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Of course, Brinza would probably be the first to allow that a good cup of coffee helps as well, if you want to consider that an integrated approach to teaching.
Although we may not get a day off for it, Lunar New Year is still a significant holiday for many UCLA students. In 2017, Lunar New Year falls on Jan 28, marking the beginning of the Year of the Rooster and the end of the Year of the Monkey.
Many people may have the habit of referring to Lunar New Year as “Chinese New Year,” but in reality, Lunar New Year is celebrated in Chinese, Vietnamese and Korean cultures, among others. Lunar New Year celebrations typically last for 15 days after the start of the new year.
Traditionally, Lunar New Year is celebrated by having a family reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve. Each culture will devour their own cultural foods while catching up with family members, some of whom traveled home for the holiday season in order to be reunited with their families.
When I was younger, my family would celebrate Lunar New Year with my grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins. We would feast on traditional Chinese and Malaysian food, and I would receive red envelopes from my parents and relatives. The most exciting part about the red envelopes was counting how much money I would get.
Arguably, one of the most anticipated Lunar New Year traditions for children is the receiving of red envelopes. Parents, grandparents and other married relatives or friends give children red envelopes until the children grow up and get married themselves. These red envelopes are a symbol of good luck and usually contain even amounts of money in accordance with Chinese customs, as even numbers are considered auspicious, or lucky. However, the number four is avoided as it sounds like “death” in Chinese languages and dialects.
This year at UCLA, student cultural clubs such as the Vietnamese Language and Culture Club (VNLC), the Association of Chinese Americans, the Nikkei Student Union, the Vietnamese Student Union and others have organized events and activities to celebrate Lunar New Year.
On Monday, ACA and UCLA ResLife hosted a Lunar New Year Festival in the Palisades Room of Carnesale Commons. I attended the event with my friends as I was excited to do something festive for Lunar New Year this year and experience how Lunar New Year is celebrated at UCLA. The free food offered at the event was also a big incentive for me to attend.
Before we could get our free food, which included boba, we had to complete four Lunar New Year activities at the many activity booths managed by different cultural clubs. I made origami cranes, handheld fans, red envelopes and played a Vietnamese gambling game called bau cua ca cop (squash-crab-fish-tiger).
Besides the games and crafting, Hanoolim Drumming performed a traditional Korean drumming piece as well as a dance piece. TAU A Cappella performed two songs in Mandarin, one of which was by the famous Taiwanese singer Jay Chou. Chinese Cultural Dance Club and ACA Lion Dance also performed to entertain students while they enjoyed the free food provided by the food sponsors of the event – Koala T Cafe, Mandarin Kitchen, Feast From the East and Volcano Teahouse.
I thought that ACA and UCLA ResLife did a phenomenal job in hosting the Lunar New Year Festival as there was a good turnout and it got people into the festive mood. It was also a wonderful experience seeing how Lunar New Year is celebrated by different communities and cultures.
Besides this large-scale Lunar New Year Festival, clubs like Malaysian Students Association are celebrating the new year by having a gathering for club members on New Year’s Day filled with food and games.
Feast will also host a special Lunar New Year Dinner from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. with exclusive offerings on the menu this Wednesday. ACA Lion Dance group will perform during the meal period as entertainment.
However, for other students, Lunar New Year is all about the family. Michelle Vu, a first-year physiological science student, will be returning home for Lunar New Year to celebrate it with her family and relatives.
“Everyone will come to my house and all my aunts and uncles will wish my grandpa a year of prosperity and happiness and we will all have dinner together,” said Vu.
Tam Nguyen, a second-year chemistry student, will also be spending the new year with her family.
“Even though I have a midterm and a paper due next week, I am still going home this weekend for Lunar New Year because my mom wants me to do so and I’m excited to eat traditional food for the new year,” said Nguyen.
While some students who live nearby are able to return home for the weekend to reunite with family, many students would not be able to spend Lunar New Year with their families as it is not a university holiday. In my opinion, Lunar New Year should be a university holiday, as many communities at UCLA celebrate this festival.
