Planetary Exploration Symposium Interviews: VSV board and Louis & Eddy Get ready for Airbase!
Editorial
by Victor Gutgesell
Dear readers, Spring is coming, so is the second issue of the Brake. A lot has happened in the last period. We had two holidays a semester change and much more. Whilst the first of us have their first credits of the year others have decided to not continue this study. Luckily all the members of the Brake are still here and we did our work to be able to present you this magazine again and we hope you enjoy it. No great words, no long introduction; just read and enjoy! Victor Gutgesell
Table of contents RVD Symposium: Planetary Exploration page 3 VSV Activites page 4 Airbase Preview Page 5 9 Questions to Louis & Eddy page 8 The big Brake test page 10
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Colofon Editor in chief Victor Gutgesell Brake president David de Jong Editors Bram Slangen Joeri Tober Lay-Out Rens van der Zwaard QQ-er Melchior Huijts
RVD Symposium
Planetary Exploration On March 4th another symposium organised by the space department of the VSV ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ took place in the Aula of the TU Delft. The symposium was dedicated to the future of planetary exploration and long term space flights to Mars or even beyond. The journalists of the Brake were there to report for you. When I entered the location I could immediately see what was happening. A big VSV banner to the right of the entrance and a welcome desk for the participants to the right indicated one thing - the symposium. Everything coloured in red/orange. The colour of our neighbour planet. I was late, so I took by badge and a program booklet and went straight to the lecture room where the first presentation just finished. The room was decently filled and the next speaker was just to be announced. For me the symposium started with André Kuipers’ presentation about the medical effects of space flights. It was a very good change to the every day’s engineering life to once hear about human aspects of space flight. No formula, no technical drawing, just a very broad and general lecture about the medical aspects of space flights and also his experiences in terms of medicine as an astronaut. The great Dutch hero was then followed by a presentation about our red neighbour. ‘What do we already know about the red planet?’ was the question to be answered. Talking about the latest discoveries of our satellites and how the world of science interprets them. All in all very it was informative, even though in the end the initial question could have also been answered with a simple “Not much.” After having heard about the astronomical aspects of the planet it was time to hear someone from NASA talking about their experiences with Mars. Therefore the next presentation was given
by Richard Cook (NASA JPL). He was focussing first on the history of Mars rovers and then talking about Curiosity. He explained in detail how they managed to land a 900kg rover on Mars and what that rover was doing there. Vincenzo Giorgio then presented us the ExoMars project; a European project with some Russian help. ExoMars will be the first European rover on Mars and contains to unmanned missions. After that came a presentation by Prof. Johann-Dietrich Wörner. While being very humorous he has drawn the audience’s attention to aspects of space flight which engineers tend to forget; politics. As the chairman of DLR he is in a certain way a politician and you could also see that. The way he presented was different from the others; he really knew how to talk to an audience. This made up for the political topic and his German accent. A bit disappointing in the end was the timing of the symposium. In fact all the speakers exceeded the time they were initially given in the program and so in the end there was no panel debate but just 20 minutes to ask questions. Looking at that little time there was it was rather good that not too many questions came up. All in all I must say it was a successful day for the RVD and for the VSV ‘Leonardo da Vinci’. As a study society they can be proud of having managed to organise such a symposium with so many high profile speakers. I can only recommend to everyone, who has not been there this year, go to the next space symposium. You will not regret it, even if it is just for a beer (included in the price, which is free for VSV members) in the very end.
Written by Victor Gutgesell
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VSV Activites
A short review of recent VSV-activities
by David, Joeri & Rens
Belgische Bieren Borrel Last December the Belgian Beer drink took place in sociëteit Tyhe. This edition was again very successful. Tickets were sold out in less then an hour and over 400 people showed up. The idea of the drink is that you take a beer tour through Belgium by drinking a beer from different regions in Belgium. There were a total of 9 special beers, all with a higher-than-normal percentage of alcohol. One of the first beers of the tour was the ‘gulden draak’. This beer alone contained 11% alcohol and was so thick your teeth could basically chew it. Overall the beers were very tasty and the people who actually took the complete tour were not capable of producing a normal sentence anymore. Therefore we do not really know which of the beers tasted best. We do know that it was such a success that even the fire department decided to crash the party. This may be due to the fact that the fire alarm went off repeatedly but we are not entirely sure because we took the complete tour. The evening was a succes and we can recommend everyone who was not able to get a ticket to stand earlier in line next year!
