January 2011
In this Review…
ILEP Visiting Scholars
1
New Years Celebrations
Around the World
2
Calendar of Events
College of EHHS Welcomes
ILEP Visiting Scholars
KSU will host the International Leaders in Education Program (ILEP) for the
fifth consecutive year. ILEP is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and
IREX. This year 16 secondary educators, screened by the Fulbright Commissions in their countries, will be studying here at KSU for the spring semester.
ILEP scholars participate in an array of programming including pedagogy
seminars, technology classes, two graduate-level courses, and internships in
public schools. Ms. Mary Tipton is serving as the ILEP Co-Director. Dr.
Janice Hutchinson will teach the pedagogy seminars, and Dr. Albert “Chip”
Ingram will teach the technology classes.
The Read Review welcomes news items
and photographs of cultural or
international events. We also seek articles
about international education.
Please submit your materials to:
Sonya Demirci
Gerald H. Read Center for International
and Intercultural Education
White Hall Room 215
or sdemirci@kent.edu.
Ms. Mary Tipton,
ILEP Co-Director
Dr. Albert “Chip” Ingram,
Technology Instructor
Dr. Janice Hutchinson,
Pedagogy Instructor
International Leaders in Education Program
Visiting Scholars-Spring 2011
Nadine Al Masri Al Chaarani - Lebanon
Hanan Hakim Sidani - Lebanon
Mohamed Abouabdellah - Morocco
Abdelilah Naji - Morocco
Hermes Vargas - Philippines
Christine Arjona - Philippines
Sikhumbuzo Dlamini – South Africa
Comfort Molete – South Africa
Sukanto Roy - Bangladesh
Swapur Mohajon - Bangladesh
Patricia Carvalho - Brazil
Jeane Gomes de Oliveira - Brazil
Magaly Diaz Velastegui - Ecuador
Fabiola Cordero-Cordova - Ecuador
Betty Rahmawati - Indonesia
Novianti Mulyana - Indonesia
1
New Years Celebrations Around the World
New Year’s Celebration in China
from Dr. Philip Wang
The Chinese New Year, or Spring Festival, is the
most important traditional Chinese holiday. It is
often called "Lunar New Year,” because the date is
determined according to the lunar calendar. It falls
on different dates each year during January or February.
On the New Year's Eve Chinese families gather
for their reunion dinner. The dinner is sumptuous
and traditionally includes fish. It is not to be consumed completely because the words fish and left-over share the
same pronunciation, symbolizing surplus for the coming year.
It is the tradition that families clean the houses to sweep away
ill-fortune in hopes to make way for good luck. Windows and
doors are decorated with red paper-cuts and banners with themes
of happiness, wealth, and longevity. A common example is a
red diamond-shaped posters with the character 福, or
"auspiciousness." This sign is often displayed upside down,
since the Chinese word “upside down” sounds the same as
“arrival,” indicating the arrival of happiness and prosperity.
The family celebrates the New Year Eve with setting off firecrackers. Early the next morning, children will greet their parents and elders by wishing them a healthy and happy new year,
and receive gift-money in red envelopes.
Clothing featuring red or bright colors is commonly worn
throughout the Chinese New Year because red brings good fortune and scares away evil spirits. People typically wear new
clothes from head to toe to symbolize a new beginning.
New Year’s
Celebration in
Uganda from
Pius Ochwo
New Year’s
Day is one of
Uganda’s biggest
holidays. Traveling, shopping and celebrating are all
part of the experience. With each of these comes
expense. A large number of people visit their
hometowns in the countryside between Christmas
and the New Year. As the holidays draw near,
transportation costs begin to rise. In some areas,
ticket prices go up two or three times the normal
prices. There is tremendous pressure on gift–giving
couples; it is said that couples who do not give good
presents to each other should prepare for a breakup.
Before the opening of a big shopping mall, Shoprite,
even the price of necessities used to increase. In
particular, soda went up in price because everybody
drinks soda at parties. With all the excitement, the
progress of most work in Uganda is very slow from
mid-December to early January. Revelers have many
options including mega-concerts at Lubiiri, Sheraton,
Hotel African, Super Paradise and Kasanga as well as
other events more Godly in nature at venues such as
Kampala Pentecostal Church, Kololo airstrip,
Nakivubo stadium and Namboole stadium.
Upcoming Events
Gerald H. Read Distinguished Lecture:
National Teacher of the Year Sarah Browning Wessling
Tuesday, January 25, 2011 at 4:30 p.m., KIVA
Cultural Dialogues
Read Room-White Hall 200
12 p.m.-1 p.m.
ILEP Scholars will give a presentation about their countries and cultures.
Wednesday, February 2
Caring about Ourselves
Tuesday, February 8
Caring about our Professions
Tuesday, February 22
Caring for the Environment
Wednesday, February 16
Caring about Others
2