An idea
It all started in August of 2008. It was time to stop daydreaming; summer was almost over, school was about to begin again and ideas and goals for the new year were already starting to form. One fine day in late August an idea came up at Ryerson’s Ram in the Rye. A small group of students sat down to address the problem of dwindling activity within young Polonia evident all around them, both at their local Polish student club as well as in Polish student clubs throughout the region.
Jakub Lewandowski and Peter Kluz look to the future after having just thought up PISK.
Curious, Peter Kluz proposed an idea: What if there was a nationwide, student-led organization promoting and connecting all Polish student initiatives throughout Canada? What if this organization was connected to larger profit and non-profit organizations in the Polish community? What if it lobbied for greater support of students involved in Polish initiatives across the country? What if this organization helped sponsor student exchanges to Poland, scholarships, internships? What if, what if… and the possibilities grew.
A meeting
The idea was immediately picked up by Jakub Kardynał, Peter’s close friend at Ryerson’s Polish Students’ Association. Together with the Ryerson PSA, Jakub and Peter quickly mobilized themselves and organized an impromptu meeting for executives of Polish student clubs across the region. They realized a grim truth: their generation was the last branch of the last significant wave of Polish immigration. Every “Polish” student coming after them was a little bit weaker in the language, with roots back to Poland that were a little bit foggier. They knew that if something wasn’t done quickly,the Polish footprint in Canada would be reduced to merely a collection of funny-sounding surnames devoid of any deeper meaning.
All told, about 15-20 presidents, vice-presidents and secretaries showed up from Polish student clubs across Ontario, including a small delegation from Montreal to boot. The name of this event? KOSA: Konferencja Ostatnich Studiujących Aktywistów—The Last Remaining Student Activists’ Conference.
The KOSA conference: PISK's (highly successful) inaugural meeting. Clockwise, from the lower left corner: Szywmon Wartak (Waterloo), Kamil Mróz (Ottawa), Krystyna Donafeld (Waterloo), Paul Sulżycki (Waterloo), Paul Izdebski (York), Kasia Kamińska (York), Jakub Lewandowski (Ryerson), Hubert Bibrowski (Western), Peter Kluz (Ryerson). Not sure who the two fellows in the dark clothing are, in the upper, right-hand corner of the image, though I feel they might have been sent from local Polonia media.
Upon hearing the idea for this new initiative, the invited delegates immediately saw the potential within this large community, the same community that only recently seemed so small and insignificant when seen from within a campus bubble. The name Polska Inicjatywa Studentów w Kanadzie seemed fitting, both because this organization is very much a Polish Initiative of Students in Canada, and also because its acronym conveniently spelled out the Polish word for “chirp”: PISK—a noise an eaglet might make. This is symbolically significant if you recall that the white eagle is the official emblem of Poland.
What’s next?
Since our first general election in September of 2009, PISK has quickly gained momentum and moulded the vision of a few with the needs of many to create a strong, vibrant network of Polish students across Canada. Contacts have been forged with both Polish student organizations across the country as well as with the Canadian Polish Congress (which greeted PISK with applause at its General Assemply on October 17, 2009), and with the Polish government through its Canadian consulates and its embassy in Ottawa.
Many of the original brainstormers behind PISK are now moving forward with their careers—traveling, catching exciting opportunities, and making names for themselves in their respective fields—but, wherever they are, they are still actively involve in Polonia and still constitute the extended PISK network. If you are looking for a co-op placement, an internship, or even just a buddy to help you out as you’re traveling, PISK can probably help.
The executive committee is constantly working on ideas and initiatives, so please do not hesitate to drop us a line if you’d like to get involved. There are nothing but exciting opportunities in store for you, so go ahead—take action and move your proud heritage forward!