Fall Fest 2016
Last Friday, the Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian studies (CREEES) held its annual fall festival, celebrating the cultures and languages of the region. Through food, songs (even karaoke), and games the festival connected the classroom to a festive environment--and the students were the main contributors.
Students, faculty, and staff filled the hallways of Burdine’s second floor waiting in line to sample Slavic fare, an array of homemade potluck dishes and store bought goods generously provided by Borderless European Market, the new East European delicatessen in town. Inside the room, people stood shoulder to shoulder holding plates of food while the sound of conversation and music filled the air.
As the festival’s participants (mostly students of Slavic languages at UT), they recited poems, sang songs, and made dishes related to the culture they are learning about. This year, the festival opened with a performance of Dr. Pesenson’s Advanced Russian language students singing a rock version of the Russian national anthem. In between performances from students, the audience participated in trivia that was organized and hosted by graduate students Brenda Gonzalez and Quinn O’Dowd. Categories like “Tennis/Defectors” challenged the crowds’ knowledge of the region’s defectors and tennis players alike.
A highlight of the festival was a performance from Jasmine Hashemi. She played the Neapolitan Song by Tchaikovsky on the violin to a captive audience. Lucy LeBlanc, a student of Polish really went out on a limb reciting a poem in Hungarian.
It is easy to say Fall Fest was a success, but participating at the festival embodied the liveliness of studying language and culture: professors and students engaging in friendly conversation, tasting authentic food staples, and being a part of a community that is bonded by love for the East European region.  We can’t wait to see what the follow up event entails, but we hope you’ll join us for CREEES Spring Fest!
