eXpress Magazine #19: Life at the Local Level

the magazine of the erasmus student network

express #19 AGM Milano 2014

SPECIAL LOCAL EVENTS:

BAVARIAN KASTENLAUF IKEA TRIP

Get to know our projects:

SECTION COOPERATION SUPPORT

STORY / MOV‘IN EUROPE

LIFE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL

Life at the Local Level I

t’s that time of the year again: Spring is here, the days are getting warmer, and the entire network is preparing for our most important yearly event, the Annual General Meeting. In April, over 600 ESNers will gather in Milan to make the key decisions that will help determine the future of the network. Workshops will be held, strategies will be discussed, and a new International Board will be elected. Most of all though, the AGM is a meeting of our sections. With representatives from 36 ESN countries (soon to be 37!), the AGM will be a showcase of the diversity ESN has to offer.

For 4 days, Milan will be the ‘capital of Erasmus’, as our volunteers travel from all over Europe to unite in one city.

This is what the 19th issue of eXpress is about. With over 400 sections and 13,500 volunteers, the local level is the foundation of ESN. Time and time again, our sections have shown ingenuity in organising exciting and innovative events, dedication in volunteering their time and energy, and sincerity in engaging with their universities and local communities. Some have even joined forces and created successful collaborations with each other, as you will read in these pages.

It’s safe to say then, that the local sections are the core of our network. With the 25th ESN fast approaching, it only seems appropriate to bring the spotlight to where it all began, back to our sections at the local level. I hope you enjoy reading this magazine as much as we have enjoyed making it!

GAFFAR RAMPAGE Chair of ESN Communication Committee

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EXPRESS #19 COORDINATOR Carmen Cuesta Roca SUPERVISOR Gaffar Rampage EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Carmen Cuesta Roca ART DIRECTOR Robert Klimacki EDITORIAL DESIGNERS Jan Hrubý Annabel Gauci with credit to

Jirka Matousek CONTRIBUTORS Gaffar Rampage Wilmer Mostacciuolo Aliis Pikk Martina Moretti Marie-Céline Falisse Angelina Psychogyiou Prokop Teper Carmen Cuesta Roca Carina Scharf Laura Köstler Alicia Sanchez Darena Milkova Cristina Gavrilă Kristína Candráková Margarida Carvalho PROOFREADERS Carmen Cuesta Roca Nives Tomas Carina Scharf Sara Širnik Brigitte Eugster Laura Köstler Matt Clemo COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Patrick Doodt

ERASMUS STUDENT NETWORK AISBL Rue Hydraulique 15 B-1210 Brussels Belgium +32 22 567 427 express-coordinator@esn.org www.esn.org Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or in parts without the written permission of the publisher.

The publisher cannot be held responsible for the views and opinions expressed in this magazine by contributors. The publisher is neither responsible for nor endorses the content of published advertisements, nor can the magazine be held responsible for any errors or inaccuracies in the same.

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Editorial

Contributors So, what‘s the STORY?

SeCS ESN Milano United SeCS Belgium + Luxembourg SeCS Panathenian Team Sections in the Spotlight • ESN UEK Cracow • ESN Porto • ESN Timisoara • ESN BelUPgrade Special Local Event - Bavarian Kastenlauf Special Local Event - IKEA Trip Welcome Party Interview The Flow of Information

ESN BEST Let‘s Start Mov‘in Europe!

Local SocialErasmus Coordinators train and meet in Slovakia

Estonian Wedding in Saaremaa The event checklist

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So, what’s the STORY? www.storyproject.eu | erasmusintern.org

By Margarida Carvalho, STORY Coordinator

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NE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES OF TODAY’S YOUNG GRADUATES IS THE unsustainably high youth unemployment rate in many EU countries. At the same time, experience abroad and work experience are criteria highly valued by employers, thus learning mobility seems to be the key priority to improve the employability of young people.

ESN is conducting the STORY (Strengthening the Training Opportunities for International Youth) project, an EU funded project that aims at improving the accessibility and quality of international traineeships, as well as at increasing the awareness on the existence of such opportunities for youth.

In addition, supporting information is being disseminated through the project website (www.storyproject.eu).

We believe that our work encourages mobility and improves the quality of exchanges of young people in Europe and beyond.

Finally, STORY will contribute with an online platform (erasmusintern.org) which will provide an integrated market place that aims at bringing together training providers and individuals seeking a training opportunity abroad. This platform will enhance students’ international opportunities on the European job market.

Do you want to contribute to the STORY project? Find more information on our website, answer our surveys and visit our Facebook page (ESNSTORYProject)!

In order to achieve this, a research on the subject through online questionnaires will be committed. STORY Survey 2014 will not only analyse the accessibility and quality of study and training mobility programmes but will also survey obstacles, especially the ones related to recognition, and expectations observed by the main actors involved in mobility for studies and traineeships (Students, Higher Education Institutions, National Agencies and Receiving Companies/ Organisations). The questionnaires focus on the accessibility, promotion, quality and recognition of the different study and training mobility programmes such as ERASMUS, ERASMUS Placements, Leonardo Da Vinci and others. Through the analysis of the responses to the questionnaires, ESN will offer a more accurate and detailed representation of the obstacles and expectations of the main actors involved, and also offer advice regarding best practices.

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You can’t wait for the upcoming online platform for the international traineeships? Go to: erasmusintern.org, subscribe yourself and be the first one to know it’s ready!

What is STORY? Strengthening the Training Opportunities for inteRnational Youth

+ Surveys

ERASMUS INTERN

Web platform

ESN MILANO UNITED

By Martina Moretti

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N THE NORTH OF ITALY IN A REGION CALLED LOMBARDY, THERE IS THE BEAUTIFUL CITY Milan, better known as the Italian economic capital. It is also a famous university city thanks to several universities and the variety of courses they offer. This is the reason why the city hosts 170.000 regular students and more than 3000 international students per year.

Six of the universities host an ESN section.

Every section has its own characteristics and story: ESN Politecnico Milano (1992), ESN Milano Statale (1994), ESN Milano-Bicocca (2004), ESN IULM Milano (2006), ESN Bocconi Milano (2009) ESN Unicatt Milano (2012).

The idea of cooperating came many years ago when some sections decided to organise some activities, especially parties and trips, together.

Over the years, the other sections of Milan joined the cooperation as well. Today, it is called “ESN a MILANO UNITA” (ESN @ MILANO UNITED).

stand, divided we fall”. More people means more friends, more friends means more ideas for better projects, more ideas means more energy for new challenges.

Their ability to handle big amounts of people and their previous experiences in organising international and national events (National Platforms, National Events, a South Western European Platform and a Council of National Delegates) gives them the skills to plan an event with no place for setbacks or hitches. After their unsuccessful candidacy in 2012, Milano and its 6 great ESN sections decided to try it again and candidate as the host for the Annual General Meeting 2014 – with success this time.

different ideas leads to more creative and productive solutions. That’s why the AGM in Milan also has two great and ambitious additional projects: “Let’s start up” challenges the smart participants with the creation of a new business and the search for support to create their own start-up; on the other hand, “MeetItaly” is a project in cooperation with the local ESN sections and encourages the participants to visit the beautiful Italy.

