KIMEP Times #113 July 2014

Study at KIMEP without leaving home Ken Harvey: I hope that in August the Distance Learning Center will open for students page

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KELT’s philosophy of acting

Timurlan Alagushov: “I will never quit dancing”

Jessica Lewis: “KELT is definitely not about being a star, rather, it is about working together as a team” page

Interview with a break‑dancer who is not quitting even after getting an injury

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page

independent student newspaper

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The list of inspiration How an online wish list helps Alevtina Dudnik realize all of her previously postponed plans page

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#4 (��3), july 20�4

KIMEP Times Inside a tender process

As KSA (KIMEP Student Association) holds tenders among student organi­ zations to give a party, so does KIMEP to purchase goods and services that make the life of KIMEPians better.

Tomiris Orozoeva

M

Due to major renovation, only bare walls and floor can be found on the fourth and fifth floors of the dormitory.

Shirinkhon Fayzieva

Dorm renovation improves living conditions, raises rent KIMEP University is spending over �7� million tenge this summer for a complete restoration of the fourth and fifth floors of the student dormitory and for a minor repair of the second and third floors.

Shirinkhon Fayzieva

K

IMEP is renovating the entire dormitory over this summer and the following summer. The renovation promises to improve housing conditions for students living on campus and resolve problems dorm residents have faced in recent years.

During the past winter, dorm residents complained that it was too cold in the rooms because of old windows. By the end of this summer each window in the dormitory will be replaced by a new plastic window.

“Due to many complaints received from students, KIMEP University has allocated �7�,699,632 tenge for dormitory renovation,” said Rassim Kari­ bov, deputy to the president for facilities, planning and development.

The repair process is divided

into two stages. The first stage is taking place this summer, and it focuses on the first, fourth and fifth floors of the dormitory.

Major renovation of the sec­ ond and third floors is planned for the next summer. However, those floors will get new windows and have furniture repaired this summer.

By the fall 20�4 semester the rooms on the fourth and fifth floors will be completely reno­ vated. Now all that can be found there is bare walls and floor.

The renovation means all rooms will have new windows, doors and sanitary equipment, newly repaired and painted walls, and other repairs completed.

“Over the past ten years this is the first time the KIMEP dormitory is getting such major repairs,” said Zulfiyat Almukha­ nova, director of the dormitory.

This summer, the dorm eleva­ tor also will be renovated and repaired. The elevator has not

Students who miss their deadlines now are likely to lose profit in a work situation.

ikhail Kalinogor­ skiy, director of Com­ puter & Information Systems Center (CISC) knows or more must go to the tender well the high demand for new committee for consideration. computers at the KIMEP campus. “First of all, we draw up the “Annually we make a request for technical requirements, in the purchase of equipment. In which we fully describe what we 20�2 we purchased �50 comput­ want to purchase,” says Karibov. ers and set them in laboratories In dealing with computers that at the New Building. Unfortu­ means the number of goods, nately, in 20�3 the financial crisis name of manufacturer, year of did not allow us to buy even production and model. After one-third of that.” that KIMEP announces an open Because KIMEP still has a tender in newspapers, on the In­ ternet and by e-mail. Companies tight budget, this year’s request that wish to participate should from CISC was also frugal. submit a package of documents Initially they planned to buy before a published deadline. �50 computers, but the February Students who have not learned devaluation lowered the num­ ber to �30, and then inflation to submit everything on time lowered it to 65. So after all, the should think about it, because financial department approved now you lose points, but in 9 million tenge for the purchase a work situation you will lose of 65 computers. That is the mo­ profit. ment when the tender process The next step is a meeting starts. of the tender committee. They According to Rassim Karibov, open the envelope of documents deputy to the president for facil­ submitted by each tender com­ ities, planning and development, petitor and stamp every page any request for 2.5 million tenge Continued on page 2

Where have all paper towels gone?

Alevtina Dudnik

K By fall 20�4 new plastic windows will be installed in every room. worked for some years, and this improvement will significantly affect dorm residents.

“Soon a sick student will be able to go down to the medical center for help without any diffi­ culty,” said Almukhanova.

Along with improved facil­ ities there will be some more changes relating to dorm cost and living arrangements.

In the fall 20�4 semester four floors of dormitory will be sep­ arated by gender. The third and fourth floors will be allocated to girls, and the second and fifth floors to boys.

To offset the cost of repairs, the fee for dormitory accommo­ dation will increase after the summer semester. One month of living on the renovated fourth and fifth floors will cost 30,000 tenge, and on the not yet fully renovated second and third floors, 22,500 tenge. The rooms currently cost �7,500 tenge on the third and fourth floors and 22,500 tenge on the second and fifth floors.

Newly admitted students and scholarship holders will have priority in selecting to live in the dormitory next year. Ω

IMEP University de­ clares itself an elite insti­ tution and accordingly must face many issues to main­ tain its status. However, along with educational issues such as the license for example, there are smaller, yet still important concerns. Independent research

by KIMEP Times on this issue showed that 84 out of �00 of students polled are concerned about the “paper problem,” and we are not talking about recy­ cling of wastepaper. The issue, which is bothering almost ev­ eryone, is the shortage of paper towels in the KIMEP University restrooms.

It is 8:�� a.m.; the Valikhanov Building is empty. There is no hint of students and only hard­ working women in blue uniform already do their work. However, the towel dispensers are still not full. The attempt to find out the reason was unsuccessful because the main coordinator of

Tomiris Orozoeva

“You know that I have nothing to give you, but you still believe in me” Paper dispenser the Valikhanov Building, who is responsible for loading the soap, toilet paper and paper napkins in the Valikhanov Building, was on vacation.

According to an informal survey done by the author at the territory of KIMEP University, 29% of �00 surveyed students assume that the reason of the Continued on page 2

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kimep inside out

Inside a tender process

The KSA information board usually stays empty, the only exception is the photos of KSA members.

Tomiris Orozoeva

KSA: scorecard on promises Every year during the elections the candidates to KSA (KIMEP Student Association), or simply our student government, make promises on different issues. We consider how many promises they fulfilled.

I

f you are interested in the polit­ ical life of our university, you may remember the hot battle for the position of vice president of adminis­ tration between two candidates, Kerim Nurlanov and Alina Lyubimova. They both introduced attractive election pro­ grams, but there was only one winner, Kerim Nurlanov. In his program Kerim talked about different issues related to our academic and social life at KIMEP. He was successful in implementing some of his promises.

“We could install self-automated printing device at K-Store, the library was working round-the-clock during the final exams, and the new Grill functions well—these are the things that I am proud of,” said Nurlanov. We marked the fulfilled and broken prom­ ises in his program (translated from Russian and reduced by the author).

Olga Zaitseva, the director of the library, explained why the library worked day and night only during the fall semester. If you wish to study hard during the night time in the library, you should tell that to KSA.​KSA talks to the director of the library.​The library should get a permission from the vice president for academic affairs and the Human Resource Office (because night time will change the schedule of the library employees and affect public service costs such as payment for electricity).​Only after that the library opens for you at night.

During the spring final exams the library did not work at night because there wasn’t any request from students.

