Interview with Verena

Name: Verena Schmidt

Local: AEGEE-Tübingen

Joined AEGEE: October 2006

Position in the project team: Publications Responsible

AEGEE means to me: friendships, personal development, getting to know more about Europe

Studies: political science, English linguistics

Age: 27

Personal motto: you only live once

Favourite quote: I have a dream (Martin Luther King) – you need a vision to do sth extraordinary

Songs that get easily stuck in my head: “Can’t get you out of my head” (Kylie Minogue), “Everytime” (the flames), “reach” (S Club 7) and ABBA songs

If I were a cartoon hero I’d be: as AEGEE member: one of the Smurfs, fighting the big bad evil, otherwise maybe also a mix of Snoopy and Charly Brown

I can’t live without: friends, movies, music, books

Magical power I’d like to have: to beam me from one place to another, to fly

If I was not in AEGEE25 team, I’d be dealing with other AEGEE publications

Visions for AEGEE 2035: there’ll be projects that do have an impact, also outside of AEGEE

I would like to thank: Charlotte Lerg for telling me about AEGEE, Anna Gabriel for being an information source when I was still new on European level, Nadine Karbach for many nice memories and being such a good role model

Nadine Karbach for honorary member!

Interview with Sveta

• Name: Svetlana Mikhaylenko
• Local: AEGEE-Moskva
• joined AEGEE (date): January 2006
• position in the project team: Project Manager
• AEGEE means to me... freedom, forgetting borders, inspiration

• studies/work: journalist, interpreter
• age: 25

• personal motto: “Follow the goal and enjoy the way to it”
• favourite quote: “Be the change you want to see in the world”- Mahatma Gandhi

• song that gets easily stuck in my head: Quelqu'un m'a dit by Carla Bruni
• If I were a cartoon hero, I'd be Freken Snork from “Mummy trolls”
• I can't live without... being on the road
• Magical power I would like to have: playing tricks with time

• If I was not in AEGEE25 team, I’d be involved in (AEGEE-body where you’d like to be active) – I would join Academy
• vision for AEGEE 2035 (50^th birthday) – definitely there could be an event arranged by the grandparents and grandsons of AEGEE
• I would like to thank.... Mariya Ustinova and Darya Kulemetyeva – both former presidents of AEGEE-Moskva. They have been my inspiration in AEGEE life
• Tena Prelec –for Honorary Member – a person who devoted a lot to the network, a fighter and a great friend

Interview with Roxana

• Name: Roxana Ivan
• Local: AEGEE Sibiu
• joined AEGEE (date): January 2007
• position in the project team: Fundraising Responsible
• AEGEE means to me...endless opportunities

• studies/work: Management&Politics/ Audio-visual Industry
• age:25

• personal motto: In omnia parata
• favourite quote: “Life’s what happens when you plan too much” – John Lennon
• song that gets easily stuck in my head: “Always look on the bright side of life” by Monty Phyton
• If I were a cartoon hero, I'd be: Winnie the Pooh (his world is perfect)
• I can't live without...movies
• Magical power I would like to have: To make the impossible possible

• If I was not in AEGEE25 team, I’d be involved in (AEGEE-body where you’d like to be active) AEGEE Sibiu, even though I would be far away
• vision for AEGEE 2035 (50^th birthday): The biggest European network of friends spread in every corner of the Continent, working together for materializing their vision of Europe.
• I would like to thank Pavel Blidariu and Cata Marinescu for bringing me to AEGEE and convincing me that it’s all worthwhile.

Interview with Ira

- name: Irina Loginova

- local: AEGEE-Moskva

- date when you joined aegee: April 2007

- studies: Pedagogics & linguistics

- age: 24

- personal motto: Who never risks – never drinks champagne

- song that gets easily stuck in my head: Dark City – "Dance with me, make me sway" (remix)

- I can't live without... friends!

- vision for AEGEE 2035 (50th birthday): 2035 participants in 50 locals!!!

