the
Messenger Wichita High School East 2301 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67211 ehsmessenger.com Volume 124 Issue 7 February 14, 2018
Dancer expresses love for traditional Mexican dance Page 8, 9
2 ads
the messenger february
7
Students respond to Regal movie restrictions lead girls basketball team 14 Seniors
stephanie sustaita-ariasphotographer Drew Guerrero, soph., pins down his opponent in the varsity boys wrestling match against South, Jan. 18.
kayla vanphotographer Lynn Lam, jr., and Jenny Hunyh, jr., help paint the mural on the wall in Alumni hall, Jan. 19.
stephanie sustaita-ariasphotographer Students in Arthur Ballos’ physics class display their knowledge of velocity in a white board presentation for the class, Jan. 26.
emma marvinphotographer Students work on set design, Jan. 27, for “All Shook Up” after school by painting and putting together a display for the musical. Seen on cover- Alondra Aguilera, soph., poses outside of the school in her traditional Folklórico dress. van lyphotographer
table of contents 3
12 our STAFF Family shares Lunar is your favorite 16 New Year traditions Whatsports team? Black Panter movie excites future viewers
stephanie sustaita-ariasphotographer Dayton Carolina, soph., prepares to throw the ball during a game of handball in Lifetime Sports class, Jan. 22.
Editorial Policy
“Messenger” is published in print once a month, except during vacations, by the communications department of Wichita High
School East, 2301 E. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67211. The Journalism department can be reached at (316) 973-7275 or by email at
kaedra brennereditor-in-chief East High cross country isabel ebersoleeditor University of Kansas basketball suzannah youngeditor College Hill swim team will barfieldreporter No. piper prologoreporter None caroline laycockreporter USA bobsledding katelyn reganreporter USA water polo aidan teeterads manager Wichita State basketball coralie correareporter USA womens soccer kali soyezreporter Dallas Cowboys lizeth sustaitareporter None tudsaley vongsenareporter None tarynn brennerreporter Wichita State basketball kayli brownreporter Wichita State basketball steven phamreporter San Francisco 49ers mia reddyreporter Kansas University basketball olivia wilchreporter Iowa State basketball sharon martinadviser Kansas University gasketball
FOLLOW US @easthighmedia
smartin2@usd259.net. “Messenger” staff will publish news, entertainment, features and sports in an unbiased and professional manner and serve as a public forum for the students of Wichita High School East. Letters to the Editor may be submitted to room E144 or by email, and must be signed, legible and concise. The staff reserves
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the right to edit letters to conform to “Messenger” style. Baseless accusations, insults, libelous statements, obscenity, and letters which call for a disruption of the school day will not be considered for publication. “Messenger” is the official student magazine of Wichita High School East and it is distributed free to students. The opinions expressed in this publication reflect those of the student writers and not the Board of Education, Wichita High School East administration, faculty, or adviser.
East High Messenger the messenger february
4 news
faces of
ACES
Meet
Divya Natesan Which extracurricular activities or sports are you involved in?
“I’m involved in Spanish club and president of Tri-M.”
Giving through
Gardening
Eco club receives grant, plans for new garden isabel ebersoleeditor
Nathan Do, jr., president of Eco club and Jody Cho, sr., vice president, stand on the ground of their future garden. lina romanphotographer
As president of Tri-M, what have you enjoyed most this year and what are you looking forward to for the rest of the year?
“It’s been really fun to work with the cabinet to propose a lot of new ideas that Tri-M has never really seen before. Organizing the benefit concert was really fun, and it was cool to see the success that we saw just from the amount of money that we raised. We might even have a famous organist come perform at the next concert.”
What has been your favorite part of high school? “My favorite part of high school has been forming really close friendships with the people around me. Even if I didn’t have a ton of friends, I had two really best friends, and it’s been fun experiencing the highs and lows of IB with them.”
