“Hidden Figures” Revealed at Black History Month Celebration at Byron-Bergen

BY GRETCHEN SPITTLER, BYRON-BERGEN COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

On Friday, February 17th, students in sixth grade as well as several clubs and student organizations celebrated the accomplishments of historic and contemporary Black individuals throughout the day of learning. Highlights included a demonstration from special guests, pianist and composer Timothy Digba Ogunbiyi and dancer/choreographer Solange Rodrigues, followed by a group presentation by Byron-Bergen High School students Dayanara Caballero, Deborah Catalino, Malachi Smith, Roman Smith, Solomon Smith, Joshua Tardy, and Ava Wagoner.

Ogunbiyi and Rodrigues collaborated on an improvised performance that conveyed the emotions of sadness, confusion, excellent presentation for our students,” said Byron-Bergen Jr/Sr High School Principal Ashley John Grillo. “It was an absolute treat to have such highly trained professionals share their music and dance experiences with our students.”

Ogunbiyi is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, where he planned to become an engineer until deciding to dedicate himself to music. He has studied classical and jazz piano and is currently a doctoral candidate in piano performance at the Eastman School of Music. He kicked o the assembly in a combined performance with the Byron-Bergen Jazz Ensemble and discussed improvisation during his break-out session.

Rodrigues is from Greece, New York. She began dancing at the age of three and completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance with a concentration in choreography from SUNY Purchase in 2020. She currently teaches dance and tness classes in the Rochester area, is a member of several performing dance troupes, and is moving to Brooklyn to join the Pocket Fuel Groovers, a dance company founded by her brother.

“I want to thank Mrs. Alyson Tardy for coordinating this high school students’ presentation in her classroom. e students discussed segregation, representation, and introduced the movie Hidden Figures. ey talked about historic and contemporary Black individuals who many of the younger students had not heard of or could not recognize, important gures in history and culture who are, in a way, hidden. e students knew some featured individuals, such as Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, right away. e younger students could not identify other individuals such as Mae Carol Jemison, the rst Black woman to travel in space, civil rights activist Claudette Colvin, and Emmy, Golden Globe, and Tony Awardwinning actor James Earl Jones. Students even struggled to identify basketball legend Michael Jordan. While learning about these and other important Black individuals, students had the opportunity to consider who each is and why they may be less well known than other individuals.

A er a discussion of these hidden gures, the day ended with a screening of the 2016 award-winning feature lm, Hidden Figures, the real-life story of a team of female Black mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program. Despite the women’s important contributions, they remained widely unknown for decades.

As the day ended, students experienced jazz, musical improvisation, dance improvisation, learned about important Black individuals and historic events, and considered the importance of representation in history and contemporary culture.

“It was a great day at B-B celebrating Black History Month,” said Grillo.

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PAW’S CORNER

By Sam Mazzotta

Pet Sitting Can Be More an a Side Job

DEAR PAW’S CORNER: I was recently laid o from my job as a programmer, and have been thinking about taking a new career direction. I’m tired of being stuck in an o ce all day. And I love being around pets. But is it really possible to make a good living working as a dog walker or a pet sitter? --

Barry J., Cambridge, Massachusetts

DEAR BARRY: I know more than a few people who are full-time pet sitters and dog walkers. Most have their own business, while a few are employees of pet care companies. As you can imagine, the pay rates vary widely from person to person. ZipRecruiter reports that the average hourly wage, nationally, for pet sitters is about $19.23.

I think it’s great that you’re considering a career change. But I recommend testing out the world of pet sitting rst. Consider working part time for a pet-sitting company. Even better, if you know someone who does dog walking, ask to accompany them for one day to see what their job entails. Find out what the pitfalls of this business may be, and what makes it fun to do. Finally, o er to pet sit for a friend who’s going out of town for a day or two to get direct experience and really see if it’s something that you’d like to do full time.

Next, visit the Small Business Administration’s website (www. sba.gov) and check out its Learning Center section, which has several micro-courses that teach how to start up and run a small business. Being able to combine core business skills with a love for and dedication to pets is a great platform to start on. Best of luck.

Send your tips, comments or questions to ask@pawscorner.com.

(c) 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.

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Leisure activities may be widely viewed as fun ways to fill up free time, but the benefits of leisure activities extend beyond beating boredom. A 2011 analysis published in the journal BBA Molecular Basis of Disease found that leisure activities have a positive impact on cognitive function and dementia. The analysis, conducted by researchers with the Aging Research Center in Stockholm who examined various studies regarding the relationship between certain activities and cognitive function, defined leisure activity as the voluntary use of free time for activities outside the home. After retirement, leisure time constitutes a large part of many retirees’ lives, and finding ways to fill that time is more beneficial than merely avoiding boredom. The researchers behind the study concluded that the existing research is insufficient to draw any firm conclusions regarding the effects of certain types of leisure activities on the risk for dementia and cognitive decline, though they did note that multi-domain cognitive training has the potential to improve cognitive function in healthy older adults and slow decline in affected individuals. A multi-domain approach to cognitive training involves memory, reasoning, problem-solving, and map reading, among other activities. Aging adults who embrace activities that require the use of such skills may find that they’re not only finding stimulating ways to fill their free time, but increasing their chances of long-term cognitive health as well.

DID YOU KNOW?

Notable African American Musicians

Louis Armstrong - Armstrong was a jazz pioneer and multitalented performer who participated in many bands. In the 1930s, Armstrong broke racial barriers when he was featured in a Hollywood movie. His song, “What a Wonderful World,” shares a message of positivity and hope and became an instant classic.