BEGGARS OR BURGLARS?

By Alexander Burukin

“… Truly, it is annoying to give to them and annoying not to give to them.” (Friedrich Nietzsche)

For sure, every person living in this world has at least once in their life met a beggar. Of course, everyone has different reaction: some people give them some change, others give the go-by. But for me it’s not a usual thing, as every time I see a beggar I feel some sort of hesitation. May be I am ungenerous, but I would rather not say so. The problem comes to give or not to give.

Probably and evidently begging appeared when people began to live in groups, as they got an opportunity to ask for food being unable to obtain it themselves. And that was natural because everyone tried to survive. But through centuries that phenomenon has metamorphosed.

"Give a beggar a dime and he'll bless you. Give him a dollar and he'll curse you for withholding the rest of your fortune. Poverty is a bag with a hole at the bottom." (Anzia Yezierska)

What can we see on the streets nowdays? Today in every city and town you can observe beggars in different places: underground stations, underpasses, near churches, in every crowdy place in one word. But why are there so many of them? Answering this question we should take into account the classification of people in need.

“Is an artist much more than a beggar?” (Clara Schumann)

Erving Goffman, famous American sociologist and writer, studied this problem in the second part of the 20^th century. In his works he described different types of beggars, who were acting according to a chosen role, for example, “disabled soldier”, “an old woman” or “a woman with baby”. Every “actor” in this play selects certain attributes, like dark modest wearing or crutches to show the absence of the leg. All these things are to help to differentiate a beggar from the ordinary folks, cause their aim is to make people feel pity and guilty for their well-being. Then an action starts, in which all passers-by play their own roles by giving alms or going by.

“There are people who can never forgive a beggar for their not having given him anything” (Karl Kraus)

Of course one should admit that some people are really unable to make their living and the govemental support doesn’t make much difference. But in present days the situation has become so complicated that it is impossible to find the distinction between a real beggar and a fake one. However, I’m sure that the majority of alms-asking people are either swindlers or fallen into criminal’s hands victims. In Russia it seems that the second ones are dominating. More and more various internet sources write about professional beggars, who are “owned” to certain “beggar-managers”, who take the least necessary care of their people and beggars’ earnings. That’s why I tempt myself to consider a person vigorously yearning for my money to be a tactical burglar, who swimmingly and without breaking the law succeeds in misappropriating one’s change, which one kept to pay a fare. By the way, the average income of a professional beggar is about 40,000 rubbles per month – the normal salary of the subway driver, once reported “Vesti-Moscow”. Isn’t that a good point one should thoroughly think over before giving alms to another beggar?

“Beggars should be entirely abolished!” (Friedrich Nietzsche)

So, the matter is that something should be done with this actual problem and the sooner the better, because leaving things as they run now ruins our aesthetic and moral aspects of living. I insist on the fact, that people in need’s troubles should be solved by governmental or social structures and not by those who make fortunes by controlling beggar points.

Seven reasons not to skip boring lessons

Column by Natasha Safina

My average Wednesday and Friday mornings begin with the alarm clock shouting “bara-bara-bara-bere-bere-bere”, but I just turn it off and go on sleeping. Then I suddenly wake up. I open my right eye and my attention is grabbed not by the time, but by the words on my blanket. “Seni seviyourum,” it says in Turkish. Good morning to you, typical Student of Foreign Languages Faculty. You don’t even think you’ve missed the first period again, only the Turkish phrase denoting “I love you” attracts your half-asleep mind.

I’m not a truant. I don’t skip English grammar or Journalism course or other practical subjects. But when it comes to useless ones... like audiovisual technologies (ATO). Fancy that, the ATO’s area of study tells you about things not used for 40 years! Yeah, when I grow up and earn my first million of dollars, I’ll definitely collect that kind of the highest art. Now there is no purpose to go there. Are you sure?  You’ll see.

Actually, the stereotype that a university should give students all-round education crashed in my mind not so long ago. To prove it, let’s point out a linguistic fact: the derivation of the Latin word “universitas” means totality. So it is multisectoral educational institution, where people are prepared in different fields, which states the variety of faculties teaching their own specialists of particular area. But Russian Ministry of Science and Education doesn’t approve of that idea. That’s why about 65% of my curriculum is filled by subjects where outdated material is taught in a dull way.

I daresay every student has the same problem. During these long 2 months of skipped ATO I found out there are about seven usual excuses “to wave a kiss” to the university in the morning. Here are they:

1.     You will get bored anyway.

Erm, dear, how can you think of that, if you don’t even know what may suddenly come to you?!  That’s why here is the first tip: get ready for surprise, as every day brings something new. Possibly, you just need to look at it with your wide eyes open or from a different angle.