What are you most looking forward to as you finish up senior year? “I’m excited about going to senior prom with my friends, graduation and the joint graduation party that I’m going to have with (my two friends) Piper and Caroline.” Divya Natasan, sr., and president of Tri-M poses for a photo. lina romanphotographer
the messenger february
Looking to expand their club’s influence, president of Eco Club Nathan Do, jr., and vice president Jody Cho, sr., applied for a grant from the Wichita Community Foundation and were awarded $1,000. With hopes of starting a garden, members and leaders learned that “we (Eco Club) didn’t have enough money... so we started looking for grants that we would be able to get,” Do said. “ Then, Jody found a grant from the Wichita Community Foundation.” Cho first thought of the idea last year but without a developed plan, felt they would not receive the money. “We found the grant through Ms. (Shanna) Zimmerman (DECA sponsor),” Cho said. “Every year she does the foundation grant. Last year (the grant winners) got all of the yoga balls we have in classes.” This year, with the help of Do, they were able to propose a well-developed plan. The two began the application process after receiving permission from Ken Thiessen, principal. In order to be considered for the money, the club had to write up their plan and submit a 30-90
second video explaining how they would use the money to benefit the school. “We are going to have several raised beds, four raised beds actually, and we’re going to grow produce,” Do said. “With that produce we are hoping to get the staff and students together at East High and we’re planning to take that produce and donate it to the Lord’s Diner.” Not only will the garden benefit the Wichita community but it will also bring together students and staff. “The garden that we are doing is collaborative and takes initiative because we’re working with the whole entire school and not just one organization like Eco Club,” Cho said. “We’re going to have the Science department incorporate the garden into the curriculum because it’s proven that science grades improve with the incorporation of a garden into their lessons. We’re also going to work with the categorical kids because we feel like it will give us a chance to interact together.” With plans to start preparing in late February and planting in April, Eco club looks forward to beginning a “sustainable garden that can be continued for years,” Cho said.
news 5 tudsaley vongsenareporter
photo credit: Sean Spicer via Wikimedia
Upcoming Wichita events Feb. 16 - Feb. 18 Women’s Fair at Century ll Performing Arts & Convention Center
one year
Feb. 24 Academy Awards Shorts Film Fest at the Orpheum Theatre
Later
March 3 “Dance Magic! FUSION!” at Orpheum Theatre
Donald Trump signs Executive Order 13780 titled Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States, Jan. 27, 2017, that blocks travelers from seven countries.
In past year, government passes, rescinds bills about taxes, health care, immigration
Donald Trump was inaugurated into office, Jan. 20, 2017, and the one year of his presidency was full of legislation passed and rescinded, including issues regarding taxes, healthcare and immigration. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed Dec. 22, keeps deductions for charity, retirement savings, and student loan interest, lowers the tax rates for all income levels, and doubles the standard deduction taken by taxpayers, among other things. However, the Tax Foundation concludes that the tax plan would benefit businesses more than individuals and higher-income families while also adding $448 billion to the national debt. The act also undoes the mandate that requires everyone to health insurance, weakening Obamacare. The mandate was a large aspect of Obamacare and undoing it means that those without insurance must pay an additional tax. The Labor Department recently proposed association health plans, in which businesses band together and buy insurance for employees. 14% According legislation to the benefitted Washington country 82% - legislation did not benefit country
Post, this means cheaper plans but also less coverage. In addition, one of the most debated issues is immigration. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), legislated by former president Barack Obama in 2012, gave young undocumented immigrants opportunities to start careers and families by protecting them from deportation. Trump rescinded the program, Sept. 5. Congress has until March 5 to come up with a plan to replace it before DACA recipients lose their status. A bipartisan group in the House recently released a proposal that gives qualifying young undocumented immigrants 10-12 years to earn citizenship and merit-based visas, provided that Trump is given money for border security. Another issue on immigration is the travel ban, ordered Jan. 27, 2017, that prevented travelers from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering the U.S. for 90 days; federal judges quickly blocked the executive order. However, the Supreme Court allowed the third version of the ban to take effect, Jan. 19, to restrict travelers from Venezuela, North Korea, Chad, Iran, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen.
