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Election Booklet 2018 - 2019 Roosevelt’s All Student Association Housing Affairs Council Common House Elliott Foundation Academic Affairs Council
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Election booklet 2018 - 2019
Table of Contents Roosevelt’s All Student Association
Chair - Diez Jansen 4 Chair - Timo Lam 5 Chair - Elise Mertens 6 Secretary - Ariel Teo 7 Treasurer - Cas Visser 8 CAO - Douwe Drabbe 9 CAO - Aleksander Gigov 10 CAO - Nena Kos 11 CAO - Guido Noteboom 12
Housing Affairs Council Chair - Hannah ten Have Secretary - Tess Schijvenaars Treasurer - ? CE Bachtensteene - Timo Lam CE Bagijnhof - ? CE Koestraat - Julia Cottrell CE Koestraat - Joost Kaptein CE Roggeveenhof - Tyche van der Wielen Common House Elliott Foundation
Bar Manager - Marlon Schoo Facility Manager - Dana Zoutman Food Team Manager - Luc Aboubadra Mensa Manager - Clarissa Fascadore
Academic Affairs Council
Chair & Board of Studies - Koen van der Blij Chair & Board of Studies - Charlotte Levine Secretary & Programme Advisory Committee - Any Akopyan Secretary & Programme Advisory Committee - Amber Averens Secretary & Programme Advisory Committee - Teresa Sarasa Nagore Treasurer & UCR Council - Ruben van den Akker Student Advisory & Programme Advisory Committee - Joost Hoekstra Content Manager & Programme Advisory Committee - Rayo Verweij Internal Officer & UCR Council - Alex Cole Internal Officer & UCR Council - Farina Shaaban External Officer & UCR Council - Jip Wolterinck
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Chair - Diez Jansen Hello fellow students, My name is Diez Jansen, and I am running for RASA Chair! Let me introduce myself before I get into the politics. I am currently a second semester, doing the pre-medical track, and I will probably do a minor is psychology. I love to play hockey, and I enjoy spending time behind my PC as well. Most of you will know me from the PartyTeam promotions, or the parties themselves. The main reason that I want to become a doctor, is that I think it is the best way to help people in what I believe to be the most important way possible; saving their lives. I have earned my First Aid certificate already, because I want to be able to help people in any way that I can. Why is this all relevant you might ask? Helping out others is what I see as my purpose in life, and they way for me to help out the wonderful community UCR, is by becoming RASA Chair! Chair specifically, because I think my personal qualities fit best with this position. You might think that I would not be a good fit for chair, as I lack experience in Big Boards. This is true, but I do think there are some upsides to this, and some other things are to be said. First of all, eventhough I have no Big Board experience, I have been involved in one of the boards that have a fundamental role in our social life, PartyTeam. Although this board is more for fun as for anything else, I took all my tasks seriously. My main task was providing the music, and I spent over 1,5 hours on every playlist to try and come up with the best possible things. Next to this, I have also chaired the 2017 Christmas Market Team, which in my opinion was quite succesful. One other thing that I think is beneficial, is that I will bring a new and fresh mind. I am unfamiliar with some of the normalities that have formed throughout the years, and I will have to be creative, together with my board, to come up with solutions to everything. I will soon enough find the ways of old boards if they are the best options, but will use new ways for the other aspects. Since I had thoughts of running for Chair, I have attended all open meetings, all infosessions, and most GA’s. One thing that really boggles my mind is the fact that so little students are involved in what is happening around them.The budget GA had a turn-up of about 50 people, out of the 600 students that have payed their tuition to RASA. As a chair, I therefore want to increase student involvement in everything. I want to continue to to evaluate student opinions throughout the semester, and to increase the turn-up to GA’s and similar events. Furthermore I want to continue the trend Jelle has set for being approachable. Hope to see you all at the GA! Kind regards, Diez Jansen
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Chair - Timo Lam Hey everyone, My name is Timo, I’m a fourth semester majoring in History, Religion and Politics and taking a minor in Environmental Science.This might come as a surprise but I’m running for chair! The past few days have been quite hectic and I’m confident that the other candidates would be very capable but I think that I might provide the community with an organized and structured year in which problems that previous boards experienced will not be repeated. I admit that this is quite the last minute decision and that I haven’t been to any info-sessions so it’s not like I’m the expert on being a part of RASA, but I feel like my place within the community and my approachability would make me a very suitable chair. I am already chair in cooking society and have also worked with RASA as introweek parent. A lot of people know me and know what I am and what I stand for. I am not up for B*llshit and won’t tolerate unnecessary complications. If you vote for me I will try my best to give you guys a year without complications, drama and will attempt to restore our sense of community. I have heard that some of you no longer have faith in RASA, so I would like to restore that faith through honesty and transparency. If you know me you know what I stand for and if you don’t know me I’m always open for a chat! In the end it doesn’t matter to me whether you vote for me or not, I just wanted to give you guys my view on the future of UCR’s community.
