The following editorial has been written in invisible ink:
To read it, hold the cover page over an open flame (e.g. lighter, candle, campfire) Robin Janรกsek and Randolf Carr
PRESIDENT’S INTERVIEW PAGE 2
CHAIRS INVESTIGATION UNIT PAGE 12
DEUTSCH ALS FREMDSPRACHE PAGE 18
SURVIVING GENERAL ASSEMBLY PAGE 20
hamburg.eyp.de/25/ article, photos
“HOLA” FROM THE
PRESIDENT Arriana Y ia llo u r id e s The session’s Spanish sunshine, President Adriana Díaz Martín-Zamorano, was not at all hesitant to share with us her EYP story as well as useful tips for all new delegates. Arriana: Hey Adriana, could you tell as briefly about your EYP Career? Adriana: I first got involved in EYP in 2006, as a delegate. I went to the International Session in Kiev ‘06 directly because the EYP Spain National Committee didn’t exist until 2007. Basically, I was in the last generation that went to International Sessions directly through the school. The fact that I wasn’t selected has its advantages and disadvantages. It has the advantage that somehow you are more genuine because you don’t have any instructors, and you have to follow your intuition, but at the same time I was completely lost. I didn’t even know what teambuilding was. How-
alstertwelve
ever, the fact that I continued shows that it worked out somehow. After that, we created the Spanish National Committee, and I presided it last year. The fact that EYP Spain is growing so much means a lot to me, and for me it has a double meaning because I now see how people have to work hard to get to the International Sessions. Even if it was priceless for me, having to go through National and Regional conferences in order to be selected makes going to IS even more meaningful, because you feel like you’ve deserved it. What has been your best session so far?
than 20 sessions, so it’s difficult to choose. On one hand, all the sessions organised by EYP Spain are very meaningful to me, like the two last Iberian Forums. However, I have also enjoyed many other sessions abroad like the Istanbul Youth Forum ‘09 and the Lillehammer IS where I was meant to be part of the press team, but ended up chairing! Through these opportunities I learned a lot. More recently, the Athens IS was one of the sessions that you appreciate as time passes, so I really enjoyed that session as well.
Adriana: Can I choose more than one? I have attended more
2
“
What’s your most embarrassing EYP Moment? Adriana: Well, I’ve sung in 3 Euroconcerts. The thing is I don’t sing well, but I really like singing. The three times I’ve done it is because it was with special people, which made it a meaningful performance, but still its embarrassing, because at Euroconcert you get to perform alongside people with great voices, so its embarrassing, singing “Hey!” with my tambourine! How did you find out about Hamburg 2012? Why did you choose to preside here?
3
It’s really important to enjoy every moment, but especially the people who surround you.
Adriana: I received an official invitation from EYP Germany to preside. I never imagined that I would have presided an EYP session. It wasn’t in my plans, but I have the philosophy that life is already going to refuse you a lot of opportunities, so you shouldn’t refuse the ones that are offered to you. I had a lot of thoughts on whether to accept this challenge, but there are a lot of people in EYP Germany who trusted me, so I decided to do my best not to disappoint them, and of course I feel flattered and honoured.
As an experienced EYPer, what advice would you give to a first time delegate?
What’s the most difficult thing about being the President?
What’s your most memorable moment from this session so far?
Adriana: You have a double obligation, because you have the role of a chair, but you also have to do something more. There is the weight of so many expectations resting on you – from the delegates, the chairs, the organisers, as well as the press team. So you want to do your best to make everyone happy. You struggle for that in order to succeed, because I think I would feel really bad if it didn’t work out.
Adriana: The fact that we’re sleeping on the floor has turned into a positive thing. Everyone has become closer and has bonded. From the outside it couldn’t be seen as positive, but it has turned out into something great and definitely something that I will remember…
Adriana: I think it’s really important even though they know that it’s a selection, they should try to get rid of the pressure and concentrate more on enjoying the session and try to make the most out of it – especially of the people. At EYP you probably meet some of the most interesting people of your life, so you should try to take the best out of them. It’s really important to enjoy every moment, but especially the people who surround you.
alstertwelve
hamburg.eyp.de/14/ article, photos
WE ARE WHAT WE WEAR Filippo R an alli A brief analysis of fashion, from ancient time to modern style.