Poll: Out of 96 students polled, 82 percent said that legislation passed/rescinded in the past year did not benefit the country, 14 percent believed the legislation did, and 4 percent were undecided.
March 3 P!nk World Tour at Intrust Bank Arena March 9 Memory Gala for the Alzheimer’s Association at Mark Arts March 15 - Mar. 17 First and second round of NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship at Intrust Bank Arena
Upcoming School events Feb. 14 - Feb. 15 Parent/Teacher conferences (4:157:15 p.m.) Feb. 19 - Feb. 20 No school March 11 Daylight Savings Time begins March 12 Spring pep assembly March 16 - March 23 Spring break
the messenger february
the opinion
6 editorial
Cinematic censorship
ella townsendcartoonist coralie correareporter Coming of age films are exactly what they sound like: films targeted toward older teenagers and young adults. Typically, these films are rated R. But what happens when two Oscarnominated films hit the theatres in a conservative Republican state? It gets played in only one theatre - the one restricted to admitting adults 21 and over. Censorship is what happens when a group or person in charge doesn’t want a certain item to be seen. The idea that someone could keep the public from seeing certain films - even going as far as to censor the words in a movie - isn’t a new concept for Kansas and might not be a dead one either. In 1915, the Kansas State Board of Review began approving early motion pictures that could be shown in Kansas “movie houses.” The Board even went as far as to cut out certain scenes if they showed anything from dance halls to nudity. Even though the board was disbanded, 40 years later it is still unknown if their stance on what can and can’t be seen in Kansas theatres still lingers. With calls to the Warren East 20 not returned, it remains a mystery as to why the theatre decided to keep two films (“Lady Bird” and “Call Me By Your Name”) targeted toward 17 and 18-year-olds locked behind 21+ doors, or why, if they just keep
the messenger january
them away from whom it is intended, did they screen it at all. Keeping films like “Lady Bird,” starring Saoirse Ronan as Christine as she navigates her way through her senior year, available would do nothing but boost ticket sales. Also, nothing about this movie screams 21+. The same goes for another movie being kept from intended audiences, “Call Me By Your Name” starring Timothee Chalamet as Elio and Armie Hammer as Oliver. This film follows them through a summer of love set in beautiful Italy. The rush to keep this film out of reach could very easily be because it is an LGBT film. It is not a farfetched idea that the all-around gay plot line of the movie might be the only reason it is in Warren 21. That these two Oscar-nominated films aren’t being shown to the groups of people for whom they were made is a gross misuse of power. Putting censorship above good business practice is not something new but it does need to be old. Female-led coming-of-age films are a rare thing to come across but a coming-of-age film with a female lead whose story does not include needing to be validated by love is something golden that society didn’t know it needed. It is something that should be seen by the audience it was made for to impact their lives while they are still figuring them out, not three to four years later.
speak UP speak OUT
minitorial 7
kali soyezreporter
betsy chairezphotographer lina romanphotographer
and
censorship on the big screen grabs attention of teens Issues of restrictions on access to movies, also know as censorship on the big screen, have been brought to the attention of many teens. Local theaters such as The Warren owned by Regal, have restricted access to rated R movies such as “Call Me By Your
Name” and “Lady Bird” that include sexual romance and specifically gay romance. Students discuss their opinions but also bring up homophobic intentions of the theater itself.
Ralitsa Greene ---------------------------------------------junior Rated-R restrictions on coming-of-age films such as “Call Me by Your Name” and “Ladybird” makes sense given sensitive content. It makes no sense, however, for Warren Theaters to restrict these films to only ages 21 and older through Warren 2l. These films feature characters 17 and 18 years old and putting them exclusively in Warren 21 restricts them from being
seen by a large portion of their intended audience. Young people are curious to whether this unnecessary censorship is a result of LGBTQ+ content in these movies.
