Angelos, EleniMaria, Daria, Mar, Nathaniel, Ronald, Vincent, Thibedi, Bella, Dimiter,
Kseniia, Maximilian, Aiste, Francesca Anna-Sophia, Nicole, Despoina, Siddharth, Matteo, Martin,
Louis, Dominyka, Sunwoo, Anna, Natalie, Angeliki, Ariobarzan, Alfiero, Sebastian, Konstantinos, Won Taek, Susan, Anna, Kirill, Judith, Filippos, Filippos, Sarah, Lev, The Student Hotel Yearbook, Rotterdam 2012/13
The Student Hotel is proud sponsor of the Erasmus Rugby Seven
Lamprianos, Jacqueline, Jonathan, Irina, Anasthasya, Julie, Eugenia, Periklis, Dimitrios, Vasileios, Phuong Thuy, Kegl, Valerie, Gabriel, Ruxandra, Stavros, Diana, Alessandro,
Frederika, Andrei, Jessica, Suzanne, Marianna, Shuqing, Clara, Adrea, Luis Javier, Silvia, Moernisa, Alexander, Michail, Roberta, Wooyeong, Anke, Niclas, Iason, Akhilesh, Rishabh, Pavel, Carl, Liangrong, 3
Elem, Bryan, Xi, Evdokia, Guillaume, Svilena, Benjamin, Konstantina, Andreas, Madeleine, Sofia, Rim, Lisa, Aida Carolina, Nikoleta, Nikolaos, Ariadne
Dyah, Nina, Nicole, Supajika, Ra-Pee, Emil, Audry, Supajika, Vasileios, Danai, Lingmeng, Ilya, Thies, Xun, Felix, Vincent, Monica, Mateus, JuhaPekka, Evgenia, Afonso Miguel, Hanna Lise, Gustav, Marianne, Andrea, Sho, Anthony John,
Aushima, Helmich, Paul, Joanna, Raman, Aikaterini, Oliver, Claudio, Jiri, Edgar, Efstathios, Alexandra, Bianka, Quim, Yue, Regiana, Dominik, Joao, Anthi, LiChieh, Agshin, Grzegorz, Nikolaos, Asih Pawitra, Joana, Doyun, Paulius, Alexander, Omar, Georg, Jessica, Ines, Jason, Jay, Yashira, Konstantina, Felix Fritz, Alexander, Rita, Andreas Theodoros, Aditya, Sebastian, Jackson,
Denage, Gaby, Beatrice, Simon, Marina, Mueller, Antonios, Miltiadis, Masa, Nikos, Lev, Masakatsu, Stefanie, Romeo, Rodica, Guilherme, Karina, Pinar,
Hiba, Echement, Afroditi, Gil, Romeo, Andreas, Monica, Wiebke, Jovan, Minkoo, Olena, Daniel, Nefeli, Aldo, Maria, Larissa, Marie, Filippo, Zsolt, Oliver, Alexandra, AnnCathrin, Fernando, Athanasios, Eveline, Dmitrii, Riemer, Ifigeneia,
Elif, Nuno, Efstathia, George, Carlos, Desiree, Agnes Alexandra, Giovanni, Yulita, Ramazan, Eleni, Maria Eduardo, Constantinos, Alejandra, Joel,Alessandro, Salem, Lino, Christoph, Nikolas, Konsta, Antonio, Alexandros Brian Peter, Saul, Patrick, Ioannis, Michal Jan, Francesca, Stefanos, Alessia, Kevin, Roy, Christofer, Panagiotis,
Domagoj, 19, Croatia
Diego, 18, Italy
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The Student Hotel
Yearbook Rotterdam 2012/13
Vincent, 19, The Netherlands
Siddhart, 18, India
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Nikos, 27, Greece Min Koo, 30, Korea
Nathaniel, 30, Great Britain
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Beatrice, 23, Italy
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Alissa, 22, Italy
Konsta, 23, Finland
Giovanni, 23, Italy
Roberta, 21, Italy
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Jackie, 22, Taiwan
Kseniia, 19, Ukraine
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Ario, 26, Iran 20
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Siddharth, 18, India, Economics
Best Experience in The Student Hotel: Smoking up and doing stupid stuff and passing out on the sofa. Special about myself: I am very good at making the most out of a bad situation. My most awesome story ever: Ate a can of garlic sauce and chundered everywhere when I got back home. Page 12
Nikos, 27, Greece, studies Health Economics, Policy and Law
Can you give a helpful tip? Once you’re here in the Netherlands, get an OVchipkaart, a Dutch mobile phone number, and bonus cards from supermarkets as soon as possible. These will maximize your utility while you stay here. Plus, get the 40% train discount so you can travel cheaper! Who did you spend the most time with during your stay? I spent the most time with Sebastian, Jon, Nathan, JP, Vasilis, Patrick... Those guys more or less! But in general, too many of us hang out together to name them individually. What was your weirdest
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experience in the Rotterdam hotel? The weirdest experience has been when the fire alarms would go off in the middle of the night at the beginning of the year! That was both weird, and fun! What was your first job ever? I was in charge of the classified ads for a newspaper in a certain region of Thessaloniki, Greece. I held that job for about 6 years. What do your parents think you do? My parents think I am the smartest person alive. They think that I am the scientist that will save the world. That’s one more reason to love them right? What were you doing ten years ago? I was finishing up my high school studies. Senior year was awesome! Where will you be in ten years from now? Well in ten years, I will be 37 so hopefully I will own a house, have a family with 2 children and a dog. I like the classic stuff. I will also make more than 100.000 euros per year and I will be located somewhere in Northwestern Europe, probably working for a successful pharmaceutical company. What famous person were you often told you look like? Some of the guys here at The Student Hotel jokingly say that I look like the Greek Tom Cruise, meaning that if Tom Cruise was Greek, he would probably look like me. But other than that, I was also told that I look like a football player, Sotiris Ninis, but I have no idea if that is true. What do you really want to do before you die? Uhm... live? In the nice sense of it. I want to travel to all of the continents.