W
hen it comes to fashion there may be many disagreements among people coming from different corners of Europe and the rest of this well-dressed world of ours. Dressing in a hip, fashionable or even discreet way is a real concern for the modern man, who either is in desperate need for the others’ approval, or is just a restless show-off. The first clothes we as a race ever wore were those well-known ivy leaves covering all that there was to cover, according to the time’s morals. Perhaps, even back then someone blessed with creativity might have showed off with a particularly big or oddly shaped leaf, just for the sake of swaggering and having the other members of the tribe’s approval and greater chances to mate. Nowadays young men may have the exact same behavior. In fact, we sure have changed as a society, but not at all as animals, which we are, whether or not people like it, and we still carry all our primalstertwelve
itive background. In a way, fashion is born of the instinct to be appealing and distinguished, rolling on the deceiving concept that the better you look, the better person you are. Since most of our impressions derive from eyesight, we pay too much attention to the way people look, and we tend to label them based on what they are wearing; thus the matter: “What am I going to wear tonight?”, or in other words, “What do I want people to think of me tonight?” Luckily, the fashion industry has answered those questions for us, or at least has tried to. Everyone assures you that you’ll look terrific in the cloth rag they are trying to sell you, and perhaps you will, but the more peculiar the thing you wear is, the more you run the risk of being corny as hell. On the fashion matter, Italians think they do it better; it happens so that the French think so too, while the Americans love the randomness and freedom of clothing, and the Germans are big time hipsters (see
Head Orga Ulrich if you seek more advice on being real hip). Now, there are some few common ground rules for men, if not to be classy, at least to avoid being tacky. For a start, the old brutal German cliché of sandals with thick white socks is no legend, you still may see such a thing – no class. Common sense also suggests that brown and black both don’t match blue; but most importantly, never wear short white socks with your formal suit.
4
hamburg.eyp.de/15/ article
YOU KNOW YOU’RE AN EYPER WHEN Ar r ian a Y i al l ou r i de s
When attending an EYP Session, there’s always so much to gain. Besides the educational aspect of a session, in terms of building communication and teamwork skills, it is also likely that you will develop some unique EYP traits, making you officially an EYPer. During a session, you will get the chance to become aware of what goes on behind the closed doors of the EYP world. For some being an EYPer means the addition of some rather unusual words to your vocabulary. For others, terms such as ‘Point of Order’ become part of their everyday conversations. In this article, we’d like to name you some EYP common characteristics that inevitably mark most EYPers, which we’re sure you’ll start to identify with. You know you’re an EYPer when…
- you feel European. - you can survive a week without sleeping. - you know the difference between a pony and a big fat pony. - you know the real meaning of EYCamping. - you know that a chair is not just an object to sit on. - you know how to pass an orange or a coin without using your hands. - you go crazy for theme parties. - you get goose bumps when you hear “Imagine” by John Lennon.
5
- you have tasted traditional food and beverages from over 10 different countries. - you have been at least once on a bear hunt. - you don’t feel “at home” at home anymore. - you prefer a sleeping bag to a real blanket. - you raise a personal privilege card instead of saying, “speak up” in normal conversations. - if you’re a male, you most definitely know how to tie a tie. - you know the difference between a train and a train of love. - you can speak with competence about all European air-
lines. - you can greet people and curse in two or more foreign languages. - you have more than 30 unanswered Facebook friend requests from EYPers you don’t know. - you anticipate any sort of meal or coffee break provided in an EYP Day. - you feel like you should always wear a name badge. - your most frequent illness is PED (Post EYP Depression).
alstertwelve
hamburg.eyp.de/18/ article
CORNERSTONES OF EUROPEAN INTEGRATION Hannah Gr ace Ca r ter A historical perspective on European integration: How we got this far and a guess on where we are going.
