{"id":40849,"date":"2017-09-05T08:00:25","date_gmt":"2017-09-05T06:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/?p=40849"},"modified":"2017-09-04T18:03:46","modified_gmt":"2017-09-04T16:03:46","slug":"aegee-oviedo-local-of-the-month-of-april-little-things-can-be-great","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/2017\/09\/05\/aegee-oviedo-local-of-the-month-of-april-little-things-can-be-great\/","title":{"rendered":"AEGEE-Oviedo, Local of the Month of April: “Little Things Can Be Great!”"},"content":{"rendered":"

AEGEE-Oviedo is an antenna that\u00a0is growing constantly. It was nominated as Local of the Month of April because it organised a successful Regional Training Course (RTC) in cooperation with AEGEE-Le\u00f3n and\u00a0the Youth Mobility Working Group, “To Europe and Beyond”. The event was made up of a group of 23\u00a0participants plus seven organisers and three trainers. Since the main topic of the activity was mobility, the event was based on three pillars: the concept of mobility, its barriers and benefits and different kind of mobility programmes that you can benefit from (depending if you’re looking for a job, studies, volunteering or just pleasure). Besides that and more in detail, the AEGEE members were also delivered sessions about the Erasmus+ programme, its structure and several projects in which you can participate. Furthermore, they\u00a0<\/em>were working on some aspects like communication or active listening.<\/em>\u00a0<\/b>Read this interview with\u00a0the board of AEGEE-Oviedo and find out about their experience.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"pastedThe AEGEEan: Congratulations for being selected as Local of the Month of April. How did it feel to find out that you were nominated?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AEGEE-Oviedo Board:<\/strong> Grazie mille! For us it is a great honour, because this proves that our effort and work is acknowledged. We do\u00a0not do things in order to receive\u00a0awards, but it is nice to get recognition for the things you do, since it also serves as motivation to keep working and improving. Also, we would like to thank the network for nominating\u00a0us!<\/p>\n

Introduce yourselves and tell us your AEGEE-Oviedo story. How did it start? Can you tell us a bit more about your local?<\/strong><\/p>\n

AEGEE-Oviedo<\/a> was founded by students of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Oviedo on the 21st of December 1988. As it was told by Alain Fern\u00e1ndez at our\u00a025th anniversary in 2013, the very first president of the local, AEGEE-Oviedo was born as a way to protest against a European directive.<\/p>\n

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

To medicine students all over Spain, this seemed like a trap: after six years of hard study, they needed to pass a general exam of everything they had learnt in that time in order to be able to start their internship period. They protested and they went on strike\u2026 But since it was a European directive, it was approved anyway.<\/p>\n

And this\u00a0is where Alain and his\u00a0colleagues discovered AEGEE: \u201cIf we get a better understanding of Europe, we can be more aware of\u00a0what is going on\u201d. Thus, they started a local that became one of the largest in Europe with almost 2000 members back in the nineties.<\/p>\n

Almost thirty years later, the flame is still alive and with enough fuel for at least another thirty years of getting Europe closer to Asturias\u2026 And Asturias closer to Europe.<\/p>\n

How did you come up with\u00a0idea to organise an RTC with AEGEE-Le\u00f3n and\u00a0the Youth Mobility Working Group and how did you manage to succeed? Can you tell us the secret to organise a perfect RTC?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"pastedThe idea of organising something with AEGEE-Le\u00f3n came up almost a year ago during Spring NWM Santander 2016, when some members of AEGEE-Le\u00f3n and AEGEE-Oviedo were talking about doing\u00a0something in collaboration, because the antennae are only 120 kilometres away from each other. So we started thinking\u00a0about what we could do and we came up with the idea of organising an RTC.<\/p>\n

During the following course (2016-2017), the members of our antennae started to go to each other’s activities and do some visits,\u00a0and in January we made the right decision.<\/p>\n

Both locals started to prepare the RTC with the first and reasonable decision that half of the organisers would be from Oviedo and the other half from Le\u00f3n, despite the fact\u00a0that the event would take place in La Vecilla (Le\u00f3n).<\/p>\n

Afterwards, it was proposed to cooperate with the Youth Mobility Working Group, since both antennae are some of the most experienced in the La Nave area regarding mobility, but it was also a natural decision due to the fact that both antennae have members involved in that Working Group. It was the perfect mix! For us, Oviedo plus\u00a0Le\u00f3n plus Mobility meant RTC.<\/p>\n

What were the difficult moments in organising the event?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

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

Was the RTC productive somehow?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sure! We achieved our common goals, we were able to overcome difficulties as a team, new bonds were created and, at the same time, the old ones were reinforced. AEGEE-Le\u00f3n was a great partner and we would like to take this opportunity to thank them all their effort and work that was done.\u00a0Regarding to the event and the content itself, we tried to do our best and we reveiced great feedback from our participants. That means, finally, everyone learnt from each other while having fun all together.<\/p>\n

