Because the Universe is Confusing
Archive for March, 2010
My Hero Jaime Escalante Passed Away Today
Mar 30th
This is such terrible news. I’m too torn up to say much about this, but I wanted to let readers know in case they were considering my appeal for donations. I am pleased to say that they had managed to raise over $100K via donations through the website alone.
Jaime, estamos llorando para ti. But we will never forget: WE MUST HAVE GANAS!
A Prescod-Weinstein-Morris Passover!
Mar 28th
As the sun sets tomorrow, I, along with Jews around the world, will be celebrating the start of my favorite High Holy Day, Pesach. Pesach or Passover honors the Biblical Exodus (as told in the Book of Exodus) of Jews from Egypt. My goy (non-Jewish) boyfriend and I will be celebrating with my friend Earl and his goy boyfriend. So, as you can see, in my little corner we are going to celebrate, but we aren’t going to be completely traditional about it. We won’t be the only ones mixing the old with the new, Jew with non-Jew: there was a great piece in the NYT on Friday about yet another change the Obamas brought to the White House. For the first time ever, last year Passover was honored there and the festivities will take place again this year.
But even as I talk about changing things up, I also remember that I love Passover so much because of some of the traditions associated with it. I am a descendant of slaves on both sides, and I am proud of the Exodus story. Whatever one’s sentiments about G-d, no one can deny that this is a tale about the strength of the human spirit and survival in the face of tremendous obstacles. I am a descendant of the people who survived the atrocity of slavery, and that means I come from a line of very strong people. Passover is my opportunity to celebrate.
Passover also comes with an awesome food selection. While many bemoan the limitation on not eating leavened foods, I use it as a reminder to feel the blessing of being able to eat whatever I want in a world where too many don’t have enough to eat. Unfortunately, this year, I will be taking advantage of the health exception as an as of yet undiagnosed illness has kept me bedridden for a few weeks now. Tomorrow I will push my limits as I prepare my contributions to the evening Seder, or Passover feast:
- latkes (traditional Jewish potato pancakes)
- home-baked Matzah (unleavened bread that is typically store-bought, but here in “diverse” Waterloo, it is tough to find.)
- roasted leg of lamb
My friend Earl is contributing Matzah balls, store-bought matzah bread for the Afikomen, as well as the Passover plate. The plate usually contains the following items:
- maror: bitter herbs to symbolize the bitterness of slavery. Usually people use horseradish.
- charoset: fruit and nut paste representing the mortar that the slaves used to build Egyptian storehouses.
- karpas: a vegetable other than the bitter herb which is dipped in salt. This symbolizes the tears of pain shed by Egypt’s slaves.
- Z’roa: this is a chicken bone or shank bone representing the lamb that was offered at the Temple of Jerusalem.
- Beitzah: a hard-boiled egg which is a symbol of mourning
The evening would not be complete if all we did was eat though. Each part of the meal is integrated into a ceremony, most of which involves readings out of the Haggadah in order to fulfill the Biblical commandment that each Jew learn about our liberation from Egypt and celebrate it annually. In the process, the youngest (which will be our beloved goyim!) will ask the famous four questions:
- “Why is it that on all other nights during the year we eat either bread or matzoh, but on this night we eat only matzoh?”
- “Why is it that on all other nights we eat all kinds of herbs, but on this night we eat only bitter herbs?”
- “Why is it that on all other nights we do not dip our herbs even once, but on this night we dip them twice?” and
- “Why is it that on all other nights we eat either sitting or reclining, but on this night we eat in a reclining position?”
And also, we will be imbibing four glasses of grape juice each (fermented for the others, non-fermented for sick Chanda), one for each of G-d’s promised redemptions, as stated in Exodus 6:6-7:
- “I will take you out of Egypt”
- “I will deliver you from Egyptian slavery”
- “I will redeem you with a demonstration of my power”
- “I will acquire you as a nation”
So yes, it’s going to be a lot of fun. But even as we enjoy the food, the company and the wine, we will also be remembering that around the world too many of our human breathren are suffering. And a not insignificant fraction of them are living in Palestine/Israel, Afghanistan, and Iraq. As we pray, I will be thinking of them and recommitting myself to the struggle for a Just Peace for all.
