THE PEARL Soka University of America’s Student News Magazine
Sept-Oct 2009
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September-October 2009
Table of Contents
got an opinion?
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.
letterfromtheeditor Dear Friends, In a May 2009 Op-Ed entitled “The Crucible of UC Irvine,” Judea Pearl, father of the late Wall Street Journal Reporter Daniel Pearl, questions the role UCI administration ought to play in balancing a university policy that allows students’ sensitivities to be respected while tolerating acts of hate between Muslim and Jewish student groups as part of academic free speech. He writes, “Universities, like religions, are often judged not by what they preach but by what they tolerate.” At a school with a student body as open-minded as SUA’s, expression of hate between students isn’t prevalent, partly because our university’s mission statement has made many of us quite conscious of the importance of living a value creative life. Perhaps we’re even a little self-conscious about admitting to our non-value creative habits. But tensions exist. We don’t need warring student groups to highlight that we have differences, that we’ve had and will continue to have issues with each other, with our professors and, at times, with our administration. Our means of and willingness to deal with such controversies, however, can and needs to be re-evaluated.
Humanistic journalism requires the human to be at the center of the discussion, but humans are not as clear as facts. I recently read an article by Drake Bennett in The Boston Globe that discusses how metaphorically human beings think; our understanding of the world around us is as metaphorical as the way in which we communicate with each other. “[Whether] out of inspiration or out of laziness, we distill emotions and thoughts into the language of the tangible world.”
(Photo by Janice Lee)
Daniel Pearl is this news magazine’s namesake, and the mission of our publication is to stir conversation–to allow students to articulately express differing opinions in a humanistic manner, which requires that we represent every side of the story.
This just makes our job, as humanistic journalists, harder. It’s difficult enough to articulate our own opinions. Now try articulating someone else’s without reducing their humanity to a simple fact. Whether in writing or in discussion, we hope to preserve Daniel Pearl’s belief that every challenge and bold claim ought to be backed up by concrete, verified facts and, I would add, an element of self-reflection. Judea Pearl writes, “Legal obligation to tolerate that which is wrong does not diminish moral obligation to point to that which is right.” This first issue is focused on sharing with all of you–particularly our newest class of 2013–our stories: what we hope is a relatively cohesive picture of why we’re here, what SUA means to us, and where we hope to go. In the interest of time and our limited staff, The Pearl will be published every two months this year, and we encourage you to write for us–tell us your opinions, ideas and frustrations so that we can explore issues of concern or celebration, and bring to light voices that need hearing. Happy Reading!
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Harmful Naiveté: “It’s amazing how my life turned 180 degrees in a matter of a few hours…. Some might think I’m being over-dramatic but these days have become longer as each day passes. Day 1 was 24 hours, Day 2 was 30 hours, Day 3 was 42 hours, Day 4 is eternity.” Eddie Ng (Class of 2013) shares his experience of solitude after being quarantined for six days. Just after filming a friend’s birthday video, he developed chills and a fever and was required to remain confined to his room until recovery. In such circumstances one must ask, how much do we depend on daily human interaction to keep us alive and healthy? I began planning this article imagining all of the funny things I could say about the “Swine Flu” pandemic and how we’ve suddenly become obsessed with cleanliness. I pictured my article sitting next to a picture of bubble boy, representing our degeneration into separate, clean human beings afraid of
The H1N1 Virus and You Maya Ono [2011]
than you might believe. With just about 400 students living in such close quarters, one case of the swine flu could affect us all in less time than we’d like to imagine. As reported in an article by Elizabeth Lopatto on Bloomberg.com, the flu will reach its peak in October, ebbing off in November. Scientists have just released a swine flu vaccine, and with a visit to SUA Nurse Jackie Brodsky, you too can be vaccinated. The clinic has thus far given more than 130 seasonal vaccines (not Swine Flu specific) in the past few weeks to students, staff, and faculty. SUA is expecting to receive a shipment of H1N1 shots, mid-October, and they are currently being administered by the Orange County Health Department. “Prevention is the only real way to avoid these Influenza viruses,” advises Nurse Jackie, “Each person can help their immune system by using the basic supportive
might be related to Guillain-Barre Syndrome, the program was stopped. According to The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Guillain-Barre Syndrome occurs when the immune system attacks the neurosystem, sometimes leaving the patient paralyzed for weeks or even months. Despite efforts to prevent H1N1 panic, as of September, 28,000 deaths have been reported worldwide by the World Health Organization. It seems that even globally, we cannot find a solution for the flu, and the gap between our will to help and the realities of our environment is costing lives. The swine flu is not just showing us how disease itself has become smarter in the past few decades, but how medical care in many areas of the globe is unable to contain something as common as the flu. It’s not that the H1N1 virus is so savvy that it has stumped physicians around the world; it’s that many physicians and scientists don’t
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Students striving for health (Photo by Janice Lee)
contact. The title of my article would be: Is our attempt at sanitizing driving us insane? At SUA, many students like Eddie are being quarantined when exhibiting symptoms such as coughing, sore throat, headaches, chills, fever and muscle aches. Compared to national figures, our numbers have not been drastic. However, scared by the prospect of quarantine, many students who may actually be very sick seem to be afraid to go to the nurse to get the proper care they need. Is the health center quarantine-happy? Actually, it’s not funny at all. The SUA web of human interaction spans farther
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measures: lots of fluids, fresh fruit, extra sleep, frequent hand washing, no smoking including second hand smoke, and sneeze or cough into your elbow, etc.” Not too long ago, news channels were layered with warnings about the swine flu. You might have asked yourself if we were in another plague-esque epidemic. But did you know that the swine flu surfaced before, in 1976? An army recruit at Fort Dix said he felt sick and died the next day, while four of his close comrades were also hospitalized. The government issued the H1N1 vaccine, but as soon as the public realized that vaccines
have the resources to fully practice what they have been hired to do. So, what does the H1N1 Virus have to do with you? Eddie reminds us that swine flu isn’t just the burden of the patient, but at SUA it has turned into the shared concern of our community. “I appreciate the gifts… the Get Well NOW card, fruit snacks, CapriSun, the 2 cases of 32 bottles of Dasani, all things and everything that was left at my door by my friends. Where else could I find people like this?” Eddie said.
