Kiona Bijker, treasurer of Apollo and member of Fanaat and Bellettrie
I am Kiona and I study technical computer science. I first studied industrial design for a year, but I stopped because I was creative in a different way then I thought. When I started studying in Enschede I joined the cultural association Fanaat (board games). I did a board year for Fanaat and now I am the treasurer of the Apollo board. I am also a member of Bellettrie. Bellettrie is located in the same room as Fanaat and being a member of Bellettrie is free. So when I became a member of Fanaat I instantly became a member of Bellettrie as well.
What can you tell me about your cultural background?
My parents both play instruments. My father played the violin, but he does not play as much anymore. My mother has played the organ for six years. They also both play the piano. So I grew up with a lot of music. Next to that, I also went to a lot of museums with my aunt. She lives in Utrecht and has a museum year card. If I stayed with her we went to different museums, like the Miffy museum and the railway museum.
When I was younger I was a member of different cultural associations. I danced ballet and ballroom, played the flute for 6 years, played the piano for 2 years, joined the youth circus for 3 years and I was a member of a choir for about 8 years. I have never been a fan of sports, so I did a lot of cultural hobbies. Most of the things I did I discovered via friends. I don’t really know what I like the most of all the things I ever did. I like to play the flute together with other instruments, but I am not good at keeping the routine of practicing the flute. I don’t really have the motivation to practice every day. I don’t play the piano anymore, but I still play the flute sometimes. Last I played ‘never gonna give me up’. Due to the lockdown I picked up the guitar and kalimba. Dancing and the circus were nice to do as well, but I joined these associations more for fun. I wasn’t really my passion.
Why did you join a cultural association?
During the Kick-In I became a member of Fanaat, but I got active in December. I became a member, because I really like playing board games. At high school I played board games with my best friend. We played every Tuesday. When I started studying in Enschede I really missed playing these board games with him.
I also have thought about joining MSO or SHOT, because I play the flute. In the first year of my study I still lived at my parents’ home, so I still had a lot of activities there. I was active in a choir and still had piano classes. So I didn’t have the time to join MSO or SHOT.
What moment would you never forget about a cultural event?
I never forget the first game of Tygo. Tygo is a card game: you have pairs and triplets, full house and streets. But you also have bombs. In my first game they explained everything about the game, excepts the bombs. They said that the bombs weren’t played that often. In that game there were 5 bombs… That is very rare. It was also very funny.
What did you learn from culture/the cultural association?
I learned a lot about myself, because of culture and playing board games. The way I play my instruments and play board games tell a lot about me. Because of culture I also learned a lot about different kind of people and their different visions in life. I really learned to see situations and points people make from different perspectives.
The things you learn from culture depends on the form of art. Due to the circus and dancing I learned to improvise and perform. At Fanaat I learned a lot about strategy and different people. When playing music I learned a lot about music itself and the music theory.
What are your experiences with the Fanaat and Apollo board?
When the lockdown started last year I noticed that online classes don’t work for me. I can’t concentrate, especially when I don’t have a separate room to study. When a message was sent in the Apollo fun chat I was quite interested. It seemed like more fun than online studying. I became the treasurer, because I didn’t have a preference. I didn’t want to be the chair, and after dividing the functions only treasurer was still open. I like to work with numbers. If I listen to music then I can fill in a whole excel sheet. I am glad that I now know how to make a balance and how to read a financial report. Next to my financial function, I like to be a part of the board. Sometimes it is very hectic, because associations often want things arranged at the same day. But I enjoy organizing these things and also organize the events that happen.
I also like to be part of the Fanaat board. When I started the board year it wasn’t really clear what was expected from me. This made it hard sometimes. But it is good to see that you can do something for the associations you really like and to make members happy with events. I was chair in that board, but I learned that I am not really made for being the chair of a board. I mostly learned that when you are a board you also have to deal with the political games. This is a nice experience, but sometimes it is really frustrating. You then have to think about what you will say or what information to give to people.
What would you tell first years about Apollo/culture?
Just try things out. If you have never played an instrument and you want to join SHOT then at first you can’t become a member, but you can just try and learn the instrument you want to play. Almost all associations have groups for beginners. It is really cheap as well. If you have a job etc. you probably don’t have enough time to try things out and to join associations, so now is the time!
I especially want to advice to not feel the pressure from DUO or how fast you finished your study. The goal of the university should be that you learn something, and not that you get your diploma. Enjoy the activities next to your study. Take your chance now and make some fun.
What do you think of the culture at the University of Twente?
There are a lot of offers and many things are well organized and fun, but it is unfortunate that culture doesn’t get as much attention as sports. Sports have way more spaces on the university. You really need to do something with culture or follow The Vrijhof to know what happens within culture. But there are so many cultural activities all people can join. I feel sad when only sports are seen as ‘good for your health’. I think culture really helps with your mental health, and if you dance it is also good for your physical health. I think there are many students who would like culture, but just don’t know what the university offers for them.
Do you still dream of something to achieve with culture?
I want to show that culture is a good thing and also improves people’s health. I think this will be a pity, because it needs to come from the Dutch government. Sports have many subsidies and promotions, but culture doesn’t.
Do you still dream of something else to achieve?
My boyfriend and I have the dream to design and build our own house. In this way we can build a house that we both love. We also plan to have a basement specifically for dungeons and dragons.