Nathan Do ---------------------------------------------junior
Q:
What is your opinion on regal restrictions to “Call Me By Your Name”? “For gay romance movies such as “Call Me By Your Name” this isn’t something that should be limited to adults only. I feel like everyone should have access to this movie. I feel like there are some underlying homophobic intentions.”
---------------------------------------------The Messenger @easthighmedia • Feb 1
Do you think it’s okay for certain R-rated movies to ONLY be shown in the Warren 21?
11% Yes 89% No 114 votes • Final results the messenger february
8 feature
mia reddyreporter olivia wilchreporter van lyphotographer
Dancing
Underc
Desi Kids (Indian Dance Club) “Our dances are very reflective of the Desi culture because the music tells stories which are embedded in the culture. A lot of the movements are very different from anything contemporary you see in America or any other cultures. I like getting lost in the music and being with my friends on stage.” - Jahra Batul, sr.
Asian Cultural Dance “Our dance is unique from other cultures because while many use fans and vocals, we simply use our bodies to move to the music. The best part is that we make up our own dance moves and we try to be as creative as possible, so you wouldn’t see this anywhere else.” - Tia Giang, jr.
Afro Pop Club “I love everything about dancing. In one of my favorite moves we shake our waists a lot, like that famous Shakira dance. I’m looking forward to performing our new moves like that one at Multicultural assembly this year.” - Binja Mirindi, jr.
Lion Dance Club “We recently learned how to do a head sit where I am the head of the lion and my partner is the tail. When I do a jump, they put me on their head and we walk around and I control the lion from higher up. The Chinese lions symbolize the guardians of the temples. Originally, they were monsters that came down to terrorize villages, but then the Buddha showed up to tame them.” - Elsa Carpenter, sr.
the messenger february
Alondra Aguilera, soph., poses in her traditional dancing outfit.
g
Queens
entertainment 9
erclassman shares love of traditional Mexican dance Folklórico is a dance full of twirling skirts and tapping shoes, characterized by pointed toes, exaggerated movements, and dramatic choreography. It means “folkloric dance” in Spanish, and encompasses all traditional Mexican dances that emphasize local folk culture. “Folklórico is a traditional Mexican dance that varies from state to state,” Alondra Aguilera, soph., said. “In Mexico, most schools even have folklórico classes and hold dances at graduation. Men, women, or doubles dress in their state’s traditional clothing and dance to traditional songs. There are different songs for every state, and each state has a different style.” Aguilera began dancing folklórico in second grade with her friends during school events, and continued through sixth grade. During her freshman year, this evolved into performances with a higher level group, dancing specifically for her church on Our Lady of Guadalupe, a traditional Mexican holiday celebrated in December. “Higher level can get challenging because some of the steps are harder to do, as opposed to the simpler steps at school,” Aguilera said. “In lower level, you don’t have to do as much footwork; it’s more handwork. In higher level you have to do complicated footwork and twirl the skirt at the same time.” Along with song choice and dance style, clothing worn while dancing folklórico also differs from state to state. “From my parents’ state, Jalisco, women wear colorful, long dresses with heavy skirts that can be lifted with your hands,” Aguilera said. “Some northern states, though, wear denim skirts and plaid shirts.” Aguilera has two dancing outfits of her own, only one of which still fits her. It includes a frilled white top paired with a long and intricate bright blue skirt her aunt made for her. Aguilera has danced with and without partners. Traditionally, girls and boys dance together, but many dances are often choreographed for girls alone. “The girls are more of the center of attention, but that doesn’t mean the boys don’t play a role,” Aguilera said. “With boys, the dancing is partnered up. Sometimes they’ll dress as mariachi, like a charro (cowboy) with a big sombrero. Once we did a dance where the boys had to take off their hats and hit them against the floor or put them on the floor and dance around it.” Though Aguilera was unable to dance last December for Our Lady of Guadalupe, she hopes to be able to jump back in this year. “It’s a nice, refreshing feeling to see everyone’s happy reactions,” Aguilera said. “I like being able to show off my culture just by having fun dancing and dressing up.”
