Language can bring community together or break it apart

Our language policies and choices matter. At best, they build a sense of community; at worst, they break it apart, says Henna Määttä.

In Finnish.

When I was sixteen, I told my friends and relatives that I would be spending a year in Brazil as an exchange student. They thought I was being completely reckless.

The destination and the language seemed foreign to many. To me, they were the very reasons to head to Brazil. I wanted to learn and experience an entirely new language and culture, and place myself in a position I had never experienced before.

Now, I can only look back in awe at my youthful courage. My year in Brazil was amazing, eventful and educational. At the same time, it was challenging and difficult for me because in order to get by in Brazil I had to master a whole new language in a short period of time.

For the first time, people were staring at me in the streets. I could understand at first hand what it felt like to be labeled based solely on my background.

Along my journey to learn a new language and culture, it felt like a relief whenever someone met me halfway by speaking English to me.

Similarly therapeutic were the moments when I could discuss my experiences and challenges with other exchange students.

Even though my Brazilian host families were supportive of my adjustment, there were times when only a fellow exchange student could understand what I was going through.


I have no doubt that the time abroad
has helped me grow as an individual and changed the way I perceive society and the whole world.

I believe that I can now understand a little better what international students and employees are going through when they arrive in our country and city. I honestly believe that anyone is capable of placing themselves in the other person’s shoes, should they only wish to do so.

The University of Oulu defines itself as an international science university. To me, this denotes not only internationally acclaimed education and research, but also an organizational culture which promotes internationality and within which every member of the university feels welcome.

We can assist in the psychological and social integration process for example by conducting our communications bilingually, ensuring equal opportunities for taking part in decision-making, and increasing general awareness regarding our diverce and multicultural community.

While advancements have recently been made regarding language policies in our university, there is still a lot of work to be done. One comes across a lot variation in policies between different faculties and units. Quite often, communications in English is simply reduced to a short summary, if even that.

If bilingual communications remains minimal or indeed, do not exist at all, international employees and students will not have the same access to guidance and support as their Finnish colleagues. This may lead to serious consequences regarding their work and studies in the long run.

Poor bilingual communications might result in research or project funding being left unapplied, employees missing useful trainings, or students lagging behind in their studies.

 

In our university, in addition to bilingual communications, a closer look should be taken at the opportunities our international students and employees have in decision-making processes.

According to the Universities Act, the official language of operations in our university is Finnish. Nonetheless, it has not prevented the education council from holding meetings primarily in English, for instance.

It is discouraging to realize how few opportunities our international employees and students have when it comes to the university’s official decision-making. Last autumn I felt devastated when we had to discard students’ applications for administrative positions solely on grounds of language policies.

Of course, a bilingual university requires additional resources. It also calls for courage. When it comes to speaking English, us Finns tend to set the bar too high for ourselves. Seeing as how we are a bit shy, we easily underestimate our competence. In the end, perfect grammar skills make very little difference in day-to-day language use – getting your message through is the key.

The Student Union has also made conscious efforts to advance equality. We strive for bilingual communications by default. Furthemore, in recent years, international students have acted as members of the Student Council, for example.

However, in 2018, promoting equality should not be seen as an example of exceptional visionary forward-thinking but rather as the norm upon which all operations base.

 

Our language policies and choices matter. At best, they build a sense of community; at worst, they break it apart.

Fragmented and unequal communications makes integration to the university harder.

We need to acknowledge that not everyone has an equal chance to take part in decision-making in the university. We need to come up with concrete solutions to address this issue. One solution would be changing the language of meetings; another could be hiring an interpreter.

Furthermore, we need to recognize that the university’s Communications Services is not the sole authority in advancing a constructive and bilingual organizational culture. We are all responsible for developing language policies and building an inclusive community within our university.

 

Translation: Tiia Kokko.

Henna Määttä

Oppimista ja seikkailuja rakastava projektikoordinaattori, joka suhtautuu intohimoisesti laadukkaaseen koulutukseen. Twitter: @HennaMaa

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Hi, 5 winter sports to try in Oulu

It is winter. It’s cold and miserable in Oulu. The city is snowy and icy, and your body yearns for some action. This means that the time has come to get your heart pumping and your blood rushing. Winter is no excuse to stop doing sports. On the contrary, all the more reason for doing them. Winter gives us sport opportunities that we don’t usually get during the other seasons. So, if you’re not yet a seasoned winter sportsman or sportswoman, here are some activities that you might want to try out.

