Call for papers: Czech

[Mila Saskova-Pierce]

Czechoslovak Society of
Arts and Sciences (SVU) announces a Special Conference The Czech and
Slovak Legacy in the Americas: Preservation of Heritage with the Accent
on Youth Lincoln, Nebraska, August 1-3, 2001 The University of
Nebraska-Lincoln will host the 2001 Conference of the Czechoslovak
Society of Arts and Sciences (SVU). The conference is sponsored by the
University of Nebraska at Lincoln, College of Arts and Sciences,
Department of Modern Languages, European Studies, and by the following
community and regional groups: the Czech Language Foundation, Komensky
Club, the Nebraska Czechs of Lincoln, and the Nebraska Czechs of
Wilber. The dates of the Conference have been selected to coincide with
the 45th Czech festival held each year in Wilber, Nebraska during the
first weekend in August (for 2001 those dates are Friday, 3 August
through Sunday, 5 August). An estimated 40,000 B 50,000 people from all
over the country are expected to attend the Wilber festival. The
conference will focus on three main issues of interest to Czechs and
Slovaks in the Americas: (1) Ethnicity and Preservation of Language and
Culture (includes presentations on history and genealogy). (2)
Historical and contemporary settlements of people from the Czech and
Slovak Republics in the Americas. (3) Future relationships between
Czechs and Slovaks living in the Americas and those in the Czech and
Slovak Republics. The open format of the conference will allow
discussion of other topics of interest. Conference participants will
have the opportunity to attend various cultural and social programs
scheduled during the two-day conference, as well as attend the Wilber
Czech Festival on Saturday and/or Sunday. There will be live
performances of the Czech and Slovak heritage music, dances and other
cultural programs as performed by local groups, as well as a Czech
film. The Opening Ceremony will take place on Wednesday, August 1 at
7:00 p.m. This conference is taking place in Nebraska because this
state has a rich heritage of political and cultural life organized by
the Czechs. The University of Nebraska is a natural institution for the
sponsorship because it is one of the few universities in the United
States that offers the Czech language, and has been teaching it since
1907. The Czechs at UNL were always a very active group, and from its
Komensky Club, conceived at the end of 1903 and officially established
in 1904, rose a generation of Nebraska and U.S. politicians, including
the late Senator Roman Hruska. Nebraska Czechs have influenced the
history of the United States as well as the history of the Czech Lands.
There are about sixty localities in Nebraska where the majority of
inhabitants claim Czech ancestry, and it is estimated that between ten
to twenty percent of Nebraskans claim Czech blood. The Czech ethnic
life is celebrated during twelve annual Czech festivals in Nebraska.
There are countless Czech museums and libraries in the state. The most
important collection of Czech artifacts is the Czech Heritage
Collection assembled by Joe Svoboda and housed in Love Library at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The State Historical Society has an
important collection of microfilms of Czech language newspapers
published on the American continent. The ethnic Czechs are very active
in genealogical research and many take part in the Czech Elder hostel
at the Doane College in Crete. Hotel accommodation for SVU members is
available in the University dorms at a cost per person, double
occupancy, of $16.00 per night. Dorm lodging requires that participants
purchase a meal plan that is served in the cafeteria (breakfast, lunch,
and dinner). The cost of this meal plan is $16.00 per person per day,
bringing the total cost of room and board to $32.00 a day. Parking can
be arranged on campus near the dorms. Other hotel accommodations can be
made directly with Lincoln hotels
(www.Lincoln.org/cvb/lodging/lodging.htm). Hotels in the downtown area
are within walking distance of the campus. SVU Conference in Lincoln,
Nebraska, August 1-3, 2001 Application for a Panel or Presentation and
Registration Form Send your application along with your registration
fee (made payable to SVU) A.S.A.P. to: Cathleen Oslzly, Department of
Psychology, 238 Burnett Hall, UNL, Lincoln, NE

coslzly at unlnotes.unl.edu

Dr. Mila Saskova-Pierce
University of Nebraska
1133 Oldfather Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588-0315
Tel:  (402) 472 1336

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