http://www.fox5sandiego.com/videobeta/250373bc-0bd8-4053-85e1-1d9962b6d1f9/Community/Platt-College-Preps-Students-to-Work-for-Major-Hollywood-Movies

“When I was a fireball

I ate the sun

When I was a fireball

I was the hottest thing around…”

Gloria

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We dispersed during Tuesday, February 9, 2010 three wonderful half an hour happenings with music and “beneficial snack pizza” to show solidarity to Haiti.  Our students, teachers and employees demonstrated unprecedented compassion, philanthropy and solidarity. We raised $916!!! Our goal was $900. Hooray!

Less than three hundred people donated in such a short period of time more than our goal was. The money will go to organization “Artists for peace and Justice” (http://artistsforpeaceandjustice.com/) that is building schools in Haiti. Perhaps we managed to add money worth of building one classroom!

One seemingly ordinary Tuesday turned into extraordinary day of sharing, giving and remembering to do anything to restore our world to its original beauty.

Congratulation! We did it!

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We are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
There’s a choice we’re making
We’re saving our own lives
It’s true we make a better day
Just you and me…”

Many of us (how that is possible!) remember very well this song resonating July 13, 1985 around the world. It was a day when Bob Geldof  put together a tour  raising money to help famine in Ethiopia. Every star you can imagine participated in two concurrent concerts, one in London and one in Philadelphia, viewed by 400 million people around the globe. That day the song “We are the World” became what it is today -  a symbol of giving and supporting. It became a motto of solidarity.

Solidarity is one of the most powerful tools to support others. It is not so much about monetary gift  as it is about recognizing that one is not alone in  his dire situation.  It is about that others, who live in civil conditions, are aware that you do not. Believe or not – it helps as much as an actual gift.

One of my most memorable moments where I felt very palpably how solidarity does wonders was in Budapest in September 6, 1988. I traveled there from Prague to see a concert Human Rights Now! that featured Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Sting and Tracy Chapman. The concert symbolically started with Bob Marley song “Get up, Stand up” and ended withDylan’s “Chimes of Freedom” sung by Springsteen. Very moving. All of the singers acknowledged us –  ”Let us now welcome all of the young people living without privilege to freedom, people who traveled to Budapest from East Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia”. We were so taken aback that someone is taking interest in our humble insignificant Eastern European lives, that someone is touring twenty cities around the world to spread the thought of necessity of freedom. We were touched, moved, surprised and our spirit was strengthen by solidarity of others who supported us, who acknowledged us and  recognized the harsh conditions we lived in. I have never attended more intense concert that would give me such a moral boost. We knew we are not alone.  Even though a cynic may say that “these singers did not change anything about your doom”  - I have to argue they did. They poured into the crowd of young people, bereft of democracy, much of hope, joy and power to keep our dignity.

Let us show our solidarity  to those who need it the most now. Let us choose for this week Haiti. They need strength, hope, joy and knowledge that we think of them. Let us assure them they are a part of our world that we will help to restore to its original beauty.

By money we can rebuild the cities. By solidarity we can rebuit the broken spirits.

Let us be giving.

Solidarity for Haiti at Platt not only  on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 event from 10 AM – 10 PM.

How is it it made me so sad he is gone…he has been in seclusion for many many decades anyway…perhaps now the hope is eternally gone that he may share with us one more story after a half of century silence…or perhaps he would appear on David Latterman to prove to us he really exists…

Well, he is gone and with him one of the finest short story American writers…pick up his book…allow yourself a company of Holden Coulfield from Catcher in the Rye and you will not believe that it is 59 years since it had been published…pick up “Nine Stories” and keep company to Seymour Glass in his sorrow…J.D. Salinger….what a writer who used his talent so sparingly, so sparingly…quiet for the last 45 years…

J. D. Salinger, Literary Recluse, Dies at 91

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2010/02/08/100208ta_talk_gopnik

What is then the cultivated behaviour? It explores before it judges, ponders before it jumps to conclusion, respects the opponent, and usually does not scream and  offend.

Can we draw conclusion that the more intelligent you are the better you behave? Well, you may argue that we all know plenty of intelligent people  who are not particularly nice.  Here is the key: Culture is not given; intelligence is. Intellectual properties are given (even though they may be practiced to perfection), but  culture is an act of acquisition.  Not all acquire it even though it is democratically offered to all and everyone has a wonderful chance to benefit from it.

