Liesbeth Delissen (52), Librarian at IEC

What was the best thing that has ever happened in your life?

“Having a little brother was really good. That was even better than having a daughter. (But don’t tell my daughter!) You don’t have the trouble, just all the fun. You don’t have to change diapers or anything. It was just the playing and that was wonderful when you’re a big sister.”

Pradeep Reddy (25), master’s student at Mechanical Engineering

Dutch food?

“Dutch food? More healthy, less tasteful.”

Marjan Reijbroeck (54), hairdresser at TU/e since 15 years

“I like to paint. I like to draw. This painting means rest. Just rest. Take a rest in time. That’s very important. A year ago now, I was busy with everything going on. Do I stay here on the campus? Is it possible to stay? Yes, no? Yes, no? And then suddenly I was working and my life was standing still. It was a blackout. It was almost my last customer. I was here, then I was there. And then I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t do anything. I just stopped. It was not that the lights went out. It wasn’t dark. It just all stood still. I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t say anything. I went to the hospital and they thought I had something in my brain. But it was that I was too busy. I was so scared. It was just too much stress. But I didn’t feel that. After that I kicked everyone out. Only my customers can come in. And I started taking lunch. Stopping for lunch. Now I take my rest. You need your rest. Even if it’s just 20 minutes. And now that I’m doing that, I feel very good.”

Hjalmar Mulders (36), university lecturer at Applied Physics

“I was lying in a hot pool in Iceland and I heard a couple bickering about a physics question. So I floated myself nearby and solved their problem. And then five years later, I was stuck in Australia because an Icelandic volcano - Eyjafjallajökull - erupted and I desperately needed a place to stay. And what do you know? This couple lived in Australia so I moved myself into their house.”

Marcella Gomez (29), applying for a PhD position at Electrical Engineering

“I like a lot girly hobbies. I took a course to do nail art and to cut hair. And I worked in a bakery, making bread by hand. And I like making jewelry. And that’s something nobody at TU/e knows. It’s something not for my classmates, but only for myself. It makes me feel like I’m a woman - that I’m not just an engineer or a machine. It lets me feel like I also have a life outside engineering. Because otherwise I would only be thinking about theoretical problems and maybe not enjoying other kinds of people. I’d only be with people who are going in the same direction as me professionally but not necessarily entirely share other ideas about life. And I like to meet all kinds of people.”

Nina Oosterhaven (23), master’s student Human-Technology Interaction

Where will you be in ten years?

“I’m just living in the moment right now.”

Sebastiaan Hooijschuur (21), bachelor’s student Industrial Engineering, board member of Industria

“Can I ask what’s on your neck?”

“Naaaaahhh. That’s from last night. From my girlfriend.”

Jacques Korten (55), Merge Healthcare, located on the TU/e campus

“I sing in a choir and we had this big event going on and there was really a lot of people looking at us. Over 1,000 people. And the applause was very, very, very rewarding.”

Mark Mietus (47), Innovation Lab, business development Energy

“We never decided to DO have kids. That’s different. Most people don’t ask. I think they think it might be uncomfortable. Because there are some people who’d like to have kids but can’t have them. So many people don’t ask about it. For me, it was never uncomfortable.”

Haoying Cheng, master’s student Innovation Science

“How old are you?”

“Um, can I keep that a secret?”