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MAGAZINE<br />
THE SIX DEADLY SINS<br />
OF THE BOARD<br />
‘TIS THE SEASON...<br />
FOR JOYOUS BEVERAGES<br />
Recipes for (hot) festive beverages<br />
will come to your rescue.<br />
WINTER IN NIJMEGEN<br />
DURING CORONA<br />
And many<br />
more!<br />
Some ideas on how to defeat<br />
quarantine boredom and enjoy<br />
wintertime in Nijmegen and online!<br />
WINTER EDITION 2020-2021
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Table of Contents<br />
05<br />
Excel Ourselves -<br />
The Six Deadly Sins<br />
of the XXXI st Board<br />
Vanagloria, Luxuria, Avaritia,<br />
Acedia, Ira, and Gula: The<br />
Six Deadly Sins of the XXXI st<br />
Board of Synergy...<br />
12<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> in Nijmegen<br />
During Corona<br />
Here are some ideas on<br />
how to defeat quarantine<br />
boredom and enjoy wintertime<br />
in Nijmegen and online!<br />
www.synergy.nu 1
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
17<br />
‘Tis the season... for<br />
joyous beverages!<br />
Heat it up! The following<br />
recipes for (hot) festive<br />
beverages, with or without<br />
alcohol, will come to your<br />
rescue.<br />
03<br />
09<br />
15<br />
Preface<br />
Mental Health at Radboud<br />
University<br />
Workshop: I Do Not Know<br />
What I Want<br />
21<br />
25<br />
26<br />
Active Members of the<br />
Month - October<br />
Active Member of the<br />
Month - November<br />
Synergy Division<br />
20<br />
Column - The Netherlands<br />
From an Outsider’s<br />
Perspective<br />
www.synergy.nu 2
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Preface<br />
D ear Readers,<br />
Welcome (back) to the Synergy magazine! For this <strong>Winter</strong> edition, we have tried to<br />
write a COVID friendly edition – with plenty of things to do this time of year, articles on<br />
some of Synergy’s online events and information on how Radboud could support you<br />
should you struggle with your mental health. In addition, the Synergy board has kindly<br />
provided us with an overview of “their” deadly sins to bring you closer to the lustrum<br />
theme. We have also introduced a new column in which international students tell us<br />
about their home country, and in this edition our first guest writer is from Germany.<br />
The <strong>Magazine</strong> Committee is relatively small this year: we are with just two<br />
members – Lindsay and Christin – supported by Synergy secretary and<br />
vice-chairman Eva. As a result, we suffer from just a little bit of envy towards those<br />
committees that were able to attract more members. But, like everyone (we hope), we<br />
are working on overcoming this sin and improving ourselves this year.<br />
Due to our size, we were originally quite overwhelmed at the prospect of filling a magazine<br />
by Christmas. But with the help of some amazing guest writers and the support of the<br />
board we were able to do it nevertheless. So, a big thank you to everyone who helped us<br />
out, and we hope that you and all of our readers are happy with the final results.<br />
Have fun reading and wishing you all festive times ahead!<br />
PS: Should you have any ideas for articles or wish to write one yourself,<br />
please always feel free to reach out to us: magazine@synergy.nu.<br />
www.synergy.nu 13
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
The <strong>Magazine</strong> Committee:<br />
Christin Adams – Chairwoman/ All-rounder<br />
After an internationally focused bachelor,<br />
Christin has now found her way into the BA<br />
premaster at Radboud. When there are no<br />
COVID restrictions she likes to check out the<br />
different boulder halls in the area, enjoys<br />
spending time outdoors and plays the flute in<br />
an orchestra.<br />
Lindsay Beelen – All-rounder<br />
Originally an art historian to be, she now<br />
spends her time doing her pre-master’s in<br />
Business Administration. Her hobbies and<br />
interests change almost every other week as<br />
she likes to dive into new things, but her love<br />
for writing remains constant.<br />
www.synergy.nu 24
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Excel Ourselves - The Six<br />
Deadly Sins of the XXXI st<br />
Board<br />
Vanagloria (Vanity)<br />
Luc Spronk - Chairman<br />
As the chairman, it is my job to be the face of the<br />
association. Of course, I should have a fine-looking<br />
appearance myself then. You could even say that<br />
vanity is a part of my job too. This shows the best in<br />
the morning, so let me tell you what a typical morning<br />
looks like.<br />
Every morning I take the<br />
cucumbers off my eyes and<br />
splash some fresh water<br />
on my face. I put in my<br />
lenses so that I can properly<br />
see myself in the mirror.<br />
“Am I still dreaming?”, I<br />
think to myself when I see<br />
my reflection. A long hot<br />
shower will then wash off all<br />
the stress of yesterday and<br />
get my body clean in every<br />
nook, corner and pore. I<br />
get myself dry, put on my<br />
clothes and start preparing<br />
breakfast. Since I once<br />
watched a short video on<br />
Instagram, I am convinced<br />
that my breakfast should<br />
be plant-based, ecologically<br />
grown, ethically produced<br />
and CO2 neutral because<br />
otherwise that would be bad<br />
for my skin. Finally, I take my<br />
shot of essential oils; today I<br />
look radiant (again).<br />
Modesty surely can be one<br />
of my qualities, just not in<br />
the morning. If you can take<br />
good care of yourself, you<br />
can take good care of your<br />
work!<br />
“If you can take good care of yourself, you can<br />
take good care of your work!”<br />
“If only everyone had<br />
unlimited money...”<br />
www.synergy.nu 5
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Luxuria (Lust)<br />
Eva Mientjes - Secretary & Vice-Chairman<br />
When you started reading this you probably hoped for<br />
some juicy gossip about my love life. Unfortunately, I<br />
have to disappoint you and I will keep the details to<br />
myself. Currently, I am on a pink cloud somewhere<br />
as I have fallen in love and that is one way in which I<br />
