El Sol Latino | February 2015 | 11.3

Massachusetts School and District Profiles

Massachusetts School and District Profiles

Springfield

Cohort 2014 Graduation Rates

4-Year Graduation Rate (2014)4-Year Graduation Rate (2014)

Student Group

# inCohort

%Graduated

% Still inSchool

%Non-GradCompleters

% GED %Dropped

Out

%PermanentlyExcluded

All Students 1845 61.6 10.9 4.2 2.6 20.4 0.2

Male 971 56.1 14.0 4.3 2.2 23.1 0.3

Female 874 67.7 7.6 4.1 3.1 17.5 0.0

ELL 270 43.0 14.4 8.1 0.7 33.3 0.4

Studentsw/disabilities

473 35.9 24.7 6.8 1.1 31.5 0.0

Low income 1678 60.8 11.7 4.4 2.6 20.4 0.2

High needs 1711 60.4 11.7 4.4 2.5 20.8 0.2

Afr. Amer./Black 421 69.8 10.5 4.8 2.1 12.8 0.0

Asian 53 79.2 7.5 5.7 0.0 7.5 0.0

Hispanic/Latino 1076 55.4 12.3 4.7 2.8 24.5 0.3

Amer. Ind. or AlaskaNat.

3 - - - - - -

White 247 67.6 7.3 1.2 3.2 20.6 0.0

Nat. Haw. or Pacif.Isl.

- - - - - - -

Multi-race,Non-Hisp./Lat.

45 80.0 8.9 2.2 2.2 6.7 0.0

* NOTE: Graduation rates willnot be publicly reported for co

hort counts fewer than 6 More about the data.

4-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (2014)


Student Group

# inCohort

%Graduated

% Still inSchool

%Non-GradCompleters

% GED %Dropped

Out


All Students 1463 64.0 11.5 2.9 2.3 19.2 0.1

Male 776 57.9 14.8 3.0 2.2 21.9 0.3

Female 687 70.9 7.7 2.9 2.3 16.2 0.0

ELL 169 45.0 14.8 4.1 0.6 34.9 0.6

Studentsw/disabilities

382 36.1 25.7 5.0 1.0 32.2 0.0

Low income 1354 62.4 12.1 3.2 2.4 19.7 0.1

High needs 1372 62.1 12.2 3.1 2.4 20.0 0.1

Afr. Amer./Black 317 70.3 10.4 3.2 1.9 14.2 0.0

Asian 36 88.9 2.8 0.0 0.0 8.3 0.0

Hispanic/Latino 875 58.3 13.1 3.5 2.4 22.4 0.2

Amer. Ind. or AlaskaNat.

0 - - - - - -

White 196 70.9 7.7 1.0 3.1 17.3 0.0

Nat. Haw. or Pacif.Isl.

- - - - - - -


39 82.1 10.3 0.0 0.0 7.7 0.0

* NOTE: Graduation rates willnot be publicly reported for co

hort counts fewer than 6 More about the data.

5-Year Graduation Rate (2013)5-Year Graduation Rate (2013)

Student Group

# inCohort

%Graduated

% Still inSchool

%Non-GradCompleters

% GED %Dropped

Out


All Students 1952 59.5 4.6 6.8 4.1 24.9 0.1

Male 1045 53.8 5.6 6.5 4.2 29.8 0.1

Female 907 66.2 3.3 7.1 4.1 19.4 0.0

ELL 267 34.8 5.2 20.2 1.1 38.6 0.0

Massachusetts School and District ProfilesMassachusetts School and District ProfilesHolyoke

Cohort 2014 Graduation Rates4-Year Graduation Rate (2014)

4-Year Graduation Rate (2014)

Student Group

# inCohort

%Graduated

% Still inSchool

%Non-GradCompleters

% GED %Dropped

Out


All Students 505 60.2 12.1 4.6 3.8 19.2 0.2 Male 263 54.4 15.2 4.2 4.2 21.7 0.4 Female 242 66.5 8.7 5.0 3.3 16.5 0.0 ELL 111 37.8 11.7 12.6 0.0 37.8 0.0 Studentsw/disabilities

146 34.2 22.6 8.2 1.4 32.9 0.7

Low income 418 55.3 13.4 5.0 3.8 22.2 0.2 High needs 438 55.5 13.9 5.3 3.7 21.5 0.2 Afr. Amer./Black 18 55.6 33.3 5.6 0.0 5.6 0.0 Asian 4 - - - - - - Hispanic/Latino 359 53.2 12.8 6.1 3.6 24.0 0.3 Amer. Ind. or AlaskaNat.

1 - - - - - -

White 119 81.5 6.7 0.0 5.0 6.7 0.0 Nat. Haw. or Pacif.Isl.

- - - - - - -


4 - - - - - -

* NOTE: Graduation rates will not be publicly reported for cohort counts fewer than 6 More about the data.4-Year Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate (2014)


Student Group

# inCohort

%Graduated

% Still inSchool

%Non-GradCompleters

% GED %Dropped

Out


All Students 439 63.8 11.6 3.6 3.0 17.8 0.2 Male 223 56.5 15.2 2.7 3.6 21.5 0.4 Female 216 71.3 7.9 4.6 2.3 13.9 0.0 ELL 91 38.5 12.1 9.9 0.0 39.6 0.0 Studentsw/disabilities

127 35.4 21.3 7.1 0.8 34.6 0.8

Low income 361 58.4 13.0 3.9 3.0 21.3 0.3 High needs 378 58.5 13.5 4.2 2.9 20.6 0.3 Afr. Amer./Black 16 62.5 31.3 0.0 0.0 6.3 0.0 Asian 3 - - - - - - Hispanic/Latino 306 55.9 12.1 5.2 3.3 23.2 0.3 Amer. Ind. or AlaskaNat.

1 - - - - - -

White 110 86.4 7.3 0.0 2.7 3.6 0.0 Nat. Haw. or Pacif.Isl.

- - - - - - -


3 - - - - - -

* NOTE: Graduation rates will not be publicly reported for cohort counts fewer than 6 More about the data.5-Year Graduation Rate (2013)

5-Year Graduation Rate (2013)

Student Group

# inCohort

%Graduated

% Still inSchool

%Non-GradCompleters

% GED %Dropped

Out


All Students 507 58.2 4.1 7.7 5.3 24.5 0.2 Male 264 56.1 5.7 6.4 3.4 28.4 0.0 Female 243 60.5 2.5 9.1 7.4 20.2 0.4 ELL 100 27.0 7.0 20.0 0.0 46.0 0.0

Un Periódico Diferente / A Different Kind of Newspaper




February 2015

Volume 11 No. 3

Tasas de Graduación y Retención Mejoran en las Escuelas de Holyoke y Springfield

HolyokePublicSchools–DistrictTechnologyPlan–2012‐2015 Page1

TECHNOLOGY PLAN

2012-2015

Superintendent of Schools,

Dr. Sergio Páez

2

Editorial PolicyEl Sol Latino acepta colaboraciones tanto en español como en inglés. Nos comprometemos a examinarlas, pero no necesariamente a publicarlas. Nos reservamos el derecho de editar los textos y hacer correcciones por razones de espacio y/o estilo. Las colaboraciones pueden ser enviadas a nuestra dirección postal o a través de correo electrónico a: [email protected].

El Sol Latino welcomes submissions in either English or Spanish. We consider and review all submissions but reserve the right to not publish them. We reserve the right to edit texts and make corrections for reasons of space and/or style. Submissions may be sent to our postal address or via electronic mail to: [email protected].

El Sol Latino is published monthly by Coquí Media Group. El Sol Latino es publicado mensualmente por Coquí Media Group, P.O Box 572, Amherst, MA 01004-0572.

Editor Manuel Frau Ramos [email protected] 413-320-3826 Assistant Editor Ingrid Estrany-Frau Managing Editor Diosdado López Art Director Tennessee Media Design Business Address El Sol Latino P.O Box 572 Amherst, MA 01004-0572

Founded in 2004 n Volume 11, No. 3 n February 2015

Editorial/Editorial

Ceremonia de Juramentación del Fiscal de Distrito del Condado de Hampden Foto MFR. Raymond L. Flynn, ex alcade de Boston, Anthony D. Gulluni , Fiscal del Distrito de Hampden, Heriberto Flores, presidente del New England Farmworkers Council y Mark G. Mastroianni, Juez de la Corte Federal del Distrito de Massachusetts. Ceremonia celebrada el 7 de enero de 2014 en el Old First Church en Springfield.

Foto del Mes/Photo of the Month

Las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke y los Estudiantes Puertorriqueños Durante los últimos meses ha habido un tirijala a través de los medios de comunicación entre el Departamento de Educación de Massachusetts (DOE, por sus siglas en inglés) y las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke (HPS, por sus siglas en inglés) sobre cual será la suerte final de las escuelas.

Lo que está en juego en estos momentos es si las escuelas siguen bajo control de la ciudad o si el DOE asume el control total de estas y contrata a una compañía privada para que las administre. Esta acción extrema es el resultado de las enormes desigualdades que existen en las escuelas en términos de oportunidades educativas y niveles de aprovechamiento académico para los estudiantes Latinos, en su mayoría, puertorriqueños. DOE entiende que la ciudad no ha estado haciendo su trabajo.

