100 Years of University in Turku University of Turku celebrated its 100th anniversary with an outdoor event, the UTU 100 Carnival. The celebration included a light show, music, and much more – here are some pictures!
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Contents 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 13 15 17 18 25 27 28 31 33 34 35 39 43 44
100 Years of University in Turku Contents Editorial Words From The Chair New Horizons: The Piltti Year Never Stop the Madness: Freshman Year at a Glance The Board of Anglica New Directions at the Department In Memoriam Villa Metsäranta The Great and Mighty Koviet Union Strangers in a Strange Land The Best Kind of Poster Is An Anglican Poster The Kebab Place Down The Street Weird Incidents During Our Semester in America Go Solo (Travelling) From This, We Shall Deduce the Yeet As Heard in Kaffila On First Spex-Experiences The Great Anglican Horoscope Extra Part 2 The Great Quarantine Bingo The Great Anglican Crossword of 2020
bacchanalia 1. (often capital) orgiastic rites associated with Bacchus 2. any drunken revelry
Otava Korkka Aapo Rauha Hanne Martikainen Emmi Kaitarinne Emilia Tähkävuori Pihla Eskola & Otava Korkka Katri Sohlman Emmi Kaitarinne Noora Laihorinne & Noora Kyckling Otava Korkka Mikko Rytö Elisa Kinnunen & Riina Inkeröinen Pihla Eskola Mariia Määttä Päivi T. Tua Reea Ruusuvuori Elisa Kinnunen & Miisa Parrila Lea-Lotta Huurtela Mariia Määttä
Baccanalia Anglica ry. 2020 Editor: Otava Korkka & Emma Lehtinen Layout: Emma Lehtinen Cover: Otava Korkka Centerfold: Janika Laitala & Emma Lehtinen Back: Reea Ruusuvuori & Emma Lehtinen Photos: Provided by amazing Anglicans Thanks to everyone associated with the project, either by contributing or otherwise helping. And special thanks to you reading this! You make this project worthwhile!
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Editorial
May Day is here once again, just a bit different this time. There is no doubt that the spring of 2020 has been the most unusual spring in our lives so far, but one thing remains more or less the same even in this situation: Baccanalia. This Into the Unknown -edition you now hold in your hands is still bit different than the Baccanalias we are used to, as it is digital only, at least for the time being. Despite being unable to deliver a printed magazine to you right now, we still wanted to bring this issue of Baccanalia to you, just in a different format. When this year’s freshmen arrived in August, none of us had any idea what strange oddities this academic year would bring. Oblivious of what was to come, the freshmen experienced their first ever Villa – which was also tragically the last Villa held at the place that has become traditional to many Anglicans. You can read about our farewell to Villa Metsäranta in the later pages. The changes in teaching and other university activities that have happened this spring are likely to confuse anyone, but what about the freshmen, who have only just gotten used to the life at university? Two of this year’s freshmen have shared their feelings about their first year at university: read the articles to find out the full story!
In addition to being strange and challenging for us as individuals, this spring has also been very different for Anglica as a whole. When the year started, we had lots of different events; parties, bowling, circus, you name it. However, in March, as the restrictions from the government rolled around, our events were cancelled. It was the right thing to do, and for the sake of everyone’s health and safety, it had to be done, but it was still a big change. No more Anglican laughter in Kaffila, no more cookies during Coffee Hour, no more trying new things with your fellow Anglican friends. That kind of a change would put a dent in anyone’s good spirits. Despite the sadness you can read about funny things that have been heard in Kaffila on the later pages of this issue. Perhaps that will help with 2020 is also a special year in the sense that the the longing. University of Turku turned 100 years old this year. We witnessed an amazing lightshow with hundreds All in all, it seems like 2020 is full of strange things, of fellow UTU students, teachers and staff, as well as some of them fun, some not so much. But even in other people from all around Turku. Some pictures these weird times, let’s all remember that we are not Anglicans took at the celebration have been collected alone – the Anglican community is still here, even if on the first page. we can’t see each other face to face.
Otava Korkka Editor-in-Chief
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Words From the Chair May Day, again. Feeling a bit conflicted due to the current social situation – but I firmly believe it’s a low we’ll soon climb from. Thus, with these words, I wanted to focus on the great that has been and is yet to come. As a third-year student, I feel like I can say I’ve had a proper peek at the university world. I’ve had a taste of student life (and I’m addicted). Not many phases in life compare to the versatility of being a uni student – though it has its highs and lows. The best part of the student life is that you can build it however you want – like a home. Say the foundation is your studies, like it is for most people. After all, they are the reason you came here and likely what the rest of your life will be based on. Studies should be prioritised (though sometimes one might slip from this), work before play and so on. Fighting grammar, discourse analysis and whatnot might sometimes feel like a struggle, but it’s worth it for a sturdy foundation for your student life – then, you can build on it with good conscience. Even though I suspect most students have at least one oops-I-wentto-a-party-and-didn’t-study brick in their foundation – but that’s okay.
What makes Anglica special isn’t the organisation itself but the people in it (duh); the people who I feel like are my people. All different people, all different student life homes. All connected by this one thing. I hope it’s something you all will have in your lives for a long time. For me, it has changed not only my student life house, but my life, too.
Back again with the metaphor but take this virus thing as water damage to your student life house or something like that. It doesn’t ruin your house. You just have to adapt while your house is being repaired. After that, you can rebuild and redecorate, maybe get Then, the rooms, the decoration, the belongings. For a house extension. All yours to make your own. me, a huge part of this is Anglica. Anglica is what has given me frames for my student life. It might Wow, this got deep. Don’t know how that happened. sound corny, but it has given me so much to do and a Anyway, I wish you all a brilliant summer, encourage brilliant community to be a student in. Still, Anglica you to have strength and enjoy May Day as best you does not have to be such a large part of your student can! life house – maybe it’s just one or two rooms, maybe it’s a couch and a lamp, maybe it’s a painting on one NB – I’m not an engineer, so do not judge my house of your walls. And that’s completely fine, and I can metaphor (please). personally say I feel fantastic for every person who gets at least a little bit of joy out of what Anglica has to offer. Aapo Rauha The Chair
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New Horizons: The Piltti Year The main menu pops up with ominous music playing in the background. Despite the grim BGM, the menu itself is colorful, as if it were a promise of a great adventure. Huh, what’s this? An option to exit the game? Oh yes, this is my chance to escape. Let me just press it… Wait, shit, I misclicked and accidentally pressed “Start”. I guess it’s time to begin the journey of Piltti, our protagonist in this game of survival. Or university. I don’t know, either one, there isn’t much of a difference between them. The music fades out and I’m thrown out into the middle of the first week in university. So many characters to get to know, choices to make, and places to go to. The overwhelming feeling of fear creeps around as I try to fit in an unfamiliar group of people. I find myself wondering whether coming here was such a good idea after all. Fortunately, with some help from the wise oldies and fellow freshmen, the uncertainty vanishes leaving only one thought in my mind: “This is where I’m supposed to be.”
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However, all the struggle of our freshman year wasn’t only on the university level. The second period of spring had an unexpected beginning when the one and only, corona virus, cancelled everything. Lectures, events, and even our beloved coffee hours. Going to the university has changed into wearing pajamas all day and trying to study independently for the time being. I, for one, am doing remarkably well regarding the outfit, but studying... Er, let’s not talk about it. Anyways, I can’t tell the future as I’m writing this in late March, but I’m positive we’ll pull through the pandemic as well. Maybe the silver lining in this situation is the reminder to take care of ourselves, physically and mentally.
The lectures are a part of the routine now (whether you attend them or not), conversations are even more absurd than in the beginning, and the sense of belonging is stronger than ever before. All the side quests I have done are now memories that I look back on fondly. Endless nights, fun mishaps, drinking somewhat questionable coffee in the good ol’ Kaffila, and our nice overalls that cost 69 cents. Of course, I can’t forget about the Sitz parties, where we may Not to get all sappy at the end but these past seven or may not have tested our limits with intoxicating months so far have been the best months of my liquids, or other activities that Anglica’s diligent board young adult life, and it’s all thanks to you, my fellow members organized throughout the academic year. Anglicans. It has been a joy to get to know each other and let ourselves be the beautiful people we are, inside It can’t always be all fun and games though. The and out. Never did I ever think I would be a part of such struggle is real sometimes and this journey is no a diverse group, and still feel at home. The amazing exception in that regard. I necessarily don’t have any Class of ‘19 shared memes, lecture notes, and the regrets, but some things could’ve been done better. despair caused by the G1 exam, and that is something For example, one should start preparing for the exam I’d never trade for anything. We all may have different on time instead of doing literally everything else other main quests and functions in each other’s stories, but than studying. Nevertheless, my freshman year has nevertheless, we still have incredible teamwork. Thus, taught me it’s okay to fail sometimes, and especially my freshman year, with all its ups and downs, would’ve for a procrastinating perfectionist like me, it has been not been as great without every single one of you. one of the most important realizations. As in most games, trying again is allowed and even encouraged. Sadly, it’s time to say goodbye for now, so let’s enjoy We all must remember that life is hard in general and the last moments of this chapter, and get ready for the doing your best is enough. Hanne Martikainen next one!