affiliate with the sin lust.<br />
“I have many<br />
desires...”<br />
But lust does not necessarily<br />
mean sexual desire, you can<br />
also think of lust as a desire<br />
for something else. In that<br />
case I have many desires:<br />
more time as a student,<br />
activities with friends and<br />
family, perfection, cuddling<br />
cute animals, walks in<br />
beautiful nature, travelling,<br />
reading, developing myself,<br />
unlimited shopping money,<br />
plants that do not die,<br />
etcetera.<br />
As you might have already<br />
guessed my strongest desire<br />
at this moment is lust<br />
for the end of the COVID-19<br />
pandemic. Hopefully we can<br />
organise amazing physical<br />
activities very soon, where<br />
we can dance, sport, laugh<br />
and hug each other again!<br />
Avaritia (Greed)<br />
Mendy van Reeuwijk - Treasurer<br />
As I am the treasurer of Synergy you probably won’t be surprised that I chose the sin<br />
avaritia. Apart from the fact that I think the word has a great sound to it, I mean,<br />
”Avaritia, Avaritia, Avaritia”, just sounds better every time, this is also the sin I<br />
identify the most with.<br />
When I asked my friends for<br />
a great skill of mine, I got the<br />
answer: I don’t know how,<br />
but you somehow find a<br />
deal for everything. Which<br />
is a skill I’m obviously very<br />
proud of.<br />
Synergy 3D painting on the<br />
ground? YES please. Getting<br />
the Dirty Daddies for an<br />
Open Synergy? I don’t see<br />
a problem. If only everyone<br />
had unlimited money…<br />
Unfortunately, I do get very<br />
enthusiastic about things<br />
without looking at the price<br />
tag first. I mean an enormous<br />
www.synergy.nu 6
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Acedia (Sloth)<br />
Zoë Backbier - Marketing Officer<br />
Just to be clear: if a teacher or professor asks,<br />
I am a very productive student. I never loaf on<br />
the job, and my grades are always above 8.0.<br />
“...slow and steady<br />
always wins the race”<br />
OK, now that’s out of the way,<br />
let’s get real. When I got time<br />
off, don’t expect me to go<br />
jogging or mountain climbing.<br />
I would choose a night of<br />
Netflixing with a glass of wine<br />
over climbing the Waalbrug<br />
anytime. Don’t get me wrong:<br />
during the week I give my full<br />
100% for Synergy. But I would<br />
be lying if I said I was not looking<br />
forward to being pampered by<br />
my parents over the weekend.<br />
And yes, I would be more than<br />
happy to participate in the<br />
Batavierenrace! However, do<br />
not expect to see me running.<br />
The best I can do is claim a spot<br />
for our tents with a beer in my<br />
hand. Because after all, slow<br />
and steady always wins the<br />
race.<br />
Ira (Wrath)<br />
Rebecca Veltman - Internal and Educational Affairs<br />
I chose the sin ‘vengeful’, because I truly find this interesting. There are thousands of chick<br />
flicks and a million songs about girls who take revenge on their ex-boyfriend or former best<br />
friend by spreading gossip or setting someone’s car on fire.<br />
This is all very funny, but in the<br />
end these acts coming from<br />
feelings of anger do not solve<br />
anything. Things that work in<br />
movies and songs do not always<br />
apply to real life. It is a real<br />
cliché but, in the end, the best<br />
revenge is to get over whatever<br />
happened, work hard and<br />
make sure you improve your<br />
own situation. Real revenge<br />
is becoming happier and/or<br />
more successful than you were<br />
before. Revenge can be a real<br />
motivator for yourself, show<br />
that you’re better than others<br />
and especially that you are<br />
better off without your ‘enemy’.<br />
I truly think revenge inspires<br />
people as there are so many<br />
people who are for example<br />
bullied as kids, and later in life<br />
they own a big company or they<br />
become really famous. This<br />
shows that working on yourself<br />
is always better than trying to<br />
ruin someone else’s life.<br />
However, if you do feel like<br />
taking revenge, then I do have<br />
one tip for you. Do not ask me<br />
to help; I am pretty tiny so I<br />
can’t help with lifting anything<br />
and since I do not have a driving<br />
license, I cannot ride them over<br />
with a bus either ;)<br />
www.synergy.nu 7
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Gula (Gluttony)<br />
Wessel Schemkes -<br />
External Affairs<br />
For the members that already know me, it may not come as a<br />
surprise that I am the board member that has the strongest<br />
affiliation with the sin gluttony.<br />
My love for fast food started<br />
at a young age, and at the<br />
age of 12 I was already frying<br />
my own fries in the shed in<br />
our backyard. I started my<br />
first job when I was 15 at<br />
a local cafeteria, and since<br />
then I never backed away<br />
from a delicious treat out of<br />
the frying pan.<br />
Long ago, when the bars<br />
were still open and you<br />
could still wander in the<br />
streets till 6 am, I was one<br />
of the regular customers at<br />
the FEBO (Dutch snackbar).<br />
There were some nights that<br />
I spent less on beer than I<br />
did at the FEBO (the good<br />
old Synergy Drinks).<br />
But the best snack is by far<br />
the ‘Mexicano’. The members<br />
that where at the lustrum<br />
reveal drink last November<br />
can remember the epic<br />
speech that I gave about<br />
why the Mexicano is the best<br />
snack. But to summarize<br />
for you: Imagine a frikandel<br />
(2nd best snack in the<br />
world), but spicy (I already<br />
hear your enthusiasm) and<br />
it is flat (ergonomic, easily<br />
transportable, and bigger<br />
than every other snack).<br />
I urge every Synergy member<br />
to run to the nearest<br />
cafeteria and support the<br />
small business owner in<br />
these difficult times.<br />
“I urge every Synergy member to run to the<br />
nearest cafetaria and support the small<br />
business owner in these difficult times.”<br />
“Real revenge is becoming<br />
happier and/or more succesful<br />
than you were before.”<br />
www.synergy.nu 8
