ROR Magazine Winter 2023

PUBLISHER

Thomas Schenck, President Dartmouth Associates

EDITOR

Rhodora O

COVER & CREATIVE DIRECTION

Hagan Schenck

ART DIRECTION

Rhodora O

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE

Inam ul Haq

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Meet the Team

Meet the Team

Founder/CEO/President/Publisher

Founder/CEO/President/Publisher

Founder/CEO/President/Publisher

Dartmouth Associates and ROR Magazine, A Division of Schenck Enterprises Corporation

Dartmouth Associates and ROR Magazine,

A Division of Schenck Enterprises Corporation

Dartmouth Associates and ROR Magazine, A Division of Schenck Enterprises Corporation

Tom founded Schenck Enterprises Corporation in 2020 and created Dartmouth Associates as a global consulting, training and promotional company that empowers independent schools and colleges. Other than issuing the ROR Magazine, the first of its kind lifestyle publication for Admissions Professionals, there are plenty of well-established offerings by the company. Our flagship product is ROR, The Results Oriented Recruiting System™, the world’s first sales Training Curriculum curated exclusively for Admission Professionals. We also develop national technology summits and promotional podcasts, giving key admissions leaders precious airtime. Additionally, Tom has pioneered the concept of “Dynamic Brand Enthusiasm” that introduces best-in class vendors to schools and colleges.

Tom founded Schenck Enterprises Corporation in 2020 and created Dartmouth Associates as a global consulting, training and promotional company that empowers independent schools and colleges. Other than issuing the ROR Magazine, the first of its kind lifestyle publication for Admissions Professionals, there are plenty of well-established offerings by the company. Our flagship product is ROR, The Results Oriented Recruiting System world’s first sales Training Curriculum curated exclusively for Admission Professionals. We also develop national technology summits and promotional podcasts, giving key admissions leaders precious airtime. Additionally, Tom has pioneered the concept of “Dynamic Brand Enthusiasm” that introduces best-in class vendors to schools and colleges.

Tom founded Schenck Enterprises Corporation in 2020 and created Dartmouth Associates as a global consulting, training and promotional company that empowers independent schools and colleges. Other than issuing the ROR Magazine, the first of its kind lifestyle publication for Admissions Professionals, there are plenty of well-established offerings by the company. Our flagship product is ROR, The Results Oriented Recruiting System world’s first sales Training Curriculum curated exclusively for Admission Professionals. We also develop national technology summits and promotional podcasts, giving key admissions leaders precious airtime. Additionally, Tom has pioneered the concept of

Thomas Schenck

For 25 years, previously, Thomas held leadership positions such as Head of School, and Director of Admissions, Development, and Placement. He was a also founding trustee for Sisu Academy, a tuition-free school that promoted entrepreneurship to underprivileged students. He established Villain Crusher Marketing helping early-stage entrepreneurs find venture capital. While providing his various services, Thomas attained Presidents Club status and the top 1% national sales position for Yellow Book Media. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in Utopian Philosophy from Dartmouth College. As the first actor to portray Spider-Man for Marvel Comics in New York City, he has highly developed skills for vanquishing evil!

For 25 years, previously, Thomas held leadership positions such as Head of School, and Director of Admissions, Development, and Placement. He was a also founding trustee for Sisu Academy, a tuition-free school that promoted entrepreneurship to underprivileged students. He established Villain Crusher Marketing helping early-stage entrepreneurs find venture capital. While providing his various services, Thomas attained Presidents Club status and the top 1% national sales position for Yellow Book Media. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in Utopian Philosophy from Dartmouth College. As the first actor to portray Spider-Man for Marvel Comics in New York City, he has highly developed skills for vanquishing evil!

hill

working

team that can creatively forge new paths to your specified business goals.

Main Services

Let’s Talk

Digital Admen, Inc. is a full-service Internet marketing agency that was founded in 2015 by Anton Siler, who is a rising star in the digital marketing industry. Anton was personally groomed by one of the world’s leading online marketers, Neil Patel, and expanded upon that tutelage to offer a more holistic approach to digital marketing.

Siler

& Founder

Sadat Jabeen aka

Rhodora O

CHIEF EDITOR & DIRECTOR

After her M.Sc. in Psychology from the University of Karachi, Sadat was in the middle of postgraduate studies in Educational Psychology, when she had to settle for a freelance career for the sake of her family. She helps fiction and nonfiction authors through most of the stages of self-publishing, mentors manuscripts, and lays out final drafts in attractive book formats. She has helped many entrepreneurs, non-profit projects, self-help gurus, and self-publishing authors and poets translate their visions on page. Rhodora is a writer herself and dabbles in short stories, poetry, screenplays and essays exploring the interface of technology and society.

As a POC, at-home mom, Sadat envisions the ROR Magazine as a springboard for highlighting challenges, obstacles and achievements of independent schools admission professionals, while creating a flagship reading mix of lifestyle and culture.

Ceci Guzman

ASSISSTANT TO THE CEO

Like the rest of the team, Ceci brings an entrepreneurial approach and eclectic and dynamic mix of talents and passions to the job. Being incredibly organized (she even loves color coding for fun), her chief role is to essentially help organize Mr. Schenck’s professional life to make sure that his time is best spent on 10,000 ft tasks and out of the weeds, as he manage the company’s explosive growth. Additionally, she will work on special projects as they are needed.

Meet the Team

Founder/CEO/President/Publisher

Besides her role at Dartmouth Associates, Ceci stays focused in the gym with her powerlifting routines. She loves anything outdoors and never turns down a new place to hike. She continues to challenge herself by learning coding in her spare time. One fun fact about her is that when she was little she wanted to race for Nascar and that passion remains as she tries to keep her muscle car under 100 mph.

Dartmouth Associates and ROR Magazine, A Division of Schenck Enterprises Corporation

Tom founded Schenck Enterprises Corporation in 2020 and created Dartmouth Associates as a global consulting, training and promotional company that empowers independent schools and colleges. Other than issuing the ROR Magazine, the first of its kind lifestyle publication for Admissions Professionals, there are plenty

Hagan Schenck

VICE PRESIDENT AND ARTISTIC DIRECTOR FOR WORLD BRANDING

He supervises all critical brand visual and content aesthetics for both ROR Publications as well as the universe of Schenck Enterprises including Dartmouth Associates Family of Services, such as ROR Training, ROR Consulting and ROR Promotions. He also reviews and stabilizes the aesthetic consistency of websites, social media, and all collateral promotional campaigns.

A New York trained artist and entrepreneur, he has contributed his talents to a broad range of creative and business endeavors including The Aware Wolf Collective, a branding and promotional agency, as well as developing a motivational and fitness system that promotes the All I Know Is Go training system.

Chiranjeeve Dutt

CHIEF PRODUCT AND TECHNOLOGY OFFICER

A digital marketing expert, Chiranjeeve oversees all areas of Schenck Enterprises global technology, strategy, marketing campaigns, product development, including product management, UX design and engineering. He brings extensive experience in building direct to consumer platforms and associated products and services for the digital economy.

Previously, his company, Dutt Media, designed dynamic marketing campaigns, consistently increasing client online revenue. He holds a BBA and MBA in Marketing and Finance.

Trey Pray

DIRECTOR OF GLOBAL MEDIA AND OUTREACH

Trey manages the production of the ROR Magazine aligned podcast, the Admissions Entrepreneur, A Day in the Life, across all audio and visual platforms. He has created a ground-breaking podcasting system allowing our admission professionals to be featured in sound and print around the world.

Previously he founded Hype Music Network in 2013 with the start of his first podcast “The G-List Show.” Trey set out to give musicians and up & coming creatives and entrepreneurs an opportunity to share their talent globally, all the while creating high-quality content.

Dear Readers,

I write this as we enter the morn of 2023, and as with any start of the new year, most of us see this as a time of both reflection of the previous year and the promise of new beginnings. That said, I would like, this time, for all of us who are privileged to be in the field of education, as a year of action. I ask that we all seek to courageously influence those within our spheres of influence and begin a systemic change in education. We must aggressively push schools to offer children a place where their potential is boundless in any direction they choose to pursue.

For over 100 years whether private or public, our educational systems continue to be hamstrung by the legacies created by industrialists, John D. Rockefeller and Andrew Carnegie. They saw education as a way to inculcate the masses with limited personal expectation of achievement so they could best serve the wealthy in stultifying employee roles. In 1902 John Rockefeller created the General Education Board which poured millions of dollars into creating these types of curriculums. In fact, in 1946 they even donated a $7.5 billion to continue to advance this cause. This agenda was chillingly articulated by Rockefeller…

“I don’t want a nation of thinkers; I want a nation of workers.”

– John D Rockefeller

His Director of Charities went even further to flesh out what they felt was the true purpose of education…

“In our dream we have limitless resources, and the people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hand. The present educational conventions fade from our minds; and, unhampered by tradition, we work our own good will upon a grateful and responsive rural folk. We shall not try to make these people or any of their children into philosophers or men of learning or of science. We are not to raise up among them authors, orators, poets, or men of letters. We shall not search for embryo great artists, painters, musicians. Nor will we cherish even the humbler ambition to raise up from among them lawyers, doctors, preachers, statesmen, of whom we now have ample supply.”

– Frederick T Gates, Director of Charities, Rockefeller Foundation

While independent education in schools and colleges now offers far more bandwidth to their curriculums than public education, the inherent structure still offers little latitude for students to control what they truly are interested in to enhance their own proclivities and traits.

While it is difficult for individual schools or teachers to completely upend years of structure overnight, individual teachers must look to customize their approach to the specific interests of each student. You must be willing to get out of the comfort zone of a standard methodology and be willing to give your student a unique road map. Remember, you will be allowing them to fulfill the destiny of their God-given abilities. We want to give them the belief that their personal futures are theirs to control.

I was recently shopping at our local supermarket, and I saw a middle-aged man and a woman stocking a pallet of canned goods on their hands and knees wearing their store-issued kneepads. The skills to perform this task could have been accomplished by a 6th grader. These folks, as graduates of standardized educational programs, found themselves without the skills to pursue their personal passions. They are left toiling away their life with no real future other than to pay living expenses.

We are a country with the technology to send rockets into the atmosphere and safely return our astronauts back to earth. Yet, for some reason, we are unwilling to automate the distribution of groceries from the distribution centers to the trucks, to the loading docks onto the shelves… Is this because there is enough of a needy, unskilled workforce that we have no reason to automatize?

As educators, we must start to promote small changes, which will hopefully create stimulating learning environments sparking creativity and imagination and the will and courage to follow one’s dreams and ideas. Hopefully, such generations will have the skills to create a higher quality of life accessible to all. We have so much to be grateful for, so let’s take stock in our blessings and take action for the world!

As always, our team and I thank you, our loyal readers, contributors and advertisers, for allowing us to be a part of your lives. I hope that you have all had a warm and serene holiday season with your family and friends, and that we will all make 2023 a year of personal and professional growth. Not just for us, but for our future generations.

Warmest personal regards,

As we enter the new year with fresh resolutions of progress and betterment as our roadmap to next December, let us keep in sight the burdens we have dragged with us. It behooves us to relieve these burdens as much as possible, not just from our shoulders, but from those we affect.

The new year has already seen a slew of mass terrorism incidents blankchecked by America’s gun lobby. It’s astounding that for one of the world’s most developed countries, destructive products and their profits hold such great sway over the lives of so many innocent people.

The issue of police defunding rears its head again with another beating to death of a young, black life, Tyre Nichols.’ Meanwhile the pandemic still wages its war, while workers seem to earn hard-won salaries merely to pay off their student debt, and Russia threatens us with a third world war.

Edi ialtor

At the ROR Magazine, we focus our attention on the scourge that is corporate greed. It seems to be the “mouth of the river” no matter which burden of today’s we retrace our steps from. Inflation became a major issue for Americans and most other nations last year, so we take that angle in our infographics exposé. Economists tend to dismiss even unhealthy degrees of inflation citing regular market forces. However, we present enough data on price hiking, wage raises vs inflation comparisons, profit gains figures, and concerned experts’ explanations that there should be no doubt left what corporate motives and strategies have led to this scenario.

Dr. Taras Romashchenko joins us from Ukraine with a perceptive analysis of what economic tugs of war find his country, unfairly so, in such a predicament with Russia. Lucia Meija throws light on the labor rights abuse behind the glitter of the FIFA World Cup this past December. Mohammad Al-Tala from Palestine complements her piece by exposing how his

people weren’t even allowed simple cheering for teams supporting their cause, and how celebrations would be disrupted by arrival of Israeli soldiers. Violence on unarmed people in Palestine has continued throughout January, largely unmourned by our mainstream media.

On the bright side, Lonnie Hughes is back with another eye-opening rouser finding art in every breath and every wind of thought we turn into action. Rubina Feroz from Pakistan brings us her clinical psychologist insights on how the landscape of values is in flux, owing to the virtual reality and related tech’s encroachment on our lives. It serves as a sobering complement to Andy Colquhoun’s fascinating piece on how companies are now conquering the virtual frontier by opening their outlets and conference halls in the metaverse. Steve Morley of Esguard, on the other hand, enlightens us with how to make schools excel with a dash of entrepreneurial magic.

Our resident cartoonist from Venezuela, Luis González, captures the painful dichotomies of our time in two brilliant satire pieces, one below, and another, a commentary on the virtual virtuosos on pages 104-105. Other than that, the

the lifestyle side of this issue is well rounded off by Denmark’s Viktor Toth on the best spots around the Arctic Circle to catch the nature’s aurora borealis show. Amber Branch finds inspiration and relevance in Stephen King’s classic, Carrie. Dmitry Dragunov shares his remarkable adventures in film translation and how those keep his own filmmaking dreams alive.

The balance of things to celebrate and things to protest seems heavily tilted away from the billions who work day in and day out on this planet, filling coffers for their lords, while waiting for the dreams of their children to come true... The new year asks us if what we are doing in our classrooms and admissions offices is enough to empower our next generation? Will they reach their skies, their horizons, without toeing the line of easy profits at the expense of the climate health of our planet, the economic health of our people...? Or will they give up somewhere along the way becoming either a pawn or a profiteer on an eternal assembly line?

Let’s loose some sleep over these questions.

Rhodora O

31st January, 2023

Original cartoon by Luis González for the ROR Magazine.

Our Contributers Kirk Stevens

Kirk Stevens is a writer, performer, and film enthusiast based in Philadelphia. He is a contributor to MovieJawn and he has numerous albums of original music available on Bandcamp and other streaming platforms. You can contact him at kirksketch@gmail.com

Steve Morley

Co-founder | Esguard

has been a serial entrepreneur for the past 40 years with dozens of companies that he either founded, mentored, or advised. He was the first non-founder employee of Qualcomm in 1985 where he launched and grew several successful new businesses for the company. His educational background is in electrical engineering as he holds an MSEE degree from Stanford University with a business minor. He is the inventor of 28 issued patents and has published papers in a variety of well-known technical journals.

Lonnie Hughes

hails from Virgin Islands, USA. He became a professional actor and dancer after studying psychology. He also discovered his love of writing and painting along the way, both of which he practices today. He has been working on his art series, The Story of a Line, using vintage brown paper bag, with motifs of infinity, circles, meditation, and repetition dominating the works.

Dr. Taras Romashchenko Professor | University of Cherkasy

is a PhD in Economics who is Associate Professor in the Department of Economics and International Economic Relations, Bohdan Khmelnytsky National University of Cherkasy, where he also heads as a Deputy the Institute of Economics and Law. He has spent the whole last year surviving an unjust war with millions of his country fellows. He is available, war permitting, on LinkedIn or at t_romaschenko@ukr.net

Rubina Feroz Professor | Karachi University

is a professor of psychology at the University of Karachi for the last 36 years. She is a highly experienced and active clinical psychologist and has numerous speaker and panel appearances in conferences and seminars under her belt.

Lucia Mejia

is a Florida born first-generation writer born to Mexican immigrants. Following her passions, Lucia earned her degree in Philosophy, Religion, and Critical Theory, and went on to become a writer.

Dmitry Dragunov

a professional translator specializing in audiovisual content. He mostly deals with movies but if you need a linguist with oil rig experience (as both translator and warehouse manager!), he’s your guy as well. He lives and breathes cinema of all countries, genres, shapes and sizes.

Ozioma

is currently a doctoral student of Curriculum Studies and Educational Technology, with an M.Ed., and a B.A to her credit. She loves researching and creative writing on a variety of subjects, including, but not limited to, lifestyle, culture, parenting, and psychology. You can avail her writing services via Fiverr.

Mohammed Al-Talla

is a Palestinian writer who lives in Gaza, the world’s largest prison. He is a native Arabic speaker with a passion for translation and writing and has a BA in the English language.

Andrew Colquhoun Head of Design | GMETAone

is part of a global team who bring cryptocurrency and metaverse projects to life. Lately, he has been heading up Gmeta One: a vast metaverse project encompassing real estate, gaming, and NFTs through forming a bridge to other metaverse projects. Andrew provides high quality marketing and instructional videos, in addition to content and presenting for the project.

Viktor Toth

Amber Branch

has an Associate in Creative Writing at Normandale Community College and Bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing at Metropolitan State University. She has an intellectual learning disability, but she does not let it hinder her. You can approach her on her Instagram account @ megsmissy

holds a masters degree in engineering, and a masters degree food science and technology from the Aalborg University in Denmark. His academic background extends to physics, chemistry, biophysics, biology, biochemistry, and psychology, history, and philosophy. When he is not in his creative writing process, he plays the trumpet and also runs a small art business. He avails his wide-ranging freelance writing services via Fiverr.

Stephen Leonardi

is a freelance real estate photographer by profession, based in Sacramento, California. His breathtaking landscape photography has often been featured in various publications. He generously avails his work via Unsplash. You can also view his work on ViewBug and Instagram @leo_visions & @van_visions. You can hire him via stephenleo1982@gmail.com

Bradley Eastman

is a multidisciplinary artist from Sydney, Australia who creates paintings, digital illustration, commercial projects and public murals. Bradley has exhibited his artworks extensively around the world, has curated and organized numerous international art exhibitions and projects

Daniel Boberg

believes that photography is more than just pressing the shutter button. Daniel loves Lost Places, drones, LEGO and actually everything that has a plug. He has written three books showcasing his love and photography featuring lost and abandoned places in Germany. His work has been featured in plenty of local press. He runs a blog logging his projects at pixelgranaten.de and shares his adventures in a podcast at danielboberg.de

Hosni Salah

is a Palestinian journalist and photographer, and a true fighter who pursues his passion in the midst of all this suffering in his country. The heartbreak of the Palestinian, however, is that he is trying to digitally show this oppression on social media to the world through his performance. Risky for him, but also an opportunity to make the world realize the urgency of their situation. Hosni can be found on Facebook under @hosnysalal. He avails his work on Pixabay as well.

