【推荐1】Interview With God

I dreamed I had an interview with God. “So you would like to interview me?” God asked. “If you have the time,” I said. “My time is eternity.” God smiled, “what questions do you have in mind for me?” “What surprises you most about humankind?” God answered, “That they get bored with childhood; they rush to grow up, and then long to be children again. That they lose their health to make money... and then lose their money to restore their health. That by thinking anxiously about the future, they forget the present, such that they live in neither the present nor the future. That they live as if they will never die, and die as though they had never lived.” God’s hand took mine and we were silent for a while. And then I asked, “As a parent, what are some of life’s lessons you want your children to learn? To learn they cannot make anyone love them. All they can do is to let themselves be loved. To learn that it is not good   to compare themselves to others. To learn to forgive by practicing forgiveness. To learn that it only takes a few seconds to open profound wounds in those they love, and it can take many years to heal them. To learn that a rich person is not one who has the most, but is one who needs the least. To learn that there are people who love them dearly, but simply have not yet learned how to express or show their feelings. To learn that two people can look at the same thing and see it differently. To learn that it is not enough that they forgive one another, but they must also forgive themselves.” “Thank you for your time,” I said humbly. “Is there anything else you would like your children to know?” God smiled and said; “Just know that I am here always.”

【推荐1】Williams is a creative, cultural commons (公共用地). There’s a lot of opportunities to engage with and experience world-class scholars, speakers, artists and performers.

Saroya Corbett, Bolin Fellow of Dance, will share again her professional knowledge in Dunham Technique — an Afro-Modern dance technique — with the Williams community. As a certified instructor and life-long practitioner of Dunham Technique, Saroya will discuss the dance technique as an overall practice and the work of Katherine Dunham, the technique’s creator.

Date: Thu, Oct 27, 2022

Venue: ‘62 Center for Theatre & Dance

Bring a friend and enjoy our popular midday and midweek concert series. Williams student musicians value the atmosphere of MIDWEEKMUSIC and use it to try out something new, show off something that doesn’t fit in other concert formats, or just to have some fun. Instructors are encouraged to have their students present themes together, and the freestyle mini-lecture can also be part of the enjoyment.

Date: Wed, Nov 2, 2022

Venue: Thompson Memorial Chapel

The Zambezi Marimba Band features danceable and melodious marimba music from Zambia and Zimbabwe. More a joyous celebration than just a concert, the band wins over every audience with its energy. This is an event for the whole family.

Date: Sat, Oct 29, 2022

Venue: Chapin Hall

Williams JazzDay is a new way to present the college’s active jazz scene. Fans can look forward to a number of smaller combos (小型乐队) and a mix of soloists (独奏者), guests, and presentations.

The guest group will be Sarah Hanahan Quartet — alto sax, piano, bass, drums

Noon - 2 pm: two fantastic student combos are playing in Baxter Great Hall.

7:30 - 10:30 pm evening concert: Featured guest group Sarah Hanahan Quartet; student combos; and the Williams Jazz Orchestra led by director Kris Allen.

Date: Sat, Nov 5, 2022

Venue: Chapin Hall

【推荐2】As the spring and summer are finally upon us, the HOA (Homeowner Association) communities are planning events to get the neighborhood involved and interacting. Below are some great event ideas for your community.

Spring fling cookout

This is a great way to get to know your neighbors and build a sense of community. To keep the costs down, make it a potluck(自备餐宴会). If someone doesn't like to cook, have them bring dinks or utensils(餐具). Have a few neighbors bring their gill if it is convenient for hot dogs and hamburgers. Set it up in a buffet style to allow one to pick and choose their favorites on each table and keep things moving. Plan game areas for all ages. Finally, make a playlist. Music really sets a great mood. Make sure you have a good mix of songs for every listener.

Community-wide garage sales

It's suitable to hold garage sales in the spring and fall. Having a neighborhood yard sale usually attracts larger crowds because there is an opportunity for lots of bargains without having to walk a long distance or car hop from location to location. If your community has a large area you could stage it as a mini flea market. Remember, one's junk is another's treasure!

