After having been a board member of AEGEE-Leiden, main organiser of two Network Meetings in a row and last but for sure not least Subcommissioner to Lia Tuska for the Dutch-speaking locals, Boudewijn Steenhof (AEGEE-Leiden) decided to take the step and run for NetCom himself. Read on to find out more about him, his motivation and plans!

The AEGEEan: First of all, please introduce yourself! Who is Boudewijn Steenhof and how did you join AEGEE?

Boudewijn: I am a very proud “Haarlemmer”, a city close to Amsterdam on the Dutch shores and a very beautiful place to grow up. I moved to Leiden for my English degree in 2011 and immediately became a member of AEGEE-Leiden. I was attracted to it by the travelling possibilities and the endless network of friends it offers you. I have not regretted joining for one second since then!

You were subcommissioner of Lia Tuska. How was this experience for you?

I have been interested in a position in the Network Commission ever since my friend and colleague in the board Dominique Lenssen (AEGEE-Leiden) had her term as NetCom. She would talk about how much fun it was and how much she learned from it. After being in doubt for a long time last term, I decided not to candidate because I felt I missed some experience to be able to be a valuable member of the team. When my friend forwarded me the open call Lia sent out for SubCom, I didn’t hesitate one second and replied. Although the term has not been very busy, I have learnt a lot from it. But most of all, I have discovered that I have a true passion for AEGEE and its network. Being SubCom was like a first peek into the world of AEGEE-Europe, and I would love for that window to become bigger!

And how did you decide to take the step and run for NetCom?

Election Observation Mission in Bosnia

Running for NetCom has been on my mind for probably a year now. Right after I returned from living in Australia half a year, a spot opened but I didn’t apply. I was in doubt again for this position at this Agora. The step to candidate almost seemed too great… This all changed probably two weeks ago, when I came in contact with a few board members from locals in the area. Talking to them and listening to their stories about their locals made me realise I had a few ideas on how to improve and sustain the network and I would love to talk to them and discuss strategies with them for the future of their locals. This, together with a few of my friends telling me I would probably regret it if I didn’t run, made me send in my candidature still, although the Agora was only a week away.

You would like to be in charge of the Dutch-speaking locals – which are, according to you, the strengths and weaknesses of this region?

The student culture in this area is very distinct from other areas in the network; a thing that all AEGEEans know ever so well. As a result, the locals generally are large and self-sustained. This is an obvious strength. I would also want to say that I have experienced that especially the boards of the area work together well and give each other tips and tricks to improve their strategies. This is something I want to build on during my term as well. I think, by the way, that this is also one of the biggest weaknesses of these locals: because of the distinct student culture, it is not always easy to feel one hundred percent connected with the European level. This is also something I want to keep an eye on.

Are you also planning to establish new locals?

Hitchhiking to Prague

I am certainly not afraid to explore the possibility. However, from experience I know this is a very time-consuming activity and needs to be carried out carefully and efficiently to be successful. There have been some people that were interested in helping doing this, but this process is in a very early stage and needs following-up!

You mention in your candidature the existence of a Fundraising Committee – what can you tell us about it?

In the Dutch-speaking area, we have an unofficial Fundraising Committee that functions on an ‘inter-local’ level. Three or four representatives of the locals work together to find funding, for instance through companies that can sponsor all the locals in exchange for advertisement space. This works better every year, but can still be improved. I would also like to explore the possibility of forming more of these committees for different things; this to encourage locals in my area to work together towards a common goal.

You organised two Network Meetings in two years in a row in Leiden. What do you like so much about this kind of events?

Network Meetings for me are the ideal way to be involved in the European Level in a very accessible way. I love the atmosphere and the reactions of the participants in the group. There is always a great mixture of local people and foreign people – if we’re lucky from very, very far away – and the workshops are great. This, for me, was my first real encounter with what AEGEE can offer you and I love to give other people that opportunity as well. I am very eager to discuss with my prospective fellow NetCommies how we can improve the quality of these events but still make it enjoyable and fruitful for the targeted group.

AEGEE-Leiden is known for organising several European events, how did you promote this kind of events in your local? Do you plan to promote this strategy in your locals, if elected?

Show your Colour party by AEGEE-Leiden

Yes! I am very happy with this question, because I am proud of the way AEGEE-Leiden has changed its focus more and more towards the European Level of AEGEE. I certainly want to employ this in my NetCom team as well. For me, I think there are a couple of very important key elements you need to succesfully promote a European event. Dedication is a very big part of it, of course; you need a few people that are willing to dedicate a lot of their time voluntarily to organise an event. Also, you need to create an atmosphere in which especially new first-year members, but also the older ones, know that European events are a matter of course. An example that I know from Leiden is for instance the change in a question from one first-year member to another: from “Are you going to help during the event?” to “When are you going to help?” I think this change is very important, because it reflects the way people view European events as something that is naturally part of their AEGEE lives. I want to encourage locals to try and establish this kind of vibe!

