SinCoSTan“Trigonometry for

everyone”

Weimar 2011EYP

ChairS inTroS

EuropEan proBLEMS

VoCaB

hoTTiES

TEaMBuiLdingprESidEnTiaL inTErViEW

TEaMBuiLding

ThE STarTing poinT of joyThe session had a kick off start with its first day of team-building. Delegates from different countries gathered at the volleyball field for a meeting with their fellow committee members and chairs. The air was filled with nervousness and anticipation- for obvious reasons. They were all stran-gers connected only by the same interest in European mat-ters. All chairpersons gathered their own committees and moved into different places within the venues. Each com-mittee started with different name games. Thanks to them, the delegates were able to learn each other’s names in a very time and new bonds started to be formed. The longest in-troduction was probably made in the committee of AFCO where the presence of the video camera crew demanded the committee to repeat the process for impressive three times.

When the delegates learned each other’s names, the chairs were able to concentrate more on the more enjoyable “ice-breakers”. AFET2 had few problems when relating to their inner fighter, but with a minor help from an unknown source the right decibel rating was broken and they even reinvent-ed the Yoda flame. Impressive work guys!

Tears and laughter resonated when delegates proclaimed their endless love in the game Honey tell me that you love me. The question game proved out to be a journalist’s jackpot on quotes. LIBE2’s questions ranged from tree hugging to animal handling as well as one delegate implying a need for “deeper” connection. Pass the orange caused a bit of confu-sion among the delegates, since they actually had to picture the orange. But as the rubber ball was passed to every com-mittee member the only complaint was that why it was not a banana? The committee of IMCO loved it so much that they decided to show off a poor journalist attempting to time their round.

Sometimes committees wanted to battle against each other for fame and glory and this was the case when ITRE and IMCO clashed as giants, dwarves and sorcerers. The out-come: A one-sided fantasy massacre. However, not all of the committees were that bloodthirsty! EMPL and LIBE1 decid-

ed to join forces for a big game of the Virgin and Pervert. This variation of the game Cat and Mouse included loads of loud and passionate voices made by both committees as reported by an unfortunate witness.

From time to time chairs introduced few conversation games for the delegates to further introduce themselves. In the dating game delegates were given topics to discuss, try-ing to find small and hilarious facts about each other. In two Truths one Lie delegates were paired up for a brief conversa-tion in which they had to come up with two truths and one lie about their partner which had to presented later to the rest of the committee and the delegates’ goal was to identify the false fact. The delegates of CULT did an astonishing per-formance by finding out all of the lies about the delegates, but the fact about their chair Laura who had six siblings seemed unbelievable.

After rocking the icebreakers and conversations committees moved onto more trust based team-building exercises. Spi-der web proved out to be quite a challenge for all the com-mittees, but in the end they all demonstrated inhumane flexibility and they came up with innovative ideas on how to work together as a team. The committee of EMPL deserves special recognition for coming up with the best guideline for the game: Keep your body tight, so you’ll be lighter. Good work all of you! As the first day of teambuilding passed you all introduced yourself to many different people, not just for the people from your own committees but to other many others, fellow delegates attending this session. So hopefully you all enjoyed and you feel better prepared for the commit-tee work to come.

Imagine the feeling of being in the midst of stran-gers from different parts of the country or even around the continent gathering into a group and starting to play silly, but funny activities and ac-tive games. Riding a big fat pony or throwing snowballs even when there is no snow around are just some of the things that first time delegates learn on the first day at an EYP session. These games do not only make strangers start to learn each other’s’ names, but also make them cooper-ate and earn each other’s’ trust.

Although it has been more than two years be-tween my very first EYP session and today I still cannot forget the feeling of being surrounded by new enthusiastic strange faces from differ-ent countries jumping around and singing “here we go with the big fat pony” or dancing to other songs which seemed silly. I even felt embarrassed and scared to share personal facts being an in-trovert then with a group of strangers I had just met. But then the magic happened, the magic of building a functional team that works together without any quarrelling or shouting for one noble goal which was to present a resolution within a few days.

EYP teambuilding is much more than just form-ing a team for discussing the committee topics together, it is about creating an environment in which you will never feel constrained or ignored. It is also about forgetting where you are and start-ing to enjoy yourself without feeling lost.

Teambuilding exercises and games represent a wide range of activities which are designed to im-prove team performance and to create a friendly environment for a successful committee work. They range from really silly games to games that are really complicated for specific purposes.

