THE PEARL Soka University of America Student News Magazine
VOL.4 SUMMER 2011
Looking Back &
Looking
Onward
01
004
Tribal Cinnamon Oatmeal Nolina Doud
0 05
One unexpected way to help preserve the environment Cory Westropp
006 My.Soka.Ec. Seon Mi Jin
0 07
Interview with the New EC Riri Nagao / Leo, Agnes, Seika, and Andy
010
Apollo’s Ground Mitsuo Sato
012
Youth Voting Michelle Behar
014 Ask Lola Advice Column
016
Study Abroad Andy Perez
017
Peace Jean Marcus Silva
018
table of contents Capstoners Unite Garret Braun
019
Brazilian Wax Jean Marcus Silva
02
LETTER
FROM THE
EDITOR
Dear Friends Welcome to the fourth volume of The Pearl. After working on the magazine for three years, this is the first issue I did not see until it was complete. Now, having just read all the articles before sitting down to write this letter, I must share with you how excited I feel!
With graduation coming up in just a few days, it’s quite impossible to think of anything else. My mood, my writing and my thoughts are all submerged in a deep and reflective process as I slowly say good-bye to my home and family of four years. How refreshing it has been to read this issue of The Pearl, which, in bright contrast to my own musings, has a very forward-looking, innovative feel to it. In her freshman column, Tribal Cinnamon Oatmeal, Noli muses on the wonder that is the internet, and its future possibilities. In a new ecocolumn, Cory informs us of the less-known facts about hybrid cars and recommends wiser alternatives. In the final segment of Capstoner’s Unite, Garrett shares the writing experience of various 2011ers, highlighting the individual growth each of them achieved, and all the way from Japan, Andy shares with us the genuine personal growth she’s been experiencing on studying abroad. In a new politics column, Michelle urges us to take responsibility for our futures!
I am ever indebted to the creative, inspiring underclassmen on campus today, and especially those who have risen up to take over The Pearl and make it an even more extraordinary publication. With that, I’m happy to introduce the new staff! Editor-in-chief for the 20112012 school year is Aaron Freedom, a wonderful writer and editor who is involved in more activities than I could ever be in a lifetime. Managing Editor is the beautiful freshman, Devan Torbert, who is more organized than even I have been and equipped with tremendous passion! Our extremely talented layout manager is freshman Sarah Randolph, whose work you have seen throughout this year and in the 10th Anniversary Issue of The Pearl. Supporting her is the equally talented Leia Marasovich, also a freshman. Finally, our business team with big plans in store for next year—Cory Westropp dealing with all things web and marketing, Sho Nakagome on business, and Josie Parkhouse in public relations! I cannot wait to see them shine! In addition to Volume IV, we’ve published an extra special Graduation Issue (Volume V) for the class of 2011. Enjoy both and happy reading! Jihii Jolly
03
TRibal Cinnamon Oatmeal Ichthyostega and the Internet: Evolving Consciousness
I wrote this article quite awhile ago, so its genesis was over winter break; however, the particular subject for this installation is abstract enough to be timeless. I have for you a mad theory on which I have been ruminating. To give this idea some context, I’ll tell you a little about my break. I was sitting in my friend’s dingy garage on a yellowed couch, roasting my feet on the space heater while goose bumps prickled along my arms and the back of my neck. It was one of those quiet nights where we had all taxed our stamina hiking, working, or something of the like, so we all sat there quietly listening to the space sounds of ambient music on one of those internet radios (this one was Last. FM, but most people know Pandora). As we let our minds travel along the morphing landscape of electronic sound, I thought, “Man, the internet is amazing. It’s so vast, complex, and incomprehensibly rich with content.” At the time, it was just a passing notion, soon eclipsed by the intensity of what sounded like a synthesizer’s crescendo through Saturn’s stratosphere. As I kept returning to this idea, though, I saw a connection between the way I picture the internet and the way I picture the universe. In my mind, they are both an infinitely dense, complex entity that completely defies the limits of my comprehension. And yet the internet has only been around for a few decades, whereas the universe has conceivably existed for some 4.5 billion years. This got me thinking that, given 4.5 billion years, what will become of the internet? Basically, the internet is evolving much in the way man did. It started as a small, amorphous amoeba of data that coalesced into more and more complicated forms, but man rather than nature acted as the selecting agent. At first, the internet was but an embryonic program that enabled people to share data. Now it has evolved into an intricate, sophisticated mass of information that grows and interacts with its environment, similar to how humans are constantly adapting to their environment. But man has an interesting role in this phenomenon. In some ways we are like nerve endings in the body; we pulse in information about the outside world, whereupon it spreads to other nerves, communicating down the spinal cord of our massive, cyberspace hive-mind. In other ways, we are the consciousness of this being; even as we feed information into the system, we also receive it and process it. Our relationship with the internet deepens further as we also act as the selecting agent of its evolution. It is our demands that control what survives on the internet. Websites constantly try to outdo one another in appeal, convenience, efficiency, and flashiness. We continue to use websites that hold the greatest appeal, whereas those that fail to adjust to the ever-changing terrain of our needs and wants soon fade into obscurity. For example, dinosaurs used to rule the Earth, but their inability to adapt to the changing environment led to their demise. Similarly, MySpace used to dominate the terrain of social networking, but as the cultural climate shifted toward sleeker, more simplistic designs, Facebook—the obscure mammalian species—flourished as MySpace declined. The atmosphere could no longer accommodate so many cell phone snapshots of pucker-lipped girls and continual out-pimping of one’s profile with glitzy backgrounds and blaring beats, and much like its nobler predecessor, the Quetzalcoatlus, MySpace faded into extinction. (Curiously, MySpace seems to live on as a music sharing medium. Alas, it is probably too much to hope that Quetzalcoatlus will ever make such a revival). With our power as the agent of the internet’s evolution, what will we make of it? My theory is that artificial intelligence is almost inevitable. The internet evolves around our preferences, and I think that AI is so enticing to us that we will guide the internet’s development in that direction. By artificial intelligence, I do not mean the algorithmic prediction abilities that computers know now. While programs like Pandora and Kinect have ways of responding to your input, it is certainly not at the level of sophistication of human consciousness, or even that of higher-intelligence animals. Even beyond just responding to their users, technology could evolve a completely independent, sophisticated consciousness. Man strives to find consciousness capable of competing with, or complementing, their own (why else would we continue searching for extraterrestrial life?). With the capacity to develop AI for ourselves, it seems that we cannot resist the urge to make an interface capable of interacting with us on our same level. I understand that a lot of people would claim that this sort of AI would not rival humanity, but look at how far the internet has come along in just a few decades. It has certainly adapted and “evolved” much more rapidly than man’s trilobite predecessors. Who knows its limits?
