WELCOME TO THE UnIVERSITY OF A

ISSUE 15
welcome
to the
UA!
THIS IS YOUR FREE COPY OF UNIA MAGAZINE | OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ARUBA | OCTOBER 2015
Dear new and
returning
students
On behalf of the complete staff of the University of
Aruba I wish to welcome you as a student to our own
national university. By choosing to study with us, you
are contributing to an important development within the
Aruban society. In order for Aruba to develop as a nation
and become a mature member of the international world,
the development of an academic community within society
is essential.
The University of Aruba has three main goals. The first is to foster
scientific research and enhance our insights into the integrality
of the sciences. The second is to offer the higher education to
those who need it for responsible functions within our society.
The third is to offer service to society and instill a sense of civic
responsibility. The people working for the University of Aruba have
worked hard to design quality programs and activities offered
here ‘at home’ for you. The programs and activities will trigger
your thinking and your feeling to learn more about yourself and
about Aruba.
If you chose to study law, you will learn about the law and the
legal system of Aruba, of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and
the western world we function in. You will learn how to relate
to the world from the perspective of norms, legal rules and their
effects on society. Finance, Accounting and Marketing will make
you conscious of the way we value things and how we administer
value. You will also learn about markets and learn to think about
marketing strategies. If you chose Social Work and Development,
you will learn about the human being within a social context and
networks. We will help you better engage and interact with human
beings and analyze their relationship within society and help you
understand how to develop this relationship into a healthy one.
Our math program will help you become a skilled mathematician.
We will also make you competent in how to teach this subject
to others. With Organization, Governance and Management
we will guide you to understand how people get together within
groups and combine their work and their efforts, as well as how
and based on what decisions are made and how to best handle
available resources.
Within the Hospitality and Tourism management programs you
will learn about the environment, conditions and behaviors that
determine what happens in this field of international business.
It is our goal to help the citizens of Aruba and all of our graduates
be the most competent they can be. I hereby want to invite you to
sharpen your mind, enhance your logic and open your heart. You
can make a difference in the development of Aruba if you grasp
this opportunity. Seize your moment. It is with great satisfaction
that we offer our programs to help you be well prepared for your
future role of being a responsible member of the Aruban society.
Glenn Thodé
Rector UA
1
In this issue:
Welcome to the University of Aruba P3
Orientation Week P5
disclaimer
Creative Designer:
Final Format
by Michel Almary
E Prome Game Changer P7
www.finalformat.net
FEF: Class of 2015 P9
DESPA, CBS en FEF werken samen aan Gezondheidsrekeningen P11
Fraude Onderzoek P12
Leanne Geerman P13
Proof Readers:
Ruby Eckmeyer
Valerie Maduro
Yolanda Richardson
Coach and Coördinator of
Magazine and Marketing:
Charisse Hoen-Daly
OSA Team
SUA’s new academic year goals for 2015 P14
S.T.A.M.P. P14
Cover Photo:
Ashwin Maduro
Changing Entrepreneurship in Society P15
Bo estudio … Ta di bo! P20
Contributing Writers:
OSA Team
Charisse Hoen-Daly
Dilma Arends
Yolanda Richardson
Thais Franken
FEF, Class of 2015
Saskia Franken
Bauke Feenstra
Leanne Geerman
SUA
Jonathan Henriquez
Jaromir Petronilia
Melendy Neuman
Jo-Ann Croes
Ziphora Baarh
Ghislaine Nicolaas
Jochem Pennekamp
Magali Guzman
Rosette Hernandez
Vandana Geerman
CKI
Carolien Gaarthuis
Ruby Eckmeyer
Reynaldo Maldonado Jr.
The Adventure of a Lifetime P21
Master’s in Innovative Hospitality Management P23
A summer in Geneva P25
Exchange experience at University College Utrecht P27
Diversity P28
A word by Vandana Geerman P29
More of O-week P30
CKI: Welcome to the University of Aruba! P31
Erasmus Exchange P32
Our visit to the Carolinas P33
Why do Yoga? P35
Ruby Eckmeyer P36
Don Pastechi Factory P38
Charisse Hoen-Daly
Ruby Eyckmeyer
Michel Almary
Valerie Maduro
Yolanda Richardson
WELCOME
Welcome to the Un
We’re counting on you to prove him right
So you're finally here and we're very happy to have you.
We're not only happy to have you, we're counting on you
to stay and graduate in four or, in case you've enrolled at
the FHTMS, three years. The aim of this article is not to put
pressure on you, but you should know that lecturers are
expecting you to be prepared for this exciting journey and
new phase in your life.
You see, we have been preparing to welcome you for the
better part of April, May, June and July to give you the best
experience ever. And without a doubt, I’m sure that I can
speak for all of my UA colleagues in saying that we expect
that you’re ready to excel at your studies.
After our first introduction and orientation, let us call it the
honeymoon phase, most lecturers are going to move into
the next gear and speed up things. The main objectives are
3
to cover the material prescribed for each module and to
ensure that you acquire the learning objectives distributed
over the various years of the study program. So, if I put it
mildly we can say that lecturers are assuming that you’ve
enjoyed your vacation, recharged your battery, are focused
and eager to start with the classes. If not, then this article
should help you just before you “board” and the flight
takes off.
First of all, we expect you to be critical. My colleagues
and I want you to challenge us, ask questions and be
engaged. Secondly, we expect you to prepare your reading
before class. Most classes will be futile if you think you
can come and “consume” all that the lecturer has to say.
Lecturers may prepare a Powerpoint, but this will definitely
never cover all the material in the literature. Be aware,
that contrary to your high school or secondary school,
these presentations mainly only cover additional material.
Furthermore, more often than not, the presentations are
niversity of Aruba
made to stimulate discussion in class. They’re absolutely
not intended to substitute the required reading and you can
be assured that once you experience a delay or you’re not
up to date with the reading, it will cost you many sleepless
nights to make up for the loss.
My third tip is for you to get a planner (agenda) and for you
to develop discipline as if you’re preparing for a marathon
or some kind of arduous competition. Studying requires
time, perseverance, devotion and passion. This is certainly
confirmed by the definition I found for studying on the
Internet through the common search engines. It reads:
“devote time and attention to acquiring knowledge on (an
academic subject), especially by means of books”.
It should be clear that only those who possess the
skills I mentioned in my third point, can comply with the
aforementioned definition. This brings me to my fourth tip;
studying occurs when you understand that it is a process
and you are to acquire a body of knowledge, but you’re
also expected to acquire certain skills. Some examples
are leadership as well as professional and communication
skills. Don’t beat yourself up, this might take time. You
might not acquire these skills immediately, but accept that
it is a process and you might fail or fall now and then. Once
you accept this you will be able to turn things around.
Finally, set your goals and follow through. Build your future
one block at a time. If you put everything into perspective
and work on a day-by-day, credit-by-credit basis, you will
reach the finish line before you know it.
So, if you read this article completely through, it seems to
me that you’re in the right place. You did not quit, and you’re
ready to take on any challenge. The Greek Philosopher
Aristotle wrote: the roots of education are bitter, but the
fruit are sweet...
Prove him right!
Yolanda Richardson
4
Spot Light
Orientation week
University of Aruba’s Orientation week
inspires incoming students
Persistence and skills are key for success!
S
ome 200 individuals will initiate their higher education
at the University of Aruba, UA, this year. But after
spending some days together during the ‘Be the
Game Changer’ Orientation Week, these individuals are
now a team and are ready to truly start with their studies
at the university.
The O’ Week or Orientation Week is a program the UA
organizes annually for new students. However, in view of
the growing interests of late to choose to study in Aruba, it
was deemed necessary to ensure that the students realize
their value, not only as members of the UA family but also of
their contribution to each other and the community.
“Be the Game Changer’ took off lightheartedly at the
Oranjestad Ballroom. The students were welcomed by the
organizing team, lead by the Office of Student Affairs, OSA.
The team comprised not only UA staffers but also students
of the various faculties and of organizations active within
the university, including the Students Council.
Acting Rector Luciano Milliard also welcomed the new
students and his message was simple: “The crown is only
for those who cross the finish line.” Milliard emphasized the
need for students to press on, despite challenges, without
diverting from assuming one own’s responsibility. He called
the UA a meritocratic institution,
5
based on the Meritocracy poem, which also focuses on the
rewards of hard work, on how to break the cycle of poverty
and deprivation.
The students got to learn more about their own faculties
and peers the next day. Each faculty gave out information
on the studies but also on what is expected of them.
For instance, the Financial Economic Faculty Staff set up
a ‘speed dating’ session allowing students to meet each
other personally. According to Dean Joost Jacobs, the
group of 75 is less than the previous year, but there is a
reason. “The percentage of HAVO graduates this year
is lower and we’ve noticed that.” But even so, 75 new
students for FEF is a large number and experience has
shown that some will stop after the first year, others will
use the year in order to transfer to the law faculty and some
will go to the Netherlands. Yet, the number of students
who consciously chose to stay in Aruba to study is quite
conspicuous. “The study here is accredited, recognized
and it makes economic sense to stay here instead of going
to The Netherlands,” some said.
The faculty with most new students is the Faculty of
Arts and Science, FAS. This is in great part due to the
Mathematics program, a bi-annual program that this year
has 50 students ready to
start. It is the second cohort of students for this program, which
opens the way to become Math teachers in higher, secondary
education. There are many adults in the group of students,
some are teachers and some are professionals in other fields.
Andy Dirksz, for instance, brought his son to learn more about
the possibilities of the UA and learned about the math program
and decided to participate. “I got the interest for myself and now
I am committed to finish the program as well,” he said. Collins
John is another student, whose background is in the social, well
being sector. Yet, as someone who runs an after school program
for children, John saw the benefit to specialize in Math. FAS in
addition to the Math program, also offers the Social Work and
Development, as well as the Organization, Governance and
Management bachelor’s programs.
The Faculty of Law also held conversation with incoming students
and it was quite riveting for the faculty to welcome Jurney Tromp,
who was inspired by her mother’s tenure as a law student at the
UA. Her mother graduated in 2003 and Tromp said that it was
since then she wanted to follow in the foot steps of her mother
who now works in the banking sector. During the orientation
conversations, students were made aware that the law study
offers more possibilities, career wise, than the traditional positions
of lawyers, prosecutors and/or judges.
The Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management Studies,
FHTMS also held its own introduction, and Dean John Wardlaw
deemed it important for students to understand right away the
value of working together on projects. They got their first ‘test’
on what is leadership. The new cohort of FHTMS students were
also introduced to three exchange students from Germany. The
three are second-year students, but will participate in the first
semester of the FHTMS faculty this year. “This means they can
help our students with the skills they already have,” Wardlaw said.
The number of students entering FHTMS is not as high as the
other faculties and the explanation is that the requirements are
also different and more demanding. FHTMS not only requires the
TOEFL test, which tests the proficiency of the English language,
but also has a high demand for the Scholastic Aptitude Test
score, the SAT. These requirements are for all students, including
those who have graduated VWO ( the academic high school) at
Colegio Arubano.
The Orientation Week was concluded with activities to stimulate
the mind and body. The incoming students participated on that
day to a Creative Thinking session, which entailed a workshop
designed by FEF facilitator Edward Erasmus and UA alumni and
now entrepreneur Robert Anjie. The so called H.E.I.S.T. ( Higher
Education Intensive Skills Training) entailed three sessions of 35
minutes each, during which the students, divided in the Empire,
Phoenix and Synergy teams had to execute tasks by working
together, using their own creative resources, working against the
clock. Erasmus at the end shared some important elements for
each student and said that he hopes “they will continue to work
on improving these skills during their academic period at the UA.”
And after this creative pressure, the new students of the UA had
the opportunity to relax and work on their body and mind, through
a beach yoga session. DushiYoga Aruba guided the students but
also the Orientation Week organizers to a relaxing and restful yoga
session. The session was especially important for the organizers
who on their own were inspirational to the newcomers, as they
exuded enthusiasm of the entire institution in welcoming the new
UA family members.
Photos illustrate the various moments during the Orientation
Week, and depict among others the dynamic team responsible
for the organization of all the activities. A team that represents
all faculties and organizations that gave OSA all they could to
ensure the new UA students received the necessary inspiration to
continue motivated in order to cross the finish line which will then
crown them with their academic diploma.
Dilma Arends
6
Interview
E
prome
Game
Changer
E prome Game Changer" cu UNIA a entrevista ta
U
niversidad di Aruba desde su inicio na 1988 ta ofrece
e pueblo di Aruba oportunidad pa sigui diferente
estudio riba nivel academico.
E historia di Universidad di Aruba ta cuminsa cu e Facultad
di Derecho (FdR) cu por cierto ta esun di mas conoci. Na
1993 a amplia e comunidad di Universidad di Aruba cu e
Facultad di Economia y finansa (FEF) y na 2005 a cuminsa
cu e Facultad di Hospitality and Tourism Management
Studies (FHTMS) cu tabata un stap logico teniendo cuenta
cu e pilar di economia mas importante di nos Aruba. Na
2009, despues di un investigacion de parti di gobierno a
añadi e Facultad di Arte y Sciencia (FAS). Hunto ta ofrece
un total di 8 programa di estudio y ta spera cu den futuro
lo por expande y ofrece mas programa di estudio pa tanto
studiantenan local y international. Universidad di Aruba ya
tin mas cu 600 graduado cu ta aporta na e desaroyo di
Aruba y e aña aki tambe diferente studiantenan a registra.