Never Stop the Madness: Freshman Year at a Glance It’s a peaceful Monday morning in the Student Village. Due to a certain deadly virus, all teaching has been canceled and there is not a soul on the streets. Thus, I’m in no hurry to get up and speedwalk up the University Hill to make it to class on time. However, lectures are not the only thing that have been canceled. All kinds of leisure time events have also been canceled until the end of May to protect everyone from the Corona – both the virus and the liver-damaging beverage, it seems. As we all cope with our disappointment by making bad jokes, I can’t help but to think about the wonderful year we’ve had so far. When I moved here in the middle of August, I had no idea what I had to look forward to. I remember looking around in my tiny apartment and wondering if I would make any friends here, or just study alone at home all day every day. Ah, what a clueless little piltti I was. I’ve also found that there is so much more that student life has to offer than just regular parties. The events The first couple of weeks were packed with all kinds range from casual movie nights and boardgame nights of fun activities and get-togethers organized by our to riotous sitz parties and pub crawls to Villa weekend amazing student tutors. At first I was a bit unsure and Not-GOOM. They are all so different in nature that whether to take part in anything but I’m glad I did. The I can’t simply choose one favorite. However, among atmosphere was always relaxed and we had a great my favorites were Turku Survival and its counterpart, chance to get to know one another outside the lectures. Revenge of the Freshmen, and their afterparties. Only After the city tour I had already gotten to know many after Turku Survival do you become a true Anglican, fellow Anglicans and a bit of my new hometown. It and it is Revenge of the Freshmen when you get to turned out that I had really made the best decision of pay back for everything the oldies made you do – with my life when I chose to study English in Turku. interest, of course. Another thing that took me by surprise was that there There are admittedly many things we didn’t get to are parties here literally every week. Coming from a experience this year, but at least we got to witness relatively small city (or just straight-up lande), I was one important historical event. You see, this year we honestly not prepared. Partying can be exhausting. But were lucky to celebrate the 100th anniversary of our what do you know, next Thursday you find yourself at university. The carnival in February was truly magical the counter of the same bar as every week before, and and made me feel really proud that I’m a student of the the bouncers are already beginning to consider you a University of Turku. regular. As a side note, I really don’t want to know how much money I’ve spent on such entertainment The madness may be on hold because of the coronavirus this year... but I assure you: it will never stop. Hopefully next year we’ll have better luck. Stay safe and hang in there, dear Anglicans! Emmi Kaitarinne
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The Board of Anglica State your name, age and favourite baked good. Aapo Rauha, 21, Piispanmunkki How have the past months as the Chair of Anglica been? The Brilliant and difficult. I’ve had the opportunity to work with incredible people in a whole new way but also find the best ways to do the job. Not always easy! Is there some period of time or a singular experience in your past you would want to experience again as it was then, given the chance? If yes, what? My freshman year, probably. The feeling of a new beginning. Best. If you weren’t human, what would you be? Hopefully something related to dark magic. Perhaps a voodoo doll. If that’s not believable, my patronus is a horse, so maybe that? What is in your opinion the best form of sport? Anything vertical. Climbing, jumping, acrobatics. What tool would you use to mash potatoes when making mashed potatoes? The potato mashing wand thingy. Given Coffee isn’t an option, would you rather have Tea or Hot Chocolate? Hot chocolate, though spilling tea is very enjoyable.
The Vice Chair
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Chair
State your name, age and favourite baked good. Pihla, 22, carrot cake Is there some period of time or a singular experience in your past you would want to experience again as it was then, given the chance? If yes, what? Pokemon Go summer of 2016. If you weren't human, what would you be? A Pegasus Knight! I just think they're neat. What is in your opinion the best form of sport? Anything as long as you have fun while doing it! What tool would you use to mash potatoes when making mashed potatoes? Instant mashed potatoes from the box. What is something you would like to impart on your fellow Anglicans? Positive vibes!<3 Given Coffee isn't an option, would you rather have Tea or Hot Chocolate? I would perish and choose neither.
State your name, age and favourite baked good. Tommi Virtanen, 25, rhubarb pie What are your plans for the rest of the year as the Secretary? The Secretary To keep honing the minutes to the best of my abilities. There have also been talks of transferring our previous minutes and other things from the back of our dusty archives to an electronic form so that's something to look forward to. What is something new you would like to bring to Anglica? As the secretary, I can't think of many new things I could bring via my own role. But if we're speaking more generally, I'd love to have more events like the planned improv experimentation - maybe a painting class or even pottery if it's somehow doable. What is something new you yourself would like to do or experience? Lately, I've been sort of wanting to try acting of some kind. It's just intimidating to think about remembering all of your lines or needing to be creative enough to improvise when needed. What is something you would like to impart on your fellow Anglicans? Remember to calm your mind and relax! That's probably rich coming from someone who's a bit too good at just going with the flow and occasionally forgetting those tasks I've been postponing for so long, but I'd encourage everyone to at least give it a try! (Disclaimer! Just not as much as I do) Also, this is nauseatingly cliché.
State your name, age and favourite baked good. Salli, 22, danish rolls How have the past months as the Treasurer of Anglica been? Great! A little stressful sometimes but I’ve learned a lot! What is something new you would like to bring to Anglica? Competitive cook-offs How do you feel about communal living? I’ve never tried it but I think it’s cool and I don’t really enjoy living alone so it’d probably suit me! Fill in the blank: "______, sir" Your payment information What is something you would like to impart on your fellow Anglicans? The fact that Sims 2 is the best game in the series. Given Coffee isn't an option, would you rather have Tea or Hot Chocolate? Tea, hot chocolate is way too sweet.
The Treasurer
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State your name, age and favourite baked good. Lea-Lotta Huurtela, 22, Arnolds' donuts What are your plans for the rest of the year as the Info? To be better and to make more bad puns whenever I get the chance What is something new you yourself would like to do or experience? I'd like to try skydiving. And to learn to do a split Is there some period of time or a singular experience in your past you would want to experience again as it was then, given the chance? If yes, what? There are honestly so many that I'd just have to live through my whole life again, and I don't want to do that :D I like where I am and who I am now, so I'd just rather do new things than relive my past experiences If you weren't human, what would you be? A sloth. What is in your opinion the best form of culture? BOOKS! And music. But books are number 1. Given Coffee isn't an option, would you rather have Tea or Hot Chocolate? Tea! *hรถrb*
The
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The Info
State your name, age and favourite baked good. Mikko Rytรถ, 23, and my mom makes this thing that she's always called a Tiramisu, but I'm pretty sure it's just a cheesecake. What is something new you Social & Educational would like to bring to Anglica? Affairs More committee-based organizing, and more horizontality in general. We've got droves of amazing active members and we shouldn't let that passion go to waste. The May Day committee, short lived as it was due to the pandemic, is a great start. What is something new you yourself would like to do or experience? For years I've had this somewhat esoteric fascination with the Panama Canal. I've wasted many nights on how it was built and how it works, so one day I'd like to actually be on a ship sailing through it. What is in your opinion the best form of sport? Passing the Pigs obviously. It combines the cerebral interplay of chess with the intense physical toll of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Fill in the blank: "______, sir" Your state ration of toilet paper Given Coffee isn't an option, would you rather have Tea or Hot Chocolate? Tea is easier to make, but if someone else is cooking, I'll go for the hot chocolate.
