Who is the AEGEE member of the year 2020? Which antenna, which project was the best? What were the highlights of the year? And what will 2021 bring? The Golden Times asked more than 50 active AEGEE members. Over the next week you can see what they answered. In this seventh part: read what Heiko Kirchner, Sabrina Ouk, Maike Schulte and Roberto Meneghetti said.
Heiko Kirchner, Juridical Commission and Mediation Commission, AEGEE-Köln
Golden Times: What was your personal AEGEE highlight in 2020?
This is difficult. In the end, I would say my highlight was EPM Barcelona in February: not only was it my last live European event to date, but also in and of itself amazingly organised, both the content and everything around it.
Which moments of AEGEE-Europe in general in 2020 do you remember most vividly or as outstanding?
I remember the opening of the EPM with a lot of fondness: hundreds of AEGEEans on an almost empty campus, very loud drums – in the best possible way – and AEGEE spirit in the air. Other moments I remember very vividly: the opening of the first ever online Agora in June – I kind of felt the history as I sat there alone in my room in front of my laptop. And then there was the closing plenary of the Autumn Online Agora, which was a real challenge for the Juridical Commission: the decision to call for an extraordinary Agora sent my mind spinning in those moments.
Who was for you the outstanding member in 2020?
Again, not an easy question – AEGEE is full of amazing people. My final response would have to be Daniël Amesz, Monika Mojak and Veronika Chmelárová. As Juridical Commissioner, my perspective on the year was dominated by its Agorae, and I worked with all three of them in that domain. With Daniel as President and Agora responsible of CD57, with Monika as Chair of the Spring and Autumn Agorae and Vice-Chairperson of the extraordinary Agora and with Veronika as Vice-Chairperson of the Spring Agora as well as Secretary General and Agora responsible of CD58. These people and their teams were confronted with a lot of difficult decisions and never-seen-before obstacles for making our organisation work, they did not shy away from the challenge and saw it through.
Which was for you the outstanding antenna in 2020?
There are many amazing locals that came up with great ideas to engage with people in new ways this year. But I want to use this opportunity to once more give props to AEGEE-Barcelona for their amazing job at AEGEE’s last – as of now – in-person statutory event, the EPM in February!
What was for you the outstanding European project, working group or interest group in 2020?
I am a big fan of all the new working groups, and in this digital year I saw a lot of their activities on social media. My working group of the year would have to be the Mental Health Working Group: they are doing important work, and considering that the topic was maybe less present previously in AEGEE than those of the other Working Groups, I am very excited to see what’s still coming.
What is the biggest opportunity for AEGEE in 2021?
This is obvious for me: 2020 showed us how advanced AEGEE was in regards to online coworking. While everyone else was struggling with remote teams and zoom etiquette, AEGEE hit the ground running with organising online meetings, events and Agorae. We know how to get stuff done without being in the same room, and our online call finger rules should be common practice everywhere – I cannot describe how frustated I was by people talking over each other in my zoom lectures and family Skype calls, when they could have just typed an “i” in the chat. This adaptedness to remote working and communicating allowed us to have close-to-normal Agorae, and made many AEGEE locals attractive to remote students looking to engage and socialise with student groups, many of which were struggling harder to adapt. I am positive we can have and will profit from this.
The Corona crisis hit AEGEE hard in 2020. What measures should AEGEE take to overcome the crisis? Maybe you also see some positive examples in the network that you can name?
I do not think AEGEE can work in the long run without the aspect of meeting people face-to-face. Still, coming up with innovative ways to engage with people online should be a focus – many bodies and locals are pioneering with speaker events or online teambuilding. I also think it is very important that AEGEE, with Mental Health as a Focus Area and a lot of experience in working digitally, should address the problems that result from working this way: there is the problem of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted by “zoom fatigue”, the chain of online calls; there is the danger of conflicts escalating more rapidly in a digital environment and many more. Because AEGEE will always be affected by this, but especially in this context, I think we should start working on it now.
What are your personal AEGEE plans for 2021?
The first plan is to successfully finish my term as Juridical Commissioner, and to get some new faces on board. After that, who knows – it depends a lot on external factors. One goal I definitely have is to once again visit an in-person event, hopefully it will be Spring Agora Yerevan. I have also never been to a Summer University, that’s also on my list if possible this year.
