Cross-Cultural Blog

This entry was written in response to the Research Blogging Assignment for Stanford's Winter 2009 Technology & Identity class. To learn more about the assignment, visit this blog post. You can leave a comment on this post by clicking on the "comment" link below.

I like aligning with my favourites. I only buy Macs, rarely purchase a non-Nintendo video game, and only use Facebook. Or rather, only used Facebook. After exploring some alternatives, I might have found a new web-hangout: Mixi (ミクシィ) the Japanese-specific social network.

Is Mixi as active and linked as Facebook? Probably not. But it really is a breath of fresh air.

Being on Facebook can be stressful. With Applications, News Feed, Facebook Chat, Messages, Photos, and the Wall, Facebook usage is a constant splurge of friends, information, and media. And when a small pocket of peace is found, someone will accost you with a Poke. As fun as Facebooking can be, the profile has become a webpage, the default a Photoshop gallery, and status updates a form of blogging. It's easy to make a new self. It's easy to get lost in the mix.

Contradictory to its name, Mixi is a social networking world where people don't get lost in the mix.

Why?

Focus. The bulk of content on Mixi is based on who the user is, not who the user says s/he is. While Mixi provides similar functionality as Facebook, Mixi's main approach is to act as a web diary. Everything else is extra. Users on Mixi go around, learning about people's day to day lives. Facebook's equivalent, Notes, tends to be a scream for attention, or an expression of a strong point of view. Hence, the Facebook reader learns about the author's preferences, but not about the author him/herself. The Mixi user gets to decide what a person is like. The Facebook user is told.

But Mixi isn't just about writing diary entries. Mixi is designed for strengthening friendships. Most users of Mixi have Mixi friends that they are already good friends with outside of the internet realm. There is no longer a competition for attention. In fact, most Mixi profile pictures don't even contain pictures of the user themselves. Rather the profile picture is a photo of a rabbit the user saw the previous morning, a favourite manga character, or what the user ate for breakfast. Being on Mixi, I feel at home. I get to be genuine.

Facebook is great. But everyone seems to be dressed up for a night out. With Mixi, I get to put on pajamas and just talk to friends about my love for small animals or my secret obsession with romantic comedies.

No pressure.

Posted by at 10:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

This week, the students in my New Technologies of Identity class will begin their research blogging assignment.

The course itself is concerned with the way that we construct our identities differently in an online environment -- so writing on this blog gives us a great opportunity to test out how our voice as writers is transformed by the genre of blogging. Since the students have already written a proposal about their topic and given a presentation, this is a fresh medium for them to explore.

The assignment itself asks students to post a blog entry that focuses on their assessment of a specific source, interview, of survey results, or even key moments/encounters/epiphanies in their research process. All the students are focusing on some aspect of technology or digital culture, which should keep the blog posts interesting. Here's a what you can look forward to reading about over the next couple weeks:

Week of Feb 2

• Facebook's failure in China, Japan and Korea
  
• Virtual Worlds as Models for Social Behavior
  
• Online Course Materials & Transformations of Education
  
• YouTube and the Media Industry
  
• The Minerva Incident and Online Anonymity
  
• Online Dating
  
• Citizen Journalism

Week of Feb 9

• EULA, DRM and User Rights
  
• MMORPGs
  
• Online Art Communities
  
• Psychology of Blogging
  
• Social Gaming
  
• Online Anonymity

Many of these topics are in the early stages of development -- we would welcome your feedback and comments :)

Posted by Christine Alfano at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (8) | TrackBacks (0)

Hej Anders' students in Sweden,
Below, you'll find introductions of the groups of Stanford students you'll be working with this quarter. Can't wait to meet you,
Helle

Posted by Helle Rytkonen at 09:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hi everybody! We are Natasha, Tanya, Nastya and Gleb.

You know, there in a wonderful Academy in the Far East of Russia. This is Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and Law.

It is one of the greatest educational centers in the Far East of Russia and the only higher educational establishment that trains qualified specialists for all spheres of economics and law. Nowadays Academy is one of the most popular Far Eastern universities. Studying here is not only prestigious but also perspective.
Future certified specialists in the field of economics, law, management, banking, finance, insurance, accounting, auditing, statistics, foreign economic activities, commerce and marketing get education at Academy.

So, we study here and our major is Audit of International Business.

