There we were again. Back in Manjirón, where this popular event took place for the very first time back in 2011 and where some of the most active members of our area nowadays also started!

In some way, this event became kind of compulsory for the members of our area (La Nave, the area of the French-, Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking antennae). We cannot finish a summer period without celebrating a Renove. The main purpose of this event is to have a big reunion of motivated members, to make participants have a good time after a wonderful and exciting experience in their Summer Universities, to let them discover a bit more about AEGEE and to gather together newbies and oldies from each antennae so they can make future plans for the upcoming year. Fun, experiences and team-building are the key elements of the event.

After great organisational work from AEGEE-Madrid, we can say the event was a success and people came back home full of happiness and motivation. Thank you for it and congratulations!

As a starter, participants were divided in groups representing different urban tribes in a good combination of oldies and newbies from different antennae to help people meet each other even before the event. Emos, rappers, heavies, hunkies, hipsters, chavs, hicks, preppies, nerds and hippies went around the lodging, even if the first night it was more animal like as we started with a Cat party (Madrileños’ style).

Next day in the morning we went for a walk: to some people a delight and to others mostly annoyance. We talked about our experiences in AEGEE in groups which is interesting and also inspiring for others. There was a fun gymkhana on Saturday afternoon where all groups worked together and did their best to complete every task. And after it… let’s go for recovery tasks! As there was an antenna which kidnapped loads of mascots from other close (or not so close) antennae, there were tasks to get them back for nearly everyone. Thank you, AEGEE-Oviedo!

At night it was time to let the tribes out and most of them impressed us with their characterisation and performance during the party. On Sunday it was time for some serious stuff; workshops and talks. Before the event, La Tripulación (NetCom Team) asked all members to send their SU pictures and share their experiences with a sentence. A video was released there for the joy of the lucky participants.

The sessions started with “AEGEE in your resume” held by Gerardo García, Olga Rivero (AEGEE-Oviedo), Marta Martinez (AEGEE-Santander) and Iker Iraizoz (AEGEE-Valladolid) followed by “My life in AEGEE” by Álvaro Espinosa, Fernando Campo (AEGEE-Santander), Pablo Ruiz (AEGEE-Zaragoza) and myself. Last but not least, there was time for AEGEE-Burgos to inform everyone about the upcoming EPM Burgos 2015, to present their project and their team; as well as for AEGEE-Oviedo to present Autumn AgorAsturias.

People left on Sunday after lunch and, after a short but intense weekend full of AEGEE spirit, farewell time was as difficult as in a SU. We believe many new members will be active after Renove IV… let’s keep working and being awesome!

Written by Carmen María López Banegas (AEGEE-Alicante)

Pictures by Ksenia Lupanova (AEGEE-Moskva) and Alberto Arroyo (AEGEE-Madrid)

Renove is a common term for members of La Nave, the nickname for the locals in France, Spain, Portugal and AEGEE-Brussels/Bruxelles. This year the 4^th edition of Renove will be hosted, bringing back the event to where it originally started, namely in a small village close to Madrid.

AEGEE-Madrid will already host the fourth edition of Renove, but even though the event has existed for years, still not many members outside of La Nave know about it. The AEGEEan therefore interviewed newly elected NetCom assistant Carmen Maria about the idea behind the event. “The idea was to have a common event right after the period of Summer Universities (when new members are really motivated and want to know more about AEGEE). An event which combines funny activities and information about AEGEE in the right doses, as well as allows antennae members to get to know each other by mixing oldies and newbies while promoting teambuilding.”

After the first edition of the event, Antonio Velez then President of AEGEE-Madrid explained to The AEGEEan that the idea included having a team based competition, some light workshops and a lot of fun and parties to make it an attractive event for newbies. “As one of the main objectives (and results) of this event was to activate new people in order to gain new board members, Maria Laglera (PR of SUCT 2011) suggested the name Renove, which in Spain is the name of a goverment program to replace old cars, and we all agreed,” he told the magazine when being interviewed by The AEGEEan in 2011.

In the last years the event has been hosted by AEGEE-Madrid, AEGEE-Valladolid and AEGEE-Burgos. The NetCom team, La Tripulación, ensured that the event created back in 2011 kept its original spirit and main purpose and has over the years taken further control of the content in order for it not to divert its aim.

As mentioned, the event this year goes back to where it started, in a small village close to the Spanish capital and again hosted by AEGEE-Madrid. Carmen Maria tells us: “Clearly, Madrid is geographically the most convenient city for the whole area. Connections are better and easier for people than to other cities. It will also be good for the antenna to motivate and activate members which is a bit difficult in such a big city.”

Renove in Valladolid

As always it will be a busy autumn for the antennae in “La Nave” having several interesting events to go to. There will be Renove in September, sending delegates and visitors to the Autumn Agora in Cagliari in October and the Autumn Network Meeting in November in Zaragoza. The AEGEEan asked Carmen Maria if she believes the event participation in Renove and later the NWM in Zaragoza will be affected by the busy schedule and she says: “Renove is taking place right in the middle of Spain and Zaragoza is in the Northwest. These cities have quite a good location regarding the rest of the antennae of our area so we don’t really see a problem. The content and aim of these events are also pretty different so they can attract a wide variety of members. Moreover, we love Renoves and NWMs!”

Next to these events, early next year there will also be plenty of work for AEGEE antennae as the EPM will take place in Burgos in February and a few months later there will be the Spring Agora in Gijon organized by AEGEE-Oviedo. The Autumn NWM as well as Renove will be of great importance for these two statutory events “They will be really relevant as many people might get active and find the motivation to take part in these upcoming events. They will also be the perfect place to learn a bit more about event’s organisation, functioning of the teams and so on, so we expect these events to be a help for the future organisers and helpers of the EPM and the Agora. They will be perfect places to bond together,” Carmen Maria tells The AEGEEan.

