׉?ׁB!בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://W5odUcZDpAzU9_4SOLsC--09DOKx7fUBt5kL_UWQ0Ig`׉ 7cassandra://0yaCz4viu8buLsqfRxGb4_8cM05zewQCbl_VRG-f30s͡h`c׉ 7cassandra://ZT-3MaxZaKI6WEG-5sBZCwETgxFMSQPXtLifI8VYV6o3o`̾׉ 7cassandra://HM7V8e2Hn3DvL5nkCbKZb5wYxBSUcprh_IGS-v8R3nU͠#b@#i^y;טu׈frJ׈Eb@#i^y:׉EMAUBG DAILY SPRING 2022 SENIOR ISSUE VOL. 3, ISSUE 2 CLASS OF 2022 By Spencer Collins On Monday, April 4, I waited for Marko. S ix weeks prior, I reached out to Marko Mazepa, an AUBG freshman who was in Ukraine during the Putin-ordered invasion. On Feb 24, Ukrainian President Volodimir Zelensky implemented martial law and barred men 18 to 60 years old from leaving the country. Marko is 19. Since then, Marko has feared conscription, took midterms during air raids, and ultimately, went through four countries, and used a bus, a train, a car, and a plane to go from his home in Lviv, Ukraine to Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. A guitar, a traditional Ukrainian dress, and a few odds and ends accompanied him on his trip to Bulgaria. A musician. A citizen. A student. Despite being online for a semester and a half, Marko is a Student Assistant in the Fine Arts department, helping professors and students in AUBG’s piano program. He joined the Political Science Club and attended meetings online for his first semester but he noted it was hard to do any socializing online. Nevermind socialization, doing university work online in a warzone became impossible. M arko came out of the riverside door of his new home: Skaptopara 1. He towered over me and wore a casual blazer with jeans and boots. Confident, brave, clean-cut – he is built like a soldier but chose to be a student. “I have never held a gun before, I am not made to fight,” he said. We walked around Blagoevgrad, his first look at AUBG and the city that surrounds it. “It’s a lot like Tbilisi actually, a large square, a bazaar, similar-looking streets, a cross,” he said. He reminisced and compared Blagoevgrad to his two years at New School Georgia, International School of Georgia in Tbilisi where he obtained his International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma. Marko would’ve been in Bulgaria physically for his freshman year if his IB diploma didn’t delay his visa process. He will soon travel to Skopje, North Macedonia to get his Type-D visa that all international students need to obtain their residency card. His fight to be a student isn’t over. ׉ 7cassandra://ZT-3MaxZaKI6WEG-5sBZCwETgxFMSQPXtLifI8VYV6o3o`̾b@#i^y:b@#i^y:2בCט2u׉׉ 7cassandra://HhGK-Rj0mHTUAMzEf9BVE-rc4v08lBYlCC2su-n3pUU yz`;׉ 7cassandra://KMWsVwIF6aJ9lAnU99EFK8RgDkwmbnFkkg7hKAfUw-E`׉ 7cassandra://m8D5EvY_xf94888zcndmBWCHmUA0YkdMmdBY65eQDU4L`{׉ 7cassandra://MMxAsnZ5aZRebtvCjWfAE5S_guKHEqq1mMbzbioWlZg͠ Fb@#i^y;׉EmB ack in Ukraine, during the first weeks of the war, Marko began thinking of leaving. “I couldn’t volunteer anymore, I had to stay a long time taking antibiotics and I started losing hope especially after that bomb hit and I decided ‘what am I going to do?’,” he said. Russian missiles flew over western Ukraine and hit various military sites around Lviv, one of the targeted sites was a few miles from Marko’s apartment and billows of smoke became his view outside of his window. During this raid, Marko’s distant relative was killed in Yavoriv, a town ten miles from the Polish border, training to join the military. “Some would put themselves in a baby box to get into Poland and they couldn’t. This was not an option,” Marko said. The idea of leaving the country to continue his studies had grown in his mind as the war got closer. “My parents told me that ‘Marko, if you give up on your studies, what is the future of Ukraine? Why did you study so hard in high school? Why would you give up everything? Why would you join the army when you could restore Ukraine in the future? The future is what matters,’” Marko said. “I then thought and said ‘yes.’” Ukrainian men must register at their region’s draft board when they are 16. Marko was in Georgia studying and registered late last summer. “I finally got back and I should go there because there’s some charges if you do not go in time. Since my case was special and I was sponsored by the EU and had all my documents, they looked at it and were impressed. They thought ‘I could not bribe him because he has everything.’ They looked at it and eventually, one guy looked at it and asked me how many languages I speak. I told them I spoke Ukrainian, Russian, English, Spanish, and a bit of Polish. He just stood up laughing and slow clapping. That was disgusting and humiliating. I couldn’t do anything about it,” he said. In the end, he was happy to get the document, it was one of the required documents he must have to leave the country. “There are many legal holes in the Ukrainian system. If I ever enlisted, my friend told me that it is not a nice place to be. You are dragged and punished for nothing. If you know more than others, they treat you like a nerd and not a part of the crowd. You cannot get any kind of commanding position if you do not have relatives or do some major heroic accomplishment which requires years of military service,” he said. This war has grown from traditional combat, one between soldier and soldier, to civil2 SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY ians in an information war that civilians can’t run away from. A phone or laptop to get updates was almost always on hand: major war updates, regional laws, street closures, and assistance needed were thrown in Telegram group chats. Marko participates in one that has over 300,000 Ukrainians. “I regularly check the news regarding the border and I saw that full time students studying international could leave with some documents,” he said. He did not know exactly which documents. AUBG mailed a package with every type of document he might need (enrollment certificate, letter from the president, etc) on March 29 to Warsaw. Volunteers brought them from Warsaw to Marko in Lviv via bus. O n Sunday, April 3, Marko took a bus to Krakow, Poland from Lviv. At the border, he was stopped. “They told me some new law was in effect since the day before and I could not leave,” Marko said. This law was passed while Marko was traveling to the Krakovets border. “I just sat there for 20 minutes and told them to look at my documents again and they let