E
uropean integration… What is it? Why do we have it? And how long will it last? After decades of war provoked by nationalism, it was clear Europe had to change. A range of political and economic theories appeared, each of them aiming to solve the situation our continent had gotten itself into. These ranged from Federalism to Functionalism, from Multi-level governance to Neofunctionalism. Federalists aimed at creating a kind of super-nation state, where the countries volun-
alstertwelve
tarily submitted their powers in order to create common governance and to avoid war. Functionalists on the other hand proposed the creation of supra-national agencies that dealt with specific areas such as transport, leading ultimately to the irrelevance of the national government. Neither of these theories really ever applied. Neo-Functionalism on the other hand had quite the impact. Basically, it was all about “spillover”. The idea behind it was that by creating one integrated economic community that functions
well, the integration would literally spill over into other areas. Thus the European Coal and Steel Community was created in 1951, and was shortly followed by the European Economic Community (EEC) and the Atomic Energy Community (Euratom). European integration was taking place on an economic level for the benefit of peace and the parties involved. The renowned spillover effect did work in some ways, though there appeared to be limitations. This is where Multi-level Governance comes in. The concept here is that
6
states will in fact cooperate in many political areas known as the “low politics”, but that when it comes to the “high politics” (sensitive political issues), national governance remains of the utmost importance. Looking back at history, it appears that the economy has been the cornerstone of European integration. But modern technology has brought us a major increase in mobility and communication. It is arguable therefore that these two factors have overtaken the economy as cornerstones. In the past, economic downturns have lead to stagnation in integration within Europe, because they incurred protectionist measures by the states. We are currently facing an economic crisis and the threat of counter-integration is a present as ever. However, this time around we are facing these problems with a wellconnected Europe, be it in the form of modern transportation or communication. It is so easy for the common European to hop on a train from Paris to Brussels and do business there; it is even easier for the average person to express his or her views to the EU online. Protectionism and nationalist movements have been a threat to Europe in the past, but will the European population allow it to be so in the future? In other words, the future is in our hands.
7
MEANWHILE ON FACEBOOK
Li a Pa c h l e r
Unfortunately, the Gymnasium Grootmoor’s local wireless internet blocks the access to certain popular Internet sites, such as the beloved Facebook. In case you’re already facing withdrawal symptoms from not visiting your favourite social network in the last few days, we’re presenting you what a typical Facebook update could look like during this Hamburg session.
alstertwelve
hamburg.eyp.de/16/ article
Seeing the Unseen Sights Judith Breh m er This alternative sort of Trans-European travel guide takes you off the beaten path to some of the continent’s less-known sightseeing destinations.
Y
ou have been thinking and talking about the future of mobility a lot these days. Let’s make to jump from theory to practice: How are you going to take advantage of new means and less limitations to mobility in your future? Have you thought about taking a gap year after finishing school for travelling Europe? If yes, here is what will make your trip special. If not, then let yourself get inspired by the multitude of attractive locations that wait for you to visit them: Before crossing national borders, you may visit a Ger-
alstertwelve
man city as a warm-up. Take a train to Munich, for example. Apart from attractions like Oktoberfest, Marienplatz and Olympiapark, there’s one new and extraordinary sight you should definitely see – whether you will like it or not: Munich has its own Michael Jackson memorial. In the city centre, fans of the King of Pop have redecorated a statue of the composer Orlando di Lasso after their idol’s death; the pictures and candles have been staying there for two and a half years now. Like his music or not – there’s no other spontaneously created and at the
same time lasting monument like that in Munich. Now, it’s time to broaden your horizons literally – let’s go overseas, namely to London. From Munich, get there by airplane (the fastest, but neither ecofriendly, nor memorable way to travel) or by train. There are special offers to get to London rather cheaply – and besides, travelling underneath the British Channel is special. Once arrived, there are all the classical sights to be visited: London Eye, Westminster, Tower Bridge – those will probably be on the postcards you will send. But Regent’s Canal – that’s what
8
“
How are you going to take advantage of new means and less limitations to mobility in your future?
you will write and tell about! Close to the colourful and lively Camden Market (unfortunately no longer an insider’s tip) you find a green oasis of quietness along the canal. The place to go when the city’s loud and busy atmosphere gets too much. The highlight of an relaxed walk along the bank is a little settlement of houseboats. People live on creatively painted boats and even grow flowers and vegetables there. Definitely a beautiful corner of London you should have seen! Back to the continent again! Once more, only going by train gives you the feeling of a free backpacker journey. Your next station could be the Netherlands: Following a popular memorial and a quiet corner in a metropolis, culture shouldn’t come too short. So everyone who is interested in arts and
9
architecture should visit the Rietveld House in Utrecht. It was built in the 1920s according to the rules of “de Stijl”, a group of artists who developed a new style, including the use of geometrical forms and primary colours only. The house was built for a widow named Truus Schröder. As she moved in with her children, she literally wanted to give them free space: So on the upper floor, all the walls are movable in order to separate and join rooms freely. Today, the house is also an example par excellence for “de Stijl”, embodying their style and rules. Sure, this is not the guide for a complete journey – especially not when you plan on taking a gap year. But maybe you became interested in some places of Europe that you don’t find on every postcard and that are special. As you may
find out, crossing borders isn’t a problem any more due to a new understanding of European mobility. And you even needn’t worry about accommodation: Once you’ve entered the world of EYP, you will find friends all over Europe who will welcome you into their homes with delight.