04 04
Nolina Doud
2014
unexpected way
to help T H E E N V I R O N M E N T CORY WESTROPP 2013 preserve
BUY A USED CAR. AND ANOTHER THING - DO NOT BUY A HYBRID.
M
any people do not understand what is happening to the environment because of the production of hybrid cars. You, along with millions of others, have probably been told that “hybrids save the environment.” While this is true in some ways, they actually do more harm than good. Take, for example, the 2010 Toyota Prius. As you may know, a hybrid car uses a mix between a gas engine and an electric motor. This increases miles per gallon and saves gas. But, even though the Prius is better for the environment when it comes to fuel consumption, it harms the environment throughout its production process. The Prius is a very complicated car to produce, with many intricate components that a regular gas car does not need. As a result, these complex parts require more resources to make them. With features such as navigation systems, the resource cost of the car goes up even further.
Another interesting problem— one that most people do not know about—has to do with the batteries used the Prius. These batteries, called NickelMetal Hydride batteries, are made partially from nickel that is usually purchased from a plant in Sudbury, Ontario. One of the byproducts of producing nickel is sulfur. The Ontario plant produces so much sulfur that it is detectable in the atmosphere in a 149 mile radius around the plant. This has caused a near total loss of all native vegetation around the plant for miles. This barren area is so devoid of life that it has been rumored that NASA used it to test moon rovers. The sulfur produced by the plant also causes acid rain and is probably the single largest pointsource (single identifiable source of pollution) of emissions that cause acid rain on this continent. After the initial processing, the nickel travels overseas to China to produce the batteries. Then, the finished batteries are shipped to Japan, Thailand, or other parts of China to be used in the cars which are then shipped back to the United States to be sold. Another thing to keep in mind is that the production process of one Prius consumes 113 million British Thermal Units (BTUs) of energy; this means that every Prius has already consumed the equivalent to 1,000 gallons of gas before being driven for the first time. This “carbon debt” will not be repaid until every Prius has driven 46,000 miles.
Many people, especially in Orange County, scoff at the idea of buying a used car. Some people just want that “new car” smell (which is bad for you anyways, hello volatile organic chemicals). There are many reasons why buying a used car is better than buying a new car. Most of these reasons inherently help the environment and save you money. For one, a used car generally has much cheaper insurance rates. Usually, but depending on the price you paid for the used car, you do not need collision insurance, which is a very expensive part of insurance bills. For new cars, if you financed it, your bank will require collision insurance because it wants to protect its investment. Car registration fees are also partially dependent on the price you paid for the car or the market value of the car. The more expensive the car, the more registration you pay. Here’s an example, my car (a 1998 Toyota Camry) costs $125 per year to register and my fiancé’s car (a 2008 Toyota Yaris) costs upwards of $250 per year to register. Now, the previous two reasons have absolutely nothing to do with the environment, they are just evidence that buying a used car saves money. Now on the environmental side of buying a used car, there is the fact that the “carbon debt” associated with producing the car has already been paid off by the previous buyer. Essentially you are recycling a good and reducing the demand for new goods to be produced. Buying a used car does not cost any extra BTUs of energy, but buying a new car does. When you buy a new car, even if it is fuel efficient, you are still putting another car on the road regardless of whether you sell your old car.
05 05
SSU Executive Council Treasurer Class of 2013
40 days
This is the time I have left until I complete my sophomore year and my precious time with EC.
06 06
In order to complete my job as EC Treasurer, I shall spend these last 40 days telling people: “I’m sorry if I was mean to you! I HAD to reject your funding request form or SSU grant application!” (For those of you who don’t know, a funding request form is a form which SSU department members or SSU grant recipients have to submit prior to getting funds from EC. It is EC Treasurer’s duty to make the decision to approve the request or not.) Yes, I must admit that I exaggerated for the sake of enjoyment. However, I actually doubt if I was always able to convey the reason for my decision on the approval of funding request based on the criteria I set up on behalf of EC.