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Mental Health at Radboud<br />
University<br />
What kind of help does Student Support at Radboud<br />
University offer me? And which help is suitable for me?<br />
Lindsay Beelen<br />
You may already know that each study program has their own study advisors<br />
to turn to if you want to inform them about personal problems or questions<br />
related to your study program, but did you also know that Radboud<br />
University offers courses, training sessions and workshops related to, let’s<br />
say, assertiveness?<br />
It is common to encounter hurdles during<br />
your student life. Before you know it, life<br />
happens, and you’re not able to study as<br />
much as you’d like to. Maybe you need to<br />
support a loved one during difficult times.<br />
It could also be that you have trouble<br />
focusing. Or perhaps it’s not the studying<br />
that troubles you, maybe interacting with<br />
your fellow students during group projects<br />
gives you anxiety. One thing to remember<br />
is that it’s okay to ask for help and that<br />
you’re not alone. Radboud University can<br />
offer help in several ways.<br />
Student advisor<br />
When you start encountering problems,<br />
the best person to alert first is your<br />
student advisor. Early contact can prevent<br />
study delay. Beyond providing information<br />
about your program, they are also able<br />
to lend a sympathetic ear and, if suitable<br />
to your situation, refer you to one of the<br />
specialized people listed below. Especially<br />
when you don’t really know what kind of<br />
help would best suit your situation, the<br />
student advisor is a great starting point.<br />
A sneak peek of the courses offered at<br />
Radboud University…<br />
Preventing Burnout<br />
Study Stimulation Therapy Group<br />
Assertiveness<br />
Performance Anxiety<br />
… and many others.<br />
For a complete overview, please visit<br />
https://www.ru.nl/currentstudents/<br />
during-your-studies/overview-counsellors-advisors/courses-training-sessions-workshops/<br />
Student psychologist<br />
When you mainly struggle with personal<br />
and study-related problems, the student<br />
psychologist may be a right fit for you. If<br />
you have a hard time coping with anxiety,<br />
stress or depression they’ll be able to help.<br />
The same goes for perfectionism and<br />
problems with motivation or focusing. An<br />
intake can be made online.<br />
www.synergy.nu 9
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Besides that, there’s a free e-health<br />
platform, called ‘Gezondeboel’, available<br />
to RU-students. Many aspects, like<br />
stress and loneliness, are covered.<br />
Some more specific examples of online<br />
modules are ‘Standing up for yourself’,<br />
‘Dealing with corona stress’ and ‘Too<br />
much social media’. An account can be<br />
made online at any time, without need<br />
of a prior appointment.<br />
Student counsellor<br />
This is the right person to contact when you<br />
are in need of adapted studying or are at<br />
risk of delay. Some reasons for requesting<br />
special provisions could be long-lasting<br />
health conditions or diagnoses like ADHD<br />
and autism spectrum disorder. Other<br />
situations could be encountering financial<br />
problems, expecting and/ or caring for<br />
a child or combining your study with<br />
exceptional talent.<br />
or repeatedly receiving comments<br />
about your appearance. The advisor will<br />
independently listen to you and try to find<br />
a solution to stop the unwanted behavior.<br />
They can also help you with filing a<br />
complaint with the complaints committee<br />
at Radboud University.<br />
Support with addiction<br />
When you are at risk of getting into<br />
trouble due to an addiction, the student<br />
counsellor or student psychologist could<br />
refer you to IrisZorg for a Moti-4 intake.<br />
It is also possible to sign up by yourself.<br />
Moti-4 is a program of four individual<br />
meetings, in which you will critically<br />
examine your addictive behavior with a<br />
prevention worker. It is not a treatment,<br />
rather, it should be seen as a preventive<br />
intervention. The target audience consists<br />
of students who experience substance<br />
abuse or have trouble with excessive<br />
gaming or gambling.<br />
Study trainer<br />
The study trainer will mostly be able to<br />
help with strategic studying and problems<br />
with procrastination. Negative thoughts<br />
during studying or time management<br />
in general are also a topic to talk about<br />
with the study trainer. They can refer you<br />
to several courses, like the ones on selfmanagement<br />
or perfectionism.<br />
Confidential advisor<br />
This is the person to go to when you’re<br />
experiencing undesirable behavior<br />
from others. For example: your study<br />
experience could be disturbed by bullying,<br />
(sexual) intimidation or discrimination.<br />
Some subtle forms which could reduce<br />
your enjoyment of studying are being<br />
ignored on purpose by fellow students<br />
www.synergy.nu 10
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Student chaplaincy<br />
Looking for something else? Often<br />
overlooked, the Student Chaplaincy is a<br />
good place to check out. Besides religious<br />
services they can also offer you conviviality<br />
in the form of, for example, the film club,<br />
where multicultural Fine Arts movies are<br />
analyzed. Several discussion groups are<br />
available as well, for example a grief group<br />
for students and the Talking Face2Face<br />
group, in which ethical and philosophical<br />
questions are discussed. The chaplaincy<br />
also offers several workshops and courses:<br />
In Balance, Almost graduated: What’s<br />
next? and Bible Study. If art inspires and<br />
motivates you, it’s possible to be part of<br />
one of their art projects. The ‘purification<br />
grave’ is one of those projects and has<br />
received some media attention: students<br />
are invited to meditate in the grave dug<br />
in the garden. Last but not least, the<br />
chaplaincy regularly organizes excursions<br />