What do you think about the so-called “gap” between the local and European level, and how do you plan to face it?

This always remains a very difficult thing to deal with. I think it is important that locals are informed and partake in the European level, but do not lose their local identity and their place in the student culture of their respective cities at the same time. Especially in my preferred area this could mean a drastical drop in members, and no one wants that to happen. As said before, it is stated in my programme that I not only want to inform locals of the opportunities the European level presents them in the antenna criteria, but I also want to promote organising European events and sending members to events everywhere in the network.

Last but not least, are we going to meet you at the Agora in Cagliari this week?

Unfortunately not! Since I decided to candidate rather late in the process (read: one week before the Agora) and I have other obligations this weekend, I will not be able to present my candidature myself… If I knew I was going to candidate earlier, I would have made other arrangements, but alas! Luckily Svenja van der Tol (AEGEE-Nijmegen) offered to present for me, and I am very confident she will represent me in a good way!

Written by Anna Gumbau (AEGEE-Barcelona)

To prepare you for Spring Agora Patra we already wrote a series of articles under the name of Proposal for Dummies, and with Autumn Agora Cagliari coming close it’s time to do it again! This time, we decided to include the people who know the most about the proposals, namely the proposers! Read on to find more about the proposals dealing with the nationalities in the Juridical Commission and formally establishing the Policy Officers.  

The first proposal is named Required nationalities in the Juridical Commission and was proposed by Glòria Llopart, Claudio Gennaro and Joris Veenhuis on behalf of the Juridical Commission. As Glòria explains us: “I thought it could be a problem for the future of the JC that in a team of four people, there must be three nationalities represented. Actually that would not be a problem if the JC would have more candidates that apply, but that’s not the case. The current JC team of Commissioners and Subcommissioners shows this potential problem very well, so let’s give an example: there are two Dutch, two Italians, one Polish and one Spanish in the team, so in the next Spring Agora it can turn out that the two Dutch apply. The third candidate and the appointed CD member must have not only a nationality that is not Dutch, but also a different one between both. What would happen if the third candidate is Dutch and nobody else applied? Could (s)he not be elected because of her/his nationality although (s)he has well-founded legal knowledge? The CIA should ensure the future of the JC.”

The Juridical Commission therefore proposes to change the minimum required nationalities in the JC from three to two. “If the proposal is accepted the continuity of the JC will be more guaranteed”, Glòria explains us. “Moreover, there will be more possibilities to build a good team because the rules will be more flexible. The most important characteristic of a Commissioner is to have legal background. Other requirements should be taken in a second level.” The changes to the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe for this proposal can be found here.

The second proposal is named Formally establishing Policy Officers and was proposed by Paul Smits and Antonija Parat on behalf of the Comité Directeur. As the name already says, it aims to formally establish the Policy Officers. As Antonija explains: “In our Activity Plan, we stated that we aim to clarify the role of Policy Officers, and in line with that, we were discussing the possibility to introduce definitions on Policy Officers in the CIA, since their role is not regulated at this moment. We were planning to do it during Agora Oviedo, but we saw that there was a need for clear definitions as soon as possible. Policy and advocacy is defined as one of the means we use to achieve our goals, and we need Policy Officers’ contribution for this. Therefore we believe that we need to officially introduce the position of Policy Officers in the CIA and set up some basic rules.” To do this, the rights and responsibilities of the Policy Officer will be added to the CIA, with the desired effect of bringing more continuity to the policy and advocacy work of AEGEE, better execution of this work and clearer definitions of the role of Policy Officers.

The full proposal and the changes made to the CIA when it’s accepted can be found here.

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

To prepare you for Spring Agora Patra we already wrote a series of articles under the name of Proposal for Dummies, and with Autumn Agora Cagliari coming close it’s time to do it again! This time, we decided to include the people who know the most about the proposals, namely the proposers! Read on to find more about the proposals dealing with the Network Meeting Reform and deletion of the NetCom rules.

NWM Ioannina

The first proposal is named Network Meeting Reform and was proposed by Mattia Abis on behalf of the Network Commission. Asked where the idea for the proposal came from, he tells us: “I think the idea was in the air for a long time and many Network Commissioners found themselves discussing this issue. Briefly, we inherited the task of defining the Network Meeting (NWM) since there was not a clear idea of it and everybody was organizing something completely different from the others. The idea behind this proposal therefore is find a common ground for this event.” The way of working on this proposal however changed over time, as Mattia explains us: “After Spring Agora Patra we understood that we could not reform the NWMs trying to impose a model typical of an area on the others, but we have to respect the differences we have in the Network. I want to thank my colleagues for this.”

