#Alumni/ae

[jcmarchi]

Unlocking mRNA’s cancer-fighting potential

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/unlocking-mrnas-cancer-fighting-potential/

Unlocking mRNA’s cancer-fighting potential

What if training your immune system to attack cancer cells was as easy as training it to fight Covid-19? Many people believe the technology behind some Covid-19 vaccines, messenger RNA, holds great promise for stimulating immune responses to cancer.

But using messenger RNA, or mRNA, to get the immune system to mount a prolonged and aggressive attack on cancer cells — while leaving healthy cells alone — has been a major challenge.

The MIT spinout Strand Therapeutics is attempting to solve that problem with an advanced class of mRNA molecules that are designed to sense what type of cells they encounter in the body and to express therapeutic proteins only once they have entered diseased cells.

“It’s about finding ways to deal with the signal-to-noise ratio, the signal being expression in the target tissue and the noise being expression in the nontarget tissue,” Strand CEO Jacob Becraft PhD ’19 explains. “Our technology amplifies the signal to express more proteins for longer while at the same time effectively eliminating the mRNA’s off-target expression.”

Strand is set to begin its first clinical trial in April, which is testing a proprietary, self-replicating mRNA molecule’s ability to express immune signals directly from a tumor, eliciting the immune system to attack and kill the tumor cells directly. It’s also being tested as a possible improvement for existing treatments to a number of solid tumors.

As they work to commercialize its early innovations, Strand’s team is continuing to add capabilities to what it calls its “programmable medicines,” improving mRNA molecules’ ability to sense their environment and generate potent, targeted responses where they’re needed most.

“Self-replicating mRNA was the first thing that we pioneered when we were at MIT and in the first couple years at Strand,” Becraft says. “Now we’ve also moved into approaches like circular mRNAs, which allow each molecule of mRNA to express more of a protein for longer, potentially for weeks at a time. And the bigger our cell-type specific datasets become, the better we are at differentiating cell types, which makes these molecules so targeted we can have a higher level of safety at higher doses and create stronger treatments.”

Making mRNA smarter

Becraft got his first taste of MIT as an undergraduate at the University of Illinois when he secured a summer internship in the lab of MIT Institute Professor Bob Langer.

“That’s where I learned how lab research could be translated into spinout companies,” Becraft recalls.

The experience left enough of an impression on Becraft that he returned to MIT the next fall to earn his PhD, where he worked in the Synthetic Biology Center under professor of bioengineering and electrical engineering and computer science Ron Weiss. During that time, he collaborated with postdoc Tasuku Kitada to create genetic “switches” that could control protein expression in cells.

Becraft and Kitada realized their research could be the foundation of a company around 2017 and started spending time in the Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship. They also received support from MIT Sandbox and eventually worked with the Technology Licensing Office to establish Strand’s early intellectual property.

“We started by asking, where is the highest unmet need that also allows us to prove out the thesis of this technology? And where will this approach have therapeutic relevance that is a quantum leap forward from what anyone else is doing?” Becraft says. “The first place we looked was oncology.”

People have been working on cancer immunotherapy, which turns a patient’s immune system against cancer cells, for decades. Scientists in the field have developed drugs that produce some remarkable results in patients with aggressive, late-stage cancers. But most next-generation cancer immunotherapies are based on recombinant (lab-made) proteins that are difficult to deliver to specific targets in the body and don’t remain active for long enough to consistently create a durable response.

More recently, companies like Moderna, whose founders also include MIT alumni, have pioneered the use of mRNAs to create proteins in cells. But to date, those mRNA molecules have not been able to change behavior based on the type of cells they enter, and don’t last for very long in the body.

“If you’re trying to engage the immune system with a tumor cell, the mRNA needs to be expressing from the tumor cell itself, and it needs to be expressing over a long period of time,” Becraft says. “Those challenges are hard to overcome with the first generation of mRNA technologies.”

Strand has developed what it calls the world’s first mRNA programming language that allows the company to specify the tissues its mRNAs express proteins in.

“We built a database that says, ‘Here are all of the different cells that the mRNA could be delivered to, and here are all of their microRNA signatures,’ and then we use computational tools and machine learning to differentiate the cells,” Becraft explains. “For instance, I need to make sure that the messenger RNA turns off when it’s in the liver cell, and I need to make sure that it turns on when it’s in a tumor cell or a T-cell.”

Strand also uses techniques like mRNA self-replication to create more durable protein expression and immune responses.

“The first versions of mRNA therapeutics, like the Covid-19 vaccines, just recapitulate how our body’s natural mRNAs work,” Becraft explains. “Natural mRNAs last for a few days, maybe less, and they express a single protein. They have no context-dependent actions. That means wherever the mRNA is delivered, it’s only going to express a molecule for a short period of time. That’s perfect for a vaccine, but it’s much more limiting when you want to create a protein that’s actually engaging in a biological process, like activating an immune response against a tumor that could take many days or weeks.”

Technology with broad potential

Strand’s first clinical trial is targeting solid tumors like melanoma and triple-negative breast cancer. The company is also actively developing mRNA therapies that could be used to treat blood cancers.

“We’ll be expanding into new areas as we continue to de-risk the translation of the science and create new technologies,” Becraft says.

Strand plans to partner with large pharmaceutical companies as well as investors to continue developing drugs. Further down the line, the founders believe future versions of its mRNA therapies could be used to treat a broad range of diseases.

“Our thesis is: amplified expression in specific, programmed target cells for long periods of time,” Becraft says. “That approach can be utilized for [immunotherapies like] CAR T-cell therapy, both in oncology and autoimmune conditions. There are also many diseases that require cell-type specific delivery and expression of proteins in treatment, everything from kidney disease to types of liver disease. We can envision our technology being used for all of that.”

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[glyhndzkr]

Tetew ke Solo

15 Juli 2023, tiba tiba tetew ke Solo.

Sebagai warga alumni sedulur lima yang di solo, kurang pas kalo ga ikut meramaikan dan menyusun agenda (walau akhirnya sih ya let it flow saja wkwk). Tetew yg konon katanya akan menjadi bapak bapak 4 bulan lagi kurleb, ternyata selain kata Gibran masi tolol, baru bisa ketemu hari Ahadnya. Yowes Sabtu yo mung lewat ae, gek ndang Ahad.

16 Juli 2023, hari dimulai dengan kedatangan mas mas semarang motoran, dari Semarang. MJ, Ben. Dan seperti biasa, tikum andalan Solo, Lazuardi, dengan tuan rumah yang pergi ke kondangan di Jogja, tapi rumah tetap terbuka. Jam 9. Kelar lari 15 km, leha leha dululah, baru habistu otw. Sampe di tikum, udh agak ramean, langsung diajak Nando, main bowling ke bengawan sport.

Eh, ternyata tutup, kata Mas yg jaga "wong sing nulis ng google wes mati mas, kowe rene terakhir kapan?" setelah Nando sedikit memaksa dan tidak percaya kok tutup. Yowes, timbang gabut, mending madang, ke... Mixue. Waktu boleh berlalu, tapi ketololan dalam kebersamaan masi 11 12 lah, asal mlebu toko, ora tuku kabeh, sok rame dhewe, ng kursi tengah, ngarep pintu, ngobrolke kui ne Nando. Edan.

Ora sue, lanjut, madang neng Kumlot, mergo aku ra seneng Mixue, kemanisen, ora wareg, malah eneg. Po meneh bar mlayu, sarapan e mung telor orak arik karo sego sak centong, iseh kuranggg, mangkane lanjut kumlot sisan, pok we, murmer. Nikmat.

Balik ko Kumlot, dzuhur, solat, bar kui nggabut dilit, bali nang omah, ngerjakno revisian job dilit, sisan turu mergo nguantuk. Bar ashar kelar, moro meneh ng Lazuardi, eh wes do lungo bowlingan, otw nyusul.

Lagek pertama kui, ndelok bowlingan langsung. Awal e ora meh main, tapi mergo ronde ke loro sepi, karo seh enek slot, yowes lah, itung2 njajal dolanan bowling sisan. Awal e ora keno, mung entuk 2 poin e, lagek bar kui, ketok e mbejo, alhamdulillah mesti kenek terus, sing strike yo enek, spare yo hoo, nargetke siji terakhir yo keno. Mbejo. Banget. tapi seneng.

