THE PE RL Soka University of America News Magazine
March 2009
the greenhowspread to be eco-friendly free press-ing? brazilian wax enraged naia championshi ps proud national athletes academic policy how to be dismissed
march 2009
contents letters 003 letter from the editor 004 editorial 005 letters to the editor
campus 006 ssu updates 008 athletic updates 011 kendo club 012 alternative spring break 014 global peace summit 015 academic dismissal policy apollosground feature 018 eco awareness world 021 in the eyes of the court wordsofthewise 023 staff profiles 024 on teaching studentcolumns 024 study abroad 025 advice 026 brazilian wax
februarycorrections
*In Academic Updates, the successor for AD CAT is Hiromi Yatsu.
letterfromtheeditor Hey SUA, how are you? Firstly, I wish to personally apologize for the delay in getting the February issue out. I was moved, however, that many of you expressed discontentment at not receiving your monthly dose of The Pearl! It is heartening to know that so many of you are reading each issue—it makes the hard work that our staff puts in worthwhile. I picked up a copy of the local magazine OC Health the other day, and found some words of inspiration I’d like to share with you. John A. Anderson, the editor, wrote in his letter: “If you are stuck in a mode of inactivity, Spring into Action. Spring. Just say it, and you smile. New Year’s is great, but overrated. Spring, on the other hand, now that’s something to feel good about. It’s the perfect time to begin change.” I don’t know about you, but as of late I’ve been feeling stagnant in many areas of my life. I’m not making as much progress as I should, especially considering that graduation is just a little over two months away! I’m feeling uber-pressured, but somehow find myself unable to fully rise to the challenge. Reading the above words, however, lifted my spirits. Spring really is a wonderful time to refresh your goals. Personally, I used my spring break to regroup myself, which allowed me to push ahead with more gusto than I’ve had this whole semester. If you too are feeling unproductive, remind yourself that New Year’s is not the only time to “change”— the beginning of spring is also a fabulous time to set new goals or to commit to accomplishing your old ones. On that note, I hope you all had restful but productive experiences over Spring Break. I know some of you nobly devoted your time to helping people impacted by Hurricane Ike in Galveston, Texas; part of the senior class traveled to Japan to attend SUJ’s graduation; some of you ventured back home and others—like myself—stayed put here at SUA, relaxing or (dare I say it?) working on Capstone. Whatever you did, I hope you enjoyed yourself and came back ready to tackle the remainder of the semester. It is hard to believe that the class of ‘09 has only a couple of more months on this campus before we venture out into the world in our own respective ways. I think now it’s finally starting to hit me. Of course, I’m sad that my time here is almost over, but I’m also excited about what possibilities await me in the future, and I think many of my classmates feel the same way. So, to all the underclassmen: please make the most of your time here. Know that graduation should not be a cause for remorse, but rather a celebration of what you’ve accomplished, and, even more importantly, what you will accomplish once you leave SUA. Thank you for reading.
letters
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editorial spring is in the air
Friday, March 20th was the first day of spring and as deceptive as the sun likes to think it is, spring is undeniably, finally here. I spring cleaned my room last weekend. I went spring wardrobe shopping the other day. It’s time to be young again! Time to be colorful and worldly and…thin?
letters
I know this because Clinique is marketing its newest de-aging face cream as “Youth Surge,” and giving away plastic cosmetic pouches sporting bright pink and white springy flowers. Macy’s is welcoming back color (from its winter hibernation) with big, fake, lace flowers and signs welcoming pink to the consumer palette. The Miracle Suit invites you to pack your cellulite into something skin-colored and synthetic to look ten pounds lighter in ten seconds. Nubest, the elite beauty spa, has covered its silver and grey exterior with painted flowers and the Home Shopping Network is hosting a National Crafts Month Sweepstakes, so you can make your own paper flowers. I
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can even buy imported rainbow pajamas that have the words “make a difference” plastered on them (…because Darfur and Mother Nature are in need and what better way to help than to sleep with a good deed?) Apparently, an economic recession is the ideal time to grab deals. Outlets are the place to be and Nordstrom wants you to get back in touch with nature by shopping for “a golden garden of posies and pearls.” Floral accessories are all the rage. And instant gratification is finally instant with virtual gift cards that are delivered straight to your digital inbox. So relax! We can be carefree and spend even more time on a plastic lawn chair in the sun while FedEx delivers our posies and pearls. Nature never felt so good. I’d like to say convenience has finally reached its peak but that would underestimate human beings’ capability to develop luxury…and that capability is likely infinite. It seems we
Jihii Jolly [2011] are trying to mask the state of our planet in color, trying to get on Mother Nature’s good side by representing her on billboards and in magazines. If only we could actually create such a PR department and if only good publicity could actually cure environmental ills. Ah, but where is the hope? It’s somewhere in a trash can, probably along with un-recycled batteries and an empty Gatorade bottle or two. It’s in a landfill in New Jersey, along with tons of discarded food and day-old milk. It’s in the earth, brown, wet, cold and lonely. It’s in our fifth sense--in touch and feeling and color that’s never been digitally altered. It’s in grass – the kind we don’t pay for – but it seems that’s the only kind we’re willing to touch, save, smell and covet. Hope is in action, exercise and awareness. It’s not Made in China.
lettertotheeditor It only takes $10 to change the world. What would you do if you were given 10 extra dollars? What can $10 buy us in our society today? A movie, gas, snacks, a restaurant meal, or boba.
did you know
that $10 bill you have in your hand could cultivate leadership in Pakistan to change a whole community?
did you know
that in Pakistan, 80,000 girls are prevented by the militants from attending school?
did you know
that there is no government that represents women, even in the United Nations?
did you know
that there is a 1000 LEADERS campaign going on?
missionandapproachof
4GGL
In every country, in every society, negative gender norms and traditions inhibit girls from developing their full potential. In Pakistan, 80,000 girls are prevented by the militants from attending school. For Girls GLocal Leadership (4GGL) ignites and develops the girls’ leadership in impoverished communities where it is needed the most. Our innovative approach is a multigenerational women’s leadership model to create and support local networks for girls’ leadership—it takes a village to raise a child. By developing locally driven networks with train-the-trainers approach, we reach a large number of girls. Our goal is to transform one community at a time to value girls, starting in Pakistan. Become a leader today by donating $10. Your $10 will be recognized by the world.
Currently, I am in the process of promoting the 1000 leaders campaign, the founder of which - Jin In - my Learning Cluster class had the greatest opportunity of welcoming to our campus. 1000 LEADERS is a leadership challenge to YOU. From today to Mother’s Day, just as every mother makes her children a priority, YOU can make the world’s poorest girls a priority by becoming a LEADER. It only takes $10 and your gift can honor your mother by naming her as the LEADER. The names of all 1000 LEADERS will be recognized in 4GGL’s publications for their leadership for girls. Our goal is 1,000 LEADERS and their contributions of $10 or more. This will influence the lives of thousands of girls, their families and communities in Pakistan and beyond. Become a LEADER today by making a tax-deductible contribution: www.4GGL.org
Takako Yoshizawa [2011]
got an opinion?
WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR! EMAIL PEARL@SOKA.EDU
disclaimer
photo from flickr.com
letters
Anonymous letters will not be printed unless otherwise approved by The Pearl senior staff. The Pearl reserves the right to reject letters and/or columns and edit for clarity, brevity and accuracy. Letters represent only the views of their authors. Nothing on the Op/Ed pages necessarily represents a position of the The Pearl or Soka University of America.
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SSU.UPDATES campus
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FEBRUARY Welcome back to a new and exciting semester. By the time you are reading this, almost one third of the semester will have flown by. A bit odd to be saying welcome back at this point, no? At any rate, it is my hope that you are all doing well and that the semester is chugging along for you all. On Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009, we held the first Student Forum of 2009. With over 140 participants, the Forum reached out to the students, informing them of exciting projects being realized in the current semester. A Project On Soka Education (POSE) has commenced, aiming to complete a FIRSTEVER exhibition on Soka Education hosted here at SUA, and debuting at the International Festival on May 2nd. Other groups, such as the Global Peace Summit also presented their vision to have a worldwide summit and conference on peace within the next two years. The summit is the brainchild of Maya Ono, Scott Williams and Garrett Braun (all members of 2011), and Ambassador Chowdhury—who recently visited SUA to teach a learning cluster—has already praised the idea. Amongst other project announcements, an exciting report of the beginnings of a compilation of SUA founder Daisaku Ikeda’s messages and essays since the publishing of For the Leaders of the 21st Century Vol. 1 in 2005, has now commenced, aiming to be completed by the commencement ceremony in May. On Monday, February 9th, a campus-wide Area Heads Meeting was held. Amongst talks of the budget, and the movements in the financial market and its effect on SUA’s endowment, the meeting assured that though the endowment and budget outlook will be a bit tight in the coming years, the support for all student and academic endeavors will continue without skipping a beat. With the development of the Environmental Sciences Concentration, two new positions for faculty are currently being filled. In addition to these two new positions, SUA is also adding another Spanish-language faculty. A revamp in the building schedule of the Performing Arts Center was also presented at the meeting. The Performing Arts Center is still slated to be dedicated officially in the Spring of 2010, yet this may happen without a full-completion inside. The shell of the entire building will be complete by this time, but acoustic tuning and various indoor maintenance will still have to take place at the time of dedication. For occupation of the building, a goal date of Fall 2010 seems to be the most feasible, with the first full-scale public usage to be done in the Spring of 2011. Though this is behind the original intended plans, there may actually be a hidden benefit within the delayed building process. As with the rest of the market, construction costs are actually on the decline, which in turn may lessen the price tag on the building of the PAC and also on the new academic building that is being constructed simultaneously. The new academic building is scheduled to open in the Fall of 2010 as well. As always, SUA is in the stage of adding and further developing our campus, in so many different aspects. Let us as students help to really utilize these new structures and the new infrastructure development once it has been completed. However, I urge you even more to become involved and help build this school from exactly where you stand, working hard in all of your endeavors, be they academic, artistic, athletic or activist. Most importantly, just be yourself. We have only three months till this school year ends. Let us make the absolute best out of the rest of this year. If you ever have questions, comments, or concerns, please come seek me out and I will do my utmost for you.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Due to a mistake in the February issue of The Pearl, we have printed SSU Updates from both February and March below. Our sincerest apologies!
M A R C H
On Monday, March 09, 2009, a campus-wide Area Heads Meeting was held. Topics discussed included the financial state of the world and its effect on the SUA endowment and budget, as well as admission for the next year, and updates from all the student-focused organizations (Student Affairs, Sports and Recreation, SSU). As we are still within the depths of a financial recession around the world, we received an update regarding SUA’s current financial situation as well as the endowment. Though the endowment has without a doubt suffered slightly due to the financial constraints around the world, in comparison to other university endowments as well as benchmarks such as the Dow Jones Industrial, SUA’s endowment continues to fare better. The DJI has seen a drop of almost 45% within the past 18 months, and schools such as Harvard and Yale have seen endowment drops in the billions of dollars, whereas the endowment at SUA has seen a drop of somewhere between 20-25%. Accordingly, the budget for next year, as presented in the President’s Report on the Board of Trustees, has been adequately altered to reflect the current state of affairs. However, although we are in the midst of economic problems throughout the world, the donations made to SUA this year have actually seen a rise of around 10-15%. There is no doubt in my mind that the pressing matters in the world affecting all of us today are the problems that our donors hope that we will help alleviate, and hence they continue to show us as much support as possible.
Eric Reker, SSU Executive Council President
As a representative of the Soka Student Union, I shared some of the achievements of the current students. Recently, many students have been extremely active and are advancing the name of SUA in many avenues. Track and Field freshman Gianni Vernon-Reynolds recently placed 5th in the National Indoor Track Meet, placing in the 200m dash. Six swimmers also went to nationals, the team coming back with two place-finishers and two All-Americans. Activist clubs and performing clubs are also making waves. United Nations Association hosted a lecture on campus in conjunction with UNA-Orange County about human trafficking in and around the OC area. Ghungroo, Banghra, and Rhythmission teamed together to perform a collaborative mix of dances opening for EReece, which was extremely well received. Finally, in regards to the SSU Elections, I would like to thank you all for your patience as we have allotted more time to the elections process. Numerous individuals came to seek out the Executive Council over spring intermission asking for an extension of time to get to know candidates more, such that each person could feel comfortable casting their own vote. We weighed the options and also the backlash that could ensue from this request, but ultimately felt that a large enough number of constituents showed true interest in talking to the candidates further. We understand that this is the first time that the election has been delayed, and if there are any students concerned about EC’s decision, we humbly ask you to seek any of us out in person or email us at ssu@soka.edu. We would like to do our best to truly represent the general feelings of SUA and we vitally need your input! With this extension, however, I would like to ask you all to take the time to seek out the individual candidates to ask them the questions you want answered regarding the positions they are running for. Candidly share your concerns with them and please also support these individuals, as they have embarked on the grand task of helping to lead the student body. Thank you!
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Athletic Updates
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Riri Nagao [2011]
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March is Nationals Month! This month proved to be the most important time of year for Soka Athletics. Both the Swimming and Track & Field teams sent athletes out-of-state to represent Soka University of America (SUA) at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) championships. In addition, the SUA Track & Field team hosted its annual Soka Peace Invitational on March 7th 2009. From March 4th to March 7th, freshman Gianni Vernon (‘12) traveled with Coach Gigi Charlson to Johnson City, Tennessee to compete in the Indoor Track & Field National Championships. On March 6th, Gianni raced the 60 meters dash and the 200 meters dash in the preliminaries. He won his heat for the 200 meter dash with a time of 21.7 seconds and advanced to finals. The following day in the finals, he ran 21.8 seconds. He was awarded 5th place for the men’s
200 meters and was the only freshman athlete in his event to be in the top six. Gianni’s accomplishment was a major step in the development of Soka athletics because he is the first athlete to be named “All American” in school history. Coach Gigi Charlson comments, “To even be represented at Nationals is a huge step for SUA athletics. Gianni’s stellar performance put Soka on the map.” On the same weekend, the Track & Field team hosted the annual Soka Peace Invitational on March 7th. During the week leading up to the meet, Spirit Department representatives worked hard to support not only the success of the track meet but to encourage athletes to do their best while at Nationals. Because of this, there was a huge turnout to support the athletes running.