Renove hosted by AEGEE-Burgos

Of course The AEGEEan also interview the board of AEGEE-Madrid about their motivation to organise the event. It was already said last year that the antenna wanted to organise the event again but in the end the participants enjoyed a fruitful event hosted by AEGEE-Burgos. So instead of Renove 3.0 it turned out that Renove 4.0 would be the follow-up event for AEGEE-Madrid on their great success in 2011 and they tell us: “Well, for us, it was about time to do it.  Last year we were in a rush and we didn’t have enough time to prepare a project like this one. This year, with a fresh new board and some new active members there was a constant factor that always appeared in our projects: Renove IV. Since the very beginning, it was proposed to organise the Renove in 2014, and all the new and old board member agreed on that. As the time was passing, we were more and more excited about the idea of organising an event like this for our region.We have worked hard lately on it and finally we decided to send our application to “La Tripulación”.”

Even though about three years have gone by, there are still people in AEGEE-Madrid that have the experience of hosting the first event that will offer their expertise for the 4^th edition, for example Sergio Recuero, who was part of the team that organized the first Renove. For Renove 4.0, he will be in charge of the social programme and activities before and during the event. Also Antonio Vélez who used to be a subcommisioner for the Network Commission, and who is another experienced member from AEGEE-Madrid will help the antenna with the organisation of this big project. Javier Uceda, the Vice president, was also involved with the same enthusiasm in the first one as he is in this one. “With their experience, ideas, patience and hard work, we are sure we will make the difference for Renove IV,” the rest of the board of AEGEE-Madrid ensures The AEGEEan.

These experienced members work together with the group of organisers with new motivated members such as Alberto Arroyo and Silvia de Gregorio that are very motivated and want to get involved in the organization of such an event for the whole region. They will also make use of the experience of Cintia Pérez, Eva Alcolea and Ana Gómez (Anita), who have already organized events not only on a local level, but also in the European level, which surely will be a great contribution.

 However, the event won’t all be the same as the first year. First of all, the first thing that will be different is the accommodation. The lodging has been renovated during the last year and the participants will be in wood huts instead of a hostel. Furthermore, the owners of the place have also renovated the facilities and there will also be a greater arrangement of the parties this time around. But changes aren’t only made to the accommodation, AEGEE-Madrid has a lot of surprises in mind as well as activities, games, a big gymkana and the thematic for this Renove that they unfortunately cannot reveal yet, but they ensure that everyone is going to have a great time. “The key of the last success was the place chosen, Manjirón, (which, would be the same but a little bit changed) but also the new team of organisers, one of them will be organiser of this Renove too (Sergio Recuero) and the social programme. We would like to contribute to repeat that success this year with fresh ideas and activities to make sure everyone is going to remember this event. However, as everyone knows, we will keep in mind what happened during the first Renove, but we won’t like to reenact it, as if we were reenacting a historical battle. As Heraclitus said: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man,” the board says.

Former Network Commissioner Pauline at Renove in Burgos. The Network Commission is of course also very involved in Renove 4.0 that will be in Madrid

AEGEE-Madrid has many plans for the events and have already chosen the thematic for the making of the groups, as in other Renoves the participants will be divided into different groups during the event. “It is so great that we cannot tell you anything else, it is a secret (part of the surprises that we are planning). However, we know that you will love it. Our idea is to bring people from different places together and mixed the “oldies” with the “start-to-be-active” and “newbies”, so the event can be more fun and productive. Through this groups, we will make contact with all the participants and it will increase the relations of the people before and after the event,” the board finishes the interview with excitement for the event.

Renove is not the only event that AEGEE-Madrid is working on. Every week they gather the members to motivate new ones and get them in contact with the board and the rest of the people from AEGEE either at a meeting or a social drink. Besides that, as many other antennae, AEGEE-Madrid is also busy working on their upcoming Summer University and they have plenty more events in mind to ensure that AEGEE members will enjoy happenings hosted by their antenna several times of the year in different shapes of events.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Zaragoza.

Pauline Létard has been working hard as a Network Commissioner since Autumn Agora Zaragoza and it is certainly appreciated not only by the Network Commission in which she was part of the speaker team but also all the antennae she was responsible for. Due to personal reasons she chose to resign and Carmen María López Banegas from AEGEE-Alicante has become her replacement as a NetCom assistant until Agora Cagliari.

It has recently become public that the Autumn Network Meeting of La Nave (the name of French, Spanish and Portuguese Network ed.) will be hosted by AEGEE-Zaragoza and Renove 4.0 will be in Madrid. That, together with loads of Summer Universities across Spain, Portugal and France, this new NetCom assistant Carmen Maria has plenty of tasks on the to-do-list. The AEGEEan interviewed Carmen Maria about her motivation to join the Network Commission, and her plans for her term now over the summer.

The AEGEEan: Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Carmen Maria: I studied International Business and I have been working on that field for more than six years. I am the Overseas Dept. manager of my company and I love my job. I live in the more than sunny Murcia. I enjoy nearly all kinds of music and I am some sort of keen on films.

I joined AEGEE because I missed international atmosphere after living in the United Kingdom for a year and a friend of mine told me about his great experience during a Summer Course and ended his explanation with “CM, that’s your association” so I searched for it on the Internet and immediately joined AEGEE-Alicante. That was back in 2011.

The AEGEEan: What have you done in AEGEE?

Carmen Maria: I was a board member of my beloved antenna during 2012-2013, 2013-2014. I help with everything I can since I am not pigeonholed and do not mind carrying out new and different tasks.

I have been organiser of a Summer University, two Network Meetings (one in the NetCom team and the other in both local and NetCom team) and thematic events as Tabarca, Starts Under the Sea, 10th Anniversary and Mediterraneanly in Alicante.

