Vestnik (Spring '24)

VESTNIKSTAFF

Editors-in-Chief CClaireTiunn(Pomona‘24)

arolinaGutiérrez-Tunstad(Scripps‘24)

ArtDirector VictoriaBrooks(Pomona‘24)

AssistantEditor

AlexandraRunnels(Pomona‘25)

JuniorArtDirector

AisuluMalik(Pomona‘25)

Contributors

AlexandraRunnels,Pomona‘25

Marissa(Mari)Woodworth,Scripps‘25

BiancaMcNeely,Pomona’25

Elizaveta(Lisa)Gorelik,CMC‘25

NatalieLake,Scripps‘25

Yaroslav(Yarik)Boriskin,Pomona‘26

MiriamAkhmetshin,Scripps‘26

HudsonSchneider,Pitzer‘27

ProgramLiaisons

MiriamAkhmetshin(Scripps‘26)

CarolinaGutiérrez-Tunstad(Scripps‘24)

LanguageResident

Xeniya Amelina

RussianProgramFaculty

LarissaRudova

KonstantineKlioutchkine

LianaBattsaligova

Claire Tiunn (Chang) Pomona ‘24

Carolina Gutiérrez-Tunstad, Scripps ‘24

DearstudentsandfacultyoftheRussianprogram,

778dayshavepassedsincethefull-scaleinvasionofUkraineonFebruary24,2022 Forthepastfourissues, everyletterfromtheEditorshasunderscoredtheimportanceforustosupportUkraineandUkrainians duringthiswar,andthisyearisnodifferent Aslongastheunjustwariswaged,theRussianprogram,and Vestnik,continuetosupportUkrainianstofightfortheirrighttosovereigntyandautonomyandgrieve thosewhohavelosttheirlivestoaviolentandinhumanewar Similarly,wewouldliketogrievethe victimsoftheCrocusCityHallattackinMoscow,Russia,andalsotheCentralAsiansinRussiafacing increasingharassmentandviolencebecauseoftheirethnicandnationalbackgrounds Duringaperiodof internationalcrisesandtribulations,theRussianprogramstrivestocontinuetoholdspaceforallthose inourcommunity

Overthepastfouryears,wehaveseentheRussianProgramgrowandblossomintoawonderfulcommunity oftight-knitstudentsandfacultywhohavelearned,laughed,grieved,andthrivedtogether Aswe,the Editors-in-Chief,finishouracademiccareerattheClaremontColleges,wewouldliketoexpressour gratitudetoourprofessorsandpeers.ProfessorLarissaRudova,thankyouforyoursupportofVestnik andleadership ДядяКостя,thankyoufortheinsightfulconversationsandfascinatingclasses Professor LianaBattsaligova,wewillmissyou!Thankyouforgivingyouralltoourprogramandrecruitingmore unsuspectingcollegestudentstobecomeRussianProgrammajors ThankyoutoXeniya,ourlanguage resident,forheroptimismandenthusiasmduringlanguagetablesandRussianProgramevents.This beautifulissuecouldnotcometofruitionwithoutthehardworkofVictoriaBrooks(PO‘24)andAisulu Malik(PO‘25)fortheirartanddesign MiriamAkhmetshin(SC‘26)isouramazingeventsorganizer,who continuestobringtogetherthiscommunitythroughfunactivities WewouldalsoliketothankAlexandra Runnels(PO‘24),thenextEditor-in-Chief Vestnikreaders,youareingoodhands

ThisissueofVestnik,adornedwithavant-garde,intheconstructiviststyle,includesawidevarietyof topics,fromfirst-handtravellogsinKazan(Miriam),politicalanalysisontheTuzlaIslandConflict (Hudson),Armenian-AmericanhistoryinLosAngeles(Alexandra)tofigureskating(Bianca) Theseareonly someofthemanywonderfulcontributionstothisissue Wewouldliketoextendourgratitudetoour contributors.Dearreaders,wehopeyouenjoythisissue!IthasbeenanhonorservingastheEditors-inChiefofVestnik thankyouforyourreadershipandsupport

ClaireTiunn(Chang)&CarolinaGutierrez-Tunstad

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

illustrationbyVictoriaBrooks, Pomona‘24

Я, Оксана: The Story of Oksana Baiul

BiancaMcNeely, Pomona‘25

Askarandompersononthestreetwhatthey knowaboutfigureskatingandtheywillmention somethingaboutdoping-ormorelikelythe assaultofNancyKerrigan In1994,anassociate ofOlympic-boundfigureskaterTonyaHarding clubbedHarding’steammate,NancyKerrigan, sevenweeksbeforetheWinterOlympicsin Lillehammer ThefeudbetweenHardingand Kerrigancapturedtheattentionofviewersfrom aroundtheworldduringtheGames.Evenafter theOlympics whereHardingplacedeighthin thewomen’ssingleswhileKerrigantookhome thesilver themediacoverageofthetwofigure skaters,especiallyHarding,ragedon,pushing therelativelyobscuresportintothe

mainstream Decadeslater,Hardingand Kerriganremainthepopculturereferencesfor figureskating nameanothermovieabout figureskatingbesidesI,Tonya However,the culturalobsessionwithHardingandKerrigan feudhasovershadowedtheinspiringstoryof the16yearoldUkrainianwhobeatthemboth andtookhomethegold MargotRobbie,thisismy pitchtoyoutomaketheOksanaBaiulmovie In1977,OksanaBaiulwasborninDnipro, thenDnipropetrovsk Originally,shedreamedof becomingaballerinabutswitchedtoskating afterbeingtoldthatshewasnotthe“rightfit” forballet Afterhergrandfathergiftedherfirst pairofskates,Baiulbeganskatingattheripeold ageofthree,andlaterwonherfirstcompetition atseven.

Whileherskatingcareerwastakingoff underthetutelageofhercoachStanislav Korytek,personaltragedystruck Baiul’s grandmother,grandfather,andmotherhad allpassedbeforeBaiulwas14 Anorphanwith nowheretogo(Baiul’sfatherleftthefamily whenshewasatoddler),Baiultemporarily livedwithhercoach’swife,butneededtofind anewcoach(andplacetolive)afterKorytek acceptedacoachingjobinCanada Eventually, Baiul’snewcoach,GalinaZmievskaya,whoalso coachedOlympianViktorPetrenko,tookherin BaiultrainedandlivedwithZmievskayain Odessaandeventuallyplacedsecondatthe1993 EuropeanChampionship,andlaterwonthe1993 WorldChampionship,evenwhileskatingwith crookedblades.