Also, in the spring attendance is de­ creased as it can be seen in the library report, which records the number of visitors each hour.

Talking about the library, Kerim Nur­ lanov intended to increase the number of textbooks. That promise can be con­ sidered from different angles. Annually the library purchases a number of textbooks, although two years ago the purchase policy was changed. Before, KIMEP purchased books depending on the enrollment for the course. For example, if it was planned to open reg­ istration for 20 students for the Audit course and 50 students for the Mass Media and Society course, the library

Election program of the current vice president of administration period. The library should work around the clock, as it is practiced in the best universities of the world and as we practiced it before.  Fulfilled

Anelya Donenbayeva

Tomiris Orozoeva

I am Kerim Nurlanov from the party Birlik, a third-year student of KIMEP University running to the KSA for the position of vice president of adminis‑ tration. As a person who is studying in our university I want to change the situation that concerns all of us and offer to solve a number of problems, such as:

· I’m going to have the KSA authorities approved to monitor the quality of catering service (KIMEP Grill) through research, questionnaires and focus groups among our students.  Fulfilled · On the campus of KIMEP University there are dozens of organizations and to improve the quality of their activi‑ ties, I intend to conduct surveys about their upcoming plans sometimes. KSA should play a coordinating role and help to the active community of our university.  Breached · I will try to install an automated self-service-printing device, so we all can quickly print the needed docu‑ ments.  Fulfilled

· The lack of parking spaces. I decided to raise the issue of lower prices for car parking.  Breached

· We intend to find sponsors for KSA, as it used to be before, so we would not burden all of us.  Breached

· I intend to initiate consideration of KIMEP administration to increase the number of textbooks, because students should receive a qualitative education with affordable textbooks.  Fulfilled

· Like you, I could not get acquainted with the work of KSA. Of course there are pages on social networks, but nevertheless, many key moments have not been described for students and student organizations. I will try to change the flow of information, thereby making KSA operation trans‑ parent.  Breached

· Insufficient number of working hours in the library during the examination purchased �0 and 25 books respectively.

The policy was 50% textbooks from en­ rollment. Now, because of the increase in prices, the number of textbooks does not exceed 30 for any course.

As for car parking, Nurlanov failed to lower the prices. According to him, the car parking for KIMEP students is provided by a private company, which did not agree to reduce the price and lose profit.

Nurlanov promised that KSA would coordinate student organizations, a role that KSA had been already per­ forming. The only change this year was

the introduction of a budget quota for events, which means that not all money would be spent on parties. Concerning the last promise, KSA still does not inform students on what it is doing.

The ruling party Birlik had its own election program. Unfortunately, president of the student government Akzhol Urazalin could not find it.

KIMEP Times calls on students to monitor the activities of KSA. In our turn, we will follow the realization of their election programs. If you do not make KSA protect your interests, who will? Ω

(Continued from page �) in order to prevent late submission.

Stamped documents are given to the initiator of the tender, in our case to Mikhail Kalinogorskiy. The initiator makes a comparative table with all data and returns the documents to the tender committee. The committee dis­ cusses the participants of the tender on different questions: Does the company pay taxes? Is their business legal? Who are their customers? And many others.

The committee can invite experts to their discussion or the companies to make a presentation. If a tender relates to catering services, the committee can taste the food or even go to a café or a restaurant to see whether the participant complies with the sanitary requirements.

Then the tender committee makes its recommendation of which company to choose. Their recommendation goes to the vice president of strategic planning, development and research, William Gissy, who convenes the president’s cabinet (Dr. Bang and all vice presidents) to make the final decision. When the cabinet approves a recommended company, KIMEP signs a contract with the winner and pays no more than 50% of the money in advance. The responsible department controls the work of the company. And at the final stage a special commission checks the quality of the performed work. If everything is okay, KIMEP pays the remaining money due.

This year KIMEP will purchase 65 computers instead of �50 requested.

Structure of the Institutional Tender Committee I. Chair II. Seven members: · Bang College of Business representative · College of Social Sciences representative · Language Center representative · Administration representative · Three KSA representatives III. Contact person IV. Secretary

Good news: “This summer we will buy new audio equipment for Great Hall,” says Rassim Karibov.

“The sound will be like at world-class concerts! Also, after complaints of cold in the New Building, we are going to warm its façade.”

They will be distributed mainly among different offices and professors. The economical factors were cited as the reason to reduce the initial number of computers more than in half. In fact, devaluation and inflation together are not so harsh. When the budget committee considers the requests from all departments, it can cut the budget of some departments according to priorities. This year's priorities are the dormitory renovation and the distance learning project. Ω

Are you upset with services at KIMEP? The food at Grill is not tasty or the paper in toilets is always absent? Or maybe you have a great idea about computer labs improvement? Just follow these steps and leave your feedback to our administration.

They are open to dialog with students. Go to Student Portal​Campus Life​Support Services Division​Book of suggestions and complaints.

Where have all towels gone?

(Continued from page �) shortage of paper napkins is the neg­ ligence of service workers. Other 25% assume that we should blame students who use it lavishly, and the biggest percentage of students, about 42%, as­ sume that the reason is savings by the administration.

To find out who is right and who is wrong we held an interview with Rassim Karibov, deputy to the president for facilities in KIMEP University. Ac­ cording to his words, there was a rise in prices at the market after the devalua­ tion in Kazakhstan. However, they al­ ready work successfully on the issue of enlarging the budget. Estimated budget for the quarter to provide all of KIMEP with restroom facilities is 3 million tenge. However, “that is not that much,” argues Karibov.

KIMEP University provides students with �8 restrooms in the Valikhanov Building and eight in the New Aca­ demic Building. Not all of them are equipped with dispensers for paper towels. The total amount of restrooms equipped with towel dispensers in both buildings is �5. According to documents provided by Sembike Izmagambetova, head of superintendents, there were �62 packs of paper napkins used in the Valikhanov Building and ��2 packs in the New Building in April 20�4. Each pack contains 200 pcs, which means that there are �800 pcs of paper napkins in �5 dispensers used during one day. Is it enough for our students?

According to the registration office, there were about �740 students registered for the spring 20�4 semester in KIMEP University. That means that theoretically �800 pcs of paper napkins is enough for �740 students. However,

Lauriza Abildayeva

Rassim Karibov, deputy to the president for facilities

not all of us use only one piece of paper to dry our hands, don't we?

The moral of this very serious topic is that we all live in this society, in the society of KIMEP University. Of course, standing with wet hands and not want­ ing to blow them with hot air of a hand dryer, we can be angry at someone who does not put towels in the dispenser in the morning or berate the adminis­ tration that they try to save on us. We have such a right. However, when you happen to see those mystical napkins, which are quite costly, try to use one, because an experiment showed that it was possible to dry your hands with one cloth.

On behalf of KIMEP students, we would like to thank Zalifa Idrissova, the superintendent of the New Academic Building and the New Library, for the faithful performance of her work. Our respondents called the restrooms of just those two buildings the cleanest and the best. Ω

What do you think of our new design?

