Weekly Newsletter 35/2013

This is AYY’s weekly newsletter 35/2013

The academic year starts next week, when the opening of the academic year and Aalto Party will take over the campuses. If your studies continue as usual, please remember to register for attendance and pay the student union’s membership fee. You should also update your student status for the travel card by the end of August in order to get a student discount in the future.

Happy autumn to all of you!

This and next week’s events
Academic year tags and updating of travel cards – what, where, when?
Opening of the academic year and Aalto Party
Aalto Afterparty
AYY’s third Representative Council elections to be organised in October-November
AYY’s housing regulations changed on 1 June 2013!
AYY to help homeless students
Apply for Aalto University’s Student Family Friend Programme
Mosaic Couchsurfing – host an international student!
Find a Flatmate!
BLOOMin’ Africa ’14
FSHS to introduce Citizen’s accounts from 1 Sep 2013
”Armi forum” of architecture, construction and design on Tuesday, 17 Sept 2013
Aalto School of Students needs teachers!
Otaniemi chapel choir is looking for singers
Do you want to include your own news in the weekly newsletter?

1. This and next week’s events

WEEK 35

Tue, 27 Aug – Info night of volunteer work
Thu, 29 Aug – Helsinki Region Welcome Weeks begin
Thu, 29 Aug – Summer kuntis
Sat, 31 Aug – Aalto Airport Welcome Desk

WEEK 36

Mon, 2 Sept – Orientation week of the School of Business begins
Mon, 2 Sept – Orientation week of the Schools of Technology begins
Mon, 2 Sept – Open research seminar on corporate responsibility
Mon, 2 Sept – Ecumenical vesper to mark the opening of the academic year
Tue, 3 Sept – Opening of the academic year and Aalto Party
Tue, 3 Sept – Aalto Afterparty @ Täffä
Wed, 4 Sept – Ota-orienteering
Thu, 5 Sept – Ota-orienteering
Fri, 6 Sept – Walrus party

2. Academic year tags and updating of travel cards – what, where, when?

Autumn is here again, which means that you should collect the academic year tag and update your travel card. Like last year, AYY distributes year tags at service points.

In addition, there is a temporary year tag distribution point in the library lobby in Otaniemi. The temporary service point is open at 10am-6pm until 20 Sept. If you only need the year tag, we recommend that you avoid rush and use the library service point. In addition to Otaniemi, you can also collect the year tag from Töölö during exceptional opening hours. The after work service point is open in Töölö throughout August on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 4pm-6pm. Also remember to get AYY’s new calendar!

HSL has opened a temporary travel card updating point next to AYY’s year tag service point in the library lobby in Otaniemi. The service point is open at 9am-4pm until 6 Sept. Despite the efforts of AYY and KY, we did not manage to get the updating point to Töölö. In Helsinki, you can update your travel card at the railway station or the main building of the University of Helsinki (Fabianinkatu 33).

Instructions:

3. Opening of the academic year and Aalto Party

The opening ceremony

The students and staff of Aalto University are all invited to celebrate the opening of the academic year on Tuesday, 3 September 2013 at 1.15pm. The festivities will take place on Töölö Campus and Otaniemi Campus this year. The opening ceremony will take place at the School of Business

The opening ceremony can also be followed as a webcast on aalto.fi. Further details and links are published closer to the event.

Aalto Party

Aalto Party is the official but more relaxed continuation of the opening festivities. This after party brings together students and staff to enjoy various outdoor activities.

Aalto Party kicks off at 4pm with the traditional challenge between the board of AYY (the Student Union of Aalto University) and the management of the university. During the afternoon you can participate in various activities, dancing, meetings and mingling, an art battle, and so much more. Numerous society’s, associations and services from the university are present at the Party.

Additional information about the Aalto Party programme on Facebook and here.

The party will take place on Ainon aukio (Otaniementie 11/ Konemiehentie 2). Please note that the parking lot will be closed for parking on 3-4 September.

There will be free bus transportation in the front of the main buildings on the Töölö and Arabia campuses to the official Aalto Party.

The departure timetable of the buses:

BIZ: 3.30pm, 4pm, 4.30pm
ARTS: 3.15pm, 3.45pm

Reclaim the academic year together!

4. Aalto Afterparty

Carnival! Aalto Party! Täffä! Celebration!

https://www.facebook.com/events/602522769811314/

Aalto students congregate at Aalto Party on Tuesday, 3 September, at Aino Square in Otaniemi and the Aalto Community spirit meets its apex at the afterparty held at Täffä in the evening. The event features the performers Kyntelligens, Wikirock and one who will absolutely detonate the evening, Rony Rex, who has performed at festivals such as Weekend and Neverland!

What: Aalto Afterparty
Where: Täffä, Otakaari 22
When: 8pm, Tuesday, 3 September
Price: EUR 5

More information on the Facebook event.

