“We think it is irresponsible to go ahead with this,” stated Chairman Guido van Winden, who emphasised that the situation is not the same for all associations. “The association housing plays a really important role for us. We are expecting 750 sleepovers during Eurekaweek and that’s no longer possible.”
Rotterdam introduction week participants are still welcome to register for the city’s oldest student association at their building. The association still has all kinds of online activities in store for the new cohort of students.
Van Winden confirmed that the initiation period with the association itself will continue. He did not want to clarify the extent to which the initiation period will differ this year to previous years, although he gave assurance that all activities will be ‘corona proof’.
Permit
Until now, RSC/RVSV is the only large student association to cancel activities during Eurekaweek. According to Chair Merel van Lunen, from the Rotterdamse Kamer van Verenigingen (RKvV) (umbrella body of the five student associations), the other associations are in ‘continuous discussion’ about the current situation.
Some 32 Rotterdam students have recently been infected with the coronavirus. On Tuesday, some fifty students joined the launch of the campaign ‘Students against corona’. The student community aims to use the campaign to show Rotterdam, and Mayor Aboutaleb in particular, that they are taking the coronavirus epidemic seriously and are adhering to the rules. The number of infections during the coming days will play a key role in Aboutaleb’s decision to award a permit to Eurekaweek.
