Post magazine - summer edition 2014 by Laurens Hebly

A Magazine by UCU Alumni

Bibi Groot

Erik-Jan van Kesterern (also the cover photo)

Post | A Magazine by the Alumni of University College Utrecht Summer 2014

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Erik-Jan van Kesterern

The University College Alumni Experience Exotic Neighbours Chemical Free Vaginas The Alternative Alumni Survey On Meritocracy and Mediocrity London Goodbye Mister Balbuena 15 Years of UCSA Open Letter to J. Craig Venter Why is Aid Access a Problem? An Ever-Changing Story The Congo Cables Class of 2014 Who, What, Where Colophon

THE

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE ALUMNI

EXPERIENCE

ear alumni,

As you know, everyone who graduates UCU automatically becomes a member of the UCAA, the University College Alumni Association. Do you also know who runs the day-to-day affairs of our open-to-all association? The simple answer is the Board, of course, but who are the people in this board? Obviously, we are all graduates like you, from different classes, with different backgrounds, at different stages of our careers and lives. From the inception of UCAA, our motivation has been the same, though: we just cannot get enough of the UCU experience! After 15 years, the UCSA has grown into a splendid association that makes up a vital part of UCU life – more on that later on in this issue – and we as UCAA aim to offer a bit of that UCSA vibe to you in the UCU-afterlife. Each of us define that vibe differently, as we each experienced it differently, but we can all agree that it made for a one-of-a-kind experience. Together with our fellow alumni, we want to continue, to expand, and to develop that experience beyond the green gates. An ambitious mission, don’t you agree? With over 2,500 alumni, an ever-growing number, we need to coordinate our efforts. The UCAA is constantly looking to step it up, to come up with new initiatives, to be transparent about our investments (time and money-wise), and to reach out not just to graduates, but to UCU staff and students, and the world beyond. We have the means and ideas to build up a thriving, international community and we hold ourselves accountable for making that a reality. So should you!

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We are not just info@ucaa.nl, sending you a newsletter or invitation every now and then, we are an enthusiastic team of volunteers, and we can always use your help. Keep sending us your input, everything is welcome! Feedback, photos (make sure to have a look at Bibi’s and Erik-Jan’s in this issue), stories of your life (we refer you to the Alternative Alumni Survey); anything that adds to the UCAE (University College Alumni Experience). Now, before you go off mailing and messaging us, we wish you a great read. In this issue of our beautiful Post magazine you will find content ranging from the serious – Syria and DR Congo – to the slightly silly - NL vs Belgium and the aforementioned survey. It’s all there, and then some. Talking about content: maybe next time it will be your name at the top of one of those articles? Much alumni love, The UCAA Board: Babak Mohammadzadeh (‘10) Somaye Dehban (‘07) Tanya van Goch (‘12½) Roeland van Beek (‘11) Januschka Veldstra (‘13) www.ucaa.nl info@ucaa.nl www.talkingpost.org

Exotic neighbours

flirting with a familiar face Anneloes Beekman examines Belgian culture from the perspective of a Dutchy.

ne of my friends is sitting at the other table smiling and nodding along with a few of his friends. They are speaking rather quickly and laughing quite loudly. I have no idea what they are talking about. But then again; I haven’t been following the conversation. It is fun to watch though. Later as me and my friend are cycling home I ask him what he and his friends were talking and laughing about. “No idea”, he says, “but I didn’t want to embarrass them by asking. Again.” My friend is Dutch. And so am I. I’m surrounded by Belgians on a daily basis as I live and study in Ghent. Welcome to Belgium. Surely, the Dutch and the Belgians seem rather similar. We speak the same language.The Belgians may use several words that seem ancient to the Dutch (verwittigen — to inform), or are literal translations from French (depannage — service station), or they use words they have made up on their own (sjieken — to chew gum), but that might merely be for our entertainment. Despite our different accents we understand each other perfectly. Many universities and hospitals team up when it comes to patient care or research. Even some politicians recognise themselves in one another. Also, the Belgians are no different from

any other country that doesn’t know the difference between Holland and The Netherlands. Many Dutch people get cross when you call them Hollanders, insisting they are from the Netherlands. (You will find those same Dutch people on the front row of a football stadium yelling: “Hup, Holland, Hup!” and “Holland! Clap-clap-clap Holland!”) There are some obvious differences that I was aware of before moving to Belgium. For example, the food is slightly different, meaning both nations have foods they are most well-known for and most proud of. The Dutch have their stroopwafels (syrup waffles) and drop (liquorice). The Belgians have wafels (Liège Waffles) and chocolate. On the menus in Dutch restaurants you will find saté, whereas in Belgium stoverij met frieten (beef stew with fries) is number one. And then there is the healthy rivalry when it comes to sports, especially football. However, the competitiveness between the Dutch team and the Belgian Rode Duivels (Red Devils) is nothing compared to the relation the Dutch have with the Germans. The Dutch will probably cheer for Belgium: as long as the Germans lose. Despite the clear and minor differences between Belgians and the Dutch, I still experienced

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somewhat of a culture shock when I moved to Belgium. Was there still more to learn about Belgian culture? I thought accents, food, and football pretty much covered all the bases. Was the country organised differently? Was I able to ride my bike like I did back home? Was I ready to enter the Belgian educational system and perhaps even work in Belgium? Believe it or not, Belgium has a very different culture from the Netherlands. The degree of organisation is different. The Dutch like to keep everything organised and to maintain an overview. Everything and everyone has their place. The Belgians are more likely to let things take their natural course. For example, Dutch employees at a bank or post office are more likely to refer you to one of their colleagues when your question does not apply to their field of expertise. Belgians are more likely to help you themselves, even if that means they have to put in some extra time and effort to figure out how they can help you. A certain level of organisation is also reflected in the landscape. In Belgium, a rijtjeshuis (terraced house) is literally a row of different houses; in the Netherlands, all rijtjeshuizen on one block, and frequently in the entire street, are all identical. (In the wildest case, they are mirror images of one another.) Traffic is also different. A general rule of thumb: the further south you travel, the more dangerous traffic becomes. At the border, you may notice is the tarmac becomes less smooth. Conveniently, this is your first warning sign you are entering Belgium. Belgian traffic is more hazardous but this mainly applies to city centres. The reason for that is three-fold. Firstly, Belgians are more likely to live and work in the same city to avoid commuting. This does not stop them from taking the car to work and get stuck in the city every morning. Secondly, Belgians are not used to cyclists. In

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A general rule of thumb: the further south you travel, the more dangerous traffic becomes. Dutch cities, cyclists rule the streets. In Belgium, they have to fight for their place and take extra care they get home safely. Thirdly, signalisation in Belgian cities is less clear and crossings are more confusing (see previous point: Level of organisation). In the Netherlands, traffic signs are significantly larger. What’s more, on almost all crossings, cars, bicycles, and pedestrians are neatly separated: each group has their own place and own set of traffic lights. Not so in Belgium. Especially as a cyclist, you’d better check both ways twice before changing direction. As an experienced Dutch cyclist, I find it challenging to tackle everyday traffic in Ghent: they have taken it to a whole new level. Education is also done differently. Although I am a medical student at a university, I sometimes still feel like I’m in secondary school. In the auditoria, the Belgians listen and take notes. No discussions, no questions. Especially given my UCU background, I was (and still am) used to ask questions and ask for a professor’s opinion on the matter. This resulted in an interesting conversation I had in my first year in Ghent. One of my peers asked me whether I have met all the other Dutch students in our class. I told her there were no other Dutch students in our year, that I was the only one. She gave me a confused look and said: “Oh, so you’re the one who… My, you ask many questions!” Given the Dutch accent, which is easy to detect

and in which almost all questions were asked, this girl genuinely thought there were heaps of Dutch students in the first few rows of the auditorium. Turned out that that was all me. And a bit of UCUlegacy. The Belgian system does have its upsides though: the Belgians are very clever (despite the stereotype) and are good at absorbing knowledge. They work hard for it: during every exam week the libraries are packed with students with earplugs: studying and memorizing until closing time. The work attitude is different. Most Dutch people finish working at about half past five in the afternoon and dinner is served at six o’clock. Belgians work harder and longer throughout the day and are more flexible in the times they decide to eat. The one thing you cannot mess with in Belgium is lunch. A Belgian cannot and will not eat a cheese sandwich at his or her desk, behind a computer. Lunch usually takes more than an hour and is preferably a hot meal, frequently with a bowl of soup and a small dessert. It is a time to relax, chat with friends or colleagues, and perhaps enjoy a bit of sunshine. Perhaps needless to say, I prefer Belgian lunch over Dutch lunch any day! All in all, my preliminary conclusion is that the Dutch and Belgians make great friends. Their similarities make them understandable to each other, while their differences make them interested in one another. From both points of views, the others are the exotic people. As for me, every day I make room in my heart for more Belgian customs and quirks. Anneloes Beekman (‘07) studied Neuroscience & Cognition at UU, after which she worked as a junior researcher. In 2010, she took some time off to travel in New Zealand. She is currently enrolled at the University of Ghent, and is expected to graduate her Medicine studies in 2016.