Ice-skating

Ice might be daunting and slippery when wearing shoes, but you can turn it into your very own field of fun by wearing skates. You can often find used skates in the second-hand stores or the student sales groups on Facebook, such as Oulu Sale Point. Worst case scenario, you can get a new pair for about 40 euros at the cheapest. There are several places in Oulu where you can go skating, such as the Linnanmaa Ice Hall, the Oulu Ice Hall, or one of the many outdoor sports fields around Oulu. Some people even go skating on the ice road to Hailuoto! (Source: City of Oulu)

Skiing

Skiing is one of the most traditional Finnish sports. In English, we call it cross-country skiing. In Finnish, it’s simply hiihto. You grab a pair of skis and sticks and start swinging those legs from side to side. It can be tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll fall in love with this activity, or so I’ve been led to believe. If you don’t want to buy your own skis, you can borrow them from a friend or rent them for example in Nallikari Holiday Village (Source: Nallikari).

Downhill skiing

This other form of skiing, known in Finnish as laskettelu, is a more traditional form of skiing outside the Nordic countries. However, it is no less fun. You can hit those slopes with your skis or snowboard and enjoy the rush of adrenaline as you slide down. There are several places to downhill ski in the vicinity of Oulu. There is Iso-Syöte, which is about two hours or 140 km away; and Ruka, about three hours or 240 km away. If you prefer something closer to home, there is Ruskotunturi, which is located in Oulu, just a few kilometres from the city centre (Source: Ruskotunturi).

Ice hockey

So you got your skates and you are now a pro ice-skater. However, you still want some more. How about some ice hockey? It is not only a Nordic favourite, but also something you can do with friends. As usual, your best sources for equipment, such as the hockey stick, will be the second-hand shops and student sale groups. If you want to get creative, you can try a variation of hockey called Potato Ice Hockey. You just have to slice off the round edges of a potato, let the puck-shaped potato freeze overnight, et voilà, you can now play potato ice hockey (Source: Bee In Finland).

Snow football

If you want a sport that is both fun and challenging, you can try snow football. The good news is that you only need a football and a place with deep-ish snow. Snow football is played just like regular football, with the caveat that the deep snow makes it harder to run and hit the ball, as well as hitting your mark. If it’s your first time, do take it easy and don’t get hurt.

Marcelo Goldmann

A Doctor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Oulu. "Life is like a rubber duckie, you gotta keep it afloat to see its splendor." Instagram: @marcelogman

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Hi, 5 ways to survive the holidays while living abroad

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, or any other fancy happening, you will have some free time during the December holidays. Some people are fortunate enough to return home and visit their families, but others will be staying in Oulu, in some cases for the first time. If you are one of those who won't be able to go home for the holidays, here are five ways to keep your spirits up during the festive season.

  1. Keep a routine

One way to keep your mind off the downer of not going home for the holidays is to keep your schedule as regular as possible. We humans are creatures of routine, and we tend to feel the most comfortable when sticking to our routines. Do what you normally do and go on about your day as usual. Take showers, have lunch, meet some friends for coffee, go shopping.

 

  1. Treat yourself a bit

And on the matter of shopping: nothing raises your spirits quite like getting something you like. Maybe you crave a new pair of shoes, or that game you have been meaning to play all year, perhaps some sports gear, or even just a nice dinner outside. Treating yourself will not only make you feel good, but will also provide you with a mini-adventure. The whole process of going somewhere to get something you want will motivate you and the payoff of finally obtaining it will be very satisfying. If you are like me and prefer online shopping, you can still have fun window-shopping as you try to find what you want.

 

  1. Start a project

Now that you will have some free time, you will have the chance to use that time in anything you like, and keeping your brain productive is a good way to keep your mood up. Start going to the gym, take up an instrument, build a model airplane, make a painting, catch up on all those series that you like. If you keep yourself occupied and more importantly, entertained, you will feel great and energized.

 

  1. Get together with others

Perhaps the best way to cheer up during the holidays is to find other individuals who are also not going home. You can get together and have your very own celebration and have a dinner where everyone brings something typical of their hometown. I find this method to be the most effective. Having not returned to my hometown for years, I can say that getting together with friends and having a nice dinner and laughter has always made me feel better about staying abroad for the holidays.