the messenger january
10 ads
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entertainment 11
Galentine’s
Day
Girls plan celebrations of Valentine’s day with friends instead of significant others
piper prolagoreporter lina romanphotographer van lyphotographer
Slumber Party Marieli Duarte, sr., celebrated Valentine’s Day with her friend last year. The duo planned to meet for a sleepover to eat snacks throughout the night and watch movies together. “We did this because my friend had a boyfriend so we wanted to have girls time away from all of that,” Duarte said. Duarte plans to celebrate Galentine’s Day again in the future because it is such a nice way to celebrate the important people in her life and thinks it is a good idea for others to take the opportunity to do the same.
Marieli Durate
Photo Fun
Gabrielle Johnson
Gabrielle Johnson, jr., and a group of about 10 girl friends from all over Wichita celebrate Valentine’s Day, calling it “Galentines Day” instead. The group decided on the idea to pamper themselves by dressing up and taking pictures of each other in a photoshoot all over town. “If you don’t have a girlfriend or boyfriend, it’s kind of a lonesome day,” Johnson said. “We have recreated it into a day to appreciate the girls around us who love us.”
Diana Rodriguez
Restaurant Rendezvous
This year, Diana Rodriguez, sr., decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day with her friends instead of with a significant other. They have planned to dress up and go to a nice dinner, ending the night with a gift and chocolate exchange. They decided to plan a Galentine’s Day celebration because they believe most people place an unnecessary emphasis on romance when school and friendship should be more valued. “I’m going out with my friends for Valentine’s Day because they’re the ones that I love,” Rodriguez said.
Parrot-Fa-Nalia
Parrot Girls
ROCK!
1719 S. Hillside
Mon. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
682-5531 Sun. 12-6 p.m.
the messenger february
BLACK 4 table 12 entertainment of contents
PANTHER New Marvel movie expects to make $120 million on opening weekend
After the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) returns home to the technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda as their new king after the death of his father, T’Chata (John Kani). He does what he can to keep his new kingdom in order until an old enemy, Erik Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) appears to challenge the new king for his throne. T’Challa is tested as the king of Wakanda and as their community’s hero. He is drawn to a conflict that puts his kingdom and the rest of the world in great danger. In order to save his people, T’Challa must release the power of the Black Panther to defeat the enemies trying to destroy the kingdom.
Coming to theaters Feb. 16
tarynn brennerreporter kayli brownreporter lina romanphotographer betsy chairezphotographer
“The technology in the movie will show more of how great Marvel is with CGI (computer generated imagery) and will look really good.” Luke Severs, soph.
“I expect jam-packed action, a strong iconic [trend] for Marvel movies and keeping to the authenticity of the Marvel name.” Kailynn Breen-Hawk, jr.
“I believe the movie will suck because that hero is irrelevant.” Julian Hattabaugh, soph.
