Because Svenja van der Tol, former Secretary of the Agora, was elected as Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe, the Chair Team opened applications for the Secretary of the Agora for the upcoming Autumn Agora Kyïv. Jeanine Ossentjuk from AEGEE-Groningen was selected as new Secretary of the Agora. Let’s find out who the new girl on stage is!

The AEGEEan: For those who don’t know you, can you please introduce yourself?
Jeanine: Hi! My name is Jeanine, I’m 21 years old and I study Human Resource Management. Last year I was Secretary and PR-responsible in the board of AEGEE-Groningen and this year I am in the advisory board and in the travel committee of my local.

Why did you decide to apply for Secretary of the Agora?
AgorAsturias was my first Agora and I really loved it. At the end of the Agora I was determined to become active in AEGEE-Europe. I knew that there had to be an interim Secretary of the Agora since Svenja got elected for CD, and since I really liked my tasks as Secretary in the board of AEGEE-Groningen, it was the perfect opportunity for me to take this experience to the next level!

Not everyone might know what your work looks like. How would you define your work as Secretary of the Agora? 

My main responsibility is taking minutes during the plenaries and some of the prytania at the Agora. Another important part of my work is coordinating my secretary assistants. I’m very lucky to have five amazing assistants for the upcoming Agora. They will take minutes during the prytania and it’s my job to assign them to the prytania and prepare them for their work so they will know what they are expected to do. But apart from these specific ‘secretary’ tasks, I’m also a member of the Chair Team which means supporting Tom Simons and Andrea Ugrinoska wherever I can, for example with drafting the agenda, selecting participants, sending emails, keeping track of everything that is discussed and doing some random small things that come up.

What is your favorite part of your work? 
I love to get a look ‘behind the scenes’ of the Agora. Being part of the Chair Team means that you’re very involved in the whole process of Agora preparation and it’s interesting to see all the things that have to be taken care of. Also, working together with the other members of the Chair Team and with Svenja is awesome. We’re a super-efficient team and we get along really well, which obviously makes working a lot more fun.

Do you have any specific aims for the upcoming Agora?

Since my tasks mainly take place during the Agora, I’m very excited to finally really start ‘working’! I’m also looking forward to visit Kyïv and of course to meet a lot of new people.  I don’t have any specific aims, but I just hope everything will go well and that this Agora will be the best!

Is there anything you want to add?

The three things I like most in life are travelling, Spanish music and doing shots. So if you want to make me happy during the Agora, try playing some Spanish music or offer me a delicious Ukrainian shot [she laughs, ed.] Looking forward to meeting many of you!

Written by Wietske Jousma, AEGEE-Enschede

From Thursday 30^th April till Sunday 3^rd May another Spring Network Meeting (NWM) will take place in the second biggest city of the Czech Republic, Brno. This Network Meeting is open to 25 active AEGEEans, eager to learn more about Fundraising and Public Relations. Jana Védlová, main organiser, tells us more!

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us a bit more about AEGEE-Brno?
Jana: AEGEE-Brno was founded in 2007 on 21st March. Recently we celebrated our 8th birthday. Our antenna doesn’t belong to the huge ones, but hopefully to the active ones. We have around 60 members from which around 20 are active. This is for us quite an achievement.

What is the main reason for your local to organise this Network Meeting?

There are several reasons for us. First of all, our team grew bigger in the past few years and we have lots of new active members, who have never organised or experienced such an international event. Also it is already two years and a half since we have organised a European event, different from a Summer University. We were looking at possibilities and doubted between organising a Regional Training Course or Network Meeting and in the end we have decided to organise a Network Meeting.

What is the main topic of your Network Meeting?

The main topic of our NWM is Fundraising and PR of antennae. But of course, we will also have loads of other super interesting sessions that are supporting the Action Agenda of AEGEE. Besides, we are preparing a cool social program, but I will tell more about it later.

Why is this NWM interesting for the network?

We believe that every antenna in the network has some kind of problems with fundraising, finding resources, sponsors etc. That’s why we find this topic very relevant and important and we believe that bringing knowledge about this issue will help our network a lot. There will be sessions about communication with partners, Erasmus+ opportunities, Public Relations, plus many other sessions about hot AEGEE topics! Moreover, everything will take place in the capital of Moravian region. Brno is not as famous as Prague, but it is definitely a must see city. It is the second biggest city in Czech Republic and the centre of innovation and justice. It is a city with lots of students and full of bars and cafés. Also Brno has some buildings with beautiful architecture from the Art Nouveau and Functionalism era.

Who will join you from the Comité Directeur?

Antonija Parat, Secretary General of AEGEE-Europe, will join our Network Meeting.

Who do you have on your organising team?

We have a core team with four organisers: Tereza Mikšíková, Lucie Ostrá, Petra Védlová and me, Jana Védlová, as the main organiser. We will have a couple of helpers, although we hope most of our active members will participate as well!

How is the cooperation with your Network Commission team going?

Great! One of the organisers, who happens to be my sister, Petra Védlová, is also a SubCommie, so it’s good to have somebody from the NetCom in our team. Especially the communication with our Network Comissioner Tekla Hajdu is very easy-going. She is planning to visit us soon to discuss some matters in person as well, so I can say that we have established good relations. Hopefully it will continue in this direction and lead to successful NWM!

Why should people apply for your NWM?

Because simply it will be a great event! Our dear participants will have a chance to tackle all the important issues that are being now discussed in AEGEE, they can share best practices from their local reality, will gain new knowledge about fundraising and sponsorship opportunities, communication, good PR, etc. They will meet great active AEGEEans, make new friends, and that’s always inspiring. We promise they will learn and develop their skills as much as they will have fun!

Do you have any plans for a social program?

Of coooourse! We have prepared some traditional AEGEE stuff, ice-breaking games, a European night in a very special industrial place and some other activities that I won’t reveal now, because we want to keep it as a surprise. Of course, we are preparing a cool social program, an interesting city tour and our participants will have a chance to try delicious Czech beer and wine and experience the local culture and hopefully also sunny weather.

Ivan Bielik is now a member of the Comité Directeur. Is he still committed to your local?

Well, I believe he is quite busy working for AEGEE. There is a lot to do, since the Comité Directeur is preparing the EPM and AgorAsturias and 30th anniversary celebration. So that mostly occupies him, but we are still in good contact with him. He came to Brno to celebrate New Year’s Eve with us and he helps us and gives us advice anytime he can and we do the same for him. He’s a good friend and we are looking forward to have him back in Brno anytime he can.

What are other plans for your local? Do you have other big events coming up?

This year we are rather active in our local and international activities. We have created a new concept of local event based on European night, called International Dinner, which will happen for the fourth time since September 2014, on the 18th of April. Like every year, we are organising a Summer University in July, this time about self-development and leadership. It’s called Awake Your Inner Lion, Become a Leader! So don’t forget to apply, because it will be something to look forward to!

Written by Wietske Jousma, AEGEE-Enschede