As an international student, I will also not be able to go home for Lunar New Year. Even though I am not able enjoy home-cooked meals by my grandparents or look forward to hearing firecrackers go off at midnight, I am glad that I was able to do some crafting at the Lunar New Year Festival and to have experienced the event with my friends.
I’d like to wish everyone a happy Lunar New Year and may this new year bring you happiness, good health and good grades.
Brenda Chan is a Quad contributor. She likes writing about fitness, nutrition, lifestyle and education.
Centre Jamie Roberts has promised there will be no repeat of the sin-binning offence that helped South Africa beat Wales in the first Test when the sides meet again on Saturday in Nelspruit.
Wales conceded 14 first-half points in their 38-16 defeat in Durban after Roberts tackled Willie le Roux while the Springboks full-back was airborne.
"You learn from it… it won't happen again," said Roberts.
Wales have never beaten the Springboks in South Africa.
However, Roberts was man of the series for the British and Irish Lions in the 2009 series in South Africa.
The Lions lost the series 2-1 but the 6ft 4in Wales inside centre formed a potent midfield partnership with Brian O'Driscoll.
Jonathan Davies took over from O'Driscoll alongside Roberts for the final Test of the Lions' 2-1 series win over Australia in 2013.
And Roberts expects his partnership with Davies to show a big improvement on their efforts in Durban when makeshift Boks duo Jan Serfontein and JP Pietersen outshone the Welshmen.
Racing Metro star Roberts hopes he and Davies can enjoy an improved attacking platform courtesy of Wales' forwards, saying "everything must come together".
He added: "Myself and Jon have to demand the ball a bit more this week and maybe play a bit more direct and get in the game a bit more.
"And I think defensively we need to go up a notch as well - we made a few mistakes between us last weekend.
"We trust each other, we know our game inside out and we have to make that pay Saturday."
Roberts says he did not sleep well last Saturday night as he reflected on his sin-binning.
He added: "We weren't good enough to win the game and we conceded some soft tries - that's what hurts the most.
"Obviously [they scored] 14 points whilst I was in the bin and that hurts the team and it hurts personally as well.
"I didn't sleep too well on Saturday night - [but] Sunday you have to forget it.
"And yes it happens in players' careers, but you have to make sure it happens only once.
"It was a definite yellow, there's no doubt about that, and as soon as it happened and I saw it on the big screen you've got no qualms - I got what I deserved."
Wales: Liam Williams (Scarlets), Alex Cuthbert (Cardiff Blues), Jonathan Davies (Scarlets), Jamie Roberts (Racing Metro), George North (Northampton Saints), Dan Biggar (Ospreys), Mike Phillips (Racing Metro), Gethin Jenkins (Cardiff Blues), Ken Owens (Scarlets), Samson Lee (Scarlets), Luke Charteris (Perpignan), Alun Wyn Jones (Capt) (Ospreys), Dan Lydiate (Racing Metro), Josh Turnbull (Scarlets), Taulupe Faletau (Newport Gwent Dragons).
Replacements: Matthew Rees (Cardiff Blues), Paul James (Bath), Aaron Jarvis (Ospreys), Jake Ball (Scarlets), Dan Baker (Ospreys), Gareth Davies (Scarlets), James Hook (Perpignan), Matthew Morgan (Ospreys).
Add seared tuna to a salad of almost any sort. It needs very little accompaniment.
Allow the tuna to approach room temperature. Add equal amounts of sesame oil and olive oil to a pan and heat to smoking hot. Lightly coat the whole filet in sesame seeds, then sear for just less than a minute on each side. Slice 1/2 inch thick and serve at once. A little wasabi and mayonnaise dip will compliment this dish.
A Lithuanian woman, arrested in March after her links with extremist organization were discovered, was allegedly planning a suicide bombing attack at a Russian military site.
Egle Kusaite, 21, has been trained in handling explosive devices and had contacts with radical extremists in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Russia and Great Britain, a spokesman for the Lithuanian General Prosecutor’s House Justas Lautsus said on Tuesday.
