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Verve is published once each semester by the students of the American University in Bulgaria, with the financial support of the Admissions Office, Student Services and the Student Government.

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Page 1: Verve Magazine Fall 2009
Page 2: Verve Magazine Fall 2009

FALL 2009 VERVE

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2 Editorial

This fall, as the term “future leader” is voted off the AUBG mission statement, Verve examines the phrase we left behind. This fall is also the 20th since many hurried to predict a new world of happy and well-fed states that would spring up from the assembly line of democracy.

Today, with the privilege of hindsight, it is commonly acknowledged that pre-cooked democracy does not exist and every

state has to find its own recipe. Much to the same logic, there is no right recipe for building a successful university. For both, however, participation seems to be a good ingredient enabling people make use of their freedoms and rights.

Just like any other student activity or production, Verve is what its participants make it. Since 2003, the magazine has been maturing and changing every year, reflecting

the intense beat of AUBG. Sensitive to university rhythm, after a year online, Verve is back to print.

For this print issue, writers were free to pick the topics of their stories, editors merely facilitating the creative process. We thus hope to continue providing an in-depth perspective on personal experiences in and out of AUBG, global news or local events—just name it. All in all, it is up to you.

Contents

SLEEPlessness9

3 Coffee and Diveristy

4 In Da House with Professor Diego Lucci

Former Future Leaders6

8 Faculty Riddle

Editorial

Editors Yulia Shenderovich, Zlatina Georgieva Visual Editor Asen Dimitrov Writers Cristina Reul, Ecaterina Captari, Ivelina Atanasova, Ivelina Georgieva, Leyla Atayeva, Marlis Vasilescu, Marzhan Doszhanova, Nathaniel Baumgardner, Simona Atanasova, Svetozar Dimitrov Proofreaders Anna Ceakirova, Erka Mato, Jelena Vicic, Marzhan Dozshanova, Molly May, Rosen Halachev, Simona Atanasova Photographers Asen Dimitrov, Valentin Croitoru

Illustrators Aglika Klayn, Alena Lysiakova, Stefan Chavdarov, Tatiana Namasco, Todor Kostov Design and Layout Aglika Klayn, Ramona Tancau, Rosen Halachev, Spasimir Dinev, Todor Kostov Cover Veranika Hlushakova, Aglika Klayn Future Leader Game Raman Shalupau Back cover “Factory of Leaders” Alena Lysiakova Faculty advisor Sandra Earley Special gratitude to Marina Ceprazova, Spasimir Dinev and Stefan Chavdarov

Verve is published once each semester by the students of the American University in Bulgaria, with the financial support of the Admissions Office, Student Services and the Student Government.

Contact us at:[email protected]

AUBG Anatomy: Clubs14

16 Six Reasons to Rethink Leadership

18 A Turquoise Exchange

Future Leader Game10

Treaty of Lisbon: Approved12

U.S. Exchange Students Talk to Verve

19

SG Archives Speak15

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A Dutch proverb says that coffee has only two virtues: it is wet, and it is warm. A place called Café* has been exploring the brew for over a decade now, implying that this prodigious drink may, in fact, be a bit more nuanced.

Wandering through Blagoevgrad these days, the juxtaposition between old and new is hard to miss. The streets ooze a modern finesse, while custom, steadfastly prevails, evident in every native’s proud display of all things traditionally ours. Despite bourgeoning competition, one such relic, Café, ranks as a top-notch homage to Blagoevgrad’s barista heritage.

It is no secret that all Balkan peoples love their coffee. Almost every street in Blago has its own coffee shop, every public event is equipped with travel tinie-tiny plastic or paper cups full of the caffeinated brew, and I have yet to enter an office that does not employ its own espresso machine. Everyone, from CEOs to hipsters, is addicted, and smallish Blagoevgrad has a plethora of coffee houses to satisfy the craving. The town’s coffee culture has grown exponentially in the last fifty years and many Balkan peoples have been around to witness it all.

An ancient Thracian settlement called Scaptopara emerged on the site around 300 BC and was later conquered by the Roman Empire. During the Ottoman rule, the place became a Muslim-majority town called Cuma-ı Bala. Many refugees from Aegean and Vardar Macedonia arrived in the town in the subsequent decades and it grew more diverse than ever. The town was renamed Blagoevgrad in 1950 after Dimitar Blagoev, a refugee from Aegean Macedonia and, later, a founder of the Bulgarian Communist Party.

In this particularly unique atmosphere, Café celebrates its melting pot tastes on a daily basis.

As I am walking into Café, my cheeks flush. The warmth, both physical and figurative, of this cozy little establishment overcomes me. The dark wood paneling, the natural lighting and the smell of cakes, all call to my most primitive desire for feeling comfortable. I have never been here before, but somehow it feels like home. The waitress greets me with a smile and a firm handshake. Her shiny hair flanks a green blouse and her natural movements around the small counter mimic the most graceful of dancers, the most impressive of matriarchs. She sets my drink on the table, her hands wrapped around the mug as if infusing it with more warmth, and I cannot help but think these are the skilled hands that have been brewing the coffee and crafting the magical waff le batter, for which Café is now renowned. The home spirit lives in the casually tumbled magazines, in the half-full candles. It is ecstatic that the waitress does not need to put a

sell-out-now smile on to come see me. I hold my mug tightly as if to save the warmth longer. Through the steam I see the waitress squeezing her way between the tables, dropping a dozen other steaming coffee mugs. And there, loud and anxious, constantly sawing the air, sit various individuals, all different in language, culture, color of eyes, view on history, dreams, childhood, emotions and aims. Instead of focusing on the numerous differences, these young people put aside the two well known roads—die for

your country or be free—and choose a third one, to have a cup of hot coffee together in a foggy afternoon. All of them are addicted to the old practice of drinking coffee— that is, drinking individually brewed cups of espresso like a tequila shot—and bursting out in laughter.

