3375408
Good Afternoon,
My name is Charles Beale and it was my absolute privilege to be Joe chow’s friend. Upon hearing about his death, I immediately replied with 3 words, the first I cannot say in churh, the second is bull and the third I can not say.
I could stand here all day and tell you that he was one hell of man. I could go little by little telling of the loyalty of his friendship and the love he shared with everyone. I could mention, he was a starry eyed kid, with a passion to know. He wasn’t much of a risk taker, then again, he spent his last days on earth teaching people half way around the world who were less fortunate then everyone in this room, teaching chemistry, math, and physics. To do that he had to leave behind everything and go on the last adventure of his life. I will not attempt to address the rumors that in Africa he became an expert spear fisherman or that he spent time in markets bargaining for owls. And the selflessness of the last two year of his life are something I know little about, separated by too many miles and too much time.
But I will say we like people for what they are good at and we love them for their flaws. So I will tell of some things that I loved joe for.
The first is fairly simple, he wasn’t a good troublemaker. For one simple reason, a good trouble maker upon narrowly escaping, being caught by the police for having some 40 illegally obtained election signs in the back seat of a car, illegal possession alcohol, while his friend is driving at about one in the morning with a license that only allows him to drive till 9. A good trouble maker, does not under any circumstance tells his Mom of the actions that had transpired the night before no matter how entertaining the story. But that was just how joe was. He was honest and pure. He was always at first reluctant to partake in the a crazy scheme but once he a succumbed to peer pressure , he would then think of way to make the scheme better and more thought out.
He wasn’t a bad singer, but he wasn’t a loud enough singer … One time we found ourselves serenading the girls on Sarah Lawrence campus to only be chased away by a campus van. Later to be accused of some bogus claim of sexual harassment and trespassing. I to this day attribute us getting in trouble because he voice was drowned out by jp’s and mine. He wasn’t the all time great, ladies man, but he did know that in no way would this help us with the ladies. ( I spoke briefly hear how I would make him reluctantly take his shirt off to show off to the ladies)
He was a pretty good swimmer; however that same level of athleticism was lost in other sports. (His method in shooting hoops was based on the law of averages. If you keep shooting you are bound to make one in.) If I were to tell you that our annual game of tackle football that Joe Chow was a force to be reckoned with, I would be telling you a blatant lie. At 5’7, 145 pounds soaking wet, it would be a little difficult. And Our version of tackle football is nothing like seen on television. Joe Chow’s method of tackling someone was pretty simple, jump on the opposing player and hope they get tired of running with a 145 pound weight on their back and just fall. But he played with everything he had like he did with everything in life. He wanted to win but never let that ruin the fun of the game.
He had a manner of standing, like an exhausted pregnant woman. ( Here I showed them how he did it) Almost as if he could not carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Here are a few more things about Joe. He was an excellent piano player, an excellent ping pong player, he has kill count in halo in the millions against me, and he has taken enough money off me in poker to buy himself an owl.
I once traveled to Greece with Joe. He laughed that I really had no idea the difference between the Parthenon and the Panthenon. I still don’t.
He was however an excellent friend. Upon hearing of my father’s death, rumor has it he walked some 20 miles in an attempt to call me. It was a shame that he got my phone number off facebook. The number I had posted on facebook was The new york rejection hotline, but he thought he got my voice mail so he made the walk twice before he realized. I imagined that he kinda whispered under his breath like he sometimes did when he had been dooped , “ son of a bitch.”
I will forever cherish his friendship. He was always willing to listen or lend the helping hand, or quickly tell me how stupid an idea might be.
And his leaving kinda puts us in a rough spot. I am left to wonder the possibilities of what was yet to come in Joe Chow’s life, but in knowing the possibilities, we must fill the void he left and that is what scares me the most. The world could use a few more Joe Chows. I miss my friend.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Uncle Paul eulogy
The life of Joseph Lawrence Chow was a beautiful life and “a life well lived”.