La situación de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke no es nueva. Esta condición crónica del sistema escolar ha existido por mas de 30 años. Es difícil resumir en pocas palabras las muchas razones por las cuales las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke le han fallado a la comunidad puertorriqueña.

La presente situación de las escuelas se podría atribuir a michas de las decisiones y acciones educativas tomadas tanto a nivel local como estatal a lo largo de tres décadas

Desde principios de la década de los 80 hasta el día de hoy tanto el estado como las escuelas de Holyoke parecen no haber desarrollado e implementado un plan cohesivo y educationally

sound para bregar con esta población estudiantil. Numerosas iniciativas y programas educativos, a corto y a largo plazo, se han puesto en vigor y no han funcionado.

Muchas de estas llamadas iniciativas educativas han tenido algo en común - la desvalorización de la cultura, el lenguaje, la etnicidad y las experiencias de los estudiantes puertorriqueños y sus familias. Esto ha creado un ambiente educativo el cual a ayudado muy poco, y en muchas ocasiones ha sido contraproducente, al desarrollo y proceso de aprendizaje de estos estudiantes.

En los pasados 30 años, los experimentos y las improvisaciones educativas que se han puesto en práctica en Holyoke, no han resuelto el problema de la baja tasa de graduación de los Latinos, la alta tasa de abandono escolar y el bajo aprovechamiento académico. Esto apunta a una negligencia del sistema que ha resultado y perpetuado injusticias sociales y económicas para muchos de estos estudiantes.

El mejoramiento en los índices de graduación y retención escolar, reportados por DOE, podrían representar un cambio alentador y una nueva dirección para todos los estudiantes de las escuelas de Holyoke. Una vez más, volvemos a poner las esperanzas de un futuro mejor para los estudiantes puertorriqueños de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke con los cambios que está haciendo la presente administración.

Cita del Mes/Quote of the Month

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education.”

Martin Luther King, Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968)

contents 2Editorial / Editorial Las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke y los

Estudiantes Puertorriqueños 3 Portada / Front Page

Tasas de Graduación y Retención Mejoran en las Escuelas de Holyoke y Springfield

4 New Report on The Condition of Latinos in Education

5 Puerto Rican Renaissance in New York City 7 Tinta Caliente / Hot Ink 8 Opinión / Opinion

Agma Parrilla Sweeney: A Loss at Richie Neal’s Office

La Competencia 9 Feed the Children!10 Educación/ Education Kindergarten and First Grade seats are

available Economía / Economics A 21st-Century Economy Cannot Afford to

Be “English-Only”11 ¿Qué Pasa en...? 13 Libros/ Books

Night of the Jaguar 14 Salud / Health

Adopte un estilo de vida saludable para el corazón

15 Campaña para atraer talento latino a las carreras de enfermería

3El Sol Latino February 2015Portada / Front PageTasas de Graduación y Retención Mejoran en las Escuelas de Holyoke y Springfield por MANUEL FRAU RAMOS

El Departamento de Educación Primaria y Secundaria de Massachusetts (DESE, por sus siglas en inglés) publicó los datos sobre graduación y deserción escolar para el 2013-2014. Este informe indica que los sistemas escolares de Holyoke y de Springfield han aumentado sus tasas de graduación y han disminuido sus tasas de deserción escolar.

La tasa de graduación para el año escolar 2014 para aquellos estudiantes que terminaron la escuela superior en 4 años en las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke aumentó de 53.8 en el 2013, a 60.2 porciento en el 2014. Este aumento de 6.4 porciento es el segundo más alto entre los Gateway Cities (Gateway Cities son ciudades urbanas de tamaño mediano que sirven de ancla económica para la región) a través de Massachusetts.

La tasa de graduación de los estudiantes latinos aumentó de 47.5 porciento en el 2013, a 53.2 en el 2014.

Por otro lado, la tasa de estudiantes que abandonan la escuela superior sin graduarse se redujo de 26.8 a 19.2 porciento entre 2013 y 2014. Entre los latinos, la tasa de deserción escolar bajó de 31.6 a 24 porciento durante el mismo período.

Según un comunicado de prensa distribuido por Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke, estas mejoras pueden atribuirse a varios factores, tales como una revisión de las políticas del distrito (district policies), la implementación de estrategias de apoyo a los estudiantes basadas en evidencia, y la creación de un programa de vías alternativas para satisfacer las diversas necesidades de los estudiantes. Entre estos se destacan la Iniciativa de Prevención de Deserción Escolar del distrito, el Pathways to Success Program, el Credit Recovery Program y el Graduation Coach Initiative, entre otros.

En un comunicado de prensa, el Dr. Páez, Superintendente de las Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke, señala que la mejoría en la tasa de graduación indica que el sistema se está moviendo en la dirección correcta. “Reconocemos que todavía tenemos mucho por hacer y que el trabajo se completará cuando todos y cada uno de los estudiantes se gradúen de nuestras escuelas superiores,” añade Páez.

En Springfield, según los datos publicados por DESE, la tasa de graduación del distrito aumentó 6.7 porciento entre 2013 hasta 2014, aumentando de 54.9 a 61.6 porciento. La tasa de graduación de los estudiantes latinos también vio un salto considerable. Entre 2013 y 2014, la tasa de graduación de este grupo aumentó de 47 a 55.4 porciento.

Las cifras que contabilizan los estudiantes que abandonan la escuela superior sin un diploma también reflejan mejorías. Entre el 2013 y el 2014, la tasa de deserción anual bajó de 25.1 a 20.4 porciento. Entre los estudiantes latinos, las cifras indican que la tasa bajó de 30.1 a 24.5 porciento durante el mismo período.

El Superintendente de las Escuelas de Springfield, Daniel J. Warwick, atribuye esta mejoría a “un acercamiento sostenido, integrado y enfocado a mantener a los estudiantes en la escuela.”

Al igual que las escuelas de Holyoke, Springfield ha implementado varias iniciativas que parecen haber contribuido a mejorar las tasas de graduación y retención. Entre las mismas se encuentran el identificar estudiantes en riesgo de deserción escolar temprana para así proveerles los apoyos académicos y social/emocional necesarios, y vías alternativas y flexibles de graduación tales como cursos on-line con crédito.

Otras prácticas implementadas en los últimos años incluyen la adición de coaches de graduación, un curso de transición de noveno grado en todas las escuelas superiores, así como la revisión del “Student Success Plan” y el ofrecimiento de cursos gratuitos de verano y nocturnos.

El Sol Latino March 20159 1/8 x 5 3/8

Asking for your continued support during WTCC’s annual

Radiothon coming March 22-29

THANK YOU!

Your all-volunteer community radio station, broadcasting 24/7 from the campus of

Springfield Technical Community College

www.wtccfm.org

4 El Sol Latino February 2015Portada / Front Page

WASHINGTON – Excelencia in Education, a not-for-profit organization founded in 2004 in Washington, DC has unveiled the report The Condition of Latinos in Education: 2015 Factbook. This report synthesizes public and national data to provide a series of one-page fact sheets to examine Latino students throughout the education pipeline. It also provides snapshots into the advancements made by Latinos in education, areas in need of progress, and select educational issues pertaining to Latino student success.

In a press release Sarita Brown, president of Excelencia in Education said, “Every educational experience from early childhood to high school and into the workforce influences the potential for success.” Brown added that, “For this reason, this publication looks critically at the entire educational pipeline.”

“One of Excelencia in Education’s strategies to compel action to increase Latino student success is to provide timely information about the condition of the fast growing and young Latino population in education,” said Deborah Santiago, chief operating officer and vice president for policy at Excelencia in Education.

Since Excelencia was created 10 years ago the following changes have occurred to Latinos in Early Childhood Education:

• Hispanic children were less likely to be enrolled in early childhood education than other groups. In 2011, 56% of Hispanic children under the

age of five were enrolled in nursery school or kindergarten, compared to White (67%), African American (65%), and Asian (64%) children who were enrolled.

• Latino children were more likely to attend schools with high degree of poverty. In 2011-12, 37% of Hispanic students were enrolled in elementary schools where the majority of students were eligible for the free or reduced-price school lunch program. In comparison, 50% of African American, 38% of American Indian/Alaskan Natives, and 9% of White students were in schools where the majority of students were low-income.

• Latino students were enrolled in highly segregated schools. In 2011, approximately 60% of Hispanic students attended schools where the majority of students were minorities. In comparison, 55% of African American, 38% of Asian, and 4% of White students were enrolled in segregated schools.

• Hispanic students have made progress in math and reading scores between 2005 and 2013. However, average math and reading scores for Latinos are still lower than that of other groups, except for African Americans.

Latinos in Secondary Education: • In 2013, Hispanics were the second largest

group enrolled in secondary education.

• Although high school drop out rates for Latinos

have decreased, it is still higher than that of other groups, except for African Americans.

Latinos in Secondary Education: • In 2013, Latinos were the second highest group

enrolled in community colleges. Also, they were disproportionally enrolled on 2-year institutions.

