Get the latest Agora Alicante videos (II)

Here you have the second video we prepared for the closing plennary on EBM Riga... (the first one can be seen here)

We hope this video helps to motivate you to come and visit Agora Alicante in a responsible way, because we will meet all together for real work; at the same time with a big smile and a happy heart. Because you can do serious work and have great fun!

Don't leave the application till last day!! Check the latest information on our website. Go to aegee.org/statutory and send us your motivation! The more the merrier!

EBM has finished... now it is Full Agora time!

We don't feel the pressure... now it is our time... we can do it...

The EBM has brilliantly concluded, and the EBM gir... EBM Team did a superb job! Not only they managed to provide AEGEE with a perfect framework for developing the programme, but they did also everything with a big smile on their faces! And even more, they were always available for us to answer questions (and believe me, we had many things to ask; Carol filled several pages of her Agora Notebook with ideas and details to check in detail once we arrive home). Also the CD, the chair team and AEGEE-Istanbul were always ready for discuss organization of the Agora, that will be open in 2 months!!

However, even us as Agora team deserved some rest after an extremely demanding EBM, so we took a day off to enjoy the city. When we will download the pictures. you will have details of how much we enjoyed the sunny Sunday in Riga. Now it is time to go to sleep... a bed in a nice hostel is waiting for us!

It was great to see you (those who could came to Riga) and feel all your support!!

                      The Agora Team

Get the latest Agora Alicante videos (I)

Here you can see the first Agora Alicante video that we have prepared for the EBM.

We had great fun filming it during The Trap II last weekend, and well, it was not that much fun to take hours away from sleep to create the video during EBM, especially after parties, but I hope you like the result.

Get your popcorn and enjoy!! And don't forget to comment!!

Getting ready for the Beach Party

After a hard day of workshops and action meetings, it is time to go to our cozy gym, take out of our luggage our swimsuits and flipflops, honolulu collars and say "Aloha" and an early welcome to the Summer in this Friday's Night party organized by the team of EBM. I am a bit concerned about the temperature in the club, as it is still something like -15ºC outside, but the warmth of the Riga organizers and the unstoppable energy of the participants for sure will make it burn all night. And I heard that Las Palmas helpers are also preparing some surprises...Nothing to fear, I guess :)

I have also an idea to propose to our social programme team: Riga has shown that it is possible a beach party in february in Latvia, why not making an Eskimo party in Alicante? So prepare your wollen socks, your furry coats and your kayaks, and prepare for the ultimate extreme experience next April in Alicante!! Even the Polar bear disguise from AEGEE-Aachen can be reused!

MISSION: Activate delegates

This is the title of the Workshop that people of SAA2011 Team is leading at this very same moment. We are gathering very motivated and active members contributing to the discussion with ideas and proposals, that we will take into account while organizing Agora Alicante as much as we can.

Now we are having an "Oxford Debate" debate on some of the most controversial ideas, like:

• Making attendance to Plennaries compulsory (part of Antenna Criteria)
• First event of any member should be fun / statutory event
• Number of delegates is linked to size of the antenna

What is your opinion on these topics?

Agora in EBM Riga:Live from the White Party

Dear Agora Alicante followers

The SAA2011 Team managed to arrive to the EBM and did the registration. Then we attended a pleasant Opening Ceremony with plenty of traditional dances and some music, before having the first event of the social program, the White party. From the club we are writing this message just before midnight, so I hope many of you are here having fun with us, those of you who could not join us, start getting ready for Agora social program!

      The Agora Team

                                   (Posted next morning due to Internet problems)

Agora team on the way to Riga: Brussels

Half of the Agora Team expedition spent today a wonderful afternoon in Brussels, while other part had to stay one more day in Alicante due to work.

Those in Brussels were enjoying the best the capital of Europe can offer. They brought the sun with them and therefore they could visit monuments and parks without freezing :)

It was an intensive time, leaded by Miguel who already knew the city, we visited the European Institutions, the Parc du Cinquantennaire, then we went to see the Atomium and the Far East Museums.

Then we came back to the city center to get lost in the small streets around Bourse, Grand Place, and le Sablon. And the visit to the disappointingly small --> Manneken Pis. All this sightseeing was carried out with stopovers to taste some pieces of Belgian traditions: Gauffres, Kriek beer and fast food.