NWM Brescia

As already mentioned, through this proposal Mattia and the NetCom try to define the Network Meeting and find a common ground for it. They therefore defined the content for NWMs, namely: sharing best practices, keeping the locals closer to each other, connecting them with the European Level, improving the functioning of the locals, increasing cooperation between them, giving inspiration and renewing the motivation of active members. Next to that, they make a clear distinction between the NWM and Regional Training Course and procedural statements about the organisation are added, like a mandatory Open Call to find the host and a minimum duration of two days with a minimum tuition of sixteen hours. The timing of the Network Meeting will be far from Statutory Events, in order to increase the participation in both events, and there will be a maximum of two Network Meetings in the same days. Last but not least the Network Meeting will remain an event open to all AEGEE members but targeted at board members.

The full proposal with all the changes made to the General Rules of the CIA can be found here.

CIA

The second proposal is named Improving the CIA one step at a time (4): Removing the Rules of the Network Commission and it was suggested by Joris Veenhuis, Glòria Llopart and Claudio Gennaro on behalf of the Juridical Commission. First of all, you may wonder: “What is this CIA you are talking about? Is AEGEE-Europe secretly American?” Simply said, the CIA (Corpus Iuridicum Aegeense) is a document with over a hundred pages containing all the rules which govern AEGEE-Europe. It is therefore considered as the legal framework of the Association, and all members are obliged to follow its provisions. Although no secret agents are involved in it, it is one of the most important documents. In the CIA, which you can read here, you can find for example the Statutes of AEGEE-Europe, the Working Formats of the different bodies and all kind of rules (General Rules, Rules of the Network Commission, Antennae Criteria, etc.).

copyright Stephanie Pakrul

Now that we know what the CIA actually is, it’s time to see what the proposal is about. As Joris explains, the proposal is part of a project to improve the CIA one step at a time, which already started during Spring Agora Patra. “We wanted to deregulate and simplify something in the CIA as the complicatedness and sheer size of it is something we often get complaints about.” They therefore suggest deleting the rules of the Network Commission “in order to concentrate all the rules and to prevent double and conflicting rules.” This doesn’t mean these rules will be completely lost, because most rules are found somewhere else in the CIA (for example in the Statues and the Working Format of the Network Commission) and the rules that are not found somewhere else in the CIA, like the rules about Regional Training Courses, will be moved to the General Rules. As a result, the CIA will be a bit shorter and easier to understand, and the NetCom will have a little bit more autonomy over their own tasks and responsibilities.

The full proposal with all the changes made to the CIA can be found here.

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

The Comité Directeur still has one available place: Financial Director. Ioana Duca applied for this possition, currently being the interim Financial Director. She is a proud member of AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca and always willing to discover more of the AEGEE mystery. Read the answers she gave to The AEGEEan to find out more about her!

The AEGEEan: Ioana, you started in AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca as secretary, then president, and now you are running for the position of Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe. Do you think your experiences in your local helped you?

Ioana: I started in 2010 and I was Secretary, President and Summer University (SU) Coordinator, and now I’m Board Advisor. All the experience and work in the board of AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca helped me a lot to grow and to understand a lot of things. Even if I was never Treasurer in my board, I worked very close with all the treasurers, I helped them and supported them since I was Secretary. Moreover I was in contact with our accounter all the time, working with her and helping her, dealing with our finances. And of course all the experience with all the budgets for all our local events (SU, European Days of Languages, etc) and being Treasurer in several SUs helped me a lot.

How did the experience you gathered while being a CD assistant influence you?

Being CD assistant influenced me a lot. First, I was assistant for the archives in 2012 for two months. During this period I had the chance to be in Brussels, to understand how life as CD is and also to understand the history of AEGEE and all the processes better, as I was working with the archives. Since then I was thinking that if I will ever want to run for CD, I will probably choose the position of Financial Director, but it was to early for me, I needed to grow. My second experience as CD assistant was this year as Financial Intern, which is more close to finances. It helped me a lot to get more experience and to understand even better the work of Financial Director, dealing with budgets for several projects, reimbursements, reports, preparation for Agora etc. I was very lucky to have the experience of working with two CD teams and to see different people, different teams and different dynamics. Understanding the people and your team is as important as having enough experience for the position.

You are the interim Financial Director of AEGEE-Europe since August, so the position for the Financial Director was free before and during Agora Patra. Why didn’t you run back then?

As you can read in my candidature it was a problem of principles. After I started my term as Financial Intern, I got an internship. One of the most important things for me is to respect my commitments and promises, so I couldn’t run without solving this problem first. But I can say that during Agora Patra I was very sad because of the situation (people around me can confirm) and moreover I was sad that nobody ran for the position of Financial Director. After Agora Patra and during the open call for interim Financial Director, the situation with my internship was resolved so I was finally free to apply. I was very relieved!

Sometimes it is hard to find a candidate for the Financial Director position. Have you thought about any strategy or plan to find candidates for the next term?

