Spring 2013

THE Pearl S o ka U n i v ers i ty St u d en t N ews a n d Li t er a ry M agaz i n e

Spring 2013. Volume XI. NUmber 2.

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TOC Student Life

Table of Contents 4 5 8

Study Abroad 9

11 12

Activity Spotlight 14 16

Feature ON-Campus Awareness

18 20 22

Intellectual pursuits 24 26 28

Creative pursuits 30 31 32 35 36 37 37 38 39

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Authenticity—Kate Filippi My Coming Out Story—Monse Sepulveda Latinfluence—John Huynh-Mast What Not To Learn On Study Abroad—Nolina Doud To Pack or Not to Pack—Yona Yurwit Gringa in Guamote: Volunteer Experience—Leia Marasovich EcoWing: A Dynamic First Year Embrace the Place: A Visit to the Ecology Center—Sarah Randolph Mental Health on Campus: An Interview with Roberto De La Pena Dating Violence Awareness: An Interview with Melody Lowe Issues in International Relations and Dialogue Among SUA Students: An Interview with Shinichi Yoshino Pulling Out the Rug: Conflict Created by Ignorance of Culture—Seika Matsuoka Game Sound—Holland Sangster The Last Tightrope Artists of Modernity—Itle Nganta Dogmo Just The World—Matthew Berger Regret—Makoto Abe Apollo’s Ground: Art submissions Quelqu’un—Jorge Viramontes Madre Luna—Roberto De La Pena Le soir et ses pensées—Meylin Gonzales Do you—Jensen Reyes A Small Measure of Peace—Jordan Collins-Brown Doubting Divinity—Kaiya Harvey

Dear Readers,

I invite you to read yet another issue of The Pearl, Soka’s official news and literary magazine.

It has been a year of ups, down, curves, and zigzags. Amidst all the craziness of all your club and Soka Student Union activities, job, internship, International Festival responsibilities, academic, and creative frustrations, you owe yourself a pat on the back and the highest of high fives for getting through this year.

As we end the school year, I cannot help but think that this issue of The Pearl is full of layers in its originality, creativity, and dynamism. Layered cadences in the French poetry of Jorge Viramontes and Meylin Gonzales, new layers of understanding outside of the “Soka Bubble” from the study abroad experiences of Yona Yurwit and Nolina Doud, and layered awareness of social issues from the interviews of Amanda Good. With this in mind, our contributors’ writing and art have layers that enable us to seek truth beyond tradition, beyond definition, and beyond the image.

This issue is truly a reflection of the creative prowess of a student body grounded in thinking about this world and beyond. I would like to thank all the contributors for sharing their writing and art with The Pearl. More importantly, much gratitude is due to the staff members without which this issue will not have come into existence.

It has been challenging but fun to work with you all.

Have a safe, relaxing, and wonderful summer!

Also, check out our website at: thepearlonline. org. The dorm room contest results are up on the website

LFTE Letter from the Editor

Thank you,

Chase Habulan Editor-in-Chief

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Student Life

A

Authen ticity Kate Filippi

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uthenticity is more than just being real or “who you are”.

It is choice, ownership, and pride. It is boiling down all the superfluous desires and finding the source of actions, finding what matters to you the most and never letting go of that. Influence is all around us. It knocks on the door of our headspace at a daily basis and we may not be aware of what has slipped under the door crack, until one day you wake up and get that painfully disappointing feeling that you don’t know how you became the person you are. It goes two ways, either you are proud of the person in the mirror in spite of all the mistakes and hardships or you feel strangely disconnected with your reflection. I hate to get heavy on you all, but this is an important idea to consider as we enter some very pivotal years of our lives. Causes in the present will undoubtedly determine your future and I sure as hell want to be confident that I am setting myself up for happiness.

I think a lot of youth struggle with its incompatibility with the way the world works, I know I do. For example, the idea of a 9 to 5, especially doing something I am not absolutely in love with, utterly terrifies me. Bad faith can overcome me and I can succumb to the forces and live a safe and comfortable existence. However, all the while, a steady current of reluctance and inadequacy will pulse through each day. I know it’s so cliché, but Gandhi was not gassing for a second when he said “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” So I live every day in a way that is most true to me because no one will fight for my quality of life except me, and I hope everyone else out there vows to do the same. Being authentic is always prized and relevant, that is to say it never goes out of style. The authentic individual has identified their moral code, what they refuse to sacrifice, and what sort of life energy they will embody. There is strength in this sense of assuredness and the most successful people (let’s use a new age definition of success here) are unapologetic of the things they wanted out of life. I think I saw it coming through the internet, but you can be sure that if you don’t stand up for something then you will fall for anything.

Authenticity, in today’s society, feels more like a personal war of you against the world. In a way it is, there are slew of ideas, opinions, visions and lifestyles all marching around before us, taunting us to follow down the path they laid out. Will you go down that road? In order to be authentic in a world that is growing ever more complex and demanding, you have to strongly identify your essence. Know what makes you tick. What sort of life do you want to lead? The answers to these questions come from within, so take a moment to yourself and listen.

Peace & Love.

My

Coming Out Story

I

have often grappled with a very crucial question about my identity and, until recently, I have ignored it at all costs. In the past, many people asked me about it, but I would avoid their questions by quickly making a funny comment or diverting their attention.

Four years ago, as a freshman, I was confronted with a situation in a classroom that made me have to face and admit that I had been hiding something from others and myself my entire life. I did not immediately confront it but over the years, I have found friends and a community that made me realize I needed to come out. Coming out is not simply a process of admitting something about ourselves; it is also a process that allows us to begin to accept who we are, to be accepted by others, and ultimately, to find happiness as who we are.

So, here it goes‌ 5

My name is Monse Sepulveda, I am from Chile and I am a Stutterer.

My family tells me that I began stuttering at an early age, although the first memory I have of stuttering is from when I was ten or eleven. I don’t stutter a la King’s Speech but it’s bad enough that it impedes me from speaking fluently. I was lucky when at the age of 11 one of my teachers took notice of my speech impediment. Mr. Swanne, an Englishman who was blinded as a child by a bomb during WWII, knew the difficulties of growing up with a disability. For a year, he patiently mentored me on how to overcome my stuttering. Together, we practiced every day for an hour and, thanks to him, I was able to develop techniques that allow me to speak more fluently. I owe him a lifetime of respect and admiration.

Researchers have not yet been able to discover what causes stuttering but they do agree that it is very much a psychological thing. For instance, I can say the sentence “I like to swim in the ocean” when I’m speaking but I cannot, for the life of me, read it out loud. Reading out loud and speaking on the phone are two of my greatest fears. That’s why I love my unlimited texting cellphone plan. I never make a phone call if I can avoid it.

Growing up, at home my stuttering was manageable, but in school it was horrendously stressful. In class, I was often asked to read passages out loud, but, instead of having the mental clarity and maturity to explain to the teacher that I stuttered, I simply refused to read, which caused many of my teachers to think I had an attitude problem (granted, I did have an attitude problem, but not as bad as they thought).

Here at Soka, some classes have also been very challenging-- especially Chinese class. Freshman year, I didn’t know I had a speaking disability (I just thought I was a nervous person or that I thought too fast), so I didn’t explain my teacher that I stutter. On one occasion, when I had to 6

read a paragraph for my final oral exam, I got so nervous and panicky that I stuttered worse than I ever had before. I could not even read a single line.

I got a C on my final, 30 minutes of humiliation, a week of crying and a semester of being angry at myself.

This episode marked a turning point in my life. I decided my stuttering would never make me feel that way again. Sophomore year, I began by sharing my stuttering with my closest friends and asking them to help me whenever they could.

When my stuttering flares up and I can’t say the name of my home country, “Chile,” or even my

FIGURE 1.1

own name, my friends come to my rescue. It must seem odd to people that my friend Nico tells them my name and my friend Sun tells them that I’m from Chile but most people just accept it as yet another strange facet of my personality. (If you’ve ever heard me introduce myself and you thought it was strange that I say I’m from “South America, Chile”, I add “South America” in there because I can’t say Chile without saying another sound before it). Also, now I let people know when I cannot say something. If someone asks me the name of a song and I can’t say it, I tell them, “I’m sorry, I can’t say that out loud but I can spell it or write down it for you.” This extremely odd situation leads to a conversation about why I

FIGURE 1.2

can’t say those words, which has allowed me to share my stuttering with a lot more people that I ever had before.

An important moment was sharing my experience at the Peace Gala this year. That event combined two of the most feared things for stutterers: public speaking and reading out loud.