E programa di orientacion ta tras di lomba, a reconoce
tur esnan cu a destaca y e aña academico 2015-2016 a
cuminsa oficialmente dia 11 di September ultimo.
E tema di e aña academico aki ta: "Be a game changer" y
UNIA den su proximo edicionnan ta presenta un columna
caminda cu bo lo cera conoci cu un studiante cu a
compromete su mes pa ta un "Game Changer".
7
Thais Franken
UNIA : Ken ta Thais Franken?
Esaki ta un pregunta hopi grandi pa contesta, pero mi lo
haci mi best. Mane por lesa, mi nomber ta Thais Franken,
mi tin 19 aña di edad y mi ta actualmente un studiante na
Universidad di Aruba. Mi por bisa cu mi ta un persona hopi
dedica na mi estudio paso mi ta gusta siña cosnan nobo
y mi ta un persona cu hopi pasion pa yuda otronan. Mi tin
varios hobbies cu ta haci mi e persona cu mi ta awe. Paar
di mi hobbies ta inclui skirbimento, cantamento, lesamento
y bailamento. Como cu mi ta un introvert den personalidad,
mi ta encanta expresa mi mes den storianan. E privilegio di
por expresa mi mes ta algo cu mi ta gradecido p'e y e ta
refleha su mes den e 4 hobbies cu mi tin. Den e mesun rosea
mi lo por conclui cu mi ta un persona hopi amabel, artistico,
determina y diferente.
UNIA: Dicon bo a dicidi di keda Aruba y bo a scohe UA?
Ora mi a gradua for di Colegio Arubano mi tabata hopi jong
ainda. Hopi hende a conseha mi di no bay studia afo ainda y mi
a tuma e conseho di warda. Despues di Colegio Arubano mi
mester a sigui studia y no tabata tin hopi opcion of variacion
den opleiding y scol na Aruba mes. Mi a bay diferente open
dag na Universidad di Aruba y mi a hay'e un scol leuk pa
forma parti di dje. E parti dificil a bini ora mi mester a kies un
opleiding. Mi no tabata sa kico pa studia paso mi interesnan
tabata hopi grandi. Na final mi a kies pa aplica pa FEF, cual
ta ofrece un bachelor den e area di finansa, economia y
mercadeo. Esaki no a bay manera mi tabata kier y mi a haya
mi mes ta cambia estudio. Actualmente mi ta forma parti
di FAS, e facultad di arte y sciencia . Mi ta contento cu mi
a dicidi di keda studia na Aruba paso
ela encurasha mi y prepara mi pa crece
como persona. Na comienso mi kier a
djis keda un aña pa mata tempo pa mi
bay hulanda, pero awor mi a dicidi di
sigui mi estudio aki mes na Aruba.
UNIA: Kico bo ta studiando?
Wel, manera mi a menciona caba
mi ta forma parti di FAS, studiando
Organization,
Governance
&
Management (OGM). E bachelor
program aki ta un compilacion di
teorianan scientifico di organisacion
(priva y publico) y maneho. Cu e estudio
aki un studiante por logra posicionnan
como por ehempel manager, consehero,
researcher y consultante. E estudio
ta hopi extensivo y varia, dunando
studiantenan e manera y e espacio pa
crece y busca di berdad nan destino.
E estudio ta completamente na ingles
cual ta perfecto pa nos studiante cu
despues lo kier bay den exterior pa
sigui studia of cu lo tin e deseo pa
traha internationalmente. Mi ta hopi
contento cu mi a scohe pa atende e
estudio aki, paso awo cu mi ta bayendo
mi di dos aña, mi por bisa cu mi a
crece masha hopi mes. Mi a traha riba
diferente projectonan caba cual a duna
mi e chens pa compronde e materia no
solamente den e contexto international
pero local. Sin lubida, mi mester
menciona cu ami como studiante di
OGM y di Universidad di Aruba, a haya
oportunidadnan caba pa studia den
exterior y esey ta algo cu mi ta aprecia
masha hopi mes.
UNIA: Dicon bo ta kere bo ta un game
changer?
Prome cu mi contesta e pregunta mi lo
kier splica kico ami ta compronde den
e concepto di ta un game changer. Pa
mi un game charger simplemente ta un
persona cu ta reconoce potencial, un
persona cu no ta laga un oportunidad
pas'e voorbij. Hopi biaha den bida
cosnan ta pasa sin cu nos sa dicon. Nos
ta kibra cabes ora nos ta jong tratando
di formula kico nos kier bira ora nos ta
bira grandi. Ora e momento crucial yega
nos no sa kico nos kier den bida. Esaki
ta completamente normal pa pasa door
di dje. Pero como un game changer bo
ta tuma e reto di ta diferente, pa ta bo
mes. Pa sigui e caminda destina pa bo,
pa kere den bo mes y pa kere cu bo
lo logra bo soñonan. Pa ta un game
changer kiermen pa tin un vision den
bida. Mi no ta bay gaña, ta tin momento
den mi bida cu mi a sinti hopi perdi y
frustra, pero mi no a give up. Mi a kere
suficiente den mi mes y mi deseonan
cu awe mi por bisa mi ta un paso mas
cerca di realisa un di mi metanan mas
grandi actualmente, cual ta pa cana
exitoso den mi estudio cu un smile riba
mi cara y pa eventualmente gradua
cu un bachelor degree. E importancia
no ta den e final ora mi tin e diploma
so, pero e preciosidad ta den mi biahe
academico como studiante, e proceso
di cada aña, cu mi ta siña di cada
momento y cu mi ta tuma tur e retonan
den bida.
cara cara. Esaki mi a haci y mi tabata
exitoso. Tur dia tin su retonan, pero
awor mi sa cu mi por y cu nada por
stop mi di logra mi proposito den
bida. Mi sa awor cu mi por expresa mi
mes y cu nada lo por silencia mi, ni mi
desabilidad.
UNIA: Kico bo ta conseha otronan cu
tin e deseo di sigui studia?
Esaki mi ta bisa tur hende cu mi topa;
“Nunca ta laat pa busca un estudio”.
E crecemento cu un persona ta
experiencia ta algo sumamente real. Na
prome luga, sa cu bo tin un proposito
special y un yamada pa cumpli cu ne.
Den bida semper tin momentonan cu
hopi obstaculo y dolor, pero esaki no
ta defeni bo como persona. Abo tin
e abilidad pa determina unda bo ta
yega den bida. Abo tin e capacidad
pa tuma un decision y busca un futuro
cu ta acopla na bo proposito den bida.
Mayoria personan exitoso a yega
nan destinacion door di a lanta ariba
cada biaha nan a faya. E bunitesa ta
Sali ora bo ta usa bo desabilidad of
fayonan pa mehora y bay dilanti. Na
di dos lugar, busca bo informacion.
Hasi bo investigacion, puntra pregunta
na hendenan concerni y informa bo
UNIA: Ki desafionan bo mes mester a mes bon. Tanto bal bo kier cuminsa
surpasa pa bo ta un studiante cu exito? studia, pero bo no tin niun idea kico bo
For di chikito mi tabata un persona opcionnan ta, pesey e ta sumamente
cu hopi ambicion. Ora mi a drenta importante pa ta informa. E no ta
Universidad di Aruba mi tabata sa cu solamente na beneficio di bo mes, e
e lo ta un reto nobo den mi bida. Na ta yuda bo ta un persona asertivo, un
comienso mi tabata un studiante cu persona cu sa kico e kier. Por ultimo,
hopi insiguridad personal. Na prome tuma e stap di curashi y cuminsa. Hopi
lugar, mi tabata traha duro semper y studiante kier studia, ta papia di kier
mi tabata hopi dedica, pero mi tabata studia, pero nan no ta tuma e prome
bataya cu anciedad y miedo pa fracasa paso. “Don’t just talk the talk, walk the
den mi estudio. Mi por clasifica mi mes walk”. Tuma e decision di bula den e
como un perfectionista y esaki como awa frieu, paso despues di un rato
un bon atributo na e mesun momento e temperatura ta baha, bo curpa ta
tabata stroba mi di progresa. Mi mester eventualmente custuma y bo reaccion
a siña di confia den mi mes pa sa cu natural ta pa cuminsa landa. Confia den
mi esfuersonan no ta bay envano, cu bo mes cu bo por, paso niun hende por
mi lo faya den bida y cu eta okay. E kita bo conocemento for di bo. Confia
importancia tabata ta pa keda recorda cu bo bida lo no ta mescos despues di
mi mes cu cada reto ta un oportunidad a tuma e decision pa scohe pa un miho
pa crecemento. Banda di esaki, mi futuro.
mester a kibra e miedo cu mi tabata “Nothing could be worse than the fear
tin di papia den publico. Tin hopi rason that one had given up too soon, and
dicon mi tabata bataya cu esaki, pero left one unexpended effort that might
un di nan sigur ta mi impedimento have saved the world” - Jane Addams.
vocal. Pa introduci mi mes den publico
so tabata un experiencia traumatico Por ultimo Thais ta bisa tur lesado di
y mi ta corda con nervioso mi tabata UNIA: "Be the next game changer for
bira ora mester a presenta den klas of your generation, for your community
ora mi mester a debati riba topiconan and for your country. You have the
di importancia. Miedo ta algo hopi winning hand and you have the key to
problematico y e unico manera pa open doors."
kibra cu ne ta pa confronta bo miedo
Interviewed by Yolanda Richardson
8
FEF
Class of
Journey
The last four years at the Faculty for Accounting, Finance &
Marketing at the University of Aruba have been a journey,
where we grew both professionally and intellectually. We
must note that it has not always been easy. Every journey
has its ups and downs, its obstacles to overcome and many
challenges that pushed us to reach our maximum potential.
This wonderful journey provided us with the opportunity to
search deep within, while making us more independent and
complete individuals and therefore better people. Now at
the end of our journey, we feel accomplished because of the
hard work and sacrifices we made to obtain our Bachelor
Degree. Moreover, we are truly honored and proud for
having attended a faculty that just received its accreditation
from the NVAO.
At the beginning of this journey, we started as students
with different backgrounds and different ways of thinking.
Notwithstanding, we learned to know each other and grew
as a group, as we started as classmates, eventually turned
9
into study buddies and ultimately into good friends. Now as
each of us stands at a crossroads, we must each choose
a new direction and endeavors to proceed on this beautiful
journey called life. However, we will always treasure and look
back with gained strength, knowledge and accomplishment.
Thanks
As FEF graduates, we owe our gratitude to all of our
lecturers for their assistance and guidance during these four
years. We feel very privileged having attended a university
where there is an open door policy as well as the willingness
and the availability of all of our lecturers to assist us when we
needed it the most. Moreover, we would like to thank them
for their unwavering support and encouragement.
We would like to acknowledge the entire UA staff, especially
Darlene and Jennifer. We cannot thank them enough for their
dedication as well as for their patience and collaboration in
attending to ALL of our needs.
f 2015
Tips
“The function of education is to teach one
to think intensively and to think critically.
Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of
true education.”
– Martin Luther King, Jr. –
Character entails personality, disposition and mentality.
Therefore we would like to give the following tips, hoping
that by practicing them they will become habits which on
due terms will influence character, which are as follows:
-
Stay determined even when you feel like giving up;
-
Don’t be afraid to ask questions;
-
Set realistic goals;
-
Structure and planning (make a list of important dates);
-
Stay motivated.
Our message to all students is to keep going when you feel
it becomes unbearable, keep on fighting when all strength
is gone, keep on pushing in time constraints. In short, you
will cry, feel desperate, anxious, overwhelmed, but keep in
mind that all these feelings combined with hard work will
be compensated with your degree and the feelings will be
transformed into joy, pride and an indescribable sense of
achievement.
Class of 2015
10
FEF
D
DESPA, CBS en FEF
werken samen aan
Gezondheidsrekeningen
e belangrijkste gezondheidsstakeholders op Aruba hebben
in november 2014 vergaderd over het belang van het
institutionaliseren van de zorgrekeningen (National Health
Accounts, NHA). Dit naar aanleiding van een oproep van Minister
Alex Schwengle - belast met Volksgezondheid, Bejaardenzorg en
Sport - om een voorstel te schrijven om de NHA-activiteiten zo
snel mogelijk te hervatten en de continuïteit van deze activiteiten
op lange termijn te verzekeren. Tijdens de vergadering werd
besloten een samenwerkingsverband op te zetten en zo werd
in december 2014 een voorstel ingediend en werden plannen
gemaakt voor de uitvoering.
Wat zijn NHA’s nou precies? Waarom is het zo
belangrijk?