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photos byHistory Department and Janice Lee
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Name: Hometown: Sport: Events: Personal Records”:
Gianni Vernon-Reynolds (2012) Folsom, California Track & Field 60m, 200m 6.98sec, 21.59sec
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Name: Hometown: Sport: Events: Personal Records”:
Kelsey Campbell (2010) Silverdale, Washington Swimming 1650 yards 19:29
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Name: Hometown: Sport: Events: Personal Records:
“ Nathan Flores (2009) Best memory of nationals? Albuquerque, New Mexico Getting to spend my last competition representing Soka, with my teamSwimming mates and my family. 50 Freestyle 20.63sec
Name: Hometown: Sport: Events: Personal Records:
Kelsey Parsons (2012) Apple Valley, California Swimming 500 Free, 100 Fly, 200 Fly 5:36, 1:03, 2:26
Name: Hometown: Sport: Events: Personal Records: Name: Hometown: Sport: Events: Personal Records:
Michelle Nunn (2012) Camarillo, California Swimming 50 Freestyle, 100 Back, 200 Back 25.71sec, 1:02.8, 2:19
Name: Hometown: Sport: Events: Personal Records:
Stephanie Dill (2012) Troy, New Hampshire Swimming 500 Free, 100 Back, 200 Back 5:21, 58sec, 2:07
Best memory of nationals? Hearing my name being called and walking up to the podium receiving my plaque. My Mom and Coach Gigi were both screaming hysterically and it felt great to know that I had accomplished such a big goal. Best memory of nationals? Every time I got out of the pool and realized I had dropped a ridiculous amount of time.
NAIA-NATIONALS QUALIFYINGATHLETES whoswho?
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Best memory of nationals? The last night when we were all ampted and we kept locking Michelle out of her own room then making our coach eat 8 chocolate chi p cookies like the cookie monster and several pillow fights while we stayed up until our flight which we had to leave at 4:30am for. “
Best memory of nationals? Bonding with my fellow teammates and creating long-lasting friendshi ps. “
Best memory of nationals? When we were sitting in the hotel watching my dog ski p and then Michelle saw an old gray squirrel and she said “yeah!”
Agnes Conrad (2012) Lubbock, Texas Swimming 100 Freestyle, 50 Freestyle 56.04sec, 25.4sec “
Best memory of nationals? My finals swim in my 200 back because I had not even expected to make top 8. After the race for the awards ceremony everyone was truly happy for each other.
SUA KENDO CLUB 剣道
Competes in Intercollegiate Tournament at UCLA
On February 22, SUA Kendo participated in the 2nd Annual Yuhihai Intercollegiate Kendo Tournament at UCLA. Team members fought hard and with great pride as they represented SUA, and their hard work and dedication were rewarded with a great performance as well as recognition from other universities and members of the Kendo community.
the tournament. Yujiro, being the veteran of the team, had a lot of pressure on him but showed his true skill and delivered an epic performance as he dominated the opposition and came in 2nd place overall in the Dan (advanced/veteran) individual. He also did an outstanding job carrying his momentum over to the team competition as the team’s Chuken (3rd).
Tariq Hasan (’09) showed his fighting spirit by returning from an injury to represent SUA as the team’s Sempo(1st player). Alan Cheng (’09) played a very effective defensive game that opponents were not ready for in the Jiho position(2nd). His skills developed over four years were beautiful to watch as he countered every hit like a true gong-fu master. Yujiro Mori (’11) put many hours into training himself and the rest of the team in the weeks leading up to
Sarah “Kusho” Kakusho (’10) embodied the true spirit of SUA in her performance. Despite being seen as the underdog in most of her matches, she triumphed over many opponents and even gave the 1st place Dan champion a run for his money in the Fukusho position (4th). Dani Jurado (’11), after only a year of practicing Kendo, demonstrated his progress scoring at least 6 points for clean strikes during the competition, making it to the quarter finals
Dani Jurado [2011]
in the Kyu (beginner) division. He held his own in the Taisho (5th) position against veteran Kendo players like Aki Goya, the captain of UCLA’s A team, who has practiced kendo for more than ten years. Overall, SUA Kendo held their ground against the competition. Despite the fact that the team has limited resources and that most of its players picked up Kendo only after arriving at SUA, the team’s performance at Yuhihai is a testament to the hard work and dedication of all Soka Lions. As the team returns from battle, the competing members talk about the future. Someone needs to carry on this tradition of victory with pride. Because of this, SUA Kendo strives to show its members the true discipline of Kendo to achieve victory.
SEMPO
1st position Tariq Hasan [2009]
JIHO
2nd position Alan Cheng [2009]
CHUKEN””
3rd position Yujiro Mori [2011]
FUKUSHO
4th position Sarah Kakusho [2010]
TAISHO
5th position Dani Jurado [2011]
photo by Dennis Ralutin
didyouknow? Kendo literally means “the way of the sword.” It is a form of martial arts and Japanese fencing that is meant to discipline the human character through the principles of the katana (Japanese sword). A Kendo Tournament is usually held over a period of two days and is divided into two events: the team competitions and the individual competition. A Kendo Team has five members. A match between two teams consists of five matches, the first player of Team A against the first player of Team B and so forth.
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photos by Hiromi Silva
Hurricane Ike Relief: Galveston, Texas.
Nitesh Sil [2011]
Last year, Hurricane Ike deeply affected the coastal community south of Eastern Texas. Galveston is a huge bay; many of the coastal regions aligning within this bay were very badly. Bolivar Peninsula was the area worst hit by the hurricane (more severely than Galveston Island), as it did not have any sea walls to protect itself. Galveston Island on the other hand, did have sea walls that reduced the impact of the hurricane, but even then thousands of residents were affected. Many small businesses and homes near the seawall were completely destroyed. Our group of Alternative Spring Break (ASB) volunteers worked with several community service groups like Our Daily Bread, HelpforGalveston.org, GoodNewsGalveston.org, Boys Scouts of America and Habitat for Humanity. We assisted with homebuilding projects, worked closely with At Risk Youth, worked with adults and staff from a narcotics anonymous group, and participated in a variety of neighborhood cleaning activities on Galveston Island. The ASB team also connected with a Catholic university in the city of Austin, Texas that was undergoing a similar ASB program. For many volunteers, it was their first time working on a project like this. We were faced with many difficult and inspiring realities that have undoubtedly changed our lives. I am very proud of this group of very dedicated individuals who committed to work for a great cause during spring break. We worked very hard as a team to create positive change in Galveston, Texas.