At KIMEP Times, we strive to cover outstanding issues and to bring you engaging pictures and relevant stories. How can we make KIMEP Times more interesting for you? Do you see a way to improve our new design? Please write to the editor at kristina.nikulina​@kimep.kz or leave a comment on our VK page. We’re listening.

academics 3

Study at KIMEP without leaving home Today, e-learning is a widely used tool in most Western universities. Our university is about to launch distance learning as well. Ken Harvey, associate professor from the Journalism Department, shared his thoughts on how the project is going.

Tomiris Orozoeva

Who was the initiator of the project?

I began sending Dr. Bang my distance learning proposals soon after I arrived at KIMEP six years ago, and I have provided trainings and proposals for the Administration’s consideration on a regular basis since then. Two years ago and again this year Dr. Bang asked me to chair KIMEP’s Distance Learning Committee and to draft the KIMEP DL Plan. I was the primary author last year and the sole author of the final DL Plan this year.

What results have you achieved?

So far it is mostly in the develop­ ment stage. Sholpan, Dr. Phil Auter of the University of Louisiana Lafayette, and I team-taught a Mass Media & Soci­ ety course over the Internet to students in Korea this spring to test our distance learning technology and strategy, and it went very well. The plan calls for the assistance of trained student technical assistants at each simulcast course, which we did not have this year. Nor did we have the superior equipment and facilities called for in the plan. So, considering those missing elements, it could not have gone much better.

At what stage is the project now?

We are in the process of ordering equipment and completing architec­ tural designs for the remodeling of a large portion of the basement of the Valikhanov Building that was previ­ ously used only for storage. I hope that by the time students return in August that they will see an entrance to the new Distance Learning Center between the elevators and the security desk, and that inside those doors they will find no less than two “studio classrooms” and a director’s office. Other parts of the center may have to be finished during the fall semester.

When are you going to launch distance learning?

We plan to launch some elements

Andrey Sidorin

Ken Harvey, chair of the Distance Learning Committee

in the fall 20�4 semester. But all de­ partments will need to gear up for this somewhat gradually. The Department of Media & Communications, for example, has proposed a Professional Master’s of International Journalism (Pro‑MAIJ) that would accommodate working communication profession­ als throughout Central Asia. Courses at KIMEP taught to our regular MAIJ students would be simulcast to our off-campus Pro‑MAIJ students, with video recordings placed online and/or on the L-Drive for on-demand viewing later. We also hope to accommodate these students with somewhat lower English requirements. But our proposal that was previously passed by our department is now being updated, and it will then need to be approved by the Academic Council, President’s Cabinet and the KIMEP Board of Trustees. So, during the 20�4–20�5 school year, we can begin offering some free simulcast courses and webinars without credit or some low-cost professional training in simulcast fashion, and students might be able to access recorded classes to en­ hance their understanding, but the full Pro-MAIJ program would not be able to start before fall 20�5. The Ex-MBA

program might be able to start some distance-learning classes this year, and the Language Center would like to offer some blended classes for graduate foundation English. Students would be able to attend class on campus or via the Internet, depending on their circumstances. Other programs, such as an Executive MPA program, will be developed more gradually, as described for the Pro‑MAIJ Program.

For whom is it intended?

The precise intended audience is still under discussion. My proposal is to develop a network of KIMEP branch campuses around Central Asia that would focus on graduate students and on first-year bachelor students taking General Education courses. If parents could keep their students at home one more year while they are taking Gen­ eral Education courses at a local branch campus, we should be able to recruit many more students. If we had �0 such sites and each recruited 25 students per year who otherwise would not have come to KIMEP, after four years that would be about �000 more students.

Will it be cheaper than the usual education at KIMEP? No. Courses will cost about the same. The savings will be in not having to always travel to campus and for some in being able to continue work­ ing full-time while attending KIMEP courses online.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this project?

Advantages were already covered in response to previous questions, but in short the main advantage is flexibility.

A main disadvantage is that students sometimes don’t feel as connected to their class, and there is a higher drop-out rate. However, the technology we have selected allows webcam interaction between the instructor and students, as well as text-chat interac­ tion. The instructor can have three or more people on camera simultaneously to give presentations or participate in a panel discussion. As with our Korean

Future Distance Learning Center studio classroom (above) and professional studio, which will be used for shooting and broadcasting of video materials (below) Design by Olga Malisheva

experiment, it allows participation by experts anywhere in the world. It allows professors to show PowerPoint slides or even prerecorded videos to students as audio-visual aids. And it allows us to record the classes for later viewing in case students miss the live class or in case they want to view the class a second time to enhance their understanding. This can be very valuable for students still struggling with their English skills. So, I think the strategy we have developed actually has advantages over a brick-and-mortar classroom.

In what language will be classes conducted?

It will depend on the program.

The Ex‑MBA program already offers some classes in Russian. And Ex‑MPA program might do the same. For our department, we will undoubtedly explore offering classes in Russian and/ or Kazakh, but originally we are talking

about just having Russian-speaking faculty add a �5–20 minute summary of their class in Russian. For an instructor not fluent in Russian, the summary in Russian might be written and trans­ lated into Russian in text format. Those details are under discussion.

What is the budget of the program?

No one knows the exact cost yet, since we are still getting bids, but the greatest expense will be remodeling 300+ square meters of the Valikhanov basement. Beyond that, initial equip­ ment will cost $�20,000–$�50,000. And if/when we begin launching branch campuses, there would be additional costs. But my calculations suggest that those set-up costs could be covered in the very first year, with subsequent years being quite profitable if branch staff can recruit those 25 students per year (per site) who otherwise would not have enrolled at KIMEP. Ω

School of Law adapts Western legal education to local conditions Lauriza Abildayeva

D

o you remember how your parents, relatives or school teachers annoyed you with the question “Who do you want to be in the future?”

Some of us dreamed to be justice fighters and difference makers. Fortunately, there seems to be a way to bring these wishes to reality by obtaining a degree in law, and KIMEP provides this oppor­ tunity to its students. But is it worth the time and money? KIMEP Times interviewed Zhenis Kem­ bayev, chair of the School of Law, to make it clear what is special about KIMEP’s program.

How did KIMEP School of Law emerge?

What were the prerequisites for its emergence?

The School of Law was established in 2008 with a mission to offer high-quality law education.

As the first step the School of Law developed an LL.M. (Master of Laws) program in International Business Law. Three years later, in 20��, the School of Law launched a four-year undergraduate program that provided study of the legal system of the Republic of Kazakhstan combined with principles of public and private international law.

The program qualifies graduates to practice law in Kazakhstan, to pursue post-graduate education, or to work at the international level. The major pre­ requisite for the emergence of the school was the

need for legal education modeled upon advanced and innovative international academic standards and mostly delivered in the English language.

KIMEP School of Law is relatively young, and there are other reputable law schools (for example, KazNU’s). So is there a reason to choose KIMEP’s school of law? What makes it different in comparison to the other law schools in Kazakhstan?

Our aim is to offer legal education that is differ­ ent from the diploma in law currently offered by other Kazakhstan universities. We try to integrate the study of Kazakhstan law with Western-style critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and with drafting, negotiating, and advocacy skills.

