Ode to the lost magical lands of Maarintie 6
EIT suffered an indescribable loss on 28th of March, 2024. One it will never recover from. What used to be a concrete place of sharing and caring, is now just memories of laughs, late night assignments and theses not being completed. We want to give one final salute to our beloved Co-Location Centre, located at Maarintie 6, gone too soon. May this ode remind Athenians that everything is ephemeral, and one must fight for the great things in this world.
2021-2022: The slow rise
During Covid, CLC was left uncared for, its corridors sombre and empty. It was resting, for its task is grand. Once the virus jumping from one person to the other slowly faded and its threat to human’s integrity vanished, CLC returned in a grandiose opening in February 2022, providing its visitors with pizzas and beverages. However, more than its belly-filling treats, what struck the EITans is the vast space it provided. Desks and chairs and meeting rooms and hanging chairs and sofas, all part of the reason why so many EITans, some having started EIT in 2018, were enticed into spending countless hours within its walls.
It could be compared to a private guildroom, 10 times bigger, where only a few chosen ones were allowed to enter. One’s curiosity would be satisfied in CLC, as the most courageous adventurers found hidden treasures and were rewarded with a wide range of unlimited free beverages. Vehicles were available, which enabled zooming across the long alleys. The new settlers were so awestruck that they could not be silent about the seemingly unbelievable newly found treasure trove. Words of its wonderfulness reached the ears of Athenians. Those intrigued embarked on the journey, not to be disappointed. A handful remained throughout the summer to work or work on their thesis.
2022-2023: The peak and early signs of troubles
If you are now thinking that this CLC must be incredible, 2022-2023 CLC would have blown your mind. The new EIT recruits were introduced early to CLC, and they adopted it fast. An absolute record of EITans spending their whole days there, the different rooms busting with chat, laughter, or busy minds. Even some courses started to take place there, with great and skilled professors giving us their knowledge.
The coffee area became a legendary place, and was seldom quiet throughout the week. On a rainy day in November, a Wii console appeared below a TV, and the era of Mario Kart: Double Dash was suddenly about to begin. Around the same period, the horny stick was put in place: a wooden weapon that was used to great effect to re-align those who diverged from the holy path. Due to the overwhelming number of (monkeys) Italians, the CLC slowly became an Italian enclave, adopting their primitive language, lifestyle and events: CLC was in its heyday.
Finally, the horny stick was upgraded to the horny spear in March. An absolute miracle of craftsmanship, made possible by some survivors from Budapest who retrieved an upgrading accessory, in order to increase range and effectiveness.
The kingdom lived happily and peacefully for two months, when the first sign of decadence was looming on Maarintie 6. CLC kept on giving, but it was now time for retribution.
On a historical day of April, the horny spear disappeared. Gone, vanished, evaporated. No one knows where it ended up, and maybe it’s better to never unveil its fate. We were oblivious, at the time, that this event sounded the death knell of CLC. Unsuspecting, we kept our daily commitment to its grounds
2023-2024: Downfall and death
New year, new crowd, new rules. The Wii had to depart during the transition, further limiting the enjoyment of the fellow students. Lower entertainment led to lower productivity, causing even the toughest students to delay their theses and decreasing the popularity of this oasis.
Another blow came when the treasure trove at the alley’s end, offering beverages to anyone, became unreachable: this meant no more free hot chocolate, a key element to survive the cold Finnish winter.
Finally, the news fell early 2024: the CLC was to be no more. Its once grandiose prestance tarnished, its walls resonating of laughs, cries, stories, dramas, meetings, its generosity to every person who dared to embark on a journey to Maarintie 6, were to be annihilated in a matter of seconds. The diaspora of EIT students is now real, and no one knows where they will find new accommodation for their duties. The shadows of a new owner, not publicly known yet, has laid its hands on our peaceful piece of heaven, most likely turning into a new set of grey coloured offices.
Every EITans, old and new, paid their respect to a place where they committed so much.
Do not cry because it ended, smile because it happened.