In Café, coffee is revered as a refreshment in the truest sense of the word: a magic fluid to enable the drinker to move more efficiently through the day. Appealing to the famous aggressive, intolerant and unfriendly temperament of the Balkans, the attraction to espresso only made sense of a bond to these warring nations. As far as the owners of Café can remember, there has always been coffee in this country. “It wasn’t very strong, and people used to sit and drink for hours at a time,” the lady of Café says. The sophisticated practice of espresso brewing was a completely uncommon practice in town until her husband brought over the idea of Café. The rest is history or, as the Dutch say, it is wet, and it is warm.

Can you guess what Café’s real name is?

Coffee and Diversityby Ivelina Atanasova, illustration by Todor Kostov

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by Yulia Shenderovich,photos by Asen Dimitrov,design by Todor Kostov

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It is Diego Lucci’s fourth year in this house, situated in a quiet neighborhood a stone’s throw away from AUBG Main Building. Professors Robert White, Jean Crombois and Clemena Antonova live in the two apartments upstairs.

At AUBG professor Lucci has been teaching history and philosophy classes. “I always wanted to study philosophy. I come from a working class family, so my parents had no idea of philosophy and they said OK.”“When I was a kid, I was at a Catholic school, and now I am anti-Catholic. Then I was at a military school, and now I am a pacifist. And then I came to the American University in Bulgaria…”When football is on, emotions hike. “It’s not true that I shout… Sometimes I shout because, if Milan lost to Zurich when… OK, doesn’t matter.”“I’m very negative about Bulgarian TV, bTV in particular, because, if there is a grand game, like Juventus – Real Madrid, and there is Manchester United – Besiktas, they always show Manchester United because of Berbatov.” Every week Lucci bets ten leva in Eurofootball, a Bulgarian bookmaker house. “Fifty percent of my time I talk about soccer, the other half of my life is academia.”“I don’t like to work, but I’ve ended up in one of the few places in the world where scholars really work a lot.”Photo of the decoration over Lucci’s fireplace.

Uneager to carry the wood upstairs to load the fireplace, Lucci lights up the fire only when it’s snowing.“In my apartment and office I have maybe one percent of the books I own.” The rest are with Lucci’s parents in Naples.

Lucci’s girlfriend Branimira is enchanted by antiques. “When Branimira moved in my place that is 200-300 meters away from her house, her mom cried so much. I was impressed. Bulgarian moms!”

His former student Ben is the only one who could defeat him in chess, so at AUBG Lucci competes with the computer and anticipates challenges from talented players.

Photo of Marius, the son of John and Filitsa Mullen, which Lucci keeps on the mantelpiece of his fireplace.

The dedication to Branimira in Lucci’s recent book ”Scripture and Deism.”

In addition to research works, Lucci also writes poetry. “I usually write poems in Italian, but I’m also not so bad as a poet in English. As a painter, I can draw only women. I use coal, pencil or watercolors.”

“If AUBG students stop complaining about grades and start working seriously, I think, this will be one of the best colleges in the world; it has all the potential.”

Page 6: Verve Magazine Fall 2009

VERVE

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FALL 2009

Former

by Cristina Reul, illustrations by Alena Lysiakova

Sonila Troka

Petar SogindolskiCurrent standing: procurement department of Kraft Foods BulgariaBack in the day: SG presidentYou have a presidential background, when do you plan to preside over Kraft Foods Bulgaria? “Presiding over Kraft is very hard to be defined because Kraft is a pretty big company. However, I believe a managerial position is achievable within four-five years.”

Current standing: senior financial analyst at Procter and Gamble BalkansBack in the day: More Honors Future Leader awardWhat impact did the award have? “I do not think the award in itself affected my career. What really had an impact was the experience and the personal growth that I got out of all the extracurricular activities I was involved in. The personality that you build by getting involved is what helps you succeed in your career.”

Current standing: assistant brand manager at Procter and Gamble BalkansBack in the day: Presidential MedalDid the medal matter? “I remember in one of the interviews, the interviewer asked me about my honors, and among the first listed was the Presidential Medal. I proudly made a short introduction to the honor, and that particular introduction, I believe, contributed a lot to my acceptance to this job.”

Darko Lukic

FUTURE LEADERS

Life would be much easier if humankind invented a recipe for singling out leaders. We might get there one day, but for now there are three imperfect ways in which AUBG defines its leaders. First: the choice of administration. It praises those who truly uphold the university ideals of high

GPA, mind-numbing achievements and constant involvement. These select few get the Presidential Medal.The second group is chosen by students. One of us gets the right to lead the Student Government,

advance our causes, and protect our numerous (and often contradictory) interests.The third pick comes as a reward for both the people determined to lead the flock to a brighter future

and those who couldn’t care less—the More Honors Future Leader award.As nice as the awards and positions are, do they matter once the AUBG leaders step out into the big

world? Read on as eight future-leaders-turned-alumni talk about their university experience and its relevance today.

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Current standing: Master Degree in International Affairs, Johns Hop-kins University, Washington D.C.; World Bank, Washington D.C., U.S.Back in the day: More Honors Future Leader award and Presidential MedalDoes the present leader continue wearing her hair pink? “It’s still pink. However, I do have a trick to make it less visible at work and in-terviews. I’ve allowed for the color to grow out, so my roots (dark brown) are relatively visible, and I keep my hair neatly pinned up, the pink only visible at the back.”

