- What is your full name, semester, hometown, and the position you are running for?
My name is Joost Hoekstra, I am a fourth semester, born in Breda, and running for the position of Student Advisor in the Academic Affairs council, and for a spot in the Program Advisory Committee.
2. What is it that you feel you can contribute to the AAC?
The contribution that I can make to this board is being one of the channels that students can turn to for contact with the board. The open office hours of the Housing Affairs Council, and the Roosevelt’s All Student Association have inspired me to also work during a regular moment in the week for the Academic Affairs Council, where students can always come by if they have questions/problems. So, I am aware of the problems, and can start working on them right away.
Another contribution that I feel can contribute to the AAC is that I would like to make an overview of all the project opportunities of professors. Thus, all the students have equal opportunities at developing more skills that could contribute to their academic career at UCR, and their career afterwards.
3. What issues do you consider to be the most pressing for the AAC?
The issues that I consider as most pressing for the Academic Affairs Council is to represent the students’ interests as well as possible when working together with University College Roosevelt. This has been done by previous boards, and should continue in the current state of affairs with the changes that are occurring.
The issues that I consider as most pressing for the position Student Advisor and student representative in the Program Advisory Committee is the capstone requirement, as it is an important graduation requirement and only has been implemented for a few years. Together with the other student representatives, I would like to look into the results of the past few years of the capstone requirement, and see how it can be improved. Every student should be able to do a capstone in his or her own department.
4. Please outline a few ideas/initiatives you would like to implement if elected.
If I get elected I have ideas, both short term and long term, that I would like to implement during my board year. The ideas that could be implemented from the beginning are the open office hours, to have a weekly moment where students could press their concerns or ask questions. Another idea that could be implemented from the beginning is to have an overview of projects that professors offer, which would be published online and updated every 4 weeks. For the long term, I would like to look into the graduation requirements together with the other student representatives in the program advisory committee. The requirements that I would like to into are the capstone requirement, the culture and language requirements, and the ACC130/ACC230 requirements. The motivation behind these ideas is that I would like to make your UCR career easier, and more hands on.
5. What is it that you like to do outside of the classroom?
Outside of the classroom when it is sunny, I like to have drinks with my housemates and friends in front of B1, while we are barbequing burgers, and in the background our speakers are playing music.
- What is your full name, semester, hometown, and the position you are running for?
Aleksandar Gigov, Pre-med major in my 4th semester from Belgrade, Serbia; running for the position of RASA CAO.
2. What is it that you feel you can contribute to RASA?
I feel that I offer a fresh perspective on how things have been done around here. I have had a number of relevant positions organizing and managing events and societies, and therefore I can offer experience. In addition to that, I offer all my skills and knowledge, as I tend to dedicate myself fully to a task I sign up for. Coming from a scientific background, I intend to offer all my analytic skills and good organization to my work with RASA. I am not one to quantify individual contributions in groups such as RASA, but I think I am capable of delivering sustained and outreaching support to RASA’s societies. On a broader scale, such commitment leads to the preservation of what we should cherish most – RASA spirit.
3. What issues do you consider to be the most pressing for RASA?
First and foremost, I believe that RASA has to prepare for the inevitable changes about to come to UCR. The changes that RASA needs to make first need to be identified, and it is up to the following few boards to prepare for what is going to come, if RASA is to maintain its important position.
Moreover, RASA needs to work on its legitimacy as a body that represents students and to continue being a uniting force, rather than a point of debate, which brings us back to RASA spirit – whatever it is, we need to guard it. All students here are RASA members, and that identity needs to be stronger.
Finally, we need to do something about our societies and their outreach to the community – a better way of communicating, promoting, and functioning is needed for higher quality events and a better contribution towards the social life here.
4. Please outline a few ideas/initiatives you would like to implement if elected.
Firstly, I would like to look into the past of all the societies I get as CAO (and recommend my potentially fellow CAOs to do so) and analyse what has been good, and what has been bad. Combining results of that research with input from the boards could achieve two things: overall growth of all societies, and in a broader sense, a set of recommendations for policy change (and practice change!).
I would also like to facilitate and promote inter-society collaboration in creating events for the “general audience” – where everyone feels welcome. I believe that healthy rivalries between societies should be overcome, and I see myself as the catalyst of this change.
All actual decisions must come with full student support, therefore, I would love to be permanently open for input, and thus intend to find a platform for constructive communication with societies and all RASA members.
5. What is your favorite icebreaker activity?
I can be a politician and say that my favorite are those games where everyone gets silly and a bit uncomfortable, having done some group dynamics activities in my good time with several youth NGOs. However, my vote does go to shots.
- What is your full name, semester, hometown, and the position you are running for?
Hey! My name is Marlon Schoo, I’m in my fourth semester majoring in psychology and sociology, from Veghel, the Netherlands. The position I am running for is Bar team Manager on the Elliott Board.
- What is it that you feel you can contribute to Elliott?
I have experience in both chairing a team and working in bars, for example in Elliott, but also in De Spot here in Middelburg, and I really enjoy doing that. Besides that, I was the chair of SusCo for a year, where I learned how to work together in a team to get the best results. I like working in teams, but – when needed – I can also work very well on my own. I am open and approachable and I will make sure with creative, new ideas to maintain and improve the downstairs area, to make it a setting where everyone feels welcome. I am often in Elliott, mostly to bartend or during a surveillance shift, and I am ready for a next step!
- What issues do you consider to be the most pressing for Elliott?
Continuing the already improving trend where the Bar Team works together closely with PartyTeam is an important factor, to make sure students have the best time when they are in the downstairs bar. Improving some areas downstairs would also contribute to the atmosphere during parties, so working together with different teams in Elliott, like the interior design team, would be vital. On top of that, looking into possibilities to increase the amount of students in the bar downstairs would be a pressing issue, building further on the improvements done by the previous and current board(s).
4. Please outline a few ideas/initiatives you would like to implement if elected.
Some ideas I have that I would really like to carry out if I were to be elected are improving some areas downstairs, for example, the wardrobe. People lose their coats, keys, and bags in there, or find them in a totally different spot where they left them, and overall, it just looks messy. Furthermore, looking into possibilities to decrease the waiting times at the bars would be an important factor. On busy evenings you have to wait a while for your drink, even though the bartenders are doing their best!
- What is your favorite coffee/drink/sandwich?
My favorite coffee is a soya latte with a shot of whiskey 🙂
For my favorite drink, I really like beer! Like Grolsch Kanon or Bock Beer.
If I have to choose a cocktail it would be a purple mojito, so a classic mojito but then topped with cassis liqueur. This gives a really nice (purple!) look, and it also tastes super good.