On top of a hill in Aliso Viejo, there sits a magical campus where students, faculty, and woodland creatures alike gather amid the blossoming orange trees to discuss peace and frolic in the perfect Southern California weather. The intimate setting cuddles us close to one another, thus inciting the most wondrous love affairs of late night walks to the gazebo and lazy afternoons of watching movies off of tempfiles. But what happens when the fantasy deteriorates? Suddenly the intimacy of our small campus becomes claustrophobic. Its once charming nooks and crannies seem haunted with spiderwebbed memories of past trysts. If you have experienced the dread of an SUA (or any kind of) breakup, you know exactly how it feels when the sweet excitement of a budding relationship suddenly turns sour. Thus you can probably relate to the storyline of 500 Days of Summer. The film follows the ups and downs of the relationship of Tom and Summer. In many ways the movie is a typical Hollywood romantic comedy. Boy meets Girl. Boy Loses Girl. Boy desperately tries to win Girl back. The audience witnesses the entire romance through Tom, a boy who “grew up believing that he’d never truly be happy until the day he met the one.” We are enveloped in Tom’s infatuations, we become him in the film, and if any of you have seen as many Disney movies and formulaic romantic comedies as I have, we instantly relate to his easy faith in the triumph of love. What makes this movie different, however, is one detail: in the end, Summer marries someone else. The dreamlikemodern romance of playhouse dates to Ikea, office rendezvous, and afternoon picnics of playing the “penis game” ultimately falls apart. The perfect fairy tale is shattered. Many of you might find this depressing. When I took my thirteen-year-old sister to the film, she was completely shocked. By inviting her to watch the film with me, I felt like I had crushed the perfectly contained snow-globe that was her illusion of adult romance. But
for those of you who have grown mature from fermented love affairs, I think you will find this movie to be exactly the opposite of depressing. The movie was not filmed as a satire to mock, shock, and embarrass chick-flick saps. Instead, 500 Days of Summer takes a realistic look at our romance-induced euphoria. It embraces our inevitable delusions while also acknowledging that life isn’t a fairy tale. Although Tom is heartbroken, his world does not end. Through the shock of his lost love, he redefines his career and after many Twinkie binges, eventually rebuilds his hope in love. Despite all of the heartache, the movie ends blithely with the sudden appearance of a new ingénue, who, ironically enough, is named Autumn. Can it get any cuter than that? The seasons change and oftentimes the most passionate romances fizzle into emotional fiascos. Here, at SUA, this awkwardness is brutally amplified. Some of you might have experienced the painful walk from the dorms to the cafeteria, where you must choose between suffering through starvation and walking by the one person you hope to avoid forever. Or maybe you share a class or a club with an ex-lover. Although these scenarios can be traumatic, 500 Days of Summer reminds us that this mourning period does not last forever. Our most disappointing relationships make us stronger, or at least allow us to whimsically writhe in our pain accompanied by the grace and beauty of a Regina Spektor song (by the way, the soundtrack for this movie is wonderful). Over time, even the most intense resentments can dissolve. And even if your breakup doesn’t neatly fold up into a pocket sized lesson for the future, Tom’s heartbreak demonstrates that we are not alone in our pain. If Tom can regain his hope in love, who is to say that we too cannot bounce back stronger, wiser, and even more hopeful than before? Summer fades into Autumn. We are young and agile. Life goes on.
This is Not a Love Story a film review of 500 days of summer Michelle Hamada [2011]
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Everyone has a story: Jihii Jolly [2011]
(Photo by Janice Lee and Nico Hirayama)
SUA students are inevitably and inextricably linked to each other. Whether that connection was born years ago through long lost family acquaintances or religious affiliation, or through Facebook and Experience Soka, or just last weekend when your friend’s friend turned out to be in three classes with you and his roommate turns out to be your best friend’s love interest, we can’t escape each other. So, in the spirit of solidarity, and because perhaps the expanding size of the student body is making lunchtime less conducive to intimate conversation, we’ve interviewed a variety of SUA students on their freshman experiences and what they’d like to share with 2013. Everyone’s got a story. Hopefully these will open some doors for conversation, or at least reassure you that you’re not alone and help show that you have officially been adopted into an enormous family, highly functional and complete with drama, love, and radical growth.
Ambre Auzanneau learned about SUA through a postcard she received in the mail. Her parents were impressed by the mission statement and campus. Initially, “I didn’t think there would be anyone I could relate to at Soka. I was set on going to a big school with lots of people, like SDSU. It was difficult adjusting once I got to Soka. I felt out of place because everyone already knew each other through Experience Soka or through the SGI. Freshman year was really hard to connect with people and really be myself. I felt like I was a different Ambre at Soka and I was always worried about what upperclassmen were saying. Because SUA is so small and everyone knows who you are, little things you do can be misconstrued and it’s hard to break away from the misconceptions people might form of you in the beginning.” But after her first year here, her mindset began to change. “You have to feel like you have a place in this school. As a freshman you might feel like you have to prove that you deserve to be here, that you have a good story and you are a good person, here for the ‘right’ reasons and it can be intimidating. I kept quiet because I thought my story wasn’t worth anything compared to others’. So instead, I used my freshman year to do something value creative by studying hard and joining clubs. I thought I’d come here and play soccer but I didn’t because I wanted to try something new and I did.” Her advice to freshman: “You don’t have to feel intimidated. When I was a freshman, all of the upperclassmen seemed so experienced and wise and embodied the mission statement of SUA and that was intimidating. As classes become more diverse, it’s okay that people are here for different reasons. So many of us have considered leaving this school. Soka is a really hard place to be. But I made the decision to come here so, for me, backing out wasn’t an option, even if going to a different school would have been easier. Talk to the upperclassmen. They are the ones who helped me through freshman year. It was still hard, but they helped me make sense of it. It took me a while to realize it, but I am very glad I came to SUA.”
