Meet MF and OF's new Student Union Presidents 2024
Elin Törnqvist and Maxine Waters are the new union presidents of Medicinska Föreningen (Medical Association) and Odontologiska Föreningen (Odontological Association). We asked them a few questions one month into the job.
Hi Elin and Maxine! Tell us a little about yourselves and why you are involved in the union?
Elin: I ´m 25 years old and will start semester 6 of the Nursing Programme next year when I have been union president of MF. I have always found it fun to get involved in different things so when I started at KI it felt like an obvious choice to get involved in the student union. I also have a friend who was chairman of the nurses' section so it was very natural that my involvement started there.
Maxine: I'm 23 years old and in semester 4 of the Dental Programme. I want to get involved in union activities because I think the community is incredibly rewarding, but also because union activities in themselves are important for us as students to be able to influence and be more actively involved in the development and design of our respective programmes and the well-being throughout our studies.
What will you focus on during your year as union president?
Elin: I want to focus on getting more people involved in the union and taking part in all the different activities and things we offer. A key issue for me as a "Flempan student" is to increase MF's presence in Flemingsberg and we have several exciting projects that we hope will happen this spring for our students there.
Maxine: My main goal is to engage our members. After Covid-19, some traditions and union activities have decreased so breaking the trend and getting people involved again is super important! But also to improve our union premises in Flemingsberg so that it becomes more pleasant and natural to socialise around the union.
Why do you think more students should join the union?
Elin: To be part of our fantastic community! I have met a lot of new friends through MF and my study time has become so much more fun by being in the union. Then you should also join to be able to influence your education, get lots of discounts and be able to stand in SSSB's housing queue.
Maxine: Because it is incredibly fun! The more people the better I think it is, OF is also free to join so there is no reason not to do it, but of course it will be more fun if you also get involved.
Vice Presidents of the Student Unions
The presidents are assisted in their work by a Vice President. Vega Strindlund is the Vice President for OF and Arvid for MF.
Vega Strindlund, Vice President OF: I´m 21 years old, grew up in Stockholm and am in semester 6 of the Dental Programme. I have been involved in various ways in OF since I started at KI, which has felt natural to me as I like to meet new people. I've played football since I was a kid, so I joined OF's raven team "Käftis HC United" and already on my first day at KI I jumped in and played my first match. Over time, my football boots have increasingly been replaced by heels as I've helped out at meetings and pubs. But there are many different ways to get involved!
Arvid Hultgårdh, Vice President MF: I´m 24 years old and come from Ekerö outside Stockholm and I´m in semester 11 of the Medical Programme. I started to get involved in the student union after hearing my parents share very good memories from their studies. I also felt that I wanted to make the most of my time at KI! During my year as Vice President, I want to increase cohesion at MF. I want to make sure that MF becomes the home of all students on campus, a place where you can get involved in what you like and meet students from all programmes and parts of the world.