The Rhein-Waal University of Applied Sciences – Cleve Campus Friends’ Association held a large Weckmann feast on the Cleve campus, attended by more than 500 people.
Young people representing 107 different nationalities are currently studying at the relatively new Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences. And so the colourful ‘selfie’ that the students sent home from this evening in the canteen is likely to have made its way to 107 different countries. There was a lively atmosphere after Peter Wack, as chairman of the Friends of the University Association, and Dr Heide Naderer, as president of the Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, had addressed their greetings – in English, as is customary at the university – to the well over 500 hungry guests present.
As chairman, Peter Wack made it clear that, in the third year of the Weckmann dinner, he certainly wished to speak about the tradition surrounding this event, even though the number of guests had never before been so large. The Friends’ Association emphasised that both the enormous, brightly lit fir tree on the campus grounds and the majestically reclining Weckmann were to be credited to the friends and supporters of the Cleve campus – his 1,000 or so ‘little brothers’ – as well as the hundreds of mulled wine cups and glasses of hot chocolate being passed round.
“The turnout this evening is simply stunning,” said the chairman, expressing his amazement at the large number of guests, which, for the first time, included not only lecturers but also dozens of students from the Kamp-Lintfort satellite campus.
“Next year, I’d like to see a female Father Christmas,” joked President Dr Naderer in her speech of thanks and welcome, and she was delighted that so many fellow board members from the dedicated Friends’ Association had also attended.
This year’s Weckmann Meeting lasted a good three hours. It concluded with a firm promise from the friends and supporters that this still-young tradition would be continued in 2016 as well.
