The waffle irons steam while the waffle sellers at Kafé Uglebo scratch their heads over whether the University of Oslo has banned waffle sales or not.

Last December the technical department at the University of Oslo (UiO) said that all sales of waffles at Kafé Uglebo at the Faculty of Humanities had to stop. New regulations on hygiene and fire security were the reasons. Now, the department has reversed.

Vague statements

«The technical department has as far as I know not banned any waffle making according to the new regulation (…) The technical department has notified that we have to consider if waffle making will still be possible in the student basements, sue to a new and stricter regulation. It is correct that the technical department has notified this,” wrote chief of the department Frode Meinich in last week´s Universitas.

Bewilderment reigns at Kafé Uglebo.

– We interpret this as both a yes and a no to the sales. The university points to new regulations, in which it is said that we need to apply for the right to make waffles. In our contract with the university, that expired eighteen months ago, has nothing in it that says anything about applying. Since the university has failed to provide us with a new contract we choose to live by the old one, says waffle advocate and retired leader of Filologisk forening, Tobias Vidarssønn Langhoff.

Uncertain waffle sellers

Langhoff is unsure whether waffles will be sold at Uglebo in the future.
In the vapor from a fresh piece of waffle he explains that until a contract that allows applications for waffle selling is in his hand, the sales will remain at Uglebo.
– It looks like there´s more mess to come, says Langhoff.
He is no smarter by Meinich´s statements.
– We don´t really know how to interpret the answer from Meinich. We have been informed that it is not the technical department centrally at the university that deny us waffles. It is a mystery, we don´t know who it is that deny us waffles, says Langhoff.

No loather of waffle

The question is then if the technical department will allow Uglebo to sell waffles. Frode Meinich denies that he is the waffle killjoy.
– We are not opponents of waffles at Uglebo. Actually it is the other way around. Us at the department actually like waffles a lot, says Meinich.
He thinks the real problem is that Kafé Uglebo has failed to use the formal channels when it comes to selling waffles at Blindern.
– Uglebo has to comply with the rules, just like everybody else. The rules concerning the use of the student basements are now that an application is needed for making and selling waffles. As far as I´m concerned an application from Uglebo was never sent to the technical leader at the Faculty of Humanities. We will treat the application in terms with the fire security regulations, if such an application comes. And we will naturally also use our heads in such a procedure.
– Does that mean that Uglebo violates the rules if they sell waffles before such an application is discussed, and possibly approved?
– If Uglebo wants to sell waffles then they have to apply to the technical department, says Meinich.