The morning of the Gala, I went down to the Gym for rehearsal. My stuttering was so bad that someone from the organizing committee got a bit upset because my speech wouldn’t be perfect. As I sank in self-pity and panic, I had a sudden idea. I texted the organizing committee to ask for their permission and walked down to the Gala ready to try a new strategy. When I go up on the stage, instead of making every effort possible to hide my stutter, I did the opposite. I trusted my secret to the audience and hoped for the best. Then, I stuttered the shit out of that speech. It was b-beautiful!

This semester, I have been attending support group meetings for the local National Stuttering Association chapter in Irvine. There, I’ve met many people who, like me, also stutter. Their stories are powerful and all share a common determination to not let their stuttering constrain their lives. Together, we stuttered beautifully as we read out loud for each other. Interestingly, I learnt that stutterers can read fluently when we read in unison, only to revert back to stuttering when reading alone, showing both that stuttering is very much a psychological thing and how crucial it is for us to feel supported.

And well, here I am, 24 years old and only now coming out to the world… or at least my SUA world. Stuttering makes our lives a bit more difficult and sometimes more painful but I have come to realize that if I didn’t stutter, my facial muscles wouldn’t have hyper-developed and I wouldn’t be able to make the weird facial expressions I make all the time (see figure 1.1 and 1.2). I have discovered kindness and support from the most random people, like the phone operator whom I told I stutter just a few weeks ago, and when I wasn’t able to say the number 10, she said, “say the number before that.”

Stuttering constrains, but it also liberates, connects, humbles, and touches people. If you, like me, are a stutterer, I hope that your own Coming Out story has begun.

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Latinfluence John Huynh-Mast 2016

B

eing of full Vietnamese descent, no one would ever guess that Latin blood runs through my veins. Not a literal blood of course, but a metaphysical blood symbolizing the connection I have with the Latin culture. The only ones of any sort of oriental bloodline, my family and I lived in an apartment housing project that was populated by Latino immigrants. Despite ethnic differences and language barriers that permitted us to communicate only by strange gesticulations and broken English, our bond with the community was powerful as we shared the same grief; immigrants in a new land, my family and the surrounding families suffered through poverty, because barely anyone had the required English proficiency to have a job that paid well. Because of this, my family emphasized that, to be successful, I would have to perfect the English language.

Thinking of my future, my 4-year old self went on a journey to learn English from my neighbors. I went next door and an older child by the name of Estevan answered. I nervously used the phrase that I had practiced many times prior, “English, you know? Can you teach?”

He responded with an affirmative, “Sí?!” I didn’t know he was in ESL classes, let alone what ESL was, but I assumed from his emphatic answer that he knew English well enough to teach me. His family welcomed me and I started my training in English, but ironically, in between trying to learn the alphabet and vocabulary from collections of Hooked on Phonics, Estevan and his family taught me something that had a much more profound effect on me—their culture.

From the savory arañitas and chicharrones I devoured, to the sounds of Salsa music that resonated from their timeworn radio, to the mirth that echoed from them enjoying the presence of a Vietnamese boy learning accented English and their culture—I learned more than just a language; I learned a lifestyle. They didn’t have everything, but they made the best of what they had, and they were happy. Learning lessons like that from them, I wanted to share my own culture, to give to them something that they gave me. That summer we had a tremendous cultural exchange extravaganza in the community with live music from a local Mariachi band, ethnic foods prepared by the many grandmas and ladies, and laughter from drunken men that shook the air - and it was beautiful.

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To be able to experience the beauty of the fusion of such distinctive backgrounds at such an early age was inspiring and has since amplified into a passion for culture. The roots from which this love sprouted hold strong in my life and have become the essence of who I am, invigorating me to explore and eat crickets and learn Armenian dances and experience the cultural norms of others—everyday. This passion gives me life and drives me to do all that I can.

It’s in my blood.

Study Abroad

What [Not ] to

Learn on

Study Abroad

By Nolina Doud [2014]

I

t is perhaps impossible to put the experience of study abroad into words, especially when you’re still in the midst of it. However, there is one vast and important misconception I had going into study abroad that has been seriously challenged, if not negated; I felt that spending five months in Japan would make me a regular ambassador of Japanese culture. I was confident that I would learn the language and immerse myself in the culture, returning well-versed in it. What I have come to realize is that the richness and depth of Japanese culture cannot possibly be boiled down to 5 months, or even 5 years. I am not sure that I can ever come to understand it. Which is not to say that it is so radically different or incomprehensible compared to my home culture, but rather that it is just too dense and rich in cultural history and nuance for me to claim any knowledge of it after this short stay. I have come to realize that study abroad, at least for me, is not about how much I can come to understand Japan, but realizing how little I can come to understand it. And, in some ways, how little I can understand my own culture.

This is not as defeatist as it sounds. If anything, it is rather invigorating. There is no end to new discoveries, and there is no final conclusion. There are constant surprises. I came to Japan with an inevitable preconceived image (if I had no image in mind, what would 9

me in the first place?), and it is not that these images have been challenged or negated; it’s that there is no universal image.

Japan is so full of contradictions, uniqueness, and peculiarity as America, or any other country.

I know it is easy to understand, on a theoretical level, that we cannot hold on to stereotypes and preconceptions, but like my pithy little question before, there is really no avoiding them. I am constantly asked,

by Americans and Japanese alike, “what do you think of the Japanese?” and I thought that I can return them with some conclusive answer. Yet, this innocent question invites the creation of generalizations, stereotypes, and categorical images. Although not harmful in themselves, I found that the thrill of study abroad is not coming to know another country, it is coming to know individuals of another country, not a perfect microcosm of his own culture. I have yet to find some universal essence of “the Japanese,” good or bad. My experience has brought me in contact with only a collection of individuals, as homogeneous as a handful of SUA students. My experience of Japan is like a shattered mirror, fragmentary and mostly just self-reflecting.

What I have experienced here is the real manifestation of how incredibly individualistic cultural perception really is. Even when I am asked about America, I cannot claim any knowledge to an essential “American character.” My understanding of American culture is radically different from the Americans around me, here at Kansai Gaidai and at SUA. When a Japanese person asks me what America is all about, I have no answer. I 10

find myself regurgitating the same stereotypes that everyone already has in mind, but they are hollow to me as I know that there are literally millions of anomalies, and I am often one of them. For example, there is often a perceived dichotomy between American individualism and Japanese conformity. People couch this opposition in distant terms, showing how American media emphasizes individuality, or how Japanese tradition emphasizes social cohesion, but the ultimate conception is the same, and it simply is not true. America is rampant with conformity! To deny it is literally to lie to oneself. The repetitive tenet of American individualism is testament to this in and of itself! Similarly, while I have heard Japanese people testify themselves that they are pressured to conform at times, and witnessing the constrained unison of a Japanese graduation ceremony could, perhaps, be perceived as conformation, as everyone stands, sings, speaks in perfect unison, seemingly impossible in “individualistic America,” where someone will always be moving to the beat of his own drum. This is exactly the type of thinking I urge you to avoid. Society does not speak for the individual, we are not all products of pressure, and isolated images are not informative microcosms. I have yet to meet any two Japanese who are alike or who have the same conception of Japanese or American culture. I am no ambassador of Japanese culture, nor am I really even qualified to be an ambassador of American culture, and perhaps no one is…

to pack

F

or not

to pack

By Yona Yurwit [2014]

or many, the most stressful part of preparing for Study Abroad was not deciding where to go or filling out the paperwork but deciding what to bring. If you don’t pack enough, you risk being unprepared in a country where you don’t quite speak the language yet. If you pack too much, you’ll have to drag all of your crap around the airport, you may have to pay a fine for excess baggage, and you won’t have room for souvenirs. Deciding how much is the right amount of stuff is complicated. Will locals look at me funny if I wear short shorts? Can I live without Mr. Snuggles? Can I buy my shampoo there? How much underwear does one person really need?

Personally, I was so in denial of the fact that I had to deal with those questions that I put it off until the absolute last minute. Keeping in mind that I had to pack for both summer and winter conditions, I don’t think I did too badly. I probably did pack too much though, and I had to pay to check an extra suitcase on the way home. I guess I’ll know better for next time.

Hopefully, you—future study abroad student— will not have the same struggles because you will read the packing experiences of current seniors and juniors here in this article. I interviewed a mix of Soka students who have completed their study abroad and some who are currently studying abroad, asking what they packed, what they didn’t, and whether that combination worked well. Some of the packing problems students ran across were countryspecific, but others were applicable to every country.

The most important thing I packed: hand sanitizer and wet wipes/tissues. (In China and Spanish-speaking countries you will encounter many public restrooms without soap or toilet paper, or both.) Many students also recommended bringing your own shaving cream, lotion, and deodorant. I think all study abroad locations have those things for sale somewhere, but they’re either expensive or somehow undesirable.