• The top three disciplines where Latinos earned associate degrees were liberal arts, health professions, and business.

New Report on The Condition of Latinos in Education

Jeroton Clown

Music, Games, Balloons and Much More...

For More information call:Jerry & Brenda

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1Excelencia in Education • www.EdExcelencia.org

FACTBOOKThe Condition ofLatinos in Education2015

Continued on page 14

5El Sol Latino February 2015

Puerto Rican Renaissance in New York City by MARIXSA RODRÍGUEZ

Portada / Front Page

Growing up, I remember dearly my parents’ stories about the barrio de Nueva York where they used to live and where they raised my older siblings. Everybody knew each other. Almost everyone was Boricua. My mother still remembers her friends from la factoría. There was an Italian lady, a couple of African American women, and an Irish woman. A Dominican family lived down the block on Rutledge St. in Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and the corner bodega was owned by two Cuban bothers. That was about all the diversity she could remember.

Today Brooklyn, as well as the rest of the nation, looks much more diverse. But Puerto Ricans are still around and, in fact, in larger numbers than ever. In New York City, Puerto Ricans account for 30% of the Latino population. But, where are we exactly? Not necessarily in the same buildings or on the same street blocks as in my parents’ day. We are certainly more dispersed but by no means dis-unified.

Spanish Harlem still has a Boricua presence and the Lower East Side is still Loisaida. And no, Williamsburg has not been taken over by yuppies. Boricuas are here, almost three-quarters of a million strong in New York City. Venture into any of these communities, and you’ll see the Puerto Rican presence all around. I did so myself. I went to each of these communities, and talked with some of their movers and shakers—Tato Torres in El Barrio, Libertad Guerra in Loisaida, and Juan Santiago in Los Sures—to learn what was happening.

Tato Torres on how La Marqueta Retoña in Spanish HarlemThe neighborhood of East Harlem, also called Spanish Harlem and better known as “El Barrio,” has become more ethnically diverse, but as in the 1960s, it is predominantly Puerto Rican. One of the most historically and culturally important sites in El Barrio is the traditional marketplace popularly known as “La Marqueta.” Located underneath the elevated tracks of the Metro North railroad at Park Avenue and 116th Street, La Marqueta has been a cultural and commercial center for residents and visitors for nearly 100 years. Originally an informal gathering place for pushcart vendors and other street merchants, it has been for generations a destination market for residents across the city in need of specialty and ethnic foods and products they couldn’t find anywhere else. Commercial and social activity at La Marqueta significantly dwindled over the years mainly due to the widespread availability of the traditional and specialty products once only found there. That’s now changing.

Musician Carlos “Tato” Torres has been a long-time and active member of the community of El Barrio. He was brought in as a consultant to help schedule an artistic program and also to coordinate public relations for this project. La Marqueta Retoña is an initiative supported by New York City

Council Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito in collaboration with the Acacia Network to revitalize the economic, social and cultural elements of this historic site through the arts. The concept was developed by José Morales, proprietor of La Respuesta, an innovative cultural nightlife destination in Santurce, Puerto Rico. Since July, Mr. Morales has served as the lead curator of the ongoing cultural programming. The main purpose of the project is to transform La Marqueta and its spaces for the community. “One of the major achievements of the project has been the reopening of the public plaza or corridor known as La Placita located between 115th and 116th Streets. La Placita is open to the public and furnished with chairs, tables, and public Wi-Fi to encourage residents and visitors alike to utilize the space and local commercial establishments,” said Torres.

The project has also created opportunities for cultural and entertainment events and programming that highlights the rich diversity of art, history, music, and food in El Barrio. “La Marqueta is now again on its way to becoming a hub of social, cultural and artistic activity, which in turn increases opportunities and support for small businesses, artisans and other small vendors to bring thriving commerce to La Marqueta,” said Torres. They have a weekly schedule of events that includes afterschool children’s activities on Wednesday afternoons and bomba sessions on Thursdays. On Fridays, they feature live fusion jazz music and an open jam. On Sundays, live art sessions take place while a local DJ keeps the crowd happy starting at 2 PM. Both residents and visitors of El Barrio attend these events, an intergenerational crowd that includes locals, tourists, individuals, and groups. Torres noted, “The overall reaction has been extremely positive, because it celebrates and honors local history, tradition and identity as a community. People have welcomed, joined, and pleasantly enjoyed the celebration...[La Marqueta is] a place where residents and visitors can find not only specialty products and a variety of culinary experiences reflecting the rich history and culture of El Barrio, but also a public space which will serve as the center of social activity, as it once was, right where the heart of El Barrio beats strongly.” You can get to La Marqueta by taking the 6 train to 116th Street.

Libertad Guerra on the Renaissance of The Loisaida CenterThe Lower East Side of Manhattan became Loisaida after Bittman “Bimbo” Rivas’ poem gave it the name in 1974. The name captured the neighborhood’s importance to the development of Puerto Rican cultural identity in New York City. A number of important Nuyorican intellectuals, poets, and artists called Loisaida home during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, including Nuyorican poets Tato Laviera, Miguel Algarín, and Miguel Piñero, as well as musician Ismael Miranda. But the demographic has changed several times in recent decades, and today it is a multicultural

Continued on page 6

6 El Sol Latino February 2015Portada / Front Page

neighborhood, still with an important Puerto Rican presence.

The Loisaida Center is a Puerto Rican/Latino-based multi-use facility that aspires to build a connection between community, learners, artists, and scholars through affordable education opportunities in S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) design and everyday life. Its history goes back to the mid-1970s, when it started as a grassroots movement led by Puerto Rican activists and Hispanic residents to struggle against the problems affecting their neighborhood at the time. The center reached a turning point when they faced eviction from their original location in 2008. With local community support and later becoming an Affiliate of the Acacia Network, the Center secured a location at 710 East 9th Street. The center now includes an outdoor space, a performance space, a commercial kitchen, a pop-up shop and activity rooms. Their biggest event for the community takes place every year the Sunday before Memorial Day weekend: The Annual Loisaida Festival, which started in 1987. Starting as a community event, each year it attracts new visitors and has become a festival that celebrates multiculturalism. The center hosts a variety of educational and artistic events, including music and theater workshops, artists’ residencies and art exhibitions.

Libertad Guerra, Executive Director and Chief Curator at The Loisada Center, told me about her dreams for the center: “My objective is to see this institution leading the way of the recovery of traditional practices and art forms, while at the same time encouraging new and emergent artists, cultural production, and entrepreneurship. The Center is on its way to becoming a place that fully supports--through exhibits, artistic residencies, productio, curatorial and programming strategies--the growth and expansion of our cultural, activist, socially engaged and artistic heritage, both traditional and forward looking.” You can get to The Loisaida Center on the L train, stopping at 1st Avenue.

Juan Papo Santiago on the roots of The School of Poetic Arts in Williamsburg, BrooklynThe Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn is known today as an art community with hipster culture. Many ethnic groups have made their home in this neighborhood, including Puerto Ricans. The south side or “Los Sures” is today mainly populated by Hasidic Jews with a considerable Puerto Rican population still thriving.

To tell the story of The School of Poetic Arts, I will introduce you to its founder’s story. Juan “Papo Swiggity” Santiago started writing poetry as a response to his parents’ death when he was just a young boy. At about that time he learned from an English teacher about Edgar Allan Poe and was fascinated by the themes of darkness, death, and solitude. He then started expressing himself through poetry. Santiago recalls, “I wrote a book when I was about 13 years old and I called it The Book of Death. It reflected my take on my reality, the death not only of my parents but the death of a neighborhood. I’m talking about Brooklyn in the 80s and early 90s, the tumultuous times. I wrote about what was happening in our communities using metaphors, so I wrote about superheroes and space aliens.” It wasn’t until later in life that he learned about the Nuyorican Poets when he came across a book by Miguel Algarín. He recalls reading the book Love is Hard Work, front to back in a heartbeat. “He wrote about the Nuyorican Angels, all different angels, and each represented a different facet of real life. The intimacy with which he wrote about his friends really touched me. I come from a place where I wrote poetry in secret, in the dark of my room. All I have is Poe’s reference, so I just wrote and never showed my writings to anybody. But reading this book by a Nuyorican poet, where he is writing about his homeboys, his friends, his lovers and family… And he wrote about death, but he did it differently. He wrote about la funeraria, it never occurred to me that one could write about things like death so literarily. That was a turning point for me, seeing poetry as a community building tool instead of a solitary practice.”

At a time when Williamsburg was experiencing a rapid population shift, Santiago was discovering his identity as a Puerto Rican poet in Brooklyn. He met social media innovator George Torres and together they identified both the need and the opportunity for creating a platform for building community through the poetic arts. They created Capicu Cultural Showcase as a way of

Puerto Rican Renaissance in New York City continued from previous page

Continued on page 7

7El Sol Latino February 2015Portada / Front PagePuerto Rican Renaissance continued from previous page

En Holyoke ... los Tres Reyes Magos están missing in action.