Thank you for taking the time to read my statement, Take care, Timo
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Chair - Elise Mertens Dear all, My name is Elise Mertens and I would love to become your next RASA Chair. Most importantly, because I am passionate about RASA. I think it’s a wonderful platform which provides a lot of opportunities for students to come together, share ideas, explore new interests and make the most of student life. RASA is truly at the center of the tight-knit UCR community, especially since it plays such a unique and vital role in welcoming the new students. Therefore, keeping the association running and further improving it is something which I would gladly work hard for. I am a fourth semester student majoring in Computer Science, Cognitive Science and Mathematics. You probably know me as Treasurer of the HAC; a position which has taught me a lot about bookkeeping, setting and sticking to goals but mostly about what it means to be part of a board. Next to that you might have seen me around during introweek helping out as a parent, or at most General Assemblies as part of the RASA Independent Body. Auditing the financial results of RASA and mediating as a member of the IB has given me lots of insight into the financial as well as legal structure of RASA. If there is one thing which the controversy regarding the new introweek has shown, it is that that communication between UCR and the student community as well as UCR and RASA must improve. In general and in order to achieve this, I want to strongly encourage closer cooperation between the big-boards. Additionally, input from students who are not in a bigboard should be stimulated so that the student body can be more optimally represented, particularly in cases such as this. Another challenge for the next RASA board will be organizing Introweek since multiple structural changes and adaptations will have to be made. However, even though the new structure will probably be suboptimal, it is crucial, especially for the Chair, to stay down-to-earth and focus on solutions rather than pointing blame. From all GAs, meetings and board discussions I have not only learned to become a good, critical listener but also to stay focused and keep the overview. I’m responsible and sure that I can keep the board motivated throughout the year with my enthusiasm. I think it is essential for the board, and especially its Chair, to be approachable. Being sublet officer and HAC treasurer has shown me that you can always make it easier for people to contact you in order to best help them. I believe this can also help to further shift the focus towards the societies and teams; the core of RASA. I hope to see you at the GA! With kind regards, Elise Mertens
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Secretary - Ariel Teo Hey RASA Vikings, My name is Ariel and while I have no definite plan for what my major will be, I am absolutely sure I would love to serve as your RASA secretary! I hope that we all experienced the magic of RASA’s community during introweek and enjoyed meeting new friends. I found this week extremely inspiring and I want to do my best to give back to such a welcoming community. I believe that a role as RASA’s secretary would allow me to channel this passion and I would be incredibly grateful if I could further help the community. Wanting to play an active part in RASA, I joined as the first PR Manager for Music Society during my second semester in addition to briefly being part of the RASA IT Team and volunteering for Elliott. Specifically, my role in the Music Society board allowed me to develop valuable communication skills and insight into how RASA societies function. It was through this role where I also got to meet more people and keep in touch with feedback of the events so we could improve events in the future, making them more enjoyable for everyone. I would also like to offer the same supportive attitude we have within the board to my potentially new board members and students, to further boost our RASA Viking spirit! I know my skills and determination for this job and previous ones would all be important when serving as the main communicative point for RASA. I believe I can improve the transparency and approachability of the RASA board by still remaining present at different events and by possibly giving smaller updates throughout the week. I hope to continue being easy to talk to as I genuinely enjoy hearing about different people’s experiences and thoughts and look forward to hearing any suggestions you might have. Feel free to knock at my door or send me a message and I’ll be happy to talk. I really enjoyed the RASA opening and might explore the possibility of hosting more of these so students can be included more often. After all, it’s a board which is made to serve all students and to act as a voice for all. I hope to be able to relay and convey the opinions of students and I can only promise to try to continue to build and maintain strong relationships between all the boards and fellow students. If you grant me this opportunity to show my determination, I will earnestly do my best to serve this community and make sure your trust is not misplaced. I hope my motivation has been made clear and I look forward to further expressing this during the (pre-)elections! Ariel
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Treasurer - Cas Visser Hi, My name is Cas Visser. I am twenty years old and I am going into my third year as an interdepartmental major in Mathematics, Musicology, and composing. Ever since my first year, I have been an active RASA member. First as chair of the RASA IT Team, and after that as GBM of Music Society. Furthermore, for the past year, I have also fulfilled the position of Elliott Mensa Sales & Projects manager, where I got a taste of dealing with bigger finances. I really like RASA and what it stands for. It brings people together, forms a connection between students and faculty, and finances events that would otherwise never be possible. I would love to be able to spend a great amount of time and dedication into this organisation for a year to make it even better. I love to organise events, and I love being in a board and working with other people to get stuff done. Next year, everyone will be spending €57.50 to keep RASA going, which is a lot of money. That’s the same as 23 BLT sandwiches at Elliott, or almost 39 cups of coffee, or just over 8 large kapsalons at Amore. Of course, this money should in some way get back to you (although maybe not necessarily in the form of coffee or food). I would like to represent you in deciding how this money should be spent. I will be as approachable as possible and attempt to represent you as a RASA member in every decision the board makes. If you disagree with my decisions or want to know why I made a certain choice, you can always come up to my window, door or send an email to talk about it. I think joining the RASA board would be extremely fun and amazing, and at the same time I think it would teach me much more about organising events and working together with all kinds of people. I hope you will allow me to have this opportunity and I look forward to seeing you at the elections on the 17th. Cas
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CAO - Douwe Drabbe Dear all, Last year I came to UCR and discovered its amazing social community. I have experienced and enjoyed many of the events organized by all the different committees which are part of RASA.This made me very eager to help all those wonderful societies, which is why I am now running for Committee Affairs Officer. Even though I am only in my second semester, I am already an experienced board member from being the chair of the Literary Affairs committee. From this experience and from being an active member in many societies I know how fun and important societies can be. That is why, as a CAO, I will not just see it as my job to monitor RASA’s societies, but to help them reach their full potential. I hope you will give me the chance to prove to you the size of my RASA spirit. Douwe Drabbe
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CAO - Aleksander Gigov My name is Aleksandar Gigov, I am currently in my 4th semester, with a pre-med major. I am hoping to become RASA CAO in the next board year. An important thing about me is that I have never not participated in some kind of extracurricular activity since my early education, and in my teenage years I spent more time outside the curriculum than within. At UCR I have kept those somewhat downscaled, however I have thoroughly enjoyed the social aspect of this little bubble. Maintaining that bubble and (of course) giving back to this community motivate my decision to run for this position. Aware of the fact that I am addressing a very critical crowd, I will refrain from dwelling on my qualifications for this position, as that is upon the RASA members to judge. Instead, I will elaborate on what I think should my contribution to the RASA board be, in case I am elected. It can easily be sublimed into three points, namely: continuous support to the societies, their critical evaluation and, on a broader note the perspective of RASA in the future. I believe that our societies are an important mechanism of social cohesion within this community, rather than mere means of pursuing one’s hobbies or interests. As such, they require attention and support from the RASA Board, embodied in the function of the CAO. Therefore, I intend to provide societies with any practical assistance or know how they require. The CAO should, in my view be there to help their committees achieve whatever goals they have set with ease. More than that, however, the CAO should make sure that the societies have long-term prospects. For that to be achieved more than mere support is needed. RASA is an organization that changes roughly third of its members every year. It is not realistic to expect that anything RASA does can be set in stone. Consequentially, the committees need to be under constant scrutiny. And while it is realistic to expect that individual society (board) members are critical enough and motivated, and do not refrain to share any criticism, such criticism is left unharvested if not properly channeled. I, therefore, believe that effective channeling of the aforementioned criticism is one of the most important tasks of the CAO. In addition, CAOs have a unique position to have an overview of a number of societies and can therefore advise or evaluate their committees. Taking a look at the bigger picture, we are all aware that a number of changes are happening at UCR, and that with those changes, RASA needs to start looking ahead. Even though the CAOs are normally concerned with more structured, executive tasks rather than setting long-term policy, I believe that anyone willing to look ahead should share their ideas. I want to take it upon myself to make sure that our societies are well-prepared for the inevitable challenges coming changes will pose. Having shared my current analysis of the position I am running for, and my priorities regarding that position, it only remains for me to express my hope that I will have your support at the forecoming elections (and in future)! Want to discuss this text, hit me up for coffee or anything in-between? Feel free to contact me on Facebook, a.gigov@ucr.nl or in person!