Seon MI Jin [my.soka.ec.] I remember the first time I declined a funding request at the very beginning of the fall 2010 semester. Academic Department was requesting SSU funds to laminate AD bookmarks for their first meeting. I emailed AD, explaining that we could not approve this request. I thought that my decision was reasonable enough to understand. But that was my first lesson in learning that this job was not easy. I got a reply from one of the AD chairs, who I was not close to at the time, but I am now much closer with, asking me for a more detailed explanation of my decision. This tone of disappointment in the email made me feel somewhat guilty, because I tend to want to satisfy everyone. However, it turned out to be a great opportunity for me to develop skills in decision-making. To be honest, at the very beginning, I misunderstood the role of the Treasurer. I thought that the Treasurer was to regulate things based upon his or her criteria and rationally determine the result. What I missed was to ask students if there were things that could be improved in terms of the Treasurer’s decisions; letting them be a part of decision-making for SSU funding process. This helped me realize the more important responsibility of EC Treasurer than allocating funds: being an agent of information about the availability of resources on campus. Then, I changed the way of informing the students about the decisions. In the beginning, I would only say “EC can’t approve this funding request.” Now I add something more: “ …but I do know where you can find an alternative on campus without having to buy those!” For example, Soka Relations, one of SSU departments, wanted to purchase some items
as a gift for the SUJ students visiting SUA, but the price was a bit too high. So, what EC did was contact Wendy Harder who is in charge of Community Relations at Founder’s Hall. We asked her if there were extra items given out to SUA visitors. We got a reply from her, saying that they had a bunch of SUA candies and name tags, which EC was able to provide to Soka Relations. We also provided them with scarves from the donors. As another example, a few students came to a SSU Grant info meeting, asking about possible grants for summer projects. However, SSU Grant is only for during academic year, including winter vacation. So, I shared more information about the PBRC (Pacific Basin Research Center) Grant, which funds student projects during summer. Perhaps that is why a lot of freshmen applied for the PBRC grant this year. Through this whole academic year, I learned so much about what it means to be a good and fair leader, and the Treasurer of EC. I have to say thank you to the SSU Department leaders and especially to my four other EC members, because I was able to do so well because of their great support. I think I have succeeded in “leaving my mark” ( the year’s SSU theme ) as Treasurer of EC.
AN INTERVIEW WITH
F
EC
ive members
of the student body are elected every year to represent the Soka Student Union on the Executive Council team. For the 2011-2012 academic year, the newly elected student representatives are as follows: Leonardo ‘Leo’ Saito (’12) as President, Keiko ‘Keiks’ Yoshioka (’12) as Vice President, Agnes Conrad (’12) as Attorney General, Seika Matsuoka (’14) as Treasurer, and Andrea ‘Andy’ Perez (’12) as Secretary. Next year, these leaders will work together to create a Soka Student Union that best supports the needs of the student body. In order to get a better glimpse of who these leaders are we have interviewed them. We hope that students will be able to connect to these individuals on a personal level and realize that they are approachable and personal, as well as passionate and committed to their roles.
Riri Nagao
2011
07
The Pearl: What has been your favorite class at SUA so far and why? How has it contributed to your character?
Leo Saito :
The Pearl: Tell us about a recent book that you read or a film that you saw that has significantly changed your outlook. What was it about? How has it contributed to building your character and how will you apply this into your leadership position?
Andy Perez: I bought a Kindle right before
study abroad, so I’ve been reading quite a bit. A book I never thought I would read but did was The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. It’s such a good book! I truly recommend it, whether you’re a sci-fi fan (I’m definitely not) or just looking into a book to take up some time. It really made me think about the state of the world right now. It’s a post-apocalyptic story where children are thrown into a lottery and those drawn are sent to battle to the death, which is the government’s way of telling the people that they can all be easily exterminated if they were to revolt. It got me to wonder what I would have done in such a position. Would I have been able to rebel against an established order? Would I have succumbed to the pressure and accept my lot in life? I like to think that I would have fought against the regime had I been a character in the book. And I guess, in some ways, that’s why I ran for EC. Not to battle the big cheese(s) but to change what should be changed for the students.
Seika Matsuoka:
We watched a film about Vietnamese women in my Pacific Basin class. It showed how the Vietnam War started and how women were treated badly during that time period. The film was really harsh. There was a scene where a woman was getting raped and she was also beaten up and there were so many other scenes that you really don’t want to see. I thought it was a really important film. I’m from Japan and I don’t really know anything about the Vietnam War. If you are here, you probably learn American history and politics, which includes the Vietnam War. But I never learned that in Japan so it was interesting.
08
My favorite, and definitely life-changing, class at SUA was the Learning Cluster “The Culture of Peace” with Ambassador Chowdhury. In the beginning I was nervous because Ambassador Chowdhury is a well-known and respected leader for peace. But since the first day, he made us feel comfortable, as if we were a family. During classes, we engaged ourselves in studies of different materials regarding the importance of the culture of peace, but Ambassador Chowdhury would enrich the discussions by sharing his personal experiences as former President of the United Nations Security Council. I was able to truly learn what a real leader is and how much he had contributed to society as long as he was persistent and willing to fulfill his mission. Ambassador Chowdhury shared that, for many times he felt he was alone in the UN; however, a real leader is one who never gives up and confronts the obstacles with no hesitation. As the result of his efforts, the Security Council Resolution 1325, which addresses the importance of women on sustainable peace and international security, was passed and now he is one of the greatest world leaders for peace. Particularly, when he shared the behind the scenes stories of Resolution 1325, I was able to understand that I can achieve so much at SUA, in the community, or wherever else I am willing to. Since taking the LC, I always try to be optimistic and responsible in fulfilling my goals I have established. I also learned that, or should I say ‘reminded myself,’ that I must engage in sincere heart-to-heart dialogue to both understand the other party and to solve any issue.
