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NATIONALITYROOMS

NEWSLETTERNationa l i ty Rooms and In tercu l tura l Exchange

Programsat the Un ivers i ty o f P i t t sburgh

Spr ing 2009 VOLUME 86

GREEK ROOM

EXACT PROPORTIONS, SYMMETRY OF ARRANGEMENT, AND THE SKILLFUL USE OF COLUMNS CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE IN THE GREEK ROOM THAT SUGGESTS THE CLASSICAL GREEK TEMPLE. IN SUCH A ROOM GREEK CIVILIZATION BECOMES AN EASILY COMPREHENDED REALITY. HERE ARE NO BROKEN STATUES, NO CHIPPED COLUMNS. THIS IS A ROOM IN WHICH SOCRATES OR PLATO MIGHT HAVE TAUGHT, AS THEY DID IN THE SUNNY PORTICOS OF ATHENS.

MARBLE

Greek marble was the essence of the Travlos design. Mrs. Peter Caloyer was asked to undertake the project of obtaining the marble as a gift from the Greek government.

Between 1938 and May 1940, when the marble was finally shipped, it was necessary to make endless visits to the Greek ministry offices, even to the Prime Minister, whose signature was essential to the underwriting of the cost of the marble. When a mishap in the marble shops broke one of the pilaster shafts, the decision was made to ship it in two parts in order not to lose precious time. War clouds were gathering. The marble left Piraeus on the S. S. Explorer. The

carved marble made the long journey in perfect condition.

On April 5, 9,400 kilos of the finest Greek pure white marble from Mount Pentele were taken off the S. S. Explorer just one week before Italy entered World War II and the Mediterranean Sea was closed to American

shipping. The marble in the Greek Room was prepared by the same company that provided marble for the reconstruction of the buildings on the Acropolis.

FLOOR AND WALLS

The floor is paved with rectangular slabs of Dionessos Pentelic marble with a dark vein. A border of unpolished Kokinara marble goes entirely around the floor near the

walls. Slabs of polished Kokinara marble form a three-foot dado around the room. The walls are painted a warm rose terra cotta.

CEILING

A plaster-coffered ceiling of eighty small squares covers the main room. The upper soffits of each panel are painted bright blue and decorated in gold leaf with a sunburst. The egg and dart design is painted on the flat surfaces of the narrow moldings in red and blue on a green background and outlined in gold. The painted decorations on the ceiling and in the entrance are the glory of the Greek Room. They were done according to the “encaustic” or wax painting process of applying colors – earth colors are mixed with beeswax. Colors were applied with strictest adherence to those of authentic ancient painted fragments in the museums of Greece by Demetrios Kokotsis. He spent seven months and seven days, with the help of his nephew, “painting the portrait of the Greek Room.”

SEATING

On the back of the professor’s chair, the name of Plato has been carved in Greek. The guest chairs carry the names of Aristotle and Socrates. Each of the twelve student chairs bears the name of a Greek city or island.

THE GREEK ROOM COMMITTEE was organized in 1930 by Nicholas G. Kalmer, a University of Pittsburgh graduate, who planned a trip to Crete. He was able to reach Eleftheries Venizelos, then Premier of Greece, and George Papandreou, Minister of Education. Mr. Papandreou appointed a committee of outstanding archaeological authorities. The Ministry of Finance authorized ten thousand drachmas in connection with the project. The focus was on Byzantine drawings. In the spring of 1932, Dr. George E. Mylonas, professor of art at Washington University in St. Louis, worked with the Athens committee to select John Travlos as the room’s architect. Travlos’ classical design reached the University in February 1938. The Pittsburgh committee unanimously accepted the classical design.

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COMMITTEE NEWS pg. 4

NEW ROOM ACTIVITY pg. 6

COMMITTEE CORNER pg. 9

RECIPES pg. 11

LOOKING BACK IN THE NEWSLETTER, IN MEMORIAM pg. 12

QUO VADIS, INFORMATION CENTER AND MAINTENANCE, GIFT SHOP pg. 13

2009 SUMMER STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, HONORS CONVOCATION, SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE pg. 15

CALENDAR OF EVENTS pg. 20

EYES & EARS UPON US pg. 21

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR  E. Maxine Bruhns, Director

T"#$ #$ & '(&) *+ &,,#-()$&)#($.  In 1939 the  Chinese,  Czechoslovak,  Hungarian and Yugoslav Rooms were dedicated.    Jan Masaryk,  son of Tomas G. Masaryk,  came from Prague to speak at the Czechoslovak Room  dedication  fully  aware  that  the enemy was about to invade his homeland.  

All of  the above nations were destined  to undergo years of tragedy and triumph that accompanied World War II.

Ruth Crawford Mitchell organized the Women’s International Club  the  same  year  –  1939.    She  was  convinced  that  an informed Women’s organization would help to strengthen the Nationality Rooms Program during the difBicult years ahead.  She led a trip to Washington, D.C., so that WIC members would better understand America’s government.

We congratulate the 1939 vintage Rooms and the Women’s International  Club  on  their  70th  anniversaries  and  wish them well  as  they  enter  their  eighth  decade  of  purposeful accomplishments.  

MESSAGE FROM THE COUNCIL  Edward Lesoon, Jr., Chairman

The  2009  Nationality  Room  Program’s  Scholarships  for Summer  Study  Abroad  have  racked  up  a  new  record:  39 awards won by 20 graduate and 19 undergraduate students.  

Their  projects  include  medical  research,  human  security, education, occupational  therapy,  law, art,  religion,  language and  culture.    They will  travel  to  Austria,  Brazil,  Cameroon, Chile,  China,  Croatia,  England,  Germany,  Greece,  Hungary, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Mongolia, Morocco, Nicaragua, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Qatar, Scotland, Spain, Tanzania and Ukraine.

We are proud  to  send  these young ambassadors  to  regions worldwide.    We  are  conBident  they  will  serve  their  host countries well and return with experiences which will enrich them in untold ways.

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Nationality Rooms and

Intercultural Exchange Programs

1209 Cathedral of Learning

University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA 15260

Phone: 412.624.6150

FAX: 412.624.4214

e-mail: kiley@ucis.pitt.edu

website: www.pitt.edu/~natrooms/

EDITOR: E. Maxine BruhnsASSOCIATE EDITOR: Eileen Kiley

REPORTER: Susan LangerPUBLICITY: Cristina Lagnese

LAYOUT: Cathy Denning

C !""#$$%% N %'(

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AUSTRIAN ROOM COMMITTEE  Anne‐Carole Tawoda, Chairman

It  is  with  great  pride  that  the  Pittsburgh  Symphony Orchestra,  in  conjunction  with  the  University  of Pittsburgh, displayed unique artifacts from the Austrian Nationality  Room  the  weekend  of  February  27‐28, 2009.    The  Symphony  expressed  sincere  gratitude  to the  University  for  their  wholehearted  collaboration.  Committee member Dr. Reinhard Heinisch presented a lecture an hour before the performance on the inBluence of  European  culture  in  Pittsburgh.    Jorge  Federico Osorio played Brahms’ Piano Concerto No. 1.  Austrian‐born  Music  Director  Manfred  Honeck  conducted  the orchestra.  

On April 4, the Austrian American Cultural Society held its annual ball at the Pittsburgh Golf Club.   The elegant event’s  guests  included  the  New  York  Consul  General Brigitta Blaha. 

CZECHOSLOVAK ROOM COMMITTEE  Joseph Bielecki, Chairman

The  committee  had  a  very  successful  food  sale  at  the Holiday  Open  House  in  December,  realizing  $600  in proBits which were added to the scholarship fund.

Sue Stafura and  the Veselica ensemble  led members  in a Czech and Slovak holiday sing‐a‐long at the December 13 meeting.

The  Czechoslovak  Room  Committee,  along  with  the Hungarian Room Committee, celebrated the rooms’ 70th anniversaries at the Cabaret Ball in April. Also included in the celebration were the Chinese and Yugoslav Rooms.  

The Spring meeting, held on Saturday, March 7, featured Chairman  Bielecki’s  talk  entitled  “Don’t  Stop  for  Red Lights,”  the  story  of  the  creation  of  the  Nationality Rooms  and  how  ordinary  people  can  accomplish  the most  extraordinary.  He  told  them  about  how  the  local ethnic  communities  touched  Chancellor  John Bowman, and how Bowman tapped Ruth Crawford Mitchell to Bind some way to involve the immigrant communities with the University.  Her vision was the creation of the Nationality Rooms  and  their  corresponding  cultural  committees.  Joe recently gave the same talk to students in the Sofer Institute  program  at  Carnegie  Mellon  University,  the Pittsburgh District meeting of the Greek Catholic Union District 1, and to the Pleasant Hills Lions Club.  