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CAO - Nena Kos Hi all! Thank you for considering me for a CAO position next semester. For those of you who do not know me (yet), I am a 4th Semester at UCR, and this semester I’m involved in SportsCo, Basketball and Mensa bartending. But since I came to UCR, I have undertaken several other smaller things too because I wanted to be part of the community. Yet, I always felt like I wasn’t doing enough.Therefore, at the coming election, I will run for Rasa CAO because I want to do what I can to improve the enthusiasm of our community, and the communication between Rasa, the students, and the societies. I think we all noticed with only ~570 people coming to UCR last year instead of 600 like normally, and most teams in UCSRN being undermanned which led to our loss last year for example, our school spirit may be lacking. But I figured, I can’t really complain if I don’t do anything to try to help make things better. I think that, with the enthusiastic, motivated boards we had this year we (all UCR students) are working on this. And if elected, I will try my best to continue these efforts by trying to increase school spirit, ensure communication between students and Rasa, and be open to any suggestions. And therefore, I would really like to fulfil this position. See you at the Elections :), Nena
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CAO - Guido Noteboom Who? Hey everyone! My name is Guido Noteboom, I am in my fourth semester, majoring in Politics, Sociology and Law and I would like to be your RASA CAO! Why? This semester I am a general board member of Sportsco, the secretary of the Summertrip team and a general team member of the Graduation team. In my previous semesters I have also been the secretary of the former Summertrip team and part of the HAC’s Christmas Market team. The experiences that I have had in these committees have made me really excited about working with other people. It made me realise the important of the events that the RASA committees organise for our community. However, most importantly, I learned in these committees that I really like to help people. This is why I think the position of CAO suits me best, as it gives me the ability to help a lot of people. How? The way I hope to improve the RASA community is through clear communication. I believe that a lot of the problems within the RASA committees and the big boards could have been prevented if the communication would have been better. You may wonder now; how does he think he can improve the communication? I think the answer is simple; through being approachable and staying in touch with the committees. This means that I will be there to assist the committees with their questions towards RASA, but also that I can help the committees when they face internal struggles. I hope that through this method I can ensure that all committees will be able to enjoy organising a lot of great events. Finally, I would also like to think ahead for RASA. RASA is a very fluent community and it is continually being reconstructed as we go. I think that it is essential for the RASA board to keep critically thinking about the future of RASA. While I think that we can be proud of what RASA has reached since the beginning of UCR, I also believe that we can still take some steps to improve. I hope that you will trust me to be involved in this process. See you at the GA! Kind regards, Guido Noteboom
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Chair - Hannah ten Have Dear all, My name is Johanna ten Have, most people know me as Hannah. I am a fourth semester student majoring in Law, Politics and History, but that’s not the reason why I stand here, I would like to represent you as this years’ HAC Chair. I have the feeling that taking responsibility is an important aspect of our UCR community, therefor I joined extracurricular activities from the moment I started UCR. From representing RASA at the UCSRN to being an intro week parent in Fall 2017. Besides this I have been both Treasurer and Chair of A.L Fides. I believe I have learned a great deal in the past two years. One of my characteristics is that I always want to develop myself to the fullest and I believe being your HAC Chair is the next step in this development. With my experience, my perseverance, communicative skills, and eye for details I have faith that I will be the right person to, together with the other HAC board members, find the right balance between the students’ interests and possibilities. I like to be part of a team, it’s important communicating with each other to find out what’s important for a good UCR community. This is one of the reasons why I would like to strengthen the communication between the campus elders and their floor/house elders. From my experience as both (former) house elder of B10 and current floor elder of Bachtensteene first floor, I have seen that this communication could be improved. Besides improving or adjusting things I would like to continue the great work the previous HAC board has done, this board has tried to focus more on the legal aspect of our campus life, which is in my opinion an important part where not all students have knowledge of. I believe that as an HAC board you should be informed so that the HAC board can represent the students as much as possible. Besides the legal aspect of our campus life, the current board (and previous board) have been trying to make our campus more sustainable, I would like to continue this upward trend. If you still have any questions you can always reach out to me when you see me, or just send me a message. Hope to see you all at the election GA! Love, Hannah
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Secretary - Tess Schijvenaars Dear all, My name is Tess Schijvenaars and I am currently a fourth semester student majoring in History, Law, and Politics. Next year, I hope to represent your housing interests within the HAC board as the next Secretary. Why Housing Affairs Council. Housing in any student community is probably one of the most important and pressing issues. It is the place where you satisfy your most basic human needs, like eating, drinking, and sleeping. However, also a place to study and relax. For this reason, it is vital that your student housing is able to deliver in these basic needs and purposes. Given the amount of time we spend in our rooms daily, good quality housing is essential to making new students feel at home and allowing graduate students to leave UCR and their rooms reluctantly. As part of the next HAC board, I would love to assist the student community in improving the campus locations in achieving the best quality housing possible in order to set the foundations for an enjoyable and pleasant time at UCR. Why Secretary. As a Secretary you are part of the daily board which allows you to attend weekly or bi-weekly meetings with Villex and UCR, but also involves dealing with confidential student issues and offering legal support to individual students. I hope that with some legal knowledge and an approachable, friendly attitude I will be able to assist student needs as part of the daily board. Additionally, the Secretary is responsible for all organizational tasks within the board, like making minutes during GA’s and meetings, keeping track of the archive, writing the newsletter, being in charge of the Facebook page, and setting meetings. As an extremely organized, perfectionistic, and structured person, these organizational tasks feel like a second nature to me. Goals. If I get elected as HAC Secretary, I primarily want to focus on continuing projects of the current HAC Secretary and Board. One board year is simply not enough to finish all projects and fully achieve results. By continuing on-going projects, instead of creating new ones, I think that the highest degree of efficiency and effectiveness can be realised. Furthermore, I would like to organize more Campus Input Nights, in order to represent student interests as best and fully as possible when trying to create a friendly, open, and welcoming campus. I hope to see you at (pre-)election night! Best, Tess