I would like to see many countries. I am going to have a family, maybe see my grandchildren if I have any. It would be awesome if I could make a nice contribution to the field of Health Economics. A contribution that will save people a lot of money and make healthcare affordable for people with lower incomes. Write down something encouraging: Life is ever-changing. We should never give up hope that things will become better. What are you doing this weekend? This weekend is probably going to be a slow weekend, maybe I’ll have some drinks. My Thursday was awesome because I went to Keukenhof Gardens and spent 5 hours surrounded by the beauty of nature. What is your favourite record? It is either Kate Bush’s AERIAL or Beirut’s THE FLYING CLUB CUP. What’s your favourite movie? STAR WARS or LORD OF THE RINGS I would say. I am a sucker for sci-fi and fantasy. Which era in time would you like to have lived? The future is always more appealing to me than the past. I would actually prefer to have been born now or later to see more wondrous things happen. William, 23, Greece
Best Experience in The Student Hotel: One night, oh I don’t get it, I still don’t get it. The girls, the drinks, the awkward moment in the morning. I’ll tell you what my friends, one moment of loneliness is much better than a morning of awkwardness.
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Special about myself: I have a T-shirt of Superman, but I’ll never wear it, because I’m afraid that I’ll die from kryptonite. Seriously, I’m really ugly, pathetic and depressing, rock and roll. Everything is about rock and roll. My most awesome story ever: It was 3am in the morning. I was sleeping. I don’t know if it is hard to understand this, but I was sleeping in my bathrobe. The alarm starts to go off. Oh, god! I love that sound, it sounded just like Justin Bieber. I went downstairs, everybody was laughing at the bathrobe. I didn’t even realize. I am not sure if it was awesome, at least it’s EPIC. Page 14
Beatrice, 23, Italy, RSM
Best experience in The Student Hotel: It’s hard to think about one best experience. What makes me appreciate the life here at The Student Hotel is the daily routine. You wake up, maybe have a coffee at The Kitchen, then you go out or simply study with your friends here, then you can move to the gym, and last, but not least, you can have a pre-drink here before a night out. Everything is in one place, and all of it gives you the chance to meet and get to know someone! Special about myself: I am a curious
Diego, 29, Equador 23
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Jon, 25, Canada
Nik, 19, Germany 25
Billy, 23, China 26
Frederika, 24, Slovakia 27
Dominyka, 23, Lithuania Nuno, 21, Portugal
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Sebastian, 19, Germany Aida, 20, USA
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Claudio, 18, Italy
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Italian girl. I like discovering something new everyday. New places, new people, new feelings; but at the same time I like to come back to my roots, my hometown, and my old friends. My most awesome story ever: During my last birthday I was at my friend’s place and they had made a cake for me with candles, but we discovered there were no lighters or anything we could use to light the candles. So we opened the window, luckily we were on the ground floor, and we asked for a lighter from a person who was walking outside!
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Roberta, 21, Italy, Medical student
Can you give a helpful tip? Work hard, play hard. What was your first job ever? My first job ever had me working in a hospital. What do you really want to do before you die? I really want to reach the goals I have set for myself. Write down something encouraging: Work always pays back. What are you doing this weekend? I am going to travel to Amsterdam! What’s your favourite movie? A BEAUTIFUL MIND Which era in time would you like to have lived? The 18th century.
