Edicion octubre 2015 by El Mensajero

E L M en s a j er o

uestra edición de Octubre de El Mensajero, es un número con partipaciones de nuestros SIGs e importantes anuncios de Mensa Internacional. Nuestro SIG de fotografía con nuevas fuerzas, esta vez en nuestra portada con bello atardecer, tornasolado, y una muestra de las fotos que más se votaron en estos meses. También un comentario sobre los SIGs del coordinador y también editor de El Mensajero, acompañado a continuación de una actividad del SIG de literatura. Algunas fotografías de las reuniones más recientes entre nuestros miembros de Monterrey y el Distrito Federal. De MIL un mensaje e invitación de Therese Moodie-Bloom para que se aporten ideas sobre el sitio y se colabore para que sea un lugar mas amigable para todos, la experiencia con algunos miembros del programa LEAP, y una relevante información sobre cómo Mensa puede ayudar en África por Alain Séris. El editor.

NOTA EDITORIAL

CONTENIDO Nota

TABLA DE CONTENIDO

CONVOCATORIA

sIG FOTOGRAFÍA

filmes

reuniones mensa

sIgS

SIG LITERATURA

NOTICIAS MIL

DIRECTORIO MIL DIRECTORIO MENSA MÉXICO DIRECTORIO REPRESENTANTES

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¿Te gustaría contribuir en El Mensajero? Todo miembro activo de Mensa México puede participar en esta revista. Para obtener más información, por favor revisa los lineamientos (tinyurl.com/El-Mensajero) o contacta al Editor (mensajero@mensa.org.mx).

CONVOCATORIA

El Mensajero es publicado por Mensa México y cuenta con contribuciones de miembros activos e invitados especiales. Las opiniones aquí expresadas no son necesariamente compartidas por Mensa México, ni el Editor, ni el Comité Nacional. Asimismo, no podemos aceptar responsabilidad por pérdidas o daños incurridos por imágenes enviadas al Editor para su publicación en El Mensajero.

sig fotografía

Por Uno Castillo

El SIG de fotografia ha recopilado las mejores fotografias de los últimos meses, con una mención especial a Gabriela Cabrera por el número de sus colaboraciones.

Por Gus Torres

Por RenĂŠ Barrientos

Por Gabriela Cabrera

Por Omar Moreno

Por Cinthia Reyes

filmes (sig de cine) Malcolm el de en medio

Creador: Neil Burger Fotografía: Levie Isaacks, Michael Weaver y Victor Hammer Producción: James Simons Año: 2011 Por Omar Moreno

na de las grandes referencias en los años dos mil de alguien superdotado, es el bienhadado Malcolm de la serie homónima. Mucha gente que creció por eso años en México, carcajeándose con esta familia disfuncional, debe reconocer muy a bien a este peculiar personaje. Malcolm, siempre hablándole a la cámara sobre sus problemas y sobre su superioridad, seguro hizo que muchos bichos raros nos sintieramos identificados. Y también ahora pensariamos que era un miembro potencial de Mensa. Esta serie de una factura bastante buena, siempre tuvo la gran virtud de hacer reír y producir empatía inmediatamente con todos los que la vimos. No la desmenuzaremos temporada por temporada, por la extensión y complejidad que esto implicaría, no

obstante sí describiremos escuetamente la historia y su desarrollo. Una madre neurótica y controladora , Lois, con un esposo mucho muy gracioso

Foto de Twentieth Century Fox - © Hal, tienen que criar a 4 hijos especializados en meterse y en meterlos en problemas. Uno de ellos, Francis, ya bien crecido tiene problemas en la escuela de cadetes, los otros tres, menores siguen en la escuela primaria. Uno

es un bully poco inteligente, Reese, el que le sigue, es un genio, irónico, perverso pero debilucho, Malcolm, y finalmente (al menos así es en las primeras temporadas) viene el menor, Dewey un niño poco peligroso pero impredecible. Estos personajes construyen la serie, las interacciones familiares, las travesuras, los Krelboynes, el romance entre los padres, siempre son buenos pretextos para los gags de esta sitcom. El hecho de que Malcolm fuera una comedia de una familia, no era garantía de que la comedia fuera tan limpia, tan familiar; cuenta con chistes y bromas que no pasarían sin censura para los más pacatos. Porque la labor de doblaje y adaptación, fue bastante buena y con la misma fuerza que otras viejas series, como el primer equipo de doblaje de los Simpsons.

reuniones mensa

Reuniones llevadas a cabo en Monterrey y el Distrito Federal.

