Join our competition and become a DUB columnist

The competition was established in 2012 and has become a tradition thanks to the many original and talented students and staff who participated over the years. Would you like to participate in this year's edition? Please check the bottom of this page for more information, or click here. If you're looking for some inspiration, look no further than the winners of the latest editions. 

2025: Bastiaen Huijnen and Tara Neary

Bastiaen and Tara won the Campus Columnists 2025 title. Bastiaen writes for the Dutch site, and Tara writes for the English site. Photo: DUB

‘My aim as campus columnist is to take a stand and highlight relevant issues for the university.’

Bastiaen Huijnen convinced the jury with his nominated column, The Romanticised Cigarette. In the column, he describes the cigarette as a cultural icon and shares how he put an end to his own brief smoker phase after contracting long Covid.

After studying law, Bastiaen went for a master's degree in Legal Research. To further his knowledge of journalism, he did an internship at De Groene Amsterdammer. His desire to become a campus columnist for DUB reflects his interest in journalism. 

Read all of Bastiaen's columns (in Dutch) here.

‘I want to pay attention to the relationship between international and Dutch students.’

In her column Say a little prayer: saints, Slavic gods, and a successful fieldwork season, Tara Neary already hinted that she loves to travel. Part of her studies involved fieldwork, which was also the subject of her winning column. She vividly describes the obstacles she encountered during her fieldwork in the Czech Republic.

Tara is from Ireland and has been living in Utrecht since 2019. She completed a Master's degree at the Graduate School of Life Sciences, specialising in Environmental Biology. Her goal as a campus columnist is to observe what is happening at the university and describe what strikes her as noteworthy.

Read all of Tara's columns here.

2024: Emma Ravenhorst and Monica van de Ridder

Emma and Monica were the Campus Columnists of 2024. Emma wrote for the Dutch site and Monica for the English site. Photo: DUB

The judges chose Emma Ravenhorst for her column, The Year of ChatGPT, which explores the good and bad sides of the chatbot. The jury appreciated how she addressed this topical subject in a smooth, non-patronising style.

Emma graduated from University College Utrecht and then completed a bachelor's degree in Law. During her year as a campus columnist, Emma also studied in Cambridge for a while. In September, she started a master's degree in Legal Research at Utrecht University.

Read all of Emma's columns here.

‘I think I have a fresh perspective on Dutch university life.’

Monica van de Ridder entered the competition because she wanted to keep herself sharp by writing columns. "I'm fairly new to Utrecht University, and I think I have a fresh perspective on Dutch university life," Monica said in an interview with DUB.

That fresh perspective was also reflected in her winning column, Loneliness, in which she describes attending a lunch meeting during the National Loneliness Awareness Week. The judges appreciated how she took the reader into her emotions and thoughts. Monica grew up in the Netherlands but moved to the United States in 2015, where she worked at the University of Michigan.

Monica was supposed to write a column every three weeks, but she managed it only twice. A serious accident at home prevented her from working and writing columns. Read her story here.

Read all of Monica's columns here.

2023: Quintijn de Leng and Helen Aadnesgaard

Photo: Helen and Quintijn, the Campus Columnists of 2023. Quintijn won the title for the Dutch site, and Helen won the title for the English site. Photo: DUB

‘By writing about it, unpleasant things become entertaining, for myself and hopefully for others too.’

In his winning column, Ode to the Slacker, Quintijn de Leng describes a phenomenon familiar to many students: having to do group assignments with people who don't do their share. To secure a good grade, others must work for the freeloader. Annoying, of course, but it also has a funny side. 'Writing about it makes these unpleasant things entertaining, for myself and hopefully for others too."

The judges appreciated the column's smooth writing style and ironic, humorous approach to the subject. "The author starts a conversation about a phenomenon that is familiar to many students."

In addition to his studies in Social Geography & Urban Planning, Quintijn also completed the Descartes Honours Programme. Quintijn has just graduated with a master's in Global Urban Transformations.

Read all of Quintijn's columns here.

‘As a columnist, I can make my own voice heard and emphasise the issues that matter to me.’

In Am I Dutch Now?, Helen Aadnesgaard looks back on her move from South Africa to the Netherlands. ‘It's so strange that I found things so difficult back then, when now I feel completely at home and happy here.’

The jury greatly appreciated the light-hearted way in which Helen expressed this feeling. This exploratory attitude is also what Helen had in mind as a campus columnist. ‘I want to try out different writing styles, as I like to experiment creatively to discover my own voice. I think humour is very important. As a columnist, I can make my own voice heard and emphasise the things that matter to me.’

Helen completed a bachelor's degree in communication in South Africa and then worked in advertising. In the Netherlands, she obtained a master's degree in Gender Studies.

Read all of Helen's columns here.