The Jade Times

By Christine “ECKO” Ho, Staff Writer

Question:

Dear ECKO,

Which is better: Dating Greek or dating Non-Greek?

-Sister Rumour

Answer:

Dear Sister Rumour:

I honestly think that neither is better; I think that Greek is easier however, since you both know the time constraints of Greek life. You’re more understanding when your boyfriend says, “I have a brotherhood with my bros, so I can’t do dinner this Friday.” Likewise, he’s a lot more understanding when you say, “Sorry baby, our annual event that I have to help out with is on the same day as our hangout day with friends — actually, do you want to bring them to our annual ____ show?”

And he probably would.

However, non-Greek might be more worthwhile — if it works out. Although Greek life is a huge, important part of your life in the present, after you graduate, the number of events that you must attend are drastically cut. You will have more time to devote to your personal relationships as well as your professional life. Of course, speaking of professional, you will probably be as devoted to your future career (hopefully) as you were to the sorority. The only difference is that there is a cutoff time for your job. Greek life is lifelong.

A long distance boyfriend, of course, requires more effort. But to my way of thinking, the more you work for it, the more it is worth it. If he is a keeper, he will understand you and your priorities. Sacrifice is key in these relationships—you might not attend one sisterhood because your boyfriend from Arizona is in town. Your sisters will understand. You might have to postpone the 11 PM phone call with your boyfriend every night because your event ran longer than you thought. He will understand. Understanding, compromise, and ultimately the fights (because that’s how most couples work things out as well as figure out boundaries) will all run together to become something that the both of you are comfortable with. And when you tell him that you have an important event in which you are performing while he’s in town that weekend and ask him to come?

He’ll be there.

Sincerely,
ECKO

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Question:

Dear ECKO,

Why does the chicken cross the road?

-Sister Platinum

Answer:

Dear Sister Platinum,

The chicken crosses the road because it wants to get to the other side. And to join its brethren, I suppose. Although, I have to be honest — it probably won’t make it to the other side and will get run over. However, I will keep my fingers crossed for your chicken.

Sincerely,
ECKO

The Happiness Diet: A Nutritional prescription for a Sharp Brain, Balanced Mood, and Lean, Energized Body, by Tyler Graham & Drew Ramsey, MD

By: Oanhie “Shinsen” Pham, Editor-in-chief

If getting on a healthy diet or losing weight is part of your new year’s resolutions, check out “The Happiness Diet,” written by Tyler Graham and Drew Ramsey. Graham and Ramsey’s discusses the history of the Modern American Diet, otherwise known as MAD, how “unhappy meals” end up in the food diet, happy fats and MAD fats, where to get the good stuff like fiber, calcium, omega-3s and vitamin A, the superfoods one should consume (referred in this book as those enriched in the “Essential Elements of Happiness”) and how to even save money on pasture-raised, grass-fed meats by buying directly from a farmer.

Glancing at the front cover, one might find the picture of the seemingly unhealthy cheeseburger amusing because of the title. However, the authors explained that it’s no ordinary burger one can find at a fast-food chain. It’s packed with cheese and meat from grass-fed cows, whole grains, organically grown vegetables and good nutrients such as omega-3s, folate, zinc and magnesium – ingredients that are important to one’s health.

What’s handy is that the book lists foods that are excellent for focus, energy, good mood and shows how they can be made great-tasting so even children might enjoy. For example: anchovies, a focus food, can be a part of one’s diet in an easy, delicious way by turning them into a savory dressing for crisp raw vegetables such as green beans and lettuce, or roasted ones like potatoes and kale. The book doesn’t miss a beat by providing readers with a meal plan for two weeks, healthy recipes for such dressings and plenty of food recipes such as making perfectly scrambled eggs (which is considered brain food and good at any mealtime) and citrus spinach salad. The one thing missing is food photos to convince me to try some of the recipes involving ingredients I’m not particularly thrilled about (anchovies, anyone?).

