ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., Feb. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Marine veteran Michael Pais brought his entire family to the ice rink: wife, daughters, grandson, and Gator the dog. Being able to connect with other families is one of the things that keeps Michael engaged with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). This time, his family got to ice skate together and meet other veterans and families.

Veteran Michael Pais brought his entire family to the ice rink: wife, daughters, grandson, and Gator the dog. Being able to connect with other families is one of the things that keeps Michael engaged with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). This time, his family got to ice skate together and meet other veterans and families.

"It helps with your mental health when you talk to other warriors," Michael said. "It's difficult to talk to family even though they support you every time but they might not understand what you're going through. It's more comfortable talking with other veterans because they've been there."

Michael served during Desert Storm, then served again in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Korea as a member of the Army National Guard Reserves.

He makes time to attend WWP events weekly and also participates in WWP peer support meetings. At the ice rink, a fellow warrior volunteered to teach other veterans.

Odetha Hill left active duty in 2006 and now teaches competitive figure skating and hockey at the Albuquerque facility the veterans visited. She became involved with WWP through her husband, who is also a veteran.

"I offered my services to make the day special," Odetha said. "I believe that any type of normalcy that we can bring into warriors' lives and into the lives of their family members can make a world of difference. Wounded Warrior Projecthas helped me as a caregiver to learn more about self-care."

WWP helps veterans connect with other warriors and stay engaged with their families and communities. Activities like ice skating, playing hockey, and socializing with other veterans help warriors connect with the support network they need to overcome the challenges they face. In a WWP survey of the wounded warriors it serves, more than two in five (41%) expressed they talk with fellow veterans to address their mental health concerns, and 30% indicatedphysical activity helps.

Learn more about how WWP provides services in both physical and mental health to help warriors thrive in their communities.

About Wounded Warrior ProjectSince 2003, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more.

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Contemporary astrology has all the spiritual content of a feel-good Lizzo anthem. Photograph: Panther Media GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy Stock Photo

If I have to hear one more astrologer telling me I am doing my best, I am going to lose it.

We are living through an astrological boom, people keep telling us. There are many new books out on the subject; there are celebrity astrologers; there are half a dozen astrology apps with major VC investment; every womens media outlet from fashion magazines to Vice subsidiary Broadly has regular horoscope columns; Prada, Versace and Gucci have released astrology-inspired fashion.

And if youre on social media, youve probably been attacked by astrology memes, where whole careers have been made from a persons ability to tell you which character from the Netflix show You you are, based on your astrological sign. Oh my God, Im such a Dottie! (Who the hell is Dottie, by the way?) Astrology is entering the mainstream.

As someone who has studied astrology and the esoteric arts, I am here to give you my expert opinion on this trend: this has absolutely nothing to do with astrology. Its just a new wave of self-help.

Throughout history, astrology has been deeply intertwined with religion and spirituality because its concerns were often religious and spiritual. How do I live a good life? Why am I suffering? What do the gods want from me? And yes, a lot of people just wanted to know when they were going to fall in love, and leaders like Elizabeth I and Ronald Reagan just wanted to know when it was the best time to go harass the poor people again, but every major religion has at one time or another used astrology to ease communication between earth and the heavens and show its followers where their free will collides with the vagaries of fate.

Contemporary astrology has all the spiritual content of a feelgood Lizzo anthem you know, the one where Lizzo allegedly stole a tweet from fellow female musician Mina Lioness and turned it into a lyric without attributing it, made a fortune off it, and then only after a year of hounding and some legal proceedings finally admitted she didnt write her most famous hook.

Divorced from its religious framework, then, astrology just becomes a form of self-help. How should I dress as an Aries rising? What music does my Scorpio sun want to listen to? And, as in self-help, everything bad that happens is just a lesson or an opportunity for growth. Its the same line of thinking that gets you to Cancer is a gift. If youre struggling financially, maybe you have some money karma to resolve. If youre lonely, maybe youre just not showing up for yourself romantically.

The implication is that everything in your life is ultimately within your control; its just a matter of working it the right way. Take, for example, the hottest new astrology book, Chani Nicholass You Were Born for This: Astrology for Radical Self-Acceptance (sigh).

