Meet the Introduction Committee!
With the first Introduction Period starting this week, we thought it would be fun to introduce ourselves to you all. ???? First, some practical information: The IntroCie consists of five members, with Nine Fleskens as Chair. We will organize the two Intro periods we have, in February and September. You can recognize us by our amazing yellow/golden sweaters or shirts. Feel free to ask us anything or reach out to us at any time! ???? As a committee, we had to think of an overarching logo for our committee. And we choose birds, because birds are free to fly wherever they want, and traveling makes us feel the same. ???????? Every member chose their bird to represent them and their role in the committee. I asked my fellow members to share their favorite memories from all their AEGEE adventures with you and tell us some more about the meaning and symbolism behind their bird. ????️ Nine Fleskens – Chairperson Nine is in her second year of the Bachelor Art History and has been a member since September 2023. Her favorite adventure with AEGEE was the hitchhike to Leipzig last November, since she is also a member of the Hitchhike Committee (booo ????) and had the privilege to organize it. The Dies Natalis in October 2024 was a huge adventure as well, with lots of fun memories that will stay with her for a long time. But Nine also loves a party, so the Nedertop parties are a great way for her to socialize with AEGEE members throughout the Netherlands and make new friends. In April, she will go to the Agora in Bilbao, so she looks forward to that! As you can hear, our lovely Chair loves everything about our little association, which I can understand very well. Nine’s bird is the Owl from the Fabeltjeskrant, a series that many children in the Netherlands used to watch when they were young. (10/10 recommend watching it). She chose this bird because owls are the symbol of wisdom, and that fits her role as chairperson well. Nine used to watch “the Fabeltjeskrant” very often as a child, and as she is not the most organized and serious person (her words!!), she chose “meneer de uil” as the owl to represent her. ???? Jochem Brand – Secretary Jochem is in his first year of the Bachelor Spatial Planning and Design, and he has joined AEGEE in the Keiweek of 2024. ????️ He’s really got fond memories of the Intro Camp in September last year, and that eventually inspired him to join the Intro Committee. How cute! When I asked him about the symbolism behind his bird, he said this: “My bird is the Secretary bird, which obviously refers to the role of secretary. ???? Although other members of the IntroCie might have deeper meanings behind their birds, for my bird, we just found it funny that the bird is so goofy that it literally spells out my role. But when I searched on the internet for a deeper meaning, and I know it sounds a little far-fetched, I learned that the bird has been a common symbol on postage stamps in African countries. So you could say that the bird facilitates open communication between parties and people.” ???? Stijn Timmermans- Treasurer Stijn is a first-year Biology student at the RUG and joined AEGEE in September 2024 as well. His favorite memory is from Intro Camp at Ameland last September, and I quote, “Where it was easy to get drunk on the available 500ml Pitt beers.” ???? If that’s not exciting, then I don’t know what is. When asked about his bird, his answer was rather intimidating. ???? “My bird is a Magpie. These birds are known for their love for jewels and other glittery objects. Just like me, as treasurer, will hunt down all (non)members who are not paying the Tikkies to expand the AEGEE-treasure.” Apart from these threatening words, Stijn will welcome you by breaking your wallet politely. ???? Mette van der Blom – PR-Responsible Mette is a first-year European Languages and Cultures student. She also joined AEGEE in September. As a PR-Responsible, it is her job to send out all the PR, answer all your questions, and also to write this piece. Now, with that being said, I can finally talk about myself in the first person. ???? My favorite memory with AEGEE is probably the hitchhike competition to Leipzig as well. It was my first time hitchhiking, so I was really nervous at first! But it went really well; I felt safe, and I had a great time chatting with strangers in their cars and getting to know more fellow AEGEEans that weekend. And my partner and I finished 4th out of the ten groups who competed in the competition. I can 