Three Years of IPSA - Article from De Wijzer, April 2011

When I was asked to write a bit about my experience in Leuven for De Wijzer, I knew exactly what I would be discussing: The International Philosophy Student’s Association (IPSA). I want to share some of the experiences I have had while working on making IPSA all that it has become. First, though, l want to put out the disclaimer that anything I might have done to establish and build this organization would have meant nothing if it weren’t for the great people around me. So a big shout-out is in order:

If it weren’t for their encouragement, I would never have started (thanks, Stijn and the ’08-‘09 NFK praesidium!).

If it weren’t for their hard work, I would never have been able to lead it where it went. (thanks, especially, to the IPSA ANGELS of ’09-’10, Dziugas, Liesbeth, Ryan, Thérèse, and every other person ever involved in organizing IPSA!)

If it weren’t for their support and inspiration, I would never have had the will power to step up during rough moments. (Thanks to NFK praesidia of all three years, the faculty at HIW, and the people at LOKO International!)

If it weren’t for their smiling faces showing up at our events, I would have had no reason to do it in the first place. (Thanks to you all!)

We have had some fantastic times together. And while at times our organization does not live up to its true potential due to lack of initiative among many of the students, there are still these magical moments that make it all worth it. Last year was filled with them. For me, perhaps the most magical of these moments was the theatre/rock benefit event at which we raised 200 Euros for an AIDS orphanage in Mombasa. I will always look back at that night and be filled with inspiration and joy, and I challenge you to organize a similar event! This year has not been without its own magical moments. Our colloquia have been thought-provoking and inspirational to everyone present. The IPSA/NFK coordinated Open Mic held in March of this year was a success, both in quality and quantity. It was wonderful to see old and new friends freely expressing themselves up on stage, and of course it was a pleasure to do so myself too!

There are so many experiences that have built up over these years with IPSA that it would be hard to do it any justice in a brief article. But I suppose that what would really do IPSA justice is to keep it alive, keep it growing, and let it flourish under the care of new students. It has been exceedingly difficult to pass leadership on, however. With new students coming in each year, with absolutely no idea about what IPSA is or even what Leuven is all about in general, it’s quite difficult to recruit a new group for leadership each year. I think what most directly contributed to last year’s success was the recruitment efforts taken at the very beginning of the year: along with Dziugas and Efe’s great help at student orientation, the help of the legendary party planner Matthew Barton gave way to an infamous start of year moustache party. What was it that got the most attention? FREE BEER!

Alas, my time in Leuven is coming close to an end, and with thesis work dominating my attention it is no longer possible for me to continue taking the lead. I can only hope that other students will see the value in organizing themselves around the IPSA name. If you want an amazing experience that will teach you more life lessons than you know, and if you want to get funding while you are at it, then just make it happen! All you need to do is get people’s attention at the beginning of the year, showing the potential of a good student group. Read here: throw a good party, and they will come! Then you’ve got to organize and delegate. People have parties, nights out, soccer matches, reading groups, and so on all the time… why not organize these officially with IPSA? Why not accept funding? The institute website advertises their International Philosophy Student’s Association, so why not embrace it? It is waiting to become whatever you want to make of it. Challenge yourself. You might be surprised at what you discover… I know I have!


JB

(Original article posted on page 10:Three Years of IPSA)

Running through Europe

It's been a while since my last post. I guess I've gotten out of the habit. But in the spirit of the new year the only right thing to do is get back into it and rebuild the good habit of writing regularly. And that's just what I've decided to talk about in this blog: building up good habits and breaking down the not-so-good ones.

The other day I was going for a jog. The sun was shining and the air was cool, yet just warm enough that I wasn't too cold or overheated. I listened to upbeat music and you know I had a smile on my face. On top of all that, there's something about taking a jog through the back streets of a really old European town that really grabs me. At the top of a long, gradual slope, I noticed three little boys. They were laughing and playing, and one of them held out a sign with an arrow on it pointing into an alley. So, naturally, as I jogged past I swerved and started going into the alley, winking at the sign-boy on my way past. Of course they loved it, and as I continued back down the street they ran along behind laughing the whole time. I have to say it was the nicest moment I've had yet this year.