Other than that I have been a Participant in two Summer Universities, four Network Meetings (we are going for the fifth!), one Agora and three RENOVEs (first as member of the NetCom team and going for the forth), many local events/activities and a few thematic events (New Year Events, anniversary) in other antennae.

The AEGEEan: What has been your favorite moment(s) in AEGEE?

Carmen Maria: This is a tricky question. I have loads of great moments in AEGEE… Maybe I fondly remember the Network Meeting in Gijón as I became more active right after it. I always come back home full of energy and motivation after every event. The very best for me is when people are happy about the result of any event, sharing with others the joy.

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to apply to become NetCom assistant? 

Carmen Maria: I was already in the NetCom team of Pauline; we talked about it and considered it was a good idea to keep on working with this area since knowing the field makes it easier. I think I have the motivation and commitment needed to do so. Let’s see!

How has it helped prepare you for the task as NetCom assistant being a subcommie for quite a while? 

Carmen Maria: I guess so. I have been working with two NetComs (Pilar Lop and Pauline Létard) and with many different team members. Maybe the work is different now, of course, but I already enjoyed what I did helping some antennae and trying to do so with our area so I hope it keeps this way at least.

The AEGEEan: How will you work with subcommies?

Carmen Maria: We will probably keep working in a similar style as before. The team is very consultative and democratic. I like having different opinions and backgrounds on the team because it helps to solve problems easier and makes the team more versatile and efficient.

The AEGEEan: What is on your agenda for the upcoming months in the area of La Tripulación?

Carmen Maria: We have fourteen Summer Universities all over Spain, two in France and one in Portugal, some Summer Events around as well as Castelló and, of course, RENOVE in Madrid. Later on, we will start focusing in our NWM in Zaragoza.

 The AEGEEan: Will you be at the NetCom meeting in Budapest? If not, how do you think this affects your upcoming tasks as NetCom assistant?

Carmen: Being in a physical meeting is always significant but everything went so fast I could not make it. Working online is not a problem for me and with the help of the other NetComs I guess I will manage.

The AEGEEan: Do you think that it will affect your work that it is now the summer time and usually things go more slowly in AEGEE?

Carmen Maria: I believe it does not have to affect more than to any other task. Just the normal problems because everyone is on holiday but nothing out of the ordinary. If people commit and work a bit, there won’t be any important problems.

The AEGEEan: Would you like to candidate for NetCom at Agora Cagliari?

Carmen Maria: Maybe yes, as I wouldn’t  really have considered joining the Network Commission already now but wanted to wait until after Pauline’s period. I guess I will but better to wait at the right time to decide it.

The AEGEEan: When you don’t do AEGEE stuff, what do you like to do in your free time?

Carmen Maria:  I go on other trips with friends, do sports (not much) read and watch films, listen to music and dance, spend time with my family and friends…

The AEGEEan: What could you add that most people probably doesn’t know about you?

Carmen Maria: I am a bit shy at the beginning but after some time I am quite extroverted. At work I am really serious minded; maybe a bit strict and demanding but fair and sincere. I am really cheerful when it comes to leisure and partying.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Zaragoza

A few weeks ago AEGEE-Burgos organized their 5^th anniversary. A small but nice event in which participants got to visit the city that will be the host of next year’s EPM, which will take place mid February 2015. EPM stands for European Planning Meeting, the event that we called EBM (European Boards’ Meeting) until Agora Patra.

Participants during the 5th anniversary of AEGEE-Burgos

What will happen in Burgos in the middle of February next year? There are several answers to that question. It will be an event where everything is covered by the budget that AEGEE-Burgos has planned, an EPM that has the full support from the University of Burgos and, most importantly,  an event that the members of AEGEE-Burgos and nearby cities are very motivated to host.

For this reason small events, like AEGEE-Burgos celebrating their 5^th anniversary together with participants from Oviedo, Madrid, Zaragoza and more, are really important to bring people together, because everybody knows that having a strong team is the basis of a successful event.

The AEGEEan interviewed the former President of AEGEE-Burgos and main responsible of the EPM, Ruben Sanz, about the event next year and what the Network can expect.

The AEGEEan: You already considered organizing an Agora Burgos but in the end did not apply. Why was that?

Ruben: We were planning first to apply to organize an Agora because we had all the support of Burgos University, but organizing it means that we would have to gain a lot of new members or ask for a lot of help from other antennae. Burgos is one of the smallest cities and universities in Spain, and AEGEE-Burgos has not yet reached 100 members in its short history, so we have to know our limits.

NWM Burgos

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to candidate to host EPM Burgos?

Ruben: Because it is the ideal situation for us. During the last three years we have organized a lot of events, Network Meeting, our yearly event (Morcillote’s birthday) and even the last Renove for more than 100 participants. We have several members who have been main organizers of events, who have a lot of experience and are very motivated people. Compared to ZarAgora we have about a quarter of the amount of members that AEGEE-Zaragoza has, but at least we have members with lots of experience, especially in organizing events. 

The AEGEEan: Do you have people that were part of organizing Agora Zaragoza that would like to help with the realization of EPM Burgos?

Ruben: Of course! Three of us have been organizers in Agora Zaragoza, and many of us have attended a lot of statutory events so we know how to do things, we know what to do and what to avoid. We understand the strengths and the weak points of one event for such a great amount of people. I think that you go back home with a smile if you have good food, you don’t have to walk for long distances or use buses to go from the gym to plenaries and of course a nice place to rest with hot showers.  And we have all of this!

Rubén (To the left) during Agora Zaragoza

What experience and knowledge do the members of AEGEE-Burgos have about previous EBMs?

Ruben: We have sent envoys to Izmir, Malta and Lublin, so we know what the Chair team needs. People who attended  all of them know that they were completely different in logistics, so we will try to pick the best things from each, even though we cannot book a hotel for participants as it was the case in EBM Valletta.

The AEGEEan: Personally, you have attended three EBMs, what do you like about the event?