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CE Bachtensteene - Timo Lam Hey! My name is Timo, I am a 4th semester student in Religion, Politics and History and hope to be representing you as Bachtensteene’s next campus elder the coming academic year. Bachtensteene is a great campus location. This is because of its central location, general cleanliness, condition of the rooms, common rooms and the piano of course.You might wonder, what is left to improve? As campus elder I would like to make sure that this is not just something that we wonder about, but something we can be sure about. I would like to effectively and sustainably optimise everything within my ability in Bachtensteene so that there is nothing left for its inhabitants to worry about. I feel like I would be capable in doing this since I am a clean and organized person. However I am not just some cleaning organizing robot that keeps the building in shape. I also want to be there for the community that I hope will become more apparent in this coming year. I understand that not everyone is outgoing, but I want to make sure that there is ample opportunity to bond as a building and give you the sense that you live on campus instead of a former home for the elderly. I have previous experiences of working in a board as chair of cooking society and I also know the responsibilities of being an Introweek parent. Besides I am currently floor elder and like to show initiative when it comes to bettering our living environment. What I would like you all to know is that I want to be there for you not just as an organizational system, but also on a social level. Know that you can find me in me room (205) and around campus if you have any questions or if you want to have a chat in general. You can also contact me via Facebook or t.lam@ucr.nl Thank you for taking the time to read this and I hope to see you all on (pre-) election night! Take care, Timo
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CE Koestraat - Julia Cottrell Hey UCR (but this is directed at you, Koestraat resident) It’s Julia Cottrell, hailing from the 2nd floor, and I’m running for Campus Elder. Debatably from The Hague, I have American nationality and have lived in five countries over eight moves. I am majoring in Arts and Humanities, love dogs, and have a knack for remembering useless fast facts. What qualifies me for Campus Elder? I’m currently Floor Elder for Koestraat 2nd floor, so I already have experience dealing with Koestraat related issues. Since I’m international and changed homes many times, I already have tons of experience with moving, repairing, and dealing with problematic housing (for example, I have made simple fixes to my own toilet in the cube because I learned how to make simple fixes to toilets as a kid.) And since Koestraat isn’t perfect, I, like almost everyone else, have a lot of experience contacting Villex. Why run for HAC? I am interested in working with HAC because I want to become more involved in university housing. I’ve noticed there seems to be a lot of people who are moving between campus locations, and would like to try to improve the quality of the information students (especially new students) get when they pick rooms and arrive at UCR. Additionally, as an ex-ambassador, I can get all this done while still painting the campuses in a positive light for prospective students. Thankfully, Koestraat isn’t a shithole, but it can be improved, especially socially. As floor elder, but also as someone with friends in Koestraat, I have already heard opinions on what I can tackle as campus elder. If elected, I would bring these to the floor and work on them best I can, using whatever help is necessary. Also, improving communication. Communication is arguably the most important factor in a board that represents a group of 600, and I believe this needs to be improved between the HAC, Students, and Villex. You remember useless fast facts? Did you know you can differentiate male and female giraffes by the shade of their spots? In short; A vote for me is a vote for the representation of your ideas, thoughts and opinions. See you in Elliott for Pre-Election Night! Julia Cottrellj.cottrell@ucr.nl
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CE Koestraat - Joost Kaptein In the two semesters I spent at Koestraat, of which one as a floor elder, I got to know it as a very nice place to live. With 120 inhabitants from different backgrounds and with different personalities, it has a diverse population, which makes it possible to create an amazing community, and past year I have seen a lot of instances where this community came together to see each other I and got to know a lot of nice people. On the other hand, I believe that Koestraat still has potential to grow. If we, the inhabitants of Koestraat, would get together more often and could create a stronger feeling of unity, this could make life at Koestraat even better. Of course, I cannot realize my ideals for Koestraat on my own. Especially when it comes to the social aspects of being a campus elder, I think working with fellow inhabitants is essential. Together with the floor elders of the two coming semesters, and with all other inhabitants of Koestraat I want to work on a welcome environment where everyone can be as much part of the community as he or she wants to. Decisions about Koestraat and Koestraat budget should always be made in accordance to the preferences of those living there. But while social cowhesion is a top-priority, having a properly maintained campus location is just as important. We all know that Villex at times seems to have different thoughts on this, and often bad maintenance and slow repairs can make the Koestraat life less comfortable than it could and should be. I want to support the inhabitants of Koestraat in making sure their problems regarding housing are solved as fast and as well as possible. This goes both for issues regarding shared spaces and making sure shared appliances are in a working order, as well as making sure every individual room is in a good state. Working together tightly with external parties such as Villex and Elbuco is vital for a pleasant living experience in Koestraat. In all these aspects, I want to make sure living in Koestraat is as pleasant as it can get. I would love to follow the footsteps of Jesse and work hard on improving your living experience. Koestraat is already a great place but has potential to become even better!
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CE Roggeveenhof - Tyche van der Wielen Hello! You might have seen me around at school or on campus, but you will most likely have seen one of my posts on either of our Roggeveen Facebook pages. Even though this does reflect my concerns about, and involvement in our campus location, it does not say much about me. My name is Tyche and I am currently in my fourth semester, doing an Interdepartmental major in History, Sociology and Political Science. I am the hallway elder of long hallway ground floor and every week we have hallway dinners. The atmosphere in my hallway is very ‘gezellig’ and I think it would be great if I could spread this throughout the whole building. I unfortunately do not know that many of my neighbors here, apart from the ones in my own hallway. It would be great if we could organize an event in Roggeveen such as the Tower of Power Jesse has organized in Koestraat. ‘Cause which building is an actual tower here, hè?