Nicholas is often credited with creating a new woke astrology. She runs workshops with names like Self-Care Strategies for Crushing the Patriarchy (sigh). She uses words like capitalism and colonialism in her horoscopes, yet her focus remains almost entirely on helping the individual thrive under such conditions through changes of behavior.

Pluto, god of the underworld, often represents the darker experiences, and a square is seen as a difficult aspect. Of my Pluto square sun, Nicholas writes: You are someone who, if you chose to heal from your more harrowing Pluto experiences, is comfortable plumbing the depths of the psyche and soul. The kind of personal power this creates in you is undeniable. Oh, well, if only I chose to heal sooner, maybe I would be rewarded with the riches and the blessings she speaks of throughout her book.

This way of thinking, which was popularized by the New Age and Oprah industries, is pernicious in contemporary astrology. If youre having a hard time, it is probably your fault. (Its also a total misunderstanding of what Pluto actually does in a chart, which is more of a representation of the shadow side of society and cultural shifts controlled by the powerful, but sure, OK, whatever.)

Ive had an astrologer tell me that the reason I lost a job was because it wasnt helping me live out my higher purpose. Well, it was helping me pay for groceries, so who cares about a higher purpose? This kind of thinking might be useful to the type of person who can pay hundreds of dollars for a private consultation with an astrologer. For those who are scraping by, however, its condescending and insulting.

Nicholas might use terminology borrowed from astrology like moon signs and sextiles and whatever but ultimately she could be talking about Myers-Briggs or blood types or any other attempts to divide people into cohesive little groups. With so much of contemporary astrology focused on how each sign just is, perhaps its no wonder were starting to see discussion of whether or not its legal to discriminate against a specific astrological sign. (And anyway, a sun in Taurus is about understanding yourself through your good and painful experiences with Venusian values like beauty and money, but sure, OK, whatever.)

A true astrological revival seems like it might be useful, because what astrology is really good at is bestowing and creating meaning. Its not about truth, its not about destiny, its about finding meaning in your life through story and metaphor and reflection. It can help a person understand where the intersection lies between the individual and the family, community and society exists and whether how that influence changes from positive to restrictive. It helps to bring a long-term perspective to changes, rather than keeping them in a sometimes terrifying present.

Meaning, however, is not easily distilled into a 200-page book, and a search for meaning often leads us into the arms of predatory con artists, gurus and those trying to capitalize on a moment. When the astrology boom is over, something else that will tell people what they want to hear will replace it, but the millennia-old practice of real astrology will remain. The bust will come when Neptune gets out of Pisces, despite all the astrologers who promised that transit would bring us a renewed spirituality. (Pisces is also about insanity and fraud, but sure, OK, whatever.)

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I love astrology. But the current craze has it all wrong - The Guardian

Its a new decade, so naturally, a fewOutsidestaffers dove into books and showsabout self-optimization. The rest of us stuck with witty outdoorpoems,foraged dinners in rural New Mexico, and a seriously dark John Cusack film about skiing.

When I was home for the holidays, my mom lent me The Art of Work, by Jeff Goins, which was the perfect read to kick off the new year. Its message is that anyone canfindmeaningful work if you try. One idea that especially encouraged me was that you should engage with new ideasrather than constantly fretting over making the correct decision. If youre looking for a step-by-step book about the same subject, check out Pivot, by Jenny Blake.(Id definitely file The Art of Work under inspiring literature instead of practical self-help.)

Jenny Earnest, audience development director

Ive been spending my afternoon coffee breaks flipping through Sydney Zesters Run Wild and Be, a joyful collection of poems and short stories that celebrate wild places, trail life, and endurance running. I am not a runner, but Zesters wit and humor transcend the sport. She beautifully speaks to the ways that women draw strength from putting their muscles to work in the outdoors. One line I keep coming back to is from the poem Mt. St. Helens: My favorite love / is made on the summit / in snow-capped stillness.

Aleta Burchyski, associate managing editor

Hot tip: whenever assistant editor Abbie Barronian tells you to read something,read it. This month I have been fully absorbed with her latest recommendation, The Neapolitan Novels, by Elena Ferrante, a four-book series following the lifelong friendship of two women born in Naples, Italy, in the 1940s. The writing is sparse and beautiful, but whatkept me reading way past my bedtime are Ferrantes delicate portrayals of relationships between friends, family, spouses, lovers, and more. Each book is highly addicting in the best possible way.