me through,” Marko said. On a train to Krakow’s airport, he was given a free ticket upon showing his Ukrainian passport – a common way countries are assisting the movement of refugees around Europe. “I am at the airport in Krakow, waiting for check-in,” he texted me. From there, he flew to Thessaloniki, Greece, where an AUBG-hired car picked Marko up and drove him to Blagoevgrad. “I arrived at 2:30 in the morning,” he said. O n our walk to the AUBG Main Building on Monday, April 4, he told me “I couldn’t go to class that first week or so.” As troops headed to the frontlines outside Mariupol, Kharkiv, and Kyiv during the first weeks of the war, Marko and a few volunteers took over a bakery. Marko and the others baked half a ton of bread – around 50 loaves of bread per day – for the territorial defense forces. When outside the bakery, Marko and his family assisted refugees in finding housing, cooking food, and even hosted some in their own home. As the shock of the war waned, Marko had to make a choice. Either be a student or be a soldier. Marko sent me a video from his apartment window in Lviv of black smoke and sirens wailing. He texted me, “bombs flew over our house.” Two things became clear: the war was not ending soon and a warzone is no place for online lectures. “ An air siren went off during my politics exam,” he said. Marko rarely visited the bunkers, he told me they were too far and that the focus should be on helping people get to those bunkers to avoid chaos. Lviv has acted as a hub for displaced Ukrainians to head further west into Poland, Hungary, or Slovakia. The downtown portion is a UNESCO World Heritage site and the city is known for its unique coffee. Marko was born and raised in Lviv. He beamed about the city and told me Lviv comes from the Ukrainian word “lev” which means lion. Marko lives in a two bedroom Soviet-built apartment – “it’s typical,” he said. Monuments around the city are being dismantled or covered to protect the city’s history. Anyone taking photographs of the process is arrested under suspicion of assisting Russian troops. The city was considered one of the safest places in Ukraine but consistent air raids on nearby military sites questioned this enclave of safety. “ My family is used to Russian aggression,” Marko told me. Marko’s father’s life was threatened during his shortlived journalism career in the 1990s for his coverage of the Chechen War. Marko’s great-grandfather was killed during the initial phase of Soviet collectivization of farms. Those that opposed giving their land up to the central government were shot. A century of scars from Moscow solidifies his family’s Ukrainian identity. M arko has been at AUBG for one week. I saw him at the AUBG Taste Fest, an event organized by students where students from different countries cook their local foods and share them. Some performed dances, sang songs, and Marko played the guitar and sang a Ukrainian song as AUBG Ukrainians stood behind him clapping in beat to the tune of the song. In front of some 200 students, Marko embodied the creative, the bold, the community elements that are the pillars that the university stands on. Marko may be gone from home, but he is where he is meant to be: Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Marko singing and playing the guitar at AUBG’s 2022 Taste Fest. ׉ 7cassandra://m8D5EvY_xf94888zcndmBWCHmUA0YkdMmdBY65eQDU4L`{b@#i^y:׉EBy Dasha Dolgopolova When we all switched to Zoom lectures AUBG Clubs Adapting to a Changing World Clubs that focus on a live audience like back in March 2020, AUBG clubs had to adapt to a hybrid world, finding ways to keep the clubs functioning. Those who are seniors now, though, have been through all the stages of the pandemic during their studies at AUBG. “Before COVID-19, it was very different, during the coronavirus it was entirely new and unexpected, and now we’re prepared for everything.” said Danny Toshev, a senior and member of TEDxAUBG. For Danny, the interpersonal connections in the club suffered the most during the pandemic. “Having these online meetings and not actually meeting in-person tore us apart as a club because we really lost that friendship and sense of family that we had before.” Danny said. “So that was a very difficult period for all of us.” This semester more club members were joining the meetings on-ground. Danny enjoyed finally seeing students communicate with each other, talk about things, and just connect. He says these connections keep the Rock Jamming Club (RJC), More Honors, TEDxAUBG, could no longer host onground events after the lockdown in March 2020. Radina Veleva, senior and current president of RJC, said that transitioning was demotivating. Nevertheless, the club stayed active through marketing and social media presence. Throughout this time, Radina grew fond of RJC because even with the restrictions in place, the club members still persisted. “They were just trying to keep the club afloat, which I resonated with because it was me as well with my mental health and the entire situation.” Radina said. “I was trying to keep myself afloat. And I rediscovered my love for RJC at that moment.” RJC also returned to the Band’s Room. Radina said the room is like a sacred place for the club because it holds a lot of history from the previous band members, going as far back as the late 2000s. “It was a very emotional moment for me specifically because I had been for long enough in the club to remember it.” Radina said. The second president of the club, Atanas Giew for Fine Acts. us from going.” said Mihaela Kafedzhiyska, senior and active president of the club. “It was hard to explore new places and bring a lot of new people, but the club was still functioning and we were still able to spend some time in nature.” Getting back to normal for the club meant motivation and emotions high. “I was glad that people are actually wanting to have onground meetings.” Danny said. “To be able to share laughs, be angry together, all of these emotions make us this incredible family, which we call La Familia X.” Senior Armela Gjylsheni, member of the Psychology Club, said that while the in-club connection was lost, the online meetings were a helpful and useful space because everyone was going through similar things. Human interactions were also affected in Sustainability Club, but they’d had to operate online from since the club started