Fall ’09 Ann Arbor
The Fall 2009 NHSA Convention was held on November 13th-15th, at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.This Fall General Assembly marked the first opportunity of the many new member-HSAs to be represented and get acclimated in the NHSA workings. The main goal of this Convention was to increase and strengthen the bonds between our member HSAs during the early stages of the organization’s establishment.
Fall 2009 Brochure :
Convention Agenda
The participants had the opportunity to discuss about educational and professional issues on their universities and nationally and build a rising network of young leaders. They also focused on promoting and preserving Hellenic culture and religion, as well as, on strengthening their Hellenic bonds; an admittedly hard task in today’s alienated purely technological society. Towards that direction, and under the guidance of the University of Michigan’s Modern GreekDepartment the NHSA Convention Fall 2009 held discussions with the following topics:
A. “diversity of our generation and importance of preserving our identity”,
B. “evaluation and effects of Hellenic Institutions of the USA in our generation”
C. “relationships and views of Greece of the current Hellenic youth”.
The discussion was enhanced by speakers representing other ethnic communities, local Hellenic Institutions and the Older Generation members. As usual, the gathering also had a social part, which provided teambuilding and entertainment to the participants.
Problem Statement – Discussion
This era marks about 100 years since the first immigration wave. During the early years of the Greek existence in the USA, the Greek community was very homogeneous (same age, educational level, practice of religion, etc). The community established several institutions in order to preserve its culture, identity, and traditions. Today, after the passing of generations and the constant addition of more “immigrants,” the Greek community has become extremely diverse. This all happens in an era where the technological advancements have made exchange of information and traveling very easy. However, is the need of preserving our identity as eminent as 100 years ago? Have the mechanisms put in place by the first Greek settlers (institutions) evolved to meet the challenges the current generation’s diversity present? As the settlers change from immigrants to citizens, do they romanticize about Greece as the “Old Country”? Should the Hellenic community focus upon culture or try to get politically active (ex: marbles ~ Olympics)?