Current standing: associate at PriceWaterhouseCoopers BulgariaBack in the day: More Honors Future Leader awardWhy was it useful? “It didn’t [affect my career], the networking did it all for me. Socializing is sometimes more than knowing.”

Nita Gojani

Current standing: Master Degree in Sociology and Social Anthropol-ogy, Central European University, Budapest, Hungary; applying for MA and PhD programs in the U.S.Back in the day: More Honors Future Leader award Are you a leader in your family life? “If you mean as a wife (because I recently got married), I prefer to let my husband be the leader in the family, although I would never accept a subordinate role.”

Current standing: Master Degree in European Studies, University of Maastricht, Netherlands; plans on a PhD in UK in 2010Back in the day: SG PresidentYou had two majors and two minors at AUBG, what’s your major in life? “My major in life, in terms of what I want to do, is to pursue either an academic career, or become a political analyst/advisor in a research in-stitute. In a more metaphorical sense, my major in life is to meet as many people as possible, be happy and make people around me happy.”

Current standing: in transitionBack in the day: SG PresidentWhy was it useful? “SG experience helps a lot, especially at the begin-ning of a career or life path, [it enhances] the ability to express a point clearly and concisely during a meeting, to negotiate. It also gives time management skills and many useful know-hows related to developing and elaborating projects.”

Sergiu Luca

Ivan Evstatiev

Nikola Tomic

Bela Stankova

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faculty (many professors commute) and giving them more restorative (family) time.

“Some people need a lot of concentrated research [time], when they really stay at home…especially those coming from Sofia,” said Michalak, who supports the new proposal.

She, however, spoke against the idea that the administration should be pushing professors to research. “We don’t need an institutional framework to put ourselves in the research mode,” she said. Other professors have issues with the fact that AUBG is a residential campus and the consolidation means that professors will be spending less time at the university. “It doesn’t strike me as reasonable that a residential campus would be looking for ways for its faculty to spend only two days a week on campus,” Hawkins said. “One of the beauties of a residential campus…is that you have regular access to the full community, which would include professors,” he added. The degree to which the new rule will create a gap between students and faculty remains to be seen. “It’s a difficult tradeoff,” said professor Ivelin Sardamov, “on the one hand we are supposed to be at the disposal of our students…on the other hand there are these expectations about research.”

Concerning the possibility of professors spending less time on campus, students had mixed feelings. “Communication via

email is a sufficient means to contact professors, but I’m skeptical about the motive for this policy and what results (if any) it will have,” said senior Adam Nimon. According to junior Simeon Vasilev, “no matter the field of research professors are engaged in…communicating with students is extremely important. If professors spend just two days teaching academic material and then leave, this can potentially erode communications. I believe that for research to be relevant, it has to take into consideration the effects on posterity.”

The new rule can be seen as a push by the administration for professors to further their understanding of a given subject, the students to receive a more thorough and comprehensive education. Alternatively, it may mean that the administration is more concerned with the prestige and glorification of AUBG, than with the quality of students’ education. It is also likely that the issue is much more complex. Either way, our professors must have a conduit to support and express their ideas, and our university must have a foundation on which its name is built.

“It doesn’t strike me as reasonable that a residential campus would be looking for ways for its faculty to spend only two days a week on campus.”

Professor Phelps Hawkins

“Some people need a lot of concentrated research [time], when they really stay at home… ”

Professor Katja Michalak

When students remove themselves from the idea that they are the nucleus of the university, research done by professors remains as the fulcrum of academia. Professors spend hours each day explaining nationalist theories or use of articles and, on top of this, must stay on the cutting edge of knowledge in their fields of study.

Quality of research is part of what gives a university its name. Therefore, the more AUBG professors publish their research and gain global recognition for their achievements, the more AUBG makes its name as an institution that cultivates such professors, thus attracting an ever wider base of highly accredited faculty.

While there is no specific requirement by the administration in terms of amount of faculty research done, there is a threefold commitment made by the faculty. AUBG professor Phelps Hawkins explained that this commitment “is to be a teaching faculty member, to pursue scholarly interest and to provide service to the community.” The level of each of these three criteria varies. Certain areas of expertise are less conducive to publishable research, and some professors are more inclined to initiate community-building projects, said Hawkins. This still serves to boost AUBG’s image, only on a more local and less intellectually grandiose level. Some professors, such as Katja Michalak, combine their interest and job by coordinating student academic research and offering students assistant positions during various projects.

The three-fold nature of a professor’s job is the reason why, during the Faculty Assembly on 21 October, a proposal was voted on that gives full-time faculty the right to apply for a two-day weekly schedule. This means that full-time faculty members offering three classes per week are going to be able to compress those into two days. Such an option is valid for only one semester per academic year, due to the fact that full-time professors teach four classes during one semester and three during the next.

The consolidation enables professors to pursue all their individual endeavors, which help raise the profile of the university. At the end of the semester, the faculty granted permission to consolidate their classes in two days will be required to provide the administration with a research progress report. The new proposal puts the university in the intellectual limelight, while also reducing travel hours for

OPINION PIECE by Nathaniel Baumgardner

RIDDLEFACULTY

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A usual Skaptopara morning: students in line for coffee, soda or anything containing caffeine after another sleepless night of exam preparation or partying in the local club.

