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April
1997
MICHELLE
MANKE NAMED QUEEN OF
NAT'L CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL
Congratulations to East Asian Studies major Michelle Manke who has
been named the 1997 National Cherry Blossom Festival Queen. In reigning
over the annual festival which celebrates the friendship between Japan and
the United States, Michelle will meet numerous dignitaries from both
countries. Nominated by Professor Schoppa, she is spending two weeks in
Washington, D.C. in a whirl of social engagements and appearances, among
them, meeting with Hillary Clinton and being crowned queen in a gala on
April 11.
The festival queen is chosen from among women who have studied Japanese and
Japanese culture and who have as one of their goals the fostering of
cultural understanding. Part of the selection process was a telephone
interview conducted partly in Japanese.
As part of her reign, she will travel to Japan for a ten-day tour in
September. Congratulations, again, Michelle; you do honor not only to
yourself and your excellent record as a student of East Asia, but to the
East Asian Studies Program and the university as a whole. We are proud of
you.
FALL
1997 HANGZHOU PROGRAM
About fifteen students from VU and five other colleges have applied for the
Fall 1997 Hangzhou (China) Study Program. The number is the highest since
the Hangzhou Program started in 1990. Thanks to those who helped the
improvement and expansion of the program.
The participants will have a two-day orientation here at VU on August 19-20
before they depart for China on August 21. They will study and travel in
China for the whole fall semester. Anyone who is interested in joining next
year's program should contact Dr. Hugh McGuigan (x5333) at the
International Studies Office.
EAST
ASIAN CLUB SPONSORS KOREAN MEAL
As an indication of our commitment to Korea in our conception of East Asia,
the East Asian Club will sponsor a Korean dinner on Thursday, April 24, at
5:00 p.m. in Huegli Hall. Come enjoy a free meal of delicious Korean
dishes, including, of course, that Korean staple, kim chee. See you there!
CHINA
ON THE WORLD STAGE
Don't miss the remaining events in this series sponsored by the East
Asian Studies Program.
Tuesday, April 8, 7:30 pm, VU Union
Address: Life in China and Its Impact on Its Relations with the World
James and Ann Tyson, China correspondents with the Christian Science
Monitor, provide personal insights into daily life in the PRC, having lived
and worked in Beijing in the late 1980's and early 1990's.
Tuesday, April 15, 7:30 pm, VU Union
Film: Red Capitalism
An economic revolution is turning China into the world's largest economy.
"'Red Capitalism' does a good job of illustrating many of the most
important social trends that have occurred in China over the last several
years... consumerism, commercialism and corruption all receive their
due." --The Journal of Asian Studies
Tuesday, April 22, 7:30 pm, VU Union
Panel Discussion: What the Future Holds
Consular representative from the Republic of China, representative of the
Hong Kong Bureau of Trade and Development, and Professor Huang Yasheng
(University of Michigan). Moderated by Prof. Zhimin Lin.
SCHOPPA
WINS LEVENSON PRIZE
Professor Keith Schoppa has received the Association for Asian
Studies 1997 Joseph Levenson Prize for the best book on Twentieth Century
China for his Blood Road: The Mystery of Shen Dingyi in Revolutionary
China.
The prize is awarded to "the English-language book that makes the
greatest contribution to increasing understanding of the history, culture,
society, politics or economy of twentieth century China." Schoppa
received a monetary prize and a framed citation which, among other things,
commended the book for being "meticuluously researched and beautifully
written."
Written as a murder mystery, Blood Road blends social, political, and
cultural history in its analysis of the life and death of Shen Dingyi
(1883-1928), a provincial leader of national stature during the revolution
of the 1920s.
KERR
RECEIVES GRANT TO COMPARE CHINESE AND WESTERN MEDICINE
Professor Janet Lynn Kerr, Christ College, has received a grant
from the Committee to Enhance Learning and Teaching to do a collaborative
project on a comparison of Chinese and Western medicine with Jill
Stevenson, a VU student who participated in the Fall 1996 Hangzhou Program.
Stevenson will write a lengthy paper comparing body-mind interaction in
Chinese and Western medicine. Kerr will assist her with the paper, and at
the same time will develop a course entitled "Health and Healing East
and West" to be offered in the Spring 1998 semester.
In their research project, they will seek to understand how mind and body
are understood to interact in Chinese (diagnostic) and Western
(physiologic) medicine. They will examine the basic principles of Chinese
medicine, such as holism, qi, the five elements, and yin yang theory, and
compare these with basic physiologic theory of the West. They will also
examine the differing roles of doctor and patient in these traditions.
Questions which will direct their research include: Who is the
patient? What is disease? illness? health? What is involved in healing? How
do these two traditions understand the connection between spirituality and
healing?
By incorporating alternative theories such as homeopathy and osteopathy,
they will also investigate the difference between pre- and
post-Enlightenment Western thought, thus presenting a fuller picture of
Western medicine.
A NAME
IS A NAME IS A NAME?
Beginning in September, the East Asian Studies Program will become
the Chinese and Japanese Studies Program. The change is aimed at making
more immediately visible what this program is about. We have had some
feedback that high school students may not know what "East Asia"
includes; the change makes it perfectly clear.
This change is not meant to diminish the importance of Korea and Vietnam,
the other countries generally included as part of East Asia. At this point,
however, there are no courses specifically focusing on them; we hope that
can change as the program continues to grow.
"ASIA
IN US"
From spring 1997 through spring 1998, the Indiana Humanities
Council is sponsoring a statewide program called ASIA IN US, designed to
cast a spotlight on the ties between Indiana and the Asia Pacific region.
Professor Schoppa is serving as project director and VU's East Asian
Studies committee is serving as the core leadership group for the ASIA IN
US program in northwest Indiana.
