AEGEE-Oviedo is an antenna that is growing constantly. It was nominated as Local of the Month of April because it organised a successful Regional Training Course (RTC) in cooperation with AEGEE-León and the Youth Mobility Working Group, “To Europe and Beyond”. The event was made up of a group of 23 participants plus seven organisers and three trainers. Since the main topic of the activity was mobility, the event was based on three pillars: the concept of mobility, its barriers and benefits and different kind of mobility programmes that you can benefit from (depending if you’re looking for a job, studies, volunteering or just pleasure). Besides that and more in detail, the AEGEE members were also delivered sessions about the Erasmus+ programme, its structure and several projects in which you can participate. Furthermore, they were working on some aspects like communication or active listening. Read this interview with the board of AEGEE-Oviedo and find out about their experience.

The AEGEEan: Congratulations for being selected as Local of the Month of April. How did it feel to find out that you were nominated?

AEGEE-Oviedo Board: Grazie mille! For us it is a great honour, because this proves that our effort and work is acknowledged. We do not do things in order to receive awards, but it is nice to get recognition for the things you do, since it also serves as motivation to keep working and improving. Also, we would like to thank the network for nominating us!

Introduce yourselves and tell us your AEGEE-Oviedo story. How did it start? Can you tell us a bit more about your local?

AEGEE-Oviedo was founded by students of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Oviedo on the 21st of December 1988. As it was told by Alain Fernández at our 25th anniversary in 2013, the very first president of the local, AEGEE-Oviedo was born as a way to protest against a European directive.

In the course of 1986-1987, the need for medicine students to pass a public examination before having their compulsory internships in hospitals was implemented in Spain. According to the results of that exam, they could choose a specialisation.

To medicine students all over Spain, this seemed like a trap: after six years of hard study, they needed to pass a general exam of everything they had learnt in that time in order to be able to start their internship period. They protested and they went on strike… But since it was a European directive, it was approved anyway.

And this is where Alain and his colleagues discovered AEGEE: “If we get a better understanding of Europe, we can be more aware of what is going on”. Thus, they started a local that became one of the largest in Europe with almost 2000 members back in the nineties.

Almost thirty years later, the flame is still alive and with enough fuel for at least another thirty years of getting Europe closer to Asturias… And Asturias closer to Europe.

How did you come up with idea to organise an RTC with AEGEE-León and the Youth Mobility Working Group and how did you manage to succeed? Can you tell us the secret to organise a perfect RTC?

The idea of organising something with AEGEE-León came up almost a year ago during Spring NWM Santander 2016, when some members of AEGEE-León and AEGEE-Oviedo were talking about doing something in collaboration, because the antennae are only 120 kilometres away from each other. So we started thinking about what we could do and we came up with the idea of organising an RTC.

During the following course (2016-2017), the members of our antennae started to go to each other’s activities and do some visits, and in January we made the right decision.

Both locals started to prepare the RTC with the first and reasonable decision that half of the organisers would be from Oviedo and the other half from León, despite the fact that the event would take place in La Vecilla (León).

Afterwards, it was proposed to cooperate with the Youth Mobility Working Group, since both antennae are some of the most experienced in the La Nave area regarding mobility, but it was also a natural decision due to the fact that both antennae have members involved in that Working Group. It was the perfect mix! For us, Oviedo plus León plus Mobility meant RTC.

What were the difficult moments in organising the event? 

Well, actually, we could say that organizing an event between two locals is quite challenging. Firstly: both locals should find a common aim. Secondly: you need a team able to work and build something together without knowing each other from before. It may seem simple in theory, but the reality is not that easy! Especially when your team has to work in the distance. Maybe that was one of the most difficult parts since there are some specific tasks, like the logistic part, in which one local carries the weight of everything until the event starts.

This has nothing to do with bad experiences during our event, but sometimes trying to find the right balance between both locals is not that easy. Fortunately, both locals had the same interests and some of us were already friends before taking the decision of starting that project together so we didn’t have that kind of obstacles while organizing. That’s why if we had to choose or define the real and biggest problem, we would say the huge amount of events that were also happening in the same month and even quite near us. It’s not only about the amount of activities, but also the profile of participants you’re looking for or may be interested on the topic. At the end having so many different kind of events around means people have to choose and we got less participants that we expected, being also much more difficult for us to convince them to come.

Was the RTC productive somehow? 

Sure! We achieved our common goals, we were able to overcome difficulties as a team, new bonds were created and, at the same time, the old ones were reinforced. AEGEE-León was a great partner and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them all their effort and work that was done. Regarding to the event and the content itself, we tried to do our best and we reveiced great feedback from our participants. That means, finally, everyone learnt from each other while having fun all together.

What are you working on at the moment?

While we are writing these lines, the Summer University of AEGEE-Oviedo, “Guardians of the Paradise vol.9” is going on, making participants discover the wonders of Asturias and why the North of Spain (and this very land) has nothing to do with the clichés about our country.

In addition, we are already planning the course of 2017-2018, thinking about the activities we are going to organise for our members, starting with the after-summer BBQ, and for the international students of the University of Oviedo. By the way, did you know that, in 2018, AEGEE-Oviedo will turn 30? Stay tuned.

What is the “Impro Night”?

The “Impro Night” is an activity for our members and international students of the University of Oviedo that happens in “La Salvaje”, a pub in Oviedo, which provides us with a small stage with a mic and some instruments.

In a way, it is like a jam session, but also for speaking: if your passion is singing, showing other people how well you play the piano or the guitar, or how big of a comedian you are, this is for you.

You can also participate in groups singing your favourite song, as the aim here is just to have fun!

Did you do any other activities during the month of April?

