Three Things for January 23
1. Lee University offering free ESL classes to the Cleveland community
Registration is now open for free English as a Second Language classes at Lee University, through their Center for English Language and Literacy (CELL).
Literacy classes start on Jan. 31 and conversation classes begin on Feb. 2. The program is being led by Dr. Chris Blake, associate professor of linguistics as well as Dr. Betsy Poole, assistant professor of Spanish and linguistics.
CELL will be offering five distinct levels of classes, in order to be able to reach everyone, from beginners with little to no prior English instruction, to speakers who are highly advanced in regards to speaking English. The classes are being taught by Lee University student-teachers who are trained in their Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages program.
According to a press release from the university, childcare for ages 6-10 will also be provided by trained students who “will lead English lessons and activities suited for the young age group.”
The literacy classes will be held on Tuesday evenings, and conversation classes will be held on Thursday evenings. All classes will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the Walker Memorial Building.
For more information about the classes, click here.
2. Second student arrested in conjunction with gun investigation at Cleveland Middle School
As the Cleveland Police Department has been conducting an investigation regarding a gun brought to Cleveland Middle School, a second student at CMS has been taken into custody. CPD recovered a firearm reported to be stolen at the student’s house.
While CPD does not believe this firearm was ever brought onto the CMS campus, they did place the student under arrest on a charge of possession of stolen property and unlawful possession of a weapon.
The student originally arrested on Thursday, Jan. 19, also has additional charges, in the form of conspiracy to commit aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit aggravated assault.
For more information about the ongoing investigation, click here.
3. China celebrates new year with majority of COVID restrictions lifted
In China, people across the Asian nation were able to celebrate the Lunar New Year with large family gatherings and crowds visiting temples. For many, this was the first time in almost three years they were able to visit their home towns, because the Chinese government decided to finally lift its strict zero COVID policy.
For some, the Year of the Rabbit will be the first Chinese New Year celebration that they will remember, as is the case of Si Jia’s 7-year-old son.
“He has never experienced what a traditional new year is like because he was too young three years ago and he had no memory of that,” she said as the two of them walked around the Qianmen area near Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.
Nearly 53,000 people offered their prayers at the Lama Temple in Beijing, however those numbers are still small when compared to pre-pandemic numbers.
In Hong Kong, residents flocked to Wong Tai Sin, a Taoist Temple, to burn incense sticks as they welcome the new year.
According to Wu Zunyou, chief epidemiologist at China’s Center for Disease Control, the large movement of people may cause the virus to spread in certain areas; however a large COVID surge is unlikely.
For more about Lunar New Year celebrations, click here
