The Ambassador. Spring, 2019

The Ambassador Fostering a community of inquisitive learners and independent thinkers, inspired to be their best selves, empowered to make a difference.

 MINAKO ABE ’88

Interview with the cancer vaccine pioneer

Spring 2019

 DAVID NICODEMUS ’33

Profile of the Manhattan Project physicist

The American School in Japan

 SERENA TAMURA ’08

Cutting-edge research into autism spectrum disorder

 HIROSHIMA

We join the middle school trip to Hiroshima

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In this Issue Features

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Hiroshima

12

The middle school trip to Hiroshima

Building the Bomb

20

The life and work of Manhattan Project physicist David Nicodemus ’33

Cancer Killer

Cancer vaccine pioneer Minako Abe ’88

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Ideas Worth Spreading

TEDxYouth@ASIJ

32

Unblocking Cryptocurrency

John Saddington ’01 and his cryptocurrency business

39

Serena’s Search for an Autism Cure Serena Tamura ’08 and her research into autism spectrum disorder

More 03 \\ Head of School’s Message 45 \\ Fundraising Updates 49 \\ Reunions 54 \\ Upcoming Reunions 55 \\ Class Agents 57 \\ Artifacts 58 \\ Obituaries 64 \\ The Big Short

Editor | Director of Communications Matt Wilce Art Director Ryo Ogawa Photography Jarrad Jinks Ryo Ogawa Martin Voss Illustration Matt Worsley Head of School Jim Hardin Director of Advancement Peter Pierce Assistant Director of Communications Jarrad Jinks Assistant Director of Development and Alumni Relations Claire Lonergan Database Specialist Jean Ren Editorial Inquiries communications@asij.ac.jp alumni@asij.ac.jp

—

The American School in Japan 1-1-1 Nomizu, Chofu-shi Tokyo 182-0031, Japan The Ambassador is published

by The American School in Japan ASIJ alumni, families, faculty and friends receive The Ambassador

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HEAD OF SCHOOL

Message

Now that I am well into my second year at ASIJ, I have had the pleasure of attending several alumni events. In February, the school hosted a community reception in San Francisco (see page 49) where I was fortunate to meet two of the alumni profiled in this issue of The Ambassador—John Saddington ’01 and Serena Tamura ’08.

John’s work as an app developer and blockchain pioneer and Serena’s pathway from musicals in high school to a PhD in neuropharmacogenomics are fascinating examples of how our students go on to follow their passions post-ASIJ. Both John and Serena also impressed me with the genuine emotion with which they spoke of their time at ASIJ, as did many other attendees including Mei Sun Li ’56 who held us captivated with her remarks.

Although she attended our school in a different era, there was still much that resonated with what ASIJ is today. Mei Sun spoke eloquently about her teacher, Helen Dewey (see page 62) who had a major influence on her beyond the math classroom, even guiding her choice of college. Hearing our alumni speak about what the school means to them and the lifelong impact it has had, reinforced for me just where our commitment to “know, value and care” originated.

The thread that connects much of the content in this issue is science and technology and it is not just our alumni who are active in this area. Our high school students in iGEM collaborate each year to solve a problem through bioengineering in a project that combines synthetic biology, genetics, coding and many other skills. This year they have been lucky enough to have mentors such as cutting-edge cancer researcher Dr Minako Abe ’88 (profiled on page 20) and current parent Dr Tadahisa Kagimoto.

I know how much our students have benefited from this experience and thank these and our other mentors and guest speakers who enrich our learning on an almost daily basis. In the past couple of weeks, students have heard from diverse guests that have ranged from architects, conductors and YouTubers, to paralymipians and miso-makers. I encourage any of you who might be interested in mentoring our students or working with them in some other capacity, to step forward and get in touch—you can email alumni@asij.ac.jp.

With warm regards,

Jim Hardin Head of School

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Hiroshima Jarrad Jinks joins seventh-graders on a trip to learn lessons from the past

The American School in Japan bridges many cultures, with over 1,700 students from more than 50 countries.

But by name and location, we connect two countries and two cultures, specifically—nations that waged war against each other in the 20th century. A war that ended when the United States and its allies detonated two nuclear bombs over the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Times have changed since that first and only use of nuclear weapons, yet the monuments of war and peace and legacies of that era endure. Visit Hiroshima today, as our seventh graders do, and there is no ill will, only a unanimous focus on peace.

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The events of World War II are a core element of humanities curriculum worldwide, but seventh-graders at ASIJ can take advantage of opportunities to approach the subject in a more nuanced and tangible way. Exposing our students to the history of the war, first-hand stories of hibakusha—victims of the atomic bombings—and the message of peace has played an essential role in our seventh-grade curriculum during the lead-up to a three-day excursion to Hiroshima for over two decades now. Carole Nickle, the Middle School Associate Principal and several-time trip chaperone, expresses her thoughts on the excursion, “I am drawn to the Hiroshima trip because it offers the seventh-grade students so many

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unique and meaningful learning opportunities. While all of the middle school campus trips are special in their own way, Hiroshima is one of my favorites to join because the impact on students is immediate.”

Our middle schoolers explore World War II and the devastation of their host and, for many, home country, across several subjects before their annual trip to Hiroshima, where they hear survivor stories, see artifacts of the bombing firsthand and explore monuments that stand to inspire peace in the wake of conflict. The trip also serves to give students a meaningful understanding of Japanese culture and history, with trips to Miyajima Island and Himeji Castle.

Seventh-grade students begin learning about Hiroshima in humanities class by exploring the history of World War II. Teachers lead them through background studies on the Manhattan Project, why the bombs were dropped and how people were affected. In addition to simply studying the materials, our students also completed an oral history project for which they interviewed a relative or friend about a personal experience in war or conflict and turned the results of the interview into a poem. Student Elanor Stocker reflects on the value of that particular exercise saying, “that really helped me understand more about the war because it was a personal experience.”

Digging ever deeper into the subject of the WWII, bombings and the victims, teachers drew upon some cross-divisional educational opportunities by facilitating a visit from select high school art students. The high schoolers gave presentations and guided conversation on hibakusha art, depictions representative of the bombing and the victims’ experience living through those events. After the presentations, students formed groups to discuss the meaning and elements of a particular piece of art before sharing their thoughts with the class as a whole. Whispers of “this looks like black rain” and “isn’t that a torii gate?” could be heard as they unpackaged the striking imagery. Students would later see for themselves some of the things depicted in the hibakusha art—buildings that survived, the bomb’s effects on victims and Hiroshima itself.

Students also began plans for their small-group Hiroshima video projects, for which they were tasked with bringing together their experiences and various sights from their upcoming trip into a unified story. Maps and itineraries inhand, students thought about what they may want to include and how they would like to go about the project.

In science class, students learned more about the technical details of the bomb and as well as the aftermath—radiation sickness and radiation’s relation to cancer. Science teachers tied their lessons on leukemia into the story of Sadako Sasaki and her thousand paper cranes. Two-year-old Sadako survived the initial bomb blast uninjured, but while fleeing with her mother, became caught in the black rain that followed the

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explosion. Doctors diagnosed her with leukemia at age 11 and during her time in the hospital, Sadako’s father told her the ancient Japanese legend of the 1,000 cranes, which promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted one wish by the gods. Inspired by the legend, Sadako folded 1,300 cranes in total, using any piece of paper she could find. Despite her efforts, she passed away at the age of 12. Science teacher and 11-year veteran of the trip, Peter Dohrenwend led students in a project to fold 1,000 cranes to take to Hiroshima. “Folding the cranes helps remind kids of the bigger message,” Dohrenwend says.

Although Sadako’s story and the folding of cranes may seem to deviate from the science, Dohrenwend explains that “the kids understand the context of the story and through the story, we can teach the science.”

Balancing classroom activities in the lead-up to their trip, seventh-grade students also had the opportunity to hear Jiro Hamasumi, Director of the Japan Confederation of A and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations and the youngest in-utero hibakusha. Jiro shared his personal story of losing his father in the Hiroshima bombing and, following the presentation, joined our students for a roundtable lunch discussion. In spite of Jiro’s difficulties growing up as a survivor, he has turned his personal tragedy into a message to promote peace and to create a world free of nuclear weapons. Student Ai Okura noted one of Jiro’s statements in particular, “As long as there are nuclear weapons, we can’t rest in peace when it is our time to leave this world.” These words resonated with her deeply as she realized that it will now be her generation’s role to pass this important message to future generations, who will never have the chance to hear first-hand from a hibakusha.

In thinking about Jiro’s visit, student Julia Shikuma said, “He wants to send a clear message that we need peace in the world and the atomic bomb should never be dropped ever again no matter what. When we go to Hiroshima he said that he wants us to look at the difference between now and when the bomb was dropped. Hiroshima now is beautiful but was once a location of horror and devastation.”

As trip day arrived on January 30, early-bird students and teachers gathered at the Shinagawa Station Starbucks for their pre-shinkansen caffeine fix. Coffees in hand, several teachers declared last call as everyone made their way towards the gates, where the majority of students waited for further instructions. The logistics of guiding over 140 students and teachers through JR gates and onto the 7:57 am train bound for Hiroshima is no small task, but Anita Gesling, Japanese language teacher, and Dan Smith, humanities teacher and veteran trip leader, made it appear well-rehearsed. Students quickly found their assigned shinkansen seats and settled in for the nearly four-hour journey. Upon arrival at Hiroshima station, students alighted and collected themselves in orderly lines of carefully selected group advisories, each lead by two adult chaperones. Several charter buses waited outside the

 A high school student introduces seventh-graders to atomic bomb art

 Keiko Ogura speaks to students on this year's trip

Miyoko Matsubara with students in Hiroshima, 2000

 Students present cranes at the Children's Peace Memorial in Hiroshima

Jiro Hamasumi shares his story with middle and high school students in the ASIJ Black Box

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station for a direct transfer to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum.

The afternoon began as we made our way through Peace Memorial Park to the Children’s Peace Memorial. Students and teachers took a seat on the ground in front of a monument, atop of which stands an effigy of Sadako holding an origami crane. It is surrounded by eight glass shelters filled with thousands of handmade, donated paper cranes.

Gesling, Dohrenwend and four students stood before the large group. Two of the students each held a large collection of cranes. Dohrenwend began the Crane Ceremony by asking everyone to discuss what peace means to them personally—to think about what that  A student hangs 1,000 cranes at the Children's Peace Memorial looks like in their world. We shared our thoughts briefly and as the respectful The seventh-grade Hiroshima Program began in February discussion hushed, the four students at the head of the ceremony then shared what peace meant to them. Elanore of 1999 with former humanities teacher, Cathy Harrits (FF Greer shared first, “Everyone is getting along well, no one’s ’95–’05) and Anita Gesling. Some alumni, however, may recall hurting each other, and everything is right in the world.” And middle school excursions to Hiroshima prior to the 1998-99 Olivia Saroukos succinctly stated, “Peace to me is respect for school year—part of the former iteration of “Intermission,” a each other.” The ceremony drew to a close as the four lead collection of trips and activities that students division-wide had students hung the two sets of cranes among the countless the opportunity to choose from and attend. During those years, others. “I always find the presentation of the cranes to be the Hiroshima trip was quite small, typically 20-30 students the most meaningful moment. The students spend so much and only three faculty chaperones. Over the course of several time folding cranes,” Nickle commented. “The students who years, “Intermission” became the sixth-grade local activities share speak eloquently towards the motivation for peace program while seventh and eighth grade began grade-level and the desire that through learning about the horrors of trips to Hiroshima and Hokkaido, respectively. The three are war, they are committed to continuing the efforts for peace.” collectively known as the “Extended Campus Programs.”

With the crane ceremony complete, students and chaperones gathered in one of several museum assembly halls to hear from Keiko Ogura, a survivor of the nuclear blast, who told us about how she was eight years old at the time of the blast, near her house only 2.4 kilometers from the epicenter.

She vividly recalled the scenes of people trying to escape.

Although hearing first-hand accounts from the hibakusha is an increasingly rare opportunity, our seventh graders have had the chance since the program’s beginning. One hibakusha, in particular, Miyoko Matsubara, spoke with our students every year for nearly 20 years in her role at the museum’s Peace Culture Center. She passed away on February 10, 2018. The hibakusha share intimate details and stories of the war, the devastation of their cities and loss of family—stories that help our students, and others, understand the impact of the Hiroshima atomic bombing. Although they survived immediate effects of the blasts, the hibakusha suffered from the effects of radiation sickness, displacement, lasting mental duress and even discrimination. As the distance from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki disasters grows, these first-hand accounts will soon fade.

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Since developing into a grade-level trip, middle school faculty and staff have taken over 2,500 seventh-graders to Hiroshima, more than 120 students and 15 faculty and staff chaperones per trip. The program has seen a lot of change in its 21-year history. Activities, schedules and the role technology plays have all shifted throughout that time and, on at least one return trip, students even forewent the second shinkansen ride, instead opting to fly back to Tokyo. The broad strokes and goals of the trip, however, have remained largely the same—especially the particularly special, but somber focus on Hiroshima’s history.

The goal of the excursion, as outlined in the original 1998 proposal for the trip itself, is to “address the Intermission goals of exposing students to Japanese culture and studying a specific part of Japanese History.” The proposal details further, “the former would be through a visit to the shrine on Miyajima Island […] and eating Japanese food. The latter would be addressed through the study of World War II and the atomic bomb, as well as the feudal era when Himeji Castle was built.” Although students hike Miyajima Island

 Seventh-graders interact with a digital exhibit at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and explore the grounds of Himeji Castle on two of the three days allotted for the Hiroshima excursion, the students clearly felt most impacted by the day they spent at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Peace Museum. Echoing the goal of that original proposal, Smith says “For me the coordination of the trip is a responsibility to share with future generations the important messages of Hiroshima, Miyajima and Himeji.

There's a thread or theme of the ‘power of peace’ and our role as peacemakers in the world that is the foundation of the experience.”

The memorials of Peace Park and the artifacts on display at the museum, reminders of the two cities decimated in a matter of seconds, carry a heavy significance on their own.

Visitors, regardless of their understanding of the events those reminders represent, feel that weight. As seventhgrade teachers across several different subjects begin weaving World War II, the atomic bomb and the lives lost in into their curriculum weeks ahead of the trip, that deeper understanding of the history surrounding Hiroshima only compounds the weight of what our students see and hear during their time in the city.

After hearing Keiko’s story, students and teachers broke into two groups with alternating objectives—one to explore the Peace Park and another to begin in the museum. Students exploring the park visited the various monuments, such as

the A-Bomb Dome—the ruins of the Hiroshima Prefectural Industrial Promotion Hall which is now a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site—and the Peace Flame, a flame that has burned continuously since 1964 and which will remain lit until there is complete, world-wide denuclearization. As students read the plaques and engaged with the various reminders of peace, they also took video for their video project, respectfully reading quotes to the backdrop of the peace park monuments.