We left the best part for the end of the day, when we took tramway 33 to arrive to Rue Nestor de Tiere 15...

                 The Agora Team (live from the CD house), wishing you a safe trip to Riga

Know Alicante: the Moor's face

Alicante has two castles: Castle of Santa Barbara and Castle of San Fernando.

Castle of San Fernando was built on the beginning of the 19th century for protecting the city against the french troops that participated in Spanish War of Independence. It was never used because the French never sieged the city. It went very early into misconservation and just recently the area was rehabilitated including parks, sport centers, high school and some recreation areas. Athough it is quite in the city center of Alicante, it is not especially interesting for tourists, especially compared with the other one.

Castle of Santa Barbara was built in 9th century by the arabs on the top of the Benacantil Hill, 166m over the sea, offering an unbeatable viewpoint over the whole city and the Alicante bay. The castle structure has been changed over the centuries to adapt it to different war techniques and situations. Current structure dates mostly from XVI century. If you have just a day you should include climbing to the castle to enjoy seaview and some history, and sometimes there are also art exhibitions there (if you are tired after a busy agora full of AEGEE stuff, then maybe you can take the lift from the seafront at the foot of the hill).

The profile of the mount Benacantil and the castle on top, when seen from certain areas of the city, draws the face of an old moor man. There legend says it is the face of an old moor king...

A perfect Agora/AEGEE weekend

My weekend has been 100% AEGEE, 100% unforgettable.

Friday:

• Important meeting for Agora at the University of Alicante
• Hosting some organizers from out of Alicante before The Trap II

Saturday:

• Update session
• Knowledge Transfer from Agora Zaragoza Main Coordinator David Barco
• Video recording
• Team building activities
• This time there was no crazy party but we had the same great time

We missed the ones who could not join us, but there will be a TRAP III!

Live message from the Chair to Agora Team. Thanks Percin!

Sunday: 

• Tidying up
• Prepare luggage for Riga (including special clothes for the parties :D ) and later some extra days in Tartu with AEGEE friends and Tallinn with my brother.
• Coming to Madrid to take my plane tomorrow.

Isn't  AEGEE life great??

Miguel

The Trap II: Work in Progress

Dear Agora followers

We are sorry to announce there will be no proper post today. We are spending the weekend at The Trap II, working hard to make your agora better and having a very good time ;)

Tomorrow we'll be back!

The A-team

Meet the team: Isa Sodric

I know Isabel since we were children, and we spent together a lot of summers/moments in our lives. So there is a big amount of things and stories that I could tell about her. But I think that there is no post long enough for it, so...I'll try to sum up in a different way. Read and you will see.

Intelligent. Yes....definetely she is....and she should be to solve all the problems with VISAS!!! She is our Incoming Team Coordinator, so if you have any question or doubt... you know who will be  the person behind incoming@agoraalicante.org!

Smiling. She's always smiling!!! Because she is happy!! She is happy because she is an AEGEE member!

Addicted. I should confess that she has a worrying addiction... addiction on gmail... and facebook!!! When you send her an email, you just have to wait 2 min!!!! 2 min are enough to get an answer. So you can imagine how her mood is whenever she has not internet... :P

Beautiful!!! This letter was so easy.....she is beatiful inside and outside!!!

Energetic. She is able to wake up every participant. And she is always the last person who goes to sleep!!! She has inside the real AEGEE-Spirit

Large. She has a large, long and interesting life!!! And an enormous heart!! She is a person that everybody should meet; and the Spring Agora Alicante 2011 is the best moment to do it!!!

6 letters are not enoght to describe her, I've just realised. So... you'll need to come to the Agora and discover her!!!

                                                                             Post by Pilar Lop ;)

Meet the team: Fernando

- I understand you're a man who knows how to get things.
- I'm known to locate certain things from time to time.

 

[The Shawshank Redemption]

 

I think with this quotation I can describe Fer and his work for the Agora Alicante very good.

 

He's one of the best fundraisers I've ever met in AEGEE, and probably he get things because of his nature.

 

Rogue, cunning, clever... are just some of the adjectives that could define him the most. But overall he's a very good friend of his friends, a guy that stand with those who need his help; and he prove this everyday in "AEGEE's world".