Ruben: For me it is the best event of AEGEE! Izmir was my first and I had no idea what I was getting into, and when I started listening to the lectures my jaw dropped. I’m very interested in geopolitics for example, and Lublin was awesome! I am a bit worried about the feeling that is growing in Europe where people say “We’d have a better life if we were alone”. I am very Euro-optimistic and hearing different opinions has made me very open minded to different problems of countries.

The AEGEEan: Why did you decide to be the main responsible of the EPM?

Ruben: I’m the most experienced member in our antenna and I have been very involved in all of our events all these years. I joined AEGEE three years ago, when AEGEE-Burgos was only a seed, now we are a tree that keeps growing and growing. Now we are a normal antenna in terms of members, active people, participants in events, budget etc. I think it was a normal process. You know that the ideal situation is that a leader emerges from the group, but in this case I’m just the head of a group, and the project and the direction is set by the whole group of organizers.

During the 5th anniversary of AEGEE-Burgos the participants celebrated the “White Night” of AEGEE-Burgos. What will participants celebrate during EPM next year?

The AEGEEan: How many active members do you have in your antenna? How will you ensure that you have enough organizers and helpers?

Ruben: Now we have 12 board members, but the number of active people is 20. We have some new members who will go to different Summer Universities who we would like to turn into active members.

We organized the 5th anniversary of our antenna last month, and some new members were there too, and we made one twinning trip to León and to Oviedo and more new people came. After summer we hope to be near 30 really active members! Anyway we will ask some very experienced members from nearby cities to be helpers too, all the north area of Spain is one big AEGEE family, we take care of each other, we have a lot of unofficial events as twinning trips and now we are a very big group of friends.

The AEGEEan: What is special about your city?

Ruben: Burgos is one of the main stops of Saint James walk, and it is the capital of the old kingdom of Castile (the seed of Spain of nowadays). Burgos cathedral appear in all art books and we are famous because of our wines and traditional food. Last year New York Times marked Burgos as one of the top 25 places to go. I know that people will have to check on a map where Burgos exactly is, but I’m sure it will be a great surprise for all the people who will come here.

SU in Burgos 2012 in front of the beautiful cathedral of Burgos

The AEGEEan: Will it be easy for participants to go to Burgos?

Ruben: Yes, Burgos is just in the north part of centeral Spain, we are only a bit more than two hours away from Madrid (there are even direct buses from Madrid airport every hour), and we have some daily buses and trains to Barcelona. In less than 1 hour we can reach the low cost airports of Bilbao, Santander or Valladolid. So we have a lot of ways to arrive, and I’m sure some nearby antennae will organize awesome pre-events! AEGEE-León has already confirmed that they would like to organize a pre-event.

The AEGEEan: What experience do you have in organizing events?

Ruben: Our team has organized several big events during the last years. One Network Meeting, Summer Universities as a yearly event, as well as “Burgos me pone Morcillote”, and most recently Renove (social post-summer event in the area of La Nave) last autumn and 5th anniversary of our antenna last month. I think now we can say we are the most active and experienced antenna in our NetCom area.

The AEGEEan: What do you already know for certain about how a potential EPM Burgos would be like? (Lodging, plenaries, parties, etc.?)

Ruben: We will have all buildings in the same area, so it will take us only two minutes to walk from one place to another, and we are in the negotiating process of places for a great social program. You know, it is Spain! It will be unforgettable for all.

The AEGEEan: You hosted Renove for many people last year, what does this extra experience mean for your antenna?

Ruben: That was the forward step in order to be ready for one big statutory event, so maybe the next one would be an Agora in some years? Hahaha…

President Ruben Puras of AEGEE-Burgos with their mascot during Renove last year

The AEGEEan: The Spanish economy is not at its best, how will this affect your event and how will you make sure that you will be able to organize the EPM?

Ruben: It’s not really important because we thought of this events for the participants, we are really focused on members and not on external matters.  We have a minimal budget, and all the help that we need, and we promise to organize a big event with all the qualities that the participants expect and we do not depend on official aid in kind or companies subsidies.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Zaragoza

The Network Commission is a team full of people that several AEGEEans know due to all the communication they have with antennae across Europe. However, the work of the NetCom would not be efficient without teams of subcommissioners and in this interview you get an insight into what it is like being a subcommie for a Network Commissioner.

Carmen Maria

Alvaro Espinosa (AEGEE-Santander, Pauline Létard (AEGEE-Toulouse) and Carmen Maria Benegas (AEGEE-Alicante) are subcommissioners of Pilar Lop. Silvija Peric (AEGEE-Zagreb) helps Antonija Parat, Maria Arends (AEGEE-Groningen) helps Patricia Anthony and Erika Bettin (AEGEE-Venezia) helps Claudio Armandi. All of them share a deep passion for helping the Network and being part of seeing antennae improve.

For most of the subcommies the reason to help the NetCom team was to be more active on the European Level of AEGEE. For example; Pauline worked together with Lucille Rieux, who herself was a subcommie of Luis Alvarado Martinez at this time, in the Speak Up project. The aim was to develop the French part of the Network by doing a bus tour in several big French cities with one message – “young people, get involve and participate”! Unfortunately, the project did not get through but it was a really good experience for Pauline and her first on European level. Network development and Youth participation had been key topics of interest for her since her beginning in AEGEE. Then Lucille who Pauline refers to as somewhat her mentor in AEGEE strongly encouraged her to become a subcommie.

Alvaro, who is part of the same team says “Being a subcommissioner was an opportunity, this is something that never crossed my mind before. However, Pilar, together with the previous team thought that I could fit because they trust me and in my work on the local level. Receiving that kind of confidence from these great and experienced people was the reason I decided to become one of them.” For Silvija this idea was first introduced by her former NetCom – Ana Dragić, but at that time, she had a lot of other obligations and had just started her term as President of AEGEE-Zagreb. However, she continued with the idea stuck in her brain and when Antonija Parat was elected as NetCom, she decided to apply. What she enjoys is working on European level too, because she knew it would increase her knowledge about AEGEE and give her the opportunity to help other locals as well as improving her own local: AEGEE-Zagreb.