NHA’s worden opgesteld om de financiële stromen
die
verbonden
zijn
aan
de
consumptie
van
gezondheidszorg door, in dit geval, de ingezetenen
aangenomen: Thais Pourier, Dianmary Almary en Maria Santa
Cruz Flores. Deze studenten werden begeleid door twee
bedrijfsbegeleiders (Patrick en Nivia) en twee docentbegeleiders
(Edward Erasmus en Saskia). Ondanks een zeer drukke periode
voor alle groepsleden hebben de drie studenten hun scriptie op
tijd afgerond en succesvol verdedigd. Opbrengst van dit traject is
dat er nu informatie is op het gebied van de zorgrekeningen met
betrekking tot Diabetici en HIV/Aids voor het jaar 2013. Ook zijn
de uitgaven van het Hospitaal aan intramurale curatieve zorg en
dagbehandelingen geanalyseerd voor dat jaar.
Het een en ander is dus al gedaan, maar de gezondheidsrekeningen
van de voorgaande jaren zijn er nog niet. Daar is specialistische
kennis voor nodig, maar ook iemand die volledig ingezet kan
worden voor deze taak. Afgelopen juni werd daarom een NHAexpert, Cor van Mosseveld, van de World Health Organization
(WHO) op Aruba ontvangen. Voor de continuïteit zijn er ook
sollicitatiegesprekken geweest (ook met de studenten) en wordt
er binnenkort een nieuwe collega verwelkomd.
van Aruba zichtbaar te maken. Deze rekeningen
beantwoorden onder meer de volgende vragen: Waar
is het geld voor de gezondheidszorg van een populatie
afkomstig? Wie geeft het geld uit? Voor welke
diensten? Wie verleent de diensten? Wie komt dit ten
goede? Zijn er bepaalde veranderingen in uitgaven
te zien? Zijn daar verklaringen voor? De rekeningen
voorzien dus de beleidsmakers met essentiële
financiële informatie over het gezondheidssysteem
van Aruba en dragen bij aan het faciliteren van een
meer duurzame, billijke en efficiënte allocatie van
middelen in de gezondheidszorg.
De samenwerking en continuïteit wordt geborgd door het
benoemen van een Stuurgroep en een Werkgroep. Deze
groepen worden ondersteund door twee Ministers, namelijk
Minister Alex Schwengle (voor DESPA) en Minister Mike de Meza
(voor CBS). De werkgroep wordt gevormd door Nivia Doolabi
(DESPA), Patrick Suykerbuyk (CBS) en Saskia Franken (UA). De
Stuurgroep bestaat uit vertegenwoordigers van o.a. het UO-AZV,
Horacio Oduber Hospitaal, Imsan en Directie Financiën.
In het kader van de uitvoering werd een afstudeeropdracht
verstrekt en gezien de omvang, belang en inhoud werd besloten
nauw samen te werken. Er werden drie studenten van de FEF
11
De UA draagt graag bij aan productieve samenwerkingsverbanden
met het werkveld. Op bepaalde vraagstukken, in dit geval DESPA
en CBS, kan de FEF een bijdrage leveren door studenten en
docenten in te zetten. Daarnaast past deze samenwerking ook
mooi bij de Minor Health, Aging and Pensions die in 2018 van
start zal gaan. Ook een “kenniscentrum” is in oprichting waarbij
onderzoeksvragen besproken kunnen worden met verschillende
stakeholders, kennis opgebouwd kan worden en praktische
oplossingen gevonden kunnen worden in nauwe samenwerking
met hen. NHA en volksgezondheid zijn maatschappelijk relevante
thema’s en de UA-FEF is blij om ook daarvoor haar diensten te
kunnen verlenen.
Saskia Franken
Fraude-onderzoek
in samenwerking met Hogeschool Windesheim
D
e FEF gaat in samenwerking met het lectoraat Accountancy
en Controlling van de hogeschool Windesheim
onderzoeksprojecten initiëren die liggen op het terrein van
accountancy en interne controle. Sinds mei 2014 hebben beide
instituten hun samenwerking geïntensiveerd met als doel om tot
kennisuitwisseling te komen op het gebied van onderzoek en
onderwijs. Uiteindelijk zal dit ook moeten leiden tot een Arubaans
lectoraat of kenniscentrum op het gebied van Accountancy en
Controlling .
Deze samenwerking past binnen de ambitie van de FEF
om - in samenwerking met het bedrijfsleven en de overheid
- praktijkgericht onderzoek neer te zetten. In dit kader hebben
maart jl. gesprekken plaats gevonden met verschillende lokale
partnerbedrijven en organisaties uit de accountancy- en de
gezondheidssector alsmede de bankwereld. Op basis van
deze gesprekken is een inventarisatie gedaan van actuele
ontwikkelingen in het bedrijfsleven. Trends die genoemd werden,
zijn: integratie van accounting en ICT (lean in processen), integriteit
en fraude issues, ethiek en change management, corporate
governance en bestuurdersaansprakelijkheid.
Daarnaast werd tijdens de gesprekken van gedachten gewisseld
over relevante onderzoeksthema’s. In onderstaande box staan
de belangrijkste thema’s die aan de orde zijn geweest.
Mogelijke onderzoekthema’s genoemd door het
Arubaanse werkveld
• Hoe kunnen internationale frameworks, methodieken en
concepten, zoals het COSO-model, ISO-standaarden,
triple aim in gezondheidszorg etc. tailor-made gemaakt
worden voor de Arubaanse situatie?
• Onderzoek naar het stimuleren van het toerisme door
facilitering en exploitatie van medische voorzieningen
• Vergelijkend onderzoek naar verslaggevingskaders in de
Dutch Caribbean
• Integriteitsissues en fraude in een kleinschalige omgeving
• Welke mate van compliance regelgeving is adequaat voor
de lokale bankwereld om een “overkill” te voorkomen?
• Welke belemmerende werking gaat uit van het huidige
fiscale stelsel en bijgaande hoge administratieve lasten,
en wat is het effect op de economische activiteiten in het
MKB?
Bauke Feenstra
Fraude-onderzoek
Op basis van deze inventarisatie en in nauw overleg met het
lectoraat Accountancy en Controlling is ervoor gekozen om
vanaf september 2015 een fraude-onderzoek te starten waarin
de Arubaanse context centraal staat. Voor het theoretisch kader
wordt gebruik gemaakt van een uitgebreid Nederlands fraudeonderzoek dat is uitgevoerd door Alan Kabki. In 2014 kreeg
dit onderzoek in Nederland nationale bekendheid, toen de
Tweede Kamer hieraan aandacht besteedde in een debat. In dit
onderzoek wordt afwezigheid van toezicht (zgn. guardianship) als
een van de belangrijke voorwaarden geformuleerd waaraan moet
worden voldaan wil fraude ontstaan. Anders gezegd: Bestuurlijk,
strafrechtelijk of privaat toezicht ontmoedigt potentiële daders
fraude te plegen; afwezigheid van toezicht bemoedigt de fraudeur.
De Arubaanse context kenmerkt zich door haar relatieve
kleinschaligheid. Verwacht wordt dat de verschillende vormen
van toezicht door de kleinere bevolkingsomvang minder sterk
aanwezig te zullen zijn en kunnen daarom – vergeleken met de
Nederlandse situatie - bepaalde vormen van fraude bemoedigen
of juist ontmoedigen. Het is interessant om te onderzoeken of de
kleinschaligheid van Aruba van invloed is op de aanwezigheid
van toezicht en daarmee het aantal of type fraudes of fraudeurs.
Naast de theoretische relevantie (validering model-Kabki) heeft
het onderzoek ook maatschappelijke en beleidsrelevantie, omdat
fraude en integriteitsvraagstukken maatschappelijk gezien
aanzienlijke kosten met zich meebrengen. Fraudepreventie en –
beleid kan deze kosten helpen te reduceren. Verder kan inzicht
in en validering van het model-Kabki een bijdrage leveren aan
ontwikkeling van beleid ter ontwikkeling van guardianship.
Het betreft een breed multi-disciplinair onderzoek waarin
vanuit verschillende perspectieven – bedrijfseconomisch,
organisatiekundig, criminologisch, juridisch c.q. strafrechtelijk het fenomeen fraude op Aruba wordt belicht. Vanaf september tot
en met december worden verschillende gesprekken, interviews
gevoerd met belanghebbenden. Het resultaat van het verkennend
onderzoek zou moeten zijn dat er inzicht is over het aantal
fraudegevallen, soort van fraude (belastingfraude, bankfraude,
faillissementsfraude enz.), trends en ontwikkelingen op Aruba.
Verder moet op basis van het vooronderzoek bekeken worden
welke informatiebronnen beschikbaar zijn. Op basis hiervan wordt
het diepteonderzoek ingericht en worden studenten van zowel
de Rechtenfaculteit als de Financieel Economische Faculteit
uitgekozen om het onderzoek uit te voeren dat gepland is in de
periode februari tot en met juni 2016.
Voor meer informatie kunt u contact opnemen met drs. Bauke Feenstra, tel. 526 2232 of email: [email protected].
12
FEF
Leanne Geerman
FEF – Bachelor Bedrijfseconomie graduate (Class of 2014)
Current: Erasmus University Rotterdam
Pre-Master Economics & Business
I
attended the University of Aruba from 2010 until 2014. I did well in my
studies, was actively involved in the student community and I can
honestly say I had an amazing time at the UA.
Being a University of Aruba graduate I can now reflect on what
added value studying at Aruba has to us as students or young
professionals. UA students can gain work experience through
their internships and work experience which is highly valued
nowadays. Completing an internship in Aruba gives a student
perspective on how the job market and work field works, which
prepares the future for their prospective career. UA students
can also do an internship abroad if they prefer to gain some
international experience.
As a University of Aruba student, you have endless possibilities
when it comes to your studies if you just look for them. You most
likely grew up on a small island and you might sometimes feel as
if you have limited choices but it isn’t necessarily so, you have to
look for these possibilities yourself. The faculty and/or the office of
student affairs will help you for sure but in the end you are the one
that has to do your own research and decide what you want to
do with the possibilities offered. You can also do summer schools
and exchanges abroad but it’s up to you to have the willpower to
actually do it.
During my bachelor at the UA I was actively involved in the
student community and organizations; this is one of the perks
of studying at ‘home’. Living in the Netherlands I can now
compare the situations and I realize that it is not that easy to be
involved in student organizations and keep up with school work,
especially while living alone. Being active in student organizations
is something that most students do not realize the importance of
until they have graduated and are looking for a job. In Aruba it’s
easier because you live at home and have more free time to do
such things. You can join the debate club, the student council,
the Kiwanis Circle K, the UNIA Magazine, etc. Being part of
such organizations will give you skills that you cannot learn in a
classroom and also helps you later on with internships or when
13
you are looking for a job. Being actively involved in organizations
gives you priceless contacts and employers appreciate a student’s
extra curricular activities. This is why I strongly recommend new
UA students to join at least one club; you will be happy you did
once you’re looking for an internship or job!
After leaving the University of Aruba you will think, is this it? Am
I done? Am I ready to work? For myself, my answer was NO. I
felt that I was not ready to work and that I hadn’t reached my full
potential when it came to my studies and that was the moment
that I decided to continue for my Master’s degree.
But it isn’t as easy as you might think. There is a big gap between
HBO and University (wetenschappelijk onderwijs). Living in the
Netherlands, you will have to adjust to the new system and the
new lifestyle. This was one of my mistakes; I underestimated the
level of difficulty of the Master and I also underestimated the role
that my family has in my life.
But after a few months here I can look back on how much I
have grown personally and academically. In just a few months
I have done so much for school and have gained extraordinary
knowledge. Being away from home is emotionally difficult because
you miss out on important events for your family members and
you will miss them but hopefully after a few months you will realize
that it will all be worth it once you are done.
Now it’s up to you to decide which path you will follow; will you
be the typical student who gets average grades and just goes to
class or will you be the more ambitious student that is willing to
take on challenges head-on because it is all possible here at the
University of Aruba.
SUA’s new academic year goals for 2015
SUA is a student council with a representative structure which
consists of the following members: President (Christopher
Habibe), Secretary (Daniella Piazzi), PR Officer (Tian Xie), Vice PR
Officer (Mireille Sint-Jago) and Policy Advisor (Yanelis Jimenez).
One of our goals is to advocate and represent all students at the
University of Aruba. SUA was founded in 2012 because there
was a need of representation among our students. The student
council helps share students’ concerns, interests, ideas during
faculty meetings. Besides this, we also work in collaboration with
the University management team for the benefits of our students.
In the coming academic year, SUA will organize Happy Hours in
October to create more social interaction between students from
the different UA faculties. There will be weekly meetings for the
SUA board to discuss the students’ concerns and projects of
SUA. You will be informed of the dates on which these events
shall be planned. We also plan to start a University of Aruba
Toastmasters Club as a means to not only help our students
practice their communication skills in English and Dutch, but
also to develop their leadership skills by becoming a member of
the board. Furthermore, the SUA board is going to repeat the
successful Softball and Futsal sports-event held in June 2015. In
October SUA will organize the next Student sports competition
where teams from different schools and institutions for higher
and vocational education measure their physical and strategic
strength. We hope to see you at one of our activities and we
are always open to ideas, complaints, suggestions etc. from UA
students! Contact us at [email protected].
S.T. A.M.p.
A few staff members of the University of Aruba started an
initiative 2 years ago with the goal to offer the students and
staff of the UA interesting, thought-provoking and entertaining
movies and documentaries. The result:
STAMP (Students, Teachers and Moving Pictures).