Ayearlater,atthe1994WinterOlympics, gthesixteenyearoldBaiulwaspartofthefirst roupofathletestorepresentanindependent CUkraine.Baiul’sperformanceattheWorld hampionshipstheyearbeforemadehera pfavoritetowinthegold.However,while racticingforherfreeskateprogram,Baiul hcollidedwithanotherfigureskater,cutting erlegandwrenchingherback.Baiul’s tchancesforgoldseemeddashedasthiswas hesecondtimeshehadinjuredherback–she pdislocatedthediscsinherbackwhile racticingforthe1993WorldChampionship. Butwithperseverance,stitches,andwhatBIimaginetobepainkillersmadeforahorse, aiulicedoutNancyKerriganforthegoldin pa5-4votebythejudgeswhoviewedBaiul’s erformanceas“comingfromtheheart”while gKerrigan’swas“cold.”Baiul’swinwasthefirst oldmedalforanindependentUkraineanda fculminationofthehardworkshehadputin or13years.Now,ifthisisn’taninspiring enoughstoryforamovie,Idon’tknowwhatis. Yourmove,MargotRobbie.

И снова седая ночь...

Elizaveta(Lisa)Gorelik, CMC‘25

SlovoPatsana(TheBoy’sWord)-thenew, blockbustercrime-dramaseriesthathastaken overtheRussianspeakingworld,acrossall generationsofviewers,becauseofitsmusical, narrativeandstylisticappeal Butwhyexactly hasthisshowbecomesuchahit?

TheseriesissetinKazan,duringthe perestroikaperiodofthelate1980s,andfollows thefriendshipoftwo13-year-oldboys:Marat andAndrey Maratcomesfromanupper-middleclassfamily,although,alongsidehisolder brother,heispartofayouthstreetgang

Andreyliveswithhissinglemotherandyounger sister,butisstillwell-educatedandamodel student ThatisuntilheisaskedtotutorMaratwhenheturnsonhisprinciplesanddecidesto joinMarat’sgang

Andreygiveshisnewfamily“theboy’sword,” slovopatsana-apromisethatonewoulddiefor

Theseriesresonateswiththeolder generationsbecauseofitssimilaritiesto historicalrealities TheSovietKazanthatis portrayed,theoldsayingsandslangused,such as“chushpan”(thosewhodidn’tholdgang membership),theaudiotrackwith80shitsfrom LaskoviyMayandMirage,theyouthPioneer uniform,thefashionandinteriordecor-these everydayaspectsoflifeareportrayedexactlyas myparentsandgrandparentsrememberthem

Eventheactivitiesofthegangs,their hierarchiesandprinciplesarebasedonthe operationofrealgangsinKazanduringthefall oftheSovietUnion Thisisbecausetheseriesis directlyinspiredbyjournalistRobertGaraev’s recentbook,TheBoy’sWord.CriminalTatarstan 1970-2010s Garaevwashimselfapartofagang duringthe80s,andinhisbookheinterviews otherex-gangmembers,prosecutors,police officers,andresidentsofKazanduringitsmost potentcriminalperiod,whichisoftenreferred toasthe“KazanPhenomenon ”

Andasfortheseries’appealtomygeneration, Iwouldhavetopinpointittothefascinationof thesecretpast Thesettingofthe“commie-block” apartmentsandtheeternalwoodenschool desksfeelsofamiliartome,yetalsosofar removedfromtherealityofmychildhood To thinkaboutgrowingupduringatotally differenttimeandregime,duringwhichtheway tosocializeforteenagerswastopledge allegiancetotheirgangsandbattlefor

controloverthestreetsintheirtownseems unfathomabletome.Thisseriesistheimageof everythingthatmyparentshavetoldmeabout theirchildhoods-andnow,theirmemoriesseem morevividthanever

ButSlovoPatsanaisnotonlycentered around asenseofnostalgia;itisactuallyquitethe opposite Theseriesportraysunspeakableactsof violence,murderandimprisonment Yes,there aremomentsoflaughterandlongingforyour childish,sillynature,buttheplotlineisfarfrom childish,withthecharactersdealingwith themesofbetrayal,death,mentalillness,abuse, camaraderie,familyandmore

SlovoPatsanabridgesthegapbetweenthe generationsthatgrewupduringtheSoviet Unionandnewergenerations,likemine,who barelyexperiencedtheremnantsoftheold society.Butmostofall,theseriesportraysthe horrorsandinjusticesthatmanyyoungpeople enduredduringPerestroika, wherethe consequencesoftheyouthgangs ledmany livesastray.SlovoPatsanaisalessonoflove, friendshipandaction,andthereisnoother pieceofcinemathatIwouldrecommendmore Пацанынеизвиняются.

TheChicken

NatalieLake, Scripps‘25

TheChicken,ashortfilmweighinginata petiteruntimeof15minutes,isnevertheless denselysaturatedwiththecomplexemotions thataccompanywartime,familydynamicssuch assiblingandmother-childrelationships,and thedelicatebalancebetweenlifeanddeath, amongotherthings

ReleasedintheUnitedStatesin2014by BosniandirectorUnaGunjak,thefilmissetin 1993inGunjak'shometownofSarajevo,Bosnia andHerzegovina(althoughtheactualfilming tookplaceinZagreb,Croatia) Threemembersofa BosnianfamilyarethefocusofGunjak’spiece: Sabina,themother,andhertwodaughters,Azra andSelma.Selmaisturningsix,andalthough herfathercannotbeathomeforherbirthday, hesendshisloveintheformofalivechicken

Selmaisdelightedandpampersitwithricefor peckingat,wonderingaloudwhatthethreeof themwillnametheplumpbird Buttohermother andoldersister,thebird’sfateisclear:tonight’s dinner.Selmaoverhearsthetwotalkinginthe kitchenandresolvestofreethechicken,a decisionwhichhasseriousimplicationsforher family,butwhichofferstheaudiencean opportunitytoponderthecomplexvaluesystems thatinformourownactionsandbehaviors

Gunjakencouragesustoconsiderthe situation:youngSelma,onlysixyearsoldtoday, hasreceivedagiftfromherfather,whoshe presumablyhasnotseeninaverylongtimedue tothewar However,ratherthankeepthispiece ofherfathertoherself,selfishlydenyingitits chickenhood,whatshevaluesmostinhisgiftto heristhespiritandsoulofthecreatureshehas beengiven(ratherthan,forexample,her ownershipoftheanimalasapet,orthetasteof itsmeat,eventhoughitwouldbeadelicious rarityin1993Sarajevo) Hervalueofthe chicken’sautonomy,andherconvictionthatit deservestobefree,compelhertoactwiththe chicken’sbestinterestsatheart.Positioningthis actagainstthebackdropofthegruesomeand dauntingwarse hope:despitecel whileherhome Selmahasafierc actsaccordingt

Althoughtherearemanycompellingideas mthatwecantakeawayfromGunjak’sfilm,this,to e,isthemostimportant:nomatterwhata sperson’ssituationisinlife,thereisgenerally omewaytomakeamorallyrightdecision However,itisinterestingtonotethatthe edesignationofa“morallyright”decisiondepends yntirelyoncontext.Iwon’tspoilanythingfor ou,butIrecommendthatyouwatchTheChicken ayourself,asGunjakillustratesjusthowcomplex “morallyright”decisioncanbe,andhowtwo tthingscanbeatoncerightandwrong.Andif hatisn’tcompellingenough,here’sa ttantalizinghint:Selma’sdecisionoffreedomfor ahechickenisnotthelastdecisionthatismade boutthebird.

