Student - August 21, 2012

Hot spot at 37 degrees

In the sweltering heat on Sunday, 1500 AID participants sweat out during the sports day in the Bongerd. Some call it a day in the afternoon and make their way, for example, to the Wageningen beach.

Ladies from Rugby Club Wageningen (RCW) try to cool down near sports centre De Bongerd

Twelve first year students play a game of beach volleyball on Sunday afternoon under the scorching sun in the Bongerd. It is 37 degrees Celsius, too hot even for sparrows to stay on the roofs. However, AID participants still give the sports activities a go. Two other students try out the rowing simulators belonging to Argo; others, the climbing wall of Ibex. The warmth has not produced any casualties. The First Aid has not had to help anyone with overheating or dehydration problems. Only a foreign student with a grazed knee can be found there. Extra posts have been put up where water can be tapped, and many linger in the comforting shadow of the student sports societies' stalls.
Not every student can last the entire sports day. Small groups break off before the activities are over. Some make their way to the beach - the Wageningen beach at the River Rhine - where a good number of 'yellow bags' can be seen sitting along the waterside.