Dear reader,
Thank you for reading the first CaT of the year. It is an honour to write the introduction to the first CaT of the year. As the Chairman and Secretary, we are more than suited to tell all about what happened with Alembic and what the board has been doing past few months.
Since the start of the academic year, we have been working in the board room of Alembic. During the Kick-In itself, half of our board was busy organizing the programme Kick-In as they were the KIKSTart. The other 3 helped the KIKSTart out as much as they could, and it proved to be a great collaboration. It was also very nice to see that so much first year students were interested in our beautiful association.
After the Kick-In, our job of keeping Alembic alive had started. We both were trying to figure the last things out about our function. We also immediately started organizing activities so that Alembic immediately could integrate again with each other, but also with the new students. Next to this we made our final preparations for the Board Change GMA which took place on September 13th. After a long GMA, we finally could present ourselves as the 59th Board. This happy occasion has of course been celebrated in the TAP afterwards. We also wanted to celebrate our constitution with other boards, so of course the constitution drink had to be scheduled. With some help of the 57th and the 58th Boards plus a lot of first years, no board member had been brassed. Unfortunately, the guestbooks and beadle’s mace did not make the end of the evening.
From the parts that we both do recall, we both had a fun party. Unfortunately, Kevin could not make the Greek dinner afterwards and therefore could not listen to Melle’s well appreciated speech. After cleaning both the board and relax room, we have been quite busy running the association. The committees have now been set up, so new activities are being planned every day! We are very excited to see what challenges lies ahead for us. We hope to see you soon at one of Alembic’s many activities!
Glorious regards,
Melle Fopma and Kevin Smeele Chairman and Secretary of C.T.S.G. AlembicHave you ever wondered why a musical instrument sounds different per type or shape? Acoustics, you might say. The type of material that is subjected to vibrations, you might argue. And that is undoubtedly part of the truth. However, there are only so many ways one can shape or use an instrument. Take the violin, for example. It has a distinct sound, but no violin sounds identical, and definitely not all luthiers (‘violin makers’) deliver the same quality of sound. One very famous example depicts the so-called Stradivarius violins that were made by the Italian craftsman Antonio Stradivari in the 17th and 18th century. Even three centuries later, classical musicians are awed by the products of his craftsmanship. [1] But what makes these violins so special?
By: Esli DiepenbroekSeveral researchers from the CERIC Institute have been on a conquest to unravel the secrets of Stradivari’s mastery. Their work demonstrates a nanoscopic technique to analyse the coating characteristics of violin wood: infrared scattering-type scanning near-fields optical microscopy (s-SNOM). [2] Micro samples from two of Stradivari’s famous violins were analysed with s-SNOM to detect traces of specific proteinaceous compounds. Its nanoresolution allowed for a precise analysis of the complex, multifacetted material and revealed interesting details about the violin wood. Namely, the presence of a proteinaceous coating was found, which provided unprecedented and long-suspected evidence in the ongoing debate about Stradivarius’ lutherie.
By the time this CaT falls on your doormat or comes via E-mail, we are already in the middle of the cold winter (where I hope there will be a lot of snow). Since the summer, a lot has changed.
Firstly, let me introduce myself. My name is Jip Hoogland and this year I am succeeding Charlotte van Reijen as the new Editor-in-Chief of the CaT. Besides this, I am also the Commissioner of Educational Affairs of the 59th Board. In this edition of the CaT you will find interviews to get to know me and my fellow board members a bit better, so be sure to read it!
Secondly, since around March this year, all heavy lockdown regulations have been lifted and Alembic is completely open again.
We are happy to see that there are a lot of people going to the Alembic rooms to either study or relax,and afterwards join for a nice drink in the TAP. Also, there are a lot of fun activities, on which you can read all about!
I hope you have yourself a nice cup of hot chocolate milk while reading this CaT. In this edition there will be interesting pieces on meat created in the lab and what the effects are of drugs on your body. Or enjoy yourself reading about the Kick-In of this year from the view of the KIKSTart.
Enjoy your reading!
Jip Hoogland Editor-in-ChiefFor a long time, material scientists have searched for materials that possess the moldability of polymers and conductivity of metals. Researchers from the University of Chicago seem to have found a promising alternative to the existing materials. [1,2]
Not only does it avoid the use of metals or doped organic materials, the material is found stable under a wide range of conditions, such as pH values of 0-14, a humid air environment and temperatures up till 140 °C. [1]
The answer is nickel-based polymers, and more specifically, nickel tetrathiafulvalene tetrathiolate. This molecule is an amorphous coordination polymer, which means that it is able to arrange into conducting sheets. Different from a metal, though, these lattices do not need to be crystalline or orientated in a specific way. As long as the proclaimed ‘molecular lasagna sheets’ are touching, high conductivities can be reached.
With the possibility of molding said material as one does a polymer, a fresh and fundamentally different perspective is given for the design of flexible electronics. [2]
[1] L. Lerner (2022) “Scientists Astonished by Strange Material That Can Be Made Like Plastic but Conducts Like Metal”. SciTechDaily, University of Chicago.
[2] J. Xie (2022) “Intrinsic glassy-metallic transport in an amorphous coordination polymer” Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05261-4
The CSE programme stimulates prospective students to participate in the KickIn, the introduction period for all first-year students. By participating in the KickIn and the programmerelated part of the KickIn, students are better prepared to start their study programme. From the academic year 2022-2023 onward we also started with an “onboarding program” for all first year CSE students.
The onboarding program…how did it start?
There is a meeting every two weeks with the CSE staff and the Commissioner of Educational Affairs of Alembic. A couple of months before the summer break former Commissioner Jochem and Kandi Jip came up with relevant feedback from a S&T board meeting. We concluded after this meeting: we already offer many ‘soft landing’ activities, often in collaboration with study association Alembic, but students are maybe not aware of this. So we decided to bundle all these activities, set a timeframe -100 days- and we called it ‘onboarding’. The concept is not new. Saxion and several other UT programmes also offer similar programs.
Why did we start the ‘100 days of onboarding’ program?
We know that for first-year students the start of their life at the university can be overwhelming. The transition from high school to university in a new cultural, academic and educational environment demands a lot. Meet new people, arrange practical stuff, move to Enschede, start with education at another level, Matlab struggles and after a long day on campus, you even have to cook your own dinner. Much information and many impressions at the beginning of their studies sometimes distract students from studying or it increases their stress level. A ‘soft landing’ and feeling of community can help a student to adapt faster to their new environment.
Ok, but we also have the Kick-In, right?
Yes, by participating in the Kick-In and especially the programme-related part of the Kick-In, students are better prepared to start their study programme. But first of all, not everyone participates in the Kick-In. And to be honest, what do you remember of the information that you received during the Kick-In? We know that some of the Kick-In objectives still need attention after the Kick-In. It certainly takes more than 10 days to adapt to a student life.
What are the goals of this onboarding program?
Onboarding is a two-way street. It asks effort from everyone involved: the programme (staff), teachers, Alembic and students. The role of a university student in an educational setting is not a consumer role. From the start on an active study attitude is immediately expected: a student is responsible for his/her personal development, (learning) behaviour and study planning. An academic attitude demands a (pro)active attitude. But of course there is support and guidance available.
With the ‘100 days of onboarding’ activities we want to stimulate:
– autonomyand(pro)active participationineducationandthe universitycommunity
– socialandacademicbonding
aproblem-solvingattitude
What kind of onboarding activities are there?
You can think of activities like the peer program and the “How to survive the Netherlands” buddies for international students. But also the educational round during the Kick-In, manuals, checklists, walk-in hours and information sessions. In fact even the Effective meetings training, which is related to the project, is also an activity that is helpful for a good start. Just before the end of the 100 days, students also get the opportunity to choose one of our teachers as a mentor.
What is the expected outcome after 100 days?
The desired outcome within 100 days is that students:
– know how the Dutch/ UT educationalsystemsworks
learn how to use educational systems,likeCanvasandOSIRIS
build a UT broad network and know wheretofindsupportandguidance
– areawareoftherules,rightsand regulations
And after these 100 days?
We will celebrate the end of 100 days in December. After that it’s time for evaluation and improvement. We are always open for new ideas!
Did you know that lab grown meat also known as “cultivated meat” was first cultured by a professor named Mark Post at Maastricht University in the form of a burger in 2013? Mark, who was previously working on repairing human heart tissue, managed to do it by borrowing techniques from regenerative medicine. This accomplishment caused a paradigm shift in the way the food industry worked. Moreover, developments like this led to different questions and the main perpetrator is climate change, making this look like the future of the food industry.
“In time, I believe that cultured meat could fundamentally change the way the majority of meat is produced in Europe” - Peter Verstrate, COO of Dutch company Mosa Meat. Mosa Meat was founded by Peter Verstrate and Mark Post, who believe that moving to a more efficient method of production would have many benefits for Europe, such as reduced methane emission that contribute significantly to climate change.
Benefits of cultivated meat are difficult to scale, but some estimate that it will not only reduce methane emissions but also reduce use of water and land by over 95%. Furthermore, cultivating meat directly from animal cells could directly reduce the need of farmers dosing livestock with antibiotics and growth hormones that potentially harm human health.
Cultivated chicken has debuted in Singapore with a price tag of at least €13.80 ($15) per meal. However, more companies entering the market could change economics and pricing based on the technology used and meat produced by each. Most of the cultivated meat companies are trying to produce their own versions of beef because cattle are the least efficient in production compared to pork or chicken. Moreover, cattle contribute the most to greenhouse gas emissions, including methane, which is 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a heat-trapping gas. Cattle require the most natural resources, causing deforestation and loss of biodiversity.