Leiden-Delft
As young boys in the ancient Mongol Empire, Genghis Kahn chose its bride when they were only six years old, the Leiden girls do something similar nowadays. Where the Mongolian boys selected their wifes on strength, the Leiden girls took intelligence and social skills as their criteria for the boys. They looked everywhere in Europe and found the most intelligent boys in Delft at the faculty of Aerospace Engineering. They also wanted the boys to have social skills and that is why they came up with the brilliant idea of inviting the boys to a party. This is a common natural process that separates the social people from the non-social people. For the Delft AE students this sounded perfect, as they could finally try the equation of success offered them in the first Brake of this year. Without doubts this party was a success. The girls choose a ‘space’ theme for the party and transformed the three levels club into an extraordinary space environment. Dressed like aliens they really wanted to impress the AE students and they did. It impressed our treasurer so much that he decided to taste three of the girls himself. One thing the AE students did forget was to dress up themselves though. We hope next year there will be another edition of the Leiden-Delft party!
Wispo During the break after the second exam period, the sporty VSV-members naturally went to high places, going on skiing holiday. With two big busses full of VSV-members present in Saint-Sorlin the holiday was one big party. Having acces to a beautiful and big skiing area, Aerospace Students trained their legs instead of their heads after a long exam period. Maybe just as exciting was what happened after skiing and snowboarding. Partying in fancy one piece suits in between the other 2000 students present in Saint-Sorlin from different countries and societies, just to wake up the next morning at 8 o’clock and do it all over again for eight days straight. Overal the week was fun and i’m sure everyone is already excited for next year.
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Airbase Preview
Just a few moments until Airbase! Once again the faculty will be transformed into a club with a capacity for over 1000 people. Students from all faculties are allowed so invite your Friends! Take out your schedule and safe the date; 14th March 2014. While you are at it take the next 2 days off too in order to recover from one of your biggest hangovers ever. More importantly don’t forget to buy your ticket beforehand under www.airbase.nl. This year the theme is “Back to Airbasics” where you will party like in the old days. Bring your best outfit from the old days and choose a proper drinking game to warm up before (see the Big Brake Test). As always the party is organized by the heroes of the airbase committee. These students started preparing for this almost six months ago and are currently working fulltime for the preparation of this massive event. They made it possible to once again have another fantastic line-up with acts like DJ PJ, Apenstreken (Live) and headliner Girls Love Dj’s. There will actually be 2 DJ’s playing at the same time in the kantine and the hall so you will have enough to choose from. See you next friday!
Curing your post airbase hangover
Because Airbase is held on a Friday you only have two days to recover from your hangover before the lectures start again. To help your body recover from this we have some pro tips for you. We found these very helpful the morning after we tested the best drinking games. One of the most helpful things is drinking a bloody mary. This drink consists of tomato juice and vodka. The vodka helps you get drunk again so you don’t notice your hangover and the tomatoes, well; they’re just there. You will need: · · · · · · ·
100ml tomato juice 50ml of vodka 10ml ounce lemon juice 1 dash of Worcestershire sauce Celery salt Ground pepper Hot pepper sauce to taste
Put the tomato juice, vodka and lemon juice in a glass. Add ice cubes and shake. After that add the seasoning and optional hot sauce. If you’re feeling hung-over again just repeat these steps until you are drunk again.
Written by David de Jong
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9 questions to...
Louis & Eddy What did you do before you came here to If you would reincarnate, what animal the faculty? would you want to be? Louis: I worked in a snack bar. This was during my education on the Anthony Fokker school. I was trained to maintain airplanes and helicopters. After this I started as an apprentice technical drawer at the faculty. I made the drawings for peripherals of the aircraft hangar and the wind tunnels. I liked the work I did but I like this work more. Working with students is something I really love. Eddy: I studied industrial product design and worked for a small engineering company. The company specialized in thermoplastic products. My task was to develop and optimize products. One thing that was made by me is a thermoplastic trash container. You can find it anywhere in Europe. Of course I made a CATIA model then. I stopped working there because it was only project management at the end. I like modelling the most so the job here suited me perfectly and it still does.