Sumy Sarfaraz

is a Sharjah-born self-taught graphic designer who received her B.Sc. Degree from the University of Karachi. She designs artful posters and social media posts and self-publishes children’s books via Amazon KDP.

Dr. Kevin Dooley

a Distinguished Professor of Supply Chain Management in the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University (ASU), Chief Scientist of The Sustainability Consortium. He pursues landscape, event and street photography and loves to explore digital art with AI tech. He avails his works on Flickr. You can approach him via his ASU profile or on Flickr.

Luis González

is a 34 year old cartoonist from Venezuela. Through his drawings he has been able to cope with the deep problems of living there. He has loved drawing cartoons since he can remember and he really likes what he does. Luis is a Pro wrestling fan and also specializes in wrestling cartoons. Professionally, he is an expert in editorial, political, fan art, vector design, and comics.

Mickey Estes

Ibrahim Boran

is a professional photographer with over 150 million views on photography and social platforms. His photography works include product, stock, event, commercial, higher education, lifestyle, editorial, sports, nightlife, and wedding photography. His photos and concepts have been used on thousands of popular websites, applications, and articles. He also shot photos for electronic dance music’s biggest names including Tiësto, Black Coffee, James Hype, Bassjackers, DVBBS, and at Circoloco, NY.

is an award winning photographer who avails some of his photography for free on Pixabay. He has published books and courses on photography including Backyard Bird Photography. He runs his business via SOAR.net. With his wife, Suellen Wheless Estes, he founded a charity nonprofit called Global Reach Project and has helped deliver donations to several developing or war-torn countries around the world.

Dr. David S. Soriano

is a chemistry professor at University of Pittsburgh for the past 25 years. amateur (self-trained) artist. He works with pastels and aqua-gouache paint formulations, the latter, being developed currently. He also combines his chemistry and art interests by formulating novel paint formulations for testing. Currently, he is developing so-called “oil bars” (oil sticks), oil pastels and “cold wax” formulations.

Featured Artists

SSteven Spielberg confronts his own past in the film he was too afraid to make until now, and the end result is wonderful. The Fabelmans is the story of how Sammy Fabelman’s family, standing in for Spielberg’s own, fell apart and how he found comfort in filmmaking. Young Gabriel LaBelle carries the film balancing humor, pathos and the burden of genius all while honing his craft and discovering his family’s secrets through a literal lens. Anchoring Sammy and his three sisters are two lovely performances from Michelle Williams and Paul Dano, playing parents Mitzi and Burt Fabelman.

The Fabelmans is a rich text. On the press tour for this film, Spielberg has noted that he has never gone to therapy, instead it was always making movies that did it for him. It’s fascinating to see one of the most successful directors of all-time portray his life on screen and leave the complications intact. Spielberg may

BY KIRK STEVENS

Reviewing the Oscars Slate Reviewing the Oscars Slate

not be confronting, but certainly acknowledging, some mommy issues.

Sammy Fabelman is depicted as a young prodigy, finding inventive new ways to stage shots and direct actors, even as a small child. His films get standing ovations and his ability to capture people on camera and manipulate the way they are portrayed through editing is addressed head on. You can call it self-serving or egotistical, but history has proven that Spielberg is right! He invented the blockbuster with Jaws. He won Oscars for Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan. He wowed audiences with a childlike sense of wonder in E.T. and Jurassic Park. Now he is shooting his own life with that very same childlike sense of wonder, and its among his very best work.

This movie has already won at the Golden Globes and been among the critics and industry darlings this season. It made an impressive showing at the Oscars with nominations for Picture, Director, Actress, Screenplay, Production Design and more.

Gina Prince-Blythewood is a talented artist who shines at directing romantic, character-based dramas and she de-

serves so many more opportunities than she has been given. The Woman King combines the personal, emotional touches of Prince-Bythewood’s previous work with the action packed intensity of The Old Guard, though the violence is less stylized.

The film tells the true story of the Agojie, the West African all-female clan of warriors who protected the Dahomey Kingdom from the 17th century until the late 19th century. Set in the 1820’s, we follow General Nanisca, played by a commanding Viola Davis. She leads the Agojie on a mission to liberate Dahomean women from slavery under the Oyo Empire, which then leads to an all-out war.

Lashana Lynch stands out with a complex and devastating performance as Izogie, a fellow Agojie warrior who carries burdens from her past that alter the dynamic of the clan. There is also a welcome turn from John Boyega as King Ghezo, whose strong and tender presence balances out the propulsive, action-driven battle sequences.

The Woman King takes its rightful place on the mantle with other epic, sword and sandal films of its kind -- think Braveheart and Gladiator. It puts people of color at the center, in a story that wouldn’t have been told at this scale even 10 years ago. The film has done solid box office in the U.S., contrasting with typical original films for grow-ups that resort to streaming for its audience.

It became a huge story when the movie was completely snubbed at the Oscars, with many deriding the Academy’s continued disrespect for Black creatives. Here’s to hoping we see more diverse, large-inscope stories like this, not just on screens but also on the biggest awards stage of the industry in the future.

MMartin McDonagh’s The Banshees of Inisherin is one of the finest films of 2022. Set in 1923 during the Irish Civil War, it tells the brutal story of two friends breaking up on the fictional Isle of Inisherin. It turns out, Colm, the wannabe musician played by Brendan Gleeson, doesn’t want to be friends anymore with Pádraic, played with a heart-on-his-sleeves sincerity by Colin Farrell.

From there, tensions escalate and surprising acts of violence exacerbate this break up into a rivalry. Pádraic seeks mediation from his sister, Siobhán, played by an arresting Kerry Condon, and puts up with the annoying efforts of a strange young man, Dominic, played by the great Barry Keoghan.

Banshees goes to eerie and unexpected places, keeping you in its grip the entire runtime. The beautiful Irish Isle with its blue skies, green meadows, and adorable farm animals provide

a soulful contrast to the political backdrop of the real Civil War, both infusing the forefront friends-to-enemies dynamic with metaphorical meaning.

The film is bitingly funny, odd and sad. It taps into the very real, journey of humans developing beyond old friendships and commitments. It reveals the real-life chasms self-maturity and enhancement leave behind in such self-actualizing journeys. The screenplay is near perfect, and there’s a sense of trust with every word effortlessly coming out of the actor’s mouth that it is going to take you somewhere worth your time.

The movie has been the talk of the industry since its release. All it’s four main actors nabbed Oscar nominations. The film will also vie in Picture, Director, Screenplay, Editing and Score at the Oscars.

All movie posters from official movie website press or IMDb

A genuine word-of-mouth hit, Everything Everywhere All At

Once stayed in theaters for months, steadily climbing to a worldwide box office of over 100 million dollars. Daniel Kwan and

and Daniel Scheinert have directed a heartfelt, comedic epic about a Chinese-American family being audited by the IRS who tap into parallel universes to save the multiverse.

The legendary Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn, who is so all-consumed by her work and the audit, she is blind to the disintegrating family around her. When a parallel-universe version of her husband warns her of the threat from the evil of Tupaki, the film pivots into a fast-paced thrill ride that will have you laughing at the absurd humor and crying at the emotional payoffs.

Daniels began their career directing music videos, followed by the inventive Swiss Army Man. With EEAAO, they found a large new audience with this blender of a film that draws from The Matrix, Looney Tunes, Wong Karwai, and countless other inspirations to create a new generation’s favorite movie. It may be too exhaustive for some, but if you’re open to having your heart (and attention span) pulled to other universes, the results will be rewarding.

EEAAO is the Oscars front-runner to beat this March with 11 nominations across the board for it’s acting, directing, and editing, screenplay and a slew of techs. Even before, critics almost unanimously lauding it as their Best Picture winner. Reviewers have marveled at how intimately the movie blends immigrant drama and domestic hurt and affection with a kaleidoscope of today’s popular genre tropes.

“Members of Flute Theatre performing The Tempest for children with autism in 2016” Public Domain, via PICRYL.

“Barnyard in Winter,”

c. 1885-1890 by Horatio Shaw. Smithsonian American Art Museum. Public Domain

At Marianapolis Preparatory School, our mission is to educate students in the Catholic tradition of academic excellence with a commitment to an active faith in God and a dedication to building character with content, compassion, and integrity.

The school, founded in 1926, has been a long-time fixture of New England independent school education. Yet, the current global health crisis is a timely test for whether an institution’s mission can meet the needs of students in an unprecedented historical moment.

So what are we doing to meet those needs?

Our academic excellence is all about innovation. The school had a ten-year history of virtual education before students ever needed to pivot online. Our combination of infrastructure and experience was invaluable to sustain scholastic rigor, regardless of location. The current need is flexibility; in-person learning is prioritized and preferred, but online work may be necessary for some to ensure health and safety on campus. Marianapolis classrooms are outfitted with Clear Touch Boards that allows instructors to teach directly to students in the room, as well as to any classmates who may need to log in from home for the day. Similarly, our online platform allows students to view and submit assignments, preview when assessments will occur, and stay connected with our faculty outside of classroom hours.

Marianapolis Preparatory School

Grades 9-12, PG

Dedication to building character with content, compassion, and integrity remains central to our operations and community life. Character growth occurs as a result of open discourse, with supportive adults helping to contextualize priorities and outcomes for each student. The extracurricular program has also remained active, with interscholastic sports competing throughout the year. The social/emotional benefits of physical engagement are endless. The focus for our extracurricular educators is growth, resilience, and teamwork, as this extension of the traditional classroom fosters countless learning opportunities. In each context, we stay hands-on in our approach to student development.

Finally, our commitment to an active faith in God is central to helping students understand the scope of – and approach to overcoming - challenges. While not all of our students are Catholic, our community approach is wholly values-based. Our students are taught to defend the lives and dignity of all people, seek common humanity, and advocate for both individual rights and the common good. The School holds the philosophy that there is no greater responsibility than to recognize our role in caring for ourselves, our community, and our world.

It is through this principled approach and innovative pedagogy that we are helping students at Marianapolis tackle the obstacles of the twenty-first century. As we approach our centennial anniversary as a school, we sincerely hope your student will consider joining us.

Kevin Dooley

A selection from “Midjourney: 25 variations of an industrial warehouse.” Flickr; CC-BY 2.0

THE CURSE OF CORPORATE GREED DISENTANGLING ITS ROLE IN INFLATION

An infographics Analysis by Rhodora O

THE PROBLEM:

Inflation at an All Time High

BLS figures for October 2022. Inflation is slightly on the decrease since.

6.3% CORE INFLATION

This is the Inflation Rate calculated by leaving out the widely variable food and energy sector prices.

5.9%

INFLATION EXPECTATIONS

Expected Inflation Rate for the month based on economic factors.

7.7%

8%

INFLATION RATE

Inflation Rate is the ratio between the Customer Price Index for a month and one for last month. Thus the rate shows percent increase in prices from month before.

PRODUCER PRICES

This is the Inflation Rate by comparing Producer Prices Index for two months to reflect inflation for business and industrial costs.

17.6%

HOUSING

10.9%

7.2%

ENERGY SERVICES

6.9%

Inflation has been constantly on the rise since the past few decades. However, ever since the pandemic gripped the whole world in full force in early 2020, inflation figures quadrupled over the last two years. At some places globally, there was extreme inflation, such as pushing 50% in Turkey. In USA, inflation reached a 40-year high in July 2022 (when it was at 9.9%).

The figures above are from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and come from the last detailed report in November, quoting figures for the month of October 2022.

Economics expert are explaining this extreme inflation via regular market forces. However, our infographic survey takes a deep dive into the picture to delineate the role of corporate greed in the masses’ economic difficulties this year.

124.5

COSTUMER PRICE INDEX (CPI)

CORE CPI

PRODUCER PRICES INDEX (PPI)

The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks monthly average prices of all consumption needs of an urban household, inclusive of goods, services, computers, prescription drugs, college tuition, and mortgage payments etc. It gathers spending data from tens of thousands of regular costumers across the US.

CPI excluding food and energy.

The monthly index for producers’ costs.

THE PROCESS:

Understanding the Cycle of Inflation Federal Reserve’s Minimum Healthy Inflation and People’s Inflation Expectations

“The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) judges that inflation of 2 percent over the longer run, as measured by the annual change in the price index for personal consumption expenditures, is most consistent with the Federal Reserve’s mandate for maximum employment and price stability.”

___ FEDERAL RESERVE, USA

Minimum Inflation has maximum advantages for economy. It keeps the prices reasonably stable with only 2% of average increase in a year. It also means that the purchasing power of consumers does not lag behind the prices nor the salaries. The wages and benefits cost of corporations can also stay reasonable since their is no extraordinary demand for pay increases.

When inflation goes to high, it begins the cycle of spiraling costs and prices; and people’s purchase power lags behind pay increases. Zero inflation on the other hand, means pay cuts or downsizing in corporations who did not do well in business.

High Inflation Expectations Among the Masses

People Keep Bear Prices Rise Too Sharply Month After Month. They Fear Prices Shooting Up Beyond Affordability In A Year.

+ + + + +

Consumer Behavior with High Inflation Expectations

Fear of Extreme Future Inflation Forces People to Make Big Purchases (High Demand) They Would Have Otherwise Put Off Till Next Year

$ $ $ $ $

Labor Behavior with High Inflation Expectations

When Federal Reserve observes consistently extreme price hikes, high inflation expectations, and strong demand persisting, it keeps increasing interest rates in an attempt to halt the spiral of inflation. Ultimately, when prices become too high, demand slows down, forcing corporations to reduce prices to reboost sales.

→ → → 35

THE QUESTION:

What Percent of Current Inflation is Justified?

Does the Rise in Production Costs

Justify Price Hikes by Companies?

Summary Cost Categories LABOR

MANUFACTURE / OPERATIONS

As we can see from the graph, while businesses experienced significant inflation in terms of raw materials and operations costs, employment costs for the same period have consistently lagged behind.

The graph above was made using the BLS figures for October 2022. As opposed to 7.7% inflation for consumers, producer prices inflation was up by 8% where as the rise of employment costs was seen by 5%. The BLS excludes the agriculture industry from these figures. All other occupations are covered in their employment costs estimates, inclusive of both public and private sectors.

On the surface, it seems employers have responded positively to the demand in salaries and benefits increase by the USA’s labor force. However, the raises still lag behind the extent to which prices have been going up for consumers.

This picture changes completely as soon as you hold the dollar value constant.

“Supermarket refrigerator shelf,”

The Bureau measures employment costs in two ways: Using monthly reported salary figures; and, by holding the dollar value constant by taking account of the rising consumer prices. When you plot the graph of salary increases over the last ten years using both current dollar values and constant dollar values (those adjusted for inflation), salaries are not growing at all. See next page.

by Eduardo Soares, Brazil. Unsplash License.

This BLS graph charts real earnings (inflation adjusted), in the light blue line, against apparent earnings (dark blue line.

It is clear that the consumer prices inflation is not fully justified b y the full picture of production costs as salaries have lagged far, far behind the price increases.

The change in salaries in costant dollar value between March 2021-2022 is a 3% decrease. That is, workers experiened a 3% paycut in terms of purchase power of their wages

“Large roadsign signage, often seen on highways,” by

Jack Prichett Unsplash License.

THE PRICING:

Understanding How Pricing Works

Pure economics or some corporate whim in the mix?

$ $ v

SHARE

$ $

$ $ $ $ $

For most, it’s a delicate balance between raising markups (retail prices) and loosing economy class customer base; and, raising profits through higher sales and a larger share of the market (more customers than competitors).

When corporations grow big enough, the power play changes. All factors below increase a company’s flexibility and whim in raising prices when the opportunity arises:

There is something to be said about a corporation’s pricing power.

1 . Corporate Giants with huge economical &/or political powers. Inelastic Demand market for products that people must purchase.

2 .

3 . Monopoly due to little to no competing suppliers of the same product.

9.5%

THE BIG PRICE-TAG ENERGY OF BIG BIZ

Price hikes reported in press some time during the pandemic years.

18.2%

5.5%

On the previous page there are a few examples various economics resources have reported on the extent of price-hiking by well-known mega-corporations. Figures are typically percent average price increases for Q2 or Q3 of 2022.

Groundwork Collaborative is a non-profit run by senior economics scholars and they have sat on hundreds of quarterly earning calls of big companies this past year. They have witnessed CEOs and chief financial officers of these companies admit to price-hiking beyond costs and raking in huge profits as a result. More on this subject in the next few pages.

Research at the Roosevelt Institute studied the price-hiking behaviors of 3,698 firms on the US soil throughout 2021. Their research confirms that the price-hikes in 2022 came upon a wave of earlier hikes and a pattern that follows the pricing power factors.

Lindsay Owens, PhD. Economics, is the Executive Director of the Groundwork Collaborative, who have become one of the flagship researchers and go-to resource for representatives fighting corporate power abuses.

While firms have raised markups consistently since 1955, the hike has never been as steep as since 2019. Especially, one of the graphs from Roosevelt Institute leaves no doubt that the bigger a company in terms of market capital, the greater and greater price hikes it has given over the last few decades. This also indicates the power of big firms in influencing inflation. When big brands behind a product feel free to raise prices when, where, and how they see fit, the rest of the market follows to a certain extent. Thus the general upward trend of inflation becomes more steep, as high market power companies concentrate behind a product.

Economists say “profits do not drive inflation.”

But what of when inflation drives profits?

Companies have discovered they can use their ‘restrained capacity’ excuse from the pandemic and ‘rising cost’ excuse from the war to hike prices as high and for as long as they can.

THE PANDEMIC:

The Pandemic Introduced New Pricing Dynamics Recent Price-Hiking Strategies Have Taken Advantage of the COVID Era

By economists own admission, corporations have always been greedy and have applied various price-hiking strategies whenever the opportunities arose. When the pandemic arrived stateside and the continent followed the world into lockdown mode, the businesses suffered at first since everything was shut. However, as the world came up with new protocols and operation strategies, businesses not only opened again over the next few months, but more than made up in recovery through various price-hiking strategies. Same thing happened this year as the Ukraine-Russia war left a strain on supplies, driving up Producer Prices inflation. The infographics below present the strategies observed in various federal reports and those collected directly from company officials in earning calls by the Groundwork Collaborative.

