Säverman: In the Past, the Future Was Different

Columnist Säverman observes the annual student celebrations in Sweden, particularly the noisy parades known as 'flak,' with a mix of nostalgia and critical reflection. The author notes how these boisterous processions, filled with loud music and revelry, have become a distinct marker of the season, contrasting sharply with the quietude of other schoolchildren's songs.

Säverman contrasts the modern student experience with that of a century ago. "In my day, the student, the female student barely existed yet, could look forward to a few but secure positions," the author writes, listing roles like insurance inspector, customs officer, or postmaster. These were professions requiring a studentexamen, or matriculation exam, offering a clear and stable path after graduation.

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In my day, the student, the female student barely existed yet, could look forward to a few but secure positions.

Today, while the sheer number of potential careers has exploded, the path to them is perhaps not much easier. The author points out that while students can now pursue almost any field, the traditional symbols of graduation, the student cap and the white dress, seem to hold a different meaning. The celebratory atmosphere, marked by loud horns and excited shouts, sometimes overshadows the individual student who stands apart, perhaps questioning their place in the jubilant crowd.

An elderly woman with a walker is quoted exclaiming, "Why aren't they dressed in white!!" recalling a time when all female graduates wore white dresses. This observation highlights a perceived shift in tradition and symbolism. Säverman concludes that the loud, drunken processions of today, which symbolize a bright future, stand in stark contrast to the past where the student cap and white dress represented freedom and innocence, leaving the reader to ponder the evolving meaning of these rites of passage.

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Why aren't they dressed in white!!