Each month Page 4 asks a member of the TU community to share their thoughts with us. This week we meet Natasja Roodbergen (25), a Dutch architecture student in her final year.
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Does the TU seem like a international university? No, not really. It’s not easy to meet foreign students. The university should encourage more interaction between Dutch and foreign students by encouraging us to work together on projects.
What should Architecture do? I’m still searching, but it should definitely do some good for people, making buildings more human, both physically and emotionally. But not always, because a certain non-humaness also gives a structure qualities and makes an important impact.
Being half-Dutch, and half-Polish, what was it like growing up in a Communist country? There was lots of internal, police-state control, but as a kid I had a great time. I had my freedom to play and everything I needed. Moving to Holland when I was 10 was very difficult. I felt lost.
What do you think about the terrorist attacks in America? It’s a tragedy, but I’m still hopeful about our world. The world is becoming more complex but there’s more dialogue and problem-solving between nations. Fundamentalism, be it Islamic or Christian, is scary, and it’s frightening that people can think and act in such extremes.
What qualities do you look for in a man? The Cosmopolitan question! How can I respond but with clichés? Honesty, blah, blah. It’s important that you feel that you can be yourself with your partner. And of course it takes a physical attraction to light the fire initially.
Which book had a big impact on you? The Color Purple, by Alice Walker. That book made me feel physically sick. I was horrified that people could behave so to others, that people have had such experiences. It made me ask questions: Could I act like that? What happens in life to change a person so? Do we all have the capacity to be so cruel? I became more aware of the responsibility we have for our actions
What’s the greatest challenge for mankind in the 21st century? As a Western European, we must bring more equality to the world, close the ever-widening gap between rich and poor countries.
Are Dutch women equal to men in this society? No. But we’re certainly much better off than women in most Arabic countries. Dutch men do earn more money than women and architecture is a mostly male-dominated profession. Why? I’m not sure, but women will ultimately achieve equality.
If you were president, how would you change the TU? Within my faculty, the difference between normal study projects and your final project is too great. Suddenly we go from doing small assigned projects to a huge graduation project, which you must do alone, with little help from professors. On campus, the tram should definitely run along the Mekelweg. The TU campus is big, with huge distances between the rather cold, stand-alone buildings. A central tram would help humanize and unite the campus.
Each month Page 4 asks a member of the TU community to share their thoughts with us. This week we meet Natasja Roodbergen (25), a Dutch architecture student in her final year.
Does the TU seem like a international university? No, not really. It’s not easy to meet foreign students. The university should encourage more interaction between Dutch and foreign students by encouraging us to work together on projects.
What should Architecture do? I’m still searching, but it should definitely do some good for people, making buildings more human, both physically and emotionally. But not always, because a certain non-humaness also gives a structure qualities and makes an important impact.
Being half-Dutch, and half-Polish, what was it like growing up in a Communist country? There was lots of internal, police-state control, but as a kid I had a great time. I had my freedom to play and everything I needed. Moving to Holland when I was 10 was very difficult. I felt lost.
What do you think about the terrorist attacks in America? It’s a tragedy, but I’m still hopeful about our world. The world is becoming more complex but there’s more dialogue and problem-solving between nations. Fundamentalism, be it Islamic or Christian, is scary, and it’s frightening that people can think and act in such extremes.
What qualities do you look for in a man? The Cosmopolitan question! How can I respond but with clichés? Honesty, blah, blah. It’s important that you feel that you can be yourself with your partner. And of course it takes a physical attraction to light the fire initially.
Which book had a big impact on you? The Color Purple, by Alice Walker. That book made me feel physically sick. I was horrified that people could behave so to others, that people have had such experiences. It made me ask questions: Could I act like that? What happens in life to change a person so? Do we all have the capacity to be so cruel? I became more aware of the responsibility we have for our actions
What’s the greatest challenge for mankind in the 21st century? As a Western European, we must bring more equality to the world, close the ever-widening gap between rich and poor countries.
Are Dutch women equal to men in this society? No. But we’re certainly much better off than women in most Arabic countries. Dutch men do earn more money than women and architecture is a mostly male-dominated profession. Why? I’m not sure, but women will ultimately achieve equality.
If you were president, how would you change the TU? Within my faculty, the difference between normal study projects and your final project is too great. Suddenly we go from doing small assigned projects to a huge graduation project, which you must do alone, with little help from professors. On campus, the tram should definitely run along the Mekelweg. The TU campus is big, with huge distances between the rather cold, stand-alone buildings. A central tram would help humanize and unite the campus.
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