 

  1. Travel somewhere close

If all else fails, you can always travel somewhere closer (and cheaper) than your hometown and having a grand old time. At the very least you’ll not be confined to your apartment and you’ll get to know a new place or revisit a place that you already like. It doesn’t even have to be another country, you could travel inside Finland. Adventure could be waiting for you around the corner.

Marcelo Goldmann

A Doctor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Oulu. "Life is like a rubber duckie, you gotta keep it afloat to see its splendor." Instagram: @marcelogman

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All candidates from Kontinkangas electoral alliance elected to the council, the Alliance of Academic True Finns in Oulu join the council as a new political group

In Finnish. The results of the Student Council Elections have been announced on Tuesday, 7th of November. The Centre Party students managed to increase their tally by two seats, that is, from one seat to three seats in the student council. With one seat, a new electoral alliance, the Alliance of Academic True Finns in […]

TEKSTI Anni Hyypiö

KUVAT Anni Hyypiö

In Finnish.

The results of the Student Council Elections have been announced on Tuesday, 7th of November.

The Centre Party students managed to increase their tally by two seats, that is, from one seat to three seats in the student council. With one seat, a new electoral alliance, the Alliance of Academic True Finns in Oulu (Oulun Akateemiset Perussuomalaiset), were elected to the council.

TeTa (The Coalition of Technology and Business Students) heads the poll with a number of 1,051 votes. With this result, TeTa keeps its 13 seats in the student council.

HuKa (Humanities and Pedagogy Students’ Coalition) gains nine seats and thus loses one seat in the council.

All five candidates of the Kontinkangas electoral alliance make their way to the student council. The Alliance of Science Students (Tieteelliset) increases their tally by one seat, that is, from four seats to five. The Green list keeps their one seat at the council.

National Coalition Party Students (Kokoomusopiskelijat) as well as Green-left Alliance in Oulu (Oulun Vihreän Vasemmiston vaaliliitto) did not win any seats in the student council. Furthermore, Joonas-Veikko Härmä and Antero Metso, the two uncommitted candidates, were not elected.

27 members of the elected student council have not acted as members of the student council before.

Altogether 3,191 votes were cast during the elections. 15 blank votes were cast.

 

All Kontinkangas electoral alliance candidates elected to the student council

Eelis Palokangas of the Kontinkangas electoral alliance (Kontinkankaan vaaliliitto) received the greatest number of votes in the elections (230 votes), with Sonja Mehtälä of the electoral alliance of the Economic Sciences (Kyltereiden vaaliliitto) coming in second (98). Third most votes went to Sebastian Tynkkynen (75) from the Alliance of Academic True Finns in Oulu (Oulun Akateemisten Perussuomalaisten vaaliliitto).

The big winner of the elections, Eelis Palokangas, a third-year student of medicine, was visibly pleased with the results.

”All the candidates from our alliance got through. That was unarguably our biggest victory. One can not help but be pleased with the results.”

All Kontinkangas electoral alliance candidates will be first timers in the student council. According to Palokangas, their goal in the council will be to bring the Student Union (OYY) closer to Kontinkangas campus.

”We can provide a bit of an outside perspective to the decision making.”

Sebastian Tynkkynen, who also scored big in the elections, said he felt elated after the results came in. He also has a clear vision in mind.

”Naturally I am enormously happy now, we had such an increase of votes when compared to the last elections! Our goal now is to steer the student movement, which we have seen as representing  green left values, towards a politically more neutral direction, and force it to focus on looking after the interests of the students.”

The brand new student representative of the Humanities electoral alliance (Humanistinen vaaliliitto) Silja Lahdenperä said she is both happy and surprised to be elected.

Lahdenperä, a fourth-year student of information studies, told she decided to run in the elections because she wanted to increase the votes for the Humanities alliance.

So far, she has not set herself any large goals in the student council.

”Being a member of the council will no doubt require some learning. Very interesting things are about to happen, with Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk) moving in for example.”

 

Turnout percentage drops slightly

The turnout percentage of the election remained a little lower in comparison to the 2015 student council elections.

This year, the turnout for the election was 28.46% whereas in 2015, the turnout was 29.3%.

Liisa Komminaho, the chair of the Central Election Committee, says she had hoped for an increase in the turnout percentage this year.