Kelsey Lindsey, associate editor

I tore through Anna Wieners debut memoir Uncanny Valley, which recounts her unlikely experience as a literary twentysomething working in the tech world. (If you want a taste of what the book is like, this excerpt was published in The New Yorker a few months ago.) In 2013, she left her job in book publishing for one at a startup, which eventually led to a series of other startup jobs. Wiener isan outsider in Silicon Valley, and her observations of celebrated companies and the (mostly) men who run them are incisive. Throughout the book, she rarelyrefers to companies and other major players by their proper names: Facebook is the social network that everyone hated,and Amazon is the online superstore.Wiener describes the moment were all experiencing, as technology colonizes more and more of our lives, with a perspective and specificity Ive never read elsewhere. And while it may cause you existential angst, her writing is a pleasure to read.

Molly Mirhashem, digital deputy editor

Jungle Princeis a three-part series produced by TheNew York Times The Daily podcast. Its based onEllen Barrys blockbuster newspaper featureabout a long-lost, purportedly royal family in India, and itsone of the most beautiful audio stories Iveever heard. Barry hosts the episodes, and she has a perfect, soothing voiceplus, the story is epic. Someone is definitely going to make a movie out of this.

Katie Cruickshank, senior digital marketing manager

Ive been told this is the least on-brand thing about me, but I love cruising around to singer-songwritery pop albums. (You all just havent listened to Golden Hour enough.) For long drives this winter, Ive been cuing up Maggie RogerssHeard It in aPast Life; itlayersdeft song lyrics with samples from the natural world and catchy beats.

Xian Chiang-Waren, associate editor

I hate to admit it, but Ive been deeply absorbed in Gweneth Paltrows The Goop Lab on Netflix. As someone whos read endless studies on the supposed therapeutic uses of psilocybin, the first episode about a guided mushroom trip in Jamaica was especially engrossing.

Emily Reed, video producer

Ive been a John Cusack stan since my tweens. My love was rekindled when I rediscovered the best aprs-ski movie of all time (fight me): the cult dark-comedy gem Better Off Dead. PostSixteen Candles but preSay Anything, J.C. stars as the heartbroken Lane Meyer, a teenager set on killing himself after his girlfriend leaves him for the ski-team captain. The biggest draw here isnt the plot, or even the over-the-top ski scenes, its the drug-inspired, peak-eightiesjokes. Plus, one characters expertadvice will get you through any gripping run: Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.

Maren Larsen, Buyers Guide deputy editor

I am, on average, a year late watching new films. But after noticing the buzz about the Netflix documentary Cheer, I binged-watched the six-episode series. It follows the cheerleading team at Navarro College, in Texas, as ittravels to a national competition in Florida. The documentariansfocused on the obstacles that cheerleaders must overcome in addition to competition (injuries, gender bias, broken family structures) with visual finesse. The film makes a strong case for the rigors of this disciplineit might be in the Olympics in 2028andis a perfect gateway to get to know and fall in love with a sportthat has been on the sidelines for a long time. I seldom cry, but when the Navarro team executed an impeccable pyramid on thetournament circuitsbiggest stage, I was on the verge of tears.

Wufei Yu, editorial fellow

I went to a foraged dinner in northern New Mexico called Shed: A Dinner Project. Its run by chef Jonny Ortiz and his partner, Afton Love. Ortiz, who is 29, grows, forages, or hunts for every ingredient possible in the meal, from river mint and mountain nettle to wild elk and local trout. He serves things like Anasazi beans cooked in a micaceous clay pot with winter squash and Chimayo red chile, or raw wild elk with cactus fruit. One dessert he served the night I was there was a delicate dark-chocolate shell filled with apple cider that explodes with flavor once in your mouthour table sat in awe afterward. Ortiz serves local wines and mezcals with the mealand makes the ceramics you eat off of, too. Shed hosts about tenguests at a time, usually only on weekends (tickets sell out super fast for each dinner). We dined in an old barnlike spaceand could see Ortiz and Love cooking and preparing the food. It was like watching and experiencing food art.