alstertwelve
hamburg.eyp.de/19/ article
WHY DO WE NEED SLEEP? Hannah Gra ce Car te r Here is an interesting fact: Dolphins actually never sleep! Why is it then that we humans however inevitably die from too little sleep, and that sleep deprivation affects us so badly?
E
xperienced EYPers will be quite familiar with the problem of sleep deprivation. It affects our mood, our judgment and our ability to concentrate. A Journo who hasn’t slept well will not be able to produce great articles on time and a chair will not be able to lead his committee ideally. When we sleep, interesting things go on in our brain. During the day, our brain builds up toxic chemicals, which need to be eliminated during our sleep. The same goes for
alstertwelve
most land animals; rats, for instance, will die if they are kept awake for more than a few days. Generally, a person’s mood will be affected after one night without sleep, after two nights, the ability to concentrate will decline, and after about five nights, one will start hallucinating. After an even longer time, the brain will no
longer be able to communicate information to the body. In military interrogations, sleep deprivation is sometimes used as a method of torture, though this violates the Geneva Convention. People have actually died from not
10
“
In military interrogations, sleep deprivation is sometimes used as a method of torture, though this violates the Geneva Convention.
enough sleep. There is a rare genetic disease, which damages the brain in a certain way, leading to a person not being able to go to sleep at all. But let’s get back to the dolphins. Dolphin brains need rest too, but unlike land ani-
11
mals, they have the ability to “switch off” one half of their brains and function fully with just the other half. Indeed, when we take a look at the animal kingdom, we can learn a lot about the characteristics of sleep. It appears that prey will match its hours of sleep to it’s natural predator. Lions for instance sleep for about 18 hours a day, since in the great savanna they do not have any natural pred-
ators. As humans, we need about 8 hours of sleep per night, although a person can be able to get by quite well on 5 hours, but only for a limited lime span. So, make sure that you get plenty of rest during the session. Drink some tea without caffeine before you sleep; look for some earplugs against the noise and a sleep mask to block out the light (which in some rooms switches on by its self during the night). Good night, sleep tight; don’t let insomnia kill you!
alstertwelve
CSI: HAMBURG
Judith Breh m e r a n d M aja Z al e wsk a You may think your chairs are the perfect role-models and as innocent as saints, but they are not! Our press team investigators dug up some some skeletons in their closets. Let us take a look into their files.
ENVI
Name: Maximilian Kiehn Age: 20 In EYP since: 2009 Accused of running like mad in a monkey costume with his pals on the streets of the city of Menden (Sauerland) and disturbing the neighbourhood.
Name: Elina Sairanen Age: 19 In EYP since: 2008 Repeatedly seen with dangerous, sometimes even wanted men. Once caught while breaking the gate to enter a forbidden passage under a bridge.
TRAIN I
Name: Anna Kampfmann Age: 19 In EYP since: 2009 Charged for: Same here, too good... wasn’t funny while being arrested.
Name: Hammu Varjonen Age: 19 In EYP since: 2010 Charged for: Never having be fined, (one has to do something about that!) arrested while not wanting to let go of his beloved jumpers
IMCO
Name: Mita Talenti Age: 24 In EYP since: 2004 Arrested for causing a car crash. Behaved very clumsily: Smashed half of the police’s coffee cups by accident while being arrested. alstertwelve
Name: Carlo Eckert Age: 20 In EYP since: 2010 Charged for: Allowing his bike to get stolen Arrested asleep before 1:00 a.m. (first time in his EYP-history he got to sleep that early!) 12
AFET
Name: Panayiotis Ataou Age: 20 In EYP since: 2008 Charged for: Nothing. Wanted to see others being arrested because enjoys seeing other people suffering.
Name: Aleksandra Szylkiewicz Age: 20 In EYP since: 2010 Charged for: Drinking in the streets (forbidden in France), but could convince policemen not to arrest her (young and nice policemen). Arrested while shouting: I’m the coolest chicken!