Agnes Conrad : One has been “Ideas of
East and West” with Dongyoun. I completely love that class. We talked about categories on a large scale. It showed me how categories and language can have physical effects and really influence people’s thinking. Since taking that class, I’ve been really conscious about how I categorize people, or how I refer
to people because the geographical categories that we have been taught in school are conflations of political ideologies that don’t actually say anything about people. That class really drove it home to not generalize. My other favorite class at SUA so far is “Plagues and Peoples” with Ian Read because he really pushes you to do work outside of class. He is really nice but at the same time extremely demanding. He motivates you to be self-demanding. I am not a very organized person. But this year, especially after taking that class, it helped me to do my own work and has prepared me for capstone.
Andy Perez:
My absolute favorite class at SUA has to be this year’s Learning Cluster - Education about East Asia - with Dongyoun Hwang. Great teacher, great students, great topic. But the reason it really changed my life and “contributed to my character” is because I was given the chance to meet an ex-Comfort Woman. Being able to see her smile after all she has endured, interacting with us all and being able to share a little of herself with us, I was just so humbled. I know most of us, as angst ridden teenagers and young adults, feel like we have the weight of the world on our shoulders and we get all angry and bitter at the world for not working out the way we want it to, but when you meet someone who has actually been through things that none of us can possibly conceive and still manage to continue living with a generally happy disposition really makes you reevaluate the way you’re dealing with life. I want to take a page out of her book. Slowly, but surely, I hope to be someone who, despite the things I have experienced and seen (or maybe because of them), I can still manage to smile.
The Pearl: How do you incorporate laughter or humor into your life? Why do you think it’s important?
Agnes Conrad : Andy Perez :
Is that even a question?!
If you know me, you know I’m always laughing and making others laugh, usually with offensive and silly humor. I like to tell stories, and for some reason when I tell stories they usually come out funny. Maybe that’s because half of the things that happen to me are ridiculous. But I love laughing and seeing others laugh. Laughter truly is a form of medicine. It just makes everything far more tolerable.
Leo Saito:
I mentioned in my election speech that I may look intimidating, but I’m actually a Japanese-Brazilian who loves humor.
Ask any of my friends! If there are days I don’t say anything funny, my friends would say that I’m not okay. With that said, I truly believe humor is an important element in my daily life, and believe or not, I’m also shy sometimes. That’s why I use humor to approach those people to whom I’m not that close. On the other hand, I’ve learned that not everyone likes humor or to joke the same way I do. Since I’ve realized or been told, I try to get to know the person first and then incorporate my jokes in the relationship, but I cannot live without humor and I promise you that I’ll make you laugh. To testify that, hang out with Jordann Cheng (’12) a few times and next time you see me, ask me to do his impression. Why? Just do
Scott said last year. The Bridge Program is not seen much. I sometimes feel like they don’t exist on this campus because say, for elections, they can’t vote even though they are here and they are struggling and studying and doing the same stuff as we are. They are not considered as official SUA students, even though they are doing the same things. They have told me that this is a dilemma for them. They don’t think we are intentionally ignoring them, but it just a feeling they have and it is hard to get rid of.
it, you will see two Jordanns on campus.
The Pearl: If you were to describe your EC team dynamic with a type of dish, what would it be and why?
Agnes Conrad :
We’d be pancakes. I feel like I am very close to Andy, Leo, and Keiks, and I am good friends with all of them. We’ll just stack up nicely and we could have the syrup on top. We complement each other and stack ideas. We’re stackable idea makers! Our ideas will pile on top of each other to create a very good tall stack of pancakes. Seika will be the butter and syrup!
Seika Matsuoka :
A burrito. It has meat, vegetables, sauce, and cheese. You can’t have a perfect burrito without meat, vegetable, sauce, and cheese. I see the EC team as a family. Leo is papa, Keiks is mama, and Andy, Agnes and I are sisters. The mom should be the person who rolls up everything in the burrito, supervising all that is happening within the family. Leo can be the meat, who is a huge and important member of the family. I can be the sauce. And Agnes is the cheese, and then Andy could be the vegetable. And Keiks is wrapped around us.
The Pearl: Andy would hate being a vegetable!
Seika Matsuoka : vegetables? Haha.
She doesn’t like
The Pearl: Tell us about a cause that you are passionate about. Why? How have you initiated action to support this cause?
Agnes Conrad :
TIBET! I think Tibet should be free, whatever that may entail: actual statehood, increased human rights, indepen dence from China. That whole country needs more media freedom, political freedom, and
ideological freedom. I am extremely passionate about Tibet because it is a unique community in exile, since the country has a government in exile. A lot of diaspora communities don’t have a government in exile. The government has maintained that peace is the only option and has not condoned any violent action—at least the Dalai Lama’s government in exile hasn’t. Even more amazing, the Dalai Lama recently decided that he should step down in order for Tibet’s government to be legitimate. They just elected the first democratic leader in the Tibetan diaspora and now they will have a parliament. I’m not sure how the government is set up yet, but it’s really cool because that provides a model for displaced populations. A third of the world’s population is refugees, migrants, or displaced, so Tibet proves how cultures and people are able to exist transnationally. This is almost a 60 year conflict and it IS genocide. Cultural genocide, physical genocide, it is definitely genocide. I feel really strongly that this is something that should not be swept under the rug. It is such a huge issue, but it doesn’t get talked about in the United Nations because China is on the Security Council. It is really hard to criticize China in the UN. Chemi (’12) and I have taken people with us to a protest in LA and we have gone to different events. For next year, I am taking a class with Dongyoun, “China since 1949,” and Chemi and I talked to him about adding a section on Tibet and he agreed. It will be really cool. By the time I leave, some sort of proposal will be put forth that there should be a human rights section in the Chinese language courses.
