Friends since day one at university – now they’re organising the Regatta

There isn’t much protest from the two board members of Umbilicus (the medical Friday bar) when the photographer asks if they’d like to chug a beer for a photo. 

“You sort of develop a relaxed attitude towards drinking beer on camera,” Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær says in a low voice. 

Omnibus interrupts the organisers in the middle of planning this year’s Regatta in their office, which looks more like an escape room, in the basement beneath the Medical School. The Regatta is gradually taking shape, the two organisers assure us. There are just a few details left to sort out:

“We still need to sort out two lifeguards for the Regatta,” Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær says. 

“I still need to put together the whole PowerPoint presentation for the big screens,” Daniel Vestergaard says. 

It’s no secret that the workload involved in organising the Regatta is heavy. The two medical students have split their sixth semester, which is something many medical students do – even if they aren’t planning a Regatta. However, the division of responsibilities has been sorted out between the two organisers. 

“Emil is the licensing officer who makes sure all the permits from the authorities are in order, and I’m in charge of the finances and bookkeeping,” says Daniel Vestergaard. 

We’ve stuck together since day one

The two organisers met on their first day at university and were in the same class when they started their medical studies in late summer 2023.

“We’ve probably had the same approach to our studies: We just had to try everything it had to offer. Throughout the first and second semesters, we just had to get involved in everything,” Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær says. 

 In the summer of 2024, they were both tutors for the new students and were swept up in the spirit of the study environment. 

“A former board member at Umbi told me that being part of Umbi is like being a tutor on steroids,” Daniel Vestergaard says. 

So they both joined the Umbilicus board. After a few months as board members of Umbilicus, Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær floated the idea of standing for election to the executive committee at the next general meeting. The Executive Committee is the body responsible for the Regatta. The idea was pitched on the day when all good ideas come to mind – New Year’s Eve. 

"It’s a role that inspires a certain sense of awe because the workload is so heavy," Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær says.

The two organisers have gone from being classmates to board members and now also Regatta organisers. Recently, they also became study partners.  

“When I’m awake, I probably see you more than my girlfriend,” Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær tells Daniel Vestergaard. 

And it certainly helps to be such good friends when you spend so much time together, if you ask the two organisers. 

“We need to be able to put up with one another, because we can find ourselves in stressful situations where it’s easy to get annoyed,” Daniel Vestergaard says. 

“When sleep-deprived and a bit hungover,” Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær remarks, explaining that their friendship has been strengthened by the huge task of organising the Regatta. 

“We’ve grown much closer and made lots of memories together,” Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær says. 

Are you taking two weeks apart once the Regatta is over? 

“I don’t think we should,” Daniel Vestergaard says.

“We’ll have to study together at some point,” Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær adds. 

The two organisers agree that taking on the planning of the Regatta is something they would recommend to other ‘friend couples’.

“It’s the best thing ever,” Daniel Vestergaard says.

In keeping with tradition, the organisers are keeping their cards close to their chest when it comes to revealing this year’s musician. Omnibus is giving it a go anyway. For the past two years, there has been a clash of schedules involving the artist performing at the Fed Fredag concert in Tivoli Friheden on the same day as the Regatta. This year it’s Joey Moe. 

“It’s NOT Joey Moe who’s coming to play at the Regatta,” Daniel Vestergaard says. 

It seems the Fed Fredag theory isn't holding up this time. Or does it? 

Regatta enthusiasts will therefore have to settle for knowing that this year’s hosts are Bella Norup and Adnan Al-Adhami, both of whom are hosts on the DR P3 radio.

“We’ve created a lounge area in the northern part of the park.” We think it’s great to have a place where people can get away from it all. “We’d like to be able to offer a few more things during the day,” Emil Ebbensgaard Kjær says. 

“We’ve also got more La Pees (urinals designed for those who need to urinate whilst squatting, ed.) to make it easier for women to take part in the Regatta. There are more female students than male students, and we want to embrace that,” Daniel Vestergaard says. 

In addition, the volunteer first-aid helpers have been replaced by qualified first-aiders, and the bars are now serving bottled beer instead of draught beer at a lower price; what’s more, this year you can also enjoy food from a vegan food stall. 

The regatta kicks off on Friday 24 April, and you can find out who your student association will be competing against here.

This text is machine translated and post-edited by Lisa Enevoldsen.