Sabrina Ouk, President of AEGEE-Lyon, Member of AEGEE-Torino
Golden Times: What was your personal AEGEE highlight in 2020?
As the current president of AEGEE-Lyon, I would say that my personal AEGEE highlights were when I was able to promote AEGEE to my friends here in Lyon, and convinced them to join me in this crazy adventure. Just with my will and ambition to revive the local, I managed to convince a bunch of people that never heard of our organization before, to join and make history! The feeling of gathering people and creating a team is amazing. Then, of course, when we had our first – and so far last – physical event. Even though it was just an afterwork in a bar, it was for me the first time actually handling from A to Z an event and it meant a lot to me.
Who was for you the outstanding member in 2020?
I don’t personally know a lot of members since I am a newbie. But I would say that Roberto Meneghetti rocked my world! He was actually the one pushing me to join AEGEE and since then, kind of mentored me. Whether it is with AEGEE knowledge or just Italian expressions!
Which was for you the outstanding antenna in 2020?
From my personal experience, I will talk about an antenna that I was able to collaborate with. During the pandemic, AEGEE-Madrid reached out to me to participate in one of their event. Since then, I discovered their work and we organized another one together which was a huge success! They always come up with amazing ideas, and I just love the vibes that this antenna has!
What was for you the outstanding European project, working group or interest group in 2020?
Definitely Europe on Track! I don’t have that much knowledge or experience in this project yet, but I found it incredible how the team managed to overcome the coronavirus situation and adapted the project by mixing online and physical events. Big up, guys!
What is the biggest opportunity for AEGEE in 2021?
I think that the results of the coronavirus situation is that now AEGEE has learnt little by little how to keep in touch even in times of crisis. Of course, we would have done better without it, but what I mean is that AEGEE is still alive now, and that for sure, in 2021, it will be more alive than ever! I can’t even imagine how will be the first physical event…
The Corona crisis hit AEGEE hard in 2020. What measures should AEGEE take to overcome the crisis? Maybe you also see some positive examples in the network that you can name?
I feel that the pandemic brought us a new vision of sharing moments together. All these groups created during the first lockdown, to challenge our will to practice a new language, and now all these interesting workshops during the second lockdown that show how fast we learnt to deal with the pandemic! This is the strength that I feel from our network.
What are your personal AEGEE plans for 2021?
First thing, I just joined the Public Relation Committee so I really hope that I will gain some experience from this promising adventure! I would say that this is a baby step of my integration in the European level of AEGEE. Then, of course, after the pandemic, I really wish that we, as AEGEE-Lyon, will be able to be reborn from our ashes. This is a project that I consider as my own baby and I worked so hard at the beginning of the academic year. I will keep hanging on to it until my last AEGEE breath! You will keep seeing me somewhere people… Online first, and finally at some point in real life!
Maike Schulte, Editor-in-Chief Key to Europe 2019/2020, AEGEE Bamberg
Golden Times: What was your personal AEGEE highlight in 2020? Which moments of AEGEE-Europe in general in 2020 do you remember most vividly or as outstanding?
We had to face a new reality in 2020, the reality of closed borders. Due to that we needed to cancel our most important events: the Spring and Autumn Agora and every single Summer University, just to name the biggest ones. Making this step was for sure a hard and outstanding moment of AEGEE-Europe. But even more outstanding was everything related to this step. We were able to focus on solutions and we managed this together. We had the first online Agora in AEGEE’s history, online training sessions, online workshops, online quiz nights and live calls. We developed ourselves and we have grown together. Seeing that my European friendships have become stronger in times of a pandemic and seeing the mutual support of AEGEEans was overwhelming and my personal AEGEE highlight in 2020.
Who was for you the outstanding member in 2020?
The outstanding member this year was for me Calvin Breakwell. Every AEGEE member had to deal with a new situation, not only related to AEGEE, but also privately. Calvin used all his strength and resources for AEGEE and the people of AEGEE. He not only supported projects, he also invented the AEGEE Pub Quiz. With that quiz he lighted up uncountable evenings of AEGEEans stuck in a lockdown. And he supported me personally with the annual Key to Europe. Because of the pandemic our team had to deal with constant change and Calvin was the one who was always available and very helpful. Without him we wouldn’t have been able to finish the magazine and I am very thankful for that.
Which was for you the outstanding antenna in 2020?
AEGEE Torino – just because they have given me inspiration and a lot of fun with their online cooking classes – still dreaming of the quattro formaggi gnocchi!