ONEDAYIN Kazan,Tatarstan

SpendingjustonedayinKazan? Herearesomereccomendations forajam-packedday.

ByMiriamAkhmetshin Scripps‘26

Kazanisacity400milessoutheastofMoscowonthebanksoftheVolgaRiver Itisthecapitalofthe RepublicofTatarstan,andfrequentlyconsideredthethirdculturalcapitalofRussia Thecityis characterizedbyauniquemixofculturalinfluences,asitisalmostevenlydemographicallysplit betweenRussianandTatarresidents IncomparisontotheOrthodoxChristianpracticingRussians (IvantheTerribleconqueredKazanin1486),theTatarsareaMuslimTurkicethnicgroupwithadistinct languageandculturalpractice Kazanhasenjoyedsuccessfulinterfaithcooperationbetweenthetwo distinctculturalinfluenceswhichhavemergedtomakeKazanthebeautifulcityitistoday AsIvisit Kazanmultipletimesayear,IthoughtIwouldofferyoumywell-researchedrecommendations!While thereissomuchmoretodo,thisismyitineraryforjustonedaythatwillallowyoutohitallofthe must-seesightsofKazanwithminimaltransportation

9:00:First,startattheeastendofKremlevskaya UlitsainfrontoftheKazanFederalUniversity In operationsince1804,itisamajoreducational institutioninRussia Leninevenattendedthe Universitybeforebeingkickedoutfor“student disturbances”in1887 Thephysicsbuildingisoneof myfavoritepiecesofbrutalistarchitectureinthe city Lookingdownthestreetyouwillseethewhite Kremlinakilometeraway Strolldownthestreet, stoppinginanystoresofinterest Ifyougooneblock north,youcanalsostopbyChernoeOzero,avery niceandlargepark

9:30:StopforbreakfastatFields Oneofmy favoritepartsofRussiaistheincredible breakfastculturewithtonsofincrediblesweet andsavoryoptions Ialsofrequentlybuybread andpastriesfromFields Asisnotuncommonin Kazan,therestaurantisownedbyMuslim proprietors,soifyoucomelaterinthedaydo notexpecttofindporkoralcoholonthemenu I recommendtheirdraniki(potatopancakeswith a strikingsimilaritytoalatke)withsmoked salmon,salmonroeandapoachedegg Theyalso haveawideselectionofhomemadefruitteas,a musthaveinRussia

Kazan Federal University Physics Building

10:45:ContinuestrollingdownKremlevskaya towardstheKremlin Rightbeforetheentrance totheKremlin,youwillfindtheNational MuseumoftheRepublicofTatarstan There,you canfindexamplesoftraditionalTatarartto orientyourselfintheregion’sculturalhistory

11:45:TakeastrollaroundtheKremlin,which includesnotonlythedefensivestructurebut alsotheSuyumbikeTower Thelegendbehindthe leaningtoweristhattheTatarprincess

Suyumbikejumpedoffthetoptoavoidmarrying IvantheTerrible,andthetowerleaneddownto saveher Youwillalsofindthebeautifulblue andwhiteQolsharifmosquewithinthewallsof theKremlin Ifyouwanttogoinside,makesure youarewearingappropriateclothing!

13:00:Timeforanothermuseum!The HazineGallerymightbemyfavorite museuminKazan Inadditiontotheir interestingtemporaryexhibitions,the museumholdsafabulouspermanent collectionofTatarSocialistRealism thatincorporatesfascinatingcultural elementsintothestate-mandatedstyle

Yours truly at the Qolsharif Mosque in the Kremlin

14:00:HavelunchatCheerem(whichmeans “springgrass”inTatar)whichissituatedwithin thewallsoftheKremlinforamoderntakeon

traditionalcooking ClassicTatarfoodsinclude uchpochmak,qistibiandcuredduck,goose,and horsemeats Ialwaysorderyantikandkizdirma

Suyumbike Tower at the Kremlin

Tatar socialist realim !

15:45:Headdownthehillforastrollalong thebanksoftheKazankaRiver Youcan

strollaroundontheriverwalkorrenta

tandembicycle Youwillfindmany

attractionsandrestaurantsonthis2

kilometerstretch Stopbyforafternoontea ifyouaretired,andbesuretohitthenewly renovatedNationalLibrary

17:45:Walkthe3kmortakeaYandexGoTaxi toLyadskoySad Strollaroundtheparkand thesurroundingneighborhoodtogeta senseofcentralKazan

18:45:SitdownfordinneratArtelforfarm freshcuisinewithTatarinfluences Their menuchangesseasonally,butIcanpromise youagreatdiningexperience

20:45:Stillnottired?Youhaveseveral optionslessthanaminute’swalkaway!Goto Marusovka(greatwine),Sha(cocktailsand musicinaspeakeasysetting),ortheAkBars hockeyteam’sbelovedBeerpoint (beer obviously)forapost-dinnerdrink

??:??:Bedtime!!Getlotsofsleepafterabusyday

The naberezhnaya of the Kazanka river

TheWende:FromColdWarArmory toArtMuseum

AlexanderAssoufid, Pomona‘26

Thefirstthingthatyouseeasyouwalkinto theWende,abrutalistarmoryturnedhistory museum,isabustofLenin,coveredinpinkand bluepaint BeforeitarrivedinSouthern California,thebustwasstashedsomewherein eastBerlin,whereitwasdefacedafterthefallof theBerlinWall.Severaldecadeslateritendedup hereinsouthernCalifornia,intheWende museum

Ironically,themuseumwasbuiltina reactionarymoveagainsttherisingSoviet militarythreat Now,themuseumisfilledwith hundredsofartpiecesfromEastGermanyand othernationsfromthecommunistbloc.It showcasesthematerialcultureofEastGermany throughouttheColdWarthatexposedboth Sovietpropagandaandanundergroundculture ofcriticismagainstcommunistregimes.

