SiÅs: Samfunnets au pair
SiÅs: The au pair of Samfunnet
Studentsamfunnet in Ås! The pounding heart of the student life, with an aorta into Aud.Max., and an ingenious network of capillaries covering Eika, Storebrand and campus. But hang on. Close to the heart valve there is some plaque. Is it atherosclerosis? Is it a tumour? No, it’s SiÅs! What on earth are they doing there?
Journalist: Åsmund Godal
Translator: Eva Szemes
Web distributor: Martha Ingeborg Evensen
It is not only Samfunnet that lives within the four walls of the building. Managing Director of SiÅs, Pål Magnus Løken, says that even though NMBU and Samfunnet each own 50% of the building, SiÅs takes care of the day-to-day operations. It’s been like this since 1990. Before this, the capacity was far from fully utilised, and private companies took care of the cleaning and operating the kitchen, which led to high costs. Therefore, the owners of the house wanted a new, neutral, third party to take care of, for example, cleaning, indoor maintenance, operating the kitchen, and booking, so that they could increase the income by renting out the rooms to external people during the day
Erik Sand (better known to many as Gregers) is the Leader of the Board of House and Finance at Samfunnet. He tells us that the kitchen of Samfunnet is rarely used by Samfunnet, so SiÅs gets to rent it.
They rent it for free, as, according to the law of student welfare organisations, NMBU has to provide areas for SiÅs, so that they can work on student welfare free of charge. SiÅs also works on filling the building of Samfunnet with other activities that are not organised by NMBU or Samfunnet (the 75% rule), when there is any unused capacity after the academic calendar of NMBU is set and Samfunnet has had its meeting about the booking of rooms.
Tuntreet has also heard that Samfunnet is planning to hire its own Head of Operations, and we are wondering about the reason for this. Erik Sand answers: “Studentsamfunnet has had a big increase in both economy and members since the 2000s. By hiring our own Managing Director, the tasks will come from a board of students. The wish is not to be free from SiÅs, but rather to take over more of the management ourselves, because we believe that students know best what students want. For a long time, Studentsamfunnet has, in our opinion, been the best at gathering people both for everyday things and for parties.”
Pål Magnus Løken describes Samfunnet as a super-important player when it comes to the evening and night shifts. He says SiÅs is on the team as long as they are wanted. “For SiÅs, only one thing matters; that Samfunnet is successful in their activities and projects, and that they can continue supporting and teaching volunteer work.”
It seems like Samfunnet and SiÅs agree. The student welfare organisation is like an au pair ready to cater to the owners of the house. Now that Samfunnet wants to take over caring for the house and home, there will be a bit less work for SiÅs. This is probably just healthy for the children, namely you and me.
