haalaripääsivulleni - haalarikulttuurista - haalaristoni * min overallhuvudsida - mina egna overaller * my overall mainpage - my own overalls

Tämä artikkeli on julkaistu 27.3.2002 Joensuun Ylioppilaslehdessä numero 3/2002 reportaasissa, jonka alkuosa, Paul Bergen kirjoittama The Evolution of an International Student in Finland - Becoming Finnish on kyllä verkkolehdessäkin, mutta tämä haalareiden kannalta paljon kiinnostavampi Markus Heikkilän kirjoitus Overview on Overalls on jäänyt pois lehden werkkoversiosta http://yolehti.joensuu.fi/
Artikkelin julkaisuun kommentaarein ja korjauksin on saatu kirjoittajan, Markus Heikkilän, lupa 17.4.2002.

This article by Markus Heikkilä was originally published in the Joensuu University Studentunion newspaper 27th Mars 2002 but because it was not in the papers "webpaper" I asked Markus permission to republish it with my own annotations and some corrections.

Matti "3m" Änkö

Overview on Overalls

Markus Heikkilä

The official party wear fo Finnish students is overall. Finland is not the only country in the world having such a strange party wear. Overalls are also used among students in Norway and Sweden. And it is Sweden where the story begins.
First students using overalls as party wear were students from the Royal University of Technology in Stockholm at the beginning of the 1970s. After their laboratory lessons so eager to get beer that they didn't bother to hate change but went straight to the student pub with their overalls on. ¹ Later on overalls overcame the more traditional party wear "spyfrack" ² , which was an old frack bought from a flee market. The word spread and within fifteen years most of the Swedish students had their very own overall. ³
Overall first landed in Finland in 1979 when University of Technology in Espoo had guest from the Royal University of Technology. ⁴ Finnish technology students were very interested in theirSwedish friends' overalls. So interested that they lent overalls from a Finnish power company for their German excursions in 1980 and 1982. ⁵ First student union overalls were bought during the semester of 1982 to 1983. ⁶ And soon they spread through other universities of technology and later on other universities too. ⁷ Nowadays even most of the polytechnic students have overalls.

Colours of the Rainbow

Overalls come in all colours. They are black, white, yellow, green, red, pink and blue. The colour marks your identity. Your overall is your uniform. You can tell who belongs to your group just by checking out his or her overalls colour. ⁸ That is a good thing. But the bad thing is also that it same time separates groups from each other when you stick to your own group. That is at least before everyone has had their ten beers and different groups start to mix together.
   The colour shows in which group you belong to, but it is really the badges that distinguish your identity ⁹ in the sea of colours. Nobody knows who was the first to attach a badge to his overall. ¹⁰ But today if you have an overall, you are most likely to badges on it too. It is a question of esthetics. Plain overall just happens to look naked, even silly. Besides that badges have meanings. They tell where you have been, who your friends are, what you like and which political party you support. ¹¹ They tell if you are a dog or cat person. Badges other party gear like handcuffs, whistles and bottle openers attached to your overall, are however most of all ment to be funny. So you can find out one's sense of humor looking at his overall.
   Some people are more interested on "overallism" than others. They collect every single badge ¹² they can get their hands on and wear their overall in every occasion possible. Their badge collection tends to grow beyond the reasonable limit of fifty ¹³ and some go far, far beyond of that. These people are mostly from universities of technology ¹⁴ , were overalls are more important part of student culture than in others. ¹⁵ There is one person in the University of Technology in Espoo that has unbelievable amount of twelvehundred badges. ¹⁶ How is it possible to fit all them on your overall, you now ask. The answer is that it is not. ¹⁷ The guy has a few extension parts on his owerall including a calf. ¹⁸
   It is also a common thing to exchange parts of your overall with people dressed in different colours. One might example cut of a part of a sleeve and exchange it to another, then knitting the new sleeve in the place of the old one. That is to show friendship, love, side subjects or even having two main subjects, which is in overall terms called "double citizenship". ¹⁹