While some students visited the park, others made their way through the museum, confronted by exhibits and ar tifacts that added another component to their studies, the artwork and the hibakusha accounts. They slowly passed, acknowledging every detail of melted glass bottles, models of the bombs and the tattered remains of clothing worn by school children lost in the blast. Some artifacts struck harder than others, such as a damaged and corroded tricycle. “That’s Shin’s tricycle!” Several students recall the story of a toddler who was riding his tricycle when the blast occurred. He was badly burned and passed away later that night. Most recognized an exhibit of Sadako’s handmade cranes near the end of the museum, reminding them why they had made 1,000 cranes. Student Sabi Turkki described the exact connection Dohrenwend had hoped to inspire, “We made cranes for her, to honor her” continuing on with the bomb’s impact on Sadako,

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Students rinse their hands in the purification fountain at Itsukushima Shrine

“We actually saw what it does to the people and what it does to the city.”

The sun began to set as students boarded the bus to the hotel. That evening, teachers would guide students through synthesizing what they saw and heard. Activities began after dinner with a reading of select students’ poems on war and conflict, what some teachers called “a powerful experience.”

Others participated by offering musical interludes—solos, duets and piano renditions. Everyone followed by reflecting on the day in their individual advisories. Students and teachers discussed their strongest memories from the Peace Museum and Park and how they hope to share the message of peace.

When asked what struck him most on the trip, student Jonah Conrad says “It’s the amount of suffering and damage that the bomb caused, that one single, small weapon can cause such destruction. I was moved by the photos of the victims and the clothes of the victims that were put on mannequins.”

Luke Spencer, a middle school teacher joining the trip for his first year, reflected, “As a father, seeing how the atom

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bomb affected the innocence of youth had me teary eyed in the museum.“ Each group wrapped up by folding a crane and signed it to be given to next year’s seventh-graders.

No one woke up to the sunrise the next morning. The overcast skies had everyone grabbing for their rain gear as we prepared to board the ferry to Miyajima Island after breakfast. Miyajima is a small island in Hiroshima Bay, a less than 30-minute boat ride from our bay-side hotel. The rural, mountainous island is well known for its forests and ancient temples. It’s sparsely populated, having only recently, and controversially received a single Starbucks—contrasted on all sides by the local shops.

We quickly disembarked the ferry, directly into the cold rain.

The day’s alternating activities included exploring the shops, shrines, temples and, of course, the hike. Becoming a bit too “one with nature” students and teachers alike scaled Mt Misen.

The hour-and-a-half long uphill trail made for a challenge as our clothes soaked-through and the clouds deprived us of what Smith describes as a typically awe-inspiring view, “When we started climbing Mt Misen on Miyajima, the first year the

 Students explore the grounds of Himeji Castle Thursday’s cold rain and dark skies relented by dawn of the third, and final, day. We boarded the Shinagawa-bound shinkansen with plans for a special stop an hour into the trip. As we approached Himeji, students admired the iconic castle from their window as it stood out, though distant, in the city’s skyline. The cultural and historical value was evident, even from a faraway, speeding train.

view was spectacular and my group was elated that we had made it to the summit. Working together and encouraging each other are skills that bring greater peace to our communities.”

Everyone enjoyed brief breaks, shelter from the rain, as we explored Itsukushima Shrine, another UNESCO World Heritage Site, most well-known for its large, orange torii, which appears to float as the tide rises. The shrine itself is dedicated to the three daughters of Susano-o no Mikoto, Shinto god of seas and storms, which seemed appropriate as we worked up the courage to leave the covered temple.

Additional opportunities for refuge were taken during lunch when chaperones encouraged students to sample some of the local Japanese food, and coffee breaks at the local shops—anywhere but Starbucks.

The evening of our second day in Hiroshima drew to a close with structured social activities including futsal at the nearby futsal stadium, indoor socializing with karaoke—when students sang surprisingly relevant songs, such as Rick Astley’s Never Gonna Give You Up—and, for those students with an extra set of dry clothes and fresh legs, a “night hike” down the bay. Everyone slept well.

The walk from the station was brief. The castle looked much larger up close and the grounds were expansive. Breaking up into lager advisory groups, we walked the grounds, occasionally taking our shoes off to enter the castle itself.

Some students used an augmented reality app to learn more about the castle, while others preferred the plaques. Himeji Castle dates to 1333 with expansion projects in the early 1600s. It’s one of Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is regarded as one of the finest examples of surviving Japanese Castle architecture. Walking through the corridors, rooms and grounds, students expressed their regard for this experience, taking photos at every angle. The procession of students ended with a six-story climb up narrow stairwells to a beautiful, blue-skied view of the city. Leaving the castle, students took to Himeji city, near the station, for a brief lunch—once again encouraged to seek out Japanese fare.

We boarded the train home at 2:49pm. The sun began to set just as the we passed Mt Fuji, draping the snow-capped summit in a soft, golden glow. Everyone visited a window, at least once, for a photo. The train arrived back at Shinagawa station and students walked into the open arms of their parents and siblings, who waited with a warm “welcome home.” Choruses of “how was the trip?” were met with tired chants of “good” and “they made us hike in the rain.” Jasper Harris-Edwards said, “I think I’ll remember the hike we did in Miyajima ... and even though it was raining it was a nice hike. It’s also a sacred island so it was interesting to learn about.” After a weekend of rest, the accounts became more vivid. When asked what he would remember about the trip in 20 years, student Ren Topping replied “It’s probably that message peace and not war. I think a lot of us will remember the great suffering and how people managed to create peace from all that suffering. And how they managed to come back and create such a powerful message instead of trying to seek vengeance.”

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Preparation of the Gadget for Trinity Test, July 1945 (DOE)

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Building the Bomb Matt Wilce looks at the life and work of Manhattan Project physicist David Nicodemus ’33

At 5:10am on July 16, 1945, Sam Allison’s voice boomed out over the desert from a loudspeaker on the exterior control center, “It is now zero minus 20 minutes.” At 5:30am the world would change forever.

The first atmospheric test of a nuclear weapon—the Trinity Test—was about to take place. Housed in bomb-proof shelters, less than six miles from the test site in New Mexico, over 425 observers waited.

Along with Robert Oppenheimer, current and future Nobel Prize-winners and military personnel, one of those waiting was a promising, young physicist by the name of David Nicodemus ’33.

The thing that distinguished Nicodemus from his 250 colleagues in the Manhattan Project was his place of birth: Japan—the potential target of an atomic bomb, should the test prove successful.

Thunderstorms had swept across the site during the night, wracking up tension amongst the exhausted

scientists who had worked tirelessly for days readying the monitoring equipment and Gadget, as the test weapon was known. They threatened to delay the test, or worse. Gadget—a hodgepodge of electronics, high explosives, radioactive materials and an ionization chamber overseen by Nicodemus—sat on a wooden platform atop a spindly, hundred foot tall steel tower. A test version of its basic electrical system had been tripped by a passing storm, a potentially lethal failure that was not lost on those waiting for the weather to clear.

Hunkered down at the Alamogordo test site was every high-level member of the Manhattan Project, including its head General Leslie Groves. Groves, who had spent the days prior 120 miles away in Albuquerque at the Hilton Hotel enjoying spare ribs and mai tais at Trader Vic’s, was now kept waiting with the rest of the observers in the sparse, cramped conditions of the bunker.

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With Trinity delayed by 90 minutes from its original 4am launch, the gathered scientists and military men were forced to wait with ever increasing tension. Hungarian-American theoretical physicist Edward Teller, who’d been instrumental in developing the implosion mechanism, took the time to slather sun cream on his face. Others toyed with their protective goggles, or took bets on the outcome of the test.

At 5:25am a rocket was launched from near the test site to indicate there were five minutes left. "Two minutes before the scheduled firing time all persons lay face down with their feet pointing towards the explosion. With a minute to go, another rocket pierced the desert air. Once the switch was thrown in the control center, a 45-second timer began counting down to the ignition of Gadget. The electrical charge triggered the bomb, setting off the 32 charges that surrounded the “solid pit” of hot pressed plutonium-gallium alloy that Teller, Nicodemus and the rest of the RaLa team had worked on. The sphere of plutonium compressed and Gadget exploded.

The sky fractured and a giant ball of fire rose, boiling from the desert floor. Orange at first and then purple.

Nicodemus later recalled simply being told, “Don’t look!”

Teller later said that the atomic flash "was as if I had pulled open the curtain in a dark room and broad daylight streamed in." He had disobeyed order and stood during the test looking directly at the blast from behind a welder’s mask. Nicodemus had turned his back on the blast while the bulk of the observers had laid down as instructed. Just over two minutes after the flash of light, the shock wave from the blast hit—the crack continuing to reverberate off the surrounding mountains.

The world’s first nuclear weapon had just been detonated and mankind had entered the atomic age.

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While over 110,000 Japanese Americans were interned in the United States as a potential threat to security following the Pearl Harbor attack and the United States entry into World War II, Nicodemus’ birth in Kobe, Japan proved no hindrance in him being selected for one of the war’s most secret projects. Born to missionary parents Frederick and Ella, Nicodemus spent his early years in Kansai before the family moved north to conduct missionary work in Sendai.

Nicodemus and his older brother Fred ’30 were homeschooled using the Calvert Method until they were sent to Tokyo in 1929 to attend high school at ASIJ. As their parents were on a mission in Taihoku in Japanese-ruled Formosa (now the area in and around Taipei, Taiwan) at the time, the boys joined the small school dorm run by teachers

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 Nicodemus as a senior in the 1933 Chochin Bernard and Persis Gladieux. Nicodemus quickly became a key member of the basketball team, where he was known for his quick passing and ability to cut through his opponents defense. He also found time to be the business manager of the Chochin his senior year, run track and play Algernon in the senior production of The Importance of Being Earnest.

“Bob Reischauer ’24 [who taught American and ancient history] was one of our very favorite teachers,” Nicodemus later recalled. “He was about the only one of the high school teachers who lectured in the manner you have classes conducted in university and he made them very interesting.

He had us do lots of work on taking lecture notes and he was one of the few teachers who taught us how to take good notes.” Although at the time physics and chemistry were taught in alternating years due to the small faculty, the 1933 yearbook prophetically records that his future ambition was to become a professor.

It wasn’t all academics and sports though. “We had rather regular tea dances and class dances in the gym and would spend hours decorating the gym. Those were very much ‘stag’ affairs and there were very few dates. You might buy a ticket for a gal, but you’d meet her there,” Nicodemus recalled as an adult. “I do remember once that I wanted to take Peg Kriete who was a gal I liked very much then to a show down in Tokyo. I had to ride up to my folks in Sendai to

Trinity Test - Alamogordo, NM - July 16, 1945. Mushroom cloud after 10 seconds.

Date 16 July 1945 (NARA/US Federal Govt)

get permission before Mrs Gladieux would let her out of the dorm,” he said. “I remember taking her by taxi and afterward we went to the Olympic Restaurant and had pancakes—that was the highpoint of my year.”

One of the lasting legacies Nicodemus left his senior year was the new school seal—a modified version of which is still in use today. Harold Zaugg ’33 recalled that Hubbard Horn ’33 was the one that drew up the design and that Nicodemus and Bert Kriete ’33 had assisted in creating the concept.

“Hubbie Horn was the class president and everyone seemed to like him very much,” Nicodemus remembered. Zaugg’s contribution was the Latin motto “Amicitia Per Scientiam”— Friendship through Learning. According to Zaugg, the design was supposedly inspired by the decorative border of the National Geographic magazines of the time and the doodles students would make on their homework in Violet Sweet’s geometry classes. The seal made its debut in the 1933 Commencement Program at a graduation ceremony presided over by the American Ambassador Joseph Grew.

Following graduation, the crew that created the school seal headed off on an adventure aboard the Kurama Maru.

Nicodemus, Zaugg and Horn took the Kokusai Kisen steamship from Yokohama across the Pacific. Maintaining an average speed of 16 knots, the small ship made the crossing to Los Angeles in 12 days, with a further two-weeks of onward travel to New York its young passengers would have had plenty of time to enjoy the radio-gramophone and deck games—or

even “the luxury of sea water baths.” The three boys were all planning on attending Oberlin College in Ohio once they got Stateside, but as their ship passed through the Panama Canal, Nicodemus received a telegram saying he’d been awarded a scholarship to DePauw University in Indiana.

Zaug and Horn stayed their course and attended Oberlin along with their classmate—and Nicodemus’ memorable date—Margaret [Peggy] Kriete ’33.

At DePauw, Nicodemus majored in math with the intent on becoming a teacher—even doing his teaching practice in the subject. He joined the Naperian Club, whose members explored complicated mathematical problems, becoming its vice president in his senior year. His college years also saw him join the science and education clubs, continue to run track and Nicodemus be inducted in Phi Beta Kappa. In his senior year an assistantship in the physics department became available, prompting Nicodemus to switch majors to enable him to take the position. “It gave me the chance to get involved in physics and do much more than I otherwise would have done,” he told The Oregon Stater in 1996. Following graduation in 1937, Nicodemus headed to Stanford to pursue advanced work in the subject.

It was at Stanford, where he took up a graduate teaching assistantship, that Nicodemus entered the big leagues.

Nicodemus’ work in the lab focused on radiation physics, a growing field of research at the time. Felix Bloch—who would go on to receive the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1952—had

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 Nicodemus (second from the left) with the residents of the boys’ dormitory, including Harold Zaugg (third from the right) joined the university a few years prior in 1934 and his arrival saw Stanford’s research program really take off. The Swiss scientist would go on to become professor for theoretical physics at Stanford and a year after Nicodemus joined the college Bloch began working with the 37-inch cyclotron at the University of California at Berkeley to determine the magnetic moment of the neutron, which would ultimately lead to them both being tapped for the Manhattan Project.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese in 1941, brought the realities of war home to Nicodemus quite literally.

Fred Nicodemus, his brother, was in Honolulu at the time, but fortunately was not injured in the attack. Their mother Ella, who had returned to Japan following the death of their father, was in Sendai teaching at a women’s college when America entered the war. Along with 50 other missionaries, she was interned in northern Japan. Nicodemus had no contact with her, save for a Red Cross postcard to say she was alive and well, until she was repatriated to the United States the following year. The outbreak of war also had a direct and immediate effect on Nicodemus and his work at Stanford.

Bloch and fellow Swiss physicist Hans Staub, who come over from Caltech in 1938, had received a grant from the Office of Scientific Research and Development to measure the energy spectrum of fission neutrons. Their experiments required an assistant to help run the cyclotron and build

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the associated apparatus and Nicodemus was chosen to support the project. “It was a classified program and clearly something aimed to help the war effort,” Nicodemus said in a later interview.