to abbeys. If you are not particularly<br />
interested in any of these activities, the<br />
chaplains are also able to offer you a<br />
listening ear. All students of every kind of<br />
background are welcome to visit.<br />
To schedule an appointment or to read more info first, it is recommended to check<br />
the website of Radboud University.<br />
www.synergy.nu 11
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> in Nijmegen<br />
during Corona<br />
Christin Adams<br />
Here are some IDEAS on how to defeat<br />
QUARANTINE boredom and ENJOY<br />
wintertime in NIJMEGEN and online!<br />
www.synergy.nu 12
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> in Nijmegen<br />
during Corona<br />
Christin Adams<br />
Here are some ideas on how to defeat quarantine boredom and enjoy<br />
wintertime in Nijmegen and online.<br />
Christmas-time is approaching and the<br />
(not so) snowy season is underway. Now<br />
that it is December, most of us would<br />
usually spend a lot of time on Christmas<br />
parties, enjoying all the special family<br />
traditions that we have for this time of<br />
year or discovering what Nijmegen and<br />
its surroundings have to offer in winter<br />
– think ice skating, Christmas markets,<br />
lovely decorations and cold weather.<br />
Since this year is different in so many<br />
aspects, not all of us might get the<br />
privilege of enjoying this time as usual.<br />
Visiting your family for the holidays has<br />
suddenly become equally impossible as<br />
meeting friends for a night of movies and<br />
Gluhwein. However hard this year might<br />
be, this is not a reason to despair! We<br />
have collected some ideas on what to do<br />
this winter so you can still enjoy the break<br />
from university the way you usually would<br />
– just a little different.<br />
Digital ideas<br />
Zoom baking sessions<br />
Cooking sessions via video calls seem<br />
to have become quite popular in recent<br />
months, and now it is time to bring out<br />
your favorite cooking recipes and share<br />
them with your friends! Simply share<br />
some recipes in advance so everyone has<br />
the ingredients ready and bake them in<br />
your own kitchen. You might not be able<br />
to offer each other a taste, but if you hold<br />
your phone close enough to the oven you<br />
can almost imagine what it might smell<br />
like… Of course, this works equally well<br />
for almost any other activity – try to make<br />
your own Christmas decorations or try out<br />
our Gluhwein recipes from page 17.<br />
Watch some movies<br />
December is the season of Blockbuster<br />
cinema releases. But who says that you<br />
can’t enjoy a movie with friends from<br />
around the planet in the comfort of your<br />
own home? Whether you go back to old<br />
classics or check out the newest Netflix<br />
hit – watching a movie or show together is<br />
very easily doable with today’s technology.<br />
And if your “seat neighbor” starts asking<br />
questions throughout the whole film, just<br />
put them on mute.<br />
Digital Secret Santa<br />
Since you might not be able to surprise<br />
your friends with presents in person this<br />
year, why don’t you do a digital secret<br />
Santa? Here is how it goes: As usual, every<br />
person gets assigned one other person<br />
to get a little present. An amount of<br />
money (could be 0) is set and people start<br />
wondering what to get their gift recipient.<br />
This year, how about a new eBook to stop<br />
quarantine boredom? Or a personalized<br />
Spotify playlist with winter/ Christmas<br />
songs (from your home country?) that you<br />
think they might like? Get creative!<br />
www.synergy.nu 13
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
#DOESLIEF – Be nice<br />
Next to asking its citizens to be careful and follow the Corona regulations, the Dutch government<br />
also asks everyone to be nice to each other and help others in these difficult times. Some ideas for<br />
nice things to do for others:<br />
If you follow the hygiene measures while being, you could leave a surprise box of home-made<br />
cookies for family members, friends, neighbors in front of their door. Best paired with a nice,<br />
personalized note!<br />
This one might be overdone by now, but there are always people from risk groups that would<br />
appreciate some help with grocery shopping etc. to ensure they leave the house as little as possible.<br />
Offer your help to neighbors or others you know and show them that you care.<br />
In Person<br />
Try out all the sweet Dutch winter specialties<br />
Oliebollen: Balls of fried dough with raisins<br />
and sugar that you can find in pop-up<br />
stands all over the country. Hopefully, we<br />
will be able to get these delicious snacks<br />
this year.<br />
Pepernoten: While not only sold in <strong>Winter</strong><br />
these are a good to know snack the entire<br />
year around, and personally, I think they<br />
have something very Christmassy in them.<br />
In any case, if you have not tried them yet,<br />
you definitely should.<br />
(Gevulde) Speculaas: Typical cookie that<br />
includes all spices connected to <strong>Winter</strong> –<br />
often found in different shapes. There also<br />
is a version filled with marzipan – yummy!<br />
Go walking/ Get outdoors<br />
Hiking is a nice activity in summer and winter<br />
alike. While the Netherlands might not offer<br />
you the experience of getting to the top of<br />
high mountains, there still are a lot of nice<br />
natural places across the country, including<br />
around Nijmegen. A stroll through one of<br />
the many parks or along the river Waal can<br />
be a nice way to destress from everything<br />
that’s going on.<br />
www.synergy.nu 14
SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Workshop: I Do Not Know<br />
What I Want<br />
Lindsay Beelen<br />
On the 4th of November the workshop ‘I do not know what I want’ was held<br />
online and led by Ignace de Haes, career officer at the Faculty of Philosophy,<br />
Theology and Religious Studies. Science is practiced from the perspective of<br />
not knowing. Why won’t we face the future from the same perspective?<br />
Exercise<br />