It is true that it is hard to find a candidate for the Financial Director (FD) position, but I’m not planning to hunt people down to apply for this position. I don’t have any strategy as I don’t think this is the way, but I’m not saying that I don’t care if somebody is applying or not for this position. I care a lot and I will give all the necessary support to the people who will be interested to become FD. Maybe these people can come in Brussels for a few weeks before Agora Oviedo so they can see and understand the work of FD better, but I will not force people to run. One of the most important things is to be aware of the tasks and to want to do all these tasks and then you can learn a lot.

Do you still keep in touch with your local? Do they support you?

Of course I still keep in touch with my local. I’m very proud of my local and the people from my local. They are the reason that I am here, without them nothing of these would have  happened. In this moment I’m in the Advisory Board of my local, I’m still following everything that is happening and giving all the necessary support for all the events, recruitments or bureaucratic staff. Sometimes it is difficult to find time for this, but they know that I’m there for them anytime they need my help or my support. They support me a lot! And I want to make them proud of me as I’m proud of them!

How do you get along with the new CD and living in the same house with them?

The new CD is actually my 3^rd CD, so this is not a new experience for me. It is interesting and it is good that I had all these experiences with previous teams, it helped me a lot in some situations. The difference is that this is my CD and I’m not only an assistant anymore. I love my CD and I feel we are like a family, sharing all good and bad moments and not only those related with work and AEGEE, so like a true family. We are not perfect (as there is no perfection, no perfect family in this world and who is saying this, usually is hiding something or has no clue about real life), but we are growing together. And yes we are a family (it’s not just for the eyes of the world) as we are working together, we are sharing our thoughts, we are eating together, cleaning the house and supporting each other in good or bad moments (when we have some good news or results, or when we have stressful days before some deadlines). The most important thing is that we are together!

Written by Raluca Radu, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca

Ksenia Lupanova from AEGEE-Moskva is one of this year’s candidatures for the Summer University Coordination Team. She applied for Publication Responsible and confessed that she always dreamed to work for the project, but only now feels she’s ready to take this challenge. The AEGEEan interviewed Ksenia and talked about her brightest ideas, best and worst experiences as organizer and participant and much more to introduce her candidature to the Network!

The AEGEEan: What is a Summer University to you? Why would you like to work on this project? Why did you apply exactly for SUCT and the particular position?

Ksenia: Summer Universities are the perfect holiday to me, going back to childhood, it still reminds me of child camp somehow. I was trying this project in every possible way: I was an exhausted, but experienced, organizer, I was a happy and careless participant, I was a helper for another antenna, I was sensitive with details or worried about the global SU’s meaning for the Network. I want to work on this project, as I see SUCT as one of the most creative bodies in AEGEE, bringing bright emotions. And isn’t it a pleasant thing, to spend a whole year waiting and working for a happy SUmmer?

You mentioned you worked as organizer, but what is your role in your local and what do you do apart from AEGEE?

I am an AEGEE member for 2 years and 8 months, and I have been working actively for my local, AEGEE-Moskva, as PR responsible and main coordinator of Transsiberian DREAM Travelling Summer University. Moreover, I am currently the Speaker of Public Relations Committee (PRC) and I’m trying to invest in several projects in the fields of graphic design and photoshoots as I also want a more specific direction for my work and creativity. Apart from AEGEE, I am now having a gap year from Moscow Architecture University and I work as creative administrator in a new time-cafe/coworking space in Moscow. So I have plenty of time to dedicate to the Summer University Project!

Each board of the Summer University Coordination Team tries to improve the project in many different ways to make it better. Do you already have any ideas or things you would like to change or implement?

 After being the main coordinator, with deep immersion to the whole process, from submitting the application for the website untill the evaluation process, I can see some technical details that could be improved. Personally, I would like to keep working with my future colleagues on the selection process. In the position of Publications Responsible I would definitely continue with the amazing track developed by Gerardo García Díaz (current Publication Responsible) with SUCT merchandising like maps and pillows/towels, although I’m thinking about some slight changes and additions. I would like to concentrate not only on the Summer University project’s visual identity, but try to lead the whole Network to a common denominator. Since Summer Universities are a big part of the work of locals, every year we see t-shirts, covers and logos different from each other. I believe we can shape it with the VIM (Visual Identity Manual) as well. Also, one of my ideas is to collect SU t-shirts from 2014 and 2015 and create some kind of museum/album, as I know how important it is to have inspiration and a bit of competitive spirit. And next year it will help to turn them all to a more common AEGEE identity.

And now, after reading about all your experience, I am curious to know what was your best SU experience as a participant and organizer?

As a participant I won’t be original and name my first Summer University, organized by AEGEE-Peiraias in 2012. Amazing and unrepeatable magic, the first one will always warm my memories. As organizer I want to mention two TSU’s: being main coordinator of Transsiberian DREAM 2014, my personal win and longest project in my life, and participating as a helper in TSU Big Kyïv Theory by AEGEE-Kyïv in 2013 as it gave me a great chance to see how neighbors with alike mentality and reality are working and I learned a lot.

