Saving the world one student at a time is the goal of local Princeton graduate Belen Arellano, daughter of Gilroy City Councilman Peter Arellano and an academic coach for Extreme Learning Center’s after-school program at South Valley Middle School.
Belen was hanging out with her toy poodle in Sue’s Coffee shop last week as I attempted to track down the early bird church ladies of St. Mary’s. Frederick Douglas, the toy poodle pup, sat on Arellano’s lap, eyeing the lattes and following shopkeeper Karen Fortino’s every move (which is all over the place – literally a running commentary). Belen filled me in on life at Princeton, far from hometown Gilroy.
“There are no fraternities or sororities, but supper clubs instead,” she said.
A few of the supper clubs tried to remain “good ol’ boy clubs” but were court ordered co-ed in 1994. Belen vacillates between her awe of one of America’s oldest educational institutions and its not-so-hidden elitism. Belen giggled, remembering when one of the graduation speeches was given in Latin and the students were given cheat sheets, cueing them when to laugh and when to boo. It makes the pain of tuition payments more bearable when you know your child can translate “ad eundum quo nemo ante iit” (“to go boldly go where no man has gone before”).
Myra Ceja of Hollister met up with Arellano at Princeton, and the two keep in touch through the Princetonian network. Belen has big plans to start up a nonprofit in the future (the way many startups have gone unintentionally in the valley), but for now she helps save the world by brightening the minds of her academic athletes. And don’t ever say Belen can’t speak her mind. You’ll get an earful – and it might be in Latin.
I love this line from the Pintello Comedy play “The Foursome,” performed this past weekend at Eagle Ridge: “Women are the politicians of love.” “The Foursome” follows four men playing golf after a college reunion who are catching up on the past 15 years of their lives. Christin Scherck and Joshua Parker attended the dinner theater Saturday night, claiming, “We know the jerk in the play!”
Of course, “jerk” was just the persona of actor Jayson Stebbins, a mild-mannered Gilroyan who played the playboy college buddy who everyone loves to hate. When one of the characters of the foursome complains, “I think I’m having a heart attack,” the jerk assures him, “Yeah, just three more holes and we’ll rush you right to the hospital.” Remind you of any of your golfing buddies?
The character Ted, a beer-drinking sterile Buddhist, was played by San Jose Mercury News writer Dave Leon. Gilroy residents Ruby and Bob Hart attended the performance, the first night of their weekend outings (see below for Bob’s review of the seating in the San Juan Mission). Marion and Rod Pintello were delightful hosts during the prime rib dinner theater, and as the marketing people at Eagle Ridge put it, “The show is a hoot!” Check out the Pintello’s Web site, www.pintellocomedy.com, for show times and locations.
Saturday night, society moved south to the San Juan Bautista Mission for the South Valley Symphony’s “Music at the Mission” concert. Ruby and Bob Hart again showed their support for the arts as Bob claimed in his dry Kansas-born humor, “We came for the comfortable seating.” Give me acoustics and candlelight over a comfortable place to park my tush anytime!
Lucy Grisetti, Lupe Nunes (a member of Oriana Chorale), Fran Bozzo and Pat Lesko came for the food at the Basque House in San Juan Bautista as well as the music. It’s a miracle that until last Saturday, the symphony, in its 32-year history, has never played in the mission. After filling the venue to near capacity, I think the symphony should make it an annual place to hold concerts.
Saturday night’s program included Georges Bizet’s “Symphony in C Major,” Gustav Holst’s “Saint Paul’s Suite” and two pieces for the saxophone and symphony, played by soloist Dale Wolford. Just as in the master hands of Joe Venuti, the violin became a jazz instrument, and Dale’s soulful fingerings transformed the saxophone into a classical horn (although Dale assured me his horn has played its own share of jazz repertoire).
The acoustics of the historic church were inspiring, but the romance of the shadows of maestro Henry Mollicone’s hands playing on the front walls provided an unintentional visual “shadow metronome.” More than one person silently pointed up to the wall, noticing the spiritual effect. The only sad part of the evening was the announcement that Mollicone will be stepping down from the helm of the podium after 6 years with the symphony to pursue more time for composing (Mollicone received accolades for the recent performance of his Latin Mass composition). Henry is a composer because he feels deeply. His conducting is deep and emotional, just like his departure from our South Valley Symphony podium. Buona fortuna, Henry. Baci!
Count on the American Institute of Mathematics to bring the Sieve of Eratosthenes to my mathematically disinclined mind at an event so full of food one could not help but say “a ha!” with a full mouth. Dr. Dan Golston, a professor of mathematics at San Jose State University, came to enlighten the Morgan Hill Community Center crowd with his dazzling work with prime numbers. Golston was afraid to run one of his mathematical equations, fearing a crash of his computer (I could relate to crashing in mathematics). My maxim in math: If an equation doesn’t need to be solved … don’t solve it. Of course, most of those attending don’t heed that maxim. For mathematicians such as Morgan Hill resident Wei Kang, who is a professor of mathematics at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, and Jerry McNerney, who holds a Ph.D. in mathematics and is a candidate for State Assembly, the afternoon was pupil-dilating. Mike Cox was there to the rescue, offering alternatives to any wasteful exponents. As Chef Charles Lewis’ wife, Karen, put it, “It’s SOOO ‘Good Will Hunting!’ ”
Ciao for now.
