Student Union

22.5.2018

Presenting the new AYY housing secretary

Housing secretary Peppi Reinikka started their job in the Aalto University Student Union at the Central Office in Otaniemi in May. She is in charge, along with the rest of the member services team, of relaying apartment offers for AYY’s 2500 student apartments to the members of the Student Union and assisting the community in housing-related matters.

The tasks of a housing secretary in a student union are a new field of expertise for Peppi. She has studied photography at the Pekka Halonen academy and worked in event production in the restaurant sector.

” Student Unions are a new thing for me, unless you count organizing student parties or sitting behind the bar counter at the Helsinginkadun Appro”, Reinikka says with a laugh.

Reinikka says that working night shifts started to slowly but steadily get to her. Continuing in customer service still had its appeal, and the AYY call for applications seemed promising.

” I had the feeling that the Student Union was searching for a right-type of” doer” with a good attitude instead of a person with a lengthy career and lots of expertise from the housing sector.”

The tasks of a housing secretary include customer service on the phone, via email and at the AYY Otaniemi service point at the Central Office. The housing secretary sends apartment offers, handles rental contracts, hands out keys and answers all kinds of questions pertaining to student living.

Reinikka says that the world of housing has oodles of things to learn for a person changing into a new field of expertise. One must be versed both in AYY’s housing regulation and all the legislation pertaining to housing and living.

” There is a lot of information and instructions. I know how to get into the mood set of a student applying for their first apartment and explain all the twists and turns to them in a manner they can understand.”

According to Reinikka, customer service work requires a good sense of circumspection and good skills in teamwork.

” You need a good eye for the situation. Each situation is unique, and if there is no straight answer available, one should consult their team members.”

Housing is an issue that sparks both feelings and worries, it is after all very personal and deals with basic requirements in life.

” We get a lot of queries on how housing applications are progressing. It is understandable that you might panic a bit when faced with possible homelessness”, Reinikka states.

Personally, she expects to learn more and more on housing in the upcoming months to better assist all the customers.

” It is good that we have a lot of challenges. I am anxious to learn the trade!”

Text: Siiri Liitiä
Photo: Aino Korpinen

21.5.2018

AYY joins SOA – The Finnish Association of Student Housing Organisations

Housing, Student Union Leave a comment

In May 2018, the Aalto University Student Union joined SOA – The Finnish Association of Student Housing Organisations.

SOA is an advocacy and cooperation association for student housing communities. Its members include 20 student housing communities from all over Finland, and the umbrella organizations of higher education students, SAMOK and SYL (the National Union of University Students in Finland).

“AYY has looked into SOA’s operations, and we decided to join it because of the broad cooperation possibilities it offers,” says Noora Vänttinen, Chair of AYY’s Board.

SOA offers its members training and other events. SOA also collects statistical information from its member communities, which is utilized both in advocacy work and in the development of the member communities’ own activities.

Housing is one of AYY’s most significant member services. AYY has 2 500 student apartments and it offers a home to 3 200 students in the Helsinki Capital Region.

AYY is continuously developing its operations and housing services. The Student Union’s real estate strategy contains ambitious development goals for future years. Concentrating apartments of the right size close to the Otaniemi campus is an important goal, and the aim is to invest also in the visibility and open communications of the housing services.

“We think that it is important to network with other student housing communities. Closer cooperation and exchange of information will help us to offer higher quality housing services to our members,” says Riitu Nuutinen, AYY’s Service Manager.

Read more about AYY’s housing services: /en/housing
More information on SOA’s activities: http://www.soa.fi/en/soa-ry.html

21.5.2018

Statement on UniSport’s new website

Statements and Contentions Leave a comment

Statement
18.5.2018

UniSport has created a new website, which both appearance- and contentwise differs from the old one. The new website can be accessed at uusi.UniSport.fi

The new website currently completely lacks Swedish content.

The old website (UniSport.fi) is translated to Swedish, even though the translated version is inadequate in function and most of the links on the Swedish pages lead back to the Finnish site. The Swedish website has now and then had straight up false information regarding schedules. The poorly functioning Swedish website has led to Swedish-speaking customers being less inclined to use it, which explains the low rate of usage. Swedish information as physical guideposts are as good as non-existent in UniSport’s facilities, so there will be no Swedish information on UniSport at all without a translated website.

