In AEGEE-Kraków you can meet Gabriela Szyszka, nominated as Member of the Month of December. She is very versatile: she was PR in her first AEGEE event and, after less than one year, HR in the “Language Conversation” project. She has been also an organiser in a TSU in collaboration with AEGEE-Budapest. But she worked really hard for the last NYE, also opening the door of her flat for an unexpected post-event party. Enjoy the interview!

The AEGEEan: Congratulations, you have been nominated Member of the Month. How does it feel to win this award?

Gabriela: “Mistake” – It was my first thought when I saw the message. I am still shocked and surprised because I follow The AEGEEan and when I read all those stories about MoMs – those AEGEEans did huge things. This nomination gave me a lot of motivation to work and now “I am walking on sunshine” (although recently it has been raining in Poland).

Who is Gabriela? What is her story in AEGEE?

Her first AEGEE  event was in December 2014.  While studying hard (read: scrolling Facebook feeds), she saw the PR Camp event. She did not know much about PR, but she sent her application and she was accepted. She remembers that she really liked the atmosphere during the event (badge with names, photos with flag, integration games – for her it was a total novelty).  When she saw the next event, she did not hesitate and she participated.  Then she won a competition in promoting learning languages… and she decided to join AEGEE-Kraków.  In spring 2015 there was her  first LTC and a month later the Management Training Course.

She started to help with the preparation of the Travelling Summer University organised with AEGEE-Budapest (that was her first international event and she felt “falling in love with AEGEE”; also it was her first adventure in hosting AEGEEans).  She was motivated to be more active in AEGEE, but unfortunately she had to leave AEGEE because of Erasmus. She missed students’ organisation because there is not an AEGEE local in Almería. Then, after half a year, she was totally impressed by the atmosphere during Agora Bergamo and she kept in mind James Brown’s song “I Feel Good” all the event (except the morning after European Night).

Her next project was “Language Conversation” with AEGEE-Kraków – where she tried to be a good HR in this project.  Finally, two months ago the 25th Birthday & Highlander New Year’s Eve of AEGEE-Krakow.  That is her story and she hopes that not soon she will sing with Adele “this is the end”.

I should put all the names of my AEGEE friends in this answer because without them I could have not been able to write all those things above, so I only say: THANKS TO ALL OF YOU! Also, I would like to mention about my parents and family that support me in my activities.

What is your life besides AEGEE?

I am studying Economics in Kraków (ok, I am trying to study). So I have all those problems like should I stay (in bed) or should I go (to the lectures)? I hope to win the Nobel Prize one day and then spend the rest of my life in Mauritius. Of course I have prepared a plan B. If I fail, I will move to Turkmenistan and become a goat farmer. Beside that, I love travelling (like all people in AEGEE, I think).  I do not like typical travel by bus, plane or train. I prefer hitchhiking and sleeping in the middle of nowhere in a tent. Thanks to this method with my student budget in two years I visited more than twenty countries and met a lot of nice and hospitable people. This way for me is more exciting and allows to really feel the culture and know the real people’s lives in different parts of the world and hear different stories from drivers. I like European countries, but I would like also visit South America in the future, that is why I am trying to learn Spanish. I love pandas. I will adopt one in the future.

Describe your personality by using the initials of your name(s).

Girl

Amicable

But

Infantile

You worked or the Royal 25th Birthday & Highlander New Year’s Eve of AEGEE-Kraków. What was the best moment? What was the most difficult thing you experienced?

Actually I did not work as much as the main organisers. I started to help during and after the event [she smiles, ed.].  For me, all the event was amazing and exciting. One of my favorite moments was the Pub Crawling, I was the leader of one group (Nine or Nain – cheers for you guys). I was the worst leader you can imagine. Despite having a map and GPS and despite the fact that I am living in Kraków, we got lost five times (or more). But we were really integrated and we did all the task so creatively that finally we won competition. Also, I liked the unexpected party in my flat on the 1^st of January – best beginning of the year (Eurovision, Maria Salvador song, tasty pasta cooked by Italians and Slav Squad). I avoid post-event depression in great way.  The most difficult part was the end of an almost one-week event and going back to normal life (and realising how much work I had to do before my exams due to procrastinating during Christmas break).

Are you happy about the results and proud of them? Would you change anything, looking back?

Of course, I am happy! I would only change my flat for a bigger one. Anyway, we managed plates for everyone, mattresses to sleep and even we danced Tunak Tunak, Macarena and Polonez. Polonez is the name of the Polish car but it is also the name of a traditional Polish dance that lot of AEGEEans learnt to dance during New Years Eve party and they really liked that. Here, I would like to thank my tolerant neighbours and flatmates.

Have you been an active member before and during Agora Bergamo? 

I do not know if I can call myself an active member. I  like helping in preparations during our local events,
but since Agora Bergamo I am more interested about the activities of International Bodies and Working Groups.  Agora Bergamo was my first Agora and I was not a delegate. On that event, there were forty members from AEGEE-Kraków and the majority of us had taken the same filght so I felt excited already at the airport.  The event was  unforgettable for me because everything was new, and also I met my friends from Summer University.

Name one good thing and one bad thing about AEGEE.

It is hard to name only one good thing. For me the most important thing in AEGEE are of course my friends from the whole organisation and the atmosphere during European events. In those moments I really feel like an inhabitant of a democratic, diverse and borderless Europe. I love helping AEGEEans when they are visiting Kraków or hosting them when I have a time. It completely confirms one of my favorite quotes from the movie Into the Wild “Happiness only real when shared”. Bad things? That it is impossible to get to know all the members [she smiles, ed.].

If you could change anything in the association, what would it be?

