Music
By Stanley Quan
As individuals, we are limited
As discrete and independent musical instruments,
Each producing just a small variety of notes.
The notes sound empty, lacking intensity and support
It takes many instruments to create a symphony,
A beautiful work of art
Formed from a mixture of unique sounds and echoes:
The power of teamwork.
When brought together,
These different instruments intertwine
And cut through the air,
Merging in melody, and fighting in dissonance.
It packs punch, yet evokes beauty.
In this explosion of sounds,
The discords fade away, and the harmonies shine
What emerges is music
Akasease Kofi Boakye Yiadom just graduated from university in his native Ghana at the age of 99.
A World War II veteran and former teacher, Yiadom enrolled at Presbyterian University College’s business school aged 96.
He urges other college students to resist the temptations of higher salaries in other countries to stay in Ghana. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over one million Ghanaians migrated from 2000 to 2007, creating a serious “brain drain” that has affected many sectors of Ghana, most notably in health care.
Due to the migration, many districts didn’t have a doctor, and some wards didn’t even have a nurse in the early 2000s. The impact is noticeable in a higher infant mortality rate.
But staying in Ghana has means making sacrifices, especially in financial security. One recent graduate reasoned, “I want to make money, to help the poor. [In Ghana] There’s no work. There’s massive unemployment, so after education there’s nothing to do.”
A tough choice in many ways, and perhaps there is a middle ground. Some graduates migrate, and then return to Ghana. By doing this, they still contribute and go back. In addition, they also carry a lot of knowledge and money back to Ghana, which helps communities and the country in general.
Regardless of this debate, what Yiadom was able to achieve at the age of 99 is remarkable. He hopes to inspire other students to follow in his footsteps in graduating college and staying in Ghana.
He’s a living example to show that there is no age limit to education. If you live, you can learn.
“Education has no end,” Yiadom says. “As far as your brain can work alright, your eyes can see alright, and your ears can hear alright, if you go to school you can learn.”
This weekend, I attended a training class to learn how to perform CPR and first aid. As part of the requirements for being a camp counselor at Camp Kesem each summer, I need to acquire certification to be able to respond in an emergency if one happens to come up at camp.
But of course, “with great power, comes great responsibility.” It’s both a little scary and a relief at the same time. It’s nerve-wrecking to know that I’ll be counted on to perform proper CPR and first aid in a possible life-or-death situation, but also comforting to know that I have learned and practiced how to handle such an occurrence.
I’ve never been in a circumstance where I’ve had to react quickly with medical help, but if something happens in the future, now I know that I’ll be ready to respond.
Last night, Camp Kesem Berkeley hosted its third annual Make the Magic fundraising event. It’s our largest fundraiser of the year and is usually a more casual Sunday brunch affair. But this time, we decided to change things up a little and made it a more classy dinnertime event. Though it took a lot more planning and preparation, it produced a great atmosphere and much better setting, in my opinion.
I had the pleasure of acting as one of the emcees for the event. This is something that I’ve never done before, and after getting past all the jitters and butterflies, I thought it was a great experience and opportunity to learn. Along with my co-emcee Julia, we went up to the podium multiple times to kick off the event at the start of the evening, introduce the different parts of the scheduled program, and close the event at the end.
I think I was most nervous at the very beginning, when guests was having hors d’oeuvres and mingling, and I tapped the microphone a few times and started talking. It was quite nerving everyone heard my voice and instantly stopped talking and turned their undivided attention toward me. It was weird to tell the guests that we were about to start and that they should take their seats in a few minutes.
But after this anxious introduction, things got a lot easier and the night flew by rather quickly. I found that being confident and just letting the words flow out of my mouth was the best way to go. If I flubbed a line, so what. I just promptly corrected myself and moved on.
All in all, the event went really well and it was a very successful fundraiser. And gladly, at the end of the night, I don’t have any crazy or embarrassing emcee moments to worry about :)
The Major League Baseball season starting earlier this week. Though lots of people say they don’t have the patience for the sport, baseball is and has always been my favorite sport. Though games, with all the things that happen between pitches, batters, and innings, last about 3 hours, I enjoy every part of them, from the very first pitch to the last.
I was born and raised in the Bay Area, and thus I’ve got a few favorite teams. Though I root for the Oakland A’s as well, the San Francisco Giants are my team, through and through. So of course, I absolutely love the 3-0 start that we’re off to.
Each season, I try to get out to one or two games at AT&T Park and watch the Giants play live. I love going to the ballpark and just taking in the atmosphere: the smell of hot dogs, crisply cut grass, the beautiful view of the bay.
I never played little league baseball when I was younger, but I did participate in a summer league called the Junior Giants. We didn’t keep score (at least not officially- you know kids) and just had fun. The emphasis was on fundamentals and teamwork. Though it wasn’t a competitive, I loved every part of it. Later on in 8th grade, I applied and was selected as one of ten inaugural Junior Giants Scholars. I got my very own custom Giants jersey and was invited onto the field at AT&T Park before a game. Needless to say, this was a really exciting and memorable experience for me.
my jersey
on the field for pregame ceremony
My secret dream job has always been to be General Manager of the Giants. I think it would be so awesome to be in control and responsible for assembling the 25 players on the baseball team.
Being a diehard Giants fan, the 2002 World Series loss to the Anaheim Angels was nothing short of devastating. We were 6 outs (6!) away from being champions of the world! Sigh.
I think the thing that makes opening day so exciting each season is because every team gets to start anew. No matter how bad the previous year went, all of that is in the past. With the first pitch comes a new season. A new season of home runs, strikeouts, hopes, and dreams.