I was a 20-year-old student girl when my parents came to tell me, with grave expressions on their faces, that I had been asked to be the yleinen seppeleensitojattar, literally 'general laurel binder', guiding the others binding the ceremonial laurels for the new graduands for the Faculty of Arts graduation ceremony in 1969. I agreed without hesitation. The old student building had been occupied the previous winter and mobilisation was already underway at the University. The graduation committee even thought that it might be the last festive graduation ceremony. I did not regret my decision. I had loads of fun, regardless of the fact that two days before the ceremony I had crashed my little light blue scooter on my way home from dance practice. I had to have 19 stitches to my face and the ultimus, who had been riding pillion, broke a rib. I took part in the ceremony festooned with a black eye.

Since then I have been entitled to attend nearly all of the Faculty of Arts graduation ceremonies: you could call me General Ms Laurel Binder. In 2002 I finally stood erect on Mount Parnassus myself.