Meet the Master Committee!
As a JADS-student you have likely heard through the grapevine of the Data Science Study Association Pattern which had already spread across two cities and now it has also formally been established in the capital of the province. The new ‘Master Committee’, including its five-member body, will be officially presented during Pattern’s General Member Meeting next month. Although they are currently still in the formalisation phase in this article I can already lift the veil on their future plans and ambitions as well as a personal introduction to the people behind the committee.
A Local and National Network
As the Master Committee is a brand new initiative you may wonder how it actually came about; at least I did so I asked Robbert (Secretary & Treasurer). “Well, honestly it’s kind of a boring story. During the Thursday afternoon drinks Nigel (program coordinator JADS, Ed.) told us about the activities Pattern was organising after which we got in touch with them.”
Even though their founding story might not be that spectacular they have big plans for this semester: “We are planning on organizing activities to connect students with companies, but also with other bachelor and master students. After all, the long term idea is that Pattern’s board will consist of a variety of student backgrounds and that it will mainly operate from Den Bosch.” With that said, Jennifer (President) emphasizes that they don’t want to limit themselves to the Brabant region: “In Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Utrecht you currently don’t find any similar data science programs like JADS offers which leaves tremendous opportunity to put our master students in the spotlight and collaborate with the industry. For example, through guest lectures, inhouse days and hackathons.”
Risking Your Life for a Photo
After this brief interview it was time to shoot some photos for the article. In essence that should not be too difficult thanks to all the beautiful spots the Mariënburg has to offer. It turned out, however, given the rebellious nature of the Master Committee that was a misconception. They were in for a challenge: obviously striving to master the perfect image. So against our better judgement, ignoring all the “NO-ENTRY” signs, red white striped barricade tape, ‘risking our lifes’ — after we had convinced a construction worker that it would just be a single picture — we ended up with the header image above. I guess you probably didn’t even notice it was taken in the middle of the courtyard, did you?
Afterwards we continued our way to the backyard for the last series of photos to complement the personal introductions you find below. Note that although the committee members pretend to be smiling they were actually hiding the fact it was freezing. Especially for Rehan — someone who normally enjoys the warmth of a steamy bath — the cold must have been burning. For 19 other facts about the Master Committee keep on reading..
Jennifer Koppens (President)
- Studied: Language & Communication (with media studies) and informatics.
- They call me: Too honest for her own good.
- Weirdest hobby:
Binge-watching my favourite series.
- Favourite country: Malaysia.
“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music”
Robbert Manders (Secretary & Treasurer)
- Studied: Business Economics.
- My hero: Elon Musk.
- Best experience: Climbing a 3.7 kilometres high volcano in Indonesia.
- Dream: Visit a TED Conference and live in San Francisco.
- Favourite food: Salmon with potatoes and spinach.
“I guess it comes down to a simple choice: get busy living or get busy dying.”
Rehan Saif (External Relations)
- Studied: Technology, Policy and Management (TU Delft).
- Weirdest hobby: Bathing for hours more than advised.
- Favourite sports moment:
Louis van Gaal bringing in Tim Krul just for the penalty shootout during 2014 World Cup quarterfinal.
“When all else fails, take a bath.”
Martijn Keizer (Promotion)
- Studied: International Business Administration (UvT).
- Alter ego: Phoxy.
- Guilty pleasure: Singing while riding my bicycle.
- Greatest achievement in past 6 months: Running the marathon of Eindhoven to raise money for charity.
‘Give that man a cigar! Bullseye!’ (First Blood part I)
Lieke van Uden (Activities)
- Studied: Econometrics (UvT).
- Enjoys: Photographing during travels.
- My super hero: Roger Federer.
- As a data science student do you believe in coincidence: Yes.
- Favourite country: Japan.
- If I could change the world then: I would make people more empathetic.
“Better regret the things you did do, than the things you didn’t do”
Hopefully that all sounds “masterlijk” (i.e. Dutch slang for “awesome”) to you! Perhaps you even have your own master plan in mind or want to organise the next master class for the master students? Let them know in the comments down below or simply join this new initiative. After all, the Master Committee is always looking for new members to expand their team. Also for you pre-master students out there: don’t shy away from the big boys, so feel free to drop them a line too. And don’t forget to follow D.S.A. Pattern on Facebook and claim your membership to stay up to date about all the upcoming activities.