Beef is one of the most expensive meats and sells two to three times the price of pork and poultry, which will help most companies’ breakeven. A number of companies are also working on cultivated fish like Bluu Seafood in Germany, Wanda fish in Israel and US-based finless food. Furthermore, this type of meat may have lower manufacturing costs because cultivating fish cells requires lower temperatures, thus lesser energy. Eventually, as the cultivated meat producers scale up their production, the prices for cultivated meat may be equal or lower to conventional meat.
In order for cultivated meat to be regulated, companies must follow regulations based on the countries where their business is established. Outside of Singapore, the regulations are fairly new and continue to remain a challenge for most companies. Fortunately, the regulatory pathway is a lot clearer in Europe than in the US.
The EU’s novel food regulations have sped up the process, so it may be quicker than the US. European food safety authority’s regulation on novel foods, which includes cultured meat, allows a company to prove the safety of their product within 18 months. In other locations, neither technologies nor the regulations are advanced enough.
However, some regions, such as China, do accept certain products that have been approved abroad, expanding the market further.
With a rise in popularity, cultivated meat could unlock a whole new market for ‘Personalized Nutrition.’ Once there is a more precise control over growth of the meat, nutrients of the meat could be customized to tailor people needs. Furthermore, people of different age and health conditions could benefit from this in the future. For example, in The Netherlands, where the weather conditions cause insufficient exposure to the sun, could benefit from adding vitamin D to supplement the meat. Infrastructural evolution of this industry could also create a future where meat is cultivated in big cities, thus eliminating the need to transport it, therefore making it easier for the people living there.
In recent years there have been regular reports about a new generation of batteries in which the liquid electrolyte is replaced by a solid material: the solid-state batteries. With a higher energy density and a better safety than current batteries, solid-state batteries potentially would boost electric mobility by enhancing the driving distance of e-cars and preventing extreme battery fires. Why are they not yet implemented in the latest generation of e-cars?
The focus of the development of a solid-state lithium-ion battery is to find solid electrolytes that not only have a good lithium conductivity but also show stable behaviour at the interfaces with the electrode materials in the battery. In addition the resulting battery design must be fit for commercial mass production and – on top of that – are fit for commercial mass production. Not an easy challenge. After a short introduction on the working principle of the current lithium-ion battery, we review the options.
Currently, lithium-ion batteries rely on the use of a liquid electrolyte for the transport of lithium ions between the electrodes (Figure 1). The positive electrode (cathode) is made of a material with strongly bound lithium such as for instance LiCoO2; in the negative electrode (anode), made of e.g. LiC6 graphite, lithium is loosely bound. A separator prevents direct contact of the electrodes, but allows lithium-ions to pass. The battery cell is flooded by the liquid electrolyte. It is an organic solution containing lithium salts, which easily penetrates into the pores of the electrodes, thus providing optimal ionic contact. In the charged state, lithium in the negative electrode has a chemical potential energy with respect to the positive electrode. This drives the lithium-ion from the negative electrode material to the positive electrode. Externally, the chemical driving force manifests itself as the battery voltage. Since the electrolyte only allows lithium-ions to pass, the lithium-ions can only migrate from the positive to the negative electrode if the electrodes are electrically connected externally.
Once this is the case, the internal chemical energy of the battery is converted into electrical energy during the discharge of the battery.
Using liquid electrolyte in a battery has a few major drawbacks: Over time, the quality of the contact in the electrodes degrades due to unwanted chemical reactions and consequently the battery performance deteriorates. Additionally, the flammability of the liquid electrolyte and the possibility of leakage present a major safety risk. Replacing the liquid by a solid electrolyte could mitigate both problems. The promise of solid-state batteries is that they would charge quicker, last longer and have a larger energy density. That means that an e-car with a solid-state battery pack could go farther than it would go with an equal-weight conventional lithium-ion battery pack.
The application of solid electrolyte materials for energy storage is being studied since more than fifty years. For a long time, the transport of ions such as lithium-ions through the material was not sufficient. However, in the past decade, several breakthroughs have led to solid-state electrolytes with an ionic conductivity that is sometimes even better than that of conventional liquid electrolytes. Using solid-state electrolyte material would significantly reduce the weight and volume of batteries, because the separator between the electrodes of the battery and a rigid packaging to prevent leakage are both no longer needed. However, no company has managed to mass produce one at a useful scale yet. It turns out that it is tricky to make them reliable. We go through a couple of options.
“Using solid electrolyte in a battery has a few major drawbacks”Figure 1. Schematics of a conventional lithium-ion battery with liquid electrolyte (left) and a next-generation solidstate lithium-ion battery (right). * Published in a different format at: Europhysics News 52, 2021 10.1051/epn/2021504
With a solid-state electrolyte it would also become possible to use pure metallic lithium as anode material, or at least, that is the hope. Metallic lithium has an energy density that is ten times higher than that of graphite, which is used in conventional lithium-ion batteries. Other advantages of using metallic lithium are its high electrochemical and thermal stability. However, imperfections at the interfaces between the electrodes and the electrolyte inside the battery can considerably reduce the lifetime and performance of the battery, and can pose safety risks (Figure 2). In addition, the metallic lithium is fragile and reactive, which are features that make mass production of the solid-state batteries challenging.
Solid polymer electrolytes offer the best mechanical flexibility. That is attractive for large-scale production of the batteries and to deal with the volumetric changes of the electrodes during battery cycling. Lithium salts are dissolved in the polymer solution to form positive (cations) and negative (anions) parts in the polymer material. The lithium-ion transport is mediated by the movements of the polymer chains. Higher conductivities of the material is achieved by making the polymer chains more flexible and by fixing the anions such that lithiumions can move more freely. In this way, the goal is to achieve room temperature operation of this type of batteries.
Ceramic materials are characterised by a regular crystalline structure with sufficient space for small ions such as lithium to move through them. Lithium-conducting sulfides have an ionic conductivity close to that of conventional liquid electrolyte batteries. Extremely high lithium-conductivity can be achieved by replacing certain elements in the sulfides that make the Li-ion mobility higher. The current record holder is the complex Li9.54Si1.74P1.44S11.7Cl0.3 with a lithium conductivity of 25 mS∙cm-1 (Figure 3), which is more than twice the conductivity of liquid electrolytes in current Lithium ion batteries, which is typically 10 mS∙cm-1. The mechanical softness of the sulfide-based solid
electrolytes which are known as Lithium Super Ionic CONductors or LISICON, allow for good contact at the interface with the electrode. Unfortunately, the electrolytes also have major drawbacks. They are not stable when in contact with the electrodes, the solid electrolyte is oxidized by the positive electrode and/or reduced by the negative electrode, which lowers the conductivity. In addition, they can generate the harmful gas H2S when they come in contact with water, making large scale fabrication challenging.
In the early 1990s, for the first time oxide materials were used as electrolyte. However, due to the amorphous interlayers of the material , which have no structural arrangement, the batteries had a poor mechanical stability and a low lithium conductivity. In the same period also the first crystalline oxide electrolytes were developed, which had a higher conductivity of lithium-ions because of the regular crystal structure. However, they still had a limited stability when the electrolyte came into contact with a negative electrode of pure metallic lithium. Fortunately, after 2000, it was shown that the crystalline Li7La3Zr2O12 was more stable and can work in combination with Li-metal negative electrodes, practically without undesired reactions. By partial replacement by other elements such as Aluminium, Tantalum, Niobium or Gallium, the structure is being further optimised. Currently, among oxide-based electrolytes Li6.65Ga0.05La2.95Ba0.05Zr1.75Ta0.25O12 has the best lithium-conductivity of 0.7 mS∙cm-1
The electrochemical stability of a solidstate electrolyte when in contact with the electrodes determines the choice of electrode material and thus the voltage range of the battery. If the electrochemical contact is not stable, the electrolyte will oxidise or reduce, leading to a decomposition at the electrode interface and to unwanted, low-conducting reaction products. Contrary to initial reports of high stability for various solid-state electrolytes, today most materials which are optimal for high energy density unfortunately appear to be unstable in contact with electrodes. Theoretical models of the stability range of promising electrolytes which are in good agreement with the experimental data show that currently there is no solidstate material that has the extremely high lithium-conductivity that meets the desired voltage range for electrode combinations that are necessary to achieve a high energy density. A possible solution is to prevent the electrolyte from decomposing by placing protective thin coating layers between the electrodes and the electrolyte. The challenge is to develop the structure of such protective layers for controlled and large-scale production.
In addition to single-phase solid electrolytes, hybrid systems such as solidliquid or polymer-ceramic electrolytes are also being considered. In a composite of a polymer with a ceramic electrolyte, the ceramic would offer high mechanical stiffness and high ionic conductivity while the polymer provides flexibility, simplified fabrication and scale-up and improved electrode adhesion. Again, as in the case of single-phase solid electrolytes, the challenge is to find materials which provide a stable interface between the composite electrolyte and the electrodes in combination with a high Li-ion conductivity.