According to “The Happiness Diet,” in the summer of 2010, 28 million boxes of Kellogg’s cereal were recalled due to a foul smell and tainted taste caused by a compound in the box lining. That reason and 99 more why one should avoid processed foods are sprinkled throughout the book. However, the authors understand the convenience of processed foods but want consumers to carefully look over the ingredients first (the book has a section devoted to terms to be wary of!).

In addition, the book provides 100 reasons why one should avoid supplements, too. Supplements promising energy, focus, better moods, and younger skin may seem appealing. However, the book states that vitamins found in supplements aren’t the same as the ones found in actual food. Even if that isn’t at all surprising to some people, some of the facts are quite interesting. For example, Walmart and Costco sold L’il Critters Gummi Vites, a supplement for children, but it contained 2.5 micrograms of lead per serving. Here’s another one: the book states that your kidneys quickly filter out most vitamins and supplements, and the dark yellow urine after having a multivitamin comes from B2, which is also a food coloring. The facts provided make me think twice about the supplements I consume to try to stay healthy.

I recommend reading the “The Happiness Diet” as it carries fun, interesting facts about supplements, processed foods and even has a bunch of useful, brain-healthy recipes. I’m always looking for simple, healthy recipes to try because I would rather eat homemade dishes than buy them boxed or at restaurants. The authors even said that it’s not possible to not lose weight from following the Happiness Diet. So grab a copy and try out some of the recipes.

Photo credit: http://www.barnesandnoble.com

By Kristine “Sumitra” Aguilan, Christine “ECKO” Ho and Stephenie “Remedi” Lai, Staff Writers

With the new year well underway, the time for resolutions and new beginnings has come. Every year, individuals create new year’s resolutions, challenging themselves to become better people — whether it is the ever-popular weight-loss route, learning a new skill set or even just to become a little bit happier in life, the journey to fulfilling that goal is just as satisfying as achieving the goal itself.

Here at “The Jade Times,” we asked the presidents of several chapters what their new year’s resolutions would be for 2012. Though we anticipated the responses would be very similar, we wanted to see what new ideas and implementations each chapter had in store for their would-be affiliates.

University of Georgia

UGA plans to go all out and shoot for Chapter of the Year. Of course, it won’t be by lying down — the chapter is planning to come up with new programs. Because all programs have a tendency to gear toward Greek stereotypes or programs about gender roles, etc., UGA has decided that it is going to hold a specific program about domestic violence. This program will be educational as well as empowering for all types of women and men. UGA chapter will also be holding life-value programs such as how to build your credit. With the start of a new year, no one wants to begin — or end — with debt.

University of Cincinnati

Jessie “Lily” Truong has set three goals in mind for this upcoming term: effective communication, time management and enthusiasm. She said, “In order to maintain solid communication, sisters have been checking and replying to all e-mails daily and we have also started using a group text number to be able to contact one another instantly for important questions or information.” She also admits that since time management is an issue, planning ahead of time for events or activities is key, in which communication plays a strong role. They established a requirement of wearing suitable DPhiL gear at all times, as well as a vow to display a positive attitude to attract future female leaders.

Emory University

Emory is also aspiring to make this year big — 2012 marks its 10^th anniversary of being established! The chapter plans to make a month-long event out of its joyous occasion; filled with educational programs as well as sisterhood events. Having made 10 years is definitely an achievement, and a week just isn’t enough to celebrate it!

Illinois State University

Whitney “Airwyn” Newton plans to tackle the “root of all evil” and work on controlling financial issues they have experienced in the past. The focus on collecting required dues and fees from each sister will help to balance out the costs of maintaining the chapter and with the new standards in place set forth by National Board, it will make it that much easier to resolve this particular issue. Newton said, “[As President] I want to continue to motivate those in the sorority to want to be Newton said, “[As President] I want to continue to motivate those in the sorority to want to be active as much as they possibly can and see things as something fun as opposed to a chore.” Along with working on consistency within the chapter for activities and rush events, ISU is hosting formals later in the spring and planning a summer retreat to help the bonds of the active sisters once two of them have returned from their study abroad in Japan.

