The nomination for them to be Local of the Month (LoM) comes from Mareike (SubCommie), Julia Fuss (Network Commission Assistant) and Andrea Schmeltz (Network Commissioner) who speak very fondly of the event: “At the end of May an amazing event took place, particularly because the organisers did an extraordinary job. 15 super active members organised this four day event for 50 participants and nothing was missing! Beyond the “usual” tasks of organisers, their members still delivered sessions of the Network Meeting (NWM), which again demonstrated excellent commitment, reaching beyond all expectations. Furthermore the wonderful organisation, the delicious food, a panel discussion after the meeting with the Mayor of Osnabrück, awesome parties every night and always cheerful organisers made 50 participants very happy![…] Engaging very actively in thematic work and shaping Europe further belongs to their strengths. Located in the “city of peace”, AEGEE-Osnabrück lives up to its city’s reputation, and works hard to contribute to this vision, even if this means that one has to rethink their position.”

The AEGEEan: Congratulations! You got a really great recommendation. How do you feel about becoming the Local of the Month?

AEGEE Osnabrück: We were very surprised and happy about the recommendation. Everyone in the last and the current board, and all of our members have been working really hard so this is a great reason to party.

Can you tell us a little bit about AEGEE-Osnabrück?

AEGEE-Osnabrück is a very active and growing local with a crazy amount of ideas. We are closely linked to the universities in our city and have weekly sessions and social drinks, organise many events for Erasmus and local students and have organised several Summer Universities in the last few years, as well as the NWM of course. There are always several members traveling to the Agora or other European events, so you probably already saw us somewhere. There is so much potential, fun and activity in this local, that it just never gets boring! 

Which were the key-facts and people which led to the nomination, in your opinion?

Mainly a really great and motivated team for the Network Meeting and an incredible board that really reformed the whole structure of the local during their term. Due to this, our member’s number almost tripled in the last year.

How did you decide to organise an NWM?

Our secretary from last year’s board, Carolin Heere, saw the Open Call for the NWM and really wanted AEGEE-Osnabrück to host it, so she got in touch with our NetCommie and convinced everyone that it was a great idea.

• Why “Rethink your position”?

We were actually considering this title for our Summer University but were very happy that we didn’t use it. It was the perfect choice for the NWM because it is both catchy (especially in combination with the first part of the title “Osnasutra”) and went very well with the idea of a NWM that is not only focused on internal AEGEE matters but also on political aspects.

What would you recommend to other antennas which are interested in organising an NWM?

Just do it! It is a very exhausting experience to look after 50 people (in our case), but also great and rewarding when everything comes into place and everyone is happy.

Which are AEGEE- Osnabrück’s next projects?

We have so many things planned that it is hard to talk about all of them. In Osnabrück we are organising many events for Erasmus students so some examples for the next ones are Speed-Dating (which is actually focused on meeting new people, but everyone can use it as they wish), visits to two German Christmas markets, an International Christmas party and many more. In January we will have our annual Team Weekend which is a great opportunity for everyone to get to know each other. There will be many workshops and sessions on various topics as well as many other activities. We are also planning on doing a pre-event for EPM Leiden, so keep your eyes open!

How would you describe your antenna in one sentence?

The embodiment of AEGEE spirit.

Written by Gabriela Cioata, AEGEE-București

From the 28^th until the 30^th of May AEGEE-Osnabrück will welcome 45 enthusiastic AEGEEans to participate in their Network Meeting (NWM). Besides a great social program, including a European Night, the participants will also discuss topics like Europtimism. Dorothea Donges, main organiser, tells us more about their plans!

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us a bit more about your local first? How many members do you have and what kind of activities do you organise?

Dorothea: We are a relatively small local with around 35 members, but we have managed to increase our numbers by one-third this year in comparison to last year and we are continuing to grow. We are very active, which became visible on the European level when ten of our members went to the last Autumn Agora in Cagliari. One of our main activities is to organize several events for the Erasmus and International students throughout the year. Furthermore, we are planning several great events for the network this year in cooperation with many external partners.

