Cultural

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

“Her story: Women share cultural experiences - Portales News-Tribune” plus 1 more

Her story: Women share cultural experiences - Portales News-Tribune

Posted:

Womenâ€™s History Month Events:

• What: Multicultural Women's History Presentation

• Where: Sandia room in the CUB at ENMU

• When: Today at 2 p.m.

• What: Sharesse Sawyer "Fitness Camp"

• Where: Sandia room in the CUB at ENMU

• When: March 29 at 2 p.m.

Four women of very different backgrounds are offering their personal cultural experiences Wednesday as part of Eastern New Mexico University's observation of Women's History Month.

It's the fourth presentation thus far in a month dedicated to honoring women and their history.

The event includes presentations by Danni Luo; Ms. Black ENMU LaQuethia Patterson; Ms. Mexican ENMU Gabby Galvan; and Ms. Native ENMU Terra Becenti.

"In order to better understand women's history, we need to look at women's history in different countries," said Luo, who is also one of the women's events coordinators. "Because it's different for each culture."

Luo said she plans to speak about stereotypes which are placed upon women in the Chinese culture and whether or not they are true.

Patterson said she plans to talk about the contrasts of how women are treated within her culture and about the prejudices women deal with in the working world.

"I feel honored to be participating in this and to be able to show that women can have power in life too," Patterson said. "I hope some of the community will come out and see it."

Becenti said she is going to give a short history of her culture and give a woman's perspective on how they are treated within the Navajo culture.

"I am super excited about being able to represent the Navajo culture and Navajo women," Becenti said. "I am honored to be able to be a positive role model for the Navajo people."

The first event for Women's History Month included a celebration of flappers and the history of the songs they sang. Husband and wife combination Hoyle Osborne and Jane Voss read the history of each song then performed them.

The next two events were presentations from a psychologist and major in the U.S. Air Force and a representative for the Mary Kay organization.

The two women spoke on their histories and how they built successful careers.

"A lot of the students are liking it because they're learning not only about other cultures but about the careers they want to choose," said Daniela Garcia, another event coordinator. "They've been asking a lot of questions about what steps they can take to pursue some of these careers."

The final event, to be held March 29, is a Fitness Camp with Sharesse Sawyer, a personal trainer. She will discuss and demonstrate different ways for women to stay healthy and in shape.

Sawyer said she plans to demonstrate that every day household items, such as a chair and a gallon of milk, can be used for exercising.

"It's a positive way of honoring women," Sawyer said. "I love doing things for my community and I am all for helping people to gain more knowledge."

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Rebecca Black's "Friday" is a Sign of Our Cultural Times - Associated Content

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It only took three days for 13-year-old Rebecca Black's ode to Fridays to go viral and become a candidate for worst song ever, according to many on the web. At the same time, however, it became the perfect

example of what drives our collective love of internet memes.

Nothing about the song really stands out from the crowd except that Rebecca Black is young, cute and terribly uncreative. That's what makes it perfect for the Internet as a whole to catch on, as Black's lazy rip-off of Justin Bieber's "Baby" makes for the perfect fodder for thousands of potential carbon-copies of the original lazy ripoff.

Everything's fair game, whether it be a surprisingly inspired fake Bob Dylan cover of the song or all manner of other "dubstep remixes," slowed down versions or acoustic covers which have flooded YouTube since the weekend. Few of these retreads provide any further insight into the song.

They exist for the same reason "Friday" exists in the first place. Everyone wants their five minutes of internet fame, whether we've created something "new" as Black did with "Friday," or whether we're just making our own version of it and calling it new content or commentary.

And in this age of Internet hyperbole, everything has to become the best or worst song ever to be recorded because otherwise it won't blow up to be a huge online sensation, with millions of people tuning in to see or hear it.

Lady Gaga managed to turn a mediocre Madonna ripoff into the 1,000^th #1 in Billboard Hot 100 history, and millions of people listened. It didn't matter whether a listener loved it or called it the worst song ever, people listened and the song became a success.

Monday, March 14, 2011

“Volunteer millers organize March program at Windmill Cultural Center - Quad Cities Onlines” plus 1 more

Volunteer millers organize March program at Windmill Cultural Center - Quad Cities Onlines

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Press release submitted by Fulton Chamber of Commerce

The next program sponsored by Fulton's De Immigrant millers will be held at the Windmill Cultural Center across the street from Fulton's windmill at the corner of 10th Avenue and 1st Street. The event takes place on Thursday, March 31, at 6:00 p.m. in downtown Fulton, Illinois.

Charles F. Fanning will present "Dueling Ethnic Cultures: The Irish Contribution to Chicago's Century of Progress World's Fair 1933-34." This presentation depicts Ireland and Irish America at the Century of Progress. The Irish government opted for high culture: books, paintings, and crafts; while Irish-American entrepreneurs created an "Irish Village" with dancing girls, pubs, and bizarre events. The two visions clashed dramatically. Charles Fanning will explore these dueling representations of Irish culture.

In honor of this event, the refreshments served following the presentation will highlight "new" foods from the 1930's – the time of the Century of Progress. Desserts will be prepared using Twinkies (1930), Bisquick (1931), Skippy Peanut Butter (1932), Heath candy bars (1932), Nestle Toll House chocolate chips (1933), and Ritz crackers (1934). We invite the public to taste the 1930s with us. Anyone who visited the Century of Progress is invited to attend and share their memories.

This program is made possible in part by an award from the Illinois Humanities Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Illinois General Assembly. The free program is open to the public, and the facility is handicap accessible.

Japan ties unshaken at cultural festival - Longview Daily News

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Machiko Rowland considered herself lucky to leave Japan on Tuesday.

She had been visiting family for three weeks and stayed with friends in Tokyo before flying back to the United States and her home outside of Kelso just before an 8.9 magnitude earthquake, and subsequent tsunami, rocked Japan.

"It was really close," she said.

Rowland said her family and friends are OK, but they are keeping an eye on the country's unstable nuclear reactors.