Early in 1943, Staub and Bloch approached Nicodemus and said, “We’ll be moving to a place we’ll call now Shangri-la. We can’t tell you where it is, but we’d like you to come. We’re going to continue work related to what we have been doing but we can’t tell you exactly what it is.” That was Nicodemus’ induction into the Manhattan Project. “I was free, single and looking for a job, so I said I would be interested,” he later recalled.

Instructed to go to Santa Fe, Nicodemus reported to the Army Corps of Engineers Office where he was give directions to Los Alamos about 25 miles away. He was instructed that he could tell friends and family that he was living near Santa Fe and that he was working with Army Corps of Engineers and not much more beyond that. On his arrival in Los Alamos, Nicodemus discovered that the program there had already been running for about a year and that he was assigned to a men’s dormitory. The first thing he did was go to the library and check out a primer. “For the first two days I sat and read the primer. It explained right away that the purpose of the project was to build an atomic bomb and sketched out what the problems were for the whole project. The philosophy applied to the technical and professional staff was that they

Nicodemus worked closely with his mentor Staub and with Bruno Rossi, who jointly headed the detector group.

Nicodemus was responsible for overseeing the production and testing of numerous fast, cylindrical ionization chambers.

Large numbers of these chambers were blown up during the preliminary tests of the RaLa implosion process and Nicodemus constructed the chamber that would be used in the Trinity Test.

Considering the risk of radiation contamination from the radioisoptope lanthanum-140 used in the experiments and to protect the experiment from shock, Alvarez moved the team’s work to a mobile laboratory located at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah. In his official history of the Los Alamos project, David Hawkins wrote: “RaLa became the most important single experiment affecting the final bomb design.”

 The ’33 ASIJ seal, created by Nicodemus, Harold Zaugg ’33 and Hubbard Horn ’33 should all know what it was all about,” Nicodemus told The Oregon Stater. “Oppenheimer and the others who ran the project felt it was important not to compartmentalize too much. You worked on a particular problem, but you should also know what the others were doing.”

Nicodemus would become part of the RaLa (a contraction of Radioactive Lanthanum) experimental program, an interdisciplinar y research program at the Los Alamos laboratory headed by Luis Alvarez. The group comprised of metallurgists, engineers, electronic specialists, chemists and physicist who were tasked with achieving the spherical implosion necessary for compression of the plutonium pit of the nuclear weapon. On April 26, 1944, Alvarez brought the RaLa committee together to coordinate their experiments and Nicodemus found himself in the company of heavyweights such as Oppenheimer himself, Bruno Rossi, Staub, Seth Neddermeyer and Teller.

“I was just a young kid who had completed his PhD research.

To even meet these people and hear them talk at weekly seminars was a priceless opportunity,” Nicodemus said in a 1996 interview. “I was also lucky that Hans Staub was good to me and had me join his family for various occasions. When he and his wife were invited to a party, they often dragged me along. I had a chance to get into social situations with some of the big shots, if you will.” Although the work on the atomic bomb was top secret, Nicodemus noted that the number of Nobel Prize winners and prominent scientists in and around Santa Fe could be enough to raise suspicions.

“If a knowledgeable outsider knew they were all there, he could make a pretty good guess and to what Los Alamos was about,” he quipped.

Nicodemus remained in Los Alamos after the Trinity Test until 1946. He finished writing his thesis, titled The Average X-Ray Energy Expended in Forming an Ion Pair in Argon, and then returned to Stanford to take up a teaching position there. Staub also returned to Stanford as a full professor happy and eager to engage again in the peacetime pursuit of research. “By incorporating the results on the polarization of neutrons obtained before the war, he, with David Nicodemus and myself, succeeded in measuring the neutron magnetic moment with high accuracy,” Felix Bloch wrote in Physics Today. Nicodemus would teach there for the next four years while pursuing further research into neutrons, co-authoring scientific papers with both Staub in 1949 and Bloch in 1950.

Two years later, Bloch would receive his Nobel Laureate, along with Edward Mills Purcell, for their development of new ways and methods for nuclear magnetic precision measurements.

While working at Stanford, Nicodemus had met a number of faculty members from Oregon State College (OSC) during their graduate work. When OSC began building a cyclotron they needed someone with expertise to join their physics program and Nicodemus was the perfect fit. Nicodemus and his new wife Janet Buck made the move to Corvalis, where he became an assistant professor of physics and began working on the cyclotron program. Within a year, he received the Carter Award for teaching from the College of Science in 1951.

In the mid-fifties OSU expanded the cyclotron project, building a new 37-inch, 70-ton “atom smasher.” The device utilized 5.5 tons of copper strap and 50 tons of steel in the core magnet, which was salvaged from a magnet used by the Manhattan Project. Concrete walls up to 48 inches thick, salvaged from ship ballasts, surrounded the cyclotron to shield against radiation. Unlike commercial projects, which cost up to $500,000, the use of salvage materials, donated parts and having the device built by Nicodemus, other faculty members and students, meant the $175,000 Atomic Energy Commission grant was sufficient for the ambitious project.

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Nicodemus and the OSU cyclotron in 1954 (Courtesy of OSC Special Selections and Archive Research Center)

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 Hans Staub (AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives, Physics Today Collection)

 Felix Bloch in the 1950s (The History Collection / Alamy Stock Photo)

Nicodemus went on to have a long and meaningful career at OSU becoming an associate professor in 1952 and a full professor in 1963. Honored for his teaching in 1956 with the university’s Outstanding Teaching Award, Nicodemus was made assistant dean of science in 1962. He headed the curricular and planning programs for the School of Sciences, the largest school on campus, and was made Dean of Faculty in 1966. In recognition of his commitment, Nicodemus won the Curtis Mumford Faculty Service Award in 1985 for the “quality and dedication” he brought to the job and for being the “conscience of Oregon State University.” Nicodemus held the role until his retirement in 1986.

scientists were initially dazed, but relieved that their years of work had paid off. Enrico Fermi, who’d won a Nobel Prize in 1938, was one of the first to venture out and examine the crater, using a specially designed tank to view the area. The enormity of what they had just witnessed began to sink in.

Trinity had been successful—now the question became should the Allies use an atomic weapon against their enemy.

Nicodemus’ lifelong connection to Japan continued when OSU began an exchange program. Nicodemus accompanied the first group of students to visit Waseda University. “To me it’s the most valuable experience a student can have. In one year of living as a member of a Japanese family, a student probably learns more about Japan and its people than I did in 17 years in Japan,” he said self-deprecatingly in 1996.

The scientists who had worked on the project were often circumspect on their role in creating the weapon and Bloch’s view was that if they hadn’t invented it, someone else would have. “I still believe that many lives were saved by the use of the bomb,” Nicodemus told The Oregon Stater. “Too many people were being killed on both sides. The determination of the Japanese to protect their country was so strong that an invasion was probably the only other way to get the job done, which would have been a very, very painful experience for both countries,” he reflected. “Whether it was a good or bad thing I can’t say. I just had the feeling it was a reasonable thing to do. War is dirty to begin with and the killing is terrible, particularly of civilians.”

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Gadget’s perch, the steel tower, was entirely vaporized in the blast. In its place was a huge sloping crater. The gathered

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Cancer Killer Cancer vaccine pioneer Dr Minako Abe ’88 talks to Claire Lonergan about her cutting edge work on immunotherapy

“I had one patient who was diagnosed with cervical cancer after finding out that she was pregnant,” says Minako Abe ’88. “She was advised to undergo surgery or chemotherapy but as that would have likely ended her pregnancy, she opted to try our immunotherapy, which has minimal to no side effects. Not only did she deliver a healthy baby, but when she was re-evaluated her cancer was completely in remission without need for any further therapy.” This incredible success story is just one of many for Dr Minako Abe ’88, CEO of ImmunoGenex, who is using breakthrough cellular immunotherapy cancer vaccines to treat patients at the Tokyo Cancer Clinic.

According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology “immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, is a type of cancer treatment that boosts the body's natural defenses to fight cancer. It uses substances made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function.”

While immunotherapy is now a growing area of research, the cellular cancer vaccines that Minako and her father Hiroyuki Abe (AP ’77-’88) produce are unique. In fact, this type of immunotherapy is still in the clinical trial phase in most other parts of the world, meaning that what Minako is doing here in Tokyo is revolutionary.

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Minako joined her father Hiroyuki, who founded the Tokyo Cancer Clinic (formerly the Abe Cancer Clinic) and has been working on immunotherapy treatments for almost 20 years, when she relocated back to Tokyo in 2014. The Abe’s focus on personalized cellular cancer vaccines, known also as dendritic cell cancer vaccines as well as natural killer cell therapy. Minako’s father began clinical natural killer cell therapy in 2002 and dendritic cell vaccine in 2007.

According to the American Cancer Society dendritic cells are special immune cells in the body that help the immune system recognize cancer cells. They break down cancer cells into smaller pieces (including antigens), and then hold out these antigens so other immune cells called T cells can see them. The T cells then start an immune reaction against any cells in the body that contain these antigens.

At ImmunoGenex, dendritic cell vaccines are created from the patient in whom they will used through liquid biopsies, instead of having to biopsy the tumor directly. According to the American Cancer Society, doctors remove some immune cells from the patient’s blood and expose them in the lab to cancer cells or cancer antigens, as well as to other chemicals that turn the immune cells into dendritic cells and help them grow. The dendritic cells are then injected back into the patient, where they should cause an immune response to cancer cells in the body.

Minako shares a case that used the procedure to great effect. “We took a liquid biopsy of a 68 year old man with pancreatic cancer, we didn’t want to do a real biopsy and cut open this poor man’s belly and take a sample of his tumor, but by drawing a blood sample, we were able to actually capture cells that originated from this tumor,” she explains.

“In order for a tumor to metastasize to another site you have escape of some cells, so they escape from the primary tumor, go into the bloodstream and circulate through the bloodstream until they find a place to implant itself and grow and metastasize. So, those are the cells we collect, called CTC or circulating tumor cells.” Genetic testings on these cells is just like doing genetic testings on the primary tumor.

Doctors also analyze DNA to look for mutations as well as methylations. Tumor suppressor genes are checked to see if they are methylated or not, and they also check gene expression/RNA. A tumor suppressor gene function is to create a protein that helps to protect the cell. If you shut tumor suppressor genes down, you don’t have proteins that are protecting the cell and that makes you prone to cancer. “DNA methylations of tumor suppressor genes is like turning the off switch on genes that are protecting you from cancer,” Minako says.

After taking liquid biopsies from the patient with pancreatic cancer, Minako and her team found that this man had seven of his tumor suppressor genes shut down (or methylated) and his DNA methyltransferase was working in overdrive. Not only

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were they able to determine why this patient likely developed cancer, but in combination with a new chemotherapy drug they were able to control the spread and turn his cancer suppressor genes back on.

Although genetic testing and cellular cancer therapy is transforming the medical field and progressing rapidly, Minako shared that the procedures are costly and not covered under Japan’s National Health Insurance. The cost of genetic testing at Tokyo Cancer Clinic is roughly ¥200,000 and their cellular cancer vaccines can be much more. “One treatment of both the Natural Killer cells and the Dendritic Cell cancer vaccine—we recommend doing both when possible as they work synergistically—costs ¥500,000, and one round is considered five injections over 12 weeks, so ¥2.5 million total,” Minako says. Currently the majority of the Abe’s cancer vaccine patients are medical tourists, mostly from China and Taiwan seeking treatment in Japan. As cancer research continues to evolve, “I am hoping that genomic and personalized medicine becomes the standard of care and that we can start focusing even more on and early detection, minimally invasive treatment, and prevention,” Minako says.

Although the immunotherapy that Minako and her father are administering in Tokyo is cutting-edge, in general cancer treatment in Japan is more advanced than in many other parts of the world. One of the biggest misconceptions Minako acknowledges is that cancer treatment is more advanced in the United States. In fact, she admits that her own family considered returning to America for treatment a number of years ago when her husband Michael was diagnosed with a form of cancer on his spine. However, after consulting her former colleagues in the United States, she was convinced to stay in Japan as the treatment here was as advanced as anywhere. Fortunately, Minako’s husband Michael made a full recovery.

Prior to moving back to Tokyo and beginning work with her father, Minako spent more than 15 years working in emergency medicine in New York and New Jersey. Minako’s choice of emergency medicine gave her the flexibility of schedule that many doctors in other specialties don’t have as she worked shifts. Although this was tough at times, as a result Minako was able to spend more time with her family.

“While emergency medicine is certainly an essential job and I loved what I did, I became a bit disillusioned realizing that 70% of all my patients had potentially preventable conditions.” She told us that as an emergency doctor she saw patients suffering from alcohol or drug related illnesses, infectious diseases, and chronic illnesses like heart disease, which are preventable. “Even 30-50% of cancers has been deemed to be preventable by the WHO,” she says. This eventually motivated Minako to begin studying cancer risk and prevention in addition to cancer treatments. In a study of 1,500 people with and without cancer, Minako’s

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Minako with her father Hiroyuki Abe at the Tokyo Cancer Clinic

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 Minako with fellow ASIJ alumna Kana Maeji ’10 speaking with pre-med club about her career

 Minako giving a public lecture on epigenetics

team found that almost half of participants had epigenetic marks if they were smokers, and about 73% of people with a family history of cancer had epigenetic marks that had been passed on to them. Even if an individual didn’t have cancer, about 38% of the participants still had epigenetic markers—which doesn’t necessarily mean that those people are going to get cancer, but if two or more of their tumor suppressor genes have been turned off, then their cancer risk increases exponentially.

While Minako continues to study how health and wellness have a direct correlation to one’s risk of developing cancer, she finds herself back at ASIJ. Now a parent of two mustangs —Senri, who is in Kindergarten and fourth-grader Hiromi— Minako often volunteers her time to speak to high school students at school, including the iGem group, pre-med society as well as various AP classes. “The students are so bright, eager to learn and unafraid to ask questions—amazing qualities to have to be a lifelong learner” Minako says. “The science that has been discovered since I was in high school and the level of the current science education at ASIJ is absolutely mind blowing.”

While she was a student at ASIJ from 1975–88, she shared that she was very interested in academics—she made the National Honors Society—and also involved in a wide variety of groups. Student Council class president of her senior year, Minako also joined the Tabemono Club and the International Relations Committee. She was also involved with the Philippine Relief Organization and notes she was a part of the first group of students to visit Buyong, saying the experience “taught us the value of compassion, helping others in need, and becoming part of a larger global community.” It’s no surprise that the person who valued such a service opportunity and whose peers voted her the student who “did most for the

class” would go on to a career providing care to others.

“Through her work as a doctor, researcher and CEO of a company, Dr Abe has taught us what it means to help and inspire people” says senior, Marina Takihana ’19 who has attended several of the sessions Minako has participated in at ASIJ as well as her recent evening lecture series. “What I enjoyed the most learning from Dr Abe was how she truly understands who we are as an audience. She knows we are not professionals in the field, and she really just adapts her talks so that we can understand everything.”