Manifold reasons bring people to study at university, one of them being the belief that higher education contributes to a successful future. But what about the impact AUBG has on our health—an inseparable feature of a successful life? Students might eat fruit and go to the gym, but sleep, more often than not, comes under attack from a busy lifestyle.

By the time we turn 30, we have spent ten years of our lives asleep. This number probably decreases considerably after four-six years in college, since most students cut sleeping hours drastically. Indeed, there seems to be never enough time for everything during the college years. So, should we save time on sleep?

In support of effective rest, Assistant Professor of Anatomy at the Medical University of Plovdiv Antoaneta Fassova explained that one of the most frequent consequences of overworking our bodies is a state called chronic

undersleeping. Its symptoms are nervousness, anxiety, inability to fall asleep and the so-called “restless leg syndrome” that manifests itself as an unstoppable desire to move.

In order to avoid these sympthoms and other sleeping abnormalities, Fassova advised to adopt a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet and an active daily life. Alcohol is also an enemy to efficient rest. “If you drink a lot, you will fall asleep much faster, but your sleep will be shallow and you’ll wake up earlier,” Fassova said. To feel more rested, “let the bedroom be a place for sleep and sex, and not for watching TV or working,” added Fassova.

To help their students work effectively, university campuses organize seminars and workshops on sleep. This March a program at San Diego State University educated students about the benefits of napping in the daytime. At Stanford, “Sleep and Dreams” class has been offered for years now.

“College is about learning new information, and our memory is

highly dependent on the sleep we get,” said AUBG sophomore

Maria Khrapich. An informal survey of ten

randomly chosen AUBG

students showed that nine out of ten cut on their sleep hours after starting college. In the absence of sleep, students tend to only memorize information for a short time.

The extreme adverse effects of undersleeping have been observed by AUBG professor DeAnna DeRosa, “Back at college, my professor was working on his doctorate and at the time it was legal to do human experiments without proper disclosure...so he divided the class into six different experimental groups.” Along with food and sensory deprivation groups, there was a sleep deprivation group, which made the professor call the experiment off. “After three days, my sleep-deprived colleagues were planning to kill the professor,” DeRosa said.

There are also those who argue stressful lifestyle has advantages. Sophomore Eugeniu Prodan said that hectic routine helps us learn responsibility and become adults, “By stressing ourselves with parties and then sleepless nights before exams, we learn to deal with stress, overcome temptations, and pull ourselves together to do some work.” Getting through stress is good in the long run because after graduation “we should be top performers in any kind of profession,” regardless of looming deadlines, said Peter Titze, exchange student from Switzerland.

Occasional jumps in sleeping schedule differ from constant sleep deprivation, sophomore Diana Nikiforova pointed out. “Sometimes it is inevitable to spend a night in front of the PC finishing a ten-page paper or memorizing accounting terms for another quiz, that’s what college

is mainly about anywhere in this world,” Nikiforova reasoned.

College indeed calls for sacrifices everywhere. It is up to students,

however, if sleep should be the item crossed off their crammed to-do lists.

by Leyla Atayeva, additional reporting by Ivelina Georgieva, illustration by Todor Kostov

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After initially rejecting the Treaty of Lisbon, the Irish held another referendum, which recently passed with an approval of the Treaty by a large margin. Of the leaders that had used the Irish “No” to stall the ratification process, the Polish president subsequently signed, and, after securing an important exception for his country, the Czech president Vaclav Klaus signed as well.

The Council of Ministers, which represents national governments and adopts legislation, and the European Council, will in five years adopt double majority voting (DMV) (55% of the members, representing 15 states, and 65% of the EU’s population), instead of unanimity. Unanimity is claimed by the Lisbon Treaty supporters to have grounded the EU

machinery to a halt, since the last two enlargements made the total number of EU member states 27—a claim that was numerically disproved by all studies I came across.

DMV will be valid for 50 policy areas, including vitally important and controversial areas such as migration. I give this example, since a scandal regarding this issue recently exploded in the UK, after a former Labour Party functionary confessed that his party secretly wanted to change the demographics of the country, by loosening immigration laws, in order to get more votes (immigrants overwhelmingly vote

Treaty of Lisbon

The last obstacles preventing the Treaty of Lisbon from becoming law were removed. Lisbon will strongly affect the future of the European “home” and all its owners—the European peoples. Making it easier for EU-level decisions to be taken, the new treaty can either make Europe much stronger or cause large-scale damages, depending on the decisions.

The European Commission is the EU body responsible for proposing legislation to the EU parliament and Council and implementing it. The Commission is composed of Commissioners who are nominally independent from their national governments and who are supposed to work for the benefit of the EU, not that of their own country.

The Council of the European Union (Council of Ministers) is the EU’s main decision-making body. It is an intergovernmental body, which means that its members are not EU officials. Instead, a minister is sent from each country to represent its national interests. The Council adopts legislation jointly with the European Parliament, concludes international agreements, and decides the EU budget, among other duties.

The European Parliament has 736 members (MEPs) from all 27 EU member states, directly elected every five years. The MEPs are divided in political groups according to their political affiliation, not nationality. Each country is assigned a number of seats based on its population. The Parliament passes legislation, together with the Council (the areas over which the EP has jurisdiction dramatically increases with Lisbon) and monitors the work of the Commission.

EU GLoSSARy

by Svetozar Dimitrov,illustration by Tatiana Namasco

“Approved” stam

p courtesy of psdgraphics.com

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Labour). DMV makes this kind of political “activism,” whether motivated by idealism or political gains, slightly more possible at the EU level. There are some partial safety nets, like the right of national parliaments to stall legislation they do not like, appeal to the European Court of Justice, or to the European Council, where unanimity remains. However, while DMV may facilitate positive developments, it is risky that people with many ideas and little accountability are given more power.

