By Bram Medelli
Amée (Amy) Zoutberg is a 19-year old second semester from Amsterdam. She is running for the position Chair in the AAC board.
Why are you running?
I have informed myself about different positions in one of the daily boards. I believe being part of a big board will add to my UCR experience, and hopefully, I will be able to give something back to the community. Of all the big boards, I feel AAC fits me the most. Therefore I will be able to make the most out of that position compared to any other board.
Why are you so involved with academics?
Because I care a lot for academics, and I want to make sure to keep my work on point. One of the reasons why I chose UCR was for its academic excellence. So I figured, why not get in on that?
What are the changes or improvements you have in mind?
One of them is the teacher reflection form at the end of every semester. I feel like the students barely get feedback on them, or see that something happened with the comments we provided. I want to see if the teachers feel they can do something with the comments. I am afraid a lot of people just fill it in, without something ever happening.
My other point ties into something I encountered last semester. I was unhappy with the quality of teaching of one of my teachers. I had trouble grasping the course material. The teacher was not helpful when I approached her about it. I find that unacceptable, especially since I feel I learnt nothing. I was a bit afraid to critique her to improve the situation. There will be people after me, taking the same course from the same teacher, likely experiencing the same problems. I felt taking action would negatively affect my participation grade. Thus, mediated conversations can be an improvement of the quality of teaching, and be convenient when you have issues with your teacher.
Have you had similar positions before?
I used to work as a waitress in the centre of Amsterdam. I was one of the youngest there, but there were days that I had to lead the entire team. We never crashed, even though we were one the busiest cafes in Rembrandt square. So I have experience with leading a team and managing the best results.
Describe yourself in one word.
“Ameezing!”
Bram Medelli, Class of 2018, is an Arts & Humanties major from Groesbeek, The Netherlands.
