I have had the honor of being TREY’s chair in 2021. At the time of writing this blog, the days of my presidency are growing short, and from New Year’s Eve onwards the next board will officially be on duty. At this point, I have a wonderful opportunity to stop for a moment to look back at the year 2021.
Our 2021 board was not elected to the task in the easiest situation. Due to the coronavirus situation, the excisting restriction of 10 people ensured that the entire election meeting was remote and that no major victory celebrations could be held with the new board.
Despite the exceptional situation in the world throughout the year, I am very proud of everything TREY has seen and done this year.
In the Spring we conducted our municipal election campaign, took a stand together with the organizations on opening the sports facilities, which got opened, updated the policy paper, and promoted the TreSilienssi project together with the University. Wappu was held, although strict restrictions for gathering were still in place at the time. Our events, such as the Organization Start-up and the Advocacy Studio, were transformed into a whole new look as remote events. Our students were asked for their opinions in the form of both an equality survey and a student livelihood survey.
In the Autumn when the corona situation fluctuated, it was possible to have the tutors’ evening as a remote event, the Freshers’ orienteering as a hybrid event and the annual celebrations as a live event. We advocated for the interests of students especially in matters considering university spaces, first by recovering 24/7 accesses to campuses and then by demanding the university’s campus development action plan back to preparation. The first demonstration in the history of TREY was held, and SYL board for 2022 got again a great representation from Tampere when our board member Tuomas was elected there. The co-operation of the student unions was maintained by organizing the first live meeting for two years for SEKSMYY student unions, and TREY’s first mentoring program was successfully finished. It was noted in TREY Gears what is the fastest way to move between campuses, and the cooperation between TREY and Tampereen Teekkarit was clarified. These are just to mention a couple of things.
I can say that we have excelled this year. However, TREY’s office has not been the only one to be actively involved in doing these things. For example the organizations set out to demand the opening of sports facilities with TREY, and later in the spring did amazing remote events for Wappu. Active students set out to make inventions and demonstrations first in favor of restoring access rights to campuses and later against the plan to reduce university spaces. In the faculty councils, student representatives have raised students’ concerns about future space development. At the SYL general meeting, the entire TREY delegation together drove the Tampere representation to SYL and got it there.
Indeed, I have had the great pleasure of seeing the spirit of TREY shining in actions like the one mentioned above. It embodies doing things together, taking a stand on things that are important to us, speaking on behalf of the student and creating the best student community here in Tampere. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have been involved in promoting and improving student life this year. These things are not done alone.
This year has been tough, but I wouldn’t change a day out of it. Thank you for everything I have got to see and experience. The Tampere student community will continue to be in very good hands if it continues to be promoted by people with as great motivation as this year.
Thank you.
