JASC Presents: Kyoto

'JASC Presents: Hiroshima' = Huge Success!

(Panelists discuss topics pertaining to 'War and Peace' during JASC Presents at the Hiroshima Peace Museum

From left to right: Masato Morishima, Koichiro Kawaguchi, Joshua Schlachet, Ryosuke Ueno)

JASC Presents: Hiroshima went off without a hitch and was, by any measurement, an absolute success. Over 40 people outside of the JASC world showed up to listen to ideas from Masato Morishima, Koichiro Kawaguchi, Joshua Schlachet, and Ryosuke Ueno. After the students delivered their speeches, the audience asked questions in order to further probe the thoughts of the panel on issues regarding war and peace. In all, the event lasted from about 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM, with guests and JASCers mingling for about an hour afterwards.

Event coverage was provided by the Japanese news stations NHK and TSS, as well as several local newspapers. Coverage of the event made Yahoo Japan and can be seen at: http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/videonews/rcc/20081223/20081223-00000007-rcc-loc_all.html

Although the 61^st Japan-American Student Conference American Executive Committee is not directly involved with JASC Presents activities, the American Executive Committee would like to offer our deepest thanks to the Hiroshima Peace Museum for providing a free and spacious venue, as well as to Professor Kazumi Mizumoto for delivering a splendid keynote speech. In addition, we would like to send our congratulations to Joshua Schlachet (59^th JASCer and 60^th AEC member) and Sayaka Shingu (60^th JASCer) for organizing a successful event!

The next JASC Presents event will be located at Ritsumeikan University in Kyoto, Japan, on January 9^th. Look for a post containing detailed information sometime next week!

JASC Presents: Hiroshima

This Monday kicks off the first JASC Presents event ever. JASC Presents was created this year out of the wish to better carry the influence of the summer-long conference into the real world. That said, I have arrived in Hiroshima and I am ready for an excellent forum event.

JASC Presents: Hiroshima

Theme: War and Peace

Panelists: Joshua Schlachet, Masato Morishima, Ryosuke Ueno, and Koichiro Kawaguchi

Location: Hiroshima Peace Museum

Time: 13:00 - 17:00

If you are a JASCer or just someone who is interested in Japanese-American relations then please feel free to stop by for some excellent conversation. I have a bit of insight into what some of the panelists are thinking about and from what I've heard it should be very interesting.

Honorable Japanese Executive Committee Chair-sama

For the first introduction post regarding our lovely counterparts across the sea (or in my case, across the country) I am going to give you a glimpse into the mind of the one, the

 only, HIDEYA MATSUMOTO!

(Hideya and I in Boston. We shared the same RT, so I feel I have a unique insight into his mind...)

What was your original goal/intention for attending the 60th Jasc?

Taking the role as one of the Japanese students telling American students about Japan and how our relationship is important.

Now that the 60th is over, and some time has lapsed, how much as a person do you think you have grown?

Considering there were lots  and lots of people and experiences that struck my hearts and that gave me huge amount of knowledge and courage. I don't think i can describe how much i grew up after JASC, but the clear and most important thing is that I had an unforgettable summer in 2008.

What kind of leader do you want to become for the 61st? In the perspective of the Japadeles? Amedeles?
I might say, as a Japanese student (Japadele), I should be a leader who can connect as many delegates as possible, especially since Japanese delegates are kind of shy to some extent.

What do you want to accomplish in the 61st? In the RT? As a person?
I want to leave something in the history through JASC, especially on the relation between US and Japan.

Briefly describe one particular memory you had at JASC that was memorable to you.
I saw one guy walking on a bridge with a girl who I thought was cute.

If you could describe yourself as a type of food, what would it be and why?
curry rice - spicy, hot, black and white and most importantly, delicious!! Yes I am!!

(Delicious?... Maybe)

If you only had one option, which would you choose: time or money? why?
money- because if you have no money, you can't survive longer than 3 months because you can't get any food from metropolitanized cities such as Tokyo, or will you steal them? No I can't.

Besides answering to the questions, what are you doing right now?

