Name		Florian Ostmann
		Major		International Politics and History
		Year		1st
		Country		Germany
		Elected		September 2006

Dear Mercatorians,

my name is Florian Ostmann and I am an undergraduate freshman studying “International Politics and History”. I am 20 years old and was born and grew up in the city of Stuttgart in the south of Germany, where I graduated from High School in 2005.  Having enjoyed work in the student representation during High School I am happy to have the chance to contribute to community life at Jacobs University as a Member of the Student Parliament.

For me the richness of our community lies in the diversity of its members, allowing for a process of mutual learning both in and outside the classroom. To what extent we take advantage of this opportunity shall depend on us. My intention therefore is to contribute to the promotion of the conditions for our community to make the step from a multi-cultural to an inter-cultural one. That is, to promote a culture of personal encounter and intellectual exchange based on open-mindedness, respect and tolerance, a cross-cultural experience rather than only the coexistence of different cultures.

With regards to the work of the student government, I would like to encourage you to take an active role as a undergraduate student at Jacobs University. The quality of the work of the student parliament and its committees will always depend not only on the commitment of their elected members but also on the input provided by the individual student. Only if dissatisfaction with an issue is pronounced can it be effectively addressed.

Therefore, please feel free to approach me at any time with your feedback on parliament work and with your  fresh ideas or concerns about student life at Jacobs University, including your evaluation of and suggestions on the alimentation provided in the serveries. The latter will be a guideline for the work of the food committee of which I am a member.