What VSV activities did you join? Louis: I haven’t joined any VSV parties for the last 40 years. It’s a shame. If there is too much smoke and noise I really feel uncomfortable. I’m claustrophobic so that makes sense. One activity I liked was the pedal car race. It was held a long time ago. The new part of the faculty wasn’t there yet. Eddy: Some afternoon I gave a performance with my band Cooper. I play bass guitar for over 22 years now in this band. We make modern punk-rock and perform all over the world. Please visit Coopers website: www.cooperhq.com.
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Louis: A cat, being lazy for the whole day, enjoying the sun and looking forward to eating a lot. You also get a lot of love being a cat. I know things like that because I’m married for 38 years which implies that I keep cats for 38 years. Eddy: I don’t want to be an animal. I want to be Eddy again but then I want two Eddy’s. I think it’s nice to talk with myself.
Are you ever getting tired of eachother? Louis: No I never get tired of Eddy. Most people think we are in one office together for the whole day, every day of the week. That’s not true. We often have several duties to fulfill at different places in the faculty. Eddy: It’s fine like this. Actually we fit each other pretty well. I like to make a mess of the office and Louis likes to keep it clean.
Louis Kram
Eddy van den Bos
Working at the TU Delft since: Fourty years
Working here since: Seven years
Function: Technical drawing teacher Favourite Airplane: Grumman F-14 Tomcat
Function: Teacher CATIA Favourite Chair: Le chaise longue (Corbusier)
If you could choose one superpower, what would it be? Eddy: It would be telekinesis. Moving objects from a distance would be amazing and I can think of a lot of funny things to do with that. Louis: I don’t want a superpower. Just give me some normal human power enough to keep me standing.
Is it ethical to design and develop jet fighters for military purpose? Eddy: In a perfect world war doesn’t exist, but that’s not possible. There will always be war, no matter how much I’m against it. I think the contribution of one person won’t change the difference between war and no war. Louis: The battle of Britain depended on airplanes. You never know what happened if they weren’t there.
Please describe each other in one sentence. Louis: Eddy is a nice colleague with a large knowledge of his discipline and with a lot of diversity. I would compare him with tasteful well smelling tobacco. Eddy: Louis is like a beacon for every student.
What to do with the surplus of rabbits in Australia? Louis and Eddy: Eat them. Louis: I really like to eat rabbits; no problems with that. But I also love animals. Animal cruelty is something I really think is terrible.
Is there one message you would tell the first year students of Aerospace Engineering? Louis and Eddy: You made the best choice by picking this study. Enjoy everything and keep balance in life.
Written by Joeri Tober 7
From Leonardo’s boardroom Last Brake we met the executive board of the VSV Leonardo da Vinci and we were surprised by the things they actually do for the students of aerospace engineering. Instead of folding paper planes and counting flyovers all day long they were busy with organizing a great symposium and making sure that the money of the society is spent well. However, the board of the VSV consists of more people. It is ladies second at aerospace engineering so in this edition of Brake an interview with the IC-Island: Michelle Jagtenberg of Internal Affairs and Yvonne Ferrier of Career Affairs. The readers of Brake know very little about your daily jobs. Can you tell them what your are doing on a normal day? Yvonne: “Actually I should start my day with laying the table. However, I always want to check my email just before our joint breakfast and therefore the other board members have to wait for me. They really like that! For the past half year I was busy with organizing the Delftse Bedrijven Dagen (DBD) which have been a succes! Now I want to focus myself on managing the Master Department. This department of the VSV helps master students aerospace engineering to find internships and information on how to contact companies to apply for a job.” Michelle: “As the commissioner for internal affairs I am responsible for a lot of committees of the VSV. Committees like the Atmosfeer management, the Barco and the Sportcie are under my supervision. Also helping organizing the annual study tour is a very important and almost daily job. During lunch breaks I almost always have a meeting with one of my committees and all these people often come into the board room to ask me questions. Answering questions is really the main task of being the commissioner of Internal Affairs.”
