- Student
- 02/02/2021
Fontys and TU/e students celebrate Eindhoven
After the riots in the center of Eindhoven on Sunday January 24th, it soon became clear to Cursor that students wanted to do something for the city. A slew of mails arrived at the editorial desk suggesting initiatives to express support for those affected. January 31th and February 1st arrived and flowers and cards were distributed in the afflicted neighborhood and at the station students of Fontys and TU/e created a large installation involving projected light.
President of hockey association Don Quishoot, Merlijn Muris contacted us on behalf of all 37 student sports associations and the federation ESSF about a campaign involving flowers and cards. A great many students took to the streets on Sunday, laden with five hundred bunches of purple spring flowers and handwritten cards. These were intended for residents who had experienced the riots at close quarters, the business owners in the area and the various emergency services. A large area around 18 Septemberplein was visited by the students and the gifts were accepted with a warm heart.
The students from the sports associations went a step further than this gesture alone: a posting on Instagram spread the message that the ESSF can be approached if any more volunteers are needed to help clear up damaged business premises or do any other tasks involved in the reconstruction. “We dropped our message through the letterboxes of all the residents and where stores and emergency services were open we delivered it in person, which prompted a delighted and heartwarming response. All in all, a successful day,” reports Muris.
#EindhovenIs Strong Together
At the same time, a group of enthusiastic students from across the entire community installed a light projection on the station as a way of celebrating the city. They wanted to show how wonderful their city really is, and so they all came together to show Eindhoven in a positive light. Literally. One of the brains behind the initiative, FSE president Mayke Scheffer says, “Similarly, the city beacons and LED screens in the center displayed all kinds of qualities that make Eindhoven such a well-loved city. Amidst all this positive energy stands the hashtag #EindhovenIs. Everyone is invited to add their own interpretation of this on social media. What is Eindhoven to you? Let everyone know”, says Scheffer.
A selection of the suggestions as to what Eindhoven is will appear on the Instagram page @eindhoven_is. Anyone who shares their idea online with #EindhovenIs may even find their words projected on the station at some point. In this way, the students hope to express their support for and boost the spirits of all the city's residents; by making them feel united. And photos of the projections on the station will appear regularly on Instagram so that everyone can follow the campaign from home.
Piano of hope
“We really wanted to show everyone that our city has so many positive aspects. We hope this creates a feeling of reassurance among Eindhoven's residents,” says Koen de Nooij, Commissioner of Education at GEWIS and representative on behalf of Groep-één. “Thanks to the enthusiasm and the support of TU/e, Stehven and Impress AV, we have succeeded in bringing this fantastic initiative to fruition.”
David Hordijk, student of Innovation Sciences, shares the sense that Eindhoven is a warm and generous place that everyone should know about. “The vandalized piano at the station was a sad sight for everyone in Eindhoven. However, this week Eindhoven has come together. Twenty pianos, no less, have been offered to the NS, and as a result the piano has become a symbol of hope: it embodies the resilience of the city of Eindhoven.”
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