I was sending e-mails to my buddies and ......(^^)

What is your ideal day?

Watching movies while drinking wine and relaxing with my cat after taking a bath in the suite room of Ritz Carlton Tokyo.

The world is ending in 24 hours. How do you want to spend your last day on Earth?

Will make the drama [24]

If you had to lose one of your 5 senses, which would you lose and why?
Hearing-cause sometimes in few years later we lose it anyway, so why not lose it now?

Please write a brief message to the future Amedeles.

hello future buddies!! you will see unbelievable scenes, people, experiences in 2009 summer, don't wait, grab the chance!! Anyways my motto is "Semper Gamby", see you guys in Japan!!

Side Effects

The Japan-America Student Conference is a life-threatening experience. If you should try and partake in it, know that you too could be one of those claimed. In fact, this past year, I was myself a 'victim' of JASC; my life was taken from me.

The good part is, I was given another one in return. A much better one. Today as I write this, I cannot possibly imagine what I would be doing if I hadn't joined those other students on that month-long trip over the summer. It seems silly, and somewhat melodramatic of me to say, but it's true. What makes JASC 'life-threatening' and not simply 'life-altering'?

It isn't so outlandish to say that our actions and choices follow us through life. We all know that how well we do in school affects our career, and so on. But something like JASC seems, at first glance, to be too short and insignificant to pose any 'threat' to our current path. But looking back on this year, I'm pretty certain that my life has been changed significantly for the experience. The friends I made, the things I learned and the contacts I've stashed away are all gems. And I honestly have a completely different idea of what the next few years of my life will look like than I did a few months ago. And now I'm enjoying the planning of next year's conference, hoping that it'll be as much for its participants as last year was for me.

The point is that given the chance, JASC will mix things up and shed a new light on them. When you open your eyes again, you might look in the mirror and find someone else looking back, ready to go somewhere new. It's worth a shot - I've never heard of it going sour for anyone before. Care to join us?

~Colin

60th JASC Info Session

Hello reader,

I hope this finds you warm, happy, and…not stressing out from finals looming around the corner.

Whether you want to believe it or not, we are in the final month of 2008. Looking back, it was an exceptionally busy and significant year: Oil hit $100 a barrel for the first time, the U.S. stock market crash and the devastating effects of the ensuing economic recession, the 8.0M earthquake in Chengdu, the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics, Hurricanes Gustav/Hannah/Ike's destruction to the costal regions, PM Fukuda's resignation followed by PM Aso, the series of political crisis in Thailand, Kosovo's independence from Serbia, Barak Obama's election as the 44th U.S. president, the terrorists attacks in Mumbai...

Although this is only a small handful of the wide assortment of current events that affected us all, let's be thankful for the roof over our heads, food in our stomachs, the education system we easily take for granted and… the Internet. Oh, the simple joys of life.

2008 also marked the 60th anniversary of a student exchange program between Japan and the U.S. called JASC.

On the 13th of December, the 60th JECs and Japadeles will have their annual “Houkokukai” or information session of what went on during the 60th. It will be held at Keio University’s Mita campus from 1:30-4:30 PM. Admission is free and open to the general public. If you are interested and are in the Tokyo region, please send an email to lecture.jasc60@gmail.com with your name and contact info. Although it'll be conducted in Japanese, we highly encourage you to drop by and chat with the JASCers.

Reflecting on 2008, countless small incidents rippled out to large-scaled ones, affecting us vulnerable global citizens. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.” Rather than lamenting on world affairs (like me), take that extra step forward to create change...like attend JASC (hint).


… Ok, no more bla-bla rantings from a delirious sleep-deprived person. I’ll shut up now.

The Story of Stuff

Hello!!!

So, today I am introducing an enlightening movie to you.

http://www.storyofstuff.com/

" The Story of Stuff" is a short on-line film, which would astonish you (especially those of you who live in the U.S.).

- In the past three decades, one-third of the planet's natural resources base have been consumed.

- Forty percent of water waterways in the U.S. have become undrinkable.

- If everybody in the world consumed at U.S. rates, we would need 3 to 5 earths.


