Hunt for the strangest association item

Maybe Ås is a small place, but with so many associations among us, it’s hard to get bored. Perhaps it’s all the mystery, the fine association outfits or those creative member names that keep the interest in the weirdos in their diverse houses and attics alive? Either way, Tuntréet is ready for another round through the association houses! This time we’re on the lookout for special items – who can impress with the strangest thing?

Journalist: Laura Wanvik
Transalator: Michelle Grabarska
Photographer: Jørgen Berg Yndestad

The first stop was at Konehuset, where Koneklubben Freidig resides. Don’t let the turquoise exterior fool you – it’s all pink on the inside! The first thing that greets us at the entrance is a ton of cheeky framed embroideries. Following them up the stairs, we find the wives’ bedrooms and bathroom, and like everything else, they’re pink and decorated with naughty quotes. The human being makes about 25 000 decisions in a day, and one of the most important ones is addressed on the wives’ bathroom frame:

Another dilemma that might come up while visiting Konehuset is whether you should donate a contribution to the wives’ “book of balls” or not. (Un)fortunate individuals have left permanent traces in various pastel colors throughout the years, one being less accurate than the other. “I don’t understand how, but we’re usually able to convince someone at the afterparty to leave a print or two”, laughs the prospective wife, Frida. The book is out on display on the dresser on the second floor, waiting patiently for its next victim..

A personal touch on the interior is a clear recurring theme among the wives. In the basement, we find the female equivalent to the “book of balls” – Tits of Fame, where several generations of wifely breasts enjoy eternal time in the spotlight.

With various shades of pink imprinted on our retinas, we’re moving on to another women’s association – the girls’ choir Pikekoret IVAR. In their sweet, red, wooden house live four Ivarinner. The only man in sight here is Ivar Frithiof Andresen, the opera singer that the IFA-pastilles are named after. He’s quite literally everywhere, with pictures of him hung up in almost every room. The pastille is apparently good for the singing voice and is therefore highly valued by the choir girls – something clearly reflected in their wall décor.

But Ivar’s charming double chin is far from being the weirdest thing at the IVAR-house. Down the stairs to the basement, we can find various creative donations that IVAR received throughout the years, usually gifted during their annual birthday party. Among the favorites, we’ve got this rustic coat rack, whose sender is unknown, but offers a mix of big, small and double hook energy.

We continued our tour to Sætra, the association house of Tradenighetens Frøy, Flatlusa and Budeieforening. The stronghold of tradition has obviously plenty of classic Norwegian décor to offer; you’ll find a lot of trolls, a giant wooden spoon and some national romantic paintings here and there. There is an old spinning wheel standing next to the couch, once used to spin thread and yarn, now used to send pre-game participants in on a spin. With challenges and commands written in between each spoke, the wheel offers orders for sing-along and dancing, cleaning and baking, moo-offs and bear birthing, to name a few.

Sitting in the windowsill, to no one’s surprise, is a moose skull named Ida Beate, donated to Sætra at the opening of the association house in 2023. In addition to being a splendid contribution to Sætra’s aesthetic, the skull is also used for readings of Shakespeare and sinful folk tales in the evenings.

Another moose can be found at our last stop of the hunt, Bohemen – this time in a more lifelike and complete format. Lærkene offer both front and rear ends, the first being attached to the wall and the other to the ceiling. Upon the journalist’s arrival, the choir members was so kind by offering a sketch of an X-ray of the moose’s hidden anatomy:

The moose’s name is Kåre, and his head was a gift to Lærken for their 40th anniversary. His legs followed as a 45th anniversary present, and now Lærken is just waiting to receive the front legs for their 55th anniversary in 2027. Kåre is a lot more than just a pretty face and a nice ass, he also has multiple functions! Where you’re supposed to find something quite different under a moose’s tail, Lærken’s Kåre got a bottle opener. By his snout, Kåre once served as a bartender. Through a tube in each nostril, he offered respectively egg liqueur and brandy, together forming the famous Ælj-drink. The Kåre-bar is currently out of service, but that has only given him more time to focus on his role as an instrument stand.

We know that there is a lot more to write about strange objects at Bohemen, but regarding the word limit, the association tour ends here for now. It’s recommended to drop by during the afterparty hours if you’re interested in Lærken’s curiosities. To choose the weirdest association item seems to be an impossible task, and there’s no way to cover all that in two pages. Many more rounds would be needed before we’d find our answer. But as a kind of temporary conclusion, we can safely say that all student associations are weird and cool, and TT would like to thank everyone for letting us stop by <3