What is the biggest opportunity for AEGEE in 2021?
To suddenly appreciate things that were previously taken for granted, gives us the opportunity to build a stronger organisation. We realised our privileges of attending international events, borderless traveling and having friends all over Europe. In 2021 we will be able to meet each other again and we will appreciate and enjoy AEGEE and all its possibilities in a better way than we ever did before.
What are your personal AEGEE plans for 2021?
With the year 2020 I stopped making plans, they are not working out anyway. But I can share my personal hope with you. The hope of seeing my European friends again – hugging them, traveling with them, staying awake an entire night, sharing a drink without even thinking about it, laughing, crying and dreaming with them. Dreaming of a future without Corona but with AEGEE and all the special things related to our organisation.
Roberto Meneghetti, Former Network Commissioner, AEGEE-Torino
Golden Times: What was your personal AEGEE highlight in 2020?
Definitely being NetCom Speaker in the middle of the Covid crisis… It was very hard, but rewarding, I learn a lot in these dire times and this brings me to my highlight within the highlight: managing to complete the AEGEE Database – yes, I am spamming it also here – and the saving of AEGEE-Milano which was on the verge of dying. It would have been quite a pity to lose a founding antenna of AEGEE.
Which moments of AEGEE-Europe in general in 2020 do you remember most vividly or as outstanding?
The first one is when I told to myself “Alright, let’s skip the EPM and focus on the university, I will join the next event… which never happened!” So, yeah, lesson learned, don’t skip events, lads. Jokes apart, well, for sure the first Online Agora, we were quite plunging into the unknown, but it went quite well and allowed even us as NetCom to push new antenna criteria reform time – it’s quite becoming a tradition and inside meme.
Who was for you the outstanding member in 2020?
Rik Smale, one name for the whole Financial Task Force – we made jokes about the Agora drama moments, but no joke is to be made when it comes to evaluating their extraordinary work; Heiko Kirchner for being the VIP of the Online Agorae; Nicoleta Mihalescu, because she is super hard working and never bragging about it, so shout-out.
Which was for you the outstanding antenna in 2020?
In general, in all honesty, I would play the “every local is outstanding” card here. These have been hard times and the fact that people endured, have seen their projects disappearing, also outside their AEGEE life. I have witnessed it on the front row and it has been quite energy-draining for many people. I feel they deserve a shout-out per se and a thank you for their efforts.
What was for you the outstanding European project, working group or interest group in 2020?
Europe on Track has always been one of my favourite projects, so I would like to mention their endurance and spirit also during these times. Wishing them a nice edition during this spring!
What is the biggest opportunity for AEGEE in 2021?
I will name mainly two. Firstly, since the vaccines are finally coming, we will have quite a world willing to do stuff in the upcoming springtime. That means that planning a comprehensive recruitment campaign would be really the opportunity not to miss this year. And not only recruitment, but the whole human resources cycle and above all the maintenance of members. We don’t need as many people joining as we need them to stay and become active members. We need to focus on the drives that keep our people in our association. “Always start from Why”, some Simon Sinek said…
Secondly, we need to improve our tech: collecting info, data, automatising processes, improving habits… This may sound like Cyberpunk 2077 to some, and those people are breathtaking. However, we do need to use better tools for what we work on. MyAEGEE is one, teamworking apps are others, Wiki, Database, an online card system, you name it. Even Drive, which is quite criticised, is still a big advancement. Also the online medium can help us. I imagine events where there is a pre-event online and then a physical part…
This also means starting to store our data better: locals struggle with knowledge transfer and Knowledge preservation, focusing on that would also mean “improving our tech”.
The Corona crisis hit AEGEE hard in 2020. What measures should AEGEE take to overcome the crisis? Maybe you also see some positive examples in the network that you can name?
I quite mentioned it in the opportunities, but basically, I will take the chance of this question to state it in a neat list with all the previous ideas, plus one:
- A recruitment and maintenance campaign
- Improving tech
- Improving knowledge management
- Good habits should be rewarded.
We already worked on some of this stuff, but I think these should be the core points in any upcoming agenda… “Food for thought time”, as some would say.
What are your personal AEGEE plans for 2021?
Sticking around, Public Relation Committee and Academy on my list, not overplaying it. Need to think about some stuff besides AEGEE, but I am still not leaving my bunch of friends.
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