Mary Turner, deputy editor

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Nashik, Feb 3 (UNI) Well-known director, producer and playwriter Sai Paranjape will get this years Godavari Gaurav' award in a function to be held in March.

Sangli, Feb 3 (UNI) Three people, including a junior clerk in the Secondary Education Department of the Sangli Zilla Parishad, were on Monday arrested by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs 1,000 from a complainant.

Nadiad, Feb 3 (UNI) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Gujarat police on Monday nabbed two people, including the business analyst of a private company, which had got the work order to appoint Adhaar operators in various Panchayats of Kheda district in central Gujarat, for taking bribe for such an appointment.

Kolhapur, Feb 3 (UNI) NCP president and former Union minister Sharad Pawar will grace 100th three- day Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Natya Parishad (ABMNP), which will be held from March 26 to 28 in Sangli.

Ahmedabad, Feb 3 (UNI) The cool weather continued to trouble the people of Gujarat on Monday, even as the weatherman forecast a dip in the mercury, in the next 72 hours. Feeling of coldness persisted at several places across Gujarat despite absence of cold-wave and some rise in minimum temperature, due to lower than normal maximum temperatures, even as the Met has predicted drop in minimum temperatures again after next 24 hours.

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Govt will continue to engage self help groups for supplying food to primary schools: CM - United News of India

Burnout linked to potentially lethal heart condition

The European Journal of Preventive Cardiology has found that burnout can lead to atrial fibrillation. The 25 year-long study comes after the world health organization recognized burnout syndrome as an official medical diagnosis.

Scale it back for your hearts sake.

Burnout is not just an inconvenience. It can lead to a critical, possibly deadly heart condition, a new study has found.

Researchers surveyed over 11,000 individuals for burnout, or vital exhaustion, and then tracked their development of the heart conditionatrial fibrillationover the course of 25 years.

MILWAUKEE WOMAN DIES AFTER LEAVING ER DUE TO LONG WAIT, FAMILY SAYS

Those with the highest rate of burnout also had the highest rate of developing AFib, which causes an irregular, faster heartbeat and can lead to strokes, blood clots and other complications that may result in death, according to the findings published recently in theEuropean Journal of Preventive Cardiology.

Vital exhaustion, commonly referred to as burnout syndrome, is typically caused by prolonged and profound stress at work or home, study author Parveen K. Garg, of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, defines in apress release. It differs from depression, which is characterized by low mood, guilt and poor self-esteem.

While the concept and discomfort of burnout is well known, it received added validation last May when the World Health Organization recognized burnout syndrome as an official medical diagnosis for the first time.

FIT MOM SUFFERS 3 HEART ATTACKS IN A WEEK: A MASSIVE SHOCK

The research brings more evidence that burnout is not just amentally debilitatingstate, but a physically crippling one, too.

The results of our study further establish the harm that can be caused in people who suffer from exhaustion that goes unchecked, says Garg.

The large study found that those with the highest vital exhaustion levels were at a 20 percenthigher risk for developing AFib.

The most common form of heart arrhythmia, AFib is estimated to currently impact up to about 6 million Americans, a number expected to rise as the population ages,according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 2017, 166,793 death certificates mentioned the condition, which can be permanent or occur in brief episodes.

Although the study did find a link between burnout and AFib, it failed to find a connection between the heart condition and anger, anti-depressant use or poor social support.

Garg concludes his commentary on the study with a recommendation that people invest in some self-care as a preventative measure.

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The importance of avoiding exhaustion through careful attention to and management of personal stress levels as a way to help preserve overall cardiovascular health cannot be overstated, he says.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --The global tabletop kitchen products marketsize is anticipated to reach USD 61.3 billion by 2025, expanding at a CAGR of 3.7%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing economic development coupled with luxury lifestyle is driving demand for tabletop kitchen products on account of increasing prominence towards buffet and self-service concept in the culinary world. It becomes an essential part of the table dcor and widely used in various applications such as weddings, family reunions, house parties, and home dinners.