The trial and error search for promising new solid electrolyte materials that meet the high standards of ionic conductivity and stability is time consuming and expensive. Therefore, data-driven classification models for ionic conductivity using advanced machine learning algorithms are used to distinguish between potential solid electrolytes with highly conductive and
low conductive ionic structures (Figure 4). Density functional theory (DFT) and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations are performed to study the structural properties of the most promising materials, taking into account the basic quantum mechanical interactions of atoms. Also in current working batteries the degradation processes using innovative characterisation techniques is extensively studied. For example, both the ion and the electron dynamics as well as the chemical and structural transformations at the interfaces between electrodes and electrolyte are being studied. With the acquired fundamental understanding, strategies are now being developed to prevent undesirable decomposition at the interfaces between the electrodes and the solid electrolyte with advanced coatings.
Worldwide, researchers are using advanced computational battery models and experimental setups to study the behaviour at the interfaces in solid-state batteries (see e.g. [1],[2],[3],[4]). Many companies such as Toyota, Solid Energy, Infinite Power Solution, Seeo, Sakti3, Front Edge Technology Inc., QuantumScape, Bolloré, BrightVolt, Prologium, SolidPower and Ionic Materials are working at commercialising the new generation of batteries in their products. This, however, turns out to be a great challenge. Of course, most companies do not disclose which technology they plan to
use in their future generation batteries. The QuantumScape company claims to be ahead of the competition in solid-state battery development and has been successful in bringing in investors, including Volkswagen. According to their website, during testing their batteries could be charged to 80% in fifteen minutes and would contain 80% more energy than comparable conventional lithium-ion batteries. However, the question remains whether they will be able to mass-produce their batteries in the short term. The Solid Power company recently received a major investment from Ford and BMW, while Taiwanese Prologium is working closely with Mercedes. Toyota has been working on their own technology for many years and owns more than a thousand patents in the field of solid state batteries. The company announced that it would present the first electric car with solid-state batteries at the 2021 Olympic Games. That has not happened.
In conclusion, many battery experts worldwide remain skeptical about a large scale use of solid-state batteries within a short time frame, because it is not easy to mass-produce a battery that is shown to work in the lab. Nevertheless, the potential of solid-state batteries is enormous and well worth keeping a close eye on.
[1] Pang. "Interactions are important", Mater. Today (2021).
[2] Chen., "Interface Aspects in All-Solid-State Li-Based Batteries Reviewed", Adv. Energy Mater. (2021).
[3] Zhao., "Designing solid-state electrolytes for safe, energy-dense batteries", Nat. Rev. Mater. (2020).
[4] Banerjee., "Interfaces and Interphases in All-SolidState Batteries with Inorganic Solid Electrolytes", Chem. Rev. (2020).
Solve the code. The key is the number of letters in the word:
wkhohwwhulvr
Find the letter that you can reach in this labyrinth.
The letter is found by translating these puzzle pieces. The puzzle pieces should not be rotated!
What is the word?
The last two years, the Kick-In has not been able to be celebrated to its fullest. Due to COVID-19, there were a lot of restrictions on what you could do and with how many people. In 2022 however, it seemed like a fully open Kick-In could again be organised. With the motivation to give the new students a better Kick-In than they themselves had, 4 students applied to become the new KIKSTart. Even though 4 is 2 less than the size of a normal KIKSTart committee, they were sure that with enough motivation and working spirit they could organise a KIKSTart for the first years to remember.
The preparations started all the way back in January 2022. Around this time, the last restrictions were being lifted by the Dutch government. KIKSTart 2021 gave us some last good tips, and we were ready to go. Our first job was to come up with a good theme. After some good discussions it was decided to go with a James Bond style theme and would become:
“The name is Bond, Chemical Bond”.
After all, the Kick-In is the time to bond with new people and with your new home town.
We were also busy with our own functions, of course. Both the Chairman and Logistics came in contact with S.A. Astatine and S.V. Arago to set up the SNACK. Together with the Kick-In committees of these associations, we wanted to organise an event consisting of a sports day in the afternoon and a BBQ and beer relay contest in the evening. It was difficult in the beginning, as our associations and thus our committees differ very much. But in the end it was very much fun, and I am glad to have worked with these people.
The Logistics was in the meantime also, as the name suggests, responsible for the planning. We decided not to differ too much from the previous years due to us only being with 4 people. This proved however to be quite difficult. All 4 of us had never participated in a KickIn without any COVID-19 restrictions. So none of us were familiar with some customs that haven’t been done in years.
By: Melle FopmaTherefore, we were restricted to the experiences of older students and continuity documents. So after some trial and sometimes error, we managed to bring some customs back to life. And for this, we are very proud.
Months flew by, and we almost reached the summer break. In the meantime, we have made contact with several companies and research groups. Without these parties, we would not have the funds to organise all the activities and provide do-group shirts for all the dogroups. So shout out to them! We also received all the do-group names and logos. We saw some old names coming back, but also saw new creative ones. This year the 5 do-groups were: Wild Cat-Ions, Total Borons, Champ-Ions, dys-functional group and Guardians of the Gallium.
After months of preparing, the KickIn finally started. On the first day, the Candidate Board was participating in the opening-fair with a booth. This was the first chance for the first years to meet the association and the Candidate Board. The Candidate Board also decided to distillate during the opening fair. This was for sure an eye-catcher, which resulted in a lot of people being interested in Alembic.
Later that day, the Chairman of KIKSTart picked all the first year students up at the main tent. They got a presentation about what they could expect that week, what Alembic is, and a few welcome speeches. Later they chose their do-groups and got the chance to get to know each other. And of course in the evening we went with the whole association to the VB to buy my favourite measuring unit: centimetres. The KIKSTart was happy to see that integration between first and older years students was already taking place while enjoying the beers of the centimetres.
“All 4 of us had never participated in a Kick-In without any COVID-19 restrictions.”
I am proud to announce that we bought 4 centimetres during the whole evening. This however would not put ‘de Glorie van Twente’ on top of the scoreboard, but got an honourable second place. We did have the rest of the week to improve our score.
The following days, the do-groups participated in the general Kick-In. The KIKSTart were merely present to take pictures. The rest of the time they were busy making the final preparations for the activities which come later that week and making ‘the Daily Bond’, the daily newspaper full of fun papers, news flashes and most importantly, Did You Know That’s.
The first few days full of parties lay behind the do-groups and the first activity organised by the KIKSTart was about to start. For this activity, the DiCie dinner, the new Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the DiCie made tacos for the whole group. This was the perfect time to introduce the kiddos with the concept of committees. After the dinner, we would gather again in ‘de Vluchte’, a bar in the north of Enschede. At this bar, the Alembic pubquiz took place. The kiddos were separated from their parents and two separate leagues were made. One for kiddos (every do-group formed 1 team) and one league for parents and older year students. In the end, it was a fun night for everyone and an amazing start to the programme Kick-In! The winning do-group of the first league got points for the do-group battle, a contest between do-groups to see which kiddos were most active during the Kick-In.
On Monday we started with breakfast. When the kiddos reached a full stomach, the meet the teacher event would start. During this event, the group would be divided in two.
Half of the kiddos would participate in a Kahoot quiz hosted by the study adviser and bachelor coordinator of CSE (Nienke and Erna). The other half got the chance to meet some first year teachers. Afterwards they got the assignment to fill in which teacher belonged to which subject and if their background was materials or process engineering. Again, the do-group with the most points received points for the do-group battle.
In the afternoon, the do-groups would get mixed to get to know other kiddos outside their do-group as well. Multiple family games were prepared. Afterwards the do-groups to get a nice dinner sponsored by SPT. While enjoying a kebab sandwich, the whole group received an explanation on what research groups are and were shown some nice examples of current research. In the evening they participated with a case and afterwards were expected in the TAP to drink their first drinks in our beautiful drinking location.
Next morning, after a special international breakfast sponsored by the programme staff, the kiddos had the education round. In the afternoon, the before mentioned SNACK activity took place. The whole afternoon was filled with sports and games which they played against kiddos of S.A. Astatine and S.V. Arago. After a busy afternoon, the hungry kiddos were brought to a barbecue in which they could eat themselves full for the last event of that day, the beer relay contest. Unfortunately, the kiddos did not come further than the first round, however there is some potential here and there. Alembic 1 also participated, but were unfortunately knocked out in the quarterfinals by BACo 1, which would later on win the tournament. We ended the evening with a 3 way beer relay contest with the best of Alembic, Arago and Astatine.
Unfortunately, Astatine won this time, but next year Alembic will aim to become the champion once again.
On Wednesday, the practical game and campus hunt were played, which again counted for the do-group contest. As the KIKSTart enjoyed beers with the kiddos on the first evening, they also planned to do so on the last evening. During this evening, another 5 centimetres had been bought, putting the score of ‘de Glorie van Twente’ at 9 centimetres. Unfortunately, Scintilla had 12 centimetres, so we can not claim the title of most centimetres bought during the Kick-In.
The Kick-In was over, but 4 weeks later all the do-groups assembled again to go to the Kick-Out weekend. During this weekend the last activities like building beer metres, a dropping and of course the Kick-Out cantus were organised.
The do-group battle was concluded after the kick-out. The do-group Champ-Ions has proven to be true champions during the Kick-In and received a cake as a first place prize.
By: Tim Schuttevaer
With the coronavirus having returned to the background, doing a part of your studies abroad has become a viable option again. For me, it was the opportunity to do my internship in the German city of Wiesbaden, about halfway through the country neighbouring the Netherlands. Here, I work at the company by the name of Corning, which may sound unfamiliar, but is actually a producer of crucial materials we use in everyday life (the most notable of which being the screens of your smartphones). Corning is primarily focused on materials science, but also has a department for environmental science.