The experience shows that this approach to legal education not only provides students with the practical skills necessary to practice law, but it also assists them to learn the substantive law itself more effectively. In addition, Kazakhstan has many legal problems that impede its growth and development. There is, thus, a strong need for an elite law school offering an alternative mode of legal education.

KIMEP’s first LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) students are only going to graduate next year. Will there be a demand in the workforce for KIMEP law graduates?

Students who earn the KIMEP LL.B. degree will be well-trained, highly effective lawyers and

Zhenis Kembayev, acting chair of the School of Law since the spring 20�4 semester business people who will be well-prepared to practice law by the time they graduate. Certainly they will be in high demand in our labor market.

What about the legal clinic? How can it be beneficial for both students and its clients?

As a modern school of law, we have our own legal clinic. It gives our students the opportunity to practice law under the supervision of faculty

members. Our students obtain a range of hands-on experience, including in­ terviewing, counseling, and advising clients, investigat­ ing and analyzing facts and developing negotiation skills.

Most importantly, it serves the public interest, so people may get legal help free of charge.

From your point of view, what personal qualities are essential to be a good lawyer?

A good lawyer must have a number of different quali­ ties. He must have excellent analytical skills and be Lauriza Abildayeva able to readily make sense of a large volume of informa­ tion. He must be creative and be able to think of reasonable solutions when problems arise. He must be able to develop trust­ ing relationships with everyone he works with.

A good lawyer must have excellent public speak­ ing and writing skills. And he must stay on top of developments in the legal field and also pursue continuing training throughout his life. That is all what we teach at our school of law. Ω

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university life

KELT’s philosophy of acting Good theatre, KELT members believe, is when actors find themselves in the characters they are playing, thus bringing truth to their performance and sharing this truth with the audience.

Kristina Nikulina

K

ELT, KIMEP English-Language Theatre, located at KIMEP University, is the place where many kinds of different people discover truths about themselves and the world around them.

KELT was founded in 200�, when a few KIMEP students approached Student Affairs about their desire to perform plays in English. Further, they cooperated with Nathan Fleming, father and the first director of KELT, and created the first English language theatre in Kazakhstan.

Initially KELT was very diverse, in­ volving many expats. They created two major plays each year until in 2006, the fifth year of the theatre, when Nathan had an idea to invite actors from the United States to join locals and perform a summer tour throughout Kazakhstan.

Jessica Lewis, the current director of KELT, was one of two actors who re­ sponded to the ad, and became a mem­ ber of that two-month Azerbaijan–​Ak­ tau–​Atyrau–​Astana summer tour.

Jessica wanted to be an actress ever since she could remember. In her child­ hood she wanted to be in TV and to move to New York or Los Angeles, but when she entered college, she realized that being famous was not important.

Theatre, not TV, is where one can really learn to act, she decided.

After studying four years of under­ graduate program, Jessica decided to get more training and studied three more years as a graduate student at the University of Iowa where she received a master’s degree in acting. Toward the end of these three years, Jessica learned more about the business of act­ ing, and her desire to enter the world of show business was beginning to lessen.

“I understood that in order to be successful in this business, you have

Alexander Konovalenko

Jessica Lewis, the second acting director of KELT

to market yourself well. It is as much business as it is art. Your goal is to meet the ‘right’ people, to go parties and to ‘schmooze’ there, kind of being fake with many people just to hopefully get something from them,” says Lewis.

“Plus I wanted my life to be more than just about myself and a trying to have a successful career.”

As Jessica was finishing graduate school, she realized that New York and Los Angeles, the biggest hot spots for actor-hopefuls, were most likely not the places for her, because she did not want to “schmooze” and to market herself. It was around this time that she discovered the opportunity to travel to Kazakhstan for the summer tour. One year later, after the summer tour, Na­ than Fleming was leaving Kazakhstan and looking for someone to direct in his absence. That was when he contacted Jessica and asked her to return to Kazakhstan.

“There is no place I would rather be besides Kazakhstan,” says Jessica and adds, “I have purpose here and feel called to be here right now.”

KELT means something special for each of its members. For Alexey Yan, a second-year KIMEP student, KELT is a place where he can express himself, try something new, and develop his acting skills. “This is the place that I really like and I feel happy to be,” adds Alexey.

Jamilya Irsaliyeva, an international student from Kyrgyzstan, says that she loves KELT because of the energy she gets. Jamilya also really likes how she feels being involved in KELT.

According to Jessica Lewis, KELT “is the place where people are expected to let down their masks; a place where they are encouraged to be comfortable and be okay with looking like a fool.”

Usually when the KELT people gather in the Great Hall for a theatre club on Wednesdays, they perform various, sometimes unusual exercises intended to push them outside of their comfort zones and to develop aware­ ness of themselves, others and the world around them.

Alexey’s experience convinced him that paying attention to some little things about other people, you can actually develop yourself, your skills and overcome some of your barriers, shyness, and constant irritation that people usually experience.

Jessica smiles and adds, “A lot of what we do is teaching people to really listen and respond to others. The more you focus outward versus inward, you yourself become more relaxed, free, and more confident in who you are.

Participating in KELT is definitely not about getting all the attention or being a star, rather, it is about working together as a team.”

For example, there are a lot of ex­ ercises involving sustained eye contact with another person, which is not something we are used to. It sometimes makes us feel “naked” and vulnerable, however it is the truthful connection between two human beings that an audience really wants to see.

KELT’s philosophy of acting is about living truthfully, not about faking, pretending or emoting. “Truthfulness is achieved by a willingness to be weak,” concludes Jessica.

It is hard to appear to be weak and to admit that we have weaknesses and fears, because we are usually told that we must be strong and in control of everything. However, it is only when actors are able to let go of wanting to look smart, hot or awesome, can they start to produce something truthful.

“Because actually there is a lot of strength, beauty, and freedom in a person who is willing to be weak and foolish,” confesses Jessica. Theatre is more about showing truth, not about pretending.

“When we are truthful,” she be­ lieves, “we show what is really in our soul. However, it is hard to appear to be weak and to admit that we have weaknesses and fears. In KELT it is encouraged to share those weaknesses, to be open and to be weak, because ac­ tually there is a lot of strength in being weak.” Ω

“Acting is about living truthfully, not about faking, pretending or emoting. Truthfulness is achieved by a willing­ ness to be weak” Jessica Lewis

KELT actors (left, from top to bottom): Nurzhan Isagulov, Jamilya Irsaliyeva, Alexey Yan, and Jessica Lewis Alexander Konovalenko (left).

Other photos courtesy of KELT

kimep students

5

Students save a tree KIMEP University students organized a wastepaper recycling project and collected �87 kilograms of wastepaper, enough to save one tree, �00 kilowatt of energy, and 20 cubic meters of water.

Kristina Nikulina

“R

ecycle... until it’s too late!” were saying posters plastered all over the campus in April. The Recycle Project was a part of the Intermediate Marketing class taught by Elmira Bogovieva in the spring 20�4 semester. The professor divided the class into several groups and gave the task to prepare a project related to sustainable development.