“I DO NOT KNOW…” Those were the first<br />
words participants were asked to write on<br />
their own sheet of paper. “…which career<br />
path to choose.” And these words were<br />
how I decided to finish my sentence. I look<br />
up, and most participants are still writing<br />
eagerly. By the amount of people attending,<br />
I can see how the topic lives among<br />
students. After everyone has put down<br />
their pens, the instructor<br />
explains: “Behind the not<br />
knowing is either fear or<br />
indifference. Which one<br />
applies to your situation?”<br />
That’s easy, I think, as I<br />
write down “I’m afraid I’ll<br />
change my mind.”<br />
Discussion<br />
A discussion ensues.<br />
Many participants have<br />
written down a similar<br />
problem. Which master to pick? And what<br />
is my next best step to take? It is hard to<br />
figure out, and we are eager to learn how to<br />
distinguish the ‘right’ decision. An obvious<br />
approach would be to look up loads of<br />
information first. After all, it would seem<br />
unwise to make an uninformed decision.<br />
But at some point, we know the essentials,<br />
and every new detail adds to the insecurity.<br />
In turn, that insecurity could lead to<br />
If you already<br />
know everything<br />
that is to come and<br />
every decision is<br />
laid out in front<br />
of you, you might<br />
miss some other<br />
beautiful paths<br />
in life. Be open to<br />
change.<br />
procrastination, because what if an<br />
essential detail is missed? You seem to<br />
reach a wall.<br />
Then what can be done? A good step<br />
would be to tune in with your feelings and<br />
look for the cause of your insecurity. Can<br />
something be done about it? Sometimes,<br />
that is not possible. Then the only way left<br />
is to take the plunge and see how it goes!<br />
It sounds easier said<br />
than done, and not<br />
every participant seems<br />
convinced. Then the<br />
instructor ensures us:<br />
“In case you make the<br />
wrong decision, it is<br />
always possible to get<br />
back on track.” In that<br />
way, choices made in<br />
the past are always<br />
good choices, because<br />
they will have taught you something that<br />
was previously unknown to you. It helps<br />
you make better decisions in the future.<br />
During the workshop, words spoken by<br />
the author and former U.S. Navy SEAL<br />
William McRaven come to mind: “True<br />
leaders must learn from their failures, use<br />
these lessons to motivate themselves and<br />
not be afraid to try again or make the next<br />
tough decision.”<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
In the end, all choices are choices of<br />
feeling, and we try to improve them by<br />
using our wit. It is good to listen to advice<br />
from others, but it should be avoided to<br />
decide against your own drive and gut<br />
feeling.<br />
Lesson Learned<br />
Doubt is an inevitable part of the decisionmaking<br />
process. When you are in the state<br />
of not knowing, there are two options:<br />
continue doubting or you can just do it!<br />
Dealing with dubiety and insecurity makes<br />
you open to dealing with whatever comes<br />
your way. If you already know everything<br />
that is to come and every decision is laid<br />
out in front of you, you might miss some<br />
other beautiful paths in life. Be open to<br />
chance.<br />
Thank you, Mr. De Haes, for providing<br />
us with this interesting and valuable<br />
workshop!<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
‘Tis the season... for joyous<br />
beverages!<br />
Lindsay Beelen<br />
The chilly weather, having to get up when it’s still dark outside and being<br />
forced to wear multiple layers of clothes: winter has arrived. Luckily, there<br />
are many ways to add some spice to the season. First suggestion: heat it up!<br />
The following recipes for (hot) festive beverages, with or without alcohol, will<br />
come to your rescue.<br />
It might be cold and dark outside, but it’s<br />
also the perfect festive season to hang out<br />
with friends and loved ones and have it<br />
accompanied by a nice drink. What’s better<br />
than a homemade version? They will be a<br />
recipe for good times ahead!<br />
Romans adored this type of beverage and<br />
in the sixteenth century the drink, then<br />
given the name hippokras, was considered<br />
as something of high value. People saw it<br />
as an item which balanced the elements<br />
of cold, hot, dry and wet. The added sugar<br />
was even believed to have medicinal<br />
qualities! Are you ready to explore history?<br />
Bisschopswijn<br />
Alcoholic beverage<br />
This recipe will get you approx. 6 glasses<br />
ahead.<br />
Go Dutch…with bisschopswijn<br />
Bisschopswijn? Translated in a quite<br />
literal way it means ‘bishop’s wine’ and<br />
traditionally it’s a drink meant to be<br />
consumed during the holiday of Sinterklaas<br />
(who was a bishop). Even to the Dutch<br />
this might not seem familiar anymore,<br />
but it’s similar to the better-known<br />
German glühwein. The only difference is<br />
that bisschopswijn is made with peels of<br />
oranges, while the latter can also be made<br />
with other citrus fruits.<br />
Drinks made from wine with added spices<br />
are seen throughout all of Europe, and it’s<br />
not surprising considering its history. The<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 bottle of red wine<br />
5 cloves (add more to taste)<br />
2 oranges<br />
2 cinnamon sticks<br />
75g of sugar (can be replaced with 2-3<br />
tbs of honey)<br />
Optional: spices like star anise or mace,<br />
or a splash of red port<br />
Procedure:<br />
Cut the oranges into slices and insert<br />
the cloves in them. Start heating the<br />
beverage on a stove, and add all desired<br />
ingredients into the wine. Keep the<br />
temperature constant, 70°C is ideal. No<br />
boiling, or the alcohol will start evaporating!<br />
Ideally, the spices would seep in<br />
for about one hour, but no one will stop<br />
you if you drink it earlier ;)<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
The French vin chaud...try it blanc<br />
The French hot wine served during the<br />
