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Asian Studies Newsletter December 2023
Welcome to the December issue of the Asian Studies Newsletter, the last of a busy semester. We hope the newsletter has helped everyone keep pace with all things Asian at Colgate. As you may have discovered from reading the past several issues, the Asian Studies Program is just the academic wing of Asia-related events at the University. It is the students, staff, and faculty from all over campus who help make the cultures of Asia such an integral part of Colgate's active and diverse community. The program looks forward to working with our community even more as we move into 2024. We will keep you posted!
Wishing you well at semester's end.
Best regards,
John A. Crespi
Director, Asian Studies Program (2023–24)
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Tea Room Renovation, Part I
The East Asian Languages and Literatures Department Japan Center in Lawrence 107 is undergoing renovation to create an authentic space for a Japanese tea ceremony with tatami and a sunken hearth. Two specialists from Kyoto, Motoyama Hiroshi and Mori Banshou, worked on the renovation from October 20-22. Motoyama Hiroshi is the fourth-generation owner of the Motoyama Tatami Shop in Kyoto. After completing the first stages of the renovation, Mr. Motoyama and Mr. Mori held an informal gathering on October 22 to teach students about the special structure and materials of tatami. They also spoke about life in Kyoto for the students going on the upcoming Spring 2024 Japan Study Group. The renovation will continue throughout the rest of the year.
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Mindfulness and the Dao of Laozi
Through meditation and lecture, Professor Harold Roth of Brown University enlightened students, faculty, and community members at his talk "Poetry, Contemplation, and Politics in the Daodejing: Towards a New Translation of an Ancient Chinese Classics," held in the ALANA Cultural Center on November 2. Professor Roth began and ended his presentation by heightening the mindfulness of the audience through brief guided meditation. The talk itself, centered on the ancient Chinese classic, Laozi's Daodejing, explored the historical context and widely varying translated interpretations of this sometimes cryptic but deeply intriguing text. The lecture concluded several days of exchange with the Colgate community, during which Professor Roth facilitated an awareness of mindful teaching and shared approaches to teaching the Daodejing in the course Core Conversations.
Roth's talk was hosted by the Colgate Division of Arts and Humanities Colloquium. Co-sponsors included Chapel House, CORE 111 (Core Conversations), Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MBBI), Department of Religion, Asian Studies, and University Studies.
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| Javanese Gamelan and
Shadow Puppet PerformanceOn November 3, 2023, the sounds of Indonesia echoed throughout the Hall of Presidents. The Javanese Gamelan Ensemble from Wesleyan University presented wayang kulit, a form of shadow puppet play accompanied by music from a gamelan orchestra. The puppets, intricately carved from leather, were rear-projected on a brightly lit white screen and controlled by the dhalang (puppeteer). The dhalang of this performance was Professor Sumarsan of Wesleyan University. The accompanying gamelan ensemble included bronze gongs, xylophone, drums, strings, and voices, and was made up of students, alumni, and friends of the program. The ensemble was directed by Professor I. M. Harjito and Sumarsam.
This performance was of Wahyu Cakraningrat: The Divine Blessing of Kingship (from the Mahabharata). It consisted of three acts that followed the character Lesmånå on the journey to strive for the Wahyu Cakraningrat, or the divine blessing of kingship. In his narrations, the dhalang incorporated many comedic moments into the show, as well as an epic fight in the second act and a celebratory dance in the third act. Students, faculty, and community members enjoyed the opportunity to experience both the drama and humor of this unique Indonesian art form.
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CJCC Bento-Making EventThe Colgate Japanese Cultural Community (CJCC) hosted the first annual bento-making workshop on November 10, 2023. A bento (弁当) is a single-portion takeout or home-packed meal common in Japanese cuisine, typically including rice, fish or meat, pickled vegetables and cooked vegetables. The creation of bento places an emphasis on creativity and nutrition.
Before the bento creation, CJCC President Tatsu Nishizawa ‘26 gave a presentation on bento and its significance in Japanese culture, as well as instructions on how to use the tools provided at the event. To make special shapes, fresh rice was pressed into a rice mold in the shape of a cat. Boxes were also provided for students to arrange a variety of foods, such as rice, noodles, dumplings, and seaweed.
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Diwali
In 2023, Diwali (the Hindu Festival of Lights) fell on November 12. The Colgate Hindu Students’ Association’s annual Diwali celebration took place on November 10 in the Hall of Presidents. SGA Vice President Harshitha Talasila ‘26 led a short presentation of the significance of the festival, and a small ceremony was performed. After the ceremony, a round of trivia tested the audience on their knowledge from the earlier presentation. A student musical performance then accompanied food from Royal India Grill. At the end of the night, the event concluded with a fireworks display viewed from outside the Hall of Presidents.
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Bubble Tea Making
Colgate's Fulbright Language Teaching Assistant for Chinese language in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, Jack Hsueh, hosted a bubble tea making event for Chinese language students in the ALANA Cultural Center on December 1, 2023.
The recipe was provided in Chinese, and students read through the instructions and prepared bubble tea from scratch by cooking the bubble tea pearls, brewing the tea, boiling the brown sugar, and then mixing the ingredients in shaker cups. After Jack gave a short presentation on bubble tea culture in Taiwan, everyone enjoyed a delicious cup of homemade bubble tea.
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Decorating Cookies with OASIS+On December 2, 2023, OASIS+ held an event to make and decorate cookies with special Asian-inspired flavors. The flavors included taro, matcha, and black sesame. After the baking, participants used several colors of decorating icing and sprinkles to add their own creativity to their cookies.
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Undergraduate Award Opportunity
Undergraduate students and 2023 graduates from ASIANetwork member institutions are encouraged to submit research papers on Asia for the Marianna McJimsey Award. The winner will receive $200, publication in the ASIANetwork Exchange, and funding for registration and two nights lodging at the Annual Conference in Atlanta in April 2024. Runners-up also receive funding for conference registration and lodging. The award commemorates Marianna McJimsey, ASIANetwork's founding Executive Director and first editor of the ASIANetwork Exchange.
The submission deadline is January 15, 2024. For more information please visit https://m.asianetwork.org/programs/mcjimsey-award
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Contact Us
Got an upcoming Asia-related event? Send the information to us and we will get the word out to the Colgate Asian Studies community. Just reach out to Cathy Sheridan-Lee, our Academic Department Coordinator (csheridanlee@colgate.edu), Ellie Meunier, our student assistant (emeunier@colgate.edu), or me, (jcrespi@colgate.edu) the program director.
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