Miho Saito (2014) said she wished she’d brought Sriracha sauce to Ecuador, and I’d like to add that if you like spicy food and you’re studying abroad in Chile or Argentina, you should bring your own hot sauce because it’s nonexistent there. Josie Parkhouse (2014) recommended that students going to China bring an American ChineseEnglish dictionary, because “I have yet to find one here that has pinyin, which Chinese learners will know slightly defeats the purpose of having a dictionary!”

People will also tell you not to bring certain things you actually should pack. I was scared out of bringing a backpack, for example. (You know, pick pocketing.)

However, it was really inconvenient not having one, and since all I wanted to put in it were invaluable items like jackets and water bottles, it would have been completely fine. You may also be warned not to bring your iPod, in case of theft once again, or books, but keep in mind that no matter where you go you’ll probably be taking a lot of public transit and will want something to keep you entertained. Also, you’ll be missing your mother tongue like crazy.

The most obvious thing not to pack is too much clothing, but I think that comes along with the expectation that you will pack too much anyway. In the heaps of clothing you stuff into your suitcase, try to make sure you include comfortable shoes that can take a beating (think running shoes), clothes you don’t mind accidentally destroying, and one nice thing you can wear to clubs to impress your future “study abroad magic” fling.

If you’re going to China, you can probably find whatever clothes you might have forgotten very cheaply. If you’re going to Argentina, on the other hand, you will find that clothing is very expensive.

Last but not least, don’t forget to bring the most important thing of all, your sense of adventure!

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Gringa in

Guamote ] [ Volunteer experience on Study Abroad

By Leia Marasovich [2014]

I

spent 5 magical months in Ecuador. Whether I was swimming with sea lions in the Galapagos or hiking through the most biodiverse part of the Amazon jungle, my adventurous spirit never ceased to lead me to new places and enchanting experiences. After just one month of assimilation into Ecuadorian culture and the Spanish language, I decided to take up a volunteer opportunity that was one of the most memorable and emotional experiences of my whole trip. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. All I knew was that the NGO, Techo Para Mi País, was like Habitat for Humanity; volunteers come and build a house for a family. That sounded like a unique opportunity to me, so I blindly signed up, equipped only with broken Spanish and a desire to help.

As I embarked on this journey with the other 300 Ecuadorian volunteers, I had no idea that we were about to take a four-hour bus ride to one of the poorest and remotest parts of Ecuador called Guamote. Dazed and confused, we finally arrived at our destination in the middle of the night—a small, cold classroom without flooring became our headquarters. After a short four hours of sleep, we were assigned our task: groups consisting of twelve people were each to build a house for a family in 3 days. Feeling a bit out of

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place as a “gringa” from California, I remained rather quiet. It was difficult to be in a place where I couldn’t fully express myself to the people around me. Nonetheless I was excited to be there, especially after being assigned to build a house for a charming family consisting of a mother, father, and three beautiful children.

At the start of our construction work, I wound up spending the majority of the first day playing with the children. Although I couldn’t communicate with them through their native language of Quechua, we had captivating conversations through our laughter, smiles, and facial expressions. Looking into their piercing dark eyes I saw my own reflection. Their uneven stained teeth reminded me of the constancy of their simplicity. The skin that was not covered by their hand-made head wrap, bright colored shawl, dark blue skirt, or black rain boots was a guaranteed home for the dust of the Sierras. As the young boy of the family proudly and confidently braided my hair with his dirt-coated hands, I questioned the norms and inorganic categorizations of western society, along with the sterile standards I grew up with around the idea of cleanliness. Through this experience, I came to realize that dirt isn’t bad or dirty. In this case, dirt had become an integral

part of these peoples’ physical beings. Dirt weaved through the fiber of their skin, creating a direct link between them and their environment.

As day 2 rolled around, I began to participate in the physical labor and technical aspects of putting the house together, like conducting measurements and hammering nails by hand.

Despite the horrible sickness that struck me that night, the house was miraculously completed by day 3, thanks to the dedicated family and members of my group. This family was no longer living in an improvised structure of sticks and plastic bags.

This family now, three days later, had something that could actually keep them protected from the harsh elements of the Sierras while letting in light; they had a durable roof, windows, and sturdy walls.

Handing this family the key to their new home was a very auspicious moment: I felt like no one else in the world but them deserved this home.

This was not just a story about a gringa doing charity work simply to gain the warm feeling of making a difference. Hopefully, this served rather as an elucidation of how a simple experience can deepen our connection with our human family.

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Activity Spotlight

a dynamic first year

.

eco wing

I

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the essence of community: Ecowing brings a surprising force to the sua campus.

n the spring of 2012, a small group of SUA students envisioned themed housing devoted to sustainable living, and called it “EcoWing”.

With the support of Environmental Department, these students conducted individual research, met with an off-campus green building specialist, drafted a detailed proposal, and presented their plan to Residental Life. The intent was to provide a physical and social space in which Soka students concerned about environmental issues could live and grow together, experimenting with conservation methods and spreading awareness to other members of the community. The students were approved to pilot this program beginning in the following fall semester.

The new EcoWing community is now located on the fourth floor of residential hall 315, the junior dorm.

Considering members are in their junior year, they spend a single semester together in EcoWing and spend the other abroad. Each semester, two different

groups of students therefore occupy the space and develop the community in their own unique way!

(First semester EcoWing members: Chelsea Dugger, Jennifer Hayashi, Akiko Toya, Yasuko Shimizu, Maya Miscione, and Josie Parkhouse. Second semester: Ranya Maaliki, Sarah Randolph, Seika Matsuoka, Leia Marasovich, and Yona Yurwit.)

First semester members laid the groundwork for the future of EcoWing by initiating a website and blog, meeting weekly, purchasing drying racks, and holding a “kickoff ” party with the purpose of raising environmental awareness for the student body. Second semester members have built upon their work, further developing the blog and meeting regularly for discussion, gathering to watch educational films, gardening weekly at the Soka Instructional Garden, cooking garden produce both individually and in partnership with Bon Appétit, making their own natural household cleaners, and

EcoWing members with Michael Reynolds— founder of Earthship Biotecture

organizing monthly field trips. Most recently, the girls applied for the SSU Grant to attend an Earthship Biotecture Workshop in Los Angeles, California and were graciously awarded $600! They presented what they learned at this conference to the Soka and offcampus community in an informal class. EcoWing also hosted a skills-exchange party in celebration of Earth Day, in order to encourage students to teach and learn from each other.

The traditions of EcoWing will be continued by each subsequent junior class, with EcoWing “alumni” serving as mentors. Because EcoWing is intended

to serve as a model for the future development of residence halls into more eco-friendly structures, the current members hope that the norms of EcoWing will expand to become norms throughout the entire campus. This is significant, as it ensures that Soka University lives up to its principle of fostering “the coexistence between nature and humanity” —not just ideologically, but through active and physical transformation of the grounds to be less wasteful. The first EcoWing residents are proud to be part of this community and grateful to the faculty and staff that helped make its creation possible and successful. After having this opportunity the EcoWing members will continue to apply what they have learned and continue to further their knowledge in this field regardless of where they live in the future. For more information visit the blog at suaecowing.blogspot.com or the website at cdugger06.wix.com/ecowing-2012-2013.

garden update

GET DIRTY. The Soka Instructional Garden had a bountiful harvest this past spring. Students got creative and cooked decadent meals from the SIG’s 100% organic produce.

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e·col·o·gy

Noun

Embrace The

/iˈkäləjē/

The study of the relationships that living organisms have with each other and with their environment

A trip to The Ecology Center

By Sarah Randolph 2014

The EcoWing girls and I recently took the opportunity to visit The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano, after hearing quite positive appraisal from various “eco-freaks” in the area. I had no idea what it was, or what they did there, but I was intrigued.

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I became especially interested in learning more about the center after looking at their website. I noted how clean, consistent, beautiful, and captivating their website design was. The first impression was great; I already had respect for their work, solely based on the navigability of their site! (We often overlook websites, but they are crucial elements in the design and communicability of a business or organization in this technological age!) Check them out here: www.theecologycenter.org

The word Ecology is defined as the study of the relationships that living organisms have with each other and with their environment. Considering Ecology is a study, The Ecology Center is appropriately a non-profit educational center; it hosts a variety of hands-on activities and workshops with kids and adults alike, for the learning and spreading of innovative, sustainable solutions for living (at both the household and community level). The site itself is one acre, with the headquarters being a refurbished historic farmhouse from the 1800’s (it’s beautiful!). They have divided the property itself, and their emphases, into five categories: Food, Water, Energy, Waste, and Shelter. For each of these categories, they have a “lab.”