During the past 2 years, STAMP was able to offer a very
broad assortment of movies and documentaries at the
University and completely for free. There are about 2 activities
per month during the entire academic year. At each activity
there are drinks and snacks available which are purchased
through the contributions of those attending. These snacks
and drinks are upgraded and adjusted a couple of times per
year to go along with the time of the year, a specific theme of
that night’s showing or just for fun.
Last year several students joined the STAMP committee and
they ensured a fresh impulse to the movies being offered. This
academic year we would like to grow the number of people
attending even more and as such we are organizing our first
movie-night of the 2015-2016 year during the introduction
days. We would like to invite all first year students to join us
in the aula for a presentation of the movie: The Big Lebowski.
For the entire schedule of the 1st semester, please see below
(dates are tentative). If you have any questions you can
contact STAMP at: [email protected]
Films:
27 Oct: Monty Python & the Holy Grail
10 Nov: Citizen four
24 Nov: Heat
8 Dec: Casablanca
14
Changing entrepreneurship
in society
Our journey at The Hague Summer School
of Applied Sciences
O
n June 6th 2015 three other Aruban students from the
University of Aruba and myself started our journey
at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. We
participated at the annual summer school program which
hosts highly ambitious students from all over the world.
This summer school is located in the international city of
peace and justice, consequently aligning perfectly with
this years theme of ‘Peace’. An uncondensed four week
program consisting of four different chosen general
modules and electives in connection to subjects and
international perspectives surrounding the theme of
peace. The summer school program gives the opportunity
for students to learn different approaches and world-wide
conflicts in a multicultural environment. Gaining not only
international exposure with all the different modules, but
also by meeting new people, creating the means to network
with classmates, guest speakers and teachers.
Thais Franken
With much joy I would like to share my experience after following
four courses at The Hague summer school of 2015. But, before I
do, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Thais Franken and
I recently became a second year OGM student at the University of
Aruba. Now that I am back home from The Hague I can definitely
say that it was one of the best decisions I have made so far.
When I first entered the OGM program I knew that I was going
to start a new journey in my life. Little did I know that after my
enrollment and the completion of my first year I would get an
opportunity to go abroad and meet amazing young students
from all over the world. The Hague summer school was a great
personal stepping stone and I will shortly explain why.
15
My chosen electives
Part of the program was to choose two electives next to two other
mandatory courses. The mandatory courses were Global Trends
Affecting Peace and Change & Innovation Towards Peace. When
applying for the other two courses there was a list of different free
electives. Knowing this, I decided to choose electives that I could
benefit from, but there were endless possibilities, which definitely
made it a hard decision to make. At the end I chose the following
two electives, which were; Changing Entrepreneurship in Society
and Business & Peace.
what I was being taught. My teachers really encouraged me to be
my own thinker, a person who doesn’t let the chance to question
something pass by. Being a student doesn’t simply stop when
one receives a diploma, it is something that will remain within
you forever. This is why I am thankful that I chose the elective
Business & Peace.
In this course we focussed primarily on the roles of businesses in
the modern society. The responsibility that we have as citizens in
taking care of the environment. We went a bit further and took to
The first two weeks I really enjoyed my chosen elective Changing
Entrepreneurship in Society. Nowadays, the concept of being an
entrepreneur is becoming very eminent. Entrepreneurs are rising
all over the world, making it a task to tackle global changes and
challenges into new renowned business opportunities. However,
as the world is changing, so is the entrepreneur. During the
first two weeks students learn about new types of enterprises
and innovative business models and strategies which promote
entrepreneurship in society. Students are encouraged to find their
‘inner entrepreneur’ by combining theory, self-learning and group
work.
There are so many things I can express about this course, but I
feel that aside from all the theory, I understood 2 important things.
First of all, having the correct attitude will make or break your
future. Being an entrepreneur demands our freedom of thought,
being creative and opportunity seeking. It also demands having
motivation to change things. An interesting thing our teacher
told us, is that problems simply do not exist, only opportunities
to make a difference. Next to this, a true entrepreneur has the
willingness to act on the new opportunities that come their way.
Second of all, I learned to never assume people around me will
the conflict areas in this world, countries who are part of a war or
countries where people are living in detrimental circumstances.
My perspective on doing business or being a future business
woman expanded to another level. We debated concepts such
as corporate social responsibility CSR and how this will develop
in the future. We visited different organizations and NGOs such as
Unilever, Cordaid NL or Oxfam Novib, trying to visualize the theory
we learned in class in real life.
We had intense conversations with the United Nations Global
Compact on the role of businesses regarding the development
of the better world. Building business for peace, encouraging
countries to understand corporate sustainability through the
demensions of Human Rights, Labour, Environment and AntiCoruption.
see things as I do and that is okay. The life of an entrepreneur
is not like any other, it challenges your attitude, it is exciting,
outside of the box and never the same. In the picture you see
me (right) with my groupmates from the representing countries
of Canada and Indonesia. We presented our business plan as a
solution to a problem affecting the world. Aruba is in need for an
entrepreneurial encouragement and boost. It all starts with us, the
rising generation ready to inspire.
Becoming my own thinker
After completing the first part of the summer school I could already
notice a difference in myself. I became much more critical about
At the end of the program each group had to present their
business models and strategies to encourage the sustainability
plan by creating an innovative business plan for a country in
conflict. My chosen conflict country was Afghanistan, a country in
need of a new socio-economic platform. After much dedication
my group and I created “Learning for Life International”, the
opportunity for a new start.
There is nothing more gratifying than to know that you have
contributed to people's lives. I feel so honored to have met
different people from all over the world, people I now call my
friends. The added value one receives after spending hours brain
storming, making business plans, answering research questions,
reading articles and debating new concepts is something that will
never leave me. The Hague has enabled me to face my fears and
has introduced me to other opportunities. It was not easy, but for
sure worth every rough moment.
16
Going abroad on exchange has many benefits. It doesn’t matter
where your destination is, the journey is what will be cherished the
most. There are five reasons why a person, in my opinion should
consider going abroad;
•
You break away from your comfort zone
•
You experience growth
•
You are exposed to diversity
•
You become a critical student
•
You gain confidence
In conclusion, there are some tips I would like to share, hoping
that it would help you in your journey. First of all, it is very important
to have a goal in mind. Many times opportunities pass us by,
because we are not focussed on a specific goal. You have the
power to determine your success. Second of all, get to know
yourself. Find your purpose in life, find that one thing that makes
you happy. When you do, you will realize the benefit of having a
clear vision. Lastly, take some risks in life. This might come as a
shock, but going to The Hague was a big risk and I don’t regret it.
I learned that the reward is always in the risk we decide to take.
Eleanor Roosevelt once said; “The future belongs to those
who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” Our generation has
a great task to maneuver, which is to work towards peace and
as future professionals we have to start becoming people driven
for change. Dare to be different even when you are the only one
seeing a light at the end of the tunnel.
Be the next game changer for your generation!
Jonathan Henriquez
“A Blessing in Disguise”
There are some things in life that happen to us, which are
unexplainable. The best interpreter to these miracles is “Time”.
When the great men say that “hard work pays off”; it must be true.
Working hard since the beginning of the OGM freshman year, this
Summer School scholarship was truly a blessing in disguise. By
striving to keep my grades high and also feeding my motivation
I was able to land this massive opportunity. It took me around 4
hours to write half a page that illustrated my motivation towards
this favorable circumstance. Questioning each sentence and
looking for the best synonym really made it special. My aim was
to write a motivation letter that even in China they could not deny
it. Yes I am a person that strives towards excellence. Although I
might have my ambitions I am not the person who likes to stand
alone. Therefore, I believe that the time has come that I want to
take you with me on this Summer School journey. Fasten your
seatbelt and enjoy the ride through The Hague Summer School
2015 program. This summer school was revolving around theme
of “Peace”. Imagine coming from a blessed island with not so
much conflict and not being exposed to the many global trends
affecting peace; how challenging it was to conceptualize the
impact that conflict might have on the battle for peace.
Before embarking on this voyage we had different assignments
that had to be handed in prior to the attendance of the program
itself. Assignments such as; conflict mind mapping, designing
word cloud, creating a literature review of a foreign conflict that
I did not had a clue what was happening. Next to that it was
required to define the following concepts; self employed, micro
17
entrepreneur and small and medium entrepreneur. You might
ask yourself; how are all these concepts interrelated? Well, the
program consisted of 4 electives, of which two were mandatory
and the others had to be chosen from a list of electives. I must
confess that I am very much inclined to entrepreneurship. So, in
the first two weeks I followed the mandatory module of “Global
Trends Affecting Peace” and “Entrepreneurship in Changing
Societies”. For the second half of the program I attended “Change
and Innovation For Peace” and “Business And Peace”. Since I am
trying to keep it short and sweet, let us get down to business.
Attending the modules of “Global Trends Affecting Peace” and
“”Entrepreneurship in Changing Societies”, has really broadened
my perspectives on how i can help my country and also the
world that we are living in. Doing some research on global trends
affecting peace, made me aware of the different trends such
as; Economic Warfare, Military Role in the 21st Century, Youth
Discontent and other trends that occurs on the national and global
level. As a small and well developed island in the Caribbean,
Aruba is vulnerable to all global changes. As a UA student it is
of great importance to understand the foreign implications that
occur on the global level. Searching and analyzing the different
global trends that affect peace around the world provides the
opportunity to better understand the environment that we live
in. This consequently leads to a better prevention and solution.
This general module really opened my eyes for things that are
of global importance. I wish that the UA can provide these types
of general modules that in this case are worth 1 EC, but, foster
the awareness of our global surroundings. Aruba is small and
has its own wicked problems, and it is through these modules
that idealistic and pragmatic solutions can be developed.
Furthermore, the elective “Entrepreneurship in changing society”,
was the cherry on the cake for some pending ideas that i had
in mind involving the University of Aruba. Attending this elective
I have been able to understand the difference between being
self employed, an entrepreneur and corporate. The difference
between these concepts is not based on their definition but
rather in their characteristics. The general understanding of
“Entrepreneurship” is just business. Please allow me to broaden
your perspective. Entrepreneurship is of great benefit for the
country of Aruba. The reason for this statement is because, there
are so many different types of entrepreneurs and each can make
a massive contribution to their community. They are the so called
“Change Promoters”. What impacted me the most in this elective
was; the way social entrepreneurs can help their community in
a sustainable way and still being socially responsible. When we
speak about being socially responsible, we have to keep in mind
the people that we are doing this for, who are the ones creating
the product and also looking at social & environmental impact
of our actions. Entrepreneurship is not for everybody; however,
acting entrepreneurial will bring many benefits to the personal
and communal well being. One theme I would like for you to
remember in the future will be “The UA Incubator”. The UA has all
the potential and connections to turn our beautiful Aruba around
for the best. As a proud UA student I would like to encourage
all readers to seek the best that you can offer your community
as a future responsible professional. Moving on to the last two
weeks of this experience I attended the following two modules;
“Change and Innovation for Peace” and “Business and Peace”.
Here we discussed and created awareness towards the different
wicked problems that we have all throughout the world. It might
be that for the general population of Aruba the word “Peace”
has little meaning, because of the little conflicts that occur on
national and regional level. However, when the scope gets wider
and the atrocities committed towards each other become a
wicked problem, it will definitely give it a deeper meaning. These
two modules provided understandings of business in conflict
areas, also, created awareness of possible consequences for
all the different stakeholders in these fragile states. I do believe
that students of the UA should be more exposed to the global
trends and opportunities that might create awareness and look
for greater solutions to the wicked problems of Aruba. Last but
not the least; The Hague is the perfect place to understand and
embrace diversity. It was an awesome experience to share this
journey with friends from all over the world such as: Colombia,
Finland, Korea, China, Bangladesh, Brazil, Argentina, Bulgaria,
France, Portugal Germany and many other countries. There are
no words to express the immense gratitude and happiness that is
captured in my soul. Since having this opportunity i would like to
encourage, motivate and inspire you to work hard toward goals.
Dreams become reality, if you are willing to believe, sacrifice and
commit a 120% towards making it a reality. My name is Jonathan
Henriquez and my motivation for you is: “DREAM BIG, WORK
HARD & START NOW!”
Jaromir Petronilia
Jonathan and Thais have shared their personal experiences of
the Hague Summer School, and so will I. My name is Jaromir
Petronilia and I also received the scholarship to attend this
Summer School in The Hague. I am very grateful for this, and
want to thank everyone who helped to make this happen. The
educational part of the summer school is very interesting. Many
topics related to global trends, peace, business, entrepreneurship
marketing, psychology, and innovation were discussed. What I
really enjoyed about the summer school is the multicultural
aspects of it. Many students from different cultures attend the
summer school, and I was learning and admiring many different
18
aspects of their cultures. Part of the general module of the program
were the courses Global Trends Affecting Peace and Change and
Innovation for Peace, I also followed Changing Entrepreneurship
in Society and Nudging as my elective courses.
In the general module certain problems we have in the world today
were discussed, including: human right violations on the internet,
the 21th century role of the military, economic warfare, and youth
discontent. Guest speakers with different backgrounds and
experiences related to the problems presented their knowledge
on the topics with us. The students were divided in groups, and at
the end of the second week had to present on one of problems.