LIBE
Name: Benjamin Eisert Age: 18 In EYP since: 2009 Charged for: Having jumped a red light quite recently. Special characteristics: Being a classical person (whatever that means)
Name: Adriana Martín-Zamorano Age: 21 In EYP since: 2006 Charged for: Being a good girl (her dad is a policeman) Arrested while being woken up by her alarm clock tune: „You sexy thing“ (Hot Chocolate)
CULT I
Name: Lucas Göttemann Age: 19 In EYP since: 2010 Charged for continuously exceeding speed limits and partying too hard. Arrested while shouting: I’m sexy and I know it! 13
Name: Mikaela Kantor Age: 20 In EYP since: 2008 Although never actually getting fined (except for one tiny parking ticket), caught while losing her temper and disturbing the public order.
alstertwelve
SEDE Name: Yann Eisert Age: 20 In EYP since: 2009 Caught by the police while entering the King of Morocco’s private property. Claims to having done that accidentally while listening to his MP3 and jogging along the coast.
Name: Dimitris Hapizanis Age: 24 In EYP since: 2006 Not feeling the need to speed to much, the only time to get fined was parking in a no-parking zone. No other fault to be found. Server error.
CULT II Name: Albert Reverendo Mascort Age: could not be defined In EYP since: 2009 Accused for disrespecting the cultural value of National Museum. His misbehaviour (dancing in supposedly empty room) has been recorded by the museum security cameras.
Name: Tatjana Wahjudi Age: 23 In EYP since: 2006 The only one fault that we came across are fines for speeding. Seeing her suspicious behaviour at some times(standing on her head), it has been decided to proceed with investigation.
TRAIN II
Name: Beatrice van Tornout Age: 22 In EYP since: -Charged for: Cycling on the wrong sight of the street without light. Arrested while saying: I’m kooky!
alstertwelve
14
hamburg.eyp.de/17/ article
Mission: Casual Lia Pac hler Do you know that feeling when you frantically stand in front of your closet and have no clue what to wear? Especially for a date? I do!
L
et me set the scene: The good-looking guy you have always stared at when sitting on the bus on the way to school all of a sudden asks you out. After you’ve gotten back on your feet, you literally hover home. That initial excitement of having a date this Friday night is instantaneously followed by panic, which totally consumes you as soon as you stand in front of your closet, wondering what the hell you are going to wear. I think I can speak for 99 percent of women when I say that we all have been there, excluding that one percent who has a closet the size and value of Russia. We all want to look fabulous and make a good impression without realising that we are desirable without massively spending 15
time in front of the mirror. However, in the likely event that you feel the urgent need of shining even more, I have some ideas for you to lend you a hand. First of all, one of the most important things to consider when choosing your dress is the shape of your body. If you are small and delicate do not wear too heavy dresses, rather go for smooth fabric dresses. On the other side, if you’re aiming to appear a bit slimmer, I would advise you not to mix too many colours and wear high heels as they help a lot in that case. However, no matter how your body is shaped the greatest no-go one can ever commit is wearing a pair of leggings without covering your bottom with another piece of clothing. Leggings are
obviously not an adequate replacement for jeans! Nevertheless, none of the aforementioned suggestions will make you appear any more glamorous if you do not feel comfortable. Nobody will judge you when you are wearing your favourite T-shirt, a pair of skinny jeans and flats, quite the contrary actually; a hot pair of jeans is always a good pick. This ensures that you will look like your outfit is put together without being overly styled. All in all, there is not an ultimate formula for a perfectly fitting outfit, but an essential ingredient you should never forget is being yourself and finding the perfect balance between being overdressed and being underdressed.
alstertwelve
hamburg.eyp.de/20/ article
HAMBURG: POP CULTURE CAPITAL Leona Kohl Taking a look at Hamburg’s role as a cradle of musical greatness, alternative lifestyle and green politics.
