Active member of the Culture Working Group, Agora responsible for the Election Observation project, Editor for the AEGEEan and co-Editor-in-Chief of the Key to Europe 2013-2014, but also terrified by clowns and mangos, Erika (AEGEE-Venezia) is one of the candidates for the position of Chairperson for the next term. The AEGEEan met her to ask her few questions to know more about her and her plans.
The AEGEEan: Tell us about Erika in few words. What we don’t know about you?
Erika: Well, let’s see. I grew up in the Venetian countryside walking barefoot half of the year. I’m a Gemini, which is a cool zodiac sign, but, since it’s a double sign, the horoscope is particularly bipolar. I’m often referring to myself in third person using my surname instead of my name. I am absolutely terrified by clowns and I strongly believe mango is an evil fruit.
What brings you to run for the position of Chairperson?
The belief I can do the job. The Agora is the ultimate AEGEE experience, it is something we look forward to for six months and we are already speaking about the next one when the current is not yet finished. What could be better than being part of its organisation? Speaking with former Chairpersons, reading minutes from past
Agorae and reading the Corpus Iuridicum Aegeense (CIA) were a boost for me to run. During the Chair Meeting in Brussels, any doubt I may have had disappeared. I trust my feelings and during those three days I was feeling at the right place at the right time.
What do you think are Chair responsibilities for the Agora?
Chairing the Agora, of course. But what the participants see during three days is just the top of the iceberg because the preparation for an Agora already starts months before. Open Calls have to be issued, participants have to be carefully selected and all mails answered. The team is important because you have to work not only with the Vice-Chairperson, Secretary and IT assistant, but also with the Local Organisers, Secretary General of the Comité Directeur and Juridical Commission. Therefore a good communication and good cooperation is the key to deliver a good job. Last but not least: drafting the agenda. It’s a compelling process where you have to take into account several variables like requests from the Network, but at the same time you also have to make sure you allocate enough time for presentations and discussions. It’s like a puzzle where all the pieces have to fit perfectly together with enough room for changes.
What’s the role you expect the Chair to have during EPMs?
The Chair presides over the EPM and s/he has to make sure everything goes smoothly 
according to the agenda. The content of an EPM is decided by the Comité Directeur and the Content Manager and the role of the Chair is marginal, but we can still give our contribution to the organisational part of the event, for example by issuing Open Calls for participants and setting a good timeline.
Did you already have similar experiences in chairing? And in team leading?
I chaired and presented several events, especially thanks to my works as journalist and radio host, and discussions, including some Agora simulation in NWMs. As for leading a team, I was in charge of several teams in and outside AEGEE. The past half year I was the Editor-in-Chief for Key to Europe 2013-2014. Along with Svenja van der Tol (AEGEE-Nijmegen), I was in charge of a team of 15 people, while we also coordinated all the externals who contributed to our annual publication. I was also the team leader of a group of six people reporting live from Venice International Film Festival.
Chairing the Agora means a lot of work before the Agora, with a long term planning and a lot of last minute changes. How much time do you think you will be able to dedicate to your position if you will be elected?
All the time it requires. I put Chair Team on the top of my priorities list. Moreover, I
have a very flexible schedule at work and I can organize my time as I prefer (as long as I deliver my job properly), so there are no obstacles in terms of overlapping. Plus, I spend most probably 18 hours a day in front of my laptop and when I don’t, I have internet on my phone which means I’m available 24/7, and who works with me knows that I can answer mail at any hours.
In your program you wrote you would like to introduce the concept of Agora Debate. What is it about?
This idea came to my mind in Patra while discussing Agora reform in one of the Progress Meetings. We often say there is not enough time for people to present themselves and for delegate to ask questions, so I was thinking: what if we introduce Agora Debate? As I imagine it, it would be similar to Oxford debate, with a given motion and two teams (one in favour and one against) discussing it. Each candidate is running by him/herself, but after all s/he will have to work in a team too, so it could be interesting to see how they interact with each other on a common topic. I think it could be more engaging for delegates and participants to see candidates in another environment expressing their ideas in a more developed way.
