If you ever wondered how the powerful vibrations of crystals can keep your body in balance, and how they can heighten the atmosphere at home, and work in your environment, this is your opportunity to find out more about the fascinating subject.

Learn how crystals can protect you and help you attain success in business, partnership and monetary gains, in just a few hours with Bernadette Davis.

Although science has failed to prove the direct effect of crystals on any disease or condition, crystals do indeed vibrate and they do exhibit piezoelectric effects, holding heat and electricity, while focusing light energy.

Crystals transmit and receive energies.  They transmute and transform, attract and repel.  They protect and heal, attract abundance and create love. Crystals enhance the environment wherever they are placed, absorbing negative energies while strengthening positive ones, hence crystal healing,

You are invited to come and hear Bernadette Davis speak on Crystal Healing and Energy on Sunday, November 20^th from 09.30am to 4.00pm.

For further information, contact Maritza Odor at Tel.: 561 2621 or

Bernadette Davis at the Divi Phoenix Resort tel.: 586-6066

The workshop takes place at: MVC Eagle Beach Resort, J.E. Irausquin #240 (next to Chalet Suisse Restaurant), 9:30am to 4:00pm. Contribution: $100, per person. Lunch and materials included. Reserve now as space is limited. A percentage of the proceeds will go to the Aruba Autism Foundation.

Each year the Office of Student Affairs with the Faculties of the UA coordinate the recognition of achievements by students and student organizations. Students, faculty members, and staff are given the opportunity to suggest nominees for the awards. Nominations are then reviewed by a selection committee. When evaluating nominees for an award, the selection committee examines the extent of the contributions made, by means of leadership, service, and involvement. The committee decisions are then publicly revealed at a festive award ceremony, and are considered final.

Traditionally, the UA awards fall into several categories among them Outstanding Leadership, Outstanding Community Service, and Outstanding Mentoring.

Nominees for the prestigious awards must demonstrate a commitment to the values of justice and caring, they must act from a strong self-concept and think critically and creatively while taking risks willingly, communicating effectively, exercising power appropriately, articulating a positive sense of direction and evoking hope.

This year’s award night, on September 1^st, was eloquently and smoothly emceed by students Francis Malca and Jessica Panneflec. The program included a presentation by keynote speaker Shauna Porter, who is a member of the Faculty of Arts & Science, and an address by Taneisha Tromp, a UA graduate, at the onset of her banking career. Both speakers encouraged the students to take responsibility for their future and strive to make a difference in their community.

This evening also showcased student talents with Ester Santos Do Nascimento’s excellent rendition of “I believe I can fly,” and Genevieve Garcia’s Brick by Brick poem, which was recited to a New Age musical background.

An impressive number of awards was presented, each sponsored by a key member of the island’s business community.

Tyson Lopez won the Leadership Award sponsored by the Aruba Investment bank. He was lauded for growth as a leader over the past two years, encouraging students of all faculties to become actively involved in the UA and Aruban community. As a result of his efforts UA has witnessed more interest in Circle K, the collegiate service organization nurtured by the Kiwanis and the community work they do, which is applauded by UA.

Ruell Wester won the Mentoring Peer Students Award sponsored by the Aruba Chamber of Commerce, KVK.  He was commended for his willingness to help all students, and even stays late in the library to look for extra information for his peers, as well as discuss study material with professors, for a better grasp of the ideas, in quest of aiding fellow students.

Circle K received the Community Group Award sponsored by Sams Electronics.  The group received the distinction for making the difference at UA and recently boosting their activities with great enthusiasm. The students belonging to Circle K, have demonstrated responsibility and involvement, identifying the needs of their community and delivering relevant solutions.

Tracey Nicolaas won the Individual Community Award, sponsored by the University of Aruba. Tracey earned an individual distinction for her perseverance and her readiness to help. Shouldering the full load of her studies and work duties, Tracey still finds time to invest in her community, and she is always the first to pull up her sleeves to benefit any community project. While volunteer work is its own reward, nevertheless UA decided to commend Tracey for her leadership, in appreciation of the goodness she displays.

