Moving speeches, discussions on equality and metaphors from space

The new OLL President for 2020 is Antti Pentikäinen from the Aalto University Student Union. In addition to the President Pentikäinen, Vice-Presidents Sanna-Maria Ahl from the Student Union SAMO of Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences and Nita Vallimäki from the Student Union SAMMAKKO of Satakunta University of Applied Sciences and Board Members Ilona Raimas from the Student Union of the University of Helsinki and Liisa Reinola from the Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences were also elected.

“We have a fantastic team, and I can’t wait to tackle the challenges of physical inactivity in higher education with them,” praises Pentikäinen, the newly elected President of OLL.

In addition to appointing the Board, the General Assembly also approved the OLL Plan of Work and Budget for 2020. The central themes in the Plan of Work are the genuine expansion of the Schools on the Move programme to higher education institutions as the Higher Education on the Move programme, and preparing for the municipal elections held in 2021. OLL is also looking towards the future of higher education sports by creating a new strategy for the Federation for 2021–2025 together with its key stakeholders. The General Assembly also approved the federation’s updated equality plan. The equality plan now declares that OLL is a feminist organisation. Equality was also a hot topic during the General Assembly as part of the discussion on the rules for a safer space that have been drawn up by the federation.

The General Assembly also issued a joint resolution where it calls for allocation of adequate resources to the Schools on the Move programme to expand it to higher education institutions.

“I really look forward to next year. Expanding the Schools on the Move programme to higher education institutions will require significant contributions. Drawing up a new strategy for OLL for 2021–2025 is also an important part of next year’s operations,” says Pentikäinen, the future President of OLL.

The address to the General Assembly was made by Jouni Kallio, who is a researcher at the research centre LIKES, and who once spent two years on the OLL Board and also worked as our sports secretary. Kallio looked as far as space to find metaphors for his speech, which dealt with the effects that a lack of exercise has on the human body in an illustrative and fun way. In his speech Kallio also gave university students concrete suggestions on ways to increase the amount of physical activity that they get. Kallio’s tips included developing new norms to replace sitting and creating rewarding routines.

At this year’s General Assembly the OLL Trophy was awarded to student union SAMMAKKO at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences. SAMMAKKO has been active in launching the CampusMoWe sports services for higher education in the Satakunta region.

The Flame of the Year (Vuoden Liekehtijä) prize was awarded to Kati Vastamäki from Tampereen Akateeminen Mahti. Vastamäki, who is studying mathematics at the university of Tampere, has long been active in the Tampere higher education community’s sports society Akateeminen Mahti, where she has acted as treasurer and chair for the football and futsal division, as well as sports tutor and treasurer for the main society.

OLL sends the winners its warmest congratulations!

During the General Assembly participants also heard several moving speeches. You can see the best bits and most emotional moments in the General Assembly on our YouTube channel.