201 foot “Gum Lung” (Golden Dragon) from the Leung’s White Dragon and Lion Dance Association at the San Francisco Chinese New Year parade on Feb. 23, 2013. [Tammy Lee/Staff Photo]

Miss Chinatown U.S.A. 2013 Leah Li from Mercer Island, Wash., waves to the crowds at the San Francisco Chinese New Year parade on Feb.23, 2013. [Tammy Lee/Staff Photo]

Thousands of people gathered at Union Square and Chinatown on Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 in San Francisco for the annual Chinese New Year parade, which marks the end of the lunar New Year celebrations. Continue Reading

The holidays are here and a warm French dessert is perfect recipe to have this winter. Continue Reading

Spring break, from April 9 to April 14, 2012, will be here soon and many students may be wondering what to do during the nine-day long vacation. This may be a time to work extra hours at your job or use the money earned from work to go somewhere fun. Continue Reading

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Isabel Macasieb “Family, friends, food, and fun.”

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Jessica Fitzpatrick “Thanksgiving, to me, means spending time with family. Even though if you don’t like each other, people still get together and talk about memories that they’d enjoy together. So it’s about spending time and sharing memories.”

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Sherry “Thanksgiving is a time that the family comes together and you’re grateful for everybody being there and being health and alive and grateful for everything that you have.”

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John Rodriguez “It’s about family fun and lots of food.”

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Javier Gomez “To mean it means getting together with your family and drinking and eating a lot and having a good time.”

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Nicole Harris “Food, lots and lots of food.”

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Virgil Loiseau “Food and family time.”

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Ifeanyi Ezeofor “It means thanks for what you have. Give thanks and Give back.

It’s a day of remembrance; to promote and protect rights of all women.
International Women’s Day (IWD) pays tribute to the many hard-earned accomplishments along with the struggles that women still endure worldwide. The 100th anniversary commences March 8 and amplifies Women’s History Month.
Views of this holiday differ. Some may ask, “How is this fair? Why don’t men have a special holiday?” On the contrary, there is an International Men’s Day. (IMD) However, that article would be premature since IMD falls on Nov. 19. So for the time being ….
An event cited by Wikipedia exemplifies some lack of harmony felt by members of a community in London: As an act of goodwill, Tower Hamlets Council elected to celebrate IWD by barring men, male staff included, from entering one of its libraries. Upset patrons labeled it “discrimination” as they were forced to utilize another location for the day.
Others have been more open-minded about cultural shifts, women and equality, calling it feminism. Bear in mind that feminism does not necessarily brand an individual into some radical category. Dictionary.com defines feminism as, “a person who advocates equal rights for women.”
Beginning in the early 1900’s, centuries of oppression created a climate of unrest that gave voice to politically charged women. InternationalWomensDay.com references a 1910 conference held in Copenhagen at which “unanimous approval” paved the way to recognize IWD as an official holiday.
The following year more than one million women and men participated in rallies for “women’s rights to work, vote … hold public office and end discrimination,” as described on the IWD Web site. A week later the horrific Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire erupted in New York City on March 25, 1911.
Located on the eighth through tenth floors, women were locked inside to keep them from leaving the factory early. Bystanders recalled seared images of screaming, trapped women jumping to their deaths, some already engulfed in flames. Over 140 lives, mainly immigrant women, were destroyed by the fire.
The notorious fire drew much needed attention to alter the abhorrent working conditions and labor legislation within the United States. This tragic incident has been connected to the fight for equality on a national scale, as well as beyond.
As the world’s largest international organization, the U.N. has also taken an active role in IWD. According to UN.org, its powerful reach has “generated more intense and widespread support than the campaign to promote and protect the equal rights of women.”
In spite of years of effort, Jennifer Ruddy and Joyce Green, authors of “International Women’s Day: Not Just Another Hallmark Opportunity, Eh?,” believe “the female population continues to be disproportionately responsible for unpaid work, underrepresented in parliaments, overrepresented in poverty and outrageously susceptible to rape, sexual harassment and violence.”
Some countries have forgotten the original meaning of IWD, opting to advertise flowers and candy similar to Valentine’s Day. Likewise, Ruddy and Green are adamant that “marketing the day for commercial gain cheapens its political significance.”
“A recent UNICEF report found that female genital mutilation in one region of Ethiopia had fallen from 100 percent to 3 percent, largely as a result of innovative public education programs,” stated Julie Bindel in a 2010 New Statesman article, “A weapon against half the world.”
Clearly there is still much work to be done. Leading the way to intellectual equality are two of Chabot College’s esteemed professors, Dr. Jane Wolford of the history department and Dr. Sara Parker of the political science department.
These professors have devised a program to take place Thursday, March 24 in recognition of Women’s History Month. Wolford shared, “The topic is a commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire … and how it changed the American workplace.”
Parker and a few of her most dedicated political science students will also present on workplace safety issues of domestic and global proportions.
Chabot student Alexis Daniel has recently established a new club on campus called Chabot Women’s Group. Wolford will be the club’s advisor and Daniel is its newfound president. The club’s motto is, “To empower the women of Chabot College and help build future leaders with a stronger voice.”
IWD and Women’s History Month are often forgotten but this year they will be remembered.
For information about upcoming Women’s History Month activities contact Jane Wolford at jwolford@chabotcollege.edu or go to http://chabotwomensgroup.wordpress.com.