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CHEMICAL FREE

VAGINAS Mariah Mansvelt-Beck and Wendelien Hebly call for awareness and change.

ndependent of race, religion and social status 2 billion women have one thing in common: they all get their period. ‘The cranberry woman is coming’ (Germany), ‘granny’s stuck in traffic’ (South Africa), ‘the Red Sox have a home game’ (USA), ‘the curse’ or ‘monthly trouble’; it is curious to notice that menstruation, one of the most basic female functions, is often spoken about so jokingly as well as negatively. Even in The Netherlands, considered liberal and progressive, this topic is still taboo and lacks more serious discussion. Considering that all women from approximately 12 up until 51 years are targeted by a multibillion euro industry (€10.5bln in 2012)1 and the fact that the vagina is one of the most absorbent parts of the body, we feel that this topic is worth a more serious, in depth look.

Average product on the shelf Disposable tampons, pads and panty liners (“sanitary protection”) are used by women around the globe. Especially in countries with a higher disposable income women prefer the use of these products, and sales are significantly dominated by four multinationals.2 While the food and beverage

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industry, as well as the beauty and personal care industry have recently been under increasing scrutiny in terms of their sustainability and consumer safety, the ‘sanitary protection’ industry has stayed off the radar so far.3 We started to look into what the average tampon, pad and panty liner are made of. This is not something that is mentioned on the packaging itself and generally is not information you can find by consulting the brands’ website or by calling customer service. We found out that within the European Union these products fall under general regulations, meaning that there are no legal requirements in terms of transparency of the content or the content itself (in comparison to, for example, cosmetics and baby products, which are covered by specific legislation).4 Digging deeper, we found out that the average product on the shelf today is made of a mix of synthetic materials including rayon (a semisynthetic fiber manufactured from naturally occurring polymers chemically converted and solidified) and plastics (polyethylene and polypropylene). These products may be bleached with chlorine. A process that creates dioxins,

endometriosis, infertility and even cancers.9 On the other hand, there are studies indicating no negative effects should be caused to womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s health due to the use of synthetic products. The latter, interestingly enough, were mainly funded by the multinationals that produce and market these products.10 Considering women use tampons, pads and panty liners every month for an average of 40 years in or near one of the most absorbing parts of the body, there is ample reason for more research to be done.

The Cotton Alternative which are carcinogenic.5 In the USA where this product group is more regulated (here tampons are considered a medical device) chlorine bleaching has been criticized and regulation is moving towards the use of elemental chlorinefree bleaching (which still results in low levels of dioxins) or totally chlorine-free bleaching.6 If the products do contain conventional cotton, traces of pesticides have been reported to be found as cotton is one of the most sprayed on crops in the world.7 If that is not disturbing enough, once you are done with them the products and wrappings generally end up in landfills, taking hundreds of years to decompose.8

Opportunity for research We were shocked and wanted to know more about the health effects. However, surprisingly little (independent) research has been conducted on the (long-term) effects of the use of synthetic tampons, pads and panty liners. The few studies that have been published put forward contradictory findings. There are studies indicating a positive correlation between the use of synthetic products and conditions such as vaginal infections, hormone disruption,

GPs and gynecologists around the globe advise girls and women to wear cotton underwear and to not use synthetic underwear or synthetic panty liners every day. This is because synthetic products are not breathable and can distort the natural balance of the vagina. Cotton allows the body to breathe and is hypoallergenic, meaning it does not irritate your skin or cause allergies. Over 30% of women suffer from recurring vaginal infections.11 A vaginal infection may not sound so serious, but women suffering from one are more susceptible to STDs and other (more serious) infections.12 The usual relief comes from antibiotics. However, studies show that a switch in products, from synthetic to cotton, relieved 90% of women from their symptoms within 90 days without any other treatment and 60% within 30 days.13 Cotton is not only breathable and hypoallergenic, it is a natural product, 100% biodegradable and doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contain any artificial chemicals like synthetic materials. It is also highly absorbent, holding up to 27 times its weight in water, making it perfect for tampons, pads and panty liners.

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Our aim: Keeping chemicals away from vaginas globally. The above explains why we founded FIP ORGANIC, a brand of 100% organic cotton tampons, pads, and panty liners. We believe all women are entitled to a choice and that the chemical free option should be as readily available as a cup of coffee, and as normal to talk about too. We are just about to launch our line of 100% organic cotton tampons, pads and panty liners. We aim to make a lasting change to the current feminine hygiene market. To do so we need to continue to spread the word to make women aware of the issue and choice as well as to stimulate research. We are interested in your ideas and network to further our endeavour and discussions on this topic. Do you have marketing

Sources

Wendelien Hebly (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;03) and Mariah Mansvelt Beck (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;03) started their company FIP ORGANIC earlier this year and are working hard to keep chemicals away from vaginas globally. wendelien@fiporganic.com / mariah@fiporganic.com

Chemicals in Feminine Hygiene Products and Personal Lubricants, Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 122, #3, March 2014, Endometriosis & Dioxins: Information for physicians, nurses, and other healthcare professionals, Endometriosis Association, USA (www.EndometriosisAssn.org), Modified Risk Factors Associated with Clearance of Type-Specific Cervical Human Papillomavirus Infections in a Cohort of University Students, Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 2005 Vol. 14, 1149-1156

Euromonitor International Report on Hygiene and Sanitary Protection materials 2013

Euromonitor International Report on Global Trends in Beauty and Personal Care Surfactants 2013 European Parliament Directives: 2001/95/EC on General Product Safety, 76/768/EEC on Cosmetics, 2009/48/EC on Toys Safety

experience you would like to share? Are you part of a group that might be interested to hear more about our story? We are also specifically looking for a toxicology lab to conduct tox-scans and draw up reports on the composition of the different products, and gynecologists to discuss implications with. If you are any of the above or have any other ideas, input or suggestions we look forward to hearing from you!

Example of a study held in P&G facilities, testing only 7 women, over the course of 3 months, concluding no significant impact but that larger studies should be performed. Effects of tampons and menses on the composition and diversity of vaginal microbial communities over time, BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, May 2013, Vol. 120 Issue 6, 695-704

Chemicals in Feminine Hygiene Products and Personal Lubricants, Environmental Health Perspectives, Vol. 122, #3, March 2014 & Chem Fatale: Potential Health Effects of Toxic Chemicals in Feminine Care Products, A. Scranton, Nov. 2013

http://www.fda.gov/medicaldevices/safety/ alertsandnotices/patientalerts/ucm070003.htm

http://std.about.com/od/bacterialstds/a/bvoverview. htm

Survey on Vulvo-vaginitis and associated discomforts, survey initiated by industry player with 105 participatory gynecologists and statistical analysis carried out by Biotechnology Centre of Evaluation and Normalisation, France.

http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/ourpublications/fact-sheet/vaginal-yeast-infections.html

Flow: The Cultural Story of Mensturation, E. Stein and S. Kim, 2009

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By Leonie Huusaarts & Annelien de Kat Editorial comment A compelling story that certainly requires further attention! The editorial board was wondering whether there is more evidence to support the use of cotton tampons over synthetic ones. The study that the authors refer to, which suggests that the use of synthetic products is associated with vaginal infections and even cancers, only compares women who use such products to women who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t, without addressing the chemicals used. In addition, we were wondering how the safety of 100% organic tampons can be guaranteed, as organic cotton plants are grown without pesticides and may therefore suffer from infections. We asked Annelien de Kat, an MD working at the department of Gynecology at the St. Antonius Hospital in Nieuwegein, to give her opinion on the matter. Female hygiene products such as tampons or sanitary pads do not play a big role in medical practice. A survey conducted in 1998 amongst female college students showed that 22% had ever discussed the use of these hygiene products with their doctor. In a subsequent survey amongst physicians 30% reported they had ever discussed tampon or sanitary pad usage with their patients1. To my knowledge, there have been no clinical

studies comparing all-cotton tampons and sanitary products to those containing synthetic fibers or chemicals. Due to this area of research receiving relatively little attention in our field, it is not surprising that some of the studies mentioned above were funded by feminine product manufacturers. It stands to reason, though, that cotton would lessen the degree of absorbency (and thus risk of toxic shock syndrome2) and skin irritation. The proposed concept may indeed prove to be beneficial, if not only to increase awareness of the use of feminine hygiene products both within and outside of medical practice. This could lead to their incorporation in general advice regarding female hygiene which is already commonly given by GPs and gynaecologists. I look forward to experiencing social or medical effects caused by this product.

Sources 1

Omar et al. J Pediatr Adolesc Gynecol. 1998 Aug;11(3):143-6.

Berkley et al The relationship of tampon characteristics to menstrual toxic shock syndrome JAMA. 1987 Aug 21;258(7):917-20.

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The Alternative

Alumni Survey

n recent years, two surveys went out in order to gauge what you thought of the alumni magazines that we send you: in 2011, when the alumni mag was still called Quaquaversal, and in 2013, after its reboot as Post. Interestingly, both surveys could be interpreted to have yielded the same two conclusions, namely: 1) you wanted more information about alumni doing awesome things, and 2) you wanted less information about alumni doing awesome things. The message was clear: you wanted both, more or less. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a familiar dilemma for alumni: on the one hand youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to hear interesting stories from and about people you studied with, on the other it can be a little demotivating when the focus lies on othersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; success and happiness all the time, especially when your own success and happiness are still faintly quivering mirages on the horizon of the windy road that is life, so to speak. This made us wonder: how awesomely are our alumni actually doing? Do the success stories provide a realistic view of the quality of life of our alumni? Are things really so sunshiny? We decided to find out, and wrote an alternative alumni survey: the Alternative Alumni Survey. This article discusses the results of said survey.

