They decided to skip sports day. The group 72 participants had had enough of the rain, so they came up with an activity of their own instead: a ‘treasure hunt’ in the Bijenkorf. The challenge was to pair up and find the ugliest item and the most expensive item, which caused much merriment among the freshers. Brechtje says proudly: “I was the one who found the most expensive item; an 85,000 euro bracelet. The assistant got it out of the safe especially for us so we could take a photo of me wearing it.” Her face beams as she shows the photo of what is clearly a valuable piece of jewellery.
We are in the Vegan Junkfood Bar on Schiedamse Vest, where the group are licking their lips in anticipation of what cocktails with names like ‘Tipsy Unicorn’ will taste like. Delicious, as it turns out, while they cheerfully chat about anything and everything. They talk about how some members of the group aren’t around so often and how that’s a real shame (“because they are really nice people”), which area of medicine they think they’ll enjoy, finding a house in Rotterdam and that they will definitely have to organise a reunion after Eurekaweek.
Is it karaoke?
After the meal, it’s time to head on to the Night of the Songs, where there’s slight chaos at the door. The stressed guide Anouk says: “Anne-Sophie’s QR code expires in seven minutes, so I’m trying to get hold of her to ask if she’s here yet.” Eventually, everyone arrives within the time limit and group 72 looks for a place in the stand. No one’s sure about what they’re supposed to do. “Is it karaoke?”, asks Brechtje.
However, as soon as the band starts playing The Pointer Sisters’ hit ‘I’m So Excited’ and the lyrics start rolling, everyone joins in with the singing. In fact, it does turn out to be karaoke when a frenetic presenter pushes a microphone in Brechtje’s face, much to the group’s amusement. After the speeches by the Eurekaweek committee, the group was just about to leave when suddenly there was an announcement that there was still half an hour to go. During that half-hour, everyone appeared to forget the measures, and all the participants danced their hearts out in the aisles.
Completely dead
Later in the evening, I met the group on the terrace of De Beurs bar, which they’ve descended on after an enthusiastic game of laser tag. A small group went on to the after-party that their guide Thom had picked out. From the smell, it’s clear that this is not the first party to be thrown at the student house in question, and there’s a great atmosphere. During a drinking game, the last remaining members of group 72 attempt to sum up Eurekaweek. Guide Anouk feels like ‘a proud mother’, while Koen and Lucas come up with the slogan ‘fun and a resounding success’. Anne-Sophie rounds off with a description that is actually written all over everyone’s faces: “I’m completely dead, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”
