T.S.C. Olof

It's clear that T.S.C. St. Olof is more than just a student association. Olof was founded in 1927 alongside Tilburg University, making it the oldest association in Tilburg. They must not be missing from Verenigingen Vrijdag. Olof organizes multiple exciting parties annually. However, being a member of Olof is not just about partying. There are numerous opportunities for personal development. We spoke with Lotte, the Ab Actis of Olof, about the origins of Olof, the weekly and annual activities, and the countless ways to develop yourself. Read on to learn more about this traditional association.

Who are you?

"I'm Lotte. This academic year, I am the Ab Actis of Olof. The Senate of Olof consists of a total of six people. In my role, I am responsible for internal and external communication. Internal communication mainly focuses on the members, and external communication mainly deals with the university and other associations."

What is Olof at its core?

"Olof was established on October 8, 1927. It originated from the Handels Hogeschool, which was founded by a group of Tilburg students, professors, and lecturers. The Handels Hogeschool is what we now call Tilburg University. A university should have an association, they thought. Today, the relationship between Olof and the university is still strong."

"In recent years, Olof has grown to a membership of 720. This is relatively high by our standards because not every student in Tilburg automatically becomes a member of Olof anymore. This growth started two years ago and has continued to increase since then. As a association, we need to anticipate this growth. That's why we have introduced year clubs to accommodate the increase in members."

What does a typical week look like?

"On Monday evenings, we have a year club evening. Tuesdays are dedicated to committees. Wednesdays are often reserved for members' meetings or activities within their own fraternities, so there's not much happening at the pub. Thursday evenings are quite diverse – one week, we have 'Olof culinair' (Olof culinary), and another week, we might have an open party. Some weeks, there's also an activity on Friday, such as a 'VrijMiBo' (Friday afternoon drinks)."

What are the highlights of the year?

"The Olof ski trip, which we just had. It was bigger than ever this year, but every year it's really cool. You're with the entire Olof community, and all the fraternities and year clubs mingle. We've also recently organized a festival, the Bakboord Festival. It was a big success last year. In the first edition, we were unfortunately limited by the COVID-19 measures, but this year, we're planning to make it even bigger and expect over 2000 visitors. The TOP Week with the guys from E.D.E.L. is also a must on this list. They organize the beer relays on the plank in the tent every day! This year, we also have the lustrum, so we have some new highlights."

What characterizes a member of Olof?

"I don't think we can speak of a single type. You can see that there is room for everyone in various aspects. If we talk about certain personality traits, it's that Olof members don't join just to party. You can do a ton of committees, and most of the people around at Olof are willing to get involved in them. You can see that many people want to develop themselves. Besides Olof, the members usually have something else going on, like a hockey club or a board year, and we encourage this a lot."

What opportunities are there within Olof to develop yourself?

"We have over 35 committees and organs where you can get involved. One of the biggest committees is the Tilburg Career Days. It's a three-day event at Tilburg University where major companies from all over the Netherlands come to meet students. We see this growing. We also have committees for the almanac, organizing a symposium, and the CCT (our bar committee). These are all fun and educational committees."

How is the culture of fraternities and year clubs within Olof?

"We have seventeen men's fraternities and nine women's fraternities. These are essentially groups of men and women who form a club and live together. Each year, they take in new members from Olof into their fraternity. The fraternities are the foundation on which Olof is built. The continuity within such a fraternity is ensured by the addition of new members. It's also valuable to maintain contact with alumni, which is not only enjoyable but also enriches your network for future prospects. There are still often events and activities organized between current members and alumni."

"In recent years, we have had more members, and there weren't enough 'spots' within fraternities. That's why we started with year clubs a few years ago. They are formed anew every year, with a new name, new people, and a new recognition process. Year club members are students from the same year, and no new members are added."

What are your goals for the future?

"What we hope is that Olof will be even bigger in ten years. We expect it can and will happen. We also hope that the 'culture' surrounding fraternities and year clubs continues in this direction. It would be great if having a fraternity and year club becomes the norm."

"It would also be nice to have more fraternity houses. We're in contact with other associations and the universities and colleges in Tilburg for that. Our relationship with the university is really good, and we want to keep it that way."

"We want to get even bigger!"

If you had unlimited resources right now, what would you like to do?

"With unlimited resources, we would like to grow. We want to continue the upward trend. It would be great if everyone heard about Olof, everyone knew about it, and there was a place for everyone. While at the same time, we want to maintain our vision and traditions. We've always been the most active and oldest association in Tilburg. It's going well, and we want to keep it up."

What binds Olof to Tilburg?

"Primarily, it's the university, as we were co-founded with them. Olof is also Catholic, and we never officially distanced ourselves from it due to the Catholic nature of the university. However, religion has since become less prominent."

"I think Olof is deeply rooted in the history of Tilburg. During World War II, Olof members were actively involved in the resistance. The founders of the university had close ties with Olof. Today, Olof members also engage in various ways to benefit the city. Additionally, students from other cities come to Tilburg for their studies, partially due to the activities organized by Olof. In this way, we try to put Tilburg on the map as a student city."

What kind of events does Olof organize?

"We organize a lot of open parties, the new Bakboord Festival, and, together with Vidar and Plato, we host Dichtgetikt. However, many of the disputes also organize their own parties. For instance, Kongsi Carnaval, Palieter Mixed Hockey Tournament, Brut Beschuit Cantus, Bodemdrift, and many more parties are organized by Olof's disputes."

What sets Olof apart from other student associations?

"What sets Olof apart from other associations is that you can do many different things within Olof without feeling the need to do everything. You can join a year club or a fraternity, be part of a sports team, or get involved in a committee. Additionally, you get to interact with the university and major companies in both formal and informal settings. We also have a strong community involvement aspect. We believe in contributing to the city and its residents."

"We also throw some of the coolest parties. Having a societé located in the city center attracts a lot of people to our events. Olof has a long history, so we have the capacity to organize fantastic things."

What are your traditions?

"In Olof's 95-year history, many traditions have come and gone. The most significant tradition is undoubtedly the grand celebration of the lustrum, with the 19th edition planned for this upcoming summer. There are also numerous smaller traditions like the lobster dinner for each anniversary, the E.D.E.L. beer relays during the TOP week, and a gala for all first-year Olof members."

What should one do to become a member of Olof?

"If you want to become a member, you should visit www.olof.nl/word-lid and follow @ook_olof on social media. I also recommend attending the post-exam days on June 15 and 16. These are organized by the four major student associations in Tilburg. Furthermore, I suggest visiting open parties after your final exams. We organize them regularly. And, of course, come take a look at the Olof tent during the TOP Week. You'll find many Olof members there, easily recognizable by their red Olof shirts, who are happy to answer all your questions. If you have any more questions, feel free to fill out a contact form on our website."

"Most importantly, come and experience it for yourself!"