How would you like to help participants to be more prepared for statutory events (besides the Agora for dummies?)
Agora for dummies is important, because it introduces delegates to the Agora. The fact that it is translated in several languages helps those people that have trouble with English, but it’s of course not enough. Hangouts with the Chair team would be another good tool to explain what an Agora is and to answer questions. However, the biggest amount of work needed to prepare participants has to be done by locals, although I think the Chair Team should be there to help them whenever possible. Reaching out to almost 200 locals is very complicated, so I think that a good cooperation with the Network Commission is indispensable since NetCommies have a good overview of locals. Several NWMs already have a session to prepare participants for Agorae and, even if it’s not mandatory, it is a precious tool for discussions.
You already have different positions in AEGEE (People Editor for the AEGEEan, Agora Responsible for the Election Observation Project); in case you will be elected how will you manage to carry on so many different activities?
In The AEGEEan we will have elections after the Agora and in case I’m elected I won’t take any board position, but I will stay on as a regular journalist. The Election Observation Project is very dear to my heart because we put a lot of efforts into it in the past year and in Cagliari we will finally sign the contract. Agora Responsible is an appointed task and I do not think I will be appointed again if I’m elected as Chair Team, but having me in the Chair Team will definitely help in terms of communication and future observation missions during the Agora. In both cases I am sure that with a good knowledge transfer and motivation, we will find someone to take over my tasks. I am lucky to be in those teams because they are composed by phenomenal people willing to work and do their best. I will stay active in both projects, and in the Culture Working Group as well, because I firmly believe that projects and working groups need active members, not only board members, so I will keep on giving my contribution to the cause, whenever it’s possible.
What will you do in case you won’t be elected?
First of all I will take some time to recollect myself, then I will let myself have the best 
European Night ever. Once the Agora is over I will start again. As you said before, I’m involved in some other projects and it is my intention to work in them for the next year or so. Definitely I won’t finish my life in AEGEE abruptly after Agora Cagliari. We always say that our organization is the land of opportunities and you never know what the future holds for you.
Sometimes Agorae are long and discussions may distract (not to say bore) a part of the audience. When this happens, usually people in the plenary room start talking or, even worse, sleeping. What would you do if this happens during the plenary you are chairing?
If people are talking it could be for two reasons. The first one is because participants are discussing the topic with each other. If this is the case, I would invite those people to take the stage to share their thoughts because it may be an additional point of view in the discussion. The second reason is because they are bored or sleeping, in which case I would suggest an energiser! Sometimes destressing for a little bit can help to get focus back; moreover, it happens that we are so overwhelmed by the fact we can reunite with old friends that we want to party and talk all night long, not thinking about the morning after when we have plenaries again. If nothing else works, I can always start singing and that attempt is going to be successful since I’m probably the worst singer in the world. The audience will pray for me to stop [she laughs].
And now a question that came from the Network:
It is not the first time you candidate for this position. What has changed since you have ran for the first time? Why should people vote for you this time?
What changed in one year? I changed. A lot. One of the main points of AEGEE is self
development and I guess that with me it worked [she laughs]. This year I focused on what I love, taking my goals into consideration. I reflected a lot on my skills and the possibility of running one more time. It was a slow process that made me aware of some mistakes I’ve done in the past and the development of my strenghts. Why should people vote for me in Cagliari? Because all the experiences I’ve had so far made me acquire a deep knowledge of the Network and being a Chair Team Job Shadower gave me valuable insights into the work a Chairperson should perform.
Which are the characteristics (personal and professional) the Chairperson should have? Do you honestly see yourself in this role?
I am very fair, objective and partial. This is one of the things that I like to bring from my professional life into AEGEE, no matter of the project. I think these are the core qualities of a good Chairperson too. According to my vision, the Chair Team has, among others, the goal to serve the Network and let the Network decide by itself without influencing their decision. Moreover, I think a Chairperson should have excellent crisis management skills because last minute decisions and problems are always around the corner. So, coming back to your question: yes, I see myself in this role!
Written by Alfredo Sellitti, AEGEE-Salerno