Jaime Escalante Has Cancer: You Can Help
Mar 27th
Jaime Escalante
UPDATE: Just days after I posted this call for help, Sr. Escalante passed away. It is a tremendous loss.
Dear Readers,
Maybe you don’t know who Jaime Escalante is or why I want you to donate money to his cancer battle fund, so let me tell you a little bit about who he is and what he has meant to me.
Sure you can read all about him on Wikipedia, but I want to give you my personal perspective. Jaime Escalante is a retired math teacher. But not just any retired math teacher. He is the math teacher who shook up education, America and perspectives on race and class by teaching Calculus for the first time at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. He made national headlines in 1982 when 18 of his students, all of whom were Chicano/Latino, passed the Advanced Placement exam (score of 3 or higher) and the Educational Testing Service challenged the test results. In 1983, almost double the number passed, and by 1987, over 70 students were passing the AP Calc AB exam and students had begun to pass the BC exam.
Not too long after that a book was released highlighting Escalante’s success, and the movie Stand and Deliver was released, starring another East LA hero as Escalante, Edward James Olmos. (Some of you may be more familiar with Olmos from Battlestar Galactica or my facebook photos.)
The year Stand and Deliver was released, I turned six, I lost my grandfather/best friend to cancer, and I had just entered public school for the first time and discovered a youthful interest in mathematics. (I came home one day demanding that my father teach me times tables.) So, now let me tell you why Jaime Escalante matters to me. Because of him, right as I learned about what math was, I learned another important lesson: that kids from East LA, kids like me, could do math. And not only could we do the basic stuff (like times tables), but we could do some fancy stuff called Calculus too. At age six, I had heard of calculus, and I knew that I should never let anyone tell me I can’t do it.
That lesson stayed with me 8 years later when I was one of six students to earn a passing grade on the AP Calc AB exam. And it was still with me the year following when, after a year of independent study, I earned a passing grade on the AP Calculus BC exam. It was with me every time my AP US History Teacher Mr. Rutschman reminded us of Escalante’s signature quote: YOU MUST HAVE GANAS! (Ganas means something like “the will to succeed.”) And it stayed with me when I proudly took my SAT I and II exams at Garfield High School.
When I think about how I have gotten to where I am, I think of the Nigerian Igbo proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child.” In my case, Escalante, whom I have never met, is a member of my village. He is a piece of the story. So he’s a big deal to me.
And that is why I am asking you to consider donating whatever you can, whether it’s $1 or $50, to Escalante’s cancer fund. As Edward James Olmos says,
He is seriously ill, and the treatment he needs has depleted all the funds his family can raise. They did not want to ask for help, but we took it upon ourselves to get the word out to all the country and around the world, to make his final days as comfortable as possible — and maybe even give him a chance to beat the cancer that has afflicted him. I . . . am calling for a last National Understanding of his selfless contributions to making a difference in this world.
Indeed. Escalante is not just an ordinary man: he is a local hero and, as they called him over at La Bloga, a Chicano national treasure who transformed our world for the better. If he is to die, we owe him the thanks of comfort in his final days. And, perhaps more importantly, we owe him the fighting chance at life that he gave to so many students in East L.A.
Thanks in advance for your donations,
Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
p.s. As an addendum, I want to be clear that while many teachers never gain the fame and recognition that Jaime Escalante did, I absolutely believe that every teacher has made a tremendous impact. So I hope it’s clear that I’m not at all trying to belittle their contributions by trumpeting Escalante’s.
Celebrating Black Women in Physics and Astronomy
Mar 24th
Shirley Ann Jackson, First Black Woman PhD in Physics at MIT
In honor of Ada Lovelace Day, an international day of blogging to celebrate the achievements of women in science and technology, I have decided to highlight a group very close to my heart: Black women in physics and astronomy.