The group consisting of Dina Taz­ abekova, Yermurat Aitkozha, Aigerim Mukeeva, Ardak Aldabergen, Eldar Zhumabekov, Ha Leem, and Azat Kelimbetov at first decided to start a project targeted to help to one of the animal shelters in Almaty. However, the group changed the sphere of the project in the middle of the spring semester.

Wastepaper recycling became their new idea. In order to make the project as successful as possible, the group decided to make an emphasis on promotion. “Our marketing campaign was mostly focused on the promotion process, since we wanted as many stu­ dents as possible to learn about what we are doing,” says project leader, Dina Tazabekova. The main point of the promotion was to deliver the idea that the project was cool, fashionable, and targeted toward the young audience.

Kamilla Shafikova (above), Leila Eliassova (left), and the garbage monster appeared on promo posters plastered all over the KIMEP campus.

To be more fashionable, the working group had a photo session done in vintage style, which is quite trendy now.

In addition to the vintage photos, the team created a viral video with a gar­ bage monster in the leading role.

Social networks, such as VK, Face­ book, Twitter, and Instagram gradually helped to spread the information about the project. Most of the online posts with the hashtags #Don’t_worry_RECY‑ CLE and #RECYCLE got over 500 likes, many reposts and retweets.

“Our main call was to make people collect their wastepaper and hand it over to us on April 22,” says Dina and adds that they spent a lot of their re­ sources to convey this idea. Whenever the project initiators didn’t have their own resources to achieve their goal, the KIMEP marketing office provided them support. They invited a photographer with equipment and printed the posters.

When the day of the wastepaper collection came, many students asked to prolong the collection for one more day. At the conclusion of the two-day wastepaper collection, the project team collected and delivered �87 kilograms of paper to the Kagazy Recycling company, amounting to 700 tenge, but spent more than 500 tenge for gasoline. They didn’t get any profit and the only moti­ vation was genuine student enthusiasm to change things for better. Ω

Daniyar Zhakulinov

Timurlan Alagushov: “I will never quit dancing”

Zarrina Mulloboeva

Please introduce yourself.

My name is Timurlan Alagushov.

I am a third-year student majoring in Marketing.

Why did you decide to major in Marketing?

When I started dancing at the age of �4 I figured I could earn money by doing what I like. In 20�0 I opened my first dancing studio and that was the first time I needed and used marketing.

And to be honest, I really liked it. As the time passed, there were more studios opened and people involved. It became more and more complex. I chose to study Marketing in depth at KIMEP to be more successful.

So, your passion in dance brought you and KIMEP together?

It is true that I moved here because of dance. But actually there was a time in my life when I decided that I have to think of a different way of realizing my­ self. I didn’t want dancing to become the source of my income. Nevertheless I will never quit dancing.

How would you describe yourself in a few words?

Dreamer, hard-worker, lover, and reader.

Are you a member of any student organizations?

I am a dancer in the KIMEP Art

& Dance Association. KADA is the place where I can develop my dancing skills and it is a place where I met creative and talented people. Without KADA I wouldn’t find people who share my interest, as break-dancing is not so pop­ ular here. And certainly, my experience in KADA and my KADA friends will always be a part of my life.

Can you tell us more about your passion in dance?

I was interested in break-dancing since early childhood. I still have pictures where I try to do some movements as a child. I discovered break-dancing from TV and I knew right away that it was my thing.

I wasn’t able to attend classes in break-dancing until I was �4, but since then I never quit it and never will. Even after I got an injury.

It happened in one of the competi­ tions. I guess at that moment I was just physically exhausted and later doctors made wrong diagnoses and therefore I still cannot dance. It is really difficult for me without dancing. I started to bike to compensate my lack of physical activity.

Who is a typical KIMEP student?

Firstly, KIMEP itself is an extraordi­ nary university and the typical KIMEP student won’t be typical at all. A typ­ ical KIMEP student drives a car, is a member of a student organization that focuses on parties, likes partying hard,

Name: Timurlan Alagushov Major: Marketing Passion: Break-dancing Age: 2� years old Marital status: Single Zodiac: Taurus Food: Mushrooms Movie: American Beauty (�999, United States) Book: What the Bleep Do We Know?

Home country: Kyrgyzstan Favorite city: Saint Petersburg misses classes (you asked for the truth), nevertheless studies hard before finals (not without complaints about hard­ ships!), hangs out at the Grill when there is nothing else to do and follows Whispering KIMEP on VK, but doesn’t check U-mail. A typical KIMEP student started out from the third or fourth foundation, made friends in foundation courses and registers for courses de­ pending on the number of friends.

Some students care too much about their GPA and see active student life as a threat. What is your opinion regarding student organizations?

I think restricting your student life is an extreme limitation of your personal growth. The world is moving too fast and education has a hard time keeping up. Therefore, students have to develop themselves in different areas, stay connected and up to date with the world. One of the ways is entering stu­ dent organizations. At KIMEP we have some great organizations that help you learn lots of skills, develop and express

Little Shao

Break-dancer’s revelations about his dance studios, marketing passion, and his active university life position.

Every day Timurlan tries to go beyond the boundaries of body and mind. yourself, and find people who have similar interests and goals.

Do you have a checklist regarding your student life at KIMEP? What have you done already and what is left?

I would like to watch a football match from the dormitory roof. From the roof we can get a perfect view of the square where it is displayed.

To become a winner of international competitions as a KIMEP student.

Organize a party and party with a pro­ fessor. To make a time-lapse video for KIMEP. To have A+ at the beginning of a semester.

I wanted KIMEP Pie or KIMEP Times to write about me. Well, now I can cross this off from my list.

Any piece of advice you want to share with KIMEP Times readers?

Say what you feel, improve yourself, read books, eat healthy food and, of course, value your parents. Ω

6

graduates 20�4

Graduation is it’s the begin

7 Timur Yessekin

s not the end, nning

8

graduates 20�4

graduates 20�4 9

�0 lifestyle

Separated by distance Between a quarter and a half of college students are in long-distance relationships.

L

Anastassiya Lipunova

The list of inspiration There are two main reasons why Alevtina de­ cided to keep her list online. First, no single item or document will be lost; everything will be saved levtina Dudnik, a second year journal­ even till Alevtina’s grandchildren grow up and ask ism student at KIMEP, annually creates how their granny spent her youth. Second, the a list of things she wants to do and burden of responsibility that her followers impose documents what she has done on her VK page on her helps Alevtina bring what she conceived using pictures, video or audio recordings. To ride to an end. “People who follow my list probably a tractor, to become a blood donor, and to make are interested in my achievements. Some of them someone’s dream come true are some items from even wrote me that they were inspired by my list, her wish list. and if I leave it half-done they would notice, for In 20��, many people were afraid of a doomsday, sure, and remind me why I’d started everything,” and so was Alevtina. However, being an optimistic says Alevtina. person, she came up with an idea based on the “I am not sure if the list changed my personality assumption that human life is fragile and can somehow, but it definitely changed my life,” she unexpectedly end, leaving a huge amount of adds. Alevtina is a very curious person and some­ times she wants to know what the lives of other unrealized plans. people are like. Including parts of others’ lives into On January 3, 20�2, she wrote on her VK page: her list helps her experience interesting moments.