The most important product made in this department is the catalytic converter that is used in cars, which uses structured monoliths with an adsorbent that can filter out specific molecules from a gas mixture. These monoliths can also be used for an entirely different purpose, that being carbon capture from flue gases or ambient air. The focus of my internship lies within this field, specifically the development of simulation code for CO2 adsorption using these monoliths.
I began my search for an internship back in January, where I looked at all the different options that were available. I compiled a list of companies and had a chat with Betty, the internship coordinator. One day, I stumbled upon the internship offer at Corning Incorporated, which sparked my interest since it was primarily focused on modelling and simulation of chemical processes. After finding the internship offer and successfully applying for it, I began my search for a temporary apartment by travelling to the city for a couple of days. It was nice to see the city in advance and also a good excuse to go on a mini-vacation in the summer break. After several attempted apartment sightings (which either led to no response or a response saying “Not for such a short period of time”), I ultimately managed to find a small studio in which I could stay for 4 months. I settled there in late August and couldn’t wait until the internship started.
The first day of my internship was overwhelming to say the least. There’s a lot of new people you meet and information you have to gather. I received my work laptop and had a lengthy session with the company’s IT person to set everything up. I met my supervisor and other employees that work at the company and found out what all of the other people do at the company. I got appointed to my office space, the place where I work together with Christos, my fellow intern who also just so happens to study the master of Chemical Engineering at the UT.
Once everything was clear, I received a couple of projects I could work on to improve and expand the code.
It’s a great experience living in Wiesbaden, a city that has a rich history as the regional capital of Hessen and the headquarters of the US army stationed in Europe. The latter is especially noticeable given the amount of American English that you hear in the restaurants and cafés. The city centre is great, there are a lot of shops and places to enjoy traditional German food.
Most importantly, I found out where the coffee machine is and how it should be operated (turns out it is exactly the same one as at Alembic, but with the luxury upgrade of a direct water supply!).
The first few days were mostly for getting familiar with the subject matter of the internship. I delved into the topic of adsorption processes and gained fundamental knowledge of these topics. I was introduced to the code that I would be working on in the next couple of months as well and wrote documentation to get more familiar with it.
There is also a pizzeria down the hill where I live whenever I don’t feel like eating Bratwurst or Schnitzel for dinner). While the city itself is quite densely packed with buildings, the outskirts are littered with trees and hills, a great environment for a lengthy hike during the weekends.
The city being hilly is something that you can really notice when cycling to work. As a true Dutchman I decided to get a bicycle, as I wouldn’t want to take the bus every day to go to work. In the morning when I leave home, I roll down the hill and I don’t have to do anything, but when
getting closer to work it is uphill all the way. Luckily, that is something you get used to when you do it five times a week. Unfortunately, cycling is a lot less safe here than it is in the Netherlands. Most roads lack cycling paths, forcing you to share the road with often times unfriendly car drivers. I decided to buy a helmet, something that you would probably get laughed at for when you would do it in
In the weekends, I usually make train trips to cities in relatively close proximity to Wiesbaden, to do some good oldfashioned ‘cultuursnuiven’. To date, I’ve visited several different famous German cities, including Koblenz, Trier, Mannheim and Mainz. The train rides to those cities were very enjoyable too, as it is a nice opportunity to enjoy the German landscape with its beautiful rivers (most notably the Rhine). The train network in Germany is quite good, allowing you to basically get anywhere without too much hassle. Even my trip back to the Netherlands in October was easy; it takes only the connection Wiesbaden-Frankfurt and Frankfurt-Utrecht to get there.
I greatly enjoy working at Corning; the office is a great place for working and socialising with colleagues. It’s also fun to be here with a fellow student from the UT, as Christos and I have worked together before on our Process Plant Design project. The work I do is interesting albeit slightly frustrating sometimes (we all know how annoying it is when you have an error in Matlab that you just can’t seem to be able to resolve). The relevancy of carbon capture as a means of tackling climate change is also a good motivator to work on developing models to simulate such processes.
Apart from work itself, there are also other things to do at the company. In late September, I got to visit the plant where the ceramic monoliths are made that are used in the catalytic converters. We got a tour around the plant, something which I can’t tell you any details about as I wouldn’t want to risk leaking confidential information about the company, something which Corning is rightfully quite strict about.
Once in a while, we have a VriMiBo (it’s not called that in Germany I think) where we drink some locally brewed beers. It is nice to have a get-together with colleagues once in a while and chat about things that are not work related. Many of the
employees are Germans and also gave tips for places to visit in- and outside of Wiesbaden, which was helpful advice especially in the first couple of weeks when I was very unfamiliar with the city.
All in all, it’s a great experience to do your internship abroad. Although Germany is relatively similar to the Netherlands in terms of language and culture, it’s still nice to live and work in a different environment from what you are used to. Time does fly by fast however, as I’ll be back again in December to gear up for the final step in my studies: the Master Assignment.
Drugs are (often illegal) substances which influence your body in some way. Drugs can be used as a narcotic, like alcohol, or stimulant, like caffeine and XTC. Drugs can also be consciousness-altering or hallucinogen, for example LSD or Shrooms. These different substances will have a different effect on the human body because it alters different parts of the body. This article will go into detail of what the effect of different drugs are on the human body and which chemicals are involved.
Narcotics are a type of substances which work calming and relaxing. Different types of narcotics are alcohol, GHB or for example sleeping pills. They often make people relaxed, happy and lower fear, which often results in people being overconfident. People use these kinds of substances, often alcohol, to empty their head and forget about the world for a while. Muscles in the body will relax, resulting in more clumsy behaviour. And your senses will decrease, which I why you feel less when under the influence of alcohol.
In the case of alcohol, alcohol often enters the body in liquid form. Since alcohol (IUPAC name Ethanol) is a tiny molecule, these molecules diffuse straight through the wall of the stomach. This is also the reason that people get drunk quickly on an empty stomach, since diffusion is easier. When alcohol is diluted in a drink, the body does not directly recognize it as a toxin and alcohol can be absorbed.
When alcohol is drunk slowly, the alcohol, after it is absorbed, will get collected in the liver and processed without much effect on the body. If alcohol is drunk rapidly, some alcohol will bypass the liver and will flow through the body and brain for a while.
lost water also contains minerals like Magnesium, Calcium and Potassium. If the concentration of these minerals are lowered, the internal body fluid balance will be disturbed, resulting in a decrease of nerve and muscle action and coordination.
To break down alcohol in the liver, NAD+ (an enzyme) is needed. This will break Ethanol into Acetaldehyde and NADH + H+ via Alcohol dehydrogenase. Via Aldehyde dehydrogenase with water, the Acetaldehyde will be broken down into Acetic acid. NAD+ is also used in other oxidation reactions, which will become slower due to the presence of alcohol. One of these reactions being the oxidation of acetate, which is then diverted into the fatty acid synthase system.
In the brain, alcohol works by sedating the inhibitory nerves, hence why it is a narcotic. Because of this, the excitatory nerves will take over, making a person happier and ‘looser’. Besides this, alcohol depressed the pituitary gland’s production of the hormone vasopressin. This results in an increased urine output and people feeling thirsty, which drinking more alcohol only makes worse. The
Stimulants work opposite to narcotics, they result in more energy and responsiveness. They result in an energy and confidence boost in most people. Most well known stimulants are drugs like Cocaine and XTC, but also products containing tobacco and caffeine are counted as stimulants. Stimulants give an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, muscles will tighten and breathing will go quicker. Only digestion will go slower, resulting in a loss of hunger.
Out of the list of stimulants, caffeine is by far the most consumed worldwide. Caffeine is mostly consumed in coffee, but can also be found in soda’s and energy drinks. Caffeine (1,3,7-trimethylxanthine) is pure, a bitter white powder. Caffeine is mostly used to induce mild CNS (central nervous system) stimulation to increase wakefulness and increase concentration.
Like alcohol, caffeine is quickly and completely absorbed within 45 minutes after ingestion. Caffeine diffuses through the stomach wall and is distributed throughout body water. Caffeine here binds to plasma proteins in a reversible reaction.
Metabolism of caffeine happens primarily in the liver, where it is catalysed by hepatic microsomal enzyme systems. The caffeine is converted into dimethylxanthines, diand trimethylallantoin, uric acids and uracil derivatives. In humans, caffeine is primarily metabolized into paraxanthine by demethylation. The metabolism of caffeine is increased by smoking, as this accelerates the de-methylation.
Caffeine has the ability to inhibit adenosine receptors, which influences behaviour and cognitive function. Caffeine binds non-selective to one of the two main class of adenosine receptors, A1 and A2. By blocking the inhibitory effects of adenosine, this indirectly affects the release of various chemicals, such as dopamine, serotonin and glutamine. The increased release of these chemicals increases energy and results in the stimulating effect.
Hallucinogens are drugs which alter the way a person sees the world. Using these substances influences a person’s mood and perception. People gain other insights of themselves or their surrounding, and it can be experiencedas
In pure form, LSD is a white odorless and tasteless crystal. The crystal structure is of great influence in the effects on the body. Due to the crystal structure of LSD, it can bind to the protein 5-HT2B, which is a receptor for serotonin.