Totherightofthebustisahallwaywith wallsthatarefilledwithEastGermanbookson therightandavarietyofmaterialobjects displayedontheleft Inthedisplayontheleft, thereisavastcollectionofhouseholdobjects withSoviet,EastGerman,Chinese,and communistpropagandadepictedonthem.One displaycontainedplatescelebratingSoviet accomplishmentsinspace Severalplatesdepicted Laika,thefirstlivingthingtotraveltospace, with“Лайка–первыйпутешественниквкосмос” (Laika,thefirstvoyagerinspace)writtenina circlearoundthedog

Nexttothesematerialhouseholdobjects, theWendehasacollectionofscrapbooksthat EastGermansoldierswererequiredtofillout fortheirmilitaryservice

Eachpageisadifferentsoldier’swork,where theywereabletoreflectontheirtimeinthe military Throughthesescrapbooks,youcansee thedifferentperspectivesthesesoldiershaveon themilitaryandtheregime

Attheendofthehallway,thereisa collectionofitemsfromtheJewishinformation Bulletinandsamizdatmaterialdocumenting, whichwereJewishpublicationsthataddressed theJewishexperienceintheUSSR.Thesejournals wereundergroundpublicationsthatoften criticizedtheSovietRegimeandinformedJewish peopleintheUSSRofhappeningswithinthe community TheyclearlydepicttheJewish community’srelationshipwiththeSovietregime andhowtheregimesuppressedthem

Totheright,thereisaroomthatcontainsa ccollectionofpropagandapostersandpostersthat riticizetheSoviet/EastGermanregimes OneofmyefavoritepostersisonethatcriticizestheUSSRs axpectationsofitswomencitizens.Theposterdepicts womanwithsixarmsthatareorientedinacircle aEacharmiscarryingoutadifferenttaskwiththe tmountoftimethatthewomanmustdedicatetoeach askwrittenonherarms

Atthebottomoftheposter, theartistwrote,“Свежийветерперемен?”(Thefresh windofchange?)whichissupposedtobeanallusiontoctheSovietequivalentofMaryPoppins.Thisposter oriticizestheUSSR'saimforwomentobeanequalpart ftheworkforce,whilealsohavingtheexpectation forwomentotakecareofthefamily.

Therestofthemuseumshowcasesmaterial cobjectsandworksofartthatrepresentboththe oommunistregimesacrossEuropeandtheexperiences fxcommunitiesundertheseregimes Itsuccessfullytsubmergesthemuseumgoerintotheexperiencesof whoselivingincommunistcountriesnotfromthe esternperspective,butfromtheirperspective

AnArmenianPieceofLosAngeles

AlexandraRunnels, Pomona‘25

Armenianshavebeenpartofthestoryof theUnitedStatessinceitsfounding,withmany differentArmenianethnicenclavesspringing upoverthecenturies,especiallyinCalifornia-such asFresnoandHollywood Butsincethe 1980s,thecenterofArmenianAmerican culturehasbeenGlendale.

AsaLosAngelesCountyresident,I’ve alwaysknownGlendaletobeamajority Armeniancity However,thishasnotalways beenthecase.PriortoArmeniansettlement, Glendalewasasundowntown Sowhat exactlypromptedArmenianstomoveenmasse toGlendale?

LessthanadecadebeforeGlendale’smajor demographicshift, Glendaleresidentswere pushingbackagainstthecity’sconservative statusquo.Thistransformedthecityintoone moreacceptingofethnicminorities Further changes includedagrowingcommercial sector,aswellastheconstructionof apartments,whichmadeGlendalevery appealingtoArmenianslookingtomove

Ultimately,itseemsthatafewearlyand influentialArmeniansettlershelpedturnthe tideofimmigrationtoGlendale Forexample, manyoftheearlyArmenian residentsof Glendaleweremembersofthesamesocial circles,includingLarryZarian,abusinessman andlaterpolitician,whomovedtoGlendalein the50s,andtheShirvanians,animportant Armenianfamily

AftertheearlyArmeniansettlementof Glendale,theflowofaffluentArmenians taperedoff TheArmenianimmigrantsofthe 1980shadcometoGlendaleforafreshstart–meaningtheyhadverylittle Thisruffledthe feathersofthewhite residents,whowere watchingthecitytransformbeforetheireyes Theyfoundthehousesof wealthyArmenians garishandwereupsetbythe “overpopulation” oflessaffluentArmenians Althoughthese twogroupsdidn’thavealotincommonwith eachother,thescornfromthewhiteresidents helpedArmenianimmigrantsofvaried economicstatustocreateaunitedidentity

Today,Glendaleasacityisunquestionably Armenian ThereisaconsistentArmenian presenceonthecitycouncil,andthemain streetsholdArmenianrestaurantsand bakeries.ManydifferentArmenian-American organizationswereborninGlendale

Lastsemester,theRussiandepartment tookatriptoGlendaletoeatatKhinkali House,aGeorgian-Armenianrestaurant As wedrovethroughthecity,wenoticedan Armeniangenocidememorial Weparkedon ArtsakhAvenue,arecentlyrenamedsection ofMarylandAvenue Therestaurantitself wasincredible.Everyoneenjoyedthe khinkali(Georgiandumplings),whichare therestaurant’sspecialty Theirkhinkalis areavailableinbeef,cheese,and mushrooms,andpatronscanchoose betweenboiledorfried Theyalsoserve manydifferenttypesofmeat,andvarious Armeniandishes,suchasdolma Weallhad anincredibletime!

Europe:Nota FashionParadise

Yaroslav (Yarik) Boriskin, Pomona’26

AlthoughIamnotthatold,inthatshorttime Ihavelivedforanextendedperiodin4different countries:Russia,theUK,theUS,andFrance.As thosecountriesaredifferent,soaretheir cultures,languages,andfashionchoices While culturesandlanguagesmaybedifficulttojudgeor assess–asthefruitsofcenturiesofdevelopment–fashionchoicesareaneasiertarget Letmetellyou this(youprobablyalreadyknowthat):the Russians,theBritish,theAmericans,andthe Frenchalldressupdifferently,andsometimes they’realmostopposites BeforeIstartmy mercilesscritique:IhavetosaythatIamneithera fashioncriticnoradesignmajor–butIhaveeyes.

Let'sstartwiththeRussians Beingassociated withcommunismfortoolong,theRussianstyleis bothcoldandpotentiallydangerous Imaginea14year-oldwalkingaroundinblack,withoutahat, at-10degreesFahrenheit Thenmultiplythatbya couplemillion,andyougetcontemporaryteenage fashioninRussia Ifyou’veseenthoseRussianmusic albumcoverswith20-storyapartmentbuildings thatbarelyhaveanylightoverwinter,it shouldn’tsurpriseyouthatRussiansarenotbig fansofcoloringeneral,soanyonewhowearsit willbelookedatweirdly

WhenyoumovetoWales,whereIspentthebest twoyearsofmylife,youdonotreallygetto anythingvastlydifferent.Ifitrains75%ofthe year,yougetusedtoWellingtonboots,coats,and hats However,eventhissmallnumberofitemscan allowsomemaneuveringasyoucanmatch differentcolorsandpatterns.TheWelshare significantlymoreopentotheideaoffashion liberty,sowheneverIworemyhatpatternedwith smallducksalloverit,Igotonlycompliments!