El año pasado, la tradicional fiesta comunitaria del Día de Reyes en la Escuela Superior de Holyoke no se llevó a cabo. La administración de las Escuelas Públicas tomó la sorpresiva decisión de que esta celebración ahora sería una iniciativa de cada escuela individual.

Según el boletín oficial de la Escuelas Públicas de Holyoke, Connections, las fiestas celebradas en la escuelas Morgan y Metcalf fueron todo un éxito.

El año pasado, la administración también eliminó el 6 de enero, Día de los Tres Reyes Magos, como día de fiesta en el calendario escolar, el cual había estado en vigor desde el 2006. Posteriormente, el Comité Escolar restableció el día de fiesta en el calendario.

Este año, las fiestas de celebración del Día de Reyes en las escuelas de Holyoke parecen hacer pasado desapercibidas o no ocurrieron. Tal parece que el celebrar este día tan importante para la comunidad puertorriqueña, cuyos hijos/as componen la gran mayoría del estudiantado de las escuelas, ha pasado a un segundo plano o ha llegado a su fin.

Tanto la fiesta de la Escuela Superior como el haber logrado que el Día de Reyes fuera feriado, fueron dos de los logros mas sobresalientes de la lucha por justicia social de la comunidad puertorriqueña en Holyoke, gracias a los persistentes esfuerzos del Hispanic Advisory Council Holyoke, conocido popularmente como el PAC Bilingüe, de darle voz a esta comunidad.

In Holyoke ... The Three Kings are missing in action.Last year, the traditional community celebration of Three Kings Day at Holyoke High School was not held. The Administration of the public schools made the surprising decision that this celebration would now be an initiative of each individual school.

According to the official newsletter of the Holyoke Public Schools, Connections, the celebrations that were held at Morgan and Metcalf Schools were very successful.

Last year, the administration also removed January 6, Three Kings Day, as a holiday from the school calendar, which had been in force since 2006. Subsequently, the School Committee restored this holiday in the calendar.

This year, the Three Kings Day celebrations in the Holyoke schools seem to have gone unnoticed or did not occur at all. Apparently, the celebration of this very important day for the Puerto Rican community, whose sons and daughters make up the vast majority of students in the schools, has either faded into the background or has come to an end.

Both the celebration at the Holyoke High School as well as having Three Kings Day be a holiday, were two of the most outstanding achievements of the struggle for social justice of the Puerto Rican community in Holyoke, thanks to the persistent efforts of the Hispanic Advisory Council Holyoke, popularly known as the Bilingual PAC, to give voice to this community.

TINTA HOT CALIENTE INKPor Manuel Frau Ramos

unifying the Puerto Rican community from Brooklyn. They had their first open mic in 2007, and over 200 people attended. They have been doing open mic events at EvilOlivE Pizza Bar in Williamsburg ever since. But Santiago not only wanted to organize these events, he also wanted to empower the artists. “I wanted Capicu to be the place, not only where these artists hold their mike, but where they learned how to publish their work, and how to become better artists,” Santiago said.

This is how The School of Poetic Arts (La SoPA) came to be, as the result of eight years of spoken word open mic events around Brooklyn. Co-founded by poet Jani Rose, La SoPa currently offers a Performance Poetry Workshop, facilitated by Author/ Slam Coach Emeritus Keith Roach and a Writers Workshop, facilitated by author/educator Rich Villar on Saturdays at Boricua College (9 Graham Ave. Brooklyn). “Our students are young Latinos and Latinas, poets and performers interested in developing themselves professionally. We have helped people that were afraid, just watching and wishing they could perform. Our workshops help them get out of their shell and work on their craft. Our mission is to keep it affordable and accessible to the community.”

“Although we started as a counter-gentrification movement, throughout the years we realized it was more important to have the new community understand that this community used to be Boricua, and that we are still around, and our roots are strong. For us it’s a point of pride to have that stand in the neighborhood,” Santiago proudly said. His vision and hard work have helped explode the scene of open mics and poetry readings throughout Brooklyn. Together with his business partner and their collaborative background in promotion and use of social media, they are infusing with poetry a Puerto Rican presence in a diverse Brooklyn. You can get to The School of Poetic Arts on the J or M trains at Flushing Avenue in Brooklyn.

From 116th street in Manhattan, all the way through Alphabet City and onto Flushing Ave. in Brooklyn, our neighborhoods are changing. New neighbors are moving in and old ones moving out. From my clan of more than ten families who used to live in Brooklyn, two single aunts are left. Upstate New York, the Bronx, Long Island, Virginia, Maryland and Florida are some of the destinations chosen by my cousins to raise their families and call home. Although I’ve planted my roots in Brooklyn, I look forward to witnessing with my children the flourishing of Boricua Barrios, old and new, across the country.

________________________________________________________________

You can contact Marixsa Rodríguez at [email protected] or visit her blogs at www.mamaboricuaenbrooklyn.com

© Center for Puerto Rican Studies. Published in Centro Voices on 14 January 2015. Centro Voices (centropr.hunter.cuny.edu/centrovoices) is an online magazine covering the current affairs, history, arts and culture of Puerto Ricans in the United States.

Libertad paraOscar López Rivera

8 El Sol Latino February 2015Opinión / OpinionAgma Parrilla Sweeney: A Loss at Richie Neal’s Office por NATALIA MUÑOZ

When US Congressman Richard Neal hired Agma Parrilla Sweeney for his Springfield office two years ago, it seemed to signal a positive change in his political trajectory. He seemed to finally embrace the Puerto Rican community as a whole, rather than cater to the few who donate to his war chest. A career politician who wields immense power in Springfield, Neal gets a lot of credit for doing little. Buildings are named after him and peace credited to him, but in reality, he is not of the caliber of a true leader.

True leaders bring a diversity of people together for common causes. True leaders don’t place friends who are mediocre professionally, in top posts. They place bright, energetic agents of change precisely because the city is mostly populated by marginalized communities and led by white men. Neal’s district includes two cities with large populations of communities of color, but if you looked at his staff, you would rightly conclude he cares little for these communities.

Other than having a few “friends” -- supporters, donors -- looking out for their respective projects, Neal doesn’t know what’s what in a swath of communities in his district: Vietnamese, Chinese, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Guatemalan, Somali, Nepalese and the list goes on.

So the broken Springfield school system, with 28,000 students who are mostly of color, headed by Neal crony Dan Warwick, remains a scandalous pit of ineffective policies and programs that fail children. And this is true despite the many extraordinary teachers, aides and program staffers. But a bureaucracy headed by indifferent leaders poisons the well.

Even when Neal has the right person in his office, he still does not recognize true leadership. Agma Parrilla Sweeney could have advised him on education issues, health disparities and issues in the Latino communities – note the plural; Agma is not a one-note Puerto Rican. She could have been a bridge between Neal’s office and communities of color, not only Latinos.

She is the kind of bright, energetic and charismatic leader that the district needs. She is a salt of the earth warm, funny, genuinely committed to social progress.

But in Neal’s office she was another office worker.

We know this because we never saw her represent Neal’s office anywhere: not at community meetings to hear about the myriad of issues that are further elbowing communities of color, not even at events where signed letters of recognition are dispensed like customized political flash drives.

Bottom line: Neal had a golden opportunity to step into a higher realm of leadership. And he failed miserably.

One of the best things to happen in my neck of the woods was when redistricting bumped out Neal and Jim McGovern came in to represent us. McGovern is a true leader. He is ever present, touching base with a cross-section of people – not just donors — and marching lockstep with people who believe that a more perfect union requires devotion to justice at every level, including hiring staff members who are not just another pretty face of color at the office.

Neal’s loss is a loss for everyone, and he still doesn’t know it. But we do.

Natalia Muñoz is a well recognized journalist and founder of Verdant Multicultural Media, a multicultural marketing and communication firm that also offer Cultural Competency. You can contact her, [email protected].

La Competenciapor JOSÉ RAÚL GONZÁLEZ

La naturaleza para su evolución necesitó la colaboración de todos los seres vivos animales y vegetales para llegar a lo que somos hoy. Esa colaboración fue la que permitió nuestro desarrollo, y aún la podemos observar en el trabajo de algunos animales como las hormigas, las abejas, los lobos etc. Aunque siempre se nos dijo que logramos sobrevivir los más fuertes, pienso que sobrevivimos los mas cooperativos, o tal vez inclusive los mas cobardes, porque el miedo (emoción negativa) nos permite huir y escondernos de los depredadores y de los fenómenos naturales. Si hubiésemos sido los mas fuertes y valientes, los hubiésemos enfrentado y tal vez nos hubiésemos extinguido como especie.

Luego, con la civilización vivimos en la lógica de la imposición de nuestras ideas. Tenemos la razón y sabemos lo que decimos, (con esa soberbia) porque vivimos en la cultura de la competencia con ideas de ganar, de ser mejor que otro, del progreso, del éxito, etc. La competencia implica la negación de lo que uno hace porque hacemos las cosas en función de lo que hace el otro. Entonces siempre estamos en la situación de negar a los demás para nosotros poder lograr algo, como si la calidad de lo que vamos a lograr dependiera de lo que hace el otro. Esto no es cierto, la calidad de lo que yo haga depende de mi mismo, no del otro.

