RUSLAN Alternative Spring Break 2010 has created quite a bit of buzz in the media. The local newspaper in Vytegra, "The Red Banner", ran two articles about the group's visit to their town.
The first article was printed March 4, 2010 — a week into the trip. Here's the translation of the article:
Guests from America
On March 1, the first day of spring, the regional administration held an unusual meeting. Guests from the United States were hosted – 10 students from the University of Michigan with their program director Alina Makin, the head of the Intensive Russian language program at this institution.
We have already informed our readers that Vytegra is the destination for Project RUSLAN, the essence of which lies in exploring Russia beyond the tourist's trail for a deeper study of the Russian North and our national culture. But the trip's organization includes more than just these tasks. Project RUSLAN also incorporates volunteer work – providing help to the local history museum (transferring magnetic tapes in storage to digital media, translating exhibits into English), and at the local schools (conducting lessons and practice exercises).
Besides this, students will visit the region's DDT (Children's House of Crafts), the technical-vocational school, etc. The reception of the guests in Vytegra was organized by the local history museum.
The visit of the American student-volunteers to the hometown of N. Klyuev will be described in more detail in a later issue of “The Red Banner.”
-V. Terekhova
The second article was more detailed, appearing in the local paper a week after the students left Vytegra. Click here to download the article as a PDF (in Russian).
On the home front, an article about RUSLAN ASB appeared in the Spring 2010 Ginsberg e-Newsletter.
Another report is due to come out soon in the spring edition of the Slavic Scene, a Slavic Department newsletter. Check this page soon for a link to the Slavic Scene article.
New! RUSLAN ASB is a featured program in the University of Michigan LSA Undegraduate Education Newsletter (scroll down to the bottom of the page for the article).