I think that is hard to change anything from day to day. Changing is a process that lasts some time. We are learning all the time from more experienced members. We are discussing about things which could be improved, and in my opinion is it is really good because we can learn tolerance, how to achieve an agreement, how to cooperate. Also I am not that involved at the European level of AEGEE to talk about changes.

What are your future plans for AEGEE?

Recently, I became a coordinator of Summer University so I am excited when I think about THIS summer. We want to prepare everything on the highest level and make that participants feel the “summer of their life”. I have a really good team of friends and Lidia as a Content Manager so actually I am counting days to this event and hope that you, readers of this interview, will apply!

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

One event. 13 days. Six cities. 23 participants and almost 25 organisers. “Our Big Fat Greek Winter University” was the New Year Event organised by the greek speaking antennae of AEGEE-Athina, AEGEE-Peiraias, AEGEE-Patra, AEGEE-Ioannina, AEGEE-Thessaloniki and AEGEE-Kastoria, between the 28th of December 2016 and the 9th of January 2017.

This NYE was one of its kind! An ambitious plan and a profoundly challenging event with one and only aim: to emphasise the diverse beauty that Greece has to offer to its visitors during the winter. Usually, when people think about the country, the first thing that pops automatically in mind, is the S triplet: sun, sand and sea! The journey followed a different path this time. Participants got to travel and see both the urban everyday life of the big cities and harbours, as well as the picturesque, suburban areas with the vivid student life.

As for me, this was a self-discovering and an amazing experience. When I joined AEGEE a year ago, trying to find my footsteps aside from school and my comfort zone, I would never imagine that I would be mainly responsible for such a thing. This is why, when my antenna proposed to me to be in charge of AEGEE-Ioannina part in this event, I felt it like a challenge.

No matter the difficulties that the organisers had to face considering it was a collaboration between six antennae, we managed to make the dream of many people, even before us, come true. We definitely surpassed the Greek stereotypes that want many people when working together, arguing with each other with no result. The biggest proof is what one of our participants, Leyla Gasanova from AEGEE-Moskva, said:“In general I want to say big thanks for this event! We could see a reeeally good job and a lot of preparation”.

The NYE started in the Greek capital Athens, of course. During the time in Athens, the participants had the opportunity to see our cultural inheritance. They visited the National Archaeological Museum, the state-of-the-art Akropolis Museum and Akropolis Rock. This was a life dream for many AEGEEans, who added a check to their to-do lists. They also paid a visit to the Ancient Agora and Pnika, the place where the ancient Athenians were gathering to discuss and vote. As Athens is a modern city, which combines perfectly the old with the new style, we could not miss an opportunity to walk in the alleys of the centre with full of bazaars, as well as shops with a modern and alternative essence. Lastly, the organisers of AEGEE-Athina took a good care of the social nightlife and partied along with the participants in various clubs. Everybody agreed on the fact that Athens had the best and craziest parties of the event.

The participants left with a great first impression to move to Patras, the second biggest harbour in Greece. The most enjoyable moment was during the city tour and the city rally when they visited, among others, the orthodox church of Saint Andrew and closed the day in the lighthouse near the marina, where we saw the sunset by the sea! It was a serene moment during this trip, perfect to meditate, as one of our participants did. The NYE party in Patras was a typically Greek celebrating meal, late in the evening. After we welcomed 2017, we ate the New Year’s Pie, a custom in the country. The pie was cut into pieces and served to guests. In it, there is a coin and whoever has it in his piece, is the lucky one for the year that has just arrived. It is connected to the orthodox Santa Claus, who is called Saint Vassilios, and he was the first to offer such a pie to the poor. Foteini, president of AEGEE-Patra, was the winner. After the meal, it was time for the party in the local bars!

Following destination… Ioannina! It is the small town in the north-west of Greece, as known mostly for lake Pamvotis and the mountainous sceneries. The time here is like stuck in the past, in the era when the Ottomans ruled. This impression was increased by the byzantine castle, the remaining mosques and the legends still alive in every corner. Travelling through places of the Medieval Age astounded the participants. We also visited the island in the lake, the one with its permanent inhabitants. We had a dance workshop there with local dances from Epirus and the Ionian Islands.

Of course, we did not miss the chance to dance the syrtaki as well. It would not be a Big Fat Greek Winter University without it, anyway! The highlight of the day: other visitors were passing by and staring at us. However, who really cared at that moment? Another workshop given by Netcom Spyros Papadatos was both interesting and fun. It was about “An interactive way to introduce AEGEE so that both the new and the old members could contribute and enjoy”. Ioannina ended its part with the European Night, which was organised in accordance with the guidelines of the “Drink-wise Project”. As the main organiser on behalf of my antenna, I had the “Eurotrip” through all the tables of different nations and opened the night with Spyros. And yes! I am able to say we survived!

Next in the row was Thessaloniki, “The Nymph of the North”, as locals proudly call the city. Thessaloniki is the second largest city in Greece and an eternal competitor with Athens. The participants had an amazing time in the city tour. One of the highlights was the byzantine castle, which was built in the 4th century. It offers a breathtaking and panoramic view from the highest point of the city to the beach and to the White Tower. During the two nights that they spent there, they got a taste of the legendary nightlife in Greek style tavernas with local foods, drinks and music. The pub crawl was a social activity which they also enjoyed much. In Thessaloniki, the organisers from other locals gathered together, created a lovely feeling to be all together for the final days of the NYE.