in April 2020, in the beginning of the pandemic. “That personal touch, getting to know the people you work with is still missing. Because everybody was so eager to do something in-person, it was pretty nice — this was a big success within the club.” Armela said. “Now they have to adapt to being on-ground, so this will be a slight challenge.” Going back to the new normal meant organizing more events. At the Earth Hour, for example, Armela did face-painting, which made her very happy. The Tree-Planting event was something that allowed Armela to see the impact that the club was doing. “All those volunteers coming and working to plant the trees. Our theme was ‘plant a tree, plant a friendship.’” Armela said. though, had never seen the Band’s Room, which to Radina was both crazy and sad. “I’m very glad we managed to do that, and to me, this is probably the biggest contribution because we had to fight for it.” After cancelling the More Honors’ ceremony in Spring 2020, the club came up with a solution of streaming the next show from three locations: Skaptopara Hall, BAC, and online. “It was something that had never been done before and we were very uncertain of what it was going to look like.” said Emma Kerencheva, a member of the club since her first year. Emma said that the club received positive feedback on being able to organize the event. Even though it was the first hybrid show and without a live audience, Emma said that this format allowed them to reach a lot of people. “It’s so nice knowing that people adapt quickly and, what really makes our community special, is that the clubs could think of ways how to sustain all these activities even when COVID-19 was very much a thing.” Emma said. Although functioning during the pandemic was not the same as it was before, Xaia Hiking Club still managed to meet and go on hikes. “There was a limit of how many people could join a hike, but since we were outside, in nature, there wasn’t anything that stopped that more people could join hikes. However, as a student that had been at the university through all the stages of the pandemic, Mihaela and her classmates felt like this semester was a ‘sneak peak’ to what it could have been if not for COVID-19. “I noticed that in a lot of, especially the more formal events, students are sometimes being a bit lost, and it’s hard for them to find out ways on what’s happening and when it is happening.” Mihaela said. “At first, I was concerned that our class might not be able to give the knowledge and traditions and things that we have established, but it’s good that things are working out.” Cachetejack for Fine Acts. SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY 3 b@#i^y:b@#i^y:2בCט2u׉׉ 7cassandra://PuOwfARI8ejJIz7zlA_4tzr-HXTvIJab1sXfPcDqR4EG^`;׉ 7cassandra://rPP83WBEaYc-LYmey1Zz3oV9OQS8KpyUwqSb_0jHyIs`׉ 7cassandra://Ld7je9yq7ggANZpvpWEgIIPjRySEKj-aK4JXnDRh0fcF`{׉ 7cassandra://Yip3MpWZBZvSa12y3c4tuH5gD2GQm9tw6p9ICMO30t4 B f͠ Fb@#i^y;׉E“Between Our Worlds - A Vietnamese minimusical.” - the senior who brought the first Asian cultural musical to AUBG By: Alexander Stamatov & Zhelyana Borisova Hayley Ngoc Mai Nguyen is an AUBG senior from Vietnam. She majors in History and has a self-designed major in Music, Theater, and Film. Initially, she wanted to study at an American university in the U.S., but compared to AUBG, it was too expensive. She realized that even though she would study at AUBG, she could still go to the U.S., which made it a better choice. In her freshman year, she joined the Broadway Performance Club (BPC), which turned out to be the most important part of her overall AUBG experience. “I have been in the club since my freshman year, I was a back vocal then, and then in my second year, I was a dancer, and then COVID happened. In my third year, I wasn’t here at all, and now this year, I am the choreographer and part of the creative team, and together we did Cabaret, we did the choreography, we did the tour, we did the performances, and basically everything we were wishing for, ever since our freshman year,” she said. Compared to other musicals in the past that BPC has done, Cabaret did not have that many dances. Still, they faced a challenge because this year, they were very understaffed. After a two-year break of no performances, it was hard for BPC to revive the club. Nonetheless, Hayley found pleasure in her work. “I did enjoy it a lot. At the end of the day, I am doing what I am passionate about. These are the people that I love and want to spend time with. It’s hard, I complain about it, but I am happy that I did it,” she said. For her senior project, she created a musical out of a Vietnamese folklore story that she knew from when she was a little kid. A story very close and personal to her, which she felt that even though many people have heard of, not many know what it is really about. The musical is called “Between Our Worlds - A Vietnamese minimusical,” which premiered on April 26. This is the first Asian cultural musical done in AUBG. Hayley chose different Vietnamese songs, and with the help of a friend of hers who studies Music and Theater in the U.S., they adapted them into the musical. Creating the musical involved a lot of additional creative writing, then translating since she had only the plot of the folklore story. A challenge that she faced was translating some of the lyrics of the songs into English. “Some particular phrases or words may sound nice in one language and don’t 4 SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY Photo courtesy of Svetozara Staykova. Photo courtesy of Svetozara Staykova. sound the same in another, so it was very hard to try and balance that out. I also wanted to rhyme because I wanted everything to sound like one big poem, so that part was quite challenging. In the end, it all came together nicely,” she said. For Hayley, it was important to reassure the cast of whatever they wore, performed, or experienced. They do not have to worry about cultural appropriation. As well as mistakes they may or may not make that could offend the culture. “Even though it is a very heavy cultural experience, I wanted it to be a nice experience for the cast and the audience, and for them to have some new experience that is useful and exciting altogether,” Hayley said. The interview with Hayley ended with these closing remarks: “A lot of things happened to me this