What time do you clock in?

“Every board member is here every weekday from 9:30 AM to 5 PM. I usually start with breakfast and then I check the agendas. I want to keep track of everything and also ask if there’s anything I need to know or that requires my help. We all have two ‘recovery hours’ a week. That means you can take two hours off if there is a reason to do so. The other day I was on ‘sober duty’ until four in the morning and started a little later the next day. ‘Sober duty’ is when a board member stands at the door to refuse entry to people who aren’t members or who are under 18. That has to do with our liquor license. It’s feasible to check people at the entrance, but not every time they order drinks at the bar.”

What does your job involve exactly?

“As the president, I have to keep an overview, draft policy, work on member recruitment, oversee many committees and a year club, and – above all – keep everyone motivated. But it doesn’t feel like an obligation, I really enjoy doing it all. I previously served on the Soccie. That committee is all about bartending and peace-keeping, and it’s a close group of friends. The DiesCie is also a committee with many tasks. Every year they organize a party week on the occasion of SSRE’s anniversary on September 19. This also involves hosting a dinner for three hundred people and organizing the annual meeting during which the new board is appointed.”

What led you to this job?

“I’ve been a member of SSRE for almost four years now and over time I’ve become more and more active. I’m actually not that fond of studying and wanted to do something important full-time without having to quit my studies entirely. I wanted to give something back to this association and putting off choosing a master’s program also seemed like the right move.”

What is the best part of your job?

“Two things. One: you get to have a say in everything and your opinion counts. Two: the group I work in is a lot of fun. We get on really well and everyone’s on the same page. Last week the six of us went on vacation to Tirana in Albania. And on Sunday we had a parents’ day for our parents. Then they also see what their children are doing every day. That’s why everything’s so neat and tidy here in the boardroom now.”

And the least enjoyable part?

“One thing that’s tricky is that I can’t really leave work behind at the end of the day. I take it home with me. Even if I don’t have to be present at certain parties, I still want to know if it all is well. So I end up sending text messages. Although I’ve really enjoyed it, it’s also nice that the end of the year is approaching.”

What have you learnt this year?

“That I should sometimes make decisions faster; you can’t wait until everyone is happy. Utopia doesn’t exist. I’ve learnt not to let people walk all over me. Actually, running SSRE is like running a business. And that suits me. Of course, I also made mistakes and I learned from them. For example, if you want a high turnout for a gathering, don’t forget to promote it enough. And sometimes I’ve been too quick to give my own opinion when I should have kept it to myself. This year I also reflected on my choice of study program. I’ve got it narrowed down to four options now.”

What time do you clock out?

“In principle, we finish the board work at five o’clock, after which we have a celebratory beer. But on Tuesdays I eat here and then go to a fraternity night. On Friday afternoons SSRE is closed, but De Kroeg is rented out to externals and fraternities on weekends.”

What do you do off the clock?

“As a big NAC fan, I follow everything related to soccer. I play indoor soccer myself. I also like to cook and watch a lot of movies. And more and more often, I’m taking on the role of DJ at the association. I’m new at it, so still learning.”

How are things going with the cobos?

“Those keep us very busy from September to December. I love it. Every year, SSRE has two internal constitutieborrels, which mark the appointment of a new board. Former boards and fraternities are invited to these drinks parties. We also organize one external cobo for sister associations, sports associations, the other Eindhoven student associations E.S.C, Demos and Ichtus, and the study associations.

“We also go to their cobos. We bring a gift and a bottle of port and I get to give a talk. The gifts are often very funny. To E.S.C we gave an old and heavy spinning bike, because they have a rule where they’re not allowed to ride their bikes when wearing their board suits. They have to walk or take a cab. A nice gift we received were six mousetraps with pictures in them of our personal pitfalls. Mine was of my girlfriend.”