“Kusaite did everything she could to do what she set out to do – go to Russia and blow herself up at a military site,” quotes him Interfax news agency.
The woman was arrested on March 28 in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius as she was boarding a flight to Russia. Some media reports have linked her with the terror attacks in the Moscow Metro, which happened a day later, after police found a bomb-making manual and a map of the Metro in her bags.
Kusaite, a citizen of Lithuania, has been under surveillance for several months. Police were monitoring her due to the anti-Russian messages she posted on the Internet. She also applied several times for a Russian visa, but was repeatedly denied.
Lithuanian investigators suspected that Kusaite had some sort of crime on her mind and launched a joint operation with their Russian counterparts. She was allowed to enter Russia, but was arrested en route.
Lithuanian media said that at the age of 18, the girl became engaged to a young man from Chechnya, who later left the country to an unknown destination. A year later, she fled her home and disappeared, to be discovered three months later in Germany living in a family of Chechen immigrants.
Her Lithuanian family said she went through a drastic change of character, becoming a highly religious and radical Muslim. Later she returned to her home country.
Kusaite is now on trial in Lithuania. If found guilty, she could be sentenced to up to ten years in prison.
TRUCKEE, Calif. — Students at Truckee Elementary School in Truckee will soon be exploring North America in a big way — with one of the world’s largest maps of the continent.
Sponsored by the Truckee Elementary PTO, the map, measuring 35 feet by 26 feet, gives student explorers a fun, interactive experience through rich content and exciting activities that enliven the study of geography.
It will be at Truckee Elementary from March 16-27, as part of National Geographic’s Giant Traveling Maps program, organized by National Geographic Live, the public programming division of the National Geographic Society.
There will be an event on March 26 at the school at the school, next to Truckee High at 11725 Donner Pass Road,f rom 6-7:30 p.m. for families and community member to come experience this fantastic learning opportunity.
The brightly colored, smooth vinyl surface of the map accurately illustrates North America’s oceans, seas, rivers, mountains, countries and capitals. The map, designed for grades K-8, comes with a trunk full of accessories, including interactive games, geography adventures, atlases and books that teach students about the physical characteristics of the continent as well as its rich history and varied cultures.
One of the activities included is “A Tale of Twenty Cities,” in which students explore the physical and economic reasons behind the locations of North American cities.
National Geographic’s Giant Traveling Maps program was introduced in 2006 with a map of Africa, and has since expanded to include maps of North America, Asia, South America, Europe and the Pacific Ocean.
To learn more about the Giant Traveling Map project, for borrowing information, or to download map activities, visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com/giantmaps.
The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society’s mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 400 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise.
National Geographic has funded more than 9,600 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit http://www.nationalgeographic.com.
Ashley Staron is a fourth-grade teacher at Truckee Elementary School.
There’s an important November 2018 ballot issue to end gerrymandering in Michigan.
Every 10 years, the Constitution provides that the districts from which we elect representatives must be redrawn based on the census results. Both parties gerrymander: that is, when they have a majority they draw the legislative district boundaries to keep their majority. Michigan is one of the worst gerrymandered states. For example, in 2014, while votes cast were almost equally split with Democrats getting slightly higher popular vote, the results had the Michigan House split 63-47 Republican/Democrat and the Senate 27-11.
The ballot issue will put the redistricting process into the hands of an Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission. They would do their work in the open, transparently — a major departure from the current back room process.
A volunteer grassroots effort last year gained more than enough signatures to get this on the ballot. But a lawsuit has recently been filed to block giving citizens the opportunity to vote on this issue.
A compelling result of eliminating gerrymandering is that elected officials are no longer in “safe” districts where they will be re-elected no matter what. In a fair system they must work with their constituents and peers to reach consensus. We need more moderation versus more extremism in politics.
No matter which side of the political aisle you stand, you want your vote to count. Please consider getting involved now in this fundamental democratic issue.
