The Dichotomy of Symplectic Structures

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Rafael Domenech, a visual arts college junior from New World School of the Arts, will exhibit his body of work in an exhibition entitled Symplectic Structures. His first solo show in Miami, it explores the process of deconstruction in an effort to arrive at the foundation of once recognizable objects. Working on numerous pieces, the monochromatic exhibition – which has taken over six months to complete – is comprised of three sculptures and 20 works on paper. Using found objects such as wood, tape and fluorescent lighting, the composition is harmoniously created and curated in an attempt to draw the viewer into an abstract world where shapes and forms intertwine, while moving in and out of the space they occupy in a rhythmic pattern that is both, arbitrary and coherent.

“The show is a conceptual abstraction that is structural and experimental,” explained Domenech, “My goal is to free familiar images from their constraining boundaries and dissect them into their very basic and simplistic form in order to unfold how objects behave in two and three-dimensional spaces. More importantly, I hope that by exploring the sensorial aspect of deconstruction I will be closer to uncovering my own identity as an artist.”

A “solo show” in every sense of the term, Rafael Domenech has spent up to 18-hour days working on his show – researching, creating, framing, and finally curating the exhibition. “The history is just as important as the actual work,” he highlighted. “I draw inspiration from everyday experiences but also from respected artists and from historical moments in art.” 

Domenech is an avid reader who owns an extensive library of “reference” books on art and architecture. For this particular exhibition, Rafael was influenced by Russian constructivism and by the German Bauhaus school – famous for its approach to design. He also sought inspiration from artist Richard Serra and minimalist Donald Judd. “Dan Flavin, who used commercially available light fixtures in order to create his installations, was also a valuable conceptual resource for this show.” Contemporary artists including photographer Maria Martinez-Cañas, faculty member at NWSA, and personal friend Peter Menendez also played important roles in the development of Rafael’s body of work for Symplectic Structures.

Rafael Domenech attended the San Alejandro National Academy of Fine Arts, in Cuba, where he was recognized for his achievements in contemporary art, including his participation in the 9th and 10th Biennial of Havana. After graduating with high honors as sculptor, painter, and draftsman, he was accepted at Havana’s prestigious Superior Institute of Fine Arts (ISA). Rafael immigrated to the United States in 2010, to reunite with his mother who lived in West Palm Beach, Florida. He has had numerous exhibitions in group shows including Detras del Muro/ Behind the Wall, 11th Havana Biennial, Havana City, Cuba; Walls of Artseen, Artseen, Miami; Rising Stars Exhibition, New World School of the Arts Gallery, Miami; Ya see leer, Arteamerica Art Fair, Miami; and League for Innovation, Miami Dade College Kendall Campus, Miami. Rafael is currently a college junior in the visual arts program at New World School of the Arts, majoring in painting. He will earn his BFA degree in 2015.

Opening reception is on Friday, November 8; 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM at NWSA@Artseen Gallery, 2215 NW 2nd Avenue, Miami. Symplectic Structures will be on view from November 8 – November 17, 2013 at NWSA@Artseen.
 

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“TIMESCAPES” CAPTURES THE VIBRANCY OF SOUTH BEACH THROUGH PAINT, MOSAICS AND MIRRORS

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TIMESCAPES, a five-story mixed-media mural created by South Florida’s New World School of the Arts (NWSA) visual artists Jeffrey Noble and Sebastian Duncan-Portuondo, at Miami’s Sagamore Hotel, was recently unveiled during a chic VIP reception for a select number of arts enthusiasts and community luminaires. The second stairwell artistic project commissioned by the Cricket Taplin Collection of contemporary art, Timescapes is a large-scale paint-mosaic-mirror artwork spanning the full height of the semi-exposed stairwell that leads up to the Muse beauty suite, the beachside spa at the “art hotel.”

The three-hour fete was much “more than an opportunity to enjoy this artwork,” explained Maggy Cuesta, dean of the visual arts program at NWSA, “It was a chance to experience the outcome of a beautifully executed collaboration between two students who barely knew each other at the onset of the project, but who drew inspiration from one another through their unique style and artistic approach.” A short documentary by WetHeat, capturing the high-powered final week of the artistic effort, also premiered during the reception.

