By Remo Kortbeek
Can you briefly introduce yourself, and what position are you running for?
I’m Daniël van Hemert, a 20-year-old fourth semester student and I am running for RASA Treasurer.
Why are you running?
The position of treasurer is where my interests lie, and after a year of being PartyCo treasurer I want to step up my game. I want to give something back to this community where I feel at home. However I do not only want to do this because I feel it’s my duty, I also think it will be a lot of fun.
Why are you running for this position specifically?
I can listen very well to the student community, and the RASA board can provide that possibility. From the positions in the RASA board, I have most experience with treasuring from the past year in PatyCo. I have considered other positions, but I lack the overarching vision that a chair would need, and I think my skills are better spent as a treasurer than as a secretary.
By this I mean not only the basics such as know-how of spreadsheets and balances, but also on a communicative level the ability to say no, and be strict when needed and fair when possible.
How would you encourage students to participate in events and improve commitment to societies?
As treasurer I want to be more directly involved with the societies. Instead of hearing everything from the CAO as a mediator, I want to sit around the table together with the CAO and the society board so that we can come up with more direct and more creative solutions. From this good events will come, and good events will lead to more student commitment.
Do you have any other improvements you want to implement?
I have a twofold plan, consisting of a financial aspect and a board aspect.
I think that RASA could benefit from a more durable outlook on their inventory. Durable and reusable equipment will save money in the long haul to save up for bigger investments. Socially, I think the RASA board could be more personally involved in the community. They could be more visible and join hallway- or house dinners as well as society events.
What would be a way to improve Introweek?
I have not really thought that much about IntRoweek yet, but on an organizational level, a more elaborate back-up plan when things go wrong would be commendable.
Remo Kortbeek, Class of 2016, is an Art History and Linguistics major from Tilburg, the Netherlands