For Maria there are too many reasons, as she says it. She talked with newly elected NetCom Patricia Anthony after Agora Rhein-Neckar about the need for a strong team of subcommies in the Nordic area, because of the problems we are facing (especially in Scandinavia, even though AEGEE does not have many locals there) due to Euroscepticism. The idea arose to try to work on this topic together with the locals in the UK, and that is the main reason she wanted to become involved. Apart from that she believes that the UK, Scandinavia, and the Baltics are wonderful places in Europe, which are, unfortunately, underrepresented in AEGEE, and Maria truly hopes to be able to make a change. Carmen joined when there was somebody leaving the team and she was ready to continue that person’s work as she loves the Network and helping others. She is a big fan of organisation in terms of administration and procedures inside any organisation and selects that as the main reason why she wanted to join.

As one can imagine the subcommies tasks and functions mainly relate to contact with some of the antennae that the NetCom is responsible for. When asked about what they do, subcommie Pauline answers :“First I worked with the members of the antennae I’m in charge of taking care of. I talk with them on a regular basis, at least once a month when everything goes smoothly and sometimes everyday when they need it. I’m trying to take the pulse of the antenna, to find out in there are any problems or tensions but also find out about the assets and richness that the antennae have to make them share it with the rest of the Network when it’s possible. Every month, I send them a reminder saying that they have to fill in the monthly report. I sometimes have to harass them a bit to get them to do it but it is important as when antennae does not submit the reports on time it delays the work of NetCommie Pilar. Then I’m part of the Tripulacion, Pilar, her other subcommies and I form a team. Together we organise the Network Meetings and the Renove, we prepare the delegates for the Agora, and we inform the members about interesting opportunities…”. In the case of Maria it is similar as she has the responsibility of AEGEE-Durham, AEGEE-London and AEGEE-Sheffield whom she also asks for Activity Reports and at times they work on a PR strategy. Basically she is trying to help out wherever they want her, as she puts it, and of course she also helps with the organisation of NWM in Tartu this autumn.

Alvaro Espinosa

Pauline continues the interview with telling us about the differences between the antennae she is responsible for. “In my opinion, an antenna relies mostly on people and on a good team. So the difference is in who is part of this team, who animate and dynamise the antenna. There are little tiny teams that sometimes rely on two or three or more person-teams with around 10 really active people. I’m responsible for AEGEE-Paris, AEGEE-Lyon, AEGEE-Brussels/Bruxelles and the two contacts in Lille and Nantes. They mainly have the same profile of antenna but of course the situation in each city is different. For example, AEGEE-Paris is really famous in the Network and in France too  (more than the other French speaking locals anyway) but as Paris is a very expensive city with a lot of student associations, it’s a bit challenging for them. In my opinion, this year they are all facing the same challenge: their experienced and most active members left or are leaving soon. That’s why together with Léa Charlet (AEGEE-Paris), Louise Pahisa (AEGEE-Paris), Marine Betrancourt (AEGEE-Lyon), Inana Namet(Former member of AEGEE-Toulouse and now AEGEE-Paris), Lisa Fanget (AEGEE-Paris) and AEGEE-Paris’s team, we organize a Regional Training Course in Paris. The objective was to make the newly elected boards meet and train them.”

Alvaro sees huge differences between the antennae: “AEGEE-Santander, for instance, was a challenge. They faced some problems and solved them, they also grew a lot, changed their statutes, created a new online database, a new website. Their members are incredible and the communication with them was really fluent so, at the end, it was a pleasure to work together. Then, we have AEGEE-Zaragoza which was just on another level with all the “Agora stuff”. Finally, AEGEE-Bilbao which in my opinion has also grown the last year thanks to the work of their members and the collaboration with their AEGEE neighbors.”

However, there are some other tasks for subcommies around the Network. For example Pauline is also coordinating the organisation of board meetings in the French speaking locals and the RTC.

Maria Arends (to the right) together with Antonija Parat

The AEGEEan: What do you like the most about being a subcommie?

Pauline: Meeting amazing people who have taught me so much!

Silvija: Working in an intercultural team with great people, having the opportunity to learn and grow more and to help others with my experience and knowledge.

Carmen: Mainly working in a team and getting in touch with different people which is making me learn a lot from others. I also like helping antennae with their problems; if they are solved, that’s the best reward.

Erika: The Rainbow (responsible for Italian speaking antennae) subcommie team is great. We created a very good group spirit. Plus, I learned a lot in this year and more important I helped and I was helped.

Maria: Keeping in touch with the locals, seeing how they work and what we can improve is one of the task related things that I really enjoy. Apart from this, of course, the team is amazing! With Patricia and the three other subcommies, I think we really have an amazing and good working team.

Erika Bettin (to the left)

What challenges do you face as a subcommie?

Pauline: Keeping myself updated, there are a lot of informations circulating in AEGEE, you want the antennae to know about it but you don’t want to spam them.

Carmen: Some locals are complicated to run, mainly because they have not many active members and that is always a problem when it comes to fulfilling antenna criteria, filling out questionnaires, respect deadlines and this kind of administrative stuff. As a subcommie, I try to be properly informed and help them understand the procedures and encourage them to cooperate with other antennae that might be able to help or give advice as well.

Silvija: helping other locals in my Network to become stronger, overcome all challenges they are facing and at the same time being updated and knowing everything about what is going on in AEGEE in order to help them

Erika: I was lucky with locals and there weren’t big challenges to face. Before Agora Rhein- Neckar, NetCommie Claudio Armandi and I tried to do everything possible to save AEGEE-Trieste, but there were no signals from them. It is always sad when a local is deleted.

