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1018 SOUTH 35TH ST, LINCOLN, NE 68510 (402) 770-5029 www.unl.edu/CzechLanguageFoundation    |
The CLF is a
501-C3 corporation dedicated to
the promotion and preservation of Czech language and culture in
CLF Annual Recognition Banquet Held April 3, 2011 at the
UNL East Campus Student Union with all proceeds going to provide for
$300 scholarships for Czech language students at UNL
Jana
Racova, cultural Attache, Embassy of the Czech Republic in Washington,
D.C., accompanied by Dr. Mila Saskova-Pierce, professor of Russian and
Czech at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, greeted each of the
attendees in a reception line, prior to the meal.
The audience of
was led in the American and Czech anthems by Stephanie Vocasek, current
national Czech-Slovak Queen, and then following a wonderful buffet
meal, were treated to the 3rd movement of Dvorak's Cello Concerto played
by David Boese accompanied on piano by Christina Vlad.
Racova's keynote address touched upon 1) Czech-American relations (especially in cultural area);
2) Support of US compatriots and Czech language in the United States;
3) Cultural diplomacy at the Embassy of the Czech Republic - current projects:
a) Democracy and Human Rights: Lessons from the Past for the Current Czech Foreign Policy;
b) Mutual Inspirations: Antonin Dvorak.
All Czech language students attending the banquet were recognized by
Czech instructor, Katarina Cermakova. All Scholarship donors attending
were recognized by Joe Swoboda, Vice-president of the Czech Language
Foundation, and Chairman of the Scholarship Committee.
This year's winner of the Lois and Stephen Jon Fiala Memorial and
Cultural Award was Jennifer Kroft, second year student of Czech, her
winning essay follows. Jon Fiala presented Ms. Kroft with a check for
$500. All second and third year students are eligible for the award.
The silent auction had many wonderful items including car wash tickets, Bohemian crystal, a garnet necklace, and many mo5re.
CLF Board Members Steve and Trudi Stastny contributed a new barbecue
grill for the raffle. Tickets will continue to be sold until $1000
dollars worth of raffle tickets are sold.
The final musical entertainment of the evening was provided by Svetlana
Yashirin and William Carpenter who played a duet of Opus #8 of Dvorak's
Slavonic Dances.
This report was written by Layne Pierce, President of the Czech
Language Foundation, and master of ceremonies for the event for the
event.
$300 CLF SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ALL STUDENTS ENROLLING IN CZECH
CLASSES
Due to the generosity of the Nebraska Czech
Community in conjunction with the Czech Language Foundation, all
students
who enroll in a Czech class on-campus at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln receive a $300 scholarship. The required form and
instructions are presented to students the first week of classes.
Apply
Now, Scholarships are available for Fall 2011. The textbook for
the class,
Nezbytna Cestina is provided free of charge. For questions,
or more
information, call Dr. Miluse Saskova-Pierce, (402) 472-1336, or
Dr. Joseph
Swoboda, (402) 488-4867
ABOUT US
COMING
EVENTS LINKS SCHOLARSHIPS SCHOLARSHIP PARTNERS
KATARINA CERMAKOVA IS TEACHING CZECH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
NEBRASKA-LINCOLN
Since 1989, Dr. Miluse
Saskova-Pierce has
been teaching Czech & Russian at UNL. Now due to a grant from
the
Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Czech
Language
Foundation and the Department of Modern Languages, Katarina
Cermakova has
come to Nebraska. Arriving from Brno in October of 2008, Katarina
Cermakova joined Dr. Mila Saskova-Pierce and Layne Pierce in
teaching
Czech language classes at UNL. Ms Cermakova, is currently working
on her
dissertation on Czech syntax. She is highly energetic and fun for
students
to work with. There are 3 years of Czech taught at UNL, 101, 201,
and 301
in the Fall, and 102, 202, and 302 taught in the Spring.
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CZECH LANGUAGE CLASSES AT UNL
OVER 100
YEARS
The UNL Czech Language Program
celebrates the fact
that in 1907 students first started to learn Czech language and
literature
at UNL. The program is one of only seven in the USA offering 3 or
more
years of continuous instruction and one of the oldest ones. The
program
offers a Czech language minor after six semesters of coursework.
The UNL
Czech program has been a very successful one, thanks to its
instructors
and a number of outstanding students who have also been engaged in
the
cultural programs of the Czech Komensky Club. The Czech Program
was
started in 1907 by chancellor Andrews, after members of the Czech
community and Czech legislators in the state of Nebraska asked UNL
to
include it in its curriculum. The Czech language instruction in
Nebraska
is closely tied to the history of the Czech Komensky Club, named
for Jan
Amos Komensky, or Comenius, the pioneer educator. Conceived by UNL
students in December 1903, and officially established in 1904, it
became a
nursery for influential personalities in Nebraska political and
cultural
life. Past members include state and U.S. politicians such as
Roman
Hruska, Otto Kotouc, Joseph Vosoba, and Rudy Vrtiska; poets
Ferdinand
Musil, Jeffrey Hrbek, and Hrbek's sister the writer, politician,
and
educator, Dr. Sarka Hrbek. The Nebraska born Dr. Olga Stastny,
recipient
of the French Croix De Guerre and many other international medals
for her
work as a doctor and organizer of international health care, was
also a
member. According to the club constitution, its aim was to form a
bond
among Czech-Americans and to provide a model of cultural
association to
other university settings, where students could study Czech
language,
history and literature first informally, and later formally, in
regular
courses. The Czech language and literature program founded in 1907
replaced the informal instruction within the club with formal
course work,
but it continued to involve students in the Czech Program in the
cultural
program offered to the university.