AUBG DAILY Fall 2025 OWL THE NEWS Vol. 8, Issue 1 Offi cial Title Sponsor

Find our website here Find our YouTube here Dear Reader, The AUBG Daily Team is thrilled to present to you the Fall 2025 issue of our newspaper! We are incredibly excited to share this selection of articles that delves into the heart of AUBG - exploring its challenges and refl ecting on the topics that matter most. Every part of this newspaper is a testament to the energy and commitment of our creative team, providing you with insights into who we are and what we aspire to bring to the community. After you complete the journey this newspaper presents, you can head straight to our website, www.aubgdaily.com, where you can explore the full depth of our work. Enjoy the read! TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 04 05 06 08 10 12 JMC Accreditation Reevaluation – Alexandra Lewis A Historic Night for SG and AUBG – Mila Kostadinova Th e Financial Struggles of AUBG Students – Miryana Tunteva What Is Next for AUBG’s Sofi a Semester? – Hary Dikov Is Under Over? – Kostadin Dimitrov & Hary Dikov Th e Benefi ts and Downsides of Bulgaria’s Euro Adoption– Veronika Ivanova AI Movies: Th e Future of Film Industry? - Bilyana Spasova 13 14 15 16 17 18 20 Message from UBB Crossword / Jokes Horoscope Comics / Guess the Professor Message from BG Market AUBG Daily’s Gallery Letter from the Editor In partnership with: JMC ACCREDITATION REEVALUATION Oct. 28, 2025 T he Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) program at AUBG is currently in the process of reapplying for its Bulgarian accreditation. According to the Professors and Co-chairs of the JMC department, Prof. Darina Sarelska and Prof. Jason Murphy, this review follows recommendations from the Bulgarian National Evaluation and Accreditation Agency (NEAA) regarding the habilitation status of professors. While this review is ongoing, the JMC program remains fully accredited in the United States. Both professors emphasized that no current JMC senior student will be aff ected. “All seniors will graduate with both their American and Bulgarian diplomas,” confi rmed Prof. Murphy. The AUBG administration has 12 months to make the required changes, the standard interval for accreditation reviews. What is the habilitation process? According to the Accreditation Coordinator, Tanya Papazova, the habilitation process is a formal process that determines who is offi cially recognized as a professor under Bulgarian law. Habilitation is both a promotion and hiring procedure for the academic posts of Associate Professor or Full Professor. To qualify, a candidate must present a dossier proving that their research meets Bulgaria’s minimal national requirements. However, these research-heavy requirements diff er from those in many foreign systems, where teaching and professional experience may often carry more weight. As a result, professors who earned their titles abroad may not automatically meet Bulgaria’s specifi c habilitation standards. This is true even if they hold equivalent academic positions internationally. Another factor in this may be the discontinuation of a previous bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Bulgaria. This was once supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which recognized American professors as habilitated. Its closure, on July 1, 2025, may have indirectly infl uenced current accreditation standards. What happens if accreditation is not renewed? Both professors stressed that losing Bulgarian accreditation is not a scenario they anticipate. “There is a lot going on that we are all doing, and we’re confi dent that we will get it back,” stated Prof. Murphy, as it relates to reattaining the accreditation. The team’s focus remains on compliance and renewal of the accreditation. Prof. Sarelska mentioned a Plan B: a potential collaboration with a European university to ensure degrees remain valid within the EU. Despite this, a future without accreditation for the JMC major is not in AUBG’s plans. Impact on Students and Curriculum? For now, nothing changes in terms of graduation requirements or course structures. To dispel a myth that has been circulating on campus, Prof. Sarelska said, “The only risk upon your graduation is, you know, failing your exams. We still have our solid American diploma, nothing’s changing there.” Both professors clarifi ed that the concern lies entirely with administrative technicalities and not academic standards. However, students still have their own concerns: Freshman student, Eva, has stated, “I was always sure about majoring in JMC and something else. Hearing that I have to think about another major that will be accredited in both America and Bulgaria, I didn’t feel as secure as I did before.” Sophomore student, Carol, expressed concern, “I was planning on majoring in JMC and Psychology, and Psychology is only American-accredited. I don’t want to pick another major, so I really need JMC.” Junior student Nadine, despite being secure as she had already declared her major, said, “It bothers me a lot. I know I want to work in JMC. I wasn’t planning on just working in the U.S. or having just an American diploma; I was looking forward to the EU diploma.” What Steps are Being Taken? Both professors described the development as unexpected. The current challenge, they explained, has nothing to do with teaching quality. The faculty and administration are working hard on getting the habilitation for professors. The process of hiring new faculty who already meet the Bulgarian habilitation criteria has begun. They are following every recommendation from the accreditation board “to the letter,” as Prof. Sarelska put it. Editors: Bilyana Spasova & Vasil Paskov by Alexandra Lewis 3 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily

A Historic Night for SG and AUBG Nov. 10, 2025 O n October 8, the Annual All Student Assembly took place in Dr. Carl Djerassi Theater Hall in ABF. The main points of discussion were the annual Student Government goals and the presentation and approval of the student club budget. 20% of the student body had to be present in order for both points to go under voting. Quorum was met, and the assembly started successfully. Student Government’s President Mariam Arakelyan presented the accomplishments of the government for the past year. Among them were securing membership in the American Student Governments Association, establishing the Skapto III Working Group, and empowering new clubs. After that, the main SG goals for this year were mentioned. They are in two aspects – partnership & growth, and student experience & engagement. The students’ representatives set out to enhance communication between themselves and the students through coff ee meet-ups and engaging social media content. SG strives to improve student life by promoting oncampus safety and strengthening support for off -campus students. Another goal for the Student Government will be to improve Alumni engagement and mentorship by building better relationships with the AUBG’s Alumni Association and the developing Alumni Network. This will give opportunities for students to go on international internships instead of Work and Travel. SG will also work on more Career advising opportunities, launching Graduate School Advising. These goals seemed to satisfy the students, and they had an obvious consent for them. The next part of the Assembly was the presentation of the clubs’ budget. Jara Karaguteva, Chair of the Budgetary and Allocations Committee and Treasurer of the Student Government, presented the main allocation guidelines. She highlighted that each club’s funding request was reviewed individually, food and marketing expenses were prioritized, and no deductions or reallocations will be made. After two Preliminary Leadership meetings, 125,733 leva were distributed. After everyone reviewed the proposal, no one had questions, and the voting took place. With a simple majority, the budget was accepted unanimously. With that, unexpectedly, the assembly ended less than 40 minutes after the start. Dzhan Hyusein, a Junior, summarized it perfectly with just one word: “Unbelievable.” Another student, Denitsa Dimitrova, also a Junior, said, “I have been to the past two assemblies, and this one was very diff erent. Of course, it was a lot more peaceful than the last two.” Mariam, SG President, commented, “I am really thankful to all of the team, I am thankful to the colleagues from the Executive Board, all of the senators on the Budgetary and Allocations Committee.” When asked what she thinks is the reason behind the success, Mariam answered, “Of course, hard work and preparation are something without which we cannot do it, but I think the committee was also really dedicated to going the extra mile for the students.” “The involvement and enthusiasm of the students were also essential for achieving good results,” she added. The student body also shared its reasoning on why the Assembly went that way. Denitsa pointed to the “reasonable allocation of the budgets.” Vasil Kalchev, a third-year student, said, “I think it was because you cannot get a deduction. They will not deduct any money from any club. They made that clear.” Editors: Hary Dikov and Vasil Paskov by Mila Kostadinova 4 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily In partnership with: Oct. 29, 2025 niversity THE FINANCIAL $TRUGGLES OF AUBG $TUDENTS U life is usually fi lled with many new experiences, parties, and, of course, studying. However, one main hurdle that all university students face is the new level of fi nancial responsibility they have. Many students encounter diffi culties in managing their budget, which aff ects many aspects of their lives. 25 students from diff erent standings and backgrounds were surveyed for this article in order to understand what are the most common fi nancial struggles of AUBG students. High Tuition Fees and Insuffi cient Scholarships According to the Academic Catalogue, “tuition is set annually, and students may anticipate some increase over the four years of study.” At the same time, scholarships keep shrinking (Board Book October 2025, p. 35: “Less releases from restrictions and released scholarships. These were below the budgeted numbers since fewer contributions were received in the past years, and this impacted the scholarships awarded in FY2025.”) When these two factors are combined, students face serious challenges with the payment of their tuition. Many respondents who receive scholarships mentioned that the scholarships do not signifi cantly relieve their fi nancial pressure. With other yearly student fees adding up, such as an activity fee of €630, €100 for books, and approximately €1,800 for food, students feel stressed about paying for their future semesters. The Hidden Burden of Work & Travel and Student Loans “Work & Travel is not a choice – it’s survival” is something many of the surveyed students mentioned. They outline that going to the USA feels mandatory for them to aff ord the tuition and living costs for the next academic year, yet even those earnings are sometimes not enough to cover their second semester living costs. Another notable highlight is that Work & Travel programs deprive university students of internship programs and career growth during the summer. 25% of the participants in the survey shared that they have taken out a student loan. However, the majority are optimistic about fi nding a stable job post-graduation that will allow them to pay off their debt. The Largest Daily Expense All the participants in the survey mentioned that food has become a daily hardship for them. Some of them share that canteen prices are high, and the mandatory 300 leva meal plan lasts only for two to three weeks. This opens the door for cooking on your own, but here comes the problem with the dorm kitchens. They may not always be available at a time that suits the students. When they are, students still must be mindful of what they buy, usually opting for easy-to-cook meals, not necessarily nutritious ones. Off -campus students face similar pressures as grocery costs keep rising, but their main challenge is compromising on food choices while trying to stay healthy. Takeaway food is not a common choice, with only 14% of the respondents mentioning they occasionally make use of it. On-Campus Versus Off -Campus While it does matter where students live, neither of these two options is aff ordable. Although the Skapto dorms off er safety, a fi xed cost, and are close to all university buildings, they hide a few hurdles for students. For example, the meal plan costs, laundry, and other small fees add up. Many of the interviewed participants also feel the price diff erences between room types are minimal and not refl ective of actual conditions. Living off campus provides a personal kitchen, more privacy, and greater control over daily life, with rent prices being more aff ordable than dorm costs. However, off -campus students mention they also struggle with groceries and rent. Budgeting and Sacrifi ces Budgeting feels necessary for most students, who mention that they usually plan essentials fi rst and then allocate their remaining money for parties or events, where possible. However, some of the interviewed freshmen acknowledged that they were overspending in the fi rst few weeks of the semester, which has now caught up to them. Students of higher standing tended to have stricter routines for their budget. The weekly spending of most participants is around 150 leva, though for some this goes up to 300 leva due to meal plans. When asked to rate their overall fi nancial situation on a scale of one to fi ve, most gave a three, pointing to a constant, but manageable struggle. Lack of Transparency and Support from the University Scholarships, fi nancial aid process, hidden offi ces, and lack of guidance – all of these are the main complaints of the surveyed students. They share that they do not feel fi nancially supported or understood by the university. Many mention that scholarships have decreased over the last few years, while others highlight that the process of receiving fi nancial aid is very unclear. The student loan offi ce is not easy to fi nd, students admit. Many also feel there is a lack of fi nancial guidance and budgeting support. Impact on Mental Health Financial stress aff ects students both emotionally and socially – even if they do not always show it. The constant anxiety of trying to fi t into a certain budget, as well as the guilt some experience after overspending, often leads to overthinking and burnout from trying to balance academic, personal, and fi nancial pressures. 40% of the students admit that fi nancial stress does bring some kind of negativity in their daily lives. Editors: Toma Krumov & Hary Dikov by Miryana Tunteva 5 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily

What Is Next for AUBG’s Sofi a Semester? Feb. 17, 2025 A UBG’s Sofi a Semester is being off ered for the second time in the university’s Elieff Center since its inauguration in Fall ‘24. A major change as of Fall ‘25 is that the Sofi a Semester has its own Project Manager, Professor Rossen Petkov. Previously, the initiative was handled by AUBG’s Provost and current Interim President J.D. Mininger. The offi cial statistics provided by professors lecturing in the Sofi a Semester show that there were a total of seven students who signed up for the initiative in Fall ‘24. In the Fall ‘25 semester, that number has dropped to fi ve. Ivet Peeva, Class of ‘25, said that not many people are open to an experience like the Sofi a Semester. She added that most of the students hold positions in clubs they joined and prefer to keep them instead of enrolling in the initiative. Valeriya Sotnikova, Class of ‘25, shared that a reason behind the lack of interest in the Sofi a Semester is the limited pool of courses. “I think defi nitely that there are not a lot of courses,” she said. Christian Tenchev, a fourth-year student at AUBG, said, “It was Spring of 2024, and they advertised to us the various courses that would be off ered, and I think there were a couple of Gen Eds.” Addressing the topic, Prof. Petkov shared that a recommendation from students is to add a course focused on Finance to the already existing pool of courses off ered. There have also been students who are taking part in the Sofi a courses remotely, as certain hybrid options are available for courses in the Business major. The Project Manager stated that fully on-ground classes are preferable. Professor Elena Radeva, who teaches a 6 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily course off ered in the Sofi a Semester, agreed with this opinion. “It’s not effi cient to have the course as a hybrid,” she said. Based on the results of a Sofi a Semester students’ feedback document, many students also agree with this idea. Respondents said that they would feel better if a course were either fully online or on-ground and did not feature students located in both Sofi a and Blagoevgrad. Internships are a focal point of the Sofi a Semester opportunity and can be used for AUBG course credits. According to both students and faculty, improvements should be made in this aspect. Prof. Radeva expressed that many of her students who underwent the internship interviewing process did not receive off ers in time to manage to fi ll in the AUBG internship course paperwork. She explained that the students need to receive approval and have a commitment from a company. “They [the companies] go through a process that, for whatever reason, takes longer.” “I don’t feel like you would particularly sense the diff erence between looking for internships yourself and AUBG helping you out,” said Christian. Prof. Petkov explained that an “internship menu” is being developed with the help of Provost Mininger, which will off er many opportunities to Sofi a Semester students. “Our goal is to start talking to companies this semester for next fall,” he said. AUBG has recurring internship partners from Fall ‘24, such as Lufthansa and Postbank. “We are shooting for maybe even more than 20 internship opportunities,” Prof. Petkov said. These should be paid and last for 20 hours per week as students combine them with lectures in the Elieff Center. Prof. Petkov also expressed the importance of informing the students early about the Sofi a Semester. “...We can benefi t from letting students know, maybe even a year in advance, about the Sofi a Semester program,” he said. Students thought that there were not enough social events organized by AUBG in Sofi a. “We were promised that there would be events in Sofi a, that they would gather people in Sofi a, but nothing was done for half of the semester,” said Valeriya. Christian added that “one thing was to go and have dinner at J.D. [Miniger]’s apartment, which was only suggested one time.” There was transport organized by AUBG from Sofi a to Blagoevgrad for larger campus events such as the Halloween Party and the SG Christmas Ball. Valeriya added that “they organized one excursion to the [Ivan Vazov National] Theater in Sofi a.” Prof. Petkov expressed an idea for improving the social aspect, which is to host more networking events, such as leadership talks organized for the EMBA students in the Elieff Center. He emphasized the work in progress on students visiting events and other activities related to their major as a part of the Sofi a Semester experience. The Project Manager also shared about landing an opportunity for the current Sofi a Semester students. “With the help of alumna Stephanie El Fil, we are able to secure gratuity tickets for the Crossroads Startup Conference, which is happening on 17 and 18 of October,” he said. Students expressed their opinion that the housing on off er for the previous Sofi a Semester did not have satisfactory In partnership with: 7 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily Editors: Niya Manditsch and Spasiela Gizdova and conditions, and its location was too far away from the Elieff Center. Prof. Radeva said, “The previous housing was in Hipodruma [district], which is very far and extremely inconvenient for students to commute.” Prof. Petkov explained that the housing problem is being worked on at the moment. Together with Student Aff airs, “we will start looking for next September, basically 11 months ahead of time, so we can have something which is both nice and nearby and students can actually be together.” The Project Manager shared about a potentially new position off ered because of the Sofi a Semester. “We have not named this position yet, it could be called a Local Liaison, it could be like a Resident Assistant on steroids,” he said. The idea is that this person takes care of other students as well as possibly their housing in Sofi a. Prof. Petkov said that the plan is to attract would be to bring in maybe about 20 seniors next fall,” he stated. Prof. Radeva agrees with the Sofi a Semester expansion plan. “It cannot run as a small, very boutique type of thing, using the resources of a professor for fi ve students. That’s a waste of resources,” she said. Ivet has some advice for AUBG students considering the Sofi a Semester. “Try that opportunity to get out of that bubble that we usually live in in Blagoevgrad.” She concluded that the Sofi a Semester will help students to prepare for the real world. Dikov fourth-year students to the Sofi a Semester because of the advanced-level courses off ered. “Our goal

IS Nov 26, 2025 under C lub Underground - AUBG’s famous Thursday night go-to place. Located just 15-20 minutes from campus, Under off ers mainstream music, cheap drinks, and an American dive bar atmosphere. For decades now, the club has been a staple in every AUBGer’s experience, with each generation forming its own traditions. However, recently, students of upper standings have expressed their dissatisfaction with the club. In this article, we examine diff erent people’s opinions and experiences of Under. We surveyed AUBG students, and one of our respondents says, “Right now it seems that fewer and fewer people are going, the atmosphere is not what it used to be.” The survey received a total of 101 responses. Some of the questions included ranking Under from one to ten, explaining on what occasions respondents usually go there, and what their fi rst impression of Under was. First vs Current Impressions Ivan-Asen Enchev (‘22) says that his fi rst expectations of Under were that it would be a quiet bar - a spot for every AUBGer to chill and socialize. However, Under turned out to be wilder than he imagined. Dimitar Vitlyanov, a fourth-year student at AUBG, shared another point of view, “At fi rst I hated Under, and my reason was that it was too full,” he shares. Over time, he realized that most people in the club were his friends. This created a great atmosphere and made his experience more enjoyable. Same Music, Same People When asked to describe the major issues with Under, many students say that the music needs to be improved. According to 70% of people who participated in the survey, the problem is not the genres or the songs themselves, but how repetitive the playlists are. One of the suggestions is to play more recent tracks. 8 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily According to Ivan-Asen, he can practically guess the next song. “It is almost the same thing every night, I see the exact same things [people and music],” says Lisart Mella, a fourth-year student at AUBG. Paul Rother, an exchange student from Germany at AUBG, shares his opinion: “It’s really repetitive … I think over time it just loses its sparkle.” niors were there,” AUBG Community Feel Before 2022, “everyone in AUBG from freshmen to seniors were there,” explains Ivan-Asen. You could see the board of your club, your orientation friends, even faculty and staff . The presence of the AUBG community created a sense of safety and belonging. However, a recent problem in this regard has been the housing crisis. Some students in the survey believe that a problem can be found in many students of higher standings living off -campus and not gathering together to go to Under like before. Despite this, a total of 50 people state that they like the AUBG community in Under. Paul emphasizes the importance of the social aspect. “It’s a small place, and it really depends on who’s going. If the right people are there, then I really enjoy it,” he states. Safety and Locals in Under Ivan-Asen shares that safety is Under’s best attribute. He explains that even if you get absolutely drunk, there will always be someone to take care of you and bring you back to your room, due to the larger AUBGers’ presence. On the other hand, Deni Luca, a freshman from Albania, says that Under is not a safe place for girls to go alone. He mentions creepy guys who hang around the club, and that girls feel threatened by them. “Security doesn’t react at all,” he adds. In partnership with: ver v Nevin Boshnakova, a bartender at Underground and a third-year student at AUBG, shares that people from Blagoevgrad prefer visiting Under on Fridays and Saturdays. “Because if you’re from Blago and you go to Thursday night there, it’s people from AUBG, and you don’t know anyone,” she says. Growing Number of Chalga Clubs in Blagoevgrad One of the major reasons for Under’s downfall is the growing number of AUBG clubs that partner with “Chalga” clubs. For example, some of the main events of the AUBG Griffi ns club are the parties they organize in another nightclub - Billion. Dimitar Vitlyanov shares that student clubs prefer to visit Chalga places like Billion, as there are not enough international members, and most of the club members are Bulgarian. The root of this problem is the insuffi cient admission of international example, only around 17% of the current freshmen are international students, according to offi cial Orientation data. Some of the Chalga clubs’ advantages are the fact that they are more spacious, you have a table to put your drinks on, and more places to sit down, according to a fourth-year student at AUBG, Georgi Badalov. When talking about his standing’s preferences, Deni says that most freshmen prefer Billion over Under. The reason is that Billion has something new every week, while Under is repetitive. Issues and Areas for Improvement in Under Nevin states that the club recently made improvements in the lighting and the speakers. She also said that refi nements in the ventilation system were being discussed. Additionally, she provides a suggestion for Under to appeal to more people. “I think if there are more thematic parties, maybe people will be attracted,” she said. One of Under’s main issues is the lack of space. As Georgi puts it, “going outside or to the bathroom or to the bar is a challenge.” He also adds, “sweaty people step on my shoes, spill drinks on me, and shove me all the time.” 29 people in the survey list aff ordable drinks as Under’s best attribute, but 32 people said that the alcohol lacks quality. Deni says, “When you don’t have money, you go to Under. When you have money, you go to Billion. But overall, in Blagoevgrad, alcohol sucks.” Is Under Dying? The survey shows that 83% of people have not visited Under in the past two weeks as of November 11. students in AUBG. For 80 people state that they go to Under only when someone “makes” them go. 74% of people believe that the quality of Under has fallen, but Ivan-Asen believes that “Under is certainly not dying.” What seems to be the issue is the lack of hype. Dimitar shares that recently, people do not go to Under without a reason, and the recent word-of-mouth about Underground “dying” is his main explanation for this. Despite the fact that he “feels disgusting there,” Georgi would visit Under one last time before graduating in May 2026. He does not plan on going anytime soon, but going to Under right before graduation would be an appropriate thing to do to close this chapter of his life.s life. Editors: David Mitov & Kaloyan Ivanov by Kostadin Dimitrov and Hary Dikov 9 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily ?

The Benefi ts and Downsides Nov 26, 2025 B ulgaria is offi cially set to adopt the euro on January 1, 2026. This is a historical event for the country, and the debate surrounding the decision has been heated. For more than a decade, there have been talks in Bulgaria about the Eurozone and whether the country is fi nally ready to join it. The two opposing sides – the one against and the one in favor –have both strong views and opinions. This article is a part of a paired series. A twin article presenting the supporting viewpoint can be found here. Every state that joins the Union must sign the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). According to it, Member States should adopt the euro once they meet specifi c conditions. Bulgaria has been part of the European Union (EU) since 2007. Upon joining, Bulgaria did not meet the needed requirements to join the Eurozone. In 2025, the European Commission declared Bulgaria ready to take this next step. The euro area comprises all Member States of the Union that have replaced their national currencies with the euro. Currently, 20 out of all 27 Members have taken this step. The main objective of this unifi ed currency is to further integrate Member States and ensure price and economic stability. The Opposing Side The main arguments used to oppose the adoption of the euro are the loss of Bulgarian identity and fi nancial independence, which would lead to an economic crisis in the form of extraordinarily high infl ation. The Bulgarian far-right nationalist party “Revival” has given an active word of warning about the aforementioned consequences. Kostadin Kostadinov, the leader of the party, even called for a referendum. This motion was later rejected by Parliament. The party has also organized protests, some even escalating to violence. Infl ation According to AUBG Economics Prof. Nikos Fatouros, any potential consequences that could come as a result of adopting the euro have already been experienced. He adds that there is no credible evidence to expect infl ation in Bulgaria after January 1. One of the reasons is that the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB) has not been independent for many years. BNB must adhere to the EU’s regulatory framework as it is part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). This means it cannot set its own separate monetary policy. After joining in January, BNB will also have to abide by the 2% infl ation policy of the European Central Bank (ECB). The other important reason why there should not be an extremely high infl ation is that the lev has been pegged to the Deutsche Mark since 1997 and later in 1999 to the euro as Germany adopts it. This leads to a constant exchange rate between the two currencies. Any change in the value of the euro directly aff ects the lev on the same scale as the lev. The Greek Crisis 10 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily In partnership with: Another common example, given as a reason to not replace the lev, is the Greek crisis from 2009. Greece changed its currency from drachma to the euro in 2002. In 2009, when the global fi nancial crisis hit, Greece’s economy collapsed, entering a recession. There were speculations and even claims that the crash happened because of Greece adopting the euro, and that the same will happen with Bulgaria. In the words of Prof. Fatouros, “There is a diff erence between causation and correlation. The adoption of the euro did not cause the crisis.” He went on to explain that while it is true that the crisis happened after Greece had adopted the euro, there is no credible evidence to support any claim that the euro caused the collapse. The facts are that prior to the change, Greece was misrepresenting data about its fi nances, building up its public defi cits and public debt. When the global economic crash happened, the weaknesses of its economy were exposed. The Loss of National Identity Besides the argumentation, economic the opposition states that the replacement of the lev will be a major blow to the national identity of Bulgaria. AUBG Politics Prof. Robert Philps helps us understand the core of the identity crisis. In his words, people tend to look at this not as an economic issue, but rather as a personal one: “Currency holds symbolic and emotional value,” he said. For some Bulgarians, a change in the currency is the same as a change in identity. Citizens feel like they are giving up a part of themselves. It is irrelevant that the country has given up its authority over the lev in 1997; what matters to those people now is that they are giving up the symbolic power of the currency. The Supporting Side For Bulgaria, joining the Eurozone off ers several benefi ts, both economic and political. The primary economic advantages are fi xed maximum infl ation, an increase in trade investments, and the elimination of most of Bulgaria’s Euro Adoption transaction costs. The major political gains for Bulgaria are obtaining a seat at the table of the European Central Bank (ECB) and having a stronger voice and power to promote Bulgaria’s own position within the Union. Another important aspect is the further integration within the Union, which is a direct result of adopting the unifi ed currency. The Bulgarian representative to the General Council is Dimitar Radev, who is the governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB). Price and Infl ation stability The European Central Bank has set a clear objective of a 2% infl ation “over the medium term.” This means that the ECB aims to keep the average infl ation over a period of several years near the 2% mark. Price stability is closely linked to infl ation – as per the ECB, to achieve price stability, infl ation must remain “low, stable and predictable.” There is some unrest in the Bulgarian public Lagarde, that that infl ation will skyrocket after the offi cial adoption. Christine the President of the ECB, addressed the stating issue, these concerns are “entirely legitimate.” She went on to add: “Currency changeovers can produce a temporary uptick infl ation, often when fi rms round up prices during conversion.” As per the offi cial European Commission website, “On average, past euro changeovers have led to a very small and one-off increase in prices, ranging from 0.1% to 0.3%. Over time, however, the euro has a price-stabilising eff ect.” Lower Transaction costs The constant exchange of Bulgarian lev to other currencies may not seem like a signifi cant problem. In reality, it is not, for individuals and one-time occasions. The business sector, however, experiences consequential money losses. Businesses usually trade with foreign companies, and most of the monetary transactions are not conducted in Bulgarian lev. The mainly accepted international trade currencies are the Euro, Editors: Kaloyan Ivanov, Vasil Paskov, Hary Dikov, & David Mitov by Veronika Ivanova 11 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily in measured EU Integration Adopting the euro as the offi cial currency is a major step Bulgaria takes to further integrate itself into the European Union. As a member of the Eurozone, Bulgaria now has a voting seat in the ECB’s Governing Council. This means the Bulgarian representative to the Council will directly express the country’s position on monetary and other issues under the ECB’s jurisdiction. Having a seat in the Council means Bulgaria will now have the ability to advocate for its own stance on monetary matters as opposed to simply following the ECB’s decisions without any input. As Lagarde expressed, “Bulgaria will have a view, a voice, a vote.” The President of the European Commission, Leyen, Ursula shared her von der position: “Thanks to the euro, Bulgaria’s economy will become stronger, the US Dollar, and the British Pound. Therefore, when Bulgarian companies trade internationally, they must exchange the lev for some of those currencies. This results in signifi cant money losses. Adopting the euro will eliminate almost all of those conversion costs and allow companies to use this capital for the expansion of their business. Christine Lagarde acknowledged these benefi ts, saying: “For Bulgarian fi rms, that means zero conversion costs when exporting to their primary European customers. Small and medium-sized enterprises will save around one billion levs every year in conversion costs alone.” Trade investments In the words of Lagarde: “Adopting the euro will also open the door wider to European capital markets. It will lower funding costs and provide a more stable basis for long-term investment.” Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings, two of the world’s major credit-rating providers, have upgraded their rating of Bulgaria to BBB+. This rating characterizes Bulgaria as having a “stable outlook,” indicating the country is a relatively safe investment-grade borrower with moderate risk. The achievement is a direct result of the country’s adoption of the euro and has a strong potential to attract foreign investors to the country.

