If I were a student today and got interested in “activism”, I would not struggle for getting a release from the army through “fake” Master’s Degree and Ph.D., I would bring forth a deeper issue – depoliticizing student life. Today’s student councils and their leaders remind me of the most undeveloped, “the most caveman” Komsomol career makers by their “square-like mentality”. In the conditions of the officially announced multi-party system and relative freedom of speech, such characters are perceived as, mildly said, strictly obsolete.
In my student years at university where I studied (Conservatory), there were 2 structures unifying the students: one was formally ideologized and politicized – Komsomol with its big and small cells, and the other – the core student council, which was called: “Student Scientific Composing Union”, it was completely apolitical and its destination was organizing scientific conferences, debates, and concerts. If honestly, we did not care about politics – whether Brezhnev or Politbureau was a good or bad one, we were engaged in work which interested us and no one disturbed us. Assuredly, honor and glory to our rector, Ghazaros Saryan, who provided that freedom, the situation might not have been that favorable in case of other – less broad-minded, less talented leader. However, the fact is that in the beginning of 1980s, throughout the years of in-depth stagnation, in the conditions of Soviet totalitarian system, the student council which I knew (which I had an honor to lead for 2 years), was more free than today, as they say, in our enlightened century.
The functioning students of the councils all buttoned up, with poor vocabulary and not going aside from “Nzhdeh” dogmas, in my opinion, play an extremely negative role both in lives of universities and the youth overall. And here I think – if our students truly comprise protest potential, why not to use it towards depoliticizing student councils? The councils are elected, is it not so? Can they not raise a wave during those elections, “wake up” the indifferent ones and chose apolitical people (even from the guys who became famous in these days), who will make the lives of today’s students brighter, more interesting. Or, is what I said not realistic?
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
