the cosmopolitan review

Jan Kowalczewski (right) who's finishing his PhD in neuroscience at the University of Alberta, and his brother, Antoni, a computer scientist, teamed up to develop a device that could revolutionize physiotherapy for people who have had a stroke or a spinal cord injury. Working with Dr. Arthur Prochazka at the University of Alberta, Jan knew what kind of physiotherapy was needed, and came up with a solution to make it accessible and affordable, but to take it from an idea to a reality he needed the talent of his computer whiz brother. Together (and with the help of many talented individuals) they made it happen. Read more for the full story, or watch a video.

Loyola's Fellowship Office congratulates Katherine Cioch, who was awarded a Fulbright Full Research Grant for 2009-10 to study in Poland.

In 2008, Katherine earned a BA in political science and a BS in psychology, and in May 2009, she completed her MA in international and comparative politics. Her proposed research focuses on human trafficking, a complex, international phenomenon that has grown exponentially with the increase of globalization. Katherine seeks to investigate and evaluate the role of the La Strada Foundation Against Trafficking in Persons and Slavery, a Polish NGO dedicated to combating and preventing human trafficking in Poland.

A primary goal of her research is to provide insight into how anti-trafficking NGOs and government institutions can work to better prevent this problem, and whether the successful measures utilized by this organization in Poland can be replicated in other countries where human trafficking is especially problematic.

(From http://www.luc.edu/fellowshipoffice/rla.shtml)

Ian Wojtowicz

This web-based artwork visualizes recent growth in news in major urban centers around the world. Each block in the rotating model represents a city. The height of each block indicates density, and width, land use. Color also conveys information: varying shades of blue show where news is currently increasing. Because this map is connected to live data, it changes with the hourly fluctuation of world events.

Ian Wojtowicz is a visual artist based in Vancouver whose work has been twice featured in Wired Magazine. His work for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation contributed to the garnering of Gemini, Emmy and Webby award nominations and helped inspire Al Gore's current.tv project. He has taught at the Emily Carr University of Art & Design; he holds a patent in mobile software; and he was the creator and editor of International Teletimes, one of the first online cultural magazines. Ian also once gave a speech at the Massachusetts State House, announcing the founding of a new country. He now consults and continues to shape his art, which he has exhibited in Paris, Vancouver, New York, Hong Kong, Chicago, Cyprus and Istanbul. woj.com

CR is honored to feature two of Ian's works: More Than One Way to Fold Flag and The Oracle of Elsewhere.

More Than One Way to Fold Flag
Nylon fabric (2007)

Ian Wojtowicz

The above flag is an expression of a hybrid Polish-Canadian state, be it nation-state or state of mind. This modification of the Canadian flag uncovers a key aspect of Canadian identity: that it is substantially not American. The American flag is held up as a virtually sacred artifact amongt the country's population. Laws banning the desecration of "Old Glory" have passed in almost every state and a long history of attempted constitutional ammendments attest to the intensitity with which patriotism affects the physical world through a symbolic world. Canada has made no such legal gestures governing its own flag, allowing for modifications like this without repercussion.

The mixing of Polish and Canadian symbols above also suggests a new kind of multiculturalism. Not quite a "tapestry" (as Trudeau famously claimed), nor an American "melting pot", this flag is a symbolic hybrid and a material alteration. Never fully Canadian and never purely Polish, this image flips between its two nationalities like an optical illusion with two overlapping states and no middle ground. This "alteration" gives rise to inquiries about whether it is actually a "better fit" while embodying a violent act of separation, lack and absence.

Eric Bednarski, a 2006 PitR alumnus and 2008 intern, is a Halifax-based filmmaker who has studied in Europe and North America. His films have screened on Danish and Polish television, internationally at festivals, and at the State Museum of Auschwitz-Birkenau. His documentaries display his passion for history. His newest film, The Strangest Dream, a Canadian National Film Board production, premiered in Halifax in September 2008. It tells the story of Joseph Rotblat, the history of nuclear weapons, and the efforts of the Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs -- an international movement Rotblat co-founded -- to halt nuclear proliferation. Postcard from Auschwitz (2003) tells the wartime story of a relative sent to the notorious concentration camp, while MDM (2005) explores how ideology and architecture came together to create a controversial neighborhood in post-war Communist Poland. The Strangest Dream will premiere in London on December 9, 2008. CR

Click for a trailer of The Strangest Dream or for an account of the premiere

Nina Jankowicz, a 2008 PitR participant, is currently completing her sophomore year at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, where she is a Political Science and Russian Language double major.  Her future goals include pursuing graduate work in the field of Central and Eastern European Politics, in hopes of one day becoming involved in the diplomatic relations of this hotbed of political intrigue. Aside from academics, Nina performs with Greasepaint Productions, the student-run musical theater performance troupe at Bryn Mawr, and runs the college's most popular a cappella group, The Extreme Keys.  In whatever free time remains, Nina pursues an independent music career. She wrote, recorded, and released her first full-length album, Clichés, available for purchase at www.myspace.com/ninajankowicz (and on iTunes in the very near future) over the summer of 2008. Although Nina keeps extremely busy, there isn't a day that goes by that she doesn't fondly reminisce about the friendships she made and the fun she had in Canmore, and she will be ever thankful for the wealth of knowledge she acquired at PitR. CR