 

Former president of AEGEE Santander, he was in the antenna during bad times and he found out how to keep it 'alive' and even organize great events, such as one LTC still rememberd by many of us as a great event where many good friendships started. He even started to look for FR to organize an Agora in Santander time ago (he had a masterplan since Agora Kiev!).

 

Right now doing Eramus in Italy, even though he's far away he didn't hesitate for a second to join the Agora crew, and thanks to him we'll have marvelous "sobaos" for the breakfasts! It's amazing his commitment and I hope we could have more people like him in AEGEE.

 

PS: Girls, he's single (plus handsome, check the photos), so don't hesitate to approach him and ask, what is "hojaldrito"? He'll be pleased to say it! :)

Posted by Juanola

One week for Riga

Hello dear Agora followers

One week to the official beginning of EBM Riga 2011. I can imagine how it will be when it will be one week to the beginning of Agora Alicante. We will be head over heels at that time, I am sure. So I want to sincerely send all our support, from whole Spring Agora Alicante 2011 team, to the wonderful team of EBM. Did you read their posts about the team on the EBM Blog? I just wish there would be also some pictures! ;)

I am really looking forward to arrive in Riga, find the welcoming smiles of Riga team, register and get my ID, so I can start working to improve thematic work for AEGEE.

And of course I am looking forward to enjoy the parties they have prepared. I have just a concern, and it is the amount of complements we will need to carry to Riga in order to meet the requirements of the intensive Social Program: even having studied carefully the techniques as seen in the following video, I cannot pack my whole luggage into a low-cost-approved size backpack...

Not to mention the mountain of winter clothes we will need to take there. So I will have to start using technique number 2, AKA "The Human Onion": wearing layer over layer at the boarding gate. It is ridiculous, but I have no option. The only thing that scares me more than a low-cost company crew member armed with a measuring tape, is a thermometer showing -23ºC.

Meet the team: Antonio

Antonio in 10 questions...

1. Have you met Antonio? Yes -> go to #5 | No -> go to # 7
2. Maybe this is not the place to explain this system, but certainly I can tell you the number of points depends on 3 factors: with whom, what and where.... I hope these are enough clues to guess what is this system about. Go to #10
3. Did you know he introduced it into AEGEE? Amazing, isn't it?? And do you know about his special version of the AEGEE point system? Yes -> go to #10 | No -> go to #2
4. If you have said "tall", that's true, but it's not an adjective of his personality, so go to #8. Ok, but do you know the main achievements of his AEGEEan life? Yes -> go to #5 | No -> go to #9
5. I guess now I have nothing more to add. You already know what is Antonio able to do and his marvelous personality. Just don't miss the chance to speak with him! ;)
6. Melon-Sandia is one of the most famous energizers in AEGEE. No one miss the oportunity to do it. A introductory spanish lesson (names of the fruits in spanish) combined with spicy movements and a lot of fun, make Melon-Sandia unforgetable for those who try it! Go to #3
7. Have you ever done the energizer Melon-Sandia? Yes -> go to #3 | No -> go to #6
8. Friendly, open-minded, party animal, clever, eager to learn and to teach, serious when he it comes the moment, patient... Those are just few of the adjectives I could say about him, but actually the list is endless! Go to #4
9. Member of his board during 2 years (right now as President), organizer in 3 events of YiA in Madrid, 2 SUs, several LTCs, designer of most of the stuff in the events where he was organizer... and all this while working 8h/day in a job. Impressive, uh? Go to #5
10. Don't hesitate to ask him about this system! One of the main characteristics of Antonio is how amusing he can be telling a story. Could you tell me more adjectives to describe his personality? Yes -> go to #4 | No -> go to #8

                                         Posted by Juanola

I read "Agora Alicante: Open call for organizers and helpers"

That was the subject of the email sent to La nave (The starcraft - the mailing list for the Portuguese and Spanish antennae)…

Our antennae have been always notable for the close relationship we have. From Coruña to Alicante, from Porto to Las Palmas, from Granada to Barcelona… Everytime we have one event, doesn’t matter where are you from, you just go and help if needed (at the same time you are having fun of course…)

So when I read this email I didn’t hesitate for a second, I just replied that I wanted to help them as much as I could. And to be honest, I was kinda busy with other AEGEE stuff… but c’mon! It’s an Agora! How many opportunities like this do you have?

