On Saturday November 25th, the large hall at Tartu College was a beehive of activity starting at 12 o’clock noon until the early morning hours of the next day. The reason? Korp! Amicitia’s 82nd birthday celebration. The organizing committee was of the mind that if something is worth celebrating, it is worth celebrating with as much hoopla and oomph as possible.
In the front on the left is one of the pledgemasters (rebasvanem) Maaja Uukkivi, who is black capped because her academic daughter Erika received her colours and to the right are pledges (rebased) Anneli Must, Kristiina Aasa, Heili Furniss, Leikki Hess, Liivi Hess and Kristiina Eichenbaum. In the back are the ribbon laden new full members from the left Erika Agur, Andrea Kivik, Anne Remmel, Erika Kivik, L. H., Kairi Hess, Heli Telmet, Katrina Müür and Kaili Yalle and a black capped rebasvanem Kristiina Nieländer, a stand-in for someone's absent academic mother. Missing from the photo is Killi Mirka Van Meggelen who did not get back from Estonia in time for the ceremony and to receive her colours as well as pledges Maiki Teene, Marja Kimsto, Tormi Kimsto, Marilyn Toomsalu, Juula Roman and Mari Wichman who were either in far away places or otherwise engaged. Photo: Maaja Matsoo
The festivities consisted of two distinct parts - the first a sacred ceremony for members only, as is the custom in all the “korporatsioonid”, followed by an all-out party with friends, spouses and family.
Seventy members turned up to participate in the ritualistic swearing of allegiance to the organization’s colours – lilac, green and gold, which symbolize courage, hope and honour. And once again, the three traditional speeches, which are woven into the fabric of the elaborate ceremony, all conformed to the unwritten “no boring speeches allowed” rule. But heartfelt, emotional, controversial, humorous, informative, dramatic, even a little naughty – all allowed! During the course of the ceremony, 10 of the 22 black-capped pledges achieved full-member status – their black caps replaced by their academic mothers’ beautiful lilac-coloured caps (teklid). The new full-fledged “amicad” were welcomed to the fold with great enthusiasm and bedecked by congratulatory members with hundreds of meters of Amicitia’s tricoloured ribbon (lindid).
And the thematic party that followed the ceremony was aptly named “AMICAFEST”. A celebration of Amicitia’s colours, which members tend to hold near and dear! The hall festooned with lilac, green and gold decorations and the partiers challenged to accessorize themselves in a likewise fashion. Who would have thought that so many guys like lilac coloured shirts and had been waiting for the right occasion to wear them! The party started with 100, including the always versatile and obliging music man Dave Lovell, who knows what to do in order to keep the dance floor “a-hoppin”. But by 5 a.m., the party had dwindled down to a mere 20 partiers! Next year’s challenge, according to rebasvanem (mentor to the pledges) Kristiina Nieländer, is to find a way to keep amicad of all ages celebrating to the wee hours of the morning. The challenge is on! At Amicitia’s 83rd anniversary, you will find not only the young but also the young-at-heart dancing their hearts out at 5 o’clock in the morning. The author can guarantee at least one such “young-at-heart” participant!
