Virus managed to get three students, only one of them from the TU/e, as committee members, whereas six are needed to organize the festival. The festival had an incomplete executive committee for the past few years. In 2006 this even resulted in the cancellation of the festival. According to Virus chairwoman Lotte Smits it is very difficult to organize and to warrant the continuity especially with a small crew, because every year there is a new executive committee that starts without almost any experience whatsoever. She also refers to the fact that competition has increased for Virus in the form of new festivals. The chance of a Virus festival ever coming back in its present form is nil, Smits expects.
University secretary ir. Harry Roumen regrets the decease of the festival, but thinks that it is the right choice. “It has become quite clear over the past two years how difficult it is to find students who are prepared to organize it. Besides, it was tried again last year, when the weather was good, and yet we did not manage to get a balanced budget for the festival.” Subsequently the university has tried ‘in all sorts of ways’ to support Stichting Virus in trying to survive.
One of the results of these efforts is that the new executive committee can start with a clean slate. Virus will continue with the Viri mini festivals and as of next year will organize an Eindhoven edition of the ‘studentenkamerfestival’. This festival was born in Nijmegen in 2001 and has developed into a successful annual event there. It involves many small performances in student rooms and a grand final party. Last year the concept was exported to four other university towns, and next year it is coming to Eindhoven./. |