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Leaving the Shadow the Pride Community Kelly Gochomoto [2010]
Apollos Ground
global peace summit photo by Justin Kunimoto
Agnes Conrad [2012]
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World peace is often toted as a lofty goal. Some idealistic dream, far removed from our reality; light years away from our blood stained earth. Atomic bombs, machine guns, war. It seems human beings are always coming up with new ways to kill each other. Alfred Nobel invented dynamite for construction, but instead of clearing rocks it blows children’s legs off. Why is world peace considered nothing more than a cliché answer given by Miss America contestants? As the world continues to change and grow, cooperation must increase. It is our responsibility as citizens of the world to commit to peace, not to wish for it, but to work for it. It is time for us to change our mindset, to see world peace not as a lofty goal, but as a reality. Well, this reality may be closer than you think. You may have heard people around campus talking about a Global Peace Summit. If you missed
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the kick-off meeting, then you missed out. This spring semester, a group of students have begun an enormous and beautiful undertaking. The idea of the summit is simply what its name implies: peace. And the aim of the summit? To unite youth from all nationalities in order to, with a single voice, proclaim that ‘We will not wage war with one another!’ That while our leaders or government may support war, our generation refuses to engage in conflict. To achieve this unity the students involved in Global Peace Summit have determined to gather representatives from countries around the world to work together in drafting a proposal to be submitted to the United Nations and leaders all over the world declaring that our generation will “Refuse to train for, advocate, or wage, war.” The summit is also set to include workshops, lectures, and speakers; to encourage, discuss, and inspire
the participants toward the culture of peace that the summit hopes to actualize. If all goes according to plan, the Global Peace Summit will be held in March of 2011. A great deal of student help and coordination can make it happen! The team is currently working on gaining Non Profit Organization status independent of SUA as well as raising the needed funds of approximately $400,000. If there’s one thing the students of SUA are good at doing it’s supporting each other. Get involved, check out the website at www.globalpeacesummit. org, or talk to Board of Directors Maya Ono, Scott Williams, or Garret Braun to see what you can do to help the Global Peace Summit do the unprecedented. To symbolically unite the youth of the world. To declare something so simple, yet so powerful. To fulfill a global mission: peace.
do you know how:
academic dismissal works? Jean Marcus [2011]
Life is sometimes unfair. We are oblivious to what will happen to us. We may lose dear relatives or money, get injured, or even get really depressed because of our apathy. And any of these events might influence our academic life and, albeit in rare cases, put us in a very delicate situation: academic dismissal. The process is very simple and it is regulated by the Office of the Registrar and the Academic Standards Committee (ASC), a standing committee of the Faculty Forum. If a student doesn’t recuperate in the subsequent semester that he/she is placed on academic probation (if his/her cumulative GPA falls below 2.0), he/she may face academic dismissal. The only option for that student is to petition to the ASC to review his/her case, placing before the Committee extenuating circumstances of which the University may not have been aware. The ASC then meets to discuss the merits of the petition and the student might then earn a second chance. “The Academic Standards Committee does not expel anyone. The numbers [GPA] expel them. The Committee decides the academic conditions that need to be met for re-admission and hears student petitions on a case-by-case basis. But there’s a fine line here. If the Committee were to treat each case separately it would be in danger of interdicting the very standards it is charged to uphold. At the end of the day,” said Jay Heffron, Dean of Students, “maintaining basic standards of academic acceptability, ones reflective of the University’s pursuit of excellence, is what is important, in my view.” The entire process is protected by the laws of privacy established by Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Therefore, the only people that discuss and decide in the case are the ASC, with the Dean of Faculty and the Registrar sitting as non-voting ex-officio members. They cannot discuss cases with anyone else due to the privacy law, which is considered a federal felony if broken. No one else besides the committee
conjecture about the cases. “They have to use their best judgment,” noted Michael Golden, Professor of Music Composition and Theory. Because there is only a small group who considers these cases, I venture further into the topic to ask, what if there was a passive observer from the student body in the ASC deliberations about academic dismissal. Eric Reker (2009), president of the Student Soka Union, after a reflexive sigh, remarked, “As long the privacy is maintained and understood, I see it as beneficial transparency. It is not a matter of distrust though, because we know the committee is working to uphold the academic standard.” I raised the same scenario when speaking with Jay Heffron, which made him wonder about the potential implications of including a passive observer in the decision-making process: “To bring an observer from the student body is to politicize the ASC. That is, it would ensconce a special interest group (students) at the heart of a process that is less, I would argue, about students per se as about impartially upholding the academic standards of the University, and ensuring that students play their part in this process as responsible agents.” He continued, “It’s also a question of trust. Putting this observer in the Committee is tantamount to creating a watchdog for the student body. Or certainly it would be seen that way by many faculty. If students have questions about how academic standards are being applied by the University, there are more proper, pre-existing channels for dealing with these concerns – the Academic Department of the SSU, for example, which meets regularly with the Executive Committee of the Faculty Forum.” When I proposed this idea to Eric Reker, he then pondered about the potential role of the observer, and questioned, “What would be the role of the observer if the student body cannot know about the dismissals unless the dismissed student speaks up? But, on the other hand, the overseer makes sure that the justice of
the process is maintained.” I asked Eric if the faculty have ever requested permission to attend the student forums. He recalled that in his freshman year, some faculty members did attend the student forums. In the second forum of the year, during the open mic, a senior expressed how he felt that the student body lacked cohesive movement, affecting the relationship between institutions in the school. After this emotional relief, a faculty member present at that student forum responded by stating that the student did not know what we was talking about. I suggested to Eric that perhaps this happened because the particular faculty member was not an observer. He replied to me saying that he believed that was likely what happened and added, “In a situation like that, with an observer, there can’t be room for any error.”Academic dismissal is not an easy situation, nor does it leave an easy solution. Nevertheless, as Eric so wisely puts it, “If there is a necessity for the observer, in any situation, there must be a mutual understanding and agreement between faculty, student body and administration. That could be the way to tbenefit from observer, but without this understanding, it creates distrust and tension that will not take us anywhere.” Similarly, Jay points out, “the student observer idea is a recipe for cognitive dissonance. I would not want to see us setting up conditions, especially around so personal and delicate a matter as academic dismissal, that could potentially pit student interests against faculty interests around so grave an issue as academic standards.”With or without passive observers, we need to understand the balance between standards, justice, and the creation of value among the students. Although this is not an easy task, it should constantly be discussed.
how to be dismissed:
Fail to maintain Good Standing (cumulative GPA or the most recent term GPA beloow 2.0) And Get on Academic Probation Fail to recuperate from the academic probation (the cumulative GPA and the term GPA after a semester, remains below 2.0) Not petitioning ( if applicable)
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March Into Eco-Awareness Month
feature
April is eco-awareness month! Here, three eco-conscious students share opinions, inspiration and motivation toward the development of a greener future.