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Giovanni, 23 Italy
Best experience in The Student Hotel: My best experience is getting to use my awesome shared kitchen everyday! It has the best atmosphere in the whole Student Hotel! I have simply the best flatmates ever. Special about myself: I am a masters student at RSM, but despite this, I still feel like I’m 18 years old. I come from Italy, but I have a pretty international background. I love extreme sports, partying, and travelling! My most awesome story ever: I cannot tell you, otherwise they would kick me out of the hotel immediately. Patrick, 22, Greece
Best Experience in The Student Hotel: Partying with friends until the early morning. Special about myself: I am sociable, energetic, and have a good sense of humour. My most awesome story ever: Every Tuesday night a different story, but the most awesome one is standing on the table with my friends and going crazy in general.
usually until about 4am. Special about myself: I’m a cosmopolitan who has lived in the USA, Russia, Finland, and now in the Netherlands. I have always enjoyed interacting with people from different cultures and Alissa, 22, Italy, studies International from different backgrounds. My most Public Management, and Public Policy awesome story ever: I am living my Who did you spend the most time with most awesome story ever! during your stay? I spent the most time Page 16 with Beatrice Braghieri, and Dimiter Spassov. I hung out mostly with the Greeks and the Italians. What were you doing ten years ago? I was finishing middle school and playing volleyball almost every day. What do you Jackie, 19, Taiwan, studies International Business Administration really want to do before you die? I want to travel around the world. What are you doing this weekend? I’m going to Who did you spend the most time with visit Maastricht. And then after that during your stay? There was no one, I’ll be studying. What’s your favour- specific person that I spent my time ite movie? GLADIATOR. Give us your with at The Student Hotel. I spent Senior Quote: “Two roads diverged in my time with many people! But, in a wood, and I — I took the one less the beginning, I spent most of my travelled by, and that has made all time on my own, just trying to settle in, and get used to my room. What the difference.” — Robert Frost was your first job ever? I have been lucky enough to not have to work Page 13 during my studies. What were you doing ten years ago? I was studying in the Netherlands, at an international school in Eindhoven. Where will you be in ten years from now? I would like to be working for a well-known comKonsta, 26, Finland, Business Admin pany, ideally as the leader of a group Best experience in The Student Hotel: or a department within the company. I like having beers in the common What famous person were you often area with people from all over the told you look like? I am told that I reworld. We have great conversations, semble the Taiwanese singer named and just an all-around awesome time, Tank Lu. What do you really want to Page 15, 29
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Alissa, 22, Italy 33
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Sebastian, 19, Germany
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Aida, 20, USA 36
Paul, 20, The Netherlands
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Anthi, 25, Greece
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Dimiter, 23, Australia
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Helmich, 18, The Netherlands 40
do before you die? I want to go skydiving! Write down something encouraging: It doesn’t matter what route you take to get to the finish line, what matters most, is how you finish. What are you doing this weekend? Nothing special. A casual weekend playing some ball and chilling with my friends. What is your favourite record? It’s hard to name just one, but probably one of Linkin Park’s albums. They are my favourite band! What’s your favourite movie? TRANSFORMERS. Which era in time would you like to have lived? I am perfectly happy with the era I am living in now! Page 22
Jon, 25, Canada, studies Global History with a specialization in International Relations
Can you give a helpful tip? It is important to not take everything super seriously. When things seem ridiculous, remember that moment so you can laugh at it later with your friends. What was your weirdest experience in the Rotterdam hotel? The weirdest experience I had at The Student Hotel was nothing compared to the experiences I had at the Stay OK Hostel. Due to residency permit issues, namely Rotterdam city hall losing my form, I was stuck in the Netherlands over the Christmas holiday. I took trips around the Netherlands,
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and when I would come back from these trips, The Student Hotel was super empty and had a creepy THE SHINING feeling about it. What was your first job ever? I worked as a fur trader at a historical village in my hometown of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. My job was basically to explain to people what life was like back in the 1700s in Canada, and the finer aspects of trading beaver. What do your parents think you do? My parents think that I spend most of my time working and living in Rotterdam. They also know that I travel occasionally. Their ideas are pretty accurate. What were you doing ten years ago? Ten years ago I was still in High School. I also worked as a stagehand in a local theatre, mostly hanging lights. While working in the theatre, I got to act as well. Where will you be in ten years from now? I will be living in a place that has both water and mountains nearby. I will hopefully be working for an international organization or making movies. What famous person were you often told you look like? People tell me that I look like Kevin Heffernan who plays Rod Farva in SUPER TROOPERS. What do you really want to do before you die? I would like to travel to every continent. Write down something encouraging: Your life could be much worse, so appreciate and enjoy it! What is your favourite record? At the moment: THE SUPPORTING CASTE by Propagandhi. What’s your favourite movie? APOCALYPSE NOW. Which era in
time would you like to have lived? The 1920s. What is your favourite YouTube video right now/of all time? The Rubberbandits out of Ireland have some pretty entertaining videos.
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During that half year, my roommate and I exchanged languages. One day we would speak Chinese, the next day English, and in the meantime, we learned from each other how to appreciate things from different perspectives.
