With a La-Ola Wave into Studies TU Braunschweig welcomed its first-year students in the stadium
For the tenth time, Technische Universität Braunschweig welcomed its first-year students on Monday, 24 October 2022, at the Eintracht Stadium. For the first time after two years and two Corona-related online events, the first-semesters‘ welcome could take place in presence again. 3,200 students will start their Bachelor’s or Master’s programme at TU in the winter semester 2022/23. Together with moderator Nadine Hampel, the first-year students got ready for the start of their studies and kicked off the event with a la-ola wave.
In her welcoming speech, TU President professor Angela Ittel highlighted TU Braunschweig as a place where social transformation is shaped. She also said that TU is a place of freedom, creativity and professional and personal development: “We at TU Braunschweig are very proud to be able to accompany you on this path and can only encourage you: Make the most of your time and the many great opportunities at our university. We look forward to seeing you!” Ittel continues.
Nele Schnars from the board of the General Students’ Committee (AStA) also welcomed the new students and said that studying is about more than sitting in lectures and studying for exams: “It’s about getting to know yourself, making new experiences and growing beyond yourself. Because it is only when you actively shape your studies that they really become your studies and TU Braunschweig becomes your university.
Thinking outside the box with the “Green Office” and the “Sandkasten”
The representatives of the Green Office and the Sandkasten Platform also made it clear that studying is more than just learning and writing exams. The Green Office advises and networks students on social, ecological and economic sustainability. With the help of the Sandkasten Platform, these topics can be put into practice. Students can thus get involved on campus and in the city in view of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Mathias Steiln, head of the University Sports Centre, introduced the students to the wide range of sports on offer. After all, it is important for successful studies to clear the mind through exercise. This was followed by a colourful choreography to the song “Let’s Get Loud” by Jennifer Lopez, in which trainers and sports participants ran into the stadium in their typical sportswear and encouraged the first-semester students to clap along.
From Eintracht Braunschweig to the Culture Ticket
The Eintracht stadium was the place where ex-professional footballer Benjamin Kessel worked. The current U19 co-coach and vice-president of Eintracht Braunschweig recently completed his bachelor’s degree in sports management. He also welcomed the first-year students and, together with moderator Nadine Hampel, asked them questions about Braunschweig, TU and Eintracht in a quiz.
The Kenyan baritone singer Zachariah N. Kariithi from the music theatre ensemble of the Braunschweig State Theatre whetted students’ appetites for the culture ticket, which is part of the semester fee, with his interpretation of the Elvis Presley hit “Can’t Help Falling in Love”. With the culture ticket introduced in 2016, TU Braunschweig students have free admission to the State Theatre, the LOT Theatre and the Figurentheater Fadenschein. The musicians of the Academic Wind Instruments Association, AkaBlas for short, once again provided the musical accompaniment for the first-semesters‘ welcome.
HELiPOD: TU Braunschweig in the Arctic
Dr. Astrid Lampert, head of the “Flight-based Meteorology and Measurement” working group at the Institute of Flight Guidance, and research assistant Dr. Falk Pätzold brought the HELiPOD helicopter towed probe, the only one of its kind in the world, to the stadium and reported, among other things, on the MOSAiC Arctic expedition (2019 to 2020) where it was used. They encouraged the first-year students to apply to the institutes as student assistants in order to work on such research projects at an early stage.
Colourful finale with streamers
What would a visit to the stadium be without fan choreography? What football fans can do, the first-semester students can do too. At the end, the first-year students threw rolls of recycled paper in the different colours of the rainbow on command. The result was a colourful final picture that represents the diversity of TU Braunschweig.
After the final whistle in the stadium, students were able to get information and advice from 50 service institutions and student initiatives around TU Braunschweig at the information fair on university square and in the foyer of the main lecture hall under the motto “Studying is more”: Among others, the University Library, the Student Services OstNiedersachsen, the Study Service Centre, the faculties, the Lions Racing Team, the Unikino and the student consultancy Consult One.