I knew few people from AEGEE Alicante and I was afraid they were not enough to organize an Agora…. Furthermore, most of them were new members (to the point they didn’t even know what is a “delegate” or an “envoy”)

But my opinion changed a lot when I went to “La encerrona - The Trap”. I met most of them for the first time and it was awesome….

You can’t imagine how excited they are to organize next Agora. Even if they don’t have the experience, even if they are newbies in AEGEE, even if most of them study hard or work… they give the best of themselves to organize an Agora for people they don’t even know… for an organization they’ve just joined and yet can’t understand really good…

Although, the best of it, was the group spirit I felt over there… In one day I felt like a team member, like if I’ve alwaysbeen a member of AEGEE Alicante. That’s why I have the feeling this Agora it’s gonna be outstanding! Because whatever happen, there is a marvellous group of people working for it!

Believe me ;)

PS: yes, we also worked hard during The Trap weekend... but those pictures of us working are boring, and with these ones you can touch the Team Spirit...

                                            Post by Juanola

Meet the team: Miguel

Hello again, dear Agora followers, you can use “the first time I met Miguel” to start a chat during our agora free time, it is a good way to break the ice!

• Juan: I remember the first time I met Miguel! He was coming as an expert of Enviromental WG. I had heard many stories about how great he was but I've never expected what I found... I don't know how, but he has this charm that makes you love him from the very first moment, don't you think?
• Carol: I met him during last weekend of Alicante-SU’09. I checked out the pics to Alicante’s website to get the organizers' face, and when I arrived the fist smile that I see was Miguel’s. But it was the only thing that I could recognize from him. He was completely covered under black hair (long hair and beard) too much hair! But it was on purpose. Next night, during a party with the participants he suddenly disappeared and when he returned, guess what? Nobody could recognize him. He had cut all this hair and shaved the beard, and he looked like a Buddhist ! Hahaha, hilarious!. This is a Miguel’s traditional joke. He does the same every SU, and he enjoys the participants' reaction! Hahaha, this year he did again, and even for me it was a shock!
• Juan: Yeah, and his life is like a neverending book, where you are reading more and more chapters, and every chapter amazes you more than the others. Once, he told me about a "small" convention where he was working as volunteer, and he asked me to go with him... when I arrived there, I found out it was a convention full of Nobel prizes and ex-prime ministers giving lectures for free to the students... and it was his 5th year there as organizer!!!
• Carol: haha, you know what? he also called me to go to this “small” convention, I’m still regretting because I didn’t go. Yes, with Miguel everything can be possible. What can you expect from a person living in morocco sharing a modest house with a berber family, without running water and even without glasses in the windows, while during the day he is looking for the extinct leopard in the mountains?
• Juan: yes... I just can say that I hope one day I could be like Miguel... and if I get lost in a desert island I hope he'll be with me or I won't survive! :DD
• Carol: hahaha, yes I know what you mean, I agree with you Juan!!

Everybody knows Miguel so what else can we say about him? There is not enough post to talk about. Just add that is a pleasure work with him. Always full of energy and nice ideas, my dear redacteitor (the way I use to call him, although writing all kind of applications and projects and documents is just one of his skills) is my right hand and the agora team would not be the same without him. 

PS: Sorry but this great guy is not single; yes, I can read your mind!! Hahahaha.

Post by Juanola & Carol

Meet the Team: Bego

It is my pleasure to introduce to you someone that has been part of the last years of AEGEE-Alicante history, and my partner in many adventures in our antenna and European level... Lovely Bego!

We travelled together to our first Agora (with her huge green luggage :D ) and we learned step by step what a prytanium is, how to vote, who was all those people on the stage... Thanks to Saioa for her continuous support, and to the rest of oldies that were there to answer all our questions! That was Agora Napoli... Later they came shared experiences at Eskisehir, Ljubljana, Istanbul...