Union is strength

The teamwork is hard but also motivating: different minds have different points of view, maybe even opposite ones. Finding a compromise among them is a quality, which you can definitely learn in ESN. Overcoming problems together with the interaction of

The AGM is a big opportunity for “ESN a MILANO UNITA”. It’s a great challenge that can make the sections and the ESNers stronger and that can push them further. All the ESN sections in Milan are making their own dream come true: in less than 50 days, they will host the ESN Annual General Meeting!

“Union is strength”, and the six ESN sections of Milan can confirm it. Together, they organise numerous different activities (e.g. parties, sports tournaments, Eurobowling, Eurodinner) and many trips around Italy.

One of the results of the good collaboration is the most amazing party in Milan: the Crazy Countdown. It is a huge New Year’s Eve party which takes place in mid-December so that international students can celebrate together before going home for the Christmas break.

The ESN sections of Milan decided to create a big and wonderful union in order to provide their Erasmus and exchange students the best activities and events that everyone from different universities can enjoy. It is also helpful for the ESNers because: “United we express magazine | 5

Belgium+Luxembourg

By Marie-Céline Falisse

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NTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AND ESNERS GATHERED AROUND THE WELL-KNOWN flag that has become the main meeting and starting point of amazing moments for so many exchange students. Where? Not in one, but in five different cities all over Belgium and in Luxembourg. In Brussels, Louvainla-Neuve, Ghent, Liège and Luxembourg City, where everyone was ready for ESN Belgium’s National Trip to Amsterdam!

Three hundred participants from seven local sections (ESN LLN, ESN HUB, ESN ULG, ESN HELMo, ESN Gent, ESN Mons and ESN Luxembourg) were about to leave for an amazing three-day trip to the Dutch capital. This National Trip was, of course, a good occasion to have fun and to spend a good time together, however it was also a great opportunity to strengthen cooperation between ESN countries and sections all along the different steps of the preparation and during the actual project.

Primarily, there had to be cooperation between the two organising countries. ESN Belgium invited ESN Luxembourg to join the trip and to get involved in the organisation, which allowed each country to share good advice regarding the trip planning and management. This collaboration also made it possible for the youngest ESN country of our network to be part of a trip on a bigger scale, whilst learning, through ESN Belgium’s past experience, about events organisation and bringing a new vision and approach into the OC. At around 1 pm, five buses stopped in front of the Stayokay Hostel Zeeburg to let 300 excited international students and

ESNers meet each other and discover the place where they would stay for 2 nights.

This is where our cooperation with the NB of ESN The Netherlands with regards to the organisation of the trip first began. The hostel chain is actually a partner of ESN The Netherlands, and the National Board was of course ready to help us with booking procedures and to make sure we would benefit from the best deal with the ESNcard.

This collaboration also reflected our network size and reach towards the partner hostel, which hopefully added a greater value to the partnership.

We started with activities in the afternoon with a guided tour through the centre of the capital (led by ESNers, of course). In the evening, we all enjoyed a full social programme thanks to ESNers from Amsterdam. After a dinner at the university restaurant and a small tour in the red light district, it was time to get ready for the social activity of this Friday night: a pub crawl in three different bars around Rembrandtplein, where we enjoyed the nightlife of Amsterdam all together.The next day, our motivated exchange students and ESNers were on the road to discover more about the Dutch culture. Various optional activities were organised during the trip. Whilst the general organisation of the trip was carried out by the National Board, the preparation and running of the additional activities we proposed to the exchange students were the responsibility of the sections of ESN Belgium and ESN Luxembourg. Before the trip, the participating sections had been paired and assigned one activity to organise together. We looked for some interesting

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attractions and sightseeing options, shared ideas, discussed the possibilities, and chose some cultural activities that we knew, from experience, would appeal to the international students.

On Saturday morning, the students split into two different groups: one interested in visiting the Van Gogh Museum, the second heading to the Heineken Experience, a beer museum about the famous brewery. In the afternoon, another two different activities were planned: a visit to the Anne Frank House and a boat tour, which was a great success amongst the international students.

On Saturday night, another promising social activity was waiting for us: ISN Amsterdam’s Glow and White Party. In addition to our participants, around 200 international students in Amsterdam and 50 ESNers and Erasmus guests from ESN Frankfurt/Main were present to enjoy the glowing party. All of this had of course been planned in advance thanks to the communication and good cooperation with ISN Amsterdam.

After these two intense days full of cultural and social activities, Sunday morning was intended for some rest and free time.

In the afternoon, we all went back to our respective cities full of unforgettable memories, but also full of new ideas to share, learn from, and put into practice for our next section cooperation activities, that we hope will be as rewarding, successful and beneficial for all of us that this National Trip to Amsterdam 2013 has been!

panathenian team

By Angelina Psychogyiou

“B

EING A NETWORK MEANS STRONG COOPERATION BETWEEN THE SECTIONS”.

That’s exactly the motto of PanAthenian team. However, first things first, what is a PanAthenian Team? It is an inter–associational group connecting all the Athenian ESN Sections. With almost three years in its life span, PanAthenian team is enjoying a rather successful academic year at the moment. The team was created in September 2011 and since then it has worked hard in creating social events & trips for ALL the International and European exchange students coming to study in Athens.

The story behind the team’s creation goes back to the first meeting of the presidents of the local Athenian sections, where the issue of a broader cooperation was brought up. Up until 2011, the Athenian sections were cooperating, and now mostly in groups of two or three sections, but the fact that the number of incoming students in Athens was getting higher year by year lead to discussions for a deeper and more substantial cooperation between the sections. As a result a group of section representatives was created with the aims of providing collective services to all the incoming students in Athens.

is to evolve and develop the Erasmus spirit with new ideas and new experiences. At the end, the Erasmus students leave with the best memories from Athens and from their Erasmus life.

Upon the creation of the team, and until recently, the National President was responsible for the team coordination. After the last extraordinary NP of ESN Greece and since the team was officially approved and added into the standing orders of the Greek organisation, a coordinator is elected internally every academic year. All of the 8 ESN sections in Athens are represented through an official delegate to the team, who is responsible for communicating all the information to the local section and vice versa.

Network means strong cooperation between the sections

The PanAthenian Team helps the Erasmus and other International students to meet with each other by organising parties and day trips. Every time the team manages to have the best partners and sponsors, so they can organise the most awesome parties in town.

The arrival of the people in Athens becomes a crazy experience. The main goal of the team

the general cooperation of the local sections is strengthened.

Apart from regular weekly themed parties in the biggest nightclubs of Athens the team organises an annual international dinner where the Erasmus students can share their local cuisine. Daily excursions in close by cities and islands are not excluded from the team’s agenda either.

Specifically trips to Nafplio, Mycenae, Delfi and Arachova have become a sort of tradition of the Athenian Erasmus life. However, it’s not just the trips that are successful; officially, there were over 500 attendees at the Halloween Party of 2013.

Despite certain drawbacks over the years and the high number of sections in Athens, the team has succeeded in their cooperation.