La competitividad a la que nos empuja la cultura nos saca de nosotros mismos y de nuestra realidad de ser seres cooperativos, colaboradores y nos vuelve egoísta. Estoy obligado a ser mejor que el otro, y así me pierdo la responsabilidad de descubrir lo que puedo ser y escoger desde mi mismo. La competencia es siempre con valores guerreros que generan violencia, olvidando la colaboración y l altruismo.

La educación que se supone es para el desarrollo humano sin embargo tiene colmado su énfasis en la producción económica nada mas. A los niños no se les enseña a entender, amar y comprender al prójimo. Así la solidaridad es una condición perdida que sí tuvieron los pueblos antiguos, que eran cooperativos y solidarios. Desarrollaron el sentido del bien común, la significación de igualdad, equidad, paridad, que se fue perdiendo con el desarrollo industrial. Nos fuimos convirtiendo en ‘seres competentes’. Ahora los centros educativos sólo trasmiten ‘instrucciones y conocimientos’ con los valores del mercado y no con los valores de la humanidad.

Vivir en la competencia y el esfuerzo continuo del éxito, no hace que seamos mejores seres humanos, ni que hagamos mejor las cosas, pues no nos abre espacios de reflexión para saber cómo queremos vivir. Hemos generado esa cultura, hemos inculcado a los niños desde pequeños, y todo lo que se les enseña y los exámenes son con el ánimo competitivo. Debiéramos generarles espacios para que amplíen el entendimiento y se encuentren con sus capacidades y puedan plantearse ellos mismos sus propios proyectos.

El camino alternativo es automático, pues al suprimirse la competencia aparece la colaboración. Así dejamos de estar centrados en ser mejor que el otro. Puedo mirar lo que hace el otro y aprender de ello, y a la vez el otro puede mirar lo que yo hago porque no está compitiendo conmigo. Aparece la posibilidad de que podamos aprender y hacer algo juntos.

El autor es natural de Perú, abogado y sociólogo. Fue Magistrado en Lima, y Catedrático en la Universidad de San Martin de Porres. Email: [email protected]

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9El Sol Latino February 2015

Feed the children!by MIGUEL ARCE and WALTER MULLIN

The $4.1 trillion the government is planning to spend in fiscal year 2015 is your tax dollars (www.usgovernmentspending.com). Four trillion is a four (4) with 12 zeros after it! We citizens all fund the federal government through income and payroll taxes. That means we’re all stakeholders in how that money is spent. Federal money comes to Western Massachusetts through grants and assistance programs that allow communities to fund important public and private infrastructure. Cities and towns in western Massachusetts have come to rely on federal aid. They are not able to raise enough revenue through state aid or local property taxes. For example, in Holyoke, the preponderance of the public schools budget is funded through state aid. Several weeks ago the new Governor announced he is planning a series of emergency budget cuts and will call for the Legislature to enact additional cuts. These budget cutbacks will occur whiles the number of people entering the ranks of the officially poor increase. Hunger and poverty are related. This editorial is about childhood hunger and poverty at a national, statewide, regional and local level and the possibility that there will be cuts in programs that address this problem.

Imagine a child coming to school after a weekend of not having had sufficient food. He or she leaves the bus and rushes to the cafeteria for breakfast. These children do not understand political arguments about the reasons for have had access to adequate food (defined as food insecurity). They are not part of that political debate about the amount of money it costs to assist people who are hungry. They do not understand why people might believe they should have feelings of inadequacy, embarrassment and shame about their reliance on the food they receive.

According to the Children Defense Fund, one in four children in this country is not getting enough to eat on a regular basis. Hunger is a national issue. Marian Wright Edelman of the Children’s Defense Fund wrote, “Hunger in America is real and widespread and pretending hungry children do not exist or that families should be ashamed of their needs is shameful”. Edelman states that over 14 million children participate in free or reduced priced school lunch programs and are at “nutritional risk” and go hungry when those meals are not provided. Hunger limits children’s ability to concentrate and learn. These children are at a disadvantage relative to their peers. Chronic hunger impacts a child’s development.

Massachusetts is one of the wealthiest states in the nation. The overall income in Massachusetts has grown substantially over the past decades. Project Bread in The status report on hunger in Massachusetts documents that hunger is faced by too many residents of Massachusetts--“Too much

month, too little money”. “More than 700,000 people in the Commonwealth struggle with food insecurity—a number almost 40% higher than it was prior to the recession and almost 80% high than it was at the beginning of the last decade”. Project Bread’s Foodsource hotline answered over 46,000 calls from across Massachusetts in 2014. There are more than 350,000 students eligible for free or reduced price school meals in Massachusetts—16.5% of children in Massachusetts are food insecure.

Hunger in Western Massachusetts, like at the national or state level, remains a critical, pressing, urgent, real and dramatic problem. The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts is a member agency of a nationwide response to hunger. Unfortunately, the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, which has been in operation since 1982, has distributed enough food to provide more than 90 million meals. According to The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, the number of people served through their emergency food network increased by 35% from 2010 to 2014. The families served do not always know where they will find their next meal. Of all the people served by The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts, 27% are children. Families have to make tough choices between paying for food and paying for utilities, heating fuel or rent.

The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts has more 250 frontline food providers across the region that helps distribute food pantries. In Springfield on Sheldon Street, the Gray House, Inc. provides food to city residents. Holyoke has more than several foods distribution sites including the Providence Ministry for the Needy, Inc. In Chicopee, Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry distributed more than 30,000 bags of groceries. Over 5,000 residents benefitted from this basic service. Dina Calvanese at the Gray House, Karen Blanchard at Providence Ministry and Michael Chunyk all directors of anti-hunger food pantries will attest to the fact that there has been a decrease in public tax dollar support while the demands have increased dramatically. In Springfield, Holyoke and Chicopee children go to bed hungry.

The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. stated that budgets are moral documents. Our $4 trillion budget represents our values and priorities. As former Clinton adviser Paul Begala stated “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be”.

But what shall we, as regular citizens, all do? The plight of an unjust economic system falls heavily on the family. As grocery expenses continue to spike, it becomes increasingly difficult for poor families to afford to eat. Since there is a waning sense that our society has the will to ensure that no citizen live in hunger, we have a duty to respond. Our knowing there is an impulse in the political world to put a budget issue ahead of feeding the hungry can give us direction. We can move towards advocacy and act politically. We can believe in the statement made by the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1964 when he said “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death”.

Contact information: MIGUEL ARCE ([email protected]) and WALTER MULLIN ([email protected])

Opinión / Opinion

Holyoke Tax ServicePersonal Income Tax PreparationDavid Yos

Holyoke, Massachusetts 413-538-7658

[email protected]

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10 El Sol Latino February 2015

A 21st-Century Economy Cannot Afford to Be “English-Only” by NANCY WILBERG RICKS

Kindergarten and First Grade seats are available

Whether or not a consumer speaks the English language should not make her rights any less defensible when they are violated. Consumers with limited English proficiency (LEP) represent a substantial portion of the nation’s growing economy. Unfortunately, multilingual offerings in the U.S. financial industry are grossly deficient. Latinos currently represent 16.7 percent of the U.S. population with a purchasing power estimated to reach $1.5 trillion by 2015. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, by 2015, one in three newborns will be Latino. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders now represent the fastest-growing ethnic minority in the U.S. Many of these consumers do not operate primarily in the English language, and the 21st-century economy must adapt.

The U.S. financial market is all but an English-only industry. This presents immense obstacles for LEP families and the system needs to be modernized. Companies often market in Spanish and target Latinos, for example, but they do not offer subsequent services in Spanish once they’ve captured the business they sought or when a customer runs into trouble.

Federal agencies can lead the way in updating industry offerings to better communicate with

consumers in their preferred languages. For example, the Federal Housing Finance Agency could create a new field on mortgage origination forms where homebuyers can indicate their language preference. This document then follows the borrower throughout the life of the loan and should inform servicers of the language in which a borrower should be communicated.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) can also play a critical role in responding to LEP needs. The Bureau has already excelled in transforming the fine print to benefit the everyday consumer. Examples include new regulations to mandate that credit card companies put repayment information into plain language and requirements that remittance companies clearly indicate fees when a consumer sends money back to family members in his or her country of origin.

The CFPB must now move to the next level by fully integrating LEP consumer needs into new regulations. Earlier this January, NCLR submitted with its partners formal public comment that

included recommendations to improve the way the CFPB serves LEP consumers. With these revised practices, the CFPB is establishing itself as the gold standard among federal agencies’ approach to LEP consumers.

Looking ahead, we encourage the CFPB to go even further by developing additional provisions for how the financial services sector interacts with LEP consumers. We know that that Spanish-speakers are disproportionately concentrated among those without bank accounts and they are subject to relying on fringe or high cost products because providers appeal to borrowers in Spanish. A modern financial industry must become multilingual to create a healthy economy that works for all.

The CFPB was created to ensure all consumers have access to fair and reasonable financial products, and we are encouraged by this focus on the needs of LEP borrowers—borrowers who are often the most vulnerable.

