The Culture of MinCult
An Interview with Netz
Interview written by Stixwizard with help from Trinnien and Kuramia
Perhaps the most popular part of Europiea, where all the "cool cats" reside, are those areas run by the Ministry of Culture. Our events, our games, even our Spam threads, are all maintained and kept active by a coordinated and dedicated team inside the ministry, lead by our current Minister of Culture, Netz. Not only is Netz active on the forums and on Skype, but she has proven more than able in preparing and hosting various events, which include: the Dose of Reality Event, Z-Day, and Kraken's Triumph Celebration.
We pulled Netz away from one of her Europeia all-nighters with the promise of owl plushies to speak with her about the ministry.
Kuramia: What opportunities does someone have for being a part of the Ministry of Culture?
Netz: There are plenty of opportunities in the Ministry of Culture. One opportunity that would be great is to have Assistant Ministers get more involved in hosting games on the weekends. This helps to get people involved past planning events and keeps the region fun and engaging. Planning is still one of the biggest parts of being a part of the Culture Ministry. With several big events taking place during any given term, it is beneficial to have a whole host of assistants to brainstorm valuable ideas and give the event the best chance of success possible.
I also want to continue to breathe life back into the Culture Hub. Some of this has been happening recently, but I need the help of Assistant Ministers to really make that happen. If someone were to have an idea on a way to bring part of the Culture Hub back to life, I recommend applying for the Ministry if you haven't yet, and contacting me with a plan and how you would plan to accomplish the resurrection and upkeep of the area. This is really important because, for example, I’m not very good at chess so I won't necessarily be able to take care of the chess club, but if an assistant minister really likes chess I would provide support when needed, and it can be their project of sorts.
There are opportunities everywhere in the Ministry of Culture. It just depends on how much time and energy an individual is willing to put into cultivating those opportunities. In the Culture Ministry, there is always something going on.
K: What activities are there to do in Europia as of this moment?
N: Kraken's Triumph Celebration recently concluded on November 17th. We will also be resuming weekend games, which took a small break because of real life stress and a bunch of activities around the forum. There are a few games that we play, and I'm glad to be getting them started up again.
K: Are there requirements for being a part of the fun of the Ministry?
N: The only requirement I have for my Assistant Ministers is activity. I like to have people who are around, and happy to share their ideas and help out where needed. Enthusiasm is beneficial. Essentially, if you want to help out the ministry, we are more than happy to have you.
K: What activities will be coming in the future?
N: For activities, we have the weekend games, and perhaps an activity or two to round out the term on a high note. We've had a great term so far, and I want to make sure it ends successfully.
K: Speaking of the future, what events do you have planned next?
N: There might be an event on the horizon, but at this point you'll have to join the ministry to find out more.
We recently had two events that were lauded as great successes: Z-Day and, before that, The Dose of Reality Event.
K: Pertaining to these events, what do you think made them both such a success?
N: I think one of the major aspects that made those two events so successful was the activity they generated. People were participating who I had never seen post outside of the more "serious" parts of the forum, and that was extremely encouraging. I think the fact that those events provided activities on the forum, as opposed to off of it (like with the weekend games) increased the activity level, and made the events that much more enjoyable.
They were a success because they were well planned, and there were many different kinds of activities for all people to participate in. What I appreciated the most about the Dose of Reality festival was that the majority of posts were not in spam games. We were able to encourage conversation. This is something I hope to be able to continue. Spam games are fine, but we should not be relying in them as a crutch to ensure a large post count in our festivals.
K: Speaking specifically of the Dose of Reality Event, what do you think was the event that got the highest level of participation and why?
N: Without a doubt, the event that got the highest level of participation was the "survivor" game. This was an exciting activity that required the active participation of everyone who was involved in it. It got people talking, and it got people logging in every day. Not only that, but it created just the right amount of long term competitiveness between players that kept it exciting right up until the end. That one event got people involved in a cultural event even when they ordinarily wouldn't.
K: The Z-Day dispatch of the NS event was the most up-voted dispatch in Europeia for this term. Did this give you some motivation or even anxiety on how well the event would do on the forum-side?
N: It definitely gave me some anxiety. I was a bit worried about all the hype and how it would turn out. People were very excited about it, and I wanted to make sure that it would live up to people's expectations, especially immediately following the success of the Dose of Reality Festival. It also gave me motivation to make sure I and my assistant ministers put on the best event we could. It was great to be able to put on an event that got game-side and forum-side members involved at the same time. I wanted to give forum-side members a reason to want to participate on the forum, and I wanted to make the forum as attractive to potential newcomers as well. This particular event definitely caused me a bit of stress.
K: What inspired the Triumph of Kraken, and what is it about?
N: Kraken's Triumph was influenced by conversations I have had with Kraken. I was glad to be able to host a festival for a member who I happen to have had a lot of conversations with, and who I know. The title "The Bottle of Whiskyloo" came from Kraken's all-time favorite battle, the Battle of Waterloo, and Kraken's affinity for whisky. The "Fountain of Suitably Penned Speeches" comes from Kraken's appreciation for fountain pens and suits. I wanted the Triumph to have a personal touch to it. We know Kraken; Kraken is still very much a part of the region. I wanted to give him a Triumph that celebrated that. The Triumph is about Kraken and what he has accomplished as the Grand Admiral of the ERN.
K: How do you feel the Triumph of Kraken turned out?
N: I think it went all right. There was some activity, and people came out to post pictures, gifts, comments, and speeches. With the start of the battleship tournament, it was a pretty solid event.
K: You've had enough time to evaluate the role of the Minister of the Culture for Europeia. How important is the Ministry to the development of Europeia? What do you imagine would happen if the Ministry were just gone one day?
N: I like to think that the Ministry of Culture of pretty important to the health of the region. The ministry injects a certain amount of life into the region. Without Culture, I think the region might get a little bit too serious. Culture might not have the notable, clear visual importance of Foreign Affairs, or the constant appearance of Communications, or the measurable level of success present in Interior, but we breathe life into a region that could run the risk of stagnation. Culture keeps things interesting and gives members something to do when they don't necessarily want to be serious all the time.
If the Ministry were to disappear entirely for one day, people would notice a large chunk of the bottom half of the forums vanish. The Republic Square, the Culture Hub, Roleplay Central, Wellbeing Hub, etc. would all be gone. While it might not have a massive impact on how the region as a whole functions, these are the parts of the region that have been around for a while. They are the things that don't change, and they are the parts that embody the fun of the region, where we've been, and where we want to go. Whereas the other ministries are constantly changing, adapting to new standards and new requirements, Culture exists to bring all of the aspects of the region together, put other issues aside, and interact with one another as members of the same great region.
If the Ministry of Culture were to disappear for a day, some of the life of the region would disappear with it.
K: And the final question, Netz, are you going to support the Rand and Ninja Kittens ticket that will surely develop for Presidential standing?
N: I am choosing to plead the 5th on this particular matter, and will simply comment saying that that would certainly be an interesting endeavor to witness.
Obviously, if being in the "hippest" and most active field is something you're interested, the Ministry of Culture is the one for you. They're constantly looking for people with the drive and initiative to start fun things, like game and spam threads, for the Europeian community. If you think if you have what it takes, or if you just want a place to "chill" and get to know the region, the Minister of Culture might be for you.
So don't just sit there! Go apply!
Good article/inteview