Alexandra Racu: Can you tell us something about yourself, especially for those who haven`t had the chance to meet you?
Alexandru Sotropa: To begin with, I would like to say that a man is defined by his acts and as he grows he has to make same decisions, because only two things are for sure: life and death. Also, I still have not managed to understand myself and find out what makes me what I am. I spend a lot of my time and energy on building a system of values in order to chose correctly and make the right decisions. From my point of view, it is really important to have a certain role model or a guiding principle. Being an idealist and always looking for the real essence of life, I am aware that it is vital for every soul to have a perspective defined by dignity, truth, courage and other values. All this moral support makes me sure of what should I do and how should I behave. Goethe once said that “when we treat a man as if he already were what he potentially could be, we make him what he should be” and his words made me understand what stands behind every important personality and what is the very foundation of human character. Also, I learned how to use my imperfections, overturning them into qualities which are often useful in my work and my projects.
A.R.: From your point of view, what does the position of President of the Student Body in N-E Romania involve?
A.S.: Firstly, this position involves sacrifices and a lot of work. When I started this I had to reconsider my priorities and to find a meaning to all this. But it has its advantages, too. This mixture of drawbacks and compensations has a special effect on people because I have to put together the ideas and visions of thousands of colleagues around the country. Also, I have to take everything to the next level, to make it real! One of the drawbacks of this position is the lack of time for family and school. Also, I usually have to participate in meetings in other counties and to travel long distances very often. Sometimes I have to make difficult decisions, to face important people and to face up to pressures from inside the organisation.
A.R.: Given the fact that you are only 17, how do you cope with such a huge responsibility?
A.S.: That is a good question! I still have problems proving to adults that I can cope with this responsibility. I usually find myself in very strange positions when I have to talk with very important people in governmental structures and I have to behave like an adult, to make decisions, to find answers and solutions. For me it is not so difficult, because I am used to this harsh environment and everything has started to seem normal. Reality depends on our perception and as long as I see this position as a mere game and I keep close to my values, nothing bad can happen.
A.R.: Do you see yourself different from others? How did you manage to accede to the important position and what led you to it?
A.S.: Every person has a special set of characteristics which makes him or her a unique individual. However, I do not consider myself different from my colleagues. I simply have other priorities and I made some decisions which made everything possible. I think that success is a combination between work and opportunities. Because of that I was able to win in every election and to come up with a new perspective and a new way of developing this organisation. I see the Student Body as an opportunity for me to develop some personal skills and to learn how to make great things from nothing. Also, this is a school for future leaders who will be in important positions in the near future.
A.R.: Have you ever wanted to give up being the President of the Student Body? What makes you go on?
A.S.: Doubt is a human being’s worst enemy and I must admit that I am human. As a result, I have moments when I want to give up and to turn my back to everything I do. That is the easy way and it is usually the result of a superficial analysis of the situation, more like an impulse. My stubbornness is my primary fuel completed by all the advantages I get from my work. I am encouraged by the most important people in my life which keep my soul alive!
A.R.: How do you teachers feel about your position?
A.S.: Every person sees my work very differently and this principle applies to teachers, too. But in general, I have their support and they understand why I miss classes sometimes. I think that teachers should see the Student Body as another type of learning through which I can develop skills that cannot be acquired in traditional schools.
A.R.: What about your classmates and friends?
A.S.: When I reconsidered my priorities I realized that some of my friends and colleagues would not understand why I am doing all that work, why I have to leave from school so often. Since everything started a certain distance has come up between myself and some of the persons around me. However, this situation has brought me closer to a very important person in my life and leaving very often has made me understand what lies behind work and what is the meaning of life. It is very hard to be far from your family but I see it like a challenge and an opportunity before college and they seem to cope very well with that.
A.R.: Do you have any advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
A.S.: Oh, just to think twice because the sacrifices they will have to make are huge and this position may not help them in the future. But if they still want to try this experience they should keep in mind a Latin proverb “Per aspera ad astra”, which refers to our destiny and proves that good things can be achieved after you overcome some difficulties. It is normal to fight the “aspera” and to find a moral goal as something that can be achieved and can improve our society. Apparently, like Luther, I/YOU (must) HAVE A DREAM!
Alexandra Racu, 10 G, interviewing Alex Sotropa, President of the Student Body of ATL and N-E Romania
March, 2011
Alexandra Racu: Can you tell us something about yourself, especially for those who haven`t had the chance to meet you?
