Jyväskylän teekkarikaste 2022

New engineering student traditions were created in Jyväskylä and Turku

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News article

At the first dipping (teekkarikaste) of engineering students at the University of Jyväskylä, a row of freshmen waded in the waters of Lake Jyväsjärvi up to their chests. In Turku, the new tradition is river-dipping.

Jyväskylä's first engineering students got their teekkari caps

At noon on May Day eve, Jyväskylä's Mattilanniemi beach was buzzing. Dressed in blue and black student overalls, the first engineering students at the University of Jyväskylä gathered on the beach for their rite of dipping (teekkarikaste). Although the weather was chilly and windy, the historic event was witnessed by a large crowd.

After a few lively engineering student songs, the 17 freshmen who had come to get dipped walked in line closer to the shore and took off their shoes. Then they lined up in a single file and walked determinedly, tasselled teekkari caps in hand, into Lake Jyväsjärvi until the water reached their chests. The students made no sound but there were gasps on the shore. Next, the freshmen donned their brand-new teekkari caps and emerged from the water as engineering students – looking as cool as ice, literally.

Jyväskylän teekkarikaste 2022, fuksit vedessä
After the dip in the lake the freshmen donned their brand-new teekkari caps and emerged from the water as engineering students. Photo: Saila Aarnio

Minea Nupponen from Vantaa and Juuso Vuorela from Jyväskylä, students involved in planning the dipping, say that they wanted to create original traditions for Jyväskylä's engineering students.

“We wanted to find something that looked like us. It was important that everyone could be dipped together," says Nupponen.

“We wanted to carry out the dipping in a way that we would all become the first engineering students in Jyväskylä at the same time," Vuorela continues.

 

Minea Nupponen, Juuso Vuorela ja Anna-Sofia Paavonen
Minea Nupponen (left), Juuso Vuorela and Anna-Sofia Paavonen rejoiced at their first teekkariwappu in Jyväskylä Church Park. According to them, it was nice that the octagonal teekkari caps stood out from the other student caps. Photo: Saila Aarnio

New traditions in Turku

May Day also saw engineering student history being made on the banks of the Aura River in Turku, where engineering students were dipped into the ice-cold river.

The Turku dipping of engineering students is here to stay, the organisers assured.
The new engineering student tradition surprised many passers-by on the sunny shores of the Aura River on May Day. A towering crane was dipping engineering students into the river, one basketful at a time, accompanied by cheerful screams.

Turun teekkarikaste, wappu 2022
Photo: Heidi Pelander

The functionality of the dipping basket, specially built for the new tradition, was tested first by the dipping of engineering students working group and then by the Teekkarikomissio board, who were responsible for organising the event.

“When you are in the water up to your waist, you are tingling all the way to your fingertips. Even the tassel on my cap got a little bit of the Aura River in it," says Niklas Luomala, chairman of the working group, after being dipped into the five-degree river water.

konetekniikan opiskelijoita, Turku
“Comprehensively refreshed” was one of the first comments from mechanical engineering students after the dipping. From left, Santtu Toivomäki, Lauri Jäntti, Santeri Maijala, Aleksander Gävert, Valtteri Lainio and Olli Jartti. Photo: Heidi Pelander