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Billy, 23, China, Bachelors degree
Best experience in The Student Hotel: One day, around 5am, the fire alarm of The Student Hotel was set off because someone lit birthday candles in their room. As a result, all of the students were running down the stairs to the lobby because the fire alarm kept going off. The reason why this was interesting is because I saw all kinds of reactions from people from all over the world. All of these reactions centred around one emotion: frustration. Special about myself: Dutch people think I am Chinese and some Chinese students say I’m a little bit Dutch. The special thing about me is I express my own passion in a very Dutch way, that is, directly. My most awesome story ever: My most awesome story ever is the time when I studied in Shanghai. I lived with a German student for half of a year. That half a year, I significantly changed my way of looking at the world, which has made me more open, more patient, and more critical.
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Nuno, 21, Portugal, Finance
Best experience in The Student Hotel: Arriving from London after a long day of job interviews; I immediately found new friends when I got to The Student Hotel. As a result, instead of resting and sleeping, I got to share my experiences and have some beers with new friends. Special about myself: I am Portuguese and after studying in Lisbon, Paris, and Rotterdam, I am going to study one more semester in SĂŁo Paulo this autumn. I hate stability, and I have a passion for international experiences. My most awesome story ever: On the last day of my volunteer program in Iceland, we got out of Skaftafell, the biggest glacier in Europe, and headed to Reykjavik in order to catch a flight the next night. We left at 7am and crossed that fantastic country in a minivan until we got to Reykjavik late in the evening. Instead of getting some sleep, we immediately went clubbing.
Sebastian, 19, Germany 43
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Desiree, 22, Germany
Tim, 23, The Netherlands, Chef of The Kitchen
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Mateus, 25, Brazil
Daria, 19, Moldova
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Vincent, 20, Germany 48
Pit, 31, The Netherlands, Hotel Manager 49
Charlie, 37, Scotland/The Netherlands, Founder of The Student Hotel 50
Consequently, we had to run out of the club at 5am in order to catch the last bus possible to the airport. We had to actually make the bus stop and we almost lost the flight. It was definitely worth it!
Kieran, 25, Australia, Law student
Best Experience in The Student Hotel: THE BIG LEBOWSKI movie night in The Kitchen. Beer. Friends. I did not stop laughing the entire time. Special about myself: I cannot deal with cold weather. At all. The second day in the Netherlands, I slipped on the ice and broke my arm. My most awesome story ever: One night, at home in Australia (not at The Student Hotel... where I have my own bike) I was drunk and walking home, and can remember thinking it would be fun to ride an unlocked bike out the front of the house I was partying at. The next morning I woke up and the bike was in my room, I have no memory of the trip home. Hasford, 19, German
Best Experience in The Student Hotel: The fact that there is always someone around who you can hang out with, or play some pool, ping pong, or grab a beer. The vicinity of The
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Kitchen is also very nice and handy. Special about myself: Ha! Good question. I still don’t really know that. I am very sarcastic, which is something I use to lighten the mood sometimes, however usually at someone else’s expense, unfortunately. I’ve travelled the world quite a bit, so I’ve experienced many different cultures. My most awesome story ever: As far as for most people, I suppose, the best ones are not meant to be shared with everyone. But I guess one awesome story is how I got here, or how I ended up here. And how much fun I’ve had here since. The people, the atmosphere, and the location have made my Rotterdam and my Student Hotel experience very enjoyable. Page 26, 51, 88
Dominyka, 23, Lithuania, studies Economics and Business with a specialization in Marketing
Can you give a helpful tip? Wake up at 7am to avoid lines in the laundry room! What was your first job ever? I was a receptionist at a youth hostel back in my home city in Lithuania. What do your parents think you do? They are proud of me. They think I am living a good life. What were you doing ten years ago? Ten years ago I was studying in high school. I was also competing as a professional athlete in long jump competitions.
It was my dream to compete in the long jump at the Olympic Games. Where will you be in ten years from now? To be honest, I have no idea, but the uncertainties as such make life more interesting. What famous person were you often told you look like? I have been told I look like Heidi Klum, but without makeup. Write down something encouraging: Be young. Be free. Be somebody. What are you doing this weekend? This weekend I am writing my thesis paper and going dancing at a beach themed party. If it is still sunny that is. What’s your favourite movie? BIG FISH, PERFECT SENSE and any movie that has Ewan McGregor in it. Which era in time would you like to have lived? I would like to see what the future is like instead. We know about the past, but not about what is coming next. What is your favourite YouTube video right now/of all time? At the moment it’s the trailer for the new movie THE GREAT GATSBY. I am so excited! I cannot wait to see this movie!
I would like to be practicing medicine somewhere. What famous person were you often told you look like? I am told I look like Tom Cruise. No but seriously, I am joking. No one has ever told me that.