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Read 80 page research report with ToC on "Tabletop Kitchen Products Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Dinnerware, Flatware, White Goods, Drinkware), By Application (Residential, Commercial), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025'' at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/tabletop-kitchen-products-market

Increasing demand for fancy serving ware owing to increasing influence of western culture is increasing traction in the market for different tabletop kitchen products for domestic use. In addition, developments in the food service and hospitality business particularly hotels, restaurants, resorts, and other service providers is expected to fuel demand for tabletop kitchen products over the forecast period.

The growth of travel industry across the globe is driving the hospitality sector, which is certainly boosting the sales of tabletop kitchen products in the market. Increasing growth in the hotel industry is generating a lucrative market for the commercial application of tabletop kitchen products. For instance, U.S. hotel gross bookings have increased from USD 116 billion in 2009 to USD 185 billion in 2017. Thus, indicating growth prospective for tableware and buffet products in the sector.

Additionally, China witnessed 1,062 projects of new hotel construction under operation. This, in turn, has significantly driven the hospitality sector in the country in 2019. Furthermore, travel and tourism also paves the way for innovative products in the tabletop category such as fancy drinkware and flatware. Increasing culture of wine drinking provides growth opportunity for drinkware segments owing to greater need for wine glasses. Boosting beer sales in Asian countries also drives the market for tabletop kitchen products.

Innovative developments in terms of compactness, portability, and convenience of using small kitchen appliances is attracting various consumers towards tabletop kitchen products including white goods. For instance, in 2017, Xiaomi Corporation introduced new extra light weight Mi electric kettle made of matte plastic and stainless steel, which can also be used while travelling. Additionally, Griffin Technology introduced new connected toaster, which is a smart toaster and can get connected to a smartphone as well.

In terms of product, the market is anticipated to witness fastest growth of drinkware category, registering a CAGR of 4.8% from 2019 to 2025. Shifting preference towards drinking wine in the developed countries owing to health benefits of the drink has surged the need for fancy drinkware particularly wine glasses among consumers. Also, increasing consumption of beer and alcohol in the Asian countries, particularly in India and China, is also helping in the growth of other drinkware products.

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In terms of application, the commercial sector dominated the market with a revenue based share of 64.6% in 2018. As increasing startups such as Oyo Rooms and FabHotels, the number of hotels has increased to a great extent in the last few years leading to upgrade in services to gain competitive edge. Moreover, increasing construction of commercial spaces such as clubs, marriage halls, and group centers also showcase growth opportunity for buffet and self-service concept, which is expected to boost the market in the forecast period.

Asia Pacific witnessed growth in the market with a revenue based market share of 4.7% in 2018. Presence of large number of manufacturers of tabletop kitchen products in the region is also one of the major driving factors for the market.

Grand View Research has segmented the global tabletop kitchen products market by type, application, and region:

Find more research reports on Homecare & Decor Industry, by Grand View Research:

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About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead.

Contact:Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn| Twitter

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Brecht: Call and Respond from New Light Theater Project opens with almost excruciating tension. This trio of related one-act plays commences with Bertholt Brechts The Jewish Wife, a character study of a Jewish woman married to a gentile in Nazi Germany on the eve of the Holocaust. Contemporary playwrights Arlene Hutton and Kristin Idaszak respond to Brechts evocation of quiet despair with their own short plays sharing the themes of exile and belonging.

The three pieces make a neat temporal progression, from Europes not-so-distant fascist past, through the present-day America of Huttons Sunset Point, and into a climate-dystopian near future with Idaszaks Self Help in the Anthropocene. The sequence begins with the triptychs ur-figure, Brechts Judith (Susan Lynskey), packing a suitcase with exaggerated calm and laborious slowness. What should go into the bag? Which clothes? What about this framed photo of a man, presumably her husband? Time stretches by, painfully tautly, until she picks up the telephone and begins making arrangements for her absence. Then things start to become clear.

Under Jerry Heymanns silken direction, Judiths steady, dignified demeanor begins bit by bit to crack. We learn shell be gone for a few weeks. But no its a few months. Yet no again can she ever return? Does she really have friends in Amsterdam? Or is this trip a desperate flight to anywhere that seems safe? Will she ever again see her husband (Michael Aguirre), whose career (along with her own life) she hopes to save by absenting herself from his life?