On Sunday, Rowland — who was teaching traditional Japanese origami - was one of 70 who came Sunday to the Columbia Theatre to for the opening Japanese Culture Week events.

But before a series of performances, workshops and lessons started, the event began with a moment of silence for the estimated 10,000 lost in the earthquake and tsunami.

Columbia Theatre executive director Gian Paul Morelli said the hope is to make Japanese culture come alive for area residents. He said the theater is planning for several annual events to showcase world cultures.

Morelli said Japanese culture will continue to flourish in the wake of the devastation wrought by the earthquake and tsunami, and "we will continue to celebrate it."

About 100 people kicked off the event with an anime (Japanese animation) movie marathon Saturday night, Morelli said.

Julia Bishop, a volunteer with the American Red Cross Southwest Washington chapter, manned an emergency preparedness booth. She said the Red Cross is requesting cash donations to help the Japanese because of the high cost to ship donated supplies.

"It's hard to help others when you're not prepared yourself," Bishop said. She said the Red Cross offers free disaster preparedness classes. Class schedules can be accessed and donations made at swwredcross.org.

Organizer Michael Cheney said the theater staff debated postponing the event but decided to push ahead.

"We wanted to go ahead in hopes of raising awareness and to assist in efforts for relief," he said.

Cheney expressed a deep respect for the resilience and vitality of Japanese culture, which he described as a combination of ancient traditions and modern progressiveness.

"It's kind of like marring the past with the prospects of the future," he said.

'Twenty lifetimes'

At one of the workshops Sunday, Marjorie Yap, an expert in the Japanese tea ceremony, demonstrated the ancient tradition in a small classroom. She said she studied in Kyoto, Japan, for a year to master the art and has taught the tea ceremony in Portland and Seattle for the past 13 years.

"If you want to study Japanese culture, you study the tea ceremony," she said. "I need at least 20 lifetimes to study tea."

She said the ceremony manages to combine all of Japan's higher arts, such as calligraphy, ikebana (flower-arranging) and interior decoration, into an intricate interaction between guest and host.

She said she is glad people are getting exposure to Japanese culture through the theater's program, especially in the context of the earthquake.

"I think this event is perfectly timed," she said. "Thank goodness everybody I know in Japan is safe and accounted for."

Sunday, March 13, 2011

“Premier Wen: China to put cultural reform, development at important place - Xinhua News Agency” plus 1 more

Premier Wen: China to put cultural reform, development at important place - Xinhua News Agency

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Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao answers questions during a press conference after the closing meeting of the Fourth Session of the 11th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, March 14, 2011.(Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

BEIJING, March 14 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said Monday that China will put cultural reform and development at an important place in the coming five years, and a quite long period of time after that.

Wen made the remarks at a press conference right after the conclusion of the annual parliamentary session.

Wen said China would step up institutional reform, build a team of workers with high qualities, and actively develop people-to-people activities to achieve cultural prosperity.

He said cultural traditions are the soul of a country and China must fully carry forward its own traditions while at the same time learn from and refer to other civilizations in the world.

China can only become stronger by being open and inclusive, Wen said."The strengths of a country lie not only in its economic power, but also in the qualities of its citizens, the level of cultural development and ethic rules."

China is a good example of completely inheriting 5,000 years of cultural traditions despite the twists and turns in world history, the premier said.

Special Report: NPC, CPPCC Annual Sessions 2011

Peace Corps celebrates 50 years of cross-cultural ties - ReporterHerald.com

Posted:

Story updated: 3/13/2011 5:48 PM

Peace Corps celebrates 50 years of cross-cultural ties

Jessica Benes | Loveland Reporter-Herald

If You Go

Colorado State University is celebrating the anniversary this month.

• A Peace Corps Exhibit is running through March 31 in the Morgan Library.

• A Peace Corps meet and mingle will be at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 26, at Avogadro's Number, 605 S. Mason St., Fort Collins. Enjoy a meal with returned Peace Corps volunteers, nominees and supporters. Salsa dancing will commence at 7:30 p.m.

My Peace Corps

I was a volunteer in 2007-09. I lived with a host family for three months in a village of 2,000, and then worked as an English teacher in a small town of 27,000 people.

Crossing the cultural divide from the way people did things in America to this new country was an overwhelming leap.

I was served pasta and mashed potatoes for breakfast. They put mayonnaise on pizza. Ketchup cost 25 cents a packet at McDonald's. They stared at me when I spoke English. Drunks leaned against the walls outside seedy bars at 9 a.m. Some of my students sat in the back of the classroom and laughed at me and didn't want to learn.

However, that's all inconsequential. I left part of my heart in that country.

I drank tea with my host mom in the evenings and understood one-eighth of what she was saying. Didn't matter though because it was our special bonding time.

My 15-year-old host sister teased me and emulated my American speech.

My host grandma quizzed me on how to say "teapot," "wall" and "I am sitting at the table drinking tea."

My host dad would bust into the room, steal my Snickers bar and announce, "Jessica is the best American girl," which was six of the 10 English words he knew.

My counterpart teacher, who worked closely with me in the town, made me peanut butter from crushed nuts because she knew I missed the stuff.

My best friend took me to nightclubs, introduced me to all her friends, and went on runs with me at the stadium.

My other good friend invited me to her school to do an Easter scavenger hunt.

My younger pupils ran up to me at school and hugged me like I was a rock star.

Which, duh, I so was. Talk about cross-cultural education. I will never be the same.

— Jessica Benes

Peace Corps volunteers usually want to learn another language, meet a new culture and travel outside their comfort zone.

But no matter what they planned to get out of it, it's not what they expected.

It's more. More emotion, more culture shock, more perspective.

West Indies

Heather Hallett-Thurston, a grant coordinator for the Thompson School District, served in the West Indies from 1982 to 1984. She had been working at a corporation and realized she wanted more substance in life.

As a volunteer, she lived in a village in the mountains and had to constantly battle the stigma that she was a tourist instead of a Peace Corps volunteer.

"There was a tremendous hostility to Americans," she said. She was held up once with a machete and another time with a gun. It was common for volunteers to be robbed.