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Humanity’s population growth and unfortunate habits of consumption and waste disposal show how we think we can have domain over nature and get away with it. Efforts towards sustainability are not burdensome, as some may believe. Paying for more environmentally friendly products may seem more expensive, yet consider that part of what you pay is funding environmental sustainability for the generations to come. It is vital to establish a sense of equality between what we take from the environment and what we give back. Taking an ethical stand on environmental sustainability will help in the search for solutions to economic, political, and social problems that we study at Soka. An article on social ecology infers that the way many organisms interact and support one another can be applied to our social interactions, such as our policies on fair trade as well as our use of the natural environment. The article [He/She] also refutes the misconception of human dominance over nature. “The human and the non-human can be seen as aspects of an evolutionary continuum… without advancing naïve claims that one
is either ‘superior to’ or ‘made for’ the other.” Slavery, resource exploitation, and environmental pollution evidence America’s support of domination in both societal and ecological interactions. Ecologically unsustainable practices in natural resource extraction and disposal waste contribute to environmental degradation and the emergence of social inequalities. The documentary Down Wind/ Down Stream, showed how the exhausted mines in the Rocky Mountains have been left bare, causing pollution from snowmelts to seep into our wonderful rivers. The extraction of uranium for nuclear power (Soka purchases power from nuclear power plants) creates nuclear waste. Corporations hired to help the United States’ government dispose of this waste looked for low-income areas inside the country that would accept payment to have a landfill site. Most efforts were declined, so U.S. toxic waste is usually shipped to poorer countries. Within the United States, minority groups such as the Native Americans are habitually targeted for exploitation. They must continually defend their land from an economy needy for resources
to maintain current “Western” lifestyles. How can these environmental problems be solved? Eliminate war. Also, many “Eastern” societies maintain a low ecological footprint. ”Western” society should similarly strive to emulate their positive ecological practices. Amongst all the advertising and the opportunities to consume, it’s important to realize that high volume production means the opening of more mines, the pollution of our drinking water, many communities , more industrial pollution, and more waste. Since we are on student budgets you may think, “Well, I’m not spending, anyway,” but please consider how you are preparing your skills, knowledge, and morals for the future. With the few purchases we do make, let us buy recycled content products. The optimal use of one resource is the way of today and the way of the future.
Elizabeth Guthrey [2012]
letters There are many important steps we must take to make this institution sustainable. We need a better recycling program and better waste disposal options. We need to find and produce more sustainable energy, and value the “creative coexistence of nature and humanity” clause of our university’s mission statement as much as we cherish the other six mottoes the school has adopted. We have to become an eco-centric community if any of these things are to be achieved.
I don’t mean to uselessly point out our negligence. My goal in writing this is not even for you to stop doing any of these things, though I would appreciate that tremendously. What I intend to indicate is that we are not a green or even ecoconscious university. I want the student body to realize, as a collective, that we do not care about the environment, and that our negligent waste indicates this trend clearly. If we realize that we do not care about something so tremendously important then we, as the caring, compassionate, activist campus that we are, will take the appropriate measures to change our collective behavior. This is my hope. I do not think that such a community should be very hard for us to achieve. All it calls for is consciousness. Recycle your paper!
Better, use less! Unplug your chargers! Turn lights off when you leave the room! Tell your friends to do the same! And become absolutely infuriated when the administration wastes needlessly, too. Talk to Environmental Department about your concerns. Please. If you are becoming increasingly upset with me because you consider yourself eco-friendly, I do not mean to offend you. But please, please do something to spread this message across campus. Bring up at whatever club you are in that you do not need to print out so many papers or hand out individual invitations to every event you hold. Just speak out. Talking to one another is the best tool that we have to create whatever culture we want to have on campus, be it peace, recycling or both. If the eco-minded simply talk to the people that they have connections with and lead by example, an incredible eco-community is not too far from reach.
Sofie Sherman Burton [2012]
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The important thing to recognize, though, is that we are nowhere near such a community, and there is evidence of this all around campus. Lights are left on. Essays are printed single-sided (even if not required by Professor James Williams). Computer chords and phone chargers are left plugged in when not in use. And to point it out for the millionth time, trays and excess food are being taken from the cafeteria. Walk by almost any trash can and
there are cans, bottles and papers that could have likely been recycled at the consumer’s destination. Unnecessary posters for events cover the walls of the cafeteria and dorms. The list continues.
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Do you want to be more environmentally friendly? here are a few simple ways Heidi Helgerson [2011]
Stop purchasing non-recycled paper products. The paper industry is the third largest industrial contributor to global warming; by purchasing toilet paper and paper towels from brands such as: Bounty, Charmin, Kleenex, and Cottonelle you will be contributing to companies that deplete the world’s forests. To prevent this depletion, buy recycled paper products, brands such as: Seventh Generation, Earth First, and Green Forest.
Stop purchasing toxic cleaning products. These products generally end up getting carried down the drain or thrown away in the trash which can cause serious pollution in the stream. To prevent this pollution, buy eco-friendly products that are non-toxic and biodegradable, brands such as: Seventh Generation, Bi-O-Kleen, or Planet.
Unplug idle electronics or chargers. Even though they are not being used, they are constantly sucking energy. This includes power strips, chargers, laptops, and TVs.
Change your light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs.
CFL light bulbs save money and energy; they consume 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than regular bulbs.
Purchase Tupperware and a thermos. Use containers for cafeteria food and a thermos for when you want coffee/ tea. Save the paper cups and to-go boxes in the cafeteria.
Do not buy bottled water. Use the filtered water located in every building’s kitchen. Buy a water bottle that you can carry around with you.
5 Reasons Why Disposable plastic water bottles are not meant for multiple uses. If reused, bottles may leak a toxin known as DEHA (a known carcinogen) which can lead to cancer. The making of plastic bottles in America requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually; that is enough to fuel 100,000 cars for a year (New York Times). Buying bottled water is expensive, especially when you can get water for free.
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Tap water is perfectly fine to drink, at times better than bottled water.
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About 40% of all bottled water comes from the tap; you are paying for something you can get for free.
Make these simple changes to your daily routine and tell friends and family!
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INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT ISSUES ARREST WARRANT FOR SUDANESE PRESIDENT OMAR AL-BASHIR Katrina Ortiz [2012]
CASE Pending the Arrest of Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir;
International Criminal Court v. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir
LOCATION The Hague, Netherlands; Sudan TYPE OF LEGAL SYSTEM International Criminal Law HISTORY OF THE COURT
BASIC STRUCTURE OF ICC
The need for an international court arose following the atrocities of WWII in 1948, specifically following the Nuremberg and Tokyo Tribunals. At the request of the United Nations General Assembly, the International Law Commission drafted two preliminary statutes by the early 1950s, however these attempts were halted upon the beginning of the Cold War. Several advocates would speak out on behalf of the creation of an international court but the idea wouldn’t be completely revived until 1989 when the Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago proposed the creation of a permanent international court to deal with
the illegal drug trade. Following several years of negotiations the General Assembly convened at a conference in Rome in June 1998. On July 17, 1998 The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court was adopted by a vote of 120 to 7, with 21 countries abstaining. The seven countries that voted against the treaty were Iraq, Israel, China, the United States, Yemen, Libya, and Qatar. The Statute did not become binding until April 11, 2002—it had been ratified by 60 countries at this point—and came into legal force on July 1, 2002. The court can only prosecute cases after this July date. As of March 2009, 108 countries have joined the Court, including
nearly all of Europe and South America, and roughly half the countries in Africa. However, these countries only account for a minority of the world’s population. A further 40 states have signed but not ratified the Rome Statute; the law of treaties obliges these states to refrain from “acts which would defeat the object and purpose” of the treaty. In 2002, two of these states, the United States and Israel, “unsigned” the Rome Statute, indicating that they no longer intend to become states parties and, as such, they have no legal obligations arising from their signature of the statute.