Now our basic discipline is accounting. Later, on the 4th and 5th years of studying it will also be auditing (which means checking accounting if it is accurate). And, since we are supposed to be International Business auditors, we also learn English deeply. This combination of English and accounting distinguishes us from other majors of Auditor Faculty. Also we have a lot of other disciplines related to economics, law, math, geography and ecology. So, after graduation we are supposed to be qualified specialists with very broad outlook.

So, what does being an accountant means? It doesn’t mean that we count everything and everywhere, we have just special skills for it. Accounting is something which is necessary and just useful in business activities of one company, of the whole country’s economy and, perhaps, even at your home. The aim of accounting is to calculate the financial results of your activities, to keep all of your resources under control and to prevent it from disappearing anywhere without your permission.

But being accountants doesn’t mean that we are so extremely attentive and careful in our everyday life. We are sometimes late to our classes, we make mistakes and then correct our faults, we can be lazy or hardworking from time to time, because we are just usual students and we enjoy our status very much.

We studying in group, which means that we have the same students of one major attending the same classes together constantly, day by day. For example, there are 28 people in our group. Every group has it’s formal leader, who gives us all necessary information and marks who is absent.

Seeing each other every day during all 5 years of studying in the Academy, we have became friends. Every year (sometimes several times a year) our group goes to picnic, where we fry meet, play games, sing, play guitar and just have fun. Sometimes we go to the theatre together. In canteen we usually sit around one table, discussing common issues. Of course, we are very different: with different tempers, different interests, but at the same time we identify ourselves as members of one community – our student group, and we are always ready to give each other a hand.

In Russia, they say, that friendship built in your student years lasts during all of your life. And we can ourselves experience that it’s true.

Being student is supposed to be the best years of our lives – we are young, clever, and ambitious, there are so many prospective, freedom, and a lot of unpredictable events waiting for us in future. I think it would be sincere to say that we are really happy, and the years spent studying in our Academy have no way to be ever forgotten!

Posted by Olga Kovbasyuk, Khabarovsk State Academy at 05:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (10)

We would like to share the essay about our group community, the way we see it, as an important aspect of our identity.
First, a little bit about ourselves. We study in the Academy of Economics and Low and major in international economy. This is our fourth year and we have one more to go before we graduate. Before we got enrolled into the academy we didn’t know what classes the school offers and what classes we will need to take in order to major in international economics. We still remember our first day in the academy, when we didn’t know each other and didn’t know what to expect from the studies. But after some time, we understood that we were lucky to have been admitted to this program. Moreover we very soon became friends with each other in our academic group. We all have similar interests in classes on international economic relations and we enjoy spending time together. Year after year, we developed true bonding which helps us in our studies as well as in life, in general. Here in Russia, groups of students stay together for 5 academic years, and the group takes the same classes. We don’t choose classes here, we take all the classes required by the state.
As a group, we like to go to the countryside, celebrate holidays, and play games together.

We also go to the movies, play secret pal, and do many different activities.
Studying in the Academy is not easy. We always have much homework. Each semester we have about four exams and seven final tests. We have quite a diversity of classes which aim to provide us with broad knowledge and to prepare us for professional careers.
For example, we study math, history, science, auditing, statistics, international business, international commerce, international economic relationships, etc. Moreover, we have an opportunity to study two foreign languages. For instance, Ksyusha takes French and English and Dasha takes Chinese and English.
We hope that our knowledge, which we are gaining in the Academy will help us to get interesting jobs, so that we can reach our goals in life and we also look forward to having more opportunities to communicate with people from other cultures in their native languages.

Posted by Olga Kovbasyuk, Khabarovsk State Academy at 05:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

By Sashsa Kazarina, Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and Law
What is a photo? Someone will say that this is only a small card which our parents, friends or someone else will look at and recall what or who is depicted on it. But this is only one aspect of the meaning a photo might produce.
In my understanding, a photo represents not only memorable images, but constitutes the way we look at the world and perceive events. Taking pictures is one of the best ways for those committed to photography, to show what and how they see things and people around, as well as to share what is important for them in this world and even to tell who they are.
I love photography and consider this hobby a part of my identity. Photography can add so much meaning to one’s life.
Different photos carry different meanings. Some pictures are made only for fun. Just have a look

Here we are my friend and I. This picture makes me smile. It brings great feelings, makes me recall the good times with my friend, the pizza and sushi we had… It works like magic when one picture can make people feel much better and the other can bring some sad or contradictory feelings almost at one and the same time.
There are pictures that reveal unlimited inner world of an individual. Have a look at the following series of pictures, which I took of my friend. She is so different in every single photo!