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Naoto Yoshizawa came to SUA after attending Soka Middle School and part of Soka High School in Japan. Having moved back and forth between the U.S. and Japan through his life, his experience with American and Japanese education systems led him to SUA, which was an ideal combination of both. Being quite shy and introverted when he first arrived at SUA, his freshman year was about “remembering how to interact with people.” “The really good thing was that there were so many people who supported me… Even if I was very quiet, people weren’t afraid to talk to me, and though I wasn’t really good at giving something back, I would listen and really appreciate those people who took the step to talk to me because I understood it takes a lot of courage. Students here are really friendly and though some people might think they aren’t being authentic, to me it was such a wonderful thing…My classmates were the ones who gave me this gentle, friendly push on the back. They were like ‘I’m having fun and I want you to have fun,’ and they’d invite me to their parties. I’d just sit there being quiet and they’d still say, ‘Naoto, I’m so glad you came.’ I think there are people like that in every class…and if you can have a tiny little opening and take a little bit of courage to say hi to people, you can make a very good connection. You know that path between the cafeteria and the dorms? I called it the awkward road. Even saying hi on that little road is really tough. But even if it’s small and subtle, that interaction has meaning to it.” On what sets SUA apart he says, “People here are really in touch with their thoughts. I get to hear people’s interpretations of ideas based on their personal experiences and belief systems…which creates a totally new insight. That’s creating value. SUA is all about defining value: How can we discover value? How can we think about the values that already exist? How can we apply them? It’s an entire school dedicated to finding good value…it’s a place where you can really understand someone’s beliefs and opinions and how they were constructed.”
Perspectives on Freshman Year
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Wendy Cook is from Agora Hills, CA and after attending a small Catholic high school, she chose SUA because of its small size and community setting. Freshman year “definitely surpassed my expectations.” She describes it as a “honeymoon” and appreciates having been able to connect with professors on a one-on-one basis. “My freshman year was academically challenging and a little bit of a culture shock but I’ve really enjoyed getting to learn about other cultures in this unique setting.” Retrospectively, she shares, “I’ve definitely gotten to focus on my interests now. Freshman year I wanted to take every class available but now I’m a lot more goal-oriented and looking toward the future… I appreciate having a say in our education and being able to go talk to professors. Taking Dr. Williams’s psycho-linguistics class my first semester freshman year helped me narrow my interest in linguistics, which is what I hope to pursue after SUA.” On what sets SUA apart she says, “I didn’t really think too much about Soka Education aside from the mission statement until second semester freshman year. When I came to SUA I was mainly coming for the feel of being at a smaller university as opposed to the education as a whole. Yet as I understand Soka Education more, it’s reaffirming that I’m at the right place. Soka Education really is about taking a student’s individual talents and integrating them into the education system. You need to enjoy being a student. After talking to a lot of international students, I think they seem very focused on their studies and of course we’re all here for our education, b u t there is so much more to that and it’s equally important to pursue connections outside the classroom.” Her advice to freshman: “I think it’s important to stand up and be vocal if something is not working in a class or outside of it. Freshman year I didn’t use any of my professors’ office hours but I’ve definitely learned it’s important to play an active role in your education. Also, we are all here for different reasons and it’s important for freshman to talk to upperclassmen and their own classmates, which is something I regret not doing enough during Core.”
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Jahmile Torrejon was 24-years-old her freshman year at SUA, returning to university after 7 years. She waited to study because she didn’t want to settle for a traditional education and upon visiting SUA, loved the open door policy of professors, the amenities and the campus environment that was “made for you to study.” Freshman year, she dove into school, reacclimatizing to an academic environment and struggling to write papers in English, which wasn’t her first language. Being far older than the majority of her classmates, she found it hard to relate to students and maintained predominantly cordial bonds without immediately developing deep friendships. Over the course of her time here however, her mindset changed. “I’ve learned that even though they [my classmates] are younger and have experienced less, that doesn’t take away from their perspectives on life. They are in the process of formulating and solidifying their personalities and personas, and I can now say I am gratified and honored to have been a tiny part of that process. It is our overall process and the students’ amazing and diverse perspectives which in turn helps continue the expansion of my own life, regardless of age.” Commenting on the growth of class sizes and variety of reasons students have chosen SUA she shares, “Every single person here is here for a reason and we have to find it. It isn’t going to be obvious freshman year…I still don’t know exactly what I want to do after SUA but I know what I’m doing here right now and it wasn’t clear my freshman year. I thought I knew but I now better understand the importance of this school and that in the classroom, we’re learning an array of perspectives that you don’t get in mainstream education. Professors that have such impressive backgrounds are here for just 400 of us.” Her advice to the freshman: “Don’t get desperate or overly impatient…and be curious! Every year is a step toward something else and SUA within itself is a step toward something in our lives. It will come as long as we never stop trying and never lose hope. As long as you have that, you’ll always have a drive to accomplish things.”
