THE UNIVERSITY HARLY KANSAN
MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 2009
NEWS
3A
CONFERENCE
Speakers discuss changes after Berlin Wall
Center for Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies gathers experts to analyze post-Communist Europe
BY ZACH WHITE
zwhite@kansan.com
Twenty years ago, East Germany opened its borders. The Berlin Wall fell, David Hasselhoff sang and Central Europe transformed.
This weekend, the Center for Russian, Eastern European and Eurasian Studies (CREES) played host to a conference called "Central Europe 1989: Lessons and Legacies" to discuss those political and social transformations. Experts from universities across North America and Europe covered topics from economic development to gender issues in Central Europe in the past 20 years. Central Europe includes former East Germany, Poland,
Follow Kansan writer Zach White at twitter.com/zachandthenews.
Hungary, former Czechoslovakia,
Romania and Slovenia.
According to Edith Clowes, director of CREES, the purpose of the conference was to explore changes across the entire region.
"What we are trying to do is look at the region as a whole," Clowes said. "The problems they share, the advantages they share, and how they can talk among themselves as a region to move forward."
Jan Kubik,political science professor at Rutgers University, was a keynote speaker. Kubik, who is originally from Poland, discussed developments in the fields in sociology and anthropology in Central Europe. Kubik said bringing together academics with different specializations helped participants to get a comprehensive look at the issues.
"I cannot believe what big scholars have come to our University," Hruska said. "I've learned a lot
"The major strength of the conference is that it is so diverse," Kubik said. "After 20 years are a lot of things to analyze and to refresh our memories."
Kubik also said she thought the conference highlighted the importance of Central European studies. Laszlo Kulcsar, associate professor of sociology at Kansas State
One new scholar is Eva Hruska, Slavic department graduate student. Hruska said she had anticipated the line-up at the conference.
University, agreed. He said that the conference could inspire a new generation of scholars.
"It really allows people who are fresh out of graduate school, starting their professional career, and still researching these things to keep these ideas alive," Kulcsar said. "It's not like it's been 20 years and the problems are solved. It's been 20 years and some have been solved and some new issues emerged. It's a continuously developing field."
about certain aspects of the region I am studying that I didn't even know I should be looking into."
Hruska translated the play "RUR: Rossum's Universal Robots" by Czech playwright Karel Capek. The play is the origin of the word robot. Members of the department of theatre staged a reading of the translation at the conference. The play will also be read at CREES' Velvet Revolution Party on Nov. 7. The party celebrates the non-violent revolution that overturned the communist government in former Czechoslovakia — another transformative event in Central Europe. Anyone can register to attend.
Edited by Brenna M. T. Daldorph
HEALTH Vaccine supply short, H1N1 clinics canceled
The University has canceled the H1N1 immunization clinic scheduled for Oct. 30 because Watkins did not receive a sufficient amount of the vaccine.
The Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department has also canceled its clinic on Oct. 30 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.
November and December clinics are still scheduled as before. When the University receives enough vaccine, it will be available free to students, faculty and staff who meet the federally defined priority group criteria, which includes any person under 24.
Seasonal flu vaccinations will still be available on Tuesday and Wednesday of the next two weeks at Watkins Health Center.
NATIONAL
-Zach White
States demand unclaimed war bonds Montana among several states to sue federal government for failure to return money
ASSOCIATED PRESS
HELENA, Mont. — The federal government is facing a lawsuit over billions in unclaimed bonds that date back to the patriotic fundraising efforts of World War II, leading to a showdown between states who say they should be given the money and a Treasury Department that claims ownership.
World War II sparked an unprecedented bond buying campaign, spurred on by one of the largest advertising campaigns ever seen—a drive wrapped in dutiful pleas from celebrities, politicians and cartoon characters alike.
Most American families bought at least one bond at the time and many never cashed them in — thanks in part to a 40-year maturity in the bonds. And those same "Series E" war bonds continued to be sold by the federal government until 1980.
More than $16 billion worth of the bonds are unclaimed, either lost or forgotten after the death of the original purchasers.
The state attorneys general suing the Treasury Department charge that the federal government made no effort to find those people. They want the money given to the states, who have a legal system in place for
finding the owners of unclaimed Goods
"It's better for the millions of Americans who are the rightful owners to have it returned to the states, because the states will make a real effort to find them," said David Bishop, a partner at Kirby
McHernery who is representing the states in the suit. "And if after searching for them they can't find them, the money can go to work in the communities where the bonds were purchased."
The Treasury Department coun-
the Public Debt. "These are obligations of the federal government, not the states. There is no pot of gold out there just waiting for someone to grab it."
"I think it is money that should be with Montanans. It's an important action to bring just to protect the state's interests.
STEVE BULLOCK Mont. attorney general
The Treasury also points out that most of the unclaimed bonds are far more recent than the origi-
ters that it indeed tries to find owners of the unclaimed bonds, and says it has a Web site where people can simply type in their Social Security number to see if they have one. And it points out that the money is not just laying around somewhere.
"One of the misunderstandings out there is that there is a lot of cash sitting somewhere in a drawer. Money from savings bonds was used to run the daily operating expenses of the government," said Joyce Harris, with the Bureau of
nal World War II era bonds. And overall, 99 percent of people claim their bonds.
And those who don't cash them often choose to do so for tax reasons, or perhaps out of a sense of patriotism, Harris said.
It's not like the states will get the money free of obligation, about $55 million in the case of Montana. The states would be obligated to pay bondholders no matter if it takes them decades — or longer — to show up. In the meantime, though, states usually earmark the interest earned on such unclaimed money for schools or other purposes.
the bonds" she said. "A majority, when you contact them, are aware of the bonds."
Steve Bullock, the attorney general for Montana, said states — not the federal government — have legally been granted the right to deal with unclaimed money.
"First and foremost I think it is the right thing to do. I think it is money that should be with Montanans," Bullock said. "It's an important action to bring just to protect the state's interest."
The complaint was first filed in Federal court in New Jersey in 2004 with New Jersey and North Carolina as the plaintiffs. Montana, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Missouri later joined the case. All states would benefit if the lawsuit is successful.
This war bond poster, painted by Robert Sloan for the U.S. government, encourages Americans to buy savings bonds for the war effort. The federal government in facing a lawsuit over billions in unclaimed bonds that date back to the patriotic fundraising efforts of World War II.
The case will come down to constitutional arguments. Attorneys for the federal government are arguing
the states don't have standing on what they see as a contract issue between the original purchasers and the Treasury Department.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
The states expect arguments in the case to be made later this year on a motion from the federal government to dismiss the case.