This year all of AEGEE’s antennae from Helsinki to Las Palmas and from Madeira to Tyumen will celebrate AEGEE’s 30th birthday, even though none of the before mentioned locals nor most of those lying in between have existed for so long. In the last 30 years AEGEE has seen an incredible expansion of its members and its accomplishments throughout all the four corners of Europe. However, AEGEE did not start out as the multitude of students with supranational hopes, dreams, and ambitions as it is today; in fact it started out much smaller. With AEGEE’s sixth lustrum coming up it is time to check up on the six original locals of AEGEE and see how they are doing.
AEGEE-Leiden
One of the oldest locals of AEGEE is located in the Netherlands’ oldest university city, which has canals that very likely predate the iconic ones in Amsterdam. Nowadays AEGEE-Leiden is still going strong with its 270 members, original committees, such as the PaparaCie (a committee solely occupied with attending each activity, party or event of AEGEE-Leiden in order to take a multitude of pictures of the attendees to put on their website); and feats of fortitude, such as the Travel Trophy, a price that is annually awarded to a single member who in that year has traversed the most kilometres in order reach and attend AEGEE activities throughout the Netherlands and Europe.
AEGEE-London
There might not be a local that is more internationally orientated than AEGEE-London. Not only does this antenna provide a list of activities that are hosted by other AEGEE locals from all over Europe, it also provides information for students who visit London, among which is a list of hostels that have been recommended by other members of AEGEE who have visited the city. Even though the original AEGEE-London no longer exists, it is remarkable to see it back again since 2013 and especially to have it back just in time for AEGEE’s thirtieth birthday. This way in each of the cities of all of the original six locals members of AEGEE are able to celebrate this event once again
AEGEE-Madrid
Another example of a local that is extremely internationally orientated would be AEGEE-Madrid. For a country that is as diverse as all the colours on a painter’s pallet it comes to no surprise that a local such as AEGEE-Madrid would be heavily invested in creating a sense of unity within such a diverse community as is Europe. One of the highlights of the year for this founding father of AEGEE would be the Pesadilla antes de Navidad (the Nightmare before Christmas), a Local Training Course that consists of workshops and activities that help people to get to know AEGEE (better). All of these take place in a hotel in downtown Madrid amidst the Christmas celebrations and this year the Pesadilla will return for its eighth edition.
AEGEE-Milano
Just like their fellow original locals, AEGEE-München, -Leiden, and –Paris, AEGEE-Milano has followed a coincidental tradition of hosting a Spring Agora. Also, when the honour of hosting an Agora fell onto Cagliari, AEGEE-Milano stepped-up to the plate by inviting visitors to the Agora to stop by on their way to Sardinia and visit their city during the Agora pre-event, ‘discover Me (lano)!’. AEGEE-Milano was the first of many AEGEE-locals in Italy and it organises events in a city that is so rich in history and culture, it has housed people from Constantine the Great to Leonardo da Vinci. However, AEGEE-Milano also ventures deep into the 21st century, since of all the original six locals, it arguably is the one that most intensively makes use of social media such as Facebook.
AEGEE-München
Most members of AEGEE will know that the European Student’s Forum organises a great number of exchanges between different AEGEE antennae. However, for those that thought it was only between students from different European countries AEGEE-München might have a few surprises left. With initiatives such as the EuroArab Youth Exchange AEGEE-München proved that it is possible to expand AEGEE’s contacts outside the confines of this continent as this German local hosted an exchange between themselves, AEGEE-Debrecen (Hungary), AEGEE-Alicante (Spain), Leaders of Tomorrow (Amman, Jordan), Action Positive (Sfax Tunisia) and Abbar Youth Initiative (Alexandria, Egypt). Furthermore, if you have ever been on an exchange and secretly wished you could speak the native language of the locals (better), AEGEE-München will also help you out with their monthly ‘Sprach Duo’ event.
AEGEE-Paris
It is the only French speaking local of the six founding antennas and sadly only one of four French speaking antennas, in contrast with the 14 Spanish speaking, 21 German speaking and 27 Italian speaking antennas, of a forum that bears a French name. However, AEGEE-Paris is anything but out. With a plethora of activities, both locally and international, and some unique working groups such as the Environmental Working Group, the Visa Freedom Working Group and le Comité des Technologies de l’information or ‘ the IT board’, AEGEE-Paris still shows the world an impressive display of human spirit and like all locals, those original six and all of those that came after, it does it utmost best every day to keep Franck Biancheri’s dream of a more connected Europe alive and prosperous.
Written by Willem Laurentzen AEGEE-Nijmegen