{"id":170476,"date":"2024-08-12T15:31:16","date_gmt":"2024-08-12T13:31:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=170476"},"modified":"2026-02-10T16:31:30","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T15:31:30","slug":"eurekaweek-will-be-inclusive-safe-and-sustainable-so-participants-can-spread-their-wings-without-any-worries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/08\/12\/eurekaweek-will-be-inclusive-safe-and-sustainable-so-participants-can-spread-their-wings-without-any-worries\/","title":{"rendered":"Eurekaweek will be inclusive, safe and sustainable, so participants can \u2018spread their wings without any worries\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A new feature of the Eurekaweek this year is that student associations can participate in the information fair for free. Their profiles will also be posted on the website free of charge. Chair Candice Moolenaar: \u201cWe want to give small associations a chance to introduce themselves to first-year students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Candice Moolenaar is the chair of this year's Eurekaweek.<\/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\tDaan Stam<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

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Candice Moolenaar is the chair of the management committee, and this is the third year she\u2019s been involved in the Eurekaweek. Last year and the year before, she worked as a volunteer. \u201cMy studies began in 2020, so because of the pandemic, the Eurekaweek was quite different. It made me feel like I\u2019d missed out on the \u2018normal\u2019 orientation week. That\u2019s why I\u2019m always involved in organising week.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Symbolising a new phase of life<\/h2>
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The theme for this year is \u2018Spread your wings<\/i>\u2019. Moolenaar explains that it symbolises a new phase of life. \u201cThere are so many opportunities at university to develop yourself, and to find out who you are and what you want to achieve in life\u201d, she says. \u201cWith the Eurekaweek, we hope to give first-year students a good start and help them find their feet, so they can then spread their wings in Rotterdam without any worries.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Inclusive<\/h2>
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As in previous years, the Eurekaweek Management \u2013 the team of students that organises the Eurekaweek \u2013 is offering parallel evening programmes. \u201cWe want to offer fun activities for everyone and for the week to appeal to as many people as possible\u201d, says Moolenaar, who graduated last year with a Bachelor in Pedagogical Sciences. \u201cFor example, we\u2019re offering a concert where pop hits are played in a classical-music style as an alternative to the Take-off party in Maassilo. What\u2019s nice is that they\u2019re both being held in the same building at the same time, so participants can cycle there together and make their choice at the last minute.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The management also wants to get all student associations involved in the orientation week. Normally, associations have to pay if they want to have a presence at the event. \u201cBut new or small associations don\u2019t yet have the resources, so this year they\u2019ll get a stall at the information fair free of charge\u201d, says Moolenaar. All associations are also listed on the website and will be mentioned during the opening ceremony. \u201cThis will give new students a good general idea of all the associations, and it will also give small associations a chance to introduce themselves to first-year students.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Confidential counsellors<\/h2>
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Moolenaar says that she and her team want to continue the positive steps taken by organisers in previous years, which includes the use of confidential counsellors. \u201cThey will be there for participants 24\/7. Students can call a confidential counsellor if they\u2019re worried about something or if they want to share something\u201d, Moolenaar explains. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Eurekaweek also works with Safe@EUR, the central reporting centre for inappropriate behaviour at the university. If anything happens, participants can make a report. \u201cSafe@EUR can help you make a report, and they can refer you to the right people and help you take the next steps.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Sustainability<\/h2>
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Moolenaar says that sustainability is also a high priority. For example, participants will be provided with vegetarian and vegan lunches, reusable cups and sustainable ponchos made from sugarcane. \u201cBut we won\u2019t be giving out reusable bottles anymore, because most people already have a lot of bottles at home, so we\u2019ll ask them to just use those instead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t

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The Eurekaweek starts on Sunday 18 August with an International Day. The opening ceremony will take place at Ahoy on the Monday at 10.30 am. Over four days, first-year students can take part in a range of activities, from an information fair and cantus (which involves singing and drinking beer in a large group) to a sports afternoon. On Thursday 22 August, the orientation period will end with a music festival in Willemskade.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t

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