Interview with Head of Educational and Social Work Department Valeria Korolyova about Increased Scholarship and Self-realization

More than one thousand students are involved into extracurricular activity at Moscow Polytech. They are engaged in creativity and volunteer activities, try themselves on stage and in media production, participate (and win) in sports competitions and tournaments, become laureates in major city- and All-Russian competitions and festivals. However, Moscow Polytech sees its current task as attracting more new and bright students. For this purpose, the University offers new extracurricular activities, helps students with self-realization and supports them in all the endeavors.

What does extracurricular activity bring to Moscow Polytech? Is it possible to turn a hobby into a profession? How to realize oneself in creativity? We spoke about this and much more with the Head of Educational and Social Work Department Valeria Korolyova

A separate large-scale association of social activity is “Polytech Media”. Students fr om the media center are engaged in coverage of the events and are responsible for creating interesting and useful content in their social networks. The “Polytech Media” team has journalists, videographers, editors, copywriters and many other content makers. Is it possible to join the team if you are not very good in writing or photographing, but you wish to develop oneself?

Yes, it is possible. There exists even a special school, the school of “Polytech Media”. The beginners are trained there with fundamentals and get assistance in understanding the specifics of the association’s work. The activists of “Polytech Media” are inviting famous journalists for master-classes. At different time, a correspondent Maria Nikolayeva of Channel One program “Good Morning”, a journalist and producer of “360” TV channel Ekaterina Filimonova, among others, presented to the students.

Master-classes are also conducted for operators, designers, SMM specialists and other content makers with professionals and graduates fr om Moscow Polytech. It is real to gain useful experience during the work in “Polytech Media”. For journalists, this is a real practice. They learn to work with information: to find, process and disseminate. But for students of other fields of study such an experience also helps to comprehensively develop. It is great to be a universal specialist. At the media center, the students may try themselves in a role of a universal specialist: to take pictures at events, to write articles and edit video footage. The main thing is to keep up with everything. You can come to us and make a statement about yourself. We always accept everyone. And if a person cannot do anything, we shall by all means train him. According to the law of extracurricular activities at Moscow Polytech, when a student comes and declares his desire we cannot refuse. Every student will find his place in our big family called extracurricular activity at Moscow Polytech.

And have there been such cases when hobby and an extracurricular activity became a future profession for a student?

Of course, there were such examples. Some graduates (alumni) currently work and star at various shows, including on Channel One. Our university has even released future news anchors. Here, at Moscow Polytech, students tried themselves in this profession, inspired and continued developing in the sphere of media.

Have these guys come from “Polytech Media”?

From “Polytech Media”, “Creative Workshop of Moscow Polytech” and other associations. That is great that we assist people to understand their calling. There is such a phrase: “Do what you like, and you won't work a day in your life”. This worked out with them.

The life and “cuisine” of “Creative Workshop of Moscow Polytech”

“Creative Workshop of Moscow Polytech is a team with a long story. Students are engaged in staging bright performances and often take part in Moscow Polytech’s events. Who composes the repertoire and based on what is it done?

The team is headed by Vladimir Evgyenyevich Udovyk. Vladimir Evgyenyevich, being a principal director, selects repertoire, as well as produces everything from beginning to end. The team also has an administrator, who helps with organizing the events and administer the work of the team. As a rule, this is an employee of the University.

But the students often take on some leadership responsibilities and help with organizational tasks. It works as a tandem: principle director cooperates with the head of the Department of Cultural and Mass Work, who supervises the creative activities, students are involved in all the activities: active and responsible guys often help director and combine organizational activities with creative ones.

Are team member opinions taken into account while composing the repertoire?

Yes, in general, everything works in the same way as in professional business: the director is composing repertoire and sets on performances, the students participate in discussions and bring in something new. The students for the director are plasticine. And from this plasticine, the director sculpts “figures”, creates art.

Is it possible to get the lead role if you are a beginner?

It is possible as the desire sometimes is no less valuable than skills. But it is also important how the students understands the material, feels the scene, fits the type for his role , and, of course, a drop of a talent is of importance.

I spent my student years at the “Creative Workshop of Moscow Polytech” as an actress. Of course, it is not always easy. In my practice, there were cases when I got one of the main roles. This happened mainly due to my great desire, which spurred me to work hard, learn new, and improve. Therefore, only desire is not sufficient: in order to achieve the desired you will have to work hard, to plunge headlong into what you are doing. Submerging deep into work I strove to feel my role, work through the text, and prepare for the performance. And when we see such an attitude of our students to the scene, the desire to develop, achieve their goals, we understand a lot about them as of personalities and we try to help them to open up.

How to get into dancing at Moscow Polytech?

What one should do in order to join the famous team “Free Dance Family”?

