Bridge-building Art

Have you ever lived in a city wondering when the next big thing is going to happen? Honestly, we have annual festivals but it's very rare something new comes along and you start to wonder, "Wow what will that be like?" Well in less than one year that very thing will happen. The Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts is coming and it will be huge. With over 100 collaborations, the festival is bound to bring diverse audiences from across the world.

For those who support Latino arts and culture, for the first time the Philadelphia Orchestra will leave their home at the Kimmel Center and join el Centro de Oro. During the festival, members of The Philadelphia Orchestra, including principal clarinetist Ricardo Morales, will join adult and advanced student musicians from AMLA for a concert outside Taller Puertorriqueño. The performances of classical and popular works by Latino composers will follow an evening of multicultural art inside the gallery.

PIFA will debut on April 7 and run through May 15 at various locations across the city of brotherly love.

That Really Doesn't Grind My Gears...Food

Okay so as bad as this sounds, I really do love food lol. I mean really who doesn't like eating. Most of my conversations some how lead up to talking about going out to eat, or asking, "Are you going to eat that?" Arroz con pollo, steak, french fries, pizza, tortilla soup, lasagna, etc., I'd eat almost anything. However, I have the tendency to keep my food simple. I hate going to restaurants and reading some menus and have no clue what it means. Although after just picking something that looks familiar, I end up liking it. I love my arroz con pollo but I'd also eat any bacon cheeseburger.

Happy 18 Years Gamma Phi Sigma!

On April 16, 1992 Gamma Phi Sigma "Hermanos Unidos" Fraternity, Inc. was founded on Temple University's campus. 18 years of excellence have gone by and we are still here. I've heard stories of doubt about the fraternity but I am happy to hear it's still going strong. And as you can see from the image above, perseverance can happen. When putting your mind to something and teaching it the right way, you can achieve greatness.

So what happens now? Well like all Greek organizations we will host astounding programming, "educate" those who are willing to become brothers, continue our expansion (Theta!?) y mucho mas. So hermanos, be the change you want to see in the world!

That Really Grinds My Gears...Prices

Totally random but remember when things were way cheaper "back in the day"? Seriously. I'm looking at at "Remember When" magnet for 1984 and things were more affordable back then. Here are some of the items listed:

• Vitamin D Milk - $2.26/gallon
• Gasoline - $1.10/gallon <--amazing
• U.S. Postage Stamp - $0.20

Things have really gone up in price! At the rate we're going, and all these job losses, the future doesn't look to bright. Unless someone comes up with an amazing idea and starts a new business which brings income to the casa, I don't think I'll be retiring anytime soon.

Tweets to Make You Share

Almost 300,000 new users join Twitter every day. More interestingly, 60% of these users are coming from outside the U.S. Could it be because of "free speech" in the U.S. makes people less interested in joining a new network? Either way, there's a lot of information over Twitter and we are all very careful about what we share and what we don't. Enjoy today's Tweets of the day!

Everyone loves Greek humor...or do they?

Gotta love #Latism and how it's growing.

Networking at it's best.

Great cause. Great contest. Awesome use of Twitter

Shakira brings hopes

Big surprise here but last Sunday one of my favorite artists visited Haiti three months after the crude earthquake devastated the regions of Haiti on 12th January 2010.So what does she plan on doing? Thanks to her continuous support via Pies Descalzos, Shakira is currently searching for a suitable site so that she can build a school for the unprivileged kids.

According to a recent article, "Latest reports confirm that Shakira has visited a makeshift camp that provides shelter to 50,000 homeless earthquake victims. She met 100 kids at the site of her proposed school and encouraged them to look forward to a much better future." This just proves that musicians like her don't just make money to spend money. I'm glad she is interesting in helping out not just Latinos, but those devastated by tragic events.

Emerging Latino Leaders

The National Council of La Raza (NCLR) is always looking for opportunities for Hispanic Americans. One of NCLR's amazing programs is the Lideres Initiative. The Líderes Initiative is a national program designed to create opportunities for Latino youth that will elevate their influence as leaders in the United States.

And now, if your in the process of getting into college or looking for ways to enter, the NCLR – Best Buy Emerging Latino Leaders Scholarship Program is providing an opportunity for Latino high school seniors to share their leadership experiences and win a prize. Applicants should submit an essay in response to the following topic:

Please discuss the biggest challenge or challenges that you have encountered as a Latino youth. How have these difficulties impacted your life and personal goals? Describe your determination to overcome these obstacles and how you have worked to excel beyond your existing limitations. How have these experiences inspired leadership in your life? Lastly, please discuss specific ways in which you have positively influenced your community.

In order to participate, you must be a High school senior of Hispanic descent and of course currently enrolled in high school with a minimum GPA of 2.0. You also must submit your application online and submit supported documents. Applicants have a chance to win $15,000, $5,000 and $2,500. Hurry because all entries must be submitted no later than Friday, April 20th, 2010.

For more information visit the Lideres page.

Did you mail back your Census form?

Well although I am not pleased with preguntas 8 and 9, I still think you should mail back the form. Friday is the last day to mail your form and to be honest it's really not that difficult. I think people are just not used to getting something in the mail right? Household that return their forms after the Friday deadline may still be visited by census workers on May 1st. I'm sure there are a lot of homes who do not want this to happen.

If you have lost or didn't receive the form, please call the Telephone Questionnaire Assistance Center to receive a new form or to complete the form over the phone call 866-872-6868.