The last time I saw Joseph was two years ago almost to the day. Joe had developed an interest in golf, so I bribed him with a round of golf to squeeze myself onto his schedule. The golf was not memorable but our conversation was. Joe had just graduated from Amherst College and he was leaving soon to join the Peace Corp in East Africa. We had time to discuss many things but we spent most of our time talking about the Peace Corp. He shared with me how much he would miss his family and friends, but he was thrilled to have the chance to immerse himself in a completely different culture. He thought he would love teaching and could be a good teacher. He mentioned that there’d be no golf and probably no piano, so he’d spend his spare time reading and there’d be plenty of opportunity for music and golf when he returned home. Joe admitted that while he was very excited and absolutely committed, he was also nervous because he knew that this would be more difficult than anything he had ever done before.
He was a happy, confident young man, full of purpose, comfortable in his own skin and optimistic about the future. Had I not known and loved Joseph his entire life as his uncle, I know I would have loved and admired him as a friend. I remember feeling very proud of him as I watched him bound up the stairs of the Greenwich train station two steps at a time when I dropped him off that evening.
As many of you know, Joseph was a high academic achiever and he was an accomplished pianist and organist. In any group of people Joseph might be among the smartest or the most musically talented. Both as a scholar and a musician Joe was very driven to excel, determined to achieve the highest grades and board scores or play the most technically difficult music. But that was only one dimension of Joseph. He was able to be passionate even when he did not personally excel. Swimming was an important part of Joe’s life. He was a serious and good swimmer but rarely the star. In fact, as a varsity swimmer at Amherst he was probably among the slowest on the team, but that was okay because for Joseph swimming was always more about the shared experience and camaraderie of being on the team than about winning and losing or individual achievement.
Chances are that Joseph might not have become the remarkable young man he became without many of you who have gathered in this church to honor and remember him today. You see, Joseph had a big advantage in life- he never had to wonder if he was loved. In fact, you could say that his life was a love story. Not a “boy meets girl” love story, but a love story about someone who is loved by many from the moment he is born. His anchor and greatest source of love was his family- his parents, Donna & Ray; his brothers, Daniel and Kyle; his grandparents Ruby, Leo, Joe & Larry; and his many Chow & Robertson uncles, aunts and cousins. But as Ray and Donna have said so often, Joseph was blessed to also be loved by so many wonderful people beyond his own family- teachers, coaches & mentors; colleagues, classmates & teammates; friends and neighbors- who touched and inspired him; nurtured, supported and encouraged him throughout his life.
Because so much had been given to him by so many, it was second nature to Joseph to give to others. Always kind, compassionate and generous, he used his own gifts and talents to give- by playing piano for terminally ill patients at hospice or coaching young aspiring swimmers or teaching math and science in East Africa.
Joseph spent the last two years of his life giving back as a Peace Corp volunteer. By all accounts he was an extraordinary teacher who was loved and valued by his students and his community. Watching the recording of the memorial service held for Joe in Tanzania it was clear that during the past two years Joseph had continued to go from strength to strength in his life. On the last full day of his life, Joseph was with a fellow Peace Corp volunteer. Since she was a recent arrival in Tanzania, he was anxious for her to know how rich and rewarding his Peace Corp experience had been but he also wanted to tell her how wonderful his family was, how excited he was about going home and how he was planning to go to medical school. When Ray shared this with me, I couldn’t help being reminded of my conversation with Joe two years ago and I took some comfort knowing Joe was still brimming with the excitement and optimism that I remembered so clearly.
Joseph leaving us so suddenly, so young is unbearably sad. I don’t know that any of us will ever be able to understand why Joseph was taken. Some things are impossible to explain, impossible to reconcile. There will always be an emptiness, a hole that can’t be filled, reminders of what could have been and should have been. But I hope that in this time of terrible grief, all of Joseph’s family and friends [particularly Donna, Ray, Daniel and Kyle] who loved him so much can take some solace and someday even rejoice that Joseph was a beautiful person who lived a happy and deeply meaningful life.
As has been said, “If you can’t have both, a good life is better than a long life”… Joseph Chow’s life was a good life, a life well lived.