AI MOVIES: The Future of T Oct. 21, 2025 he fi rst short fi lm festival in Bulgaria to feature a special category for AI-generated fi lms took place on October 16-19, 2025, in Blagoevgrad, community centre “N. Vaptsarov.” It included both Bulgarian and international productions. Around 15 out of 38 were created with AI. “AI allows for young fi lm directors (...) to make a movie without thinking about logistics and fi nances. It gives you an opportunity,” says Kristian Iliev, lead organizer of Blagoevgrad Short Film Festival (BSFF). According to Iliev, Bulgaria is falling behind, compared to other parts of the world, where AI fi lm festivals are already an established practice. The AI Film Festival in Amsterdam and the AI Film Festival (AIFF) in the U.S. are some examples. Along with the creation of fi lm festivals, the AI movie industry has recently acquired its fi rst employable AI actress - Tilly Norwood. While talent agents seem interested in this new opportunity, actors are outraged. Renowned stars such as Emily Blunt, Sophie Turner, and Ralph Ineson commented on Tally’s Instagram page, expressing their concerns. According to the actors’ union SAGAFTRA, AI actors devalue human artistry. Eline Van Der Velden, CEO of AI Talent Studio Xicoia, a company designed to create hyperreal artists, does not agree. Velden assures that Tally is not a replacement for humans but a piece of art. She described her as an animation, a tool, and possibly the start of a new fi lm genre. Legal concerns regarding the data AI actors are trained on keep circling around the fi lm industry. Violation of copyright laws includes the use of voice replicas, images, and mannerisms without the actors’/production’s consent. Unauthorized creations featuring characters like Batman and Bugs Bunny led to Warner Bros studios fi ling a lawsuit against Midjourney earlier this year. Yet, as actors, animators, and make-up artists fear the loss of their profession, other job opportunities appear. AI prompters have mastered the “communication” with AI algorithms and utilize them successfully. Angelier shared that AI platforms are helpful Film Industry Jeremy Angelier, fi lmmaker and founder of the AI fi lm platform Shaike, is one of the benefi ciaries of this new genre. He gave a presentation on the step-by-step process of creating an AI fi lm as part of the BSFF. tools that support scriptwriting, image, and video generation, but do not undermine the creative process. The idea comes from the artist. “You have to give it [AI] instructions, what and how you want something done. When it gives you a product, you can always say ‘move this to the left, change the color, make it softer, etc,“ said Liliana Aleksandrova, assistant organizer of BSFF. ABSOLUTE CINEMA “The human element is not lost. There is always an artist behind the project,” added Iliev. At least for now, but rules are changing. In their research, Tsiavos and Kitsios explore the topic of AI and its role in the fi lm industry. “We highlight emerging ethical concerns, such as authorship, creative integrity, and labor displacement that accompany AI’s expanding role,” say the researchers. Assuming AI follows a “collaboration, not replacement” paradigm, how do we respond to AI-generated fi lms? What turns moving images into meaningful experiences that move us? The New York Times’ article shows that old movies are living a second life in Hollywood with screenings of “Black Swan” (2010), “Apollo 13” (1995), “Jaws” (1975), and others. These movies were written by people, shot by people, and played by people. Editors: Janina Ormanova & Toma Krumov by Bilyana Spasova 13 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily

C RR OO SS SS WWOORR DD Down: 1. Which famous American pop star went to space and came back in 11 minutes? 5. What is the animal in Hangout’s logo? 6. Which movie won best picture at the 2025 Oscars? 7. Who currently acts as both an interim president and a provost at the university? 9. A notoriously ugly keychain toy, often paired with matcha lattes 10. What is the name of the joint event organized by AUBG Olympics and Project S in Fall ‘25? Across: 2. In which month of 2026 is the construction of Skapto 3 expected to fi nish? 3. Name of the program that guides freshman into their university life 4. The ambassador of which country visited AUBG to talk about the Presidency of the Council of the European Union of his country? 8. In which sport did the Bulgarian national team win silver medals this September? 11. Which major might lose its Bulgarian accreditation? JokesJokes 1. How does a JMC major get a job? They use their degree… oh wait. 2. What do Griffi ns and American Football have in common? Absolutely nothing. See you in Billion. 3. Who says that the sense of community at AUBG is lost? All Sofi a Semester students know each other by name. 4. What do Margee Ensign and Ivan-Asen have in common? Both of them love laundering. 5. It is called The Face because you won’t remember seeing any after you leave. 6. With the number of students from Sofi a, you would think every weekend is a Sofi a Semester. 7. I fi nally decided that I am majoring in procrastination. I am thinking of a second one, but I will decide later. 8. Skapto is so culturally diverse that it even has a distinct smell on every fl oor. 9. Imagine actually fi nding a job at the Job Fair. 10. Do you know why Sofi a Semester is the most environmentally friendly in AUBG? Because all of the students enrolled can fi t in a single car. 14 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily In partnership with: What Type of Person You Are Based on Where You Spend Your Time? Hangout Okay, you are fancy, we see. You live for coff ee, love matcha, and posting your aesthetic drinks on Instagram is your favorite activity. Studying is just an excuse for you to go to Hangout, but the main things you do there are watching people from the window and gossiping with your friends who stopped by “by accident”. The charming atmosphere makes all deadlines seem to disappear (keep being delusional!) You call it ‘vibing,’ the universe calls it ‘procrastination.’ Keep sipping, scrolling, and pretending that life is as eff ortlessly chic as your latte art - you have basically mastered the art of looking busy while doing absolutely nothing. BBachinovo Nature lover, peace seeker, down-to-earth character – your focus and relaxation heavily rely on your connection with nature and quiet! You love a quick getaway from the bustling campus and the busy streets of Blago. A book in hand and a bench with a beautiful view of the pond are all you need to relax your mind and forget about all the deadlines awaiting on Canvas. The calm energy of the trees and water fuels your focus, helping you return to campus refreshed and grounded. The park is your personal sanctuary – where time slows down, and the sound of nature allows you to catch your breath and recharge. AAUBG Cafe The social bee has arrived! You thrive in social settings and the noise of chit-chat all around! Studying for you involves your whole group of friends gathered on the couches at the café! You enjoy the random social interactions and just like the unpredictable gust of wind, you enter the café looking for some good time! Your mind recharges through connection, and even your most stressful assignments feel lighter when shared over a latte and a muffi n. Library You either like to be alone, calm, and do not like your roommate, or you just want to look mysterious and cool. Be honest, have you ever opened a book from the library? We hope you are at least studying there, not only waiting for your crush to come by and think how smart you are because you are in the library. Either way, you have perfected the art of looking deeply focused while secretly scrolling through your phone. Sure, your brain might be napping, but your library vibes are fully awake - and everyone can feel it. Aspire You usually spend around 12 hours a day inside the transparent fi shbowl of Aspire, mostly so everyone walking by can see how hard you are “grinding.” You are almost certainly a Business or Computer Science major, and your laptop screen is a chaotic mix of code and crypto charts. Your bible is ‘Rich Dad, Poor Dad,’ and your religion is the ‘Never-Ending Hustle.’ Despite your constant manifestations of success, you are currently in Blagoevgrad, not Wall Street, so we promise that taking a break from time to time will defi nitely not hurt you. SK3 Bubblebble Ah - the sacred bubble of panic, gossip, and ambition. You and your friends step in with the attitude of, “We are getting EVERYTHING done,” only to waste the fi rst hour gossiping about things you have already talked about millions of times. You prepare for an apocalypse - closed in an academic aquarium with snacks for a week, just for someone to end up asking about the homework. Your faith - leaving with academic despair but more united than ever. Still, the universe approves - at least you tried. Polca Congratulations - you are seen as the soul who believes an overpriced coffee can heal your emotional damage. You have stopped counting the number of coff ees you have bought. You are on a fi rst-name basis with the cashiers who know your major, your order, and possibly your zodiac sign. You are the type of person who wants to live on a budget but leaves with a sandwich, soup, and a dessert. Budget who? - live deliciously. 15 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily Crossword Answers: 1.Volleyball, 2. Denmark, 3. J.D. Mininger, 4. MentiFY, 5. JMC, 6. August, 7. Chameleon, 8. Squid Games, 9. Anora, 10. Katy Perry, 11. Labubu

GUESS THE PROFESSOR “Th at is all, folks, now leave me alone.” - Hint: Literature Professor who lives in Th essaloniki “Стъпка по стъпка (step by step)” - Hint: American Economics Professor “Have you tried Borovets?” - Hint: Italian Philosophy Professor “I will call you in ten years and ask if you remember this.” - Hint: Bulgarian Literature Professor “Good stuff , man, good stuff .” - Hint: Co-Head of the Journalism and Media Communications Department, Irish “Questions, no questions?” - Hint: Italian Mathematics Professor “Talk to the village.” - Hint: German Business Professor “Th at is the spAAAAAAAAAN of the vector space.” - Hint: Famous Mathematics Professor 17 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily Answer: Tatiana Ivanova Answer: Mirko Tarulli Answer: Bettina Bastian Answer: Jeff rey Nilsen Answer: Diego Lucci Answer: Lyubomir Terziev Answer: Jason Murphy Answer: Sean Homer AUBG’S MOST WANTED Where traditional taste meets the modern and innovative: Classic Burger and Fresh Sandwiches At BG Market stores, you’ll fi nd a classic burger waiting for you. You’ll also discover fresh sandwiches made with baguette, Italian cheeses, fi ne meat delicacies, and crisp vegetables. Every bite delivers authentic taste and quality! Real Greek Yogurts and Kefi r with Unmatched Taste! BG Market is an established supermarket chain with over 20 years of history, off ering a rich assortment of high-quality products. With ten stores in Blagoevgrad and an online platform (www.bgm.bg) serving the entire country, BG Market provides convenient and easy access to groceries and household goods. Discover authentic Greek products from Koukakis Dairy Farm — a family farm with long-standing tradition and full vertical integration of production: from raising the animals to the fi nal product, everything is controlled on site to ensure guaranteed quality and freshness. Enjoy real Greek yogurts with rich fl avor and velvety texture, as well as kefi r - a natural probiotic drink made from 100% fresh Greek milk, with no preservatives.. Discover the Magic of Authentic Greek Feta from Bizios! Produced from 100% sheep’s and goat’s milk at the foot of Mount Olympus, this feta off ers a dense texture, balanced saltiness, and a distinct, lightly tangy fl avor: with no added preservatives, colorants, or GMOs. Authentic Salads and Spreads Alpha Gefsi is committed to tradition, clean ingredients, and uncompromising quality. 100% natural ingredients, without unnecessary preservatives or colorants - just genuine fl avor crafted from home-style recipes. BG Market continues to off er its customers only the very best — from fresh products to convenient solutions for everyday life. Visit us and see for yourself! 17 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily

head SPONSORSHIP TEAM head Gabriela stoeva petrva petrova Magdalena Yordanova Hary Dikov Maria Pencheva Nikolay Lyutskanov Kristiana Krasteva Niya Vladova Mila Slavova Viktoria Enkina DESIGN TEAM Deyan Kenarov Hristiyana Ivanova Janina Ormanova Daniel Todorov MEMBERS MARKETING TEAM head THE PRESIDENT Vasil Paskov Vayana Sinabova raya zasheva Radostina ivanova melani Karovska PODCAST TEAM Manuela Vukadinova ema beloreshka Jasmina Vitanova 18 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily silvio kostadinov mariAM gogiashvili producer REPORTERS mila kostadinova veronika ivanova Miryana Tunteva bilyana spasova Nia pavlova dimitar daskalov maria Stoyanovska Musallam Al Sabbagh Stefan Tanev GALLERIE EDITORS Alexandra Lewis editor in chief Kaloyan ivanov Alexander Lazarov Kostadin Dimitrov konstans bogdanova Ruby guelda Spasiela Gizdova david mitov toma krumov Kamelia Rusenova valentina velikova In partnership with: 19 Fall 2025 | AUBG Daily

Letter from the editor Dear Readers, As we have reached the fi nal stretch of the semester – and the year – it is time for some well-earned rest. And what better way to unwind than with a glimpse of the semester presented through the stories you are about to read. Without further ado, I am beyond excited to present to you the Fall 2025 issue of AUBG Daily! Toma Krumov Editor-In-Chief Firstly, I would like to thank you, dear reader. Thank you for putting your faith in us. Thank you to all of you who intently read our lovely reporters’ articles, participated in our interviews, and reached outwrote in to correct us when we got it wrong. You are the pulse of this university.; Tthis compilation of stories is as much ours as it is yours. Although this semester has been full of ups – and especially downs – the AUBG community must stand united once more. In light of this, I would like to express my most sincere thanks to the wonderful AUBG Daily Team. Through challenges, – seen and unseen, – we have managed to keep the spirit of AUBG alive on every page. Your commitment to journalism, truth, and creativity has been nothing short of inspiring. Thank you for all of your eff orts – they shape the very foundation of what we do. Find our website here: Last but certainly not least, I would like to thank the Board of AUBG Daily for their unwavering dedication. A special thank -you goes to the President, Vasil Paskov, for all his eff orts and kind but fi rm guiding hand. As we look forward to the holidays, my hope is that this issue serves as both a refl ection of where we are and a reminder of where we are headed. We can only make a lasting change if we stand united in the face of adversity. With that said, I wish you all the best of luck on your fi nals and a warm and restful break! In partnership with: Keep Reading, Toma Krumov Layout, Design, and Illustrations: Magdalena Yordanova, Maria Pencheva, Mila Slavova, Gabriela Stoeva, Viktoria Enkina, Niya Vladova, Janina Ormanova, Kristiana Krasteva

AUBG DAILY Spring 2024 OWL THE NEWS CAN AUBG BECOME A SMOKE-FREE UNIVERSITY? Read inside to fi nd out Vol. 5, Issue 2 Offi cial Title Sponsor

Dear reader, TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 04 06 07 08 10 12 14 15 16 17 18 20 2 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily AUBG Daily is excited and proud to present you with the Spring 2024 issue of our newspaper! In the next twenty pages, you will read through a selection of our most captivating work from this semester. As always, we have been active throughout the entire semester, yet, unfortunately, not every article can fi t into this space. But don’t you worry! Allow us to redirect you to Page 17 or our website www.aubgdaily.com, where you can explore and read all of the stories we gave life to this semester! Enjoy your read! Best, Th e AUBG Daily Team Th e Financial Future of AUBG Vasil Paskov How Bulgaria’s Partial Schengen Entry Aff ects AUBG and its Students - Hary Dikov Th e Highs and Lows of Independent Studies Preslava Gyuzeleva Ralitsa Vuycheva: From Journalism to Media Analysis Tsvetina Georgieva AUBG’s Sofi a Semester Loading Tsvetina Georgieva Can AUBG Become a Smoke-Free University? Eka Iakobadze Studying at Two Universities: An Opportunity or a Challenge? Janina Ormanova Crossword/Word Search Major’s Horoscope Grocery Shopping on a Student Budget: Smart Choices at the Supermarket Hary Dikov Honorable Mentions: What’s on the Daily Menu? Daily Senior Vox Pop Letter from the Editor THE Financial Future OF AUBG Mar. 20, 2024 S tarting in Fall ‘23, AUBG switched its payment currency from the dollar to the euro. Bulgaria aims to adopt the euro as a primary currency with a target date of January 1, 2025. However, the process is complex and continuous, and nothing is confi rmed at this point. Th is decision combined with the increase of 10.1% (approx. €700) in average net tuition, as per a document provided by the AUBG administration, resulted in an inconvenience for many students before the beginning of the academic year. “I was personally aff ected by the change because I was on Work & Travel this summer with the intention to use my earnings to pay the tuition. Since my paychecks were in dollars, I needed to calculate the currency exchange and pay for it as well,” said Aleksandra Angelova, a sophomore at AUBG. She also expressed her dissatisfaction with the way the change was used as an excuse for slightly raising the tuition. Dilyana Mileva, VP of Finance and Administration at AUBG, gave a detailed explanation of the reasons behind this decision. “Although the university was foreseeing that Bulgaria would join the eurozone sooner or later, the reasons [for the currency transition] were not related primarily to that,” Mileva said. According to her, the key driving force behind the currency change was the dollar volatility, which caused a problem with the university’s profi t and loss account. She mentioned that when she fi rst joined the university in 2021, 90% of the university revenue was generated in U.S. dollars coming from tuition fees, donations, and endowment drawdown, while more than 80% of university expenses were incurred in local currency. “Th e university was suff ering from this volatility by registering a lot of fl uctuations in the exchange rate between the U.S. dollar, the euro, and the local currency without being able actually to address them,” stated Mileva. She added that around 90% of the American universities outside the U.S. have taken similar measures to avoid a mismatch between income and expenses and to make the transactions easier for European students as they are the majority at AUBG. Payments in euro advantage Bulgarian students because of the currency board that fi xes the exchange rate between the lev and euro at exactly 1:1.96. Unlike the dollar, this means that when the university announces the tuition amount for next year, students will know exactly how much leva they will have to pay. Mileva also commented on the increase in tuition fees that happened simultaneously with the change in payment currency. She listed the growing infl ation in Bulgaria in the past three years (approx. 32,2% for the period Jan. 2021 – Jan. 2024, according to the Bulgarian National Statistical Institute) as a primary reason for the rising university cost. “Th e university is a non-profi t organization, which means that whatever we generate, we should invest it in the university activity. Th ere are no owners, there are no dividends distributed there. So, when we do that balance, we still need to be on the safe side and have some surplus,” said Mileva. On Feb. 14, 2024, the president of AUBG Dr. Margee Ensign gave an update on the university’s fi nancial strategy during the Town Hall meeting. Th e estimated increase in the gross tuition fee for the Academic Year 2024/2025 will be 1,6% which is below the projected infl ation for 2024 (4%) and 2025 (3%). Th e only AUBG students aff ected by this increase will be the ones living in Skapto I and II as they can expect a 6% increase in their housing fees for the next year due to the increasing prices of maintenance and utilities. No changes are expected in student activity fees and meal plan deposits. “We try to keep that balance strict so according to the fi nancial sustainability policy that universities have, students should not experience significant increases,” said Mileva. She also stated that although 51% of AUBG’s budget comes from tuition fees, the university is trying its best to keep the changes as minor as possible. a Editors: David Mitov and Radina Shtereva P 3 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily V a s s l i ko v

Schengen Entry How Bulgaria’s partial affects AUBG and its students Mar. 13, 2024 O n Dec. 30, 2023, the European Council offi cially announced the partial inclusion of Bulgaria and Romania into the Schengen area starting from March 31, 2024. Th is applies to the two countries’ borders by air and water. On the AUBG scale, students who are not from EU member states will be the biggest benefactors from this change. Political Science and European Studies Professor Magdalena Bernaciak commented on the impact that this decision will have on Bulgaria. She emphasized the fact that the opened channels will be used mainly by people and not for transport purposes. Citing Bulgaria’s International Road Hauliers’ Association, Bernaciak said that “8% of all transport operations take place by sea and by air, the channels that are opened.” Th e other 92% of traffi c will still be controlled and potentially delayed which does not benefi t the economy in any way. “When it comes to the human side of it [partial entry], it defi nitely makes things easier,” Prof. Bernaciak said. She pointed out how this change will signifi cantly help international students as there will be no need to obtain an additional Schengen visa. 4 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily When asked whether Bulgaria’s land borders will also be included in the Schengen area, she highlighted the dependence on Austria’s political situation as it was the last country to oppose the partial entry. “Odds for Austria at the moment are extremely pessimistic when it comes to who can be the winner of these elections,” Prof. Bernaciak stated. She added that the most likely winners are the far-right party which is populist right-wing oriented and would probably not allow Bulgaria’s land borders entry into Schengen. Dean Sabina Wien shared that she hopes AUBG international students “can benefi t the most, can get the most privileges, if not equal privileges, as Bulgarian nationals.” When asked whether the Schengen entry will make more students willing to come to AUBG, she said that more interest is defi nitely expected. Dean Wien added that this will certainly be utilized by the Marketing offi ce to promote the university. She mentioned the organized trips to Greece by the International Offi ce as an example of a case when certain AUBG students could not participate exactly because of their non-EU nationality. Dean Wien said that “we are possibly more ready than ever” to join Schengen and Bulgaria has to keep gaining even more trust. She continued by saying that AUBG’s diversity in terms of nationality will benefi t from this change, and she hopes this applies to cultures and ethnicities as well. Dean Wien fi nished with the words: “I will defi - nitely celebrate,” meaning Bulgaria’s partial inclusion in the Schengen area. Ngan Th an Ho, an AUBG senior from Vietnam, is very satisfi ed with the changes. “Now, with the partial entry, I can at least go by plane or boat to other European countries without a visa,” she said. Ngan shared that the expensive visa fee and time-consuming document preparation will not be necessary for her anymore. When asked whether a potential inclusion of Bulgaria’s land borders in Schengen would aff ect her, the Vietnamese student said that she mostly travels by plane and it does not matter whether this happens or not. Ngan stated that the change will potentially attract more Asian students as they will be able to travel to more countries. She also mentioned Bulgaria’s adoption of the Euro currency and that the country is going to “lose its charm” as the cheap one in Europe. Mark Supanat, a junior student from Th ailand, said the partial entry would be very benefi cial for many students. Until now, he had to go to Vietnam in order to receive a visa for other EU countries. He said: “Future students from Th ailand won’t need to go through the same process I did.” When asked whether more international students would be willing to come to AUBG aft er the changes, he said that “only students who have already accepted and wanted to go [to AUBG]” will be aff ected. He mentioned a related problem - there is a limited number of Bulgarian embassies in Southeast Asia. Mark fi nished by saying: “I don’t think we will see the results during our time at AUBG,” meaning an increased diversity due to the partial entry to Schengen. AUBG senior Mohamad Hachem from Lebanon said: “For now, this [the partial Schengen entry] is a step in the right direction.” He continued by sharing that it would have been great if the decision had been made earlier than his senior year. In that case, he would have been able to travel to conferences and professional events in Schengen area countries easier. “It is really going to improve the quality of education for international students who are going to come here [AUBG],” Mohamad said. He added that the university must be selective regarding students right now and this is going to alter aft er the changes are implemented. 5 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily Th e Lebanese student added that another way students would benefi t is if Bulgaria’s land borders entered the Schengen area. Currently, some of them limit their travel because they cannot aff ord fl ight tickets. “If we are talking politics, this is going to be great for the economy,” Mohamad said. Similarly to Prof. Bernaciak, he mentioned the current problem with trucks and cargo vessels which wait for hours and days at Bulgaria’s land borders. “AUBG students who are coming next year as Freshmen and Sophomores, and Juniors this year should fully utilize this opportunity,” Mohamad highlighted. Editors: Vasil Paskov and Radina Shtereva Ha r y D i k o v

The Highs I Feb. 23, 2024 f one is interested in a certain topic outside of the catalog, then an independent study may be the right option for them. Many students see it as a golden opportunity to enrich their curriculum. Yet, what exactly does an independent study consist of, and is it worth it? What is an Independent Study? According to the Undergraduate Catalog, “Independent study provides AUBG students with the opportunity to undertake a specialized study and to work closely with individual faculty in the model of an English tutorial”. Th e student and advisor agree on a topic, but how it is approached is entirely up to the student. Th e study could be an academic research paper, a theatrical performance, or a work of fi ction. Professor Krastanka Bozhinova, who is teaching French at AUBG, is currently working with students doing an Independent Study (Advanced French through Media and Film) and she defi nes it as “an opportunity to off er a course which does not exist in the catalog.” For her, this is a rewarding experience for everyone involved. “It allows a professor to have a course which is more fl exible, on a topic which is of interest both to them and the student. It is an opportunity to enrich the curriculum with diff erent, usually more advanced topics,” Prof. Bozhinova says. To qualify for an Independent study, one must have a cumulative GPA of 3.100 and have completed 30 credit hours. Th e professor they work with must be a fulltime faculty member and the chosen topic must not overlap with already existing courses. Why an Independent study? Independent studies are not mandatory, so the motives behind doing one are different for each student. Some see it as an opportunity to test their creative skills or research methods. Others need the credits to complete their chosen major or minor. Such is the case of Anastasia Dimitrova, 6 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily a junior at AUBG, who already has two independent projects behind her back and is currently working on a third one. “I am doing a self-designed major in Th eater and Film, therefore I would not be able to graduate, had I not done an Independent study,” shares Anastasia. However, she also enjoys the creative freedom that comes with the project. “I like the idea of having control over what activities you plan during your Independent study and how it goes.” Boyan Bozhinov, an AUBG senior currently writing a work of fi ction with the help of Professor Michael Cohen, is in a similar situation. “Th ere weren’t any courses that were available or fi tting for me at the moment, so doing an Independent Study is something I need because at the same time I want to get done with the creative writing minor. I took it because of both necessity and interest,” he says. Benefi ts and Drawbacks Like many academic activities, an Independent Study is both rewarding and strenuous. Th e biggest challenge for most students is time management. “I would have all of my classes and my job and on top of that I would have to dedicate a signifi cant amount of time per week to work on it,” said Anastasia. Fitting the Independent study in your schedule is also diffi cult for professors. Professor Bozhinova says: “Th e minimum required is to meet our students once a week, but they usually prefer to have meetings twice a week. We try to remain fl exible, according to our schedules.” Some students struggle with doing everything on their own if the professor is not familiar with the process. “Some professors are very adept while others are kind of clueless. Th ere is not much information about the procedure so at one point it is just constant emailing to department chairs until you fi gure it out,” Boyan says. Yet, this autonomy is what makes Independent studies attractive to students, as it gives them a way to unleash their full potential. “Drowning Ophelia is the fi rst independent production by AUBG students in 30 years that has been in circulation,” says Anastasia. “Th e Independent studies at AUBG give you the opportunity to really experiment with where you want to go and what you want to do. Professor Nedyalko Delchev, who supervises most of my Independent studies, allows for creative freedom.” Boyan is also optimistic about how his current Independent study will turn out. “Professor Cohen is very open to having the study be a huge aid in the long run. He mentioned he was going to also share the publishing options I would have by the end of it.” A Word of Advice Despite the hardships, professors and students generally enjoy working on Independent studies. When asked whether he would recommend this type of activity, Boyan says: “I would say go for it. Th e professor is going to give their full-time attention to you and it’s a study that basically fi ts your remaining credits for the major or the minor.” For Prof. Bozhinova, it is the enthusiasm of the students that is gratifying and this is why she fi nds the working process enjoyable. “You can always see their interest - these studies are not mandatory - it is all their own initiative, so it is really nice to work together,” she says. Anastasia shares: “If you really want to do an Independent study, there is nothing that should hold you back. Since AUBG grants this opportunity to us, we should take it.” Edited by: Niya Manditsch and David Mitov Gy P re sl le a av a u ze v C Ralitsa Vuycheva: From Journalism to Media Analysis Apr. 29, 2024 B eing one of the most desired majors at AUBG, the Journalism and Mass Communications (JMC) degree opens the door for students to develop themselves in a wide range of fi elds. Television and radio stations, newspapers, and Public Relations (PR) are among the most popular ones. Few people know about media analysis although it provides a pleasant fi eld for JMC students to thrive in. “Media analysts answer research questions, fi nd trends, make data-based conclusions, and even educated predictions. Media analysts slice and dice, dig and dive deep to answer the million-dollar question – ‘why?’,” said Ralitsa Vuycheva, Account Director at Commetric, a company that provides media analytics solutions. For Vuycheva, JMC students and graduates are prepared to do the tasks a media analyst does. “Everyone with a JMC degree knows exactly how to do it – what to look for, where to search it, how to read between the lines to get the big picture, and how to combine the puzzle parts. And maybe the most important skill – the ability to navigate confi dently and quickly through large information fl ows and to assess fast the importance of certain facts/news,” she said. For Vuycheva, journalism was a dream. She studied Journalism at Sofi a University, which helped her develop personally and professionally. “A JMC degree helps natural-born journalists build solid self-esteem, providing them with tools and “weapons” they’d need in their journey to fulfi ll their internal urge and mission,” Vuycheva said. “While attending diff erent classes and working on various projects, a JMC student inevitably learns more and more about the mechanisms that drive individual and social processes and gets knowledge about various spheres of social and economic life.” Vuycheva is aware of what a JMC degree brings to a graduate student who has yet to jump into the professional environment. “A JMC degree comes with a vast intellectual background, supported by upskilled know-how, which is always a solid starting point for becoming a successful and self-confi dent professional,” she said. Aft er graduation, Vuycheva worked at a TV station, women’s magazines, a morning block, an editorial team, and as a freelancer. Her experience in diff erent journalistic fi elds helped her realize what advantages a JMC degree provides. It also aided her in her career path in Commetric, starting as a media analyst. “I strongly believe that a JMC student or graduate would feel comfortable in the shoes of a media analyst,” Vuycheva said. “In Commetric, I’m not the only example that this is possible, we have many talented colleagues with JMC degrees who are constantly promoted by rights due to demonstrated skills and work ethics.” Th e skills and knowledge she gained through her experience navigated her through the new job despite the initial uncertainty and diffi culty. “For me, it was hard to believe that a JMC graduate with no experience in media analysis could fi t perfectly in the role of a media analyst as I literally had no idea what the media analysts were actually doing,” Vuycheva said. “My curiosity made me accept my fi rst assignment with Commetric and very quickly aft erward I realized that my background would indeed help me tremendously in my work as an analyst.” Th e Journalistic and Media Analysis fi elds share common characteristics regarding what people take out of them. Th e skills acquired in both fi elds help Vuycheva and every other JMC-major student succeed since the two complement each other. “Maybe the most important skill for both journalists and analysts is to be able to ask the right questions in order to receive meaningful answers, to comprehend. To think out of the box and to be creative. To believe that there’s always a smart way to get information,” Vuycheva said. According to Vuycheva, the two fi elds also diff er. “Th e only diff erence is the perspective – in the focus of the media analysis are the questions of our corporate clients/NGOs/ governmental bodies, while journalists are searching for answers on behalf of the society,” she said. Working in the two diff erent spheres provided her with important lessons for her self-improvement and professional development. “While working in the Journalistic fi eld I’ve learned how to think and make decisions fast, come up with diff erent ideas, and have the courage and persistence to defend them. In my work in the Media Analysis sphere I’ve learned that a JMC degree can open many career doors – one can thrive as a journalist, a PR expert, or a media analyst.” From her long and diverse experience in the Journalistic and Media Analysis fi elds, Vuycheva shared advice with all current, graduate, and future JMC students. “Dream big and have no fear, at least not for your professional development – you’re (re)searchers in your blood, and you’ll be always welcome in the media analysis universe.” Sponsored by: Ge 7 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily T sv ie a et in rg a o v

AUBG’s Sofia S preferences and needs. “At this point, we are trying to be as fl exible as possible because if we’re able to run this even just one fi rst semester in the Fall, I think it will, in turn, promote opportunities for others in the future,” J. D. Mininger, AUBG’s Provost, said during an info session about the Sofi a Semester opportunity held on March 20. What about the courses? A preliminary list of the on-ground and online courses is already available. Depending on students’ preferences and professors’ eff orts, more courses will be added to the list so that students with diff erent majors can enroll. Apr. 1, 2024 A UBG is on track to off er its third- and fourth-year students the opportunity to study in Sofi a instead of Blagoevgrad. Th e Sofi a Semester optional program will provide a full load of AUBG credit-bearing courses. Th ey will be taught for one semester either in the Elieff Center or online while students live in Sofi a. As of March 27, there is an ongoing process of research and gathering interest among students to evaluate their willingness to study a semester in Sofi a, their majors, and the courses that can be off ered. Th is is also a way for AUBG’s Administration to see whether a Sofi a Semester can happen depending on students’ 8 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily “Th ere are one or two GenEd electives, and then most of the onground courses for this semester are Business courses. But that’s not because we only want Business students,” Mininger said. “Th at’s because the department was the one that found they were most easily able to off er certain courses. But there are some other majors that, I think, can fi gure this out between a little creativity, online courses, and some other things.” What is the biggest advantage? Th e Sofi a Semester aims to provide internship off ers in big and well-developed companies, such as IBM, Commerzbank, Coca-Cola, Postbank, MSG Global Solutions, Nu Boyana Film Studios, Nova TV, Luft hansa, etc. “Internships are one of the great, great values of this [Sofi a Semester],” Mininger said. “One of the things that for AUBG is pretty incredible, but for an on-campus student you don’t always see, is how many connections we actually have in Sofi a.” What about some diffi culties? Some challenges remain for AUBG’s Administration to decide on and clear out before actually launching the Sofi a Semester. “Th e fi rst thing that will be the most challenging is the fact that the number of courses we can off er in Sofi a to get this started is very minimal,” Mininger said. “We will have a few courses that are on the ground in the Elieff Center. But then there would be online course options depending on your particular situation, even an independent study,” Mininger said. What remains the same as in a Blagoevgrad semester? Studying in Sofi a extends to the academic opportunities off ered at AUBG. Th e terms and conditions of an academic semester remain approximately the same; only the location is diff erent. “Th ere are lots of diff erent creative things we can do with this location. But we also want this to be an academically legitimate environment for you [the students],” Mininger said. “We would never wish to harm or water down the quality of the academic opportunities that you would have. We hope, at some point, it’s even more.” Th e situation with club participation, student activities, and events does not drastically change either. “You’ll be away from this campus, but it doesn’t mean you have to be Se emester Loading alienated from the things that happen on campus, and certainly when it comes to big events, we would fi nd a way to make sure that all of you, if you wish, could travel,” Mininger said. Studying in Sofi a does not change the tuition fee a student pays. According to Mininger, “Th e tuition will be the same. You pay for AUBG credits either way, and the idea is that, for the most part, the cost doesn’t change unless you want it to somehow change.” What can be slightly diff erent? A change can appear in accommodation costs. Students who live or have a place to stay in Sofi a can do so. For the rest, an option for housing is Kitchen 59, which has conditions, services, and housing fees similar to those of the AUBG Resident Halls. “Th e cost will be similar to living on campus in Blagoevgrad. A meal plan option is available for an additional fee for those who wish,” Mininger said. “Students will pay AUBG; AUBG will hold the housing contract and take care of the details. Th ere are some notable amenities available onsite, such as a rooft op café and a swimming pool.” If the group of people housed in Kitchen 59 is at least of modest size, there can even be a Resident Assistant (RA) working there. Th ey will sign a student contract with AUBG, work under the same terms and conditions as an RA in one of the three Skapto Resident Halls, and have their housing fee covered for the Sofi a Semester. Th e Sofi a Semester is not a requirement for any major off ered at AUBG. As Mininger said, “It is simply a cool opportunity!” and students can express their interest by fi lling out a form. What do students think about the Sofi a Semester off er? “Overall, I feel like this is a great opportunity for AUBG students. It provides you with numerous possibilities to intern at big companies,” Radko Mishev, a second-year student, said. “Sadly, I am not going to enroll due to it not having enough Computer Science courses.” “Right now, the Sofi a semester idea is very small-scale, meaning a very limited number of courses are actually off ered. Depending on your major, doing a semester at Sofi a might be impossible for you,” Kaloyan Dimitrov, a second-year student, said. “Also, the community aspect of the university inevitably suff ers, as you will have a lot fewer classmates studying alongside you.” “Th is 1-semester pilot project will be the bridge that connects AUBG students with opportunities for professional development. And I am hopeful that once the fi rst trial is done, the program will steadily grow in popularity,” Alexander Yordanov, a senior student, said. “However, given the short notice for this program, people could not plan their courses in advance.” “I can’t be more excited about it!” Mihaela Mihaylova, a fi rst-year student, said. “Sofi a is my hometown, which means being closer to my family and living at my home. Also, I work in Sofi a, so traveling every week will not be necessary anymore.” “Th e Sofi a Semester seems like an amazing opportunity that deserves more attention. If more students show interest in it, more professors will be willing to give lectures in Sofi a or have online sections,” Samuil Mladenov, a second-year student, said. “For now, we can’t really know what diffi culties might exist since it’s something new. But the university is willing to help with any hardships that the people enrolling may face.” Editors: Radina Shtereva and Darya Dolgopolova Ge 9 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily T sv ie a et in rg a o v

