Chinese Cluster Faculty Dinner

Last Sunday night our cluster had the Chinese faculty dinner at our program director Dr. Liu’s place. It was a really enjoyable night. We paired up and did an awesome job cooking Chinese dishes. Dr. Liu also prepared many delicious dishes by herself. I enjoyed spending time with cluster members, meeting prospective students, and interacting with our teachers in a different context. Being with both new students and old students made me wonder how quickly time goes by, and how this immersion program has affected them as well as me. I will definitely miss those who are graduating this semester, and I also look forward to welcoming the new students into our cluster!

Scroll down to see pictures and what our cluster members have to say about that night! (Yi)

Picture 1: the first round

Picture 2: chatting and enjoy the Chinese music

Jack:
I was surprised by how well everyone cooked in the cluster. It was also quite a feat to pull off all those dishes with the limited budget we had. It’s nice to see everyone, especially, Dr. Liu outside the context of the Language House. I enjoy listening to the different dialects of Chinese spoken during the night, which was very representative of the diverse dialects that exist in China. Music and sing along to old Chinese pop songs we was good times, but the professor Chien’s toddlers stolen the show with their infant charms. Baby Xavier was quite the ladies’ man, fitting of Richie Ren’s flirtatious songs: “Girls across the street look here.”

It was nostalgic meeting the incoming Chinese Cluster members, as I will leave the Language house this semester and graduate from the university. I wonder what the cluster will be like and how this place will affect their lives.

Picture 3: lobster noodle and fried beef with broccoli by David, salmon by Dr. Liu, and many other dishes

Mae:
Sunday night was my first and last Language House faculty dinner. Although it had been busy weekend for me going between state lines and celebrating Easter, I was still happy to spent the night with my clustermates. Afterall, it is not often that we all can sit down and have a meal together. Not only did we chat with teachers (and play with their adorable kids!), but also got to know the prospective students. I wish them all the best of luck for next year. Midway through the evening, I suddenly realized that I will be graduating soon and will have to prepare to say goodbye. It's hard to believe that my time at Maryland is coming to an end, but I will do my best to take advantage of the last weeks as part of a great program and in the company of great people at the Language House.

Picture 4: fried eggplant by Jack and fried eggs with tomato by Lotus

Monica:
Yi (our cluster mentor) and I made a mushroom-and-lettuce vegetarian dish and a soup with beef, carrots, and potatoes. I think people liked the food we made—most of it was gone, thankfully. I met the newcomers/prospective Language House students, and I am excited to sort of be their ‘mentor’ when they join the Chinese cluster next fall! Mark did a little singing for us, and the rest of the evening was filled with talk and Chinese music as we watched Chien Laoshi’s kids running around Chen (two different teachers) Laoshi’s house.

Watching Chien Laoshi’s kids reminded me of when I was their age going to these kind of dinner parties. I vaguely remember being annoyed sometimes at their persistence to keep attending these events; I mean, I was more interested in playing my Nintendo64! However, now that I’m (a lot) older, I can see why my parents took me to these (sometimes boring) events. It is at once a teaching experience and a fun time. The children learn how to socialize from their parents, and their parents remember the days when they were young, and let loose a little bit (did anyone else’s parents play poker and MahJong into the night?). As the ‘middle generation,’ between small children and parents, I am in a position to see the value of dinners like these, and it is my hope that this tradition continues with my generation of ABC’s (American Born Chinese).


Lotus:
The faculty dinner at Dr. Liu's place was quite the experience. I thoroughly enjoyed sampling the 8 dishes that the cluster prepared and stayed in the kitchen for easy access to second and third servings. Everyone succeeded in cooking their dish - who knew that we could all be chefs when the pressure was on? I was not aware that we were all capable of cooking such wonderful meals! Dr. Liu also made a delicious salmon dish; we eagerly took home the leftovers and split it between the girls and guys.