Marina adds that, “even after taking AP Bio, AP Chem, there are still so many things in medicine that we are just not aware of and she can tailor her presentation so that we can still be engaged and that we can still understand everything—even complex things like pathways in cancer.

I think that’s amazing of her.”

As research into immunotherapy continues around the world, the availability of cutting-edge cancer vaccines, like those developed by the Abes should increase. “Knowing that what we are creating is actually improving the quality of and saving people's lives is what I enjoy most about what I do,” Minako says. “There’s really nothing like it.”

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Ideas Worth Spreading Marine Savoure ’21 and Serena Landers ’20 offer a student perspective on ASIJ’s recent TEDxYouth@ASIJ conference and its “bumps in the road.”

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“Now close your eyes. I am giving you this moment to reflect upon and ask yourself: What do you love? What are you good at? What can you be rewarded for? And what would you like to see change in the world? Now open your eyes. And open yourself, to the opportunities that await you... Go out and discover your ikigai.”

Emily Bidle ’20 finishes her talk on the Japanese concept of ikigai, closing up the 2019 TEDxYouth@ASIJ conference.

As the audience exits the theater, leaving behind them a trail of resounding applause, the nearly thirty students involved in the event breathe a sigh of relief on the darkened stage,

feeling the lasting effects of the adrenaline rush. For the past six months, these students had lived, stressed, and breathed TEDx. Though the conference was over, the ripple effect had just begun.

Like all TEDx events, though the event featured TEDtype talks, it was organized independently from the TED entity. Throughout the extensive planning process, the students organizing, marketing, filming, and speaking at this event have always kept one goal in mind: to share ideas worth spreading.

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Emily Bidle ’20, Ikigai: The Secret to a Purposeful Life

“You always see adults giving TED talks, and giving students the chance to share their ideas, to share their thoughts and opinions and their viewpoint of the world is very valuable,” stated Anna Roberts ’20, speaker coordinator for the event.

Though the TEDx format has been previously used at ASIJ for smaller programs, it is the efforts of Solomon Kim ’20, the director of the conference, that has spearheaded the development of a school-wide conference. “It’s really important that we’re able to impact people through this event, so I’m really grateful for the opportunity to take TEDx and bring it to ASIJ as a whole.” From past experience, Kim knew that while this opportunity would be fulfilling, it would also be hard. Ultimately, this inspired the event’s theme: bumps in the road.

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Solomon Kim ’20, Event Organizer

From an educational standpoint, choosing such a theme “encapsulated the idea of learning as a journey, whether it be through school or life, and the fact that that same journey is going to contain failures, and motivations, and capitalizing on passion, and perspectives changing, and persevering,” stated Aaron Alcodray, faculty advisor for the TEDx team.

fulfilling all official TED requirements. Closer to the event, the bumps persisted with last-minute changes and malfunctioning clickers. Roberts puts it best, hastily mentioning during a rehearsal, “[I’m] a little stressed. Very stressed. I’ve got a bazillion things to do, and about negative three hours to do it in.”

Indeed, the road to creating this event has not been without bumps. From the very beginning, challenges ranged from setting and meeting deadlines and attendance goals to

However stressful these bumps may be, as speaker Stephanie Eristoff ’20 shared in her talk, what matters are the steps taken through them. Eristoff spoke about her experience being

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Anna Komisarof ’20, The Key to Happiness: Mindset

Seiji Yamazaki ’20, Third Culture Kid Identity

turned away from iGEM, a selective synthetic biology club at ASIJ. After feeling dejected, Eristoff took an unexpected risk and asked her counselor why she got rejected. “I realized at that moment that I wanted to know how to improve myself.”

This experience encouraged her to re-evaluate how she dealt with rejection.

“The most important part is taking what you developed from self-reflection… and plan a trajectory to improve yourself and grow. This process isn’t just writing a goal down. It is having accountability for your goal. Whether it is taking an online class to expand your knowledge or to become a more effective speaker, it is making sure you put in the work to continuously improve yourself long-term.”

This growth is seen in all members of the team. Kim believes that “TEDx has given me the opportunity to grow as a leader both through abstract stuff, like how do you manage a team?

What’s important for me to do, for me to prioritize? But even to like the nitty-gritty stuff, like how do I write a budget reimbursement slip to send to the finance office? Or, who do I talk to to get special buses run after the TEDx event?”

This conference, says Dr Jon Herzenberg, principal of the high school, developed the students’ “workplace readiness.”

Everett Xu ’19, Community: The Game Design Approach

Beyond refining skills, speaking at TEDx was also a process of self-discovery. Issei Matsumura ’21 spoke of overcoming his fear of public speaking. “It felt like I was being held back with chains, and I was just set free,” he explained, likening the experience to finding his true self. “I still ask myself every day: am I actually me? Are there more characteristics of my true self that I still don’t know about?” Through his talk, he encouraged the audience to find themselves, reminding them that “what awaits after those bumps might be what you were looking for the entire time. After all, if you can’t be yourself, then who can be?”

Even preparing for the speech helped speakers delve deeper into who they were. “The process has really helped me come to terms with a lot of difficult things that I faced last year… It’s been a really therapeutic process for me,” said speaker Anna Komisarof ’20, who spoke about her struggles in attaining body confidence. Komisarof came close to tears explaining that all the time dedicated to this event would be worth it if she could impact just one single individual.

After all, she herself had seen the positive change that one person could make.

“One day, I was watching some YouTube videos and came across one that was titled ‘Train for Life.’ It was a promotional

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Emcees Leo Biragnet ’21 and Aimee Dossor ’21

video for an athletic clothing brand, but to me it was so much more. In the video, I heard an Oxford student talk about how she was trapped in a negative cycle of extreme dieting and self-deprecation, but was able to get out of it through weightlifting,” Komisarof states. “This was when the lightbulb in my head went off; I was going to start weightlifting. I was also going to change my mindset from seeing working out as a punishment for all the food that I ate that day, to something that was positive. This initial mindset change set off many more fundamental mindset changes.”

Though it’s difficult to predict what will click in people’s minds, “that’s the power of peer to peer exchange; that planting of a seed with no direct outcome but just that it grows in some unique way for some individual that hears whatever they hear,” says Herzenberg. Indeed, one sophomore audience member shared, “I thought it was really inspiring…

I had no idea that so many people had such strong ideas.”

“A lot of times as high schoolers we tend to feel very isolated.” says Komisarof. “I hope that people can realize that

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Stephanie Eristoff ’20, Beansprout Growth

all of us go through rough things.” She adds that through events like TEDx, “you get to see what other students are doing, and it’s a unifying thing.” Since the very beginning of this TEDx endeavor, Kim believed in the potential of such an event to “enrich ASIJ’s community.”

As speaker Everett Xu ’19 shares, “Our need to be part of a community is ingrained not only in our psychology and not only shapes our actions, it literally has effects on your physical well-being,” Whether it be in game design, the focus of his talk, or in any other sphere, “community is fundamental to learning… Turn to the people around you and you might be surprised what you find and how much you can improve.”

It’s clear from Xu’s talk that our world and the ASIJ community is home to a variety of unique individuals whom we can learn from. This diversity is something to respect.

“Girls, boys, men, and women shouldn’t change to meet the ideals others have for them. They should trust that their uniqueness and diversity is what sets them apart from one

Issei Matsumura ’22, True Self?

Olivia Rivet ’22, My Body, Your Perception

another and makes them like no other—beautifully their own person with unlimited potential,” says Olivia Rivet ’22, in her talk about learning to love her body.

Speaker Seiji Yamazaki ’20 tackled this feeling of trying to fit into a culture’s ideals through the angle of a third culture kid. He recalls being embarrassed when his mother asked him a question in English in front of all his Japanese friends.

“I wanted to be as ‘Japanese’ as possible,” he remembers.

Yet Yamazaki’s takeaway was to “not let your language skills or your understanding of your culture stop you from pursuing your passion and embrace your unique identity as you encounter all different kinds of people.”

These encounters are what TEDx strives for. A meeting of a variety of perspectives.

The essence of TEDxYouth@ASIJ is encapsulated in Kim’s message to the future team: “focus on the core of TEDx event, those ideas worth spreading and try to align everything you do with that goal of enabling ASIJ students to experience

Arman Balian ’20, The Key to Immigration

those ideas.” We never know who has an idea worth spreading or a story to tell. For Arman Balian ’20, who spoke of the struggles his father faced as an Iranian immigrant, being open to those ideas makes the world a better place.

“The key could just be putting down prejudice and looking at the perspective of others. So rather than being frustrated and confused, empathize and talk to the person next to you, because that person might be someone like my dad, with an incredible story to share. Maybe this key could be the one to unlock our world to a much more understanding and compassionate society.”

Every day, we have an opportunity to get the conversation started. Every year, new students will make the TEDxYouth@ ASIJ conference a reality, embodying the ASIJ mission to “foster a community of inquisitive learners and independent thinkers, inspired to be their best selves and empowered to make a difference.” Let’s share ideas worth spreading.

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Unblocking Cryptocurrency Andrew Deck ’13 explores the world of blockchain and interviews John Saddington ’01 about YEN, a cryptocurrency platform he has launched with his twin brother, Peter ’01.

During his free period, in the back corner of the middle school computer lab, hunched over a desktop, John Saddington ’01 wrote his first lines of code. “It was a choose your own adventure game. You could choose to save the princess or kill the dragon, but I didn’t know how to make it so you could do both,” John remembers, placing himself back at ASIJ in the mid-90s, when BBS video games were still in fad, when he was trying to impress his new school friends and right after his family of five relocated to Tokyo.

John’s precocious interest in programming had caught the attention of the computer lab attendant at the time, Lynn Nichols (FF ’87–’08). “She was an older woman, and so inviting. She came over and said, ‘I see you playing a lot of BBS games, have you ever thought of building one?’ That’s where it started.” John coded his first game at the age of 11.

Using the now antiquated BASIC language, John would often use up an entire ream of dot matrix printer paper to check his lines of code by hand, depleting the lab of expensive ink and filling the room with a clunking cacophony as the printer kicked into gear. Ms Nichols’ response, “She always smiled and said, ‘Don’t worry honey. I’ll replace it.’”

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Now 36 and two decades into a successful and diversified career in the tech arena, John traces it all back to the middle school computer lab and the support of Ms Nichols. “I was unfettered to be creative and explore this new thing in life and she gave me all the freedom to do it.”

Last year, John’s early mentorship came full circle, when he advised ASIJ students in Mark Burpee’s middle school programming class. More than a free period hobby, programming is now part of the curriculum at ASIJ. Reviewing student projects remotely and sending feedback via YouTube videos from his home office in San Francisco, John was giving the next generation of ASIJ coders their first push.

In the intervening 20-plus years, however, the technology landscape has been reimagined a few times over. No longer were students reviewing BASIC code on janky printer paper but developing mobile applications for iOS platforms.

Computers have moved from desktops, onto our laps, into our pockets and then into the cloud. Let’s just say, in 2019, you can kill the dragon and save the princess, all the while livestreaming your medieval conquests on Twitch.

(Photo: Martin Voss)

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As the technology curve continues its exponential climb, John has positioned himself within one of the industry’s most boundary-pushing businesses, cryptocurrency—a technology that is largely misunderstood, frequently scandalized and one John says is an inevitable part of our future. He founded the company YEN in 2016 with his twin brother Peter Saddington ’01 and the two began developing a cryptocurrency metaexchange. In layman’s terms, YEN is a one-stop shop for someone looking to buy cryptocurrency. Whether you’re investing in Bitcoin, Litecoin, Ethereum or Ripple, John assures you can buy or sell any cryptocurrency on the platform in three clicks or less. If you’ve never heard any of those names, don’t worry, John is designing YEN for you, with hopes to appeal to the average consumer and not just the day trader knee deep in crypto research.

John’s brother Peter was an early investor in cryptocurrency and has managed to build a following amid cryptocurrency’s internet subculture, with over 83 thousand followers on Twitter and another 80 thousand subscribers on YouTube.

Peter began studying computer science at Florida State University after leaving ASIJ and went on to earn three master’s degrees in counseling, education and theology from Luther Rice College & Seminary in Georgia. He was initially drawn to Bitcoin by two things: math and code. “After I read my first article on Bitcoin in October 2011, I spent the next month devouring every bit of information I could get my hands on,” Peter says. “I looked into the source code, saw what it was, the implications and the potential future. The code was immutable, unchangeable and fully open-source.

It was both anti-fragile and flexible, building a new type of system that was decentralized,” he adds. “The math was simple and secured the system while the code was tamperresistant, de-risking users and protecting investors. I was in!

It seemed too good to be true!”

Peter’s early success investing in the cryptocurrency earned him the credential of being the first person to buy a Huracan Lamborghini using Bitcoin (valued at over US$200,000)—a splashy purchase that resulted in his photo being splashed across the webpages of CNBC, Business Insider and TechCrunch. “The #WorldFirst Lamborghini Huracan bought with Bitcoin was certainly a great way to get noticed in the world of crypto,” Peter says. “For me it served two purposes. One, that you can actually really use this 'internet-magic-money' to buy real assets and two, I wanted to celebrate a meme of not investing your ‘Bitcoin into lambos,’” he adds. “We take work seriously. Just not too seriously.”

The brothers have been successfully leveraging Peter’s online persona to promote the YEN platform, turning Peter into the face of the company while working together to grow the company. Peter notes that one of the benefits of partnering with your twin is that they are “able to be fully transparent, fully honest, fully real about everything. Zero pretense.” He

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 John (left) and Peter (right) as eighth graders at ASIJ  Peter with the Lamborghini he purchased with Bitcoin profits (Photo: Peter Saddington)

adds, this creates a freeing and fun work environment where things get done. We're also fully bringing both our respective worlds and experience to bear on this project.”

While Peter came to crypto early, John, didn’t have his first substantial introduction to cryptocurrency until the summer of 2016. “Peter essentially clued me in that this was a big deal. I’m much more of a hardcore engineer so I dove into the deep level protocol and obsessed over it for the entire summer,” explains John. “Out of that haze or fog, I realized this is solving some fundamental mathematical problems, issues that most people thought were impossible to solve, and if what I’m reading is true, I have to do something about it.”

What John now describes as a “pot of gold,” is the application of blockchain technology to financial transactions, a concept often attributed to a 2008 “Bitcoin whitepaper” authored under the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto. To this day Nakamoto’s identity remains unconfirmed.