The
State your name, age and favourite baked good. Otava, 22, New York Cheesecake How have the past months as the Projects of Anglica been? Projects Busy, but satisfying! Is there some period of time or a singular experience in your past you would want to experience again as it was then, given the chance? If yes, what? No, past should stay in the past. I'm more interested in seeing what the future holds. If you weren't human, what would you be? I'd be a bear, so I could sleep half of the year. What is your favourite board game? If you want to see me be very stressed and very focused at the same time, play Jenga with me. What is in your opinion the best form of sport? I like swimming, orienteering, and Finnish baseball, because they are the only sports I have ever been good at… Given Coffee isn't an option, would you rather have Tea or Hot Chocolate? Depends on what I'd have it with, I'd probably have tea with a piece of chocolate cake, for example, but opt for hot chocolate with something else. In any case, if I have to choose one, I'd probably pick tea because it has a wide range of different options with it.
State your name, age and favourite baked good. Veera Purhonen, 21, brownies. How have the past months as The Party the Party & Culture of Anglica been? So much fun! I’ve gotten a completely new perspective of Uni happenings. What are your plans for the rest of the year as the Party & Culture? Hopefully getting to organize many good parties during the fall. Definitely looking forward to organizing the Fresher Sitz party and Turku survival! If you weren't human, what would you be? A Greyhound. What tool would you use to mash potatoes when making mashed potatoes? a potato masher? Fill in the blank: "______, sir" Eeässänne. What is something you would like to impart on your fellow Anglicans? Feel free to ask about my dogs! Given Coffee isn't an option, would you rather have Tea or Hot Chocolate? Tea.
and Culture
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State your name, age and favourite baked good. Aliisa Rantanen, 21 and a carrot cake. What are your plans for the rest of the year The Party and Culture as the Party & Culture? The spring will be awfully quiet for now but as the summer and new study year are ahead of us, I'm pretty sure that it is going to be awesome. I just can't wait to start planning our events for the autumn, that's how excited I am at this moment. What is something new you yourself would like to do or experience? I'd like to experience not-GOOM because although I'm a 3rd-year-student, I have never been there. Maybe I should set this as a new goal for the next year. If you weren't human, what would you be? I'd be a cat: their motto seems to be 'sleep, eat, play and sleep again'. What a peaceful way of life, don't you think? What is something you would like to impart on your fellow Anglicans? Though the universe seems to be against us at the moment, we will see each other soon enough. We are not letting this situation bring us down, we're going to rise up even stronger after this. Buckle up your seatbelts because we're gonna have one heck of a year starting in the autumn! Given Coffee isn't an option, would you rather have Tea or Hot Chocolate? Tea please. There are different varieties of tea and I don't want to even think about how many I have stored in my kitchen cabinets. Please, don't make me count.
The Members
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State your name, age and favourite baked good. Emma Lehtinen, 21, whatever I feel like baking How have the past months as a Member of the Board of Anglica been? I've done a lot of different jobs for Anglica such as graphic design, organizing events and taking part in weekly meetings. It's been ok, a bit stressful due to stuff unrelated to Anglica but I've managed. Can't wait for autumn when this pandemic is over and everything is back to normal. Is there some period of time or a singular experience in your past you would want to experience again as it was then, given the chance? If yes, what? Time before the Corona outbreak. What is your favourite board game? Betrayal at House on The Hill. What is in your opinion the best form of culture? THS. What is in your opinion the best form of sport? E-sports. What are your plans for the rest of the year as a Member? Do jobs around graphic design, be a helping hand to the board and create a more active groups in Anglica.
The
State your name, age and favourite baked good. Mariia Määttä, 20, cinnamon rolls What is something new you yourself would like to do or Members experience? Make my own sushi. I have an obsession. If you weren't human, what would you be? I always say (when people don't ask) that if I wasn't a human, I would be a jackdaw. What is in your opinion the best form of culture? vauva.fi What is in your opinion the best form of sport? Lifting dogs. Big and small. What tool would you use to mash potatoes when making mashed potatoes? The only tool anyone should use for making mash is an electric mixer. I can't understand why anyone in their right mind would use a potato masher. I am very passionate about this. What is something you would like to impart on your fellow Anglicans? Live. Love. And most importantly, wipe from front to back.Given Coffee isn't an option, would you rather have Tea or Hot Chocolate? I do enjoy some hot tea from time to time. But I would have to choose hot chocolate.
State your name, age and favourite baked good. I'm Noora Kyckling, 19 years of age, and you can't go wrong with brownies! How have the past months as the Vice Member of Anglica been? Eye-opening, really. Experiencing my first autumn full of events and then getting to see just how much effort goes into such The Vice planning has really (maybe not sparked but) fueled my appetite to do my part in providing my fellow Anglicans with a variety of fun stuff. If you weren't human, what would you be? As a non-human I would love to be a feline of some sort due to my relentless desire to climb things but lack of athleticism to do so. Unfortunately I think if my form were up to my own characteristics I'd probably end up a sloth. Those can climb things, too, so maybe it wouldn't be so bad. How do you feel about communal living? Works for some people, didn't work for me. I like living at my own pace and the moment someone else's mugs are clogging up the sink I get antsy. I'll only have my own mess around, thanks! What tool would you use to mash potatoes when making mashed potatoes? Given the hypothetical 'would' in the question, I would love to find out what would happen if you tried making mashed potatoes with a hydraulic press. It would probably be... efficient.
Member
Emilia Tähkävuori
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New Directions at the Department Meet the new university teacher at the department of English! Welcome to Turku and the department Minna!
What is your name and where do you come from? My name is Minna Hjort and I was born in Raasepori. I lived in Helsinki for almost twenty years before moving to Turku. What is your field of specialty? Translation. I have previously worked as an in-house translator for around 18 years. As a researcher, I’m interested in, among other things, taboo language – in general and as an object of translation. Because of my background, I’m also interested in translator studies. Were there any other options for studying except English? What were your years as a student like? I ended up studying English translation at the University of Helsinki, but I also applied to study comparative literature in Tampere and psychology in Turku – where they rejected me after the second part of the entrance exams. In your face, University of Turku, you ended up employing me instead! How about teaching? Did you have other dream jobs? As a teenager, I wanted to be a journalist or an author. The one thing I was sure about then and throughout my studies was that I was never going to teach! But here I am, and I do enjoy it. Never say never! Are you currently doing research, and if so, what are you researching? I’m working on completing my PhD thesis on the translation of swearing. I’m also involved in a research project about in-house translation and another about the use of English swearwords in Finnish. What is your favourite thing about Turku? I like Turku a lot! It’s by the sea, it has a lot of history and a lot to offer, and everything is within a short distance. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? If I’m completely honest, managing a lovely little B&B in some gorgeous seaside town in some other country – perhaps doing a bit of writing and researching and rescuing street cats and dogs on the side…
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If you could study any other language in the world, what would you choose and why? Irish. I've always been interested in Ireland, and I now I also have a personal connection to the island. There seems to be great demand for Irish translators in the EU, too! I started a beginner's course once but had to drop out after the first session because I got a job that overlapped with the classes.
What are your plans for the upcoming summer? I had some travel plans, including three concerts in three different countries, but now I'm just waiting to see what the situation will be Corona-wise.
If you could give your students one piece of advice regarding life/future/studying, what would it be? Don't worry too much now! You'll have plenty of time for that later in life. Enjoy life and learning, and be If you had to choose one song to listen to for the rest curious. of your life, what would it be and why? This is a difficult one! Probably something by Pearl Jam, perhaps State of Love and Trust. I'm also slightly obsessed with Take Me to Church by Hozier. Recently, though, my earworm has been Lemon Tree by Fools Garden. You know, "Isolation, is not good for me‌" I really hope I don't have to listen to that for the rest of my life! Pihla Eskola Otava Korkka
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In Memoriam Villa Metsäranta It’s a certain kind of excitement you experience when Villa Friday arrives. As a piltti you have only heard amazing stories from the oldies about their experiences and how Villa is their favorite event of the Anglican autumn, yet you have no idea how the weekend will unfold. And you remember how nervous you were when the doodle link reached your inbox and how the adrenaline pumped through your body as you aimed to doodle yourself in for the whole weekend. And the joy when you succeeded, wow. Throughout the years I have not only learned to appreciate the event itself but the hype before it. From the doodling process to the Facebook memes, most importantly “Huomenna mennään Villaan…”. I mean, these are all my experiences, but I dare to say that many of you have felt the same. After all, Villa Metsäranta is Anglica’s summer cottage. The dearest home away from home since 2010. But 2019 was the last year Anglica Goes Villa was held in Metsäranta as it has been sold to a new owner.
