Teun Bastiaansen as a crew member during the AID of 2020. Photo Teun Bastiaansen ‘Starting at university marks a new stage in your life and is a new adventure,’ says Teun Bastiaansen (21), deputy chair of the AID board.
‘You are entering a new world, really. And that’s where we got the theme Out of this World from. Wageningen’s international nature is part of that too: people come here from all around the world.’
What the upcoming AID (introduction days for first-years) is going to look like will largely depend on how the Covid situation develops, says Bastiaansen. ‘What has been established is that there will be two AIDs again, as there were last summer. Beyond that, we have four different scenarios in mind.’
Scenarios
In the most cautious scenario, the AID is entirely online. The other scenarios involve blended forms, says Bastiaansen. ‘In the scenario with the fewest restrictions, large groups can get together, there is no curfew, students are allowed into society clubhouses and alcohol is served. In other scenarios, group sizes are smaller and there is still a curfew. We’ll make the decision about which scenario it’s going to be closer to the time.’
This uncertainty makes organizing the AID different to other years, says Bastiaansen. ‘Before 2020, the formula was usually quite similar. In 2020 the Covid regulations meant the AID had to be radically different. I think now we’re somewhere in between. The situation does give us an opportunity to come up with new activities for the programme. That’s something I’m looking forward to.’
Camping
The is one feature of earlier years that Bastiaansen very much hopes to bring back. ‘If the municipal council lets us, we would really like to set up an AID campsite again. But whatever happens, and no matter what form the AID takes, we can’t wait to welcome new students!’
The two AIDs will be held this year from 11 to 14 August and from 16 to 19 August