academic year, a lot of plays, productions and they just happen so fast I don’t always have the time to process them, but I am very proud because my project was the first Vietnamese production, and probably the first Asian production that we have here, and something that is so heavily cultural when it comes to characteristics. I hope that it also means something to the people who came to see it and also want to tell their stories because I am sure that people also have their own experiences and they always have their very special stories to tell. I remember yesterday when I was walking, I asked my Indian friend, “Why don’t you make an Indian musical?” and she told me ‘’When I saw yours, I just had so many ideas and wanted to do everything, and there is this story in my culture that I want to share..” and I just feel like I did something, maybe it was not huge, but it is something that I find very meaningful, something that can be considered like a start of something new. I am very grateful for everyone that was with me on this journey.” ׉ 7cassandra://Ld7je9yq7ggANZpvpWEgIIPjRySEKj-aK4JXnDRh0fcF`{b@#i^y:׉EWe asked our seniors... What can AUBG improve? I think that AUBG’s response to the pandemic and notifying students could have been a lot better in the Spring 2021 semester because we basically kept being told that we would have a hybrid semester, and then oh, 3 weeks online, 2 additional weeks online, and then online entirely. In regards to that semester and the previous semester, the fact that we students had absolutely no Fall or Spring Break and that the semester was shortened entirely had a major detrimental effect on the mental state of a lot of students - a lot of students experienced burnout, including myself. The enormous workload plus the stress of the pandemic, plus lack of free time and time to recuperate/rest, I think it had a very detrimental effect on the psyche of students, and I would not like that to be repeated going forward, if there was another pandemic state of emergency. Alexandra Gouleva, Bulgaria I can’t really identify significant drawbacks in terms of my personal experience. But from a club member perspective: more communication, more cooperation, and more encouragement projected by the institution would help. It was hard at times to get things done due to the bureaucratic barriers from the officials — we know AUBG has the capacity for more; we’ve seen it. Viktor Kharyton, Ukraine I think it would be really helpful to have a couple of iMacs in the residence halls. That way, all the JMC students, and not only them, would have a chance to work on their projects without being dependent on the working hours of BAC. Yenlik O’Neill, Kazakhstan I think clubs should allow more people to become part of them. The selection procedures could be a little bit different than they are now. For most clubs, it’s just an interview, and it’s like a 5-minute or 10-minute interview, and you don’t really get to know the people, you can’t really make a decision based on that. So I think more inclusivity when it comes to clubs’ accession, this should be addressed. Zheko Stoykov, Bulgaria I think we need to have more diversity on clubs in terms of more artistic places to go and do, because the musical and dance creating is not enough, and I would really like to have some more of acting clubs, and also places where we can dance, draw, act, and do some other types of performance, more modern. So yeah, I think that would be a great diversity - to have more film and acting here. Mihaela Bogdanova, Bulgaria More emphasis is placed on Gen Eds than major courses. This should be changed. Geni Trayanoff, Bulgaria I think one of the main things AUBG can improve for enriching the experience of students would be working more closely with student advisors because they could be the ones who guide students in defining their academic path, meaning that it will be easier, and better, and much more of a pleasant experience for the students. Kristina Borisova, Bulgaria I would say, out of the entire experience, what I dislike the most, and I think they could have done better, is the registration and how you do it. Oftentimes, especially if you’re a freshman or a sophomore, you cannot reach the courses which you want - they’re always full, always taken. I don’t know how they would go about that. I cannot offer a solution, but I guess if a good brainstorming would come down to it, it would be really helpful for the new people to have an easier process with their desired courses. Yordan Toshev, Bulgaria I wish AUBG also offered Bachelor of Science programmes with revised Gen Ed requirements. It would’ve been awesome to have the freedom to choose between a BA or BS programme and have general education courses more relevant to my interests. Georg Davidovski, Bulgaria In terms of academia, I would definitely say that the POS department needs more professors, and needs more topics in the field because, for example, I’m interested in politics in the Middle East, and we didn’t have the chance to look through that for four years. It’s only about Europe, North America, and the Balkans. So it would’ve been nice to also see other parts of the world and have more professors in those fields. In terms of just the whole campus experience, Skapto needs a lot of renovations and this is something we should be working on - instead of just expanding other Skaptos, we should try and renovate the old Skaptos. Ayah Besaiso, Palestine The first that comes to my mind is that I was on an exchange semester in Lithuania, in a city bigger than Blago. Freshmen, when they applied there, had the requirement to take beginning Lithuanian for a semester. There were split opinions about it, but when I asked my friends, it actually helped them settle themselves within the community - they knew basic Lithuanian to communicate with people, ask for directions - they didn’t feel left out from what was going on within the city. So I think if AUBG could offer beginning Bulgarian for freshmen for a semester - that would be better since we have all of these required classes. It would really make my experience better - for living in Bulgaria. Nino Kutubidze, Georgia I think moving towards integrating online platforms and content providers would have been helpful. Even though each professor is free to structure his own courses, I learned more with those who adopted