- Student
- 10/10/2024
120 students rappel down Vertigo
Challenging yourself and stepping outside your comfort zone; that is what society Défi is all about. To mark the society’s foundation, its members organized an event five years ago where students got the chance to rappel down Vertigo. To celebrate this first lustrum, the event was repeated: once again, 120 students descended the building while leaning back on ropes.
Some students confidently climb over the railing on the roof of Vertigo, others are trembling with fear. Once on the other side of the railing, the students must let go and rely on the rope – and the graciousness of the Eindhoven Student Alpine Club (ESAC) members who are supervising the activity. In honor of society Défi's fifth anniversary, 120 students – as well as Liz Root, the managing director of Built Environment – rappel down the building on Monday.
Défi is French for challenge, explains Tessa Verheul, a member of the GEWIS society. Together with Koen van den Berk (see main photo), she organized the rappelling event. “Our goal is to get people out of their comfort zone,” says Verheul. The idea is that by descending Vertigo on a rope, students can face their fear of heights. Challenging yourself is a central focus for the society all year round.
Article continues below the video.
Down the roof of Vertigo on a rope
What does it feel like to be lowered backwards off the roof of Vertigo? That can be read on the faces of three first-year Applied Mathematics students who took on the challenge together.
Organizing such an event was quite a daunting task, says Verheul. “Mainly because we needed a lot of permissions. From building management, the campus and the fire department, among others. The latter tested the safety harnesses. The fire department also looked at our action plan to see what we would fasten things to, to make sure everything would stay secure.” The student is happy and thankful that they managed to organize the event. “It’s a lot of extra work for all those people to ensure it all goes smoothly, and it’s easy to say no. So it’s great that everyone was eager to share their ideas.”
On the day of the event, ESAC is mainly focused on facilitating the action and ensuring its safety. Everyone wears a helmet and all safety harnesses are checked and double-checked before anyone is allowed to attempt the descent. Sometimes the instructors need to coach the students a bit, if climbing over the railing seems a bit too daunting or someone is afraid to let go and lean backwards. Occasionally, people need some assistance on their way down. Still, most bravely proceed with the descent, landing safely on the roof of the third floor. “We're still alive!”
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