The first picture on your left represents an image of the Russian princess Olga, the photo in the very center – and I still can’t understand the way I could take this picture, because the conditions were not appropriate at all (I guess I can say “Thank you” to supernatural intuition that allowed me to catch the image in such a way), and the one on the right represents the time when we were just talking late at night and my friend is smiling the way I know her in reality.
You can see how different these pictures are, and how much of the inner world they reveal.
What I like most in photography is that I can kind of create my own images of my friends ( the way I see them) and I like to explore new aspects of their characters and to portray them as being very natural and diverse.
I’m only a beginner in this journey of photography, and I know very little about it, but I would still like to advise you to take more pictures of the world events as well as people because each time you take a picture you catch one of the most magnificent and probably magic moments of your life, and the world around us and the people you love and care about. Would be happy to share what I can with you.

Good luck with all of your creative adventures and explorations! :)))))

Posted by Olga Kovbasyuk, Khabarovsk State Academy at 04:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Each of us is a member of many different communities. But, as I think, the most valuable and treasured community in all our life is our hometown. I was able to really realize it only when I left my native town and moved to Khabarovsk. If you have similar feelings, you will understand me.
I was born and finished high school in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. This town is located on the small island, called Sakhalin, which is a part of the Far East of Russia. It’s really a unique place. If you see its wonderful and magnificent nature you will never forget it. Nowhere else you can find such majestic and powerful mountains, such deep and fascinating sky and such luxuriant vegetation.

My city is my community because nowhere else I can feel at home. Every place in my hometown reminds me of different numerous episodes of my life. I can recognize my town among thousands of others, because its view is always in my heart. Sometimes I feel that I can go all around my town with closed eyes and will never be lost, as I know every street and every house in it.
The town’s numerous cultural establishments and historical sights are well-known both in Sakhalin region and in the Russian Far East in general. Here, in this picture, you can see one of my favorite places in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. This is St. Katherine church, which is one of the most beloved and well-known tourist attractions in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

And although I live and study in Khabarovsk now, I still prefer visiting my hometown, even briefly, for some days, to traveling around the world, for a longer period, even for a year. There is no more treasured and native place in the world for me than my town. I see its uniqueness and notice changes even in small things. One more place I would like to tell you about is the public garden named after Chekhov (a famous Russian writer). All citizens like this place very much, especially in summer and autumn, when everything is in full bloom. I like spending hours walking and reading in this garden, because it is a very quite and sunny place.

But the most magnificent and unique treasure of our city is the Regional Museum of local lore and history. Its history is long; the museum has been attracting visitors for more than 100 years. It is housed in an old Japanese building, which still attracts thousands of tourists.

And of course, like probably every place in the world, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk experiences some difficulties and has some problems as well as prosperities and advantages. I am not indifferent to its problems and the ways they are being solved, and I believe that I really can make a difference. I always participate in voluntary work and different social programs to contribute to the prosperity of my town. For example, I visit orphanages and day care centers, and help children and elderly people. I also participate in “subbotniks” (appointed days, usually on Saturdays, when all people go out to clean the streets and parks, and avenues to beautify the place they live in). I always try to do my best to make my native town better and more beautiful.
Also, my town is my community because there are a lot of people who are waiting for me and who love and support me in any situation. I miss them so much and can’t wait to meet them and to communicate, and spend time together.
As you probably see now, my native town is inside me, it is always in my heart. I am really proud of being a citizen of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. I emotionally belong to this community. My city is really my community and I am a part of it.

Vlasenko Katya

Posted by Olga Kovbasyuk, Khabarovsk State Academy at 03:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (20)

The community I would like to tell you about is the KSAEL Debate Club. I am a freshman at Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and Law. And since the very beginning of my student’s life I have been attending the Debate Club of our Academy. I joined it because I knew that it would be a great chance for me to improve my English, to practice my public speaking skills and to discuss topics that really interest me, such as international economics, politics and social life. But in a while, I understood that debating was not the only activity of the Debate Club.

There are many other interests it embraces. For example, we participate in different social programs such as visiting orphanages.

Also we take part in different conferences. Being a first year student of the Academy and a newcomer in the Debate Club I have already participated in videoconference with Wichita University and in the conference with Academy of Justice.

