Monthly Newsletter - January

Greetings Fellow Student!

I am the new Chairman of the Board for the Student Union of Diaconia University of Applied Sciences - O’Diako. I study to become a nurse-deaconess for the first year. It is time for the monthly newsletter of O’Diako.

Lot of changes have been made, lot of ‘em are being made and lot will still be made. Changes regarding O’Diako, Diak and the whole UAS’ field.

At the start of this year we had the O’Diako Cruise. It had it’s fifth anniversary this year. The cruise was hosted by Bettina Kanninen and Jenni Äijälä. The annual competition for the best campus was won by Helsinki, so congratulations to Helsinki!

Last year the political program for O’Diako was finished. On this year we will focus even more to student politics and statements of this field.

On January we and other Student Unions of the Universities of Applied Sciences (UAS) in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area encouraged members of Parliament to withdraw their support for the initiative to introduce tuition fees by making a statement. The Finnish society is based on equality. Tuition fees marginalize internationalization, as we would see fewer students from poor countries. It is not sustainable to develop education in a direction where only the rich can afford to educate themselves.

O’Diako is having it’s 15th year anniversary this year. In order to celebrate this, we are having annual year party in the end of this year. We’ve already started planning the party and the ideas are welcome.

Our Board of 2013 organized on January and the positions were divided as follows. The Vice Chairman is Taavi Ahonen from Järvenpää, welfare coordinator is Katri Majamäki from Pori, tutor coordinator is Noona Hiilinen from Kauniainen, Sports coordinator is Ida Pasanen from Järvenpäää, the International coordinator is DSS-student Prabesh Khatiwada. In addition to these choices there’s also Outi Huhtala from Oulu and the DSS-students Pierre Demeulenaere and Beatrice Wainaina in the Board. Our Secretary General is Sonja Frilander as before.

As you can see there is a strong international representation in our new Board. This is something new in the whole UAS’ Student Union field. O’Diako is a pioneer in letting the international voice being heard in the decision making. This is something that we in O’Diako can especially be proud of!

DIAK South will merge in the year 2016 so it won’t affect us so heavily yet, except the DSS-students who move on to Helsinki earlier. Co-operation between different sectors and local branches of O’Diako is something that we are focusing especially.

Some of our primary goals in this year are supporting the local branches and work groups. In order to do this we need to focus on improving our communication between different sectors.
We are also going to focus more and more in providing materials in both Finnish and English language in order to let everyone know what is going on in Diak and O’Diako.

The opening ceremony of the Diak’s organizational changes was being held on 16th of January. I had the honor of giving a speech for O’Diako. In this speech I thanked Diak for letting the students be more efficiently part of the Diak’s decision making with these new work groups.

In the spring we are gathering feedback from students regarding the changes being made in Diak and O’Diako in order to evaluate the success of this process.


Events

6.2 The Common Responsibility Campaign Event

O’Diako is taking part in the Common Responsibility Campaign in Helsinki. If You want to give a helping hand in collecting money with us make contact with me or the chairman/event coordinator of your own local branch.

8.2 The Memoriam for Podia

O’Diako Pori is organizing the Memoriam for it’s dear late Podia at the Student’s House Saikku in Pori. The first 90 will get in. The registration and additional info by emailing pori(at)odiako.fi

12.2 Shrove Tuesday

O’Diako Järvenpää is organizing Shrove Tuesday at Järvenpää. All students of Diak are welcome to join. It is recommendable to wear your O’Diako Jumpsuit.

More info about these and other events you will find at the Facebook-site of your local branch.

The O’Diako website is found on www.odiako.fi,
The official O’Diako Facebook-site is found on.facebook.com/opiskelijakunta.odiako.
The official blog of O’Diako -Diakkilainen is at odiako.blogspot.fi

Be brave and contact us in the board, in the council, in your local branch or the Secretary General. We are here to help you! Our contact details are found on our website.


The Monthly Verse

William Blake – To Spring

Thou with dewy locks, who lookest down
Through the clear windows of the morning, turn
Thine angel eyes upon our western isle,
Which in full choir hails thy approach, O Spring!

The hills tell one another, and the listening
Valleys hear; all our longing eyes are turn'd
Up to thy bright pavilions: issue forth
And let thy holy feet visit our clime!

Come o'er the eastern hills, and let our winds
Kiss thy perfumèd garments; let us taste
Thy morn and evening breath; scatter thy pearls
Upon our lovesick land that mourns for thee.

O deck her forth with thy fair fingers; pour
Thy soft kisses on her bosom; and put
Thy golden crown upon her languish'd head,
Whose modest tresses are bound up for thee.


Erkko Virtanen
Chairman of the Board