Participation Within a few days of the survey being posted online, 207 people had participated. That was nice! Of those 207, 62% is female, and 38% is male. All graduating years are represented, with the later years of 2008 2013 providing a peak in participation.

Number of participants per graduation year

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Gender

Alumni are spread out all over the world, with an impressive majority living in Europe. Interestingly, 11 respondents claim to reside in Antarctica. At the time of participating in the survey, they were probably sitting in their icy hut, huddled over a steaming mug of tea from the poppycock.

In order to obtain results that were as “close to life” as possible, the survey took on the form of a story that we can probably all relate to:

“You’re at a UCU reunion on the quad. It’s a sunny spring afternoon with occasional shadows of clouds swooping over the pebbles. Meat of an unidentifiable origin sizzles woefully on a grill nearby. The monotonous hum of people chatting fills the air. Every other minute someone screams a variation on the insufferable phrase “Oh my God, it’s so good to see you!” There’s a band playing cover songs. You glance around nervously; are you supposed to know any of these people? Sure, you graduated a while ago, but has it been that long? You’re just about to inconspicuously backtrack out of that famous green gate when a familiar face pops out from between the crowd, waves at you, and starts to make its way over. Oooh, that’s um, that’s… yeah that’s… Before you can make up your decrepit, aging mind, the person has reached you.”

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The Alternative Alumni Survey General Wellbeing

Occupation

When asked by this vague acquaintance how it’s going, the answers are as follows:

Hopefully alumni are more honest about what they do in life. Here’s a breakdown of their answers.

However, when the acquaintance doesn’t appear satisfied and asks again, the distribution is as follows:

Interestingly, it appears very few alumni have kids or consider having kids to be a job. Those who did choose this option were asked if their kids are fun. They answered as follows:

Aha! A pretty significant drop in the ‘Awesome’ percentage, and a quadrupling of the “middle of the road” option. Turns out alumni will – at least initially – lie to old acquaintances about how they are doing. Why? Because not everything is everyone’s business? Or because they’d embellish the truth to incite jealousy, or to shield themselves against others who would also claim they are doing awesomely? These questions are yet to be answered, and, wow, are they maddening. It should also be noted that there are at least three alumni out there who are rather down-in-thedumps. Hang in there, folks!

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Furthermore, these are the names of those children: Arthur, Bruno, Mathilda, Valdemar, Sarah, Tim, Fuzzy and Wuzzy. Our guess is that Fuzzy and Wuzzy are the psychos.

Those who responded that they now work were asked what it is that they do. It turns out alumni hold a wide range of jobs.

Do alumni enjoy the work they do? Below is what they would tell a vague acquaintance at a reunion.

There was another wildly diverse array of results when people were asked what they study. Other observations include the fact that a whopping 100% of those who study agree that it is “an endless story” with them. Also, an astounding 50% of the momentarily unemployed would, when confronted with an awkward silence, choose to quote Annie Hall’s famous catch phrase: “Lah dee dah, lah dee dah,” in a feeble attempt to change the subject to… to what, actually?

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The Alternative Alumni Survey Love Moving on though. Did alumni get married to their college sweethearts, or at least, would they say they did when asked at a reunion by someone whose name they can’t quite remember? Roughly one out of ten, it appears, would. When subsequently asked how married life is treating them, the results speak for themselves: UCU lovin’ is good lovin’. Of the remaining nine out of ten who didn’t marry, a third are still together with their college loved ones, while two thirds claim to have “dodged a bullet”.

Facing an Old Foe After your acquaintance offers to get a drink and leaves (“You got it, BRB!”), things at the reunion get a little more interesting: “The band starts playing Every breath you take. You briefly wonder why you’re feeling so annoyed. Is it this song? Or is it because your acquaintance actually said “BRB”? You decide it’s both, and more.”

When your acquaintance comes back, you realize that an old arch nemesis, let’s call him Bob, has spotted you and is coming over. “Bob, that trustafarian dweeb. You never liked him. You never will.”

He rudely interrupts the conversation (which is about continents), and bends it towards a topic he likes to talk about (himself): “What up, mah peeps?!” he belts with both a question mark and an mark at the end. It annoys you greatly.

exclamation

for an “You two talking about incontinence?” he continues, but doesn’t wait my funded lly successfu I ago days two Just answer. “Well, what do you know! pants. It’s idea on Kickstarter for an app that tells you when you’ve peed your called WoopsyPaisleyTM.” a quoteAnd here he actually says the ‘TM’ bit, grinning widely and making fingers. his with gesture unquote

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Below is an word cloud of what alumni in this situation would silently

think of Bob.

Strangely enough, only a little over a third, 37.2%, would call Bob out on his ridiculous app idea. The rest (62,8%) would remain composed and tell Bob they’re happy he seems to be doing well. In light of the fact that roughly 4 out of 5 people would call Bob a name in their heads, but less than 2 out of 5 would insult him out loud – not even in this hypothetical setting – it appears that it can be concluded that a good number of alumni are rather disingenuous people! However, when we adjust for social rules of engagement it turns out that they are actually just polite in order to get the guy to leave again.

Pets Finally, it turns out that what Bob really wants to know is what your favorite pet is. Here’s an overview of your answers. The cats win it again! Other answers included: Teacup pigs, turtles, laser dolphins, space unicorns, tigers, your mother, Greek tortoises, Lebanese zebras, lice, whales, squirrels, alligators, monkeys, a dog called “Chew Barka”, sheep, a “frangipani”, which turns out is a flower, wild geese, “anything pygmy”, “I’m into taxidermy”, “Ruben Moses”, honey badgers, “Thijs’ cat”, sloths, “my neighbor’s kitten before it was killed… :(”, and, heartwarmingly, “pets are stupit” [sic].

A big ‘thank you’ to everyone who participated in the Alternative Alumni Survey. If others still want to fill out the survey, they can do so here: http://bit.do/UCAA

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On meritocracy and mediocrity Jeroen van Baar ponders the merits of not aiming too high.

conomics is pretty important, and I care about a fair society. So if UCU alumnus and World Bank employee Robbert van Eerd (class of 2009) posts a video about income inequality, I have no choice but to watch it. This happened in November 2012, when Robbert linked to a video about to go viral on his Facebook Timeline. You may be one of the fifteen million viewers of the clip Wealth Inequality in America. If not, hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the bottom line: the richest 1% of Americans own more of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s wealth than 92% of Americans (democrats and republicans alike) think the top 20% should have. The bottom 40% barely have anything.

Inequality There is massive income inequality in the world, even in developed countries, and wealth inequality is even larger. These issues have been dominating the economic news in recent years, starting with the Occupy movement in late 2011, resurfacing with the 2013 Swiss referendum on capping CEO wages at 12 times those of junior employees, and culminating in the attention for rock star economist Thomas Pikettyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s book Capital in the 21st century. Inequality is hot, and rightfully so. Wealth disparity has clear unfavorable effects on the quality of life in a country. Not poverty, but

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inequality predicts crime, disease and unhappiness, summarizes historian Rutger Bregman in Dutch news and opinion outlet De Correspondent. To make matters worse, inequality is a vicious cycle. As long as the rate of return on capital exceeds the growth rate of the economy, Piketty shows us, the gap between the wealthy and the poor will keep growing by itself 1. Although inequality has some negative effects, it may in principle be a good thing. If we take the idea of meritocracy seriously, wealth disparity is nothing but a sign of a fair society. After all, you could argue that talented and hard-working individuals deserve to live a more comfortable life than those with little economic use or motivation. This is how we safeguard an efficient civilization: strategies that prove to work receive positive reinforcement. Inefficient approaches to life cannot sustain themselves; the best ways to live and contribute to society, on the other hand, lead to higher status and are passed on through social learning. The comparison with the evolutionary mechanism of natural selection seems flawless, but there is one key exception: Darwinian theory is not normative - it does not make any statements about the way the world should work, it rather simply explains the way the world is, without judgment.

Meritocracy In Western culture, success is often seen as morally good and failure as morally bad. This normative undercurrent is revealed by the words we use to describe how people fare in society: ‘getting to the top’; ‘ending at the bottom’; the ‘career ladder’. It wasn’t always this way, writes pop philosopher Alain de Botton in his book Status anxiety. If you were unsuccessful in the Middle Ages (working the land owned by some mean aristocrat, for example), you were seen as an unfortunate. Fate or God just didn’t have any big plans for you. In present-day Western societies, on the other hand, success is seen as one’s own merit and failure as one’s own fault. Unsuccessful people can easily be regarded as losers, who lacked the perseverance to reach their own version of that elusive American Dream. To uphold such a perspective, one must believe that the world is a level playing field, with equal opportunity for all. If Kim Jong-Un were to beat Dennis Rodman in a game of pickup basketball, we wouldn’t praise him for it: only in a fair game can we celebrate winners and judge losers. Reality dictates, unfortunately, that the playing field

only in a fair game can we celebrate winners and judge losers

of society is not level at all. Cognitive skills are handed down to you by your parents, partly by means of DNA and partly by means of intellectual activity. Social environment is also not a matter of choice, even (or perhaps especially) in developed countries like the United States. As UCU alumnus Nicholas Mulder (class of 2012) writes in a piece on the book Twilight of the elites: America after meritocracy: “Meritocracy today perpetuates the hold on power of an exceedingly small group of very wealthy people and recruits almost no members from the lower and middle classes of American society. […] Social mobility, the very essence of the American Dream, has ground to a halt.”2 In this light, normative meritocracy is an unreasonable moral standpoint. Cognitive neuroscience also provides some compelling arguments against meritocracy. In the Dutch public debate, acclaimed neuroscientists like Dick Swaab3 and Victor Lamme4 have recently argued that free will does not exist, and that a concept of free will is at odds with our most fundamental scientific understanding of the brain. Neural computations depend on deterministic and stochastic processes, and there is no room for free will in either one of those. And so, if we accept that human behavior cannot be blamed on the actor in question, is it not unfair to judge people based on what they achieve? As comedian Tim Minchin said when he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Western Australia: “I suppose I worked hard to achieve whatever dubious achievements I’ve achieved, but I didn’t make the bit of me that works hard.”