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Lenny Bogdonoff is from San Francisco. After a series of precarious situations, being accepted to SUA was “an opportunity for me to clear my slate.” His freshman year experience was extremely eyeopening. “I was really blown away, especially during Core and I made some really good friends. However, I was very unfocused and kind of misdirected. My priorities were out of whack. I was a spirit department representative for my class and I was trying to contribute in any way possible but I wasn’t focusing on what really mattered. Each semester freshman year I started out good but I’d end up losing momentum and crash and burn at the end, dropping classes. I ended up getting dismissed from SUA after my freshman year.” What motivated him to come back to SUA? “After leaving SUA, I realized how much I love this place, even though my academics weren’t in check. It was the bond I created with people that mattered…even people I left on a bad note with, I knew they weren’t just random acquaintances but people I would have a life-long connection with. No matter what happened, I knew that I needed to come back and I knew that I needed to graduate from SUA. I’d never really had a true understanding of who I was throughout my life and the short time that I was here , SUA revealed so much in my life that I never really knew existed. I was able to learn about myself on so many levels and I knew I wanted to continue that process of development.” Commenting on the changes in the student body he shares, “While the people who are freshmen change, the experience of personal development that we go through our first year here is similar. We can relate to what the freshman now are going through because we’ve done it too. Because each class has different people, they experience things no one else can relate to personally but on a larger scale, we’re all going through the same process…the way we grow from it is relative to who we are.” His advice to 2013: “Make tons of friends. Don’t limit what you think people can do. Don’t pre-judge them – upperclassmen or your classmates. Don’t let relationships get in the way of friendship. It’s important to have a balance – to not do too much of one thing whether that’s academics, clubs, sports or socially – so that you can look back and say that I don’t regret my college experience.” Nandini Choudhury came to SUA from New Delhi, India. Freshman year she made close friends from different parts of the world, a diversity she highly values and would likely not have had the opportunity to experience elsewhere. “I think things can be really challenging freshman year because you don’t know what to expect and so much is constantly going on. It’s hard to balance things. Getting used to it takes a while.” Being an active member of Josho Daiko, her fellow club members supported her greatly during her freshman year. On being part of 2012 and the changes she’s seen in her class, she shares, “Our classes [2012 and 2013] are way bigger. It’s not physically possible to be hanging out with your entire class. But in terms of class spirit, our class has come a long way. We’ve gotten a lot closer.” Her thoughts on freshman year: “It is going to be a challenge; everybody struggles with something here at some point. I think it’s important to know you’re not the only one. When you make good friends and can talk to people you trust, you’ll see you’re not alone. Reach out if you’re struggling because people sometimes just don’t realize you’re going through something. There is always going to be someone to support you if they know you’re going through something. It’s important to communicate. It’s hard to go up to people and talk, especially if you don’t know them that well but it pays off in the end.”
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Chemi Dolma grew up in both India and the U . S . , prior to coming to SUA. She attended an engineering high school, intending to continue her education at the University of Colorado, but ended up choosing SUA just based on intuition. “I think I’m making my reasons [to attend SUA] while I’m experiencing things here. Coming here was a fresh, new start for me, which I wouldn’t have gotten had I gone to CU… I used to be cynical and shy because of my childhood…being half Indian and half Tibetan my family was outcast. But the summer before coming to SUA, I went backpacking through India with my friend and met so many people. It was a renewal of hope for me and it felt good to talk to people... So freshman year, I felt I had to talk to everyone, to be everyone’s friend. I totally faked it till I made it. First semester was hard for me; I was on high alert for personal reasons and academic reasons. In the beginning, I had friends and acquaintances but not close friends. I didn’t really trust people, but I just spilled my soul to my friends and at my breaking point, they picked me up.” Her advice to 2013: “Expect the unexpected. I’ve never been so happy and so sad at the same time. Be as open as you can. You are definitely going to have to face inner demons here…I think people tend to feel insecure for no reason and they just close up but that’s dangerous. Nothing concrete has to happen for you to validate what you’re going through…everyone has inner demons but don’t be afraid to share your experience and reach out to people! …Within the senior class, because it’s so small, it seems like you’re connected to everyone somehow – you’re family. But with the larger class sizes it’s becoming like family plus extended family.” Nevertheless, “learn as much as you can. Nobody told me what to expect but I’m glad I’m here and I’ve learned what I’ve learned. Keep an open mind and learn as much as you can.”
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Eddie Dougrou, a sophomore from NYC, “chose SUA because I had a lot of friends who graduated from the first two classes and they inspired me to come.” When he first came to SUA his mindset was that college “would be a lot of work. But during core, being so close to everyone, it felt more like going to summer camp than a lot of work. I was really surprised by it.” Over the course of freshman year, “I changed a lot. I walked into freshman year – a lot of us did this – trying to be somebody else, holding down this façade, this new identity. Sometimes it comes back to you in a hard way and sometimes it doesn’t. For me it came back hard and so I used freshman year to try to find my identity again and I found that being myself was the most fun thing to do.” His most valuable memory from freshman year is International Festival. “It definitely impacted my year. I had to do three performances that day and each of them on a different stage. It was so much work but those are the experiences I treasure the most. Had it not been for Rhythmission or Sualseros, I wouldn’t have felt like I have anything to give. Those two performances made me feel like being myself is amazing. A year ago I would never have performed in front of people. Had it not been for the people in those clubs and the people who supported me and I wouldn’t be as happy as I am now. International Festival was the defining moment of all that hard work…afterwards I was just floating.” On what sets SUA apart he shares, “Initially I didn’t really think much about Soka Education, I just did my work. I’m honestly still not sure how to define it , but I’ve found that when I’m able to have a teacher on Facebook who wants to know how my summer has been so far, or a teacher who wants to talk after class just because he likes to talk about history and I like to listen, or a teacher that’s willing to lend me movies… that’s the definition of Soka Education: teachers who are willing to go out of their way, who are genuinely interested in you, how you’re doing, how you’re life’s been so far and where you’re going.” His advice to freshman: “It will get hard, but never drop out! It’s never out of your hands to do your best because you’re here and you wouldn’t be here if you couldn’t do it. Cherish the friendships that you have and they will definitely be what gets you by in the long run because it’s those people who are able to calm you down in your moment of most stress that are definitely going to keep you alive. And I find that the most exciting thing at this school, because we’re so small, is to meet a new person. So talk to us! We want to get to know you.”
