- Campus , Student
- 11/12/2024
New bar for Pattern in Traverse: “De Kelder”
There is finally a real possibility that study association Pattern will be able to host a drinks party for its members (Data Science students) in its own bar space on April 1, 2025. No, that’s not an April Fool’s joke, but the result of nearly eight years of fighting to secure a location like the ones the ten other study associations already have. “Unfortunately, De Kelder won’t be located in Neuron, but in Traverse,” says advocate Daan Vijselaar.
Pattern is currently housed in a room on the third floor of MetaForum, which is already a vast improvement over the early days of the Data Science study association. When it comes to arranging a bar space, the fact that Data Science is a joint bachelor’s program offered by Tilburg University and Eindhoven University of Technology doesn’t make things any easier. “Pattern was founded in May 2027 and was only allocated a board room in Tilburg at that time, which we had to share with another association,” says student Daan Vijselaar, who has been pushing for an Eindhoven-based space from the beginning.
In 2018, a board room and a members’ space in Eindhoven were made available to Pattern, in MF. “A small room with two desks and a space with a cabinet, a table and chairs; we brought in a couch and a TV ourselves.”
The current plan is for Pattern to take over the bar space of study association Protagoras (of Biomedical Engineering). For the duration of the Gemini North and South renovations, Protagoras has been allocated two tutorial rooms in Traverse. They will return to their renovated bar space in Gemini North in the near future. Their temporary board room will remain in use until Gemini South is also completed.
Pattern is “ecstatic” about getting to open De Kelder in Traverse – hopefully in April. However, Vijselaar, who has been here since 2016, points out that “we’re still dealing with a construction project at the university. “And we know it’s only temporary because Traverse is also scheduled to be demolished. According to the plans, it should already have been torn town.”
Neuron
Many wonder why the bar space won’t be located in Neuron. In fact, Vijselaar and fellow student Dik van Genuchten have the perfect place in mind. “There’s plenty of room in the basement. It’s big enough to house a student bar. There are currently only a few mostly empty bike racks and in winter, it serves as storage space for outdoor furniture from The lounge. There is also a large hall for charging electric bikes, but no one ever does that because they’re afraid that their battery will be stolen since the basement isn’t locked,” says Van Genuchten. “It’s certainly a more permanent solution than Traverse,” Vijselaar adds.
“We already had this idea when Neuron was still under construction. They even conducted a feasibility study.” So why didn't it go ahead? Pattern is not sure. “Maybe it was too expensive, or the Data Science steering group didn’t support the plan... we don’t know. The plan was shelved during a meeting we were not present at, but the department, Real Estate, the Data Science steering group and program directors were.”
It took a while for TU/e to recognize that Pattern is a proper study association with a large membership (now five hundred) that needs its own space, according to Vijselaar.
Mobibar
In the meantime, Pattern organizes lots of activities for its members. For lunch lectures, ALVs (General Meetings of Members) and game nights, a room has to be booked every time. During the day, in between lectures, the large room MF 3.061 is also used as a chill spot for students. Pattern even hosts drinks parties twice a month. EAISI allows them to use their student team room in Neuron for this. However, it takes two whole days of setup and cleanup for just four hours of socializing, sighs Van Genuchten.
Fortunately, the drinks committee, BarBaCoE, consists of 17 members. The name stands for Bar Basement Committee Eindhoven. The reason why the new bar space will be called “De Kelder” is because the international members are fine with it and it has a better ring to it, according to Pattern.
Since 2023, the BarBaCoE has been rolling out a self-made, functional mobile bar to Neuron every Thursday – a tap on wheels. Still, it’s mostly for show, because the EAISI room has no running water or drain to rinse glasses. So it’s easier to serve bottled drinks. But they do need to be chilled a day in advance. All the stools and standing tables also have to be brought up from the storage room on -1. And afterwards, everything has to be cleaned and brought back down.
Hopefully, this effort won’t be necessary anymore starting in April. Vijselaar: “We’re planning our first drinks party in De Kelder at Traverse on Thursday, April 1. We’ll see if it actually goes ahead or if it just turns out to be a good April Fool’s joke.”
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