As a female board member, how is it like to basically live in a men world like aerospace engineering? Michelle: “Being a woman in the aerospace engineering world sometimes really helps. Most people like
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it that there are also female board members and it makes getting into contact with companies sometimes a little easier. Especially at official drinks a woman is noticed quickly between all those black suits. Now and then a sweet smile helps of course to get some extra money for the VSV.”
In general women think a little different than men do. Do the rest of the board members listen to your opinion more carefully because you are a woman? Yvonne: “Actually everyone of us is unique in one’s own way. In the beginning we all stick to our own plan but after a while everyone tracks back. After this little struggle our noses are all in the
same direction and then we can cooperate very effectively.”
The executive board said that they were the best and most useful part of the board but of course you don’t agree with that! Why is the IC-Island the best island of the VSV boardroom? Yvonne: “Well even after your last article about the mainland no one really knows what the executive board is doing all day except of talking loud and acting as being important. For us they are just handy because when we are busy with organizing nice activities they can do the administration and the other dull and easy things that are involved with it. The CEO-Island is really useful due to the fact that they bring in money for the VSV. Money that we can spend on activities and excursions.” Michelle: “There’s a saying among IC members that goes like this: ‘Let the rest go their own way, a little goofing around, and if it really matters then the IC Island intervenes!’.”
We, the editorial office of Brake, were wondering what the Barco is doing despite of wearing lousy T-shirts at the committee integration drink and consuming a lot of beer in the Atmosfeer. You, Michelle, being responsible for this committee should know that, right? “The Barco is extremely important to keep the rest of the people of the VSV enthusiastic, especially in the Atmosfeer! Drinking beer is one of the main ways to make this happen and, well, practice what you preach!”.
Last interview the executive board told a story about a spider in the board room and about you two being really scared. What is your side of the story? Yvonne: “That wasn’t funny anymore. Even you brave
and strong guys of the Brakecie would have screamed out when you would see that A380 among the spiders! Of course the mainland is making fun of us when they get a chance but after the incident they approached us for a hug. They actually wet their pants because of that creature. That’s cute right?”
Are there any personal goals you want to achieve or things you want change this year? Yvonne: “In the beginning of they year we, as the board, figured that we wanted to make the VSV more transparent and more accessible for members of our society. An example of our efforts to increase this accessibility is the Active Member Weekend in March and the committee breakfasts in the beginning of the year.” Michelle: “Personally I would like to make the Atmosphere a better society bar and let the students know that there is a really nice place to relax on Wednesday and Friday after the lectures. Everybody, member or non-member, is welcome! The Barco and the Atmosphere Management are both helping me a lot with this goal by organizing events like Shotchi and the Blauwe Pieten Avond.”
Is there something you really want to say to the readers of Brake? “Everybody has to come to Airbase 14th March! This is the party of the year, which you really don’t want to miss! Finally we would like to emphasize that you are always welcome in the VSV boardroom for a little chat but also when you have problems. Just please walk ino the room a little further than just the doorstep so that we can see you too...”