August 17, 1960: The Beatles had their first gig at the “Indra” club in Hamburg. This performance brought a whole new genre of popular music to the city and marked the beginning of one of the history’s most fascinating band careers. The more popular they became the more they played concerts in established clubs like “StarClub”. This was probably the most internationally known venue, although it was demolished long ago. Ever since, the Hanseatic town makes a valuable contribution to the development of the culture and young society in Ger-
alstertwelve
many. The clubs where The Beatles and other famous artists like Jimi Hendrix performed are located in St. Pauli, the most famous part of Hamburg with the city’s Red Light District right in the middle and the notorious streets “Reeperbahn” and “Große Freiheit” in the heart of this quarter. The development that The Beatles started continued from that moment. The alternative youth culture in Hamburg grew vibrant and became an influence both inside and outside Germany. Today, the city in the north is
known as a stronghold of Hipsters. Hamburg’s alternative attitude is not only reflected by the music culture and lively social scene, but also by the political situation in Hamburg; the Social Democrats hold the majority, while the consent with conservative parties is decreasing. Looking at municipal election results in St. Pauli, the influence is especially clear: 70% elected the Social Democrats, the Greens, or the Left party, while less than 10% decided to support the Conservatives and Liberals.
16
“
I might have been born in Liverpool - but I grew up in Hamburg” - John Lennon
Unfortunately, Hamburg is sometimes reduced to the violent image of this area, whereas it is one of the most vivid and interesting sections of the city. Many products that are admired and consumed by youths have their origin in the Hanseatic city. “Fritz-kola” is a good example for such a trend-setting product. With the intention to build up an anti-pole to great corporations like Coca-Cola, the inventors worked toward making the product successful and popular among the young soci-
17
ety. “Premium-Cola” (located in Hamburg too) is a company that is dedicated to social and ecological standards and therefore bought as a kind of a political token. Further, even the city government makes a contribution to a green, alternative image of the city. By taking a variety of measures to protect the environment, e.g. by covering 100% of the energy consumption of public buildings with green energy, as the first town worldwide, Hamburg was selected to be the European Green Capital of 2011.
All these facts make this town a good example for other cities and especially a metropolis for the conscious, political, and cosmopolitan lifestyle that hopefully will increase in Europe.
alstertwelve
hamburg.eyp.de/21/ article
Sprechen Sie Deutsch? Zuzana Holakovská A brief overview about the challenges of learning the German language, from a foreigner’s perspective. Although majority of you are native speakers, you may lack some knowledge concerning the details about the German language. It is generally known that German is spoken in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the South Tyrol region of Italy, the Opole Voivodship of Poland, a part of Belgium, and also the Alsace region of France. However due to the fact that German belongs to the three most taught languages in the world as well as the ten most widely spoken languages, it is starting to be rather dangerous to gossip in German in public. We all know how hilarious it is, when someone comments our appearance in a lan-
alstertwelve
guage we understand and we can reply to it. When learning German as a foreign language one is confronted with several unusual grammar phenomena. For example Germans (together with for example Polish and Czech) seem to show how highly sexualised societies they are, by differentiating between not two but even three genders: feminine, masculine, and neuter. Despite the fact Germany is a developed country with post-modern values, the language seems to reveal a certain proof of underestimation of women. For example what would be a possible explanation for considering a girl (das Mädchen) a neuter although
she physically must be feminine? This example also demonstrates how unpredictable gender articles are – therefore foreign learners must get ready for some memorising. Another important factor in the German language is the length of words. If you are not fond of writing long essays, you should try to avoid using German – what could be explained in two or three short words in English easily becomes a single long word in German. A good everyday example would be “Geschwindigkeitsbegrenzung”, which simply means a speed limit. A helpful trick to understand these so-called compound words is dividing them into the original words
18
“
We all know how hilarious it is, when someone comments our appearance in a language we understand and we can reply to it.
and start reading them from right to left. Right being the most important, and the more left you read the more details you receive. What makes German a unique language is also the syntax. Because German employs the so-called verbal bracket, all German learners are forced to undergo a never-ending period of time when they have to memorise extremely long sentences before actually finding out the core of the sentence, which is the verb. Just imagine how hard it must be for German interpreters, if they have to always wait until the very end of each sentence before translating. Now that you know what to
19
expect when learning German, what is the best way to start? Language schools have been putting a lot of effort into persuading potential students that their way of teaching is the most efficient, however there is no universal recipe. First of all it is important to make sure we are motivated to learn that particular language. It is impossible to reach our goal of becoming fluent without a strong will and determination. Furthermore it is recommended to spend hours reading and primarily listening. It is vital to have multiple teachers or audio records to learn the best pronunciation possible and get a feeling for how the language is actually used
day-to-day. When we manage the understanding, it is the right time to practice speaking as well. A good way is becoming friends with a native speaker. As you could have read earlier in this issue, you are a true EYPer if you know to how introduce yourself in as many European languages as possible. Take this as a motivation to continue with EYP, meet many foreign friends and start learning a foreign language. Knowing how to say “hi” is just the beginning.