Exchanging the knowledge between the members and the sections as well as supporting each other and actually making new friends is what makes this team so special.

Regular meetings are held two times per month and Skype meetings now and then.

This way, the team systematically discusses all the issues concerning how to make the Erasmus life in Athens even better. Through these meetings the team and, consequently, express magazine | 7

december

ESN UEK Cracow SECTION IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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FEW DAYS INTO DECEMBER, A NEW SECTION IN THE SPOTLIGHT WAS ELECTED. A few more and they will celebrate 10 years of existence. Round of applause for ESN UEK Cracow! Stationed at Cracow University of Economics, ESN UEK gathers over 70 active members split into various working groups and project teams with a 6-person Board on top. The work of Board is further controlled by the Audit Committee. Additionally all section members are ranked either junior, informal of formal.

In terms of communication, the section uses all available FB features, has their own Twitter account, YouTube channel, Newsletter and all University communication channels including academic magazines and local radio station. Their ESN Office is a very lively

place with some ESN meetings taking place almost every day. To keep the morale high a „Saturday with ESN“ takes place once a month to meet other section members, discuss and integrate with each other.

As you already know, ESN UEK Cracow celebrates 10 years of existence this month.

Their ESN journey began in 2003. Over the years the section developed rapidly and nowadays hosts up to 180 exchange students per semester. On the 7th of December an „Erasmus Gala­­ – 10 years of ESN UEK and 15 years of Erasmus in Poland“ will take place.

On the following day, a conference devoted to Erasmus program and challenges related to it will take place.

The scope of activities and events offered by ESN UEK varies largely, from sports activities

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through trips all around Poland and nearby countries (most recently Budapest), the Party Team preparing at least two events per week, not to forget culture as no major museum or exhibition in Cracow or nearby area remains unvisited. Traditionally SocialErasmus and Erasmus in Schools play a big role in sections activities, too.

The International Open Day is a flagship project of ESN UEK made together with International Programmes Office, International Relations Office and Academic Career Centre that provides Polish students with the opportunity to get to know offers from partner Universities, recruitment process and rules of international exchange. In addition to the information session, a great variety of events, contests and concerts take place on the campus. Since the beginning of 2013, the

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sections have launched another new project – Blog ESN UEK.

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The blog is divided into few categories: •

Live blog- „live“ reports from locals currently on exchange

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Natives corner – practical info from Erasmus on exchange programs in Poland

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Re-Erasmus- memories of those who have returned from exchange already

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Reports from ESN events and useful info about Cracow

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(New addition) 10 year of ESN UEKflashbacks of previous Erasmus students from ESN UEK history

ESN UEK also runs a Tour de Cracow team whose aim is to support any Erasmus/ESN visitors of Cracow from other cities/countries in order for them to spend their time in Cracow as efficiently as possible. All you need is to drop them an email! Their most recent success was a co-ordination of Big trip to Cracow with Erasmus students from ESN sections all around Poland coming to Cracow for a visit. Local students get a chance to discover local Erasmus community through becoming their mentors.

Together with other ESN sections in Cracow, ESN UEK forms ESN Cracow United. Their weekly Language tandems and Tandem movies promote learning of foreign languages as well as getting accustomed to polish cinematography. Juwenalia is an annual student festival where ESN UEK co-ordinates „Fashion Night” (fashion shows and workshops supported by Cracow’s Kulturalia Festival and Town Hall) and “Dancing with Professors” (their version of popular British TV show “Strictly Come Dancing”). Needless to say the whole festival is prepared by students.

The inter/national involvement of ESN UEK is certainly worth mentioning. Recently their

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section ended up collecting second biggest amount (almost 500) of pictures within the ESN Poland project Discover Europe, one of their members is part of International Erasmus in Schools team, they have members in ESN Poland Committees, organised AGM Kraków 2006 independently or co-organised CEP 2011 (ESN Cracow United).

are now one of the most known sections in Poland and every semester we attract more than 150 people that want to join our ranks.

We have our minds set on future goals – the goals that always involve well-being and comfort of our international guests.” And cheers from Fabled Flamingo, ESN UEK mascot.

Next year together with ESN SGH (in Warsaw) and ESN UJ (Cracow) the ESN UEK plan to organise Outsourcing Market Leaders Academy, a unique project which aims to organise career fairs focusing on companies operating in abroad sector of Outsourcing and Off shoring.

“To sum up, we have come a long way from our humble beginnings in 2003. Since then combined effort of all the members helped us flourish amongst other ESN sections. We

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january

ESN porto

SECTION IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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T IS 2014 AND ALL AROUND US WE HEAR TALK “NEW YEAR, NEW ME”. MOST OF US WILL have some sort of resolutions for the coming year, perhaps you even have resolutions to improve your section. Well, what better inspiration than January’s Section in the Spotlight: ESN Porto!

The beginnings of ESN Porto date back to 1989. Back in those days, University of Porto had created a group to support and integrate the exchange students beyond the support given by the International Relations Office. This group was named IN.NET. With the registration of ESN International, as an association to support and develop student exchange, this group of volunteers from IN.NET thought that it should be a good idea to be associated with ESN and started the process to do so.

In 1991, ESN Porto officially became an ESN section, making it the first section of

Portugal.

The section, which consists of 30 active members is highly organised. The active members are divided into 9 departments: Activities, TeamBuilding, Communication & Branding, Fundraising & Marketing, Parties, IT, HumanResources, Buddy and SocialErasmus. Meetings are held on a weekly basis and the office is open every day, requiring huge availability and time management from the members.

Communication is integral to the efficiency of ESN Porto. They assure the transfer of knowledge by putting the less experienced members working together with the more experienced ones, giving them the opportunity to learn how to work in a team and slowly feel integrated.

To communicate with the students they have their website, a service which sends email to all the students who register the ESN Card (like a newsletter), a YouTube

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channel, and a strong Facebook page with more than 12.500 likes.

Also, the core of the success of the section is their excellent relationship with the University of Porto. This means the section has an obligatory presence in every presentation session made by the University of Porto for the exchange students and also made it possible to have their office, opened from Monday to Friday, placed next to the International Relations Office.

ESN Porto is constantly present at SWEP and AGM, and is an active supporter of SWEP Minho 2014. In the last year the section was proud to have a member as International Education Officers Coordinator and Education Officer on the national level. ESN Porto was also represented on the national level with a Treasurer in the National Board and an Event Manager. Aside from the National

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The involvement of the international students plays a huge role in the section. They have students working in their office under the Erasmus Placement Program, giving members more free time to plan and work on other projects. In the past year, ESN Porto also created an Erasmus group called ESN Ambassadors where international students can initially help out in organising an ESN party and then eventually organise their own party, with only the supervision of the section members.

However, ESN Porto also dedicates itself to involving local students. Since last year, they have been working with the International Relations Office of the University of Porto to organise an event where we gather the outgoing students (Portuguese students that are going on an exchange program) with exchange students that are doing their exchange in Porto in the current semester. This event helps the outgoing students to clarify some doubts about the destination country and faculty, and about the problem of equivalent subjects and ECTS’s.

ESN Porto, known for some by the extravagant parties, is also a hands-on section concerning cultural and social activities.

