem

42 StereotypicalStruggles

Thanks & Credits 46

EditorialA Stereotypical Editorial

By Ernest Thiesmeier

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The most common definition of a stereotype is a thought or an impressionassociated with a certain person, object or sight. Stereotypes can bepositive: Asians are good at mathematics. Scandinavian women arebeautiful. But stereotypes can also be negative: Spanish people are lazy.Punks are alcoholics.

Most people nowadays say that they generally disagree with stereotypes.In fact, stereotypes are looked upon as something bad. Something whichhas to be avoided at all costs. This may be especially true for the Westernsocieties we live in. Here everyone wants to be perceived as an individual.As someone who does not fit into stereotypical categories and who is aunique and free human being. How stereotypical.

If we look at societies in other parts of the world, we see that the group isoften more important than the individual. Here everyone tries to fulfil thestereotype that is expected of him or her. That can make things a lot easier.Just imagine a life without the constant struggle of defining oneselfthrough the actions taken and the personality displayed in front of others.

On the downside you have to imagine a life without ever questioning yourrole in society. A life where you put your individual needs and wishesbehind the goals of the group. What sounds like hell to most of us seemsperfectly normal for people growing up in this way. Such a person isperfectly aware of the fact that he is just a tiny human playing his little rolein the world.

So goes the stereotypical imagination of the nostalgic Westerner.

But let's narrow our viewpoint down a bit. To everyday life to be moreprecise. Stereotypes are around us all the time and I dare to say that weare in desperate need of them. The reason is that they are a means bywhich we order the world around us.

How does that work? Let me illustrate it with the following example:

Editorial - Ernest Thiesmeier

You are at home. The bell rings. You look through the spy hole to find theface of the postman and open the door. In the moment you see hisuniform a stereotypical thought is triggered in your head: “Ah, a postman.He will give me my mail. This is all I have to expect from him. Noambiguities about his intentions are coming to my mind.” And this is thegreat thing about stereotypes. When they are true, they are a vital tool forsocial interaction, as they indicate which role any person is likely to take onin a particular situation.

In our case these are the one of the postman and the receiver. Stereotypesthus save a lot of time and hassle in figuring out the conditions of asituation.

But let's look at another situation involving stereotypes. Here the outcomeis not as positive: You are at home. The bell rings. You look throughthe spyhole and stare into the friendly face of the postman. You open the door.The postman draws a gun and points it at you. He robs you and leaveswithout delivering any mail. This was either a very evil postman who didnot take his job seriously or a criminal disguised as a postman. Either way,he just robbed you. Basically because you did not think twice about thepossibility that the postman could be a criminal. A thought like this mightbe seen as paranoid but it is essentially a mistrust in stereotypes. If youwould not have trusted your stereotypical thinking your belongings mightstill be yours.

Hopefully you will appreciate stereotypes a bit more in the future. Andwatch out so that they do not take upper hand. Because in the end theyare what they are: Assumptions. Sometimes perfectly right and sometimesterribly wrong.

7Editorial - Ernest Thiesmeier

Creative WritingThoughts on CivilizationBy Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

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The city pressure comes in the form of herds of people, their cars, their

squeaking and shouting, their indifference, their violence, their pain and

everything else built to seduce, entertain, and give pleasure and ease.

Everything in order to make our pointless and meaningless lives worth

living - now that God is no longer believed to hang around to do that for

us.

Hasting my way through the urban jungle at my usual firm pace, I try to

keep the undefined bodies swarming around from walking into me by

looking fierce, annoyed and, perhaps, a little aggressive. Making myself

taller and attempting to make my shoulders look wider are also parts of

my strolling-through-the-city-mode, as well as ignoring the faces of the

people who I pass by and not observing any of my surroundings. It seems

that the rise of mobile phones coupled with the Internet have also

profoundly contributed to this current-day trend of general apathy and

disinterest. Practicality is no longer the argument for usage, but the dire

urge for superficial communication, which allows us to feel important in

our own little bubble of radiation. Those flickering screens and beeping

sounds seem to absorb our attention in the most discourteous manner,

although I must admit to have willingly joined this new mode de vivremyself.

Creative Writing - Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

It is this constant current of people, notifications, demands,advertisements, noise and movements that sometimes frightens me, drivesme nuts, makes me restless and causes me to question with growing panicand uncertainty what kind of absurd path we have chosen and how myperson can possibly find its place amidst all this madness.