Silvija Peric (to the right)

What has been your favorite moment as a subcommie?

Pauline: Network Meeting Paris : Back on tracks! The first time I met Léa was in Paris and she is a bit like my sister in AEGEE, we joined AEGEE at the same time and we work together a lot. On top of this, it had been a while since we had a NWM in France, so this event was symbolic for us, it was the result of a strong solidarity between the French speaking locals, but also the success of AEGEE-Paris’ amazing team and also of the Tripulacion!

Silvija: My favorite moment was meeting other people in my team and working with them because they have a lot of great ideas and a lot of positive spirit.

Why would you encourage others to become a subcommie?

Pauline: Because you learn so much, because you give so much to the Network and to the antennae too, because it’s an amazing experience!

Silvija: It is the best place to start working on a European level and get to know things better, also, helping others is something priceless and on top of it all you will meet fantastic people and get a lot of experience.

Erika: Being subcommie is such a beautiful experience. You meet a lot of wonderful people. You share your experiences, your doubts, your fears, and it’s a good way to have a “first taste” of European Level.

Carmen: I would encourage people if they are interested in the organisational and internal aspects of AEGEE. If you have experience in your antenna and feel motivated, you can do it. The best thing is that you will learn a lot from working with that many different people.

As for whether we will see any of the subcommies as a Network Commissioner in the future depends on many things, but one thing is for sure: they all enjoy their work together with the Network Commission a lot!

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-Koebenhavn 

Renove is one of the most popular events in Spain, and there’s a good reason for that. It has the perfect combination of oldies and newbies, fun activities and workshops to introduce and motivate AEGEE members. Many members became active after the first Renove organized by AEGEE-Madrid, and the second Renove made AEGEE-Valladolid become Local of the Month. Renove 3.0 was organized by AEGEE-Burgos, and once again the antenna together with the Network Commission team of Pilar Lop managed to increase the motivation of many AEGEE members.

Renove 3.0 was not just an event, but a journey in many ways. First of all, because people from all over Spain and France travelled for hours to reach the destination, Belorado; and secondly, because it was an opportunity to take a journey through AEGEE and reflect upon what AEGEE means to you.

Arriving to this small village close to Burgos it was amazing to experience the energy that was created by this gathering of friends, “oldies” and newbies all together. The first stop of the Renove 3.0 journey was celebrating the famous “Morcillote” mascot of AEGEE-Burgos, having many of the 100 participants dancing around the streets of Burgos in pink.

The next day, it was time to reflect on AEGEE and the influence it has on its members. Events such as Morcillote and NWM Burgos have made this city in the North of Spain famous for cooling down the Southern Europeans. However, Renove 3.0 was different in this aspect and took the participants through a short, sunny journey while walking 12 km of the Way of St. James (Camino de Santiago). This was an innovative idea by AEGEE-Burgos to have AEGEE people enjoying the beautiful landscape of Northern Spain while getting to know people from other antennae.

On St. James’ Way

Divided in groups, the participants discussed the topic of what motivates one another to be active in a youth organisation like AEGEE. It is always interesting to hear how people have ended up in AEGEE, especially the stories that start in a different manner than “I wanted to go to a Summer University”. Friends, fun, personal development, learning, making a difference, and many other key terms were all reasons brought up by the participants and it is obvious that events like Renove contribute greatly to motivate these members.

Behind every successful event there is a strong team working hard to ensure that the participants leave with a smile from ear to ear. AEGEE-Burgos managed to do that in all ways, by hosting the people from all over Spain and few from France in a great hostel; ensuring that participants were never hungry; and making sure the participants could enjoy warm showers (many fear the cold showers when sharing with 99 other people). Before the Explorers party and European Night, AEGEE-Burgos made everybody have fun in a gymkhana, a small competition through different tests, considered an important part of the Renove as teambuilding between the members of the different antennae.

Organisation team of AEGEE-Burgos

Renove is a perfect combination of motivation, fun and information about the organisation for new members. During the last day of the event, the NetCom Team, called “La Tripulación”, used the opportunity to take participants to walk through the strategic level of AEGEE. Topics such as the AEGEE identity, the Strategic Plan as well as the Action Agenda were all touched upon.

From the strategic level, the discussion moved on to the European Level of AEGEE and introduced all the different AEGEE terms: from Comité Directeur, to the different Commissions, Working Groups, Project Teams as well as the EBM and Agorae. The event was an opportunity to prepare delegates and visitors for Agora Zaragoza, explaining everything about the responsibilities that are to consider of high importance for the ones attending the big event next month. Preparing participants is something highly valued by the Comité Directeur and Network Commission, so it was great to feel how experienced AEGEE members ensured that the next generation knows what it means to take part in an important Statutory event.

Another important topic brought on was the introduction of YVote2014 by project manager Léa Charlet, who also took part in Renove 3.0 before the kick-off conference in Valladolid, organised from September 18th to September 22nd 2013. And last but not least, the participants also got the opportunity to talk about voluntary work and what it means to be a part of an association.

Members of “La Tripulación” giving workshop about the European Level of AEGEE

In the end Renove 3.0 was organized in a perfect way; not only by the subcommissioners of Pilar Lop, but also by AEGEE-Burgos as it brought everybody together in an event of high quality in all aspects.

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

Thank you for the Pictures Miguel Alejandro Martinez (AEGEE-Santander)

Organising an event for 200 people is no easy task. However, it is a task that is possible to overcome, and it does not matter whether or not the antenna hosting it is young or experienced. The secret recipe is to have a strong supportive network and motivation, and the result is Renove. An event that you could read about in The AEGEEan the other day and an event that made The AEGEEan team choose AEGEE-Valladolid to be honored as this month’s Local of the Month.

