It has been only a few weeks since Félix Takács was appointed to be the next Sports Ambassador of EOK, he already started working hard and the fruit of his work can already be seen.
Szinapszis: What motivated you to apply for the post of Sport Ambassador?
Félix Takács: For quite some time I was thinking about taking part in the university’s life in a way that has something to do with sports. This summer, around August the application for this position was announced, after going through it I realized that this could be the perfect occupation to have during my third academic year and they are looking for someone like me, so it was the perfect match. I didn’t hesitate for long, I sent my application soon after reading it, and since September I’ve been fulfilling the duties of EOK’s Sports Ambassador.
Sz: What do you exactly do as a Sports Ambassador?
F. T.: I take part in coordinating and organising all kinds of sports events at EOK and at the University. A great example is the yoga sessions every Friday morning, held by professionals. The ping-pong championship just started recently, also on every Wednesday. The next big project, starting in October, is going to be the e-sport championship. My duty is to execute these events and coordinate those helping me doing it.
Sz.: When it comes to sports at the university the first thing which usually comes into one’s mind is the Student’s Union’s Sports Committee. How come you are not working there as well?
F. T.: This is a really good question! Luckily we have a really good relationship with the Media and Communication Committees and we work closely together. They help us greatly when it comes to execution, promotion, technical equipment, and resources. I cannot stress enough how fruitful this relationship is, and I really hope that this will stay this way and that EOK and the Student’s Union will able to work together on many projects.
Sz.: Some might think that EOK is “just” a campus. One might ask: why does EOK organise sports activities independently from the P.E. and Sports Department?
F. T.: EOK is not only a place, but it’s also an institution that brings together the different organisations working in it together. The board of directors, the director of EOK, Judit Hegedűs, and deputy director András Váczi give the logistical and infrastructural backbone to these projects. The Egészségfejlesztési Kp. organises many events by itself, however, it is a department working tightly together with EOK.
To answer your question: firstly, the organised events are not completely independent of the P.E. and Sports Department. Secondly, the students themselves “authorise” us to organise such events, we don’t intend to hold professional sporting events rather we thrive to provide events which promote sports as a leisure activity of high quality.
Sz.: Some people might say that EOK is a building where only education should take place, not sports. What do you think of this statement?
F. T.: I am not concerned that many people think like this and I think the leadership would say the same. On the contrary, feedback shows that most of the students are glad that these kinds of events take place in EOK. This way they can take a break between learning sessions, without which studying can become quite dull.
Sz.: What kind of events do you organise and what are your future plans?
F. T.: The leadership asked us to provide a wide range of programmes in EOK, so I try to organise many different ones which are also popular among students, like the upcoming e-sport tournament. We are already planning a foosball championship, I would like to bring back the popular boardgame nights which is almost a tradition now, it will start after the ping-pong championship. Other plans include a 12-hour long running session for both students and teachers. We try to organise a memorial hiking tour (as part of the Semmelweis 250 memorial year), many students would be happy to take part. Probably this will be in spring as the weather will be more suitable then.
I would like to stress that being a Sports Ambassador and having these programs have one really important goal: to bring students from different language programmes and teachers closer together. Teachers and international students are already participating in these programs, so we can say that we are successful at achieving this goal.
Sz.: Do you plan to get these programmes accredited in P. E. education?
F. T.: We have already accomplished that. With the exception of first-year students, anyone who participates regularly will get the signature for P.E. For second-year students there is one condition: they have to register for these courses in advance. Anyone who is in their third year or above these sports events are accepted as an independent sports activity.
Sz.: Studies show that physical activity has many positive effects on our health and everyday life. What aspects of these effects would you emphasise when it comes to the sports in EOK?
F. T.: Learning puts a tremendous amount of stress on us on a daily basis, so with these events, we would like to help relieve this stress, get them out of the library even if it lasts only for half an hour. Not to mention that with any physical activity one can study much more efficiently. Furthermore, students don’t have to go to Zágrábi street, they don’t have to change clothes, pack up, etc, but they can do it here, spontaneously. Personally, and I believe that I can speak on behalf of many people, I can let off steam with sports with ease. Together with the leadership, we urge everyone to take part in these events and enjoy the positive effect of sports in their everyday mental and physical health.