By Vedosi Karmarkar and Komari Machida
Picture provided by the AUC Yearbook Committee
As seats started to fill up in the common room, the current AUCSA president Sterre Vreeker stepped on the stage for her opening remarks. Thus began the annual AUCSA general elections assembly, held to determine the AUCSA board for the academic year 2026/2027. Vreeker congratulated the candidates and wished them luck in her speech. She then explained the practical information to all attendees present. The flow of events was detailed: first, the election of honorary members of the AUCSA, then the candidate speeches, and finally the presentation of the proposed board by the Election Commission.
AUCSA Honorary Member Nominations & Advisory Council
AUCSA has a time-honoured tradition of electing students who have done exceptional service for the association and the AUC community. The AUCSA board nominated three AUCSA members, Vyaan Shah, Greta Boccaletti, and Jonas Dornieden, who were introduced to the audience through heartfelt speeches. Students also nominated Hayden Anderson, Pia Schardt, and Louise Boulay. These students were then elected as honorary members.
Soon after, the current Advisory Council (AC), consisting of Inès Bentin, Hayden Claire Anderson, Sasha Rosier, and Malou Sass, was given a moment of appreciation by Vreeker. The AC provides support to the AUCSA Board, and “advises [it] on dilemmas”, according to the President. Following this, the AC for the 2026/2027 academic year was announced. This included Isabel de Boer, Ana Vladescu, Franek Maurer, and Laura Herberg Fernandez. Vreeker also made it a point to state that anonymous feedback about AUCSA could be directed to the AC.
Candidate Speeches
As we approached the voting period, seats slowly started filling up. One by one, each AUCSA board candidate was invited to the stage to give a two-minute statement, followed by audience questions. The sole candidate for President, Alexa Tornini Hong, a first-year Science major, spoke passionately about her appreciation for her fellow candidates and predecessors. She also declared her excitement to work with all the committees, commissions, and teams (CCTs). “I hope to recreate even just a fraction of the special experiences [the AUCSA board] has given to me”. Throughout the GA, the presidential candidate ensured that she asked at least one question to each of the new potential members of the board.
Yuvna Malik, the candidate for Secretary and first-year Sciences major, centred her speech around her experiences with coming to AUC as an international student from India. She recalled that AUCSA’s events made her feel “more at home” despite the distance. Malik stated that she wants to make AUCSA “even more welcoming, more diverse, and less intimidating”. When asked about the secretarial position being known as the backbone of the association, she responded, “[It is] a unique role where you pay attention to little details but also have the opportunity to look at the bigger picture”.
First-year Sciences major Eva Garcia Green spoke about her motivation for the Treasurer role, coming from her experience working in various positions in CCTs such as Yearbook and UCSRN, as well as her love for spreadsheets. She aspires to make AUCSA finances more visible by introducing an AUCSA pamphlet, “so finances don’t feel scary to students as well as CCTS”. An audience member posed the question, “Do you think bigger or smaller events contribute differently to AUC?”, to which she commented that “having a diversity of events is important”. She suggested securing a budget for larger events by working with sponsorships.
External Relations Officer (ERO) candidate and second-year Social Science major, Tijmen Schik, emphasised his desire to bring novelty to the board. The candidate also aspires to “bring the outside to the inside [of the AUC bubble]”, hoping to collaborate with various associations in Amsterdam outside AUC. Tension regarding his motivations culminated when an audience member asked the candidate whether his reputation as “the party guy” would shape his work ethic in the association. To this, Schik responded, “I’m in a position of responsibility and accountability. I’m going to try to find a balance”.
Finally, the four candidates for Committee Affairs Officers (CAO) gave their speeches. Ke Huang, a first-year Sciences major, announced her intention to expand opportunities for students with many passions. She expressed her stance on the role, proclaiming, “Being supported, and supporting others, brings this community together.” Huang stressed her aspiration to make AUC’s student life “engaging, inclusive, and well-coordinated for everyone”.
Next, first-year Humanities major Hanae Lopez Sylvestre expressed her love for the AUC community, its events, and its members. She highlighted her belief in the importance of listening. To make committee life more approachable, she suggested organising more committee markets and opening applications for committees later in the year.
Rebekka Walser, a first-year Social Sciences major, expressed that she felt daunted by the role. However, she reflected that “doing something and being scared while you’re doing it means that you care”, and added, ”I want to make sure that this community gets what it deserves”. She presented ideas such as supporting smaller CCTs and introducing an AUCSA app for increased transparency.
The final CAO candidate, Lucas Wouda, discussed his positive experience as a second-year transfer student in the Humanities. Although he has primarily served “behind-the-scenes” roles in CCTs, he showed great appreciation for being welcomed at AUC with open arms. He believes now is the time for him to give the kindness he received back to the AUCSA community.
The audience members asked three questions addressing their core visions, reservations about the role, and potential conflicts between the AUCSA Board and the CCTs. All candidates communicated their stance towards their role through their answers clearly and succinctly, thus concluding the candidate speeches.
Proposed Board
After a five-minute break where candidates mingled with attendees, the Election Commission (EC) stepped onto the stage to present their proposed board. The EC, an independent body appointed by the AC consisting of Gabrielle Galley, Lina Dorenbusch, and Jaime Murga Cuchillo, had chosen members of the proposed board based on candidate compatibility, determined through individual interviews. This consisted of Alexa Tornini Hong, Yuvna Malik, Eva Garcia Green, Tijmen Schik, Ke Huang, Lucas Wouda, and Hanae Lopez Sylvestre. The EC reiterated that “students can and should vote however they desire” as their board is “simply a proposal”.
Voting process
Due to technical issues, voting did not proceed online on ElectionBuddy as planned. Rather, every attendee was given the opportunity to vote regardless of RSVP-ing. Votes were written on paper and then counted by the AUCSA members. Some audience members appeared to have lost their proxy votes due to issues with checking in before the voting period closed.
After a triple count of the votes was conducted during a lengthy break, the President once again took to the stage to announce the new AUCSA board. Each elected board member was invited onto the stage to be congratulated by the previous board and received a bouquet of roses.
The new AUCSA board for the 2026/2027 academic year is as follows:
President – Alexa Tornini Hong
Secretary – Yuvna Malik
Treasurer – Eva Garcia Green
External Relations Officer (ERO) – Tijmen Schik
Committees Affairs Officer (CAO) – Ke Huang, Rebekka Walser, Lucas Wouda
The new board consists of five first-years and two second-years: a stark contrast to this year’s board, in which second-years were mainly elected. With four Sciences majors, two Social Sciences majors, and one Humanities major, the board appears well-represented academically. The new board members looked enthusiastic for the year ahead; Tornini stated, “I’m so excited to become a part of this community. I can’t wait to take [AUCSA’s presidential role] on”.
The Herring 