Welcome spring

For a great children's event, decorate a flower pot and plant a seed to welcome the spring. Adults are welcome to participate. Host a nature walk in your neighborhood. This is a great way to educate the community about green practices and conservation. If you need help with this, contact your local garden center or your community landscaper to see if you can get a volunteer for an hour or so for this event.

Movies in the park

If your neighborhood has a great open park area where blankets can be spread out, think about holding a family movie night. Movie nights are great fun for all under the stars on a warm summer night. Outdoor movie rental screens are easy to rent and set up. Family movies, such as Toy Story, Cars and Monsters, Inc, are appropriate for all to see.

【推荐2】Researchers spotted the killer whale they call J35 alongside her playful and lively new calf on Saturday—a ray of hope for the endangered Southern Resident population off the Pacific Northwest.

An orca that once spent 17 days carrying her dead calf has become a mother once again. The orca, identified by researchers as J35 and also known as Tahlequah, became a symbol in 2018 of the difficult situation of the Southern Resident whales, which were 88 in number when they were listed as endangered in 2005 and have decreased further since then. The birth of the new orca, which was seen for the first time by researchers on Saturday, brings the population to 73.

“It's a bit of a nail-biter right now,” said Dr. Deborah Giles, a whale researcher. I can't help but be thrilled that she had this baby and this baby didn't die right away. Everybody is worried and on pins and needles, wondering if this calf is going to make it.

The Southern Resident population of orcas, which are also known as killer whales, largely stay near Washington State and British Columbia. The whales have been struggling to get through a variety of troubles-a lack of high-quality food to eat, noise pollution from ships and boats in their habitat, and dangerous pollutants that make their way up the food chain to them. Many of the population's pregnancies 35 fail, and about 40 percent of the calves die in their first year.

J35 had a calf in 2018 that died shortly after birth off the coast of Victoria, British Columbia. The mother continued to carry the calf, pushing it through the water and repeatedly diving deep to get it when it fell away. Orcas sometimes do that for a little while, but J35's journey of grief lasted 17days and covered about 1,000 miles, attracting wide attention at a moment when government agencies were attempting to change the population's downward trend.

Ken Balcomb, founding director of the Centre for Whale Research, documented the newest calf, listed now as J57, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Mr. Balcomb said he was hopeful that recent efforts could bring back more Chinook salmon, the primary food source for the Southern Resident orcas. He pointed to the removal of a dam on the Elwha River, which empties into the strait, as a possible turning point.

【推荐3】In many regions of Ghana, it can take hours to get to the nearest hospital. As a result, many people lose their lives to treatable illnesses. Osei Boateng experienced this personally when he lost his grandmother and aunt. Feeling an urgent call to help, Boateng decided he would make it his life mission to bring health care to remote communities in Ghana.

Boateng started his nonprofit, OKB Hope Foundation 2 years ago, he converted a van (厢式货车) into a mobile doctor’s office and started bringing health care directly to those in need. A few times a week, the mobile clinic and medical team travel long distance to remote communities in Ghana and provide free routine medical care.

On each trip, Boateng’s team consists of a nurse, a physician’s assistant, a doctor, and an operation assistant. In the van, they can run basic labs like bloodwork as well as prescribe and provide medications. “It’s like a one-stop shop for people,” said Boateng, adding that most of the people they see have one health issue or another.

Since its launch, Boateng says the Hope Health Van has served more than 4,000 Ghanaians across more than 45 rural communities who otherwise don’t have easily accessible medical care. Boateng has big plans for the future. He hopes to expand to provide more consistent and high-quality mobile medical care not only to those living in remote areas of Ghana but in other countries as well.

Boateng has gone all in on his OKB Hope Foundation, recently quitting his job to dedicate his time to bringing health care to his home country. But for him, the sacrifices are well worth the reward. “Words cannot describe the feeling that you get providing care for someone who otherwise wouldn’t be alive if your mobile health van wasn’t there.”