ItshouldnotcomeasashockthatwhenI movedtoCalifornia,mymindwasblownbythe varietyofclothesandcolorsatmyfingertipsand thatIcouldwearwithoutfeelingweird.Allthe RickandMortyandSnoopyshirtsIboughtcould onlybeworninsunnyCalifornia Sadlythe5C campusesleantowardsthemundane:mostlyIsee boringpeopleinboringsweatpants,boringcaps, andboringT-shirts Butlet'stakethemoststylish Scrippsstudentsandthinkofthemasourfashion representatives;onlythencanCaliforniabecalled mypersonalfashionparadise

WhenImovedtoFrancetostudyabroad,I realizedthatalltheboldLouisVuittonclothes onlyexistforsomewealthyAmericantobuy. Frenchpeopleabsolutelyhateanythingthat standsout Oneday,Iworeayellowblazerwith orangetrousers–allthepassengersoftheParis metrowerestaringatme.Later,Iwastoldthatthe Frenchpreferneutralcolorslikeblack,beige, brown,andwhitetoavoidbeingtoodifferent

So,despiteEuropebeingfun,weallshouldfeel luckytobeatthe5Cswherewecanwearwhatever wewant–althoughthefashionchoicesofcertain CMCstudentsshouldbesubjecttopublicdebate

FightingPutinfromClaremont: WendyLower&her RelationshipwithUkraine

InterviewbyAlexanderAssoufidPO‘26,editedbyVictoriaBrooksPO’24

WendyLower,nowDirectoroftheMgrublianCenterfor HumanRightsandtheJohnK RothProfessorofHistoryat ClaremontMcKennaCollege,cites1991asthemomentshetruly begantodevelopaninterestinUkraine WhileLowertraveledthe SovietUnionasanundergradin1985-86,itwasn’tuntilgraduate school,thefallsemesterafterUkrainianindependence(Aug 1991), thatshebegantofocusonUkraine Lowerwastakingaseminaron thehistoryoftotalitarianismandreadingscholarshipon StalinismandNazism,theHolodomorandtheHolocaust,allwhile witnessingthecollapseoftheSovietUnionfromafar

Inthesummerof1992,aspartofhermaster’sthesisinhistory, LowertraveledtoUkraine Sheremembersthecountryatthistime asthe“WildEast” Therewassufferinganddisarrayinthecollapse oftheSovietempire,fromseverehyperinflation,crumbling infrastructure,rollingblackouts,nogas,emptyshelves, widespreadsupplychainissues,lawlessnessandstreetviolence ButLowerdidnoticeanunmatchedhospitalityamongthe population,anembraceoffreedom,loveofcountry, resourcefulness,richlylayeredintellectualandfolkloric traditions,humor,anddeliciousandfestiveculinarytraditions Lowerstayedwithahostfamily,whowouldlaterbecome,asshe described,anextensionofherfamily HerhostmotherClaudiawas Jewish,aHolocaustsurvivor,andmarriedtoaBelorussianwho alsosurvivedthewarasachild TheylivedinZhytomyr,Ukraine, whichwasnotonlytheSS’seasternheadquarters,butwasalso historicallyRussia’sPaleofSettlement,whereTsarinaCatherineII concentratedtheJewishpopulationtorestricttheirmovement exploitthemeconomically InZhytomyr,Lower researched originalGermandocumentsfromtheNazioccupation

Lowerfoundthatpeopleweresoeagertotellhertheir stories–fromforcedlabortodeportations,fromfaminetothe murderofJewishclassmatesandrelatives–thattheywouldknock onherdoororcometoheratthearchives Lowerwasproviding Zhytomyrwithanoutletfortheirpreviouslysuppressedtrauma andtheyrespondedintroves,wantingtosharewiththeworld HerprofessorinDCtoldLowertoseriouslyconsideradoctoral dissertationonherfindings,andwithafewmorereturnvisitsto Zhytomyr,Lowerfinishedherdissertationin1999,andpublished NaziEmpire-BuildingandtheHolocaustinUkrainein2005

Overthedecades,asLowercontinuedtoresearchand publishonUkrainianhistory,shealsohelpedfoster intellectualexchangebetweenUkrainianandWestern European&NorthAmerican scholars,andchampioneda new,criticalwaytoapproachquestionsaboutUkraine anditshistory AcrossUkraine,Lowertaughtuniversity seminarsontheHolocaustandtheNazioccupationof Ukraine ShealsohelpedestablishprogramsinJewish history,modernhistory,andHolocausthistory More recently,asLowerhasseentheemergenceofanew generationofUkrainianactivistsandintellectuals,she hasalsogrownworriedaboutRussianinterferencein Ukrainianaffairs

Whenthewarbrokeoutin2022,Lowerimmediately lookedforwaystosupportUkraine.First,shecontacted friends&family,includingherhostmotherClaudia, nowelderlyandalone Tryingtoflee,Claudiastoodfor hoursatthePolishborder,butwasforcedtoreturnto Zhytomyr,whereshecrouchedinherbathtubtothe soundsofsirens Afewweekslater,Claudiafinally crossedtheborder NowsettledwithhersoninMunich, sheisadjustingtolifeawayfromherhomeland

Duringspringbreak(mar 2022),Lowertraveledto BerlintomeetwithdisplacedUkrainiancolleaguesand witnessedwithherowneyesthestreamsofrefugees, includingmanyorphans,flowingintothecity.

Backoncampus,Lowerorganizedeventstoinform peopleaboutthewar,includinginvitingUkrainian journalistAnnaRomandashtospeakatCMC Loweris currentlyteachingaseminaronUkrainianhistory, whichtracesthenation’sstruggleforsovereignty and deconstructsPutin’sargumentforthewar

Throughouthercareer,Lowerhasdevelopedadeep connectiontoUkraineanditspeople,anddoeswhatshe cantokeepitaliveandsupportUkraine’sfreedom

TheTuzlaIslandConflict(2003)asa PrecursortotheRusso-UkrainianWar

HudsonSchneider, Pitzer‘27

InthetumultuousnarrativeofRussoUkrainianrelations,thedramaticeventsofthe Russo-UkrainianWar(2014-present)werenot thegenesis,butrathertheculminationofa seriesofstrategicmovesandcalculated aggressions.Whiletheworldfixatedonthe2014 annexationofCrimeaasthewar'sofficial beginning,therootsofRussianexpansionism hadalreadyburroweddeepintotherichblack soilofUkrainiansovereignty Tofully comprehendthegeopoliticalcomplexitiesthat emerged,itisnecessarytogobacktoaseemingly inconspicuousepisode–theTuzlaIsland conflict

OnSeptember29,2003,Russiabeganan attemptedtakeoveroftheislandofTuzla Seeminglyovernight,theTamanPeninsula,

locatedalittlelessthan5kilometersawayfrom TuzlaIslandontheRussianside,was transformedintoaboomingconstructionsite. Russianworkersbeganbuildingadamoffthe peninsula,aimingtoconnectTuzlaIslandwith mainlandRussia.

