In an interview, Oleg Zorya shared his vision of the mechanisms for professional development and patriotic education of the youth of Russia, which have developed due to work experience in public youth organizations and associations, the Public Chamber of the Nizhny Novgorod Region and activities in the regional branch of the ONF.
Oleg Zorya - 27 years old, Chairman of the All-Russian public youth organization "Students of Russia" (studrossiya.rf). Born in the city of Sarov, Nizhny Novgorod region. In 2011, he graduated from the UNN. Lobachevsky, Faculty of Finance with a degree in Banking. Banking". He began to engage in social activities at the university, then was elected to the Youth Parliament at the Legislative Assembly of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, then joined the Russian Youth Union. From 2009 to May 2015, he was the head of the Nizhny Novgorod regional organization of the RSM. In 2015, together with a team of like-minded people, he created the Students of Russia Organization, where he entered as a deputy chairman in charge of regional development. June 20, 2015 was elected its chairman.
- Tell us about the main goals of the organization. How can an ordinary student join you?
Our goal is the comprehensive development of students, the creation of opportunities for their self-realization. Our task is to bring up a generation of educated, purposeful, strong-willed, enterprising, talented young people with a professional approach to solving complex problems, who love their city and their country. To do this, we create conditions for students to participate in events aimed at their professional development and further employment, as well as form a student community in which young people communicate with each other, increase their social capital, develop strengths, learn to work in a team and achieve results. We are a grassroots student organization with a focus on educating individuals. And each member of the "Students of Russia" team is a personality that can captivate dozens or even hundreds of young people.
It is worth noting the principle of the work of the all-Russian organization. At the federal level, we collect successful regional practices of student projects and initiatives, ensure their inclusion in federal areas of activity and broadcast throughout the country. It often happens that the guys have bright eyes and have ideas, but they do not know where to go and do not know how to ensure that their ideas are supported and helped to implement. We provide administrative, program and methodological support to our regional branches. We train the activists in the mechanisms of interaction with authorities, university administrations, commercial and non-commercial partners. As a result, the guys are turning from a simple student association into a strong regional team that organizes not only events at the level of their university, but also city, district, and even federal projects. For example, in Kursk in 2015, with the support of the team of the Kursk regional branch of the Organization "Students of Russia", the youth forum "Kursk Bulge" was held, and in 2016 this event is already planned as one of the federal projects of our patriotic direction. Students who have completed the school of life in our organization easily find work in local government, promising companies and leading media. If necessary, we contribute to their successful employment.
Students learn about us from our regional representatives, mainly through events and social networks. We are already actively cooperating with Crimean Federal Universities, Southwestern State University, Dagestan State University, Yelets State University, Vyatka State University and many others. If a student does not find an answer to his questions at the university, he can contact us directly through our website or social media accounts. Depending on his interests and goals, we offer participation in one of our programs. For example, just last week a student of the Moscow Institute of Humanities and Economics approached us with a desire to jointly develop the student asset of her university. Now she is undergoing an internship at our Central Office, learning the skills of strategic planning, business communications, building relationships between students and the university administration. Then we will jointly develop a work plan and a program of events for the new academic year, we will coordinate the guys on organizational issues.
We implement all the initiatives that come from students into our federal programs and involve partners in the public and non-profit sectors for support. For example, a girl from Crimea approached us with the idea of creating a federal student media holding. Almost every university today has media centers and student media, but they are not integrated with each other, and so the girl proposed the structure of such a single student information space. Now we are jointly preparing this concept for consideration by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Another example is the All-Russian Student Forum, which will be held in Rostov-on-Don from 3 to 6 September. We are organizing one of the forum venues, Pobeda-70. At it, the guys will be able to present their ideas, get mentoring support and the opportunity to implement their project at the federal level. We will select 10 best youth practices in the field of patriotism and include them in the All-Russian network of patriotic centers that we are creating.
When the guys get involved in the development of federal programs and projects, offer their vision, synergy is obtained, which ultimately gives a good result. It is important for us to reach as many students as possible so that both at the university and in their free time, young guys know where they can direct their energy, where their ideas will be heard.
"Students of Russia"- an all-Russian public youth organization that unites student councils and is focused on practical work with students. It implements all-Russian programs for the development of student self-government, sports, international cooperation, student media, volunteering, educational projects in the field of career development and student employment, development of managerial and personal competencies of student leaders, intellectual potential of students, civil and patriotic initiatives. The constituent assembly of the organization was held in Moscow on February 15, 2015. At the moment, regional branches of the Organization "Students of Russia" have been established in more than 40 regions of Russia.
You have a lot of projects and directions that almost all youth organizations are involved in - "Patriot", "Sport", "Self-government", "Media", "Good" ... The name of each is approximately clear what is meant. What is the direction "External Environment"? Tell me more...
