Academy building thief sentenced

The 21-year-old son of a concierge at the RUG has been charged with stealing 35 Euros from a cash box in the Academy building.

He was working as a janitor at the University, a job he got through his father, but was fired after he was caught on camera stealing the money from a cash box. ‘Your father got you this job, and you have damaged his reputation with your actions. You have to live with that knowledge’, the district attorney said. He was sentenced to perform 20 hours of community service.

Forward wins championship

The first team of the student football club Forward has won the title in the third division for the first time in 30 years.

The team put pressure on their opponents in Zuidlaren straight away, scoring 3 goals in the first fifteen minutes of play. The team remained in control throughout the match and won with a final score of 3-8. Forward’s fans rushed the field with popping champagne bottles to congratulate the team. As a result of the championship win, Forward will advance to the second division.

Popsicle thief gets 10 months in jail

A 23-year-old man from the town of Vlagtwedde in the province of Groningen has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for breaking into and burgling several houses, including a student house.

The man broke into a student house on the Korreweg and stole popsicles and lemonade. The suspect’s sentence included time to be served for another break-in in Groningen where his finger print was found. He was also suspected in a third break-in, but he was cleared of the charges due to a lack of evidence.

Police hunt down stolen bikes

Police officers Siard Heidanus and Bert Holthof have been fighting bike theft as a team in Groningen for 12 years, and in 2013, there were 3,671 reports of stolen bikes – 10 percent more than in 2012.

Heidanus suspects more people – including students – are recognizing there’s money to be made on the bike black market. When they identify a stolen bike, they pull over the person riding it or, if it’s parked, cut through the locks and leave a note for the owner, instructing them to retrieve it from the police station.

Vote or I’ll shoot!

Student parties are roaming campus for voters, but most students aren’t interested. The parties urge students to vote in university and faculty council elections because their outcome will impact student life.

Calimero wants better study abroad opportunities, incorporation of internships into study minors and improved access to academic advisors. Student Organisation Groningen – SOG – advocates for participation in student groups, commitment to internationalisation and unlimited access to the UB during exams. Independent Student Council – OSR – wants to eliminate fines for failing to graduate on time, preservation of Groningen student culture and the right to bathroom breaks during exams.

RUG still needs 500 volunteers

The month-long celebration of the 400th anniversary of the RUG will kick off next week. To make sure everything runs smoothly, 1,000 volunteers are needed.

‘About 500 people have signed up so far, so we’re halfway there’, says anniversary coordinator Els van den Berg. There are enough volunteers for the opening ceremony and a gala on 15 May, but for later events, such as the Masquerade and the Gift for Infinity, helping hands are wanted. Van Den Berg says, ‘We just want people to get involved, because it’s a celebration for everyone.’