holidays is about the same as we like it here:<br />
red and spiced. But if you stroll through<br />
the markets, in some areas you’ll also find<br />
the variant made with white wine. Wines<br />
from the Alsace region are perfect for<br />
vin chaud blanc and some recommended<br />
grape varieties are Gewürztraminer, Pinot<br />
Gris and Riesling. With this recipe you<br />
won’t see red!<br />
Vin chaud blanc<br />
Alcoholic beverage<br />
This recipe will get you approx. 6 glasses<br />
ahead.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 bottle of white (French) wine, not too<br />
dry<br />
0.5 orange<br />
0.5 lemon<br />
150ml of water<br />
80g of sugar (can be less or more) Spices:<br />
1 cinnamon stick, 1 star anise, 1 clove, a<br />
pinch of nutmeg.<br />
Procedure:<br />
Remove the orange and lemon peels to<br />
prevent a bitter taste. Cut both fruits into<br />
parts. Add the wine and the water into a<br />
saucepan and add the other ingredients,<br />
but skip the sugar for now. Let it heat<br />
on a stove for about 10 minutes. Never,<br />
ever, let it boil. Then, add the sugar. Don’t<br />
forget to stir in between. After 5 more<br />
minutes the drink is ready to serve!<br />
Hot buttered rum<br />
An alcoholic drink with butter? In Europe<br />
hot buttered rum is not the easiest to<br />
find, especially since it’s usually something<br />
made at home, but in the United States<br />
this drink has a rich history dating back to<br />
even before the Revolutionary War. Back<br />
then, rum was cheap and insanely popular<br />
with the colonists. They believed it was<br />
nutritious and together with the butter it<br />
provided some healthy calories. Nowadays<br />
we know better, but this sweet comfort<br />
drink will definitely keep you warm.<br />
Hot buttered rum<br />
Alcoholic beverage<br />
This recipe will get you approx. 4 glasses<br />
ahead.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
180 ml of dark rum<br />
480 ml of hot water<br />
115 grams of butter (can be replaced<br />
with coconut oil to make it vegan)<br />
130 grams of brown sugar<br />
Spices: a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg and<br />
allspice<br />
A pinch of salt<br />
A splash of vanilla extract<br />
Procedure:<br />
Add the butter (or coconut oil) in a mixing<br />
bowl, together with the sugar, spices, salt<br />
and vanilla extract. Beat the ingredients<br />
well. Grab four heat resistant glasses and<br />
divide the batter among them. Add 45ml<br />
of rum to each glass. Then, add 120 ml of<br />
hot water to each glass, but do not add<br />
when still boiling, because it might ruin<br />
the taste of the rum. Stir well! If you want,<br />
add some extra cinnamon on top.<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Virgin pornstar mocktail<br />
The Pornstar Martini is popular, stylish and<br />
famous, thanks to its evocative name and<br />
its particular flavor. It has been around<br />
for about two decades and is a real looker<br />
with its immediately recognizable color. If<br />
you want to keep the evening alcohol free,<br />
you can make everyone else jealous with<br />
this cheeky mocktail.<br />
Virgin pornstar mocktail<br />
Alcohol-free<br />
This recipe will get you one drink. A cocktail<br />
shaker and a strainer will be needed.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 passion fruit<br />
75ml passion fruit juice (may be substituted<br />
with tropical juice)<br />
2 tsp. vanilla syrup<br />
1 tbsp. lime juice<br />
Some ice<br />
Some soda water to top up<br />
Procedure:<br />
Cut the passion fruit in half. Put one half<br />
aside. The other half needs to be scooped<br />
out and put into the cocktail shaker.<br />
Add both juices and the syrup, then finish<br />
with some ice. Shake well, then (double)<br />
strain the beverage into a glass. Now add<br />
the second half of passion fruit on top.<br />
Serve with some soda water to top up.<br />
exam period will be waiting for us, and a<br />
mental reset will be needed. Matcha drinks<br />
can help with studying and concentration<br />
and are a nice replacement for your daily<br />
cup of coffee. The idea for a powdered<br />
variant of green tea, matcha, was<br />
brought from China to Japan and there its<br />
popularity increased in the 12th century.<br />
Zen Buddhists drank it as a stimulant to<br />
aid in their long meditation. It helped<br />
them stay focused and awake. Later on,<br />
the military elite adopted this practice as<br />
well. Follow the spirit of the lustrum year<br />
and defeat acedia (sloth)!<br />
Matcha Latte<br />
Alcohol-free<br />
This recipe will get you one drink.<br />
Ingredients:<br />
1 tsp matcha powder<br />
100ml of hot water<br />
150 ml of your milk of choice<br />
Optional: some coconut blossom sugar,<br />
or any other kind of sweetener.<br />
Procedure:<br />
Heat the water, but don’t let it boil. If you<br />
want to add hot milk, start heating it as<br />
well. To add foam it’s possible to froth<br />
the milk. Put a small amount of hot water<br />
in a cup and add matcha. Whisk the<br />
drink well to prevent any lumps of tea. A<br />
smooth paste should be the result. Next,<br />
add the leftover water and the (hot) milk.<br />
Stir your drink and add any sweeteners<br />
if you’d like to. Tip: you can also choose<br />
to add only the hot water, to create the<br />
original tea drank by monks. However,<br />
the taste will be a lot stronger and it’s not<br />
ideal for beginners.<br />
Matcha latte<br />
The final boss of this article is the peaceful<br />
matcha latte. Why? Because when the<br />
holidays are over, a new year with a new<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Column - The Netherlands<br />
From an Outsider’s<br />
Perspective<br />
Marleen - Germany<br />
For this new column, we are inviting Synergy members from around the<br />
globe to tell us their perspective on living in the Netherlands. This edition,<br />
we asked Marleen to write something on the differences she noted when<br />
moving here from Germany.<br />
When I arrived in the Netherlands a bit more than three years ago, I didn’t know<br />
much about the country in general. Even though I am from Germany and I grew up<br />