Tur tur, taada kesenangan yg dinikmati sendiri, akan selalu ada celah bagi MJ untuk meroasting, yg pekok yo pekok e lah, yg tida pekok ya... mesti tetep ono pekok e, golek wae. Ngguya ngguyu, seneng, wes jarang ketemu dibanding pas iseh mondok mben. Kelar bowling, sholat, madhang, ngobrol, solat, ngobrol lagi tukar kabar, pamit, sampai ketemu lagi.

Ya tulisan ini, cm biar ingat aja, karena mungkin bisa jadi, bukan sekarang cerita ini penuh hikmah, tapi mungkin 1 2 3 atau bahkan lebih tahun lagi, ketika sengaja atau tida, terbuka, dan terbaca kembali. Makasih

[radhictive]

Bullying 4 November 2019

Apakah aku korban Bullying? edit. Gw delete Facebook dan Instagram

Saya delete Facebook dan Instagram, ada sedikit penyesalan tapi rasanya ini yang terbaik. Setelah maju mundur, install, unistall, deactive, active. Akhirnya sampai pada suatu kekuatan hati untuk benar-benar delete account. Padahal sayang sekali ya. Dengan teman FB dan follower IG Ribuan.. mulai dari teman SD, SMP, SMA, S1, S2, teman kerja, organisasi. dll.

Sehari kemarin sangat lalai, pagi-pagi sampai di kampus, setelah parkir motor, cari posisi enak di perpustakaan, duduk dan check group WA alumni SMA, yang notifnya 500an. Ada perdebatan sengit, antara Kakak alumni Putra dengan Putri, tergoda untuk komentar. Yup 3 hari ini seorang alumni putri begitu semangat sekali berdiskusi dan bercanda dengan kakak alumni putra. *FYI, gw SMA khusus, kelas putra dan putri dipisah. Dan setelah tamat biasanya kita pasti berinteraksi langsung di kampus atau tempat kerja. Dan juga group alumni SMA gw ini isinya dari angkatan satu sampai angkatan yang ntah keberapa sekarang berada disatu group. Gw angkatan 19 tamat SMA tahun 2008. Di group itu isinya berbagai kalangan, Rektor, Dekan, Dosen, Hakim, Pengacara, Pak KUA, Guru, Ustadz, Aparatur Pemerintah, Anggota Dewan, Pengusaha.

Panjang amat ya FYI nya. Dan itu juga salah satu kenapa gw berat banget buat delete FB dan IG gw. Eh apa gw aktifin lagi aja ya? Sayang juga ya. Hahaha. Labil.

Back to topic.

Jadi di group heboh banget, ada yang bahas poligami, ada yang bahas administrasi pendidikan, politik, Nadiem, Kebijakan. Dll. Seperti biasa, gw rasa disemua group klo udah bahas itu pasti panas. Karena ada pro dan kontra. Lalu tiba-tiba ada yang kirim lawakan. Lalu setelah itu ada yang nasehatin dengan ayat quran, lakukan hal yang bermanfaat dan tinggalkan hal yang tidak bermanfaat. Maksudnya senda gurau.

Buat baca itu aja gw udah habis waktu sampai jam 10an.

Lalu gw naik ke lantai 2 dengan niat shalat Dhuha. Gw baru coba untuk disiplin ibadah lagi, meskipun ya belum apa-apa.

Habis wudhu, gw buka hp lagi,. Dan tiba-tiba kakak alumni yang cewek itu wa gw. Nanya gw siapa. Secara wa gw ga ada photonya. Lalu kita chat. Dia mau nelp tapi gw tolak.

Fact tentang kakak alumni gw itu. Dia udah 4 tahun cerai, lagi S3. Dia selama ini cukup dikekang oleh suaminya. Jadi sekarang dia lagi show on. hangat-hangatnya untuk berdebat, lagi hangat-hangatnya dengan social media, menyampaikan pendapat. Yang mana itu semua mulai gw tinggalkan sekarang.

Sekarang gw lagi mulai menarik diri dari depan layar, mulai fokus nulis, cukup sudah gw kenal dengan segala social media. Mulai dari mIRC, masih ingat mIRC? gw waktu smp udah ke warnet main itu. Lalu MySpace, Yahoo! Messenger, Friendster, hi5. Lalu zaman gw kuliah, mulai ada Fb, twitter dst nya perkembangan nya sampai sekarang.

Gw pake YM itu buat ngubungin alumni-alumni sekolah gw yang diluar negeri. Biar termotivasi gitu. Hahaha.

Balik lagi, balik lagi. Sorry gw belum bisa fokus nih.

Lalu kakak itu nasehatin gw panjang lebar. Gw ga perlu lah menarik diri dari semua itu, gw harus bahagia, ekspresi kan diri gw. Jangan kaya dia, terkurung selama ini.

Dan gw ga mau jawab. Sebenarnya alasan gw menarik diri adalah gw ingin fokus dengan lingkaran real gw. Karena gw ga punya sosmed lagi, gw klo tiba-tiba kangen teman gw. Gw tinggal chat, telp. tanya kabar. Jadi gw merasa cukup dengan orang-orang yang benar save gw dihatinya. Klo dia ingin tau kabar gw. Dia bisa call gw.

Masalah kampus gimana? Sebenarnya gw ga perlu fb dan ig untuk urusan kampus. Karena gw cuma butuh baca paper dan kirim email. Publikasi masih ada google scholar.

Menurut gw sekarang, hati lebih tenang tanpa sosmed. Meskipun gw masih curi-curi lihat IG lewat hp orang sih.

Wes itu ae dulu.

Maap yes. Maap.

Belum jadi nulis bullying.

Oke. Sebelum gw pamit. Gw mau nulis sedikit.

*gw ingin jadi orang yang hangat namun lebih banyak diam. Faktanya. Orang-orang hebat lebih banyak mendengar kan.

*gw ingin lebih banyak belajar agama, mengamalkan agama.

*gw mulai ga posting photo, karena insecure, kejahatan online meningkat, photo juga bisa diguna-guna. Gw bukan orang masa lalu sih yang berfikiran katrok mikir jampi-jampi. Ga juga. Lagian buat apa juga? Misal gw lagi di Jakarta, Bali, Padang, Malaysia, Jepang, Arab atau Amerika.

Gw bukan public figur juga yang kehidupannya harus di expose. Gw hanya manusia biasa, yang bekerja di depan komputer dan mencoba mencari makna hidup. Jadi itulah kenapa gw delete sosmed gw.

Klo dulu, apa aja gw tulis di FB atau Ig. galau, senang, sedih, jalan-jalan. Gw terkenal sama teman-teman gw katak lompat, karena tiba-tiba hilang bisa nyampe kota lain, provinsi lain atau negara lain.

Cukup sekian dan terima kasih.

[tamifuwiboj]

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[scholarsnaija]

TOP SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR NIGERIANS IN 2022

We know that getting a scholarship is not easy but with these 20 scholarships you will be able to get free education. Successful Nigerian students are granted scholarships available to Nigerian citizens who have excelled academically and have expressed interest in working in Nigeria after they graduate.

University of Lagos Scholarships

The University of Lagos offers Scholarships to Nigerian students who demonstrate financial need. 

Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship, students must have a minimum GPA of 2.5 and must be enrolled in a full-time degree program. This scholarship covers tuition and other education-related expenses.

The University of Lagos also offers scholarships to students who are members of underrepresented groups. 

Eligibility: To be eligible for this scholarship, students must be members of the Yoruba tribe or another underrepresented group. This scholarship covers tuition and other related expenses in education.

The University of Lagos offers scholarships to students who are orphans or have disabled parents.

Eligibility:  To be eligible for this scholarship, students must provide proof of their status as an orphan or have a parent who is disabled. This scholarship covers tuition and other related expenses in education.

Federal Polytechnic Idah Scholarships

The Federal Polytechnic Idah Scholarships are available to students from Nigeria who wish to study at the Federal Polytechnic Idah. The scholarships will be covering the cost of tuition, books, and expense of living. 

ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible for the scholarship, students must have a high school diploma or equivalent. They must also be a Nigerian citizen and have a valid Nigerian passport.

The deadline to apply for the Federal Polytechnic Idah Scholarships is June 30th. More information about the scholarships can be found on the Federal Polytechnic Idah website.

Balaa Landscaping Scholarships

The Balaa Landscaping Scholarship is available to students from Nigeria. This scholarship is worth $1,000 and is for students who are interested in pursuing a career in landscaping.

Eligibility: To be eligible for the Balaa Landscaping Scholarship, students must have a GPA of 2.5 or higher. They must also be enrolled in an accredited college or university in Nigeria.

This scholarship is set to be  renewed in every four years. Renewal is based on the student maintaining a GPA of 2.5 or higher and remaining enrolled in an accredited college or university in Nigeria.

For more information about the Balaa Landscaping Scholarship, interested students can visit the website of the Nigerian Scholarships office.

Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES)

The Academic Excellence Scholarship (AES) is available to students who have demonstrated academic excellence. To be eligible for this scholarship, students must have a Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher. This scholarship provides full tuition and fees for the recipient's academic program.

The AES is just one of the many scholarships available to students from Nigeria. Other scholarships include the Merit-Based Scholarship, the Need-Based Scholarship, and the Alumni Scholarship. Each of these scholarships has different eligibility requirements, so be sure to research them carefully before applying.

Nigerian Women's Educational Trust Fund (NEWEF)

The Nigerian Women's Educational Trust Fund (NEWEF) is a scholarship available to female students from Nigeria. NEWEF provides scholarships for women to pursue higher education in Nigeria. NEWEF also offers mentorship and leadership training to its scholars.

Eligibility: To be eligible for the NEWEF scholarship, applicants must be female Nigerian citizens. They must also be enrolled in a full-time degree program at a Nigerian university. NEWEF scholars are selected based on their academic merit and financial need.

The NEWEF scholarship covers the cost of tuition, books, and other educational expenses. It also provides a living stipend to its scholars. The total value of the scholarship is approximately $5,000 per year.

 The National Union of Teachers (NUT) 

The National Union of Teachers (NUT) Nigerian Scholarship Programme is available to Nigerian students who are studying for an undergraduate degree. The scholarship is worth £5,000 and is for one academic year.

Eligibility: To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be members of the NUT and be studying at a Nigerian university. They must also have a strong academic record.

The NUT Nigerian Scholarship Programme is a great opportunity for Nigerian students to study in the UK. It will help to cover the cost of their tuition fees and living expenses while they are studying.

Akokoro Scholarships for Independent Secondary Schools in Nigeria

Akokoro Scholarships are available to students who attend independent secondary schools in Nigeria. The scholarships are worth up to $2,500 per year, and they can be used to cover the cost of tuition, books, and other expenses.

Eligibility: To be eligible for an Akokoro Scholarship, students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. They must also demonstrate financial need. Akokoro Scholarships are renewable for up to four years, so long as the recipient continues to meet the eligibility requirements.

There are a limited number of Akokoro Scholarships available each year, so students are encouraged to apply early. For more information about the Akokoro Scholarship program, please visit the website of the Nigerian Secondary Education Board.

Conclusion

I hope you grab alot from today's article and am looking up to seeing you achieve your goals in quick time.

How dou you feel about this article?

Tell us by submitting a comment below👇.

[flyingupward-a]

;; tag dump - HELEN MAGNUS

#❮ HELEN MAGNUS: IC ┊for five lifetimes ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: AES ┊simple and elegant ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: ANSWERS ┊paging the head of the sanctuary network ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: VISAGE ┊dare to believe in the unbelievable ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: THE FIVE ┊only the chosen left alive ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: NIKOLA ┊youre an acquired taste ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: JOHN ┊for all eternity ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: JAMES ┊a life devoted to justice ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: NIGEL ┊the best of us ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: WILL ┊many disasters ; most brilliant ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: ASHLEY ┊my flesh and blood ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: HENRY ┊three words please ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: KATE ┊trust her as you would trust me ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: FATHER ┊founder of the sanctuary ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: BIGGIE ┊instincts are all ive got ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: ADAM ┊love these alumni gatherings ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: OLD CITY VERSE ┊not an empty motto ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: POST SERIES VERSE ┊shall we begin again ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: OUT OF THE BLUE AU ┊i drink coffee ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: LONDON VERSE ┊its my sanctuary ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: PAVOR NOCTURNUS AU ┊this is still my home ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: 150 YEARS┊hg would be ecstatic ❯ #❮ HELEN MAGNUS: CARENTAN AU ┊time goes so fast ❯

[mcad-ae]

Observing The Unprecedented

We invited faculty, alumni, and students of MCAD’s Arts Entrepreneurship department to collaborate on an exhibition that examines unprecedented moments. The Arts Entrepreneurship Fall 2021 exhibition, Observing the Unprecedented, is a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This reflective gallery shows works from Arlene Birt, Adam Smith, Ashlynn Micoliczyk, and Nancy Rice. Each piece examines The Unprecedented through a unique lens that all connect through the act of observing.

The gallery was available for viewing from September 28th, 2021 through October 3rd, 2021.

Curators Note

“When first coming together to begin planning Observing the Unprecedented, the AE Communications team was seeing each other in person for the first time in over a year and a half. As we recently were back on the MCAD campus for classes, some of us only knew each other through a small window on our computer screens. This exhibition was an overwhelming positive experience from working with the incredible AE Communications team to installing the work of inspiring artists. I am ecstatic with the outcome of the exhibition, and the connections I made during the process.”

- Kamryn Friedrich

Video Walkthrough

View here.

Curation and Installation: Kamryn Friedrich

Host: Madison Mead

Video Production: Justin Lees

Graphic Design: Hallie Holtz

[ji-hyeon]

ARC 1/ Chapter 2

A/N: woot woot, Chapter 2 😉

Chae Hee-Young arrived at the Kim family restaurant at 1900. Dae-Hoon had called in a favor with a hoobae ("Korean, junior") who owns a private bodyguard company. Two smiling professional men showed up and explained that they were told to follow whatever she wanted them to do. Hee-Young was overwhelmed by their sincerity and even witnessed the two men refuse an unknown doctor entrance into Sang-Hoon's room.

"Welcome back, jag-eun samonim ("Korean, little boss' wife")," an older lady in a hostess uniform bowed. Hee-Young hated it when the staff would be so formal with her, as she came from a far more simpler background than her husband and his family. "Dae-Hoon doryeonnim ("Korean, young master") is waiting for you in the back."

"Is there a reason for the early closure today?" Hee-Young asked.

"Before doryeonnim requested it, sajangnim ("Korean, boss") wanted to close down the restaurant to visit Sang-Hoon doryeonnim at the hospital. Only myself and the oldest cook are here today. Please, follow me."

Madam Han was one of the first hires in the restaurant that her husband's grandfather started. Hee-Young still did not understand how the Kim family and the third son of the Ku Clan head became so close. Kim Dae-Hoon was older than Ku Chung-Ae, but Dae-Hoon would always refer to the younger male as a hyeongnim ("Korean, respectful form and masculine form of older brother").

Chae Hee-Young bowed in thanks when Madam Han opened the private room for her. Dae-Hoon was already waiting for Hee-Young with files and a laptop on one side of the table and food on the other. He looked up and waved her over, "Jesu-ssi, you're a genius! Putting Y/N Davidson on the prospective foreign students list is a perfect way to fly her under the cover."

"What? Who? Ajubeonim," Hee-Young was beyond confused. "I'm confused. Please explain."

"You put Y/N Davidson on the prospective foreign students list for recruitment to the school," he said slowly. Dae-Hoon watched as Madam Han closed the door and Hee-Young came to sit at the table. "You did do that right?"

"No," Hee-Young said firmly. "Who is Y/N Davidson?"

"Haneul-agassi," he replied. His eye brows burrowed. "Then, who put her on the list? There can't be that many people who have access to putting forward names to that list. Let alone to see Y/N as a potential Deokhye Academy prospect."