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Maximizing Even though modern science puts forward strong arguments against normative meritocracy, our generation (let’s call us Generation Y, the generation born between 1980 and 2000) seems to value achievement more than ever before. UCU graduates are no different: we are incredibly involved with finding master programs at the most prestigious universities, internships that look best on our CV and jobs with the highest-profile companies. Have a look at the UCAA Facebook page, or better yet, the Timelines of your UCU friends: everyone is doing well and we ain’t afraid to show it. We have high hopes for ourselves but also high expectations, and failure is not an option. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by this. I and many of my UC friends were raised by liberal parents, who made us responsible for our own decisions but thereby also for our own success. Everything, from hobbies and schools down to careers, was a matter of free choice for most of the Dutch members of generation Y, which triggered us to seek and expect perfection in places where it may not exist. And with belief in a higher power at an all-time low, Western youths have no other option but to believe that they themselves get to decide what the future will bring them. Social media contribute to this illusion of agency. The image of ourselves that we present online is composed exclusively of the very best things we experience, and this facade can lead others to believe that their lives are relatively boring. The only way to be happy in a world where expectations go through the roof is to be excellent yourself. Status anxiety is the result, and you could wonder whether students signing up for an honors program are intrinsically eager to excel or whether they strive for a top-ranking performance simply because it’s “what you do”.

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We have high hopes for ourselves but also high expectations, and failure is not an option. W anna celebr medriocrityate w ith me?

O noMtGh,a like, nks.

Does this focus on individual freedom and excellence make us happy? From psychology, we know that the opposite may be true. An abundance of choice, write Sheena Iyengar (Columbia) and Mark Lepper (Stanford) in 2000, can be demotivating. In a famous study, they found that shoppers in a grocery store bought more jars of jam if there were 6 flavors on display than if there were a whopping 24 – even though in the latter case, the odds of finding something that tickled their fancy was obviously higher. Similarly, students wrote better essays and were more satisfied with their choice of essay topic if they got to choose from 6 different themes as opposed to a confusing collection of 30 potential topics. Psychologist Barry Schwartz describes, in his book The paradox of choice: why more is less and in his eponymous ted talk, another unpleasant effect of choice overload. Abundance leads to escalation of our expectations. Abundance makes us maximizers: if there is a lot to choose from, we tend to believe

that the perfect option is out there for us, and that we simply have to seize it. It makes us trust that we are in control, and that a successful life can be attributed to our own virtue and merit. This tendency to maximize may lead to objectively better results – a higher salary5, for example – but it unfortunately also makes us less happy with what we achieve, because it never feels quite good enough. Maximizing can cause us to do better, but feel worse.

Coin Inequality, meritocracy and maximizing are three sides of the same… well, coin. Inequality triggers us to keep running on that societal treadmill of income, power and success, because we find it important to belong to those who are better off. And as we indulge in social comparison, we cannot help to believe that it is fair that those with more talent lead a more comfortable life. Unfortunately, inequality induces crime, meritocracy stimulates an unforgiving society and maximizing yields unhappy individuals. So what can you do about this in your personal life? Well, according to Schwartz, the opposite of a maximizer is a satisficer. A satisficer is one of those people who walk into a clothing shop, find something suitable in five minutes, pay, bin the receipt and never have second thoughts about their decision. These satisficers may not do as well as maximizers in terms of objective achievement (the quality of the purchased piece of clothing, for example), but they turn out to be happier with the result. Schwartz: “The secret to happiness is: low expectations.”6 So the next time you’re looking for an elegant T-shirt, consider choosing something that is perhaps not perfect, but at least pretty nice. A welcome side-effect of satisficing might be that if enough people do it, our society as a whole

might start to focus less on competition and success. If we stop striving and look around every once in a while, we might see that the people we sometimes regard as losers are actually hardworking but struggling individuals whose fate was just a little less amazing than ours. Maybe we can stop measuring success by income or status and start seeing the value of what we too often to think of as “mediocrity”: not earning the highest salary, but directly adding to the quality of life of the people around us. And if we can do so, we may just find ourselves a little happier and more forgiving about our own lives as well. Only if we are able to embrace the run-of-themill elements in our lives can we fully appreciate success stories for what they are: relatively enjoyable, yet completely accidental twists of fate. After studying Neuroscience & Cognition at UU, Jeroen van Baar (‘11) became a PhD student at Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior. His first book “De Prestatiegeneratie” was published at the beginning of 2014, and is available from bookstores in the Netherlands and online. Sources Piketty, T. (2014). Capital in the twenty-first century. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Pages 25-27. 2 Mulder, N. (2013). A Reign of Error. King’s review. 3 Swaab, D. (2010). Wij zijn ons brein: van baarmoeder tot Alzheimer. Amsterdam: Contact. Pages 379-382. 4 Lamme, V. (2010). De vrije wil bestaat niet: over wie er echt de baas is in het brein. Amsterdam: Bert Bakker. 5 Iyengar, S. S., & Lepper, M. R. (2000). When choice is demotivating: Can one desire too much of a good thing? Journal of personality and social psychology, 79(6), 995. 6 Schwartz, B. (2005). The paradox of choice. TED talk. 1

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Bibi Groot: What makes London great? I could give the standard - yet very true - answer that it’s vibrant, quirky, has a diverse music and arts scene, is home to some of the best museums, boasts beautiful parks and has an iconic underground network. For me, London is the perfect place to be inspired. By other cultures, by people’s stories, by undiscovered bands performing in an obscure pub, by the strange melting pot of contemporary and classical buildings fighting for some sun… If there is any, that is. I love wandering around in London with my camera. It makes me notice small details and beautiful contrasts. Perhaps that is what makes London such a unique place: I discover something new every time I leave my little study bubble and

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wander the city at random. Oh, and did I mention the amazing cuisines from all over the world on every street corner? London, I love you.

Bibi Groot (‘13) has almost finished her MSc in Social Cognition at University College London. She’ll be returning to the Netherlands afterwards to start a PhD at the Behavioural Science Institute of the Radboud University Nijmegen.

Erik-Jan van Kesteren: Contrary to popular opinion about the great capital that is London, after my year there I was left with mixed feelings. In part, London has made me realise what I want to become by showing me the opposite: people around me were often rushed and focussed on work, appearances, and money. In my photography, I sometimes captured this and in other times I tried to find those moments in which these themes were not visible.

The city itself is wonderfully diverse and does really have its own culture. It has majestic areas with powerful architecture, but also incredibly moody alleys. It is really photogenic, although when you try to take pictures you have to really watch out for the ever-lurking photographic clichĂŠs: with the photogenic nature of the city comes the fact that parts of it have been photographed countless times. Taking little trips to the outer areas of London was my way of finding places that were both peaceful and relatively unexplored.

Erik-Jan van Kesteren (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;13) has almost completed his MSc in Organisational and Social Psychology at the London School of Economics.

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Goodbye Mister Balbuena A short story by Januschka Veldstra.

n the morning they came for him, Esteban Balbuena called in sick at work, bid his mother farewell without waking her, and took a seat on the stool on the porch in front of the house. There he waited in the morning sun. He had known that this day would come for one and a half years and he was ready. He had no more objections; there was nothing left to stop him now. In two hours they would be here, he had just read it again in their letter. Eight twenty-five in the morning, on the 25th of August, 1992. The black letterhead, the seal, and of course the contents – after unfolding it so many times that the paper was close to tearing, he knew the letter by heart. Still, it was reassuring to see those black words against the crisp white background. It was reassuring to know that he would soon leave for another, unknown place.

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“Mister Balbuena?” Esteban had been so lost in thought he hadn’t noticed the man standing in front of him. He wondered what time it was - exactly eight twentyfive, as they had said? It would be rude to check his watch, so he just nodded. Perhaps that was rude, too. Common courtesy would have him speak, probably, but he wanted to leave a good first impression and his throat was feeling dry. If he spoke without clearing his throat first, his voice might squeak or crack. For as long as he could remember, he’d had a dislike of clearing his throat in public. You might do it too loudly, startling your company, or too softly, so that you would have to do it again, and either way, people would think something of it. That was such an unpleasant idea. He found himself wishing that he’d thought to bring a glass of water when he went to sit outside.