Purdue University

Being a college town campus, it is somewhat easier to be able to schedule last-minute meetings and events, but what is there to do around town? Along with rush events and sisterhoods, Gwen “Staccatö” McMillon’s vision for the spring 2012 semester includes reaching out to the community at large, and performing more services and philanthropies to spread the sorority’s name. This can assist in another goal: boosting recruitment in order to achieve Active status. Spring cleaning seems to be on her mind as well, as she wants to spend time updating the bylaws of the chapter and preparing the petition to move the chapter up in status by the time Convention rolls around.

Loyola University

With the chapter scattered throughout the city of Chicago, it can become difficult to find the means and the time to congregate, even just for chapter meetings. With Loyola, the focus seems to be strengthening the bonds that are already established at the chapter. Tiffany “Gia” Yi said, “[…] so far for spring, I would like to have more sisterhoods. It’s hard for all 10 of us to be [in] one place because of all our schedules. Also, I wanted us to go up in status but I know realistically that won’t happen [this year]. So we are shooting for at least the Blue Rose Award. We’ve improved a lot in the past year so I hope that continues. We’re also having our first retreat this year.” Plans for the retreat are in the works, but the anticipation and significance of the retreat is bringing the chapter closer together.

Grand Valley State University

Being one of the first chapters in the Midwest to have a winter class, GVSU wants to return to their charter’s old roots and is seeking to develop another winter class. With a few plans to increase their GPA standing and a successful DPhiL week, the most interesting event for Megan “Charisma” Fish and her chapter would be their upcoming participation in neighboring Western Michigan University’s Multigreek Council (MGC) Showcase — with the invitation to a university with no Asian-interest focused sororities (Sigma Lambda Gamma is a multicultural sorority), this opens up new opportunities to make friends, build interests in our sisterhood, and possibly develop a new chapter within the Midwest.

University of West Florida

Last but not least, the University of West Florida also has many plans. As one of Delta Phi Lambda’s newest chapters, UWF sisters’ aspirations are big and bright. They plan to attract more sisters into the fold, and move forward into being an Active chapter. With more sisters, more plans, and just simply more, they are on their way to the top. Their Lunar New Year Event is also filled with cultural activities such as calligraphy and skits. Having started out with just a few sisters and their advisor in this event, they plan to make this particular one grow to its biggest yet this year. This year will include collaborations with other organizations to include other Asian organizations as well as bring in a larger audience. UWF also plans on having more sisterhood throughout the year to feel the bond between sisters grow and flourish.

We know that all chapters already have their resolutions set, and are all going to meet their goals. Delta Phi Lambda always delivers their promises, after all!

By Gaoli “Chamomile” Moua, Staff Writer and Copy Editor

When Jean “Sistine” An rushed Delta Phi Lambda as a freshman at the University of Georgia in 2005, she was simply excited to make new friends, unaware of how the sorority impact her life or future.

“I had absolutely no idea what sorority, fraternity, or Greek life was before I went to college. Even when I was rushing, I still wasn’t clear of what sorority was … I just went along because the girls were really friendly to me and I loved how they were all very much involved in the Asian community on campus,” An said. She especially enjoyed getting to know the four other girls in her line, with whom she regularly chats with today.

In addition to teaching herself how to play the guitar, playing golf and indulging in other creative hobbies like making hair accessories, An is paying tribute to the relationships she has developed through the sorority as the current director of alumnae relations.

Though An has graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interior design, put in time as an international relations professional in Korea and is now working with an Atlanta interior design firm, the relationships she has created are still on her mind.

“Now that I am an alum, I really want to set an example for our undergraduate sisters — I want to help them with anything that I can — this doesn’t have to be sorority related or anything,” she said.

An hopes to establish a channel of which alumnae can give back to the sorority through interaction with active sisters and developing networking opportunities.