For instance, the energy lab is a small, three-sided structure that is powered by solar and has a living roof, where usually kids are brought to learn about renewable energy sources and conservation on macro and micro levels.

On our tour, we were taken through the drought tolerant, native lawns. The lawns were not only beautiful, but they gave me a real sense of place. This was a great feeling, considering us Southern Californians tend to be in complete denial that we live in a desert. The Ecology Center’s use and embracement of native plants revealed to me Southern California’s potential: how the human population of this area can embrace their desertness in a beautiful way. As the sun beat down, and I walked through the native lawns and looked out onto the organic farm behind the historic farmhouse, I knew and felt like I was distinctly in California. The essence and natural history of Southern California

was embraced at the Ecology Center. This attitude is essential. When you know more about your environment and are committed to it based on a sense of pride, you find yourself wanting to eat food from there and buy things made from there, and contribute to your local community and environment—you acknowledge a cultural and economic connection to your place, and wish to sustain this relationship and express appreciation for it. Cultivating this “embrace the place” attitude is a crucial part of the sustainability movement.

I also noted the extensive labeling and communication tools throughout the property, which

utilized graphic design techniques and symbols to draw people in and make them want to read more.

The center labels the uses of all their plants, they have painted the graywater system a bright blue and included descriptions of each step, they have lines in the sink to indicate the volume of water used in relationship to the amount of time the faucet is running, they outline the basic care of chickens on the outside of the coop, they pile visitors with take-away information and pamphlets to get started on their own projects, etc. In this way it succeeds wonderfully as an educational facility, because every part of the facility has been transformed into an educational experience. In all, I was blown away by how beautiful and innovative the center was, and I keep returning to it in my mind as a perfect example of integrated design and education.

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Feature

An Interview with Roberto De La Pena

ental Health on Campus:

Date of Interview: March 4, 2013 Amanda Good Class of 2014

M

any mental health issues— whether their origins are psychological, behavioral, biological, environmental, or otherwise— emerge during the late teens and early 20s. According to the Suicide Prevention Resource Center, at least 1 in 5 college students suffer from a mental illness. While we cannot prevent every instance of mental illness, there are steps we can take to raise mental health awareness and fight the stigma that prevents many from seeking help and receiving adequate support.

Freshman Roberto De La Pena, along with some of his fellow students, hopes not only to de-stigmatize mental illness at SUA, but also to provide a way for students to find support within the student body. They hope that the ability to connect with students who have faced similar issues will help alleviate the fear and loneliness associated with dealing with mental illness.

What motivated you to raise awareness regarding this cause?

In the 8 months I’ve been here at Soka, I’ve made a lot of really close friends, and I started to notice that a lot of them suffer from mental health issues, and they always kind of dismiss it. A lot of them don’t want

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to deal with it because it’s such a scary thing and you feel so alone –I’ve been through it and I know. I just kind of wanted to do something so that there are ways for people to not feel so scared. not really led by a student. If it’s something common amongst your peers I think it’s easier to [utilize] those resources without feeling as scared.

What kind of action have you taken so far?

I got together with a group of students that were in a learning cluster for social entrepreneurship, so they were these students that were really interested in doing good things -- whatever it is. Then, we started getting other people from outside the Learning Cluster that were just interested in mental health and people’s wellbeing, and we started meeting every Wednesday, coming up with systems, doing surveys to figure out what people need help with, getting suggestions. Right now we’re in process of “dissecting” the surveys, and we’re going to start creating the actual program, which we will start implementing next year.

Can you tell me a little bit about what the program, ideally, will look be?

Ideally it’s going to be a student group; we’re going to register as an official student group. We’re going to raise funds –we really want to focus on using recycled materials to make products we can sell, and then we want to use that money to fund campaigns to de-stigmatize mental health issues at Soka. Basically what that means is just to make it not sound so scary –it’s not something that they have to hide.

A lot of people in the mental health group are Japanese, and they were actually the ones who brought up the desire to make something related to mental health because they feel mental health is something that people are encouraged to not talk about in Japanese society. But the most interesting thing is that the Japanese students that were in the group want to make a successful model that they can help replicate at Soka University in Japan, because by doing that, we’re kind of helping push this initiative in Japanese society. We’re not just doing it here.

How can people on campus get involved?

If they want to get involved, we could use a bunch of volunteers.

All they would have to do is contact me.

Is there anything else that you would like the SUA community to know?

Mental health is a really serious issue, and it’s more common than people think it is. You might feel like you’re the only one who’s going through this, but there are a lot of people out there that are looking for people to understand them. If neither of you two know that you’re both struggling with the same issue, there’s no way that you’re going to connect. Don’t feel ashamed– talk to someone.

There are so many people here who want to help.

SUA students are susceptible to the same mental health issues that afflict students at other universities. If you are experiencing suicidal ideation or suffering from anything that interferes with your mental wellbeing, please reach out to a friend, family member, trusted faculty member, campus counselor Anhthu Dang (adang@soka.edu), or any of the numerous national resources dedicated to suicide prevention, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-2738255), or websites such as www. reachout.com or www.asfp.org.

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D

An Interview with Melody Lowe

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ccording to Break the Cycle and the National Dating Abuse Helpline, “one in three adolescents in the U.S. is a victim of physical, sexual, emotional or verbal abuse from a dating partner.” Though staggeringly common, too few people recognize the severity, the signs, the forms, or even the existence of dating violence among young people. Sophomore Melody Lowe works to change this, and has organized programs on campus to raise awareness at SUA. What is dating violence?

Domestic violence, for instance, is any act of abuse or violence – physical, sexual, emotional, mental – that happens in a domestic setting, usually between married people. Dating violence is basically the same thing, but you’re not married, just dating.

With teen dating violence, everything is pretty much the same as far as the cycle of violence goes, but for teens.

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ating Violence Awareness

Date of Interview: March 7, 2013 Amanda Good Class of 2014

What is unique about dating violence amongst teens and other young people?

Generally when we think of someone being abused in a relationship we think that it only happens on TV, or far away from us, but really it’s very common. Also, we tend to think it’s an adult thing, such as between married couples, but it’s really common among teens, too. It’s not unique, but there’s not very much awareness, so we have to raise that awareness.

that the other kinds of abuse are what to look out for, because those kinds of abuse are what happen first. They don’t just start hitting you—they trap you in the relationship through mental or emotional abuse first and then the other things come. If you suspect someone might be in an abusive relationship, it’s really important to look for these things first.

Which dating violence oriented groups and events/programs have you organized on campus to raise What is something else you would awareness? like for the SUA community to know February 22nd, in Pauling 216, I about dating violence or abusive organized a small program where relationships?

Marissa Presley from Laura’s House We know that there are different – she’s an education prevention types of abuse but, in general, people [associate] an abusive relationship with specialist – came to talk about what hitting, kicking, punching, shoving – dating violence is, why it happens, and the cycle of violence. I also asked things like that. But physical things her to cover the healthy aspects of we can heal from and we may not relationships: what to look for in a remember that pain. We really have a hard time getting over the mental and healthy relationship, what you need emotional [aspects], so I want to stress for a healthy relationship, and good ways to resolve conflicts within a relationship.

She also covered victim blaming – why we blame the victim.

She gave the example of Rihanna and Chris Brown: If Rihanna was attacked by someone off the street then that person would be in jail. But because they’re in a relationship, [some people] blame her – “she must’ve done something to make him mad,” “she deserved it,” or “she’s stupid for going back to him.” She also covered why people go back, why people stay, and why some people make excuses like: “I only hit you because I’m drunk,” “I only hit you because I’m angry,” or “I only hit you because I had bad childhood,” – she kind of went through those arguments and “debunked” them.

Overall, 20 people came; it was a good turnout. Some people came up to me afterwards and said it was a really powerful and moving presentation. It was really interesting; she’s a really strong speaker.

What are some of the early “red flags” of an abusive relationship?

[Marissa] gave some examples of things to look out for on the first date, or throughout the beginning stages.

On the first date, is the person really jealous? Jealousy, looking through your phone, asking who you’re texting…How do they talk about people in general? How do they talk about their parents, their family?

Being quick to say I love you is really common, being quick to move in or take steps to progress the relationship.

On a first date, ordering for you, sometimes – basically anything that shows that they want control.

this person; I just want the violence to end.

If someone believes that they may be a victim of dating violence and do decide to tell someone, what resources and support exists for them on and off campus?

If they do decide to tell someone, it’s important for that someone to give them support and to not victim-blame and think, “oh, you must’ve done something to deserve it.”

