About Babylon
History
The introduction of the bachelor-master structure in Belgian universities brought about quite a few changes at the Arts Faculty. No need to point that out; we’re quite aware of the fact. Now, imagine this: you’re in the Fak (Faculty Bar), quietly enjoying your beer when, all of a sudden, the following news hits you in the face: your student union, about which, you cannot help but admit, you’ve always felt deeply chauvinistic, has to call it quits. After all, it’s no real use trying to keep a student union from falling apart when it’s no longer linked to any field of studies. It is in that same Fak, with the same—now lukewarm—beer, the same melancholic CD that the DJ is playing, that we met our peers. For Germania, Romania, Klio and to some extent Historia restructuring was at hand. After two hours of hopeless despondency, we decisively moved the half empty glass aside and put our heads together. What was next was the combination of the experience, passion and love of what once were the three philological student unions into a new strong union. Babylon!
Now, who can proudly call themselves Babylonian? Babylon is the student union for all bachelor language students. Students striving to obtain a Master’s degree in linguistics and literature, a Master in linguistics, a Master in Western literature, a Master in cultural studies or a Master in business communication are members of Babylon as well.
Philologists, academics, linguists, people of letters and scientists, but above all: Babylonians.
Practical Information
This year we’re organizing three afternoon question sessions every semester. During these sessions you will get the opportunity to ask us all types of questions, be it questions about education, exams, parties, cultural activities…, you can always turn to us for an answer. We will try to immediately provide the information you need. If for some reason this isn’t possible, we will write down your question, do the research required and let you know by email.
The dates for the afternoon question sessions in the first semester are:
Wednesday October 3rd from 1.30 PM till 5 PM
Monday November 5th from 1.30 PM till 5 PM
Tuesday December 11th from 1.30 PM till 5 PM
This takes place in the Babylonian PERMA (room above the fak) However, if you have more urgent questions, you can of course always talk to us or email us using the contact form on this website.
Despite the fact that we share the fakbar Letteren (Arts faculty bar) (www.fakbar.be) with the other student unions of the faculty (these are Alfa (archeology), Eoos (oriental studies), Historia (history), Mecenas (art history) and Musicologica (musicology)), there are still the typical moments when Babylon serves at the bar.
These moments are: Monday afternoon/evening in turn
Every Wednesday evening
Every Friday afternoon
The Fak’s Opening hours:
Sunday evening: 9 PM – ?
Monday till Thursday: 1 PM – ?
Friday: 1 PM – 6 PM
Saturday: closed
Here’s some information about Babylon’s annual RAG WEEK. Every year Babylon organizes a week of deathly decay and unearthly pleasure, a week with plenty of parties and gallons of beer! Within the set framework of an overruling theme, different activities are planned every day. Furthermore there are often some gastronomically outstanding snacks for sale during the week. Rag Week is always announced in time, so depend on it: you’ll be there…
Any more practical questions? Let us know!
Our Shield
There’s a tower on the left-hand side of the shield; this is a reference to the tower of Babel and the confusion of tongues. According to Genesis, this is the origin of the diversity of human languages and, of course, of the different options for language students. The blue background and the white inside the tower make up the colors of our alma mater, K.U.Leuven.
The yellow on the right-hand side of the shield is the color of the Arts Faculty. The eight stars refer to the eight languages that are taught in our branch of study. The fountain pen and the quill on the banner refer to literature, in which, of course, we are deeply interested.
The monogram in the yellow circle in the middle consists of the letters G, R, and K, which symbolize the continuity with the past: the three student unions Germania, Romania and Klio, which, in 2004, formed Babylon.