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Villa is not a new event in Anglica’s history by any means, but I dare to say that after the board of 2010 found Villa Metsäranta it has evolved to be one of the greatest traditions of this organization. Villa Metsäranta was the perfect combination of a summer cottage feel, with reachable location and enough room to fit 40 people to just enjoy the weekend. But it was the little things that made Villa special for us. From the palm trees of the front porch to the little fridge in the upstairs room and the radiators that were hotter than hell itself. The sofas of the main room on which some unfortunate soul passes out in the early hours as their mattress has been claimed by someone else. The sunroom which would cater perfectly to a fancy crayfish party but serves us as the arena for one of the most important tournaments of the organization: oldies versus newbies beer pong.
One of the biggest changes that Villa has experienced during its years in Ruissalo has been moving from one-night-stay to the whole weekend in 2013. This was because Anglica had some extra money after the 55th-anniversary celebration. Adding another night to the event made it possible to arrange the extravaganza known as “Villampics”. This Saturday afternoon event has also evolved and I, myself, am lucky to only have heard about the tossing of water into the bucket and not live through the experience. During my years in Villa, it has been nice to spend an hour or two (or three) outside in the crisp Autumn air. Some other well-known competitions in Villa were a race to the upstairs bedrooms, beat everyone else to the toilet after drinking games and not getting stuck into the rush hour traffic in the kitchen. Some of these traditions might travel with us to the new location, yet maybe, just maybe, the number of bathrooms will be more than one.
Memories I have made there, such as hearing a distant chant of Liverpool coming from the sauna, being part of Villa trick shots, sitting on the dock while listening to the sounds of nature and winning (sometimes losing) the beer pong tournament, are often the memories that I look back to whenever thinking about the past autumn in the dark days of the winter. But with the new decade come new adventures and now the story of Anglica in Villa Metsäranta is over. With heavy hearts, we have to move our early AM discos, beer pong tournaments, endless drinking games and sauna singing session to another location. But as an organization, we have learned a lot during our time in Ruissalo. And as an individual, I can take most of my tricks and tips to our next home away from home. And surely in the new place, there will be time for dancing into the small hours, sitting on a kitchen floor talking with old and new friends, jamming sessions in the tired afternoon hours or even time for serious talks about everything in the privacy of the bedrooms. And maybe now there is room for even more growth for this event. Who knows, maybe our next location offers more possibilities to create new traditions and evolve old ones. And one thing is sure. After the next Villa, we will have new experiences to add to our memories of Villa. See you in October!
I personally have been to Villa four times, and throughout my Anglican years, it has become my favorite event. I did make some rookie mistakes such as not packing enough snacks with me and trusted that my mökkimunchies would be satisfied with good old macaronloda but that was not the case. Learning from my mistakes, I have now learned the perfect combo of snacks, beverages, and ingredients for mökkitortilla. I have learned the perfect times to go to the toilet For more stories from Villa check Baccanalias from without having to wait for my turn and I know now the years 2017 and 2014. when to cook and what not to cook (anything with the stove).
Katri Sohlman
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The Great and Mighty Koviet Union Inspired by the spectacular article Straight Outta Yolohja by Ville “Da Two Towers” Heirola and Atte “Return of da King” Makkonen, I feel compelled to write about my own hometown – a city that has received more than its fair share of publicity because of its Soviet style architecture and individual character. In eastern Finland, only 58 kilometers east from the Finnish Chicago (but out in the sticks nevertheless), there is a place I can call home: the Koviet Union or Kouvola, if you will. As my predecessors noted, it is indeed very common for people to berate their hometown. I have yet to hear anyone speak about their hometown without cracking a joke about how dull it is there. From the annual egg market of Laitila to Mikkelin Jukurit, there is undeniably much to banter about. Make no mistake, I love my hometown just like everyone else. I’d just rather keep a, say, 250 kilometer distance to it.
Turku, on the other hand, is so majestic with its magnificent Cathedral and the iconic Aura river. I’ve heard that if you’re lucky, you might even get pushed into the river in the wee hours of the morning. How lovely. In all seriousness, though, the biggest difference between Turku and Kouvola are the people and how nice they are. Sometimes it is hard to make out what they’re saying but I’m sure it’s all good things. At least they’re talking. If you only see the deserted city center of Kouvola, I understand that you might never want to visit it again. If you try to talk to the few people that are up and about, I understand even better. However, even Kouvola has its redeeming features. It’s a vast municipality (about 11 times the size of Turku, and over twice the size of Lohja, I might add) so there is much more to Kouvola than just the city center. For example, there’s a beautiful national park to the north of Kouvola, and there are some lovely manors Compared to Turku, there isn’t much to see or do in to admire around the municipality. There’s even an Kouvola unless you are an enthusiast of trains and amusement park in Kouvola, along with an aquapark! railroad yards or Soviet style architecture. One of Doesn’t that count for anything? Kouvola’s many nicknames, Concrete Hell, refers to the architectural trend of the 1970s to build everything However, if you want to see some magnificent using almost solely concrete. In fact, the scenery in scenery from the city center of Kouvola and learn Kouvola is so grim that an Irish postrock band has more about this amazing stronghold of Soviet-like made a music video in which Kouvola portrays culture, I recommend listening to the song Kouvola a post-apocalyptic town with all its abandoned by Kalevauva.fi on YouTube. The music video is right concrete buildings and empty streets. I think that’s on point, so to say, and truly captures the essence just beautiful. of Kouvola. The lyrics are composed of posts and comments on the internet (vauva.fi, to be exact), so they must be 100% true. As excited as I was to write about my beloved hometown, I’m running out of things to say. Well, to be honest, I could talk about Kouvola all day long but I won’t because I don’t want to bore you any more than I already have. Please assume I have dignity. Thank you for reading this brief introduction of the great and mighty Koviet Union. My hometown might indeed be a tad ugly and boring, but to quote the wellput lyrics of Kouvola, I’d rather live in Kouvola than in Lohja. Emmi Kaitarinne
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Strangers in a Strange Land Every autumn, when a new semester starts, the beautiful city of Turku sees an influx of new students (and new Anglicans!) from all around Finland. The beginning of Freshman year is already new and exciting as it is, and for some students it comes with the added spice of having recently moved to a completely new environment, possibly far away from everything they know. This transitional period between living at home and learning to live alone in a new place can be a challenge. Others will consider it the best time in their lives. For most it’s a delicate balance of both, and the way new Freshmen feel about their new hometown obviously makes a big difference.
Taking a Leap of Faith Noora Laihorinne (Kokkola)
Kokkola-Karleby, my hometown, is a middle-sized municipality and a small-ish town on the west coast in Central Ostrobothnia. It is mainly known for its harbor, industrial area, and historic “old town” Neristan, but let's be honest, most people here in the south know absolutely nothing about it. In fact, several people I’ve spoken with have (to my absolute horror) confused it with the Finnish Chernobyl that we all call Kouvola. Now, I know I'm a little hard on Kokkola sometimes, but I would still like to state Where we come from has an undeniably fundamental for the record the following: it might not be the most impact on who we are as people: it affects how we exciting of places in Finland, or in general, but no act, think and talk. In relation to this, everybody has matter how you slice it, I still believe Kokkola is at a story on how they ended up from where they’re the very least a better place to live than Kouvola. from to where they are now, and we want to share ours. That's why we have put together a collection I moved to Turku in August 2016. It was my first time of stories from just some of us Anglicans who have living away from home, I didn't know anyone in the migrated to this great city from elsewhere in Finland, area, and I had never even set foot in Turku before along with a comment from a Turku native on why the entrance exam three months earlier. I say this with respect and affection in my heart for my hometown, the rest of us made the right choice. but I had been looking forward to moving out of Kokkola for a while, and therefore just the moving out part alone was an exhilarating experience for me. I actually don't even remember being too nervous at the time, mainly just excited about meeting new people and starting a new life. As it turns out I got incredibly lucky, because I had managed to accidentally move to a place that was both not Kokkola and a genuinely amazing place to live. One of my favorite things about Turku is its history, and the same applies to my hometown, which is reaching a very respectable age of 400 this year. There is exactly one (1) medieval church in Kokkola (the beautiful Kaarlela church), and they even have a medieval fair every year, similar to the one we have here. Some parts of Turku even have a similar aesthetic to Kokkola in the the city centre or by the river, to my eyes anyway. But here’s the difference: in Turku you can’t turn a corner without
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getting a glimpse of something that was built several centuries ago. I used to work at the one (1) and only real museum in Kokkola, so naturally I was (and still am) amazed by the sheer variety of interesting museums and historical sights here, and most importantly by the magnificent Turku castle.
language with my Savonian dialect, but the Turku area dialect is a very different type of wrong.
