Celebration of Art

Are you tired of constant studying and preparing for midterms and projects? Do you feel overwhelmed by numbers, formulas, and equations? Or, maybe, your eyes are red from endless pages and tiny letters that you have to read in order to write a paper? It is high time you took a break and changed the activity, and the AUBG community is there to help you. Starting from 29 March, the University entered a Spring Artfest period, which will last for a month and will end on 29 April. Throughout the month the students will be able to celebrate art and creativity at multiple events held on campus and in the Main Building.

March 30 was the second day of this Spring Festival and offered students an opportunity to attend a music concert at the Main Building. Shetereva-Simeonova piano duo performed for an hour in front of the fascinated public. The duo played 21 pieces, each of which was characterized by exceptional level of complexity. In addition to their concert activity, Dessislava Shtereva and Evgeniya Simeonova also teach at the National Music Academy of Sofia.

 If you missed the concert of this virtuous duo, there is still an opportunity for you to enjoy an art event. The next crucial date to put on the schedule is 5 April, when the student swill be able to attend the AUBG Voice Recital.  

Help the World

If you have a desperate need to help make the world a better place, but do not know how to contribute, do not worry. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has already thought about it for you. The organization has introduced the so-called Earth Hour, a 60-minute long time period during which the world population has to turn off the lights in support of Mother Nature. The first Earth Hour was first implemented in 2007 in Sydney and lasted from 8:30 p.m. till 9:30 p.m. This time slot has become widely accepted, and today, nature-conscious people all over the world turn off the lights at this time on the last Saturday of March.
In its best traditions, AUBG followed the trend and took part in the worldwide movement. However, the University community did it their own way by holding an Earth Hour Concert. The concert is a closing event of the environmental week annually organized on campus. This year, the concert took place on 29 March and gathered students between the Balkanski Academic Center and the ABF. Before the beginning, the members of the audience received candles to light up when the Earth Hour started. The concert featured many AUBG students as well as people unrelated to the University. In particular, the kids from the local orphanage got a chance to perform on stage.

 The event was an inspiring ending of the Environmental week and however small, but a contribution to the movement for nature support.

More information on Earth Hour can be found here

A Student and a Parent? Possible ;)

What is it like to be a mom and dad? And what is it like to be a student? Both questions might be a real challenge, but let's make it even more complicated. What is it like to be a student and a parent at the same time? That sounds like a very serious challenge. Balancing the necessity to attend classes and meetings, do assignments, and write papers with the necessity to feed, walk, play and take a very good care of your kid 24/7 might be next to impossible. 

But it is not, if you live on campus surrounded by multitude of caring friends eager to help you out with the baby. Tiko and Tazo, a married couple of students, know this better than anyone else. Because their little daughter Nita is the beloved kid on campus. Every day you can see the girl surrounded by smiling faces and fascinated young people. While her parents are away, Nita is taken care of by the united Georgian community. The loving "nannies" take the girl for a walk, play with her and make sure the baby is safe and sound. 

Loving Mom and Dad.

Pictures form the couple's personal archive

 The big Georgian family.

Picture from personal archive

However, Nita's magic knows no nations, and AUBG students from different countries stay no less fascinated by the girl than the students from Georgia. As the baby's mother Tiko admits it is not always easy to take care of the kid, while you are still a student. But living on campus is makes it much more feasible, because there are always dear friends ready to help out.

The Source of Inspiration

If you feel down and frustrated, and suddenly found yourself in a desperate need for motivation and inspiration, you are not alone. Many people throughout the world get snowed under the workload or daily problems and become discouraged. Or maybe, just on the contrary, you feel a sudden rise of energy and inspiration, but do not know what to do with this magical source of a good mood. What to do when one feels like swimming across the Atlantic and back?

Whichever situation you are in, someone long ago found himself in a similar condition and came up with a smart idea to deal with it - Ted Conference. Founded in 1984, the Conference gathered sharp minds full of bright ideas to share those thoughts with others. The talks became extremely popular and gained worldwide recognition.

And the AUBG decided not to leg behind. Three years ago, a group of enthusiastic students organized the first Ted^XAUBG event. The speakers at that time comprised mostly AUBG professors willing to share their life experiences and advises. However, Ted^XAUBG caught on, and on 22 March, 2014 the team organized it is third event, held in the ABF Theatre Hall. The Conference featured nine speakers and lasted for five and a half hours. Each three talks were interrupted by a 30-minute break, during which the students could get some refreshments and socialize with their friends and the speakers.

The second break of the event had a surprise for the audience - a huge cake with the words Ted^XAUBG on it. The students and the participants eagerly took a piece and continued communicating. The conference ended at 6:30 with a long round of applause and and inspired "bravo!"
If you missed this year's opportunity, do not get discouraged. The event takes place every spring, and all students are welcome to apply.

Below are the links to the official Ted and Ted^XAUBG pages.

Ted

TEDxAUBG

There is no bad weather... Really?

"There is no bad weather, there are bad clothes." That is a famous saying, which has long ago become widely known and accepted. However, for those living in Blagoevgrad, this might no longer be the case. Not that the weather is bad, but what if you cannot define it?