GREEK ROOM COMMITTEE  Dr. Dimitris Kraniou, Chairman

The Greek Room Committee has been very active over the past few months.  In December, Greece was represented at the Open House with a booth selling traditional Greek pastries and dance performances by the Grecian Odyssey Dancers.

In  March,  a  Greek  Independence  Day  celebration  was hosted  by  the Greek Nationality  Room  in  honor  of  the fallen  heroes  in  Greece’s  struggle  for  freedom.    The event  included  dance  performances,  a  moving  video presentation, and recitations by local area Greek School students.

A  summer  study  abroad  scholarship  was  awarded  to Melissa  Stauffer,  a  University  of  Pittsburgh  graduate student, who will conduct research into equine‐assisted therapy  for  children  on  the  island  of  Corfu.    Plans  are underway to host a scholarship dinner in the fall.

HUNGARIAN ROOM COMMITTEE  Barbara A. House, Chairman

The committee’s election meeting, held on December 6, 2008, resulted in the following ofBicers who will serve a two‐year term:

Chairman: Barbara A. House1st Vice‐Chairman: Roger G. Nagy2nd Vice‐Chairman: William S. VasvarySecretary/Historian: John L. LovaszTreasurer: Diane M. TormaController: Maria M. BisteyScholarship Coordinator: Endre Csoman In  Budapest,  a  catalog  by  Magdolna  Zimányi  on  the Györgyi‐Giergl  family  devoted  an  entire  chapter  to 

(left: E. 

Maxine 

and Fred 

Bruhns with 

the current 

Mayor of 

Leipzig next 

to the bust 

of Carl Otto 

Georgi.)

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the  Hungarian  Room  and  its  architect  Denes  Györgyi.  University  archivist  Marianne  Kasica  researched  the topic for Dr. Zimányi and visited Budapest to view the exhibit.

Director Bruhns received a complimentary copy of the catalog  and  a  German  dimension  developed.    Bruhns asked Magdolna  if  Bruhns’  late  husband’s  grandfather Carl Otto Georgi, Lord Mayor of Leipzig for 20 years, could have been a relative.  Magdolna doubted a relationship, but mentioned that she had seen a plaque on a fountain near  Leipzig’s  City Hall  dedicated  to  Carl  Otto  Georgi.  This was welcome news  to Director Bruhns, who was aware of a Georgi Ring and a Georgi bust inside City Hall, but had not known of the fountain. 

The Hungarian Room Committee served on the Planning Committee for the 41st annual Cabaret Ball, along with several  other  committees  who  were  also  celebrating their  70th  anniversaries.    The  Hungarian  Room Committee  supplied  the  orchestra  and  a  folk  dance group for the cabaret portion of the program.  We invited three scholarship recipients to be our guests.  Michelle Anderson  (2008)  informed us  that  she has accepted a position  at  St.  Margaret  Hospital  as  an  occupational therapist.    Deborah Rogers  (2009)  and  Izabel  Galliera (2009)  will  be  going  to  Hungary  this  summer  to  do research towards their respective graduate degrees.  

ITALIAN ROOM COMMITTEE  Arcangela Lattari Balest, M.D., Chairman

The committee expresses its thanks to those who have purchased  the  Italian  Nationality  Room  Cookbook, the  proceeds  of  which  beneBits  the  Italian  Room’s scholarship fund.

The spring/summer  fundraiser was held on Thursday, May 28, at Engine House number 25  in Lawrenceville, near  the  Doughboy  Statue.    The  renovated  Birehouse was featured in TABLE magazine and on local television news spots.  Duane Rieder has converted the space into a  winery  and  the  Roberto  Clemente  Museum.    Mario Lemieux of the Pittsburgh Penguins has remarked that Duane’s wines are better than some of the more notable wines  in  his  private  collection.    Bob  Costas  of  NBC Sports called the museum “tough to beat” for museums dedicated  to  a  single  sports  Bigure.    Duane  is  also  a nationally  recognized,  accomplished  photographer, more  recently  known  for  his  photo  of  the  Pitt  Men’s Basketball graduating seniors on the cover of this past season’s  basketball  program  guide.    One  of  his  most recognizable  photos  is  one  he  took  of  the  Steelers kneeling  in  prayer  before  a  game.      Everyone  who attended enjoyed the wines and one lucky person won a bottle of Engine House 25 wine autographed by Mario Lemieux.  

WELSH ROOM COMMITTEE  Dale Richards and John Owen, III, Co‐Chairmen 

We are delighted  to announce  that  the Welsh National Gymanfa Ganu Association has asked Pittsburgh to host the 2009 North American Festival of Wales, September 3 to 6, 2009.  It is a four‐day event featuring concerts, an award banquet, seminars, a Bilm festival, a marketplace, and the 78th National Gymanfa Ganu, which will feature North American Welsh Choir,  plus artists, speakers, and tours of local attractions, including the Welsh Room.

The Welsh language class completed another successful semester  with  a  few  new  members.    We  will  resume study in September 2009.

The  2008  Pittsburgh  Gymanfa  Ganu  took  place  on Sunday, October 5 at the Baldwin Community Methodist Church.   A Gymnafa Ganu  is a Welsh  form of Christian devotions,  in  which  great  Welsh  hymns  are  faithfully sung  in  English  and Welsh  to  the  glory  of  God  and  in thanksgiving for the heritage of Wales.

For anyone traveling to Washington, D. C. this summer, the Smithsonian Welsh Folklife Festival will be held on the Mall from June 24 – 28 and July 1 – 5 with 100 plus performers from Wales and many booths presenting all things Welsh.  

The  St.  David’s  Society  of  Pittsburgh,  in  cooperation with the Welsh Society of Philadelphia and the National Library of Wales, has issued an invitation to the Welsh societies  in  Pennsylvania  to  collect  and  then  digitize our history, as has been successfully done for the Wales –Ohio Project (http://ohio.llgc.org.uk).  For information on  the Pennsylvania project,  contact Richard Davies at canrichdavies@aol.com.

The  Welsh  Committee  and  the  St.  David’s  Society  of Pittsburgh  wishes  to  thank  all  who  supported  us  in our wonderful  journey to  join the 26 other Nationality Rooms  as  a  permanent  heritage  to  our  cultures  and wishes much success to the future rooms.  

SCANDINAVIAN SOCIETY OF WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA  Rich Neilson, President

The organization marked the December holidays with a very successful Scandinavian Christmas party, with many children in attendance, in spite of a blizzard.  This year’s event was  special  in  that  four  past  Society  presidents and three Swedish university students were present.

Scandinavian  skaters  gathered  at  the  PPG  Place  rink on Sunday,  January 18.   A warm hospitality room held contributions of treats, coffee, and hot chocolate.  

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At the Sunday, February 15 meeting, in 1229 Cathedral of  Learning,  Hilary  Kinal  presented  “Solitary  Bird: Danish  Architect  Jørn  Utzon  designer  of  the  Sydney Opera House.”  Mr. Utzon, recently deceased, was almost as famous for his inability to get along with anyone as for his bold ideas.  A potluck dinner followed the program.

Members learned about polar bear migration from Kathy and Kristen Risa on Sunday, March 15.  The Risas traveled to  Churchill,  Manitoba  in  November  2007  and  shared their experiences as well as impressive pictures of polar bears.  Churchill  is  located  on  the  shore  of  the Hudson Bay.  Everyone sampled the food from the covered dish table after the meeting.

The April 17 meeting featured Carole Marcy discussing her  trip  across  Sweden  from  Stockholm  to  Lund  with a  focus on castle and home styles.   Members remained after  the  program  to  share  traditional  foods  from  the buffet table.  

Norwegian Constitution Day was marked on Sunday, May 17 at Monroeville Community Park.  There was a parade, music,  pøise  med  lompe  eller  brød  (hot  dogs  wrapped in  soft  Blatbread  or  rolls),  and  ice  cream.    Members 

brought main dishes to share while the Society provided the coffee, soda and  fruit drinks, and  ice cream for  the children.  

WOMEN’S INTERNATIONAL CLUB  Cynthia Maleski, President

The  Women’s  International  Club  celebrated  its  70th anniversary  at  a  luncheon  on  June  14.    The  program traced the history of the Club’s founding in 1939 by Ruth Crawford Mitchell.    As World War  II  approached, Mrs. Mitchell felt the women must be well‐informed and hold the Nationality Rooms Program together.

The  success  of  the  Nationality  Rooms  Recipe  Book, published  in 1975, continues  to enjoy brisk sales.   The proceeds fund scholarships for summer study abroad for undergraduate women.   The 67 scholarships now total $146,650.