sIgs

ada vez más gente se afana para la consagración de algunos de nuestros SIGs, ya que parece que cada uno de los miembros en Mensa busca y espera diferentes cosas de la asociación, pero los que se toman responsabilidades son los que tienen mayores beneficios y mejores experiencias en la asociación. Por ejemplo, Jessica Romero Plasencia, principal instigadora del SIG de Podcast. Cuando llegó con la iniciativa, nunca antes planteada, ninguno de los miembros pensó que llegara a ser tan popular ni tan socorrida. Sé de buenas fuentes que Mensa México, antes de que se conformara como tal eran sólo un conjunto de pocas personas que se juntaban en una cafetería de la Ciudad de México a platicar y a jugar juegos de mesa. Así, desinteresadamente, no requerían de la formalidad ni de "pertenecer a un SIG de juegos de mesa". Algo como lo que sucede en Monterrey en los últimos meses, con el testimonio de David Zambrano, nuestro presidente. Los miembros han decidido juntarse un día de la semana, para convivir y han decidido explorar con diferentes juegos de mesa. Lo que ha atraído a varios miembros más, para convertirse también en uno de los SIGs más populares entre los

miembros regiomontanos. En fin, adonde quiero llegar con estos ejemplos, es a que los miembros tenemos que buscar los mecanismos que funcionen mejor en cada caso, para los SIGs y para otras actividades relacionadas con Mensa. Raymundo Rodríguez, el actual representante en el Distrito Federal, en muchas ocasiones ha llevado su colección de juegos de mesa a las reuniones, y siempre al final unos nos entretenemos jugando y los demás disfrutando de una buena conversación. Otro ejemplo, muy revelador, sobre la situación de los SIGs. Que se han llevado a cabo actividades que tienen lugar en reuniones, que no han sido concebidas necesariamente para ellos. La actividad ha cambiado a veces de plataforma con las redes sociales, que por un lado nos acercan y por otro lado nos alejan más y preferimos la interacción virtual

que la personal. Otra de nuestras mayores áreas oportunidad. Dado que un SIG como el de fotografía pueda prestarse para hacer actividades en línea y presenciales podemos pensar, de nuevo, en las necesidades y diferentes dinánmicas que se pueden presentar en cada caso. Además de estas claras áreas de oportunidad, podemos pensar en la participación activa de los miembros que es la que naturalmente, mantiene vivo a un SIG. El liderazgo de algunos miembros en las actividades ha sido, sin lugar a dudas, uno de los catalizadores para el crecimiento de éstos. Por lo que instamos a todos los miembros a que participen, debatan y discutan cómo pueden aunar y crear una mejor asociación, a través de todas los mecanismos que ésta facilita. Omar Moreno Coordinador de SIGs

sIg de literatura Unidos por las letras Por Gabriela Cabrera

os miembros del SIG de Lectura y Literatura están en todo el país, por ello utilizamos la tecnología para acercarnos. El 5 de agosto, a través de una video conferencia, nos reunimos para discutir brevemente dos libros: “Los pilares de la tierra” de Ken Follett y “La historia interminable” de Michael Ende. La obra de Ken Follett nos hizo tener opiniones divididas. Los hechos históricos, su

estructura, la extensión, los personajes y su importancia en el desarrollo de la historia, entre otros, fueron los temas que abordamos en esa ocasión. Incluso tuvimos la oportunidad de contrastar lo que dice el libro, lo que vimos en la serie de televisión y nuestra propia imaginación. Por otro lado, la obra de Michael Ende, nos dejó con una gran cantidad de preguntas y con deseos de paralelismo entre los personajes. En este libro nos enfrentamos a cuestionar el rol de los personajes y escenarios, además del papel y el poder que tienen las mujeres dentro de esta historia; pero sin duda, la idea que más debatimos, es el papel que la literatura juega en nuestras vidas, ¿hacia dónde nos guían las mentiras, la creatividad y la imaginación?, ¿nos ayudan a escapar de la realidad o hacia ella?

Para ser parte de este tipo de reuniones y de otras actividades, te invitamos a integrarte al SIG Lectura y Literatura.

¡Te esperamos con los libros abiertos!

NOTICIAS MIL From the Director of Administration

he MIL site is MIL’s major interface with both members and the public; its welfare should be paramount and its development should be in the forefront of the IBD’s priorities. Yet the world has changed enormously in the eightodd years since the current website was installed and members of the IBD have different ideas of what it ‘should be doing’, and the members at large certainly have wildly-varying expectations. Is it realistic to aim at its being ‘all things to all men’? Should we let the established social media take over parts and concentrate our skills and budget on what only Mensa can provide? And what exactly is that?

