Students learn compassion through solar project

WINTER GARDEN, Florida ― Valencia College student Thomas Dillen held a solar panel as high as he could, trying to catch the waning sunlight.Two dozen fourth- and fifth-grade students at Tildenville Elementary School clustered around him, hoping the panel would power the portable generators they’ve been building to send to an orphanage in Africa. “Yay!” the students cheered when an LED light bulb attached to one of the generators lit up.The students are working on a project that’s one part scienc

Dec. 10, 2014

Helping kids embrace new rituals when holiday tinged by loss

Sometimes the most wonderful time of the year arrives at the worst time of your life.Divorce, death, layoffs ― grief-inducing losses don’t take a holiday, and they can wreak havoc on yours, particularly if you’ve got children looking for you to uphold the annual traditions that bring them so much joy.A familiar face no longer at the dinner table, fewer gifts, even a new, unfamiliar home ― all can feel like an affront to the senses at a time of year when rituals are sacred.We contacted a handful

Dec. 10, 2014

‘Metamorphosis’ depicts ever-changing society

How do people react to the waves of change in society? Theater director Choi Won-seok pondered this question before writing “Metamorphosis” in 2009. Some people ride the tides, while others swim against the current or just evade the turmoil. There is no right or wrong answer. It is only a matter of choice, says the director. “Byeontae,” a homonym for a pervert, is the play’s title in Korean. The poster, showing half-naked body of an actress, gives an impression that the play is R-rated or contai

Dec. 8, 2014

’Tis the season for ‘Nutcracker’

A year-end tradition continues as Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Nutcracker,” Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 “Choral” and other seasonal favorites all return to Seoul’s cultural scene. From Seoul Arts Center in the south to the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in the north, the always-popular returning classics take up a large part of the lineup, while some new productions add a spice of diversity.Here’s a guide to the music and performing arts scene this festive season, including seasonal favorites as

Dec. 7, 2014

Seoul Philharmonic CEO claims artistic director behind accusations

Park Hyun-jung, CEO of the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, who faces demands for her resignation from employees accusing her of sexual harassment and arbitrary personnel management, said Friday that artistic director Chung Myung-whun may have been behind the recent accusations against her.She also refused to step down and vowed to cooperate with investigations into the complaints.“I am willing to cooperate with the national auditing agency, prosecutors or anyone in investigating this case,” she sa

Dec. 5, 2014

Work on Rome subway digs up ancient farm, tools

ROME (AP) ― Archaeologists have unearthed an ancient commercial farm in the heart of modern Rome, taking advantage of subway construction to explore deeply in urban settings. They worked some 20 meters down near St. John in Lateran Basilica. Today’s Rome rests upon medieval layers and, under those, more ancient strata of life. Rossella Rea, the dig’s leader and a culture ministry official, said Wednesday that archaeologists discovered a first-century agricultural business, the closest to Rome’s

Dec. 4, 2014

Outdoor play returns to indoor theater

During the fall harvest season and in the first month of the lunar year in Korea, people used to gather at their village square and watch art puppet dances, mask dances or acrobatic shows, all to the beats of various traditional percussion instruments. Some would dance to the music and beat instruments in time with energizing refrains, “Ul-ssi-gu!” or “Ul-ssu!” to interact with the performers in the madangnori, a traditional outdoor performance. “Simcheongjeon,” a famous classical story about fi

Dec. 4, 2014

‘Notre-Dame de Paris’ readies for revival

The cast of French musical “Notre-Dame de Paris” showcases the show’s famous numbers during a press conference in Seoul on Monday. (Mast Entertainment)Nine years after the original French production of the musical “Notre-Dame de Paris” closed its wildly successful run in Paris, the show’s creators have united for a grand revival. And Korean fans will be the first to watch it. In Gyeongju, a small, unassuming Korean town in North Gyeongsang Province known for its long history, director Gilles Mah

Dec. 3, 2014

Interior designer creates ‘calm’ home environments for autistic kids

MINNEAPOLIS ― A.J. Paron-Wildes’ home, a walk-out rambler in suburban Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, is a study in calm ― all clean, uncluttered spaces and earthy, neutral hues that echo the autumn leaves framing the view of the St. Croix River. On an autumn afternoon, daughter Eva, 6, is having an after-school snack, while son Devin, 19, sketches intently, seated at the studio desk in his orderly bedroom.This peaceful environment is entirely by design. When you have an autistic child, calm is a p

Dec. 3, 2014

The motor home life: Should you go down that road?