Most sisters experience the same kind of anxiety when approaching graduation — the pressure of finding a job, having the right connections and reassurance of hope for the future. As alumnae, An suggested, “[Alumnae] can be mentors to undergraduate sisters.”

DFL alumnae have careers in all sectors, from private to public, cosmetology to medicine. Though many alumnae are available to provide career advice and professional leads, formal avenues have yet to be established.

An added, “I think a strong foundation for alumnae is needed for our sorority.” Eager to engage alumnae back to the sorority, An is currently putting together a database in which she can use to be the “matchmaker” of undergraduates to alumnae. Alumnae who have not yet updated their information in the Alumnae Directory are asked to do so at their earliest convenience.

While An is gathering updated information from alumnae, there are other opportunities that alumnae can participate in — attending chapter events, meeting other sisters for dinner and joining the regional alumnae stroll teams.

By May “Mosaic” Advincula, Staff Writer

With the new year often comes the perception of starting over, and that is something that former New Republic reporter, Stephen Glass, had to learn the hard way.

Glass’ story can teach us much about the importance of value and holding ourselves to high standards. When we become Delta Phi Lambda sisters, we become bound to the seven virtues that our founding mothers established, and it becomes our responsibility to uphold those virtues in every endeavor we undertake. Like anything we value or find of importance, we should never resort to compromising our values for personal interests and gain. In the end, self-serving does nothing but hurt the best interests of the whole, and in the case of Glass, caused a demise in his career and his character. In the three-year time frame that Glass was employed by TNR, he was able to tarnish his reputation for the rest of his entire life by disregarding values of his company and the journalism industry as a whole.

Well-known in the journalism industry for his blatantly misconstrued articles depicting false situations, Glass damaged his career and seemingly added to jeopardizing confidence in journalism.

The essentials of good journalism provides balanced arguments which allows for the audience to deduce their own conclusion from the information presented, and the industry as a whole faces unyielding pressure to provide unbiased pieces that stay true to fact and stray from partiality. However, Glass took advantage of that placed trust and violated these essential values to serve his personal interests and advance his career.

Glass began his career at political American magazine TNR in 1995 as an editorial assistant and started early in his profession by writing features. He began receiving backlash in 1996 regarding his article titled “Hazardous to Your Mental Health” in which the Center for Science in the Public Interest, who had been the focus of the article, released a public statement that pointed out inaccuracies and accused Glass of plagiarism.

A slew of additional accusations of inaccuracies and falsehoods followed for additional articles written by Glass. However, at the time, the publication stood behind its writer and defended him against those who were claiming his articles were false.

It was not until 1998 that Glass was publicly exposed for his fraudulent stories. His “Hack Heaven” feature depicted the story of a 15-year-old hired as an information security consultant for a company called Jukt Micronics. Adam Peneberg, a reporter with Forbes, investigated the article to verify the information to determine how TNR had gotten the scoop prior to Forbes. It was then that Peneberg discovered that the company and people that Glass included in his article never existed. When initially confronted, Glass claimed to have been tricked and had gone as far to have his brother pose as a Jukt Micronics executive named Sims. Additionally, Glass had gone to great lengths to disguise his deceit with TNR fact checkers by creating a website, voice mail account, story notes and fake business cards for the made-up company.

Once it was discovered that Glass had fabricated the entire story, former editor Charles Lane fired Glass. In the end TNR determined that approximately 66 percent (27 out of 41) stories contained fabricated material. Although there were some articles that contained both fact and fiction, the “Hack Heaven” feature was completely made up.

His journalism career obliterated by his distrust, Glass then pursued a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. He applied for the New York bar and was denied due to failure to certify him on the moral fitness test. He then applied to the California bar and again was denied certification due to questioning of his moral standards.

As a result of disregard for these values, Glass will never be able to escape his reputation and will be discredited in the minds of his colleagues. Compromising what you, your employer, family, friends and colleagues value can inevitably lead to a question of your character as well as serves a reflection on the group of people who are connected to you.