Interview with Flo

• Name: Florence I.J. Franks
• Local: AEGEE-Siena
• joined AEGEE (date): March 2008
• position in the project team: Internal Public Relations Responsible
• AEGEE means to me... Experience new cultures& habits, challenge myself every day, be active in Europe

• studies/work: Law
• age:24

• Personal motto: Try everything once, twice if you like it!
• Favourite quote: “If you can dream it, you can do it”(Walt Disney)

• Songs that get easily stuck in my head:

§ Coldplay- Viva La Vida

§Gavin DeGraw- I don’t Want to Be

§ Oasis- Wonderwall

§Yann Tiersen- La Valse d’Amelie

§ Muse-Supermassive Black Hole

• If I were a cartoon, I'd be Minu(The Aristocats)
• I can't live without...friendship and love; travelling and my pink laptop
• Magical power I would like to have: reading men’s heart

• If I was not in AEGEE25 team, I’d be involved in Culture Working Group more; recently first edition of Culture Action Day has gone to an end, and I’m really proud of it; I hope to see it as official AEGEE project soon.
• vision for AEGEE 2035 (50^th birthday): more partnerships, ideas& projects outside Europe
• I would like to thank....Tena Prelec for supporting me in many moments, often with few words! and encouraging me in being active at AEGEE European level: firstly seeing my potential as Subcommie, and then as part of this challenging project! Moreover, Maria Morozova for being a great model for me as project manager, I’ve learned so much from her…And of course all my AEGEE friends, that everyday inspire me with their love and their AEGEE spirit!

Interview with Coral

• Name: CORAL CABEZAS
• Local: AEGEE-MADRID
• joined AEGEE (date): 14-04-2007
• position in the project team: EVENTS RESPONSIBLE
• AEGEE means to me...: WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR AND FOUND ME :P… BEST PEOPLE, HIGHER EDUCATION, GREAT EXPERIENCE =)

• studies/work: HUMAN RESOURCES (PSYCHOLOGY)
• age :-)

• favourite quote: IF YOU DON’T LOOK FOR WHAT YOU LOVE, YOU WILL FINALLY LOVE WHATEVER YOU FIND (maybe not the best translation ever ;)
• song that gets easily stuck in my head : JAI HO (Slumdog millionaire)
• If I were a cartoon hero, I'd be SAMANTHA (BEWITCHED)
• I can't live without... INTERNET AND MY FRIENDS
• Magical power I would like to have: BEING IN TWO OR MORE PLACES AT THE SAME TIME :-)

• If I was not in AEGEE25 team, I’d be involved in (AEGEE-body where you’d like to be active) EWG and MY LOCAL
• vision for AEGEE 2035 (50^th birthday): KNOWN FOR EVERYONE, WITH NO BORDERS, BEYOND EUROPE =)
• I would like to thank.... MY DEAR OLDIES IN MADRID, FORMER NETCOMMIES AND ALL THE PEOPLE I’VE MET THESE YEARS

Interview with Alla

· name Alla Resheten

· local AEGEE Kyiv

· joined AEGEE (date) April 2008

· position in the project team Treasurer

· AEGEE means to me... new friends, new cultures, new trips and new impressions

· studies/work Computer science. Currently working as Quality engineer in IT company

· age 24 years

· personal motto Impossible is nothing!

· favourite quote People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

· song that gets easily stuck in my head Lemon Tree

· If I were a cartoon hero, I'd be Kung-Fu panda( I also like tasty cookies :) )

· I can't live without...chocolate, dances and friends

· Magical power I would like to have: traveling in time

· If I was not in AEGEE25 team, I’d be involved in (AEGEE-body where you’d like to be active) of course AEGEE Kyiv! I'm still active in my favorite local and as I'm Vice president I need to develop my local :)

· vision for AEGEE 2035 (50^th birthday) number of events with 50 participants from 50 countries ot 50 different cities. At the end of celebration organize big conference with 50 members who were active during AEGEE life.

· I would like to thank to people who have shown me what real AEGEE is. It's Ricardo Martin Diego(AEGEE-Madrid), Alistair Zarb(AEGEE-Valletta) and Kateryna Vronska( AEGEE-Kyiv). This people supported me and helped me, because of them I am really inspired to do my best for AEGEE! :)

· Kateryna Vronska for Honorary Member. She is a member of AEGEE Kyiv for 5 years. She is like a symbol of AEGEE spirit in AEGEE Kyiv. She inspire newcomers, she knows what real AEGEE spirit is. She was a board member for 3 years. And it was her idea to organize Agora in Kyiv and because of her we made it! :)

Meet the Team!

