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Game time and a cover shot

Polish National Contributes to NCAA Win
by Raymond Rolak

YPSILANTI– Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan University always have intense games. Every sport and every game is magnified. Not only is it an NCAA special rival game but each contest is for in-state bragging rights.

Kamil Janton, the junior, 6’10” center for Eastern Michigan and hailing from Tarnow, Poland only had two points, but they were huge points. More importantly and even with only seven minutes of hard work relief time, he got high praise from his coach.

Janton, who went to high school in Chicago, was also featured on the EMU game day program titled, ‘United We Hoop’. “Kamil’s playing time really gave us some center relief help,” said Eastern Michigan University Head Coach Charles Ramsey. “He allowed some rest time for our guys underneath the basket and those two points were important.”

The Mid-American Conference game wasn’t pretty for either squad. The Eagles came out on top, 41-38. It was a hard defensive match-up but both teams shot cold on a very-very cold and chilly Michigan afternoon. CMU was only 14 of 60 from the field for 23%. EMU was slightly better at 14 of 42 for 33%. Ramsey gave some deserved credit to his swarming defense which helped contribute to the ‘Chips’ poor showing from the field. High heralded CMU freshman, Trey Zeigler was held to only 13 points.

Eastern’s big gun, Brandon Bowdry was pressured hard from Central and held to six points but he did have eight boards. Derek Thompson picked up 11 much needed points and Darrell Lampley also added 11 for EMU. While Bowdry was often swarmed he was able to dish off and create opportunities for other Eagles.

The Chippewa’s made the last two minutes tension filled as they cut the lead to three points twice. It was excitement to the max, and they made their free throws to tighten the pressure. Zeigler hit the second of two free throws for CMU. That cut the lead to four, 39-35, with 29.4 left on the clock.

The Eagles had trouble in-bounding the ball, and Central’s Finis Craddock picked up the errant pass and bombed in a long sky three from the top of the circle. That cut it to one, 39-38, with 24.9 left.

Central was then forced into a fouling situation and Lampley would connect on both free throws to put Eastern up by three, 41-38, with 22.3 left. That sealed the victory for Eastern Michigan.

EMU Coach Ramsey was optimistic about finding things to highlight about his team’s performance. “We did just enough to win and hold on,” he said. He did smile when pressed more about Janton and the irony of being the ‘Cover Boy’ on the game day printed program. “He has earned playing time, and everyone contributed today.” added Ramsey.

The 38 points scored by CMU was an EMU Convocation Center low for a visiting team while EMU’s 41 points was also a team low for the season. “Defense by both teams contributed to the low score of the game, and Central did a good job of concentrating on shutting Bowdry down. Everyone else stepped up.” continued Ramsey. CMU Coach Ernie Zeigler did not attend post-game.

EMU sophomore, Jamell Harris has recorded 47 blocked shots this season. He had five in this game.

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The Amish in Poland

From the Warsaw Gazette (Gazeta Warsawa): Polski Amisz: W Warszawie nie da się żyć (Amish in Poland – No life in Warsaw)

People come from all over Poland to Cezarowa, where they live. They look, nod, smile, then talk about them. They live in the forest, they have seven children, and time. They bake bread, and rarely shop. He wears a beard, she … etc.

Jacob Martin: We cannot live in Warsaw. Warsaw residents do not know how to use time. They do not have time because of the money chase, which equates to happiness for them. Once, at night, people sat on benches in front of houses and talked about everything. Now they only have time to sit in front of the television. They become depressed, go to a psychologist. There, for an hour, they talk and pay for talking with a neighbor. Anyway, here it is a bit like a village. But, people still do not want to cooperate. Everyone must have his own tractor. The world is stupid…

Anita and Jacob Martin (she is 43, he – 41) come from large Amish families who settled in Pennsylvania. The Amish strictly observe norms of behavior. The most orthodox do not use phones, household appliances, and use horse-drawn carriages for transportation.

