A new club at UC San Diego in La Jolla is rooted in Chinese art, language and food, but its primary focus is on bridging the gaps among different cultures.

When second-year UCSD student Lydia Xie moved from Singapore to San Diego, she began to notice a general lack of understanding about Chinese culture, she said. Her interest grew as she read a social media thread of UCSD students discussing international students’ tendency to socialize with people from the same background.

Looking to foster cross-cultural sharing and understanding, Xie decided to form a new campus club, Lotus Bridge @ UC San Diego.

“We do have some Chinese student organizations on campus, but based on my understanding, they’re usually focused on having Chinese international students in those groups,” Xie said.

“[There’s] nothing wrong with that,” she added. “I think that is great for them to be finding community here in a foreign country. But for me … I would love to have a platform where we can share Chinese culture to other people who might not be as familiar with it.”

Lotus Bridge aims to unite diverse cultures, hold activities such as dessert-making and foster teamwork and leadership, Xie said. The group registered as a student organization in September, followed by a promotional push on social media starting Jan. 7 and its first general meeting Jan. 22.

Xie is the group’s founder and president. Other founding members are UCSD students Helena Ren, Qianqian Yang, Anny Ma and Chloe Zhang.

Yang, a fourth-year visual arts student, said she got acquainted with the group through a social media post.

“It kind of just popped up,” she recalled. “I never saw this before on campus, so I really wanted to join.”

Ma said the club offered a meaningful way of getting connected with the university in her freshman year as a sociology student.

Ahead of its first meeting, the club set up a table by the university’s Geisel Library to quiz fellow students on Chinese culture, such as when the Mid-Autumn Festival takes place (this year it’s Sept. 25) and how many tones are in the Mandarin language (four).

People who registered for the meeting were asked to fill out a form, with one of the prompts asking them about their level of familiarity with Chinese culture. On a scale of 1-10, most respondents scored themselves between three and seven, Xie said.

At the event, guests baked Chinese peach blossom pastries at Marshall College’s Umoja Community Kitchen. The pastries are a popular dish year-round, including during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

“[By] learning to make traditional pastries, we can understand the festival and the folk tales behind them,” Ma said. “We hope through baking, we can promote cross-cultural communication and enable people from different backgrounds to experience Chinese culture.”

Xie said she hopes the introductory event and others to follow will create unity among UCSD students.

“I think success for this club is just about boosting people’s understanding of Chinese culture,” she said. “I really want to build a community where everybody can be more empathetic and more understanding of people from different backgrounds.”

According to the Center for Student Involvement, UCSD is home to 692 student organizations for the 2025-26 academic year. See a full list at studentorg.ucsd.edu.

To learn more about Lotus Bridge @ UC San Diego, visit @lotusbridgeatucsandiego on Instagram. ♦

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (KTUU) – Relentless snowfall is contributing to dangerous road conditions Tuesday in Anchorage and other areas of Southcentral Alaska, authorities say.

The latest numbers around Anchorage as of 8:30 p.m. Tuesday included 53 crashes, 11 with injuries, and 124 vehicles in distress, according to an Anchorage police spokesperson.

The inbound Glenn Highway was closed at South Eagle Road just after 12 p.m., with southbound traffic being diverted through Eagle River.

The Glenn was reopened shortly after 3 p.m., APD said, adding that traffic was still slow-moving due to the winter conditions.

General conditions on the Glenn Highway are “extremely dangerous,” according to APD. Drivers are being asked to avoid the highway if possible, partly to give plow drivers time to do their work.

In one incident, a school bus slid off the road and into a ditch on the Glenn Highway between Anchorage and Eagle River.

An Anchorage School District spokesperson said the Reliant-owned bus had 29 students on board, and all were in school by 9 a.m. with no injuries reported.

A second school bus that was reported “in distress” near Inlet View Elementary was later revealed to have slid into a snow berm, although only the driver was on board, according to a district spokesperson.

APD Traffic Unit Supervisor David Noll said people who do have to hit the road should budget extra time and slow down to be safe, not just for themselves but also for the drivers around them who are already dealing with reduced visibility.

“Obviously you need to drive slow enough that you can control your vehicle, you can steer, you can stop,” Noll said. “But also, you need to be considerate of others around you that when you are driving fast, you are lofting a lot of that snow up and making it hard to see.”

Noll said state law requires at least two seconds stopping time between vehicles, but in bad weather, the recommended time is four seconds. He said drivers should have their headlights on, even during the day, and do their best to keep their windows and headlights clear of snow. If drivers encounter an unplowed road that is concerning, try to go a different route.

He said people who do get stuck or go off the road have options, but can always call police.

“If you end up stuck, you should consider what resources you have to help you get unstuck — so somebody with a tow strap, another tow company,” Noll said. “If you can’t get an adequate resource there and you need some assistance, call APD, call 311, unless there is an actual emergency, call 911.”

This is a developing story. We will update with more information as it becomes available.

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Ahead of Valentine’s Day, the biggest date night of the year, Yelp revealed its list of the 100 most romantic restaurants in the U.S., and six Arizona restaurants made the cut.

The list was compiled using data from reviews posted by Yelp’s Elite members, ranking restaurants that offered features like “candlelit ambiance, breathtaking views, or indulgent culinary creations” based on the total volume and ratings of reviews.

How many dates have you been on at the cozy Arizona restaurants that made Yelp’s 2026 list? Here’s a closer look at the six date-night-approved restaurants that got a shout-out this year, including one named best in the U.S.

Cafe Monarch

Cafe Monarch has once again been named the No. 1 most romantic restaurant in the U.S. by Yelp. The Old Town Scottsdale restaurant offers prix fixe four-course dinners. It is known for its elegant architecture and the staff’s fine attention to detail. A strict dress code is enforced.

Details: 6939 E. First Ave., Scottsdale. 480-970-7682, cafemonarch.com.

Cibo

Cibo, an intimate Italian restaurant nestled inside a historic bungalow in downtown Phoenix, was No. 3 on Yelp’s list. Guests can choose to sit inside the cozy house or outside on the patio, draped with twinkling string lights and greenery. The menu includes wood-fired pizzas, house-made pastas, saltimbocca bread, salads and crepes.

Details: 603 N. Fifth Ave., Phoenix. 602-441-2697, cibophoenix.com.

Dahl & DiLuca Ristorante Italiano

Chef Lisa Dahl’s Sedona fine dining restaurant was No. 14 on Yelp’s list. Dahl & DiLuca Ristorante Italiano was praised by Yelp Elites for its “elegant ambiance, ornate decor, and welcoming, attentive service.”

Details: 2321 W. Highway 89A, Sedona. 928-282-5219, dahlanddiluca.com.

LON’s at the Hermosa Inn

LON’s restaurant at the Hermosa Inn was No. 83 on Yelp’s list. Yelp Elites shouted out the restaurant for its “Southwestern fine dining with adobe-chic elegance and stunning desert views… contemporary American dishes, from mesquite-grilled steaks to cactus-fed lamb, amid a lush patio garden.”

Details: 5532 N. Palo Cristi Road, Paradise Valley. 602-955-7878, azhideawaycollection.com/hermosa-inn.