Hungarians honor independence

Students, professors and members of the Bloomington community were among those who gathered yesterday to celebrate Hungary's Independence Day, which was held Thursday in the University Club Room at the Indiana Memorial Union. \nParticipants were treated to poetry readings by students in the Hungarian Studies program. A choir and band, consisting of Hungarian students and non-Hungarian students, performed traditional songs and a skit re-enacting a recruitment dance carried out throughout Hungary in 1848 to enlist soldiers to ward off the Russian and Austrian armies. Following the lecture and music, the participants feasted on a variety of traditional Hungarian dishes. \nThe event was organized by the Hungarian Cultural Association and was coordinated with the Department of Central Eurasian Studies, Office of International Programs, Inner Asian and Uralic National Resource Center, Russian and East European Institute and Jewish Studies Program. \nMarch 15 is actually Hungary's Independence Day, but the event was held Thursday so students could celebrate it before going on spring break. \nThe Hungarian Cultural Association also annually hosts a similar celebration in October, commemorating the failed Hungarian uprising against the Soviet Union in 1956.\nMatthew Caples, president of the Hungarian Cultural Association, said the event usually draws a large crowd because of the sizable Hungarian émigrés population in Bloomington and the number of Hungarian students who study at IU. Caples said the event provided members of the community an opportunity to experience Hungarian culture. \n"It is not enough to have language lessons in the classroom. There needs to be some context," he said. "A lot of the students have not been to Hungary, so it is good to broaden their experience with Hungarian culture. It's not just a language with verbs and nouns. It's a lot more than that."\nIU is one of the few universities in the United States that offers courses in Hungarian language and area studies and the only university in North America to offer a Ph.D. in Hungarian studies.\nProfessor of Comparative Literature and Hungarian Studies Mihaly Szegedy-Maszak gave a brief speech at the beginning of the program describing the historical events surrounding the rebellion and the effects the Hungarian revolution had on the United States. \n"Quite a few of the revolutionary leaders after the revolution was crushed by the Russian army came to the United States and fought in the Civil War and died here," Szegedy-Maszak said.\nMichelle Metro-Roband, a graduate student who was at the event, said she enjoyed listening to the speech about Hungary's history and the traditional music. \n"I studied Hungarian here, as have other members of my family,"she said. "It's a nice way to come together with the community here that is interested in Hungarian studies twice a year and rekindle old friendships."\n-- Contact staff writer Rami Chami at rchami@indiana.edu.