It occurs to me that the standards of normality and conformity havechanged in our Western world: under the veil of individualism andcapitalism, narcissism, carelessness, egocentrism, self-interest andmaterialization flourish. They are becoming our modern-day virtues. We lieto ourselves, giving money to charities while helping hands are what isreally needed. We ignore the consequences of our actions when telling ourchildren that they are the ones to save the world. We close our eyes whenwe choose profit and power over morality. We neglect our responsibilitieswhen regarding our lives as more important than the lives of those who weshare our degrading global community with.

Are we digging our own graves with glimmeringgolden shovels?I think that we have forgotten that it has not always been like this. Therewere, and still are, places where things are different. Places where naturedoesn’t yet appear to be man-made, where crowds don’t form the limits ofour horizons and where Wi-Fi and 4G internet can’t reach. With thoseareas, I do not necessarily mean undiscovered islands or chilling polaricebergs. I am alluding to the palaces of the mind, the imagination thatgives us freedom and strength to achieve whatever we set our minds to.We not only need to find reconciliation, fulfilment, joy, beauty, acceptance,contentment and pleasure in what we already have, since it is enough, butalso rebuild what was broken, resrieve what was stolen, recreate balanceand beauty in nature, and thereby make our Earth whole again. If everyoneacted not out of a misplaced and inflated sense of personal importance,embellishment or self-interest, we would find a way of telling the truth,face what we have done, respect what surrounds us, and open our eyes toa brighter world.

9Creative Writing - Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

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Flex pageStereotypical

SayingsBy Xandra Daswani

There are always phrases or sayings that are stereotypical attributed to acertain group. From growing up around many groups of people, I havenoticed some stereotypical sayings that people say and trust me, I havecaught myself saying some of these. Maybe you do too.

Frat Guys“I think you might need some more alcohol.”

“I think I’m still drunk from last night.”

Gym Rats“You need a spot, bro?”

“This post-workout is nasty”

“How much do you lift, bro?”

Girls“Could you do me a huge favor?”

“Why isn’t my computer working?”

“You’re the best.”

“Do you think if I throw up I’ll be

able to drink more?”

Flex Page - Xandra Daswani

Athletes“I think I pulled something, I can still play though.”

“Can I have a sip of someone’s water?”

“I am going to be so sore after this.”

IB Students“That paper made me its bitch”.

“The earliest I have gone to bed so far this year was around midnight.”

“Try writing a four-thousand word extended essay.”

International/Third Culture Kids“Do you really want to know where I am from?”

“I have an extreme wanderlust.”

“If I disappear, it is because I am sleeping off my jetlag.”

11Flex Page - Xandra Daswani

Flex Pagemost likely To…

By Xandra Daswani

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Have you ever wondered what some of your classmates were most likelydo? Well, we tried to match up some ‘Most Likely’s to’ our first-year EUCstudents.

Most Likely To Become A Politician: Koen

Most Likely To Become A Pro Athlete: Timothy

Most Likely To Become A Reality TV Star: Ronald

Most Likely To Be ID’d When They’re 30: Naomi

Most Likely To Be Late To Own Wedding: Janice

Most Likely To Cheer You Up: Chris

Most Likely To Crash On Your Couch: Ernest

Most Likely To Be Sleeping In Class: Joanna

Most Likely To Get Out Of Here: Ashley

Most Likely To Have 10 Kids: Joia

Most Likely To Stay in Hometown: Sebastian

Most Likely To Succeed: Kate

Most Likely To Start A Booming Company: Roan

Most Likely To Cause a Traffic Accident by Bike: Victoria

Most Likely To Run A Marathon: Janneke

Most Likely To Marry a Wealthy Man: Anne-Lot

Most Likely To Crack Sarcastic Comments: Olga

Most Likely To Be Locked Out Of Their Room: Tim


Flex PageFreak biography

By Xandra Daswani

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“Everybody’s got a presentation, everybody looks a certain way becausethey want to convey a certain image.” - Marilyn Manson

People have their reasons and thoughts on why they dress and showcase

themselves the way they do. To my mind, one of the most famous and

intriguing freaks is Marilyn Manson. His weird clothing and striking make-

up caught my eye long ago, and I was always wondering why he presents

himself the way he does. So for this stereotypical issue I took my chance to

discover this. It appeared that all the dark suits, quirky eyeliner, are his

attempt to reflect his dark side. Ever since Marilyn Manson was a teen he

was drawn to the hidden aspects of life and taboos. It is his ultimate

rebellion to praise Satan, since he was raised in a strict religious family.