the messenger february october
empty seats, full trophy cases Despite rave reviews, movies most beloved by critics fail to fill seats caroline laycockreporter With awards season in full swing, fans eagerly wait to see which of their favorite movies will take home the most coveted awards in Hollywood. The release date alone is one of the biggest issues. Most of the Oscar-nominated films arrive in Wichita theaters in midJanuary, which is roughly a full month later than their original release date in December. January is notorious when it comes to the quality of the movies released in that month. Unless moviegoers are looking forward to a specific movie coming to theaters in January, they are more than likely to stay away from the theaters. Although the holiday season has just finished and people are struggling to get back into their normal, working day rhythm, let alone try to fit in time to see a movie. The second biggest issue concerns the stereotypical material of the most awarded movie. Most are drama based and focused around real world issues. But with the strengths these movies have
when it comes to being all-around good films, trailers and advertisements will not grab the common moviegoers’ attention compared to action heavy or comedy driven films. Along those same lines, most of the highest grossing movies are based off on familiar adaptations, such as a book, character, or previous movie, which already has legions of fans and does not need to seek out new fans. Even though most critically acclaimed movies act as biographies or tackle a familiar issue in the present day, the fictional elements of blockbusters are what draw in the common moviegoer. 2017 was somewhat financially unsuccessful when it came to the box office, with the summer season being one of the lowest grossing in over a decade and ticket sales at a 25 year low. But the roster of critically acclaimed films that have been nominated are more diverse when it comes to tackling social issues than ever before. A passionate mother avenging her daughter’s rape, a young gay couple, the dark side of white
liberalism, freedom of the press, and the turbulent relationship between a mother and daughter. Despite all of their strength, these films, as shown by the poll, are failing to appeal everyday moviegoers. With the exception of “Get Out”, every critically acclaimed movie was at the bottom of the list in comparison to the poorly rated blockbusters in terms of whether students were planning to or had already seen the movie. These themes are compelling, relevant, and necessary for the accurate portrayal of minority groups in the media, making the films that deserve to and should be pushed to audiences.
Students were asked to select the films they have seen or plan to see. Students could make more than one choice. Out of 123 students polled...
68% have
seen or want to see “Get Out”
1. “Get Out”- 84 votes 2. “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”- 72 votes 3. “Transformers: The Last Knight”- 54 votes 4. “Justice League”- 51 votes
44.3% have
seen or want to see “Transformers: The Last Knight”
31.1% have seen or want to see “The Mummy”
5. “The Mummy”- 38 votes 6. “Shape of Water”- 18 votes 7. and 8. “Lady Bird” and “Call Me By Your Name” (tie)- 12 votes 9. “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”- 9 votes
HEADHEADHEADHEAD
14 sports
7 seniors lead the Lady Aces The girls basketball team has been led by seven seniors to an 8-2 season record as of Feb. 7, not including tournaments. The girls are (front row) Tamiah Johnson, Dymond McElrath (NE), and Kyeisha Ross, and (back row) Breanna Jackson (NE), Aniya Keeling, Mariah McKinny, and Sunny Haydon-Robinson. katelyn reganreporter betsy chairezphotographer
Sunny Haydon
Position - Forward playing for East - Four years Worst injury - “Thankfully I have not had one yet.”
Breanna Jackson (NE)
Position - Shooting guard playing for East - Four years Worst injury - “Broke my right ankle.”
Mariah McKinny
Position - Forward playing for East - Four years Worst injury - “I tore both of my ACLS.”
Kyeisha Ross
Position - Shooting guard playing for East - Four years Worst injury - “Torn ACL.”
Dymond McElrath (NE)
Position - Point guard FAVORITE OPPONENT - Southeast and Heights playing for East - One year
Tamiah Johnson
Position - Shooting guard FAVORITE OPPONENT - Southeast Worst injury - “Hurting my knee.”
Aniya Keeling
the messenger february
Position - Small forward playing for East - Two years Worst injury - “Broken middle finger.”
