Posted on: March 10, 2026 Posted by: Nao Noguchi Comments: 0

Stillness and Community in the Amsterdam Light Festival

Stillness and Community in the Amsterdam Light Festival By Nao Noguchi | Culture | March 10, 2026 Cover Illustration: Fracture Point by Filip Roca, December 7, 2025. Nao Noguchi/The Amsterdammer The Amsterdam Light Festival comes and goes every winter, hard to miss yet easily misunderstood. Soft News reporter Nao Noguchi examines how the festival can be diversely experienced and build community within the busy city during its greyest season.   The…

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Posted on: February 14, 2026 Posted by: Leticia Josefsson Lazo Comments: 0

The Bechdel Test of Life

The Bechdel Test of Life By Leticia Josefsson Lazo | News / Culture | February 14th, 2026 Cover Illustration: Candy Hearts, 2017. Laura Ockel / Unsplash Is romance a new hyperfixation? Soft news reporter Leticia Josefsson Lazo zooms in on everyday conversation topics, revealing how casual discussions subconsciously revolve around romantic encounters, even when it comes to identity and self-growth.  “We are so not passing the Bechdel test.” This not-so-offhanded remark…

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Posted on: February 14, 2026 Posted by: Margalita Pujol Comments: 0

Kilometers and Different Cultures: Love in International Relationships

Kilometers and Different Cultures: Love in International Relationships By Margarita Pujol | Culture | February 14, 2026 Cover Illustration: 2021. Juan Goyache / Unsplash International long-distance relationships feel like a limbo between the arrivals’ and departures’ terminals. Logistics, time differences, jet lag, cultural habits, and language gaps can impede but also cultivate deep intimacy and create through intentional communication, mutual learning, and shared plans. In the end, what carries couples across…

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Posted on: February 13, 2026 Posted by: Maria Clara Santana Comments: 0

What Virtues are we Signalling?

What Virtues are we Signalling? By Maria Clara Santana | Culture | February 13, 2026 Cover Illustration: Close up of gramophone, 2018. Sudhith Xavier / Unsplash Raised fist protest selfies, twitter bio hashtags, profile picture paraphernalia. The virtue signal is a staple of modern culture, a need for many. When society becomes increasingly unforgiving of moral faux pas, there is little room for skipping out on the latest advocacy fad. But…

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Posted on: February 10, 2026 Posted by: Nayana Missaglia Comments: 0

Coffee or Social Prosperity? Amsterdam’s Cafés as Stages for Public Relevance

Coffee or Social Prosperity? Amsterdam’s Cafés as Stages for Public Relevance By Nayana Missaglia | Culture | February 10, 2026 Cover Illustration: Shallow Focus Photography of Coffee Late in Mug on Table, 2017. Nathan Damlao / Unsplash Amsterdam’s café culture has shifted from a simple love for coffee into a curated, performative arena where social visibility and belonging often matter more than the drink itself.  We all drink coffee. If not…

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Posted on: February 6, 2026 Posted by: Odelia Florusbosch Comments: 0

Availability of Student Housing to Decrease as Private Landlords Sell Off Properties

Availability of Student Housing to Decrease as Private Landlords Sell Off Properties By Odelia Florusbosch | News | February 6, 2026 Cover Illustration: Amsterdam House, 2022. Marvin Langer / Unsplash Reporter Odelia Florusbosch discusses the ongoing housing crisis in the Netherlands as student housing properties become increasingly inaccessible.  Finding housing in Amsterdam is no easy task and finding a place to live as a student is no exception. The search…

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