2.  Oh, I’d better have a nice sleep. Hey, pillow, I love you!
Alarm! You might have had a heavy overstrain. Tomorrow you go to bed 2 hours earlier, to compensate today’s 7200 overslept seconds.

3.  Audiovisual technologies? What?! I don’t care.

Actually, you should, otherwise you might be expelled. Do you want to hear a sad story about the student of Foreign Languages Faculty not having received the degree because of the most awesome discipline?  If this thought is not helpful, remember that nice spiteful gaze you received while discussing your attendance.

4. Hey, I gave New Year Resolution to stop skipping ATO.
You make me laugh really. With your character the best way is to give resolution that you’ll never break New Year’s resolution. Therefore, try to find some kind of punishment for yourself. I mean literally, no bad thoughts here. For example, you make yourself do more at that subject you’ve missed. Or compensate ATO with physical training you don’t like.

For example, I did squatting. 50 times I did and shouted out some ATO facts. When mother saw it, she thought I had gone mad. Actually, I don’t think you are as masochistic as I am in this way.

Your logic might be: “Don’t you go to  ATO? Go by sweets to and fro! ”

5.  There is always a better way to spend the time.
Just kidding! And you can do it at the university, combining your presence at ATO classes and reading that brilliant novel by Erich Marie Remark or doing English home task for tomorrow.

6. I know everything about it.

How could I miss the day you became a know-all? Poor me! This mission is really impossible, even for James Bond. Don’t stop! Broaden your horizons with the help of Google. There are always some questions left, that you don’t take in and surely you’ll need to ask the teacher.

7. That awkward moment, I feel like doing nothing.
Congratulations! You are a representative coach potato! Every minute of your life is a treasure that is not to be spoiled, while others develop themselves. I hold the opinion that laziness is not the feature of the character, but a bad habit. Try to remain motionless for about 3-5 minutes.  Right now! Stand in the middle of the room, don’t listen to music, don’t think, just breathe in and out. And then you’ll feel strong desire to take action.

All in all, as some clever man stated centuries ago, the long way to Fuji starts with the first step. In your case it is a long road to the university. My list is an example of how I have overcome all this prejudices and pretexts. You can break the habit too! Remember! An attempt is no sin - if you try you may win ;)

Survey: Youth prefers Europe

By Olga Boronina

It’s known that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. This saying is also topical in the sphere of education. 70% of young Russian people say that they want to get the education abroad and 30% say that they want firstly to get the primary education in Russia.

   The bad news is that the students don’t even mention Russia in the list of countries which have the most prestigious universities. The most popular answer is England, but the USA, Germany and India are favourable options as well. The majority of the correspondents say that the corruption is the main problem of Russian education. Some young people point out that there are a lot of subjects in Russia which are useless in the future profession and there are some difficulties with getting a job after university.  

News piece by Anna Zhukova

The cell phone is only creature to blame for my being late for work. It literally stole one life’s hour just this morning!’

This and a thousand of other excuses along similar lines flooded the bosses’ desks throughout the Russian Federation in the morning of 27 October, 2012. If you’re still wondering whether they change the clocks in Russia or not, the answer is no, they don’t.

The spring of 2011 was the last time of changing the clocks in Russian Federation. Then The State Duma decided to stop this practice and see what happens. It opened that many people liked a new law. But still in some regions people protested against innovation. They need to extend daylight hours because of their geographical situation.

This autumn deputies broke the last hope of Krasnodar region’s residents. But they didn’t take into account all the electronic technique which have this ‘clock’s changing’ in program. That turned into the hundreds of spoiled meetings, dozens of lost hours and a great students’ disappointment.

Anyway, will the tradition of changing the clocks come back or sink into oblivion depends on the future government representatives’ opinion.

Anna Zhukova,

28.10.2012

Italians in TSPU

Interview by Anna Zhukova

Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University is becoming more and more popular among the international students  these  days. One students’ group from Lisbon, Portugal came to Tula one and a half year ago. Dario Abdula Camal, 24, agreed to share his impressions of living in Russia with us.

- Hello Dario! I know you’re not originally from Portugal. What’s your motherland then?

- I’m from Maputo city, it’s a capital of Mozambique. But I lived my whole life in Lisbon, Portugal.  That's why I have two nationalities (smiling).

- I see. And when did you come to Russia for the first time?

- In 2010 I came here  to study in TSPU because my government wanted me so. I want to become a diplomat and I was told that I should study Russian and international relations in this country.

- And what was your first impression of Tula and of our University?