Serotonin helps in regulating things such as appetite and mood. The protein has a receptor which had a lid-shaped structure, the LSD triggers this lid to close, trapping the molecule inside the protein. Because of this trigger, the effects of LSD can last for more than 20 hours, since the protein has captured the molecule. This effect can also explain why very small amounts of LSD can still be potent.
enlightening or spiritual. In this category are drugs like LSD, Shrooms, Ketamine, and 2C-B. But in high doses, XTC and Cannabis can have the same effects. In the last couple of years, there have been more experiments with LSD on people with depression to see if there are positive medicinal effects on drugs.
LSD, also known as Lysergic Acid Diethylamide, is made from the fungus ergot, which can be found on rye.
The binding of LSD also influences meaningfulness in people. Under the influence of LSD, things like music and colours, which normally would not have much added meaning.
During an experiment to test what the effect of LSD had on the serotonin receptor, one group was given LSD, while another was given LSD with ketanserin. Ketanserin stops LSD from binding to 5-HT2B and similar receptors.
When the test subjects were shown colourful images and heard songs which they found meaningful, the two different groups responded differently. The group which only received LSD reported a strong feeling of bliss, unity and overall disembodiment. Whereas the second group did not feel these effects, since the ketanserin stopped the binding of LSD to the protein.
By: Marija Kos & Andrea D’Silva
What was your reaction to being accepted to the university?
Marija: Excited, nervous, no clue about Enschede, scared that I’m actually going, before being accepted it was just an idea and then it became real, but overall happy.
What about you Andrea?
Andrea: Similar experience, applied to many other universities so I still didn’t know where I was going until midAugust, had to make a decision and chose UT based on ranking, fees, location and the quality of the education. I didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t expect the university to be the way it is, excited, huge change and different country also different continent, very nervous.
How was your move to enschede?
Andrea: Wasn’t a smooth sailing. I chose my wardrobe wisely and what to take and what to leave behind, watching Youtube videos to learn from other peoples‘ experiences but it still does not prepare you enough for the move, very different city and people and culture, vastly different from what I was used to, overall very interesting and hectic because I had to move last minute.
How did you move things?
Andrea: Four suitcases, plane and then taxi, went overweight had to get extra luggage, but I came with a couple of friends so it made it easier.
Marija: Yeah you’re moving your whole life to a different country so hah.
Andrea: How was your move?
Marija: I found a room last minute right before uni was starting, thought I was gonna be homeless, brought all of my stuff with a car which took around 15 hours, it was a roadtrip. It was easier because I had my parents with me. Packing was a challenge, but everything turned out fine.
Andrea: How was the Kick-In?
Marija: I came a little at the study specific kick in, didn’t sign up for it but they let me join. I never experienced something like that before, the best part about the KickIn is meeting a lot of new people from different cultures and backgrounds, a lot of activities, new experiences... I am glad I came because I met my closest friends there and definitely would regret it if I didn’t come.
Andrea: Fun, came to the ladies Kick-In so it was a soft landing, met girls from our studies and made friends. It was a constant cycle of asking people their names and forgetting. I got to see how different people coming from different backgrounds are.
In the actual Kick-In I met my group of people that I’m still friends with, and we became closer with time, kinda like a family. I wasn’t used to the freedom I had in the Kick-In, the big parties, surprises, and had to get used to it.
Parties ended way past my bedtime, staying up after 12 AM? Brother I wasn’t used to that at all. I enjoyed cruising through the city and the campus. It was an overall good experience, highly recommendable to new students that come.
Marija: How were the first few weeks of uni?
Andrea: I was warned that it would be quite a bit, but I still underestimated it, the Dutch educational system is way different that what I was used to. A-levels in high school was relatively easy, the levels are way higher. I didn’t expect the jump, and because of covid we didn’t really pay attention in school and lost touch on how to study, lost the focus and the discipline. It was hard to get back into it, it required a lot of time and good planning which I struggled with. In the first module I wasn’t very consistent, my excuse was that I couldn’t cycle, which at that time was valid, but now in hindsight wasn’t the best decision. It affected my overall performance, but eventually it got better.
“Studying and living alone was a lot harder than I expected”
~
I also couldn’t spend time with my classmates and get to know them. Overall the beginning was rough.
Marija: The most traumatizing thing was Matlab, staying at homebase till 9 everyday to do the assignment and then still failing it; trying to navigate my way through classes, campus and with people, I am still struggling to find my people. Studying and living alone was a lot harder than I expected. We had people to help us get through it but at the end of the day it’s something you have to figure out on your own.
Andrea: Did you have any cultural shock?
Marija: The bikes…so many of them, almost crashed at least once per day. Also the people in general, Dutch people have a different mentality in a lot of aspects.
Andrea: To add on, they are very straightforward and honest, they say whats on their mind which leads to less toxic environments. Besides the people, some other cultural shocks was trash segregation which I wasn’t used to, also shops and supermarkets closing early, which didn’t make a lot of sense coming from a place where people work 24/7, also the weather, it was very cold and raining all the time, it affected my mood negatively, and also not having bidets in the toilets, and people only use toilet paper for… but eventually you adapt, improvise and overcome!
Marija: What’s the difference between uni this year and last year?
Andrea: A huge improvement, know the ways around the city and the campus, biking isn’t such a big deal anymore, settling into uni, knowing how to study, finding your best study method, knowing people better, developing a stronger friendship with my classmates, also taking part in alembic activities and committees.
Andrea: What about you?
Marija: Easier in every way, if I’m having difficulties, I know who to ask, as opposed to last when I didn’t even know how to find help. I can my manage my time better between uni, having a social life and working.
Andrea: How is it like living in your own?
Marija: Liberating, because I’m not living with my parents, have more freedom, but on the other hand you have to do everything by yourself. Mom isn’t there to help anymore, and it’s hard to find time in a day to do all of the chores.
Overall it goes well but it comes with its own fair share of problems.
Marija: What about you?
Andrea: Agreed, very chaotic, sometimes you don’t even have time for the simplest thing like cleaning your room, but also has a lot of perks. The freedom definitely being the best part about living on my own.
Andrea: Tell me about Enschede
Marija: Not too small, not too big, you come across people that you know often, but still haven’t really explored the city, because we were too busy with our study, hopefully this year it’s different.
Marija: What are your thoughts?
Andrea: Relatively safe place, don’t get scared walking alone in the middle of the night, compared to the bigger cities like Amsterdam which I was warned about,. Except for the bikes which get stolen pretty often, people are generally friendly and approachable, people randomly saying hi in the street which is very weird like why are you being so nice? Cool place, a student city, a lot of soul.
Andrea: How have you changed in the past?
Marija: More culturally aware, coming from a place with almost no diversity. Andrea: It broadens your perspective a lot.
Marija: Yes, and it made me more open and accepting towards new things, also became way more independent.
Andrea: I agree, would say we are more disciplined, make better life choices, we know that with maturing, comes more freedom but also a lot of responsibility, even though we could go out every night and do whatever we please we choose not to.
Marija: We’re good kids
Andrea: Yes we are, very good kids. You have to be disciplined to be able to function and be alive.
Usually we have people telling us do this do that, but here you decide for yourself, you do things by choice and not by force, you see what works for you and what doesn’t. Another thing is we are more resilient, there have been circumstances that have sent you over the edge and tested our limits, almost went crazy a fe times, but at the end we pulled through and came out stronger.
Marija: Another thing, some bad changes like not doing any sports and barely exercising.
Andrea: You prioritize studying even over your own well-being.
Marija: We are in an environment that is accepting of who we are and the changes that were going through, we can express ourselves more freely.
Andrea: Became more self aware, and going through cycles of improvement, learning from past mistakes and becoming better people.
“You have to be disciplined to be able to function and be alive.”
~Andrea
Melle, can you introduce yourself?
I’m Melle, I am the current chairman of the 59th board of C.T.S.G. Alembic. I originate from the Northern part of the Netherlands, Friesland. I am 20 years old and I like to play Korfbal.
And what made you decide to do a board year at Alembic?
Good question, Last year when the corona regulation mostly went away and the activities started up again, I saw how much fun the association can be. Especially how nice it is to organise it myself. So, I wanted to be part of it.
What ambitions do you have for your board year?
Uhhh yeah of course, next to our policy plan I want to personally become a better speaker and give better speeches. After going to every Constitution drink of course.
At this moment would you call yourself a good public speaker?
Melle: No at this moment not really. So Casper is way better?
Melle: Yeah I am sure.
Casper, what did you like most about your board year?
I think the activities and joining all of them. Actually, seeing what all your committees have organised was really nice to see. In the end, we are responsible and seeing the committee striving is the best thing to see as a board. It gives a nice feeling.
What would your final piece of advice be to Melle?
Take care of your board and take care of your members. In any way, you deem best. They are the people that make your association
Now a question for the both of you, with which board member would you like to get stuck on a deserted island?
Melle: With Djurre, because first of all we can speak Frisian then. It makes communication easier and secondly he has a very practical way of thinking. In a hard situation he keeps calm and he will solve or get a solution for the problem of getting off the island.
Casper: For it would be Max. I think it was also my answer from last year. Because we are on one line together. We understand each other well and can have a good time. I can be with him for a long time without becoming annoyed by him.
Melle, what did you like best about your kandi period?
I think the Kandiweekend. I really liked it. Bonding with the candidate board and with the previous board.
Melle, what did you like best about your kandi period?
Melle: I think the Kandiweekend. I really liked it. Bonding with the candidate board and with the previous board.
For the both of you, Arago or Astatine?
Melle: At this moment we have more in common with Astatine.
Casper: Astatine goes for me as well, it was a really nice board.
Regular drink or chairman outing?