Party on All Night Long

Since overall is party gear, you need some parties where you can wear it. ²⁰ The most important is the Labour Day, Vappu, in the first of July. ²¹ For students it is not just one single day but at least three days. Technology students Labour Day lasts for two weeks. ²² It is hard time for students and hard time for the overalls too. Days of drinking can do serious harm to both of them.
Spilled drinks ²³, vomit, dirt, food and anything you can imagine makes the overall look like it was twenty years older than it was just a few days ago. And one thing about overall is that you never wash it. ²⁴ The dirtier your overall is the warmer welcome you will have when you arrive at the party place. That is because people can actually see that you are a party maker and they are going to have good time in your company. ²⁵

Kommenttini - My annotations

1 Laboratorioharjoituksissa ja -töissä on käsittääkseni käytetty pitkiä takkeja eikä suinkaan haalareita. Näiden osalta traditio jatkuu yhä Chalmersissa (Göteborgin teknillinen korkeakoulu), jossa opiskelijoilla on yhä haalareiden sijaan piletyskäytössä labratakkimallisia takkeja. Hiukan samansuuntainen oli Wappuna 1988 Julkunmyyjien myyntiasuste ja nykyisin Joutomiehet -nimellä tunnetun Otaniemeläisen soluporukan käyttämä asuste.
I believe they had a more coatlike clothing in laboratories than an overall. To my knowledge they still wear such long coats instead of overalls in Chalmers (University of technology in Gothenburg, Sweden). Something like that was also the piece of clothing those students selling the Julkku (a Vappu paper) wore 1988 and a small group/club of students in Otaniemi (known as "Joutomiehet") still wear.
2 Spyfrackit ovat käsittääkseni yhä käytössä ainakin osassa ruotsalaisia opiskelijayhteisöjä sekä jossain määrin suomenruotsalaisissakin.
If I have it right those "spyfracks" are still in use among some Swedish students and some Swedishspeaking students in Finland.
3 Vielä 2000-luvun alussa ne eivät olleet saavuttaneet vakiintunutta asemaa aivan kaikkialla.
The overalls have not (yet) gained an established status among every studentorganisation and city. Among many yes - but not every single one of them.
4 KTH:n fyysikoita oransseissa haalareissa Otaniemessä Fyysikkokillan vieraina Wappuna 1979. viite
Physics students from the Royal University of Technology visited their colleagues in Otaniemi (Espoo) during Vappu 1979 with their orange overalls.
5 Uskoakseni näiden Sähköinsinöörikillan ekskursioporukoiden haalarivarustus oli hyvin riippumatonta mainittuihin fyysikoiden vieraisiin vuodelta 1979. viite
I belive there is little correlation between the 1979 visit of Swedish students of physics and these excursions of electrical engineering students.
6 Otaniemessä haalarit olivat tuolloinkin siis kiltojen eikä suinkaan ylioppilaskunnan haalareita ja ylioppilaskunnan rooli on ollut asiassa käsitykseni mukaan hyvin olematon. Haalareita on Suomessakin toki käytetty opiskelijatapahtumissa aiemminkin teekkareiden tempauksissa. Esimerkiksi Teekkareiden Autokerhon renkaanpyörityksen maailmanennätykseen vuodelta 1968. (http://www.hut.fi/~psyvanen/tak25haalari.jpg) Vaikka näitä varhaisiakin haalareita viritettiin ja koristeltiin, ei niitä voi suoraan rinnastaa nykyisiin opiskelijahaalareihin. Käytön laajuus ja muodot eivät ole vastaavia.
In Helsinki University of Technology the overalls have always been signs of the guilds (studentorganisations for each department) and the Studentunion has never had any special role with this overall story. Of course the overalls have been used earlier like in this picture where members of technology students Car Club are spinning a wheel to a world record of 190 kilometers. Although these overalls were modified and decorated for sure they were not used like the studentoveralls of today. Not as widespread nor the same way.
7 Leviäminen oli toki nopeinta teekkareiden verkostojen sisällä, mutta ilmeisen nopeaa myös oikeus- ja kauppatieteilijöiden kesken.
