Students pack up for upcoming winter holidays

by Oscar de Léon
Staff Writer

Christmas is almost here, and everybody is psyched to visit families and friends. The University of La Verne is going to be more-or-less empty during the holidays, but most of the students are going to be having fun with their families.

Andrea Benitez, a junior, said she is going to visit her family in Hesperia.

Benitez is planning to leave Wednesday, but first she is going to stop and visit her sister, who lives in San Luis Obispo.

"Besides meeting with my parents, I am hosting a get together with friends," Benitez said.

Some students are planning to travel for the holidays for different reasons.

Junior Kemmy Adder is going to Canada for the holidays. She is planning to leave on Dec. 23 and come back to ULV at the end of the month. She will meet her family there.

"I am looking forward to getting to see my family and enjoy places like Montreal," Adder said. She will also get a chance to see her grandfather, who lives in Canada.

Although the holidays are meant for students to get away from school, relax and have fun, some students are still going to be working.

Senior Sebastian Lopez will visit some of his family on Christmas. "I plan to visit my father and work at the OIT office at the University of La Verne," Lopez said.

Lopez suggested that students check out what is going on in Las Vegas.

"Las Vegas for sure is going to have something special during the holidays," he said. "Everybody should go there."

But not every ULV student is excited about the upcoming holidays.

Senior Franchel Williams is going to spend Christmas at school. "We are not very close family so I will stay here on campus during the holidays," Williams said.

Williams will be working security at the South Pasadena Park.

Among local holiday events is Las Posadas, which will take place during the evenings in Olvera Street in Los Angeles.

The event will go from Dec. 16 through 24. Families will be able to see processions re-enacting the journey of Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem.

The public is encouraged to join the processions. Children will have a chance to play with Candy-filled piñatas. For more information, call (213) 625-5045.

The art exhibit, "A Room of Their Own," will be on through the month.

It is a two-part exhibit of work by contemporary artists such as Rauschenburg, Rothko, Arbus and others. It will take place at the Museum of Contemporary Art, 152 N. Central Ave. in Los Angeles. For more information, call (213) 621-2766, or visit www.moca-la.org.

Another event is Holiday Heritage, a Southern California Christmas. Square Museums present this special exhibit, which explores the unique ways that Southern Californians celebrate the winter season and its holidays.

Heritage Square Museum, located at 3800 Homer Street in Los Angeles. The event runs on Saturdays and Sundays. For more information, call (626) 449-0193 or visit www.heritagesquare.org.