Vivienne Biedenkopf Associate Staff Writer ———————–—— Yayoi Kusama is a globally renowned 20th and 21st-century Japanese artist who left traditional Japan to launch her career in New York City in the 1960s. Known for her experimental and immersive artwork, her work is composed mainly in existential themes of repetition, infinity, and self obliteration.    Experiencing hallucinations and OCD from a young age, Kusama channeled her experiences with mental illness into her art and used it as a therapeutic outlet. The hallucinations often involve patterns, dots, and visions of infinity, which became iconic features in her works and were inspirations for the immersive environments she has made.   This year, Rochesterians are lucky to have Kusama’s Infinity Mirrored Room – Let’s Survive Forever at our very own Memorial Art Gallery (MAG).   The exhibition was opened in September and will be on display until May 5, 2024, on loan from Toronto’s Art Gallery of Ontario. Let’s Survive Together is one of Kusama’s 20 unique infinity rooms. These rooms are not something visitors leisurely view but rather something they must actively experience. Let’s Survive Together features hundreds of mirrored spheres arranged on the floor and suspended from the ceiling. Those hanging from the ceiling are hung with invisible string to give the illusion of flotation. A mirrored column inside the room has circular windows on each side, inviting viewers to look at infinite spheres through a different perspective.    Visitors only have sixty seconds to experience the room and only four are allowed in at a time. Once sealed inside the small room by the curator, viewers are met with complete silence and infinite reflections of themselves. Each of the mirrored walls and spheres captures their image and makes them a part of the installation itself. There’s an awe and fascination at being multiplied in infinity.  Viewers can walk around the center mirrored pillar, avoiding the fragile mirror balls, both on the floor and hanging from the ceiling around the room’s edges. Visitors experience Kusama’s artistic philosophy of “self-obliteration” by being immersed in the illusion of endlessness. They become part of something infinite, straight out of Kusama’s imagination, as well as their own. With her infinity rooms, Kusama aims for a viewer’s identity to be forgotten as they “become one with eternity” and their “environment." It almost seems contradictory, as you see yourself everywhere, yet are erased.   There are a couple of pieces of wall text in this exhibit, including a timeline of Kusama’s life, that all provide important and interesting information that enhances the visitor’s experience later on. Arguably, the most significant of these wall texts is this quote: “The silver ball is also representative of the moon, of sunshine, of peace. In essence, it symbolizes the union of man and nature. When the people see their reflection multiplied to infinity, they then sense that there is no limit to man’s ability to project himself into endless space.”   The quote takes up the entirety of the wall at the entrance to the Infinity Mirrored Room and addresses the oneness of the universe, something philosophers have always discussed. For those wanting to visit the exhibit, the MAG is open Wednesday–Sunday. Admission is $9 for children and $20 for adults, plus an additional $5 for the Infinity Mirrored Room. Tickets for the exhibit are timed and must be purchased at the MAG the day of visiting. Niraj Lama, to learn about the history of the store, it was clear its history was richer than the flavors of our warm chais. Lama grew up in India as a journalist but found it hard to continue when he moved to America in 2010. Soon after Lama arrived, he realized being a journalist wasn’t a job he felt comfortable doing in his new home away from India. This discomforting feeling motivated Lama to forge a path for something he was familiar with: making tea.   Lama comes from Darjeeling, India, which is famous for its tea. In fact, while Lama was growing up, he would drink the beverage so often that he never fully appreciated it. However, once he moved to America, he realized that he couldn’t find many good cups of tea. So, Lama began selling his own tea at public markets in efforts to connect to his roots back in India. His small selling market grew, and soon enough Lama decided it was time to begin an established business.    The desire to create a business might have been easy to think about, but acting on his desire proved to be challenging. The upfront problem, at first, was how expensive starting a business was and the risks that followed. Lama described this challenge, explaining that, “in business you end up spending a lot of money to make money … you should make sure that you don’t overspend what you make. It’s very easy to do that.”  To overcome this daunting reality, Lama learned to be very mindful about how he spent his money, a skill he only mastered through years of experience and trial and errors.     