【推荐1】It may seem as if Mother’s Day was invented by a company named Hallmark, but people have been giving a shout-out to Mom for a long time. A more recent tradition was Mothering Sunday, which developed in the British Isles during the 16th century. On the fourth Sunday in April, young men and women who were living and working apart from their families were advised to return to their mothers’ houses.

Mother’s Day as it is observed in the United States started in the 1850s with Ann Jarvis, a West Virginia woman who held “Mothers’ Work Days” to promote health and hygiene at home and in the workplace. During the Civil War, Jarvis organized women to improve sanitary conditions for soldiers on both sides, and after the war she became a peacemaker, bringing together mothers of Union and Confederate soldiers and promoting a Mother’s Day holiday.

Jarvis’s work inspired another 19th-century woman, Julia Ward Howe. In 1870, Howe published her “Mother’s Day Proclamation”, which envisioned the day not as appreciation of mothers by their children but as an opportunity for women to exercise their collective power for peace. Howe started holding annual Mother’s Day celebrations in Boston, her hometown, but after about a decade the tradition faded away.

It was Jarvis’s daughter, Anna, who succeeded in getting Mother’s Day recognized as a national holiday. After her mother died in 1905, Anna started holding yearly ceremony on the anniversary. In 1912, West Virginia and a few other states adopted Mother’s Day. Two years later, Woodrow Wilson signed a resolution naming the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day, making it an official US holiday.

It wasn’t long before whatever ideals the day was supposed to celebrate were buried under an amount of greeting cards and candy. By the 1920s, Anna Jarvis was campaigning against the holiday she had created. “I wanted it to be a day of emotionalism, not profit,” she said.

【推荐3】Movies we have enjoyed

Gattica Samantha Wynter from Mexico finds this movie interesting because it examines the results of genetic engineering of humans in the future. It shows the struggles of Victor, a man born naturally and with imperfections, to succeed in a world of genetically-designed, perfect humans.

Central Station Stella Tupinamba from Brazil reviews this excellent Brazilian film which was recently nominated(提名) for Academy awards. This movie which features the talented actress, Fernanda Montenegro, in Stella’s words, is “like a prize” for Brazilians. It’s a very special film. Don’t miss it!

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Masako Kanki from Japan was pleased to find the movie so faithful to the book, but a little disappointed in the lack of character development. Nonetheless, she found the movie fantastic and is eagerly looking forward to viewing more movies based on Harry Potter books.

Life is Beautiful Akiko Tanaka from Japan feels this Italian movie is a very special one. She found the story very beautiful, but very sad. She tells us the basic story of this heartrending movie, which shows us we should never forget what happens during wars.

【推荐1】When I graduated from high school, I wanted to major in comparative literature. But, once I found out my friends were going into “real” majors, like marketing, nursing, and engineering, I figured I needed to do the same to ensure a good career. So I changed my mind and choose Business Management as my major. I forced myself to believe that I would enjoy it and succeed in the future, but eventually I exhausted myself understanding the economy and trying new marketing techniques. Coming out of this experience, I realize it is OK to be different from others and to study things like classic art history and other majors offered in the College of Humanities.

The worries most people have about a Humanities degree and finding a career afterwards are that the majors are too abstract, and one will not obtain any applicable skills. Actually ideas discussed in Humanities classes which are occasionally different from what people commonly believe, offer a broad perspective. How could one effectively be an unbiased (无偏见的) writer with only a knowledge of the popular opinion of society? How could one speak persuasively with closed minds? Only seeing the world through a single perspective leads to missed learning, missed friendships, and missed growth! With a broader perspective, we will be more free, more open-minded, and less limited in what we can become.

STEM(science, technology, engineering and mathematics) graduates learn actual skills in their studies while humanities majors learn “soft skills” like communicating effectively through writing critically and speaking persuasively, synthesizing (综合) ideas through gathering and interpreting information, and developing cultural awareness. Do those soft skills sound useless and inapplicable to you? Think of it. How often do you communicate with others? Produce ideas? Encounter people from other cultures? Every day. Every SECOND of every day. So why not master these skills?

If you choose a major in the College of Humanities, you will be needed. The job market is quietly creating thousands of openings a week for people who can bring a humanist’s grace to our rapidly evolving high-tech future. Your skills will be valuable to any workplace you hope to be in. Chase after your dream major with all your energy, no matter what other people think.

【推荐2】As children we are well-trained to find the right answer. We are rewarded for A's, the honor roll and acing the test. Our education trains us to follow the rules and deliver the expected answers. When we do, awards and congratulations follow. Yet when we grow up, it gets a little harder. Life and careers don’t have tests with an A if we get the “right” answer.

I recently had coffee with a college student who will graduate. She is struggling with what she wants for her career. She wants her parents to be proud of her and to continue the success she has had in school. She also talked about other students in her graduating class who are set to do "some big things," like working for impressive companies. Yet she wasn't sure of the right answer for using her degree. She said that deep down she was hoping that someone might give her the answer.

We both agreed that it comes down to not looking for the right answer, but her answer. The grown-up definition of the “right answer" is different than that in school. What would you do if you weren't afraid? It takes time to know these answers. And they can change over time and at any point in your career. My encouragement is to get valued advice and input, of course, but finally to look within yourself for the answers. It helps to come back to:

What do I want to be known for? What is my definition of success? What am I best at?

If I had no fears, what would I do?

What is one step I can take today to move me toward my goal (even if it's not perfectly clear)?

I find these types of questions are more helpful at getting to our unique answer rather than “right answer” questions, such as: What will my parents want? What degree or job will mark me as accomplished to the world? What is my best option based on where I work today?

【推荐3】Google made waves recently by introducing its new program, “Google Career Certificates,” a collection of courses designed to help people get qualifications in high-paying, high-growth job fields without attending university. The courses should take about six months to complete and will cost a fraction (小部分) of a traditional college education.

Many people, especially students, were happy to see an alternative (可能的选择) to what many consider a broken education system—one that leaves many burdened with student debt for years while leaving them unprepared for the real world.

The truth is, traditional higher education may be necessary for some careers, but for others it is neither necessary nor practical. Google’s alternative not only costs a fraction of a traditional college education, but it can also be completed in far less time and can better prepare graduates for the real world.

Of course, what Google is offering isn’t exactly new. In some ways, the new program is similar to other types of training that have existed for years, like vocational education. The difference is, since Google is a household name, its certificate can be easily recognized and accepted across companies and industries — much like a degree from a major university.

Not everyone was in praise of Google’s alternative. Some people expressed concern that not enough employers would value Google’s certificate program. One even argued that graduates would likely not get a job and would then feel the need to go to college after all. Another criticism people leveled was that there are certain lessons taught in higher education that you merely can’t get in other places. “Students need more than a checklist of skills in order to compete in the real world,” those people said. “They need critical thinking abilities.”

I don’t think Google’s program will completely replace college education. But I do think it’s a step in the right direction — a separate path for students who are looking for something different from traditional higher education.