Where do we study?
University of Turku, www.utu.fi/en/university
Åbo Akademi University, www.abo.fi/en/
How to contact us?
University of Turku Student Union (TYY)
Student Union of Åbo Akademi University
What are our Guilds?
- Adamas – Guild of Material Technology – Light blue overalls
- DaTe – Computer Technologists – Black overalls
- Digit – Computer Engineering Guild – Black overalls
- Kemistklubben – Chemistry Club – Light green overalls, self-dyed
- Machina – Guild of Mechanical Engineering – Pink overalls
- Nucleus – Guild of Biotechnological Engineering and Food Development – Blue overalls
What are some of our main events?
- Eldprowet
- When? 29.4.
- For who? All Teekkari Fuksi
- What happens? Fuksi prove their worthiness to receive their cap on Wappu during a strict 8-hour long checkpoint crawl. On the crawl, the Fuksi learns about the history and traditions of the various Teekkari guilds of Turku. Older students also take part via organising the checkpoints.
- Who organises? The Teekkari Commission and the Teekkari guilds of Turku, with help from various stakeholders, including TEK
- What is best? The extremely fun checkpoint activities, as well as the creative solutions to them found by the Fuksi
- FIA-Cup
- When? October and February
- For who? All Teekkari with a sufficient thirst and competitive spirit
- What happens? The FIA-Cup is a competition of the FIA board game (a Kimble like game), played in teams of two. The winning team of each game continues to play until the winning pair is found. An additional challenge is found via the game pieces, which are replaced with filled shot glasses for the duration of the cup. This ensures both wit and endurance are needed to be crowned champion.
- Who organises? Kemistklubben
- What is best? The tournament always being full of excitement and surprising situations
- Kääliösitsit
- When? During Wappu week
- For who? For Kääliö, and other students
- What happens? Kääliö is an abbreviation of Känni Ääliösitsit. As is said, a Teekkari sings rather than well, and this is demonstrated at the Sitsit, thanks to many potions of the wise. By the end of the event, the phrase “Oispa kaljaa” (“I wish I had a beer”) is rarely heard.
- Who organises? Digit and Nucleus
- What is best? The songs!
Teekkari Culture in Turku
For many years, after their founding in 1923, the only representative of Teekkari culture in Turku was found in Kemistklubben, as part of Åbo Akademi. This situation swiftly changed in 1999, when the introduction of computer science degree programmes tripled the number of Teekkari guilds in Turku, due to the introduction of DaTe in Åbo Akademi, and Digit ry in the University of Turku. Since then, the number of Teekkari guilds has only continued to grow, with a biotechnology programme, and hence Nucleus ry, coming in 2007, before the initiation of both mechanical engineering and materials engineering programmes in 2020. These led to the foundation of Machina ry and Adamas ry respectively.
In Turku, cooperation is needed not just between two universities, but between two primary languages. While the guilds of Åbo Akademi speak mainly Swedish, those of the University of Turku speak Finnish as a majority language. To aid in this cooperation, the Teekkari Commission was established in 2000, with members from each guild in Turku.
Wappu Traditions
Wappu in Turku begins at the end of March, with a joint Wappu kick-off party organised by the Teekkari guilds. Things start to get busy a few weeks before Wappu Day itself, with a programme filled with a range of events and Sitsit parties.
The Fuksi baptism (Fuksikaste) takes place during the Eldprowet tour on the 29.4. The Fuksi who pass the Tour, and reach other school-specific targets with flying colours, will receive their Teekkari Cap on the Yliopistonmäki (University Hill) on Wappu Eve. These caps can then be first worn at 6 pm at the Vartiovuorenmäki (a hill in the centre of Turku), where they will be worn to march in a flag procession.
In Turku, there are two different Wappu magazines, to match the two different universities. Pönkeli is the Wappu magazine of the University of Turku, edited by Teekkari students there annually for over 20 years, with the magazine’s predecessor “Pilde & Napander” first published in 2001. The magazine is produced by students, with its proceeds going directly towards the organisation of Wappu. The second Wappu magazine is that of Åbo Akademi, and is the Wappu edition of the Tekniska Åtgärderi, named Tarvliga Avsikter.
Teekkari Cap and Other Symbols
The Turku Teekkari Cap is round, with the cord of the tassel beginning at the edge of the cap. Students of the University of Turku have the golden cockade of their student union (TYY) and a blue and white lining, while those from Åbo Akademi have a cockade featuring the lyre of ÅAS, and a yellow and black lining.
The ribbon (kuntanauha) of TYY is blue and white, and can be worn by the members of the TYY board, members of the Representative Council, and other officials. It can also be awarded to other deserving members. Åbo Akademi have instead a yellow and black ribbon, which may be worn by all members of the student union. The ribbons are primarily used for annual balls, and the Teekkari guilds and Teekkari Commission also have their own ribbons with their own rules.