alstertwelve
hamburg.eyp.de/24/ article
The General Assembly Survival Guide Hannah Gr ace Ca r ter GA can seem boring at times, and terrifying at others, but keep calm and read these tips on coping with GA with a minimum amount of stress. Preparation Most teachers will tell you to prepare well ahead of time for any kind of work or presentations. If you haven’t done this, don’t worry. Usually you will end up not having an opportunity to make use of all of your pre-acquired research. Speeches are different from resolutions. If you spend very little time writing something that has to be spoken, it is likely that the final product will sound more natural and sincere. A text you have spent hours on will sometimes sound forced and overly eloquent.
alstertwelve
Coffee One word, six letters, the best drug ever invented. The second part of the General Assembly will be after the farewell party, meaning that most of you will be tired. So, have coffee, but drink responsibly. But don’t overdo it; the side effects of caffeine are not to be underestimated! Clothing As you know, the GA dress code is formal. This is not just good for us Journos, as this makes you great motives for photos; it’s also for you. Nothing works as well for your confidence as throwing on a classy suit and
tie, or a pair of high heels. Consider it to be like a costume. As soon as you wear your GA formals, you will feel like a confident statesman. Make sure that you are comfortable though; you don’t want to end up falling in your heels, or being strangled by your tie. Speeches Next to your resolutions, speeches are one of the essential parts of GA. When holding a speech, try to exude confidence. Picture the audience naked, take 10 deep breaths, or do a mental energiser, whatever works best for you. Don’t freak out, none of
20
the people watching you will bite you. For your defense speech Make it attention-grabbing. Your audience will be full of tired delegates, so wake them up with the occasional shocker. Mention examples and events that your fellow participants will have heard of, use unexpected stories. On the other hand, don’t go completely crazy! Try to make sense, and don’t say anything vulgar. For your attack speech Don’t be afraid to be vicious. I have heard to many attack speeches that were just too nice, your fellow delegates won’t hate you for pointing out their mistakes. Make sure you hit the right balance, do actually attack them, but don’t get offensive.
21
For your closing speech This is your last chance to appeal to your voters. You can get a little emotional; you can get a little creative. Be sure not to repeat too much of your defense speech. Open Debate This is the most exciting part of the GA. People in the audience will be able to ask questions and voice opinions on a resolution. Don’t be shy here, the more questions asked, the better the discussion. Also pay close attention to which questions have already been asked. Nobody wants to answer the same questions many times. If you are responsible for answering the questions, you will have to be able to think fast. Ask your fellow delegates to help you by passing you notes and hints on answer-
ing the diverse questions. If you are the kind of person who can write an eloquent answer within a few minutes, you should take over this role. Also, this is the kind of part that is ideal for people who speak English well, as there is no time to correct anything.
Finally, just have fun with it. General Assemblies are intense, challenging and competitive, and in my opinion, the best part of EYP.
alstertwelve
hamburg.eyp.de/23/ article
EATING VEGGIES ONCE IN A WHILE WON’T KILL YOU Filippo R a n a lli Vegetarian food may sometimes be derided and looked down upon, but it is in fact just about the healthiest choice you could possibly make.
V
egetarianism is the practice of following plantbased diets with the strict exclusion of meat, and optionally also the exclusion of dairy products or eggs. Now, there may be many reasons for someone to actually become a vegetarian, nevertheless, we as animals are all born omnivorous, and that implies that nature believes we ought to feed on both meat and vegetables. Hence someone might say, “How else would you explain our canine teeth then?”. There are in fact many things we are actually naturally born to do but we don’t anymore, as modern society with all its comforts and ideals has divorced mankind from many of their beast-like instincts, and in return has provided for a solid structure. There have been vegetarian communities in ancient times and, although some may regard it as an unnatural habit, vegetarianism has been spreading quickly around the world in the last decades and may very well keep up the trend. Overall, vegetarian-
alstertwelve
ism brings many advantages and some minor cons to the table. To begin with, a vegan diet is way more healthy than an ordinary diet. In fact, vegetarians have a 24% lower mortality rate from heart disease than non-vegetarians, they have far lower cholesterol levels and very little body fat – have you ever seen a fat vegetarian, per se? There are many reasons that could push someone to become a vegan, among those, environmental awareness, religion, sympathy for the animals, health aspects or simply the loathing of meat itself. Environmental vegetarianism is based on the concern that the mass production of meat is unsustainable for the environment. In fact , the livestock industry is one of the largest contributors to the environmental degradation worldwide, through deforestation and greenhouse gas emission. It is a well-known fact that the production of meat and eggs may inevitably lead to great suffering for the animals, for instance in the egg produc-
tion industry animals’ beaks are cut straight off and all the male chicks are slaughtered by machines; “Hell”, one might think, “This is not that natural either!” Furthermore, several diseases can be transmitted from the meat to man and it has been proven that eating red meat may increase the chances for a tumor. What you could really get a kick out of yesterday were all the faces the delegates made when they realised only vegan food will be served at the session – generally people still like good old meat. People who really care for their health and well-being, may as well decide to cut back on meat – and perhaps cigarettes too, and alcohol while they’re at it. It maybe a wise decision, but in the long run not everyone might agree. Freud happened to say: “If you stop smoking, drinking and making love, what else is there to live for?”