During the month of April we also organised a Mini European School about self-development in collaboration with the AEGEE-Academy where our participants got the chance to put their routine on hold and to focus on themselves. We invited them to reflect on the path that had led them where they were, and how that path had shaped them; and finally, they also discovered how they had realised their own competences and skills, becoming aware of their potential to create an impact.

At the same time, more than 60 people of the Network came to the ‘’Primer Sidre’l Añu’’ event taking place in Gijón to eat some cachopo and drink sidra. This activity became popular after Spring AgorAsturias 2015, so we’re thinking about establishing it as a regular event during Easter.

And last but not least, some of our members went to a Training Course in which AEGEE-Oviedo was partner called ‘’Escape cyber – Enter life Training Course Erasmus+’’ in Turkey. The main purpose of this event was raising awareness among the participants about the modern phenomenon of the mental disorder of internet addiction, the supply of specialised knowledge, the development of “know how” and special tracing, acknowledgement, psychological approach and confronting techniques against this phenomenon. The crisis of values that characterises our modern and developed society leads young people to false behaviours, guiding them to social isolation and self-exclusion, to depression, to dangerous behaviours with uncontrolled consequences, mental disorders and many – many more hazardous paths.

When was the new board elected?

The board of 2017-2018 was elected on the 9th of June and, during one month, we had our knowledge transfer between old and new members, so since the 9th of July the new board is in force, even though some positions are still open and will be elected in September.

Can you tell us something about the board members?

It is a board of seven members: three of them continued from the previous board and the remaining four are fresh members. The whole team is motivated to do great things during the year.

Are there any members who take part in AEGEE projects or Working Groups?

We have members in the Health for Youth Interest Group (H4Y, Irene Dios and Sandra González), Gender Equality Working Group (GEWG, Jesús Baizán, Luz Gómez, Marga Arbina, Sandra Pandiella and Silvia García), Public Relations Committee (PRC, Gerardo García), Youth Mobility Working Group (YMWG, Laura López), the AEGEE-Academy (Eugenia Casariego, Gerardo García and Laura López) and the Juridical Commision (JC, Jesús Baizán) while in the recent past we also had members being part of the Network Commission (Olga Rivero, Juan Sordo, Marcos Herrero), Information Technology Committee (ITC, Alberto Cuesta), Summer University Coordination Team (SUCT, Gerardo García) and Chair Team (Alberto Cuesta).

Can you describe your local in one sentence?

Our local is an energetic and friendly group that likes non-formal education, organising great activities and we always have room for some social time at meetings and events.

What is your motto?

Little things can be great!

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

The festivals of  Midsummer’s Eve, known as Saint John’s Eve among Christians, have roots in ancient celebrations related to the summer solstice. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southward again. The Bonfires of Saint John’s (Hogueras de San Juan) is a traditional and popular festival, customary for many cities in Spain. The greatest bonfires though are those of Alicante. For this occasion AEGEE-Alicante has organised an event this year. We have talked with the instigators and local organisers of “Alicante on Fire” Elena Agulló, Melissa Carreres and Verónica Pérez. Here is what we have learned of this magical event.

“Alicant on Fire” was held from the 22th until the 25th of June in the coast city of Alicante and 35 participants were part of the group. They were coming from 18 different antennae, mostly Spanish, and they gathered together to celebrate the Hogueras and get to know the local traditions. This was the main aim of the organisers who were a total of eight people. The surprising thing is that inside the group of organisers, just three people were born in Alicante. “The rest of us didn’t have so many idea of Hogueras, but we all could say that we learned and enjoyed a lot these festivities as though we have been doing this for all our life!” says Melissa.

My main question to Melissa, though, was what’s this element that makes Hogueras unique among other festivals in Spain and other countries. The answer I got from all girls contributing to the intreview was simple: “The triplette that Alicante offers during Hogueras: sea, fire and party!”. A festival in essence that manages to combine its long tradition and reveal itself in harmony with the perfect scenery of Alicante. This is what the participants actually appreciated. They had the chance to see the authentic spots of the festival and live the rhythm of Hogueras close to the locals. As one participant says about the event “I am happy because I enjoyed this event so much. I met lots of good people from Alicante and other antennae. It was smart. I enjoyed all activities, thanks to the beach. First event of fogueres? Very good.”

And it was indeed an amazing job if you consider the fact that their motivation started flourishing during the Mini European School for SelfDevelopment which was organised by AEGEE-Oviedo. The local organisers of Hogueras came back with this willingness to deal with the lack of members available in that period -usually due to exams at university- and create something to develop their antenna and show their magic city during this time of the year. And they achieved their goal managing to engage their members and make the participants get the most out of it.

The programme though did not only include activities related to Hogueras. The participants had the chance to practise and learn new skills through various other activities, such for an example a very relaxing yoga workshop on the beach.

Of course, as every AEGEE event that focuses on the local history and tradition of the place where an antenna is located, “Alicante on Fire” managed to have an impact on the community of Alicante as well. Firstly, the organisers supported the local festivities by having them known in a wider range and by giving a refreshing touch through all these young participants that were in the city for the event. But this wasn’t a one-way relationship, as the organisers enjoyed a very fruitful collaboration with the local authorities. They had support from the University of Alicante, Diputación of Alicante and Alicante Municipal Tourist Board, that have all helped this event to reach another level of quality.

In conclusion I would like to leave you with the hidden promise that Melissa left us in the interview. “We are proud of all the hard work that was done and very happy to see that everybody has enjoyed a lot the event. Maybe next year we will have a second edition.. Would you apply?” We, definitely yes!!!

