“Psychosocial factors play a role in study success”
VSETH has elected its new president, with Luca Dahle (23) from the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering chosen to succeed Thierry Hörmann. Coming to his new role as VSETH president in the midst of a pandemic, Dahle would like to raise awareness of the issue of student mental health.
Back in spring 2018, students at ETH Zurich used images to form the number “500” on the Polyterrasse, in an event held to protest against the ETH Board’s plans to raise tuition fees by this amount. One of the students leading this protest comprising some 400 ETH students was 23-year-old mechanical and process engineering student Luca Dahle, who was already busy campaigning for students’ rights back then. “This political act was a key moment for me, showing me that each and every one of us can make a difference,” he says.
AMIV as a springboard
At the time of the protests, he was a member of the Academic Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Association (AMIV). Following his election as president of AMIV in 2019, one thing led to another and he was appointed the new VSETH president on 21 September of this year. Without the experience gained as president of AMIV, however, he would never have had the confidence to stand for election as president of VSETH. The 23-year-old will now spend a year focusing on students’ concerns in his new role, putting his Master’s degree on hold for two semesters.
An early fascination for politics
His interest in politics began long before his involvement in the AMIV – the German-born Dahle says it was a subject that fascinated him as a child. “We often talked about political topics at the dinner table at home, and I soon realised I wanted to contribute to the discussion,” he remembers. For him, politics is not just about the fate of the individual, but also about how we want to live together as a society.
Despite his interest, however, university politics was by no means on his radar when he first started his studies. On the contrary – he had the impression it was boring and stuffy, and certainly never expected to become involved. He soon realised, however, that he was in fact fascinated by political topics concerning ETH. He enjoyed the work as part of AMIV’s board and appreciated the contact with different kinds of people. “I had no idea that university politics could be so much fun,” remarks Dahle. He even goes as far as to say that his involvement in the student association is his “biggest hobby”.
Strengthening ties between VSETH and the subject associations
“You don’t become VSETH president if you don’t want to make a difference in university politics,” says Dahle. The association’s culture is an aspect that is particularly important to him – and one that he believes stands and falls with the president. He wants to create an environment where volunteers are happy to come and work, and where everyone feels they can make a contribution. His goal is to strengthen the ties between VSETH and the subject associations, which are even closer to the students themselves. Integration and close collaboration are the keywords here.
Accommodating the needs and expectations of 16 very different departments is no mean feat. “It’s important for me as president to be aware of the issues affecting the subject associations, which is why I insist on direct personal contact. It doesn’t have to be a formal affair – sometimes a chat over a beer is enough.” He has already spent time meeting several of the association presidents in person and talking to them about their concerns. The benefit of his experience is that he is able to relate the perspectives of these associations to those of VSETH.
Mental wellbeing is key
Dahle has become president at an extraordinary time and he would now like to use this as an opportunity: “I would like to tackle issues that could not have been tackled before – combined with a preventive approach.” He is referring to issues such as a focus on students’ psychosocial health, and promoting a discussion of mental wellbeing: “Psychosocial factors play a leading role in study success.” He would like to find resources and ways of reducing pressure on students – particularly in response to crises such as the current one, and in the run-up to exam periods. He experienced stressful situations first-hand when the first lockdown was imminent and he was forced to handle feelings of uncertainty and isolation.
Studying at an internationally renowned elite university such as ETH can place huge pressure on students to perform, he says. Dahle realised this during his Bachelor’s degree:
“For me, studying is the best time of my life, but only after I had decided my health and wellbeing come first.”Luca Dahle, new president of VSETH
Finding a balance between study and leisure is an art in its own right. As president of VSETH, he wants to highlight different ways of handling high-pressure situations and making contact with like-minded people. However, it is difficult to develop contact with fellow students during a pandemic. Lectures are held mainly online, and there are almost no events where students can make new friends, he says. This is precisely why VSETH is trying to offer students coronavirus-compliant events and to talk about their mental health. His advice to all students: “Keep on going until the end of the semester, despite coronavirus. It will all be worthwhile!”
The impact of the pandemic on association culture
With the lack of events having an additional effect on association culture, the VSETH president believes that community spirit may suffer: “The danger is that members will leave because they don’t feel the same attachment to the association without the events.” The pandemic is making it difficult for VSETH to fulfil its intended purpose – to offer a platform for students and to bring them together at events.
Despite the current difficult situation, Dahle is convinced that everyone can make their own contribution to shaping university policy. This is an aspect that continues to fascinate him: “I enjoy thinking back to that moment on the Polyterrasse, when I felt I was part of something bigger.” This is the kind of feeling, he says, that motivates him to keep on working to promote student wellbeing.