March 19, 2008
To expand their global consciousness, 10 St. John’s University
students, accompanied by a faculty chaperone and trip coordinator,
participated in the University’s third annual exchange program with
Kokushikan University in Japan, intensively studying Japanese
culture at Kokushikan’s Tokyo campus during a week-long program
this past winter break.
Growing out of 30 years of contact between the two universities,
the exchange program began in January 2005, when 21 Kokushikan
students arrived on the Queens campus of St. John’s for three weeks
of intensive English study. In December of the same year, St.
John’s sent five students to Kokushikan University. This year, the
number of St. John’s students participating in this outstanding
cultural exchange with the prestigious Japanese university
doubled.
After a 14-hour flight from New York, this year’s exchange
program began on January 6, with the St. John’s group being greeted
at the airport in Tokyo by two Kokushikan students, Kaori and Sato,
who are participating in the program and will be studying at St.
John’s in September 2008. The educational programming at Kokushikan
consisted of Japanese language study and courses on Japanese
culture. Students observed and participated in the traditional
Japanese rituals of tea ceremony and flower arranging. Sight
seeing opportunities in Tokyo included a visit to the Asakusa,
Sensoji-temple, a Buddhist temple in north Tokyo; a trip to the
expansive Emperor’s Palace; and a Kabuki performance at the
Kabuki-Za Theatre.
Kokushikan University also hosted a welcome event for the St.
John’s group. In remarks before students, faculty and
administrators of Kokushikan, St. John’s junior Andrew Conti
reflected the feelings of the St. John’s group, “That those I meet
here would become more than just my hosts, but my friends. Once
again I thank you for your efforts and all that you have done on
our behalf to make this such an enjoyable and informative trip. You
are always welcomed at St. John’s as friends. I hope that we may
continue to deepen the relationship between our universities so
that we may both grow and broaden our horizons together. Thank you,
I look forward to continuing this tradition of exchange and dialog
between our universities.”
On January 11, the last day of the trip, Dr. Katsuhiko
Wakabayashi, President, Kokushikan University, honored the St.
John’s students by inviting them to his office and giving them a
personal audience at the Setagaya campus of Kokushikan
University.
Sharing their experiences of Japan, other St. John’s students
attending this year’s trip found a common thread connecting these
experiences---the lasting and meaningful impact of this study
abroad opportunity. Maudel Ramos said, “It was the most amazing
experience I’ve had in my life. It was eye-opening to see how other
people go about their daily lives.” For Jonathan Roman, visiting
Japan has expanded his academic interests to include international
culture, “Seeing the temple and experiencing so many aspects of
Japanese culture were worth so much to me.” Finding an
appreciation of Japanese culture and history has motivated Donna
Ladolcetta to include more travel in her future plans: “It was an
amazing experience to be immersed in a culture that is so different
from ours. The city has so much history to it and it was
extremely beautiful. All the people we encountered were
friendly and very helpful. I have learned a lot and gained
such an appreciation for the Japanese culture. I will
definitely return to Japan at some point in the future (hopefully
the near future!).” Experiencing a different culture, Tom Bisogno,
a non-traditional St. John’s student, learned that while cultures
are distinct, there are many things that they share: “Perhaps one
of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip was meeting Japanese
students. I found it interesting, learning from the Japanese
students about their language and culture. It was a pleasure to see
and learn about a different society, only to realize that we do
have many things in common.”
The St. John’s students found the trip to be truly exciting and
informative, and the relationship between the two universities has
been strengthened. For more information about the trip, please
contact Elizabeth McGill, the trip coordinator at elizabeth.mcgill06@stjohns.edu.