As we embark on a new year, it is important that we stay true to the values that we are taught and to continue to exemplify those values that are most important to us.

Photo credit : http://ethicsalarms.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/stephen_glass.jpg

No matter where you are in the world, we hope you have a wonderful and safe time celebrating the holidays with good company.

Cheers!

Oanhie “Shinsen” Pham
Editor-in-chief

By Christine” ECKO” Ho, Staff Writer

Everyone knows all about Christmas and its origins. It is described as the season of giving, the time to give presents as well as (hopefully) receive them. It is celebrated by most, and is a season that traditionally deflates your bank account.

But I’m sure everyone remembers their fifth grade lessons about the different celebrations around the world. As fun as Christmas is, it tends to eclipse other celebrations out there such as Kwanzaa or Hanukkah. For eight nights, Hanukkah is celebrated by Jewish people with songs, prayer, games and gifts. Kwanzaa lasts a week and is more geared toward the celebration of African heritage. Gifts are also exchanged during Kwanzaa while family and friends gather together to light colored candles and eat.

A Christmas-related holiday I’ve never known about is Three Kings’ Day. After the 12 days of Christmas (which starts on Christmas day and ends January 5^th) comes a day called Epiphany, or the day that the Three Kings saw baby Jesus and brought him gifts.

Now, let’s take it back to our roots. Buddhism celebrates December 8^th for the day that Buddha became Enlightened.  And although Chinese New Year is celebrated in late January to early February, for Asians it is the end of the year then, according to the lunar calendar.

Lastly, let’s say you can’t choose, and would like to celebrate all of the possible festivals out there. Don’t worry, there’s even one for you. It’s called Christmahannukwanzadan, which merges the Christian Christmas, the Jewish Hanukkah, the African holiday of Kwanzaa, and the Islamic Ramadan, according to Wikipedia.

For a full list of possible winter celebrations to be thankful for, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_winter_festivals

Photo credit: Oanhie Pham

By May “Mosaic” Advincula, Staff Writer

The New York Times best-seller, Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, combines two years’ worth of interviews with Jobs in addition to interviews with family, friends and critics, and provides a candid look into how the different people and experiences he encountered resulted in the successful development of products and business strategy. A self-proclaimed perfectionist, Jobs’ life story provides a glimpse into how using one’s imagination can be the catalyst for great ideas and innovations.

One of the most iconic visionaries and leaders of the 21st century, Steve Jobs will be forever remembered for his amazing successes including bringing a once down-trodden company to one of the most successful and powerful companies of the digital age and revolutionizing the landscape of the industry altogether.

With a constantly evolving landscape, and an ever-increased importance for America to continue to sustain its innovative edge in a world of fierce competition, this book serves as a reminder of the type of talent and visionary it takes to evolve ideas into actionable reality.

Many have claimed that there will never be another Steve Jobs. However, rather than lament that we will never have someone of his caliber in our lifetime, we should view his legacy of unique leadership and vision as inspiration for ourselves to push ourselves beyond what we think we are capable of.

Jobs serves as a testament to “living life to the fullest” and I encourage you all to end the year with a renewed sense of inspiration, and to move forward in 2012 with the same conviction.

As Jobs said in his 2005 commencement speech to Stanford graduates, ““Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

YouTube video of graduation speech:
2005 Stanford Graduation Speech: www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1R-jKKp3NA

Photo credit: http://www.macstories.net/roundups/inspirational-steve-jobs-quotes/ as seen on www.Apple.com

By Kippie “Sumitra” Aguilan, Staff Writer

Question:
“I am considered an international sister, receiving my undergraduate degree in the United States, then earning my graduate degree in Hong Kong. I have already had my share of experiences, but how would you recommend to fellow sisters how to deal with feelings of being homesick and even all the travel involved?” – Intentionally International Sister

Answer:
With the holidays well underway, I certainly understand how feeling homesick can get to anyone. However, you are already on the right track, just by being a sister of the best sisterhood ever! Sisters of Delta Phi Lambda should already know that though we only have chapters in the contiguous United States, our sisters are from all over the world. Even in our National History, we discuss that our Founding Mothers wanted our women to find “a home away from home”, and reconnecting with sisters in countries different from our own will help to strengthen that relationship and calm our fears of being alone in a world in which we are unaccustomed. Let me give you some examples!