Nancy Wilberg Ricks is Senior Policy and Communications Strategist, Wealth-Building Policy Project, National Council of La Raza.

(Source- posted on January 20, 2015 by nclrblog)

Springfield Preparatory Charter School (“Springfield Prep”) will host its inaugural public lottery later this month, and the deadline for families to apply for kindergarten and first grade seats is Friday, February 13 at 4 PM.

Applications, which are on school’s website (www.springfieldprep.org), can be mailed to the school’s office (1 Federal Street, Building 101, Springfield, MA, 01105) or delivered in person. Applications can also be completed over the phone, by calling 413-544-1485.

“This is an exciting opportunity to enroll your child in a small school with a truly excellent academic program,” said Bill Spirer, Springfield Prep’s Founder and Head of School. “With two full-time teachers in every class, longer school days, an intensive reading program, and a safe and structured environment, this is a great way to put to put your child on the path to college right from the first day of kindergarten.”

There are 54 open seats for kindergarten and 54 open seats for the first grade. To apply to kindergarten, students must be 5 years old by September 1, 2015. To apply to first grade, students must be on track to successfully complete kindergarten.

The school offers longer school days (7:45 am to 4:00 pm), two teachers in each class to allow for small group and individual instruction, three hours of literacy instruction every day, a college-going culture (including college visits at all grade levels), and frequent communication with parents. The academic program, which borrows from other highly successful school models in Massachusetts and across the country, is designed to ensure that every single student develops the academic skills and strength of character to be successful in high school, college, and life.

At Springfield Prep, as at all Commonwealth Charter Schools, enrollment is based on a random, public lottery. Preference is given to applicants who live in Springfield. Once students are enrolled, preference will also be given to siblings of students who attend the school. Charter schools are public schools authorized and overseen by the Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.

The mission of Springfield Prep is to be an inclusive kindergarten through eighth grade public charter school that prepares all students for success in high school, college, and life

through a focus on rigorous academics and character development.

The school will open to two kindergarten classes and two first grade classes (serving 108 students in total) in the 2015-2016 school year. It will add one grade per year until it ultimately serves 486 students in grades K-8 in 2022. Springfield Prep will initially be located at 370 Pine Street in Springfield, which is the site of Veritas Prep Charter School, another Commonwealth Charter School. Springfield Prep will move to a permanent location once it has additional grade levels.

For more information, please visit www.springfieldprep.org and follow us on twitter at @springfieldprep.

Economía / Economics

Educación / Education

11El Sol Latino February 2015¿Qué Pasa en...?Holyoke

Wistariahurst Museum: February 2015 Events I Love Wine! A Wine Tasting to Benefit WistariahurstFriday February 13, 2015 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Don’t miss this fun and flavorful evening. Delicious refreshments will be served, courtesy of Log Rolling, the catering division of The Log Cabin and Delaney House. All proceeds from the evening will benefit Wistariahurst Museum. Cheers!

Reservations necessary. Purchase tickets online or call the Museum at (413) 322-5660. Advance tickets are $25 each/$40 couple; Door admission is $30 each

Travel the World with the Skinner Family: EgyptTuesday February 17, 2015 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Wistariahurst offers a trip through history for school vacation! Travel the world as the Skinners did in the early 20th century. Study historic photo travel albums and look for clues to the allure and mystery of travel in Egypt. Make a pyramid and use ancient symbols to decorate. Use hieroglyphics to write a secret message.

Geared towards ages 8 and above, accompanied by an adult. Reservations are required by February 14. Reserve your space online or call the Museum. Admission $12 general / $10 members

Travel the World with the Skinner Family: JapanWednesday February 18, 2015 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Hear about where the Skinners imported their silk from and learn how silk is made. Study pictures from the Skinner family collection on their travels to Japan, learn about life and customs, and create good luck charms as souvenirs of your visit to Japan.

Geared towards ages 8 and above, accompanied by an adult. Reservations are required by February 14. Reserve your space online or call the Museum. Admission $12 general / $10 members

Travel the World with the Skinner Family: FranceThursday February 19, 2015 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm Experience France by reading letters and looking at pictures from the Skinner archives. A center of art and culture, a journey to France will inspire the artist in everyone – get ready to paint with brushes on easels!

Geared towards ages 8 and above. Reservations are required by February 14. Reserve your space online or call the Museum. Admission $12 general / $10 members

For Additional Information Contact: Siobhan McArdle at (413) 322-5660 or visit www.wistariahurst.org.

Pact bewteen HCC and WSU caps college education costsA new agreement signed today guarantees qualified HCC students who transfer to Westfield State University will not have to pay more than $30,000 to earn their associate and bachelor’s degrees.

Depending on how long it takes, students and their families could wind up saving tens of thousands of dollars, if not more, in college education costs.

HCC President William Messner and Westfield State University interim President Elizabeth Preston signed what is called the Presidents’ MassTransfer agreement. This builds on existing transfer pacts between the two schools for specific degree programs and also caps the total amount of tuition and fees paid to the two schools at $30,000.

“When one compares that to the cost in private higher education where nowadays it costs $50-$60,000 a year, and they get a fine education but at a cost of something approaching $250,000, $30,000 is an absolute bargain,” said HCC President William Messner.

According to the agreement, HCC agrees to charge participating students no more than $11,111 in tuition and mandatory fees for 60 transferable credits toward completion of an approved associate degree. Students will have up to three years to complete their degree.

Westfield agrees to charge students no more than $18,889 in tuition and mandatory fees for up to 60 credits toward a linked bachelor’s degree, which they have up to three years to complete.

The $30,000 limit does not include room and board at Westfield for students who decide to live on campus.

The program is expected to begin for the Fall 2015 semester. Administrators anticipate about 100 students will sign up in the first year.

Each year, HCC transfers about 250 students to Westfield State, which accounts for about 40 percent of Westfield’s total transfer population. More students transfer from HCC to Westfield to complete their bachelor’s degrees than to any other four-year school.

“The fact that students rely on Holyoke and Westfield to obtain their baccalaureate is well established,” said Messner, “and our hope is that this agreement today is going to take that flow of students to the next level.

The signing ceremony was attended by several area legislators, including state Rep. Aaron Vega, from Holyoke, Rep. John Velis from Westfield and Sen. Mike Knapik, from Westfield.

“Durante muchos años la misión de la Red Hispana ha sido empoderar a nuestra comunidad. Por ello nos honra participar en esta campaña que no solo abre ventanas de oportunidad laboral para miles de hispanos sino alienta a seguir una carrera para aquellos con vocación de servicio público”, señaló el presidente de HCN/La Red Hispana Jeff Kline.

La campaña incluye el lanzamiento de mensajes radiales de servicio público en todo el país en las que se presentan historias verídicas y experiencias personales de mujeres y hombres que vencieron obstáculos familiares, culturales y económicos para llegar a la meta de una carrera

en enfermería.

Asimismo contempla el lanzamiento del sitio CarrerasEnEnfermeria.org, que servirá como depósito bilingüe de entrevistas con más de 100 casos modelo de enfermeras y enfermeros, así como números de contacto de mentores potenciales.

Las entrevistas estarán disponibles en facebook.com/nahnnursing y en Twitter en @nanhnursing.

Campaña para atraer talento latino a las carreras de enfermería continued from page 15

12 El Sol Latino February 2015

Holyoke¿Qué Pasa en...?

Organizan Primer Certamen Sparkling Crowns El 17 de enero se celebró el Sparkling Crowns Pageant en la Holyoke High School. Cerca de 400 personas asistieron al primer evento, el primero en su clase organizado en la ciudad de Holyoke.

Este es un certamen para jóvenes entres las edades de 4 a 17 años, el cual busca proveerle a las niñas oportunidades de desenvolverse frente al público demostrando sus habilidades y talentos. El certamen se enfoca en el desenvolvimiento académico, liderazgo y servicio comunitario de las concursantes.

Las ganadoras recibirían una beca para sus estudios, entre otras cosas. El evento fue el sábado, 17 de enero en la Holyoke High School.

Este certamen fue el primero organizado por Sonia Batlle en Holyoke. Baltle tiene en su resume la organización de otros eventos similares en la region.. En el 2006, Batlle organizo con el apoyo del Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce, Miss America Latina de Massachusettes. Tambien organizo el certamen de las Fietas de san Juan Bautista en Sppringfiled.

El domingo, 8 de febrero los organizadoes estarán llevando a cabo registraciones para el nuevo certamen Dazzling Darlings para niñas desde los 6 meses hasta los 3 años. También estaran disponiles las registraciones para el segundo certamen de Sparkling Crowns Pageant 2016. Las registraciones serán en el 1198 Dwight St. Holyoke de 10 am a 2 pm.

Para mas información pueden visitar la página en Facebook: Pageant o la página, sparklingcrownspageant.com. Telfono 413-317.8999. Dirección postal, Spannkling Crowns, P.O. Box 10206 Holyooke M 01041.

Foto suministrada. De izquierda a derecha - Miss. Sparkling Crowns Diamond Category Jackeline Curet, Miss. Sparkling Crowns Shimmer Category Nazarelie González, Miss. Sparkling Crowns Twinkle Category Analia Rivera, Miss. Sparkling Crowns Glitter Category Ivelise Aponte,

y Sonia Batlle Directora del Certamen.

