#Aaltowappu in Otaniemi
All Aalto members have their own kind of way to celebrate May Day. For some, May Day only lasts for a moment, whereas others celebrate for a week or even more! The May Day events organised by the student union and various communities are worth experiencing and a great opportunity to meet new people. Otaniemi May Day includes a wide range of events that guarantee the May Day spirit for everyone.
Radiodiodi keeps up the May Day spirit. Radiodiodi is the May Day radio of Otaniemi, and broadcasts start on Monday, 20 Apr, and continue until May Day eve. You can listen to Radiodiodi online or on the frequency 103.1 MHz.
Pranks are one of the best-known aspects of the engineering student culture. Prank is a humorous practical joke that utilises technology. The purpose is to entertain those who make the prank, the target of the prank and the general public. Pranks should not cause annoyance or material damage and they should not (in accordance with the current definition) be targeted at the authorities. The prank finale presents the best pranks of the year, of which the jury and the audience will select the winner. This year, the prank finale will be organised at Hall M starting at 3pm on 22 Apr.
The May Day magazines of Otaniemi are published in alternate years and their publication event has traditionally started the May Day celebrations. The oldest May Day magazine in Finland, Äpy, started in 1948 and it is published in odd-numbered years, which means that it is also published this year. The magazine is known for its unique design, over the years we have seen an egg-shaped Ägy-Äpy and Räpylä-Äpy which anticipated the era of mobile phones. The May Day magazine Julkku was established to increase the quality of May Day magazines, which is published in even-numbered years. Julkku keeps up the May Day spirit throught the academic year, and it is published on May Day. Julkku has traditionally been published in the form of a magazine.
This year, Äpy will be published in an incredible gala in Hall A at 6pm on 22 Apr. Before the gala, a VIP cocktail party with delicious catering is organised for the sellers of the magazine. When you participate in the cocktail event, you are guaranteed an access to the gala – as traditionally the gala is filled with enthusiastic May Day celebrators.
When you sell the May Day magazine, you can make money in a fun way, get benefits and spread the good atmosphere. You can sign up to sell Äpy at http://diilikone.apy.fi/
After the prank finale and Äpy gala, AYY’s community section Aava fires the starting shot for the entire Aalto May Day when the festival spirit of WappuAalto fills the Alvari Square in Otaniemi. Great bands will perform in the event and the student cap for the Manta statue is published! WappuAalto on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1633885503499619/
The idea of the sitsi contest is to compete in the noble sport of ”sitsing”. On Saturday before the May Day, 25 Apr, Alvari Square will be filled with inventive sitsi groups which compete more or less seriously for the coveted title of the winner, which is chosen by the prestigious jury. The award ceremony will take place at the declaration of May Day celebrations on 30 Apr. Please sign up by Wednesday, 22 Apr at: https://lomake.ayy.fi/teekkarijaosto/sitsikilpailut-25-4-2015/
The year of engineering freshmen will end in ”fuksipeijaiset”, where the teams of the guilds compete against each other in the night prank and the freshman spex. In the freshman spex, the freshman teams of the guilds prepare a short spex which they perform in the event on 29 Apr. The first part of the night prank is held already before May Day but the last part is always held on the night between 29-30 Apr and the starting shot gathers people to Alvari Square to cheer for their own guilds. The results of the ”fuksipeijaiset” will determine the order in which student caps are distributed.
Crazy John gathers groups of friends to compete in Otaniemi in the checkpoint tour around Otaniemi in the night preceding the May Day eve, right after the starting shot of the night prank. The best checkpoint and the best team are rewarded! Host a checkpoint or participate in the contest by signing up your team here: https://lomake.ayy.fi/teekkarijaosto/hullu-jussi-crazy-john-2015/
May Day Eve
Teekkari freshmen must deserve their student cap by gaining freshmen scores during the year. Freshmen who have gained enough scores will receive engineering student caps at 8am in the morning of May Day Eve. Student hats are distributed according to the guilds in the order determined by ”fuksipeijaiset”. After the distribution of student caps, freshmen carry the freshman captain and major to Otaniemi where they are thrown into the sea one by one. Students get their student cap already in the morning but traditionally they will press the cap on their head at midnight, accompanied by the festive Teekkari hymn.
Declaration of May Day celebrations takes place on the roof of Servin Mökki in Otaniemi at 1pm on May Day Eve. In the declaration, everyone is encouraged to have a great May Day and take care of their friends and good manners.
After the declaration, students travel to the centre of Helsinki either by May Day boats and buses organised by the guilds or by the epic May Day bus 102W.
This year, AYY has the honour to crown the Havis Amanda statue at the Market Square in the centre of Helsinki. Before the crowning, the carnival-like May Day parade will proceed from Hietalahti Square to the Manta statue. The parade will be formed at the square starting at 3.30pm and the crowning itself starts at 6pm.
Dipoli May Day is the place to be, when student caps are pressed on students’ heads at midnight along with the tunes of RWBK. This year, Aikakone and Jeremy Folderol will entertain the crowd. Tickets to the party will be sold starting on 22 Apr and you should buy your ticket in advance as the May Day parties have been sold out in previous years. Dipoli will be renovated in the summer so this is the last Dipoli May Day party for a while!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1648394185389883/
What else? Check out the May Day event calendar at wappu.fi and you know where to be.