Hallett-Thurston's job was disaster mitigation. When parts of the country were destroyed by hurricanes, the villages rebuilt but there was no infrastructure or plans for communication warnings or systems.

She also worked with physically handicapped adults to teach them income-generating projects. Hallett-Thurston built relationships with community members at all ages. She still keeps in touch with some of her friends.

She said that time was on a 'soon-come' basis. She would ask, "When is it (a bus or product) going to come?" "Soon come," the villagers would say. Which could mean hours or days.

They had a casual approach to life and a willingness to sit and wait in the heat for things to happen.

She feels a special connection to the 50th anniversary of Peace Corps because she met her husband, who had served in the Philippines, the 25th anniversary.

Their background with Peace Corps taught the couple how they wanted to raise their children and how to approach life.

"You're embedded in a less superficial way in another culture. No matter how big of a global world we get to be, that component of the world that you bring back home can never be replaced electronically," she said.

Ukraine

Ross Nolan of Fort Collins finished his Peace Corps service in 2008. He worked in youth development in a village of 5,000 people in Ukraine.

The educational system was entirely different, which was an eye-opener and made him appreciate the American system more, despite its flaws.

Nolan worked with local government officials to promote HIV and AIDS awareness.

He also promoted the Peace Corps goal of educating the people about Americans. They asked him if he was friends with Britney Spears and they'd comment about how much money Americans have.

Nolan did an 18-day summer camp and could see the difference he had made. He worked with ninth- to 11th-grade students and taught his students to open up and think for themselves.

Since coming back from Ukraine, he has had many opportunities to teach people about the country and what he learned. "Seeing how much you can teach other people has been great," he said.

Regarding the relevancy of Peace Corps, Nolan feels that volunteers get the better end of the experience. "We do a lot for the country we're in; but we get so much more in return," he said.

Nolan is working on a master's degree at Colorado State University in student affairs and higher education.

Madagascar

Maggie Flanagan, a student in the master of business administration program at CSU, worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Madagascar starting in 2006.

Flanagan lived in a large village of about 4,000 people. Behind her house was a river where she walked down a steep hill to collect water.

One of the first tasks she worked on was building wells for the community. "I like to say I got tired of walking up and down that hill, so I built a well," she said.

Flanagan had electricity only from 5 to 9 p.m. until the hospital doctor procured a solar panel.

She was assigned to a rural clinic, not as a health professional, but as an educator. She taught ways to prevent illnesses and worked with community leaders to create campaigns to inform the public.

She went in with an open mind, but soon became aware of how different her perspective was from the villagers.

"There is a set of experiences that have led this person to a viewpoint; that was huge, learning to see things from a different perspective," Flanagan said.

In Madagascar, every member of the family contributes to the community, including children and pets.

"The children want to help. They would show up at my door and ask if they could do my laundry," Flanagan said.

Women also fulfill a specific gender role. They have their own responsibilities, their own self-image and needs. "You don't mess with that system," she said. Flanagan learned to respect that the women don't want to do the same things as a man.

She encouraged families to balance life, but she learned that she couldn't begin to judge.

Peace Corps is important here and across the world because it brings a greater collective awareness of other people, Flanagan said. "It's a scary thing when people lose the ability to relate to one another because you almost discount foreign perspectives as inhuman."

Volunteers worry about their projects and whether they're sustainable. But sustainability goes beyond the wells and outhouses they help build.

Jessica Benes can be reached at 669-5050, ext. 530, or jbenes@reporter-herald.com.

Friday, March 11, 2011

“Irish Cultural Festival kicks off a Celtic celebration - Register-Guard” plus 1 more

Irish Cultural Festival kicks off a Celtic celebration - Register-Guard

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ST. PATRICK's AND BEYOND

Organizers of the Eugene Irish Cultural Festival emphasize that it approaches St. Patrick's Day very differently from the way most Americans have come to celebrate.

In years past, the festival has been the weekend before folks are likely to celebrate the holiday in pubs.

This year they fall in the same week, but be clear on one thing: The cultural festival is a family friendly event aimed at keeping Irish traditions alive.

The other celebrations mentioned here are for those of drinking age who like to be in bars when people are getting jubilant — and maybe a bit rowdy.

One way of celebrating is no better or worse than the other. Just be sure to pick the scene that's right for you.

Eugene IrishCultural Festival

At 8 p.m. today, Hanz Araki and Kathryn Claire will open the weekend's festivities with a sit-down concert, with headliners Kevin Burke and Cal Scott to follow.

The concert is at Beall Concert Hall, 961 E. 18th Ave. Tickets are $13 for adults and $9 for students and seniors.

Tickets will be available for purchase in the lobby starting at 7 p.m.

The balance of the festival is set for Sheldon High School starting at 10:30 a.m. Saturday. It ends with the Colleen Raney Band at 5 p.m.

Activities include Irish social dancing, hurling matches, crafts, shopping and food. Get full descriptions at www.eugeneirishfest.org.

Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for students and seniors; children younger than 5 get in for free. Sheldon High School is at 2455 Willakenzie Road.

A Luckey birthday

Luckey's Club Cigar Store always has a big draw for St. Patrick's Day, but this year is extra special because the bar also is celebrating its 100th birthday with a couple of special reunion shows.

There will be a special beer garden set up outside and food available during the event..

The doors open at 5:30 p.m., and at 6 p.m. the first set starts featuring Patrick O'Kelley doing traditional Celtic music. At 7 p.m. is an open jam session.

At 8 p.m. is Matthew Hayward-Macdonald (of Toad in the Hole) performing traditional Irish music and original "Irish-flavored" music. At 8:30 p.m. and again at 11:45 p.m., the Eugene City Firefighters pipes and drums will play.

Jesse Meade performs at 9 p.m., followed by Toad in the Hole, once a very popular and often-gigging Irish band with a punk attitude. This is its first show in six years.

The once-local Sid and Fancy will go on around midnight. The band went on hiatus about two years ago, and members are coming in from Portland, New Mexico and Denver for this appearance.

There also will be performances outdoors in the beer garden. There is a $10 cover charge.