They are currently working on four main social projects. Porto Acolhe is a project developed between ESN Porto and Porto City Hall, similar to EiS (Erasmus in Schools) but working with young boys and girls who were taken from their parents or are orphans. Help the Homeless is a project where every Wednesday night food and clothes are prepared and delivered to the homeless people in Porto. ESN Porto is also collaborating with VO.U. (University Volunteers) working to help needy children. In addition to these fantastic projects, ESN Porto also undertakes activities including Solidary Concerts, Free Hugs, Charity Parties where 1€ is collected at the entrance to help several institutions, Charity Box and Blood Donation. They also love to show their Portugese culture by organising several trips through all Portugal. They hold a Portuguese Night, with several workshops about Portuguese Food. The typical nature of life in Porto is demonstrated by the section through activities such as wine tasting, boat trips in

Douro river, the Night Walk with Photo Contest, meeting points in several traditional student locations and of course, the Buddy work!

students, and the ESNOlympics integrated with a Responsible Party, that were organised last month, are a result of this project.

ESN Porto is working to promote and spread the ESN name, brand and aim among the local people and institutions in Porto. The aims of this is so that Portuguese people can recognise and associate the ESN logo with students from abroad and our work as volunteers, enhancing the growth of ESN name as a dynamic association that can move and cooperate with a lot of people. The several social events going on, the activities developed with International Office of University of Porto to help the outgoing

The work of ESN Porto is varied, extensive and inspirational. With their year started on a high, by winning Section in the Spotlight for January, we can only hope that they keep up the good work and inspire others to do the same. If you didn’t have a new year resolution before reading this article, perhaps you might have a better idea of what that might be!

Best wishes in the new year to our winners this month, ESN Porto, and all you lovely ESNers doing equally wonderful things for our beautiful organisation!

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february

ESN timisoara

SECTION IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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UR SECTION IS QUITE SMALL BUT MIGHTY!” THIS IS HOW ESN TIMISOARA from Romania ended their Section in the Spotlight application, and is also what can be considered the key to their success as a section, and the basis of their selection as February’s Section in the Spotlight. With only 10 active volunteers and three board members, the small section of ESN Timisoara works hard to ensure a better experience for their 100 Erasmus Students.

ESN Timisoara was was officially recognised by ESN International in January 2012. Nevertheless, the informal group has been working and has been monitored by the National Board since the beginning of the academic year 2011/2012. Shortly after, in April 2012, the president of that

time, Cristina Gavrila, became the National Representative. Participation in every project of ESN Romania was guaranteed. Their first international trip for exchange students in Central Europe became a first in Romania and this year, the current president became the International Coordinator of PRIME/ STORY and the section organised the National Boards Meeting.

primary tool for communication, with several different groups beings used for different purposes: one for current active volunteers; another bigger group, which includes the local alumni; and a third group for Buddies that aren’t official ESN members. The section’s web presence is extensive, including a Facebook fan page, a closed group for international students, and a blog.

The section works in four departments, each headed by a board member: events, public relations, finance, and human resources.

ESN Timisoara also receives support from two interns, a recent addition to the team.

Departmental meetings are held frequently and in addition to this, the section volunteers meet once a week. Minutes are taken at these meetings and later published, improving the section’s transparency. Facebook is the

Despite their small size, ESN Timisoara tries to organise an event each week.

Parties and social gathering are always themed: it can be everything from a flag party, a Halloween party, Carnival, to a New Years Eve party and a Traffic Lights Party. International dinners are always appreciated! The section also recently introduced the Responsible Party project.

But the section also focuses on showing

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first NP when they were just a candidate section, and from that moment on, the section has always enjoyed mingling and being with other ESNers. the international students some Romanian culture. They organise movie nights at the Faculty of Art in a great attic made especially for this kind of activities and show mainly Romanian movies. For other cultural events, it is worth mentioning the Halloween Trip where students spend 4 days visiting the most important medieval cities of Transylvania, their museums and Royal castles.

Another very important trip for the section is the Central European Trip, a project that is growing every year. In one week, the Erasmus students visit 4 European capitals: Budapest, Wien, Bratislava and Prague! This is considered the flagship project of the section. City tours are organised in each of the visited cities, with help from local ESN sections in those cities, fostering good relations between ESN Timisoara and other sections.

ESN Timisoara also makes sure to involve their international students in the work of their section. They do this through their SocialErasmus project, “A Trinket for a Book”, where the students make traditional trinkets and afterwards they sell them to the local students. With the collected money the section buys books for the Children’s Hospital. The Erasmus students are also involved in Erasmus in

Schools project.

They go to high schools and talked about their experience abroad and the benefits of mobility to the pupils there.

Even tough ESN Timisoara is small, the section is quite active on the national and international levels of ESN. The current NR of Romania originates from their section, and as mentioned before, The current President is the Coordinator of the International Team of PRIME/STORY.

Their Section in the Spotlight application ends with the optimistic notion, “there is only one direction for us, and that is up!” Considering the youth and size of the section, I am sure we can expect more great things from ESN Timisoara, the February winner of Section in the Spotlight. Congratulations, and keep up the good work!

They also have an Eduk8 trainer and a member in the Communication Committee. The section has organised two National Platforms so far, and they gained the opportunity to organise the National Boards Meeting. The event was held in October 2013 with the full support of the University.

Concerning the International events, ESN Timisoara is strongly represented. Besides the NR who is actively involved, our members participated in AGM Maribor, Eduk8 Liege, two ComCom meetings, the Balkan Sections Meeting, the STORY meeting in Brussels and now three members just attended SEEP Zagreb. Being so active internationally from the beginning, the section has never had problems in motivating their members to participate at this kind of events. They organised their

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march

ESN belupgrade SECTION IN THE SPOTLIGHT

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INE MONTHS. THAT IS SHOW MUCH IT CAN TAKE FROM THE moment the section joins ESN to the moment it becomes the Section in the Spotlight. Unbelievable you say? Just ask ESN BelUPgrade members, they will tell you otherwise. True story, bro!

ESN had a section in Belgrade for a few years, but this section slowly died out and a radical reset was necessary. In February 2013 CNR Brussels the previous section was expelled. This allowed the founders of ESN BelUPgrade to begin their work towards joining ESN. In May 2013, at the CNR Thessaloniki, ESN BelUPgrade gained full membership and could thus officially begin their work. Their first big activity was welcoming the participants of Ride for your rights in Belgrade in summer 2013.

With over 100 members including 40 active ESNers, ESN BelUPgrade is no informal group of students. They are organised into six official teams but the truth is that there are many more teams that come and go. The section even has a Section in the Spotlight team!In their own words “although each and every ESNer has chosen his team, it is a common situation in our section that fresh ideas are what unite us all!” The section is available three times a week in their office located in the city center and members together with exchange students strengthen their bonds every Wednesday in Triangle Café.

International students are always encouraged to take initiative and this mainly happens through SocialErasmus. Some of them like it so much that they were asking how to become permanent volunteers in institutions that ESN BelUPgrade

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cooperates with (such as orphanages).