5. AYY’s third Representative Council elections to be organised in October-November

This autumn, AYY’s members again have the opportunity to run as a candidate and vote for the composition of the Representative Council. AYY’s Representative Council of 45 members is elected in the Representative Council elections for the next two-year term. The Representative Council has AYY’s highest decision-making power and decides on your membership fee and the student union rules, among other things. The Representative Council will be elected for two years at a time.

Advance voting will be held on Wed, 23 Oct-Sun, 3 Nov and the actual voting days are Tuesday, 5 Nov and Wednesday, 6 Nov.

Do you want to get involved? Follow the information on the campuses and online! For more information on the Representative Council activities, please visit inside.ayy.fi.

Election website will open soon at ayy.fi/vaalit.

6. AYY’s housing regulations changed on 1 June 2013!

AYY’s Representative Council has approved AYY’s new housing regulations on 14 May 2013. The housing regulations guide the entire housing activities of AYY and have effect on all members who apply for AYYs apartments or already live in AYY’s apartments. New regulations have entered into force on 1 June 2013. Read about the most important changes and the entire regulations here.

7. AYY to help homeless students

Emergency Housing Coordinator Vera Moshina will operate in AYY until 30 Sept. Ms. Moshina helps all those AYY members who have problems in finding accommodation for the autumn of 2013. The emergency housing coordinator gives advice on how to find housing, organises temporary accommodation and helps with other matters related to housing.

The emergency housing coordinator is available at AYY’s Housing Office in Otaniemi at the following times:

26 Aug–14 Sept, 12noon-4pm.
16 Sept–30 Sept, 12noon-2pm.
At other times by appointment.

Vera can be reached by phone at 050 520 9413 and by email at emergencyhousing(at)ayy.fi

Aalto University Student Union also organises temporary accommodation on its premises during September. If you think you need short-term emergency housing, please contact the emergency housing coordinator. The coordinator receives requests for emergency housing and gives advice on practical arrangements. Emergency housing does not generally take reservations in advance and therefore temporary housing is available for those who have an acute need for it.

The emergency housing coordinator will also continuously update AYY’s own database for housing search in the metropolitan area. The database can be found here.

The coordinator has been hired in cooperation with Aalto University. For further information, please contact the emergency housing coordinator or Housing Specialist Jaakko Koivula (050 520 9444, firstname.lastname@ayy.fi).

8. Apply for Aalto University’s Student Family Friend Programme

As an international student, you are welcome to apply now for Aalto University’s Student Family Friend Programme, to get matched with a local alumni family, for the chance to get to know Finnish everyday life and share your own culture through friendly meetings. Alumni and students are paired in early October (we share contact details with both parties) and we will host a kick-off event – the rest is up to you, although support is available. Eligible international students will be studying in Finland for at least the full year (degree students are given priority), are self-motivated and willing to commit themselves to this programme, and have a significant interest in connecting with Finnish society and culture. Registration is open until 22 Sept 2013.

Find out more and apply here.

9. Mosaic Couchsurfing – host an international student!

Mosaic Couchsurfing is a completely voluntary programme where people staying in Finland can offer short-term accommodation for new international students that do not have an apartment yet.

Couchsurfing helps you to meet and adventure with new friends around the world. It is a cheap way to learn about different exciting cultures, and at the same time brush up on your language skills or even learn a new language. By opening your home to a new friend, you will make his/her visit in Finland a lot easier and less stressful. The time your new friend will spend in your home is totally up to you: it might be just for a few nights or months. You decide!

Hosting an international student even for a short time gives you the opportunity to familiarise yourself with the international community of Aalto University and be a part of it for the rest of the year and meet even more exciting new friends through your Mosaic Couchsurfing connections.

You don’t need anything special: your enthusiasm and a spare bed or your couch is more than enough! You don’t need to be an AYY member or a Finn to become a Couchsurfing host.

This is how you can participate in the Mosaic Couchsurfing as a host:

Step 1: Fill in the application to become a Mosaic Couchsurfing host.
Step 2: Wait for the e-mail introducing you to your Mosaic Couchsurfing guest.
Step 3: Welcome your partner in late August to your home.
Step 4: Enjoy and have fun!!

Find the Facebook event here.

(The idea for Mosaic’s Couchsurfing came from couchsurfing.org.)

10. Find a Flatmate!

Are you looking for a flat? Or a flatmate? Or someone with whom to search for a flat? Or just need to find somewhere to stay for a few nights? Or do you, or someone you know, have a room or a flat you’d like to let for short-term or long-term? If yes, then Find a Flatmate! is for you!

WHAT: Find a flatmate! in Helsinki
WHEN: 29 August 2013, 3-7 p.m.
WHERE: Think Corner, Porthania, Yliopistokatu 3, Helsinki

WHAT: Find a flatmate! in Espoo
WHEN: 2 September 2013, 3-6 p.m.
WHERE: Main lobby, Aalto University Main Building, Otakaari 1, Espoo

Find a Flatmate! brings together students in need for a flat/mate and landlords, whether institutional or private, to connect and get to know each other as well as find information on the housing market, renting and letting. The organisations participating offer housing for long-term or short-term needs, some especially to students, others to the general public.

