Page 25 - 2018 August Voices

ON THE PATH

You Already Know Russian

(A Posthumous Thank You)

James Wantz, DTM

“You already know some Russian—you just

don’t know you know it,” Professor Leddusire
said on the first day of college Russian 101.
Forty sets of skeptical eyes watched him as
if he were a tame bear that could become wild

at any moment. And in fact, he did resemble a
bear. Not the big grizzly bear, but more of the
lovable brown bear.
“Everyone yawn!”

This was new. I’d heard some professors were
yawners, but rarely did they invite editorial
comment this early or openly. Some students
yawned with enthusiasm—it was an 8 a.m. class

after all.
“Now, cut off the first syllable and you have “That
your first Russian word: ya.” He wrote the means: ‘I
accompanying Cyrillic letter on the board—a want to

backwards R. sleep’ in
“Now everyone sneeze!” We did—with better Russian!
participation. “Hachoo! That is the second See I told
Russian word.” He wrote something on the board you. You

that was not readable. already
“Great! First pop quiz of the class: what is the know some
name of Dick and Jane’s dog?” Russian.”
“Spot!” a voice erupted from the back. That

“Exactly! That’s the third Russian word: spot. day was
Now we put them all together: Ya hachoo spot. fantastic.
There you have it. Repeat after me.” He lit a fire under me for the Russian language.
We did. Frankly, he could have been teaching anything

26 ONE COMMUNITY