these methods. Emilio Valverde, Mexico It would have been nice to have more practical courses during the years just like digital marketing. We got certificates for the course and they will come in handy when we graduate. Elinor Toneva, Bulgaria It is great that AUBG offers so many facilities where we can do our events. However, I think it will be a great idea to think of one more place to set up one more theater where club events and theater plays can be presented. Helin Guler, Bulgaria AUBG is the best university in Bulgaria. But to make students’ experience here even better, AUBG could establish more partnerships with foreign universities to provide a bigger diversity of courses and bring experienced professors. More majors could also be introduced to make AUBG more attractive to potential students and encourage them to stay in Bulgaria. Desislava Arnaudova, Bulgaria The mental health facilities were insufficient and the counseling center felt almost disinterested in helping. Stefan Genev, Bulgaria SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY 5 b@#i^y:b@#i^y:2בCט2u׉׉ 7cassandra://5OuukDcirN83r4128uANWagL3QMHgxz6ZGUgEJqVWjsM`;׉ 7cassandra://MkdfCySv-nB7DnS1huZGQD7NJSSMZiIZlFtBk3tZjA8ͲD`׉ 7cassandra://IRi9IXhbnmf6pXJ8dRBflOsi7imkWMp_BkamDJVD7-I7 `{׉ 7cassandra://1Gdy0bnQxzNWMYYegxAe2s3c-Y0wz6zn72Nf8quJ9Ak }͠ Fb@#i^y;׉E6 SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY ׉ 7cassandra://IRi9IXhbnmf6pXJ8dRBflOsi7imkWMp_BkamDJVD7-I7 `{b@#i^y:׉ESPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY 7 b@#i^y:b@#i^y:2בCט2u׉׉ 7cassandra://XyurN33VbijclSdtjBU_fCUM0KQVYSKhnUYdcCo9mg8{\`;׉ 7cassandra://oGd2QS-RiGtWwu32fAQjHYxszGSCExfdXTLFUzn7eMEԾ`׉ 7cassandra://25-0wV_X7RWeqpFicVP5ylt2oFes1gCbYZbYYG-9dgI?`{׉ 7cassandra://9mrwP5Yv9n8blZjeXjI2_CSA83ZbOcLaBFAZNpTf8JQn͠ Fb@#i^y;׉EK10 years, the answer is in the name. "I think in the next 10 years, hopefulBy Maria Alexandrova AUBG Daily turned 10 this year. A decade of quality independent journalism on campus and a milestone for any organization. In any news outlet, there is one unsung hero - the person not only responsible for putting the content together and guiding the reporters in their quest for good stories, but also for being the leader everyone looks up to. For ours, that person is the editor-in-chief. That is why there is no better way to dive into what makes the newspaper so special than getting to know some of the people who have held this position over the years. So, buckle up and go on this journey of two perspectives. Starting with Victoria Ivanova. She joined the club in her sophomore year and currently holds the position of president. Her history at AUBG Daily speaks for itself, with her becoming editor-in-chief only after her first year. Victoria notes that her reason for joining AUBG Daily was because the club benefits members directly. "What really attracted me to Daily is the idea of actually developing my own personal skills," she says. Victoria has had the opportunity to watch the club develop in recent years. While being editor-in-chief, she saw how the team expanded, and the quality of journalism improved. "I was really putting in a lot of effort and we gathered a bigger team of reporters," she adds. Truthfully, Victoria admits to missing her former role as editor-in-chief, as being president mainly involves administrative duties. "I feel kind of disconnected from the whole writing aspect and that’s why I still join every reporters’ workshop l," she shares. "I’m pretty much as involved as I was before because I miss that whole part." Victoria exudes passion when she speaks about AUBG Daily. Despite contributing to a lot of content throughout the years, what she finds most meaningful is the newspaper’s coverage surrounding the current war in Ukraine. "In a situation like that – when the community needed us the most – that’s when I saw Daily’s role shine the brightest," she admits. "I personally got a lot of messages from Russian and Ukrainian friends, as well as the community and administration, thanking us for everything we are doing." 8 SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY When she talks about what AUBG Daily means to her, it feels as if there is nostalgia in the air. Being in her senior year, Victoria has to say goodbye to the club soon. "For me, it is about creating a community within AUBG Daily and the whole of AUBG that’s more enlightened, in a way," she says. "I think Daily is the most authentic organization on campus." As far as what Victoria hopes for the newspaper in the next 10 years, things remain positive. "I just hope that Daily continues thriving. I hope that its presence is being appreciated. I hope that the people in Daily still have the dedication that we do currently and I would be extremely happy if I continue seeing what Daily is doing for years and years after I graduate," she concludes. Moving on to our current editor-in-chief, Ethan Perelstein. He started out as a reporter and editor. What attracted him to the club was the opportunity to practice the things he would learn in classes. "I was coming in as a JMC major and I had very little to none experience with journalism. Daily was a really good way of practicing and learning at the same time. I could go to JMC classes during the week, but then also have Daily meetings where we’re actually putting it into use," Ethan says. For him, each editor-in-chief has different skills and faces different challenges. Similarly to Victoria, he puts most emphasis on the writing and final product. "I think the hardest part about being editor-in-chief is all the logistical nonsense. For me, it’s about the product, it’s about working together with the reporters to make a beautiful piece of text," Ethan shares. When it comes to favorite stories he has overseen or written, there are two. Both are connected to current events. "One of my favorite stories is from this year. There was this protest in Blago and on the day of the protest, Spencer and Ilina, two of our reporters, just decided to go and cover it. Within an hour of knowing about it, we had two people there on the ground reporting it," he shares. That same night the article was published. "It was one of the most high-functioning pieces we’ve ever made," Ethan adds. The second story was one he wrote. On the morning of the recent invasion, he messaged Ukrainian students, interviewed them, and wrote