- Well, firstly I was shocked, because it is an ancient city and it turned out to be so small, and also because I faced a winter I could never imagine, and the dormitory’s conditions were the worst possible, but after some time I've adapted to the city and its people.

- You said, you live in a dormitory, what are the best and the worst things about living there?

- You can learn lots of different things while living in a dorm. For instance, learn new cultures, new ways of thinking, doing and living, you make new friends, and grow up as a person and human being. The most annoying is perhaps the fact that you have little privacy and the dorm conditions are not the best.

- Speaking about bad conditions, how do you like our weather? Some tourists find it severe.

- Yes! I’m definitely one of them (laughing). I love summer, that’s why I can easily say that I almost hate Russian climate.

- But except the weather conditions what else in Russia do you find completely different from your motherland?

- All the countries are completely different in everything starting with people’s characters, traditional food, the way of studying, thinking and ending with the geography, language. Everything’s different. To be honest, I don’t think I can find any similarity between Russia and elsewhere in the world.

- You’ve been to different countries, Dario. What can you say about people in Russia and in Tula in particular?

- My attitude to Tula’s residents is normal, we get on well, although I feel people here are a bit cold.

- And what about our girls? Foreigners often say Russian women are very beautiful. Haven't you fallen in love with some Russians during your stay here?

- I’d answer ‘not yet’ (smiling). I’ve travelled throughout the world, have seen many beautiful girls, so I’ve learned to appreciate true physical beauty. But yeah, they’re quite right, Russian girls are the most beautiful in the world. I think that’s because you stay here, in this cold country, just like in a fridge – fresh and beautiful.

- Thank you Dario! It was a pleasure to talk to you. Is there something else  you want to share with me?

- Nothing special. But I always advise to visit Mozambique and Portugal, just to see the difference with your own eyes.

Anna Zhukova,

25.10.2012.

Italian student study Russian at TSPU

News piece by Olga Boronina

   Italian delegation arrived in Tula on  the 29th of September (or September 29^th). The guys will spend here 3 months. Their main aim is to practice  the Russian language.

   Tula State Lev Tolstoy Pedagogical University opened its doors to welcome the Italian students. The lectures  started on 1th October. These people know that the most effective way to learn a language is  communication with native speakers. And they don’t waste their time. “Italian students speak Russian pretty  well. But Russians also want to train Italian. So, we decided to change the language from time to time. It is beneficial for the both sides” – said Maria Gorbacheva, a student of faculty of foreign languages, TSPU. The guests have been visiting Tula’s sights. They have already visited the Arms Museum and “Jasnaja poljana”. Yasnaya Polyana, famous Russian’s writer Lev Tolstoy’s estate

    Other students from Rome are visiting the University on 20th October. The return Russian visit will be done in November.  

A SUCCESSFUL SUPERSON­­­­IC LEAP OR WHERE IS THE LIMIT OF HUMAN ABILITIES?

news piece by Natasha Safina 

On the 14th of October 2012 in the network of Red Bull Stratos project Felix Baumgartner jumped to Earth from a stratosphere.

That day 8 million of people including a big heap of experts, journalists and the closest people of Felix- his mother and girlfriend stared at the U-tube online video waiting. What for? To see whether Felix Baumgartner, an Austrian BASE jumper in his early forties can make a supersonic leap.
That jump was a well-organized company promoted by Red Bull to advertise their production: energetic drinks. So he trained a lot and there were two test jumps: on the 15th of March (from the height of 21,8km) and on the 25th of July (from the height of 29,4km). As they both were effective, the promo jump was to be on the 9th of October, but then delayed because of the weather conditions. All in all, on the 14th of October Felix climbed the space of stratosphere in the capsule on a helium balloon and after 2, 5 hour of climbing the height of 39, 1 km he jumped off. As he looked down at the earth before becoming the first man to ever break the sound barrier, the skydiver remarked: "It is overwhelming. I mean, that view, and also the fact that when you're standing there, there's not a single person on the whole planet who have experienced this moment. It's unique."

In his first minutes Felix lost control of the situation, but then braced himself and everything went alright. Having survived after that dizzying tumble, he didn’t even realize, he was literally falling into the World’s Guinness Book of the Records. So he set several records at once:

1) Undertook the highest manned balloon flight;

2) Set the highest speed of freefall (1,342 km per hour);

3) Became the first man to break the sound barrier outside the vehicle.

Though he didn’t break one record! This one set by a Russian parachute jumper Eugene Andreev in 1962(4 min 30 seconds in freefall). Felix commented on that, his carrier as a “fearless Felix” is over. He will soon get married and work as a. But now there are 7 milliard of people on the Earth. And nobody knows where the limit of human abilities is. It seems we can survive everything.