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Ben Walder is from Valley Center, a small town in San Diego County. He chose to attend SUA because of its principals. “When I came to Experience Soka, the people I met were so…developed that it made me want to come here.” Reflecting on freshman year thus far he shares, “Core was amazing. I like meeting lots of people here who are interested in the environment. We go on hikes and I’ve bonded with them. Also, every night we’d have these drum circles with different instruments and people would hear us and come join. Music is so universal…it brings people together.” He didn’t come to SUA with many expectations, “I came with an open mind. I wasn’t expecting to meet so many amazing people from around the world and learning about them has shaped my view of myself and others. I’ve learned about the flaws in high school education and how Soka Education works for all types of learners…Everyone seems to understand how SUA is and how it was in the past and freshmen are still adjusting to the class structure.” On his experience during Core he says, “I definitely see a change in myself [already]. Throughout Core I questioned myself on many different philosophies…and I feel a greater connection with my classmates. Learning so much about different cultures has affected my views on all aspects of life.”
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Kimberley Ng came to SUA from Malaysia. SUA wasn’t initially her first choice university but she applied because of pressure from her mother just to see if she would get in. “I chose SUA because although I was accepted to other places, they only had fixed subject for me to study. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study and SUA had choices. Also, I had to choose between New Zealand and the US so I chose to come here.” Thus far she feels, “It’s kind of what I expected. There are good and bad things about SUA. Pacific Basin was a surprise; I didn’t know we had to take compulsory subjects like history. Also, people here are warm and welcoming but at the same time, I think there are some of us who I feel should live up to the principles of SUA.” On the class dynamic she shares, “I would say each class has a different feel. Everyone is so open-minded and liberal, unlike back home where it’s systematic; the teacher is always right… I feel that the SUA experience is different for every class since we all have our own stories and come from different backgrounds, despite the fact that we are in the same place now...Though I was reluctant at first, I’m here and experiencing new things and I do feel like I am changing as a person. I’m learning so many amazing things from new people. There are so many things I have moved on from and new things that I am willing to learn.”
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Lily Abt Class of 2013 Hometown: Charleston, South Carolina Inspiration: People. I love to draw faces. Preferred medium: Charcoal or Spraypaint Future plans: “I know that whatever I do, it will involve art, maybe some sort of document studies. Something where I can help people and incorporate art.”
Apollo’s Ground
Career Corner
What are you going to do with a degree in liberal arts? Jennifer Cunningham [Career Conselour]
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Since your major is liberal arts, you probably hear that question often. It can be challenging to explain how a degree in, say, humanities or social/behavioral sciences will lead to a career. However, if you ask most people what their major was in college and what they now do for a living, more often than not, they will say that their college major has no relation to their career. This might seem surprising to many students. For instance, you might find humanities majors who work as business managers and business majors who work for non-profit organizations. The options are plentiful, in theory, which can sometimes stifle students into inaction because they are unsure where to even begin. That is why it is so important to begin career planning and exploration early. The process begins by understanding yourself. What do you enjoy doing? Ask yourself the “miracle question”, “if I could wake up the day after graduating from SUA and be in any career I wanted, without focusing on how I might get there, what would I most like to be doing?” That question is often a great place for us to begin the discussion and then we work backwards. There are actually more options than you realize, particularly because liberal arts majors have skills that are in demand. Surveys by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) show that most hiring managers care more about a job candidate’s skills than they do about a college major. The skills employers say they want most in a candidate are: communication (verbal and written) critical thinking, teamwork, leadership and cultural competence. These are precisely the skills for which SUA students are known. However, liberal arts graduates need to be especially persistent. Beginning the process early, understanding yourself and gaining clarity, will be key to a step towards your career preparation. For instance, Have
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you thought about how you will fulfill the SUA mission to be “global citizens committed to living a contributive life”? Will you contribute to the world by attending graduate school and becoming an educator? Will you become a Foreign Service officer, so that you can impact diplomacy around the world? Will you join the Peace Corps so that you can impact developing nations? How about working for the greater good in non-profit or for a human rights NGO? Or will you impact others through a career in business or the arts? Perhaps you will return to your home country and discover other opportunities.
Any of the career avenues mentioned above offer a chance to live a “contributive life.” To ensure that you achieve your dream, you must prepare early by first understanding yourself and what abilities and interests you have while identifying the areas in which you will make the greatest impact. Then, you must know what steps to take to lead you in the direction of your goals. So what can you do right now to begin to make yourself competitive? Employers and organizations will look to see what other skills you have developed during the course of your studies. Gaining outside experience through participating in club activities (especially holding an officer role), gaining internship, part-time or volunteer work experience will add a depth of knowledge which will enhance your resume. Career Services is a great place to begin exploring and getting tips on how to focus your career goals and gain the skills you need to meet them. For example, you may want to attend the many career workshops presented every semester on everything from how to search for job opportunities to how to interview effectively or understanding professional business and dining etiquette. You may also want to visit our Career Service library with over 100 industry overview books. Perhaps, you would like to identify your interests and skills by taking a career assessment. Since October 2008, SUA has employed a full-time career counselor (that’s me!) to provide support and encouragement in fulfilling your dreams. These services are free to you as SUA students, so the advantage is to use them while you’re here. To make an appointment with Career Services, contact Jennifer Cunningham at jcunningham@soka.edu or call ext. 4191.