Can AUBG Become a Smoke - Free University? Mar. 7, 2024 I t is not a secret that a lot of people on the AUBG campus are smokers. So when the conversations about the potential restrictions on smoking started to escalate, clashing opinions became prevalent. “I don’t smoke. But I’m a smoker. I’m a passive smoker. And that is the problem,” said Sabina Wien, the Dean of Students. Dean Wien stated that decisions such as restricting or banning smoking don’t just happen overnight. “I hope that students are aware that whenever the university has the intention to do something, we inform the students, not only inform them, we also consult with the students,” she said. Dean Wien pointed out that a lot of new people have joined AUBG, including the new president, who noticed that the signs about not smoking in certain areas were not really working. “It is a natural life of signs. At a certain point, people stop noticing,” she said. Conversations around smoking started with the intention of supporting the rights of people who prefer not to smoke. “When you enter the buildings, you have to walk through a cloud of smoke,” Dean Wien noted. She also said: “Limiting somebody’s freedom is wrong and smokers may not always be aware of non-smokers around them.” Yet, nothing has been decided. “We don’t want to harm people who are smokers,” Dean Wien said, “We want to educate people.” 10 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily The conversations involved resident assistants, who are aware of the habits of students. “We discussed how we can accommodate people. We even discussed if we could have smoking and non-smoking balconies,” she shared. “It is not about banning smoking, it is about banning the possibility of smokers harming the non-smokers,” Dean Wien added. Rati Sirabidze, a junior from Georgia, does not perceive smoking on campus as a problem. He currently lives off-campus, but still thinks that potential restrictions on smoking will affect him in some ways. “I don’t think that people are considering the deep-rooted cultural context and the meaning of smoking in the Balkans, especially in Bulgaria,” he said. Rati said that smoking is a personal choice and this personal choice should not be restricted. “Every addiction is harmful. They might as well ban drinking on campus,” he said. He also raised the issue of the financial implications of the possible restriction or banning of smoking. “Does AUBG have money for such spending, considering that campus with about 1000 students has only one counselor?” he asked. Rati said that topics tend to come and go. “It almost feels like they are trying to shift the focus from very problematic topics to something which people don’t really care about,” he added. Rati Sirabidze smoking in front of the BAC building. Photo courtesy of Eka Iakobadze Rati thinks that nobody would go out of their way to smoke on a different balcony or go off campus. He also raised the issue of how it could be monitored: “I don’t think resident assistants would be willing to do that job on top of everything they are doing already.” Ethan Perelstein, a senior from the U.S., had a contrasting opinion. “Smokers can just walk down to the river,” he said, “The rest of the country is designed for smokers, let’s make sure that at least our campus is safe for everyone.” Considering that AUBG has a new president and the university has started the planned expansion, Ethan is not surprised that this conversation is coming up now. “It is a good opportunity for cultural change,” he said. Ethan has written an article on smoking in AUBG. In his article, he discussed the notion of “individual freedom”. “Smokers who know better all over the world cite that it’s a ‘personal choice’ to subject themselves to cigarettes. To them it’s about individual freedoms. But for me, it is not a choice,” he wrote. He also raised a point about how smoking aff ects non-smokers. “I have become what the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) calls a passive smoker,” he said. Ethan emphasized in his article how passive smokers are also predisposed to lethal diseases due to the secondhand smoke left in the air. Ethan also highlighted that, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDS), “there is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke; even brief exposure can cause serious health problems.” Finally, Ethan raised the question: “Where are my individual rights?” Gage Miller is an exchange student from Louisiana, the U.S. He compared AUBG to his home university and said that students are not allowed to smoke cigarettes on campus. “You have to go off -campus, but you just have to go a foot off campus and you’ll be fi ne,” he said. He said that smoking on the AUBG campus is defi nitely much easier: “I defi nitely smoke a lot more here than I did in the U.S.” Dimitar Vitliyanov, a sophomore from Bulgaria, shared that he had informal conversations with the administration about smoking on campus. “I feel like banning smoking would be impossible. Th e administration is just thinking of the options of how to restrict smoking on campus,” he said. Dimitar pointed out that such a policy will be diffi cult to attain because Boryana Ivanova. Photo courtesy of Niko Kochalidze 11 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily Bulgarians smoke a lot, and there is no structural support. “By that, I mean the state having specifi c programs and an interest to discourage smoking in general,” he said. Just like Rati, Dimitar is concerned about the fi nancial implications of the potential policies. “Th e administration will have to think about such things as ventilation if there are designated smoking areas,” he said. Such equipment costs a lot of money. Dimitar considers smoking a systemic issue. “Some people don’t understand how diffi cult it is to not smoke once you are addicted,” he said. Yet, Dimitar said that he understands why the conversations around smoking are taking place. “Th is is a change that is normal for Western universities, and being a model for a Western university in Bulgaria, it is only logical to pursue such policies,” he said. Another student, who decided to stay anonymous, shared that he noticed how trash cans were moved away from the ABF and BAC entrances last semester. But, back then, he did not really think much of it. At the beginning of this semester, he was smoking outside the ABF building with his friends. He said that they were standing two-to-three meters away from the entrance when suddenly a loud alarm went off . “I was terrifi ed,” he said. “I feel like the new president is trying to ban smoking as much as she can. She is trying to Americanize AUBG,” he said. “I don’t think she realizes where she is and how things work here,” he said, “People smoke so much here that it is a wonder how smoking is banned inside.” Can AUBG actually become a smoke-free university? Out of 50 randomly chosen respondents, 78% think that it simply cannot happen. Nothing is decided though. Th ere is still no set plan for AUBG’s transition to a smoke-free campus. Editors: Vasil Paskov and Niya Manditsch Ek a Iak ob ze ad

Studying at Two Universities: An Opportunity or a Challenge? Apr. 22, 2024 A UBG is one of the few universities in Bulgaria that allows its students to graduate with two majors simultaneously. However, some students decide that they are passionate about another area of study that is not part of the academic catalog. Hence, they enroll in a second university while also studying at AUBG. Among these students is Georgi Pandev, a junior majoring in Business Administration and Political Science. Apart from his studies at AUBG, he is a part-time Law student at Southwest University in Blagoevgrad. He describes his experience as a student in two universities as a very rewarding one. “I am building knowledge in several fi elds that are very much connected and complement each other in various ways,” Georgi explained. Georgi graduated from the American College of Sofi a. Studying in the American educational system was a natural choice, but he dreamed of becoming a lawyer in Bulgaria. Th ere was an option that combined all of his wishes: studying at AUBG and Southwest University at the same time. He started the two universities at once. Initially, he was a 12 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily bit anxious about whether he wo manage to combine them. Th en, h found out that the Southwest Law Department was on the third fl oo AUBG’s Main building. “Th is fact struck me because I re did not know it, and I took it as a a sign from above. It made me feel like, yeah, that is the thing for m Surely, I should try it and do my be to achieve the results,” he said Unlike him, Liliya Lazarova is a regular student in two cities: Bla evgrad and Sofi a. She is currentl majoring in Business Administration at AUBG and Fashion Design at the National Art Academy. From a very young age, she wanted to study something related to design, but then, in high school, she developed a strong interest in business. She decided to pursue a degree in the two fi elds because, in the future, she thinks she can combine them career-wise. “Th ese majors give me the freedom to be creative and also view the business aspect of it,” said Liliya. Eva Kortezova, a junior majoring in Business Administration and Economics, enrolled in a second university because she has always been good at mathematics. She has given private math lessons since sixth grade, and she wanted to make sure el m y bet aw oo f that if something goes wrong with her business career, she can always rely on her teaching skills. “I knew that I was good at this. I have had lots of experience already, and I have had lots of amazing feedback from my students,” said Eva. She enrolled at Southwest University as a part-time student in Pedagogy of Education in Mathematics, Informatics, and Information Technologies. As a part-time student, ten days a semester she has to attend lectures on-ground. “Th ere was one day when I had 12 lectures, which was horrible. I woke up every day at 6:00. I had lectures in AUBG, and then I ran to the Southwest because the mathematics campus is at the end of the city,” Eva said. Time management is the biggest problem for all students studying at two universities, no matter how near or far they are from one another. Georgi said that there is a part of the semester when it becomes full of exams and assignments. “It is too many things to process, and I personally want to cover everything with the best eff ort that I can possibly give. I catch myself digging too deep into some things, maybe without the need to,” he said. At Southwest University, there are two exam sessions, which helps students spread their exams evenly. “I approach the two exam seasons strategically. For example, I take half of the exams during the fi rst session and the next couple in the next exam session,” explained Georgi. Liliya shared another problem with time management while studying at two universities. “A lot of the time, you just get used to being alwa s in a rush, alwa s h h h do l d s y g y you just need to take a step back and relax,” she said. Th is is not the case for everyone. Lilia Petrova studies Business Administration and European Studies at AUBG, and her third major is Contemporary Choreography at Southwest University. “It has always been a passion of mine that I want to keep part of my life, and in a way, going and dancing for hours helps me get my mind off of things because AUBG tends to be really busy,” Lilia explained. Lilia shared that at Southwest University, she got the opportunity to step out of her comfort zone and explore a completely diff erent university with a diff erent educational system and people. “Th e people that I communicate with in the other university are actually much diff erent than the people that I communicate with here. So, I get to see a whole new perspective of peop p p . D h d n - p pects of studying at two universities, Liliya Lazarova believes that people should enjoy the process. “It does not matter whether you graduate with two, three, or fi ve majors. At the end of the day, it is what you have learned and how you have developed as an individual. If only one major brings you that type of enjoyment, fulfi llment, and development, then that is completely fi ne, and the quality is more important than the quantity,” she said. Edited by Vasil Pakov and Niya Manditsch G Daily G Jan an in a Or m ov a

Crossword 1. What is the name of Broadway’s musical performance this semester? 2. What is the name of one of the newest clubs at AUBG? 3. What is the last name of the Bulgarian author who won the International Booker Prize 2023? 4. What is the name of the new Senior Vice President of Development? 5. Where will AUBG off er a new semester? 6. Who is “the Voice” of AUBG? 7. What is the biggest event off ering career opportunities for AUBG students? 8. AUBG students lost one nightclub option, which is the nightclub that closed its doors? 9. Which is one of the one-credit Adobe courses taught this semester? 10. What is the name of the event when many outstanding students are announced? Word search 20 words total 20 words total Major’s Horoscope Business Administration Let me guess - you want to make big money? Invest in time management, because with all of the projects you’ll have to do, you’ll still have no idea what you learned. Journalism You cannot contain your natural curiosity and eagerness to learn about your surroundings which may make you gossip occasionally. Political Science You do not like the easy path, do you? Get ready for lots of papers and articles about mesmerizing topics such as the foreign policy of Niger and the energy crisis in Nepal but of course, everything will be worth it in the end…as long as your fi rst major is BUS. Computer Science Stars tell me that you enjoy geek stuff (when I think twice, it may be your shirt). If the approximate time you spend in Discord is less than 15 hours per day, you should really think about the most important question in life - Is this what I want to do with the rest of my life? European Studies From SG to the European Parliament - learn that constitution and master those public speaking skills, because AUBG needs these funding programs for expanding Skapto! Our EUROscope speaks: bureaucracy at its fi nest leads to currency divinest! Economics You willingly made your life harder. Respectable, but good luck with socializing, because you’re chasing perfection. Even if you supply your professors with good work, they will demand more. Psychology A master manipulator even to yourself. You will be most wanted and do a lot of great things in psychology (even if you barely passed your PSY1001 course). Physics Wait, you guys actually exist? Well, even if you do, good luck getting enough courses to graduate in four years. Self-Designed Major You are, to put it simply, built diff erently. You may not be able to buy yourself a carpet, but you may reach the red carpet someday. 15 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily Mathematics You are the smartest person in the room…or at least that is what your parents told you as a kid. Get ready for hundreds of complex equations and even more complicated exam sessions. And in the end, if you are lucky, the best option for you will be to return to the university but this time you will be in front of the students. Literature Creative writing skills are immaculate (lit), huh? But be infallible (lit) in catching up with the readings about Shakespeare, LITERARY…Because dictionaries are in quest of appending new, aliferous words. Information Systems You want to be a COS Major but you do not feel like programming and geeking out, which is totally understandable. Get ready for a Temu version of the COS major but as long as you enjoy it, nobody can tell you anything (mainly because people have not heard about your major). History Wow, you know when the Battle of Dunkirk was?! I hope you have fun giving museum tours for the next 40 years. Modern Languages Vous parlez français? Nein, ich kann Deutsch! Pero también hablo español! Hey, I can speak all of them, didn’t you know that? Good luck in choosing which country to visit fi rst…and good luck in not becoming byelingual, your brain is already a complete mess!

Grocery Shopping on a Student Budget: Smart Choices at the Supermarket Apr. 30, 2024 AUBG Senior student Stefan Leon emA UBG students are one of the most active consumer groups in BG Market’s stores as they try to fi nd nutritious and aff ordable food items. Th ere are a variety of options for them to choose from in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. BG Market’s Marketing Director Vladimir Milenkov acknowledged the importance of students as a customer group. “Students shop at our supermarkets given the higher education institutions in town. Th at is why we strive to off er activities that are suited to their needs and preferences,” he said. Examples of such include fresh product offerings and interactive social media games. According to the results from a survey conducted among 50 AUBG students, 48% of the respondents shop 2-3 times a week and 44% do that once a week. Th is tendency is confi rmed by BG Market’s Marketing Director Vladimir Milenkov. “In Bulgaria, it is becoming more common that people shop “day by day” instead of “week by week”. Th e consumers tend to purchase more cooked meals during the weekdays, dealing with their fast-paced daily life,” he said. Th at is why all BG Market shops off er a storefront with hot meals that satisfy clients’ needs. Students prioritize certain factors when doing their groceries. According to the survey responses, the most important aspects when choosing a supermarket to shop at are th ff dble p d wide variety of p in line are c live and acces these need rious loc p cces various locations around Blagoev Sponsored by: phasized on BG Market’s off ering of sushi which has been popular among students because of its good value for money. “Th is was the bravest choice they could have made,” he said. BG Market strives to present promotions and aff ordable product prices to its customers which does not remain unnoticed. For Milenkov, the signifi cance of these aspects depends on the customer groups and their specifi c preferences. “For some, it is important to come in person to see and choose the products, for others, this is the location, and for a third group - the variety of products. However, the most essential aspect for everyone is the service; more specifi cally that it happens in a quick and accessible way with the assistance of kind and helpful staff ,” he said. Milenkov added that “a certain tendency of searching and demanding individual approach and service towards the client’s personal needs is becoming more evident.” People also want to maintain their health and well-being which impacts their product choices. “Consumers pay even more attention to the food’s origin and composition and search for higher quality ingredients, having in mind their own health. We notice that younger people search a lot more information about the benefi ts of certain products and how these impact the organism,” Milenkov said. Because of young people’s interest in hlhy li G Mk ff d undergraduates in pleasant and refreshing activities and provide them with an opportunity to win vouchers for shopping in our online store,” Milenkov said. Th e survey results show that students are very likely to choose a supermarket which is more aff ordable and works 24/7. Th is suits their demands to shop cheaply and at any time. Leon agrees with the importance of working hours. “It’s [BG Market] the one grocery store that is open past 8 PM which is the best thing they could have ever done. It works on a student schedule as opposed to everything else in the city,” he said. Th e survey also demonstrated that students do not consider the product’s availability for delivery through an online app to be that important. Nevertheless, there is a steady transition towards shopping online instead of at a physical store. People would like to save the time that is spent reaching the supermarket and going around the stands to fi nd the necessary products. Milenkov said that “the consumer is searching even more for the shorter path that leads to the desired products and satisfi es their needs. We felt this back during the pandemic. Th at is why, as a consequence of it, this alternative method of shopping through digital channels has appeared and developed in the last few years,” he said. BG Market currently has 10 shops around Blagoevgrad with two of them being in los o AG’ s. Th e e in ducts m.bg/ and y of m.bg/ 16 Sprin n Ha r y D i k o v What is on AUBG Daily’s Menu? February “Here Are the Proposed Amendments to the SG Constitution” Janina Ormanova; Feb. 4, 2024 “AUBG’s Job Fair: Limited Opportunities for JMC Students” Tsvetina Georgieva; Feb. 14, 2024 “Th e Road to AUBG’s Taste Fest: Flavour, Community, Tradition” Maria Hristova; Feb. 18, 2024 “Radan Kanev Visits AUBG” Vasil Paskov; Feb. 20, 2024 “Beyond the Stars: AUBG Astronomy Club” Borislav Bochev; Feb. 29, 2024 April “MediaWise Campus Correspondents: A New JMC Opportunity” Radina Shtereva; Apr. 2, 2024 “History in Th e Books: Th e Newest Club at AUBG” Spasiela Gizdova; Apr. 3, 2024 “All You Need to Know About the Health and Well-Being Week” Preslava Gyuzeleva; Apr. 4, 2024 “Georgi Gospodinov: Th e Booker Prize Winner Visits AUBG” Radina Shtereva; Apr. 6, 2024 “¡Adiós Professor Diaz!” Kaloyan Ivanov; Apr. 8, 2024 “TEDxAUBG: An Epiphany of Knowledge” Toma Krumov; Apr. 18, 2024 “Extension Visa: What Should International Graduates Know?” Tsvetina Georgieva; Apr. 19, 2024 “Opinion | Corruption, Scandals, and a “New” President - Th e Paradox of Bulgarian Football” Vasil Paskov; Apr. , 2024 To order from the menu: March “Dimitrina Germanova: “Th e Voice” of AUBG” Kaloyan Ivanov; Mar. 1, 2024 “Th e One-Credit Adobe Courses: Practical Skills and Useful Knowledge” Tsvetina Georgieva; Mar. 4, 2024 “Take a Chance and Roll the Dice: Th e Business Club’s New Business Challenge” Preslava Gyuzeleva; Mar. 10, 2024 “What It Is Like Being a Student Assistant” Tsvetina Georgieva; Mar. 14, 2024 “Th e Beginning of the AUBG Journey” Raya Zasheva; Mar. 19, 2024 “Beyond Borders: Matthew Whoolery” Maria Hristova; Mar. 26, 2024 “Revving Up Th e Engines: StartUP Weekend 2024” Borislav Bochev; Mar. 27, 2024 17 Spring 2024 | AUBG Daily

DailyySenio Question 1: What is the most important thing AUBG Daily taught you? Question 2: What advice would you give to incoming AUBG Daily members? Bianka Deyanova Question 1: No matter what hardships you are going through, be it personally or professionally, sharing with the team always makes everything feel better. I have made my closest friendships in AUBG through AUBG Daily and I am forever grateful for all the successful achievements and all of the fun we had together! Four years is a lot when you are 22, but I’m glad and proud I gave all four to Daily. Question 2: You have all the time in the world - don’t hesitate to explore all your interests, pursue diff erent topics, and give in to your curiosity. And if anything goes wrong, just try again and trust that this team will have your back no matter what. aily D Stasi Pashkulova Anusher Mahmadjonov Question 1: You can’t get far on your own. Th e magic happens when you work with your team. Question 2: Be quick and brave. But never careless. Question 1: AUBG Daily taught me that our voices are stronger when we come together. Each article penned, each story told, was a testament to the power of unity in journalism. Together, we didn’t just report news; we became the voice of change, shaping narratives and inspiring action in our small community called AUBG. Question 2: You have a very powerful tool to make a change, don’t waste it. Borislav Bochev Question 1: Bonding with the team is just as important as working hard. Th roughout these two years, I can wholeheartedly say that I have met amazing people, without which my AUBG journey would have defi nitely been more tedious and unpleasant. P.S. Special shoutout to my “Th e Bachelor” crew (I am going to miss our weekly meetings on Wednesdays and Th ursdays). Question 2: Work hard, party harder! :) ;) Tsvetina Georgie Question 1: Publishing an artic is a long process. It requires diff erent skills, starting with interviewing people and gathering information, going through writing an editing, and ending with fi nal polishing details. However, every step is worth the eff ort. Question 2: Be inquisitive! Th er is always somethin going on, so do not miss the opportunity to dig it out. Even when a piece information seems unimportant, be curious enough to fi nd an angle that i worth covering! io eva cle t h g nd ng ng h ere ng ot of s is ors Vox Pop Aleksandra Boneva Question 1: Honestly, how to approach and write articles. Despite not being a reporter or a JMC major, I was able to learn a lot about journalism which really helped me when I had to take JMC1050 for my marketing minor. I applaud all the reporters and editors for their hard work and dedication, they do an amazing job with keeping us AUBGers informed. Th ank you AUBG Daily! Question 2: Say “Yes” to challenges more oft en than not and don’t forget to enjoy your journey along the way. Darya Dolgopolova Question 1: Something good and worthwhile happens when like-minded people get together, share ideas, and create. Question 2: Don’t be afraid of the unexplored. Radina Shtereva Question 1: Mistakes are not scary, and sometimes, being wrong does not make you appear unintelligent. Even though I spent little time in AUBG Daily, it was one of my favorite memories from university. Be brave and curious about the joys and hardships in life around you. Question 2: Be a team player! United we are stronger! Kaiden Myers Journalism, in all its glory, is alive and well. Question 2: Th ere’s a story everywhere you look. Th e team has your back! p

L�� �� � ��� E�it�� Dear readers, As this academic year comes to an end, it is with great pleasure and excitement that I present to you the Spring 2024 issue of AUBG Daily. In between the pages of this newspaper, you will fi nd a compilation of articles highlighting the events, the changes, the highs, and the lows of the past semester at AUBG. It has been our deepest honor to inform you and tell the stories of our community. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the members of the Daily team who have worked tirelessly to make this issue a reality. Th eir dedication and commitment in the past semester have been truly inspiring to witness. Now is also the time to congratulate the graduating class of 2024. As you close this major chapter of your life and you enter the real world, remember all of the memories and knowledge that you gained here. We have every confi dence that success awaits you beyond the walls of AUBG! To you, dear readers, we say thank you for the support, the patience, and the curiosity. We shared an unforgettable journey together and documented it along the way. It was our pleasure. Yours sincerely, Stasi Pashkulova Editor-in-Chief Subscribe to our newsletter here: Illustrations: Janina Ormanova, Vasil Kalchev, Roxana Hristova, Eva Stancheva Layout Design: Kristiana Krasteva, Janina Ormanova Photographer: Martin Milevski S ta si Pa sh k va ulo

AUBG DAILY Fall 2024 OWL THE NEWS Vol. 6, Issue 1 Offi cial Title Sponsor

Dear reader, AUBG Daily is excited and proud to present you with the Fall 2024 issue of our newspaper! The team of AUBG Daily is beyond excited to bring to you the Fall 2024 issue of our newspaper! Needless to emphasize, you will have an amazing experience fl icking through the pages and diving into the intricacies of the AUBG community and AUBG life. Our team has worked hard to put together the best selection of articles. The newspaper gives a peek into the world of AUBG Daily and what we are striving to communicate and accomplish. We are proud to have a nice variety of work on our website www.aubgdaily.com, where you can explore AUBG Daily in more depth. Enjoy your read! Cultural Diversity at AUBG or a Simple Marketing Strategy? Is AUBG Spotted the Gossip Girl of AUBG? Sustainability in Motion Yoana Lyubenova Stoyana Franzen Is There a Lack of Student Engagement at AUBG? What Makes Alumni Professors Diff erent? Bilyana Spasova A Guide to Understanding the Bulgarian University Ranking System We Should Talk About This Eka Iakobadze ....................... Vasil Paskov Crossword/ Christmas Vox Pop Clubs’ Horoscope Dare to Share Stories Message from Commetric AUBG Daily’s Gallery Letter from the Editor 2 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily ..................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................... ...................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................................... .......................................................................................................... ............................................................ David Mitov ................................................................................................................. ................................................................................ ....................................... Bilyana Spasova .................................................................. 3 4 6 14 10 7 8 12 15 16 17 18 20 TABLE OF CONTENTS Cultural Diversity at AUBG or a Simple Marketing Strategy? Nov. 17, 2024 N 7 17 2024 7% — that is the percentage of Bulgarian students in AUBG’s current largest student cohort. The remaining 23% are all international students. Members of the AUBG community are concerned that what was previously considered a “diverse atmosphere” has now become only a facade of AUBG’s marketing. While fi rst-year students were excited to meet diff erent cultures on campus, most of them labeled AUBG as a “Balkan University” or even a “Bulgarian University.” The Bulgarian community has increased exponentially in recent years, which leads to the question: What is AUBG doing to balance the numbers?” “Of course, the strategy for growth is very important. We aim to shift the student mix to 45% international students and 55% Bulgarian students,” Kostadin Shopov, Director of Admissions, said. Shopov also mentioned that COVID has aff ected studying abroad worldwide, and UBG is still “recovering” from that eriod. He also pointed out Bulgaria’s putation as not prestigious enough for udying purposes. here have been improvements in cruiting international students. For e Fall Semester of 2024, 16 Georgian udents were accepted, which is twice as any as the year before (2023). This rise n fi gures, however, is accompanied by e acceptance of more students in genal, which means the Georgian student ody has increased by only 2%. The same oes for Albanian students with a raise of e e 1%. What should we expect in the future? According to the 5-year plan of AUBG for 2028, the student body should increase by 50%. However, the targeted student mix that does not include students from the Balkans and the U.S., is 5%. The plan also lacks concrete marketing strategies suited for the diff erent countries. These decisions do not go unnoticed by AUBG students. “There are surprisingly not that many black people. That was something I was kind of expecting, but not on such a small scale,” said Arthur Nhapulo, a fi rst-year student from Mozambique. His statement was supported by Leul Kassa Teshome, a sophomore from Ethiopia, who shared that he would be more than glad to attend a club fair and promote AUBG in his home country. “There are at least 25 people who are willing to pay the full tuition fee price and come to Bulgaria if only they knew about the university,” said Leul. To gain international prominence, members of the Admissions Offi ce will visit more than 10 university fairs in diff erent “If we want to fulfi ll AUBG’s mission to educate ethical and responsible leaders of the region, AUBG needs to open more to international students,” Konedareva said. Even as a newly established university, back in 1991, AUBG managed to maintain a balanced number of international and Bulgarian students. In 2024, however, the diverse atmosphere has changed and the number of Bulgarian students has grown drastically. Can the eff ects of the rapid expansion be overturned? Currently, there is no answer. The only sure thing is that the university will continue to grow and the consequences will aff ect the cultural diversity one way or another. Editors: Spasiela Gizdova and Niya Manditsch There are no limitless resources, and, with its current budget, AUBG can recruit only 20% of students from the Western Balkans and a small percentage of Americans. countries in the following year. Professor Senem Konedareva, who teaches Bulgarian and Cultural Studies at AUBG, suggested that more research should be done on the Turkish market. “From my years of teaching in Turkey, I think students there have limited options for pursuing higher education and AUBG can be a great opportunity on both sides,” Konedareva stated. B ily a na S pa sov a

IS AUBG SPOTTED THE @aubgspotted Nov. 09, 2024 “Being honest is to take care of the community” - AUBG Spotted A UBG Spotted is an Instagram page established in 2022. The main purpose of the account is to spread anonymously given information from the people in the university. “It started as a way to fi nd your crush or send a little love note, then it moved to be a way for students to express themselves freely with anonymity,” explained the people behind AUBG Spotted. For two years now, a lot of names have been mentioned, a lot of feelings have been shared, a lot of gossip has been said, and a lot of rumors have been spread. At the same time, the popularity of the page has grown, as has the information received by it. AUBG Spotted is one of the fi rst things the freshmen get familiar with when they Is it illegal to ask a professor out? come to the university. Among these students is Lyubomira Staninska. “I found out from the group chat that we created in the summer. Someone shared the account [AUBG Spotted] there and I immediately went to look through their posts,” she said. AUBG Spotted is a vital part of life in the university. It sets a diff erent dynamic and it provides the latest news and gossip to the community. Lyubomira shared: “I am very interested to see what other people think about certain situations or if there is something written about me.” The opinions about AUBG Spotted are mixed. Many people would describe it as a gossip page and others would say that it is a safe space. One student shared: AUBG Spotted described itself as “a free space for gossip, whether it is about the students, the Student Government, or the university itself.” The admin of AUBG Spotted elaborated on how the page may serve the community. “There is little to no space for students who do not have positions of power in this university or clubs to express their opinions.” They also added that with AUBG Spotted they can criticize the university, its system, and its members, as well as express their love or hookup interest. Lyubomira stated: “Everything has positive and negative sides, but in my “Whether we have an Instagram account or not, gossips are everywhere, and everyone is gossiping.” GOSSIP opinion, this page has more of a positive eff ect. That way people have space to share their thoughts without feeling threatened because sometimes people judge your opinion on something and having a place where you can anonymously share it is very freeing.” She has sent an anonymous message to the page that has been posted. “I wanted my message to reach a certain person. I saw that this person follows the page and because I did not want to personally say this to the person, I wrote it there with hope that they will GIRL OF AUBG? With the growing popularity of the Instagram page, the number of people sharing their thoughts is increasing as well. “The account gets around 20 to 40 anonymous messages per day depending on the events on campus,” said the admin. take the hint.” I am the only person that knows what I wrote. I told some people about it, but no one has evidence that it was me. The fact that it is anonymous gives you the courage to say something you usually would not say,” she added. All the information received goes through a thoughtful sorting. The admin shared: “Directly harmful and biased hateful messages are never posted”. They also added: “I have received messages from people asking to delete the post about them and I instantly do.” “There is no way a full name gets posted, a good digital footprint is important,” said AUBG Spotted about the role of censorship. The admins of the page are The current admin stated: “Since May 2024 (the time when the admins of the page switched) the account has changed from being mainly a gossip page to a way to speak out when there is injustice.” They later added: “It also opens the fl oor to students to criticize the Student Government, the staff , and the faculty. An opportunity that we do not have in the university.” Editors: David Mitov and Eka Iakobadze Our anonymous source has been mentioned personally in a post. They shared their experience: “My friends sent the post to our group chat and I was like damn that is funny.” changing every year. They are chosen via direct messages (DM) and engagement. 5 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily o Yo an Ly a ub en va

Sustainability in Motion and we got access to a lot of how much energy resources were being used. The numbers are extremely high, so I feel like there can be investments made, for example, in solar energy and other renewable types of energy.” Nov. 20, 2024 A s the world struggles with climate change, the question of how universities can deal with sustainability becomes even more dire. At the American University in Bulgaria, this question is met with concerns regarding sustainability practices during the ongoing campus expansion. AUBG has adopted several sustainability practices, such as recycling programs, energy-effi cient designs, and the switch from plastic to paper containers in the canteen. Opinions on the eff ectiveness of these practices range between staff and students. The president of the Sustainability Club, Amelia Delevski, expressed her frustration about the sustainability issues on campus: “We are defi nitely lacking and behind so many other universities. AUBG likes to align itself with a lot of Western values, but it seems like we are not really prioritizing sustainability.” Amelia said, “Meanwhile, on other college campuses across Europe and the US, this is a bigger topic that not only staff leadership is involved in, but students as well.” She emphasized the importance of assessing the university’s current environmental footprint, “Last week we had a sustainability expert come on campus and help us determine our greenhouse footprint, 6 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily Recent expansions pose both challenges and opportunities for sustainability. While the infrastructure can be designed to be more green, the engagement of those on campus is equally crucial. Community involvement also remains essential to the university’s initiatives. Aelita Khusnutdinova, AUBG’s fi rst Presidential Fellow for Sustainability, shared that residents contribute to maintaining good sustainability habits on campus. “A few weeks ago we had a speaker from Canada who is a sustainability expert and one of the things she told us is that it is not just how the buildings are designed that plays a role but also the behavior of the residents,” she said. While the Sustainability Club plays an important role, creating a sustainable environment on campus requires the contribution of everyone. Engaging in daily practices like reusing bottles or simply remembering to shut off the lights can contribute to establishing a greener campus and reducing carbon footprint. Arlind Koci, the Sustainability Club vice president added that without fundamental assessments or improvements, the university will not have a meaningful goal. “A long-term goal would be to keep data, to keep track of how much we are using and how we are using it and how we can use it more effi ciently and more sustainably,” Arlind said. Cost often remains a signifi cant factor when trying to implement new measures. The reluctance to invest in expensive tools due to monetary concerns can lead to missed opportunities for long-term sustainability. “I think anything we do should use the latest and best available technology for energy savings and environmental protection. The extra money to do it right is worth it because we want to showcase that this is what can be done,” said Professor William Clark, an environmental science specialist. He highlights the value of sustainability initiatives and how they should outweigh their cost. Editors: Spasiela Gizdova and David Mitov St oy a F na ra nze n What Makes Alumni Professors Different? Dec. 03, 2024 O nce AUBG students, some professors experience being “freshies” at AUBG for the second time. Alumni professors Yenlik O’Neill, Yuliy Yuliev, and Philip Rusev shared their thoughts and experiences after accepting the role of the teacher. Incorporating popular trends, understanding the students’ workload, and teaching “real-world” skills. These are some of the advantages the trio shared about their courses. “One of the things the JMC major lacks is the knowledge of software. We have a lot of courses on storytelling, but we do not have the courses that allow us to put together a story. We have the product, but not the tools to make it,” said Professor O’Neill. Torn between the struggles of completing high-standard assignments, while at the same time educating herself on the needed tools via YouTube, Professor O’Neill got inspired. After graduating, she proposed a course on the technological aspects of creating a story. In the Spring 2025 semester, she will teach her fi rst three-credit course: Adobe Suites. Professor O’Neill shared that she is well aware of the power of students’ motivation and passion, which she strongly relies on for the success of her new course. “You can see when someone is eager to learn something, they experiment with things, they are always the ones that fi nish fi rst, and their eyes are shining. For them, I teach,” explained O’Neill. “Freelancing Foundations” is another new course, off ered this Spring 2025 semester, where Professor Rusev will give students insight into where creative work meets business. Having experienced diffi culties after graduating, he will emphasize the process of fi nding a job no matter the skill set, whether it be writing, video editing, or fi nancial advising. “I started doing websites for people I know, friends of mine. Then I freelanced for a year and a half, barely paying my bills,” said Professor Rusev. Then, after narrowing down his interests to UX design, and taking courses at Telerik Academy and SoftUni, he returned to his childhood dream - teaching. “I want to get people to work and solve problems right there, in the classroom. It is not just talking, but actually having a product at the end of a class. I will give students tasks, let them struggle for a while and get invested, then I will explain,” said Professor Rusev. Similarly, as an adjunct professor in Philosophy, Yuliev explained his current work with NGOs (BFL) and the business fi eld outside of academia (advising a Bulgarian football club on bitcoins) are what makes his courses, especially the ones in the business department, appealing for students. “I know what it feels like to be in Midterms Week and I can be compassionate,” Yuliev added to the list of advantages of being an alumni professor. That was confi rmed by one of his students - Alexandra Kim. She takes two courses with him (“Intro to Philosophy” and “Ethics”) and describes him as being very open-minded, friendly and cooperative. “He always makes a recap of the previous lectures which saves me during exams. I love his in-class exercises; he is the only one who does self-refl ection sessions at the end of his lectures. One time we even did a 10-minute guided meditation,” added Alexandra. Marta Reihmane, an exchange student from Latvia who takes “Fundamentals of UX 1: UI Principles, Atomic Design & Figma”, also expressed a positive opinion regarding Professor Rusev. “His class feels like a free space. He uses a lot of visual materials and examples, and the second part of the class is always practical. You can clearly see he is passionate about what he does,” said Marta. She also mentioned feeling like a student is teaching the class is benefi cial for the environment. “His communication with students is comfortingly informal but at the same time he is still well-respected,” added Marta. Dzhan Hyusein shared his experience with Professor O’Neill in her previous course: “She lets people handle their own creativity by giving them the freedom to choose and experiment.” Proffesor’s Advice When asked to advise other professors, the alumni suggested that staying up to date is the most essential part of capturing the students’ attention together with understanding the unique culture of AUBG. Regarding students, no matter if they plan on taking their courses or not, the alumni professors have a piece of advice for them as well: “Nothing good comes from Underground after 3 a.m. If it is 3 a.m. just go home, you have had enough.” - Professor Rusev “Try to avoid regret after graduation and balance between academic and co-curricular activities.” - Professor Yuliev “Create your own style.” - Professor O’Neill Editors: Niya Manditsch and Spasiela Gizdova | y B ily an a Sp as ova