1 . Rockets & Feathers Assymetric Pass-Through

The most alarming strategy which explains massive inflation. Prices shoot up like a rocket as soon as production costs justify a hike. But as producer prices inflation eases, the markups at the consumers end only come down in light feathers.

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard noted in September that the data has not so far shown business reducing markdowns in response to economic factors.

These past two years, small businesses shut down permanently while workers are losing their purchasing power.

Meanwhile, big companies report profits in trillions.

“Empty restaurant during the coronavirus lockdown in New York City, USA.” Paulo Silva, Unsplash License.

Logos on Pages

According to the direct statements collated on the Groundwork Collaborative reports, several CEOs and CFOs have expressed their intentions to keep applying assymetric pass-through even as the cost pressures “start to ease” to keep up profit margins.

2 . Limiting Supply

Restrained Capacity or Losing Affordability Customer

Many companies have been happy to lose market share by limiting supply. Airlines have admitted to offering less seats. Oil companies admit keeping production low. And other retailers and producers admitted to restraining capacity in other ways.

All these strategies have created the excuse to jack up prices well beyond actual costs. Sure, companies have lost their economy class customer base this way. However, the mushrooming revenues through jacked up prices have more than recovered margins.

This directly leads into rockets & feathers. Companies plan to expand capacity only minimally. They will recover some of their lost customer base through reducing prices by feathers, despite lowering production costs. The net outcome of this equation will balance on the fat profit margins side.

“Empty shelves are seen at Walmart in Salt Lake City” Alberto Reyes. Editorial License; Shutterstock.

40 & 43 are of companies on record for one of the three pandemic pricing strategies.

3 . Whimful Pricing Inflation as Opportunity

Too many companies are on record openly admitting to use both the pandemic and producer prices inflation conditions as a jumping off platform to hike prices as often and as much as they could, regardless of other factors. These companies range from financial services to food, grocery and retail, residentials and rent, travel, oil, gas, and healthcare.

The pattern is clear:

Producer inflation due to COVID and war create an opportunity to restrain capacity.

Whimful price-hikes drive up inflation.

Companies will retain future margins through feathered easing of prices.

Airlines plan to continue flying with limited seats on sale, so profit margins can stay high even as their operations costs go down.

Photo by Lukas Souza Unsplash License

THE PROFITS:

Tracing the Real Cause of Ballooning Profit Margins

Gains Have Been in Trillions for the Mega-companies During the COVID Era

CONSTRUCTION

MANUFACTURING

FOOD, LODGING TRANSPORTATION

RETAIL

AGRICULTURE

HEALTHCARE

OVERALL FINANCE

Corporate profits after taxes doubled overall over 2009-2021, according to the above chart from BLS. Industries differed in terms of profit growth in the listed order above, with the highest increase being a mind-blowing figure of 700%.

Gross Value Added shows the economic productivity resulting from the raw corporate inputs including the government subsidies and excluding taxes paid.

It shows pure productivity as opposed to pure profits.

As we can see from the following graph by the Federal Reserve, since 2015, companies have been reaping far more profits per unit of gross value added to economic productivity.

50% increase since 2011

Both graphs on this page adapted from Bureau of Economic Analysis; via The Poynter Institute’s Politifact.

The Guardian compared companies’ quarterly profits growth to median US workers’ wages growth for two years.

115% 9.5B

1B

US WORKERS WAGES MEDIAN INCREASE FROM Q1 2020 - Q1 2022

Companies have been reaping far profits in trillions, hundred times more than their productivity contribution to the economy, especially during the pandemic.

49%

958% 269% 92% 65%

24% 86%

3B

Unit Price Increase have always reflected rising labor costs, up until 2019. The last two years saw corporate profit margins takeover as the main correlate of corporate margins.

CORPORATE PROFITS

LABOR COSTS

OTHER COSTS

CORPORATE PROFITS

LABOR COSTS OTHER COSTS

28% 38% 18%

Evidence from the past 40 years suggests strongly that profit margins should shrink and the share of corporate sector income going to labor compensation (or the labor share of income) should rise as unemployment falls and the economy heats up.

The fact that the exact opposite pattern has happened so far in the recovery should cast much doubt on inflation expectations rooted simply in claims of macroeconomic overheating.

_ JOSH BIVENS, Economic Policy Institute, April 21, 2022.

While corporations enjoy record profits and CEOs get millions more in bonuses, workers are still waiting in vain for better working conditions and working families are still reeling from the immoral price-gougers who jacked up their expenses under the guise of inflation.”

_ HELEN BROSNAN, Fight Corporate Monopolies, August 26, 2022.

“[A]stronomical corporate profits confirm what corporate executives have been telling us on earning calls over and over again: They’re making a lot of money by charging people more, and they don’t plan on bringing prices down anytime soon.”

_ DR. RAKEEN MABUD, Groundwork Collaborative, August 25, 2022.

The glaringly obvious takeaway from this new data is that market power is a key driver of rising prices. Policymakers need to use this new information ... to attack concentrated corporate power immediately and aggressively across the board. That means levying excess profits taxes, ensuring big penalties for price-fixing, and resourcing enforcement agencies to prosecute price-gouging and other forms of corporate abuse.

_ SARAH MILLER, American Economic Liberties Project, August 25, 2022.

We also expect a significant contribution from pricing. We have announced further pricing actions across numerous markets across the globe. We also continue to take appropriate action to hedge our commodity costs with greater flexibility.

- Mondelez, Chief Executive Officer.

A little bit of inflation is always good in our business — we’ve been very comfortable with our ability to pass on [price] increases to consumers.

- Kroger, Chief Executive Officer.

The team has done a marvelous job in driving price. Price has gone up from 0.1% to 1.4% to 2.6%. We see that to be a tailwind.

- 3M (producers of N95 masks), Chief Financial Officer.

Our strong Q3 revenue growth of 11.8% was primarily driven by higher lease rates, which increased 9.5% year-over-year. Certainly, we have some people that are moving out... due to rent increase. But we continue to source demand that is comfortable paying what we are expecting and their incomes appear to support it.

- AvalonBay, Chief Operating Officer.

We expect pricing to be the main driver in that market growth with volumes slightly down. That is a logical consequence of the broad-based pricing that we are seeing in the market.

- Proctor & Gamble, Chief Financial Officer.

We reported a $1.5 billion operating profit, and that's on a network that's 17% smaller than 2019... [A]t the same time, the incremental marginal cost of delivering that supply is substantially lower than any modest price adjustments we would see.

- Delta Airlines, Chief Financial Officer.

Net revenue grew 20%, primarily driven by effective net pricing.... Operating profit increased 17%, primarily reflecting the effective net pricing and productivity savings.

- Proctor & Gamble, Chief Financial Officer.

In 2018, Monte and Rachael Hawkins opened the doors to Life Quest Girls Academy knowing there was a need for a different kind of boarding school that offered a completely unique student experience. Whether students are coming directly from home, or transitioning from another facility, Life Quest Girls Academy offers each student an opportunity to be independent as they learn and practice valuable 21st century skills that give them the confidence needed to be successful in life once they transition back home or into adulthood.

students are expected to hold other students accountable for conducting themselves in a safe, appropriate manner while living amongst one another.

Being in Charge of Your Own Life

We understand that each student is different with unique, individual needs. Where some approaches work for one student, it may not work for others. Life Quest believes that each student who enters should be entrusted with a sense of freedom academically, as well as freedom to thrive in worthy, after school activities and endeavors conducive to their individual passions and interests.

A New Alternative Boarding School Experience for Struggling Teenage Girls Looking for Success in Life & Academics

A Safe and Positive Experience

Safety for all students is our primary focus. We make sure each student feels safe in an environment free from discrimination and bullying. Our focus on safety has helped create a positive learning environment that allows for both academic success and clarity in the individual self-improvement journey of each student. With many students already thriving at Life Quest, the environment and culture is positive, and student success is contagious. Coupled with staff oversight and supervision

Learning styles and interests vary per student, and Life Quest takes seriously the need for every student experience to be unique and conducive to their individual strengths and interests. Students learn in an open-campus environment, giving each student a more normalized teenage school and life experience.

There is no behavior-based leveled system to advance through, no points to earn or lose, no hoops to jump through, and no 24/7 locked doors. Instead, there is a self-governing system in place that allows each student to gain confidence in themselves, be able to hold other students accountable, and create their future as they take charge of their own learning.

An Employable Future

After-school activities, off-campus employment opportunities, and the opportunity to gain post-secondary education, builds a bridge from adolescence to adulthood. Life Quest’s goal is to help each young lady gain 21st century job skills. Life Quest encourages students to understand the value of money and entrepreneurial skills. They feel as these tools are coupled with education, it will unlock the doors to future careers and employment success for each student. Students can gain valuable, real-life experience, as well as earn industry standard, in-demand certifications to increase their opportunities of finding sustainable 21st century employment. Life Quest encourages each student to secure employment while living at the academy.

Occupational Therapy Available

We are a non-therapeutic boarding school, so we do not provide therapy, nor do we have therapists on our staff. However, Life Quest does facilitate therapy as needed for students whose parents desire them to meet with a therapist. Life Quest will provide transportation to and from counseling sessions, online connections with therapists through Zoom and other digital media options. Being on the continuum of care, Life Quest understands the importance of incorporating each student’s individual therapy needs with their opportunities for real life experiences. This allows students to practice what they learn or have learned in therapy and apply it to life situations outside of treatment.

A Willingness to Succeed

Life Quest’s setting is best designed for students who are willing to be there, who want to, and are willing to focus on overall self-improvement. This includes academics, future career skills, healthy relationships, and personal growth and development of any other specific life skills that may be lacking in each of their lives. Students need to be willing to make positive choices and be willing to hold themselves and their peers accountable in maintaining a positive culture on a daily basis.

Every student who submits an application to Life Quest is interviewed by our admissions staff to ensure they understand the various life-changing opportunities available to them instead of forcing them into a program

The Self-Improvement Course

Our accredited self-improvement course is designed to help navigate each student through important topics. Each topic allows students the opportunity to self-reflect and take action, giving way for positive interactions with self, peers, and family members. One of the first priorities they have on this course is to identify a personal passion and create a plan to focus on applying this passion during their stay at Life Quest. This course will help our students return home after graduation with a newfound confidence in themselves and in their relationships with family and peers.

Meet the Owners

One of the highlights of Life Quest is the dedication and care of the staff. Besides each staff member, owners Monte and Rachael get to know each girl and do all they can to foster their growth and independence. Rachael is a certified Life Coach for girls who are moving on to college or other adult life situations. Both Monte and Rachael are passionate about creating opportunities for growth for each student. Monte and Rachael award many scholarships to deserving students upon completion of the Self-Improvement Course. Monte and Rachael also encourage all their program graduates to stay in touch and continuously share their life successes with them after they leave Life Quest.

STEVE MORLEY

THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS TO DEFINE IT

As a recruiter for an educational organization, you are responsible to find and recruit students for your school. You probably have processes and methods in place to find and track your contacts with potentially interested students and you follow these as you balance many tasks involved. But, are your efforts driven by the established processes and methods or are these just the tools you use to get you to your goals?

In many ways, you are an entrepreneur who is the head of a business that you run and grow. The same principles that make entrepreneurial startup companies successful in their growth and profit apply to your efforts. Learning some of the keys to the success of a startup company will also help you maximize your recruitment success.

As an advisor, mentor, founder, and director of more than 200 startup and early-stage companies over the past 40 years, I’ve learned that if you want to be successful in any venture you must start by clearly deciding what you define success to be. Whenever I first start working as an advisor or mentor with a new client, typically a founder entrepreneur, I always spend our first session exploring how they define success for their venture.

Adopt Tangible Criteria of Success and Measure them with a RealWorld Yardstick

I guide this exploration by explaining that whatever definition is developed, it has to be tangible and measurable. In other words, stating a definition of success as “we will be the world leader in our industry” doesn’t fit this requirement. If, on the other hand, the entrepreneur says “in three years we will have 4 major product lines serving at least two targeted industry niches in six countries and will have an annual revenue of $50 million or greater with double digit profitability,” this kind of definition can be easily measured.

There is no right or wrong answer about what this definition should be. It’s your “company,” your efforts, and your life that you’ll be spending to create that level of success, so what is it worth to you?

I ask my clients to consider this scenario: if you set a definition of success for your new company to be achieved within three years and you and I meet for coffee three years from today, I’ll ask you this question: “How’s your company going?”

You’ll probably answer with the status of the company in terms of sales, product lines, regions served, number of customers or any other metric that you decide are part of your success definition. Then I’ll ask you a second question: “How do you feel about that level of achievement?” If you break out in a huge smile and reply, “Actually, I feel pretty darn good!”, then that means you’ve achieved your definition of success. The same approach can be used for defining the success of your recruiting business.

Once you’ve defined success for your venture, next ask yourself the following question: “When the company reaches that level of success, what is my role in the company?” Are you the CEO, the head of R&D, the key strategist, or maybe you’re just sitting on your yacht collecting dividends from the company?

By answering this question, we’re exploring what is your personal definition of success, which is just as important as your definition for the company’s success. YOUR

ROLE IN YOUR COMPANY RECOGNITION

PROMOTION

PERSONAL EARNINGS

EXPANSION GOALS

Again, the same approach works with your recruiting efforts. Be honest and real about “what’s in it for you” as you decide what you want from your efforts. Is it a certain amount of money? Is it a promotion of some sort? Do you want to expand your business in some way? Again, there are no right or wrong answers in this, but it is important to have a clear vision of what will make your efforts for the business worth it to you.

The third area we explore in defining success is how important it is to you, as the founding entrepreneur, to achieve that success. It’s perfectly okay to reply that you’re just exploring options and having a fun time dreaming of big success. However, this makes your business more of a hobby than a committed venture. If you really have a commitment to reach your defined goals for success, then write them down, keep them often in front of you and don’t let the distractions of life keep you from achieving them.

Every key decision made by the founder(s) as a company is formed and grows—and there will be many of these—will be driven and measured by how that decision aligns to the success definition. The same is true for your success-driven recruiting business. This actually makes your decision making easier because you don’t have to revisit the end-game with every new situation that comes up.

An inspiring truism is “If it’s important enough, you’ll find a way and, if not, you’ll find an excuse.” It is important to spend your life “finding ways” to reach what is important to you and not just “finding excuses.” This is especially true if your business idea, like most, requires more than just you to succeed. It is only fair to your employees, loved ones, investors, strategic partners, and others that you define success clearly and commit to achieving that definition.

The old proverb that “he who aims at nothing usually hits it” is also true. Too many entrepreneurs I work with start out with a clever idea and big dreams of how they’re going to change the world and make a lot of money doing it. That’s all fine, but these kinds of ill-defined goals have no commitment to specific achievement and tend to waffle in the wind as situations change.

Also, it is critical that everyone associated with making the business a success be on the same page as to how they define success. I do a lot of “co-founder counseling” in my practice and one of the common areas of frustration between co-founders is that they are shooting for different targets and so, of course, they make different decisions and don’t understand why their co-founder doesn’t agree and align with their perspectives. Share your definition for success with those who can affect your achievement of those goals.

One of the common areas of frustration between co-founders is that they are shooting for different targets and so, of course, they make different decisions and don’t understand why their co-founder doesn’t agree and align with their perspectives.

You’re probably going to be spending a major chunk of your life pursuing your new venture and sacrificing other things you could have been doing instead. You don’t want to waste that precious time and those irrecoverably missed experiences without a clear picture of what you’re working to achieve and how important that achievement is to you. Start by defining the end and you’ll be way ahead of most new ventures or others in your business. And, if you decide that you’re just not ready to commit to success, that’s okay, too. It’s much better to honestly know that about yourself now than to discover it several months down the line when times get tough.

We only get one turn to go around in this life, so I hope you find ways to direct your life to what is most important to you and not just let life slip by.

“Visionary Art 2022 Mind of the Artist”

by David S. Soriano. Wikimedia Commons; CC-BY-SA 4.0

ROR ART

Food For Thought

Food For Thought

Pages: 67, 68-70, 78-79, 82-83, and 100-105,

Mural by Bradley Eastman, Sydenham, Victoria, Australia.

Photo by Bernard Spragg; Public Domain via Flickr.

A page from the book: “Where Does Autism Come From Wonder The Turtle Family?”(2013) ... written By Tabatha

D.Cain,

Publisher Emmanuel Cain Innovations LLc edited by Antoinette Parnell Balfour, and illustrated by Danielle Cruz Torres” Wikimedia Commons; CC BY SA 4.0

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DREAMS LIVE ON

DIMITRY DRAGUNOV

connects his work to his dreams of movie-making.

believe there are two kinds of dream jobs.

The first kind is the unattainable one, the ultimate dream. Perhaps ‘unattainable’ is too strong of a word since, in theory, every goal can be achieved. But we all know that with some jobs the chance of you actually getting to your desired place is one in a million. To me that would be film directing.

The second kind is the dream job that is within your reach. You may have to look hard for it. You may have to wait months or perhaps even years for the right opportunity to present itself. You may have to combat feelings of frustration and desperation before you find it… but it’s there. There for you to grab onto it and not let go. To me that is film translation.

I’ve been obsessed with moving images since early childhood. I suspect (or at least hope) that every person has something in their lives that just clicks with them the way nothing else does. For me it’s always been cinema. This magical mixture of all art forms has been captivating me for decades and its miracle shows no signs of diminishing. In fact, time only makes its grip stronger. And since it’s only natural to try and turn your passions into something that you can actually do for a living, I kept wishing for nothing but a job that would somehow be connected to the world of movies.

While I never got to direct a film or even finish writing one (despite the muse gifting me an occasional idea) my prayers were answered when I stumbled upon a job opening having to do with translation of entertainment content. It was mainly for non-fiction TV programs with a possibility of movie assignments in the future. Turning on channels like National Geographic or Discovery and seeing – or, more accurately, hearing – the fruits of my labor was a point of immense satisfaction and pride. To quote my parents: “He finally found himself.”