The event was meant to finish in Kastoria. The phenomenal snowstorm, though, that stroke Greece this winter, had another opinion on this. Under extremely low temperatures, AEGEEans took part in Ragoutsaria, a carnival that has its origins to the bacchanalian ceremonies that were exercised in the area. In Kastoria, the organisers also introduced them a real Greek night. The best part was definitely the moment that the participants tried to sing the mainstream Greek music. Unfortunately, the weather was a constant enemy and Murphy’s law “If something can go wrong, it will”, worked exceptionally well. With the whole country entering in a freezer, problems in the accommodation came up and the event had to finish ingloriously. This made us all disappointed, as we were all looking forward to the three-days party with the wine and the unstoppable dancing with the rhythm of Balkan music all around the alleys. Yet, every bad situation comes out a good result…or at least a funny incident.

We made it to the news! Two brave AEGEEans, during their visits to the frozen lake, walked on a very thin sheet of ice. Next day they became viral as the Kastorians who walked on the lake! Of course, we knew otherwise!!! To sum up, this NYE has been a pleasure and an adventure for everybody. As all NYEs, it was the perfect start to a year with full of travelling, meeting new friends and getting to know another country. More specifically, it was a chance to visit many Greek cities from the north to the south, learn about the culture and the particular cultural characteristics. Even though it might have been a little tiring swapping between six destinations, we were very happy to be able to show a different and more representative aspect of Greece. This would have been impossible without the friendly atmosphere we managed to create among the group of organisers. It was a surprise to me to get closer with our fellow antennae in such a way. We also owe this all to the most challenging and patient group of experienced AEGEE members that helped us to make it happen. And as once said… why not? Let’s turn this into a tradition!!!

Written by Vasiliki Andrioti, AEGEE-Ioannina

In late 2016 I started thinking about applying to a New Year’s event and, even if they were a lot and all really amazing, I did not really need to get through all the options that AEGEE offered this year because I knew from the start that I wanted to go to the one taking place in Skopje. I decided to apply to “Win Up: It’s Snow Time Deluxe Edition” because the programme was incredible, with lots of fun activities, but also because I had heard beautiful stories about it so I wanted to experience it at first hand.  

The event took place in the Macedonian capital city from the 30th of December 2016 to the 5th of January 2017, even if my first day was the 31st of December. In fact, on the 30th of December in the early morning, me and two other girls from AEGEE-Cagliari took the plane from Cagliari to Milan and then from Milan to Sofia. We waited seven hours in a bus station and at midnight finally we found a bus. The bus was really small and the luggage was placed in a small cart trailer, but after this long trip we finally managed to arrive to Skopje in the early morning the next day.

They took us in a wonderful city tour showing Saint Mother Theresa’s House, the Old Bazar of Skopje –  which is the second biggest bazar after Istanbul’s one from the time of the Ottoman empire, the Fortress of Skopje, the Holocaust Museum and the beautiful city centre, where we closed the day ice skating. Afterwards, we suited up for the NYE party, which was really amazing. Before it started the organisers held a workshop about alcohol and during the celebrations in a room close to the dance floor they prepared for us some typical food and chips, pretzels etc.

On the 1st of January, the organisers took us to the wonderful Vodno Mountain, where some of us climbed the mountain to reach the top, while others took the cableway. The view from the top was incredible, and it was one of the greatest experience I have ever had in my life.

Then we joined a workshop about Orthodox Christmas. The organisers offered us some Rakija and a typical cake and showed us some pictures. One of the traditions is a bread which has a coin hidden inside, and the one who finds the coin will have a lucky year. After that, we went to the city centre to play to an alcoholic treasure hunt. We were separated in different teams, each one with a team leader. We had to execute some tasks to have clues and each task earned you some points. Imagine what inhabitants could have been thinking seeing a group of more than 30 AEGEEans running around in the city centre of Skopje. The following day we changed location and we moved to Bulgaria, in Bansko. The journey was quite long so we just had the time to accommodate in our rooms and enjoy the first part of the European Night.

On the 3rd and 4th of January some of us took the chance to ski down the incredible Pirin Mountain, or to enjoy the beautiful Bansko and the Hotel SPA; while part of the group went to Sofia to spend the day there instead. We also enjoyed European Night part 2 and 3, since AEGEE-Skopje’s crew decided to separate the European Night in three different nights. I think that this was a smart decision, because we could appreciate more the alcohol without getting totally drunk and I have noticed that we put more passion in the presentation of our countries. Monika Borovcanska, one of the organisers, told me that the decision to split the European night in three parts was made “so that we would have three special nights. The result was amazing. In this way we avoided food/drinks leftovers and it was more exciting for everyone. Those who were supposed to present their countries put a lot of effort into doing it in the best way. All of them had the possibility to be better heard by everyone, since the whole concept was like a Treasure Hunt. There were five groups and five rooms with different presenters. All of the presenters had around five minutes to present their countries to the groups, that were coming one after another”.

On the last day, the 5th of January the group split in two; some of us went back to Skopje, while the others went to Sofia, because we had our flights back home from there. Organising an event in two different countries might seem difficult, but it was a desire that Monika had for some time now: “Organising an event in another country is always a challenge. However, skiing in Bansko is something that I have been doing for the last ten years, so I can say that it was easy to get in touch with some contacts.

The Bulgarian language is close to the Macedonian, so the communication was not a problem. An event in there has been my wish for some time and finally it happened”.

I have seen a lot of amazing things during this event, like the beautiful monuments in both Skopje and Sofia and, finally, real snow.

I come from an island settled in the Mediterranean sea, so for me it was surreal to be in a winter wonderland. But I have also learned a lot through the workshops and talking with people who have different cultures than mine. In the end, I can say that this event was really deluxe, they treated us like princes and princesses, we slept in real beds during the whole event -and for an AEGEE event is not that bad-, we ate a lot of delicious typical things and the social programme was insane. We definitely perceived the passion and committment that the organiser put into this event.