From Purdue University, we have a sister studying abroad in the Netherlands but raised in Singapore while another sister is doing a work-study program in Taiwan, another is preparing for her medical career in South Korea and a few other sisters originate from Malaysia. From Illinois State University, we have two sisters who, starting in late January 2012, will be studying abroad in Japan – one of them is a neophyte, no less, so it’s lucky for her to have joined our great sisterhood in time to have a sister she can turn to out there. From Loyola, we have a sister who is originally from Thailand and a neophyte born and raised in Hong Kong and from DePaul we have a sister originally from Shanghai. From the University of Central Florida, we had a sister living and raising a family in Italy due to military reasons whereas from Georgia Tech, we have a sister who is splitting her time between Atlanta, Chicago, and Canada where her family resides; then at Georgia State University, we have a sister who is currently overseas teaching in Japan. And do not forget that we are slowly taking over the nation as well, from “the Redwood Forests to the Gulf Stream waters,” you can hear our call!

Even in a foreign country, miles away from family, friends, or even sisters, there are still ways to cope with feeling lonely and dealing with the distance that separates you from loved ones. One way to get started is by joining a nearby club, just like you did when starting out with Delta Phi Lambda – local hot spots such as groceries or community boards offer clubs to residents such as movie or book related clubs and even stranger ones, such as the examples in the movie “The Fight Club.” Try looking for classes in your area, such as language classes or cooking classes, where there is a common, singular bond amongst the students. There will also likely be singles groups to attend where you can not only meet new friends but potential life-partners. A great place to start your search for connections can be libraries, hostels where there are other travelers, or even colleges where there are bound to be others just like you. If you struggle, know that technology is ever-present and a loved one can be as close as your computer screen, using Skype or other voice/camera chat programs. You just have to keep in mind that even with all the space in between, you are never alone.

By Oanhie “Shinsen” Pham, Editor-in-chief

Ah, it’s the holiday season. Some folks might take short vacations, college students might be going home, or friends and families might be visiting one another, leaving their house vacant. It’s a time to take it easy and enjoy time with loved ones. But for burglars, it could just mean a good time to take their chances. The possibility of finding hot holiday presents in an empty house might be enough to entice them. Don’t give them any open chances.

Some people may take extra precautions to keep their homes safe with kick-proof doors and technology such as surveillance cameras that can be monitored online, but here are some basic tips to keep your place safe:

• Here’s one for users of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook: be careful posting when and where you go on vacation. This is especially true for those who post personal contact information in their profile.
• Make sure all your doors and windows are locked (and that they lock well). It’s an easy invitation for burglars if they see a window or door unlocked.
• Have any “hidden” keys around the outside of your home? Make sure you collect them. They’re not so hidden to burglars, especially if they’re underneath mats or potted plants.
• If you’re good friends with your neighbor, see if he/she can help you watch your house while you’re away. If you have regular deliveries (such as newspaper) sent regularly to your home, ask your neighbor to collect them for you or ask the company to temporarily halt deliveries. It gives less room for a burglar to think no one’s home.
• A dark house that appears to be empty could be what burglars are looking for. If possible, set timers on interior lights. Motion-sensor exterior lights are good to utilize while you’re away and even while you’re at home. Make sure the lights are working and aren’t dim. They may help deter any possible burglaries.
• If you have an alarm system, use it! If you don’t have one, consider having one installed. It might take only one incident for you to realize that, yes, it could — and did — happen to you.

Stay safe and happy holidays!

Source: www.statefarm.com

 Photo credit: Oanhie Pham