What's That Sound? The Mbira

by Beth Dolinar, Luminari Coordinator, Speak & Tell! Director

In each issue of LUMOS!, we offer a regular series about the unique and unusual (and sometimes downright strange) instruments we’ve never heard. And since we can’t really understand an instrument until we’ve heard it being played, we’ll offer links to sites where you can hear and see a performance.

***

You’ve heard of a pipe organ, a church organ, and a mouth organ, but how about a thumb organ? That’s the more common name for the African instrument called the mbira. The word is pronounced mm-BYE-rah.

The first mbiras were created more than 3,000 years ago on the African continent, and were made of wood. More recent versions are made of wood with metal keys, or tines. The mbira is held in both hands, with the thumbs creating the music by striking the tines. The action looks a lot like the hands-and-thumbs motion of texting on a cell phone.

The mbira’s unique tone is described as inharmonic—a dissonance that occurs when the motion of one tine creates a vibration in an adjacent tine. That first sound is complex, but eventually becomes a pure note. In order to increase the variety of vibrations, mbira players often attach metal bottle caps or seashells to the body of the instrument.

Mbira music is traditionally plated at weddings and other religious ceremonies. Its tones are thought to attract ancestral spirits.

Are you a musician? Do you play a unique or unusual instrument or brand of music? Tell us about it in the comments below, and you may be featured in an upcoming issue of LUMOS!

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy our newsletter. Receive each new post delivered right to your inbox, plus our can’t-miss news and program updates from Luminari. Sign up here.

***

Luminari Coordinator, Beth Dolinar brings her talents and experience as a writer, Emmy-award producer, public speaker and deadline driven multi-tasker to our team. She writes a popular column for the Washington "Observer-Reporter." She is a contributing producer of documentary length programming for WQED-TV on a wide range of topics and currently teaches as an adjunct faculty member at Robert Morris University. Beth has a son and a daughter. She is an avid yoga devotee, cyclist and reader. Beth says she types like lightning but reads slowly -- because she likes a really good sentence.

Where Are They Now? Nick Ungarino

by Beth Dolinar, Luminari Coordinator, Speak & Tell! Director

Nick Ungarino Photo by Cooper Kusbit

Here at Lumos, we like to check back in with some of our campers, to find out what they’ve been up to—and to get their thoughts on how the Luminari Camp experience has enhanced their lives.

Nicholas Ungarino attended both “I Want to be an Ambassador!” and “Speak & Tell!” camps in summer 2016. He’s now a senior at Northgate High School.

Senior year of high school has the reputation of being rather easy, because students have one foot out the door on the way to college. Are you finding that to be the case with your senior year?

This school year I filled my schedule with some of the more rigorous advanced placement courses including Calculus, Statistics, Physics 2, and English literature including seven college credits. In addition to my classes, I've begun to practice cross-country mountain bike racing. This adds to my already busy schedule of cross-country, track, and work. Any spare time I have left is usually dedicated to learning 3D modeling and animation alongside coding. So when it comes down to it, I have to say that this year is even more difficult than the previous.

What are your college and career plans?

At the moment, I'm not completely sure where I will be going to college. I do know that I will be attending either Pennsylvania State, Ohio State, Purdue, or Georgia Institute of Technology for aerospace engineering. Beyond college, in the best scenario, I will receive a dream job at NASA, Boeing, or SpaceX.

In what way did the Luminari camps change the way you think about yourself—your strengths and your weaknesses?

One of the things Luminari taught me about my weaknesses is, instead of trying to hide them, to use them as an excuse to show that I have the initiative to improve myself. I was also taught to take advantage of my strengths in all aspects of my life to further myself.

You attended the Ambassador Camp last summer. In what way did that experience change the way you look at your high school classmates?

Ambassador camp helped me to view situations from everyone's perspective and backgrounds to understand why each person may react in certain ways. This skill has helped me to guide classmates through their situations and problems.

You're a student athlete. Do you plan to continue with sports in college? if not, what will you miss most about them?

Aside from mountain biking, I do not plan to play any sports competitively. But being an athlete and a lover of many sports, I will most likely be joining the snowboarding, soccer, and hockey clubs.

