Speakers

He inspired Mozart; he commissioned Haydn; he was the best fencer and the most virtuosic violinist of his time; he led a battalion of 1,000 soldiers to fight for equality in the French Revolution… and he was Black! Let’s get to know this long-forgotten composer and his only surviving opera!

Ray Busmann was born and raised in Germany. Trained as an actor, he was the host of classical music radio shows both in his hometown of Cologne and at RIAS Berlin (the German-language U.S. radio station), where he also announced live broadcasts of classical concerts. Since his move to Southern California in 1992, Ray has worked as a teacher for vocational schools and as a German translator and voice-over artist for feature films. Presently, he is employed by the Los Angeles Public Library and is enjoying his ninth season as a volunteer Community Educator for LA Opera.

Mensa Bulletin language columnist Richard Lederer, author of “Anguished English” and “Get Thee to a Punnery,” will take you on a joy ride through the glories and oddities of our marvelous English language, in which you drive in a parkway and park in a driveway and your nose can run and your feet can smell.

Dr. Lederer is a former President of San Diego Mensa and is the author of more than 50 books about language, history, and humor, including his best-selling Anguished English series and his current titles, “A Treasury of Halloween Humor” and “A Treasury of Christmas Humor.” He is a founding co-host of “A Way With Words” broadcast on Public Radio.

Richard’s syndicated column, “Lederer on Language,” appears in newspapers
and magazines throughout the United States.. He has been named International Punster of the Year and Toastmasters International’s Golden Gavel winner.

Visit him at Verbivore.com.

“Beyond Bagels” will explore what it means to be culturally Jewish today. Based on Nancy Kalikow Maxwell’s lighthearted book about Jewish identity, Typically Jewish, (Jewish Publication Society, 2019), the session will address such “pressing” questions as:
Is worrying “typically Jewish?”
Is the saying “two Jews, three opinions” true?
Are jalapeno bagels an abomination? What about blueberry?
Participants don’t need to be Jewish, but should be prepared to argue because that’s definitely “typically Jewish.”

Nancy Kalikow Maxwell is a retired librarian and award-winning writer. She’s the author of six books and numerous articles and creator of funny cards for Hallmark’s Tree of Life Jewish card line. Because you a special person, she’ll let you use her secret code (6AS19) for a 40% discount when you buy Typically Jewish from the Jewish Publication Society. (Such a deal!) Her website is www.kaliwellinc.com and her email is nancykalikowmaxwell@comcast.net.

As a student in high school who was not very interested in regular studies, he was stopped by a teacher and asked to do lighting for the drama classes. That step moved Leo into a career he couldn’t have imagined. As a young boy raised in a traditional Italian Catholic family, he tripped into the wild world of classic rock ‘n’ roll with bands such as Fleetwood Mac, The Beach Boys, Neil Young, Billy Idol and many more. As he chased his dream, he learned a lot about himself, his capabilities, his limitations and the value of hard work, persistence, dedication, passion, family and love.

This extraordinary journey gives the listener the ultimate backstage pass of life on the road with these mega stars. His first book, “A Knights Tale”, empowers people of all ages with its core message of turning negatives into positives through determination, sacrifice, fate and destiny.

What does “2e” mean for a gifted youngster? Do you understand Asynchronous Development? Day Sanchez provides clarification and guidance for parents who are currently struggling and trying to understand how to best support the unique needs of their twice-exceptional children. 2e Minds’ mission is to support twice-exceptional (2e) children in identifying their strengths, embracing their learning differences, and building essential skills to thrive and tap into their highest potential.

Day Sanchez is the founder of “2e Minds.” She is a bilingual school psychologist, education specialist, and social and emotional intelligence coach and facilitator dedicated to supporting the optimal cognitive, creative, spiritual, and social-emotional development of gifted, twice-exceptional (2e) and highly intuitive children. She has over a decade of experience working with gifted and neurodiverse children in various schools in New York, California, Florida and New Jersey. Day is on a mission to inspire all children and young visionaries to embody their highest potential, contribute their gifts to the world, and help us accelerate humanity’s evolution.

Let’s discuss one of the world’s greatest puzzles: getting young girls interested in science. Increasing girls’ interests in science can bring new perspectives to STEM fields. It’s a very impactful endeavor. Everyone can benefit from learning more about communicating science to both kids and the public.

After college, Ariana has worked in multiple different positions at the Fleet Science Center in San Diego. She has shown exhibits on the gallery floor, performed live science demonstration shows to large audiences, and now teaches science to groups of students of all ages. She has worked hard for the past three years on a program specifically aimed towards getting girls interested in STEM.

Minecraft is the top-selling video game of all time, beating out competitors such as Tetris and Grand Theft Auto V. But many people have never played it or seen it and they don’t understand what all the fuss is about. I will discuss the history of Minecraft, basics of its gameplay, some advanced topics (for anyone curious or people who already play it), and other related info, including why I think it has withstood the test of time.

Case Walker is a Los Angeles native, currently living in Brooklyn, NY. A software developer by day, Case was introduced to Minecraft in 2013. He got really hooked in 2019. Since then he has spent more than 300 hours in-game, as well as countless hours watching others play on YouTube. When he is not playing Minecraft, Case is also a speed-cubing enthusiast, and he is known to dance Lindy Hop from time to time.

Hair dye causes cancer, champagne prevents dementia and one specific brand of chocolate milk can help heal concussions. None of these statements is true, but all were reported uncritically by credulous news outlets in recent years, misleading the public and distorting the studies they attempt to summarize. In this session, I’ll talk about how these missteps happen, why they matter and how to avoid getting taken in yourself.

Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky is a data journalist at Spectrum, an autism news site. Prior to joining the Spectrum team, she covered health, science and general news for the Daily Beast, NBC News, Gothamist and other publications. She has an M.A. from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, where she studied data journalism and health and science reporting.