NovDec2010

THE PEARL Soka University of America Student News Magazine

VOL.2 WINTER 2010

Table of CONTENTS TABLE Obhgrhrertjrdhrhtrw

004 my.soka.edu

Lenny Bogdonoff

005 environmental committee

006 tribal cinnamon oatmeal

007 1000 miles and counting

008 politics in the UK 009 film review

Harry Potter holiday

010 a walk in the dark gotanopinion?

write a letter to the editor! email pearl@soka.edu

disclaimer:

Anonymous letters will not be printed unless otherwise approved by The Pearl senior staff. The Pearl reserves the right to reject letters and/ or columns and edit for clarity, brevity and accuracy. Letters represent only the views of their authors. Nothing on the Op/Ed pages necessarily represents a position of the The Pearl or Soka University of America.

012

apollos ground Ambre Auzanneau

014 a parting look

Handri Nurhan

016

Christmas tunes with a twist

019 capstoners unite 020 peace

(installment 4)

021

hip hop congress’ the show

022 SUA soccer 024 study abroad Japan

025

brazilian wax soka girls

Dear Friends

Letter from the

EDITOR

Why is winter so colorless? The hues of summer that I wore loudly back in September have grown dark and quiet. All my start-of-the-year energy has vanished, channeled into a prolific portfolio of essays, some full of class-inspired genius, some full of sleepdeprived delirium. Thankfully, I’m off to New York, the city that never loses its vibrancy, for a few weeks of regeneration.

My reading for the plane? The winter volume of The Pearl (of course).

I recently read an article in Ode Magazine that advocated reading as a form of therapy, writing as an ecstatic spiritual practice, and literature in general as the facilitator of a powerful interplay “between the privacy of personal consciousness and the public experience of group discussion.” Being the fanatic of the written word that I am, I didn’t need much convincing to agree with this author’s premise.

And, being the voracious liberal arts readers that SUA has turned all of us into, I hope you too can find some inspiration—and a few quiet breaks from holiday cheer—in bibliotherapy (or at least in The Pearl), especially during the greyest of the seasons.

In this spirit, our idea this issue was to stop, drop and build a bridge wherever you are. British politics, Harry Potter, getting fat, hip hop, photographing strangers in Mexico, Soka girls, drugs. We’re connected to each of these things on some deeply human level, and our writers have taught me this.

I might not be a Harry Potter fan (sorry, Michelle) but I definitely appreciate getting lost in fantasy. I know nothing about photography but I can definitely relate to the awkward feeling of approaching a stranger. I cannot sing opera to save my life but I’ve certainly wondered where my childlike curiosity went. I don’t do hallucinogenic drugs, but apparently you can trip without doing them. I didn’t attend all of SUA’s soccer games this semester but after reading page 22, I feel like I did. And I’ve never studied ethnomusicology or microfinance but suddenly these fields connect me to the same grueling capstone process my fellow seniors are navigating.

Also, our lighter (but never less profound) features this issue: Brazilian Wax discussing Soka Girls (uhoh), and Kandi, our resident encyclopedia of music, shares some alternative holiday music to keep the season fresh.

So dear reader, if you are home and busy in a flurry of family, or if you are on campus and life feels eerily slow and quiet for a few wintry weeks, I promise, these pages are full of color. Though The Pearl only comes out five times a year (this is volume 2, check out volume 1 online!), our staff is bravely battling the era of information overload by offering carefully crafted tales from the heart.

Happy reading & happy holidays!

003

My.Soka.Ec Lenny Bogdonoff [2011] ATTORNEY GENERAL

T

his morning we had our weekly Sunday EC meeting. I slept in through my alarm. Throughout the week I had been able to wake up early and start my day on positive footing, but I couldn’t shake last night’s events and ended up going to sleep close to three am. Our meeting was tense. We concluded before our allotted time.

For the past three months we have been following an agenda created during the summer. Scott named it Agenda 10. It is a compilation of the EC’s year long tasks. We began by breaking down each of our position’s roles and laid out what we needed to achieve. Each of us has a given task to fulfill and specific departments to support. My responsibilities are SSU Pubs and History Department. Our success is based on the accomplishments of the SSU departments.

This week was my turn to edit the weekly update video (WUV) and send out the email. I began editing as soon as our meeting ended, but I encountered technical difficulties. It is almost midnight and I am finalizing the video and email to be sent out.

This stuff shouldn’t take this long.

I have noticed our group has grown to understand one another better. I have come to understand myself on a deeper level. The summer drove me to see parts of myself I thought I had overcome. I began with deep regret at being elected to the attorney general position. I thought if I was to represent the university in EC, then I would need to get past my immaturity and insecurities.

The year began and I didn’t feel ready but I threw myself into my position. Taking notes and doing my best to participate in decision making, I knew there was much more to come.

We clash at times and have to define our boundaries often.

I am contemplating sleeping now to wake up early, but if I do I will have many more things to complete later: election material, class assignments, tokens of encouragement for the student body.

Or maybe sleeping will be worth the additional focus I will have tomorrow.

I took this position because I felt there was something unique I could offer. I wanted to represent the people at SUA who felt ignored and ridiculed by the administration. Personally there was a time when I felt I couldn’t trust the university. I wanted to do what I could so no one else would ever feel that way again. Now that I am here, I feel like maybe they would have been represented anyway. Am I actually representing them? I haven’t dwelt on this. Either way, this position is shaping me. I am here to support those I know I can. The position exists to be filled and anyone in it would do an amazing job. I have no doubt about that. These roles as student leaders are for the student’s growth and development.

As long as I take one step at a time, I will complete my responsibilities. Being the Attorney General gives me the chance to support the student body in a concrete way. My friends and peers are all doing their best in their own roles as students and leaders. Seeing what they can do encourages me to do better. I encounter myself distracted at times, but my friends help me refocus. They find the strength to support those around them. I’ll keep doing my best. One day, one task at a time.

004

environcommittee mental

BEN WALDER 2013

ge you wa” ntAt this first meeting we discussed the “be the chinanth e world eight environmental articles proposed by to see Environmental Department, back when

Toward preserving our school’s value of creation and persevering to make SUA the living, breathing being

of its unique ideals, the environment is becoming a steady force in many minds throughout our community.

Opening the end of this school-year with the Commencement Ceremony of 2011 will be Soka University’s new Performing Arts Center, a Gold- LEED Certified Building—one of the highest environmental ratings awarded in construction. Already, the environment is deepening its roots this year with the new Environmental Committee.

Bridging the strengths of student, faculty, administrative and facility voices, the Environmental Committee is now synthesizing the materials we may need to make Soka a creative environment for the coexistence of nature and humanity and is thus sowing many seeds for our sustainable future development.

At the moment, the committee has planned to meet twice per semester, the first meeting having been October 19. Comprised of such people as Arch Asawa, Hyon Moon, Environmental Department co-chairs, Environmental Studies concentration professors, Bon Appetit manager, Michelle GomezArguello, Valley Crest manager, Elbert Davis, and Operations Manager, Scott Collins, the committee seeks to unify our ideas so we can continue to make steps towards ghost-like transformation—with as invisible of footprints as humanly possible. Gradually, we are beginning to realize that our existence is shaped greatly through our environment, so this committee is fantastic news. I recently met with Senior Heidi Helgerson, an Environmental Department co-chair, to discuss this exciting new addition to our community and the success of its first meeting:

What are the most important topics discussed at the forum?

we were just beginning. These can be found on the Portal. We reviewed the articles, the faculty updated us on their projects, and we talked about what we want this committee to do. We’re making goals for each other, bringing new ideas and talking about its possibility.

We decided these meetings are for feedback and updates. This is essentially creating a pathway of conversation for environmental sustainability.

How do you feel this is addressing environmental topics? Short/Long Term I feel like this committee is just the beginning. This is behind the scenes sustainability, and we are more focused on long-term rather than short-term.

Short-term changes are up to the student body to change their daily habits. But no matter what, we have the mind frame of future sustainability, especially for new buildings. It is in their hearts of the members of the committee; the environment is being taken into consideration. It is always a compromise, because often students have airy ideas. They don’t consider important aspects like money. So this committee is hoping to see the whole, big picture.

Can you pass on any words to those seeking to help the environment?

As far as this committee goes, come to ED co-chairs, e-mail us with proposals or concerns. We are discussing the building blocks of SUA. The most difficult thing about all of this is whenever money is involved. Students are making a difference though, proposing ideas that haven’t been thought of before like installing electric hand-dryers or special parking for hybrid vehicles at special events like International Festival. It’s up to students to make a daily change.

