Student culture and events
Student overalls
Overalls are a students “uniform” when talking about student life. Overalls are an easy solution to any student event when it’s all about having fun. With overalls you don’t have to worry about dirtying your best party clothes but instead each stain is a sign of a good student life. You can collect patches during your studies by buying them or earning them by attending various student events.
In the late 1980’s student overall culture spread to Finland and now they’re one of the most significant symbols of your student status. Students with their colorful overalls are a familiar sight in many Finnish cities and especially in Vaasa since one fifth of the city’s population are students. You can wear your overall in nearly all student events in Vaasa and Finland in general. The color of your overalls is determined by your field of study. For example the overall colors in Vaasa university of applied sciences are: Black for engineering students, green for business students, yellow for social studies students and white for nursing students.
Overalls are ordered with the help of tutors during specific days in the fall and spring. Tutors and the student union will notify of overall fitting days when it is possible to try on and order your own overalls. A good size for your overalls is that you can fit clothes underneath to keep you warm on cold winter days.
Overalls cost 40€ for VAMOK members and 55€ for other VAMK students
Student events
It is important to create contacts and make new friends during your studies and sometimes it is also important to clear your head from all the pressures of studying. You can take care of all three by attending student events! During the school year VAMOK will organize several events, some of which are traditional. These events include parties, the beer olympics, student union’s anniversary party, the overall run and Triangeli cruise. VAMOK also organizes a monthly pub quiz. There’s something for everyone. VAMOK’s student events are open to everyone and they’re a great place to meet new people. As a VAMOK member you will receive discounts for tickets to the events.
Sitsit parties
Sitsit are an academic table party. The parties are smaller and much less formal than anniversary parties. In the sitsit party, the guests sit at a long table eating, drinking and singing traditional student songs. The sitsit has a set of rules to ensure a smooth evening for all participants. For example toilet visits are allowed only during breaks and there’s no talking during speeches or scheduled program.
The table party can include short speeches, scheduled program or other traditions depending on the student community.
These parties usually have a purpose or a special theme. The dress code will depend on the theme of the night. It can either be Overalls, a cool outfit, a costume or formal.
Beer Olympics
This event is the topic of discussion among students until late in the spring. VAMOK organizes the Beer Olympics for freshmen traditionally in September. This is a tradition where the new students are welcomed into the student community. The event includes a checkpoint course in Hietasaari, Vaasa.
Each class must choose a theme, a song and a cheer. These cheers will be shouted to other groups still at the Pre-Christmas parties. The best group will be rewarded!
The checkpoint course changes every year but team spirit is always necessary. After the checkpoint course there is of course an after-party!
Anniversary party
Anniversary parties give a great chance to dress up. These parties are usually arranged by student unions such as VAMOK or by different student organizations. The dress code for anniversary parties is always specified in the invitation. Every member of the student union can participate in the anniversary parties.
In these parties one has to act accordance to the etiquette, but this does not exclude having a great time. The anniversary party program usually consists of speeches given by the members of different student union representatives coming from all across Finland. The party usually includes a three course festive dinner and different songs are sung, usually followed by schnapps. After the Anniversary party there’s of course the after party!
Overall run
The second big celebration day for new students is at November. The pre ordered overalls arrive from the factory! The day before the Triangeli Cruise VAMOK organizes an event where the new student get their student uniforms and so become true members of the student community. During the overall run students go around Vaasa in groups and end up to a secret finishing point they will declaim the overall oath together. After the oath, every student will know the rules that apply to wearing the overalls and what will happen if these rules are broken!
Traditionally the overall is held the day before the Triangeli cruise so this is a great chance to get the party mood on for the buss ride to Turku.
Triangeli-cruise
VAMOK organizes the annual Triangeli student cruise together with the student unions of the Centria University of applied sciences (COPSA) and with the student union of Seinäjoki university of applied sciences (SAMO), Seinäjoen Opiskelijapalvelut Oy and the student union of Satakunta university of applied sciences (SAMMAKKO).
The cruise has participants from Vaasa, Kokkola, Seinäjoki, Pori and Rauma. The cruise starts from Vaasa at Thursday when the busses start their trip to Turku, from where the boat sails over night to Stockholm. The cruise ends late at Friday evening when the busses come back to Vaasa.
This cruise is very popular and the boat cabins are sold very fast. You need to be fast to get the tickets. The tickets are sold in the Internet and the student unions will inform when and at which address the ticket sale starts. The theme of the cruise changes every year.
The official website for the cruise can be found at: https://www.triangeliristeily.com/