And let me ask you: what was your worst Summer University experience as a participant and organizer? And how did you solve the problem?

Talking about worst experiences…  Travelling Summer University 2013 by AEGEE-Porto and AEGEE-A Coruña. I can’t definitely label it the worst as actually it was just different. I already mentioned magic which you can’t repeat again after the first SU is finished, so it was just my problem, since the program, participants, organizers and locations were great. But I haven’t got this sort of pink glasses, I was already an experienced organizer and I had expectations, so I saw details, I was analyzing… and I realized that I should stop and enjoy! The worst experience being organizer was just before this Travelling Summer University – I was the coordinator of one part of Transsiberian DREAM 2013, five days in Moscow. All the participants and organizers went on and I stayed at the platform, without opportunities to be influential or to be part of this summer “family”.  But the following year, I joined the whole trip so everything was great in the end!

Sounds like you have a lot of experience and ideas. Will you be able to come to Agora Cagliari to represent your candidature?

 Unfortunately I can’t present my candidature in Cagliari and I won’t attend Agora due to financial reasons, but I will definitely “present” myself in a creative way with an amazing speaker!  So see you in Cagliari!

Written by Anna Smailikova, AEGEE-Kyïv

]]> ../../../2014/10/23/arnau-robert-for-audit-commission-i-always-loved-economics-and-accounting/ Thu, 23 Oct 2014 16:41:49 +0000 ../../../?p=26525 Although having joined his local, AEGEE-Tarragona, only a little over a year ago, Arnau Robert decided to think big after being the Audit Commission’s Job Shadower, and applied to be a member of the Audit Commission. During the upcoming Agora in Cagliari you will have the chance to ask him all your questions, but before that The AEGEEan asked him… Read more →

Matteo Nulli from AEGEE-Brescia is one of the four candidates for three position in the Audit Commission. After having spent two very active years on local level, he moved to Spain and is now eager to take another step in his AEGEE life by joining the European level.

The AEGEEan: Please introduce yourself.

Matteo: Hey folks! I’m Matteo, a smiling and easy going guy form Italy, I am 23 years old and I am now studying Master in Finance in Spain. I have been an active member of AEGEE–Brescia (SU Coordinator, Board Member and Vice President) and now is the time for the Big Step: AEGEE Europe!

You don’t have any European  level (EL) experience, but have you contact the current Audit Commission or the former one to have some additional information?

Yes. I actually have contact with a former President of the Audit Commission, Michele Minuti (AEGEE-Brescia). I met him in 2012, when I began my term as board member in AEGEE-Brescia. To be honest, me being a candidate now is also thanks to Michele: he has always involved us (the AEGEE-Brescia board) in what he was doing at European level. He passed the AEGEE spirit on to me and even now he is giving me precious advices.

 What is the role, for you, of the Audit Commission within the Network?

As the name suggests, the Audit Commission has the delicate role of supervising the financial statements presented by the local. AEGEE’s statements normally do not present particular complexity, but still they require some experience to be reviewed. The auditor will have to check, for example, the correspondence of the fees received and fees paid to AEGEE-Europe, or just verify that there are not anomalies in the numbers (such as extreme or unjustified costs) and in that case interact with the antenna to ask for an explanation. If during this process there are some irregularities then a case must be open.

According to you, what is the thing the Network needs the most when it comes to auditing and finances?

Motivated and skilled people! In general accounting and finance require some knowledge. Auditing is not just a mechanic task. The Audit Commission needs not just to look at number, but also to ask itself where those numbers come from. A good auditor, first of all, has to understand its antenna in order to be able to spot any anomaly.

How will you implement the communication with locals and audit? What kind of trainings are you planing to organize?

“Prevention is better than cure”. Apart from being a “bad cop”, the equally important role of the Audit Commission is to help the antennae to produce efficient and complete financial statements. Not all the antennae have as accountant people in their boards. If I will be elected, I would like to promote communication with the boards before they submit their statements. It would be really great to give some space to these topics for example during Local Training Courses (LTCs) or maybe – definitely more ambitious prospects- during Network Meetings (NWM).

In you program you wrote: create different accounting and reporting models to be applied by the antennae according to their sizes and projects. Do you have already in mind some of those models?

Risk of not being clear is normally present when an antenna presents many projects or events. For example, we easily see that there are antennae that organize SU, Winter Events, NWM, Training School etc. Talking about “different accounting models”, I refer to the fact that those antennae might need special support for submitting their financial reports and new models can definitely help those antennae (for example providing special prospects to insert more information about their single projects).

What was the most valuable lesson you learned being active in your local?