Another challenge Lama encountered was importing tea. Happy Earth Tea sources their tea from India, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Columbia, and Nepal. Importing a good source of tea can be quite challenging, considering the need to have correct documentation to ensure the purchase is reliable.Lama mentioned that he visits the tea gardens to check that the tea is of good quality to sell at Happy Earth Tea. Furthermore, the tea shop sources all their tea from organic tea gardens and from farming businesses that emphasize workers' rights. This made Lama pour countless hours into the research of possible fair trade businesses to buy from and sell.   No matter the challenges Lama encountered, it didn’t hinder his appreciation for the worldwide beverage. In fact, it deepened his appreciation for tea. “All of the sudden, tea becomes so much richer than you think … you know who’s grown the tea, you know where they come from,” Lama said as he reflected on the diverse cultures and people he has met over the years. In our visit, right as we entered the door, a calming and pleasant feeling from the staff enveloped us. And not to mention the sweet aroma of fresh tea! In the future, Lama hopes to expand to locations in nearby cities. As the weather grows frigid, Happy Earth Tea is the place to go for an experience that will warm you from the outside in.  Curtis into the Rochester Red Wings Hall of Fame on September 3rd marks a monumental moment for athletics in BHS history. Mr. Curtis currently coaches at BHS and has been doing so for the past 30 years.Coaches like him are instrumental in the success of teams and individuals who want a chance in competition at a high level. A coach’s job on a team is to provide guidance, support, and advice to the team to help them improve. A team’s success can mostly be attributed to the strategies and help that a coach provides.The Rochester Red Wings are a Minor League Baseball team located in Rochester, New York, and are affiliated with the Washington Nationals. The Red Wings play all their home games at Innovative Field, a stadium in downtown Rochester. The Red Wings were founded in 1899 and are the oldest continuously operating sports franchise besides the MLB (Major League Baseball) in North America. After competing for such a long time, the Red Wings won their first International League in 1966, with Earl Weaver as manager. Their most recent first-place finish in the International League was in 1997, with Marv Foley managing the Reed Wings. Having grown to be an influential part of professional baseball and the Rochester athletics community over the past decades, The Rochester Red Wings give awards to local coaches who have unique contributions to coaching and baseball.  In 1989, they started selecting people deemed worthy of the award. Among one of the first award winners was Joe Altobelli; the legendary coach and manager. Him, along with several other people were elected to the hall of fame because of their significant contributions to professional sports in Rochester.  When interviewed, Mr. Curtis stated that he had approximately 3 decades of experience coaching at the high school level, leading both varsity and JV girls’ lacrosse. Considering he has over 430 career wins under his belt over the span of his career, it’s no surprise he is being recognized. Along with his team, he has won 13 Section-V titles and has had 6 state finals appearances. He also stated that he was one of the first coaches in the Rochester area who helped kick-start high school sports in the community. He helped turn a miniscule sports league into a league where competition came from all over Rochester. He aided the development of girls' sports across the board.Mr. Curtis recounts that he maintains his team’s win rate at a high level by utilizing practice time during both the season and off season, explaining that it keeps athletes in peak shape and facilitates the chemistry needed to excel. He remarks on how the extra practice had a major effect on the team’s performance and confidence. He mentioned that he has coached approximately 100 female athletes in Divisions I, II, and III, some of whom have gone on to become very professionally accomplished athletes in their sport. When asked about what kind of strategies worked in girls' lacrosse, he elaborated that they have developed plays around switching up defenses, play zones, and trying to recognize who was the best two or three players on the opposite team to ensure they are locked up by defense. These strategies have worked wonders for the girls’ lacrosse team at Brighton, and Mr. Curtis hopes to accomplish more victories in years to come.Due to Mr. Curtis’ contributions to athletics in Brighton, sports in our community have bloomed into what they are today, attracting the attention and skills of hundreds of Brighton students each year.