“Are you ready to come with me, Mr. Balbuena?” Again he nodded, postponing the clearing of the throat. He was aware that he would have to give in soon, if he didn’t want to seem incapable of speech. “You don’t have any luggage?” Nothing suggested the man was fazed by Esteban’s silence, or that he thought it was strange, so Esteban only shook his head. Nonverbal communication suited him. “Excellent.” The hint of a smile flickered on the man’s lips, “Follow me.” The man had already turned around and was about to walk away, when he seemed to change his mind, turned back, and stuck out a hand. Esteban looked at it, confused. Did the man want to introduce himself? Didn’t they already know as much about each other as they needed to? The letter had made it clear that identities did not matter. “I’m Es-,” Instead of taking his hand and shaking it, the man took it and pulled him up off the stool. Aha. Wasn’t that a little odd, to go through all that trouble, just to get him on his feet? He could have managed himself. Of course he was not as fit as he had once been – he was the first to admit that – but so old that he required help to get up? Had he not known any better, he might have felt offended. However, the man probably meant well, simply assumed weakness in human beings. Esteban decided not to make a fuss. He never liked to make a fuss. Especially as this finally seemed like the right moment to clear his throat. His voice had sounded a little strange to him just now. “You wanted to say something?” “No, no, it was nothing. Quite alright.” His voice still sounded peculiar to him, though he found he couldn’t recall what it normally sounded like. Perhaps it always sounded like this, only he had never noticed before? “Actually, there is something.” He drew a breath,

open his mouth, changed his mind, saw the man’s expectant face, and spoke after all, “To be honest, I had imagined you differently.” “Yes.” “Yes, greener, I suppose.” He laughed a bit, but the man didn’t respond. Maybe he shouldn’t have said that, he regretted it already. Why had he laughed, too? It wasn’t even funny - only betrayed his ignorance. The man probably got this kind of thing all the time, picking people up. Was that even his job? Esteban didn’t know if they did this regularly. Until now, the thought hadn’t occurred to him once that perhaps he wasn’t the only one they’d chosen. For no clear reason, he had assumed he was an exception. That he might not be struck an unfamiliar chord in him; he really felt somewhat upset at the thought. It wasn’t so much that he wasn’t special, but rather that he had failed to consider that option. He had blindly assumed, when he prided himself in over-thinking, slowly and carefully. Then again, maybe he was jumping to conclusions again. He should just wait and see. The man still hadn’t responded, making Esteban wonder if he’d even heard. He would repeat himself, if not for the possibility of the man ignoring him out of politeness. Perhaps he’d let it go to avoid awkwardness, although of course Esteban still felt embarrassed. Even now he couldn’t keep his mouth shut, even in this moment he’d unconsciously lived towards his entire life. This always happened. He would say whatever came to mind, no matter how often his mother had warned him to think before speaking. Never assume that what sounds good in your head will taste as good on your tongue. She had stopped warning him some time ago. Of course she was too old now, at eighty-two. These days, she spent most of her time in the chair by the window overlooking the porch. It made him uncomfortable to see her sitting so quietly. He wished for a more dignified final act. He had tried

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to rouse her from her slumber, but it was as if her mind had already passed into the void. This woman, who had always participated so actively in the world, was now simply watching it pass by. She would not miss him – that was why he could leave without regret. They had been walking for some time without either attempting conversation, so Esteban felt safe studying the man from the corner of his eye. The man seemed no different from himself, apart from those natural differences that exist between all people. He almost seemed like the more normal of the two, even though he clearly wasn’t. That didn’t really surprise him. It was not so much that Esteban thought of himself as special – not at all – just different from other people. Probably because he looked around more, let the world sink in more. Certain things struck him, when others ignored them as if they didn’t exist. He suspected they chose him because of this perceptiveness. He did not suspect that the man walking next to him was carrying a lightweight gun with silencer in his briefcase. Neither did he suspect the man to take that gun from his briefcase in a minute, check that the silencer was screwed on properly, and load three bullets before resting it against Esteban’s temple. He had no idea that the three

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bullets were a matter of habit, not a necessity. He could not know that after years of training, the man needed only one shot to send Esteban to the netherworld – another place indeed – many years before his time. Nor was he aware of the sad fate that awaited him. He did not think it would be many years before anybody found his corpse. He did not know that by then, his remains would be so heavily ravaged by the merciless passing of time and the hungry teeth of countless predators that only his teeth could identify him. He never dreamed that no one would report him as missing. At least he wasn’t alone. At least they came for dozens like him. Those people they felt added little to nothing to society. The man’s job was to help those who were just strong enough not to be eliminated naturally when they should be to move on. He and his colleagues were only there to help. But this, too, Esteban did not suspect. Indeed, for all his careful observation and deliberation, Mr. Balbuena suspected nothing. Januschka Veldstra (‘13) is slaving away trying to finish her MA in Applied Ethics at the UU, so she can go off to Canterbury next year for an MA in Creative Writing at the University of Kent. She might go on to win a Nobel Prize in Literature and a Nobel Peace Prize for her groundbreaking work on creative ethics, or she might not.

15 years

of UCSA MAARTEN STIKKELMAN - 1999 Maarten Stikkelman fondly recalls the beginnings of the UCSA and its Board. The first months of UC I remember well. The Kromhoutweg, Dining Hall, Locke and Newton, loads of sand everywhere, but also its first population; the 179 eager students that made up the student body. We had two things in common: We had taken the risk of signing up for a concept that was completely new to the Netherlands, meaning we had also accepted the challenge of constructing an initially non-existent campus life. Actually, we more than accepted this challenge, we embraced it. In the first six months of UCU, committee after committee was founded: the Boomerang, Drama, BarCo, Sports, Literature, Dance, Prom, Debate, and many more. After half a year there were around 25 committees, with varying degrees of activity. I was involved in founding the Career committee, and in our interactions with College Hall it became clear that we were one of many committees “competing” for funding from College Hall. We also found committee events being planned on the same day, at the same times. That is how the idea of the UCSA board was born. The objective was to create a more formal structure with permanent representatives to College Hall, the student body, and off-campus stakeholders. Also, this board

would consolidate an events calendar to make sure that activities would not overlap. After lots of brainstorming, we pitched the idea to a small assembly of all committee chairs. They voted in favour and appointed the first Board. Due to time constraints, we decided not to organize a General Election at that time, but instead have one at the end of the year to elect the next Board. We daydreamed about a smoothly run association with many active committees, a calendar of yearly events organized in accordance with “college traditions”, about big, sponsored sports events, large career fairs with the most prestigious organizations, and about having big parties with other student associations. In reality, our focus at the time was mainly on building the association: statutes, budgets, division of responsibilities, structures. Not exactly the most glamorous stuff! We also helped the Career committee organize a small recruitment event and helped the BarCo negotiate the supply contract with Grolsch. After 5 months our time was up: we had created a foundation for the future but now it was election time! The first General Assembly was a fact, and a new Board was elected. Looking back now it was definitely worth all the initial efforts. Through the grapevine I hear that the association is still very much alive, and that many of our early daydreams have actually been realized! Maarten Stikkelman (‘01) completed an MSc in European Political Economy at the London School of Economics, and has since worked as an investment banker in London and São Paulo. Currently he is a project leader in the global Mergers and Acquisitions team of Syngenta, a biotech company based in Switzerland.

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ANNIKA FAWCETT-GREUP – 2006/2007 Annika Fawcett sees the UCSA as an exciting and bustling community, but also as one due for progress in choosing its representatives. Many of my UCU memories involve the social life on campus. This is in my view the main mission of the UCSA: to make campus as great a place as possible, to make everyone feel at home, and to take full advantage of the great diversity of students in terms of interests, experiences and cultural backgrounds. Together with five amazing fellow boardies, we tried to achieve this by being open to input from as many students as possible, by facilitating the committees and events as best we could, by better aligning activities – from Prom to the Communist/420 party, and from sports to debate. My third year, as a UCSA board member, was definitely my most exciting year - I cannot imagine a place with a higher activity to student ratio than UCU. Looking through old pictures, I find very few from my first year, but many

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from my third. It was just around the time that everyone got a digital camera… things change! Things must have changed for the UCSA and the way in which news and activities are communicated around campus, too. Strange to think today that the facebook used to be a paper booklet with everyone’s picture. Campus was a small bubble which could be a world away from the actual world – at the same time I think there are few other places where I could have learned so much from not only my teachers but also my friends and fellow students. One thing surprises me. Recently the Boomerang asked me some questions about my choice back then to run for chair “as a woman” – I did not think about it that way at the time, I must say – but indeed there have not been any female chairs since! Strange for a campus with so many girls… perhaps worth some research? Annika Fawcett-Greup (‘07½) went on to Oxford for an MPhil in European Politics and Society. She is currently working as a civil servant representing The Netherlands at the UN climate change negotiations.

SIL BOEDI SCHOLTE – 2013/2014

GUSTAAF VAN OOSTEROM – 2014/2015

Sil Boedi Scholte wonders what the UCSA would’ve been like as a human being. Turns out the anxious years of puberty aren’t all that bad!

Gustaaf van Oosterom lays out the status quo of the UCSA, and emphasizes that it is still very much in development.

Having turned fifteen on April 1st this year, the UCSA is currently still in its puberty: although it already has a clearly defined character, it is still very much finding and forming itself.

Having read about the UCSA from year 1 up till now, two things strike me: First, students (now over 750 members) still embrace the UC system. The UCSA today consists of 33 committees, 12 teams, and has connections with many external parties and companies. From the Committee Parades in Introweek, to the blood, sweat and tears at the Inter-UC Tournament, up until the Golden Keys Awards (bigger than the Oscars), students, from Board members to volunteers, are proud to contribute to and be a part of the Association.