Another way for the internationals to contribute is through Language Tandem Nights. Big progress was recently made especially with practicing Spanish, English, German or Turkish. And let’s not forget about Free Hugs!

Some internationals even joined ESN BelUPgrade as active members and upon their return home, continued their ESN involvement.

Trips are an important part of every ESN sections work. While you are reading these lines, ESN BelUPgrade is preparing a Budapest spring break Trip. When it comes to discovering Serbia, they however have a very interesting concept to offer, thematic trips. “The Food Road-which will show a few places in Serbia with most traditional food to taste, or The History Road, which will show the influences

By

ESN BelUPgrade song: What’s the most important for our section?

Friendship, love, society, our connection?

You know what-there’s no one thing to choose Because our team won’t let its members ever lose.

Belief that you can help, study, share Will lead us everywhere!

We help students and we help ourselves Learning to be better, we leave our worries on the shelves.

BelUPgrade is here for each and every one Everything for your pleasant stay will be done!

We would sincerely like to be a Section in the Spotlight It would make our faces happy, shiny and bright! of different empires that were on our territory.” Those are just a few examples and for me personally a rather interesting approach to presenting your country. Well done!

As Belgrade is a very big city, there is always something new to see. And even if you run out of options on the surface, you can always visit the underground city center, which is exactly the next thing to be planned by local ESNers. Other than that, there is a wide variety of other social events of sportive and party attitude, with a traditional Serbian dinner to rule them all.

Being a very young section, ESN BelUPgrade has not developed a flagship project yet; they rather tend to do more small things.

Nevertheless they aim to go big, especially when it comes to SocialErasmus.

During their last SocialErasmus week, the section had three activities and their national SE project was a book donation for a primary school without a library in Golubinci, which is being done together with ESN Novi Sad and aims to grow beyond ESN Serbia and involve as many locals as possible, too. And for those who really love animals, there is an ongoing SocialErasmus Zoo project. An ESN BelUPgrade phone app is yet another step

Pro kop Tep e

r

how to get closer to the international students and provide them with all the important info about actual ESN happenings in Belgrade in no time.

The section also has a Welcome Week at the beginning of every semester and is actively involved in Responsible Party campaign.

Since there is no National Agency in Serbia, communication with stakeholders is more difficult than elsewhere. That is why ESN BelUPgrade recently established the position of Education Officer (currently held by NR) who started planning meetings with various stakeholders to promote research projects of ESN. The relationship of ESN BelUPgrade and University of Belgrade is still in development. Although the University supports the section activities, they cannot help them financially or provide them contact information to incoming exchange students.

March will be a historical month for ESN Serbia since they will have their first National Platform from the 8th to 9th of March and it will be hosted by no other than ESN BelUPgrade!!! This marks another step in evolution of ESN in Serbia, but the ESNers never sleep and they actively attend various workshops and in spring ESN BelUPgrade will have a teambuilding weekend in Vojvodina. The current NR of Serbia also comes from ESN BelUPgrade and makes sure her country is properly represented on all important ESN events.

As their application said “we want to show that the most important thing is not to have million international students, but to be helpful, to show hospitality and to make their stay as comfortable and unique as it might be.” Those really are the words to live by, good luck ESN BelUPgrade, I am sure we all will hear from you again soon.

By CARINA SCHARF

Special L Bavarian Kastenlauf

ocalEve

nt

W

HAT WOULD YOU THINK IF YOU SAW STRANGELY DRESSED YOUNG PEOPLE running in pairs through a park each holding onto a beer crate, drinking beer bottles while running? You would probably be quite surprised and your confusion would only increase after seeing them stop their charade to do crazy exercises at several check points on their route. The only possible conclusion: silly drunk students…

But that’s where you are wrong!

Kastenlauf (eng. beer crate race or beer rally) is full of tradition. The first one took place in 1982 when some students from Munich decided to carry a beer crate right across Munich – from the dorms in Studentenstadt through the English Garden to the museum Haus der Kunst. From then, it evolved to a sort of traditional sports event which takes place in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The less they act as a team, the more time they lose

This race connects running with tricky and funny exercises and last but not least the delicious Bavarian beer. What event would better suit the Erasmus purpose than one that links cultural traditions, teamwork, fun and sports? That’s why ESN MESA München organises the international beer race every summer semester. The route

measures about 7km and runs through the English Garden, just like the original Kastenlauf. Due to the fact that we don’t want to focus on the alcohol component, we decided to reduce the amount of beer bottles. Instead of twenty bottles per team, every girl gets four bottles of tasty Munich beer and every boy six.

Moreover, we spiced the race up by adding several check points at which the participants have to solve difficult (e.g. saying a German tongue twister) or funny tasks (e.g. taking amusing pictures). The less they act as a team, the more time they lose – and the more punishment shots they have to drink. On the other hand, these check points are needed to supply the participants with food and water and check if they are following the course. After running the whole route and doing all the exercises, the last challenge

16 | express magazine • #19 AGM Milano 2014

awaits them at the finish line. They are not allowed to cross it before having emptied their bottles. Spilling beer or giving it away (except within the team) is strictly forbidden and leads to disqualification.

When all the teams have passed the finish line and are exhausted, but also more than happy to have succeeded, the award ceremony takes place on a podium constructed from beer crates (what else?) and merges into a cheerful afterparty until late in the evening.

By LAURA KÖSTLER

t n e v E l a c o L l a i c Spe

IKEA TRIP

are always chosen according to their approximate distance from Borås and from Jönköping, a big town to the east of Borås, or Gothenburg, where the two closest IKEAs are located.”

T

HINK ABOUT THE SEABATTLE EVENT WHERE HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS from multiple ESN sections and ESN countries come together for a great event – or about ESN Spain’s trip to Majorca. Events or trips regarded typical for the host country are greatly popular amongst the exchange students. However, ESN Borås has managed to combine this with something practical too.

The idea to go to IKEA first came up in 2012 shortly after ESN Borås had just become a section. “As there is no IKEA in Borås, our students were forced to buy basic household goods from stores that would be more expensive than IKEA”, says Maximilian Sanver, the section’s President.

Though the quality of the purchased goods was always good, price has always been an issue for students. Therefore the section decided to create a trip that could promote their attitude of “we-do-stuff, join-us”. On the other hand, they could help students through the tiring process of buying household items and thus, gave the section an opportunity to spend some of their money, as they were still a new section and had not held a lot of other events.

Nowadays, the IKEA trip has become a must-do for exchange students. It takes place during the arrival days, which means students would have just arrived in Sweden and have, therefore, not seen much of the country yet. By attending the trip, they get to experience something typically Swedish whilst the section aims at providing a good first impression. Therefore the idea is to visit touristic places such as a Swedish island group, where Marstrand is considered to be the most touristic amongst them similar to what Ibiza and Majorca are to Spain, for example.