From what he was taught, Marilyn preferred not to learn commandments

and rituals by heart, but pick out the grains of vice. He is convinced that

we are destined to live our life through seven deadly sins. Manson is sure

that it is human nature to be evil. From this, he thought dressing the part

seemed the most fitting.

Well, I have no objections to that. If it

doesn’t hurt society in any way, then

why shouldn’t you showcase the way

you want yourself to be? Marilyn

certainly agrees, proclaiming that the

most important thing is to be content

with yourself and who you are no matter

what others might think.

“We live in a society of victimization,where people are much morecomfortable being victimized thanactually standing up for themselves.” -

Marilyn Manson


There is not probably a single student at EUC that has not found comfortor encouragement in conversations with our incredibly gifted counsellor,Sara O’Keeffe. It is precisely because we value her advice and insight somuch, that the BUG turned to her to tackle the challenge of stereotyping.With her unfailing Irish wit, Sara shares her attempts to stand out, first likea rebellious fifteen-year-old Goth, and then as an adult who managed toresist the pressures of society. There is a lot to learn from her story, soprepare to take some practical notes for your own use!

Why do you think people need stereotypes?

People need a foundation to work from. In society people have ideas ofhow everyone else is; otherwise it would take too much time to get toknow everyone individually, so we group. But it's not all that beneficial,since a philosophical dilemma will follow inevitably: do people come asthey are in this context or how you imagined them to be on the basis ofstereotyping.

have you ever fallen victim of such stereotyping errorsyourself?

Yes, I had a really unpleasant experience when I was eighteen and went toLondon to work during the summer. It happened to be at the time whenIrish Republican Army were bombing bases in England. So once I openedmy mouth and people realized I was Irish they had a certain set ofexpectations and judgments ready at hand. One of the nights I went into abar and asked a bartender to give me a change to buy some cigarettes.Before I knew what was happening, he started screaming at me andthrowing all sorts of abuse at the Irish. This was the first time when Irealized that people can fail to see straight because of stereotypes: for thatguy I was not the innocent young girl that I actually was, but a vicious IrishRepublican.

14

Staff ProfileSara O’Keeffe

By Kate Sytnik

Staff Profile - Kate Sytnik

Another instance where I was faced with prejudice is especially ironic. Iwent out with my boyfriend and a gay friend, who invited another gaycouple. During the dinner they were completely aloof to my presence,casually talking to my boyfriend. But when we headed home and ithappened that we got accidentally separated from my friend, these twojust turned around and walked up the street to wait for him to return. Themere fact of me being a heterosexual woman was so distressing to themthat they preferred to stay away from me even for the three seconds wehad to wait. The final episode happened to me when I was travellingaround Africa. I was waiting for my companion on a side-walk and thetraffic literally stopped. People came out of their cars and went up to touchme because they had never seen a white person before. And then theystarted pleading me to give them my watch, my necklace or whatever theycould spot, as they had this image of me as a wealthy Western woman.Surely, there's more, but these are pretty fundamental examples ofnational, gender and racial stereotypes that I have experienced.

Do you think we should fight against stereotypes to prevent situations like the ones you've shared?

Well, let's not paint everything with the same brush: stereotypes can beboth negative and positive. But if we want to change the negative aspectof it, namely letting a person be only what you perceive him or her to be,

I believe we need to encourage individualism insociety at large.

However, there is a twist to it. If you allow individualism, you better beready to face its consequences. Then, unbounded freedom of self-expression may take a drastic scale and you would prefer to put a stop toit before it gets absolutely out of hand. And here stereotypes enter thescene again, as useful form of social control. It makes anyone who thinksoutside the box and out of mainstream stand out and break out of thesocially-predetermined world, so it might be positive as well.

15Staff Profile - Kate Sytnik

Have you ever been a part of subculture?

I was a Goth when I was fifteen. Well, an Irish country-side Goth, so it wasnot all that hardcore. But I did walk around dressed all in black with thosefishnet tights, wearing thick black eyeliner and black lipstick. I would stealmy father’s vests and rip them up to make a new cool outfit, and steal hisshaving cream to put in my hair to complement this madness. As you cantell, my father hated it. He did not simply lament his destroyed wardrobe.This gothic culture was just beyond comprehension for a religiousconservative man that he was.

Why did you venture into this extravaganza in the first place?

For me it was all about rebelling against the system and my upbringing. Iwanted to kick against the rails and demonstrate how unique I was. It waspart of an experiment, which now seems really naïve. (Smiles) Just imagine,we paraded the streets of my hometown with my gothic friends, 15 peoplelooking exactly the same, to show how different we were.

what does ‘’standing out from the crowd’’ mean for you now?

