The first call goes to Rails, the free train magazine. According to desk editor Patricia Oomen the investigation was conducted by first-year students journalism of the KBK Hogeschool in Rotterdam. 'Whether it was done according to the rules of statistics, I do not know. They took polls and held interviews.' A call to the Hogeschool. Director educational programmes Jeffrey van Zaalen refers to Ruud Hollander, teacher of the first-year students and editor-in-chief of Rails. 'He is responsible for the investigation and its execution.'
According to Hollander the investigation was done 'really thoroughly'. 'Students travelled to thirteen student cities in groups of two or three', he explains. 'There they looked into different matters, is it easy to find a room, what is pub-life like, that sort of thing. It can be that one group was a little more strict than the next.' The students took polls and kept their eyes and ears peeled, Hollander reports. 'They went out themselves and visited bars.'
But was the investigation statistically sound, according to the laws of research. 'That may nog be the case, exactly', Hollander laughs. 'Even though it was not speculation, it was not scientifically sound either.'
Rails received more phone calls from a miffed East in the past few weeks. 'What I think of that? I don't know, never been to Enschede. But what I hear from my students is that it is a pleasant provincial town. Not really ideal for young people.' Indeed, the people from Enschede will say, a group of Rotterdamers is used to quite something else. 'Well, about their own student city they were not that positive either', Hollander knows.
For the record, Rotterdam scored a 6.2. Enschede finished last in the Top Ten with a 4.8.
The East now has the task to put matters right. 'As for me, I enjoy it here a great deal', says Gertjan Dieleman, member of the senate of student society Audentis. 'But this enjoyment does take a bit of effort in Enschede. You have to go looking for it actively. In cities like Amsterdam and Utrecht it comes easier.' The member of the senate therefore does somewhat understand the outcome of the investigation on the popularity of Enschede as student city in Rails magazine. 'But this negative coverage does harm our city's image. It can be just the push in the wrong direction for prospective students when making their choice of study. And less students in Enschede, means less students in Audentis.'
Ruben Visser of the Student Union: 'Strange. For years the results of investigations were positive about us, and suddenly this is not the case anymore. A bad atmosphere cannot be the conclusion of an objective investigation, isn't atmosphere a very subjective thing? Lack of culture, well, we have almost one-hundred societies, so there is something for everyone here. Well, and deficient nightlife, you cannot compare what's on offer here with Utrecht or Amsterdam. The Oude Markt, however, is very compact and therefore full of people and life. Moreover, we have a campus here. No other university city has that.'
The Enschede alderman for Economy, Education and Youth Eric Helder. 'This report amazes me. The outcome contrasts sharply with earlier research by Elsevier and the 'Keuzegids Hoger Onderwijs' (selection guide higher education). During the latest introduction I participated in jury activities for the debate between student societies. There I heard from the students themselves how they view Enschede: a lively, attractive student city. The inner city has high quality, the Oude Markt is one of the most enjoyable squares with restaurants and bars in the Netherlands, there are regular events in the city and culturally there are a great many things to do. In addition, you are not a number in Enschede, we keep our eye on the human dimension. In short: Rails ran off the rails!'
Jannie Benedictus and Maaike Platvoet transl. Dineke van Aalst
