News in Brief – Delta 10

Scores of 40 percent result in access to exams. Teacher Hans Welleman said that it is an issue of hacking, if it is possible to also offer the answers on the server (synchronization). A computer science student said that he was able to access it this way. Welleman will now investigate the matter.

Relations

What is the nature of the relations between students and other residents of Delft and what could be done to possibly improve them? A survey is expected to provide answers to these questions. The survey is an initiative of Delftsch Overleg (DO), to which nearly all student organization informally belong. The students decide on the subject of their annual survey at the start of each academic year. This decision was therefore taken before the head of the residents’ organization, Wippolder Zuid, publicly labeled students as “slurring types who mess things up” and prior to Leefbaar Delft, a local political party, setting up a website for receiving complaints about students. According to Wieger Vos, of the association council Vera, which is part of DO, the survey unexpectedly comes at a very good time. “It is important to get more information, in order to determine if Leefbaar Delft and Wippolder Zuid are expressing widely held opinions, or rather if it is only a few people who are shouting about it loudly?”

tinyurl.com/student-delft

Delft INA

On Wednesday, April 4th at 19:00, the International Networking Association for Delft Professionals (Delft INA) will be launched at Biercafé ‘t Proeflokaal, Gasthuislaan 36/38 in Delft. Entrance is free. Delft INA is a non-profit organization for the English-speaking, international community in Delft. INA seeks to facilitate interaction between expats from all backgrounds and provide resources for those who are looking for work, starting their own business or interested in interfacing with the expat community. INA provides its members with information and support through workshops, events and networking opportunities.

delftina.org

Top ranked

TU Delft achieved a position of 51-60 in the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2012, which is a slight drop from last year, when TU Delft was ranked as 49. However, TU Delft’s position remains unchanged from 2011 as the third highest ranked European, and highest-ranked Dutch, university of technology. The Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings scores universities according to an Academic Reputation Survey.

Floriade 2012

The must-see Floriade horticultural expo will open on 5 April in Venlo. This spectacular horticultural show is only held once every ten years, attracting visitors from all around the world. TU Delft will also be participating in Floriade, presenting technological developments for the agricultural sector, which include the following projects: Capturing particulate in greenhouses; Robotic grasping of peppers; LED lighting for greenhouses; and operational management of water systems – storing water in greenhouse reservoirs.

Anti-fraud measures

The association of Dutch universities VNSU announced a series of anti-fraud measures. The document was signed by all 14 national university rectors. Many TU employees regard the initiative as a welcome first step. VSNU announced that further details of the guidelines will released in May of this year. The rules so far include the explicit promise to abide by the code of scientific behavior and the responsibility for good scientific behavior in one’s surroundings. Also the repercussions against fraud will be standardized, including mandatory disclosure of the incident. Reactions from TU employees make it clear that the TU has established education in ethics across the various faculties and that special programmes have been set up to acquaint students with the correct procedures for handling citations and preventing plagiarism.

Generation gap

Chemist and art-historian Professor Joris Dik joined the Junior Academy during a festive event on Friday 16 March. The Junior Academy is part of the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences (KNAW) and represents an effort to rejuvenate this honorary but stuffy institution. Prof. Dik, famous from various attributions of masterpieces by Rembrandt and Van Gogh, is very much a multidisciplinary scientist, and he was pleasantly surprised to meet similar broad-minded colleagues within the Junior Academy. The membership last four years and requires about half a day per week in time. Prof. Dik says he is willing to invest the time, because he believes the Academy’s recommendations are sufficiently influential.

From the US and Canada to Japan, Taiwan and South Korea, the first cues of spring mark the start of the baseball season. And so it is here in Delft as well, as the university’s HitManics student baseball club opened their season last weekend with a game against a team from Maasluis. The HitManics were founded three years ago by Richard den Breejen, a coach and player on the team. Today the HitManics club has a four-member board, two coaches and team members from all over the world. 

Students from Cuba, US, Japan and Australia played on the team in previous seasons. The 2011 team has 22 players on its roster, including Dutch, Dutch-American, Dutch-Antilles, South Korean, German, and Taiwanese students.  

“We’re quite an international team, with 40% international students,” says Emma van Bruggen, who plays first base and is only female player on the team so far this season. 

Every Tuesday evening, from early March to mid-October, the team practices on the soccer field behind the Sport’s Centre, doing their routine hitting, fielding and pitching drills. Besides the regular practices, the team also regularly hosts social activities like BBQs, to help the team-bonding off the field. 

Michael Hsieh, a pitcher from Taiwan who has played baseball since high school, enjoys the interesting cultural differences he’s discovered on the Dutch baseball field.  “There’s lots of differences,” he says “ like back in Taiwan it’s common during practice to signal to your teammates by yelling or shouting at them, but the first time I did that here on the field everyone was looking at me like I was nuts!”  

“Well, we Dutch people usually just do this,” adds The HitManics coach, Den Breejen, laughing as subtly and quietly tips his cap. 

“It’s also different how food and drink mingles with baseball,” Hsieh continues. “Back in Taiwan after practice we always eat a lot – once our team ordered 400 dumplings after a game.  But here in Holland I usually go beer drinking with my teammates right after practice – with an empty stomach!” 

Despite the enthusiasm of its players, though, the reality is that team struggles to maintain enough players. “It’s quite hard to have a regular number of players on the team because the season is short. And when students graduate we desperately need a new generation of players, so we warmly welcome both Dutch and international students to join us!” Den Breejen says. 

“On the field there are simply no borders. It’s a fun sport, we love it, that’s why we’re all here,” adds secondbaseman Sander Lustenhouwer. “Baseball is our common language.”

Hitmanics practice every Tuesday, from 17:30-20:00, at the Sports Centre’s soccer field #2. Everyone is invited to join, including beginners. Email Hitmanics at delfthitmanics@ gmail.com or via the Hitmanics Facebook page. The team’s first game in Delft is on April 24 against BlueBirds, a rival team from Delft.