Clases de Guitarra & Bajo

con Sergio D'Orsini

* CLASES EN CASA DEL ESTUDIANTE DISPONIBLE

* TODOS LOS ESTILOS DE MUSICA

* EXPERIENCIA Y SERIEDAD

CLASES DE 55 minutos INDIVIDUALES

* LESSONS in ENGLISH or SPANISH

POR MáS INFO : TEL. (413) 530 7179

[email protected]/elsollatino

Latinos in Undergraduate Education: • Latino college enrollment is projected to increase more than other

groups. Between 2011 and 2022, Latinos’ college enrollment is projected to increase 27% compared with African Americans (26%) and Whites (7%)

• The majority of Latino undergraduate students were concentrated in a small number of institutions. In 2013-2014, almost 60% of Latino undergraduates were enrolled in the 11% of institutions of higher education identified as Hispanic-Serving Institutions.

Source: Excelencia in Education report The Condition of Latinos in Education: 2015 Factbook

New Report on The Condition of Latinos in Educationcontinued from page 4

13El Sol Latino February 2015Libros / Books

I remember.

I was teaching Latin American History at the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton, Massachusetts.

It was the early 80’s.

My idealistic students and I shared joy at the triumph of the Sandinistas in Nicaragua over the despotic regime of Anastasio Somoza. The common people, many of them desperately poor, won over a repressive and cruel leadership.

Hurrah.

But as we marched through the 80’s, other students took the seats of those before them in my classroom. We shared growing disillusionment, as Nicaragua became a pawn in the struggle between the super-powers.

The Frente Sandinista, which promised to lift the impoverished masses communist-style by spreading the wealth in Nicaragua, was co-opted by Soviet support. In retaliation, the US led by President Ronald Reagan backed the Contras (short for Counter Revolutionaries, spearheaded by members of the former National Guard under Somoza). They fought for “order,” the status quo, but without the Ogre of leadership that was the cruel Somoza. Reagan called them “Freedom Fighters,” and labeled aid to the Contras as part of the noble cause against the spread of world-wide Communism.

The Sandinista Revolution lost its way. Pockets of armed revolutionaries fought pockets of Contras in the mountains and valleys and small villages of Nicaragua.

Gannon’s debut novel Night of the Jaguar picks up the story in the mid to late 80’s. Factions of Sandinistas and Contras have begun to be confused about what they are fighting for. Soviet support, often delayed, props up the fledgling Sandinista Revolution. The US senate considers more aid to the Freedom Fighters. Meanwhile, the majority of Nicaraguan people are mired in a poverty worse than before the Revolution.

Gannon’s protagonist, the fictitious Alex Montoya, once gloriously hailed as a hero of the Sandinista Revolution, is now a policeman who finds himself in a fight for his sobriety, or, as the author puts it, “remain a drunk and lose his soul, or keep his temperance but lose his mind.” Montoya’s sleepless nights are tormented by ghostly apparitions of a young Contra “puto,” the only one he ever slew with the dagger he calls the “Needle” in a murder not strictly motivated by the Sandinista cause. Montoya’s partner, young idealistic Lieutenant Gladys Dario, had been trained in Havana and “was thrilled to her marrow that she’d been born in time to actually live the revolution generations of her people had dreamed of.” Her boss, Sub-Comandante Vladimir Malhora, “Commander of the Directorate General for the State Security and Chief Protector of the Revolution and Guardian of the People’s Will,” has assigned Dario the secret mission of spying on Montoya with the ultimate objective of discrediting the former hero of “the Revo.”

The partners investigate the case of coffee farmer Enrique Cuadra--friend of everyone, “Frente, Contra, neighbors, workers”--who was murdered Contra-style: “stabbed once in the throat and twice through the heart.” Montoya, however, is suspicious that the murder was motivated by something other

than the ongoing clash between Sandinistas and Contras. His investigation takes him into Contra territory and face to face with their famed cruel leader Krill, “a real shit eater.” In a turn of events that seem surreal and test the reader’s credibility, the ghost of his nightmares appears to Montoya and provides him an escape.

Three other murders with personal links to Cuadra spur the investigation and take Montoya out to murdered man’s ranch where he runs into Amelia Peck, a “freckled twenty-seven-year old Scotch-Irish daughter of steelworkers.” The initial volatile antagonism between the two turns into a night of passion, explicitly sexual, after which the surprised Montoya finds himself in love: “He didn’t want a drink, he didn’t want a smoke, and he didn’t want to yell at anyone… He was empty of anger… the emptiness was stillness. A stillness Amelia had brought to his mind.”

The murder of Cuadra connects with a new turn the Revolution has taken: drug trafficking, an insidious plan to undermine the “American way of life,” a plan which, according to Montoya, was payback for the “contra-revolucionarios,” “an armed insurgency raised and paid for by the imperialist yanqui putos.”

In the Prologue, a clue is given as to the meaning of the title of the novel: “The jaguar…is a symbol for powerful things. Kings, dictators, emperors. Those who do not care what they hurt…”

A tone of cynical pessimism pervades the novel underscoring that the idealistic revolution is losing its way: “Seven years ago, Ajax had ridden down that very road through cheering throngs…in a triumphal procession….Now a vast, dense maze of dusty, trash-strewn tracks was lined, cheek-by-jowl with shacks….The lucky residents had ‘acquired’ a gargantuan packing crate or two—in which a tractor or crane had arrived—and cut windows and doors into it. The Russian, Bulgarian, or Romanian letters stenciled on the sides were still visible, like very neat graffiti.”

Gannon spent time in Nicaragua as a freelance journalist covering the Sandinista triumph. For that reason, Night of the Jaguar is rich with historical details of the revolution. A strong sense of time and place pervades the novel. As an example, Gannon writes: “In Nicaragua, only the rich had alleys in which to store their garbage out of sight…The wealthy might not use dogs, but everyone topped their walls with shards of glass.”

Characters are vividly drawn. Montoya as a tarnished hero still holding onto a sense of right and wrong perhaps borders on stereotype, but he’s a hero readers will be drawn to and cheer for. There are several literary allusions which enrich the text, linking struggles in Nicaragua to universal themes as for example in Antigone and Homer’s Odyssey. The works of Nicaraguan writers, such as poet Pablo Antonio Cuadra who opposed the American intervention against Augusto César Sandino, the Revolution’s spiritual inspiration, are linked with universal, and timeless themes in world literature.

Appropriate in a detective driven mystery, there are many—perhaps too many--subplots serving as distracters which mystify Montoya and reader alike as the former Sandinista hero investigates the murders.

Style-wise, Gannon emphasizes points that he wishes to make in a series of “threes.” Examples: “we will chat, converse, talk;” “His turning, his

Night of the Jaguar by JOE GANNON • (New York: Minataur Books, 2014. 320 pages)


14 El Sol Latino February 2015Salud / Health

SPRINGFIELD - Febrero es el Mes Nacional del Corazón en Estados Unidos (American Heart Month) durante el cual se busca crear una mayor concientización sobre los riesgos para la salud del corazón y cómo prevenir las enfermedades cardiovasculares.

“Nunca es demasiado tarde para adoptar un estilo de vida saludable que ayude a evitar posibles problemas del corazón en el futuro. Puede comenzar ahora mismo si deja de fumar: esto es lo mejor que puede hacer para proteger su corazón de las dañinas sustancias químicas del tabaco, que pueden estrechar sus arterias y aumentar el riesgo de sufrir un ataque al corazón,” dijo el Dr. Timothy Egan, del Programa Cardiovascular de Baystate Medical Center.

De acuerdo a los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades, (CDC, por su sigla en inglés) las enfermedades cardiovasculares son la principal causa de muerte en Estados Unidos: una de cada tres muertes se atribuyen a enfermedades del corazón y accidentes cerebrovasculares, lo que equivale a 2,220 fallecimientos diarios. Pero no tiene por qué ser así.

Además de fumar, los principales factores de riesgo para sufrir una enfermedad de las arterias coronarias o sufrir un ataque al corazón incluyen: edad (el riesgo de las enfermedades del corazón aumenta para los hombres después de los 45 años y para las mujeres después de los 55 años o de la menopausia), sexo (los hombres tienen un riesgo mayor que las mujeres), raza (mayor para los afroamericanos, personas de ascendencia mejicana, personas de ascendencia india, nativos hawaianos, y algunas personas de ascendencia asiática), presión arterial alta, alto nivel de colesterol en la sangre, diabetes, sobrepeso, ser físicamente inactivo, estrés y antecedentes familiares de enfermedades del corazón tempranas.

“Aunque usted puede en gran medida minimizar su riesgo de una enfermedad al corazón, nunca podrá eliminarlo por completo debido a que algunos factores están fuera de su control como lo son sus antecedentes familiares, sexo y edad,” dijo el Dr. Egan.