“We think that our life will start after the gradu­ ation from high school. However, when we enter Alevtina included the item “to visit a psychologist” the university, we usually think that this is just in order to understand how the people who are the beginning and all of the bright moments are being examined by psychologists feel. The item to come when we marry. Afterwards, we become “to do something crazy” gave her the opportunity parents and wait for our children to grow up, and to feel that strange freedom and happiness mixed when it actually happens we look for any other with fear that many call adrenaline. reason to postpone the realization of our plans.

Another significant item that Alevtina included I think that something is wrong with this pattern in the list was to overcome her aviophobia, a fear and I will try to make my life different and realize of being on an airplane. Alevtina usually experi­ ences panic while flying and sometimes she even all of my postponed plans.” decides to stay at home, when her whole family After that courageous decision, Alevtina’s life flies somewhere on vacation. However, starting became colored with adventures. Usually when from the second part of the summer until the end she, together with her sister Anastassiya, has of the year, she will have to fly a lot and she thinks nothing to do, she turns to the list and almost never feels bored. “Before each of my trips, I check that this is good opportunity to overcome the fear.

Some items are crazy and push Alevtina out­ the list for the items that can make the trip more side her comfort zone, but most are in accordance enjoyable,” says Alevtina. On Alevtina’s birthday with her character. They prevent her from post­ she had the biggest number of list items realized, poning her best life moments and her happiness three of them, including driving a tractor, riding a to come. Ω horse, and riding a motorcycle.

Kristina Nikulina

A

How far apart do they live?

Average: 200 kilometers 95% range: 50 to �500 kilometers How often do they visit one another?

Average: �.5 times a month 95% range: once a week to once every four months

Zarrina Mulloboeva

Alevtina’s VK community The list of Alevtina Dudnik already has 45 subscribers, who are witnessing her struggles, victories, and new emotions almost every week.

Statistics on the average couple in a long-distance relationship

ove finds a way. But does it always?

What about when we are a thousand miles away? Statistics say yes. With globaliza­ tion and migration of people across the world, long-distance relationships are not rare anymore.

According to Science Daily, between a quarter and a half of college students are in long-distance relationships. Nearly �0 percent of all marriages in the United States once started out this way.

Studies show that long-distance relationships hold no greater rates of breakups or of having an affair on the side.

However, we ought to note that long-distance relationships don’t work unless couples put a huge amount of effort, patience, trust and understand­ ing into them. In such relationships, challenges related to being far away from each other add to the existing basket of things that usually make romantic relationships complicated.

So, what does it feel like to be in a long-​ distance relationship?

The feeling of insecurity is surely one of the strongest. We are so used to eye contact and reading body language that reading text messages can’t fully replace it. We are going to have doubts when we talk every spare minute or when we have no time for each other. Or when suddenly in the middle of a Skype conversation we have nothing to tell each other. In a long-distance relationship, doubts are inevitable. We will always be uncertain of the relationship itself, of ourselves, our part­ ners and, of course, the mysterious future. We do not want to seem too demanding and at the same time indifferent. Moreover, without face-to-face communication it is hard to guess another per­ son’s reactions and feelings.

Phone calls and text messages increase misunderstanding.

Trust is another big issue that follows uncer­ tainty in long-distance relationships. Even though people do not cheat more in the majority of cases, trust becomes one of the main reasons for couples’ breakups. Living in different geographic locations also means different friends, social groups and having fun with other people. The longer couples live apart, the bigger this gap gets and the harder it is to catch up. We assume that if our partner is having fun without us, they do not need us or even betray us. Yet when they accuse us of the same things, we ask for more personal space and trust. We would think that modern technology makes it easier, but on the contrary, phone calls and text messages increase misunderstanding. We get a huge amount of information through facial expressions and body language. A text message or a quick remark on the phone can be interpreted in various ways and is usually interpreted as the worst-case scenario.

Do not leave a message without a comment or

How often do they call one another?

Average: once every 2.7 days 95% range: every day to once a month How long are their telephone calls typically?

Average: 30 minutes 95% range: 2 minutes to � hour 20 minutes How long do they expect to be separated before they can move closer to one another?

Average: �4 months 95% range: one month to four years Source: The Center for the Study of Long-Distance Relationships

a phone call unanswered. Maybe your other half needed you that moment as never before, and instead of answering you decided to write back or call back later. It’s especially true for girls. They write an innocent “Hi, how are you?” and wait for your reaction to continue an important conversa­ tion. And if you weren’t there for her that moment, she will make sure you remember it for your whole life. So, be careful with text messages.

I

n any case, difficulties in communicating should not be a reason not to talk at all. In any relationship it is essential to feel loved and to show how important you are for one another. You can show it by sharing your day, small victories and failures of yours with each other. Talk as often as possible. Hearts are broken by the words unspoken. And there is no excuse for not doing so. We live in the age of smartphones, wireless, Skype, WhatsApp, VK, and Facebook. Phone calls are not as expensive as they were twenty years ago. Communication is as convenient as never be­ fore. Just a quick note, phone call or email makes a difference.

Trust is the key. The biggest threat can also be the greatest salvation. Couples who survived the hardships of remoteness say that just having trust in each other and believing in the future no matter what has been very important for them. Of course, that is easier said than done. When in love, no matter how far away you are from your other half, the feeling of insecurity and the fear of losing it all accompany you everywhere. Studies show that people who feel insecure tend to be more jealous.

Nothing is wrong with it; it is natural to be afraid to lose your loved ones and to be jealous. However, the lack of confidence and trust can be a major challenge in any relationship, especially relation­ ships maintained in long distances. Building trust and self-confidence is hard when your mind is filled with another person. Distrust only makes it worse. You do not have control over the situation, so simply trust. Trust no matter what and whom.

If you find it impossible, then maybe that relation­ ship is just not for you.

Having a long-distance relationship is tough; it actually really sucks, according to people who have been through it. Have your vision of a perfect future together and remember: if your relationship survives the distance, it will survive everything. Ω

Perfect hell: Drive to perfection might hurt you Kristina Nikulina

T

Timur Yahyayev

he word perfectionism is self-explanatory. You are a perfectionist if you are dis­ pleased with anything that does not meet your highest standards. At first sight, it might not look like there are any downsides to being a perfectionist.

Here is an internal monologue that res­ onates in the mind of the true to type perfectionist.

“I have to work on a task. The very thought of it provokes a strange feeling.

I know this feeling. It usually appears when I have to prepare for something, even though I am almost prepared. It

appears at just the same moment I start thinking about the task. That is why I try not to think about it. Maybe it happens because I usually try to under­ stand the subject deeper than anyone else and to analyze the internal rela­ tionships of any phenomena? That is why I need more time than anyone else needs to perform any task. They under­ stand only the external appearance of a subject while I try to penetrate much deeper and it takes so much time that I almost have no time for the task itself.

At the same time, the real meaning of any task can be fully understood only when it has already been performed.

Again, I confused myself. It gets even worse when I have multiple tasks;

I start to flounce and finally come up with no results at all.

“My problem is that I always try to do things even better than required.