— This is an area of work on the socialization of foreign students in Russian universities. Often they are closed on the territory of the university or hostel, do not participate in sports, creative and other events. But they, among other things, are carriers of the unique culture of their native country. Developing youth international relations, we educate students in tolerance and mutual support. After all, we are all interested that, returning to their homeland, young guys tell positive stories about Russia, share their impressions about our customs and ourselves. Today, working with this direction, we collect information about the regions where a large number of foreign students study. We will solve this issue in a comprehensive manner, we will develop methodological instructions and recommendations on how to work with foreign students on the basis of the university. There is no need to divide students into “ours” and “not ours”. Each of them is part of a large community called “Students of Russia.
- How many members of the organization? Which cities already have offices?
— The founding congress of the organization was held on February 15, 2015. We have offices in every federal district, which is very important to us. Almost immediately, guys from the Republic of Crimea joined our work. Students chose the most interesting areas for themselves and began to hold events. For example, the Week of Sports is a mass student sports festival, which hosted not only competitions, but also an educational and discussion platform on the promotion of traditional and non-traditional sports. The guys also joined the program of city holidays taking place in the Crimea. We organized administrative and methodological support. A strong representation in Dagestan - one can feel the pronounced motivation of the guys who have actively shown themselves at various educational and scientific forums, are now preparing a regional student forum.
Students from Voronezh, Ivanovo, Perm, Kursk, Omsk, Kirov showed particular interest. The guys regularly offer ideas to improve the work of the Students of Russia Organization. For example, at the Congress of the Organization with representatives of regional branches, which was held in Moscow on June 20, we actively discussed the topic of involving first-year students in student life. From many there was a proposal to make a single day of initiation into students. We have developed a program for a unified all-Russian action and are now discussing this initiative with the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation in order to receive support and broadcast the action to the regions. We are pleased that the guys show interest in self-development, offer topics in which they want to gain new knowledge. We have developed and launched an online educational course for our regional offices, taking into account these wishes. It is important for us to create an organization such that students feel comfortable with us and they know where we are all moving together. In total, at the moment we are working in 43 regions of the Russian Federation.
- Introduce the team of the Students of Russia Organization...
— Our team is not divided into representatives of Moscow and regions. We work as a single organism, and all strategically important decisions for the Organization are made by the Federal Council of the organization, which includes one or two representatives of each Federal District of Russia. I will tell you more about the central office - the head center of our organization. It is represented by the following specialists: Anna Karpukhina, Chairman of the Federal Council, who has extensive experience in the non-profit sector; Olga Berestovskaya - head of the organizational department, who works directly with the regions; Artem Tkachenko is the Project Manager of the Organization, Elena Starostina is engaged in project and program activities, Nadezhda Kobina is the Director of the Information and Analytics Department of our Organization. With almost every one of these people, I have already had experience of working in the socio-political sphere over the past five years.
- Who are the Organization's partners today?
- From the state authorities, these are specialized departments dealing with youth: the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs, Rosobrnadzor, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation. We are building relationships with the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, the All-Russian People's Front, the State Duma. We cooperate with the All-Russian public organization "Officers of Russia", the International Children's and Youth Public Organization for the Promotion of Military Sports and Patriotic Education "Association of the Knights", the Commissioner for Students' Rights in Russia A.M. Khromov, Russian Student Center. On the business line - with the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" (its subsidiary JSC "Atomenergomash"), the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs. You might think that we want to embrace the immensity. In fact, solving the problems of the younger generation is possible only through comprehensive work in all areas at all levels of government. Therefore, we are open for cooperation and build relationships with everyone with whom we have common ideas and goals.
Question about Varvara Karaulova. Why does an excellent student of Moscow State University from a prosperous Moscow family run away to ISIS? After all, this is not a topic of an individual student, but of all our youth, which, it seems to me, does not find meaning in modern society, but is looking for it on the side. This is a challenge to our society. Are we able to counter the black meanings of ISIS with white meanings?
- I agree, there is a problem of the lack of ideology among the youth, and in the country as a whole. And this is a very serious danger that turns us from a country with a great history into a simple community of people living in the same territory. Unlike the Islamic State, which has clear fundamental goals, beliefs and principles, thanks to which, unfortunately, they manage to attract fanatical followers, increasing their numbers. I am absolutely sure that the girl was not looking for evil meanings. She did not go to cut and kill, but to build a "bright future", because most likely this is what the recruiters told her about. And having returned to Russia as an “agent of influence” of ISIS, this sweet girl would begin to promote his ideas among the student youth. This is much worse, so thank God that she was turned back in time. For all of us, this is a sign of what will happen if we do not think about ideological bonds that can bind our society, revive the power of our country and educate a young generation of active patriots. Any state, like any organization, rests on people. These people should be a cohesive, strong team moving towards the same goals. Then they have a chance to survive. Through projects and programs implemented by the Students of Russia organization, we set ourselves the following goal: to unite the young people of our country into a single all-Russian team, an ambitious team of active patriots who are professionally related to work, completely different in their needs and interests, but by all means wishing to contribute to the development of their native cities, regions and beloved country.