My RT, Environment and Sustainable Development, encompasses the topic of mass-consumption. Unless we change this habit of squandering stuff, sustainability will never be achieved.

Please, take a look at the film!!!

If you feel it a problem and want to think about how we can solve such a issue, why don't you join my RT??

Call to Action!

How many of us out there are sick of hearing about the threats of globalization? The threats looming just across this or that ocean, ready to pounce on you and your dream. That little dream of yours, the American dream. House in the suburbs, walks to the park, children at the dinner table, tank full of gas. It seems so far away, but you're entitled to that. If you work, that is yours. As we know it, life is a train, not a plane. You can go as slow as you like, but the tracks will eventually take you to where you want to be. The sad truth is that we're in the pilot's seat and if you take your hand off the stick for a second you could be plummeting to your doom.

Why so bleak? With added risk comes greater benefits; all you need is the right tools to keep yourself on top. Unfortunately, I feel like I'm on my way to the World Cup with tap shoes on. Everywhere I look, there is someone more qualified than I for a job I want and people considerably more eager to pull the carpet out from under me. It's a dog-eat-dog world, they say, but these dogs can eat you in Mandarin or Farsi. Yes, that's the crux of it all; international competency. Nice to meet you. I'm Colin Moreshead, the guy who's bitter about being only more fortunate than ninety-nine percent of the United States' students.

I sound like a jerk! Is my middle name ungrateful, or what? I mean, my upbringing is even beyond what most would deem "privileged". Born upper-middle class in the suburbs of Connecticut, taking advantage of one of the nation's top public school systems. I should consider myself luckier still that I was exposed to a decent amount of diversity as a child. But my measuring stick has become the international student. Fluency in two languages may as well be a minimum requirement. The student who attends a school to study, not to goof off. The student who grew up with The Economist and annual trips to places I'd only ever dreamed of. I've gone a bit idealist; frankly, if such a person exists, I'm not sure I'd want to be friends with them. I'll swear right now, though, that I would have given up all those hours watching cartoons and building Legos if it had granted me fluency in a halfway-useful language. But I'm worried more about my job, my opportunities and my security. We've been living the soft life and hadn't quite expected the world to catch up to us. Thankfully, we've still got some sway over things; if you're reading this, count yourself lucky for being proficient in the English language. A pat on the back.

That's not enough anymore. Kennedy gave us that call to action back in 1961, pushing us to get to the moon. We need another call, this time to keep us on the face of the earth. I don't pretend to be some freaky patriot who won't stand for the United States to lose face abroad, but I like my station as much as the next guy, and the word is out: American successes just made the endangered species list. When I got to college, I had that realization and began to study for things, hoping to make up for lost time. Why had I blown so much time on so many useless pursuits? There are kids all over the world that would do circles around me if only given the chance.

I can't change overnight. Despite the fact that I am now learning a foreign language, I will enjoy a video game on occasion and probably blow off some of my work. That's not unacceptable, it's just me. But my attitude has changed, and I know what I'm up against. For those of you who think that you're going to be sufficient in whatever field you've chosen for yourself, you may want to think again. I'm not saying you're not great, but there are plenty more out there looking for just what you are. If you ever think you're doing enough to better yourself, you could very well be wrong.

We're all great the way we are, but living beyond our means is not limited to monetary matters. You can live your life and direct yourself in a way that will sabotage you later, and prevent you from getting what it is you want in life. I say, be responsible. Don't slack off and don't expect any breaks. As the world inflates itself, you're going backwards if you stay in the same place. Never, never ever forget that there are other countries in the world. After your eyes have been opened, if you feel even the slightest tinge of inadequacy, don't fret. Change. Today is the day of the niche; have a point to sell.

JASC applications!

Great news!
The Applications for the 61st JASC are now on the ISC website (www.iscdc.org)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Needless to say, I'm a little excited. I can't wait to see everyone's applications!

Fall Meeting Kickoff!

I'm kind of a one-man-army in Japan. By that, I mean that I go it alone usually. As in, there are no other AEC within range (Mina is about an hour and a half by train, so maybe I'll visit her soon).