Study Abroad
Quito, Ecuador
Riri Nagao [2011]
Riri in the Amazon (Photo by Riri)
during my last night there, my patience was tested. I suffered from heat stroke as a result of playing soccer in extreme heat and humidity without drinking water afterwards. I was angry at myself and thought, “What did I learn these past two years in track about staying hydrated?” Two days later, I caught a stomach virus that rejected everything from my body, including water, as if I was dehydrated enough! To have my body reject absolutely everything made it exponentially worse. I have never felt so physically awful in my life. I realized that the more frustrated I got, the worse the situation became. More than anything, I wanted to go out and enjoy myself. I wanted to go running, not be stuck at home. I kept questioning why I was suffering during study abroad. Then, I began noticing that everyone around me was surprisingly calm and relaxed through my situation while I was the only one getting stressed over it.
Everyone took such good care of me and this helped me recover in less than a week. Through the examples of others, I’ve learned that patience and calmness are important qualities to develop in myself, whether that means having the patience to cope with people who have different ways of thinking, or simply taking care of my health. One of my goals for study abroad is to develop life-long friendships with people who are equally committed to helping each other grow. As an SUA student, I have the responsibility to not only learn a new language and embrace a new culture during my study abroad, but also to learn to communicate with people in Ecuador on a level that allows us to exchange ideas about cultural differences and share life stories with one another. Friendship begins with these kinds of exchanges and I’ve learned that patience is the key to making that happen.
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¡Saludos desde Ecuador! When I arrived in Quito, Ecuador, many things about this country frustrated me. I encountered both foreigners and Ecuadorians who made fun of me for being a “Chinita” uttering very racist comments about the language and physical appearance of Asians. I couldn’t stand this disrespect for people who are “different.” As a New Yorker and an SUA student, I’ve been surrounded by and grown to embrace diversity. The racism in Ecuador was a complete culture shock to me and I didn’t know how to handle it. My limited Spanish made it difficult for me to communicate with people on a deeper level and most of the time I would impatiently get angry at everyone around me. After about a month, in late August, I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Amazon jungle, a trip that I have been looking forward to all my life. It felt like it would be a good escape from life in Quito. However,
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Founder’s Corner Daisaku Ikeda [founder]
Dialogue with Dr. Aurelio Peccei, Cofounder of the Club of Rome, 1975
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There is a famous riddle. Water lilies are growing in a pond. Large lily pads are floating on the surface. They double in number every day. The first day there is one lily pad, the second day there are two, the third day there are four, the fourth day there are eight, and so forth. If the entire surface of the pond were to be covered by lily pads on the thirtieth day, on what day would it be half-covered? The answer, of course, is the day before—the twenty-ninth. One day before the pond is completely covered, half of its surface will be free. Everything seems to be all right—there’s still plenty of room. But by the very next day, in just a brief interval of time, it’s all over—there’s no more room left. Anyone might notice that the end is near if they saw the pond on the twentyeighth or twenty-ninth day. However, there is one individual who noticed the danger much earlier and who cried out: ‘If we don’t do something right away, it will be too late!’ That man was Dr. Aurelio Peccei
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(1908-84), first president and cofounder of the world-renowned global think tank, the Club of Rome. He warned of the devastating consequences of exploding population growth, environmental degradation, the waste of natural resources, and the tragic gap in wealth between the developed and developing nations. All these factors were intertwined, he said, and if left unaddressed would trigger a chain reaction leading to the day of destruction. We’re out of Time Dr. Peccei said to me that world leaders today are irresponsible. If we allow things to continue as they are, the world will become a barren place in the twenty-first century, and both nature and humanity will be destroyed. Though this truth is right before our eyes, he asserted, political leaders, business leaders, scientists, scholars, and bureaucrats do nothing; they think only of their immediate self-interest. They place a higher priority on preserving their own lifestyle than thinking about what kind of world they will leave to their children and grandchildren. That is why, he stated, humanity itself
must undergo a revolution. And a speedy one at that: there is no time left. An Outdoor Salon I first met Dr. Peccei under the blue skies of Paris. White apple blossoms shimmered in the spring breeze. …Apologizing that the room [we sat in] was small and cramped, I said: “The garden is very pretty. Why don’t we go outside?” Dr. Peccei thought that was a splendid idea, and he smiled warmly. He seemed to share my dislike for empty formality. He stood up and his energetic movements immediately struck me as those of a man of action. Dr. Peccei was a survivor of decades in the harshly competitive business world. …The rays of the sun were strong, so we set up an orange parasol on the green lawn and carried some armchairs outdoors. In a flash, our impromptu salon was complete. We Need a Human Revolution More than an IT Revolution As Dr. Peccei spoke, he sometimes
leaned forward in his chair with great intensity. The human race, he said, has experienced three revolutions so far: the industrial revolution, the scientific revolution, and the technological revolution. All of these were external revolutions. The problem was that the wisdom needed to decide how to use the fruits of those revolutions was as yet undeveloped. The human race, which possesses an astonishing amount of knowledge, is astonishingly ignorant of how it should behave, he continued. Though our technology is developing quickly, culturally our development has stopped and petrified. To bridge that gap, he insisted, we need a renaissance of the human spirit, a revolution of human beings themselves. Limits to Growth In 1972, three years before Dr. Peccei and I had our first meeting in Paris, the Club of Rome had published its first report, “The Limits to Growth,” which stirred up great controversy. It warned that if population and industrial growth continued to increase at the present rate, natural resources would
be depleted, the environment would be polluted, and there would be widespread food shortages in less than one hundred years. A year later, in 1973, the oil shock occurred. ‘No oil!’ Stoppages in oil supplies made the entire world tremble. The club of Rome report’s warning took on a very real dimension in far less than a hundred years. Everyone was concerned that the wealth of the present was indeed shortlived. But Dr. Peccei’s main point was not that we must develop alternative resources because the old ones are running out; he was trying to elevate the discussion to an entirely different level. He asserted that the frantic pursuit of ever greater wealth, ever greater development, ever greater economic growth as humanity’s sole objective was itself profoundly mistaken. As long as we proceeded on that path, then regardless of the energy resource, it would be rapidly depleted and pollute the environment. As he pointed out, the present generation will consume more natural resources during their lifetime than all generations preceding them. And all to what end? Dr. Peccei believed that humanity had
been spiritually corrupted by the myth of economic growth. This myth insists that we must always produce and consume more this year than last. Otherwise, we will lose the economic race and businesses will collapse. Political leaders will fail to get reelected. There is no choice: we must stay on the treadmill. If the planet goes to ruin or the exploited ‘have not’ nations starve, it can’t be helped. That is the prevailing mentality. The word development has become the mantra of our age, and behind the false hopes it offers lies the reality of future catastrophe, from which we continue to avert our eyes. To be continued in an upcoming issue. Selection excerpted from SGI Newsletter, Sept. 2000, Recollections of My Meetings with Leading World Figures, Dr. Aurelio Peccei, Cofounder of the Club of Rome. Reprinted from The Pearl Graduation Issue May 2009.