Interview prepared by Alina Zharashueva, photo: Press service of the organization "Students of Russia"
Do you think that having received a higher education, you will immediately become in demand in the labor market? But employers need initiative, active, aspiring people with management and organizational skills.
Do you think that you will begin to actively “show yourself” after studying at a university, but now it is only important to study, study and study again? But the formula for career and life success is made up not only of excellent knowledge of subjects, but of the ability to translate your dreams into reality. This is not taught in class.
Do you think that you will start making business contacts after your studies, when you start working? Maybe. But you need them now. They will help you both in finding a job and in building a career. And in general, in life, the one who has a wider social circle and richer experience of interacting in various situations with different people achieves greater success.
You do not know why extracurricular work is needed within the walls of the university? And what does it give useful to you personally? By participating in extra-curricular life, you will gain invaluable communication skills and attract attention. The life of the largest universities and institutes is not limited solely to study and recreational activities. All sorts of traveling seminars, scientific conferences, excursions and meetings with interesting people fall into the same category.
Do you think that extracurricular activities will not affect your career trajectory in any way? A serious hobby can become a matter of a lifetime. Many well-known showmen, musicians, and athletes were given the road to life not by a specialist diploma, but by classes in student sections and circles. Perhaps it is participation in KVN teams, a student theater or a university musical group that will determine your future fate.
Do you not like everything in the system of teaching, university management, work with students? Would you like to make student life brighter and more interesting? Would you like to change the world around you, or at least a small part of it?
Would you like to find your calling in life? or you do not know where to direct your creative energy?
Would you like to become the best in your business, find like-minded people and achieve success?
You do not know where to gain experience in negotiating, drafting documents, holding events?
The solution to all these questions is student association. It is student associations that are the institution, the laboratory where the personality of a young person is formed, the necessary leadership qualities, the ability to work in a team, identify the main problems and find the best ways to solve them are acquired.
Not only your career, but also, without exaggeration, YOUR life depends on how you show yourself now, during your studies!
student association is a voluntary association of university students with the aim of jointly solving issues to improve the quality of student life. Such an association gives them the right to take part in the management of the student life of the university and use the opportunities for self-realization and development. Student public associations operating in accordance with the Federal Law of May 19, 1995 No. 82-FZ (as amended on July 20, 2012) “On Public Associations”.
Goals and objectives of creating student associations:
- creation of a set of conditions conducive to self-determination and self-realization of the individual through inclusion in the socio-cultural environment;
- the formation of students' practical skills and abilities in the framework of their professional activities;
- identification of the creative and managerial potential of each student and its implementation through participation in the work of student associations;
- assistance in the implementation of socially significant youth initiatives;
– preservation and development of corporate traditions of the university.
Student associations build their activities on the following principles:
– voluntariness student participation in
– consolidation university students in order to jointly address issues to improve the quality of student life;
– targeted activities of student associations;
– consistency activities of student associations.
– partnerships in the interaction of student associations and the university administration;
– equality all members of the student association;
– electivity governing bodies of student associations;
– publicity activities of student associations;
– openness in the activities of student associations.
"The Student Council is the main form of student self-government and ensures the interaction of all student associations of MGSU. The Student Council unites students of all levels of higher education (bachelor's, master's, specialists and graduate students). The Student Council should have representatives of the student councils of all MGSU institutions. The student councils of the institutes MGSU should be representatives of students of all levels of education, training for which is carried out at the institute.
Student communities in the United States have been around for three centuries. And it's not just interest clubs. In the so-called "brotherhoods" and "sisterhoods" are the best of the best, the color of the nation and its future.
History of appearance
The tradition of creating student communities appeared in the United States along with the first universities. They were called "Latin societies" because the abbreviations of Latin letters were used as the name. The first such organization was the Flat Hat Club (F.H.C.), whose most famous member was the third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, although in one of his letters published in November 2010 by The New York Times, he called membership in the society meaningless.
The other oldest Latin fraternity was the Please Don't Ask (P.D.A.) group. The future American politician John Hiff tried several times unsuccessfully to break into both fraternities, which united the young intellectual elite.
On December 5, 1776, at the College of William and Mary in Virginia, he created the first "Greek" student society, Phi Betta Kappa, of which he assumed the presidency.
Since then, the use of a combination of two or three Greek letters as the name of communities has been a tradition. In this regard, the phrases "student fraternity" and "Greek society" have become synonymous. Often the abbreviation hides the secret motto of the brotherhood.