SimultaneouslyRussianstatepropaganda begandisseminatinganti-Ukrainianpropaganda TuzlaIsland,theyclaimed,wasnotlegallyan island,butwasRussianterritory,asithasnever beenpartofCrimea,andthereforedidnotform partofUkrainein1991 Ukrainiansoldiers rapidlyreacted,fortifyingtheislandand threateningviolentactioniftheconstruction continued,whichwaslikelythecauseofthe mysterioushaltofRussianadvances

ThemotivesbehindthisattemptedRussianannexation weretwofold Whileitonlycommandsamere2.1squarekm, TuzlaIslandislocatedinakeypositionattheentranceof theKerchStrait WhoevercontrolsTuzlacommandsaccess totheSeaofAzovandsubsequentlytheshippinglanes, tolls,andrichoilandgasdeposits Moresignificantlyfor Russia,controloftheStraitoffersinvaluableaccesstothe BlackSea,servingasaspringboardforRussiatoinsertits militarypoweracrosstheMediterranean,theMiddleEast, NorthAfrica,andsouthernEurope.

Besidesthestrategicadvantagesprovidedby controllingTuzlaIsland,theRussiantakeoverofTuzla wouldmakeapoliticalstatement In2002,acommonNATOUkraineActionPlanwasputintoplace,markingthesteps neededforUkrainianNATOadmittance Thefollowingyear UkrainianpeacekeepingforcesweredeployedtoIraqand Kuwait,sidingagainstRussiaintheIraqwar Twomonths latertheattemptedconquestofTuzlaIslandbegan, offeringUkrainiansagrimwarningabouttheconsequences theywouldfaceifwesternizationcontinued.

Thisearlyskirmishoveratinyisland,obscuredin atheannalsofhistory,actedasthesilentovertureto symphonyoftensionsthatwouldcrescendointo 2thefull-blownRusso-UkrainianWar.OnFebruary22, Y014,UkrainianprotestersoustedPresidentViktor oanukovichinwhatbecameknownasTheRevolution fDignity Theseprotestsweretheconsequenceof hYanukovich'sstrengtheningtieswithRussiathrough isrefusaltosignapoliticalassociationandfree rtradeagreementwiththeEuropeanUnion.Russian etributionforYanukovich'sdisposalcamehardand lfastwiththeannexationofCrimeaameresixdays water.Unmarkedsoldiersreplacedtheconstruction orkersofelevenyearsearlierandRussiaagainblastedpropaganda

JustasTuzlawasclaimedtohave ineverbeenapartofCrimea,Crimeaitselfbecame“an tntegralpartofRussia''thatwaswrongfullygifted oUkrainein1951

FromPomonatoPetersburg:

AnInterviewwithValentinaMichelotti

Colin:First,tellmeabitaboutyourcollegeexperience,andyourexperienceworking withVestnikandgoingabroad.

Valentina:Sure!ImajoredinEnglishoveratPitzer,andImajoredinREESatPomona.I astudiedabroadmyjuniorfall,inPetersburgwiththeAmericanCouncilsProgram,and ffterthatIbecamemoreinvolvedintheRussianandGermandepartments,andthena ariendandIactuallyservedastheco-editorfortheVestniksenioryear;that'skindofmy cademictranscriptatPomona.

C:Verycool Iwasalsowonderingaboutyourexperienceasa Fulbrightscholar-yourprocessofapplyingandyourresearchfocus

V:IstartedtheprocessunderProfessorAzamatJunisbaiatPitzer

Oneofhisassignments wasactuallytowriteamockproposalforapplyingtoFulbright Atthetime,Iwas cinterestedintheintersectionbetweenlanguageandnationalidentityandAzamathada ontactattheAcademyofSciencesinAlmatywhostudiesthatverysamequestion

In2015,Kazakhstanwasactivelydebatinganorthographicswitch-changingtheir rlanguagefromtheCyrillicalphabettoaLatinoneandhadmyriadreasonsfordoingso.The teasonsweremoresymbolicthanfunctional,representingamoveawayfromRussiaand nowardtheWest,especiallyconsideringthechangingdemographicswithinthecapitalcity: RowhometoalotmoreKazakh-speakingpeople,whereasitusedtobeapredominantly ussian-speakingcity

Iwasinterestedinchartingthewaythatpeoplethoughtabouttheirownnational tidentity,howtheysawlanguageasarepresentationofthatidentity,andwhatthey houghtofanorthographicshift.Symbolically,thisshiftwouldmeanalot,butmaterially itwouldactuallymeanalotmore

Changingthenationalsignageofacountryandallof itseducationalmaterialsisamassiveundertakingbudget-wise,butalso,atacertainpoint, renderspartofthepopulationfunctionallyilliterate

Ibecameveryinterestedinthis Fdebate,especiallyitspracticalandsymbolicelements,andappliedfortheresearchgrantee ulbrightpositioninKazakhstan

ThoughCentralAsiaisnotthetypicalFulbrightdestination,itwasagreatopportunityIwasaffordedasanundergrad

C:That'sreallyinteresting,I'veseenthenewLatinscriptforthespellingofKazakhstan(Qazaqstan),andIsaw ProfessorJunisbai'spresentationonitatOldenborglastsemester

V:Yeah,it'sawholething

ThelongandshortofitistheyearafterIleft,theyactuallypassed theresolutionwiththealphabetthateveryonehated

C:Wow,interesting

IknowyouvolunteeredwithDetiPeterburga,couldyouexplainaboutthemissionofthe organizationandthevolunteerworkyoudidthere?

V:DetiPeterburgaisavolunteerorganizationbasedinPetersburgthatprovidessupportto childrenofmigrantlaborers.It’sprimarilyfocusedonschoolintegration,buttheyalso providemoregeneralfamilyservices,like informationregardinglanguageaccess,healthcare support,andmanyotheraspectsofintegrationintoRussianlife

Theprogrammodelissetupthroughплощадки,whicharebasicallyanylibraryor communitycenterthatallowsthemtohosttutoringsessions Theseплощадкиfunctionasa tutoring/daycarecenter,andeffectivelyaplacewhereimmigrantfamilies,usuallywith children,canconvene,shareinformationandgetadvice

Theплощадкиaresetupintheimmigrantdenseпригород(theoutskirtsofthecity).Though thisisgenerallywherelabormigrantsaresettled,it’susuallynotbychoice Oftenit’seither closertotheworksitesor theforemenincontroloftheirdocumentsplacesthemonthe outskirtsofthecitysothatthey’reoutofthepubliceye.Thelocationoftheплощадки,but moreover,theimmigrantdenseneighborhoods,arenotaccidental

