After the COVID-19 pandemic, NESU Finland’s activities have largely focused on national events and its members. However, after those challenging pandemic years, there has been a blossoming of activity not only within Finland but also across the Nordic region.
With the return of the NESU Excursion after a long hiatus, small sparks of interest have been ignited across the Nordic countries. These sparks need to be nurtured in the coming years. Interest in NESU has particularly revived in Sweden, especially following the Icelandic Excursion. An active and enthusiastic NESU member from across the sea expressed a desire to rekindle NESU Sweden’s flame into a roaring fire. Similar sparks have been observed in Norway, Denmark, and Iceland.
NESU Finland aims to see active collaboration between the Nordic countries within the next five years, bringing the organization closer to its early days when each country had active participation under the NESU banner. The direction is promising, so we should keep up the momentum and see where we stand in five years.
In addition to Nordic affairs, recent years have seen a focus on the well-being and equality of our members. Significant work has been done in promoting equality, and efforts are ongoing to develop a comprehensive code of conduct for the entire organization. Establishing common ground rules is crucial for better organizing events. While much has been achieved, there is still work to be done. We hope that in the future, NESU Finland will be an even stronger support network for local organizations and all NESU members.
But how is NESU Finland doing?
Spring has been an active time for NESU Finland, and we have participated in nearly every NESU event throughout the season. We would especially like to highlight the following events, which we have either organized ourselves or which have left a memorable impression on us.
NESU Dagen by NESU-Finanssi
The year began traditionally with the NESU Dagen event, which focused on orienting and introducing new board members of local organizations. The goal of the weekend was to create connections between cities and prepare board members for their upcoming roles. NESU Dagen was organized by NESU Finanssi, providing an excellent setting for the weekend.
On Friday, the NPV gathered to discuss events for the coming year and to bond the Chairpersons to create connections for future collaboration. Meanwhile, NESU Finanssi offered fun activities for others, including getting to know each other’s and visit activity checkpoints.
on Saturday a regional meeting was held where the ethical guidelines were discussed, followed by a sitz party in the evening. The event was magical, with the induction of 20 new NESU “Wizards.” The night was long and enjoyable, with people having a good time. The morning after, we cleaned up and departed. Overall, it was a great experience, and it’s been a pleasure to see how actively the new members have participated in NESU events.
Hey we are going to Sweden!
We boldly set out to see what was happening across the water, as there were rumors that NESU Sweden had been revived. A daring group of explorers traveled by boat across the open sea to the mysterious land of Sweden. Before the main event, we toured a museum and the old town, admiring the architectural achievements and enjoying the serious atmosphere of the museum. We even knighted someone as the Knight of Death.
There was much anticipation for the sitz party, and finding the venue was a bit challenging, but we managed to get there in time. The place itself was quite suitable, filled with cheerful and lively people. We even had a few Swedes join us, who enjoyed the event. Later, NESU activities in Sweden have been picking up, and the organization seems to be growing. We also planned to bring a NESU Sweden flag, as every organization should have one. However, the flag didn’t arrive in time and was delivered later.
The return trip was restful, though some watched American football until morning.
NESU Spring Conference 2024 in Joenkylä
Expectations were high as the ultimate collab seminar began in the spring. The seminar, known as the “Joenkylän Semmma,” was a collaborative effort between Joensuu and Jyväskylä. The week, as always, was full of surprises and delightful encounters, starting in Joensuu with Cabin. The event had a holy atmosphere as it was held at a Christian community center. After a good rest, the participants headed to Jyväskylä for the remainder of the seminar.
On Wednesday, it was time to put on running shoes and navigate the checkpoints planned by NESU Jyväskylä and local student organizations. While the city run was a competition, the real victory was having fun and enjoying the company of our friends.