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Claudio, 18, Italy
Special about myself: Nothing, except that I am cool. My most awesome story ever: One night I came back to the hotel at 5am, and everyone in the building was up because the fire alarm went off. After I came back, we all partied. I ended up playing the role of wingman for a friend. I helped him get lucky.
Eduardo, 22, Brazil, Medical student
Can you give a helpful tip? Travel as much as you can! What was your weirdest experience in the Rotterdam hotel? My weirdest experience here was going to the Smallest Party in Rotterdam! What was your first job ever? For my first job ever, I was an intern at a hospital in Brazil. Where will you be in ten years from now? I am sure I’ll probably still be studying.
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Stathis, 26, Male, Greece
Best Experience in The Student Hotel: Getting to use our shared kitchen. Everyday here at Student Hotel is perfect and unique. My most awesome story ever: My flatmate got locked out of his room and we went downstairs with his robe to get keys to open. Needless to say, I filmed the whole thing.
Jiri, 25, Czech Republic Dominyka, 23, Lithuania
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Azez, 25, Azerbaijan Vincent, 19, The Netherlands
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Lino, 23, Luxembourg Aida, 20, USA
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Lina, 28, Greece 56
Moernissa, 37, Suriname 57
Periklis, 26, Greece
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Won Taek, 21, Korea
Floris, 44, The Netherlands, Assistant Hotel Manager
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Vincent, 18, The Netherlands
Rim, 19, Morocco
Mitha, 20, Indonesia
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Woo-Young, 21, South Korea, Economics
Dimiter, 23, Australia
Best experience in The Student Hotel: Playing ping pong with my friends, in order to avoid studying. Special about myself: My parents tell me I’m special. I am also handsome and good at ping pong. My most awesome story ever: This year a student living on the 4th floor learned Bulgarian swear words from listening to my frustrations while playing ping pong.
Best Experience in The Student Hotel: The free gym, and the ping pong table. The view from my window is very pretty. Special about myself: I keep my promises. I don’t make any promises that I can’t keep. I love thinking, mostly about random things. My most awesome story ever: I came to Holland when I was 14. Back then, I could speak only one English word. Although I struggled a lot, I kind of managed to integrate. It doesn’t sound special or heroic, but still it’s going to be one of the unforgettable piece of my life. Page 48
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Charlie, 37, Scotland/The Netherlands, Founder of The Student Hotel Mateus, 25, Brazil, Medical student
Where will you be in ten years from now? In ten years, I see myself living in Brazil again. What do you really want to do before you die? Whenever I do die, I want to be able to think to myself, I did everything I wanted to do in my life. What is your favourite record? LONDON CALLING by The Clash. What’s your favourite movie? PULP FICTION. Which era in time would you like to have lived? The 1970s.
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For me, my best memory at The Student Hotel Rotterdam was just before, and directly on, the opening day. The builder was late in finishing up work on the property and we realized that he would never have it done on time. So the Student Hotel team decided to move ourselves into the building and help with the cleanup process. We slept in sleeping bags in the rooms, and worked 20 hours a day for more than a week. We knew the building would never be how we intended it to be on opening
day, but we did our best. Then, the big day arrived. Our first student to check-in showed up at 6am and we did our last student check-in at 11pm. The atmosphere on that day was amazing! Our team was really great, everybody enjoyed meeting our new tenants, their parents, and friends. The disappointment of not having the readiness of the building up to our satisfaction was sad, but the energy that all of our students brought with them that day is something that I will remember forever. A big thanks goes out to the entire team. It is, and was, a pleasure to work with you all then and now. I also want to give thanks to all of the students. You are The Student Hotel. You live the brand, enjoy the moment, and do all of it with a smile. Thank you.
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Lino, 23, Luxembourg
Best experience in The Student Hotel: I love playing ping pong everyday in the common area and enjoying the laid back atmosphere that is cultivated by the residents. Special about myself: I am a good basketball and golf player. I also have a very high GPA. My most awesome story ever: I once got to play a round of golf with Michael Jordan.
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Page 52 Moernisa, 37, Suriname, studies Business, Corporate Law, and Maritime Law
Who did you spend most time with during your stay? Me, myself and I. What was your first job ever? I was a waitress at the Peperbus Cafeteria in Curacao. This was during my study period in Curacao. Where will you be in ten years from now? I would like to be working, raising my children, and contributing to the Surinamese society. I would like to do all of this while at the same time enjoying my life. What is your favourite record? BODY AND SOUL by Anita Baker. What’s your
Azez, 25, Azerbaijan
Best experience in The Student Hotel: It would have to be reading books with a friend of mine in the library for 9 hours nonstop. Special about myself: It’s too special to explain it.
