Gender studies and social psychology are some of the main interests of Heper Sayar. No surprise that the AEGEE-Istanbul member is running for the position of Equal Rights Working Group Coordinator at the upcoming Agora in Bucharest. When he is not working for AEGEE, he is busy with one of his many other hobbies. “I really love drag, singing and painting, I also do Turkish marbling art”, says Heper.
GT: Where would you be now if you hadn’t joined AEGEE?
Heper Sayar: Well, this is a question I have no answer to. I like where I am and what I do a lot. I would probably be involved in activism maybe in another organization or local NGO. But probably I would go for the human rights topics still.
GT: How did you join AEGEE exactly? How did you find out about it?
Heper: I was looking for international organisations to join, I found AEGEE online, read about it and became interested.
GT: How long did it take you from the first moment until you signed the membership form and joined AEGEE?
Heper: I went to a meeting the day I found out about the organisation and signed the form immediately.
GT: What’s the typical drink and food you bring to European Nights?
Heper: Rakı and Turkish cotton candy.
GT: At an AEGEE party where will we find you? On the dancefloor? Talking at the bar?
Heper: Probably dancing on a table or in the middle of a dance floor or sometimes even on the floor.
GT: What was your first Agora and how did you feel there? Happy, excited, overwhelmed, lost?
Heper: It was Agora Kraków in 2018. I felt a bit nervous at first but in general, it was amazing and I had such a great time.
GT: Have you ever hitchhiked to an AEGEE event?
Heper: No. It’s just not my cup of tea.
GT: Do you like cooking and what’s your favourite dish you like to cook?
Heper: I love cooking. I am not saying that I am good but my favourite one to cook is vegetarian lasagna.
GT: What’s never missing in your fridge?
Heper: I drink ice tea daily, so probably peach ice tea.
GT: What do your parents think about the idea that you are so active in AEGEE?
Heper: They are quite happy that I am this active actually, I have their full support.
GT: In a typology of members there are the three aspects fun member, career member and idealist – to which percentage are you which of these aspects?
Heper: I am kind of a work hard, play hard person. So I would say I am a mixture of the three of them.
GT: What other hobbies do you have aside from AEGEE?
Heper: I really love drag, singing and painting, I also do Turkish marbling art.
GT: Did you consider joining a political party or maybe want to do it later?
Heper: No, I haven’t considered it before, but if I find one that matches my ideas or thoughts, why not?
GT: What do you study – and why?
Heper: I study psychology. I always was and still am interested in gender studies and social psychology. This is why I wanted to study psychology in the first place.
GT: What’s your dream job?
Heper: To be in an organization where I can work on human rights projects.
GT: What’s the favourite city or place on this planet you ever visited?
Heper: London.
GT: And where would you really like to go?
Heper: Japan.
GT: What’s your biggest frustration in AEGEE?
Heper: Not being able to attend every event I see. I know that sounds cheesy but that’s true.
GT: Please complete the sentence: “AEGEE is for me…”
Heper: A safe space where I can be myself and have fun while doing some serious work at the same time. It’s not that easy to find places or environments like this in my opinion.
GT: How would you describe yourself in a few keywords?
Heper: Kind, patient, intelligent, and pretty open-minded.
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