My group has examined the issue of the deep web in very great
depth, and doing so realized the scope of this problem. The deep
web is the hidden part of the web, because it is inaccessible to
conventional search engines. On this part of the internet there are
black markets for items like drugs, child pornography, weapons,
and assassinations. I thinks that in a broader view of the summer
school, the intention of the general module was to make us
students more aware of certain worldwide problems, before
diving into the elective modules in were we got more specific and
practical knowledge on the topics.
The elective course that I liked the most was Changing
Entrepreneurship in Society because I could relate to this course
the most and this is also a topic of my interest. It build on some
things I have learned last year at school. New things that I have
learnt were some of the entrepreneurial characteristics that are
needed when starting a business. Also a positive entrepreneurial
attitude is needed, which includes freedom of thought,
motivation to change, and willingness to act. There also was
a strong emphasis on the topic of social entrepreneurship and
entrepreneurship in the inclusive business. With the first being
the attempt to draw upon business techniques to find solutions
to social problems. An inclusive business is a business that
operates in a low-income market trying to be profitable, but also
contributing to the society through the inclusion of low income
communities in its value chain. Also positively contributing to the
course was the fact that the main lecturer Mr. Molenaar was very
good in explaining about all the subjects, especially because
he had many years of entrepreneurial experience. Also many
guest speakers were invited to the classes, and we had several
business visits throughout the two weeks.
In the second part of the summer school I followed the elective
course of Nudging. Nudging is the art of influencing people
decisions, in order to make better choices. This topic is based on
a lot of psychology and marketing theories. Before I went to the
Netherlands I followed a psychology course at my faculty, and I’m
very happy with this because it helped me relate with the subject.
Nudges are created for the influencing of various social behaviors
in the environment such as: increasing exercise, encouraging
people to do the right thing in public, increasing road safety,
reducing addictive smartphone behavior and reducing energy
use at home or office. I think that on Aruba more efforts could
be done to implement nudging, or nudging related efforts to let
people make more socially responsible choices.
Overall the summer school was a fantastic experience for me, in
which I learnt a lot, made new friends, networked, and experienced
the student life in Netherlands. What I would do differently from
now on is to look to certain problems more critically. I think that I
will try to look at problems and arguments through the eyes of the
other parties more frequently. Of course the multicultural aspect
the groups was also very interesting and helped me to respect
and appreciate other cultures.
Interviewed by Charisse Hoen-Daly
19
bo estudio …
T
a normal cu na e momentonan aki ainda bo ta puntra
bo mes: “Pakico studia?”, “Mi a scohe e direccion
corecto?”, “Mi tin yiu y mi ta traha, con lo mi
logra?” Contesta riba e preguntanan aki ta cada studiante
individual so por contesta. Pero ta bon pa realisa cu: Bo
estudio … ta di bo!
Colegialidad
Un parti hopi importante durante bo estudio ta traha riba
proyectonan den grupo. E proyectonan aki no ta solamente pa
test bo abilidad den un cierto materia, pero tambe pa bo siña
coopera cu bo colega studiantenan, delega trabao y specialmente
pa cumpli honestamente cu e tarea cu bo a keda encarga cune.
Colegialidad ta un aspecto masha importante den e forma di
traha aki.
Bo por haya bo ta traha den un grupo hunto cu otro studiantenan
cu ta mustra poco interes y menos dedicacion cu bo. Na
momentonan asina, e liderazgo den bo tin cu sobre sali. Teniendo
cuenta cu “Bo estudio … ta di bo”, ta keda na ‘bo pa ta abierto
cu bo colega studiantenan y si ta necesario, tambe cu bo mentor.
Comunicacion y honestidad lo por evita cu cosnan ta cana robes.
Contratiempo
Durante bo trayectorio como studiante bo ta encontra varios
contratiempo, entre otro: falta di transportacion, buki no ta yega
na tempo, colega studiantenan cu no gusta coopera y mucho
mas. Sin lubida, e teror cu hopi studiante ta pasa aden, esta:
“Perde bo documento ora bo ta casi keda cla pa motibo cu bo
laptop a daña of bo a perde bo usb-stick.”
Experencia Propio
Riba dia di mi cumpleaños mi a traha henter dia riba un
proyecto. Terminando cu e proyecto pa despues bay un cena
cu famia, mi a bay busca mi USB-stick pa save e proyecto.
Pa mi sorpresa, ora mi a yega bek na e mesa, mi a bin ripara
cu mi laptop ya no ta funciona mas. Y asina mi a perde tur
cos y mi por a lubida riba e cena pa celebra mi cumpleaños.
Un tip hopi esencial: Save tur bo documentonan den Google
Drive, Dropbox of cualke otro programa cu bo por habri unda cu
bo por ta!
ta di bo
Strategia pa logra bo meta
E palabra magico ta dedicacion, dedicacion, dedicacion! E
material di estudio ta hopi mas di loke bo a calcula. E tempo cu
e docentenan tin pa pasa door di e materia ta masha cortico. E
trabao independiente cu bo tin cu haci durante bo tempo liber
ta esencial pa bo por complementa bo conocemento. Tur esaki
ta exihi hopi dedicacion y maneho di tempo. “Bo estudio … ta
di bo”, ta nifica cu abo ta den control di bo abilidadnan. Ya bo a
tuma e prome paso, no ta keda nada otro pa forma bo mesun
caminda di excelencia.
Soño
Bo estudio no ta limita na Universidad di Aruba so. Hopi a soña
pa experencia un estudio y/of intercambio den exterior y esaki
a bira realidad. Universidad di Aruba tin diferente convenio cu
universidadnan international cu ta haci e intercambio aki posibel,
tanto durante bo estudio como despues cu bo caba di studia na
UA. Manera nan ta bisa: “soña no ta costa nada”, pero si ta keda
na abo pa tuma e curashi pa haci esaki bira realidad. Hopi porta
lo habri pa bo si bo ta kere den bo mes y bo soñonan.
Experencia Propio
Despues di a termina mi bachelor na e Faculty of Hospitality,
Tourism and International Business na UA na aña 2009, mi
a cuminsa traha na e hotel caminda mi a haci mi stage. E
soño pa experencia e bida di studiante den exterior a keda
persigui mi. Despues di un aña ta traha, mi a haci mi soño
realidad y a tuma e reto di bay studia na Hulanda. Na 2012 mi
a gradua pa e estudio di Master in Business Administration cu
specialisacion den Organizational Design and Development
na Radboud University Nijmegen. Despues di a haya e titulo
di MSc. mi a haya e oportunidad pa traha na Universidad di
Aruba su Center for Quality Assurance.
Como studiante di prome aña cu tur bo duda-, meta- y soñonan,
bo por ta un poco confundi di e decision cu bo a tuma. No
preocupa! Cu hopi dedicacion, perseverancia y confianza den
bo mes tur duda lo disparce y tur bo meta- y soñonan lo bira
realidad.
Melendy Neuman
Center for Quality Assurance
20
FHTMS
Adventure
of a Lifetime
the
2015 FHTMS Field Trip:
Arizona, Utah, and Las Vegas
E
very year the Faculty of Hospitality,
Tourism, and International Business
Studies organizes a field trip to give
students a unique experience abroad and
an opportunity to see how businesses in
the tourism industry function. The field trip
is open to students who have completed
the freshman year of the FHTMS program.
Past field trips included destinations such
as Breckenridge, Colorado, Tennessee,
and Miami, Florida. This year the faculty
together with the students decided to go on
a field trip to three different states including
Arizona, Utah, and Nevada. Months
before the students were scheduled to
go on the field trip, they got opportunities
to raise funds in order to cover the costs.
Fundraisers included wine tasting events,
fun walks, and a raffle.
On May 28, 2015, we embarked on an
adventure of a lifetime. We were a group of
11 students and 4 teachers. The first leg of
our journey was a four and a half hour flight
to New York City, then a seven-hour flight to
Los Angeles, and finally a one-hour flight to
Las Vegas, Nevada. In Las Vegas we spent
and 5 courses. Each time you completed a course the next one
increases in difficulty and skill level. Most of us made it through till
the third and fourth course. The only two students who completed
the fifth and most challenging course were Aimee Boderie and
Henry Diaz. We ended our final day in Flagstaff with a visit to
the Lowell Observatory. Even though it was a cloudy night we
still managed to see Saturn, Jupiter, and the moon. Astronomers
gave us interesting information on NASA’s New Horizons space
probe that on its closest approach to Pluto on July 14, 2015, will
send new images of the dwarf planet to us here on earth. The
journey of the New Horizons space probe took more than 9.5
years to reach Pluto. All in all, our 4 days in Flagstaff, Arizona were
a great experience for all of us and made us very excited to see
what was up ahead on this trip.
21
a few hours getting necessary items for our
five-hour road-trip to Flagstaff, Arizona. 36
hours after we left Aruba, we finally arrived
at our cabin in Flagstaff, Arizona. The
first day we visited the Northern Arizona
University campus. The university has an
excellent hotel and restaurant management
bachelor program. Next on the program
were the Meteor Crater and also a visit
to the scenic town of Sedona, Arizona. In
Sedona we visited a beautiful arts and crafts
village called Tlaquepaque. Tlaquepaque
itself is a wondrous work of art and is home
to many art galleries and restaurants. On the
second day we visited the Grand Canyon
National Park. This was one of the most
anticipated activities of the whole trip. Many
people dream about having the opportunity
to visit the Grand Canyon at least once
in their lifetime. And here we were at the
South rim of the Grand Canyon looking
over 5,000ft drop to the Colorado River
below. The pictures we took do not capture
the beauty of the vast landscape. On our
final day in Flagstaff we did the Flagstaff
Extreme Adventure Course. The full course
has 10 to 17 different types of obstacles
Early the next morning we started our journey again, next stop
Mount Carmel, Utah. After a very long day of driving through
the desert we finally arrived at the Ponderosa Ranch Resort in
Mount Carmel where our log cabin was located. Our cabin was
located right outside the Zion National Park which was going to
be our playground for the next five days. The first day we did a
short hike in Zion National Park, we visited Springdale, which is
a town inside the canyon of Zion National Park, and also hiked
to the observation point where we saw the sun set over the Zion
Canyon. The next day we had an interesting meeting with a park
ranger Mike, who gave us general information about the park and
answered all of our questions about the park. After that we went
on three different hiking trails including the Narrows, Emerald
Pools and the Weeping Rocks. All of the trails were unique in their
own way. We only got to see a very small part of the Narrows,
which is the narrowest section of the Zion canyon and the trail is
surrounded on both sides with 900ft walls. The Emerald Pools is
a 2-mile trail. The hike is a collection of short trails that meander
past a small, lushly vegetated stream that rolls down from the cliffs
and forms several interesting pools. The Weeping Rock trail was
a milder trail and at the top we reached the landmark Weeping
Rock formation, which has water dripping off the walls of the
canyon from the melting winter snow on the top of the canyon.
Before we went home we went to visit the owner of the cabin
where we were staying to get a glimpse of how she manages
her getaway vacation packages and rental homes. Whenever we
got back to the cabin, which was usually at night, Mrs. Thais
Nierop (aka Mrs. T) made sure that we had a delicious hearty
dinner and not to forget she was the one to wake up early every
morning to make sure that we got a good breakfast before our
next adventure. The next day we went to Bryce National Park,
located approximately one hour away from our cabin. There we
went on the Navajo loop, which is one of the most scenic trails
in the park and also of the whole trip. The last day in Utah we all
decided to stay on the resort grounds. We went on an ATV tour,
Zip-lining, and all of us including the teachers went paintballing.
At night we went to a rodeo and then back to the cabin to prepare
for the morning drive to Las Vegas.
The next morning we started our road trip to Las Vegas. On the
way to Las Vegas we made a detour to the Hoover Dam. That
afternoon we arrived in Las Vegas, we did some shopping and
then checked-in at the Treasure Island Resort. That night some of
the girls did the Sky Jump at the Stratosphere and others went to
explore the different resorts on the Las Vegas Strip. Our second
and final day of the trip we got a private tour of the Treasure Island
Resort by Ms. Lina Ducasses. The rest of the day we were free
to do whatever we wanted to do. Some of us went shopping
and others went to do some exploring. At night we went to see
Mystere by Cirque Du Soleil. After the show we had one last
dinner together at the hotel and then we hit the strip. From the
fountains at the Bellagio to the nightclubs in Planet Hollywood we
explored as much as we could. The next day we had a late flight
so most of us did some last minute shopping and then packed for
our flight back to Aruba.
Overall we had an amazing time on this year’s field trip. It was
definitely a once in a lifetime experience. On behalf of the all the
students that went on the trip we would like to thank Ms. Thais,
Mr. Wardlaw, Ms. Madhu and Ms. Saskia for making this truly an
adventure of a lifetime. A very special thanks goes to Mr. Wardlaw
for driving us everywhere and to Ms. Thais for planning the whole
trip and also for cooking great meals for us every day.