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Anna, 27, Greece
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Aditya, 25, Indonesia 64
Jess, 20, Great Brittain 65
Jiri, 25, Czech Republic 66
Stefanie, 22, Germany
Sissi, 21, China
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Claudio, 19, Italy
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Siddarth, 19, India Kemal, 22, Austria Rishabh, 18, India
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Annemarie, 26, The Netherlands, Assistant Hotel Manager 70
favourite movie? TITANIC. Which era in time would you like to have lived? This era is just right for me. What is your favourite YouTube video right now/of all time? The WHO RUN THE WORLD music video by Beyoncé.
fessional ballet more quickly than my classmates, all of whom wanted to be professional dancers, but I did it just for my own interest. I was rewarded when my teacher let me represent my class in an important competition!
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Sissi, 21, China Kemal, 22, Austria, International Business
Best experience in The Student Hotel: I have met so many people from different parts of the world. I had a general impression of people from certain places, but later I met some of these very people who live in The Student Hotel, and my perceptions were completely changed. I often enjoy having a relaxing or interesting talk with people who come to our shared kitchen when we prepare dinner. It’s cool because not all of the people who attend live in the building. I can also always find someone to go to a party with, which is nice. Special about myself: I studied dance for a long time when I was younger. I mostly studied ballet, but I also occasionally modelled for a dance magazine. I like fashion design, although I’m studying business. Travelling is a very important thing for me. Recently, someone taught me how to make music. Now I aim to be a DJ. My most awesome story ever: I had learned pro-
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Best experience in The Student Hotel: My best experience was getting to cook in the shared kitchen with my neighbours. These folks came from five different countries. Our flat’s kitchen was a regular social meeting place for well over 20 people. Special about myself: I am half Turkish, and half Austrian. I grew up in Vienna, Austria. I go to university in Manchester, UK, and I am currently on exchange here in Rotterdam. My most awesome story ever: While in Rotterdam, one night a friend and I spontaneously decided to rent a car and drive 1000 km to attend Oktoberfest in Munich. We did not regret it, except the long ride back home!
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Dimitris, 27, Greece, Masters
Anna, 27, Greece, studies Accounting & Control
Who did you spend most time with during your stay? I spent most of my time during my stay with Andreas Tsimpoukis, Nefeli, Stavros Simon, and Andrei. What was your weirdest experience in the Rotterdam hotel? I twisted my ankle for the first, and hopefully the last, time in my life, ha ha ha. Where will you be in ten years from now? I have noooooooooo idea! Hopefully I will move back to Greece! What famous person were you often told you look like? Okay you cannot laugh, but people say Sarah Jessica Parker. What do you really want to do before you die? Have you watched the movie BUCKET LIST? Yup... That’s what I want to do! What are you doing this weekend? I am going to have some beers with my friends at The Student Hotel! What’s your favourite movie? CHEAP SMOKES. What is your favourite YouTube video right now/of all time? Ahhh... This song... I APPEAR MISSING by Queens of the Stone Age. Give us your Senior Quote: Everything happens for a reason...
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Best Experience in The Student Hotel: The water is warm and the Wi-Fi connection works. The pool tables are very nice too. The many parties that take place are very cool and can be singled out as the best experience. Special about myself: I am a very honest and shy person. I like to drink beer and tequila. I play basketball and I wind surf. My most awesome story ever: My most awesome story ever starts on an island in Greece in the summer of 2007. After a very interesting multi-model trip, I arrived in Fiumicino airport, Rome. I had taken the wrong flight. What do you want to do before you die? I really want to go skydiving! What is your favourite record? At the moment, my favourite record is Thais Morell’s CANCIONEIRA. What’s your favourite movie? I don’t really watch many movies. I like to read. My favourite book is 1984 by George Orwell. What is your favourite YouTube video right now/of all time? COMO SE FALA EM CURITIBA.
Ruxandra, 22, Romania
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Agshin, 22, Azerbaijan
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Anna, 27, Greece
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Emil, 22, Azerbaijan
Anna-Sophia, 19, Germany
Allessandro, 23, Italy
ValĂŠrie, 19, The Netherlands
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Carlos, 30, Colombia 80
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Emil, 22, Azerbaijan, Commercial Law Masters
Lampros, 25, Greece
Best experience in The Student Hotel: Well, I must say I really do appreciate all the staff at The Student Hotel. I find them to be very responsible, while at the same time very kind and reliable. The service is really cool here, its best you can get for such a low price. Shout out to my homie Floris at reception! Special about myself: Well, I am a lawyer. That means that I am always trying to be well organized and speak using difficult terms and stuff like that. But at the same time, I am trying to be relaxed all the time and combine fun with my studies. My most awesome story ever: We have awesome stories for everyday here, especially after 23:00 downstairs. Can you imagine a bunch of people from different countries, some of them from really exotic countries, having drinks together downstairs in the lobby and library? In brief, we really enjoy our time here and I really feel sad about the fact that I have to move out in 2 months.