Melle: Regular drink
Casper: If possible both of course. Otherwise the chairman outing, but it also depends on if we go to the wigwam.
If you go to the wigwam, then not the chairman outing?
Casper: No, at least not for long.
TNW pre-meetings or board meetings?
Melle: Board meetings
Melle, as you mentioned you want to be a better public speaker, have you already thought abaut your Christmas speech?
Melle: I will let the wine deicide. Casper: Just like after the Constitution drink.
Melle: Yeah, and it worked out fine.
Casper: TNW premeetings, because they carry less responsibility
Then the last question for Melle, when was Alembic founded?
The 29th of March 1965
“Preparing the Christmas speech? I will let the wine decide.”
Mario, can you introduce yourself?
I am Mario, the Treasurer of the 59th board. I am from Spain and I moved to the Netherlands quite young. In the very little free time I have as a board member, I enjoy playing water polo, piano, chess and cooking.
What made you decide to do a board year at Alembic?
In high school, I never did something like student activism, and I regretted it, so when I joined Twente, I wanted to be very active, so in my first year I was keen on joining multiple committees, but you (Maarten the interviewer) did not allow me at the time.
Doing a board year, was always in the back of my mind. I made the final decision quite late; since I got more information, and it seemed like a good balance of fun and serious work.
Charlotte, what did you learn during your board year?
I did learn A LOT of different things. My main goal was to become more assertive and less shy. I wanted to stand more in the foreground. I got to know a lot of new people. And I of course learned to work with Davilex (the accounting system).
What fun moment do you remember from your board year?
We had a lot of fun experiences. A memorable weekend was when we visited all of our parents. It was nice to see where everyone came from and where they grew up.
We drove in one car the whole weekend and were joking around a lot.
Mario, what did you like most about your candidate period?
The obvious one was the candidate weekend, which was a nice weekend. We went to the beach in Friesland. The weather was kind of cloudy and it was not warm. So we thought the sun should not be an issue. We were there for three or four hours and the next day everyone looked like a lobster. Except for Charlotte because she had sunscreen.
We also did a hike and we had to bring an object for every board member. There was a sign with ‘niet aanraken, vers gezaaid’, so Djurre took that sign with us for Joep, since he recently shaved his head for charity.
Charlotte, what will you later tell your children about your board year? Probably way too much and they will probably tell me to shut up. I will tell them that it is a fun experience, that it was the good old times. I will also tell them about the things I learned.
I am not sure if I will succeed in that goal.
What is the phone number of the Rabobank?
Mario: I do not know. It is in line with my goal of not calling them.
Charlotte: This is my worst nightmare, leave me alone. It is 022886666. Red: it was 0887226666.
Who is going to drink alcohol first?
Mario: I have drunk alcohol before, if we speak from now on, Charlotte. I do not feel like drinking at all. Charlotte is going to drink at her 25th birthday party.
Charlotte: I was not planning on drinking on my 25th birthday, but I was telling people I will not drink at least until my 25th birthday, so people assumed my birthday party will be lit.
Mario: So, this is an open invitation.
Mario, what will you do if you can spend an extra €57.000?
I would invest it in bitcoin, to make it €59.000 and organise large and cheap activities like a weekend trip.
Charlotte, what is the bankrekeningnummer of the head rekening of Alembic?
NL22RABO0109989317. *Mario repeats as well*
Interviewer: Can people donate?
Mario: Of course.
Mario, what are you going to do differently than Charlotte? I hope to call the Rabobank less.
Mario, when was Alembic founded? 29th of March 1965. On a Monday.
"The next day everyone looked like a lobster"Treasurer: Mario Van der Wal-Agraz
One fine morning the newly elected Secratary and Educational Affairs sat with the former board member, Jochem to discuss the past and future of Alembic.
Kevin and Jip, can you introduce yourself?
I am Kevin, currently 21 years old. I am in my 4th year and now a Secretary of Alembic. I have completed my bachelor thesis, however, I missed some points in my minor. So hopefully I can start my master next academic year. I enjoy sports so I joined rugby club this year and usually you can find me in the gym four times a week. I am from Rotterdam, and support Feyenoord. I enjoy student life alot, but it does get hectic with things like the BorrelCie and my dispute.
Well, I am Jip, 20 years old, currently a 3rd year student. I am the Commissioner of Educational Affairs of C.T.S.G. Alembic. I am active in the volleyball association, both as a player and as a coach. In my free time, I like to spend time with my friends. I am also completely unbeatable in Mario Kart. *Kevin confirms*
However, I saw that the 58th board had a lot of fun together. I also did not pass some courses of my minor, so I want to combine the board year with finishing my bachelor’s degree.
Jip: I always wanted to improve myself in non-study related aspects. A board year was one of the first things that came to mind. I wanted to do a board year at a study association rather than a sports association plus the people here are awesome.
Interviewer: So, you would say that Alembic is better than Harambee?
Jip: Sure
Jochem, did you change a lot during your board year?
Over the course of our board year, we took numerous photos. When I reflect, I notice that my board has become more mature, not only physically but in behaviour, we have become more efficient and professional. As Commissioner of Educational Affairs, I had a lot of meetings with higher bodies at the University, gained new knowledge, and developed my professionalism.
Jochem, What function did you like the most, Secretary or Commissioner of Educational Affairs?
A very dangerous question. I was asked this question last year and I gave a cheesy answer that the combination is nice.
What made you decide to do a board year at Alembic?
Kevin: I chose not to do a board year the previous year, mostly due to corona.
Interviewer: Previous year, he said Secretary since it is in the praesidium. Jochem: I still stand with that, but I now have a better explanation.
As Education Affairs, I had a lot of contact with people, and that improved my skills. As Secretary, I learned to focus on one thing at a time and I really liked the digital contact with members and alumni. For example, sending Christmas cards and mailing alumnus. When I had a low social battery, I worked on Secretary tasks and when I was feeling more social, I could focus on the educational tasks.
Jip, with whom from the board would you want to be stuck on an uninhabited island?
I am doubting choosing either survival skills or dying but having the most fun. So, It is either Kevin or Evan.
Jochem: So both options end with dying right?
Jip: I would take Evan, for the fun and the jokes, helps with being stuck on the island all day long.
Jochem, what funny moment do you remember from your board year?
I had a lot of fun moments; everything was an adventure. I really liked the trips to sister associations, especially the night volleyball tourney in Groningen. We took the last train to Groningen and the first train home. On the return trip in the morning, we all slept.
Jip, who will gain the most board weight?
Well, Kevin dropped a lot of weight in the summer, to gain weight in muscle mass. Djurre physically cannot gain any weight. It is either going to be Kevin or Melle.
" I am also unbeatable in Mario Kart."
Kevin: It is going to be Melle for 100%.
Kevin, who will gain the most board points?
*immediately* Also Melle! He also has a date tonight.
Jochem, what was the weirdest thing you ever wrote in a ‘bras’ letters’?
I did not write a lot of ‘bras’ letters but Joep brassed a lot and he wrote the letters. An old board member from Astatine came to the Alembic board room once and informed us that the Astatine board is not in their room. So, we ran and brassed something. I wrote a story about Judas and Jesus, which I thought was very funny and relevant at the time.
Kevin, a GMA from your dispute or an Alembic GMA?
I would choose the GMA from my dispute because they are way different, and I get totally wasted so I do not have to listen for 20 hours. Oh, and I don’t have to take minutes. But the Alembic GMA is more important to me.
How many pages will the minutes from the board-change GMA be?
The last one, I think, was about 24 or 22. So I think 27. I am already on page one and a half.
Jochem, what will you later tell your children about your board year?
Kevin and Jip, how do you see each other in 20 years?
Kevin: Jip will probably be working on sustainability stuff. He will still play volleyball. He will have a wife and children that also play volley ball and will still win at Deluxe^3 Nintendo Switch Wii Edition of Mario Kart.
Jip: Kevin will be the ultimate gangster of Rotterdam owning a crystal meth lab (just kidding). He will have a pretty high function with a lot of power. Still fit as hell. Other people will be in their midlife crisis, but Kevin is at his peak living a high-class life and enjoying it to the fullest
Kevin: I will probably sell my soul to Shell.
Jip, after volleyball training drink with your team or a regular drink with Alembic?
After a match, I would choose to have a drink with the team. We will first take a shower beer (half a litre of Klok beer which has to be empty when you leave the shower) and then some beers in the sports canteen. When I’m not training, I would rather choose the regular drink with Alembic.
That it was an amazing year, where I learned a lot, where it was very ‘gezellig’ and I can always look back on. It also depends on the age. When they are in their student life, I will say how useful and fun it is to do something besides your studies. When they are younger, I will refer to the friends I made.
Jip, what would you like to change in CSE education?
I would like to change the way sustainability is taught. Instead of having to write a page on sustainability aspects, I think it is better to integrate it in more useful and relevant ways for students.
Jochem, what is the last most important advice you would give?
They will definitely succeed in their function-specific tasks, so some personal advice I can give is make it fun for yourself. Meet new people and take a day off once in a while.
Jip and Kevin, when was Alembic founded?
Jip: 29 march of 1965.
Kevin: Jip was too fast. I knew it was March 1965, but the date I always struggle.
Interviewer: Jip which day of the week?
Jip: It is one out of seven, so I say Tuesday.
Interviewer: It was a Monday.
"I will probably sell my soul to shell."
By: Jeanine ter Horst & Maarten Jager
Djurre, can you introduce yourself to our readers?