I suppose my employers were happy with me as well... After about a year of me doing all sorts of TV shows they finally decided to assign me my first movie. Just before I opened the assignment e-mail my imagination went into overdrive trying to predict what piece of cinematic artistry would be my entry into the realm of professional film translation. The movie turned out to be “Allan the Dog” – a bawdy VOD comedy about a guy and his (of course) talking pet falling in love with the same girl. Picture, if you will, a much cheaper and less

amusing version of “Ted” with bad puppets instead of expensive CGI. What fun! I was ecstatic.

In my job we can receive three types of translation assignments: for dubbing, for subtitles and for voice-over. The former is undoubtedly the most difficult one because you have to recreate almost the entire soundscape of the movie in written form. I say almost because this refers only to sounds made by people – there’s no need for me to put in every slam of a car door or every dog’s bark. It is, however, required to make a special note of each cough, gasp and other human sounds heard throughout the movie. The notes are then taken care of by the actors during the actual dubbing. Essentially I have to work not only as a translator but also as a sound detector which can be a mess and a half, especially when you’re dealing with crowd scenes.

Thankfully my first assignment wasn’t quite as tough. “Allan the Dog” wasn’t going to be shown in theaters so I had to prepare translation for voice-over. This means not having to worry about the sounds (since the original track remains intact) and being a little less precise and more concise while working with the lines. The process was fascinating and strange – imagine making an instant switch from nature documentaries to sex jokes and swearing! The bizarreness of the experience was only increased by the fact that I was recovering from the side effects of the Covid-19 vaccine which my body did not take kindly to. The delirium of interpreting a dog puppet’s profanity-laced rants with a 102°F fever is something that’s simply impossible to forget.

“After “Room 203,” I’ve always been happy to work on horror films despite the genre itself being my least favorite. They tend to have numerous things in common which are very beneficiary to someone in my profession. They’re usually about 90 minutes long, they’re not too talky, the dialogue is often simple and there are plenty of scenes which specifically rely on the lack of any human sounds.”

____ Author

“The Nightmare” (1781), oil on canvas, by Henry Fuseli. Detroit Institute of Art. Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

But the job was done. My employers didn’t provide any feedback regarding the quality of the translation which essentially meant they were fine with it. Even so, a few months went by before I got another movie to work on, a small horror picture entitled “Room 203”. This was my introduction to translation for dubbing –to that joyous experience of not only adapting the dialogue in the fullest manner possible but also of catching and putting down every sound made by the characters.

I went a little overenthusiastic on my first try, writing descriptions which were a touch more elaborate than required: “emits an unpleasant throat noise” instead of a simple “growls,” “loudly screams while getting hit” in stead of just “screams” and so on. A classic case of overperformance caused by my desire to do good. Looking back, the assignment seems to have gone over well because it resulted in a flow of movie offers which has over time become more or less steady.

The busiest sound tracks are often found in animated films which seem preoccupied with filling every minute with as much aural content as possible so as not to bore their core audience. Action-heavy movies differ too. I’ve observed that the less sophisticated and less expensive examples of the genre sometimes attempt to hide their cinematic shortcomings by overcompensating in the sounds department. A lot of “gasps” and “grunts” for me to write down with those ones.

An unexpected side of translating movies for a living is that you end up feeling like a filmmaker yourself. Remember the process involves dissecting films into the tiniest of fragments and having to jump back to the same lines over and over again in order to get them just right. As such you can’t help but start imagining yourself as an editor, albeit one that can’t actually reassemble anything. You quickly start noticing the mistakes, the limits of individual directors’ visions and the effort (or lack thereof) on the actors’ part in a way that’d be impossible to grasp if you were watching the film in one go.

In fact you become a bit of a performer yourself – an armchair thespian if you will – having to act out dialogue in order to ensure that your adapted phrases fit the necessary time-frames. Doing scenes as if you were an actor is also immensely helpful in assessing whether what you’ve come up with sounds like normal speech at all.

As a viewer I’ve often observed that translators make dialogue a tad too stilted and unnatural. “People don’t talk like that” is a criticism that’s frequently directed at scripts anyway. The problem is only exacerbated when those scripts are turned even more mechanical by the translators. My job is to let go of all inhibitions and to make the on-screen conversations as close to real life as possible. Unless, of course, the nature of the film dictates otherwise. You may have a degree from the best university, but

if you don’t have an ear for everyday human banter, translating movies won’t be a good fit for you.

Recently I’ve discovered another wonderful virtue of this work – its ability to help you see a filmmaker with new eyes. Having done a fair share of cheesy genre movies, I received an assignment which turned out to be my most difficult and the most rewarding one to date. Upon opening yet another assignment e-mail, I was shocked to see that my new project was “Triangle of Sadness,” winner of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

This marked the first time I was to work on a film that I actually wanted to see which inevitably increased my inner sense of responsibility. Unfortunately I couldn’t watch it in its entirety before starting the translation because of time constraints.

Instead, I had to jump into a movie that I’d been genuinely curious about but per the process of my work: second by second, line by line, sound by sound.

“Triangle of Sadness” is directed by Ruben Östlund whose previous films include “Force Majeure” and “The Square” (another Cannes winner). Neither of those I particularly appreciated, finding them to be somewhat laboriously paced and overly clinical. I wasn’t sure what to expect from his latest offering and may have even approached it with a bit of skepticism. But as I was slowly making my way through the film I found myself feeling a terrific rush of joy upon the unfolding of each new scene – a joy that was amplified by consistent bursts of laughter.

The more this movie went on, the more

“Girl In Rothschild,” collage painting in modern art style by Danor Shtruzman. Public Domain, via Flickr.

I began to think that this methodical and gradual, scene by scene grind might actually be the best way to watch Östlund’s movies (and I’m only half-kidding). It allowed me to experience a deeper connection with the material and to fully appreciate the way Östlund revealed his ideas through the tiniest of characters’ phrases and gestures. Moreover, it sparked the desire for me to revisit the director’s previous films and to continue exploring his filmography. (I’ve indeed started doing so by watching and admiring his 2011 film “Play.”)

Even though the verbose nature of “Triangle of Sadness” coupled with my tight assignment schedule made the task especially challenging, it is the one I’m proudest of so far. Bringing a film to the audiences in the most accurate manner is something that I always cherish. But bringing a great film to the audiences? I consider that a privilege! From “Allan the Dog” to a Palme d’Or winner... Now that’s what I

call career trajectory.

I can’t predict which movies await me in the future but the prospect of seeing that e-mail with a new assignment continues to fill me with a peculiar combination of anxiety and elation. What will it be next time – a piece of Z-grade action schlock with Antonio Banderas (so far I’ve done two) or another festival hit? Will it make me fall in love with a filmmaker I used to dislike, or will it just confirm some of my biases?

I don’t know the answers to these questions and that’s among the greatest aspects of being a film translator –the process doesn’t change and yet the work is filled with surprises. Sometimes my mind comes back to that original, ultimate dream of making movies. Yes, sure, one day it’d be nice to stand behind the camera and tell my own stories. But when I stop and look at what I have in front of me, I come to only one conclusion: the dream breathes and lives on right here.

“Print shows a letter in the form of a rebus portraying Britannia as a mother urging her daughter America to jilt the Frenchman she is planning to marry and stop rebelling.” 1778. Library of Congress. Public Domain, via PICRYL

“Painting of the Dadiani Palace by Gigi, a 14-year-old painter who suff ers from autism and lives in Zugdidi, Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti.”

Communications Department of the Administration of the President of Georgia. Wikimedia Commons; CC BY SA 4.0

Marketing communications firm specializing in the educational industry. Our services include branding, market research, admission audits, competitive analysis, environmental design, print (viewbooks, magazines, annual reports, etc.), capital campaigns, advertising, photography, websites, and 360 virtual campus tours.

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Book cover illustration by an unknown artist for Popular Lectures on Human Nature by Prof. W.G Alexander. Public Domain via Library of Congress. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.”

Since our launch in 1991, LewerMark Student Insurance’s guiding principle has been ’Do the right thing’. Thirty years later, and with the second and third generations of Lewer family leadership now at the helm, this principle continues to drive us. We administer health insurance for international students because we believe those students and their institutions need better options—options that do right by the schools and students. We listen to our clients, adapt to their changing needs (and the changing times), and ultimately, help them protect the dreams and goals of our nation’s international student body. Similar to the K-12 schools we partner with, our level of service and care is holistic.

Client Advocacy

The cornerstone of LewerMark's commitment to student care is our Client Advocacy Team. No matter the benefits we offer, if the student can’t understand or access their benefits easily or can’t get questions answered or provider billing problems resolved, we haven’t brought the student any value. That’s why our team is available by phone or web chat to provide solutions. They make claims processing and payment, billing and enrollment, and program management a breeze for you, for your international office, and for your students.

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Beyond Basics

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We believe our commitment to meeting the unique and changing needs of international students is why we hear such positive comments from our clients, like this one from Joelle Williams, International Student Program Advisor at Grand Rapids Christian Schools: "The strong desire for both rigorous insurance coverage for our students and efficient and professional customer service—for both our students and us as program administrators—led us to LewerMark Student Insurance. From the very beginning of our involvement with LewerMark we have been truly impressed by their knowledge of the needs associated with working for students in the secondary education market, their attention to details their quick responses to our questions, and their genuine desire to see students well cared for. Our switch to LewerMark has so far been an excellent move!”

Illustration featuring a view of Kiev, Ukraine’s capital city by Matias Galarza. Pixabay License.

DR. TARAS ROMASHCHENKO, PhD in Economics from Ukraine, writes from inside the war-torn country.

ECONOMICS OF WAR

The case of Ukraine which faced the unprovoked full-scale Russian invasion on February 24 in 2022 proves this most accurately. The consequences of this war (probably the most horrifying since World War II) have already touched the future not only Ukraine and the Russian Federation but the rest of the planet. For sure, these aftereffects would be quite different, for instance, in the European Union (the EU) and the Middle East. But hardly any area of the world will stay unaffected.

“In the 21st century, the aftereffects of war would be felt far beyond the region where it takes place. In fact... far beyond the boundaries of any countries that participate in it.”

THE COUNTRY THAT ALMOST HEALED

During the period of independence starting in 1991, Ukraine struggled its way out of the post-Soviet political, ideological, economic, and cultural heritage. And we should admit it wasn’t a direct path. In fact, very often the movement of a new Ukrainian democracy towards the high league of developed countries was sideways or even backwards. Why did that happen? Let’s look at some reasons that came into play.

First, the unwillingness of the new Ukrainian political elites to reform deeply on the model of the well-recognized western democracies and economies. Doing so, said elites would lose absolute power within the country, and with it the possibility to enrich themselves, their families and their partners over the years.

Second, the permanent revisions of the Ukrainian legislation to satisfy mainly the financial needs of the ruling elites. This, as international economists know, is, probably, the most terrible nightmare for foreign investors who stay away from markets where their money could not be protected by a transparent and stable law.

Third, total corruption from top to bottom, the scale of which can shock an average citizen in any corruption-free country. Just imagine that members of your parliament lobbying for specific-interest laws are getting additional “gratitude” in envelopes for each and every decision in favor. Or that you should pay a surgeon and the involved hospital staff secretly in cash to save the life of somebody from your family.

Fourth, the revanchism of pro-Russian political forces and parties which openly or covertly hampered the process of Ukraine’s integration into the club of developed countries. The resistance of a wide society to such Russian-oriented forces led to two Maidan Uprisings that resulted in the peaceful Orange Revolution (2004) and the bloody Revolution of Dignity (2014).

Despite these and some other substantial impediments, Ukraine managed to move, though slowly, but still forward toward its European dream. At last, after years of negotiations Ukraine signed the Association Agreement with the EU in 2014. The latter meant establishing of a Deep and Comprehensive Free Trade Area (DCFTA) between Ukraine and the EU. Coming into force on 1 September 2017, the Association Agreement helped promote deeper political ties, stronger economic links and respect for common values. The positive economic effects of such promotion were not long in coming. Today the EU is Ukraine's largest trading partner, accounting for 39.5% of its trade in 2021. Total trade between Ukraine and the EU reached almost €52,4 billion in 2021, almost doubling since the entry into force of the DCFTA.

In recent years Ukraine also tried to get its place within global manufacturing and supply chains and become a country with new leading economic sectors. Keep in mind that our heavy industry was hit badly after the Russian Federation's military and political support of the non-government-controlled areas of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts and illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014. Therefore, Ukraine was forced to make a bid for agricultural production. Animal and vegetable fats and oils as well as cereals added greatly to our export potential. In 2021 agricultural products totaled $27.8 billion, accounting for 41% of the country’s $68 billion in overall exports. Suffice to say, Ukraine is the world's biggest exporter of sunflower seed oil over the last decade, exporting about 45-55% of the global supply.

Information and communication technology (ICT) services also fueled Ukraine’s economy lately. According to the World Bank (WB), ICT service ex-

ports of the country amounted $7.11 billion in 2021 have grown by almost 40% compared to 2020.

All that, along with other incremental structural and economic reforms, led to an all-time record in terms of the Ukrainian Gross Domestic Product (GDP) worth $200.1 billion in 2021, 19% up compared to the previous year. Another noteworthy achievement average pay which also broke the record increasing to $550. That was the best result over the years of independence since 1991.

Unsurprisingly, this ascending economic trend that emerged, even in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, provided means for the fundamental renovation of the country. Here we can’t but mention the national “Great Construction” project that was announced in the fall 2019. This extremely ambitious joint project of a new President and the Government of Ukraine was designed to upgrade and/or build from scratch a modern transport and social infrastructure. It was expected the full execution of the project would lead to the construction of thousands kilometers of highways, hundreds of new schools, kindergartens, stadiums and hospital admissions as well as to the creation of at least 150,000 new jobs throughout the country. In addition, it would lead to a cumulative increase in GDP over the next 5 years by 4,4%.

However, as it turned out, the aggressor from the East pushed its own agenda regarding Ukraine’s plans…

Pro-EU Euromaidan in Kiev, 27 November 2013, by Evgeny Feldman, Wikimedia Commons; CC-BY-SA 3.0

War

By Mickey Estes. Pixabay

monument on Freedom Hill, Kiev, Ukraine.

License

Every war is about plans that have been radically disturbed. Instead of further development the full-scale Russian invasion has brought an ordeal to my country last seen in the mid of the 20th century. The result is thousands of deaths, total devastation of cities as well as numerous and unbelievable war crimes by modern fascists including raping of kids, bombardment of maternity clinics, mass execution of civilians just for fun, and more..

Along with huge civilian losses, this war has led to a drastic economic crisis in Ukraine. It is not even possible to provide an in-depth analysis of all the socioeconomic consequences Ukraine is suffering. mainly, because the warfare is not over yet. Besides, in times of war there is an obvious lack of accurate data relating to different spheres of economic development of the country as a whole. Instead, I will focus briefly on some basic macroeconomic indicators of present-day Ukraine.

For one, lots of firms, companies and enterprises, especially from regions that suffered from the Russian invasion the most, were forced to shut down entirely. Those who survived face various challenges trying to find new ways to operate with or without relocation throughout the country. One of recent researches indicates that only 22% of all businesses retained the production capabilities they possessed before the full-scale aggression of this war in February 2022. Surely, this autumn demonstrated that businesses are slowly coming again to life, but the overall negative impact of the war on Ukrainian economy remains dramatic. For instance, during the first six months of 2022 the country’s export shrank by 24%!

The first months of the horrific war generated predictions that the country’s GDP would sink by over 45% in 2022. In October, our Ministry of Economy grew more optimistic raising the predicted failure to 30%. This happened largely because of establishing of the UN grain corridor from Ukrainian sea ports, and, thus, the partial revival of agricultural export.

AN AGGRESSOR’S VICTIM

That said, one should bear in mind that the loss of one third of the whole economy during such a short period of time is a real shock for any country, a developing, post-independent Ukraine in particular. The war-driven economic crisis in Ukraine has already caused acceleration of consumer inflation to almost 22% as well as officially devalued hryvnia (Ukraine’s national currency) by 25% against US dollar. Unofficial exchange rate on the black market is even worse.

And to top it all, Forbes estimated at the end of the summer 2022 that the war has caused $108 billion in damage to Ukraine’s infrastructure. Here, please, recall all those ambitious renovation plans for the country I described earlier. Russia has not only eliminated them all but destroyed and heavily damaged even the existing infrastructure. Actually, the aggressor fiercely continues doing that as I writing these lines.

All mentioned above have led to a total and fast moving impoverishment. Nowadays Ukraine has already faced a tenfold increase in poverty which means that 25% of the whole population would be living in poverty by the end of this year. Before the war it was only 2%. Know that today an associate professor in economics from the Ukrainian university can hardly earn $250 per month. Unfortunately, this is not even the worst example. In fact, the number of those living in poverty could even exceed 50% by the end of 2023. I suppose, this would depend on the duration of the war, its intensity, spatial coverage and, without any doubt, financial assistance from abroad. The latter, as the Kiel Institute estimates, is really huge. In August 2022 the aid reached $84 billion in the way of meeting military, humanitarian, social and economic needs of the invaded country.

You may be shocked to learn that not all foreign aid is unconditional. There are certainly no-strings-attached grants but in the majority of cases, aid to Ukraine is actually by way of lending, a fact that remains hushed over. And that’s another serious issue for us as the national debt will rise to approximately 106% compared to about 50% in 2021. Such a debt trap can only negatively influence Ukraine’s prospects for years to come. Meanwhile, the debt will keep building as long as the war stretches.

“ODESSA, UKRAINEAugust 9, 2021: Loading grain into holds of sea cargo vessel through an automatic line in seaport from silos of grain storage.”

Photo by Elena Larina from Ukraine, via Shutterstock.

“The

consequences of the explosion of the hotel Ukraine by a Russian missile.”

Photo by Sarymsakov Andrey, via Shutterstock

“Ukrainian Night,” oil on canvas, 1999, by Sergey Zagraevsky; GNU Free Documentation License; via Wikimedia Commons.

Since invading Ukraine in February 2022 Russia was imposed an unprecedented range of sanctions by the United States and mostly European allies which, it had probably never been seen before. These include but are not limited to:

» immobilization of about $300 billion worth of Russian Central Bank assets;

» export controls to restrict Russia’s access to advanced technology from the Western countries;

» loss by sanctioned Russian oligarchs of their long-held assets outside Russia (e.g. luxury real estate, superyachts, football clubs, etc.);

» collapse of the Russian financial sector that has lost close ties with reliable foreign partners;

» other critical constraints on Russia’s real economy (for instance, over 1000 world famous companies have curtailed their business in Russia firing hundreds of thousands of employees).

