Jante University: Excerpt from Linda Maria Koldau's book

[The following is an excerpt from Linda Maria Koldau’s new book Jante University: Jante University is a pseudonym for Aarhus University. Department head ‘Nick Larsen’ is giving a speech at the Christmas party:]

‘Nick shows a picture on the large screen. Two good looking girls in bikinis, that show more than they hide. “This is Jante [Aarhus] University.” Next picture: Two obese women, whose naked stomachs are hanging out over their pants.

”And this is Østeregnens [Copenhagen] University.” The room erupts in laughter. I laugh along with them. Next picture: An elegant seal, balancing a ball on its nose.

”This is Jante [Aarhus] University.” Tension. Next pictre: A fat walrus, lying in the mud. ”And this is Østeregnens [Copenhagen] University.”
Guffaws of laughter.

And it goes on.

Picture after picture. After the fourth picture, I am no longer laughing. Is this it? Is this the department head’s famous Christmas speech? Oh well, it is supposed to be funny. But maybe I should learn more about the Danish sense of humour, so that I can laugh with them more wholeheartedly.’

[The University Post has in vain tried to confirm the veracity of Linda Maria Koldau’s cited Christmas party anecdote from the person that is most likely to be Nick Larsen. He has not responded]

Read the University Post’s review of the book here and the interview with Linda Maria Koldau here.

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