Interview with new AStA chairs   [27.11.19]

For them, studying means more than just attending lectures: In the AStA (general student committee), Ernesto Lunar Koch and Dominik Becker are therefore committed, among other things, to making campus life attractive, to making the student voice heard and to advancing topics such as sustainability and internationalization. The Online Courier met the newly elected AStA chairs for an interview.

-

Hello Ernesto, hello Dominik, what is it that made you join the AStA and what are the issues that matter to you?

Ernesto: I'm studying agricultural biology in my 5th semester. During my studies, but also beyond that, I am particularly interested in the topic of sustainability. I think it's important to start in your immediate environment, alongside the political and social level. 

Last year I therefore asked to be nominated for the AStA and was active there as the environmental officer. Among other things, we founded the Sustainability Working Group together with the StuPa during this time, which networks all green groups and active people in Hohenheim with each other. For example, we organized the first Hohenheim Sustainability Week together.

Through my work at the AStA, I came into contact with many other topics that I now see from a completely different perspective. What I particularly like about the AStA is that it doesn't matter what you study, everyone is pulling together. It's fun and I also want to make a contribution as a member of the board.

How was it with you, Dominik?

Dominik: I'm studying economics in my 5th semester and was first active in the Fachschaft.

In terms of content, I came to the AStA mainly via TMS. I don't think you can overestimate how important it is as a social focal point for student life here in Hohenheim. I myself have been a TMS fan since the first semester and think it's great that it is run completely by the students themselves.

In the course of my studies I became more and more interested in the organizational side: How is the whole thing financed? What do I have to consider when it comes to maintenance, etc.?

I enjoyed using the skills I acquire in my Wiwi studies to do this in a very practical way. Last year I therefore joined the AStA as a financial officer. I also gained a lot of exciting insights beyond the TMS.

Above all, I enjoy working in the AStA team. We don't just meet to do university politics, we also do things together from time to time and get along very well in general. When you're friends, you simply do more. To promote this, there is a team-building event every year, such as the AStA Hut.

What are you currently doing at the AStA?

Ernesto: The topic of university financing kept us pretty busy at the start of the semester. Together with the StuPa executive board, we organized the "Friedhof der Bildung" in front of the Palace and the funeral procession across the campus.

The wooden coffin that we used for this was already used for demos by several generations of students before us. We would have rather left it in the cellar and dealt with other things. But sadly, the financial gap at the universities has not really shrunk over the years.

Dominik: If Humboldt reloaded were to disappear, it would be a bitter loss for the students. But the austerity measures are also noticeable in topics such as the lack of places to study. After the elimination of the group work rooms in the Phytomedizin, there are now only 8 such rooms in the Central Library for 10,000 students in Hohenheim. This is clearly not enough.

Last semester we wrote an open letter to the Chancellor about this. Due to the general lack of space there is still no short-term replacement in sight. The university provides money so that the dining halls in the Mensa can continue to be used outside meal times. But from our point of view this is not an equivalent replacement. That is why we want to keep this issue on the agenda.

Ernesto: Apart from that, we're of course busy with the normal campus routine, from the lecture notes office to university sports. We want to put a special emphasis on the topic of communication.

In what way?

Ernesto: We want to be the voice of the students and be available at all times as a contact point. Our impression, however, is that many students don't know exactly what the AStA and the Student Parliament actually do or what the Student Parliament fee is used for.

Of course, most people are familiar with the AStA lecture notes office and know that the TMS is run by the student body. But they often do not know more than that. That's why we want to be more active on Instagram and Facebook in the coming year, and to be even more visible on campus through various activities, such as a special Christmas program.

For example, preparations are currently underway for an info day at TMS on 3 December. It is a great opportunity to get in touch with the people from AStA and StuPa.

Speaking of everyday life on campus: The AStA has set up its own presentations on some topics. Can you say a few keywords about...

Internationalization:

Ernesto: As student representatives, we also want to be there for international students and make a contribution to integrating them into campus life. Until now, we have unfortunately often lacked direct contact. That's why we're very happy to have won two international students for the AStA team for the first time this year. We are very happy about their perspective and ideas. For example, we want to set up a welcome page on our homepage with basic information to help international students get started. As the AStA sessions are now held in English, we can all improve our language skills.

Environment:

Ernesto: We want to build on the success of the first Hohenheim Sustainability Week and, together with other universities, call for a nationwide Sustainability Week in order to attract even more attention. As far as Hohenheim is concerned, the topic of waste separation is close to our hearts. Separate waste bins are often missing or they are simply poured together by the cleaning staff in the end. There are better ways to separate waste.

TMS:

Dominik: The renovation of the toilets is urgently needed. We had originally hoped that the construction work could be started this year. However, here we are dependent on the coopeation with the University Building Authority and there is currently a shortage of personnel, which leads to many delays. However, we can implement smaller measures ourselves: E.g. regular sanding of the TMS floor so that you don't stick to it... We owe the fact that everything works so well in everyday life to our TMS assistants, who do a great job.

Culture & Sport:

Ernesto: Without the AStA cultural group and the AStA film group, which provide for the TMS program on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but also numerous other student initiatives, campus life would be much poorer in terms of culture. The student body supports these efforts financially, and the AStA tries to help with advice and practical help.

Dominik: The same applies to the AStA Sports Department. It works closely with university sports, organizes tournaments such as the Beach Volleyball Cup, which is set to be even bigger this year, helps with ski trips, and passes on demand from students to University Sports in order to create the most attractive program possible.

Not an AStA department, but still a current topic is the so-called "system accreditation"...

Dominik: Exactly. As part of the system accreditation, the university is currently introducing a new quality management system for teaching. Every year, discussions are held about the individual courses of study and improvement measures are initiated. Since the subject of "good teaching" naturally affects us directly as students, we also bring our own point of view into the process.

If the university receives the seal of the German Accreditation Council for its quality management, this also has further advantages for students, since a successful system accreditation is perceived as a kind of seal of quality for the university. This makes it easier, for example, to apply for stays abroad.

 

We will continue to report, thank you for the interview!

 

Interview: Leonhardmair / Translation: Neudorfer