I would say the biggest culture shock for me in Turku has been the amount of respect drivers hold for pedestrians. I can just walk onto a crosswalk and cars make way? That’s probably how it should go Most of the culture shocks I've experienced here have everywhere, but back in Mikkeli I learned to be very to do with Turku simply being a bigger place with cautious if not downright fearful in traffic. Especially more people living in it. The city has everything you after 9PM when the Car Guys took to the roads. might need in terms of shopping and entertainment (there are several movie theaters instead of just one As a recap, I’ve definitely enjoyed my time here in tiny one!), and there are all kinds of events happening Turku, and I could see myself staying here even after all the time, and yet Turku doesn't have that crowded my studies. That being said, I do not identify myself and almost overwhelming "big city feel” that Helsinki to be a ‘Turkunese’ just yet: after all, I’ve only been does in my mind. If Kokkola is too small and "country" here for a fraction of my life. Turku definitely has my for me, and Helsinki is too big and busy, Turku feels ‘country girl’ seal of approval. like the perfect middle ground. The infamous dialect is a slight shock to the system to anyone not from here, but even that has started to grow on me after a few years! In addition to all the things I just mentioned, I definitely have the amazing people of Anglica to thank for making Turku feel like home to me right from the start. After living here for over three and a half years, it has become increasingly difficult to see myself moving anywhere else in Finland. And finally, going back to Kokkola to see my family once or twice a year does feel good, but damn if coming back home doesn't feel even better every time. Seeing the Forest for the Trees Noora Kyckling (Mikkeli) My name is Noora, and I moved to Turku in August 2019 from the hotspot of Southern Savonia and the Hot ‘n’ Cold: Salo home to the most notorious wax museum in Finland, Tommi Virtanen (Oof, Salo) commonly known as Mikkeli. Hey! My name is Tommi and although I’m more or In my experience the pros of Turku do outweigh the less fully integrated here in Turku by now, I originate cons. To me, this is a big city, and I find it refreshing from a lovely little city nestled between Helsinki and that you do not necessarily know everyone you Turku called Salo. Well, to be more precise, I’m from interact with. Other personal favorites include the Halikko but no one ever seems to know where that is student community and the scenery. I mean, walking and it has been merged into Salo already, so I guess it along the bank of the River Aura at sunset? Simply doesn’t really make a difference. stunning. The only problem I have is the lack of forests prevalent in the south in general. My internal What is Salo? It’s a medium sized city whose only bushperson needs trees to feel safe. The worst part redeeming quality I often say is its good location – about living here has definitely been the dialect. there might not be much in Salo, but at least it’s easy Not that I’m claiming that I don’t abuse the Finnish to get to Turku or Helsinki from there.
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There’s the city centre of the actual city of Salo and landmarks the city has to offer. then there are a million smaller centres of different municipalities and villages that have been merged into You weren’t the city for someone like me, but you the amalgamation that Salo is nowadays. Since there are my home. are so many different communities within the city that are usually really far apart – everything between Paimio and Lohja is Salo after all – don’t expect me to know your friend just because we both happen to be Salonese. That’s a pretty broad term which is why I’d prefer to state that I’m from Halikko, but again we run into the problem of obscurity. All in all, here are the three things you need to know: hairdressers, kebab and microcars. I moved to Turku in August of 2015. I was already somewhat familiar with Turku as I’d visited the city so many times already throughout my life. It didn’t take me long to get accustomed to living in Turku; many if not most of my friends already lived here and I’d been wanting to get out of Salo for a year or two by then. I did initially apply to Tampere and Helsinki too, but I don’t think I ever even attended the exams as I’d already set my sights on Turku. For some reason, I’d never been a fan of the idea of moving to Tampere – maybe I couldn’t stand the idea of leaving the coast? Helsinki seemed a bit too intimidating and expensive at the time, so I went with the safe option and I haven’t regretted it at all. I think the historical atmosphere of Turku is what appeals to me the most. Even now whenever I walk by the cathedral, I can’t help but stare up at its steeple from the street. If I had to pick a favourite spot in the city, I’d say it’s staring towards the sea from Tuomiokirkkosilta.
From Behind Enemy Lines Helmi Honkala (Tampere)
Hi! My name is Helmi and I come from the greatest city in Finland (although those from Turku might disagree with that) - Tampere! I moved here last I know it sounds odd to call Turku a big city, but for August, just before I started my ongoing adventure as someone like me it is. There are dozens of options for a brand new Anglican. shopping, restaurants and entertainment that I never had quick access to back in Salo – at least not in the Overall, I adore Turku. It’s just the right size and scale that we have it in Turku. Obviously when I visit easy to navigate for someone (me) who’s not the best Tampere or Helsinki or, even better, cities outside of with directions, although I do still need to use Google Finland it all seems to small in comparison, but it fits Maps whenever I step outside the city centre. As me nevertheless at least in this point of my life. for favourite place, this is probably the mainstream answer for anyone who has moved to Turku, but Even now when I’ve vowed to never move to a place definitely the riverside. Who wouldn’t love it? smaller than Turku, I can’t say that I wouldn’t still have a soft spot for Salo despite all of its shortcomings. Cons about Turku: The dialect. I despise it. Still Even when I badmouth the city, I do get all giddy convinced it’s not correct Finnish. Also the constant whenever pass by the familiar fields and forests of wind doesn’t sit well with me, but I guess that’s my home area. There’s plenty of memories that I can something I can learn to live with over time. fit into the first 20 years of my life. If I ever happen to bring you over, expect an excited tour of so-called
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Ah, the famous rivalry between Turku and Tampere. I don’t actually know anyone from Tampere who thinks that Turku is a shitty place but we do like to, occasionally, mock the dialect. Sorry, but not really.
actual, born-and-bred Turku people. Heck, I think before moving here I had seen Turku natives only in old black-and-white movies and even then they were most often played by people from Savo or some such. Seeing an actual Turku native was interesting to say I wouldn’t say there were culture shocks when I mo- the least, as it took me almost a month to understand ved here, but it took some time to learn that you don’t that their usage of the past tense was not actually the have to press the stop-button when you wanna get off conditional mood. But one lives and learns and nothe bus in the city centre. Also, the amount of feissaris wadays I quite enjoy the dialect, even though I have here is outrageous. made drastic measures to keep it out of my own. I don’t see myself as a ’Turkunese’ yet, but I guess it’s inevitable since I’m going to be here for a while. I’m trying to hold on to my Manse-identity for as long as I can, but I’ll proudly tell people that I live in Turku and that it’s a great place and I’ll fight anyone who says it’s not. (Same goes for anyone who dares to diss Tampere, fyi.)
Are there really differences between Turku and Hämeenlinna? Well, Turku is certainly a much more dynamic city than Hämeenlinna. There is much more culture and overall something happening, including busses running past nine in the evening, which would never fly in Häme. Turku natives are silent and thus often thought to be unfriendly or morose, but for a person from the heartland of Häme they actually seem bombastic. Turku also fortunately mimics Hämeenlinna quite well in the manner of parks and bodies of water, which is essential for a person as attuned with nature as myself. I have lived in cities without this kind of scenery to speak of and it really made me miserable. Now, I have never been much of a sea person myself, but luckily Turku has fresh water in spades as well. The riverside is my absolute favourite place in Turku and I make my mission to introduce it to as many people as possible. Whenever I have friends or relatives visiting I always take them to the riverside. Summer is usually a bonus, but never necessary. Do I see myself in Turku in the next ten years? Yes, and all the years after that. I have created a nice niche for myself in here and that is how I like it.
I Left My Heart in Hugginton Village Johannes Suoranta (Hämeenlinna) I moved to Turku from the great white north on the year of our Lord way back in 2012. I have to say, the experience was a little frightening, because Hämeenlinna can be considered ultima thule when it comes to civilization, culture and overall manners in the Finnish society. I was also a mere lad then, excited to experience the metropolis in all its glory and glitter.
From Manse, with Love Janika Nekala (Tampere) My name is Janika and I come from the famous Manse, otherwise known as Tampere. I moved to Turku in August 2019.