“La genética tiene un papel importante en la posibilidad de sufrir enfermedades del corazón, y desafortunadamente ninguno de nosotros puede controlarla. Es importante hablar con su médico sobre sus antecedentes familiares en cuanto a enfermedades cardíacas: su médico puede decidir ser más enérgico con las medidas preventivas que se tomen para salvaguardar la salud del corazón,” añadió.

Dr. Egan señaló que el trazar un curso para gozar de una buena salud del corazón comienza con una visita a su médico de cabecera, quien puede evaluar sus factores de riesgo individuales y luego diseñar una estrategia personalizada para que usted la siga.

“Su médico querrá conocer en detalle su historia clínica y hacerle un examen físico completo, así como también evaluarlo para determinar si tiene altos niveles de presión arterial y colesterol, pues dichas condiciones pueden dañar el corazón y los vasos sanguíneos. Debido a que la diabetes es un factor de riesgo para sufrir enfermedades cardíacas, quizás su médico le recete una prueba de azúcar en ayunas para determinar si tiene diabetes. Si hay otras enfermedades presentes, como diabetes o presión arterial alta, tal vez le hagan un electrocardiograma, o ECG como se conoce comúnmente, para establecer una referencia y para revisar el estado de salud de su corazón,” dijo Dr. Egan.

“Dependiendo de los resultados de las pruebas y de otros factores, su médico puede sencillamente sugerirle algunas modificaciones en su estilo de vida o recetarle medicamentos para reducir la presión arterial y el nivel de colesterol. Si su nivel de azúcar en la sangre está demasiado alto, su médico también podría referirlo a un endocrinólogo para que reciba tratamiento para la diabetes tipo 2,” añadió.

Las modificaciones de su estilo de vida pueden incluir consultar a un dietista para que adopte una dieta saludable y balanceada, y para que también sea más activo mediante la incorporación de 30 minutos de ejercicios de intensidad moderada a su rutina diaria. Ambos cambios en su estilo de vida pueden reducir el nivel de colesterol en la sangre y de la presión arterial, y ayudarle a mantener un peso adecuado, dado que la obesidad y el sobrepeso favorecen una gran cantidad de factores de riesgo relacionados con las enfermedades cardíacas.

Dr. Egan les advirtió a los padres que estén atentos a sus hijos. “Hoy en día, estamos viendo pacientes cada vez más jóvenes con mayores riesgos de sufrir enfermedades cardíacas como resultado de tener alto nivel de colesterol, diabetes tipo 2 y otros factores relacionados con la obesidad,” dijo.

Por último, Dr. Egan indicó que las personas siempre deben poder reconocer las señales de un ataque al corazón: presión incómoda en el centro del pecho como sería la sensación de dolor, sentir el pecho oprimido o lleno; dolor o incomodidad en uno o ambos brazos, la espalda, el cuello, la quijada o el estómago; falta de aliento con o sin incomodidad en el pecho; y tener un sudor frío, sentir náuseas o mareos.

Truven Health Analytics ha nombrado a Baystate Medical Center como uno de los 50 Hospitales Cardiovasculares más destacados de EE.UU. Para mas información, visite baystatehealth.org-bhvp.

Fuente: Baystate Medical Center

Adopte un estilo de vida saludable para el corazón

redemption, his rescue;” “He wrapped his hand around the neck of the bottle. Wanted more than anything to wring its neck. Break the seal. Let go.” There are a multitude of these which call attention to the writing and away from the story.

There are lots and lots of metaphors and similes. Many are “right on,” making the prose richly communicative. But sometimes their novelty leaves the reader scratching his head: “He [Montoya] lifted his photo off the wall, the clean white square behind it like a sail that took him over the edge.” And sometimes sentences become overloaded in an attempt to work in a comparison, itself awkward: Describing the Hula Hoop Queen at a one-ring

Soviet circus, he writes: “The energy from that undulation flowed through her torso and limbs like the tremors of some benign earthquake, which, rather than topple buildings and kill people, turns down your bed linens, or picks the mangoes from your trees.” The text could benefit from fewer such comparisons which slow the flow of the prose.

Despite these stylistic flaws, Night of the Jaguar is an entertaining and informative read with interesting characters and a complex plot that keeps the reader guessing.

Review by Cathleen C. Robinson, a retired teacher of Spanish and Latin American History who now devotes her energies to writing.

Night of the Jaguar continued from previous page

15El Sol Latino February 2015Salud / Health

Washington, DC - La Asociación Nacional de Enfermeras Hispanas (NAHN), en equipo con Hispanic Communications Network/La Red Hispana, lanzó una campaña mediática inédita Carreras en Enfermería, que busca atraer talento latino hacia una de las carreras mejor remuneradas y de mayor demanda que requieren profesionales bilingües en diversas especialidades de atención médica.

Un grupo de 15 enfermeras y enfermeros latinos de la NAHN compartirán por primera vez con el público sus experiencias de inspiración y éxito personal y profesional, en inglés y en español, las cuales se pueden escuchar en la red de emisoras afiliadas de La Red Hispana en más de 60 mercados en Estados Unidos y Puerto Rico.

“Desde su fundación, la NAHN mantiene el compromiso de fomentar la salud en las comunidades hispanas, así como de promover y abogar en favor de las oportunidades profesionales, educativas y de liderazgo para las enfermeras hispanas”, señaló el presidente de NAHN, Dan Suárez.

La campaña de cinco años de duración inicia con un paquete en medios electrónicos, incluyendo programas de la radio, videos, columnas y las redes sociales en inglés y español, con el objetivo de informar, orientar y persuadir a la comunidad hispanohablante sobre los recursos, becas y oportunidades en el creciente campo de la enfermería.

“De las 3 millones de enfermeras registradas en Estados Unidos, los hispanos sólo representan el 3,6%, a pesar de que somos el 17% de la población. Hospitales y clínicas en todo el país están en necesidad de proveedores de salud bilingües, biculturales y competentes”, añadió Angie Millan, MSN, RN, FAAN, e investigadora principal de la NAHN para la subvención del Premio de Colaboración en Educación Científica del Instituto

Nacional de Salud (SEPA-NIH).

La campaña presenta “casos modelo” de éxito personal, profesional y económico que buscan inspirar a los estudiantes hispanos del nivel preparatorio a considerar seriamente la posibilidad de cursar la carrera de enfermería, así como servir de mentores a las nuevas generaciones.

Jackie Osegueda Cuevas, una enfermera titulada que trabaja en el Departamento de Pediatría de un hospital de Los Angeles, describe en la campaña como su amor por los niños la llevó con el apoyo de su familia a la ruta de la realización personal.

“Ganamos de 75,000 a 80,000 dólares trabajando 12 horas por día, tres días a la semana y nosotros escogemos los días que queremos trabajar. Si quieres hacer tu vida más fácil para salir adelante con esta profesión, hay que sacar buenas calificaciones y estudiar. Y los padres por favor apoyen a sus hijos”, recomendó Jackie.

La campaña “Carreras en Enfermería” pondrá en manos de latinos y latinas de todas las edades información relevante sobre las oportunidades en las especialidades de la profesión y los requisitos educativos necesarios para llegar a la meta.

Aunque estará enfocada en la comunidad hispano parlante, muchos de los recursos serán presentados en inglés y español, y disponibles para el público en general.

Campaña para atraer talento latino a las carreras de enfermería


NO SE PIERDA EL RESTO DE LA TEMPORADA.¡SUSCRÍBASE A 3 EVENTOS O MÁS Y AHORRE UN 15%!

WARREN WOLF & WOLFPACK Jueves, 5 de Febrero, 7:30 p.m. | Bowker AuditoriumUn talento multi-instrumental, Warren Wolf tiene una impresionante experiencia tocando el vibráfono, la marimba, la batería y el piano. Una reseña del Jazz Times indicó que, “Warren Wolf está camino a la fama como uno de los mas excitantes vibrafonistas desde Bobby Hutcherson.” Venga a ver a esta nueva estrella del género de jazz.Season Sponsors: Event Sponsors:

GRUPO CORPO Martes, 24 de Febrero, 7:30 p.m. | Fine Arts Center Concert HallEl electrificante grupo brasilero de baile contemporáneo, Grupo Corpo, combina la sensualidad del baile Afro-Brasilero, el swing del jazz, y la proeza técnica del ballet, con mucha energía. La compañía es conocida por su increíble fisicalidad, habilidad dinámica, y rica sutileza visual. Season Sponsors: Event Sponsors:

EDDIE PALMIERI SALSA ORCHESTRASábado, 28 de Febrero, 8 p.m. | Fine Arts Center Concert HallEl ganador de nueve premios Grammy, Eddie Palmieri, es conocido por su poder carismático y audaz impulso innovador, y una carrera musical que abarca más de 50 años como director de orquestas de Salsa y Latin Jazz. Una verdadera fuente de energía y brillantez, Palmieri continúa conmoviendo al público a través de todo el mundo con su legendario estilo.La audiencia está invitada a la sección de Preguntas y Respuestas con Eddie Palmieri, antes del concierto, a las 4:30 en el Concert Hall.Season Sponsors: Event Sponsors:

Llame al 413-545-2511 o al 800-999-UMAS o visite fineartscenter.com

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El Sol Latino | February 2015 | 11.3