Well, before it was more about rebelling and showing off, now it means tobe able to express myself. And I have never imagined how hard this is onceyou grow up. Not only do you feel more pressure of conformity, but thewhole word ‘’different’’ acquires an entirely negative connotation. I realizedjust how strong it was when my husband and I moved into our own house.I am Irish and I wanted to have something to remind me of home, so,inspired by exquisite Georgian door decoration in Dublin, I decided topaint our front door yellow. Warm, bright, ray of sunshine-like yellow. Ithought it would be nice to spice up the monotonous brown row of ourstreet.


Apparently, my neighbors did not share my artistic aspiration. People were

genuinely irritated, coming up to me and saying, ‘’you are not going to

leave it like that, are you?’’. And the sad thing is, it wasn’t only conservative

elderly who did that, but also when I volunteered in my son’s kindergarten,

his friends would tell me that their mommy and daddy did not like my

door. How insane is that? I mean, it’s just a door! When you are older you

tend to get trapped in your environment more, so now, especially after this

backlash, I am glad I got a chance to be a Goth and express myself freely.

But don’t get me wrong, I am not held back anyway. The door is still yellow

and now I am painting my bathroom lime green. My neighbors will

probably say, ‘’Gosh, what’s wrong with these people?’’. (Chuckles)

Do you think being different simply requires more effort when you’re older or it is the times that changed the attitudes to those who fail to conform?

I think it’s both. When I walk around Rotterdam now I don’t see anyone

original. People just look the same and I am worried about that. Indeed, it

seems society has become more intolerant. We are pushed for the best

and success, which are measured by money and bullying. I find it shocking

how this American high school mentality has swiftly moved to Europe and

I am absolutely gob-smacked that it extended into adult life.


After all, do you think it is important to be an individual?

Yes, certainly. I believe that it is important to find something that makesyou feel unique, especially nowadays that we are bombarded with thingsthat make us feel totally not special.

It seems like everyone has to be brilliant at whatthey do.Our students have to be excellent, and then there is this ‘’hidden talent’’boom on TV, you see amateur cooks becoming professional chefs andpeople who used to sing at weddings for the family turning into globalpop stars. Things just not appreciated simply for what they are. If I invitesomeone over for a dinner at my house, they expect a three-course mealwith good wine, instead of just valuing the time we would spendtogether. So that is exactly why I think it is crucial to be an individual.Because otherwise, you invest all your energy in conforming and you aretoo busy to just be yourself and enjoy the ride.

So do you have an advice how to balance between being anindividual and still remain part of the society?

I am afraid my advice is as old as the hills: be yourself. Stop comparing

yourself to others and wasting time on trying to be ‘’like them’’, that will

never make you happy. If you truly believe in yourself, no one has the

power to bring you down, because at the end of the day it’s only you who

can make you feel bad


Poetry Page stereotypical

slangBy Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

20

WalmartI put on my ivory glasses,

of a renowned and elitist brand,

with my gracious air of hauteur

and my organic cigar in my hand.

My head tilted upwards with noblesse,

I ambulate with firm and fast stride,

consciously displaying my Rolex

and wearing my Armani belt with pride.

As I pass jealous inferiors,

I wave my handkerchief of white lace

while pitying their unimportance,

knowing they lack my superior grace.

As I approach the goal of my stroll,

my thoughts become noteworthy profound,

thinking of all my marvellous deeds,

as my Prada shoes venerate the ground.

Although my family is highborn,

it grieves me to say we paid our part.

But the crisis won’t take our grandeur -

and I parade through the doors of Walmart.

21

Emo elmoThe slumbers of my soul

reflect in my dark clothes,

my black hair, my white face,

my dull eyes - filled with disgrace.

The thoughts of blind despair,

I sense when I observe

the blood-tinted petals

of my flowery shackles,

they’re waving in the breeze

of the midsummer night,

while I am looking down

under my tormented frown.

The deepness of my thoughts

cannot be grasped by those

with an average brain -

dwelling in disdain.

All the truths I adhere

are my heavy burden,

since they don’t understand

how time slips out of our hands.

And the songs of my soul

keep singing in my ears

the existential woe

of troubled Emo Elmo.

22

Oh. My. God.OH. MY. GOD.

Y’all kiddin, right?!

She did NOT.

Put up a fight!

Did ya hear?

How could she, yo?!

- Did HE start?

- Nhaháa, HELL NO!

- Well, that’s not

how she said it…

- Bitch, she lied,

y’all know she did!