For more information, see votersnotpoliticians.com.
How healthy are U.S. auto manufacturers?
We may not have flying cars (yet), but there are some other pretty nifty features on display at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The future seems more hopeful for U.S. automakers than it did a couple of years ago. Earlier this month, news outlets reported that auto sales for January were up. Then yesterday, different numbers emerged. So just how healthy are U.S. auto manufacturers?
We’ll find on Afternoon Shift with Steve Edwards today, when we put that question to two people who keep a close eye on the auto industry: NPR business reporter Sonari Glinton and Changing Gears senior editor Micki Maynard. They’ll join us to take the pulse of the auto industry and talk about what kinds of cars we could see 10 years down the line.
COMING THURSDAY: B.B. King performs today at the Civic Center downtown.
Monday is the last day to register to vote for the Nov. 2 election. Those eligible to vote but who have not registered may do so at the Chatham County Voter Registration office, 1117 Eisenhower Drive.
Once their registration is processed and eligibility confirmed, they also may take part in early voting at the same location. Any eligible voter desiring to vote early may do so in person at the Voter Registration office from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Early voting continues through Oct. 22.
The beloved Savannah tradition Picnic in the Park in Forsyth Park is Sunday. This year's event will feature Strings of the South, a specially formed string ensemble under the direction of local talent Eddie Wilson.
This year's picnic theme is "Pinknic in the Park," in recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness month during October.
Picnickers are encouraged to make creative use of the color pink when planning their picnics. Those who enter their spreads in the picnic contest, called "Pinknic in the Park," will be eligible to win prizes and bragging rights as Savannah's best picnicker.
Eddie Wilson has assembled a 12-piece string section combined with a rhythm section, piano and well-known local vocalists Huxsie Scott and Trae Gurley into an ensemble called Strings of the South. Their performance begins about 7:15 p.m.
In the "Pinknic" contest, judges will look for incorporation of the "pink" theme, including the creative use of materials, decorative objects, costuming and menu. Registration is free but required, and entries with large tents or displays are asked to choose a spot on the sides of the lawn. Registration begins at 3 p.m. Judging takes place at 5 p.m. No grills are allowed in the park.
After a series of screenings at 12 zonal centres across the country, picking the prize-winning entries from 123 works showcased at the Life In My City Art Festival’s award night in Enugu was a daunting task for the jury. However, eight artists got the winning prizes ranging betwen N500,000 and N50,000 while 12 others got the consolation prize of N20, 000 each.
The seven-man jury led by Prof Chike Aniakor said selecting the winners of the various prizes was a difficult decision in some cases.
According to the jury, based on the theme of the festival, Out of the frame, out of the box, its mandate was to select 25 outstanding works from a total of 123 that engaged with the theme and made it to the grand finale from the various zonal finals held in Enugu, Lagos, Calabar, Auchi, Kaduna, Abuja, Ibadan and Port Harcourt. From this number, an overall winner was to emerge, along with the best in the categories of painting/mixed-media/drawing, sculpture/installation /ceramics, photography/multimedia and textile/graphics. There were also two sponsored prizes to be determined by the jury at the grand finale. These were the Justice Anthony Aniagolu prize for originality and the Art is everywhere prize for best waste–to-art piece. The remaining works from the shortlist of 25 were to be awarded consolation prizes.
In its final report, the jury said: “The judges had a difficult task short listing 25 works and determining the prize winner from the whole lot. To arrive at a fairly accurate judgment their work was carried out in three stages. in the first stages, each of the seven judges had the liberty to critically study all the works on display and select up to 25 pieces based primarily on the artist originality of thought, creative handling of materials /media and conceptual engagement with the theme, out of the box. The judges compared note from each person shortlist and found that they had 27 most re occurring pieces. They returned as a group to the exhibition ground and pruned the shortlist to 25 through a long critical discussion. “In the second stage, members of the jury shortlisted their best four works out of the 25. From these, 10 works emerged as possible prize winner. The third and fin al stage involved critique session on al 10 works, one after the other. Based on the group discussion, the jury finally arrived at a consensus position on the overall prize winner, the category prize winner and the sponsored prize winner.
