There’s no doubt that cultural clubs are inextricably connected to the way that diversity is ever-fostered in the liberal arts fashion on our campus. Each corner of the world whose culture is brought to Lawrence makes campus life a little more kaleidoscopic — and a lot more colorful — than it was before. One group lending a hue is the Lawrence University Russian and Eastern European Club (LUREE). LUREE treasurer junior Miranda Kirsche-Follmann described the club as a laid-back environment dedicated to appreciation for Slavic culture, with a focus on promoting visibility and celebration for Lawrentians of their nationality or heritage.
Kirsche-Follmann’s introduction to Eastern European culture came about by chance as she scanned the list of literature-related courses as a first-year student. The course ‘Russia’s Erotic Utopia’ caught her eye. Looking back, she declared it fondly to have been one of her most “magical” experiences here at Lawrence and pinpointed it as the moment her free-fall down the Russian and Eastern European “rabbit hole” — and causally, that of our own LUREE — began.
To Kirsche-Follmann, LUREE and other cultural clubs are not only agents of exposure to cultures other than one’s own; she believes they are also a way to better recognize the presence of international students and/or students of a shared cultural heritage, as well as uplifting the unique and vibrant perspectives they bring to our campus. Pointing to the historical dominance of Western European culture in American and other Eurocentric zeitgeists — amplified further in recent years by instability in the region’s political climate — she recognized that, despite its overflowing richness, Eastern European culture is often less appreciated than she feels it should be.
To overcome these barriers, Kirsche-Follmann said that sharing Eastern Europe with Lawrence begins with regional pop and social culture. Over the years, LUREE has hosted a number of subtitled Slavic film nights, exposing Lawrentians of all Russian language abilities to both the classics and more modern titles.
“There [is] a sort of beauty in being able to immerse yourself in a language that you don’t understand,” Kirsche-Follmann said. “But we do our best to […] make [the Russian language] more easily accessible to the Lawrence community.”
She highlighted the importance of these nights for Russian-speaking students, saying that engaging with Russian film can help create a space for these Lawrentians to use their language in a way they may not be able to in their day-to-day Lawrence lives.
LUREE’s pelmeni lunches have been especially popular with Lawrentians in years past, according to Kirsche-Follmann. For this annual occasion, club members spend the morning preparing a “whole horde” of different kinds of pelmeni — or Russian dumplings — at International House before setting up a table outside of Andrew Commons and offering passersby a chance to try a taste of Eastern Europe. To accompany the classic dish, they often have different regional candies available to try.
Steeped in historical richness, Eastern Europe is to this day a deeply complex region, both culturally and otherwise. As a result, Kirsche-Follmann made it clear that LUREE is first and foremost a cultural club, prioritizing appreciation of aspects of Russia and Eastern Europe outside of the current political climate. Acknowledging the numerous perspectives around the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian War, she feels it “most appropriate” for LUREE, while backing up the Russian department’s commitment to Ukraine, to remain a neutral space to have open conversations about the issue.
“I am taking part in an organization that is meant to uplift a culture that is not my own, and so therefore I cannot speak to everything [about] it,” Kirsche-Follmann said. “But what I can do is […] show the rest of the [Lawrence] community that while [many of us] may not be a part of [Russian and Eastern European] culture, we can still learn about it, appreciate it and then use that information to better understand what’s going on in the world.”
Like the Slavic movie nights, LUREE is committed to finding the perfect balance between comfort and culture in everything they do. Kirsche-Follmann said that the club is more interested in sharing and celebrating culture than in taking attendance or making membership rosters. As a result, she encouraged Lawrentians to keep an eye out for upcoming club events and to reach out to either her or LUREE president senior Irina Starostin if they are interested in becoming part of LUREE — or even just swinging by a meeting or two.
“We’re just here to have fun and show off cultures that we love and appreciate that might not get the same [visibility] on a day-to-day [basis],” Kirsche-Follmann summarized.