The Pearl: What is one of the most underappreciated things on this campus?
Seika Matsuoka :
I agree with what
The Pearl: Every position in SSU EC requires you to be strong as you face a lot of pressure and criticism. How will you do that even during the most stressful times? How do you plan to support your fellow teammates who are going through that kind of pressure?
Leo Saito :
Before I decided to run for the position of EC president, I considered the responsibilities and dedication the position demands, thought about the pressure I would face, and also thought about the overwhelming senior year in which I would have write my capstone. In the past, I have encountered several situations, not only at SUA, but also outside of SUA that tested my leadership skills and emotions. However, I finally decided to run because I was convinced that I would be able to handle and manage all my responsibilities, and most importantly, I’m confident that I can support my teammates as a leader and as a friend. If you don’t know me, I’m a bit older compared to my classmates and I believe that my experiences before coming to SUA can help my teammates and any other student to handle the struggles and stress we encounter during the year.
09 09
[APOLLO’S CLASS: 2013
MEDIUM: OIL / WATERCOLOR
SUBJECT: LANDSCAPE / PORTRAIT
010 010
GROUND] Mitsuo Sato
“
Painting for me is like a mirror. It reflects our mind more eloquently than thousands of words. What I do is to polish my mirror to discover beauty of life, the universe. For painting is not simply “copying” an image of objects but “vitalizing” the harmonious relationships among “I” and “thou.” I view this harmony as beauty or dignity of life which never ceases to encourage me to paint. This is what I call “Mystic Realism” or “Lifism.” I always paint based on belief that happiness and peace manifest themselves in daily life of reality.
011 011
the YOUTH dont belong in ? the Voting booth 2012
Michelle Behar 2012
could change from the year of infinite potential to the year of finite college student voting rights. As college students, we have been touted as being “liberal” and “foolish,” according to New Hampshire’s Republican state House speaker, William O’Brien. A recent speech shows him commenting on how college students vote, saying, “They just vote their feelings.” This is supposedly due to a lack of life experience. This controversial speech is part of Republican efforts in thirty-two states to limit college students’ voting rights by passing laws that would require students to carry stateissued IDs or other proof of citizenship. In New Hampshire, one bill aims to end Election Day registration—a process that allows eligible persons who provide any document that shows proof of residence to register and cast their vote on the same day. The state House Election Law Committee in New Hampshire also voted down a similar measure due to an overwhelming belief that lawmakers had written an unconstitutional bill. In Wisconsin, a bill being proposed by the new Republican majority would prevent students from using school-issued IDs as a valid identification.
012 012
Supporters of these measures have stated that the policies are not meant to discourage a specific political group from voting, but rather are necessary to deter voter fraud that results from not requiring proper proof of identification at the polls. An article by the Wall Street Journal states that in Wisconsin, during the 2004 presidential election, an investigative report found that voter fraud had occurred due to “transient college students [who] cast improper votes,” along with absentee ballots and homeless voters who may have voted more than once. The article also mentions that at least a quarter of these improper votes were cast because of Election Day voter registration.
This is not the case in every state, yet the GOP is making a concerted effort to leave college students disenfranchised. This is apparent in swing states like North Carolina, where President Obama beat John McCain by a very narrow margin during the 2008 Presidential elections. The actions of Republican lawmakers in North Carolina, and other hotly contested states, suggests that they are attempting to minimize the possibility of a Democratic Party victory in a swing state in 2012, especially when college-age voters (ages 18 to 24) were an important constituency for President Obama in the last presidential election. An article by U.S. News points out that an astonishing 54.5 percent of this age group voted in the 2008 election, and “for every one vote cast for John McCain, two young people cast votes for Obama.”
The repercussions of Republican lawmakers’ measures will have a huge effect in the 2012 elections. Ending Election Day voter registration could cause voter turnout to be lower than it would have been otherwise. Research done by Demos, a U.S.based think tank, reports that voter turnout averages 7 percent higher in states that use same day voter registration. Laws that require permanent residency to be previously established will cause unnecessary hassle to college-age voters. Although California is (thankfully) not one of the states initiating these limiting laws, the outcome of the 2012 presidential elections has now become heavily dependent on whether these measures go into effect. I understand the need for ensuring that voters are not “double dipping,” but students who attend out-of-state colleges are in a precarious political situation. Essentially, we have two homes, and registering to vote by an absentee ballot can be frustrating and unnecessarily more work than going to the nearest polling location. While the need to deter voter fraud should
be a priority, it is suspicious that these policies inadvertently disenfranchise a recently mobilized voting group. When a college student’s residency is challenged because they lack the proper identification, such as a state-issued ID, it proves a further inconvenience to vote and possibly discourages more college students from voting. In effect, this guarantees that student voices will not be heard.
As students of a liberal university in the heart of traditionally conservative Orange County, some might say we’re peacefully assembling behind enemy lines. However, assuming that all college students are liberal would be ridiculous, particularly because there is no set mold for a college student. Above all, the policies that many Republican lawmakers are introducing only prove just how much power the youth truly hold. So, continue voting whichever way your “liberal” and “foolish” heart desires, college students. You hold the fate of this election in your hands and you will not be silenced, even if the attempts to discourage continue.