We need your ideas!

Last month, I asked whether there was anything you would like, or expect to see on the website that was not there; whether there was anything that would make the site more interesting and encourage you to visit more often, or to hang out there because we want this to be your website, designed to satisfy your wants and needs! The immediate aim is to broadly redefine the concept of what the ideal site would provide, and to identify which of those aims

Mensa can realistically fulfil within the next few years and which can be better fulfilled elsewhere or off-site. Let me or your IBD representative (your chairman or his/her proxy) know this month (September), and we can discuss an overhaul at the IBD meeting in Novi Sad, Serbia, in early October.

We need your expertise!

This month, I am asking for volunteers. Do you think you can be of practical assistance anywhere? Are you a graphic designer, for example? Did you design your own website? Do you make your own amendments, content changes, uploads etc? If so, would you volunteer to take over a part of the international website to make it a happier and friendlier place?

As an example, the members’ only section has an area for the MIL Photographer of the Year Competition. In this section we have the rules, and the finalists and winners for some (but not all) years. This basic information is updated twice a year – with the winners of the current competition - and a few months later with the rules for the following year. Let your imagination run amok for a moment. What information should be there in this section, and most importantly, how should it be presented? Could we add interviews with photographs of the winners; a Hall of Fame, a history section, a list of themes? Should we include information about the judges, information about the organising committee? Boring? Or perhaps not, depending on its presentation! 2. If this sort of thing interests you, browse through www.mensa.org and let me have your ideas on what you would do to enhance one or more areas, and whether you would volunteer to be actively involved on an ongoing basis.

Speed up log-ins!

Therese Moodie-Bloom

If you would like to speed up logins for members on the International Website, offer your services as a

‘country approver’ (CA) to your chairman and membership secretary. Data held by national Mensas is not automatically transferred to Mensa International. Each country has one or more CAs who, by a variety of methods, confirm that member x, who is attempting to login on the international site, is actually a current member of the relevant national Mensa. We can help you advertise events! Is there a big Mensa event in your country coming up that might be interesting for Mensans in other countries too? Let the world know about it and publish it on the international event calendar on mensa.org! Just send the name of your event, the date, the location, and the URL of a web page that contains further information to Mark Dettinger events@mensa.org. Therese Moodie-Bloom Director of Administration admin-mil@mensa.org

2. LEAP-ers go to Louisville, USA A special report by Elissa Rudolph

fter I met the five participants for 2015, I thought of them as the Wanderer, the Street Performer, the Innovator, the

Actor, and the Educator. Diverse in experience, culture, language, and personality, they added global colour to American Mensa’s recent Annual Gathering. The Wanderer. Stefano Lodola from Italy invited his audience to “See the World with Mensa” and shared his wandering experiences utilizing “couchsurfing” as well as Mensa’s SIGHT program. A tenor and translator, Stefano is working on his seventh language so he feels comfortable anywhere in the world, sharing and learning as he goes. Stefano stated that he had no plans past the AG having purchased a oneway ticket to Louisville – where are you now, Wanderer? Connect with Stefano at info@stefanolodola.com or visit www.stefanolodola.com. The Performer. Interpretive displays are Roberta (Bobbie) Kehler’s special talent, the art and psychology of how the passers-by decide to stop and look… or not. Bobbie’s keen observations as a street performer and magician led this Canadian to design displays that engage people and compel them to consider the message and perhaps make a purchase. Find out if Bobbie can help you with your outreach attempts – contact her at light_traveler@telus.net. Ask her about experiences as a museum interpreter and blacksmith.

The Innovator. Gifted Education Specialist Charlotte Hoyng designed a quiz involving sixth graders throughout The Netherlands. The SlimmerIQuiz is a competition based on higher levels of reasoning for both students and teachers. During her presentation, Charlotte displayed a number of quiz examples that were sufficiently intriguing for her Mensa audience and left them wanting more. Charlotte is a consultant for a television series about gifted children and adults, designer of learning materials, and a coach for gifted children. Contact Charlotte at eureka@casema.nl or visit www.slimmeriquiz.nl. The Actor. Teekay Kreissig was instrumental in developing an interdisciplinary reach-out in his native Germany that provides professional networking opportunities for Mensa members and diverse leaders in civil society. He has enjoyed multiple careers as dancer, actor, singer, choreographer, storyteller, and more, which gives him the ability to connect with just about anyone about anything. It was Teekay who had the brilliant idea of producing all five LEAP presentations as “Speed LEAP” (15-minute condensations) for those who could not attend the hour-long regular sessions. Contact Teekay at mensa@kreissig.net or www.kreissig.net.