- C’mon ma girlz,

it’s Shananay.

She’s down, yo.

It’s all okay.

- Not fo me.

That ho’s a drag!

- Girl, shut up,

- Yeah, take that back!

- Nhahaháa!

Girlz, y’all know me.

First, let me

take a selfie.

Poetry Page - Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

23Poetry Page - Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

What’s buzzinginter UC’s & their

stereotypesBy Noah Bloem

As many of you may know, the Inter-UC Championship was held not solong ago. For those of you who are unaware, it’s essentially a day ofcompetition between the different University Colleges across theNetherlands to determine who reigns supreme for a year. The eventsrange from sports such as football, basketball, and volleyball to otherareas, such as art, debating, and even a finale of beer chugging. If all goeswell, EUC will be joining in the festivities next year, so we have a great dealto look forward to in the future, of which first and foremost should ofcourse be to claim our natural supremacy.

24What's Buzzing - Noah Bloem

As one of the few EUC students acting as a visiting delegate, though, I alsonoticed something rather interesting at the event. While naturally eachuniversity college student was proudly supporting their own colours (apractice I gladly participated in, decorating my cheeks with the letters of“EUC” and “EUCSA”, even though we weren’t competing in the games), Inoticed that all the students had distinct ideas of exactly what theybelieved other UCs to be and what sort of students they had. Curious, Idecided to delve into it a bit further. So I asked a handful of students whatthey believed to be the stereotype of their own school as well as what theythought of the other schools. Here are some interesting opinions:


Amsterdam university college

What the students thought of themselves“Excellent, diverse, ambitious, competitive, proud, pretentious, shelteredpeople”.

What others thought of AUC“Sciency”

“Focused on academics and more 'city people’”

“Alternative”

“So pretty, so Amsterdam.”

“The urban science monkeys”

“Geeky, nice but geeky. They work hardand smoke pot (It's Amsterdam after all). Guess it has to do with their focus on the sciences.”

“Rather a fake university college, since their study load is waaay less of that of the other UCs. (Laaame).”

“A little snobbish.”

“The unknown”

“Cocky and beta”

“Sciencey rich kids with nice shoes”


Leiden university college

What the students thought of themselves

“Underdog”

“Supremely intelligent.”

What others thought of LUC

“Politically engaged and opinionated”

“Crazy”

“Easy-going and laid back.”

“These are the clever guys. Try to drink a beer with them without ending up discussing Plato and Aristotle, good luck.”

“Well, they call themselves Leiden and have their campus in The Hague :S!”

“Really nice and fun people”

“Free minded, edgy humour”

“Very nice, sweet people”

“Yeah sure, you're all gonna be secretary general of the UN... keep on dreaming...”


university college Utrecht


“Community focused”

“Isolated”

What others thought of UCU

“Ego”

“Arrogant buttholes.”

“Narcissistic, yet kind.”

“They're cute. Not able to cook for themselves, and need to be protected

from the outside world. (YES I AM JEALOUS OF THEIR CAMPUS)”

“Trying to keep up that they are the best UC just because they were the

first one to start (I do see a fallacy in the reasoning here).”

“Really sweet but haven't met many”

“Serious”

“Team spirited, proud, dedicated,

aggressive, sheltered people”

“Competitive assholes”

28

University College Maastricht


“Crazy hippies”

What others thought of UCM“Far away”

“People who like the extra freedom that comes with not living on a campus. So most like "normal" students”

“Kind”

“Hippies.”

“The unknown people from far away.”

“That's somewhere in the south, right?”

“More or less a bunch of hippies who happen to be enrolled in the same studies (not sure whether they were consciously aware of this).”

“Haven't met any”

“Don’t know UCM students”

“Kind, introverted, shy people”

What's Buzzing - Noah Bloem

University College Roosevelt


“We are AWESOME! We are the BEST! We ROCK! RASA VIKINGS ALL THE WAY. “

What others thought of UCR

“Also far away, but not as far as Maastricht”

“More artsy”

“Yolo”

“Artsy fartsy.”

“Those (overly) creative types”

“Make sure never to get them anywhere near valuable stuff. They have no respect whatsoever for ownership rights. They'll take whatever pleases them. You can't blame them though; sure you can't find all these nice things in Middelburg.”

“Bad photoshopping skills and hipster”

“Interesting fun people”

“Bad photoshop skills, enthusiastic, nerdy”

“Farmers who live in the middle of nowhere - do you have internet in Middelberg?”