17 years ago, several Amish families came to Poland on a mission. They were representatives of progressive churches, which allowed the use of electricity and cars. They settled in Cezarowa near Mińsk-Mazowiecki, building a settlement. The project collapsed after three years. All but Martins’ returned to the States. Their families did not accept their decision to stay, and the Amish community renounced them. In Poland, they are alone.

Jacob Martin: This project had no chance. American missions cannot succeed in Europe, because people have a different mentality. What can we say to the Poles? That our religion has 400 years of tradition? People will respond: and our’s has two thousand years of tradition!

Jacob Martin: There are three things you need in life: food, clothes and a house. However, people are chasing after things they do not need. Throughout the year they work hard to have two weeks off and spend their savings. Instead of considering what God wants, people do what they want and think it gives them good luck.

The church, which sent the Martins’ to Poland no longer exists.

Jacob Martin: There are communities to whom Lord Jesus comes quietly once, and to whom He never returns.

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The Immigrant Mosaic in Massachusetts

From the Boston Globe: Massachusetts’ ethnic mosaic

The story includes interactive maps, clusters of interest, state averages, and search tools.

Polish immigrants make up 5.3% of the state’s population. I had always thought that Poles had primarily congregated in the Chicopee area. In fact, Adams, MA has the largest percentage of people self-identifying as Polish-Americans — 29.1% of the local population. The story also notes the unfortunate breakdowns we see in the social fabric of a community, with R.C. church and business closings.

Adams, a small town in the Berkshires, has long had a significant Polish presence. Immigrants came in the early 1990s to work in the textile mills, and today about 28 percent of residents report Polish ancestry. Lisa Mendel of the local chapter of the Polish National Alliance said they hold a Polish dance classes for kids each Tuesday night. “We still try to hold onto our Polish culture and traditions,” she said. Yet some have faded. A Polish deli closed a couple years back, as did a Polish Catholic church.

The rest of the story:

Ever since the Pilgrims landed, waves of immigrants have come to Massachusetts, weaving themselves into the fabric of cities and towns with their food, music, idioms, and culture.

By far the largest, and most defining, were Irish, tens of thousands of whom crossed the ocean in the mid-19th century to escape famine. Many moved south of Boston, settling in coastal suburbs that became known as the Irish Riviera. Statewide, nearly one in four residents are of Irish descent, newly released Census data show.

Until the late 19th century, immigrants to Boston were almost exclusively from western Europe, primarily England, Scotland, and Ireland. But in the 1880s, immigrants began arriving from Poland, Russia, and especially Italy. Like the Irish before them, they settled in Boston, then gradually migrated outward.

In recent decades, an influx of immigrants from Portugal and Cape Verde, Asia, and an array of Spanish-speaking countries have settled in Massachusetts, creating vibrant clusters across the state that endure today — from Puerto Ricans in Holyoke to the Portuguese in the New Bedford area. – Peter Schworm

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The Way Back – now in theaters

“The Way Back” just opened last Friday across the United States. The film, directed by award-wining director Peter Weir, is loosely based on the book called “The Long Walk” about a Polish Army officer who escapes from a Soviet camp in Siberia during WWII with a group of prisoners. Those who survive the journey end up making their way to freedom through the dessert and the Himalayas.

The film Stars Colin Ferrell, Jim Sturgess and Ed Harris.

This is the first widely distributed film that shows the Polish WWII story from the side of the Soviet occupation and persecution. Those of you who are familiar with the Kresy-Siberia Group, will be pleased to know that they advised Peter Weir in the making of the film.

Anne Applebaum, a Washington Post Reporter who recently wrote the book “Gulag”, and is married to Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Radek Sikorski, wrote in her review of the film: “…The Way Back” is a unique and groundbreaking film: It represents Hollywood’s first attempt to portray the Soviet Gulag, in meticulously researched detail.” Another review can be found here, and two in Polish here and here.

In the Buffalo, NY area, the film is being shown in Regal Cinemas (Galleria, Orchard Park, Williamsville and Elmwood).

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