Ester Santos do Nacimento won the Talent Award, sponsored by Fundacion Donny Lacle. In order to win this award, in support of artistic talent, students were required to present a portfolio of achievements and document their involvement with the UA community. Ester was singled out for her musical talent which she willingly shares. She is truly blessed and hopes to pursue her musical career in the future. This was the first Fundacion Donny Lacle sponsored award, named after the late music-loving journalist. The UA invited the foundation to participate and is very pleased with that initiative.

Geraldo Milton won the Individual Community Award, sponsored by 4Sure Insurance. The award recognized Geraldo’s valuable contributions to children in the Village in San Nicholas where he coaches and teaches basketball. Geraldo who is a full time student and a father of two, works to support his family, yet the recognition of the power of sport compels him to give back to his community. With the individual award, UA recognizes the significance and importance of his actions.

Parlamento Huvenil, received the Community Group Award, sponsored by the Free Zone. The award to the local Youth Parliament serves as an encouragement to young people to keep working on behalf of the community. UA acknowledged the need to embrace, encourage and sustain youth organizations, because of the important roles they play in our community.

The UNIA Magazine Team received the UA Community at Large Group Award, sponsored by Aruba Bank.  The Office of Student Affairs at UA launched a student magazine in 2009. While the publication was inconsistent in the past, the university is now proud to award 3 law students who took the initiative to revive it. The magazine which was started by Chun Luk and Fitzhugh Perez in 2009, is currently in excellent hands. Monica Espinoza, Marie Jacques & Velerie Pena were lauded for their effective work as publishers.

At the end of the much enjoyed, celebratory evening, thanks also went to the management of the University of Aruba, to the new business friends of the community and to the Minister of Education Arthur Dowers, for believing in UA’s students, showing continuous support, and enriching student life.

The student award committee who put the program together consisted of Leonie Peterson, Library coordinator, Luciano Milliard, International Affairs Coordinator and the crew of the Office of Student Affairs, including Natalie Henriquez- Solognier, Richard Trimon and coordinator Charisse Hoen- Daly.

The students and their teachers congregated at the EPI auditorium, under the slogan: You are responsible for creating your own future. The four interactive sessions with Tchong involved over 1,000 students.

Tchong who is a reinvention specialist, used his expertise in marketing, media and technology to help his audience grasp how massive waves, dubbed “Ubertrends,” are reshaping society.

As he talked he illustrated the opportunities these societal upheavals presented, challenging the students to choose a future occupation, which ignites their passion and motivates them, while exploring innovative cross-disciplinary products and services that successfully capitalize on market waves.

Tchong’s talked vividly, showing the students how marketers are adapting to fast-moving cultural changes, with a special emphasis on social media.

The seminar was made possible via the generous collaboration of a number of sponsors among them the Radisson Aruba Resort Casino & Spa, where Tchong stayed during his short island visit.

Tchong’s company, Ubercool® is a branded entertainment service that brings innovation to life by combining offline immersive, infotainment events with targeted online social engagement. The company’s trend-propelled media and entertainment properties are designed to help its target audience constituencies leverage key market trends. Michael Tchong is the founder of Ubercool and a trend-tracking inspirational speaker who helps transform audiences worldwide.

Pictured here Tchong and EPI students, as well as Chong at the Radisson, with Germaine Wever and Lily Polsbroek, welcoming him to his home away from home!

Parents are hereby encouraged to enroll their children in order to broaden their horizons in the Summer and put the time spent on vacation to good use, into physical activity and cultural enrichment

The modern, state of the art museum, in the heart of Oranjestad, houses the island’s relics of the past and also serves as a vibrant community center and a hub of culture, art and education.

Inspired by the American first lady Michelle Obama the Let’s Move, Museums & Gardens activity was conceived for the summer of 2011 and scheduled to debut on July 8^th.      