Erasmus university college

What the students thought of themselves“Culture loving, playful, daring”

“Vodka”

“Either driven or smoke a lot of weed”

“They're close to perfect. Not too geeky while still knowing that gravity exists. Overall they have the prettiest students, that's for sure.”

“Excellent, intelligent, and overall, the best.”

What others thought of EUC“They have just started up, but it already took them a year longer to open their school buildings... says enough right...”

“Babies.”

“Inexperienced”

“More business focused, pioneers”

“Noobs (no worries you'll get there)”

“Newbies”

“Who the hell are they?”


31

I LISTEN TO BANDS THAT DON’T EVEN

EXIST YET

Picture pageBy Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

Picture Page - Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

32

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING

AT?

I DON’T CARE HOW YOU DO IT!

JUST DO IT!


33

THANK YOU DEAR, YOU

CAN PUT IT ON MY BILL.

ARE YOU SURE SANTA

DOESN’T EXIST…?


34

ARE YOU SURE THIS IS A GOOD IDEA?

SHIT SHITSHIT SHIT

SHIT SHIT…


The Bug went out and asked some fellow students about nationalstereotypes. All of them were presented with one stereotype about theirown country and one stereotype about another country. Apparently,stereotypes do contain some grain of truth, but go discover it for yourself.

Tirza (Dutch)

Dutch people love insurances:

*laughs* I have no clue, is that something we do? Doesn't mean anythingto me really. I am insured but that is the law in the Netherlands.

Indonesians have a hard time confronting people directly:

I am not exactly sure about that, but it's something I have heard of before.This is especially true in comparison to the Dutch, who are kind of direct. Iguess you could say that Indonesian people are somewhat more polite.

35

Student InterviewsCountry Stereotypes

By Ernest Thiesmeier

Student Interviews - Ernest Thiesmeier

Lucia (Spanish)

Spanish people are lazy:

It is something I have heard a lot. I disagree. You can find lazy people

everywhere. I think this misconception comes from the fact that most

people come to Spain during the summer time. There they go to the

beach and see us chilling out on vacation.

We are laid back, though. That is true. I think it's mostly because of the

weather. We have more of a culture of going outside and having some fun.

Funny fact: We are the ones in Europe who work more hours than the

average but our productivity is the worst. Our schedule is different too. We

usually have a break from 2 pm till 5 pm. So people think that we finish

working at 2 pm. Which is not true.

Germans are always on time:

This reminds me of a German I know. This person is always late. And you

(the interviewer) are not always on time either. I was waiting for you but I

am Spanish. Usually I would have to be 10 minutes late. So I don't think it is

really true.

36

Nina (Indonesian)

Indonesians do not like toconfront people directly:

Speaking from personal

experience, I think that this can

true to a certain extent. It seems

they really have a problem with

anything like a direct

communication. They'd rather

talk about it behind your back.

But for them that's normal.

Unless it's a super controversial

problem. Then, they would

come and confront you directly.

But this stereotype is more or

less correct.

Student Interviews - Ernest Thiesmeier

French people love to argue:

Do they? I don't know. Because the

French people that I know now and that

we study with don't seem to be very

aggressive.

But French people can be very

opinionated, that's for sure. In the sense

that they like to state their point of view

and always mention that their opinion is

superior to yours. Although it doesn’t

always hold.

Laura (German)

Germans are always on time:

I can tell you a story: My family has

some friends who are German. When we

invite them for dinner at seven, they will

be there five to seven with a bouquet of

flowers and cookies. And my mum isn't

prepared yet because she is Italian. For

her it's ridiculous that they are on time.

Also, if the trains in Germany are late,

mayhem starts and everyone freaks out.

So, yeah it is kind of true.

Spanish people are lazy:

I only know Italian people but I heard

that the cultures are quite similar. And

Italians are very lazy. They do not like to

work, but they do enjoy sitting in the

sun. And I guess the Spanish Siesta is

probably the most well-known example

of this. It's just like a culture of chilling

and happiness, and food. So I think

there is some truth to it.

37Student Interviews - Ernest Thiesmeier

Laurent (French)

French people love to argue:

They always want to be right in a way. I don't know if you already went toFrance or Paris. Every time you make one mistake, people will start yellingat you and will begin an argument. You'll see that everywhere in thestreets. It depends, though. I mean, stereotypes are still stereotypes, andthey are only generalizations. But in a way I would say it is true for most ofthe French people.

Dutch people love insurances:

I really don't know about this one. But I know another stereotype aboutDutch people: They love money.. And they are really tall. That's true for allof them.