The Educator. Phenomenal growth in the Czech Republic happened because, as Hana Kalusova demonstrated, the group employed novel methods and approaches. In six years, this Mensa group added more than a thousand members! Hana’s experience in monitoring media and data analysis helped in finding ideas that worked for the Czech Republic. Contact Hana at hana.kalusova@mensa.cz Interested in LEAP for 2016? Go to www.mensa.org and

3. Mensa in Africa needs your help,

writes Alain Seris

When I first arrived in Africa, I felt embraced by the warm and friendly atmosphere. African culture is warm – it’s not just the heat of the sun, it’s more the warmth of human friendship. But after a few weeks, you get to see the suffering underneath, the suffering of too many Africans. The causes are countless – poverty, malnutrition and lack of healthcare being the foremost. Many of the world’s least developed countries are today experiencing unprecedented change and growth, but one continent – Africa – is missing out. And, paradoxically, one of the reasons for this is that it is so rich. Often, the most developed countries are in-

terested in Africa only for its natural resources, both above ground and underground. At the same time, many associations have set up in the ‘charity business’ – unfortunately more often business than charity. What I find unacceptable is the frequent failure to show any interest in Africans’ own qualities. Mensa, concerned as it is with intelligence, is by definition interested in human beings. In order to change the way Africa is viewed and to enable Africans to seize their opportunities, Mensa must move ahead rapidly. With the exception of South Africa, there are no national Mensas on the continent. The role delegated to me involves action throughout the whole area, including Madagascar and Mauritius. The initial phase involves developing Mensa in as many countries as possible in Africa. A good way of doing this is to arrange test sessions in universities, with the prior approval of the relevant authorities. Then, in order to offer these young people future prospects, it is essential to have a pool of university bodies in Europe, North America and Asia open to the idea of both welcoming African students and promoting exchanges with their own students. There are many non-government organisations (NGOs) providing humanitarian aid. Sometimes they bring relief, but I haven’t always liked what I’ve seen.

The first time I went to Dakar, I stayed with Stéphane, a young member of Mensa France who was there with his family. He was manager of a factory with 500 employees. In 2011, the rent for his apartment was €2000, while Africans were earning no more than €80 or €100 a month. He had an SUV. The eight-apartment block he lived in with his family had seven other SUVs outside. I asked Stéphane if there were that many management jobs in the neighbourhood. ‘No,’ he said. ‘The others are all in humanitarian work. English, German, Japanese. You can have a great career in a humanitarian NGO, you know.’ Humanities university education is primarily chosen by the students of Ziguinchor because “there are jobs in this field, in humanitarian organizations.” Once, in Casamance, at night out in the country near Ziguinchor, I was coming back from a dinner with some African students who had newly joined Mensa. Coming the other way was a girl holding a boy of about five by the hand. I said hello, and added that she seemed to be looking after her little brother very well. She told me that little Juan was her son, not her brother. She was 20 years old, and the father was Spanish and worked for an NGO. ‘He’s very nice,’ she said. ‘He gave me a lot of help the first two years, but then he was transferred, and I

don’t see him anymore.’ When I was helping to fund water-wells in Togo with an association in Lorraine, the amount we had to pay was five times the amount that went to the well-digger. Our ‘partners’ in the local bourgeoisie took 80% commission. The basement disco in our hotel was full all night, with ‘humanitarian’ workers in the company of very young-looking African women. I could keep on with the examples, but I’d like to tell you something of what came of my thoughts. The fledgling Mensa I’ve set up in sub-Saharan Africa is very fragile. Over the course of five visits, I’ve used preliminary tests to select

candidates for the tests provided for me by international Mensa. But these supposedly ‘culture-free’ tests are clearly not suited for Africa or for Africans. I must have given preliminary tests to hundreds of students, but finally only 13 succeeded: Aladji Amath BA, Marie GUEYE, Khady NDIAYE, Mame Khoudia SENE, Aby TRAORE, Bernard GBETOME, Banady SAMBOU, Moussa SANE, Oumar SANKHANE, Abdoul Aziz SY, Néné Aminata THIAM and Mariama WANE. What I proposed was that if they got into Mensa and were accepted by a university in France, then French Mensans would help to find accommodation, internships and so on, if needed. Once they graduated, it would be up to them whether they stayed on in France or returned to Africa – they were in charge of their own lives and their own future. Of the 13 I’ve mentioned, four (three women, one man) are now in France. Two