Written by Vasiliki Andrioti, AEGEE-Ioannina

Once known for being the largest antenna, nowadays AEGEE-Oviedo is known for its amazing nature and traditions that have nothing to do with the typical image of Spain. In this interview, the board of AEGEE-Oviedo talks about its local’s customs, their famous, adventurous Summer Universities and much more…

First off, could you tell us something about AEGEE-Oviedo?

AEGEE-Oviedo was founded in 1988 by medicine students of  Oviedo University. Back in the day, it was the largest antenna in the whole network with almost 2000 members! Hard to believe, as nowadays it consists of 120 members, including nine board members. Some of our members are also involved in European Bodies, and actually one of them is not even human…! Llobu, which means ‘’wolf” in the Asturian language, is our adorable, fluffy mascot! 

AEGEE-Oviedo organises a lot of activities throughout the year, ranging from Erasmus activities and various trips, to our Summer University, which is focused on sports and adventure. In most cases, members discover the region Asturias and its many treasures, and visitors find out why this region has nothing to do with the clichés about Spain. For the local members, we organise a lot as well; for example, barbecues, Local Training Courses, chigrequedadas (our social drink meetings, try pronouncing that correctly!), training in non-formal education, sports and other activities. All in all, they do not need to be bored, as if just studying is not enough!

What kind of traditions or local habits does AEGEE-Oviedo have?

AEGEE-Oviedo takes its traditions from the land the local is set on: Asturias. As mentioned above, this region has little in common with the stereotypical image of Spain with flamenco, paella and infinite sunny beaches.  In our region, green mountains with snowy peaks, and wavy beaches between high cliffs are more the thing.

As you might have seen in most of the latest promotional videos, there is an appearance of bagpipes. Because this is a Celtic land, there is no flamenco to be found here; that’s from the Andalucían region in the south. We are proud of the fact that modern Spain was born in this region, from where the rest of the Iberian Peninsula was retaken from Muslim Caliphates, starting in 722.

Furthermore, our food has nothing to do with paella nor the infamous drink sangría. Fabada (bean casserole with ham and blood sausage) and cachopo (a “meat sandwich”) are the main traditional dishes. Moreover, the proximity to the sea gives us delicious fresh salmon, squid, crab and octopus. Regarding drinks, sidra, which is the local cider from our region is the most popular. Since sidra is not fizzy from itself, we pour it from above our heads into the glass to create a hint of fizziness!

How does this influence us? Well, our social drink meetings usually involve sidra and cachopo, and the sound of bagpipes gives us goosebumps, especially when we are far from home… We focus a lot on telling visitors about the special histories and customs of this place to break the stereotypes about Spain, which are usually just related to Madrid and the Mediterranean coast.

You organized the Summer University in co-operation with the ‘Health for you’ (H4Y) project group, what did you learn during the SU?

For over ten years, our Summer University has been based on sport and adventure. It was the best SU in 2009 and the third best one in 2010. Kayaking, horse-riding, archery, golf, mountain biking, hiking and surfing are some of the activities we have offered. We have to rotate which activities to do every year, as time and money are unfortunately limited. For the SU in 2016 we thought that it would be cool to link it with H4Y due to its characteristics.

Trainings about the power of habits, healthy lifestyle, improvisation theatre and life hacks were delivered by Mayri Tiido, founder of the H4Y Project back in 2012. By these trainings the participants not only gained a broader view of what being healthy is, but also allowed them to reflect on their personal situations and how to improve them.

What are your most common ways to encourage Oviedo students to become an AEGEE-Oviedo member?

In order to keep our numbers over one hundred, we participate in the introduction days of the University of Oviedo at the beginning of the academic year, allowing students to discover us and our activities. Furthermore, we invite everyone, who’s interested, to a barbecue where we explain what AEGEE is. Throughout the year we encourage members to bring a non-AEGEEan friends to any event, so that they can discover the association.

Then, when the SU period comes, we release our ‘second net’; giving sessions about the project and giving away SU Maps (which one of our current board members created by the way!). After this period we get a large amount of new members that we try to keep active, both before and after the SU-period.

How would you describe AEGEE-Oviedo in three words?

Nature, friends and awesomeness!

Written by Susan Nijsten, AEGEE-Groningen

The applications for Spring AgorAsturias 2015 have just been opened! In the meantime, AEGEE-Oviedo is still working very hard to make this an unforgettable Agora – according to the local organisers, they have capacities for 1,200 participants! Here is what Alberto Cuesta Noriega, main organiser of the Agora, and Gerardo García Díaz, president of AEGEE-Oviedo, told The AEGEEan on behalf of the antenna located in the land of ‘cachopo’, cider and King Pelayo (the lucky ones coming to the Agora will definitely discover who we are talking about!).

The AEGEEan: The Agora is less than two months away – How are the preparations going?

Alberto and Gerardo: Right now we are focused especially on the field of fundraising, since the venues are already confirmed. The Parties Team is closing the thematics of the nights and we are trying to add some typical food for participants balancing cost and quality. Also, we are polishing the Opening Ceremony with a mix of traditional and modern performances.

The main square of Gijón’s Laboral University.

AgorAsturias will be located in the city of Gijón. What can you tell us about the locations of the Agora?

Maybe the most “amazing” fact about it is that the plenaries and prytania will be held in the Laboral University of Gijón, which is the largest building in Spain. But not only this… the building of the church of the University, where we will have the Opening Dinner, is the largest elliptical dome in the world. Regarding the accommodation, participants will sleep in the Sports Palace of Gijón. Is not the largest palace in anywhere, but we can say that the number of showers that participants will have available is by far the highest seen lately on statutory events… being accommodation, toilets and showers all in the same building.

