Do you want to help with organising the parade?

We are looking for student volunteers to serve as traffic controllers along the parade route. According to the requirements of the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency, the traffic controllers must be adults who have normal sensory abilities, a driving licence (at least AM121 or B), and hold the Road Safety 1 qualification. The Road Safety 1 qualification can be completed for free through the Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (Väylävirasto) learning platform, and the online course takes about an hour. All necessary equipment for the traffic control task, as well as an event-specific briefing , will be provided at the latest on the day of the parade. Sign up by emailing ISYY’s Chair of the Joensuu Campus Board Noora Saramäki (noora.saramaki(at)isyy.fi) by Sunday 24 November 2024.

Notes from interest advocacy, October 2024

• ISYY Board met with the rectors of UEF in Joensuu on 22 October. The main themes discussed were the integration of international students into the Finnish student community and society. Additionally, ISYY highlighted that the facilities for student associations are still insufficient.
• The advocacy sector is currently going through the feedback received during the Smiles and Complaints Week, from which anonymous summaries will be provided to partner organisations. The feedback will also be addressed in stakeholder meetings, including, for instance, restaurant committee meetings.
• In early 2024, an environmental working group was established for ISYY to update its environmental program. The program was presented and a preliminary discussion was held at the ISYY Representative Council meeting on 24 October.

General Assembly of SYL 15.-16.11.

Highest decision-making body of the National Union of the University Students in Finland (SYL) is the General Assembly. It meets once a year in November. SYL members – student unions – elect each one’s own delegation to decide on the union’s economy in the coming year as well as to elect the board for next year.

How many members of the delegation and how many votes it has depends on how many members the student union has. ISYY has 15 votes in the GA. ISYY's chair of the Executive Board, Mirka Nieminen, is a candidate for the SYL Board 2025.

The General Assembly will be held at Espoo Otaniemi on 15–16 November. The GA is typically streamed to SYL's YouTube-channel @sylvideot. 

ISYY is sending a delegation to the General Assembly of SYL.

SYKETTÄ - University Sports

SYKETTÄ sports service is for the students and staff of the University of Eastern Finland and the Karelia University of Applied Sciences. SYKETTÄ offers a diverse and inexpensive sports calendar with something for everyone. Remember to create a user account with your uef email before you try to buy a sticker or enroll to classes. Everybody moves their own way!

Instagram: @syketta_jns  |   Facebook: Sykettä
Youtube: SYKETTÄ Sports   |   Tiktok: sykettä_jns

Sports Buddy

SYKETTÄ Sports Services in Joensuu offer the Sports Buddy service to all university students. If you would like to exercise with a friend or a small group of friends, Sports Buddy service is for you! We connect the students interested in the same sports via the Sports Buddy service. No SYKETTÄ sports sticker is required to take part of the Sports Buddy service. Application and more information can be found here.

This time, the featured entrepreneurship stories include EduZolve, Ouro Stories, JEDI, and Sportspot. The detailed program will be available soon. The primary language of the event is English.

All students, researchers, and staff interested in entrepreneurship and the commercialization of skills and research are welcome, regardless of educational background, as well as representatives from entrepreneurship-related stakeholder groups.

Pizza and coffee will be available for those who register in advance!

Suvantosilta bridge is closed during daytime 

Suvantosilta bridge is under maintenance and closed for traffic during daytime for a few weeks. During the maintenance, the bridge is open for traffic in the evenings and during the weekend. 

Suvantosilta bridge is closed as follows: 

• Monday 11.11. - Friday 15.11. 7:30 am - 5pm. 
• Monday 18.11. - Friday 22.11. 7:30 am - 5pm. 

Upcoming events:

• Tue 12.11. Coffee & Friends at 4-6pm in Cafe Agora
• Wed 13.11. JEIS Overall Patch Sewing Night 
• Thu 14.11. JEIS Finnish Winter Survival Guide -info session 
• Sat 16.11. SYKETTÄ Badminton Tournament 
• Tue 19.11. Coffee & Friends at 4-6pm in Cafe Agora
• Wed 20.11. Clothes Swap -event 
• Tue 26.11. Coffee & Friends at 4-6pm in Cafe Agora
• Tue 26.11. Nyyti's Chat: How to practice interpersonal skills?
• Thu 28.11. UEF Startup Day at 11 am-1:30 pm in Carelia lobby 
• Tue 3.12. Coffee & Friends at 4-6pm in Cafe Agora
• Fri 6.12. Independence Day Torch Parade
• Tue 10.12. Coffee & Friends at 4-6pm in Cafe Agora
• Tue 10.12. Nyyti's Chat: Self-care: how to look after yourself?

