This is an archived page. Images and links on this page may not work. Please visit the main page for the latest updates.

 
 
 
Read my book, TEACHING BEAUTY IN DeLILLO, WOOLF, AND MERRILL (Palgrave Macmillan; forthcoming), co-authored with Jennifer Green-Lewis. VISIT MY BRANCH CAMPUS AT INSIDE HIGHER ED





UD is...
"Salty." (Scott McLemee)
"Unvarnished." (Phi Beta Cons)
"Splendidly splenetic." (Culture Industry)
"Except for University Diaries, most academic blogs are tedious."
(Rate Your Students)
"I think of Soltan as the Maureen Dowd of the blogosphere,
except that Maureen Dowd is kind of a wrecking ball of a writer,
and Soltan isn't. For the life of me, I can't figure out her
politics, but she's pretty fabulous, so who gives a damn?"
(Tenured Radical)

Sunday, November 28, 2004

UKRAINIAN UNIVERSITY DIARIES



"26-11-2004 05:12 Maidan-INFORM
Protest at Ministry of Education


A protest rally has been held today in Kiev in front of the Ministry of Education. Students have formed columns by their colleges: Kiev-Mohyla Academy, Kiev Polytechnical Institute, Shevchenko National University, Aviation University, KNEU, Bogomolets University. More than ten thousand students have gathered by the Ministry building on Peremogy Ave.

The youth started demanding to talk to the Minister Kremin’. However the Minister didn’t feel like coming out, so the activists had to force him to hold talks with the students. Half a hundred students managed to sneak past the guards, causing the ministry workers to ask the students ‘not to seize the ministry’. They promised Kremin’ in return.

Indeed, Kremin’ has appeared in a few minutes. He had to listen to the students chanting ‘Shame!’ (deservedly so). Then the students started demanding the Ministry to go on strike. However, Kremin’ countered that that wasn’t possible. He added that the Ministry however could announce a universal vacation in case more than two thirds of the higher educational institutions go on strike

Then the students began demanding guarantees that college boards won’t be penalized (for going on strike). Kremin’ has promised he’ll issue the respective decree. But the students, who know him all too well, demanded that he write the decree immediately, on the spot, in his own hand. He was given a placard to write on, a sheet of paper and a pen.

However the Minister refused to write and left - to reappear in 15 minutes with a printed resolution. However, he forgot to press his seal to it. Kremin’ was reminded about it, so that the resolution allowing every higher educational institution to make its own decision whether to go on vacation has been made valid. Afterwards the student column marched to the Dragomanov University, where the president still doesn’t dare to strike. Having spooked the president, the column made its way to Maidan (Independence Square), where the resolution has been announced from the tribune."