Going jogging has always done something special to me. It allows me to set aside those thoughts that cloud my mind and those anxieties that cloud my actions. When I don't have the patience to sit in meditation, it's jogging that brings me back to the peace of the present moment. Not only that, it also inspires me to challenge myself in other activities. For the past couple of weeks I've been jogging every other day in an effort to rebuild that good habit, and so far I've noticed changes in the way I think about myself and how I go about my business. Instead of going through each day not really caring what happens so long as its enjoyable, I begin to seek out the things that give me the most enjoyment and sense of reward. I begin to challenge myself more. That same determination that I feel when pushing myself to run 5 or 10 minutes longer than I feel comfortable with comes out in the other things I do, like studying and socializing. And every time I get out there, it gets just a little bit easier.

I have to admit, for a while now my will power has been suffering a bit. I've tended to be apathetic about what I do with myself, thinking that it will all work out in one way or another. Well I still believe that, it will all work out. But lately I've started to question this carefree perspective. Now I've started to think that I'd prefer it to all work out in MY way. I want to choose my destiny, not have it handed to me. I don't want to waste my time doing nothing and forgetting all the big things I've done in the past, but rather pay tribute to them by spending every moment achieving new accomplishments. I am especially inspired these days, and I'm going to milk it for all it's worth.

So, right now I have set a few goals for myself. I can't tell you about all of them since some are more personal than others. But I can tell you about a few. Since this is exam time, my top priority is to study better than I usually do and do well on my exams. Also, as I already said, I will run more regularly and stay active. I want to socialize more, since usually I spend a lot of time at home like a hermit... regardless of what numerous facebook pics seem to suggest! It's true that I have lots of friends and acquaintances here and we know how to kick it. Hell, maybe 'more' isn't the right word, rather, I want to socialize 'better'. I'm so introverted sometimes that I think a lot of people miss out on the sides of me that I'm really proud of, like my spirituality and creativity.

Finally, I have set the goal to write much more than I have been. I intend to write regularly, even daily. Not on the blog, but between the blog, my personal journal, my creative writing, and... especially... my thesis. It's something that I will have to focus on after exams in a big way. But not immediately after exams. No, I've planned myself a little trip: I'm a goin' to Roma!! My plan: to write extensively every day that I am there. I will do mad sightseeing and write about every impression that comes up. I will put myself in interesting social situations and then write about it. In fact, about the only time that I will forget about writing is when I'm letting loose with new people from the hostel and from the nearby university. It should be really great, so you will enjoy reading about all of it on here. If possible, I will update the blog each day with new posts, but otherwise I will post a series of blogs shortly after my trip detailing some (not all, never all!) of my escapades in the great city.

I must say, this trip is going to be an exercise in self-development. Since I've been in Europe I have only planned one other trip, which was to Germany to see my family there. Other than that everything has been close enough so as to not really require any planning. I'm starting off this year right. Plan, challenge, believe, succeed... enough to make some hurl. But also, enough to make some others smile... and anyone who makes it this far through the current post is more likely to be in the second camp.

Thanks for reading, keep it up and so will I!

Welcome to Tiensestraat 276

The first item of action when moving to any city is securing a living space. So from my first morning in Leuven until the moment I signed a contract, my sole concern was to find a "studentenkamer". These are private rooms subsidized by the University. They consist of a small room usually with furnishings and a bed, commonly with shared bathroom and kitchen facilities. The reason I sought these rooms over studios, flats and apartments is simple: they're cheap, like the budgie. Most went at around 230-270 Euros, and from 300-350 Euros for a room with a private bathroom. On top of this there is often added a 50 Euro utility bill.
I found a place for 205 Euros per month, all in. Out of the eight places I had already seen, this was by far the cheapest, and none of the others gave me a private shower and 3 metres of windows looking out over the rooftops of the city. The views of most kamers (rooms) are limited to the building on the other side of the street.

I first found the place as I was walking down Tiensestraat looking for signs that said, "Kamer te huur". Smelling the warm, yeasty scent of a bakery, I noticed in the window just such a sign. And so I inquired within, taking note of that scent that I would smell every morning for the next 11 months. When I asked for a viewing, the woman behind the counter gave me a set of keys and in broken English instructed me to go to the top floor, that she could not come up with me and tend to her shop at the same time. By the time I reached the room, I understood that the 75 stairs may have been a factor in her choice to stay in the shop. The stairwell had water damage and some mould... not a good sign. But it was clear that work was being done, for the thick wallpaper was being stripped off for future replacement. There were three things that I first noticed when I entered the room. First, it was a dusty mess. Second, the floor is so sloped that it takes my skateboard 2.3 seconds to roll from one side of the room to the other. The third thing, however, put all other concerns into perspective: a large desk facing a span of windows 3 metres long. From this new writing desk I could look out over the city of Leuven and contemplate.

