Student Groups
See the new directory of community resources for more information on student and academic groups at UW-Madison.
Graduate Student Association
The Graduate Student Association organizes a variety of activities intended to advance the scholarly training of our graduate students. These have included "brown-bag lunches" organized to promote discussion of works-in-progress by graduate students and their professors. The Association has also invited a number of guest speakers from the regions of interest, including contemporary Russian poets, classical musicians from Russia and Central Asia, and many other professionals. The Graduate Student Association Speaker's Bureau makes graduate students available to conduct classes and give lectures on a wide variety of topics at middle, secondary and post-secondary schools.
For more information email CREECA's outreach coordinator.
Slavic Club
The Slavic Club offers a forum for developing shared interest in the languages and cultures of Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. Members of the Slavic Club include both undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of departments. The Slavic Club meets regularly to watch films, attend lectures and events, discuss courses, and socialize.
For more information email uwslavicclub@yahoo.com.
Meetings Time and Places TBA.
Language Tables
Language Tables at UW-Madison hold weekly meetings and provide an environment for conversational practice . Levels range from first-year students to native speakers.
Russian Table
5-6 p.m. Thursdays
Rathskeller, Memorial Union
Contact: russiantable@yahoo.comCzech Table
8 p.m. Wednesdays, Rathskeller, Memorial Union
For more information email David Danaher at dsdanaher@wisc.eduPolish Table
8:30pm, every other Thursday, Rathskeller in Memorial Union.
Contact: Patrick Peczerski <peczerski@wisc.edu>Serbo-Croatian Table
6-7 p.m. Mondays, Rathskeller, Memorial Union
Contact: 233-7349, manitc@wisc.eduCentral Asian Language Table
Noon-1 p.m., NW Corner, Lakefront Cafeteria, Memorial Union
Speak Uzbek, Tatar, Kazak and other Central Asian languages, and meet faculty and students studying Central Asia. Wednesday. Information: 262-7141, uschamil@wisc.edu.
Central Asia Student Association
A student organization created to bring together students interested in Central Asia in order to facilitate discussion among the various fields and to promote an appreciation for the cultures of Central Asia. The CASA helps coordinate the annual Nawruz Festival--Central Asian New Year, that is held in the Spring. CASA will also arrange for prominent speakers to give talks on campus and organize other cultural activities such as a film festival. For more information about CASA contact Heather Sonntag at hssonntag@students.wisc.edu.
The Orchestra largely consists of two groups of authentic Russian stringed instruments: domras and balalaikas. All of them have three strings but are tuned differently. Domras are oval shape instruments and come in 4 sizes: piccolo, prima, alto, and bass; balalaikas are triangular shape instruments and come in 5 sizes: prima, secunda, alto, bass, and contrabass. The Orchestra also uses two accordions, a flute, an oboe, and various percussion instruments.
The repertoire consists mainly of Russian and other Slavic folk songs, dances, ballads, etc. The orchestra also plays music of Russian classical composers, such as Tchaikovsky. Occasionally, selections of Western music are introduced.
Currently, the Orchestra rehearses once a week in room 1418 Van Hise Bldg. on the UW-Madison Campus. There are currently 23 members of the orchestra.
For more information, email Victor Gorodinsky at vfgorodi@wisc.edu or visit the Russian Folk Orchestra web site at www.russorch.wisc.edu.
