By Lucy Newman AUC is actively reviewing its AI policies and planning on making changes. The designated  task force is discussing the idea of changing from the “no, unless” approach, saying that the use of AI is not allowed unless explicitly allowed, to the “yes, unless” mentality, meaning AI use is allowed with respect to…

By Shree Dubey With winter just around the corner, AUC students will soon be celebrating Christmas and Sinterklaas, Hanukkah and Lunar New Year. The approaching break will be spent back home, travelling or here in the Netherlands, where one can contribute to the rising demand of oliebollen and hete chocolade by visiting Christmas markets in…

By Charlotte Schnitger and Maria van Wijnen Experiences as gifts Sometimes, it is more fun to give someone an experience and a memory rather than a physical present. Animal-related: The Netherlands is full of farms, many allowing animals to be petted. The Amsterdamse Bos is an option close to Science Park. Also, Texel: a northern…

By Pola Folwarczny and Weronika Szymańska What screams coziness and comfort louder than a night spent cuddling your – or your friend’s – pet? Or, if none of the above is available, watching silly cat videos. If you’re missing your daily dose of pet-related content, this is the article for you. Get to know the…

By Ed Humphries and Stefania Zajdel As Christmas drew closer, panic started to spread across the AUC community. People who had ordered gifts for their friends never received them, leaving those expecting a present to take their loved ones at their word. It all began with a doorbell. Gavin (a pseudonym used to maintain anonymity)…

By Antek Bańkowski and Sophie Staal In February 2012, the Netherlands was gripped by a high fever of excitement and anticipation. For the first time in years, the country was struck by multiple days of consistent frost and snow. Bikers struggled not to slip and fall, and trains got cancelled due to tracks being buried…

By Camille de Ripainsel and Rojin Soroudi Winter break means something different for every exchange student, whether they’re bundling up in Canada or lounging under the sun in Mexico. For some, it’s the thrill of experiencing new holiday traditions in a foreign land. For others, it’s the bitter-sweet feeling of being far from home during…

By Maria van Wijnen Last Monday, 25 November, around twenty thousand students, teachers, administrators, and other passionate demonstrators took to Malieveld, in the Hague, to protest budget cuts to higher education. In true Dutch fashion, protestors brought umbrellas and stood in the rain for over two hours while listening to speeches, engaging in chants, and…

By Lilly Wilhelmi, Shree Dubey and Maria van Wijnen At the start of the 2024/25 academic year, students in the international relations (IR) track were surprised to hear that the beloved ‘Peace Lab’ will be drastically altered and possibly canceled by the end of this year.  Peace Lab is a Social Sciences methods class where…

By Natalia Cristina Martínez Roumiantseva A social media gossip account named “lol.auc.lol” will close on 30 November 2024 after receiving backlash from the AUC community due to offensive posts repeatedly published on the platform. The account permits students to submit anonymous confessions by filling out a form on the website, which then gets immediately posted…

By Stefania Zajdel On Friday, students left the comfort of the dorms to watch AUC’s Men&NB football team play against Leiden University College (LUC). Some went to support their classmates, some to meet up with their LUC friends, and some just wanted to get out of their rooms and experience something new. In the end,…

By Pola Folwarczny and Lou Boot On 6 November, American students at AUC woke up to the news of Donald Trump’s sweeping victory in the 2024 presidential election. Disappointment, fear, anxiety, relief, numbness – a multitude of sensations flooded their systems, welcoming them into this new reality. In the aftermath of the election, some have…

By Sophie Staal Every day we walk the same side-walk, we see the same faces, we contemplate the same question of getting lunch at Spar or not. About three months ago many of us did not know anyone else here, and now we are all neighbours, classmates, teammates, friends? AUC is often referred to as…

By Camille De Ripainsel Last year, AUC introduced a new attendance policy, hoping it would get more students to show up to class. But despite these new rules, students stayed absent, and early morning classes remained empty. Yet, something extraordinary happened, a miracle that was going to motivate every student: the coffee machine on the…