Dutch people are also very direct. Sometimes you meet a Dutch adult andthey will be really open and straightforward with you. You can even seethat in all the laws they have. About drugs, about homosexual marriageand so forth. They are always very candid and outspoken.

38Student Interviews - Ernest Thiesmeier

THE BUG PAGehave you ever been

stereotyped?!?By All the Buggies

39

Kate

Certainly, both at high-school and at EUC,

people tend to have an image of me as a

stereotypical ‘’excellent student’’, crazily

ambitious, interested only in drilling and,

well, plain boring. So it’s always been a

great surprise for people to find out that I

am not spending my whole time bending

over textbooks and writing essays.

Although I do enjoy studying it is not for

the sake of grades, as the stereotype

suggests, I am just this natural sort of

nerd, who gets high from exploration. It

does not necessarily have to be academic,

I simply adore getting a new perspective

and upgrading my brain to the next levelof complexity (because you always need to

fuel stereotypes, don’t you?).

Xandra

I guess all my life I have been

stereotyped as a typical

island girl. With the laid back

attitude about what I do with

my free time. I usually go

with the flow and try to live

my life without worries. If you

cannot find me, I am always

at the beach or boating with

my friends. Having sun-

kissed skin and beach waves

is my daily look. Drama arises

when I do not feel like I am

tan enough, for me being

light is not an option. Don’t

ask me why I moved to the

Netherlands when I came

from somewhere warm and

sunny, even I don’t

understand myself

sometimes. I do miss the

island life, but the island life

is not easy to get out of me.

noah

There are certainly many instanceswhere I have been stereotyped andwhat I’ve noticed is that however Iam stereotyped, it is usually basedon what makes me different fromothers. I guess that makes sense,but nonetheless I find itnoteworthy. When I was growingup in Jakarta, I was often seen asone of the Dutch kids, while myfirst year in New York I was theforeign kid. Then I moved schoolsand luckily I wasn’t the only oneanymore. And for as long as I canremember, among my cousins’friends, I am not even consideredtruly Dutch. To a certain extent, itcan be uncomfortable. I mean, Idon’t always want to be the onethat stands out, it’s irritating. Onthe other hand, it’s a concretereflection of my individualism. Inthe end though, whether I havebeen categorized positively ornegatively, I tend not to take muchmind of it. Luckily, I have a fairlygood understanding of who I am,even if that image is fairly abstract,it helps.

Anne-sophie

I have indeed been stereotypedthroughout my life. However, luckilyfor me, those stereotypes didchange. During middle school, Iwas sort of the loser of the classwith my Mickey Mouse classes andeternal braces. This changed duringhigh school, where I became moreof a social butterfly with ratherdifferent groups of friends – fromso-called metal-heads, musicians,sailors, hipsters, nerds and popularkids. So, I don’t know if peoplereally labelled me that muchbecause I befriended people invarious social groups. Onestereotype that I quite enjoyed washippie, which I guess is partly stillthe case… sometimes and withregards to some of thosestereotypical hippie habits .Otherwise, I always have beensome sort of a nerd and a bigtoddler (I still carry great love forstuffed animals and MickeyMouse). But overall, I think it’s mostof the time quite hard to categorisepeople once you get to knowthem. No one can really fully act asan all-encompassing representativeof a certain social group andtherefore, nobody can becategorised to the extent we oftentend to do.

40The Bug Page - All the Buggies

ernest

People try to stereotype me but in the end they always fail. Because oncethey get to know me better, they notice that I can't be categorised. That'swhat I hope. Here in Rotterdam I especially noticed how everyone wants tocategorise me as a hipster. I don't know why, but in Berlin this neverhappened to me. There I would have to try much harder to fall into thiscategory. Maybe people in smaller towns get this impression from a lesseramount of effort one puts into his or her style than in a bigger city. Notthat I would really care.

It was not always the case that I disliked to be stereotyped. When I wasyounger I was a metal fan. Always dressed in black, long haired and with ajeans west full of patches. There I desperately tried to represent thesubculture I belonged to. It never came to my mind that I would not be acliché metal fan in the future. This turned out to be wrong, as I went backto just being a human. Hopefully people stereotype me as a human.