According to the U.S. Government, reports about 1,500 new and 750 amended sanctions listings alone against Russia on its website, levied since the war began. All of them have severed Russia’s access to key technologies and industrial inputs that erode its military capability, in particular, to produce and stockpile weapons.

And the erosion does take place! Today, 8 months after the invasion, Russia is forced to turn to less technologically advanced countries such as Iran and North Korea for military assisstance

TERRORIST STANDS TO PAY

assistance. Being unable to import semiconductors and other key components, this terrorist country is now cannibalizing existing civil airplanes to get parts it can no longer buy abroad.

Finally, bearing in mind lost investment, export controls, and numerous economic as well as financial constraints, one may anticipate that Russia’s growth and development will be irretrievably hampered in both the immediate and long runs.

In the short run, however, the economic situation for Russia is not so critical. The International Monetary Fund expects the terrorist’s economy will contract by only 3% in 2022. This will happen basically due to extremely high energy prices on the international market caused by the war and the fact that not all the sanctions have gone into effect yet. For example, the price cap from the European Union for crude oil or petroleum products originating from Russia will happen in the upcoming December-February.

AIn the meantime, Russia is frantically looking for the new markets for its basic export products, though with a large discount for buyers or to satisfy various import needs. Since invading Ukraine, Russian trade has boomed with India (+310%), Turkey (198%), Brazil (106%), and China (64%). Could that be an equal substitution for Russia that has almost lost all of the Western market and its consumers/providers? For sure, no! I’m more than sure, we’ll see grave economic effects on Russia quite distinctly this year.

“Russia, Pervouralsk, Sverdlovsk region, 13.07.2017: Thousands of families live in emergency and dilapidated housing in Russia.”

Photo by Randanasta from Russia, via Shutterstock.

One may be deeply mistaken to suggest that the victim and the aggressor are the only sides that this war’s consequences will run across. The world as a whole – without meaning to – “reaps the fruits” of the Russian invasion.

The World Bank has disclosed that economic implications of this war are truly global. They have already led to a considerable volatility on the international markets (firstly, energy and food), disruptions to global supply chains and logistics networks, shift of foreign direct investment (FDI) from risky destinations as well as stagnation of specific economic sectors (e.g. tourism) in some countries. All that in 2022 will reduce the world trade by 1%, thus also lowering the global GDP by just under 1%. This year, if the war continues, its global aftereffects could be much more sensitive.

hopes, even a steeper downturn is possible. China as well, as the second major economy of the world, will accelerate in 2023 much slowly if compared to previous years or even decades.

Readers who are not much of economists, may be thinking: why this war causes global energy crisis, inflation and other related economic issues? Well, because Russia is one of the world’s biggest energy suppliers. Globally, 14% of crude oil and 9% of natural gas originate from this country. After the invasion the exports from Russian Federation are reducing. As a result, international energy markets feel shortages of corresponding Russian products. In return, lack of supply means inflation – higher prices for these very products as well as for all other commodities produced with energy usage. Simple math!

The Russian aggression against Ukraine has led to unpredictability in the global food

THE WORLD REELS FROM IT

In general these figures may seem not so critical, but they appear quite challenging in terms of separate regions and particular countries. For instance, instead of expected modest growth of 1.6% in Eurozone in 2023, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) now corrects its forecast to just 0.3%, if natural-gas prices rise by 50% over the rest of the year. German economy, as a leading one in Europe, is supposed to be contracted to 0.7% from previously expected 1.7%.

In other words, the European Union, because of a surge in energy prices that egged on widespread inflation, is slowly but steadily going into recession. Something similar is going to happen with the USA. The OECD also reconsidered its forecast for this country’s growth in 2023 to 0.5% from 1.2%. In case inflation doesn’t fall as rapidly as the Federal Reserve

supply. The main reason for that is the following. In recent years Ukraine and Russia combined accounted for 25% of the world’s wheat exports and 14% of corn shipments. Other agricultural production is also important for both countries, Ukraine in particular (see above). It’s also worth mentioning that before the war Ukraine alone was able to produce enough food to feed 400 million people per year. But when it had started Russia began the blockade of Ukrainian food exports by sea and, surprisingly for itself, losing its agricultural exports potential because of unprecedented Western sanctions. The outcome for the planet? Again shortages, rise of prices and food insecurity throughout the globe. This time developing countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are expected to bear the brunt with tens of millions of their citizens to suffer from hunger.

This war has another important dimension –a demographic one. One can’t ignore the fact that in 2022 the planet witnessed the greatest migration crisis since World War II. More than one-third of Ukraine’s total population (42 million) is considered to be externally or internally displaced with approximately 8 million people to leave their homeland for neighboring and distant European countries. One may argue, saying migration is not about economy and I will definitely oppose. We just can’t close our eyes on the situation when labor markets of such countries as Poland and Germany have received 1,5 and 1 million potential workers respectively. Therefore, I’m afraid, in the medium and long run Ukrainians will shape not domestic but foreign economic development. Plain statistics: about 11% of those who escaped to Europe aren’t going to come back even when the war is over. Nearly the same number of people – 10% – still hesitate. The economic impact of such a human loss for Ukraine’s future is difficult to overestimate. To cut a long story short, I must admit that consequences of this war are not necessarily negative. In fact, there are or can be some advantages for all the parties involved. For instance, the European Union will finally terminate its critical dependence on Russian natural resources and much quicker turn to renewable energy. Besides, war lessons will force the EU to pay more attention to its security in the future. The United States will overcome lots of economic challenges by promoting production in defense sector. The Middle East will conquer new markets getting rid of the fading Russian competitor. And so on, and so forth! But my heart is obviously praying for Ukraine, my motherland. I really hope, it will survive, triumph over the terrorist state and join the free democratic world as a strong and reliable economic partner – a decent member of the EU and NATO. Surely, such dreams can come true only with the considerable assistance from the developed countries. Once the war is over, Ukraine will definitely need its own “Marshall Plan”. Today we are paying for it, global freedom and planet’s prospects in blood…

“Van Gogh inspired portrait stamp sticker” Remixed by rawpixel; Public Domain

“The inner voices - 3rd movement,”

by Didier Mazuru Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0

Insight

By Rubina Feroz

VIRTUAL REALITY the of values

what we believed to be universal values like truth, honesty, and work ethic, etc. are disappearing. I see it in my teaching and clinical practice as well as dealing socially everyday.

I’m not sure if they can be called new values, but the standards of living in a society are changing. There is more concern for individual sentiments. Body shaming, caste-shaming, race shaming are refreshing concepts. People get offended if someone comments on another’s appearance. It is definitely something which society should have learned and followed early on but the deterioration in other values is more alarming. It seems as if we are focusing on the superficial rather than the depth of human existence.

A very palpable feeling is that we are living in a virtual world rather than the real. Especially in the Generation Z, a label we have created for this cohort. The element of individual choice has taken over the idea of universal goodness. No wonder why this era has allowed gender and it’s choice to become prominent issues. However, living in a virtual world has created some fuzzy boundaries.

Now when I say virtual world I mean the use of gadgets, developing auras, virtual personalities, and the other perks of this overtly digital age.. Are these leading us to a meaningful life or one which is playing with imagination?

Hybrid working still has to show it’s impact on human relationships. In the developing world this lowering of human interaction is not yet apparent maybe. But it’s a small world and we are more connected then we have ever been in the communication of ideas.

What disturbs me the most is how violence is everywhere. The cost of human life is deteriorating day by day. Of course on the other hand there are groups who are working to save humanity. Doctors without borders, Amnesty International, Environment protection agencies, private trusts.. they are all there. But what’s regrettable is that their efforts always seem to be a little too late. I strongly feel that the recent history of the world has created havoc in the physical as well the humanistic world.

And we are seeing the impact in so many ways. Arms race, random killing of children and adults alike. The lust for bling leading us away from our true potential as humans. Climate change. Corruption. The good seems to be a drop in the ocean. The question is will we be able to clean up our act?

Top. “Pop Art Cubism Mind in Cave” By David S. Soriano Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Bottom. Original Cartoon Illustrations made for the ROR Magazine by Luis Gonzales.

(“I have a feeling I’m losing my touch...”)

“What can be more cool, huh?”

“Wee...”

Parents against virtual reality? Not quite.

Parents are the initial representatives of society. So I maintain my belief that parents can help instill positive ideology in children. And it’s apparent in functional families. On the other hand we do see an image of a happy family being projected on social media. Sometimes that image can be far from reality.

Divorce rates have been increasing all over the world, including the developing world which too once raved about it’s familial kinship. Appearances are becoming more important then reality.

I may sound like a doomsday seer, but I’m not saying this cannot be rectified. The only answer which comes to me is communication. And, as I recently read somewhere, it needs to be communication with compassion. Without compassion there will be no understanding.

There are many theories of psychology which have hinted at these problems. All theories of child development point in the same direction. My belief is that unless we develop a holistic approach using psychology, sociology, philosophy and the physical sciences , we will be describing the elephant with blindfolds on. And the elephant is very much in the room.

The parents first of all need to be friendly, but not friends as these are two different roles. Then they definitely have to be in touch with what’s happening on social media and to what their child is exposed to. The excuse ‘I’m challenged in the digital world’ won’t help. As a common saying goes, ‘it’s not rocket science.’ We need to be on the same page as our children.

DISCLAIMER:

All profiles have been borrowed or put together from the professionals’ official online presence.

EDUCATION CONSULTANTS

AT-HOME & INTERNATIONAL

DR.

MAGDY

ELKADY President, Canwell Educational Consultants, New Cairo, Egypt.

Dr. Magdy Elkady is the president of Canwell Educational Consultants, the holding company responsible for bringing Canadian tertiary education to Egypt. Dr. Elkady is an Egyptian-Canadian who achieved his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Asiut University. As president of the Canadian International College (CIC) since its opening in 2004, he encouraged the introduction of cutting-edge educational methodologies at both the New Cairo and Sheik Zayed Campuses. Dr. Elkady was honored with his LL.D from Cape Breton University. Dr. Elkady’s latest accomplishment is the establishment of Universities of Canada in Egypt (UofCanada). Located in the New Administrative City, this new campus promises the continuation of Dr. Elkady’s legacy of bringing Canadian educational excellence to Egypt. The consultancy program’s main purpose is to assist in the preparations of the students to adapt to the rapid changes in the local and global markets. The program analyzes, designs, implements, and evaluates vocational programs. Understanding the requirements of the market and the needs of the students, the program ensures to provide distinguished Canadian learning opportunities.

DR. LAYNE DILLARD

Senior Educational Consultant, E3 Strategic Solutions, Auburn, AL

Dr. Layne Dillard has been an educator in Alabama for 24 years, including 16 years as an administrator in public and private schools. She is currently the principal of a Title I turnaround school in North Alabama that has made a 26 point gain on the State Report Card in just two years. This achievement makes Layne’s school the 3rd most improved school in Alabama. Before this role, she served as a Director of Secondary Education, Staff Evaluations, Public Relations, Community Relations, Alternative Education, Program Implementation, Principal Mentorship, Alabama OSR Pre-K, Counseling, and Safety.

Layne is passionate about finding innovative ways for every student to experience success. She has conducted extensive research in high-performing, high-poverty schools and the steps necessary to impact students in this challenging environment. Layne earned her B.S. in Secondary Education and an M.A. in Educational Leadership and Administration at the University of North Alabama. She earned a Doctor of Education in Learning Organizations and Strategic Change from Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee.

GWYNNE HALES

Founder & President, Great Lakes Educational Consulting, Northfield, IL

Since 2000, Gwynne Hales has placed thousands of students in emotional-growth boarding schools, residential treatment centers, outdoor therapeutic programs and traditional boarding schools. She spends one to two weeks per month identifying, researching and visiting residential schools and programs for adolescents and young adults – and has been to over 300 to date. Gwynne has visited and thoroughly evaluated every program or school she recommends to a family. She is an active member of The Independent Educational Consultant Association (IECA) since the year 2000 and serves on the Scholarship Committee for Teton Valley Ranch Camp in Wyoming.

Gwynne started Great Lakes Educational Consulting in 2004. Prior to operating her own firm, she was an educational consultant with Steinbrecher & Partners, where she managed their Chicago office for three years. Before that, Gwynne was an admissions counselor and regional marketer for Aspen Educational Group. She founded and directed Alpine Adolescent Services, an adolescent crisis-intervention company which located runaways and transported and assisted adolescents in crisis. Prior to that, Gwynne was a wilderness and mountaineering guide for adolescents in Wyoming.

A graduate of The Taft School, Gwynne attended the University of Vermont and graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She is also a graduate of the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). Gwynne was an All-American lacrosse player, played on the National Lacrosse League and was lacrosse coach for University of Colorado Women’s team.

KATE HARDY

Senior Associate Director of Admission, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY

A Bard alumna, Kate majored in Literature with a concentration in Gender and Sexuality Studies and went on to earn her Masters in Social Work from Columbia University. While at Columbia, she interned at a middle school in the Bronx and a small harm-reduction agency in midtown Manhattan while continuing her work for Bard Admissions. After a decade of working regionally in New York City, Kate and her family relocated back to the Hudson Valley in 2022 where she works based on campus. Kate is the primary Admissions contact for applicants from the Bard Early College network and works collaboratively with the Office of Equity and Inclusion to support students applying to the Equity and Inclusion Programs (HEOP, BOP, ECO and Posse).

TONY LAI CHEE HOONG Director, Marketing, Admissions & Communications, St. Joseph’s Institution International School, Tropicana PJ Campus, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia

Tony is busy with the organization, administration, and strategic development of all initiatives relating to the marketing and promotion of SJIIM in order to drive students recruitment at all levels. This includes development of links and partnerships with recruitment agents and community contacts, whilst raising the profile and position of SJIIM.

Tony’s key duties and areas of responsibility are as follows: Producing the annual marketing plan including management of the marketing budget; implementing advertising, communications and event activities to support recruitment, profile raising and retention of students; leading digital initiatives, including the social media, digital marketing campaigns, etc; establishing links in both online and offline communication channels; forging new partnerships to optimize students recruitment opportunities; carrying out regular reviews of the admissions process to ensure that it is fit for purpose and promotes the right image of SJIIM; and more.

Before SJIIM, Tony has served in Admissions with Epsom College, Malaysia, for 5 years.

Astrid joined St. John’s School way back 15 years ago. She has consistently applied herself in administration and marketing and has now headed the admissions duties at the school for several admirable years. Originally, she was an Industrial Engineer graduate from Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina Her career started as an IT support specialist at Egon Zehnder. When she joined St. John’s school, her skills in recruiting, human resources, operations management, and navigating conferences made her a natural standout in admissions.

JINI JIMYUNG YOON Music Therapy Consultant, NRIO, Division of Bayshore Therapy & Rehab University of Toronto, Etobicoke, ON

Jini has had various experiences in music, music therapy (creative arts therapies), counseling and teaching.

ASTRID BAGNALL Head of Admissions, St. John’s School, Martínez, Argentina

THERAPY JOANNA LONG Occupational Therapist, Ability Action Australia, Melbourne, Australia

After postgraduate training in music therapy, she took her second Masters degree in Music and Health Science, in a collaborative program in neuroscience, University of Toronto. After several work experiences as a music therapist, she joined and has stayed with NRIO for the last 7 years.

Joanna is an Occupational Therapist, passionate in working with individuals with disabilities from all age ranges, to provide high-quality client-centered care. She is specifically interested in the areas of Paediatric and Assistive Technology. Joanna hopes that with growth in knowledge and experiences, she will make positive changes to someone’s life and assist them in reaching their full potential. Her motto: “Believe that you can and you're halfway there.”

Joanna completed her Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (Honours) from Monash University in Melbourne. She has boosted her skill set in various certificates and licenses in specialized areas such as safety, pressure care, practical training, infection prevention and control, primary care advancing competency to support family violence survivors, and more.

“Tree”

(1368–1644),

vintage Chinese painting by Chen Hongshou. Public domain image from The Cleveland Museum of Art. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.

Artline Artline

“Japanese woman, The Moon of Shinobugaoka (1904)”

Vintage woodblock prints by Yoshitoshi Tsukioka.

Public domain image from the Library of Congress. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.

“Snow and desert side by side,” Sakurdu Baltistan, Pakistan.

Photo by Jessica Anderson. Unsplash License.

A view of Manang, Nepal, January 9, 2023, by Ashok Acharya. Unsplash License.

FUT BOL HOOP LA

FUT BOL HOOP LA

Who won and lost at the Qatar World Cup? A look beyond the finalists.

“DOHA,QATAR-Feb 15, 2020 : Workers walk towards the construction site of the Lusail Stadium under construction which is scheduled to host the opening and final matches of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup” Noushad Thekkayil Editorial License; Shutterstock.

Brought to you by Exploited Migrant Workers

LUCIA MEJIA explores the grotesque, behinds-the-scenes, human rights story of this World Cup.

Satellite image of Arabian Peninsula, with Qatar highlighted in red circle. MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA Public Domain.

Arguably the largest and most anticipated sporting event in the world, the World Cup began on Sunday November 20th. The President of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, estimated that the tournament drew over 5 billion viewers worldwide by the time the final match came to an end on December 18th.

While Infantino shares a seemingly heartfelt sentiment that “...at the end, [they] simply want to give some joy and some smiles to people all over the world… that’s what the FIFA World Cup is about”, the feel-good statement is tainted by the deaths of over 6,500 people. There was labor abuse and exploitation of countless others throughout the years since Qatar’s bid for hosting the World Cup was accepted in 2010. Since then, Qatar has invested around 300 billion US dollars in the development of infrastructure for the event according to Bloomberg. This includes the building of eight new stadiums, an airport extension, a hospital, shopping centers, hotels, and a metro link to connect all of these.

“FIFA embraces its responsibility to respect human rights across its operations and relationships.”

Original photo shared with the ROR Magazine by Nomeez from UAE, December 13, 2022.