So you'd think with me in the Japans, fall meeting would be difficult, right?? Well, despite the 14hr time difference, I am happy to say I made it through the first round of events (except for the board meeting (I'm told I didn't miss much)) mostly as a talking face on a screen. Internet technology has come a long way. I felt like I was in Star Trek as I was communicating in a capable way from so far away!!!

I have attached some rather fun pictures that I took of the event! Enjoy!


Karen, Colin and Kai stare at me graciously...


Colin looks so happy here... Maybe the conference is in good hands, after all?


I spoke too soon... Colin is now stripping for me!


Some of the AEC patiently listening to Dear Ashley along with the KEC!

Work Hard, Play Hard

I guess this can be considered my first official post on the JASC 61 blog... so to anyone who might happen to stumble onto this blog, nice to meet you! I guess the first thing I should do is introduce myself. My name is Fausia Mahama but please just please call me Mina. I just turned 21 ( .. huh? who would have thought )

I am a currently studying abroad in Nagoya, Japan at Nanzan University. So I'm in a similar situation as my fellow AEC JMD! I'm an Internation Business and Management major and a double minor in French and Japanese. For fun, I like to read. My current faves are Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire. I like watching movies and dramas. For example, Queer as Folk or Doctor Who. And finally my fave thing to do is dance! From Hip hop to Parapara, dance is definetly my stress reliever!

I'm not much of a blogger but, when there is something fun to share, I don't mind! ^_^ So last week, I finally got my first holiday and was able to go to Tokyo for a bit! Yay. While there I had 3 mini JASC reunions!

1) Edelstein Cafe with Neal Akatsuka ( 60 JASC)
Edelstein is butler cafe in Harajuku in Tokyo! It was decorated like a German all-boys boarding school, so it was very interesting and fun!


2)Halloween night 2008

It was like having a special topics night! We discussed everything from gender and sexuality in japanese and amererican society to relationships between people of two different cultures!! The JASC spirit lives on!

Emiko ( 60 JASC): Nun
Emi( 60 JASC, 61 JEC, Nagano site co-coordinator): Devil
Neal( 60 JASC): Nurse
O-Yuri (60 JASC, 61 JEC, International Development RT Partner): Angel
Mina ( Me) : Princess

3) Jasc Japan Headquarters
I got take a trip to JEC land for a few hours! Some of the JECs were there( Hideya, Keisuke, Yuri) as well as other JASCers like Yuichi, Tomone and Morishi! Fun times, though I went to just have relax, I ended up working a bit. JASC work never ends...

p.s JEC have like a secret tree house, i'm quite jeolous!

Mina

Just a little song....

Anyone who knows Durkin and I knows that we like music. Especially Disney songs that we put new lyrics to. Durkin just e-mailed me a song that I couldn't keep to myself. Its about my awesome RT co-leader, Takuma. Here it is!

Ta-ku-ma Ta-na-ka, ain't no passin phase--- he's our JEC, Japadele--- Ta-ku-ma Ta-na-ka!

Hail to the Chair

This weekend I was lucky enough to have Yoshi, Kayoko, and Colin as my guests! I documented this historic occasion and wanted to share something with you all:


I'm sure it reassures you all to know that our conference is in such capable hands.

The quest for the "J" of JASC

JASC cannot operate with just the AECs. We have a counterpart, the JECs who reside somewhere far far away in the Pacific Ocean surrounded by lush blue waters. Without them, we are simple ASC and that is pitifully sad.

They are intellectually stimulating to talk to, have charming and witty personalities and in general, amazing people. As most of them attend universities in the Tokyo area, they are able to meet up more frequently than we do (they have a monthly weekend retreat – this is especially important as the 61st is a Japan year and so they are planning most of the site coordinating). Attached is a pic of them during their retreat in mid October.