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(Photo by Nico Hirayama)
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advice column
the
Erica Stein [2011]
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Welcome to SUA, a world filled with amazing opportunities. To help you make the most of your first year, I thought I’d clue you in on 15 things I think you should know as freshman. And don’t worry-I left out the advice you’ve probably already heard, like why it’s important to treasure your friendships and how to avoid gaining the traditional “Freshman 15,”pounds, that is.
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Drama is inevitable. So do yourself a favor and don’t gossip. You don’t need to pass on information you hear about other SUA students. We aren’t in high school anymore so let’s not act like we are. Connect with the seniors. You guys are only going to get one year with the amazing class of 2010. Get to know them before it’s too late.
Focus on class unity. Your class is going to go through so much together. You will laugh, you will cry, and you will bitch about writing essays together during finals week. I’m sure that you have developed an incredible bond during Core. Don’t lose that bond just because the upperclassmen have arrived. Try to plan outings that are exclusive to your class. Don’t judge. If I have learned anything, it is that everyone has a story. The guy or girl you think is extremely different from you might end up being your best friend or teaching you something truly incredible.
(photo by Janice Lee)
SUA is a really safe university, but don’t let your guard down. Just because there have been no reported cases of crime or sexual abuse does not mean that there won’t be.
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People might tell you not to date on this campus, but let’s be realistic – it’s going to happen. You will have a crush, and you might even have a longterm relationship. Just keep this in mind: if the relationship ends badly, you will have to see this person every single day for the next four years. You will also see this person date and/or hookup with other people, so choose the person you date on campus wisely. Don’t let your love be blind.
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Try everything, but try to find your passion. Since this is your freshman year and likely your first time away from home, you are probably discovering things about yourself that you never knew. In your first semester, you should join a lot of clubs and take interesting classes to figure out what you love. But by second semester, try to narrow your interests down and take leadership. At such a small school we have the chance to build programs and watch them grow.
Just because we seem to know everything about everyone at SUA, doesn’t mean that we are exempt from real life college issues. You can contract an STD (sexually transmitted disease), and you can get pregnant. Almost everything that has happened at big universities has happened or can happen here too. So remember to always be sexually safe.
Get close to your professors: We have the unique opportunity to connect with our professors who are brilliant, have so many stories, and give great advice. I strongly recommend that you get to know them.
Take your required classes as freshman and sophomores. I know so many people who are screwed as juniors and seniors because they still haven’t taken Pac Basin and American Experience.
Take challenging classes. Push yourself to learn and to grow and take classes with professors you know will kick your ass. You might not realize it now, but you will definitely appreciate the skills acquired later. Don’t limit yourself. Just because you might be positive that you will never, ever, want to go to graduate school, law school, or medical school, doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take your GPA seriously. You never know when you will be inspired or when you will change your mind.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s perfectly normal to make mistakes during your freshman year. You will learn a lot more from trying something and failing than coasting all year long.
And finally… don’t take SUA for granted. We all bitch, we all complain, we all wish that there was more to do in Aliso Viejo and sometimes it would be nice to go to a real party. Just remember that we are so lucky to be at this school. The campus is beautiful, the food is amazing, and the opportunities here are phenomenal. This school is a dream for so many people; so try to make the most of your SUA experience because one day you will wake up as a junior or a senior and wonder where the time went.
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7 11 12 8 13 9 14 Though we are all a family and love each other, we don’t all have to like each other. At some point in your SUA career you will meet someone that you don’t like. When this happens, just remember to act grown-up and be civil. This is a small community and it works better if we are all able to stay friendly.