If I am to be a critical observer through this process, I must say it seems a success. I feel this year’s convergence of Green Planet into the new

Environmental Department really unifies eco-consciousness across campus, and the Environmental Committee does seem to resonate with our movement.

During department meetings it feels as though our pulses have entrained with the frequencies of our planet, now one voice chanting for awareness—everyday is earth day. And with no better words can I say what Heidi said before, environmental change, or any change for that matter, comes from our daily actions. If you are interested in helping but don’t know where to even begin, start by picking up every piece of trash you see and hold onto it until you find the nearest bin; you will be amazed at the simplicity of such an act and the dramatic effect it can have does, even on just an aesthetic level. We know that aesthetics can definitely affect our emotions, which can translate to our willingness and ability to study. Though I love having leaves on our walkways, crunching beneath me as I skip to class, I am so thankful that Valley Crest workers and others work so hard to keep SUA so utterly clean, helping every student behind-the-scenes. And to Bon Appetit for transitioning to organically-grown produce and providing food options for so many different, often conflicting, food cultures.

Now, I will be blunt: your input is needed! Any ideas you have related to our environment, please pass on to other students, faculty and/or staff members so we can all purposefully create an atmosphere and awareness of safety, respect and peace, at ease within ourselves.

Some last words from Heidi: There is a lot this committee can do; it can go really far. SUA has taken a stand to make sustainability a priority with the creation of this committee.

Let’s keep nourishing ourselves with thoughtful awareness and action. The transformation is already happening all around you. In the great words of Gandhi, be the change you want to see in the world.

005

I

tribal

Oatmeal

MAUNMN H S OL E R love food.

F C

n o m a n n ci

I love looking at it, smelling it, cooking it, talking about it, learning about it, and – most of all – EATING it. Eating has always been a favorite pastime of mine and the appreciation of food is an integral part of my daily routine. However, since arriving at SUA, something has cast pallor over this passion. When I heap delectables onto my plate and proudly walk to the tables with my bounty, the last thing I want to hear is, “aren’t you worried about the freshman 15?” Nothing saps the flavor from a delicious meal like the constant niggling fear of freshman 15, but I wonder why we continue to entertain this obsession.

D

o we really have a weight problem on campus? I honestly think our student body is pretty svelte, and I don’t think it’s the product of obsessing over weight-gain, I think it’s just the product of healthy living. And by what criteria are we deciding an extra 15 pounds is a problem? Since this paranoia is not health related, then it must be an aesthetic decision, and that’s where I take issue with the whole freshman 15 phobia. Why are we allowing ourselves to be burdened by some arbitrary aesthetic? SUA is supposed to be about progressive thinking and critical analysis, so where does subscribing to an unhealthy ideal perpetrated by profiteering and media fit in? We cannot let what we learn simply fester inertly in the sphere of academia: we have to act! We have to realize that critical analysis isn’t something just for literature and philosophy—it’s for life.

S

kinny was not always “in,” so the skinny ideal is clearly not some enduring truth about humanity. Back in the 80’s, a woman with huge shoulders, an equally massive rack, and hips that babies could come cart-wheeling out of was all the rage. In the Renaissance, Reuben painted women who looked like cream-puff pastries—that’s what he was into. Aesthetic preference regarding fat or skinny is usually just about wanting what you don’t have. By this I mean that media and advertising provoke you to feel as if you’re not beautiful solely for the purpose of getting you to want, and feel as if you need, their product, which they claim will make up for your lacking. The skinny ideal has been perpetuated by clothing retail, weight-loss products, and exercise equipment retail, all of which gain your patronage when you feel as if you need something to make you more beautiful—so they tell you that you are not. This campus is full of stunning people who look no less lovely with an additional fifteen pounds, yet we’re allowing our self-image to be not only influenced, but damaged by media that has no real concern for us. They want us to fear fatness as if it is this omnipresent specter hanging around the corner, but it is our decision whether or not we subscribe to that.

I

’m not going to lie, gaining an extra fifteen pounds is akin to an apocalypse in my mind.

I have been as inundated by the skinny ideal as any other, but I am working to look beyond the aesthetic that is being force-fed to me and to evaluate beauty from my own personal standards. I hope that in doing this I will be able to appreciate not only the glory of a delectable meal, but also perhaps see myself in a less harsh and self-effacing light.

By validating my own personal aesthetic, I am taking a little bit of my life into my own hands and I’ve found it pretty empowering at times. Sometimes I look at myself and I’m mortified, but other times I really make an effort to break down my mortification, examine it, and personally refute it. I am hoping, slowly but surely, that I will not only break down my obsession with freshman fifteen, but also my reliance on external factors for providing me with an image of beauty.

006

[

]

AND COUNTING

1000 MILES Riri Nagao (’11)

SUA is one of those special places in the world where people deeply believe in your potential to be a great human being and accomplish great things. Even more remarkable is the way they treat you. Coach Karla, the previous head coach of cross country and track and field, as well as my current coaches, Gigi and Patrick, are prime examples of people who have continuously treated me as the athlete that I could be, instead of the athlete I thought I was.

On November 6th 2010, I ran my last Cross Country race as an SUA student at San Marcos and crossed the finish line at 24:29. All the training that I did during the intensive 12 week season counted for every second I was out pounding the pavement with my painfully sore legs. This training, as Gianni always says, was about getting up at 6am, double-practice Freshman year PR for the 5k days, shin splints, foam rolls, ice 30:06 (Fall 2007) baths, sweaty clothes, going to bed Sophomore year PR for the 5k: sore and waking up even more sore 28:28 (Fall 2008) Senior year PR for the 5k: only to do it all over again. All this 24:29 (Fall 2010) just so I could say, “I did it! I PR ’ed!

And I finished strong!”

Coach Karla once said: “now that I know your true potential, I am going to push you even more.”

I signed up for Cross Country during freshman year core. I was never an athlete but I thought that joining a team could be fun.

I definitely overestimated the level of commitment required. On the first day of practice, I warmed up to the athenaeum from the gym but it felt like I ran 5 marathons in high altitude. I told myself that there is no way I am going to continue.

But something about the team kept bringing me back to practice. Even though Coach Karla made us do many difficult workouts, we knew in our hearts that it was because she genuinely believed in our potential to become great athletes. She put her wholehearted trust in us to carry out her vision of creating an established SUA Track & Field and Cross Country program. My first Ohana means family. Family season of fall 2007 was really means nobody gets left behind.

Or forgotten. memorable because we were a team of only seven women so we reminded each other that we are ohana. Seven was the minimum to qualify as a team so we had to run hard at every race regardless of the fact that we were injured or sick. We ran hard and represented hard.

This family atmosphere we created carried over to the seasons that followed.

For some,

winning meant breaking school records and coming in at top 20.

For others like myself, winning was about giving everything I had at each race and continuously shedding off time. Winning could even come in the form of just crossing the finish line. It takes a lot of strength and courage to complete a 5k race.

When I was a junior, Coach Karla announced her departure from SUA. This led me to rethink my participation in SUA athletics, especially my decision to do Cross Country my senior year. I doubted myself because I thought that as we bring in more recruits and our program becomes more developed, expectations are going to get higher and I didn’t believe that I could keep up with that without Karla. But I approached Coach Gigi , who has always been there to watch me grow during Track season, and asked, “should I do Cross Country?” She replied, “Riri, that’s not a question!” Of course it was not a question. Why did I even let such a thought enter my mind? And just like that I decided to do it.

I wanted my final Cross Country season to be the absolute best. I tried to keep up with summer training back home even when temperatures were excruciating. When I returned on campus, I decorated my room with all my bib numbers from previous years as well as a personal favorite quote by Steve Prefontaine: “You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there.

Over the years I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.”

This season was by far the most challenging.

As SUA athletics develop, the coach’s and department’s expectations get higher and it’s hard to keep up with that.

But isn’t that only because they believe we can do it? Just the way it gets harder to finish a season, it gets harder to be admitted to SUA, it gets harder to maintain good grades, and it gets harder to connect with people on an intimate level. We are only given these challenges because our true potential is known.

In the beginning of the season, our newest Cross Country coach, Patrick told me, “You’re going to have a good season.” I knew he really meant, “you’re going to struggle a lot but I’m going to push you.” And he knew well.