Timescapes draws the eye of the viewer through intricate glasswork and a vibrant color palette. “My goal was to offer our guests a sensory experience through mixed mediums inspired by the natural oceanfront landscape,” said Cricket Taplin, who, with her husband Marty Taplin, owns the Sagamore Hotel. “The artwork in the lower flights offers a completely different experience – it’s more symmetrical, more organized. As guests climb higher, the energy intensifies resulting in a more abstract yet rhythmic dialogue. The fifth and final flight is climatic – it’s a complete explosion of color, reflections and textures that dance in harmony with each other and with the beach.”

“We referenced the changing sky during the day to create the linear bands of color that appear throughout the design,” explained Noble. “The paint emulates the various tonalities of the sky while the stained glass and the mirrors, working in unison with the paint, capture the hues and bring the sky onto the walls through reflection and refraction.” 

Jeffrey’s background in large-scale graffiti art and spray-painting coupled with Sebastian’s vast knowledge of stained glass, mirrored mosaic and public murals were instrumental to the success of the commission. “Both stained glass and spray paint have very highly saturated and flat qualities so it made sense to approach the design in terms of the architecture, the graphics, the space, and the whole context of the environment,” noted Duncan-Portuondo. “More importantly, though, responding to one another’s work as we moved along, having fun with the project and having the freedom to go where we wanted to artistically, is what helped us achieve Cricket’s goal successfully.” 

Based on experimentation, exploration and transformation, Timescapes took more than four months to complete, including the rainy season and the scorching summer months. “Rain definitely posed a challenge to the application of the paint,” said Noble, who used more than five hundred cans of special exterior spray paint to complete the artwork. “The paint is marketed specifically to graffiti and street artists. It is very high quality because it’s meant to withstand the elements and the exterior environment. But I still had to contend with the humidity, natural to South Florida, and the buildup of mist on the walls.”

Sebastian’s daily installation of the mirrors and mosaics was just as arduous. With more than 3,000 individual pieces of glass cut to fit the specific spots where they were placed, the process entailed trimming large sheets of glass into countless strips, mock placing, marking and cutting each piece of glass according to the artistic manifestation of the area, and meticulously attaching to the wall with the adhesive.

NWSA grants the four-year Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Music degrees, as well as the high school diploma and was created by the Florida Legislature as a center of excellence in the performing and visual arts. “New World School ofthe Arts college is a unique place. People come from very different periods within their artistic careers and this has helped me train my eye, making art that speaks more subtly. I am able to handle more complex ideas in a more succinct form,” said Sebastian, who like Jeffrey, will walk out of NWSA this spring with his BFA diploma in hand.

Jeffrey and Sebastian's recent artistic credits also includes HOTBED Miami at NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) exhibited during the 2012 Art Basel Miami Beach. Both students created a video centerpiece that was displayed in the public areas and all guest rooms of the Deauville Beach Resort during last year’s largest international art fair.

 

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"PROJECT INITIATIVE" HELPS STUDENTS APPLY FOR COLLEGE

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Developed by Miami Palmetto Senior High School student, Andres Flores, Project Initiative offers South Florida middle and high school students, and their parents, invaluable advice about the arduous college application process, through an easy to follow five-part video series. With the call to action "Take the Initiative" and the slogan “it all starts with you,” Flores attempts to capture the attention of the 350,000 students enrolled in Miami-Dade County’s 37 public high schools with an interesting yet educational online tool that is conveniently accessible, and easy to follow and understand.

“Once students have an opportunity to experience this video, they and their parents will have a clearer understanding of their higher education goals and what they can do, while in middle school and in high school, to continue on to college or university” explained Andres Flores who conceived, directed and produced the educational series by himself.
 

Designed for students who might not have access to high school CAP advisers or do not have the support, at home or at school, necessary to complete the application requisites for entrance into college or university, Project Initiative centers on the perspective and needs of current high school and college students. The videos offer expert advice from more than twenty college and high school officials, administrators and students that address, Introduction (why college), Admissions, Financial Aid, Dual Enrollment, and Student Life.

“I began this project almost two years ago while reading about attrition rates in Florida colleges and universities as well as about the low enrollment and completion rates among certain ethnic groups,” said Flores, who will be graduating in June from Palmetto Senior High to pursue a career in engineering.