Before I came to UCR, I had not looked into the different campus locations too much, but was quickly able to establish that Roggeveen was by far the best place for me! Although I was very glad with Villex’ decision to house me in this tower, there is still room for improvement at Roggeveen. As your Campus Elder I would like to continue the battle to finally get breathable air in the common rooms, either by installing windows that can be opened or by drastically improving the ventilation system there. In addition to that, the bike-parking is a problem I want to address. Removing all the ‘ghost-bikes’ has been an improvement to the storage issue already, but there still seems to simply not be enough space outside to park our bikes for a short amount of time. I know the grass is our neighbors’, but considering their (not so frequent) use of it, I assume that they could miss a few square meters of it in order to install extra hoops. This will obviously improve the overall aesthetic of their (and our) view, with neatly parked bikes.
Over the past year we have also been struggling with unwanted visitors entering our building and I think we should work on achieving a good solution to this problem. Be it through security cameras or attempting to get sliding doors, so we do not have to worry about sneaky Middelburg ‘hangjongeren’ getting through the door after we enter or leave Roggeveen ourselves. Lastly, I think that improvements can be made on the communication between graduates and new students, in order for them to come to better arrangements regarding furniture. The promotion of the HAC furniture fund can be bettered and so can the way in which students are welcomed into their new homes. Last summer I made a document containing all the information a new inhabitant of Roggeveen might need and distributed this in my hallway, I would like to spread it campuswide next summer. I know Nienke did a fantastic job as Roggeveenhof Campus Elder last year and I will strive to live up to this newly established standard. Hopefully you now have a clear view as to why I am running and why you should vote for me as the new Roggeveenhof Campus Elder. If, however, you still have any questions please send them to me on t.wielen@ucr.nl.
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Bar Manager - Marlon Schoo Hey everyone! My name is Marlon Schoo, I am 20 years old and currently in my fourth semester here at UCR. More importantly: I am running for the position of bar team manager! When I started studying at UCR, I found Elliott as a place to study, to relax, but also to have a good time while partying in the downstairs bar. I started volunteering,first with surveillancing and later behind the bar. I have always done this with great pleasure and I really enjoy seeing people having fun in Elliott. After gaining experience working behind the bar for more than a year, I became head bartender.There is an extra responsibility during the evening that I really like to carry out, and I enjoy the dynamic nature of working in different teams. In addition to volunteering in Elliott I also work in the Spot as a bartender, and although it is similar in responsibility and job description, working in a different setting and catering to other people enabled me to gain more experience. I have creative, new ideas that I would love to carry out, making sure to maintain and at the same time improve the bar as a welcoming setting for everyone. I look forward to seeing you all during the Election GA, and if you have any questions you can always send me a message! Love, Marlon
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Facility Manager - Dana Zoutman Hi everyone! My name is Dana and I’m currently in my second semester. I am from The Hague, twenty years old, (probably) majoring in Art and Literature and (possibly) minoring in Mathematics, but more importantly than all that I am running for Elliott Facility Manager! Here’s the reasons why I want this position, as well as some reasons why you should want me to be your next Facility Manager. As soon as my first semester started, Elliott became the place where I spent most of my time: studying, partying, socializing, spending all my money on coffee and fried snacks. It’s the place where great friendships and terrible caffeine addictions were born, and it quickly became my favourite place at UCR and has been ever since. After a few weeks I became the Project Manager of the Interior Design Team - if you haven’t seen me around, chances are that you have seen some of the finished (and unfinished) projects that I’ve led. Working together with Diederik in the Interior Design Team as well as helping him out with other tasks has given me the opportunity to see what it’s like to be the Facility Manager, and now that he’s graduating I’d be excited to continue the amazing job he has done! Next to fixing your lamps and unclogging your toilets, I have many ideas to improve the building. I plan to improve the ambiance and atmosphere of Elliott’s different spaces: finding a style to create coherence in the downstairs bar area, improving the study lounge, making the meeting rooms a more professional environment. I do think that improving Elliott is not just a one man’s job and I’m here to listen to everybody’s ideas: maybe you notice a table that desperately needs another charging point or a wall that could use a new layer of paint that I would otherwise have missed. I’ll also continue working with the Interior Design Team, continuing the larger projects we’ve already set up these last two semesters, focusing on the downstairs area and the toilets. The building has been through a lot of improvement over the last few semesters and I’m excited to take on the challenge to continue this and to make it an even better place than it already is. If you want to talk about my (or your!) ideas, don’t hesitate to approach me or send an email to d.zoutman@ucr.nl.
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Food Team Manager - Luc Aboubadra
“The only thing you can trust a Frenchman about is food”
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Mensa Manager - Clarissa Fascadore Hola everyone, I am Clarissa Frascadore, 19 years old, from Italy and I’m currently in my second semester in UCR. I am not sure what I will major in yet, but there is something I know for sure: I want to be your next Mensa Manager! From the first moment in Elliott I felt at home, whether it would be studying (and chilling) in Mensa, meeting new friends during a party downstairs, or curing my hangover with a sandwich on Wednesday. To me Elliott is not just a university building, but it’s really what makes UCR so special. It is the affection that I feel for Elliott, and in particular for the Mensa, which makes me want to be Mensa Manager. Taking shifts is one of my favourite activities and I would love to bring my own ideas in it and make sure Mensa stays the great place everyone can feel welcome in.
If you are still not convinced, here you go with some of the reasons why I would be great for the job:
C: Committed to Elliott L: Lively and approachable A: Adventurous to explore new coffees R: Ready to work hard O: Oh wow that’s a lot of reasons!
I really hope to see you all at the Election GA and that you will vote for me and give me this amazing opportunity!
