Introducing: Jenka Eusebio

Background

Birthday: September 18

Age: 23

School: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor

Major: Creative Writing and Literature

Hometown: Washington DC

About me

My life revolves around books. I have no sense of direction, except for when there's a bookstore around. After that point I can get just about anywhere and find my way back.

Collects: Notebooks, stationary, tea, and old postcards

Hobbies: Reading, writing stories, darkroom and digital photography, travel, cooking, and attending free orchestra concerts. On occasion I watch movies, attend poetry and fiction readings, and visit antique stores- if time permits. Currently, most of my free time goes into JASC and my beloved thesis.

Book Recommendations: Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang, Wind-up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami, Invisible Cities by Italo Calvino

Favorite Movies: Princess Bride, Spirited Away, City of Lost Children, and Amelie

JASC

Position: Publications Coordinator

RT: Exploring the Relationship Between Tradition and Modernity

Site: Los Angeles

Why JASC?

I'm an idealist. It's all about getting out there and showing the world what students can do, getting our voices heard and our actions noticed. Of course, beneath all these romantic notions is the fact that it's fun, the discussions are amazing, the people are great, and there are opportunities lurking at ever corner. I'm also a pragmatist to a certain degree. JASC is a wonderful building block for a future career, whatever that may be. Personally- I'm interested in cultural exchange administration, which puts me right where I need to be.

Ethics: Holding Science Accountable to Humanity

Here's a bit on the round table I will be leading next summer:

I'm leading the Science and Ethics round table with Giff, who was, incidentally, my Japadele Buddy during JASC 59. He is, as I have mentioned previously, a medical student deeply concerned with the humaneness of medicine and science in general. I have quite a bit of respect for his moral concern, particularly because I lack moral principles. I hope that our divergent (hah! understatement) approach to the round table will foster many lively discussion.


Giff wants to looks at case-studies: the A-bomb, cloning, stem cell research, euthanasia and so forth. He asks: "How do we relate science to the true figure of humanity".

I'm interested in a theoretical approach: what is the culture of science, and how do we bridge the gap between the culture (the framework, the mindset, insert other abstract synonyms of your choice) and the culture of humanities?

Ideas of the moment:
1) The Bell Curve, Herrnstein and Murray: how one might use statistics to tell the devil's lie
2) British physicist and writer C. P. Snow (1905-1980): "The Two Cultures", his 1959 lecture on the breakdown in communication between the two cultural camps of modern society -- the scientists and the literary intellectuals

Thoughts welcome!

the importance of dialogue

There's something special about a program that can bring about cultural-specific dialogue in a free-discussion form. JASC is one of these programs, as is APALI. I graduated from the Asian Pacific American Leadership Initiative last night, and I'm fairly nostalgic already of the conversations and challenges that the program provided--it was my refuge when suffering from JASC-withdrawal. I'm not sure how many other schools have this type of program, but basically it's an experiential program that was developed to meet the needs of the APA community. About 16 rising APA leaders are chosen each semester to participate in the program, throughout which the members explore their APA identity, experience the complexities and struggles of balance within the APA community, and learn about leadership through a multicultural lens. The program is about embracing your Asian American heritage and becoming leaders of change.

Penn has a lot of Asians--a lot of international students, a lot of Asian Americans, a lot of exchange students. I think the brochure said 18% Asian? I was pretty surprised to see such masses of Asians, since my hometown is not exactly culturally diverse. Sadly, a lot of the Asian groups tend to stick together, and the campus is quickly divided into cliques. It can be hard to approach people and strike a conversation sometimes--but integrational programs like APALI give you a push and helps create a sense of community. East Asians, South Asians, immigrant generation, 3rd + generation; everyone gets together to discuss APA issues and share their thoughts. A pan-Asian sentiment is difficult to harbor because there are so many groups under "Asian," but issues like the Virginia Tech shooting and the Obama campaign are relevant to all minorities, and it's integral to hear every single voices, no matter how quiet.

I definitely learned a lot about myself from APALI, and about minority relations, and about being American. Every environment provides a unique perspective and APALI was a great eye-opener and door-opener (to the Penn APA community). Something needs to get the dialogue started, get people thinking, challenge people to change, and the program did that for the 16 of us. I never expected to get an experience like this out of an east coast (what some would consider "preppy") school, and it's probably been the most relevant, practical and experiential learning that I've had at Penn.