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

After the last Network Meeting that took place in Osnabrück in 2008, we are motivated to organise yet another big content-based event. In the last few years we focused mainly on Summer Universities and local events. In addition we are happy to be able to offer a platform for discussion and exchange, which we consider one of the core elements of Network Meetings. We are ready to realize this special project with an amazing team here in Osnabrück!

What are your plans for the Network Meeting? What is the main topic?

Apart from the main content of Network Meetings concerning internal organisational topics within AEGEE, we have created a program including several political aspects to motivate participants to rethink their position within Europe. We are planning a great selection of workshops ranging from topics on AEGEE’s advocacy to Europtimism, combined with a great social program in the “city of peace” of Osnabrück. Additionally, we have planned a panel discussion on the topic Rethink your position – European Identity between regionalism and the idea of the United States of Europe.

Why is this Network Meeting interesting for the network?

As mentioned before, this Network Meeting will offer an extraordinary mix of activities concerning internal AEGEE aspects and a political view of AEGEE and Europe today. Therefore it is an ideal platform for exchange between AEGEEans. Not only AEGEEans from our network area, but from all over Europe.

Do you have any plans for the social program?

Our Network Meeting will start with some icebreaking games to make sure that from the first moment we have the best group spirit to start our event. We have planned a city tour in Osnabrück as well as two parties, one of which will be specifically organised for the Network Meeting in a local club. In addition we will be visiting some typical German bars and as you know: every European Event needs a great European Night! We also want to give the participants a longer afternoon break on Saturday in which they can either join us to discover a bit more of Osnabrück or head out on their own.

Who will join the Network Meeting from the Comité Directeur?

Paul Smits, President of AEGEE Europe, will join this NWM.

Who do you have on your organising team?

Andrea Schmelz as Network Commissioner, Carolin Heere and me as Main Organisers, Esther Hillmer as Incoming Responsible, Jan-Hendrik Meyer as Treasurer, Sebastian Röhrich and Svetlana Danchenko as PR Responsibles, Julia Bock as Fundraising Responsible and Greta von Elsner and Rosangel Segovia as Social Program Responsibles.

Are you planning to organise any other great event?

Whilst AEGEE- Europe is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, AEGEE- Osnabrück is having its 25th birthday celebration. For this purpose we are inviting all of our former members and any interested AEGEEans to join us for a day of reconnecting, discussing and celebrating on the 27th of June. In August we are organising a Summer University together with AEGEE- Köln under the motto The PurSUit of happiness! Adventure. Culture. Now. And of course you are all welcome to join our many great and fun local activities!

And last, but not least: why should we apply for your NWM?

The organising team, the board and all the embers of AEGEE Osnabrück are already very excited to welcome you to our beautiful city in May. Don’t miss the chance to participate in such a great and special program and to meet all of us in person. Still any doubts? Rethink your position!

Written by Wietske Jousma, AEGEE-Enschede

Our SU is the story of two countries, two organising groups, two girls who at first brought two very different locals together and an amazing group of explorers from all over Europe.

Once upon a time, two girls from locals not too far away from each other in Germany and the Netherlands met during a SU as participants. As the time came to start planning for the Summer Universities in 2014, these two girls (one from AEGEE-Amsterdam and the other one from AEGEE-Osnabrück) decided to give it a shot to organize a SU together with their locals. At the first glance two very different antennae were facing each other and no one really knew if such a Summer University project was a good idea. On one side, there was the very big local of AEGEE-Amsterdam and on the other side there was AEGEE-Osnabrück, a way smaller local with a very different structure. On one side Amsterdam – a cosmopolitan city where everyone dreams to go to once in their lifetime and on the other side Osnabrück – a small city that even Germans have to search on the map sometimes if they want to go there to be inspired by its lively young culture and beautiful surroundings.

Still, the two locals decided to give it a try and formed an alliance – after all the distance between Amsterdam and Osnabrück is only 250 km. In the following months, the two teams got to know each other on European events and in several Skype meetings. There was a regular update of the progress in the local planning process and everyone was getting more and more excited that this SU would not stay a dream but would become reality. At the beginning of August the time was finally there to start the SU (S)Urban Explorers 2014.

