Despite the presence of the Covid-19 pandemic, for the very first time in its history, AEGEE will be organising an Online Agora. Like every year, different members have applied to different positions. In this series, we interviewed the candidates of the new Network Commission that will work in each part of Europe. One of these candidates is Birol Aslan from AEGEE-Ankara.
Good morning, Birol, and thank you so much for accepting our invitation. Firstly, the readers would like to know a bit more about you. Could you, please, introduce yourself?
Um, first of all I want to express my thanks to The AEGEEan Magazine for this interview. Since this is my first interview, I feel a bit excited. I am not sure what I should say about myself but let’s start. Well, I am Birol, from AEGEE-Ankara and am studying Mining Engineering at Middle East Technical University (METU). I am 27 years old and will be 28 in June, but I still do not feel like I am 27. I am a die-hard metal music fan. If I had saved my money instead of spending it on concerts, festivals and merchandise, most probably I would be filthy rich :) Other than that I love black humour and reading comics but not Marvel, DC, etc., mostly local ones.
You have been in AEGEE for almost three years and you have worked a lot for your local antenna, from organising LTCs to SUPCs, even some stages of Europe on Track. In your experience, could you say that to become a Network Commission member there is a need to do constant work at a local level first?
Exactly, because AEGEE locals hold more or less the same events, but by different people, every year and most of the time the new members take a place in the organisational team of the events. Thus, a network commissioner has to be someone who is experienced in organising events in order to help and guide the organisational team when there are no experienced people or advisory boards in their locals.
Going to your programme, what are the main objectives you want to reach during your period as a Network Commission member?
I listed five objectives in my program, but I want to dwell on the fifth one, which is “I will try to be sure that every delegate from my working area reads and understands the booklets of Agorae or EPMs before attending their event”. I want to speak at length about this because, in statutory events, I saw many participants wandering around without knowing what is going on in the event or what the agenda of the day is. Locals choose those people to represent them, but being there without knowledge or just sitting in the room without saying/questioning anything is not representation. Besides, it does not contribute anything, apart from a participation fee to the organisational local. I am not criticising anyone, but did you not get bored with seeing the same people in the question lines? During my term I will try to break the silence of the silent locals and increase the diversity of the questioners in the events.
Is there any special field you want to focus on during your period as NetCommie?
Actually, I specified my focus in the previous question, but other than that, like every NetCom, I also want to ensure that locals are supporting each other in work and trying to improve the quality of the network by encouraging them to develop new ideas/events.
Finally, in case you are not elected, what will you do into AEGEE during the next academic year?
Well, this is a tough question, because this pandemic crisis made it harder to have a plan for the long term, but most probably I will continue to be an AEGEE member at the local level.