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Chair & BoS Representative - Koen van der Blij I am Koen van der Blij, I am in my fifth semester and majoring in History & Philosophy with a minor in Economics. In terms of extra-curricular activities, I have been a human resource manager in the Barteam, member of the graduation team, Elliott representative in the PartyTeam, and as the current Elliott Treasurer. Next year, I would like to represent you in the AAC as chair and as a student representative in the Board of Studies. The AAC has always fulfilled an important role in the UCR community as a bridge between the students and the university, more so now with its role in the governance bodies. Though the current board has done a good job at transitioning into its new structure, the structure will change again. If I get elected I will use my experience with board dynamics to ensure everything is transitioned smoothly. Due to the addition of the content manager position, there will be seven members rather than six. Together with the team I would continue improving the AAC performance in serving the student community. The core task of the AAC should be to provide its members with a platform for discussion and sharing information to make well-informed decisions in their governance function. The AAC events and tasks that are not directly related to the governance bodies should be there to keep students informed, and should increase involvement where possible. In order to represent students properly throughout the year, pursuing student input and active involvement is crucial. It will remain important for the AAC to stay approachable and to make sure (new) students know what the AAC can do for them if the university is not able to help them adequately. I also believe that if we can work towards reaching more consensus among students and the student boards, it will make the student community stronger in both influencing UCR’s policy and the direction its heading. The new orientation week is an especially important topic to many students, so I would see it as my priority to ensure that student interests are not ignored in this regard. If you elect me I will also be in the Board of Studies. Despite there being only one student representative in this specific governance body, I feel confident that I can represent you, and voice criticism when necessary. One of the initiatives that I strongly support is the new Deregulation Taskforce which was recently installed to advise the Board of Studies. In the five semesters that I have studied here, I’ve noticed that the many forms and regulations that should be there to help students and professors are in my view often counterproductive. I look forward to seeing you at the election GA, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.
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Chair & BoS Representative - Charlotte Levine Hello everyone, My name is Charlotte Levine and I am running to be the new AAC Chair and student representative in the Board of Studies. As the new AAC Chair I would have three main goals. My first main goal would be to provide more information, during future week, on employment opportunities that do not rely on master programmes. The second would be to ensure that my board members receive enough support throughout their board year. My third goal would be to explore altering the election process, of the AAC, in order to give UCR students the ability to disapprove of someone who was running as well as harmonising all the big boards’ election procedures. At the same time, as the new Board of Studies representative I would endeavour to improve the weaknesses in identified academic courses in order to make sure that UCR students get the best education. Such as, continuing to push UCR to address the issues students experience in regards to the Academic Writing courses. I would also liaise closely with my board members so that the monthly Board of Studies meetings address the most pressing academic issues. I believe that I would be a good AAC Chair, because I have experience in keeping track of many different discussions and events at once, so I would be able to keep a good overview of the workings of the board. For example, as a Campus Elder I had to be aware of the activities and issues relating to my floor elders, fellow HAC board members, Villex and UCR. Additionally, as a campus elder I gained a significant amount of experience in public speaking because I led a number of house meetings. Furthermore, I feel that I would be an effective representative for the Board of Studies because I am able to speak my mind with authority figures while presenting a professional front. Moreover, I am not afraid to stand resolutely behind key issues, irrelevant of the status or position of those who may oppose these views or play them down. I have had a large amount of practise in both of these aspects during meetings with Villex, UCR management and the Safe Campus Committee. Overall, I would like to play a bigger role in improving UCR’s academics so that even after graduation we will all look back on not only a great time at UCR but also at a great education. If you have any questions, feel free to email me at c.levine@ucr.nl or ask me in person. See you at Pre-election night and/or at the Election GA!
Best wishes, Charlotte.
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Secretary & PAC - Any Akopyan Hello everyone, My name is Any Akopyan. I am a proud Rotterdammer of Armenian descent, currently in my second semester, majoring in Law and Politics. You might also know me as ‘’the girl who lives at Eleanor.’ ’ I feel honored to be running for AAC Secretary and for a position in the Program Advisory Committee. Since last year, UCR is in the process of some major changes. A year has passed now. I think it’s time to evaluate what we have achieved so far and what still needs to improve. In my opinion, we need more transparency in the course evaluations. Don’t we all want to see how they’re used to the benefit of us, the students? We all want to take courses of high quality, right? Other students’ experiences might be crucial for making the right decision. As part of the UCR community, you probably know that there are still courses that could be improved. As a student representative, I will work hard to make sure that we can get the most out of our curriculum. I want to translate students’ preferences and criticism into actions by the academic community. Some requirements need to be reexamined. Students need clarity on how they can plan their three academic years at UCR. That is why we need better guidelines and instructions. We also need more flexibility towards students with internships. Why you should vote for me? I already have substantial board experience: right now, I am treasurer for the Roosevelt Debating Society. I know what it’s like to have regular meetings, even when deadlines are killing you. I am organized, responsible, and not afraid to speak my mind. There is no doubt that these are the qualities an AAC Secretary should have! I hope to see you at the elections!
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Secretary & PAC - Amber Averens Hi everyone! First of all, thank you for taking time out of your busy lives to read a bit about the people running for a board position! Some of you might already know me, but for those of you who don’t, I am Amber, I am 20 years old and I am a 4th semester Psychology and Law major. When I am not busy with my academic I am part of UCR’s ambassador team, in which I promote UCR to prospective students. I’m also involved with the big boards as part of the Independent Bodies for RASA and HAC and for the next academic year I would like to add becoming AAC secretary to that list! Why secretary? Firstly, I have always had an affinity for academics, so applying for a position in the AAC just seemed like a natural fit. I specifically chose to run for secretary because the position of secretary is a very broad one in which I will largely be supporting my fellow board members in their specific tasks and responsibilities. It particularly appeals to me because it gives me a bird’s-eye view of all the different aspects of UCR life in which the AAC gets to work their magic. As a highly organised person, I believe I am well-suited to provide this support for others to succeed in what they want to achieve, whilst also being able to accomplish my own tasks and visions within the board. The position of secretary would also grant me the freedom to initiate my own projects, which provides the perfect opportunity to address some short-term problems students are facing. One issue I’d like to look into is updating the course outlines/track descriptions on the intranet, because they are often terribly outdated, wrong or plainly missing. Not only have I got my own ideas, but more importantly I want to know where you’ve experienced difficulties concerning UCR’s academic endeavours. Why a program committee representative? One of the best aspects of UCR is the large freedom we have in structuring our own unique academic program. Although this may sound like a dream program, it comes with a complicated set requirements, procedures and other administrative difficulties, which can make that dream feel more like a burden. As program committee representative, I would like to work on this problem and try to clarify not only the who-where-hows, but also the whys behind these procedures. In order to do so effectively, it is vital to listen to students’ opinions on these issues because, in the end, you are the one that will have to deal with them. I also want to make sure your voice is being heard when it comes to the content of the courses and the quality of the instructors. At the moment, many students still feel that the feedback they give on courses and instructors isn’t being taken seriously and doesn’t actually serve any purpose, other than wasting trees. Likewise, many students, staff, and even faculty are still unclear on what the PAC actually does; an issue I will tackle next year, if you were to elect me. In general, as part of the program committee, I want to make sure that your voice is heard and changes are actively made, all in order to ensure your time at UCR is the best it can be! If you still have any questions for me, feel free to send me an email (a.averens@ucr.nl), message me on Facebook, or just approach me in person!
