NATHANIEL ROCHESTER COMMUNITY SCHOOL LEARNS CHINESE LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

The Rochester City School District held its first Chinese Culture Expo at Salvation Army Headquarters for the Nathaniel Rochester Community School’s elementary students enrolled in the RCSD New Frontier Chinese Language Program. The 4^th and 5^th grade students at the Nathaniel Rochester Community School undergo a rigorous Chinese cultural and Mandarin language program emphasizing a comprehensive curriculum of speaking, reading and writing. Cultural programs exhibiting Chinese history, music and the arts are introduced showcasing artisans from the Greater Rochester Asian American organizations and cultural communities. Program presentations and demonstrations included Chinese calligraphy and painting, Chinese guzheng zither music performances, history and culture of Chinese bonsai, and tea. Participants include Wegman's Nature Marketplace and the Greater Rochester Asian American organizations and cultural communities. The month of May commemorates national Asian Pacific American month and the contributions made towards enriching the cultural diversity of America. Our local U.S. Congressman Frank Horton from Rochester is attributed with bringing this legislation to the national forefront. The idea is to prepare students with foreign language capabilities and ready the cultural skill set for the global marketplace.

Danny Wegman’s innovation of the Tea Bar at Pittsford Wegman’s Nature Marketplace provided green tea samplings and arranged a tea education program, courtesy of Zhena Gypsy Tea Company. Ms. Zhena Muzyka, founder and business owner of the multimillion dollar award winning tea enterprise visited Rochester exclusively to participate in the RCSD Chinese Culture Expo and present the historical and cultural significance of tea. Moreover, her background and expertise is culled from her earlier work as an ethnobotanist in Peru. Ethnobotanists are scientists who study the relationship between indigenous cultures and the knowledge of how they use their plants. Zhena's Gypsy Tea is headquartered in Ojai, California, a pro-active purpose based brand, whose goal it is to make a difference in people's lives by offering only premium teas that benefit consumer's health and the health of the planet. Zhena Muzyka pioneered her socially responsible business with a commitment to improve the social, economical and environmental well-being of the world through its offerings of prized and exquisite Fair Trade and organic teas and herbs. is committed to empowering women around the world. Entrepreneurs like Zhena galvanized her commitment to serve social and environmental goals while reinvesting the profits back into social causes. Zhena's Gypsy Tea formulates and sells a variety of bagged organic, Fair Trade teas. All of Zhenas tea blends are sourced from Fair Trade, organic gardens in Sri Lanka, India and China. The company has direct relationships with its tea growers, the tea pluckers, and the families who depend on the income from its fair trade purchases. Muzyka was named in Country Living Magazine’s Women Entrepreneurs, and featured in Inc. Magazine article on Five Young Entrepreneurs, Good Housekeeping Magazine, and GreenMoney Journal. Muzyka was also featured in the book Ladies Who Launch: Embracing Entrepreneurship and Creativity as a Lifestyle. Muzyka visits the tea estates she purchases from three to four times each year, so she sees first hand the impact her decisions have made on the workers who harvest her teas. www.gypsytea.com

Calligraphy is considered one of the highest forms of Chinese cultural art. Legendary tales stem from Huang Di, the Yellow Emperor  of China and tell the story of a man named Cang Jie, who invented the Chinese language. The Chinese writing system can be dated back to over 4000 years ago with the discovery of the ancient oracle bone inscriptions called Jia Gu Wen and was considered one of the earliest records of Chinese characters discovered. Inscriptions were carved onto tortoise shells and animal bones. The writing system evolved through many diverse styles and characteristics reflecting the political and historic trends ruling dynastic China. Renowned artist Dr. Alice Chen, demonstrated her prolific artistry integrating brush strokes into visual poetry. Dr. Chen is a faculty of the Creative Workshop at the Memorial Art Gallery. Born in China, and educated at the Taiwan National University and London University, Dr. Chen is also an internationally noted mycologist.

The Chinese guhzeng has played an important role in Chinese history as one of the most ancient Chinese instruments recorded in written archived documents. Guzheng is a plucked string instrument and originated during the Qin Dynasty (897-221BC) in China. During the Tang Dynasty, the zither was introduced to Japan, Korea and nearby regions. The guzheng’s horizontal shaped body was originally crafted from bamboo or wutong wood. Guzhengs are built with metal strings arched across moveable bridges. The number of strings were increased from the original thirteen in ancient times to now twenty-six. It is traditionally tuned to a pentatonic scale, many modern scales range from combinations of  diatonic and semi-chromatic scales. Dr Huoy-Jen Yuh performed lyrical music compositions as the young audience was mesmerized by the guzheng’s crystal acoustic quality, elegance and nobility. Dr. Yuh was born and raised in Taiwan and traveled to the U.S. to pursue her PhD at the University of Chicago and post-doctoral work at Johns Hopkins University.

