“Pizza? Sorry, no Pineapple Available!”
AEGEE-Pisa and AEGEE-Bologna made their participants fall in love with Italy. Their Travelling Summer University was called “Stay hungry stay foolish: enjoy Italy between the leaning towers” and took place from 13 to 27 June 2019.
GT: What was your Summer University about?
SU team: We organised this SU to make our participants fall in love with Italy and Italian culture and of course we knew we can count on Italian art and food!
GT: How many participants and how many organizers did you have?
SU team: We had 20 participants selected from 33 applicants and we were eight organizers for each city of Pisa and Bologna plus two external helpers that follow the entire SU. By the way, this event was organized with the collaboration of the new AEGEE Contact in Parma!
GT: What were the greatest thematic programme highlights of the SU?
SU team: In Pisa we discovered the local traditions through medieval folklore and the wine production process. Being in Italy our participants learnt also how to make a pizza and experimented with different ingredients. Sorry, no pineapple available! [laughing]
In Bologna the group participated in the Gay Pride but before that we were able to explain in a deep and informal way what really are the struggles and the battles undertaken by the LGBTQ+ movement. This workshop has been fun in a bitter way and sad in a warm and optimistic way.
GT: What were the funniest or most exciting moments?
SU team: In Pisa the “Luminara” is the best night to appreciate the magnificence of the river Arno, illuminated only by the lights of thousands of candles. This one was even more special for us because the waiting time became the most amusing Gossip Box reading session ever! The wine tasting workshop was a special moment for all of us, participants and organizers. It was an interesting hour and a half in those frenetic days, because we had the chance to slow down and savor the moment. The pub crawl opened the “bolognese part”; it was planned as an efficient and entertaining excuse for appreciating the city and its atmosphere disguised as one of the craziest events ever! It is impossible to imagine a better conclusion for this awesome event than the days in Rimini: cooking workshops, parties and the touching Good-Bye Night, further pieces of information are confidential!
GT: How was the group of participants? How did you manage to integrate them?
SU team: Our participants were really friendly, energetic and interested in the whole thematic input, always sweet and willing to enjoy every moment. Our participants like to say that what united them the most was the first accommodation; in Pisa we were sleeping in an ugly giant tent/gym and they loved it!
GT: How was the cooperation in the organizing team?
SU team: The cooperation was great and we divided the tasks between organisers and helpers well.
GT: How was the romance factor of the SU? And what were the highlights from the gossip box?
SU team: After the first week of knowing each other, the pub crawl in Bologna warmed the group a lot and we started to have a lot of gossips the days after.
GT: How successful was the SU overall?
SU team: We achieved all the results we hoped for and managed to overcome the numerous obstacles occurring. This event was amazing!
GT: Anything you would like to add?
SU team: Look at the sky!