CERN honours its guides

At the end of January, CERN's guides were rewarded for their devotion to the Laboratory.

They have a passion for their work, know CERN inside-out and for 40 years have shown people of all ages and nationalities, from all walks of life, around the Laboratory. Who are they? Why, the CERN guides, of course. On 27 January, ten of CERN's 180 guides received special honours for their impressive number of guided tours in 2003. Presenting the awards in the Microcosm hall, CERN's Director-General Robert Aymar congratulated the winners on the key role they play with respect to the general public. "CERN would be nothing without you who show them its activities," he stressed.

Tzanko Spassoff (PH) and retired staff members Klaus Batzner and Antonio Francano won the top prize. Second prize went to Francesco Navarria (PH), Patrick Petit (PH), Guiseppe Gubello (AT) and Alberto Ribon (PH) each of whom led over 40 tours in the year. Finally, special awards were given to three newcomers Sijin Qian (PH), Silvia Faggian (TS) and Mario Leberig (PH).
Being a CERN guide means devoting part of one's time, on weekdays or on Saturdays, to introducing members of the general public to the workings of a particle physics laboratory (see Bulletin 32/2003 and 25/2002). At the same time you get the pleasure of seeing all sorts of visitors gaze in wonder at the gigantic components for ATLAS or CMS, or listen in rapture to the incredible story of the search for particles, told by the Microcosm exhibition.

If you would like to take part in the exciting activities of the Visits Service, just log on to the Service's web page at www.cern.ch/guides.
For additional information you may also contact Emma Sanders directly.