Meeting the potential new members was also very enjoyable. They seemed so enthusiastic about the Language House, which definitely rubbed off on me, as I remembered how excited I was as a new member. I am very excited for them to join our cluster, but even more excited for them to meet everyone in the Language House! We are all fun, friendly people who have something in common.

As much as I enjoyed eating and meeting the new members, I would have to say that meeting faculty members from the Chinese department was the most entertaining part of the evening. It was fun seeing them out of the "academic" context and having casual conversations with them. We got to play with one of the professors' two kids and watch them dance to Chinese songs that I remember from my childhood, which I will soon add to my iTunes playlist. The atmosphere was very warm and welcoming, and it was great spending time with my cluster mates at the same place and time.

I wish the best for the new members and cannot wait to welcome them into our apartment next fall!

Picture 6: star of the night

Jennifer:
After living with 300 to 400 level Chinese students for the past couple of years in Language House, it was really refreshing to meet 100 level prospective residents. It made me think about how far we have come in terms of speaking after living in the house. I hope that the new students gained a lot out of getting to know faculty members and will learn even more during their residency in this house.

David:
For the faculty dinner, everyone had to make a dish for Dr. Liu’s faculty dinner. Both Mark and I collaborated to create a lobster shrimp with noodles along with beef broccoli. It took about an hour and a half for us to make the dish because there were so many ingredients to prepare. Once the dishes were done, we drove to Dr. Liu’s house and met with all the other current and prospective students along with Chinese Faculty members. During my stay there, we introduced ourselves to the group and waited for faculty members to arrive. We started eating after everyone settled down; it was like a huge gathering and it was somewhat informal because any topics that
came to mind were discussed. I ate about 6 plates of food along with fruits and desserts, everyone looked at me in awe and I felt I should’ve eaten somewhere else besides the living room, but overall, it was a delightful experience to communicate with people I have not met before. Even though the noodles I made were a bit dry, it was still enjoyed by many people at the faculty dinner.

Russian Maslenitsa at the Language House

The Russian equivalent of Carnival is called Maslenitsa. It is the week before the Russian Orthodox Lent. Maslenitsa is one of the best Russian holidays and something that everyone can appreciate. It is a fun filled week of games and eating “blini”, Russian crepes.

At the Language House, we the Russian Cluster hosted a day of Maslenitsa in the beginning of February. Katya and Rachel, the Russian Cluster devoted chefs, woke up at the crack of dawn and started cooking hundreds (literally) of delicious, mouth-watering, buttery, golden crepes. Leysan, Misha, and Amanda beautifully decorated the Language House’s multipurpose room with Russian paraphernalia including brightly patterned scarves and a an authentic 19th century

samovar. Bliny, caviar along with other many other fillings, tea, music (thanks to Harry) - everything ready for the party to begin. After helping themselves to the delicious blini, the guests seated themselves to watch a series of entertaining performances. First, Hannah gave a colorful and informative presentation on the history and meaning behind Maslenitsa. Next, one of the Russian classes sang a Russian folk song.

And finally, a different Russian class sang, danced, and acted out an entertaining skit.

Meanwhile, the guests continued to eat, drink, and enjoy the fabulousness of the holiday known as Maslenitsa. Overall, the day was a wonderful, blini-filled success!

Russian Cluster

Hannah Silverman for the Russian Cluster

Language House Spring Showcase

The Showcase:

The annual language house showcase is a wonderful opportunity to view the different cultural aspects from each of the 10 languages represented in the house. Each of the clusters comes up with a unique, educational, and entertaining performance that exhibits the diverse talents that our students have to offer. Family members are sent invitations to show the progress that their child has learned within the immersion program – but other members of the community are welcome to attend as well! In addition to the performances, attendees end the night with an assortment of home-made cultural dished pertaining to each language.