Bonsai first appeared in China over a thousand years ago known as penjing, a practice of growing single specimen dwarfed trees in basins. Legends surround Chinese bonsai and the early specimens displayed rugged foliage with gnarled trunks which often resembled animals, dragons and birds. Chinese bonsai come from the landscape of the imagination and images of fiery dragons and coiled serpents. Bonsai was introduced to Japan during the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333) by means of Zen Buddhism. Over time, the miniature trees were not confined to the Buddhist monks and their monasteries, but later were introduced to be representative of the aristocracy - a symbol of prestige and honor. The ideals and philosophy of bonsai were greatly changed over the years. For the Japanese, bonsai represents a fusion of strong ancient beliefs with the Eastern philosophies of the harmony between man, the soul and nature. Mr. Mark Arpag, an award-winning bonsai artisan and member of the Bonsai Society of Upstate New York, and teacher at the International Bonsai Arboretum provided a lecture and demonstration of the art of bonsai trees. His award winning Satsuki Bonsai was designated as one of the “Best in the U.S.” by the Pacific Rim Bonsai Museum in Washington State.

And foremost, Chinese believe that the preparation of food is an art. Confucius established standards for proper table etiquette and for the appearance and taste of Chinese food. China has its own unique and identifiable cuisine for over 5000 years. The students gathered together en masse for a most memorable cultural expression of good will and friendship as they cheered in Mandarin, Huanying Welcome, Ni Hao, Hello, Xiexie, Thank You and Zaijian, Farewell, See You Again. A great tribute to everyone who participated in the RCSD Chinese Culture Expo and to enriching the cultural diversity of the Greater Rochester community.

LIZ MURRAY "HOMELESS TO HARVARD" HONORED AT YWCA EMPOWERING WOMEN 125TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

The YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County celebrated 125 years of service to the community by honoring 27 year old keynote speaker Liz Murray for their second annual 2008 Empowering Women Luncheon. Determined to overcome obstacles preset in a cycle of impoverishment, mental illness and hopelessness, Liz Murray triumphs her stunning personal victory in a vivid recollection of narratives, detailing her childhood to adult journey of homelessness, adversity and desperation.

Born to cocaine-addicted parents and often with lack of food, dictated the circumstances and characteristics of Liz Murray’s early childhood and daily upbringing. By age 15, Murray’s mother died of AIDS and she became homeless. She adapted by living on the streets, riding the NYC subway, and scavenged from dumpsters. Yet among her despair, she persevered, “I started to grasp the value of the lessons learned while living on the streets. I knew, after overcoming those daily obstacles, that next to nothing could hold me down.” Murray desperately sought education as the key to a new beginning and a hopeful future. She compacted and earned her high school diploma within two short years, and garnered a prestigious scholarship from the New York Times and admitted to Harvard University. Her inspirational story was captured on Lifetime Television’s Emmy-nominated original film, From Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story. Murray was also the first recipient of Oprah Winfrey’s Chutzpah Award. Her memoir and inspirational story, Breaking Night, challenges the readers to embrace each opportunity encountered and make a lasting contribution to another person’s life.

With grace, eloquence and maturity transcending her 27 years, Liz Murray’s commitment to individual achievement and survival redefine the boundaries of humanity and social progression. Her inner strength and poise abounds, reaching student assemblages to business audiences in need of inspiration to overcome their own obstacles. Audiences are transfixed — and uplifted — by the tale of her own transformation.

The YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County brings together women of diverse backgrounds, ages, and experiences to build a community and dedicated to "eliminating racism and empowering women." Since 1883, the YWCA of Rochester & Monroe County has provided programs and services to assist women in reaching their full potential. Through its services and partnerships, the YWCA inspires women to overcome the most difficult periods of their lives.

Historically, the YWCA has played a critical role via the dramatic transformation of the Progressive Era in the U.S. Women of the YWCA realized that effective leadership translated into activism in the arena of advocacy and public policy work. YWCA women recognized that lobbying for minimum wage laws and federally funded housing would exceed their efforts in merely providing boarding houses and meals. Among its initiatives and legislative successes were the Fair Labor Standards Act, child labor laws, protective legislation for women workers, the Social Security Act, as well as immigration labor standards which influenced legislation through the International Labor Organization (ILO).

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