To our new students we welcome you to our Faculty. Thank you
for choosing the Faculty of Hospitality, Tourism, and International
Business Studies. We know you want to succeed and our faculty
is ready to give you the tools you need to complete this program
successfully. The beginning is going to be exciting, it can also be
overwhelming and sometimes scary, but it will all be worth it in
the end. Take advantage of every opportunity that the University
of Aruba has to offer and make the best of the next three years.
Sometimes it is not about the destination, but about the journey
instead. So buckle up because it is going to be an exciting ride.
Jo-Ann Croes
22
FHTMS
Master’s in Innovative
Hospitality Management
W
here to begin? My experience this past year
would be in one word: INCREDIBLE. I am
proud to say I am an UA alumni - class of
2013. As part of the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism
Studies, I had the opportunity to study the dynamism of
the tourism industry with a great class and dedicated
lecturers. During the summer after graduation, I started
pondering the idea of continuing my studies abroad –
but wasn’t sure yet what I would like to do nor where
to go, so I decided I’ll stay put in Aruba for a while.
The study made way for me to start working in the
hospitality industry directly –and I had the opportunity
to start my career at Aruba Marriott Resort & Stellaris
Casino. I worked in Human Resources for a year in the
area of recruitment, where I was able to get a deeper
insight of what it takes to work in this diverse industry.
23
During that year, my desire to study abroad grew and I
decided I was ready to do my Masters. As I started doing
research on the different studies I would be able to do, I made
up my mind that I want an international experience. Not only
that, but I wanted to get it done in a year’s time. Demanding
much? Maybe. But that’s what I wanted – and after some
searching and sending applications, I came across a Master’s
in Innovative Hospitality Management (IHM). And yes, you
guessed it. It was exactly what I was looking for. In the title
itself – innovation – was intriguing and it is a one year Master’s
program. The study is an international collaboration between
Hotel Management School Maastricht and School of Tourism
& Hospitality Management Sant Ignasi – part of Ramon Llull
University, and is held in association with Oxford School of
Hotel Management. It has three parts.
The first block is three months in
Barcelona, Spain (say WHAT?), yes,
Barcelona. I think this speaks for itself.
By September 2014, I was in one of
the most visited cities in the world, by
myself, and not knowing anyone except
for my new Irish flat mates. My first night
there it dawned on me; I had left a great
job, my family, friends, and my incredibly
supportive boyfriend for a year to do
this study. A few (or a bit more) tears
ran down my face as I looked outside
the window of my room and thought
I am alone for the first time in my life.
Scary and yet thrilling. But Barcelona
is an incredible city, with much history,
culture, and beauty. I was more than
excited to be there. In a few weeks,
classes started and the IHM class was
made up of students of 13 different
nationalities. Talk about international.
During this time, I had courses such as
Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship,
Innovation Management in Hospitality,
and Leadership Development.
By the end of December 2014, the
Barcelona block was over and we had
a few weeks of Christmas break to
get ready for the Maastricht Block. At
the beginning of January, I moved to
Maastricht, The Netherlands to begin
the second part of my study. Maastricht
is a city in the south of the Netherlands,
bordering Germany and Belgium,
and is known for its historic Dutch
architecture. The next three months was
dedicated to carrying out the research
for my thesis and keeping up with
classes. A few of the courses during
this block are Accounting and Revenue
Management, International Marketing
Management,
and
International
Strategic Management.
We also had two study trips as part of
the IHM - in Mallorca, Spain, and Oxford,
United Kingdom. These study trips
enhanced the international experience,
where we visited many hotels among
other hospitality companies and were
able to see firsthand the ins and outs of
the industry.
By April, we had finished the Maastricht
Block and moved once again to the
country, or city, we needed to be for
our In-Company Placement. I had the
incredible opportunity to work at the
InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam in
Marketing & PR for my internship. The
hotel, known as the Amstel Hotel, is
the oldest, and most classic hotel in
Amsterdam, being known to welcome
royalty and many famous guests to its
five star accommodations. I lived six
months in Amsterdam during the time of
my internship, and by the end, realized
that this past year has really been the
time of my life. Now my internship is
over and I am going back to Barcelona
to present my Innovative Research
Project that I completed during my
internship, and graduate. The year flew
by, and I am beyond grateful for the
experience I’ve had and what I learned.
I look forward to continuing my career in
hospitality and traveling to many more
countries. It all started with my study at
the University of Aruba – surely the right
choice!
Ziphora Baarh
24
G
A
en
Su
m
t
m
St he
e
ud C
r
G y ap
o in it
ve g a
rn G l f
an lo or
c ba
e l
e v in
a
FAS
Ghislaine Nicolaas
T
Geneva Summer School Class of 2015
his past summer I decided to do something a little different, instead
of repeating the quintessential summer plans I attended the Geneva
Summer School program Understanding Global Governance hosted
by the University of Geneva, in Geneva Switzerland. A summer school is a
great opportunity to travel and discover new places, meet amazing new people
from all over the world and network, be academically challenged by prominent
professors in their field and most important of all have a memorable time.
My name is Ghislaine Nicolaas and I am a 4th year OGM student. Within
the OGM program students are able to pursue free elective modules, these
modules can be chosen from any of the sister faculties at the University of
Aruba itself, or from other academic programs throughout the world. With this
in mind I started my search on finding a summer school which program would
match with my interests; International Affairs.
The Understanding Global Governance Geneva Summer School was for
a duration of 3 weeks and we were a group of about 20 students coming
from all over the world. Every day was packed with either interactive lectures
from professors ranging from Princeton, Oxford and University of Geneva
itself, to visiting the offices of various international organizations. We visited
organizations such as WHO, IOM, WTO, ICRC, and CERN to name a few
25
Visit to the Swiss Riviera Montreux
Did you know?
• The University of Geneva is over 450 years old.
• Famous alumni of the university include, Kofi Annan (former
•
•
•
Last group picture after going away dinner
•
Secretary General of the United Nations) and James Bond.
Geneva is home to more than 300 international organizations.
Swiss electrical outlets are triangle shaped.
Swimming in lake Geneva is a good way to cool down,
highest temperature was measured at 41 degrees Celsius
while Ghislaine was there.
Ghislaine hiked (no stairs) up the Mont Salève (1,379km) that
is more than 8 times the height of the Hooiberg.
and we could not have left Geneva without a visit to the
Palais des Nations which houses the offices of the United
Nations in Geneva.
CERN visit to old laboratory where
particle research was done
Group Picture Castle Chillon
The summer school provided me with various perspectives
on global governance such as; international law, macroeconomics and trade, emerging global actors in global
governance, global history, global risks and security and
involvement of NGO’s in global governance. The course
provided enough depth and possibility to also engage
with the professors on the material. The lectures were all
of a high academic caliber and the one I found the most
fascinating was on the topic of global history as we traipsed
through the decades starting in 1920’s until we arrived in the
present day and speculated about the future.
Besides the academic part, a social program was also provided
as it was time to discover the city of Geneva and a bit of
Switzerland. I’ve visited the old castle in Chillon by the lakeside
which has been visited by Lord Byron 200 years prior, been to
the wine region of Lavaux and drank Swiss wine, had a swim
in the bluest body of water I had ever seen, enjoyed a full moon
salsa party in the park by the lake, climbed the cathedral clock
tower to get a beautiful view of the city and the jet d’eau,
hiked up a mountain and enjoyed a breathtaking sunset
overlooking Geneva from France and so much more. La
vie Genevoise suited me.
Portrait at the WHO visit
Looking back on my experience in Geneva it has been an
incredible opportunity to participate, make new friends and gain
new insights and inspiration. If you see me walking around the
UA campus, you can approach me and we can talk some more
about global governance and the summer school experience.
There is so much more to say than what is written in these pages
of UNIA. Lastly, I hope to have convinced you to go out there and
for you to have a summer school experience of your own.
26
Sunset from Mont Saleve overlooking Geneva
FAS
Exchange experience at
University College Utrecht
S
taring through the window of my unit on the fourth
floor of the tower, looking at a bunch of students
handing in their final assignments before the
summer term starts; it crosses my mind that my exchange
program here in the Netherlands has come to a bittersweet
end. It is my great pleasure to share my experience with
you. Throughout the course of eighteen weeks, I have
had the privilege to experience life as a student of the
University College Utrecht (UCU), University Utrecht’s
International Honors College. UCU’s philosophy of
academic excellence, cultural and intellectual exchange of
knowledge is exemplified through its intimate residential
and educational campus, as the majority of students live
on campus, just a short walk to their classes.
My first week was characterized by a so-called ‘introduction
week’ held the week prior to the beginning of the semester.
Both exchange students and degree students were divided
into numerous ‘families’, through which I was able to meet
other students all having international backgrounds. During this
week, participants partake in several activities and practicalities,
including: ‘Stamppot Dinner’, ‘Get To Know Each Other Party’,
‘Real-Life Stratego’, ‘Ice Skating’, ‘Movie night’, and the large
number of parties not to be forgotten.
The weeks following (all) revolved around long hours of studying,
reading articles, preparing for classes, writing papers; the study
room served as some sort of a second home to me. During
class, we usually had discussions about the literature we
27
were assigned, with the professor providing further insight. To
give an example, for the ‘Introduction to Law’ course, reading
about hundred pages and analyzing four judicial cases a week
was not unheard of. The program is thus rather demanding. In
hindsight, ‘Political science’ was one of the courses I enjoyed
the most. Throughout the course, I familiarized myself with
political science to the extent of grasping the complexity of it.
In class we had several interesting debates regarding elections
and voting behavior, interest groups, legislatures, public policy,
and the welfare state to name a few. In ‘Religious Studies’ we
addressed some of the predominant religious ideologies; Islam,
Buddhism, and Christianity, answering the overarching question
of what constitutes a religion. Furthermore, we explored the
phenomenon of religious violence. Finally, in ‘Introduction to
Anthropology’, we touched upon the basic terms and research
methods of cultural anthropology. Moreover, we had to conduct
a participant observatory research to explore the role of religious
rituals in an Anglican Church community. As I have noticed,
the UCU seems to place a high value on books and readings
whilst the University of Aruba, or at least OGM, is focused on the
lectures as the primary source of learning.
To sum up, studying four different subjects and coping with a
workload significantly greater than anything experienced before,
has prepared me well for my fourth and final academic year on
Aruba. Though I was considering to extent my exchange period,
I am looking forward to flying back to Aruba to get a bit tanned.
See y’all in August!
Jochem Pennekamp
OGM BA4
DIVERSITY
noun di·ver·si·ty \də-'vər-sə-tē, dī-\
: the quality or state of having many different forms, types, ideas, etc.
: the state of having people who are different races or who have different cultures in a group or organization
reflections of students
The social meaning given to the concept of diversity is partially
derived from the definition by the Merriam Webster online
dictionary that identifies the differences as between things and
ideas.
The academic discussion regarding diversity covers
dimensions of our society that were never before openly
discussed. These dimensions include race, ethnicity, gender,
sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities,
religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. To me diversity
means much more than tolerance to a minority. It encompasses
the recognition of the uniqueness of each individual and the
acceptance, respect, value and celebration of unique attributes,
that enriches our life experiences.
The truth is that diversity always existed. There were
always foreigners and locals, majority and minority, the rich and
the poor, men and women, and so on. Furthermore, Christian
beliefs and fundamental training always require us to treat others
equally and I see this as a prescription to apply diversity in our
daily life. So, the apparent focus on diversity nowadays is very
striking and I ask myself why diversity is so often discussed and
why is it the cause of many debates?
I believe that, access to the latest technological and
media gimmicks, for the first time in history, give minorities a
powerful voice. This access (through the latest technology) is the
gateway to spread their actions and opinions to the entire world
and atrocities and mis-conduct towards minorities are easily
spread to any remote corner. Nowadays we are bombarded with
news on immigrants rights, LGTB rights, we hear about “women
breaking through the glass ceiling” and many others topics related
to diversity.
In my opinion, diversity now, is getting personal. In the
past, the differences were usually found outside the family bonds,
but now, they are inside our homes. For example, families are
facing gay family members, women are fighting for their rights
at the cost of the family stability, and individuals are facing fear
to demonstrate their political or ideological beliefs because or
against injustice from those in power or against them or their
family members.
This is what is happening in the world, and it is
happening in Aruba as well. Maybe the big difference is that here
in Aruba, there is still not an open dialog about important aspects
of diversity. For example, aspects such as migration policies,
LGTB rights, women equality, and ethnic discrimination are not
discussed openly. Aruba is a living laboratory of multicultural,
multinational and multilingual environment, with so much richness
in many aspects of society. However, after taking the diversity
class I convinced that there is a lack of consciousness of the true
treasure that we have, the multilingualism, multicultural and the
natural ability to interact with each other, are qualities of high value
on a globalized world.
As discussed previously, diversity coexisted with
humanity from the beginning of times, and yet it is one of our
biggest struggles. Hopefully, in Aruba, the awareness of diversity
will grow, and new forums for open opinion will emerge, in order
to provide room for discussions.
Magali Guzman
the importance of
embracing diversity
Imagine how many types of fishes and other creatures there are
in the sea. Even though they differ from each other, they all are
part of the ocean. However, although these creatures might not
get along very well, together they form a pretty beautiful picture.