Is There a Lack of Stud Engagement at AUBG? Nov. 25, 2024 3 55 new students. The largest class in AUBG history. This is an evolving trend over the last few years and created the expectation of even more student engagement. Clubs are at the heart of student life at AUBG but returning students quickly realized something: Recruitment parties were empty. The freshmen were nowhere to be seen. Soon, rumors began circulating about where all the new students were. Was the largest class in AUBG history merely just a number? This sparked the debate of whether this idea of students having no interest in clubs this year was actually true. We put this theory to the test and asked some clubs about how many people fi lled out application forms this year compared to previous ones. Below, you can see a line chart and table showing the applicants for each club over the last three years and the total number of admitted students per year. The six clubs that were asked to provide information managed to show us some truth in the rumors. The biggest outlier was StartUP, jumping from 26 applicants in 2022 to 71 in 2024. This is an astounding 173% increase and is far and away the most applied-to club out of those surveyed. (Note: StartUP did not provide the exact numbers, but this is an estimation based on the information they provided.) In 2023, the incoming class grew by 15.2% compared to the previous year and by 17.2% in 2024. Many clubs expected this to be refl ected at recruitment parties as well. However, these parties had low attendance for many clubs, and club members noticed the lack of freshmen’s participation. This brought up the question of whether students are not interested in clubs this year and why this may be the case. Apart from StartUP, none of the other clubs experienced an increase in applicants in both 2023 and 2024. Why is this happening? The student body is encountering serious growth and when compared to 2022, this year’s admitted class is 35% larger. Five out of the six clubs surveyed did not reach the same growth rate during this period. This can be attributed to other factors as well, such as non-engaging promotion, organization, events, etc. These are variable factors, so it is diffi cult to pinpoint how accurate they are, but one thing we know is that there is an increasing student body, but not an increase in club applications. This is especially strange for a university that prides itself on its community. Kaloyan Gavrilov, a fi rst-year student, shares some light. He had plans to apply for clubs but decided against it because he was unsure whether he could manage the workload with academia and club activities. “I have tried meeting with people and as far as I saw, most of them are very shy and are not really as extroverted as I thought they would be,” says Kaloyan when speaking about the class of 2028. 43 41 38 31 25 20 8 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily 2022 2023 2024 de G? 8 ent ? Kaloyan mentions that he talked with older students about clubs and was advised to be cautious when choosing them because some can be very demanding. He says, “They told me what is good about them, what is bad about them, and told me to really think about joining a club.” He praises clubs’ importance to the university “They are teaching you how to work in teams; what would it be like to have a business; hosting events; searching for partners.” Kaloyan also mentions that clubs can be benefi cial for your CV and provide you with helpful skills. 71 Only a month into his studies, Kaloyan admits that he regrets not applying to any clubs this year but believes he could have managed it and is looking forward to applying next semester. 50 41 31 28 26 21 26 22 20 27 49 Another factor for this lack of engagement is the small number of student leaders living on campus. Since last year, juniors and seniors have been given almost no spaces in the residence halls, forcing most of them to move off campus. This aff ects the awareness of clubs among new students as most club leaders are third or fourth-year students. Maria Hristova, President of XAIA Hiking Club and third-year student, says “When you are on campus it is much easier to connect... and now with club leaders living outside, it is a little harder to organize and takes more time.” 9 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily During the recruitment process, Maria says that there was “defi nitely much lower engagement than before.” She mentions that other clubs also noted “little to no engagement” at their recruitment parties. This makes it challenging for students to understand clubs and their role in campus life. With no long-term club members in the residence halls, it becomes much harder to be exposed to club culture and their activities. This creates a barrier for new students to get involved with the community. There are still applicants for clubs, but the absence of new students is becoming ever so prevalent in one of the most signifi cant parts of life at AUBG. Editors: Niya Manditsch and Eka Iakobadze D av id M ito v

Nov. 28, 2024 and even his home country. “I had to fi nd a therapist in Croatia,” he said. M ental health is important. Mental health is complex. Mental health is stigmatized and very often ignored. Truth is, people around us suff er all the time, usually alone and in silence. This silence is deafening though. Carrying a heavy burden alone is devastating for those who suff er. A burden that cannot be bottled up or easily communicated. What if we created a safe space for people to speak up? What if we cared for each other at least a bit more? What if we were open about mental health? The power of vulnerability and acceptance is capable of breaking down every wall. Sometimes it just takes one question or one embrace to make people feel heard and loved. These are the stories of brave AUBG students whose vulnerability and honesty deserve respect and appreciation. In order to preserve their right to stay anonymous, each student will be referred to by random pseudonyms. Jay, a junior at AUBG, seemed rather nervous to start the interview. Understandably so. “Where to start?” he asked with hesitation, and, after a couple of seconds of mutual silence and shared sympathy, he opened up. “I am defi nitely suff ering from mental illness (depression),” he said, sharing that, unfortunately, AUBG has not been able to give him much support. As a freshman, he took the initiative and went to the university counselor. He left the room so disappointed that he did not go back for another two years. “It was so dreadful. It was so bad, she is just there to get paid, it is simply frustrating,” he said. He felt disregarded: “I go to her with serious issues, and she just applies it to having a bad day. Did I not just tell her that I was struggling?” He decided to fi nd somebody else to ask for help, outside AUBG, outside Bulgaria, 10 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily Later in the conversation, Jay pulled out a box with pills and asked: “Can I make a live demonstration?” He shook the box a couple of times and then took one pill. “Last batch of antidepressants was so bad for me that I did not feel anything. I was a shallow person,” he said. Pills are defi nitely not a quick fi x for mental health issues, and as Jay elaborated, they can do as much harm to a person, as provide help. This explains why his journey with antidepressants has been in a way troublesome. Recently, he was prescribed a new set of pills which will take up to three months to show any eff ect. Jay hopes that this time they will be more helpful and can alleviate his struggles. “It is a combination of recent events and childhood trauma,” Jay shared. “My school life was so bad, that I felt suicidal for a year or two,” he added. Things did not get easier for him at AUBG. He felt increasingly worse, and the only person who managed to help him out was a friend who worked at a gym reception. Apart from being a friend, she was also his personal trainer. After her graduation last year, Jay has been suff ering more: “I am completely isolated, I have pretty much nobody here. I am silent, alone with my laptop and studying.” “You just do not know what to do. The counselor does not help. Any mental health event is during the most intensive class periods, and it takes a massive tragic event for anyone to start caring,” he said. He felt angry and disappointed: “What does it take for people to actually take mental health seriously?” He views the AUBG community’s response to mental health topics as a vicious cycle: “People just tend to move on. Tragedy happens, some people start caring for mental health and then they forget,” he referred. “People do struggle with mental health, and they are mostly silent, they cannot cry out for help, they cannot yell, they will remain in silence,” he added. Two weeks after the interview, Jay took a step and visited the new counselor, despite his past disappointment and many doubts. The good news is that the new AUBG counselor was able to off er him actual help. They sat down, talked through Jay’s situation, and set a plan for future meetings. The reality is it took him three years to go back to the university counselor. He shared how he had to convince himself against the hesitation to reach out for help one more time. The series We Should Talk About This was planned to start last semester. It was supposed to start with a conversation with the AUBG counselor, but needless to say, the counselor was not too enthusiastic to cooperate and contribute. A couple of back-and-forth emails later, she stopped replying and, therefore, the interview never happened. Once we fi gure out how to bridge the gaps between diff erent members of the AUBG community, we will certainly have a better and safer space. Annie’s case is another touching story and brings up many diff erent aspects of mental health. about her struggles. “I was too scared to even tell my friends or family.” What is more, her partner was a teacher. With the eight-year -gap, Annie was well aware of the uneven power dynamic which complicated things even more. She tried her best to keep up with her studies at AUBG and even joined two clubs. Yet behind the curtains, Annie was drowning in tears. “I was so devastated that I tried to commit suicide. I had to do something because it was so hard for me to handle the situation,” she shared. Her partner would go from being abusive to convincing her that he loved and cared for her. She felt perplexed and lost: “It is never always bad, that is why it was confusing.” Annie tried going to diff erent therapists. One of them told her that she was in a codependent relationship, while the other asked her to not go back: “Because I was not doing a ‘proper’ job. I just could not because it was so mentally exhausting for me.” Annie spent her fi rst year in her home country because of Covid. Right before joining AUBG, she started dating a guy, who at fi rst seemed like a very nice and pleasant person. Yet, things took a radical turn in the relationship, and it soon turned abusive. “By that, I mean not just mental abuse but physical abuse too,” she shared. Considering how the cases of domestic abuse are treated in her country, Annie was very hesitant to speak up For her sophomore year, Annie managed to come to AUBG, which made the situation slightly more bearable as her partner was now far away and could not physically touch her. She tried to cut ties with him multiple times, but never successfully: “I blocked him on social media accounts, but he would start messaging me on Gmail or a bank app.” “Please forgive me. I will kill myself. I cannot be without you,” were his words to her. In her junior year, Annie met her current boyfriend. She found comfort with him and managed to open up and share her pain. “Having a person who listened to me and did not blame me was new,” she said. Whenever Annie tried to share her struggles with people around her, she would be blamed or called dramatic. So, this was a fresh start for her. Annie still has nightmares and panic attacks. In addition to her personal 11 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily problems, the political situation in her home country was very troubled, which intensifi ed her anxiety. “I did not have anybody here (at AUBG). I ‘lost’ so much time in my freshman year. It makes me angry,” she added. She noted that over time she has made a lot of progress. “I can talk about it now without bursting into tears,” she said, “I reached the realization that if I do not help myself, then no one really will.” Annie brought up an interesting metaphor: “Imagine that you are a fl ower. In order for it to fully grow, it needs sunlight. And if it has been deprived of sunlight for too long, it may still be alive but it needs a lot of support, like a wooden stick attached to it. You should also give it some water. That is how we are.” “It is probably impossible to get rid of all the trauma, but you can learn how to manage it and accept the bad moments too,” Annie added. She emphasized the issue of stigma: “Crying and being unwell is a normal way of processing grief, expressing emotions. It should be understood.” The conversation then switched to AUBG and gossip culture at AUBG. “It is frustrating. People do not know what is actually happening and still…” And still… They gossip, make assumptions, say thoughtless jokes, and go out of their way to label somebody. We should talk about this, and we should keep doing so. Mental health must not be stigmatized, if anything, it must be the loudest and most frequent conversation topic for us. To be continued… You can read the full version of the article at www.aubgdaily.com Editors: Toma Krumov and Niya Manditsch Ia E ba ka ko dz e

A e to Understanding the Bgarian University Ranking System Nov. 29, 2024 O n Oct. 29, the annual Bulgarian university rankings were released. All students received an email with information about the results of the fi ve most popular majors at AUBG. The research was conducted by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Bulgaria and compared 51 higher education institutions that off er hundreds of programs across 52 professional fi elds. This year, AUBG scored 62 points (out of 100) in Administration and Management, 59 in Economics, 56 in Political Science, 51 in Public Communications and Information Sciences (JMC), and 60 in Informatics and Computer Sciences. AUBG has kept its place in the rankings relatively high, but it should be acknowledged that these are its lowest results (in all fi ve fi elds) since the introduction of the rankings in 2012. An especially concerning tendency can be observed in the Media Studies (JMC) department, where AUBG marks a drop of 11 points in the past two years. A similar trend on a smaller scale can be noticed in the results of the other four majors in the same time frame – Economics (5 points decrease), Business Administration (5 points decrease), Political Science (4 points decrease), and Informatics and Computer Sciences (5 points decrease). AUBG tops the ranking in Administration and Management (Business Administration). The university ranks No. 2 in Economics (sharing the spot with the University of National and World Economy), 12 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily Journalism and Mass Communication (shared with the University of Library Studies and Information Technologies), Political Science and European Studies, and third in Informatics and Computer Science. However, more context is needed to better comprehend these rankings’ complexity. Every university participating in the ranking is measured using two types of indicators: informational (based on data from national registers) and rating (primarily based on data from sociological research). The fi nal score for each university is determined only by rating indicators. These indicators use quantitative data, like student satisfaction surveys and faculty research output. These indicators are separated into six sub-groups. All of them determine the result of the university, with the most important sub-group being career relevance to labor market and regional importance (35% of the score), followed by teaching and learning (30%), science and research (20%), prestige (10%), teaching and learning environment (2,5%), and social well-being and equity (2,5%). Career Relevance to Labor Market and Regional Importance This is the most important category for the university evaluation. It focuses on unemployment among graduates, the applicability of the obtained degree, realization, income levels, economic impact, and regional economic contributions. Only people who have graduated from university in the past fi ve years are taken into consideration for the results of this research. Bulgarian 35%5 % 35 35 35 35 35 5% 35% 1010% 35% 10% 35% 5% 35% 5%55%%% 10%10% 0% g AUBG’s 2024 results reveal general trends such as rising unemployment, a decrease in the applicability of the acquired degree, and lower levels of realization in all fi ve university majors. A slight increase in the taxable income among graduates can be observed in the fi elds of business, computer science, and political science, contrary to lower taxable income in media studies and economics. i n 0% r o 2.5% 225%%5% C e ga P r i e e s e a t r l R m e e v l o e r o c & v i a a a l E q n n c e i t l T 2 e e l - y R r n i I p S t W u c g B e 25% 2.5 2 % 2.5% 5% T 20 2 Teaching and Learning on the rise, its standing with students and faculty is declining. Teaching and learning indicators evaluate various aspects of educational delivery, such as faculty qualifi cations, student-to-teacher ratios, academic support, and resources available to students. AUBG results in this category remain stable, as there are no huge increases or decreases in indicators such as accreditation assessment grade, theoretical knowledge, and satisfaction with teaching and learning compared to previous years. Science and Research 30%% 30 3 0% 20 3 0300% 30% 20% 20% Pa 20%%20% 20 200%20% The results in this category are shaped by scientifi c research conducted by and for the university and the involvement of students in them. They also provide insight into each institution’s research output, quality, and impact. A rather positive trend for AUBG can be observed in this sphere. Higher results were achieved in science and research indicators such as funds for scientifi c research, joint scientifi c publications, and the use of scientifi c products and services by employers in 2024 compared to previous years. Two other important factors for the sub-group, the intensity of science and research and its weight according to professors, remain unchanged. Prestige The prestige of an institution is estimated by sociological research conducted among professors, employers, and foreign and domestic students. They all create their own top 3 ranking of the best universities for certain educational purposes, and based on that, a general score is calculated. It is worth mentioning that faculty and students, who have listed their own university in their rankings, are omitted, as they are considered a potential bias. Paradoxically, while AUBG’s reputation among employers is Teaching and Learning Environment This category relies on data about satisfaction with the teaching and learning environment, students’ assessment of material resources and infrastructure, class schedules, and library stock assessments. Social Well-being and Equity This category focuses on factors such as scholarships, satisfaction with welfare, administrative services, social and living conditions, and career development support. Results from general indicators for teaching and learning environment and social well-being and equity show no major changes in these two categories for AUBG. They combine for 5% of the university’s grade, which means that they have little to no relevance for the fi nal ranking of the majors. AUBG’s lower ratings in 2024 can be attributed to several factors. One key factor is the decline in performance in indicators related to career relevance and regional impact, such as job placement rates, income levels, and increasing unemployment among graduates. Additionally, the university’s reputation among students and faculty has also decreased. Despite this, AUBG continues to lead in terms of graduate income in Business Administration and Journalism. Additionally, the university maintains the lowest unemployment rates in Political Science, Economics, and Business Administration. Editors: Niya Manditsch and David Mitov 13 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily c ei 2.5% 5%% 2024 T g o e L & n m a e sk L e c a r h r n i n il i n g n i g & n o g T e a c E h i n n v i r e a n t S R Vas e s n ca e c &h e r 2022 v

Crossword Across 1 Who is the Gossip Girl of AUBG? (p.4-5) 5 What is the theme of this year’s SG Christmas ball? 6 Which AUBG platform hosts the club’s constitutions? 8 Which club has the highest SG budget this year? 9 Who won the AUBG Soccer League in Spring ‘24? 10 A thing everyone on campus complains about (not the canteen)... 11 What is the theme of this year’s Business Club challenge? 12 Which program helps fi rst-year students transition to university life? Down 2 Which is the highest-ranked AUBG major for 2024? (p.12-13) 3 What is the name of the upcoming Broadway musical? 4 AUBG Daily’s fi rst event for this semester is called… (p.16) 7 Where does AURA usually host their parties? Vox Pop What would you ask Santa for this year? 1. Amelia Delevski: I would ask santa for no more 24 hours in a day, I need 40 2. Anonymous: I would ask Santa for a new roommate 3. Martin Milevski: A heartwarming relationship! A partner! 4. Davit Phutkaradze: Th is year, I would ask Santa for patience and strong nervous system. 5. Lizi Botchorishvili: I would ask for a penthouse and a house in every country. 6. Irina Blagoeva: Snow!! Th ere has not been a snowy Christmas in years What is the funniest/weirdest Christmas gift you have ever received? 1. Iva Nikolaeva: My weirdest Christmas giſt was actually a little plastic pony. Th e weird part is that the “lelka” in my kindergarten swapped mine and my best friend’s giſt , but in the end we liked our new presents better. 2. Davit Phutkaradze: A Christmas sweater for a dog… I do not even have a dog. 3. Ivann Dautais: “When my dad told me that I am phone addicted enough so he gave me a body phone stand, so I can watch anything without using my hands” 4. Neda Oresharova: My weirdest exchange of giſt s was when I received a designer’s perfume and I giſt ed the other person a jar of jam. 5. Irina Blagoeva: Together with two of my best friends we wrote a “contract” that we wiill travel around Europe together in the following year and each one signed it. 6. Yordan Daskalov: Last year we were exchanging giſt s in school and then they used to call me Yori so the person who had to give me a giſt , gave me a plush sleeping mask with Yori, from Winnie the Pooh, eyes and ears as well as princess tiara. 14 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily CLUB Horoscope Olympics Maybe you were a little obnoxious in your previous life, so you defi nitely found your place in this one. You may not be good at sports, but at least you are trying…to be a referee. A true Paralympic by heart! With you shouting Oooooos, even people who participated in the fi rst Olympic Games in Athens can hear you. the business club The true representatives of hustle culture at AUBG. You have managed to fi nd a way to “shoot” down all the critics as a real cowboy from the Wild West. You and StartUP are like twins that have been separated during birth, but the similarities are evident - always suited up and ready for a great party in “ Billion.” Chalga music and early morning visits of Lelya Krasi are what you are running on, but it seems like you have nailed the formula for success. aUra Talk, talk, talk — safe to say, you love to yap. From music to politics to pop culture, you — and your listeners — know it all. But life on the radio is not always about talking: sometimes, you have got to learn to listen as well. Your (literal) aura will surely glow! the hub A gathering of modern-day knights, armed not with swords and shields, but with keyboards and mice. Together, you represent the future of technology—destined to shape the world at companies like Google, Microsoft, or perhaps even your own groundbreaking startups. But for now, let us admit it: life feels a bit like an old Facebook status update that reads: Current status: In a serious relationship with my laptop. broadway performance club Appropriate and nice, delinquent and fi ne, do not cry, babies, the rehearsals had just begun. “Watch your ass” carefully, take your Listerine, and prepare to sing until sunrise. With music and dance, acting as well, go through the year and see you on stage. start up You are a living example that eating, drinking, and making shady schemes is the right strategy for success in this life. It is inspirational to see how you take all the important decisions in “kruchmi” and “diskoteki,” solidifying the idea that business brilliance does not need a boardroom. It looks like everything is going in the right direction for you, so cheers and keep up the good work protecting the reputation of all business majors. More honors Nobody really knows what kind of people you are, maybe you do not know either. Are you serious? Satirical? Colorful? Scared? Are people scared of you? Maybe an idea for Daily’s next Vox-Pop. Two things are certain. One, people might not even understand what kind of people you are, but at least you are (trying to be) fun, documentary fi lmmakers with a peculiar sense of humor and Donald Trump’s levels of ego. And two, all a person needs sometimes is a roast show from you. the griffins Everyone wants to know the secret of how to juggle with so much going on around you. You embody a true American romcom - hot boys playing football, girls all around your surroundings (maybe some of them want to be even closer to you?- club meetings), and parties, parties, parties. Practice makes perfect, but more practice at football or partying? Sustainability club You may sometimes feel like a plastic straw, but now, you have found your true calling: championing the planet one reusable straw at a time. A true “tree hugger,” you have the determination to keep planting — literal and metaphorical — seeds. With a cause so just, every gust of wind may just be Mother Nature giving you a pat on the back! MEU Ah, MEU, the place where Brussels is more than a city; it is a state of mind. You thrive on EU simulations, heated debates, and the occasional existential crisis over how many acronyms you need to memorize. But beware! While your dreams are draſt ing treaties in Belgium, you are still stuck deciphering bureaucratic jargon for 9 am politics classes at AUBG. You may not be quite there yet but until then, practice your poker face— it is essential for both diplomacy and pretending you have done your readings. 15 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily Crossword Answers 1. AUBG Spotted, 2. Business Administration, 3.Cry-Baby, 4. Dare to Share, 5. Th e Nutcracker, 6. Student Hub, 7. Joshua, 8. Broadway, 9. Villa 13, 10. Internet, 11. Wild West, 12. MentiFY

Memoirs of Skapto 2 Fridge B eing tucked away in the corner of a common man’s room in a small town of Bulgaria, you would think that I am nothing more than an ordinary being. But what is there that I have yet to see in my lifetime? A man? A woman? A gargoyle opening the door to my soul in the middle of the night, begging for a meaning to fulfi ll hisfamished existence? But really I am a monument. Th e perfect representation of a typical student life. My blend of international tastes and accustomed experiences may seem chaotic, but they are also quite useful in the times of need. A newcomer always hesitates to get to know me. Th ey get disgusted by the sears and the sticky stains that I have kept with me over the years. My cold demeanor throws them off too. Th ey always scruff me from head to toe at the beginning of their journeys, cleaning the dirt that othershad leſt behind. But they soon learn that I am their best companion... Whether it is a six-pack of “Pirinsko“ beer or a jar of the Lyutenica your mother sent from home, I am here to ensure it lasts. 16 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily So, I stay put and wait for you. Th is epicurean life may be small and quiet but I do not complain. I am happy to record each and every person that has stepped foot in this average room of Skaptopara II. Yours truly, Fridge. - Mariam Melikishvili The Key L ooking through the wet window, the bored boy thoughts were only focused on the water drops racing to the bottom. He was so concentrated on fi nding the winner of his imaginary race that his grandfather startled him: “Hey boy what are you doing looking through the window, something interesting going on out there?” – his grandfather asked “No grandpa I am just quite bored today, there is nothing to do when it’s raining outside!” “Well now, let your grandpa lighten your mood, with a little story!” “Okay grandpa.” “It was a long time ago and I believe I was your age, it was a rainy day like this one, and I as well was bored and trying to fi nd something to do with my free time. My father, seeing me, decided to show me a locked room we had in our house, which I always believed was magical!” “Really? Was it magical like you imagined?” “It was magical alright, but not how I expected it, it was better! I witnessed parts of history which you would never see in a textbook or in a library!” “Wow what was in it so much?” “Well would you like to fi nd out?” – his grandfather asked and pulled out a strange key that the boy had never seen before. “Do we have such room here grandpa?” “Of course! Let me show it to you!” – he said in a soſt voice. Th ey went to the room and when the grandfather opened it, the boy bolted in it. He couldn’t believe what he saw that day and knew he would remember it forever. - Boyan Milenkov Unpacking Media Narratives: Insights from Commetric T he media world is a fast-moving puzzle, and understanding its patterns is crucial - whether you’re studying journalism, PR, or simply curious about how stories influence society. At Commetric, we dive deep into global media trends, uncovering insights that go beyond headlines to explore the bigger picture. Here’s a glimpse into two topics we’ve recently explored: Immunotherapy The Human Side of Science Sustainability in FMCG Stories That Shape Consumer Trust Sustainability isn’t just a corporate responsibility buzzword anymore - it’s become a major way for brands to stand out. But what makes these stories stick? We’ve analyzed how brands in the fastmoving consumer goods sector craft narratives about eco-friendly packaging or ethical practices and how the public reacts. Are these efforts seen as genuine, or are they dismissed as “greenwashing”? For anyone interested in communication, this is a chance to explore how public sentiment can build-or break-a story. Design by: Rossitsa Cherneva/R4 Explore further 17 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily Breakthroughs in cancer treatment, like immunotherapy, are changing not just medicine but the way we talk about it. Our research looks at how media platforms amplify milestones in science, blending patient stories, advocacy, and hard data. This area highlights the challenge of breaking down complex topics for wider audiences without losing their emotional impact - a key skill in storytelling across industries. These examples aren’t just case studies - they’re windows into how media influences industries, perceptions, and the stories we consume. Whether you’re keen on storytelling, research, or analyzing trends, these themes offer lessons that extend beyond the classroom. Commetric is a proud sponsor for AUBG Daily for a 3rd row! Want to dig deeper into topics like these? year in a

Daily’s Ga The Board Ia Reporters Pa Producer Editor-In-Chief Head of Marketing Head of Sponso Sponsorship 18 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily Marketing v ov dz an en ars va bo B ily ya V oy Iva ar a a bd na e n il sk Iv ko D Ly S M a Si o ik ba an Iv ub I pa ky e e a na ka va a hev sov alo M vo dos Vas Ha ra sk a na n ela no ov o no a a al Yo E ti e ov nze sti as va m na ry H ri I a va v a ya F na Be k R ov S K oni a oya i na n K n er ka ya Ra na Z St Va an k v a f ors ip arden of Minds Editors President ship p L Design Team 19 Fall 2024 | AUBG Daily A ik K N T p h a to v a lek an a u ov ak ma s an an ay a ie Z d a le Yo st ar D zd v ch mo dit an ka em D Jan na G sc ev ov a no ly o in o abr ov a v ie Magd Or S id l la To Gi ito n en rd eva m ts do n ev Kra ro M v a av tia Kr Ma M P yu ria N S a v ol iya ris asi ela

LETTEREDITOR FROM THE Dear readers, Another semester has come to its conclusion, and it is fi nally time for some well-deserved rest. I am thrilled to present you with yet another issue of AUBG Daily! First, I want to extend my sincere gratitude to every single member of the AUBG Daily team for their incredible work on this newspaper – from the initial ideas to the polished fi nal product. What you see in front of you is the result of immense eff ort, creativity, and dedication from our reporters, editors, design team, sponsorship, and marketing departments. Thank you, “owlies”! None of this would have been possible without your hard work. I would also like to express special thanks to our president, whose unwavering support and presence for everyone throughout this semester have been invaluable. Thank you for always being everywhere for everybody. This message is also for all AUBG students. It has been a challenging semester, full of obstacles and moments that tested our resilience. But remember that even in the darkest times, there is light and hope at the end of the tunnel. It is essential to look out for one another – talk with your friends, lean on your family, and off er a helping hand when you can. Mental health is a topic we should never overlook and being there for one another can make a diff erence. Find our website here: On that note, one of the most inspiring aspects of AUBG is the way our diverse community comes together. This semester proved once again that we are strong only when we are united – this community can thrive only if we navigate the challenges and celebrate our successes as one. I believe collaboration is far more powerful than division as it has the ability to build bridges, foster meaningful friendships, and strengthen the spirit of unity that defi nes AUBG. All it takes is a willingness to give it a chance. As we move toward the holidays, take time to rest, recharge, and have some fun. We look forward to bringing you more stories, insights, and inspiration in the future. Wishing you success on your fi nal exams and a joyful break, Yors sincerely, V.Paskov Editor-In-Chief Layout Design: Ilustrations: Photographer: Kristiana Krasteva, Janina Ormanova Gabriela Stoeva, Maria Pencheva, Magdalena Yordanova Gabriela Stoeva