"Actually," Hee-Young started to eat. There were not a lot of choices of food to eat as she refused to leave her son's side at the hospital. With the two young men watching over and the secret hidden cameras she had installed in the room, Hee-Young realized that she had not eaten anything substantial in the past three days. "Any teacher, current or former, alumni with honors, and donor can put forward names to be put on the list. They're given an invitation to take the entrance exams."

"Oh," Dae-Hoon relaxed after hearing that. "So it's just good fortune for us that someone recognized Y/N for her merits to get an invitation. That's a relief. For a moment, I thought that dirty rat was behind this.

"Let's eat. I know you haven't been eating because you're busy watching over Sang-Hoon. Then, we'll go over whatever mad plan you have to try and bring Y/N to Deokhye Academy."

It really wasn't that crazy of a plan. It was Hee-Young's "Hail Mary". Either Y/N was returning to Seoul to put a stop to whatever Kim Myung-Ki was planning or not return at all. Everything that Dae-Hoon and Hee-Young tried to do was futile to try and stop Kim Myung-Ki from completely controlling not only Deokhye Academy, but also the Ku Clan.

She owed it to Evelyn to protect her daughter. However, she already lost her husband and Zitao to Deokhye Academy. Hee-Young could not lose Sang-Hoon. She only hoped that Y/N would at least consider helping them secure her family's legacy for Sang-Hoon.

Hee-Young had announced to the Academy that she was going to go to Boston to plead with an American doctor who specialized in bringing patients back from comas to take on her son's case. Thankfully, there really was a specialist located near Boston. The doctor was retired, but Hee-Young knew exactly where he was.

After all, she was going straight to the ranch. There was a good chance that Alessandro Davidson had a hand in help raising Y/N Davidson become the junior Olympian she was today. At least, Hee-Young thought there was a good chance. She remember Evelyn always talked about how Alessandro would have made it to the Olympics if he wasn't so focused on medicine.

She would be gone until the end of January of the following year. As much as she would have wanted for Sang-Hoon to miraculously recover, her baby needed time to heal. Dae-Hoon had promised that if the two bodyguards were not with her son, that he himself would sit with Sang-Hoon.

Her flight from Incheon International Airport started boarding at 2350, so Hee-Young made a point to get to the airport three hours in advance. It was the first time she was flying out of the country without family or business to keep her mind occupied. There was a layover in Dubai. She did not want to take any risks, so she booked a flight with Emirates and selected the layover in Dubai as she usually did while flying.

She made it through the custom and security of the airport and waited in the lounge where she pulled out her laptop. The black faux leather seats of the waiting area were comfortable as Hee-Young relaxed into them. The noise of Seoul never reached the lounge areas of Incheon Airport. Hee-Young made it early enough to not have to deal with crowds and nosy people.

It also made it much easier to see if she was being followed by one of Kim Myung-Ki's spies. She had one task that she wanted to complete before she landed in Boston tomorrow. After dinner with Dae-Hoon, Hee-Young wanted to know who recommended Y/N. It should have been easy to find out, except the name on the form when she looked it up was her own.

She did not even know that Haneul-agassi's had a new name, let alone that it was Y/N Davidson.

The time stamp of the forms was also when Hee-Young was at the end of year feast with the rest of the school. Two weeks before the end of year rankings came out and Sang-Hoon was attacked. If it was not her who put in Y/N in the system, then who was it? And why use her as the scapegoat? And how did they do it?

Hee-Young did not want to say their network was compromised. There was no way a hacker would get into their system just to put in a name of a junior Olympian from America who just so happened to be the presumed dead heiress to the Ku Clan. Hee-Young was not the best programmer, but she did have a very long phase of her angry teenage to young adult years of white hat hacking.

It was an embarrassing long phase of her life that she hid from her husband and his family. Besides the fact that she was doing illegal acts under the guise of protecting the underdog, Hee-Young was never caught. When she met her husband, she feigned not understanding computers to keep meeting him.

It took her two and a half hours to finally find where the hacker had snuck into their network. By the time that Hee-Young had found the virus, it was time to board the plane. She would have to look for the signature that the hacker used during the layover at Dubai. The hacker did not seem to be interested in anything else but putting Y/N on their prospective list.

She packed up her things to board the plane when her phone pinned with messages from Dae-Hoon. If she didn't know any better, she would say that he was more worried about her mad plan working than her failing. Hee-Young boarded her plane while texting her brother-in-law.

<< | Masterlist | >>

Korean Terms Used in this Chapter

1. hoobae - Korean, junior colleagues (younger students in school, mentees, junior colleagues in academia, business, work, etc) [Japanese equivalent is "kohai")

2. jag-eun samonim - Korean, little boss' wife. It refers to Chae Hee-Young's status in her in-laws as the wife of the second son

3. doryeonnim - Korean, young master (also younger unmarried brother of your husband)

4. sajangnim - Korean, boss

#exo #exoimagine #exofanfic #exoscenario #smau #exoau #baekhyun #chanyeol #chen #d.o. #xiumin #suho #sehun #lay #kai #kris #luhan #tao #tiffany #sunny #taeyeon #deokhyeacademy

[jcmarchi]

Offering clean energy around the clock

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/offering-clean-energy-around-the-clock/

Offering clean energy around the clock

As remarkable as the rise of solar and wind farms has been over the last 20 years, achieving complete decarbonization is going to require a host of complementary technologies. That’s because renewables offer only intermittent power. They also can’t directly provide the high temperatures necessary for many industrial processes.

Now, 247Solar is building high-temperature concentrated solar power systems that use overnight thermal energy storage to provide round-the-clock power and industrial-grade heat.

The company’s modular systems can be used as standalone microgrids for communities or to provide power in remote places like mines and farms. They can also be used in conjunction with wind and conventional solar farms, giving customers 24/7 power from renewables and allowing them to offset use of the grid.

“One of my motivations for working on this system was trying to solve the problem of intermittency,” 247Solar CEO Bruce Anderson ’69, SM ’73 says. “I just couldn’t see how we could get to zero emissions with solar photovoltaics (PV) and wind. Even with PV, wind, and batteries, we can’t get there, because there’s always bad weather, and current batteries aren’t economical over long periods. You have to have a solution that operates 24 hours a day.”

The company’s system is inspired by the design of a high-temperature heat exchanger by the late MIT Professor Emeritus David Gordon Wilson, who co-founded the company with Anderson. The company integrates that heat exchanger into what Anderson describes as a conventional, jet-engine-like turbine, enabling the turbine to produce power by circulating ambient pressure hot air with no combustion or emissions — what the company calls a first in the industry.

Here’s how the system works: Each 247Solar system uses a field of sun-tracking mirrors called heliostats to reflect sunlight to the top of a central tower. The tower features a proprietary solar receiver that heats air to around 1,000 Celsius at atmospheric pressure. The air is then used to drive 247Solar’s turbines and generate 400 kilowatts of electricity and 600 kilowatts of heat. Some of the hot air is also routed through a long-duration thermal energy storage system, where it heats solid materials that retain the heat. The stored heat is then used to drive the turbines when the sun stops shining.

“We offer round-the-clock electricity, but we also offer a combined heat and power option, with the ability to take heat up to 970 Celsius for use in industrial processes,” Anderson says. “It’s a very flexible system.”

The company’s first deployment will be with a large utility in India. If that goes well, 247Solar hopes to scale up rapidly with other utilities, corporations, and communities around the globe.

A new approach to concentrated solar

Anderson kept in touch with his MIT network after graduating in 1973. He served as the director of MIT’s Industrial Liaison Program (ILP) between 1996 and 2000 and was elected as an alumni member of the MIT Corporation in 2013. The ILP connects companies with MIT’s network of students, faculty, and alumni to facilitate innovation, and the experience changed the course of Anderson’s career.

“That was an extremely fascinating job, and from it two things happened,” Anderson says. “One is that I realized I was really an entrepreneur and was not well-suited to the university environment, and the other is that I was reminded of the countless amazing innovations coming out of MIT.”

