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Foto: LTR: Luana Lenz, Yourie Bras, Tessa Trapp, Sofia Neumayer Toimil & Abigail Gilchrist
international

Plenty of choice for Central Student Council

Dirk Wolthekker,
3 juni 2021 - 10:10

From 31 May to 4 June students can vote for faculty student councils and the Central Student Council. Five parties will participate in the direct election of the Central Student Council. Folia spoke to the leaders.

List the five core values of your party.

Luana Lenz (Activistenpartij UvA): ‘Openness, activism, staying critical, being active, rebellion.’

Yourie Bras (De Vrije Student): ‘Self-developing, pragmatism, digitisation, decision-making with focus on the student, socially liberal.’

Tessa Trapp (Inter): ‘Transparency, diversity, sustainability, student welfare and quality of education.’

Sofia Neumayer Toimil (UvASociaal): ‘Increasing quality in education, accessibility, diversity, sustainability.’

Abigail Gilchrist (020): ‘Progression, pragmatism, vulnerability, connection, sustainability.’

‘We’re arguing for a free academic year’

How do you propose to compensate students for the consequences of the corona crisis?

Luana Lenz (Activistenpartij UvA): ‘We’re arguing for a free academic year. Students have been paying the same price as before for sub-standard education. We believe we should be compensated for this. But we also see that students need support on an emotional level. That’s why we’re in favour of reopening the Maagdenhuis, so that students can come together again to share experiences and feel part of the university again.’

Yourie Bras (De Vrije Student): ‘Leniency in cases of study delay. Offering psychological and practical support to students on Covid-related issues. Talking with employers about the lack of internships and asking them for help.’

Tessa Trapp (Inter): ‘We want to get students back on-campus and increase opportunities to meet fellow students. We also want to improve support for mental health-related issues due to the pandemic.’

Sofia Neumayer Toimil (UvASociaal): ‘I think that students should no longer use Proctorio and that alternative methods of proctoring should be developed instead, such as using Zoom. This would relieve the stress of online exams and it would help students focus on their exams without the fear of stressful checking methods.’

Abigail Gilchrist (020): ‘We need a pragmatic policy on mental health. As someone who has personally struggled with mental health issues during this period, I think it’s important to address this.’

‘Teachers could also be encouraged to set aside five minutes at the beginning or end of class to allow students to vote’

How are you going to persuade students to vote for your party?

Luana Lenz (Activistenpartij UvA): ‘I hope our actions will speak for themselves. Neither of us do this for our resume; we do it for the sake of the academic community. I hope that everyone who reads this and who has ever gone to a protest at the UvA understands that this is the party to vote for!’

Yourie Bras (De Vrije Student): ‘By communicating that we want a sustainable, honest UvA, which offers a safe and stimulating environment for work and study. Going back to on-campus education is currently a top priority, but we’re also committed to preserving the benefits of online education, for example by recording lectures. This way you’ll be able to work on a day when you just have one lecture in the middle of the day, and maybe can borrow less money.’

Tessa Trapp (Inter): ‘We’re already an established party in the Central Student Council, with many committed and motivated members who have taken important positions. We’re full of motivation, good ideas and detailed policies to make the life of UvA students better.’

Sofia Neumayer Toimil (UvASociaal): ‘The continuous spreading of information, preferably via the university's own social media platforms, is the best way to increase students’ awareness of the need to vote. Teachers could also be encouraged to set aside five minutes at the beginning or end of class to allow students to vote.’

Abigail Gilchrist (020): ‘It’s essential that all candidates, including myself, are approachable to the student population. Students must be able to connect with the parties that stand up for them and I strive to provide this connection.’

‘We want to reduce plastic waste and offer vegan and vegetarian food in canteens’

What do you want to achieve over the coming year?

Luana Lenz (Activistenpartij UvA): ‘I think it’s especially important to keep students informed as much as possible about what’s currently being decided at the UvA. Transparency is our top priority. It’s about making choices that affect everyone, not just the people who are elected. We hope to provide students with as much information as possible by means of a newspaper and organising events.’

Yourie Bras (De Vrije Student): ‘Finding appropriate compensation for the damage caused by the corona crisis has absolute priority. In addition, formulating a good strategy for a responsible return to physical lectures, recording lectures as standard and putting the student first again.’

Tessa Trapp (Inter): ‘We will ensure that the Central Student Council is as transparent and democratic as possible by improving communication and paying closer attention to students’ needs. We want to reduce plastic waste and offer vegan and vegetarian food in canteens. We’re also committed to more diversity and accessibility by creating a fully inclusive environment. And we want better mental health care by creating more opportunities for people to socialise, having more available psychologists and a mental health page on Canvas.’

Sofia Neumayer Toimil (UvASociaal): ‘I want to make resources for help against sexual violence easily accessible and a contact person on the UvA website. Furthermore, there should be more student psychologists and we should promote more student-run initiatives in the field of mental health.’

Abigail Gilchrist (020): ‘To increase and achieve our party's sustainability goals and increase student involvement, especially to provide a platform for students who want to be heard.’