“Many high school students are uncertain about what they wish to pursue once they graduate. These students may not know the steps to take if they wish to continue their education, and many don’t even know why they should attend college. This video series provides students with answers to their college-related questions, and not only serves as a guide for how to achieve some level of success in high school, but it also offers answers to key questions about planning for higher education.

In addition to listening to the interviews, Andres wanted the audience to be able to stop the videos and take notes about the most important aspects of each particular topic. Consequently, he created written bullet points in the form of cards as a step-by-step guide for the process. The cards also serve to highlight important facts, websites, resources, and progression of the application process.

Flores’ project also took into account the options for students who might not see their academic levels as an entryway for higher education while developing his project - “There are plenty of other opportunities for students who don’t necessarily have the high or even average grades in math, reading or science. Some of our local colleges and universities focus on other talents and aptitudes, but students are not always encouraged to explore these options. 

“Miami has excellent higher education institutions for these particular students. From Johnson & Wales University, which caters to students interested in culinary arts or hospitality, to New World School of the Arts, which offers the BFA or BM college degrees through its educational partnership with Miami Dade College and the University of Florida. New World is recognized for its visual and performing arts programs and it doesn’t even take into consideration academic grades to admit its students. These universities are right in our back yard and ready to accept students interested in very specific careers. All that students need to do is to be exposed to these programs and understand that exploring their passion and developing their talent is their pathway to a better life.” 

In an interview for Project Initiative, Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent, Alberto Carvalho, the first college graduate in his family of six, explains, “There’s a competition between students in Miami and the rest of the world. The only way to guarantee that students who graduate today will be able to out-compete their international counterparts is by ensuring that they have a college education.”

While interviewing with Flores, Mercedes Quiroga, President of Broward Community College Central Campus, notes “Students must understand that high school is the first step in getting to college and earning a lifestyle that will allow them to do the things that they want to do.”  

Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus Dean of Student Affairs, Billy Jones, who is also thoroughly interviewed for Project Initiative, highlights the importance of a college degree specially for a person that comes from a low socioeconomic background, not just for himself, but also for the community from where he comes – “It’s important to go back into that community and make a difference there to serve as a role model, help rebuild the community and bring others into education.” 

With nearly a 6 weighted GPA and a clear understanding of what he wants to study as he enters university in the fall, Flores confessed that school was not always easy for him. While he is now determined to pursue a career in engineering, Andres remembers his academic struggles during elementary school when he barely passed third and fourth grades with a C-D grade point average.

Despite overcoming the hurdles that prevented him from achieving better grades during his younger school years, Flores admitted that fulfilling all the pre-college requisites was not necessarily an easy process for him, in spite of the support he received at home and at school. “I can just imagine how difficult this must be for students whose priorities are not continuing their education, or for those who simply don’t have the school resources or support at home to encourage them, and to help them realize that they can continue on the path to get that other degree – the one that will enable them to live a better life. I think Project Initiative will serve to fill this void.” 

Flores believes that the steps to apply to college are similar throughout the nation and many students find themselves questioning how to proceed, if they even consider going to college. After further research, and if South Florida students find Project Initiative useful to, at the very least, ignite their interest in higher education, he hopes to explore expanding the program to other cities where statistics demonstrate that there is a need for this type of educational resource.

The five videos, which now reside in their own YouTube channel, can be accessed electronically from any web-enabled device, so any student with a smartphone can literally have this guide at their fingertips.

“If you do not have web access at home or a smart phone at hand, a public library with a computer and Internet is all you need to experience Project Initiative. But you need to take the initiative, after all – it all starts with you."

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SPRING AWAKENING

MIAMI'S NEW WORLD SCHOOL OF THE ARTS LAUNCHES THEATER SEASON WITH THIS DARING RENDITION in celebration of its 25th year anniversary.

NWSA will launch the college theater season in a grand and daring scale, as it presents the Tony-award winning musical Spring Awakening, based on the play by Frank Wedekind.

Directed by NWSA theater faculty and renowned actor James Randolph, this musical highlights the artistic talent of the college sophomores, juniors and seniors at New World School of the Arts in downtown Miami.