Blame wet feet.It took several days of rain on a Colorado family vacation to move Julianne Vanden Wyngaard from tent camper to motor home owner.“I thought when cooking outside one wet evening, please get me off the ground,” says the carillonneur and Grand Valley State University faculty member from Grand Rapids, Michigan.The Vanden Wyngaards started with a 24-foot motor home, which they used for camping. Some 10 years ago, anticipating semiretirement and a chance to be snowbirds, they took the p

Dec. 3, 2014

Opera ‘Eugene Onegin’ to be performed as concert

In Seoul’s small but vibrant operatic scene, opera is virtually synonymous with a thrilling drama, spectacle and over-the-top singing. In surveys, “Carmen,” “La Traviata” or “Aida” come out as some of Koreans’ all-time favorites. To add the spice of diversity to the scene, Seoul Arts Center is offering local fans a chance to uncover a hidden gem in the operatic repertory ― one that is loved by fans around the world, but is rarely performed in Korea. For just one night on Dec. 6, it will present

Dec. 2, 2014

‘Comfort women’ stories rekindled on stage

“Bongsunhwa (Garden Balsam)” is not being staged to criticize the Japanese people because they were also victims of the war. It artistically accuses the Japanese government of refusing to offer a heartfelt apology for its imperialistic deeds, says its artistic director Kim Hye-ryun.The play, which deals with the issue of victims of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery, euphemistically called “comfort women,” will be restaged in Korea this month. Premiered here last year, “Bongsunhwa” received wide acc

Dec. 1, 2014

Calendar

FestivalsThe New Year Festival, Busan: This festival greets the first sunrise of the New Year on Haeundae Beach and at Yongdusan Park, two popular tourist sites. Festival-goers will bid farewell to 2014 at a bell-tolling event at Yongdusan Park from 11 p.m. on Dec. 31 to 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2015. The event will resume with the sunrise on Haeundae Beach at 6:40 a.m. Small and large events such as fireworks, concerts and other entertainment will add to the festive mood. For more information, vis

Nov. 28, 2014

‘Nongak’ added to UNESCO heritage list

Korean farmers’ traditional folk dance and music “nongak” has been recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, the Korean government said Thursday. It is Korea’s 17th item to be inscribed on the international heritage list, following the addition in December last year of “gimjang,” the culture of making and sharing kimchi. Meeting in Paris, representatives of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage decided to add th

Nov. 28, 2014

[Design Forum] Koolhaas, Paik expound on evolving profession of architecture

Architect Rem Koolhaas expressed his concerns about contemporary design turning into a surveillance system during a special lecture held as part of the Herald Design Forum 2014 in Seoul. In today’s globalized economy, digital technology, individualized culture and data-driven design that allows monitoring of the masses often put human freedom at risk, according to Koolhaas. “Design occurs at every level, how design can be simple and straight forward and how design can be complex, political, econ

Nov. 26, 2014

[Design Forum] An inspiration for aspirants

Inspiration-seeking designers attended a design forum in Seoul on Wednesday to listen to dignitaries from around the world explain how they drew up original ideas during their youth. Speakers included Rem Koolhaas, Matthew Cockerill, Alexander Schill and engineer-turned designer Daniel Kim, among the 10 experts who shared their thoughts at the annual Herald Design Forum, now in its fourth year.This year’s forum title is “Expanding the definition of design,” and will discuss the influence of desi

Nov. 26, 2014