An event called “Learning Russian through Songs” was held in the Alumni Room, in the Union, on Nov. 11 at 2 p.m.. Camila Davletshina, a senior majoring in history of art, held a presentation that taught students about Russian culture as well as some Russian words and letters. The song played was “Not Gonna Get Us” by t.A.T.u, which was first released with the title “Nas Ne Dogonyat” in 2002.

Students learned how to say this line as well as write and pronounce some letters. The group could not get through all the letters though, because they could not learn 33 letters in one hour. However, the students did learn that two of these letters aren’t technically pronounced, but change the tone of how you say the word. The students also looked at some Russian candy, pins, lotion, fridge magnets and pamphlets of certain areas in Russia.

Ryan Glanville, Coordinator of International Programs and Recruiting and International Student Advisor said, “Students should take advantage of the unique programming opportunities that International Education Month provides. It is a great way to experience other cultures without needing a passport. The students, faculty and staff who present at these events volunteer their time to share their culture. It is important that the WLU community attend the events to ensure the continuation of international programming on our campus. There’s something for everyone, from language learning workshops to cooking demonstrations and cricket matches. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of these workshops and try to attend at least one during the month of November.”

If you are not familiar with the song, but the Russian duo sounds familiar, you might have heard their more popular song, with 281 million views on Youtube, called “All The Things She said.”

“Not Gonna Get Us” was chosen for the presentation, because this song was played during the opening ceremony of the 2014 Olympic games in Sochi, making the lyrics feel more competitional. The original meaning of the lyrics are about running away from people, because they don’t understand their love. However, according to an interview in June of this year, Lena Katina and Julia Volkova are no longer in a relationship and are taking on solo careers.

Davletshina said, “I can’t actually think of my favourite Russian song, but let it be “Kino” by the band Victor Tsoy. I am from Moscow, the capital of Russia. The nature of West Virginia reminds me of the nature of Russia a bit, but it’s much colder in Russia.”

Remember to take a break and go to a student event. To see upcoming events go to West Liberty’s Activities Calendar.