A bracelet to access the studios, and the prohibition to welcome anyone at home: the residents of two student houses will be limited during two festivals, and are not delighted.
© François Melillo/20 minutes
Some 15,000 people are expected for Balélec, and more than 8,000 for Unilive.
The return of cultural and festive life is not taking place in the greatest calm on the side of the Unil and EPFL campuses. As the return of two major student festivals is announced, Unilive on April 28 and Balelec on May 13, the 1,500 residents of two student accommodations were all given strict guidelines. They concern their comings and goings on the days surrounding these two dates, during which 9,000 and 15,000 festival-goers are expected respectively.
A bracelet will be distributed to each tenant, and will be the only possible sesame to access the complexes of the Vortex and the Atrium. No guests, friends or partners will be accepted on the premises on these days, and entrances will be monitored by Securitas. What annoy the main concerned. “It’s really abused, reacts a student on social networks. What’s the next step, ban on entering following 10 p.m. otherwise we are deprived of dessert? Why not allow everyone to have a +1?”
“I feel like I’m 15 once more,” irritated another internet user. “This prevents us from temporarily accommodating a friend in distress, a girlfriend, 2 or 3 guests, which is not extravagant in the context of festivals, reacts another student. “, reports another. Residents feel suffocated by this measure, especially following going through covid restrictions.” And a last to note that a security service would be better used to avoid overflow than to filter 1000 people in a few hours, “which will be unbearable”.
Security measure
“We’ve been insulted a bit since yesterday,” confirms Vortex steward Sébastien Dauxerre. The person in charge of the premises at the Fondation Maison pour Étudiants Lausanne (FMEL) explains that the decision, although regrettable, is essential to ensure the safety of the tenants and the equipment, and has been validated by lawyers. “My colleagues have bitter memories of the 2018 edition of Balélec: the Atrium had been ransacked by revelers, with significant nuisance but also tens of thousands of francs in damage. We therefore implemented this measure in 2019, and the majority of residents thanked us for it. “The Atrium is very different from the Vortex, and much closer to the festival, replies a student. We do not have to pay the costs of these past overflows.
On the announced intransigence, the intendant explains: “Imagine that each resident of the Vortex invites a person: we would go from 1000 to 2000 people. The building has a capacity limit for a good reason. Even with 200 or 300 more people, the danger is very real, and alcohol helping, a person might fall from one floor… We have a legal duty to ensure safety.” Sébastien Dauxerre specifies that the bracelets will be distributed in person three days before so as not to leave time to imitate them: “our students are very imaginative”, he slips.
