Syedyshev Oleg
Syedyshev Oleg

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Humorous Essays Based on students' memories

"All have died
except for those who are alive, and those whom we remember"Confucius

Essay 20. #118 Group

If to be logical, this is the story with which I should have started my memoirs about student life. At least this story had to be the second after the essay "How I Became a Student". Initially there were groups which studied the English, German and French languages. While the groups were formed, it was found out that there were some students from remote villages and some, who for various reasons were not taught any foreign language at school. There was made a decision to form a # 118 Group, half or which was supposed to study English and the second half - French, though their courses were started from the alphabet. Valya Timoshenko was, for example, from a village where there was no a foreign language teacher at all. Zhenya Romashov had finished school fifteen years before entering the institute in a small town formed around a spirits producing factory in Kirgizia; they both were in the group, let's say, on the legitimate basis. Though how did Oleg Syedyshev, who had in his school leaving certificate Excellent in a foreign language, happen to be in the #118 group? Or the very Arkadiy Bliakher from Kishinev? Or Vagram Agadzganyan? Or Tatyana Yanchilina, who lived and studied in the center of Kemerovo? Or Valera Kaigorodov or Kolya Kovalchuk? They both were from Kemerovo.

Mysterious are the ways of the Lord...
I believe one does not have to be Solomon to make a conclusion that practically all students from #118 group were united by one common characteristic - adventurism. Yes, adventurism. Just ask me now, how I dared to go to the Dean's Office to ask to move me into #118 group? I hardly will be able to give an answer. Though I went there and even was not scared by the fact that a copy of my school leaving certificate was in my personal history file. Through logical speculations I come to the conclusion that #118 group was a bunch of slyboots. I am not saying that it is bad. All of us had original way of thinking, and we were quick in uptake. Except us there were also other "slyboots", who wanted to study in that group, but we turned to be more agile. I stressed out the word to make it clear that: no, we were not smarter, but more agile and brighter, if you like it. Everything happened like at a train station: "those, who were not in time, were late!"
How else would you interpret Nadezhda Svechnikova's words: " ... I read your sketches and regretted that I had not studied in your group, you told about things in such a fun way". Judge by yourself, dear readers, how her words should be understood.
A proof of the unique group thinking is a student group photo album, which was made before the spring examinations in our second year in order to receive "excellent" in English. We made that album practically by whole #218 group. The Foreign Languages Department liked it very much, and all of us got excellent grades.

Though the most important thing is that I liked the album very much too: I put my whole sole into it then, so I just stole it from the Department! I repent of that!!!

Reference for those who want to look through the complete album → student photo album

july 10, 2011

© Copyright: Oleg Syedyshev, 2012
Publishing licence #21202100571

Translated by Viktoria Potykinato content ↑


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