The Insider - Elections Special 2018

GENERAL PARTNER

PARTNERS

SPECIAL THANKS TO Rauls Leitis, Markus Remmet, Raivo Lismanis, Gustavs Kārlis Preimanis, Elza Sedmale, Katrīna Ciniņa, Austėja Denisovaitė, Samanta Mežmale, Larysa Karsayeva, Matas Petronis, Marija Dvorņikova, Kristīne Kastanovska, Alise Līdaka, Dana Supe, Hleb Birylau, Mārtiņš Pēteris Barkāns, and the Student Association.

PRINTED BY

2

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

CONTENTS

Meet the Candidates

06 10 13 16 18 21 22 23

Presidential Couple Business Committee Event Committee PR Committee Education Committee Information Committee IT Committee Sports Committee

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

3

Dear readers, Marta Metuzāle Chief Editor

The end of the year is approaching and that means that not only Christmas but also the Student Association elections are coming! The 24th Student Association board has taken care of your life here in your second home, and now it is your time to shine! If you can’t decide which of the potential SA board candidates are more competent, professional and suitable for the position, don’t worry — the Insider Election Special is here to help you! Read the motivation letters of the candidates to gain better insight into their plans and personalities, and don’t forget to attend the election debates on the 20th and 21st November!

The choice is in your hands — choose the best chairpersons and make the next year incredible!

Daria Orz Graphic Designer

Study hard, party hard, and choose wisely, The Insider & The 24th SA Board

Follow us! /SSERigaInsider

/TheInsiderSSER

Līva Toka Editor

4

Linda Kamola

Felicia Istrati

Jelizaveta Ļebedeva

Sorina-Sofia Solonaru

Editor

Editor

Editor

Editor

Agnese Blūmane

Oskars Ludbāržs

Ērika Terēze Vītoliņa

Valeria Toncovidova

Editor

Junior Editor

Junior Editor

Junior Editor

Hleb Birylau

Daniela Gerda Baranova

Luiss Martins Rozentāls

Julian Kugoth

Junior Editor

Junior Editor

Junior Editor

Jr. Graphic Designer

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

The Student Association Board, 2018

6

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

PRESIDENTIAL COUPLE Rauls Leitis & Markus Remmet Dear students of SSE Riga, We are excited to announce that we would like to be the presidential couple of the SA 2019. Being a part of the community of SSE Riga for a few months has shown us amazing progress. Our families are proud of us and so are yours. The community is known for its close-knit relationships between students. Maintaining our small community as great as it is today is not an easy job! We do not promise severe changes. We are looking for possibilities to reduce the stress and tension in the atmosphere.

We are here not to change the system, which means that we perfectly understand that the Rome wasn’t built in one day. Also, it is important not to overlook the work previous boards have done, we aren’t here to reinvent the bicycle.

We believe that our mothers have given us all the needed experience and qualities that are required to be persons that can adapt and learn quickly. Most likely we weren’t born suitable for the presidential couple, but we understand the concept quiet well and we are ready to take the responsibilities.

Rauls, the guy whose name is the same as Shawn Mendes’s third name, has watched all the Harry Potter, Hobbit and LOTR movies, and he doesn’t really care that he wasted half of his life on it. Rauls has worked as a logistics manager

for the last 4 summers in a transportation company. That wouldn’t be possible without his father owning the company. He also enjoys skiing and would like to move to Alps one day.

Markus has lived without his parents’ pocket money since 10th grade in high school. That wouldn’t be possible without him being a creative, intelligent and hardworking person. “study hard and party harder”. He thinks that cycling is boring. Markus is also good with computers “Playing minecraft has been a big part of my entire life. - ..

I’ve been playing it ever since my 7th birthday.”

Astrology sign: Gemini Interests: Female, sleeping Hobbies: cooking pelmeni, football and geoengineering We, two alpha-males, who complement each other’s flaws, are hoping that we won’t lose too many SSE Rigans after the 1st harvest of the annual Re-Exams. If you feel like your chances in Re-Exams are small, you should still vote for us ;))) Our main goal is to make SSER a place where people feel super comfortable and appreciated while getting an exceptional education. Our diploma’s reputation must stay :) We are going to make SSER stay great!