The current system of rotating EU presidencies was scrapped in favor of the position of the EU President, elected for a term of two and a half years to chair the European Council, where all 27 EU heads of state or government meet. Also, the EU Foreign Minister position was created, bringing the Union closer to its goal of being able to speak with a single voice. Again, this will be wonderful, if it is a wise voice. In order to eliminate absurd Commissions, which were the result of providing a Commission for each EU member state, by 2014 the Commissioners will rotate representing 2/3 of the member states at a time. Only Ireland secured an exception and will be permanently represented.

The role of the European Parliament (EP) also increased. A number of policy areas will be subject to co-decision, which means the EP will have a say in the decisions, currently the Council of Ministers’ domain. These will include 40 areas ranging from Fisheries to Asylum and Immigration. While the practice in the Council of Ministers had been not to force countries to agree to anything that defies their most basic national interests, the EP is expected to be a lot more radical. The reason for that are the

parliament members who view the EP as the parliament of a federal

state and are less sensitive to national interests and peculiarities. They have

a lot of activist energy for causes, useful and un-thought-out alike.

Finally, one-third of the national parliaments now have the option of blocking EP legislation, if they feel it goes again the principle of subsidiarity —a piece of Catholic political philosophy, central to the EU, which

holds that the

lowest feasible level

of government should take

decisions. However, EU bodies still have

the final say, which is why I used the verb “blocking”

and not “rejecting.” Lisbon also includes some exotic options, such as enabling one million Europeans to propose legislation and allowing member states to secede from the EU.

What is certain is that the Lisbon

treaty will give more power to EU elites and EU institutions. There will be “more Europe” and Europe will come closer to “speaking with one voice.” This can be a cause for, both, celebration and concern. We do not know if the new tools available to the EU will be used to benefit EU’s owners —the peoples of Europe. The EU has certainly played a positive role in many areas, particularly obvious in the cases of new member states. Nevertheless, large segments of EU elites have demonstrated in other policy areas (such as asylum and immigration) that they are often blind to clear signs of failure and pursue ideologically-motivated policies, regardless of the consequences.

Existential issues, for instance, deciding whether the EU should “deepen” its integration or “widen” it by accepting states like Turkey, will find an easier resolution under the new governing mechanisms. Possibly, less existential directives

(de)regulating the shapes and sizes of agricultural produce will also be resolved faster.

Whether EU elites will manage to take the right decisions will be

affected by our attentiveness and level of political participation.

If we elect responsible politicians to pursue

sustainable European interests, rather

than impose their own agendas on us, we will have a chance to prosper with

the Treaty of Lisbon. It comes down to us making the

right choice on election day.

Svetozar Dimitrov graduated from AUBG in 2008, with majors in History and International Relations and Political Science. He did his MA in International Relations and Political Science from the Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. His Master thesis, “Integrating the Western Balkans into the EU: Croatia and the Republic of Macedonia,” was recently published in Germany by VDM Verlag. Svetozar currently works at AUBG as an Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator, responsible for Sofia and the Western Balkans.

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Some have never participated in a club, while others are present on almost every list of members. What are the attitudes and expectations towards clubs?

For sophomore Valentin Croitoru participation in clubs is a chance to socialize with colleagues who share the same interests. “Classes don’t even get close to creating the level of student interaction that clubs do. School teaches us how to study from books, university should teach us how to learn from each other,” he said. Professor Molly Burke-Kirova also said that clubs are a great way for students to associate. Otherwise, when newbies arrive, they feel

lonesome and stick with their compatriots, she said.

Last year Kirova’s student Dzmitry Miranovich, already involved in many clubs, founded the Forex club. When asked if he had time for social life, he replied, “This is my social life.” Applying the idea on a larger scale, professor Phillips considers association an important skill, teaching students how to live in a democracy.

Besides the social factor, people join clubs to apply their knowledge in real-life situations. “Clubs remind us that university life is more than

merely academics,” the founder of Better Community Club (BCC), Bela Stankova, said. “Working on BCC projects helped

BCC

Inter-

national

clubI-View

MUN

club

Clubs are lively representations of our passions, ideas and imaginations, where friendship, cooperation and enthusiasm meet. Is this, however, true for every student?

AUBG Anatomy:Clubsby Simona Atanasova

*

4 October, 1992 - Tennis Club

May 1994 - Political Club

6 February 1996 – Shooting Club

31 March 1998 – Horse Riding Club, Golf Club

30 September 2002 – Wing Tsung Club, Journalism Club

1998 – MoreHonors

February 1999 – Alternative Cinema Club

14 March 1999 – Driving Club, Totalitarian Magazine

1 February 1999 – Latin American Dance Club (LADC)

30 January 1995 – Calistenics Club

11 October 1995 – AUBG Rock’n’Roll Club

25 October 1995 –AUBG Band, German Club, Hiking and Camping Club, Independent Press Club, American Advertisment Federation Chapter

28 October 1997– International Business and Management Club, Economic Society Club, Bridge Club, AUBG Art Club, Folk Dance Club

Nov. 1, 1995 - Nuclear Family1995 - Friends Club

Rubic cube im

age courtesy of Wikim

edia Online

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BCC

Inter-

national

clubI-View

MUN

club

me develop skills that turn out to be the most important in my life after

AUBG—to be organized, to be responsible, to communicate

effectively and to be a better public speaker.”