013 013
Dear Lola, Even though I’ve been at Soka for two years, I still don’t feel like I really “belong” to any group of friends. I sometimes feel really shy and end up avoiding talking to people that I haven’t met yet, or who I don’t know very well. How can I get over my “social anxiety” and start making more friends? Sincerely, Stuck in My Social Bubble
014 014
Dear Stuck in Your Social Bubble, Welcome to the club! It is my understanding that many many many students at Soka feel the same way. A lot of people tend to keep to their “safe” friends instead of trying to meet new people, because they are afraid of embarrassing themselves or feeling uncomfortable. Yet at the same time, they wish that they could be more outgoing and talk to new people easily. Do you want to know the best way to get out of your social bubble? Just do it! I know that sounds easier than it feels, but honestly, there’s nothing to be afraid of. So what if you do or say something embarrassing? Nobody will think less of you because of it, and nobody will probably even remember it happened in the long run. Embarrassing things happen to all of us, it’s what makes us human. As for feeling uncomfortable, just remember that the other person probably feels uncomfortable as well. The secret to having confidence is not about having no fear; it’s about having the courage to put your fear aside and do things even though they may make you feel awkward. If you never try branching out, you could miss out on amazing friendships and experiences here at Soka. Take advantage of the time you have here, and later you can leave knowing that you made the most of your college years. Love, Lola
ADVICE COLUMN
Dear Lola, I just got into a new relationship a few months ago, and I’m really happy with how things are going. However, I’m feeling a little uncomfortable talking to my boyfriend about serious things like feelings and sex. How can I break the ice and start communicating openly with him? Sincerely, Embarrassed and Awkward
Dear Embarrassed and Awkward, First of all, you are not alone. Believe it or not, many married couples even have trouble communicating about serious issues. However, communication is a vital part of any healthy relationship, and learning how to do it confidently is a great skill to have in every area of your life. That being said, communicating effectively with others, especially when it comes to personal or potentially embarrassing topics, can be hard for anybody. One way that you can overcome the discomfort is to think about what you are afraid of. Are you worried that your boyfriend will be “scared off” if you tell him how you feel about him? Are you concerned about how he will react if you try to have a serious discussion about sex? If you think that he will react badly to you bringing these things up then think about this: do you really want to be in a relationship with a man who runs away when you share your feelings with him? If talking about sex makes him act immaturely, then do you really want to share that level of intimacy with him? So talk to him anyway, and if he can’t handle it then you probably haven’t lost anything worth keeping. Most likely, though, he will be mature enough to talk about these things with you and your relationship will be closer and stronger because of it. Love, Lola
015
Studyabroad ANDY PEREZ 2012
I entered SUA ecstatic about the possibilites of Study Abroad. Two and a half years of Japanese classes later...
I
dreaded every day that passed by
and brought me closer to that fated journey I would be forced to embark on. I hated the language, hated that I had to leave my comfort zone, hated that I wasn’t going to spend as much time as I wanted with my friends. The idea that I was going to live in Japan for four months terrified me in a way I still cannot describe. Few things terrify me (except aliens, blood, the occasional horror movie, and talking to my crush), but study abroad had me wanting to hide under my bed for weeks at a time. Finally, the day came where I had to board the plane. By then, I was a mixture of both nerves and excitement (three months of absolute idleness would make anyone want to go on study abroad, trust me). And now, a month and a half later, I am sitting at Yeast Paradise, mooching off free WiFi, and sippin’ on a caramel coffee shake that is absolutely divine (and fattening). The journey has been tough, but it’s been rewarding, informative, enlightening, scary-as-hell, and so awesome that I’m grinning like a fool.
016
Life is hard; though. I’m discovering that I am useless at keeping myself from shopping; that I am a terrible flirt and my seduction skills are nonexistent; that I am still a horrible hip-hop dancer and an even worse singer; that I will never be able to confidently order anything at a restaurant; that I will probably be broke by the end of this month because Japan is expensive; that I will never be able to ride a bike without hurting myself or public property; that with the earthquake, tsunami, and the nuclear reactors fiasco going on, I had to fight to continue to study here; and that, try as I might, homesickness is all-consuming when it
appears. Still, the highlights will (usually) outweigh the bad. I mean, I can ride a bike even though I usually fall off of it. That has to count for something, right? But, the greatest thing about study abroad is not that you’re in a foreign country, chillin’ with some natives, actually learning the language, and having a great time, but what you learn about yourself and how much you change. I’m not a fan of change, but my journey so far has provided me with a scope of myself I didn’t possess before. I’ve learned to love myself in ways I didn’t ever think I could; I’ve learned to believe in myself and my capabilities in Japanese; I’ve learned to take risks and put myself out there; I’ve learned to let go; I’ve embraced people far easier than I have in the past twenty years; I’ve learned to study. In sum, I’m the best Andy I’ve ever been and I can only hope, pray, wish, beg, what-have-you that I change and evolve and learn more to become an ever better Andy tomorrow, the next day, and every day after that. So, to those of you reading who have already gone on study abroad: I admire you for having the courage, strength, and everything in between to get through it. And to those of you who have yet to experience it: be scared and expect the best thing ever to happen to you. And allow yourself to change; you’ll be glad you did.
