Here is a little information about our Committee, to help get to know us better. If there are any questions, please feel free to approach any of us.
President: Ailie Crerar
Hi! I’m Ailie, President of NSCDS, and going into my 2nd year at Edinburgh studying Swedish, Italian and EU Studies. I’ve always enjoyed ceilidh dancing, and after going to a lot of the NS events in my Freshers Week, had to join the society!! NS has given me loads of great friends and fun times, and this year you should be able to catch me in our Tuesday night Scottish Country Dancing classes, Beginners Highland, and Thursday evenings in Lutton Place. Looking forward to meeting you! xxx
Vice-President: Abdelhamid Alhassi
I am a 3rd year PhD student, studying communication engineering , I joined NS when I came here so about 3 years ago. NS was my escape from studying .. I love the people there and they make me feel like home .. it is the first time I’m staying in a place without having to call my mom crying because I want to go back .. I have never actually done any dancing before, and I never thought that I like dancing. But after being in NS, I became addicted to dancing, 5 hours a week at least!!! I now I do step and country. You can just play around , enjoy yourself meet loads of new people , either from Edinburgh or from all around the world, and they have bagpipes, I love bagpipes, they are the first thing I listen to in the morning.
Treasurer: Alastair Mackie
Hi there! I’m Alastair, treasurer of New Scotland. It’s my job to handle all the society’s money. Please make my life easier by paying promptly, otherwise I will have to hunt you down. I generally don’t do this very often, as I am a very pleasant guy really. I am in my second year of Scottish Ethnology (yes, I am only 19. This makes me the youngest, and therefore cutest, member of the committee). Besides dancing, I’m also into folk music. You will often see me walking into the pub with my guitar to sing a song or two. Come and say hello and sing along! 
Secretary: Jan Bettgenhaeuser
I am from Germany and came to Edinburgh in 2008 to study biological sciences. In the meantime I have specialised in plant sciences and will now start my final year at Edinburgh. I joined New Scotland during my first year at university, as I really enjoyed the different activities during Freshers’ Week, especially the ceilidh. This is my second time being secretary in the New Scotland committee and I am sure you will like all the different events we are planning for the society this year. Let me know if there is anything we can do for you.
Steward: Jenny Johnson
I am studying Geophysics at the University of Edinburgh. I joined NS last year, after attending Fresher’s Weekend in New Lanark. I had fantastic fun that weekend, as I made some brilliant friends and finally felt like I was settling into university life. I had never done Scottish Country or Highland dancing before; however I have been doing ballet since I was three. Therefore any new style of dance I try my hand at usually involves a ballet twist! I hope you all enjoy your time in the society.
PR Officer: Anne Schmidt
Hi, I’m Anne and I am studying Architectural History in second year. Before coming here I had never done ceilidh dancing or any other dancing for that matter. Being dragged along to the Fresher’s Ceilidh by one of my Scottish friends, I really enjoyed dancing and joined the society. What I like the most about this dancing is that you make friends really easily because you have to find partners, if you want to or not. The openness of the society helps with that a lot. So if you fancy a try, come along. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask them!!
Fresher’s Rep: Kati Venho
I am the freshers’ (read ‘freshest’) member of the committee, an eager first-year student of Social Policy and Economics. My native land is that of sauna, “sisu” (strength/spirit) and santa claus (although we call him the ‘yule goat’), but my fascination towards other cultures is like Mary Poppins’ bag. With New Scotland I’m killing two birds with one stone – don’t think I’m some sort of a vulgar bird killer, I love birds… – because apart from enjoying one of the best things Scottish culture has to offer, I get to do it in the most international crowd. Loving to dance, play and have a good laugh, I find New Scotland the ideal society. Therefore, I am very enthusiastic about keeping it that way and perhaps even making it better (if possible), so if you have any doubts, worries, ideas or a joke you’d like to share, I’m your man (not literally)! p.s. I’m from Finland, if you’re wondering..
Ordinary Members:
Ulrike Werner
I am not at uni anymore, but a fully grown up (not), working person. Therefore you probably won’t find me around the university buildings. I originally joined New Scotland to learn Step and Highland dancing, but found out I’m too clumsy for either and gave the up pretty quickly. I did stick to Country dancing though, which is the only dancing I ever managed to do and enjoy. I love the socializing in New Scotland, the away events like Freshers’ Weekend, IVFDF, dances at other universities, the countless parties, etc…
Zoe Sawitzki
I am studying Biology in my fourth year at the University of Edinburgh. Before I moved here, I had never heard of Scottish Country Dance or this weird thing they call Ceilidh, but a friend said I should check it out. So I did, and I didn’t regret it: I have been dancing all kinds of dances since I was little, and Scottish Country is by far the most enjoyable, funny, social and energetic kind of dance I have ever tried. For me, New Scotland is the place to dance, have fun and spend time with great friends.
Lucie Robertson
Hello, I’m Lucie and now in my 4th year Structural Engineering. I’m both scottish and french, having grown up in Luxembourg. Complicated I know but that’s the way it is!
I joined New Scotland in my first year at the freshers’ fair. I’d already decided that I wanted to learn country dancing properly and don’t regret a single moment! Knowing what you’re doing just means that you can add extra twiddles and have even more fun, and the people in the society are all great!
This is my first year on committee, as ordinary member, and if there’s anything I can help you with give me a shout!
Daniel Franzen
I am Daniel and I’m studying Computer Science in Aachen (Germany) and here in Edinburgh in a joined degree program. Due to this program I’m happy to spend my second year of Masters in this wonderful city.
I did ballroom dancing before and, since I had my first Ceilidh in the Fresher’s week, I got to love Scottish Dancing more and more and the second step (after enjoying the first ceilidh) in this progression has been to join this Society. I found a lot of international and very friendly people there and even more fun than I expected. Another good by-product of this society is that I have a reason to wear my kilt.
I’m looking forward to help, if needed, or “just” to get to know you, otherwise.