How many participants would you be able to host?

We have venues that can gather a massive 1200 participants number, so do not be afraid to apply!

How can participants get to the city? Is there the possibility of having any discounts?

The main way to reach Asturias is via Madrid or Barcelona by plane and then travelling to Asturias by another flight, bus or train, though there are other connections to Santander, Bilbao and even Asturias airport.

Regarding discounts, the main bus (ALSA) and railway (Renfe) operators in Spain already gave discounts for us, and we are expecting the main airline company (Iberia) to join the discount fest. Also, pre-events such as the AEGEE-Barcelona, with the possibility of going to the Agora with them.

Aside from that, booking tickets with time, participants would be able to get also the regular discounts from the bus company (Madrid-Gijón-Madrid as cheap as 10€, though there are even direct buses from Madrid-Barajas Airport to Gijón and way back) or train (especially the “table” one, that allows four people to share a table in the train for a really cheap price in comparison to individual tickets and that European Planning Meeting fellow organisers are already advertising).

What do you think of the European Planning Meeting (EPM) and Agora being so close in dates? Do you see it as a big inconvenience?

The main issue in here is that participants, especially the ones living far away, are “forced” to choose between the events, since is not suitable for them to travel to Spain twice in two months.

But in our opinion it is not the time in the end, but the fact that Burgos and Gijón are quite close (208 km in straight line, 326 by road) so then it is reasonable for foreigners to think “I am not going two times to northern Spain (or even just to Spain) in the same year” even though the cities (and regions) have nothing to do with eachother in comparison.

Neither Burgos nor Gijón are places where the “paella, flamenco and sun” cliché is true, but even in that common fact, they are way different. For instance, Asturias is Celtic land (there are bagpipers, mythology and cider) while Burgos is the “head of Castille” and has its very own traditions unrelated with Asturian ones. Both places are worth a visit, so it is a pity in the end.

Tell us a bit about the team – how many members are in the core team of the Agora? We have heard that there are also non AEGEE-Oviedo members in there.

We have 15 members in the core team, all of them from AEGEE-Oviedo except for Alberto Arroyo (from Madrid) and Sora Chung (from Alicante). We even have one honorary member (Juan Sordo) and a nice balance between oldies and freshmen.

Moreover, the open call for helpers was closed a few weeks ago. Has the “Nave” region responded positively to it? How was the “encerrona” (ed. teambuilding event for organisers and helpers) you had last weekend?

The work performed by Olga Fernández and Alberto Arroyo, the HR coordinators, has been outstanding. We reached 71 applications and it was hard to reject some of them, but the team looks nice (we have newbies and people that already organised two Agorae) and after the first “Encerrona” we saw that there are nice synergies and the teambuilding went well.

The full team, counting AEGEE-Oviedo members and external organisers and helpers is made of 69 people, including three helpers from Kyiv.

Can you tell us something about the social program of the Agora, any surprises…?

The social programme is lead by Santiago Martínez, our Vice-president, and he has been carefully selecting the best venues in town for the social programme. From the previously quoted largest elliptical dome in the world for the opening dinner to the Casino of Asturias Club and some of the best clubs in town. Also, we are preparing sports and activities for those who do not want to go partying every night – a chill out café in the accommodation and several amusements in the Sports Palace to allow everybody to have fun no matter the time they want to go to sleep.

What would you consider most special about the Asturias region?

As we said before, Asturias is such a unique region in Spain. We could start by the fact that the northern coast of Spain has few things to do with the rest of the country in terms of landscapes and traditions, but inside of that “special features”, Asturias has some gems.

Some say an image is worth a thousand words, so instead of typing we encourage our readers to see this Asturias promo video. Asturias is a so called “Natural Paradise”, so we hope with that video you will understand better why.

Last but not least, can we ask for a few spoilers about the menu? Will participants be lucky to taste the delicious “cachopo” and “sidra”?

We are still polishing it, but expect the opening dinner to be more like an opening “espicha” (the asturian traditional social meal where you eat tapas and drink sidra standing up and taking small things from the big dishes in the table). This means there will be sidra and we are trying to get jamón and asturian cheese for participants. Regarding the cachopo, we will try our best, but cachopo is a dish that requires time and dedication for preparing, so we are not really sure if we can make it for 800 people. We would like to offer our participants the best or nothing, so if we cannot assure quality cachopos for all them, we will try to find an alternative dish.

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

Remember that you can apply to AgorAsturias through the Intranet – the deadline is February 16th!

On 17th July, a group of 29 young Europeans was heading to Spain. Not to Barcelona or Mallorca, and not even to Madrid, but to Asturias – a region that seems to be missing on Spain’s touristic map. Our intention was to prove that this is just a disappointing mistake. In other words, we were looking forward to breaking the Astureotype!

People tend to think of summer holidays in Spain as of lying at the beach in the boiling sun, and this was the main stereotype we were intending to break. Organizers from AEGEE-Oviedo did their best in showing to the participants how different Spain can be and how much more than just beaches and sun it can offer.

From the very first days, we became conscious of the differences in the climate and landscapes which awaited us. Unlike in the rest of Spain, the temperature in the North rarely exceeded 25 degrees, and we soon learned to take sharp changes of the weather during the whole day for granted. Refreshing rain would come and go unexpectedly, watering the amazing green hills and valleys of Asturias.

The diverse landscapes of Asturias, which include mountains, hills and valleys as well as numerous rivers, proved to be ideal for sports, which was the main topic of our SU. Instead of lying at the beach, we were up for some more challenging activities!

The sports programme started with the 32 km long cycling route through the mountains called the Bear’s Path. Even though many participants felt a desperate need of some siesta time after the first half of the route, we were all soon standing at the finish line, tired but satisfied and inspired to move on.

