Lundagård

Drops of perspective – Life in scale

Jens Hansen — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:02:25 +0000

The shifting wilderness around you, the towing blades of grass, the smallest swathe becomes the deepest crevasse, the relation between time, space and awareness is that of each objects.

Photography at such a level proposes a totally different perspective, where we come to define and draw the links between scale and motion of said subject.

When we reach a macro level as here, the intentions of an exposition change, the meaning being to capture an entity not the subject.

Drops of perspective – Forest Floor

Jens Hansen — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:54:53 +0000

Look at the scales of nature and you’ll understand the limits and definitions which we draw between the large and the small, but thats only from our own scale of thought.

Capturing the essence of depth in such expositions as this one, require both timing and luck in accordance to the available light and the place of the subject, but as you stand there it dawns on you.

For the world is but the scale which we make it out to be.

The final foray into the nation haze

Jesper Lodin — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:39:23 +0000

Feel like topping off the semester in suitably grandiose style? Jesper Lodin gives some tips on where to find the best clubs this coming week.

Mojito’s all around – soon you can exchange your academic woes for more base concerns. Like what to do with all your free time, who’s who on Mad Men, and what would be a sufficiently masculine amount of jalapeños to impress the girl behind the counter at Subway. But before that seasonal lifestyle-change occurs, you’ll probably feel like celebrating after your final ventilation seminar – unless you’ve signed up for any summer courses, in which case you might as well just spend the night in the SOL cafeteria. Well, if you feel like going out and having a good time this week for whatever reason, here are some of the better choices available.

Thursday, May 23

The ESN will throw a Write-on-me Goodbye Party for foreign exchange students at Helsingkrona this Thursday, which sounds like a cathartic mix between tearful farewells and intoxicated dancing. Bring a disposable t-shirt or risk waking up with ribald jokes in Romanian scribbled all over your Sunday best.

Otherwise, Lund Nation’s Penthouse is a solid bet, the only downside being the profuse sweat you’ll work up climbing the stairs in this heat.

Friday, May 24

Hallands’ Klubb 3 is a mainstream heavy-hitter that traditionally soaks up a lot of the clubgoers on Fridays. The best part is, if you arrive too late to beat the brutal queue that usually forms by 23:30 or so, you can just try one of the other two Torna nations hosting clubs just up the road – Krischanstad and Helsingkrona.

An alternative would be Blekingska, which is sort of the nation equivalent of Alpha Centauri – it might theoretically be a cool place to go to, but due to the interstellar distances involved, it’s hard to say if humans will ever set foot there. All kidding aside, Heartbeats’s actually a pretty solid electro-centric little club, if you don’t mind the long walk.

Saturday, May 25

First of all, there’s the final installment of Wermland’s ”Teleportalen”, this term’s spatial answer to the time travel of last year’s ”Tidsmaskinen”. Visitors will get to pretend they’re in wondrous Paris in what’ll probably rank among the more impressive club experiences you’ll have all year. Dress up as a french stereotype for reduced entrance fee.

Malmö Nation’s got a bit of a Slytherin reputation, which is half unfounded and half completely true. But if you can suppress your repulsive visions of little Draco Malfoy’s getting jiggy to smugly ironic funk music, Upper East is a pretty good club.

Finally, Östgöta’s Sunset is another good choice for ruining your Sunday. Popular, with lots of pheromones whirling around – just watch out so you don’t get schwacked by some sexually-frustrated dude in heat for, ehm, existing in the same public space as him.

Well, there you have it – one seriously life-affirming coda to a (hopefully) fantastic semester. See you at the party, Richter!

Drops of perspective – Stand by your flag

Jens Hansen — Sat, 18 May 2013 13:10:14 +0000

From where do we come to define our origins, should we bind ourselves to stringent national pride? For why do we do so, to uphold a sense of tradition, a sense of belonging to justify life?

Ironic that we hold on to such definitions in a world which seeks ever more to be connected and all including on a international level.

Do you bind yourself to a certain standard?