The last time I saw Joseph was two years ago almost to the day. Joe had developed an interest in golf, so I bribed him with a round of golf to squeeze myself onto his schedule. The golf was not memorable but our conversation was. Joe had just graduated from Amherst College and he was leaving soon to join the Peace Corp in East Africa. We had time to discuss many things but we spent most of our time talking about the Peace Corp. He shared with me how much he would miss his family and friends, but he was thrilled to have the chance to immerse himself in a completely different culture. He thought he would love teaching and could be a good teacher. He mentioned that there’d be no golf and probably no piano, so he’d spend his spare time reading and there’d be plenty of opportunity for music and golf when he returned home. Joe admitted that while he was very excited and absolutely committed, he was also nervous because he knew that this would be more difficult than anything he had ever done before.
He was a happy, confident young man, full of purpose, comfortable in his own skin and optimistic about the future. Had I not known and loved Joseph his entire life as his uncle, I know I would have loved and admired him as a friend. I remember feeling very proud of him as I watched him bound up the stairs of the Greenwich train station two steps at a time when I dropped him off that evening.
As many of you know, Joseph was a high academic achiever and he was an accomplished pianist and organist. In any group of people Joseph might be among the smartest or the most musically talented. Both as a scholar and a musician Joe was very driven to excel, determined to achieve the highest grades and board scores or play the most technically difficult music. But that was only one dimension of Joseph. He was able to be passionate even when he did not personally excel. Swimming was an important part of Joe’s life. He was a serious and good swimmer but rarely the star. In fact, as a varsity swimmer at Amherst he was probably among the slowest on the team, but that was okay because for Joseph swimming was always more about the shared experience and camaraderie of being on the team than about winning and losing or individual achievement.
Chances are that Joseph might not have become the remarkable young man he became without many of you who have gathered in this church to honor and remember him today. You see, Joseph had a big advantage in life- he never had to wonder if he was loved. In fact, you could say that his life was a love story. Not a “boy meets girl” love story, but a love story about someone who is loved by many from the moment he is born. His anchor and greatest source of love was his family- his parents, Donna & Ray; his brothers, Daniel and Kyle; his grandparents Ruby, Leo, Joe & Larry; and his many Chow & Robertson uncles, aunts and cousins. But as Ray and Donna have said so often, Joseph was blessed to also be loved by so many wonderful people beyond his own family- teachers, coaches & mentors; colleagues, classmates & teammates; friends and neighbors- who touched and inspired him; nurtured, supported and encouraged him throughout his life.
Because so much had been given to him by so many, it was second nature to Joseph to give to others. Always kind, compassionate and generous, he used his own gifts and talents to give- by playing piano for terminally ill patients at hospice or coaching young aspiring swimmers or teaching math and science in East Africa.
Joseph spent the last two years of his life giving back as a Peace Corp volunteer. By all accounts he was an extraordinary teacher who was loved and valued by his students and his community. Watching the recording of the memorial service held for Joe in Tanzania it was clear that during the past two years Joseph had continued to go from strength to strength in his life. On the last full day of his life, Joseph was with a fellow Peace Corp volunteer. Since she was a recent arrival in Tanzania, he was anxious for her to know how rich and rewarding his Peace Corp experience had been but he also wanted to tell her how wonderful his family was, how excited he was about going home and how he was planning to go to medical school. When Ray shared this with me, I couldn’t help being reminded of my conversation with Joe two years ago and I took some comfort knowing Joe was still brimming with the excitement and optimism that I remembered so clearly.
Joseph leaving us so suddenly, so young is unbearably sad. I don’t know that any of us will ever be able to understand why Joseph was taken. Some things are impossible to explain, impossible to reconcile. There will always be an emptiness, a hole that can’t be filled, reminders of what could have been and should have been. But I hope that in this time of terrible grief, all of Joseph’s family and friends [particularly Donna, Ray, Daniel and Kyle] who loved him so much can take some solace and someday even rejoice that Joseph was a beautiful person who lived a happy and deeply meaningful life.