an article about it. "It was certainly one of the more emotionally rewarding pieces I’ve ever written," he says. As for what he hopes for Daily in the next ly sooner, I would love to see Daily posting daily. To have a constant stream of useful, relevant, and accurate information," Ethan shares. Daily’s Seniors Share Their Wisdom From being a reporter, an editor, then moving to the board as editor-in-chief and now, the AUBG Daily 2021/22 president, being part of this club has benefited me in the most special ways. But the thing that AUBG Daily has truly taught me doesn’t have much to do with any of these roles. It is among this community of people that I genuinely found my passion for writing, I saw for a fact the power of the written word, and I started to cherish our role on campus. AUBG Daily is not simply a student club - we are here to inspire and inform, to empathize and empower. -Victoria Ivanova I joined AUBG Daily in my third year and it was one of the best decisions I made while at the university. Being a reporter allowed me to write about things that I care for. My time in Daily showed me that anything is possible if there is a group of talented and motivated people working for its achievement. The next generation of owlies is here to keep inspiring! -Ilina Stoyanova Being part of AUBG Daily taught me what “the club is your family” really means. When I was a freshman, I was told by the others that clubs will turn into my second family. And yes, I agree, I felt that in my junior year when I joined AUBG Daily, the only club at AUBG where I truly belong. -Diana Deliivanova ׉ 7cassandra://25-0wV_X7RWeqpFicVP5ylt2oFes1gCbYZbYYG-9dgI?`{b@#i^y:׉EDaily’s Seniors Share Their Wisdom I joined AUBG Daily not knowing everything that it will bring me. As a BUS and POS major, I never imagined the place I belong to on campus to be the university newspaper. Once I joined, I realized that this is the most authentic community of people on campus. Serving as the co-president in my junior year only brought me closer to everyone here. I learned to look for passions and communities even in the most unpredictable places. -Yoanna Dimitrova Prolet, Diana, Ilina, Yoanna, Victoria, Selbi & Bilhen (from left to right). Four years in AUBG Daily was definitely a great journey. Starting as a reporter and even publishing three (!!!) pieces, then moving to the marketing department and learning the wonders of social media gave me valuable experience. But most importantly I have met the most talented and amazing people. Being in AUBG Daily has taught me how a small group of people can make a difference with a written word. As a senior Daily Owl, I have one thing left to say: HOOT! -Selbi Shanyyazova CROSSWORD 1. Who was awarded AUBG’s Presidential Medal 2022? 2. What was the most significant event of the Broadway Performance Club this semester? 3. Where did the Hike Club go for a climb during this semester? 4. What kind of trees did we plant on the first official Civic Engagement Day at AUBG? 5. Which club, together with AUBG itself, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year? 6. What was the title of TEDxAUBG 2022 event? 7. What was a major international event that influenced the Spring 2022 semester and AUBG students and faculty members? 8. An important Bulgarian political actor visited AUBG this semester. Who was he/she? 9. How many articles did AUBG Daily come out with during Spring 2022? 10. What is one thing we hope will be long forgotten next semester, but is present in this one? AUBG Daily has gathered the songs with which our ‘22 seniors associate their experience at AUBG. SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY 9 b@#i^y;b@#i^y:2בCט2u׉׉ 7cassandra://CMwTZCNFSDxz5DuX_9ypS7blldsR_s5L0ePMZ3TEJmQQO`;׉ 7cassandra://NhHnlIqhePTVkFf-vM6bHu9sPFIeIXEzTGEU197cYX8`׉ 7cassandra://4nAKO26iAvxR8aDzWWuT3ueaqDNCmatEuH4hfMPePpEE`{׉ 7cassandra://9Jpd54apbFnpasdVnY-Mbvy-rMvco-dbmOOHTBuhyKM 8w0͠ Fb@#i^y;׉E]By Ilina Stoyanova The second semester of her junior year “Writing has always been my passion.” Mila Mladenov is a graduating senior from Dimitrovgrad, Serbia. She is majoring in Business Administration, with a concentration in Marketing, and Journalism and Mass Communication. In her first two years, Mila was part of the Broadway Performance Club. She was a back vocal in the musical “Hair” and was supposed to be one in the production of “Rent”. Sadly, “Rent” did not come to life because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mila loved being part of “Hair,” as she saw what one could do on stage. At first, she found it tough but she was really dedicated to the whole idea. Taking part in the musical was the highlight of her freshman year. “It was something incredible to feel and experience. I do not think I will ever forget it.” was filled with courses that required creativity, like Digital Storytelling, Advertising, and Creative Writing Fiction. They all pushed her towards exploring different ways of expressing herself and sharing important messages. “Creative Writing Fiction with professor Cohen was really encouraging to be in. We got really inspired as we saw that we could do it.” The whole course was structured as a workshop. Throughout the entire semester, Mila and her colleagues had to write two stories. They also did critiques for the stories of the other people in the class. “Every person in that class had read what I had written and I had read all of their stuff as well. There were discussions and critiques of our own pieces, which was really intimidating at first, but fruitful in the end.” Mila did not join any club during her senior year as well. However, she has always wanted to leave something behind ever since she was a freshman. She did not have the courage then, but this year it was different. Professor Cohen’s course served as inspiration for Mila and many others. They wanted to do something together again after the end of the class. And they did. They created an anthology called “My Third Skin.” People were excited about the idea and Mila during a performance. Photo courtesy of Yenlik O’Neill. Her favorite moments from the whole experience were the ones after the shows. “This is when everyone is crying and hugging each other. It is just the moment that you realize that you are probably never going to be able to explain to anyone else what you have done together. It is inexplicable for people who are not in it.” After “Rent” did not happen in her sophomore year, she was no longer in the club as a junior. She was mostly at home as university life continued online. This was when she dedicated herself to the academic aspect of AUBG. She took courses that allowed her to explore her interests and capabilities. 