As in olde times - Aad the mother hen

Tea and cookies with Ada. (Photo: Hans Stakelbeek)

To help keep the mess made by sixteen guys somewhat under control, the student house on Oudraadtweg 27 employs someone who can best be described as a mother hen. “Ada, or as we call her, Aad, has been coming here every Monday and Thursday to clean for the past thirthy years,” says Maarten Vissers. “And she knows more about our house than many of us residents. Because student houses aren’t known for their cleanliness, Ada tries to ensure that we don’t kill ourselves by food poisoning or bacterial infections.”
Ada is always happy to hear the latest gossips and also always has much to tell each morning when she and all the housemates happily sit down to have tea and cookies together. Thus Ada not only helps bring the housemates closer together but also helps stop the young students from staying in bed all day and falling behind in their studies. Next to the teapot is a bottle of alcohol that serves as the sugar bowl.
For the first-year students, Ada is like a bridge, helping them transition from living with their parents; they must open doors for Ada and give her three kisses when they meet, serve the tea and, if she asks, also give her a quick shoulder massage. A special Aad-commissioner is responsible for providing all that Ada needs, like cleaning supplies and cookies, as well as a present on her birthday. And it’s a position that must be earned. “To be appointed Aad-commissioner you first have to use a toilet brush to clean the toilet that the ex-commissioner just soiled.”
Ada is of course also growing older. “We’ll certainly miss her when she’s gone, but happily she has nice daughters who we’re secretly counting on. In any case, this tradition will always continue.”