Additionally, I love to daydream about doing everything better than anyone else does. Afterward, I curse myself for those empty fantasies because while I dream, others take real actions. Fi­ nally, I am in the process of performing the task and I have that strange feeling, which I started from.”

Confused? You thought that per­ fectionists are those perfect human beings who do everything perfectly and impeccably? In fact, perfectionists are idealistic creatures who live in this unideal world. Ω

sports

��

Queens are back

Aizhan Nurzhanova (bottom left below), KIMEP Queens’ captain, personally trains the players, organizes matches, and even buys equipment for the team.

Balzhan Bekenova

KIMEP Queens female soccer team returns on the scene, resumes intensive training after three years of decline.

Ami Altayeva

K

IMEP Queens is the first and only female soccer team in the history of KIMEP University. It was officially estab­ lished on April �0, 2008, by the dedicated soccer fan Aizhan Nurzhanova, whose leadership and truly endless enthusiasm still manage to keep the idea alive even years after the initial members of the team graduated one by one—most of them never to return.

Yet, the captain never abandons the ship, espe­ cially if it has grown so near and dear to his, or in this case her, heart, no matter how difficult it may prove to keep it afloat. The glorious years of the first generation are gone, but their efforts were not in vain. Indeed, all their accomplishments now serve as a reminder of what the team once was, and what it might become again.

Speaking of glory, who would have thought that a team not many people even know could leave a trail of achievements this long?

Date

Event

Result

January 2009

Intercity Contest, Astana

Gold Cup

March 2009

City Tournament

Silver medal

April 2009

Republic Championship (soccer on a big ground)

4th place

October 2009

City Tournament dedicated to Republic Day

3rd place

February 20�0

City Tournament dedicated to the 20�� Asian Winter Games

3rd place

October 20�0

City Tournament

3rd place

April 20��

City Tournament

1st place

May 20�2

City Tournament

3rd place

May 20�2

City Tournament

2nd place

KIMEP Queens mainly play a soccer variation called five-a-side football (also known as mini‑ football in Kazakhstan). Five-a-side is played on a smaller field, so there are only five players in

each team (rather than eleven). The rules are also adapted for the smaller game. Game duration is reduced more than in half. The sides of the field are often enclosed so that the ball wouldn’t fly off and ruin the flow of the game. There is no offside, the penalty area is different, the throw-in is more like a kick-in, but everything else is pretty much as in regular soccer.

C

aptain Aizhan Nurzhanova and forward Darya Kuzmina—the only two people who came all the way from the old team and remain active field players today—can­ not forget those glorious times. As they explain, they still keep all the medals, diplomas, and even the customized uniforms (unfortunately, newer members don’t have those).

As it sometimes happens, at one point, the team was struggling for survival. The lack of pub­ licity coupled with the lack of interest in soccer among the fresh female population of KIMEP University (not to mention the skeptical attitude still living and breathing in Kazakhstan toward women partaking in the predominantly male sports), made it hard to find new members. And without players there was no point in entering competitions and renting the field on a regular basis.

For periods of time KIMEP Queens cooperated with the ever-famous Titans, the KIMEP University American football team, who were kind enough to occasionally share the field with the girls and graciously played with them “soccer.” There were about five Queens then with only two or three of them showing up at a practice. It was a nice deal, though, but it too had come to an end eventually.

A rapidly growing team like Titans needs every inch of the field they can get.

That might have been a turning point for Queens. They realized that they had to attract new girls if they wanted to have a fully functional

soccer team with regular practice hours. So a campaign was launched with posters hanging around the campus, with members calling friends and actively promoting the cause. Now, for the first time in a long while, the team has more than �0 members and a more or less regular schedule.

Twice a week they meet up at the KIMEP football field, bringing their own equipment, ready to train, ready to sweat, ready to play.

Of course, not everything’s perfect. They don’t have a coach as such, but the captain is doing her best to provide efficient training to any novice (a future Queen) who’s willing to learn and improve her game. Queens come from different backgrounds. Some of them played soccer at school, some of them attended soccer clubs, some of them learned on the streets, and some have never touched the ball before. Despite being such a mishmash of characters, they are nothing but friendly and supportive to each other, and to new­ comers as well. They adore their game!

A

lthough Queens are still learning how to play as one team, with their expe­ rience range being so different, they seem to be doing great so far, making new friends and allies in the process. The Kazakh-British Technical University team is one of those friends, who invited Queens several times to play and have fun together. The KBTU students even attended a couple of trainings. On May �, the IT University team organized a friendly match, which KIMEP won with two goals in their pocket and a slightly injured goalkeeper.

A question remains: Can this new team, or, as I would like to call them, the new generation of KIMEP Queens, live up to the achievements of the old one? Now, with a fresh start, will their enthu­ siasm last long enough to achieve at least half as much as the first team? The time will show. But something tells me, though, that it’s not the last time we hear about KIMEP Queens. And to all of you: don’t forget, they need you, their fans! Ω

�2 time off

Raymond Cheung, Madina Saulenbaeva, president exchange student from the United States of KIMEP Art & Dance Association (KADA) “This summer I spend a huge amount of time “Driving on the Pamir Highway in Tajikistan, tra‑ versing Rajasthan’s scorching deserts in India, de‑ trying to understand myself. Maybe it seems not scending into the bowels of Škocjan Cave in Slovenia, the funniest and not the ‘summerish’ thing to midnight beach swimming in Barcelona, and taking do, but it means a lot to me. The best thing about in the glorious sights of the notorious city of London. the summer is that studying is not that hard and All this has been the past month and a half of my time-consuming, and I can spend more time im‑ proving my guitar-playing skills. That is the most life and I’ve concluded one lesson from it all: Never important thing for me, so I’m happy that I finally Stop Traveling. The world is truly your oyster. It is have the possibility to spend hours searching for my behind you, it is in front of you, it is there for the taking. So take it, get uncomfortable, stray from the muse and creating music.” norm, and make the world your playground.”

 Aries

March 2�–April 20 During this summer, it is important for everybody born under the sign of Aries to keep balance in your activi­ ties. Remember to keep in check your health and don’t get caught up in summer excesses such as enjoying too much cold Chardonnay or too many summer barbeсues.

Romance will play a major part in your summer life; however, it could just be a summer romance, not a long-lasting love. Don’t forget about family and friends while enjoying your summer love. Spend some time with them as well.

 Taurus

April 2�–May 20 Now, listen here, hard-working Taurus,—you should definitely treat yourself to a really good vacation this summer. You have been demanding on yourself during the early part of 20�4 and your reward should be an “indulge yourself” holiday. Pick up a place that does not only provide a bed and nice food, but try to find somewhere which can also help you to take care of your health and pleasure. A luxury spa or health spa might be the perfect place. Spoil yourself with good quality food, lux­ ury treatments and plenty of personal time. Leave the laptop at home and just relax. A good advice, but can the author of it afford to follow it?

 Gemini

May 2�–June 2� You should be feeling ready to go out and have lots of energy to spend and share. During the summer you need to channel that energy, as there are new horizons to explore and new places to visit. You will meet new kindred souls and you will grow as an individual. The new places you visit or travel to during the summer may leave a profound impression on you, and there is even a possibility you will go back home and make a permanent move to a new horizon. You will feel that you need to explore and find a new track.