Jean Marcus Silva ‘11
E
Installment 6
PEACE
duardo Fleming was made fun of by a gnome. He missed the comfort of his monotonous life every time one of these imaginary creatures made fun of him. (That’s why I called him FANNY BAWS on the first place. All this whining. Get a grip man!) Not even CAT would come to rescue his pitiful soul from this ethereal bullying. (Really? He expects CAT to come for him every time? A feline the size of a purse to deal with me, a gnome of the size of a garden gnome? No wonder he misses a place where everyone is a pussy.) It had been six months (Are you sure?), or a span of time that felt like six whole months, since he left his home for the last time to encounter himself in the middle of nowhere. Literally. (Have I ever said YOUR home is the middle of nowhere? Of course not! I might have called someone’s house a crack hole, but at least I could find it on a map!) Can I have some privacy for a second? I would much appreciate be able to talk to myself for a while. (You are such a crybaby.) He decided to go for a stroll and CAT joined him. He hated to admit it, but the gnome was right. (I knew it!) There was no hope to leave this nihilistic nightmare, and he thought he should start enjoying what was good in there, which was: 1. At the same time it was nothingness, it was an infinitude of creation. Whatever he imagined could come to life. 2. CAT was with him, always. 3. No biological needs were observed until you remember them. But he kind of missed a good steak. Eduardo suddenly tripped over a gigantic and succulent piece of grilled—on low charcoal fire—meat. Not again. The beautiful cut of top sirloin still hissed because of the pressure of an imaginary fire. The sporadic chunks of fat were almost liquefied. Eduardo could feel all his gustative cells remembering what hunger once was. His guts danced a ritual to make rain chewed nutrients. Not a surprise that a perfect set of fork and knife—Swiss and antioxidant— fell from the sky on each side of the steak almost killing Eduardo with the blunt. The first time Eduardo Fleming ate in the whiteboard—that’s what he started to call this place—was a month after his arrival. After all the chasing by curious mythological creatures, explaining the most basic concepts (or even what a concept was) and feeling like dying every day, he finally had some time for himself, and CAT, obviously. One second, when he was alone, after wondering about the meaning of infinitude, nymphs attempting to sleep with him (Not that it was too hard to say no) and all bad, puny jokes about satyrs, (I have a cousin...) all he could think of was: -Man, what I wouldn’t do for a big cup of heavily caffeinated coffee. From the distant, a gargantuan white cup the size of a small college campus overflowed with boiling coffee above his head. The drops in rapid gravitational push whooshed toward the ground. –Why does gravity decide to work only when it can screw you? –Eduardo’s desire was fulfilled and he was terrified because he could not forget how burnt he would be if the rain of caffeine hell fell over him. He chose a direction and propelled like a rocket towards it. He ran like a maniac but he knew that no matter how fast he was the liquid coffee plasma would reach his delicate human skin. As the gigantic cup approached the ground its edges would tilt, gently spreading coffee all over the place. The entire sky of the continuum was on the way of turning from white to brown. The moment the first drops arrive, he would be burnt alive. And even if by a miracle, due to this broken reality, he escaped crystallized sugar scorches, the shards of the ridiculously large mug would crush him as if he was an insect. —It was nice till now.—He thought while rushing.—I hope it doesn’t hurt.
017
finding the T
he wise man Dennis Hirata once said to me,
C A P S T O N E R S UNITE
018
“I must warn you that the writing is the most difficult process of this entire journey. Reading and analyzing is always fun and can happen any time of your day. But actually taking the time to sit in front of your laptop and begin typing is always a struggle and takes courage.” Finding courage to write? The act of writing can often be degraded to mere the task of regurgitating information and theory. But writing is an act of making a statement; it represents a piece of your identitfy, as if pieces of you are being left in communicable form for others to judge. Placing your honest self on a page for all to see takes courage. This volume of Capstoners Unite shares four unique experiences from the trying practice of writing. The following passages are based on responses from seniors about their processes of galvanizing their thoughts into writing. The humble, yet fierce future social activist, Heidi Helgerson (’11), is writing about the history of oil policy following two major disasters in US history. She hopes to assess whether public policy makers learned anything from these events, based on the changes in policy that resulted from them... Heidi says that taking notes and organizing them by category helps so that when “I begin writing I am able to look back at those notes and find the main points.” Her very knowledgeable mentor, George Busenberg, often supports her creativity by directing her to literature and other resources and offering informed criticisms when she is stuck. Mr. Busenberg also offers deadlines to encourage a steady pace. For others, a more dispersed approach might be necessary. “Often times in the Humanities,” Dennis Hirata (‘11) says, “I have learned that you must write no matter what.” He states further that struggling with the structure of the paper does not warrant not writing, you must get your thoughts out, and then you can organize them. Dennis uses his relationship with his mentor Jim Merod to not only motivate his curiosity on the topic of Jazz Criticism, but also to get help in the techniques Merod has learned to do good research. Dennis sees a mentor’s role as motivational, and he says Merod is just as excited as he is to see the final product . Krystal Roush (’11), also from the humanities, and possible future ethnographer, was courageous enough to share the struggles she is having with the writing process. She is writing about the effect of U.S. militarization on the Okinawan identity. Wrestling with Foucault’s postcolonial ideas about power structures, Krystal says, “I go to mentor meetings, promising my mentor and myself that I’ll have more substantial work to present at the next meeting. I tell myself
Garrett Braun 2011
