From 7 AM Flights to Broken Locks: A Chaotic Return to Lille
It was my first week back in Lille. I hadn't started school yet, but I had some treasury work to attend to since I am the treasurer of the student association of my school for this year. This means that I am the one who handles the bank account and checks all the paperwork for the 50 or so different commissions of our school.
These commissions are one of the most vibrant aspects of our school. There are groups for everyone, from traditional food gourmet groups to musical groups and dart throwing. At the start of the year, we have a commission responsible for integrating the newcomers.
On Tuesday evening, I finally arrived in Lille and got my apartment cleaned up a bit to prepare for living here for another year. I've recently realised that this will probably be my last year here in Lille, since I do plan on doing an Erasmus for half of the fifth year and a six-month internship for the latter half. That evening, I went to bed early to catch up on the sleep lost due to a 7 A.M. flight.
The next morning, I woke up and needed to fetch some boxes from the student association's treasury room for the integration commissions. When I arrived, I saw that the lock had been broken. Bear in mind that this is the place we hold our cash. The badge lock was simply torn off.
My fellow treasurer and I counted all the money that was there. No money was missing compared to last year's count. This was a big relief. Yet it was not the end of our problems. We were unable and still are unable to locate the DJ decks that were bought two years ago, which are worth about 2500 euros.
Currently, we still have a little hope that someone has taken them home and forgotten them, yet it is becoming more and more unlikely, especially considering the break-in.
We contacted the school administration about everything right away. We haven't been able to file a complaint yet since we do not currently have the invoice for the DJ decks, which would prove that we bought them and also give context for their price.
The DJ decks will eventually have to be replaced since they are very useful to have for us. This will dig a hole in our budget, but we have to make do. I will personally make sure that we get a good deal on them, though.
The treasury lock has since been replaced. The situation has degraded the trust put into the room. If it happened, it could happen again. Personally, that is a risk I am not willing to take. We will be installing a camera inside the treasury room as extra safety measures moving forward.
I am not alone in all of this. Of course, we have a team, but this, as a first week's welcome, has been rough. I am excited to start my classes today, yet I am slightly scared of the workload that I will have from both classes and my treasurer responsibilities. Especially since my timetable looks rough – I have classes from 8 AM to 7 PM most days.
This Week's Suggestions:
This song really resonates with me. I've had it on replay for the whole week. It reflects on the idea of having a second chance at life to correct mistakes and live more boldly. The production is very folky Estonian with the instruments and the singing style.
💡 "You Need to Be Bored. Here's Why."
I doubt I will be bored these upcoming weeks, yet here is a video that demonstrates its necessity!
Wish you a less stressful back to school!
