Student parties organise alternative introduction week
Too expensive, too few tickets, and not inclusive enough. That is the joint opinion of the Radical Organisation of Students in Amsterdam (ROSA) and the Activist Party about the Intreeweek currently taking place at the UvA. That is why, at the end of September, the two parties are organising an alternative introduction week for the third consecutive year. “By students, for students, and completely free of charge.”
Three years ago, the two organisations decided that the official Intreeweek in its current form had quite a few shortcomings. For example, they found that the limited number of tickets and the high ticket prices – this year, the early bird paid 110 euros, the late bird 132 euros – meant that a large part of the student population was excluded from the event. So ROSA and the Activist Party took matters into their own hands and created an alternative, free-to-attend introduction week.
“When I attended Intreeweek myself in my first year, I already felt that there was a somewhat elitist atmosphere surrounding it,” says ROSA board member Oskar Zach. “There are fences all around, and not everyone can attend all the events. Some organisations are welcome, but others are not; it is clearly not intended for everyone. That is why we want to be a place where all students are welcome. A student alternative.”
Marxism 101
According to Zach, board members of the organising parties have been receiving signals from first-year students for some time that the official Intreeweek does not meet their needs. “The students we have spoken to at our alternative introduction in recent years have always been dissatisfied with the Introduction Week,” he says. During the alternative introduction week, various events are planned, including a lesson on Marxism in the new University Library, a panel discussion on the ROSA newsletter in Oosterpark, and a big party in Café Skek. “We expect, depending on the activity, a few dozen people, up to about a hundred visitors at the party,” says Zach.
An additional advantage of the whole event is that the student parties are able to gain the necessary visibility among first-year students in this indirect way. Although the UvA has stated that it always tries to allocate a place at the Student Fair to student parties affiliated with the university, ROSA and the Activist Party were not present at the event. Through this alternative introduction week, the student parties are still creating a platform for themselves.
The alternative introduction week will take place from 25 to 27 September, with a closing event on 5 October. The theme is: “Stand up for Democracy and against Nationalism!”
“We believe it is very important to be able to discuss politics during such an introduction week,” Zach explains. “It is, of course, also a time when many young students get to know us and we gain many new members.” However, according to the organisers, it is not just about recruiting members; the event should primarily be an introduction for all students. “We invite everyone and do not want to be ideologically exclusive, but open and democratic. Nevertheless, it is true that mainly left-wing students often find their way to us.”
Edited on 29 August 2025: an earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that student parties are not welcome at Intreeweek.