(Starting from back row left to right)
Keisuke Matsuo
Kouji Jimba
Moto Ono
(Front row left to right)
Emi Yasukawa - Secretary
Hideya Matsumoto – JEC Chair
Yuri Takeuchi – JEC Vice Chair, Liaison
Yuri Honda – Treasurer
Takuma Tanaka

We miss them a lot. However, due to a lovely phenomenon called globalization, we are able keep in touch with each other fairly often. The RTs, site coordinators, chairs, and committees communicate on a regular basis via e-mail, chats, phone calls and skype sessions. Modern technology has conquered the challenges of physical distances...maybe?

If you’re interested, here is their blog (in Japanese)

http://ameblo.jp/jasc61/

日の丸

I came across an English-language article about the hinomaru flag recently. Briefly, a finance minister intends to display the hinomaru in his press briefing room and there is, naturally, controversy over the hinomaru's symbolism.


I find this particular political issue pretty fascinating. What do you think?
Should the hinomaru have been made Japan's official flag?
Is the hinomaru (with or without sun rays) a symbol of militarist Japan?
Is it ever offensive for a country to display its national flag?
Does the symbolism of the gesture change if it is displayed by a known rightist/nationalist?

Also, did you notice that Kiichi Miyazawa was quoted at the end of the article?

Tokyo site!!

Hello!

Since I'm coordinating Tokyo site with my cutest partner, Karen, I'd like to advertise Tokyo.

First of all, Tokyo site will be the best of all sites!!! (Any oppositions?? <AECs

As you all know, Tokyo is the centre of Japan. (my spelling of "center" is already Canadianized...)

Here is a wonderful introduction of Tokyo by Riyo Mori who won the 2007 Miss Universe beauty pageant.
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/09/29/riyo.interview/index.html
You can also watch the video material.

Tokyo is a really awesome city. I lived in Tokyo for only two years, but I have no hesitation to say that.
Are you excited about Tokyo??

Of course, it would be fun just to visit Tokyo as a tourist.
But I can assure you that JASC is the only way to maximize your experience in Tokyo!

I can't specify at this moment, but there will be tons of activities that can be experienced ONLY through JASC!!

You wanna apply?? Then, You MUST! (^^)/

Technology at its Finest: It's Not THAT Funny

So my roundtable is "Modernized Technology and Health Issues."
There are so many aspects to the topic.
On my iGoogle about a month ago, listed under CNN.com was "Cell phones affect sperm quality,..." and I just had to read!

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/09/18/cellphone.sperm/

(Let me just remind you that the article says the study is not 100% because of small sample sizes, experiment condition, etc.)

...hey dude, are you talking on your phone right now?

Hey Everyone!

I have not started using this blog yet...

That's bad!

So, I'll introduce myself. My name is Colin Moreshead and I'm the 61st Japan America Student Conference American Executive Committee Chair. I just wanted to write that out to see how long it was. At the moment, and for every moment over the next 10 months or so, we AECs are going to be working with the Japanese Executive Committee to make the 61st JASC the best yet! We're working hard and staying optimistic even with all the recent indications of impending apocalyspe:

1. Financial crisis
2. The top box-office hit is "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"
3. OJ Simpson has been convicted

All of these things are INCONSEQUENTIAL! So please stick around and take a peek at what we're up to from time to time. I hope we'll be using this more frequently than we have been, but let's face it; we've got a job to do.

Colin

I had a brain spasm today...

Today, after the urgings of the professor of my Japanese Transnational Corporations class, I finally decided I should begin thinking about just what I am going to do for our final paper. The final paper should be roughly 3000 words and should, obviously, be in regard to Japanese Transnational Corporations.

It was when I finally started to think about it that I realized I could very easily tie this in with my roundtable. If you don't remember, my RT is Globalizing Economies: The Rise of BRICs in Relation to Japan and the US. As such, I have received a moment of inspiration and have really begun researching Japanese foreign direct investment in BRICs.

The initial research is exceedingly interesting for me. I find the push and pull factors behind why I country decides to invest in another to be both exceedingly complex and mindnumbingly simple all at the same time. In a way, it's representive of the concept known as simplexity. I could delve into the meaning of simplexity, but I think I might just leave that post for another day. For now: RESEARCH!!!

Durkin's Introduction... Part Ni!