Individual Successes
Willie Hobbs Moore was the first African-American woman to earn a PhD in physics, which she received in 1972 from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. Rennsalaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson went on to become the second the following year at MIT. (More about her.) Since then, there have been just under 60. The most comprehensive list is maintained by the National Society of Black Physicists, although unfortunately the last time it was officially updated was in early 2008. Since that time, Dr. Teri Robinson has earned her degree in experimental physical chemistry at historically Black university, Jackson State. And in a few months, my name can be added to the list, too!
To learn more about the experience of Black women in physics, you can read about the first Black woman to earn a PhD in physics from University of Colorado at Boulder, which was just in 2007.
You can also read about rising stars on the NSBP Blog, Vector.
A Successful Institution
Spelman College, the historically Black women’s college in Atlanta, Georgia, graduates four degrees in physics every year. Spelman College is also the number 2 producer of Black bachelor degree holders in Science and Engineering who go on to PhDs. In fact, the top 8 universities in this list are all Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). It is clear that in 2010, HBCUs continue to play an important role in breaking down barriers for Black women and men in academia and higher education.
Final Thoughts
The numbers are outrageously low for all people of African descent in physics, but particularly for women. On average only 1 or 2 PhDs in physics or astronomy in the US per year go to Black women. By comparison, there were 653 PhDs in physics awarded in 2007 to US Citizens. 572 (87%) of went to white Americans, 36 (6%) went to Asian Americans, 13 (2%) to Black Americans (with 1 woman), and 13 (2%) to Hispanic Americans (with 1 or 2 women).
By the way, it’s actually quite hard to get numbers that are broken down along gender AND race lines. I am currently involved in pushing for a change in the accounting, but it’s been kind of an uphill battle. Getting the white the folks who control most of the data-gathering to understand that yes, Black women want to be counted, even if our anonymity has been compromised, has been surprisingly hard!
On a personal note, I’m tired. I’m tired of being the only woman in the room. I’m tired of being the only Black person in the building. I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve called my mother in tears, telling her how tired I am of having to deal with the fall out of being the only one. From the racist comments to the ignorant comments to the loneliness, it’s not fun.
If you’re interested in learning more about what you can do to improve the situation for me, and others like me, please check out my guest post on Diversity in Science at Cosmic Variance where you’ll also find lively discussion in the comments section. And remember, when I finish my PhD this year, it’s not just a personal victory for me. It’s a proud moment for an entire community, and I’m thrilled about that!!!
Harvard vs. University of Waterloo: Ca$h
Mar 23rd
The link below describes Harvard’s planned tuition increases for the upcoming academic year. Assuming about 35% of students are paying full price and everyone else is getting a free ride (in other words, a very rough estimate of reality), that means tuition will bring in revenue of at least $114 million for next academic year, which is about 10% of the annual operating budget of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, which houses the College.
In other words, it pays to have a huge endowment and adamant fundraisers. And Harvard students have access to resources that are provided through a budget that is unimaginable this side of the border.
Even the Harvard School of Public Health, one of their poorer faculties, has an operating budget of at least $300 million. By contrast, the entire University of Waterloo operates on about $500 million per year, despite having four times as many undergraduates than the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, in addition to over 3000 graduate students. (The Harvard School of Public Health doesn’t serve an undergraduate population at all and serves just under 1000 graduate students.)
Harvard College Price Tag and Financial Aid Both Edge Up | Harvard Magazine.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Mar 21st
HEALTH CARE IS A REALITY FOR 32 MILLION MORE AMERICANS! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
Yeah, I know this bill isn’t the greatest one. I know we didn’t get the public option. But I also know that now women can’t be denied a health plan because they are pregnant when they apply. And they can’t be denied health care because they survived breast cancer or ovarian cancer.
We’ve cracked the door open, and it ain’t closin’.
WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please join us on March 24 for Ada Lovelace Day
Mar 21st
Ada Lovelace Day is an international day of blogging (videologging, podcasting, comic drawing etc.!) to draw attention to the achievements of women in technology and science.
Sign up here:
Texas-style BBQ Beef Back Ribs
Mar 20th
Equipment: roasting pot with top and elevated grill, foil, broiling or baking pan
Ingredients:
2 racks of beef back ribs
2 Tbsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. ground oregano
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 tsp. celery salt
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
Copious amount of your favorite bbq sauce
1. Combine all spices. Rub over surface of ribs to coat well. Place bbq sauce on top. Marinate overnight in container large enough to old rack together.
2. Preheat oven to 300 F.
3. Place ribs on the rack in the roasting pan. Fill the pan with water until it reaches 1/2 inch in height. If your grill isn’t high enough, trying being tricky with some forks underneath each end. It works for me!
4. Cover the pan with a top and seal the edges with aluminum foil. Place in the oven and bake for 2 hours.
5. Remove ribs on broiling pan, coat with more bbq sauce. Broil for 15 minutes or until preferred level of doneness.
Enjoy!
Lemon Cornmeal Shortbread
Mar 20th
I am planning to contribute a couple of recipes to Perimeter’s cookbook, which will be sold to residents as a fundraiser for Haiti. I thought I would share one with you lovely folks because I’m pretty much in love with this recipe. It is basically taken straight from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours (which, by the way, is my favorite baking book), except that I use more lemon than she does.
Equipment: 1 gallon freezer-style zip lock bag, zester, rubber spatula, rolling pin, one big cookie sheet, parchment paper or a silicon mat, a ruler, sharp knife, cooling rack, two large bowls or stand mixer + bowl (helpful) and one other large bowl.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
2/3 cup sugar
grated zest of 1 large lemon or 2 small ones
2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. In one large bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and salt together in a bowl. Then whisk in the cornmeal.
2. In the stand mixer bowl, rub the sugar and zest together until the sugar is moist and smells amazing!
3. Put the paddle attachment on the mixer, add the butter and extract to the sugar and zest in the bowl. Beat on medium for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is very smooth.
4. Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing ONLY until they just disappear into the dough. DO NOT overwork the dough once the dry ingredients are incorporated.
5. Using a rubber spatula, spoon the dough, which should be soft and sticky, into a the zip-lock bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough until it’s flat and 1/4-inch thick.
6. Seal the bag, pressing out as much air as you can, and then refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours. You can refrigerate it for up to 2 days.
Take a break for at least two hours . . .
7. Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the middle of the oven. Line baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat.
8. Take the plastic back out of the refrigerator and place on a flat surface. Slit the back open.
9. Using the ruler and knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares. Option to prick each one twice with a fork.
10. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and place in the oven. Immediately lower the oven temperature to 300 F.
11. Bake the shortbread 25 to 30 minutes, rotating the sheet half way through. The minutes are just a guide though — remove from the oven once the shortbread is set and only just tinged golden.
12. Remove from the oven and transfer the cookies to cooling rack.
Enjoy!! They should look fairly similar to the photo above, although I can’t claim credit for it 
I’m never patient enough to photograph before I consume.
The Jewish SHIT List
Mar 19th
People, this is awesome!! I am on the so-called SHIT List: Self-Hating and/or Israel Threatening Jews!!!!!
This list apparently includes Ehud Olmert. What?
And I’m proud to share the list with Ilan Pappe, whose book The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine is staring at me right now from my bedroom book shelf.
However, I think my entry is far less cool than my grandmother’s. According to the Masada 2000 entry on Selma James, “This old coot sounds a bit like Bishop Desman Tutu, that Israel-bashing South African banana-sucker. Perhaps it’s because ‘Selma Deitch’ married C.L.R. James, a banana-sucker from Trinidad!”
Why didn’t I get called a banana-sucker? Sad face!!!! Also, whoever wrote this site spelled my name wrong, so I emailed them about a correction.