A controversial play due in part to its sexual connotations in the western culture, Randolph notes – “this play has had a life in Universities because it deals with those issues that directly impact the youth of this country. In fact it was produced at New World School of the Arts in 1994. Having been familiar with it in graduate school but seeing it performed, I was truly engaged and intrigued.”

Three-day schedule:

• Friday, October 7 - 8:00 pm
• Saturday, October 8 - 8:00 pm
• Sunday, October 9 - 2:00 pm

Colony Theater
1040 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach
General admission is $20, students and seniors $15
Tickets at NWSA.MDC.EDU

“Spring Awakening is offering our students the opportunity to stretch their acting and vocal skills in a rock musical, which is a genre that we don’t often explore at New World” explained Patrice Bailey, dean of theatre at New World School of the Arts. “The division feels that it is an essential part of our music theater training to allow students to be exposed to current trends and musical styles of the 21stcentury. Spring Awakening is a significant piece of theater that fits into this component. It is also exciting for the Theater Division to be the first college in the South Florida area to produce Spring Awakening during our 25th Anniversary”

“Frank Wedekind was a man born before his time” mentioned the NWSA Director. “The original play, Spring Awakening [also known as A Children's Tragedy], is in many ways indicative one of the most common conflicts in western culture and that is of generations. The play, which was banned for decades due to its controversial content, had a limited production in New York City in 1917 (only one performance).

Although it criticizes the sexually-oppressive culture of late 19th century Germany, it is timeless because there is always controversy between parents and children, schools and students, religious institutions and their members on the value and function of sex and sexuality. The human animal certainly has always had all kinds of tendencies in regards to sex and the freedoms pursued by individuals and groups,” concluded Randolph.

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Living the Nursing Home Saga

For the past month my sister and I have been living the one nightmare we all agonize about as we see our parents grow old and dependent – finding a suitable nursing and rehabilitation center worthy of their presence.

It began just over four weeks ago with a number of severe and inexplicable falls. Our mother, who had managed to age gracefully and retain her energetic independence until last winter, encountered her first serious fall while peacefully sitting on her bed. Although it sounds unlikely, our 86 year-old mother suddenly fell asleep in a sitting position and plunged to the cold and rigid tile floor, breaking the fall with her forehead. Although a grave scenario at any age, the accident could have been fatal for her because of the blood-thinning medication she takes to prevent blood clotting. Her cardiologist had warned us that any fall and, consequently, any blow to her head could cause her a massive, and possibly fatal, brain hemorrhage. We immediately called 911 and within minutes she was being screened for abnormal signs and symptoms.

After a long and nerve-wrecking eighteen-hour stay at the Emergency Room, the Doctor revealed that the damage had been just superficial. The skull and brain were intact – although, for the next several weeks, she would undoubtedly look like a boxer who just lost the fight to a heavy weight!

And so, we took Mom home and gladly pampered and cared for her round the clock – except for one single hour of the night where she went unsupervised.

Twenty-four hours after her first fall, our self-sufficient mother decided she could walk in the dark, in the middle of the night, without her walker! But her legs proved otherwise. As she reached the washroom she apparently slipped, falling this time on her buttocks and back.

The violent screams threw me from my bed. I dashed to find her on the floor yelling from the pain on her back – I feared the worst. As we walked her slowly to her favorite chair, the pain intensified. Within minutes, again, the rescue was at our door steps, and several minutes later four paramedics where immobilizing her whole body, from neck to toe, to prevent any further damage to her frail and pain-stricken body.

A succession of body scans and X-rays at the ER revealed a “compression fracture” on Mom's back – a serious injury for an elderly patient who suffers from a slew of cardiac and respiratory problems as well as from severe osteoporosis.

After several days of heavy sedation, hallucinations, and countless medical examinations, her physicians disclosed the seriousness of her condition as well as the treatment options. Surgery, of any type, was out of the questions due to her medical roster. The only viable option was to wear a body brace for the next two months while undergoing therapy in a rehabilitation center, until the brittle bones from her vertebrae solidified once again.

And so the journey to find just the perfect rehabilitation facility for Mother began. The hospital gave us just one day to find such a place – an almost impossible feat for anyone who is not well-versed in the art of geriatric healthcare.

