The Municipality of Eindhoven has employed two student representatives since April. Sanne Wijers (19) and Nick van Ballegooij (26) want to make the voices of students in the city heard in Town Hall. Studio040 looks back on the first months with the pair.
“There are a lot of people within the municipality who want to help us,” Sanne says. “For us it is mainly a matter of finding out who has what position and what help we can use”, Nick adds.
Sanne is studying to become a chemical-physical analyst at Summa College, while Nick is studying communication and concept development at Fontys. Both are driven by a sense of social involvement. “We think we can make the student voice heard here in Town Hall”, Sanne says. “That is important because Eindhoven is developing as a student city”, Nick says.
Welfare
In addition to being a student representative, Sanne is also active in the central student council of Summa College. Nick is affiliated with Jong040, an initiative from the municipality in which young people are asked to provide advice in certain areas. The Fontys student previously presented a booklet on mental health. “That booklet contains tips for young people and has been distributed in the city”, he says.
Overwhelming
The student representatives work an average of eight hours a week and have many agreements with various parties, including the municipality, educational institutions and of course students themselves. “It was quite overwhelming at times”, Sanne admits. “Keeping track of so many appointments and emails, it really took some getting used to”.
Braiding
The necessary advisory reports appear on the desks of the Eindhoven administrators throughout the year. But according to Nick, the work of the student representatives certainly does not lead to ‘yet another piece of advice’. “We will also try to incorporate the student voice into existing initiatives”, he explains. Sanne hopes that the student’s voice will be heard more clearly this way.
The student representatives are part of a three-year project in which two new students are appointed every year. “For now it is important to gain experience and learn from what we encounter”.
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