You could say that my relationship with Turku was ’love at second sight’. When I first came to Turku to find an apartment, I thought Turku was a large maze I have to admit that I was a little restless around the in which I could never survive. native population at first. Coming from northern part of the country, we do not really come in contact with
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After actually moving here and getting to know the city, I settled in so quickly that I didn’t even realize it at first. I do miss my adventures in Tampere and Kangasala’s nature and my gardening, but Turku makes up for it with its own beautiful places. The worst part about living in Turku is the wind. I have already broken two umbrellas in my battles with Turku’s rain and wind. I guess part of being ’turkulainen’ is leaving the umbrella at home when it rains. The biggest culture shock for me was the differences between Tampere and Turku’s public transport systems. It still feels like a blessing when I can use my Föli card immediately after loading money to it. For some unholy reason you have to wait two hours after loading your ‘Nysse’ card before using it. It’s also weird that you don’t have to press the stop button in the centre of Turku. What kind of sorcery is that? Another cultural shock appeared when I shifted from using ’ketä’ ironically to actually using it in a conversation with my friend group from Tampere - I got so roasted. I’m still recovering from that. All in all, Turku has become my home. I always spoke about moving to another city and I’m so glad that I made it happen. I couldn’t have picked a better city to move into. I will always be a girl from Tampere, but I think I’m on my way to becoming some kind of ‘turkulainen’ too.
Thoughts from a Native Mikko Rytö (Turku) I’m Mikko Rytö and I’m a barefooted Turkulaisian. Whenever I return from a trip to some inferior town that I do not respect I’m greeted by the gentle smile of Posankka and I’m rejuvenated by the knowledge that I’m home. Turku is a town vibrating with living history. Many of the beautiful buildings you walk by daily have stood there for hundreds of years. One time I was checking this dingy old karaoke bar for mold and I met a man so ancient he claimed to remember the last time Tepsi won a playoff series. Turku and its people are extremely in tune with this proud history. We made naked statues of and named a stadium after a dude who was born here in the 1800s and figured out how to run real good. We seem to have considerable difficulty letting things go. For the most part you can always walk to your destination in Turku. Everything is pretty close to everything else. Torigrilli is crawling distance from most bars. If you don’t feel like walking you can ride your pyärä on the pyärätiät provided there’s no tiätyä. Speaking of tyämaas you might want to avoid the market square for a while unless you want to hear exasperated cries of “kuivartene tämmötti” and “Ketävittuunyttaas”. There are many features of the Turkulaisianness that you will inevitably experience if you stay here long enough, such as being angry at the 700 bikers that try to huck empties at you on their way to Ruisrock, or talking your way out of getting your ass kicked in the queue of a Grill at four in the morning. But in the end, as with all cities, it’s what you make of it. So try not to fall into the river, scream like hell if you do, and enjoy your new home.
Noora Laihorinne Noora Kyckling
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The Best Kind of Poster Is An Anglican Poster The party poster. It has been part of the way we advertise our parties and other events since time immemorial. As such, these posters hold pieces of valuable Anglican history in them. There are no students around to tell us about the band nights of the early 2000s for instance, but by looking at the posters of the parties from those times we get a small glimpse at what kind of parties were held in the past. Anglica has been organizing band nights for a long while now, and the oldest poster that could be found was all the way from 2004, so band nights have been a thing for at least 16 years now! It’s unfortunate we couldn’t hold a band night this spring, but let’s try again in the Autumn, as this event is a tradition we don’t wish to let die! After all, one can only wonder how many different bands have been on stage, at how many different venues has the event been held at? TVO is the most common venue for this event, but other places have also been given a shot. Most of these places, including TVO, are no longer around, so if we want to reminiscence about old band nights, we have only these posters to turn to.
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Another event that has a long history in Anglica is Britpop, which has it’s 20-year anniversary in the horizon, as the first Britpop was held in 2003. When compared to the band night posters, the Britpop posters have a more distinct style, which is understandable since this event quite obviously has a very distinct theme. It is still interesting to see all the different takes on Britpop posters over the years: some designs have focused on the British flag, some on different CD-covers from the Britpop-era, some on something else entirely. And yet, they all still have the same flavour of Britpop! We have also had lots and lots of general nightclub parties over the years, all with stylish posters to match. One can’t even begin to count how many parties Anglica has had since 1958, but one thing is for sure: we sure know how to do posters! We’ve had an amazing variety of the themes, venues and other organisations to party with, and on the following page you can see some of these posters. The earliest of them are from the early 2000s, and the newest from this year! Otava Korkka
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The Kebab Place Down The Street Being a student and an upstanding member of society I spend a fair amount of time in and around bars. This being the case it is only a statistical inevitability that once in a while I am overserved and wake up with an inexplicable headache. In my younger and less experienced days I would suffer like a coward; naively rolling around in bed looking for a cool spot and a position where my skull would feel more likely to stay intact.
Absolutely nothing about this place is standardized. I’ve been here hundreds of times and it’s still not clear to me who works here and who doesn’t. The plates vary in size and shape, as do the portions. Sometimes the food is covered in sauce, which varies in color from red to white to yellow, one time. I spent an hour trying to figure out what the yellow sauce was, to no avail. I haven’t seen it since. Another time a water cooler was full of milk. The next time it was back to water. No one seems to be making these decisions. I must scream but Luckily those days are behind me now. Thanks in no my mouth is full. small part to a kebab shop down the street. Usually I eat my meal in relative peace. At first gorging It opens every morning at around 10am. Maybe and drinking cup after cup of water, then slowing 11ish. I wouldn’t know because I’ve never been there down and preparing to make my way back home and that early as I am exceedingly clever and their lunch go to sleep, as is my wont after eating. Once I wake up offer starts at noon sharp. For this fleeting moment the second time any feelings of overhanging are long of financial viability from noon to 2pm a kebab with gone. fries goes down from 9€ to 7€. I wake up at 13:45 for reasons I’ve mapped out in Fig.1. I brush my teeth, and like a rough beast slouching toward Bethlehem to be born, make my way down the street. It’s entirely too bright and people look at me with contempt. No later than 13:58 I’m at the counter ordering. A personal flaw of mine is that I’m an extremely picky eater. This has plagued the existence of those around me for all my life, as they seem to experience physical pain at the sight of me removing a piece of tomato from my burger. This is my cross to bear and I accept it. Here’s the thing though: even though I will comb through my own mother's cooking to remove a piece of celery, when I step into this Alice-in-Wonderlandass restaurant I understand that I’m entering a different plane where nothing matters and anything goes.
Every now and again the place is visited by an old man who all the maybe-employees treat with great respect. He sits down and is brought several dishes that I don’t think he asks for and definitely aren’t on the menu. Who eats soup at a kebab place? Does he work here? Does he own the place? I don’t think so. At this point I’m not even sure this place is real. I think it’s this guy's delirious mind palace and I’ve been cursed to return here again and again. It’s the only theory I have that explains everything I’ve seen. Who the hell eats soup at a kebab place? Mikko Rytö
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Weird Incidents During Our Semester in America
What happens when two Anglicans get thrown into the big American world for four and a half months? What kinds of bizarre situations can they find themselves in? We went to find out and are now sharing ten of our favorite stories. Getting placed in the same college Lake Forest College was not the first pick for either of us and we were not planning on going to the same place for our semesters abroad, especially, since it was supposed to be a chance for us to learn to be more independent and to go to a place where we didn’t know anyone and no one knew us. We were a bit disappointed when we first found out and wondered how it was even possible, but in the end tried to make the most of the situation. At least we had someone to help us power through all the paperwork and the stressful parts of studying abroad. Being taken to Homeland Security for whatever reason After having survived the nine-hour flight to the chaotic Chicago O’Hare International Airport, an intimidating TSA officer checking our visas took Elisa to a random Homeland Security room and gave her passport away to another stern officer without any explanation on what was going on. Mobile phones were strictly forbidden in the room so there was no way of getting in touch with Riina, and while waiting for twenty-thirty minutes or so and trying not to look like a national threat, there was nothing else to do but imagine all the worst-case scenarios that could occur. Fortunately, Riina managed to find her way to where Elisa was taken by following a guy delivering her suitcase to her, and eventually, Elisa got out with her passport and a permission to enter the country.