E.  Maxine  Bruhns  was  also  honored  for  her  44  years as Director  of  the Nationality Rooms  and  Intercultural Exchange Programs.

NEW ROOM

ACIVITY

FINNISH ROOM COMMITTEE Seija Cohen, Chairman

Design competition winner, Mika Gröndahl is, developing the Finnish Room design to add the historical features in the Room and fitting the

seating and computerized information system for the classroom requirements. He was given a $2000 grant from the Finlandia Foundation to cover his expenses. He will travel to Finland and study the archives there to learn the historical facts and find motifs and artifacts

that could be used in the room. The original design did not have any other decorative items than the rhythmic setting of the smoke darkened wall logs.

SWISS ROOM COMMITTEE Heinz Kunz, Chairman

The Swiss Embassy’s Swiss Review publication, sent to Swiss citizens around the world, carried an article on the Swiss Room in February which prompted generous contributions to the building fund. A Swiss

gentleman informed the committee that his family had made kachelofens (tile ovens) in Switzerland for two hundred years. He promised to conduct a search and find one for the Swiss Room.

On April 25, several committee members and Director Bruhns drove down to French Creek, West Virginia to meet with Mountaineer Wood Industries’ Richard Sink and leaded glass artist David Houser.

Saturday, May 16, Richard Sink came to see the Swiss Room space and other Nationality Rooms, and to meet with the committee and Director Bruhns.

The details of those visits and Richard Sink’s qualifications and proposal were communicated to the

architect, Justin Ruessli, in Switzerland.

E-Bay sales of Ben Roethlisberger’s autographed T-shirts will be conducted soon. The committee also awaits decisions on other proposals for foundation grants.

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TURKISH ROOM COMMITTEE Omer Akin, Chairman

In a recent meeting with University Architect Park Rankin, other Facilities Management staff and Director Bruhns, detailed drawings of the Room were distributed and discussed. The next phase of the project is to select the wood-working craftsmen. These men will create the intricate Kundekari and Citakari which will adorn the ceiling and other interior surfaces of the room.

KOREAN HERITAGE ROOM Kwan Lee, MD,

ChairmanDawn Lee, Co-Chair

In April Dr. and Mrs. Lee flew to Korea to meet with

the Korea Foundation which has granted them $200,000 in matching funds for the Room.

In addition, they spoke with representatives of Culture Keepers who will select two architects to come to Pittsburgh, view the Nationality Rooms and return to Korea to prepare preliminary concepts. Two Board Members of Culture Keepers and others will accompany them.

While in Korea, the Lees met with University of Pittsburgh alumni and other interested individuals. They were encouraged by the vivid interest in the Korean Heritage Room project and look forward to welcoming the Culture Keepers to Pittsburgh in July.

LATIN AMERICAN/CARIBBEAN ROOM N. Catherine Bazan-Arias, Chairman

Chairman Bazan-Arias, a Pitt alumna, was installed as the at-large director of the American Society of Civil Engineers. She’s an editor of the society’s Geo-Strata magazine and a senior staff engineer with DiGioia,

Gray & Associates in Pittsburgh, where she specializes in geotechnical and structural engineering projects.

2009 RUTH CRAWFORD MITCHELL CZECH/SLOVAK SCHOLARSHIPDr. Patrik Stefanicka was selected as the 2009 Mitchell scholar on April 17 from a pool of five applicants. Dr. Stefanicka will work with the University’s Otolaryngology Department to learn their methods of rehabilitating patients with neck and throat cancers.

Dr. Daniela Pauknerova (2007 Ruth Crawford Mitchell scholar) returned to Pittsburgh for a month (April-May 2009) to continue her work with Dr. Irene H. Frieze. She visited the Nationality Rooms Program office several times during her stay.

IRISH ROOM ON THE AIRWAVESWQED radio’s Jim Cunningham arranged for Jonny Fox, an intern from Northern Ireland, to interview Director Bruhns in the Irish Room on May 7. Jonny was impressed to learn that earth from County Meath and County Armagh, his homeland, rests in a container behind the cornerstone. He also discovered that his Northern Ireland high school’s name, Lismore, appears in the St. Carthage stained-glass

window. The interview went well highlighted by Jonny’s charming accent. Jim plans to air it on WQED’s St. Patrick’s Day program.

SHIONOS ENDOW SCHOLARSHIP FOR STUDY IN ASIADr. and Mrs. Ryonosuke Shiono have been active in the Nationality Rooms Program since 1965 when Teruko dressed Director Bruhns in a kimono to be photographed with the late Olaf Greiff in his Norwegian outfit. The

photograph appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

REMEMBERING A VISIT TO THE

NATIONALITY ROOMS

On May 11, a phone call from Helena Iles, a University of Maryland graduate student, revealed that she is a longtime admirer of the Nationality Rooms which she visited several years ago. Now working on her Master’s Degree, she is writing a term paper on the Nationality Rooms and interviewed Director Bruhns at length on several points including the ghost in the Early American Room. Helena, who is British, promised to send us a copy of her term paper.

It is rewarding to learn about the indelible impression our Rooms made on a British visitor many years ago.

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Over the years, the Shionos’ activities have ranged from origami demonstrations to receiving visitors from Japan and encouraging contributions to the Japanese Room’s building fund.

In May, Dr. Shiono contributed $80,000 to establish the Ryonosuke and Teruko Shiono Scholarship for Summer Study in Asia. This scholarship will be greatly appreciated by students with wide-ranging interests in Asia.

PaCIE AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Eileen Weiner (Associate Director of the University Center for International Studies [UCIS]) recently sent the following information to UCIS staff: “E. Maxine Bruhns, Director of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs, and Dr. Bob Donnorummo, former Associate Director of Center for Russian and East European Studies, have been selected to receive the 2009 W. LaMarr Koop Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of outstanding contributions to International Education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This award, through the Pennsylvania Council for International Education (PaCIE), is presented to international educators who have demonstrated longstanding excellence, commitment and leadership in the field of international education. I can think of few people who fit these criteria as well as Maxine and Bob, who join UCIS alumni Burkart Holzner (2000) and Shirley Kregar (2006) as recipients of this prestigious award. Dr. Reinhard Heinisch, member of the Austrian Room Committee, Professor of Political Science at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and a very active UCIS Affiliated Faculty member, is also being honored with the 2009 David A. Portlock Outstanding International Educator Award. This award recognizes international educators in mid-career who have exhibited on-going mentoring of colleagues in the field and exemplary leadership in international education on their campuses. Well deserved, Reinhard.”

WORLD AFFAIRS COUNCIL’S STUDENT AMBASSADORS CONFERENCE

The Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs (NRIEP) has partnered with the World Affairs Council’s (WAC) Student Ambassador’s Conference for several years. Each spring the WAC brings in 250 middle school students to attend a full morning of lectures and discussions focusing on a geographical area. This year it was Asia.

NRIEP reserved classrooms in David L. Lawrence

Hall for the lectures. The program culminated in a tour of the Nationality Rooms led by Quo Vadis guides Jerry Frankovich, Kendal Shaber, David Zumoff, Cheryl Potance, Terry Rowley, Andrew Richel, Sarah Cunning ham and Matt Reineberg.

After their tour, the students gathered in the Commons Room where Director Bruhns – dressed in a Punjabi outfit – spoke to them about some unusual adventures she had while living in Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.

BRUHNS’ PROFILE ON THE PENNSYLVANIA CABLE NETWORKThe Pennsylvania Cable Network features hour-long profiles of Pennsylvania personalities – among them Chancellor Mark A. Nordenburg, Pearl Harbor expert Graduate School of Public and International Affairs Professor Donald Goldstein, Boxing Champion Joe Frazier and historian David McCullough.

In February, PCN’s Doug Sicchitano interviewed Director Bruhns in the Austrian Room for an hour (nonstop). Later Kat Prickett inserted photos of Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Walter Cronkite, Fred C. Bruhns, a baby gorilla, a class of Cambodian Buddhist monks, the Early American and Syria-Lebanon Rooms, Chancellor John G. Bowman and Ruth Crawford Mitchell.

The Bruhns’ Profile touches on her adventures living in Austria, Lebanon, Vietnam, Cambodia, Iran, Germany and Gabon. It ends with the history and mission of the Nationality Rooms and Intercultural Exchange Programs.

The Profile debuted on May 10. Re-runs often appear on PCN weekdays at 6 a.m.

WQED’s On QTonia Caruso interviewed Director Bruhns, Quo Vadis Advisor Michael Walter, and Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg for an On Q feature. The interviews took place in the Russian and Swedish Rooms, as well as Bruhns’ less-than-tidy office. It seems Tonia is aiming to film the most disorderly desk in Pittsburgh. Apparently Bruhns’ desk in 1209 Cathedral of Learning is running neck-and-neck with UPMC’s Dr. Bruce Dixon’s. The program will be shown in September when On Q returns to its 6:30 p.m. slot on WQED.