Learn from others. When I entered in AEGEE- Brescia, I knew nothing about this wonderful association. I was just curious and it happened that a friend of mine once told me about this student association with such a weird name. The board welcomed me and every single person passed something on to me. From the beginning they gave me responsibilities and tasks to complete. AEGEE provided me with all of that experience that university could not give me.

Numbers and finances are always seen as scary monsters. Why are so passionate about them?

Numbers don’t lie! I think it is difficult to answer to this question. What we like is something that many times we cannot explain. It is like chocolate… you like it or not!

A question from our readers: your AEGEE experience is quite basic, did you apply for this position just to improve your personal experience or because you have extraordinary ideas to change the future of AEGEE?

I thought that the tough question was gone, but I was wrong [he laughs]. Of course I would like to “change the future of AEGEE” as anyone would, but honestly, right now I have no clue how to do it.

What I can tell, is that I am running for the Audit Commission as part of a path. I entered AEGEE almost by chance and I definitely fell in love with it. Now I am not living anymore in my beloved Brescia, I cannot be active on local level as I was before. I feel that I am ready for the second step: AEGEE–Europe. What I can tell you is that I do want to give my best and for sure I will not leave AEGEE any time soon, whether I will be elected or not. If I meet the possibility to do something “extraordinary” for AEGEE I will definitely not turn back. So let’s see what will happen in a couple of  years.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia

After doing a lot of work for his local, AEGEE-Torino (including being the superhero of their Summer University), Luca Lombardo decided to take the next step and contribute to the European level too, by running for member of the Audit Commission. During the upcoming Agora in Cagliari you will have the chance to ask him all your questions, but before that The AEGEEan asked him some questions too! Read on to get to know all about this guy from Italy, his motivation and his plans!

The AEGEEan: First of all, the most important question: why did you decide to run for Member of the Audit Commission?

Luca: As soon as I got comfortable with the work of my local I always wanted to do something on the European level of AEGEE, too. One of my dreams is working in the Comité Directeur: I cannot think of anything more fulfilling than giving it all for AEGEE every day. Between the roles of the CD I fancy the idea of being the Financial Director, I do not really know if I will ever have the right circumstances in my life to try though, as right now I am trying to build my career in the game development business. All of the previous notions brought me to think about the Audit Commission: I would train my existing but not fully developed financial know-how by doing, I will work for AEGEE, and I could still pursue my current work. Did I mention that I love numbers?

What relevant experience do you have for the position you are applying for?

For the theory I studied Math for Engineering and, even if I have interrupted my studies for now, I had many exams (125 credits, which is more or less two years). All of them involved Math and one was on general economics, including balance sheets. In practice, I have been covering various financial responsibilities for my antenna when needed: budgeting, bank management, writing balance sheets, etc. Also, when I joined AEGEE-Torino the antenna was very small, but now it is growing fast. We lacked knowledge about associations and AEGEE-Europe’s structure, but we were holding up thanks to a few hard-working people. I believe this to be crucial, because from the Agorae I attended I got the feeling that most of the Network resembles this reality and I therefore believe I can help those antennae with my experience, before, during and after the Audit Commission.

What makes you the perfect Member of the Audit Commission?

I could use a lot of words on how I do things but I think the best way to judge candidates is upon how much their interest coincides with the Network. What are the main reasons for an AEGEE member to run for Audit Commission? Helping AEGEE, liking the Audit work or filling their curriculum? I got all those but on top of it I really want to sharpen my financial know-how because I will be covering that role in the future too in a business of my own which is an even stronger motivation to do a good job and give it all.

What are your plans for the Audit Commission if you get elected?

The obvious focus is the smooth running of the Audit’s responsibilities: checking the financial reports within the prescribed time limits, effectively communicate with the other AEGEE bodies, search for sub-commissioners and mentor them, and proactively assist the local treasurers in their reports (when needed).

How do you plan to assist local treasurers in their reports?

I plan on contacting them well in advance and have them tell me what I can do to help, I plan on being very proactive on this because I know how weird it may feel for a small antenna’s treasurer. Often you cannot even phrase what your needs exactly are.

Last but not least, since you wrote you want to look for ways to improve the current system: what should be improved, and how will you deal with it?

Mostly I believe it is the accessibility of helpful material that is the weakest spot: we have a lot of tools but not nearly enough people use them. I believe the Members’ Portal is very handy but not enough used and I plan on manually going through the Network to make sure that all boards know what tools they have access to. With manually I mean as direct as possible: writing to an antenna’s mail or Facebook page is not direct enough most of the time, I will obviously do that too but when possible I want to get to the people directly through common friends. This cures the symptom, though, not the disease, I do not have a clear idea of how to solve the root of the problem yet, but I will work on it.