As has been said, “If you can’t have both, a good life is better than a long life”… Joseph Chow’s life was a good life, a life well lived.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
JP's eulogy
"I'm at peace with the world. I'm completely serene. I've discovered my purpose in life. I know why I was put here and why everything exists...I am here so everybody can do what I want. Once everybody accepts it, they'll be serene too." That's Calvin and Hobbes, Joe's High School Yearbook quote.
My name is JP, and Joe Chow was my Friend.
After spending every day that summer together, Columbus Day weekend, my freshman year of college, was the first time we were all together in what seemed like ages. And Joe was grounded. And it was his birthday. Apparently it was part of the fallout of an incident Senior year involving Jag Sing's car and Joe's notoriously bad driving.
Regardless, we showed up at his house to wish him happy birthday, and when he came outside, Charlie Beale hit the gas while Ryan Ujazdowski, Tom Gaffney, and myself bodily picked Joe up, and threw him in the back seat. Tires squealing, Tom diving in the car as it sped off, Momma Chow staring in disbelief from the front door, me sitting on Joe's head, dousing him in beer. At least that is how I remember it. We had him call his mom and I broke it to her that her son would not be coming home that night. (find Donna) But she never liked me anyway.
Jimmy Stip introduced me to Joe our freshman year of High School as a buddy of his from the swim team. I quickly came to know Joe as a quiet, but funny kid who was much, much smarter than me.
I had the pleasure of doing Joe's first shot with him, on my back porch, that summer before College. I remember what it was, too- 151 mixed with some blue stuff. Daniel and Kyle had the pleasure of cleaning Joe's first shot off the bathroom floor later that same evening.
I could go in to the fact that I always considered Joe to be the smartest person I knew. I could go in to the fact that I was sure that he would be on the cutting edge of some scientific breakthrough that I could barely wrap my brain around, but I prefer to think of his field presence in pickup football- awkward, and his absurdly formulaic golf swing.
The fact that he joined the Peace Corps suprised me not at all. Some thing every one talks about, "oh yea, I'd love to go to Africa" Joe did. And he didn't just take. He saw Kilimanjaro, sure, but he was there to give of himself. And that doesn't surprise me.
I remember how he said my name and how he would laugh at ridiculous ideas with a snort, I remember how he would expand all the fingers on both his hands to stretch when he was getting bored or impatient.
I can't help but have a feeling of disillusionment with the world now. The kid I expected to either cure cancer or discover an alien civilization or maybe be President, whatever he felt like doing, is gone. Who's coattails am I going to ride? How are the rest of us supposed to go on when the best of us is gone?
We went on a trip to Appalachia in High School. We worked on houses and talked to the locals, and bonded with all the people who like, us, were down there to help. I knew Joe before this pretty well, and he was shy, by my standards anyway. But by the end of the week, well, it was like spring and the Joe tree had blossomed in my backyard. I have a picture of him from down there, still, somewhere, and it is how I think of him when someone says 'Joe Chow'. It's him, laying across a piano bench, cards in his hands. I fired it off on impulse, and he looked up just in time, smiled, and went right back to cards. Smiling, sitting strangely, invested in what he was doing, that was Joe for me. The strange sitting was of course just as important as the smiling.
People always try to spin this perfectly circular existence to the experience of life. People talk about death as the completion of a circle, but I'm sorry if I can't do that. A big god damn hole has been ripped in the fabric of my existence. Joe's life didn't end in some perfectly circular manner. He was headed forward, upward. His life was on the rise, his impact in the world was really just starting to be felt. Felt by his parents, who saw all their hard work coming to fruition, and it was in service to others, in teaching, of which there is no better calling. Felt by his students, who were getting a taste of his potential impact on the world, seeing the intelligent human being in front of them and grasping at every bit of information he could think to provide, to give them a fair shake. Felt by his brothers, a unit. A triangle is the strongest structure in nature, and three legs are the most balanced. They were hitting their stride, falling into unison, without losing the playful pettiness that makes siblings love each other so much. And felt by me, I mean, all I ever wanted was a few good drinking buddies. My standards for who I will share a beer with are quite high. Joe fit all of these standards, funny, smarter than me, wrote the answers on his math tests really big, fun- loving, shorter than me, can talk about movies (particularly shitty ones) to no end, but now he's gone. And so it seems we're all one short.