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Written by Eka Iakobadze 2 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily AI generated illustration The conversation around ChatGPT has been dominating university life in recent months. In its description, ChatGPT is defi ned as “an AI-powered chatbot developed by OpenAI, based on the Generative Pretrained Transformer language model.” Th e chatbot receives written prompts and is able to generate human-like responses in a surprisingly short time. It can also utilize the content from previous messages in order to form new responses in conversations. Professor Markus Wien, who teaches History at AUBG, talked about how ChatGPT is usually discussed in a negative context in universities because it is viewed as a tool for cheating and plagiarism. Wien is aware of the complications ChatGPT may cause. He discussed how it may push universities to completely reevaluate their style of assessments. “I have not really made any major changes to my teaching, yet and consequently, to the assessments because ChatGPT has only been out since early December,” he said. Wien is confi dent that such tools as ChatGPT will eventually improve over time. “Artifi cial intelligence will develop and then we will have to develop even more sophisticated detection tools,” he said. Wien has tested ChatGPT himself and said that it could write essays worth at least a B-. “I expect that it will not take more than two years to write essays that are really good.” He views ChatGPT as something that is developing and will gain signifi cant sophistication and skills over time. “It can also grade essays, so I could simply ask it to grade the essay for me and give me detailed feedback,” he said. Wien is cognizant that it is not a one-way road, thereby ChatGPT may have an impact on the work of both students and professors. “It can really take us into the grotesque situation where artifi cial intelligence will grade the essays which were written by the artifi cial intelligence. So, you start wondering: what about us humans?” he said. Wien said that all of this will eventually push us to reevaluate the process of thinking. “Th inking may become more like a dialogue and interaction between humans and artifi cial intelligence.” He said that people have to approach this the right way so it does not substitute their thinking, “If we are afraid that a machine takes over and does the thinking for us, then something is going wrong.” He further elaborated on the importance of developing a symbiotic relationship with artifi cial intelligence. “We need to be creative and open-minded,” Wien said. Wien is adamant that banning ChatGPT from academia will mean isolating academia from real life. “It is there, and it will be there, and once you leave AUBG, you will get out into the world where it plays a crucial role,” he said. “Certainly, we will have to give up part of our autonomy, but this is what happens with every technological progress,” Wien said about the integration of artifi cial intelligence tools in people’s lives. He said other universities have already established policies to ban ChatGPT because they only look at it as a tool for cheating, “but I think this is only a temporary solution.” Felix Diaz, a Psychology professor at AUBG, said it might be troublesome to talk about ChatGPT with students. Yet, he is open to conversations regarding artifi cial intelligence tools and discusses ChatGPT in his classes. Just like with plagiarism, conversations about ChatGPT can be uncomfortable. “I always have a suspicion that there’s a part that students are not willing to talk about.” Diaz started worrying about ChatGPT aft er the December examinations. If he had known about ChatGPT before submitting the syllabi, he would have come up with diff erent assignments. “In a way, my assignments are immune to ChatGPT,” he added. His assessment system is mostly based on presentations and written assignments, which are connected to reallife situations. “I ask students to work on real cases and experiments,” he said. “I will arrange the assignments in a way that cannot be generated by ChatGPT.” Recently, he read a Spanish paper that had published an opinion column by Manuel Castells. Manuel Castells is a famous sociologist who has a unique style of writing. Th e piece was actually produced by ChatGPT, but the reader could clearly spot that it was not Castells’ voice and style. “Th at gave me some hope,” Diaz said with a smile. Diaz said that ChatGPT might impact the way students perceive learning. “I am a great believer in writing and productivity as a human thing,” he said. He tries to transmit to students the notion that they write by producing from scratch. “I promote sitting in front of a blank page, even if it makes you anxious.” Diaz hopes that students do not use ChatGPT to generate writing. Yet, he is aware that some students perceive cheating as acceptable if it helps them achieve their aims. “It will take many years to change it. I devise my assessment system to try to prevent cheating and I will keep doing it,” he said. Diaz then discussed how the environment at AUBG promotes the ethics of integrity and collaboration, which play a huge role in trying to deal with artifi cial intelligence tools. “Integrating students in the process of their learning will actually help them take full responsibility for learning rather than just passing the exams,” he said. Diaz is sure that ChatGPT will provoke important changes in the academic sphere. “It is a huge challenge and it is going to change the ways in which we assess and teach,” he said. “In a joking way, I have been saying to other professors that maybe it is time for us to retire,” Diaz said with laughter. “It is a joke. Obviously, we are not retiring yet, but all of this leads us to such sort of refl ection,” he added. Tornike Rukhadze, a sophomore from Georgia majoring in Computer Science, talked about ChatGPT perspective. “Sadly, most people’s brains are focused on fi nding the easy way out.” Tornike talked about how some students may use ChatGPT as a tool for cheating. However, there is a small percentage of students who actually use the system to their benefi t. “I can say I am one of them,” he said. Tornike tends to use ChatGPT for his Computer Science and Math courses. “I use it to get extra material without having to search Google for hours on end,” he said. He also mentioned that ChatGPT does not introduce anything out of the box. “Everything is already out there. Th e diff erence is I do not have to go through false information.” Tornike views ChatGPT as a very strong learning tool. “When ChatGPT gets smarter and stronger, it has a huge perspective of boosting the productivity of students who wish to have their productivity boosted and their knowledge increased,” he said. Tornike is ultimately staying positive. He said, “In my opinion, ChatGPT has a very bright future ahead of it.” from his own 3 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily 3 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily

exStudying abroad and participating in change programs are essential parts of AUBG’s culture and spirit. Every semester, students from all over the world have an exchange semester in AUBG where they have the opportunity to learn from each other, exchange ideas, and foster a culture of dialogue and debate. One of these universities is the American University in Central Asia (AUCA) in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. AUCA is only two years younger than AUBG and the universities have a lot in common. Both American Universities hold leading positions for education in their respective countries and promote the liberal arts tradition. But what are the similarities and diff erences between these two American Universities, and can the institution’s location make a diff erence? While talking about the two universities, Umarjon Voheedov, an exchange student from AUCA, said, “I found AUBG students more individualistic. People are more focused on their own business, while in AUCA, I feel we have more of a friendship aura.” But Umarjon also shared that clubs in AUBG are more active compared to AUCA. He said, “Th e reason might be the lack of fi nancial support from the administrative department in AUCA, but I am not sure.” Despite the diff erences in club activities, Bakhtovar Umarov, a student in AUCA. Photo courtesy of Bakhtovar Umarov. Umarjon Voheedov, a student in AUCA. Photo courtesy of Umarjon Voheedov. Umarjon said that both universities’ students are very active and ambitious. “Students in both universities study hard and also are busy with extracurricular activities,” Umarjon said. Bakhtovar Umarov, another exchange student from AUCA also shared his experience. “One of the fi rst diff erences was food. In AUBG, your food options are limited, and the canteen food is not very good,” he said. Bakhtovar said that it is almost impossible to fi nd food aft er midnight in Blagoevgrad, while in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, he never faced such problems. He also said that he found AUBG more advanced and developed, which surprised him because he did not have high expectations before coming. “I liked that in AUBG, you have a huge library, and also the housing is very close. In AUCA, our housing is far from campus, that’s another diff erence that I experienced,” Bakhtovar said. Bakhtovar said that he enjoyed his overall experience at AUBG. “AUBG has a great atmosphere, and I would recommend students to try this experience themselves,” he said. Written by Anusher Mahmadjonov 4 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily An important change in how students register for courses will be in eff ect from May 2023 onwards. Th ere is a new Student Information System called “Empower.” All AUBG students are going to receive training on how to pre-register for courses before the start of the actual Robert White, the Dean of Faculty at AUBG, held information sessions for students who would like to learn more about the changes and improvements. He presented the main features of the system and answered questions that arose in the student body. Th e Registrar’s Offi ce “does not expect everything to go smoothly” with Empower. It did not provide students immediate access as it wanted to look through the data and iron out any bugs. Th e goal is “for the new Student Information System to be operating smoothly by the start of fall 2023.” What are the main features of the new student information system? Th e most notable aspect is that it will host all functions such as course registration, course information, forms, and useful tools like the study plan and the academic catalog in one place for convenience. As a result, the old course registration system and the Blackbaud Student Portal will no longer be used and be switched off permanently at the end of Spring 2023. One major change introduced in Empower is the ability for students to complete various forms, such as the Leave of Absence Request, online. Th ese will no longer be available as PDF fi les and will not be submitted on paper in the Registrar’s Offi ce as they were until now. Another diff erence is the introduction of Faculty and Staff Directories, which display details such as their individual schedules. Th is feature will be useful for students when they want to arrange a meeting with a professor or a staff member. pre-registration process in the summer. Th is will ensure they are prepared for the real course pre-registration at the beginning of the summer and will relieve unnecessary stress. What are the advantages and disadvantages of Empower? Th e advantages, from a student’s point of view, include all of the useful features that the system has. Th e advantages for the Registrar’s Offi ce are, according to White, “phenomenal.” He said that diagnosing Written by Hary Dikov Students planning to participate in the Erasmus exchange program will be able to view courses in other universities that are pre-approved for transfer. If a desired course is not included on the list, students can submit a Course Approval Request form. Aft erward, they can send it to the Department Chair responsible for the given course who will review it. Empower will feature the study plan function, enabling students to organize their academic future at AUBG. At the same time, it is going to enable the Registrar’s Offi ce to forecast the demand for certain courses and apply changes if necessary. Students will have the opportunity to consult more than one academic advisor about their course choices. In case they are completing a double major, they will have an advisor from each of the two departments. What will change in the course registration process and will students receive training? Th e implementation of Empower has resulted in a shift in the course registration period for AUBG students. Th ey are now going to sign up for courses for the Fall ‘23 semester at the end of May and the beginning of June. According to the offi cial information presented by the Registrar’s Offi ce, the plan was for registration time slot groups to be removed. However, aft er the fi rst wave of testing the system on April 12, it was decided that the registration time slots will remain. White presented a three-step testing process of course pre-registration consisting of small-group tests, training “play” sessions, and a senior students’ “stress test.” Th e last one will feature all future senior students who are going to simulate real pre-registration. problems during add/drop week is easier and that “the new system saves time for both myself and the Registrar’s Offi ce.” White can also access student information such as personal data and emergency health contacts. In terms of disadvantages, White said, “It’s diffi cult for me to say at this point.” Th e only disadvantage he stated was “simply the amount of work that’s involved in transitioning from an old system to a new system.” Why was the new student information system not introduces earlier? White said the decision to create it was taken over fi ve years ago and “it was a battle.” Th e necessary steps included budget approval and support from higher administration and the Board of Trustees, which took years. Th e approval for the system was given two years ago, and right aft er that, the process of choosing the system’s interface began. White said, “We’re still in the process and there is a lot of work to be done.” them from 5 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily

hLast semester, several AUBG students ad an unpleasant experience with their university accommodation because there were not enough rooms in the dormitories for everyone. As a consequence, these students were forced to stay at Hotel “Merida”. AUBG managed to deal with that problem, and from the start of the Spring 2023 semester, no AUBG students are living in the hotel. However, that issue only raised more questions about what the future holds for AUBG and the university’s plans for the next academic years. David Evans, the President of AUBG, and Ilko Drenkov, the Residence Life Director, gave more information on the important questions regarding housing and the future of AUBG. What is the reason behind the increase in the student body of AUBG? Th e AUBG strategic plan 2022-2027 includes an increase in the university’s student body by 50% within those fi ve years. Evans pointed out two main reasons behind that decision. Th e fi rst one is the university’s fi nancial independence. Th at is why more and more students will be accepted in the next fi ve years. “We are fi ne fi nancially, but we want to have more fi nancial fl exibility,” he said. Th e other reason is linked with America for Bulgaria Foundation. “America for Bulgaria Foundation would like us to be less reliant on them,” Evans said. In the past, America for Bulgaria was giving AUBG nearly $2M in scholarships for Bulgarian students, which was about 15% of the university’s total budget, but they are not doing that anymore. “We had to replace this money with money from somewhere else,” Evans said. Evans also commented on the criteria for acceptance: “To be clear, we are not going to lower academic standards, the goal is to keep the academic standard as high as it is now or increase it,” and said that it would be easier fi nancially if the university is larger. How is AUBG going to accommodate its students? AUBG is going to implement a completely new housing policy to deal with the acceptance of more students. Th e old policy was seniority-based, while the new one will favor the younger students. 6 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily Can the hous semester occur o AUBG higher a from the mista last semester a strategy to pr r a e Th ere will be a fi r students. “It is p space for new fi 20 spaces,” Eva d t m is p w fi e va id. Drenkov said t the fi xed num at . First and secon a chance to s be obliged to li Juniors and senio line for a place in t o ce in t “My clear mess any one of th giving preferen fi rst-year studen and we are r coop ng ad in the s f s ence bd o den d sh re r their understanding a most optimis development, w be able to m their desires , w ll m es accommodat Drenkov said. He wants t convince t students that A learned its les from the last s housing problem. wa n t AG s les lem. “I hope we wil anyone who wa campus,” Dren July or early A stating that lat “A student wh to join AUBG should be ready to digest the inconvenience of no housing,” Drenkov said. His advice for every student is to pay the needed deposit on time to ensure they have their promised bed. What will be the university’s approach to fourth-year students who want to stay on campus? “We would probably have around 1100 students in the fall. We have about 710 spaces in the residence halls and, let’s say, around 450 fi rstyear and second-year students in the residence halls,” Evans said. “Th at leaves us 375 people and 260 spaces.” So, most probably, there will not be enough rooms in Skapto to accommodate all seniors who want to stay on campus. E Adin o h e a le f o de o f coletly fa , in hi o th h th uden h the hight GPs. “ thi l id. Dr t co, fi d a h a y f h t . S d ss h t e n w unsfi d, bt bd o h m a h he wll b h pl S y wh o lie t . What is the ct p a ka wg? I s, th h b lot of tlk rdin h co f eih n ka r a Skara 4, b hing hs b et. Drkv had a p h td t t ll b did d ll b cod hefll ” h id. Evans said he hopes the new Skapto 3 wings will be done by Fall ’26 but was not optimistic about a future university expansion. “One of our challenges is that there is no more physical space in Blagoevgrad for us,” he said. What are the future development plans for the university and how will they change campus life at AUBG? Th e fi rst main change of AUBG was the increase in housing and student activity fees, starting in Fall ’23. v explained that due to the pandemic, using fee had not been increased for o with the infl ation happening right at change was needed. v s o G expressed another future desire: an e in the number of international G e e ts in the university. Evans said, “One ur strategic goals is for 10% of the ts ts to be from the US.” He also said that h the student body is increasing right h e cannot see the university having udents, for example. e u al is to preserve the essential identity e institution as it grows,” Evans said. e i e got this transitional period for ext few years, which is going to be enient.” “ th ex inen Ading to Drenkov, the growth of the sity will be benefi cial. “Students will er that they have to cherish much n-campus living,” he said. “In terms lerance er n ler lif ime and quality of on-campus r sure, we will be witnessing a lot of ement.” y, the Student Government sent an l in which they expressed concerns he rapid growth of AUBG. However, hing looks sure, whether the students r not, the university will continue its sion in the upcoming years. Only time l how successful that strategy is going l in r AUBG. r r Written by Vasil Paskov 7 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily

Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC) is one of the most desired majors at AUBG and has repeatedly been ranked #1 in the National University Rankings in Bulgaria. Th e program off ers numerous career options for its graduates including working as journalists, PR specialists, marketing professionals, copywriters, or producers. Th ere are, however, some less wellknown professions in the communications fi eld that students might also want to consider upon graduation. Working as a media analyst is one of them. “Th e media analysis industry is very niche but its importance keeps growing especially now that audiences become more conscious and corporations face a lot of external challenges in their communication,” said Gabriela Georgieva, a Senior Media Analyst at Commetric, a company that off ers advanced media analytics and consulting. Gabriela joined Commetric right aft er graduating from AUBG in 2021. She majored in JMC and Psychology which helped her acquire many skills that she now applies in her work. Written by Stanislava Pashkulova Sponsored by “What I fi nd most helpful are timemanagement skills, the ability to eff ectively prioritize tasks, and to keep strict deadlines,” Gabriela said. A journalism diploma is not a necessary requirement for anyone passionate to enter the media analysis industry. Christina Totseva, the current Managing Director at Commetric, is also an AUBG alumna who graduated with degrees in Economics and Political Science and International Relations. “If you are a genuinely curious and analytical person, who likes reading and being informed about various topics, industries, companies, trends and you tend to see patterns and causality, you will enjoy applying this in the world of media analysis,” she said. Christina also shared that “the media analytics job is a great career starter.” According to her, the fi eld introduces employees to diverse clients and industries. Th is provides analysts with insight into the latest developments in the respective fi eld, as well as the communications strategies of all kinds of companies. “Th e media analyst work could be a great stepping stone for diff erent careers in the fi eld of communications. As we work with big clients across various industries, the skills and knowledge we acquire are transferable to other career paths as well,” Gabriela said. According to Christina, many of her colleagues at Commetric are promoted to Project Managers or continue their professional path in sales and client servicing. Some pursue careers in the fi eld of PR and communications while others choose to go in the direction of data science. Th e role of a media analyst could also be suitable for ambitious university students who manage to combine their studies with work. Such is the case of Mihail Mishev, a junior at AUBG who recently joined the media analysis team. “I like the fact that the company does analytics for companies all over the world with all kinds of backgrounds. It pushes you to broaden your horizons and gain knowledge in areas you weren’t even interested in initially,” he said. Gabriela shared a similar opinion saying that “the advantages of media analytics work are that it’s dynamic, it allows you to develop a variety of skills, and to stay very wellinformed about current events across many industries.” In addition to that, media analysts become familiar with diff erent platforms and soft ware tools. Commetric invests heavily in technology in order to optimize all processes and enable employees to focus on delivering the best quality analysis to their clients. “In that aspect, we do off er a unique blend of technology and human insight on the market,” Christina said. When asked what makes Commetric stand out in the industry, Gabriela said it is the people. “A lot of companies use innovative technology, but at Commetric this technology is combined with the insight of great professionals which takes everything to a higher level,” she said. 8 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily gAUBG ives a stable basis of knowledge and skills that help each of its students fi nd a job. Every year many AUBG students decide to intern at Postbank. Aft er graduation, some even fi nd their fi rst jobs at the bank. Others climb the ladder of success and hold Chief positions there. “AUBG gave me a clear vision and readiness to develop, learn more, and meet new challenges,” said Alexander Danchev, AUBG alumnus (Class of 1997 and eMBA Cohort 1, 2004) and the Chief Risk Offi cer at Postbank. Th e university prepares its students to meet the job market requirements and build a successful career path. “AUBG has defi nitely given me a certain set of knowledge. More importantly, it has helped shape my way of thinking, mindset, and approach to solving problems, rather than giving ready templates and solutions,” Danchev said. “AUBG taught me of good organization and balance between work, study, and personal life,” said Mariana Hristova, AUBG alumna (Class of 2005) and current Head of Accounting at Postbank. “It gave me the ability to manage time eff ectively, prioritize tasks, set goals, and develop systems for achieving those goals.” A useful way for students to learn, get experience, and acquire skills is to work for the diff erent administrative offi ces at AUBG. “Th e fact that I worked at the Finance Offi ce of AUBG while studying helped me prepare for my life aft er AUBG,” Danchev said. Postbank not only off ers career development but also has its annual internship program off ering positions in diff erent departments. “Th e internship is interesting, colorful, and fascinating,” said Desislava Veneva, a junior at AUBG and a current intern at the Sales Department at Postbank. Th e internship helps current AUBG students apply the knowledge they gained so far regardless of their standing or majors. “I was surprised that a lot of th things we study at university a a useful and implemented in the work process,” said Denitsa Roussinova, a second-year student at AUBG and an intern during the summer 2022 Internship Program at Postbank. “No matter what you are studying, Business or Politics, and how much knowledge you have, there is always a place for you.” Th ere are still things AUBG does not teach its students before they apply and get a job or internship position at Postbank. “I understood the client is the most important. I know this may sound like a cliché, but I would rather call it “classic” because it is 100% true,” Veneva said. “I also like learning things not only related to ATMs but also to the banking and business world.” “I learned how multilateral the process of implementing something in such a big company is,” Rossinova said. “When you have an idea, you have to communicate it with people from diff erent departments so that they can make it the best way possible.” Th ere are even skills AUBG students wish to have acquired during their academic lives, which will help them better integrate into Postbank’s working team. “I wish I have known to be more confi dent, to believe in myself,” Hristova said. “Also, I wish I have known that making mistakes is not the end of the world. Postbank Management appreciates openness and honesty far more than having someone who never admits to making a mistake.” Th e lessons those current and former AUBG students acquired are valuable not only for their own career development but also for their personal improvement and contribution to Postbank’s working process. “Th e internship program helps both the student and the bank improve themselves,” Roussinova said. Sponsored by AUBG students participating in the internship program or currently working for the bank realize what a jumping start AUBG has given them. Th at is why they advise current students to try, be open-minded, and continue learning. “I would advise the future interns to go there and grab everything they could, everything that the team is off ering to them,” Veneva said. “I would advise current AUBG students to be prepared for Written by Tsvetina Georgieva hard work and never give up, to fi nd their passion, be active, and to not allow others to defi ne success for them,” Hristova said. “Studying at AUBG gave me the chance to enhance my skills and knowledge about our industry, continue performing successfully in the position I hold, and upgrade. Th ank you, AUBG!” 9 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily

For the la e ademic h as hlog d h s everal ne majors in in Creative W paying clos s is workin g t But how a further. So, how do Creating a n minor hav are several from the dep curriculum a student r all-faculty a new major h approval f d of Tes. According t trustees is an organiza best interes managemen dep m (w r d vg b . Th f a r h f d of Tes. g t a, “ f s f za d sks t h es f skhlder ll t f en ” Robert W university, exp curriculum co to actuall departmen AUBG an have to con see whether list of potenl co W m co nt h o do a con ben n ” Th nd uden er th d p a enl coes. Th is applies within exi example, if t is ademic dep f the facly decides t ff r in Environm f ti the Mathema ics and Science Department. Conversely, if the proposed program does not coincide with any department (an Engineering major for instance), then the Dean’s Council must approve the proposal before it goes to the Curriculum Committee. In it, all the chairs of the departments meet and discuss the possible benefi ts of a new program. d S i D t t What factors are considered when determining the feasibility of a new major/ 10 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily Written by Kristina Dimitrova ly a better h nd is high. he facly les that there is a call for a new program when they hear that there is an increased interest among s the students. In such situations, the risks of creating one are lower, because the costs will be proportionate to the actual demand. How is the success of a new program measured? Th e biggest indicator of success is the number of students who enroll in the new program, but the cost must be considered as well. a h d ad what are th and other r th em? Th e r d m? and and the m, which are a diff erence pon existing m a e to hire new o ecause they g courses and g c t draw upon ces, “ quire hiring es creating new h n n fact, some the General e Literature e faculty were ual Analysis here weren’t l cos o establish the j t d u n e e fa h will need f courses and h ure that there m because it ulty,” White e m der t ys are made hough they h ctive in the for students survey and ould benefi t h mpleting the y Let’s take the recently introduced Physics major. In terms of enrollment, it is not very prosperous, but from a cost point of view, there is no loss since it was created from an existing department. Psychology, on the other hand, is a very flourishing major as the cost for it is proportional to the student demand. There are also circumstances in which a given program has low demand. Such is the case with the American Studies major. It was not successful among the student body and had to be removed eventually. Are there any new majors/minors in the making? The most recent minor, which was introduced at the beginning of Fall 2022 semester, isw Creative Writing. It is an “interdisciplinary program appropriate for students who wish to study both the practical and theoretical aspects of creative writing.” The program offers not only Literature courses but Journalism ones as well, thus complementing the majors in each of the departments. One major that has been approved by the Board of Trustees but still goes through development is Film and Creative Media. According to Professor Another new academic program in the making is a Tourism and Hospitality concentration within the Business Administration major. As of now, the department is still in search of new professors who can teach in this specialty and as soon as they find such, the concentration will get started right away. Anything else? Sean Homer, the Chair of the Literature and Theater Department, those programs require a lot of money as film equipment needs to be bought and filming and editing studios need to be built. “Things are progressing, but they are progressing slowly because the costs are high,” Homer said. Taking everything into consideration, one can conclude that such creations take time. As Professor Laura Kelly, the Chair of the Journalism and Mass Communication Department, said, “Academia is a slowmoving ship. There are a lot of things at stake. There’s lots of talking, planning, debating, speculating… All perspectives are considered. So, decisions are made that hopefully are solid.” Across 1 2 5 3 4 6 1. Coffeeshop/bar near campus 5. According to our university slogan: AUBG is the ________ to be 6. The colloquial name of the Albanian national dance 7. The name of a new BUS professor 8. Park near Blagoevgrad 9. Number of majors offered at AUBG 10. The name of the new student information system 12. Crown event of international week 7 8 9 11 12 10 Down 2. The name of AUBG Daily’s event this semeser 3. In the last issue, you had to solve an _____ - themed sudoku 4. Broadway Performance Club’s theme this year 5. New AUBG club 11. The name of a new JMC professor 11 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily

“One of the best experiences I’ve ever had! AUBG really gave me opportunities to challenge myself, further develop my academic potential, meet amazing people, create lifelong friendships and memories that I’ll always keep close to my heart!” Irena Georgieva “It is a life process one can only experience. Kinda a fee that you pay to ride on a rollercoaster.” Alex Human “Came to learn, mastered procrastination.” Branimir Ivanov “Th e four years at AUBG defi nitely shaped me as an individual. Th e best way to describe it is “a roller coaster of emotions” . It may sound cliché but here I learned how to think critically, how to make friends, and how to chase my goals. I am a bit sad that it’s over but I am also excited about what’s next!” Lachezar Valev “AUBG is a community within a small city. It is going to be your small world for 4 years.” Mariami Gugushvili 12 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily “AUBG is a very beautiful diverse university and I am forever grateful that I was able to study here. I’ve not only learned so much from my professors but also from my peers. I’ve made lifelong friends from all over the world; nothing better than that.” Madelyn Carlile “Although AUBG off ered a valuable education and knowledge, what truly set it apart for me were the extracurricular activities. Th ese not only fostered lasting friendships but also created an ideal environment for developing essential interpersonal skills, ultimately enriching the entire university experience.” Ivan Minchev My experience in AUBG has been great, and full of emorable moments. Had the chance to meet and create y ations with some great people. Th roughout my ars here, I gained a lot academically but learned en more from my friends.” en Anxhelo Mani “Th ese past four years of AUBG were... unreal - entering adulthood, pandemic, economic collapse, war, further economic collapse, and energy crisis. Amid this, we made life-long relationships, traveled, learned, partied, and built dreams. I will always be grateful to the Radio AURA family for nurturing me into the person I am today - outspoken, confi dent, and fearless. Th ank you, AUBG, for this adventure of a lifetime” “My second home. AUBG gave me Radio AURA and so many memories I couldn’t be more grateful about” Marina Tsutsumanova Georgia Briseniou 13 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily

Simona Simeonova A beautiful and exciting journey along which I met one of the most genuine, creative, and kind people in my life. AUBG Daily is the place where I wrote my fi rst article, had my fi rst night out, and found true friendships. It is where I faced challenges and learned that it is okay to speak my mind without feeling anxious. And lastly, it is the place from AUBG I will miss the most and return to in the future. For that, I am forever grateful. Kristiana Dimitrova A place where I discovered a passion. A place where I made unforgettable memories and formed lifetime friendships. AUBG Daily has been my chosen place since my fi rst step at AUBG, and it has been a constant source of inspiration throughout my university journey. In AUBG Daily, I learned, laughed, cried, grew, and fl ourished. Th ere, I met some of the most genuine and creative people, and together we explored, created, struggled, and celebrated. AUBG Daily holds a special place in my heart, and I am eternally grateful for helping me become who I am today. Christian Tsvetkov For me, AUBG Daily was a club in which I developed a lot of new skills even without being a reporter because the ability to search for the fi nancing of projects I believe in will be helpful for life. I met amazing people not only motivated to develop their creativity and skills but also have the desire to help each other throughout the magical process of journalism. I saw how the will to work hard to produce the newspaper and to put the theory learned in classes into practice persists every year and that is what combines people in this club and makes a strong bond between them. Because of those factors, AUBG Daily becomes more than just an ordinary team, it becomes a source of inspiration. Nikoleta Stefanova A place where my attention to detail is a virtue and not a fl aw, where I slow danced and sang with my friends at 4 am and expressed myself without being judged. Th ank you for the conversations on the Skapto couches, for letting me edit your work and for all the laughs along the way. 14 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily Kristian Deyanov To me, AUBG Daily is synonymous with friendship. In this club, I met one of the most passionate and genuine people and I have established true friendships that I hope I can preserve forever. I am extremely glad that I had the opportunity to put my skills and passion toward growing and developing this club. I have learned and grown so many thanks to the amazing people and team spirit I found when I joined Daily. Th e club will remain in my memories as one of the best and most enjoyable things that could have happened to me during my university years. Kristina Dimitrova I will never forget the delightful feeling I had when I received the acceptance letter and I became one with the owlies. AUBG Daily was an incredible experience, during which I met some of the most amazing, kind and loving people that made my last year at the university unforgettable. I’m eternally grateful for all the memories we have shared together and I sincerely hope that those friendships will last for a lifetime. AUBG Daily will forever remain in my heart and I will always cherish the wonderful journey this club was for me. Ivelina Markova Imagine you’ve been swimming relentlessly for several days – strong waves crashing into you, storms raging above your head, waters fi lled with stinging jellyfi sh. Th en, you fi nd a lone island with fl owers bathing in inviting sunlight and dancing to a refreshing breeze. Th is is what AUBG Daily is for me – an alluring safe haven that helps me come to my senses. Th ank you, fellow owlies, for bringing joy and creativity into my student years. Question: What would you like to tell the seniors? As in advice, wish them something. “Enjoy “Seniors! I am so proud of you and your accomplishments! Remember: it is better to lose fear than it is to try to gain confi dence. Never be afraid to try and to fail and to try again!” - Professor Ronald Harvey “Dear graduating class of 2023, you probably have some mixed feelings at this point - you will be missing your friends and all other things you became close to during the last 4 years at AUBG, but I know this next phase is going to be also very exciting - I hope you will continue focusing on your personal and professional development, making new friends, starting impactful projects, and all this while helping others and having tons of fun along the way. Stay in touch and know you can always count on me. Cheers to life!” - Professor Elena Radeva “Whatever you do in the future, do it well, and choose something you really like doing, and not just for the money. Explore, take risks, and mind the others, always. Best of luck!” - Professor Jean Crombois “It’s been an honor for me to witness your growth in academia. I wish you to creatively transform your worlds. Follow your own visions, I believe in you!” - Professor Kiril Kirkov “Artifi cial intelli“Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.” - Mary Oliver, one of my favorite poets - Professor Laura Kelly “Dear Th ere is a Lakota saying that goes like this: If you don’t have a seat at the table, you might end up on the menu. With that in mind, organize against all injustices, practice compassion, and never sympathize with the powerful! - Professor Ezra Winton graduates, On this milestone of your life, ready to conquer the world, aim high. Go aft er your goals with full of energy, passion, and discipline and always put your heavy weight in what you do, no matter how small. You will face as many challenges as opportunities in your life ahead, face both with courage and with determination and always remember that failure is part of this game, not the end of the game.” - Professor Ali Termos 15 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily gence is out there. It won’t go away. So, use your natural intelligence when using artifi cial intelligence!” - Professor Markus Wien “Try again. Fail again. Fail better” - Beckett - Professor Jason Murphy the ride! And remember: success does not equal happiness. Being is more important than doing. Good enough is the only functional version of perfect.” - Professor Darina Sarelska

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Presidents: Kristiana Dimitrova Simona Simeonova Editor-in-chief: Bianka Deyanova Producer: Tsvetina Georgieva Head of Sponsorship: Kristian Deyanov Dear readers, As we are approaching the end of another academic year, we are fi lled with joy for all the moments we got to spend here with our loved ones, gratitude for every lesson learned, a sense of accomplishment for reaching long-desired goals and looking forward to the adventures yet to come. Yet for some of us, this is also a bittersweet fi nale. For some of us, these few fi nal weeks will be fi lled with many “lasts” – the last walk to Main Building, the last event with the club, the last meal at the canteen (however unpleasant), the last coff ee date with friends at the AUBG Café, and the last night in the Skapto room. For the seniors, this semester was the last chance they got to get as much as they can from AUBG. And, seniors, you owned it. We know you worked hard, we know you gave it all, and you succeeded, not that there was ever a doubt. And that is why we also know that you will keep succeeding. We are honored to have walked the halls of AUBG beside you, we are grateful that you were a part of our journey here and we wish you the best of luck on your next adventure – life. However, I cannot end this letter without expressing my never-ending thanks and love to the entire AUBG Daily team, the curious and inspiring owls who worked day and night throughout the whole semester to turn this Senior Issue into reality. When I accepted the role of Editor-in-Chief, I couldn’t even begin to imagine how many diligent, capable, and ambitious young people would be on my team. I never stopped believing in you, and you shouldn’t stop believing in yurles eith. in y Th ank you for being you. It was truly an honor. Yours, Bianka Deyanova Editor-in-Chief ubscribe to ur newsletter ere: u e Head of Marketing: Borislav Bochev Sponsorship: Christian Tsvetkov Janina Ormanova Nikolay Lyutskanov Marketing: Hristina Tsonkova Aleksandra Boneva Salome Menabde Kato Jamaspishvili Radostina Ivanova Kristiana Krasteva Reporters: Eka Iakobadze Anusher Mahmadjonov Dasha Dolgopova Hary Dikov David Mitov Vasil Paskov Salome Menabde Sofi a Boneva Mihail Varnaliev Maria Hristova Ivelina Markova Toma Krumov Kristina Dimitrova Illustrations: Dulamsuren Amarsanaa and Janina Ormanova Layout design: Kristiana Krasteva 16 Spring 2023 | AUBG Daily Editors: Kaiden Myers Niya Manditsch Stanislava Pashkulova Nikoleta Stefanova

AUBG DAILY FALL 2022 OWL THE NEWS Vol. 4, Issue 1 Official Title Sponsor

A academic year, an unexpected problem emerged at the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) – a lot of new students but not enough rooms in the Skaptopara Residence Halls for all of them to live in. A week before the start of orientation week, some new students were informed that there was no place left for them in the dormitories, even though all of them had already paid for housing on campus. That is why they had to stay in Hotel Merida – a hotel arranged by AUBG that is approximately 20 minutes away from the three Skaptos. An anonymous student had not even been informed of the unfortunate situation. “I was promised a place in Skaptopara 2, but unfortunately, on the day of my arrival, I was informed by the director of housing in AUBG that in my room there is already somebody accommodated,” they said. Students have not yet received a proper explanation of why this occurred and why AUBG neglected their housing promise. “I expected the hotel to be in good condition, but that was not the case. In addition, the hotel told us that we had to pay 250 leva per month to use AC and refrigerator,” the same anonymous student said. The interviewed students shared the opinion that this problem is unacceptable. This is the reason why most of them have moved away from Hotel Merida. At the moment, some of the students have returned to live in Skapto because a few rooms have become available. t the start of the Housing - Vasil Paskov Still, not all of them had the same luck, so they had to find and rent apartments in Blagoevgrad in a very short time – somet ending students over the summer between hig h s c h o o l thing that they did not expect when they were accepted to study at AUBG. In their opinion, AUBG should address the situation. On the other hand, AUBG g rad u a t io n and college enrollment. only suitable option with enough places for all the students left without AUBG housing. authorities see the issue from a different perspective. The Dean of Students, Sabina Wien, says the problem is more complex. ‘’We typically accept more H o we ve r , this year, the summer melt was unexpectedly low, which caused the number of students in the university to be higher than the number of beds in dormi tor ies . Th a t, c om bi n e d with other factors that cannot be controlled by AUBG, such as the pandemic, some late payments by students, and the low number of juniors and seniors who want to live offcampus, are the main reasons behind the unfortunate case. “We know that we could have students than there are places in Skapto,” she said. This is due to a variety of different factors, but the main one is the summer melt. Summer melt is a phenomenon defined as the drop-off of college-in 2 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily done something better but we still do not know what,” Wien said. As for the hotel, the Residence Life Director, Ilko Drenkov, says they had no other solution. Hotel Merida was the ‘’My idea is to encourage juniors to find places and to restrict seniors from living in the Residence Halls,” he suggested. Dean Wien promised that AUBG would do everything possible if the same issue occurs again because AUBG wants as many students as possible to live on campus. Since the housing problem has not been solved yet, the next semester Erasmus students will be forced to live off-campus. She advised future AUBG students to submit their documents and make payments on time to ensure a place in Skapto in case a similar situation repeats in the future. The AUBG strategic plan 2022-2027 was approved in May and includes an increase of the student body by 50% in the next five years. However, the university still does not have an exact strategy for where these students are going to stay. Vasil Paskov for AUBG Daily The Fall 2022 semester at AUBG became the beginning of a new minor in Creative Writing. It finally came into reality after staying in the mind of Professor Sean Homer, Chair of the Literature and Theatre Department. “I have been nudging my colleagues to open new courses over the last few years and then, last year, we took the idea of the minor to the curriculum committee,” Homer said. Prof. Homer’s departmental colleagues are creative writers in different fields. That is why they all received support for establishing the new minor. “There are many creative writers in the Literature department. Prof. Michael Cohen is a published short-story writer, Prof. Levchev and Prof. Terziev are both published poets, Prof. Nikolova is an essayist, and it seems so obvious that this is what we should do,” Homer said. As described on AUBG’s official website, “the Creative Writing minor is an interdisciplinary program appropriate for students who wish to study both the practical and theoretical aspects of creative writing.” It is more than that. “The Creative Writing minor is unique because of its range of different forms of writing,” Homer said. The minor offers courses in poetry, prose, screenwriting, and creative non-fiction. Business or Economics, you may end up writing. That is why it will benefit any kind of student.” “The minor Sean Homer. Photo courtesy of Sean Homer O R boosts skills that will be valuable for any employer in the sense that it will force students to focus more on their writing and become deeper readers, better editors, and communicators,” Cohen said. “I honestly believe that writing and reading deeply makes you a better human being. These make you more honest and self-reflective.” in creative writing Tsvetina Georgieva for AUBG Daily by Tsvetina Georgieva 3 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily “I would say this minor is fulfilling because those writing courses will allow students to go deeper into themselves and think about how they view the world,” Michael Cohen, a professor from the Literature and Theatre Department, said. “This minor will force students to examine their lives more deeply.” On Thursday, Sept. 29, there was a celebration of the Creative Writing minor at All Stars, a bar in Blagoevgrad, where AUBG students’ vivid interest in the minor became evident. A number of them read poems and short stories shoulder to shoulder with their literature professors. “Being put in the exact same situation as someone who is established in the field of Literature, has done the hard work, and I is now celebrating their success definitely served as motivation for me. I am thankful to the whole Literature department for providing us with this opportunity. It was an experience to remember,” Brigita Andonova, a junior, said. Good writing skills apply not only to academic requirements but may also become an advantage for students and alumni when searching for a job. As Homer said, “Even if you graduated in Some students also find the benefits of the new minor. Zlatara Chakarova, a sophomore majoring in Literature, said, “Creative writing is a process of finding a key to the locked door of your inner world.” Brigita also said, “Writing is therapeutic, it helps you get to know yourself and make sense of the overly complicated world.” The minor may attract many potential applicants since creative writing exists in different forms within the scope of various fields and periods of time. “If you think about it, creative writing is everywhere, not just on paper. The ability to form language (creatively) is a skill that can b can be used in every sphere of our life,” Zla life,” Zlatara said.