”I had hoped the turnout would be a bit higher to what it was in the previous elections. But after hearing the turnout percentage of the advance voting (ca. 21%), I’m happy.”

2017 saw the voting carried out for the first time electronically only. In the 2015 Student Council Elections, a traditional ballot box voting was an option alongside with electronic voting.

According to Komminaho, ”only slight problems were encountered” in the electronic voting this year.

”There were no attacks, or attempts to attack the electronic system. The electronic voting was cut off for a few minutes’ time on Tuesday. No other breakdowns occurred.”

 

In the Student Council Elections, students of the University of Oulu elect representatives to the student council consisting of 37 members. The representative council is the highest decision-making body of the Student Union of the University of Oulu (OYY). Among other tasks, the Student Council decides about the amount of annual subscription for university students. Furthermore, the council outlines how the Student Union’s funds are to be expended. 

 

Members of the new student council  

Kontinkankaan vaaliliitto (Kontinkangas electoral alliance)

Eelis Palokangas
Leo Jämsä
Pyry Pitkänen
Onni Kumpulainen
Heikki Eränen

 

Vihreä vaaliliitto (The Green list)

Mirja Mustapirtti

 

Tieteellisten vaaliliitto (The Alliance of Science Students)

Anri Kinisjärvi
Emmi-Kaisa Molkkari
Teemu Virtanen
Toni Sandvik
Jussi Vaara

 

Humanistien ja kasvatustieteilijöiden vaalirengas (Humanities and Pedagogy Students’ Coalition) :

Humanistinen vaaliliitto (The Humanities electoral alliance)

Emilia Käsmä
Kalle Parviainen
Lauri Moilanen
Silja Lahdenperä

 

Kansankynttilät vaaliliitto (The Educational sciences electoral alliance)

Bruno Gioia Sandler
Tino Nissinen
Reeta Mäki-Pollari
Mihaela Ivanova
Tuomas Soini

 

Tekniikan ja talouden vaalirengas (The Coalition of Technology and Business Student):

Kyltereiden vaaliliitto (Economics electoral alliance)

Sonja Mehtälä
Olli Joki
Oona Väärni
Lauri Piirainen

 

Prosessi-tuotannon vaaliliitto (Process and Industrial Engineering and Management electoral alliance)

Oula Virtanen
Sakari Huhtelin
Sallamari Tolonen

 

Sähkö-tiedon vaaliliitto (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering electoral alliance)

Zacharias Hellberg
Jori-Pekka Rautava

 

Ympäristö-kone-arkkitehtuurin vaaliliitto (Environmental and Mechanical Engineering and Architecture electoral alliance)

Santeri Siira
Valtteri Johansson
Erno Oikarinen
Elisabet Shnoro

 

Keskustaopiskelijoiden ja sitoutumattomien vaaliliitto (Centre Party Students and uncommitted candidates electoral alliance)

Miriam Putula
Marjut Lehtonen
Eveliina Leskelä

 

Oulun Akateemiset Perussuomalaiset vaaliliitto (The Alliance of Academic True Finns in Oulu)

Sebastian Tynkkynen

 

Read more about the results at the Student Union’s website.

 

Translation: Tiia Kokko.

Anni Hyypiö

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio

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The number of candidates in the Student Council Elections rose – but will the students vote?

In Finnish. A total of 159 candidates are running for the Student Council, slightly more than the 155 there were two years ago. Before this fall the amount of candidates was steadily declining: there were nearly 300 candidates in 2009, 190 in 2011 and 172 in 2013. The alliance with the most candidates is TeTa, […]

In Finnish.

A total of 159 candidates are running for the Student Council, slightly more than the 155 there were two years ago.

Before this fall the amount of candidates was steadily declining: there were nearly 300 candidates in 2009, 190 in 2011 and 172 in 2013.

The alliance with the most candidates is TeTa, the coalition for technology and economy (69 candidates). The runners-up are the coalition of humanities and education students HuKa (29) and the Scientists’ coalition (19).

You can see all the candidates, coalitions and parties here.

Can voter turnout be increased?

We managed to curb the decline in the amount of candidates this year, but how can we get the students to vote?

According to the chair of the Central Election Board Liisa Komminaho, the first step in activating the students to vote is letting people know there’s an election coming up. Social media, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat have been used to reach people.

