My name is Jose Aste. I was born in Lima, Peru and raised in Miami, Florida. I have been living in the greater Lansing area since 2013 with my wife Melissa, and two children, Nelly and August.

 

My professional background began in aviation as a licensed Aircraft Technician/Avionics Technician. During my thirteen years in the Aerospace industry, I have worked in commercial airlines, avionics facilities, general aviation, corporate jets, and as lab instructor here at Lansing Community College of Aviation Technology.

 

Having the privilege of growing up in a melting pot of cultures and peoples in Miami, I have always been genuinely interested in human beings and the communities I have been a part of, always learning and submersing myself in different perspectives.

 

Apart from my love for airplanes, and people, I have always loved my Peruvian heritage and culture. The delicious Peruvian food my parents would cook on a daily basis, plus the effect it would have on our family and friends, would have me daydreaming of one day having my own little food truck where people would gather. This dream set into reality in the summer of 2019, when I first started Tantay, here in Lansing. Mid-Michigan’s first Peruvian cuisine concept.

 

Since then, Tantay has systematically grown from Allen Neighborhood Center’s Incubator kitchen, accelerator kitchen, food truck, and soon into our first brick and mortar space.

We are seeking nominations for someone to serve as Treasurer for both the Club and our Club’s Foundation. The primary function of the Treasurer is to exercise oversight over Club and Foundation funds and ensure that budgetary control is appropriately maintained. The Treasurer serves as a member of both the Club’s board of directors and the Foundation’s board of directors. A detailed job description is available from Cathy or Club President Rebecca Bahar-Cook. If you are interested in this position please contact Cathy, as we would like to elect the new Treasurer for our next fiscal year.

 

President-Elect Chris Swope called the Lansing Rotary Club meeting to order on Friday, August 16, 2024, covering yet again for the yet-again-absent President Rebecca Bahar-Cook, who is awfully early in her term to be burned out. Where in the world IS CARMEN SANDIEGO?

 

Those assembled recited the 4-Way Test and reflected with Bill Frysinger on community, culture, and love. The Health of the Club was deemed to be excellent. Singing of America the Beautiful was accompanied by the talented John Dale Smith, which led into a special music introduction by Lisa Smith of Megan Eldred Woolsey. Meg has a bachelor’s and masters degree from MSU; she teaches at DeWitt and directs six choirs there. She’s directing FOOTLOOSE this year at DeWitt and Beautiful - the Carol King Musical - at Peppermint Creek Theater (which opens in two weeks). A selection from Footloose and one from “Once Upon a Mattress” were enjoyed by all present.

 

President-elect Swope acknowledged Dr. Linda Sarnelli for being Chair of the Month and Once-Upon-A-Time President Jeff Crippen for being August Birthday Chair; please send your birthday gifts soon so we have 100% support. The membership committee (now led by the dynamic duo of Ben Rathbun & Sue Hansen) is meeting immediately following lunch.

 

Dave Trumpie updated the club on what to expect for Loftus Day 2024. This is our 100th year celebrating Loftus Day, which honors Rotarians loved/lost in the past year. Following tradition, we will hold a short program at the first meeting in September (September 6) to remember selected individuals and reflect on our history, followed by a visit for those able to a local cemetery. There are three main cemeteries that will be in an annual rotation, so each gets visited every third year. Please bring a bouquet of flowers (from your home garden, your favorite florist or roadside stand, etc), if you’d like to participate. At the end of the regular meeting, those wishing to go to the cemetery will gather. Each person will be given a cemetery map, a section map, and a name, along with info about the member. You’ll be given a different name every year so that you get to know different people’s stories. You’ll drive (or carpool) to the cemetery, find the grave of your assigned person, place the flowers, and depart when you wish. Please refrain from adding cemetery contraband to the gravesite. Questions? Ask Dave Trumpie or Cathy Andrews.

 

Chair of the month/day Dr. Linda Sarnelli introduced our speaker/her wife, Dr. Laura Dillon, who served on the faculty of the University of California Santa Barbara for 12 years before joining MSU’s Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) in 1997. Her esteemed career includes service on several boards and committees; she retired in 2019 but continues to advance the field via several volunteer roles. Computing has come to permeate every aspect of our lives. Dr. Dillon challenges us to consider how we become good digital citizens, embracing discoveries, and enjoying the conveniences offered by computing. The career potential for those who are computation-minded is strong; there are 14,328 open computing jobs each month on average. The average salary of these jobs is $96,702. Only 55% of Michigan schools offer access to computer science courses, compared to 91% in Indiana. We can do better for our kids; programs like Spartan Coding Clubs (SPARCC) are helping move this forward. Algorithms, programming, data and analysis, computing systems and security, and more are just some of the areas that students are urged to explore to ensure they are prepared for a world powered by computing. Key pillars of teaching computer science include understanding impacts and ethics, inclusive collaboration, computational thinking, and human-centered design. Technovation is an MSU student-led coding club that was founded in 2018 and introduces 6-12th grade students in MI to a wide world of computer science. Spartan Girls Who Code (SGWC) aims to inspire and empower girls to create technology for the benefit of all. Run BY students FOR students, MSU student-mentors guide 6-12th graders through an 8-10 week program. YAF (Young Achievers Foundation) Ghana works to help Ghana graduates. MSU x Pathlight International assists kids in Belize, where free education stops at age 12. Usually the boys are the ones supported by their families for further education. This program is mostly online for 8 weeks, but at the end of the semester MSU undergrads go to Belize to do an awards ceremony at three different locations, presenting certificates, t-shirts and more to those who’ve been in the program. SPARCC Student Mentors gain tremendous experience themselves by participating in these clubs; teaching simple coding to others reinforces their own abilities, strengthens their confidence, etc. Additional resources to learn more include www.ncwit.org and www.mcwt.org.  If you learn, then you will know.

 

President-Elect Chris Swope thanked Dr. Dillon, noting that a gift in her honor will be made to the Rotary Club of Lansing Foundation which supports local and international grants. Next week’s meeting will be held at Rotary Park, picnic style. There is NO meeting on Aug 30th for the Labor Day Holiday weekend, so our next meeting is Sept 6 for Loftus Day. See you then!

 

Respectfully submitted by Michelle Reynaert, member and editarian since 2008

 

Email for Michelle:  mreynaert@michfb.com