The new students were everywhere–sometimes in such large groups that passersby had trouble getting through. Cycling through the busy streets of Eindhoven, grabbing lunch in front of the supermarket, or lounging in the grass at the Ketelhuisplein. They rushed from place to place, visiting, among others, indoor skatepark Area51, event venue LAB-1, and several student associations. Still, there was also plenty of time to relax.

Area51

Upon entering, the slightly sour smell of sweat immediately gives away that students are hard at work in the largest indoor skatepark in the Benelux. They can take part in a range of active workshops, from freerunning to skating. Study association Footloose is also present, offering various dance workshops throughout the afternoon, including jazz ballet, salsa, and cha-cha-cha.

Here and there, a skateboard shoots across the track without a rider, and a few students take some hard falls on the BMX course. Along the sidelines, quite a few tired-looking first-years sit waiting for their turn—or for the chance to move on to the next stop.

Marios, a first-year Electrical Engineering student, chose not to join the activities. “I’m not very sporty, so I just sat this one out.” The skatepark has more than enough space for the less active participants, he adds. “I just socialized a bit with other Intro groups at the bar.”

Dynamo

At youth center Dynamo, student sports association Zephyr feels right at home. They often come here to host pub quizzes and this time helped set up facilities for students who wanted to play games. “Nothing is mandatory—you can just relax here or maybe discover a new talent,” says Dynamo staff member Melle van den Broek.

Turkish student Mert eagerly takes a turn behind the decks as a DJ. His Intro dad Friso, who picked up the skill at his student association E.S.C., is happy to give him some tips. “My kids are gaming for a bit anyway,” he says with a smile.

Meanwhile, four Biomedical Engineering students are also absorbed in their game. They’re playing on a Nintendo Switch 2, released only in June. “We don’t have one at home,” says Aydan. “But honestly, I’m not blown away—it looks a lot like the first Switch, just way more expensive.”

LAB-1 

At LAB-1, it’s all about sensory experience: the smell of popcorn wafts toward you from afar. Every half hour, comedian Stephan Bell takes the stage, familiar here from his regular comedy nights.

Mechanical Engineering student-to-be Jerne and his Intro dad Ilias van den Heuvel step out of the theater. “Our group calls itself ‘the Orphans,’” says Ilias, “though we were actually going for ‘Intro Hippies.’” And the show? “It was really fun,” Jerne says. “I’m completely wrecked, but he still managed to make me laugh.”

No wonder they’re exhausted, Ilias adds: “We had three parties last night. First the ME party at the Koeveld, then Peppers on Stratumseind, and we only left student association DEMOS around 3 a.m.”

The biggest laughs came during Bell’s photo quiz, when he showed a handful of pictures with just one question: “Is this a carnival celebrant or a designer visiting Dutch Design Week?”

Maximum chilling

Around one in the afternoon, students stretch out on the grass at the Ketelhuisplein, soaking up the sun. Some sip some water, others start with a Radler. “We just grabbed some breakfast,” says Luuk (Sustainable Innovation), his voice hoarse. He’s the Intro dad of his group, the “Italian Mafia.” They’ve joined up with another group, “De Oranjes." (The Dutch Royal Family.) All names tie back to family, the theme chosen by the Department of Industrial Engineering & Innovation Sciences.

“We’re still recovering from the kickoff at the PSV stadium.” Asked about the quiz that took place there, the group sighs collectively. “Like I’d know which forward scored the most goals in 1988,” one student calls out.

This group decided to skip the City Tour for now. “We’re tired, so we’re just going to chill. But if the kids want to see something, of course we’ll go. We’ll definitely swing by Thêta to float in the canal. And they’ve got kebab there,” one of the parents adds.