Compiled by Alexis Daniel

The Traveler: A GPS system is great for any sort of traveler whether it be on the road or in the hills. Most GPS’ give you on option to download maps of trails. Cost : $99 +

Hiker: Camel back backpack is a great asset to hikers and campers. They can hold anywhere from 70 ounces of water to 150 ounces and start at $40. These can be found at most sports stores like Sports Authority, Sports Chalet and Sports Basement.

Runner: Road ID is a great simple innovation for anyone who goes out on their on and can’t carry an ID. The Road ID is personalized with name, medical id number, emergency contact, allergies, whatever information you feel is pertinent. Road ID’s start at $20, for more information go to www.roadid.com.

Reader: The Kindle and the Nook are great assets to avid readers so they don’t have to lug their books around. If the person you are gifting already owns a digital reader you can purchase one of their favorite books in a digital copy for them as a gift.

Techy: Finding the perfect gift for a techy is a difficult task but the Kodak Zi8 1080p is a great new HD video camera that cost about $100 and is a great tool for creating video. The Spectator uses this tool for video production.

Artist: A museum membership is a great way to give an artist you know more exposure to art year round. SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) or a Fine Arts Museum (includes the De Young and the Legion of Honor) Membership cost under $100 for students.

Animal lover: Many local animal rescue groups create calendars to support their animal rescue efforts.

BADRAP, OAS (Oakland Animal Services), and Our Pack offer 2011 calendars for sale to support their programs. To find these calendars go to our website www.thechabotspectator.com.

Humanitarian: Many people don’t want anything for the Holidays and realize how much more important the gift of giving is. For people who want to give, give them the gift of donating to a charity in their name.

Coffee Drinker: For coffee addict friends Peets holiday blend with $5 gift card will do the trick.

Movie Lover: Netflix offers gift subscriptions ranging from 1 month to 1 year and offer online only and mail delivery too. For more information go to http://www.netflix.com/GiftPurchase
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By Josephine Grasso
Chief Copy Editor

Holiday cheer. What is it? Many consider it the collective spirit of giving and spending quality time with loved ones.

Although there are numerous Bay Area volunteering opportunities available throughout the year, the holidays tend to bring out the best in people. So for those wishing to spread holiday cheer there are even more opportunities to give to those in need.

The major establishments in need of volunteers this season are food banks, soup kitchens and thrift stores. This includes the Alameda County Community Food Bank, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and The Salvation Army.

The Alameda County Community Food Bank, for example, lists a need for volunteers in the following areas on its Web site: organizing food drives, staffing the emergency food help line, weekday food sorting, general office help, and advocacy.

More information can be obtained by contacting the volunteer manager at 510-635-3663 ext. 308. His voicemail message does note that group volunteer activities have been filled for the remainder of 2010 while weekend food sorting has been filled until March 2011.

For those wishing to participate in weekday food sorting there is a weekly orientation held on Wednesdays at 12:45 p.m. The orientation takes place at the food bank, located at 7900 Edgewater Dr. in Oakland, and no preregistration is required.

If the Alameda County Community Food Bank somehow does not seem like a good volunteering match, people can also consider the other food banks of the Bay Area. A list of the others and their locations can be found at www.bayareahunger.org.

Continuing the theme of feeding the hungry during the holidays are soup kitchens throughout the Bay Area. One example is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul with its local dining room located at 2272 San Pablo Ave. in Oakland.

To learn how to go about volunteering to serve food, the dining room can be reached at 510-451-7676 while the volunteer team can be reached at 510-636-4265.