Luckey's is at 933 Olive St.

Attention, publicans

Most of the local bars have something going on for St. Patrick's Day, be it green beer on tap or decorations and giveaways.

A party bus leaves at 8 p.m. from Sam's Place, 835 Wilson St., that will make rounds to McShane's, O'Donnell's and The Wetlands before returning to Sam's.

A seat on the bus is $10 per person. Call 541-520-4005 to find out if space is still available.

Normal Bean and his band are among the entertainers at O'Donnell's Irish Pub, 295 Highway 99N. The event starts at 8 p.m. with Irish bagpipe music.

There is a $5 cover.

At The City, 2222 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., a Thursday dance party offers $800 in cash and prizes for the best green outfits. DJ Tekneek is the host, with Mike P on the drums.

There is a $2 cover.

Thursday at Sam Bond's Garage and March 18 at the Axe and Fiddle, the Celtonauts will open for Ghillie Dhu and the Dhonts.

Thursday's show at Sam Bond's, 407 Blair Blvd., starts at 9 p.m. The Axe and Fiddle gig, 657 E. Main St. in Cottage Grove, starts at 8:30 p.m.

Both have a $5 cover.

On Thursday at the Axe and Fiddle, a group of strays from local bands Bark Shanty, Under the Trestle and Jimmy O'Schaper will perform as the Lost Patrons of St. John.

That 6 p.m. show is free.

FACTBOX - Libya's key cultural, tribal divisions - Reuters India

Posted:

By Peter Apps, Political Risk Correspondent

Thu Mar 10, 2011 10:09pm IST

REUTERS - Ancient Greek historian Herodotus divided Libya into four ethnic "nations". Some 2,400 years later, ethnic groups have shifted somewhat but tribal and cultural divisions could still prove key to how the struggle for power in Libya develops.

Below is a summary of some of the main tribal and regional divisions within Libya.

PROVINCIAL DIVISIONS

Coastal Libya has been divided into two distinct provinces since before the time of the Romans -- Tripolitania in the west around Tripoli and Cyrenaica around Benghazi.

The two provinces and their capitals have long had different cultures -- the west influenced by its Phoenician colonisers from modern day Lebanon and the east by the ancient Greeks.

Conflict seems to have divided Libya once again along those traditional lines, with the area around Benghazi apparently under opposition control and the rebels taking the flag of the former Cyrenaican monarchy ousted by Gaddafi.

While many Libyans -- particularly those in the opposition -- play down the East-West divide, outside analysts say anti-Gaddafi feeling was always higher in eastern areas.

Gaddafi is seen as having generally retained the support of his own tribe as well as southern Saharan tribes from Libya's old southern desert province of Fazzan and possibly others.

TRIBAL DIVISIONS

Political risk consultancy Stratfor estimates Libya has up to 140 tribes, but only 30 have any particular significance.

Below are some of the main tribes with details provided by analysts and Reuters reporters around the region. Tribal affiliations are seen as most important in rural areas.

GADDADFA

Muammar Gaddafi's own tribe is one of Libya's smaller groups and not historically particularly powerful. With its territory the port of Sirte midway between Tripoli and Benghazi down into the Sahara, he has used it to help cement his position in power.

Analysts say the tribe has become wealthy, is sometimes accused of holding a monopoly of power and makes up the core elements of some of the "regime protection units".

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Thursday, March 10, 2011

Edcomm Banker’s Academy Launches Cultural Sensitivity Training for Individuals - PR-USA.net

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Edcomm Banker's Academy has recently launched its Cultural Sensitivity training program for individuals. New York, NY, March 10, 2011 -- Edcomm Banker's Academy has recently launched its Cultural Sensitivity training program for individuals looking to begin or advance their career in the financial services industry. The same great program that has been used by thousands of bank professionals worldwide, Focus on Cultural Sensitivity provides individuals the knowledge, skills and certification needed to eliminate stereotyping and create a diverse workplace.

A fair and respectful workplace is the hallmark of a modern and productive organization. Successful businesses that welcome diverse personnel and maintain a fair and respectful workplace reap the benefits of fresh perspectives and increased vitality. However, bank employees must also be prepared for the challenges that come with diversity, and must understand that cultures have different beliefs and different standards for communication.

Focus on Cultural Sensitivity, from Edcomm Banker's Academy, is an interactive, self-paced training program that teaches individuals appropriate and inappropriate employee conduct, as well as how to encourage workplace diversity and eliminate stereotypes. Participants will learn how to recognize the differences in their diverse workforce and how to be understanding and work through those differences to maximize the productivity of the organization. Upon completion of Focus on Cultural Sensitivity, students will receive a Banker's Academy Cultural Sensitivity Certification (BACSC) to help advance their career in today's industry.

For more information about The Edcomm Group Banker's Academy's training programs for individuals, log onto www.jobtraining.bankersacademy.com or call +1.212.631.9400.

The Edcomm Group Banker's Academy is a 23-year-old multimedia education and communication consulting firm specializing in the development of creative business solutions that improve productivity, customer service and market share - providing bottom-line results. The Edcomm Group Banker's Academy has had the privilege of assisting many distinguished clients with business solutions in the form of eLearning programs, online bank training and classroom instruction, multimedia production and online and print based documentation. Edcomm Banker's Academy offers many off-the-shelf and customized courses such as Teller Training, Compliance Training and Systems Training specifically designed for Banks, Credit Unions and Money Services Businesses (MSBs).

The Edcomm Group Banker's Academy (www.bankersacademy.com) is headquartered in New York City with locations and representation throughout the world.

Contact:
Dr. Linda Eagle
Edcomm Banker's Academy
21 Penn Plaza, Suite 1010
New York, NY 10001, USA
Fax: 212.631.0659
Tel: 212.631.9400
linda.eagle@edcomm.com
http://www.bankersacademy.com

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

“UC Davis teaching prize awarded to expert in Jewish cultural history - Woodland Daily Democrat” plus 1 more

UC Davis teaching prize awarded to expert in Jewish cultural history - Woodland Daily Democrat

Posted:

UC Davis historian David Biale, a leading expert on Jewish intellectual and cultural history, is the winner of the 2011 UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement.