Written by Paola Letizia Murru, AEGEE-Cagliari

There are so many key moments that happened to me and I could share with you about the experience that lead to what I lived some weeks ago. Some of these moments include the one when I received a phone call from a friend of mine telling me that AEGEE is a must in terms of experiences that help develop young people or even the moment when, with a deep breath and a lot of courage, I signed up for my first AEGEE event: Improve your skills – AEGEE Bergamo’s NYE event.

How many things do we secretly dream of? We always know that we can do actions to ensure more than our daily comfort, but, oftentimes, we forget about our passion for travelling and we live in our daily routine, we follow our schedule and we do not dare going beyond the limits of our soul. One day we will all be old, we will look in the mirror and see that every wrinkle is a dream that was never fulfilled, a year that passed by without doing what we felt we had to, what defines us, what we once dreamed of doing.

My decision to apply for AEGEE focused on my desire to go out of the comfort zone that has enveloped me for a few years, out of the vicious cycle defined by the limits imposed by my university and the volunteering activities I participated in, but which restricted me and kept me within the borders of my country. Like many young people in Romania, I believed that in order to be professionally successful, all I had to do was study, but I forgot that all professional achievements do not mean anything as long as there is no fulfillment when it comes to the things that your soul desires. AEGEE was the experience that made me remember that there is no place in this world I would not want to visit with the people here.

Bergamo is a ravishing beauty. I believe many people view Italy through the prism of the most iconic touristic attractions of the country, while ignoring the beauty of the small towns that hide away and impress through their simplicity, order, good taste, warm people who blend in this fairytale environment, all of which, together with the people I had the opportunity to travel with, have made this trip unforgettable.

The event started out in the best possible way: an awesome party where I managed to talk to at least half of the participants. I did not believe my memory would manage to store all the names of those I talked to by the end of the event. This is why I took it upon myself to learn more about the people not through their names or their countries of origin, but through the things that bring us together and the things we have in common. I remember a game I played outside, before going in to the party, which required all the participants to spell out their name and I came to regret the fact that my name, Ana, is so short, and that I do not hold the world’s record for the longest name in the world. The evening ended with a sleeping session in our sleeping bags which were placed in the gym, something that made me want to repeat the experience. This may be the reason why, when I returned home in Romania, the first thing I did was taking out my sleeping bag and put it on the bed. Of course, this could also be thanks to a pattern that was ingrained in my memory during the experience.

My expectations regarding Bergamo came true the following day when I visited the city and came in contact with our guide’s humorous side, which kept us entertained throughout the day. The first major cultural difference hit me the following day, when we went out for a coffee with the Italian organisers and participants. Romanians ordered Americano, obviously, something that confused Italians who only drink espresso – a type of coffee that Romanians define, after several Italian lessons, “too piccolo” [small, ed.]. I am a food lover, which is why I could not miss the opportunity to go visit the place where stracciatella ice cream was first invented. The road from Bergamo to Temu was very useful and productive, as I managed to take Italian language lessons for three hours while reading through the news feed of all the Italian participants, thus learning all kinds of words which I only hope I could be able to form sentences with. The evening concluded with a big AEGEE style party, obviously. I discovered that AEGEE is made up of complex people, all of whom together create a sum of cultures and places that they visited.

The next two days were spent skiing. The organisers dedicated their time and energy to teach us and to practice the saying that defined this event: Improve your skills, something that made me realize that this word, ‘skills’, did not refer only to skiing, but to a lot more things that we managed to improve without realising. When it comes to me, I believe the purpose of the event was to go back home in a better version of yourself than the one you were prior to the event, at least regarding skiing. However, I am certain that I came back with much more than this: I came back with a luggage full of friends from the entire Europe.

European Glitter Night was the evening when Martina and Roby, the organisers of this event, won our entire admiration because they agreed to “sacrifice themselves” to taste all the traditional drinks and foods. I could even say that this helped me set a new AEGEE-like goal for future events. I was astonished to see that most of the participants were familiar with the traditional Romanian drink named palinca. I also found out that this was the drink with the highest alcohol concentration out of all the ones that were present that evening. In other words, if anything bad happened that evening, you can blame it on the palinca.

In the same evening, NYE also took place. This was the first NYE away from home, but not the first one away from my friends, because I felt like I was in the right place, surrounded by the right people, as well as the first NYE which I had the opportunity to celebrate three times, based on each time zone. This celebration based on each time zone reinvigorated this event, because people’s joy was also our joy.

During the last day (and also the first day without the wake-up call – which I never believed I would miss, but once I got home, I started hating my phone’s alarm clock because it was too mainstream and I began missing AEGEE), we went visiting the mountains with the so-called “ciaspolata” – a type of ski, small in size, but which make the climb easier. For three hours, I felt the need to take a picture every minute, something that drew the attention of the other participants who gave me the nickname “the Romanian girl who is more Chinese than Romanian”.

We ate pizza, but here I once again drew all the attention because of the way I chose to eat the pizza: with ketchup, same as the majority of the Romanians. This was my last experience of this kind and in order to prove myself, I decided to start an anti-ketchup campaign for my friends as a sign of respect for all my Italian friends. During the course of the same evening, I came to regret that Bombardino is not a traditional Romanian drink, which is why after I got home, I tried preparing it myself, but of course, the Romanian Bombardino did not have the same taste as the Italian one. Not because I did not know how to prepare it, but because you need some people with you in order to enjoy certain things.