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Secretary & PAC - Teresa Sarasa Nagore Hello Vikings! Who am I? My name is Teresa and I am a second semester from Spain majoring in Sciences, with a minor in the Arts and Humanities department. Looking at my course choices it is not hard to see why I would be interested in a Liberal Arts and Sciences program. UCR’s atmosphere, broad choice of courses and strive for academic excellence captivated me from the very beginning. From the moment I placed foot in this place, I knew I wanted to somehow contribute to its thriving community and ambitious program which I believe has so much potential. This is why I am running for the AAC Secretary & Program Advisory Committee position. Why am I suited for this position? In high school, I worked as a language teacher. This experience provided me with insight on what is expected from the students and professors likewise. I believe the ability to empathise with both sides of the discussion would help me as part of the Committee, acting as a mediator between professoriate and student body. Years of debate team improved my communication skills, and as my high school´s year delegate I became a great listener. Reliability, efficiency and social skills are crucial qualities for the Secretary position and I believe I most certainly have them. As the only international student running for a position in the PAC, I would make sure to keep interests of those from abroad at best, being able to relate to the struggles of coming to a Dutch university myself. What would I do? I know better than to make promises during campaign that may be impossible to fulfil in the future, so I rather share what I will work towards in the Program Advisory Committee if you put your trust in me. I´d strive to make curriculum planning easier, and information on academics more accessible and up-to-date. I will work towards making the transition from Bachelor to Masters simpler, by the use of platforms and continuous counselling. Improving and maintaining the quality of courses at UCR would be a prevalent focus, taking into consideration the increasing concern among students on this topic. It is my hope to make students at UCR feel that they’re part of a university that listens to them and values their opinion. All of this will only be possible with your support! I work as a UCR ambassador, volunteer for Elliott projects and Mensa, I am an active member of societies such as SportsCo, SusCo, or MUN, and I am a regular student that tries to balance academics with social life, sleep, and a little too much partying. So long story short, I’m just like any other UCR Viking. This means that my interests and concerns are no different to yours. My goal is, therefore, for you to archive your own goals.
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Treasurer & UCR Council - Ruben van den Akker Hello, my name is Ruben van den Akker. I am a fourth semester student, majoring in Politics and Economics and I am running for the position of student representative in the UCR Council, connected to the position of Treasurer in the AAC Board. After three semesters in the RASA Board I considered it the right time to do something else. My initial plan was to not run for any big board for the coming academic year. However, some recent experiences changed my mind. As most of you probably already know, the Management Team of UCR decided to extend the traditional RASA Introweek to a two-week orientation period. It was not necessarily this development that got me thinking, but even more how easily the Dean was able to surpass RASA in UCR’s decision-making process. Regardless of the fact that RASA has organized many successful Introweeks in the past. The student body that would have the most influence on this decision is the AAC, or the UCR Council actually. I would like to take up one of the three student positions in the UCR Council to critically review the developments at UCR from a student perspective. After a meeting with a current student representative in the UCR Council, I am convinced I can give the students a strong voice in this important body. As for the Treasurer position in the AAC, I think I am quite experienced and capable of this job after a year of experience as RASA Treasurer. I am looking forward to working together with the two other students in the UCR Council and the other four AAC Board Members. I would like to see whether it is possible to decide upon certain focuses and certain views within the Board of the AAC that we can represent in all three bodies that we are in, in order to represent one clear student position towards UCR. Additionally, I hope I will be able to have a lot of fun with the other board members, to have an even more amazing board year! If you have any questions after reading this or in general, do not hesitate to send me a message or approach me in person!
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Student Advisor & PAC - Joost Hoekstra Dear fellow students, My name is Joost Hoekstra, and I am a fourth semester pre-med major. In the past two years, I have been involved in the UCR community as a member of the graduation team, but also currently as the secretary of M.S.R.A. Odin. Next year, I would like to be involved in the UCR community as your Student Advisor in the Academic Affairs Council (AAC) and representative in the Program Advisory Committee. Currently, a lot of changes are taking place, and I would like to help you by ensuring that this transition occurs as smoothly as possible. I could do this by, for instance, helping you with your academic plans and decisions, and making an overview of interesting projects provided by professors, which you could choose from. Moreover, if there are any problems with a professor, I will try to help you and come to a solution. In the case of the Program Advisory Committee, I would work towards giving the students more space in choosing their courses, for example by looking into the current rules and regulations around the foreign language & culture requirements, but also the ACC130/230 requirement. Consequently, this could free up slots that could give you the opportunity for a first or second minor. The projects that I previously mentioned would be there to complement your theoretical knowledge with practical skills and experience. Currently I am working on SPECTRA together with fellow students Sam Max and Angkarina Angkasuwan. For example, SPECTRA would be a dedicated space for biomedical and pre-medical students to train and practice their practical skills. These skills would help them during observer ships, academic internships, jobs and masters. If you would elect me as your student advisor, I would love to set up the same concept for other disciplines. In conclusion, as your Student Advisor I would like to work hard to make your UCR career easier, less regulated and more hands-on, so that you can enjoy and utilize your time here to the fullest. Hope to see all of you at pre-election night and the election GA!
