New Year, New Clubs. Which Are They?

The AUBG community is very vibrant. Clubs are an important part of university life. These clubs help students express themselves and explore their passions on a deeper level. This year, AUBG welcomed four more clubs in its family: ARTistocracy, Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT), Theater Club, and Project S.

ARTistocracy

ARTistocracy is an art-focused club.

“The purpose is to bring the artistic people together,” Mariam Melikishvili, club president said.

Mariam shared that when she went to the club fair during her first year, she expected to see an art club. However, that did not happen. “Over the summer I had time to think, and I looked back on all those moments where I saw the creative potential in people and how they had no place to express it. I wanted to bring those creative souls together and create a space that hopefully would last for the future,” she said.

Mariam shared that her intention was to create an aristocratic, but more humble society of creative souls: “The idea for the club came from me and my needs, but then it extended to many other people that I met at this university.”

Regarding the creation of the name “ARTistocracy”, Mariam said: “I needed something that is going to be catchy. Then I thought of aristocracy and how if you put 'T,' it is “ARTistocracy.”

“We got a lot of support from the Dean of Students office, the Resident Assistants who promoted it, and the professors that were hyped about this idea.” She shared, “After the students’ assembly, the Better Community Club was our biggest supporter."

Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Being able to help in emergency situations is important and the main goal of the Campus Emergency Response Team (CERT) is to make the campus a safer place.

The two presidents of CERT, Petya Vretenarova and Rosen Melyov, shared: “The idea for the club was born around May or June this year. Both of us are Red Cross volunteers. We decided to combine our studies with something we are passionate about.”

Petya shared that initially, Rosen was the one who suggested the idea for a first aid club. She explained that, later, she found out that the doctor from the Health Center, Ventsislav Daskalov, also had a similar idea for a club where the focus is on first aid essentials.

“Our idea is that if something happens to somebody, there are people that can react and help in that situation,” Rosen said. "We do educational lectures, covering the bases of first aid in a safe environment.”

Regarding the club’s name Petya and Rosen said, “ 'CERT' stands for 'Campus Emergency Response Team.' Initially, there is such an organization in the USA, which stands for 'Community Emergency Response Team,' so we kind of modified it and made it campus-focused.”

“We have the faculty advisor, we have the support of the Health Center. It all worked out very well,” shared Rosen.

Theater Club

Through theater, people can express not only themselves but also their beliefs.

Georgi Nedyalkov, the president of the Theater Club shared:” The idea for the club was born as a result of our intention to do a play.”

"We needed the club, we needed the budget, we needed the platform the club gives us,” he added. “It was not the kind of thing where we say, ‘Let’s make a club because we wanted a club.’”

“The purpose of the club is to put on plays. It’s purely a performance club,” shared Georgi. He added that the play they are preparing is ‘Cleansed’ by Sarah Kane and it is going to be performed next semester.

Regarding the support from the AUBG community, Georgi elaborated: “In terms of that I am not going to be absolute, but I think a lot of AUBG students support performance clubs.”

“I think the whole student body is excited to see theater being done on campus, by people who they know.”

Georgi shared that he is hoping to see plays being put on by AUBG students for AUBG students, but also for the general population in Bulgaria. “There is a lack of supply in plays being done in English in Bulgaria as a whole, especially in Sofia,” he added, “There is the ambition in the club to put on plays in Sofia.”

”I can’t speak on behalf of all the people that are currently in the club and are going to be in the club. I personally would like to see more plays that are not mainstream, I want to talk about topics that are taboo in a way,” Georgi shared.

Project S

Life in university can be stressful. Thankfully Project S is here to freshen up the atmosphere.

“We love to party,” Tsveti Angelova and Margarita Kumurdjieva, president and vice president of Project S shared.

Tsveti said, “We were at Roots during orientation weekend. We wanted to make an NGO, but from there the idea of the club was born.”

She shared, that the purpose of the club is to have events in which everyone can participate.

“We want to unite everyone,” Tsveti said.

“We want people to know us as a club that people can trust,” Margarita added. “They can be sure that they will have a lot of fun.”

When it comes to the creation of the name Project S, Tsveti shared: “We were wondering about the purpose of the club. The vice president of Student Government suggested a ‘social project’. We immediately thought of the film ‘Project X’ and that’s how ‘Project S’ was born. In other words, ‘Project Social’.”

Even though this is just the beginning for the new members of the AUBG club family, the future is more than open for them.

Editors: Eka Iakobadze and Niya Manditsch