Now, at the end of my message, I do not know if I should talk to those who never tried the AEGEE experience with the purpose of convincing them to try it or whether I should thank the people who deserve this because of the experience they set me up for, while allowing the others to see the motivation behind all the thanks I give: to the organisers – because every small detail made a huge difference, for all their patience and joyousness – and to my colleagues – because they turned this experience into a unique one, because each and every one of them managed to teach me something. Thank you for making me smile all the time during the event!

Thank you, AEGEE!
Written by Ana Mardare, AEGEE-Bucuresti

You might have noticed people from this local during Agoras, because they always prepare something choreographic for their roll calls. We are speaking about AEGEE-Napoli, an antenna located on the South of Italy. The local is 24 years old and in its history counts several events, including an Autumn Agora in 2006 and a NWM in 2012. We had a lovely chat with their President Flavia Mariano and HR responsible Tullio Pacelli.  

The AEGEEan: Present your local.

Flavia: Since 1993, AEGEE-Napoli has been a very dynamic local. Right now we have almost 70 members, and most of them are very active, thus allowing us to organise international events every year and lots of activities at the local level. Our weekly meeting is more than just a members’ reunion, as we are first a (big) group of friends. We meet to share a beer, have a chat and plan the future events and travelling, and every week more people are joining our family.

You recently had your NYE event. How did it go?

Flavia: Incredibly well, we were really surprised by the great chemistry that arose between the participants from the very first night. We had a great group of participants, they were always ready to explore more and party more, even if they had slept only three hours the night before. But the success of the event is also due to the great job done by the main organiser, William Mazza. Things were planned not to go wrong!

Your city, Napoli, is often associated with pizza, mozzarella, the folklore, but also with organised crime. How do you live the latter as member of AEGEE?

Tullio: First of all, Napoli is not only pizza and mozzarella! For example, did you know that Napoli has one of the biggest historical centres in Europe? That boasts an unique quantity of museum? Napoli is one of the few cities in the world that has gone through five historical phases (Greek, Roman, Middle Ages, Renaissance and Baroque) and has the oldest and most beautiful lyric theatre in the world.

About the criminality, yes, it is true that there is a high criminality level, as in lots of other European cities. What is untrue is the portrait that the media give of the city, they intensify the phenomenon, and despite what they say it is possible to lead a normal life and accomplish important projects in Napoli. Most Neapolitans are involved in the “fight” against the problems, but as I said before the media don’t seem interested in showing it. There are lots of associations, just like us, that not only promote the culture and beauty of our city, but also fight the crime. Some associations have literally saved abandoned public spaces from neglection and have turned them into important social centres for entire neighbourhoods. We too have had the occasion to use some of these spaces during our events.

As AEGEE-Napoli we try to do our part in the fight against stereotypes. For us, it is important not just to show the city, but to make people fall in love with it, and we are very proud to say that this happens very often. We share little pieces of our life with our participants trying to show them how we live, trying to make them feel Neapolitans for one day (or one week) and many of them want to come back, explore more and spend more time time with us.

Is it hard to present your local despite possible prejudices? In which way do you think you break stereotypes?

Flavia: I do not find it hard, being every year on top of the list for number of applications received for the SU means something. AEGEE members (at least most of them) are very open-minded, they know that most of the times prejudices are untrue and everyone recognises that our hard work is stronger than possible prejudice.

For sure we break at least one stereotype, the first rule in the organisation of our events is “Be always on time”. This is the thing that surprises our participants the most, they think that because they are in Napoli they can sleep five minutes more in the morning… oh, how wrong they are!

Also, we try to make the best out of stereotypes, therefore we have a partnership with the Consorzio Mozzarella di Bufala Campana.

Tullio: Fortunately, in AEGEE we have almost never had this problem, also because most of the AEGEE members I have known do not mind stereotypes and they know that the city is not as someone paints it. The great number of applications that we receive for our events are the proof. But, of course, sometimes I speak with some people that are “afraid’’ to come here because of what they read about Napoli on the Internet. When this happens we invite the “afraid’’ people to come to Napoli, and we could make a list of people who came, changed their opinion  and now are willing to come back again and again.

Have you ever organised/will you organise any event focusing on a youth perspective towards the fight for legality?

Flavia: No, and we are not planning any of it in the next future. We want to focus on the positive side of our city.
Tullio: We do not do a “direct” fight for legality, but with all of our actions, projects and events we are indirectly fighting for it. For now, we do not plan to organise a legality themed event, we feel that there are other associations  in Napoli doing this better than what we could do. For example, a few months ago AEGEE-Napoli collaborated with “Sii turista della tua città’’ [Eng, Be the turist in your city, ed.], an association involved with the cultural promotion of Napoli, and together we cleaned the beautiful staircase of Petraio, dating back to the XVII century.

What do you think makes AEGEE-Napoli special?

We are firstly a group of friends that enjoy working together and we are blessed to live in the most beautiful city in the word.

What are the future plans of your local?

Keep doing what we are doing! We will organise a SU with the same team as last year plus some great addition, and we are really eager to live together again for two amazing weeks. We organised the first and only Pub Crawl in Napoli in 2015 and for 2017 we decided to make it a monthly appointment. Other associations are starting to copy us, and we are almost proud of it. We have a packed activity plan for this year, and we do not want to reveal everything now. We invite AEGEE members to join us in Napoli to know more about our plans and discover our city.

Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona

In addition to the previous articles about the New Year’s Events, we would like to present you with some additional opportunities which are going to be organised by really experienced Antennae like AEGEE-Belgrade and the Greek Antennae. In this article, the journalist Matteo Lai will explain you why you can choose one of these events to spend the last hours of 2016, with the contributions of Vasiliki Andrioti and Aleksandra Icić.