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Content Manager & PAC - Rayo Verweij Well, this is awkward. Rather impolite too, one could argue, and a bit cheeky. But let’s start at the beginning. Hey there! I’m Rayo, an 18-year-old fourth semester majoring in the Cognitive and Computer Sciences. At this very moment, I am on exchange at Bard College, a LAS college in upstate New York. This not only means that you probably haven’t ever even seen me if you’re a first semester, but also that I’m terribly inconvenient to the people organizing these elections. In fact, I’m so terribly inconvenient that I told myself multiple times not to run, even though I’ve always thought of a position in the AAC. I chose for the exchange, to go on adventure in a different setting than UCR. Over the past couple of weeks, however, we’ve seen that UCR is ramping up their efforts to make us more like Bard. An extra Orientation week, focused on academics? Heavily inspired by Bard. A Moderation project halfway through your career? Copied down to the name. So, if we’re going to upgrade our curriculum by looking at Bard, what’s better than to have a student in the Programme Advisory Committee that knows the place as well? Someone who has had a semester of students talking about how everyone would just get drunk during Orientation and how the difficulty of Moderation differs vastly between subjects? And even beyond that, from smaller things like reviving the UCR Tutor to bigger things like personal mid-semester feedback from instructors to students, I think there is a lot we can play and experiment with. In the position of Content Manager, I’d even be responsible for writing the Exchange Guide, a delightfully fitting role. Combine that with my experience as the Training Officer of the Roosevelt Debating Society last year, for which I organized debates and lectures, promoted them with posters and Facebook events, given training presentations, formatted newsletters… I’ve contributed to multiple Public Spheres and have always made sure I’m updated on the latest developments. This year the AAC launched a new website for their guides and considering that I did a lot of the design work on the new RASA website, updating and developing this isn’t just not a problem, it is something I would be genuinely excited about. In addition to all this, I hope this piece is somewhat showing the fun I have when writing, and the love I have for it. If you know me, whether you’re a good friend of mine or the only thing you’ve ever said to me is “a latte, please” in Elliott, I most of all hope that this piece is reminding you that I’m always willing to help. I’m happiest running around taking care of things that seem very important in the moment. If that seems silly, well, it is; but I’d do a lot for that feeling of accomplishment, the feeling that the work I’m doing actually matters, the feeling that I’m saving the day. I would be honoured to represent you. See you soon, Rayo
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Internal Officer & UCR Council - Alex Cole Hello, and thank you for reading my section in this booklet. I am Alex Cole and I am a science major in my 4th semester. The position I would like to fill is Internal Officer and UCR council. In my prior two semesters, I have been in the Elliott board as the Food Team Manager. I am very enthusiastic about making this change. I decided to run for this specific position because the main responsibilities of the Internal Officer can be summarised as Facebook communication and event planning. As a former Elliott board member, I have extensive experience planning events. I have worked closely with Elliott’s Operations Manager and have organised numerous events myself. This will give me an advantage, seeing as I am familiar with UCR event formats and I have been in contact with UCR organizers. Along with this, many of the AAC updates get lost in the Facebook feed, which is why I would either focus on fixing this problem, or invest time in exploring alternative platforms. Within my position, I would direct my efforts towards ensuring visibility for important updates, such as the recent changes regarding the one-year Bachelor’s Thesis. I would like this to be more visible in order to ease the workload for students overall. I would not only like to contribute with promotion and events, but I would also like to invest in the strategic plan, the academic rules and procedures, and the facilities and budget, as I think there is plenty of room for improvement. As a student representative in the UCR council I would like to take the voice of students and ensure they are heard in the council. Having been in Elliott, one of UCR’s biggest facilities, I have learnt the ins and outs of dealing with a budget, a team, long-term planning and goals, and forming critical views on the underlying mechanisms of facilities. Since these are exactly the topics discussed in the UCR Council, I believe that I can add to the discussion and be the ideal advisor on the practicalities and realities of future projects. Furthermore, in my opinion, some of the requirements and rules that are supposed to be helping us, are hindering students in achieving their desired academic careers in the personalised way that was promised to us. I really do hope you choose me for this position, as I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with the AAC, the UCR council and you. Once again, thank you for reading and enjoy the elections!
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Internal Officer & UCR Council - Farina Shaaban Dear All, My name is Farina. I am 20 years old and am in my 2nd Semester aspiring to be a science major with a minor in social sciences. I am running for the position of UCR Council representative. In a dynamic institution such as UCR it is vital to make decisions while all parties affected have a seat at the table. Representing the students of UCR as a collective at this table is not only a great honour but also a demanding experience. Before my UCR career took off, I had the chance of being a student representative and the chair of the United Nations Association Group at my high school, which meant that I was also the representative of the student body at events outside of my school. I cherish this broad learning practice I had in Zanzibar, and wish to extend my experience at UCR. I intend to bring in not only the lessons I have learned so far, but also the curiosity and eagerness to better understand how the management of a university works, while prioritizing the best interest of the students. Despite being in my first year at UCR, I have grown to truly appreciate the perks of being a student in such a small university community and am keen to play a role in the changes UCR is currently applying. Being part of the Academic Affairs Council, especially as one of the UCR Council representatives, will give me the opportunity to actively engage in the decision making processes at UCR and thus help me pursue my interests. As a UCR Council representative, I hope to be an integral part of a smooth transition of the board and with that, successfully carry out the prosperous plans laid out by my forerunners. Moreover, I would like to work alongside my fellow board members to allow us and you to get the most out of our UCR experience by ensuring a healthy, work friendly environment, while moving towards our common goal: a quality education. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely, Farina Shaaban (f.shaaban@ucr.nl)
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Academic Affairs Council
Election booklet 2018 - 2019 Academic Affairs Council
External Officer & UCR Council - Jip Wolterinck Hello everyone, My name is Jip Wolterinck. I am in my second semester and I am running for AAC External Officer and for the UCR council. Why do I want it? I feel that it is important that the opinion of the student body is heard. As the UCR Council needs to give approval to the management team on topics like policy and budget, it is the place for students to have input. I would like to be the External Officer because working together with other universities seems like a great thing to do. I would like to see how other UC’s are organized and how universities influence the government and other organizations to get the best situation for students possible, and I would like to be a part of that. Additionally, I think it will be a fun experience! Why am I suited for the position? For starters, I already have some experience. I was in the Council of my secondary school. At UCR, I have learned how to listen, to ask critical questions, how to work together and that have good communication skills. All of these skills will come in handy at the AAC, in the Council and at the UCSRN. Additionally, I am involved in our UCR community. You may have seen me study in Elliott, or part of the many committees like Philocom, Gamesco and Roosevelt Runners. I have recently started to volunteer at the Mensa. What can I do for you? I will do my best to make sure that the opinion of the student body is heard. By working together with the other members of the UCSRN, I will try to find ways to make the transition between UCR and after-UCR easier. I want to improve the opportunities the students have to choose the master they want. I also want to improve the image of UC’s in general. Outside of the Council, my role here at UCR will be less visible, but I will do my best to also help UCR get better academically and assist my fellow board members if they need it. I’m interested, I care, I’m willing to invest, and I am the right one for the job, so vote for me!
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