Harder times for Sweden’s youth

Mia Söllwander — Sat, 18 May 2013 05:46:22 +0000

New statistics concerning lack of housing and unemployment indicate the difficulties of Sweden’s young people today.
Find out how severe the situation is in the news of the week.

“We are not one” to give another image of Sweden
Malmö Something that impossibly could be avoided is the Eurovision delirium going on around Malmö this week. Behind the slogan “we are one” the song contest is suppose to speak for solidarity and collaboration across borders. This is a message that not everybody agrees with and therefore a feminist network have handed out false tourist guides where matters concerning deportation, severe racism and segregation in Sweden is highlighted. The group will under the slogan “we are not one” hand out about 500 brochures during their drive.

Parents convicted of exorcises
Borås After several years in court the parents of a young girl and a priest were convicted of practising violent exorcism. Being convinced that the girl was a witch, different methods were used in order to drive away the supposed evil spirit. Examples of the exorcism were forcing the girl to drink her own urine, dripping oil and garlic into her eyes, bumping her head against the floor and kicking her in the stomach.

Young people are forced to stay at home
Malmö/Lund Young people up to the age of 27 are forced to stay at home longer because of the lack of apartments in the larger cities of Sweden. The worst cities are Malmö and Lund where only 17 per cent have found their apartments through accommodations agencies, and 36 per cent through connections. The rest are forced to live with friends, relatives, to sublease or rent a room in a shared apartment. Consequences are that people postpone childbirth and sometimes also postpone or choose not to study because of the fact that they have no proper place to live.

Sweden the worst at providing young people with employment
Sweden Unemployment among young people is a huge problem all around Europe, but Sweden is the worst among the Nordic countries. Norway is the best with only 8,6 per cent of Norwegians under the age of 25 being unemployed. In comparison, Sweden has 23,7 per cent. To lower the number, the Swedish government have for example tried to compensate employers who hire people under the age of 25.

Every Saturday - Lundagard.net will give you a weekly summary of the local news from swedish newspaper.

Drops of perspective – Saturation

Jens Hansen — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:30:46 +0000

With the seasons come the inherent shifts of colour and motion, over the past week the environment has exploded into a saturated palette of colours and definitions, a spectacle which is as amazing each year.

Truly a testament to the power of nature.

They want a future in the fast lane

Jens Hansen — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:32:23 +0000

LU Racing seek to innovate and become a literal driving force for students with a passion for motorsports. With a one million SEK budget they’re about to head out to this summers formula student competition. Find out how here.

The world of motorsport, iconic for its Monte Carlo, Bathurst, and Le Mans, an environment of champagne and glamour. But behind this facade, there are months spent in workshops, offices and factories, trying to find that one key component for the formula of success. So just who is willing to put in these hours?

LU Racing (Lur) does. They are a Lund University based racing team where engineering, design and administration all factor in to building a track worthy car from scratch.

The goal is to compete as part of the Formula Student (SAE) at Silverstone International Circuit in the United Kingdom.

As the final preparations were being made for the unveiling of the new chassis at LTH’s Kårhuset, there are whispers that the new car LUR6 is running late. Would the uncorking of champagne have to wait? There is much commotion as the team busy themselves with preparation. But with only ten minutes to spare the LUR6 is ready and wheeled onstage.

This last minute adjustment is symbolic of the pragmatic nature of the LU Racing’s schedule. Even though the team have been working on the car for one and half years, spending over 15 hours a week on it alongside they’re studies, there are always things to be done.

“We work as a team, that’s the essence of our work, to develop into a functioning company. This is a selection of people who really have a passion for motorsport and cars and if you don’t, you’ll will by the end,” says Maria Rangin, head of marketing.

However she wishes for a broader demographic of students in the organisation.

“As I’m the only one here who doesn’t study at LTH, you could say that I’ve come from the outside. But technical knowledge isn’t a requirement, it’s to have a burning passion in creating something,” says the economics student.

But LU Racing isn’t just an ordinary student organisation. It’s also a project course that is offered by LTH. But the financing is up to them. Unlike some other university backed teams LU Racing has had to find its own sponsors. In doing so they have reached a total budget of around 1 million SEK from a total of 47 backers.