Wearing overalls spread rapidly through the technology students but also very soon among law and economy students.
8 Pelkkä väri riittää "paikallisen tason" tapahtumissa, mutta vähänkään isommissa tilaisuuksissa pitää lukea yleensä myös selkälogon tekstiä ja/tai kuvaa.
The colour is enough only in local happenings. If you are in a big meeting you´ll have to take look at his/her backside where there usually is the name and logo of one´s school or studentorganisation.
9 Vaatteet eivät siis itsessään, vaan univormujen lisävarusteet osoittavat selvästi kantajan kuulumisen ja aseman. Näin terävästi asian ilmaisi Sporrong Oy:n mainoslehtinen.
Translation from a company´s leaflet: "Not the cloth itself but the accessories of the uniform show the rank and status and of it´s bearer." Right on point, aren´t they.
10 Merkkejä on kiinnitetty vaatteisiin aikojen alusta asti. Selostajalegenda Pekka Tiilikaisestakin olen tainnut nähdä kuvia, joissa hänen "selostustakkinsa" on kisapaikkojen merkeillä runsaasti koristeltu.
I believe people have decorated their cloths with badges etc. as long as there have been any. I think I´ve seen some pictures of a famous former Finnish radiocommentator wearing his "official coat" covered with several badges from sportevents locations and games.
11 Puoluekannan ilmaiseminen on omien havaintojeni mukaan erittäin harvinaista.
I think it´s rather unusual to show one´s poitical colour on overalls.
12 "Kovan luokan kerääjillä" on useimmiten omat tarkat periaatteensa merkkien kelpaamisen ja kelpaamattomuuden suhteen.
To my knowledge "the heavy users" usually have very strict principles which badges they accept - and which they don´t.
13 Tämä ilmaisu "the reasonable limit of fifty" on herättänyt suurta hilpeyttä. Varsinkin kun itse laskin artikkelin lukemisen aikaan kotona olevan juurikin 50 merkkiä, jotka odottivat haalariin ompelemista.
"The reasonable limit of fifty" - this has amused several people. Especially when I counted I had some fifty badges still waiting to be sewn on my overall at the very day I found the article.
14 Tuntemistanin "kovan luokan kerääjistä" suhteellisen iso osa on toki teekkareita muttei sentään suurta enemmistöä kaikista
Sure many of "the heavy users" I´ve met are technology students but their majority is not that wast.
15 Teekkareilla haalarit ovat aktiivisessa käytössä myös bileiden ulkopuolella - varsinkin syksyllä f/ph/pHuks/xien saapuessa sekä erilaisten tempausten yhteydessä.
Students of technology waer their overalls also outside parties - e.g. when the fresmen arrive their student tutors usually wear overalls during the first week.
16 Huhuu, allekirjoittanut kyseessä. Artikkelin kirjoittamisen aikoihin 1200 oli jo ylitetty.
Hey, that´s me. :) But while Markus was writing the article the amount was already over twelvehundred.
17 Riippuu siitä kuinka haalarin ulottuvuus määritellään. Omassa haalarissani on mahdollista pukea kerralla koko setti laajennusosineen päälle. Tosin silloin on syytä olla ulkona pakkasessa.
Depends on how you define the limits of an overall. I can put the whole overall-combination on. But that should be done outdoors when the temperature is below zero centigrades. Otherwise it´ll be somewhat hot inside the overall.
18 Tämä "calf" on jäänyt kaivamaan mieltä. Laajennuksissa on siis kaksikin lisähihaa, kaapu ja viitta.
There´s a problem: I think "calf" is a wrong word. I do have two extra sleeves, a cape and a cloack but no extra calves. Well, as far as I know that is. :)
19 "Kaksoiskansalaisuus". En ole varma ovatko muut käyttäneet tätä termiä yhtä paljon kuin minä, mutta yleensä tuollainen kahdessa oppilaitoksessa opiskelu on "esitetty" paljon laajempina haalarinyhdistämisinä kuin vain hihanvaihtoina ja niissä yleensä merkittävintä on selkälogon siirto haalarista toiseen.