10 SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY Mila did not find difficulty with convincing people to get on board. “The аnthology consists of poems and short stories. Besides that, we have illustrations for each piece. What makes it different from other books that were created in this university is the fact that we also incorporated music. At the end of each piece, there is a Spotify QR code with a symbol that corresponds to the story in a way.” Figuring out the theme for the anthology was a long process, according to Mila. It had to be broad enough so there could be all kinds of stories, but also focused on something specific. In the end, “My Third Skin” was suggested by one of the project’s producer and designer, Dulamsuren Amarsanaa. “Everyone was obliged to ask themselves what the third skin is for them. How I understood the theme was that the first layer of the skin is the actual organ that is the skin. The second layer is the personality that one has or the soul. And the third one is something additional to the soul. Something that makes a person who they really are, like something very distinct that maybe nobody ever knows, but that they always feel. “ Mila believes that each person has a different third skin. “For some it is growth. For others it may be self-discovery or dealing with heartbreak. It is a very emotionally focused theme that allowed us to create depth within our pieces.” 19 people were involved in the creation of “My Third Skin.” There were six writers for the short fiction stories, seven for the poems, and six artists. After publishing the anthology and graduating AUBG, Mila is planning to go to a Work & Travel program in the U.S. before beginning her Master’s degree. She has an offer from a university in Dublin. She chose the city deliberately as she believes that it is an urban city with a mix of music and nature. She wanted to go to a place that is out of her comfort zone. From her time at AUBG, Mila learned that telling ideas and stories is important. Her advice to incoming freshmen is to let go and enjoy themselves. Cover of “My Third Skin”. Photo courtesy of Ilina Stoyanova. ׉ 7cassandra://4nAKO26iAvxR8aDzWWuT3ueaqDNCmatEuH4hfMPePpEE`{b@#i^y;׉EShe often proves to those who do not By Tsvetina Georgieva A devoted, stubborn, and highly motivated girl, she both works hard at the Treasury Department of Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) and studies at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG). She strives for learning as much as possible, achieving her goals, and making her dreams come true. She is Yoanna Dimitrova. Yoanna, a 22-year-old student, is a senior at AUBG, majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance as well as Political Science and International Relations. She is a full-time student who also started a full-time job at a big and widely known company. “In my last year of studying, I decided to challenge myself and work as well as study,” Yoanna says. “I am proud I managed to survive throughout this last year. I am not exaggerating, and I am not saying it as a senior, but I really had a lot of hardships, all of which were due to my own personal choices. I started working a full-time job; I engaged in so many things; I did not leave any of the clubs I participate in, although I was not as devoted as I used to be in the past two years; and I continued studying.” She realized that all working people have responsibilities which bring challenges as well. She has gone through several crises so far, but none of them discouraged her to keep going and bear the consequences of her own personal choices and decisions. “I sacrificed my time for sleeping, for friends, and for enjoying my last year at AUBG in the name of working. But I believe one should stick to their own decisions,” Yoanna says. Depriving herself of some things in the name of others did not force Yoanna to choose one of the two - either work or studies. She finds good things in both and takes lessons in order to develop herself. “There were times when I could not go to sleep as I had not finished a project. I even had moments when I did not know where to start from or what exactly I had to do,” Yoanna says. “However, this all helped me develop good and useful qualities and learn many things that I will use in the future.” Despite those difficult moments, Yoanna values the benefits of her job which include meeting different people from various countries and working in a professional and highly qualified environment in an international company. She admits that working for CCEP also taught her to be patient and not be afraid of challenges as they are the ones to help a person improve and aim higher. “What I like about my position is that it challenges me. The job is dynamic and different every day, which does not allow me to get bored,” Yoanna says. “There is this quote I really like, which says, ‘you should have the courage to face something that frightens you the most so that you understand that fear is not dangerous’.” Finding this job at one of AUBG’s Job Fairs, initially, she was unsure what her responsibilities in that position would be. Despite that, Yoanna decided to give it a try and follow her motto of learning as much as possible from every experience in her life. “I didn’t even know what a passion I had towards Finance, and I discovered it at AUBG,” Yoanna says. “My passion was once again confirmed when I started working in the Treasury Department of CCEP.” Everything began with an intern position Yoanna applied for and turned out to be a full-time job. Now, the company has even offered her a higher position. “CCEP offered me a new contract for a higher position. With their help and my own efforts and passion, I managed to go one step ahead. Now, I already have a job, I am set, but I believe there is more out there to be learned,” Yoanna says and smiles. Both AUBG and her job built Yoanna’s individuality and helped her realize many things about herself, acquire new skills, and apply her knowledge. “I think every