Intro festival returns to Park Brakkenstein, with somewhat fewer participants than last year
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Het Introfestival vond in 2023 voor het eerst in Park Brakkenstein plaats. Foto: Johannes Fiebig
In broad strokes, Radboud University's orientation looks the same as last year. That means: another closing festival in Park Brakkenstein. To prevent incidents at the intromarket, organisations must accept a new code of conduct.
The Radboud Intro is expected to have about 4,000 participants this year, according to orientation coordinator Michèlle Bouwmans. That’s about 300 fewer than last year.
Perhaps declining student numbers play a role in this: the university’s prognosis model shows that slightly fewer first-year students are expected for this coming academic year than last year (7,575 versus 7,817 last year). About one in five intro participants are international students.
As opposed to last year, the orientation weeks of Radboud University and HAN are no longer timed together, meaning the city centre will be less crowded.
New code of conduct
Broadly speaking, the orientation looks the same as last year. On Sunday, registrations will be in the Radboud Sports Centre, and on Monday freshmen can get to know about two hundred associations and organisations at the intromarket. The route starts at the Grotius building and goes via the Maria Montessori building and the Berchmanianum to the Erasmusplein. The sports days are divided by faculty over Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
‘We will monitor closely what happens, there will also be security around’
Last year, the introductory market was marred by a fight in which some members of the radical right-wing student union GNSV were injured. The action against the GNSV was later claimed by Action Group Nijmegen.
The GNSV set up a stall again this year. To prevent an incident such as last year, all organisations at the intromarket had to agree to Radboud University’s house rules and a new code of conduct. This states, among other things, that insulting and humiliating behaviour and discrimination are not allowed. ‘Furthermore, we will monitor closely what happens, there will also be security walking around,’ says Bouwmans.
Fokke Simons
On Saturday, the introfestival is in Park Brakkenstein. ‘That went well last year,’ says Bouwmans. Headliners are the hip-hop group Fokke Simons and the DJs of The Partysquad. There will also be performances by Smèrrig Diskjochies, Danny Panadero and BOYBAND, the literary boyband. There will also be an extra stage for a silent disco this year.
Students under eighteen, to whom alcohol may not be served, will receive a red wristband. Participants older than eighteen receive a green one. For other students, staff and externals, single tickets are on sale for 7,50.
Student Church
The orientation will conclude with a meeting and a subsequent Sunday morning lunch at the Student Church. ‘The celebration is organised by the umbrella organisation of Christian student associations,’ says Bouwmans. ‘They often have celebrations in the church on Sundays.’
‘Eleven years ago, I did the intro myself at Radboud University’
For Bouwmans, who has experience in the events sector, it will be her first orientation week as coordinator. ‘Fortunately, I am surrounded by a team of experienced staff, making it fun for me. Eleven years ago, I had intro myself at Radboud University and later became a mentor, so I knew in advance what I was getting into.’
Heyendaal Station closed during first introductory weekend
The first weekend of orientation, from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 August, Heyendaal Station will be closed to train and bus traffic due to construction. ‘There will be replacement bus transport in both directions between Nijmegen station and Mook,’ says Bouwmans. During the first weekend, the buses will not stop at Heyendaal station, but at the bus stop at Huygens building. ‘We will communicate that to the participants,’ says Bouwmans. The train station will be open as usual during the rest of the week.
Translated by Stella Kuipers