When I was president she was my saviour in many situations; I tried to be the same when it was her time in the presidency. In those two terms, we settled the ground for the future growth of AEGEE-Alicante that finally allowed our antenna to accept the challenge of this project of Spring Agora Alicante 2011. We started with a Youth in Action Exchange, where we learned a huge lot! (BTW, as in every AEGEE-Alicante event, it rained. A lot. So don't bring swimsuits to Agora Alicante, but be ready to take shelter in the plennary room and enjoy contentful sessions). After, it came a NWM in Moraira, and the retake of the yearly SU with a TSU with Valencia and Castelló...

In European level, she helped to develop the Flagship Project Sustaining our Future, although later she could not contribute as much as she would have liked to. She had to step a bit off AEGEE for a couple of years, due to studies and personal life, just to come back when she was needed to join Agora team and become the manager during 6 months; at the moment she is our vice-coordinator. 

She is married since last December 4th - and it is not a secret, she was the most beautiful bride ever! (you will meet her husband soon, he will have his own entry as they are both involved in the Agora).

PS: She is like Amelie but with a stronger character... and she cannot row in straight line :D

It's a Green Agora

Dear AEGEEans

The Agora Alicante team will make an extra effort to reduce the impact of our Agora and make it as sustainable as we can. What does it mean?

No, you will not be punished if you come by plane (European security control is enough torture).
No, you will not be forced to hug a tree to receive your welcome pack (palm trees are thorny).
No, you will not need to have cold showers to save energy.

Our Agora will be green because, from the very beginning and at each planning stage, we try to think about different alternatives that can be better for the environment; all this ideas should not make the Agora way too much expensive / complicated. Sometimes it is possible to find an alternativeway to do things, some times not. Sometimes is even more convenient for us to make the green solution! The good thing is that, as we started thinking about it before the first decissions were made, more creative solutions can be implemented now with less effort. As a resource, we have all the background from the Sustaining our Future project and the Environmental WG (EnWG) to use as an isnpiring material :D and we plan to collaborate with Universities for infrastructure.

Of course, this would not be possible without the involvement and work of part of the Agora Team that are members of the Green Team! Great work, and still so many things to do!

Greenly yours!
Miguel

Preparing The Trap II

in one week we will have again the opportunity to meet again and enjoy some great quality time together. Not an LTC, not a normal event. Just a place to strengthen bonds, continue discovering other members of the team and learn a bit more what is an Agora.

The expectatives are high as The Trap I was quite successful, especially in terms of motivation. It also helped a lot to give every member of the team a clear overview of the whole project. We will take also some night time to have great parties, and we will treat extremely well our Guest Organizers who are making the big effort of travelling accross Spain to help us. You guys rock!!

Even better, we will have also time to make the promo video of the Agora for the EBM. This assures we will have a great time all together!

Till now you can enjoy it once again...

What else can you pack in a single weekend? Not much more!

Agora Team

Know Alicante University: MUA

Alicante University has several secret spots into the campus, but one of them is really amazing because it is at the same time a visual reference and a hidden treasure. I am talking of my favourite area in the Campus, and I sometimes feel guilty when I feel happy being there alone, whilte it should be without any doubt one of the most visited points of the Campus. So I am trying now to atone for my previous greed by sharing all my likes of this jewel of University of Alicante heritage.

MUA means Museum of University of Alicante.

Why do I like it so much?

a) The Building: elegantly combining raw materials like water, wood, concrete and metal, its brave architecture assured the young architect Alfredo Payá  international recognision. Known as "The Music Box", you will have to visit the museum to discover its intervowen spaces, the calmness of its open areas, the secrets of its corridors. Its position in an empty space surrounded by water determines its relationship with the public, somehow iconic but somehow also needing a deliberate wish to go there, as nobody ends up in the MUA by accident.

b) The Exhibitions: the program of the museum is dedicating attention to Alicante and the world, to every possible art discipline. I have enjoyed several breathtaking photoexhibitions, and felt strange emotions with some video-art projections.

c) The Concept: The University decided to invest in art, to contribute to every face of the human being. And it did it with a project of a young architech, a risky building that causes an impression to every visitor. And it continues the compromise with the choice of a comprehensive programme far from conventionalisms.

And of course, there are nice memories I associate to this museum; moments on my own or enjoyed with special people who shared this secret.