Along with our formal sessions and debating we have a lot of informal meetings. We enjoy celebrating holidays together, going to cinemas and theatres and simply meeting in cafes.

And now I am absolutely fascinated by this project with Stanford!

Here is my opinion of the real community, which describes one’s identity.

In my opinion a real community is not only when people gather to discuss their work and problems, but also when they spend much time together, and what is even more important - when they have a lot of common interests. I mean that a real community should embrace many aspects in life, not only work or studies. This term is much wider and it touches different spheres of human life.

I belive that our Debate Club is a real community, because it meets all these above mentioned expectations. I can tell that I attend debating sessions not only because I know that it is useful for my professional development, but also because I emotionally belong to the club community. Every time I visit classes and am involved in activities, I expect something new and interesting. I always can’t wait to meet my friends and to communicate and do things together. This membership is very important for me. And I am happy to be able to share this feeling with you.

Vlasenko Katya

Posted by Olga Kovbasyuk, Khabarovsk State Academy at 02:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It's an amazing feeling when you find out that you going somewhere different, It’s a such a great feeling of great achievement when you realize that you’ve been there for almost a year..and after all that time you feel like home…

In 2007 I was awarded a fellowship for the Eurasian Undergraduate Exchange Program to study in the US. I’ve been doing a lot of international stuff before (International MUN Conferences in China and Switzerland, Students Conference in Japan, learning world economy and international relations in my University in Khabarovsk). But this time it was something different, it was whole academic year speaking different language, leaving oceans apart from my family and friends, eating different food and leaving with international roommate.. Sounds like a challenge, huh? But what I got there outweighs all those fears and doubts you might have before going to study abroad…

So I went to US, Mississippi State…

I had a chance to learn a very interesting and unique culture!

I was given a great opportunity to experience american college!

I also shared information about MY culture!
And contributed to local community!

(repairing a house suffered in Hurricane Katrina, Gulfport, MS)

And I visited so many interesting places and made so many friends!!!

I will remember that time for my whole life! And if you are thinking about going to study abroad and still hesitating, please don't! This kind of experience made me wiser and more open-minded. And experienced I've got is of a great value for me and people around me! Now I realize how much I want to do and I know I can do it!So, take pride in how far you have come and have faith in how far you can go!

With kind regards,
Elvira Gayfullina, Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and law

Posted by Olga Kovbasyuk, Khabarovsk State Academy at 02:14 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

Hello. I’m Marina Borodina. I’m so glad to participate in this videoconference. I want to present you the project called “Culture dialogue” for your consideration. I did it in the form of the express test that I’m suggesting YOU now!

I have been living in Khabarovosk for not so long time and it’s not my native city, but now I associate myself with it. Some places mean more than much for me, some I take no care of.

Look at this pictures illustrating places of interest of Khabarovsk and tell me please what pictures you would choose if you visit Khabarovsk for the first time and why, what associations you would have with them?

Restaurant of Russian traditional food

Russian Orthodox Church

Night life

Russian Theatre

Parks and Squares

I did the same activity with my Chinese Friend Guan Ke (her Russian name is Julia) and compared results. The ideas happened to be on the surface but the reasons differed.

First, I would visit the restaurant to try new food and meet new people. Then go churches, historic landmarks to breeze the atmosphere of the city, see the history and how citizens feel about their own city. Night views of the city will take the third place, because night life differs greatly from the daytime in terms of light, people and rush they produce.

And my friend Yulia would like to visit the restaurant or cafe first (our choices coincided) to try traditional food, secondly, she would like to visit the theatre to compare two cultures and styles, and the last place is the fountain to see daily life of the citizens.

Marina Borodina
Yulia (Guan Ke)

Posted by Olga Kovbasyuk, Khabarovsk State Academy at 01:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Hello! My name is Dmitry. I study in Khabarovsk Transport University. I major in Math and Programming. The community of our students and professors has some distinguishing features.

First of all, math changes our mind as it is becomes the way of thinking. It provides its methods of solving various problems. So those who study math deeply have a bit different understanding of the world, and the way they behave may be also different. We sometimes apply mathematical rules to our life.

Still, we do not like to count – for us it is easier to write a program so that it counts for us.. Also, we are used to ‘variables’ instead of numbers. Maybe we don’t like numbers:)

Math is not only about numbers, it also teaches logic. Math logic often applies in argumentation, because true mathematician only believes in something if he has been given the strict mathematical proof for that.