“Free Dance Family” is a team with a long history, and it is not easy to join them. “Free Dance Family” are the winners of various international, All-Russian dance championships. Still certain skills, abilities and honed technique are important. The team «Free Dance Family» performs at professional championships, sometimes with professional dancers in the same categories, and it is necessary to demonstrate the professionalism. Therefore, one may join the team after undergoing selection. The selections take place in September, when the freshmen come. The guys study choreography, and those who manage, join the team. However, one should not get upset. We have the events wh ere the guys with the basic level can perform.

Which dance clubs can students join with a basic level or as a beginner?

We have a dance club based on a dormitory. This is an absolutely open club: employees and students may join it. There usual dance lessons take place. The guys come, warm up, learn and dance bundles of different dance styles. All this is on a voluntary basis. No one is watching how you attend training sessions. You just join the lessons when you have this opportunity.

In addition, we have a “Dance Laboratory”. This is the youngest dance team at our University. As well, one can practice dancing in “Creative Workshop of Moscow Polytech”. These teams are rather different, but the requirements to the technique and skills are not so strict, and everyone will definitely find something for themselves.

And how to get there?

You may write to the head of the Department of Cultural and Mass Work Diana Chudosai via social networks. She will establish communication directly with the team, will send the schedule and add one to the chat. Moreover, of course, you may write to the “Extracurricular Activities Poster of Moscow Polytech”.

Is it hard to combine intensive training in the team and studies?

Many students combine studies, work and training. All depends on the desire. At my times, I also combined several extracurricular activities, I managed doing so, and I liked it. Sometimes, I had to sacrifice my free time, but I acquired a big family and friends, and a team here.

Driver’s License for steering a yacht

One of the most unusual clubs is a yacht club. Is everyone who expresses interest can join or there exists a certain list of skills, which a student should demonstrate?

Everyone, who expresses interest, is accepted. This is a school. A student is provided training in this school, receives a license and may steer a sailing yacht. This is similar to obtaining a driver’s license. First, you learn theory and take practice, but as a result, you get an opportunity not to drive a car, but to steer a sailing yacht. However, this is not available at every university. At our university, this is a rather popular trend. Within an academic year, the student take training, but the most interesting and exciting part is waiting for them in summer.

Where the students can find further information about teams and clubs?

They can find it at the website, but not about all of them. You can read more about teams, associations and clubs in the “Extracurricular Activities Poster of Moscow Polytech”. For students, we also publish information and announcements about events, talk about new areas. This year and last year, we had active coverage of creative and public directions. Now, we are focusing more on sports and science.

From idea to implementation: how do students establish their clubs?

Can initiative students having interesting ideas organize their clubs?

Of course, we have such practice. For example, Board Game Club. It was born out of a student’s idea, who liked playing table games and wanted to spend his days off in the company of the same kind of amateurs. We helped with premises and some organizational tasks, and launched the club. The same way, the we founded the “League of Intellectuals”. The guys got excited about the idea of creating quizzes and intellectual games for students. In fact, such examples are multiple. One just need to declare himself. If this resonates in the hearts of young people, then we are all for helping to realize this idea within Moscow Polytech.

And how does this happen? A student is looking for like-minded people and turns to you? Or, you help a student in finding a team?

It happens in different ways. Sometimes, student come and share their ideas. They may not have friends or assistants for the project. In this case, we help them to find interested guys, they form a team and start working on a product result. It happens that the guys come as a formed team with a ready product. We assist them in organizing and starting the work of a club. There are different cases, but in all of them we get involved and help to the extent, it is possible.

Who do students turn to with their ideas?

Many students write to me personal messages, many of them come in person, knock the door and state their idea from the doorstep. However, a single channel via which one may contact regrading extracurricular activity is the “Extracurricular Activities Poster of Moscow Polytech”.

Is it also possible to ask in the “Poster” about any other club, to sign up?

Yes, sure.

About field events at the “Polyot” center

Some clubs and associations arrange field events at the “Polyot” center. Why is “Polyot” a magnet for students? What is so interesting there?

This is the place for creativity and creative work. Here, students develop new projects and products. They have an opportunity to disconnect from all the noise that haunts them usually in Moscow, to immerse themselves into the atmosphere of privacy and concentrate on work.

This looks like a camp shift.

Yes, in practice this is such a three-days camp. Performances are also rehearsed here. In Moscow, the guys do not always have an opportunity, but here from morning till night they are always at rehearsals and some master-classes. They are also offered lunch, dinner, breakfasts, and they have morning exercises. For social activists, various trainings are also available, including around gaming techniques. In general, we have many student associations, those who go to the “Polyot”, and, the most important, after that, they demonstrate real results. The guys return to Moscow already with certain developments: whether with staged performances, or with a written concept.

And how can you get there? Do you need to distinguish yourself somehow?