A Brief History of Santa Claus

Santa Claus has been called by several different names throughout the years. Traditions and legends of Santa Claus for the evolution of the modern-day Santa may have been based on the early Dutch legend of Sinterklaas, originating in the 1600's.
Santa Claus really started to get famous when American author Washington Irving published stories about Santa Claus, referring to him as Saint Nicholas who arrived on Christmas Eve bringing presents for children.

On December 25?
Yeshua's birth is celebrated, actually we don’t know the date of Yeshua's birth. In the effort for establishing the adoration to Yeshua, Roma established on December 25 as the birth of Yeshua because in this date is celebrated a pagan party directed to the god of the Sun, a party very famous and celebrated by all.

What is the meaning of Christmas?
For many persons Christmas is a symbol of gifts, party, dinner and other things where the money is very important, In spite of the fact that his origin is religious.
A hypothesis in the matter is that the Christmas is acquiring new meanings, the form of the ritual is kept but his content transforms, getting accommodated to the new gods and values of the world. For an important sector of the population, the Christmas already is not an occasion to strengthen his Christian religion; rather it represents a social format to guarantee the brotherly vows.

The real thing
Yeshua's birth is a rescuing action for the present man. It is the immense and eternal God that descends to take the human condition and bursts in into the time of the man so that one can reach it. Nobody, although he wants, can remain to the margin of this mystery. The entire world accepts the event of the birth of Yeshua, like the central date of the history of the humanity.
GOD IS GOOD
Geokena Hernández Gómez and Elvia Venegas Díaz

Pollution is Destroying the Earth

The earth has a natural system that controls winds, temperature, and rain. In addition, the earth can control the way crops grow without any chemical product.

Nowadays, pollution is higher than years before. A lot of machines are in function everyday. Ships, cars, planes, and factories are the tools to the life necessities the human society needs to produce and carry food and products from one country to another.

Pollution is a real problem to everyone. We have to keep the streets clean because they are in a mess. Plastic bags and soda bottles can be seen in many places around the towns in Mexico.

Another problem is that everyday we are eating vegetables, fruits, and other crops grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The earth has a life, it can feel the warmth caused by pollution so we have to start looking at other ways to protect it. The best way I think is to be conscious where we want to go and what kind of world we want.

Energy is made from nuclear in some cases. There is one plant in La Laguna, Mexico. It has the same characteristics of the Chernoville plant, which exploded many years ago causing a lot of disease and death.

In conclusion, pollution destroys our world. Everybody has the responsibility to keep it in good condition.

Diplomatic Crisis between Mexico and Venezuela

Recently, Mexico participated in the fourth American Summit celebrated in Mar de Plata, Argentina. At this summit, Mexico’s President worked in different meetings with other Presidents.

Vicente Fox, President of Mexico, always had one position in favor of consolidating the American Free Trade Agreement (ALCA). However, the president of Venezuela, Huge Chavez, spoke hard criticisms about Mexico. Hugo Chavez said the Mexico is “the puppy of the empire,” which created discomfort in the Mexican government.

Therefore, the executive called in an ambassador of Venezuela to consult. So, the ambassador of Venezuela had to give an explanation of the declarations of his President.

After that, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico explained the conflict was finished within the diplomatic process. But the results of this bargain were dissatisfying to the Mexican government.

Therefore, the secretary of Foreign Policy has since explained the disagreement with the statement of President Hugo Chavez. Finally, the foreign policy of Mexico has a crisis, because Vicente Fox doesn’t have a good government staff.

Melina Hernanadez Garcia
Sandra Lopez Reyes
Luis Elizondo ParedeoEdwin Aurdy Cruz Garcia

Germany World Cup 2006

The next world championship is very near. The world cup will be celebrated in Germany. This is a sports festival, the best in the world, because many people watch it. Normally, it is transmitted in open T.V. so people from different places, poor and rich, can watch the event.

Football is the most popular sport in the world, also it is easy to understand, but it is difficult to become a successful player. At the moment, 27 countries have been classified for this World Cup, but 5 more countries are going to play in the next week to get a place. These countries are the Czech Republic, Spain, Australia, and others.

In this kind of competition many people like to gamble a lot of money and sometimes feel nationalism. This situation is bad because essentially the sport should be a great festival for the world, it should be an event where all races and religions can celebrate together. It is important to say that the International Federation of Associated Football (FIFA, in Spanish) has more members than the United Nations, which has 191.

Walter Jeovani Bejarano Silva

The Day of the Dead

Every day on the first day of November, Oaxaca’s people celebrate the arrival of their dead relatives. Previously, the family makes an offering to the dead, which consists of food and beverages.

On the last days of October, the people make the altar. It consists of an arc, with a table, where the people put food, fruit, and beverages that the dead people liked. On the October 31st, the people go to the Pantheon to wait for the arrival of their dead children, “angelitos,” like little angels. Before the arrival of the little angels, the people clean their gravestones and they have a party, where they divide up the food, like tamales, bread and fruit and beverages, chocolate and mescal. The families of the dead children light candles and they bring things that the dead children liked. All night the pantheon is a place full of life.

At midnight, the people pray to their little angels, they pray to God for them. The next day, November 1st, the women cook the traditional Oaxacan food, “mole oaxaqueno.” It consists of a mixture of several kinds of chilis, tomatoes, chocolate, bananas, garlic cloves, sesame, onion, and bread accompanied with turkey, which was killed one day before.
At night, the people pray and wait for the arrival of the dead adults.

Eden Hernández Vásquez
Neydi Méndez Martínez

How Students Really Spend Their Day

Here are the results of the first student survey created and carried out by first semester English language students. We asked six questions about life as a student here in Huatulco to three hundred UMAR students: This is what we found out….. Thank you to all who participated!