In partnership with the Historical Museum, Arikok National Park, UNOCA, MetaCorp and the Department of Culture, Aruba’s Archeological Museum will present a fun day on July 8th, brimming with physical activities, designed to get the students moving and active during their vacation.

 The Project Coordinator for Move Your Body, a US educated Exercise Science graduate, Shardea Croes elaborated on the Summer Vacation activity targeting three different age-groups, in three activity cycles, sharing just one theme, namely Movement within Landscape.

The first cycle for students ages 14 to 17, will be taking place July 11 to 15 and will include a flashlight tour of the museum and a scavenger hunt at Arikok park, as well as a drama workshop with John Freddy Montoya.

The second cycle for students ages 10 to 13 will take place July 18 to July 22 and will include banner painting at UNOCA, gold scavenging at Arikok Park, and a hunting competition at the Archeological museum, recreating the island’s former inhabitants, the Amer-Indian life-style.

The third cycle for student ages 6 to 9 will take place July 27 to Aug 1 and will include story telling at Unoca, a visit to expositions, and a presentation of traditional dances at the Historical Museum.

Those interested may contact 582 8879 and ask for Shardea Croes, or e-mail her at shardeacroes@yahoo.com

Beside Move your Body, and Movement within Landscape, the museum is planning an art exhibition titled Transformation in Landscape, an interesting show curated by Elvis Lopez, of Atelier 89. Lopez picked a number of promising young local artist to exhibit their contemporary work at the museum, work dedicated to nature, recycling, and organic materials. The upcoming artists Priscilla Lacle, Johannes Donati, Angelina Henriquez and Wouter van Romondt, will each show 3 works.

The press conference at the Archeological Museum was conducted by Marguerita Wever who informed the press that last year more than 600 students participated in the museum’s summer program and for 2011 students are invited to participate for as little as Awg 25 per activity cycle, which includes a daily snack.

Pictured here, the press conference at the Museum with Shardea Croes, Marguerita Wever, Priscilla Lacle and a group of youngsters who made a presentation of behalf of Move Your body.

While the market donated the wall, local artist Timothy Charles was recruited by the museum to develop a mural, and execute it with the help of budding local artists from Oranjestad and San Nicolas.

Glenrick Franken, 15, Roz Anne Clement, 15, Abisha Chai, 16, Ann Sophy Donk, 17, Rowald Tromp, 20 and Yuxemy Alba, 17, already worked on a mural, that in the parking lot of the Oranjestad bus station, creating 25 colorful panels.

This time, again under the artistic direction of Timothy Charles they will be painting on a broad canvas, scenes inspired by active, healthy living, encouraging those walking past the mural to exercise and eat right.

The mural is part of the Archeological Museum summer program for students and will take about two weeks to complete. Visit the artists any afternoon at the site.

Timothy Charles hosts a TV show by the name of “Creatividad,” each Thursday on Tele Aruba

Maduro, and his visionary partners at the time, Tito Muyale and Dan Oduber, were pioneers of the budding Aruban Tourism Industry, when they introduced the concept of Timeshare to Aruba and the Caribbean in the mid 70s.

The students were thankful for the presentation and impressed with the interesting content of the lecture. Professor Dr. Earney Lasten said he is looking forward to many more such lectures, in the future.

Maduro reports that he enjoyed sharing his knowledge with these young people, all of them the leaders of tomorrow, adding that the obligation of teaching them lies with the older generation, and that it is a privilege and a pleasure.

Pictured here: Dr. Earney Lasten, professor, Dr. Robin DiPietro, professor, Mr. Raymond Maduro and some students

The subject of the first conference, Childhood Obesity, was new since it had not really been addressed before, among local health-care providers. Held  at Cas di Cultura the symposium was open to professionals as well as the general public, and it turned out to be an enormous succes with local and international speakers.

After that first symposium Rajnherc received many requests to repeat the effort in the following year, and was encouraged to organise it again, only this time focusing on healthcare professionals. Since then, the symposium has become a annual event which everyone looks forward too.