Modern-day antisemitism emerges in Sunset Point, less violent (so far, anyway) but, like other prejudices and racisms, still terribly troublesome. Celebrated old novelist Henson (Gerry Bamman) returns from a conference greeted by his much younger fiance Rachel (Lindsay Brill), herself just back from a trip to help her mother after surgery. Judiths suitcase from The Jewish Wife has doubled both Henson and Rachel are on the move, and in more ways than one.

The main plot point takes too long to arrive I was wondering impatiently why I should care about these characters but when it comes its a surprise to us as much as to Rachel. Without consulting her, Henson has purchased a summer home for them in the titular club-like community. The house used to be in his family, hes sentimentally attached to it, but hes buying it back mainly because it comes with a cabin in the woods ideal for his attempt to break a years-long bout of writers block.

Hes all but indifferent when Rachel points out the clubs traditional and enduring antisemitism and asserts that it wont accept his new Jewish wife.

The key point isnt Rachels awareness, but Hensons selfish cluelessness. Bamman makes this randy old goat effectively self-absorbed, while Brills Rachel is a good contemporary analogue of the assimilated German Jews of Brechts milieu. Though not subject to state-sponsored murder or ghettoization, she feels the full weight of prejudice even from a distance. (This rang true for me, who grew up in a town with a large Jewish population but also a golf-course country club well known for its unspoken no-Jews policy.)

The two suitcases on the kitchen floor drive home the parallel between past and present, as the couple talks around each other, using the same words in entirely different senses.

The pace ratchets up with a knockout turn by Lucy Lavely in Idaszaks Self Help in the Anthropocene. Like Brechts play its mostly a monologue. But Joy (Lavely) is facing a different kind of danger and exile, in a near-future totalitarian state spawned by the chaos of climate crisis. Worrying over her wifes lateness in returning home, Joy is doing something consummately personal: de-cluttering her life according to the precepts of a Marie Kondo-like self-help guru.

Sorting through her possessions, she discards those that dont bring her joy which turns out to be nearly everything. Will her unnamed wife never get home? Will they be herded into a refugee camp? Is Joy even all there?

As she picks through avocado slicers and empty prescription bottles, the answers are less important than the trenchant writing and Lavelys monster performance. Idaszak isnt afraid to give Joy a self-conscious rather than a strictly internal monologue, one in which the character explains things for our benefit. This layer of artificiality works because the script, character, and situation are all larger than life to just the right degree, perfectly tuned to resonate with the real world we all know and the real darker and better sides of human nature. Credit must also go to Heymann for drawing from Lavely this marvelous embodiment of despair kept just at bay.

It isnt a flawless production. Sunset Point takes too long to get to its meat; its characters arent interesting enough in themselves to make for compelling theater over the length of time that elapses before we know why we should care about them. For that matter, the productions interpretation of The Jewish Wife itself is such a slow build that some may lack patience for it.

But the three plays accumulated weight and smartly realized parallels, wrapping up with a bang with Joys glacier-melting monologue, add up to an evening of firm substance and screeching contemporary relevance. Brecht: Call and Respond runs through 15 February at the Paradise Factory in NYC. Purchase tickets online or call 630-632-1459.

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Left to Right: Leaders of the Black Heritage Celebration Nia Lartey, Guinevere Thomas, Bishop Walton and Raven Lucas said the funding will go toward nearly 20 events.

Updated: Feb. 3, 2020 at 10:01 a.m.

GWs 14th annual Black Heritage Celebration is kicking off with the most funding in its history and a slate of more than a dozen entirely student-led events.

Student leaders said this years theme, Reclaiming Our Renaissance: Our History, Our Culture, Our Legacy, honors the centennial anniversary of the Harlem Renaissance. For the first time since BHC launched in 2006, the celebration is entirely organized by students and received a record $29,000 to fund nearly 20 different events, like discussions on black womens self care and a step show, student leaders said.

The celebration will begin Monday with keynote speaker Brittany Packnett Cunningham, a social justice activist, followed by about five events per week throughout the rest of the month. BHC will round out Feb. 29 with a formal event at the L2 Lounge, according to the BHC agenda.

Raven Lucas, the BHC programming co-chair, said most of the events change every year to match the theme. In previous years, BHC centered on themes like Im Rooting for Everybody Black last year and The Revolution will be Televised in 2017.

I would say as programming chairs, we just wanted a diverse array of programs throughout the month, she said.