The social worker at the hospital gave us a list of nine centers that would accept her insurance, which we fervently and swiftly began to call in an attempt to secure a bed for her that same evening. We visited those that had been recommended by friends who were undergoing the same painful process with their parents hoping to gain some sympathy as we met with the director of admissions face-to-face. “Not today – call us tomorrow after 10:30 am to see if anything becomes available” was the standard and indifferent response.

As we narrowed our search for lack of vacancies, our hopes to take our mother to the most respected centers in the city began to vanish. One final call, however, offered some hope - The Nursing Center at Mercy had one bed available and was willing to accept our precious mother.

This particular center we had not visited recently, but our father had been interned there towards the end of his life seventeen years ago. The experience then was positive and almost memorable. The name association with a respected hospital, where two of my own children were born, gave us peace of mind and the expectation that the center was a clean and caring facility with qualified compassionate staff that cared for the well being and conscientious recuperation of its patients.

Wrong! The nightmare began that same evening when my mother arrived by ambulance at the center. A series of unfortunate events during the week that followed would reveal that it is precisely centers like this one that give skilled nursing and rehabilitation facilities a terrifying reputation.

Without going into full detail, what follows is a chronology of the events that led us to seriously reconsider our decision to place Mother under the care of this facility. Paired with our own research on skilled nursing and rehabilitation centers available in our city, we were certain that we could find a much more suitable, compassionate, and professional center for her.

Day 1-pm: Our mother was transferred into The Nursing Center at Mercy. She was placed in a room with a patient who had open ulcers that exuded a foul, putrid odor throughout the room - the stench was unbearable. Day 2-am: Our mother was transferred to another room, but because of the excessively cramped furniture in the room the door was almost inaccessible by wheelchair - her only means of transportation. Day 2-pm: The evening RN (Registered Nurse) administered medication to Mother without the consent from her attending physician. She experienced painful adverse reactions from the medication. The RN from the evening shift refused to call her Doctor and it was only after my persistent half-hour nagging session that another RN took it upon herself to place the urgent call. Day 3-am: The morning RN attempted to give Mother a medication that had been discontinued from her long list of meds due to possible adverse effects for a person with a condition such as hers. A second RN attempted to give her yet another medication that had been discontinued almost two months ago! Day 3-pm: A CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant), who was in a hurry to take her hour break, yelled and tugged at my mother to sit her on the wheelchair in a haste. After realizing what she had done, the CNA asked me not to tell her supervisor for fear of being dismissed. Day 5-pm: After discussing and following up for two complete days with the Social Worker at the The Nursing Center at Mercy, we were able to transfer our mother to another skilled nursing facility.

It was undeniable – we came to the unfortunate yet wise realization that we had to move her out of this center immediately since the events that had transpired in just a few days revealed that the care and service at this center was mediocre to poor at best.

Once again we were in the search. Armed with our laptops and smartphones we decided to educate ourselves with concrete facts about each of the nursing and rehabilitation facilities for which Mother qualified, in order to make an educated transfer decision. We concentrated our search on the nine possible facilities that would accept her insurance for the level of therapy she needed.

Through our search we discovered Medicare.gov - Nursing Home Compare, a site that offers valuable information and rankings for nursing facilities across the nation through its Five-Star Quality Rating.

According to Medicare.gov, the Five-Star Quality Rating assesses facilities that are certified to participate in Medicare and / or Medicaid. Developed as a result of the Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA '87), the rating system reports findings in three distinct areas: 1) health inspections, 2) staffing, and 3) quality measures. An overall rating is then calculated using the three individual ratings combined.

The following information provided by Medicare Nursing Home Compare, as reported in the nursing home directory Local Nursing Homes, another site we explored, helps to demonstrate that there might be a correlation between the level of service and patient care, and the level of qualified staffing. According to this directory, following are the ratings given to each of the nine centers we reviewed. The final  "Overall Rating" shows that The Nursing Center at Mercy ranked last out the nine!

As per Medicare.gov, “Federal law requires all nursing homes to provide enough staff to adequately care for residents. However, there is no current federal standard for the best nursing home staffing levels. The nursing home must have at least one RN for at least 8 straight hours a day, 7 days a week, and either an RN or LPN/LVN on duty 24 hours per day.”  Medicare.gov - staffing

Keeping this in mind we deepened our search to find specific information on staffing for each of the centers. These are the results:

At first glance these results might indicate that, when compared to the national standard, one staffing variable alone might not be indicative of the quality of care and service received at any one facility. However, when a number of these variables are consistently lower than the national average, as is the case in The Nursing Center at Mercy [Mercy], the quality of service provided at the facility might be severely compromised. My mother’s negative story is a clear testament to our hypothesis.