At the closing program of the Speak and Tell Camp, you told the story of how you ate the world's hottest pepper and lived to tell about it. How's your hot pepper consumption habit been lately? Do you still risk the really hot ones?

Since eating the Carolina reaper pepper, I have stayed far away from extremely hot peppers, though most peppers aren't very hot in comparison. My next challenge will be to complete the Triple Atomic Wing challenge at Quaker Steak & Lube with my friends.

***

Are you a former Luminari camper? Are you interested in sharing with our readers how your participation in one of our camps has influenced your life? Would you be interested in updating the Luminari community on recent accomplishments, lessons learned or life goals? Let us know in the comments below.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy our newsletter. Receive each new post delivered right to your inbox, plus our can’t-miss news and program updates from Luminari. Sign up here.

Teen Writer! FAQs

By Gina Catanzarite, Teen Writer! Director

Q. Does my teen need to have experience as a fiction writer to take this camp?  

A.  Nope! Teen Writer! is uniquely designed to engage experienced writers and beginners who are simply interested in trying out a new creative writing format. Our writing activities offer several options for teens and can be adapted to suit their individual interests and needs as developing writers.

Q. Will this camp feel like “school”?

A.  Nope, again!  This is an intensive writing workshop and teens will spend very little time sitting at a desk listening to a lecture. Great writing starts with great details so our teens will spend a lot of time on walking tours of the area and on field trips to exciting locations as part of writing exercises intended to sharpen observation skills and descriptive writing skills.

Q.  Will this camp improve my child’s skills with academic writing, composition and research papers, or school essays?

A.  Teen Writer! does devote some time to writing with clarity, and proper grammar and punctuation are part of that. However, this camp focuses on fiction writing and the creative process for coming up with great story ideas, logical plotlines, characterization, dialogue, and descriptive narrative writing techniques. This is not an English composition camp and we do not recommend it for teens who are solely looking to improve their academic writing skills.

Q.  Will my child have to share his or her writing with other campers?

A.  Reading creative works aloud and getting feedback from others is part of the writing workshop process, however, we realize not every student feels comfortable sharing his or her work. Students are encouraged to let others read and comment on writing as part of our Peer Review activities, but no camper is required to share work or read it aloud.

Q.  Will my child leave camp with a complete, finished fiction work?

A.  It depends on the camper. Teen Writer! camp is designed to allow each camper to work at his or her own pace.  Some students do arrive at camp with a specific work-in-progress and in those instances we recommend that the writer uses that fiction as the basis for the writing exercises we do, revising and improving that specific work throughout camp. Other students feel more comfortable experimenting with different plots and characters throughout the week, improving certain creative skills but not necessarily completing a specific work of fiction during camp. All campers, however, will leave with a selection of plotlines for short and long fiction that they've developed throughout the week and they can continue to work on those projects at their own pace after camp concludes.

Q.  My child wrote a novel. Will he or she receive individualized feedback from the instructor on that project?

A.  Many campers arrive with fiction works-in-progress, as mentioned above. The instructor will provide feedback on portions of that project if excerpts are used as the basis for the writing exercises we do. However, due to time constraints, the instructor is not able to read complete novels and provide feedback on long works of fiction.

Q. What “take-away skills” will my child gain from this camp?

A.  Teen Writer! campers will leave with improved knowledge of creative writing techniques that can be applied to short and long works of fiction. This camp also includes components for career exploration and teens will learn about the publishing industry; how to submit fiction works for publication; and, they will learn about respected creative writing competitions for teens. Most of all, we want our campers to take away a sense of exhilaration and accomplishment as they gain confidence in their own abilities to explore and create dynamic fiction!

Does your middle or high school student love to write, does she/he write in his/her spare time, or goes above and beyond on writing assignments? If so, we encourage you to enroll your young writer in our TeenWriter! Fantastic Fiction summer camp. To learn more about any of our other exciting, fun and unique Summer Camps for Teens, visit luminari.org, email us at luminari@luminari.org or call us at (412) 877 -1888.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy our newsletter. Receive each new post delivered right to your inbox, plus our can’t-miss news and program updates from Luminari. Sign up here.

***

Gina Catanzarite, owner/operator of Arania Productions, and an award-winning television producer, author, media consultant and teacher who has worked both nationally and locally in her fields since 1987.