To show "double citizenship". I´d use that term when a person has combined his/hers two different overalls together. Not just a piece of sleeve. The minimum would be like attaching the organisation logo from one overall to the other. I´m not sure how many other people use this term "double citizenship" within overalls as much as I do. But looks like it´s spreading. :)
20 Kuten mainittu niitä käytetään teekkaripiireissä muulloinkin kuin vain juhlissa, esimerkiksi abi-infoissa.
As mentioned earlier they are used not olny in parties. At least among the students of technology.
21 Tässä on Markukselle tullut paha typo. Ei Joensuu sentään näin monen aikavyöhykkeen takana ole.
Markus mistyped a bit. The correct date is of course the first of May. Not July.
22 Teekkareiden Wapun pituus johtuu osaltaan myös f/ph/pHuks/xikasvatuksen pituudesta ja sen tupsulakin saamisen ajankohdasta. Useimmissa muissa opiskelijayhteisöissä uudet opiskelijat ovat saaneet "täysivaltaisuuden" jo ensimmäisen syksyn aikana, kun taasen teekkareilla se on tapahtuva aikaisintaan ensimmäisenä Wappuna. Ja senkin jälkeen kuluu vielä vuosi tupsuf/ph/pHuks/xina.
Why technology students have such a long Vappu? Or Wappu as we prefer to write it. One reason could be that while the freshmen usually get their full rights as a member of studentorganisation during the first semester we give them that status much later. They get the right to have and bear the student cap with tassel no sooner than during their first Wappu. And they have to earn that right. Freshmen are called "fuksi" "phuksi" "fuxi" or "pHuksi" (that´s the chemist way) til that Wappu and the next year they are called "tupsufuksi" "tupsuphuksi" "tupsufuxi" or "tupsupHuksi" that is a freshman with tassel. So it does take more time and thus requires more partying? Or trains one to party longer than others?
23 Alkoholin väärinkäyttöä! Hyi tuollaista!
Serious misuse of alcohol! Shame!
24 Esitän voimakkaan vastalauseeni. Uskoakseni tämän tiukasti vastustamani periaatteen taustalla on ollut pesuakestämättömiä haalaripainatuksia, merkkejä ja koristeita, joita asianomaiset ovat aikoinaan halunneet suojata. Mutta tuollainen ehdoton pesukielto - ei, sellaista en voi vastalauseitta sivuuttaa. Oma haalarini on käynyt melkein vuosittain konepesussa ja tulee käymään vielä monet kerrat. Kun otan huomioon kuinka paljon aikaa, vaivaa ja rahaa on omaan haalariini kulunut, en todellakaan haluaisi sen olevan likainen ja haiseva. Hittolainen, pelkissä merkeissäkin on arvoa jo kolmisen tuhatta euroa ja jos työviikon pituus olisi noin 40 tuntia olisi merkkien ompeluunkin palanut aikaa nelisen kuukautta - kolmannes vuodesta!
Objection! I disagree with that! I stongly disagree! I believe the reason behind this (mis)belief is based on attempts to save some non-waterproof markings and/or decorations on one´s overall. But "never to wash". No way! Absolutely not. I just have to oppose such stupid ideas. I´ve washed my overall almost every year - and I will do it again. And again and again... If it needs to be washed, I´ll wash it. No hesitation no problem no guilty feelings. Considering how much time effort and money I´ve spent on my own overall I do definetly not want it to be dirty and stinky. Hmmm? Money? Time? Those bagdes only are worth something like 3000 euros and if we define that one week is about fourty (40) hours work I´ve spent four months - one third of a whole year - sewing badges on my overall!
25 Edelliseen viitaten. Toki voi olla montaakin mieltä siitä millaiset ihmiset ja millaisella käytöksellä ovat juhlien ilopillereitä.
There are many ways to define what kind of people and how guarantee a good time in a party.

Matti M M Änkö <3m@hut.fi>
http://iki.fi/3m/haalari/kulttuuri/joensuu.html
( http://tik.cs.hut.fi/~mmm/haalari/kulttuuri/joensuu.html )
päivityspäivämäärä päivitetty 14.5.2003
the date of updating updated May 14th 2003

Elämän tarkoitus? Teistä muista en tiedä, mutta minä etsin
elämän Perimmäistä, Suurta Totuutta, jonka olemassaolosta
tiedän vain sen, ettei sitä ole olemassa. Ymmärrän ja hyväksyn
tämän, mutten anna sen lainkaan häiritä etsintääni.