Rauls Leitis and Markus Remmet

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

7

BUSINESS COMMITTEE

Raivo Lismanis Dear all, I’d like to start off by thanking the SA for the wonderful experience to learn so much so quickly. And I would especially like to thank the current Business Committee board for the hard work that has been put into providing us with the best food and alcohol in the world – the free kind.

During my time as a junior associate, I’ve been contacting companies which we haven’t been collaborating with before. Reaching out and starting a conversation with new companies is always a challenge as it is impossible to predict whether the company will be interested in working with us or not. However, it is key to broaden the reach of the Business Committee, as connecting with new supporters allows us to provide you the students with more and better stuff. Therefore, my main goals for the coming year in Business Committee is to reach as many different, new and cool companies 8

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

to further improve our SSE experience by having more of nice stuff for our events. However, reaching the companies is only the first step.

Fluent communication within the board and with organizations is also crucial in order to ensure that the party machine keeps ticking.

Therefore, my main goals as the chairperson of the Business Committee for the following year will be: • Acquisition of more partners for event food raising • Acquisition of a large partner providing financial support to the SA • Optimization of inter-committee communication and work, mainly focusing on the Event-BusinessPR chain.

I hope to see as many of you as possible at the presentations as it is up to you to decide which changes/improvements proposed are of highest importance to you – the students.

Cheers, Raivo

Gustavs Kārlis Preimanis Dear SSE Rigans, I’ll be brief and straightforward.

not only keep the support at the same level but to enhance it even further.

I knew that I wanted to be a part of the Business committee before I even applied for the SSE Riga entrance exams. And when I got accepted and saw firsthand how amazing the things that the people accomplish there are, I realized that I wanted to contribute the most I possibly could. I see Buscom as a family - a family I want to be a part of, a family I wish to nourish and lead to new heights. It makes me smile, seeing how business committee supports other committees and I put it forward as my goal to

I enjoy being a part of this committee — the people, the connection with other students, but most importantly I love making other people happy. As I said, I will do everything I can to improve student lives and be a productive member of the society as some would say. I hope that you find sincerity in my words and I hope that you give me a chance to make my intentions come true.

Kind regards, Gustavs Preimanis

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

9

Elza Sedmale Dear SSE Riga students, I am happy to announce my candidacy for a business committee chairperson 2019. I believe that my personality and skills are suitable for this position. Since I am already in business committee as a junior associate, I have experienced many tasks that committee’s members face in everyday work. Therefore, I understood that working in this field, where good communication skills are needed, is the thing I would love to continue doing. But to gain more experience I need to step higher, so I wanted to take my chances and develop myself to the business and leadership direction.

I have always been interested in business strategies and I would like to find the most beneficial way how to sell an idea to potential customers. After combining all these interests, I would like to develop a more structured and efficient system to a business committee, so that it is easier to track all associates work 10

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

and attract new potential sponsors. I really like to manage all the work that is going in the business committee, because then I would have a broader picture, what is the causes of unwanted problems and how to prevent them. I am already doing something similar in Junior Achievement Latvia as volunteer coordinator, where I have to take care of the team’s overall communication skills and encourage volunteers to more cooperate with each other. These duties have revealed the leadership skills that I have not noticed before. So, I would like to adapt this skill by managing the business committee. I am excited to share my work skills, that would possibly lead to more achievements for the business committee. I would truly do my work with enthusiasm and help not only Business committee associates, but other SA committees to get the best result possible for the Student Association.

Elza Sedmale

EVENT COMMITTEE

Katrīna Ciniņa Dear all, Even if the pile of assignments sometimes seems never-ending, there is no better feeling than going home after a tough day of school to... get ready for a crazy adventure filled with live music, vibrant atmosphere and, of course, great people.

Traditions of a great SSE Riga party have been established for a long time and have been passed from chairperson to chairperson. Now, the enormous basket of knowledge is standing right before my eyes.

