May is known to be the month of exams, anxiety, and stress. However, students had many options for activities and events to loosen up for a couple hours and de-stress from studying. This month was filled with support, courage, and final hoorahs.
May 1–3: Bremen Bierfest
If you love drinking beer, you could go taste different types of beer at Bremen BierFest at the Ansgari Churchyard, the heart of the city center. There were beer options for everyone; gluten-free, alcohol-free, and slushie-styled beers. Sampling 250+ types from around the world, there was a beer for everyone, even nondrinkers. This year’s featured beer style was the India Pale Lager, which was spotted at multiple stands. The food vendors were delicious, the outdoor seating allowed visitors to relax in the fresh air, and the music brought top notch vibes.
May 2: Spotlight Talent Show & Afterparty
The annual student talent show attracted a large campus audience. ‘Constructor Airlines’ with music, dance, and more, was a show turned into an ‘in-flight’ experience. Many participated, showing off their creative talents, representing the diversity of the university, and expressing their individuality. Once the show ended, the celebration was moved to TOS (The Other Side), where everyone continued their evening with drinks, music, and fun, bringing all talents together.
May 4: Football Game vs. TSV Grolland II + Campus Crew Performance
Our dedicated Men’s Constructor Football team faced TSV Grolland II in an important game at SPA Vegesack. The campus crew gave an outstanding performance that boosted the energy of the match. There was a large supporting group of students encouraging and cheering for the players. As the winning team, our boys were promoted to the top 3 in their league, which increased their chance of advancing to a higher division.
May 6: MariaDB Meetup with Monty Widenius
For students interested in computer science, entrepreneurship, and software innovation, Michael ‘Monty’ Widenius, founder of MySQL and MariaDB, gave a talk on campus. He discussed open-source software, AI development, and MariaDB’s integration of vector support for large language models. Other members of Monty’s development team joined and gave their insight into the behind the scenes and future for MariaDB. After the talk, a Q&A session was held so students had the chance to ask questions and network with the industry’s experts.
May 9: Power & Play: Netball x CrossFit
To encourage students to open up to trying something new and to build inter-club connections, a fun mixed-sport event was hosted by the Netball and CrossFit clubs, promoting fitness culture on campus. The energy was high and inclusive, open to all skill levels. Students got the chance to loosen up and move their bodies in this upcoming hefty exam season.
May 10: Mercatorstraße Festival: Holi Hai
Inspired by the Indian Festival of Colors, this year’s Mercatorstrasse Festival theme was ‘Holi Hai’. The event took place during the day right outside Mercator College. The activities did not disappoint the theme as they were, in fact, colorful. The highlight of the festival was definitely the color powder play. The BBQ, ice cream, and fruit stands filled up the students’ tummies. The water games, pool fun, and music cooled them down in prep for the hot summer.
May 10: Final TOS Party of the Semester
What’s a better send-off than an end of the year TOS (The Other Side) party, organized by third-year students and open to all. The dance floor was filled with vibrant lighting and the immersive sound of techno and electronic music. Students danced till they dropped, celebrating yet another successful year.
May 15: Off-Campus Survival Workshop
Since new housing regulations were introduced, the off-campus survival workshop was crucial to attend to prepare the students for living off-campus in the coming semester. The 2-hour session discussed topics including:
- Finding housing and avoiding common rental mistakes.
- Understanding public transport, recycling, and grocery systems in Germany.
- Learning basic German phrases for landlords, doctors, and neighbors.
- How to get health insurance, open a bank account, and register with a doctor.
- Emergency contacts, safety advice, and staying connected with campus life.
May 15–16: Art Workshop: Making a Living, Making Art
For students interested in art, gender studies, history, and labor, the art workshop held in Lab III was the place to discuss topics related to those fields. These topics consisted of the intersection of art, genders, and economics, and how teaching, photography, and illustration supplements artists’ incomes. Students got the chance to distinguish who ‘counts’ as a modernist and whose story gets told.
May 15–16: ACN Conference at Constructor
The ACN Conference brings together professionals in alumni engagement, fundraising, and career services. The IRC was full of people networking and exchanging the best practices across the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland). While it was not directly student-focused, students still had the chance to observe the sessions happening and informally engage with the attending professionals.
May 16: Graduation Gala: Burger Bar
Serveries across campus celebrated the end of the academic year with a special 10 EUR offer where students could build their own burger, with a side of fries and coleslaw. It created a casual celebration for students to mark their academic milestones.
May 25: Campus Moves: Inclusion & Sports Festival
Hosted by Constructor University, Martins Club Bremen, and Hood training club, the inclusion and sports festival had activities such as calisthenics, street workouts, volleyball, and many more adaptive sports and games. There were live student dances and music performances for entertainment with free food and drinks. Movement, inclusion, and a sense of community were celebrated across all ages, genders, and abilities.
May 28–June 1: Bremen World Heritage Celebrations
To celebrate Bremen’s UNESCO World Heritage status, the Town Hall and Roland Statue, the Bremen city center families, locals, and tourists gathered. Walking tours, performances, and historical exhibits were raising awareness for Cultural preservation and pride during the 3 days of celebration.
May 30: Guest Lectures by Professors Boltasseva and Shalaev
Our university has welcomed guest lecturers to share their research from Purdue University with Constructor’s academic community. Professor Alexandra Boltasseva talked about tunable nanophotonic materials (e.g., MXenes, TCOs) for flat optics and quantum devices, and Professor Vladimir Shalaev spoke on scalable quantum photonics using silicon nitride platforms and room-temperature emitters. Our faculty, researchers and STEM students were intrigued by the two 40-minute lectures and were able to express it with one another during the coffee breaks.