Two entire days were then dedicated to hiking. We followed one part of the famous St. James’s Trail (El Camino de Santiago), strolled along the picturesque beaches of Asturias and Galicia, made our way through the rocks and thick fog in the Picos de Europa national park and enjoyed the beautiful view of the Covadonga glacial lakes from the top of one of the hills.

Another challenge was the descent of the river Sella. Split into couples, we canoed 16 km down the mountain river, stopping from time to time to take a refreshing swim and enjoy the stunning scenery surrounding us. Canoeing brought in a bit of a competitive spirit as the couples tried to outstrip each other or simply besprinkle other participants with the water. In the end, everyone was rewarded with an official certificate from the local canoeing school.

The rest of the sports activities included paintball, archery, horse riding and padel tennis. This variety brought in by the organizers ensured that every participant could find something of their own taste. Of course, there were bruises and sunburnts involved, and their number grew day by day leaving no participant unaffected, but we were all too excited to take them seriously and woke up every day ready for the next challenge.

Besides sports, the programme obviously included exploring the cultural heritage of Asturias. We enjoyed guided tours through the three largest cities of the region (Gijón, Oviedo and Avilés), visited the towns of Llanes, Cudillero and Ribadesella as well as the pre-Romanesque churches near Oviedo and the sacred places in Covadonga.

Last but not least, the environmental topic was also covered by the visit to the trash removal and recycling company COGERSA where we could learn how to behave in an environmentally-friendlier way in our daily lives.

Even though Gijón, where we were staying, turned out to be a very lively city with a lot of events taking place in its streets especially in summertime, our group still managed to catch the attention of the local community. One of the first days we enjoyed a warm reception at the city hall, which then appeared in the local news, as well as giving some interviews to a local newspaper.

The stereotypes about Asturias were not the only ones broken. It is common knowledge that applying for an SU in Southern Europe often means putting up with a rather relaxed attitude of the organizers towards the plan. However, this time it was absolutely not the case. From the very beginning the organizers from AEGEE-Oviedo positively surprised us with the great job they did.

First of all, It is worth mentioning that the gym where we were staying was located in the very heart of the old town of Gijón, so that we could reach every location we needed on foot. The programme elaborated by the organizers was so thought-out and intense that by the end of it we could say we had explored practically the whole region of Asturias in its diversity. Furthermore, the organizers were quickly reacting to the weather changes which interfered with our plans. So, one of the days was saved by changing the hiking route due to a strong storm approaching. Finally, the choices of the night programme have to be mentioned as well. The list of parties included the best events happening in the region during those two weeks, such as the Holi festival in Avilés, the Oktoberfest in Gijón and the traditional cider festival in Naves.

The organizers were pleased to know how highly all the participants appreciated their job and, on their part, would also like to thank all the sponsors who made this intense programme possible, namely the city halls of Gijón, Oviedo and Avilés, La Salle school in Gijón, Les Camisetes, Café Trisquel, Youth Councils of Asturias, Gijón and Oviedo as well as the Consortium of Transports of Asturias.

As it always happens at AEGEE events, we were all unwilling to leave the new friends we made during those two weeks. The farewell was bitter, but sweetened by the hope to meet again someday somewhere in Europe!

Written by Anastasia Shornikova, AEGEE-Köln

Photos by Gloria Borge, AEGEE-Oviedo, Marcos Herrero, AEGEE-Oviedo, Olga Gladkikh, AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg, Anastasia Shornikova, AEGEE-Köln

The whole plenary hall of Spring Agora Patra muted all of a sudden once the big news was announced: the first two Statutory events of 2015 will be both held in Spain. The city of Burgos will host the newly named European Planning Meeting, and the Spring Agora 2015 will be hosted by AEGEE-Oviedo in the city of Gijón.

“We know we owe you an explanation about this”, Miguel Gallardo, on behalf of the Comité Directeur, told the audience of the plenary hall right after all the members of La Nave (the region of the Portuguese-, Spanish- and French-speaking locals), that were present in Patra, came up on stage after the result of the Spring Agora 2015 was announced. There was no other local, other than AEGEE-Oviedo, that had applied to host the event, and their application was received after AEGEE-Burgos had already been selected to host the EPM.

Therefore, the Comité Directeur had no other choice: “it has been one of the hardest decisions of our two terms in the CD”, Miguel added. Besides, the Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe, Anna Gots, insisted that AEGEE-Oviedo’s was “an excellent applicant” for hosting the Statutory event.

The drops that ended up filling the glass

The AEGEEan interviewed AEGEE-Oviedo members Alberto Cuesta Noriega, Gerardo García Díaz, Olga Rivero, Santiago Martínez and Olga Fernández

The AEGEEan asked the members of AEGEE-Oviedo present at Spring Agora Patra how the idea of hosting an Agora came up. It was an idea stuck in the head of Alberto Cuesta Noriega, current Chairperson of the Agora, for some years already, after he came back from his first Agora.

Alberto had been insisting on the members of his local for a long time, and they even considered applying two years ago. But they did not reach their final decision until December last year, when the local was celebrating their 25th Anniversary: “after some glasses of wine, we said that we wanted the Agora of AEGEE-Europe’s 30th Anniversary”, Alberto explains, “so the time was now”. The board members of the local had signed their commitment on some napkins: there was no turning back. Gerardo García Díaz, SUCT and board member of AEGEE-Oviedo, adds: “it was a drop falling down constantly… and, in the end, the glass was filled”.