Programme: 3-6 pm Find a Flatmate! Arrive and leave at a time that suits you, meet people, ask questions, and find answers. We will be there to help you find the right people to talk to!

The event is free for all participants, and no registration is required, but if you’d like to be pre-matched with potential flatmates, tenants or landlords, sign up beforehand through this link.

See also the event Tenant’s Rights and Responsibilities, where a representative of the Consumers’ Association of Finland will present a tenant’s rights and responsibilities in Finland, with the possibility to ask questions. The event will be held after Find a Flatmate! in Helsinki, and you can attend either one of the two events or both.

Find us on Facebook:

11. BLOOMin’ Africa ’14

Aalto University Student Union is taking about 30 students to Africa in the beginning of 2014! BLOOM is a journey that will be remembered as a great cultural experience. BLOOM is a way to find and learn.

BLOOM, Bridge of Learning – Operation: OndA! in Maputo, is a journey to Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, and it’s surroundings. We will spend three weeks in an African environment, in the Mozambican culture and, of course, with great people.

We will be working in different ways with a local non-governmental organization, ASSCODECHA as part of the project of a Finnish NGO, Taksvärkki (Operation: Day’s Work). Our project will consist of challenging tasks with, for example, infrastructure, education, and economic development or any special useful skills we got.

We are looking for people from all possible backgrounds, of all possible experience levels, with different kinds of skills and of all possible ages. These people will organize art workshops, film documentaries, teach entrepreneurial skills, build sanitary facilities etc. etc. However, the trip is all about learning and sharing experiences in two directions.

Part of the trip is reserved for relaxing and taking some time for ourselves. This could include safaris, water sports, day trips and so on. You decide! Apply in September and get ready for the sunshine. Keep your eyes and ears open for more. This time for Africa!

Event on Facebook see also bloom.ayy.fi

12. FSHS to introduce Citizen’s accounts from 1 Sept 2013

FSHS to introduce Citizen’s accounts from 1 Sept 2013

The FSHS will use Citizen’s accounts in matters related to contacts between students and the FSHS. Start using your Citizen’s account. You can give your consent to receive messages related to your care in connection with an FSHS appointment.

13. ”Armi forum” of architecture, construction and design on Tuesday, 17 Sept 2013

Armi is an association of architecture, construction and design fields, which will organise an urban planning workshop ”Armi forum” led by the urban planning guru Fred Kent for Aalto University students in connection with Helsinki Design Week. The goal is to get the widest possible spectrum of students (a total of 8-12 people) from all Aalto University schools (therefore including engineers and economists)!

The workshop is led by the New Yorker urban planning guru Fred Kent with his assistant. Kent has founded Project for Public Spaces project. Project for Public Spaces (PPS) is a nonprofit organization based in New York dedicated to creating and sustaining public places that build communities. Fred Kent will also speak in Dream seminar of Helsinki Design Week on Wednesday, 18 Sept. Armi pays the seminar admission fee for students who participate in the workshop, the seminar will culminate with Pecha Kucha events on Wednesday night.

The workshop will be arranged in English and is free to participants. The aim is to organise the workshop in the centre of Helsinki. Participation requires full time commitment to the work created and led by Fred Kent.

14. Aalto School of Students needs teachers!

What makes you tick and gets you excited? Is it the workings of the brain or drawing what you see in just a few strokes? Or maybe guerilla marketing or crafting origami? Could you share this amazing thing with fellow students?

If you answered yes to the last question, you are just the person we are looking for! On 14 September (at Aalto Design Factory) we will arrange Aalto School of Students, a guerilla learning experience where students will teach / instruct other students in a topic which interests them. You do not need to know everything about your topic, as your pupils will be beginners themselves. Enthusiasm and willingness to share something you think is awesome is the key. You can teach in English, Finnish or Swedish.

If you think you have what it takes to be a teacher in Aalto School of Students, contact us with a brief pitch of what you would like to teach and we will get back to you. If you just like to come as a student, keep your eyes open as registration for students opens after we have confirmed which classes we will be able to offer.

Got some questions? Contact us at aaltoschoolofstudents@gmail.com or check out our tumblr site (updating all the time!) at aalto-school-of-students.tumblr.com

15. Otaniemi chapel choir is looking for singers

Otaniemi chapel choir will open its doors to new comers! Join our creative group, meet new friends and experience the joy of singing. You can get to know our activities in connection with the freshman orienteering from 6pm onwards on Thursday, 5 Sept.

Further information on the choir and audition at www.kappelikuoro.net.

16. Do you want to include your own news in weekly newsletter?

Do you want to include your own news in the weekly newsletter? Please send a brief text by Friday, 10am, to the address tiedottaja@ayy.fi. The news will be translated so you can submit your text in just one language. The contents of the newsletter are ultimately edited by AYY’s Communications Officer Henna Lahti (henna.lahti@ayy.fi, tel: 050 520 9440).