What sets Generation Z apart from other generations? What drives today’s youth, and what keeps them awake at night? No one can tell us better than Gen Z themselves. That's why we are portraying 24 students from Radboud University. In this episode: Amy Ajibola (21), Law and Economics student, is President of student association Carolus Magnus.

‘Sustainability and student wellbeing. Those are the two biggest challenges facing our association these days. Regarding the former, the main question is how to make our association building on Hertogstraat more sustainable. For example, we would like to use green energy and insulate the building. We’ve also had a cup rinsing system for some time now, which means we no longer have to throw away plastic cups every day.

Student wellbeing is also a priority. These days, there is much more talk about social problems than in the past. Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, when many students were stuck inside and feeling lonely. Especially within a student association, you can very easily connect with like-minded people.

We are like one big family, where you are all in the same bubble, and you talk to each other. Everyone knows each other, so there is a lot of social control, which is partly why we haven’t had any excesses, unlike elsewhere in the country. That sense of cohesion is hard to explain to the outside world; you really have to experience it first-hand.

We’ve appointed a couple of senior students as confidential advisors. You can contact them not only when something goes wrong, but also when you’re just not feeling well. It’s easier to approach someone at your association than to go to a psychologist.

The younger generation is very active online. That is where they make friends, and where communication takes place, but they’re increasingly losing the ability to make friends in real life. That is something we still find very important: in-person contact at the association.’