What would you do if you were given a thousand euros? It’s a nice amount to buy a new phone or to pay off part of your student loan. But Studium Generale had another idea, says culture programmer Liza Gloudemans.

“Now and then we get together with a group of students to evaluate our programs and brainstorm new ideas. Student Take-Over is the product of such a brainstorming session.” ‘Let us make our own program for once,’ a few students said, and Gloudemans and her team though: why not? They reserved a budget of a thousand euros and asked students: what kind of program would you make with this?

At Studium Generale they initially thought this would be a one-time experiment. “But we got so many great responses to our call, that we’ll have a Student Take-Over every quarter this academic year – from a theater experience to a lunchtime lecture on the power of autism.”

Vulnerable

Thanos Nousias, master’s student of Innovation Sciences, was studying on campus with Helena Rodriguez when he read about Student Take-Over in a Studium Generale newsletter. “Let’s do it!” he excitedly told her. “I have to admit that’s basically my standard reaction to everything,” he says. “And then it’s up to me to add a dose of reality,” Rodriguez says with a grin. After her bachelor’s at IE&IS she enrolled in a master’s in Utrecht, which she recently completed.

The two met during Orientation Week and are currently flat mates. Throwing around ideas, they came to the conclusion they wanted to make a program that connects students to one another. “Which really goes faster if you dare to be vulnerable. Otherwise the small-talk phase can take a very long time.”

“Our first idea was to organize a Pecha Kucha evening, where participants would tell each other stories about their experiences getting their hearts broken.” But it really takes a lot of courage to get up in front of an audience of strangers and do something like that. Continuing on from this initial thought, the two then came up with the idea of sending students into the Van Abbemuseum in small groups, with a bunch of conversation-starter questions. And yesterday was the day: Connecting through Art.

Forging contacts

So why did they choose an activity where you get to know new people? “Many students struggle to forge social contacts and loneliness among students isn’t uncommon.” What’s more, Nousias and Rodriguez, hailing from Greece and Mexico respectively, are aware that international students encounter even more stumbling blocks on the road to making friends.

Nousias: “The language isn’t the problem, because Dutch people speak great English – even though they sometimes claim otherwise themselves. But you do miss a shared background.” Of course you can join Cosmos or a general student association, but that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, says Rodriguez. “I’m an introvert myself, and not very comfortable in large groups.” And the Dutch student party scene involving frequent and heavy drinking is not for everyone either, the two believe.

Rodriguez would like to participate, however, in activities like Connecting through Art. “I’d still have to venture out of my comfort zone a little bit, but I’m at my best in a small group, and I love modern art.”

Starry Night

Nousias is an art lover as well. Is that the only reason the program took place at the Van Abbemuseum? “The great thing about Van Abbe is that you don’t have to follow a strict route, but you can hunt for treasure as you see fit,” says the duo. “And what’s nice about having a museum as a location to meet new people is that you’re not forced to face each other but can look at art together. This prevents awkward situations. We also hope that the works of art will create an atmosphere that inspires the participants to open up.”

And the questions? “We ordered a stack of cards from School of Life.” They’re not knowledge questions about the art at the Van Abbemuseum; the answers say something about the person. “We made a selection consisting of questions about art and culture, such as: if you could choose anything at all, which work of art would you like to hang from your wall?”

What would be their own answers to this question? Nousias picks a piece by Goya, whose impressive paintings he saw in Madrid. Rodriguez opts for Van Gogh’s Starry Night – “Maybe it’s a cliché, but I think it’s supreme.”

Editorial note

The amount of journalistic freedom at Cursor is very unclear at the moment. In collaboration with the unions, the editorial staff has submitted a proposal letter with suggestions regarding press freedom to the Executive Board, and a first discussion has taken place. This article was published in anticipation of the outcome of the negotiation process.