Alise Luīze Bērziņa’s first month as RSU SP Chairperson has passed by in a flash

Alise Luīze Bērziņa is a 3rd-year medical student. She joined the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Student Union (Studējošo pašpārvalde, SP) two years ago, when she was elected as a student representative for the RSU Senate. Later, Alise Luīze (pictured) became the head of academic affairs on the RSU SP board, and since 1 January 2024, she has been the union’s chairperson. ‘Alongside these positions, I have been a student representative in various committees, as well as an activist and organiser of various RSU SP activities,’ she adds.

September 2023. Photo: Valters Kārklis

Why are you involved in the student union?

I think RSU SP is an excellent place to gain knowledge and soft skills outside the study process that will be useful in different situations in life.

RSU SP is a place where you can meet like-minded people, who strive for common goals with motivation, dedication, and a passion for organising events, as well as deal with different issues and situations. The RSU SP is therefore a place where you can gain useful knowledge, colleagues, and close friends.

Describe how this year has started for you as the chairperson of the RSU SP.

I have been in this position for over a month, but the time has flown by! I can truly say that I am very fortunate with my team. We have always shared the same opinion or vision on different topics and issues. Of course, it is not the case that everybody has the same opinion, but through discussion we always manage to come to one solution that we think is the best and that is acceptable to everybody in the team. All in all, this month could be described as very interesting, busy, and empowering.

What current concerns RSU students?

Currently, the biggest concern we have seen among students is about the how exams will be organised in the spring semester. We are moving to on-site exams only, there are questions about various organisational details and processes, but I believe that after the first months of the new semester, this concern will subside and students will get used to the changes.

We are also receiving questions about this year’s International Student Conference (ISC) that will take place in March, where not only RSU students, but also students from other Latvian and international universities will present their papers.

The RSU SP 2024 board and administrators. In the centre – Alise Luīze Bērziņa. Photo: Valters Kārklis

What are the most important plans you have for the RSU SP in 2024?

This year, we will put a strong emphasis on internal sustainability, meaning that we will evaluate the effectiveness of our activities and work.

We will focus on attracting new members to the board and continue to build our successful cooperation with the RSU International Student Association (ISA).

Do you use both your names in everyday life, or just your first – Alise?

Until I started working for the RSU SP as the head of academic affairs, I only used my first name, but as there were three other members called Alise and three called Luīze in the 2023 board, my colleagues started using both names, so now I respond to both Alise and Luīze.

Why did you choose to study medicine?

I found medicine interesting at various career days and study exhibitions, even in primary school, but at the time I was scared of the long study time. Perhaps the long duration of studies was the reason why I chose a class with a public relations focus in secondary school, and I was convinced that I would be a PR specialist in the future. The choice to study medicine came relatively late, at the end of the 11th grade, when I realised that public relations was not my field. I then decided to prepare seriously for the tests and exams to enter the medical programme.

RSU SP strategic seminar in 2022. From the left: Elizabete Maija Liepa, chairperson in 2023, Alise Luīze Bērziņa, current chairperson. Photo from the RSU SP archive

What has been the most challenging part of your medical studies so far?

Probably the most challenging is getting through those study weeks where there are several exams with short breaks between them, as well as the days after these exams. It is difficult to get back into a normal routine after several sleepless nights in a row. At the same time, however, I look back at these moments in a positive way, because every time we study with our fellow students for several nights in a row, we create memories and interesting stories about how we prepared for these exams.

Do medical students have to learn a lot by heart, and how useful is it?

There are things that you will need to memorise, of course, like terminology, the names of drugs, and so on, but I think it is much more valuable for future doctors to learn by understanding. Instead of memorising processes that occur in the human body, it is much more useful to understand the mechanisms of why these processes occur. As a result, it is easier to add more and deeper knowledge to the existing information and understanding in later study courses.

Alise Luīze Bērziņa and Arvis Pauliņš at the talent show during the sports and active recreation days Taurenis in 2023. Photo from the RSU SP archive

How do you recharge?

Folk dancing has been my source of energy for as long as I can remember. I am currently dancing in the folkdance ensemble Teiksma. Strange as it may seem, I feel a burst of energy to study and work after every rehearsal even though I am physically tired. I believe that my fantastic dance partners have a significant impact on my energy levels, as their positive emotions in rehearsals help me forget about everyday stress and regain energy for upcoming tasks.

Seven quick questions

1. A film you’d like to watch again. 
   The Italian Job (2003, dir: F. Gary Gray)
2. What do you like to do?
   Dance.
3. If you were offered the opportunity to skydive, would you take it?
   Yes, absolutely!
4. What would you like to learn?
   To cook an excellent steak.
5. What are you best at?
   Finding positives in a bad situation.
6. What don't you like?
   Traffic jams.
7. What is worth worrying about in this life?
   It’s OK to worry for your loved ones, to care for their health and well-being.

The new RSU SP board:

• Chairperson: Alise Luīze Bērziņa
• Head of Academic Affairs: Rihards Irbe (Faculty of Social Sciences, 1st year)
• Deputy Head of Academic Affairs: Andris Uplejs (Faculty of Medicine, 2nd year)
• Head of External Affairs: Luīze Monta Remese (Faculty of Medicine, 2nd year)
• Head of Internal Cooperation and Human Resources: Amanda Elizabete Dūrēja (Faculty of Medicine, 2nd year)
• Head of Communications: Anete Aleksandrova (Faculty of Social Sciences, 2nd year)
• Deputy Head of Communications: Arta Adrija Kerna (Faculty of Social Sciences, 1st year)
• Head of Culture and Sports: Ieva Veipa (Faculty of Medicine, 4th year)
• Head of Social Affairs: Luīze Driķīte (Faculty of Medicine, 3rd year)
• Head of International Affairs: Karlīna Emīlija Melberga (Faculty of Medicine, 2nd year)
• Head of Science: Annija Līga Legzdiņa (Faculty of Medicine, 2nd year)
• Deputy Head of Science: Sandis Bulduris (Faculty of Medicine, 2nd year)

The RSU SP is open to all students and consists of activists, a council, and a board. The RSU SP has 36 members that are elected by RSU students for one year. The board consists of nine members, three deputies, and a chairperson. The board is elected for one year by the members of the council, considering the applications sent for the board positions. The council holds the decision-making power and the board has executive power. The symbol of the RSU SP is a horseshoe.