At its more fundamental level, blockchain is a novel method of digital recordkeeping. Each transaction in a blockchain

Burges, a self-styled cryptocurrency trader and former software engineer from London, holds a placard to protest against Mt. Gox in Tokyo (Photo: Toru Hanai/Reuters)

network is stored on a public ledger, meaning each block on that ledger holds the key (ie digital username) of the users involved, a timestamp and the numerical specifics of the transaction. As more transactions take place in the network, it creates a chain of discrete data blocks. The users in the network are anonymous (faceless and untraceable) but the data is open to the public, meaning that while you may not know the who, where or why of a transaction, everyone can see what is happening in real time.

The Bitcoin whitepaper’s application of blockchain is innovative. Instead of trusting financial institutions to verify the integrity of monetary transactions, the use of a blockchain network in bitcoin allows users to verify the transactions of their peers. Other people in the network are tapped to confirm that each block in the open ledger is legitimate and, most importantly, ensure that a user is not repeatedly spending the same coins—a mathematical solution to the “double-spending” problem in digital currency, which had been loathed by programmers for years. The first user who verifies a block is incentivized and rewarded by the network for their labor with a small sum of Bitcoin. A small sum of bitcoin, however, could be considered a boatload of cash. One Bitcoin is currently valued at a little over US$3,800. In essence, the Bitcoin userbase is able to securely and successfully audit their own accounting books. While Bitcoin led the charge with this currency model, a host of other cryptocurrencies have since followed suit, with fresh exchange names popping up regularly.

It’s important to clarify that blockchain technology is not limited to cryptocurrency, nor should it be. “Cryptocurrency

became too famous for people to fully understand blockchain,” admits Iku Mohamed, an ASIJ parent and Head of Japan at Diginex, a blockchain solutions consulting company.

“Often in the public’s mind, cryptocurrency has overtaken the meaning of blockchain, to the point where blockchain equals cryptocurrency equals Bitcoin.” Untangling this web of terms and misinformed equations has presented a PR challenge for blockchain specialists like Mohamed and he believes a lot of education is required in order to fully realize the potential of the technology. The unique configuration of data in a blockchain network has the potential to be used by a host of industries, including insurance, food distribution and government documentation.

In Japan, Mohamed sees promise for blockchain solutions in the healthcare industry, since Japanese healthcare providers own patient data and often refuse to release that data to a new clinic or physician for patients to get a second medical opinion. “Using a blockchain network, if you have the right to your own health history data with a master key, you can allow doctors in other clinics to access that data by giving them a one-time key, instead of going through hospital staff.” The blockchain fix would reimagine healthcare data distribution throughout the country.

In the end, cryptocurrency is just one application of blockchain and few technologists are denying blockchain has potential far beyond Bitcoin. That said, cryptocurrency is undoubtedly the most evolved and impactful application of blockchain at this moment in time. “This is a revolutionary advancement in cryptography and math,” posits John, “and because it is now solved it can’t be unsolved—it’s like a genie in a bottle. The future of Bitcoin is assured.”

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Lynn Nichols (FF ’87–’08) with Simon Baumer ’01, John (center) and Jakob Edman ’01 in the Technology Resource Center in the Middle School As an industry, cryptocurrency exchanges have managed to shake the foundations of some of our core financial institutions. By using a peer-to-peer network and operating in the digital domain, cryptocurrencies are circumventing banks, financial professionals and, at times, governmental monitoring bureaus in the daily transfer of money. It has taken the work of financial heavy hitters and distributed it between millions of users in a blockchain network across the world. That reimagining of financial transactions puts many on edge and many more consider it a shift in power, one that could erode existing financial institutions. In one word, John describes the promise of cryptocurrency, and the threat to these established businesses and the establishment, as decentralization.

“I’m not an anarcho-capitalist. I don’t think the world is heading towards complete decentralization, I think that would be utter chaos,” admits John, despite the fringe Bitcoin enthusiasts that may call him a heretic on Reddit for admitting as much. “I don’t think the future will be homogeneous, I think we’ll be heading towards a heterogeneous environment, the existing centralized systems and then also decentralized ones powering a number of systems and businesses that we know and trust today.” While the Saddington brothers may not be anarchists, they are strong proponents of the technology, and the promise of decentralization is built into the mission of YEN. Their “Why We Exist” statement reads, “We believe that decentralized protocols are technological and social innovations and that our collective future is decentralized.”

There are a few ways the YEN platform hopes to actualize the future of decentralization. Though the site is currently in beta, they plan to go public later this year, with the promise

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of facilitating the purchase of cryptocurrency and giving consumers choice in where they invest digitally. Falling back on his go-to meta-exchange demonstration, John pulls out a wallet from his pocket. “People don’t have just one credit card,” says John, as he fans out a colorful array of plastic cards. “Most of us have a dozen credit cards and debit cards.

Even though I may choose to use Mastercard 99 percent of the time, I demand choice and I love having choice. It’s what normal humans want.” With the number of emerging currencies in the cryptocurrency space, and the somewhat high-risk nature of the ones that already exist, YEN is banking that crypto consumers want the same amount of choice in their digital wallets as their analog ones. That is why they’re building a platform where all cryptocurrencies can live on a single interface.

Beyond convenience, the Saddington brothers are looking to capitalize on the social aspect of cryptocurrency, rather than relying on a userbase passionate about hard tech. YEN’s user interface comes in a familiar social media packaging, one John likens to a Twitter feed. Rather than quippy hot-takes, however, YEN’s feed is filled with real time cryptocurrency transactions. A user’s profile becomes a space to debate investments, share cryptocurrency news and interface with their friends. “You can buy and trade crypto, but you can also like it, replay it and talk about it,” says John. “Buying and selling any consumer product, it’s unlikely you’ll buy based on research. When it comes to cryptocurrency, the average consumer isn’t going to do a deep dive into technical specs.

You’re going to go ask your friends or look around the office.

We buy based on social conditions and social networks.”

YEN is simply offering a place to build those networks and have those conversations.

John Saddington told us he does some of his best work sitting on a bag of rice on the kitchen floor— something he has continued to do since childhood.

(Photo: Martin Voss)

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 Mark Bivens ’89 and Iku Mohamed (Photos courtesy of the subjects) In explaining the premise of the company, John is also quick to mention ASIJ, the middle school computer lab and the influence Japan has had on him and his brother. “When we were thinking about building this company, my twin brother and I thought back to where we learned to write software. Let’s call it YEN, the actual national currency. It was an obvious tie in to what we do now.” The namecheck also references the massive hand Japanese innovators have played in shaping the cryptocurrency landscape.

The 2008 Bitcoin whitepaper, which is considered a manifesto of sorts for cryptocurrency programmers, was written under the alias Satoshi Nakamoto. While the identity of the author is one of crypto’s biggest mysteries, many still look to Japan as the origin of Bitcoin. From there, Japan led the charge for nearly a decade, both in terms of cryptocurrency adoption and formulating some of the first government exchange licenses and regulations in the world. In 2017, the Japanese yen accounted for approximately half of Bitcoin trading volume worldwide, according to Mark Bivens ’89, a Tokyobased investor and Board Partner at Truffle Venture Capital, who has written extensively on Bitcoin and cryptocurrency in Japan. As new financial centers in Asia rose to prominence, Tokyo held promise as the breeding ground for decentralized financial enterprises. “Cryptocurrency could potentially represent an opportunity to regain relevance,” said Bivens.

However, the ecosystem in Japan has changed abruptly due to a series of scandals, including embezzlement and hacking cases at major exchanges, most notably Mt. Gox in 2014 and Coincheck in 2018. In total, these cases have represented a loss of over one billion US dollars. The Japanese government responded in kind by passing broad regulatory legislation.

“It effectively closed off Japan as a source of funding for ICO projects, despite the appetite,” explains Bivens, who says the regulatory landscape for cryptocurrency in Japan remains in flux.

While Japan’s future in the field is uncertain, John maintains he wants to pay homage to its past and cryptocurrency foundations in the country. The name YEN gives credit to Japan for its success and failures. “They were the first ones that had to stress test the technology and the politics, so the entire world is learning every day from Japan,” John says.

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 Coincheck CEO Koichiro Wada at a news conference in Tokyo (Photo: Toru Hanai/Reuters) “Most countries are open to cryptocurrency because the Japanese government and community has paved the way.”

Cryptocurrency’s future, in Japan and internationally, is hotly debated, but most agree it is a nascent technology.

“We’re still very much in the dial-up stage, so the answer is no one knows what the future holds. So as a business we have to think in decades not years.” Rather than cementing YEN’s revenue models at this stage in the operation, he admits, “the name of the game is survival. If you can survive the ups and down, the seasonality, the crypto-winters and the crypto-summers, you’re going to have a successful company.

The ones from the net days that didn’t quit that are still here are billion-dollar companies.”

More than unicorn aspirations, John says he has jumped into the volatile cryptocurrency industry, first and foremost, because it is the most intellectually stimulating work he has done in his career. “This is keeping me really young. There is no technology more exciting in the world right now than this, cause it’s changing everything.” For those of a certain age who remain skeptical of the technology, given the headlines, the scandals, and the volatility, John believes that even those who are holding out now “will most likely be using a decentralized service in their lifetime and they won’t even know it.” With hopes that cryptocurrency continues its climb to mass adoption, John is one ASIJ alum that has created a business that could potentially ride out the industry’s ascent.

No doubt, cryptocurrency is a firebrand technology and with YEN, John is adding kindling to the flame.

Serena’s Search for an Autism Cure Claire Lonergan profiles PhD candidate Serena Tamura ’08 and her neuropharmacological research into autism spectrum disorder.

(Photo: Martin Voss) THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2019

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Awarded the “most likely to be a superhero” senior surperlative when she was in high school, Serena Tamura ’08 is on track to becoming just that with her cutting-edge research into autism. Currently a PhD candidate at the University of California San Francisco, in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics (PSPG) degree program, Serena’s research in the Ahituv Lab is in neuropharmacogenomics.

There her work encompasses functional genomics and development of CRISPR based gene editing platforms and translational therapies. Serena was recently awarded a predoctoral fellowship from the Autism Science Foundation, which will start in September 2019.

Serena’s whole face lights up at the mention of ASIJ and her energy is contagious. An active, passionate and extremely creative student in high school, Serena could often be found rehearsing for the next musical, working hard on the student council, or commanding a room for speech club. She credits ASIJ for shaping her as a person and giving her the tools to be successful in university and beyond.

After graduating from ASIJ, Serena went on to Stanford University where she originally intended to study religious studies and philosophy. She declared human biology as her major in her sophomore year and received her bachelor’s in human biology, neurobiology and behavior. Serena originally applied to Stanford because her family had a personal connection to the university. Her great grandmother and grandmother were both custodians at Stanford after the war, and then her father was also previously a gardener at Stanford before being accepted as a transfer student.

“Stanford has been good to our family in that they have given us a lot of opportunity to better our circumstances through education, Serena shares. “It meant a lot to my family that I was accepted as a fully fledged student and was able to live in the dorms and have the quintessential college experience.

I was a cheerleader at Stanford for two years, which was so much fun, I think my parents were happy that I was doing the most with my college experience, and not just locking myself up in the library!” Stanford is also where Serena really discovered her passion for science and today she shares her experience as a student at ASIJ as well as the breakthrough research she is engaged in.

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CL

What brought your family to Japan and ASIJ?

My parents moved my brother Nathan Tanaka ’05 and I from the San Francisco Bay Area to Tokyo after my dad was awarded a tenure professorship at Musashino University in 2001. My parents were self-payers and they moved mountains to send us to ASIJ. They wanted to invest in our education as well as our social and emotional

ST

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development, which they felt that ASIJ prioritized along with academic rigor. Nathan and I also knew that we wanted to attend college in the United State so it was important that we had access to take AP classes and all the necessary prerequisites. My parents decision to send me to ASIJ was one of the most significant opportunities that they’ve facilitated for me, and I am so grateful to them and for the financial aid that ASIJ also afforded to my education.

You’re currently a PhD candidate at University of California San Francisco (UCSF) in the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomic Program. Can you explain in lay terms what that means and what you are working on?

CL

The Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics Program at UCSF is an interdisciplinary PhD program that inter sec t s dr ug discover y, ther apeutic development, pharmacology and genetics. It is well understood that medications and treatments are not one size fits all, because our genetics and the environment can influence our response to these treatments. Our training is on how to design and construct smarter, more effective and safe treatments than what’s currently being prescribed. We do this by considering variability in individual genetic backgrounds.

ST

My research takes place inside the cell’s nucleus. I comb through the DNA using specialized technology to catch genetic mutations that lead to human disease. I use gene editing tools like CRISPR, which can be thought of as a surgical scalpel to edit DNA, to fix these mutations. My thesis work is on developing a safe and novel gene therapy to rescue one of the most devastating and commonly occurring mutations associated to an extremely severe form of autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability. This mutation does not allow cells in the brain to mature and develop typically.

There are no medications to treat autism spectrum disorder, let alone to fix this extremely debilitating mutation—that’s where I come in! I’ve been able to fix and restore the cells that carry this mutation, and I am working to validate and optimize this method.

CL

What is your research/work like day-to-day?

I try my hardest to stick to regular working hours, but that requires next level time management that takes years to hone. I generally have a loose plan of what experiments I want to prioritize over the next two weeks, and then I adjust my day to day according to my experimental results, my scheduled meetings and what seminars I want to attend. Though each day might look different, I always start my day by going to the gym, because taking care of your physical and mental health is essential when tackling a PhD. We’re in for the long haul, so it’s imperative that we actively preserve some time to ourselves.

ST

(Photo: Martin Voss)

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 Serena in ASIJ's 2008 production of Grease with fellow co-stars Hannah Brennan 08 (left) and Julia Sohn 08 (right).

I’m usually in lab by 8am where I prepare the chemicals and solutions I need for the day and then I start the experiment with the longest incubation time. In order to optimize my time, I run multiple experiments at once and I try to take breaks only when they coincide with long holds or incubation times.

During my morning incubations, I run home and get ready for the day and come back to lab in time to stop the reaction.

Next, I dive further into my experiments, which includes a lot of molecular cloning and basic cell biology. The exact experiments change depending on the week, but you can often find me constructing bits of DNA to test its function in immortalized cells or extracting RNA from brain tissue or even single neurons to study the effects of the treatment I am developing.

I try to get to a stopping point by the afternoon so I can transition to my experiments that require model organisms.

I have a mouse colony that carries the specific genetic mutation that I am attempting to fix, so I not only conduct essential experiments using these mice, but I also do general maintenance and husbandry. After finishing my mouse work, I’ll try to squeeze in one more experiment that requires an overnight incubation before I leave for the day at around 6:00 pm so that I can hit the ground running the next morning.

When I get home from lab, I’m answering emails and am reading papers. I’m also always working on a grant application or a presentation so there’s always more work to do in the evenings and on the weekends. In the evening I prepare dinner, spend time with my husband Andrew and play with our dogs Soma and Kuma. Experimental research is a huge test in time management and multitasking, but once you have your system down there is a lot of autonomy over your day to day, which I really enjoy.

