Party Picks:

• ESN Pre-Introduction Week: Full Moon Party
• Techno Falafel Party @Lust
• OOST • The Clubnacht Special (attend for free entrance)
• LOFT: Ra-min • Pushin Wood • Duke Hugh • Black Dynamite
• Biggie Biggie - Hiphop/RnB/Guilty Pleasures
  
  

Events:

Welcoming Ceremony

Once again, hundreds of new international students will be moving to Groningen at the beginning of the second semester. To make the start to a new life in the Netherlands easier, the University will be hosting a Welcoming Ceremony this Thursday for all new students. There will be a large information market where different student associations and facilities will be represented, and new students will also have the chance to attend workshops to pick up some essential Dutch skills and learn how to navigate Groningen on a bike. Attendance is free and it’s a great opportunity to meet new people during your first days in Groningen. 

ESN Introduction Week

If you are a new international student coming to Groningen, the ESN Intro Week is almost a must-go event. Featuring a 5-day program including movie nights, dinners and parties, the ESN intro week is your best chance at finding your first friends in the city. Having both attended and been a guide myself, I have three essential intro week tips for all of you who are going. 

1. Make sure to get a fair amount of sleep. Intro week is more of a marathon than a sprint.
2. Don’t be shy. Everyone is new here, so make sure to have a chat. 
3. If you happen to lose your group, temporarily join a different one and find new friends. 

Just Dance Night

It’s time to get those dance shoes out and put on some boogie pants because USVA is organising a Just Dance Night next week, where you can put your dancing skills to the test. If you are wondering what exactly ‘Just Dance’ is, let me explain it to you quickly: just dance is a video game where players can dance to pre-set choreographs which are displayed on a screen. This can be either incredibly fun or incredibly awkward (or both), and I am sure the game is to blame for a few dozen broken TV sets and videos that should definitely stay private. 

The Barracuda Brexit Party

After a long time of uncertainty, negotiations and Boris Johnson memes, the day has finally come. Britain is leaving the EU and it is time to say goodbye. Of course, the only appropriate way to see off a friend heading into an uncertain and platinum blonde coloured future is to throw a massive farewell party. This party, which features an English breakfast for dinner and a lot of Britpop, is not funded by the EU and the proceeds will definitely not go back to the NHS. So grab your fish and chips, pour yourself a cuppa and say adieu, doei and auf wiedersehen to our British friends. And who knows, maybe there will be a welcome back party somewhere in the future. 

JFV International Pub Quiz

Here’s a chance for all of you smartypants out there to prove your knowledge. The JFV International Pub Quiz will take place at Cafe de Keyzer next week, with drinks only costing 1€ and the winners having the prospect of eternal fame and glory (or at least until the next event). If you are an avid Trivial Pursuit player or just one of those know-it-alls, this is your time to shine. All you need to get started is a team name and some knowledgeable team-mates and you are good to go! 

Moral Boundaries of Humor - Madelijn Strick

Can humour go too far? Is it okay to make fun of student bloggers, especially that guy with the weird sounding name?* What are the components of a healthy and balanced diet? A least one of these questions will be discussed in Madelijn Strick’s lecture on the Moral Boundaries of Humor next Wednesday. Especially in times where discussions surrounding free speech and political correctness seem omnipresent, this is a really hot topic.

*Yes, absolutely

GIF of the Week