THE STUDENT PAPER
this spring, when the first wave of the pandemic was washing over us, and it lightened the load significantly for students. Now, students are mentally and emotionally drained and buckling under the pressure. Students are afraid, tired, and justifiably angry at the university and the government. This has not been a traditional semester, so traditional evaluation methods are not the answer. We recommend following the hashtag #mittnámsmat on social media. I hope you enjoy reading the paper and get into the festive
Christmas spirit. It’ll warm your heart on these cold, dark winter days. This is the season of peace and celebration, Christmas lights, and first and foremost, it’s the one time of year when you can drink hot chocolate every day. I’d like to thank everyone who helped bring this issue to life. There would be no paper without you. Happy holidays, dear students, and congratulations to the Student Council on 100 years of fighting for students!
Ávarp Forseta SHÍ Isabel Alejandra Díaz ÞÝÐING TRANSLATION Julie Summers MYND PHOTO Helga Lind Mar
Address from the Student Council President Í dag eru hundrað ár liðin frá stofnun Stúdentaráðs Háskóla Íslands. Afmælið markar stór tímamót í sögu hagsmunabaráttu stúdenta og minnumst við stórra sigra sem og ósigra. Öll árin að baki hafa mótað Stúdentaráð að þeirri öflugu stúdentahreyfingu sem hún er í dag og því ber að fagna. Við byrjuðum árið á opnunarhátíð í Gamla bíó þann 31. janúar, þar sem GDRN frumflutti lög af nýrri plötu, auk þess sem DJ Vala og Bjartar sveiflur komu fram. Árið átti síðan eftir að vera stútfullt af uppákomum og fögnuði, en það voru áform sem breyttust fljótt í mars. Við látum hins vegar ekki þar við sitja og höfum tekið höndum saman með fagfólki við gerð heimildaþáttar í tilefni afmælisins, með það að markmiði að kjarna ævintýrið sem hófst 11. desember árið 1920 þegar stúdentar gengu fyrst til kosninga. Í dag fara kosningarnar fram á vormisseri og hefur uppbygging Stúdentaráðs tekið ýmsum breytingum, en það sem stendur er seiglan. Hagsmunabarátta stúdenta hefur sett svip sinn á samfélagið í heild sinni, enda hafa málefnin sem stúdentar hafa barist fyrir náð augum og eyrum margra og haft áhrif. Stúdentar hafa lært í gegnum árin að allt sem viðkemur þeirra upplifun af háskólasamfélaginu eru raunar hagsmunamál sem krefjast þátttöku
Today marks 100 years since the University of Iceland’s Student Council was founded. The centennial is a watershed moment in the history of student interest advocacy in Iceland and an occasion for remembering successes and failures alike. This past century has shaped the Student Council into the powerful movement that it is today – truly something worth celebrating. On January 31, we started off what was supposed to be a celebration-packed year with an opening party at Gamla Bíó. GDRN debuted songs from her new album, and DJ Vala and Bjartar Sveiflur also took the stage. Of course, our plans for the rest of the year changed quickly in March. Not content to sit idly by, we’ve joined with a team of professionals to create a documentary in honor of our centennial, with the goal of capturing for posterity the great adventure that began on December 11, 1920, when students cast their first votes to elect their peers to the Student Council. Today, elections are held in the spring, and the Student Council has been restructured, but what remains unchanged is its tenacious spirit. The Council and its advocacy on students’ behalf have left a mark beyond the bounds of the UI campus; the issues that matter most to students have garnered much attention and had a real impact on our wider society. Over the years, students have learned that everything related to their university experience is, in fact, a matter of student interest, and that these things require their participation. Again and again, we’ve seen that victory cannot be achieved unless the battle is waged with passion. The new residence hall adjacent to Gamli Garður wouldn’t be under construction right now were it not for students’ tireless advocacy, and one of the most popular student hang-outs, the Student Cellar, would never have come into existence if students hadn’t taken initiative. In recent years, the Student Council has increasingly drawn attention to the fact that off-campus causes are also worth fighting for. We’ve been unafraid to stand up and demand a more just society. We have passion for the work we’re doing, driven first and foremost by our ideals. Without question, the Student Council still has plenty of work left to do, and we’re setting our sights on another hundred years, at least. Among the things we’re still fighting for is a service hub in Vatnsmýri; more, better organized green spaces; and improved
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