by Joel Popkin, Music Worcester

Vijay Gupta is playing his last concert this year at Mechanics Hall, Nov 10th. Vijay is not only an astonishing violinist, a star in the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the outgoing artist-in-residence at Music Worcester, but a humanist who should serve as a model for all of us. In his visits here, he has organized music playing -- and performing -- at the Worcester County House of Corrections in addition to his work in the prison system in LA, as well as with the homeless. I've had the enormous pleasure of getting to know him personally, and he is simply a remarkable individual.

Please see these links – musicworcester.org/schedule , https://www.musicworcester.org/event/this-love-between-us/ -- 

It will also include extraordinary compositions by his wife Reena, dancing, an orchestra and chorus, and it looks incredible. Other concerts on the above link will also be inspiring. After nearly 30 years on the board of Music Worcester, I just retired this week, but I can't resist pushing for this exceptional concert.

About Vijay Gupta

Vijay Gupta is a violinist, speaker and citizen-artist dedicated to creating spaces of wholeness through music. Vijay’s work embodies his belief that the work of artists and citizens is one: to make a adhana – daily practice – of the world we envision. Hailed by The New Yorker as a “visionary violinist…one of the most radical thinkers in the unradical world of American classical music,” Vijay leads a protean career as a thought leader, performer, collaborator and communicator.

Vijay is the founder and Artistic Director of Street Symphony, a community of musicians creating spaces of connection for people in reentry from homelessness, addiction and incarceration in Los Angeles. Vijay is also a cofounder of the Skid Row Arts Alliance, a consortium dedicated to creating art for – and with – the largest homeless community in America. For his work in “bringing beauty, respite, and purpose to those all too often ignored by society”, Vijay was the recipient of a 2018 MacArthur Fellowship. A riveting speaker, Vijay has shared his work with dozens of corporations, campuses, conferences and communities across America over the past 10 years, including The Richmond Forum, The Aspen Institute, Hallmark, Accenture, Mayo Clinic, US Psychiatric Congress, American Planning Association, and the League of American Orchestras, just to name a few. Vijay delivered the 33rd annual Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy for Americans for the Arts and his 2010 TED Talk, “Music is Medicine, Music is Sanity”, has garnered millions of views. Vijay has performed as an international recitalist, soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral musician for over 20 years, playing his solo debut with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta. Vijay was a member of the first violin section of the Los Angeles Philharmonic for 12 years, and has collaborated with the Kronos Quartet, the Philharmonia Orchestra of London, Yo-Yo Ma, and appears regularly with the Strings Festival in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. A dynamic recording artist, Vijay recently released Breathe, an album of the piano chamber music of Reena Esmail, under his own label. His solo violin album When the Violin, a solo violin album featuring the music of Esmail, J. S. Bach, and Esa-Pekka Salonen will be available on Bandcamp in June 2021. Vijay currently serves as the Senior Artistic and Programs Advisor for Young Musicians Foundation. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Marist College, and a Master’s in Music from the Yale School of Music. His principal teachers have included Ani Kavafian and Glenn Dicterow. Vijay plays a 2010 violin made by Los Angeles-based luthier Eric Benning, and can be found on Instagram @guptaviolin.

Aligarh Alumni Association Of New England Presents
SIR SYED DAY MUSHAIRA 2023
Please Join Us with Urdu Shayeri and Ghazal of International Poets

November 11th, 2023 Saturday 6 PM  to 11 PM at Tahanto Regional High School 1001 Main Street Boylston MA

Contact Dr. Sadia Chaghtai: (603)-828-3060

Sukoon - A must see for the fans of Poetry and Bollywood songs in one-of-a-kind show at Academy of Creative Arts, Burlington, MA 

Tickets at Lokvani .com

Gurjar Navratri Dandiya Garba Ramzat With Geeta Rabari And Sunny Jadhav

Sun, Oct 8 at 5:30 PM(EDT)
RMHS - HAWKES FIELD HOUSE, 62 Oakland Rd, Reading, MA 01867

Contact Ishani Shah 781-956-5955

Prabasi Durga Puja celebration is an integral part of the Bengali socio-cultural diaspora in Boston and New England. 

MEGA HIT LIVE CONCERTS:   With a BLOCKBUSTER entertainment lineup on Fri Oct 20, Sat Oct 21 and Sun Oct 22, 2023  Get your  Membership which  includes FREE ADMISSION to Prabasi events

Classical Indian Music, White Room, Worcester, MA on September 3, 2023 Sunday 6-9 pm.Tickets $20

Indranil Mallick on Tabla, Partha Bose on SItar.

Presented by Barin Bando, Asish Bhattacharya and the White Room

Hindi Manch's "Begani Shaadi Mein." Comedy Play

Keefe Tech Auditorium, Framingham, MA on Sept 9 & 10  Saturday & Sunday. For tickets https://www.hindimanch.org. Range from $80 to $20

Get ready to attend a full Indian Bollywood style shaadi filled with with fragrant paan, relatives' gyan, mehendi on your palm, and full-tu dhoom-dhaam!

by Juhie Jain

The field of genetics has experienced remarkable advancements with the emergence of gene editing and CRISPR technology, allowing scientists to manipulate and study DNA with unprecedented precision. While these techniques hold the potential to deepen our understanding of gene function and correct harmful mutations, their ethical use is crucial. This essay dives into the incredible ways gene editing technology touches our lives, bringing hope for better human biology and disease treatment, while also recognizing the crucial need for tight reins to safeguard against any misuse.

