Dielli | The Sun

Albanian American Newspaper Devoted to the Intellectual and Cultural Advancement of the Albanians in America | Since 1909

Memorial Day Tradition and Events

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Photo Courtesy Ardian Murraj

Rafaela Prifti/

The tradition began on May 30th, 1868, when flowers were placed on the graves of Union and Confederate soldiers in the cemetery. Back then it was called Decoration Day. After the end of WWII, soldiers and communities of many American towns placed small flags by every headstone in the cemetery to honor those who served in America’s wars. Putting aside disputes and arguments about its origins, in 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, New York, the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. In Waterloo, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored veterans who had fought in the Civil War. The federal government adopted the Memorial Day name in 1967 and a year later Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. It established Memorial Day as a national holiday observed in the United States on the last Monday of MayIn the nation’s capital, the observance takes place at Arlington National Cemetery. Before the pandemic, more than 4 million people visited the cemetery every year. However, the best-known memorial in the nation’s capital, is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which opened in 1982. Two years earlier, a group of former soldiers announced a competition to design a memorial. The winner was a 21-year-old student at Yale University. The design is formed by two walls of black stone about 76 meters long that meet to form the letter V. The names of more than 58,000 Americans killed or declared missing-in-action are cut into the stone.After the success of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Congress approved a memorial to the Korean War veterans, which opened in July of 1995. On the National Mall, the World War II Memorial is dedicated to those who answered the call of their country when U.S. entered the war on December 7th, 1941. Sixteen million men and women served in the American military between 1941 and 1945. More than 400,000 died. The fifty-six stone pillars that rise around the Memorial pool represent each of the American states and territories at the time of the war. There are no memorials yet for soldiers who died in America’s most recent wars – in Iraq and Afghanistan. As part of today’s observance, the Albanian-American communities across the country take part in parades and local memorial services in honor of its lost members and those who survived. It is a great way to remember history and pay homage to the “honor roll” among us. Sadly, a few of them departed during the lock-down time of the pandemic. Indeed, Dielli paid tribute to the passing of one such exceptional figure like William Johns (Vasil Kamenica in 2020. His name and picture next to those of his fellow countrymen are on display at St. Mary’s Albanian Orthodox Church in Worcester, MA, shown in the photo below.On Memorial Day, Americans will stop for one minute at three o’clock local time for the National Moment of Remembrance to honor the soldiers who have died in service to the country, no matter what wars they served in.

VOLPONE – A CON MAN STORY THAT’S ABOUT US

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By Rafaela Prifti

A scheme, a conman and a servant. What could go wrong? Is greed only the beginning?

If you happen to read or see Volpone in a theater, you will be forgiven for being overwhelmed by the brutal timeliness of the play. The bottomless greed and self-serving trickery that are portrayed in it feel as current today as perhaps at the time of its production in the 17th century. The fable element of the play conveys a universal moral message that Ben Jonson believed to be the theater’s task. Timelessness is a feature associated with all great works of art and artists, yet Volpone’s timeliness stands out nowadays for the portrayal of schemes generated by a conman and enablers unbound by morals or a sense of justice. In its original form as well as countless theater adaptations worldwide, Volpone is Ben Jonson’s most performed play. The adopted son of a bricklayer, Jonson became one of the most important cultural figures in early 17th century Britain, and England’s first (unofficial) poet laureate. Critics agree that although younger than his contemporary William Shakespeare, as a playwright, Ben Jonson stands comparison with the world’s greatest dramatist.

The play draws on elements of city comedy and beast fable. It is set in Venice where the devious, childless and gold-obsessed trickster Volpone, or ‘fox’, dupes a range of foolish Venetians and foreigners with the help of his clever servant Mosca (‘fly’ or ‘parasite’). Together they stage an elaborate scheme. Volpone pretends to be a wealthy old man who is deathly ill. With the help of his servant, the old man courts three eager gold-diggers, the merchant Corvino (‘Crow’), the lawyer Voltore (‘Vulture’) and the elderly gentleman Corbaccio (‘Raven’), by leading them to believe that they will be named heir to his immense fortune. In exchange for the promise of the inheritance, Volpone collects lavish gifts from Corvino and Voltore. Unstoppable in his greed and lust, he persuades Corbaccio to disinherit his own son, Bonario, in favor of Volpone, and convinces Corbaccio to allow him to seduce his wife, Celia. Mosca plays his part in assuring them that he is helping each one exclusively to get ahead in the three-way race as they eagerly shower Volpone with gifts in order to gain his favor.