Hence, depending on the semester, ESN Borås rents one or two busses, where the section covers 40% of the costs. The students have to pay 70 SEK which translates to 7€, where only 5€ are only spent on the bus. The other 2€ are used for the ferry ticket, like last year, when they went to the touristic paradise Marstrand. With 125 students, ESN Borås visited the island which is situated relatively close – in Swedish terms – to an IKEA in Gothenburg. MAXIMILIAN EXPLAINS, “After visiting the touristic - and simply wonderful - destination we make our way to the closest IKEA. The destinations

The first IKEA Trip in 2014 will take the students on a tour to Gränna, a town famous for the production of sweets and a museum dedicated to the first Polar expedition from Sweden, one that, according to Maximilian “went awfully horrible”. As to their previous destination, Marstrand, an island, the temperatures at this time of year would be shocking to the exchange students, especially if they come from warmer parts of the world.

A bus trip to a touristic destination combined with a trip to a furniture retailer seems like a funny combination but it has proved to be successful for ESN Borås.

The section claims it is always full and sometimes they even have to turn people down. Even though bigger Swedish cities that have IKEA at hand will not see the potential in this, it is a big thing for ESN Borås. It may also be something that other countries’ section that do not have a big retailer in their area, might want to consider such a trip for their students.

express magazine | 17

WELCOME PARTY W E I V R E T IN S

EA BATTLE, ESN SPAIN’S TRIP TO MAJORCA OR TO IBIZA, ESN GREECE’S CRETE TRIP amongst others are all big trips, organised, by multiple ESN sections. However, there are also big, successful events that can be organised by a section by itself.

We have spoken to Helena Zinner, ESN Austria’s National President, who has always been one of the Viennese sections’ most successful party-organisers. eXpress: Helena, before you became National President of ESN Austria, you were very active in Vienna, especially by forming new cooperation’s, finding new partners and organising big parties, such as the events for the section ESN Uni Wien – Vienna’s biggest section. What event was, in your opinion, the most successful?

Helena: Every now and then we had small, themed parties that took place once a month. They sometimes were held more

frequently and sometimes attended by fewer participants, but our biggest success for years has been our Welcome Party that takes place once per semester – with approximately 1000 guests! Our Welcome Party has built up a good reputation in Vienna and, therefore, there are not only exchange students and ESNers at this event, but also buddies, mentors and Austrian students. For the Welcome Party, we work together with an external company that takes care of the gastronomy, however all other aspects, such as DJs and shift scheduling of ESNers are handled by one responsible ESNer, the PR officer of ESN Uni Wien – by her/himself ! The party has been our biggest event for years

18 | express magazine • #19 AGM Milano 2014

and the one that contributes towards nearly all of the section’s financing, which is then used to enable discounts for the students, for trips and events.

The most important thing to do is to start planning as early as possible!

eXpress: Wow, that sounds exciting! How does one approach such a big project? Do you have some tips?

Helena: The most important thing to do is to start planning as early as possible! Since we need approximately 40 ESNers for the party, the date has to be announced to them in time, in order for many of them to be able to save the date. Two weeks before the party, you should send out a doodle, so that all members can enter their names for

two one-hour shifts or one two-hour shift.

The allocation of the shifts is always sent out one week before the party, to allow changes in the plans to be made. It is especially good to have a to-do list about when to do what and what has to be brought to the event, such as a stamp for the entrance, guest lists etc. eXpress: Is ESN also responsible for the bar? Who is responsible for getting drinks and booking a location?

Helena: No, the external company takes care of all gastronomical issues and books the location as well. We decide on a date and they book it for us.

seem to have found a good solution. So, would you recommend this kind of event to other sections?

After all, you said that through this event ESN Uni Wien gets most of its money.

Helena: Yes, I can recommend it. In the past semesters, ESN Wien WU and ESN TU, two other sections in Vienna, tried to organise a Welcome Party themselves to finance themselves and to balance expensed. However, the Welcome Party by ESN Uni Wien remains the biggest. eXpress: Thank you for your time!

eXpress: Do you prefer the organisation working with professional help rather than doing it by yourself as ESN? Helena: Generally, it would be better for ESN to do it all on its own since gastronomy brings the biggest revenue, but you have to have a concession (licence to serve alcohol) which none of us has. Therefore, there is no other option for ESN than to cooperate with an external caterer. eXpress: This surely applies to other sections as well, but you

The party has been our biggest event for years – with approximately 1000 guests

express magazine | 19

The flow of Information We are a huge, complex and interconnected network sharing information on all levels

O

NE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR ORGANISATION ARE THE multidisciplinary levels of work being done on the “international”, “national” and “local” levels.

Different kinds of organisation exist on each level, but all of them are interconnected in a descending order. Therefore what happens on the international level, must be implemented on the national level, and then with the local level. The work and information is being shared extensively throughout the whole network (Codes, Events, projects) which creates

a flow of information that should be managed and processed in a proper way to ensure it spreads further and accurately.

How do we ensure this flow of information within our network? Are the channels that we are currently using efficient enough? There are many good practices repeatedly being used in different ESN Countries due to their effectiveness. Mailing list are the most common tool used for all statements: IB, National Representatives, Committees, and Project coordinators are the most important ones.

International information is transmitted to all countries and all members in charge

20 | express magazine • #19 AGM Milano 2014

of specific projects. This is a formal tool that spreads “official” information, but it is very important to process and select the information in order to not abuse the mailing list by creating misunderstandings and undervaluation of information.

The National Representative (NR) role is essential in order to assure the information flow from the international to the national level. They are in charge of updating their country members with important information. Every country, and every National Representative, chooses their own way to work, but reviewing the overview of different countries, the NR is in charge

of selecting which international information should be shared on the national level: Open Calls, International events, International Newsletter etc.

To assure that the information flows on both sides, it is important that NRs encourage National presidents / Local Representatives to participate in debates or give feedback. Some NRs propose regular Skype meetings with section delegates in order to explain internatonal issues in more depth. They also collect different opinions in order to create a general idea of the country’s position towards different topics. With this practice, NRs guarantee being the international voice of their represented sections.

The national mailing list also serves as a way to spread information from the national to the local level. In the recent years, the “Local Representative” has gained popularity and relevance, but some countries are also creating national Communication Committees or have even created a “Communication Manager” position in order to professionalize the different information channels and to ensure correct information flow within the three levels. Although national mailing list are the primary information tool for almost every ESN Country, the extensive amount of information has created the need for specific mailing lists for each international project: SocialErasmus, EIS, ExchageAblity, etc. These mailing list on the national level are more efficient since all included members of the mailing list are already committed to the project.

The International Communication Committee spreads information to the network in a more informal way by sharing equally important experiences and best practices within countries: Social Media, Newsletter, eXpress Magazine, etc. In this case, information is presented in a very attractive way, it is a mean for all members/sections to freely express themselves.

It is also a complementary tool to the official channels that tend to be overwhelmed due to the high amount of information produced by our network.

Social Media is another frequent and powerful tool for ESN. We use Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Blogs, Instagram, YouTube, etc. However, one must still be aware of the difference between internal (the one

addressed to ESN Members) and external communication (the one addressed to Erasmus, stakeholders, partners, universities etc). A very common practice is the duplicity of these channels, and the responsibility falls on different voices.

Last but not least, the use of social media also requires management in order to best select, promote and evaluate the impact of the given information. It is important that the communicator has basic knowledge of Community Management. As previously noted, there are many countries that are developing national communication committees, or Communication Managers, who help the National Boards accomplish many tasks such as Community Management.