The program includes specific presentations, reading and discussion groups,
and symposia on Asia (such as our current China on the World Stage series).
Its centerpiece, a traveling exhibit called "Windows with Pacific
Views," was on display in VUCA's lobby from March 18 to April 3. VU
had its own panel in the exhibit focusing on the East Asian Studies
program, our exchanges with Hangzhou University and universities in Japan,
and VU's Interlink program.
WHY
MAJOR IN EAST ASIAN STUDIES?
The Asia-Pacific region is economically the most dynamic in the
world. While the rest of the world's economy is growing at an average rate
of 2% a year, the region from Southeast Asia to Northeast China is growing
at 6% annually. By the year 2010, 11 of the world's largest metropolitan
areas will be in the Asia-Pacific region; inevitably they will be among the
world's leading manufacturing centers. Asia has already surpassed Europe as
the second largest consumer of petroleum and will pass North America in
this decade. Asia leads the world in rates of capital accumulation and is a
major source of investment funds in the world.
America's destiny is bound inextricably to the Asia-Pacific region.
America's largest trading partner is Asia. Many are already calling the
21st century the Pacific Century. The miraculous economic growth in Japan
and China as well as that in smaller nations point to wide open career
possibilities in the area.
Begin your steps toward a prosperous future and a satisfying career in East
Asian-related positions by majoring in East Asian Studies. Talk to any of
its faculty today!
EAST
ASIAN COURSE OFFERINGS FOR FALL 1997
Foreign Languages:
101. Beginning Chinese I.
(Prof. Meng)
MTRF 2:00-2:50
203. Intermediate Chinese I.
(Prof. Meng)
MTRF 11:50-12:40
101. Beginning Japanese I.
(Prof. Kavanagh)
Section A. MTWR 10:10-11:00
Section B. MTWR 2:00-2:50
203. Intermediate Japanese I.
(Prof. Kavanagh)
MTWR 11:50-12:40
305. Advanced Japanese I.
(Prof. Kavanagh)
MTWR 12:55-1:45
Freshman Seminar 100 Cultural Encounters: East Meets West
(Prof. Meng)
This seminar aims to provide an integral approach to understanding the
differences, similarities, and especially the complementarities between
Chinese and Western culture, utilizing readers, audio and video tapes,
guest lecturers, and field trips, as well as classroom discussions. Through
exploration of major aspects of the two cultures, such as language and
literature, value systems, the fine arts, and cultural change, students
will not only deepen their knowledge and appre-ciation of the encountering
cultures, but also will acquire skills that are necessary to cope with
today's increasing cultural diversity.
Hist. 393 The Vietnam War through
Film and Literature
(Prof. Schoppa)
W 6:30-9:15 pm
This course uses history, novels, auto-biographies, documentary, and
feature films to probe the causes, course, and impact of the Vietnam War on
the United States and Vietnam. The course is a reading, viewing, and
discussion course. Quizzes, two short film reviews, and a course essay; no
exams.
Hist. 492 CX: Soseki & Mishima,
Mirrors of Modern Japan
(Prof. Schoppa)
TR 9:45-11:00
(Crosslisted with Christ College 300 CX)
This course probes the cultural worlds of early- and mid-twentieth century
Japan through the writings of two of Japan's most important authors,
Natsume Soseki and Mishima Yukio. The course is a reading and discussion
course. Two short papers and a course essay, no exams.
Phil. 260 Non-Western (Asian) Philosophy
(Prof. Geiman)
TR 11:50-1:05
This course will explore the Buddhist, Taoist and Zen traditions. Far from
esoteric, lotus-eating, mystical flights of fancy, these traditions are
attempts to bring us back to the present moment and present reality. Texts
will be drawn from the three traditions. There will also be an opportunity
for class members to participate in an introductory workshop at the Chicago
Zen Center.
Pol. Science 130 Comparative Politics
(Prof. Zhimin Lin)
Section A MWF 9:05-9:55
Section B MWF 10:10-11:00
A third of the course will be devoted to contemporary politics in China and
Japan. No prerequisite.
Pol. Science 493 Senior Seminar:
International Polical Economy
(Prof. Zhimin Lin)
MWF 11:50-12:40
This course is divided into two parts: theories and practices in
international polical economy. In the practices section, issues such as
Japan's trade relations with the U.S. and the political economy of the rise
of China will be the focuses.
Theo. 364 The Buddhist Tradition
(Prof. Ludwig)
MWF 9:05-9:55
This course will investigate the origins and fundamental teachings and
practices of Buddhism. We will focus especially on the life of the Buddha
and his original teachings, the expansion of Buddhism and its influence on
the cultures of Southeast and East Asia, and the special developments of
Mahayana Buddhism. We will attempt to enter into the special vision of
Buddhism, paying attention to the practice of Buddhism in society,
especially in monastic life.
As a particular case study, we will consider the experience of Thai
women within Buddhist life. We will pay special attention to Pure Land and
Zen as two dominant forms of Buddhism in China, Korea, and Japan today.
Buddhism in America and the dialogue between Buddhists and Christians will
also enter into our investigation.
Books will include The Buddhist Religion by R. Robinson and W. Johnson; The
Buddhist Tradition in India, China, and Japan by W. DeBary; The Vision of
Buddhism by R. Corless; Thai Women in Buddhism by C. Kabilsingh; and Zen
Mind Beginners Mind by S. Suzuki.
EDITOR'S
NOTE
This newsletter, produced by the East Asian Studies Program at
Valparaiso University, aims to enhance communication among those who are
interested in East Asian Studies. If you wish to submit an item to the
newsletter, please call Professor Keith Schoppa at 5332 or email him (kschoppa@exodus.valpo.edu).
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