Res 0566-2015

By Council Members Dromm, Chin, Gibson, Koslowitz, Rose, Vallone and Mendez Whereas, Lunar New Year, a 15-day celebration, is considered to be the most important and festive holiday of the year in the Asian community; and Whereas, Lunar New Year is celebrated by Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, and other Asian ethnic groups; and Whereas, According to Columbia University, preparations for Lunar New Year festivities begin with tying up loose ends in anticipation for a fresh start in the New Year; and Whereas, For businesses, Lunar New Year means balancing books, paying off old debts, and collecting on loans and charges still due; and Whereas, For the individual, it means reflecting upon the misfortunes of the past and examining personal mistakes and failures in order to get rid of bad luck and negative attitudes of the past thereby leaving the individual with an optimistic approach for the future; and Whereas, During this time, each household embraces a traditional cleansing for the purpose of warding off evil spirits that are hidden in clutter; and Whereas, The exchanging of gifts and money are also common practices during Lunar New Year; and Whereas, In New York City, alternate side parking is suspended in observance of Lunar New Year; and Whereas, Despite Lunar New Year being the most important, festive, and longest holiday celebrated by billions of people around the world, including the United States, it is not recognized as a university holiday at the City University of New York (CUNY); and Whereas, Currently, CUNY campuses are closed on a number of religious holidays, including Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Christmas, Good Friday, Easter, and Passover; and Whereas, CUNY is the largest public urban university in the nation which provides high-quality education to approximately 270,000 degree-seeking students and over 248,000 adult, continuing and professional education students at 24 campuses throughout New York City; and Whereas, Nineteen percent of CUNY's undergraduate students and 13.6 percent of CUNY's graduate and professional students identify themselves as Asian; and Whereas, CUNY is praised for its continuing development of programs and policies designed to meet the academic and social needs of its diverse student body population, and for encouraging its students to experience cultural, educational and community-based opportunities, and therefore, the Lunar New Year holiday should be incorporated into the University's academic calendar; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the City University of New York (CUNY) to incorporate Lunar New Year as an observed university holiday throughout the CUNY system. LS#900 3/20/14 12:00 p.m. NS/TC 2