Skvorecky at home in Canada Women in while researching his novel Dvorak in Would he go back? No. "1 have Education Love -memoirs of the veterans and developed a liking for Canada, ... a In a November 30 event sponsored several histories giving their names nation of immigrants." Little children by Women's Studies, the Faculty of and experiences. He figures there coming here learn English very Education and the Centre on were about 500 Czech soldiers in the quickly, he said, and almost forget Collaborative Research, Education Prof. Union Army, and less than 20,000 their mother tongue; then, at age 16 Cecilia Reynolds talked about a book Czechs in the United States. "They or 17, they start to become interested she has co-edited with Beth Young, were mostly volunteers, and they again and to re-Iearn it. The Czechs Women and Leadership in Canadian fought very well." almost lost their language in the 18th Education. Although the book is about Mr. Skvorecky read a passage from century, he explained, when most of "men and women trying to work his new book, then answered ques­ the intelligentsia spoke German. Only [according to feminist principles] in the tions from the audience. He writes his villagers spoke Czech, and they were field of educational administration, novels in Czech, he explained, but mostly illiterate. But under the Nazi [which isn't happy to have them writes non-fiction and some of his and Communist dictatorships, the working that way]," the authors were stories in English. He doesn't try to intelligentsia became patriots and persuaded not to use the word "femi­ write the novels in English, he said, started re-Iearning their language, nism" or even the word "gender" in because he's too interested in the mainly through its literature. "The their title because, as their publ ishers way Czech people speak. only way to feel Czech was through told them, these are "dirty words" in Asked about his relationship to the reading." It's a problem for Canada many schools; "people are tired of Czech Republic, he said, "Once you that it doesn't have its own language, hearing them." leave your country for political he observed. As graduate students in Ontario and reasons, your watch stops." The Czech and Slovak are two dialects Alberta respectively, Profs. Reynolds Czech country has continued to of the same language, Mr. Skvorecky and Young began incorporating feminist Czech-Canadian author Josef develop since he left it, and there is a reported, but the Slovak government Skvorecky was at Brock November 28 principles into their research on educa­ gap between the Czechoslovakia he insists that imported Czech films must tional administration at a time when to sign copies of his new book The remembers and the way it is today; have Slovak subtitles. "That's like Bride of Texas, about Czech volun­ there were very few women in the field, but there's always "a huge crowd" for requiring Australian films to have and "what women there were, weren't teers in the Union Army during the the discussion evenings he and his Canadian subtitles!" He's intrigued by American Civil War. Mr. Skvorecky is very different from the men." In 1986, wife hold there. "Living a quarter the new dialects of immigrant they met at a conference and decided to best-known for his novels The century under a Communist dictator­ languages that have developed in Cowards and The Engineer of Human write their book, calling for papers from ship gave myoid friends different North America. Old-country across Canada, which give their book Souls (which won a Governor­ interests," he said; but his two best conservatives consider these dialects General's Award in 1984). The new regional representation. friends are still fond of jazz, and "corruptions," he reported; but "they The book is in three sections. The first book arose from stories he discovered that's something they still share. have wonderful humorous possibili­ about Czech soldiers of the Civil War answers the question, "Why all the ties" for a writer. fuss?" Why address these issues at all? WEDN ESDAY JAN UARY , 7 , 9 9 ,::.5' As Prof. Reynolds explained, people would say to her, "You look like you i have the ability to do something &' I important. Why are you working in the feminist field?" The second section tries to look at various aspects of leadership, recognizing that there are just as many differences between individuals within a gender group as there are between gender groups. "Gender is not the only A newsletter for faculty and staff at Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario factor," Prof. Reynolds argued. Looking at educational-administration issues that way "perpetuates the 'us-and-them' perspective;thc:;rwomen are all good and men are all bad. That's not a profitable way of changing leadership." Update on Ideas in Action The third section of Women and Leadership in Canadian Education On November 1, Brock's employee DF: Can you provide us with some AP: Four outside organizations have answers the question, "Having raised suggestion plan was a year old. In this facts and figures on the first year of inquired about our plan: a school the fuss and done the research, where interview by Ideas in Action Publicist operation? board, the Transit Commission and do we go from here?" An important Dorothy Fast, plan Administrator AI AP: There have been 370 suggestions two other universities. Internal aspect of the book, Prof. Reynolds explained, is gathering the work of Pedler sums up its activities. and six appeals. Eighty-one sugges­ inquiries have been limited, but the Canadian researchers in one resource. It DF: What's your assessment of the first tions have been awarded; 60 percent number of suggestions indicates that also presents unusual ways of doing 12 months? of them have been implemented; and, faculty and staff members must feel research, techniques beyond the usual AP: I sense we've discovered a vehicle for 40 percent of the suggestions, the plan is worthwhile. surveys. Finally, it introduces a "danger­ through which ideas can be expressed implementation is underway. Our DF: Do you feel there are new areas ous but crucial tactic: turning the critical by faculty and staff to assist the success rate is 20 percent, which is in that should be focused on? eye inward, looking at ourselves. What University in cost-saving measures line with comparable plans in other AP: Yes. Although there have been are we doing right, and what are we and in doing things better, faster and busi nesses and agencies. suggestions from faculty members, I doing not so right?" more economically. DF: Have many ideas involved would like to see increased participa­ DF: What's the reaction from the five significant money savings for the tion by this group. We would also voluntary evaluation teams that study University? Iike to receive a greater number of each idea? AP: Yes. Three. And four more are in cost-saving ideas (which are usually AP: The teams have been thorough progress. given the larger cash awards). We and focused when evaluating the DF: Have you had any feedback from would also like to do more advertis­ ideas that have been brought forward. internal or external sources about ing and promotion, which is why we The plan couldn't work without these Brock's Ideas in Action Plan? appointed you our publicist. dedicated people. DF: What are your plans for the future? AP: Before the end of this year, we Not exactly child's play will have an awards luncheon to honor those people who have submit­ At the official opening of the Brodskey and Jeff Hascl iff, and the ted successful ideas. I would also like Rosalind Blauer Centre for Child Bromac Construction crew-John to assess the responsibilities of the Care on November 28, Board of Klassen and site supervisor Joe Technical Evaluation Team; they Directors President Deborah Shiers­ Popko. (Mr. and Mrs. Klassen, both have a very difficult chore, and I Gray talked about the considerable Brock graduates, donated to the would like to improve the turn­ effort required to get the new build­ Centre a painting by Brock grad around time for these complex ing finished by September 1995. Kathy Hagerman.) suggestions. Before the holidays, Japanese ex­ Brock President Terry White Ms. Shiers-Gray went on to thank DF: If you had a Wish List for Ideas in change student Miho Yanagi brought one represented the University, which the Faculty of Education for housing Action, what would be on it? of her traditions to Brock. donated the land and provided the the Centre in years past; and the AP: I would wish for: 1) a suggestion "According to an old story," Miho building loan. Minister of Centre's review team-Glenn Miller, that receives the maximum award of said, "a crane is supposed to live for a Community and Social Services Donna Nowacki and Marni Flaherty. $5,000; 2) more cost-saving sugges­ thousand years. If a sick person folds one Gilles Fontaine commended the thousand paper cranes, the gods will She recognized the contribution of tions to help the University during Centre's Board of Directors for the grant good health. Barb Sockovie, Pt. Col borne Child difficult economic times; 3) hard work of taking the building from "The custom of folding a thousand Care, of helping the Rosalind Blauer considerably more participation from a dream to reality. Centre to recruit its new Director, paper cranes is based on the life of a faculty members; 4) for the evaluation little girl, Sadako, who lived in Ms.