However, AEGEE-Oviedo didn’t expect the news that they would be hosting the Agora at all: “one month ago it still seemed like a crazy idea”, Santiago Martínez says. “When we submitted the application it was rather a moment of total excitement. Afterwards, we faced some moments of insecurity, like, ‘should we withdraw?'”. Then, the Comité Directeur contacted Alberto to give him the news: “I kept my mouth shut for a couple of days”, he admits. “But then, it was time to convince especially the most skeptical members: this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

Not ‘Agora Oviedo’, but ‘AgorAsturias’

It took only a few days for AEGEE-Oviedo to be offered the help of their local university. “The head of our faculty said, ‘don’t be afraid that you might not have enough resources. We can offer you our help, our contacts and anything you might need'”, Olga Rivero, current vice-president of AEGEE-Oviedo, explains.

However, don’t expect this Agora to be called “Spring Agora Oviedo 2015”, because the event will be hosted in the city of Gijón, the largest one in Asturias, which is located on the coastline, and where many of AEGEE-Oviedo’s members actually come from. Besides, according to the local organisers, it was easier to organise it in Gijón in terms of infrastructure. This is why, as the official logo created by Gerardo shows, this Agora will be named “Spring AgorAsturias 2015”.

According to them, it will not be as difficult as it might look for AEGEE members to get to Gijón. “We will probably have discounts on buses, trains or even airplanes”, they say. Moreover, there are several RyanAir-based airports nearby, such as the ones in Santander and Valladolid, and buses from Madrid every hour.

Now, the local organisers are preparing the final arrangements for the places where the Agora will take place, but the plenaries will most probably be taking place in the main Congress Bureau in Gijón; when we first interviewed them in Agora Patra, they were also defining the main roles and the core team.

An Agora that will break the ‘Astureotype’

Currently, AEGEE-Oviedo is working on their Summer University, under the title ‘breaking the Astureotype’. And this is partly what AgorAsturias will be about: breaking stereotypes about Spain! This region is far from the image that most people have of Spain. Asturias has a unique personality, and the members of AEGEE-Oviedo will make sure that the attendants of the Agora experience it.

Moreover, “if it doesn’t rain” (Gerardo smiles), the AEGEEans coming to the Agora will be able to enjoy the Cantabric sea: the main venues where the Agora will take place are very close to the coastline in Gijón.

When asked about the controversy of hosting two Statutory events by two Spanish locals in a row, they don’t see it as a major inconvenience. “I don’t think it will affect us that much”, the local says. “Most of the times, according to the profiles of delegates or envoys who must come to an Agora or an EPM, they must get there no matter the place”. They also expect to have several volunteers and helpers from the locals involving La Nave region.

Meanwhile, we leave you with the promotional video that AEGEE-Oviedo used in Spring Agora Patra 2014 to show the wonders of Asturias, under their motto: “never stop dreaming”.

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

Featured image by Laia Garcia (AEGEE-Tarragona)

AEGEE-Oviedo organized last December two outstanding events to celebrate their 25th anniversary, as The AEGEEan had recently reported. Firstly, a ceremony at the University of Oviedo with many remarkable members and the founders of the local. And secondly, they threw a big 25th Anniversary party with AEGEE members coming from all over Europe, which turned out to be a crazy New Year’s Event, too.

Laura López Montero, member of AEGEE-Oviedo since Summer 2012 and current treasurer of the antenna, has been the coordinator of both events, which have unanimously turned out to be very successful. Hence, Laura has been elected as our Member of the Month in January for her hard work and enthusiasm. The AEGEEan has interviewed Laura this past week, and you can get to know her in the next EBM Lublin!

First of all, Laura, congratulations for being our Member of the Month! For those who don’t know you yet, could you tell us a few words about yourself? And when and how did you join AEGEE?

Well, I’m 23 years old and I’m now in my last year of Tourism degree. I am a member of AEGEE-Oviedo since Summer 2012: one of my closest friends was already member of this big family and he encouraged me to join. I started my way celebrating the fifth anniversary of AEGEE-Santander and since then I have been working as an active member and nowadays I am the Treasurer of my local and very proud of all of them.

You were nominated for your oustanding job in coordinating the events of AEGEE-Oviedo’s 25th Anniversary. What was your motivation to take up the challenge?

When we started talking about the event I realized there would not be another opportunity of organizing something like that again. It was a great moment to defend our identity. We had several goals: we wanted to celebrate an unforgettable birthday surrounded by all those people who made these 25 years possible, we wanted to show all our work and efforts to the university, while asking for their support at the same time and, of course, sharing this special date with AEGEEans from all over the world  to enjoy it like never before!

AEGEE-Oviedo had to be given its rightful place and finally my expectations were more than fulfilled.

We have heard that a wonderful Anniversary ceremony was organized in Oviedo. What can you tell us about it, for the ones who were not present?

Our 25th Anniversary Event was held at the Historical Building of the University of Oviedo with the presence of the founders of the Antenna, several members from that moment until now, the current board and some representatives from the University. It took about two hours and then we had lunch all together in a restaurant near that building.

It is always a pleasure to listen to old members; old members who still love AEGEE and can understand us better than anyone else. They gave their speeches and told us stories about their time as members of the association. They touched our hearts! In fact, more than one person ended up crying because of their words. It was amazing.

I have heard that you also invited many remarkable guests and speakers, who were they?

Well, we can say Luis Alvarado Martinez, current president of AEGEE-Europe, was with us somehow. He could not come to the event, so he recorded a video for us from Brussels. Miguel Gallardo Albajar, current projects manager of CD, was one of our guests. He was also member of our local some time ago. It was a great honour to welcome him. And, as I told you above, the founders of the antenna and some other people who made these 25 years possible gave their speeches. Besides of AEGEE, some representatives from the University celebrated this important day with us.