Students lead BHC with record funding The SA dished out $29,000 to the BHC for this months celebrations, which organizers said were put toward funding speakers, providing food at events and lowering the price of tickets for the final event.

That also speaks to increased diversity within the Student Association, which shows that its becoming more diverse and starting to reflect what the student body looks like and represents, Lucas said. Theyre starting to see the importance of having this programming.

Nia Lartey, the BHC programming co-chair and a former Hatchet reporter, said the BHC committee received several event proposals from dance teams, graduate student organizations and for the first time, from academic departments and LATAM@GW.

That was a big thing last year because a lot of non-black people who were wondering if they could come to BHC events or if they were for them, and we really wanted to stress this year that the entire community is welcome to anything that is happening in February, Lartey said.

In past years, Lartey said George Rice, the former associate director of the Multicultural Student Services Center, was the administrative force behind BHC, but no official replaced his role in the planning process when he left last year. Lartey said graduate student Cassandra Allen filled in as an adviser to oversee the planning process, but all of the people planning the month are students.

While it was daunting in the beginning that we had to plan the month without the powerhouses that we had in past years, everything happens for a reason, and I believe we were able to give this years BHC some much needed new love, she said. We have free t-shirts, extremely discounted finale tickets and events with organizations we havent had the privilege to partner with yet.

She said BHC organizers send a form to apply to host an event at the end of September, and student leaders considered the proposals in the first week of November. The events must relate to the theme of the month, and organizers give greater focus toward new organizations that want to be part of the celebration, she said.

Lartey and Lucas said the BHC marketing committee, a subset of the planning group, runs an Instagram account, @GWUBHC, where they counted down the days to the start of the celebration and provide updates about events. She said the marketing committee also posts flyers in residence halls and around campus to spread awareness for the month.

Lartey added that organizers gave away five tickets to attend the celebration finale later this month for the first time to help promote the event. Finale tickets are currently $10 and will go up to $15 on Feb. 15.

Lartey said the Multicultural Student Services Center also helped to promote the month and BHCs programming by including information about the celebration in its newsletters and website.

New events on tap For this years celebration, 22 student organizations, departments and Greek councils are hosting, sponsoring and participating in events most of which incorporate the word reclaim into their names. Leaders said all of the events this month are new, except for the second annual step show, the end of month finale, the keynote and the soul revue, an R&B and hip-hop performance.

The Organization of Latino American Students and the Black Student Union have teamed up to hold the first Best of Both Worlds brunch on Feb. 9 at the Phi Beta Sigma townhouse. The event will be divided into two parts throughout the day, beginning with conversation with our communities and allies to take part in bridging the gap and wrapping up with brunch and conversation, according to the event schedule.

The GW Association of Black Journalists will host the event, Reclaiming the Mic in the Jack Morton Auditorium next Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. Radio personality Angela Yee from The Breakfast Club radio show and the Lip Service Podcast will join ABJ for a conversation about storytelling within the black community.

BHC will also honor Valentines Day with the event, Reclaiming Love on Feb. 14 in the Marvin Amphitheater at 7 p.m. RoughCut Productions will present The Golliwog, a student film directed by Guinevere Thomas, a senior in the School of Media and Public Affairs, a showrunner for RoughCut Productions and another BHC co-chair.

Thomas said she wants her film to inspire other people of color to create their own art. The horror film delves into how the black form is haunted by American history.

I want other artists to watch my film and feel empowered to create their own art because black children are so often told that this isnt a career choice for them and that there is no place for them in the creative space, and I wholeheartedly reject that, Thomas said.

During the event, guests will also hear from Imani Cheers, an associate professor at SMPA, on Feb. 14 as she examines the concept of double-consciousness and black female identity in film.

The Multicultural Business Student Association will host an interactive panel called Reclaiming Our Real Estate next Tuesday. MBSA treasurer and panel moderator Martin Haggray said the panels speakers will include black professionals from the commercial real estate industry who will explain the importance of black leadership and ownership in real estate.

I think the main goal is to bring a level of first-hand exposure for students to see professionals who are doing this business, who are vice presidents and directors at leading companies in D.C., Haggray said.