Best experience in The Student Hotel: I really liked when parties were held in The Kitchen! Special about myself: I am handsome! My most awesome story ever: Simply put, everyday life in The Student Hotel is the most awesome story that I have to tell from the last eight months.
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Alexandra, 28, Colombia, MSC International economics
Best experience in The Student Hotel: I loved eating the free croissants given by the administration during the first month. Special about myself: I am a Colombian that has lived in New York, London, Bogota, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Rotterdam. The president of Colombia mentioned me as a good example for Colombian youth in a public speech. My most awesome story ever: I found my love while living at The Student Hotel. I went to the nearest Albert Heijn to get some groceries and I did not understand anything because all
the labels were in dutch, so I decided to ask a local to translate a label for me. I also asked him out. I wanted a Dutch friend, he wanted something more. It turned out to be my best relationship ever. I love my Dutch.
Doyin Shi, 20, Korea
Best Experience in The Student Hotel: The first day house warming party. Special about myself: I have a secret super power. I am from Korea, I lived in Hungary for 8 years then I moved to the Netherlands. I have relatives Page 86 in North Korea that I’ve never heard from. My most awesome story ever: I got drunk and went into a private park with a bunch of friends, then we swam in the fountain to catch Jason, 20, Germany/USA, Bachelor fish. When private guards came out, we ran to a cinema soaking wet and Best experience in The Student Hotel: yeah, we, a bunch of drunk people, Our university program once had a watched TWILIGHT at midnight. party in The Kitchen, after it was over we all gathered in the game room, had drinks and played pool and table football. It was a lot of fun hanging out with my friends and meeting new people. Special about myself: In my gap year, I decided to go Oliver, 26, Austria, studies Marketing to Spain for three weeks and walk on the Camino de Santiago (St. James’ What were you doing ten years ago? Way). I walked 430 km from Leon Ten years ago I was working for to Finisterra. I went by myself, but InterRail. What famous person were I met a lot of amazing people along you often told you look like? I am told the way. My most awesome story ever: that I look like the Argentine football A friend of mine lived in a house that star Lionel Messi. What do you really his parents were planning on tearwant to do before you die? Before I die? ing down in order to build a new one. I want to make a difference in this Before they did so, we had a party world. What are you doing this weekin the empty house. The result was end? Enjoying the city with some old a completely fucked up house, full of friends of mine. What’s your favourite graffiti, windows and doors broken movie? THE ROCK. Which era in time and missing, one person even went would you like to have lived? Right wild with a fire extinguisher they now or in the near future. found. I don’t recall the number of times the cops showed up... 82
Ramazan, 29, Azerbaijan
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Nick, 26,Greece Lampros, 25, Greece Eleni, 23,Greece
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Ifigeneia, 24, Greece
Anna, 27, Greece Alexandra, 28, Colombia
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Winnie, 27, The Netherlands
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Nick, 26, Greece
Lisa, 19, Austria
Jason, 20, USA
Kemal, 22, Austria
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Vasilis, 24, Greece Dominyka, 23, Lithuania
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The Student Hotel Behind the Scenes
This is our first yearbook for The Student Hotel. Like so many other things this year, this was a first, a premiere, an experiment, a pilot if you like. The idea for the yearbook was born during a visit to Art Rotterdam. We had been looking for a medium that would document and reflect the first year of us being in Rotterdam. How could we share our gratitude for the incredible energy and fun that we had experienced working with, and for, the 250 students that had decided to stay with us? The yearbook concept — that quintessentially American high school tradition powered by nostalgia, friendships, hope, and hormones — seemed to be a perfect format. What better way to integrate personal anecdotes and portrait photography than this? Beloved and ridiculed, the yearbook concept enabled and challenged us to create a fresh and authentic interpretation of the phenomenon. We decided to do so with young photographers, designers, and, of course, the students themselves. What does the result tell us about community of 250 individuals that stayed at The Student Hotel Rotterdam this past year? Confidence and comfort are two words that come to mind. The portraits show people that have trust in themselves, and confidence in the life that lays ahead of them. They seem to feel comfortable with the place that they called home for a year, and comfortable with the people that they are surrounded by. Many visitors to The Student Hotel have told us that they felt they could meet the world here. We believe that is true because we saw and did it everyday. You meet the world at The Student Hotel. Thank you to Eva van het Loo, Maarten Boswijk, Zahra Reijs, Bart de Baets, Zach Serrins, Kai van Hasselt — and all students that made this delightful document what it is. On behalf of The Student Hotel Team,