I hope you agree with me that this example is applicable to other
animals and human beings as well, because despite the fact that
we are all different from each other, together we shape the world.
For this reason, I believe that it is essential for us as
first year students of the OGM program to gain knowledge on
aspects of diversity, because it is a very important matter within
our society and in our lives. Before I started the OGM program, I
never put focused on the importance of diversity or the affects it
has on modern society.
Furthermore, this module has made me realize that
even though the idea of being different might feel like a problem
sometimes, it certainly is more important to see diversity as
strength and that one should consistently put emphasis on the
idea that it is all right to be different. Subsequently, after I became
conscious of this during the classes on Diversity, it lead me to
realize how important it is to bring awareness about embracing
diversity, not only as a course, but also as the reality of what it is
and how being diverse affects us on a daily basis.
Furthermore, I now believe that individuals must become
more aware of their own values and on how their beliefs and
behaviors can affect other beings. Additionally, when it comes to
the reality of diversity, this module also taught me as a student to
develop a more critical perspective and understanding on how to
manage diversity within organizations that consist of multicultural
and multilingual environments.
To me, the most meaningful aspect of this course
has been that I learned when and how to stand up against
discrimination, because it became clearer on how important
it is to prevent it from happening. As a result. I see definitely
understand the correlation between the module Diversity and the
OGM program in general. Furthermore, I now believe that we can
consciously embrace diversity by understanding and appreciating
each other’s perspectives, in order to develop new and innovative
ideas.
Finally, I can easily say that the module Diversity made
me understand why we are the way that we are. Above that,
it made me want to figure out new ways to walk through this
world with each other despite having different cultures, traditions,
values, behaviors, beliefs, rituals and so forth. Therefore, I believe
that embracing diversity is the key to a peaceful world.
“You can do what I cannot do, I can do what you cannot do,
together we can do great things”.
--Mother Theresa
Rosette Hernandez
Experience
D
ear Students,
Congratulations!! You have made one of the most
important choices in your life by starting your academic journey
at the University of Aruba. This will undoubtedly be one of your
most redeeming challenges in your life that you will conquer.
Though four years of studying might seem like a long time, it is
very much worth it.
The transition from high school to college might seem difficult
in the beginning. Most of the students you graduated with have
moved to Holland to pursue their higher education while you
made the choice to stay in Aruba or have moved back. You
probably do not even know three-quarter of your classmates.
But, they are soon to become your new friends and extended
academic family. Remember, this is your time to shine, build on
your academic and professional relationships no matter where
you came from. Take a good look at those who are present at
the introduction week and those who are in your first semester of
classes. The classroom might seem intimidatingly full of strangers
and interesting lecturers, but this feeling of trepidation will be
reduced over time.
Nevertheless, these are all individuals you will encounter back
in the future. Aruba is a small island; so invest time in building
positive relationships, as you will realize that we all need each
other in the long run. Feelings of stress, asking yourself what
you got yourself into and wanting to run away from class are all
normal throughout the academic years. The truth is university life
and high school life are two different things. At the university, you
are expected to take responsibility for your actions, be proactive,
manage your own time and be well organized. You can expect a
29
lot of paper writings, projects, research and teamwork. But you
can do it with the assistance of your peers, lecturers, parents and
by just believing in yourself.
The period of studying the night before an exam and still being
able to pass that exam like in high school has passed!!!! When
you have to study half a book for one exam, you definitely need at
least one week of in-depth studying. Also, when you have to write
papers, you need enough time to research your topic, which can
rarely be completed in one day unless you are like speed racer
and speedy gonzales of course.
Remember, although at times you will feel like you want to cry,
at the end all your tears will be worth it because even though
you will still be shedding tears at the end, they will be tears of
joy. Having recently completed my Bachelor degree in Social
Work and Development, I wish to end my letter with a few tips for
surviving your academic career:
•
Set clear personal and professional or academic goals
•
Reflect frequently on your goals
•
Get involved in the different university clubs
•
Buy your books from EBay or Amazon
•
Take a vacation to clear your mind
•
Join a fitness club to reduce stress
•
Be organized
•
Learn to manage your time efficiently
•
Do not be afraid to ask your professors for help when
you do not understand something
Yours truly
Vandana Geerman
Recent graduate in BA SW&D
More of O-Week
30
CKI
e
m
lco y
t
e
i
s
r
e
W Univ
e
th
to f Aruba!
o
T
he Circle K of the University of Aruba (CKI) would like to
welcome and congratulate you on your acceptance to the
University of Aruba. Being a student at the University of
Aruba is more than the pursuit for a scholastic degree — it offers
good times, getting to know others, personal development, and
meaningful contributions to the world. CKI provides a unique
opportunity to make a difference now — CKI is the total University
of Aruba experience.
CKI is a non-profit service organization and is part of the Kiwanis
International family. CKI is a self-governing organization that elects
its own officers, conducts its own meetings, and determines its
own service activities. With more than 13.000 members in 17
nations, CKI is making a positive impact on the world every day.
Where to find us? We have our general meeting every Tuesday (7
PM) at the University of Aruba. Questions? Feel free to send us an
email at [email protected] or contact us via fb.com/circlek.ua
‘Pasa Dushi’ with St. Dominicus College
On Monday, June 22, Kiwanis Circle K of The University of Aruba
organized a ‘Pasa Dushi’ together with Kiwanis Club of Palm
Beach, St. Dominicus College, IBISA and the Red Cross Aruba for
225 students of St. Dominicus College at the Neptali Henriquez
Park. This event was organized to celebrate the closing of the
2014-15 ‘Terrific Kids’ program of the St. Dominicus College.
Circle K takes Indianapolis
On Monday, June 22, a group of 6 members and, our Faculty
Advisor, Natalie Solognier headed to Indianapolis, Indiana where
the annual Circle K International Convention (CKIx) took place.
Alongside the convention this year the 100th anniversary of
Kiwanis International was celebrated.
CKIx is the biggest event of the Circle K year. CKIx combines
the best aspects of the Circle K International convention and the
Large Scale Service Project. Imagine giving back to the convention
host city by doing service and celebrating the amazing things CKI
does with members from across the world.
Our members spent an entire week meeting and getting to know
fellow Kiwanians from all over the world, being a part of various
service projects, following courses and exploring Indianapolis.
There were also a great amount of surprises on this trip. The
biggest surprise was receiving the second place award for
‘Preferred Charities and Service Partners’ of Circle K International.
This is the first time we — Circle K of the University of Aruba
— were recognized internationally for one of our projects. The
project we were recognized for was our annual valentines day
cupcake sale, this year we sold a total of 2.500 cupcakes. All of
the profit was donated to March of Dimes International and baby
Jaynahlianne.
All members of CKI are eligible to go to the convention, don’t miss
out on these amazing opportunities. Join CKI!
Next year CKIx will be heading to...
Toronto, Canada.
Live to Serve, love to serve.
The students started the morning off with various games such
as Beach Pong, Sponge Relay and Tug of War. The students
also created various works of art using paper, macaroni and
paperboard. After being physically active for a good few hours
the students enjoyed a healthy lunch. We are sure that all the
students, as well as all the volunteers had a fun-filled day.
[email protected]
31
ERASMUS exchange
F
ua students expand horizons
or the first time ever, from 2015, students of the
University of Aruba will participate in the ERASMUS
international
exchange
programme!
Erasmus
exchange allows students of the University of Aruba to
spend one semester of their studies in a partner university
in Europe.
The ERASMUS programme provides financing for
exchange students, including a grant covering flight costs
and a generous monthly living allowance. The exchange
programme is available to students that have completed the
first 2 years of their degree and the credits for the courses
taken in our partner universities apply directly to the
attainment of their degree instead of the elective courses
that they would have taken in Aruba. In addition, language
support is available for students that will study in another
language while on exchange. Language assessment and
online language courses are provided free of charge by the
ERASMUS programme.
Living and studying in another country and
culture is a perspective-changing and mind-broadening
experience. Returning exchange students come back to
their home university, the University of Aruba, transformed
and this impacts the whole student body and society. Are
you ready to be an agent of change in Aruba? Are you ready
to spread your wings and go abroad to learn and grow and
then return to inspire the next wave of exchange students?
In this first year of ERASMUS exchange, the
University of Aruba has partner institutions in Belgium,
Germany, Spain and the Czech Republic, but more
opportunities are on the horizon! In the near future we also
hope to offer opportunities to our students to study in the
United Kingdom, Denmark, Poland, and even Greenland!
In the academic year 2015-2016, it is estimated
that up to 12 students will travel abroad as ERASMUS
exchange students, representing the University of Aruba
and the island of Aruba in general. This number will only
increase every year as our experience increases and our
partnerships with EU country institutions grow. Exchange
is not limited to students; the staff of the University of Aruba
is also eligible to participate in exchange for teaching or
training, although for a shorter time of about 3 weeks. This
opportunity also allows the UA staff to travel and to learn
from our partners and to keep up with the developments in
their areas of research and in teaching methods.
In the beginning of the academic year 2015-2016,
an ERASMUS information session will be held to answer
questions about application procedures and to explain
how the (for now) limited spots for exchange will be
awarded to the students who apply. Selection is based on
the UA application form for outgoing exchange students,
which includes a letter of motivation, as well as academic
standing.
The Office of International Affairs and the Office
of Student Affairs are proud and happy to be part of this
wonderful opportunity for students of the University of
Aruba and will be on standby to facilitate the participation
of the greatest number of students possible.
For more information come to the information
sessions or contact the Office of International Affairs oia@
ua.aw!
This project has been funded with support from the
European Commission. This publication (communication)
reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission
cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made
of the information contained therein.
Our
visit
to
the
Carolinas
The 2nd Annual International Executive
Forum on Tourism Innovation &
Entrepreneurship
T
he Aruba Management Institute for
Sustainable Tourism Development
in collaboration with the Faculty
of Hospitality, Tourism, and International
Business Management of the University of
Aruba and the School of Hotel, Restaurant,
and Tourism Management of the University
of South Carolina, held from August 2 4, 2015 the second annual international
executive forum on tourism innovation &
entrepreneurship at the Capstone House
at the University of South Carolina in
Columbia, South Carolina. Following a
successful executive forum held in Aruba in
late 2014.
A total of 10 students and faculty members
from the University of Aruba traveled to
Columbia, South Carolina exclusively to attend
the forum. The delegation was primarily in
charge of the social media aspects of the forum
and promoting the forum in Latin America and
the Caribbean. Also the management of the
questions that were asked through Twitter and
33
Facebook during the forum were filtered and relayed to the
hosts and speakers via our group.
The forum provided students with a unique opportunity to
network and interact with young innovative entrepreneurs from
various areas of the hospitality industry. The forum began with a
welcome event and reception hosted at the McCutchen House
in the heart of the University of South Carolina’s Horseshoe.
The main events took place the following two days. Hosted
by Dr. Simon Hudson from the University of South Carolina
and Dr. Ryan Peterson from the University of Aruba. The
forum included some keynote speakers such as, Matthew von
Ertfelda from Marriott International, John Cosgrove from Eco
Caters, Derek Nattier from Southern Valet, Frank Scozzafava
from Scoot-Away scooter sharing, Kevin Ayres form State
Street Snacks, Bill Kirkland from the USC office of Economic
Engagement, Amy Love from the SC Department of Commerce,
Chip & Scott Hartford from Royal Green Farms, Laura Corder
from the Columbia Incubator, Dr. Dirk Brown from the Faber
Entrepreneurship Center, Diego Acevedo from Blue Rise, Darin
McAuliffe from Topside Business Acceleration, Chris Stone
from Greenville CVB, and the forum was concluded with a final
presentation by Dr. Ryan Peterson and Dr. Simon Hudson on
next steps and new directions.
Topics covered during the forum were, tourism and technology
entrepreneurship, tourism incubation and acceleration, risk
taking, social media and technology, and social and technological
transformation in the hospitality industry.
After the conclusion of the forum the group made a site visit to
the Royal Green Farms. Royal Green Farms is an up and coming
hydroponics farm that uses nutrient rich water to grow lettuce
in an accelerated speed without using artificial chemicals. The
group also made a visit to the historic city of Charleston and our
trip culminated in a two day stay in Charlotte, North Carolina
where we visited the US National White Water Center where we
did some white water rafting and zip lining.
All in all it was a great learning and networking experience for
all of the students and the faculty. On behalf of the students
and faculty we would like to thank the University of South
Carolina for hosting the event and also a special thanks goes
to Dr. Ryan Peterson for giving us the opportunity to be part
of the conference this year. We are looking forward to the next
conference organized by the Aruba Management Institute for
Sustainable Tourism Development scheduled to be held in late
2016.
Jo-Ann Croes
34
Sport
Why
do
yoga?
Carolien Gaarthuis
M
any people say that yoga is good for you. But why is
that? Carolien Gaarthuis -teacher at FEF and DushiYoga
instructor- discusses six reasons why you should
consider giving yoga a try:
Yoga improves your range of motion and flexibility
During a yoga class you will move through poses that help you
stretch your muscles. They can help you move better and feel
less stiff or tired. Performing yoga on a regular basis also helps
improve your overall mobility.
Yoga helps you to focus
In yoga there is a strong emphasis on creating a focal point that
doesn’t move (drishti) so you stay consistent while you’re moving.