It was mentally and physically challenging for me because I came in as one of the most inexperienced athletes and I was practicing with girls who were all much more athletic, competitive, and experienced. By the week, workouts got harder, “easy” runs got longer, and weights got heavier. I didn’t let that stop me though. If the only thing that I could give was my commitment and high spirits, then that’s what I did.

SENIOR COLUMN

politics

in the

UK Chris Larkin 2013

New Labour had ruled the country since 1997 when Tony Blair won a land-slide election winning 63% of the seats in the Houses of Commons, making his government strong enough to pass all the laws on its agenda without the worry of not getting enough votes.

In early May 2010 the United Kingdom held a general election that transferred power from the centre-left party New Labour to a coalition between the centre-right party the Students Conservatives and another, less prominent, centre-left party the Liberal Democrats.

The leader of the Conservatives, and protest fees, our prime minister, is David Cameron, and the leader of the Liberal Democrats, and our deputy prime minister, is Nick London Clegg. Now the UK has returned to conservative hands we are seeing many typical right-wing policies emerging from the Nov. 10th coalition government.

On the 10th of November around 50,000 students, faculty, administration and parents from universities from across the United Kingdom congregated in London to protest the latest in a series of conservative policies being developed and implemented by the government.

This kind of protest is not unheard of in the UK, in 2003 there was a large anti-Iraq war demonstration with estimates at about 750,000; however, it takes a lot to anger the UK public to such huge protest, unlike its European neighbour.

The protests were in opposition to proposed plans of the government to remove the cap on university fees. Before New Labour, universities such as Oxford and Cambridge charged somewhere around 9000 GBP a year in tuition fees, while less exclusive universities charged less.

However, New Labour implemented a cap on university fees at around 3000GBP a year, making universities that were previously only affordable by the richest, accessible to all based on their academic merit, not how much their parents earn. There were continuing protests following those held on 10th November up until the 9th of December, when provoking great public disappointment, the law was passed in Parliament.

The removal of the cap will see the fees rise again, making it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to attend a prestigious university if you are not from a wealthy family. This is a typical conservative policy, and the UK is seeing many more in a similar vein; to benefit the rich and ostracise the not so rich. The UK has been lucky enough to have a National Health Service, which provides free health care to all residents, since the end of WWII; the current conservative government are putting policies in motion to privatise aspects of the service, under the pretence that competition in the service will grant greater value for money to the taxpayer.

For all of the 1980’s United Kingdom was governed by the Conservatives with Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister. During that period, large amounts of state infrastructure were privatised under the same pretence. As a result, nearly all public transport was sold off to big business, allowing bus and train services to sky rocket in price.

An important dynamic to realise in the current political atmosphere of the UK however, is that Cameron’s Conservative government is nowhere near as powerful as Thatcher’s. The Conservatives are only in power because they struck a successful coalition deal with the Liberal Democrats following a split-parliament after the votes were counted. The Liberal Democrats had won over a lot of disappointed New Labour voters, because of the Iraq War and a general dislike for Gordon Brown, the leader of the party. As part of the Liberal Democrats pre-election promises, they made it explicit in their manifesto that they would abolish all tuition for universities nation-wide. This would make university free to all people.

This promise was made to win the support of the National Union of Students, amongst other invested trade unions, which are a group which the political left usually supports, and vice-versa.

It is not surprising then that students, professors and parents alike are furious at the new law that has passed. It amounts to a direct and complete U-turn on pre-election pledges. The law has sparked controversy in British society and has caused severe ruptures within the coalition government; two ministerial aides of the Liberal Democrat party have already quit because of it (12/10). The passing of the law has weakened an already fractious government, and the question on my mind is “yes, they’ve passed their tuition policy, but will they survive the next public election?”

{ }

008

[FILM REVIEW]

Winter and logic seem to have been swept away by strange Santa Ana winds. How else would you explain me waiting in a line on a Thursday evening to catch the midnight showing of Part Michelle Hamada One of Harry Potter 2011 and the Deathly Hallows? Perhaps I should describe the setting: It’s 9pm and I’m outside the theater at the end of a long line, which places me next to the theater dumpster and a pile of abandoned pizza boxes and empty beer cans. If Aliso Viejo had a seedy underbelly this would be it! Wrapped in a floor length cloak, a death mark drawn in sharpie above my wrist, and carrying a portable book light, I fancy myself identical to the most wicked Harry Potter villainess. To top it off I am charged with only the 2 hour wink of sleep I got the night before leaving me with a sort of crazed twitchy look in my eye.

Looking back on this moment, especially in the context of this last semester of all-nighters, over-scheduling, and general crabbiness, my sanity is definitely questionable.

However, at the time, there really is no place I would rather be. It’s Harry Potter season: time for me and all the other HP weirdoes to wave our freak flag high.

What does this mean you may ask? Well, I suppose it depends on your particular affliction. For me, I like to run around pretending to use wizard summoning charms to find my missing Soka ID card (“accio ID!”) and giggle to myself as I skype my friends Harry Potter pick-up lines (“My name might not be Luna but I sure know how to Lovegood”). Before I alienate everyone but the hard-core HP fans with my embarrassing wizardlingo, I want to tell you that displaying my nerdiness isn’t the sole purpose of this article, but it is part of it. Just hold on please.

For those of you who aren’t fans of the series you may be wondering

Harry Potter

HOLIDAY

whether this film is worth seeing. Personally, I say yes. The film is sophisticated in style and the cinematography is more beautiful than ever before.

But when moseying around rottentomatoes.com the other day, I found review of The Deathly Hallows Part One that essentially said “See it. Don’t see it. Whatever I say, I know won’t make a difference.” And I have to say I agree with this critic. As pretty as the shots are, the people who go to see it pay $10 not for the film’s cinematic merit, but to experience a magical world and revisit the characters we have chuckled along with over the past decade. And I suppose that’s the general reaction to the craze as well. You either see yourself in this article, reflected in me and my obsession, or you (perhaps more accurately) see an insane girl with bags under her eyes that really should have just slept during the 2 hour and 27 minute long movie.

It’s not like there aren’t things we could critique. Clicking through newyorker.com, I learned that some critics believe the Harry Potter books and films focus too strongly on the idea of a “chosen one,” leaving children to place themselves within a hierarchy of who is special and who is not. Also, one only has to see that Harry Potter made $125 Million its opening weekend to remember that the books, the films, the Hogwarts scarves and other merchandise really are manufactured to make money: a realization that sometimes crushes my sentimentality. These are valid critiques, I suppose, and interesting too considering the vast influence the Harry Potter franchise has. But when did we all become such party-poopers?

Surely, it’s important that we all take our finals, our capstones, our academic lives seriously; however, we have to also make sure to indulge in ourless intellectual, less-hip interests too. For me, seeing the film was my first taste of the winter holiday, to frolic around with my good friends late on a school night and give my mind a break from its whirring. It also began to get me pumped for the winter break visible just beyond the horizon. I’m sure you all have your own holiday routines but after I saw the film, I could already start imagining myself pulling popsicle stick ornaments out of storage and eating reindeershaped almond cookies off of the cookie sheet. It’s so close, guys! So whether you plan to drink butter beer with wizards and goblins, or munch on Bon Appetit Fro-yo during the winter break, I wish you all a wonderful and well-deserved Holiday!

009

A WALK

IN THE

DARK I

t was yet another uneventful night in Cape Elizabeth, Maine. There isn’t much to do in my small town so high school kids often find themselves congregating in the parking lot of Cumby’s – the local gas station.

They spend their time there standing in a circle, talking, smoking cigarettes, and looking for something to do.

They never find anything.

One member of the circle asks, “You hear of anything going on tonight?”

“Nah man how about you?” the other replies. The search for spontaneity and excitement continues amidst the monotonous routine of small town America. here can the youth of America find excitement among repetition and conformity?

Where can depth and meaning be found among advertisement, shopping malls, fast food chains, CEO’s, 9 to 5’s, name brands, expensive cars, and other aspects of mass culture? In the midst of the spiritual and intellectual void of our country’s capitalist, consumerist culture, many youth search for the answers to these aching questions in drugs and alcohol.

And so, on that seemingly uneventful Cape Elizabeth night, a few of my friends and I decided to leave the parking lot on an adventure to a nearby forest called Great Pond.

The crew included David, Charles, Riker, and myself. And, in their quest for both transient joy and eternal truth, my friends decided to eat some hallucinogenic mushrooms.

I elected to be the driver and the sober protectorate of my fellow seekers of knowledge.