La exhibición anual de la Casa de Idiomas es una oportunidad fantástica para ver los distintos aspectos culturales de cada una de las diez lenguas representadas en la casa. Cada grupo diseña su propia presentación, baile o canción que sea único, educativo y divertido para mostrar los talentos diversos de nuestros estudiantes. Padres y familia reciben invitaciones al evento para compartir con ellos el progreso de los estudiantes y lo que han aprendido ya en el programa de inmersión… ¡pero otros miembros de la comunidad también pueden asistir! Además de las actuaciones, el evento termina con una merienda de varios platos de comida preparado por los estudiantes y representando cada lengua de la casa. Mucha cultura en la Language House de la Universidad de Maryland.

SPANISH CLUSTER

The importance of studying abroad!

La Importancia de estudiar en el extranjero
A nosotros nos encanta aprender idiomas y aquí en la casa nos preparamos en la esperanza de estudiar en el extranjero. Aún si tomas muchas clases de español, o de otro idioma, no se puede reemplazar ciertas experiencias como:
La comida (jamón serrano o croquetas)
La gente que se conoce (amigos, estudiantes y profesores)
La cultura (el arte, la música, la arquitectura, el baile, las ferias y las costumbres)
Las oportunidades escolares y profesionales (obtener créditos para la universidad, conocer a otros jóvenes profesionales o conseguir otro tipo de aprendizajes)
Las oportunidades culturales (aprender una apreciación profunda de culturas diferentes, aprender a cocinar, a bailar, a cantar, y manejarse en una sociedad distinta)
El lenguaje (palabrotas, jerga, gramática y usos específicos al país, como el lenguaje y su uso representa al país y su historia)
Todo super interesante…

The Importance of Study Abroad
Here in the language house, we love to learn languages and are preparing ourselves to one day study abroad in another country. Even if you are taking many Spanish classes, or any languages for that matter, there are some experiences that life on UMD’s campus that can’t replace.
The food (jamón Serrano, croquettes)
The people that you meet (friends, students, professors)
The culture (art, music, architecture, dance, celebrations, customs)
The academic and professional opportunities (receiving credit for classes, meeting other young professionals, getting internships)
The cultural opportunities (learning to appreciate a different culture, learning to cook foreign foods, dance, sing, and living in a different society)
The language (jargon, grammar, slang, idioms, how the language reflects the culture and history of the country)

SPANISH CLUSTER

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The Unique Nature of a Nonprofit Organization with a Product

My externship with Judy Phair, the Vice President of Communications, at the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), began on Thursday, October 15th. Upon my arrival, I was given an itinerary of the meetings and events Judy had scheduled for me that day. Judy explained her intention of demonstrating to me how the communications department at a very corporate-style, yet nonprofit organization, operates, through introducing me to and arranging meetings with key members.

The first meeting on my schedule was a general orientation to the communications department at GMAC. Members of the communications department, Sonya Moore, Bob Ludwig, Ethan Cebulash, and Tracy Briggs all sat down with me to explain their responsibilities and contributions to the department based on their unique talents and experience. Prior to their individual explanations, Judy provided me with a general overview of the unique nature of GMAC as a non-profit organization albeit with a product, the GMAT exam, and more generally, the challenges of working in the testing industry. With that in context, she then explained the role the communications department has played in GMAC and how that role has evolved over time.

Ethan is the web and graphic design specialist who joined the council in 2007. He spoke at length about the web’s contribution to marketing. A couple of years ago they made the website more of a priority. Their goal was to improve the design. Judy explained that the previous website, gmac.com, was really outdated and that the new web site, mba.com is specifically aimed at students.

Bob is the head of media relations and has work for GMAC for five and a half years. One key point that he made was that the organization is much more internationally focused now than ever before, as the push to increase visibility outside of the United States becomes more urgent. The media of course, is a perfect way to do this as it is a source for news organizations to put MBA students in context. In terms of current global trends in students going back to business school, recruiters are gauging how likely this is to happen, and are analyzing general trends in business education while being proactive in pitching media. He informed me that since Judy joined the department a few years ago, she has really spearheaded relations with the media overseas, especially with Asia and India.

