With his housemates’ support, Koos Meesters won a seat on the Student Council and represents Dé Partij. How will he build a party and a student association on his own?
Koos Meesters: “Students should complain more, but in a constructive way.” (Photo: Jaden Accord)
After 12 years of a two-party representation, this year a third party – Dé Partij – has joined the Student Council. The three housemates that established the new party won one seat, giving the one candidate, Koos Meesters, one year in which to get Dé Partij’s main points onto the agenda. Delta wanted to know how he won the seat and what his priorities are.
First of all, how are you doing?
“Fine. Things are going ok. We have to concentrate on getting things going at the beginning of the year. This is probably harder for me as I don’t have any predecessors from the party. But the other parties are helping so that is fine. I actually am pleased that there was no one before me as I can now find my own way. This is the idea behind a new party. It is a lot of work to both have a seat on the Student Council and build a student association at the same time.”
There were two other people on the list of candidates during the elections. Are they helping?
“They are my housemates and they will help the rest of the year. But they have to study as well. It is a bit premature to talk about it now, but we would like to continue after this year. We would like our association to be bigger than just the people in our house. It would be good if more people were willing to help out. We are not actively recruiting at the moment, but if anyone has any ideas that match Dé Partij’s, they are welcome to share them with me. They can always phone me and my number is on the site.”
‘I missed the strong side in the Student Council’
Why did you set up a new party? Did you feel you needed to fill a gap?
“Yes, probably. I can be quite direct and communicate clearly. This means that I can come across a bit strong, but I missed the strong side in the Student Council. As a student representative you should be heard if you don’t agree to something. In my four years of studying, I have not heard a strong voice in the Student Council. Having spoken to people from the other parties, I now know that they often were not in agreement. It’s a shame that the average student does not know much about this.”
How involved were you last year in the Student Council? Did you attend any meetings for example?
“No I didn’t. But it is a misconception that you need to attend the meetings to know what is going on. The Student Council needs to communicate more proactively instead of saying that you need to be present if you are interested. I think this is a bit lax. This year, all the parties are putting more effort into communicating with students. I think this is an indirect consequence of the elections outcome.”
How is the cooperation with the other two parties?
“It’s going well. Of course everyone does their own thing. They have dossiers from previous years that they are taking on. They often ask me where I want my focus to lie, so I’m working on a vision document at the moment. While I would very much like to be involved with everything – as my fellow party members and I have strong opinions on everything – the social aspect of studying is the most important thing for us. Your studies are the connecting element of your student time, but you also need to grow and develop. This is done in student houses, student associations, or going to the bar after lectures.”
‘The meatball sandwich is a symbol’
Did I hear that you do not agree with TU Delft’s alcohol policy?
“Yes, it’s contradictory. The Executive Board often talks about a lively campus, but the current restrictions mean that a catering company does not have a good business case there.”
One of your campaign promises was to bring back the meatball sandwich (‘broodje bal’) in Cafe X. Is this still one of your priorities?
“Yes, but it is only a symbol. It’s part of the canteen culture, as is having a beer at four in the afternoon after lectures. It’s not strictly a necessity, but for many people it is important.”
In terms of policymaking at TU Delft, what is your focus?
“So many things are happening, especially through the Contouren2030 strategy. There will be a new location in Rotterdam and this raises the question of how you maintain a TU Delft identity in an off-site campu.? How do you make sure that it does not become TU Rotterdam, but TU Delft Rotterdam? The organisational structure that we have here must continue there, with each faculty having a place to socialise and its own bar.”
‘There is much more benefit to be gained if you support and coach your students’
You talk a lot about the social side of students. Does Dé Partij also have any points regarding education?
“TU Delft scores quite low in personal attention in student satisfaction surveys. Students sometimes feel that they are alone, that TU Delft does not take an active interest in whether they study successfully. The study coaching is not that great, especially when compared to Erasmus University where they have a more proactive stance. It shows that there is much more benefit to be gained if you support and coach your students instead of leaving them to work everything out for themselves.”
What would you like to pass on to the students?
“Students should complain more, but in a constructive way. They should let their voices be heard. They don’t need to phone me for this, they can do it themselves. They can talk to their dean or with the course director and let them know what they think.”
- Related:
- New party wants to join Student Council
- Dé Partij student council party wants ‘a new voice’
- ORAS again loses a seat: ‘A big slap’
Nikita Ham / Student-redacteur
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