DECORATING DAYDecorating Day was well attended and the “pot luck” format was a success! The ethnic casseroles, salads and desserts were excellent. We had many volunteers who helped to serve and keep the buffet line moving. However, we were running out of casseroles before the end of the line. Therefore, next year we will ask for larger and more casseroles and more volunteers to help serve the luncheon. We also ask that you not return for seconds until all committee members have been served. Decorating Day is scheduled for Saturday, November 14, 2009. Please mark your calendar and consider volunteering for this special day of food and friendship. We also will ask four committees to present a program regarding the Holidays in your home country.

HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE2008 Holiday Open House was a grand event. The flow of visitors went well this year with committee vendors located in the alcoves around the Commons Room. A few committees had requested their area be changed from the previous year’s area for more visibility. Most committees sold out of their food before the end of the day. This year’s Holiday Open House is scheduled for December 6, 2009. The 2009 Holiday Open House information will be sent to all committee chairmen for a commitment to participate in the Open House.

The Nationality Rooms Program Director will contact eight ethnic committees to perform twice at the Open House; please do not assume your committee will participate in the performances, if you have not been contacted.

Mark your calendar and coordinate with your committee for this event. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 412-624-6150 or e-mail at smlanger@pitt.edu.

CABARET BALLThe Cabaret Ball was held Saturday, April 18th and we celebrated the 70th Anniversary of the following Classrooms; Chinese, Czechoslovak, Hungarian and Yugoslav. The Chinese, Czechoslovak and Hungarian Committees sponsored performers for the Cabaret. The Yugoslav Committee was unable to participate as this was their Orthodox Easter. Unfortunately, the University had no other dates available. The Hungarian Committee hosted the George Batyi Orchestra for the evening and they were excellent!! We had many volunteers from the three mentioned committee who helped this event go smoothly. A “Silent Auction” was held from donated baskets from the above-mentioned committees – with the proceeds benefitting the Ruth Crawford Mitchell Scholarship Fund.

The buffet consisted of a variety of foods representing each ethnic group – Chicken Paprikás, Kluski, Beef Stir Fry and Cod Almandine. Many of the committee members were excited and thought the event went very well, and that a Cabaret Ball should be held annually. However, there would need to be many volunteers to continue holding this event. So, we may want to consider holding the Cabaret Ball every other year. Any comments or questions, please contact me.

UNDECORATING DAYEach committee will receive information regarding “Undecorating Day.” Please follow the directives to insure a smooth transition as classes will be in session.

BYLAWSIf your committee is contemplating revising your bylaws, please contact me for any help needed. Please

remember, before any changes can be made and ratified, they must be approved by the Nationality Rooms Program Director.

ELECTION OF OFFICERSThe Nationality Council held an election of officers June 11, 2009. The Nationality Council “Standing Rules” states: Each Committee shall hold an election of officers every two years, in the year following the Council Election. Please abide by this rule (IX Elections – Standing Rules of the Nationality Room Committees). Should you need a copy, please contact me. Each committee should have a complete set of “Documents for New Officers and New Committees” – NATIONALITY ROOMS PROGRAM POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.

EVENT PLANNINGWhen planning an event, please contact our office as soon as possible. It is necessary to plan your event EARLY so that all requests can be accommodated. Please do not assume your request is approved once it is submitted. You must wait for a written confirmation before advertising your event. ALL UNIVERSITY FACILITY REQUESTS MUST BE MADE THROUGH THE NATIONALITY ROOMS PROGRAM OFFICE. The Nationality Rooms Program Office has information on planning events and fundraising procedures in packets that we would be happy to forward to you.

MEMBERSHIP LISTSTo date I have not received current membership lists for each committee. If you have not forwarded the list (you know who you are!), please do so as soon as possible. For those who have already complied, thank you!

Committee Corner

9

Susan LangerAdministrative Assistant

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ABOUT THE GREEK ROOM…

O, Goddess, sing the wrath of Peleus’ son,

Achilles: sing the deadly wrath that

broughtWoes numberless upon the Greeks and swept

To Hades many a valiant soul, and gaveTheir limbs to dogs a prey and birds of air –

For so had Jove appointed –

“Ye sons of Atreus, and ye other chiefs,

Well-greaved Achaeans, may the gods who

dwellUpon Olympus give

you to o’erthrowThe city of Priam, and

in safety reachYour homes…”

Lillian Demestichas (center),

University of Pittsburgh student

and secretary of the Greek Room

Committee, prepares to read the

opening lines of Homer’s Iliad at

the dedication of the Greek Room

in 1941.

With an increase in number of committees and events it is necessary to strictly enforce the following guidelines:

To successfully plan a special event or meeting requires timely planning by the committee. To secure space in heavily-used facilities such as

the Student Union, Frick Fine Arts Auditorium and Cloister, the reservation should be requested through the Nationality Rooms Program THREE TO FOUR MONTHS IN ADVANCE.

Even regular meetings require planning six to eight weeks ahead.

1. To reserve space involves two other departments – we cannot give you an immediate answer. It can take up to two weeks for approval; you cannot advertise or announce the event until approved confirmation is received in writing.

2. To prepare/duplicate fliers, etc., a committee must give Nationality Rooms Program staff two weeks LEAD TIME.

3. Allow time for the invitation/meeting notice to be received by members at least two weeks prior to event/meeting. The Nationality Rooms Program will record and process responses (if requested) for event/luncheon but it is the committee’s responsibility to coordinate any event that isn’t in a University facility.

Our office coordinates more than 39 Nationality Committees events as well as affiliated organizations. We must complete tasks in the order they are received to insure that each committee receives fair treatment.

The Nationality Rooms Program DOES NOT type individual letters, minutes or address labels. The Nationality Rooms Program DOES NOT maintain membership lists. (However, we do request that your committee supply a copy of membership list for committee

file/archives). These tasks are the responsibility or your committee’s corresponding/recording secretary or membership chairperson.

The failure of some committees to allow adequate lead-time for requests is an ongoing problem. Such tardy requests, in effect, ask to be given priority over committees who have planned ahead.

You can help us serve everyone more efficiently just by following the guidelines.

1. Plan ahead six to eight weeks.

2. Submit your service request at least 10 WORKING DAYS BEFORE NEEDED, i.e., room request, invitations, programs, etc.

3. Phone to confirm BEFORE coming in to pick up any material requested.

4. DO NOT REQUEST “One Day” or “While-You-Wait” service.

5. DO NOT ask any Nationality Rooms Program staff to make an exception to this policy.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 412-624-6150. We do have informational packets available.

Wishing you a safe and happy summer!

PLANNING GUIDELINES FORCOMMITTEE EVENTS

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Recipes taken from the Nationality Rooms Recipe Book, published by the Women’s International Club.

BAKED FISH FILLETS (PLAKI)

2 large onions

1 pound flounder or cod fillets1 carrot (optional)2 stalks celery3 Tablespoons butter1 teaspoon minced parsley1 teaspoon tomato paste diluted in ¼ cup water or ¼ cup tomato sauce

Using an 8” x 12” greased baking pan or baking dish, slice the onions and place on bottom of the pan or dish. Then line with the fish fillets, place vegetables around them, and dot with the butter. Sprinkle with the parsley and the tomato sauce or paste. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, covered with foil. Remove foil and brown uncovered for the last 10 to 12 minutes.

Carne C. Demas Greek Room Committee Page 76

BAKLAVA

1 ½ pounds walnut meats1 teaspoon cinnamon1 ½ pounds butter, melted1 ½ pound filo or phyllo – very thin sheets of pastry dough

Coarsely grind walnuts and mix with cinnamon. Grease 11” x 16” pan with melted butter. Place 8 sheets filo in pan, brushing each layer with melted butter. Place the ninth sheet of filo in pan, brush with melted butter, and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of the nut mixture. Alternate 1 sheet of plain buttered filo with 1 sheet of buttered filo with nut mixture. Repeat process until all ingredients are used. Conclude by placing 10 sheets of buttered filo on top. With a sharp knife, cut into diamond shapes. Bake in a 275 degree oven for two (2) hours. Meanwhile, for syrup, combine sugar, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from fire, add honey. Cool. Remove baklava from the oven and pour cold syrup over it while hot. Let stand at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Mrs. Zachary Paul Greek Room Committee Page 178

Syrup: 3 cups sugar 1 ½ cups water 1 Tablespoon lemon juice 1 cup honey

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JUNE 1969Mrs. Evelyn Lincoln, personal secretary to the late President John F. Kennedy, was guest of honor and featured speaker at the May 3 John F. Kennedy Scholarship Award Dinner co-sponsored by the Irish Room Committee of the University of Pittsburgh and the Gaelic Arts Society of Pittsburgh. A color film of the late President’s visit to Berlin was one of the highlights of the program.