We got used to ‘math language’ a lot. When writing lectures we rarely use ‘normal’ words. Here is an artifact representing ‘math language’, this is a page scan of a lecture (from the ‘theory of games’ class). As you can see, I write a bit ‘carelessly’:)

Our professors of math enjoy playing chess. We sometimes can see them in the university engaged in chess activity. Students of math also play chess, but not that much.

My group likes to play soccer. Often in the summer, rarely in the winter, we play soccer with students from some other groups.

To prove us being mathematicians, we participate in math academic competitions. Here is a photo from one of these competitions.

We also learn to be programmers. Math applies here a lot, and these two spheres are so much interconnected that sometimes it is hard to say whether we have a class on math or on programming.

Though we do not study that much about hardware, many students are really good at what is inside the computer. For many of us, computer represents our major(math and programming). But I think programming is not that closely connected with computer, as math is.

Here’s the inside of that ‘artifact’ that represents computer science. (That is, in fact, an ancient sample – you shouldn’t be afraid to break it when getting inside)

We also enjoy computer games. Many of us play computer games, but some think of these activities as childish. (They are possibly right, but is, for example, Rockstar’s ‘Manhunt’ designed for kids?) Usually our students’ favorites are considered GTA, Lineage, Battlefield, Team Fortress, Counter-Strike. I really like GTA (For some reason I still like GTA 3…)

Many students like (or even maybe love:) GNU/Linux operating systems. The idea of free software is getting in minds of more and more people here. Kubuntu Linux DVD cover represents an artifact of this idea (Yes, with some russian text on the cover:) )

As you see, math and programming community is specific in many ways and it does influence our identity and the way we think and perceive the world. I can tell I am proud to be a part of this community

Galenko Dmitry

Posted by Carolyn Ross, Stanford at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)

One of the most remarkable things about Stanford is simply the sheer amount of time that most Stanford students spend outdoors. Whether it is because of our close proximity to gorgeous natural landmarks like Yosemite valley or Lake Tahoe, or simply because of the great California weather, you constantly see students going on hiking trips or simply playing and studying out in the sun.

Jon:

What I love to do most in the outdoors is to seek out those small, natural hiding places that are beautifully untouched by human civilization. My search usually takes me to national parks such as Yosemite Valley, and I climb up its granite rock walls. I love the feeling of being halfway up a cliff and feeling a cool breeze blow on my face while I look out on the trees and the rolling hills below me.

Christine:

I find that spending time outside is refreshing and essential to my
mental well-being. On a daily basis, I enjoy walking or running outdoors
because it allows me to unwind and take a break from the work and
commitments that I associate with being inside. When the opportunity
arises, I also like to try more adventurous outdoor activities, including
skiing, waterskiing, scuba diving, hiking, and rock climbing. It is
rewarding to learn new outdoor skills. In addition, spending time in nature
with others usually turns out to be a bonding experience.

Sihwan:

I usually spend a lot of time playing golf especially on the course.
I enjoy walking and seeing the course in the morning.

Chris:

A connection to the outdoors is a connection to the past. Over the last few millennia, a mere blink of an eye in evolutionary terms, humanity has seen its relationship with the biosphere of this planet degrade into nonexistence, replaced by complete reliance on artificial environments we’ve created for ourselves. The human drive to control has led our kind from existing as a part of the same ecosystem as other beings to building our own, reshaping the planet to fit our own needs and wants.

Was this selfish of us? Immoral? Maybe. Or maybe it’s just a step in the natural chain of events that developing intelligences all over the universe must face. Nevertheless, some, myself included, have developed a certain respect for what may be lost in the years ahead. Parks, such as the National Park system in the United States, have been set aside as areas largely restricted from development owing to their natural beauty. These parks are visited by millions of people every year who together form a sort of national community of respect for nature and for our past place in it.

I myself have visited Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming many times over the course of my nineteen years. It’s long been a flocking point for countless artists over the past few centuries, and for good reason. I’ve found that traveling there gives me an entirely new sense of the concept of beauty. It’s like walking into a scene from Lord of the Rings.

I also have a history of travelling to Ruby, an Athabascan Native American village of some two hundred people in the interior of Alaska, only accessible by small aircraft.

Living with people who live separately from the superficial convenience of modern life has also given me a sense of respect for older ways. Hearing the village chief’s stories about encounters with bears, being stranded on fishing trips, and living in such a remote environment always gives me a new perspective on my home in San Diego, CA.