W

010

Ryan Hayashi 2012

owever, when I opened s we entered Great Pond A and began walking down Hup my hand the firefly the path, my friends told me remained calmly perched that they were beginning to feel the effects. If they hadn’t told me, I wouldn’t have known.

Their speech and behavior seemed normal as ever. As we came to a clearing that led a pond, I looked up at the moon which hung majestically in the sky. The sight of the glowing orb mysteriously shrouded behind the cover of mist made me stop in wonder.

The moon and its hazy obstruction were reflected in the motionless pond to create an image as clear as a mirror.

I stood and stared, almost as if I was in a trance – or maybe a dream - until I realized that my companions were already continuing down the path.

The brilliance of the moon’s light illuminated the ground and made it easier to find my footing as I struggled to find my way forward under the shroud of darkness. eeper in the forest, the trees completely blocked the moon’s light. Everything was pitch black. My steps blindly groped forward.

Without the aid of sight, I began to stumble over the trees’ knotted roots which rose up out of the ground.

Unsure if I could continue onward, I suddenly saw many small flashing green lights at varying heights. I could now see and realized that we had come to a small foot bridge. As I approached one of these flashing green lights, I recognized it as a firefly.

Amazed, I tried to capture one by cupping it between my two hands. As I slowly opened my hands to catch a glimpse, I saw a green light flashing inside. Right when the darkness had become too much of an obstacle, I had found an emerald lantern.

After a minute or so, I decided to let it go.

D

on my finger. As I walked, I could now see how the green glow emanated from beneath its small wings. The glow continued to come and go but its frequency had changed to a much slower pace. The firefly was completely calm and composed as it sat perched on my finger. Although you would expect my four tripping friends to be completely blown away by such an enchanting experience, they stopped to observe for a short while but then paid no more heed to the magical lights. This puzzled me. Perhaps their minds had run off somewhere else.

I began to wonder why I had idled away so many summer nights in boredom, completely unaware that this amazing forest had always stood here.

It was a land of nighttime enchantment.

The stark contrast between this mystical adventure and my routine nights spent alone made me feel as if I was seeing something new for the first time. The childish experience of feeling joy and wonder even when observing the most simple of things slowly began to return to me. Recalling this forgotten emotion made me feel as if I had been reacquainted with a good friend of old times. I felt like a child.

We reached the end of the foot bridge and continued along another forest path. The path got steeper and steeper until we finally came to its end at a giant rock which overlooked Great Pond. We sat down to relax and stared across the pond’s surface which reflected

the moon’s brilliant rays. hinking it humorous, I began to ask my friends deep philosophical questions.

“Does consciousness create reality? Or does reality exist independently of consciousness?” Baffled and perplexed, they did their best to respond. Transcending my role as the protector and claiming the role of the teacher, I began to lecture them on the nature of reality. “Consciousness is like a body, and reality is its shadow.

Without the body, there could be no shadow. Similarly, without consciousness, there can be no reality. In the same way that a body’s figure shapes a shadow, our minds are intricately linked with our environment and determine the way that it unfolds.” Looking up, I realized that I had lost the attention of my friends who had let their minds wander to different places. However, I could tell that David was still listening because he was looking at me with wide eyes and a blank stare. I continued: “Yes, there is an underlying order of reality. And even the smallest action, even a single drop of rain or the movement of a single rock can impact the entire universe.

It is perpetual cause and effect.

Watch - I will demonstrate.” I grabbed a large rock and threw it as far as I could into the water.

I instructed him to observe the rings which perpetually travelled outward. Small waves continually bombarded the shore. e sat in silence for a while.

Many thoughts came and went. I began to think that the pond’s bombarding waves were a perfect image of thoughts. Flowing ripples which continually come no matter what. After a long period of pondering, David finally said, “I think I get it. Nothing is good or bad. Everything just is. Not only that – everything is divine.” “Yes, yes. I think you are right,” I quietly replied. Looking outward, I thought that the pond at moonlight was beautiful. We sat in silence some more. After a while I looked at my watch and realized that it was past 3AM. I had been so enchanted by our adventure and so focused on the present moment that I hadn’t thought of the concept of time

nT i 2

W

the entire night. As we walked back, my friends told me that they were coming down and were no longer feeling anything. “So, how was your trip?” I asked. “What did you learn?” fter a moment of reflection, Riker replied, “When I looked at a tree, I knew that I was the tree and that the tree was me. No – I didn’t just know it. I FELT it.

I felt it in the very depths of my being. I mean, I already believed in the interconnectedness of life.

But when I was tripping, I KNEW IT. I FELT IT. It wasn’t even a question.

It wasn’t intellectual. I felt it in my breast, in my heart, in my bones.

I don’t know . . . it’s kind of hard to explain.” understood exactly what he meant. During the one and only time that I had experimented a year before, I had felt the exact same thing. I felt it not only with nature, but also with people.

Looking at a friend, I knew deep down that we were one. I also felt it with time. Past and future meant nothing to me –

A

I

eternity existed within the moment.

As images of friends, family, and

men of the past flooded my mind, I knew that my profound unity with them transcended not only distance but also time. I again found myself looking up at the moon which was still shrouded in mist. Thoughts came and went. As I snapped back to reality, I

realized that my three friends were hurrying off down the path.

I faintly heard them excitedly planning out their next trip. didn’t doubt that their experience had allowed them to transcend everyday perception and see a different perspective of reality. Understanding oneness and appreciating nature are both great things. At the same time, I wondered if they would be able to translate their realizations into their actions of everyday life. Someone who truly believes that all life is one would naturally show immense compassion to all people. Nonetheless, even after a summer of similar night, nothing about my friends’ daily lives had changed. Were these trips of transcendence or escapism?

As I continued to reflect on this question, I concluded that their experiences were more like a glimpse through a window than a door that can be opened and entered. My mind was running off again . . . As my thoughts returned to reality, I looked up to see my friends running off as well.

“Hey man, thanks for driving us and staying sober,” Charles said.

“I really appreciate it.”

“No problem,” I replied. “I’m down any time.”

“Do you wish you could have tripped?” he asked me.

I looked up at the moon which, although still shrouded by the mist, was beginning to emerge and reveal its majestic light.

“What do you mean?” I chuckled softly. “That whole time I was tripping harder than any of you guys.”

I

021 011

A P O L L OS G R O U N D PHOTOGRAPHY

AMBRE:

“Street portraits always

have be en the most intriguing and

beautiful form of photography in my opinion. When I went to Mexico, I finally had a chance to try it out myself but became extremely disappointed when I was unable to break the barrier between me and my subject and learned street photography was too invasive for me. These shots were the few times I was able to overcome my fear (although I happened to pay for that cotton candy and the mariachi music, which half way diminished my guilt for invading their privacy).

These photos represent my love for catching people’s unique expressions and then seeing them again later over and over again (laughs).”

A M B R E

AUZA N N E A U 2011

a partinglook:

Handrio Nurhan A Beginning

Indonesian youths lack a genuine curiosity and interest in pursuing education. For many of them, education is merely a phase that they must go through to have a better economic future. It was a truly pragmatic educational atmosphere that engulfed our minds. I was too, at the brink of harboring the same thought about education, till I read one article

by Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of Soka institutions, which changed my outlook. The article revived a part of me that usually reigned supreme in little children that had been dormant for a long time.

It is curiosity that makes a child ask questions about virtually everything he can see, touch and think about.

“What is this world that I live in? Such a unique and interesting place!” But later, curiosity dies indistinctly and nobody realizes it. The world is still the same unique and interesting place, but we see it as a familiar place we know too well.

Once my curiosity was revived, I saw education differently, classes became much more interesting and teachers were precious informants. Education became a place of contemplation to find more, to ask more! Thanks to Ikeda’s article, I naturally began to want to know more about him and Soka Education.

When I found out about Soka University Japan and the nearing completion SUA, going to either one of the two schools became my target. Refusing to be beaten by financial difficulties, I persevered and made it to Japan. I then applied for the available exchange program to get a taste of what SUA is like.

A Philosophy

I had 12 years of education in Christian schools prior to undergrad. Being exposed to both Christianity at school and Buddhism at home, I developed a familiarity towards religious studies that eventually evolved into a love of philosophy. Coupled with my initiation into my high school debating club, I was introduced to the formal utilization of logic as a tool whereby I can understand matters in their intricate complexities. With it, curiosity has been armed with critical thinking, and this is the fuel for philosophy.

