Page:Czecho-Slovak Student Life, Volume 18.djvu/366
STUDENT LIFE
Published monthly, excepting the summer months, at Lisle, Ill., is written for and about American Students of Czechoslovak Ancestry.
The feature articles have been written expressly for the Student Life. Permission to reprint will be readily granted.
The date on which your subscription falls due is printed opposite your address on the magazine cover. Kindly send your renewals promptly—this saves us the expense of sending out renewal letters, and leaves a little more for the improvement of the S. L.
STUDENT LIFE PROGRAM
1—To acquaint the English speaking world and our own younger generation with the historical, artistic, literary, musical and cultural treasures of the Czechs and Slovaks.
2—To make prominent Americans of Czech and Slovak ancestry better known.
3—To present the achievements and activities of American Czech and Slovak students and alumni in America.
4—To kindle a greater interest and desire among Czechs and Slovaks for higher education.
5—To inform and entertain by means of interesting news items, good short stories and rollicking student humor.
PICTURE ON THE S. L. COVER.
Our cover picture this month presents the statue of Sts. Cyrill and Methodius, the latest artistic creation of Albin Polášek, the eminent Czech sculptor, who at present resides at 4 E. Ohio St., Chicago, Ill. The statue, which is eight feet high and of white Carrara marble, again embodies Mr. Polášek’s chief characteristics: strength, massiveness and originality. This monument of the heroic missionary workers among the Slav nations will stand in the Slavonic Chapel of St. Paul’s Cathedral, St. Paul, Minn.
Of Mr. Polášek and his work we spoke in the March issue. Here we present his subjects and their significance to the Slavs.
The brothers, Cyrill (Constantine) and Methodius, the principal patrons of the Slavs, were born in Thessalonica, in Macedonia. Little is known of the early life of Methodius; Cyrill, however, was celebrated far and wide for his learning, and most of the details of his life have come down to us.
He was born in 827, a few years after his brother. Tales of his marvelous precocity are numerous. The story is told of a vision he saw, when only seven years old, in which a group of virgins, representing the various virtues, appeared to him. “Choose!” he heard a voice say. And young Cyrill chose Sophia (Wisdom).
Cyrill was educated by the famous Photius at the imperial court in Constantinople, along with the youthful Emperor Michael. Here, before he was fourteen, he was known as “Constantine the Philosopher”.
In 850 he received Holy Orders and devoted himself to lecturing on philosophy. When he was but