The practices, communication channels and methods all mentioned above, are used by the vast majority of ESN Countries.

We can dig even deeper and find original, effective practices that are used less but can be shared and implemented in other countries. For example, ESN Switzerland, has developed a buddy System so every Board Member is in charge of a local sections. They must check in with their buddy section in order to ensure communication and information flow. ESN Czech Republic’s National Board has a blog that they use to show their work and get closer to the sections. ESN Spain and ESN Slovakia use a Wiki

By

A

lici in aS anc past hez CNRs, what’s going on now, next projects and future topics, and they include a discussion topic to obtain a general idea from the local sections about different international issues. All this information helps the NR establish and defend the national opinion.

In conclusion, since we are a huge, complex and interconnected network, sharing information on all levels is one of ESN main tasks. There are many available tools in order to ensure proper information flow, and many good practices that can be shared and implemented. Besides ensuring professional channels and procedures, we must still work on the feedback process instead of using one-way communication tools. The basis of an effective communication is having a proper and clear understanding and an effective response.

were all important documents can be consulted. ESN Switzerland, ESN Portugal and ESN Italy, all send their own newsletters that contain a summary about the most important matters (open calls, deadlines, upcoming events). The ESN Spain NR-Team sends a monthly email about international issues: What happened express magazine | 21

Easy ride sharing

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FO R MUCH MUCH

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“Perfect for me because even when I decide to travel at the last minute, the prices are amazingly low.

Best idea ever.“

“The real secret to making the most of your exchange. I met lovely local people and travelled everywhere, on a tiny, tiny budget.“

Kamil, Exchange to Marseille University, France

Ana, Exchange to Kings College, London, UK

22 | express magazine • #19 AGM Milano 2014

I I I T S E B N ES

E

verything started in 2009, when the first BEST training was organised.

A year later, there was the second one, and this summer we were extremely happy to host the third edition of BEST. But what is it actually? Bulgarian Education Summer Training (BEST) is a training event organised by ESN Bulgaria for ESN members.

The topic of the third edition was „The volunteers of today – the leaders of tomorrow”. Thirty people from 13 different countries took part: Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Norway, Romania, Slovakia, Switzerland, Turkey, UK and Bulgaria.

For 8 days in the beginning of September 2013 the craziest and the most motivated ESNers came to Uzana, Bulgaria,

to exchange experience, skills and good practices. The importance and the implementation of non-formal education, the role of initiative and entrepreneurship, the realisation of different events and the encouragement of young volunteers to be active European citizens were just some of the topics which were discussed.

This ESN event resembles Eduk8 because BEST II was what gave the beginning of Eduk8. But we brought external trainers (Serbian and Bulgarian) who were able to add a lot of value by objectively analysing our structure and activities and proposing new ideas. However, as we all know, the magic of ESN is contagious, and now two out of three of them joined ESN. But before this they succeeded in reminding us about the most important thing

Ghässën Benhadjsalah, ESN Switzerland

Thank you very much for this awesome week!

about ESN – the network and the people in it. In order to continue improving it, we need to know ourselves better and continue to foster strong relationships amongst us.

Putting the emphasis on us, we tried to understand what it means to be a volunteer and how helping others can develop us and can increase our knowledge; how it can lead us to important positions in society and how self-improvement and development leads the ESN network to an undeniable success.

However, BEST III was not only about training. It was exceptional also because of its social activities. The OC managed to create a good mix between the working sessions and practical activities in the city of Gabrovo (next to Uzana), where the participants had the opportunity to speak with the local people and to involve them in the projects they did there. To understand the true meaning of inclusiveness and giving equal opportunity to everybody, we had to organise an event where one participant in each team was not able to either speak or see.

But without any doubt, the most unforgettable moment for everybody were the two days spent with the children of the local orphanage. To help them learn about different cultures and games from all over Europe, each ESN member offered them a small game or toy with which we played together. Suddenly, we decided to collect money amongst us and to make a surprise for them – since all of the children were very talented, either great dancers or singers, but had no good conditions for this, we decided to give them a present – a stereo to help them improve their skills and make them happy. After the open-air sport day children and ESNers became one big family: we played together, we ran together, we laughed together, and we became more than friends. Now most of us are still in contact with the children and we communicate through Facebook: for them this is not only some contacts from all over Europe, but also a way to learn English and a motivation to study more and to develop themselves and one day to have the opportunity to discover the mobility programs.

By Darena Milkova express magazine | 23

www.newyorker.eu

19,95 19,95

24 | express magazine • #19 AGM Milano 2014

ESN

Let’s start Mov’in Europe WE are Mov’in Europe! We had our Erasmus experience and we discovered a lifestyle. Since then, we have been seeking opportunities to surround ourselves with young people who have the same dreams, values and share similar life stories. We came back home as changed persons. With a baggage full of vivid and intense memories and wider perspectives, we seek to be mobile again.

Mobility is a lifestyle. We, as ESN volunteers and international students, are experiencing this lifestyle. Our mission is to share it, spread it, fully play our role as ambassadors, make mobility opportunities more accessible, clearer and break all the barriers and obstacles to mobility, especially for young people. The unique way we can share our experiences, the unique way we can talk to people, the unique way only we can dissipate fears, gives us a duty to support the institutional promotion of mobility.

For the last 25 years, we have been representing the international students under the principle ‘students helping students’. As we celebrate the 25th anniversary of ESN, we will continue helping students by promoting mobility towards the local students though the project Mov’in Europe.

With Mov’in Europe as the flagship project of ESN for 2014, we aim to raise awareness and promote mobility in a manner that involves all three levels of ESN. The project will include a professional communication campaign provided by the international Mov’in Europe team for the sections. You will have the chance to participate and organise student fairs, conferences, Erasmus Days and any other activity that promotes mobility towards the students, recent graduates or high school pupils.

Flag

ship

Pro ject

Mov’in Europe is a great opportunity for your section to reach more people, raise the profile of your section towards local education stakeholders and, therefore, reinforce your cooperation with them, ensuring better support for your other activities.

The international team recently got together at the ESN House to plan this major project and all it has to offer! You really don’t want to miss it! By organising Mov’in Europe events you will not only have the possibility to boost your section’s image using high-quality promotional material, but also to win awesome prizes and present your project in Brussels at the final conference. The international team is here to foster initiatives and give you full support. In such an impressive network as ours, together we are Mov’in Europe!

Robert Klimacki

Valentin Dupouey Diana Pereira

Kathleen Wabrowetz Patrick Doodt

Cristina Gavrila

Jan Hrubý express magazine | 25

Local SocialErasmus Coordinators meet and train

in Slovakia T

HE IDEA OF CREATING A LOCAL SOCIALERASMUS COORDINATORS MEETING was formed during the SocialErasmus Coordinators Meeting in Prague in 2013.

At this meeting mostly national SE coordinators get in touch year after year and .

That’s why a thought came to our mind. It would be good to organise such a meeting also for local coordinators because not all of them can participate in the international event but they need to be motivated as well. For newbies, it’s a great opportunity to learn more about the SE world and it offers many ideas for new activities.