St. Anthony’s Foundation also runs a Bay Area soup kitchen located at 45 Jones St. in San Francisco. Opportunities are available for individuals, groups of family and friends, school groups, and corporate groups.

More information pertaining to specific contact numbers and how to get the most out of a volunteer experience at St. Anthony’s is available at www.stantonysf.org/?q=volunteer/volunteer-program.

Although the volunteering focus for the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and St. Anthony’s Foundation is usually their dining rooms, volunteers are also encouraged to help out in their thrift stores and clothing programs, respectively.

The Salvation Army, known for its bells and red buckets during the holiday season, is another organization in need of volunteers for their various Bay Area thrift stores.

A quick search for local volunteer opportunities, powered by VolunteerMatch, revealed, “The Salvation Army Family stores in Oakland, Alameda, Hayward, Pleasant Hill and San Pablo are looking for anyone 18 and over to help stock our retail thrift locations with gently used donations.”

The Salvation Army thrift store in Hayward is located at 1027 A St. and can be contacted at 510-538-2759.

Moving into the family aspect of holiday cheer, there are a number of “adopt-a-family” programs in the bay area. These programs allow an individual, single family or large group of families to sponsor and support one or more families in need by donating money, food and/or wrapped gifts requested on a wish list.

Two examples of organizations that offer such opportunities are Family Support Services of the Bay Area and Brighter Beginnings.

To “Sponsor-A-Family” through Family Support Services of the Bay Area please contact Moana Newman at 510-834-2443 ext. 3034 and read more about it at www.fssba-oak.org/Sponsor-A-Family/sponsorfamily.htm.

To “Adopt-A-Family” through Brighter Beginnings simply go to www.brighter-beginnings.org/donors/adopt_a_family_home.php and click on the “Adopt-a-Family” button to register and find a family match.

When asked how she felt about volunteering during the holidays, Chabot student Jessica Mejia said, “I think it’s a great thing because not many people have the opportunity to celebrate the holidays. So when you give they also feel like they’re important.”

People should also keep in mind that most of the establishments mentioned above, and the many similar ones scattered across the Bay Area, offer internships and/or long-term volunteer contracts, meaning that holiday cheer may continue to spread throughout the new year.

Online volunteer search engines and comprehensive listings of volunteer opportunities in the Bay Area:

VolunteerMatch

www.volunteermatch.org/

Bay Area Volunteer Information Center

www.volunteerinfo.org/

HandsOn Bay Area

www.hoba.org

Web sites and further contact information for organizations mentioned above:

Alameda County Community Food Bank

www.accfb.org/volunteer.html

The Salvation Army

www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/www_usn_2.nsf/vw-local/Ways-to-give

Brighter Beginnings

E-mail: adopt-a-family@brighter-beginnings.org

Phone: 877-427-7134

…To learn how you can earn units for your volunteer work click here.

There’s a reason why the Friday after Thanksgiving sales have been dubbed “Black Friday.” As reputably the busiest shopping day of the year, malls and department stores alike show there’s no room for the weak!

Don’t be an amateur; take the following advice to avoid looking like a deer in headlights.

1. Take care of yourself and stay hydrated. It’s game day and you’ve got to have your game face on. Eat a healthy meal that won’t weigh you down. Try a turkey sandwich as opposed to an entire plate of leftovers. Keep caffeine drinks to a minimum since they have the tendency to dehydrate. Pack yourself a bottle of water to keep hydrated for the rest of the day.

2. Protect your credit and your wallet. Create a shopping list and a budget – then stick to it! Depending on the overall budget, you may have to adjust the allotted amount per name. This list can help you from overspending and buying items from impulse. Depending on your situation it may be safer to use cash. If you can’t afford to make payments or pay off a credit card in full definitely consider using cash. Some people say you spend less when using cash because once the pot is empty you should have everyone covered on your list.

3. Do your research early and check out the ads from the Sunday newspaper. These ads will be your key to savings, informing you of the time specific discounts, offering coupons and showing you a preview of what products to expect. From there you can research which products are better. If you’re going to buy a Blu-ray player, for example, go online and find out which brands are worth your money. Preparing beforehand will also give you time to compare prices. Try Web sites such as PriceGrabber.com. Then bring these ads with you. This will make it easier for store employees to find what you’re looking for.