Howard Brookins, the president of the MBSA, said he has noticed a lack of black speakers coming to talk to students at GW, especially in connection to business and real estate. Brookins said panel focuses on encouraging people of color to pursue their goals in business or real estate by drawing attention to the people on the panel.

This is the whole purpose of the Black Heritage Celebration, to recognize that we are black and that we navigate through spaces differently and that there are people like us, who look like us, succeeding, Brookins said. You may forget that other people like you went through the same struggles.

This article appeared in the February 3, 2020 issue of the Hatchet.

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Student-run Black Heritage Celebration kicks off with record funding - GW Hatchet

Alan Dean, pictured Nov. 10, 2019, prior to attending the Remembrance Day ceremonies at Pointe-Claire City Hall. Dean passed away, Jan. 18, just shy of his 82 birthday. jpg

Alan Dean is being remembered in low-vision circles as a fellow who could get things done. Dean, who was president of the Low Vision Self-Help Association for 15 years, died Jan. 18. He was exactly one month shy of his 82 birthday.

I first met Alan in 2000. He was really struggling (with his vision loss) and was feeling pretty down, Irene Lambert said. I was able to pick him up and lead him through the process.

Lambert is a founding member of the 32-year-old Low Vision Self-Help Association a group that helps people with low-vision connect with the resources they need to live full and independent lives and organizes education and social events.

Dean soon became a large presence in the low-vision community.

He could get things done, Lambert said. He was great at organization.

Dean was born in Liverpool, the youngest of nine children. He had roots in Montreal through his mother and moved here in 1959 after serving as a Royal Air Force pilot, stationed in Singapore. He met his wife Norma at a dance at the downtown YWCA and they married in 1961. Norma Dean passed away in 2013. They are survived by three children and four grandchildren.

Dean was self-employed, working as an international freight forwarder.

He was an accomplished man, son David Dean said. And he was a good father. He was a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader and was always trying to spark young minds.

Dean said his father loved knowledge and would set out to learn everything he could about a given subject, be it volcanoes or gems and minerals. He was an avid stamp collector and president of the Lakeshore Stamp Club. He played piano and was a great storyteller.

And then there were jokes, jokes, jokes, Dean said, laughing.

Deans stories were so good, he ended up as a guest on BBC Radio Merseyside on a show hosted by fellow Liverpudlian Billy Maher. (Not to be mistaken for American comedian and political commentator Bill Maher.)

LVSHA president John Ohberg first heard about Dean from a nurse who was caring for his wife Clora Delany, following her cancer diagnosis. (She passed away in 2010.)

The nurse was very impressed with Alan, what he could do, Ohberg said. He was the type of person people looked up to. When I first met him he was chairing the (low-vision) meetings and was completely blind. He was a man of many interests. He played the piano (at Chartwell Le Wellesley seniors residence in Pointe-Claire). He loved old movies. He was a collector. I was always impressed with how he managed himself.

Dean was diabetic and began to lose his sight in earnest in 1996, although there had been previous indications of vision loss. As his sight worsened, Dean became involved with the Montreal Association for the Blind, which, in turn, suggested he contact the Low Vision Self-Help Association.

Alan Dean sits beside a copy of the Canada Post braille stamp issued in April 2008, at the Montreal Association for the Blind. PHIL CARPENTER / The Gazette

Dean used his contacts in the stamp-collecting world to help facilitate the creation of a braille stamp to commemorate the centenary of the Montreal Association for the Blind in 2008.

He had an impact on different groups, the MAB, the low-vision association, the Lakeshore Stamp Club, Dean said. He was a man of action.

kgreenaway@postmedia.com

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Former low-vision president remembered as a fellow who got things done - Montreal Gazette

Interim coach of Enyimba FC Fatai Osho has stated that the Peoples Elephant will thread with caution ahead of this Sundays make or break trip to Cote divoire where they face already eliminated Ivorian side San Pedro FC in the final group stage game of the CAF Confederation cup.

San Pedro as at now are out of the competition completely and they stand to lose absolutely nothing. And when youre playing with no pressure, some teams tend to play better in that situation and thats why we have to be a bit careful, we have to bring in our A game to get the needed result.

We should not be of the illusion that the San Pedro team are out and hence will be an easy pick. Its not going to be that way.

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