The decision-making process that led to the exclusion of a Swedish website was unclear. The operative leaders made the decision and it was discussed in UniSport’s board, but the board did not make the decision. The possibility of having the issue discussed by the University of Helsinki’s Board for the Development of Swedish Affairs and Teaching was proposed, but it never happened. The Hanken School of Economics has recently become one of UniSport’s owners and was consulted regarding the matter, but the student unions have not been heard. This is regrettable, since students are UniSport’s largest group of customers.

The exclusion of a Swedish website for a company that is owned by three universities with Swedish as an official language is unacceptable.

The University of Helsinki, Aalto University and Hanken School of Economics have a total of 5000 Swedish-speaking students. Many of these students do not speak or use the Finnish language. The exclusion of a Swedish website leaves Swedish-speaking customers in a weaker position than others, as they are unable to get information on UniSport’s services in their mother tongue. The decision also gives the impression that Swedish-speaking customers are not equal to other customer groups.

It is of the uttermost importance that UniSport decides to maintain a functioning Swedish version of the new website, and we demand UniSport’s leaders to cover this issue.

Noora Vänttinen, Chairperson of AYY’s board
Lauri Linna, Chairperson of HYY’s board
Henna Konsti, Chairperson of SHS’s board

14.5.2018

#LuovutusAalto victories to Inkubio and KYllä Oluelle

Community Leave a comment

The Spring 2018 #LuovutusAalto blood donation campaign was won by the Bioinformation Technology Guild Inkubio and KYllä Oluelle.

Inkubio grabbed the quantitative victory with a whopping 11 donations – for the third time in a row! Inkubio had the most donations also in the spring 2017 and autumn 2017 campaigns. Victory by percentage of members went to KYllä Oluelle, with a third of its members donating blood.

Both were awarded with a diploma from the Finnish Red Cross and the use of one of AYY’s sauna facilities for one night.

#LuovutusAalto is a blood donation campaign for associations operating within the Aalto University, held now for the third time in spring 2018. The campaign ran from the 8th of February to the 6th of April 2018, and it garnered a total of 78 donations. One donation helps three patients, so the Aalto community offered its helping hand to more than 230 people!

A huge round of thanks to everyone who donated!

13.5.2018

AYY handed the Flower Day compliment to Museum Director Susanna Pettersson

Press releases, Student Union Leave a comment

News Bulletin
For Immediate Release

The Aalto University Student Union handed the Flower Day compliment to the Ateneum art museum Director Susanna Pettersson on the 13th of May 2018.

During the year 2018 the Student Union is celebrating the Year of Art. The aim is to bring art into the spotlight in many ways, and to enhance students’ comfort, well-being and to help them have enough strength to study. Art is very prominent in the Aalto community this year because the School of Art and Design will be moving to their new facilities in Otaniemi during the fall.

The receiver of the Flower Day compliment was chosen with the Year of Art in mind. Susanna Pettersson has been involved in enhancing the visibility of art in Finnish society and is a member of the Aalto University Board.

Pettersson is currently acting as Director of the Ateneum art museum. Her previous tasks include director of the Finnish Institute in London, board member at the visual art center Frame, directorial tasks at several cultural institutions including the Alvar Aalto foundation, the Alvar Aalto museum and several tasks at the Valtion Taidemuseo (National Art Museum) which preceded the Finnish National Gallery.

In addition, Pettersson has been a member in several evaluation groups, committees and steering groups at the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education. She is a docent of museology at the University of Jyväskylä, and acts as a guest lecturer at for example the Reinwardt Academy in Amsterdam.

Pettersson received the Flower Day compliment in the Ateneum art museum in Helsinki on Saturday, the 12th of May. On Sunday, the 13th of May, a video of Petterson receiving the compliment was shown in Servin Mökki at Otaniemi, as a part of the Flower Day celebrations that everyone interested was welcome to join in.

History of the Flower Day compliment

The Flower Day compliment used to be a spring greeting to Helsinki from teekkari students who have moved to Otaniemi. The first Flower Day compliment was given to Eero Rydman, incumbent Lord Mayor of Helsinki at the time, on the 13th of May 1956.

Now, the point of the compliment is to direct the gaze of political officials to current affairs or affairs that students think are important like education, living, mass transportation, research or national defence. The message has been handed, among others, to the President of the Republic, several ministers, members of parliament and other societal influencers.

The Flower Day compliment of May 13th 2018 in its entirety:

(Read an English translation of the compliment under the photo.)

The Flower Day compliment

Dear museum Director and Board member Petterson!