Something that they could do is call a hotline.* They can also go to www.laurashouse.org – they have a hotline number, and the website [also] has a “quick escape” button, just in case. Since we’re here in Orange County and Laura’s House is Orange County based, if you call them, they can make safety plans. If you need restraining orders, they’ll help with that, too.

On campus you can always go to Anhthu (adang@soka.edu), and she’s really helpful. You can make an appointment to talk to her, you can email her—you can just go by her office if her door’s open.

If someone believes that a friend or someone else they know may be a victim of dating violence, what can they do to help?

For someone who is outside the relationship, the first thing to do is to address the friend or person that they see this happening to. It’s really a hard place to be in because if you see something going on but the victim doesn’t, it’s really up to them to decide whether to take action, and maybe they don’t want to. Just be honest What might prevent someone from with them, because there’s really no seeking help? way to beat around the bush with It’s really hard because they may not this kind of thing. Let them know even realize it. Even if they do realize how you feel, like “hey, it makes me it, there are a lot of things that may really uncomfortable that this person keep them from saying anything to is [treating you like this.]” Whether or anyone. Fear, for one thing – what’s not they feel the same, it’s important going to happen if I tell people? Am I to just always be there to support. It going to get beat up, am I going to get might be frustrating if the person whatever kind of abuse that this person doesn’t want to talk, but if the time has been giving? Or, I love this person, comes that they do, whether they want so I’m not sure what to do. I care about to do something or not, it’s important

to always listen and be able to share resources, like hotlines.

Recently you were working on creating a dating violence support group.

Would you talk a little bit about that?

I wanted to create this group for people who may be in an existing [abusive] relationship, may have gotten out of one, or just knows someone who they want to support in this situation. The purpose of this group is to create a safe environment for people to talk about experiences, or talk about what they’re feeling or going through, and make a connection with those people. We read statistics [about dating violence], we know it’s so common, but when you actually meet someone [with that experience] and talk to them, it becomes real. Last year, [when I was recovering from this kind of relationship], I had the opportunity to talk to someone else who was in the same type of relationship. Being able to make that connection with her was really great for me, because I was really struggling at that time. It’s not just someone saying “oh, I know how you feel,” – they really know how it feels. I figured if that made a difference for me, think of how many other people on campus it could make a difference for.

If someone wants to become involved in raising awareness for this cause, what suggestions do you have for them?

For this particular cause, just contact me! People working together are much more productive than just one person. If anyone has any ideas to raise awareness about this particular topic just email me or talk to me! * Laura’s House Emergency Hotline (866 - 498 - 1511) is toll-free, open 24/7, and available to everyone – women, men, children, teens, the elderly, and the LGBT community. The Laura’s House website (www.laurashouse.org) is an outstanding resource for anyone seeking help or information regarding dating or domestic violence. ** www.loveisrespect.org is a collaborative effort

by Break the Cycle and the National Dating Abuse Helpline, designed as a safe space for young people to confidentially access resources regarding dating abuse.

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Issues in International Relations & Dialgoue Among SUA Students An Interview with Shinichi Yoshino Date of Interview: March 7, 2013 Amanda Good Class of 2014

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he territorial dispute between Japan and China over the Senkaku/ Diaoyu Islands has long been a source of anti-Japanese sentiment within China. In fall 2012, amidst rumors that the Japanese government planned to purchase the islands from their private owner, the sentiment exploded into full-blow riots and anti-Japanese protests within several Chinese cities. This included Beijing, where many SUA students were studying abroad.

Junior Shinichi Yoshino’s experience and an encounter with a Chinese man who possessed strongly anti-Japanese opinions inspired him to create a study group on campus called United East Asia for the purpose of researching and encouraging dialogue regarding issues in international relations and finding ways to use what they learn for the betterment of the world.

What is United East Asia?

United East Asia is a study group of countries in East Asia. Basically we choose a topic for each meeting, and individually research the topic [before] the meeting.

For the last one and for next one, we are discussing the territorial disputes between China and Japan over the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands.

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What motivated you to create the study group?

When I was in Beijing, I met a guy who was anti-Japanese. He really hated Japanese people. That was my first time to be discriminated [against] for no reason, just because I’m Japanese. I wanted to find out the background, what happened between China and Japan. After that experience, I was personally determined that I want to contribute to a good relationship between China and Japan, somehow. I don’t know how I can do that, but maybe through studying not only China and Japan, but also what else is going on in Asia.

What other issues in International Relations interest you, either in East Asia or other parts of the world?

Personally, I want to study the territorial dispute between Korea and Japan, too, but I also want to know about the relationship between Korea and China. I want to know about the comfort woman issue in Korea

and the Nanking massacre. Also, Zhou Enlai [the first Premier of the People’s Republic of China.] He passed away a long time ago, but I think we can study the “great leaders” in East Asia, as well as the “[not-so-great] leaders.” But, what I want to do is not only study, but also try to figure out what we can do for the betterment [of the issues/relationships within East Asia].

Why is it important for SUA students to understand important issues in international relations?

I don’t think every student has to study international studies. I know each student has different interests, but we can study social problems right now, and it’s good for us to connect what we study to society. I know some SUA students research social problems, some students are researching nuclear weapons, and I think it’s important that we don’t study only for the sake of studying.

How do you hope that encouraging more dialogue among SUA students can benefit the SUA community?

Personally, I don’t really talk about serious stuff at the cafeteria, but I feel like everyone has, more or less, an interest in talking about serious issues. I don’t know how we can encourage talk, because it’s kind of weird to just suddenly say “so what do you think about nuclear weapons?” or “so what do you think about the comfort women issue?” But, maybe if you think it’s enjoyable [to talk about.] Yesterday, I talked to a student about our future and what we are going to do after graduation, and even though that was serious, we really enjoyed the topic.

What are your plans for future study groups or top ics?

At the beginning, I was thinking of focusing only on a few topics, like one or two, to deepen our understanding more. But other students have different perspectives; some students want to study many issues and some of them want to make a proposal – a peace proposal – so everyone has different intentions. I don’t want to force my perspectives, my intentions on them – I want to discuss and figure out [what is best] for us. So, [even though] this group doesn’t have one specific goal, I think it’s okay. This is not class. I think our United East Asia group can develop with each meeting, and I think gradually it’s going to become more sophisticated. I want everyone to be comfortable [enough] to enjoy the meeting.

Is there anything else that you would like the SUA community to know?

It’s fun! Our next topic is the effects of the territorial dispute. Not the background or why it happened, but what the effects are and what it has caused. It’s interesting.

What suggestions or advice do you have for SUA students that would like to organize study groups or promote on-campus awareness about topics in international relations?

I think, first, they should tell someone that feeling, directly, or on Facebook or Skype. If we tell somebody, something’s going to happen. The point is, don’t hold back. Just say what you think, what you want to do. Don’t be shy.

I [also] want to say, if you feel bored, then you should try to make your life fun. I think that’s a really important skill that you should have. We can do anything!

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Intell ectual pursuits

Pulling Out the Rug Conflict created by ignorance of culture

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By Seika Matsuoka [2014]

eople make assumptions of other groups of people based on socially constructed ideas. I believe that most of the human conflicts that we face today are caused by a misunderstanding of the circumstances of the people who are concerned. Child labor is one of them. Conflicts often occur because of a certain ignorance of the culture of the working children and this hinders the efficient improvement of these children’s situations. Thus, knowing the culture of children is crucial for the improvement and elimination of the worst forms of child labor. An action taken with good intentions does not necessarily result positively but sometimes causes

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unexpected conflicts and can even worsen the situation. It is clearly shown in a story of working girls in a garment factory in Morocco who were fired by representatives of the company, Marks and Spencer. After a British TV show had revealed how children were working in the factory, the representatives of Marks and Spencer conducted an investigation and fired these girls. Contrary to their intentions, this incident made the girls suffer more from the poverty and misery of not being able to go to school and support their families.

They thought that it was a good thing that children are no longer working in the factory, so why did the action produce a negative outcome for the children?

People see the world based on socially constructed ideas without knowing the reality.

Ian Hacking, a Canadian philosopher, explains in his book The Social Construction of What? how the idea of child abuse has in fact been socially constructed: “the explicit idea emerged at a definite time at a definite place in the discussions of some authoritative people.” The idea then extended to people in other societies and “acquired new moral weight: child abuse became the worst possible vice.”

In this way, child labor takes on new meaning in the public eye. Child labor becomes a hysterical issue once it is reported through the media and people fervently want to eliminate any and all kinds of child labor without knowing the circumstances of the working children, like the girls in the Morocco garment factory. The possible consequences are not taken into account.