More solid reasons why teambuilding is necessary are that they motivate the team, improve commu-nication by getting everyone “onto the same boat” and by helping the delegates learn more about themselves.

Memorizing the names of your group within a short period of time could be difficult but these games such as ‘name and action’ or ‘name and adjective’ not only helps in memorizing all the

names of the committee members but also helps to know a few things about them in the begin-ning.

These kinds of activities are problem solving activities designed to break the ice between the delegates and improve their ability to communi-cate their ideas clearly. The issues that the team encounters in these exercises are solved by com-municating effectively with each other. The pur-pose is to create an activity which highlights the importance of communication for the team’s per-formance.

A trust exercise involves engaging the committee members in a way that will induce trust between them. They are sometimes difficult exercises to implement as there are generally varying degrees of trust between individuals and varying degrees of individual comfort trusting others. The goal of these activities is to create trust among the team members and help to form friendship within the team.

Problem solving exercises focus specifically on groups working together to solve difficult prob-lems or to make complex decisions. These ex-ercises are some of the most common as they appear to have the most direct link to what em-ployers want their teams to be able to do. The goal is to increase the ability or the team to think and work as a team.

These activities are used to help to refocus eve-ryone after a tiring game or during committee work.

In conclusion, teambuilding activities may seem as just games but much deeper than that. It could even help build a long lasting EYP friendship after the session.

Why Teambuilding exercises and

what are they?

name games

Communication games

Trust games

problem solving games

Energizers

Conclusion

Teambuilding

a ToTaLLy Bonding ExpEriEnCE

» How was your trip?

Well it was exciting as well as challenging. I have never driven such a long distance at one time.

» How come Lluis did not drive you here? People tend to think driving is rather a man task.

One reason would be that I have the driving licence for a longer period of time and another one is that I am a very passionate driver. And also, Lluis is definitely the best co-pilot ever. He built a special map containing of 7 pieces of our journey from Berlin to Weimar and an-nounced every time we moved from one piece to another.

» What was the first session you attended and how did you find out about it?

It was the first Romanian NSC in May 2007. I found out about EYP from one of my older schoolmates but I honestly did not know what to expect. For example no one told me the del-egates were about to deliver speeches by them-selves. Eventually I was answering questions during the open debate.

» Is it not even harder than having to give a speech?

It might be, because you need to be really pro-active, but it was worth it – I got selected as an individual to represent Romania at the Prague IS in 2008.

» Would you like to share some memorable EYP experience with us?

I don´t have any from an actual session (ex-cept of some GA blisters and such things) but there is one from a training in Berlin. We were playing the Dutch ball game and one of my colleagues managed to hit me in my face with his forehead. I actually still have a visible scar under my left eye. It was painful.

» What is your goal for this session?

I would love to make people feel good and leave the session with a feeling of satisfaction.

» What is your favourite role within the EYP?

Being a delegate, that is for sure. It is the fun-niest, the most challenging and extra-ordinary role. You get to meet more people than while being an official.

» Which session do you consider as your favourite?

It would probably be the Belgian session where the GA took place in the real European Parlia-

ment building. As a vice president there I en-joyed watching the delegates being very much engaged in the debate.

» Few of the delegates would also like to ask you a few questions. Would you rather dance salsa or polka?

Since I do not know polka I would prefer danc-ing salsa.

» Where would you recommend the delegates to wear their badges?

I would personally either attach them to my pants or use it as a bracelet.

Having the session already open, it is the right time to find out more about the president of the Weimar International Forum, Monica. Although this 21 year old law student from Romania is a very busy person, we managed to arrange a little interview with her.

INtroducINg ThE prESidEnT

Ich bin ein Ausländer, baby.Tips on How to Survive in germany without Knowing the german language

BiTTE LaSS MiCh aLLEin.Please leave me alone.

Wo kann iCh Ein ZugTiCkET kaufEn?Where can I buy a train ticket?

Wo iST daS näChSTE Bad?Where is the nearest bathroom?

iCh Bin niChT inTErESSi-ErT.I am not interested.

kann iCh Ein foTo MiT dir MaChEn? can I take a picture with you?

darf iCh dEin handy-nuMMEr haBEn?can I have your phone number?

WiE gEhT’S dir?How are you?

du BiST SüSS.You are cute.

könnTE iCh BiTTE Ein BiEr BEkoM-MEn?can I have a beer?