The first "sisterhood", called the Adelphic Society (today Alpha Delta Pi), appeared only in the middle of the 19th century, in 1851, at Georgia Wesleyan College. And from the beginning of the twentieth century, many men's societies began to accept women into their ranks. And if initially "sisterhoods" were created as opposed to "brotherhoods", today they sometimes unite, so now the term "brotherhood" is freely used both in relation to organizations of boys and girls.
Rite of passage
To be inducted into a community, one must first be approved by the members of that community. Talented athletes, excellent students, future leaders are those to whom interest is shown. But all these qualities instantly fade if there are no wealthy parents behind the candidate. Who you are and who your family are are the most important criteria for joining the student elite. An important role is played by the ability of a potential candidate to pay membership fees, which range from $ 2,000 per semester and beyond, the amount includes accommodation in a special, “Greek”, hostel and meals.
Becoming a "sister" is somewhat more difficult. In addition to all of the above, a successful candidate must have an attractive appearance.
But back to the rite of passage itself. Each community holds a so-called "hell week" - a hellish week, during which candidates for membership undergo a series of tests. Some of them are quite acceptable: an interview, a demonstration of knowledge of the history of the community, its traditions and values, checking that the candidate meets all the requirements. But among others, there are extremely wild tasks that are more like torture: walk naked around the campus, pour sour milk on yourself, spend the night on the cold floor in the basement in your underwear.
There is a legend that during the initiation into the Yale Skull and Bones community, candidates had to drink blood and tell the audience about their sexual preferences. Cruel rites are considered the most dangerous and frightening part of the "Greek" life, being the cause of terrible incidents, which sometimes even end in death.
So, in 2008, during an initiation into the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, an 18-year-old freshman from California Polytechnic University Carson Starkey died. Carson was forced to drink several bottles of strong alcohol, among which was 95-degree Everclear.
The young man fainted, and the members of the club decided not to take him to the hospital, so as not to incur problems. After the incident, the "brotherhood" was closed. But such stories continue to appear in the American press.
Their manners
Over the past few years, the hype around student communities in the American media has not subsided: homophobic, misogynistic and racist antics, cases of hooliganism, alcohol poisoning, beatings, drug trafficking, rape - this, according to Complex correspondent Ian Cervantes, is far from a complete list of what repaired by members of the "Greek houses". Bloomberg News journalists David Glovin and John Hechinger note that since 2005 more than sixty people, mostly students, have died in incidents involving fraternities.
Such incidents have become a constant practice, and the parents of the affected students prefer not to sue the university, but with the society itself. In the early 90s, an association of three student fraternities created the Franternity Risk Management Trust, an insurance fund designed to cover the costs of incoming lawsuits. Today, 33 fraternities work with the foundation.
To control the situation, the communities themselves create certain rules for themselves. For example, on the campuses of most "sisterhoods" it is forbidden to drink alcohol. However, this law is easy to get around by going to a party with the "brothers" in the neighborhood. Also, in 44 states, hazing (in our opinion, hazing) is prohibited at the legislative level in student communities. But ritual humiliations and wild customs still exist, only secretly.
Today, journalists and analysts predict the death of student communities due to a decrease in confidence, and many universities are making futile attempts to close them on their territory - usually Greek houses exist independently from universities, being independent organizations, or in the event of another scandal they enlist the support of their influential graduates.
Why is it so important to be in "brotherhood"?
According to The Atlantic journalist Maria Konnikova, 18 of the 44 presidents of the United States were in fraternities. William Howard Taft, Secretary of Defense under Truman Robert Lovett, media tycoon Henry Luce, both Bushes, current Secretary of State John Kerry - all were members of the already mentioned Yale University Skull and Bones Society, and even Jen Psaki, known in Russia for her pearls, studied in that Yale University, was a member of the Chi Omega sorority.
The statistics relating to this issue are, in principle, very tempting - 42% of all US senators and the heads of 85% of large companies in the states were in "brotherhoods".
Professor Alan DeSantis, in his book Inside the Greek W: Brotherhoods, Sisterhoods, and the Pursuit of Pleasure, notes that only 8.5% of US students are in fraternities, and they are the first contenders to rise to the top of power. So who would turn down the opportunity to be among the future political and economic elite?
In the modern view, a member of the community is the ideal student. He is successful in his studies, he attends the loudest parties, participates in organizing the best events at the university, knows interesting people. An image that fits perfectly into the notorious "American dream". Membership in the student community is even indicated in the resume when looking for a job, and the company will be more favorable to such a candidate.
A member of the "Greek house" will never disappear. After all, one of the basic rules of any student society is to “pull up” your own. There are no "former brothers".
