How should we spend 12 000 euros of the university budget on student wellbeing? Vote for the best idea by 15.9.2021!

Public garden benches for students and staff, guilds, research groups! For example a flower/garden bed, with a broad bench along the edge, for sitting down with a friend etc. This will bring more colour to the campus, and the bench edge will provide more areas for spontaneous meetings and social interaction on campus.

Flower beds, fruit trees and more small-scale food production the Aalto campus. Flowers support pollinators which are important for the reproduction of a vast amount of plants, and many pollinators such as honeybees are struggling due to e.g. use of pesticides. Flowers also support human wellbeing and create a nicer environment to live in. If possible, it would be nice to have more fruit trees that students would be allowed to enjoy the fruit of as well as small scale food production such as what exists e.g. in the Otaniemi urban garden. When students and others living at the campus can benefit from the yield, this could in many ways support the wellbeing of the people at the campus. 

A piano which can be placed for example at the main entrance or in a student dining hall/restaurant or other public location. This can create a lively atmosphere if students themselves can play. It can also make group music performance possible. It will create more fun if students can express themselves through music.

Purchasing an active sound system that could be used or borrowed by students or organizations based on a reservation system. Aalto already has similar services for tech like lights and cameras in Aalto Takeout. Currently, in events with music and/or DJs, sound systems need to be rented, and they can be a costly part of an event's budget. Aalto's own sound system would allow event organizers more money to be spent on other things or to reduce ticket prices. This sound system should be portable, like a 2x active speaker + 2x sub bundle, which could also be used in outdoor events with a generator.

Right beside Otaniemi campus is the Laajalahti bay area with vast possibilities for hiking and nature adventures. For example, the Maari bird tower is located in the area. More active utilization of this area would benefit the well-being of students and staff. As many of the equipment for e.g. bird watching are expensive, borrowable gear would make these opportunities more accessible to our community members. These equipment could include e.g. binoculars or a telescope. A small visit to the near nature during the day would be a refreshing element to our community members every day lives.