The first meeting of local SE coordinators

took place in Brodno, Žilina, from January 31 to February 2 in 2014.

It was chaired by Jaroslava Krutáková (International SocialErasmus Project Secretary, ex–National SocialErasmus Coordinator) and Kristína Candráková (National SocialErasmus Coordinator).

The meeting was dedicated to local SocialErasmus coordinators but other ESN members honored us with their presence at the meeting to share their knowledge in different fields via workshops. In total, 14 amazing people attended this event full of training and teambuilding sessions and teambuilding.

26 | express magazine • #19 AGM Milano 2014

Each day was focused on a different type of activities. On Friday, we began with some icebreakers to get to know each other better and, then, we had a presentation about SocialErasmus with information about its definition, its aims and some interesting achievements all over the world. Afterwards, Kristína Candráková conducted an informative workshop about Erasmus in Schools activities which aim at making foreign students cooperate and complete different activities with pupils from all kinds of primary and secondary schools.

After the workshops, we watched the movie “The Shawshank Redemption”

followed by a discussion about the film.

The following day was even more intensive. Five workshops of different fields were conducted. The first one was a fundraising workshop presented by Janka Gasperová (Fundraiser of ESN Slovakia).

It offered advice about how to communicate with companies and fundraise money for SocialErasmus activities. Mirka Švábová (ESN Alumni, ex–International SocialErasmus Project Secretary) gave information about available grants for SocialErasmus projects and taught us how to obtain them. We continued with

a PR workshop which was also presented

by Janka Gasperová. It showed us how to share our achievements so that the world notices our work. In the evening, we participated in a workshop about creating action plans held by Jaroslava Krutáková and, afterwards, the coordinators applied their knowledge and developed their own action plans for the upcoming semester.

In-between the intensive workshops, we played some interactive as well as board games to loosen the atmosphere and socialise.

we had a special guest – Michal Maxián – who shared his professional thoughts with us about how to motivate not only foreign students to attend SocialErasmus activities but also ESNers.

The participants left the event motivated and we believe that this meeting will take place every year from now on because the transfer of the SocialErasmus knowledge is very important.

Thank you for such a nice weekend and go social!

On the last day of this three-day event,

By Kristina Candrakova

Five workshops of different fields were conducted

express magazine | 27

By Wilmer Mostacciuolo and Aliis Pikk

Estonian Wedding in Saaremaa

D

ID YOU EVER ASK YOURSELF WHAT MAKES YOUR COUNTRY UNIQUE? HOW can your section make an Erasmus experience unique? ESN Tallin knows exactly how to do it!

At the end of the year, every Estonian high school or university graduate, organises themed weddings in order to come together and to celebrate the good times that they have had together. Last May, ESN Tallinn, in cooperation with ESN TU and ESN Estonia, proposed this kind of event to all the international students in the country who were graduating from their exchange. After 6 months of planning, they were happy to introduce the very first ESN Estonia National Event!

The venue was on the wonderful and majestic island of Saaremaa in the Baltic Sea. Around 80 students joined the threeday trip and got the chance to experience and visit the historical sites and to hear the old Estonian legends by the ESN tour guides.The wedding program was quite intensive: the first evening consisted

of hens and bachelor party; the second day of the wedding ceremony and last day consisted of picnics and relaxation.

the “regi singing”, where a leader starts to sing about common topics in a specific rhythm and the rest repeat the aria.

To have all participants mix and integrate, they were each assigned roles: the bride’s mother, the foreign relatives of the groom and the bride’s high school over for example. What better way is there to introduce Estonian culture and traditions than to live in an “authentic Estonian cottage?”

Therefore, on the first night the students spent the night in an old traditional farmhouse with a smoke sauna, village swing and music room where everyone sang together.

On the second evening it was time for the wedding after-party in a more modern camping place. A few tiny boats sailed in the ponds around the area and after dinner group dances were arranged around the fireplace.

Bachelors had different traditional games organised by volunteers and at the Hens’ night the bride was given challenges to prove that she is worthy of the groom. The wedding itself took place in the charming Kuressaare Castle grounds, where the ESNers, wearing traditional Estonian costumes, performed folk dancing sessions after the ceremony.

During the evening the students joined

28 | express magazine • #19 AGM Milano 2014

Since one of the Estonian traditions in the wedding is to organise a “bride kidnapping”, the large resting area around the place gave them perfect options regarding how to hide the bride. Since the ESNers were on the island for days performing a traditional social event they attracted the attention of the media and the Estonian National Event appeared in the evening news, on two online news sites and in a local paper. The feedback was amazing and ESN Tallin and Estonia could not have asked for a better review. Even the couple chosen to play the bride and the groom could not imagine that their real wedding will be better than the one held in Saaremaa!

Event Checklist C

OOKING CLUB (OR “CLUB CUISINE” IN FRENCH) IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESFUL of local section ESN Nancy (France). The concept of the activity is really simple and friendly. Among your international students, you can pick up three students of a same country and they will basically teach other students present during the activity how to cook something typical from their country.

The students you’ll pick will become leaders of different teams : starter, main and dessert and give the instructions to others. Once everything is ready, everyone will share the meal together, enjoying a friendly atmosphere.

Interested in organising a Cooking Club but wondering what you should do ? This checklist will help you implement this acitivity!

Create a Facebook event to communicate with other international students • • • • • •

Open registration to the activity 3.Logistics •

•

• •

TO DO LIST 1.When and where?

•

Find a place to organise the activity, equipped with a kitchen • Meet the responsible and ask for availabilities of the room • Choose the date which suits the best for you 2.Communication of the activity Check who is willing to organise the next Cooking Club (nationality and people) • •

Facebook post Or, talk to people directly

Choose the nationality and people (hereafter called the Cooking Team) of the next Cooking Club

Date Place Time Nationality Registration price Number of spots

•

Receive participation fee during registration (in ESN Nancy participation fee for this activity is 5 €) Ask the cooking team to prepare a menu (starter, main, dessert) and a list of all the ingredients required Ask the cooking team for their availabilities Grocery shoping time : Take the list and buy all the ingredients (with the participation fee you received) Store everything where the Cooking Club will be held

• • •

Upload pictures Thank the Cooking Team Open the call for next nationality

TO HAVE LIST This is a list of the material you will always need for such an activity : • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Plates Forks Knives Spoons Glasses Napkins Sponges Cleaning product Sugar Salt (Olive) Oil Tables Seats Ovens Fridges Saucepan Bowls

4.During the event •

Appoint each member of the Cooking Team as a Group Leader (3 groups) • Divide participants into equal teams (3 teams) • You can join a team as well !

• Let everyone cook :) • Take pictures • Ask everyone to prepare the table • Once it is ready : Enjoy the meal all together • Clean everything 5.Post event •

Upload the recipe on your webstite/ facebook group express magazine | 29

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You never know, when you might need a rent-a-car... so download our app from iTunes, GooglePlay or Windows Phone Store.

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Have a great new semester and when you get the chance HIT THE ROAD :-)

30 | express magazine • #19 AGM Milano 2014

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.