Our Big Fat Greek Winter University

This NYE event is organised by Greek speaking Antennae (Athens, Peiraias, Patra, Ioannina, Thessaloniki and Kastoria). The general themes of this NYE are Greek history and culture, therefore they are also the focus of the social programme. Starting the journey from Athens, the participants will get to witness how the capital can perfectly combine its historical past with the present. Participants will visit the Akropolis and Parthenon, and stroll around the Plaka with its alleys and little shops. Moving to a nearby neighbourhood , members of AEGEE will see Peiraias, the biggest harbour of the country, with its own nautical and merchant tradition.

On New Year’s Eve, the participants will find themselves in Patra, the third biggest city of Greece, where the organisers are planning to have a party to welcome 2017. In Ioannina, the fourth destination, participants will visit the first of the two lake towns in their journey. A day trip will be set up to an island inside the lake, where everyone will get to know the local life. Thessaloniki, the so-called capital of the North, will reveal its stunning beauty from the top of its castles, which are the highest point in the entire city. And do not forget the must-do walk to the White Tower.

Last but not least, in Kastoria participants will attend “Ragoutsaria”, a local custom to welcome the new year. “Prepare yourselves for a different kind of carnival with much dance and alcohol!” adds Vasiliki Andrioti, from AEGEE-Ioannina. In addition, the social programme will involve traditional dances from different regions all around Greece, language and culture workshops, parties and many more.

A Winter University on this scale has never happened in the past. Participants will have the chance to travel through Greece, and the organisers from Athens, Peiraias, Patra, Ioannina, Thessaloniki and Kastoria await them to show them the original Greek spirit, six of the main cities of Greece and examples of Greek history and culture. It will be like a journey from the past to the present, meeting people from various regions and experiencing all the Greek customs, local life and hospitality.

So, if you have ever wanted to visit Athens and Akropolis, dance Syrtaki, eat Souvlaki and drink ouzo, get ready for a really “kefi” [fun, ed.] event! Vasiliki invites all members to apply on the intranet page here, and by filling in the Google form here. The deadline is the 20th of November. Thirty participants will be accepted.

Frozen in Belgrade: Oh deer, another year!

The topic of this NYE in Serbia is Tradition and Culture. Through workshops provided by AEGEE-Beograd, the participants will get the chance to explore Serbian traditions related to Serbian food and its preparation, and to the Serbian famous drink “Rakija” [a fruit brandy, ed.] and how it is made. During the city tours, the participants will see the most famous parts of Belgrade such as the Kalemegdan fortress, Saint Sava’s Temple, Skadarlija (the bohemian quarter), Knez Mihailova street and much more. Other activities include the Nikola Tesla museum, ice skating and trying to make it out of an Escape room on time.

Since Belgrade is famous for its night life, the organisers planned a pub crawl, an unforgettable European Night and, of course, something special for New Year’s Eve! “We are not going to tell you everything, you will just have to come and see for yourself”, adds Aleksandra Icić, the main organiser of the event.

“Balkan spirit is something you should experience – from our hospitality, warm and nice people who know how to enjoy life to our rich culture, monuments at every step and a buzzing nightlife” tells Aleksandra.

Twenty-five participants will be accepted for the event. The deadline is set for the 22th of November. Apply on the Intranet here and fill in the Google form here (both are required).

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari.

This year every member of AEGEE can choose from lots of New Year’s Events to spend the last days of 2016 with some European friends outside their native city. Many Antennae are planning a NYE such as: Utrecht, Maribor, Zagreb, Skopje, Naples. In this article we will provide you more information about some of these events. This is part 3. For part 1, click here, and, for part 2, click here.

AEGEE-Bergamo, ‘Improve your skills’

This event, from the 28th of December until the 2nd of January, will be mostly about skiing, and one, apparently supervised, snowball fight. The entire event will take place in the Italian Alps, and might be the best NYE to learn how to ski, and other ski-related issues.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event, by filling in the intranet form, here, and by filling in the Google form, here.

AEGEE-Kraków, ‘Royal Birthday & Highlander’

AEGEE-Kraków also seems to capitalise on the folkoric and cultural aspect of their country. However, there are three important aspects, that make this local stand out: (1) there can be up to one hundred participants attending this event, (2) the event coincides with AEGEE-Kraków’s twenty-fifth birthday, and (3) each participating member of AEGEE can also sign up one friend, who is not a member, to join in the festivities.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event, by filling in the Google form, here.

AEGEE-Moskva and AEGEE-Kyïv, ‘Capital Cities #3’

This New Year’s Event is already the third instalment of this transnational celebration, during which the participants will visit both Moscow and Kiev to celebrate, what they call, a “true USSR NY celebration”. A lot of the programme consists of the classic activities, such as city tours, winter games, and cooking workshops, but the event sticks out from other NYEs by offering its participants activities such as the visit to a sauna and to do some fortune telling.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event by applying via the intranet and by filling in this Google form.

AEGEE-Samara, ‘Snow Russian Cocktail’

Marketed as a “Winter University”, AEGEE-Samara is going to host a New Year’s event for fifteen participants between the 30th of December and the 7th of January. The most important goal of this “WU”, reportedly, is to let the participants discover the Russian spirit, and many activities are planned to do so; one of which is horseback riding.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event, by filling in the Google form, here.

AEGEE-Thessaloniki e.a., ‘Our Big Fat Greek Winter University’

The final NYE on our list is another one marketed as a “Winter University”. For this event, all Antennae in Greece, that is to say AEGEE-Thessaloniki, AEGEE-Ioannina, AEGEE-Athina, AEGEE-Patra, AEGEE-Kastoria, and AEGEE-Peiraias, have banded together to organise one big event in six cities on the course of just thirteen days. The participants will visit a lot of places and sights that are significant to the Greek culture, however, only thirty people can apply.