Okay, it probably seems weird to be writing about APALI on the JASC blog, but really, what I learned there and the resources I gained from it are very applicable to my RT (minority issues!). It's almost like I was chosen to do APALI this particular semester in order to be better prepared for JASC next summer...and JASC 59 prepared me to engage in the cultural conversations I had during APALI; it's a continuous circle of cultural learning! what fun. and we all benefit from it in the end. :)

One thing that made APALI so great for me was that it reminded me so much of JASC, and helped me stay active in cultural activities. Anyway, the point here was that everyone should engage in some type of cultural dialogue, and keep asking questions and keep pushing each other. cultural student groups or programs on campus are a great place to start and serve as wonderful resources for those who want to get involved. of course, there is no other program that quite measures up with JASC, but they can try! and so can you.

Introducing: Samantha Scully

Hi everyone!!!!!!!!!!!! I am Sam. Thank you for visiting our blog and learning more about me!!!!

Background- My family is Jamaican. I grew up eating beef patties, drinking ting (as you can see in the picture), and having a variety of American and Jamaican dishes. I currently go to Bowdoin College.

A typical week- A typical week involves 4 classes and a lot of meetings. I do JASC work, am President of my Class, on Bowdon student government, live in a social house (we do not have fraternities), and am on the student Affairs committee. I had 3 jobs but now have 1 part time and 1 fill-in position. How do I juggle it all???????.....GOD! My religious beliefs are important to me. At the end of church each week my friends and I gather and talk about the stresses of life and how God can help us through it all.

OH WAIT! I almost forgot I am the Co-Captain of the Unity step team:

Fun facts: I love the beach and the ocean but can't swim. I Love to write poetry but can only write it when i have strong emotions: Anger, pain, love, loss, and happiness at their extreme levels. I love to dance (anything but hardcore rock). I am going to be PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. I am taking an international law class which involves painful case analysis but I love it all!!!!! My hair color is coke-a-cola cherry. I have a stuffed animal EVERYONE loves (yes you love him but just do not know it yet!)

My Studies: I am a Asian studies/ History double major and will probably minor in Africana studies or dance. I am learning Japanese currently. For the past 3 years I have been documenting the rise and transformation of prostitution in Japan. It is fascinating! Especially the role Americans played in that transformation and enhancement (yeah I wrote the word enhancement). Ask me about it!


JASC!!!!!!!!- I am the American Chair of JASC. What do I do? I do anything that needs to get done. Honestly if it needs taking care of I make sure my members can do it and if they can not I need to make sure it happens 1 way or another. So its a vague but hard position at times.


Why JASC?- I LOVE JAPAN! I grew up on sailor moon and have always wanted to visit. My favorite Pre-modern era is the Tokugawa era, ,my favorite emperor is Go-Shirakawa and my favorite text.... well it is a tie between the Kojiki and Lady Nijo's memoirs. Oooooh the text in each is so full and rich with things to decipher.


WELL THAT IS A BIT ABOUT ME!
Best wishes,
Sam ;)

National Chauvinistic Association

Japanese salarymen form a club to learn the three principles of a good marriage. Among them: "To say 'I love you' without being shy."

I kid you not -- click here for proof.

Introducing: Bethany Marsh

Background
* Nickname: B, Cabbage

* Birthday: July 1983
* Hometown: near Seattle, WA

* School: Jackson School of International Studies '08 (M.A.); Kalamazoo College '06 (B.A.), Doshisha University '05
* Major: Japan Studies (language and politics/economics)
* Job: computer support specialist, T.A. for Japan Studies classes, research assistant, nanny

* Interests: travel (Japan, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Israel, Egypt, Canada, and Mexico so far with Greece in June 2008), body photography, salsa dancing, cooking, foreign languages and films, camping at the ocean, reading in hammocks

* Memorable Quotes: 「幸せは自分の心が決める。」
"Don't think about it so much." ~Dove chocolate



Middle Ground
* Position: 60th JASC AEC Treasurer and AO Coordinator
* RT: "Memory of Tragedy: Examining Vehicles of Bias, Education, and Peace"
* Site: Reed College, Portland, OR
* Why: As someone who wants to work in/with Japan in the future, I was especially interested in another chance to be involved in JASC. This is a truly outstanding program: not only are you given the chance to travel around a country with 70 other people, sharing experiences and exchanging opinions, but you have the opportunity to meet some of the foremost actors and thinkers in the Japan-America arena. I feel very honored to be a part of the 60th Japan America Student Conference.


Foreground:
This fall I applied for an internship program through the Technical Japanese Program at my university. If accepted, I will spend roughly a year working for a company in Toyama, Japan. Following the internship, I would like to either continue working in Japan, either for a Japanese company or as a CRT through the JET program, or join the Peace Corps in South America and build my Spanish back up before returning to Japan to live and work.