only 600km away from Nijmegen, I always assumed that the culture must be about the<br />
same and the language easy to learn. So, it was quite a moment when I met my mentor<br />
group with mostly Dutch students and I realized that I couldn’t understand anything at all.<br />
Everyone would talk English to me and try to teach me some Dutch (my first sentence in<br />
Dutch was “frituur is cultuur”) but overall, there were more differences between Dutchies<br />
and Germans than I expected.<br />
Firstly, Dutch people only eat a very small snack for lunch, like a toasty for example. In<br />
Germany, I was used to getting a real meal at around 1 or 2 and then something smaller<br />
for dinner. That difference is especially important for me because I do get hungry in the<br />
middle of the day. Secondly, in the Netherlands everyone sends Tikkies for everything. We<br />
do not have that system in Germany, so we would not care that much about paying back<br />
2€ to a friend immediately. I like how easy it is to pay without cash, but I think it’s also nice<br />
to sometimes invite a friend or to get invited.<br />
After all the memories that I have made in the Netherlands, I do feel like this is my home for<br />
now. I don’t get confused anymore when people arrange their chairs in a circle to for me<br />
unclear purposes and I love eating pepernoten in the winter. For all other internationals, I<br />
recommend learning the language as much as possible (it takes some time but it’s worth<br />
it), and I suggest reading the book “Why the Dutch are Different” by Ben Coates. But most<br />
importantly, enjoy your time in the Netherlands!<br />
Are you an international student interested in writing a similar column for our next edition,<br />
informing other Synergy members about your country? Reach out to us to learn how<br />
(magazine@synergy.nu).<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Active Members of the<br />
Month - October<br />
Synergy Business Trip Committee<br />
Hi dear Synergy members! This month, it is the honor of the Business Trip<br />
Committee to gain a spot in the Synergy magazine. Before we take you into<br />
our rollercoaster of the past year, we will introduce ourselves to you.<br />
Deana Cremers (Chairman)<br />
This is Deana Cremers, she is 22 years old and started the master<br />
Marketing in September. As a chairman it was her main task to<br />
guide, motivate and support all committee members in their tasks.<br />
The reason she applied for this committee is because she really<br />
loves going on a city trip. Her hobbies are reading, going for a<br />
drink with snacks (!), and spending time with the people she loves<br />
the most. She is very proud to say that the committee has done<br />
its very utmost trying to continue the trip, but unfortunately the<br />
circumstances did not allow it.<br />
Rik Razing (Internal Affairs and Marketing<br />
Officer) & Bente Moeskops (Internal Affairs)<br />
Rik (20) and Bente (20) both study the bachelor<br />
Business Administration. If you ever need them,<br />
you can find Bente in the beautiful nature of<br />
Nijmegen and Rik in the RU sports centre. They<br />
were very excited to explore a new city with<br />
you all, the business culture and of course the<br />
student life! As internal affairs officers they took<br />
responsibility of the hostel, pubs and restaurants. As a marketing officer Rik also took<br />
care of all the promotion towards the Business Trip.<br />
Romée Snel & Marleen Richters (External Affairs)<br />
Romée (19) and Marleen (20) also study the<br />
bachelor Business Administration. Romee loves to<br />
learn about new cultures and cities, and Marleen’s<br />
favorite combination is beer and travelling. It<br />
is very clear that these girls were a perfect fit<br />
in our committe. As external affairs they were<br />
responsible for selecting interesting companies<br />
to visit.<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Lyanne Wagemans (Treasurer & External affairs)<br />
This is Lyanne, she is 21 years old and currently in her third year of<br />
the bachelor Business Administration. In her spare time, she likes<br />
to travel, have a good time with friends at festivals or pubs, plays<br />
sports and wants to broaden her perspective. Lyanne performed<br />
a dual function in our committee as she was responsible of the<br />
finance but also supported Romée and Marleen with the external<br />
affairs.<br />
Our first plan for the Business Trip<br />
T<br />
he committee started somewhere in April, a few weeks after everybody was settled<br />
nicely in quarantine. For some it was the first committee to be a part of, for the<br />
chairman the first time to be a chairman. Despite the circumstances, our committee was<br />
very excited to organize an unforgettable trip and positive that everything would be better<br />
in November (at least we kept the hope). We made a list of suitable, fun and interesting<br />
destinations for the Business Trip to take place. Luckily, we had some overlapping desired<br />
cities, and one of them was Copenhagen. After hesitating for a moment (it really is that<br />
exciting to capture the location), we decided ‘Copenhagen it is!’.<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
From this moment, the external affairs started with making a big list of interesting companies<br />
to contact for a company visit in November. There was a surprisingly large interest from<br />
the companies in our trip and we soon managed to arrange three enthusiastic companies.<br />
The internal affairs started with contacting Piet as Synergy’s confidential bus driver. In<br />
addition, they reached out to several hostels, pubs and restaurants. It is regrettable to share<br />
they arranged a student friendly hostel and a great pub-crawl with welcome shots at each pub.<br />
Even in the summer break we worked so hard that in September our trip seemed<br />
almost completed. Unfortunately, at this time the measures got tightened up<br />
again in a way that it was irresponsible to continue the trip to Copenhagen.<br />
However, our committee shared a strong degree of perseverance and creativity, so<br />