Cultural Conversations with Dalel Khalil

At Luminari, we value knowledge, education and open-mindedness while advocating for compassion and kindness toward others. Our programs and actions are guided by our mission of fostering a more enlightened citizenry through cultural understanding and thoughtful conversation. In that spirit, we present the first “Cultural Conversations” a window to the customs and beliefs of others through first-person story telling. We invite your to keep the conversation going by sharing your stories with the Luminari community. 

***

by Dalel Khalil, Writer, Guest Presenter for I Want to be an Ambassador! Camp

One of the most beautiful things about the Syrian culture is that life revolves around food and family. It is at the very heart of our culture. We not only gather for weddings and other major events, but it is also a very strong staple of the social diet to gather with friends and family, and enjoy each other’s delicious delicacies, wonderful company and awesome music.

The Arabic culture, and in particular the Syrian culture, is known throughout the world to be the most hospitable. Not only do we gather with each other, but we love to shower guests with our unique hospitality. It is not unusual for a non-Syrian to visit a Syrian person’s home and be inundated with food, family, music and culture.

As an author, I give cross-cultural lectures throughout the country, and a few years ago (before the Syrian war) someone who was interested in visiting Syria asked me, “Will I be kidnapped?” because this, unfortunately, was the negative image that many Americans had of Syrians.

I looked her straight in the eye and said, “YES!… You will!… You will be taken hostage into someone’s home, fed so much delicious food until you feel you’re ready to burst, you will sense it is time to leave, but your host will insist you haven’t eaten enough and, without your consent, pile more food on to your plate.”

  

After a few more hours, you will really need to get home, but your host will remind you that the party is just starting, and not let you leave until you’ve drunk more coffee and eaten more dessert!  At some point, you will desperately want to leave again, and your host will tell you that you cannot leave now because their nephew is coming over to play some music and sing a special song for their guests. So in that sense, you will be “kidnapped”… We all had a good laugh, and it changed some perceptions.

Palmyra (Tidmour); Photo courtesy of Dalel

In addition to their great hospitality, Syrians offer so much more to the world. Our historical, religious and cultural gifts are unmatched. Syria is rich with amazing history and some of the most sacred ancient sites in the world. Syria proudly houses at least six UNESCO World Heritage sites, including, Palmyra, Aleppo and Bosra. The first Alphabet was discovered in Ugarit. Damascus is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, settled in the second millennium. And it is where the grande Omayyad Mosque is situated, (the capital of the Omayyad Caliphate). And if that wasn’t enough, within its walls, contains the Tomb of St. John the Baptist.

Omayyad Mosque; Photo courtesy of Dalel

In the heart of Damascus is Straight Street, the prison where St. Paul was carried down in a basket, and where he was converted in St. Annanais’ house (all historical accounts in the Bible). The skyline of Damascus at night is a sight to behold. Blue crosses on top of Christian Churches, and green marinates, on top of Mosques light up the night sky and are interspersed throughout the city. And the cool summer night wind of Damascus is more refreshing with every breeze.

Souk Hamadiya; Photo courtesy Dalel

Syrian people who come to America and other Western countries, assimilate very well into their new lands and tend to be quite successful in business. They love to share their culture, and always bring that to their new lands with them. I would encourage everyone to try and meet a Syrian person and get to know them and our wonderful culture.

Maaloula at night; Photo courtesy of Dalel

There is no better way to immerse yourself in another culture than through its food! Learn to make Traditional Syrian-style Baklava (pronounced Baklawa) that crunchy yet heavenly sweet pastry of buttered flakes and flavored nuts.

Enjoy,

Dalel


Do you have story to share? Don't forget to leave a comment below or share your story with us for a chance to be featured in the next Cultural Conversations.

And to learn more about I Want to be an Ambassador! camp or any of our other exciting, fun and unique Summer Camps for Teens, visit luminari.org, email us at luminari@luminari.org or call us at (412) 877 -1888.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy our newsletter. Receive each new post delivered right to your inbox, plus some can’t-miss news and program updates from Luminari. Sign up here.