Needless to say, we were able to transfer Mother to St. Anne’s just five days after her initial arrival. Although we determined that the level of care at the first facility was beyond unacceptable based on the recurring mistakes and mistreatment, discovering these data reassured us that we were making the right decision.

A very personal story, I debated whether I should share it with the cyber world. Finally, after much internal deliberation I concluded that our testimony and statistical findings might help other families make the correct decision much sooner than we did, and thus, spare their loved one from any suffering and from further physical or emotional damage.

There has been increased media coverage of this topic in the last few months, particularly in our home city, but it is not enough. As citizens of the human race, it is our responsibility to ensure that, like our children, our elderly receive the care and respect they deserve. It is imperative that they are treated with great care, dignity, love, and compassion. As professionals and as humans we must never forget to advocate for them regardless of the condition in which they find themselves – physically, mentally, emotionally, or financially.

For Mother, it could have meant the difference between life and death.

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Compassion Fatigue

"The Scream" by Munch

When I first watched the movie several years ago with my older kids and my best friend’s family, my first reaction was nauseating. I wanted to close the shutters I didn’t have and disconnect my cell phone, while tossing every electronic device we owned into the garbage. Anything that might be linked or accessed by the outside world, even remotely, was not essential to our well being, in fact, it was detrimental!

The seed was planted in my subconscious by Hoblit's 2008 macabre thriller Untraceable. The film exposes the darker side of the human psyche as a serial killer uses cyber technology to make the public active participants in the slow torturous murder of his victims. Through the killer’s website, which is fed by human interaction and propelled by the number of hits it gets, the people are able to control the speed at which the victims succumb to the killer’s gruesome scheme.

Now, the suffocating feeling I experienced was not as a result of the actual psychopath’s scheme, or from his ability to engage the public in such dark manipulation. Instead, my heart sank at the thought of people continuing to be involved as conspirators of the hideous crimes, despite knowing the ghastly outcome of their participation.

And so, I ask the question – is it really possible for our society to become so desensitized that people are willing to witness, and even participate in horrific crimes, without feeling some degree of remorse or responsibility? Perhaps I’m taking this question a bit too far, but it is not far-fetched to declare that in general terms society has become less empathetic - particularly as it relates to social issues.

I believe that mass media plays an important role in this phenomenon and must assume a great deal of the blame. Although it is the vital mechanism that keep us informed and connected in extraordinary ways, studies demonstrate that too much exposure to certain negative messages, such as violent crimes, desensitizes consumers and can eventually bring about compassion fatigue. The pervasive nature of media and the way in which it is delivered not only causes such burnout, but also accelerates it.

A study about desensitization, conducted by Kinnick, Krugman, and Cameron (1996), suggests that as people are overexposed to negative news through multiple layers of mass media, particularly as it relates to violent crimes, they tend to become less sensitive to the topic - even if it is a serious social problem. As the public becomes emotionally overwhelmed, they tend to withdraw from the issue resulting in failure to recognize its relevance to them. Other similar studies highlight that persistent delivery of negative news tends to normalize certain social problems and leads to a diminished shock factor.

So then, why do people react to certain horrid news with such enthusiasm? The study of how we consume social media might reveal the psychology behind this observation. For example, why did it take a fatal “planking” accident to popularize this trendy and illogical past time in the US? Why was March 11, 2011, the day of the Japan earthquake, the most active in terms of Tweets? And why did March 12, the day after the quake, yield such exorbitant numbers of Twitter registrations?

Have we become so desensitized, as a result of mass and social media over-stimulation, that only catastrophic news has the ability to really engage us in a profound manner? If so, perhaps we should start thinking of ways to counter these effects, before it is too late and we all find ourselves glued to our computer, mobile phones or iPad screens rooting for the next victim to appear…and just as easily be extinguished...with the simple stroke of a key.