Curious about AEGEE25 'Pink' Team members? watch here ;)

What AEGEE25 is?

April 16th of 1985 was the day AEGEE held its first conference in Paris with topics related to the paralysation of the European integration process. Starting with just six locals in Western Europe, AEGEE became a platform for students from Europe to discuss the future of Europe. A lot has happened since 1985: with the fall of the Iron Curtain, AEGEE was able to embrace Eastern Europe and it was just a matter of time before the first city in Eastern Europe would join AEGEE. Even today, locals in Central and Eastern Europe prove to be valuable for the European society. AEGEE continues to move beyond the accepted European borders and found locals in Russia, Turkey and a few years ago, Georgia and Azerbaijan also joined AEGEE.

25 years later AEGEE has 230 locals, scattered all over Europe with more than 15.000 members, ten working groups and several projects and together we strive to reach the aims as established during the first years of AEGEE existence: the promotion of a unified Europe without prejudices, creating an open and tolerant society of today and tomorrow and fostering democracy, human rights, tolerance, cross-boarder co-operation, mobility and European dimension in education.

AEGEE25 has been establish not only to celebrate 25 years of existence of AEGEE but also to show Europe that we are a multicultural organisation with locals in every country in the European Union and even outside it. We want to highlight AEGEE' s accomplishments in the fields of cultural exchange, active citizenship, higher education, peace & stability. The aim of this project is to look at the past, present and future of AEGEE: what has AEGEE done for its members and the European society? How are our projects relating to the European society? What can we develop AEGEE so that the members can contribute more to the European society?

All projects and activities are based on voluntarily work and commitment of its members, and as 2011 will be also European Year of Volunteering, we would like to emphasise the need of volunteer work to create a better European society. The year 2010 will therefore be full of activities which will contribute to achieve the aims of this project: conferences and more activities, contests, summer events, anniversary celebrations, workshops. The events will take place in different edges of our Network, and this will make 2010 a year AEGEE will not forget.

Enjoy reading the complete PROJECT OUTLINE

Participate in any of our 2010 events and be part of the celebration!!

It might be difficult to avoid AEGEE this year, so... STAY TUNED!

Welcome words

The year 2010 AEGEE-Europe celebrates its 25th anniversary. Those were
25 years of hard work, implementing new ideas, coping with challenges,
gaining more and more experience. It is an honor for me to present you
AEGEE 25 project. This project aims to look at our past, summarize
what had been done, whether we still stick to the core principles of
our association, what new we have gained and what was left behind, to
conclude what is happening now, what we have accomplished and to
search for new directions and accumulate new ideas for the future of
AEGEE.

We invite you to join the variety of events which will take place all
around our network. You will have a chance to share your views at
conferences, gain new knowledge at workshops, brainstorm ideas at
roundtables, get to know new cultures show how unique your own are.

All the events in the frames of AEGEE 25 project will be focused on
the core fields of action of our association: Cultural Exchange,
Active Citizenship, Higher Education, Peace & Stability. At the same
time the general outline will unite all of them. Experienced and new
members will be sharing their perspectives on what we are as an
association, getting into the core aspects of what we are doing,
shaping the future of AEGEE.

I would like to thank all those people who agreed to help us and host
the events: AEGEE-Beograd, AEGEE–Cagliari, AEGEE–Düsseldorf, AEGEE–Istanbul,
AEGEE–Izmir, AEGEE–Kyiv, AEGEE-Las Palmas, AEGEE–Leiden, AEGEE–Lublin,
AEGEE–Madrid, AEGEE –Munich, AEGEE–Paris, AEGEE–Praha,
AEGEE-Sankt-Peterburg, AEGEE–Sofia, AEGEE–Torino and AEGEE-Valletta.
A special thanks to Katerina Vronska, who created our logo and is helping us with the
design aspect of the project, Laura Toma from PRWG and all of those
who inspired us and believed in the project.

Svetlana Mikhaylenko

-January 2010-