This fall the council elections are arranged with electronic votingthe paper ballot voting isn’t used at all.

Liisa Komminaho doesn’t believe this choice will affect the turnout one way or the other.

“Last election cycle we used both, and the amount of paper ballots was fairly small. I believe the students will find the online voting page as easily as the traditional one.”

That’s not necessarily good news, because the majority of students still don’t vote. According to Liisa Komminaho, the voter turnout can be increased.

“When there are so many of us, there are also a lot of people who aren’t interested or don’t know about these things. There is potential to grow, and the worst pitfall is being content with the current situation. If we believe we can raise voter turnout, we can.”

According to her, all Finnish Student Unions are struggling with the same problem: only about 20-30% of the voting eligible students actually vote.

“If people believe their vote counts, they vote. This is a little paradoxical about the council elections: the voter turnout is so low, one vote can make or break a candidate. If you don’t decide, other people will do so for you”, says Komminaho.

In the Student Council elections, students elect 37 council members and their deputy members to the Student Council, which is the highest deciding body in the Student Union of the University of Oulu. Among other things, the Student Council decides how much the student union fee will be and how the Student Union uses the money. The advance voting begins on Wednesday 1.11. at 9 am and ends on Monday 6.11. at 4 pm. On election day 7.11. the electronic voting is open between 9 am and 4 pm. Read more at the Student Union website.

Translation: Elli Lassila.

Anni Hyypiö

Oulun ylioppilaslehden entinen päätoimittaja. Twitter: @AnniHyypio

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Hi, 5 ways to improve your winter biking skills at -20 °C and below

Finnish winter is no laughing matter, particularly when it comes to riding a bicycle on snow or ice. This can be especially challenging if you come from a place without snow. May the next 5 tips make your riding safer.

  1. Use winter tyres

Winter tyres are compulsory by law for cars during winter. This is not the case for bicycles. However, winter tyres are essential if you plan on taking on those treacherous snowy and icy bike roads. Not only will the winter tyres allow for better handling of the bike, but also for a much safer ride. If the cost of the tyres scare you (35+ eur), then you should at least get one for the front wheel, even if you don’t change the tyre of the back wheel.

 

  1. Lock Oil

At freezing temperatures, it can become difficult – sometimes impossible –  to open the lock to your bike. The moving parts will freeze and can ruin your day. All you need is a special blend of oil and solvents called “lukkosula” (lit. lock melt) in Finnish. You can buy lukkosula at any convenience store. This magic substance will not only defrost the inside of your lock, but will also protect it for some time against freezing again.

 

  1. Avoid sharp turns and brake slowly

One of the hardest things to learn when riding a bike on snow or ice is unlearning to bike on dry pavement. Before making a turn, make sure to decelerate in advance and to make the turn broadly. The reason for this is that snow and ice provide much less friction than dry pavement. When you make a sharp turn, you are producing more force on the ground than when you make a broad turn. Thus in a sharp turn, the dry pavement can provide enough friction against the tyre to keep you up but the snow or ice cannot, causing your tyre to slip.

This is also the reason why you probably don’t want to brake suddenly, but rather taper your braking slowly over time. A sudden braking will create too much force on the snowy or icy ground and even if your wheels are not rotating, your whole bike (and yourself) will slip and keep going.

 

  1. Wear a helmet

It might not be the most fashionable accessory, but a helmet is the best way to protect that precious head of yours. Even a relatively small fall can have devastating consequences to your noggin if you hit it against the ground. The last thing you want to take home from your time in Finland is a concussion. Be safe and wear a helmet, at least until you’re a pro at winter biking.

 

  1. Choose clothing wisely

The “layers, layers, layers” rule applies here. Choose your layers properly: a base layer, a second layer, a third layer if necessary, and a windproof layer on top (e.g. ski pants and ski jacket). A beanie is also necessary to keep your ears and that head of yours toasty and protected. If you cannot stand the wind on your face, you might want to wear a scarf or facemask. As you bike, your body will get warm, really warm, even at -30 °C.

However, the two parts of your body that will likely remain colder are your feet and your hands. Thus, remember to give these two parts special attention: wear warm socks, winter shoes, and windproof mittens.

Marcelo Goldmann

A Doctor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Oulu. "Life is like a rubber duckie, you gotta keep it afloat to see its splendor." Instagram: @marcelogman

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