Only two doors down from me is a small supermarket with everything I need for day-to-day provisions. Good thing, too, for I have no kitchen and no fridge or freezer. I shall purchase a hotplate or an electric grill, and buy fresh food daily. Hopefully this will in fact help me save, since I will never be able to hoard and always know the cost of each individual meal. Living cheap is a life skill. Gotta practice it as much as possible.

My second day in Leuven, I had found a perfect place for myself. Hem duril'a. That day I had already went through the aggravating process of registering as a student at the university. But the biggest task of the day was carrying two large luggage bags weighing 23 kg each from the hostel to the stairwell. This 20 minute portage was not extremely enjoyable. I dragged them through a construction zone, a train station tunnel, and down 3 blocks on the ringroad. Then came the 75 stairs. After getting my bags up into the room, I sighed in relief, hem duril'a.
There was much to be done, however. The room was a dust pool, and so I set about the three hour task of dusting and sweeping to every corner. By the end I had collected a veritable mountain of dust.

But finally I could remove my scarf from my face and breath easy in this room that through my labour had become more of a home to me. Since then I have cleaned the shower and the sink, the windows and mirror, and all the furniture. I have purchased a rug for outside my shower door to prevent water from spreading to other areas in my room. Aside from that, I have placed in the room many posters, a degree, and an opened box of Kellogg's Smacks. The nesting process is nearing completion.

My place, as I have explained, is in a very convenient location. Not only am I near stores and bars, but I am less than ten minutes from both the philosophy department and the skatepark. Let's just say I've decided it's worth my 205 Euros per month. With the first month and security deposit made, all I have left to do is meet the neighbors...

A day in Maastricht

Maastricht: impressive architecture, beautiful college girls, and tasty apricot pie.
Of course there's much more to discover in the Limburg capital, but one must not deny the power of first impressions. During my initial visit to Maastricht, I was struck by the sense of youthful energy given by the many students of the city's university, along with the firm sense of tradition offered by the city's buldings, cobblestone streets, and ancient city walls.
Liesbeth, my friend and relative with whom I am staying for my first week in Europe, brought me to the city to check out the sights and to visit the Brasserie Bonhomme, a little restaurant owned by her relative. Bonhomme is a fairly new eatery found on 'Het Bat', built on the banks of the Maas only two years ago. Already it has become a well established business. I am told the Limburg province is known for its pies... well, Bonhomme is no exception to the rule! My first dish there was the apricot pie, for this is a favorite in my family which I have never tried. If you are ever in Maastricht, visit Bonhomme and order apricot pie!

After pie, Liesbeth and I took a walking tour of an old section of Maastricht. There is an information centre near Bonhomme which offers a guide pamphlet with information about some of the major attractions of the city. Even without a guide, however, one will quickly notice the distinct style of architecture in Maastricht. Rows of multi-level buildings sandwiched together line the streets, many of which are slightly leaning due to the age of their foundations. Because they are so close, each building supports the other. Even the newer buildings are designed in such a way that they will not be too different from the old ones, and many old buildings are renovated rather than removed.





There is another distinct characteristic of the architecture in Maastricht: the very soft, sand-colored bricks of which most of the oldest buildings are composed. These bricks are made from marl, dug from the nearby grottos. At one point in time Maastricht and all of the Netherlands were completely under water, and so marl formed from the sediment at the bottom of the sea. For this reason the bricks are soft enough for passers-by to carve their names into! On the other hand, such a soft brick allows for artisans to carve ornate decorations into walls and facing. Aside from decorating the exteriors of the several exquisite churches, marl stone decorations are also found on private residences, reflecting the nobility of the past inhabitants of each house.




When I wasn't looking up at the facing of the buildings around me, I was checking out the many fellow students in this town. Maastricht is filled with beautiful college girls! Woohoo! One of my favorite things in life, and I'm not ashamed to say it. It was exciting to get a first glimpse of student life in Europe, only two days into my time here. And let me say, the prospects were wonderful. I look forward to studying at university here...