Travelling to my first Agora in Skopje I did not know how things work during such an event.  I went to the AEGEE Fair because that seemed real fun even for an „Agora beginner” like me. People standing around and answering your every question sound like a good deal.  On my way walking amidst the excited crowd of the Fair, I met a smiling couple selling some kind of  little blue notebooks. They caught my attention and I queued.

A couple of minutes and some euros later I already held my own original AEGEE passport in my hands. I was not the only one who believed it would be a nice activity to collect stickers from other antennae and, in return, give a sticker from my antenna to them. This is how I crossed 12 borders in one hour. This almost sounds like a Guinness record. Needless to say, this little document also is a perfect conversation starter with pretty AEGEE boys  and girls who you otherwise would not know how to get closer to.

“Hello darling, nice sticker, wanna exchange?”  

You can try this trick yourself during the nex Agora, but before read some new things you probably did not know about AEGEE passport yet. Dane Linssen (AEGEE-Delft), the designer famous for his never-ending smile, will tell you how it all started.

How old is the idea of the AEGEE passport?

The idea of the passport apparently is some years old. Michele (Mickey) Turati from AEGEE-Brescia came up with it, but his local unfortunately did not have the resources to invest in it and put the idea into practise.

How did you get involved in this?

The idea stayed an idea for some years, and then Mickey told Network Commissioner Koen Berghuis about it. That is when the idea relived. Koen was wondering if maybe AEGEE-Delft would have the financial freedom to make such a big investment. So when Koen visited Delft, we had a beer together and he told me about Mickey’s idea. I was very enthusiastic of course and I worked really hard to make everything work. It was hard as I was short on time, just a couple weeks before Agora Skopje -and it was a very expensive idea, too- but it worked out!

It has become a huge success in a very short time. How many passports did you produce and how many have you sold so far?

We produced 500, and we sold them all! That is why we are working on a second batch of passports right now. We want to distribute them during the Agora Enschede and we are aiming to make new version better than the first version.

 Nice job, Dane! Is there anything you would like to add to the creation and designing of the passport?

I would like to add that the AEGEE passport is ultimately destined to be a gadget created by the network and for the network. I want to emphasize that AEGEE-Delft does not make a profit from the sales of the passports. Anyone’s input is always welcome and will be incorporated as much as possible. As a matter of fact, I am already working together with Andra Nicu from AEGEE-Ploiesti to get even better results.

If you like AEGEE passport or the possibilities behind it, choose it as Best Merchandise of the AEGEEans Choice Awards 2012!

Written by Kata Szabó, AEGEE-Piliscsaba 

The AEGEEan asked you a number of questions on Facebook; actually one every week. Luckily, you gave us plenty of answers, and in some categories we got more votes than we could ever expect. Have you wondered where all these polls will lead us? 

To The AEGEEans Choice Awards 2012!

The idea was to make you choose the bests of 2011 and you did a great job. Your favourites will be awarded at AGORA Enschede but before, let us see the rules of how the winners will be decided out of all these nominees.

Through these polls you could add to the list anyone and anything nominating your favourite. In the end only the TOP FIVE with the highest number of votes were left for the final round of voting (which starts April 2nd). The time comes soon when you have to choose THE ONE out of five candidates. The final vote is going to take place here, on the webpage of The AEGEEan.

Let us see one more time the categories:

1. Cutest Mascot

2. Most Creative Title of an Event 2011

3. Best Roll Call

4. Best Dressed Guy

5.  Best Dressed Girl

6. Best Flag-stealer

7. Best Party Animal

8. Best Merchandise

9. Best Event

10. Best Working Group

11. Best Project

To make your decision easier and make you acquinted with the lucky ones we made interviews, listened to a wide range of stories from funny through adventurous to historical ones. You have already had the opportunity of reading articles in The AEGEEan about flag-stealers, mascots, the best dressed gentlemen and about the Where Does Europe End project.

We will keep on publishing more details about all the others as well and the only thing we ask from you is to make a choice and click!

And do not forget: 2nd of April – the final voting begins!

Written by Szabó Kata, AEGEE-Piliscsaba

Good news for our dear summer fans: a new Mediterranean ship has just arrived in AEGEE’s harbour! Let the world know that our European universe has broadened with the beautiful island of Madeira. From next year onwards you might have the chance to apply for a Summer University hosted by our new Portuguese member. Ricardo Gonçalves, father to the new local, is already showing true AEGEE spirit. Read a short interview with him about the background and their plans for the future.