CRISPR technology has revolutionized our understanding of human biology by enabling scientists to perform long-term studies on gene functionality. CRISPR is a revolutionary gene-editing tool that allows scientists to modify specific genes within an organism's DNA. It operates with the assistance of the Cas9 enzyme, which acts like a pair of molecular scissors, cutting the DNA at precise locations determined by the guiding RNA sequence, enabling targeted modifications to be made to the genetic code. Scientists highlight that this method allows for permanent alteration of cellular DNA, leading to deeper insights into gene functions and biological processes. The application of CRISPR with the Cas9 gene has been particularly significant, as it enables the analysis of protein functions within T lymphocytes, which was previously challenging. Furthermore, gene editing technology has accelerated the field of evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) by allowing cross-species comparisons of gene functions. These breakthroughs show the potential of gene editing to advance our knowledge of human biology and disease mechanisms.

CRISPR technology offers new possibilities in treating previously untreatable diseases by correcting harmful mutations. Rabaan et al. suggest that CRISPR/Cas9 can target and edit genetic mutations responsible for cancer development. By replacing damaged alleles with healthy ones, gene editing can potentially override harmful mutations that cause diseases like cancer. Moreover, genome engineering technologies, including gene editing, allow the correction of underlying mutations, thus revolutionizing gene therapy strategies. The capability to replace mutated genes represents a significant advancement in treating genetic disorders.

Although gene editing holds great promise, its potential for misuse raises significant ethical concerns. Cases like Jiankui He's experiment in China, which made headlines and sparked global debates in the scientific community when he claimed to have conducted the world's first gene-edited babies using CRISPR technology in secret, demonstrate that strict regulations are necessary. Wang and Yang criticize He's actions as a gross violation of both Chinese regulations and the international science community's consensus. He conducted his experiments in secret, disregarding regulations and the potential risks involved. The use of gene editing to create genetically modified organisms or designer humans, as seen in He's case, lacks substantial benefits and poses serious ethical risks. CRISPR poses ethical risks due to its potential to alter the human germline, allowing heritable changes to be passed down to future generations, raising concerns about unintended consequences and unforeseen long-term effects. Additionally, the accessibility and affordability of CRISPR technology raises questions about the potential for misuse or unethical applications, such as designer babies and genetic discrimination. It highlights the need for stringent regulations to ensure responsible and ethical use of gene editing technology.

Gene editing and CRISPR technology have the potential to transform human biology and revolutionize disease treatment. The precision of these techniques allows for a deeper understanding of gene functions and the correction of harmful mutations. However, the ethical implications of misuse, such as creating genetically modified organisms or designer babies, must be addressed. Collaboration between policymakers, scientists, and the public is essential to establish strict regulations to govern the responsible and ethical application of gene editing technology. By doing so, we can ensure that these powerful tools are used for the betterment of society, benefiting humanity without compromising ethical principles.

Stride for Sanitation: Empowering India’s Communities One Step at a Time

Hello everyone, my name is Ayan Mishra. I am 12 years old. I go to Saint John’s High school and live in Shrewsbury with my mom, dad and dog. Today, I will be talking about the 5k for Sewa event. The ‘5k for Sewa’ was a 5k walk/run that I organized with the help of senior Sewa volunteers of the Boston chapter to help raise funds that would be used to build toilets for underprivileged kids in the rural parts of India.

When I went to India in the winter, my mom went to some government schools to help with Sewa International’s SHE (Sanitation, Hygiene and Empowerment of the Girl Child) program. I was curious to see what a government school looked like in India, and to my surprise it was very different from the ones we have here in America. When I saw the condition of the toilets, I was a little disappointed since some of them were not functioning. I heard my mom talking with some girls, and how they were dropping out of schools because of the same reason. Somehow, I was concerned about the fact that a basic amenity like education was not accessible to some of these kids because of the poor quality of toilets and I wanted to do something about it.

I was brainstorming ideas on how to help and raise funds, and I got the perfect idea, a 5k run! I told my parents about my idea and they told me I should plan and present it to the Sewa weekly call. I mapped out a path on Assabet River Trail, created a simple slide show about my idea and presented it to all the Sewa volunteers during the weekly call. All of them motivated me to go ahead with the idea and approved it!

I was super excited, and started with designing the flyer for the event, so that we could promote it on all social media channels. Once the flyer was approved, along with my dad and Sanjiv uncle, we went to the trail, nearby gyms and shops, to stick the flyer on the notice boards. We also heard of a festival called “Hudson Fest” going on, so we handed out flyers to people walking by.

During the call, we also had decided on giving out t-shirts to the first 100 signups, that I designed and ordered through the vendor that Sewa usually works with. I had a lot of help from Rohini aunty, Pramod uncle, Harish uncle, and many more volunteers who reached out to their friends to help drive registrations. Geetu aunty, helped us find a sponsor for our event, along with Akash uncle who got a sponsor for the event through his company. We also had some help from HSS volunteers on the day of the event. Overall, we made a lot of progress, and almost had 84 registrations on the day of the event!

On the day of the 5k, we set up a registration table, 3 water stations, a table for check in’s where we gave out the t-shirts and a beautiful balloon arch that Kajal aunty helped me with. We had our sponsors inaugurate the event, and Pramod ji start the walk/run by blowing the conch (shank).

We had 80 registrations in the morning and we got about 20 walk-ins, which helped us reach our registration goal of more than 100 registrations! We were able to raise close to $4000 that will help us build close to 6 toilet units, helping more than 1000 kids in India! I am very thankful to the entire Sewa Boston team for giving me the opportunity to execute my idea, and helping and guiding me throughout the process. I cannot wait for our ‘5K for Sewa’ event next year now!!