'Metis is a bunch of friends helping out other friends'

Free pizza, live concerts, a charity lottery to help a shelter for undocumented women. These were just some of the ways that Metis celebrated its first five years since its birth.

On May 7 and 8, students, faculty, and alumni engaged in a plethora of activities on the ground floor of the Descartes building, on the international campus, where the programme is housed. “We hoped to see the whole PPE community further bond with each other, which is basically why Metis exists in the first place,” explains Pim, a member of the organising committee.  

PPE is a relatively new program in Utrecht University, with a small-scale yet highly international student body. “Since its early stages, Metis has focused on making students closer within and beyond classroom walls. Although there are only 75 students per year, it is quite a diverse group. People have different backgrounds, priorities and necessities” says Pepijn, a PPE graduate who is still very active in the association.

“Shaping a close community throughout the years has at times been challenging in our study program. But year after year, Descartes has actually become a comfort place for many” adds Nori, chair of the Lustrum organising committee. 

“It is a small program, people are around each other all the time but it does not mean that they will necessarily get along, this is why our study association is so important for us. It helps create a friendly and respectful atmosphere in the place where we spend most of our time, our own study building” says a third-year student. 

Indeed, PPE is known for being a close-knit community and Metis is largely responsible for that bond. “I like to think of Metis as a bunch of friends helping out other friends,” says board member Olivia. “We try to make Descartes a second home for everyone, working together to shape an environment that is safe and inclusive,” adds the association’s president, Samuele. 

For students, this is important. A first-year student says: “I would not feel so comfortable around everybody if it wasn’t for all the activities organised by the association. Some of my best memories in Utrecht have to do with Metis.” A third-year student agrees. “I really missed the PPE community when I was abroad on exchange. When I came back, joining Metis’ events gave me a sense of belonging again.” 

Six months in the making 
The two days of celebrations included a charity lottery whose proceeds went to a shelter for undocumented women, a lively debate on nuclear weapons in which students opposed teachers, and conversations with alumni about life after PPE. 

Also, in the spirit of Metis’ five-year-rooted tradition, multiple tournaments of flunky ball were played, where two lines of students facing each other competed to the last shot to drink up their beer as fast as they could. And last but not least, a bouncy castle was placed in the garden of Descartes, ending up being the most coveted attraction.

Organising such an event wasn’t easy. LustrumCo, the committee dedicated to organising these two days, was formed in October.  “It was a rather long process, a lot of planning ahead was required. Fortunately, most committees made our job way easier by being very positive and coming up with nice ideas for the event. This Lustrum was the result of a joint effort among all Metis members, which shows how active and engaged our student body is in the association” says Seza, a team member of LustrumCO.

As funny as it might sound, the committee’s biggest struggle was arranging the huge bouncy castle. “It was quite a hustle to get it transported all the way to Descartes but I am glad people have been enjoying it so much. We were worried it would break during the event, get drilled, but thanks to a liability form and some careful supervision it survived” a LustrumCo member admits.

Believe it or not, but this whole bouncy castle struggle perfectly fits into the idea behind the PPE study association. Pepijn in fact says “Metis is the ancient Greek world for practical wisdom, the idea of learning by doing. Basically, it means trying things out along the way to see if they work out”. And in the case of the bouncy castle, with some necessary adjustments, it ended up being a success. 

What’s next 
By the end of the two days long celebrations, the bouncy castle was still standing and students were enthusiastic about the overall event, which set the bar even higher for the future. At this point, it is hence natural to wonder what the PPE association hopes to achieve in the next few years.

“We want to keep building and strengthening the community spirit that makes PPE students so close to each other,” says Metis’ current president in a very propositive tone. 

“I already saw a great progress in the association over the past five years, and I see a lot of potential to build up on it in the future.The plan is to continue doing was has successfully been done so far and trying things out to make PPE always more welcoming for the next cohorts” concludes Pepijn.