despite the cancellation of Copenhagen being a disappointment it was at the same time<br />
a challenge to come up with something new.<br />
“... our trip seemed almost completed.”<br />
Our second plan for the Business Trip<br />
So, no worries, together with the board we decided to organize a Business Trip 2.0<br />
in our own country! We barely had two months left thus everything we arranged for<br />
Copenhagen in five months we now did in a couple of weeks. Rotterdam and Utrecht<br />
became the new destinations of our trip. Again companies, hostels, restaurants, and<br />
pubs were contacted. We faced the challenge that a lot of companies were interested,<br />
but not allowed to welcome any visitors to their office. Comparable challenges came up<br />
for arranging hostels, restaurants and pubs as they could only allow a limited number<br />
of guests. Meanwhile the measures got worse every week, and in the middle of October<br />
the board decided to also cancel the Business Trip 2.0. It was a very sad moment to<br />
realize there would be no trip, but it was even more sad that this was the end of us<br />
working together as a committee. It is amazing how we build such a strong bond through<br />
meeting and collaborating mainly online.<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Our plan for the future as (ex) committee<br />
After the committee ended, we still contacted each other to join some Synergy activities<br />
and go for a drink (with a snack of course). Currently, the measures don’t allow<br />
us to catch up with the whole group, but we are looking forward to plan some fun<br />
activities, join some great Synergy activities and maybe even visit Copenhagen when<br />
the circumstances become better in the future. For now, all we can say to our fellow<br />
Synergy members that it is really amazing to organize the Business Trip and make it as<br />
unforgettable as possible. We as committee were so intensely involved in this trip, that<br />
later we will not even remember if we actually went to Copenhagen or not. After these<br />
months we came out ten times as wise and it was above all a big pleasure.<br />
“After these months we came<br />
out ten times as wise and it<br />
was above all a big pleasure.”<br />
“It is amazing how we build such a<br />
strong bond through meeting and<br />
collaborating mainly online.”<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Active Member of the Month<br />
- November<br />
Christin Adams<br />
The active member of the month in November was Irene, an active Synergy<br />
member known for her energy and commitment.<br />
her role in organizing the lustrum week.<br />
Irene is originally from Enschede and<br />
is studying the bachelor in Business<br />
Administration in her second year.<br />
She especially likes her concentration<br />
in Business Economics. Irene joined<br />
Synergy right after she started studying<br />
in Nijmegen as a way to get involved and<br />
meet new people – and it sounds like she<br />
was successful with both goals.<br />
Currently Irene is a member of the<br />
Lustrum Committee – she is the marketing<br />
officer and is responsible for promoting<br />
the committee’s activities around the<br />
lustrum. This includes the build-up to the<br />
lustrum theme reveal in early November<br />
and everything leading up to the lustrum<br />
weeks in May 2021. When I asked her what<br />
she thought about the lustrum theme<br />
reveal she said that she thought that it<br />
worked out quite well with doing the reveal<br />
online and that she really looks forward to<br />
In the past she has also been the treasurer<br />
of the Business Trip Committee that<br />
planned the trip to Berlin that took place<br />
in March. Irene says that being treasurer<br />
was a very different challenge compared<br />
to being the marketing officer, but also<br />
one that she really enjoyed. Luckily for<br />
the committee, their trip was planned for<br />
early March, so they were still able to go<br />
to Berlin and got to see their trip come to<br />
fruition.<br />
Next to being an active member, Irene<br />
has also attended quite a few of Synergy<br />
events and parties. She also decided to go<br />
on last year’s ski trip – even though she<br />
never went skiing before. Still, she can<br />
recommend the experience to anyone<br />
interested in meeting new people – and<br />
(learning how to) ski in the process.<br />
When she is not busy studying or attending<br />
Synergy events, Irene likes to work out at<br />
home or meet up with her friends. Over<br />
the past year they have tried out many<br />
of the different cafés in Nijmegen, and<br />
they also like to go for a few beers in the<br />
evening. Irene likes to try out different<br />
beers and even has a list of all the beers<br />
she has tasted – with a comment on how<br />
well she liked each of the 140 sorts that<br />
she has tried so far. Irene also enjoys<br />
cooking with friends.<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
Synergy Division<br />
Attention, attention, active members! The Synergy Division of 20/21 has begun!<br />
We have created 88 fun challenges that you and your teammates must complete<br />
in order to win. The committee with the most points at the end of the year will win<br />
a great prize.<br />
While these are hard times, we hope that the Synergy Division will give you an<br />
opportunity to have fun and to spend time with your committee. Your committee<br />
can organize a Division Day, for example, where you try to finish as many challenges<br />
as you can with your team. Committees can gain extra points by doing activities<br />
together.<br />
Follow synergydivision20.21 on Instagram to see what the other committees are<br />
up to. You can find the rules and other information in the description.<br />
Don’t forget that every committee member that joins us at the online drinks will<br />
receive an extra point! We can’t wait to see your pictures and videos. Does your<br />
committee have what it takes to win this year’s Synergy Division?<br />
- Synergy Drink Committee 20/21<br />
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SYNERGY MAGAZINE<br />
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