Tuntreet decade by decade: The 60’s

Summarizing the Tuntreet of the 60’s is difficult, in several ways. In the early 60’s it is clear to me that the magazine is gaining self-conscience regarding humor and coverage. The late 60’s on the other hand tries to turn this established formula over. So, what was Ås really like in the 60’s? And how did Tuntreet handle it? Let’s take a closer look.

Journalist: Tord Kristian F. Andersen
Translator: Aleksander Mæland Munkejord

“What is Tuntréet?“
I begin by reading an interview from 1962 with the Chairman at the time, Kjell Aksnes, who says “Studentsamfunnet should aim its gaze towards a wider world than the one we find in the courses.” Later the same year he answers the question “What is Tuntréet? Well, it’s Thorvald’s own magazine”. Some may consider this a contradiction, but you don’t necessarily need to visit distant places to discover the world around you. Studentsamfunnet was running at full speed, and the social clubs seem of great importance in this period.

Making Magazines the Old Way
In addition to being chairman, Kjell Aksnes was a part of the editorial staff in 1961. I give him a call to ask about the workflow, and he tells me, among other things, that the printing process was a tedious one. Nowadays everything is done on the computer, but back then everything had to be done analogically. All text had to be written by typewriter, later to be cut and pasted to a draft that was mailed to the printing company. Then, lead-sets were assembled based on the content, which were then printed. It could take several weeks before the finished product was sent back.

In regard to content, he remembers a lot of coverage about Samfunnet. There was a balance between what was pure fun, and what had substance. Even though Tuntreet had its own office, a lot of the work was done in the different dorms where people lived. This was back when people still lived at Circus and Tivoli.

“A Little Bit of Cheating”
I get in touch with Jon Godal, editor in chief in 1962. He tells me that making the magazine could be strenuous work, especially when they were few workers. Back then, with just over 200 students at NLH, recruitment was difficult. A solution was to use pseudonyms when writing, and Godal can tell of at least four of his own, so that it wouldn’t seem like everything was written by the same person.

Quality and Mentality
The quality of Tuntreet is a subject often brought up. In the editorial of 7th edition in 1963 the variation is explained: “As an excuse for a bad result one can choose freely between 1: Useless editor, 2: Uninspired and lazy students, 3: The financial position doesn’t allow for full “range of motion”.” The magazine is otherwise described as the editor’s personal mouthpiece. This is easy to tell by how the focus changes along with the editorial staff every year. A quote from an earlier editor concludes that ”It’s hard to tell if congratulations or condolences are in order, for a new editor”.

Structure of Samfunnet
In 1963 the board of Samfunnet resembles that of today’s, with a comparable amount of positions and similar specializations, in addition to elections both spring and fall to ensure continuity. Tuntreet, on the other hand, was organized a bit different from that of today. There was only one editor, elected every six months, and they were all by themselves. Towards the end of the decade this was addressed, by having both an editor and an editor-elect at all times.

The Economy of Tuntreet
In the final edition of 1963, the costs of Tuntreet are presented. Paper/print and other costs were about 1500kr. Ads could provide up to 1500 and selling the magazine another 400. Wait… really? Did Tuntreet … run a profit?? Perhaps not so strange when the ad-collector’s work was paid, with 10% of the total ad revenue. Ad-chief emeritus Osmund Asheim tells that in the first edition of 1964, the printing costs would be covered if a third of the magazine was adorned with ads. This is also something he accomplished, most of the time.

Pentagonism, anniversaries and cheese
At this time there was announced a naming contest for the new student village that we now know as Pentagon. Here, names like Solbakken, Kilejordet, Kjerringhagen and Mekka were proposed. It is hard to imagine any other name than the one we know today. The cornerstone was laid down during a ceremony November 3rd, 1964. A worry at the time was the so-called Pentagonism. The fear that people would be stuck at Pentagon and wouldn’t go to Samfunnet and the other facilities that Ås had to offer.

1964 was also a great year for Studentsamfunnet in Ås, when it proudly turned 100 years, something evident throughout several editions. Should you be interested in these first 100 years, the “Ås-studenter I 100 år” is available for free in the online national library.

The 60’s were also the decade of cheese. Never before have I seen so many cheese ads in one place. Maybe it has something to do with not everyone having refrigerators yet?

Women and Tuntreet
With March 8th still fresh in our minds it is easy to tell that the feminist tendencies are slowly manifesting themselves as the decade passes. I think of Foreningen Hunkatten in particular, as the oldest female student social club, founded in 1960. In 1967 the student population had grown to about 400, but there was still a strong male majority. In 1968 we get our first female editor, and with her, a great change: The logo of Tuntreet is replaced. The old logo not to be seen until 2004. The content is also largely directed towards what happens in the world, compared to the introspective focus of earlier years. The silly pseudonyms are also mostly (if not entirely) gone by now.

Politics and the transition into the 70’s
The tone of the magazine loses a bit of its formality throughout the decade, gets a bit less internal, and more political involvement is shown. In the mid-60’s Studentsamfunnet in Ås is still supposed to be politically neutral. Ironic, perhaps, as the 70’s were nothing but politics. The desire to support developing countries stands strong, as Norway is truly back on its feet after the war, and being an agricultural college it’s no wonder that there’s written a lot about how we are going to solve the food problems of the world.

Politics is truly the topic that shapes Ås and Tuntreet moving forwards, and it is something I will cover when I write about the 70’s. The engagement is on the border to fanatical, and has a great impact on how both Samfunnet and NLH is viewed afterwards. Many thanks to Lars Raaen, Halvor Holtestaul, Kjell Aksnes and Jon Godal, who have all been very helpful. See you next decade!