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4. Make sure you know the store’s return policy and fine print. Some sales may be final and you might not be able to return what you buy. There may also be a limit per household on some items. When you’re ready to make your purchase, ask for a gift receipt – even if it’s a gift for yourself. Gift receipts usually have a description of the item but not the price. Having a gift receipt ensures that you can still return the item (depending on store policy). Gift receipts also make it easier for your gift recipients.

5. AOL’s “Stylist” wardrobe suggestions for Black Friday include Spanx, the body forming body suit for women. In addition the article suggests wearing light make-up, easy slip on shoes, and tight pants or, for the daring, tights so it’s easier to layer clothes on top. Also suggested is a hands-free bag that slings over your shoulder or a fanny pack.

Find out what’s flying off the shelves on BlackFriday.com or blog.blackfriday.com. On these sites you can also check out more Black Friday shopping tips and other Black Friday related culture. To read more about Black Friday click here or to learn about Cyber Monday click here.

An estimated 200 million people will kick off the holiday season the Friday after Thanksgiving, according to www.blackfriday2010.com, an amazing 5 million more than last year’s reported number.

By contrast, these people will spend on average $330 each, which is a drop from the $343.31 they spent last year, for a projected $42 billion total. Although the individual totals are down, merchants feel some relief with this news given the current state of the economy.

The day after Thanksgiving (also known as Black Friday), is not a national holiday although many are off work, at least if they don’t work in the retail industry. For the lucky majority, Black Friday is synonymous with extreme deals and early Christmas shopping. Millions of people nationwide stand in lines to be the first to get the big deals. Some stores open as early as Midnight, but most open between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m.

According to www.blackfriday.com, “The term ‘Black Friday’ was coined in the 1960s to mark the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season. “Black” refers to stores moving from the “red” to the “black,” back when accounting records were kept by hand, and red ink indicated a loss, and black a profit. Ever since the start of the modern Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924, the Friday after Thanksgiving has been known as the unofficial start to a bustling holiday shopping season.”

This season though, Black Friday is almost like a sporting event, with numerous websites giving preseason warm up tips and leaked Black Friday ads. Some deals shown are as much as 50 percent off given items; shoppers are told to, “go with a team and attack separate stores or separate sections of the same store,” by www.blackfriday2010.com.

In addition to the frenzy that is expected at the shopping centers across the country there is the popularity of online shopping, which has led to Cyber Monday. Cyber Monday may be a bit safer physically, but will leave you at risk of identity theft online if the site being used is not SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) encrypted.

Hundreds of stores have their Black Friday ads “leaked” online, but be wary; these ads have not been verified as official! Even if they are official it might be only a purposeful ploy of the retail industry to create hype early to get people shopping in higher numbers.

More shopping tips for the big day can be found at www.blackfriday2010.com or www.black-friday.net. These sites include links to the major retailers and the store hours on Black Friday. Remember – it is just shopping, and with deaths in past years due to the literal stampede of shoppers, it is wise to be careful in the crowds. Is a pair of shoes or flat screen television is worth a life or standing in line for 4 hours before dawn?

…To read about Cyber Monday, click here.

…Learn to build your credit score, click here.

As the holiday season comes closer a variety of sales occur, most notably Black Friday after Thanksgiving. However not many know of the deals taking place over the Internet on Cyber Monday.

A rush occurs at 5 a.m. across Web sites for retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and Fry’s, and sometimes the deals on the Internet can be even better than Black Friday. Whereas staying in line might not get you that TV you always wanted, one click away at the right time from your computer can get you one easily.

One of the biggest sales taking place on Cyber Monday definitely belongs to Walmart this year, with over 200 items hitting digital sales racks. Walmart will be offering various items on sale, ranging from electronics to toys and home appliances.

There will be TVs priced well below $500, the Xbox 360 bundled with two games for $230 and the PS3 for $350 with two games. Most offers come with free shipping to the store and some even offer free shipping to your home.

However the problem with Cyber Monday is that with so many people shopping online at one time and on the same sites servers tend to get backed up. Constantly refreshing a page can cause it to reload with an error.

So prepare to clear your computer’s cache and get it up and running to save cookies. You’re going to want that confirmation page after you’ve made your purchase.

It is also a good idea to call your credit card provider and make sure that purchases are going through and that there aren’t any “unwanted” purchases. Sites like bestbuy.com, walmart.com and target.com offer secure site protection but be wary if you’re shopping over other Web sites.

To see what deals are going around the Web visit cybermonday.com or cybermonday.net. These sites offer a gateway to the deals around the Internet as well as the most popular products going on sale.

…To read about Black Friday click here.