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freshman
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If you’re not coming out…
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Autumn—It’s as if the Southern hemisphere’s Spring sends its warm fingers north and makes the cooling air crackle. The excitement of change turns every one of my thoughts and impulses upside down and suddenly I’m a bit more of a grinning fool than usual. I remember one October night of my first year here, I was wandering along the lamp-lit path near the dorms and actually stopped to gaze at the moon. The mystery of time and space contentedly played just out of grasp, my eyelashes and the darkness between each star igniting an ardent and unlikely long-distance love affair. This image may make you sigh wistfully, or, more likely, it may make you run gagging to the nearest trash can. But, just go with me a few more dryleaf-crunching steps down the seasonal musings lane. Autumn makes my heart take risks in its feeling. Autumn leaves me baffled, standing stock still trying to do something impossible, like listen to time happening. I become the odd combination of quixotic and pensive, and jump incessantly from the pain of overthought to childlike spontaneous actions. Autumn sidles up next to me, tugs with brisk winds at my sleeve and asks quietly (so I think no one else can hear) if I want to come out and play. Which brings me to a point: October is Coming Out month. So let’s all come out. Are you L, G, B, T, or Q and “in the closet?” Come out! If you’re any of the above and already out? Come out again! Do you think your sexual preference isn’t anyone’s effing business? Come out as deliberately undisclosed! Are you straight and not sure how to come out as such, since most folks just assume? Come on out anyway! The other day, I got my chance to come out…as straight. Or rather, my sister did, on my behalf. She was talking to a gay male friend of the family, and after a couple preambles of
“I know it’s none of my business, but…” he asked her, “Is Maddy gay?” At this point in my sister telling me the story, I triumphantly thrust both fists into the air and whooped, “YES!” Not in answer to the question, but out of sheer delight that someone thought I might be a lesbian. I’m not sure exactly why, but maybe because I’m glad not to be tied down or fixed too immutably into desperately molding myself into the unreachable, archetypal identity of The Heterosexual Woman. Just as the whole is more than the sum of its parts, the whole human being is much more than the sum of …its particular private parts. And inside each individual, a lot more is waiting to come out than the truth about who they’d like to snog. Now, I do not mean to trivialize the significance of coming out by expanding its scope. The social, political, and thus also personal realities of being gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or otherwise “queer” in today’s society make coming out a crucial, beautiful, liberating and courageous step. So, in the spirit of such a dynamic and celebratory season, I want to come out, every day, all the time. Let’s share just plain sincere stuff with unabashed enthusiasm. Sing, dance, tell someone you like his shoes. Start creating your masterpiece (finally, damn it). Write a senior column that makes you feel like you’re intellectually flashing the whole school. Listen to someone with rapt attention, as if you’re hearing the best answer to the deepest question (or best question to the deepest answer)—because, who knows? You might be. Life rolls out a succession of unique moments whose nuances we can expand, make more meaningful, and celebrate, but only when we put in a little of our own Umph. So if you’re not coming out, what the hell are you doing?
Breakfast Music Madeline Brownfield [2010]
(Photo by Janice Lee)
The Pursuit of Beauty
Jean Marcus [2011]
anything more than a platonic relationship, which was way more proper than how platonic friendships are portrayed today. When I arrived at school, I would wonder where she was. When she would arrive, my heart would palpitate because my muse was near. Where are these kinds of feelings nowadays? Today, even I say that the most beautiful woman that I’ve ever seen is an actress or singer. (Currently for me that would be Zooey Deschanel). That’s why I have to remind myself that beauty is closer than I expect and I do not have to look for far distant women who look more like goddesses than women. So every day, walking to classes, seeing all these beautiful girls passing by me, makes my day much better. I remember that the priority in life should be to seek beauty in its purest form, rather than pursue something futile. When beauty is on our minds, we strive for harmony and dialogue; we strive for the most precise shapes and forms to emulate the beauty of the universe. We care about our surroundings. Yet we do not pursue this sort of beauty anymore the real beauty. So my exercise for you guys is to try not to just drive to your destination every day. Take slower, more comfortable steps. If you see beauty surrounding you, stop and savor it. This way we can have far more interesting traffic events than boring traffic jams…or at least you may be happy to be stuck in traffic while you admire the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen.
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Brazilian Wax (Photo by Janice Lee)
There are no more traffic-stopping women. These days, we no longer see traffic halt when everybody stops to appreciate a beautiful woman. But that does not mean there is a lack of female beauty around us. If one thing is necessary for my life to exist, it would be beauty. Luckily, women are beautiful in so many flavors, that we do not have to seek beauty in other parts of our universe. So trafficstopping women have not disappeared; they still exist, but we do not stop traffic to appreciate their beauty anymore. If you ask most teenage boys today who they think is the most gorgeous women they have ever seen, they would instantly regurgitate names of astonishing celebrities: singers, actresses, models, etc. They could even access their iphones to show a picture of the mentioned celebrity, her birthday, where she lives, etc. Though we would not be unimpressed by her beauty, I think it would be superficial – a fabricated kind of beauty. Yet, if you asked a boy – any boy – around ten years ago who they think is the most beautiful woman they have ever seen, they would say it was their neighbor, or the girl they study with. Not that we did not have celebrities and Hollywoodian idolatry back then, but the beauty around us was far more important. If you asked me, ten years ago, who was the girl that haunted my dreams, I would say Juliane. She was a girl who studied with me and lived relatively close to my house. We never had
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mission statement The Pearl strives to emulate slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl’s efforts to bring out the human side of every story. Following his courageous model, The Pearl opens channels of communication in an endeavor to articulately and respectfully express differing opinions. The contributors to The Pearl report on issues of concern for the campus, the local community and the globe, aiming to unify the campus toward the realization of the mission of Soka University of America.
pearl@soka.edu
Jihii Jolly, Daniel Pearl World Music days all through October!
Jean Marcus, Holistic detective agency.
Jihii Jolly is getting tired of Jean.
Jean Marcus wants to see more faces here.
We need a senior staff.
credits Jihii Jolly (Editor-in-Chief, Layout); Jean Marcus Silva (Public Relations Liaison, Layout, Spiritual Guide); Janice Lee , Nico Hirayama (Photography); Aaron Freedman, Madeline Browfield (Editing Team); Nicole Fleming, Claire Scully, Swapnil Mathur, Elena Chapman, Lenny Bogdonoff (Contributing Staff); Chelsea Nakabayashi,Sara Nuss-Galles, Geoff Westropp (Advisors); Michael Strand (Alumni Advisor); Armando Dubon, Saeed Fakhriravari, Sam Morales, Derrick Springer, Geoff Westropp (Technical Support)