Established in 1986, the $40,000 prize is believed to be the largest of its kind in the country; it is funded through philanthropic gifts managed by the UC Davis Foundation.

On Tuesday, UCD Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi interrupted Biale's History of Modern Israel undergraduate class to announce that he had been selected as the 24th recipient of the honor.

"It is a privilege to award the 2011 UC Davis Teaching Prize to a scholar and educator of David's caliber," said Katehi. "His students describe him as engaging and inspiring, and his colleagues describe him as a brilliant scholar and source of pride for his department.

The UC Davis prize recognizes, in particular, David's ability to help his students create the intellectual tools to be successful thinkers in a global community."

Biale, the holder of the Emanuel Ringelbaum Chair in Jewish History, has been a prolific and dynamic thinker and leader since arriving on campus in 1999.

He founded the Jewish studies program and is now the chair of the history department. The author and editor of 10 books and 74 articles over his 33-year career, he is a three-time winner of the National Jewish Book Award and has held fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biale

will receive the 2011 UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement on Thursday, May 12, at a gala dinner in his honor at the Conference Center Ballroom.

"I am deeply grateful to the donors at the UC Davis Foundation who established this prize and to all of my students and colleagues for making this possible," said Biale. "Teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels provides its own rewards when working with young minds. I'm humbled and incredibly honored by this award."

Biale said he looks forward to using the award money to strengthen student opportunities in the history department, particularly in the areas of graduate education and the Jewish studies program.

According to Ron Mangun, dean of the Division of Social Sciences, Biale embodies the attributes of the ideal scholar-teacher envisioned by the donors who created this award. Biale has also twice won the Associated Students of UC Davis Award for Excellence in Teaching.

"Professor Biale's leadership has been pivotal in creating the highly esteemed program in Jewish studies, a favorite of students and faculty alike," Mangun wrote in a letter nominating Biale for the prize.

Jamie Forrest, a third-year student double majoring in history and political science, said that Biale teaches history as a "discipline concerned with the human experience rather than as a list of dates and events. He has allowed me to form an emotional and intellectual connection to the historical material he covers in class."

Alan Taylor, history professor and recipient of the 2002 UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement, described Biale as both a demanding and thought-provoking instructor.

"Even in the largest classes," Taylor said, "David invites students to explore the most profound questions about human nature and the interplay of despair and hope, of violence and peace, and of oppression and resistance. He expects much from his students, but they rise to his challenge because they recognize the great insight, care and energy that David invests in helping them."

Biale describes his teaching approach as "old-fashioned" and participatory. His love for Jewish history, traditions and culture comes from the heart, he says.

"I mostly lecture without notes," he said, "and even in large classes of more than 200 students I try to get them involved. For me, my personal experience with the subject is the greatest help."

In the past two years, Biale has taught courses on the history of the Holocaust, the memory of the Holocaust, comparative genocide, secular Jewish thinkers and the history of the end of the world.

"Students are very excited by ideas and books. In history, we take our students on time travel to faraway times and lands, and that is an exciting opportunity for young minds and their intellectual development and imaginations," he said.

Biale earned both his undergraduate and master's degrees in history at UC Berkeley, and his doctorate at UCLA.

As a young student, Biale was greatly influenced by Jewish thinkers like Baruch Spinoza, a 17th century rationalist who laid the groundwork for the Enlightenment; Gershom Scholem, the preeminent modern scholar of Jewish mysticism; and Jacob Katz; a leading historian of the Jewish people.

The most formative influence was Amos Funkenstein, a Jewish historian under whom Biale wrote his doctoral dissertation.

"He was truly a Renaissance man in terms of intellectual range," Biale said of Funkenstein. "He was probably the only genius I've ever met."

Biale, who describes himself as a secular Jew, wrote his dissertation on Scholem. He is the author of "Not in the Heavens: The Tradition of Jewish Secular Thought" (Princeton University Press, 2010); "Blood and Belief: The Circulation of a Symbol between Jews and Christians" (University of California Press, 2008); and "Cultures of the Jews" (Schocken, 2006).

Biale was born in 1949 in Los Angeles. Even back then, he had a connection to UC Davis. His father, an immigrant from Poland who would go on to teach plant physiology at UCLA, studied at Davis in 1929. At the time, the campus was still considered an agricultural outpost of UC Berkeley.

"We used to stop at Davis on the way back from Lake Tahoe ski trips and see former students of his who were on the UC Davis faculty," said Biale.

Interestingly, he started out as a chemistry major at Berkeley. But with the social upheaval of the late 1960s and 1970s rippling across campus and beyond, Biale soon found himself drawn to wide-ranging discussions about cultural and historical issues. He changed his major, and the rest, as they say, is history.

From 1986 to 1999, Biale served as Koret Professor of Jewish History and director of the Center for Jewish Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. During the same period, he also served as adjunct professor in Near Eastern studies and history at UC Berkeley.

Biale has lived in Israel, and his wife, Rachel, was raised on a kibbutz, a collective agrarian community in that country. The Biales have two children, Noam, 28, and Tali, 25, and live in Berkeley in a house with a backyard that includes three egg-laying chickens. Three of David's hobbies are bicycling, sourdough bread baking and piano playing.

If Biale could make a couple of wishes about the future of the world, he'd choose peace between the Israelis and Palestinian peoples and greater public support for public higher education institutions like the University of California.

"I'm a product of the UC, and grateful for and proud of it," he said. "One does not create an educated citizenry by privatizing public education. I'm willing to pay higher taxes to support public university systems."

Kevin Bacon, chairman of the UC Davis Foundation, said, "This prize, which is funded by generous donors, is emblematic of the importance of philanthropy in supporting excellent teaching and scholarship at UC Davis. The trustees are proud to recognize David Biale, who is a shining example of UC Davis' best."

Created by philanthropists, the UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement is an annual award to recognize faculty excellence. The prize honors one UC Davis faculty member each year, selected for his or her outstanding achievements as a teacher of undergraduates and a scholar.