First of all, how did you come up with the idea of founding an AEGEE local?

I first came in contact with AEGEE in Slovenia during a Youth in Action event. I met amazing people from Catania, Maribor, Wroclaw, etc. who told me about AEGEE and what they do there. As the event went on, I more and more wanted to be a part of this family. When I got back to Madeira I joined AEGEE-Porto as there was no local antenna and I participated in a Summer University. During my Erasmus time in Slovenia I helped AEGEE-Maribor with their New Year’s event. That was when I decided to found an antenna in Madeira and to give people the opportunity to come and visit our beautiful island and culture. I want to introduce AEGEE to local people and all the things they could do with it and increase the AEGEE family itself.

Have you already signed the Convention d’Adhésion?

We have not, not yet. We are still going through the process, but I would like to say thanks to Jüri Kirpu, João Monteiro, Luis Martinez, and Peppe Gianni who have been of great help.

You are the first one in „Madeiran history” who founded an AEGEE antenna. How does it feel?

Amazing! Still, I wish it could have been done sooner seeing Europe is going through a difficult time right now. Getting people to come here might become a bit harder.

I don’t think that would detain people from travelling there as Summer Universities  taking place near the sea are extremely popular every year. Are you planning to organize one? I know it is a bit early but in general, what kind of programme ideas have you already thought of?

We have been speaking about it, it would be great, Madeira is a place where we could have a great program at any time of the year. Right now it is sunny outside and it should be winter. A New Year’s programme would be great as well because Madeira is a Guinness book record holder in their firework display. We have a lot of things to show and to do here, from nature walks, to scuba diving, paragliding, going out. This is something we are currently talking about and still haven’t come to a fix decision. We are focusing on the creation right now.

If you had to describe Madeira with 3 words what would these be?

Sun, nature, sea.

Attractive! And the perfect antenna you imagine for yourself?

I don’t believe in a perfect antenna but as long as everybody is motivated I believe it will be a great team.

The first thing coming to mind when you think of AEGEE?

Family.

Thanks to Ricardo and Facebook for making this interview come true and we wish AEGEE-Madeira joy for their work and that their motivation will remain unchanged for a long time!

Written by Kata Szabó, AEGEE-Piliscsaba

There was a time in my life without AEGEE and I had no idea that a combination of four letters could change my life.

And you know what? It was like middle ages – a dark period without inspiration, adventures and hope. OK, maybe a bit less terrifying but most important there is a border: before and after the entry to AEGEE.

What I experienced then was extraordinary. Like when you get into Madurodam, Holland where you can see all the famous buildings of the country in mini version. If you go to an AEGEE event what you can see is whole Europe in one place. And when you enter this universe nothing will be the same. I am serious.

Alright, so I am writing this article about a European girl’s great discovery. Of course my first motivation was (like it was for many of us) to go to a Summer University just for the simple reason that I didn’t have meaningful plans for the summer. Then I bumped into a piece of colorful paper advertizing a beach, a lot of people from different corners of Europe who I could meet, and very attractively, reasonable prices. So I went for it. I remember myself sitting in a pub and crossing my fingers for my application. And after I read “you’ve been selected, congratulations” the stargate opened.

I was preparing very enthusiastically for my first AEGEE trip to sunny Alicante and when I arrived I immediately realized this was not going to be a regular Summer University. Here you need to be a superhero with a lot of energy. Actually all you need is (love…) energy. We laughed together, danced together, climbed together and cried when we had to leave. But there is a solution for everything in AEGEE, even for broken hearts so we promised to go to the next Agora to see each other again. Although it didn’t really work out but some of us were there and more or less we managed to keep the promise. What is more, we celebrated New Year’s Eve together.

Being an AEGEEan is like getting an identity, especially now after the AEGEE passport was created. I think most of us suppose we are way too little to change anything on earth. So did I. But if we work passionately on anything (except evil plans) we are automatically changing something. If not the whole world, ourselves definitely. So what an almost 1-year-old  AEGEEan baby can suggest: dare to care.

Written by Kata Szabó, AEGEE-Piliscsaba