We lead a school and as such we have the unique opportunity to offer to our students many avenues  that may broaden their cultivation. Our ultimate goal is that they will all acquire – through their cultivation – a proper attitude of an informed human being and citizen: the attitude of tolerance.

Such behaviour can be easily attained though learning and exploring.

Here comes an invite to various inspiring events for the first quater of this numerically handsome year :

• Saturday, January 16, 2010 – “The General” (Buster Keaton) – a silent film accompanies by live organ music. 8 PM Copleay Symphony Hall.  (750 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101)
• January 29,2010, Friday  - “Boom” (a play) San Diego Repertory Theater –  (Horton Plaza, Downtown San Diego)
• February 5, Friday, 8 PM Puccini - “La Boheme” (opera), Civic Theater,  (3. and B street, downtown)
• February 16, 2010,Tuesday,  Copley Hall, 8 PM. – Taiko Drummers form Japan
• February 25, 2010 at 7.3o, Thursday  - “Symphony Exposed” -Claude Debussy  - special concert for college students, Copley Symphony Hall
• February 11, 2009, Thursday –  ”The Piano Lessons” (a play) – Cygnet Theater, Old Town
• March 7, 2010, 8 PM “Cultural Clash in America” (a play) San Diego Rep Theater, Horton Plaza, downtown
• March 20, 2010 10 AM – 7PM - Trip to Los Angeles – County Museum  (Renoir) and Norton Simon Museum (Ingres)

I hope that you will choose, attend and leave inspired!

Let us not only cherish our wonderful life  but  also find a way to show solidarity to places where life is not as beautiful and dignified as ours.

Let us dream the most audacious dreams.  Let us avoid those who attempt to clip our wings. Let us not  float aimlessly for more than one afternoon! Let us find the right purpose coming from deep down of us.  Let us work diligently. Let us always employ honesty. Let us recognize quickly that we hurt someone. Let us correct it soon.

I am a non-believer in a religious sense yet I think that the gentleman who was born 2010 years ago or so in Bethlehem introduced us the picture of the most beautiful world we can live in. To attain such a perfect world, he says, is not as difficult. It can be achieved  by simply spreading love, goodwill, and by knowing only honesty, kindness and  no harm. I wish we can all try just that.

May the kindness prevail.

Happy New Year!

Thank you Platt College friends!! Our third annual Winter Art Festivities was a success thanks to our  students, faculty, staff and our loyal guests. No one seems to mind unusually wet weather and an unexpected  number of guests came on a very rainy Friday, December 11 to our beautifully decorated campus to celebrate (outside!) art, life, and the festive spirit of December holiday. Our campus boasted with excellent students’ and teachers’ art works that demonstrated  how the leap of imagination can be turned into a beautiful, inspirational, tangible piece of art work that warms your heart, makes you think or wants you to pick up the brushes and create!  The art work  I have seen this year  has resonated with me since then…Many  left enriched of someones’ world of  fantasy and imagination.

Everything was wonderful: Our rich and very elegant raffle, artistically arranged food, delicately painted faces, digital caricatures per order, handsome crowd in which faculty and staff mingled in red hats so everyone could recognize the proud hosts… Presentations of animation and video departments seemed to steal the show! Next to the highly inspirational art all of the guests enjoyed a wide range of Platt students’ talent: Students’ films, excellent original poetry,  urban dance, guitar players, three students’ bands – it was almost hard to believe that so much talent comes from one modest  school!! I was so proud! It touched my heart to see how everyone came to share what he/she knows to contribute to Platt spirit that was so much present in the air.

The precedent was to work hard so we can enjoy later the fruit of the effort. And we all did: Knowing that together we can not only show the world what we are capable of but also prove that we are a wonderful team. And we are. Thank you all who were involved! You made happy many who came and left inspired or touched in any way.

And the wishes  for the next year?

We took as our motto  John Lennon’s song “Imagine”: Imagine all the people/ living life in peace…

So we wished for peace, freedom, joy, happiness, goodwill, recognition of beauty of diversity, and a happy life without any limits. “No more walls”, we wished, not in the middle of Berlin or anywhere else where a beautiful world of dazzling colors is separated from the drab black and white world… We want freedom for all no matter how cliche such a wish may sound.

The best for all of you! Much of inspiration, adventure and well recognized opportunities. Happy holidays!