Cancer

June 22–July 2� Hey Cancer—be careful this summer.

A demanding person will try to take over your life and change your life style. Make it clear to this person that you do like them but you are your own boss and you enjoy it. You see no reason to change your nature and do not feel comfortable with changing your lifestyle. Spend time with your friends and celebrate the summer.

You may even want to plan a trip with a friend and share your experience.

Look after your health and well-being.

 Leo

July 22–August 23 Catch your breath this summer and learn to enjoy some “reflection” time.

You have been feeling for some time now that your life is running away from you and that you are really not in control. Invest into a nice notebook and start writing some thoughts and ideas down. Spend some time re­ flecting on your notes and you might have the start of a new beginning. Do some socializing and a new long-term love may enter your life. By the way, your new love may not be human. In late summer you may find yourself with your new friend exploring the countryside, which is slowly changing into a fall season.

 Sagittarius

November 23–December 2� Sagittarius—you are just buzzing with energy at the moment and your will could almost fly away. During the summer you will be ready for new experiences and you will make new friends. You will be almost impatient to try new things and sometimes you will let that impatience overwhelm you a bit. Slow down a little and you will enjoy the summer better.

Anyway, your summer will not only be full of new friends or new experience, but you will be taking on new projects at home and at work. It will be a summer of achievements.

 Capricorn

August 24–September 23 Health is really important the whole year but during the summer it comes to the forefront. You need to look after your health, eat well, and rest.

Be careful with insects and other creatures that might bite you. Try to conserve your energy, enjoy the sun­ shine and build up some more energy.

You might be busy at work during this summer, and a new colleague could mean a new love interest. Read good books and you will wake up one morning feeling much better.

December 22–January 20 Your leitmotif for this summer will be ease and lightheartedness. You will feel relaxed and ready to enjoy the sunshine, fresh strawberries, and spending more time out. After meeting new friends, you will start seeing things, and perhaps the whole life, from a new perspective. Don’t be surprised if your new friends are younger than you are. That is actually a good thing—you have been stuck in the same circle of friends for many years now. It is time to put some new personalities into your life, and get a new outlook.

 Libra

 Aquarius

 Scorpio

 Pisces



Virgo

September 24–October 23 This will be a summer with a dif­ ference, Libra. You have spent your spring cleaning the mess and putting some extra cash in your pocket, but you are not in the mood to spend that money on an extravagant vacation.

But you feel like learning and enjoy­ ing new experience.

Your mind feels sharp and there is a need to seek out new things and explore. You might even find some place this summer where you can spend a lot of time expanding your mind. What you learn during this summer will become an important and integral part of your life.

October 24–November 22 Not a lot of playing for you this summer, Scorpio. You have been busy working and this will continue. In­ stead of taking a longer vacation you might just settle for shorter weekend breaks. Money will keep rolling in, but you have no interest in spending it. Don’t worry, your savings will come handy later. Toward the end of the summer you will meet someone with a sunny personality, and they will cheer you up. You will realize that you have more in common with this person than you initially thought.

Smile more—at yourself and others.

January 2�–February �9 Summer 20�4 will be really busy for you. You will find that you can fill your summer with activities, and a lot of summer will be spent outdoors.

Activities will include lots of sports and time enjoyed in green places, but beaches will not be that important.

You have been for some time now interested in helping charities and getting involved with some specific causes. Summer might be the time when you finally take the big step and actively start supporting the causes you really believe in. Do not accept proposals from obscure sources be­ cause they could hide illusions.

February 20–March 20 Pisces, at the moment you may feel sunny and full of joy. The sun will follow you this summer and you will be able to hang on to those feelings of pleasure and happiness. You might take part in some adventurous activities this summer, and if you catch yourself on a white water raft­ ing, don’t be surprised. A surprising hobby which you discover during the summer might become your new project. You might even find a new love when developing this hobby.

Love affairs will be definitely on your side this summer.

Chaebyung Hwang, KIMEP Times reporter “I have been spending my summer attending baseball games. My hometown baseball team recently remod‑ eled the stadium which looks much better now.

Since baseball is one of my biggest hobbies, I really enjoy watching it. And, of course, I also enjoy eating some very nice food while watching baseball. When I go to baseball games, it’s always fun to hear my brother complaining because our favorite team has been on the last place for the last few years.”

tasty issues

Cheese-and-crud cake Ingredients:

Balzhan Bekenova

C

heese-and-crud cake is a tra­ ditional delicacy made of farmer cheese. This quick and easy recipe was given by professor Aliya Nurtaeva.

Farmer cheese is digested easily and is fat-free, there is plenty of Calcium and iron. As you can see, cheese-and-crud cake brings only obvious benefit for our health. Alongside this, it is delicious. Ac­ cordingly, adults and children eat it with the greatest pleasure.

Mixture � �00 g of artificial butter �/2 teaspoon of baking powder �50 g of sugar �.5 glass of flour

Balzhan Bekenova

What is written in the stars for summer 20�4?

Chaeyoung Hwang

Raymond Cheung

Elena Lazareva

Anton Reznikov, defense player (safety) for Titans, KIMEP American football team “So my summer semester has started not in the university, as it should be. It’s stared in Saint Peters‑ burg, at my aunt’s wedding. While my classmates were studying journalism, I was partying hard. In addition, this summer I had some military experi‑ ence: I was a soldier of an airsoft army. It is a very exciting game. However, my summer has not even reached its middle and there are a lot of excitement to come.”

Photo courtesy of Madina Saulenbaeva

Summertime happiness. How’s it going so far?

Mixture 2 5 eggs �00 g of sugar � pack of farmer cheese Aliya Nurtaeva

Step �. Axe down the butter until it is crumb.

Add flour, sugar, and baking powder. Mix them all.

Bakery dough must be in crumbs (mixture �).

Step 3. Pour 2/3 dough into the baking cup.

Empty the mincemeat. Empty the heel of dough on the top.

Step 2. Now, let’s make the mincemeat. Mix eggs, sugar and farmer cheese until smooth (mixture 2).

Step 4. Stove in the baking oven for about 20–25 minutes. Bon appétit!

Balzhan Bekenova

KIMEP Times Editor-in-chief Kristina Nikulina Reporters Lauriza Abildayeva Ami Altayeva Balzhan Bekenova Alevtina Dudnik Shirinkhon Fayzieva Zarrina Mulloboeva Tomiris Orozoeva Copy editors Frederick Emrich Ken Harvey

independent student newspaper

Laura Kelly Jiri Melich Sara Osman Photographers Lauriza Abildayeva Balzhan Bekenova Tomiris Orozoeva Layout design & editing Alexander Konovalenko Editor’s email kristina.nikulina​ @kimep.kz

State license #1689‑A, January 13, 2001.

Registered by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Printed by Asia Poly Press. Almaty, ul. Murat­ ba­yeva, 61. Tel. (+7 727) 397‑84‑62. Order #588.

Circulation 2000 copies

#4 (��3), july 20�4

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