As promised, here is a friendly meme. Sadly, I think it gives a better impression of me than my self-intro. ENJOY!

1. What is your first name? Jon-Michael, of course—but you can call me Durkin if you like!

2. Were you named after anyone? My parents do not answer this question consistently. The short answer is no. The long answer is maybe. My Uncle is named John and my father is named Michael. My parents often joke they named me after Jean-Luc Picard, of the U.S.S. Enterprise... Yeah, I was doomed to nerd-dom from the start.

3. Do you wish on stars? Alas, it always seemed a strange superstition to me… Perhaps that’s why I was such a sad excused for a child.

4. When did you last cry? When I thought about the individuals from the 60th JASC, of course.

5. Do you like your handwriting? I used to not care at all… but recently I have become knowledgeable that my handwriting looks like crap, and that makes me sad. My kanji, however; is often quite beautiful I am told.

6. What is your favorite lunch meat? Even before I became a vegan, I never liked lunch meat. (I stopped being vegan when I came to Japan, PS)

7. What is your most embarrassing CD? That’s hard! Almost every CD that I own is somewhat embarrassing… It’s possibly any of the following: Aladdin OST, The Newsies OST, or Pocahontas OST.

8. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? What kind of question is that? If I were another person, I would clearly be much to cool to hang out with the likes of me. Not to mention, I am kind of a jerk.

9. Do you have a journal? I have a blog. But no journal!

10. Do you use sarcasm a lot? No. Never. Of course not. I don't whine, either.

11. What are your nicknames? JM, JMD, Durkin, Jiji

12. Would you bungee jump? Of course I would! I went skydiving this past summer and it was AMAZING!

13. Do you untie your shoes before you take them off? Does anyone?

14. Do you think that you are strong? Strong in a physical sense? Certainly not. But I like to think that my mental strength more than makes up for it… But that might actually just be a guise for a strong ego.

15. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? I like vanilla… Isn’t that just so plain?

16. Shoe size? 10. Not much to say about it—it’s pretty standard yo.

17. Red or pink? Neither.

18. What is your least favorite thing about yourself? My propensity to withdraw from relationships when I start to really get to know people.

19. What do you miss most? Diet Coke and wireless internet (they don’t exist in Japan!)

20. Do you want everyone you send this to, to send it back? No, but I wouldn't mind if someone rewrote this question to prevent that icky "to, to" issue.

21. What color pants/shoes are you wearing? Semi-dark blue jeans and brown slippers

22. What are you listening to right now? ‘I Don’t Think Now Is The Best Time’ from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End OST.

23. Last thing you ate? Well, it was a rather large meal: A bowl of rice, vegetable miso soup, sponge tofu, and a ground-meat/mixed veggie stirfry. It was really quite delicious!

24. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Who wrote these questions? Barbara Walters?

25. What is the weather like right now? It’s a bit cool! Japan has finally entered fall, I fear. Otherwise it is a beautifully calm and clear night.
26. Last person you talked to on the phone? I think my hostfather. I don’t have a phone, so I rarely use one.

27. The first thing you notice about the opposite sex? The size of their face and body and how proportionate the two are.

28. Do you like the person who sent this to you? I found this on some random blog… so no.

29. Favorite drink? Used to be Diet Coke… Recently it’s become cold tea.

30. Favorite sport? I like to watch baseball. I like to do karate :-P

31. Hair color? Brown.

32. Eye color? Hazel-ish.

33. Do you wear contacts? Nope.

34. Favorite food? Gardein Burgers, definitely!

35. Last movie you watched? This is tough. I think the last movie I watched was Be Kind Rewind on the plane to Japan. It was really stupid, don’t watch it.

36. Favorite day of the year? I really prefer the day on which JASC begins 

37. Scary movies or happy endings? Neither—they are both too cliché.

38. Winter or summer? The spring, thank you very much.

39. Hugs or kisses? Hugs. There is nothing quite like holding another person in your arms and simultaneously being held.

40. What is your favorite dessert? Probably crepes… Yeah, definitely crepes.

41. Who is most likely to do this meme? Nobody. Well, maybe another EC will pick up on it and do it, but I doubt it…
42. Who is the least likely to do this meme and comment? To no Chujo? Hikaru Genji? Murasaki Shikibu?