41The Bug Page - All the Buggies

Life AdviceStereotypical

StrugglesBy Noah Bloem

42

Dear Bug, Bug,I have been living in Rotterdam for about 8 months now, but I stilldon’t feel as though I fit in well. You see, the thing is that people willnot stop referring to me as that cool guy in the skinny jeans. It grindsmy gears! It’s as if people can’t see past the skin-loving cloth wrappedaround my lovely, toned thighs. I work hard on those thighs and I wantto show them off. But that’s not the real reason that I wear skinny jeansall the time. The truth is, I have a disease. The fact is that I suffer from arare syndrome that inflicts my legs. They don’t receive proper bloodcirculation, so to combat this, I’m required to wear skinny jeans. Thetight cloth squeezes my thighs and ensures that blood keeps pumping.THEY KEEP ME ALIVE! Or, at least, they keep me walking. How can Iget rid of this skinny jean stereotype that has been attached to me?HELP! I don’t want to be associated with hipsters! What would myparents say?!

Life Advice - Noah Bloem

43

There is quite a simple solution to this issue. Skirts. Long,conservative skirts. Preferably with that old-fashioned embroidery.It’s the perfect solution! Another genius idea from my large,gigantic, colossal, unrivalled genius mind! Think about it, it bothcovers your jeans, and you can keep wearing them. No one will befocused on your skinny jeans anymore when you’re strutting yourstuff in a flowing bundle of glory. And you’re saying you can nolonger show off your beautifully toned thighs? WRONG! You justhave to approach it differently. Use them to seduce. Just think of thefollowing scenario, it’s full-proof:

You: Hey girl, are you tired?Girl: Umm, why are you talking to me?

You: Because you’ve been running through my mind all day!Girl: No.

You: Are you a magnet?Girl: Ugh.

You: Because I’m attracted to you!Girl: Leave.

You: Sad face.*Lift your skirt to reveal your skinny jean-wrapped perfect thighs*

Girl: OMG, those are sooooo tight!You: Can I have your number?Girl: You can have my babies.

SCORE! See, it’s the perfect play! The skirt saves the day! Seriouslythough. Just wear a skirt, it will solve all your problems. And don’tworry about your parents thinking that you’re a hipster, they wanteda girl, so your skirt should solve that issue too.


44

Dear Bug,I’m a Sikh, and as is fit with my beliefs, I wear a turban. The issue is that forsome reason, airport security does not seem to be nearly as fond of myawesome head wrap as I am. I love my turban, but I’m pretty sure it’s also thereason that I spend so much time being asked extra questions in the backrooms of the many international flight hubs around the world. In Cairo, theyeven put me in the jail for no good reason! They said something about menot being allowed to travel with a chinchilla in my hand luggage, which isridiculous. They even took Mr. Jenkins away. I haven’t seen him since. I lovedthat chinchilla. I miss him. How do I get him back? I can’t live without Mr.Jenkins.


45

I think that this question is best answered with a clear, concise, step-by-step process guaranteed 100% to bring your love back into yourhand luggage.1. Buy a jigsaw puzzle.2. Seek out the Tibetan elder, Krieger Jinn, in the Himalayas.3. She will teach you the ancient martial art of獅子吼 in exchange

for your jigsaw puzzle.4. Spend a few years training, you need to truly understand the

ways of in獅子吼 order to succeed in this mission.5. Make sure you don’t train for too long, especially considering

that the average lifespan of chinchillas is still in question, withaverages ranging between 8 and 20 years.

6. Charge headfirst into the Cairo International Airport screaming“Thor! I call on you to aid me in this fight!” I know you’re aSikh, but trust me, Thor loves everyone and he will come downto help you. He’s quite a nice mate to have in a battle.

7. Together with Thor and your newly acquired獅子吼 skills, fightyour way through the security and to the animal storage facility(they should have one in the South-East corner of the 1st floor).

8. Save Mr. Jenkins.9. Thank Thor.10. Live the rest of your life in international exile.11. Cry when Mr. Jenkins passes away.12. Dedicate your life to building the largest possible tower of Lego

pieces in the world.13. Fail miserably at this.14. Cry.


4646

CREDITS!

May iss

ue

In order of appearanceSara O’Keeffe

Gina Jones

Ronald Maduro

Janneke Wagner

Roan Laenen

Mauro Stel

Tirza de Jong

Lucia Leminez Martinez

Nina Priatna

Laura DziadekLaurent Masson

EditorKate Stynik

WritersNoah Bloem

Xandra Daswani

Anne-Sophie Halbertsma

Kate Sytnik

Ernest Thiesmeier

LayoutAnne-Sophie Halbertsma

THANKS!

47

ARE YOU READY FOR THE NEXT ISSUE…?

the bug - stereotypes!

Documents

thebonds of society

acute need

euc people

crowd thattries

individual andsociety

ucs think

tobe special

middle ground