Punctually at 8.30 pm, the queue thickened at the door of the Old Canteen.

There were colourful woollen jumpers and some that lit on their own, the reindeer headdresses being the most prevalent, but there were also some people who favoured the Christmas pyjama look.

“You'll experience the vibration of this canteen for the first time, it's an energy like you've never felt,” promised Professor Oscar Dias de Otorrino, a loyal supporter of the students and a regular companion at this dinner.

We had had lunch there a few times and participated in events as well, so we knew the space when full. Therefore, to what extent would we be surprised to see all the chairs occupied again?

In a room with long tables placed in rows side by side, students begin to gather according to their degree years, like sports teams whose cheer is stronger than the other. Two floors with 530 people who, seemingly quietly, were sitting and grouping. In the centre there was a stage and a guest table, occupied by some lecturers and other faculty members.

 

 

The tables displayed red napkins, all meticulously folded in the same way, and the reindeer decorations couldn't be greener since they were made of corks. Dinner began, and between the characteristic Christmas music and the sweet smell of mulled wine, the tables became misaligned and the voices became louder.

 

 

The initial woollen jumpers were now lining the chairs or lying on the floor. As time went by, the high moment of the dinner, the award of the Golden Harry, was being called for. These prizes organized by the students have ritual and technique.

Every year quite diverse categories are created, such as the best colleague, the most charming, the idlest, the best accent, or the most dynamic. The lecturers and administrative staff of the Faculty are not forgotten either.

Each year of the degree has a committee formed by final year students that organizes a meeting with the AEFML's cultural and recreational department, which is where they define which categories to have that year. Each committee then launches the form for students in their year so they can make suggestions. Still within each year, there is a second phase, where the four most suggested names of the previous phase will be voted on, and from there a candidate is chosen according to each category and year. During the Christmas dinner week, the AEFML releases the final form for all students to vote. The final news is announced at the end of the dinner when the room fills up with a further 200 students who only come after dinner.

 

 

The first party signs come before the lights are dimmed. In small groups or on their own, the students come to the lecturers’ table and propose toasts, or sit in brief conversations. The animation is contagious and there are chants between groups representing the different years.

It is at this point that we feel the vibration of a space that seems to have no room for any other set of feet on the floor and whose voices echo throughout the university area. The categories are announced and the winners are called. André gives a more serious speech, most of those going to the stage laugh at themselves; Francisco is everyone's mascot and Carolina delights everybody when she sings. Almost at the closing session, Bruno Silva-Santos is the Professor elected by the students and the applause that invaded the canteen reinforces the impression felt by those who listen to him.

 

 

The evening goes on, there is an after party followed by a supper.

Behind everything stand 29 incredible persons, all part of AEFML's board, organizing, serving and following the whole event, doing a thousand and one tasks, leaving them with no time to enjoy the moment. And maybe that explains why President José won a Golden Harry, as the most dynamic student.

Merry Christmas to all and may the most deserving always win.

More about the party here.

 

 

Image credits: AEFML and Isabel Varela

Joana Sousa
Equipa Editorial