43. What books are you reading? Funny you should ask: The Tale of Genji, The Gossamer Years, The Kojiki, and so many more…

44. What's on your mouse pad? It’s a small red dot in the center of my keyboard, aka a trackpoint.

45. What did you watch on TV last night? ano… last night I think I watched the news and then went to bed.

46. Favorite smells? I love the smell of spring… You know the one I am talking about.

47. Favorite sound? You know those soft murmurs that the person you love makes when they sleep? Yeah, that’s it.

48. Rolling Stones or Beatles? The Beatles… and the Rolling Stones! OH I AM TRICKY!

49. What's the furthest you've been from your home? Osaka, Japan (I think that Kyoto is closer to home… hahahah)

50. Do you have a special talent? I can run around really fast and whirl my arms around while making loud noises before I fall down… In other words, no.

51. What is your ring tone? Ah, my friend… I am 19, and thus I cannot get a cell phone in Japan without parental consent… Which is a bit tricky to get when neither of your parents speak any ENGLISH!

2 min self-intro of the "other" Asian girl

Hello reader,

My name is Kayoko “Kai” Hirata and I am one of eight 61st JASC AECs. I study Urban and Regional Studies and Government at Cornell University, located in middle-of-nowhere, NY. My roles in JASC are AEC treasurer, JASC Presents AEC Liaison with Yoshi and Hakodate site coordinator with our wonderful Chair Colin. I lead the RT topic “Food Security and the Future Accessibility of Edible Commodities” with a very benevolent JEC buddy Moto.

I had the fortunate experience of growing up both in Japan and in the US, therefore not only do I speak English, but also a fair bit of comprehensible Japanese and enjoy pretending to understand Spanish.

Food transports me away from dreary reality and I wish there were more time and resources to fully devote myself to it. But as for now, I have turned to books on food, which is why my RT will be the best. And oh, Japanese bakeries ruin my health but I spend a good portion of my camera memory and time and income exploring for them.

The 61st JASC is on the process to become the best summer experience ever, so if I haven’t bored you yet, apply! (Well, not now cuz the applications aren’t up yet) Please check our blog sporadically and request more info by signing up to our listserve ↓

http://iscdc.org/index.php?option=com_forme&fid=4

Cheers,

Kayoko

Durkin's Introduction

It’s taken me a while to want to write this introduction… I’ve struggled a lot with exactly what to say in it. How can I sum myself up in a short time while still keeping you interested? It’s really difficult!

Name: Jon-Michael Durkin
College: The University of Akron
Major: International Politics
Site: Kansai Region
Roundtable: Globalizing Economies: The Rise of BRICs in Relation to Japan and the United States

Well that was interesting, right? Ok… Be quiet.
I’m studying abroad in Japan this year. It works out rather nicely because I get the extreme pleasure of actually living in the area where the fourth site of the coming JASC will take place. If you haven’t already guessed, I was an American delegate from the 60th JASC. My motivation to become an EC was borne out of one specific goal: World Domination.
Just joking… Maybe.

In actuality, I found JASC to be one of the most momentous events in my life. I was skeptical, at first. In truth, I found myself not wanting to go the week before the conference out of fear. I am glad I did not yield to such silly thoughts. Traveling the United States with 61 other students from Japan and the US has left a great impression on me. It’s almost impossible to put the feelings into a generic paragraph such as this. If you are thinking about applying, do so. Absolutely, without a doubt, apply. It’s something you won’t regret, ever. It’s worth every bit of time spent, and it’s an experience which will enrich your person beyond belief.
If you find yourself compelled, but still fearful, please contact us and learn from our experience. That is, after all, why we are here.

Ok, so this was a poor self-introduction… I’ll just do a freaking meme…

Ed's Introduction

Hello all!
I am Edward Phillips, but usually I just go by Ed.
I am a member of the 61st JASC American Executive Committee, webmaster for the 61st JASC, American Orientation coordinator, organiser for the delegate selection process, one of the 4 coordinators of the Nagano site, and am leading the Public Interest vs. Individual Rights roundtable (which is going to be great!) with an awesome guy named Takuma.

