Undergraduate Olympiada of Russian

On Saturday, March 31, 17 undergraduates from around Ohio gathered at Ohio State to participate in the Undergraduate Olympiada of Russian. The Olympiada is held each year by the Center for Slavic and East European Studies and the Department of Slavic and East European Languages and Cultures at Ohio State. The participants came from Bowling Green State University and Wooster College. The judges were graduate students and instructors from Ohio State and Wooster College.

The students were split up into four groups based on their level of Russian study, from first year to fourth year.  Each group participated in the same three events, though with topics and language appropriate to their level. First, the students were asked to answer a series of questions about themselves and others. Second, they recited a memorized poem. For the final event, the students chose a topic out of a provided group and gave a presentation after a short period of  preparation.

After these three events the judges met and deliberated. The students were scored on their performance in each event. At each level the first place student was awarded a work of Russian literature and the runner-up was awarded a Russian film. All of the students from every level impressed the judges with their Russian ability, professionalism, and enthusiasm for language study.