New student club points East
Mark Hensch
Issue date: 10/30/08 Section: News
Sophomore Maddie Merritt started taking Japanese lessons in ninth grade after watching the anime series "Sailor Moon."
Though Merritt no longer enjoys the cartoon, she still delights in speaking Japanese. She continued her lessons throughout high school, and she can now speak the language at a third grade level.
That experience will aid her in her new role as president of the Eastern Club. The club - officially recognized by Student Federation last Thursday - boasts 20 members and will endeavor to spread Asian culture and history throughout Hillsdale's campus.
"The East is something totally different from what I have grown up with," Merritt said. "That is what makes it fascinating."
She said the club's activities should include lectures by guest speakers on Asian culture, language tutorials using Rosetta Stone software and Asian movie screenings.
She hoped to start a Japanese club when she first entered Hillsdale, she said, but as a freshman, she lacked the time and experience she would need to run a campus club. This year she broadened her vision to create a club focused on all of Asia.
Professor of English John Somerville said he quickly agreed to serve as one of the club's two faculty advisers.
"My personal experiences with Asia have created an enthusiasm for it that I hope spreads," he said. "I am really excited that this club was approved as I have been waiting for this for a long time."
Somerville grew up in South Korea, where both of his parents served as missionaries and where his father also taught at a seminary as an English professor. He has also visited Japan, China and North Korea, he said.
Some of the members' backgrounds contain hands-on experience like Somerville's, Merritt said, while others possess a more casual interest in Asia. The group's other adviser, Professor of Philosophy James Stephens, teaches Eastern Religion classes periodically.
"A club like this offers Hillsdale the opportunity to learn about human nature and the human condition as they have been experienced outside the Western intellectual condition," Stephens said. "This is especially important as Asia holds cultures which now contain a majority of the world's inhabitants."
Though Merritt no longer enjoys the cartoon, she still delights in speaking Japanese. She continued her lessons throughout high school, and she can now speak the language at a third grade level.
That experience will aid her in her new role as president of the Eastern Club. The club - officially recognized by Student Federation last Thursday - boasts 20 members and will endeavor to spread Asian culture and history throughout Hillsdale's campus.
"The East is something totally different from what I have grown up with," Merritt said. "That is what makes it fascinating."
She said the club's activities should include lectures by guest speakers on Asian culture, language tutorials using Rosetta Stone software and Asian movie screenings.
She hoped to start a Japanese club when she first entered Hillsdale, she said, but as a freshman, she lacked the time and experience she would need to run a campus club. This year she broadened her vision to create a club focused on all of Asia.
Professor of English John Somerville said he quickly agreed to serve as one of the club's two faculty advisers.
"My personal experiences with Asia have created an enthusiasm for it that I hope spreads," he said. "I am really excited that this club was approved as I have been waiting for this for a long time."
Somerville grew up in South Korea, where both of his parents served as missionaries and where his father also taught at a seminary as an English professor. He has also visited Japan, China and North Korea, he said.
Some of the members' backgrounds contain hands-on experience like Somerville's, Merritt said, while others possess a more casual interest in Asia. The group's other adviser, Professor of Philosophy James Stephens, teaches Eastern Religion classes periodically.
"A club like this offers Hillsdale the opportunity to learn about human nature and the human condition as they have been experienced outside the Western intellectual condition," Stephens said. "This is especially important as Asia holds cultures which now contain a majority of the world's inhabitants."
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Paul Poenicke
posted 11/05/08 @ 12:22 PM EST
Let me congratulate Maddie and the rest of the Eastern Club for creating such an important resource for Hillsdale College. I heartily second the words of Drs. (Continued…)
Post a Comment