Among recent lecturers in the English Room were Mrs. Sheila de Chazal, who spoke on politics and education; Mrs. Esme Cahill on “Monumental Brass Rubbings from England, 13-15th centuries, illustrated with a number of rubbings Mrs. Cahill had executed herself; and Mr. Edward J. T. Brennan on “Contemporary Education in England.” Mr. Brennan’s speech was hosted also by the Pittsburgh Branch of the English Speaking Union. All talks were lively, informative and well-received with good question and answer periods.

MAY 1979The John H. Tsui Memorial Endowment was established to enable an eligible University of Pittsburgh student to study an element of Chinese culture as part of the Nationality Rooms Summer Study Abroad Scholarship Program.

Mr. Padraig Faulkner, Minister for Tourism and Transport and Mrs. Faulkner visited the University of Pittsburgh on February 6, 1979, for an early morning tour of the Nationality Rooms. In the Irish Room, the Waterford crystal bowl was on the table filled with pink and red carnations. Mary Jane McKeever, Quo Vadis President, interpreted the room, after which E. Maxine Bruhns presented The Nationality Rooms book to Mr. Faulkner.

In early June, Pittsburgh hosted the United States Conference of Mayors. Quo Vadis guides gave interpretations of not only the Nationality Rooms, but also spoke on the transformation of the P&LE Railroad Station into the Grand Concourse Restaurant, and the future development of Station Square. Since the theme of the conference was ethnicity, Quo Vadis members dressed in various ethnic and national dress.

MAY 1989The Israel Heritage Room Committee co-sponsored a concert by RINAT, Israel’s National Choir, with the Community Relations Committee of the United Jewish

Federation, the Office of Urban and Community Services, and the Heinz Chapel Choir of the University of Pittsburgh. The group gave a stunning performance before a large audience at the First Baptist Church on March 14. A portion of the proceeds went to the Israel Heritage Room Committee’s scholarship fund.

At the 14th Annual Report Meeting, representatives of the Malawi government presented the African Heritage Room Committee with a five-foot-long woodcarving by 21-year-old sculptor Kasiya Maliro. The work of art depicts the ritual initiation of a youth into adult society.

SPRING 1999The components of the Japanese Room, after a voyage by sea and rail, arrived in Pittsburgh on May 12. The room was constructed in Kyoto, Japan, under the supervision of Suzuki Koumuten (contractor), Hirokatu Nagase (architect), and a team of carpenters. Upon completion, it was dismantled and carefully packed in a sea-worthy container. Master carpenter Isamu Eto, Hitoshi Sato, and Hidetaka Suzuki came to erect the room in 316-317 Cathedral of Learning, working closely with committee member Tadao Arimoto, local artist and woodworker.

The 14th Annual Austrian Ball, with 208 participants at the Greentree Mariott, included the presentation of the Cross of Honor, First Class, of the Republic of Austria for Arts and Sciences, to Dr. Peter Safar.

IN MEMORIAM

Stephanie MatulaPolish Room Committee & Women’s

International Club

George ZilinskasLithuanian Room Committee

LOOKING BACKIN THE NEWSLETTER...

VISITORSTATISTICS

March 2009 through May 2009

Paid Admission Only

Month Adults YouthMarch 549 177April 776 1,308May 1,224 1,331

2,549 2,816

The Salvation Army brought English as a Second Language Students from Mexico, Korea, Brazil, Iraq and Bahrain for a tour on November 5. We hope to create an ongoing relationship with the Salvation Army as this experience was a success in all ways. Other “non-traditional” tours included two visits from students from Pittsburgh Technical Institute, from Oakbridge Academy of the Arts (Photography), and two groups from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh (Interior Design and Hospitality Arts).

Matthew Hefferin and I are planning a mailing to all area school districts. It includes an invitation, pre-registration form and several brochures. We’ve reached every elementary, middle and high school in Allegheny County. Westmoreland, Butler and Beaver counties will follow. So far, three schools have booked tours, mentioning that they have seen the mailing.

In January, the Nationality Rooms Program was accepted in a Carnegie Mellon University sponsored project entitled “Technology in Communities.” CMU provided a computer science student for the spring semester to examine the way we use computer technology. The first item on the agenda was the Nationality Rooms web site. The site reaches people around the world and should reflect all aspects of the program: Nationality Rooms, Gift Center, scholarship programs and additional touring information. Tour reservations are now reflected on-line through Microsoft Groove. The calendar can be accessed by staff members and is a quick and efficient way to keep track of tours.

Some special guests included:Martin Holland, visiting lecturer and Director, Nationality Centre on Research on Europe, Jean Monnet Chair of European Integration and International Relations, University of Canterbury, New Zealand

John Bruton, ninth Taoiseach of Ireland and current Ambassador of the European Union to the United States

Korea Foundation delegation, hosted by E. Maxine Bruhns and Dr. Larry Feick, along with members of the Korean Heritage Room Committee. After touring the third floor rooms and learning about the ways that a Nationality Room benefits the community, the group met for discussions in the Braun Room

Eleven new guides were initiated into Quo Vadis on April 10. While several had completed training since last April and had been giving tours, this was their official welcome to the organization. They are Mirsada Begovic, Gerry Frankovich, Jack Sanker, Kimberly Fetsick, Nina Weaver, Sara Pecora, Jacob Elwell, Lindsay Bennett, Hana Bakalli, Elly Schmitmeyer, and Srilaxmi Komanduri.

The World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh brought 269 school children to tour the Nationality Rooms on May 6.

The Children’s International Theater

Michael WalterTour Coordinator

QUO VADIS

13

2009 GILLESPIE AWARD TRIP

Michael Walter accompanied Terry Rowley

and Andrew Rishel on the annual trip to New

York City awarded to Quo Vadis guides on the basis of volunteer service to the

organization and to the Nationality Rooms Program. The trio traveled to the Big Apple on Monday, April 27 and returned on Thursday,

April 30.

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INFORMATION CENTER AND MAINTENANCE

The Annual Maintenance Inspection was conducted on Tuesday, March 10. Special attention will be given to the wood floors in some of the rooms over the summer. As usual, the Nationality Rooms were in excellent condition for the use they receive during the fall and spring semesters by students and on weekends by visitors. All involved are working to maintain these unique treasures.

Visitors often sign the guest book at the Information Center. Comments include “fascinating”, “gorgeous”, “one-of-a-kind”, “awesome”, “breathtaking”, “wonderful”, “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” and, occasionally, a “thumbs up.”

Matthew Hefferin, oordinator

Gift sales from December through February 2009 increased 16.6% from

the same period in 2008. The brisk holiday purchases depleted much of our Christmas inventory, providing the opportunity to keep stock fresh with new offerings while maintaining perennial favorites. The German smokers, for example, new last year, sold extremely

well again this year.

We have been able to introduce items from underrepresented

countries this season. Italy’s Murano glass is featured in pendants and watches. Hand-made holy water fonts, signed by

the artists, come from different areas

of Italy. Beaded Guatemalan jewelry has been very popular. Icons from Russia were supplemented with icons from Greece which are very distinctive. The history of Swedish woodworking is shown in the Dala and Vassna horses, crafted by hand in Sweden. In Armenian mythology, the pomegranate symbolized fertility, abundance and marriage. You can see a copper pomegranate charm cracked to reveal garnet “seeds” within. There are ceramic hand-painted pendants with designs inspired by XII-XIV A.D. Armenian manuscripts.

We are currently in the process of developing a Gift Center web page which will be part of the Nationality Rooms web site (www.pitt.edu/~natrooms). It will express our mission statement as well as illustrate many of our stock items.

The first comprehensive and computerized inventory has been completed. The on-line information will be updated quarterly.

GIFT CENTERAnita Gallagher, Gift Center Coordinator

Festival was held in Oakland for the second year. Specialty tours were developed for children who visited the rooms from May 13 – 17, including creature symbolism, images of royalty and fairy/folk tales. Unfortunately tours were offered at the same times as the theater productions and we only had about 70 guests over the five days.

The acquisition of a high definition digital video camera has allowed us to make some nice DVD’s of interviews with such people as Martin Chetlin (architect of the Israel Heritage Room) and Dale Richards (Welsh Room Committee). These permanent oral histories will be a gift for the future and will serve to further educate the guides.