As a Chair, I learnt that the UCSA was an inseparable part of campus life from the very beginning of UCU. In aiming to facilitate all social needs of its members, the UCSA set quite a tough and complicated goal. It explains the fact that, over the years, many committees and teams have arisen. However, many have also ceased to exist. While this may seem like an indication of an unprofessional and unstructured organization, it is, I believe, a very healthy and natural development that the UCSA allows for. It not only shows its flexibility by following the interests of the different years and generations that roam UCU grounds at different times, it also confirms that it indeed actively seeks to achieve its goal. On the other hand, as so many possibilities have been explored in the past already, I am sometimes afraid that the UCSA will get stuck with a set of fixed events and assumptions at one point; that it stops discovering and reevaluating. Although the UCSA might officially be considered mature in about three years, I hope it remains stuck in puberty and constantly exploring for a very long time: trying new things, reshaping itself. To ensure that, I hope that the UCSA slogan remains with its members: a posse ad esse – from possibility to reality.

Second, whereas previous Boards focused on building up the Association, current focus lies on directing the Association. Daydreaming is no unusual activity for us either. Considering one of our objectives is to construct a healthy working relationship with the UCAA, we would love to organize a Graduate Conference and partner up with a to-be-elected Alumni Officer in College Hall to introduce a stable and sustainable relationship with our alumni. I am sure all ex-UCSA Board members can agree with me when I say that only experience, not words, capture the true pride felt in being granted the opportunity to represent your fellow members and friends. It is a privilege we continue to inherit as UCSA Board members and continue to ensure does not go to waste.

Sil Boedi Scholte (‘14½) and Gustaaf van Oosterom (‘15½) have yet to graduate, but will surely go on to do many splendid things once they do.

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Open letter to J. Craig Venter Bas Defize writes his famous colleague a critical letter.

ear John, esteemed colleague,

The pressure on society to accept genetic modification as the ultimate answer to world hunger, accompanied by your often putting away opponents as zealous reactionaries and conspiracy theorists, urges me to write you this letter. After all, you’re one of the most famous proponents of genetic fabrication. I have read your autobiography as well as a large amount of interviews, of which I assume you thoroughly scrutinize the text before allowing their publication – probably with the same zeal as you do genetic sequencing, because sloppiness could lead to nasty, unexpected effects. Nevertheless, I’m afraid there are, in my humble opinion, quite a few returning examples of sloppiness in your lines of reasoning. Let me start by saying that I do not belong to “those looking to the future in fear” or to those with only a minor form of education, not capable of understanding the subtleties of genetic research, the two categories in which you tend to divide your critics. Your trust in what you call “synthetic genetics” is

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limitless. In your opinion, life is but a “software system”, in which the software is the DNA, and the hardware is the cell around it. One of the things you claim is that you have actually created a form of life, a bacterium, by carefully, like the Chinese do with IKEA products and Swiss watches, prying apart and reading the DNA of the original, and, after synthesizing it yourself, putting it back in a DNA-less variant of the same bacterium. Lo and behold, it lives! I beg to differ. This is not creating life. If you disassemble the engine of a car, carefully copy all its parts, adding your name in small print to some of them for fun, and putting them all together in a perfect copy which you place back in the car and it subsequently runs, you have NOT created a car, just copied it. Technically a remarkable feat, but not more than that. The real problem begins when you compare genetic manipulation using molecular biological techniques to manipulating plants and animals by breeding and selection. Nothing dangerous about the latter, after all we have been doing this since we abandoned our hunter-gatherer lifestyle, creating all kinds of “unnatural” organisms like cows with giant udders and dogs with flat

working on the brakes. I wouldn’t want to sit in that car, sorry. Neither would I want that car to “infect” other cars, which is a metaphor for manipulated genomes spreading into the wildtype population.

snouts and chickens with five kilos of meat when they’re only three weeks old to name but a few> So you reason that the former is not dangerous either! You have even dismissed these breeding techniques as actually being rather primitive (and thus more dangerous!) in “randomly shuffling DNA without knowing the consequences” compared to “predictably altering genomes based upon scientific knowledge”. Nice move, those not-so-well-educated might even buy this. But this line of reasoning stinks. Our scientific knowledge on how the genome actually works and determines our phenotype (our features), is far from complete. Far. New, unexpected levels of regulation and control are discovered almost every day. The genome is chock full of structures we don’t understand. Epigenetics, the control of our genome by all kinds of intricate and often surprising mechanisms is a booming part of science. Now you wish to manipulate things in such a complicated and very superficially understood machinery and make it sound not only as if you exactly know what the outcome will be, but also as if it is not dangerous. It sounds like driving a car after having had a medieval blacksmith

Breeding animals and plants is of a completely different order. That only works with organisms of which the genome is almost identical. There is no “random shuffling of genetic information.” All genes remain precisely at bay, there are just subtle differences in their activity levels, and it’s up to “nature” (whatever that might be) whether the resulting cross is viable and fertile or not. It’s a misconception to call life a “software system”. The software (DNA) and the hardware are intricately intertwined, and relate as chicken and egg. The software is nothing without the hardware. If you put the DNA of a frog in the egg of a sheep you get nothing. Nada. Not a shog and neither a freep. On a last note: Please continue with your projects. Science learns a lot from them, but treat your critics like you treat your model systems: thoroughly and with respect. With kind regards, Bas Defize, PhD. Bas Defize is an instructor of Molecular Developmental Genetics and Cell Biology at University College Utrecht, where he is also the Career Development Officer. He is a board member of the Stichting Biowetenschappen en Maatschappij, and his spoken columns about biological topics can be heard on the radio channel of RTV N-H.

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Syria:

why is aid access a problem? Andrea Bos analyzes the obstacles that stand in the way of providing aid to victims of the humanitarian crisis in Syria.

ews reports in Syria no longer just cover the war dynamics between the government and opposition groups; there is increasing attention for the humanitarian situation in Syria, too. Several aid organisations are actively calling for help, not just because they need donations, but because they need access into the country in order to reach the Syrian people, who are in dire need of help. Aid access was, is, and will remain a problem in Syria in the near future. The UN has identified 258 priority areas across Syria were humanitarian access would allow a significant expansion of relief operations, but so far little progress has been made. 3.5 million people are in need of assistance, which is an increase of 1 million since the beginning of 2014. 220.000 people remain besieged in Homs, Nubl and Zahra and multiple other locations. 175.000 of those people are besieged by the government and the other 45.000 by opposition groups.

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3.5 million people are in need of assistance

The role of the government and opposition forces Both the government and opposition forces play a role in limiting aid access, although the general consensus is that the government is mainly responsible for this. The Assad regime restricts entry to certain areas, monopolises the distribution of aid through Damascus, and denies cross-border assistance. Government forces also hold specific areas like Yarmouk and Moadamiya under siege, leading to situations where people are starving to death while aid convoys are waiting for permission to enter those areas. Although in some cases access is allowed, the Syrian government has so far continued to use denying aid access as a war tactic, with starvation as a weapon of war. The lack of trust between parties is likely to make government forces fearful of losing control over areas if they allowed aid convoys to enter. Moreover, starvation is a way to pressure civilians into surrendering, and prevents them from supporting rebel forces.

People crowd the streets of Yarmouk Camp, a disctric of Damascus, February 2014 | source: UNRWA archive - www.unrwa.org

An armed trafficker in Rio slum. Photo: Loretta van der Horst

Similarly, several opposition groups use besieging civilians as a war tactic. Details about what group is denying aid access in which area of the country are often unavailable, but what is known is that some rebel groups are more moderate and more cooperative towards the aid organisations than others. Groups like the Free Syrian Army (although currently not playing a big role in the Syrian conflict) and the Supreme Military Command are typically fairly moderate and cooperative towards foreign organisations providing aid.

that fall somewhere in the middle, that consider themselves Islamist, but who are comparatively moderate. For example, organisations like al-Nusra are relatively hard-line in their ideology, but the UN is in touch with them to organise safe passage for aid convoys and they have so far refrained from targeting aid workers in Syria.

Current developments

Others, like the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS: Islamic State in Iraq and Syria) have seized aid supplies, attacked hospitals and abducted foreign aid workers. Those are the rebel groups that make it difficult for aid organisations to do their work.

Over the past few months we have seen several trends and initiatives to improve the situation, but Valerie Amos, Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator of UN OCHA, stated last week: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Far from getting better, the situation is getting worse. Violence has intensified over the last month, taking a horrific toll on ordinary civilians.â&#x20AC;?

Lastly, there are a lot of other organisations

In a rare moment of unity, the Security Council

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source: UNRWA archive - www.unrwa.org

chances are slim that a rare moment of unity, like that of the 22nd of February, will occur again. unanimously adopted the Resolution 2139 on February 22nd 2014. This included a call for an end to all forms of violence, lifting sieges of populated areas and allowing the delivery of humanitarian assistance. The resolution was considered to be a huge step forward towards improving the humanitarian situation in Syria, but by now it has been acknowledged that it did nothing to improve the situation. The Security Council has continued to discuss the situation in Syria, although so far no concrete results have come from that. At the same time, there are several cases where aid convoys were allowed to access specific regions for brief periods of time. However, deals in Homs, Yarmouk and Nasuybin are mostly short-lived or complicated by local and international political dynamics. At the same time the conflict is spilling over to neighbouring countries - instability and fighting in Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq are also likely to impact aid access.