company or corporation is a tiny model of the world because everything that happens there shapes you as a personality. You develop your attitude towards things; you develop a character,” Yoanna says. “That is what happened to me.” Yoanna believes in her power to succeed through perseverance and dedication. She works a lot in that direction and aims high. Her job gives her incentives to keep going. “I realized that everything is possible with the correct mentors, the right attitude, and the passion and motivation. Sometimes I had challenges, but I kept repeating to myself that I had gone through worse so I could achieve whatever I want,” Yoanna says. She is so devoted and determined that nothing can stop her from achieving her goals. She would like to work in an investment bank someday. “I am very stubborn and do my best when I work hard on something. When people tell me I cannot do something, I respond “No, I can do that, and I will show you,” Yoanna says and laughs. believe in her that she can do more than they expect. Such is the case of managing with both working and studying. Sometimes it is difficult for her to balance the two, but Yoanna motivates herself to turn her idea of a “perfect life” into reality. “In 5-10 years, let’s say, I imagine my perfect life to be in a foreign country as I think there is something more out there that I want to explore. I would be happy if I am able to survive somewhere else, settle down, find a job I like, and challenge myself to see if I can live on my own abroad.” Daily’s Seniors Share Their Wisdom AUBG Daily isn’t just another club at AUBG. It is a place where you work hard, make true friends and learn so much (even if you aren’t a JMC major) . When I first joined in my sophomore year, I started as inexperienced editor. I had no idea what I was doing, but being surrounded by so many open-minded, friendly spirited, talented and eager to learn people, you can grow and prosper more than you can imagine. This is why Daily was a big part of my AUBG experience! I am beyond grateful for being part of this owlie family and I look forward to see how future owlies will continue to change this community for better. <3 -Prolet Boneva I still remember my heart hammering like crazy on my way to meet Daily and its people for the first time. Understandable… After all, Daily was one of the places I promised myself I’d belong to, once I get in AUBG. I got accepted in this small nest of clever owlies and saw it grow to become the family I had the chance to be part of for four years. Thank you Daily for being one of my dreams-come-true at AUBG! -Bilhen Sali SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY 11 b@#i^y;b@#i^y;2בCטu׉׉ 7cassandra://EZOEhO5k7rUmqLpGCFaHlea1tYzav7vPXz6HUkA6g50J$`׉ 7cassandra://Ks3_EAqdYxNYjnMzge3WCPgGBO3j4MxSE-rIRGXF0sgmE`c׉ 7cassandra://FrU5um4aCRRtsKbjyKxml3BmXYew3T0MjHhNrwqSKxc!`̾׉ 7cassandra://fx_zlq7xVkEwIFDLJ_YWY9Z7isx3d6sjRXtHLI17zrw9͠#b@#i^y;׉E Professors’ Farewell Professor Kelly: Risk more. Fail more. Laugh more. Listen more. Regret less. Judge less. Fear less. Professor Phillips: “Life is a journey, not a destination” is one of those little, trite fortunes that you sometimes find printed on one of those small, tightly rolled scrolls of paper when you buy an espresso. The older I get, the more I realize that it’s not trite--it’s true. Professor Spasov: Life is a notebook and you hold the pen. Waste no drop of ink – write your story worth reading. Cheers to the beginning of the next exciting chapter! Professor Sardamov: Finally out of the squirrel wheel, I hope you will still want to chase some useless knowledge – and will never, ever choose to live as idiōtēs! Professor Mandrik: I want to offer my congratulations and sincere best wishes to this AUBG graduating class as they prepare to take their next steps in life. I will look forward to following their progress with great pride and high hopes. It has been a pleasure and an honor for me to have been part of their education experience. Professor Delchev: Be happy in your own wonderful, colorful, friendful world! A letter from the editor Since the beginning of my AUBG journey as a freshman in the middle of a Professor Diaz: Albert Camus quotes Fyodor Dostoevsky quoting Ivan Karamazov saying this: “All the knowledge in the world is not worth a child’s tears” pandemic, I have heard stories about the past year. Every event that was delayed, moved online, or compromised to fit restrictions came with tales from upperclassmen who remember what those events looked like unencumbered. These stories were important. Not only were they a nostalgic daydream, but they instilled in us a longing to attend the university they described. In the depths of the pandemic, this year’s seniors planted daydreams in the minds of their peers that inspired them to build that reality. Thanks to them, clubs effervesce, thespians perform, and Thursday nights turn into Friday mornings once again. Our community, only some 1500 strong, united in solidarity when war threatened our Ukrainians’ lives and homeland. We remembered who we are because of the students who remembered who we could be. This year was always supposed to be the year AUBG became AUBG again, and Professor Kirkov: Dear Class of 2022, it has been a privilege to witness your amazing journey and growth in academia. Now, another chapter in your life is approaching. Keep the dream going, you are the bright future! we have the senior class to thank for that. Thank you, Class of 2022, for keeping the dream alive! -Ethan M. Perelstein, Editor in Chief 12 SPRING 2022 | AUBG DAILY Professor Murphy: Try lots of different things. Have fun. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and come back and see us. Professor Nilsen: Dear graduates, congratulations on your achievement! I wish you good luck on your future choices. Remember to continue learning to be prepared for the coming (exogenous) changes! AUBG 2022 Professor Harvey: You are all genius scholars and poets! I’ve been so privileged and happy to see you grow, and learn, and get smart, and become geniuses over these past four years! Best of luck in everything that you do - you’re gonna change the world, and I’ll be happy to be part of that world that you’re gonna make it. Thank you! ׉ 7cassandra://FrU5um4aCRRtsKbjyKxml3BmXYew3T0MjHhNrwqSKxc!`̾b@#i^y;׈Eb@#i^y;b@#i^y;2,AUBG Daily Senior Issue 2022b@frJ!