***

Dalel Khalil is a Syrian-American who is passionate about cross-cultural understanding. She has written an award-winning book about it and currently lectures on the subject. Ms. Khalil, who has traveled internationally, has worked with Iraqi refugees in Syria. She is very involved with the humanitarian crisis and hopes to help Americans better understand the beauty of the Syrian culture.

Change Makers Q & A: Angelica Ocampo

by Beth Dolinar, Luminari Coordinator, Speak & Tell! Director

Angelica Ocampo, President
and CEO, World Affairs Council
of Pittsburgh

In my role as Coordinator for Luminari, I meet some fascinating people who are doing important things for the Pittsburgh region. For each issue of LUMOS!, I will feature a Q & A with one of these individuals.

Meet Angelica Ocampo, the president and CEO of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh. The Council is a non-profit that works to help the residents of Western Pennsylvania understand how global challenges affect the local region. The Council is especially committed to helping high school students understand that they are part of a global community.

You were born and raised in Argentina. Your work has taken you all over the world, but you are new to Pittsburgh, having come here late in 2015. What were your first impressions of our city?

I came here knowing really very little about Pittsburgh. And when I got here I found that Pittsburgh is bouncing back. Jobs are coming back, and there’s a quality of life here that is bigger than (the growing reputation) can reflect. What struck me most as a newcomer was that the city still doesn’t have the reputation it deserves.

The people here talk about Pittsburgh as if it were an old relative. I will hear people talking about the city, and they’ll say things like, “It’s doing great; it’s getting better.”  You never hear that in other places.

As the president of the World Affairs Council of Pittsburgh, you are reaching out to high schools, with programs to change the way teenagers see themselves and the world. Why is this important?

I see my goal as getting students to appreciate that global mindedness is not just nice to have—it’s not a luxury that’s only for certain people. Being globally aware is one of the key skills that the labor market will be looking for. Our struggle with students is helping them to become aware how being globally aware will always be an asset.

How, specifically, are you engaging the teenagers?

We are using technology to bring the importance of global awareness to high school students. We go where the teens are—using pop culture, video games, virtual reality. For example, we are using technology to show the students what it’s like to live in a refugee camp, or in shelter towns. We show them documentary films: what does it mean to be Muslim?

Much of your work has been in helping teachers find ways to connect with their students around the subject of world problems. And I’m sure you’ve interacted with teenagers from all over the world. How are American teenagers different in their global perspectives?

I’ve found that teenagers are the same everywhere. They don’t know what they don’t know. It’s our responsibility to bring awareness (to what is happening all over the world.) I find that teenagers are especially engaged in areas of sustainability and the environment. There is a shared concern about the world in terms of the environment.

Getting back to the subject of your new home. I’m sure you’ve noticed that Pittsburgh is a little obsessed with Steelers football. Are you a fan?

The passion for football here is all consuming. I’m not all that into football, but there are a couple of things I should know. Are the Steelers playing? Are they winning? It’s another trait that brings the city together, and I think that’s great.

You’ve spent a lot of your life in the Latin culture, which is known for its delicious and varied cuisine. Are you finding Pittsburgh to be a good place for food and restaurants?

I discover good restaurants all the time. The (food scene) here is up there with any cosmopolitan city in the world. (I love being invited into homes for meals.) I’ve been to more homes here in a short time than I ever was in New York. I really enjoy it. This is a great food city.

To learn more about I Want to be an Ambassador! camp or any of our other exciting, fun and unique Summer Camps for Teens, visit luminari.org, email us at luminari@luminari.org or call us at (412) 877 -1888.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy our newsletter. Receive each new post delivered right to your inbox, plus some can’t-miss news and program updates from Luminari. Sign up here.

Top 10 Skills from Camp Delicious!

by Leslie Bonci, Co-Director, Camp Delicious!

Nothing tastes better than a home-made meal, unless of course you can make it yourself. At Camp Delicious! young chefs, age 12 to 17, will gain hands-on experience with simple yet sophisticated recipes that they’ll be able to repeat at home. In this five-day camp, teens will explore essential cooking techniques, while developing important life-skills from professional chefs that are sure to have a long-lasting impact. Is your teen ready for the challenge? We've compiled a list of our top 10 reasons why your teen will love to create his/her own culinary masterpieces, make new friends and maybe even discover a new career path!

10:

All campers will learn knife skills to help them perfect their slice and dice.

