Photo: Guy Ackermans So who is on the Council and what do they do there? This week, Resource invites a member of each party to get on the soapboxes. Today: Camille de Regt-Harvey (21) representing United Students (VeSte).
‘I believe that students don’t just learn a lot from their studies, but also definitely from the things you do on the side. Things I’ve done have included an exchange to Iceland, being actively involved in KSV Franciscus, and organizing a pilgrimage to Spain. All nice things that are educational at the same time. That’s how I’ve ended up on the Student Council.’
‘My focus is on student welfare. We had the ‘Surf your Stress’ week in November, and we are evaluating that now so that we can make it even better next year. We’ve also arranged that students will soon be able to borrow an RSI set in the library. Increasingly, students work on their own laptops, which is not good for their posture. The university sells RSI sets cheaply, but not everyone buys one. It makes quite a difference if you can borrow one free from the library. The Bongerd Sports Centre offers its staff RSI lessons. Why don’t they do that for students? I’m going to look into that.’
We want a healthier and more sustainable food supply in the restaurants, kiosks and dispensing machines.
Food
‘We are also looking at the food and drink available on the campus, from the catering outlets to the coffee machines. Since September, we have been documenting what is on sale now and what the wishes and needs of staff and students are. Ultimately we want a healthier and more sustainable food supply in the restaurants, kiosks and dispensing machines. All the contracts will be ending within the next two years, so this is the right time to consider which direction we want to go in. There will be a ‘Future of Food and Beverage@WUR’ event on 5 July to hear the ideas and wishes of students and staff.’
‘In the end, the Student Council is there to represent students. From making sure computer rooms stay open in exam weeks because the library is too full, to hoisting the rainbow flag, to starting a sustainability fund, and a whole lot more. When I first started on the Student Council, I didn’t have much idea how to get such things off the ground. I have learned that step by step.’
The Student Council (SC) is a central participatory body of Wageningen University. It consists of 12 students, who are elected every year. The SC meets regularly with students, study associations and student associations to collect input. Six times a year, the SC meets with the Executive Board to discuss topics such as mental health, student rights, career preparation and waste reduction on campus. Currently, there are three parties in the Student Council: Sustainability & Internationalization (S&I), United Students (VeSte) and the Christian Student Party (CSF). Interested in running for the Student Council? Contact the party of your interest or, if you prefer running independently, send an e-mail to secretariat.sc@wur.nl.
