By Marek Broniewski, 2004, 2006 and 2008 PitR Alumnus
LONDON -- Having participated in all three installments of Poland in the Rockies, I've had the unique opportunity of watching the program grow and evolve as Tony and Irene outdo themselves each time. The nuts and bolts of the program haven't changed much since it was first put together in 2004 - the venues, meals and excursions are all more or less the same from year to year. What really distinguishes each installment of Poland in the Rockies is the people who attend.
Since 2004, the group of participants has been getting ever more diverse, in terms of age, background, geography and area of interest. In the first installment of the program, many of the students were from Alberta itself, and the number of girls far outweighed that of guys. Since then, the group has become increasingly more mixed. This year's was the broadest in terms of age and geography, with students from England, Florida and Vancouver participating. Participants' areas of interest have also grown more diverse. While 2004 saw a disproportionately large number of history and political sciences students attend, the last program attracted participants with backgrounds in almost every field, from film to engineering. 2008 was also the closest that Poland in the Rockies has come to reaching parity between the sexes. The greater mix of individuals has allowed for a richer discussion and a better exchange of ideas amongst participants, an important part of the program.
Another positive step for Poland in the Rockies is that every installment since the first has seen a few students returning. In 2006, Bartek Bonikowski and I assisted the organizers with the event, while this year Eric Bednarski and Kinia Adamczyk took the mantle. A few other students dropped by to participate in some of the festivities, demonstrating that Poland in the Rockies does have the ability to attract students committed to the program and its goals.
Something that has remained a constant struggle from one year to the next is finding a way to develop a lasting organization of alumni, to ensure that Poland in the Rockies can have some lasting effect. Here again, I've seen the program grow. While the first year saw very little formal post-program organization, the second one resulted in at least a few formal get-togethers amongst students, some of which I've had the pleasure of attending myself. The 2008 installment has produced a series of Facebook pages, and now a newsletter, all of which will hopefully help turn Poland in the Rockies from a biennial seminar to a thriving organization of individuals enthusiastic about preserving and developing on an interest in all things Polish. CR
Marek Broniewski is studying for a Master's degree in International Human Resource Management at the London School of Economics. He is passionate about politics, and his interests include travel and languages. His plans for the near future are traveling around Europe and finding a way to settle permanently in London.