First,I’llexplainwhytheseплощадкиaresetup Bylaw,allchildreninRussiahavetheright toenrollinschool,andtherighttopubliceducationregardlessoftheirdocumentation status Inpractice,however,immigrantchildrenareoftenexcludedbyschooladministrators, whotakeadvantageoflackofknowledgeaboutthislaw,orperhapsalanguagebarrier,to preventordiscourageimmigrantparentsfromenrollingtheirchildreninschool.Subjecttests thatRussianschoolchildrenhavetopassbeforemovingtothenextgrade–inRussian,math andEnglish–alsopreventchildrenofmigrantlaborersfromhavingequalaccesstoeducation Evenimaginingthataschooladministratoractsingoodfaith,ifachildfailsanyofthesetests duetoknowledgeattrition,ornerves,orlanguagecapacity,theycanagainbeexcluded Deti Peterburgaprovidestutoringinthosespecificareas,sothatbythetimethenexttestcomes around,thestudentisabletotakethetestandpasstothenextgrade,soattheveryleastthey canbeenrolledinschoolandcatchupfromthere

IfirstgotinvolvedinDetiPeterburgawhenIfoundaflierforalawfirmattachedtothe organization,andIwantedto learnmoreabouttherightsoflabormigrantsfromCentral Asia AsIhadspenttimeinKazakhstanayearprior,I learnedalotaboutlabormigrant remittances,soseeingthisflierpiquedmyinterest,andIbeganvolunteering Iwouldshowup ataплощадкаtotutorstudentsforacoupleofhourseachweek.

Originally,Idealtwithyoungerkids,providingsomebasicRussianinstruction.Astime Ewenton,moreteenagersstartedwiththeorganization,andIhelpedthemstudyfortheir nglishexaminations

Ihadafull-timejob,soIcouldn'treallybeoncallliketheother bvolunteers,whoweremostlyfull-timeandverydedicatedtothecause.IdidwhatIcould asedonmyavailability

Schedulingtutoringsessionswasmademorecomplicatedbecausethedocumentation bstatusandthelivesofthesechildrenwerequiteprecarious,manyoftheirparentswere eingconstantlycheckedbyauthoritiesandwereworriedaboutdeportation Onetimea ostudentdidn’tshowuptoclassandnoonecouldgetincontactwithhim.Later,wefound utthathewasdeportedwithoutusknowing.

Youcanimaginethedifficultythatthesechildrenfaced,tryingtopasstestswhenat pthesametimethey'refacingsuchlegaluncertainty.itmakesyouwonderwhereyour rioritiesare

Thatbeingsaid,IwasabletoprovideEnglishandRussiantutoringwhentheyneededit, therestisuptotheirparents,theorganizers,andunfortunatelytheRussianstate That's prettymuchtheoverviewofwhatIdidthere.

C:That'sprettyamazingworkthatyoudid.IguessIdon'tthinkmuchaboutmigrantsin Russia,moreaboutmigrantsintheU.S Whydotheadministratorsofschoolsnotallow thechildrenofmigrantstoenroll-isitjustaformofdiscrimination?

V:Yeah,youhitthenailonthehead.LikehereintheU.S ,andinmanyotherplaces taroundtheglobe,Russiansocietyandpoliticssufferfromracismallthesame,and hereareconsistentnarrativespromotedbythemediaabouttheplaceofmigrantsinsociety

Therearelawsplacedandpolicyleviedagainstthem,andthey'reoftenthepolicyscapegoatsformanysocialills AsintheU S.,lessattentionispaidtothe fcircumstancesthatforcedthemintothisdifficultposition,andalltheemphasisis locusedontheconsequencesofit.ThemigrantlaboreconomyinRussiaisoneofthe Pargestaroundtheglobe;theyarethe“unseenpopulation”inthebiggercitieslike etersburgandMoscow Moscow'sofficialpopulationis13million,but ifyoutake intoaccountmigrantpopulation,it’scloseto20million Migrantsarebroughtinby cmostlynefariousactorswhowillpromisethemajobcontractandhousing,butthen onfiscatetheirpassportsothattheyhavetotalcontroloverthem andcanexploit themforlabor

Thereisamultitudeofresearchonthis,especiallyfromtheearly t2010s,butithasmostlyfadedintothebackgroundduetomorerecentevents,suchas hewarinUkraine

However,thesemigrantsstillrepresentalargepartofRussian csociety,andarethesubjectofatrueinternationalaffair,asmanypost-Soviet ountries'economiesdependonthem

SeniorInterviews:Victoria,Claire,&Carolina

ConductedbyMariWoodworth, Scripps‘25

VictoriaBrooks,Pomona

VictoriaisaREESminorandhasbeentheArt DirectorofVestnikfor3years.Hereshe reflectsonsomeofherexperiencesand memoriesintheRussiandepartment.

Mari:WhatmadeyouinterestedintheRussian program?

Victoria:Inmysenioryearofhighschool,Itook aRussianliteratureclassformyEnglishelective. WereadCrime&Punishment,AnnaKarenina, andabunchofshortstoriesandnovellasby Tolstoy,Chekhov,andPushkin Itlitafireinme andmademewanttolearntheRussianlanguage Somuchislostintranslation;Iwantedtoread theoriginaltext So,asafreshmanatPomona,I decidedtotakeRussian1.Theprogramwassuper welcoming,andlearninghowtoread,write,and speakinclasswassofulfilling LearningRussian gavemeaccesstosucharichtraditionandI foundmyselfamongsuchfunpeoplethatIjust keptgoing!

M:Arethereanyexperiencesorstoriesyouwant tomemorializeinVestnik?

V:Atacertainpoint,wehadtwoJacksonsinour class,sotherewasпервый(first)Jacksonand второй(second)Jackson Justlike “thing-one”and“thing-two.”Itwasalittle dehumanizingbutprettyfunny Andtherewas alsoКомандабольшаясобака(TeamBigDog) It wastheteamnameweusedtoplaygamesinclass; thepeoplewhowereinthatconversationclass willknowmoreaboutit Everyonewasobsessed withКомандабольшаясобака,anditjust

becameathing Itwasabigdeal,aбольшаяdeal

M:WhatdoyoudotokeepupyourRussian outsideofclass?

V:Iliketolistentomusic–Кино,Аквариум, ДурнойВкус,amongothers Ialsoliketowatch TV It’sroughbecausealloftheRussianshows wereremovedfromNetflix,butyoucanstillfind waysotherwaystostream.Therewereafew goodpsychologicalthrillerslikeМетод,whichI startedwatchingfreshmanyearandwhich becamea“comfortshow”forme–despitethe slightlydisturbing,serial-killercontent Itfeels likethrillerTVshowssomehowfollowthe legacyofRussianpsychologicalnovels,likeCrime &Punishment.Serialnovelsthen,TVseriesnow, broachingthesamesubjects;it’sacoolparallel M:Whatwillyoumissthemost?

