CAMDEN — Sitting around a long rectangular conference table, students attentively listen in Jude Masseur’s Russian history class. A senior capstone class at the independent Watershed high school, in Camden, the students log on to their Google Document accounts to follow Masseur’s instruction. 

“Our goal is to use you guys sort of as guinea pigs to try and get seats eventually put aside for the Camden Conference event at the Opera House for high school students,” said Masseur.

 The 28th Annual Camden Conference: Russian Resurgent takes place Feb. 20-22, 2015. The Russian literature and Russian history curriculum at Watershed follow the same topics the conference will be covering.

As students sat around the table, they held books that are on the conference’s reading list and which cover various Russian concerns.

Seats for the conference cost $250. They will be able to attend the conference from remote locations.

Checking in with Masseur weekly, the students’ jobs are to become experts by January.

They are looking forward to their capstone experience, not only for the knowledge they will gain, but for the involvement they will have in the community. They acknowledged that, traditionally, high school students do not get the chance to take classes about Russian history and culture, but they understand the significance of understanding global issues.

“It’s really good to be culturally aware, but going to the Camden Conference is a great way to become involved in our community,” said student Louisa Crane. “There should be more movement for high school students to be able to go to the Camden Conference, especially since it’s an amazing resource.” 

“I think this is a great experience because before this class, I literally knew nothing about Russia,” said senior Isabel Crane. “I think it’s cool that by the time of the Camden Conference we’ll know enough to actually participate, know what’s going on and understand everything.”

“It’s really important to be culturally aware, and I think having this as a senior capstone experience kind of helps with that,” said senior Heather Dumond.

Masseur said that Watershed has always had a strong relationship with the Camden Conference.

The capstone focuses on events that have truly shaped Russia’s identity.

“When you are trying to understand politics, you are trying to understand the people and culture,” said Brian Boyd, who teaches Russian literature at Watershed. 

“I like this course because it gives us context to the Camden Conference so when we actually go, we don’t just see people giving us facts, we’re internalizing it to what we already know from our course,” said senior Peter Duda.

“It is essential that we are doing this, not just this year but also every year after,” said Dumond. “It’s really important to be culturally aware, and I think having this as a senior capstone experience kind of helps with that.”

The course and involvement with the conference will allow students to get a grasp for the connection between contemporary writing and Russian cultural identity.

Senior Ben Moonblack said he is looking forward to getting a chance to understand Russia’s side and paradigm, and learn about the politics of the current situation in Ukraine. 

Masseur feels she has a responsibility to these students as she teaches them the Russian history that has lead to current events.

“Russia has a sizable impact on the rest of the world. I really believe that high school students need to be involved in the Camden Conference,” said Masseur.

 Masseur said that the hope is after a few more years of involvement with the topics the conference covers, momentum will build and lead to students eventually having seats at the Opera House.

“We as a school recognize how important it is for high school students to be steeped in this conference as much as anybody else,” she said.

Looking around the classroom before sending the students out of the room to continue their course work, Masseur said: “You are the future of the world. Don’t you love it?”