You also organized a New Year’s + 25th Anniversary event. From the point of view of the coordinator, how was it?

It is complicated, I cannot deny it. Of course, there are moments you feel tired and overwhelmed because of the situation but finally every effort has its rewards. After all, you only keep the good memories. That’s the truth. Furthermore, I was not alone along the way. Other members of my local supported me and we worked together as a team. This is the key. Without them, it would not have been possible and this is also their success.

And did AEGEE-Oviedo get many gifts for its anniversary?

First gift was its anniversary logo, made by one of our board members. Besides that, we received many others. From original videos and photo albums to a pretty girl for our mascot (Castorín)! Our participants thought of every one of us and they made Castorín happier than ever.

What are your tips for other AEGEE members to organize events? What have you learned in this time?

Just love what you do, motivate yourself every day and everything will come to you in the right moment! Learn to be patient and to trust people, build a good team, and everything will be fine.

AEGEE-Oviedo has some very active and experienced members in the European level. What about you; would you like to get involved in it?

Of course I would like to do it, it is one of my next goals. I don’t know when and how, but I will do it. There are several topics I’m interested in, I just need to find some time and everything will be done! I’m looking forward to taking one step forward.

Which has been the most inspiring AEGEE member you have met?

Not a member, but an event. Without any doubt. It was a Youth in Action project which took place here in my country more than one year ago. It was a great project and an awesome team, I was really really lucky! After it, I started helping my local until now. Contrary to many other AEGEE members, I enjoyed my first SU after being an active member for almost a year.

Tell us a bit more about yourself: which are your hobbies outside AEGEE?

It is not so easy organize your time when you have to combine your studies with AEGEE, but anyway I always find some time to go to the gym and do some exercising or read some pages before going to bed. I like languages too and I attend my Russian lessons twice a week. I’m also lover of speed, so any time of the day is good to go for a ride by car and switch off from the world!

How would you describe yourself in three words?

Stubborn, cheerful, and open-minded.

And what about your AEGEE plans for 2014? Are we going to meet you in any event soon?

Continue working hard and learning. My next goal is EBM Lublin. It is the only statutory event I haven’t ever been to and I’m really excited about it! I’m looking forward to living this new AEGEE experience.

We wish Laura the best in her next plans and we look forward to meeting her! And remember that YOU can nominate the next Member of the Month at the following form. We look forward to your nominations!

Written by Anna Gumbau, AEGEE-Barcelona

AEGEE-Oviedo is one of the oldest antennae in AEGEE and is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. They have won different prizes this year and the antenna also has many members active on the European level of AEGEE. Therefore, The AEGEEan took the time to interview the board to hear about what makes this antenna special.

AEGEE-Oviedo was founded on 21.12.1988 by four students of the University of Oviedo. The people of the current board believe it was  Kike Riesgo (who was later part of one of the first Comités Directeurs), Jacinto Braña, Miguel Porrúa and Luis Villa who started the antenna. At the beginning, AEGEE-Oviedo was so successful that it had over 1000 members (while now there are 119) and was in charge of printing and publishing the NewsBulletin read  by AEGEE members all over Europe. This is what makes AEGEE-Oviedo special to the current board members. They are proud of the importance the antenna had back in the beginning.

Nowadays AEGEE-Oviedo is managed by a great team that they themselves are very proud of. A team of eight people working together and trying to do their best. This is what makes AEGEE-Oviedo very special in 2013. Furthermore, the antenna has a large number of beloved “oldies” (old members) who are not living in the city anymore, but are always available to help. They help AEGEE-Oviedo and are always willing to offer a piece of advice, which is highly appreciated by the board. The Main Coordinator of the 25th Anniversary event later this year, Laura López, and some of the Board members – Agustín Querejeta (President), Olga Rivero (Vice-President), Gerardo García (PR) and Alba Laguna (Secretary) – contributed to this interview, informing you what makes their antenna in Oviedo different.

How many members do you have? Are many of them active?

Nowadays, we are 119 members and around 25 of them are active. It is not a great figure, but we are on our way. We only hope to continue growing each day and keep doing our best, step by step.

You recently elected the new board of your antenna, how have the first two months been for the new board?

We are doing quite well indeed. We all make a great and diverse team. We have a couple of board members active on the European level, “old”-board members with previous experience on their fields and newbie-board members full of energy. We are working a lot on our daily projects, for instance activities organized by the Erasmus Team (ET) and Local Activities Responsible, and as well as on bigger projects, such as 25th Anniversary and New Years event (NYE).

How do you make sure in your antenna that the new board gets sufficient knowledge transfer?

This is always a difficult achievement to fulfill. Our old board members are always willing to help and advise the new ones. Let’s say we have a sort of all year round knowledge transfer period. Beside for some board positions such as ET and Secretary, we have documents which comprise information and know-how from previous years. In spite of everything, it is true that sometimes we don’t get to achieve this as well as we would like to.

You have a lot of members living in Gijón as well. How do you involve members from the two cities in the activities of your antenna?

Actually we also have members from Avilés (the third biggest city in Asturias according to population). Anyway, we try to be fair and adapt to what’s better for the members regarding the meetings because some of them study in Oviedo (and viceversa). However there is always a way to find time to talk. Also meetings take place in both cities, Gijón and Oviedo, so everyone can go from time to time. Probably the only big inconvenient is members who are not from Oviedo normally cannot attend what’s organized in the evening during the week. But there are always exceptions.

You have members very active in AEGEE and on the European level, how do you promote the European level to your members?

Normally members who are already active on the European level motivate some other members. It’s like a chain.