One of the last times I saw Joe, he was home for about a week or so, and we wanted to meet up, and on top of that, he hadn't had a good sandwich in months, so he picked me up and we went down to Arthur Ave in the Bronx, by Fordham Prep. We ordered sandwiches at the deli, and he got a provolone-loaded specialty sandwich while I went with my usual, ham and swiss with Mayo. Well, the ENTIRE lunch, he gave me shit. "We're on Arthur Avenue," He'd said, "You can get ham and swiss anywhere. This is the best Italian meats and cheese on the planet, and you're eating ham and swiss." He shook his head at me as I came back with the point that you could probably get better Italian meats and cheeses in Italy.
Little did I know that the kid that had taught me enough to pass Physics, Pre-Calc, AP Gov, and AP Physics by the skin of my teeth was passing one last lesson on to me. Take the opourtunities you are presented with. He sure did.
Sorry, but I can't provide closure here. I just don't know how I possibly could. I will instead say that there are a lot of people who have a giant, gaping hole ripped in their respective realities, a hole that nothing here on earth can patch. You are not alone in your pain, and it sucks.
Ok, end with a quote. This is straight from Joe himself. "JP, you're an idiot."
Calvin: I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night.
Seriously though, See ya pal.
My name is JP, and Joe Chow was my Friend.
After spending every day that summer together, Columbus Day weekend, my freshman year of college, was the first time we were all together in what seemed like ages. And Joe was grounded. And it was his birthday. Apparently it was part of the fallout of an incident Senior year involving Jag Sing's car and Joe's notoriously bad driving.
Regardless, we showed up at his house to wish him happy birthday, and when he came outside, Charlie Beale hit the gas while Ryan Ujazdowski, Tom Gaffney, and myself bodily picked Joe up, and threw him in the back seat. Tires squealing, Tom diving in the car as it sped off, Momma Chow staring in disbelief from the front door, me sitting on Joe's head, dousing him in beer. At least that is how I remember it. We had him call his mom and I broke it to her that her son would not be coming home that night. (find Donna) But she never liked me anyway.
Jimmy Stip introduced me to Joe our freshman year of High School as a buddy of his from the swim team. I quickly came to know Joe as a quiet, but funny kid who was much, much smarter than me.
I had the pleasure of doing Joe's first shot with him, on my back porch, that summer before College. I remember what it was, too- 151 mixed with some blue stuff. Daniel and Kyle had the pleasure of cleaning Joe's first shot off the bathroom floor later that same evening.
I could go in to the fact that I always considered Joe to be the smartest person I knew. I could go in to the fact that I was sure that he would be on the cutting edge of some scientific breakthrough that I could barely wrap my brain around, but I prefer to think of his field presence in pickup football- awkward, and his absurdly formulaic golf swing.
The fact that he joined the Peace Corps suprised me not at all. Some thing every one talks about, "oh yea, I'd love to go to Africa" Joe did. And he didn't just take. He saw Kilimanjaro, sure, but he was there to give of himself. And that doesn't surprise me.
I remember how he said my name and how he would laugh at ridiculous ideas with a snort, I remember how he would expand all the fingers on both his hands to stretch when he was getting bored or impatient.
I can't help but have a feeling of disillusionment with the world now. The kid I expected to either cure cancer or discover an alien civilization or maybe be President, whatever he felt like doing, is gone. Who's coattails am I going to ride? How are the rest of us supposed to go on when the best of us is gone?
We went on a trip to Appalachia in High School. We worked on houses and talked to the locals, and bonded with all the people who like, us, were down there to help. I knew Joe before this pretty well, and he was shy, by my standards anyway. But by the end of the week, well, it was like spring and the Joe tree had blossomed in my backyard. I have a picture of him from down there, still, somewhere, and it is how I think of him when someone says 'Joe Chow'. It's him, laying across a piano bench, cards in his hands. I fired it off on impulse, and he looked up just in time, smiled, and went right back to cards. Smiling, sitting strangely, invested in what he was doing, that was Joe for me. The strange sitting was of course just as important as the smiling.
