{"id":158932,"date":"2023-09-21T15:47:49","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T13:47:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=158932"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:58","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:58","slug":"since-niels-death-skadi-wants-more-than-ever-to-be-an-association-for-everyone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/09\/21\/since-niels-death-skadi-wants-more-than-ever-to-be-an-association-for-everyone\/","title":{"rendered":"Since Niels’ death, Skadi wants to be an association for everyone more than ever"},"content":{"rendered":"

The wide smile that everyone knew 23-year-old Niels van Rooijen for, gradually faded over his final year.\u00a0 His rowing club, Skadi, was already keen to focus on inclusion and mental health. In the wake of Niels’ death, this mission has taken on an added dimension.<\/p>\n

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At Skadi, Fabien Schoenmakers, Annemijn de Kleer and Gilles Luyendijk talk about changes within the rowing club.<\/span><\/p>

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On slightly worn benches, one blue, one brown and one wooden, twelve students sit in a circle. They are the Skadi committee in charge of the Rottebokaal (the Rotte Trophy), the biggest rowing competition organised by the student rowing club. Two thousand people lined the banks for the last edition. A wispy, young apple tree is part of the crowd that is wandering around.<\/p>\n

This tree is the reason why former president Gilles Luyendijk still likes to come here. Luyendijk and Niels van Rooijen rowed together in their first year at Skadi, were on the board together, were flatmates and friends. The tree was planted in memory of Niels. On Friday, the club christened a boat in honour of the student who died just over a year ago. His death gave added meaning to the mission to make Skadi a society for all.<\/p>\n\t

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Among other things, this story deals with suicide. Are you having suicidal thoughts? Call Foundation 113 anonymously via 113 or 0800-0113 (free of charge), or talk with someone via the chat line on the 113.nl<\/a> website. Staff are on hand 24 hours a day, seven days a week.<\/p>\n

Would you just like to talk to someone? You can also do that at the university. Drop by The Living Room<\/a> or make an appointment with a student psychologist<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

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In the Jonghe 8 square near Skadi, an apple tree was planted in Niels' honour.<\/span><\/p>

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The smile disappeared <\/h2>

Niels is in a bad way at the beginning of 2021. He is doing two degrees, one in Fiscal Economics and one in Economics and Business Economics. His sister, Inge, later told AD<\/em><\/a> that due to his studies, the lockdowns and the death of his grandmother, Niels was getting more and more bogged down. All the while, Niels keeps slugging on, even with his cherished Skadi club. In the summer of 2021, he starts as a member of the board, with competition rowing under his wing. \u201cHe was there all the time\u201d, recalls Annemijn de Kleer, current president at Skadi. \u201cHe didn\u2019t have to. On Saturday mornings, he would cycle along the side with the race teams at seven in the morning. For an ordinary training session, nothing special. That\u2019s how he was.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t

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\n\t\t\u2018Everyone knew him from his big smile, and how he always gave two thumbs up in photos. That smile disappeared at some point\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

It got worse and worse in the year 2021-2022 for Niels, his roommate sensed. \u201cIt was obvious that Niels was suffering from depression,\u201d Luyendijk goes on to say. \u201cEveryone knew him from his big smile, and how he always gave two thumbs up in photos. That smile disappeared at some point. Niels was already spending less and less time at the club before summer arrived, and it was noticeable. Before, he\u2019d been at every competition of every team, no matter whether they ended up last or shone that day.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the beginning of the summer of 2022, his roommates call the crisis line. Niels is going through a rough time and had attempted suicide. He is put on a waiting list and moves back in with his parents. Many students go home for the summer, and the club closes until Eureka week. All of his flatmates assume that they will all be back together again in the new academic year.<\/p>\n

A club in mourning <\/h2>

\u201cA few days before he died, I was with Niels in Amstelveen,\u201d Luyendijk continues. \u201cIt may sound strange, but at the time, I felt like I had my old friend back. He had completed a course; he was doing the homework the counsellor had set. We talked about jobs, about going cycling with some team mates in a week\u2019s time. I know now that he had already made up his mind at that point, he left a notebook. But at back then, it seemed as if didn\u2019t have any other worries on his mind, no stress.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Gilles Luyendijk, Annemijn de Kleer and Fabien Schoenmakers notice that within Skadi people are talking much more, that members dare to share much more with each other.<\/span><\/p>

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It was difficult for Fabien Schoenmakers, last year\u2019s president, to separate his personal grief from the grief felt within the club. And it still is. After Niels\u2019 death, both Luyendijk\u2019s board and Schoenmakers\u2019 board went into full control mode. What will they do with Eureka week? With the silent procession? Who will arrange flowers and a condolence book for the memorial in the indoor rowing machine hall?<\/p>\n\n\t

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