After leaving as director, Anderson began a startup incubator where he worked with MIT professors to start companies. Eventually, one of those professors was Wilson, who had invented the new heat exchanger and a ceramic turbine. Anderson and Wilson ended up putting together a small team to commercialize the technology in the early 2000s.

Anderson had done his MIT master’s thesis on solar energy in the 1970s, and the team realized the heat exchanger made possible a novel approach to concentrated solar power. In 2010, they received a $6 million development grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. But their first solar receiver was damaged during shipping to a national laboratory for testing, and the company ran out of money.

It wasn’t until 2015 that Anderson was able to raise money to get the company back off the ground. By that time, a new high-temperature metal alloy had been developed that Anderson swapped out for Wilson’s ceramic heat exchanger.

The Covid-19 pandemic further slowed 247’s plans to build a demonstration facility at its test site in Arizona, but strong customer interest has kept the company busy. Concentrated solar power doesn’t work everywhere — Arizona’s clear sunshine is a better fit than Florida’s hazy skies, for example — but Anderson is currently in talks with communities in parts of the U.S., India, Africa, and Australia where the technology would be a good fit.

These days, the company is increasingly proposing combining its systems with traditional solar PV, which lets customers reap the benefits of low-cost solar electricity during the day while using 247’s energy at night.

“That way we can get at least 24, if not more, hours of energy from a sunny day,” Anderson says. “We’re really moving toward these hybrid systems, which work like a Prius: Sometimes you’re using one source of energy, sometimes you’re using the other.”

The company also sells its HeatStorE thermal batteries as standalone systems. Instead of being heated by the solar system, the thermal storage is heated by circulating air through an electric coil that’s been heated by electricity, either from the grid, standalone PV, or wind. The heat can be stored for nine hours or more on a single charge and then dispatched as electricity plus industrial process heat at 250 Celsius, or as heat only, up to 970 Celsius.

Anderson says 247’s thermal battery is about one-seventh the cost of lithium-ion batteries per kilowatt hour produced.

Scaling a new model

The company is keeping its system flexible for whatever path customers want to take to complete decarbonization.

In addition to 247’s India project, the company is in advanced talks with off-grid communities in the Unites States and Egypt, mining operators around the world, and the government of a small country in Africa. Anderson says the company’s next customer will likely be an off-grid community in the U.S. that currently relies on diesel generators for power.

The company has also partnered with a financial company that will allow it to access capital to fund its own projects and sell clean energy directly to customers, which Anderson says will help 247 grow faster than relying solely on selling entire systems to each customer.

As it works to scale up its deployments, Anderson believes 247 offers a solution to help customers respond to increasing pressure from governments as well as community members.

“Emerging economies in places like Africa don’t have any alternative to fossil fuels if they want 24/7 electricity,” Anderson says. “Our owning and operating costs are less than half that of diesel gen-sets. Customers today really want to stop producing emissions if they can, so you’ve got villages, mines, industries, and entire countries where the people inside are saying, ‘We can’t burn diesel anymore.’”

#000 #250 #Africa #air #Alumni/ae #amazing #ambient #approach #Australia #batteries #battery #Building #Business and management #career #CEO #clean energy #Community #Companies #course #covid #decarbonization #deployment #Design #development #Egypt #electricity #Emissions #energy #energy storage #engine

[re-decorate]

6 (say three nice things about yourself (three physical and three non-physical), 7 (what color brings you peace?), 16 (compliment the person who sent you this number.), 17 (fairy lights or LED lights?), and 23 (favorite piece of clothing?)

(was gonna ask "what's your comfort food" but then i was like "cereal, duh!" lmao)

6. say three nice things about yourself (three physical and three non-physical).

physical: i like my hair (it's very straight and black and i just appreciate that it's so easy to deal with), i have long eyelashes i guess, i think i have pretty decent legs?? idk

non-physical: ??? this is so much harder, um I think I can be pretty funny sometimes, I try really hard to be kind, and idk I think im pretty smart

7. what color brings you peace?

pale/light/pastel blue...basically everything on my aes blog. but in real life I'd say green, especially when I'm surrounded by it in nature

16. compliment the person who sent you this number.

you are truly one of my favorite moots!! we've been mutuals for such a long time and I really enjoy talking to you and it makes me smile whenever I see you in my notifs :')

17. fairy lights or LED lights?

uhh fairy lights i guess? I'm not too sure I know what the difference is, but I think the thing I'm picturing in my head corresponds closer with fairy lights

23. favorite piece of clothing?

black alumni tshirt from my hs (it's very soft and just a convenient thing to have and be able to throw on w jeans; it's also the only high quality tshirt my hs actually gave us lol), grey distressed flannel (v comfy!!), and my black button up high rise jeans!! there's a very clear theme here and it's that I like wearing black bc I have no fashion sense and black is an easy color

soft asks to get to know people

#hsfdjfsd yes my answer ABSOLUTELY would've been cereal #thanks for the ask fren <3 #roadwrkahead #ask

[ghostlydazecheesecake]

Scientia 2021:IT TAKES GRIT TO BE A PHOENIX 

Ang buong pamayanan ng paaralan ay nagtipon bilang isa noong Enero 28,2021 sa pagdiriwang ng Scientia na may temang "SCIENTIA Knowledge Hub 2021". Ang unang bahagi ng programa ay nagsimula sa oras na 7:00 ng umaga, ang pagbubukas ng mga aktibidad, presentasyon ng mga video, virtual exhibits, at panimulang pahayag na handog ni Atty. Gomeriano V. Amurao ay naganap din sa umaga, sinundan ng panauhing tagapagsalita na si Dr.Joel S. Mariano, Jr, Siya ay isang propesor ng Electrical and Electronics Engineering sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. Hinirang din siya bilang unang Director General ng Philippines Space Agency (PhilSA), kung saan pinamunuan niya ngayon ang pagbuo at pagpapakilos ng bagong nilikha na ahensya ng pambansang pamahalaan. Natapos ang unang parte ng Scientia sa oras na 9:45 ng umaga. Sa huli ay nagkaroon ng bukas na pahayagan at paggawad ng sertipiko sa tagapagsalita. 

Sa ikalawang bahagi ng programa na nag simula sa oras na 10:00 ng umaga ay nagkaroon ng pagpupulong na nahati sa dalawang groupo. Sa unang groupo pinagsama ang mga CAF, OA, AT TM, at ibang mga SHS. Ang kanila tagapagsalita ay sina Dr.Hernando Siy Salapare III at Capt.Patrick Raul Roa. Si Dr.Hernando Siy Salapare III ay isang 2016 Balik Scientist Awardee ng Kagawaran ng Agham at Teknolohiya ng Pilipinas. Noong 2013, natanggap niya ang kanyang titulo bilang isang doktor sa Physics sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas-Diliman.Si Capt.Patrick Raul Roa naman ay may malawak na karanasan sa pagiging piloto. Siya ay kasalukuyang piloto sa Philippine Airlines.Sa ikalawang groupo naman pinagsama ang mga AMT, AV, AE, at ang ibang SHS. Ang kanilang tagapagsalita ay sina Dr. Melito Baccay at Engr.Camilo Dacanay. Si Dr.Melito Baccay ay isang propesor sa Department of Civil Engineering at Director of the Graduate Programs and External Studies sa Technological University of the Philippines (TUP).Ang sumunod na tagapagsalita naman ay si Engr.Camilo Dacanay, siya ay isang Aviation Professional na may karanasan sa A318 / A319 / A320 / A321, at marami pang iba. Bukod dito, siya ngayon ay isang Aviation Technical Training Instructor sa D'VIATION SOLUTIONS SDN BHD (D'VIATION SOLUTIONS SDH BHD (D'Aviation International Training Organization sa Selangor, Malaysia.Sa pagtatapos ng ikalawang bahagi sa oras na 11:40 ng umaga ay nagkaroon din ng bukas na pahayagan at paggawad ng sertipiko sa tagapagsalita. 