People always try to spin this perfectly circular existence to the experience of life. People talk about death as the completion of a circle, but I'm sorry if I can't do that. A big god damn hole has been ripped in the fabric of my existence. Joe's life didn't end in some perfectly circular manner. He was headed forward, upward. His life was on the rise, his impact in the world was really just starting to be felt. Felt by his parents, who saw all their hard work coming to fruition, and it was in service to others, in teaching, of which there is no better calling. Felt by his students, who were getting a taste of his potential impact on the world, seeing the intelligent human being in front of them and grasping at every bit of information he could think to provide, to give them a fair shake. Felt by his brothers, a unit. A triangle is the strongest structure in nature, and three legs are the most balanced. They were hitting their stride, falling into unison, without losing the playful pettiness that makes siblings love each other so much. And felt by me, I mean, all I ever wanted was a few good drinking buddies. My standards for who I will share a beer with are quite high. Joe fit all of these standards, funny, smarter than me, wrote the answers on his math tests really big, fun- loving, shorter than me, can talk about movies (particularly shitty ones) to no end, but now he's gone. And so it seems we're all one short.
One of the last times I saw Joe, he was home for about a week or so, and we wanted to meet up, and on top of that, he hadn't had a good sandwich in months, so he picked me up and we went down to Arthur Ave in the Bronx, by Fordham Prep. We ordered sandwiches at the deli, and he got a provolone-loaded specialty sandwich while I went with my usual, ham and swiss with Mayo. Well, the ENTIRE lunch, he gave me shit. "We're on Arthur Avenue," He'd said, "You can get ham and swiss anywhere. This is the best Italian meats and cheese on the planet, and you're eating ham and swiss." He shook his head at me as I came back with the point that you could probably get better Italian meats and cheeses in Italy.
Little did I know that the kid that had taught me enough to pass Physics, Pre-Calc, AP Gov, and AP Physics by the skin of my teeth was passing one last lesson on to me. Take the opourtunities you are presented with. He sure did.
Sorry, but I can't provide closure here. I just don't know how I possibly could. I will instead say that there are a lot of people who have a giant, gaping hole ripped in their respective realities, a hole that nothing here on earth can patch. You are not alone in your pain, and it sucks.
Ok, end with a quote. This is straight from Joe himself. "JP, you're an idiot."
Calvin: I think we dream so we don't have to be apart so long. If we're in each other's dreams, we can play together all night.
Seriously though, See ya pal.
Friday, November 27, 2009
A Drinkup For Joe
A Drinkup For Joe
Type:
Party - Night of Mayhem
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:00am
Location:
MJ Armstrong's
Street:
1st and 19th St
City/Town:
Manhattan, NY
View Map
Google
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Description
We're going to have a party the friday after Thanksgiving, since a lot of people will be home. Everyone and everyone everyone knows is invited, particularly if you knew Joe or ever met him. The bar is giving us a great deal so that we can use the event to raise some money for the Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship. The details are:
Friday, the 27th of November
MJ Armstrong's Bar and Restaurant (Downstairs)
$40 open bar (beer, wine, and mixed well drinks)
from 10pm to 1am.
There will also be some light appetizers.
So call or bring anyone, and hopefully we'll see you there.
If you can't make it but still want to donate, you can mail checks to:
315 Westchester Ave
Yonkers, NY 10707
Make the checks out to Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship
Thanks everybody.
Type:
Party - Night of Mayhem
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:00am
Location:
MJ Armstrong's
Street:
1st and 19th St
City/Town:
Manhattan, NY
View Map
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Description
We're going to have a party the friday after Thanksgiving, since a lot of people will be home. Everyone and everyone everyone knows is invited, particularly if you knew Joe or ever met him. The bar is giving us a great deal so that we can use the event to raise some money for the Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship. The details are:
Friday, the 27th of November
MJ Armstrong's Bar and Restaurant (Downstairs)
$40 open bar (beer, wine, and mixed well drinks)
from 10pm to 1am.
