Part-time Ghost

So in the middle of this week's excitement - the presumed-missing-now-presumably-recovered Classic Who episodes - I thought that instead of writing a really boring update about what I've been up to at uni lately, I'd kill time by sharing a venerable piece of university history with you.

Namely, the proud legacy of my own faculty, directly (and very quickly) translated from the Swedish Wikipedia article: the legend of Elof Sundin.

Elof Sundin is a fictional Uppsala student whose presumed presence has come to make its mark on the city's student life. He was born in 1943, studied theology and belonged to Norrland nation.

Sundin's presence started to take form at the institute for theology in the latter half of the 1960s. In Old Testament exegetics, there was a course with rollcall, whereupon the teacher by misreading called out the name "Elof Sundin". No one answered. When this was repeated in two more lessons someone started saying "yes". The matter continued. Elof Sundin's continued existence began to take shape and his name was written on attendance lists, exams were handed in in his name and was written onto different protest lists whenever the opportunity arose. According to the legend exams were handed in in his name in all subjects and he actually acquired a bachelor's degree in theology.

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Since the college year 2011/2012 the theology students' council at Uppsala University distribute a prize named after Elof Sundin, Elof Sundin's prize. It is according to the students' council given to a student who has "distinguished him- or herself by promoting a nice atmosphere, a spirit of comradery or good working environment among the students at the Theological Institute".