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CL

How did you decide on this specific PhD program?

ST

I chose this program because UCSF is a pioneer in scientific discovery research and is also the highest

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National Institutes of Health funded public institution, so there are lots of resources and exciting projects happening within our labs. UCSF is also unique in that it’s located in the heart of one of the biggest biotech hubs in the world. Many of our professors at UCSF have spun off startups and companies founded on the research produced within our academic labs.

This was especially attractive to me because I applied to graduate school with no intention of doing a postdoc or staying in academia. I want to graduate with my PhD and work in the biotech industry and I knew that UCSF would be a good environment to pursue that goal, and that the Pharmaceutical Sciences and Pharmacogenomics program would give me the best training. It was also important to me that I conduct research at a university with a medical center. I am motivated to conduct research in an effort to improve human health, and UCSF researchers pride ourselves in our ability to, “leverage discovery to revolutionize care,” so having both a strong research institution and a top tier hospital is a huge advantage.

Another big factor is that I had a long research career at Stanford, which is just 30 miles away from UCSF, so it was a win-win to be close enough to preserve those collaborations, while also diversifying my training with a different institution.

CL

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a PhD candidate?

Imposter Syndrome, which is a very common pattern of internalized self doubt, is a huge challenge of being a PhD candidate. It’s easy to feel like you’re a “fraud” or that you might be exposed that you’re not smart enough to make it in science. This is a very common challenge that all PhD candidates face at some point in their graduate school career.

Another huge challenge is that there are no grades or tangible check boxes to measure your progress. Unlike undergraduate, masters or professional degree programs, PhDs are really long with open ended projects. Research milestones are vague, years away, evolve all the time and there is no guarantee that

ST

your hypothesis is correct. There are no answers in the back of the textbook to check if you’re on the right path (also, there are no textbooks) and our professors don’t have a magic answer key to predict the fate of your research. There are no midterms or finals to measure your research progress. All you can do is take on the challenge and arm yourself with background research, technical proficiency and mentorship to tackle these questions.

Sometimes it feels like you’re standing at the edge of the cliff, and the only way to know if you’ll fly or fall is to just jump and trust the research process. I find that the key to overcoming imposter syndrome and the lack of tangible progress is by reframing your thinking. Make short term goals for yourself and aim for progress, not perfection!

CL

Did you enjoy science in high school?

Strong no. I took the required science classes and they really didn’t click with me. I think at the time I was operating under my own assumptions that I wasn’t cut out for science, so I was too intimidated to receive the material. Also, the material felt very conceptual and didn’t motivate me. Many people who knew me at ASIJ were surprised that I ended up pursuing a PhD in the basic sciences, because I spent most of my time on the second floor in the humanities and social sciences classrooms. It wasn’t until I went to Stanford for undergrad where I learned that something as intangible as behavior can be dictated by ones biology. Another huge factor was representation. The first professor who I conducted research with was a really inspiring female scientist who was outgoing, unapologetically smart, a truly talented scientist and she recognized my potential. She took the time to understand what truly motivated me, which was the aspiration to help others, and she showed me how I can achieve that through research. The rest is history!

ST

CL

CL

Who would you say was the most impactful teacher you had at ASIJ?

What do you see yourself doing in five years?

I hope to be working as a scientist in biotech. I’d ST love to start as an experimental scientist within the CRISPR space and over time possibly transition to a business development role or into biotech investment.

CL

Coming of age in Tokyo. Riding bikes around Tama, going to all-night karaoke in Shibuya, always being just a few steps away from delicious food and being able to rely on public transportation was really special. Having those shared experiences with friends from ASIJ is so meaningful. No matter how much time passes by, when the stars finally align and we’re able to reconnect, it’s like we’re back in the high school courtyard eating chahan and chicken cutlet sandwiches again. Mariko Funai ’08 and Glynis O’Bryant ’08 among other dear friends have shown me what lasting and unconditional friendship looks like.

ST

What type of student were you?

I was really active in high school. I was heavily involved with Student Council, the Gay Straight Student Alliance, the National Honor Society, Speech Team and was a year round Thespian. I also took a full course load of AP and honors classes. I remember being very busy and very stressed at times, but I had a lot of fun too! Weekend rehearsals for the spring musical were always a lot of hard work, but it was so much fun to be in a creative and supportive space.

ST

I knew this question was coming and I was dreading having to answer it because so many of my teachers shaped who I am today! In middle school, Mr Hoover (FF ’94–’05) really stands out. He taught me how to think critically, to shape an argument and most importantly, how to respectfully have a discussion with others who might not share the same viewpoint. He also introduced me to the Autobiography of Malcolm X, which I’ve re-read almost every year since he assigned the book to us in eighth grade. It’s almost impossible to single out an impactful teacher from high school. Ms Krauth (current faculty) changed my life. She took my raw interest in social justice and pushed me to be a truly compassionate and socially aware individual. She taught me that being a global citizen requires active and intentional work, and I carry that sentiment with me when I approach my research. Ms Gotterson (FF ’01–’17), Ms Onions (FF ’96–’16) and Ms Noll (current faculty) molded me into a confident and effective public speaker, which has become one of my greatest assets in my professional and research career, because communicating science is just as important as actually conducting the experiments. Mr Welckle (current faculty) taught me how to form a thesis statement and how to organize a supporting argument, a skill that I use regularly when I write research papers and grants. Mr Staples (FF ’98–’08) taught me to stop, smell and listen to the cherry blossoms. Mr Olson (FF ’83–’87, ’88–’91, ’94–’14) showed me unwavering kindness and support. The entire math department showed me so much patience and encouragement. Mr Huber (FF ’88–’17) taught me that joy and discipline go hand in hand, may he rest in peace and harmony. Thank you to all of my teachers, I hope you all know how much of an impact you had and continue to have on my life. My teachers at ASIJ taught me to be fearless, humble and relentless.

ST

CL

Is there any advice you would you give to your high school self?

If you are up in the middle of the night studying for an exam the next day, you’re doing it wrong. It is more effective to go to bed, wake up early, have a good breakfast and revisit your notes than to stay up all night cramming. Trust me, I’m in my 20th year of school!

ST

CL

What did you enjoy most about your experience at ASIJ?

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(Photo: Martin Voss)

CL

Tell us about a standout experience you have from your time at ASIJ.

During my last school assembly as student body president I took a huge risk and performed a slam poetry inspired piece instead of a standard speech.

I started writing the piece while I was backstage of our spring musical, Grease. I was struck by inspiration and was overwhelmed at the thought of graduating and leaving ASIJ for good. I spoke to the entire student body from a very vulnerable and authentic place, and thankfully it was really well received. I was truly moved and saw so clearly how supportive the ASIJ community can be. I remember after I finished, I felt like I could leave ASIJ knowing that I was confident, truly myself and was ready to tackle my next chapter in life.

than how to memorize facts, which was how to learn and to be resourceful with my education. Even though I was new to the subject material, I was confident that I could tackle it and that I would eventually get there.

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CL

How would you say ASIJ most prepared you for where you are now?

ASIJ prepared me most by teaching me to have a growth mindset, which gave me the confidence to tackle challenges outside of my comfort zone. I did not enjoy or pursue science in high school, so I didn’t have the fundamentals of organic chemistry and cell biology mastered like my classmates at Stanford did. But I stayed persistent and confident that I would get there. I didn’t let my lack of fact-based knowledge hold me back, because my teachers at ASIJ taught me something even more valuable

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CL

In your free time, what can you be found doing?

I’m probably in the kitchen meal prepping lunches and dinners for the week while watching Bob’s Burger or The Office. I also love to bake, and I have recently been experimenting with making low carbohydrate and sugar free baked goods and chocolates, which has been so much fun. It’s like doing a science experiment, but you can actually eat the product! When I’m not cooking or baking in the kitchen, I’m usually going on urban hikes around San Francisco with my incredibly supportive husband Andrew and our two dogs Soma and Kuma.

ST

CL

Tell us something that would surprise people most about you?

ST

I still use the same TI-83 calculator that I used since eighth grade. It’s 15 years old and it still works great!

FUNDRAISING UPDATE 18–19 We give to ASIJ because we believe in supporting an engaged community that provides enriching educational opportunities.

—Heidi and Cris Regent

1902 Society Donors

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ASIJ Fund

Results Summary

Through Mar 31

¥50M

The 2018–19 ASIJ Fund is off to a strong start. We embraced Giving Tuesday (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving) this year and that helped generate incremental gifts during the crucial holiday/year end tax period. The ASIJ Fund received donations of ¥36 million through March 31, 2019, up ¥15 million on last year, and giving is up across all constituency groups.

¥45M ¥40M ¥35M

¥36M

¥30M ¥25M ¥20M

Special thank you to all of you that have already made your annual contribution to the 2018–19 ASIJ Fund! Your donations help us enhance the ASIJ experience for students and allows us to strengthen the ASIJ alumni network around the world.

¥21M

¥15M ¥10M ¥5M ¥0M

2017–18 2018–19 ¥21,698,729 ¥36,867,119

Giving by Constituency 350

333

300 250 200

2017–18

255

150

2018–19

153

100

170

50 0

46

57 Total Donors

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Alumni

77

Parents

#Give2ASIJ

78 86

9

27

Alumni Parents Faculty/Staff

THE GATE SOCIETY Members

The Gate Society is ASIJ’s giving society for those who have arranged a planned gift.

One option is to make a bequest in your will or living trust. You simply name ASIJ (or in the USA, “Give2Asia/ASIJ) as the beneficiary.

You can pledge a fixed amount or a percentage of your estate.

A bequest allows you to: • Make a gift to ASIJ. • Provides you with continued access to your wealth.

• Gives you the flexibility to change your mind.

• Eases any concerns about outliving your resources.

• Provides estate tax deduction.

• Creates a lasting legacy at ASIJ.

Planned giving is easy!

¥ or

$ Bequest Step 1 Name ASIJ as a beneficiary

Estate Tax Deduction Step 2 Your estate receives favorable tax benefit

Gift to ASIJ

Anderson, Irene ’74 & Somes, James Bergt, David E. ’60 & Jeannine C. Cohen, Frederick I. ’69 Cooper, Peter R. & Pamela Downs, Vicky Glazier, Kenneth C. ’67 ‡ Harris, Frederick P. ‡ Haven, Robert D. Hesselink, Ann P. ’71 ‡ Hoffsommer, Abigail ’27 ‡ Hoffsommer, Walter A. ’29 Huddle, James R. ’70 Jones-Morton, Pamela Ludlow-Ortner, Julia C. ’72 Muhl, Richard R. ‡ Nicodemus, David B. ’33 Proctor, David M. Shibata, Hideko Y. ’66 ‡ Snyder, Ronald J. ‡ Sullivan, John J. Sundberg, Carl E. ’77 Suzuki, Chizu ’64 Tunis, Jeffrey S. Ware, Brent J. ’74 ‡ Deceased

Step 3 Your estate delivers an enduring contribution to ASIJ

nother option is to name ASIJ as a beneficiary on A your IRA, 401K or other retirement account.

If you like the idea of saving taxes and supporting ASIJ, please contact Peter Pierce, Director of Advancement, at ppierce@asij.ac.jp to learn more.

If you have already added ASIJ to your estate plans, please let us know so we can recognize your generosity by including you in the Gate Society.

#Give2ASIJ

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2019

47

¥6 MILLION MATCH OPPORTUNITY A generous alumnus has committed to match all gifts from new donors or increased giving from repeat donors through June 30, 2019.

By making a new or increased donation, you can help us unlock this matching gift opportunity and help us secure an additional ¥6,000,000 that can be put to use for ASIJ. Please join us in making a gift to the ASIJ Fund today!

ASIJ changed my life—I learned more critical thinking skills in high school than in college. I attribute that to the interdisciplinary, progressive-thinking ASIJ curriculum. Mrs Lendon showed me tools to write and how to use them to concisely express my point of view.

Mr Gallagher opened my eyes to history and although he taught US history he interspersed world events to add colorful dimensions to our learning. He taught us that what we read is not necessarily what happened—censorship abounds. Miss Angelakos taught French, but I clearly remember her spending weeks teaching us English grammar because we all needed to know what future past perfect is. Mr Totero instilled in us that life is not fair (repeatedly) which in turn prepared me early for all the bumps on the road ahead in my life.

Mr Nimori said art is in every form everywhere and we should appreciate its beauty for its own merits, not based on others’ forced interpretation. My four years at ASIJ are the best years of my academic education.

My giving back to ASIJ is in appreciation of my experience then. I doubt I’d be where I am today without my ASIJ experience. I wish my son Ryan could have a high school experience like mine.

—Mary Harada ’81

Courtyard Circle Donor

#Give2ASIJ

ALUMNI

Reunions

2019 San Francisco, California

ALUMNI RECEPTION THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2019

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ALUMNI

2019

Alumni Reception San Francisco, California February 2, 2019

Each year ASIJ hosts a community reception in the United States for our alumni, alumni parents, former faculty and friends who reside there. The annual affair is intended for our community members to come together and reminisce about their time in Tokyo and share updates on what they are up to now. This year, we were on the West Coast in the Golden City—San Francisco. The reception was held on Saturday, February 2 at the historic landmark hotel, The Fairmont.

Almost 200 alumni, former faculty and friends came out to celebrate, despite the rainy winter weather, and gathered at the top of the Fairmont in the grand Crown Room which has sweeping views of the city and of the iconic Golden Gate Bridge.

Head of school Jim Hardin was in attendance, along with our incoming Deputy Head of School Scott Wilcox, who got his first look at the bond our alumni share and the deep connection they have to ASIJ. Peter Pierce, Director of Advancement and Claire Lonergan Assistant Director of Development and Alumni Relations also attended the event and were thrilled to be part of their very first ASIJ community reception. Guests reconnected with old friends, made new connections and were heard exchanging stories about their time at ASIJ.

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THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Reunions

Ingun Schneider ’62 and her husband Frederick

Gary Yamada ’00, Phillip Lipscy ’97 and Jane Yamada (AP ’93–’00)

ALUMNI

Reunions

Aria LeMenager ’00 and her mother Susan Huber (FF ’88–’17)

Dan DiCicco ’89, Thomas Paslay ’87 and Scott Bretschneider ’87

Julie Lin and her husband Jason Mothersill ’04, Michael Stevens ’04

Richard Gilbert ’96 and Dennis Hudachek ’96

Kyle Kawamura ’90, Michelle and Edward Smith ’90, and Cindy Kawamura ’90 Michael Richards ’70, Stephanie Anderson ’70 and Kristine Durfee (FF ’86–’93)

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51

ALUMNI

Reunions

Sophia Slater ’04, Mei Sun Li ’56 and Pauline Vasché (FF ’65–’67)

Emily Vo ’14, Joey Yamada ’14, Maya Tromburg ’14, Kiara Honma ’14 and Brett Maurer ’14

The evening was set to begin at 7pm however for some it kicked-off a bit earlier, with a strong cohort from the class of ’87 meeting in the iconic Laurel Court Restaurant and Bar at the Fairmont for happy hour beforehand.

