EUnitas Echo Edition 4

Goodbye…for now!

By Stella Rurema

We are glad to present the final EUnitas Echo for the academic year 2024/25!  As the semester begins to wrap up, EUnitas would like to commend you on a job well done. University is not easy by any means but we hope that the people around you (and the support EUnitas has offered) has made it all a little bit more manageable. In this edition, we are honoured to present to the Education committee and recognize their excellence. 

Who is the team behind the 

Head of Education: Michael Naftel

Members of the committee: Mirte Heemstra, Michael Naftel, Valentina Anang, Lieke Gerritsen, Suad Khalil, Katria Kivik, Devanshi Chawla

The Education committee is dedicated to supporting EPH students to thrive in their studies and provide new opportunities for learning. From organising extra workshops for the statistics period, to organising specialist lectures on topics such as Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, the Education committee never disappoints. They also work closely with EPH coordinators to provide student input and help organise critical events like the Thesis Conference. EUnitas would not be the same without them:)

Michael was initially a general member but was elected and became the new Head of Education on May 1st and has been leading the committee remarkably well since then. He replaced Vanessa Nikolenko-Saar who was voted in as EUnitas’ new president! 

EUpdates

By Valentina Anang

This month, another development in the seemingly endless Brexit saga occurred after top EU and UK officials met at a summit in London.

From no cherry-picking to a new chapter

Previously, the EU approached Brexit negotiations with a mantra of ‘no cherry-picking.’ Opposing the UK’s attempts to keep the same benefits as member states was partially a result of the strained relationship and a lack of goodwill, but also allowed the UK to serve as a cautionary tale to other member states. Interestingly, both the EU & UK seem ready to move on, perhaps prompted by Washington's increasingly erratic messaging and actions. President von der Leyen labelled the new developments as a ‘new chapter in [the EU-UK] relationship.’ How much the optimism is shared by the public remains to be seen, as polling shows that most British people regret the Brexit vote, and at the same time, Reform UK, a Eurosceptic party, leads the polls.

Deal Highlights:

Fishing

This is a very contentious issue in the UK despite only contributing less than a tenth of a percentage point to the country’s GDP. The deal extended the 2020 agreement, which allowed EU boats access to the UK’s waters in return for 25% of their quotas, until 2038.

Agriculture & Food

In return for continued fishing access, the EU will drastically reduce restrictions on UK food imports, which fell 34% from 2019-24. However, the UK will still be expected to meet EU food standards, and any disputes would fall under the jurisdiction of the ECJ.

Defence & Security

A new defence and security pact will potentially allow for the Security Action for Europe fund, €150 billion in loans for purchasing from EU defence companies, to be spent with UK manufacturers as well.

Youth

While details haven’t been confirmed, a ‘youth experience scheme’ would make it much easier for youth to study and work in Europe and the UK. Such a scheme is sensitive in the UK, especially since the Labour government has publicly committed to reducing immigration.

Negotiations are also underway for the UK to re-enter the Erasmus+ program, which enables students to study or intern abroad.

Course Tips! 

By Devanshi Chawla

Here comes the Final Stretch! 🎉🎊

Welcome to Introduction to Statistical Methods for Data Analysis, the course where statistics meets health. While this course is relatively fast-paced, we suggest slowing down. This course will test you on your ability to do statistics (duh), all while understanding and being able to implement it into a case study. It’ll be challenging but no need to sweat.

Over the course of four weeks, you’ll be covering descriptive statistics, central limit theorems, cross tabulations, and various types of testing. It’s a lot, but it can be done! 🧡

To help you survive and thrive in Statistics, we’ve gathered tips and tricks to help you in this course! Don’t worry, we’re not here to give you the generic “stay on top of things”! Though… that would be ideal, it’s quite fast paced. But no worries, we’re here to provide real and practical advice! 

• EUnitas SPSS Handbook 📖: Anything you don’t understand in the SPSS parts of the practicals? Does it look like just numbers? Don’t worry, we have the workings here! Digestible and light. 

• Learn the Why❓: In some exercises, you’ll be told to run through a series of steps but before you click through as if it’s some guide to all-knowing, the step to being all-knowing is understanding why you follow those steps and what the outcome means. For example, why is it that way? Why did you use that test? 

• Repetition > Perfection ✅: You’re not expected to master regression models in one sitting. But if you see it again and again, it’ll click. The trick is to revise the material often. 

• Pace Yourself ⏱️: There will be some times where you have to work on the report (yes, there is a report 💔) and there will be times where you have to have the work ready for the seminar. Prioritise wisely but that doesn’t mean one gets forgotten for the other. Do them as they come. If you learned something in Week 2, and that comes up in the report, do it as soon as you can, it’ll be good application and practice.

Now, we know that this is tiring. Statistics all day, everyday. Not a fun way to live the last few weeks before summer, right? Don’t worry, we have some fun or rather motivating tips.

• Get out of the House/Campus 🏘️: Move around, be active, take the sun in as it comes. Staying cooped up won’t do you any good. Prioritise getting Vitamin D, naturally. Trust me, the supplements aren’t as good as you might think. 

• Accept the Chaos, Schedule the Chill📆: These weeks will be messy. Instead of aiming for perfect time blocks, do "non-negotiable downtime" slots. Your mind will thank you later. 

• The Best Motivation = You’re Almost Done 🏃: Remember this is not the beginning of the semester. This is the last hill. The numbers will stop. The normal sleep will return. The sun exists. You just need to get through the final stretch—and you will.

Awareness 

By Michael Naftel

Pride month is a month-long celebration throughout June that is dedicated to LGBTQ+ pride to commemorate the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer culture and community. It recognises both the cultural impact and the ongoing fight for equality. Pride marches first took place in June 1970 in four U.S. cities, after the Stonewall Inn riots occurred a year prior. The first marches were held to remember the demonstrations and support the struggle for freedom, marking a watershed moment for LGBT rights. Lately, Pride month has transitioned from mainly protesting to a wider celebration of who people are, what they have overcome and the communities they belong to.

The Stonewall riots were a series of spontaneous riots and demonstrations against a police raid that took place on the 28th of June 1969 at the Stonewall Inn, in New York City's lower Manhattan area. Even though the riots and demonstrations were not the first time American LGBTQ+ groups fought against the government sponsored prosecution of sexual minorities, the Stonewall riots marked a dawn of gay rights movements across the U.S. and the globe.

While early Pride events were originally focused on protests or political activism, modern celebrations have expanded to include parades, festivals, and educational events. These activities aim to improve the LGBTQ+ communal atmosphere whilst continuing to raise awareness of the ever evolving issues that the community faces. Pride Month acts as a reminder of the progress LGBTQ+ movements have made, juxtaposed with the ongoing fight for full equality.