Life in a student society

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X Hein Cuppen

”Studentenvereniging, translatable to what we know as student society, is what a Dutch student would say is the place to be in Delft. Known as a quite slow city, Delft isn’t that much fun in the evenings. Or even, it wouldn%t be much more than having a beer at the Beestenmarkt and going home to finish your project. But in life you have to meet people and living in a student society demands social contact. You would need some way to make friends.

That’s the stone in many foreign students. Mostly, the Erasmus students, and right after them the Master’s students, come to Delft for more than only the education; the quest for knowledge is just a part of it. But it’s right there where the whole thing stops. They just get to know other people in the same situation, or from the same country. Meet at the Ruif every Wednesday and go to Rotterdam on the weekend. Very few dive into Dutch student life as they once dreamt of doing.

Life like that is expensive, and is different from what the experience should be at first. What is known from Dutch life is not to be learnt at the discos…that you can read in the newspaper or in the diary of somebody who has done that before. It’s too common. Have you ever asked yourself, what is that society? That group of friends? And, what are they gonna do next? Well, you should learn it by yourself. Nobody’ll ever tell you how good it would be, or even if they do, you’ll never be able to enjoy it, because you%re not a member. You need to get inside there to be part of it.

As they say, the student society makes the member as the member makes the student society. But, can you, foreigner, be a member? Yes, those places are quite closed. The big societies are very traditional. More than 100 years running on the same values, supporting the same ideas and having the same concepts. 100 years ago there weren’t that many foreign students over here. There weren’t that many students at all. And then you’ve got to say: population grows, city grows. Population changes, city changes. Wrong. As an example, even though the TU is seen as a high international university there are still some things needed to be that, and international bureaucracy isn’t that easy. Or, even though the Netherlands is known for accepting all different kinds with arms wide open, things are a bit more difficult than that (a lot more difficult). But now you are already irritated and asking yourself: ‘What da f***, now I’m the one who has to change myself completely, starting by learning Dutch!?’ Dutch is easy (Green book: Lesson 1), but nope, not much of a dream also.

It has reached a point that to be able to continue the pattern of members both sides have to make some exceptions. The student society has to keep running, has to keep its financial health at no risk, although, the percentage of foreign students grows, and grows fast. But still, come on man, it’s got to be a Dutch experience. It’s got to retain its characteristics, its traditions. It makes a part of the beautiful culture that we hear about all the time.

We arrive at the point, are they open already? What are they doing to also be foreigner friendly? Questions answered by one of them, KSV Sanctus Virgilius, know in Delft by Virgiel,and yes, they’re busy with that. Eveline, a board member, mentions a survey done concerning how to receive foreigners: ”There’s no doubt that we’ll somehow have to be able to receive a larger number of foreigners. It’s also a myth that we don’t have people from outside the Netherlands. One of our active female members is Iranian, she has adapted really well here.”

We conclude that there is no fact yet that should prove that it%s possible or not. It shall come naturally with the future. Tough, it’s got much more to do with the person. There are many Dutch that don’t find their way in student societies and there are many foreigners who are here indeed for the study alone.”

Born and raised in Brazil, half-Dutch, half-Brazilian, %Dutchzillian% Hein Cuppen (19) sure is glad he joined the Virgiel student society upon his arrival in Delft.

X Hein Cuppen

”Studentenvereniging, translatable to what we know as student society, is what a Dutch student would say is the place to be in Delft. Known as a quite slow city, Delft isn’t that much fun in the evenings. Or even, it wouldn%t be much more than having a beer at the Beestenmarkt and going home to finish your project. But in life you have to meet people and living in a student society demands social contact. You would need some way to make friends.

That’s the stone in many foreign students. Mostly, the Erasmus students, and right after them the Master’s students, come to Delft for more than only the education; the quest for knowledge is just a part of it. But it’s right there where the whole thing stops. They just get to know other people in the same situation, or from the same country. Meet at the Ruif every Wednesday and go to Rotterdam on the weekend. Very few dive into Dutch student life as they once dreamt of doing.

Life like that is expensive, and is different from what the experience should be at first. What is known from Dutch life is not to be learnt at the discos…that you can read in the newspaper or in the diary of somebody who has done that before. It’s too common. Have you ever asked yourself, what is that society? That group of friends? And, what are they gonna do next? Well, you should learn it by yourself. Nobody’ll ever tell you how good it would be, or even if they do, you’ll never be able to enjoy it, because you%re not a member. You need to get inside there to be part of it.

As they say, the student society makes the member as the member makes the student society. But, can you, foreigner, be a member? Yes, those places are quite closed. The big societies are very traditional. More than 100 years running on the same values, supporting the same ideas and having the same concepts. 100 years ago there weren’t that many foreign students over here. There weren’t that many students at all. And then you’ve got to say: population grows, city grows. Population changes, city changes. Wrong. As an example, even though the TU is seen as a high international university there are still some things needed to be that, and international bureaucracy isn’t that easy. Or, even though the Netherlands is known for accepting all different kinds with arms wide open, things are a bit more difficult than that (a lot more difficult). But now you are already irritated and asking yourself: ‘What da f***, now I’m the one who has to change myself completely, starting by learning Dutch!?’ Dutch is easy (Green book: Lesson 1), but nope, not much of a dream also.

It has reached a point that to be able to continue the pattern of members both sides have to make some exceptions. The student society has to keep running, has to keep its financial health at no risk, although, the percentage of foreign students grows, and grows fast. But still, come on man, it’s got to be a Dutch experience. It’s got to retain its characteristics, its traditions. It makes a part of the beautiful culture that we hear about all the time.

We arrive at the point, are they open already? What are they doing to also be foreigner friendly? Questions answered by one of them, KSV Sanctus Virgilius, know in Delft by Virgiel,and yes, they’re busy with that. Eveline, a board member, mentions a survey done concerning how to receive foreigners: ”There’s no doubt that we’ll somehow have to be able to receive a larger number of foreigners. It’s also a myth that we don’t have people from outside the Netherlands. One of our active female members is Iranian, she has adapted really well here.”

We conclude that there is no fact yet that should prove that it%s possible or not. It shall come naturally with the future. Tough, it’s got much more to do with the person. There are many Dutch that don’t find their way in student societies and there are many foreigners who are here indeed for the study alone.”