Forgot to apply sunscreen, but still wanting to enjoy the nice weather safely between lectures? No problem. You can now tap free sunscreen at various locations on campus.

It’s hard to miss them: the bright red poles that appeared on campus during the May holidays. They dispense factor 30 sunscreen that campus visitors can use for free. There are three dispensers in total: one on the lawn next to the Thomas Aquinas building, one behind the Huygens building, and a third one near the sports fields behind the Elinor Ostrom building. The initiative came from the University Student Council (USC), in collaboration with the Campus & Facilities division.

‘Besides allowing people to protect themselves from the sun, we also hope to raise awareness of the importance of sun protection,’ says Isabelle Scholte (23), vice chair of the student council. ‘Sunscreen in shops is very expensive, which can be a stumbling block, especially for students. So many people don’t use it. To encourage them to do so, we came up with this initiative.’

It was quiet on campus last week, due to the May holidays. Still, people did manage to find their way to the dispensers. Quite a few curious students and staff members held their hands in front of the sensor in the bright red pole, and went on to apply the sunscreen.

Skin cancer

The dispensers feature a QR code that links to an explanation of the positive effects of sunbathing, but also its dangers, such as skin ageing, and increased risk of skin cancer. The information is followed up by tips on how to protect yourself. ‘Skin cancer is a common cancer, but also one that is highly preventable,’ says Scholte. ‘One of the easiest things you can do is apply sunscreen. Enjoy the sun, but do so protected.’

This is not the first action of this kind initiated by the student council, who were previously also responsible for making free menstrual products available on campus. ‘These are concrete examples of what we have achieved as USC,’ says Scholte. ‘We obviously also do bigger, more abstract things, such as being involved in the participational bodies on matters like budget and the Policy Letter, but we also think these kinds of tangible initiatives for students are important.’

The poles will remain in place until autumn. Whether they return after the winter depends on the success of the pilot.