The glass ceiling has been broken. The first female general of the student carnival Lundakarnevalen will be the one leading the carnival into the future in 2014.
Why did you get elected?
“It’s hard for me to say exactly what led the jury to choosing me in the end. But I think I bring a lot of joy to the committee. And I also think my organizing skills and ability to multitask contributed.”
How does it feel?
“It feels great! It’s been two weeks now since I was elected and I’m starting to understand what I need to familiarize myself with and things like that. The first week it all felt very overwhelming.”
Why does one take on this kind of job?
“Because it’s so much fun! And also for the feeling of solidarity. It becomes obvious when you call people and they say that they were carnies back in ‘78 or ‘58. Once a carny, always a carny. It’s awesome.”
What previous experiences do you have from Lundakarnevalen?
“I’ve been to many carnivals and I’ve seen many tältnöjen and things like that. And I was head of the Film Section at the last carnival. Acting as section head gave me good insight into how the organization works.”
Could anyone become carnival general?
“That’s difficult to say. There have been different types of generals. What we all have in common is a high level of commitment to the carnival and student life in general, and also the fact that we are willing to sacrifice all our spare time to do this. I believe that if you have the right kind of commitment you’ve come a long way. But you have to be willing to put in a lot of time.”
Your aunt, Boel Flodgren, has been Vice-Chancellor at Lund University, and you have been a part of both Boelspexarna and Lundaspexarna. Has your background made any difference when it comes to you being elected?
“I think being part of a spex ensemble is a good learning experience, just like being part of any student organization. For example, you learn to speak in front of an audience and solve things last minute. You also learn to work with very limited resources. I think that has made a difference.”
There has been a lot of criticism directed towards the fact that all previous carnival generals have been men. What’s your opinion on this?
“I too was critical of this until I joined the committee. But now I understand that each committee has to elect its own general. When we were discussing who would lead our team and the carnival, we wanted to choose whoever was best fitted for the job, of course. It feels great to have reached this milestone electing the first female general marks, but most of all we just wanted to elect the best leader.”
Do you think you being a woman will make a difference?
“I’m not sure actually. I make a difference because I’m me and not because I’m a woman. But I think that we have a lot of goodwill because the first female general ever has been elected.”
What does Lundakarnevalen mean to you?
“Unlimited creativity. Each section and carny achieves a lot with limited resources. There is a lot of finesse and a strong sense of solidarity in that.”
The carnival has been given the name Futuralkarneval which means “Carnival of the Future”. What inspired you to come up with this theme?
“This was the theme that generated the most ideas among the members of the committee. As soon as the theme was mentioned, hundreds of ideas of what we could do came up. What’s also fun is that this theme hasn’t been up for discussion earlier.”
How will the theme show in the carnival?
“That remains for the carnies to decide. But we want it to permeate the entire carnival.”
What’s your recipe for involving and leading thousands of students in a non-profit organization?
“Joy and focus are usually my keywords. I want to partake in all sections and inspire commitment. I will be where the action is – even though my main contact will be with the department heads.”
Carnivals mostly mean partying and having fun, but is there also a serious side?
“Yes, of course. There is a lot of money that needs to be used in a good way. And all the carnival-goers must feel safe. We are already working with the police department, the rescue service, and the municipality. We will try to do the security with finesse as well, although we have to follow the rules.”
Is there anything in particular you’re looking forward to?
“I’m very much looking forward to Karneveljen. It is our first big party with all the carnies, in March. It will be so much fun!”
Text: Bengt Pettersson
Photo: Henrik Larsson
Translation: Karin Briheim