The organisers were all very excited and waiting for the participants to arrive in Osnabrück. They finally wanted to meet all the (S)Urban Explorers, ready to explore, dream and discover their German-Dutch summer in both cities. The accomodation was ready with a gossip wall, the whole programme on the wall, one whole room only with drinks, an individually installed kitchen in what used to be an empty room, the equipment for many games and much more.

As the name states, the goal of the SU was to explore and to experience different urban  and outdoor adventures in both Germany and the Netherlands in many ways. And explorers we really were!

During the first week in Osnabrück, the accommodation was an old military base in the suburb of the city – the perfect place to experience the surroundings and the beautiful landscape of Northern Germany and to be together with the group day and night. We were ready to bring the AEGEE spirit to all the AEGEE people, become a group of  explorers formed by organisers and participants and to go climbing, canoeing and hiking in the picturesque landscape around Osnabrück!

For sure everyone not only had to explore the city and the landscape, but also their own limits. How little one can sleep while still having full energy day and night was one of the challenges from the very first day with a programme planned in a detailed way from early  morning till late at night.

Osnabrück is the city of the famous “Peace of Westphalia” in northwest Germany. It was approved in the townhall of the city and it’s the place where we started the first day, after the welcome day with icebreaking games, with a welcome reception and a guided tour of the townhall. Even the radio was there to report about the SU! Furthermore in Osnabrück not only a lifestyle-tour and a crazy rally were part of the program, but also a guided tour by a nightwatchman to explore the dark past and the underground of the city was included.

In a salsa lesson we could see how much a body can really shake, during the excursion to Bremen everyone had the chance to try all kinds of beer in the famous Beck’s brewery and see how this drink that cheers us all up is really made and in the language course the explorers of all language levels trained their risible muscles during funny games and explored that it is not impossible to pronunce difficult words or sing drinking songs as a beginner.

With all different kinds of food like German bread or the menu of the university canteen we tried to keep up the energy  so the explorers also had enough power for the workshop about “Spreading Europtimism” that lasted longer than expected, because the AEGEEans from all over Europe had so many stories to share in this interactive environment. But real explorers never stay inside for too long and so the garden of the castle or a nearby  lake were the spots for group activities and energizers when we were not at university or the accomodation. Outstanding was indeed the canoeing during which many participants jumped in the river to refresh on a warm sunny day but also performed the Dutch dance “Hoofd, Schouders, Knie en Teen” on their small canoes and no one fell in the water – what an amazing moment.

During the climbing park in a forest we were all exploring our limits many meters above the ground between the trees for several hours. One of the best ways to really rely on your climbing partner and create a great group spirit. There was so much more going on also in many challenges of the day, but this can only be experienced and explored in person. The last night in Osnabrück, after many party and club nights, was a party of the 20s and so a real journey in time and a fancy night after so many outdoor experiences.

After over a week, it was time to say goodbye to the the city of peace: Osnabruck. Week two of our awesome experience started! We decided to kick off with a fine AEGEE-Amsterdam tradition; hitchhiking! A lot of people were a little hesitative at first but soon explored the long stretched highways of Germany and the Netherlands from the comfortable backseat of the car owners who were more than happy to take them along. By the end of the day every single participant and organizer had arrived safely and well in Amsterdam (fortunately for group spirit).

Time to get the party started at AEGEE-Amsterdam’s weekly social drink. After a slow start, the people loosened up and transformed into real nightlife explorers in the cosmopolitan city of Amsterdam. One crazy week was going on after, filled with scavenger hunts, photo frenzy’s, BBQ’s, city tours, a workshop about nationalism by Dr. Krisztina Lajosi which created many discussions about questions like the following: When is a flag a sign of nationalism and when is it not?

We all  had the chance to party hard in a gay club and a former church,  enjoy big parks in the city or take part in a tour on the canals in the beautiful capital of the Netherlands while the rain never got us down. You cannot imagine how much fun it was to go on a bike tour with everyone in a city where there are more bikes than inhabitants or to see the unique and world famous red light district all together by night.