V:Ithinkthepeople Ifeellikethat’sabasic answer,butit’sreal.I’vemadesomeofmyclosest friendsandmetsometruekindredspirits throughmyRussianclasses

ClaireTiunn,Pomona

Claireisanotherfixtureinthedepartment asco-editorofVestnikandRussianLanguage Partner.ShewillgraduatethisSpringwith adegreeinREESandPolitics.Thefollowing areherthoughtsabouthertimewiththe Russianprogram.

Mari:WhatmadeyouinterestedintheREESmajor?

Claire:Well,Iusedtoplaythisvideogamecalled Counter-Strike:GlobalOffensivewhenIwasliving inTaiwan Youplayedwithpeoplewhowere geographicallyclosetoyou,soIplayedwithalot ofChineseandTaiwanese,whomIcould communicatewithinMandarineasily.However, thegamewasalsoincrediblypopularinRussia, whichmeantthatIplayedwithRussiansallthe time WhenIcametoPomona,Idecidedtolearn RussiansoIcouldplaywithRussiansbetterinstead ofresortingtoswearwordsandGoogletranslate.

Andwhenourclassendedat9pm,manyofus wouldhangoutandchatlateintothenight

Thiswasespeciallyanimportantspacefollowing theRussianinvasionofUkraineinFebruary2022

AfterayearofRussian,Itookagapyearfrom PomonabecauseofCOVID-19andreturnedto Taiwan Istartedplayingthegameagaininmy newfoundfreetime.Afterconversingwithsome playersinmybrokenRussian,oneofthemlefta commentonmyprofile:“крутойтимейт,душевный человек,приятноснейиграть спасибозаигру ”(cool teammate,sincereperson,itwasgreatplayingwith her.Thanksforthegame).”ItmademesohappythatI couldusemylanguageskillstodosomethingI enjoy,despiteitbeingaguiltypleasureofminenow M:Doyouhaveafavoritememorywiththe programorastoryyouwanttomemorializehere?

C:InourPost-SovietRussianCultureandSociety classinthespringof2022,wehadamid-classbreak thatwasalwaysabondingmomentfortheclass

IstillfeelthatcommunitywithintheRussian programnow.Anotherfavoritememoryis Командабольшаясобака(TeamBigDog),therap musicvideo,andLarissaVladimirovna’sprotein bars,whichareveryneeded M:Tellusaboutyourthesis.

C:So,Ihavebeenfascinatedwithnationalismfor alongtime Mypoliticsseniorcapstoneisabout TaiwaneseandUkrainiannationalidentityand nationalism IlovebeingabletodoEastAsia/ EasternEuropecasestudies MyRussianthesisis aboutSHAMAN,aRussianpopnationalistsinger whoisheavilyendorsedbyPutin Heisiconicin somanyways BetweenhisWesternpop aestheticsandtunesandhisRussian

exceptionalisttexts,heisaveryinteresting characterinRussia’spoliticalandcultural landscapetoday

CarolinaGutiérrez-Tunstad, Scripps

CarolinaisanintegralpartoftheRussian program,servingasthisyear'slanguage partnerandco-editorofVestnik.Shewill graduatewithaREESmajorthisSpring.We speakhereaboutherexperienceswithinthe program,withspecialguestColinElias(who neededaplacetoeathislunch).

Mari:Whatmadeyouinterestedinthe REES/Russianprogram?

Carolina:Peopleaskmethatallthetime.IthinkI mayhavedevelopedsomesortofStockholm SyndromeafterRussian001withRobynJensen TheRobynJensentoREESmajororminorpipeline issoreal.So,Ipersonallyblameherandalsothe persuasivepowersofSashaBystrova’s conversationclassesfor startingthatchain

M:Arethereanyanecdotesyouwantto memorialize,orafunnymemoryyouwantmeto putinVestnikforeveryonetoreadforever?

C:Youknowwhat,I'mgoingtotellthestoryof theAndrodrawing.Justbecauseit'ssofunny.We wereinaconversationclassledbySasha Bystrova,andweweretalkingaboutfears She askedustodraw,чеготыбоишься(whatyouare afraidof)AndAlexanderAssoufidwasdrawing for,like,fiveminutes,andthenhepulleduphis drawing Andit'sthishorrifying,butalso weirdlyaccuratedrawingofAndroandalsoa spider.Thedrawingcurrentlyhangsinthe RussianloungeinOldenborg,andIfeelthatit reallycapturestheRussianprogram

ColinElias:CouldIeatmylunchhere,whileyou guysaredoingthis?

C:Goforit,Colin

C.E.:Dope

M:Anyhopesanddreamsforthedepartment afteryougraduate?

C:SoIhopethatmorepeoplemajorsothatthe departmentdoesn'tdie Myotherhopes?Ijust hopethatpeoplestillkeepbeingsillyandgoofy intheRussianprogram Because,let'sbereal,the sillyandgoofyisalargepartoftheRussian programexperience Ialsohopethatthenext languageresidentiscool,and,like,notaboy becauseIdon'tlikeboys.

M:Anyfutureplans?

C:Intermsofpostgradplans:workforsomeone whopaysmemoney Sucharetheplans Imean, look,I wanttogotolawschool,butI’mtakinga yearofftoworkbecauselawschoolissuper expensive Whowouldhavethunkit?University inthiscountrybeingexpensive?

C.E.:YoucouldbelikeObama.Didyouknowhe wenttolawschool?

C:Right,somyoptionsarecurrentlyminimum wageworkorbeinglikeObama Спасибо,Colin, fortheadvice

M:Anyfinalenjoyablememoriesyouwant toshare?AnyadviceforfutureRussian students?

C:Myfavoritememoryiswhenwefilmedthe Russianprogramrapforaconversation class lastspring-becausethatwastrulymy greatestcreativework Thatwasmy magnumopus AndIdon'tthinkI'llevertop it.Nothing Ieverdowillbeasgoodasthat. Intermsofadvice?Idon’tknow Takeaclass withKonstantine,

withДядяКостя,atyourfirstavailable opportunity,becausethismanisessentially aPomonaCollegeurbanlegend,andIfeel thatitisinyourbenefittoknowhim If nothingelseforjustforyourownpersonal edification Otherthanthat,Idon'tknow howI'vegottenthisfarinthedepartment I'mjustkindoflike,traipsingmyway throughlifewithmysillylittlejokesand myseeminglypoorstudyhabits Butthey've gottenmeprettyfar

REESCOURSES

FALL2024

Russ1:ElementaryRussian|MW10:00-10:50;TH8:10-9:25| Battsaligova

Russ2:IntermediateRussian|MW11:00-11:50;TH9:35-10:50| Battsaligova

Russ187:EverydayLifeintheUSSR|TH1:15-2:30|Battsaligova

RUST100:Tolstoy,Dostoevsky,Chekhov|TR,2:45–4:00| Klioutchkine

GOV173cCMC:RussianPolitics|Monday2:45-5:30pm|Appel

SOC072:HiddeninPlainSight:ColonialismintheUS&USSR| MW1:15-2:30|JunisbaiandSteinman(PERMonly)