I am a gamer and a computer nerd. I am also into theature and singing. I have been in 5 musical theature productions with 2 lead roles.
I am one of 2 male children out of 11 total.
I was born in Phoenix, AZ, but have lived in Arizona (obviously), Utah, Illinois, Nevada, Washington, and Japan.

I am entering my senior year at the University of Washington, majorin in the Japanese Language.

That's me in a nutshell.

Henry Kissinger

I've been looking through previous JASC recruitment materials and making some of my own, and whenever I encounter a list of famous JASC alumni, there's always one name that stands out: Henry Kissinger.

Presumably because he is our most famous American alumnus, we seem to take great pains to mention him as often as we can.  I am of the school of thought that sufficient repetition makes anything funny, so now every time I see Kissinger mentioned, I can't help but smile.

As you can tell, I am working very hard on JASC right now.

Self-Infroduction: Karen

Hello all readers!

I am...
Karen Jung,
the proud American delegate of the 60th Japan-America Student Conference,
the Vice Chair of the American Executive Committee of the 61st JASC (2009),
the liaison between the AECs and the Int'l Student Conference,
the leader of the Roundtable: Modernized Technology and the Health Issues with sexy Emi,
and one of the 4 Tokyo site coordinators with my best friend YOSHI!

I...
was born on October 15 in a small city in South Korea,
flew to the US on a snowy day in January of 2000,
live in Havertown, PA and attended Haverford MS & HS,
own a deli business in Philadelphia, PA,
attend Dickinson College, class of 2011, majoring in East Asian Studies and Pre-Health,
miss my older brother, Young Woong, who is probably sweating and swearing his butt off in FLW, MO, as an American soldier in-training,
love listening to music [artist playing right now- Rachael Yamagata], taking pictures, travelling, writing journals, being on my bed, talking to people about everything,...

and wish I can be with you [future 61st JASCers and lovely 60th JASCers] right now creating another cherished moments of my life.

Love,
Karen.

Rachel's self-introduction

Name: Rachel Staum

College: Harvard

Major: East Asian Studies (Japanese literature!)

Hobbies: classical music ♥ , knitting, reading

EC roles: recruitment, public relations, publications (with Mina!)

Site: Kansai!!!

Roundtable: Educating a Global Citizenry: What is the ideal education for a globalizing society?

I am looking forward to working with everyone to make an amazing conference for next year. Right now it seems so far away, and it's hard to imagine everything coming together!

☆Yoshi's first blogging☆

Hello :D

I'm Yoshi, a member of 61st AEC.

First of all, let me introduce myself briefly.

I was a Japadele in 60th JASC, then got elected as an AEC member. Although I am a junior at The University of Tokyo, I am currently studying at University of Toronto, Canada as an exchange student till next summer! So I can work closely with other AEC fellows (both geographically and emotionally, of course!)

My main role is to facilitate the communication between the Japanese side and the American side; I am a liaison. I am also a liaison for alumni, keeping them updated about 61st JASC.

Since 61st JASC will be held in Japan next summer, I'm really looking forward to rediscovering my country with all of 61st JASCers!!

As for RT(discussion round table), I'm leading "Environment and Sustainable Development" RT with Keisuke, my buddy in JEC.

So far, I have used some of "JASC jargon".

Let me conclude my introduction by explaining them.

JASC: Japan-America Student Conference

JASCer: participant in JASC

AEC: American Executive Committee (8 members)

JEC: Japanese Executive Committee (8 members)

Japadele: Japanese delegate

Amedele: American delegate

Our new blog is awesome

To my fellow AEC--

Welcome to our new AEC blog!

I believe our intention in creating this blog is to have a casual online presence, through which we can spread information about JASC and our progress creating the conference.

You all have posting access, so I hope you feel free to post photographs, informal updates, and your thoughts on JASC!

Let's keep this blog lively and post often!

Post #1

Hello World!