Why do you think it is important for them to be active not only on Local level?

That’s something each one chooses: normally when a member is motivated, he/ she tends to get involved in bigger stuff. We celebrate it because we consider this makes us a well-known antenna in Europe, even though we come from a small region. We are also happy that those members who are active on the European level do not forget where they started from and help at the Local level as much as possible.

You won The AEGEEans Choice Award for best event, what do you think it takes to organize a fantastic event?

Motivation, without any doubt. Motivation is the main key for getting everything you want to. Furthermore, the main responsible of the event is an “old” and experienced member (the results were amazing, as you could see! ). It was a great project and an awesome team. In spite of the Choice Award for best event we also got to win the Best Photo Award of 2012, in a contest organized by Events Committee last year. One of our participants, Tereza Tokmajyan from AEGEE-Yerevan, sent them our best photo and it got chosen as the best one. Of course this is not only about rewards, because our best gift was our team. Everyone got on well from the very first moment and it made things much easier. We had fun together, we learned from each other and we became friends. Relationships that still last!

What have you been doing in 2013 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of AEGEE- Oviedo?

Celebrations haven’t taken place yet! The 21th of December is the official date of our anniversary and we will organize an official and formal event, which we will gather as many old members as possible. We will also invite university representative, authorities, etc. We are still working on it. Besides this formal celebration, we are organizing a NYE Event, so we can celebrate our 25thAnniversary with more AEGEEans from all over Europe.

What made you decide to organize a New Year Event this year?

Remember this is not only about NYE. This is a birthday party! When we thought about celebrating our 25th Anniversary with university, authorities and people who have supported us somehow, the idea to celebrate with members from all over Europe also came to our minds. We wanted to share this important date with our partners and friends, have a good time and say goodbye to the year all together.

What is special about this event? Why should people go?

As I already said, there is something to celebrate besides the New Year! We hope this event will be unique: in charge is our Treasurer (Laura López) and she is doing a great job, finding a nice house to stay in (it’s always a luxury not to sleep on the floor at an AEGEE event), organizing activities and many many surprises that are waiting for our guest . We really hope our participants to be as happy for our birthday as we already are. Reminder for our participants: you can find us on Facebook and if you have any doubt about signing yup don’t hesitate and contact us

What are the plans of your antenna for 2014?

To continue working hard, improving every day and who knows, maybe celebrate our next birthday! Some of our members are really motivated and they are thinking about getting involved in some projects at European level, so we give them all our support and send them our best wishes.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

Summer vacation is probably the happiest period in a student’s life. How amazing can it get when you are travelling together with forty people from all around Europe, discovering Transylvania (Romania)?

Cluj-Napoca was where our journey began. This beautiful, ancient, and vibrant city made us fall in love with it from the very first sight. On our first day we had several workshops, such as an AEGEE Course, a European Parliament Elections workshop, and an Intercultural Communication Session (the Romanian language is fun!). It was a good way to get to know each other and the differences between us and our countries.

We discovered the city of Cluj-Napoca under the moonlight. We did a pub crawl and went to the most surprising bars and clubs in town. We rediscovered it at daylight with a treasure hunt (where we also found out how hot it can be in Romania!). We visited the breathtaking Turda Salt Mines and were very impressed by the huge theme park there. There was even a Ferris wheel inside the mine! Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice walk,accompanied by a calm river, in the mountains of Turda’s Gorges.

In the next days we had a packed programme. We literally did not stop! We visited Targu Mures, Reghin, a tomato eco-farm, a furniture factory and outlet, and then we left to Danes. Oh Danes, Danes! A small village in the middle of the countryside in Transylvania. Full of surprises… starting with getting lost on the way there in the middle of nowhere and without having running water the first night! Nevertheless, this situation did not affect our mood at all! We laughed and kept carrying on, enjoying our pyjama party and the Initiation Rite.

Three very intense days were still ahead of us. A village workout, visiting a farm zoo, horse riding, a water fight (“NOT ON THE STAAAAAIRS!!!” by our beloved Main Organizer, Ioana), brain-teaser games, travelling by trailer full of hay, meeting Romanian shepherds, milking their sheep and cows, and enjoying dinner with them!

Wait…for…it, because there is still much more…! Visiting an eco-vegetable garden, where we enjoyed a delicious breakfast with home-made jam and cakes. One day in Sighisoara was more than enough to be amazed by such a beautiful medieval style town. The next day,we were trekking uphill through a wonderful forest and (after getting lost again!) we reached the ruins of the Saschiz castle! Afterwards, we were the audience of a dance performance: typical Romanian dances, with our stomachs full of yummy-yummy Romanian dishes! To top it off, the European Night was the best way to get to know typical food and drinks from various countries. There was cultural exchange, dances, songs, laughter, craziness and a lot of fun!

The next stop was Brasov: the pearl of Transylvania, and all of its castles! We went to Rupea Cetatea and admired the most beautiful view of Transylvania and the Carpathian Mountains! Then, Peles Castle and Bran Castle – Dracula´s home! – and Rasnov. To end up on the very top of Romania, Transfagarasan in the astonishing Carpathian mountains. Last but not least, we went to Sibiu and made a quick visit of the city of Alba Julia and its citadel!

We spent two weeks of enjoying, discovering and falling in love with the beautiful Transylvania, which was much better than I ever expected. On the last night we all knew this fantastic time was going to end. Lots of laughter, tears, hugs and goodbyes to all the good friends we just made.

A huge thank you to all of our organizers for being energetic, inspiring, cheerful, friendly, to show us their beautiful country, and, to sum up, for this unforgettable TSU!

Written by Alba Laguna, AEGEE-Oviedo