Conclusion The divisions within the international community

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make it unlikely that an international agreement on how to deal with this humanitarian crisis will come anytime soon. The current crisis in Ukraine, and the deepening divide between Russia and Western countries, make it even more difficult to come to a solution. A group of lawyers argue that it is legitimate for the UN to deliver aid within Syria without permission from the Syrian government, while others argue that a Security Council authorisation is necessary. So far, no consensus has been reached. The majority of Council members is disappointed that the Syrian government has not done more to improve the situation. However, Russia has indicated that it is not willing to support sanctions on the Syrian regime, so the chances are slim that a rare moment of unity, like that of the 22nd of February, will occur again. Andrea Bos (class of 2011Â˝) completed her MA in International Peace and Security at Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College London last year. She is now working as an intern for the Centre for Safety and Development and for ActionAid Netherlands. This article is based on a series of blog posts written for the Centre for Safety and Development: http://www.centreforsafety.org/about-us/csd-blog-/

The photographic process

An everchanging story

Emilia van Lynden discusses contemporary photography.

he amount of times I have heard or read the phrase ‘everyone is a photographer nowadays’ is close to ridiculous. With the rise of the digital world and with that the popularity of the smartphone, a large percentage of the world is able to take photographs. This by no means makes them qualify as a photographer. ‘Everyone’ uploads their photos onto Instagram, puts a filter over it and thinks that they have created something edgy and artsy. People did it to such an extent that the phrase #nofilter is seen daily on my Facebook newsfeed. They are proud of themselves when they take a pretty photo of a landscape without throwing a filter on top of it. More often than not, this nice image has absolutely nothing to do with the talent of the person taking the photograph; the phone, the landscape and, most importantly, the natural light have created the charming snapshot. The art world looked on as the digital camera and the smartphone became the hype of the start of our millennium and therefore some artists decided to move back to analogue and back into the dark room. This time, however, using appliances and accessories that in previous decades had never belonged there. Just as the mannerist did in the 17th century, so the artists of the last two decades have started to

do. Perfection, to a certain extent, was reached with the digital camera, just as it was reached by the masters of the Renaissance and therefore the artists had to reinvent their skill and redefine their medium. The difference between people who take photographs and those who call themselves professional photographers is that one is an inherent storyteller: a person whose profession is to push boundaries, look for new ways to create, to be original and thereby tell his or her story. Having started working in the world of contemporary photography, I found myself being thrown into the deep end of a pool filled with unfathomable, strange and often unattractive images. I took on the challenge to understand this art, which seemed so far removed from the education in art history that I had received at University (I specialised in 17th century architecture and painting). After months of doing online research into artists, galleries and influential individuals, I am slowly starting to grasp this intricate art form. One of the steps that, in my opinion, has to be taken to understand contemporary photography, is to forget about what you think is traditionally aesthetically pleasing. Often this means forgetting

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about the perfect composition and the ideal use of light and shadow. This has sometimes, in my case, led to frustration and dumbfoundedness. One thing which does however remain, is the story the artist is trying to tell. It does not necessarily need to be the narrative which links all the visual elements in the photograph but can also be the story of the photographic process. It does also not necessarily mean that the story is a good one but it is a thought-out story nonetheless. Contemporary photographers have started to think of ways to move away from the traditional. Many of them do this by introducing a mixture of mediums, by painting on their photographers, by scratching at the photographic paper, by overexposing the negatives. In these ways the end result of a photograph is the opposite to what it used to be. The imperfect suddenly becomes what artists want to strive for; the imperfect becomes the perfect. The use of multimedia has become increasingly popular; artists use the images they find on the internet, combine their photography with film and print on various materials. Others, like the renowned Italian photographer Lorenzo Vitturi, build structures using different types of materials and then photograph the process of building the structure/statues, as well as the end result. He tells the story, starting from the beginning, of which steps were taken to create the final piece. He, like Daniel Gordon, Peter Puklus and many others, tells the story behind making the final image. In that sense, they can to a certain extent be seen as a sculptor as well as a photographer. Documentary photography, which is a very prominent aspect of contemporary photography, has always been a way to tell a story. Even this is being altered, manipulated and played with nowadays. Take for example the artist Richard Mosse, who documents the war ridden society in

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Lorenzo Vitturi | www.lorenzovitturi.com

the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. He uses a discontinued reconnaissance infrared film, which creates an end result in which the landscape appears to be a deep pink colour. He uses the same film for his disturbing multichannel video installations. Pink, the colour of unconditional love and nurture, now dominates the most horrific scenes of human aggression and murder. Personally, I think that the story becomes even more harrowing and remains longer in our thoughts, due to the fact that the use of colour is so contradictory to what is being depicted. Many people who look at contemporary photography for the first time might well think that the majority is done in Photoshop. While this might be the case for some artists, there are artists who go through a painstakingly long

Richard Mosse | www.richardmosse.com

process in order to create their final image. Their work is a distinct reflection of precision, patience and willpower. Jessica Eaton is one of these artists. Her images mainly consist of bright cubes of colour that look as if they have been digitally manipulated. Instead, she actually builds the cubes herself and paints them using different shades of grey. After this she shoots images of the cube repeatedly on the same negative, whilst changing the colour of the filter which is over her lens (red, green, blue). Ultimately her colourful cubes appear. These images, which to some might simply look like cubes created on the computer, are nevertheless a perfect example of contemporary photography: the medium in which the process is of utmost importance. The story of both the process as well as the

narrative in the concluding image, has now become equally important. Perhaps the importance of the story of the photographic process has even overtaken the importance of the lasting image. However, the two remain inextricably linked. This is why contemporary fine art photography is not always as approachable as some want it to be, but this in my eyes makes in all the more intriguing. Once you dig beneath the surface, you quickly realise that there is a complexity in the stories which are being told, far more so than meets the eye. This is of course the aim of the majority of artworks that have been and are being created. However, in contemporary photography we get to see the individual use of imagination, creativity and ingenuity more than ever before. These are the artists who are willing to use all different types of mediums to inform their public. What artists want

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Richard Mosse | www.richardmosse.com

you to see is not necessarily the only visible result, but the process that made the result possible. From what I have learnt, no one truly knows in which direction the photographic medium is going. One thing however remains clear in my view of the craft and that is the art of storytelling. This aspect has been present since the beginning of the medium, although the variations of stories that are being told have increased in number tremendously and at a rapid pace. This is the aspect, and it is one of many, which places this innovative art in a secure position in the evolution of all the fine arts and is a superb reflection of the stories which are being written and realized in our contemporary society. I have only just started looking through the photographic lens and have a long way to go

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before I can grasp this complicated medium. One thing which I do have, is an awakened sense of interest and curiosity for all the stories which are still to be told. Emilia van Lynden (â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;11) obtained a Master of Arts from the University of Amsterdam, specializing in Dutch 17th century art and architecture, and is currently Head of Exhibitor Relations for the Unseen Photography Fair in Amsterdam. Links to the photographers www.lorenzovitturi.com www.danielgordonstudio.com www.peterpuklus.com www.richardmosse.com www.jessicaeaton.com Richard Mosse, recent winner of the Deutsche BĂśrse Photography Prize, currently has a show at FOAM in Amsterdam and another in FoMU in Antwerp starting in June 2014.

The Congo Cables Dirk-Jan Koch discusses the sense and nonsense of international cooperation in the DR Congo.

n 2012 Dutch development funds realized the construction of brand new army barracks in Bukavu, eastern Congo, to integrate (former) rebels back into society - in itself a good idea. But then, disagreement arose about who exactly would be allowed to live in those beautiful new buildings. The Hague had not thought about that. Conflict between government troops and (former) Tutsi rebels turned into riots that dragged on for months. For the Congo population, this meant a resurgence of violence affecting their safety. For me, as a starting diplomat full of ideals for a better world and my role in it, it was a valuable lesson: with my own eyes I saw how international cooperation can sometimes have disastrous consequences. I came to the DR Congo (DRC) as a diplomat for the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and subsequently became national director for Search for Common Ground, an international NGO focused on conflict transformation. In addition to my work, I taught at the Catholic University of Kinshasa, and one of my courses was called International Cooperation. My students, however, preferred that I call the course International Exploitation, as they were convinced that the international community was not truly aiding the DRC, but there to extract its resources. It raised an interesting question: are we, as international community, helping or

hindering the development of the DRC? The short answer is: we’re doing both. Of course, this doesn’t mean we need to stop international cooperation. If a medical intervention fails and the patient dies, we don’t react by closing hospitals. However, projects such as the barracks in Bukavu indicate that the system of international cooperation as we know it today has to change its course radically. In addition, we ought to not only think about the impact of our interventions in countries like Congo, but also about the role that we as Western consumers play in maintaining these problems. Take gold. The nice, shiny rings that we lovingly slide onto the fingers of our fiancés were likely made of gold that comes from a mine in which children are scraping the bottom with a homemade scoop from early morning till late evening. There is a big chance that the mine is located in an area that is controlled by rebels who force the local population to work in those mines for a pittance. And when rebels are attacked by a competitive group some serious bloodshed will occur and, depending on who wins, the mine will change ownership. As a result of such practices, the West have spent tens of millions of dollars to build refugee camps and hold peacekeeping missions, but far too little is being done to address the root cause of the problem: the illegal gold trade. Illegal trade means there is still no certified gold available in standard jewelry stores in many Western countries and we as consumers, without being aware, are buying gold originating from those gangster mines. This leads to human suffering in Congo, but also ends up costing Western countries tons of money. So it’s time for smarter, more informed international cooperation that doesn’t deal with the symptoms, but tackles the causes. The fact that the current system of international cooperation needs to be changed does not mean