Kinahapunan sa araw na iyon, parehong mag-aaral ng Kolehiyo at SHS ang nagtipon-tipon para sa isang namang Virtual Alumni Exhibit at sa mga tagapagsalita na handog ng ALIAC upang bigyang inspirasyon ang bawat mag-aaral dito.Ang unang tagapag salita ay si Dr.Jayson Lo. Siya ay isang entreprenuerby heart. Siya din ay isang manunulat. Isa sa mga librong naisulat nito ay may pamagat na YOUnique. "Understanding Others by Understanding You." Gusto niya rin makatulong sa iba na maabot ang kanilang buong potensyal bilang isang indibidwal na may pangarap.Matapos niyang magbahagi, siya ay ginawaran ng sertipiko ng pagkilala. Sumunod na nagsalita naman ay si Capt.Jessica Cox. Siya  ay isang Filipino-American na ipinanganak na walang braso at siya ang una at nag-iisang piloto sa mundo na nakapagpalipad ng eroplano gamit lamang ang kanyang mga paa. Nakamit niya ang kaniyang mga pangarap gamit lamang ang paa na pinapangarap lamang ng karamihan sa mga tao. Ngayon, nagtatrabaho siya bilang isang motivational speaker. Binabahagi niya ang kanyang istorya sa buong mundo  upang bigyan ang mga tao ng lakas ng loob na tuparin ang kanilang mga pangarap. Nang matapos siya magbahagi ng kaniyang istorya, siya ay ginawaran din ng sertipiko ng pagkilala. Ang programa ay natapos sa pagkakaroon ng raffle, pangwakas na panalangin, at sa pag-awit ng himno ng paaralan. Ang lahat ay talagang nabigyang inspirasyon ng bawat tagapagsalita sa selebrasyon na ito kahit na nasa ilalim ng pandemya. 

[burlveneer-music]

Black Light Collective - s/t LP - Detroit soul-jazz group led by Dave McMurray (Ropeadope)

Black Light Collective, based in Detroit, Michigan, is the brainchild of Producer/Saxophonist Dave McMurray. It is a homage to the jazz of the 60’s & 70’s, when the music had groove, creativity, and a message. Musicians had something to say and weren’t afraid to say it. Jazz was a necessity of expression for both the artist and the listener. That’s Black Light Collective. The sound of freedom, hope, survival, fun, and the future. Producer Dave McMurray, who plays saxophone, flute, and AE-10, recruited some of the best musicians in the Motor City. Rayse Biggs, trumpeter and McMurray's fellow Was (Not Was) alumni. Luis Resto on keyboards, best known for his work with Eminem and 50 Cent. Also on board is percussionist Larry Fratangelo, known for his work on all of the Parliament/Funkadelic classics. McMurray also features young guns Trombonist Kenneth Gill and trumpeter Allen Dennard, both leaders in their own right. Young vocalist Isis Damil is an old soul. She carries on the tradition of Betty Carter and Abbey Lincoln. The album also features Malik Alston on piano and vocals, dropping some knowledge on “We Have Been Assimilated”. Coming from Dave’s touring group “D3”, the rhythm section of bassist Ibrahim Jones, drummer Jeff Canady, and Maurice O’Neal on keyboards. keeps it fresh and driving. Sowande Keita on Djembe, and guitarist Showboat Shavers round out the group with gusto. In concert, Black Light Collective delivers a powerful performance, funky and imaginative. Black Light Collective is an album that will make the old-schoolers think back and will blow the minds of the young guns, illustrating to both that the messages of the 70’s are still relevant today. The Motor City has always been a mecca of jazz, rock, soul, and funk. Blending all of these, Black Light Collective is pure Detroit. IT’S A DETROIT THANG! 

Dave McMurray – Tenor Sax, Flute, AR-0 Ibrahim Jones – Acoustic Bass Jeff Canady - Drums Maurice O’Neal – Keyboards, Piano Isis Damil - Vocals Malik Alston – Piano, Vocals Allen Dennard - Trumpet Kenneth Gill - Trombone Special Guests: Luis Resto – Piano, Keyboards Rayse Biggs - Trumpet Adell ‘Showboat’ Shavers - Guitar Larry Fratangelo - Percussion Sowande Keita – Djembe, percussion

#Black Light Collective #dave mcmurray #jazz #soul #r&b #soul-jazz #2020 #female vocal #ropeadope

[skippyv20]

Thank you😊❤️❤️❤️❤️

Last of the Tide Last of the Few

Portraits of military veterans by Royal Drawing School staff and alumni, commissioned by His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2010, HRH The Prince of Wales – patron of the Battle of Britain Fighter Association – commissioned a series of drawings by alumni and faculty of the Royal Drawing School. The portraits recognise and record the extraordinary lives of the airmen who fought so bravely during the pivotal events of the summer of 1940, known as the “The Few”. They also pay homage to the many young pilots who sacrificed their lives fighting for the freedom of Europe. All of the surviving Battle of Britain veterans were invited to sit for the portraits. The 16 who were well enough to do so were subsequently put in touch with the artists.

“When my grandmother died I succeeded her as patron of The Battle of Britain Fighter Association, and so I used to have them to receptions and an annual tea party, and so I knew them all, and it just seemed to me absolutely crucial to try and capture some of them before they disappeared,” - The Prince told BBC documentary Art, Passion & Power: The Story of the Royal Collection.

A distinguished group of artists were selected for their skill in drawing from observation. They include four first prize winners of the BP Portrait Award: Catherine Goodman, Ishbel Myerscough, Stuart Pearson Wright and James Lloyd. All artists had either graduated from the Royal Drawing School’s postgraduate programme, The Drawing Year, or were current or past teachers at the School. Catherine Goodman is the Artistic Director of the School.

Flight Lieutenant K A Lawrence DFC was drawn by Jessie Makinson (The Drawing Year 2012)

Flight Lieutenant O V Burns AE was drawn by Diarmuid Kelley (The Drawing Year 2002)

Flight Lieutenant W J Green was drawn by Jennifer McRae (The Drawing Year 2001)

Wing Commander T M Kane was drawn by Georgina Sleap (The Drawing Year 2011)

Twelve portraits of D-Day veterans went on display at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, in 2015 to mark the 71st anniversary of the Allied invasion of Normandy. The exhibition, The Last of the Tide, was put together by The Royal Drawing School, in collaboration with Royal Collection Trust, and paid tribute to the extraordinary men who played a role in the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944. It was commissioned by The Prince of Wales following his attendance of 2014’s commemorations in France.

The Royal Drawing School

The Royal Drawing School is an independent, not-for-profit resource that aims to raise the standard and profile of drawing through teaching and practice.  It is one of only a few institutions in the world offering in-depth, quality tuition in drawing from observation. By offering tuition and resources to art students, artists, children and the public, it aims to address the permanent need for high-quality drawing teaching in the UK.

Founded in 2000 by HRH The Prince of Wales and artist Catherine Goodman as The Prince’s Drawing School, it became The Royal Drawing School in 2014.

The Royal Drawing School’s principle site is in Shoreditch, East London, the heart of the city’s art, fashion and design scene. The converted 19th century warehouse houses our main studios and head office. There are three spacious, fully equipped drawing studios, a reference art library, a large ground floor exhibitions gallery and an intaglio print room. Our postgraduate programme, The Drawing Year, the majority of our Public Programme courses and a selection of our Young Artists courses run from here as well as public lectures, exhibitions and events.

The Royal Drawing School runs a postgraduate programme, The Drawing Year, offering up to thirty students the opportunity to focus on drawing from observation for one year. There are no tuition fees – all students awarded a full scholarship. Students also receive a personal studio space in Hackney which allows them to continue to develop their personal practice throughout the duration of the course. Courses are taught by a distinguished faculty of over 75 drawing tutors, all of whom are practising artists. The year culminates in three exhibitions at Christie’s, King St; the Royal Drawing School Shoreditch gallery and an Open Studios exhibition.

