The Jade Times

By Oanhie “Shinsen” Pham, Copy Editor

Celebrate this year’s National Nutrition Month by munching down healthy, colorful food choices.

The theme for this year’s National Nutrition Month — which is celebrated in March — is “Eat Right with Color.” The campaign is created by the American Dietetic Association to help spread about the importance of eating and exercising properly.

Going on a diet or exercising alone won’t give us the full benefits we want and need. When we go on diets, we tend to think that eating less will give us the most beneficial results. However, up to a third of women between the ages of 20 and 40 don’t get enough protein, which should be about 50 to 175 grams a day (or 10 to 35 percent of your daily calories, based on a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. What’s more, not getting enough protein in your body can actually put you more at risk for osteoporosis, a disease that will cause you to have brittle bones.
Osteoporosis can affect anyone at any age, but more so women than men. Asian and Caucasian women are even more at risk. As women, we need to take care of our bodies to prevent or slow down bone loss. Some factors we are in control of are our activity levels and diets.

According to “Women’s Health” magazine, women aren’t getting their recommended amounts because a diet trend is to count calories. Foods such as meats, fish, beans and cheese not only come packed with protein, they also have more calories. So it seems logical to avoid them. However, protein is essential for building lean muscle and zapping away unwanted calories, according to “Women’s Health.” If you want to build lean muscle, “Women’s Health” recommends consuming skinless white chicken or turkey, seafood, low-fat dairy, pork tenderloin and lean beef. For seafood, try salmon and canned tuna to get the vitamin D you need. Fat-free or low-fat yogurt (frozen or not), milk, soy milk, tofu, cheese, bok choy, broccoli, almonds and soybeans are all examples of food that contain calcium.

Not only will getting enough proteins and other nutrients in your body make you look and feel good, you are also lowering your risk for osteoporosis. Of course, it’s not just about eating healthy. Regular physical activity will help you achieve your health goals. Best Bones Forever states that you need to do at least 60 minutes of physical activities every day, and do bone-strengthening activities at least three days a week.

So let National Nutrition Month remind you to get your nutrition on by starting a healthy eating pattern or continue doing so. Eating healthy does not have to be bland and expensive. Have a girls’ night in with a potluck. Create a salad potluck by having each person bring in a yummy (colorful and healthy) ingredient to share. Have a sushi night and make rolls of sushi using brown rice instead of white rice. Don’t forget the salmon, tofu and other calcium and protein-filled ingredients.

Give your meals a colorful splash by following this guide by the American Dietetic Association.
**With these in mind, the association recommends lower intakes on foods with added sugars, solid fats, including trans fats, refined grains and sodium.**

Whole grains:
Increase whole grains by choosing whole grain breads and cereals, brown rice and whole wheat pasta. Make at least half your grain servings whole grain.

Vegetables:
Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark-green, red and orange vegetables plus beans and peas. Most adults need 2 ½ cups of vegetables per day.

Fruits:
Add fruit to meals and snacks — fresh, frozen or canned — to get about 2 cups each day.

Low-fat or fat free milk, yogurt and cheese or fortified soy beverages:
Include 3 cups per day for calcium, vitamin D, protein and potassium. Lactose-free milk is also an option.

Vegetable oils  such as canola, corn, olive, peanut and soybean:
These are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Use in moderate amounts in place of solid fats.

Seafood:
Include a variety of seafood more often in place of some meat and poultry.

For some deliciously healthy recipes, including one for gluten-free wild rice spring rolls, check out www.eatright.org.

Want to calculate how much calcium you get every day? Find out at www.bestbonesforever.org.

Photo credit: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/

By Stephenie “Remedi” Lai, Staff Writer

In the last semester of your undergrad career, the same question crosses your mind over and over again – what’s next? Let’s face it. The “real world” may seem like a dark and scary place right now. There’s all this talk about how bad the economy is and the lack of jobs out there. What do you do after graduating college?
Once you are about to embark on your journey into the real world, take a step back and reflect on your college career. Did it prepare you for what’s out there? Do you have goals, plans or aspirations? Think about where you want to be in five years, 10 years or even 20 years down the road. Those goals may change over time, but it’s good to have an idea in your mind of where your life is headed.

Two of our soon-to-be Delta Phi Lambda alumnae shared their thoughts on the future. Diana “Demure” Bui will be graduating in May from the University of Georgia with a degree in broadcast news. Honey “Joie” Nguyen will also graduate in May from the University of West Florida. She is majoring in interdisciplinary sciences for pre-pharmacy.
When asked how the sorority shaped them for the future, Bui replied, “Being a sister has taught me a lot about team work, time management, being a good leader/role model and the importance of being able to network with a variety of people.”

Nguyen said that her time in the sorority has made her more sociable and outgoing than she would have been otherwise.

Thinking five years in the future, Nguyen hopes to become a successful pharmacist at a hospital or in retail. Keeping her chapter in mind, Nguyen said that in 15 years “I will still be working as a pharmacist or teach pharmaceutical techniques. I will have kids of my own and donate as much money as I can so that UWF will have a DFL house.”
Bui commented that in five years “I will have a stable job and will most likely move on to pursuing my other goals: Starting my documentaries and saving for a business.” As for 15 years down the line, she replied, “I see myself settled down. I see my business slowly growing and my documentaries being aired somewhere.”

