Student boilersuit
Student boilersuit (Swedish studentoverall or studenthalare, Finnish opiskelijahaalari, Canadian flightsuit[1] or coveralls[2] or redsuits[3]) are boilersuits widely used for specific events at universities and polytechnics in Sweden, Finland, and Canada. Typically, the suits are procured by the student associations of faculties or programmes. At the major Swedish universities (like Lund or Uppsala) the use of boilersuits is limited to engineering students, however at Stockholm they are also worn by students of other programs,[4] but their use has spread to students in other fields at some of the smaller university colleges. In Finland, boilersuits have also been foremost identified with engineering students, but see extensive use in all of the student organizations of Finnish institutions of higher learning, such as the University of Helsinki and Aalto University.
History and use
Student coveralls have become one of the most conspicuous
These boilersuits are not only seen in Scandinavia. At
Design and appearance
Unlike coveralls generally, the student boilersuit isn't used for work, but mostly for parties. However, as the coveralls are meant to endure years of abuse, the wearer often being under the influence of alcohol, the coveralls are made of high quality fabric and usually at least somewhat waterproof. Practical additions such as zippered pockets of various sizes and belt loops are added by the manufacturer, and as a part of the manufacturing process the coveralls are sometimes printed with the particular student organization's logo and ads of the various sponsoring companies, ranging from small local enterprises to national divisions of multinational corporations. Often, the large corporations choose to sponsor the suits as a part of their recruitment campaign, ensuring that they have the attention of the graduating students when they enter the working life.
Some programs have swapped boilersuits for labcoats. In Lund[8] and Uppsala,[9] labcoats and sometimes bathrobes are used by natural science students.
Traditions
Certain traditions relating to the use of boilersuits exist. Typically, a new student will be given permission to use their boilersuit during the later half of their first academic year, often after a certain number of "freshman points" have been collected by participating in various social events like parties and contests held by the organizations. During the first academic spring, the various engineering student organizations tend to host events during which the new students are officially taken as a members of their organization. During these events, the students often volunteer to go through a minor rite that often includes diving into a pool, lake or river with their newly issued boilersuits as a "student baptism". Typically in Finland these events are held around the largest student holiday of May 1 or
In some schools, two students who are dating exchange the overalls leg part with one another to show that they are taken. In Finland, it is more common for engineering students to wear their suits as overalls, while non-engineering students more commonly wear them as pants, tying the arms of the suit as a belt of sorts.
Naming
The boilersuit may have local names at individual universities. The Swedish term is simply overall or studentoverall, also studenthalare, but it is sometimes nicknamed ovve. In Finland, the
See also
- List of student boilersuit colours
- Academic dress
- Youth culture
- Student cap
References
- ^ a b "Carleton Student Engineering Society (CSES)". Carleton Student Engineering Society (CSES). Retrieved 2018-06-30.
- ^ a b "Coveralls". Undergraduate Engineering Society UWO. Retrieved 2018-06-30.
- ^ a b "Traditions | McMaster Engineering Society". Archived from the original on 2013-10-08. Retrieved 2013-01-18.
- ^ "NFKM". nf.su.se. Naturvetenskapliga föreningen. Archived from the original on 2012-03-28. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
- ^ "Coveralls - Skulepedia". Skulepedia.ca. 2012-08-13. Retrieved 2018-07-11.
- ^ "Engineering Coveralls | UW Engineering Society". Archived from the original on 2012-10-16. Retrieved 2012-10-23.
- ^ "Flightsuits - Culture - CSES". Archived from the original on 2013-08-28.
- ^ Lennartsson, Louise (2019-09-17). "Lång väg för Lunas rockar". Lundagård. Retrieved 2023-10-14.
- ISBN 978-91-89792-31-9.