Ready to open the door for Board 54!
Are you considering a board year or simply curious about what the Board does? Then this article is for you! Each board member shares their role, responsibilities, and what they love most about being part of the Board. Excited? Register now for the Speeddate with the Board event on February 18!
Milos - Chairman
Hi! I’m Milos, the Chairman of Kraket this academic year. Often people will think being the Chairman means that I’m the “Boss of Kraket” as you’re the face of the association, but this is not the case. It’s your responsibility, together with your Board, to make sure the entire year is like a well-oiled machine for the members but also for your fellow board members. As the Chairman, your role is often similar to a manager. You’re responsible for preparing the weekly board meetings and making sure everybody is managing their tasks and responsibilities. This also means that in the end you will be the person who is ultimately responsible. You will also function as the contact point between the VU and other associations. This means you will have a lot of meetings, this is what your week will mostly consist of. One of these is the meeting with the Landelijk Orgaan der Econometrische Studieverenigingen (LOES). Here you will come together with all chairs of the Econometric Study Associations and the LED to discuss national business such as the LED. As Kraket is organizing the next edition of the LED, you are, together with the Treasurer, also supervising the LED committee. You will also be responsible for the contact with the Supervisory Board (RvC) and Extrie.
One of the things that I find most interesting and fun about being the Chairman is that no week is the same. There is no telling what might happen during the day. Of course meetings et cetera are planned, but someone might come in with a problem or a question and this keeps it refreshing.
Doing a board year will also create a lot of great memories. You will come in contact with so many people and people who you never thought of meeting, for example the Rector Magnificus of the VU. But besides that, the countless days and nights spent with your Board at events, CoBo’s and other things is something special that will stay with you for the rest of your life.
Atakan - Vice-Chairman & Internal Affairs Officer
Hola, my name is Atakan and I have the roles as Vice-Chairman and Internal Affairs Officer of Kraket! This means that I form all our committees along with my other Internal Affairs Officer, Tiara. Apart from that I also supervise almost half of our committees, helping them with whatever they need in their endeavors. Besides all the committees, it is also our role to stay engaged with our members and keep them active within Kraket! As Vice-Chairman my function is very different, in this role I support my Chairman, Milos, with whatever he needs and also step in whenever he is absent.
I really like the combination of these two roles, as one allows me to be very social with all of our members and see all the great work that our committees are doing, and the other makes me focus on the more serious topics that go on in our association, this being when I support Milos. My average day would for example be having two meetings back to back with some informal committees and then having a more serious one-on-one with Milos discussing some important topics. This duality is really nice because I can be as jovial with people as I want and still have a more serious role at the same time!
If I look back on my board year so far I can say that I really enjoyed every moment of it, especially all the social activities that I did not really think about when I applied for the Board. I think of the numerous CoBo's we've had this year, ranging from our brother associations at the VU to our sister associations such as Tilburg and Rotterdam. These evenings really are events to look forward to and to see all these people I would otherwise likely not meet has been really enjoyable! This is why I really recommend doing a board year, as it is the most fun year at Uni that I can imagine, full of responsibilities that will teach you a lot, and tons of fun social gatherings you would otherwise probably not experience!
Floris - Secretary & Educational Affairs Officer
Hi! My name is Floris op 't Root and I am being honored to be the Secretary and the Educational Affairs Officer of the 53rd Board of Study Association Kraket. These functions are the best of all functions (really!) and I will tell you why!
As the Secretary, I always have the overview of what happens inside and outside Kraket. By taking the minutes of the General Assembly's and the Board meetings, we can always refer back to it when needed. After each Board meeting, I work out the minutes and send them to the RvC. This advisory board gives advice about our decisions. Furthermore, the Secretary is the admin of the website, the mail and the members base (ledenbestand). I register all new members and when people want to unregister, I arrange this for them. Even more, I maintain the Kraket Canvas page and I send the monthly newsletter. You’re reading them, right?
As Educational Affairs Officer, each period I have a meeting with Eric Beutner, the program director of the bachelor. Besides that, each period I also have a meeting with the program coordinators of the master, Hande Karabiyik and Bernd Heidergott. We discuss every course and I give feedback about the teachers and the courses. This feedback has been gathered by the lovely Educational Committee, which I also supervise. Furthermore, at the start of each period I introduce myself to the teachers and at the end of the period I address the feedback to them. They appreciate and value the feedback very much and are always enthusiastic when I reach out to them!
Combining these two functions is a great way to stay in your control zone while also enriching yourself by engaging with people you never thought you’d dare discuss feedback with.
Justin - Treasurer & External Affairs Officer
Hey everyone! My name is Justin and I am Kraket's Treasurer and External Affairs Officer of Board 53.
As Treasurer of Kraket, I am responsible for managing the association’s finances, handling all expenses, and collecting all incomes. Additionally, I maintain accurate records of all financial transactions using our accounting software ‘Exact’. Besides these administrative tasks, I serve as the primary point of contact for the treasurers of all our committees, assisting them with financial matters such as purchases and activity budgets. Managing Kraket’s finances is a significant responsibility, but it also makes the role fun and rewarding. Moreover, it provides me with valuable experience in bookkeeping, taxes, and budgeting.
In addition to my role as Treasurer, I share the position of External Affairs Officer with Olaf. Together, we work to establish and maintain partnerships with companies that are relevant to our students. Furthermore, I coordinate Kraket’s formal committees, such as the Caseday and Speeddate Dinner committees. As a coordinator, I act as the Board’s point of contact for these committees and provide assistance when needed.
Beyond my two primary roles, I work together with the rest of my Board to ensure that this year is enjoyable and memorable for as many people as possible. Through this experience, we share many great moments and create memorable memories. My board year is something I will never forget, and the skills and knowledge I gain will be very valuable for the future.
Tiara - Internal Affairs Officer & Marketing Affairs Officer
Hi, I'm Tiara and this year I have the tasks of Internal Affairs Officer and online/offline Marketing Affairs Officer. My tasks include forming and supervising committees (as Internal Affairs Officer). Additionally, as Marketing Affairs Officer, I manage the socials, such as Instagram, the Kraket WhatsApp, et cetera., and I create posters and goodies.
What I love about my roles is that I get to be a total social butterfly while still fulfilling my board responsibilities. It personally gives me a great feeling to see that Kraket members are having a good time with us and that we make studying a bit more fun and easier for them.
Honestly, all the experiences so far have been amazing. From a ski trip to a CoBo where Justin and I wiped out—I enjoy every moment. A board year is definitely a must-do. There will be ups and downs, but a year like this is truly one for the books!
Olaf - External Affairs Officer
Hi! I start with a brief introduction. Let me introduce myself as Olaf Oostenbrug, a 22 year old econometrics student. This academic year, I am finishing my bachelor’s degree in Econometrics and Operations Research. Currently I am serving as the External Affairs Officer of the 53rd Board of Kraket.
As External Affairs Officer, my main task is maintaining the contact between Kraket and external parties, mostly companies. Over the summer, I had meetings with many potential partners, either at their office or online. In these meetings, I discussed potential collaborations, after which I kept in touch, via email or phone, to finalize the way in which we were going to collaborate with them. The rest of the year, I keep in touch with our partners to coordinate the implementation of our collaboration. This entails putting vacancies and company profiles on Kraket’s website, sending the monthly vacancy mail, and coordinating inhousedays and other events. Additionally, we keep busy with exploring opportunities for new collaborations throughout the year.
