Yow people,
NSWK II, ONKS, AAV, constitution drinks—2025 started peacefully with January, but everything changed when the February nation attacked.
After weeks of not seeing each other, the sister boards finally reunited at Spons’ constitution drinks in Amsterdam. Many attended to catch up over a beer, and fortunately, this was not the only constitution drink on the agenda for these months—Aquifer’s and, of course, our own were also planned. We thoroughly enjoyed our own constitution drink; it was great to see many current boards and quite a few former boards stopping by to congratulate us. Our active memories might be a bit blurry, but the most important memory—the great atmosphere—has thankfully stayed with us.
Apart from the essential drinking traditions of student life, there were also plenty of sporting highlights in these months. First up was the second NSWK of the season, held in Groningen and organized by De Walvisch. With the theme Big Business, the traditional pre-party was hosted the night before, followed by a venture into Groningen’s nightlife. The competition itself was quite a milestone—it was the first-ever NSWK organized by De Walvisch, so a big thank you for that! The beginners’ poule was ultimately won by Hydrofiel, and after a shootout in the final between Ragnar and Pila Ictus, Pila Ictus took home the victory in the advanced poule.
During Valentine’s weekend, it was time for the ONKS, fittingly themed Cupid’s Hangover for the party. This time, not only student swimming clubs were present, but many non-student clubs also joined with their student swimmers. At the end of the event, we handed out medals to the top three finishers in each race. A big thank you to Hydrofiel for organizing it.
As the NSZ board, we were also actively participating in sports. This year, we committed to visiting every club to join a training session. Our quest began in January with visits to Spons, Het Zinkstuk, and De Golfbreker. Interestingly, at De Golfbreker, we were treated to a water polo training session.
On the administrative side, a lot of progress was made as well. On February 16, the second Board Day took place in Nijmegen following the ONKS, where we presented our semi-annual progress report. The key takeaways in a nutshell: the proposal for seasonal winners at the NSWKs was approved, certificates will be awarded at NSZK III to those who recently broke an NSZK record, renewed agreements with the clubs were signed, and we visited the KNZB headquarters. So far, I’m super satisfied with how the season is going, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow board members for their efforts!
Finally, an important milestone that definitely deserves to be mentioned: on February 24, Stichting NSZ celebrated its 30th anniversary, marking the start of its sixth lustrum. On this day, the theme was revealed—Six on the Beach. Of course, this announcement wouldn’t be complete without a reveal video, so if you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to ask Daniel! Filming it was already a blast, so I wasn’t surprised that the final result turned out to be absolutely hilarious. The Lustrum Committee also announced several upcoming activities, including a Crazy 66 challenge over the next few months, where new challenges will be released every 6th of the month. Which association will win this XXL integration bingo? For all members, a special event is planned from July 12 to 13—we won’t reveal what it is just yet, but be sure to bring your swimwear! As for the boards of the past lustrum, we have an Ultra Board Weekend scheduled for September 6 and 7. Plenty to look forward to, so keep an eye on our socials!
Kind regards,
Jesper Luppes
Chairman