As with any scheme, more people need to take part in it in order for the plan to work. No one understands this better than Volpone himself. Disguised as assistants to an Italian swindler, Mosca and Nano, Volpone’s dwarf, swindle the English Knight named Sir Politic-Would-be and a fellow traveler, Peregrine. Volpone, dressed as a famous mountebank, makes an elaborate sales pitch for a cure-all elixir. While some characters begin to catch on to the scheme, Mosca and Volpone prepare an even more elaborate lie to get out of trouble. A recognizable pattern starts to emerge in which a new scheme is designed to cover or at least distract from the old one and a lie is layered on top of a previous lie and so on. Jonson’s merciless satire of deceit and greed without the follies of the judicial system. In court, Voltore, Corvino, Corbaccio, and Mosca present a calculated lie framing the targets of the scheme as culprits. They testify that Bonario and Celia are out to defame Volpone through elaborate plots and false accusations. Mosca’s plan worked. Although Volpone is forced to appear in court, he convincingly acts diseased and is freed. The sly fox, Master of deceit, Voplone is not satisfied with the outcome. It’s not enough for him to have joyfully fooled his victims into believing that each one will be the sole heir to his fortune while becoming wealthier through them. There is no lost irony in Volpone’s criticism of other people’s greed. Determined to humiliate his victims, the trickster fakes his own death. The plan backfires. His enabler, Mosca sees this as an opportunity to swindle the swindler by driving a hard bargain for Volpone’s fortune in court. To prevent Mosca from getting away with all of his money, Volpone reveals himself and his entire plan. The Venetian court sentences Mosca and Volpone handily.

Volpne is a merciless satire of greed and lust. It remains Jonson’s most-performed play outlining his belief that theater is as much entertaining as it is morally relevant. The play’s central figure, fittingly named Volpone is an old, rich, childless Italian gentleman with no heir his fortune, who schemes several people by pretending to be sick and offering to name them as inheritors of his wealth by making them complete for the title. Volpone cheats the entire play to line his pockets. His greed is secondary only to the satisfaction he drives from fooling others. His tricks would not have worked so well without his parasite, Mosca, his servant who fools the people hoping to inherit Volpone’s wealth, and weaves cross-plots which are all eventually exposed.

New tricks keep being generated by the characters as they try to take advantage of each other and then try to save themselves. It is a very recognizable pattern of the present time-space we live in. Naturally, for the schemes to be successful or last longer, controlling the narrative and spinning is crucially important. For the Sly Fox, Volpone, to keep deceiving people, his parasite Mosca needs to be alongside and follow through. To be sure these are characters in a play that has been performed for four centuries on stages around the globe telling the story of the con man’s of the society and the enablers that play along as long as it is profitable for them to do so. These themes reverberate with today’s audiences with an appreciation for entertainment as well as the messaging conveyed through art, as playwright Ben Jonson intended. In it, greed is only the beginning. For the scheme to work, manipulation and misrepresentation are key elements to help the self-serving interest of the puppet master, the Sly Fox.

As recently as 2018, a production of Volpone, adapted by Stefan Zweig (Cvajg), translated in Albanian by Artur Lena, was performed by the Tetova Theater. Director and costume designer Sulejman Rushiti, renowned Albanian director and producer, said that the play was a contender at the Tetova International Theater Festival. Enjoying great reviews, later in the year, the play went on a tour to Gostivar, where theatergoers packed the hall.

The fable element of the production displayed in the characters Voltore (Vulture), Corvino (Crow) Corbaccio (Raven), and Mosca (Fly, Parasite) lends it the universal component. Yet, it speaks to today’s audience with a particular contemporary voice as a story about us.

SUPREME COURT LEAK LEADS THE HEADLINES

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by Rafaela Prifti/

Since the first days of May, US headlines are heavily concerned with a draft opinion of the U.S. Supreme Court that was leaked to the press.

Here is a brief summary of what you need to know:

The opinion presents the legal argument for striking down the 1973 landmark decision that legalized abortion in the United States. Immediately, the media focused on the content of the opinion as well as the leak itself. An intense national debate has ensued over the identity of the leaker and whether it is illegal to leak such a document. The short answer is drafts of Supreme Court opinions are not classifies documents like national security and as such their disclosure does not automatically prompt a criminal investigation.

The other important element in considering prosecution is the question of how the document was obtained in other words whether any crimes were committed in obtaining it such as hacking into an unauthorized computer. Chief Justice John Roberts, who said the draft decision was authentic, has directed the court’s marshal to investigate the leak, calling it an “egregious breach.” It is important to note that the Supreme Court marshal is not part of the U.S. Marshals Service or the Justice Department, yet the office can make arrests and the findings of the probe can be referred to federal prosecutors.

In case the leaker is a law clerk, the range of potential sanctions include job termination and ethics violations measures. There have been a series of leaks in the 1970s which prompted the federal courts to adopt a law clerk code of conduct. The code prohibits clerks from disclosing “confidential information received in the course of official duties. It is unclear whether a law clerk had any involvement. Although leaking a draft opinion would be a violation of court confidentiality rules and could be grounds for disbarment, not every federal law clerk is a member of a bar.

