The Red Thread: January
The Red Thread: January
Welcome to the fourth edition of The Red Thread, where we’ve gathered a collection of engaging articles covering a variety of topics. Analyze the movie Skunk with Anne; Discuss the most iconic moments in inaugurations with Jochem; Learn about the similarities between people and aircrafts with Lotte; And get to know Tromsø with Lisanne. Enjoy the read!
Skunk
Anne Alberts
Kicking things off in this red thread, I’m starting with my introduction piece. I watched a film that’s outside my usual niche. Skunk is a Belgian drama thriller from 2023, which I streamed on Netflix.
The film is based on the true story of a boy growing up in a violent and neglectful environment. Skunk tells the story of Liam, a teenager living in a household dominated by drugs and violence. After being placed in a youth institution, he encounters not only structure and rules but also new forms of abuse. However, Liam finds some comfort in his supervisors, though the shadows of his past continue to haunt him. As the film unfolds, it becomes painfully clear that Liam carries deep scars from his childhood.
The film addresses challenging themes like child abuse, it handles them with respect and without sensationalism. The result is a powerful message about resilience and hope.
Personally, I found the film an intense viewing experience. Through flashbacks, we see how Liam lived with his parents and the terrible way he was treated, something no one should ever experience. The way of storytelling captures the emotions and gravity of Liam’s story. Skunk is not a film for the light-sensitive viewer, but for those open to a meaningful experience, it is highly recommended. I’m not alone in recognizing its impact; Skunk won two awards at the Tallinn International Film Festival.
Remarkable Moments in U.S. Presidential Inaugurations
Jochem van den Bosch
Recent history witnessed a unique milestone as Donald John Trump became the 45th and 47th President of the United States on Monday, January 20. His inauguration speech, known as the inaugural address, struck a direct tone but left few surprises. In this edition of The Red Thread, let’s explore three of the most unforgettable moments in U.S. inauguration history.
The first occurred in March 1841 and is remembered primarily by historians. President William Henry Harrison delivered the longest inaugural address in U.S. history, taking more than two hours to read. Tragically, the day’s frigid weather and Harrison’s refusal to wear a coat or hat led to his demise. He caught a cold that turned into pneumonia, resulting in the shortest presidency in history—just 31 days.
The second moment comes from January 20, 1961, when John F. Kennedy delivered his legendary inaugural address. Among its many inspiring lines, one became etched into American consciousness: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”
Lastly, Barack Obama’s first inauguration in 2009 was unforgettable, though for a less ceremonious reason. A verbal misstep by Chief Justice John Roberts led to Obama repeating an incorrect version of the oath: “That I will execute the office of president to the United States faithfully.” The correct phrasing is “That I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States.” This mishap resulted in Obama becoming the first president to retake the oath a day later.
Dipping in winter
Lotte Witké
Every time I look outside my window these days, I see nothing but… well, I actually see nothing. The mist has been draped over everything for days now, blurring my entire view. It’s no surprise that this gray veil has crept into people’s moods as well. I’ve felt it too—this itch for a little sunny getaway to clear my mind. But the planes have been all over the place, scattered and delayed, held hostage by the same weather we’re all stuck in.
It’s funny, though, how similar we are to airplanes. When the weather turns extreme, we start having our own “technical difficulties.” Our energy sputters, motivation dips, and suddenly, even the simplest tasks feel like a major effort. Just like planes needing extra maintenance, such as de-icing, in rough conditions, we crave more care and attention when life gets foggy. If only there was someone to de-ice us when we just stomped through the cold weather, am i right?
It’s in these moments, though, that airplanes remind us of resilience. Something much needed in the so-called winterdips. Even in the harshest weather, they’re designed to adapt and eventually overcome it all. De-icing, recalibrating, double-checking systems—it’s all part of ensuring they can break through the fog and rise above the gray clouds. Maybe we can take a page out of their manual. When life feels grounded, maybe it’s our turn to pause, recalibrate, and give ourselves the care we need to take off again. Because after all, the sun IS out there! You just need to learn how to rise above the clouds.
Tromsø
Lisanne Tigchelaar
Tromsø is the northernmost city in the world with a population exceeding 20.000 and is located in Norway. The city is known as the city of lights and Paris of the north. In the city, there are several things to do, such as dog sledding, feeding reindeer, spotting orcas ,and chasing for the Northern Lights. There are also a few museums to visit in the city.
During my trip to Tromsø, I learned some interesting things of which I will highlight one. The thing I want to highlight is a thing I learned during our tour to find the Northern Lights. Our guide told us about the Northern Lights, how they are created, and what values are important. So first, what are the Northern Lights? During large solar explosions, huge amounts of particles are thrown from the sun into space. When the particles encounter the Earth's magnetic shield, they are guided into an oval around the magnetic north pole. There they interact with the upper layers of the atmosphere. The energy released can be seen as the Northern Lights.
Many people downloaded some apps that show the activity of the sun, the solar wind speed, solar wind Bz, and the so-called KP-index. The higher the solar wind speed, the more activity there is, and the stronger the Northern Lights will be. The solar wind Bz is a measure that indicates the direction of the solar wind. If it is strongly southerly (so negative in the app), this often predicts widespread Northern Lights. The more southerly the Bz value, the more chance you have to see the Northern Lights in the region around Tromsø. In addition, the KP-index is also an important value. This indicates where on earth the Northern Lights can be seen. But what is that KP-value?
The KP-value has to do with the Earth's magnetic field. There are measuring stations at various locations on Earth that measure the Earth's magnetic field on site. Measurements are taken at quiet times and thus an average value is determined over a period of 3 hours for the station. This average number is the local KP-index. When the solar particles hit the Earth, this affects the direction of the Earth's magnetic field. This influence is not the same everywhere on the planet, so the local deviation from the previously measured local KP-value is taken from all stations. With a fixed calculation formula, they then calculate the global KP-value, which is expressed with numbers between 1 and 9. These values then correspond to lines on a world map. And in this way they can provide guidelines on where the Northern Lights can be seen. To see the Northern Lights at the latitude of Tromsø, you KP-index between 2 and 3. If the KP-value is 0, the Lights can be seen at the North Pole and if the value is 9, it could be visible in the middle of France. However, this is very rare. If all the above-mentioned values are the right ones for the latitude of Tromsø, you should have the luck to see the Lights. However, there is another important factor, and that is the clouds. If the clouds are blocking the Northern Lights, you are still not able to see them. Unfortunately, this was the case for us. All the values were right, but the clouds were blocking the view… Even though we didn't see the Lights, it was still an interesting and fun evening!