Like other Arab gulf countries, Qatar uses the Kafala system for much of their labor force practice. In fact, of the 2.8 million people that currently reside in Qatar, only about 300,000 are Qatari. Over 90% of the workforce is made up of migrant workers. The issue is that this system results in a terrible imbalance of power by giving private citizens and companies almost all control over the employment and immigration status of the workers they’re sponsoring. On top of this, being a sponsor often comes with legal impunity because, while there are standards of labor rights employers must adhere to, the migrant workforce is often intentionally excluded from local labor policy.

This system counts on companies to pay travel and living expenses for the migrants they sponsor, Many companies end up using private recruiting agencies that are paid, not by the companies, but by the workers seeking jobs. This scenario often leaves the workers in a mountain of debt before even migrating for work. To say that migrant workers in Qatar are being trafficked or that they are modern day slaves isn’t an exaggeration.

Investigations of this situation conducted by The Guardian heard first-hand accounts from laborers going without food or water for over 24 hours and being forced to work in the Qatari summer temperatures that can soar well over 100 degrees. They’re forced to reside in hostels that are filthy and crammed with as many as 12 men in a room which has led to many becoming sick.

This is particularly jarring in light of the COVID-19 pandemic where some workers were taken to detention facilities in even worse conditions, and then deported after being told they would be taken to get tested and then released. Other reports and investigations had very similar findings. Despite these indignities, choosing to leave and find better employment is not an option for these migrants as the kafala system allows the sponsors to withhold their

passports and pay, preventing them from departing the country.

Sharon Burrow of the International Trade Center Conference went so far as to say: “Qatar is a slave state.” The investigations and findings thereof have not fallen entirely on deaf ears. Since 2015, many countries, celebrities, organizations, and even soccer teams have spoken out on the labor abuse that takes place in Qatar, among other things like the country’s prohibitive stance on LGBTQIA+ rights. Some European countries were threatening to boycott the event entirely in the months before the World Cup started.

Some actions on the field by a few teams were notable. For instance, Germany’s team covered their mouths for photos after they were being threatened with sanctions if they wore a “Love” armband in protest. There are companies like Mojo Supermarket that took a more creative and arguably more impactful approach. Mojo’s campaign labeled “anti-logos” reworking the sponsorship brands of many companies like McDonalds, Adidas, Sony, Hyundai, Visa, Kia, and more notably, FIFA, and the UN to demonstrate the labor abuse in Qatar. The anti-logo for FIFA which was displayed at FIFA’s Headquarters looked like a normal FIFA sponsorship but read “FIFA Proud Sponsors of the Slavery Cup.” For this project, the agency also distributed passports all over London and New York with every single one displaying the names, faces, and stories of eleven migrant workers that died for the World Cup.

In response to the criticisms, FIFA began by stating they would be conducting investigations. This is a step in the right direction when companies actually do their due diligence. But eventually, FIFA failed to do that, and instead retaliated on critics, particularly those from the west, for their hypocrisy. FIFA’s point of view was that Europe should be “apologizing for 3000 years before starting to give moral lessons to people.” FIFA also pointed out that many European countries make billions by outsourcing labor to places like Qatar and have nothing to say of that.

By Nomeez

Scene from the Argentina vs Croatia Quater Final, December 13, 2022.

“Stop politicizing football.”

Here’s the thing though.

When FIFA’s board threatens to sanction players protesting or speaking out on the field and its President makes “what about” rebuttals rather than addressing valid criticisms, the public can see they’re worried more about saving face. This becomes more ironic considering that on their webpage, FIFA has a section dedicated to their stance on Human Rights and Anti Discrimination.

FIFA’s accusations of hypocrisy and fingerpointing to European labor-sourcing practice are not wrong. But they are a deflection that doesn’t address, and much less provide a solution to, the issue that dramatically worsened since FIFA awarded the hosting to Qatar.

Does labor abuse occur all over the world? Absolutely. It’s likely that the exported labor system that Qatar benefits from would not have garnered much attention if the country were not hosting the largest sporting event in the world. It’s the same reason that the clothing company, Shein, is consistently under public scrutiny. Sure, other brands also produce fast fashion and outsource to countries with cheap labor and inhumane working conditions, but not at the scale that Shein does.

With more attention comes more scrutiny, and the World Cup is the largest sporting event in the world watched by a record number of people from all over. These events are bound to come with a particularly bright spotlight but they also maximize the amount of labor needed. It shows that planning events and developments at any scale but particularly at such a large one should not just come with budget meetings, opportunity statements, and economic prospects. Discussions on how all participating parties will ensure livable wages, sustainability, and ethical practices for the people and places involved should be at the forefront of the planning. They cannot be an afterthought.

Germany’s statement on Twitter said it best: “[It’s not] about making a political statement — human rights are non-negotiable.”

On the other hand, Qatar has been working to change some of its labor laws. The government has reportedly partnered with the International Labor Organization (ILO), international trade unions, and moved to implement a minimum wage. Labor reforms are far from over though.

After looking into these reform attempts, another investigation by The Guardian found that even if laws are changed, there is no system to ensure they are being enforced. Qatari legislation may have changed, but workers are not aware of those changes, much less their rights. True, there is now a minimum wage, but compared to the 300 billion Qatar spent on the World Cup, the $275 a month is “a drop in the ocean.”

Here’s a larger truth in light of all of this that’s becoming more evident: People like FIFA’s president and the companies that sponsor the exploitation of thousands of people are not monsters. They are people. Saying this is not meant to absolve anyone or to say “everyone make’s mistakes.” It’s to emphasize that this labor mentality is a result of systems that value production and economy above all else. This ruthlessness allows the agents of the system to see everyone, especially the workers, and even ourselves, as commodities.

Most often when terrible things happen, they occur not from a place of evil, but from a place of convenience. There are a plethora of factors that contribute to how incredibly desensitized we have become to news of atrocities, of abuse, and even death for the sake of endless economic growth. We consume mindlessly because the consequences of our consumption are so distant from us. We are able to ignore them until they stand up right before our eyes.

by Talukdar David, December 12, 2022. Editorial use only; Shutterstock.

Emotions around the world’s biggest tournament run high in countries beyond those playing. Kolkata, India showers its love on Messi’s Argentina.

It’s why over 5 billion people still tuned in to watch the World Cup and why FIFA made a record $4.6 billion in revenue despite most of the world having heard of the labor abuse that thousands of workers endured for years in order for it to happen.

To want to bring joy to people is a noble pursuit but the joys and smiles that FIFA sought for people all over the world came at great loss to migrant workers. So long as economic growth continues to be the be all end all, development will always be on the backs of an exploited modern slave class — at the expense of already marginalized communities

Photo

A WORLD CUP FOR Palestine

Palestine was not represented by a national team at the World Cup but by its supporters. The 2022 World Cup provided an excellent opportunity for Arabs to demonstrate their support and solidarity with Palestine while their national governments sought a path toward political normalization with the Israeli occupation.

Screenshot from video posted on social media by

Tidal Wave of Palestine Solidarity at International Tournament

Seeing all of the Palestinian flags, Free Palestine banners, and Kuffiyehs (the traditional Arab scarfs worn by men) take over this World Cup has demonstrated something many of us have understood for years: the Palestinian people believe in a Free Palestine and are determined to make their voices heard.

Not only the World Cup was taking place on the other side of the Arabian peninsula for us, the Moroccan team kept up the Arab hopes, and with it their spotlight on Palestine’s life and death campaign, till the last reaches of the tournament. All through the Arab and Muslim worlds, fans demonstrated their support for their Palestinian brothers on social media. Both players and their supporters showed how football can be used to convey solidarity and hope for a brighter future for all nations and peoples.

This wasn’t the first time this tournament coincided with Palestine’s history. Tournaments before have with Israel’s two wars against

against Palestinian and Lebanese resistance movements in 1982 and 2006. The 2022 World Cup came at a time when the Palestinian territories were witnessing heroics in the West Bank against the occupation forces, who had escalated their oppression and terror against the Palestinians with the advent of the most right-wing Zionist government in the occupation’s history, led by Benjamin Netanyahu.

This support is inextricably linked to the Arab nations’ overwhelming rejection of normalization of Zionism. The trouble with Zionism is that while it concerns itself with the establishment of a separate nation for its people, it does so by violent removal and at time extermination of innocent Arabs who were living in the original Palestinian lands for centuries. As the famous liberal Zionist, Peter Beinart asked only last year in the Jewish Currents, “Why is dreaming of return laudable for Jews but pathological for Palestinians?

Celebrating the Supporters

The Qatar Committee for the Reconstruction of Gaza arranged to show all the 2022 World Cup matches for free to Palestinians in two venues; the first being Gaza’s Saad Sail Hall and the second being the West Bank’s Ramallah Recreational Hall.

It was a cold day in Ramallah on December 10, 2022, as my friend Seraj describes. The Moroccan soccer team had just won a quarterfinal match, and the entire city was happy. Seraj and his friends decided to go to celebrate with the crowd at the main square. As they arrived, they saw many people dancing, singing, and waving Moroccan flags. The atmosphere was electric, and it felt like the whole Arab nation was united in their joy. The common brotherhood across the boundaries of countries and continents was palpable.

Our joy was short-lived.

Israeli military forces deployed in the area arrived of a sudden, attempting to disrupt our celebration. They fired tear gas at the crowd, causing chaos and panic. People were running in all directions, trying to escape the gas before the situation escalated. Some were even trampled as they tried to escape.

Seraj was terrified. He had never been in a situation like this until then and didn’t know what to do. He grabbed his friend’s hand and started running away from the tear gas.

Seraj says as they ran, he couldn’t help but feel angry and frustrated. This was supposed to be a happy moment and a time of celebration and unity. But the Israeli soldiers had arrived to spoil even this harmless occasion. They stifled our joy and curbed our right to enjoy.

Eventually, Seraj and his friends made it to safety, but the damage had already been done. The celebration was ruined, and many people were injured. The Israeli forces even arrested some people who resisted this disruption. It was a dark moment for our community, and what happened left a deep scar on my heart. Are we not even allowed to enjoy a sports moment because the winners support our cause?

Photo by Hosni Salah. Pixabay License

Moroccan Supporters Forcibly Disrupted

in Jerusalem.

With Morocco’s victory in the World Cup quarterfinal match, the Israeli authorities crushed Palestinian celebrations in Jerusalem, beating and chasing people.

On Saturday, hundreds of Palestinian youngsters gathered in Jerusalem’s Bab Al-Amoud Square, one of the gates to Al-Aqsa Mosque, and other neighborhoods and streets. They raised Palestinian and Moroccan flags and chanted in celebration of Morocco’s triumph. The Israeli occupation forces surprised the celebrants and assaulted several of them, beating and abusing them and firing tear gas canisters. Some of them were injured as a result.

The event has infuriated Palestinians and damaged relations between Israelis and Palestinians. Human rights groups and the international community have also condemned it, with many calling for an impartial investigation into the events of that night.

Moroccan Team Raises the Palestine Flag at Every Win

The Moroccan team made a proud and unabashed display of their culture and heritage at this World Cup. They would reach out to their mothers on the field to celebrate their victories, they would express their gratefulness to Allah by putting their foreheads on the ground, and they will unfurl the flag of Palestine instead of their own nation’s in every team photo celebrating a win. These gestures captivated the World and made the viewers wonder about this flag and what it represents.

Screenshot from video posted on social media by @_amroali on Twitter status/1596996650337435648

It was not the first time the Morocco Football team showed its support for Palestine during a world event. As the world tuned in to the World Cup in Russia four years ago, Morocco made its bold statement of solidarity then as well. During their match against Spain on June 25th, the Moroccan national team wore shirts featuring the Palestinian flag and their management promoted the hashtag #MoroccoWithPalestine on social media. Morocco has a long history of supporting Palestine, including recognizing Palestine as a sovereign state and calling for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The Israeli embassy in Morocco called the move “unfortunate” and accused the team of using sports as a political platform. Other than that, the Moroccan team’s actions were met with praise from the Arab and African worlds.

The Moroccan team successfully captured the sentiment of the whole Muslim nation and they were not the only ones proudly supporting Palestine’s cause at this World Cup either.

Writing for the New York Times, Tariq Panja, an expert on the sports industry, recorded how Arab fans throughout the tournament waved the oppressed country’s flags, wore armbands in the flag colors, and adorned kaffiyehs in the flag print.

Moroccan team emerged as the major ambassador for the “33rd team at the World Cup’” in the words of one Moroccan team, since Morocco progressed the further and attracted lots of attention for their winning spirit and cultural celebrations. One fan wearing a Palestine flag draped across her Moroccan team jersey, said, “Palestine is our second country, is our topic, is our identity — like humanity, like Muslim people. They are suffering.”

Famous Palestinian poet, Mahmoud Darwish, uttered the above words in an interview by Israel’s Helit Yeshurun, published in the Journal of Palestine Studies (Vol. 42, 2012) by JSTOR.

All nations of this world including the Jewish diaspora deserve a home and have a right to create and maintain one. But how does a history of atrocities against one nation allow that nation to then become the aggressor and do what was done to them to other people?

This is the question the Palestine flags raised high by the Moroccans are asking.

The International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network goes at length to clarify why Zionism is Racist. They also stress how protesting the Israeli apartheid of the Palestinian peoples is not anti-semitic, rather recognition and support for Palestine’s human rights.

“You created our exile, we didn’t create your exile.”

“Palestinian Pieta,”illustration by Ben Heine inspired by Michaelangelo’s Pieta and depicting American activist on Palestinians’ human rights Ann Baltzer. CC BY-SA 3.0; Wikimedia Commons.

Facing. Protest against Israel’s atrocities in Palestine by the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

“Morning in the Village after Snowstorm,” 1913, oil on canvas in cubo-futurism style, by

Kazimir Malevich. Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Public Domain.

Spread and Facing Inset. “A foggy forest with trees in the foreground,” and “A body of water surrounded by rocks and snow-covered mountains,” near Donner Lake, California, 10 January, 2023.

By Stephen Leonardi; Unsplash License

Folklores are as old as people and their traditions. Folklore reflects people’s traditions, beliefs, values, and preferred lifestyles. The Igbos in south-eastern Nigeria are no exceptions to this. They have lots of folklore in their archives. These folklores are used for family relaxations in the evenings as a form of entertainment, especially in older times. Folklore are also used to mold children's character. Nwa-Nza the curious bird is one of the folk tales that Ndi Igbo (The Igbo People) pass down their industrious culture to their children.

“Male blue waxbill Uraeginthus angolensis at Mlondozi picnic site, Kruger National Park.” The small, colorful waxbill is the original Nza from Eastern Africa introduced to the rest of the world only a few centuries ago.

Photo by Aland Manson Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0

N wa Nza the curious bird

The Nsbidi script, examplified facing page, topleft corner (stock photo), is the ancient graphic communication system of southeastern Africa including the Igbo. Right. A blanket concept inspired by Nsbidi symbols was commissioned by the ROR Magazine from VectorPerfector in Nigeria.

the Nwa Nza story

Nwa-Nza is the smallest bird in the animal empire in the Igbo tradition. The story goes that he was bullied and intimidated by all the bigger animals. He became so frustrated that he decided to ask God why He made him so, so small. He toured to the ends of the globe but never saw God. He met challenges in his search; the rain and wind were great obstacles to him. He later prayed and picked up courage again to move on and finally came back to the cotton tree where he began this journey.

How this folklore relates to Ndi Igbo and some of their culture especially their industrious and meticulous nature is what we are going to be tracing in this essay.

SIZE DOES NOT MATTER

Nwa-Nza achieves self-confidence and circles the whole world in flight despite his size. The Igbo culture does not believe that your inherited wealth can make you better than your pals. You can have an edge above them just for a time. They believe in themselves, and what they can achieve as a person. So, whether born rich or poor, big or small, it does not matter; what matters is who you are.

MIND-BLOWING QUESTIONS

The size of Nwa-Nza was a worry to him. Just like the family background of most Igbo people could constitute a challenge to survival. Family backgrounds can make one cower among his mate whose background looks better. Just as Nwa-Nza took his worries to God, the Igbos believe that Chineke (God) has the answer to all his mind-blowing questions. Nwa-Nza had many questions which only God could respond to. Questions; such as ‘why am I very small,’ ‘why are big birds bullying me,’ ‘why, why, what did I do to offend God?’ are some of the secret questions in the minds of many from humble backgrounds or those in the habit of pondering.

Cover of the Igbo podcast on SoundCloud, featuring lessons and cultural items in Igbo languages.

Nsbidi symbol cards on Pages 141-143 were put together by Sumy Sarfaraz using symbols provided by Nigeria’s XpertVector via Fiverr.

I WILL DO SOMETHING

Nwa-Nza decided to consult God and demand to increase his size. He engaged God in prayers during his search. Traditional Igbo prayers involve breaking cola nuts and pouring libation to the gods. Nwa-Nza’s size remained the same. He was so angry with everything around him that he went without food for days. He insisted he must get an answer somewhere, somehow. Whether from the land, wind, water, or the heavens he needed to hear something. Traditional Igbo religions believe in consulting the gods such as Ala (god of the land), Amadioha (god of thunder), Igwekala (god of the heavens), and Nne mirri (the water spirits) on their issues.

“Igbo men are performing a traditional dance as part of Independence Day celebrations in the city of Port Harcourt on October 2, 2005.”

Photo by Erica Lorimer Images; Editorial License; Shutterstock.

NWA-NZA’S IMAGINATION

He told himself that by the time he will be back from his journey he would have grown bigger. He decided to retaliate against all the bullying the big birds had done to him and also make them cry as they made him cry. He became happy after all imagining the payback happening as he traversed the skies. Gazing at the sky in his joy he viewed the sky touching the land very far and believed he will see God there.

A COURAGEOUS JOURNEY

Nwa-Nza decided to pack his bag with lots of food and water that will sustain him on this journey to his creator. He took his bag and flew into the sky with speed, engaging his strength very curious to see God. He flew far into the sky — up, up, and up he flew. After some days the rain began to fall. This is not in my plan, he cried. He had left without a raincoat and an umbrella. He became worried; he did not plan well, he said. He looked for where to perch but there was no tree around. Soaked with the rain he started feeling very heavy as the rain increased, and he was washed to the ground. Ndi Igbo just like Nwa-Nza in their culture are hardworking and determined never giving up.

THE GRATEFUL BIRD

On the ground, he hid under one big rock until the rain stopped the next day. I am very unfortunate, he thought as he shivered with cold without any pull-over. Wrong plan! He prayed to God to protect him from the cold. As soon as the sun was up after the rain Nwa-Nza spread out its wings and immediately it got dried he took off again.