10/10 recommend joining one yourself! My bird is a parrot, for seemingly obvious reasons. ???? Parrots have the ability to imitate human sounds, which makes them able to mimic us. And I do the same: I take notes of the meetings we have, and I tell you guys everything you need to know through the lovely PR-texts you get! I’ll apologize for the spam in advance… Siegrit Veenstra – General Member Siegrit is a second-year sociology student. Just like most of us, she joined AEGEE in September 2024. I asked her what her favorite memory was. “Although I haven’t been a member for very long, I got to know a lot of nice people with whom I have created unforgettable memories. My favorite memory so far is the Krakow excursion. ✈️ Initially I wasn’t planning to be an active member, but luckily Stijn and Jochem convinced me to join the Intro Committee! It is a lot of fun to plan the activities for the Intro Period and to hang out with the other members of the committee (we are the funniest and coolest committee for sure!! ????).” As a general member, Siegrit
The Great AEGEE Bake-Off
After much anticipation, the moment everyone in AEGEE-Groningen had been waiting for finally arrived: the very first CookCie activity of the ‘24-’25 year. Inspired by the legendary shows The Great British Bake-Off and the Dutch national treasure of Heel Holland Bakt, the CookCie proudly presented their twist: The Great AEGEE Bake-Off!! Before diving into the details of this exciting event, let us introduce the wonderful members of the CookCie: Angie, one of our three incredible General Members, is a creative and always cheerful Hungarian girl. Despite being in her first year with AEGEE, she has a passion for cooking and baking. Ann, our second General Member, is the most experienced committee member with many years in AEGEE. Known for her love of baking and hedgehogs, Ann’s home often doubles as the committee’s clubhouse. Elze, the creative mind of the group, is not only an incredible photographer but also an amazing designer: she made our amazing committee logo displayed on our fabulous apron. She always brings fresh and creative recipes to the table. Desta, the numbers guy, handles our finances. The first-year member keeps a perfect balance between his love for pita falafel and budgeting for the committee and is already part of another committee. Nova, after transferring from AEGEE-Amsterdam to Groningen, quickly became an invaluable member as our Secretary. She excels at keeping track of all committee activities. Then there is Yara, our third General Member. Just got back in AEGEE after a long trip abroad to Asia. Although she joined after this event, she will be here for all the other activities. She has been a member for over 3 years now, with a lot of experience, and is always full of enthusiasm. Lastly, there’s me, Joris. After a busy year on the board, I thought I’d take it easy—yet here I am in the CookCie, ready for more fun and chaos! Together we make an amazing, creative, a bit chaotic, and ‘gezellige’ committee! On the day of the Bake-Off, 17 enthusiastic participants gathered at the Wiebengacomplex, each eager to prove themselves as the ultimate Meesterbakker. The participants were divided into teams of 4-5 members and started with a quiz about baking. The results of this quiz determined the starting packages each team would receive for their baking challenge. Once the quiz was over, it was time for Bakkers klaar, bakken maar! The teams had 1,5 hours to create amazing muffins. The process wasn’t without challenges—one team, due to their poor quiz performance, had to start baking without a recipe. Throughout the session, participants could earn extra ingredients or baking utensils by completing mini-challenges. However, there was a catch: penalties could also be applied, such as losing utensils or baking while wearing oven mitts! After 1.5 hours of intense baking, creativity, and plenty of laughter, 20 incredible muffins were presented to the judges—none other than the CookCie members themselves (because, who better?). Following a very honest evaluation, a winner was crowned: Team 4, and that was quite astonishing, because they didn’t even have a recipe, Joris de W, Nine, Anke, and Iris impressed the judges with their deliciously chocolatey muffins. A big congratulations to the winning team! The Great AEGEE Bake-Off was a resounding success, filled with creativity, fun, and tasty treats. Thank you to everyone who participated! We can’t wait to see you at the next CookCie activity!
