For those who love dressing up, the TU/e Intro is a perfect opportunity. A kind of extra carnival, but in the summer. (Almost) anything goes, and many groups visibly let their creativity run wild to come up with unique outfits. But who stands out the most this year? And who has the best story behind the clothing and accessories?

Cone-struction

We encounter these construction workers at the Campus Quest. Helmets, cones, vests, inflatable hammers, and a large sign: this is clear. Here we have the cone-struction workers (pun intended) in their own cone-struction zone. The THOR dads of this Electrical Engineering intro family have proven themselves before and even made it into Cursor with their outfits once before: back then, they dressed up as chefs, complete with aprons, hats, and cooking utensils. 

This time, intro dad Nasos has come up with the construction worker idea. “We thought it would be fun because it’s very different from what others do. Plus, we can easily recognize our kids with those cones on their heads.”

Pool party

Along the way, a lively pool party passes by. The Mechanical Engineering group has a mom and dad who aren’t from that department. “It turned out there was a shortage of intro parents, so we have this group with us now,” laughs intro mom Emma. But it certainly doesn’t make it any less fun.

All the students are wearing an inflatable item, some even two. From swimming rings and inflatable balls to all kinds of animals. They all have names, which are not always easy to remember and pronounce, especially for the international students. 

Intro kid Ioana makes an attempt anyway: “Gerard,” that’s the parrot’s name. The others complete the rest: George the monkey and Zara the flamingo.

How they are going to keep all these fragile group members safe this week, they don’t know yet. “We hope they survive,” winks intro dad Jens.

Fear of flying

No flight shame among this group from Electrical Engineering. The parents are dressed as marshallers, complete with the accompanying light sticks to ensure that all the kiddos—the airplanes—head in the right direction. The new students, in turn, are wearing caps meant to represent airplanes. These were homemade by intro mom Anna, and her children are impressed by her crafting skills.

Fun fact: the intro parents came up with this idea because they have a fear of flying themselves. For their studies in Eindhoven, they had to take a plane anyway. They made the journey bearable with the help of sedatives and headphones so they wouldn't have to hear the jet engines. 

According to Anna, the idea also suited the group well. “Our entire group is international, and almost everyone arrived by plane. To perform the marshaller’s task as realistically as possible, the parents watched many videos.” Anna demonstrates it to Cursor: “To the right, to the left, slow down, go straight.”

Mark Bentum fan club

You know you’ve done a good job as a dean when a group acts as your fan club during the introduction week. These intro dads came up with caps featuring the dean of Electrical Engineering, Mark Bentum. The man in question even signed them.

The idea originated when they initially wanted white hats but discovered that having those white head coverings printed was actually very cheap. “And there is one person who is the face of this department: Mark Bentum,” says intro dad Saviël.

A noteworthy detail: the photo on the cap was taken when Bentum was chugging a beer during a drinking contest against the dean of Mechanical Engineering.

The students purchased a total of fifty caps—the minimum number on the site—so they have a few dozen left over. They are now selling them for two tokens each. “If we sell them all, our kids can get free drinks in the end!” 

On Monday, they had already sold 7 caps. On Tuesday, another 25 went over the counter, and by now there is a queue of interested people. Whether there will be a reprint is unknown.

Dean Bentum received a cap from them as well and can be brief about it: “This is great, of course!”

Married

Mentor dad Sil and mentor mom Lina are on their way as bride and groom. Although, exactly the other way around than you would expect: Lina is the groom and Sil the bride. The idea originated while tapping beer. They got ‘engaged’ for the occasion, and there is also a ring present.

Just before they had to run against fire department water jets with a shield at Campus Quest on Tuesday morning, Lina got down on one knee to officially propose to Sil. After he slipped the pink engagement ring onto his little finger, it was time to brave the water. They did not emerge entirely unscathed: Lina’s drawn-on moustache has largely disappeared and the ‘just engaged’ shield lies in tatters on the ground.

The ‘real’ wedding follows during the Intro, specifically on Thursday. But they still have to figure out the exact details.