University of Nevada, Reno
Basque Center PUBLICATIONS Books Newsletter    Issue 61    Issue 60    Issue 59    Issue 58    Issue 57    Issue 56    Issue 55    Issue 54    Issue 53    Issue 52    Issue 51    Issue 50    Issue 49       Highlights       New France       Hall of Fame       Internet       UCSB       Cuisine       Publication       Grant       Durango       Lectures       Exchange       USAC News       Nekane       Linguistics       Nobel Prize       Eskerrik       Interested?     Issue 48		Basque Studies Program Newsletter · Issue 49, 1994 Spring Lectures Draw Crowds The Basque Studies Program, in conjunction with the University of Nevada Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures, sponsored two lectures on Basque topics that drew healthy crowds. Sociologist Benjamín Tejerina spoke to a packed room on March 23, 1994. His topic was “Reversing Language Shift in the Basque Country: Politics, Identity and the Ethnolinguistic Movement.” Tejerina provided valuable statistical information on the number of enrollments in the various types of schools in the Basque Country. For the period of his study (through the 1980s) students had a choice of studying in a Basque-language environment (where classes were taught in Basque and Spanish was studied as one subject of many); a half-and-half environment, where half the day was taught in Basque and half in Spanish; or in a Spanish-language environment (where Basque was studied as one subject among many). Tejerina’s information showed a significant drop in enrollments at the third type of school. The lecture sparked a lively debate about the future of the Basque language that lasted long after the official lecture ended. On March 30, 1994, Patxi Ezkiaga, a teacher and renowned Basque poet from San Sebastián, lectured to another packed room on “Solitude, Symbolism and Death: Three Keys for a Basque Poet.” The lecture included readings of some of his poems which were provided in Basque and English. The poet accompanied the readings with talented renditions of traditional Basque tunes on his harmonica. After the lecture, a reception was held to allow the audience an opportunity to visit with the poet.
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