To Aarhus and back again or How I learned to stop worrying and love the law students’ association
From the desk of Bjarki F. Guðjónsson.
It was a cold and brisk morning, but the early rays of the sun warmed our faces and we were in high spirits as we crossed Copenhagen. It was quite early and the city lay dormant, finally at peace after a long night of mischief and magical moments, shared only by those fortunate enough to experience each of them before they were lost to memory. The quiet was of the sort which is only to be found in places that perpetually bustle with life, save for those few precious moments in the small hours of the morning. The only sounds came from the wheels of our suitcases as they clacked pleasantly on the cobbled streets and the occasional rattle of a bicycle chain.
As we arrived on the platform I eventually found an empty bench and took a seat, and used the opportunity provided by delays on part of the Danske Statsbaner (i.e. the Danish railway company) to review the materials for the workshop I was going to conduct the following day. It was the first time an Icelandic delegation was to partake in the Nordic Officers Meeting (hereafter referred to as the ‘NOM’ for the convenience of the reader) and we who had undertaken the representation of the group were understandably adamant to make an outstanding impression.
What remained of our travels to Aarhus were uneventful, and shortly after noon, we found ourselves standing in the entrance hall of a building on the campus of the university, which would serve as our base of operations for the remainder of the weekend. We knew very little of what awaited us. Nonetheless, we were forced to muster up the courage to enter the lecture hall where the coterie of like-minded law students had assembled. At long last, we were in the thick of it.
Those who are seasoned participants of ELSA meetings have long since gotten the chance to cut their teeth on the ceremonial formalities intertwined with these affairs. After all, finger rules must be obeyed, and woe is he that forgets to properly announce the name of the pertinent group before addressing either workshop or plenary. To a layman, these proceedings do seem quite perplexing. But alas, as the adage goes - ‘you must fake it until you make it’. And so we soldiered on through the weekend, going from strength to strength, gaining perspective and insight from our colleagues from across the Nordic countries whilst sharing from the fountain of our own, albeit limited, wisdom, however meager that wellspring was at the time.
There is a certain, all-encompassing presence of excellence that one may expect to encounter when gathered with a consortium of young people, united in a singular, benevolent objective. Never before or since have I found myself as captivated by this feeling as in that first gathering with other members of ELSA. I recall a moment of clarity in which I realised the full promise of the European Law Students’ Association. There is truly no force capable of limiting the ambitions of young people who wish to make the world a better, more just place, and our association stands as a testament to that.
Looking back to that meeting now, when a full year has passed, leaves a bittersweet taste. In a remarkably short span of time, a great number of us wove bonds of friendship, some of which have all the bearings to last a lifetime. When more years have passed I hope to reminisce about the many comeuppances and heartfelt moments experienced by those of us fortunate enough to find ourselves gathered in Aarhus during the final days of October 2021. We shall soon be united again to deliberate and discover new ways on the path forward, to share in one another’s victories and defeats.
Above all else, we remain ever united in the ELSA spirit.
Bjarki F. Guðjónsson