Through My Eyes, In My Words:

The New Russia and the Old: Russia and Latvia

Taught by Vera Brusentsev, visiting assistant professor of economics and business, and Valeria Sajez, visiting part-time instructor in foreign languages and literatures

Beth Ponder of Collegeville, Pa., is a Marquis Scholar. Her majors are biochemistry and an individualized, interdisciplinary major in cultural biomedicine. She is the recipient of a Goldwater Scholarship, the premier undergraduate award of its type in the fields of mathematics, science, and engineering. Ponder plays saxophone and flute in Lafayette musical ensembles and was a founding member of the Mock Trial Team. She's a member of the McKelvy House Scholars program, in which about 20 students of high academic achievement and promise reside together in an historic off-campus house and participate in shared intellectual and social activities. She is also a member of the campus chapter of American Chemical Society.

As we made our way onto Red Square, it started to snow. The flurries added to the already building excitement and anticipation of the countdown to midnight. I couldn't believe we were going to ring in the New Year in Red Square, an historic square that has played a long and complex role in the history of Russia.

After having a dinner of traditional Russian dishes, champagne, and caviar while enjoying a panoramic view of the Moscow skyline, we made our way out to the square. Security was tight, but the guards and metal detectors were soon forgotten as we entered the festivities of the square. Standing on cobblestone and surrounded by famous landmarks such as the Kremlin, St. Basil's Cathedral, and Lenin's tomb, we waited and tried to take in everything around us. Lights, monuments, and people surrounded us on all sides. At midnight we watched fireworks over St. Basil's and danced arm and arm with Russians and other visitors all congregated in the square.

New Year's Eve on Red Square was just one of many amazing experiences I had on the interim abroad trip to Russia and Latvia. Our trip included visits to three contrasting cities of the former Soviet Union: Moscow, the capital city of Russia and center of trade and business; Saint Petersburg, the more western Russian city near the Baltic Sea, famous for its artistic and academic population; and Riga, the capital city of Latvia, a city re-emerging and rebuilding its cultural and social roots after years of Soviet occupation.

We explored the rich history and culture of these cities as well as the economic transitions of Russia and Latvia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Some of the most meaningful experiences were our interactions with the people living in Russia and Latvia, including our tour guides and the people we met through excursions to universities and exploring the cities in our free time. While textbooks and museum placards provided us with facts about these countries, personal interactions and observations of daily behavior provided us with a better understanding of what it means to be a Russian or Latvian citizen. I'm glad that in addition to having an intense educational experience, I had the opportunity to make new friends from Lafayette, Russia, and Latvia. Although the trip was short, I had an amazing time.

My trip to Russia and Latvia was the second interim abroad trip I took through Lafayette. My two trips (including China in January 2002) allowed me to explore regions of the world I might never have visited on my own. The interim sessions I spent abroad immersed me in remarkable cultures that could never be fully captured or experienced in a traditional classroom setting, making the experiences I had in China, Russia, and Latvia all the more valuable.