Secretary

Hola!

My name is Mackenzie (she/her), and I have the honour of being CognAC’s Secretary this year! I am 20 years old right now, and can officially call myself a third-year AI student, even though I will most likely not be following any third-year courses - oops. I have come to love Nijmegen way too much over the past two years, and never wish to leave. I was originally born a Tukker though, so don’t be surprised if you catch a bit of my hard-to-miss Twentse accent.

Like all respectable CognAC Secretaries, I started my conk-journey in the 1C. Fun fact: I had no idea what being in a committee even entailed, and only joined because Ebbi wanted to do so. Florien, Ebbi, and I had a lot of fun together in the 1C, and apparently, that setup was meant to be; look where it got us. :) After I finally learned what it meant to be in a committee, I wanted to join more! I became secretary of the WkC and LC in my second year, and this turned out to be not-so-subtle foreshadowing for my current position in the board. Which, funnily enough, I did not even know I wanted until the beginning of 2025. As you can tell, CognAC has a way of pulling you into its grasp, even when you don’t expect it to, but I am more than glad it did so with me! I can only hope it will keep doing the same for others. :)

Outside of uni and CognAC, I love to cook, read, or do my nails, all the while listening to music. I have an up-and-coming obsession with Nijntje (bless Hema), and will yap about pretty much anything, considering I don’t have much of a filter.

So, if you haven’t gotten tired of my Weekly Mail yap-sessions yet, do not hesitate to email me back at secretary@svcognac.nl or tap me on the shoulder during any (Lustrum🥳) activity. You can also just stop by the board room, as I will probably spend more time there, than in my actual home.

See you! <3

Treasurer

Eyo!

I’m Olivier (he/him), and I am the treasurer of CognAC this year. I am 21 years old and going into my fourth year of AI! Though I have been living in the beautiful city of Nijmegen the past year, my hometown Zutphen will always hold a special place in my heart.

Ever since I started my study I loved joining CognAC activities and seeing everyone there. For me CognAC was really a community where I kept on meeting new people, while also keeping seeing old acquaintances. Like running across your intromentor in your second year during a borrel while he introduces you to his friends you’ll keep on seeing at activities.

Then when I finally started living in Nijmegen I joined the XC, OrC and later the SC as well. I loved the meetings and doing committee work, and I’m excited to see the OrC’s work play out in the introduction week :). Though my committees were not telling of what position was awaiting me, I’m very excited to manage the money this year.

Aside from studying AI, you might also spot me in the lecture halls for philosophy (on the rare occasion that I go to a lecture), as I’m also a second year philosophy student! I really like the combination of AI and philosophy and I’m very curious about the effects of day to day use of AI.

Besides Uni, I also really love making music. I play guitar in my room, and any piano that I see. Though I should be learning more songs I really love playing some John Mayer or Dire Straits. I also play more acoustic stuff like Lizzy McAlpine. When I’m not making music I also love playing some games, my favourites include Terraria, Outer Wilds and Stardew Valley.

So if you ever want to have an existential conversation, need tips for music and games, are in need of gezelligheid, or have money related questions, feel free to contact me at treasurer@svcognac.nl. You can also stop by the board room or TK since I will probably be there!

Joe!

Chief of External Affairs

Olaa,

I’m Florien (she/her), or Flo as most of my friends call me, and very proudly chief of External Affairs this year. I’m 19 years old and originally from Ouderkerk aan de Amstel, but I enjoy living in Nijmegen a lot. Next year, I am a third year AI student, which feels way too old (sorry everyone who’s older :)) but then again I’m only 19.

When I moved to Nijmegen, I was only 17 and pretty scared, but I learned quickly enough that there were lots of lovely people here, especially within CognAC. In my first year I joined the 1C and the bataC. Later on I also joined the WkC and the PaparaC. And you could find me more in the boardroom than in any lecture halls. You could say that CognAC took up lots of my time, but I apparently had time left over, because I’m also active in both Slow and Apeliotes (the student tennis and hockey association). Where besides committee work I love to play a game of hockey or tennis. Although I lost my tennis racket so I haven’t played in a long time (losing things is a common habit of mine).

Besides all the committee work and sports, I love to play games, have a little drink with my friends and try to play something on my keyboard. I impulsively bought one last year so I really tried to play again but it has not been going great. And lastly I most of all love to talk. I really can not shut up about anything. Please do say if I talk too much.

Fortunately for me, I can do lots of talking with companies this year, trying to gaslight them into giving us money :))). If you have any ideas about which companies are gaslightable, or you just want to send an email you can always contact me at extern@svcognac.nl or find me at the bk, either way I will be happy to have a talk.

Chief of Internal Affairs

Hi hi!

My name is Sabina (she/her) , I am 21 years old and I am super excited to be the Chief of Internal Affairs (CIA) this year! I was born in Bucharest, Romania, and I’ve been living in Nijmegen for a little over two years now. I moved here to study and I can say I love the city and the Dutch culture.

Ever since my own intro week, I’ve been very invested in CognAC. I’ve been hyped up by my mentors to join committees right away, so that’s how I ended up in the DAtA, SweC (RIP), SC and later in the LC. In the past year I had the chance to chair DAtA which turned into a fun bonding experience with my committee (shoutout).

CognAC has played a really good role for me in those years, as it helped me find my people and feel at home in a different country. So that’s how I decided to apply for board, to give back to the association and help keep both the committees and the association on track.

In my free time, outside of CognAC, I like doing different types of sports like dancing, swimming, fitness and basic things like watching movies and hanging out with my friends. Back home I have 4 pets: 2 cats and 2 dogs which are my whole world hihi =).

If you ever want to chat or just ask me something about committees you can find me in the boardroom or reach me at intern@svcognac.nl <3

Love, Sabina

Chief of Education

Hello there, My name is Jelmer van Bruggen (he/him) and I am your new Chief of Education. I am 22 years old and I have lived in Nijmegen for 22 years. It's my home and I love it here. I am now starting my 5th year of studies here at AI. I'm sure my intropapa Paul Heldens is very proud.

I've been present in CognAC since the start of my studies. I was best friends with the guys that eventually came to be the 33rd board of CognAC and they pulled me to a lot of activities which I am really grateful for. In my second year I joined the OrC, and this year I got to chair it together with the GOAT Tjeerd. Some of my favorite moments in the OrC are teaching participants how to open their beers and seeing Tjeerd get happier everyday because of how well it went.

I was also in the XC and WkC last year where I made some great friendships and learned to smeer broodjes like an expert. This year I'm going to be in the SC the Symco as board representative which I am very excited about as well.

I am a big baseball fan, I used to play but this winter I dislocated my shoulder. I am trying to get back but I need to do a lot of rehab. I love playing multiplayer video games with my friends like Ultimate chicken horse or REPO. I generally love things that make life a little sillier, like kazoos or a slide whistle.

As Chief of Education, I’ll be the bridge between CognAC and the faculty. That means keeping in touch with teachers and staff, making sure your voices are heard, and helping to improve our education where possible. I’m also part of the Degree Programme Committee (DPC), where I work together with students and staff to keep the quality of our programme high. On top of that, I’ll be organizing the Master Fair to help you explore future study options, and you’ll even see me on stage speaking at graduations. If you ever have questions, concerns, or ideas about education, I’m your go-to person—so don’t hesitate to reach out! You can find me in the BK or send me an email at education@svcognac.nl.