Workshop beleggen. Foto | Rien Boonstoppel

Intro 2019 | Going for God or for money

How many Bible books did Paul write? Which of the gospels was written first? How many Christians are there in the world? No, beloved believers and nonbelievers: the young Christians of Navigators Network Eindhoven certainly do not go easy on the participants in their Bible quiz on Thursday afternoon. Comparing this with the often jolly, cultural and sporty themed workshop program, it is a bit of a stranger in our midst - of which Cursor visited two today.

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photo Rien Boonstoppel

Whether there is more at stake for the winner of the quiz than eternal fame? Ymke van Gaalen from the Christian student network laughs: “Eh, no. Besideds a spot in heaven perhaps. ”The atmosphere at the Navigators, some of whom are meeting each other again for the first time after the summer vacation today, is great this afternoon in the room on the third floor of Vertigo. The fact that only a literal handful of people had signed up for their activity, of whom three showed up, does not change that at all.

"We are not a formal association, but a small movement," Van Gaalen explains. The movement counts seven heads now. They would like to see their group of friends grow to, let’s say around twenty people. They were also present at the Green Strip Market on Tuesday to tell more about themselves to both stand visitors and interested passers-by.

Christipedia

Three freshmen are visiting the Christian club again today to participate in a challenging Bible quiz. Pauline, Yvonne and Martin form teams with a few Navigators and there is a great deal of collective fanaticism, as well as a willingness to discuss some questions and answers. Internet encyclopaedias such as Christipedia (yes, you heard that right) were an important source of inspiration for the quiz makers and in particular participant Pauline has an impressive overview of facts and figures ready at your disposal.

Whether she will immediately join the Navigators remains the question. She first wants to start her study in Biomedical Technology and then see how much time she will have left. Or how much time she is willing to spend, because this girl from Zeeland does not just participate in everything. Not this week either: she often skipped the parties of the past few days and the Navigators workshop at half past three this afternoon is her first activity of the day. She has just been to the famous Swedish furniture store to buy a rug for her room: "I was a bit fed up with the Intro."

After the bible quiz, we were considering visiting the sex workshop by Christine le Duc at the Eindhovens Studenten Corps ("it will be a very playful and interactive workshop"), but we find that a bit too much of a contrast with the latter activity. Instead we go for the money - and that appears to appeal to more intro kids than God does, judging from the amount of kids waiting in the Auditorium. Student investment club B&R Beurs Eindhoven started the day with around one hundred registrations for its four sessions and most applicants find their way to lecture hall 4, despite the sun shining bright outside.

Curious

One of them is prospective Computer Science student Tycho. He has no experience with investing and, above all, came out of curiosity, he says. “With many associations you can easily get an idea of ​​what they do and have to offer; that is a bit more difficult for this association.” Tycho does not rule out a future membership of B&R, he says prior to the workshop, although this intro kid also has other pastimes as options. Like e-sports association Zephyr, although both did not turn out to be a match made in heaven in terms of game preferences and levels.

But now he is here, along with - in this session - about twenty others. Before the participants start working in small groups on a case (investing in this company, or not?), they receive a short lecture on the basics of investing, starting on how consumer behavior, politics, economic growth and banks are interrelated and influence each other. "That may sound a bit abstract, but before you can invest, you have to understand how the world works," Maxime Lambregts from B&R explains.

Board member Sascha Scholte explains what you can invest in, apart from company shares – like real estate or merchandise such as gold or silver. And that within the association not everyone is on the same page when it comes to crypto currency: "Is that investing or speculating?" It also discussed what you should look into before deciding whether or not to invest in a company, for example.

After about ten, fifteen minutes, an intro kid who appears to be late walks into the hall from above. But he appears to be just looking for a group member to exchange some stuff. “Everything going well, guys?” Sascha subtly checks. The visitor leaves, his group mate stays behind – without any sense of guilt. Wittily: "We were trading."

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