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Stanley Prostrednik Award To participate in an internship with Search for Common Ground in Kumba, Cameroon

JEFFREY AUSTIN PRICE

Stanley Prostrednik GrantTo analyze the bones found in mass graves for identification purposes in Zagreb, Croatia

MARY ELIZABETH KOVACIK

Fred C. Bruhns Memorial Award To participate in a State Department internship at the U.S. Embassy in Doha, Qatar

WALLIED J. SHIRZOI

Fred C. Bruhns Memorial Grant To participate in an internship with the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and research the integration of Hezbollah into the military in Beirut, Lebanon

RAMZI ASMAR

Fred C. Bruhns Memorial GrantTo research delivery of occupational therapy services to children with disabilities in Amman, Jordan

WIKAR ABDUL KADHIM

Ruth Crawford Mitchell Memorial Award To research public awareness and prevention strategies for lymphatic filariasis on Luzon, Philippines

ABIGAIL T. CHUA

Lithuanian Room Committee Scholarship To research chronic kidney disease in young agricultural males in Matagalpa, Nicaragua

TIMOTHY STOKER LAUX

James W. Knox Memorial Award To research 17th Caribbean pirates through archival records and court documents in Seville, Spain

DONALD ISAAC CURTIS

George T. and MaryAnn McGunagle Memorial AwardTo participate in an internship with Mediators Beyond Borders and research community policing initiatives in Monrovia and Buchanan, Liberia

TOBY L. TAYLOR

Indian Room Committee Scholarship (in honor of Sandeep Patel)To participate in a clinical mentorship at Mungeli Christian Hospital in Mungeli, India

LINDSAY TAWA

Austrian Room Committee Scholarship (in honor of Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Maestro Manfred Honeck) To research concepts of nation and religious orders and their depiction in 20th century literature in Vienna, Austria

KATHLEEN E. MORIARTY

Austrian Room Committee Grant (in honor LaVonne

2009 SUMMER STUDY ABROADSCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

Eileen Kiley, Scholarship Advisor

THE NATIONALITY ROOMS AND INTERCULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMS 2009 RECIPIENTS SUMMER STUDY ABROAD SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

GRADUATE AWARDS

Dr. and Mrs. Shiono recently contributed $80,000 to create the Ryonosuke and Teruko Shiono Scholarship Endowment for summer study in an Asian country. The award will be offered as soon as sufficient funds accumulate in the interest account. I would like to extend to the Shionos a resounding “Thank you” on behalf of the future scholarship winners.

The University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Finance and Office of Institutional Advancement has revised its spending policy regarding new endowments, effective July 1, 2009. Any new endowed gift processed and invested during the first half of a

fiscal year (July 1 through December 31) will begin receiving monthly spendable interest payments the following July 1. Any gift received between January 1 and June 30, the second half of the fiscal year, will receive monthly spendable interest payments the following January 1. During the delayed payout period, all income distributions will be added to the principal. With this new policy, spendable income will not be accumulating for all or a portion of the year. Should a donor wish to award a scholarship immediately, one solution is to set a portion of the endowed gift aside and deposit it directly into the spending account.

16

& the late Edward Kepes)To research identity development in the Eastern European and Balkan diasporas in Vienna, Austria

BORYANA DOBREVA

Greek Room Committee ScholarshipTo participate in an internship with The Silva Project and research equine-assisted occupational therapy in Corfu, Greece

MELISSA M. STAUFFERHungarian Room Committee ScholarshipTo research the ways in which 19th century Hungarian cooking contributed to national identity in Budapest, Hungary

DEBORAH A. ROGERS

Hungarian Room Committee GrantTo research artist Miklos Erhardt and the “Big Hope” project to determine ways art can intervene in sensitive social conditions in Budapest, Hungary

IZABEL ANCA GALLIERA

African Heritage Room Committee ScholarshipTo research how community members can assist in the development and implementation of school policies

in Enoosaen, KenyaNOSAKHERE A. J. GRIFFIN-EL

Frank & Vilma Slater/Scottish Room Committee ScholarshipTo research Alexander Wood, 18th century entrepreneur, in Edinburgh, Scotland

THOMAS R. DUNN

Italian Room Committee Scholarship (in honor of Jennie Ranii)To research female art patrons of the Medici family in the 17th century in Parma, Mantua and Ferrara, Italy

AMY E. CYMBALA

Eugene Manasterski Memorial AwardTo research transnationalism resulting from conversions from Greek Catholic to the Greek Orthodox religion between 1890-1914 in L’viv, Ukraine

JOEL C. BRADY

Eugene Manasterski Memorial GrantTo participate in a legal internship and research “rule of law” at Kyiv-Mohyla University in Kyiv, Ukraine

KERRY ANN FRAAS

Rachel McMasters Miller Hunt AwardTo participate in an internship in a medical-related field and

study Post-War British Popular Culture through the Pitt-in-London program in London, England

ALEXA R. SABEDRA

German Room Committee ScholarshipTo study German language and culture at the University of Augsburg in Augsburg, Germany

LAUREN W. BRUNE

Helen Pool Rush GrantTo participate in the Center for Latin American Studies field trip

and research Spanish as a second language in Forteleza, Brazil

GLENDA D. VARGAS

Helen Pool Rush AwardTo research the interactions and conflicts of common medical

practices with ritualistic Buddhist culture in Ulan Bataar, Mongolia

CORY J. RODGERS

Helen Pool Rush GrantTo study Introduction to Post-War British Popular Culture and Child Development in a British Context through the Pitt-in-London Program in London, England

ANNA M. BARRY

Savina S. Skewis AwardTo study modern standard Arabic language and Arabic culture at The Center for Cross-Cultural Learning in Rabat, Morocco

MARISSA S. GOLDRICH

David L. Lawrence Memorial AwardTo study anthropology and conduct research on Tanzania’s education system through the Pitt-in-Tanzania Program in the Karagwe District of Tanzania

AMBER S. NELSON

David L. Lawrence Memorial GrantTo study the Spanish language and participate in an area studies seminar at the Universidad de Buenos Aires in Buenos Aires, Argentina

DANIEL J. WOLF

Israel Heritage Room Committee Scholarship To study intensive Hebrew and Arabic languages at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, Israel

SUSANNA ZLOTNIKOV

Italian Room Committee ScholarshipTo study Italian philosophy at Scuola Lorenzo de’ Medici in Florence, Italy

KIMBERLY A. FETSICK

Women’s International Club Award (in memory of Madlyn Arthurs)To study Spanish for Healthcare Practitioners at the IES Abroad

UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

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UNIVERSITY SCHOLARS(for attaining the top two percent in cumulative undergraduate academic standing by school)ANJALIKA R. GANDHI (2008 Savina S. Skewis Award)ALEXA L. SWAILES (2009 Women’s International Club Grant)DANA-LEIGH PUZIO (2007 Women’s International Club Grant)SUZANNE ADJOGAH (2007 African Heritage Room Committee/Walter C. Worthington Foundation Scholarship)

PHI BETA KAPPA(for superior scholastic achievement in undergraduate programs in the arts and sciences)KANDI FELMET (2006 Savina S. Skewis Award) TANYA KEENAN (2007 Women’s International Club Grant)

GOLDEN KEY NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY(for top 15% of the junior and senior classes)KIMBERLY FETSICK (2009 Italian Room Committee Scholarship)

SELMA N. HERNANDEZ MERIT SCHOLARSHIP(for outstanding academic achievement)ALEXA L. SWAILES (2009 Women’s International Club Grant)

WILMA BINDER ZEDER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP(for outstanding academic achievement)CAITLIN HENRY(2007 Ruth Crawford Mitchell Merit Award)

ACADEMY OF AMERICAN POETS PRIZE/EDWIN O. OCHESTER GRADUATE POETRY AWARDSTEN CARLSON (2006 Scandinavian Society of Western Pennsylvania Scholarship)EMILY GROPP (2006 Syria-Lebanon Room Committee Scholarship)

CHINESE STUDIES TUITION REMISSION AWARDQIAN ZHANG (2006 John H. Tsui Memorial Award)

FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND AREA STUDIES FELLOWSHIP(for outstanding graduate students in their study of other languages and regions)LESLIE WALLACE (2007 John H. Tsui Memorial Award)

FRIENDS OF FRICK FINE ARTS SUMMER TRAVEL FELLOWSHIP(for research by graduate students in art history)JULIA FINCH (2007 Austrian Room Committee Scholarship)

HONORS CONVOCATION

Santiago Center and participate in a clinical observation in Santiago, Chile

MICHELE LARZELERE

Women’s International Club Grant (in memory of Madlyn Arthurs)To research how shamanism is used in modern Buddhism in Ulan Bataar, Mongolia

KATHERINE E. LASKY

Women’s International Club Grant (in memory of Madlyn Arthurs)To participate in the Center for Latin American Studies field

trip and conduct AIDS research in Forteleza, Brazil

ALEXA LEIGH SWAILES

Polish Room Committee ScholarshipTo study Polish language and culture through the Kosciuszko Foundation at Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland

LAURA A. CZARNAK

African Heritage Classroom/Walter C. Worthington Foundation ScholarshipTo study anthropology, community health and social welfare through the Pitt-in-Tanzania Program in the Karagwe District of Tanzania

RACHEL A. MURRAY

William and Bernice McKeever Memorial AwardTo study Latin American literature and contemporary society and culture at the University of San Ignacio de Loyola-Cusco, and improve Quechua language skills in Cusco, Peru

SARAH M. HENRICH

John H. Tsui Memorial AwardTo study Chinese language and culture at Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing, People’s Republic of China

JENNIFER C. LANDIS

This annual academic event convened on February 27, 2009. The Nationality Rooms Summer Study Abroad Scholarship Program recipients’ names are listed each year, along with hundreds of other outstanding students.