I’m Djurre, I’m 20 years old and I am a part of the 59th board for Alembic, in charge of External Affairs. I come from a little village in Frisia, and I like to speak Frisian with Melle. Furthermore, I enjoy sports and used to play soccer. Unfortunately I’m not able to play any more due to a knee injury. Now I’m a member of Tartaros, the association for survival runs.
What would you like to accomplish this year?
Of course, getting members into contact with companies and offering proper career orientation. I’d like to offer more member-focussed activities, rather than just making my target.
Do you also have any personal goals?
Becoming more social and more professional.
Joep: Do you already see development?
Djurre: Not sure, that’s difficult to say now, probably a bit.
Joep, what would you tell your children about your board year?
Daddy was a fucking legend. I’d say it is really fun to do something next to studying, which is a big part of your life. It doesn’t have to be a board year, it can also be a student team or a large committee. The most important thing is that you do it with people you like.
Djurre, what will you do differently next year, and what will be your focus?
I’m not really trying to do anything differently, never change a winning team. Mostly renew contacts and make the life of my successor easier by changing the CRM system.
Joep: And the focus?
Djurre: don’t really have a focus, but I want to organize more fun and informal activities.
Who is the better negotiator?
Joep: You can answer.
Djurre: Me.
Joep: No, it’s me, do you want to negotiate about it?
Who is the most persistent?
Joep: When they say no, it’s no. Djurre: It depends on whether you have an idea there’s something to gain. Then I generally go for it.
Why should companies want our students?
Who of your board members do you prefer to take to an important company meeting?
Djurre: I would say Melle, because I feel very comfortable with him, but then I might speak Frisian with him. So then perhaps Evan, because he is easy to talk to and interested in external affairs.
Joep: Jochem, he really knew what to say during meetings and completed the discussions.
With which board member would like to get stuck on a deserted island?
Djurre: Easy, this would be Melle.
Joep: Not Charlotte, being a vegetarian, she’ll die in days. Then Casper because he is the least clumsy of everyone.
Djurre: Why not? You get the best people from the best place. We have a great programme, and get to become great engineers. Companies need us, and we’re good at what we do.
Joep: We also think in unique ways, to tackle problems in a social way.
Career orientation or profit?
Djurre: Career orientation.
Joep: *After a long time* Okay, career orientation.
Lunch lectures or cases?
Djurre: Lunch lectures. They aren’t as long, so shorter it’s less boring. Joep: A case, but only if it’s fascinating, otherwise it’s really tedious.
When was Alembic founded?
Djurre: 29th March 1965… Nobody is going to get that wrong, right?
“Daddy was a fucking legend”
Evan, can you introduce yourself?
Hi, I am Evan, I am the Commissioner of Internal Affairs of the 59th Board of C.T.S.G. Alembic. I’m 20 years old and from Zeewolde, so it was quite a move here, to the far east. I am a part of the rowing association D.S.V. Euros and an active board member at Alembic.
Evan, what made you decide to do a board year at Alembic?
The moment I realised I want to do the board year was during the ski trip, when me and the other current board members talked with the 58th board, which is when they made me realise how educational and useful, but also fun, it would be. Alembic is a smaller association where everyone is welcome, which is why all the members are very close. Nothing is mandatory, so you have a lot of freedom to choose what activities you would like to join.
Max, what did you learn during your board year?
I learned a lot during my board year. Just working together with a group for a year teaches you a lot about working together with people. Working out those personal differences taught me a lot. Also organising a lot brought me in contact with the university and taught me to organise events. Lastly, I learned a lot about simply talking to people, which is a skill you should not underestimate. Especially as Commissioner of Internal Affairs.
Max, what is the funniest thing you will always remember from your board year?
I really loved the second time we were doing board photos, we threw Charlotte in the ‘gracht’ while Casper was not looking. Of course, Charlotte with her middle finger holding the bank pass was also fun for the entire year. So in general, the board pictures.
Evan, what did you enjoy most during the candidate period?
I knew this question would come, it is a hard one to answer. I think the cantus, I really enjoyed the part where they put a lot of syrup over Melle’s brass jacket and poured some flower (in Dutch: meel) onto him. I asked if Kevin could also take part in this because he handles the mail. Later Tim, the external affairs of the 56th board, threw some peanut sauce in my ears. I threw fried unions back and they all stuck to his face like a beard.
What is your favourite activity whilst lying on the couch in the relax room?
Max: Songclash *rapidly*
Evan: Watching sluipschutter videos, no not that, baking frikandel quiches. I already did it twice.
Max, if you could change one tradition or thing at Alembic what would it be? It is not an Alembic tradition per se, but singing piano man at the end of the eveningI really hate that. Just do the association song and then leave.
Evan, what is your most important policy point?
To make the association healthier, more sports and healthier snacks and more variation in activities. The starting of a new (or old?) sports committee, really helps to get Alembic more healthy and get more variety in activities. Alembic should organise the Bata, but also easier activities like ice skating or visiting a trampoline park.
Evan & Max, what tattoo do you think the other should get?
Evan: Max will get a cartoon picture. At the cantus, you had Pickle Rick. No scratch that; A (bath) slipper tattoo, that gives his personality.
Max: He is a rower, so I was thinking of a man of the sea, so a huge anchor on your whole back. As a tramp stamp.
Evan, what is the largest market registered company in history?
I think it is the CDC, but I am not really sure. I think the answer you want to know is VOC. Since we want to get the association a bit more internationally focussed, it is changed to CDC (Chairman Discussion Committee).
Max, how did you come home after the cantus last year?
Max: Not with my bike.
Evan: Not by a taxi?
Max: Yes
Evan, when was Alembic founded?
29 March 1965
Coming to Enschede for Chemical Engineering means you’ll be speding a lot of time on studying. But besides the hard work you put into your study, some time for social gatherings is needed as well. And these social moments often come with plenty of beer included. One can imagine, that a few to many beers can be a problem for the unexperienced. So here I will present you with a few quick tips and tricks on handeling the hangovers that come from time to time.
Now that you (assuming you are a sjaars) are just over a module into your first year and starting to really get the hang of everything. It is time for you to learn some more advanced tips and tricks to get further into your student life. Though you are learning, and all the other older and more experienced members are sort of proud of you, we do notice that you still don’t really understand something, that we see as something so logical. The frustrations rising among members are at an all-time high level, so let us help you. The sjaarzen have found the TAP, which is nice. They enjoy the occasional drink, and with one-to-many beers, comes the occasional hangover, and that’s where some misunderstandings still arise. Firstly, you don’t enjoy a hangover, and secondly, you don’t just accept it. There are a lot of actions you can take to not give in to the suffering.
The first thing your body signals you when you wake up is that you have a shortage of water, so the logical thing to do first is drink water. That tip you are getting for free from your body. Assuming you have an early lecture, your next step would be to get the right breakfast. Assuming you don’t have an early lecture, you should go back to bed. There are not many cures better than sleeping. The perfect hangover curing breakfast you get at your local supermarket. You’re going to need vitamins, sugar and frikandelbroodjes. Alcohol breaks down various vitamins, which can easily be replenished by drinking some juice.
Due to the alcohol, an increased amount of insulin will break down the sugars in your body and since your liver is already busy with processing other stuff, your body will not produce any sugar itself.
A healthy intake of sugar is necessary to recover as efficiently as possible. Other people might tell you that since enzymes, like NAD+, are busy processing alcohol, you should stay away from eating meat or fatty products. We all know your body craves a frikandelbroodje, so even though it might not be healthy, you need it. Unfortunately, your hangover will not be instantly cured, but it will improve over time. To bridge the gap between your breakfast and actually being over your hangover, the world invented a beautiful chemical called aspirin.
All the tips above can help a lot when it is already too late. But drinking water before going to bed can already make a huge difference. Due to the alcohol, your body loses liquid at a much quicker rate, which leads to the dehydration you often feel the next morning. By making up for this loss of water and combining this with some salt consumption, you also retain a larger portion of this water. If your bladder wakes you up in the middle of the night, that is a signal that you are still losing too much water, and downing a few bottles on your way back from the toilet is advised. Hopefully with this, sjaarzen will know how to handle their hangover in the future and know that there is always something you can do.
“Firstly, you don’t enjoy a hangover, and secondly, you don’t just accept it.”
“Assuming you don’t have an early lecture, you should go back to bed.”
A new year has started at the University of Twente and many new first-year students have started their journey in Enschede. These sjaarzen have started a new part of their lives, some say it to be the best part. I happen to be one of those sjaarzen, my entire life has just changed. It all started during the Kick-In; the first days of my journey at the University of Twente and with Alembic. As well as many other students, I had been unable to find a house or room in Enschede. Additionally, my parents’ house is not exactly next door, it is a 2.5-hour ride by train. The solution for this problem? A tent. I lived in a tent at a camping place within a 15-minute cycling distance from campus. It was not an optimal solution, but it would do for these 10 days of Kick-In. Unfortunately, these 10 days became 6 weeks, but I’ll discuss that later.
On the first day of the Kick-In, I was rather nervous, and it was quite hot so that was not a great start. However, the rest of the Kick-In was extraordinary. It was wonderful to get to know the campus, the city Enschede, the student life, and obviously, Alembic. We went to parties, food events, cultural events, sports events, study-related events, and a ton of other activities. The theme of this year’s Kick-In was to Take the Leap which I certainly succeeded in. I took the leap from being a graduated high schooler to a kiddo to becoming a real student.