every morning that today is a new day and that today is the day I get something done, but my optimism is gone by noon.” When I interviewed her, she was struggling with the task to manifesting the thirty page capstone from fourteen pages of notes. She wishes she had spent more time with her mentor and started earlier, but regardless, she has resolved to be victorious! The time management behaviorist Nitesh Sil is taking a holistic approach to understanding the role of Time Management Behaviors on stress and depression among college students. Nitesh had many ideas for his capstone topic, but he “wanted it to have some meaning in [his] own life, that of others and possible meaning for [his] future goals.” Deciding to choose a mentor in his first year at Soka, Gary Germo, has proven to be a great choice because Nithesh was able to focus his capstone on a subject “not necessarily touched upon by other researchers in the field.” His mentor’s expertise in the field and focus on strengthening Nitesh’s terminology in the discipline has helped Nithesh immensely to create a solid draft and exemplary IRB form. For Nitesh, the experience of doing something and learning from that process is more important than the final product itself. The experience of writing capstone has been “a journey, really summing up the knowledge I have acquired in all four years of my Soka life.” Ultimately, in this volume, and throughout my series, we find that each student had their own experience with the same project. Due to our various backgrounds, influences, and pressures, we have learned to see and consciously experience each moment, perceiving a difference in value and interest from one person to the next. In your pursuit to complete goals, learn yourself; what other goal can you hope to create valuable action with as you can with this? Each person has their own best way to motivate and accomplish action, be you; only that way can you integrate all your best qualities in your personal pursuit to act valuably for others. There is no ideal journey you can seek to take through your pursuit for knowledge; there is only your journey along your own path. Now, the quest to meet the best you is much more difficult business. In this final edition, I am Theodus Monk, signing off until next time, when we get to reflect on the journey through the eyes of the future capstoners. CAPSTONERS UNITE!
c o u r a g e
BRAZILIAN WAX jean marcus silva 2011
I
am in love with Heidi
Helgerson. I can always go a step fur ther to see her smile. Our eyes gaze upon each other for a second longer. This love is no secret, but it is beyond any young desire. Whether we are dating or not it is irrelevant. I will sigh every time I see her, until the stars fall from the sky. But don’t be mistaken, this is no romantic confession; not of a simple kind, that is. This is a literary effort to praise my muse.
If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn’t have written this column the way I did. It perhaps would not have existed. I decided to write Brazilian Wax, during the summer after freshmen year, as a way to confuse, mesmerize and shake students, faculty, and staff from their chaste shells. However, the dreams of Heidi carried my heart to warmer parts of my mind. My voice had no control over the words wanting to jump from my mouth into the world; I was alive. There were no more restrictions of shame.
heidi. with the purest of the hearts, but I could not avoid thinking about her.
I am not the only one who has someone like Heidi. Writers and artists are not the only who need muses. We all experience life the fullest when fantasy, fiction, and reality are joined together and it is difficult to distinguish them. My love for Heidi is a request to you, my dear readers, to fall in love before it is too late. Love does not request anything but a deep connection with someone. The feelings of care, lust, desire to breathe the same air will naturally follow love, but these emotions are expected when we have this level of affinity with someone. Nevertheless those emotions should be details.
I didn’t chicken out on being with her, tough. I tried and my expectations did not come through, the same way it happened many other times before in my life. But this was the first time I was rejected that I felt secure, or confident, and my heart was not shattered into pieces. To be honest, I felt stronger and lighter than I explored the sharp curves of writing before I declared my feelings. Since then about movies, because she materialized in the thought of her populates the shiniest my mind in 24 frames. I bashed on politicorners of my imagination. cal correctness—which taints our campus— because I couldn’t restrict any of My heart is still open to other girls. I want my feelings, even the improper ones, for to find a woman who will share intimate her. I declared my love to all SUA girls, feelings with me. But what I feel
for Heidi is not platonic either. Honestly I don’t think people know what platonic love means (or the word platonic for that matter.) Platonic love is not a consolation prize for someone’s romantic failure, but is an unconditional connection with a person, period.
I might have failed to be clear about the matters of my heart. But I wanted to write last on what is the closest to this heart. I spent these three years of waxing and teasing you with every pull on the fabric glued to your crotches, now I will go for the last strip of hair. No better way to do that than to write about the girl who causes all those feelings in me. After finishing a Brazilian waxing, relief is probably the first of many sensations that follow on our skin.
So I write for the last time this column. If you reader, shattered the shackles of shame after so much improper wisdom and are ready to show your naked mind to the world, then my work is done. Regardless of my doings, I will leave anew. I have no real destination anymore, and the joke of waxing might be on me. I am only sure that I have a muse and she will heal my wounds if my flesh ever encounters a sharp sword. But I think a little bit of protection would be timely. I wish I still had my pubic hair.
019
The Pearl report
Stateme
nt
strives er Daniel Pearl’s to emulate slain Wall Street Jour na efforts to bring every story. Foll out the human side l ow in g hi s of co urageous model, Th channels of commun e Pearl opens ic at io n in an en respectfully expr deavor to articu The Pearl report ess differing opinions. The cont lately and on ri community and the issues of concern for the campus butors to globe, aiming to , the local un realization of th e mission of Soka ify the campus toward the University of Amer ica.
CREDITS: >> Editorial Staf f: Jihii Jolly (Editor-in-C hief), Aaron Freedman, Deva n Torbert, Christopher La rkin
>> Business Te am:: Jean Marcus, Josie Parkhouse, Sho Nakagome, Cory Westropp >> Layout Team : Sarah Randolph, Leia Marasovich
020