Justine Davis is at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse in Auburn, New York

Justine Davis
I see our cousin Justine only once every ten years because she moved to Kazakhstan when she was a kid.  But, she came back to the the U.S. for college, majored in musical theatre and graduated this year.  She is now working as an actress at the Merry-Go-Round Playhouse, a children's theatre in Auburn, New York.  (How cool is that!) Known as Broadway in the Finger Lakes, The Merry-Go-Round Playhouse is located in Emerson Park, in the old carousel building at 6877 East Lake Rd. (Rt. 38A) Auburn, NY 13021 www.merry-go-round.com. It has shows for youths from June through November each year. Catch a show this coming summer or fall if you are in the Syracuse, NY area. Justine has an awesome singing voice.  Good luck, Justine!

A Ho Ho Ho Christmas Eve Dinner

Had dinner with my parents' friends in the San Gabriel Valley on Christmas Eve and saw this blood curdling dish on the menu: (check out item No. 46) :

Now, intestine and blood cake sound nasty for sure, but what is the Ho sauce? Also, check out Item No. 53 on the menu: What is the Sour Cabbage with Pig Stoma? Maybe the menu sounds better in Chinese.

What? Now We Can't Admit That We're Asian?

I was always told that diversity a good thing for this country.  I also hear that schools should admit students based on merit.  As an Asian student, I can't help wondering how best to navigate the various schools admissions criteria.  In the K-12 magnet school system here in Los Angeles, I've been told that it is more advantageous to identifying myself as being "white" to gain a spot in the highly coveted magnet schools.  Now, I read that to apply to college, Asian students who have an option to identify themselves at either "white", "other", or "Asian," should avoid the "Asian" option to give themselves a better chance of being admitted to elite colleges.  This is because apparently, Asian students are victims of being too successful academically.  http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2011-12-03/asian-students-college-applications/51620236/1

In a few years, I'll be applying to college.  As an Asian student with an Asian sounding last name, who is not a super academic performer, and not an athlete, what ethnic box should I check on the college applications?