You can find more info here, and you can apply for the event by applying via the intranet and by filling in this Google form.

Written by Willem Laurentzen, AEGEE-Nijmegen

This year every member of AEGEE can choose from lots of New Year’s Events to spend the last days of 2016 with some European friends outside their native city. Many Antennae are planning a NYE, such as: Utrecht, Maribor, Zagreb, Skopje, Naples, Budapest. In this article we will provide you with more information about some of these events. This is part 2. For part 1, click here.

AEGEE-Maribor, ‘NYE vol.10’

AEGEE-Maribor’s ‘NYE vol. 10: Go BIG or go home’ is absolutely huge. This Antenna from Slovenia will host more participants than any of the other Antennae will on their NYE: 70. At this event, participants will barely find some time to rest. Besides skiing, which is basically the main activity, they will experience wine tasting in one of the oldest wine cellars in Europe, a trip to Bled where they can take a boat to the island in the middle of the lake, a spa day in Maribor and much more. And if they don’t like skiing or snowboarding, that is not a problem. They can choose any of the other bits of the programme like ice-skating, snow games, a trip to Ptuj, one of the best escape rooms in Europe, and more. AEGEE-Maribor is also offering its participants seven epic parties in six different clubs and, most importantly, they will be meeting awesome people from all over Europe.

It is a rarity to have skiing slopes right next to a city; at this NYE, you can try your first ski curves with the lovely view of the city of Maribor. And what is better than accommodation in the city centre, which is only a five-minute-walk away form the clubs? Every AEGEE member that already attended this NYE before can tell you that nightlife in Maribor, and Ljubljana, is amazing. This is why the Slovenian Antenna decided to offer its participants a visit to the capital of Slovenia as well. Plus, this year will also be the 10th anniversary of AEGEE-Maribor’s NYE.

You can find more information here. Apply for the event filling in the Google form here.

AEGEE-Skopje, ‘Win Up’

“Win Up: It’s Snow Time Deluxe Edition” is  the title of the NYE organised by AEGEE-Skopje, with help from some very experienced AEGEE members like Ivan Janevski, and Goran and Monika Borovcanska. The social programme of the event is mainly a big surprise. Monika can reveal the same things that everyone can already read in the description, but for  the rest she would really love to see the participants’ faces when they experience the activities [she smiles, ed.].

According  to Monika, there will be European Nights (yes, plural [she smiles, ed.]), a treasure hunt through the thrilling city, and very interesting workshops; including a drinking workshop, a snow workshop, a Macedonian Orthodox Christmas workshop. Furthermore, the participants will go ice-skating and wage a snow war. The whole event will be full of interesting games, competitions with lots of surprises, different sports, arts, and more stuff you simply cannot imagine.

AEGEE-Skopje will provide you with three (or more) meals per day and free drinks. The Macedonian Antenna will show you the modern and the ancient Skopje and, if you wish, you can travel to Sofia as well. They will also take you to the Pirin Mountain at the Bansko Ski resort, where everyone can ski or play snow games, and, when you go back to the hotel, you can relax in the spa. AEGEE-Skopje will host 30 awesome participants.

You can find more information on the event here. Apply to the event filling in Intranet here.

AEGEE-Budapest, “Be the bravest in Budapest!”

The Hungarian Antenna is planning to organise an ongoing quest during the whole NYE. This means that there will be competitions (challenges, quests, drinking games) where the participants can collect points in different aspects. This does not mean that there will be a first, second and third setting, then everyone will get a title at the end of the event (for instance the most creative, the funniest, the bravest, the loudest, etc…). There are two optional programmes and one of these is a typical Hungarian programme : spa day. This will take place on the first day of 2017. The other optional programme is ice-skating in the beautiful Városliget (popular Hungarian ice-skating place). As for the non-optional programmes, there will be some of the typical Hungarian-AEGEE activities like city-rally (where the participants will have the opportunity to explore Budapest and its famous attractions), European night, pub-crawl, Hungarian day (Hungarian dancing and cooking lessons). And, of course, wine-tasting. At the beginning there will be ice-breaking games (speed-date), and the organisers will do everything in order to create a friendly atmosphere. Before New Year’s Eve the organising team is planning to devote time to write resolutions for the new year and to recall the ones of the previous year.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

This year, every member of AEGEE can choose from lots of New Year’s Events to spend the last days of 2016 with some European friends, outside their native city. Many antennae are planning a NYE such as: Utrecht, Maribor, Zagreb, Skopje, Napoli. In this article, we will provide you more information about some of these events.

AEGEE-Zagreb- “Zagreb ADVENTure”

The first NYE, even though it’s held between 8-11 December, is Zagreb ADVENTure: Walking in the Christmas Wonderland. Nika Alujevic, the Main Organiser, told us some details about the event. “During the ADVENTure, the participants will visit a Christmas market under thousands of lights that create a special, magical atmosphere and make you instantly feel as if you stepped into the fairy tale. The AEGEEans will be dancing at the numerous concerts on the streets, skating next to the DJs from a rink in front of a theatre. After that,  they will warm up with mulled wine, punch and hot chocolate, and try some Croatian traditional sweets.

Apart from living in a Zagreb Christmas Fairy Tale, the participants will have some workshops about Croatian history and culture, an Europtimism workshop, a Christmas (and maybe snowy) treasure hunt, a pub crawl with some intriguing Christmas & Croatian drinks and really original tasks. Of course, every evening will end with a party. The AEGEEans will have a chance to discover the nightlife variety  Zagreb has to offer (the live AEGEE-Zagreb concert battle of the bands, a Christmas party, karaoke, and more surprises).