The Court is an independent institution. The Court is not part of the United Nations, but it maintains a cooperative relationship with the U.N. The Court is based in The Hague , the Netherlands , although it may also sit elsewhere. The Court is composed of four parts—The Presidency, the judicial Divisions, the Office of the
FOR MORE INFORMATION http://www.icc-cpi.int/Menus/ICC/Structure+of+the+Court/
SUDANESE PRESIDENT OMAR AL-BASHIR
DARFUR, SUDAN
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in the eyes of the COURT JURISDICTION
Article 5 of the Rome Statute grants
groups of crimes, which it refers to as the “most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole”: the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The statute defines each of these crimes except for aggression—it provides that the Court will not exercise its jurisdiction over the crime of aggression until such time as the states parties agree on a definition of the crime and set out the conditions under which it may be prosecuted. Many states wanted to add terrorism and drug trafficking to the list of crimes covered by the Rome Statute; however, the states were unable to agree on a definition for terrorism and it was decided not to include drug trafficking as this might overwhelm the Court’s limited resources. India lobbied to have the use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction included as war crimes but this move was also defeated. India has expressed concern that “the Statute of the ICC lays down, by clear implication, that the use of weapons of mass destruction is not a war crime. This is an extraordinary message to send to the international community.” Some commentators have argued that the Rome Statute defines crimes too broadly or too vaguely. For example, China has argued
that the definition of ‘war crimes’ goes beyond that accepted under customary international law. A Review Conference is due to take place in the first half of 2010. Among other things, the conference will review the list of crimes contained in Article 5. The final resolution on adoption of the Rome Statute specifically recommended that terrorism and drug trafficking be reconsidered at this conference. During the negotiations that led to the Rome Statute, a large number of states argued that the Court should be allowed to exercise universal jurisdiction. However, this proposal was defeated due in large part to opposition from the United States. A compromise was reached, allowing the Court to exercise jurisdiction only under the following limited circumstances: •-Where the person accused of committing a crime is a national of a state party (or where the person’s state has accepted the jurisdiction of the Court) •-Where the alleged crime was committed on the territory of a state party (or where the state on whose territory the crime was committed has accepted the jurisdiction of the Court) •-Where a situation is referred to the Court by the UN Security Council. The Court is intended as a court of last resort, investigating and prosecuting only where national courts have failed. Article 17 of the Statute provides
that a case is inadmissible if: (a) The case is being investigated or prosecuted by a State which has jurisdiction over it, unless the State is unwilling or unable genuinely to carry out the investigation or prosecution; (b) The case has been investigated by a State which has jurisdiction over it and the State has decided not to prosecute the person concerned, unless the decision resulted from the unwillingness or inability of the State genuinely to prosecute; (c) The person concerned has already been tried for conduct which is the subject of the complaint, and a trial by the Court is not permitted under article 20, paragraph 3; (d) The case is not of sufficient gravity to justify further action by the Court. Article 20, paragraph 3, specifies that, if a person has already been tried by another court, the International Criminal Court cannot try them again for the same conduct unless the proceedings in the other court: (a) Were for the purpose of shielding the person concerned from criminal responsibility for crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court (b) Otherwise were not conducted independently or impartially in accordance with the norms of due process recognized by international law and were conducted in a manner which, in the circumstances, was inconsistent with an intent to bring the person concerned to justice.
The associated press recently stated that on March 4th the Obama Administration called for all parties associated with the Darfur conflict in Sudan to practice restraint, following the International Criminal Courts issuance of an arrest warrant for Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. Bashir is being charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity. A spokeswoman for the International Criminal Court, Laurence Blairon, said the indictment, drawn up by three judges, included five counts of crimes against humanity: murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture and rape. The two counts of war crimes were for directing attacks on the civilian population and pillaging. Blairon stated that Bashir
was “criminally responsible as the head of state and commander of the Sudanese armed forces for the offences during a five-year counterinsurgency campaign against three armed groups in Darfur.” All states within Sudan are being asked to execute the arrest warrant and if Sudan fails to cooperate the matter will be referred to the United Nations Security Council. Bashir has since responded to the International Criminal Court by claiming he will not submit or abide by their warrant and has kicked out several humanitarian aide groups such as Doctors Without Borders—a group who has done immense work to provide citizens affected by the regions conflicts with medical
care. Bashir’s indignant attitude stems from the fact that Sudan never officially recognized the International Criminal Court, and is thus not to be held accountable to it. However, with the major western powers (U.S., U.K., and France) and the greater international community backing this warrant Bashir may be unable to avoid being held accountable. The basis of Western support is based on the hope that this move may help to end the conflict within Sudan which has been waging for six years. Since the violence started it is estimated that up to 300, 000 people have been killed and close to 2.7 million have attempted to flee the violence.
from Roman Statute/ICC Home website the Court jurisdiction over four
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CASE SYNOPSIS
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staff profile
“keep
it like
” disneyland
MARKUS WETMORE
Did you know that Markus Wetmore was a Broadway star before coming to SUA? He sang at a reggae bar on the side, where he met his wife and after a hot, steamy romance, they eloped to Korea, where they own a karaoke restaurant... Just kidding!
between college students. It’s enjoyable to see them grow up and graduate, essentially beginning the second phase of their lives…It’s neat to say goodbye to students knowing you met them when they were just freshmen.” Only about 20-25% of students come down to the gym frequently. However, with the expansion of the class sizes and the athletic department he has noticed more athletically-inclined students coming down for sports, intramural competitions and personal fitness classes. “You don’t have to be a jock from high school to come down here,” he says. He always appreciates the frequent interaction between staff, faculty and students, such as the annual Staff/ Faculty vs. Student baseball game. (Two years ago, the score was 28-0 and only one student actually touched a base. Last year however, he admits that the students beat the Staff/Faculty).
He did do musical theatre in middle school and high school, though. He played Fagan in Oliver and Bob Cratchett in A Christmas Carol. He never sang at a reggae bar but did meet his wife at Parker’s Seafood Grill, a reggae bar and restaurant in O.C., when she came from law school at Stanford to visit her friend. There was no hot, steamy romance, (yeah, right) and no elopement but his wife is Korean and her parents were surprised to find out that Markus can devour some pretty spicy kim-chi. He and his wife do love karaoke and often have karaoke parties at their house. Let’s back it up a few years. Markus Wetmore, SUA’s Athletic Equipment and Operations Coordinator, became a full-time staff member here in 2005. As a youth, Markus trained at the Fire Academy and received his Fire department Certification from the state of California in 1993, and worked for the county of L.A. & O.C. part time, as a reserve. He also worked full time as a medic with a private service, when he experienced back trauma in 1995, which forced him to stop his work temporarily. Markus then decided it was best to go back to college and went on to receive his degree in Kinesiology, under the secondary tract. After changing his tract from physical fitness to Secondary, he then received his two teaching credentials in Secondary (physical fitness), and Health Science.. Because he was in his early 30’s when he went back, he was much more focused than when he was younger: “I went from a lower average student to a straight-A student because I was better acclimated academically.” He came to SUA by chance. The first summer that he didn’t have a coaching or sports camp job lined up, he researched websites of local colleges and stumbled upon SUA. He contacted Keith Shackleford, former Director of Athletics, who he had coincidentally coached football with twenty years prior. The fine April day in 2003 when Shackleford called to offer him a job at SUA was coincidentally the same day his son was born! What you might not know is that Markus’ dream was to be an actor when he was younger. His
Jessica Bennett [2009] Jihii Jolly [2011]
Markus’s life mottoes are “Safety doesn’t happen by accident!” (Because of his background in training for the F.D., he says safety is always his first concern, especially here at SUA where anything safety-related in the gym ultimately comes back to him), and “Keep it like Disneyland: everyone walks away with a smile on their face.”
parents warned him that it was risky and unstable and for a long time he played an internal game of tug-of-war trying to decide between acting and school. During the time he did pursue acting, he had a year-long stint as a permanent extra playing a bartender on General Hospital. At the same time he was working at an actual bar in Long Beach where he had to dress up in costumes, such as a train conductor uniform, the pockets of which “always got caught on stuff!” He was living and taking acting classes with his friend, John Corbett, who you might recognize from the TV series Northern Exposure, or as Kate Beckinsale’s fiancée in Serendipity. Ultimately, Markus decided on school, although his Dad passed away before he graduated, which was very tough for him.
