William Penn Life, 2009 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2009-09-01 / 9. szám
Take#l Greetings, my name is Tibor Check Jr. Like most of you, I am a member of the William Penn Association, and like most in this great fraternal organization, I have Magyar blood flowing through my veins. I am 18 years old and a recent graduate of West Geauga High School in Chesterland, Ohio. My family and I are proud members of Branch #28 in Youngstown, Ohio. I live with my parents Tibor Sr. and Elizabeth, younger brother Endre and little sister Lizzy. My observations and perspectives will cover a wide variety of themes that concern me as I grow up as an American-Hungarian and as a William Penn member. I will try to bridge the gap between old and young, hip and square, modern and old-fashioned. In reality, our Hungarian heritage makes us more alike than different. Our Hungarian nationality is small in numbers, but we boast more than our fair share of world-renowned musicians, scientists, athletes and celebrities, especially for a country around the same size as Ohio. I confess that I have a Napoleon complex when it comes to the recognition given to our cultural homeland. I cringe when I see that there are so many that are not the least bit cognizant of our Hungarian culture as many outsiders view us as barbarians from the Asian steppe or country bumpkins. We Magyars boast a countless array of unique culinary specialties. After Italy, Hungary was the first nation to embrace the Renaissance, and it shows in Hungary’s art, literature, architecture, and folk crafts. Only the Hungarians can boast that they originated the music of the csárdás. It began and prospered first as a verbunkos, (a recruiting song to get the village lads to join the army) then evolved into the rage of dancing halls across the European continent. Hungarians are just like the U.S. Marines, “We are the Few and the Proud.” I am fortunate to have been exposed to so many of the great aspects of being a Magyar. Before I could even walk, I would go with my Nagypapa and Apa as they would broadcast their weekly Hungarian radio show, “The Souvenirs of Hungary.” I learned to read our beautiful language by pronouncing the words of the liner notes on the back of records. I remember one day asking my grandfather: “What is a temető?” My gramps passed away in 2004, but I now broadcast and engineer the show. This year, marks the 30th anniversary of broadcasting the program. In that long span, many changes have taken place: Hungary is no longer communist, and is now part of NATO and the European Union. As you receive future issues of William Penn Life, please take a few moments to read my segment of “Tibor’s Take.” I hope that by seeing Hungarian culture through a young person’s eyes, we can appreciate our ethnic experiences even more. Éljen a Magyar, Tibor William Penn Life, September 2009 3