The main event was a special evening where alumni from across the generations—from the Class of ’56 to recent graduates from the Class of ’18—were brought together by their shared connection to the school. There were also a number of former faculty in attendance, such as Susan Huber (FF ’88–’17), Don Chambers (FF ’89–’11), Nicole Chambers (FF ’03–’11), Kristine Durfee (FF ’86–’93), Jeremy Durfee (FF ’85–’93), Doug Rowe (FF ’92–’99) and Pauline Vasché (FF ’65–’67).

Erika Chin ’03, Guillermo Huerta and Melissa Romaine Huerta ’03, and Amy Nguyen ’03

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Mei Sun Li ’56 gave a lovely tribute to the late Helen Dewey (FF ’52–’56) and shared the incredible impact Helen had on her and her classmates’ lives. Mei Sun shared that Helen played a major role in her decision to pursue a college education and choice of Vassar College, and explained that it was the value of her educators at ASIJ that truly helped shape her life. Mei Sun and Helen remained close up until her death on January 3, 2019. (Read more on Helen Dewey on page 62)

ALUMNI

Reunions

Dr Jim Hardin gave a brief presentation outlining the new strategic design framework and the school’s priorities for this year, and he also shared a few updates from Chofu. Alumni were in awe of the photos from campus and particularly the new look of the main field, the high school commons (previously known as the book locker area), tennis court lights and a revamped high school gymnasium. Many guests expressed how it has been many years since they visited campus and that they loved getting a glimpse of what life on campus is like for Mustangs today.

As is often the case with ASIJ get-togethers, many did not want to night to end leading to a number of groups splitting off for various nijikai (after parties) afterwards.

Be on the lookout for information on our next community gathering, which will take place in New York City in February 2020!

Reza Bloomer ’10, Junji Harlow ’01, Hana Kelley ’10 and Jena Bloomer ’12

Kazuto Kim ’17, Ryan Hieu Vo ’17, Justin McAuliffe ’17, Dior Ikeda ’16, and Brett Maurer ’14

Kathy Kobata ’71 and Mary Chow ’71

Aki Chaffin ’12 and her husband Ian, Kayla Noguchi ’12, Glyn Noguchi ’09, Christian Brown ’12 and Julia Anderson

Stephen Pratt ’80, Per Sigurdson ’91 and his wife Linda

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ALUMNI

Upcoming Reunions

Classes of 70s Reunion Lake Buena Vista Resort Village & Spa, Orlando, Florida July 2–July 5, 2019 Cheryl Wise (shareallwise@gmail.com)

’09 54

10th Reunion Los Angeles, California Aug 17, 2019, Details soon

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

’14

’99

5th Reunion Japan & USA Summer 2019, Details soon Sayuri Sekimitsu (sayurisekimitsu@gmail.com) and Akira Camargo (akiracamargo01@gmail.com)

20th Reunion Tokyo, Japan Oct 2–4, 2019 Naomi Hayase (naomidhayase@gmail.com) and Tamina Plum (taminaplum@gmail.com)

ALUMNI

Class Agents

Classes pre-1955 and those noted below need class agents. Please contact alumni@asij.ac.jp if you are interested.

1955 William L. Cryderman

1964 David Bonner

1956 Mei Sun Li

1965 Class Agent Required

wcryderman@comcast.net

meisunli@comcast.net Sandra L. Maclver Thompson sandra.thompson3@comcast.net

1957 Charles C. Wu

wucc57@gmail.com

1958 Class Agent Required 1959 Class Agent Required 1960 David E. Bergt

dbergt@comcast.net

1961 Stu Bennett

stu.bennettCEO@ SanFranciscoSeamaster.com

1962 Katherine C. Bauernschmidt Clarke kcbclarke@gmail.com

1963 Nancy Wu

naninvan@me.com William L. Martino txmartino@yahoo.com

dbonner@regenevita.com

1966 Annie Nichols Campbell

1973 Class Agent Required 1974 Class Agent Required 1975 Reiko E. Niimi

rniimi@gmail.com

campbell.annie@gmail.com

1967 Grenda F. Penhollow Moss

1976 Elizabeth M. Yanagihara Horwitz liz@lizhorwitz.com

grendamoss@yahoo.com

1968 David T. Sakamoto

dave.sakamoto@ infoontheweb.com Nicholas D. Connor ndconnor@yahoo.com

1969 Laura B. Hertenstein Swanson laura@swanson.com

1970 Daniel Garnitz

dangar46@yahoo.com

1971 Kathy K. Kobata

kkobata21@gmail.com

1972 Linda Suzukawa-Tseng

sutseng@wonder.ocn.ne.jp

1977 Carl E. Sundberg

carl_sundberg_ja@yahoo.com

1978 Deanna Adams Smith

deannasmith1959@gmail.com

1979 Class Agent Required 1980 Class Agent Required 1981 Sherry L. Davis Tighe

tighezoo@sbcglobal.net

1982 Lisa Bastick

omalasq@mac.com

1983 George Mimura

georgemimura@yahoo.com

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ALUMNI

1984 Judith Walsh Baumhover

baumhover@earthlink.net

1985 Sandra L. Orton Tweed

sandra@prestonmatthews.com

1986 Diane E. Stewart Wack diwack@msn.com

1987 Robert L. Sharp

robert@redgiant.com

1988 Kathrine L. Schmitt Simon

schm0495@gold.tc.umn.edu Sergei P. Hasegawa sergei@purekitchen.com

1989 Linnea M. Hasegawa

tamagomeshi@yahoo.com Samantha Fritz Hurd samf@austin.rr.com

1990 Kentaro K. Relnick krelnick@me.com

1991 Maiko Galles

maikomizutani@hotmail.com

1992 Daniel Brandt

dbrandttennis@gmail.com

1993 Katherine S. Sakuma Moore ktsakuma@yahoo.com McMahon T. Reid homereid@mit.edu

1994 Margaret R. MacCallum

margaretreiko@gmail.com Midori Kano mkano128@gmail.com

1995 Yuki P. Maddox Vos

pearlvos@hotmail.com

1996 Hisashi A. Shimizu

sunny_shimizu@hotmail.com

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THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN

Class Agents

1997 Sarah Godfrey

sgodfrey617@gmail.com Vicky (Carter) Chen vickycarter@hotmail.com

1998 Kacie E. Rosenberg Leviton kacie_r@hotmail.com

Rose E. Hastings rosehastings@gmail.com

1999 Naomi D. Hayase

naomidhayase@gmail.com Tamina M. Plum taminaplum@gmail.com

2009 Ashley Teslik

ashleyteslik@gmail.com Caitlin E. McHose caitlin.mchose@gmail.com

2010 Janet H. Kanzawa

janet.kanzawa@gmail.com Kana Maeji kanamaeji12@gmail.com

2011 Hannah T. Siegel

hannahtsiegel@gmail.com Philip T. Tseng philtseng7@gmail.com

2000 Gary T. Yamada

2012 Seung Joon Sung

2001 Class Agent Required

2013 Andrew Deck

gtyamada@gmail.com

2002 Anna L. Tuttle Delia

annalynnosu@gmail.com Mitsuhiko Tsukimoto moonbook@gmail.com

sjsung94@gmail.com

andrewdeck227@gmail.com Lia Camargo lollia1108@gmail.com

2014 Akira Camargo

akinicamargo0125@gmail.com

2003 Class Agent Required 2004 Jason Mothersill

jasonmothersill@gmail.com

2005 Tatsuya Izumi

izumtat@gmail.com

2006 Tai Dirkse

tdirkse@asij.ac.jp Mana Sasaki Kalohelani mkalohelani@gmail.com

2007 Rosalind E. Onions

rosalind.onions@gmail.com Carly Baird baird.carly@gmail.com

2008 Jemil Satterfield

jemilsatt05@gmail.com Miles Bird miles.t.bird@gmail.com

Sayuri Sekimitsu sayuris@stanford.edu

2015 Mina F. Hattori

minahattori@me.com

2016 Jayne K. Harris

16jkharris@gmail.com Ray M. Hotta ray.hotta@yahoo.com

2017 Andy Takagi

andy.takagi@gmail.com Allessandra Rogers rogeal01@luther.edu

2018 Hikari Shumsky

hikarishumsky@gmail.com

Artifacts Built in 1954, the Mayer Gym was dedicated to Dr Paul Mayer, who served on ASIJ’s Board of Directors for 20 years. Mayer served on the Board during the preand post-war eras and signed over the school property to Kiyomi Hashimoto on December 1, 1941 in a ten-year lease to ensure that the building would survive the coming conflict. Mayer was also instrumental in transitioning the school back to its civilian form following its military control during the Occupation.

This bronze plaque adorned the wall of the Mayer Gym from its dedication in 1954 until the campus moved to Chofu in 1964. His four daughters Ruth Borst ’29, Frances Rikli ’36, Jean Mayer ’38 and Florence Mayer ’40 all attended ASIJ. (An obituary for Jean, who passed away recently, can be found on page 61)

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COMMUNITY

Obituaries

Sayonara GABRIEL IRETON ’57 passed away on Aug 15, 2018. GabrieI was born in New York in 1939, the ‘Year of the Rabbit’, and as he says, he has been “hopping [his] way through life from one hutch to another.”

Gabriel was, at heart, a story-teller and, later, a newsman.

He came by it honestly though—his father, Glenn Ireton, worked in the entertainment industry for several decades.

As a public relations figure at Warner Brothers’ in Canada, Glenn and his wife, Barbara, raised Gabriel and his two older sisters. The family later moved to Washington DC and then in 1951 his father moved to Japan to work as a civilian public relations specialist for the US military. His family, however, remained in DC and shortly thereafter Glenn and his wife divorced.

During Glenn’s first few years in Japan, Gabriel remained in the US with his mother and sisters. But during his sophomore year he decided to join his father in Tokyo. As Gabriel tells it, it was “the rabbit’s first big jump.”

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Gabriel arrived in Tokyo in 1955 at Haneda airport after a 40 hour flight. By this time his father was no longer working for the military and had started a successful monthly magazine called Movie/TV Marketing that had subscribers in over 120 countries. In fact, Glenn and his second wife, Kikuko “Kiko” Kobayashi, are credited as being “pioneers in presenting news about the Japanese film industry to the world… [and] instrumental in introducing Japanese films at major international festivals, including Cannes…” (Japan Times).

They often collaborated with Ichizo Kobayashi of Toho, Shiro Kido of Shochiku studio, and other leading Japanese film tycoons. As their publishing office was located in their home, Gabriel soon became a part of the family business.

In fact, Gabriel claims that his family came up with the name “Godzilla.” While this story has not been confirmed

by Toho, neither has any other story about the legend of Godzilla’s name.

In ASIJ Memories: The Meguro Years (which he compiled and edited in 2012), Gabriel wrote that “…[our family] often came up with English-language titles to Japanese movies to

COMMUNITY promote advertising for movie export by such companies as Daiei, Shochiku and Toho. After all, “Shinjuku Monogatari” wouldn’t fly in America.” As the family legend goes, his father brought home movie still pictures one evening and explained to his son and wife that they needed to provide Toho with a name for the monster in the film. Gabriel thought it looked like a gorilla, but his father corrected him and said it was “supposed to be a god-like monster.” So Gabriel threw out the name “Godrilla” before being reminded by his step-mother, Kiko, that the name might be used in Japan as well as the US, so it needed to be easily to pronounce in both countries. So, the name “Godzilla” was born around the Ireton’s dining room table. He also claims that Kiko came up with the name “Mothra” and he himself named the monster “Rodan” after the famous sculptor, Rodin.

Despite a self-described rocky adolescence filled with atrocious grades in the US, Gabriel settled in at ASIJ for his final two years of high school. His D-average transformed into a B+ and he soon become involved in several school wide activities. In 1956 when the US Presidential election between Eisenhower and Stevenson was in full swing, he participated in the high school’s mock election. This event, and Gabriel himself, were prominently featured in the Stars and Stripes U.S. military newspaper. That was not his only early run-in with journalism. He admitted that while at ASIJ he started a “pirate newspaper” to compete with the official “Tok-Hi Shimbun.” When looking back at his time at ASIJ in ASIJ Memories, he fondly recalls the teachers that inspired him and friends that he cherished—his years at ASIJ transformed his life.

After graduating from ASIJ in 1957, he attended a Jesuit college in the Philippines. While there his studies took a back seat to his work as an entertainer and newsman.

On the weekends he was a bit-part actor in Sampaguita Pictures’s movies and he began writing a regular column in the Filipino magazine, Kislap-Graphic. Soon his talent for singing and playing Elvis Presley songs became known and he spent his nights and weekends performing throughout Luzon island. He soon returned to Japan for a few months, but as his “rabbit jumping instincts” took over, he became dissatisfied with a sedentary and stable life. So in 1958, Gabriel joined the US Navy.

He attended the Navy’s journalist school in Illinois and during his four-year enlistment he served as radio newsman and television anchorman for the Armed Forces Radio and Television Service in Panama and as a public information officer in California and New York. After his active enlistment ended in 1962, he attended the University of Maryland and studied journalism while also acting as the associate editor for a weekly military newspaper and serving as a radio host in the DC area. It was during this time that he had the unfortunate duty to report on the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the “biggest story of [his] career.”

Obituaries

 Gabriel with his "Goon Squad" from left to right: Andy Blum ’58, Teddy Bell ’57, John Kirkpatrick ’57, Gabriel Ireton ’57, Charles Wu ’57, Tim Slough ’58  Gabriel with Andy Blum in 2012

After college he began working in the newspaper industry earnestly. Eventually he would become a staff writer at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for over two decades. During this time he also became a regular freelance writer for The Washington Post. As a newsmen from the late ’60s through the ’90s, he was able to witness the transition of the newspaper industry from typewriters and Linotype to computers. He retired in 1991 after 22 years of dedicated service in journalism.

But, alas, his rabbit-like personality could not take retirement sitting down. From 1992 to 2011 he ran his own advertising agency in Pennsylvania. He had already made the leap from typewriters to computers in his journalism career, but now he had to make one more technological jump into the future: he learned how to develop websites for his customers.

In 2011 Gabriel decided to close his business and head down south to Texas to be closer to his children and grandchildren.

He spent the next several years surrounded by a loving family. He is survived by his daughter, Helen, his son, Karl, and many grandchildren.

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COMMUNITY DOROTHY ELIZABETH CLARK (AP ’65–’68, ’69–’71, ’74–’77, ’78–’81) died peacefully on Nov 16 surrounded by her family.