Roots (2013) by Kathryn Maple - Royal drawing school

Pearly Kings and Queens Harvest Festival, St Pa… (2009) by Sophie Charalambous  Royal Drawing School

[yasminnrr]

Terlewati

Sejenak menghela nafas dan mengingat-ingat kembali perjalanan 3 tahun ini. Ternyata aku mampu, ternyata aku bisa melewatinya, ternyata, ternyata~ sesuatu yang dulu mungkin aku tidak pernah pikirkan sebelumnya, yang hanya kutakutkan, yang hanya kukhawatirkan sekarang ternyata mampu kulewati dengan baik. Ayah benar, keluar dari zona nyaman memang sangat tidak mengenakkan tapi dengan itu kita bisa belajar banyak hal. Alhamdulillah aku bersyukur karena Allah pilih aku untuk menjadi salah satunya.

Seorang temanku bilang, "Gagal 1 hal 2 hal gak berarti kudu mandek kan? Oke, anggep ae dalanmu guduk nang taruna wes, tapi awkmu mikir gak opo seng mbok entokno teko kegagalanmu melbu taruna?"

Yap, I got it. Aku sekarang baru bisa membaca rencana Allah. Di tahun 2017 Allah gagalkan aku untuk masuk ke sekolah semi-militer dan dengan itu juga Allah giring aku untuk berpindah ke tempat yang sekarang kupijaki, sangat jauh dari tempat kelahiran dan kota asalku sekitar 900KM. Di tempat ini aku dipertemukan dengan orang-orang yang menurutku sangat hebat, teman-teman dan kakak kelas yang sangat inspiratif, guru-guru yang sangat baik, dan teman-temanku kajian yang masyaallah banget. Kuasa Allah berkerja dengan sangat baik, ada saja hal-hal yang terjadi di luar dugaan. Awal semester satu aku merasa sangat tidak mampu untuk menerima semua materi yang diajarkan, aku berputus asa, dan menyerah. Namun, Alhamdulillah masyaallah kalau bukan karena pertolongan Allah mungkin aku tidak akan sampai pada ujian akhir karena saat pertengahan semester dua aku meminta untuk dipindahkan ke Darul Qur'an, dan lagi-lagi kuasa Allah bekerja, tanpa harus aku berpindah sekolah Allah datangkan teman-teman dari Darul Qur'an bahkan alumni Darul Qur'an untuk berbagi cerita bahkan mengajarkan Agama Islam kepadaku.

Masyaallah, ketika Allah menakdirkan kita untuk memasuki suatu bidang atau suatu hal, Allah pasti tidak membiarkan kita menghadapi kesulitan sendirian. Percayalah, tangan Allah senantiasa merangkul kita agar kita tidak terjatuh.

27 Maret '20

[mcad-ae]

WIDE AWAKE: Confessions of the Dreamers

Each semester, MCAD’s Arts Entrepreneurship department host’s a student and alumni exhibition. 

"Wide Awake" focuses on healing, empathy, and waking up from the haze of the past year with hopes and dreams for the future.

Stay connected in this time of physical distancing by sharing and enjoying the creative work of your community! The Spring Arts Entrepreneurship Exhibition will feature work by current AE Department students majoring in Product Design or Entrepreneurial Studies, and minoring in Advertising or Entrepreneurship. Additional works by alumni from Entrepreneurial Studies, Advertising, BSc, and Visualization programs.

Opening:

6:00 PM: Instagram TV: MCAD_ae

6:45 PM: Facebook: facebook.com/AEmcad

Curatorial Team:

Entrepreneurial Studies majors Kamryn Friedrich, Ashlyn Micoliczyk, Lux Fabre, and Kyle Viker

AE Communications Team:

Hannah Schulte, Tamar Patterson, Madison Mead, and Lux Fabre

Support and Coordination:

AE MFA Graduate Assistant Susan Fink

Please note that the MCAD campus is operating under limited access. Call MCAD Public Safety for more info: 612-874-3700

[irfanilmy]

Salah Satu Harta Paling Berharga: Keluarga Forum Indonesia Muda

Dokumentasi Pelatnas FIM 21: Hari Ke-4, Regional Exhibition

Saya mendapatkan penyadaran lewat satu kejadian cukup pahit saat Pelatihan Nasional Forum Indonesia Muda (selanjutnya disingkat FIM) 21 lalu. Bahwa ketergantungan terhadap teknologi harus dienyahkan dari diri ini. Memang sulit, tapi mau enggak mau harus dibiasakan. Agar, saat memang ada problem yang terjadi pada teknologi untuk menunjang aktivitas kita, seperti eror atau tidak berfungsi secara maksimal, itu bukan menjadi alasan untuk tidak menampilkan performa terbaik dalam berkarya dan bekerja.

Sedikit curhat, di hari ke-2 pelaksanaan pelatnas, HP saya terjatuh saat sesi foto setelah sesinya Bunda Elly Risman. Saya meletakkan HP di atas paha sembari jongkok untuk bersiap difoto bersama para peserta. Ternyata permukaan bagian belakang HP saya memang licin, ditambah bahan celana yang saya gunakan pun sama licinnya. Akhirnya HP saya membentur lantai ruangan tempat berlangsungnya sesi-sesi pelatnas. Saat terjatuh, HP saya kontan tidak menunjukkan tanda-tanda kehidupan sama sekali. Inilah definisi dari mati total sebagaimana tulisannya sering saya lihat di tukang service HP. “Terima service HP matot,” sebagai iklan agar orang-orang terpikat menggunakan jasanya.

Saya coba tekan tombol power hingga mengisi daya baterainya pun hasilnya tetap nihil. HP saya enggan menyala. Saya jadi teringat nasihat bapak dan mamah di rumah yang tak pernah jemu mengingatkan saya untuk senantiasa apik terhadap barang-barang yang dipunya. Saat barang yang dipunya rusak atau bahkan hilang karena teledor, baru tahu rasa. Dan ujung-ujungnya minta untuk dibelikan barang baru. Astagfirullah.

Sebenarnya sedari awal saya akan dengan disiplin merekam obrolan para narasumber di tiap sesi, ternyata saya justru kehilangan kesempatan itu. Catatan-catatan itu rencananya akan saya jadikan bahan untuk membuat jurnal harian selama saya mengikuti pelatihan nasional dan akan diposting secara berkala di blog pribadi. Saya memperjuangkan pelatihan ini sejak tahun 2014 lalu dan baru diberi kesempatan di percobaan yang ke-5. Sayang sekali kalau apa yang saya alami hanya lewat begitu saja tanpa saya dokumentasikan dalam bentuk tulisan.

Sebelum akhirnya terpilih menjadi peserta dan kini menjadi alumnus FIM 21 saya banyak membaca tulisan-tulisan tentang pelatihan ini yang tersebar di internet. Baik yang ada di blog-blog pribadi, media sosial, maupun yang sudah rapi terkumpul dalam format pdf. Dan sejak saat itu saya bertekad apabila pada suatu ketika bisa mengikutinya secara langsung, saya pun ingin berbagi pengalaman lewat tulisan agar lebih banyak orang yang tertarik untuk coba mengikuti seleksi di tahun-tahun berikutnya.

Pasca jatuhnya HP, dari hari ke-2 hingga hari terakhir, saya tidak menggunakan HP. Kalau saya mengambil hikmah secara tepat, harusnya ini menjadi jalan agar saya fokus saja pada setiap rangkaian pematerian dan agenda-agenda lain selama pelatnas, tapi realitanya saya melewatkan kesempatan ini begitu saja. Saya memang mencatat materi yang disampaikan, tapi itu hanya sedikit saja.

Saat pematerian berlangsung, saya kerap terserang kantuk yang teramat. Mungkin ini disebabkan agenda yang begitu padat tiap harinya. Atau niat belajar saya yang kurang membaja? Alasan yang kedua sepertinya paling dominan terjadi di diri saya. Saat larak-lirik ke berbagai arah, ternyata bukan saja saja yang mengantuk. Beberapa peserta pun terlihat berjuang melawan godaan tidur yang terkutuk. Kenapa saya katakan terkutuk? Ya, karena mengantuk di saat yang tidak tepat. Harusnya kan ketika sesi pematerian bisa dimaksimalkan untuk menyimak apa-apa yang disampaikan.

