<p>The important take away from this news…make your move in hotel reservations before the industry realizes the changes in dates and double the rates.</p>
<p>@Pizzagirl: Well I’m guessing it has something to do with the summer session schedule–which ends Sep. 12 and not having enough time to do the maintenance needed.</p>
<p>I don’t understand why, if you can offer an accommodation, you wouldn’t do it. The slope is not that slippery. </p>
<p>I remember the 1989 kerfuffle when Harry Edwards, that champion of civil rights, refused to move a mid-term for Soc 1 at UC Berkeley that was scheduled for Yom Kippur. Guess both the culture wars and the international Jewish conspiracy are still alive.</p>
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<p>Yes, a lot. Some Asian shopping centers are closed for 3-5 days. Many Asian Americans working in the industries take couple vacation days. There are lots of fun activities.</p>
<p>[13th</a> Annual Lunar New Year Celebration and Other Asian Traditions | Oakland Museum of California](<a href=“http://museumca.org/event/lunar-new-year-celebration-2014]13th”>http://museumca.org/event/lunar-new-year-celebration-2014)</p>
<p>[Sunday</a> marks start of Chinese New Year](<a href=“http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/02/07/chinese-new-year-snake-sunday/1900015/]Sunday”>Sunday marks start of Chinese New Year)</p>
<p>[Chinese</a> New Year in LA - Los Angeles Chinese and Vietnamese New Year](<a href=“http://golosangeles.about.com/od/losangelescalendar/a/ChineseNewYear.htm]Chinese”>http://golosangeles.about.com/od/losangelescalendar/a/ChineseNewYear.htm)</p>
<p>[California’s</a> Little Saigon to mark Lunar New Year](<a href=“http://bigstory.ap.org/article/californias-little-saigon-mark-lunar-new-year]California’s”>http://bigstory.ap.org/article/californias-little-saigon-mark-lunar-new-year)</p>
<p>[Tet</a> Parade Vietnamese Parade Westminster, CA](<a href=“http://www.seecalifornia.com/events/parades/westminster-tet-parade.html]Tet”>Tet Parade Vietnamese Parade Westminster, CA)</p>
<p>[Happy</a> Lunar New Year Celebration Returns to Disney California Adventure Park « Disney Parks Blog](<a href=“http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/01/happy-lunar-new-year-celebration-returns-to-disney-california-adventure-park/]Happy”>http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/01/happy-lunar-new-year-celebration-returns-to-disney-california-adventure-park/)</p>
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<p>Huh? Not wanting religious influence on secular education–from ANY religion–is hardly an engagement in “culture wars.” And I have no idea what you mean by “international Jewish conspiracy.”</p>
<p>Yes, a lot. Some Asian shopping centers are closed for 3-5 days. Many Asian Americans working in the industries take couple vacation days. There are lots of fun activities.</p>
<p>Taking off school/work for “fun activities” is very different from an accommodation to attend religious services. We don’t have a right to attend “fun activities.” lol</p>
<p>But that’s just it, m2ck. One person’s “religious observance” might be another’s “fun.” We can’t look from the outside and judge.</p>
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<p>This makes me think there are few well connected people in UC that have a lot of power.</p>
<p>Why don’t they just shorten their summer semester? You guys don’t think it’s odd that a summer semester doesn’t end til Sep 12? That’s far weirder than going to Dec 19 for classes! </p>
<p>Lime wine - that’s the International Jewish conspiracy, California division. They do great work, in between running Hollywood and all. You weren’t supposed to know.</p>
<p>^ oops, sorry</p>
<p>I wonder if fundamentalist Christians or Muslims could force a change in university schedules if they were only 3% of the population. (Not judging–just wondering.) Muslim women at George Washington had a hard time getting an hour of pool time A WEEK set aside to swim without men–a far cry from shifting the academic calendar of an entire university system.</p>
<p>[Religious</a> Accommodation Makes Waves | Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/09/swimming]Religious”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/11/09/swimming)</p>
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<p>The Asian New Year has many components:</p>
<p>1) Family members gather during the New Year eve to offer ceremonies to honor the ancestors in the families and in the temples (even in Buddhist temples). This is the most important aspect of the holiday. This is religious.</p>
<p>2) A family reunion occasion. Family members from faraway corners try to get back together during the New Year Eve.</p>
<p>3) The promotion of good relationship among the neighbors. People go to visit the neighbors on the new year days. Homeowners have the door opened and the neighbors just come in without being invited. Visitors are warmingly greeted with wishes, tea, and foods.</p>
<p>4) The celebrations and enjoyments in public places. These are usually done during the weekends before and after the the new year.</p>
<p>It’s hard to judge if you don’t understand the Asian culture.</p>
<p>I don’t suggest an official full week holidays. But 2 official holidays will help a lot.</p>
<p>By the way, why religious observances have higher priority than cultural observances?</p>