Commenting on the development of our athletic department, he explained that because we are expanding our athletics program, first priority for gym resources goes to athletes, whereas in the first years he worked here there were less athletes and students could check anything out at the gym as if it were a multi-purpose-room. He has to follow protocol and put safety first and at the end of the day he wants “everyone to walk away with a smile—but that doesn’t always work.” Overall, Markus really likes SUA. He always puts the students first and describes our community as a “small family atmosphere” where everyone knows each other more intimately than at larger universities. “It’s nice—every time you think the grass could be greener on the other side you realize that’s not the case.” Thus far, he’s seen “really neat changes in the school” and looks forward to even more positive changes in the next five years. Until then, it’s all karaoke, kim-chi and, of course… safety first.
When discussing SUA he says, “I like the interaction
words of the wise
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“ live to a ripe old age and learn to a ripe old age ” On Teaching: Nancy Hodes
words of the wise
Perhaps people who write us teachers off as “refusing to grow up and leave school” have it partly right. But only partly, in my book. The side of the coin that applies even more to my own experience is this: I’ve chosen this work in large measure because being a teacher affords never-ending opportunities to keep learning with and from young people. And what better way to keep one’s own spirit young? Besides, “helping and watching kids grow up” is a deep source of personal joy—at least it has been for me these past forty-some years.When I look at this black and white photograph from 1974 as an example, I recall almost exactly what I was saying at that moment. This was at the tail end of the “Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution” in China, when my long-held dream of returning to the land where I’d spent my formative years was finally realized—I was invited back to Beijing to teach English at what is now the Beijing Foreign Studies University. The photo shows me in the “proper revolutionary garb” of the time—drab grey “Mao suit” and matching People’s Liberation Army-style cap. In both Chinese and English, I’m introducing myself and a young colleague (I was myself, mind you, an idealistic “kid” in my late twenties at the time) on the first day of class, saying, “I am your teacher; I am also your student. You are my students, and also my teachers.” Looking back on those days decades ago, I think it was more than revolutionary rhetoric writing my
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script—it was coming from the heart. And the same kind of excitement came over me as I set out across country from Boston in the summer of 2000 to join the rest of the “pioneers” of Soka University of America. This is, of course, how Daisaku Ikeda, the university’s founder, referred to us, the faculty and staff, and then to the students when the first batch of you arrived. And now he dubs all students and alumni of SUA “young founders,” with his profound respect for future generations of learners/educators. In the eight or nine years here since those early days, despite the growing pains our whole community has felt as members of a young institution, this ideal of being collaborative “co-learners” has been made real in practice at every turn. Learning Clusters, for example, are each year more and more driven by students themselves. My first one, on “The Chinese Immigrant Community in Southern California,” made connections with our neighbors in Leisure World and L.A.’s Chinatown; my second one, on “Translation and Interpreting,” had us traveling by train to Monterey and connecting with students and staff at the Monterey Institute for International Studies, which turns out to be something of a “sister school” to ours; the music education and international cultural exchange LC was conceived and implemented almost entirely by its students, and we bonded with the kids at an L.A. charter school co-founded by an old friend of mine from back east. Now with
the help of the Nieves Foundation’s generous gifts, we have students and teachers traveling together to far-off places and learning together about topics such as fish in the Amazon, international politics in Beijing, rural poverty reduction in Panama, and so on. Spending three and a half weeks each fall with entering students, too, has allowed many of us teachers to learn and re-learn what we once grappled with during our own college careers.In China, one of the most oft-quoted ancient proverbs is “húo dào lăo, xúe dào lăo” (活到老，学到老) or “live to a ripe old age and learn to a ripe old age.” In addition to its surface meaning akin to the English “live and learn,” which is used for the acquisition of a specific bit of knowledge on one particular occasion, I think this saying points to a deeper, life-long piece of wisdom: that learning is an inextricable part of life itself, so that no matter how advanced one’s age and no matter how learned or knowledgeable one may be, to advance, to stay young at heart and keep growing, one must make the effort day by day to learn from and with those younger than oneself. So thank you, dear students, for letting me “stay in school” by your sides, for permitting me to take joy in our growth together, and for enabling me to keep learning to a ripe old age. And maybe next time you hear someone putting us down as perpetual students, you can tell him a thing or two about another way to look at teachers and teaching.
study abroad
中国怎么样(how’s china?) Caitli’n Shepherd [2010] fall semester. But of course you can’t turn back, because you have a plane to catch and a million thoughts and emotions are whirling through your head about what adventures await you in your not-toodistant future. I don’t think the whole “I’m on study abroad!” really hit me until my first day in China when I was at Tiananmen Square. I took my camera out of my bag to take a picture, and when I saw the picture I took, I exclaimed: “Oh my god! I’m in CHINA!” Needless to say, some people around me turned their heads and stared in surprise. For the next few days those “I’M ON STUDY ABROAD!” moments would recur and still—over a month into my program—I get reminded that I’m here, in China, living out the mandatory semester abroad for all Soka students. China is great. That’s all I can really say about it. The people that I have met are so warm and friendly, and really go out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Of course the language barrier is challenging at times, but your language does improve Greetings, Soka. I trust that the spring semester is treating you well and that life in the Soka Bubble is fine and dandy. Whenever students come back from study abroad, they are commonly greeted with the question: “So, how was study abroad?!” After being in Nanjing for a little over a month, I can see what a challenge it is to answer that question. When I first visited Soka University of America, I was a sophomore in high school. So technically I have known that I was going to study abroad before I even applied and was accepted to Soka. Thus, for the past five years or so there has been this big “study abroad build-up” in my life. Every semester, when a new batch of students came back from their adventures abroad, they always said that “it was the best experience of their lives” or “it was amazing!” and that “you really cannot wrap it up in one sentence.” Hearing this every semester doesn’t help the build-up; it just makes you antsy and intensifies your desire to go out there and see the world.
If there is one thing that I have gathered from my study abroad experience thus far, it is that there is such a build-up about “study abroad.” But life abroad, life at Soka, and life at home are really not that drastically different. I can only speak for myself when I say that yes, I am in a different country, learning a different language, meeting new people, adapting to a different culture, but this isn’t different from what I do at Soka. I still socialize, go off campus, go to class, and procrastinate, but I just happen to be in Nanjing, China.
photos by Caitlin Shepherd
student columns
It was a crazy experience on February 1st as I drove to LAX, because I knew that I would not be coming back to Soka or seeing any of my friends until the following
and will only continue to get better if you put forth the effort. Fortunately, I haven’t gotten sick from the food yet (knock on wood!), nor have I had any particularly bad experiences while here. I just live my life to the fullest moment-to-moment, dayto-day, trying my best to represent Soka University of America in any way that I can.