Alexandru Sotropa: To begin with, I would like to say that a man is defined by his acts and as he grows he has to make same decisions, because only two things are for sure: life and death. Also, I still have not managed to understand myself and find out what makes me what I am. I spend a lot of my time and energy on building a system of values in order to chose correctly and make the right decisions. From my point of view, it is really important to have a certain role model or a guiding principle. Being an idealist and always looking for the real essence of life, I am aware that it is vital for every soul to have a perspective defined by dignity, truth, courage and other values. All this moral support makes me sure of what should I do and how should I behave. Goethe once said that “when we treat a man as if he already were what he potentially could be, we make him what he should be” and his words made me understand what stands behind every important personality and what is the very foundation of human character. Also, I learned how to use my imperfections, overturning them into qualities which are often useful in my work and my projects.
A.R.: From your point of view, what does the position of President of the Student Body in N-E Romania involve?
A.S.: Firstly, this position involves sacrifices and a lot of work. When I started this I had to reconsider my priorities and to find a meaning to all this. But it has its advantages, too. This mixture of drawbacks and compensations has a special effect on people because I have to put together the ideas and visions of thousands of colleagues around the country. Also, I have to take everything to the next level, to make it real! One of the drawbacks of this position is the lack of time for family and school. Also, I usually have to participate in meetings in other counties and to travel long distances very often. Sometimes I have to make difficult decisions, to face important people and to face up to pressures from inside the organisation.
A.R.: Given the fact that you are only 17, how do you cope with such a huge responsibility?
A.S.: That is a good question! I still have problems proving to adults that I can cope with this responsibility. I usually find myself in very strange positions when I have to talk with very important people in governmental structures and I have to behave like an adult, to make decisions, to find answers and solutions. For me it is not so difficult, because I am used to this harsh environment and everything has started to seem normal. Reality depends on our perception and as long as I see this position as a mere game and I keep close to my values, nothing bad can happen.
A.R.: Do you see yourself different from others? How did you manage to accede to the important position and what led you to it?
A.S.: Every person has a special set of characteristics which makes him or her a unique individual. However, I do not consider myself different from my colleagues. I simply have other priorities and I made some decisions which made everything possible. I think that success is a combination between work and opportunities. Because of that I was able to win in every election and to come up with a new perspective and a new way of developing this organisation. I see the Student Body as an opportunity for me to develop some personal skills and to learn how to make great things from nothing. Also, this is a school for future leaders who will be in important positions in the near future.
A.R.: Have you ever wanted to give up being the President of the Student Body? What makes you go on?
A.S.: Doubt is a human being’s worst enemy and I must admit that I am human. As a result, I have moments when I want to give up and to turn my back to everything I do. That is the easy way and it is usually the result of a superficial analysis of the situation, more like an impulse. My stubbornness is my primary fuel completed by all the advantages I get from my work. I am encouraged by the most important people in my life which keep my soul alive!
A.R.: How do you teachers feel about your position?
A.S.: Every person sees my work very differently and this principle applies to teachers, too. But in general, I have their support and they understand why I miss classes sometimes. I think that teachers should see the Student Body as another type of learning through which I can develop skills that cannot be acquired in traditional schools.
A.R.: What about your classmates and friends?
A.S.: When I reconsidered my priorities I realized that some of my friends and colleagues would not understand why I am doing all that work, why I have to leave from school so often. Since everything started a certain distance has come up between myself and some of the persons around me. However, this situation has brought me closer to a very important person in my life and leaving very often has made me understand what lies behind work and what is the meaning of life. It is very hard to be far from your family but I see it like a challenge and an opportunity before college and they seem to cope very well with that.
A.R.: Do you have any advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
A.S.: Oh, just to think twice because the sacrifices they will have to make are huge and this position may not help them in the future. But if they still want to try this experience they should keep in mind a Latin proverb “Per aspera ad astra”, which refers to our destiny and proves that good things can be achieved after you overcome some difficulties. It is normal to fight the “aspera” and to find a moral goal as something that can be achieved and can improve our society. Apparently, like Luther, I/YOU (must) HAVE A DREAM!
Alexandra Racu, 10 G, interviewing Alex Sotropa, President of the Student Body of ATL and N-E Romania
March, 2011
The 50 single-choice questions were, as always, top-notch, original, interesting and some even fun. For instance, one of the questions requested choosing an expression used to denote dangerous or unexplored territories. To my surprise, the correct answer was “Here be dragons”, which sounded more like pirate English if you asked me. The questions were of different difficulty levels. The first question could be answered by probably most of the participants – “One of the co-founders of Facebook is:” – whereas the last questions were harder and needed whether solid general knowledge or the luck to turn a 20% chance to guess into a correct answer.