Mats Carlsson, who represents one of the key sponsors, has personally brought three components for the car in his backpack.

“For me, LU Racing represents a growing cooperation between the university and the private sector, Lur came to us last year for assistance backing their project, something which we hope to do over the coming years. For we’re backing the next generation of engineers and designers,” says Mats Carlsson.

LU Racing has over the last seven years entered into the Formula Student event with a variety of hybrid powered cars and chassis designs. They have also been successful, seeing several top ten finishes. Next years car (LUR7) is already well underway with 35 new team members working on it. The car is planned to be more cost and time efficient.

“This is a project which gets alot of attention here at LTH, so we were naturally interested to join,” says recent newcomer Jacob Rubensson.

The world of motorsport is so much more than the glamour we relate to it, a testament of that exists right here in our back yard.

City Library to get more English books

Paula Dubbink — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:26:14 +0000

30.000 SEK. For this amount of money, Lund’s City Library will buy extra English books in the coming months. Visitors are welcome to suggest on which books the money should be spend.

The collection of books in the City Library is always gradually updated and enlarged, but the main improvement is now that an extra sum of 30.000 SEK has been allocated to the English section alone.

“There are various groups who read in English: foreigners who come here to work and of course students and teachers connected to the university, but also Swedish people who like to read in English just as much as in Swedish,” says Maria Ekdahl, one of three librarians responsible for updating the collection of fiction in English.

“We often get requests at the desk for books in English that haven’t yet been translated into Swedish. People come here for example if they have read a review of the books in British or American papers,” Maria Ekdahl continues.

The new English books will arrive at the library in due time. “It will be a gradual process, but we plan to get the extra books during and after the summer,” says Maria Ekdahl.
“If people have suggestions for which books we should buy, they can send us an e-mail, visit us or call us.”

What do you think of the current collection of English books in the City Library? Comment on Lundagard.net.

Drops of perspective – Climatic shifts

Jens Hansen — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:35:17 +0000

As we finally begin to see days were light and dark are brought out of balance and warmer climes suddenly erupt upon the landscape, but with it, do we take for granted the climate we have and the temperate balance we enjoy.

For wouldn’t it become all to complacent if we never witnessed these changes?

Historical hijinks with Leif Erikson

Jesper Lodin — Thu, 16 May 2013 08:14:42 +0000

The viking discovery of America sets the stage for this amusing little spex at Kalmar Nation, the only one to be held entirely in English. Despite its shoestring budget, Leif Erikson manages to entertain for most of its two hour runtime, thinks Jesper Lodin.

In a nutshell: viking captain Leif Erikson grabs cretin son Thorgils and dopey nephew Eric along with a crew of assorted oddball characters and heads off to discover America, with an eye towards the mead he might find there. Along the way, he is forced to contend with Italian jerkette Christina Columba as well as stave off the unwanted theological advances of a christian fundamentalist.
As one might expect, the plot is not terribly important in itself, but it thankfully scurries to the side to make way for the jokes whenever they come – which is just south of ”all the time”.

Overall, the cast is varied, large, and fun, although some of the characters speak a bit jarringly loud – which, when combined with the occasional dud joke, can make certain passages somewhat obnoxious. But regardless of any nitpicking, the actors are obviously enjoying themselves, and there seems to be some real camaraderie among the members of the Kalmar spex group.

As there is a small band turning in spirited performances, the musical numbers too are handled well, with the possible exception of Eric’s only musical number, a distorted train wreck about, err, the poop deck.
A shame, as Eric is one of the more charmingly low-key characters otherwise.

Still, as with virtually any form of comedy, some of the jokes do fall flat, but the cast takes it in stride and plows on admirably until one that elicits a better response comes along.

It goes without saying that your mileage may vary a bit depending on preference, but most of the material should be smile-worthy at the least, if not belly-guffaw-funny. And, well, the end result is probably not any less entertaining than, say, whatever the major American sitcom factories churned out this week.

Best part? Carl Knutsson’s hilarious appearances as Hjalmar the Porno Viking, which probably got more ‘retakes’ than anything else.
Without having ever met him before, I’d like to go out on a limb here and say he was born to play that character.