I began to look at life itself. I arrived at a point where the dire reality of a Godless universe struck me hard into a moment of forlornness. Man is alone. There is no a priori Good to accompany him. Dostoyevsky captured this in one sentence, “If God does not exist, everything would be permitted.” Soon another realization came, as man finds himself alone with nothing to cling on, nothing to make excuse upon, man is fully responsible for all of his conducts.

As Jean-Paul Sartre put it, “existence precedes essence,” man is nothing the moment he comes into existence. Man defines, gives essence to his existence, existence precedes essence; therefore, to put it in Sartre’s words, “man is nothing else but what he makes of himself.” I am nothing else but what I make of myself. This demands a reality grounded in nothing but action. I exist; that is the starting point to build upon. I am an existing existentialist.

014

An Opera of Life My encounter with the operatic genre was pure coincidence.

I was a regular music lover who enjoyed some popular songs, and in high school I developed a fondness toward musicals. One of my favorite singers at the time was (and still is) Josh Groban. I went to a shopping mall to look for his DVD, only to be disappointed since I couldn’t find it. I arbitrarily bought Andrea Bocelli’s DVD without knowing what I actually bought. From that point on, hours and hours of intense listening to operatic arias (Italian term for a song in an opera), hunting the oldest recording files on the internet (the oldest I succeeded to collect was Tito Schipa’s 1913 recording), independent historical research on operatic singing style and hours of imitating those singers (YouTube is so far my greatest teacher), followed.

I became, as people around me put it, ‘noisy’ singing big notes.

As with everyone else who is familiar with the joy of music, there is fundamentally no explanation of why I enjoy a certain type above another. We just love the music. It attracts us. It creates feeling when we dive along the music.

Music is a cross-cultural phenomenon. That humans enjoy it is its ‘existential level.’ But what is its essence? Or to be more specific, what essence do I give to the operatic music style? The essence of opera is theatrical. For me this entails that it exaggerates, enhances, magnifies and dramatizes human experiences and emotions. Happiness, sadness, anguish, joy, anger, love, vengeance, lunacy, contentment, expressed through an arrangement of musical composition that has stood the test of time for hundreds of years; truly opera is timeless. Also opera can serve as a time machine which can transport you to a 17th century opera seria, or an 18th century opera buffa, or the 19th century Verismo or bel canto. Whichever you choose gives a taste of what a certain era was like in their social, cultural and political settings.

Perhaps more than anything else, human voice is the definitive part of opera. It gives opera the spirit it has. Try listening to Luciano Pavarotti’s clarity of voice, the warmth of Giuseppe di Stefano’s, the sweetness of Beniamino Gigli’s, the virility of Franco Corelli’s, the coloratura (the ability to execute fast, rapid notes in succession) of Juan Diego Florez’s, the magnificent color of Maria Callas’s, or the hauntingly beautiful tonal quality of Amelita Galli-Curci’s. You’ll get a sense of what human voices can achieve. Those voices were tirelessly and devotedly trained to achieve not mere technical perfection, but what that technical perfection can bring: a voice capable of conveying emotions. Every time I listen to those voices, I am reminded of the virtuosity born from decades of hard

work and devotion, often seemingly useless practices of mumbling weird dictions and countless voice scaling. Like an existentialist man, a voice too, is nothing else of what the owner makes of it.

The combination of the aspects mentioned above is an operatic scene that can magically move your feelings.

Try watching the historic 1963 Tokyo performance from Mario del Monaco singing the aria Vesti La Giubba from Leoncavallo’s opera I Pagliacci. It never fails to mesmerize me, no matter how many times I have seen it. In that performance he successfully delivered, in less than two and a half minutes, sadness, delirium, anger, frustration and pain with exceptional an voice that resonates with those feelings. The audience exploded into applause even before the whole piece was finished. The first thing you notice when seeing the aria is that you won’t understand the meaning of it since it’s in Italian. Still it delivers to you fragments of those feelings; music and voice transcend the language barrier. Then you start to find what the opera is about, and particularly what that scene is about, you re-watch it with that knowledge in mind, it’ll blow you away twice as strong.

Opera equally transforms human emotions and experiences, be it sadness or joy, love or hatred, life or death, into something artistic and most importantly, beautiful to us.

That’s a great lesson on life I got from opera. It encourages me to have an attitude to view all experiences I have, no matter good or bad, with equal appreciation. All of them are parts of life’s great opera. The existence of both bad and good is what gives life meaning and beauty My hope for the future would be that the art form of opera can find more fans among the youth.

There seems to be this image that opera is for an elite group people and people.

I give credence Opera is an enjoy; it is an

o f o l d refuse to to that view. art that anyone can artistic celebration of life

015

If all you want for Christmas is your sanity, you’ve come to the right place. Yuletide carols, a staple of the holiday season, have already made their way to shops, restaurants, and households across the nation. But how jolly can the season truly be after the hundredth loop of “Silent Night?” Americans are bombarded with the same song list year after year, and,

due ever-decreasing profits, stores have begun playing carols as early as November in a desperate attempt to extend the Christmas-time spending spirit. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always been a sucker for the holidays, and it is for this reason that I am standing up to tradition and compiling my own song list this year.

TOP 15 UNCONVENTIONAL CHRISTMAS SONGS

music

1 Run DMC

016 012

“CHRISTMAS IS”

A VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS 2 (1992)

This throwback has the right amount of early hip-hop bop and lyrics wholesome enough for any family gathering. So all you little b-boys and b-girls out there: gather around the fireplace because this Christmas is going to be bumpin’.

2 The Raveonettes

“CHRISTMAS GHOSTS” WISHING YOU A RAVE CHRISTMAS (2008)

4 The Killers

“DONT SHOOT ME SANTA” DONT SHOOT ME SANTA (2007)

This song has been a personal favorite of mine for years. It paints jolly ol’ St.Nick in a different light—Angel of Death! He’s a rootin’ tootin’ cowboy that holds the life of lead singer, Brandon Flowers, in the balance. With carol-inspired vocals, this is sure to get any kid to count their blessings and strive to stay on Santa’s good side.

Don’t let the album title fool you; this deceivingly ambient melody soothes even the most savage of “candy” (a type of bracelet) wearing, glow stick shaking beasts with sweet, art rock influenced beats. Great for a mug full of hot chocolate and an evening snuggle.

3 Rufus Thomas

“ILL BE YOUR SANTA, BABY ” THE ULTIMATE R&B CHRISTMAS (1997)

I’m a sucker for all things funky, and boy was I happy to come across this. With the right amount of holiday tinge and more than enough nasty to go around, Rufus Thomas will leave you wanting more. So dim the lights down low, and get cozy.

Santa’s bringing you a little extra somethin’ somethin’ in his bag this year, ya dig?

5 Yeah Yeah Yeahs

“ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS ”

ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS (2008)

Karen O’s vocals are sure to keep you feeling warm and nostalgic, while guitarist Nick Zinner adds extra holiday spice to this upbeat, alternative rock song. It’ll leave you wishing you would have added “sweet loving” to your list this year.

WITH A

TWIST

Kandi Haro (2012) In it you will find an eclectic mix of fifteen, unconventional, holiday-appropriate songs along with my five unique renditions of classic carols.

Hopefully it will inspire many of you to break free from the monotonous Christmas scene we’re all used to, and add a little spice to your holidays.

6 Lady Gaga

“CHRISTMAS TREE” CHRISTMAS TREE (2009)

All you little monsters out there, this one’s for you. Can’t say I’m a fan, but I have a duty to deliver what the people want, and I hear this is what all the youngsters think is hip and happening. In true Gaga fashion, this song oozes sex appeal: “My Christmas tree’s delicious”—‘nough said.

7 The Vandals

“OI TO THE WORLD” OI TO THE WORLD (1996)

God doesn’t forget the punks, and neither do I. The Vandals’ rendition of a beloved Christmas classic (“Joy to the World”) just goes to show that the naughty have just as much holiday spirit as their preferred counterparts. More specifically, this song promotes unity between native Englishmen and immigrants/children of immigrants living in England. Punks for peace—what more can you ask for?

8 The Knife

“REINDEER” THE KNIFE (2001)

This peculiar Swedish music duo pays homage to all of Santa’s reindeer in this electro-infused ballad. It’s a nice change from the played out, Rudolph-centered carols we’re all used to. Plus, for once,

the other eight reindeer can finally get some credit. Sure Rudolph came through that one night, but he can’t carry Santa’s plump behind by his lonesome now, could he?