Then, the Kick-In was over. The start of Module 1 was official. I still did not manage to find a house. I had to continue living in my tent for an unknown period of time while actively looking for houses. Actually, it was not that tough. The weather was still decent for that time of the year and I was able to spend most of my time on campus. However, living in a tent for a couple of weeks does get tiring eventually. Hence I was glad to have found a house in the end.
In the meanwhile, the lectures, tutorials, and other classes were going at full speed. Inorganic, Organic, Matlab, Lab courses, Calculus… Obviously, I also wanted to maintain a bit of a social life and spend some time relaxing so it was hard to keep up at times. It was extremely interesting to learn a lot of new things, however – even stuff I never thought I would learn, and topics that I expected to be very difficult, but turned out to be quite easy.
After the first weeks of hard studying, there was the KickOut camp to conclude the period of Kick-In with all first-year students who signed up and to finally determine which dogroup was the best. This was – obviously – the Champions. The Kick Out camp was an amazing conclusion to our introduction period as students and I am sure everyone enjoyed it, even though some might not remember every part of it.
I definitely enjoyed the first weeks of my studying career. I have gotten to know so many great people – in fact, I believe I’ve shaken more hands to introduce myself in the past few weeks than I have in my entire life. Additionally, I have learned so many new things. For example, Sjaarzen do not usually attend a GMA and if you do attend it as the only Sjaars, apparently it’s enough to get placed on the Wonderwall. I have also learned that it works really well to start a speech with “Best Alembic Layts” at a Greek restaurant after a constitution drink (CoBo), especially if you are the new Chairman of Alembic.
I have 3 more modules to go, and I am looking forward to it. I am looking forward to my next few years and to reading this very rubric every year again to see what has changed in the life of a Sjaars. As are you apparently, since you have already read this far. I am looking forward to seeing Alembic grow and prosper, as it always has. I will do my best to aid in that process, even though I am only a Sjaars.
On a perfect Monday night, somewhere in the second week of scholarly activities, first-, second-, third- and other years met in the snooker- and poolcentrum Enschede. Although it wasn’t entirely in those first few minutes of the activity, where people were mainly discussing their day with other people, the poolcentrum would become the location for a great battle of wills that evening.
Right from the start of the activity the atmosphere was jovial, which can mainly be attributed to the bar being open for beers and hot chocolate, which some might say was in hot demand. When everyone had a chance to say hi to their fellow students, the activity started with a group stage. With some help from Evan, which had already had some influence (read as had helped a lot) in organizing the activity, the scores in the group stage were tallied on a single paper, which was soon crumbled and hard to read, but still a valid way of tallying.
Although some people tried to convince the judge that their loss was somehow not valid, with reasons greatly varying in believability, and a good many 8-balls being prematurely put in the gutter, the group stage made it clear to everyone that some people were more worthy of the final title than others.
On one magnificent Tuesday, InterCom decided to host a yoga session, where people had the opportunity to challenge their balancing abilities. Now, keeping a balance while being in a certain yoga pose is quite easy, and so the addition of a drink was needed.
The yoga instructors were none other than the members of the old RecreaCie committee. Having an extensive experience from two practice sessions, they set out to deliver the best instructions to the attendees. With their straight postures and unbeaten balance, they were almost unrecognizable from experts... Almost. Strongly audible breathing and somewhat questionable physique of one of them gave away pretty quickly that these “instructors” might not know yoga as much as they try to show.
Smiles were seen and cheers were heard throughout the entire evening. After these, people had a chance to clear out their minds and release all their stress through mindful meditation. Weren’t it for a certain someone, who decided to open another can of beer, some would certainly reach their nirvana. Nonetheless, the cup-emptying was over, and it was clear that all the participants left happy and relaxed.
When the scores had been counted and recounted, the a and b finals began, where the difference in skills became more apparent. An example of this is how bad I myself lost from Ramon Kroes and Alessandro Normand, which I will attribute to the wind being especially rowdy in the indoor room that we played in. Although this was in the b-finals, the a-finals were the place to be, with matches being entertaining and often close.
Then it was already time for the true final, which was played between the team consisting of Martin Matej and Andrea d’Silva and Melle and Evan. This could of course be seen as the ultimate showdown between the Board and the rest of the association, and because I, with some other people in the room, were not in the Board I was rooting for Team Martin And Andrea. Although it was extremely close, I regret to inform that Melle and Evan were just slightly better than Martin and Andrea, which I again attribute to the wind. All being said, Melle and Evan received the grand prize, a worthy globe with two superheroes being glued on the top, and the honour of calling themselves the best pooling duo of the association.
After a group picture was taken and the Alembic song was sung, whispered or half understood, everyone went off with good spirits to reflect on their actions.
By: Sjoerd Nies
For me, the CoBo was for sure one of the highlights of the year so far. Defending the board standing alongside fellow students, while also just enjoying the free drinks from time to time. Luckily we managed to minimise the damages to our board, making sure nothing of theirs got stolen. For the head pedel however, it was a different story, but he’s an old board member anyway.
The CoBo also provided me with a very rare opportunity, the opportunity to knock rival board members to the ground without consequences, all while keeping it respectable of course. While I was there I got to meet a lot of new people, made new friends, and better got to know friends I had made earlier.
From having a drink together during the actual CoBo to having a nice chat at the Greek dinner after the CoBo and eventually going out in the city centre; the CoBo provided a great opportunity to explore and get accustomed to the student life in Enschede and within Alembic even more. Going to the CoBo is definitely something I recommend doing next year, if you weren’t there this year. I at least know I’ll be there again next year.
By: Luuk Hahn
On the first day of November, it was time for the first activity of Alembic’s GameCie: the Belote Tournament. This tournament is organized yearly by the GameCie to have a fun and thrilling evening of playing cards. During lunch break, there was a short training session organized to teach people the basics of belote before the tournament.
In the evening, it was time for the tournament, where the participants started coming in at 18:30, and the first rounds of the tournament started at 19:00. People had a lot of fun playing belote and drinking with friends, while the drinks were provided by the BorrelCie. Still it was also a serious competition, since the winners would be automatically classified for the Belote TNW tournament, the tournament between the five TNW associations so see who is the best at belote. After 5 rounds, there were two semi-finals between the best teams and ultimately a final to see the best belote team. The tournament ended after 23:00, showing that people had a lot of fun playing.
Overall, all participants had a lot of fun playing and the GameCie is glad all went well during the tournament. This yearly event will certainly keep coming back each year, with new participants eager to learn about the most played card game in our study.
Jorik Bloemenkamp
Jordi Boon
Laura Breit
Reinhold Burchardt
Dan Cazac
Yori Foppen
Maarten de Groot
Gerard Groot Obbink
Zen Borg
Iris van den Bosch
Yun-Ching Lin
Tom Coolman
Esli Diepenbroek
Jayaram Ganesan
Thomas Geverink
Nawar Haddad P U Z Z L E
Richard ten Hagen
Céline Hermann
Lara Jansen
Niels Loman
Hung Nguyen
Vera Ottens
Lieke Pieters
Thomas van Poppel
Lisseth Ramos Rodiguez
Niklas Slager
Lotte van der Terp
Wisse Vogel
Pepijn de Vries
Daan van Wijk
Nick Witmarsum
Robert Hardeman
Casey Heukshorst
Jiawei Huang
Stephan van Kalmthout
Emie Kattenpoel Oude Heerink
Kevin Kuiper
Joram van der Linde
Ali Nazari Khoorasgani
André Pul
Carmen Reink
Ana Laura Ruiz Deance
Sahil Shirish Joshi
Daniel Tambuwun
Duc Tan Nguyen
Marc de Vries
Riccardo Zinelli
If you move or want to change your data, you can (and should) let us know by sending an email to the secretary of Alembic (secretary@alembic. utwente.nl).
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Would you rather receive the CaT digitally to save the environment and with this also minimize some costs for Alembic, please mail to secretary@ alembic.utwente.nl.
Every Friday from 16:00 untill 19:00, there is a Friday afternoon drink in the TAP. The bartenders rotate between the three A-associations. What is a better way to end your week filled with lectures, practicals and other ‘thinking‘ activities. Next to this a drink every week switching on Tuesday and Thursday will be held only for Alembic members.
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The podcast has rebranded itself with the name ‘Let’s Get Chemical’. It is a podcast by Chemical Engineering students, for Chemical Engineering students, in which different subjects will be discussed that might be exothermic for your thoughts and spark a reaction in your mind.
The podcast will focus on guests from the chemical industry, but also from not so typical places to find a chemical engineering student who has graduated. Next to this, we will also invite teachers from our study programme to talk about their lives and the groundbreaking research they are performing. Furthermore, interesting chemical facts and articles will be discussed.
If you have a great idea for a guest, or if you want to be a guest on the podcast, you can email us at: letsgetchemical@alembic.utwente.nl
Writers Andrea D’Silva
Chakshu Turki
Esli Diepenbroek
Jarno Sweers
Jelte van der Zwaag
Jeanine ter Horst
Jip Hoogland
Marija Kos
Maarten Jager
Melle Fopma
Casper van Dongen
Charlotte van Reijen
Jarno Sweers
Jeanine ter Horst
Jelte van der Zwaag
Jip Hoogland
Maarten Jager
Melle Fopma
Andrea D’Silva
Marija Kos
Mario van der Wal Agraz
Follow us on the following platforms: or go to:
https://alembic.utwente.nl/lets-get-chemical
