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CLUB
NEWS - From the March
2008 ACSCC Newsletter
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On
Sunday, February 17th, the Club hosted an unusually
rich cultural program that featured three separate
individuals. Slovak Ambassador to the United States,
Rastislav Káčer, visited the Club with his wife Otilia
and son Samuel. Ambassador Káčer spoke briefly about
the current status of a number of issues in Slovakia
and issues concerning its relationship to the United
States such as the visa-waiver proposal. This was
the Ambassador's fourth visit to the Club and he is
hoping that he will be able to come once more before
he leaves his post this coming summer.
<--Prof.
M. Mark Stolarik, Left, and Slovak Ambassador, Rastislav
Kačer
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The
featured guest speaker was Dr. M. Mark Stolárik who
is Professor of History and Chair of Slovak History
& Culture at the University of Ottawa in Canada.
Professor Stolárik is widely recognized as the foremost
expert on the history and immigration of Slovaks to
North America. Professor Stolárik lectured on The History
of Slovaks in America. He outlined the several waves
of Slovak immigration to the U.S., the most important
of which was from the late 1800s to the beginning of
the First World War when more than 500,000 entered the
country. This resulted in the Slovaks being the second
largest group of immigrants that arrived in this country
on a per capita basis. About 20% of the population left
their homeland to come to the United States. Professor
Stolárik reviewed the many reasons why the Slovaks left
their homeland, what geographic areas that they settled
in, how religion played an important part of their life,
and the many other factors that played a role in their
assimilation into American culture.
The large audience listened attentively and asked many
questions including Ambassador Káčer.
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Lubko
Kocka, son of Slovak award-winning film director Lubomír
Kocka, made his filmmaking debut by showing his film
entitled The Good Shepard. Based on a Slovak folk
tale, the film was made in Slovakia last summer when
Lubko was only16 years old. Everyone was truly amazed
by the quality and style of the film made by such
a young man. Lubko hopes to follow in his father's
footsteps and study film directing when he graduates
from high school. He plans to attend the Savannah
College of Art and Design where his father is Professor
Film and Television.
<--
Lubko Kocka
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We would
like to welcome new member Petr Kratochvil of Hallendale
Beach.
Thank
you to club member Lubomír Gurtler for recently doing
some much needed electrical repairs.
Former
member Helen Layman recently passed away in Texas.
Cathy Fremut made a donation to the Club in her memory.
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