A 2004 Exposition assignment of

Bela marked the beginning

of BCC, one of the biggest AUBG

clubs. Three years later, the classes

of professor Kirova gave birth to the

International Club and I-View magazine. This

fall, the founder of the Freakonomics club Elitsa

Dermendzhiyska got the idea to “bring back the passion

to economics,” when she grew bored with the Money and

Banking textbook. People like her, she said, don’t feel challenged

enough in class, so they challenge themselves by founding a club. Another way to form a club is with a friend. It’s more productive, Diana Ivanova, one of the presidents of the European Society club, said. “You’re not afraid of criticism, it’s more informal and your friend can always back you up,” she explained.

To establish a club, students need a faculty advisor. The advisor can be the running engine of the club, like professor Diego Lucci for the Debate

club. The president of the debaters, Maria Droganova, said Lucci’s role is significant since he is unbiased, more experienced and more reliable than students. Professor Sabina Wien is actively supporting the BCC, Cheerleading club and German club. Other professors, however, prefer to stay aside. Alf Eastergard said he had been involved with a few clubs over the years, but he doesn’t find himself especially effective: “I am generally inclined not to advise students; my style is to stay out of their way and avoid constraining their creativity.” He said, however, that clubs do need a solid advisor, that’s why he tends to let his more suited colleagues do the participation. According to Phillips, clubs are usually run by students and professors are rarely present at meetings. Professor Orlin Stoytchev said he doesn’t find much time for clubs because he is rarely on campus. The former president of MUN club, Todor Valev, said he rarely referred to advisors since they have a lot of academic work.

To facilitate their work, this semester all Business and Economics oriented clubs merged in one structure. According to SG President Panici, however, the key problem is that only a minority of students are actively involved in clubs. “Real life does not begin after graduation, it begins from your first day in the university,” Panici said and appealed to students to be more engaged.

4 May 1994 – “Varbin informed the SG that the Basketball Club has bought 15, instead of 14, pairs of sports shoes. The SG is not responsible for the additional pair of shoes.”

16 November 1999 – “The senators discussed the alleged incident that took place on 7 November, 1999, when the JMC professor Schmidt allegedly hit the student Dinko Gospodinoff, most probably affected by the creation of an insulting webpage about him. The alleged incident shocked the entire AUBG community and the lack of clarification on the issue on behalf of the administration worried the senators.”

17 October 2000 – “A student found a rat’s tail in a slice of bread that he was eating at the AUBG canteen.” The bread provider was changed afterwards.

13 February 2001 – “President Rashev reported on his meeting with the Associate Dean Mr. Grim when he was informed in details on the newly proposed schedule. According to the schedule, which was almost final, the morning classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday would start from 8 a.m. and would last 50 minutes, while the afternoon classes on these days, as well as all classes on Tuesday and Thursday would remain 75 minutes.”

26 February 2001 – “The senators discussed the new university media policy which required that all interviews for the internal media should go through PR Petya Stoeva first.”

3 April 2001 – “The issue of what should be done with the leftovers from the Student Government Party, the senators decided anonymously to have them served during the regular Student Government meetings.”

SG ARCHIVES SPEAK

* The timeline is not complete due to space limitations and gaps in documentation

5 October 2004 – American Football Club, Oriental Club 11 October 2004 – Rock Jamming Club

1 February 2006 – Computer Studies Students Club (CSSU)February 2006 – Yoga Health Club

February 2008 - AIESEC2008 – Forum of European Journalism Students (FEJS), Logos

26 September 2005 – Business Club17 November 2005 – Spanish Club

10 March 2005 – European Society Club

Art Club, R.I.P – November 2009.

September 2009 – Director’s Studio, European Youth Movement

Page 16: Verve Magazine Fall 2009

FALL 2009 VERVE

16

leadership skills as the Business major, for example.

AUBG alumna Zarif Bakirova is skeptical about the prospects of becoming a leader. “I lack leadership skills,” she said. “There are inborn leaders. I am not one of them.”

Isn’t 4.00 GPA enough?

When choosing between completing three majors, five concentrations, making the Dean’s List, and doing extracurricular activities, for some the choice is not in favor of the latter. “Last year, with five BUS courses, I did not have much time for extracurricular activities,” said senior Stefan Taranchokov.

I see no reason to be leader at AUBG.

You might be interested in something that AUBG does not offer or disagree with how AUBG sees leadership. “All extracurricular activities at AUBG are American-like,” said senior Momchil Stalev. “We are not leaders here at AUBG, we are being led because of the way we react to the extra-curricular opportunities AUBG traditionally offers. I still have not found anything at AUBG that would reflect my interests.”

“AUBG creates an environment which is so

surreal that it makes you feel as if you never knew reality. In my view AUBG exists in an isolated bubble and does not give a broad enough perspective on the outside world,” said senior Ivan Kanev.

Professor Mark Stefanovich stressed the importance of personal choice and deciding for yourself on what to focus. “You did not come to the university to do extracurricular activities, you came to study. Those who are involved in extracurricular activities actually are rarely those with 4.0 GPA,” said Stefanovich.

What’s the defenition?

Some disagree with the definition of leadership that AUBG seems to adopt.

“For me, leadership is measured by accomplishments and not by participation in university clubs or being a work-study,” Kanev said.

“Leadership is the way you feel. You could just be self-confident to be a leader, and you don’t have to participate in extracurricular activities to put that in your CV,” junior Evelyn Valibayova said. “Besides, the definition of leadership is different at AUBG and in the region I come from [Azerbaijan]. In the post-Soviet countries, you are a leader if you have some kind of

managerial rank, and it does not matter what qualities you possess. The American-

type leader does not have immediately to be a manager. He might be a regular worker, but as long as he sets goals and achieves them, he is a leader.”

