{"id":117383,"date":"2020-09-03T13:17:26","date_gmt":"2020-09-03T11:17:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=117383"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:02","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:02","slug":"esn-tuesdays-where-else-would-you-go-on-a-tuesday","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/09\/03\/esn-tuesdays-where-else-would-you-go-on-a-tuesday\/","title":{"rendered":"ESN Tuesdays: ‘Where else would you go on a Tuesday?\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

“IDs please, ladies.” Then a little later – “Ah, Italian!” The girl smiles at the doorman without saying anything back. There is already a queue at the door of Caf\u00e9 de Beurs, where the first ESN Tuesdays social event of the academic year has just got off to a start. The outdoor terrace is also teeming with people. There are groups of students sitting at large tables playing cards or other games; shot glasses can be seen almost everywhere.<\/p>\n

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTara Lewis<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

\u201cWe found it hard to think of anything that would be fun given that you\u2019ve got to sit at your table all evening. We ended up with a lot of drinking games\u201d, explains ESN board member Hanneke van der Meer (21, Econometrics). She is delighted with the turnout. \u201cI am really happy that there is a queue. We will be trying to do a lot of offline events in September. The nice thing about ESN is that everyone is always welcome, and besides, where else would you go on a Tuesday? Here people can have a drink in a safe way. Luckily the security staff is very strict.\u201d<\/p>\n

Making friends<\/h2>

ESN is something between a study and a student association and falls under the auspices of the International Office. \u201cWe are primarily there for international students, but in practice plenty of Dutch students come to our events as well\u201d, says ESN president Rolland Masebu (24, Public Administration).<\/p>\n

Three years ago, Rolland also turned up at exactly the same start-of-the-academic year ESN drinks night. \u201cIt was literally my first day at university too. I had looked on the internet to find out what to do and came here by myself that evening. I immediately made friends in the queue. I can\u2019t quite recall if it was a fun night, but I think it was. I wouldn\u2019t have come back otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

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ESN president Rolland Masebu<\/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\tTara Lewis<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Getting to meet new people was also the most important incentive for him to join the association. \u201cESN makes that easier. I came to the Netherlands from Tanzania when I was 13 years old. It wasn\u2019t easy making friends. International students all come here on their own and don\u2019t know how to do that at first. So, we help them make friends. When we see someone coming in alone, we talk to them right away and seat them at a table.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018International students all come here on their own and don\u2019t know how to make friends at first. So, we help them make friends.\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Game of whispers<\/h2>

Around him, this seems to be working just fine. Various groups sidle up to each other because everyone must remain seated, in line with the corona rules. They mainly play cards and have a few drinks. \u201cPeople are happy; they\u2019re drinking. Drinks are cheaper here than anywhere else in the city.\u201d By ten o\u2019clock, the queue in front of the door stretches as far as the pedestrian crossing. Talk Dirty<\/em> by Jason Derulo booms through the speakers. Behind Rolland, a board member just knocked down a Jenga tower. \u201cNow you\u2019ve got to take a swig Tamara!\u201d<\/p>\n

Laminated A4\u2019s are lying around on the tables. They feature suggestions for games, like whispering into someone\u2019s ear a question about the company they find themselves in. The answer is always the name of someone else at the table. If that person wants to hear the question, they have to take another swig of their drink. \u201cIt has to be a bit of a bold question because, after all, we are all students. Except that we recommend that you type a question on your phone instead of whispering because of corona\u201d, Rolland stresses. There is no dancing either for that very same reason. \u201cNo, no dancing, otherwise people will start touching each other. Or at least try not to grab hold of each other. But it is difficult to keep your distance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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International students Malvika, Liza and Hansi<\/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\tTara Lewis<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Meanwhile, it is full inside as well. Hansi (21, Economy, Sri Lanka) is sitting at a table with two of her girlfriends. \u201cI am not a fan of going out like this. But given the circumstances, this is the best we can do. I came mainly out of curiosity, not because I expected it would turn out to be fun.\u201d Fellow student Liza (22, Russia) doesn\u2019t even like ESN Tuesdays. \u201cIt\u2019s not really my vibe. All of them are students who get drunk, which could be fun in itself, but all they do here is spill their drinks on you.\u201d Malvika (21, India): \u201cI came here almost every week in my second year, but hardly ever anymore nowadays. For me, ESN Tuesdays is about getting drunk and not remembering anything the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other kinds of conversations<\/h2>

One table away, a group of Dutch students has just arrived. Luc (21, International Business Administration) thinks it\u2019s \u2018one of the best nights out in times of corona\u2019. He says: \u201cIf I hazard a guess about what this evening might have been like on a regular ESN Tuesday, then I think it\u2019s my loss that I\u2019ve never been before.\u201d He actually does not miss dancing. \u201cI miss standing and socializing with other people more.\u201d People? \u201cMy girlfriend appreciates it when I say \u2018people\u2019 instead of \u2018girls\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

His table companion Alex (22, Econometrics) has been here before. \u201cYou soon end up having other kinds of conversations with international students anyway. Because your English vocabulary is not as good as your Dutch, you tend to talk about all sorts of things pretty quickly. And they have a completely different background story than mine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Because your English vocabulary is not as good as your Dutch, you tend to talk about all sorts of things pretty quickly\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

The game of whispers is played at the initiative of a passing board member. Who is the biggest Tinder flirt? \u201cLuc \u2013 careful, she\u2019s writing that down!\u201d Who can twerk the best? \u201cWouter \u2013 should we request a song for you?\u201d<\/p>\n

As it happens, Wouter (21, Business Administration) is rather disappointed in the evening. \u201cI expected it to be a proper club. That you really were allowed to stand and stuff like that.\u201d Gijs (21, Business Administration): \u201cThis evening is basically kind of like investing. Your expectations shouldn\u2019t be too high.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The outdoor terrace is almost full during the first edition of ESN Tuesdays<\/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\tTara Lewis<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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