<p>Yeah, LAUSD last year started fall semester August instead of September to do this WITHOUT messing up everyone’s winter break. Annoying as it was to have a two week shorter summer in the transition year (this year they will just get out earlier) it seems a much better idea. Winter break is the only time there is time for both family and friends, until the next summer as I recall from my college days. I wonder which will be cut?</p>
<p>=<(</p>
<p>(about to be parent of college students)</p>
<p>(Two weeks in summer would give enough time for 2 days for everyone’s holiday of choice. By all means lets not leave out Kwanza. Kidding, sorta. I think religious beliefs should be accomodated but where the number impacted are very small we don’t have enough days in the year, possibly, to hit all holidays. Depending on the population of the school districts, they should pick the big ones, and STILL not mess up everyone’s ability to have a long enough stretch to both take a break and spend time with family, imho.)</p>
<p>It seems to me that public universities are on a slippery slope in their effort to accommodate certain religious groups and not others. </p>
<p>What has happened to the principle of separation of church and state? I understand that these are attempts to be inclusive; however, the result is likely to be more groups asking for their days to be accommodated. As percentages of believers in the population shift, should we change the days? </p>
<p>With so many courses available on video, it seems to be reasonable to hold classes irrespective of religious holidays, and allow students who miss certain dates to catch up by watching the video.</p>
<p>It is odd that as the population becomes less and less religious, the government does more and more to accommodate religion.</p>
<p>Thought this was interesting:</p>
<p>80% of non Christians celebrate Christmas.</p>
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<p>The policy has been in effect since 2007. It’s been invoked once in 2009 when the semester calendar conflicted with Ramadan, and now this time. Twice in 7 years doesn’t seem like a terribly slippery slope to me.</p>
<p>Seems like there’s been plenty of time for other groups to step up and ask for special accommodations, and they haven’t.</p>
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<p>^^Completely agree.</p>
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<p>I don’t think you can draw any conclusions from that, qialah. In the case of the female Muslim students at George Washington, it was no easy feat to get the pool set aside for women even for one hour a week–and remember, this accommodation was available for ALL female students to take advantage of, not just Muslims. </p>
<p>In fact the simple attempt to give women an hour of separation from men provoked the following headline on Fox News: “U.S. College Creates Sharia Pool for Muslim Women.” I just don’t believe all religious minority groups in this country have an equal chance of having their needs met.</p>
<p>[U.S</a>. College Creates Sharia Pool for Muslim Women - Fox Nation](<a href=“http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2010/11/16/us-college-creates-sharia-pool-muslim-women]U.S”>http://nation.foxnews.com/culture/2010/11/16/us-college-creates-sharia-pool-muslim-women)</p>
<p>^the pool thing doesn’t bother me, I think there are non religious women who also prefer to swim without men. I can imagine that an overweight woman might like to get some exercise without worrying too much about who is looking at her body. I also think there could be men in the same situation. So IMO, the school should also designate a male only swimming hour as well. There is no need to tie this to religion.</p>
<p>Women’s only pool times and changing classes to account for a holiday are apples and oranges. A school might reasonably consider implementing a policy that takes into account a religiously imposed gender-segregation that it may strenuously oppose is antithetical to its principles. I don’t think even people who don’t believe in making the accommodation are opposed in principle to the notion of religious celebration. </p>
<p>I agree that it is odd for the UC to make this change if it really does affect such a tiny percentage of its students. On the other hand, there may be a more significant number of faculty members affected.</p>
<p>qialah,</p>
<p>The slippery slope is when the state begins deciding that certain religions get special treatment and others don’t. </p>
<p>Are they giving Hindu holidays special treatment too? Bhai holidays? Taoism? Shinto holy days? What are the Atheist holidays? Does the FSM have a special day? Will Buddah’s birthday be a vacation day? Pagan holidays? Wiccan? Scientology? When is Zenu’s birthday? I think the only religious holiday that currently impacts the government is Christmas, and in my opinion, it has become a largely cultural holiday. </p>
<p>What rules will we use to decide which religions and holy days get special treatment at public facilities and at taxpayer expense? What will the rules be? And how does that fit with the rules about separation of church and state? Will this result in annual lawsuits like Nativity scenes in public places do?</p>
<p>That is the slippery slope.</p>
<p>^And exactly why we need organizations like the Freedom From Religion Foundation.</p>
<p>ffrf.org</p>