Active member on local level, Member of the Mediation Commission, Tom (AEGEE-Enschede) is one of the candidates for the position of Chairperson for the next term. The AEGEEan met him to ask him few questions to know more about him and his plans.
The AEGEEan: Tell us about Tom in few words. What we don’t know about you?
Tom: hm, you’re starting with the hardest question, you may not know that I lived abroad twice, but never in another European country.
What brings you to run for the position of Chairperson?
After being an active member on the local level for several years, I started to become 
active on European level. In Agora Zaragoza I ran for MedCom, and after spending a year working with much pleasure in this team, I wanted to remain active on the European level. To ensure I would be motivated enough to spend a year in a certain position, I needed a position which I would find challenging. Chair seemed like a prefect next step and the fact that my study schedule allowed this was of course an added bonus.
What do you think are Chair responsibilities for the Agora?
There is of course the visible part, chairing plenaries and prytania at the Agora/EPM, and then there is the work that goes on behind the scenes. There is the communication with CD, with local organizers, participant selection, etc.
What’s the role you expect the Chair to have during EPMs?
The way it is now, the Chair doesn’t have an as big a role as during the Agora. However there are a lot of discussions taking place during EPM where, in my opinion, the capacities of the Chair can be used to a fuller extent.
Did you already have similar experiences in chairing? And in team leading?
I have chaired several Board meetings, a Nedertop, and was moderator in several discussions during my studies. I also have experience in team leading, I have been speaker of several local committees and project teams.
Chairing the Agora means a lot of work before the Agora, with a long term planning and full of last minute changes. How much time you think you will be able to dedicate to your position if you will be elected?
Because of changes in my countries study policy, I will have this entire year to finish my bachelor before I can start my master, even though I only need a few more subjects. This means that for the spring Agora and EPM, I will have a lot of time to prepare for both events. The Autumn Agora is held in the beginning of the next academic year, so I’m sure I will be able to make time for this important task.
How do you think you will balance the need for allowing all opinions to be heard and respecting the timeline of the Agora?
It is always hard to make sure all opinions get heard in the amount of time there is available, however I hope to be able to cut off the discussion when people start repeating opinions which have already been said.
In your program you wrote about a fair selection of participants. Do you think the selection as done so far is to be improved or it has been fair enough? And in case yes, how can you improve it?
There was an incident last year where the chair selected participants based solely on their motivation letters instead of the order the local boards put them in, which caused some controversy in the network. Afterwards the selection procedure changed to keep room for the motivation letters, but to include board comments in the 
selection. This would be implemented afterwards for Agora Patra, however there were too few participants to actually test this system. So the actual test is still to come and I want to make sure this happens properly.
How would you like to help participants to be more prepared for statutory events (besides the Agora for dummies?)
Communication mostly. Communicating with participants so they can be prepared by reading the booklets, communicating with candidates so they will know what to prepare, etc.
What will you do in case you won’t be elected?
I’m not sure yet, I will have to find something else to keep me busy.
Sometimes Agorae are long and discussions may distract (not to say bore) part of the audience. When this happens, usually people in the plenary room start talking or, even worst, sleeping. What would you do if this happens during the plenary you are chairing?
Unfortunately, I don’t expect to be able to keep everyone awake, I think this is (unfortunately) an unrealistic goal. Talking people however are more disruptive to the people who do want to pay attention, and I do expect the be able to keep them quiet during the plenaries.
And now a question that came from the Network:
Which are the characteristics (personal and professional) the Chairperson should have? Do you honestly see yourself in this role?
In my opinion the characteristics described above cover the Chair quite accurately. A lot of those characteristics are also required in being a member of the Mediation Comission, so I have some experience with that. Even though I of course have an opinion about certain subjects, as every long time member would have, I have always seen myself as an objective person, being able to treat people the same in similar circumstances, and a year working as a MedCommie, I have expanded those characteristics and gained more experience doing exactly what is described above. I have been an active member since 2010 and have visited 8 Agorae/EBMs (Cagliari will be my 9th) out of which one was in my home city of Enschede, where I saw the organisation of an Agora up close.
So I dare to say that I do have thourough knowledge of AEGEE and the Agora/EBM to hold this position
Written by Alfredo Sellitti, AEGEE-Salerno