Hitchhiking Adventure Leipzig
Hello hello everyone It’s been a while but that doesns’t make the story less interesting right 😉 On Friday November 15 my hitchhike adventure to Leipzig began! At 6 am, not a minutelater, Antoni and I were ready to catch our first ride at the hitchhike spot near Sontplein. We(read: Antoni) started with chucking a beer (most important things first right) to get somepoints for the minute games. After this it was time to take a selfie in our matching outfits,together with our mascot Eckie. Within 10 minutes we got our first ride from 2 students who were going to Berlin for theweekend. So we were off to a great start! We did a lot of minute games together with themlike doing push ups and karaoke (we sang along with sugardaddy, yes really). They droppedus off at a gas station near Bremen where we got some free coffee from the very generousemployee <3 We then got a ride to hannover, from 3 guys, who were drinking red bull, playing hard styleoh and not to forget: they drove a BMW. I was pretty happy. Or well I couldn’t be happierwith our vibe in the car. The guys were going to EuroTier. You’re probably wondering whatthat is. Well, it is the biggest farming fair in Europe (yes the guys were farmers). What Antoniand I didn’t know tho, is that they were going to drop us off at this fair… Time for asidequest!We walked and walked until we got to the highway where there was a pedestrian bridge(why would you even build that??) which led us to a gas station on the highway. We werekind of stranded there. Nobody wanted to bring us into the direction of Leipzig. So wedecided to do some minute games like the gender blender! Don’t we look hot? After this, we decided to start looking for alternatives, like a flixbus or blablacar. We decidedto get a blablacar from the city of Hannover if we weren’t able to get a ride before 5. But thensomething happened. We met a really lovely busdriver who wanted to drop us off at anothergas station. The committee wanted to disqualify us because we took a ride from a bus butthe bus wasn’t even in service, nobody else was in there even…. And this guy basicallysaved us! At the next gas station, we were able to get a ride into the city of Hannover from an Egyptianguy where we were dropped of at another gas station. Here our misery came to an endwhen we got our next ride within a few minutes to Magdeburg! We were so happy!!! Until wearrived at the gas station in Magdeburg, where other AEGEEans were waiting as well. Wewere there with 5 couples or something so the game was on! Antoni was smart enough to pair up with another duo who were able to get a ride for the fourof us! Thank you so much Mette! Although the driver was a bit sketchy, was probably highon drugs and had a lot of grocery bags in his car, all filled with alcohol, it was a pretty goodlast ride of the day. He dropped us off in Leipzig where we took a tram to the central stationand finally arrived at the hostel around 7 pm . It was a long day but it was all worth it <3 I hope you enjoyed reading about our hitchhike adventure and see you somewhere inEurope! XOXOJennifer
Online Autumn Agora 2024
From October 31st to November 3rd, the Online Autumn Agora brought the entire AEGEE network together! Hundreds of members from locals across Europe connected to discuss, present, and vote on key proposals shaping the future of AEGEE. The week kicked off with a Pre-Agora Input Evening on the Monday before the Agora, where members shared their insights and opinions about the proposals. Throughout the Agora, engaging presentations highlighted major events planned for the coming year, including the upcoming European Planning Meeting (EPM) in Istanbul from February 5-9th! The application period for this event opened TODAY, so ensure you have a working MyAEGEE account! Furthermore, the Spring Agora will take place in Bilbao from April 22-27. The Spring Agora is the biggest Statutory Event in AEGEE, bringing hundreds of enthusiastic AEGEE members together! You can get involved in the Agora by becoming a delegate. It is also possible to join the Agora as a visitor, this is a great way to get to know the European Level of AEGEE! So save the date, you do not want to miss this! On Friday afternoon, a themed Pancake Lunch brought everyone together to enjoy delicious pancakes while reliving the best moments from previous European events, including roll calls and opening ceremonies (check out the “2024 Agora Novi Sad” playlist on Youtube)! On Thursday and Friday evenings, members joined watch parties organized by the Board, featuring Domino’s pizza and leftover pancakes.
Introducing the Dies Committee: Vivat festum! Vivat AEGEE-Groningen!