This technique helps tremendously when you need to concentrate
while studying or paying attention during class.
Yoga helps you to breathe more efficiently
Yoga involves paying attention to your breath, which can help you
calm your mind. Yoga helps you learn how to breathe deeply into
your midriff, which helps your ability to produce more power and
hold movements for longer durations.
Yoga helps you to balance
Practicing yoga poses help you achieve the ability to balance
both in a physical and mental way. Yoga promotes a healthy,
balanced lifestyle.
35
Yoga keeps you fit
Yoga has long been known to lower blood pressure and slow
the heart rate. A slower heart rate can benefit people with high
blood pressure or heart disease and people who've had a stroke.
Besides that, Yoga will lengthen your muscles and improve your
overall posture.
Yoga helps you to relax
Nowadays, life is all about moving fast with intensity, but in order
to cultivate speed you must also cultivate rest. Being able to
relax deeply helps you come back with more power, focus, and
determination, because you took time to recover. Yoga helps you
to effectively relax deeply.
In short, yoga is a great way to work on your flexibility, posture,
focus and wellbeing. Just about everyone can do it, too! It's not
just for people who can touch their toes or want to meditate. After
doing yoga, you will most propably feel less stressed and more
relaxed.
Once a month, Carolien Gaarthuis organizes a free yoga class to
UA staff and students. This event is called Mindful Monday and
takes place in the aula from 6-7PM. So feel welcome to join, try
out yoga and experience it for yourself! See you on the mat!
Facebook:
DushiYoga
Instagram:
DushiYoga
Contact:
[email protected]
Ruby
Eckmeyer
MA ta despedi despues di 5
aña trahando na UA
C
oordinado di investigacion pa e area di Arte y Cultura.
Ora mi a cuminsa traha na UA, Dr. Lydia Emerencia tabata
hefe di Center for Research and Development (CRD) y nos tabatin
dos colega mas, esta drs. Herbert Diaz y drs. Joyce Pereira. Sra.
Emerencia tabata encarga cu e area di educacion den enseñansa,
sra. Pereira tabata coordina investigcion riba tereno di idioma y sr.
Diaz su area di trabou tabata esun Social Economico. Despues
cu hunto nos team a traha riba un Plan di Maneho pa CRD, cada
coordinado a traha un Plan di Ehecucion pa su area. Na aña 2011,
prome cu sra. Emerencia a bay for di UA, CRD tabata e unico centro
di UA cu a entrega su plan di maneho hunto cu su plan di ehecucion
y presupuesto na dirigentenan di UA. Tambe cada coordinado a
stipula algun topico of proyecto di prioridad cu nan kier bay traha
ariba. Como e coordinado pa e area di Arte y Cultura mi a pone como
prioridad e proyecto Expedicion Rescate.
36
I
nvestigacion di Historia Oral
Den cuadro di un protocol cu Departamento di Cultura Aruba
(DCA) a sera na aña 2009 cu Kas di Kultura Kòrsou y Servisio di
Kultura, Arte y Literatura di Boneiro, CRD a yega na un acuerdo
cu e Seccion di Investigacion y Documentacion (SID) di DCA.
Hunto cu drs. Shailiny Tromp-Lee, hefe di SID, mi a coordina e
proyecto “Expedicion Rescate” (ER). Nos a haya e oportunidad
di crea, planea y ehecuta varios proyecto di investigacion y
documentacion. E proyecto ER ta un di e proyectonan di UA,
cu den mi concepto, mas a cumpli cu un di e tareanan nucleo di
UA, esta e tarea pa duna servicio y contribui na desaroyo socialcultural na Aruba. Hunto cu algun persona mas nos a stipula
e metanan y e plan di maneho y organisatorio. ER a duna mi
e oportunidad di traha cu expertonan na Corsou riba tereno di
historia oral, manera Dr. Rene Rosalia, drs. Jean Henriquez, drs.
Crisen Schorea y Dr. Rosemary Allen. Tabata un experiencia unico
di por a traha y siña masha hopi di e fotografo documentalista
di Venezuela, Sr. Alexis Perez Luna. Tambe mi a cera conoci cu
Dr. Manuel Viega, profesor na Universidad di Republica di Cabo
Verde, cu ta situa na West-Afrika, pega cu Senegal. Danki na
e entusiasmo y perfeccionismo di Sra. Munye Winklaar-Oduber,
nos tin recuerdo di e grupo cu a cuminsa cu ER na 2010, kende a
bisa nos: “Shonnan esaki ta un dia historico! Un proyecto masha
importante pa Aruba, ban saca un potret hunto awor.”
P
royecto Expedicion Rescate (ER)
Cu e proyecto di ER nos a traha cu un grupo grandi di boluntario.
Den practica no ta tur hende por sigui traha a base boluntario.
Lamentablemente desde aña 2013 UA no tabatin fondo financiero
disponibel pa sigui implementa e trabounan di ER. A sigui traha
a base di e fondonan cu a haya di UNOCA, entre otro pa produci
e buki “Historia Oral, ta historia di pueblo” (Henriquez, 2013) y cu
fondo disponibel na DCA. Mayoria di e trabou tabata riba propio
gasto di e boluntarionan. Tambe a traha hunto cu otro instancia
manera Archivo Nacional y Parke Nacional. Hunto cu Sticting
Filmtent Nederland a realisa un documental di ER, pero pa falta di
fondo no por pone sub-titulo pa e por keda publica.
T
area nucleo di UA pa sirbi comunidad di Aruba
E trabou di documentacion y coordicacion di investigacion riba
tereno di nos herencia cultural como parti di UA ta sumamente
necesario, ya cu den Caribe ta masha poco isla tin un
infrastructura di investigacion cu ta cubri diferente area. Aruba no
ta un excepcion. Den Caribe Hulandes, UA ta e unico universidad
cu tabatin un centro di investigacion cu no tabata cay bou di un
facultad. Pa e motibo aki CRD tabata un primicia den mundo
37
universitario den Caribe Hulandes y mi ta sumamente orguyoso
di por a forma parti di e team di CRD. Tambe mi ta masha
agradecido na mi otro coleganan di UA cu for di principio a duna
mi tur cooperacion y mustra nan interes den mi trabou. Entre
otro di CLL (Deborah Alexander y Anchi Fingal), di OSA (Charisse
Hoen y Richard Trimon), di CQA (Lilian Felter y Melendy Neuman),
di FAS (Clementia Eugene y Yolanda Richardson), di FMD
(Jennifer Boekhoudt, Melvin Quilotte, Rodney Tromp y Yeritza
Tromp), consultant mr. Noris van Lis-Donata y mi no kier keda
sin menciona Charmain Pappers (HR) cu kende mi a traha riba e
exposicion di 25 aña UA; Cheryl Laclé pa atende mi yamadanan
di telefoon ora mi no ta trahando na oficina y Aracely Gomez
pa e combersacionnan cu no tin nada di haber cu mi trabou,
pero cu ta asina importante den bida. Tambe mi kier menciona
un persona y funcion, cu mi ta kere cu ya mayoria hende a lubida,
pero cu den e trabou di duna servicio na cumunidad na e edificio
di Apex a hunga un rol importante, esey ta Norwin Gomez kende
a funciona como nos asistente tecnico na cada curso, charla of
actividad despues di ora di oficina. Norwin su asistencia ta loke
ta haci un diferencia grandi den nos trabou como coordinado di
un evento.
U
A como e identidad Arubiano den comunidad
Mi ta masha contento cu e oportunidadnan cu mi a haya na
UA riba tereno di investigacion. Mi ta masha agradecido na mi
coleganan cu tin un titulo di PhD manera Dr. Lydia Emerencia, Dr.
Lisa Madden, Dr. Earney Lasten y Dr. Gino Kock, y mi coleganan
studiante siguiendo e programa di PhD School di UA bou di guia
di Dr. Glenn Sankatsing y Prof. dr. Cees Hamelink, for di kendenan
mi a siña masha hopi di investigacion riba un otro dimencion na
nivel academico. Un pa un, nan a yuda mi kita e ‘bril Eurocentrista’
cu mi tabatin bisti y pon’e un banda. Nan tin en comun cu nan
ta masha (auto)critico y cu un meta nan dilanti: UA mester duna
servicio na nos comunidad dirigi riba nos realidad formando parti
di Caribe. Awor cu mi a finalisa mi etapa laboral na UA, mi tin un
deseo: pa den futuro UA dedica mas atencion na conocemento
di nos herencia cultural, cultura nacional, tradicionnan y identidad
Arubiano, tanto pa e studiante- como e docentenan cu ta forma
parti di UA. Tur hende tin cu realisa cu apesar cu den Caribe cada
isla ta consisti di un sociedad mixto, cu un variedad grandi na
nacionalidad, esey no ta kita afo cu nos tin nos propio idioma,
historia y identidad. No ta existi un hende sin su raiz ta ankra un
caminda. Ta cuestion di busca pa sa na unda bo raiz ta ancra
y bringa pa defende nos identidad colectivo na un universidad
cu mester ta e base di nos crecemento como pais, pa por crea
un sociedad fuerte y progresivo. Mi ta despedi cu un frase di
Rosa Parks (1955): “You must never be fearful about what you
are doing when it is right.”
D an ki U A
History
Don Pastechi Factory
R
Nomber: Reynaldo Maldonado Jr.
Naci na: Aruba, 11 augustus 1968
eynaldo ta corda ainda con cu 9 pa 10 aña e tabata biba
na Hulanda y ta lanta trempan riba diasabra of diadomingo
pasobra e tabata tin mag di cushina desayuno pa su
mayornan y su ruman homber mas chikito. Asina su gusto pa
cushina a cuminsa.
Ya como un hoben na Aruba e tabata yuda den negoshi di su
mayornan cu tabatatin un Grill Restaurant, “The Shoarma King”.
Despues Reynaldo a bay traha na Papiamento Restaurant y Playa
Linda Beach Resort caminda el a traha bou di guia di famia Ellis,
entre otro bou di guia di Eduardo y Lennie. Esaki a habri porta pa
e por a traha den varios restaurant na Aruba y den diferente area
di restaurant prome cu el a bay Hulanda caminda el a traha na
Hilton Schiphol.
Na aña 1987 el a bay Venezuela y a traha den dos diferente
restaurant durante mas o menos tres aña. Ora el a bini bek na
Aruba el a cuminsa hunto cu su señora Natascha, nan propio
negoshi “Malybu Catering”, cu nan a maneha pa varios aña.
Y na aña 2000 e oportunidad a yega pa Reynaldo bay Costa
Rica, unda e por a studia Arte Culinario na Escuela Gourmet
ARCAM y el a termina esaki cu exito. Parti di su stage el a haci na
e hotel di 5 strea Barcelo San Jose Palacios. Ademas el a logra su
certificado como Chef de Cuisine for di e Asosacion Nacional de
Chef de Costa Rica (ANCH) y World Asociation of Chefs Society
(WACS). Na Costa Rica el a traha como instructor di panaderia,
pasteleria y cushina general. El a presenta den programanan na
television y revista di cushina. Tambe el a haci varios catering
priva.
Bek na Aruba Reynaldo a traha na Calloway Airline Catering pa
cinco (5) aña como Assistant Operation Manager/Chef, unda e
por a traha y colabora cu creacion pa menu pa aerolinea nan
manera KLM, US Airways, Delta Airlines y algun mas. Esaki tambe
tabata e temporada cu e a colabora cu “Extreme H Games”, un
programa desaroya pa stimula hobennan di tur barrio na Aruba
pa come saludabel y pa haci actividad fisico. Algo cu el a haci cu
hopi gusto.
Na 2010 Reynaldo a bolbe bay biba na Costa Rica y el a traha
como Chef Instructor na Escuela Gourmet ARCAM pa dos (2) aña.
Ora e oportunidad ta presenta na Aruba pa haci un estudio cu pa
hopi aña e tabata desea di haci, esta Consumptieve Technieken
Tweedegraads na IPA, e ta bini bek Aruba. Actualmente Reynaldo
ta docente na EPB Oranjestad den e unit di horeca, unda e ta
duna les den e disciplina di koken, patiserie y bakkerij.
Banda di su profesion e ta aporta y colabora cu su señora,
Natascha Maldonado Bulos, kende ta dirigi “Don Pastechi
Factory”, un negoshi di catering cu enfoke riba snacks.
Esaki ta un negoshi cu a cuminsa den famia mas di 30
aña pasa den un forma masha simple. E wela di Reynaldo
banda di mama, tabata traha pastechi y entrega pedido na
Refresqueria Arco Iris. Despues su welo banda di tata a
tuma encargo di e trabou aki y despues di tempo e mama
di Reynaldo a tuma esaki over. Pa un periodo e negoshi
tabata na encargo di e ruman homber di Reynaldo. Asina
e negoshi a sigui crece y cambia durante e añanan y e
experencia a keda pasa di generacion pa generacion den
famia Maldonado-Bulos, te cu awo e ta operacional bou di
e nomber di Don Pastechi Factory (DPF). Awendia DPF ta
entrega pedido di pastech na varios refresqueria y tambe
pedido di snacks pa fiestanan priva.