Tag Archive: Finnish and Nordic Studies

Oren Tikkanen and Matthew Durocher perform with Finnish American band Laulu Aika at the Toivola Juhannus Festival 2019

March 10, 2022

Virtanen’s research to be featured in three PBS world premieres this weekend

On Sunday, March 13, the world premiere of three documentary films featuring the research and production-related work of Finnish & Nordic Studies Professor Hilary-Joy Virtanen will take place on PBS station WNMU-TV Marquette as part of their Festival! 22 pledge programming.

These three films result from a collaboration between Virtanen, film director and sociology professor Michael Loukinen (NMU), and videographers Kristin Ojaniemi and Alex Maier. Funded by a generous grant from the American Scandinavian Foundation in New York City, [...]

February 15, 2022

4th annual Kalevalathon to be held on Feb. 24

Kalevalathon is back again for the fourth year. Join the Finlandia community to celebrate Kalevala Day on Thursday, February 24, from 9 a.m. to approximately 7 p.m. Eastern time via Zoom as they read the Finnish epic poem, the Kalevala.

“February 28 is Kalevala Day in Finland, and locally, for years Kalevala has been celebrated with February’s annual Art of the Kalevala exhibition at the Copper Country Community Arts Center and since 2019, with the Finnish & Nordic Studies Kalevalathon,” said

January 12, 2022

Virtanen to present at online public symposium: Exploring Sugar Island’s Early Finnish History

In 1916, a Finnish immigrant to North America, Frank Aaltonen, visited Sugar Island, Michigan, and was highly impressed by the opportunities the island presented. The island was the traditional home of the Anishinaabeg, but by the early 20th century, its population was a mixture of several ethnicities. Aaltonen envisioned the island as a Finnish colony of farmers. A recruiting campaign ensued, and by the 1930s several hundred Finns had moved on the island. Join Finnish and American scholars in exploring [...]

December 13, 2021

Finlandia celebrates 125th Anniversary

A semester of celebration culminated on Sunday, Dec. 5 in a full day of dance, musical performances and worship. Dozens of Finlandia University friends and family members gathered to commemorate the institution’s 125th Anniversary alongside the observance of a now 104-year-long tradition, Finnish Independence Day.

David Maki, Interim Director of the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC) on Finlandia’s campus, delivered the Independence Day program’s opening remarks.

“Today is another significant milestone in Finlandia University’s history as we celebrate the 125th Anniversary of [...]

October 1, 2021

Fulbright Scholar Samuli Korkalainen joins Finlandia Fridays

Visiting from Finland and hosted by Finlandia’s Finnish & Nordic Studies program, Doctor of Music Samuli Korkalainen joins Finlandia Fridays this week to talk about his experience in the Keweenaw and the reason for his visit to the Upper Peninsula. Known by most as Samppa, Korkalainen was visiting the university as a post-doctoral Fulbright Scholar while conducting research at the Finnish American Archives. What brings Korkalainen all the way to Finlandia? Spiritual music in Finnish American communities from the 1860’s [...]

September 7, 2021

With Shared Voices: Finlandia joins UArctic network

Finlandia University has joined the University of the Arctic (UArctic), a cooperative network of higher education institutions, research institutes and other organizations across northern regions. The network focuses on research and education, building and strengthening collective resources and infrastructures that enable member institutions to better serve their constituents and their regions.

Through cooperation in education, research, and outreach, UArctic enhances human capacity in the North, promotes viable communities and sustainable economies while forging global partnerships. Created through the Arctic Council, UArctic [...]

meaning of sisu with Dr. Hilary Virtanen- background of text is of Lake Superior after sunset

April 14, 2021

No.1 U.K. Podcast Features Dr. Hilary Virtanen on the Meaning of Sisu

Most Finlandia students, faculty, and staff have heard the term sisu thrown around in conversations or even marketing materials on campus. The word is nothing new to FinnU, but in the United Kingdom, that may be otherwise. On April 14, FinnU professor of Finnish and Nordic studies, Dr. Hilary Virtanen, was featured in the No. 1 documentary podcast in the United Kingdom titled “Getting Emotional” about the meaning of sisu.

“If you talk about it [sisu] more thoroughly, it’s [...]

January 28, 2021

Dr. Virtanen dives into upcoming open class on ‘Racism and White Nationalism in Finland Today’

Dr. Hilary-Joy Virtanen will present the second lecture in the Spring 2021 Anti-Racist Open Classroom Series on Tuesday, February 2 at 4:10 pm. She will be discussing “Racism and White Nationalism in Finland Today” as part of her regularly scheduled History and Culture of Finland course. The event is free and open to the public. Please register here. In anticipation of the event, Dr. Virtanen provided some insight into what participants can expect and why it’s an important [...]

October 30, 2020

Dr. Virtanen to Present at Sonderegger Symposium on U.P. Studies Nov. 6

Dr. Hilary-Joy Virtanen, Assistant Professor of Finnish & Nordic Studies at Finlandia University, will present her research on Yooper stereotypes at Northern Michigan University’s annual Sonderegger Symposium on Upper Peninsula Studies on Friday, November 6. Traditionally, the symposium takes place on the campus of NMU in Marquette, but this year’s symposium will be an entirely virtual event that can be accessed through the Zoom online meeting platform.

The Sonderegger Symposium is a day-long event presenting the research of scholars and [...]

February 10, 2020

2nd annual Kalevalathon to be held on Feb. 28

Kalevalathon is back again for another year. Join students and faculty in celebration of Kalevala Day on Friday, February 28 from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Finnish American Heritage Center as they read the Finnish epic poem, the Kalevala.

“February 28 is Kalevala Day in Finland, which commemorates Finnish culture, the Kalevala epic and the notion of Sisu, all of which are important to our campus as well,” said Dr. Hilary-Joy Virtanen, Assistant Professor of Finnish & [...]