Definitely, something worth to visit on your next Agora, a proposed plan for early newcomers on wednesday (sorry, it closes on Sundays). I just wrote to confirm it will be open on Agora dates.

(pictures taken from Fernando Prieto's blog Linkalicante)

Lía will be present in Riga

We just ordered Agora Alicante organizer sweaters for the EBM in Riga... Something was telling us that have tshirts there would not be the best idea as we don't want our team to get sick!

I am not allowed to let anything slip out of my mouth, as the design is top secret but I can just tell you that Lía la Parda will be featured!

Agora Team

Meet the team: Juanola

In Agora Alicante we have been able to create a team with amazing people from our antenna, and the icing on the cake are our Guest Organizers coming from different locals.

I want to use this post to introduce you to Juanola. Maybe some of you already know him, as he is currently Project Manager of Where Does Europe End? project (WDEE). But for those of you who know him, here will come some random facts about him.

First time I met him he was already main organizer of AEGEE-Oviedo's SUperaction 3 (they organise GREEN SU and they asked EnWG for support, so I "had to go" there as guest speaker in 2008; it was so great that I repeated in 2009). I was quite surprised because in 2008 he was not there yet, and 12 months later he was leading the team. Even more impressive, they achieved the Best SU Award in 2009!

He has worked hard in local level, but very soon he started being tempted by European Teams... He has a true vocation for European Level with a focus on content; and recently his training skills have been discovered, being one of the most active trainers in South Europe for NWMs and LTCs.

Having him at Agora Alicante makes me feel good! He came to help me at Campus de Excelencia 2009 and it was a great experience. I know Agora will be the same... 1000 times more intense!

Miguel

PS1: He is a great photographer and moreover, his facebook profile pictures are usually very funny!

PS2: He came to our Team Meeting "The TRAP"... but that is a different story that maybe he will want to share himself!

PS: Do you like his picture with Agora Badge? 

Live from Rue Nestor de Tiere

Dear Agora Followers.

This weekend there is Strategic Planning Meeting for Human Resources of AEGEE, and it is nice to see that, even if busy with Agora Alicante preparations, three people from the Agora Team were able to attend the meeting. Me (Miguel) and Guillermo are there because we belong to AEGEE-Academy Board; Carol, our main coordinator, could not join in Brussels but she has participated through web 2.0 in the redaction of the objectives. She is really good at HR management (she "manages" more than 30 different huma beings), as you may remember from last post she is really a fan for team work.



What I wanted to remark is that I am really happy to feel that everybody is looking forward the Agora Alicante, even if it puts quite some pressure on us... The only reason it is preventing the people to be more enthusiastic, is the proximity of another promising event as EBM Riga 2011 (you can see their latest video here). And I can easily understand it, because I am also waiting for EBM impatiently, I am ready to cross all Europe to participate on discussions. I just know that, once the lights at the last plennary in Riga have faded away, all the focus in AEGEE will be looking at us...

AEGEE-Alicante is more than ready!

Miguel

PS: Vice Chair got his new present, a ser of real badges... did you already get yours?

Meet the team: Carol

Hi Everybody, AEGEE people!!

My name is Carol and next April it will be two years since I joined AEGEE-Alicante. I belong to the small percentage in my antenna coming from Murcia, a city 75km south from Alicante. So when I joined,I thought: "I don't think I will be able to do much for this association, but at least I will travel cheap this summer with a Summer University". Finally, I was not selected for the SU and I thought it had been a small waste of money; but they offered me the possibility to join Alicante SU as a helper. I decided to go there and give it a try, I went to spend a weekend in Calpe with people I did not know at all... I was quite edgy and the first faces I remember are Miguel and Isa...

After the summer, with the excuse we have quite a lot of Murcian members that needed a delegate, I became part of the local board. That meant one trip per month to attend board meetings. Meetings that soon were organized together with Tapeo-meetings later. And one of these nights, something came up... When will we organize a Tapeo Meeting in Murcia? This tapeo-meeting ended up being a whole weekend event called "¡Acho que finde!", the first event I was the main coordinator, and the first experience for almost the whole team :S Today I read again the entry that Chema wrote in our local blog after the event. It is true I was a bit too stressed, he he, I had forgotten! One year after, just the good memories last. There were some mistakes, that is of course true, but we worked as a team and we started creating bonds that helped it be a success. I keep in my memory the team spirit, and the participants we had... because weather was awful! And sure, everything we could learn, but you just realise how much you learned until you are again facing a similar situation.

