The Key to Europe is more than just a yearbook. It’s AEGEE’s memory, a piece of history. Being trusted with making the association’s most prestigious publication is a special honour. This year Alejandra Piot Pérez-Abadín is Editor-in-Chief of the Key to Europe. The Golden Times asked the former President of AEGEE-A Coruña and current Speaker of the Network Commission how she can handle several such time-consuming tasks and how the Key will be this year.

GT: Alejandra, congratulations on being selected as Editor-In-Chief of the Key To Europe 2016-2017! What motivated you to apply?
Alejandra: Thank you so much! Well, I saw the open call and I felt that I had enough motivation to keep giving my time and efforts to AEGEE and to the Key to Europe, which I really like!

GT: Did you have previous experience in the field of journalism?
Alejandra: I am finishing my bachelor in audiovisual communication, and, I had some subjects related to that and I had to do some practical work related to journalism so, yes, we can say that I have.

GT: You are also Network Commissioner, which is one of the most time-consuming tasks in AEGEE. How do you handle both tasks?
Alejandra: I always thought and am still thinking that you can do anything you want if you organize yourself well. If you want, you can. Of course the NetCom consumes a lot of my time, but, I am able to manage both things, because I love everything I am doing in AEGEE and I can give up on some sleep to accomplish my goals.

The cover of the first Key 25 years ago.

GT: Who is in your Key Team?
Alejandra: Ainuddin Faaeq from AEGEE-Mugla, Karina Kho from AEGEE-Moskva and Marina Krivonosova from AEGEE-Voronezh as Photo Database Managers. Natalia Klimenko from AEGEE-Moskva as Editor. Laura Pazienza from AEGEE-A Coruña as Creative Director. Erika Bettin from AEGEE-Verona, Patrycja Figarska from AEGEE-Warszawa, Marta Labanowska from AEGEE-Warszawa, Matteo Lai from AEGEE-Cagliari and Adrianna Ziemniewicz from AEGEE-Warszawa as Journalists.

GT: Did you select everyone yourself? And did you motivate some of them to apply?
Alejandra: They applied by themselves. I just motivated Laura to apply for it, since she is a new member of my local. The others applied by themselves and I didn’t know them before starting to work.

Also Agora Chair and former Editor-in-Chief Erika Bettin is in the new Key Team

GT: You made an open call for articles. How many did you get so far?
Alejandra: We received around ten applications for contributions. Any member could ask to write about anything they think is remarkable. There are no special requirements, the number of pages will depend on the topic. The deadline to have everything written is the 30th of June. Apart from this we selected some topics and are already contacting the respective people.

GT: What’s your vision or structure of this year’s edition? What do you want to highlight?
Alejandra: I would like to highlight on one hand the celebration of 20 years of NetCom, as it also contributed to have a new honorary member in our association. Also, the Conference in Budapest and the Europe on Track project, as I think it was an amazing work from everyone who was involved. Also, we want to highlight the 30th anniversary of the Summer University Project and the Charlemagne Prize that they received, as well as Faces of Europe.

GT: What do you take as inspiration of the previous editions?
Alejandra: Mainly the structure and what was included. I have been in contact with the Editors-In-Chief of previous editions, and I also have one in my team, so it is really amazing to see what was done and how – and we try to improve it.

GT: And what will be new or different?
Alejandra: Let’s see how we can surprise you!

GT: And when will the Key be finished?
Alejandra: We are working hard to have it finished for Agora Catania!

Download previous edition of the Key to Europe here: www.aegeegoldentimes.eu/key-to-europes/