A  language course, a workshop in impro-theater and much more brought the group closer together  even though we stayed with private hosts and not in a group accommodation in Amsterdam. Last but not least everyone could party one last time at the ‘goodbye party’ after over two weeks of little sleep and full power exploring in the cities and outdoors.  Here and there one could always see someone sleeping in the bus, the workshop or even  a bar or a club, but all in all every S(U)urban Explorer reached the personal limits the best possible way with lots of energy and fun. The last night is always one of the best but at the same time worst parts of a Summer University. It’s sad to see all those great people leave but you’re also unbelievably happy to have met them and to have organised such a time for everyone. The curtain closed on our (S)Urban Exploring adventure. But definitely not for good… See you all somewhere in Europe soon again. And we still have all the private letters written for each other after the arrival back home. A wonderful memory, a wonderful journey!

Written by Lise-Lotte Albers, AEGEE-Amsterdam

On the last weekend of June, six German and Dutch locals met in a small and completely unspectacular town in the Netherlands. There was no hosting local, there were no organizers and, officially, there was not even a program. Although the motivating title of this event was “Six in the Shitty City”, it was still the second time that this event took place. The AEGEEan spoke to Benjamin Feyen, one of the people who came up with the concept, to find out more about the event and all the word plays included in it.

In February 2013, several members of Dutch and German locals met in Eindhoven the day before they flew to EBM Valletta together. These members came from six locals, which were all located close to the German/Dutch border, namely AEGEE-Aachen, AEGEE-Düsseldorf, AEGEE-Eindhoven, AEGEE-Köln, AEGEEE-Maastricht and AEGEE-Nijmegen. Since they got along so well and because the distance between these locals is not actually that big, they decided to organize a non-formal get-together.

The name that this meeting should have was also decided upon during that discussion.”When we discussed where the meeting should take place, somebody came up with the idea to meet just somewhere in the middle between the locals instead of having a hosting local”, Benjamin tells us. ”Looking at a map, we found out that the six locals form kind of a circle, with the small Dutch city of Venlo right in the center”.  After somebody who apparently had already been to Venlo complained that this city was “really shitty” the event’s title was set: “Six [locals] in the Shitty City”. Benjamin claims that it was due to the memorable name that they instantly created a Facebook group and were motivated to organize the event.

And the event of 2013 was a success. People from every single local took part and enjoyed a weekend in Venlo including a City Tour. Due to the fact that the city center “actually wasn’t that shitty after all”, this year’s version of the event (Volume 2: “Shit me baby one more time”) was moved to a suburb of Venlo: Tegelen. Although the location changed, the concept stayed the same. Since organizing an event is a lot of work and mostly quite stressful, the people who came up with the idea of “Six in the Shitty City” decided to have “no organizers or responsible persons, but only participants (or shitticipants, as we call ourselves), who do whatever they feel needs to be done”, explains Benjamin. Mutual trust, reliability and contribution by everyone are of course necessary when an event is planned like this. That this can work, was proven by all the people taking part in the event.

The actual meeting in Tegelen worked out perfectly again. Almost 30 people from six locals (this time including AEGEE-Osnabrück instead of AEGEE-Maastricht) met and enjoyed two nights and a full day together, mostly by playing either soccer, “werewolves” or other gamesor, of course, by just talking and getting to know each other. Although there was not any official program, nobody was ever bored. Benjamin explains: “Basically it is a bunch a friends having fun together based on voluntary contribution by everyone, with the little difference that many of us do not even know each other personally before the event. Having the AEGEE spirit and believing in the concept of the “Shitty City” is what we share”. Still, “having a European Night is a must“, says Benjamin and this European Night in particular ended especially nicely by sitting at a bonfire and enjoying marshmallows and music. The favorite song of the whole group was most definitely “Everybody has a shitty time”, a song composed during the event and sung many times.

All in all, “Six in the Shitty City” is not as “shitty” as the name makes it seem! Benjamin concludes that although there were some people who doubted that this concept could work, it did! “And twice already. It’s for sure a very unique event in the AEGEE world”. People already announced that they will most definitely take part again when it is time for the next volume of “Six in the Shitty City”.

Written by Katja Sontag, AEGEE-Aachen