Each year, a selection committee composed of faculty, students and representatives from the UC Davis Foundation Board of Trustees chooses the recipient.

The prize originated in 1986 when Alan Hoefer, a UC Davis alumnus and then-trustee of the UC Davis Foundation, created an endowed fund and made the first gift for the prize. Over time, other generous donors also made philanthropic contributions to the fund, including members of the UC Davis Chancellor's Club, UC Davis Foundation Trustees and Trustees Emeriti, alumni and other friends of the university.

Grants for arts, cultural programs announced - Star-Gazette

Posted:

The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes, in partnership with the New York State Council on the Arts has announced the recipients of the 2010 Decentralization and Local Capacity Building grant programs.

The area organizations, schools and artists will receive a total of $70,104 for community and school-based based arts and cultural programs taking place in 2011.

An award ceremony has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. March 21 at the International Motor Racing Research Center, 610 S. Decatur St. in Watkins Glen.

The following grants were awarded:

Chemung County

* Jan Kather, $2,300 for Meeting in the Middle, a panel presentation and impermanent video installation of collaborating artists Michael Chang, Marty McCutcheon and Jan Kather.

* Cantata Singers, $1,250 for a collaborative concert, 3 B's Plus Barber, at the North Presbyterian Church in Elmira, and $2,500 for the 2011 Festival of Women in the Arts.

* Valley Folk Music, sponsored by Congregation Shomray Hadath, $2,348 to present Valley Folk Music Concert Series 2011 season.

* Elmira Downtown Development, $750 to support the arts-in-education component of the 2011 Elmira Street Painting Festival in downtown Elmira.

* Jewish Center and Federation of the Twin Tiers, $1,000 to present a concert of Jewish Gospel Music by Yavilah McCoy, to be held at Congregation B'Nai Israel in West Elmira in the spring of 2011.

* Roy Matthews, sponsored by Van Etten-Spencer VFW Post 8139, $650 to present the Spring Fever Bluegrass Concert.

Schuyler County

* Dutton S. Peterson Memorial Library and Watkins Glen Public Library, $750 each to present five artistic programs at each library featuring local talent.

* Episcopal Parishes of Schuyler County, $2,500 to present Schuyler County Concert Series No. 5.

* The Lake Country Players, $1,000 to present "Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street"; $1,000 for the Junior Players (ages 4-13) to present "Metaphasia," and $1,000 for teens ages 14-20 to present "Sleepy Hollow, The Musical."

Steuben County

* Town of Canisteo on behalf of Southern Tier Bluegrass Association, $4,648 for the Top of the Hill Bluegrass Festival 2011.

* Family Service Society of Corning, $1,200 for the Community Arts Program for Children and Teens, featuring in-depth hands-on art, craft and theater classes at the Corning Youth Center.

* Hornell Area Wind Ensemble sponsored by the United Presbyterian Church of Hornell, $1,500 to present Hornell Area Wind Ensemble Concert Series, six concerts in 2011.

* Hornell Public Library, $500 to bring musicians Joe Crookston and Lisa Craig Fenwick to three libraries (Hornell, Howard and Canisteo) this summer.

* Pulteney Free Library, $1,000 for two artist workshops and a music program, featuring artists Susan Covert and Sandi Cirillo and musician Nan Hoffman.

* Savona Free Library, $1,260 for ongoing instructional art experiences for youths ages 8-13, with artist Cynthia Hill.

* Wayland Free Library, $1,500 to support four musical performances, three children's theater performances, a mask-making workshop and a digital photography workshop for children ages 10 and up.

Tioga County, N.Y.

* Newark Valley Historical Society, $1,554 to present the Depot Friday Night Series and $1,757 for the Folk Art Series at the Bement-Billings Farmstead Museum in Newark Valley.

* Busy Bird Family Bluegrass Festival, sponsored by the Newark Valley United Church of Christ, $3,006 for the annual festival.

* The Kirby Band, $1,450 for musical programs throughout the summer and fall of 2011.

* Village of Newark Valley, $1,425 to present Music in the Parks.

* Tioga County Contra Dance sponsored by Tioga County Tourism, $2,228 to present Tioga County Contra Dance 2011.

* Tioga County Tourism, $700 to support artist performances at the Lights on the River Festival, held the first Friday in December.

And awards for Artist Crossroads (Individual Artist Tier of Decentralization Funding) are:

Chemung County

* Jan Kather: $2,472 for An Intimate View.

* Annemarie Zwack, $2,472 for Mosaic Bench at Erin Park.

* Karen Kucharski, $2,472 for Susquehanna Crossroads.

Local Capacity Building (Arts Education) Grants go to:

* Cohen Middle School, $2,081 for Monks Minstrels and Music: Songs of the Cohen Knights

* Spencer-Van Etten Elementary School, $3,000 for How Does Your Garden Grow?

* Elmira Alternative School, $4,467 for The Faces of Zebratown.

* Addison Middle School, $3,510 for Conflict and Compromise in Person.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

“Grants for arts, cultural programs announced - Star-Gazette” plus 1 more

Grants for arts, cultural programs announced - Star-Gazette

Posted:

The area organizations, schools and artists will receive a total of $70,104 for community and school-based based arts and cultural programs taking place in 2011.

An award ceremony has been scheduled for 5:30 p.m. March 21 at the International Motor Racing Research Center, 610 S. Decatur St. in Watkins Glen.

The following grants were awarded:

Chemung County

* Jan Kather, $2,300 for Meeting in the Middle, a panel presentation and impermanent video installation of collaborating artists Michael Chang, Marty McCutcheon and Jan Kather.

* Cantata Singers, $1,250 for a collaborative concert, 3 B's Plus Barber, at the North Presbyterian Church in Elmira, and $2,500 for the 2011 Festival of Women in the Arts.

* Valley Folk Music, sponsored by Congregation Shomray Hadath, $2,348 to present Valley Folk Music Concert Series 2011 season.

