{"id":111340,"date":"2020-03-23T12:26:51","date_gmt":"2020-03-23T11:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=111340"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:24:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:24:51","slug":"laurentius-cancels-festivities-in-march-and-april-in-response-to-outbreak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/03\/23\/laurentius-cancels-festivities-in-march-and-april-in-response-to-outbreak\/","title":{"rendered":"Laurentius cancels festivities in March and April in response to outbreak"},"content":{"rendered":"

Student association Laurentius was looking forward to a year of festivities in 2020. This academic year brings the association\u2019s 21st<\/sup> lustrum<\/em>, or five-year anniversary, but the COVID-19 outbreak has thrown a spanner in the works. The board has decided to call off its parties on 21 March and early April. A pity, according to Laurentius\u2019s Chair Tristan Gayral, but also a case of force majeure. \u201cWe\u2019re doing what we need to do, and our primary concern right now is the health of our members and others in Rotterdam.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

Laurentius during Eurekaweek 2019.<\/span><\/p>

\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFabienne Hoogendoorn<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Laurentius had parties planned for both March and April, in celebration of the association\u2019s 110th anniversary. But after the government announced its ban on large-scale assemblies of over 100 people, the association was forced to cancel the festivities. Gayral: \u201cIt is what it is \u2013 whether we like it or not. We\u2019re conferring daily to determine where to go from here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Quiet hall<\/h2>

Laurentius\u2019s members were informed of this decision via email. In addition, they were asked to stop coming together in large groups and to keep their distance from each other. \u201cWe shouldn\u2019t just be thinking about our own safety, but also keep our responsibility to society in mind,\u201d says Gayral. \u201cOur society hall is very quiet, meetings and sports events have been cancelled and we\u2019ve asked our committees and boards to exclusively communicate via email and telephone.\u201d So far, Gayral hasn\u2019t received any reports of infection among the association\u2019s members.<\/p>\n

Will the outbreak have any financial consequences for the association and its anniversary year? \u201cDevelopments are following each other so quickly that it\u2019s hard to say at this point.\u201d Likewise, Laurentius doesn\u2019t know yet whether they\u2019ll be moving the festivities back to later in the year. \u201cI don\u2019t have a crystal ball. First we need to wait and see how the situation develops and what will be financially feasible.\u201d As yet, the events planned for May \u2013 the so-called \u2018peak weeks\u2019 \u2013 will be going ahead wherever possible.<\/p>\n

Help out at the food bank<\/h2>

Still, the members of Laurentius don\u2019t have to twiddle their thumbs over the next few weeks. A number of new requests have come in at the association\u2019s charity foundation Voormekaar in connection with the corona outbreak. Among other things, the Rotterdam Food Bank has called for extra helping hands, but the association members have also been asked to support and supervise schoolchildren with their homework. Gayral: \u201cThe foundation is currently inventorying which members want to and are able to help. And of course, anyone who\u2019s healthy is welcome to contribute.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

\n\t\t\n\t\t
\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Read more<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t