Russia and Eurasia: Empires and Enduring Legacies
Fall, Winter, Spring, 2008-2009

Credit Policy & Requirements

  1. Full and conscientious participation; on-time completion of all readings, writing assignments, and examinations; attendance at all program activities, including films.
  2. No late essays. If you anticipate a problem, see your faculty before the essay is due.
  3. No plagiarism. If you know what it is, don’t do it. Ever. If you don’t know, ask, or read about TESC plagiarism policy.
  4. An end-term portfolio that includes all of your work during the quarter. Read: “Don’t lose or throw anything away!”
  5. A signed covenant of responsibilities and obligations.

SEMINAR: Everyone should come prepared to speak, argue, and discuss relevant themes in seminar.  Use your short response notes, taken during your reading, as a jumping off point for discussion.  The more closely and critically you and your colleagues read the assigned texts, the more effective and enjoyable will be our time spent in seminar.  Students will have short quizzes during the start of each seminar.

FILM: This is an integral and required aspect of our program.  We expect all students to come to the films on time and with a critical eye.  Over the course of our year-long study, we will view a wide array of Russian and American feature films and documentaries, a great number of which are considered classics of their genre.  Once per term students will be required to join small groups in which members will preview, introduce, and lead group discussions on a particular film of their choice.  Additionally, all students will write a short (2-3 page) critique of their chosen film.  The following library and internet resources, among others, will help you in this process:

  • Magill’s Survey of Cinema, Foreign Language Films (TESC Ref, PN1993.45.M34)
  • Magill’s Survey of Cinema, English Language Films (TESC Ref, PN 1993.45.M3)
  • Lawton, Anna. Kinoglasnost: Soviet Cinema in Our Time (On closed reserve)
  • Huffhines, Kathy Schulz. Foreign Affairs: the National Film Society of Film Critics’ Video Guide to Foreign Films . (PN1995.9F67F68 1991)
  • The Internet Movie Database (IMDB): http://www.imdb.com/

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FOREIGN STUDY/TRAVEL PROGRAMS:
Students will be able to arrange for foreign study through TESC and its consortium partners.

University of Arizona Study Abroad Program:  TESC is a consortium member of this fine study-abroad program, the main emphasis of which is study of the Russian language.  All of the previous TESC student participants in the UA program have been greatly pleased with their experience and newly-gained linguistic and cultural knowledge.  Students have several study options through UA – summer, semester, and year-long programs, as well as dormitory or homestay options.  Visit the following website and be sure to ask Pat or Rob if you’ve any further questions.
http://studyabroad.arizona.edu/display_program.php?id=55

Trek Central Asia:  Join Rob Smurr this summer as he leads a group of intrepid Geoducks to Uzbekistan’s ancient and still bustling Silk Road cities (Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara) and to still more ancient yet stunningly isolated mountains and alpine valleys in Kyrgyzstan’s Pamir-Alai Range.  This program will run during the A-term summer schedule this year (June 22 – July 26).  Two weeks of on campus TESC tuition will be followed by three weeks trekking.  Students will earn fulltime credit (8 credits) for the half-quarter schedule.  Feel free to consult Rob with any questions.

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SPECIAL EVENT:
Chernobyl Symposium and Commemoration
When:  Thursday, April 23, 2007, 3:00 – 8:00 p.m.  
Where: The Evergreen Main Campus
What:   A symposium to include guest speakers, photographs, documentary film, and live             performance of composer Roman Hurko’s Requiem for Victims of Chornobyl.

CURRENT EVENTS INFORMATION:
Students should subscribe (gratis) to the Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty daily list-serve, “Newsline” or at least to read the daily bulletins about Russia and the FSU at least once per week.   We will discuss many of the current events reported on this service during lectures, workshops, and seminars.  Please subscribe to at least the three following distinct list-serves: Russia; Eastern Europe; Transcaucasia & Central Asia, all of which can be accessed via the RFE/RL website: http://www.rferl.org

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Last updated: April 8, 2009 The Evergreen State College © 2006-09 Robert Smurr. All Rights Reserved.