If the leaker is identified as an attorney, it would fall to the bar to investigate, experts say. Washington’s Bar Association and others have rules that forbid lawyers to “engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation.” Attorney disciplinary officials can investigate matters on their own or respond to complaints. For the attorney conduct provisions to apply, the leak would need to involve a licensed member of a state bar. So, whether we shall see a prosecution or sanctions resulting from a probe into the Supreme Court leak, depends on who did it.

By all accounts, the leak of a draft Supreme Court ruling is unprecedented. Although there have been instances of shared information regarding internal court dynamics or justice’s deliberations after opinions were issued such as the Bush v. Gore case or a tell-all book by a former clerk, experts do not recall any high court leak resulting in prosecution or disciplinary action.

The code prohibits clerks from disclosing “confidential information received in the course of official duties” yet it does not go as far as to make it illegal.

ALBANIAN LANGUAGE – ELECTIVE COURSE – AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY

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by Rafaela Prifti/

Harvard University students will have the option to study the Albanian language as an elective subject.

Faton Limani, administrator at the Harvard Department of Comparative Literature, made the announcement via Tweeter:

“Today, I have the pleasure to share with you very happy news regarding our Albanian language. In collaboration with compatriot and colleague Eva Stathi – Misho, we have managed to introduce the subject of Albanian language as an elective subject for the first time at Harvard University for all students of all levels.”

The course is offered throughout the year at three levels; elementary knowledge, intermediary knowledge, and advanced level in the Department of Comparative Literature.

Albanian is included in curricula in a number of colleges across the country. In our state, last fall semester, Mercy College had the highest number of students studying the Albanian language than any other college, according to the director of Mercy College’s Modern Foreign Languages Program, Alan Hartman.

At Mercy, there is a large Albanian-American student body, saidHartman, pointing out that the college may also offer a Study Program in the Albanian language.

Other Universities offer opportunities that are available outside of classrooms. In the case of Yale, the Directed Independent Language Study program, allows students to learn a language that is not taught in the university. Albanian is one of the languages offered through this program since 2001.On a side note, in November 2005, thirty members of the Albanian community from Harvard and the Greater Boston area celebrated the official recognition of the Harvard College Albanian Club.

Having the Albanian language as an elective subject available to all levels recognizes the presence and the promise of more programs geared toward studying it.   .

This is a developing story. Stay tuned for updates

A Failed Clinical Trial Leads to an Important Outcome in Immunotherapy Treatment

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by Rafaela Prifti/

Nature, a world’s leading multidisciplinary science journal, published a study on immunotherapy treatment that stemmed from a failed clinical trial. It led to an important finding in treatment strategy.

Although immunotherapy is only available to a few types of cancer, it has seen advances that have helped patients with metastatic and spreading disease that have pushed the boundaries of treatment therapies. Immunotherapy works by harnessing the power of your body’s own immune system. Yet, it has had limited success. Only around 20 percent of patients who receive it get the benefit of a long term remission. This week’s Nature article provides critical clues to why many immunotherapies trigger dangerous side effects—and point to a more effective strategy for treating patients with solid tumors.

Cancer patients in the UK were reporting negative side effects during a cancer immunotherapy trial. It prompted researchers at La Jolla Institute for Immunology Center for Cancer Immunotherapy and University of Liverpool to reexamine the data, and patient samples.

While around 20 to 30 percent of solid cancer patients got long-term remission, some people saw no change after immunotherapy, and others develop serious problems in their lungs, bowel, and even skin during treatment. These side effects can be debilitating, even fatal, and these patients are forced to stop receiving the immunotherapy.

The researchers at La Jolla Institute and the University of Liverpool worked with samples from a recent clinical trial in the UK for patients with head and neck cancers. “The patients were given an oral cancer immunotherapy called a PI3Kd inhibitor. At the time, PI3Kd inhibitors had proven effective for B cell lymphomas but had not yet been tested in solid tumors,” the study says.

PI3Kd inhibitors work by inhibiting “regulatory” T cells called Tregs inside tumors to allow other T cells – effector T cells – to generate cancer-killing CD8+ T cells. The article cites that 12 of the 21 patients in the trial had to discontinue treatment early because they developed inflammation in the colon, a condition called colitis. The team went back to the data and samples to see how the drug was affecting the immune cells. Using a method known as the single-cell genomic sequencing, it was revealed that in the process of increasing tumor-fighting T cells in tumors, the inhibitor, also blocked a specific Treg cell subset from protecting the colon, leaving it exposed to pathogenic cells.

It was determined that the cancer trial patients had been given a larger inhibitor dose than they needed, which has disrupted the delicate balance of the immune cells in the gut.

The new study shows the importance of studying not just personalized therapies but personalized therapy doses and specific sequence, which will be applied in the next clinical human trial. The team of researchers found that intermittent dosing could be a valid treatment strategy that combines sustained anti-tumor immunity with reduced toxicity.

Photo Credit Nature