of them haven’t asked for help, but we give whatever help we can to two students from Senegal, including Aby Traore, who really has the makings of a future president. Africa will only be able to relieve its suffering when Africans themselves take charge of development. I’ve paid for all my trips to set up Mensa in Africa out of my own pocket. I haven’t taken any funding from Mensa France, even though I was president of it for ten years, because I don’t want to see any sort of colonial Mensa in Africa. This is a great challenge for Mensa. That’s why I’m so happy that the Mensa Educational Research Fund (MERF) should recognise this project for student exchanges between young Mensans from our industrialised countries and those throughout Africa. But this project needs YOU! So, if you can help, please hear what I say: Get in touch with me; This is an appeal for help. Alain Seris Former Chairman, Mensa France alainseris@yahoo.fr

Reprinted from Mensa World Journal, issue #033, October 2015, Editor Kate Nacard

DIRECTORIO MIL

Presidente: Sra, Bibiana Balinya chairman-mil@mensa.org Director Administrativo: Sra. Therese Moodie-Bloom +612 99549937 admin-mil@mensa.org Director de Desarrollo: Sr. Björn Liljeqvist development-mil@mensa.org Tesorero: Sr. Rudolf Challupner treasurer-mil@mensa.org Director de Capítulos Pequeños de Mensa: Sr. Tomas Bulmenstein dsnm-mil@mensa.org Presidenta Honoraria: Dra. Abbie Salny 407 Breckenridge, Wayne NJ 07470, EUA Tel: +1 973 305 0055 Coordinador de SIGHT: Sr. Pierpaolo Vittorioi, SIGHT@mensa.org Coordinadora Internacional de GIE: Sra. Barbara Kryvko, sigs@mensa.org Ombudsman:Sr. Martyn Davies ombudsman@mensa.org Director Ejecutivo: Sr Michael Feenan, Slate Barn, Church Lane, Caythorpe, Lincolnshire NG32 3EL, Reino Unido Tel/Fax+44(0)1400272 675 mensainternational@mensa.org Editora de la Revista Global: Sra. Kate Nacard 407/23 Corunna Rd, Stanmore 2048, Australia mwjeditor@mensa.org Tel: +61 2 9516 1024

DIRECTORIO MENSA MÉXICO

David Zambrano Reyes Presidente presidente@mensa.org.mx Gustavo Torres Porras Coordinador legal legal@mensa.org.mx Sebastián Rodríguez Ramírez Tesorero tesoreria@mensa.org.mx Daniel Náder Coordinador de Exámenes examenes@mensa.org.mx Cinthia Reyes Lozano Coordinadora de Membresías membresias@mensa.org.mx

Sarai Zárate Gálvez Coordinadora de Extensión extension@mensa.org.mx Arturo Ruiz Trujillo Coordinador de Relaciones Públicas rrpp@mensa.org.mx Alberto Burgos Ríos Conciliador conciliador@mensa.org.mx Christian Orrala Coordinador de Sistemas webmaster@mensa.org.mx Omar Moreno Rubio Editor del Mensajero mensajero@mensa.org.mx

Omar Moreno Rubio Coordinador de Grupos de Interés Especial (SIGs) sig@mensa.org.mx Raymundo Rodríguez Coordinador del SIG de Hospitalidad y Viajes (SIGHT) sight@mensa.org.mx

DIRECTORIO REPRESENTANTES ESTATALES

Armando Mendoza Jalisco jal@mensa.org.mx

Juan Arturo Ruiz Trujillo Querétaro qro@mensa.org.mx

Rolando Zubirán Robert Nuevo León nl@mensa.org.mx

Raymundo Rodríguez Lozano DF df@mensa.org.mx

Phebe Linette Bonilla Prado Puebla puebla@mensa.org.mx

Jovan Gabriel Ontiveros Perea Chihuahua chih@mensa.org.mx

Juan Manuel Guerrero Matamoros San Luis Potosi slp@mensa.org.mx

Xavier Alejandro Díaz Catagno Quintana Roo qroo@mensa.org.mx

Fernando Flores Lozano Tlaxcala tlaxcala@mensa.org.mx Mauricio Ricalde Rodriguez Yucatán yucatan@mensa.org.mx Jorge Alberto Cruz Cristobal Nayarit nayarit@mensa.org.mx