About two weeks ago, AUBG campus was as usual full of caring mothers and energetic kids. The dogs, which are already referred to by the students as "our AUBG dogs," lied in the sun, enjoying the warmth and presence of each other. And students could finally take off their coats and change into T-shirts, shorts, dresses and skirts. The Spring was coming, and everyone got ready for a stable sunny weather and rising temperature.

Apparently, Blagoevgrad weather had different plans and decided to literally cool down the excited population with 0° Celsius and wet snow on 11 March. Congratulations! Have you already taken away your warm shoes and clothes? Now is the right time to get them back. Frustrated and confused students were forced to agree and trade shorts and dresses for pants and sweaters.

But the fight was not over. The weather decided to introduce yet another twist and just four days later it is 20° Celsius outside. And according to the forecast, the temperature is going to rise. Oh well, we might be into another round of "cold surprises." Or are we settled now?

http://weather.digsys.bg/graph/zones.pl?reg_id=15&lang=_eng

In any case, enjoy the sun and stay positive :)

A paradise nearby

Do you dream about Maldivas? Bahamas? Or maybe, about any island remotely located in the sky-blue waters of an ocean and densely covered with untouched greenery. Sounds fantastic, doesn't it?
However, if you live in or are visiting Bulgaria, this dream is much closer than you can imagine. Check out the pictures below.

http://d1vmp8zzttzftq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/old-nessebar-city-bulgaria-aerial-view-from-helicopter-1600x1066.jpg 

http://www.ancient-nessebar.com/html/img/full/panoramna.jpg

http://d1vmp8zzttzftq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/view-of-city-old-nessebar-and-sea-bulgaria-1600x1048.jpg

What you see is not a distant paradise place, but Nessebar, a small town in Burgas province. Nessebar is a unique place, because it combines several outstanding features a keen visitor may be looking for. First of all, the town has very rich historical heritage. Many peoples left their archeological and cultural traces, such as buildings, sculptures, decorations and many others.

Second, Nessebar is an outstanding example of architectural masterpieces. Not only is it related to the history of the buildings, but also to their proportions and look, in general. The town has been widely acknowledged as a place with outstanding architecture, and has even been added to the list of the World Heritage Sites by UNESCO in 1983.

Finally, the beauty of the surrounding sea and the scenery of the place can leave anyone breathless. Thus, if you want to combine the fun of swimming and lying in the sun with the intellectual pleasure of visiting historical sites, there is no need to go to distant countries. Nessebar is the place!

It Is All about Attitude

When I think about the word "fascinating" the first thing that comes to my mind is something that is unusual and off the beaten track. But is it really what the idea of fascinating is about?
They say:"Many men, many minds." What it means is that we all hold different perceptions of the same things. What is a common event for one, might be the greatest miracle for someone else. What is considered dull by a teenager, might fascinate an older person. Turns out, "fascinating" is not about what, rather is it about how.
All this came to my mind as I thought about the spring break. Unlike many other students, I am staying on campus for the last vacation at AUBG. "Boring", you might say. "Amazing", I would reply to you. True, at the end of the break I will not upload any pictures in front of the Eiffel Tower or the Statue of Liberty, I will not post a status:"A trip to Brussels" or "A week in Berlin." But it does not mean that I will not be able to say:"The best week of my life." After all, sky is the limit, and those staying on campus can use the precious class-free days to do the crazy things they did not have time for. Go to movies at 1 a.m., go carting, play paint-ball, rope-jump or simply spend 24/7 with your dear people. Yes, you will still be in Blago, and not in Madrid, but does it really matter?

Just go for it and enjoy your time to the utmost. 

P.S. Talking about a week in Berlin... Who cares that it was five years ago! ;)

Enjoy your break :)

Go fit. Go Insane

Lean body? Flat stomach? Perfect summer shape?

Time to start getting ready for the tank-top and shorts season and say bye to the nasty extra kilos. And AUBG knows how to help you.

But you better brace yourself...

These are not the exact words that were used by the organizers of the Insanity Workout in AUBG, but they well convey the main idea of the session. Originally, the program was developed by Shaun T., an American fitness trainer and choreographer. He believed that that sequence of physical exercises was the most efficient for loosing body fat. The idea is to workout extremely hard for several minutes, then cool down for about 30 seconds and get into another round exercises. Such alternation quickly increases the heart rate and burns calories. The results are astonishing: one can lose up to 40 kilos in 60 days.

The Insanity Workout Video

This is what the AUBG Olympics decided to go for and organized a local Insanity Workout on 26 February in the ABF Sports Hall. Despite its complexity, the event attracted many students eager to get in shape. Mariya Popova and Panayot Apostolov, 2 members of the AUBG Olympics crew, supervised the workout and encouraged the students to do their best. After about an hour of exhausting exercises, the participants were rewarded with chocolate candies.

AUBG Insanity

Photos by Igo Myakotin

AUBG Olympics are planning on organizing the workouts on a regular basis. So if you missed the first one, you still have a chance ;)