A student evening (illustration) -

DURAND FLORENCE / SIPA

  • "Apartathons" are evenings during which teams of students move from one apartment to another.

  • A formula that goes badly in times of Covid, because of the risk of the virus spreading.

No more integration weekends and student evenings in higher education because of the Covid-19.

But with some exceptions (in Nice, Bordeaux or Marseille, where the number of people who can gather outdoors is limited), students are almost free to see each other outside.

At Sciences Po Lille, cases of Covid have been detected among students, and “apartathons” evenings are believed to be the cause.

Apparthaton?

A sort of orienteering race between students, or more exactly an evening during which the goal is to move from one apartment to another (they were selected in advance by the organizers) as quickly as possible, and without making a mistake.

A style of party that has a hard time getting through in times of Covid.

The "best parties of the year"

Apartathons are not new and were created before the coronavirus, gaining popularity over time among students.

"I did a lot of apartathons before the Covid-19", advances Océana, in professional license in Management of social and solidarity economy organizations at the IUT of Châteauroux.

Mélanie, a student in flight attendant and flight attendant training, is won over: “Apartathons are the best evenings of the year”.

And Océana to add: “It has become the best means of integration.

We do it regularly at the start of the year for newcomers, it allows us to get to know each other better ”.

Really a good idea at the moment?

"We must ask ourselves the question of prohibiting these evenings if they do not understand the danger, slice a doctor installed in the Paris region.

There is a big risk in doing these kinds of parties, because at the moment, the 20 - 30 year olds are the most affected by the coronavirus.

We have to make them understand that it is serious for those around them and for the most fragile people, because they are the ones who die of it ”.

Comments approved by Alexia, in BTS MCO: “The students participating in an apartathon in the midst of a health crisis are irresponsible.

They endanger a lot of people ”.

But for Bérangère Poncet, president of the general association of students of Paris, things are not so simple: “we must not put the blame on the students, all apartathons are not limited to positive cases.

"

Goodbye student life?

“ 

This semester, we are unfortunately not organizing an apartathon due to sanitary conditions,” assures Jeanne Dellon, president of the Erasmus & Internationals in Caen association.

Some therefore fear that the sidelines of higher education will be put on hold for too long.

"If we all continue like this, all student parties will quickly be banned and we will say goodbye to our student life", deplores Mélanie.

Bérangère Poncet nevertheless assures us that "the evenings in apartathons have been taking place for some time and will continue to take place after the Covid-19".

Before calling for caution: “You have to be responsible and aware of the risk.

If I had a contact case, then I confine myself as long as necessary ”.

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  • Higher Education

  • University

  • Student housing

  • Covid 19

  • Society

  • Coronavirus