9:

All campers will learn what it is like to be an active participant in the kitchen through chopping, stirring, mixing, rolling, kneading and NO sitting. Chefs are on their feet all day.

8:

The three T’s of food can put us in an eating mood. The world of taste is a cool one to discover. Not only the ones we know: sweet, salty, sour and bitter, but also the opportunity to do taste pairings and sharing. In addition, temperature and texture increase or decrease our preferences for certain foods.

7:

Being a conscious consumer is more than reading labels, it is also learning how to curb food waste. We will learn about how to minimize waste, what to do with what we don’t use and why it is so important to do so.

6:

Since 94% of the US population falls short of getting the recommended 5 daily servings of fruits and veggies, Camp Delicious focuses on ways to increase and optimize produce consumption through what we pour, what we put on the plate, and how we snack.

5:

Hands on, hands in is the motto for Camp Delicious! We want our campers to be in the know about what grows, so into the garden we go. We will be literally from ground to table as we cultivate and appreciate the goodness of the garden into our recipes.

4:

Since cooking occurs with many different types of equipment, our campers will be proficient in using burners, blenders, electric skillets and cooking in a food truck. It is the skill that provides the thrill and an opportunity to educate that the way food is prepared to get to the plate can be a traditional stove, or a wok, or grill.

3:

Just as we all wear what we like and feels comfortable to us, the same is true with food. We need to customize the look, the taste and the combination of foods to fit our bodies, our palate and our wallet.

2:

Learning how to cook is a gift that keeps on giving. When we can prepare a meal for ourselves, we can also prepare for family members, friends and know how to nourish ourselves through college and as adults.

1:

Culinary aptitude can be turned into a career. Chefs can work all over the world, at restaurants, spas, for sports teams, for catering companies, for industry, at the White House, as private chefs, for supermarkets, universities, and sometimes on TV!

To learn more about Camp Delicious! or any of our other exciting, fun and unique Summer Camps for Teens, visit luminari.org, email us at luminari@luminari.org or call us at (412) 877 -1888.

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy our newsletter. Receive each new post delivered right to your inbox, plus some can’t-miss news and program updates from Luminari. Sign up here.

***

Leslie is the Owner of Active Eating Advice: be fit, fed and fearless. She works with individual clients, Carnegie Mellon University athletics, the Pittsburgh Pirates, Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She strives to help her clients, viewers and readers cultivate a love for food, appreciate what fueling well does for the body, and communicate the message of being a foodie instead of a feudie.

RECIPE: Traditional Syrian Baklava

Recipe by Dalel Khalil

There is no better way to immerse yourself in another culture than through its food! Learn to make Traditional Syrian-style Baklava (pronounced Baklawa) that crunchy yet heavenly sweet pastry of buttered flakes and flavored nuts.

TRADITIONAL SYRIAN BAKLAVA (Pronounced Baklawa)

(Serves 50 - 75)

INGREDIENTS:

(For Baklava)

• 2 lbs. phyllo dough (for a 17x13 tray)
• 3 cups melted rendered butter
• (For Filling)
• 2 lbs. shelled walnuts
• 3⁄4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons rose water (usually found in Middle Eastern markets)

(For Syrup)

• 2 1⁄2 cups sugar
• 1 1⁄2 cups water
• 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon rose water

DIRECTIONS

- Butter baking pans thoroughly.
- Place 1 lb. of dough in pan, brushing butter between each sheet. (Keep phyllo dough covered preferably with a damp towel so that it does not dry out. It is very fragile.) Do not butter top sheet.
- Combine ingredients for nut filling and spread evenly on last layer.
- Place the other 1 lb. dough over nut filling, brushing each layer with butter between each sheet. Same way as above.
- Cut into diamond shapes.
- Pour remaining butter over top.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Then reduce heat to 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

 SYRUP (Made Separately)

- Mix sugar and water and boil over medium hear for 15-20 minutes
- Add lemon juice and rose water before removing from heat.
- Let syrup stand for 10 minutes before pouring over cold Baklawa.

              Enjoy!

***

P.S. If you liked this post, you might enjoy our newsletter. Receive each new post delivered right to your inbox, plus some can’t-miss news and program updates from Luminari. Sign up here.