#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!

http://dipolin.wappu.fi/

https://www.facebook.com/events/1648394185389883/

What else? Check out the May Day event calendar at wappu.fi and you know where to be.

Dreams and visions become reality as the newly graduates from Aalto University present their thesis projects at the Masters of Aalto 2013 year show.  The exhibition is held in Sörnäinen, Helsinki from 8 to 26 May.

Masters of Aalto offers the visitor a lively presentation of studies at Aalto University and introduces the societal role the university has. Masters of Aalto showcases the works of 80 graduates from the School of Arts, Design, and Architecture, the School of Business and the schools of technology.

The venue is a former granary, a 121-year-old brick building at the corner of Hämeentie and Lautatarhankatu, which for a long time functioned as a warehouse. The premises managed by the City of Helsinki will now be opened to the public for the first time.

The students and alumni of Aalto University are strongly involved in the planning and design of Masters of Aalto. They are responsible for the event’s visual identity, the web design, and the exhibition’s architecture, to mention a few.

The theme for this year’s show is Dreams Made Real.  The thematic concept of the exhibition is planned by Designer Arni Aromaa. Aromaa is the founder and creative director of Pentagon Design and is an Aalto University’s alumnus.

’Finns are very good in realism based on facts, but to create something new requires also dreaming and visioning. The exhibition provides a concrete view on dreams made real by students at Aalto University. This is the main message for example to young people planning their future studies,’ Aromaa describes.

In addition to the exhibition, Masters of Aalto invites its visitors to attend public events, seminars, and workshops in May. During the event, there are products on sale by the young designers and a café by students.

Masters of Aalto on 8–26 May 2013, Kruununmakasiini, Hämeentie 39, Helsinki. The exhibition is open Monday–Friday at 12–20 and during the weekends at 12–18. Free entrance.

Follow the progress of Masters of Aalto at moa.aalto.fi.

Environmental awareness plays a significant role in the production of Masters of Aalto. The event utilises the EcoCompass system of the Helsinki Environment Centre.

Additional information:
Producer Katri Winqvist
katri.winqvist@aalto.fi
tel. +358 50 591 4314

Did the World Design Capital year reach its objectives? Give your opinion and win a book prize!

The World Design Capital Helsinki 2012 year endeavoured to promote and support cultural, social and economic exploitation of design. One of the objectives was to offer opportunities for residents to participate in improving their own living environment. Participation of students in developing their living environment and addressing their needs was considered as a one of the key goals of the World Design Capital year.

Consulting company Deloitte is conducting an impact study of the World Design Capital year during the first months of the year. The results will be published at the end of March 2013.

– The goal for the World Design Capital year at Aalto University was to work together with different partners and to discuss the essence of design as well as its opportunities in the society. The World Design Capital year involved several Aalto University students, teachers, researchers and staff alike. Many of our WDC projects are still going on, yet we can now evaluate what we did and achieved. I hope, as many of you as possible share your experiences and opinions, says Helena Hyvönen, Dean of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture.

Do you think World Design Capital year reached its objectives?

The questionnaire is open 14 January–3 February 2013. It takes about 5 minutes to fill it in. A gift voucher to Aalto ARTS Books (value 40 euro) and 5 WDC CDs will be allotted amongst the answerers.

Thank you for your contribution!

Go to the questionnaire: http://tinyurl.com/ay9vctn

More information: Krista Kinnunen, School of Arts, Design and Architecture, krista.kinnunen@aalto.fi, 050 341 2256.

This year, Aalto University Student Union (AYY) operating for the second year and the Association of Economics Students in Helsinki (KY) celebrating its centennial anniversary have the honour to cap Havis Amanda statue on May Day Eve. The washing of the statue starts at 5pm and the cap is pressed on Manta’s head at 6pm. ”I can reveal that we will have a bubbly 5-metre sparkling wine bottle, explosions and shreds”, promises AYY’s Event Producer Mika Tarhala with a twinkle in his eye.

Demonstration of the May Day spirit

Before Manta’s capping, AYY and KY will organise the demonstration of the May Day spirit which leads students to Havis Amanda statue. The processions start in front of KY House and at Hietalahdentori Square at 4pm. The procession is led by a truck which is dressed in carnival outfit by AYY’s Teekkari Section. The processions unite into a one big carnival procession in the intersection of Mannerheimintie and Etelä-Esplanadi.

The student unions in the metropolitan area take turns in capping Havis Amanda statue. This year, AYY has the responsibility for the first time together with KY which operates as an association within the Student Union and celebrates its centennial anniversary. “In addition to the anniversary week in February, May Day week is the other highlight of the year. This year, all the events at Manta statue will be even bigger and more spectacular”, says KY’s Secretary for Cultural Affairs Katri Kaijalainen.

May Day on Sunday, 1 May 2011

University students’ May Day celebrations begin at Ullanlinnanmäki at 9am on May Day. From the student unions in the metropolitan area, the Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY), AYY and the Student Union of Sibelius Academy (SAY) present their greetings and YL Male Voice Choir performs. Swedish-speaking students gather at Kaisaniemi Park from 9am onwards.

The delegation of HYY and YL will traditionally greet the President of the Republic Tarja Halonen, Mayor of Helsinki Jussi Pajunen, Chancellor of the University of Helsinki Ilkka Niiniluoto and Rector of the University of Helsinki Thomas Wilhelmsson. The public and the media are welcome

to listen to YL Male Voice Choir and the May Day greeting of HYY’s Chairperson Maija Jäppinen in front of the Presidential Palace at 11am

FURTHER INFORMATION:

AYY: Mika Tarhala, Producer, Culture & Events, 050 520 9436, mika.tarhala@ayy.fi
KY: Katri Kaijalainen, Secretary for Cultural Affairs, 040 353 8276, katri.kaijalainen@kyweb.fi