{"id":4019,"date":"2016-04-27T13:00:11","date_gmt":"2016-04-27T12:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=51608"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:14","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:14","slug":"de-voorzitter-olivier-flinterman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2016\/04\/27\/de-voorzitter-olivier-flinterman\/","title":{"rendered":"The President: Olivier Flinterman"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Olivier Flinterman voorzitter van Erasmus Dance Society<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMichel de Groot<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t

\n\t\t

Name: Olivier Flinterman<\/strong><\/p>\n

Age: 24<\/strong><\/p>\n

Study: bachelor Business Economics and Fiscal<\/strong><\/p>\n

Economics, fifth year<\/strong><\/p>\n

President of: Erasmus Dance Society (EDS),<\/strong><\/p>\n

The student dance association in Rotterdam<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Chair since: August 2015<\/strong><\/p>\n

Motto:\u00a0\u2018Spreading the sense of <\/strong>family in EDS\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

How did you find the EDS?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAfter returning from an exchange programme in Uruguay, over two years ago. I immediately registered for a salsa course.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

Had you danced before?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes, I\u2019ve always loved dancing. At secondary school, I\u2019d be the one on the dance floor at parties. But I\u2019d never done a course.\u201d<\/p>\n

And now you already chair the group. Why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe treasurer and I applied last year because we wanted to spread the association\u2019s sense of family and because we wanted to do it better than the last committee.\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n

In what way? Didn\u2019t they do a good job?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes they did, but mainly behind the scenes. We wanted to be more prominent, raise the profile of the association by creating a good website, strengthen the bonds with Erasmus Sport and flashmobs on campus, although that was something the last committee did too.\u201d<\/p>\n

And does everyone know about EDS now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Familiarity is still growing.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s it like to chair EDS?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cEvery association has its easy and difficult parts. The great thing about EDS is that everyone is a member because they enjoy it. People come to us with a good feeling. The difficult part is connecting all the different styles. And that\u2019s the task of the committee.\u201d<\/p>\n

So what do you do?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWe organize competitions, dance evenings, barbecues, activities for everyone whether they do salsa, kizomba or ballroom dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n

What kind of president are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very accessible. You can approach me at any time. That\u2019s something I\u2019ve had to get used to, mind you. The fact that you can be called at 10.00 p.m. on a Saturday evening to organise something. I don\u2019t like being in the foreground; I prefer a supporting role. But I think something can be done better, I\u2019ll say so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you have any less favourable characteristics?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sometimes I\u2019m too direct. Not everyone likes that. And I still find it difficult to compliment someone who\u2019s put less effort into something than I have.\u201d<\/p>\n

Do you enjoy being a leader?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cYes I do, because I don\u2019t like indecision.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the most important thing you\u2019ve learned as president?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThat good communication is essential and that it\u2019s impossible to give a hundred percent on ten fronts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t

De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t