The streets are very quiet this Wednesday evening. Almost too quiet for just after ten during the Eurekaweek, think cycling enforcers Sander and Ramon. Could it be the calm before the storm? Sander asks: “Where do you think we’ll see Lodewijk tonight?” The night before, they had taken the student home because he was too drunk. Believing he was heading to RSC/RVSV, the student had confidently walked exactly the wrong way, straight towards the A16 motorway.
Peak of complaints
This is the first year that enforcement officers have night shifts during the Eurekaweek until 6 am. Tuesday night was just as quiet as Monday, though early in the morning, a student provided half an hour of entertainment by telling jokes – Ramon found the situation hilarious, but the jokes themselves were quite mediocre.
Every year, the number of complaints about student nuisance peaks during the introduction week, especially in Kralingen-Oost, explained Cherif Jeffali earlier in the evening. He is a neighbourhood networker for the municipality of Rotterdam. Together with colleagues from the municipality and the police, he mans a mobile neighbourhood hub on Lusthofstraat. All topics are open for discussion, but conversations these days are steered towards students. Students are also asked if they know their neighbours. “Last year, we had a lot of complaints because the introduction coincided with the first week of school. Parents then certainly want their children to sleep well. This year, there are fewer complaints.”
Troublemakers and lurking men
The first stop of the evening is the RSC/RVSV society, Walhalla. Every Eureka day, 1,600 tickets become available and are snapped up in the blink of an eye. “We do this to control the maximum number of people inside”, says Dago from the association’s Eurekaweek committee.
It’s now 10.30 pm, and Willem Ruyslaan is gradually getting busier. The enforcers are certainly not the only ones standing on the association’s pavement. The police are patrolling, the corps has hired security guards, student stewards from the Safe Cities Foundation are present, and the association’s board is walking around addressing students.
“Honestly, if we only had to address our own members, we could handle it”, says Dago. “The extra support is especially helpful for externals. A uniform makes more of an impression then.” Externals include men who hang around to ogle at the young female students, a recurring problem according to the officers at the neighbourhood hub. The men ask students if they want a lift home, or worse. “Yesterday, a man was touching himself while following students”, says Ramon. Just before that report, the enforcers had spoken to two other students who had once experienced the same thing. Sander adds: “I’d love to catch that guy tonight.”
At student association Laurentius on Infirmeriestraat, they are also pleased with the support from the enforcers, says board member Donna, who is on sober duty this Wednesday. The enforcers stand calmly on the pavement watching how things are going at the student association. Praeses Guus comes outside to say hello and asks if they want to come in for a drink tonight. “It can be a soft drink, too.” The enforcers politely decline.
Closed is closed
Cycling along, Sander and Ramon observe their surroundings, sometimes side by side for a comment or question, then single file again. They pause on Lusthofstraat, watching students walk by and ensuring they get home safely. That seems to be the case, so they head back towards RSC/RVSV, where the queue at the door barely fits on the pavement. Once the door closes, entry is no longer possible. That moment is near, so there’s a sense of urgency. Suddenly, everyone is swiftly inside dancing to the Hermes House Band.
Residents often blame the associations when a random student screams through the street, says Ramon. “Associations really do their best to prevent nuisance. If students cause trouble, they address it themselves. They don’t want it.” Sander briefly checks around the corner to see if any students are engaging in public urination again.
“I understand that the nuisance is annoying”, says Ramon. “But we also get reports from people who don’t want students walking through their street at all. Three years ago, during the pandemic, the nuisance was much worse.” Yet emotions often still run high, the enforcers notice.
Public urination
The atmosphere slowly begins to change. Earlier in the evening, students were more subdued upon seeing uniforms; later in the night, cheeky responses come more quickly. Colleagues Rico and Malika report that someone is ‘peeing against the association’s banner’. “He got a warning and kept saying, ‘My mother works for Europe, I’m untouchable’. He couldn’t elaborate on what his mother does, too drunk”, Rico recounts.
On Oostzeedijk, Ramon slows down. Below, he sees a group of boys. One spits against windows, another knocks over bicycles and kicks them. The enforcers quickly descend via a steep path. They ask for identification. The boys are allowed to leave, but if a report is filed, they will still have to go to the police. One becomes angry. They chat with Rico afterwards. “Well, they don’t like you, Ramon. They think I’m cool though. Sorry you had to hear it from me”, he says with a wink.
After half past two, the societies are almost empty. Several days of Eureka are clearly taking their toll. “It has to be said: it’s been a very quiet Eurekaweek”, says Ramon. A police car stops near the enforcers: “Quiet night, eh”, says the woman behind the wheel. “The quietest Eurekaweek in years”, Ramon replies.