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In the Heights

As the news of her death was announced, I could hear the sobs of many around me. The Anglo woman sitting beside me quietly wept while my own eyes swelled with tears, which despite my effort to control, were slowly rolling down my cheeks. Her wisdom and kindness etched in her powerful yet gentle character, she could have been anyone’s grandmother. 

Abuela Claudia, one of the central characters of the musical “In the Heights,” anchors the story of a Cuban-Puerto Rican family as they try to find their rightful place in a new country.

But the underlying story of this Grammy and Tony Award-winning Broadway musical is not just about the Latino immigrant. With her powerful lyrics in “Paciencia y Fe,” Abuela reveals the story of the immigrant people that have, for hundreds of years, weaved the fabric of this nation.

She sings of her native country, the one she left behind as a young girl – filled with hope for a new life in the land of opportunity. She lives her life waiting patiently, never losing faith and thankful for the simple things in life and for the opportunities she has been gifted. Abuela never quite makes it though. She grows old hoping but never fully achieving. As the matriarch, she becomes the voice of wisdom in a community that is determined to hold on to its heritage while embracing the possibilities of a new beginning.

Named after a U.S. Navy vessel, Usnavi is the epitome of hard work and perseverance. A sensitive young man with a shy streak and a colorful personality, he draws his strength from Abuela Claudia and without realizing it, becomes a dynamic role model for other young men in the barrio. After a series of unfortunate events, which he believes will lead to the inevitable demise of his precious neighborhood, Usnavi finally realizes the pivotal task with which he has been entrusted, as the warden of his culture.

Nina, the other central figure in “In the Heights,” depicts the dichotomy that exists within every immigrant. Anxious to belong and to expand her wings beyond the confines of her barrio, Nina is burdened by the self-imposed need to represent her community while making them proud. As she ventures into mainstream America, she realizes that it is precisely her ways, her language, and her customs that make her an alien among the very people she once believed to be a part of.

“In the Heights” is a celebration of the rich diversity and unique collection of cultures that make this country extraordinary. It is a story of hope, inspiration, respect, and dignity. And it is the story of every immigrant that was and will continue to be.

http://www.intheheightsthemusical.com/

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"Slight Turbulence"

Feeling totally vulnerable inside an airplane with more than 150 fellow passengers, I try to steer my mind away from the fact that this bullet is suspended 35,000 feet above the earth. I pretend I'm not the least bit apprehensive as the airplane springs and leaps while the flight attendant announces the "slight turbulence" we are experiencing.

Sitting at either side, my two sons show me a forced smile while trying to hide their genuine concern over the situation. As I look around I see other passengers quietly searching for reassurance from the attendant’s inexpressive gaze, and secretly waiting for the answer to the question they do not dare utter - "will this plane make it home?"

Half a dozen round-trips a year have helped me accept the fact that when we board an airplane our lives are at the mercy of the pilot, the weather, the aircraft, but most importantly fate. Other than prayer, meditation, sleep, or some type of distraction such as reading or listening to music, there is not much we can do appease our fear of flying - at least not without alcohol or meds.

Yes, I went there - fear of flying - I confess!

My first frightening airplane encounter came just after my 9th birthday when I left my native country accompanied by my family. The trip was slated to take about nine hours with one layover in some minute island in the Atlantic Ocean, I had never heard of. Instead, the infamous "turbulence" delayed the flight by nearly three hours and gave each and every one in that fateful flight the scare of a life time. I don’t think about it often, but when I do, those dreadful feelings of ambivalence completely take over and I relive the moments I chose to forget more than three decades ago.

I was sitting beside my twin sister with my older sister on the aisle seat, when suddenly the airplane took a nose dive that propelled our heads into the backrest, with a hammering force that was almost painful. The pilot managed to level the craft, but only for a few minutes. Within a short time, the plane again dove sharply, but this time the force caused the overhang compartments to swing open, sending all the items crashing onto the passengers.

My two older sisters wailed as my twin and I held each other in complete disbelief, not daring to make a sound in fear of greater destruction. My parents tried to calm and comfort us by minimizing the situation. But the panic we felt and the cries we heard throughout the plane made their efforts null. There was screaming, vomiting, and crying throughout the bullet craft.

We thought it was the end. But it wasn't, it was just "slight turbulence."

At last, we have arrived at our destination. Once again fate is on my side.

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