10 Peter and the Test Tube Babies

9 Paloma Faith & Josh Weller

“IT’S CHRISTMAS (AND I HATE YOU)”

“IM GETTING PISSED FOR CHRISTMAS”

This is one of the lesser known groups on the list, but don’t overlook them or you will regret it, I promise. Paloma Faith’s vocals are to die for, and the jolly beat makes you forget that the she and Josh Weller are professing their ever-growing hatred for each other. Maybe we can all learn something from this song and stay positive, even around those we don’t care for—a lesson that will come in handy this upcoming holiday season, I’m sure.

I dedicate this to all the ruffians out there. Forget fruit cakes; hand ‘em a forty! I’m sure Santa would approve. Shoot, he would probably even partake, but I hear designated sled drivers are hard to come by. Cheers!

THE FUZZY FEELING EP (2008)

THE BEST OF PETER AND THE TEST TUBE BABIES (1987)

017

11 Iron Maiden

“ANOTHER ROCK N’ ROLL CHRISTMAS” UNRELEASED TRACKS (2009)

C’mon it’s Iron Maiden. What more needs to be said then, “Christmas up your ass!!!”

12 Kurtis Blow

“CHRISTMAS RAPPIN’” CHRISTMAS RAPPIN’ 12” (1979)

In classic hip hop style, Kurtis Blow makes you want to groove. He too grew weary of the holiday music scene, and decided to make his own, happening rhyme. This feel-good beat is guaranteed to keep the good times rolling.

13 De La Soul

“MILLIE PULLED A PISTOL ON SANTA” DE LA SOUL IS DEAD (1991)

This is not your typical Christmas tale. De La Soul give a real-life account of Millie, a girl harassed by a treacherous mall Santa, and the steps that led her to decide what naughty St.Nick really deserved. Warning: It’s a heavy message, but I always find a touch of truth around the holidays comforting. Everything is not always as it seems.

14 OutKast

“PLAYER’S BALL (ORIGINAL)”

A LAFACE FAMILY CHRISTMAS (1993)

Outkast provides a unique account of how some people choose to celebrate the holidays: You thought I’d break my neck to help y’all deck the halls/oh no I got other means of celebratin’. Keeping true to the Southern hip hop-funk infused style Outkast is famous for, “Player’s Ball” redefines carol standards, providing insight on how hustlers get their Christmas celebration on. Andre 3000 says it best: another year can’t ask for nothin’ more it’s Outkast … I thought you knew!

15 Belle & Sebastian

“ARE YOU COMING OVER FOR CHRISTMAS?” UNRELEASED (2007)

In true Belle & Sebastian form, this soothing ballad makes you feel good no matter how off-beat the lyrics (always) tend to be. This song has the classic carol feel without the predictable, uncomfortably cheesy undertones. I recommend this song for people who don’t want to stray too far away from the norm.

5 Renditions of Classics!

As much as I hate to admit it, it doesn’t feel like Christmas without the carols we all grew up to know and love. But classics by the greats—Bing Crosby, Pat Boone, Nat King Cole, etcetera—slowly begin to lose their appeal. That is why I now present you with five interpretations of familiar Yuletide anthems from varying genres.

1. Stiff Little Fingers, “White Christmas” 2. Smashing Pumpkins, “Christmastime” 3. Jason Mraz, “Winter Wonderland” 4. Santo & Johnny, “Twistin’ Bells” 5. Pedro the Lion, “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” So there you have it folks. This year forget the Yule log; warm your nippy nose aside some Michael Bolton records set ablaze, and reward your ears with the gift of originality. May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be BUMPIN’!

018

CAPSTONERS

UNITE

GARRETT BRAUN (2011)

Welcome back to the second installation of Capstoners Unite! Soka University of America (SUA) is wrapping up what was hopefully another successful and enlightening semester. The end of CAPSTONE 390 has passed and hopefully all the seniors have submitted their final versions of their capstone proposals. Let’s take a look at what some seniors think about how capstone can connect SUA to the greater community and how they perceive that capstone will serve them in the future.

I asked

three seniors (1) how they thought the capstone project can help connect SUA to the greater community, and (2) what ways they hope their capstone can add value to their lives, now and in the future.

All three responded with optimistic outlooks on the potential that capstone holds for them and for SUA.

The future environmental policy maker, Johnny Chua

(‘11) is seeking to “discover how effective the Mineral Management Services function after being split into 3 different agencies right after the Deepwater Horizon gulf spill and how the new federal bureau is designed to prevent future marine oil pollution.” He perceives his capstone as an “extension of [his] personal interest to resolve such issues,” and he knows that what he discovers can one day “bloom into something of much greater value.” Capstone can function as a means by which to communicate the personal interests of SUA students to a potentially global audience. All the “sweat, toil and commitment we [give] to write capstone will serve as a constant encouragement for a long, long time.”

My fellow

enthusiast of humanity, Elaine Sandoval (‘11), will use capstone to elucidate her views on the “human relationship to music through the means of systematic musicology, ethnomusicology, and the concept of value creation, in order to advocate the necessity of music education and propose its potential multiculturalism in the 21st century.” One day you will hear Elaine’s name in the same sentence as Nobel Peace Prize after she revolutionizes music education and empowers youth towards social change. In order to help contribute to the blossoming discourse on musicology and ethnomusicology, Elaine plans to

“approach [her] capstone through creative writing, because [she] believe[s] if [she] can’t make [her] ideas about music education interesting and accessible to society, there is no point in writing them at all.” She sees her capstone as a means by which to “practice presenting the concepts of Soka education and value creation, so [she] can help bring them outside of SUA and specifically into the world of music education.”

The micro-finance

connoisseur, Hideto Koizumi (’11) is going to make his contribution to the discourse on micro-finance by reflecting on how “social capital can improve [its] performance.” His goal is to expand the popular micro-level analysis of micro-credit to include “cultural and social variables that should be considered to make studies applicable to the [entire] world.” To help connect all the amazing work that SUA students are doing to the community, he suggests that we create something like Georgetown University’s Carroll Round, an undergraduate international economic conference, here at SUA. He is excited about presenting his research, as well as achieving a career in it, and wants to use his opportunity with capstone to put into practice the research skills that he believes are “the basis of how we learn, which is one of the most important parts of a liberal arts degree.”

You see,

there is no reason to fear or begrudge capstone, the possibilities of how to interpret the value that capstone creates are infinite. All three epic seniors communicate a very different vision for the importance of sitting in your room, with only your underwear on (read my last column to enjoy this allusion). I invite each of to join me in considering exactly what purpose the countless and sleepless nights of dedication to opening and expanding our minds can serve. Please share your hopes for all that we do here at SUA with a friend today and find out another’s perspective on the endless possibilities of what we are doing here.

The revolution must be televised,

CAPSTONERS UNITE!

019

P4 eace

(of the fictional series War and Peace)

Eduard Fleming had a gargantuan marker, labeled “infinite black”, on his hand. He tapped the tip of its cap on his cheek repeatedly. A drop of sweat considered running down his forehead but decided it would be too risky. His thoughts congregated in poker but the stakes were far beyond their monetary conditions. Me and CAT were amused with his attempts to create straight lines on the pallid white ground of our infinite nothingness.

– So, if you finish a box like this... he lectured CAT on the infinite possibilities of different kinds of shapes we could create Jean Marcus while closing up the box on the white floor. She thought that was absurd. “Didn’t he know cats (2011) can’t understand humans?” she confessed to me one day. I thought it was quite hilarious.

The project of the nice box made of infinite black ink turned out to be more complicated than he imaged. In fact, his imagination was far more bounded than our current location. It was a white canvas, literally. One day he wondered how he was standing on a ground if there was no difference between firmament and heaven and he fell. After dropping several kilometers, diving into the infinite ocean of opaque white, he stopped. Since then, he was careful about what sort of things he thought.

But the project of the square was finished somehow. With the box done he let a sigh of tiredom escape his mouth and that timid drop of sweat took the opportunity to flee.

They were the ugliest lines put together to look like a square that I ever seen in my life: – This is what I have been trying to tell you guys. A geometric shape.

He directed the statement to a bizarre crowd of creatures on the opposite side of the square, who attentively followed Eduardo’s efforts to draw. They looked puzzled.

They were gods, nymphs and other sort of chimerical creatures found only in our imaginary worlds. Weeks ago Fleming arrived in that particular location after waking up and trying, with no success, to go to work. After noticing he was not in his normal world anymore he ended up being hunt down by the same creatures who are now being lectured to. It was the first time the imaginary creatures had seen a modern human being. They did not recollected the time they used to interact with ancient humans with more frequency than nowadays.