Hancock Historical Society's Holiday house tour will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, and Sunday, Nov. 20. This year's holiday tour includes the 1828 Trail Inn Bed and Breakfast; the Heller Home; the Hancock Visitor's Center and Museum at the Historic Barton House; Flint's Chance; the home of Jessie Mills; and Hook's Mill. The C&O Canal National Historic Park Visitor Center, 439 E. Main St., will also be open. $10; $5, students. Call 240-520-0520.
Radford Wine will present his short film, "A Message From the Tree," 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at Antietam National Battlefield Visitor Center theater, Sharpsburg Pike, near Sharpsburg. The film tells the story of the Battle of Antietam through the eyes of the Witness Tree, also known as the Burnside Sycamore. Wine will sign copies of his DVD following the presentation. Call 301-432-5124 or go to www.messagefromthetree.com.
St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church will host an organ dedication and recital at 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at the church, 30 S. Martin St., Clear Spring. The church's new Allen Organ will be dedicated followed by a recital by C. Randall Williams. Call 301-842-2505.
The Museum Consort will perform at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, 401 Museum Drive, Hagerstown. The group will play "Dances, Grave and Light," selections from "Ten Songs and Dances of the Playhouse," "Paduan, Gilliard & Courant" and "Three Scottish Country Dances." Free. Call 301-739-5727 or email drastelli@wcmfa.org.
The FETCH film festival, films for a healthier, better, green life and money savings, will be Sunday, Nov. 20, at Ice House, 138 Independence St., Berkeley Springs, W.Va. Films include "No Impact Man" 10 a.m.; "How Cuba Survived Peak Oil" 1:30 p.m.; "Food Matters" 3 p.m.; and "Blue Vinyl" 7 p.m. Discussion follows each film. Sponsored by Local Economy Network. Call 304-258-3042 or go to www.localeconomynetwork.org.
Archives\|YATES DISCUSSES REALTY PROBLEMS; Reviews Work of State Association at Recent Niagara Falls Convention. HE SUMMARIZES PROGRESS Report Shows Beneficial Results Effected by Boards During the Past Year.
YATES DISCUSSES REALTY PROBLEMS; Reviews Work of State Association at Recent Niagara Falls Convention. HE SUMMARIZES PROGRESS Report Shows Beneficial Results Effected by Boards During the Past Year.
were presented as alleged guerrillas killed in combat.
According to Radio Caracol, the station had access to documents of the Prosecution that are part of the ongoing investigation against retired Colonel Alvaro Diego Tamayo and 17 other soldiers.
The members of the military are held responsible for the disappearance and murder of Julian Oviedo Monroy, who disappeared in Soacha in March 2008 and was reported as guerrilla killed in combat one day later in Ocaño, close to the border with Venezuela.
According to the prosecution, Tamayo was essential in the civil and military structure of recruiting young men from Soacha and other cities. These recruits were then delivered to troops of the Santander Battalion, who then murdered the victims and declared them as rebels killed in combat, the report says.
The military’s actions show they “apparently were fully aware of what they were doing” which “corresponds to a previous agreement they had with other members of the army and civilians, in order to demonstrate successful operational results,” the documents of the Prosecution says.
DuBois suspects that few of his neighbors had purchased flood insurance prior to the storm, because the area had never been inundated before. Columbia attorney Bert Louthian had a similar experience. Neither of his neighbors in Little Lake Katherine had flood insurance. He did, but only because his mortgage company had required it.
For the latest updates on Hurricane Florence's environmental threats and more, sign up for news alerts here. To support more coverage like this, click here for a digital-only subscription.
Although flood insurance is rarely purchased by inland homeowners, nearly a quarter of households in Horry County, S.C., where Myrtle Beach is located, hold federal flood policies. That’s in part because they and many other coastal residents live in designated “high risk” flood zones, where federal insurance is required.

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