In 2010 we organized our SU ALC Confidental. We had the core team of Acho que Finde Event, and some new people too. What a blast! 12 days for find where your phisical limits are, until you fall sick... but what a team we had! And this is not just my impression, but also our participants' opinion, who gave us in exchange the most they could (we don't earn in AEGEE anything more than experiences and friends). Because of a great team and a greatest group of participants, we were able to achieve the recognision of Best Summer University 2010 in Europe. It is just some words, but they condense so many emotions! That moment, when in Agora Istanbul the Summer University Coordination Team said "...and the first position for ALC Confidential...", became suddenly all blurry, because you can just jump, laugh, keep the tears away and remember all the team that helped us but could not be there in Istanbul with us. Everytime I looked at the diploma,  I could not stop smiling. Because we all knew that it had not been an easy road, a year of hard work with many obstacles saved in the last minute. Congratulations to the whole team I had the honour to belong to.

After some more time, and as usually happens in AEGEE, that means, not knowing exactly how it happened...  again I became the main coordinator of an event... well, let's say the Agora, the biggest AEGEE event, at least according to the number of participants: 700-800. At least, it was quite a progressive arrival to this position, so there was not a big shock when I thought: "Oh my God! What did I do!" This happened some hours later, when I could understand what it meant! Ha ha ha! Once I became aware of my new responsibility, I just had to get to work seriously! And when you have all full of ideas and schemes and diagrams, you look at it, breath deeply, and see that it is not a task for a single person, not even for a superhero! And with my previous experience, that as you have seen it is not too broad, you realize what is the most important part of any event, no matter how long or big it is, what makes an event succeed or fail is... the team!

You will get to know the Agora Alicante Team through this blog, and you can also see their faces all together in the right section of our blog (www.agoraalicante.org). Wonderful people one by one, who invest their free time and inmense efforts to make the best Agora that we can do! We juts hope that at least you enjoy the Agora as much as we are enjoying the whole process of organizing it.

See you in April!

Carol Bello

Main Coordinator Spring Agora Alicante.

Meet the team!

Dear future participants of the Agora...Finally, the moment arrived: MEET THE TEAM!!

Step by step, our Agora website is getting all ready, filling up with important data. We are now dealing with the useful information on how to travel to Alicante, how to go from Airport to Agora... So everyday some section is updated, enlarged or translated. Because we are having the blog in many languages! AEGEE-Alicante is really multilingual :D

But there is one thing we have ready now! We have already uploaded the team pictures! Why this section? Because we are really proud of the TEAM we are! So,what are you waiting? Go to the website and check who is going to welcome you at the Agora, who will be the one serving your breakfast, who will dance with you on the club and wake you up the next morning... Did you find a friend? Which picture is your favourite? Which one is the funniest? Most charming? Don't be shy, leave a comment on the blog, we'd love to read them!! (you may even ask for phone numbers :D)

As you can see, there is not just people from AEGEE-Alicante, we have received support from other antennae that have sent us the best of the best, and this external contribution is being huge. This multilevel cooperation is what I like most of this Agora Experience...

Get your badge!

Hello dear Agora Followers...

Have you got your Agora Alicante badge? I mean, the Facebook version...




There will be real ones to be sold in EBM... find the Agora Alicante Organizers during the first days... because they will be gone soon!

The sweetest Agora

Dear Agora followers

This is going to be the Sweetest Agora ever... because our FR team has at the moment managed to get so many delicious sponsoring in kind...

At the moment, we have agreements with Chocolate Valor (a local brand from Alicante and one of the most renowned brands in Spain); ice cream La Jijonenca (made in the mountains inland of Alicante, where turrón/nougat is also made); from Cantabria in the north of Spain we will get Sobaos Serafina for our breakfast (check what sobaos is), courtesy of AEGEE-Santander; and nice desserts from Postres Reina...

They all look delicious but believe me, I have tasted all of them and they really are better than they look...

Thanks to all the sponsors for believing in our project! And for making our participants happier!

PS: Dear participants, don't forget to bring your toothbrushes!