College is an environment with lots of potential to overwhelm students. Simultaneously attending classes, completing assignments, and juggling real life, all while planning for the future, is a strain that many students uphold. These problems are exactly what inspired the program Me as a Student, a weekly meeting where American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) students speak with peer counselors to unravel the various woes of college life. The hour-long meetings are held every Monday at 6 p.m. in the Skaptopara I counseling center. The Me as a Student program is currently organized by peer counseling students at AUBG: freshman Chris Tenchev, senior Mitko Donev, and sophomore Nikola Naumovski. The program is supervised by AUBG’s psychologist, Rayna TuzlukovaVetsova. They first privately deliberate on relevant student issues, like timemanagement or procrastination, then on Mondays hold an open meeting followed by a general discussion. World Mental Health Day on Oct. 10 had the first glimpse of the program. The peer counselors arranged multiple activities to promote student wellbeing. There were events like a morning jog, art therapy, and a presentation from the peer counselors on a student-related issue. According to the hosts Chris and Mitko, the presentation went well, but the conversation held afterward was truly cathartic, leaving a lasting impression on the participants. This talk was the unintentional precursor of what would become Me as a Student. After the talk’s success, the counselors asked Tuzlukova-Vetsova to make the meetings regular, to which Chris said she was “totally down for it.” The peer counselors noticed that their efforts are comparable to the Psychology Club, the difference being its scale. Chris claims that peer counseling “puts a lot of emphasis on doing things personally.” Both groups have arranged similar activities, such as art therapy and yoga, but Me as a Student is a more intimate and regular gathering, having around six or seven participants each session. But this quantity is ideal, as it allows everyone to take part and relieve themselves through discussion. Mitko, also a Psychology Club member, said that the peer counseling team is working on being independent for Fall 2022 but could have the opportunity to collaborate in upcoming semesters. “From next semester on, they could be two entities helping each other because they’re both trying to achieve a very good goal,” he said, since both groups work to spread awareness on mental health and develop tactics to maintain it. M e S TU AUBG’s Latest 4 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily Chris Tenchev. Photo courtesy of Chris Tenchev as A D E NT Mental Health Initiative by Kaiden Myers Mitko is a senior studying Business Administration and Psychology. He learned about peer counseling in the Fall of 2019 when Ms.Tuzlukova-Vets ova sent a student-wide email introducing the program. Those interested would reply and have a brief informal interview on motivations to join. Chris, a first-year student also studying Business Administration and Psychology, became a peer counselor in the spring when Professor Harvey suggested the work after class. The Counseling Center’s Peer Education Program is a twoyear program where AUBG students can implement numerous outreach events and gain skills in counseling services as a peer counselor. Chris described Me as a Student as a “podcast without the mics.” Students get a chance to gather and decompress, releasing whatever strains come to mind in a constructive setting in hope to develop new habits. “Definitely talking with people is incredibly beneficial. We’re social creatures, at the end of the day, so we have that instinct.” On the topic of mental health, Chris mentioned people are prone to being closed off, settling for quick solutions or eliminating emotions instead of combating the problem. “A lot of people ignore their mental health. They focus too much on resilience and enduring pain rather than trying to fix things.” He said how mental and physical health is intertwined, crediting habits as a surefire way to improving overall wellbeing. “You need to find a way to live more healthily, more easily. Habits just goes on their own at some point, and you don’t even have to think about it. Mitko said that letting loose and talking about one’s issues, no matter the size, is a big takeaway from the program. “You feel calmer. I didn’t expect a regular talk at an hour and a half would have that effect,” he said. He also noticed how people’s free time is frequently alone watching Netflix or going to parties at Underground. “Having time for yourself is very important as well, but social activity should not be underestimated. Calm, regular meetings with several people just doing something is a lot better.” The peer counseling team plans on continuing Me as a Student throughout the semester and in the future. Mitko and Chris both believe that the program has huge potential for growth. “For everybody that’s out there suffering in some way, you’re not alone,” said Chris. “If you have an issue, you can always talk with us, the peer counseling team. Also, psychologists, licensed professionals. But sometimes somebody who’s completely unaware of your problem, someone you just met or that is close to you, that may be enough.” Mitko Donev. Photo courtesy of Mitko Donev 5 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily

I Niko said nSeptember 2022, AUBG once again was listed among the leading institutions in that he would not take the second level of this class, as he feels that will learn he t h e Bulgarian University Rankings. In the ranking, AUBG shared first place with Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski in Journalism and Mass Communication (JMC). Moreover, AUBG decided to add Film and Theater Studies as a minor, which is mostly accompanied by JMC students. However, there have been concerns regarding the need for more equipment and professors among current students. One of the elective courses for Film and Theater studies is Intro to Cinematography. The course is designed to teach students how to create video journalism for various media platforms. Students work in two- or three-person teams to shoot and edit news stories, as well as master the fundamentals of camerawork, video and audio editing. When asked about the course, current AUBG student Maria Taushanova said: “I expected more practice with camera movement and to learn about technical stuff, even though I understand that we need to know some theory too.” Maria believes the course is still in the making and should be polished better. However, she revealed that working in teams and filming on the different topics in the class is still interesting. Niko Long, a JMC student, said: “The lack of equipment definitely affected our studies.” He also stated: “If there were things that I changed, it would be more equipment and better resources for teaching because we learn theory a lot and not so much practice,” 6 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily LACKS Equipment as STUDENTS Dive into the class material on his own time. “Hristina Tsonkova, another JMC student, in said: the “I thought there were going to be less students class since there are not enough cameras for each of us.” Hristina pointed out that if only two professors can teach this class, it will be harder for JMC DEPARTMENT them to teach everyone, because having only one class is not enough to educate students on camera usage with step-by-step lessons. CINEMATOGRAPHY by Anusher Mahmadjonov “I am happy that we started doing post-production, where we can learn more about editing, which will allow us to practice our skills even outside the class,” she added. Hristina said that she would still take the second level of the class. “This is just an intro class, and in the second level, I believe we will learn even more, and hopefully, the problem with equipment will be solved as well,” said Hristina. T Radina Damyanova and Her Passion for Panitza Library he impressive collection of more than 125,000 print books, 560,000 e-books, 85,000 e-journals, and the quiet study environment have turned AUBG Panitza Library into one of the best places to prepare for midterms and final exams. Having such a key role in campus life, it is important to know who ensures everything is handled properly. processing stages of Radina takes care of what comes after a book is introduced into the library. “I am one of the people responsible for the scanning and the digitization process of books and articles in Panitza Library.” However, Radina’s favorite task is the creation of all the posters and infographics spread throughout the library floors. “The most fun activity for me is doing the designs, collecting the information, and presenting it in an engaging way,” she shared. When talking about the move to the first fully on-ground semester, since the beginning of the pandemic, Radina noted that she has noticed a positive effect on the library. AUBG Panitza Library. Photo from https://www.aubg.edu/ Radina Damyanova is one of those people. She has been working at Panitza Library since 2018. “I not only enjoy taking care of the books but also looking after all this information. It keeps me motivated,” she shared when asked about what the library means to her. Radina is currently studying for a librarian degree. Her dissertation is on the topic of social media in academic libraries. “It is a rather unusual topic, especially in Bulgaria; that’s why I chose it,” she added. Her interest in the sphere is also the reason behind being one of the people responsible for the social media profiles of the library. “We started the Instagram account at the beginning of the Fall 2021 semester. We try to do more engaging posts, including reels and memes. We want to follow the trends,” she said. Radina also shared that the main reason for creating the Instagram account is the low engagement of students with Facebook. She added that she and her colleagues are fully aware that current students prefer different social media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram. This is how the idea of creating the library’s Instagram profile came into consideration. “I am very happy that the feedback has been positive, and we have plans to continue developing the account.” While working at a library may seem like a straightforward job, it turns out that this is not the case. “I like that we don’t have a certain daily routine. Yes, when I have a morning shift, I always open all the windows, go down to the basement and turn on the moisture absorbers, after which I check my email for urgent requests. Other than that, every day is different,” she explained after welcoming a student to the library with a warm smile. In a library as significant as the one on campus, there is always something important happening behind the scenes. Currently, the library’s storage is going through an expansion to have more open space for new books. “This is the thing with priority at the moment, so I will do other tasks when we finish with the expansion,” Radina explained. Introducing new books into the library collection is no easy job. First, a librarian has to research what type of book would be suitable for the studies and interests of the current students. After ordering the book, another librarian has to go through the process of entering its information into the library catalog. Finally, before being displayed, the book gets a security tag, preventing it from being taken out of the library by mistake. “I am very happy that there are so many students using the library. I hope this continues to be the situation. Honestly, this is the first time I have seen so many people here since I started working at AUBG. Keep it up, guys!” Radina at her desk in Panitza Library. Borislav Bochev for AUBG Daily 7 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily

Erasmus Student Network AUBG: TAKE TWO by Ivelina Markova If you have no idea what ESN (Erasmus Student Network) is, you are not alone. Many learn about its existence only after starting their own exchange program. ESN is an independent non-governmental student organization that recognizes the value of international education and intercultural understanding, and works to increase it on a local, national, and international level. The main principle of the organization – Students Helping Students (SHS) – is based on the cooperation between full-time students at the host institution and incoming Erasmus students. 8 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily This cooperation is, above all, driven by the Erasmus+ Buddy System. To put it simply, a buddy is a first friend in a new environment. The buddies (local students) voluntarily use their knowledge and experience to provide incoming students with practical assistance and basic academic guidance. In addition, they help with events, activities, and trips, organized by ESN members to facilitate social integration. Starting and developing such a buddy system at AUBG has the potential to prevent or at least reduce the initial discomfort many Erasmus students experience upon arrival. Angela Milano from the University of Naples Federico II, in Italy, who chose AUBG for her Fall 2021 exchange semester, shared: “Before coming to AUBG, I didn’t know anyone, not even the other Italian (Michela). This made everything more difficult, starting from zero. Honestly, in the beginning, I noticed a lot of detachment from my culture and I didn’t feel at home. Then, as the days went by, I also began to feel physical discomfort.” Yet, ESN AUBG will still be useful because there will always be people who need more support in the adaptation process than others. From the perspective of full-time AUBG students, ESN further enhances their chances of experiencing various cultures, creating memories, and building an international network of life-long connections. Erasmus, and ESN in particular, cuts the distance between countries from Eastern and Western Europe in socio-cultural aspects such as youth development and active citizenship, mobility and diversity. Angela Milano (upper-left) during the Fall 2021 AUBG Orientation week. Photo courtesy of Angela Milano. Angela received great support and advice from the one-person AUBG Erasmus office, namely Mariya Handzhiyska, and with time “met so many guys who had also been catapulted into a totally foreign context.” Although Angela eventually grew to love her time at AUBG, an effective ESN could have saved her a lot of negative emotions and lowered the pressure exerted on the overburdened Erasmus office. Having a buddy to talk to and ask questions can make incomings calmer, more prepared, and confident prior to the start of the semester. ESN offers benefits not only to exchange students, but also to local students. Sven Bögel from the University of Augsburg, in Germany, joined his home university’s ESN section inspired by his academic year at AUBG. Members of ESN Augsburg refer to their involvement in the organization as “doing Erasmus at home.” Sven’s university has more than 20,000 students, so in his eyes, finding friends and other Erasmus people there is sometimes very difficult. AUBG is much smaller and does not receive that many exchange students (for reference, the number of Erasmus and ISEP students altogether for the current Fall 2022 semester at AUBG is 45). Incomings meet each other during orientation week and start doing their own thing without much external intervention. “It creates a sense of social responsibility and community, thus bringing young Europeans closer and enhancing the sense of European identity,” former National Secretary of ESN Bulgaria Sava Dikov said. This view is supported by Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, who noted the importance of Erasmus during the celebration of the Erasmus+ Program’s 35th anniversary back in September: “Because if the Euro is Europe’s wallet and Schengen is Europe’s passport, or rather non-passport, then Erasmus is Europe’s soul.” Sava Dikov representing ESN Bulgaria at an international ESN event. Photo courtesy of ESN Bulgaria. Adjusting ESN to the AUBG context will nourish this soul while student inclusion will keep showering it with ingenuity, enthusiasm, and hope for the future. Photo courtesy of ESN 9 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily

The M ega Reunion last happened in 2019 and could not take place for the next two years because of the pandemic. On Sept. 17, 2022, the American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) alumni finally Clubs, sports, gathered for a day of events at ABF. However, enjoying Skapto Burgers, cocktails and festivities was not the main reason why the alumni came to the Mega Reunion. “This is why we are here — sentimental reasons,” said Petar Svarc, class of 2002. “Nobody is coming here because they’re expecting to land a business deal or find a new career. We come here just to see each other and have fun, and see what’s going on because we don’t really know. And this is something we didn’t have in our time. We didn’t have such a big alumni community in place.” mu sic, studying — there’s so much to do at A UB G, and not so much time to manage everything. “It’s a very condensed environment both in terms of space and time,” said Petar. “So many people in a very small area doing many different things. And (the environment) just keeps you busy, keeps you active, keeps you engaged.” In this environment, he said, you learn not to underestimate anyone. “Very quickly you’ll learn that oftentimes you’re wrong. And you really learn to value people for what they are, and this, I think, is quite unique for AUBG.” Since 2002, Petar said he has been hearing: “After this generation graduates, it’s going to be a completely different university, all the cool people are graduating.” However, this is not the case. Petar said that he sees other cool, smart and active students joining the university every year. Petar Svarc at the AUBG Cafe. Dasha Dolgopolova for AUBG Daily 10 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily “Time, I think, it acts like a filter, like water going through sand. You filter out the people that are most Vladimir Borachev next to a tree he planted in 1995. Dasha Dolgopolova for AUBG Daily important to you. Sometimes, you surprise yourself, and they surprise you. As time passes by, you understand better what’s important and what’s not. It is definitely something that becomes very vivid as time passes by.” Vladimir Borachev, class of 1995, said he misses the atmosphere of AUBG where you could network with students and professors, and engage in activities. He used to be the captain of the baseball team back in his day. The facilities of the university are very different from when Vladimir studied here. There were no Skaptopara dormitories, Panitza Library, or sports hall. The students used to live in Hilltop and Bistritsa residence halls, and the Volga hotel which were located in different parts of Blagoevgrad. Another thing that changed over the years, Vladimir said, is the people. can come to alumni events each “So, in a way, people are different, but at the same time, they are the same. I see a lot of positive faces, people are happy to be here. They’re smiling, communicating, talking. And I think this is one of the best things AUBG can do — to support people to become better in terms of understanding other people, other cultures, other religions and to communicate better with other people.” Bozhana Marinova reminisced about being a counselor at the AUBG Summer Camp. She said it was one of her best memories during her studies. Bozhana graduated in 2021 and is now working; she misses meeting new people, talking, and hanging out with them. “Also, I miss the classes because we did very practical stuff. We were interviewing people, doing marketing projects — everything! I was playing the harp, and I was involved in clubs, so it was really dynamic. I miss the people and the dynamics.” Bozhana Marinova and Christopher-Joseph R. Dean, class of 2016, at the AUBG Cafe. Dasha Dolgopolova for AUBG Daily While in university, students feel enormous pressure from everything they need to do. Vessela Ivanova, class of 2013, felt the same during her time at AUBG. She said, in retrospect, that the university times were the most relaxed — that being together with your peers is what creates memories that will stay for years to come. “Meeting life-long friends that you year with. Or, in our case, actually marry them,” said Vessela. She and her husband, Panayot Ivanov, met at Radio AURA parties back in 2010, and are now married. Ivan Bardarov, Vessela and Panayot’s classmate and best man at their wedding, said he misses the community. “When you are in here, you’re a part of a big community, and you always have friends and it’s easy to do things whatever your interests are, which is much harder when you’re outside of the university and you have a job. The more you do, the better your overall experience with the university.” Anastas Pushkarov, class of 2015, also says that the AUBG community and extra activities were the best parts of AUBG. “It gave us the spark to try out some hobbies that turned into something we started to do professionally.” Anastas encourages students to have a go at as many things as possible to see what suits them best. Ivan Bardarov, Vessela Ivanova, Anastas Pushkarov, Snezhana Boyadzhieva, and Panayot Ivanov at the AUBG Cafe. Dasha Dolgopolova for AUBG Daily 11 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily

4 POS(T)RUTH, Debate Club, Toastmasters, Orators and Comedians Club (TTOC), and PHI Club are four of the new clubs that the Student Government recognized for the new academic year. The members of the new clubs discuss what they are promising to AUBG students, and how they are dealing with certain challenges. 12 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily by Eka Iakobadze POS(T)RUTH Kalina, a vice president of the club, said that the name POS(T)RUTH combines Political Science and the concept of presenting the truth, which is the main agenda of the club. Photo courtesy of POS[T]RUTH SOCIETY “It is a very big project in our heads, but for now we are starting small,” Kalina said. The club will be writing articles about social issues, economic analyses and historical backgrounds of different countries. “We will be focusing on everything that is not the US or the West, generally speaking,” Kalina added. PHI Club The president of the PHI Club, Suela Carkaxhija, talked about the name of the Fady, who is a member of POS(T)RUTH, said: “We want to approach this from multiple perspectives.” He further explained that the club is striving to find open-minded and diverse people, who are willing to talk about various important social issues. The club currently has 20 members. “The majority of our members are not from Bulgaria, so they are able to elaborate on how different systems work,” Kalina said. Fady and Kalina discussed how they intend to dive deeper into a wide variety of topics. “On a surface level, it may seem like we are doing JMC or POS-related activities, but we want to make this our own. We just found what other clubs were lacking and wanted to fill that void,” Kalina said. Like every other club, POS(T)RUTH has also faced some challenges. “Funding is honestly not a big issue for us,” Kalina said. “We have this massive idea that we are gradually adding up to. We are eager to find tangible ways to make this a reality. This can be challenging at times,” Kalina added. “We want to make complex things interesting,” Kalina said. She discussed the importance of talking about political and social situations in order to genuinely understand them. The club strives to go beyond AUBG too. “Our president has this amazing idea to collaborate with social activism in Blagoevgrad and around the country. We want to visit high schools, hold presentations and workshops,” Kalina said. Kalina thinks that young people should be educated and informed about the importance of voting, political issues, and their consequences. Debate Club Ani Kovacheva, the president of the Debate Club, is a freshman from Bulgaria. She has been in competitive debating for about two years now. “The main objective of the Debate Club is to gather people who are enthusiastic about debating, about improving their skills and learning more,” Ani said. club. “We chose the name with a powerful connotation. It means to obtain balance, to have the golden ratio between things.” Suela said that the club aims to promote having the balance between having fun activities on campus and studying. Photo courtesy of Ani Kovacheva She said that debating is a very educational activity, which gives you opportunities to expand your horizon in a very engaging way. Gabriela Stefanova, who is the vice-president of the club, said, “We are planning to organize three events in the following semester: AUBG insider – a competition which will be open to everyone at AUBG to participate in; then we want to organize AUBG Debate Open which is an international competition online; and debate academy for AUBG students as well as high school students who are interested in debating.” “We want to hold some workshops on topics such as public speaking and generally, how to present better,” Gabriela added. The members of the club said they were impressed with the freshmen: “We owe a lot to new students. We have a great team, great people,” Gabriela said. When the Debate Club first applied for the club recognition, they had an initial list of 26 people, but after the first open meeting, more than 30 students showed interest. “Currently, we are holding an application process for people we have not managed to reach until now,” Gabriela added. Anton Perederii, the treasurer of the Debate Club, talked about the difficulties that the club faces. “We have to think about finding sponsors, managing and rationing the budget, which is pretty limited.” “First we need the reputation and then we will hopefully get more funding and support,” he added. “Competitive, engaging, and open” - Ani, Gabriella and Anton describe the Debate Club in these three adjectives. Photo courtesy of PHI Club “Our main objective is to build a network and create friendly and open discussions,” she said. PHI Club is planning to be active this semester. “We are planning to do three ‘CofPHIs’, an event where any AUBG student or faculty member can participate and share their opinions,” Suela said. Each ‘CofPHI’ event will have a specific topic and the attendants will be able to have interesting and thought-provoking discussions. At the moment, the club has 16 members. Suela said that reaching students has been tricky. “We are aware that there are many students who have yet to find out about our club, so we are actively working on building a connection with the audience.” Yet, Suela is optimistic about the future of the club. “I see more people knowing about us and more people willing to speak about social issues.” Suela described the members of the club as diverse and the club itself as ‘critical and friendly.’ 13 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily

Owl-Quiz 1. Where do you meet with your friends? a) In Under, Goa, the Face, Val b) In the library c) In The Hungry Griffin Cafe d) In your room 2. You hear someone calling for help: What do you do? a) Call Daskalov b) Look for the RAs c) Help them d) Pretend you do not hear anything 3.What brings you the most joy? a) The AUBG parties b) The Movie nights c) The Xaia hiking trips d) Lectures with favorite professors 4. What scares you the most? a) That I will not have time to hang out with my friends b) Poor grades c) Bad roommates d) The dogs on campus 5. You are falling in love. What do you do? a) Ask them to go to disco parties together b) Do everything you can to show your love c) Ask them to go out d) Play it cool 6. Your parents call and say they are coming to visit. What do you do? a) Tell your parents to bring you food b) Clean up the room c) Ask them if they can stay forever d) You don’t pick up; you never answer the phone 7. You have a tough exam coming up. What’s your approach? a) You cram the night before b) Go to your favorite study spot c) Make a group and study together d) Work alone in your room 8. From where do you get the campus news? a) Social media b) AUBG Compass c) AUBG Daily d) Gossip 14 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily If you have more A) answers, you are a night owl. You enjoy partying and you have visited way too many times Daskalov. If you have more B) answers, you are a persistent owl. You are hard-working and want to perform best in both AUBG and life. If you have more C) answers, you are a social owl. You like being surrounded by friends and cannot stand being in bad company. If you have more D) answers, you are an observer owl. You do not share much but keep it to yourself. Presidents Editor-inChief Producer Head of Marketing Head of Sponsorhip Layout Design by Kristiana Krasteva Cover/ Illustration by Dulamsuren Amarsanaa 15 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily Editors Sponsorship Marketing Reporters

Dear readers, Yet another semester filled with hard work, hardships, and excitement has passed during our stay at AUBG. I am more than delighted with the immense growth of the AUBG Daily team during this semester, with the number of members nearly doubling compared to last year. I am offering my never-ending thanks to my team of brave reporters and witty editors, the creative marketing team, and the savvy sponsorship team, for without them, this issue wouldn’t have been possible. Your passion, diligence, and curiosity never ceased to inspire. But that was all for you, dear readers. You, the AUBG community, were the ones who asked, the ones who searched, the ones who strived to be better and never disappointed. It has been our duty and an honor to discover the unknown, report the truth, and inform our community about the topics of importance we all express interest in. In this newspaper, we hope to have provided you with an objective and truthful recap of the unforgettable Fall 2022 semester. Be curious, stay informed, and enjoy the read! Yours sincerely, Bianca Deyanova, Editor-in-Chief 16 Fall 2022 | AUBG Daily Subscribe to our newsletter here:

AUBG 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.

B 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. By 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

“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.” We 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

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10 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 Daily’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

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. She 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

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!

AUBG DAILY FALL 2021 OWL THE NEWS Vol. 3, Issue 1 Mental Health at AUBG By Ilina Stoyanova Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic many people have started experiencing mental health issues. It seems that we cannot catch a break. The Fall 2021 semester at AUBG was supposed to be the beginning of the return to normalcy. And in a sense it was. Lectures could be attended onground and students clubs could hold their events in-person, albeit with the requirement of a green certificate. Students should have felt the spirit of AUBG once again, but this was not the case. For many, this has been the toughest semester they have ever had to endure. Still, some of the mental health concerns among students date back even before the pandemic started. Sabina Wien, the Dean of Students, said that AUBG can always do better in its promotion of mental health. She believes that students should voice their concerns if they are not happy with something - if they do not speak up it will lead to more mental health issues. While some students have acknowledged the efforts of the Psychology club in relation to raising awareness about mental health, they think that the university as an institution is not doing enough. Here is what some of them had to say (responses are kept anonymous per students’ wishes). “I honestly found out that there is a psychologist this semester. There is a wide room for improvement. I do not feel as if AUBG is truly supporting my positive mental state.” Another student added “I don’t think the university is doing anything to promote mental health. I’ve never seen a campaign, or informational posters or any piece of information about how students can deal with mental health.” Rayna Tuzlukova-Vetsova is the only psychologist of the university, which is not enough for an institution the size of AUBG. Before the pandemic, there were peer counselors who helped out. Both Dean Wien and Prof. Harvey, Assistant Professor of Psychology at AUBG, mentioned them, noting that they were trained to talk to undergraduates. Some students are not sure whether the psychologist can help them if they are in need of professional help. “I know that there is a psychologist, who I believe is a good person but I honestly do not know how helpful she is. I had professional encounters with her but they have not given me the confidence that she can handle me if I go there with my struggles.” The psychologist herself, Tuzlukova-Vetsova, declined to be interviewed. Dean Wien feels that in many cases students do not know that they need to talk to a counselor. She noted that many have started crying while talking to her. She believes that crying is helpful. “It is ok to be crying, it is ok to say I need help. In some countries, people show off that they have a personal counselor,” she said. Both Dean Wien and Prof. Harvey have noticed a change in the behavior of students. Dean Wien believes that everyone has changed as this is a stressful situation, from which there is no escape. Prof. Harvey agreed and added that it is also the end of the semester and the beginning of winter. He noted that he is more worried than he usually is as these are unprecedented times. “At this point of the semester students are always stressed out and there are some who you can tell are doing ok, get their assignments in on time. Then there are others who have not turned in assignments. Those are the ones I worry about. And I do see more of that this semester,” he said. “Students seem to be much more tired, much less motivated, especially at this time of the year than they have been in the past. You know, they just seem weird, but I also see them working hard to keep up their energy levels,” he added. This semester has been really tough. This is felt not only by the students, but also by the administration and faculty. Everyone is getting tired of the pandemic as it has affected

every sphere of life. The community also lost one of its own. Dean Wien knew more about the case and had a hard time dealing with it. She stated that the university wanted to spare students the information since the administration realized that students were more sensitive this semester. The loss of a fellow AUBG student was also hard to accept for many others. “I remember feeling like…for such a long time, thinking how it could have easily been a person I know, since I’ve heard people I know contemplating doing what our colleague did,” a student commented. Prof. Harvey admitted that he is as stressed as everybody else because he has too much to do. He is trying to maintain good mental health and believes that other professors are available to talk. Some of the interviewed students agree with this claim and said that they are satisfied with most of their professors. However, a big part of the student body does not feel this way. They thought that the semester would have been the ‘back to normal’ one. Students believe that they are unable to function normally because of two things – the pandemic and the restrictions which go with it and online education. “I know many people who feel socially anxious, overwhelmed with all the changes and unfortunately, struggling with their mental health. And so am I. I have started panicking before delivering a presentation, no matter online or on ground. I have lost the joy of being in this community and I am fighting every day to get my old self back,” a student said. Others share a similar view. “This semester has made me angrier than I usually am. I am still trying to figure out for myself why this emotion is overtaking me and how to deal with it. I absolutely regret taking two out of the five courses I am taking. I have always managed to find something good in courses and professors but these two I absolutely can’t bear,” another student added. “It is extremely discouraging to see that your beginner level course is expecting proficiency and the professor is not giving you enough motivation or resources to improve.” Some students even feel that professors do not care that much about them and believe that professors should have organized this semester in a different way, without putting such a burden on undergraduates. Students think that their workload has been excessive and have complained of being extremely tired. “Now that we’re online they overwork us to the point of exhaustion, simply because we supposedly have so much free time that it would be best to spend it doing meaningless work and assignments. I am so burned out I can hardly find the motivation to finish my assignments.” Others feel stressed out by the fact that they have to be with their camera on in classes all the time. They have also not been comfortable with all the regulations regarding eagles, lions and the green pass certificate, which was introduced during the course of the semester. “This semester has been the most stressful one, not only for me, but also for my friends. These non-stop changes and expectations that we had to cover really drove me crazy. I am crying, I am losing my desire to talk to people, I am tired, I can’t take it anymore,” a student said. Every person has a different way of taking care of their mental health. The interviewed people all gave some suggestions. “Talk to people that you don’t usually talk to. Talk to experts. Talk, talk, talk. Keep talking. Get advice. Get help. Scream if you have to,” Dean Wien said. Prof. Harvey believes that going to a counselor is not the only choice. “Try doing the following: learn meditation techniques, exercise, give yourself mental health break days or break times. Talk with friends about stressors in your life and laugh about them,” he said. 2 Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily Students also shared their ways of coping. Some take care of their physical body by running, dancing, and going to the gym. Others read books and take study breaks where they go for a walk or talk to their friends. Other methods include meditating, crystal work, and time spent in nature away from technology. “I try to take time for myself and continue doing what I love to do despite all that I have to do for the university. I have decided that I am ready to sacrifice my GPA in order to preserve my mental health,” a student declared. Students gave their suggestions on how the university can improve the overall mental health situation on campus. They all agreed that there need to be more psychologists available. Another way of promoting mental health is by launching a campaign with informational posters. The university can also invite guest speakers to show methods of dealing with stress. Furthermore, there could be some kind of initiative where faculty members and students exchange positions for a week. The last idea presented by students is to have activities on campus that allow people to relax and gather as a community more often. This could include meditation classes and yoga once a week at the sports hall. Dean Wien said that the university will do more and try to improve the counseling services by making them better known for students. AUBG will look for help not only from the Marketing office, but from students as well. She acknowledges that the offerings have to be diversified and students should have more available resources. It remains to be seen whether the university will, in fact, respond to its students’ concerns. “Cappuccino and cinnamon. Simple as that. Doesn’t take much of your time and you can have it daily. The people who know me will tell you that I have this every day as my afternoon “booze”. I have turned the habit of drinking cappuccino with cinnamon into a ritual even when I am studying for a course because I am truly enjoying myself. When the stress is on a higher level, I recommend wine, though.” - Iva Valova, Senior “I like to put on my headphones, listen to music and mind my own business. I just turn off the world around me and chill.” - Yoanna Kostakieva, Senior “Sleep, do musicals, order food and thriftshop.” - Hayley Ngoc Mai, Senior “I started working out a couple of weeks ago and it really helps me get the physical tension out. When it comes to mental stress, having a good laugh with friends is what keeps me sane.” - Maria Fylyppova, Junior “I just like to lay down, literally that is my way of coping with stress.” - Dimitar Palazov, Senior “I go for walks, gather with friends for a drink or just a chat.” - Georgi Georgiev, Senior “I de-stress by listening to music, taking Emiliyana Kancheva for Fine Acts long,hot showers, declutter my stuff, put my lights on, pop the kettle on for a cuppa and watch a nice romantic movie. With that being said, choosing a movie that I know I will enjoy stresses me out as well, so I usually opt for a documentary or YouTube video.” - Aleksandra Boneva, Sophomore “Music and video games really help me. Also going for walks.” - Stefan Genev, Senior Leonardo Souza for Fine Acts “The way I de-stress from all the pressure in life, in university, in work, and in my personal life too is by taking the time for myself to reflect on what has happened to me during the day or the week, maybe even during the month. I apply some breathing Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily 3 whenever I manage to fit it in my schedule, or just the unhealthy habit of a late night beer with my friends.” - Radoslav Naydenov, Senior “When I’m stressed I usually feel the need to do something with my hands. I sew, draw, write, or do something after which I can see the final product (even if it’s ugly). Going for a walk, exercising, or reading a good book are also helpful sometimes.” - Radina Damyanova, Circulation/Reserve Librarian walks, spending time with friends, watching shows and spending time on TikTok.” - Niko Long, Sophomore “Eat a lot. Go for a walk sometimes. Facetime my family and my friends. Go to the front desk and just annoy whoever is on duty. Sometimes cooking. Visit the Admissions office and have a coffee. Talk with the guards.” - Ayah Besaiso, Senior “Self-care is my go-to. I love to take techniques. I make sure to have my peace of mind by working out, dancing, talking to my friends, and releasing all of the negative energy that has been going on for a while. I just try to take this little bit of time everyday no matter how stressful things are at the moment.” - Lilia Tsarska, Senior “Watch a series or a movie. Also, singing, dancing and music.” - Maria Terzieva, Sophomore “I would always go for a workout,