As AEGEE-Groningen’s birthday approaches, excitement is building up! Every year, our beloved association turns a little older, a little wiser, and celebrates this milestone in style… and this year with even more style and thunder! ⚡️This year’s week of celebrations is specially brought to you by the Dies Committee!???? Who are those birthday enthusiasts working behind the scenes of the Dies Committee? Let’s Introduce these party warriors real quick! Meet the team Ola – Chairperson This valiant warrior has been part of AEGEE for 5 years, bravely studying European Languages and Cultures. In an unexpected situation of a gladiator fight, Ola sees only one viable strategy: “Step 1: scream and act crazy (to distract the opponent) Step 2: when they lower their guard because they realize they don’t need to put a lot of effort to win this fight… change the strategy and attack them out of nowhere! Bam???? surprise, that’s how you can win.”. At a Roman banquet, you’ll likely find Ola sticking to the corner with wine and olives. The reason? Simple survival instincts: “Seems like a safe choice” (or, as some might say, a healthy fear of food poisoning ????). Lastly, which Roman god would Ola summon for help in a battle of Archery Tag? Bacchus is the answer! “In exchange for a good bottle of wine the Roman god Bacchus – the bringer of festivities would help me out and distract the opponents with a celebration, meanwhile with my questionable aiming skills I would take down the opponents.”. Romy – Treasurer Our fearless Quaestor, with great care manages our modern day denarius (Euros for those who don’t know). Romy has been in AEGEE for 6 years and counting, and currently studies Youth, Society, & Policy. If Romy were a gladiator, she’d choose a unique strategy to fight: “I guess I would run around and hope the other person would get tired faster than I would. Then I would take advantage of that and strike them down.” And in times of war (or during an Archery Tag match), Romy would join forces with the Roman god Mars. Why? Because he’s the one that’s supposed to help in such times. Final Roman fun fact about Romy – where would you look for her at a Roman banquet? Of course next to Romy’s “go-to” which would be some good meat and a few cups of wine. Cedric – Secretary As the Scriba, Cedric takes his role seriously and uses words cautiously. Cicero would be Cedric’s pick for being a Roman figure. Frankly it’s not because of having the same amount of letters as Cedric, but because of his skill as an orator. If Cedric had found himself at a Roman banquet, what would he feast on? “Haha wine”. This is a dead giveaway for the next Roman fun fact about Cedric. For an Archery Tag match a supporting Roman god would be Bacchus! Why? “I think Bacchus the god of wine would support me because of my love for wine. At the gala at least I will have enough wine to convince him”. On a daily basis, Cedric is busy studying International Relations, and celebrating his 4 year AEGEE membership. Nine – PR As the youngest warrior of the Dies Committee, with only 2 years of AEGEE membership, and an untamed passion for Art History (which Nine studies when not planning birthday activities). A Roman figure that resonates with her is Agrippina. Why? “I would like to be Agrippina the Youngest, as she was quite rebellious. She was an influential woman in the Roman empire, refusing to be a boring wife, and behaving as a wife should. She broke all rules of appropriate woman behavior. However, there are also elements I don’t like about her life, such as the fact that she married her uncle. But she had a lot of power, even over her uncle (emperor Claudius) as he changed the law to be able to marry her. But to get rid of him (Claudius), Agrippina poisoned him, so that her son, Nero, could become the emperor.” In a scary (and luckily highly improbable) scenario of a gladiator fight, Nine would try to stay alive. You might wonder how… here’s the secret: I think my strategy would be one that would keep me alive ????. I’ll probably just try to protect myself, and not necessarily attack. I think that would be the safest to survive the longest… but I would like to avoid getting put into a gladiator fight altogether. Last Roman fun fact about Nine is that at a Roman banquet she’d feast on the dessert and drinks! And avoid all the meats and fish as Nine is vegetarian. Shenza – General Member Outside of the Roman shenanigans, Shenza is a dedicated student of Information Science and she has been part of AEGEE for 7 lucky years! (Vivat to more years to come ????). Diving deeper into the Roman shenanigans, Shenza has quite a strategy for a gladiator fight. Her approach? “Always aim for the center. Unless I was fighting an animal then I would just pretend to be dead.” Wise, indeed. If Shenza could embody any Roman figure, her choice would be Marcus Aurelius. Why? Because aside from being known as a good emperor he also had time to philosophize. And when it comes to an Archery Tag showdown, you might wonder which Roman god or goddess would Shenza pick for their divine support. She gives us a secret peek into her strategy: “If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Roman (and Greek) mythology is that it’s always best to just not be noticed by the gods, it usually doesn’t end well. But otherwise I would obviously want Diana on my side.” So, Diana it is, the goddess of the hunt and the perfect ally for a fierce game of Archery Tag! ???? Get ready to celebrate! Prepare yourselves for a week of festivities that would make even Julius Caesar jealous! To warm up your
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