The new Faces of the Netcom 2017/18: Dominic Dimian

To serve and protect: This is the legendary motto of the Network Commission. Four new people joined AEGEE’s most popular commission in December: Dominic Dimian, Marta Pak, Celia Riveres and Francesca “Zorci” Zorcolo. The Golden Times asked them about their plans – and also about themselves. How would their life be without AEGEE? Are they party animals? And: what is never missing in their fridge? Today you can read what Dominic Dimian answered. Among his plans: “It is a dream of mine to get all my antennae a twin antenna.”

Golden Times: You are in the NetCom since December. How was your start?
Dominic Dimian: I had a slow but good start so far, contacting my locals and getting in touch with the boards. Everybody is enthusiastic about the cooperation. Furthermore we had our NetCom Meeting in Brussels in January, which was outstandingly great!

GT: Why did you choose to candidate for the NetCom?
Dominic: I love to connect with people and the network. Communication and cooperation is essential for an association like AEGEE. With candidating for the NetCom I was able to do what I am good at and support the organisation that gave me so much.

GT: Very briefly: what did you do in AEGEE before joining the NetCom?
Dominic: I was member of the local board of AEGEE-Passau for 2.5 years, main organiser of our TSU in 2016 and SubCom of the NetComs Mareike W. and Mareike R.

GT: How well did you know your assigned locals before your term?
Dominic: I knew the Bavarian locals very well as I was their SubCom for one year and I also tried to keep myself updated about the other German locals through friendships. As I moved to Budapest last summer, I quickly got to know the antenna very well.

GT: What have you been doing to get to know them better?
Dominic: In the past weeks I have been creating an overview of responsible people, events and more of my locals in order to be informed, but also to plan my NetCom trips to their cities. Furthermore I will provide all my locals with the option to connect via Skype as often as possible.

GT: What are the main strengths problems of your locals?
Dominic: Luckily I can say that my area is pretty strong and they mainly manage their local activities on their own. Some need a little bit of help concerning PR, HR and the connection to the European level.

GT: Can you name a couple of outstanding locals of yours that can serve as a role model for others in Europe?
Dominic: Every antenna deserves its credit. Everyone is trying hard according to their resources and I am here to help them with it. Hopefully at the end of my term all of them can be a good role model for the entire network.

GT: What other plans do you have for your locals? For example: encourage cooperation among them, foster twin antennae, foster cooperation with European bodies, encourage them to make more thematic events or more internal education?
Dominic: Funny that you ask exactly about the things that I am going to work with. Everything you mentioned is on my agenda, although some of the points will merge together. NetCom in general made a great plan for this term to take care of these issues. I don’t want to say too much we did not publish all information yet. I can say though that it is a dream of mine to get all my antennae a twin antenna.

GT: People talk a lot about antenna criteria reforms. Do you have ideas for some alternative better antenna criteria?
Dominic: Times are changing and so does AEGEE. We just had a major antenna criteria reform but of course there are still things to improve. We as NetCom will discuss thoroughly whether and how to propose further reforms.

GT: How and when did you join AEGEE?
Dominic: It was in autumn 2014 when I discovered AEGEE during a presentation at the university in the beautiful city of Passau. At first I was hesitant, but this changed as soon as I got into some working groups, organising events for Erasmus students at my university. But this was just the beginning of a glorious relationship with this extraordinary association.

GT: What do you study – and why?
Dominic (smiles): I study European Studies. It is a great opportunity to learn… come on, nobody is interested in this. I don’t have much time to study besides AEGEE anyways!

GT: What was your best and worst AEGEE experience?
Dominic: There were so many good experiences. This question is really tough. Still I want to try: probably it was the New Year’s event 2015/16, organised by AEGEE-Siena. We had a really great group and I still remember those days like it was yesterday. If any of the participants or organisers is reading this, I miss you! My worst experience was maybe when I organised a Bavarian Night for over 200 Erasmus students and one of them threw up on a carpet in the university and I spent hours during the night to clean the carpet just with paper towels… the most ironic thing about this was that the carpet was only two meters away from the exit door.

GT: How many international events have you been to so far?
Dominic: I am not sure about the exact number, but I think it was around 17 events including EPM, Agora, NWM, RTC, Christmas Dinner and New Year’s events. Unfortunately I was quite busy with my local work so that I had to miss out on a lot of great events.

GT: If you were not in AEGEE, how would your life look like?
Dominic (smiles): AIESEC.

GT: After AEGEE, what will you work later?
Dominic (smiles): There is a life after AEGEE?

GT: Are you a party animal?
Dominic: If I don’t have any responsibility at that moment I can turn into a wild dancer… even moving my arms!

GT: What hobbies do you have aside from AEGEE?
Dominic (laughs): There is a life besides AEGEE? You have to tell me about this outside or after life thing!

GT: Please complete the sentence: “AEGEE is…
Dominic: AEGEE is your key to Europe.

GT: What is your favourite drink?
Dominic: It is a close race between Limoncello and Soplica.

GT: What’s never missing in your fridge?
Dominic: Space.

GT: How would you describe yourself with five keywords?
Dominic: Ambitious. Enthusiastic. Romantic. Sensitive. Dom.