{"id":118384,"date":"2020-10-07T17:04:29","date_gmt":"2020-10-07T15:04:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=118384"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:25:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:25:07","slug":"students-discuss-coronavirus-lets-try-and-look-beyond-those-handful-of-illegal-house-parties","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2020\/10\/07\/students-discuss-coronavirus-lets-try-and-look-beyond-those-handful-of-illegal-house-parties\/","title":{"rendered":"Students discuss coronavirus: ‘Let\u2019s try and look beyond those handful of illegal house parties’"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the \u2018How to Survive Student Life During the Coronavirus Crisis\u2019 debate held on Monday evening, students and experts exchanged opinions on how students are experiencing these difficult times, how they think they are being treated and what could be done to improve matters. \u201cIt\u2019s a pity the media are being so negative about students, even though student societies are actually doing their best to ensure that their members comply with the restrictions.\u201d<\/span><\/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\tArie Kers<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

The university is taking the recent coronavirus restrictions very seriously, we find when we enter the event at the Erasmus Pavilion. Guests are handed hand sanitiser and face masks and are guided to the seats they have been assigned. Once inside the room, we are welcomed by the MC, Geert Maarse, as well as EUR Rector Magnificus Rutger Engels and Ron Bormans, the President of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences\u2019 Executive Board.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u2018It absolutely sucks\u2019<\/h2>

The first section of the evening is devoted to students\u2019 experiences of the last six months. \u201cThe hardest thing is not knowing what your prospects are,\u201d says Daan van Regteren, who is attending the debate on behalf of the Rotterdam Faculty Societies\u2019 Umbrella Organisation. \u201cWe have no idea what exactly we are working towards or how much longer this crisis is going to last. In my capacity as a member of my society\u2019s board, I\u2019ve found that students are demotivated by this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Daphne van den Bongardt, an educational sciences expert and sociologist affiliated with ESSB, confirms this. \u201cIt absolutely sucks to be a student right now. These are unprecedented times, for young adults and students as well as anyone else. In addition to all the restrictions that are hampering in-person teaching, work placements and graduations, the lack of social interactions is causing mental health issues. Students are at increased risk of sadness, anxiety and depression. Although they are technically able to stay in touch via Zoom, it\u2019s not the same as meeting people in person. I\u2019m seeing many signs of isolation.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Negative about students<\/h2>\n\t
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\n\t\t\u2018We can\u2019t check up on all our members all the time. What we can do is organise small-scale and safe events.\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t–<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tPita Elhorst (RSC\/RVSV)\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption>\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

The second section is devoted to the way in which students are being treated. What do students need from the university, the government and the municipal authorities? \u201cIt\u2019s a pity the media are being so negative about students,\u201d says Pita Elhorst, the president of RSC\/RVSV. \u201cMany students actually comply with the measures, in hopes of their being eased soon. Moreover, societies are being dragged into it whenever something goes wrong \u2013 for instance, when members of a society throw a house party. So we have to explain to our members that they can\u2019t do that, because we want to show the world that we are strict in this regard. But we can\u2019t check up on all our members all the time. What we can do is organise small-scale and safe events so that people are less likely to try and do it at home themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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