22
CROSSWORD
L e ona Kohl
ACROSS
DOWN
3 7 10 12 14 15 16
1 2 4 5 6 8 9 11 13 17
18
23
Street where the school is located President of the session Giants, Wizards and … GA stands for … Teambuilding game: Skin the … Committee on Foreign Affairs Name of the town where the NSC Germany will be held School where the session takes place
Person who judges the committee Leader of a committee Offensive speech during GA Theme of the first party Energizer game with physical contact Name of the session newspaper Energizer and song Dress code during committee work Where the journalists work Committee on International Market and Consumer Production
alstertwelve
hamburg.eyp.de/22/ article
Railway the Serbian Way Nives Kapro cki “Better three hours too soon than a minute too late” – Shakespeare. Or not… Living in Serbia, it isn’t so strange that I got used to a lot of things not functioning properly. Many areas did improve over time, but transportation, especially railway transportation, has a long way to go before reaching the acceptable level. Although it may seem irrelevant at first whether your train leaves at exactly eight o’clock or at ten past eight, sometimes it really makes a difference.
alstertwelve
And imagine the case where a ten minutes delay is actually considered a short one. One time, when I was supposed to leave for the EYP Serbia meeting in Belgrade by train, it was late for about an hour, which is actually half of the length of the trip from my town to Belgrade. Apart from being horribly late, I also had a pleasure to enjoy the comfort
of sitting on a wooden bench and stretching my neck to catch a glimpse of a mighty Serbian pre-war-built train. The relief of entering the train also faded quite fast when I realized all the seats had already been occupied and that I had to stand for two hours, or sit on the floor and try not to look like a homeless person. When you experience a cou-
24
If someone is from Eastern Europe, and could identify with any of the previous situations, they can even consider
themselves lucky! There are still so many places that could be accessed by train only if it was a flying one. We shouldn’t lose hope though – the technology is advancing steadily. However, until this happens, there are some things that can be done. Despite the lack of money invested in this area, if Eastern Europeans make a determined effort to become more conscious and punctual, the trains, no matter how slow they are, will arrive on time. Probably more people could rely on actually getting somewhere by train, and government would invest more in improving it. Or at least that’d be the case if common logic could be used there.
1. Juror 2. Chairperson 3. Am Damm 4. Attack Speech 5. Black and White 6. Sticky Toffee 7. Adriana 8. Alster Twelve 9. Big Fat Pony 10. Dwarfs 11. Smart Casual 12. General Assembly 13. Press Room 14. Snake 15. AFET 16. Berlin 17. IMCO 18. Grootmoor
ple of situations similar to the aforementioned one, you somehow learn to estimate the delay, and get to the train station “on time”. Sometimes, however, things in Serbia actually work out without any problems (yes, it does happen). Then, as you have already assumed, the previous solution fails massively. I must admit that the number of times I miscalculated the delay is not so small either… but the habit to always “know” that coming on time is not necessary, becomes enrooted in the society. And the expression “politely late” gets a completely new meaning.
Crossword solutions: 25
alstertwelve
Arriana Yiallourides . Filippo Ranalli . Hannah Grace Carter . Judith Brehmer . Leona Kohl Lia Pachler . Maja Zalewska . Nives Kaprocki . Zuzana Holakovskรก Maya Szost . Robin Janรกsek . Randolf Carr