Tanpa HP yang beroperasi, jangankan untuk meng-update-nya di media sosial, untuk mengisi kuesioner setiap sesi pun tidak saya lakukan. Jadi, saya memohon maaf dari hati yang terdalam ke panitia karena enggak menunaikan kewajiban selaku peserta. Meskipun beberapa kali saya sempat meminjam HP teman untuk mengisinya. Tapi terus menerus pinjam, saya malu juga.

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Sejak hari pertama, saya merasakan dengan sebenar-benarnya menjadi Indonesia. Dari ujung Barat hingga Timur negeri ini tumpah ruah di Taman Wiladatika, Cibubur. Hal yang minimal sekali dalam seumur harus dialami seluruh warga bangsa saya kira. Agar semboyan bhineka tunggal ika tidak hanya kita dengar dari orasi para polisi atau aktivis yang sedang membakar semangat masa di berbagai mimbar-mimbar unjuk rasa.

Dengan mengalami langsung bertemu dengan sesama saudara dari segala penjuru negeri, setidaknya kita akan sadar bahwa Indonesia bukan sekadar milik “Aku” melainkan kepunyaan “Kita” bersama. Tidak boleh ada yang semena-mena terhadap siapa pun lantaran merasa lebih berhak atas Indonesia. Kita tidak sedang numpang di negeri ini. Jadi, perlakukanlah semuanya sebagaimana tuan rumah. Jangan seolah sedang ngontrak sehingga hak-haknya dibatasi.

Saya merasa sangat beruntung bisa bergabung di pelatihan ini. Sebuah mimpi yang saya idam-idamkan sejak kuliah di tingkat 2. Walau saat itu saya juga tahu diri bahwa form di web yang tersedia tidak mungkin bisa saya isi. Ada isian tentang pencapaian terbaik dan yang lain-lainnya. Di mana, saya sama sekali tak punya kuasa bahkan untuk mengarang bebas dalam mengisinya. Namun, jangan sebut mimpi kalau saat mencapainya mudah saja. Mimpi harus diperjuangkan dan sangat wajar kalau dalam proses meraihnya dihadapkan pada berbagai kegagalan.

Dan—tanpa bermaksud melebih-lebihkan—FIM ini bagi saya sendiri sangat layak untuk diperjuangkan selagi pintu kesempatannya memang masih bisa diketuk. Sebagai yang telah mengalami langsung bagaimana serunya pelatihan ini dan bagaimana kehangatan layaknya keluarga yang terbentuk pasca mengikutinya, pantas kalau saya bercerita dengan nada persuasif macam para sales yang menjajakan produk dagangnya. Tapi yang perlu dicamkan, saya sama sekali tak dipaksa oleh siapa pun untuk melakukannya. Ini atas dasar kerelaan yang didorong oleh rasa syukur karena saya telah diberi kesempatan untuk belajar banyak di forum ini.

Walau tulisan insight ini merupakan salah satu tugas paca pelatnas, saya dengan senang hati menuliskannya. Bahkan tanpa embel-embel tugas pun, saya berniat membuatnya sedari dulu sebagaimana saya ceritakan di paragraf-paragraf awal. Saya ingin apa yang saya alami ini bisa juga dirasakan oleh para pemuda lain di luar sana. Semoga saja para pembaca benar-benar mampu memvisualkannya setelah baca tulisan ini.

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FIM mungkin bukan satu-satunya pelatihan kepemudaan di negeri ini. Kalau kalian mengikuti beberapa akun Instagram yang berisi info-info pelatihan, dalam setahun banyak sekali pelatihan yang bisa diikuti. Hanya saja FIM ini beda, setidaknya bagi saya. Mungkin ini saya lontarkan lantaran tidak terlalu banyak pelatihan sejenis yang saya ikuti. Jika dibandingkan dengan yang sudah malang melintang dalam kegiatan semacam ini mungkin bisa dianggap biasa-biasa saja. Namun, anggaplah ajakan ini saya tujukan kepada yang masih ingin terus mendapatkan input, dari mana dan bagaimana pun bentuknya.

Kemudian, saya juga ingin mengatakan bahwa memutuskan mencobanya berkali-kali adalah sebuah tindakan tepat dan sama sekali tidak akan rugi. Percaya sama saya! Setelah kalian bergabung, akan banyak hal-hal istimewa yang bakal diperoleh. Dengan catatan kalian memang tidak tiba-tiba hilang dari peredaran.

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Harta yang paling berharga/ adalah keluarga/ Istana yang paling indah/ adalah keluarga. Petikan lirik lagu film keluarga cemara berjudul “Harta Berharga” ini sangat mewakili keintiman kami, alumni FIM 21. Meski waktu 5 hari ini rasanya terlalu singkat untuk bisa mengenal keseluruhan peserta pelatnas. Namun dengan adanya berbagai grup whatsapp FIM—grup besar, api ekspresi (AE), dan kelompok fasil—membuat keakraban bisa dibangun kemudian secara bertahap. Saya sendiri dari keseluruhan peserta, paling hanya kenal dengan yang satu AE, regional, dan fasilitator dan beberapa yang satu kelompok adventure journey. Sisanya gelap. Saya tak sempat berkenalan dengan mereka. Atau saya yang terlalu jaim saja?

Pernah ada niatan untuk mengirimi pesan secara personal ke semua kawan-kawan FIM 21 sekadar mengucapkan terimakasih sembari berkenalan, namun  niat tersebut hingga saat ini tak pernah saya realisasikan. Saya takut disangka yang enggak-enggak. Dianggap ada udang di balik batu lah, ini lah, itu lah. Ribet banget. Maksudnya pikiran saya yang ribet. Padahal itu hanya prasangka saja sebenarnya.

Ketika saya ceritakan ini ke teman-teman sesama alumni FIM 21 regional Bandung, seseorang bilang kalau yang penting niatnya diluruskan. Ada benarnya juga. Tapi sekarang momennya sudah enggak tepat lagi. Biarlah sambil berjalan, terutama kalau ada kerja-kerja kolaborasi atau interaksi lewat media sosial, proses perkenalan itu akan terjadi dengan sendirinya. Jangan melulu berfokus pada kuantitas pertemanan tapi harus mulai serius menyasar kualitasnya.

3 bulan selepas pelatnas FIM 21 usai, berbagai grup yang dibuat sebagai wadah untuk berkomunikasi tak pernah sepi notifikasi. Bahkan saya kewalahan untuk membaca seluruh chat yang masuk terutama di grup besar di mana ada Satu Jam Lebih Dekat (SJLD)—yang faktanya sering hingga larut malam. Selain itu, selalu saja ada topik diskusi yang digulirkan di sana. Tinggal kitanya mau atau enggak buat nimbrung. Saya sesekali ikut. Tapi enggak jarang juga hanya jadi silent reader.

Berbagai dokumentasi kegiatan dan pencapaian mereka pun kerap dibagikan grup. Walau terpisah jarak, kami bisa saling tahu kabar masing-masing dan kesibukan apa yang sedang dijalani. Saya sangat mengapresiasi kepedulian di antara sesama penghuni grup. Saat ada yang perlu dibantu, beberapa dari mereka tak segan untuk menawarkan bantuannya. Ini merupakan momen-momen puitik saya kira.

Sesama manusia saling bantu-membantu untuk menghilangkan kesusahan di antara mereka sungguh sebuah pemandangan yang mengademkan. Kami telah sama-sama tersatukan dengan 7 pilar karakter FIM, yakni cinta kasih, integritas, kebersahajaan, totalitas, solidaritas, keadilan, dan keteladanan. Serta juga terwarnai dengan 7 pilar kepemimpinannya, yaitu mengenal diri, komunikasi, akhlak, kekuatan belajar, pengambilan keputusan, manajerial, pengorganisasian.

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Sebenarnya saya ingin menulis lebih banyak lagi. Hanya saja karena mengerjakan ini menjelang akhir pengumpulan, saya jadi keteteran juga. Saya berencana menuliskan apa-apa yang diperoleh selama pelatnas dan setelahnya di blog pribadi. Silakan pantau saja di irfanilmy.tumblr.com. Di benak saya masih bejibun inspirasi berkaitan dengan FIM yang bisa dibagikan.

Bandung, 30 Januari 2020, 11.40 WIB

#jurnal #jurnalfim21