Socially constructed ideas often do not reflect reality, and this is exemplified in the story of Sunil in Gautam Nagar—a slum in Mumbai, India.

The author, Kathrine Boo, describes the reality of life for working street children in the slums, criticizing the fantasized idea of these children portrayed in the Academy Award winning movie “Slumdog Milionaire.” In India, western people and the wealthy people are seen as outsiders who misunderstand the real situation of the working children living on the streets, tending to see their situation through statistics and films that wrongfully depict the life of these children. Boo explains the common “conceits” of the movies: first, “that deprivation may give a child certain intelligence. The other conceit–that a child’s specific miserable experiences might be the things to spring him from his deprivation– was the lie.” Thus, their understanding is nowhere close to the truth of the working children.

How can we solve this problem of misleading ideas of child labor created by social construction?

I believe that learning about the culture of the place where children live is very crucial. Culture is defined in different ways. In the Oxford Dictionary, it is defined as “the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.” From multiple anthropological dictionaries, we could summarized the meaning of culture as “shared belief and values, which make behaviors and customs of a particular

social group to maintain the community or cope with each other and the world.” In some cultures, people believe that working at early age is a good way to learn how to be responsible and is a step to enter adulthood. In Latin America, it is said that working at an early age is considered part of the process of learning to work and becoming familiar with rules for harmonious social relations. Their beliefs which creates a certain culture around child labor. Therefore, conflict occurs when outsiders try to eliminate child labor without knowing the culture behind it; children can end up in a worse off situation and suffer more, as the rug is pulled out from underneath them.

In conclusion, we misunderstand different groups of people because we only know them by the image created by socially constructed ideas. This can become a fundamental hindrance to the solving of greater societal problems. It is especially difficult to solve the problems of child labor when children are often seen as weaker agents, and those who are ignorant of their culture become the sole proactive agents of change, taking the fate of these children into their hands. Thus, it is important to learn about the shared beliefs and values of the children because these elements determine how and why they make decisions, which is a crucial resource in understanding their situation better and helping to improve their lives.

References Bourdillon, Michael F. C., Deborah Levison, and William E. Myers. 2010.

Series in Childhood Studies : Rights and Wrongs of Children’s Work.

Piscataway, NJ, USA: Rutgers University Press. Chapter 1 Hacking, Ian. The Social Construction of What?

Cambridge, Mass: Harvard UP, 1999. Print. Chapter 5 Boo, Katherine. “THE NEW YORKER.” Letter from Mumbai Opening Night (2009): n. pag. Print.

“Oxford Dictionaries Online.” Oxford Dictionaries Online.

N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2013.

Salazar, Maria Cristina. “Child Work and Education in Latin America.”

The International Journal of Children’s Rights 6 (1998): 155-77.

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GameSound

By Holland Sangster [2013]

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ver the last forty years, music in video games has taken great strides. With many game soundtracks seeing great commercial success and orchestral video game concerts completely selling out, it is obvious that music in games is a great priority for designers and fans alike. As one source puts it, “Games music is finally gaining respect,” and considering that early video games had no sound whatsoever, this is true. Currently, designers make great efforts to ensure that their games have good quality sound and music, as gamers have come to see music in games as a given. The process of creating and selecting music for a game can be lengthy and difficult, but in the end it is necessary to create a game that appeals to any audience.

The first step of creating music for a video game actually does not begin with the composer, but with the designer. Before a composer is even hired, designers need to decide what kind of atmosphere they want for their game, and what style of music would best suit that atmosphere. For example, a dramatic adventure game

might feature emotional orchestra music, while a realistic stealth game might feature ambient sound. Once the designer has this figured out, then they can approach composers and discuss the budget and tools they have at their disposal. For a lower budget project, designers may choose to use MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), a kind of electronic code for music. Using this method of notation, composers can purchase libraries of real instrument sounds and create an entire orchestra without ever having to hire any musicians. A higher budget project might go the extra mile and hire an actual full piece orchestra, and although this was not common in the past it is gaining popularity, and it is common for video games to at least feature real instruments, especially as soundtracks become more and more of a selling point.

Once all these executive decisions are made, the music needed for the game is organized into manageable categories, which generally include an opening theme, a menu theme, gameplay music, cutscene music, success and failure music, and credit music.

Opening music in a video game, much like the opening music in a movie, is the first music the player hears, and as such it should catch their attention and set the mood for the game they are about

to play. Stylistically, it should match the themes present in the game and offer some sort of clue as to what the game is about. Generally, a composer will utilize “society-driven” ideas in choosing what music would best fit a certain genre. For example, a horror game might have a brooding opening theme, while a more lighthearted fantasy game might have a catchy, whimsical theme. As long as it guides the player into the right mindset for the particular game, the opener will successfully do its job.

The next music a player might hear is the menu theme music.

Much like the menu music in a DVD menu, the menu music in a video game should be a subdued melody that stays quietly in the background.

It should not be too distracting to the player, and should patiently wait for them to make a decision, as opposed to actively goading them to take action. A good example of effective menu theme music would be the music that appears in the Legend of Zelda series. A tune that even people who are not interested in gaming have heard before, the menu music in this game is very calming and relaxing. It mainly consists of a harp gently playing the same progression of notes up and down the entire time, and there is not too much going on in the piece to distract the player.

The music that a player will hear the most in any video game

is the gameplay music. This is the music that plays while the player is doing anything in the game universe.

Generally, this kind of music falls into two main categories: linear and interactive. In linear gameplay music, the same music will play regardless of the player’s actions. For example, if a player was walking around in a game universe and a monster suddenly appeared, this would not affect the music and the music would contiue be the same. In interactive gameplay music, however, the music does change depending on the player’s actions. So if the game in the previous example were to utilize interactive gameplay music, a monster suddenly appearing might cause the music to change and signify that this has happened. Both linear and interactive gameplay music are used in a variety of games, and the game designer and composer for a game will choose to use linear or interactive music depending on their particular needs.

It is a stylistic choice, and neither type is better than the other.

Something else that designers and composers have to be aware of when it comes to gameplay music is the fact that there is some music that players will have to listen to more than others, and if this music is too repetitive it can get monotonous.

One way that composers combat this is by using recombinatorial music. If music in a game is recombinatorial, it means that the way the music plays back at any time is determined randomly by the computer, giving a little variety to the music. So if there is a particular song that players must listen to over and over again, the designer and composer can choose to create multiple versions of the song, and then have the computer randomly play a different version every time the player has to listen to it.

Another area that designers and composers focus a lot of time on is cutscene music. Cutscenes are the short cinematic scenes that come between levels to progress the story and develop characters.

Sometimes, if nothing particularly important happens in a cutscene, the gameplay music will roll over into it and continue to play. However, if it is a pivotal cutscene, then it will get its own music, and composers tend to treat the music for these cutscenes like a film score. Like with film scores, the composer may use thematic music or character themes to create emotion or tension within a scene, as long as the music makes the scene compelling.

A less complicated, more self explanatory kind of music that composers have to create for a game is the music for success and failure.

The music that plays when a player wins and loses does not necessarily need to be complicated or moving.

The intensity of the music just needs to match the intensity of the situation.

For example, when a player succeeds at something minor the music should not be dramatic and rousing like they just beat the entire game. Likewise, the music that plays when a player loses should not dampen their spirits to the point that they decide to stop playing. Composing the music for winning and losing is just a matter of being able to gauge the intensity of the situation and creating music that matches that.

The final piece of music that a player will hear in a game is the music that plays during the credits.

Like with television credits music, a video game’s credits music is the least prioritized by designers, and whatever budget is left over at the end of the project will be used for the credits. However, stylistically, the music for video game credits usually

resembles film credits more than television credits. Since television shows have multiple episodes, the music in the credits usually makes the audience feel like it is the end, for now, but still leaves room for them to consider the next episode. However, the end of a movie is the absolute end, and the credits usually make the audience feel that way. Video games are the same way. Once a player beats the game, that is the absolute end for that game, and so the credits should resolve and make the audience feel like the game is over.

Although early games like the 1972 Pong had such limited power that sound could hardly be included, currently any sound that can be recorded can be included in a game. As video games continue to gain more and more popularity, designers will continue to place more and more priority on the music, especially as soundtracks continue to sell. These soundtracks can create a “fictive game world” outside the magic circle of video game play, causing players to think about the game even while they are not actually playing it, and possibly encouraging them to buy more game related merchandise. With this in mind, game designers and composers will likely try to find new ways to engage their audience with music to further use it as a marketing tool.

References Collins, Karen. 2005. “From Bits to Hits: Video Games Music Changes its Tune.” Film International 3(13): 4-19 Pardew, Les, Scott Pugh, Eric Nunamaker. 2004.