* Elmira Downtown Development, $750 to support the arts-in-education component of the 2011 Elmira Street Painting Festival in downtown Elmira.

* Jewish Center and Federation of the Twin Tiers, $1,000 to present a concert of Jewish Gospel Music by Yavilah McCoy, to be held at Congregation B'Nai Israel in West Elmira in the spring of 2011.

* Roy Matthews, sponsored by Van Etten-Spencer VFW Post 8139, $650 to present the Spring Fever Bluegrass Concert.

Schuyler County

* Dutton S. Peterson Memorial Library and Watkins Glen Public Library, $750 each to present five artistic programs at each library featuring local talent.

* Episcopal Parishes of Schuyler County, $2,500 to present Schuyler County Concert Series No. 5.

Steuben County

* Town of Canisteo on behalf of Southern Tier Bluegrass Association, $4,648 for the Top of the Hill Bluegrass Festival 2011.

* Family Service Society of Corning, $1,200 for the Community Arts Program for Children and Teens, featuring in-depth hands-on art, craft and theater classes at the Corning Youth Center.

* Hornell Area Wind Ensemble sponsored by the United Presbyterian Church of Hornell, $1,500 to present Hornell Area Wind Ensemble Concert Series, six concerts in 2011.

* Hornell Public Library, $500 to bring musicians Joe Crookston and Lisa Craig Fenwick to three libraries (Hornell, Howard and Canisteo) this summer.

* Pulteney Free Library, $1,000 for two artist workshops and a music program, featuring artists Susan Covert and Sandi Cirillo and musician Nan Hoffman.

* Savona Free Library, $1,260 for ongoing instructional art experiences for youths ages 8-13, with artist Cynthia Hill.

* Wayland Free Library, $1,500 to support four musical performances, three children's theater performances, a mask-making workshop and a digital photography workshop for children ages 10 and up.

Tioga County, N.Y.

* Newark Valley Historical Society, $1,554 to present the Depot Friday Night Series and $1,757 for the Folk Art Series at the Bement-Billings Farmstead Museum in Newark Valley.

* Busy Bird Family Bluegrass Festival, sponsored by the Newark Valley United Church of Christ, $3,006 for the annual festival.

* The Kirby Band, $1,450 for musical programs throughout the summer and fall of 2011.

* Village of Newark Valley, $1,425 to present Music in the Parks.

* Tioga County Contra Dance sponsored by Tioga County Tourism, $2,228 to present Tioga County Contra Dance 2011.

* Tioga County Tourism, $700 to support artist performances at the Lights on the River Festival, held the first Friday in December.

And awards for Artist Crossroads (Individual Artist Tier of Decentralization Funding) are:

Chemung County

* Jan Kather: $2,472 for An Intimate View.

* Annemarie Zwack, $2,472 for Mosaic Bench at Erin Park.

* Karen Kucharski, $2,472 for Susquehanna Crossroads.

Local Capacity Building (Arts Education) Grants go to:

* Cohen Middle School, $2,081 for Monks Minstrels and Music: Songs of the Cohen Knights

* Spencer-Van Etten Elementary School, $3,000 for How Does Your Garden Grow?

* Elmira Alternative School, $4,467 for The Faces of Zebratown.

* Addison Middle School, $3,510 for Conflict and Compromise in Person.

AsiaRooms.com - Hong Kong Cultural Celebrations to Run Through April and May - PR-USA.net

Posted:

Hong Kong is set to host four traditional festivals celebrating its culture in the next couple of months.

Between April 25th and May 11th, it will play host to events marking the birthdays of deities Tin Hau and Tam Kung.

There will also be a religious gathering focused on the birth of Lord Buddha.

One of the most eagerly anticipated events will be the Cheung Chau Bun Festival, which will reach its conclusion on May 10th this year.

It is held close to Hong Kong on the small island of Cheung Chau.

The unique gathering has been running for more than 100 years, with the Bun Festival giving thanks to the god Pak Tai for ending a plague that hit the region.

Visitors can expect to see lion dances, Taoist rituals and a parade when it takes place between the fifth and eighth days of the fourth lunar month.

The climax of the gathering is a carnival-style street procession which ends at the Pak Tai Temple, where sweet white buns sit on top of giant bamboo towers.

When midnight comes, participants scramble up the structures in an attempt to reach the treats at the top.

Visitors staying in Hong Kong hotels during this period can use AsiaRooms.com to search for accommodation including the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, which offers views of the Wanchai district and Victoria Harbour.

For more information, visit http://www.discoverhongkong.com/uk/index.jsp or call (+852) 2508 1234.

Editors Notes:

http://www.AsiaRooms.com is a leading online accommodation site in Asia offering deals in over 36,000 properties worldwide, including 7,000 hotels in the Asia-Pacific region ranging from individual beach huts to 5-star hotels and sprawling villas.

AsiaRooms.com offers customers a saving of up to 70 per cent off the normal room rate for a variety of independent and branded hotels. Customers can book online or by phone 24/7, whether booking 12 months or 12 minutes in advance - whatever time, whatever day.

The contemporary and inspirational online platform is styled for those seeking more interesting hotel options over the bland, obvious choices. Users can read from over 150,000 true hotel reviews, written by customers who have booked through AsiaRooms.com and actually stayed at the hotel.

To view more information about AsiaRooms.com, please visit http://www.asiarooms.com/about-us/.

Monday, March 7, 2011

“Port man has new idea for Freeman Hall: Turn it into a cultural/ community center - Cecil Whig” plus 1 more

Port man has new idea for Freeman Hall: Turn it into a cultural/ community center - Cecil Whig

Posted:

Posted: Monday, March 7, 2011 2:15 am | Updated: 9:27 pm, Sun Mar 6, 2011.

Big plans are being made for historic Freeman Hall in Port Deposit that include a visit by the children of the man for whom the schoolhouse was named.

Mary Freeman Calloway, the daughter of the Rev. St. Paul Freeman, lives in Lancaster.

