By Trevor Maloney
UCR is fast-approaching its ten-year milestone. Since that time, the university has distinguished itself as an educational institution of teaching and learning excellence. And while there is much to celebrate about the institution itself, there is much to say about the connection between UCR and the city in which it’s located: Middelburg.
“If there would be one message that our anniversary contains, it would be that over ten years, Middelburg has become a student city, and it has to stay a student city”, said RASA Treasurer, Marius d’Hond. He went on to say: “Middelburg has become sort of a home.”
It is often pointed out that Middelburg is not a typical student city. It’s not as big as Amsterdam or Utrecht, for instance, and it doesn’t have all of the perks that go with it. However, Marius stressed that: “we don’t look down on the city of Middelburg.”
Steinar stressed the connection between not only the city itself but most importantly, the people: “[They] really see us as a part of their city.” He attributed this to the increased focus on collaboration between RASA societies, their events, and local venues, citing the PhoRA-led (RASA’s photography society) Humans of Middelburg project that was in cooperation with ArtCo, PUMA, the Sustainability Society and the local art gallery “Galerie ‘T’.” Marius added that Culture Week was also an important event that helps establish a connection between students and locals.
Listening to both Marius and Steinar, it was obvious that they not only wanted to emphasize an existing connection between UCR’s student body and the city of Middelburg, but as members of RASA, they wanted to help build upon it and make it grow. There are plans being discussed with this aim in mind, but because RASA is still in the brainstorming process, these plans are being kept under wraps.
RASA is currently in the planning stage for the impending 10th anniversary festivities.
“We’re really exploring ideas right now”, said Steinar. Marius added: “It’s quite special that we are part of this.” Highlighting, again, this desire for more connection between students and Middelburg locals, Steinar said, “I would like, personally, to really involve Middelburg, since I think ten years of UCR also really marks ten years of a student city.”
Yet while UCR celebrates its 10th anniversary this calendar year, the official 10th anniversary is not until next semester. “[We’re] really involved in it, but it’s really far away”, said Steinar.
Still, in answering whether or not he felt any sense of duty or obligation vis-à-vis the 10th anniversary celebrations, Marius said: “I definitely do. When I decided to run for [RASA], I had in mind that we sort of need to provide the structure, or the sort of firm basis from which the next board [and] anniversary team, can work.”
In giving a bit of advice to the next board Steinar added: “You can say that it’s a burden for the next board, but it’s also a great opportunity for them…it’s really good to prepare them for a really special but really busy year in office.”
While there is still a little less than half of a semester left with the current RASA board, both Steinar and Marius took a short look back on their time in office when asked to asses their legacy and their imprint on the Association. “I remember our board weekend, the six of us, when we went away for a weekend. We had this whole brainstorm session: “What are the possibilities that we have? Within our year, what can we establish? Can we add something”, remarked Steinar. The implementation of the RASA discount card was mentioned during this session. While this wasn’t a new idea, none of the previous boards had yet accomplished it This, Steinar pointed out, was the first project from this board that was new to the community. In addition to this, the RASA website, created by Steinar and Justin Wies, the most recent AAC Student Advisor, was also an addition to the community.
Lastly, RASA has instituted reflection sessions based on those held at our sister-UC, University College Utrecht. RASA invites students individually, and at random to talk with them to tell them what they like or don’t like about RASA’s functioning, and what can be improved. While there is much optimism about these sessions, Marius points out that they have only “more or less” been successful.
As the interview was wrapping up, Steinar had one more thing to add. While it was originally said off the record, I asked him if I could include it after we concluded the interview. It went a little something like this:
“Don’t include this, but when is the sex survey coming out”, questioned Steinar. After a few seconds of laughter, he added, “It is a tradition.” Marius then questioned under which section would it be published: “Is [the survey] campus news or opinion?”
Well, Mr. Treasurer and Mr. Secretary, Tabula Rasa will kindly send that survey your way, and we will appropriately publish it as our front-page feature under Current Affairs. Or maybe we won’t.
Trevor Maloney, UCR class of 2015, is a Law and Politics major from West Palm Beach, FL, United States.