Posted by Carolyn Ross, Stanford at 01:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

A traveler’s culture is distinct, inspiring and addictive.

Traveling is a feeling that comes over you as soon as you board the plane or get in the car, ready to start an adventure. A traveler is not a tourist- the difference I suppose is the unknown; it’s not having an itinerary or hitting every great monument or museum on the map. Traveling is about going to a place in its entirety. Seeing the people, smelling the food, and really just being in the beauty and excitement that is somewhere separate yet similar to you.

* * * *

I love to travel and actually see the places I hear and read about. I have always been a hands-on learner and can't enjoy stuff unless I am right there or know/feel what is going on. That is why I love to see and meet the people of other countries and go to their special places because I feel like I am actually getting a real sense of their world. Ireland was by far my favorite place as I am of Irish descent and could connect with my "own people."

Sean Ramey

* * * *

Ever since I went to Japan for the first time when I was 12, I have been really into studying Japanese language and culture. Americans often speak of Japan as being totally different from the US, but over time, I have run across more and more points of similarity. For example, people in Japan use different "levels of politeness," depending on with whom they are speaking, and so translations into English are often very stilted. However, if you look at the sentiment people are actually expressing when they use "polite" speech, it ceases to seem unnatural. Because in Japan "politeness" is taken for granted, it carries less meaning. Also, if you look at how Americans interact with one another, we use different "levels of politeness" ourselves, although the situations in which we use them are different.

Cybelle Smith

* * * *

My first time in Mexico City was a journey into a new identity- immersed by food, culture, and a language that inspired me to be open to all ideas and forms of thinking. One of my most vivid memories is witnessing a political protest. At that moment, I realized that people from all over the world can unite in resistance.

Bridget Connolly

* * * *

Traveling is having the chance to know yourself at a deeper level, to observe yourself as a wanderer interacting in ways that aren’t previously programmed or routine, because every moment of travel has something new to offer. Being a traveler is not a person escaping it all but a person open to it all.

Julia Sebastian

Posted by Carolyn Ross, Stanford at 12:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

One way that people are defined is by their ethnicity or racial identity. Stanford is a place that celebrates diversity of cultures, nationalities, languages, and ethnicities. Many of us at Stanford find that here, we can not only feel comfortable with our ethnic identity, but we can also appreciate and learn about other cultures. Each of us in this group have had our own experience with ethnic identity at Stanford and at home:

Owen:

I, being ethnically half Chinese, have always wanted to be involved in the ethnic community at Stanford. My freshman year I joined Talisman, which is an a cappella singing group on campus. We celebrate diversity by singing songs from all around the world and in many different languages. We have in our repertoire songs from South Africa, China, the American South, Kenya, Australia, and more, including Russia! Through concerts and tours, we attempt to share our music with others. We often sing for the Stanford community, but we also go to schools or churches in nearby communities and expose to the people there cultures and stories from places that they often have never been or heard about.

As a result of being in Talisman, I have realized that cultures from all over the world have so much to share with one another, and we all have a lot to gain, if we are willing to listen.

Hania:

When I moved to America the summer before university started, I spent a month at my aunt’s house in St. Louis, and was both surprised and somewhat appalled by the fact that my only interaction was with ‘brown’ people. In order to ensure that her children grew up with ‘Pakistani values,’ she had created a mini Pakistan in Missouri. Her children’s primary and, perhaps only, groups of friends were of South Asian background, despite the fact that they went to a very culturally diverse high school. I promised myself that I would not do the same; I would not go to Stanford and hang out only with the brown people. I would force myself to assimilate and be as ‘American’ as possible.

Somewhere down the line, however, I realized I could never be American. I didn’t possess the intense love for America that all my American friends did, and I never would. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against the country, and wouldn’t leave Stanford for anything, but my true patriotic love is, and always will be, Pakistan, despite all of its flaws. I realized the importance of striking a balance, and being a part of what made me comfortable, instead of trying to escape my roots and simply blend in. The beauty of being at Stanford is the opportunity of meeting and mixing with people of so many different backgrounds, and the fact that I come from a different culture was something I needed to embrace instead of try to run away from. So now, I’m no longer embarrassed by the fact that I enjoy wearing bright and colorful eastern clothes and love dancing to Punjabi, Urdu and Hindi songs. At the same time, I have a diverse social group and love it. Cultures are something we’re born into, and whether we like it or not, they go with us, changing and adapting to who we become.