Stubbornly taking the public transit no matter how heavy the luggage and how lost we’d get The process of making it to Lake Forest College was everything but smooth. It was insanely hot in the late August, and our luggage weighed a ton. We opted for taking the (rather crowded) underground from the airport to downtown Chicago. Blessed as we are with the gift of wisdom, we hadn’t figured out how to get to our hostel beforehand, as we falsely assumed there would be WiFi at the airport. Without the internet, we tried to guess which station would be “downtown” and of course we hopped off at the wrong station with no escalator or a lift. With the help of a Starbucks worker, we found our way to a crowded bus and finally to our hostel. Instead of learning from our mistakes, we took a bus and a train from Chicago to Lake Forest two days later. Again, we were completely lost. A nice dog walker told us the way and we dragged our suitcases for a couple of kilometers. Using Uber didn’t really even cross our minds, which turned out to be how all the other exchange students got to the campus.
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Getting kicked out of the same dorm party - twice Since our college was placed in a smaller town and most of the students lived in resident halls on the campus, most of the parties around there were dorm parties. Now, of course, we had to experience the typical dorm party in America that we had seen in movies and tv shows. One of the first weekends at the college we ended up at the college’s hockey players’ dorm party and after a while we were told to leave because one of the room’s owners did not know us. We had already left the party, when another person living in the room said we could go back in. After some consideration, we went back in just to get kicked back out, this time because we were Europeans. Safe to say we never went back into that room again.
Living without a credit card for a few weeks Due to a mix-up at her bank, Elisa’s card got blocked and she had to wait for a new one for about three weeks. What’s more, her phone wouldn’t let international calls through, which made communicating with the bank a whole lot more difficult. Having a friend around came in handy as Riina could withdraw money for her and lend a phone when needed. So, a pro tip for future exchange students: a backup card might really be worth having, just in case.
Getting a tornado warning In Finland, we don’t really encounter tornado warnings and Lake Forest had not had them either for at least a couple of decades. So it was just our luck that we would get one during our time there. Riina did not even know what was going on for about thirty minutes because she was already studying in the basement of the library where you could not really hear anything going on upstairs or outside. It was not until she checked her phone that she realized that everyone else was freaking out and that she could not leave the basement for about an hour. Elisa, on the other hand, was doing her drawing homework in the studio of the college, which was not exactly the safest place to be during a tornado warning since it was on the top floor of the building and there were a lot of windows. She was forced to find a more secure location where she ended up meeting some new people to spend the rest of the warning time with.
Almost getting left behind on a road trip On our mid-term break, we decided to take a road trip around Lake Michigan with a couple of our friends. One very windy day we stopped at a beach to look at the scenery but wanted to leave pretty quickly since it was getting cold. Elisa went to use the bathroom while the others got inside the car to warm up. After a while, our friend started driving and Riina just thought that she might be turning the car to get closer to where Elisa was but after a while realized that she was already driving toward our next location. After a little panic and a detour we got back to the stop, found Elisa again and were able to continue our trip according to the plan.
Being creeped out in Chicago Despite the charm of the city, Chicago provided us with some rather unpleasant encounters too. One day, we were walking around downtown Chicago with a few friends. Some man passed us murmuring something and looking at us, while pulling a dead crow out of his pocket. Another time we were in a bus where a dazed man wanted to sell us something that looked like a jar of ice cream or peanut butter, tell about all the times he went to the hospital, get our phone numbers and relentlessly insisted that we’d go on a date with him. If nothing else, traveling at least teaches you to ignore the creepy people approaching you.
Staying in a 12-square-meter room in New York New York City was our last destination before returning to Finland. Staying in Midtown Manhattan for nine nights around New Year’s came with a price, and we ended up booking the tiniest room possible in a 2-star inn. We had to keep our suitcases closed and upright whenever we weren’t using them - otherwise we couldn’t go to the bathroom or outside. It’s a wonder we stayed sane, although the lack of room to get any distance from each other definitely made us hysterical at times. Speaking of the NYC trip, we once again decided to take the subway from the Greyhound station to our hotel. Getting stuck in the turnstiles with our suitcases at Times Square was somewhat memorable, and again we got to face the delight of Meeting another Finnish person in a random carrying our luggage as there were no escalators at the Subway in Baltimore station in Chelsea. Our plan was to travel around some of the East Coast cities of the US for two weeks after our semester in Regardless of all the strange things we came across, Illinois and on Christmas Eve we were going from we got to have our somewhat cliché study abroad Baltimore to Philadelphia. After checking out from experience in the States after all. It just goes to show our hotel room we had a couple of hours to kill before that no matter how well you think you’re prepared our bus would leave and ended up at a Subway that was and how carefully you’ve organized your paperwork, close to our hotel. We were just talking and minding there will always be surprises beyond your control. our own business when the man from the table next Well, at least they make good memories to look back to us stood up and wished us merry Christmas in on when you’re safely curled up in a blanket in your Finnish. First, we were a bit shocked because it had (normal-sized) apartment (with a private bathroom been a while since we had heard anyone else speaking and beautiful European power sockets) for a month Finnish but we ended up having a nice conversation or two. with him about why we were there and how he was currently living in Baltimore with his family. Elisa Kinnunen Riina Inkeröinen
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Go Solo (Traveling) Go solo (traveling)!
As I’m watching my how manyeth Netflix series in my ivory tower of social distancing, dreaming about traveling is like a memory from the past. In 2019 I got an amazing opportunity to move to Hong Kong to do an internship abroad. To fill up the pages of our loved Baccanalia I took this chance to reminisce my travels and time abroad. From running through the airport security in Shanghai to make my connecting flight, I finally made it to my housing for the first month in Hong Kong. I have always dreamed of a loft bed, but that dream was cut short as I slipped and bruised my entire leg whilst climbing up the stairs on my very first week. A month later I upgraded to live with only 2 roommates instead of 20 people in the dorm, and to have a kitchen as proper as it could get on Hong Kong standards. Lack of proper kitchen equipment meant eating out A LOT! Hong Kong is full of amazing restaurants, cafes and bars, even a Finnish restaurant. New places would open monthly, there were so many vegan and vegetarian options (one of the islands was like an vegan hippie paradise), brunches, candy, soda and chips of all flavours, you name it. Changing of seasons and different events would bring out the Christmas themed drinks and moon cakes for the Lantern festival. Me and my friend Oona even attended a Money Heist themed party on Halloween (the drinks were named after the characters!!)
Living in Hong Kong gave me the perfect opportunity to travel around Asia. It’s easy and cheap to travel around by keeping ’’Home’’ Kong as your base. In Hong Kong alone there is so much to see and experience, and you will survive amazingly with just English alone. The public transport is super easy, there are shopping options for everyone depending on budget, galleries, museums, parks, islands.. Macau, known for its casinos, is only a 1-hour ferry ride away. Worth the trip!
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Pihla Eskola
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From This, We Shall Deduce the Yeet Rupi Kaur could never Ostakaa vaa lisää vessapaperii It’s not wrong if everyone’s doing it But whatever you do, don’t sneeze, ever To these pictures and to these feelings From here to here We will have a toast A roasted toast It’s time to boast Yeah boiiiiiiii Yeah boi vs nah man who would win Boi was that thin I mean close Where to begin? Is this a sin One must think of the size and the price and yellow pages One man’s sneeze is another man’s disease Guess who never took their swine flu shot Guess who never took their time flew dot Guess who never-- Guess we’ll never know What the future will bring That’s a surprise for us to see Surprise quarantine party! Quarantine? Who made Pulp Fiction? What am I supposed to do today even Time is an illusion and I am quite lonely Lonely Ness A loan
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Why is this song stuck in my head Why is this a song anyway No one ever asks how the song is… The song must be sad Like i am a bitch that’s bad Why u mad? a bitch that’s bad so a bad bitch anyway, I have no toilet paper having toilet paper is overrated anyway See you later Unless,, My loneliness, is killing me My lower back, is killing me And so are my knees It’s giving me some hella bad feels
Päivi T. Tua
As Heard in Kaffila
Kaffila is a well known and much-loved place for most Anglicans. Many intriguing conversations are had there daily and sometimes you might hear some fascinating thoughts. We’ve anonymously collected some for your entertainment.
- A poop a day keeps the doctor away. - Emmä maksaa tarvi. (I don’t need a liver.) - Voiks joku sammuttaa tän kaapin? (Can someone turn off this cupboard?) - I might be hot but I’m not a thot. - Varila on mun pelastaja ja enkeli. (Varila is my angel and saviour.) - Hevoset on yleisesti ottaen ihan mulkeroita. (Horses, generally speaking, are total dickheads.) - Miksi tehdä essee kun voi tehdä origamin? (Why write an essay when you can make an origami?)
