We Love College is an event concept for students which started in September 2013 when students of HZ University of Applied Sciences, Scalda and Roosevelt academy were united at one party, with a current maximum of about 600 students present. We decided to catch up with the founders of this concept and visit the fourth We Love College party.
We Love College is a concept created by Michael Kuiper and Robert de Ruyter who are also students. Robert explains: ‘When we started We Love College we did that for quite a few reasons. First of all we want to make Zeeland, especially Vlissingen a better environment for students (both for Dutch and international students). Secondly we want to support local businesses here in the region, therefore we always work together with business-owners to achieve a common goal and win-win situation. Finally we want to help create a social environment, getting people to unite at a party with their friends basically.’
Despite the fact deep-house keeps growing in popularity we were wondering why the organization would have chosen this particular genre for their parties. They explain that this came from research amongst international students. We Love College wants to really involve international students and they found out that when people come to the Netherlands and would instantly hear some big-room house it can be too ‘hard’ for them. For that reason they start parties with some deep/tech-house and move up to more progressive house with a couple of big-room tracks to basically make sure everybody is comfortable. Obviously the DJ’s also adapt to this by putting a major amount of known tracks in their sets. The organization adds: ‘As in many festivals also is the case we’re focusing on ‘experience’, meaning surprising our visitors in a positive way with extra activities like a body-painter, plastic animals, sunglasses etc. Sunglasses turned out to work really well because it gives a feeling of belonging when everybody’s wearing the same sunglasses.
WLC Socials
We Love College doesn’t only focus on organizing parties! WLC Socials are smaller events which could be an international dinner, WLC games etc. It’s a way to keep everybody involved and putting the brand even more out there.
Ambassadors
International students can really get involved in We Love College. The organization works with a community of students that can bring in creative ideas that will if possible be executed by the organization. We believe that’s a very smart move but mostly absolutely vital, because you have to know what your target-group is thinking about your ideas.
Location
The location of the We Love College events has been changed a couple of times due to the amount of visitors. They started at beach-clubs but that turned out to be too small. The location for WLC IV was the restaurant near Arsenaal Theater in Vlissingen. We must say that’s quite a unique location.
We Love College IV
We attended the event and decided to question international students about their view of the concept and this party in particular. Anita from Finland, who attended every We Love College party so far, mentions: ‘The music is nice & We Love College definitely unites people’. Madeline from France, who visited a We Love College Party for the first time, said: ‘I think it’s a great location! I believe they should organize more parties!’. Milan from Nepal said: ‘I think We Love College is definitely a party to go to when you want to have fun with friends! I like that it’s not only about the music but there are extra’s like the body-painter!’. We basically quite agree with the statements of the international students. We had never been to a party at that location and the music was nice. Well, if you’re a student in the area we would say, go experience it for yourself!
We Love College socials:
www.facebook.com/welovecollege