Václav Havel (1936–2011)

Long before Czechoslovakia’s communist regime collapsed in 1989, Václav Havel was one of the most remarkable figures in Czech history – already a successful playwright when he became the unofficial leader of the opposition movement. Though he hoped to return to writing, the revolution catapulted him to the presidency of Czechoslovakia, and, after the country split in 1993, he was elected President of the new Czech Republic, serving until 2003.

Read the complete story at the Project Syndicate website

German film Romeos present attitudes which director Sabine Bernadi said she has encountered among straight audiences.

By Shuan Sim

On the screen of the Světozor cinema in Prague, the movie Romeos was screening. A man emerges completely naked from a car with tinted windows, lights a cigarette and talks to the lead character of the movie. Moments later, two more men emerge from the car, also in various stages of undress.

None of the audience stirred. After all, they were attending the 12^th Mezipatra Film Festival, which celebrates and screens movies that deal with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transsexual and queer (LGBTQ) issues. What’s more interesting, however, is that approximately half of the attendees were straight, not gay.

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Gracián Svačina went to university with a mission: "I wanted to show them that we are normal people too."

By Shuan Sim

Gracián Svačina is a 21-year old who goes to a Czech university, where he studies mass communications. He has writing internships with the country’s leading daily newspaper, Mladá fronta Dnes, and with the news weekly Respekt. He appears to be ordinary. But behind that that appearance is an exceptional success story: Svačina grew up in a state-run children’s home. Only 0.6% of people like him make it into university.

Svačina recalls how his parents would spend their monthly wages in a week and could not afford to take care of him, his two younger brothers and grandfather. He spoke of no hot water and often no food in the house. He and his siblings were not sent to school sometimes. “Most importantly, my father was beating me and my siblings, my mother and our grandfather,” he said. “The police came one day and took us away.”

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Kristýna Horáková (left) and Nikola Ročňáková, students of the Gymnázium K.V.Raise in Hlinsko

Students at NYU in Prague seldom go native, but a small group recently had a short glimpse at the life of ordinary Czech high-school students.

Ten NYU students took part in a brief home-stay October 14 with students of the Gymnázium K.V.Raise in Hlinsko, a town 153 kilometers southeast of Prague.

“One of the things about NYU is that the kids live in a bubble,” NYU instructor Dinah Spritzer said. “They tend to hang around other students and don’t make an effort to hang around other Czechs.”

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The Young Greens protest in Old Town Prague on September 30

By Shuan Sim

While the Occupy Wall Street movement grabs headlines in America, a grass-roots movement in the Czech Republic is taking its own stand against consumerism and globalism.

On September 30 approximately 20 young people met on Prague’s Old Town Square with signs, banners and shopping bags filled with rags. “How much happiness have you bought today?” read a banner which a woman wore like a cape.

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Student council officers (from left): Ryan Bender, Krystina Cermakova, Michael Ibragimchayev, Demetra Sherwood, Sydney Stanback and Christina Chen

The student council of NYU in Prague is planning several events to soothe homesick students during the fall semester.

In addition to a Thanksgiving feast in November, the council is also coordinating a Halloween Party October 31 at the Vysmátý Zajíc club in Old Town.

“There will be tons of candy,” Co-President Sydney Stanback. “People will have the ability to choose the music that they want to hear, and of course costumes are heavily encouraged.”

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By Tori McCarthy

The most prominent genre that is played in Czech clubs is definitely house music, four-on-the-floor kind of stuff. I was surprised about how influential Western pop music is on the club scene though. Even though house music dominates, there are usually samples of popular American pop songs woven into the dance music, or even sometimes American Top 40 songs are simply played in their original form. -NYU junior Garrett Houghton, 20, Music Business major

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Vladimír Černý

By Shuan Sim

Vladimír Černý, 26, is graduate student at Charles University in Prague studying religion, philosophy and ethics. This semester is his third as an NYU RA. He spoke with The Prague Wanderer about his work as an RA, and how the name of his band might sound Nazi-like to a Czech person.

The Prague Wanderer: What do you think are the differences between American college students and Czech ones?

Vladimír Černý: Americans ask more questions, because I think they know a lot about “how” — how to ask, how to find information. Czech students know more about “what” — about facts. A big difference is that American kids are more focused in their knowledge. Also, I think Czech students are more grown up in some sense.

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Jay DeYonker

NYU alum ditches Manhattan for Máchova

By Tori McCarthy

Jay DeYonker spent the Fall 2009 semester in Prague as part of New York University’s study abroad program. Two years later, he’s back – not as a student, but working as a first-year residential assistant in NYU’s Máchova dorm.

Jay talks to The Prague Wanderer about his experience transitioning from Times Square to Wenceslas Square as well as his experience as a member of the LGBT community here in the Czech Republic:

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The Prague Wanderer is recruiting staff for the Fall 2011 semester:

• Reporters
• Photographers
• Editors
• Marketing managers

We’re looking for students prepared to make a semester-long commitment to publishing and promoting the Prague Wanderer. If you’re interested in joining our team, please send your resume and clips to theodore(dot)schwinke(at)gmail(dot)com.