Nwa-Nza was so grateful to God for providing the rock that shaded him from the rain. In the same way, Ndi Igbo has various festivals in which they show gratitude to God such as the Iri ji ohuo (new yam festival), Afo Ohuo (New year), and other festivals.

NWA-NZA’S CHALLENGE

This time the bird was confronted with the wind and his wind got broken. He was again worried. Is God punishing him for his many questions and curiosity? Should he give up? These were his thoughts as he nursed his wound. Nwa-Nza told himself “I cannot give up, not now. I will see the end because I have come too far. “Thus, Nwa-Nza was able to learn how to overcome this second challenge the pressure from the wind and then enjoy floating in the wind.

The Igbos never give up like Nwa-Nza. This is the lifestyle of Ndi Igbo; no matter the challenges they are not broken or weakened to surrender. Rather they will get up again and strategize. The Igbos are majorly known for their industrious lifestyle. Ndi Igbo are found all over Nigeria, and Africa, and indeed this world never gives up. They are well known for their great skill in business and lately education.

HOME IS THE BEST

At long last, Nwa-Nza realized that he was not getting the answers in a conventional way. His answers lied in the journey; in his quest, his courage, his overcoming his challenges without giving up. At this point, it was natural to realize his destination was his home, where he could be himself, without being influenced by things such as size.

Ndi Igbo believes that home is the best. No matter your acquisition outside your community, you are not celebrated. You are only celebrated when your wealth affects your community. Ndi Igbo never turn their back on their communities; thus, the slogan “Aku ruwe ulo bu ezi aku” (Success must touch one’s kinsmen). Their success wherever they are must reflect in their communities. No matter what their occupation or business, they are always getting involved in community development.

In course of their involvement in business, the Igbos have come across a lot. Their wealth of business experience has placed them in a class of their own. They can survive in any condition. From young age their children are groomed to know that commitment and devotion to one’s business or any vocation at all is the way to the top. They are not extravagant and can survive with little just like Nwa-Nza. In every challenge, Ndi Igbo believes that there is always a way out. Their strength is hidden in their ability to unravel secrets. They can explore like Nwa-Nza who explored the heavens and discovered the stars, and the moon and yet kept flying. The Igbos never get satisfied in investing, business and growing themselves generally.

CHRISTOPHER MOORE

BEING ON THE SPECTRUM

The story of an Information Technology expert who struggled with undiagnosed borderline autism all his life and almost gave up with a suicidal car crash. Find out how he turned his life around to superior performance and award success at work.

Graffiti art by Marc Pascual; Pixabay License

very job I had, I had some kind of problem. Most of the time, it was on a personal level: Not getting along with other people or people being upset with me and I didn’t know why.

At one of my previous jobs, I had only received positive feedback from management. I was often reminded what a good job I was doing. With that, I was fired without warning. They gave only flimsy reasoning, including failing to fill out paperwork which was “found in a drawer” to which I had no memory of.

At the second to last job I had, the daily feedback I received from my manager would give the average person the idea they were being fired. Yet, they never fired me or reprimanded me, officially. I did not receive feedback like this from anyone else. I eventually left that job of my own accord.

The last job experience I had ended the worst.

That job allowed for focus on growth and as such was very important to me.

Once again, I had no idea what I did wrong. They gave loose reasoning, vaguely touching upon “professionalism” and promptly fired me.

I felt so backwards from the rest of the world. I had no idea what I was doing wrong and felt that I couldn't trust reality.

Frustrated, I impulsively took my car off the road and into a tree. Miraculously, I had no physical injuries. However, I was placed under a psychiatric hold at the hospital for ten days.

After being released from the hospital, I felt even worse. I felt like my instincts were wrong and that I couldn’t trust myself - as if I would walk on my hands if someone didn’t tell me otherwise. As such, I did whatever anyone told me to do, and went to a day program and found a new therapist, as well.

In time, I found myself watching things that I say and do. I resisted complaining at work, while also being careful not to be walked on.

Finally, I received the diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. This diagnosis made the most sense to me, though I am on the borderline end of the spectrum, what they call “high-functioning.”

I’m not sure if this qualifies as a “personal resource,” but I wouldn’t have made it through this tough time without my wife. As for other sources of social support, this is actually a problem to date. Having a full time job and being a full time dad coupled with social anxiety has left me pretty isolated. I’m sure I would feel even better if I could find some friends.

However, I can say that the ASD diagnosis has granted me a greater understanding of why I might be confused by other people’s actions.

I also find myself constructively second guessing my thoughts and actions, giving greater consideration as to why I might feel a certain way and if my feelings and/ or actions are valid.

Truth be told, marriage counseling may be helping the most.

About 10 years ago, I would have said, “Look at what you have and all you can lose.”

It has granted me outside input, mediated by a professional. This can help to have a constructive conversation rather than a berating argument. This has also helped my wife and life partner to understand how my mind works and what is okay and not okay. It can help her to understand and be okay with me needing rest and it has helped me to take little steps in taking pressure off my wife. Like cooking, cleaning, and helping to take care of our son.

Thinking about my history of depression... I do not know how my depression started. I believe it to be a chemical imbalance that I was born with. However, I

“Being on the Spectrum,”Poster Art by Sumy Sarfaraz for the ROR Magazine.

can tell you that although I grew up in a loving and supportive home, it had its fair share of dysfunction.

My father was always pissed off and I never understood why until he revealed his secret drinking habit. My parents would often argue in front of me and with a great deal of sarcasm. My mother would frequently go around the house in a panic stating that we would “lose the house” (didn’t have enough money to pay the bills).

My behaviors and actions were met with heavy criticism. Although I was never insulted or purposely made to feel bad, I regardless developed a low opinion of myself and have confidence issues to this day. They were also just negative people, overall. For example, the topics which garnered the most attention at the dinner table were of some bad news or otherwise negative discussions.

My issues started with panic attacks at a very young age. As I said, I did grow up in a loving household, and my mother was quick to bring me to a doctor and then eventually into therapy. This is also where my inability to pay attention in class and sit still was addressed. I was medicated at a very young age and remain medicated to this day.

I can’t say that during the previous jobs, the medication and therapy attention I had received as an adult didn’t help. I was definitely better with care, rather than without. And yet, I still crashed my car.

The action of crashing my car, I believe, can be attributed to a combination of the impulsive behavior that

CHRISTOPHER MOORE’S Routines of Success

Keep trying to understand your situation better.

Strive to find a balance at work between your needs and your roles at the job.

Understand your weaknesses as much as knowing your strengths.

Seek out a superior understanding with your social support person even if it requires therapeutic mediation.

Build up to a mutually receiving and giving relationship with your support person.

Stay in touch with your history and how it affects you.

Use delayed reaction, analysis and reflection to navigate social situations.

Keep self-expressing by actualizing your originality and creativity.

Christopher Moore’s Showcase

is common in ASD patients and how incredibly depressed I was. I had no intention of killing myself. If anything, I felt angry.

Just before I cut the wheel hard, I was thinking about how one of the clients at that job said I had such a good handshake. I’ve heard that a few times before. That’s when I cut the wheel. I remember I screamed “God damn it” as I cut the wheel.

I have come to realize that therapy requires a great deal of trial and error. Getting proper care in this country can be challenging since our insurance is tied to our employment. After high school, I had to find my own therapists and ways of paying for it.

As I said, I was in and out of jobs quite often. Even if I found someone, sometimes I didn’t feel they were the right fit for me. Some health care providers can be jaded. Perhaps even just in it for the money. Which then becomes an obstacle in getting consistent care.

It can also be very easy to fall into a sort of “friendship” feeling with your therapist. With that, you may find yourself just chatting with the therapist, rather than actually working on any issues. I feel this is where I stood with the majority of my therapists until recently.

In summary, experiences following the car crash and the hospital stay have helped more often than not. It has really made a huge difference at my recent job. I’m now working for a major pharmaceutical company as a professional in their Tech Bar. Employees bring their tech to me to repair

and ask questions. I also do a lot of work remotely.

Aside from tons of verbal accolades saying what a great job I am doing and how helpful I am, numerous emails have been voluntarily sent to upper management regarding my performance. With that, I was eventually given responsibilities supporting the executives and CEO, as well as awarded several bonuses and raises in pay. I was also granted an award for outstanding customer service.

Today, I don’t necessarily adopt or stick to any routines or habits. Though, I am sure some exercise would help me and I intend to persue that.

However, I now often analyze situations and my own behaviors. I pause and reflect more; I consider how I may be reacting and why. This helps me to gain better perspective and make better choices.

It can be extremely challenging, especially in the heat of the moment, but I believe stopping to think before I act has benefited me in several aspects of my life.

Apart from information technology, I also studied Studio Art in college and love to sketch cartoons and caricatures. I am into construction and use my self-taught skills to create both digital art and toys and various utility objects (such as lamps and music boxes). I prefer the steampunk look and use old toys, equipment and computer parts to create it.

“Winter Landscape,” oil in canvas, c. 1625 - 1630, by Joose de Momper II (the Younger) Public Domain via Google Arts & Culture Original at North Carolina Museum of Art

Drone photography

“Sand Dunes at the beach,” Ouddorp, Niederlande.

Photo by Daniel Boberg. Unsplash License.

“Holly bush in snow.”

By Autumn Dirksen, Western Washington University, Bellingham, United States. Unsplash License.

Making CarrieRelatable

S

omething I admire as a writer is how some writers are naturally in tune with their stories. For example, in the well-known novel Carrie, Stephen King manages to focus on Carrie White's character arc throughout the book. Carrie’s classmates torment her at the beginning of the story because she gets her first period.

I can relate to this experience because I remember when I had my first period. I was twelve and could not understand what was happening in my body. My mother had to explain that I was not dying, but it was my way of becoming a woman. To be honest, using a pad was horrifying.

Toward the end of the book, Carrie becomes a confident woman before the Black Prom massacre. I empathize with Carrie because I was shy and quiet throughout high school. I have slowly become a confident person, but sometimes I find myself reverting to a shy and less confident Amber. Even at 36 years old, I struggle with confidence in myself.

BY AMBER BRANCH

Even though Carrie manages to find a way to gain self-confidence, that confidence somehow turns into the “Black Prom” massacre. I do not believe was the original intent of King. In the book, Carrie is overweight, and she has pimples everywhere. In the film, however, she looks beautiful by Hollywood standards, or she looks slightly disheveled.

I relate more to Carrie in the book version. Growing up, I did not see myself as beautiful. I would always try to “hide” my blemishes or slight imperfections. I have my moments where I had body dysmorphia. Even after losing 65 pounds five years ago, I still thought I was “fat.” I was listening to the negative voices. Today, people use cosmetic surgery or Botox. To be honest, Hollywood’s beauty standards paint a narrative that women should look young.

Another example of how a writer is in tune with the story is how the reader is able to connect with Carrie. Despite King being a man, he was able to tap into Carrie White quite relatably. Because of this extraordinary skill in King’s writing, readers naturally empathize with Carrie and her struggle to become a woman and to discover her identity. I often wonder if Carrie grew up in a stable environment, would it change the outcome of the book?

King’s writing always sands out to me, including how he can create unique characters that give you a sense of who they are, their needs, and their overall character arc throughout the book. The book Carrie means more to me because, in a lot of ways, I feel like Carrie. I was bullied throughout my life and into my adult life. I feel as though the only character who tries to help Carrie out is Sue Snell. She realizes the errors of her ways. To me, not a lot of people can see the error in their ways.

Carrie and I are similar. I feel for Carrie being guarded around people because of the abuse she suffered with her mother. We both went through our own turmoil, but she snapped when her telekinetic powers manifested. I have entertained in my life a similar acting out impulse, but would have truly solved anything? Absolutely not. Instead, I have been able to learn and grow from my own experiences.

I do not think Carrie truly trusts Sue enough, but I wish she did. It may have saved her. But I do not think that was the intention of the book, personally. The book serves as an allegory that we should treat others how they want to be treated. We shouldn’t be so quick to judge others who may come from different backgrounds or different circumstances. I believe that we should give people the benefit of the doubt.

Because of this book alone, I want to become a writer. I have read the book more times than I can count! To this day, Carrie White remains a cautionary reminder of the struggles of being a teenager and becoming a woman. As my writing continues to grow the older I get, I am able to connect to my own characters and see through their eyes, inspired by my favorite authors.

“Carrie’s internal truth” (this page) versus “Carrie’s fantasy self” (facing page).

Dual conceptual posters made for the ROR Magazine by Sumy Sarfaraz.

The global movement towards Web 3.0 and the Metaverse is well underway. Businesses, Banks, Institutions and even Governments are all establishing their presence.

Schools and Colleges are already teaching some of the skills necessary for the advent of Web 3.0, and many of the top universities have already added virtual metaverse campuses.

GmetaOne will guide you towards understanding and establishing a presence in the Metaverse. We are a full service organization, with Metaverse Education at our core and we’ll help you to understand the “how” as well as the “why”. Here are just some of the services we can offer:

Anything that you can see, feel or smell is art! There’s an art to cooking, doing business, raising children... Art is a story waiting to be told.

hat is art without an Artist? It’s just a willie-nillie thought!

So what is art? Art is the ability to capture that thought, to feel it! And then to allow that feeling to inspire you to mold an object or theory from which your specific point of view will create conversation and questions.

It’s a science, and science is art! In theory art is everywhere! Look at the word EARTH... Do I have to go on any further.? Look at the word START, PART, and let’s not forget CART and DART... All these words have “ART” living right in the very HEART of them.

What is your story? It’s a simple question but such a difficult one to pin down. It’s an ongoing thought until we do something about it. Our art starts with our voice. What are you saying? How are you feeling? And for whom are you creating? We sometimes overlook the simple things but everything from your house, your car, the clothes you wear are all functional pieces of art.

I am willing to bet if you acknowledged your thoughts as pieces of unclaimed ART, that life would be at least interesting.

What makes an Artist unique is their ability to convey the same object or theory in an entirely different way. Picasso and Van Gogh, just to name a few, exemplify this attribute. And with each different possibility, life wedges the opportunity to get the same message across to a wider audience.

RSee, someone felt moved enough to do something with their idea and now it positively affects how you sleep, what you eat, and how you interact in the world.

So, is everyone an Artist, then? Yes! But does everyone recognize themselves as one? No!

what is A t

What if we did? What if we all just started to honor ourselves as artists? How would that affect your daily life and the lives you encounter?

with

In so many ways as humans, we are all ART and ARTIST at the same time, formulating stories and concepts every day. Just the thought of conception brings up a discussion.

When does it start, to whom are we speaking about, what do we what do we decide to do with the concept.... and the story goes on.

As art and artist, we are simply after the story. The function of that

A LONNIE HUGHES ART COLUMN

that story, who it touches, inspires… Where do we find community in the story that revolves around the art?

To what price does the Art inform the world, and help bring clarity to a perspective. We are Art and We are all Artists, bringing smiles and frustration… Lending possibilities to extend those smiles or finding a way to better inform the frown...

What’s this conversation about? I am simply provoking a feeling so you can feel who I am. A mere picture of society in 500 words or less. This is my art. I am the artist behind these words. What are they to you?

Am I inciting the right questions to impact the world of him, her, they, them, he, she… Am I enough? And do I have the right to own the title of an Artist if all I ever do is breathe deeper for myself… or do I have to change something for your eyes in order to give my eyes sight?

Credits from Pages 162-163 are listed on Page 165.

art?

Art doesn’t have to be what is liked, but it must be expressed fully to be seen whether you agree to disagree… Art is active; it’s how you show up in the world. How do you show up? Is your Art worth sharing? You’re the Artist - you’ll have to tell me!

out the ist

“Central Park in Winter” Unknown Artist. Public Domain via MET Museum

Credits from Pages 162-163:

“The Librarian,” c. 1566, by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

“Tahitian Woman with a Flower” (1891) by Paul Gauguin

“Myself: Portrait –Landscape” (1890) Henri Rousseau

“Portrait of an Artist Painting Her Self Portrait” Jean Alphonse Roehn

“Four Seasons in One Head” (1590) by Giuseppe Arcimboldo

“Howling Dog” (1928) by Paul Klee

“The Buoy” (1896) by Paul Signac

“Mural of Children” by Paul Brennan.

Chinese painting featuring two birds among flowers (ca.1800–1899)

William Morris’s St.James (1881)

“Painting with Troika” (1911) by Wassily Kandinsky.

“Washington Arch at Winter Twilight (1914) from Art–Lovers New York postcard by Rachael Robinson Elmer. Original from The National Gallery of Art. Digitally enhanced by rawpixel.”

by GMETA ONE HEAD OF DESIGN ANDREW COLQUHOUN

the metaverse is UNSTOPPABLE !!!

MMany people, including some misguided members of the popular press, thought that 2022 would be the breakthrough year for the metaverse.

This was mainly based on the hype which was created by the rebranding of Facebook and it’s related brands as “Meta” in the Fall of 2021, and the subsequent release of Horizon Worlds, Meta’s digital universe.

We now the media loves bad news, and it has reveled in the abject failure of Mark Zuckerberg’s vision of the metaverse so far. Whilst all this has brought a lot of awareness to the metaverse, there’s a regrettable misperception that Meta’s future will dictate the success or failure of the metaverse elsewhere.

Meta’s huge global audience will ultimately guarantee the success of their project. However, the metaverse has been and will continue to be driven by other factors, which I believe make it’s future adoption and ascendency inevitable…

INDUSTRY IS DRIVING THE METAVERSE

Various industries have already embraced what this new technology can deliver, from unique marketing experiences to many more advanced innovations.

Based on end-use, the global market is segmented into gaming, media & entertainment, education, travel and tourism, real estate, healthcare, hospitality, retail, banking, financial services, insurance and others.

For example, Celebrity Cruises recently unveiled their own microverse experience; the “Wonderverse” which is a copy of one of their existing vessels. This offers consumers the opportunity to board the ship, check out all of the facilities, explore the different cabins to actual scale, and to interact with the crew, Captain and even the CEO.

For the potential customer, the advantages over watching videos or a mere “virtual tour” are huge. For the company: this will make the customers’ buying decisions much easier and increase the opportunities to upsell trips and cabin upgrades.