By Ethan Perelstein By the time the UK had gone under total lockdown on March 26, 2020, Arrowe Park hospital in Wirral had a full COVID-19 unit with no beds to spare, with patients dying of COVID-19 regularly. Healthcare workers were physically and mentally exhausted. Many Britons, who were at home and had no exposure to the crisis, were not aware that the war was being waged in the hospitals. Roselynn Campbell, however, did know. She worked at home, but her flatmate was a nurse in the COVID ward at Arrowe Park. “She would come home every day crying because her patients would be dying,” Roselynn said. “I had a cushy job. I’d sit at home and work in the kitchen while she would be at work doing twelve-hour shifts, exhausted with her face bruised.” These face bruises became common amongst healthcare workers who had to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and safety glasses for long shifts. By May, Roselynn had been seeing the toll that the epidemic was taking on the country. She had lost her brother to COVID-19. Then, when Roselynn got an offer to partake in the early trial stages for AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine, she took it. “It was kind of a non-brainer. I had seen firsthand the death,” she said. Roselynn had many great reasons to want to participate in the trial, but not all of them were personal. Roselynn at her office. Ethan Perelstein for AUBG Daily. “There was a lot of a national effort, a bit like the war in the UK. Everyone was helping everyone, volunteering. ‘Stay at home, protect the NHS’ (National Health Service) was the motto.” The COVID-19 crisis was the single greatest threat to the UK since World War II and Roselynn felt the same patriotic duty to help that Britain was famous for during the war. She was one of the first people to receive the AstraZeneca vaccine. She also had to travel and give blood regularly for the study. Often she had to have her blood drawn by her housemate because there were no appointments at the hospital. When she came to Bulgaria to teach at the English Language Institute (ELI) at AUBG, she had to get one of the Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines approved by the state in order to teach. Roselynn had two Moderna COVID-19 (mRNA-1273) vaccine doses in October 2021. With five vaccinations and first hand exposure to the gravity of the pandemic situation, Roselynn is a strong advocate for the vaccine in a country whose people are highly reluctant to get it. “Just do it,” she said. “Even if it doesn’t save your life, it could save the people around you. There are some people who can’t be vaccinated, so getting vaccinated can help protect them as well.” Roselynn assures her students and her coworkers that getting the vaccine is safe. She has had two different shots five times since the beginning of the pandemic. “I am still standing,” she said. “I would rather feel ill for a few days than be one of the patients in my housemate’s hospital beds.” “As immune as she is, Roselynn has no fear licking the windows of her office at ELI.” Ethan Perelstein for AUBG Daily. 4 Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily 5

“Sofia in My Eyes” from “In My Eyes” short story collection by Dulamsuren Amarsanaa Sofia in green. Sofia in white. Uncommonly beautiful on their own. Racing heartbeats of July, now sounds melancholic in the spooky corner of December. Yet, in my mind Sofia stuck in its warm red color, evoking the feeling of serenity and liveliness. I remember this was the middle of October. Another sudden decision of mine brought me to Sofia. No wallet, no purse. Only twenty levs in my pocket, which was not more than purchasing a bus ticket. And of course, a camera in my hand. What else is needed for this random trip? I was heading somewhere I didn’t know. I was looking for people, for those eyes that carried a secret that I wanted to know. The camera in my hand witnessed these ephemeral moments. One click, and a story was built. I heard someone shout at me from my right side “Hey, hey!” I turned back and saw a boy sitting on the bench waving at me. “Take my picture!” the boy said and posed for the camera. While I was walking along the square in front of the National Palace of Culture, I realized that I haven’t been in a place with this many carefree faces at once. They were absorbed by one common thing. It was autumn. It was the warmth visiting the golden hour; the falling red leaves giving away their lives for the new ones, the old air travelling slowly through the street. *** Martin points at the camera. Oct. 19, 2021. NDK, Sofia One of the most beautiful aspects of photographing is that I get to see a small glimpse of someone’s life, of who they are. People are the same at any time, but different all the time depending on the thoughts and intentions they carry. First, I observe, then I imagine their lives, who they might be, what they have gone through. Endless colors of imagination fill my mind, but I don’t know what their minds are dancing to. A lady finds the best place to relax under the sun of the golden hour. Oct. 19, 2021. NDK, Sofia. 6 Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily I saw these old people sitting modestly on the bench. An old man looked nervous trying to talk to someone on the phone, while his wife (presumably) was talking to him at the same time. Moving to the right, the grandma in brown was full of suspicion of me. She noticed that my camera was towards them and said something to her friend on her left in a green jacket. However, her friend did not reply to her. Instead, she was keeping her eye on me. It was not me this time but somebody else was the one who observed. My camera was brave, so I captured it. Elders chatting to each other and sitting on a long bench. Oct. 19, 2021. NDK, Sofia. An old and young couple sitting next to each other. Oct.19, 2021. NDK, Sofia. Another story, different eyes staring at me What can you tell from these eyes that he owns, from the wrinkled skin that he wears? The sorrow that he hides, the pain that he feels is all him. The love that he admires, the dreams that he believes in is him. Something rebellious, something deep about this sight. Yordan Voshtinarov, a man who loved to experiment by putting together the landscape of two different places. His favorite mix was Japanese and Bulgarian nature. He knew a lot, more than I could imagine. He has never been to the places he draws but he believes he will visit them one day. Until then he will be relentlessly creating his own version of these places. A girl sitting alone under the sunlight in the background of two old ladies walking on the square. Oct. 19, 2021. NDK, Sofia. An old man, Yordan Voshtinarov, stands in front of his paintings and looks straight at the camera. Oct. 19, 2021. NDK, Sofia. The photos of these people become even more meaningful after the small conversations we have. I believe that I intertwine my own life with others at least for a moment. Luckily, I have been rewarded for capturing a part of their personality that was revealed to me. This kind of autumn day in Sofia, now seems to disappear until next year. Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily 7

By Tsvetina Georgieva The COVID-19 pandemic has changed people’s lives in almost every possible aspect. While it brought some benefits to the economic market, it presented a significant number of challenges to other sectors. The changes had an impact on the healthcare system, the governance of different countries, and their social policies. The educational system and career opportunities are no exceptions to this trend. Both faced some serious challenges, although there may also be a positive insight to the whole pandemic situation. For the last two years, students in Bulgaria have been bouncing between going to school and studying online. They have experienced a number of challenges during their online education like Internet issues, headaches, and the lost emotional connection to their peers and teachers. “COVID-19 made children’s lives sad,” said Boryana Shalyavska, Director of Admissions at AUBG. “It created the impossibility of meeting people face to face and making warm connections with them. Students are constantly in front of their screens and thus lose the real connection with other human beings.” The pandemic not only prevented people from having normal human relations but also affected the students’ motivation to study. Being at home, teenagers quickly lose attention and do not study the same way as in the classrooms. They do not have direct contact with their teachers undermine the importance of participation in online classes. “Many students participate in classes and other initiatives but are not active because everything happens online. The level of engagement is lower, and students are not as active as before,” Shalyavska said. Because everything happens at the click of a mouse, the application process to university has become easier. “It has become easier for the students to apply as everything happens online. From last year on, the application for financial support was also made online,” Shalyavska said. Prospective AUBG students can even receive free access to a Duolingo English Test. The opportunity to go to Blagoevgrad and take a free TOEFL exam has now turned into a free 8 Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily Duolingo test. “It is easier as it is entirely online. It allows people to attend it from everywhere if they have Internet access, a camera, and a microphone. This permits us not to organize an on-ground event during the pandemic. What is more, between 18 and 25 percent of the students who enroll at AUBG have taken the Duolingo test,” Shalyavska said. The easing of the application process has resulted in a gradual growth of the number of applicants admitted to AUBG, as the Institutional Research Resources suggests. It gives regular reports on data collection and statistics, as well as special reports on numerous ongoing information requests. They also conduct various surveys for the university’s needs in assessment and planning. The Institutional Research Resources used to be a separate office but now, Evelina Terzieva, Education Technology and Integration Coordinator at AUBG, executes its tasks. “I stepped into the role of Institutional Research in addition to my regular duties in the e-learn office in Spring 2020. Shortly afterward, in early March 2020, we were forced to shift online because of COVID-19. My priority was to facilitate the smooth transition to online learning. Since then, I have been dealing with supporting e-learning during the time of COVID,” Terzieva said. and usually According to the Institutional Research, last year, AUBG admitted 85% of applicants, four percent more than in the 2018-2019 academic year. The admission rate has risen, but the enrollment rate has significantly fallen by 15% in the last two years. “This year, we have admitted 286 girls and 251 boys. Nevertheless, we have 132 girls and 108 boys enrolled,” Shalyavska said. Neither the drop in the enrollment rate nor the pandemic had bad consequences for the career opportunities an AUBG alumnus receives. “The type of education AUBG provides makes students very competitive in the labor market in general,” said Rumyana Hristova, the AUBG Career Center Coordinator. “The number of career opportunities did not decrease in the fields our students graduate in.” The 2018-2019 Institutional Research Resources defines Information Technology (IT) literacy as well as abilities to work in a multicultural environment and to learn from mistakes as the most important skills an AUBG graduate should have to find a better job. Since the labor force has moved to the online sphere, the skills to work in a multicultural environment do not weigh the same as two years ago. Working online, however, requires young people to have other skills in order to do their jobs properly. “The most important skill is the academic knowledge a student gains at AUBG. Of course, together with some essential personal skills like good time management, effective communication skills, ability to work in a team, some essential technical skills will be a strong advantage,” Hristova said. COVID-19 may have changed and hindered the interpersonal connections, but it has created an easier and faster way of applying for a job without adding other requirements. “The pandemic did not have a negative influence on the job requirements. It actually offered more flexibility in terms of a fixed location,” Hristova said. Candidates do not have to go to a certain place to have their interviews. Similar to how prospective AUBG students can take the English test at any location of their preference, job applicants can sit in their sofas at home and still get the chance to speak to their future employers. “I believe that the pandemic brainstormed new ideas of operation in different areas which in the long-term can be considered as new opportunities which will stay for good,” Hristova said. Milena Simeonova for Fine Acts. freedom to be themselves and express themselves in so many ways.” -Lilia Tsarska, Senior “My small theatre community which I really love and appreciate.” -Dimitar Palazov, Senior “My friends. These are people who are trustworthy, responsible and kind. I believe that AUBG attracts a certain type of open-minded, highly motivated and driven people who I know will be successful in life, no matter what they decide to do in the future. After all, the secret ingredient of the university is the people that represent it and all the students who graduate and leave a trace later on.” -Iva Valova, Senior “I think as cliche as it sounds, it’s the community and the people. However, you never really understand it’s value and definition until you’ve lived and experienced it for 4 years. In addition, it’s also the place, the maintenance guys blowing the leaves under my window at 9am, the cleaning ladies talking on the phone with their grandchildren in front of my room, the loud nights of skapto, the thrill of going to tell people to keep it down after quite hours, and of course the excitement before every club event. This is AUBG at its core.” -Ayah Besaiso, Senior “For me AUBG is another world, where “The everything is possible if you are active throughout the years and constantly seeking to improve. It is about being different and not being ashamed of that.” -Yoanna Kostakieva, Senior “For me AUBG is the Bulgaria I want to live in - it gives me hope for the future being surrounded by motivated and ambitious individuals each on different journeys.” -Aleksandra Boneva, Sophomore “The social and active people.” -Hayley Ngoc Mai, Senior “The community is what defines AUBG. Professors knowing you personally and addressing you by name, friends from various standings and countries, and friendly staff make AUBG a special place.” -Maria Fylyppova, Junior “The wide range of diversity, in a sense that people with so many different interests come to this place, joined all together, and somehow they find their strength and weaknesses and help each other, and at the same time they have the whole community, the whole environment that is here. You feel like you are surrounded by friendly people, and people who want you to succeed.” -Georgi Georgiev, Senior “To me, AUBG is all about diversity and the alliance of people of different backgrounds and nationalities.” -Niko Long, Sophomore “AUBG used to be the community and the clubs, the movement inside of the campus, but even though I’m still here, I can mostly relate it to memories. It just does not feel the same. The pandemic washed quite a bit of it away.” -Radoslav Naydenov, Senior “Clarity, peace of mind.” -Maria Terzieva, Sophomore “AUBG is the place where I can do the job I love. AUBG is the people. AUBG is this friendly, inspiring, lively atmosphere.” -Radina Damyanova, Circulation/Reserve Librarian Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily 9

“It touches a lot on sexuality and different aspects of what a traditional relationship should be like. The two main characters are in a very weird open relationship, and I try to put more emphasis on these things, I try to convey that the things we are showing are ok and normal,” Boris says. By Alexander Stamatov Nearly two years have passed since the COVID-19 outbreak started, and in those two years, the Broadway Performance Club (BPC) has not been able to perform musicals. In the 2021/2022 academic year, BPC has planned to break the two-year streak of no performances with the musical Cabaret, directed by Boris Dechev, a senior student at AUBG. There is no specific date yet, but it is expected to premiere at the end of March/ beginning of April, 2022. The music for Cabaret was written by John Kander, the lyrics by Fred Ebb, and the book by Joe Masteroff in 1966. It was adapted from the “I Am a Camera” play by John Van Druten. The story is set in the 1930s in Berlin, Germany, as the Nazi rise into power. The action takes place in the Kit Kat nightclub. As a period of change in a social, political and cultural way, the musical shows how people turn to the underground nightlife as an escape, which usually involved much prostitution. “It is specifically about how we as people, sometimes instead of confronting the issue at hand, doing something about it, and fighting for what is right and what is meaningful for us. We instead do not do anything and ignore the problem because we think it is going to solve itself, but in the end, it does not,” Boris says. that the time is perfect for a musical such as the Cabaret to hit the stage because of its social message and meaningfulness. “I think it is a great statement, especially in these difficult times where we are struggling with something big like the pandemic, which is causing political and social instability, and it is similar within the musical. There is this thing that musicals are usually seen as this fun, dancing, singing, and party mood, but there are a lot of musicals which have that great balance between the fun stuff and have sad, meaningful messages, and this is such a musical,” Boris says. One of the struggles they faced during the auditions was to find male actors and singers, but they were surprised by the general interest in the musical. “The musical has been sort of inactive for the past two years because of COVID, and we did not have huge expectations. We thought that people would not be as excited about the musical anymore, but when we started, we saw so many people hyped about the entire process,” Boris shares. In the end, they gathered a full cast of people and started the rehearsals. All the directors gather for meetings to discuss what impression they want the musical to ultimately give to people. Still, Boris leaves room for the actors’ creativity: Elizabeth Ivanova as Sally. Prolet Boneva for AUBG Daily. whatever she wants to, and she also has this very interesting self-defense mechanism where she traps herself in a little bubble of happiness which helps her to evade reality,” Elizabeth says. As a person who has never worked in a nightclub, it is hard for Elizabeth to portray someone who does. That is in terms of the way Sally carries herself, the body language and all the sexuality that she conveys. Still, Elizabeth has found similarities with Sally regarding her emotional experiences. She can deeply relate to what Sally is going through and her goal to achieve happiness with her partner, which is something that she never manages to do in the musical. Boris not only directs the musical, but will also be on stage portraying the role of Emcee. The character of Emcee has only music numbers in the performance. Even though he is not part of the acting scenes, his presence on the stage is very powerful. The two most famous characters in Cabaret are Sally Bowles and Emcee. Elizabeth Ivanova, a junior student at AUBG, will portray Sally, the leading female role, in the upcoming musical. Sally is one of her favorite characters in the whole musical. “She is very fiery, she is everywhere, she does A Broadway Performance Club rehearsal. Prolet Boneva for AUBG Daily. BPC’s choice for a musical is a complex and challenging process that takes place during the summer before the academic year. Some aspects that influence the decision are whether the musical has an interesting plot and is easy to advertise, as well as whether it has the opportunity for dances. At the end of the summer, they were left with a couple of options, but Cabaret seemed to strike a perfect balance between all the important elements. Not only that, but BPC also thinks 10 Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily “I ask actors to do it as they feel it, and then I see how things look and try to adjust things so that it fits with the idea that we have already.” Boris loves the part of the work process when an actor or director gives something of his own to the piece. As a musical written in the 1960s, Boris says that it can feel a little bit outdated, so he tries to give something of himself to the musical to modernize it. Boris Dechev in character. Prolet Boneva for AUBG Daily. “He is probably the most scandalous figure in the whole musical, the most provocative because he has sexual interactions with literally everybody on stage. He also wears quite interesting outfits. If we have to interpret his role and place in the musical, he is used to portraying the ugliness and mock the terrible things that the Nazis bring. Also, to convey the social and political message through mockery, fun, jokes, and entertainment,” Boris says. He thinks that there are more similarities than differences character. between him and his “I also like to think of myself as a provocative person that tries to change something in people’s mentality and how they think about things that are stigmatized, through provocativeness and showing them explicitly and graphically, and talking about them directly to the person’s face. That is what Emcee does, but in a much more entertaining way through song and dance,” he shares. “A horror movie. You never know what assignment is waiting for you behind the corner and which professor you will see when you look behind yourself. The same refers to Zoom lecturers as well. We have no idea what is going on behind the scenes. And every horror movie ends with “To be continued…” scenario or an open ending. Just like AUBG never says “goodbye” to its alumni and they keep on coming back on occasion.” - Iva Valova, Senior “Brooklyn 99. It’s a comedy show, I’m the police, and you learn something new everyday and there is always and constantly something “Considering everything around AUBG - fun moments with friends, partying, finals, deadlines, etc., I would say “Squid Game” because we are all trying to survive here and have fun at the same time.” -Yoanna Kostakieva, Senior “Modern Family because at the end of every episode (semester) we have learned and grown some more and we can’t recognise the freshman versions of ourselves.” -Aleksandra Boneva, Sophomore “Friends. I feel like we’re all just young adults trying to figure things out and get ahead and be there for each other on the way.” -Hayley Ngoc Mai, Senior “Inception because I’m asleep half the time. Or Tenet cause I don’t have enough time to do stuff.” -Stefan Genev, Senior “We would be in Interstellar - only hope for a better future keeps us moving.” -Maria Fylyppova, Junior “I suppose, it may sound very cliche, but it would be like a teenage drama or a highschool drama where people go to university and they “AUBG would be The Breakfast Club because The Breakfast Club is about a group of different teenagers who come together in school and AUBG is about people of different nationalities and backgrounds coming together. ‘ -Niko Long, Sophomore “Trying to stay apart from my car guy mentality, I would say the Fast and the Furious 8. Why? It was a big hit, expectations were high, the family part is already washed away, the sequels seem to be falling in numbers.” -Radoslav Naydenov, Senior “Not a movie but I feel “The Great” (series) suits it. It’s quirky, full of profanities and sex jokes but also weirdly weird. Plus, it describes Slavs.” -Maria Terzieva, Sophomore “Since my day one here I somehow feel the resemblance with the Harry Potter books/ series. I know it may sound trivial, but especially at the library or just during the fall season you can definitely sense that vibe.” -Radina Damyanova, Circulation/Reserve Librarian have their love affairs, so, some rom-com. If not I would say some futuristic or maybe sci-fi movie even because we are very different from the rest of Bulgaria’s universities.” -Lilia Tsarska, Senior “If it were a TV show I would say that it would be Grand Army , it is on Netflix, you can watch it guys it is an amazing and really underrated show.” going on. It’s never boring here, unless it’s spring semester 2020 during the first lockdown.” -Ayah Besaiso, Senior -Dimitar Palazov, Senior “American Horror Story” -Georgi Georgiev, Senior Fall 2021 | AUBG Daily 11

AUBG DAILY FALL 2020 OWL THE NEWS Vol. 2, Issue 1

Bulgaria – EU’s Media Black Sheep Georgi Staykov Newspapers on f re. Photograph by Georgi Staykov. ack in 2006, Bulgaria and France had something important in common. Both countries were ranked 35 in the annual Reporters Without Borders (RSF) media freedom index in a list of 169 evaluated states. Over the course of the next 14 years, Bulgaria’s free speech and free media indexes plummeted. Since 2018 Bulgaria has been in 111 place. How did the numbers change over the years? The World Press Freedom Index (WPFI) ranks the degree of freedom that journalists, news organizations, and Internet users have. It does not deal with the quality of journalism, nor does it look at human rights violations. The ranking is based on pluralism, legislative framework, media independence, environment and self-censorship, transparency, and infrastructure. It took a little over a decade for Bulgaria’s media freedom to deteriorate drastically. How did the deterioration begin? In a report from 2018, the Union of Publishers in Bulgaria points out that Delyan Peevski’s New Bulgarian Media Group (NBMG) controls around 80 percent of the distribution market for printed media, and their respective online editions. These 2 Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily numbers also include more than 1,000 kiosks in about 130 Bulgarian cities. Peevski is an important political figure in Bulgaria and also owns numerous online media outlets, including the TV channels TV7 and Kanal 3. His public appearances are rare, and he hasn’t been seen in the media since his last appearance on April 19, 2017. Peevski began building his media empire in 2007. He acquired the daily Monitor, the tabloid Telegraph, and the weekly Politika. The media outlets were facing financial predicaments and were purchased by NBMG, owned by Peevski’s mother, Irena Krasteva. According to the Union of Publishers in Bulgaria, the money came from loans from the Corporate Commercial Bank (CCB). The Union also states that initially Peevski did not act like the owner of the media outlets. It was not until 2014, when he addressed the newspapers as his own and his mother gave him 50 percent of the ownership. Over the next couple of years, Peevski continued buying out media outlets, including the National Distribution Agency. In 2009, Peevski became a member of parliament as part of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms’ (MRF) list. Four years later, in 2013, the National Assembly elected him for the head of the State Agency for National Security (SANS). This appointment led to protests across the country that lasted more than 400 days. How does the media business model work in Bulgaria? Irina Nedeva, president of the Bulgarian branch of the Association of European Journalists (AEJ), said that the reason behind the plummeting of the country in various international press freedom indexes was that 15 years ago Bulgaria was trying to meet certain democratic criteria that the EU had set. Back then Bulgaria was still trying to join the EU. During the negotiations, the measures the country took to improve the state of the media gave good results. However, after Bulgaria officially joined the union in 2007, the enthusiasm for free media started fading away. “The situation with the media gradually started deteriorating because by old customs and inertia from previous time periods, Bulgarian media outlets were being used as a tool in political disputes. The political disputes turned into economic battles. All this culminated in what we today, unfortunately, define as numerous successful attempts to control a huge chunk of the media in Bulgaria. Many private media outlets are owned by conglomerates consisting of people holding state positions and people owning private businesses. The media’s role is no longer what it is supposed to be. Those people use the media outlets as Photographs by Vasil Germanov for Fine Acts. tools of oppression,” Nedeva said. From 2010 to 2013 foreign investors began leaving the Bulgarian media market. In 2010, the German Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) exited the market by selling the largest publishing group in Bulgaria, including 24 Chasa and Trud. More sales followed, including newspapers, radio stations, and magazines—and the sale of the two biggest private nationwide television channels—bTV and Nova TV. The withdrawal of foreign investors from the media market in Bulgaria signaled danger for media freedom. It also allowed political figures to acquire ownership of media outlets and use them as tools to influence the public opinion, oppress political pursue private agendas. How did Bulgaria become the black sheep of the EU? The smeared borders between what is ethical and unethical when it comes to media ownership, political influence, private economic interest, and government corruption have resulted in terrible conditions for exercising free journalism in Bulgaria. In its latest report on Bulgaria’s progress under the Cooperation and Verification Mechanism from October 2019, the European Commission raised serious concerns about these issues. The same year Transparency International ranked Bulgaria as the most corrupt country in the EU. Nelly Ognyanova, a media law expert, said in an interview for OBC Transeuropa that media ownership concentration and lack of ownership transparency are the two major obstacles to media freedom and pluralism in Bulgaria. Despite the reports, the white papers and the alarms, the overall media situation in Bulgaria does not seem to be improving. There is no clarity when it comes to how media channels are financed. Current laws do not forbid politicians to own outlets. The money from advertising is insufficient for media outlets to support themselves, and they often rely on state money. This makes enemies, and them vulnerable to games of influence and those with deep pockets. In the past 15 years, media, finances, and politics in Bulgaria have become inextricably intertwined. One of the most serious problems, according to numerous European media outlets and EU reports, is that the government continues to allocate EU funds to media outlets with zero transparency. The recipients of the funds are often encouraged to go soft on the government. There are many online media outlets, such as PIK, that are evidently pro-governmental. Additionally, oppression from judicial officers is often aimed at independent media outlets such as Bivol and the Economedia group. What does it mean to fight for media freedom? Seven years after the protests in 2013, which were sparked by Peevski’s appointment, Bulgaria is once again torn by political and public division. People are in the streets. While the reasons behind the protesting are more tightly connected to political decisions, there were several recent occasions involving police violence and intimidation towards journalists. On Sept. 2 Dimiter Kenarov, a freelance journalist whose articles have appeared in the Esquire, The Atlantic, and The International New York Times, was apprehended and allegedly kicked in the head by police officers. On the same day, police officers used force against Nikolay Doychinov, a photojournalist for Agence France-Presse. Another similar situation included members of a bTV news crew who needed medical attention after being pepper sprayed. On Sept. 14, the police summoned Martin Georgiev, a reporter from newspaper Sega, for questioning about inquiries and pictures he had sent to the Ministry of Interior in regard to police violence during the protests. He was questioned without a lawyer. The International Press Institute (IPI) condemned this form of interrogation and intimidation techniques. Аnd now what? The protests demanding transparent and democratic government are inextricably bound with the current media state of affairs. As long as democracy in Bulgaria is under siege, there will be issues in the media sector. In a recent interview on Conflict Zone, Tim Sebastian, a television journalist and novelist, asked the Bulgarian minister of labour and social policy, Denitsa Sacheva, a series of questions about the government’s performance, recent decisions, and policies. Many of the questions remained unanswered. Those that were answered by Sacheva were in stark contrast with what Dunja Mijatović, the current Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, said in her statement on Sept. 3. Mijatović called on the Bulgarian government to react promptly and pay close attention to incidents of hate speech, including those by high-level politicians; threats and violations of the human rights of children, women, and LGBTI people. She also asked the authorities to enhance the legal protection against discrimination, hate crimes, and to thoroughly investigate and prosecute such crimes. She also asked for the improvement of journalists’ professional protection and working conditions. In addition, the justice committee of the European Parliament issued a resolution regarding Bulgaria’s rule-of-law failings. WHEN? The resolution marked a shift in the EU’s tone toward Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. This time, Borisov, his ruling party GERB, and abuses of EU funds were directly challenged. Thirty five MEPs from the Civil Liberties and Justice Committee (LIBE) approved the resolution. “Tax payers money is used for the enrichment of circles associated with the ruling party,” the resolution stated. This resolution is not legally binding but is one of the first political moves that exert pressure on the EU to take a closer look at how its funds are allocated. “Mapping corruption shows clearly that member states with structural deficiencies on rule of law are those most prone to resort to corrupt practices when managing EU budget and funds,” Juan Fernando López Aguilar, the LIBE Committee chairman, said in a statement after the resolution has been voted. “That has to come to an end.” Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily 3

Teaching During the Coronavirus Pandemic Simona simeonova share it with students. In all of my classes, I’ve done this at least once—recording a lecture at home, then uploading it to Canvas. This is a timesaving bonus as it allows me to deliver a lecture that students can watch at their leisure.” It is a priority of AUBG professors that Classroom in Balkanski Academic Center (BAC). Photo courtesy of Angelina Kuznetsova. ne year ago, people’s lives changed drastically. No one was prepared for the arrival of the coronavirus and its consequences. COVID-19 has affected not only our physical but our mental health. Among the many challenges that the crisis brought was the sudden switch to online education. The American University in Bulgaria (AUBG) was no different. At the beginning of the spring 2020 semester, on Mar. 13, AUBG had to go fully online due to the health risks the coronavirus posed. As the fall 2020 semester approached, the university allowed students to decide whether to start their education online or on-ground with some lectures being online. Throughout the whole semester, faculty, staff, and students have been making great efforts to continue working at the same pace as before. Everyone has been demonstrating responsibility to prevent the spread of the virus. Nevertheless, the daily count of new cases in Bulgaria and the world has been increasing. On Oct. 29, AUBG had to switch to online classes once again. The learning experience has become entirely different for students ever since. They find it hard to stay motivated, focused, and active during classes. Professors at AUBG are also facing challenges concerning online teaching, keeping the students engaged, and covering all the material on time. “It is so different than being in the classroom and the hardest part is not having eye contact with the students,” says William Clark, a professor of Environmental Science and Biology at AUBG. One of the greatest difficulties many professors are facing is the lack of face-to-face contact with the students. In the 4 Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily virtual world, the professors are not always aware of whether the students are present or paying attention in the class. Professor Clark says he has decreased the amount of content and changed the exams which he usually gives to students. “The grading has become a little more flexible. I have been realizing that students are going to have a harder time submitting everything on time, and attendance is going to be a little more difficult,” he says. As it turns out, students are not the only ones who are learning. “I am figuring it out as I am going,” says Michael Cohen, a professor from the Literature and Theater department at AUBG. “Teaching is to a large degree a kind of performance in the sense that you have to engage the students, you should have that kind of energy. So I am performing to the students in class but at the same time trying to keep the students active while they are on camera.” Professor Cohen says that he was inspired to become a teacher because the profession is dynamic. Even though online teaching is more mechanical, he has discovered some positive sides to it. “One advantage of Zoom is that it makes it quite simple to record a lecture directly onto my computer and then students take in as much as possible from the classes. “This is another aspect that we aim to deliver. You are not only here to learn the material, but also to get satisfaction from the class,” says Rossen Petkov, a professor from the Business Department at AUBG. Petkov shares he feels lucky because the subjects he teaches lend themselves well to the online environment. “When we have discussions in Zoom, I could still collect feedback from students. I am certainly trying my best. But when you guys are in front of us, we professors could choose and pick students and invite them to participate. It is just not the same online.” Professor Kiril Kirkov from the Journalism and Mass Communication department believes that the communication between the students is one of the major challenges of online teaching. “A major part of my teaching design is based on a direct discussion in class. It is workable, but it is not easy,” he says. The key for things to work out well is to have patience from all sides - the students and the professors. In the end, it is all about respect, collaboration, and better understanding, since everybody is adapting to the changes. “Every day our beloved people like parents, friends, relatives are getting sick. It is inevitable. It is a pandemic out there. And this pandemic is also combined with other problems and issues everyone is experiencing all the time,” Kirkov says. “So why would we add more to that instead of trying to help each other to go through this challenging time in the best possible way?” Balkanski Academic Center (BAC), second floor. Photo courtesy of Angelina Kuznetsova. AUBG Daily’s Top 5 Fall 2020 1 2 3 This year, AUBG Griffins flipped a new chapter in the club’s history. After two years of hard work and endless documentation, the AUBG Griffins earned the right to be an official sports team - the Blagoevgrad Griffins. The club expanded their activity by becoming a not-for-profit organization, allowing them to join the new Аmerican football league in Bulgaria. Alongside other pioneering teams, the Griffins are laying the foundation of the American football culture in Bulgaria. This fall semester the first-ever online StartUP conference took place. While adhering to public health guidelines, all AUBG clubs showed creativity by organizing their events online. StartUp was no exception. An online conference was something new and unknown to them. This did not stop the team members from keeping the spirit of the annual conference, bringing together entrepreneurs and investors in front of their screens to share valuable experience with the students. The secrets behind the reporting of the 2020 U.S election have never been closer. In collaboration with the Office of Communications and Marketing at AUBG and bTV Media Group, AUBG Daily organized an online event that sparked a conversation between renowned Bulgarian journalists and AUBG students. Apart from its innovative collaboration with one of the biggest televisions in Bulgaria, AUBG Daily expanded its portfolio of events by launching the first-ever competition for creative JMC students called “Dare to Share.” The club gave the opportunity for talented students to share their works and get published on the official AUBG Daily website, in addition to an array of unique prizes. 4 5 AUBG clubs worked extra hard to keep the spirit of our community and TEDxAUBG was among the most active ones this semester. Throughout October and November, the club members organized themed weeks and collaborative events with other AUBG clubs. From study sessions, to game nights and workshops with several inspiring guest speakers, TEDxAUBG truly managed to show that clubs can continue to be active and collaborate even in these unprecedented times. This year, AUBG Olympics delivered the first-ever fall Olympiad a.k.a D-Day. It went under the “Games & Graffiti” headline and the Olympics crew “sprayed” AR graffiti around the campus to promote the games. As usual, the Porter Park baseball field accommodated the sports challenges, and it was the biggest event for the first half of the academic year with all health and safety regulations on spot. Tervel Pulev was the special guest who awarded all champions. Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily 5

