The time has come for AAC elections! The Board of Studies position is open, with three candidates in the running…
Make sure to vote between Thursday the 23rd and Monday the 27th of November, following the email instructions sent out by the AAC. Students of all semesters are welcome to vote!
Tony Holman
Hiya! My name is Tony, and at UCR I have encountered two main problems. First off, I am slightly addicted to academics. Not to brag about my GPA or anything, but I never really can stop with my academics until I feel like they’re perfect. Secondly, I tend to value others’ fortunes over my own. Folks who know me will know that, if I can, I will try and make your life a little better, even at the cost of my own time. While these two attributes may make my own personal UCR experience a little harder, they do happen to be great values for an AAC boardie, so without further ado, why to vote for me:
Standing up to the BoS(s) (Board of Studies)
One of the problems of UCR management and executives I experience is the bureaucratic hassle. Often, even with terrific guidance by the AAC, students are sent from pillar to post. The BoS is one example of this; it seems like this magic decision making body at the top of the hierarchy. I intend to bring the BoS down from its apparent high horse and make it accessible to all students.
Listening to student’s input
And while I’m doing that, I would go out of my way to make sure students are being heard. You’re voting for a student representative, not just another BoS-member, and that student has a right to be heard. UCR’s ultimate goal should be to provide good and fair education for the students, not the faculty.
A critical pain in the AAC
People who know me also know that I tend to (over)analyse everything. And I’ll admit I am a critical pain in the ass in any project I’m involved in (and some I’m not involved in ;p), both in the positive and negative sense, but that is something the AAC can never get enough of: a critical look at UCR’s academics and its rules, procedures, and decision making. Those same people will, by the way, also tell you I’m a devoted team-player who will always try and make the best out of a project for everyone involved.
Internal Officer
I love organising events and doing promotion, and I like to think I’m good at it too (if not a bit overly enthusiastic at times). In the short time I was chair of TLS, and now for THEATRA, the UCR Musical Geeks, and some other stuff I love making engaging posts, getting people hyped, and organising events that help students, whether it is to get better grades, know what to do academically, or to have a good time; if they’re happy, I’m happy.
So, why now?
Originally, I had actually planned to run last semester when the position of BoS representative was still open. Due to some personal stuff I was hesitant, though, and when I saw Marije was running I knew the position was in safe hands. Nevertheless, I knew that next semester would be better for me and that I’d have the chance again, so here I am 🙂
Johanna Mahler
Hello, my name is Johanna Mahler, I am 21 years old and I am from Germany. My major here at UCR is Science, since I want to become a doctor.
I have always been actively engaged in social activities. In high school, I was elected representative of the student parliament. In that position, I was able to implement new ideas that made my school a better place. The thing that I am proudest of is the project week that I introduced. Older students and teachers came up with ideas for projects, and younger students could choose which project they wanted to do for that week. I also organized most of the events at my school, like for example the annual summer festivity. This position and my long-standing commitment for my high school enables me to have skills in organizing, to take stand for other people and to not be afraid to tell my opinion.
Furthermore, I already studied at a German university before I came to UCR. This experience allows me to compare both university systems and to be able to come up with new ideas for UCR. At that university, I was part of the student parliament, as well, and was actively engaged in the student consulting organization of my university. I am a person who loves to improve things. I always look for opportunities and ways to improve the places where I live. At my university, students organized tutorials for other students to help them understanding different courses. Most of the time, it is really helpful to study with other people, and it is even more efficient if someone explains it in easier words. Tutorials are made for explaining difficult topics and to do some exercises together for an upcoming exam. In my opinion, this would be a great idea for UCR, as well. Moreover, every class at my German university had an elected representative who was responsible for organizational matters, communication with the professor, and for concerns of the students. The representative could report the AAC, if there are any issues with the course or other academically related problems, which would make UCR more transparent. This way the courses could be improved, as well.
The fact that I did a dual studies course and worked for the biggest publishing house in Europe allows me to have an expertise in communication and social media marketing, as well as other administrative skills. These skills will help me to meet the requirements for the position as internal officer.
Since the tasks include among others organizing events like the Future Week and also taking care of the social media activities of the AAC, I can successfully manage them with the help of my previous experience. I really enjoy organizing things to help other people improve their academic career, which is why I would love to be internal officer.
Also, the position of board of studies representative would fit my previous experience because due to my positions in student parliaments, I am not afraid to say my opinion and to take stand for the interests of the students.
I wish to improve the academic life at UCR and I really would like to represent the students’ interests. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me! My UCR-Email address is [email protected] and I am looking forward to your questions ☺
If you think that I am the best candidate for this position, it would be great if you voted for me! I would be really happy to be AAC’s new internal officer and student representative for the Board of Studies.
Ima Sammani
I am a third year student majoring in Economics and Psychology, and I’m deeply excited to become your new BoS student representative and internal officer!
In the past 2.5 years here, I have been very involved in the UCR community (Elliott Bar Manager, GSA, Ad Astra Editor-in-Chief, RASA IT team). Among many other skills, these boards have taught me to work together in a group and stay professional at all times. My down to earth personality helps me to discuss difficult topics with reason while still standing my ground, which is certainly helpful in the Board of Studies. Having the luck of being in my third year, I already know the internal structure of UCR very well, too.
I would like to use my experience as Elliott Bar Manager and co-founder of a well-known café in Nijmegen to organize and promote events as internal officer. Even though I don’t think anyone can be as great of a Facebook stalker as Marije, I will try my best to make the overview of events as clear as possible for you, as well as include students’ input on the successfulness of events, which is something the AAC is already doing a great job at by using the online surveys. Speaking of, it would be an honor to work together with a board that has been functioning for a full semester already, instead of a completely new board. I will use this benefit by carefully listening to the current board’s experiences so I can learn from their mistakes without having to make them myself first.
Because of my experience gained in past election processes and as board member in Elliott, I can already tell you that I will not be proposing any concrete changes yet. This is because my experience in this election process is that people often can’t live up to these promises. It takes time to get acquainted with the academic rules and procedures, and I can solely suggest good changes once I know exactly how everything within the board works, and what has been tried before by other board members.
Instead, I will assure you that I will always be there to listen to your input, I will stand up for your rights at all times, and I will devote my time and energy to improve the quality of UCR’s academic program.
Finally, I want to stress that I am passionate about improving UCR’s academic structure. I am extremely passionate to improve your academic life, because it makes me frustrated to see inefficiency, mistakes, or impracticalities in the academic rules and procedures. If, for example, there are any ambiguities in the student handbook that are making life for some students harder, I would do my utmost to help these students recognize their rights. The fact that situations like these can make me very frustrated show that I am passionate and devoted. Making changes is not about what makes you happy, but it’s about what makes you angry. 1 vote = 1 angry react.