This year at the Marriott Aruba Resort more that 100 professionals came together on a Saturday. Themed “Something Old, Something New and Something Blue,” the conference topics included hematology, pediatric endocrinology, pediatric surgery, pediatric epidemiology, pediatric immunology and pediatric obesity with the opening ceremony graced by the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Health Dr Richard Visser.

On the program, Sickle Cell Crises with Dr. L. Rafael-Croes, Pediatrician , Aruba; Too Short, Too Tall with Dr. J. Rotteveel, Pediatric Endocrinologist, Amsterdam; Neonatal Screening with Dr I. Gerstenbluth, Clinical Epidemiologist, Curacao; ALTE  with Dr .S. Lo-A-Njoe, Pediatric Cardiologist, Curacao, and after the lunch break Pediatric Surgery in Aruba with Dr A Ponson, Surgeon, Aruba; Vaccinations with Prof Dr J. Roord, Pediatrician, Amsterdam; Premature and Delayed Puberty  with Dr J. Rotteveel, Pediatrician, Amsterdam and Childhood Obesity Update  with  Prof Dr. M. Kessler, Pediatrician, Texas USA .

At closing Dr J.R. Rajnherc explained he is stepping down from the organization yet the symposium will continue to take place as the torch has been passed to the younger generation. “The organisation of this annual event,” Rajnherc says, “has taken a very special place in my heart, as it is a great honor and pleasure to see so many of our collagues coming together on a Saturday convening to gain new, additional knowlegde how to care for kids. What started with a handful of people grew to a good-size conference attracting participants from Curacao and Bonaire. It is an event that I am very proud of, with two speakers from the Netherlands from the Academic Hospital of the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam, two speaker from Curacao and one professor of pediatrics from Texas USA, as well as local specialists whom we are also very proud of,” he concludes.

Pictured here wrapping up the event of the day at dinner at Amazonia Churrascaria, Dr. Bryson, Dr. J. R. Rajnherc and their fellow symposium-goers.

Having celebrated El Gaucho’s thirty-third birthday last week, ownership decided to ask Ricardo Croes, a well-known hospitality expert to join the discussion with the hard working crew, help polish their skills even further and identify ways and means to outdo their already excellent level of performance.

Pictured here staff member and owner Omira Botta, spending some quality time together in an open and productive session, sharing insights and tips, raising the bar on hospitality for the restaurant and for the island in general.

At the end of the session, Croes awarded attendees a certificate and a heartfelt pat on the back for a job well done.

The not-for-profit foundation operates a classroom facility, on the second floor of the Dura building right off the Saski highway, where a full time tutor is available to help students with their Math equations, ready to review their work sheets, at any time.

The fully-air-conditioned facility offers that academic help in science, biology, mathematics, as well as English reading for grade school and high school.

The school, says director Fatima el Lazkani Baroud, gives kids who cannot study at home, a modern classroom environment. And since the educational system here is Dutch, students from different backgrounds and cultures often find it hard to keep up and simply drop out. Stichting Aruba Xavier Education gives them an alternative with Penn Foster on line that also delivers a fully accredited diploma, not just GED, General Educational Development.

Becoming a High School graduate, Fatima adds, opens up new opportunities – go to college, start a new career, earn more money.  And if graduates decide not to go on to college, their High School Diploma from Penn Foster on line can qualify them for new and exciting career fields.

At Stichting Aruba Xavier Education, students come to class with their own laptop 5 days a week and work on their assignments at their own pace. During the breaks they can enjoy the company of their peers. About nine months are required for each year of High School, and most students agree the curriculum is not difficult to follow.

In the evenings a couple times a week, the facility teaches basic Mandarin to adults, and since Mandarin is the business language of the future, working knowledge of the language will improve employment potential. Basic Mandarin conversation classes are for kids and adults and English is also offered as a foreign / second language in the evening hours.

For more information write to: sxe.aruba@gmail.com