Housing demonstration in Utrecht: first major action by new Vidius board

Vidius' new board took office on August 28. This academic year, Dante Glastra van Loon will represent the more than 100,000 students in Utrecht as the chair of the student union. The History student was already active in the union last year. He was involved in the protests against the budget cuts affecting higher education, which showed him that students are strong when they stand together. He mentions the abolition of the student loan system as an example of students' collective power. He believes that, by joining forces, students can also solve problems such as the housing shortage. 

Vidius is organising a protest on October 17, alongside the national student union (LSVb), FNV Young & United, and the housing association. The organisations aim to draw attention to the shortage of housing and student rooms, which is driving up rents. According to Vidius, students spend half of their income on rent. The demonstration will start at 1:30 pm at Dom Square.

Big plans
There is more on Vidius' agenda. The union aims to promote solidarity among students at various higher education levels. They would like students from research universities, universities of applied sciences, and vocational education institutions in Utrecht to join forces. The union also intends to arrange for free menstrual products to be available in all toilets at these educational institutions. "Free menstrual products combat period poverty. In doing so, we are striving to create more equal opportunities," explains Dante.

The student representative also identifies areas for improvement in terms of social safety. For example, Vidius has noticed that the boards of its 125 member organisations sometimes do not know what to do when a student feels unsafe. Vidius is therefore working on a handbook to improve the response to such complaints.

Four instead of six
Representing the students in Utrecht is not something Dante will do on his own. This year, the board consists of four people instead of the intended six. It is a sign of the increasing pressure that student administrators are experiencing, according to a former board member quoted in a recent DUB article. Students serving on boards are often very busy and tend to struggle financially. Some call on the university to increase the grant for these students, which should partly solve the problem.

Stefan in 't Zand is this year's secretary. He already has some experience as a board member, having served as chair of the board of the Philosophy Study Association (FUF). Stefan is particularly interested in creating a safe environment for all students, in which trust is key. The vice-chair is Nimue Wiertz, who also has experience at FUF. She will focus on welfare issues, among other things.

The quartet is completed by the general board member Sofie Kisjes, who also has some experience. Sofie used to serve as a treasurer for the student table tennis association, U.S.T. Traiectum. In the coming year, she will focus primarily on social justice.