There will also be some light appetizers.
So call or bring anyone, and hopefully we'll see you there.
If you can't make it but still want to donate, you can mail checks to:
315 Westchester Ave
Yonkers, NY 10707
Make the checks out to Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship
Thanks everybody.
A Drinkup For Joe
A Drinkup For Joe
Type:
Party - Night of Mayhem
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:00am
Location:
MJ Armstrong's
Street:
1st and 19th St
City/Town:
Manhattan, NY
View Map
Google
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Description
We're going to have a party the friday after Thanksgiving, since a lot of people will be home. Everyone and everyone everyone knows is invited, particularly if you knew Joe or ever met him. The bar is giving us a great deal so that we can use the event to raise some money for the Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship. The details are:
Friday, the 27th of November
MJ Armstrong's Bar and Restaurant (Downstairs)
$40 open bar (beer, wine, and mixed well drinks)
from 10pm to 1am.
There will also be some light appetizers.
So call or bring anyone, and hopefully we'll see you there.
If you can't make it but still want to donate, you can mail checks to:
315 Westchester Ave
Yonkers, NY 10707
Make the checks out to Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship
Thanks everybody.
Type:
Party - Night of Mayhem
Network:
Global
Start Time:
Friday, November 27, 2009 at 10:00pm
End Time:
Saturday, November 28, 2009 at 1:00am
Location:
MJ Armstrong's
Street:
1st and 19th St
City/Town:
Manhattan, NY
View Map
MapQuest
Microsoft
Yahoo
Description
We're going to have a party the friday after Thanksgiving, since a lot of people will be home. Everyone and everyone everyone knows is invited, particularly if you knew Joe or ever met him. The bar is giving us a great deal so that we can use the event to raise some money for the Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship. The details are:
Friday, the 27th of November
MJ Armstrong's Bar and Restaurant (Downstairs)
$40 open bar (beer, wine, and mixed well drinks)
from 10pm to 1am.
There will also be some light appetizers.
So call or bring anyone, and hopefully we'll see you there.
If you can't make it but still want to donate, you can mail checks to:
315 Westchester Ave
Yonkers, NY 10707
Make the checks out to Joseph Lawrence Chow Memorial Scholarship
Thanks everybody.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Joseph's Resume - we had just finished it
Experience
Peace Corps Tanzania/Kenya (2007-2009)
Math and Science Teacher
• Taught college-level Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics courses in an underfunded magnet school. As the only Physics or Math teacher in Ndanda, my formal duties included
o Teaching over 30 class-hours per week.
o Responsibility for over 500 pupils at any given time.
o Writing and marking the mock physics and chemistry examinations for two entire regions.
o Conducting weekly experiments and tests for all physics, chemistry and math students.
o Preparing and administering daily practicals during school breaks.
o Assuming responsibility for all materials and textbooks in the math and physics departments.
• As head of the science department, oversaw a 4% rise in the school’s pass rate and received a government citation.
• Served as faculty advisor to the school’s FEMA branch, a national organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS, promoting healthy lifestyles, and empowering youth. Activities included
o Organizing events, with about 100 participants from 5-7 secondary schools, designed to spread HIV/AIDS awareness. Specific duties involved applying for grants, arranging for lodging and meals, and coordinating with hospital workers and a local NGO.
o Organized weekly FEMA meetings. Activities included lessons, debates, and drama.
• Served as teacher of machines;:
o taught typing classes to interested faculty members on the only available computer.
o filled out all of the school’s electronic registration forms.
o typed the mock examinations in all subjects for two regions.
• Organized field trips to nearby sites, including a tour of a hospital laboratory and a geology walk.
• Integrated into two cultures by using community entry techniques and becoming proficient in Kiswahili.
New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York (2005, 2007)
Physiology Research Assistant
• Conducted experiments on pulmonary vasoconstriction and analyzed results.