A Closer Look: Students Living Outside of the AUBG Campus Bianka Deyanova he AUBG Campus – a bright and shiny diamond on the crown of the American University in Bulgaria. With three Skaptopara Residence halls, gorgeous gardens and lawns, the Panitza Library, and a wide variety of student facilities, it looks like the perfect place to have a movie-like university experience. Yet, while some students are enthusiastic about living on the AUBG campus, others are ready to leave the place for good. Why do students move out? As stated in the AUBG Undergraduate Catalog, every full-time student is required to live on campus, unless they live with their immediate family locally or have permission from the Director of Residence Life to live off-campus. Kristina Stamatova, Administrative Assistant in Residence Life and Housing at AUBG, said that this requirement exists because the university is a residential institution by practice and philosophy. “We believe that living on campus and participating actively in campus life is a critical part of our educational process and is, in fact, one of the key things that positively differentiate AUBG from other universities in the country,” Stamatova said. However, for the fall semester of 2020, with respect to the COVID-19 safety precautions, an off-campus living alternative was introduced along with the full-time online education option. Stamatova explained that the first priority of the management was the America for Bulgaria Student Center and ABF Lawn, AUBG Campus. Photo courtesy of Bianka Deyanova. safety on campus. “We wanted to reduce the population density in the residence halls a little to increase social distancing, which would give us some rooms to use for quarantine or temporary isolation,” she said. After some serious conversations, the university leadership decided to offer the option to live off-campus to all students, no matter their academic standing, because according to Stamatova every individual has their own concerns about the virus. Although they had the free choice to leave the campus, a lot of AUBG students decided to stay and study as a community. Mirela Yovcheva, an on-campus AUBG student, said that she chose to stay because that way she could take advantage of all the university facilities. “Also, I am very lucky to be living with my sister, so I haven’t experienced any problems that may come with living with a stranger,” Yovcheva said. According to her, life in Skaptopara is enjoyable - the staff in the residence halls is helpful and the atmosphere is pleasant and cozy. “I think the living conditions here are great, the lack of noisiness at night helps students rest well and concentrate on their work better, and I am very glad that I don’t have to deal with all sorts of bugs every day like in other residence halls in Bulgaria,” Yovcheva said. However, having in mind that the kitchens still remain closed, the campus is left with very few options when it comes to meal alternatives. According to Yovcheva, the surprisingly small number of microwaves around the residence halls is problematic. “Given the housing fee we pay and the fact that we are not allowed to have our own microwaves in our rooms, I think there should be more of them, one per floor seems reasonable enough,” Yovcheva said. “Having to carry my meal downstairs to the hallway and back just to reheat is ridiculous.” In August 2020, shortly after it was announced that there is an option to live off-campus, many AUBG students took advantage of the presented alternative. Living independently is of great importance for Doruntinë Aliu and Boris Dechev, off-campus AUBG students, and is something that influenced their decision to move out. “You definitely have more opportunities to work, read, do assignments, and things in your own time. Also in general there’s more freedom in terms of what you’re allowed to do,” Aliu said. Dechev emphasized on the opportunity to have privacy where you live. “There’s just too many rules on campus and no privacy,” he said. “Off-campus you get to live with 6 Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily Skaptopara II Residence Hall. Photo courtesy of Bianka Deyanova. whoever you decide on, it’s much cheaper, you have your own personal kitchen, but the most important thing is that I get to have my own room.” According to both of them, living off-campus gives a sense of responsibility. “You learn to live independently and most importantly you learn how to cook,” Aliu said. At the same time living off-campus has its downsides. Students may sometimes feel left out of all the campus activities and communicate less with other students. “Life on campus is crazy and fun, and sometimes you might miss that,” Aliu said. An inconvenient part of off-campus life is that the student facilities on campus become so far away from home that students stop using them. “Another con in line with the COVID-19 situation is that we don’t have access to many buildings, and, for example, we can’t request JMC equipment if we don’t use campus WI-FI,” Dechev said. It is curious whether the option to live off-campus will remain after the Coronavirus crisis ends since it is a temporary decision taken in times of a pandemic for the safety of all students. According to Stamatova, there is a possibility that the off-campus alternative will remain only for the near future. She explained that in normal times the housing is about 100 spaces short to accommodate every student, who does not live permanently in the Blagoevgrad area, so some students would still be allowed to live off-campus. “In the longer run, we hope to increase the capacity of our residence halls so we can accommodate everyone on campus,” Stamatova said. When asked about the scenario in which the on-campus option becomes mandatory again, Aliu and Dechev shared the same opinion. “I would prefer to stay off-campus since I’ve decided this before the COVID-19 pandemic started,” Aliu said. “They could wish,” Dechev added. American University in Bulgaria logo on the side of Panitza Library, AUBG Campus. Photo courtesy of Bianka Deyanova. It’s time for a crossword puzzle The name of the first-ever JMC competition held by AUBG Daily. The newest AUBG club. The movie TEDx screened on their movie night in Fall 2020. A student body with two heads, one eye, and twelve hands. The staff member who bombarded your email box this semester. An AUBG programming marathon. The building we forgot exists. A start-up program at AUBG which started its second season in Fall 2020. The club that organised one of the biggest and most “normal” events during the pandemic. Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily 7 1.Dare to Share 2.Sustainability 3.Breakfast Club 4.Student Government 5.Daskalov 6.Hackathon 7.Main Building 8.Elevate 9.Olympics

Problems Much Deeper Than the Debate About Abortion Deeper Paula Anic the Polish government are equally or even more unpopular with the Polish public. An example is Przemysław Czarnek, the new Minister of Science and Education, who refused to change the content of Polish schoolbooks many of which still have sexist, anti-LGBTQ+, and racist material, supplemented by religious instructions for the schools to follow. The youth behind the ongoing protests is also targeting the houses of far-right activist Kaja Godek and politician Krystyna Pawłowicz who caused controversy after stating their negative views on same-sex marriage and immigration. In addition, the protestors have taken into the Catholic churches throwing leaflets with symbols of the movement to the believers. Protests on the street demanding the abolition of the law regarding the abortion. Poland, Oct 2020. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Silar. change in the law passed by the Polish Constitutional Tribunal swept the nation. The decision to severely restrict access to abortion in a predominantly Catholic country made headlines and ignited a fire. Apart from criminalizing almost all cases of abortion, the new law was supposed to make it impossible to have an abortion even in the case of severe and permanent disability of the fetus. On Oct 22, 2020, protests erupted on the streets of Warsaw, the largest city in Poland. “While I was walking with my friends in the mass, the only thing that I was thinking of was my basic human rights and how they were taking them away from me,” said Gosia Bartczak, a 20-year-old student from the University of Warsaw, one of the many students who were on the front line of the protests in the capital city of Poland. The Women’s Strike (Strajk Kobiet) protests turned out to be the biggest since the end of the revolution during the fall of communism in Poland, 1989. Born in a time when Poland was already part of the European Union, the younger generations hold views which oppose their country’s government and mirror those of their peers around Europe. In the past few years, the voices of the youth were never heard as the Polish government strayed further away from common European values, and even repeatedly threatened to leave the European Union. Banning abortion was the breaking point which brought the majority of the Polish young population to 8 Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily The name of the protest (Strajk Kobiet) on the street poster, Poland, 2020. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Silar. the streets. What they are fighting against runs much deeper than abortion rights - the Polish nation is divided on whether they approve of their leaders or not. “My generation is sick of it. They [the Polish government] are treating citizens like an experiment. They change the judges on the Constitutional court overnight and then allow those people to influence our lives,” Bartczak said. “It’s for our future, the future of Poland. We have to fight for it.” In the 2020 Polish presidential elections, the frequently criticized Andrej Duda won reelection despite his attack on the LGBTQ+ community. Other members of Even abroad, the Polish youth is active in its beliefs. An example of this is Tobiasz Burzyński, who is currently on Erasmus exchange in Tallinn, Estonia, and managed to organize the protest in the city. “Participating in an online protest wouldn’t be the same. It wouldn’t send a strong enough message, and put the pressure on the government the same way,” Burzyński said. Regardless of the hardships which the Polish people have endured in their recent history, they are not giving up, and only time will tell how far it will get them. For now, they have managed to succeed in the first phase. At the beginning of November, the Prime Minister’s office announced the law will get delayed until they find a new solution to the problem leaving the discussion with an open ending. AUBG Major Horoscope ECO MAJOR JMC MAJOR We know that when it comes to your area of expertise, every small detail is of great importance. This is why we can only assure you that each little detail of the upcoming year of 2021 is going to be amazing for you! You will survive the constant demand for getting the best grades by supplying yourselves with all the knowledge you can get! Keep going strong! Just be careful not to mess up that Econometrics project! mll MAJOR Buenos Dias, Guten Tag, Bonjour, or Здравейте! It doesn’t really matter which language you are concentrating in, because your future is brighter than ever! You have finally memorized all irregular verbs, all vocabulary, and you have stopped pushing your language studies aside because of that very very important project for your major. Congratulations, you are ready for the final! But beware! Getting lost into translation can be extremely easy, so be careful not to find yourself in the middle of a sentence like: “Yesterday yo voy al supermercado, mais malheuresement, млякото беше свършило!” Stars warn you – 2021 will be full of unexpected moments of enlightenment that will nourish your journalistic minds with fresh ideas. Many life-changing articles will be written under your journalistic pen, elusive and unheard-of sounds will be recorded through your audio recorders, your cameras will capture the beyond. Still, don’t wait for the stars to send you inspiration - go seek it behind the secret corners of the world around you. You might as well find it inside yourselves. Wherever you find it, don’t keep it for yourselves. Go spread it. Dear History Majors, we understand that you have a tendency to focus on the past but we need to remind you that it is very important to live in the moment. Let go of the things that don’t really matter to you. Your university years are never going to come back once they’re over! And no, we are not pushing you towards not studying for your Finals, who do you think we are?! HISTORY MAJOR POS MAJOR BUS MAJOR LIT MAJOR Dear literates, we hope you are enjoying your final minutes before the intermission of this academic year. We know the eternal question – “To have an A, or not to have an A.” We are sure that you have put a cosmic effort into your assignments in this chapter of the AUBG novelette and you may be wondering “was it all worth it?” Yes, of course, it was! You will definitely see the fruit of your labor in the upcoming 2021! Good for you! If you’ve survived reading 1949550439 pages to misunderstand business ethics, getting kicked out of shops after hourslong hiding behind stands to observe consumer behavior, or going through the near heart attack experience called ‘Strategic exam’ – good job, you are a true hero! The sun will shine brightly as soon as you step in 2021 and will bring peace and harmony to your soul… until the spring semester begins. Once again, the relation between planets and their position won’t have any influence on your grades and academic prosperity. So, don’t ascribe any failure to them – most probably your procrastination is the one to blame. Beware, 2021 hides even more unpredictable events. Most likely, you’ll join a lucrative company, establish your own one or become the next business guru of Bulgaria. Let’s admit it, sleepless nights pay off for AUBG BUSers. The stars say that if you’re a POS major, you’re currently procrastinating doing your endless readings or revising for finals. Don’t worry, we’ve all been there! With a bit of background knowledge, you can always mask that you haven’t read something. If you’re not sure, however, it’s better not to press that “unmute” button on Zoom, and as our friend and famous rapper Kendrick Lamar would say, “sit down... Be humble!” Otherwise, you risk being embarrassed and this is a fact, even if you don’t believe in the predictions of the stars. (which, if you don’t, shame on you - how are you going to evaluate the effects of a certain policy? Give advice? Predict how a war will end? Insanity.) P.S. This is, of course, to be taken with a grain of salt. It is written with the utter respect of a POS major, and aims kind-hearted mockery. But seriously, do your reading! PSY MAJOR Dear future psychologists, you already know what’s going to happen in the future, don’t you? With all of your snitchy trickery and stuff. You must be able to read minds. So good luck tricking us, peasants. Nothing more to read here. Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily 9

Before the Masks Angelina Kuznetsova Yoan Bondakov he year 2020 burst in and the world quickly retreated online. Under the pressure of new evolutionary laws, we lost our limbs and torsos, and turned into digital avatars. The mass migration of the workforce into cyberspace and the cancelation of social events left the streets barren. We felt naked without our masks and flagged all physical displays of affection, gratitude, or courtesy under the same antisocial etiquette. This might as well be the most large-scale alteration of human behavior that our species has experienced. But in our bag of crises, calamities, and atrocities, the celebration of the good times has always been a human quality immune to change. A couple enjoying the view from the Buda Castle. Photo courtesy of Angelina Kuznetsova. The year is 2019, it’s August in Budapest, Hungary. Among the buffet of diverse architecture, we see Gothic, Baroque, and Romanesque buildings dominating the urban landscape. In the old Jewish quarter, the ruin bars, nested into previously abandoned buildings, are crammed full with young people drinking stout and pale lager. It’s raging hot. The remote cobblestone streets welcome the stream of pedestrians coming from the main arteries of the city - their final destination is the Danube’s riverside. We see ferries, fishing boats, and cargo liners passing beneath the 19th century Liberty Bridge. A boy running through the Interactive fountain. Photo courtesy of Angelina Kuznetsova. However, as much as we cherish the scenery, we cannot help but focus on what we are most deprived of – strangers. The petri dish of hugging and kissing people that the cities once were, is no more a reality, and the daily hiccups we had with our fellow strangers quickly turn into romanticized anecdotes. Luckily, as COVID-19 approaches its first anniversary, the concept that strangers are vectors of disease and not human beings fades away. The past feels a little bit closer. A man on the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. Photo courtesy of Angelina Kuznetsova. 10 Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily Three old ladies listening to classical music in front of the Hungarian Parliament Building. Photo courtesy of Angelina Kuznetsova. A woman sitting in a cafe in Budapest. Photo courtesy of Angelina Kuznetsova. People walking at the Budapest Nyugatirailway station. Photo courtesy of Angelina Kuznetsova. Fall 2020 | AUBG Daily 11

AUBG Daily Team Fall Semester 2020 Thank you for your support! Dear Readers, Throughout Fall 2020, we, the members of AUBG Daily, have tirelessly worked to keep our audience well-informed and entertained. The team doubled in size and it was a rollercoaster of experiences to coordinate and produce the finest content. The current AUBG Daily newspaper is a compilation of the themes we believe are most relevant to the times we live in. We hope that the words in this issue will make our readers wonder, ask questions, and go out into the world more curious than before. Ultimately, you will be the judges to decide whether we achieved our goal. Although this semester was unlike any other we have ever experienced, AUBG Daily had some of its biggest and proudest moments. We are excited to see what the future holds for our publication. Be brave and speak up! This is the only way to mold our world into its greatest version. Sincerely, The AUBG Daily Parliament of Owls Presidents: Yoanna Dimitrova Steliyana Yordanova Editor-in-Chief: Viktoria Ivanova Producer: Yoan Bondakov Sponsorship: Maria Sivkova Mariya Vasileva Kristian Deyanov OUR TEAM Marketing: Selbi Shanyyazova Diana Deliivanova Bilhen Birtan Daria Naydenova Fyodor Shafranov Boyana Kostadinova Bozhana Karadjova Klea Muka Photographers: Lina Chakarova Angelina Kuznetsova Enjoy reading! Reporters & Editors: Kristiana Dimitrova Zheliana Borisova Paula Anic Mohamad Hachem Bianca Deyanova Tsvetina Georgieva Simona Simeonova Georgi Staykov Nikol Peeva Prolet Boneva Nadezhda Kaloferva Ethan Perelstein Enjoy reading !

AUBG DAILY Fall 2019 OWL THE NEWS Vol. 1, Issue 1 Panitza Library: Hundreds of Books Damaged By Yoan Bondakov & Milka Stoycheva is the driest place on earth,One could say the library but not the Panitza Library. A recent flood damaged hundreds of books and periodicals, and raised questions about how secure the valuable inventory deposited there is. On Sep. 24, a major flooding hit the Panitza library. Water coming off a broken pipe in the men’s bathroom flooded the ground floor and basement. Some sections of the library were covered in ankle-deep water. “I opened the door of the ground floor and stepped into a lake,” librarian Gergana Atanasova said. “I left my bag on the desk and immediately ran to the basement. The real disaster was there. I saw a waterfall coming from the ceiling.” Salvaged Books by Steliyana Yordanova for AUBG Daily The basement houses most of the library's collections, many out-of-print books, multivolume sets, periodicals and second editions. The water poured directly over the university’s archive, and the books in the compact shelves were the most damaged. Altogether, 523 books and 26 volumes (321 issues) of archived periodicals were completely destroyed. The estimated cost of all ruined publications is $7,409.90. “Just as a comparison, we normally purchase about 600 to 650 books per year. So you can imagine that this equals nearly a one-year purchase for our library. This is an enormous loss for us," Library Director Nikolina Ivanova-Bell said. Among the lost publications were books donated by Dimi Panitza, the patron of the library. Some of them were special presents for Dimi and Ivon Panitza and were autographed by their authors.

Damage control The librarians, cleaning ladies, facilities management staff and volunteers joined forces. The most urgent task after the flooding was to stop the water and then remove the excess water covering the floors. Then, they dried out the carpets, electrical equipment, and the damaged books. The rest of the work was left to the dehumidifiers. On the day of the flood, the humidity level in the basement reached 78%. It was restored back within its normal range of 48% two weeks after the incident. The library remained open during the restoration process. “It was important for us to keep our facilities open for our students to study and our faculty to do their normal job,” Ivanova-Bell said. The team of librarians managed to save a lot of the damaged books with the help of six dehumidifiers and by spreading the books out on the dried cement and furniture. Of the saved books, 434 are currently piled in a separate room and await special procedures against mold and mildew. A specialist from Conservation Lab International Ltd. visited the library a week after the flood to examine the preserved books and assess which could be repaired. The procedures are currently on hold since the negotiations with the insurance company have not been finalized. 2 AUBG Daily | Fall 2019 Damaged books spread out on the basement floor Photo courtesy of Panitza Library Reasons for the flood Without constant monitoring, there was nobody in the library to signal when the flooding started. Water might have leaked for hours before the librarians entered the building at 7:30 in the morning. According to Director of Operation Todor Todorov, this is the only building on campus that does not have a security guard available 24/7. The water leakage from the pipe was the result of a broken valve but the exact reason for the valve’s malfunction is not clear. “For me, it’s simply an act of God. It’s not human influence,” Todorov said. “Nothing like rise in the pressure of water, nothing like technical influence on the pipes - it just broke itself.” As a response to the faulty valve, the university took preventive measurements. Ivanova-Bell maintains that after the incident all pipes and the water sewage system in the library were changed. However, these measures are to a large degree only protective and not an absolute solution since the health of the library’s inventory is still dependent on other factors. The building’s close proximity to the river is one of them. For the past few years, the library has suffered several other floods caused by the rise of underground water below the building. “When the river rises, the level of the water, which is underneath the BAC building is also rising,” Ivanova-Bell said. “This is why we sometimes have water coming through the floor of the basement.” According to Todorov, the underground water penetrates the basement floor also because membrane underneath the building is damaged. Preventive measures The correspondence between the insurance company, called OZOK Ins, and the Facilities office is still in progress. The contract between the two institutions requires AUBG to pay for part of the damage expenses. “It’s a small amount of money that is not seriously influencing the budget of the Facilities department or the budget of the university,” Todorov said. In the event The creation of a digital archive of the students’ print publications was first prompted by the strong interest of AUBG alumni to get access to their past work. AUBG Aspecter, i view and that OZOK Ins. recovers the losses, the insurance money is estimated to be more than the original net value of the damaged books, magazines and journals. The Facilities office is planning on reinvesting it back to the library. One of the possible projects is to connect the library to the Building Management System (BMS) installed in the Student Center to measure the humidity and temperature. “This way we will be monitoring the basement of the library 24/7, not only when the security guards or the cleaning ladies are inside,” Todorov said. Preventive measures also include water wells that redirect the underground water before it enters the building and a pump in the basement to remove water that gets through. Students' Publications Digital Collection the hydro-insulation This year’s flooding inspired the librarians to push themselves further in the implementation of the Students’ Publications Digital Collection. The project was launched in October as an expansion of the longestablished AUBG Digital Collections, which until then, compiled only the senior theses collected over the years. Verve were the first three digitized periodicals in the collection. “These periodicals carry the history of the university,” Ivanova-Bell said. “They were created in the years of the new democracy in Bulgaria. Students back then were fighting not only for their student rights but also for their civic and democratic rights.” The team is currently digitizing the AUBG Literary Magazine. Next on the list are Agora, Vox, defacto and Griffin. The Students’ publications project is among the library’s top priorities for the 2019/2020 academic year. “Our goal is to start thinking more strategically about the ways to preserve all the students’ output from the different departments,” Ivanova-Bell said. This plan includes creating and administering a new digital collection where students will be able to deposit their projects. Damaged books, ground floor; Steliyana Yordanova for AUBG Daily Fall 2019 | AUBG Daily 3

AUBG’s Vaccination Campaign By Ruslan Noori Although not as harsh as the popular HBO series “Game of Thrones” portrays it, winter is coming for all inhabitants of the western hemisphere. Whereas white walkers and dragons characterize the fictional one, real-life winter plans on storming us with… you guessed it … the flu. Though not as intimidating as the cold “long night” — that can range from a few months to a couple of years — in the show, influenza killed around 50 million people during its heyday between January 1918 and December 1920 according to a 1997 Stanford University study. Ph.D. and medical author Charles Patrick writes the first approved vaccine against the disease was developed in the late ‘40s. Dr. Daskalov consulting a patient. This vaccine was later used during the Second World War by the U.S Military. New shots were developed afterward, and today the World Health Organization estimates the number of influenza-caused deaths has been reduced to 650,000 per year. Resembling the night’s watch from Game of Thrones, The American University of Bulgaria offers its services as a line of defense. Following the annual flu vaccination campaign, AUBG Daily sought insight from the Health Center Director Dr. Ventsislav Daskalov. Dr. Daskalov, when did oncampus vaccination first become an option here at AUBG, and do you deem this year’s campaign successful? Photo derived from https://www.aubg.edu/health-services. We work and live in crowded It was a long time ago. We have been doing this for decades, almost from the very first moment when the flu vaccine became available on the Bulgarian pharmaceutical market. This year’s campaign was average, I would like to see more people participate. When it comes to accessibility, who does the campaign target, and when does it usually take place? The campaign targets all AUBG community members. 4 AUBG Daily | Fall 2019 spaces, and we are constantly in contact with each other. This means that there is a high risk of the virus spreading among the whole community, especially during the flu season. That is why vaccination is a good idea for everybody, especially those with chronic diseases and immune deficiency conditions [to help with herd immunity, as they can’t always get vaccines themselves]. I would strongly advise anyone who is contemplating whether to get shot or not to consult me or their personal physician. To those petrified of needles, what does the vaccination process actually entails, and are there any specific side effects? We cannot avoid needles, but I can honestly say that it is almost painless. The fact that I have immunized small kids in my practice shows that the amount of pain should not even be taken into consideration. When it comes to side effects, pain near the spot where the patient got shot for about a day and a half is as far as it goes. As long as the patient did not have any troublesome experiences with vaccines in the past, which I or my team were not informed beforehand about, everything is more or less bound to run smoothly. What is your message to those still reluctant to get a shot? Giving a personal example is probably not the best of ideas, but I have been protecting myself annually against the flu with this vaccine for more than 25 years now. As a doctor I had contact with many sick people during that time but not once did I have to take sick leave. It is the same with all the nurses and the health center’s staff in general. It is certain – inoculation protects. It seems most students see eye to eye with Daskalov, deeming immunization “It is an added plus for the university when it takes our health and well-being seriously,” freshman Presiana Tsvetkova said. “I really do not understand whyso many people are reluctant to get a shot.” Fall 2019 | AUBG Daily 5 beneficial. However, it seems that Daskalov’s wish for more participants in the campaign would have been fulfilled if the deadline for purchasing the vaccine from the Business Office was longer. “I wanted to get myself vaccinated and saw the campaign as a great opportunity,” freshman Milen Plevneliev said. “Sadly, I missed the time limit, but it is all right. Hopefully, I will succeed next year.” Biology professor William Clark said getting vaccinated is a responsibility we all bear for our collective well-being. Clark points to bad nutrition, lack of vitamin D and poor hygiene as the main contributors to winter sickness. “When we first lived in Bulgaria back in the 1990s, there were not a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables during the winter and in the spring people would look kind of yellowish and greyish,” Clark said. “The cold does not cause diseases, microbes cause them.” Clark labels vaccination as one of the wonders of modern medicine and said the process aims not only toward personal health but Presiana Tsvetkova Ruslan Noori for AUBG Daily. to community resistance against disease, a phenomenon he refers to as “herd immunity.” “Vaccines are the only way we can protect ourselves from some diseases,” Clark said. “There really are no greateralternatives. Overall, the clinical evidence shows that immunization does a great job, but in order for it to work, you have to get to a certain level of vaccination in the population.” Although a nuisance at first, Prof. Clark and Dr. Daskalov agree that vaccines are favorable in the long run. Better preparation can lead to higher participation in next year’s round of the vaccination campaign on campus. Prof. Clark in his office Source: aubg.edu

It's Time to Elevate Your Idea By Kristiana Dimitrova Elevate is the first startup acceleration program, launched at a university in the Balkans. It started on Nov. 4, 2019, and there are already six prospective businesses. The program is designed to help students and recent alumni develop business ideas and start their own companies. Participants in Elevate build teams, decide what kind of business they want to start and begin their entrepreneurship journey. During the 14-week program, mentors come to the American University in Bulgaria campus to share their experiences. They help students better understand the process of setting up a business, by going through the steps every entrepreneur must follow in order to start a company. “Elevate aims to inspire and motivate students to transform By participating in Elevate students get more practical work experience as they face real business challenges. Along with that, every team receives a starting capital of $5,000. In exchange, team members sign a contract that ensures a 5% stake to AUBG from each company started as a result of the accelerator program. Even if the participants don't succesfully start a company during the program and don't go into business, AUBG will still hold a 5% stake of the company if the idea gets developed in the future. their ideas into working businesses,” said Nikolay Pohlupkov, AUBG graduate and one of the leaders of the program. Participants can benefit from hearing the success stories of the mentors and discussing with them all of the difficulties they might encounter. “At first, our idea was kind of a joke, but then we gathered as a team and decided to give it a try,” first-year student and participant in the program, Nikolay Pachev, said. “So here we are in the next round. From a practical perspective, I think I would learn many facts and tricks about the market and the business.” “If you happen to have missed the [application] deadline, and you are not in the program, that doesn’t mean that you cannot benefit from it,” Pohlupkov said. “It means that you can come here, network with these people, get in touch with them." Access to the events is not restricted to AUBG students. Everyone who finds a particular topic interesting can join, and each event is posted on Elevate’s Facebook page. Lubomir Nokov, talking about his entrepreneurship journey; Nikolay Pohlupkov for AUBG Daily 6 AUBG Daily | Fall 2019 What God Gives to the Unfortunate Photo Story by Steliyana Yordanova Tania has turned her hobby into a profession not because she wanted to, but because she had to. "In my teenage years, I went through an accident, I fainted in the bathroom. Then I was hospitalized for 6 months because of plastic surgery and that’s how I started painting." Because of her condition, nobody would want to hire her. This made her realize that she could make a living by painting and selling her art at the bus station. She began in the city center of Blagoevgrad, but then moved to the bus station because the children in the center would ruin her art. You might have seen her there, or maybe you were rushing not to miss the bus and didn't even notice she was there. But who is she? She is the artist who many people pass without even acknowledging her presence while she quietly bends over a small table working on her art. She is Tania Kovacheva. Fall 2019| AUBG Daily 7

Tania creates icons and likes painting on gourds and making dolls out of them. "The first time I saw a gourds was when my husband brought me to Blagoevgrad. There were so many of them, they were all my mother-in-law’s and I instantly said, 'This is going to be a boy, and this is going to be a girl' and my father-in-law laughed and told me, 'Those are gourds, my dear, not dolls.' But I told him that I am going to make them. This is just what popped into my imagination, and that is how I started making dolls out of gourds." Tania was born and raised in Dobrich, Bulgaria. She met her husband on the Internet and moved to the other side of the country to be with him. "I have always liked the mountains. When my husband brought me here, this inspired me even more because in Dobrich, I was painting only icons while here I started with the gourds and the landscapes. Nature here had an influence on me and my work." 8 AUBG Daily | Fall 2019 "I have never studied painting or drawing. I started painting in the hospital. I was looking at the icons and drawing them myself and while I was painting, I was becoming more and more religious." Tania does this for a living and looks at it like a nine to five job. She is at the bus station from Monday to Friday. She used to come to paint on Saturdays, but after having a child, she prefers to spend time with him. "I have always prayed to God to have a kid and it finally happened. This also inspires me, even more, to believe in God. I have been married for 10 years now, and it was not happening, not happening until it finally did. The good things happen slowly, but still, happen." Tania hopes that her business flourishes in the future because she finds it hard to have a painting business in Bulgaria. She said she dreams to be recognized by a merchant who would buy her art and resell it, so she only has to draw and not worry about the business aspect as much. Fall 2019| AUBG Daily 9

Germany’s Oldest University Through the Eyes of an AUBG Student By Victoria Ivanova Heidelberg is an old town in southwestern Germany, sitting on the banks of the Neckar river, which leaves visitors fascinated by its cultural and historical heritage. It is renowned for historical landmarks like the Karl Theodor Bridge, Schloss Heidelberg and the Church of the Holy Spirit. Countless stories behind the centuries-old buildings enrich people who visit the town. In the midst of the stunning cityscape is Germany’s oldest and one of Europe’s most reputable universities. Heidelberg University gives the old town a lively atmosphere as it is filled with students, who compose a quarter of the population. The students’ experience at Heidelberg University differs greatly from that of AUBG students. While the American University in Bulgaria opened its doors in 1991, the Heidelberg University was founded in 1386. This alone speaks for the immense contrast between the style of education and facilities. AUBG promotes a liberal arts education that teaches students a wide range of skills and knowledge in various fields, and Heidelberg University is mostly renowned for its law and medicine majors, which have been taught for centuries. The campus buildings of AUBG are contemporary and students are provided 10 AUBG Daily | Fall 2019 Entrance to the Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg – University Library Heidelberg. Victoria Ivanova for AUBG Daily. Karl Theodor Bridge over the Neckar River in Heidelberg. Victoria Ivanova for AUBG Daily. with modern technologies to assist them in their studies. Heidelberg has an Old Town Campus for the law students and a New Campus for those studying medicine. Some of the facilities that are still used today, like the library, were built back in the 1900s. The Heidelberg University library is ranked as Germany’s best library. It holds around 3.2 million books and is home to some of Germany’s oldest manuscripts. Schloss Heidelberg also known as Heidelberg Castle. Victoria Ivanova for AUBG Daily. The cafeteria and canteen at Heidelberg University have their own separate buildings in the main square of the town. They provide outdoor seating, which is a perfect way to enjoy the beautiful mountainous landscape that surrounds the town. The inside of the canteen has high ceilings with huge chandeliers and interesting artwork on the walls. The topic of food at the canteen that is often discussed in AUBG might not concern the students in Heidelberg as they have a big selection of meals provided for meat-lovers, vegetarians and vegans. The canteen also has a separate pastry-shop where students can get pieces of cake, sweets and other delicious foods to satisfy their sweet tooth, similar to AUBG’s cafe. When it comes to life outside university activities, Heidelberg offers a lot of places where young people can enjoy their free time. AUBG students like to visit a handful of places that have proven to be most popular among them. Meanwhile in Heidelberg, students have such a big choice of shops, restaurants and late-night bars that they rarely visit the same ones every week. All of them are conveniently located in the Marktplatz, or Market Square, which is the heart of the town. Another place where many choose to go to relieve stress is The Philosophenweg, which means the Philosophers’ Walk. It is a two-kilometer trail overlooking the Neckar river and the town. It is named after the Heidelberg University philosophy professors who used to go there to collect their thoughts. Before taking this seemingly relaxing walk, however, one should keep in mind that the trail is pretty steep and at times physically challenging. There are many different aspects that make university life distinct for each and every university around the world. Heidelberg University and AUBG are just two examples of contrasting places that make for a very different learning experience. Both universities benefit their students in distinct ways which cannot be measured. Visiting Heidelberg gives a fresh look at a town that manages to blend its historically valuable landmarks, beautiful nature and upbeat atmosphere of university life. Comparing two contrasting places lets students discover more about their own university, whether it’s finding aspects to be thankful for or areas for improvement. Inside the main hall of the library. Victoria Ivanova for AUBG Daily. Fall 2019 | AUBG Daily 11

Dear Reader, Yes, you who is holding this newspaper. I have an important request for you. Go through the pages of AUBG Daily. Read it, question it, disagree or agree with it, share it with others, or talk to us about it. Whatever you do, do not remain silent. Give voice to your thoughts. If for whatever reason you cannot do this, reach out to us because we will do it for you and for everyone who is deprived of the right to express freely. This newspaper was created by a small group of tirelessly working students who are eager to explore the world and enthusiastic to report what we have found to all of you. We are here to leave a mark on this world. A mark, not a scar. We see the ugly, we see the beautiful, we see everything and we are not afraid to talk about it. Our hearts beat in unison with what we believe journalism is about — free speech, free society and free media. AUBG Daily is here to stay. Sincerely Yours, President Georgi Staykov OUR TEAM: President: Georgi Staykov Editor-in-Chief: Milka Stoycheva Producer: Kameliya Stefanova Editor: Bethany Spitzmiller Visual Editor: Teodora Vasileva Sponsorship: Photographers: Steliyana Yordanova Nicola Smilenov 12 AUBG Daily | Fall 2019 Yoanna Dimitrova Kristiana Dimitrova Maria Vasileva Reporters: Joan Bondakov Ruslan Noori Kristiana Dimitrova Victoria Ivanova Emily Timcheva Simona Simeonova Daria Naydenova Marketing: Steliyana Yordanova Selbi Shanyyazova Bilhen Birtan

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