– So you really don’t have a clue what I am?

Eduardo perplexed after the chase was over, for his relief, with a crowd of nymphs and gods all around him excited just to talk. If he knew exactly why they were hunting him down the chase would have finished way before it started, saving him from exhaustion from hours of running through nothingness. Right now, though, he wished he had continued running.

– No Their eyes spoke more than their lips but Eduardo could not grasp it.

– Do you know what a human being is?

He tried once more, looking for older memories to tap from.

– Human being? Can you eat it?

– You are seriously saying you would eat me? I AM a human being!

He could not hold himself – I know who you are! I spend hours and hours looking slide by slide of each one of you, trying not to fall asleep at the boring baritone voice of my art professor! Pictures and more pictures of mythological creatures of all sorts doing an infinite array of silly dances and stuff!

- Pictures of me?

A nymph stood up among the mythological crowd, happy about free publicity.

- Please bite me. (Ouch! Not literally!)

Back to the square, Eduardo tried, and succeeded, to draw up four perpendicular lines from the corners of it. He could see a cube on its way but that was taking too much of his concentration. He reckoned it would be easier to draw cubes in his own reality. In the background, the creatures’ sighs of excitement echoed for the victorious square but little did they know what was coming. Dimensions are always exciting ideas.

Installment

020

<-MUST GO ON >

ryan hayashi _2012-

As members of the SUA community, how can we most effectively communicate the values of Soka to others? The realm of academia certainly has its place in this endeavor.

At the same time, we mustn’t forget that art, culture, and music can communicate messages in an extremely powerful way. The ability of these mediums to engage with people’s emotions and move their hearts is especially important when considering that the aim of Soka Education is to convey the spirit of humanism.

With this in mind, Hip Hop Congress (HHC), SUA’s chapter of the nation-wide nonprofit, has sponsored event such as “The Show,” which provide a space for students

to develop their individual and collaborative creative capacities. On Friday December 3rd, we held the “Gift Show,” our last event of the semester. The first part of the night showcased student performances such as a poem over cello, rap, singing, a guitar solo, and a set by the freshman band “Mose and Them”.

Afterwards, off campus artists took stage. First, HBO poet Besskep shared some of his work and then turned the mic over to seven youth poets that he brought. They all shared unique and profound performances on topics such as the power of women, sexual abuse, capitalism, or revolution.

After the poets finished, local LA rapper Just J performed a hip hop set which pumped up the audience and provided a good ending to the action packed night.

The event was an overwhelming success. Over 100 students attended and many felt that it was the best show that Hip Hop Congress has ever put on. It was especially exciting to see so many on-campus and off-campus students reciting poetry for the first time and freely sharing their ideas and emotions with the rest of the student community. With their poetry, they shared their struggles and victories, their doubts and convictions. Undoubtedly, their electrically charged passion inspired every last person in the audience and

motivated the student body to strive with the same spirit in their own respective endeavors.

In addition, it was great that we were able to nurture bonds with youth living in the local community. Last spring, civil rights activist Vincent Harding gave a lecture to the students of SUA. He is best known for his work with Martin Luther King Jr. At that time, he shared his belief that SUA shouldn’t become a recluse from America’s pains or a place to learn the skills of hiding out. Nor should it be the best kept secret in America. Rather, he encouraged SUA students to make connections with the local community in an effort to bring

the values of SUA to the USA.

All too often, SUA students believe that we study so we can make a contribution to society in the future. Why should we delay service until some future date? We get excited about going abroad for learning cluster to help those who are suffering but forget that our backyard, Santa Ana, has some of the highest poverty and crime rates in California. Contribution should not be something we postpone; rather, we develop the compassion, wisdom, and strength of spirit required for social service by continuously striving to improve our circumstances here and now.

For this reason, Hip Hop Congress has started making efforts to build friendships with members of the local community. After The Show,

every single off campus guest left with a positive image of SUA and its philosophy. One visiting poet noted, “You guys have something special here.” Two of these youth even expressed their interest in applying to SUA. On the horizon is our annual conference on hip hop and education called Elements of Change, as well as a paper we are writing for the Soka Education conference. At a recent SESRP meeting, Danny Habuki shared that one of the reasons that the university constructed the performing arts center is because the cultural events held there will help bridge the gap between SUA and the community. Moving towards next semester, Hip Hop Congress hopes to make further efforts in reaching out to the community and developing local friendships by continuing to host The Show and attending off campus poetry events as well. With such a spirit, we hope to bring the values of SUA to USA with poetry, urban culture, and hip hop music.

021

Soka University of America Jean Marcus Silva (2011) SOCCER Both SUA soccer teams finished their seasons with amazing improvement from previous years but there is still a long way to go. The men’s team finished their season with a record of 9-8-1, overall of .528, with most of its victories away (6—2.) The women’s did not have the same development, ending the season with a record of 2-13-1, with one victory home and one victory away.

Coach Marine Cano had the great challenge of putting together a team for such a long season (which usually requires twice the amount of players available, because of cards and injuries.) One of the reasons for the men’s team’s better record was that it had many more players than the women’s.

However, they suffered in the middle of the season when several of the key players couldn’t be on the pitch because of injuries.

But this season was a good omen for the Lions. We are looking forward to seeing more players on the field; training their fundamentals and doing their best! Go Lions!

These are 2 narratives of games of each of the teams: one from the boys and the other from the girls. Both were reported by Harris Forstater.

THE SEASON SOKA UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA VS. LA SIERRA: Harris Forstater (2013) EMOTIONS RUN HIGH

The

Soka University of America Lions went head to head against La Sierra Eagles this past Thursday in a matchup of two young programs. The game ended in a 2-2 draw, with goals by Ocampo (2’), Bonanken (6’, 60’), and Timm (78’), with SUA moving on to a record of 7-7-1. Physicality and the uncharacteristic amount of cards given out were what defined this game. In total, 11 yellow cards were handed out by the refs, with 3 of them leading to the ejections of a La Sierra player and two SUA players.

UA got off to a quick start, with Marco Ocampo scoring in the 2nd minute of the match. Following a punt by SUA goalkeeper, Tim Sasser, a La Sierra defender went up for the ball, heading it in the direction of Ocampo. With

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the ball still in the air, Ocampo headed the ball to Marco Timm. Timm then completed a lob pass to the sprinting Ocampo, who proceeded to control the ball with his chest, bring it down, and zip in a shot from the 18. La Sierra quickly countered with a goal in the 6th minute by Kenneth Bonanken. Lion defenders tried to clear the ball off of a corner kick, but the ball ended up in the possession of an Eagles player at the 18. The player took a shot, and it ricocheted off of an SUA player. The ball ended up in Bonanken’s possession, and he tapped it in for the equalizer. a Sierra pressured in the 32nd and 35th minutes with two goal scoring opportunities, but Tim Sasser came through strong. The first opportunity was a header deep in the goalie box, which Sasser saved with a leaping one handed tip over the crossbar. The Eagles then completed a through ball in between three Lions defenders. The La Sierra player had at least ten yards on all of our players, but missed the wide open shot from just inside the penalty box.

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he second half started off with multiple chances on goal for both teams. La Sierra finally capitalized in the 60th minute with another goal by Kenneth Bonanken. Bonanken received a tight through ball from halfway into our territory, which he collected deep in the penalty box between two Lions defenders for a tap in goal. Both teams now thirsted for the next goal for different reasons; La Sierra wanted a two goal cushion, and SUA craved the much needed equalizer to put them back in the game.

UA had two chances on a corner and a free kick in the 68th and 69th minutes, but could not strike on either. La Sierra followed with two more chances of their own in the 70th minute, but both were easily caught by Sasser. In the 74th minute, Ichiro Kobayashi and Cole King collided, with both players falling to the ground. La Sierra’s King lost his temper, got into Kobayashi’s face, and was threatening to retaliate.

Because of his actions, King was tossed from the game for receiving his second yellow card of the match.

This left La Sierra one man down with seventeen minutes still remaining. he Lions capitalized quickly with their advantage in numbers. In the 78th minute, Akira Takahata dribbled through La Sierra defenders at the top of the penalty box, the goalkeeper rushed Takahata, resulting in the collision of both players and an up-for-grabs ball. Kenichi Shimizu gathered the ball and executed a perfect cross to Marco Timm for a header into the open goal. With the score now tied, both teams looked to put the game away in the final twelve minutes. Then, in the 90th minute, Kobayashi was involved in another collision with a La Sierra player. This time, the Eagles player did not get up, and appeared to have suffered a severe ankle injury. The player’s father tried to rush onto the field from the sideline, but the referee held him back. The father would not listen, resulting in SUA security being called into action to remove this unruly fan.