ISYY's Club Meetings  

More information and full list of ISYY clubs in Joensuu can be found at isyy.fi/en. 

• Mondays Joensuu's Exchange and International Students (JEIS) meeting 4pm - 6pm in AG104 (Agora-building on campus) (–9.12.2024)

The following meetings are held in ISYY's meeting room in Haltia-building, 2nd floor (Yliopistokatu 7). 

• Mondays MtG Guild meeting 3 pm - 8 pm (–2.12.2024)
• Tuesdays Literary arts club LUOMIO! meeting 6pm - 8pm (–17.12.2024)
• Wednesdays JOOJAKU meeting from 4pm to 8pm (–4.12.2024)
• Thursdays Joensuu Board Gamers meeting 3pm - 8pm (–28.11.2024)
• Fridays ISYY Chess Club meeting 4 pm - 8 pm (–29.11.2024)

Wellness corner

Have you noticed that you feel tired all the time in autumn and in the beginning of winter? The lack of sunlight may cause moodiness, tiredness, as well as cravings of carbohydrates and sugar (so all of your sugar binges are not necessarily stress-related).

Then how can you help yourself to mentally cope with the darkness? 

• Bright light lamps provide artificial sunlight which helps your body to create less melatonin so you feel more energetic. The best time to enjoy a “bright light bath” is in the morning right after you wake up. 
• UEF has two Study Psychologists and Campus Pastors who provide mental health care for students if you feel like you need to talk to someone.
• Exercising helps to boost your mood! Fresh air wakes you up so instead of exercising indoors all the time, a short stay outdoors might cheer you up.
• You can boost your brain’s serotonin (the feel-good hormone) levels by eating foods that contain high levels of tryptophan, such as eggs, cheese, soybeans or dark chocolate. (In conclusion, eating chocolate is good for you!)
• Remember to take a vitamin D–supplement! Living in the north, you need to take your sunlight in the form of a vitamin supplement in order to stay healthy. Some studies suggest that taking a zinc dietary supplement regularly may boost your immune system.
• Meet your friends - if you can’t meet them physically, you can always call them! You can also go to ISYY and UEF’s Coffee & Friends meetings on Tuesdays, attend ISYY’s club meetings in Joensuu, or check out ISYY’s Hobby Buddy. 
• The darkness might also mess up your sleep schedule. Sunlight (and the lack of it) normally works as an internal cue for your brain to either wake up or fall asleep, but during the dark months in the north you might need to pay more attention to your sleeping patterns. If you have trouble falling asleep, you could try for example taking a hot shower in the evening, or reducing screen time a few hours before going to bed.
• Pro tip: sometimes taking a nap can save the day.
• You can read more about the topic here or here.

Invitation to participate in a survey: SINCRONY project

We invite you to participate in a survey that explores the experiences of 18–35-year-olds regarding participation, inclusion, and exclusion in various communities. The survey is part of the Sincrony project, funded by the European Union's Horizon program. The project is led by the University of Bologna in Italy, with a research group from the University of Turku, led by Professor Maija Setälä, participating from Finland.

The aim of the research is to examine people's experiences of belonging to different communities, and related issues of identity and social justice.

You can complete the survey via the following link. Please submit your response by Sunday, November 17th.

Information about Weekly Feed

This is an issue of Weekly Feed at Joensuu campus. Weekly Feed is the English language newsletter of the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY). You are receiving this letter on your email because you are a member of ISYY and are studying at Joensuu campus or because you have joined the mailing list yourself. 

Weekly Feed provides you with current information on matters related to the Student Union, UEF or other organisations close to students, such as FSHS. In addition, the newsletter provides you with information on events taking place at campus or the campus city.

Weekly Feed is published on Tuesdays during the academic year, with the exception of holidays and a few other days. If you do not want to receive the newsletter anymore, you can unsubscribe the letter via the link (Click here to unsubscribe) located on the bottom of the letter. 

You will find more information on ISYY's newsletters  and privacy protection on ISYY's website.

Advertise your event in ISYY's newsletter Weekly Feed

If you would like to have something featured in the Weekly Feed, please send a short (max. 500 characters including spaces), informative advertisement of the event/activity in English to tiedotus@isyy.fi.

Please include at least the following information: date, time, place, admission fee and the event website/facebook page and a short description of the event. If you want to include pictures, the optimal size is 270 x 270 px.