I was raised without leadership.

Sophomore Constantin Scacun said that at a post-Soviet high-school he developed the habit to always have good grades, which got

into his blood and which he keeps applying at AUBG. “So far nobody at AUBG told me it’s [more] important to participate in extra-curricular activities [than] to focus on studies.”

AUBG alumna Elena Osipova said, “People from the post-communist region need to adjust to the idea that they can stand up and do something. Many people are still not willing to take the challenge.”

Leadership? What’s in it for me?

Senior Elena Dmitrieva said her future career would have nothing to do with leadership. “I am planning to be a designer. Besides, I would not like to have a job that involves many responsibilities,” she said.

“There are different people in the world,” said Todor Kehayov, Director of Residence Life and Housing. “Some people prefer to take the backstage. And it is not only at AUBG. The university gives the opportunity to become a leader, but everyone makes his own choices.”

For some, AUBG is a perfect place to build a leadership-oriented CV. So what is it going to be? Organizing community service events? Representing your fellow students before a towering administration? Unleashing your creative potential to mock everything around

you? But if the future leader idea only excites your gag reflex, then perhaps you are part of another group of people. Here are six reasons not to be a future leader…

Leadership is not my thing—live with it.

Missions might state goals and

standards, but in the end,

it’s students who lead

the university. If students do not feel that leading is their major priority in life, there’s little the mission can do.

“I don’t have the skills to be a leader. I am not good at working in groups,” said sophomore Constantin Scacun. “I worked at a computer science project back when I studied at an American high-school. I had more ideas than any of my teammates did, and I did almost all the work by myself. I wasn’t able to assign the tasks to my teammates.” That is why he has chosen to major in COS: it does not require as much

SIX REASoNSto rethink leadership by Ecaterina Captari,

illustrations by Veranika Hlushakova

Page 17: Verve Magazine Fall 2009

FALL 2009VERVE

17

leadership skills as the Business major, for example.

AUBG alumna Zarif Bakirova is skeptical about the prospects of becoming a leader. “I lack leadership skills,” she said. “There are inborn leaders. I am not one of them.”

Isn’t 4.00 GPA enough?

When choosing between completing three majors, five concentrations, making the Dean’s List, and doing extracurricular activities, for some the choice is not in favor of the latter. “Last year, with five BUS courses, I did not have much time for extracurricular activities,” said senior Stefan Taranchokov.

I see no reason to be leader at AUBG.

You might be interested in something that AUBG does not offer or disagree with how AUBG sees leadership. “All extracurricular activities at AUBG are American-like,” said senior Momchil Stalev. “We are not leaders here at AUBG, we are being led because of the way we react to the extra-curricular opportunities AUBG traditionally offers. I still have not found anything at AUBG that would reflect my interests.”

“AUBG creates an environment which is so

surreal that it makes you feel as if you never knew reality. In my view AUBG exists in an isolated bubble and does not give a broad enough perspective on the outside world,” said senior Ivan Kanev.

Professor Mark Stefanovich stressed the importance of personal choice and deciding for yourself on what to focus. “You did not come to the university to do extracurricular activities, you came to study. Those who are involved in extracurricular activities actually are rarely those with 4.0 GPA,” said Stefanovich.

What’s the defenition?

Some disagree with the definition of leadership that AUBG seems to adopt.

“For me, leadership is measured by accomplishments and not by participation in university clubs or being a work-study,” Kanev said.

“Leadership is the way you feel. You could just be self-confident to be a leader, and you don’t have to participate in extracurricular activities to put that in your CV,” junior Evelyn Valibayova said. “Besides, the definition of leadership is different at AUBG and in the region I come from [Azerbaijan]. In the post-Soviet countries, you are a leader if you have some kind of

managerial rank, and it does not matter what qualities you possess. The American-

type leader does not have immediately to be a manager. He might be a regular worker, but as long as he sets goals and achieves them, he is a leader.”

I was raised without leadership.

Sophomore Constantin Scacun said that at a post-Soviet high-school he developed the habit to always have good grades, which got

into his blood and which he keeps applying at AUBG. “So far nobody at AUBG told me it’s [more] important to participate in extra-curricular activities [than] to focus on studies.”

AUBG alumna Elena Osipova said, “People from the post-communist region need to adjust to the idea that they can stand up and do something. Many people are still not willing to take the challenge.”

Leadership? What’s in it for me?

Senior Elena Dmitrieva said her future career would have nothing to do with leadership. “I am planning to be a designer. Besides, I would not like to have a job that involves many responsibilities,” she said.

“There are different people in the world,” said Todor Kehayov, Director of Residence Life and Housing. “Some people prefer to take the backstage. And it is not only at AUBG. The university gives the opportunity to become a leader, but everyone makes his own choices.”

For some, AUBG is a perfect place to build a leadership-oriented CV. So what is it going to be? Organizing community service events? Representing your fellow students before a towering administration? Unleashing your creative potential to mock everything around

you? But if the future leader idea only excites your gag reflex, then perhaps you are part of another group of people. Here are six reasons not to be a future leader…

Leadership is not my thing—live with it.

Missions might state goals and

standards, but in the end,

it’s students who lead

the university. If students do not feel that leading is their major priority in life, there’s little the mission can do.