Cultural differences need to be considered as the organization expands globally and I learned some interesting and pertinent data collected about trends in India and China. Whereas before, Indians would seeker a higher level education overseas they are increasingly returning to India to receive this education. Additionally, after completing their studies there are jobs awaiting them in their home country. One poignant example of cultural differences affecting the way the GMAT needs to be marketed, concerned Chinese students. When marketing the exam to Chinese students, members of the communications department needed to be cautious of clarifying rules regarding cheating. In China, it is more common for students to pass on answers to their friends, and occurrences in which test-takers will take the exam solely for the purpose of recording questions and sometimes even posting them online, is all too prevalent.

I then attended a Research Exchange event with Judy in which members of other departments were present. The research presented was about the 2009 application trends survey results. The information was a bit over my head as it was a very specific topic and many business terms were used. Much to my relief, Judy explained to me after the presentation, that even she had trouble following all the technicalities. Following that, I sat down with three more members of the communications department, Sam Silverstein, Carole Mahoney, and again, Tracy Briggs.

Tracy Briggs provides a valuable service to the communications department. Three times a week, she puts together an e-mail containing news articles relevant to GMAC and intended to give employees a sense of the current events in the industry. This service is critical to keeping them informed without their having to spend too much time researching themselves. Judy added that the president especially values these news clippings.

I am looking forward to meeting with Judy twice more and will update the blog as those meetings materialize.

~Ilana

Children's Literature Comprehensive Database: That's No Childish Database

Have you ever wondered how those databases at our UMD library’s Research Port work? Among databases, Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) is a role model.

CLCD is a rapidly-growing, indispensable resource for many librarians, editors, publishers, media specialists, professors, and students. Its database includes over two million MARC records. Records for books include the standard reference data as well as numerous reading levels (e.g. lexiles), awards that books have won, and reading lists. What's more, many entries feature book reviews that, for example, let teachers see what others think about a book before having students read it. To top it off, CLCD provides a free newsletter with notable developments in children’s literature, and a booking service to connect famous children’s literature figures with schools and other organizations. They do it all very well; with good reason, this October the School Library Journal wrote "CLCD deserves a solid A."

As a business major, I was especially interested in the inner workings of such a venture. Particularly, how could one approach the apparently astronomical task of setting up, maintaining, and expanding such a database? What sort of unexpected logistics issues would they need to surmount? How do they promote their product?

In my externship at CLCD, CLCD masterminds privileged me with such inside information, letting me learn from a number of their key figures. What I learned was eye-opening. I will mention a few salient points of my experiences.

The database is in a small-business format. Such a database need not be run by a multitude—thankfully. The lean nature of their business makes it far more flexible than a large corporation. If a change needs to be made in the website, it can be done without any bureaucratic hassle. Marilyn Courtot, the president of CLCD, showed me her approach to leading this kind of business. Their bookkeeper gave me flashbacks to my accounting courses as she guided me through their process of managing their incoming and outgoing funds.

Online marketing for CLCD has been rapidly expanding in the last few months. They recently began a Twitter page as well as a blog. Both are followed by librarians, teachers, and others who want to keep tabs on the children’s literature world. These, added to the wealth of free, regularly updated information in their website and newsletters periodically sent to customers and other interested parties, comprise a wholesome recipe for communications success.

While it is a small business in one sense, it is a large business in another. Particularly, the information processing spans numerous states. Some information is prepared in Maryland, and after being sent around to certain specialists in Michigan, Virginia, and New Jersey, the information is added to the database. The national network of professionals managing the data entry was fascinating to encounter.

Lastly, I was also able to contribute my own personal services and recommendations for promotion, their website, and marketing of certain services. For the purposes of this entry, however, they must be kept confidential. I am glad to be able to leave a mark on CLCD during the short time of my service there, and I look forward to being able to serve it in the future.

Indeed, the Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database is no childish database. Overall, I am very grateful to Mrs. Courtot and the University of Maryland for the opportunity to participate in this externship and learn how such a superb service is provided and promoted. The contacts made and lessons learned I hope to take far into the future.

~Marc McCarthy