The surest sign of spring, the Flower Day message, is here again, even more magnificent than before. From the cradle of art, Otaniemi, we deliver thee this traditional message, the 66th Flower Day compliment.

Our grand dreams come true when technology and business finally meet the valuable art. The campus community blooms and we shall enjoy the fruits together.

We can finally be true, multidisciplinary creators and we shall understand how art lights up our world. This understanding remains with us throughout our lives and opens up new possibilities. We wish that each Aalto student can challenge their own creativity and also test their own limits in the scientific community.

Student benefits, street art and joint artistic ventures keep the spark of youthful inspiration going strong. We hold it dear to our hearts that the Finnish art community embraces our students with open arms, further strengthening the passion for art.

Thus, this year, we have the Year of Arts – a noble aim to make art easier to approach in all of its forms. The students shall be awaken to see the creativity in our community and the campus shall celebrate our collective prowess. The collaboration with Aalto University is important to our community. This year, we can express ourselves and show our art to the world when we gather together to celebrate the Otaniemi Night of the Arts.

It’s never easy when the times are changing, there are always some troubles along the way. Let’s make sure art continues to have a place in our community in the future. Otaniemi is the best place to study and live.

In Ateneum
On Flower Day 2018

More info
Campus section chairperson Aino Hautala
+358 44 255 0934, aino.hautala@ayy.fi

8.5.2018

Apply for SYL’s Advisory Board for Development Cooperation

International Affairs, Volunteering Leave a comment

Are you inspired by global influencing and promoting education on an international level? Are you a persistent communicator, good at building networks, or a fundraising pro? Do you want to share some of your expertise with the world?

We are looking for imaginative people, who are committed and motivated, to join the National Union of University Students in Finland SYL’s Advisory Board for Development Cooperation (KENKKU). SYL is Finland’s largest lobbying and service organisation for students, representing 15 member organisations and 130,000 university students. The Advisory Board for Development Cooperation advises SYL’s board on matters relating to development cooperation.

We expect KENKKU members to be committed and motivated, but the main aim of the KENKKU membership is to improve one’s skillset.

KENKKU is made up of three themed groups: the Communications Team, the Influencing Team and the Networking/Corporate Relations Team.

Each team has five members, and one of them acts as chairperson of the team. All KENKKU members meet three times a year: in September, in December/January and in May. KENKKU members are expected to participate in the joint meetings. In addition, the chairpersons of the teams also meet approximately once a month at SYL’s office to plan and develop KENKKU’s activities.

In between the chairperson and member meetings, the team work independently using the collaboration tool Slack. Each team also has two meetings of its own at SYL’s office. We hope that all KENKKU members will promote SYL’s development cooperation activities to the representatives, board and/or subcommittee for Development Cooperation of their student union.

KENKKU’s first joint meeting will be held on Friday 14 September 2018 from 10:00 to 16:00.

Apart from the meetings, members should reserve approximately 20 hours per term for KENKKU’s activities – slightly more for chairpersons. Lunch will be served at the meetings held at SYL’s office, and the travel expenses of the participants will be reimbursed.

The teams and their tasks:

The Communications Team

The Communications Team is in charge of our development cooperation activities’ visibility on social media, creates content and comes up with ideas to improve our communications.

As a team member you get to write blog posts, coordinate student union visits and their content, and act as a link between KENKKU and the communications sectors of the student unions.

The Influencing Team

The parliamentary elections will be held in the spring of 2019. As a member of the Influencing Team you get to develop content for SYL’s election lobbying in relation to development policy. As the European Parliament election is also drawing near, you also get to acquaint yourself with EU development policy.

The team’s tasks include research and creating background material and arguments for the lobbying work.

The Networking/Corporate Relations Team

The Networking/Corporate Relations Team does the fundraising for the development cooperation work. You get to research and contact potential corporate partners and find support for SYL’s development cooperation activities.

We want to find team members with lots of ideas and a vision for marketing and fundraising.

In its work, SYL emphasises diversity and equal opportunities, so we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and genders.

Please send us an application, including a CV and a cover letter where you explain your views and experience in relation to our activities. You should also tell us which team you would like to become a member of and whether you might be interested in chairing a team. Please also include details on any circumstances which may lead to you not being able to take part fully in the activities for a prolonged period of time (e.g. plans for studies abroad).

Send in your application via email by 23 May 2018 to international@ayy.fi.