AEGEEans are used to working online sending an insanely high amount of mails per day, but this work, especially if done by boards, sometimes needs to be done in a cosy office where everything can be stored. We decided to take a tour to AEGEE-Budapest, AEGEE-Cagliari, AEGEE-Enschede and AEGEE-Verona offices, discovering that not every local has one.
AEGEE-Budapest office
AEGEE-Budapest got its current office five years ago and it is shared with another organisation. Peter Sczigel, President of AEGEE-Budapest, said: “It’s small but cosy. It’s located in the Corvinus University of Budapest, where the majority of our members are from. Inside we have lockers, computers, comfy couches and a lot of memorabilia”. AEGEE-Budapest organised three Agoras, Autumn Agora 1991, Autumn Agora 1995 and Autumn Agora 2012 and they still have some stuff from those times, things they are proud of. Of course, they meet with members outside of the office too. “We often meet with our members in bars next to our uni. We have regular social drinks and other events there.” concluded Peter.
AEGEE-Cagliari office
Another that organised an Agora some years ago is AEGEE-Cagliari. The Italian insular local has been in the current office for ten/fifteen years. “It is located in our university, at the Economy department.” said Francesca Zorcolo, President of the local. “We got everything we need in order to work for AEGEE and to receive members or potential ones. Every year the current board add something to the office, as picture collages, t-shirts from their summer university, etc”. Endless days of working in the same enviroment can be extremely tiring, but it can also create some lovely memories as Francesca confirmed: “I think that one of the best memory is when we worked for the Agora and the meeting lasted so long that we had to have dinner with pizza at the office. We were not less than ten and we were really really tired, but still happy and excited”. The walls of an office can be small, so AEGEE-Cagliari tries to find new places for their members’ meeting, going to the beach too.
AEGEE-Enschede office
AEGEE-Enschede is probably the only local owning a pub, the famous Asterion. Right above it, the Dutch local has their office, located in a building called De Pakkerij right in the city center, shared with other three student associations. They have a room where the board usually work with a big table in the middle of the room and five desks with computers for the board members. Next to it they have a meeting room where their committees and external partners are welcomed. There is also a place to chill with few computers for members to work and join the board for lunch or tea or coffee.
Wietske Jousma, President and European Affairs of AEGEE-Enschede, said that “The best feature we have in our office is our chandelier which was bought by a committee years ago and all this time it has been hanging from our ceiling. However, the previous board thought it was so ugly that they replaced it. One of the members of the committee who bought it insisted it should be back in our office, so we decided this year to give it a new place in the office. Most of the fake diamonds have fallen off the chandelier, but it doesn’t matter. It is back where it belongs!”.
AEGEE-Verona meeting
Not every local is lucky to have an office. This is the case of AEGEE-Verona, located in the north-east of Italy. Refounded in 2013, they hope to have one very soon, meanwhile they meet in a downtown bar called Caffé&Pistacchio. Sara Bottacini, treasurer of AEGEE-Verona, said “It has a basement where we can have some privacy and silence. We have been meeting there since January 2015. It’s nice, there are some sofas and armchairs and it’s located near the university area”. They also meet in university’s classrooms or common areas such as the garden of the canteen. Not having an office also means that they cannot keep memorabilia or AEGEE documents in a common place, but they divide it among the board members.
Written by Erika Bettin, AEGEE-Verona