Dorothy had a BS and RN from Baylor University, was a Southern Baptist missionary and mother of alumni David ’71, Mimi ’77, Barbie ’78, Magi ’81 and Anna ’88. Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Rev Gene A. Clark, and by her son, Dr David R. Clark.

COMMANDER WILLIAM HENRY CURTIS ’54 “Captain Billy” was surrounded by his family at the time of his death on Oct 21, 2018, at the age of 82. William was born in Kansas City, MO, and attended ASIJ from 1948-1952. After graduating from The University of Missouri and receiving his MBA at The Wharton School of Finance and Commerce,William attended Culver Military Academy Naval Summer School. He was a 20-year veteran of the US Navy. William loved to sail and travel, and he was extremely active in his community.

He was a member of many clubs and was a board member of Children’s Discovery Museum of San Jose, Chamber of Commerce of San Jose, the Building Board of O’Conner’s Hospital in San Jose, Tahoe-Truckee Community Foundation, the Texas Rangers Foundation and a trustee of the Curtis-Welsh Memorial Fund and the William H & Margaretha R. Curtis Charitable Trust.

Bill will be missed by his wife, Greta, of 53 years, his four children and their spouses, and his 12 grandchildren.

RONALD (RON) GEORGE KORVER (AP ’58–’79) died at the age of 92 on May 8, 2018 in Green Bay, WI. He is survived by his wife Ruby, Kathern ’71, Michael ’72, Mark ’77, Kristy ’79, 11 grandchildren, two greatgrandchildren, one sister and five brothers.

Ron spent most of his life in Japan as a career missionary with the Reformed Church in American (RCA) and was sent to Japan in 1948 for his initial three-year service. While in Japan, he met his wife, Ruby. Following his assignment

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Obituaries in Japan, Ron studied at NYU Biblical Seminary and received a master’s degree in Christian Education.

In 1952, Ron and Ruby were sent back to Japan as missionaries by the RCA. Ron spent most of his career teaching at Meiji Gakuin Higashimurayama High School, though he also taught at the University. After retiring as missionaries, Ron and Ruby split their time between homes in Zushi, Japan and Green Bay, WI, until 2011 when they decided to live full-time in Green Bay.

BERNARD KRISHER (AP ’78–’82) passed away at the age of 87 in Tokyo on March 5, 2019. He leaves behind a loving wife, two children, and two grandchildren.

Bernard was born in Germany in 1931 to a Jewish family and by 1937 they had fled to France to escape the Nazis. In 1940 the Nazi’s invaded France and the family was forced to flee yet again. By 1941 the family had emigrated to the United States. His passion for journalism began at a young age, and after graduating from Columbia University he joined Newsweek’s Tokyo bureau. In Japan he met his wife of 58 years, Akiko. From 1967 to 1980 he was the bureau chief and during this time gained notoriety for being the only journalist to ever gain an interview with Japanese Emperor Hirohito. In the early 1990s, Krisher began dedicating his life to humanitarian work in Cambodia. He launched a free-press newspaper in 1993, was founder and chairman of a needs-based hospital, and helped found nonprofits that built over 500 schools for children.

CAROLINE LATHAM (FF ’92–’95) died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm on Feb 26, 2019. She taught middle school math at ASIJ from 1992–1995 and went on to serve as the mathematics department chairperson at two prestigious private schools in Manhattan. She also taught at the Hewitt School, The Bank Street College of Education and Cornell University’s campus in New York City, and was the first lay principal of St. Joseph High School in Brooklyn.

Caroline is survived by her husband Christopher, her son Eric and stepchildren Elizabeth Ann Poleck, Rita Latham and Christopher Latham.

COMMUNITY PHIL LEHMAN ’63 passed January 1, 2019 at the age of 73. He is survived by his wife, two children and his brother Roger Lehman ’61.

JEAN E. MAYER ’38 of Bethesda, Maryland passed away peacefully on December 31, 2018. She was born in 1922 in Tokyo to American missionaries Paul and Frances “Frank” Mayer. Jean and her three sisters, Ruth Borst ’29, Frances Rikli ’36 and Dr Florence Mayer ’40, attended ASIJ together.

Jean was chosen to give a speech at her class’s commencement ceremony in 1938. As she and her classmates looked toward the future, she reminded them that “courage is needed to overcome convention and to lift one above the ordinary limitations of life” and that “success worthy of acclaim is never purchased cheaply.”

Little did she know that she would be living out these words very soon—her life was not one of convention, but rather one lived in pursuit of service to others.

She attended North Central College in Naperville, IL and graduated in 1942. Shortly after, Jean was accepted at the US Naval Japanese Language School for a year of Japanese study. From 1944–46 Jean was stationed in Washington, DC in the Office of Naval Intelligence.

When the war ended, she relocated to Tokyo to work as a research analyst for the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Later, Jean returned to the US and pursued her career in civil service as a research analyst in various government agencies, including in the Office of Naval Intelligence, the State Department and in the Arms Control Disarmament Agency.

Following retirement in 1977, she settled in Bethesda, Maryland, and spent time with friends, tended her garden and enjoyed reading.

ROGER MATTHEWS (AP ’72–’75, ’76–’80) passed away in October of 2018. He is survived by his wife Michiko and children Monica ’84 and Michael ’86.

Obituaries NINA NEVE ’71 passed away on Nov 11, 2018. Nina loved the arts and music and showed a deep affinity for nature in her garden and photography. She was well remembered by her former classmates and is survived by her brothers Kaj ’69, Leif ’73, Kim ’75, Peter ’76 and sister Rachael ’70.

LOIS EVELYN SETTERHOLM (AP ’70–’74) passed away at the age of 94 while at home surrounded by family on Nov 20, 2017. Lois and her husband, Paul were missionaries in Japan, where they lived for 23 years while raising their four children. Lois leaves behind sons Mark, Keith and Joel, daughter Nan Van Sandt ’74, and many grandchildren.

ARDYCE BAXTER WORTH (AP ’54–’58, ’59–’63, ’64–’74) passed away on November 20, 2018 at the age of 98. Ardyce is survived by her four children, Donald Worth ’66, Carol Baca ’67, Ann Worth ’71 and David Worth ’74, and eight grandchildren.

After training as a teacher in the early 1940s, she accepted a job in topographical mapping with the US Army. While in DC, Ardyce met her husband, Donald C. Worth. From 1954-89, Donald taught at International Christian University where they played a significant role in the development of the university, especially the natural science division.

EDWARD YEN ’63 passed away in Oregon on Feb 19, 2019 after complications from his battle with leukemia. Ed is survived by his three sisters, Linda Tsai ’70, Ann Yen ’66 and Jean Yen ’64.

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COMMUNITY

Obituaries

HELEN ELIZABETH DEWEY (FF ’52–’56) of Perry, Iowa passed away peacefully on Thursday, January 3, 2019 at the age of 95. As teaching was such an in integral part of her life, Helen chose to donate her body to the College of Osteopathic Medicine at Des Moines University as it was her wish to continue teaching even after her death.

Helen was born in Wells, Minnesota to Ralph R. Dewey and Alice L. Dewey on January 14, 1923.

She went to Perry High School and graduated in 1940. She earned a Master’s degree in mathematics from the University of Iowa in 1945.

Helen taught math all over the globe in from 1957 to 1991. She taught in various states in the US, Canada, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, Nicaragua, Turkey, Pakistan, Mexico and Japan. In 1951–52 she taught new Army recruits basic math skills on the island of Hokkaido, Japan.

From there she went on to teach Mathematics at ASIJ, where she inspired students and had a lasting impact on many. "Helen Dewey was such an important math teacher to us and so much more" Mei Sun Li ’56 told us.

The following poem written by Bill Cryderman ’55 is a reflection of the fun that Helen had while teaching math.

He writes: “I was a bit bored one day in class, and she had picked on me (good naturedly) for my sins. So in a moment of quiet introspection, I penned the following immortal words: "O great is our teacher, Miss Dewey.

She sometimes gets on our nerves. I hate to be snotty, but look at her body. It’s all angles, and not any curves!

"I think she threw an eraser at me, all the while laughing.

At least she didn’t kick me out! I still love the little lady!”

A touching tribute that Helen wanted to share was written by one of her students, John S. Hsia ’57 in a book of mathematical tables in June 1957: “To Dear Miss Dewey, This is a token of my appreciation of all the things you’ve done for me.

My very best wishes and I pray that wherever you traverse success and happiness march with you.

Indeed, you’ve proved to be the most valuable friend of mine and such person is very seldom found.”

Helen retired from teaching in 1991 when her eyesight was hindered by macular degeneration, and returned to Perry, Iowa. Helen was active in retirement and very involved in

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 Helen Dewey with former students Mei Sun Li ’56 (left) and Betty Lee Kuo ’55 (right) on a visit to her nursing home in Perry Iowa politics. She worked on many campaigns and encouraged everyone to vote. She was an avid gardener, always having flowers and tomatoes which she liberally shared with friends and neighbors during the summer months.

She was also employed as a Census worker and helped to make sure all in Perry were counted. Additionally the library shelves in the family home were filled with dozens of books inscribed by a lifetime of grateful students.

Helen helped many students from abroad apply for scholarships and get into colleges in the United States.

Helen is survived by her nephew, Howard Horan, grandnephew, John Edward Horan, great-grand-nephew, Nicholas Van Allen Horan, cousin, Thomas Gardner. She is preceded in death by: her mother, Alice L. Dewey; father, Ralph R. Dewe; sister, Ruth Dewey; brother, Lee Gardner Dewey; nephew, Stephen G. Dewey.

She made an unforgettable impact on all our lives!

(Speaking of impact... I think some of us may still have a few little nicks in the back of our necks from bits of Dewey's chalk hurled at us when we made idiotic mistakes in geometry or algebra classes.

I treasure those battle scars from Miss Dewey's classes in the 1950s as tokens of her very special love and her determination that we learn math well!)

Clearly, we will miss her and will never forget her!

We owe special thanks to Mary Weaver and Sue Long Zimmerman and Mei Sun Li and others who have kept us all informed about Helen Dewey and who comforted her and eased her life over recent decades.

—Peter Grilli ’59

COMMUNITY

Obituaries

JOSE L. VELASCO (FF ’68–’83) passed away on Feb 26, 2019 at the age of 88. Jose was living in Yokohama at the time of his death and is survived by his wife Yukiko Velasco (FF ’77–’05), who worked in the Advancement Office.

Jose graduated from Albeda University in Spain in 1952 and went on pursue graduate studies in education at Villanova University in 1962. Following his 15 year teaching career ASIJ, Jose went on to work in the Spanish language department at Tokai University. Since his retirement from teaching, Jose had stayed connected with many alumni and friends and often attended community functions in Tokyo as well as the Alumni Council Spring Dinners.

Gary Fish (FF ’65–’95) Remembers his colleague Jose fondly and recounts a story of their time teaching at ASIJ together. “Jose was a remarkable and wonderful man and teacher.”

“We had a Showcase at ASIJ, I forget the year, but we had a faculty country band named shrewdly "Montana Fish" which first performed at that Showcase. One of our songs was called "Come A Little Bit Closer" and the lyrics had reference to a "bad man, Jose" whose girlfriend was in the cafe mentioned in the song and was dancing with one of the men there. We then incorporated Jose into the song. At the point where the song had Jose entering the cafe and saying to the man who had danced with his girl "Man, you know you're in trouble plenty" we had Jose Velasco enter to the surprise of the audience mostly of teachers and students and he stood looking manly. At that point the man in the cafe in the song left the cafe singing "And as I rode away, I could hear her say to Jose". "Come a little bit closer, You're my kind of man, So big and so strong, etc. And one of the teachers, Patricia Boyd, who was on stage with the band, then approached Jose with feminine charms as she sang that last refrain and, I believe, ruffled his hair and hugged him. At any rate, Jose leaped right in and played it to the hilt much to the delight of the audience.”

“Thank you Señor Velasco! What a personable, effective teacher. I still tell people about him and his passion for his work. I especially remember how he corrected us whenever we spoke back in English; he waived his finger and said with a smile and a wink,“ No, no... en español por favor!” Gracias, Velasco sensei!”

—Mirja Hanson ’74

 Jose at an alumni council event in 2011

“He was an amazing - considerate human being’ —Kathy Gibbons ’77

THE AMBASSADOR \\ SPRING 2019

63

The Big Short Big questions, Short answers

Elementary school PE teacher Stephen Faulkner grew up in Canada, where his love of ice hockey began at age 5. Before coming to ASIJ in 2015, he spent time in the United States, South Korea and South Africa, and was lucky enough to be a member of a hockey team wherever he lived. He currently plays for a Japanese club team as well—club that is made up of Japanese and international players.

Where are you from?

Amherst, Nova Scotia, on the east coast of Canada.

What kind of student were you in school?

In Kindergarten I was a handful. I got into trouble a lot—mostly for talking too much and not listening to the teacher. In first grade, my mother was my teacher and she made it very clear that my behavior problems were not going to continue in her class. After that year, I was a pretty good student all the way through.

Why did you choose to go into education?

One of the first reasons was my mother and father were both school teachers so growing up I got to see first hand how much they enjoyed their jobs and the impact they had on so many people in my town. Older students or adults I didn’t know would approach me and tell me how much my mom or dad influenced them or helped them in some way during their time in elementary school. From a young age I realized how important teachers were and I decided I also wanted to do something that had a positive effect on so many people's’ lives.

If you weren’t a teacher, what would you do?

Coach hockey.

What is your favorite thing about Japan?

It’s one of the safest countries in the world.

What is your favorite thing about ASIJ? The students! They challenge me everyday and they always make me laugh.

What advice do you give your students?

Have fun and always try your best.

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Goooooood morning Mustangs!

Which talent would you most like to have?

Probably the ability to play amazing electric guitar solos.

Who are your favorite writers?

I’ve always been a fan of Stephen King. I’m also a fan of Jon Krakauer who writes a lot of books based on true stories (Into the Wild, Into Thin Air, Under the Banner of Heaven).

Which historical figure do you most identify with?

I don’t know...John Lennon?

Which living person do you most admire?

Right now I’d have to say my friend and former ASIJ high school teacher Brendan Madden (FF ’12–’17). Last year he climbed Mt Everest. Incredible!

Even without climbing the highest mountain on the planet, he just lives an extraordinary life and he’s accomplished so many things.

When and where were you happiest?

I’m very happy here in Japan but other than that anytime I’ve been back to Nova Scotia or whenever I’m traveling somewhere in the world—especially Thailand.

Also, when I worked at a children’s camp in Maine for five summers.

Who are your heroes in real life?

Canadian hockey players Sidney Crosby and Patrice Bergeron.

What is your most treasured possession?

My hockey equipment.

Illustration by Matt Worsley

64

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