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Cultural Exchange: A porn star at 76 - Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

Posted:

Reporting from Tokyo

At the seemingly fragile age of 76, his story is the stuff of Hollywood legend (Well, maybe the seamier side of the San Fernando Valley), a tale made more outlandish because it happened to a buttoned-down salary man in hyper-conservative Japan.

For years, a Tokyo grandfather kept a dirty little secret from his family. Longtime travel agent Shigeo Tokuda, who resembles countless older men who ride the Tokyo subway each day, admitted to his wife and daughter that he sometimes performed cameos in small-budget films.

But what this senior citizen didn't say was that those scenes, often staged in would-be retirement homes, involved getting naked with actresses young enough to be his granddaughter. Since he was "discovered" in 1996, Tokuda has emerged as a major player in Japan's emerging adult movie genre known as "elder porn." He says he has appeared in more than 350 films such as "Prohibited Nursing" and "Maniac Training of Lolitas." In these scripts, Tokuda always gets the girl.

The films play upon well-documented Japanese male fantasies. In each, Tokuda plays a gray-haired master of sex who teaches his ways to an assortment of young nurses and secretaries. Whips and sex aides often factor in the plotlines.

"I'm a role model for a lot of men," he says. "I do my best."

In 2006, Tokuda's life took a somewhat psychedelic plot twist when his grown daughter intercepted a fax describing an upcoming scene he'd been asked to perform. She and her mother confronted Tokuda, who uses only his stage name in the press.

There wasn't the lawyer-dialing and plate-throwing that would take place in many American households. Think controlled, perhaps repressed, anger. "My daughter complained that this wasn't a very nice job to do," he recalls. "My wife worried about my health. She said I was getting old and that this work must be difficult on me physically."

Nowadays, Tokuda makes an average of one film a week, earning up to $500 a day. "I told them that I didn't have shame over this type of job," he says, "but that I'd try to be more conservative in the future."

"Elder-porn" is a burgeoning industry in a nation that features the world's oldest population and ranks second (behind the U.S.) in the personal consumption of pornography. Japan is also ranked one of the most sexless societies on the planet. A recent study also ranked Japanese couples as among the world's most sexless.

Industry executives say proceeds from elder porn — mostly featuring older men and younger women — have doubled in recent years to represent nearly one-fifth of Japan's $1-billion-a-year adult film business.

Recently, Tokuda sat down at the offices of an adult film company to discuss life as one of Japan's most veteran porn stars. Dressed in a blazer and casual shirt, he's a slight man — about 5-foot-3, 140 pounds — who wears dentures and has a small but meandering Mikhail Gorbachev-type scar atop his balding head.

The Tokyo native was working in the travel promotion industry when he became a fan of order-in room porn flicks. Too shy to frequent adult movie stores, he tracked down the producers of his favorite DVDs. "At 59, I secretly hoped they would offer me some sort of senior discount," he recalls.

Tokuda befriended the firm's producers, one of whom made him a proposition over drinks: Tokuda had a "lascivious" face and was invited to try his hand at adult films.

In his first scene, filmmakers reduced the number of extras so Tokuda would feel less uncomfortable getting naked. His shyness quickly vanished along with his clothes, and he began slipping away from out-of-office travel company meetings to play porn actor. But after a 2005 stroke (not on the set, he says), he was moved to a desk job by his travel agency.

With no opportunity to slip out unnoticed, he retired — not from porn but from the travel industry. The rest, as they say, is Japanese porn history. Tokuda is now a brand name, with many projects bearing the Shigeo Tokuda moniker. A recent installment in his "Forbidden Elderly Care" series has been advertised with such slogans as "Don't Be Ashamed of Getting Old!" and "Lust Is Medicine."

Tokuda isn't sure whether he's Japan's oldest male porn actor, but he acknowledges that a few of his biggest competitors — one 90, the other in his 70s — have recently passed away.

He's even recognized in public, such as the night two men followed him into a restaurant restroom to ask for his autograph. Tokuda later invited them for a drink with him and his wife. "It's not that I'm proud, but it feels nice to be useful," he says. "My wife is glad that at my age I've still got someplace to go."

Other stories:

Robonaut 2 aspires to fill in for astronauts
Pot dispensaries turn against L.A.'s marijuana tax proposal
Indian entrepreneur turns pachyderm poop into paper

john.glionna@latimes.com

Cultural

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

“Her story: Women share cultural experiences - Portales News-Tribune” plus 1 more

“Her story: Women share cultural experiences - Portales News-Tribune” plus 1 more

Monday, March 14, 2011

“Volunteer millers organize March program at Windmill Cultural Center - Quad Cities Onlines” plus 1 more

“Volunteer millers organize March program at Windmill Cultural Center - Quad Cities Onlines” plus 1 more

Sunday, March 13, 2011

“Premier Wen: China to put cultural reform, development at important place - Xinhua News Agency” plus 1 more

“Premier Wen: China to put cultural reform, development at important place - Xinhua News Agency” plus 1 more

Friday, March 11, 2011

“Irish Cultural Festival kicks off a Celtic celebration - Register-Guard” plus 1 more

“Irish Cultural Festival kicks off a Celtic celebration - Register-Guard” plus 1 more

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Edcomm Banker’s Academy Launches Cultural Sensitivity Training for Individuals - PR-USA.net

Edcomm Banker’s Academy Launches Cultural Sensitivity Training for Individuals - PR-USA.net

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

“UC Davis teaching prize awarded to expert in Jewish cultural history - Woodland Daily Democrat” plus 1 more

“UC Davis teaching prize awarded to expert in Jewish cultural history - Woodland Daily Democrat” plus 1 more

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Tuesday, March 8, 2011

“Grants for arts, cultural programs announced - Star-Gazette” plus 1 more

“Grants for arts, cultural programs announced - Star-Gazette” plus 1 more

Chemung County

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Steuben County

Tioga County, N.Y.

Chemung County

Monday, March 7, 2011

“Port man has new idea for Freeman Hall: Turn it into a cultural/ community center - Cecil Whig” plus 1 more

“Port man has new idea for Freeman Hall: Turn it into a cultural/ community center - Cecil Whig” plus 1 more

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