sports 15
More than a
SPORT
Senior competes for spot on USA Bowling team
For Addie Herzberg, sr., bowling is not just an activity to do with friends on the weekends, it is a competitive sport that she has participated in since she was 4 years old. “When I was little, I’ve always wanted to be a pro-bowler,” Herzberg said. “That’s what I wanted my career to be.” Over the past 13 years, Herzberg has gained skill and confidence in her sport. Herzberg’s skill gave her the opportunity to try out for the USA Bowling Team in Las Vegas, NV last January. “This (tournament) was different from other tournaments,” Herzberg said. “I was there for a whole week and the first day we had two hours of practice. Each lane had a different oil pattern and there were five of them so we had five days (of competing). We bowled six games a day.” The scoring of the tournament
depended on the overall consistency of the bowler. For example, if a bowler ranked first on one day and 15th on the next day, the bowler would have an overall score of 16 for the first two days. Herzberg ended the tournament with a score of 381.0, resulting in a 70th place finish out of 125 other competitors in the amateur division. Only 12 youth girls and 12 adults women were selected for the USA team. Although Herzberg was not selected, she is still thankful for the experience. “It was a really good experience because it was my first year doing it,” Herzberg said. “I had to obviously get the feel of how it worked, so I’m going to go next year. I’m going to keep trying, obviously, and it’ll help next year because I will already be starting with the WSU team so that will help a lot. I really wish I made it,
Addie Herzberg, sr., follows through with her swing during practice before a meet, Jan. 22. The girls team won City league, Feb. 5. jordan plowmanphotographer
honestly.” Herzberg has had a lot of other honors throughout her bowling career: placing 11th at State her freshman year, second her sophomore year, and fourth her junior year. “I’ve always liked bowling even when I was doing different sports,” Herzberg said. “Bowling was always my top sport, which kind of confused other people. It shocked them.” Her skill has earned her a spot on the Wichita State University bowling team when she attends the school in the fall. “Just because I got recruited doesn’t mean that I’m not going to try,” Herzberg said. “I’m going to keep practicing because I know I can get better. I know in college it is so much harder. I just want to be the best. That’s what everyone wants to be in their sport.” kaedra brennereditor-in-chief
the messenger february
16 feature
2
18
Introduction Lunar New Year starts on Feb. 16. This date fluctuates every year, dictated by the lunar calendar instead of the gregorian calendar that many other countries follow. 2018 is the year of the dog, which is the 11th in the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac sign. The last time it was the year of the dog was in 2006. Global celebrations include bell ringing, lighting firecrackers, and watching lion dances. Families usually gather together for dinner on New Year’s Eve then clean up afterwards to get rid of any bad fortunes. Traditionally, children receive a red envelope filled with lucky money and positive wishes from family and friends. Adults and children alike wear bright colors. Red is most commonly worn because it provides a festive and upbeat mood, but it also serves as a color for good luck. Dumplings, fish, spring rolls, and niangao (glutinous rice cake) are common Chinese dishes eaten during the celebration. The entirety of this celebration lasts for 15 days.
Hao Dang, sr., receives money for the new year.
Lunar New Year right around corner Hao Dang, sr., celebrates Vietnamese New Year every year. Vietnamese New Year is similar to Chinese New Year, and the celebration will last all day and all night, Feb. 16. They cook all the food the night before and go to their cousin’s house to celebrate with family. About 35 family members show up to celebrate the New Year. Some traditional Asian families go to temple to celebrate the New Year. “We used to go to temple when my grandma was younger and wanted to, but now she and the rest of the family, is just as happy being surrounded by family for the day and playing games,” Dang said. The Dang family plays all sorts of games including Blackjack, Vietnamese shenanigans, and betting on practically anything. “My aunt also has little mini games she has people play to earn some extra money if they want,” Dang said. “We compete in games like Rock Paper Scissors, 100 meter dash, and games of volleyball.” They bet small amounts of money on Blackjack every year for fun. Dang won about $50 one time playing blackjack, and his cousin won $75 once which is the highest ever won in the Dang household. Eventually the kids will grow up and start giving instead of receiving the red envelopes. “To determine when you will give instead of receive depends on a mixture of age and status,” Dang said. “My 29 year old sister still receives because she’s not married and settled down yet.” Dang’s family usually wears as much red as possible to take family pictures, then afterwards they usually change into comfortable clothing. They light firecrackers every year, and sometimes they watch or perform lion dances. “Last year my cousins and I threw together a small lion dance routine to get some extra money since my cousins had two lion costumes,” Dang said. Every year they eat all sorts of Vietnamese foods like stir fry, noodles, and ramen. “There’s always a main dish of noodles and broth,” Dang said. “Everyone usually pitches in, and there’s usually egg rolls and spring rolls.” steven phamreporter
hunter phillipsphotographer/designer