The four girls and four boys you can see here volunteered to be the ‘hotties of the day’. They all deserve to be called so, and—having

seen this page—you will get to know them much better.

HoTTieso f

ThE day

Alexandre Delabre (LIBE 2, France)

Dominika Drag (EMPL, Poland)

Jannik Meissner (LIBE 2, Germany)

Lucas Vilches Rodriguez (AFCO,

Denmark)

Jens Vesterlund Mathiesen (EMPL, Denmark)

Emma Theyan (ITRE, France)

Kateřina Rábová (LIBE 2, Czech)

Malwina Anna Wójcik (AFET 2, Poland)

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� Italian � Battling against mathematics at the university of rome (which is

also his home town) � Piece of a normal cake

harM Van LEEuVEn

� dutch � Hopes to study economics in Berlin for his masters � Love triangle

CharLoTTE froMonT

� French � Engaged with Law and political studies in Lyon � toblerone

Laura ThiEMT

� german � Starting the 2nd year of her studies of medicine in Marburg � Human pyramid

LukaS göTTEMann

� german � Studying chemistry in Zűrich � cH4-molecule

raphaEL BEk

� Austrian � Is looking up things at the moment � a piece of Sacher cake

uLriCh j. j. VöLkEr

� german � currently studies law in Passau. � the Weimar triangle

VEronika drZkoVá

� czech � Studies law, marketing and public relations in Prague � triangle sponge (innovative, isn’t it?)

“In my country there is a problem, and that problem is money... or the lack of it”, says Francisco Santos, a fellow Portuguese EYPer. Last reports indicate that the Portuguese foreign debt has reached 90 % of its Gross domestic product which in fact is not only a national problem, but rather a pan-European one. If we look back to 2001, when the Euro- now being used by seventeen different countries - did not exist, countries could simple issue as much money in their national currency as they wanted. The currency would be “devalorized” and the country itself would be even more competitive on the international markets as its product would be seem-ingly cheaper. Now in 2011 the Euro-zone countries would not accept such a thing as they would be literally losing money if they accepted that others could freely create “their” coins out of nothing.

Even though Francisco proudly says he is a Portuguese and a European, he admits that the Union hasn’t been very thoughtful on this problem; and some specialists even say that it will be the end of the European dream. But what is this dream exactly about? Well, it is not particularly clear, but for this journalist is something that would include “peace, and a strong block of European countries that rise up as a multicultural world potency, only possible trough the Union.” But there are things that cannot go on as they are as this Europe is not fully united yet and main-ly economical reasons stop it", and, as Francisco points out, in Portugal, where the minimum wage is about 500 Euros a month, you barely have the money for yourself as the taxes keep rising to pay other European partners that borrow money with very high interest. “This is a snowball,” many experts have said. It is indeed, but as the snow keeps rising in sunny Portugal, some people ask if we wouldn’t be better off when a coffee was just 50 escudos. Now, if you spend some time search-ing you can buy one for 50 cents, which is the double of when the coin was in the Portuguese standards. Unfortunately in terms of Portuguese salary, only the sym-bol of the currency has really changed.

“Unfortunately is not in our hands any more”, Francisco mourns. “There are no more sacrifices that can be made that haven’t already been done”. Between cuts in health costs, education, besides firing people and reducing wages, rising taxes on products and fuels among others, the only thing we can do is to sell even more of the country’s sovereignty itself.

The problem is European so we need to consider a European solution. Some ex-perts suggest the ‘Eurobonds’. Eurobonds are loans issued by all the countries of the Eurozone together, which is very beneficial for the countries with smaller economies, but not as much for the ones with prosperous ones. But the solution is not that simple as the German chancellor Angela Merkel and her government are against it. The European motor cannot provide an answer and there are still ques-tions if it can stop the ‘snow ball’ by just taking small pieces out of it.

After asking some people about the ‘problem’ I found an expert! Tim K. told me not to worry about it: “Not in your lifetime my Portuguese friend!” This economics student explained to me that, in his vision the “snowball” will indeed get bigger but he cannot really see where it will crash. Hopefully the countries with the biggest debts will allow their citizens to have an affordable life, Tim concluded.

Even if my worries have been postponed until I get back to Portugal and start win-ning the 500 Euros myself, I’ll keep trying to find a solution. If nothing comes, “felizmente há luar”.

porTugaL HAS got A ProBLEM

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