“I’m in group 7.” Another colleague: “Group 12.” A third: 13. The latter was very nervous, concerned they’d end up in the church cellars. “Does that mean we’re not sitting together, then?” he asked hopefully. We didn’t have a clue when we set off to the Basilica of Saint Servatius on Friday afternoon for the 50th anniversary of Maastricht University. All we had was our e-tickets with the group numbers printed on them. In 1976, Queen Juliana signed the founding charter of what was then the State University of Limburg in the basilica. This time, with King Willem-Alexander as an honoured guest, they decided that of course, they were going to host the celebrations there. We had heard a while ago that the table that Queen Juliana had sat at would be moved to the basilica for the occasion from its usual place in the Law Faculty. Bart Zwegers, lecturer and conservator of academic heritage, was going to take charge of that personally.
Bart Zwegers takes care of the 'table of Queen Juliana' in the Sint Servatius Basilica, a day before the Dies
So we organised a photographer to capture an amusing peak behind the curtains of the big day. The organisers were less amused, we have since come to understand. The stress levels were high. Thankfully, our photographer, Ellen Oosterhof, did manage to snap a picture of Bart with the table.
To be honest, I had had my doubts about the basilica. Beautiful and enormous, sure, but I remembered watching my children’s Nativity plays there, from the back of the church or leaning against a pillar, barely able to distinguish the Virgin Mary from the angels or one of the Wise Men. It was more like a Nativity in miniature.
On Friday afternoon, at the Dies, we were not seated in the area reserved for the press (at the back) – we had deliberately chosen not to, for fear of similar ‘miniature Nativity scenes’. Instead, we ended up with the other members of staff in groups 7, 12 and 13. On one of the tables by the entrance, there was an A4 labelled “Ultra VIPs”, a crib sheet for the hosts. I didn’t recognise the faces – journalists are nosey, especially when it comes to Ultra VIPs. Either way, we weren’t on it.
This Dies celebration is one of the best the Observant team has ever seen. It was an excellent choice to award an honorary doctorate to climate activist Roger Cox, nephrologist Peter Stenvinkel and Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, President of the International Committee of the Red Cross, who gave an honest, emotional and powerful speech. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a view of the front stage, as the vast pillars were in the way (instead, there were screens in the side aisles).
Building manager Roy van Kessel (‘group 12’) sent Observant a letter that same day. “Minor irritation at the Dies Natalis”, he wrote. He felt compelled to air one grievance: why had the university chosen this seating plan? The “hoi polloi” at the sides who were stuck with tv screens and at the whims of the edit versus the honoured guests and professors in the middle who were able to look right in the faces of André Rieu and his musicians. I understood how Roy felt. Which leaves us with the question, how can we get some of those premium tickets next year?
The editor-in-chief gives a look behind the scenes at the editorial office