Now, warm up with watching some videos like this one here.  Still hesitating? Are you eager to meet the famous AEGEE-Zagreb people and see how the second best organizers of the Summer Universities 2016 and organizers of EPM 2017 celebrate Christmas in their beautiful city of million hearts? [she smiles, ed.] This is your unique chance! Don’t miss it!”

AEGEE-Zagreb will accept 20 lucky participants that will show the best motivation for joining their event.

You can find more information on their Facebook event clicking here, apply on Intranet here and fill in the Google form here.

AEGEE-Napoli- “Neapolis on Fire”

William Andrea Mazza, the Main Organizer of “Neapolis on fire: a Nap(less) experience!” and the IT Responsible of AEGE-Napoli, told us that AEGEE-Napoli is working hard these days to arrange all the activities and, of course, the social programme for the event. The Italian antenna is planning to have the best NYE night AEGEE has never seen: a dinner with typical Neapolitan dishes and crazily weird, superstitious traditions to let their participants fully discover their culture and live the NYE night. At midnight they will see the fireworks and after they will keep celebrating at the seaside party held every New Year’s Eve in the city.

There are so many good reasons for AEGEE members to apply to the event:

• Napoli is a city full of unique traditions and daily routines that reach their best at a NYE.
• The Church of St. Gregory of Armenia and the nativity scene statues’ shops, markets and the music everywhere conjure an unique atmosphere.
• So do the fireworks on New Year’s Eve, the castles, the breathing views of the gulf, the churches, the monuments etc.
• The activities the organisers of AEGEE-Napoli have planned will let the participants totally immerse in the Napolitan culture and lifestyle. They will be able to see the historical centre, the seaside, the castles, the archaeological site of Pompei, Salerno and the “Luci d’Artista” that makes the city a must during Christmas holidays.

AEGEE-Napoli will host 20 participants and it will do the best to have the most culturally different group.

You can find more information here, apply to the event filling the Intranet form here and the Google form here.

AEGEE-Utrecht- “Bucket List”

The third NYE on this list is AEGEE-Utrecht’s Dutch Up Your Bucket List!. This year, the programme   will include many exciting activities. It will have a thrilling fire breathing workshop from a circus expert, beside experiencing new kinds of foods and participating in an old Dutch tradition of diving into the sea at the first of January. Furthermore, there are lots of parties in a vibrant student city of Utrecht.

The legendary European night. Adventure edition, visiting student clubs, an awesome New Year’s party, and a pub crawl are also included in the event. The participants will thus not only discover the nightlife of Utrecht, but cultural activities such as: an underground tour of the city, ascending the ancient Dom tower and a class in Dutch as well. Plus, there are more nice surprises!

So, there are many reasons to apply to the event. For example, where else can you find the event that will change your life, push you out of your comfort zone, combined with the best parties and best people? This is the best start of the new year that anyone can wish for. Utrecht is definitely the place to be this year!

The Dutch antenna will accept 25 participants. You can apply for the event by filling in the Intranet form here and the Google form here. You can find further info about the event here. You can also watch their promotional video by clicking here.

Good luck to everyone!

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari

AEGEE-Mannheim is organising a Network Meeting (NWM) on the end of the next April. We have spoken with Chantal Schmalkoke, Responsible for Internal Issues, who also tells us something about the future plans of the German Antenna.

The AEGEEan: Why did you apply to host the NWM?

Chantal: We wanted to host a European Event but a SU would have been too big for our small Antenna. We wanted to show who we are and what it means to be an AEGEEan in Mannheim.

When will the NWM Mannheim take place ?

From the 22nd of April to the 25th of April 2016.

Which will be the focus of your NWM?

As usual, we will have many organisational things in the workshops prepared by our NetCommie Mareike. But our focus is to show the cultural variety and diversity of Mannheim.

Can you tell us something about the NWM’s social programme?

We will have a pub crawl on Friday, a special city tour on Saturday and the European Night on Sunday.

Who will be part of the organization team? How many people are going to help with the NWM as organisers?

The main organiser is our Board. But we will do only the rough planning. We will build working groups. Our members will join them and organise a specific part of the NWM. On the weekend we hope to have some help from other Antennas like Heidelberg.

Do you have any local municipality or university support?

Yes. Our university has helped us a lot with the workshop rooms and the gym for accommodation. We also hope that some regional firms will support us.

What kind of fundraising strategy have you used?

For fundraising we’ve also built a working group. We try to concentrate on regional firms.

What is the title of your NWM? Can you explain the reasons behind it?

‘Diversity – Square your Potential in Mannheim’. As I’ve said, we want to show the cultural diversity of Mannheim. And maybe some people already know that Mannheim streets are arranged in squares like it is in NWM.

What is special about the city of Mannheim?

We have many different people from different cultures and that is why it is very international. Most people think that Mannheim is just an ugly city. But you can do a lot of things. There are great offers and possibilities.

Why should people come to Mannheim?

People should come to Mannheim to see what it really means to live here and that it is not just ugly. They should experience the special spirit of Mannheim.

Is it easy to arrive in Mannheim?

Yes, I think it is. There are many airports in the region, for example Frankfurt am Main, Karlruhe Baden or Saarbrücken. And from the airports it is easy to travel to Mannheim by train.

What are the next plans of AEGEE-Mannheim?

Our biggest project is definitely the NWM and we are using all our power to make it as great and unforgettable as possible. After that, we will see what comes next.

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari.