KIDS goes camping!

A report by Britt Kester

In between the already fully packed schedule of the regular kick-in, the study-related program, organised by Stress, took place. This so-called KIDS camp is one of the highlights of the year for both the brand-new first-year students and activists. This year, too, the committee has outdone themselves by arranging Hugo for yoga, letting the kiddos take to the water at Euros, and putting together a fantastically prepared pub quiz. And all of this with great success!

After everyone had a (hopefully) good night's sleep on Sunday, Monday morning finally arrived, and for many students, this meant getting up early. Once all the luggage was safely stowed away, and all the kiddos had registered, it was time for the committee fair. The competition between the activists over who could get the most names on their form was led by Kick at the bartenders and Ivo at the Freshmen committee. The ultimate winner remains a bit of a mystery for now. Hopefully, Tijn will figure it out soon, and we'll all have new, enthousiastic active members who will shape Stress in the coming years.

Of course, it is important that all the kiddos get familiar with their new surroundings and what better way to discover the campus then to participate in the crazy 49? We have seen a lot of creativity and enthusiasm. Mika has certainly practiced his dance skills and Anne almost started to believe that 1 + 1 actually equals 49. After crossing off as many assignments as possible, it was time to continue with the program where some exciting and interesting business cases were waiting.

In the afternoon, the group headed to Euros on foot, where everyone had the chance to row. Fortunately, no one fell out of their boat, but the dinner was somewhat affected by water from the sky. However, that didn't dampen the spirits because there were plenty of wraps and the beer was flowing from the tap. After dinner, it was time to go to the bus which would take us all to the camp location in Delden.

Once arrived at our faithful camping location, the kiddos were surprised to find out that as a team-building activity, they had to set up their tents themselves. With some negativity, everyone got to work, however it turned out that many hands make light work, and the task was completed quickly. After all the beds were made, the tap started flowing again, and the party tent was as lively as ever. Many kiddos got to experience the effects of the adtmeister, and I must say, I too have some gaps in my memory from that evening. All in all, that is the result of a very enjoyable night.

On Tuesday morning, of course, the dreaded megaphone, most feared by the kiddos, was taken out of the shed to wake everyone up. We all had breakfast together, but not everyone enjoyed it on such an early morning. Fortunately, Hugo was there to brighten everyone's day with morning yoga. This always leads to beautiful scenes, and everyone could start the day in a good mood because a good warm-up is important when there's going to be a lot of sports activities.

The kiddos were divided into groups under the responsibility of one of the activists and were led from game to game. There was something for everyone on this sporty afternoon, where some were excelling at farm golf, others had a blast on the inflatable bouncy castles. Farm golf was so popular that it was played not once, but twice. In each game, there was a competition between two groups, with the best team scoring points. So whether you were better at soccer darts or pétanque, it didn't matter at all, and from the reactions I've heard, everyone had a fantastic afternoon.

At 4 o'clock, the moment finally arrived when the tap was opened again, and this was absurdly well celebrated with the largest beer relay ever. Table after table, kiddos and activists faced off to see who could chug their beer the fastest. While some could finally show their hidden talent, others found it challenging to beat their opponents, and after a very close game, with a difference of only half a cup, a winner did emerge.

To ensure that not everyone rushed into the party tent completely drunk, a good base of food was provided. The weather was perfect for a barbecue after which no one left with hunger, not even behind the bar. But then it was finally time for what the activists, especially, had been looking forward to, the cantus. The senate and schaftmeisters, consisting of former board members with key roles for Daniël (praeses), Victor (abactus), Leon (procantor), and Hugo (head-schafmeister). Amidst the loudly singing voices, those who did not adhere to the cantus rules were singled out to explain themselves to the senate. Songbooks were handed out, and codexes were stolen. Comradeship was put to the test, and secret loves were uncovered. All in all, it was a successful evening, even for those at the cantus. How could we expect anything less with such presenters?

Of course, a cantus might not be for everyone, which is why a pubquiz was hosted simultaneously. Here the knowledge of the kiddos was tested until only one victor remained.

The next day, it was time to pack up quickly because there was bad weather on the horizon. Almost everyone worked together harmoniously to get the army tents back into their bags. Meanwhile, the toilets were cleaned, the benches were folded, and the belongings were carried to the bus, after which everyone could get a few hours of sleep before the introduction concert on the old market.

All in all, this was an incredibly successful KIDS camp, and on behalf of all the kiddos and activists, I would like to express my thanks to the organizers. Guys, it was great, see you next year!

Wanna see more pictures? Click this link: Study Association Stress - Pictures (utwente.nl)