Mid-Week Mail, week 16

WHAT IS MID-WEEK MAIL?

Mid-Week Mail is a bi-monthly news and events e-mail for the international students of the University of Turku. Aside from being an important up-to-date news source concerning Student Union, university and student issues, Mid-Week Mail also gives you current information on different events and activities organised by TYY (the Student Union of the University of Turku), the TYY Committees and other TYY affiliates.

In this mail:
 

• BICYCLE REPAIRING DAY
• FINNISH STUDENT ORGANISATIONS: YES TO TUITION-FREE EDUCATION!
• TYY COOPER TEST
• COME HANG OUT WITH NYYTI!
• TVO HAPPENINGS
• ESN UNI TURKU SPRING MEETING
• ISTU MEETING
• TYY COMMITTEE MEETINGS

BICYCLE REPAIRING DAY 24.4.

Take your bicycle down from the tree and bring it to the Bicycle Repairing Day!

If your bike needs some seasonal maintenance or repairing, at the Bicycle Repairing Day you’ll get professional counselling for fixing your bike!

The event takes place on Saturday 24th of April at 12.00-16.00 at Aurinkotehdas, (address Kirkkotie 6-10). In case your bike is in need of a bigger renovation, you should show up early.

On the spot you’ll get coffee or tea with buns and some spare parts if needed.
(Would be good to take some money with you for the spare parts.)

Welcome!

The event is arranged by TYY Committee on Environmental Issues, TYS Student Foundation of Turku and Uusi Tuuli Ry.

FINNISH STUDENT ORGANISATIONS: YES TO TUITION-FREE EDUCATION!

SYL and SAMOK: Yes to tuition-free education

The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) and the Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences – SAMOK are arranging a mass demonstration for tuition-free higher education tomorrow. The demonstration is to be arranged in a positive atmosphere to promote the current, tuition-free model in higher education in Finland.

The proposals of the Ministry of Education’s strategy to the export of education and the working group discussing the beginning of working careers started a heated conversation earlier this spring about the tuition fees in Finnish higher education. In the debate several politicians assured that there will be no tuition fees at least during this election term. Despite their reassuring the discussion has continued and for example the representatives of economic life are openly supporting the extension of tuition fees for higher education. Finally, in its Country report OECD recently recommended tuition fees for Finland.

As the heated conversation goes on, the statements of individual politicians are not enough anymore as we need decisions from the party level. We have to get unambiguous statements from the upcoming party conventions in summer 2010 supporting the tuition-free higher education. The tuition-free education has advanced the development of equality in the Finnish society and this justifiable policy needs to be sustained. The possibility to educate oneself regardless of one’s income or assets is a civil right in our constitution. From this spring on, up until the parliamentary elections 2011 SYL and SAMOK encourage all Finns to pay attention to the tuition fee opinions and statements of all politicians and parties.

“We want a guarantee that not a single party is going to plea for tuition fees during the next negotiations of the governmental program – this has to be a tie breaker issue”, emphasizes SYL’s President Matti Parpala.

“Tuition fees would seriously harm equality – even small fees cause problems for the lower income class”, SAMOK’s Chairperson Simo Takanen points out.

TYY COOPER TEST

Test your fitness before Vappu madness!

TYY is organising an opportunity for its members to get their fitness tested to celebrate spring. Come and run for 12 minutes at Paavo Nurmi Stadium on Monday, 26 April at 12.00. Sign up by the day before at muusiv@utu.fi. No previous experience with this test is required. All you need are the appropriate clothes and a giving it your best shot. The testing is free of charge.

COME HANG OUT WITH NYYTI!

The last Nyyti evening will be held on Tuesday 27 April from 17.00 to 20.00 in Turku-sali, Student House A. This hangout evening will be spend watching short films and eating popcorn.

Nyyti evenings will continue again in the autumn with new themes. Thanks for hanging out with us!

TYY and ÅÅS organise hangout evenings during the semester where everyone is welcome. You can join in on group discussions or chat one-on-one with another and take part in the evening’s theme activity. Coffee, tea or juice a will be served to spur up conversation at the non-alcoholic event.

For more information:
- TYY Secretary for Social Affairs Minttu Naarminen tyy-soposihteeri@utu.fi
- TYY Executive Board member for social affairs Hannele Karilainen tyy-sopo@utu.fi

TVO HAPPENINGS

Last change to visit TVO while it still has a visitable address.
Coming up:
23.4. Hiphop- night. Ronskibiitti, Hot 'n' Totti & Co.
24.4. J.M.K.E. (Ee), 1981, The Reality Show. 7e.
28.4. Support gig for the upcoming TVO- document. Another Cocksucking Device, Endrive & Yleislakko. Document trailer preview! 3e.
30.4.-3.5. Last Labor Day- party at this gazebo.
7.-8.5. TVO Hardcore & Punk festival.
10.-16.5. TVO- week. All sort of things coming up; food, sports, traditional performance- night, etc.
21.5. Sabot (Cz/Usa) 20 year anniversary tour!
22.5. TVO's last event at Rehtorinpellonkatu headquarter. All day long, you better come. Free.
31.5. Eviction day.

All events at TVO, Rehtorinpellonkatu 4-6C 20500 Turku.
http://www.myspace.com/tvoturku
http://org.utu.fi/tyyala/tvo/english.php

ESN UNI TURKU SPRING MEETING

Next Monday ESN Uni Turku will be having its first ever OFFICIAL SPRING MEETING! It will take place in Turku-sali on 26th of April at 8pm - you are all very warmly welcomed to join us! We will be voting on the policies and the budget for 2010 and we will also plan some of the fall's events.

ISTU MEETING

ISTU will hold it's second general meeting of 2010 on Tuesday, May 4th at 7pm. The meeting will again be held at Turku-Sali in Student House A and is open to all who are interested in attending. This is a great chance to get to know more about ISTU and it's activities and to help plan for the future.

Among the issues to be addressed at this meeting are a report on the previous years activities and the transition to the new ISTU Board that was elected at the previous meeting.

If you have any questions or comments do not hesitate to contact the ISTU board at istu-board@list.utu.fi

Kind regards,
The ISTU Board

TYY COMMITTEE MEETINGS

- Forum on free education, Thursday, 22 April at 16.15, Lecture hall IX, University main building.
- TYY Committee on International Affairs, Monday, 26 April at 12.00, Turku-sali.