NESU Finland also had the opportunity to host our own Case work for the first time during the week, aimed at developing our own organization. We received wonderful ideas with clear plans, some of which will be implemented in the future. Other case challenges during the week were also productive. The case organized by RPS was overwhelmingly the most popular, and we look forward to seeing the potential ideas implemented. RPS’s case challenge focused on distinguishing themselves from other breweries in Finland and gamifying their core concept. The case hosted by the economists was also well received, and the results can be followed on their marketing channels.
Representatives from the newly revived NESU Sweden also participated in the seminar, and it was wonderful to see how well the collaboration with them is flourishing. NESU Finland ceremoniously presented the NESU Sweden representatives with a flag at the Nordic Eve sitsit, which had been forgotten during the trip to Sweden.
The eventful seminar week culminated in a traditional gala, where beautiful violin music delighted the attendees. The celebrations continued until morning, marking the conclusion of another NESU’s crowning jewel
Wappurundi
The tour started mysteriously with strange messages sent to participants’ emails. Some deciphered the secret codes with cunning and cleverness, while others tried to reason them out. From the message you could figure out that you were a secret agent with a secret mission. The secret message, fake identity documents, and the target were revealed at the first sitz party when NESU Preemio organized the Traumajais sitz party. The sitz party went splendidly, with participants enjoying karaoke at the after party into the morning
The next morning, everyone surely felt rested and refreshed. As no regional travel is complete without traditional foods, we grabbed some kalakukko (a traditional Finnish fish pie) for the bus ride. The first stop was bowling, where the participants got to stretch a bit. The calmness of the morning didn’t last long, as soon enough, players started being eliminated from the game all over the bowling alley. The game was brutal and merciless; you couldn’t even trust your friends, as danger lurked around every corner.
By the time we arrived in Mikkeli, only about half of the participants were still in the game. It was time to do something sparkly and head to NESU Probba’s Princess Prom Sitz party. The atmosphere was magical, but the evening was overshadowed by players being eliminated one by one like flies. The game reached its climax in the early morning when only two participants were left. The winner struck at a vulnerable moment while the opponent was ordering a late-night snack from a local grill, metaphorically stabbing them in the back. Nea Reunanen emerged victorious thanks to her wit and skills.
Lastly but not least, our final destination for the wapuurundi was NESU-Enklaavi’s Shrek sitz party. But before the party, we had a pitstop at Olkkolan hovi, where we could go to sauna and eat some lunch. Durin the buss journey we also had a beer tasting sponsored by RPS brewing, it was refreshing to find new favorites and learn about beer makin. Right before our arrival at Lappeenranta our buss was stopped by a local security patrol from Skinnarila. Our participants were taken off the buss and interrogated why we were here and if we had a permission to enter. After some time we were let go and they promised us a safe passage, even tho some of our members were left behind for more throughout interrogation. Everything was planned of course in advance with the security group to offer our participants fun and excitement.
RIP NESU-HEBS
On April 13th, it was time to bid farewell to our long-time and beloved friend, NESU-HEBS, as activities at EBS’s Helsinki campus come to an end when the current year’s graduates.
However, the mood at the sitsit was not sad but joyful. NESU-HEBS went all out for this final gathering. Participants from nearly every NESU organization attended, and the seating arrangement ensured everyone had a good time.
Throughout the evening, many eulogies were presented, though most ended in laughter rather than tears. Even though NESU-HEBS’s story has come to an end, we will still see our dear friends at future NESU events. These sitz party will be remembered for a long time! Thank you for the journey, NESU-HEBS; NESU Finland will remember you always.
Afterworks?
Even though summer is mostly for working students, there’s still time to see dear friends. NESU Finland hosted afterwork events on May 16th in Helsinki and July 11th with HEKO. It was wonderful to catch up with familiar faces in a relaxed setting amid the summer’s busyness.
Overall, NESU Finland has had an eventful spring, and the board’s year is ending. We thank all NESU members and partners who have participated in our events.
Samling, Skit, Skål!
P.S. See you at the Summer Cottage!