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Frank Uffen Marketing & Partnerships
Epilogue
The oldest resident of The Student Hotel Rotterdam was born in 1975. The youngest residents were born in 1994. These 18 and 19 year olds make up the largest part of The Student Hotel’s population. Residents born in... 1975: 1 resident 1976: 2 residents 1978: 1 resident 1981: 3 residents 1982: 4 residents 1983: 1 resident 1984: 6 residents 1985: 5 residents 1986: 16 residents 1987: 27 residents 1988: 31 residents 1989: 27 residents 1990: 24 residents 1991: 13 residents 1992: 29 residents 1993: 30 residents 1994: 41 residents In 2012/13 a remarkable amount of The Student Hotel’s residents were Greek (51 of them). The second largest group represented were the Germans (29), followed by the Dutch (22). Besides these, The Student Hotels provides housing to: 21 Italian residents 15 Indonesian residents 10 French residents 8 Portuguese residents 6 American residents 6 British residents 6 Romanian residents 6 Chinese residents 5 Russian residents 4 Swiss residents 4 Spanish residents 4 South Korean residents 4 Azerbaijani residents 4 Swedish residents 3 Belgian residents 3 Czech residents 3 Indian residents
3 Brazilian residents 3 Colombian residents 3 Lithuanian residents 2 Cypriot residents 2 Polish residents 2 Mexican residents 2 Austrian residents 2 Finnish residents 2 Ukrainian residents 2 Japanese residents 1 Canadian resident 1 Vietnamese resident 1 Slovakian resident 1 Surinamese resident 1 Bulgarian resident 1 Moroccan resident 1 Thai resident 1 Aruban resident 1 Kiwi resident 1 Iranian resident 1 Iraqi resident 1 Australian resident 1 Egyptian resident 1 Kenyan resident 1 Norwegian resident 1 Slovenian resident 1 Turkish resident 1 Kazakh resident 1 Hungarian resident 1 El Salvadorian resident 1 Luxembourger resident 1 Croatian resident 1 Ecuadorian resident
The Hard Facts
Residents at The Student Hotel study Bachelors, Masters, and PhD level... Medical Studies, Global History, Economics, Business, International Business Administration, Corporate Law, Maritime Law, Health Economics, Policy Law, Public Management, Public Policy, Accounting & Control, Marketing, Finance, Commercial Law, International Business, Business Administration, General Law, Contemporary Dance The marketing & booking offices received and sent an average of 89 emails per day. Every day about 400 people visit the website of The Student Hotel. The Kitchen served 4985 coffees in the first month Students used the equivalent of 5 Olympic swimming pools of water for showers. The Student Hotel Rotterdam used 1,620,000 Megabytes of bandwidth on the internet per day Students used the equivalent of 5 Olympic swimming pools of water for showers. This is equal to 213,000 ten minute showers
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Headquarter Offices, City Living Group Amsterdam
Headquarter Offices, City Living Group Amsterdam
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Marketing & Booking Offices, Amsterdam
Marketing & Booking Offices, Amsterdam
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Biographies Maarten Boswijk (1988, Rotterdam) received his BA in Documentary Photography from the Utrecht School of the Arts (Hku) in 2012. His projects are often self-published in book form, and his work was recently selected for NEW Dutch Photography Talent 2013. He participated in a number of group shows, and projects. Among them is the Foto-Naarden Festival in 2013. He works on assignments next to his own documentary practice. He received an Honourable Mention at the Dutch Photo Annual Awards in 2013. Eva van het Loo (1990, Lelystad) graduated at the Artez art academy in Zwolle in 2011. She developed her own photographic language and depicts stories from her personal world and experiences. She often works with non-professional models; dresses them up, and does their makeup to (re)create or reference particular situations. Next to her photography work, she self-publishes magazines and make small publications. Zahra Reijs (1992, Rotterdam) is a young photographer, working and living in Rotterdam. She studied at the Amsterdam Photo Academy. Her work was shown in a number of underground magazines and she works within different contexts in the photography world. Her photography features contemporary urban landscapes, social scenes, portraiture, and fashion shoots. In 2012 she had a solo exhibition at the Opperclaes platform for young contemporary art in Rotterdam.
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Colophon The Student Hotel Yearbook, Rotterdam 2012/13 A book by The Student Hotel, June 2013 Photography Eva van het Loo, Maarten Boswijk, Zahra Reijs Production Kai van Hasselt, Shinsekai Analysis Editor Zachary Serrins Graphic Design Bart de Baets, assisted by Rustan Sรถderling Printing Drukkerij Mart Spruijt, Amsterdam
Credits
The Student Hotel is proud sponsor of the Erasmus Rugby Seven
The Student Hotel Yearbook, Rotterdam 2012/13
Lampros, Viral, Pedro Rafael, Thekla, Diego, Theodora Beatrix, and Paul.
Takia, Daniel, Christina, Leonard, Azer, Joana, Konstantinos, Davide, Vladislav, Mikelic, Anne-Fleur, Adinda, Joanne, Domagoj, Bernardo, Karan Bahadur, Ramadhani, Maya,