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HISTORY OF ART AND ARCHITECTURE EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AWARD SHERRI LULLO (2008 John H. Tsui Memorial Award)

TAMARA HOROWITZ GRADUATE STUDENT PAPER PRIZE(for the best student research on women or gender issues and concerns) CARLY WOODS (2008 Frank & Vilma Slater/Scottish Room Committee Scholarship)

LILLIAN B. LAWLER PREDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP(for outstanding careers in teaching and research by dissertation-level students)BORYANA DOBREVA (2009 Austrian Room Committee Grant)

HENRY LEIGHTON MEMORIAL GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP(to a graduate student pursuing the MS or PhD degree in geology and planetary science)EMILY MERCURIO (2008 Scandinavian Society of Western Pennsylvania Scholarship) MARION T. SIKORA (2004 Savina S. Skewis Grant)

SPENCER FOUNDATION FELLOWSHIPKAI HEIDEMANN (2005 Stanley Prostrednik Grant)

TUROW-KINDER PRIZE FOR FICTIONASHLEIGH PETERSEN (2008 Greek Room Committee Award)

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH WOMEN’S STUDIES TEACHING FELLOWSHIP CARLY WOODS (2008 Frank & Vilma Slater/Scottish Room Committee Scholarship)

ANDREW MELLON PREDOCTOR FELLOWSHIPS(for superior performance in the academic disciplines of arts and sciences at the graduate level)JULIA FINCH (2007 Austrian Room Committee Scholarship)MICHELLE GIBBONS (2008 Frank & Vilma Slater/Scottish Room Committee Scholarship)EMILY MERCURIO (2008 Scandinavian Society of Western Pennsylvania Scholarship) DAVID SEITZ (2006 Stanley Prostrednik Grant)AMY ERICA SMITH (2006 Stanley Prostrednik Grant)KATHERINE E. SORRELS (2006 Chinese Room Committee Scholarship)

K. LEROY IRVIS DIVERSITY DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPNOSAKHERE GRIFFIN-EL (2009 African Heritage Room Committee Graduate Scholarship)

CENTER FOR WEST EUROPEAN STUDIES FELLOWSHIP VICTORIA M. RACZ (2002 Hungarian Room Committee Grant)

MATTHEW B. RIDGWAY CENTER AWARD(for scholarship and service in advancing the center’s goal of international security)TOBY L. TAYLOR (2009 George and MaryAnn McGunagle Memorial Award)

BRACKENRIDGE UNDERGRADUATE SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP(for two or three months of summer support to engage in unfettered undergraduate research leading to a completed work of independent scholarship)JOSH CANNON (2008 William & Bernice McKeever Memorial Award)KIMBERLY FETSICK (2009 Italian Room Committee Scholarship)CORY RODGERS (2009 Helen Pool Rush Award)

CHANCELLOR’S UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWS(for proposing and implementing an innovative teaching project in collaboration with a sponsoring faculty member)ANJALIKA R. GANDHI (2008 Savina S. Skewis Award) PRISCILLA Z. LIU (2007 John H. Tsui Memorial Award)

CHANCELLOR’S UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING FELLOWS(for proposing and implementing an innovative teaching project in collaboration with a sponsoring faculty member)KIMBERLY FETSICK (2009 Italian Room Committee Scholarship)

ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLS OF PUBLIC HEALTH “THIS IS PUBLIC HEALTH” CAMPAIGN AWARD KATHERINE PHILP (2007 Stanley Prostrednik Grant)

CENTER FOR GLOBAL HEALTH, HEALTH SCIENCES, STUDENT GLOBAL TRAVEL GRANTAPRIL CARMAN (2008 Indian Room Committee Scholarship)

HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION SCHOLARSHIPWIKAR KADHIM (2009 Fred C. Bruhns Memorial Grant)

JEWISH HEALTHCARE FOUNDATION JONAS SALK HEALTH FELLOWSHIP(for commitment to ethical practices in health care)MICHELLE ANDERSON (2008 Hungarian Room

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Committee Scholarship)WIKAR KADHIM (2009 Fred C. Bruhns Memorial Grant)

OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY DEPARTMENT PROFESSIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARD(for promotion of occupational therapy through national leadership activities and international service projects

DANIELLE SHUTTLEWORTH (2007 Ruth Crawford Mitchell Memorial Award).

PI THETA EPSILON(for superior scholarship among students enrolled in professional entry-level programs at accredited occupational therapy programs)STEPHANIE YOUNG (2008 James W. Knox Memorial Award)

BENJAMIN PACHTER (2008 Japanese Room Committee Scholarship), a PhD candidate in Ethnomusicology, conducted an informal lecture and discussion on kumidaiko (Japanese group taiko drumming) on Monday, March 2. Evolving out of a long tradition of festival music, it appeared in 1950’s Japan and adapted aspects of Western music to create a new performance style. Ben’s picture appeared in the Winter 2009 edition of the University’s “World of Giving.” He is playing the gamelan as part of the “Pitt Institute: An Evening of Music” sponsored by the Pitt Alumni Association.

KAI HEIDEMANN (2005 Stanley Prostrednik Grant) will teach a fall semester course entitled “French Politics and Society” which will sociologically explore some of the major cultural and political issues that have defined contemporary

France.

JAMES JOHNSON (2007 Eugene Manasterski Memorial Award) was one of the graduate student organizers of a January 2009 workshop entitled “Taking Small Steppes: Conducting Archaeological Research in Eurasia” held at the University of Pittsburgh. Students and scholars of Eurasian archaeology from institutions throughout the U.S. gathered to present their current research and to participate in roundtable discussions on problems affecting their field of inquiry. The

working group from this event intends to continue to meet annually in order to reinforce the cross-institutional ties that were formed during this event.

SAMANTHA HRYCIUK (2003 Vira I. Heinz Scholarship for Education Abroad) headed a committee of Russian and East European Studies graduate students to present the sixth annual Graduate Student Conference in February 2009. “Ties that Bind and Ties that Divide: Cultural, Economic and Political Linkages in Eastern Europe, Russia and Central Asia” brought students and faculty together to hear 26 papers prepared by graduate students from 16 universities, including the University of Pittsburgh.

KARLA HUEBNER (2004 Czechoslovak Room Committee Scholarship) defended her dissertation on December 8, 2008. She taught a seminar in the spring 2009 semester on Czech Modernism and gave a talk on the Czech surrealists in Manchester, England, in April, 2009. A chapter Karla has written will be included in The New Women International: Representations in Photography and Film 1890s – 1930s (University of Michigan Press) anticipated in 2010.

LINA INSANA (1993 Italian Room Committee Scholarship) was recently named the winner of the Modern Language Association of America’s tenth Aldo and Jeanne Scaglione Publication Award for a Manuscript in Italian Literary Studies. A cash award of $8,000 was presented to the University of Toronto Press, which is scheduled to publish Arduous Tasks: Primo Levi, Translation and the Transmission of Holocaust Testimony, written by Professor Insana. In the selection committee’s citation, they stated “Lina N. Insana’s Arduous Tasks constitutes a significant contribution to both our understanding of Primo Levi’s work and to the study of the Holocaust…”

KATHERINE SORRELLS (2006 Israel Heritage Room Committee Scholarship) defended her doctoral dissertation on April 14 in Posvar Hall. The title of Katherine’s work is “Austrian Jews and the Idea of Europe: Reformulating Multinationalism as a Response to the Disintegration of the Habsburg Empire, 1880-1939.”