Game Design for Teens. Boston, MA: Course Technology Childs, G.W. 2006. Creating Music and Sound for Video Games. Boston, MA: Course Technology Collins, Karen. 2009. “An Introduction to Procedural Music in Video Games.” Contemporary Music Review28(1): 5-15 Ruggill, Judd Ethan, Ken S. McAllister. 2011. Gaming Matters: Art, Science, Magic, and the Computer Game Medium. Tuscaloosa, AL: University of Alabama Press.

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The Last

Tightrope Artists ofLastModernity: Train Home

A look at

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, a film by Lixin Fan

By Itle Nganta Dogmo [2016]

o far, over 690 million Chinese have decided to leave their villages and their hometowns, to go to cities and find a job, thus representing the biggest migration movement in the history of humanity. This growing working-class is made up of women and men, mothers and fathers; they choose to undertake a perilous journey on the profitable threads of the capitalist web, trying to keep balance between family duties and work responsibilities, between modernity and tradition, between hope and reality.

Lixin Fan gives a Chinese family the opportunity to draw its own self-portrait. Plain editing. No special effects. No music. No baroque esthetics. No artificial dramaturgy. No added storytelling, because there’s no need to, because the director knows that sometimes the mere truth can scream louder than the most sophisticated artifacts. The new lifestyle of Chinese workers is indeed quite dramatic. The couple on the spot had to tear its conscience apart to finally decide to leave its two children in the village with the grandma, and depart for Guangzhou, one of the 160 blossoming Chinese millionaire cities. The decision was painful, as it implied a possible change of status:

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the parents knew that by taking this drastic decision, they were taking the risk to lose their parental identity in the eyes of their children to become simply financial contributors or even miserly forever-money-thirsty people. There was no need for Lixin Fan to romanticize an already dramatic situation.

The drama we get to witness within The Last Train Home has to deal with tension. Indeed, the everyday life of all five family members is dictated by tension: we feel the heavy atmosphere of work shifts created by the frenetic and constant noise of the hundreds of sewing machines used within the fabric factory; we feel the pressure of responsibility endured by the parents, who would rather spend 200 out of 2000 earned and save the rest, who would rather invest on innumerable years of intense suffering to save a small hope for happiness at the very end of the way; we feel the tension of the unhappy parents who transfer their frustration on the shoulders of their kids -“We place all our hopes on our kids” even admits the mother; and we share the pressure on the shoulder of the two siblings who as “peasants [children] must study hard” to change the destiny of the whole family.

In The Last Train Home, tension is contagious.

Every New Year, Chinese workers get their only period of vacation –about ten days. At the exact same period, every year, the same workers struggle the pains of Hell to go back home, honor tradition and chill out. For just a few days, they stop being workers, and become just human beings. However, even going home implies building up tension, because Chinese infrastructures still have a lot of room for improvement, and when the parents we follow throughout the documentary finally arrive in their village, after days of hard travel, they’re already on the edge of psychological collapse, and start releasing their own tensions over their offspring.

Youngsters are not always ready to bear such a burden, to fully grasp the workings of the changing society they live in, and to support their parents throughout this mutation process. So tension leads to miscomprehension, and misunderstanding brings about conflict.

That is why Qin the eldest kid, seventeen, as young and wild as all teenagers are around the globe, ends up fighting with her own father, who cannot stand her lack of respect, who cannot accept his daughter’s decision to quit school to start working, who cannot accept that this scenario, his scenario, repeats itself within the next generation. The father starts by a spank, Qin tries to defend herself, and little by little he lets it out. He releases all the pressure he’s been accumulating silently for so long and loses control in such a way that the director Lixin Fan has to stop shooting to rescue the girl.

Here they are, the equilibrists of a metamorphosing China, the millions of silent workers who proudly and consciously devote themselves to the sustenance of their families and of their mother country.

They decide to hypothecate their human dignity, their inalienable right to be happy now, for the hope of a happier tomorrow. They choose to work for Chinese economic development as a whole, and at the same time they take the bet to maintain and cherish millennium traditions, because, according to Qin’s grandmother, “If the family cannot celebrate New Year together, life would be pointless.” However The Last Train Home implicitly raises the question of the point of living such a life; within their quest for a better future life, Qin’s parents can’t stand back to realize the splits they struggle so hard to do between traditional and modern life might lack relevance, as Chinese culture undergoes drastic change; they can’t see that their daughter Qin is the perfect embodiment of the cultural shift going on. They don’t realize that the fact that they have to force her to go back home for New Years is highly significant. Indeed, Qin’s parents’ generation might be the last generation of tightrope artists, the last generation taking the last train home.

References FlorCruz, A. Jaime, “China’s urban explosion: A 21st century challenge” Lixin Fan, The Last Train Home. 2009.

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Creative pursuits

Just the world B

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By Matthew Berger [2016]

efore him laid a valued piece of farmland long ago abandoned and the wheat left to itself. Yet so unreal was beauty in his life that the field could have just risen from the ground cleanly cut and free of banes. The forest of wheat offered shelter for a time, and it seemed he had finally outrun them for now.

Treading carefully, he passed through the first few stalks and mingled among their million brethren. Their soft caresses had been unknown to his tortured skin, leaving him in a state of utter bliss. By the time their magic had worn off, he stood before the clearing as a member of the circular gathering. However, his confusion only increased when his emotion was mirrored on every face he saw.

They all just stood there, wrapped up in the unreality of it all, wondering whose malicious activities were behind it and whether or not death had finally caught them. Each person waited for another to start the bloody aggression waiting to be released. But they had all learned never to start a fight, to never give the enemy any reason to call them murderers. So when no one moved, they all finally collapsed, for now they were safe within a group.

When everyone awoke, they learned about each other: she would never trust another soul — religion had given her that curved line from temple to lips and she would never forget that; he could not think anymore, a blessing given when his town was murdered before his blue eyes; and they, just fundamentally unstable from being hunted for 10,000 miles.

As everyone shared their lives, it quickly became apparent that he was the least afflicted in the group; he alone was not thoroughly shocked by his experiences. Perhaps it was from the wisdom “live beyond your emotions” that his late brother, may he rest in peace, gave to him long ago, before the Great Divide’s ideological massacres forever dispersed families. Or maybe it was due to the banality of horrors in his life that kept him from insanity. Whatever it was, the rest conceded that he was the group’s right-hand man. And with that verdict there was a semblance of trust among fear holding them together: trust was conditional and left to each person’s discretion.

He became a spy amidst the enemy, for he could best mix into society. But nothing was worse than the anger in his marrow towards such people he is forced to attend to in the name of survival: idiots so occupied with war against people that they would turn it internal and consume life after life until their dying day; pathetic puppets in an ever widening scheme of political takeovers; and the blind who spent their days simply talking to themselves while kneeling, as if that would help another’s livelihood — let alone their own.

But even he was not immune to their poisonous lives. Years living among the enemy only made him hate both sides. In the end, destruction was the only solution to him that could heal the world.

Night had fallen long before the candle had melted into the ground but closer to when everyone fell into dreamless sleep. Ryder calmly left his post, the only place that no one cared to linger, the one place that needed the best protection. When he reached the tree a safe distance from the encampment, he sat down and plotted change as winter turned towards summer, and the fires once contained slowly broke their bonds to wreak havoc on the masses.

By Makoto Abe [2016]

Regret

O

ne night I dreamed of a blue bird with clipped wings, unable to fly away freely into the sky. The clipped wings looked so painfully beautiful yet so pathetically ugly. So when I woke up, I found myself crying.

I regret. Yes, I regret.

Regrets are very much part of our lives. So close but something ignorable. Regrets are different from person to person and certain regrets of some might cause pain for others.

I have a regret that I cannot forget easily, but one that I push out of my mind. It comes back to me from time to time in my dreams.

I once had a teacher. She wasn’t the best teacher; she was a normal English teacher. She laughed, she got angry, she got emotional. She was just a normal human being. But one thing that made her different from other teachers was that she trusted me. She trusted me as her student, as her responsibility. That trust did not pressure me in any way, but it made me feel more confident. She was that type of teacher.

I had not seen her for a long time because she had been on maternity leave. She visited school, and she showed me her beautiful baby girl. The news of her having cancer came about 6 months later.

I don’t know how I should have felt. I felt absolutely detached from that reality that my teacher was sick and dying. I was a naïve girl. I never met a person who was facing death. I never even imagined having the presence of death so close by. So I thought, “She will be alright. No one can die that easily.” But I was wrong.

A few months later I received the news that she passed away.

