Sophia Magazine vol.2 / WINTER 2015

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Campus Newsof the students. “All the student really re-quires is to have an open mind in order to embrace the deep educational and cultural experiences that will help shape their future”.The second component is the cul-tural experience. The sessions offer ad-ditional cultural activities including eld tours and workshops that allow students to experience Japanese culture at rst-hand. The sessions on kabuki (dance drama), rakugo (comedic storytelling), tea ceremony, and wadaiko (percussion) are highly popular with the students.Naturally, not all cultural experiences are pre-planned.“You really need to come with an open mind. Forget any preconceptions you have about Japan. I know rsthand,” says Lonny Sun, a Chinese student who attends Marquette University in Wisconsin. “On my rst day here I was enjoying a traditional Japanese meal. I saw a lump of green on my plate and immediately thought ‘Cool! Green tea ice-cream.’ You should have seen my face when I popped it in my mouth and discovered it was wasabi!”Lonny notes that his view on business in Japan changed dramatically after at-tending the summer session.“For me, Japan is a place where Eastern and Western cultures perfectly combine to create success. I wanted to come and learn and see for my own eyes where that success comes from, so I, too, can succeed in business. And it was an eye opener.”When Jessica Boyd, a student from North Carolina, rst arrived to partici-pate in the sessions, she remembers being terried. “Going to Japan had been my dream since I was in 7th grade, so I jumped at the opportunity to study at Sophia. But I come from a small school with about 2,000 students and I was intimidated that I would be coming to a university that is much larger than mine. I really shouldn’t have been. It is a very wel-coming school, with a great faculty and staff. I felt at home, and have been en-joying every moment of my time here.”Of course, depending on where you come from, Sophia may seem “small.”One student notes, “I come from a school with 23,000 students, but I like the compactness of Sophia. Don’t be fooled by the size, though. Once you step in to the school, there are a lot of things — and I mean really a lot of things — to learn, see, and explore.”All courses are accredited, and par-ticipants will be able to transfer the cred-its they earn at Sophia to the schools they attend. It is not uncommon to nd students who attended the summer ses-sions returning to Japan after gradu-ation, working with or for Japanese companies or working in elds with deep ties with Japan.It was in the summer of 1961 that Sophia University rst offered its Sum-mer Session programs, providing par-ticipants with the unique opportunity to study Japan, in English, in the heart of Tokyo. Fifty-four years later, over 11,000 students have participated, experienc-ing various aspects of Japanese cul-ture and society while learning about the country’s political system, economy, arts, and language.What make the sessions attractive are two key components. The rst is the range of courses pro-vided. The thirteen courses on offer allow participants the opportunity to see international society, indeed the world, as a whole through the eyes of Japan and Asia, making the summer sessions a truly valuable experience.Carol Reade, who teaches Japanese business and management, speaks of her experience in teaching the Summer Sessions.“I must say that the students are bril-liant, and I really enjoy working with them. One obvious reason is because this is an elective course. The students want to be here. They study, they read, and they engage, all while having fun, contributing to an enjoyable learning ex-perience.”Carol notes that the courses are run by experienced staff who are well pre-pared and highly attentive to the needs “I loved the wadaiko session. I play percussion back home so it was easy to get into, but wadaiko is more physical than I expected,” noted a student drenched in sweat after a wadaiko session.One student from California remarked that “the tea ceremony was complex yet graceful and beauti-ful. Rotating the cup with one hand while keeping the other still was harder than I expected.”Fifty-four Years of Summer Session Excellence#01Professor Carol Reade 3