“I don’t have the skills to be a leader. I am not good at working in groups,” said sophomore Constantin Scacun. “I worked at a computer science project back when I studied at an American high-school. I had more ideas than any of my teammates did, and I did almost all the work by myself. I wasn’t able to assign the tasks to my teammates.” That is why he has chosen to major in COS: it does not require as much

SIX REASoNSto rethink leadership by Ecaterina Captari,

illustrations by Veranika Hlushakova

Page 18: Verve Magazine Fall 2009

A Turquoise Exchangeby Marlis Vasilescu, photo from personal archive

It is 9:30 on a Monday morning. Not a cloud in the sky. I sit on the warm golden sand and gaze at the infinite ocean. I get lost in the moment. The color of the water makes even the clear sky look dark—a wonderful fusion of surreal colors. I lean back and look up at the palm trees. I am all alone. To my left, in the distance, stand an old Spanish fortress and the San Juan Capitol that closely resembles the Washington D.C. one.

The music of the waves is accompanied by salsa rhythms coming from a beach bar nearby. This is how my exchange year in the University of Puerto Rico starts.

On the bus to Rio Piedras, hometown to the campus, I can’t help noticing how happy everyone looks. I believe that the pleasant weather on this so-called “Island of enchantment” has a lot to do with the contagious positive mood that floats in the air.

I pass by the old University Tower and admire the lively colored architecture. I get off the bus and the campus appears like a huge tropical garden. The abundance of colorful vegetation catches the eye. I never knew there were so many types of trees…

Crossing the campus, Avenida Universidad is the street where most students spend time after classes. They gather around to have lunch, dinner or just dance and have a drink with friends. Beer is cheap at the parties that happen every night. For bigger student celebrations, the whole street closes down.

As the night falls, Puerto Rico comes to life. The first Tuesday of every month, Noches de Galleria in Old San

Juan, attracts plenty of people who admire the art

galleries and expositions. The crowds then party until dawn in the streets, bars, clubs and restaurants. It would be a mistake to take classes on Friday because you might have to miss a trip to the islands of Culebra or Vieques, ranked among the ten most beautiful beaches in the world.

Though I cannot describe all the holidays and parties that take place in Puerto Rico, I have to mention spending Christmas and New Year in the Caribbean. People go to friends’ houses with traditional instruments and sing until the owners invite them in for drinks and food. The decorated palm trees make both a funny and magical sight. Spending Christmas at the beach, while getting tan, seafood, and cocktails is the best part of it all.

The variety of classes at the University of Puerto Rico is much greater than the one at AUBG, for every major field. I mostly liked “The legislative branch of Puerto Rico.” Our professor had been a senator, so he held the classes at the very San Juan Capitol. I got acquainted with some of the most important Puerto Rican political figures and learned how laws are written and passed. Since the legislative branch of Puerto Rico is a miniature copy of the U.S. one, I could kill two birds with one stone.

I also had the chance to polish two languages at a time, reading textbooks in English and making presentations in Spanish. Still, since the university started early in August, I couldn’t stop feeling on a vacation or, at most, in a summer school.

Though a Spanish-speaking archipelago in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico is a self-governing territory of the United States. Latino culture is thus strongly influenced by the American worldview and the islands balance Latin American traditions and U.S.-style administration.

ISEP150 US institutions available$355 fee to ISEP A semester or a year, deadline for Fall 2010 application: February 1st

Erasmus52 European institutions availableMonthly grant based on the cost of livingOnly spring semester

University of Maine and the State University of New york - Fredonia

To be announced in JanuaryStudents going on exchange can also apply to the travel fund and get up to $500

Page 19: Verve Magazine Fall 2009

Mark Stanley

A Turquoise Exchange U.S. Exchange Students Talk to VERVE

We all see their trademark smiles on campus. We all joke about their countrymen’s habits.

Now we get to know their opinion.

Sarina Forester

Molly May

Casey Bozenski

What is mehana*?I have no idea...it’s a type of shoe.

What is the most important thing you would like to take home with you from Bulgaria?A husband! Oh, and a solid education! I wish I could take very cheap alcohol home with me.

How is Bulgaria different from the U.S.?They listen to chalga here and we listen to sloppy, degrading rap music at home. Coke is more expensive than beer here—that never happens in the States.

If I would ever want to go to the U.S., what are the things I should take with me in order to succeed?I would bring enough intelligence to not believe that MTV or Entertainment Weekly are the real American life.

How is Bulgaria different from the U.S.?Bulgarians have a general sense of their history and the present international issues, whereas U.S. citizens have no time for international facts other

than what’s hand-fed to them by the media.

What is the most surprising thing about Blagoevgrad?School uniforms…they are just weird.

If I would ever want to go to the U.S., what are the things I should take with me in order to succeed?I think it’s the same in all countries: talk to people, the more you talk to people, the more you know.

How is Bulgaria different from the U.S.?Bulgaria is more homey, it’s more hospitable, you feel welcome here.

The most surprising thing in Blagoevgrad?The overabundance of wild dogs that roam the streets and neighborhoods of Blagoevgrad. Why is there no animal rescue shelter?

And the weirdest?Probably the fact that everybody carries their things in plastic Kaufland bags. Everyting: clothes, food and school books. I don’t think it’s very fashionable.

Do you know what rakia is?Yes, I love rakia, even though I haven’t had it yet, but I love the idea of it.

* Mehana is a Bulgarian traditional restaurant with live music and cuisine, usually situated in a cellar.Rakia is a traditional strong alcoholic drink, a fruit brandy, popular in the Balkans.

by Marzhan Doszhanova, photos by Vladimir Croitoru

Page 20: Verve Magazine Fall 2009