MHCC students take advantage of opportunity to study abroad in Japan

MHCC students will have an opportunity to attend a study abroad trip to Japan this summer, an opportunity for MHCC students to immerse themselves in a new culture.

From June 19 through July 9, a group of 18 MHCC students will travel to Kyoto, Japan.

According to Japanese instructor Yoko Sato, MHCC students going on the trip do not need to be in Japanese club or be Japanese language students.
Sato said the students will be taken to Shiga, which is a major Japanese city close to Kyoto. Students are going to be exchanging with students from Ryukoku University.

Another opportunity to converse with Japanese students will be when 15 Ryukoku University students come to MHCC and and stay in the Gresham area Feb. 18 through March 11. The students will be here to study English and take some English classes.

According to Sato, they will have time to get together with Japanese language students here. Usually Japanese students become helpers for this but this year it will be students in the Japanese Club. They will probably organize afternoon activities and some will go into the English classes to help.

Another way to get involved in Japanese culture and language is by joining the Japanese Club.

Corie Mallen, Japanese Club president, said, “Last year we raised money for the tsunami victims in Japan. We raised a little over $2,000.”

The Japanese Club consists of around 14 members. Some activities the club has planned for next year and ideas of events they might have next year include an origami workshop, planning activities for the Ryukoku University students and possibly a trip to the Portland Japanese Gardens.

“We just got approved to attend an origami workshop downtown at the World Trade Center and are hoping to make it an annual event and host our own workshop on campus,” Mallen said. The workshop is Dec. 11.
Mallen also said, “Mainly next term, we will be helping with the Ryukoku University students.

“In the spring we are hoping to go to the Japanese Gardens for a flower viewing of the Sakura Cherry Blossoms, we are also hoping to make that an annual event” Mallen said.

Mallen said she hopes they can bring back information about the Sakura to host their own event on campus.

“(The club is) open to any students, and mostly consists of language students. It’d be great to get students who are interested in the language and culture so we can teach them,” Mallen said.

For the fall term the club meetings are on Fridays from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. During the winter the meetings will be split into two meetings; it will consist of one regular meeting every other week and one optional meeting every week, then possibly a mandatory monthly meeting.

One additional way for students to learn about Japan is through the Intro to Japanese Culture course (JPN260) being offered in the winter term. According to Sato, this class will be taught in English. It is not a language class, but it is strictly about Japanese culture.

According to Mallen, the club is newly reformed as of last spring, and they are making it up as they go along and planning events.