On a more technical level, Nvidia, the well-known software and hardware firm, recently announced that it has the technology to test and develop cars in the entirely digital metaverse. In an interview with BBC’s Top Gear magazine, Danny Shapiro, Nvidia’s Vice President,

described how they are taking the testing process away from the “crash test dummy” scenario with a prototype and utilizing their “omniverse” to test vehicles’ performance and reactions in various conditions and driving situations.

“If we need to test ‘Is this car going to detect a child running in front in the middle of the night?’ Well, we’re not going to take a child at night and put them in front of the car! But using this 3D-simulated digital twin, we can recreate situations that are too dangerous to test in the real world and generate the sensor data coming into the car.”

“The computer doesn’t know it’s not in a car driving. It thinks it’s on the road, it’s getting signals saying ‘There’s the lanes, there’s other cars, there’s the street lights…’ We can test millions and millions of scenarios in different, weather, at different times of the day, and ensure that the veh-

All images in this feature have been provided by the author except as noted.

icle is safe for going on the road.”

The innovative use of metaverse technology, VR and Augmented Reality is allowing architects to experience the feel and scale of their creations, permitting surgeons to practice complex procedures over and over and even allowing USAF pilots to safely train for various combat scenarios!

BRANDS ARE WELL-ENTRENCHED IN THE METAVERSE

I’ll resist the temptation to illustrate this with a list of those involved as that could get long! The “juggernaut” brands in every sector of business are already well established in one or more virtual worlds. Many were early adopters, but already a “keeping up with the Joneses” phenomenon is ensuring that brand rivals are setting up shop daily. For example, no sooner had Mastercard filed for patents covering NFT’s and the metaverse, than did American Express and Visa followed suit.

Decentraland is one such digital universe and has seen an influx of massive brands moving in, from the corporate sector to most of the main fashion houses, after successfully establishing Metaverse Fashion Week in March 2022. In a recent interview with Decrypt online magazine, Decentraland’s Creative Director Sam Hamilton addressed the

negative publicity spilling over from Meta’s struggles with it’s vision of the metaverse:

“The eyes of the world came on us too soon. Honestly, we probably would have liked to have had another couple of years to improve the products before we got to that stage [of exposure], but it is what it is. If you projected the metaverse onto cinema, we’re still in the days of silent movies,” he said. “We’ve got so many decades of innovation and invention ahead of us until we get to blockbusters like Star Wars.”

This was one reason why Gmeta.One established our HQ in Decentraland early in 2022, We have been recently vindicated by the arrival of our new next door neighbor: none other than UPS!

YOUR KIDS GOT THIS!

The gaming sector has demonstrated the appetite for immersive entertainment experiences, and as a result, Gen Z are already all too familiar with the concept of creating personalized avatars, building in virtual environments and purchasing wearables and equipment using a virtual currency native to the platform. This has led to brands like Forever 21, Gucci, Ralph Lauren, Vans, Kellogg’s and Nike setting up gaming experiences in one such gaming platform, Roblox.

If you think about the way music and movies are consumed today compared to 10 years ago; you can only imagine how Web 3.0 and the metaverse will evolve in the coming years in the hands of this generation and beyond.

We at Gmeta.One are very excited for the coming years. Seeing leviathan companies and huge brands follow us into the metaverse merely reinforces and confirms our conviction that the metaverse is:

UNSTOPPABLE

by

by

!

“The Metaverse Museum is a project born in Second Life for the enrichment of the artistic heritage created in virtual worlds. It was founded in September 2007

Rosanna Galvani.”

Image

Mirabella via Wikimedia Commons; CC BY-SA 4.0

Nature’s FIREWORKS

Aurora Borealis

and the best places to spot them

Viktor Toth reports from Denmark.

The aurora borealis, also known as the Northern Lights, are probably the most magnificent, unique natural phenomenon on earth. When particles from the sun reach the Earth’s magnetic field, they become charged and emit this colorful light show.

The Northern Lights have inspired people for a long time, and have significantly impacted folklore and mythology. Today, they keep enticing adventure-seeking people to travel to the Arctic.

Although the lights have been sighted from a lot more places in the world, the best vantage points to view this nature’s show remain inside the arctic circle.

So, Aurora chasers, be ready!

We let you in on the best places on earth that guarantee to bring you as close to these lights as possible.

The northern reaches of Norway are situated within the Arctic circle, making it ideal for viewing the Northern Lights. There are several great spots to visit, but one cluster of cabins offers a perfect Northern Light view and experience, called the Arctic Hideaway. This spot is on a small island in the Arctic Circle of Northern Norway, near Bodø. The location offers a seaside sauna, a lookout tower, and occasionally, concert shows nearby.

One of the most popular places for the aurora hunters is the town of Tromsø. The historical town is known for its centuries-old wooden houses and the Arctic Cathedral. It's on a heritage island 300 km north of the Arctic Circle. During the winter, the area can usually see the Aurora Borealis at night. If you cannot catch a glimpse of the natural phenomenon from the town, you can still see it from the nearby Storsteinen mountain.

By

Aurora Borealis, Northern Lights Above on snowy mountain in Skagsanden Beach at Lofoten Islands

Rustic Wanderlust; via Adobe Stock

Insets on the spread show The Arctic Hideaway and the Arctic Cathedral, respectively. Stock Photos.

By muratart; Adobe stock

ICELAND

There are several popular spots in Iceland to catch the Northern Lights, but two stand out. Located only a few kilometres from downtown, Grótta is a Nordic nature reserve perfect for both star-gazing and sea lovers. It's also Iceland's favourite place to watch the Aurora Borealis. After a long day of watching the cosmic scene, you can head back to Reykjavik and check out the city's nightlife at night. However, most aurora-spotters in Iceland stay in Reykjavik and watch the natural phenomenon from the comfort of their rented cars. So although the city can provide a glimpse of the aurora, you can still catch a better view if you leave the bright lights behind.

“Hot air balloon flying with spectacular Northern lights - Northern lights (Aurora borealis) in the sky over Tromso, Norway”

A beautiful green and red aurora dancing over the Jokulsarlon lagoon, Iceland

by Krissanapong Wongsawarng; Shutterstock.

Reykjavik, Iceland.

By Jesper2cv; Flickr;

CC BY NC ND 2.0

Aurora borealis

“Another

by Timo Newton-Syms Flickr; CC BY-SA 2.0

The Northern Lights can be spotted in Finland's Lapland region for 200 nights during the winter season, giving you a good chance to catch it. This area is ideal for those looking for a unique experience and enjoying watching natural phenomena from a remote location. Some of the most popular places where aurora spotters can gather are Utsjoki, Levi, and Kilpisjarvi.

Unfortunately, the visibility in Rovaniemi is often limited due to the pollution from the city. So instead, you can head to the nearby resort town of Kakslauttanen, situated deep within Finland's boreal forest. This area is perfect for those looking natural phenomena from a remote location. While staying at the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort, you can enjoy a glass igloo and stay in a heated electric sauna.

short burst of northern lights in Ruka, Finland”

SAARISELKÄ, Lapland, Finland - 2004: Glass igloo at Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort in northern Finland. The cosy heated igloos are perfect for watching the aurora borealis from September to March.

By Paul Harding (shutterstock)

In Greenland, light pollution is minimal, making it ideal for viewing the Nothern Lights. If you plan to visit this region during the winter, you can spot the Nothern Lights from Nuuk. Sisimiut and Kangerlussuaq are excellent base camps. This area, which used to be a US military base, is known for its high activity rate of aurora spotting. It hosts various aurora tours that allow visitors to see the natural phenomenon up close. If you're feeling brave, you can visit Ilulissat, northern Greenland, which is only 250 km from the arctic circle. During the winter season, staying in this region for three or four nights can help you catch a glimpse of the natural phenomenon.

“Aurora panorama storm from Qassiarsuq village.”

By Starry Earth; Flickr; CC BY NC 2.0

Although the Northern Lights can be spotted in Canada's various regions, the Aurora Zone is the best place to try and catch a glimpse of the natural phenomenon. Some areas ideal for this purpose inside the zone include the Northwest Territories, Churchill, and Manitoba. In Alberta, the lights can be spotted in Banff National Park and Jasper.

“Northern Light @ Aurora Village, Yellowknife”

By GoToVan; Flickr, CC BY 2.0

CANADA

Aurora Village is located in Canada's Northwest Territories and is a short drive from Yellowknife. This area is known for its beautiful views of the Northern Lights. After watching the skies with a fire in a teepee, you can head to a hotel in Yellowknife for a nap.

Churchill, Manitoba, is a popular tourist destination due to the presence of polar bears. Although it's easy to reach, this area is also a great spot to watch the Northern Lights due to its high activity rate of the aurora phenomenon.. In addition, the Northern Studies Centre in this area is a great place to study northern light photography and astronomy.

If you're planning on visiting this area and want to experience the wonders of nature, consider staying at the Tundra Lodge. This facility is right next to the polar bear habitat, allowing you to see the animals up close. In addition, a unique opportunity in Canada is that you can book a special flight service that allows guests to see the Northern Lights from above the clouds. This experience, known as the Aurora 360 Experience, is the only flight that can take off within the Aurora Oval, which makes it unmatched by any other place.

“Traveler man canoeing on Spirit Island with aurora borealis over rocky mountains in the night at Jasper national park.”

By Rustic Wanderlust Adobe Stock

Facing Page. Left. Aurora Forecast from the Space Weather Prediction Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at swpc.noaa.gov. Public Domain image.

National

Northern Lights in Arctic Sweden by Dan Carreno.

Unsplash License.

Facing. Top. 2016 Yukon Quest in Yukon-Charley - Slaven’s Roadhouse.”

Park Service, Alaska Region. Public Domain, via Flickr.

Facing. Bottom, Sideways. In rare moments aurora are visible from urban areas far south from the arctic circle. Gantry Plaza State Park, New York, United States, October 28, 2017 by Ibrahim Boran. Unsplash License.

“Mountain under Aurora Borealis,” Flakstad island, Lofoten archipelago

By Stein Egil Liland

The Best Non-Fiction Books

Mullaney is a professor of history at Stanford University, while Rea is an Asian Studies professor at the University of British Columbia. They have both come together to produce a self-help book for academics that focuses on a unique angle: How to aspire to a specific research topic in your academic career?

Research is the activity that vouches your scholarly credentials and is a requisite (along with teaching credits) for climbing the ladder in higher education. Coming up with a research question that you are not just “tackling by the numbers,’ as a formality, necessity or a bitter pill to swallow can sometimes be a challenge. After all you will be devoting significant resources: time, energy, skills, and importantly, your research grants. The authors’ main purpose with this book is to help researchers come up with a research question that is original, inspiring, and actionable. The book is planned like a workbook to give you more than a single strategy at all stages of this first big job as a researcher. The major through-line remains that you are the major source of inspiration; the igniting spark for the fire that will be your research project! Strategies such as “Let Boredom Be Your Guide,” “Commonly Made Mistakes,” and “Sounding Board” help you examine your interest and rejection of a topic from new angles, self-detect issues in your selection strategy, then get help from external resources, such as colleague’s advise, and field-testing your idea. This lets you first revisit potential avenues of research exploration with fresh takes, and then hones your selections by sussing them out in the real world.

Ed Yong’s book urges readers to break outside their “sensory bubble” to consider the unique ways that dogs, dolphins, mice and other animals experience their surroundings.

Ed Yong’s book impresses on us that terms such as “extrasensory” and “ultrasonic” are merely a contrivance of the human’s egocentric world. We consider anything that falls outside our extremely limited sensory limits as “alien,” forgetting that for our animal brethren, extrasensory feats are merely a walk in the park. Yong’s book tries to remedy the shortcomings of our awareness about our own “limits of typicality” by using a polished yet funny, passionate yet jargon-free account of what lies beyond our sensory bubble.

Stories of different animals’ sensorium become lessons in sharing lessons in how God’s creature experience a different, divergent and yet simultaneously existing world. From directly sensing earth’s magnetic field, to detecting sounds from both ends (too silent and too loud) of our hearing capacity, the biggest realization is that how we as well as these animals only share a sliver of reality in this world, unique for every species.

Yong is a science reporter for NPR who has received a Peabody and a Pulitzer for his previous journalism. His book is a must read for all who marvel at life on earth.

-- The New York Times

O’Rourke serves a much needed critique on the faulty Western idea that “we can control the outcomes of our lives.”

Starting from her own decade-long struggles with an undiagnosed, laughed at, passed-over, and ignored Lyme disease, O’Rourke finds similar experiences from chronic illness, women sufferers, and minorities, where “slipping through the cracks” of the American healthcare’s disjointed and unsympathetic non-system, is the norm for these sufferers.

It is astounding when you realize, thanks to her poetically translated research, that it takes at least three years and four doctors for an autoimmune diseased patient to achieve the correct diagnosis, on average. Meanwhile, patients are disbelieved, their symptoms are thought to be “imagined,”and made to feel invisible.

“The illness was severe but invisible. And that invisibility made all the difference — it made me invisible, which itself almost killed me.”

It was her fight against this invisibility that cemented her decision to record her journey and to augment her argumentation by finding voices and suffering similar to hers.

What is common between a monk, an engineer, a prisoner of war, and a multi-ethnic poet?

They are all heroes of China’s 100-year long journey of bringing its complicated 4000 characters based language system to print, and thus, into the digital world. Jing Tsu’s book brings back to life this set of human characters who combined to deliver China from a history of public illiteracy to it’s modern status of cultural, industrial, economical, and political superpower: Wang Zhao, an exiled reformer disguised as a Monk who traveled the country to popularize an alphabet system. Count Pierre, a French prisoner, devised Chinese telegraphy. Zhou Houkun who invented Chinese typewriter. And, Zhi BIngyi, a jailed convict who invented a binary code for the Chinese script using broken pottery and a stolen pen. And finally, Mao Zedong himself who supported the movement to simplify the stroke system in Chinese characters to render them more easier to read and learn.

Jing Tsu’s personal feat is to relay this extraordinary story as a riveting narrative. Her focus on the humanity of the struggles and the achievements makes the book a delight and a must-have for all lovers of language in general and Chinese culture in particular.

To Keep With You in 2023

“It was as if the old me, the authentic me, were inside, struggling to break free of the forces that had inhabited its body.”

-- Author

ascade Academy began with a dream of treating adolescent girls suffering with severe anxiety. Adolescent girls are three times more likely to experience anxiety than boys. This need presented an opportunity to serve students and families across the country. As with most dreams, there were many obstacles to overcome to keep hope alive. It took three years to make the dream a reality.

ascade Academy began with a dream of treating adolescent girls suffering with severe anxiety. Adolescent girls are three times more likely to experience anxiety than boys. This need presented an opportunity to serve students and families across the country. As with most dreams, there were many obstacles to overcome to keep hope alive. It took three years to make the dream a reality.

Cascade Academy was founded by John & Carol Probst, Caleb Cottle and Brad Gerrard in January 2020. With dynamic leadership forging the way, each partner has worked hard on their mission to help students and families to embrace life with courage and joy.

Cascade Academy was founded by John & Carol Probst, Caleb Cottle and Brad Gerrard in January 2020. With dynamic leadership forging the way, each partner has worked hard on their mission to help students and families to embrace life with courage and joy.

Having worked many years in the behavioral health industry, Caleb saw a need to serve adolescent girls with severe anxiety and began his search for the perfect location and the ideal team. Uninterested in a facility with an “institutional” feel, he began a search for something that felt like “home.” Through a series of fortunate events, he was led to John and Carol Probst, respected entrepreneurs and community members in Midway, Utah. They were interested

Having worked many years in the behavioral health industry, Caleb saw a need to serve adolescent girls with severe anxiety and began his search for the perfect location and the ideal team. Uninterested in a facility with an “institutional” feel, he began a search for something that felt like “home.” Through a series of fortunate events, he was led to John and Carol Probst, respected entrepreneurs and community members in Midway, Utah. They were interested

nine bedrooms, ten bathrooms, two kitchens and plenty of office space, it was the “home” he had been searching for. Rather than sell their beautiful home, John and Carol offered it as part of a partnership agreement and Cascade Academy was born. Situated in the scenic Wasatch Back just outside of Park City, Cascade Academy is the perfect environment to promote healing for students and their families.

nine bedrooms, ten bathrooms, two kitchens and plenty of office space, it was the “home” he had been searching for. Rather than sell their beautiful home, John and Carol offered it as part of a partnership agreement and Cascade Academy was born. Situated in the scenic Wasatch Back just outside of Park City, Cascade Academy is the perfect environment to promote healing for students and their families.

With the location established, Brad Gerrard, a well-respected and seasoned expert in the behavioral health field, was recruited and completed the ownership team, filling the role as Executive Director. Shortly thereafter Bekah Schuler joined the team as Clinical Director and quickly became specialized and knowledgeable in the treatment of adolescent anxiety. With over thirty years of experience in education, Jacki Burnham fills the demanding role as Academic Director, creating personalized education plans for each student. As the Admissions Director, LeaKae Roberts walks parents through the difficult process of placing their daughter in treatment. Porter Roe acting as Program Director makes certain that the needs of students and their families are met throughout the duration of treatment.

With the location established, Brad Gerrard, a well-respected and seasoned expert in the behavioral health field, was recruited and completed the ownership team, filling the role as Executive Director. Shortly thereafter Bekah Schuler joined the team as Clinical Director and quickly became specialized and knowledgeable in the treatment of adolescent anxiety. With over thirty years of experience in education, Jacki Burnham fills the demanding role as Academic Director, creating personalized education plans for each student. As the Admissions Director, LeaKae Roberts walks parents through the difficult process of placing their daughter in treatment. Porter Roe acting as Program Director makes certain that the needs of students and their families are met throughout the duration of treatment.

(12 May 1969) --- Artist's concept depicting the firing of the Apollo 10 Lunar Module descent engine for 42 seconds to propel "Snoopy" back into a higher lunar orbit for rendezvous and docking with the Command and Service Modules. Earlier, the LM descent engine will be fired for 27 seconds to take astronauts

Thomas P. Stafford, Apollo 10 commander; and Eugene A. Cernan, lunar module pilot, to within 10 miles of the moon's surface. Astronauts

John W. Young, command module pilot, will remain in the Command Module, "Charlie Brown," in lunar orbit. Developed by TRW's Systems Group at Redondo Beach, California, under Grumman subcontract, the throttleable descent engine will be used to soft land the LM on the lunar surface during Apollo 11 and subsequent Apollo missions. Public Domain, via PICRYL

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