I know I should feel guilty for nothing. Nothing would have changed even if I had sent her messages like I am sure many people did. I could have done nothing to save her. After all, it was cancer. Not even the doctors were able to save her. How could my encouragements help her in any shape or form? But I feel the guilt anyway.

A few weeks later, my school hosted a small memorial ceremony for my teacher, and I attended it with a friend who never known her. I asked her to come because I was terribly afraid. There was a message board that asked us to write my dead teacher a message. I thought it was stupid; no matter how many messages I wrote, no matter how much guilt I confessed, she was not there to tell me that everything was alright.

She was not there to set me free.

But I wrote a message anyway. I wrote that I was sorry and thank you.

That night, I had another dream. I saw a blue bird flying freely in the sky, flying far away. It was so beautiful.

When I woke up, I cried for an entirely different reason.

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apollo'sgro F E AT U R E : U N D E RWAT E R P H O T O G R A P H Y

tyler phelps | class of 2015

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round

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Marker on paper

LEIA MARASOVICH | 2014

Roadtrip sunset

ROSE CODILLA | 2014

Photography

Knock Knock

Acrylic on canvas

More Art! Bristleconepinewoman

Pencil on paper / photo manipulation 34

SARAH RANDOLPH | 2014

M

usic does bizarre things to the mind. Whether you’re supposed to be doing homework, as was the case with this writing, sitting in your room after a long day of work and classes, or hanging out with friends, music is around you. This particular bit was inspired by my favourite musician, John Lennon. Not through his lyrical style, but through his personal life. His solo work, in his life after The Beatles, was particularly endearing to me.

His album Double Fantasy was particularly inspiring, as it was more of a conversation between the love of his life, Yoko Ono, and himself. Yoko Ono was the exact inspiration for this poem, or rather John’s love for her.

The love between the two, was remarkable, something that I hope ore people can someday experience. Originally written in French, simply because I was supposed to be working on some French homework...

Jorge Viramontes 2015

QuELQU’UN

Je veux trouver mon propre Yoko Ono Quelqu’un qui m’aime Avec tout son coeur Quelqu’un qui j’aime Avec tout m’âme.

Quelqu’un que me regarde au mes yeux, Et qui voit la passion ardente Que j’ai pour elle, Qui m’inspire à être meilleur Je veux trouver mon propre Yoko Ono Quelqu’un qui m’aime Quelqu’un qui croit en moi Comme je crois en nous, Elle et moi, La seule réalité, que devrait être

I want to find my own Yoko Ono Someone who loves me With all her heart Someone I love With all my soul.

Someone who looks at me in my eyes, And sees the fiery passion I feel for her, That inspires me to be better I want to find my own Yoko Ono Someone who loves me Someone who believes in me As I believe in us, She and I, The only reality, that should be 35

MADRE LuNA

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Madre Luna, Con la luz de caramelo, Si yo siento que no veo Por favor, tu brilla en el cielo

Mother Moon Whose light is caramel If it’s ever hard to see Please, shine brightly in the sky

Madre Luna, Con risa de pequeño Si los niños tienen miedo Por favor, concede sus deseos

Mother moon That smiles like a toddler If the children fear the world Please, grant them their wishes

Madre Luna, Con cayado de pastora Cuando tú agites al mar Por Favor, guía a nuestros barcos

Mother Moon With a shepherds cane When you shake up the sea Please, guide our boats

Madre Luna, Con la luz de caramelo, Si yo siento que no veo Por favor, tu brilla en el cielo

Mother Moon, Whose light is caramel If it’s ever hard to see Please, shine brightly in the sky

Roberto De La Pena Jr. 2016

Le soir et ses penSEes

Je veux dormir Je veux que tout ce qui m’entoure s’arrête Je veux qu’il s’arrête et commence à réfléchir Qu’il commence à réfléchir sans être bête.

Tu veux t’éveiller Tu veux que tout soit dynamique Tu veux gaspiller notre énergie Sans te rendre compte il ne sera qu’une mimique Une mimique d’une vie qui n’est pas la nôtre C’est pathétique Demain, on se verra à nouveau « C’est pour vous, c’est pour nous » Cette phrase est déjà au fond de mon cerveau Tu me le dis tout le temps Tu la sais par cœur, par amour C’est fou.

DO YOU I shut the door behind me and in came the scent of cà phê sữa đá and subtle lavender that eases me from a long tough morning. ~ Turned up that RnB track with afternoon classes cancelled a single moment of relaxation ~ I drift off into a different realm where responsibilities are second to physical and mental health a place where maybe taking some time for “me” is more important ~ so I turn down that RnB track and with afternoon classes cancelled I take it upon myself to indulge in naptime

Jensen Reyes 2016

La vie est folle quand même Peut-être que je suis un peu extrême Je veux juste le couvrir de regards De regards d’homme, de regards qui assomment Je veux le mettre entre mur et ordures Où personne ne le cherchera jamais Où il n’y aura pas de censures

Meylin Gonzalez 2016 37

a small measure of peace Inspired by Hanz Zimmer I spell Hate with Love When consumed it overtakes the being and transforms For better or worse My soul has been tainted by the never ending war that rages on inside my being Split right through the middle, overtaken by the enemy Love Is what saves me Love Is what fights me Infatuation goes to show the amount of desperation a situation contaminates and blast off with extreme acceleration Only to be shot down by its fellow engine Millions of stars millions of opportunities Only to be chasing the one shooting across countless galaxies The closer I get the hotter it’s touch Blazing my skin like boiling water cooling my racing blood Emptiness Is what you get when you’re all alone in space Screaming when no one can tear down your curtain of solitude Castle walls begin to diverge and crack Slowly you begin to ooze over my being The war starts over the death My death that was meant to give you life A struggle to maintain the past, a struggle to change the future One can never obtain Kant without inputting the present I close my eyes and see your presence, forever engrained into my heart 38

But it’s failing Losing the battle Love is winning Time to change Transplant a new heart, take away my pure and tainted ledger A red sun rises as countless souls are stripped from humanity My essence is replaced by a striking vow A pure vanity of life Time was the battle You became the war A war worth fighting for, but then again Wars are built upon the greed of one’s envious rage Logs are thrown into the fire A white flag has been raised By epiphanies bullet have I been grazed Bodies of intellects lie in death beds But slowly come back through the minds new eye “I am the master of my fate; the Captain of my soul” You gave me hate in battle drenched with care Blinding my sight and shot in the back One cannot be forced to change But one can let go Let go Let go Let go I drift from WuDan Mountain, morphing the scenic view as my wings are clipped Farewell to path from which we met, farewell from the path from which one died “Whatever happened to the old Captain?

No one knows what became of him Some say he died of his wounds Others, he returned to his own country But I like to think He may have at last found some small measure of peace We all seek...yet few of us, ever find...”

Jordan Collins-brown 2015

I worry sometimes About this selfish heart of mine And how the faith-moving divine Never seem to affect me If I could but stretch my terrific limbs To the heavens And feel some perfect grace Caress my tear-scarred face My tears might become ablutions in space Rather than salty solutions Of fire and pain Tell me, lonely stranger How can I have angered the gods?

When all I strive to make Is one lovely, golden heart With the power to give And never to take And compassion its art But I wonder if I’m not the product Of a generation of mistakes Do the Gods revenge upon me the selfish deeds of my greedy ancestry?

Karma seems to me to be The scapegoat of eternity Its grasp around my throat As my little boat Tilts and sways In the dark array of this stormy sea Can you feel me?

Tilt and sway Unable to breathe Unable to think And I look down at my paper due In an hour or two And wonder that it isn’t wet Because I yet feel the rain The salty rain On my hair and on my cheek

Doubting Divinity

(The Eye of the Storm)

And still this week I have so much to do No time to stew In my rocky sea I blindfold me I count to three Numbing and dumbing me ‘Til finally I can breathe And finally I can think And stand so close to the brink Without ever knowing But I do worry sometimes About this selfish heart of mine And how the cherished divine Never seem To affect Me

Kaiya Harvey 2015

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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.

Check out the dorm room contest online at www.thepearlonline.org

2012 - 2013 Pearl Team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Chase Habulan MANAGING EDITOR Amanda Good ART AND LAYOUT MANAGER Sarah Randolph PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER Ginevra Geracitano NEWS EDITOR Matthew Berger OPED EDITOR Makoto Abe CREATIVE WRITING EDITOR Yona Yurwit PHOTOGRAPHERS Nick Lee, Ann Pho LAYOUT STAFF Leia Marasovich, Crystal Le ILLUSTRATION Yona Yurwit, Clarisse Lee, Bryanna Streeter, Sarah Randolph Always looking for inspired and creative individuals to write, edit, design, and publicize!

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