‘A student association shapes you for life’
What started with a huge sheet of paper from the V&D shop grew into one of the larger men’s sub associations at Quintus. Professor Gerard van Westen looks back on his student days with a smile: they gave him far more than just drinks and late nights.
‘I was already a member of the study association Aesculapius, but I also wanted to join a student association. So, in my second year I became a member of Quintus in Leiden. That year there were relatively many men joining, so the Quintus board said there was room for a new men’s sub association.’
It started at the V&D shop
‘With my friend Rob, I went to V&D shop. We bought an enormous sheet of paper and wrote: “Drinks for the new men’s sub association.” And that’s how it started. At first there were about six of us, but now’ – Gerard quickly grabs his phone – ‘there are 120 people in the WhatsApp group. It’s now one of the larger men’s sub associations at Quintus. That’s quite something!’
After work
In the After Work series, we meet colleagues who have special passions besides their work. What inspires them, and how do they bring that enthusiasm to their work?
Of course, the new sub association needed a name. ‘When you start something new, you’ve got a carte blanche. You can shape it however you like. We chose Lug-dunum Machra. It’s Celtic for ‘sons of prosperity from Leiden’. The symbol became a cornucopia. We found Celtic culture fascinating. But secretly we also thought: “Celtic, that’s Scottish, so we can drink whisky.”’
This is the Machra-man
The atmosphere hasn’t really changed, Gerard feels. ‘Quintus stands for diversity and tolerance. The Machra man fits right in. Besides that he’s not afraid to speak his mind. He loves having fun, is a bit chaotic, playful, and multifaceted. And above all, there’s no strict hierarchy. We’re equals.’
It shaped him, he says without hesitation. ‘You learn how to deal with all sorts of people. That’s something you benefit from for the rest of your life. And setting up a sub association like that teaches you a lot. You learn how to give direction to a group, you think about organisation, and you work with the board of a large student association. That experience actually helps you later on, when you’re organising a big international conference, for example.’
Trips, a gala and the annual rally
Gerard still drops by Quintus from time to time and remains involved with Machra. ‘I’ll always attend the gala. And on Ascension Day there’s obviously a barbecue. From the sub association we formed an alumni organisation that still goes on a lustrum trip every five years. And each year we go away for a weekend with a group of alumni.’
‘And then there’s the annual puzzle tour and car rally called “CamBall”, a kind of spin-off, which has been running since 2012. The name combines Cambridge – where I was living during my postdoc at the time – and the international rally Gumball 3000. The then chair of Quintus, when we founded Machra, eventually joined as well. Last year we went to Spa-Francorchamps, and this year I get to organise it again. Through a society like this, you build a close-knit group of people to do great things with. And that bond lasts.’
His advice to students is clear: join. Especially now, with so much pressure to perform. ‘Everyone’s busy building their CV. Students worry that a degree alone isn’t enough anymore, that it’s all about what extra things you’ve done. But it’s precisely through an association like this that you learn so much. The CV will follow naturally.’
Text: Christi Waanders
Do you also have a special passion outside of work? Send an email to news@science.leidenuniv.nl and who knows, you might get to talk about your hobby in the next episode.