We asked:
Which is your favorite nightclub here in Huatulco?
Not surprisingly an overwhelming 75% of you named the papaya as your ultimate favorite place to spend your Friday or Saturday night!

How often do you go to a nightclub?
Teachers! Do you often wonder why your students fall asleep in class? Our survey showed that a not so insignificant 26% of students at UMAR go to a nightclub at least once a week with some of those going two or three times a week! Just 18% said they never go to a nightclub, and the remaining 56% manage to get out usually on average twice a month. Mystery solved!

How many hours do you spend on the internet?
56% of you spend on average at least an hour a day surfing the web, 7% spend more than 2 hours each day on the internet, and the remaining 37% surf the web less than 5 hours a week.

How many hours do you spend doing homework?
31% of you spend a thoughtful hour or so doing homework every day, 48% said they spend a studious 2 to 4 hours a day doing homework, and a numerous 21% said they spend an incredible 5 hours a day or more doing homework! We expect all 10´s then!

How much do you spend on food and transport in an average week?
The cost of being a student, for the majority of you, lies somewhere between $200 and $500 pesos a week. However 11% of you are surviving on as little as $100-$150 pesos a week and a few on less than that! On the other end of the scale a small minority 10% of you, are getting through a whopping $700 or $800 pesos a week! Could it be all those trips to The Papaya perhaps?

What do you think about the timetable at school?
41% of you told us that you find the timetable exhausting or difficult at best. Whereas 55% of you said it is tiring or busy but ok. Just a tiny 4% of you said it was good or even easy! Where do they get their energy from?

This survey was done by 1st Semester Elementary II English students.

Cheap Thursday Dates for Cine Fans

Every Thursday in the university’s auditorium at 2 o’clock, the Cine Club shows a movie. The type of movie depends on the theme of the moment, for example, classic, terror, comedy, etc. When the movie is over everyone in the club discusses the tape. Their talk concerns the story, the photography, the actors, the music, the stage, etc.

The objective of the Cine Club it to promote cinematographic culture and learn about the different types of movies, directors, and actors.

The manager is Manuel Tenorio, professor of Humanity Sciences at UMAR. He finds people who want to take part doing the review about the movie and make the posters and flyers that promote watching the movie.

The Cine Club UMAR is a good idea for spending time and enjoying a really nice moment with a friend or special person.

Jorge Ari Matadamas Pineda
Tehani Ariana Cruz Cornejo

Student Discounts

Often, students come from far away to study at the UMAR. Every month, the majority of the student community has to pay rent; also, they are poor so they need economic help.

The administration of the UMAR has talked to the owners of the most necessary services that the students need, to get some discounts for an easier life during their residence in the university.

The owners who have accepted the project have decided to give some discounts or promotions in the cinema, restaurants, discotheques, malls, cyber cafes, coffee shops, etc. The only thing that they require is an UMAR I.D.

For example: The bus drivers charge just two pesos to get the students from downtown to the university. The restaurants have said that the charge for lunch is about 25 pesos for students.
Having these facilities the students can stay at university during their scholastic period.

Hernández López Daniela
López Ortiz Adriana Mariel

Surf Tournament in Puerto Escondido

Surfing is an aquatic and explosive sport. To practice it, the surfers need high waves. If you like this sport, you’ll only need a surfboard and to come to Zicatela Beach in Puerto Escondido, which is ideal for surfing. This place is the best in the world to practice this sport because the waves are about eight meters or more.

In November Puerto Escondido has its most important party, you may enjoy the international surfing tournament for two days (19 and 20 of November), where there are 64 international, national and local contestants from 23 different countries. This event is organized by the Mexican Surf Federations (FMS) and the Surf Association of Oaxaca State (ASEO).

An important note is that in the last tournament the winners have been Mexican contestants: Raul Noyola and David Rutherford are both from Puerto Escondido.

Puerto Escondido invites you to enjoy the international surfing tournament and other activities, such as Miss Bikini, a surf art exhibition, a surf cinema festival, and sport fishing. Don’t forget to come to Puerto Escondido. You’ll enjoy it!

Maria de Lourdes Martinez Leyva
Norma Gopar Cruz

Fiesta in Puerto Escondido

Every year in November Puerto Escondido has its traditional party; many tourists visit this place from the USA, Europe, Japan, Canada, etc.

And this year it is beginning. Last week was the first event and last November 6 was the horse race. November 12 will be the Motocross and the Miss Puerto Escondido event.

Many people go to the Zocalo and the watch the dances, they listen to the groups who visit us; The Festival de la Danza is a significant event because men and women from different regions of Oaxaca dance typical dances and show our culture.

The event all the young people are waiting for is the International Surf contest, because its very exciting watching the boys on their boogie boards on the sea’s waves.

This year the party promises to be very amazing and better organized because the government and many enterprises are giving more money for these parties.

In general Puerto Escondido is a beautiful place to take a vacation or to visit on the weekend, but it’s very fortunate to have the opportunity to go to the traditional party.

Sol America Aldecoa Zambrano

Nominations 2005

Do you want to know who is the most Fashionable student at the Umar? Or who is the Jarra? (the drunkest). These and more nominations you could see next Thursday 17 of this month at 10 pm. Where? In the best discotec in Huatulco: La Papaya.

And if you want to tell something to someone, or if you want to tell something to everybody, this is your opportunity! Just come with us, these are The Confessions. Equally if you want to know some gossip, don’t forget to go to La Papaya.

You could find other surprises, like two for one (2x1) beer, handsome boys, pretty girls, good music, other drinks and much fun.
This event is organized by the comunication students of fifth semester. The object is to get some resources to travel. You can help us and have a fun time.

Alexandra Ramirez