The Friendship That Began With a

BY GLORIÄNNA NOLAND

Notmany people can say they found their best friend on their first day of college. For Junnosuke Saito and David Lowry, two students who happened to cross paths during their orientation day as freshmen in August 2019, it came naturally. But how did it all start? With a shirt.

Lowry, now a senior music performance major, had been studying Japanese for some time prior to his enrollment at Washburn. He overheard people speaking Japanese, and without missing a beat, he introduced himself to the group.

“I’m like, ‘Okay, I’m a freshman, I’m going to introduce myself,’” Lowry said. “I walk over and say ‘Hi! I’m David, what’s your name?’ and it was Jun who I talked to first, and he said, ‘I like your shirt.’”

Lowry had been wearing a T-shirt with graphics from the Japanese animation and comic series “Naruto,” which Saito recognized.

Saito, now a senior communications major, said that the likelihood of him speaking with Lowry would have been low or non-existent had the shirt not been an icebreaker. Saito was so overwhelmed on his arrival in the U.S. that he exclusively stayed with other Japanese students during the orientation.

“I was sticking with the other Japanese students because it was comfortable for me,” Saito said. “I had really poor English, but his T-shirt kind of led into the very first conversation we had, which was about anime, because he’s really into Japanese culture.”

Later that month, Lowry asked Saito to join him for lunch at The Pennant, a restaurant in downtown Topeka. The invitation was a shock to Saito, who was not actively looking for friendship outside of his own culture. Because of Saito’s shyness and difficulty speaking English, there were barriers between himself and students native to the area.

“It was so unexpected for me,” Saito said. “I said ‘yes,’ and we got to know each other better.”

Saito’s English improved over time, and he admits that much of the way he speaks now has been influenced by Lowry.

“The way I speak is similar to how he speaks,” Saito said. “When he sees me, he always says ‘How’s it going?’ Now

when I see people, I also say ‘How’s it going?’”

However, their soon-to-be friendship was a bit more complicated than that. During his first semester, Saito was still trying to survive as a college student in a foreign country, and he said he didn’t care as much about friendships or trying to hangout with foreign students, including Lowry. Then came the pandemic, which left the duo separated by more than 6,000 miles. Saito, who had to return to Japan, was worried he would forget his command of the English language and scheduled a couple of Zoom meetings with Lowry to remedy the situation.

“We Zoomed a couple of times, you know, had a couple of FaceTime calls,” Lowry said. “Zoom was very awkward.” With time zone differences, struggling to find topics to discuss and sporadic communication patterns, keeping in contact was a challenge. However, that barrier faded as soon as they saw each other again when Saito returned to Washburn in January of 2021

“I have one other really good friend who I’ve been friends with since kindergarten, and we can go many months without talking and then be like ‘Oh, hi!’” Lowry said. “It’s like how it was with Jun. We just picked it right back up, you know? So, I maybe won’t see him for several months, but we can just go to the gym together and pick it right back up where we left. Not the most friendly story, but it’s how it is.”

The ease of speaking with one another is one of the main reasons why the two have such a strong friendship.

“Jun is definitely my best friend,” Lowry said. “Without him, I would be having a much worse time at Washburn.”

“It’s always so easy to have a conversation with him,” Saito said. “Honestly, he is my best friend.”

Even as their own responsibilities have kept them increasingly busy throughout their four years of friendship, they always find each other so they can catch up on lost time.

“It’s really cool how they’ve been a part of each other’s lives,” said Heidi Staerkel, associate director for international programs. “I remember them talking because I was in line with them at lunch one day. They went and sat together and it was like, oh, just gave me the warm fuzzies.”

Staerkel said that it’s possible that had Saito or Lowry not been present at the new student orientation in August of 2019, their friendship might have never happened or would have occurred much later in their college career, an opinion that Lowry shares.

“I think Jun and I would have met at some point,” Lowry said. “But I’m very glad that I met him at freshman orientation. That one little domino fell over, and we just hung out hundreds of times after that.”

Saito said that he was glad he went to the NSO and that Lowry came to him instead of the other way around, because he tried not to be “too much” and kept what he thought was a proper distance from other students at the orientation.

“I’m glad I went,” Saito said. “It’s the first time that I had a very close friend who was a guy, because back home [in Japan], most of my friends ended up being girls.”

Lowry has since earned his TEFL certificate and can teach English in Japan, as visiting the country is on his list after graduating in May of 2023. Saito looks forward to showing Lowry around Japan when the time comes and all of the fun that they’ll have when they get the opportunity to travel together.

Junnosuke Saito and David Lowry enjoy dinner at a Japanese BBQ restaurant in Kansas City, October 2021. Saito wanted Lowry to try it, and Lowry thought it was fantastic.

BY CHRISTINA NOLAND

Thereare some things that international students, or anyone unfamiliar with Kansas law, should be aware of while living or attending a university in Kansas.

You have to be 21 years of age to possess or consume alcohol in Kansas. The current age to purchase or possess cigarettes in most counties, including electronic cigarettes, is 18 years of age.

International students over the age of 16 can get a driver’s license in Kansas but a few more documents are required. This might include an I-94, all signed versions of one’s I-2, proof of residence (such as a utility bill) or passport. In addition to taking driving exams and learning about traffic lights and rules of the road that may vary in other countries, students should contact their local Department of Motor Vehicles to confirm what documents and exams are required.

In all cases, you may have an attorney represent you in a court of law. An attorney is not required but it is a personal decision whether one has attorney representation or not.

The Fourth Amendment states that all persons in the U.S. are presumed to have an expectation of

(condensed version)

privacy, even if they are suspected of criminal activity. Warrants have to be issued by a judge before police can search a home without consent of the owner, except in a few cases. Circumstances that allow searches to be conducted by police without a warrant can include any visible evidence within plain view, searching for weapons upon someone’s arrest, if suspected evidence is in immediate jeopardy or if public safety is at risk.

While free speech is protected by censorship and punishment from the government in the United States, which includes hate speech, the government can limit speech when it is deemed likely to incite immediate violence or physical retaliation to the speaker or others.

If one works for a private employer and not the government, a private employer can terminate an employee because of any speech related actions of said employee. Jobs that are considered working for the state can include correctional officers, teachers, postal service employees, a city attorney and more. However, one cannot be fired because of reasons based on race, sex or sexual orientation. If one works for a private employer, the First Amendment does not protect one’s right to employment if your employer disagrees with something you’ve said or done.

Sources for this information come from the Alcohol Policy Information System, Public Health Law Center, JUSTIA US Law, Shorelight, Martin & Wallentine (Olathe law firm), Fairway Kansas, The First Amendment Encyclopedia and Talks On Law.

If you have any questions or concerns related to their legal rights, reach out to an attorney via ksbar.org, or call the Law Library Reference Desk at 785-670-169 to be directed to resources.

Christina Noland Editor-in-Chief, Indigo Magazine & KAW Yearbook