TRACEY JAFFE (1996 Ivan Santa-Cruz Memorial Award) defended her doctoral dissertation on April 20 in Posvar Hall. The focus of Tracey’s work is “In the Footsteps of Cristo Obrero: Chile’s Young Catholic Workers Movement in the Shanty-town Factory, and Family, 1946-1973.”

SHANNON BLACK (2008 Savina S. Skewis Award) was one of several graduating seniors profiled in the April 26 edition of Pitt Chronicle. In the article, Shannon explains the impact of the University of Pittsburgh on her career goals as well as the experience of Tanzania on the Nationality Rooms scholarship. She also had served a two-year term as president of the Campus Women’s Organization.

SCHOLARSHIP UPDATE

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MAY 200913‑17  Pi(sburgh Children’s International   Festival17  Polish Room Commi(ee Luncheon  William Pi( Union17   Scandinavian Society’s Sy(ende Mai (17th   of May) Celebration  Townsend Park, Murrysville25  Memorial Day holiday – University offices   closed25  Nationality Room Tours   11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m.

JUNE11  Nationality Council meeting  1201 Cathedral of Learning – 6:00 p.m.14  Women’s International Club President’s   Luncheon  University Club, Oakland15  Lithuanian Room Commi(ee Meeting  129 Cathedral of Learning 2:00 – 6:00 p.m.20  Scandinavian Society of W. Pennsylvania  Midsummer Celebration &   Annual Meeting  Bue Farm, Export, PA

JULY3  Independence   Day Holiday  University   Offices closed3  Nationality   Rooms tours  11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30  p.m.

AUGUST3  Czechoslovak Room Commi(ee   Croghan‑Schenley Room, 5 – 7 p.m.16  Indian Festival  Commons Room  ‑  Noon‑4:00 p.m.23  Polish Room Commi(ee Concert – Frick   Fine Arts Auditorium 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.31  Fall Term begins

SEPTEMBER3‑6  Welsh National Convention  Pi(sburgh, PA7  Labor Day Holiday  University Offices closed7  Nationality Rooms tours  11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m.13  Scandinavian Society of Western PA  Crayfish Party/Fall Picnic  Aspinwall Volunteer Firemen’s Park19  Polish Room Commi(ee Concert  Frick Fine Arts – 5:00 – 9:30 p.m.

OCTOBER T.B.A.  Nationality Council Meeting &      Scholarship Debriefing  1201 Cathedral of Learning ‑ 6:00 p.m.10  Scandinavian Society of Western PA  Nordic Night – Church of the Redeemer,   Squirrel Hill T.B.A. Welsh Room Commi(ee – Gymanfa GanuT.B.A.  Chinese Room Commi(ee Scholarship      Dinner  Sheraton Station Square  time t/b/aT.B.A.  Czechoslovak Room Commi(ee Meeting  1228 Cathedral of Learning  2:00 p.m.22‑25  University of Pi(sburgh Homecoming   Weekend

NOVEMBER8  PolishFest ‑ Commons Room ‑ Noon14  Annual Decorating Day and Luncheon  1228 Cathedral of Learning ‑ Noon15  Scandinavian Society of Western PA  1228 Cathedral of Learning15  Lithuanian Room Commi(ee  129 Cathedral of Learning26  Thanksgiving Day – University offices   closed  No tours27  Nationality Rooms Tours  11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m.28  Nationality Rooms Tours  9:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m.

DECEMBERT.B.A.  Polish Creché display6   Holiday Open House  Noon – 4:00 p.m. – Commons Room12       Czechoslovak Room Commi(ee  Holiday Party – 1228 Cathedral of Learning 12     Scandinavian Society’s Holiday Party       Boyd Community Center, O’Hara    Township 3:00 p.m.11      Last Day of Classes19        Fall Term ends 24‑26  Winter Break – Offices Closed; No Tours   27‑31  Nationality Rooms Tours  11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m. JANUARY 20101  New Year’s Day – Offices Closed; No Tours4  University offices reopen6  Spring Term classes begin16  UNDECORATING DAY  10am – 3pm17   UNDECORATING DAY  12 Noon – 3pm18  UNDECORATING DAY  12 Noon – 3pm18  Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday –    University offices closed18  Nationality Rooms tours  11:00 a.m. – last tour leaves at 2:30 p.m.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS All dates and times are subject to change.  For current information, call 412.624.6150.

(t/b/a = to be announced)

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Autumn 2008Essentially AmericaMention of the Nationality Rooms in a U.K. magazine dedicated to travel and life style in the USA.

October 1, 2008Southwest AirlinesInflight Magazine

Article on the Nationality Rooms with mention of the newest classroom- the Welsh Room

October 31, 2008The Pitt News“Cathedral Hosts Ghosts”Article on the Early American Room and the spirit of Bruhns’ grandmother Martha Jane Poe inhabiting the room

November 2008William Penn Life“Nationality Rooms schedule holiday open house”

November 3, 2008Pittsburgh Tribune-Review“Oakland Boasts New Blooms, Old Bones and More”A walking tour of Oakland with mention of the Nationality Rooms and the self-guided tour of the classrooms

November 3, 2008Pitt Chronicle“Pitt to Host 23rd Annual Polish Festival Nov. 9”Short article and photograph of the annual Polish Festival to be held in the Commons Room

November 3, 2008The Pitt News“Pittsburgh’s Slovak Community

Holds Annual Festival”Article on the Slovak Heritage Festival held in the Commons Room highlighting the food, music, and culture of the Central European country

November 3, 2008Pittsburgh Tribune-Review“Pitt’s Polish Festival to feature food, crafts”Article on the 23rd annual Polish Festival

November 19, 2008The Pitt News“The Best of 2008”Editor’s pick for best Nationality Room – the Austrian Room

November 20, 2008University Times“Story of Cathedral Told on DVD”Article of DVD “The Story Behind the Construction of the Cathedral of Learning” chronicling the history of the Cathedral of Learning written and narrated by E. Maxine Bruhns, Director of the Nationality Rooms Programs

December 2008University TimesPhotograph of the Armenian Room in holiday splendor

December 2008Pittsburgh Magazine“Away to a Manger: Celebrate our Nativity Scenes and Crèches”Mentions the crèche in the Irish Room, the ceppo in the Italian Room, and the santons in the French Room

December 2008William Penn Life“Understanding beyond words: Pitt student overcomes language, cultural barriers to establish connection with refugees in Hungary”Michelle Anderson (recipient of the Hungarian Room Committee scholarship) gives an account of her experience in Budapest

December 1, 2008Pitt Chronicle“Annual Nationality Rooms Holiday Open House Dec. 7”Announcement of upcoming Open House festivities

December 8, 2008The Pitt News“Nationality Rooms welcome the world”Article on the Holiday Open House and photographs of ethnic dancing and craft displays

December 8, 2008Pitt ChroniclePhotograph of Ukraine’s First Lady, Kateryna Yushchenko with Ukrainian committee chair Michael Komichak, Maxine Bruhns, and others while visiting the Ukrainian Nationality Room

December 8, 2008Pitt Chronicle“A New Twist to Old Traditions”Szopki exhibit at the Frick Fine Arts Building sponsored by the Polish Classroom Committee

January 2009Pittsburgh Tribune-Review“Tower Trumpets Education”A look back on the history of the

EYES & EARS UPON US

Cathedral of Learning and the man John G. Bowman who came up with the idea in 1921

January 29, 2009PITT Magazine

“Attention, Earthlings!”Advantages of studying abroad and mentions the Nationality Rooms Summer Study Abroad Scholarships

March 16, 2009The Pitt News“Pitt Doctoral Students Learn the Art of Teaching”Photograph of doctoral student Ghilani and professor of communication Zboray taken in the German Nationality Room

April 2009Interview with Maxine Bruhns “On Q” with Tonia CarusoWill be shown some time in September

April 14, 2009Pittsburgh Post-Gazette NOW

The Austrian American Cultural Society holds Austrian Ball

April 26, 2009Pitt Chronicle“A Journey of Learning: Shannon Black dedicates herself to promoting women’s rights”Graduating Senior profile of Shannon Black- recipient of the 2008 Savina Skewis Grant, Nationality Rooms Study Abroad Scholarship

April-May 2009Austrian Information (published by the Austrian Embassy)Cover and main article “A Bridge from Vienna to Pittsburgh”Features the Austrian Room on the cover

May 10 and May 11, 2009Hour-long profile of E. Maxine Bruhns on the Pennsylvania Cable Network

June 1, 2009Pittsburgh Post-Gazette NOW

Article on Anna Barry- recipient of the Helen Pool Rush Grant

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NATIONALITY ROOMS PROGRAM1209 Cathedral of LearningUniversity of PittsburghPittsburgh, PA 15260

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Greek Room entry door