What are you working on at the moment?<\/strong><\/p>\n

While we are writing these lines, the Summer University of AEGEE-Oviedo, \u201cGuardians of the Paradise vol.9<\/a>\u201d is going on, making participants discover the wonders of Asturias and why the North of Spain (and this very land) has nothing to do with the clich\u00e9s about our country.<\/p>\n

In addition, we are already planning the course of 2017-2018, thinking about the activities we are going to organise for our members, starting with the after-summer BBQ, and for the international students of the University of Oviedo. By the way, did you know that, in 2018, AEGEE-Oviedo will\u00a0turn 30? Stay tuned.<\/p>\n

\"pastedWhat is the “Impro Night”? <\/strong><\/p>\n

The \u201cImpro Night\u201d is an activity for our members and international students of the University of Oviedo that happens in \u201cLa Salvaje\u201d, a pub in Oviedo, which provides us with a small stage with a mic and some instruments.<\/p>\n

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

You can also participate in groups singing your favourite song, as the aim here is just to have fun!<\/p>\n

Did you do any other activities during the month of April?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"pastedDuring the month of April we also organised a Mini European School <\/a>about self-development in\u00a0collaboration with the AEGEE-Academy where our participants got the chance to put their routine on hold and to focus on themselves. We invited them to reflect on the path that had led them where they were, and how that path had shaped them; and finally, they also discovered how\u00a0they had\u00a0realised their own competences and skills, becoming aware of their potential to create an impact.<\/p>\n

At the same time, more than 60 people of the Network came to the \u2018\u2019Primer Sidre\u2019l A\u00f1u\u2019\u2019 event taking place in Gij\u00f3n to eat some cachopo and drink sidra. This activity became popular after\u00a0Spring AgorAsturias 2015<\/a>, so we\u2019re thinking about\u00a0establishing it as a regular event during Easter.<\/p>\n

And last but not least, some of our members went to a Training Course in which AEGEE-Oviedo was partner called \u2018\u2019Escape cyber – Enter life Training Course Erasmus+\u2019\u2019 in Turkey. The main purpose of this event was raising awareness among the participants about the modern phenomenon of the mental disorder of internet addiction, the supply of specialised knowledge, the development of \u201cknow how\u201d and special tracing, acknowledgement, psychological approach and confronting techniques against this phenomenon. The crisis of values that characterises our modern and developed society leads young people to false behaviours, guiding them to social isolation and self-exclusion, to depression, to dangerous behaviours with uncontrolled consequences, mental disorders and many \u2013 many more hazardous paths.<\/p>\n

\"Junta_OVD_17-18_R1\"When was the new board elected?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

Can you tell us something about the board members?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is a board of seven members: three of them continued from the previous board and the remaining four are fresh members. The whole\u00a0team is motivated to do great things during the year.<\/p>\n

Are there any members who take part in AEGEE projects or Working Groups?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We have members in the Health for Youth Interest Group (H4Y, Irene Dios and Sandra\u00a0Gonz\u00e1lez), Gender Equality Working Group (GEWG, Jes\u00fas Baiz\u00e1n, Luz G\u00f3me\"pastedz, Marga Arbina, Sandra Pandiella and Silvia Garc\u00eda), Public Relations Committee (PRC, Gerardo Garc\u00eda), Youth Mobility Working Group (YMWG, Laura L\u00f3pez), the AEGEE-Academy (Eugenia Casariego, Gerardo Garc\u00eda and Laura L\u00f3pez) and the Juridical Commision (JC, Jes\u00fas Baiz\u00e1n) while in the recent past we also had members being part of the\u00a0Network Commission (Olga Rivero, Juan Sordo, Marcos Herrero), Information Technology Committee\u00a0(ITC, Alberto Cuesta), Summer University Coordination Team\u00a0(SUCT, Gerardo Garc\u00eda) and Chair Team (Alberto Cuesta).<\/p>\n

Can you describe your local in one sentence?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Our local is an energetic and friendly group that likes non-formal education, organising great activities and we always have room for some social time at\u00a0meetings and events.<\/p>\n

What is your motto?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Little things can be great!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Written by Matteo Lai, AEGEE-Cagliari<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

AEGEE-Oviedo is an antenna that\u00a0is growing constantly. It was nominated as Local of the Month of April because it organised a successful Regional Training Course (RTC) in cooperation with AEGEE-Le\u00f3n and\u00a0the Youth Mobility Working Group, “To Europe and Beyond”. The event was made up of a group of 23\u00a0participants plus seven organisers and three trainers. Since the main topic of… Read more →<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":138,"featured_media":40854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0},"categories":[11,4],"tags":[40,366,369,1564,400,2151],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40849"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/138"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40849"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40849\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40976,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40849\/revisions\/40976"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40849"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40849"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.zeus.aegee.org\/magazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40849"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}