But am I qualified enough to take it?

Event making has been one of my top priorities in the last three years, and I have truly worked hard to deepen my knowledge in the sphere to make my projects successful and entertaining for the guests. The lessons I have learned through this time are irreplaceable

– no book can teach you how many layers does event making actually involve and how easy it is to forget something.

In addition, I have grown up in an incredibly creative community of musicians, dancers and artists, and it has been a great influence in shaping up my personality. All of the experiences I have gained through the years of being a performer are also in the foundation of this position – attention to small details, ability to plan and schedule efficiently, and originality in terms of ideas are all needed to make any event memorable. I believe that my unique perspective could give an extra spice to the already existing recipe of SSE parties and make them even more impressive!

Yours sincerely, Katrīna

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

11

Austėja Denisovaitė “Responsible but fun” – that’s how I would describe myself in 3 words (my humbleness would not let me write “smart” instead of “but”, but I’m not too shabby with this part too, if I do say so myself). My sense of responsibility is engraved in me from childhood when I had to raise three younger siblings as well as my grades in school and not get insane (which I successfully managed to do (?).

Talking of the “fun” part, that started back in high school when I joined Lithuanian Student Union and started organizing events for youngsters (people 1 year younger than me), but SSE Riga SA’s event committee is the thing that seriously skyrocketed my love for event organizing and genuine love for the SSE Riga community.

As in every organization, there are some things you adore and some

12

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

that you would change. Regarding comments from Y2s and Y3s, as well as my fellow Y1s, I would introduce more themed parties, as well as some smaller cozy “chill” parties in between big events. I would leave the concept of THE BIG parties the same (with some exceptions), but I would try to improve them in terms of providing chill spots for people who wish to have a good talk in between dancing as well as more activities besides partying. Some smaller details, such as announcements in the events, would be improved too, because so far most people miss out on some fun because they simply do not hear it. All the other changes would be made after hearing your, dear SSE Rigans, opinion.

However, “fine words doth butter no parsnips”, so I propose you to select me as your candidate for the Event Committee and wait for the magic to happen!

Samanta Mežmale Dear all, What would SSE be without its crazy parties? Maybe boring, maybe it wouldn’t even be SSE anymore…

Anyways, I hope we will never get to experience ‘’Study hard and even harder’’.

I‘ve been interested in organizing events for a long time. For already 2 years I’ve been working in the event organizing company and I have understood that it is a field where I would definitely like to develop myself further. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to join Event.com. During the last few months I was actively contributing in the Event Committee and I have already enjoyed many of its benefits, especially community. I understood that to create a party on such a high level it’s all about the details-the theme, music, decorations, activities, all possible negotiations and other components that

create that fantastic atmosphere in the events.

I wish to be part of this amazing community also in the future.

Therefore, I want to introduce myself for the position of Event Committee Chairperson. As an Event. com chief my main mission would be to do everything to see you smiling and expressing sincere emotions during the events. It might take lots of sleepless nights, preparations and also some of my nerves.

But it is definitely worth it. Creating something big just from one idea sounds very appealing to me. I will put all of my efforts and passion to create the most unforgettable events for you, SSERigans.

Looking forward to see you at the elections!

Sincerely, Samanta

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

13

PR COMMITTEE

Larysa Karsayeva Dear SSE Rigans and other forms of life, From the very first day when I visited SSE Riga, I was fascinated by this place. Especially by people. Never in my life have I been surrounded by so many talented and motivated individuals. So, when I finally became a student, I immediately decided to apply to the PR Committee, because I believe that here I can reflect my passion to this amazing university.

Although I am still quite amateur in photography, this is the field I am willing to develop my skills in. I’m also a big fan of cinematography and tried out myself as a camera operator in Young.lv media school, where we worked as a team to produce new video every week.

Lastly, my favorite part about this

14

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

committee — communication and involvement into all activities. I have not yet missed a single event organized by the SA (even though I may not recall everything that happened there). Despite studies being my main priority, they weren’t very demanding for me so far, thus, I am convinced that will be able to handle the workload of chairperson position.