- The chicken has nice boobies. - Must tuntuu, et heräsin tänään sattumalta. Tai niinku et se ei ollu mikään itsestäänselvyys. (I feel like I woke up by accident today. Like it wasn’t a foregone conclusion.)
- Musta tuntuu, että kahvin kofeiini ei imeydy samalla tavalla maidon kanssa. (I feel like the caffeine in coffee doesn’t absorb the same way with milk.) - Tuo kokaiinii, mut jos sitä ei oo, colaki käy. (Bring cocaine, but if they don’t have it then coke is fine.)
Mariia Määttä
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On First Spex-Experiences To celebrate the turn of the decade, Turkulainen humanistispeksi – THS for short – decided to travel back a hundred years and set their 4th production in the good old roaring 20s. In short, we made our own, speksified take on a classic murder mystery and called it Hotelli Globen arvoitus (The Globe Mystery). The story was set in The Globe, an Alpine hotel once quite extravagant but now practically falling apart. It involved everything from an ominous snowstorm and a testament gone missing under suspicious circumstances, to a cult of sock-knitters, paintings talking, and a troubled author with magical time-stopping powers. Big secrets were revealed, tables (and fireplaces) were turned and love was lost, but in the end, it was all just a story. There were quite a few Anglicans involved with speksi this year, twelve altogether. In this article I am going to introduce you to all the Anglican first-time Spexians of 2020. Last autumn, the following five awesome people bravely took a leap into the unknown and joined our huge speksi-family. Maybe next year that could be you?
Number of years in Anglica? This is my 2nd year. What did you ACTUALLY do? Before each show we did the makeup for all the actors. In addition to that, we had other tasks during the shows such as changing microphones for the performers, touching up their Essi Risikko – makeup artist makeup and helping them with their quick outfit changes. Most memorable moment? The rush of adrenaline we got every time we heard the beginning of Savanni nukahtaa and knew that the super quick outfit change from Marmori to Rudolfina was about to begin. Each night we got a little bit better at it and by the end of the week we were quite fast! Favourite line from Globe? - En minä ole mikään vanhus, vaan parikymppinen! (I’m not actually old, I’m in my twenties!) It was always fun to see the audience react to the scene where both detectives reveal their secrets at the end of the show. Favourite character? I thought all the characters as a whole were awesome, and Globe wouldn’t be the same without any of them. But if I had to pick one, Captain Hoddock was a fun and sympathetic character. And Camille too, of course. Why should people join speksi? If you’ve ever thought about taking part a theatre production, speksi is a great opportunity to join a group of enthusiastic and passionate people and be a part of creating an awesome show. Seeing it all come together during the performance week is very rewarding!
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Number of years in Anglica?
Riikka Lampinen – costumes, Two years. set design You designed sets and costumes, but what did you ACTUALLY do? I made Captain Hoddock's costume sans the shoes (thanks Sasu) and basically ripped my old winter coat into pieces for the coat. I also made him a belly out of an old pillow and a wife-beater shirt. I spent lots of time scouring second hand shops, gathered props and materials from various family members and built stuff like walls, a wardrobe, a fireplace and a cellar. Throughout the whole production I, among other things, stitched, unstitched, glued, taped, cut, painted, sawed, screwed, hammered, stretched, plastered, stapled, sanded, planed and stabbed myself with (pin)needles – usually by accident. Most memorable moment? When our drummer got sick and the father of another band member came to rescue. He basically had to learn all the songs in an hour or so and still was great in the show!
Favourite line from Globe? - Olen PÖYristynyt! (I am shooketh!) - Varmasti raskasta. (That SURE must be a struggle.) Favourite character? The fireplace. It was the best. Also Camille. Why should people join speksi? Here you can learn lots of new things and get to know people from outside your own student organization. You get to be a part of the shows even if being in the spotlight isn’t your thing. Backstage life is the best, because everyone knows the play, and sometimes you just end up silently acting out your own renditions of the scenes back there. Need good excuses for procrastination on your studies? Speksi is perfect for you.
Emma Lehtinen – graphic Number of years in Anglica? design I’ve been a member of Anglica for two years. So, what did you really do in speksi? I’ve done a lot of stuff, all the visuals during this production like the brochure, posters, the official Globe overall patch and majority of what was posted on our social media pages. Basically, anything visual that was printed or posted somewhere – that was all me! Most memorable moment? Being dragged on the stage out of nowhere during our last show. It was weird for me to be on the stage and being the centre of attention for a moment, but it was fun! Also seeing how much other members of THS liked my handywork! Favourite line from Globe? - TÄÄLLÄ EI SELVÄSTI ARVOSTETA TAIDETTA! (You clearly don’t respect art around here!) Favourite character? O.G. Lempitaito, because I enjoyed the rhymes that he had in his performance, the line I already quoted above, and overall, the character was well made! Why should people join speksi? First, the people in speksi are amazing, beautiful and talented people! Then, the time spent hanging out in crammed spaces really makes you closer with fellow production members! Also, the parties are absolutely brilliant, and you don’t want to miss out on those!
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Number of years in Anglica? I’m about to finish my very first year. The piltti life has been treating me well! Apart from being a fabulous dancer, what did you REALLY do? Oh my, well thank you, I’m blushing over here! Honestly, I faked it till I maked it. I have no background in dancing (apart from raving at the night clubs and years of doing Zumba) so I was pretty much just trying my best and enjoying the ride. Also, the early bird I am, I was the one being way too early to rehearsals. Most memorable moment? During practice, we achieved so many moments of sweet success, where all the sweat, blood and tears paid off, the choreos finally worked out after hours of training (and despair) and the great victorious feeling that came along was definitely unforgettable. The most memorable moment during the shows was when the rope was missing in the chase scene. It was amazing how well we worked it out as a team, even though a very crucial prop was missing!
Maria Varanki – dancer
Favourite line from Globe? - Todisteet ovat raskauttavat!! (The evidence is incriminating!!) - Jeskamandeer! He ovat täällä! Ja heitä on ainakin tuhat! (Holy mascarpone! They’re here! And there’s at least a thousand of them!) Favourite character? I can’t decide, they were all so fabulous! But ok, I’ve made my choice: my favourite character was the letter E hanging for its dear life onto the Globe sign. Why should people join speksi? Because who wouldn’t want to be part of a breathtaking spectacle? Speksi is such a fun and rewarding experience in every possible way. You get to challenge yourself in a safe and accepting environment and be a part of this warm and hearty speksi family, no matter if you are part of the cast or the supporting teams. In addition, the perks might include impromptu massages during rehearsals and loads of free pumpernikkeli’s to consume.
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Sasu Norha – actor (Johannes Korpelainen)
Number of years in Anglica? Two. So, what exactly is the deal with you and JK? Who’s playing who? I believe it was Shakespeare who wrote that the whole world was a stage. Now the thing is that I lack the situational awareness to know which stage I'm on and who I'm playing at a given moment, so I just usually go for the average between the two. The fact that the Venn diagram of the two characters is pretty much a circle makes it quite easy to do. Most memorable moment? The seven omstarts I got in a scene where I had to come up with an excuse on why my character happened to be in the cellar, where he probably shouldn't have been. Even the first excuse wasn't scripted - I came up with a new one for every show. But then I got to do it seven times more in a row. Of course, being Johannes Korpelainen, I simply could not fail. I proceeded to nail all of the omstarts. Did you guys know that having a crowd laugh at your jokes is much better than having them laugh at you?
Favourite line from Globe? - Keskittyisit ennemmin kehonhuoltoon kuin joutavaan rustailuun. Ennen minäkin uskoin älyn voittoon, mutta nykyään tiedän, että se on liha, joka puhuu, joka meidät yhdistää. (You should focus on taking care of your body rather than on useless scribbling. I too, used to believe that brains over brawn, but now I know that it's the muscle that talks and unites us.) Favourite character? Aside from Korpelainen? All of them were so good, it's impossible pick a favourite one. I'm going to have to say Spider-Man. And the baby [Camille] was clearly a cut above all the others too. Why should people join speksi? Well I can say that without a doubt, speksi was one of the best experiences of my life and I can't wait to do it again. However, to quote Juice Leskinen, "if you do it right, it takes all your time." For that reason, I haven't been able to see as much of my fellow Anglicans as I'd like to, so I'd be thrilled to have you with us. How did the saying go again? Happiness loves company? Yes, that's it.
Reea Ruusvuori
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The Great Quarantine Bingo
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Lea-Lotta Huurtela
The Great Anglican Crossword of 2020
Mariia Määttä
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