For many members of the Spanish speaking locals this “Renove” event has gained a special place in their hearts, despite only being an event organised once in 2011, and the second time about two weeks ago. However, this event might be even more special for AEGEE-Valladolid members because it is the first event that this antenna has organised since being “brought back from the dead” when they became an antenna in Spring Agora Enschede 2012, and the succesful organisation of this event made them deserve the title as this month’s “Local of the Month”.

One of the organisers, Patricia Garcia, is new in AEGEE too, and she told The AEGEEan about how she joined the Network more or less one year ago: “It all started in September of the past year. One day I was thinking about joining a student association, something I always wanted, but in Valladolid I only knew about Board of European Students of Technology (BEST, for engineers). Then I remembered that my cousin told me once how she had travelled to Brussels with one association that existed in León. I phoned her and she told me about AEGEE. I liked what I heard so she told me about Sergio Oliveros who was trying to create an antenna in Valladolid. Half an hour later I was talking to Sergio on Facebook, a week later I met him and Alberto Cuesta Noriega (AEGEE-Oviedo) and the following week I went to Renove in Madrid.”

Soon she became a part of the team trying to bring AEGEE to Valladolid, and together with Sergio and others she kept fighting for the creation of the antenna because they were all convinced that it was possible and worth it. Then, as history tells us, the antenna was fully created in May and soon the preparation for Renove 2.0 began. A big event to host for a new antenna, and possibly an even bigger event to handle for a first-time organiser, but Patricia managed to enjoy it:  “My first event in AEGEE was Renove so I was looking forward to assisting Renove 2.0. When we knew it would be in Valladolid I was enthusiastic about organising it. I must say it was overwhelming. It was my third event and my first time organising so I had to learn while doing everything, which made things a bit… chaotic,” she laughs and continues “It was really difficult on some occasions to manage with more than 200 people but we did our best and Renove had stuck us together. Besides people from AEGEE-Valladolid, there were helpers from other antennae that made things easier. Organisers, helpers, participants…  Thank you all!”

Another organiser of the Renove 2.0 was Sergio Oliveros, president and founder of AEGEE-Valladolid. The AEGEEan managed to catch him as well, congratulate him on being president of Local of the Month, and hear about the future of AEGEE-Valladolid.

The AEGEEan:  Congratulations on becoming “Local of the month” – what does this mean to you?

Sergio: First of all, thank you very much for this award. This is something very very special and important for us. We are a new antenna (just since Agora Enschede). It was our first event, and the challenge was very big: 200 people. As president, and one of the most experienced members or our antenna, I am proud of AEGEE Valladolid’s team, and all of our helpers of almost all the Spanish antennae, for being able to organise and manage such a big and amazing event.

Last time you told The AEGEEan that you had tripled your number of members, what does the member situation look like in AEGEE-Valladolid today?

Well, summer is a difficult time to recruit members, because of the holidays, Summer Universities (SU) etc. But after summer is the perfect moment to activate them, and the aim of this event was exactly to do so. The situation is almost the same since SU campaign but thanks to Renove 2.0 we have motivated some more people, almost all of our members were helpers/organisers in the event, and their motivation right now is close to the sky. Thanks to that we will be able to organise a lot of activities during this season and we hope to increase our number of members with them. We will also organise a Local Training Course (LTC) in November for all of our new members and newbies of the closer antennae.

Also, last time you said that AEGEE-Valladolid was interested in having a volunteer through European Service Voluntary (EVS) in your city, what does the situation look like today?

Yes, and we still are very interested in it, but it is a hard process. We have every document, and whatever we can do, but now the biggest problem is that the university cannot provide us with one office, and that fact is blocking our plans. But anyway we are going to re-start the dialogue with the university in the next week trying to get it, and finally use the possibility of EVS in our antennae, only option of EVS in the city.

You organised Renove 2.0 last weekend, how did it go? Did you have any difficulties organising the event?

AEGEE-Valladolid members at Renove in 2011

Well, all of the members of the team were newbies in organisation of events (also the main organiser), so we had to do our best to learn very fast and not to make mistakes. A big event like that requires very important logistics and coordination, but finally we got good places for sleeping, workshops, activities, meals and social programme, and all of them closer than 150m to the gym.

Organising the groups for team-building activities, dividing them and moving them for the cultural visits due to the huge amount of people, coordinating an interactive wine tasting with all the participants… But luckily, we were able to do everything thanks to the support of Serrada’s City Hall, the village where the event took place.

At the beginning we felt nervous, also sometimes kind of lost, but bit by bit everything was better and better – the nervousness became fun, and we got a nice event.

So what lies in the future of AEGEE-Valladolid?

Our feelings are amazing right now. Our motivation is really high, our team spirit is completely alive. The team is meeting once per week, increasing our motivation. Our next activity will be an LTC, to be organised the week after Agora Budapest, and then we will develop our activity plan and strategy during the upcoming season.

We will explain to our new members what AEGEE is, on a local and European level. Moreover we will have workshops about how to manage the antenna, how to work as a treasurer or a secretary, how to work in group… Everything needed for being active in our antennae.

Part of your antenna is your mascot Chazo… Why is it called Chazo and what kind of an animal is it?

The newlyweds

It was not easy to find a name for our lovely mascot. First of all we wanted to choose something representative of our city, and that animal is the most typical of our gastronomy. A lechazo is a baby lamb that has not eaten anything but milk. It is a typical meal in this province in addition to wine. Then, the name of Chazo comes from this animal, but the original name is “Chazo le Chazo” (like the 007 agent), but Chazo for friends.

Is it true that he got married during Renove 2.0?

Yes, that is true, in Renove Chazo he got married to Latxa Pela, a beautiful sheep from Bilbao, and the wedding was like a real one. We sent invitations to all of our participants, including them in one group depending of their relation with the couple, for example “Ex”, “Singles”, “Family”, “Lovers” and so on for 12 groups.