I think that PRCom shouldn’t be only about fancy events and pictures of drunk course mates. It should also take a look at individual students and their achievements (seems like smth similar to Buchanan, but any ways..) We all try to look better than we actually are, but SSER doesn’t have to do this. It just needs to reveal its true greatness.

Matas Petronis Dear All, My life has revolved around photography for the past 6 years. After so much time with a camera in my hands, I understood that good photography is never about technical things. Especially when it comes to taking photos of people. It’s about building a connection and getting them comfortable. Have you ever caught yourself noticing a camera and then unconsciously turning your face away or starting to act unnaturally? Because I have noticed you doing that! It was the first time I took photos here at SSE. As I did it more and more often, I have noticed people getting more and more relaxed. It is very hard to get an objective opinion about your

pictures, so for me, the best quality indicator is seeing people get comfortable around the camera. This is never about exposures, contrasts or saturations. It is about you knowing that you will never receive a picture of yourself with your eyes midblink. What guides my photography is a strict selection and thinking of the person in the frame. I think you have already understood that my vision for the next year of PR is a lot photography-focused. Luckily, I feel that good photos are what most people care about. They are something that will stay with you for many years later. Don’t worry, I have had many more creative experiences too! I will be more than happy to address that during the Q&A sessions. Hope to see you there!

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

15

EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Marija Dvorņikova Dear All, At SSER they suggest that you study hard and party hard. Of course, the second part sounds very attractive, but the main reason why we all are here is education. I believe that everyone should enjoy the study process at SSER as much as possible.

Therefore, I am putting forward my candidature for Education Committee Chairperson having qualities and skills needed to provide every student with an opportunity to get the best study experience.

Being part of a swimming team helped me develop team-work skills and build character. I am hard-working and responsible, as well as my communication skills will establish successful cooperation between students, administration, faculty and alumni. Communication skills here are crucial because Education Committee

16

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

Chairperson is the voice of the student body, representing students’ interests and finding solutions to all kinds of issues. Moreover, I am striving for individual approach and continuous feedback during the courses.

Right after joining Education Committee three months ago, I felt the team spirit which I would like to keep in the future with my positive energy and leadership skills. The previous members of Education Committee have done a significant amount of work, and I would like to continue what they have started, emphasizing the value of openness and adding everything that is in my power to improve the educational aspect of SSER even more. I would do my best to make your everyday study routine here as delight as possible!

Yours sincerely, Marija

Kristīne Kastanovska Dear SSE Rigans, Being an SSE student is truly an amazing opportunity to develop your knowledge, skills, personality, and tolerance for five coffees a day.

Many of us already have faced some challenges like passing FA, following Nicolas or staying warm in Soros during the lectures at 8 o’clock. Nevertheless, most of us have survived them, and now are looking for new challenges to conquer. For me the challenge is to continue the incredible work the Education Committee has done so far by becoming the Chief of the committee.

Most of you might be wondering – what is that the Education Committee does? Well, we are in charge of matching Y1 with alumni mentors, organizing educational events,

communicating with administration and lecturers, and making sure the TAs upload the seminars on e-learning on time (hopefully some time before the exam).

My goal is to make sure that internally education committee stays as a friendly and open place where anyone can enjoy the company of other associates as well as discuss the gossip in the Insider. And externally I am determined to make sure that the learning experience becomes more tolerable and enjoyable for all students. I will try my best to keep the Education Committee on the right path!

As we say in Edu.com: “Study hard and a pass is from 100 points!”