• Publications:
a. “Protoporphyrin IX generation from d-aminolevulinic acid elicits pulmonary artery relaxation and soluble guanylate cyclase activation” Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 291: L337-L344, 2006
b. “Heme oxygenase-1 induction depletes heme and attenuates pulmonary artery relaxation and guanylate cyclase activation by nitric oxide” Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 294: H1244–H1250, 2008
Anthony F. Veteran Pool, Greenburgh, New York (2001-2006)
Lifeguard/Swim Coach
• Organized practices and meets for a competitive swim team with over 100 children.
• Taught swim classes consisting of 8-20 children ages 5-12.
• Oversaw the team improve from fourth to first place over three years.
Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts (2004-2007)
Lifeguard
• Balanced a part time lifeguard job with classes and practices.
• Taught weekly swim lessons to children ages 4-13.
Education
Amherst College, Amherst, MA (2003-2007)
B.A., Double Major: Chemistry and History
• GPA: 3.53
Awards and Achievements______________________________________________________________
• GRE: 800 Math(94%), 710 Verbal(98%)
• MCAT: 32S (87%)
• 2003 Amherst College Harry de Forest Smith Classics Greek Scholar
Interests
Proficient classical pianist and pipe organist, languages (conversational in Swahili), marathon running, swimming (Varsity athlete), water polo, hiking, outdoors, reading.
Peace Corps Tanzania/Kenya (2007-2009)
Math and Science Teacher
• Taught college-level Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics courses in an underfunded magnet school. As the only Physics or Math teacher in Ndanda, my formal duties included
o Teaching over 30 class-hours per week.
o Responsibility for over 500 pupils at any given time.
o Writing and marking the mock physics and chemistry examinations for two entire regions.
o Conducting weekly experiments and tests for all physics, chemistry and math students.
o Preparing and administering daily practicals during school breaks.
o Assuming responsibility for all materials and textbooks in the math and physics departments.
• As head of the science department, oversaw a 4% rise in the school’s pass rate and received a government citation.
• Served as faculty advisor to the school’s FEMA branch, a national organization dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS, promoting healthy lifestyles, and empowering youth. Activities included
o Organizing events, with about 100 participants from 5-7 secondary schools, designed to spread HIV/AIDS awareness. Specific duties involved applying for grants, arranging for lodging and meals, and coordinating with hospital workers and a local NGO.
o Organized weekly FEMA meetings. Activities included lessons, debates, and drama.
• Served as teacher of machines;:
o taught typing classes to interested faculty members on the only available computer.
o filled out all of the school’s electronic registration forms.
o typed the mock examinations in all subjects for two regions.
• Organized field trips to nearby sites, including a tour of a hospital laboratory and a geology walk.
• Integrated into two cultures by using community entry techniques and becoming proficient in Kiswahili.
New York Medical College, Valhalla, New York (2005, 2007)
Physiology Research Assistant
• Conducted experiments on pulmonary vasoconstriction and analyzed results.
• Publications:
a. “Protoporphyrin IX generation from d-aminolevulinic acid elicits pulmonary artery relaxation and soluble guanylate cyclase activation” Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 291: L337-L344, 2006
b. “Heme oxygenase-1 induction depletes heme and attenuates pulmonary artery relaxation and guanylate cyclase activation by nitric oxide” Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 294: H1244–H1250, 2008
Anthony F. Veteran Pool, Greenburgh, New York (2001-2006)
Lifeguard/Swim Coach
• Organized practices and meets for a competitive swim team with over 100 children.
• Taught swim classes consisting of 8-20 children ages 5-12.
• Oversaw the team improve from fourth to first place over three years.
Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts (2004-2007)
Lifeguard
• Balanced a part time lifeguard job with classes and practices.
• Taught weekly swim lessons to children ages 4-13.
Education
Amherst College, Amherst, MA (2003-2007)
B.A., Double Major: Chemistry and History
• GPA: 3.53
Awards and Achievements______________________________________________________________
• GRE: 800 Math(94%), 710 Verbal(98%)
• MCAT: 32S (87%)
• 2003 Amherst College Harry de Forest Smith Classics Greek Scholar
Interests
Proficient classical pianist and pipe organist, languages (conversational in Swahili), marathon running, swimming (Varsity athlete), water polo, hiking, outdoors, reading.
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