The event started with the open ceremony, presentation and live music. It was followed by an interactive wine tasting, European night and stag party, and a full programme on Friday night. After cultural visits and team-building games in the afternoon, the wedding ceremony took place. It included speeches and presents of every group. Finally the whole thing ended with a joyful dinner and party. But the wedding was much more than that. We are going to start new activities with our “wife antenna”, exchanges, and we are also thinking about the next Travelling SU (TSU) Bilbao-Valladolid.

It seems that AEGEE-Valladolid has many plans in store for the future. The AEGEEan congratulates them once more on being the Local of the Month and on the wedding of their mascot… May everybody live happy ever after!

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København

Attention: If you think you know an antenna, which deserves to be honoured as “Local of the Month”, send an email with the locals’ name and the reason for nominating to aegeean@aegee.org.

A Spanish city not too far from important AEGEE cities such as Madrid or León used to be an important brick of the AEGEE Network. This city was the host of the Spring Agora 1996 and the home city of AEGEE-Europe president Pedro Panizo in 2001/02. This city is called Valladolid and they signed the Convention d’Adhésion during the recent Network Meeting (NWM) in Burgos, putting them back on the AEGEE map.

When The AEGEEan editor Patricia Anthony visited Valladolid during the autumn of 2011, Sergio Gomez Oliveros had already been lobbying for a year to bring Valladolid back to the AEGEE Network. Getting the support from University of Valladolid proved to be quite a difficulty for Sergio despite having great motivation to sign the Convention d’Adhésion and making people of his city realise how great AEGEE is. He describes it as a vicious circle in which there was always an obstacle in their way, which was anything from requirements from the University of Valladolid, AEGEE-Europe, or a third party. However, Sergio kept going because for each disappointment there was always a reason to keep going. This came in the form of help from people interested in helping, or newfound motivation from an AEGEE event such as the Summer University of AEGEE-León or Renove organised by AEGEE-Madrid.

It all began in the mountains of Madrid

Actually the idea of intention to (re)create AEGEE-Valladolid originated in the same small village in which AEGEE-Madrid organised the famous event “Renove” last October 2011, gathering more than a hundred AEGEE members. The year before Renove, in October 2010, AEGEE-Madrid organised NWM Madrid which was the first NWM that Sergio attended. After enjoying AEGEE in a few more events such as European School 1, Agora Alicante, and EBM Riga, Sergio knew that he had to create AEGEE-Valladolid so that all Europeans of the AEGEE Network could enjoy events organised by him and his city the same way as he had enjoyed their cities. “Furthermore, whenever I set a goal for myself I never stop before I achieve it, and this was a wish that I really wanted to make come true”, founder and president of AEGEE-Valladolid version 2012 Sergio Gomez Oliveros tells The AEGEEan.

The potential of AEGEE in Valladolid

If you had asked Sergio and the rest of team Valladolid one week ago about the potential of AEGEE in his city they would have responded that the potential was based on numerous good ideas but that there was a lack of team members and actual help. However, the situation has since then changed because the Summer University campaign has tripled the number of members of AEGEE-Valladolid and what is even better is that in the all of the presentations about AEGEE there are people interested in becoming engaged in AEGEE beyond Summer Universities. “When I spoke about the needs for an upcoming Local Training Course in one of the upcoming weeks in order to explain everything about AEGEE, one of the new members offered to organise the event in a big house in her village”, Sergio tells The AEGEEan with a smile on his lips, and he continues “In reality I am very impressed by the motivation of the people, and I might not know where it will take us, but I do know that the eagerness to bring back AEGEE-Valladolid is very big!”

The mascot of AEGEE-Valladolid in his home city

Valla-do-what?

Valladolid is both the capital and the biggest city of the region Castillá y León with around 340.000 inhabitants, located in the middle of Northern Spain. Valladolid is furthermore a well-communicated city having University of Valladolid connected to four cities (Valladolid, Soria, Segovia, and Palencia) giving plenty of opportunities which is a good guarantee to begin with. In the beginning this university was not too fond of AEGEE and giving their support, thinking that it is just another association organising parties for Erasmus, but after numerous personal meetings with the responsible their opinion changed little by little and AEGEE-Valladolid reached the opportunity to speak with the vice-principle of the University of Valladolid. This meeting was used wisely to explain their local and international objectives and they hope to receive their definitive support.

When asked about what is so special about Valladolid in comparison to other Spanish and other AEGEE cities Sergio responds that he believes all cities are special in their own way, each one of them has something to share, something to teach, and none is greater than the other. They all become a part of our memories, and take a place in our hearts. For Sergio that is the spirit of AEGEE and the spirit of AEGEE-Valladolid.

AEGEE-Valladolid members at Renove

Renove 2.0

As previously mentioned, Renove organised by AEGEE-Madrid last October was one of the events that kept Sergio going in the fight of establishing AEGEE-Valladolid. Actually, he enjoyed the event so much that team Valladolid is applying right now to become the host of Renove 2 this September. But that is not the only event in plans of this Spanish city in the middle of Northern Spain. Right now they are finishing the express campaign for Summer Universities, but also working on organising a local training course in May, and a trip to Brussels in October.

Other than working on future events AEGEE-Valladolid is also working on becoming the host and sending organisation of the European Voluntary Service (EVS) program. “The EVS program is a very interesting opportunity which is not present in the city of Valladolid yet. It is a great service in which our volunteers can become ambassadors of Valladolid thanks to AEGEE and this EVS program. It is another great opportunity to get an international experience, similar to the Erasmus program, and it is an opportunity that we in AEGEE-Valladolid definitely are going to take advantage of, if possible”, Sergio comments on the effort of AEGEE-Valladolid for this program.

Welcome (back) to the Network, AEGEE-Valladolid!

Written by Patricia Anthony, AEGEE-København