Written by Svenja van der Tol, AEGEE-Nijmegen

Autumn Agora Cagliari is right around the corner, but before that, AEGEE-Roma is organizing a pre-event which will take place from the 25th until the 28th of October. We asked Elena Morisi, Vice-president and PR and event responsible of the local, and the main coordinator of the event a few questions in order to find out more about one of the pre-Agora events.

Elena Morisi, AEGEE-Roma

Raluca: You skipped organising a SU this year, but the rumours say that you prepared a great pre-event in October before Autumn Agora Cagliari. Why did you decide to organise a pre-event in Roma?
Elena Morisi: Yes, we did skip the SU but we organised a nice Summer Event instead! We decided to organise a pre-Agora event, because we knew that some people have to make a stop in Roma because of the flights, so… why not a pre-event? Moreover, we can organise the transfer by ferry with the help of AEGEE-Cagliari, so the party won’t stop until after the Agora!

How many members are involved in this event?
All of AEGEE-Roma’s members are invited to join me and the other five organisers, so we hope to have all our members with us! I share a lot of AEGEE spirit all around and I can’t wait for the event to start. The other organisers are really excited as well, and ready to meet new friends and spend time with them as organisers during the pre-event, and after that as participants during the Agora!

Why did you decide to name your event “The Symposium Royal”? What do you have prepared for your future participants?
We named the event “The Symposium Royal”, because it is a chance to share our experiences and knowledge about AEGEE, about the Agora, and it is also a chance to live as the aristocracy of Roma did. The title is also a wordplay from the movie “Casino Royale”, referring to the spy games and fancy nights we have prepared.

Why did you choose to have only twelve participants for your pre-event?
We decided to call for twelve participants only because in ancient times the Symposium was for an elite of people and also because we think that we can build a better group with less people!

How much is the fee and what does it include?
The fee is 105 euros and it includes a great accomodation in a nice hostel in the city centre, delicious breakfasts and one special meal per day! Included are also the social program and the public transportation. The fee doesn’t includes the transportation from Roma to Cagliari, but the train to the ferry costs just 5 euro and the ferry costs 38 euro, and if participants want to we can organise all the transfers. We hope we will all travel together to Cagliari!

What do you expect from this event?
I would like to build a great group so they can enjoy the event and the Agora with love and  great memories! Also it will be my last event as an organiser (I hope), so I want to create my masterpiece!

Why should AEGEEans choose Roma and the pre-event as the first stop before Autumn Agora Cagliari?
They should choose this event because we are full of energy and joy, and because we are working hard and organising it with love and because … Come on, Roma is Roma, the most ROMAntic city in the world! So we are waiting for all the applications, until 13rd September. WE WANT YOU!!!

More information about the event can be found here.

Written by Raluca Radu, AEGEE-Cluj-Napoca

Mattia Abis, “class” of 1987, has been elected as Member of the Month of August. Member of AEGEE-Cagliari since January 2012, he took up the position of internal vice-president in the local Board. After being Claudio Armandi’s (AEGEE-Napoli) subcommissioner during his term at the Network Commission, he ran in Autumn Agora Zaragoza and he was elected as Claudio’s successor, taking care of Italian locals, AEGEE-Valletta and the Contact of AEGEE-Europe in Lugano. His endless, and often sleepless, work for his locals, combined with his engagement in the organization of Autumn Agora Cagliari, made him worth the award.

Erika: Mattia, How does feel to be recognized with the Member of the Month award?

Mattia: Quite suprised and embarassed, especially because our work is spread in one year and I didn’t imagine I could get this prize. Honestly I was always reading the articles about past LoM and MoM, I wanted to get it one day but I didn’t expect it now. So I am feeling very happy, and grateful to the people who nominated me and The AEGEEan for the award. It gives me more motivation to keep up my work since sometimes I have the feeling nobody notices what me and the NetCom are doing. The prize goes to them, too.

After Spring Agora Patra, you were elected in the Speaker Team of the Network Commission together with Arsenis Tselegidis (AEGEE-Thessaloniki) and Ana Potocňik (AEGEE-Ljubljana). Beáta Matuszka (AEGEE-Budapest, Former Network Director of AEGEE-Europe) called you the “the best Netcom Speaker Team I had in my two years as Network Director”. Which is the secret of a good team work according to you?

I think that somehow we are quite similar people, we want to work seriously without pretending to be serious all the time. During our Skype meetings we are both working and having fun making jokes about ourselves, NetCom and AEGEE in general: this also gives us the possibility to create a personal relationship and communicate also beyond AEGEE stuff. For instance, last month, I had a Skype drinking meeting with Ana and some people of the team.

 With 29 locals, you are the NetCommie with the highest amount of locals. How can you manage to care about them while being so proactive as member of the Speaker Team?

I don’t know if I am as good as you said, but I am trying to do my best all the time both with my locals and within my team. I think it is just about passion for what you are doing, only if you have passion you don’t get tired and continue doing your job. Anyhow, I have been lucky since I joined the Speaker Team after Patra: since my locals are very busy with their Summer Univiersities, I can breathe sometimes.

