By Anton Moggré
While walking into the sixth floor long hallway of the Roggeveen building, the first thing that struck me was the delicious smell of cupcakes and other heavenly good-looking pastries originating from Ivi Apostolatos’ room, a second year student with Greek and Dutch roots. Besides being a board member of Fides, Ivi has worked behind the student desk, has had extensive design experience with Yearbook Teams, and is a sales representative for Emily’s van Rheenen’s (third year UCR student) company “Juliana of Holland”. Now ambitious Ivi is ready to be part of the Elliott board, running for the position as facility manager. Let us see what this enthusiastic lady has to say!
So on Tuesday April 7th, you had your first crucible with the pre-election night. How did you manage, and how do you reflect back to the questions?
I prepared some questions, but honestly, you can never know what to expect. Philip’s question regarding the scenario of a flooded Elliott basement was not on my expectations list, but that always happens with these elections questions.
However, I think it is important to quickly come up with a credible answer, as it will reflect your capabilities of being a board member. Running an organization like Elliott will be full with similar experiences, and although I found it to be a hard question I think I managed the question appropriately. The first thing that popped-up in my mind is the fact that Elliott is founded on the community, and therefore you can also expect the community to help when necessary.
As Elliott works with limited budgets, you have to come up with efficient, cheap, and reliable solutions. Recruiting volunteers to mop the floor as quick as possible seems to me as the most solid solution.
On the same evening, you also had the opportunity to bring forward your speech, in which you stated that you were amazed by the work already done by the current and previous Elliott boards, but that you also think there is some room for improvement. Could you give any concrete examples of this?
Yes of course! I have already thought about a couple of ideas. The first one would definitely be fixing the toilet door locks that do not always work properly (I have personal experience!).
Another suggestion is the placement of extra coat hangers. After the pre-election party, there were these two girls standing next to me, desperately trying to find their coats. This happens all the time, whereas we have a perfect little space downstairs that we can use as an extra storage space for our dear coats!
Another frustration that I have heard from fellow students is the malfunctioning heating in the Elliot classrooms. Finding a sustainable solution for this inconvenience is also on my wish-list. However, I also envision bigger plans: creating a lounge area, where people can sip some drinks or relax a bit, or where people can have their pre-drinks. It is precisely these tiny things that will make the difference. The pillars for a well-functioning Elliott have already been set, now it is time to polish it. Thereby, together we can create the perfect home-feeling everybody wants.
One very important consideration is your motivation. What dedicates you to take this job?
Elliot is the place where I, but also many other students, spend most of the day. To eat, to hang out with friends, to study, to party: it reflects each aspect that brings the UCR community together in one building. This makes Elliott very special, and it intrigues me to be part of a team that makes Elliott even better for the upcoming students and years.
In the matter of a single year, we have witnessed Elliott taking a very important role in our ordinary student lives. Making this even more accessible and comfortable is my aspiration, and regarding my previous experiences in design, communication and on-campus work, I consider myself as a suitable candidate as facility manager.
Is there anything you want to tell to the TabulaRasa readers?
What I really want to put forward is the fact that Elliott plays an indispensable role in not only my student life, but for all UCR students. I would feel more than honored to represent and defend this community feeling, and my passion, patience, and dedication will make sure our voice will be heard!
Anton Moggré, class of 2015, is a law and politics major from Utrecht, the Netherlands