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Are we, as international community, helping or hindering the development of the DRC? that everything that happens now is pointless. Development aid has professionalized in recent years. In particular, the new approach to resultsbased financing in Congo has yielded positive results. In this form of financing, it is not the intent of the development organization or government partner to do well that is rewarded. Instead, the grant is only provided after an agreed outcome is achieved: no cure no pay. In education, this means that schools, for example, get more funding if they can show that the number of girls in school has increased. And it works. In the district of Shabunda thousands more girls went to school in the few years after this form of financing had been introduced. Result-oriented development encourages people to roll up their sleeves and get to work, instead of holding their hands up for assistance. Furthermore, collaboration between government and industry has proved very effective in Congo. For instance, the Netherlands stimulated Heineken to start buying a few million euro worth of locally produced rice. The result was that the collapsed rice cultivation in the DR Congo was given a new impetus: in the end the brewer bought rice for tens of millions of euros from local farmers. Despite the fact that aid sometimes fails, it is in everyone’s interest to find ways to continue to discover how it can be effective. Because what happens if we don’t even try? In the 1980’s, when AIDS began to

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spread, we did not invest (enough) in health centers in Africa. If we had, we could have recognized AIDS earlier and curbed it before it spread north. This disease has led to 300,000 deaths in Europe alone. For the reasons that this example illustrates, I believe that the current reduction in development assistance can come to cost us dearly in the end. So let’s look beyond the traditional aid. We need to focus on the causes of instability, such as the illegal gold trade, and the arms trade, and continue to focus on results-based financing and an intensification of public-private partnership. A worldwide shift is taking place towards combining trade and aid agendas. This could be good news for the DRC if it means more of the trade that helps the DRC and less of the trade that it is holding it down; more good gold, and less blood gold! Dirk-Jan Koch (‘01) holds a Masters degree in Development Management from the London School of Economics and a PhD from the Radboud University in Development Studies. He was a diplomat from 2004 until 2011. His book ‘The Congo Codes’, is available in Dutch, and will hopefully be translated in the future. The book was rated by with four stars in the Parool and three stars in the NRC Handelsblad, and labelled a ‘must-read’ in the Trouw.

Marie Elise Aarts Eloi Adjavon Juliette Ampt Chris Beekman

Chris Bisperink

Mohammad Akbar Astrid Alsema

Ata Akpojiyovbi

Elena Barone

Isabelle Attallah Nicole van den Berg

Mai Berger

Monta Berke Marleen Biezeno

Jasmijn van den Beukel Sander Bijl de Vroe Dean Brandt

Marius Bischoff Laura Boerboom

Clem Borgstein Thijs Bonenkamp Marine Borchardt Maaike Boomgaard Isabel Braadbaart Gael van den Bossche Elena Butti Romain Bruyere Lisa Brinke Elsbeth Burgers

Willemijn Bresjer

Zoe Cox-Putker

Monice Cornelissen

Cosette Cornelis

Anne-Roos Dam Maia Daley David Ecclestone Maartje Eijlander Anna Farrow Willem van Geel Nick Gianni Felix Freitag Michel Gölz Liselotte Goemans Ira Gosselink Carlos Granados Martinez Robin Groen Iris van Dijk

Benthe Doeve

Victoria Heng Eline Helmer Pieter Houttuin Astor Hermans Wouter den Hollander Claire Huijts Anneke Johnson Anouk Jonker Adinda Kok

Chi Che Mary-Jo Diepeveen Mireille van Dongen Jan van Dorp Joey Düker Alexandra Fergen Maria Gillesen Teun van Gils Lena Hartog Anthony Guevara Joep Hecker

Janne Heederik

Jan-Willem van Heeswijck Ilona de Jong Sarah Jenicek Eun A Jo Lucian Indries Martin Klima Roald Klumpenaar Lea Kneževic Laura Koekkoek Rick Kruijs Jesse Kroon Nina Korsuize Victor Kolkman Isabelle Koster Gracja Kowalska Koen Kuipers Jotte Kuilder Susanna Leemhuis

Myrte van Langen Olga Krabbe Amanda Lans Emily Knoppert Aylin Leenhouts Aniek Linssen Diba Mokhberolsafa

Alexander Lukin Frederica Martijn Roel Maalderink Maarten Mennes Jody van Mastrigt Willem Moutan

Teste van Milink Joost Meulendijks Ward Nusselder Maryclaire O’Brien Sam Nipius Matey Nikolov Floortje van Oosten Gaby Minisian Thijs Olthof Wessel Ouwehand Juliet den Oudendammer Veerle Oosterbaan Noortje van Ophem Sam Parfitt Mayra Ramdihal Franka Rang Thorsten Roobeek Benjamin Parment Gerrianne Pennings Matías van Putten Christine Satter Mareike Sahling Stella Schram Basiel Roodenburg Lotte Schuilenborg Lin Seidler Willem Simons Caitlin Snel Mara Soekarjo Yvette Spoolder Magda Srienc Anton Stam Sanne van der Steeg Reinette Sluijk Bea Smeekes Constantin Stegkemper Annelotte Straathof Luc Stultiens Sonya Suransky Keir Tetley Lieke van Tooren Tycho Tromp Jikkie Verlare Simone Uniken Venema Peter Valach Marcell Várkonyi Eva Venken Diederik Verdult Mike Videler Lisa Wanders Reinder Vos de Wael Orion Vienne Annerijn Vink Dieuwke Vos Lina Wenner Rachelle de Vries Liselotte Wuite Laura van der Zande Thom Wetzer Hester Wiarda Sophia de Wijer Maartje de Windt Remo Winkelmolen

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Andrea Bos (‘11) and Danique van Koppenhagen (‘10) won the UCU Open debating competition in November. UCU organises a yearly debating competition that brings together teams from different European countries to debate about a wide variety of issues. The format used is British Parliamentary debating. They have both been part of the board of the UCU debating Union and have been involved in judging this competition in previous years. This year they decided to participate in the competition under the team name UCAA. Andrea also became best individual speaker of the competition. Maartje Ament-Searle (‘05) and her husband welcomed their first child, a beautiful baby boy, on February 1st. His name is Stellan and he is awesome. Phillip Paiement (‘09) and Sacha van der Zande (‘09) are getting married in July, 2014. First they will celebrate in the Netherlands and later this summer in Minnesota. Bastiaan de Goei (‘03) got engaged to Yu Wen Chen. They met at Fitzwilliam College in Cambridge during their PhD research (business economics and chemical engineering, respectively) and are

still happily living and working in the UK; now in London. They will be getting married in Holland on the 23rd of August. Coen Tegelberg (‘10) started Bam Boe, an event production and promotion company with fellow alumni Fred van Hasselt (‘09) and Thomas Westhof (‘12) in Amsterdam. Their events started with a group of UCU alumni, but are expanding beyond the alumni bubble as well now! Follow them around on bam-boe.nl. Bianca van Kemenade (‘08) successfully defended her PhD on “Functional neuroimaging of integrative processes in visual cortex” at the Berlin School of Mind and Brain. Eugenie Carolina van der Meulen (‘11) went on to pursue a degree in classical piano at the HKU Utrecht Conservatory. On the 5th of June she will present the result of all her hard work in a final recital of 45 minutes with works by Bach, Beethoven, Chopin, Mendelssohn, Brahms and Bartók. She will be judged by a jury, and hopefully supported by an audience. At the time of going to press the result of this recital is not known yet, so retroactively keep your fingers crossed!

If you want to share your experiences in the next edition of Post magazine go to the following link: goo.gl/ZHFD62

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Bibi Groot

Post is looking for Peeps!

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Making Post Magazine takes a lot of time, and we’re hoping to find people who’d like to help out. Do you want to develop your editorial / design / illustration / general magazine-making skills? Send us an email at: info@ucaa.nl

Editorial Board Kiran Coleman (‘05) Tanya van Goch (‘12½) Laurens Hebly (‘01) Thijs van Himbergen (‘03) Leonie Hussaarts (‘08) Indra Spronk-Baas (‘06) Januschka Veldstra (‘13)

Additional illustrations Charlie Handsome (‘14)

Contributors Jeroen van Baar (‘11) Anneloes Beekman (‘07) Sil Boedi Scholte (‘14½) Andrea Bos (‘11½) Bas Defize Annika Fawcett-Greup (‘07) Bibi Groot (‘13) Wendelien Hebly (‘03) Erik-Jan van Kesteren (‘13) Dirk Jan Koch (‘01) Emilia van Lynden (‘11) Mariah Mansvelt Beck (‘03) Gustaaf van Oosterom (‘15½) Maarten Stikkelman (‘01) Januschka Veldstra (‘13)

Photography Richard Mosse (page 37 & 38) Lorenzo Vitturi (page 36)

Many thanks to All the participants in the Alternative Alumni Survey

Design & illustration Laurens Hebly (’01) Thijs van Himbergen (’03) www.vanhimbergenhebly.com

Somaye Dehban (‘07) UNRWA.org Printed by Drukkerij ZuidamUithof A very special thanks to all UCAA contributors and to the UCU administration for believing in this magazine and for making the many UCAA events possible.

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