Intreeweek completely offline again, but with a backup plan
Intreeweek is coming up again, and the program will resemble the programs before corona, so full of physical events to get to know the city, each other and the UvA. How does the Intree board view the upcoming Intreeweek?
Intreeweek is a week just before the start of the academic year. First-year bachelor students can meet each other and participate in all kinds of activities. For the past two years, these weeks have been partly online and partly physical, due to corona measures. We spoke with Vera Hoogerwerf (22, Communication Sciences) about the upcoming Intreeweek. She is a board member at Committee Intree this year.
What is it like to organize such an Intreeweek?
‘We have been working full time since September to organize the upcoming Intreeweek. Since February, we’re working with a number of additional committees that also consist of students. These committees specialize, for example, in the field of marketing strategies, or organizing events. We are a real student organization as you can see. We are very much looking forward to Intreeweek, because we have been working towards it all year.’
What are you most looking forward to as an organization?
‘We are looking forward to many aspects of Intreeweek itself, as well as the preparations. Next weekend, for example, we’re all going to do odd jobs, like make banners and mentor boards, for example. The mentor days are also coming up - that is when we will prepare the incoming mentors of Intree groups in an information session. This will include a discussion of social safety, and the framework of what the week will look like. It is great to see so many enthusiastic students contributing to the start of new students next year. The two weeks before Intreeeweek will be very full and spicy, because then we will be doing all the finishing touches. Then we will also fill the traditional yellow Intree bags, for example. And of course we as a board cannot wait for Intreeweek itself. We have been working towards that for almost a year now.’
Will this Intreeweek be completely offline?
‘The starting point is that Intreeeweek will be completely offline indeed, and that is how we are preparing the week. We think it’s very important that new students have the opportunity to meet each other physically, because this is the best way to build up contacts. If you see each other in real life you pick up social signals better and you live more in the moment. That makes it easier to form friendships. A physical Intreeweek also fits in with the three pillars we have as an organization. First, getting to know the UvA, second, getting to know each other, and third, getting to know Amsterdam. For foreign students and Dutch students who are not from Amsterdam, for example, it is valuable to really discover the city.’
Is there anything different about this Intreeweek from previous years or are the programs similar?
‘Since we are organizing Intreeweek entirely physically, it will be most similar in program to Intreeweek of 2019. That was the last physical Intreeweek before corona. However, we did change some of the locations. For example, in 2019 the festival took place in the Arenapark, this year it is at the Jaap Edenbaan.’
How many spots are there?
‘A total of 4,100 prospective freshmen can register. We have 200 more spots than in 2019. We are trying to grow slowly, to accommodate as many freshmen as possible, but it is practically not possible to scale up a lot at once. Another thing that I think is important to mention is that together with the crew members, the bar crew, the mentors, the Intreeweek board and the committees, we are participating in this Intreeweek with almost 5000 students in total. That shows that we are connected as a broader student community.’
Do you expect those 4,100 spots to fill up?
‘Experience shows that Intreeweek sells out quickly, but usually not within a day, so it’s not that prospective students are immediately excluded. But: full is full. We hope, of course, that we sell out, and that we get as many freshmen as possible to start their student days with Intreeweek.’
Corona infections seem to be on the rise again, how do you guys look at organizing an Intreeweek in this (possibly) uncertain corona situation?
‘We have a plan in place in case we have to deal with restrictive measures. We also learn from the experience of the past two years. Nevertheless, we are looking forward to a week of physical events. We hope for the new students to get the best possible introduction to the UvA, each other and Amsterdam, so we do focus on large-scale events like the final party and the market in the Beurs van Berlage.’