In an effort to ease your mind about the future, Bui leaves you with this advice: “Don’t be afraid of going out of your comfort zone to do great things. If you don’t, you’ll regret it one day. There are many opportunities out there for Greeks to be leaders, change lives and do so much more for the community. Take advantage of these opportunities because they will empower you and impact you personally.”

Photo credit: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1193101

By May “Mosaic” Advincula, Editor-in-chief

March 8th marked the centennial commemoration of International Women’s Day. This annual acknowledgement of women’s successes throughout the last century aims to celebrate women leaders of the present and inspire leaders of the future.

As noted on the 2011 International Women’s Day Web site, there has been a shift in attitude regarding women’s equality and emancipation. For the past century, there has been an increase in the number of women as leaders, but there still remains a disparity in how much women are paid in comparison to their male counterparts.

In the December 2010 issue of The Jade Times, contributing writer Huong Van addressed the earnings gap by providing insight to the art of negotiation in her article “Learn to negotiate and increase financial security.” She noted, “In the eye-opening book [Women Don’t Ask], I gained an understanding of where women stand in the workplace as a result of perpetuating circumstances and expectations in our society. Although we do not have much control over our marginalization, the authors provide tools and techniques to overcome common, yet oft overlooked or unrealized obstacles to provide more parity in the workplace.”

To read the article in its entirety, click here.

A disparity also exists in the number of women in leadership positions. For instance, women comprise approximately 51 percent of the U.S. population and recent statistics suggest that though women make up nearly half of the U.S. workforce, only 6 percent hold corporate CEO or high-level executive positions. Research conducted by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University also found that one key to career advancement for women might be determined by the gender makeup of the company’s corporate board.

According to David Matsa, assistant professor of finance at the Kellogg School, “there are still institutional gender barriers in today’s workplace that prevent women from holding high-level executive positions.” However, the results from the study indicated that “women are each other’s best advocates and by helping one another they have the potential to make remarkable gains in today’s workforce.” For instance, as Matsa described, women who hold high level positions have an opportunity to propel female colleagues into executive roles.

Matsa noted a key importance in that “women are each other’s best advocates.” As we continue to make strides in bridging the gender gap, we must continue to support one another in each other’s efforts.  The basis of how we learn to be leaders can be acquired through taking the initiative to run for sorority positions as well as leadership positions on campus and in our communities. In addition, we can further that leadership experience post-graduation in which many sisters can utilize their skills to advance in their careers and other personal endeavors.

Sources:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/closing-the-corporate-gender-gap-117501663.html
About International Women’s Day: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/about.asp

By Christine “ECKO” Ho, Staff Writer

Chinese leader Wu Zetian

Leaders are aplenty in this world in both small and large ways. The most visible leaders have the titles of presidents, prime ministers, emperors, czars, kings, etc. All, or nearly all, have been men.

This article is to write about the female leaders that have paved the way for future women, and how they have made things easier for women. Even in this present day and age, women must climb further, work harder and be fiercer to gain recognition as a leader. Imagine how much harder it must have been for women of the past.

In the past, women leaders were scarcely recognized because of their “inferiority,” or because they were “weak.” However, there are some who made it onto the pages of legends. Mulan, the character for which the Disney character was named, was a woman who disguised herself as a man to join the army and was able to obtain victory for China. Another Chinese leader was Wu Zetian, a woman that was able to climb her way to the top as the only female Emperor of China, and was able to make many changes for the better for her people. She manipulated her own sons on and off the thrones, and her reign was prosperous.

Queen Elizabeth, or Elizabeth Tudor I, also reigned with power and wisdom. She oversaw the victory against the Spanish Armada, and ruthlessly executed her rival for the throne. She was pressured to marry for political reasons, but she refused and remained “The Virgin Queen” until the end of her days.

In America, there are many women who were the “firsts” and therefore have provided “the rest.” Sandra Day O’Connor was the first female justice. Dr. Sally Ride was the first American woman to be sent into space. Dr. Antonia Novello was the first Hispanic and woman to become sworn in as the U.S. Surgeon General.

There are obviously many more women who have paved the future of women. They have all received recognition for being the first women to do these things, as they should for enabling a wider path for women.

I have purposely not written about the past leaders of our sorority because I believe that every sister who has already graduated was a leader in their chapter in their own way. The founders obviously started everything, laying down the bulk of the foundation for the rest of us to build upon. But build upon we have, and led the younger sisters to fill the shoes of the older sisters. It is also true, however, that some sisters have excelled in leadership overall, been excellent presidents and have helped their chapters flourish during their time. Some sisters do more work—some sisters have more leadership capability. But it is also true that these sisters would have no one to lead without other strong individuals to help them—at least in this sorority. Everyone who continues to work and continues to push and strive for a better chapter are all leaders.

Delta Phi Lambda Sorority, Inc. was established to develop, cultivate and multiply the amount of leaders on campus. In our own small ways, we take charge. A sister is always a leader to someone else in their eyes. Let us continue to pave the way for future generations and future women.

Picture Credit: http://www.chinaexpat.com/2009/06/11/wu-zetian-the-woman-who-became-emperor.html/

Discussion by Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook Chief Operating Officer. Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg looks at why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their professions - and offers three powerful pieces of advice to women aiming for the C-suite.

Click the link below to watch this discussion:

Why We Have too Few Women Leaders

Please join Delta Phi Lambda and members of National APIA Panhellenic Association (NAPA) in supporting Japan in their crisis. All donations will be made to World Vision

Make a Donation

Photo credit: http://www.angeloplessas.com/blog/uploaded_images/Japanese_flag-712397.jpg