Yours sincerely, Kristīne

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

17

Alise Līdaka Times change. And education must change with it. However, it is not always easy to change, that’s why we need a committee that hears you, our dear students, out and anonymously contacts the administration on your behalf, conducts surveys, makes small scale bonding events with educational purposes and so much more. Actually, this was one of the reasons i joined the education committee in the first place- for the chance to make a change. I am an ordinary student just like all of everyone of us and it does matter what we believe because we are what make the SSE Riga a honorable and strong school and will keep on making it as such for the future students as a team. I wish to continue the hard work all the previous chairmen have made, wish to continue their efforts and

18

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

make the student life here at SSE more enjoyable and easy which it certainly is not. Although it is hard, my goal is to make deals with language schools, so that our students that believe are up to the challenge could learn a new language. I believe I could be a good candidate as I have a little sister, and before you say anything, I must explain that raising a sister is a rollercoaster of truth, lies and adventures. Little children teach us communication, compromise and what I deem the most important adaptiveness to whims and stubbornness as well as a calmer mind in stressful situations, but their determination is beyond reason.

Sincerely, Alise Līdaka

INFORMATION COMMITTEE

Dana Supe Dear all, On my first day of studies at SSE Riga, a sense of excitement, which had already started in the morning, was intensified by flipping through the pages of the Newcomers Guide.

That is exactly the feeling I want to recreate for the next nervous Y1s as they walk into Soros for the first time; thus, I am applying for the chairperson position of the Information Committee. Of course, updating students on the activities of the SA Board and making sure that laughs and tears are shared among the third year students after receiving the yearbook is just as important for me.

I believe to have acquired the necessary skills for this position — open mindedness, flexibility, creativity and responsibility — through organizing various projects in the Youth Council and participating in an exchange program. As I see it, the job of the Information Committee is not only to make sure that the most needed information slips into student e-mails, but also being the bridge between students and the SA Board, administration and external sources.

If you decide to vote for me, an aspiring perfectionist with a hint of artistic mindset, I promise to provide you with only informative e-mails (proofread a gazillion times) and keep on working towards promoting the creative side of SSE Riga.

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

19

IT COMMITTEE

Hleb Birylau The majority of my time is and has always been spent in front of the screen. I can beat Minesweeper in less than ten seconds. I code (somewhat), I’m fluent in binary (no idea how that would come in handy), I’m OCD about personal data leakages. I watch videos about SQL-injections for relaxation purposes. I survived a whole year in a crappy IT-university. I can guarantee one thing — my leadership will not bring IT-com and SA sites to ruin.

I’m coming to SA to be useful and to get experience (oh, what a disastrous cliche. Yet, such is the truth). I’m very thankful to SSER as a whole and to the people I meet here, and I want to be of use to them — to all of us. Employing my IT-management skills

20

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

for that purpose seems quite fitting.

The experience part is obvious: being a part of a serious (a-ha), functional organization cannot harm.

My plan is fairly conservative. Nobody should expect radical changes or an attempt from the IT-com to seize power in SSER. We do our job — properly, and steadily evolve — when needed. I can promise that I will try my best to make IT-com even less noticeable (except for, hopefully, various events) in your daily lives — which would mean that everything functions as designed.

So, stay calm and vote for me. The future of the committee will be in good hands — as well as your precious personal data.

SPORTS COMMITTEE

Mārtiņš Pēteris Barkāns Dear SSE Rigans, My name is Mārtiņš Barkāns and I am running for the position of The Sports Committee Chairperson. As many may know, I am not only a student here in SSE Riga, bus also a professional ice-hockey player. I have been in sports my whole life and I believe in hard work, a healthy lifestyle and a positive attitude towards life. I have a strong work ethic and dedication towards things I like and am passionate about; the Sports Committee is one.

As a Junior Associate in The Sports Committee I have been impressed by the work of it so far. They have organized numerous spectacular events and activities. My plan is to build upon their work by looking into their previous actions and improving them. Even before being

elected, I have already got a team of people who like to get things done and have experience in different sports activities both as participants and organizers. This means that we understand sports and will provide SSER with quality sports activities.

We will also try to find out more what you, the students, want the activities to be and will do everything we can to make our school more active and healthier. My main goal is to make the best Summer and Winter symposiums our school has ever witnessed. Last year I took part in organizing the Summer Symposium and I will do anything I can to make the event even better.

Hopefully, your next Sports Committee Chairperson, Mārtiņš.

THE INSIDER • ELECTION SPECIAL 2018

21