Written by Bram Slangen 9
The
Big Brake Test The drinking games you must have played The setting is simple. You are at home, relaxing with your friends but further you don’t really know what to do. Why don’t you try some drinking games? The team of the Brake has made the effort to research and compare drinking games with one another. Under strict scientific standards and the supervision of the Secretary for Educational Affairs of the VSV ‘Leonardo da Vinci’ the team of the brake has spent an evening of hard work, sweat, tears, beer and vodka to present to you the drinking games you should have played once in your life. As a matter of facts we all had better things to do that night, however decided, out of the love for our readers, to conduct a scientific experiment which has not been done yet in this form. We went to a secret testing location and developed a set of criteria, with which we wanted to evaluate the drinking games. “A good drinking game must have two things: Beer, Vodka and the opportunity to fill someone up with it” – Marc Twain Our first criterion was how easily the game could be understood and explained. We went through games with just one simple rule and games that needed a manual. We tried to compare this factor for every game and created scores from 1-10 where 1 represents the easiest level to understand and 10 the most difficult. The rules of all the drinking games presented in this article can be found on the internet. “Make every drinking gams as simple as possible, but not simpler.” – Albert Einstein Further we identified that the time spent on the game and the amount of beverages consumed were vital for its evaluation. Therefore we took count of both. It is important to also know whether a drinking game is just about the odds being in ones favour or actual skills required. Another scale from 1-10 has been introduced where 1 is pure chance and 10 pure skills. In order to keep everyone equally busy with the research (as stated in the preface of the Communist Drinking Game) we wanted to find out how good one can gain up on someone in a game. At last we gave our personal feedback on the game, noted if we liked it or not and if we have any remarks. “Never, never, never give up….drinking” – Winston Churchill Finally after endless hours of exhausting research and evaluation we reached a conclusion and the consensus over five games. “We must break free from the bourgeois chains of bad drinking games!” – Karl Marx The Brake hereby proudly presents its most favourite drinking games.
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The Communist Drinking Game
This game was most definitely one of our favourites. It had everything a good drinking game needed. Beer, vodka, treason and an ideology free from the filthy western imperialist lies. With nearly an hour of playing time, it is definitely not a game which can be played just quickly. It also takes quite a time to understand and remember all the rules, however once this has been achieved, you are ready to become a hero of socialist drinking. “One shot is disgusting, one million shots are fun” – Iosif Vissarionovich/Joseph Stalin This game was remarkable in many aspects, it does offer the chance to identify the capitalist spies in your round and make them suffer for what they are as well as, giving a true comrade the opportunity to drink for the glory of the motherland. As a remark we encourage the brave players to listen to appropriate music; like the Red Army Choir.
The game can be repeatedly played and it just needs a deck of card. It has a good balance between luck and skill, and a very good timeto-per mill ratio. It should not be played with too many people however worst case you can even play it with just 2 players and it will still be some kind of fun.
Looping Louie
Who does not know the famous children’s game? Looping Louie is not only fun from an age of 2 to 6 but also from a percentage of 20 to 50. A round takes in average not more than 5 minutes and amongst the games presented in this article it is the easiest to understand. It is definitely a must play.
Horse Race
It takes about 5 to 10 minutes and is best to be enjoyed after having had the one or other too much already. Yes, we are talking about horse race; a game, which every Russian Tsar would have loved. It includes alcohol, gambling and horses racing against each other. The amount to be drunk depends on how brave the jockeys are. The game is pure luck, however pure fun too. “Drinking is the art of making the world more beautiful” – Otto von Bismark
The Beer Pyramide
A simple however brilliant game which, dependent on the variant played, can take from 5 minutes to half an hour. Since the idea of the whole game is to make others drink, it is very simple to gain up on someone. This certain aspect is in fact so dominant over the game, that we gave it a place in this ranking. “One small shot for me, a whole bottle for you.” – Neil Alden Armstrong
The documentations of the last game have been lost. Whilst evaluating we were not able to reconstruct the events of the game, not even its name. We only know it had something to do with dices. “I am too drunk to taste this chicken” – Colonel Sanders With these famous words we wanted to express our deepest apologies and also try to give an explanation on how this happened. Sadly no one could remember what exactly we were thinking at that moment.
Written by Victor Gutgesell
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SPRING 2014 VSV Activities 12
Fri 14/03
Airbase
Tue 18/03
RVD Lunch Lecture: Edward Breeuwer - ESA Galileo
Tue 18/03
Algemene Leden Vergadering
Tue 25/03
LVD Lunch Lecture: F16 Pilot
Tue 25/03
C1A Karaoke Party
Fri 28/03
CEO interview: Lt.-Gen. Schnitger
Wed 23/04
FilAc Movie Night
Thu 24/04
WwW Easter Lunch
Wed 30/04
LVD Lecture: Dane Marolt - Global Hawk
Thu 01/05
RVD Excursion: ESA-BIC
12/05 to 16/05
Prelustrum week
Thu 15/05
FilAc Eindfeest
June
The Next Brake!