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SOKA UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA WOMEN’S VS. EMBRY-RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY ON SENIOR DAY Harris Forstater (2013)

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ctober 24, 2010 marked the final home game of the season for the SUA Lions women’s soccer team.

It was also Senior Day, marking the final career home games of Ambre Auzanneau, Heidi Helgerson and Erika Koizumi. SUA was on the defensive for most of the game, resulting in 11 saves by goalkeeper Katie Olsen, and ultimately a 2-0 final score in favor of Embry-Riddle. The Lions held strong in the first half, with goal-saving defensive plays in the penalty box by Paige Gash in the 5th minute and Ashley Okazaki in the 26th minute. Olsen also contributed greatly to the Lions’ livelihood by making multiple saves; including two leaping punches at balls that were headed towards the top of the goal. he first half concluded with the teams tied 0-0, but the visitors had the clear advantage heading forward.

The second half started out with both teams playing evenly. The first legitimate chance for EmbryRiddle arrived on a corner kick in the 13th minute, and was punched out by Olsen. Immediately following, Natalie De Leon went down in the 59th minute. Appearing to be severely concussed or unconscious, her collapse warranted a visit by the ambulance and a twenty minute delay of the game. Upon resuming play, Embry-Riddle quickly struck on a counter-attack in the 65th minute with a goal by Clancy Delforge off of a cross to the middle of the box. Embry-Riddle continued with the offensive pressure for the rest of the half, while SUA only got two shots off for the entirety of the game. he game ended with Kelsey Anderson scoring a garbage goal for the visitors in the 89th minute.

Overall, Senior Day was a tough outing for the short-handed women’s team. Embry-Riddle dominated from beginning to end, with the Lions constantly on their heels and in defense mode. The defense held relatively strong, but there was no offensive production for the home team during the match.

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STUDY ABROAD

SUA and SUJ (Soka

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I remember reading in one of Founder Daisaku Ikeda’s speeches that we are attending university on behalf of those who aren’t able to. The sense of purpose that Soka students carry with them reminds me of how true this is. In the history courses that I’m taking here, the professors constantly mention the importance of learning history in order to make positive change in the future.

At SUA too, every professor that I’ve taken so far has connected the mission of the school with what they teach. “Our generation is f***ed up. I trust that you guys will do what we couldn’t!” “If you want to work for peace, you need to know how to write!” “I am here to raise warriors for peace!”

In October, SUJ held the annual Soka University Festival, which is very similar to the International Festival held at SUA. On the opening day of the festival, we held a commemorative event at the Ikeda Auditorium, with close to 4,000 students and faculty in attendance and with faculty members from Mindanao University of the Philipines here to confer the 299th honorary degree on the university founder, Daisaku Ikeda.

Only a few weeks later we welcomed faculty members from the University of Massachusetts, Boston who were here

to confer the 300th honorary degree on Dr. Ikeda.

In my freshman and sophomore year at SUA sensed a kind of hesitation or uneasiness in students when talking about the university founder. I understand that these students, including myself, were only being careful in making the distinction between referring to Dr. Ikeda as a university founder and scholar, and as their religious mentor.

But I realized through these two award conferral ceremonies that Dr. Ikeda’s achievements go far beyond religion.

Of course his achievements founding a number of academic and other social institutions are incredible, but more than that, I sensed that the academic institutions conferring these awards were recognizing the profound influence that the values of Soka have on its students. I don’t think values have any meaning until they’re translated into action. Without a doubt, I see many Soka students take their school values seriously and then translate them into their own personal lives, which is what these award conferrals on Dr. Ikeda represent. As a student of both Soka University of America and Soka University of Japan, I will continue asking myself the question: for what purpose am I studying?

daorbayduts

University of Japan) are completely different schools, but I think they both share a very important quality: a culture of embracing the founding principles.

At both schools, I see these values come alive in the students’ behavior, and their attitude towards their studies and student activities. I see it in the way faculty and staff carry their sense of responsibility to raise the students.

I think this culture is well expressed in one of SUJ’s mottos, which goes “For what purpose should one cultivate wisdom? May you always ask yourself this question.” Many students here put much thought into this question. I’ve met many students here who’ve inspired me with their dreams and stories behind coming to the university.

One student I met from Argentina wants to go back to her country to help build communities once she gains some years of business experience in Japan. Another student from Sri Lanka who is majoring in both Japanese and development studies wants to contribute to the development of her home country and of other developing countries.

Another student from Africa is also motivated by her dream of going back to Africa to help solve the problems of her country. These are students that remind me of why I love Soka University.

UNDERCOVER: SUJ

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Hiro Ishikawa (2012)

SOKA GIRLS JEAN MARCUS SILVA (2011)

I am

a women aficionado. Doesn’t every heterosexual man say they are? Yes and no. When men say they appreciate women, most of time they are saying they appreciate sex. As there is no intercourse without a partner (although some of you would call masturbation sex) most of us would gladly say they love someone just to alleviate their sexual urges.

But I truly love women without any ulterior motivation, although I want to have sex as much as the next guy. I am just more interested in watching them walking, moving their hair delicately away from the wind, smiling loosely. It is beauty that goes beyond “ideal appearance” that is described in one of those orgasm magazines. Women have a beauty that reflects their interior rather than matching a certain intended pattern. All of them have a beauty of their own that no man could ever achieve. Therefore, my preference for one beauty over another is not a reflection of a woman’s beauty, but of my feeble opinion and arbitrary preference. Soka Girls, though, remain a mystery in my heart because I don’t know if I can know their beauty or not.

Back home I knew how to behave with women.

I would complement their extremely sensual bodies and they would agree that was the most appropriate reaction toward their well worked exterior beauty.

Some of them would politely refuse the luxurious attributes and say they did nothing but eat too much and watch hospital dramas at home. “I don’t work out to be someone you describe.” But inside,they knew how beautiful they were.

Once I fell in love with a gorgeous brunette, who was also an incredibly skilled clothing designer and one of the sweetest girls I ever met in my life, with the purest

heart of all. During our first conversation as friends I even considered she had low self-esteem because she was too embarrassed by my piercing compliments. At a closer look I noticed it was an elaborate ritual of courtesies. But in the end I would be rejected the same way I was always rejected by these girls I sighed for.

If I was to follow the advice of my guy friends after those rejections I would “aim lower” to be able to at least relate to a girl on any level and leave the life of solitude. But that’s exactly the opposite of my point when it comes to loving women. It is not about being with them romantically or sexually. I know that in those interactions it wouldn’t take much effort because girls go by the same desires and restrictions too.

My relationship with Soka girls has been indeed difficult to place because they have so many different behaviors. It would even be difficult to point out how Soka girls behave because there is an infinite multitude of personalities, beauties and costumes. So my simplistic Brazilian mind becomes confused by the broad-spectrum of hearts and souls. I get dizzy when unexpected behavior drives me off my fantasies or spontaneous responses come from their unlipsticked mouths.

All my discourse on true and interior beauty is challenged by these Soka girls. Their beauty goes beyond the simple mathematical operation of intentions and desires as I try to reduce the complexities of perceptions. They are muses trying to be inspired as well.

I still am an aficionado for women. But living at Soka has brought me perspectives that I never dreamt of before. Girls became more than only my inspiration; they are also my critique, my readers and my companions. With Soka girls I embarked on a complex voyage to the core of what this beauty is that I have always talked about and never able to find. They threw me off my balance and pointed to the direction of my own heart. Where is the Soka girls’ beauty?

They are my own beauty, and our infinite journey beyond. Now I stop at this pit of sticky sentimental words and it seems that I am throwing you off as well. I possibly am. You should seek this beauty for yourself as I leave the stage and say “scene,” while searching for Soka girls not in the audience, but by the curtains.

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The Pearl report

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strives er Daniel Pearlâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;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 endeavor to articu respectfully expr 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:

>> Senior Staf f: Jihii Jolly (Editor-in-Chief ), Christopher Larkin (Manag ing Editor), Jean Marcus (PR Li aison), Janice Lee (Art Manager) >> Business Te am: Josie Parkhouse, Sho Nakagome, Cory Westropp >> La yout Team: Sara h Randolph, Leia Marasovich >> Supporting St aff: Jasmine Brown >>Photog raphy: Jordann Cheng, Ambre Auzanneau >> Most writers are editors too!