So my advice to you, future study abroaders, is to not worry about what’s to come, be open to new experiences (and expect to be shocked by them!), and just go out into the world and enjoy yourselves! See you all in the fall.
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advice
what should do when i am feeling overwhelmed? Erica Stein [2011]
Spring Semester 2009 is in full force. Many of us are overloading, involved in numerous club activities and are dealing with family & relationship stress. While midterms are (for the most part) over, and we are halfway done with the semester… these next two months are still academically crucial. With all of the pressure it is incredibly easy to feel overwhelmed. So, I have come up with 3 fool-proof ways to de-stress and balance your life.
1. Take a mental health day I know, I know…. you are WAAAAAY too busy to take a mental health day. However, I strongly suggest you do. Taking a day off, like a Saturday or a lazy Sunday can lift your mood instantly. By spending the day doing things you want to do with people you want to see can be invigorating. Go to a bookstore, go to the beach, buy a new outfit or chill at the Irvine Spectrum – Just do something that does not require you to read about Social Movements in East Asia or study Chinese.
2. Exercise! Exercising is a great way to stay in shape and take your mind off of school. By taking a kick- boxing class or going to yoga you will be forced to focus on something other than school for 2 hours. Going to the gym or running outside will help you feel in tune with your body and give you the power you need. Breathing the fresh air and sweating out your toxins will help you create balance. An added bonus: exercise gives you endorphins, which make you happy. After exercise you will be energized and ready to write a killer paper on Global Warming.
3. Write a to-do list Staying organized will help keep your stress levels low. It will help you to focus and balance your life. It’s critically important to write neatly and keep your planner up to date. This will ensure that you do not forget anything important because you are busy with school or club activities. Additionally, prioritizing what you have to do on a written list will help you keep everything clear. You can check off tasks that you complete as you go – and feel a sense of accomplishment as you do.
4. BREATHE!
student columns
Okay so I added a fourth and I know, this one is too easy, right? But seriously, take a moment and just RELAX. You are in college and these are supposed to be some of the most memorable years of your life. It’s important to live them to the fullest and get excited about the fact that you are so busy. I mean how great is it that you have the opportunity to study at a university?! It’s essential to appreciate the fact that you are at a school to learn and it’s time to enjoy it.
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I hope these tips will help you feel a little bit less stressed. It’s vital to keep in mind that EVERYONE is feeling the stress right now and that you can do it! Summer will be here soon so try and enjoy these last few months – and, before you know it, you will be sipping smoothies on the beach and working on your tan.
Brazilian Wax
student columns
Jean Marcus
I have been thinking about the true meaning of reporting events and the whole package that comes with it. Image, bias, unbiased, opinion, fact, style, mockery, life. And there is so much nonsense in newspapers and on television and YouTube that make even less sense. And that makes me really angry. How can we be so inhumane when it comes to other people’s lives? We could say that reporting on the lives of others is probably one of the most ancient jobs on Earth. When the first wall was built, people already wanted to know what was going on in the private places that they could not see. And I was raised in a house that had no doors, so I completely understand the meaning of no privacy. Everything that happened inside of my house was known immediately in all other corners. I am not sure how this influenced my character but it definitely made me feel respect toward my surroundings and the facts registered (I could be convincing if I had to lie to my mom about something that I had been doing). And it is this exact feeling of no respect for facts that is the thin line between a good humanistic report and a common falsity. More interestingly, even if facts are right, people have the “right” to deny them! Other facts may be true, but for legal issues, they cannot be taken into consideration. What is the matter with privacy, then? Last month, I dealt with one of these situations as I was investigating for an article and I had to check the facts of several sides of the story I was trying to tell. But, one of the sides did not want to talk about it, and the other could not talk. How do you write an article in this situation? You don’t. There are too many barriers preventing good stories from coming through as several bad stories are told with the intent of really hurting people. And the appropriation of meaning and “truth” becomes a serious subject, which usually makes everybody hide beneath layers and layers of rules. And that is part of what rage is. I don’t know which direction I am heading in and I don’t know what is ahead, and I am talking about a delicate subject that requires extreme caution in order to venture into further places. I want to make sense out of it but all I can think of are images. Often, when we are performing in an event where there are photographers or cameras we have to sign a form consenting the use of our images. But who said that this image that we possess is ours? Who determined that the ideas and the voice that reproduce these ideas come from a place within ourselves that we can call “ours”? This body that I have is not mine; I just borrowed it. So who am I to tell someone that they cannot capture my image with a camera, or capture my thoughts with a recorder? And that is the interesting aspect of reporting events with freedom. The choices that you have to make must balance this sense of social justice—in which you understand that people know—with personal justice— in which people have the right to protect themselves. And you might even think that everything I have been saying here is absurd, especially because I haven’t been writing an article, only this column. “So why are you so bothered?” I watched a video a few days ago of a group of people in a restaurant in Brazil. They had been inside for ten minutes and nobody came to serve them. It was a video of unhappy customers. So far, so good. They published this video as a way to express their discontentment and to convey to people what they had experienced. It had nothing to do with morals or ethics, but it was their opportunity to express something. But, after the incident, whenever someone took out a cell phone, for whatever reason, they were questioned about why they were doing it and asked if they were filming anything inside of the place. A weird policy had been put into place that stated that nobody could film inside of the establishment. So, people that have their will to show their discontentment through very solid facts cannot because the company they want to show does not want that to be public? It makes no sense to me! But this is my challenge. I have to keep persisting in reporting what I think deserves justice, while playing this abnormal game [2011] of hide-and-seek for grown-ups. The meaning of truth is relevant to what you want people to perceive of you. That is the huge problem with the property of images, in fact, with any property in general. I think I feel better now.
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mission statement The Pearl strives to emulate slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl’s efforts to bring out the human side of every story. Following his courageous model, The Pearl opens channels of communication in an endeavor to articulately and respectfully express differing opinions. The contributors to The Pearl report on issues of concern for the campus, the local community and the globe, aiming to unify the campus toward the realization of the mission of Soka University of America.
pearl@soka.edu
Jessica Bennett is capstoned.
Jihii Jolly is inspired.
Jean Marcus wants to make the sexiest Pearl ever.
Janice Lee just ate 5 blood oranges.
you ate 6.
Emiko Kobayashi feels like Tanzania and Egypt are waiting for her :-).
credits Jessica Bennett (Editor-In-Chief, Comedienne); Jihii Jolly (Managing Editor, Layout, OCD-specialist); Jean Marcus Silva (Public Relations Liaison, Layout, Spiritual Guide); Emiko Kobayashi (Business Manager, Sweet Tooth); Janice Lee (Photography, Layout, Spontaneous Laughter); Aaron Freedman, Robin Joe (Editing Team); Sara Nuss-Galles (Advisor); Michael Strand (Alumni Advisor); Armando Dubon, Saeed Fakhriravari, Sam Morales, Derrick Springer, Pamela Stoyka, Geoff Westropp (Technical Support)