 The NetCom’s motto is “to serve and protect”. Do you believe that all NetCommies (as far as you have been able to see during your term) were able to deliver such a motto?

Well, we should first analyze the motto. I think that since the Commission has been created, it has changed a lot and maybe the motto can be given different interpretations. The first interpretation I give is to “serve and protect” the Network for what concerns the gap between local level and European level, which is what is requested to the Commissioners. The other interpretation, the one that I like, is to serve and protect the Network in every aspect: from solving the most simple situations to help out a local in difficulties. Sometimes it can happen that we do not follow the first interpretation, often the second one. But this situation is common not only for the NetCom but in every AEGEE body. As member of the ST what I want is that NetCommies are at least following the first one, otherwise they are not doing they job at all.

You are involved in the organization of the Agora, the Travel Summer University La vita è bella with AEGEE-Napoli just ended, you are not only member of the Network Commission but also in the Speaker Team… how many hours do you sleep per night?

Actually I usually sleep at early morning, from 4 am until 8 am. Except for the days I do not hear the alarm clock and I am waking up late. But in general four hours I would say. I’d like to make a plea: if some of the readers have the same rhythms, please contact me and we can be nocturnal Internet mates.

 Among all the tasks you have as Agora Cagliari’s Vice-Main Coordinator, you are food responsible, which is the same task you had organizing the TSU. Can we assume you are a ‘buona forchetta’ (literally Good fork. It’s an italian common saying to define a hearty eater ed.)?

As I declared in a previous interview, they gave me this responsability because I am the most famous glutton in Cagliari. So yes, I am definitely a buona forchetta: I like to eat good meals and drink good drinks and fish is one of my biggest passion! About the TSU, I was accidentally food responsible for the part in Cagliari. I understood I only had to prepare one dinner, then I discovered I was for everybody the food responsible for the whole Summer University.

 Not only a cooker for your Summer University, but also a valuable handyman, repairing broken toilets in other Summer Universities. Regardless the fame, are you still a “man of the people”?

I wouldn’t define myself as a handyman, it just happened that a few days before I went to AEGEE-Udine’s Summer University, I hosted Enrico Cadeddu (Vice-Persident of AEGEE-Cagliari and PR responsible of Agora Cagliari) in my flat and he obstructed my sink. I spent four hours to fix the situation and when it happened in Udine it took me only five minutes to solve the problem. About being “a man of the people”: I think that more time a member spends far from local activities and problems less close to the Network and AEGEE he is. So, if there is something we can do at local level, although it seems stupid, we should do it whenever there is the possibility.

Christian “Bobo” Vieri, a former italian football player, one of Mattia Abis’ idols

Italians are well-known for being great Latin lovers, so tell us, Christian Vieri (a former Italian football player, one of Mattia’s idols ed.), who is the “hottest one” in the Network Commission?

Am I? [he laughs]. About the hottest one, I would say our former NetCommie Pauline Létard (AEGEE-Tolouse), but she unfortunately left us, so I will say Arsenis. I didn’t notice him until he has been elected to ST but he is pretty sexy.

You are used to give and have nicknames. Your locals, for example, call you Uncle Abis. Do you have one in the Netcom too?

Well, southern Italian locals are calling me that way, it’s true. I don’t know if it is because I call everybody Zio (italian for Uncle ed.) or because I am getting older. Probably both hypothesis are true, I better not think about it too much [he laughs]. In the NetCom, someone calls me the team-builder, but I would avoid telling you the reasons of this! Meanwhile the Speaker Team proclaimed itself as the Speaker Team Dragons, STDs for short (that could remind people the Sexually-Transmitted Diseases). That’s why we use the Meditation of the Dragon to calm down and think about our next steps.

 Organizing an Agora is the longtime dream of every local and you are living this as Vice-Main Organizer. What is the most amazing feeling you have towards it and your worst nightmare?

It is, certanly, the longtime dream of every local and mine as member of AEGEE-Cagliari already after two months I joined the local. The best feeling I have is that we can organize the best Agora ever and hearing people talking about us years after. My nightmare is to have one of those totally unexpected situations, although you worked hard for one year. Some examples? I heard about Agoras with dead pidgeons falling on screaming participants, others where hot water stopped working during the event and participants were on strike. The second story happened during holidays and there were no plumbers available… and our Agora is on the same dates.

Your term will end after Agora Cagliari. Have you already found someone to succeed you or you are  planning to run for a second term instead?

There is one of my subcommies who wants to run, so I guess he will become my successor. About spending another year in the NetCom, I thought about it for the last months, but I do not want to lose the few hair I have left. I don’t know if I will quit my experience in Cagliari, at home, or if I want to have another great, but different, experience as I am having now. This year as Network Commissioner is giving me a lot and I am already quite satisfied.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Venezia