Amanda:
Here at Stanford University, I discovered how important the role of diversity is to me. My mother is Mexican and my father is Puerto Rican. Growing up, I learned to value both of these cultures as well as the American culture. Living in Southern California, I was surrounded by people who shared a similar culture as I did. In Southern California, I was part of the majority, but once I came to Stanford, I found that I was part of the minority, surrounded by people of all different ethnicities. I never recognized the magnitude of the importance of my culture until I came to Stanford. During freshman year, I joined a dance group called Ballet Folklórico de Stanford which practices traditional Mexican folk dance. The music that I once dreaded listening to became the music that I desired to feel a part of the culture of my family.

I also found that I was learning so much about different cultures while at the same time, was able to share my own. In such a diverse setting as Stanford, everyone has a chance to learn, to teach, and be enriched. Because of the importance of diversity to me, I decided to join a Sorority called Sigma Theta Psi which is a multicultural interest sorority. We are a small group of women who are all extremely different, but share a common value of multiculturalism. Through the sorority, we try to get involved in and reach out to the many different communities here at Stanford. To us, multiculturalism is not only about different ethnicities, but about different hometowns, lifestyles, and backgrounds. Being exposed to this kind of diversity expands our ways of thinking in ways that we cannot learn in the classroom.

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 12:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (9)

The sports community is made up of several communities of teams and fans. The degree to which we participate in the greater sports community varies a lot as well: some of us are full time athletes, while some are part-time spectators. Within the sports community, each person has a unique perspective. Here are some of ours.

At Stanford, athletics create an energy that transcends the sports-community and energizes professors, administrators and students alike. Sports fans take part in a wealth of activities before and during games – ranging from tailgates, to face painting, to chanting, cheering and singing. Every sports fan can feel the gymnasium dripping in anticipation before a big basketball game and taste the electricity in the stadium before a football game. Stanford fans live and die with the success of our teams. We clap, we cry, and we scream - and when we see our Stanford athletes run onto the field, we feel a sense of pride in belonging to a strong, united community. - Eric

At an early age, many kids begin their sports lives when they join sports teams in city-wide leagues. We get to know and become friends with several other kids who are roughly the same age. As the years go by, many kids stop playing and move onto other activities. We run into each other again in middle and high school, always sharing the memory of playing together (or against each other) as little kids. - Lucas

I grew up as a part of the sports community. I realized what I liked the most about being a part of the sports community was the camaraderie, and teamwork that it involved. Here at Stanford I am a member of the Women's Varsity Field Hockey team. It is a huge commitment, averaging about 20 hours of practice a week year round, but is worth every minute when we won our Conference Championship game this past season against our rivals. Our celebration on the field after the game is pictured. - Katherine

One of the most rewarding aspects of sports is the actual competition during which members of the team are able to utilize the skills they have improved upon during hours of practice after school. Competitions require focus and endurance from the athletes so that they can attempt to edge out their opposition. In this photo of a sailing regatta at Stanford, the sailors are paying attention to the wind, currents, and speed of the boats around them in order to anticipate tactics and plan their next move in response to shifting conditions. Despite the drastic differences among sports, all entail a great amount of drive, teamwork, and competitive spirit that are the hallmark of American sports. – Katie

There are so many memories and milestones from my childhood and early teenage years that are directly related to the sports that facilitated them. From my first big hit in little league to my first street hockey joust, these images and events are as tangible as their physicality. The important ties I have with sports is a way to really get people together, whether it be a game of street ball to a Superbowl party with friends. Though academics took over later in high school, I can always remember the feeling of release when it was time for pick up football in gym. Today, I’m a fan, whose tenacity from sports at an early age is reflected in the cheers and sometimes vulgar exclamations from the stands. "Give em’ the AXE!!" – Dave

In my sport, my teammates have always been the horses I’ve been lucky enough to ride. To be able to face down an obstacle while racing the clock, horse and rider have to be able to trust one another and to understand how to work with one another. Even though riding is usually an individual sport, the horse show community that has sprung up around it is small and close-knit. At Stanford, I compete on the intercollegiate equestrian team, so for the first time I have bipedal teammates. Even though I am no longer competing on the same show circuit I did before college, the equestrian team has given me a new community of very different people all united by a love of horses and a real investment in the trials and successes of everybody else. (This is me and my last horse Penny.) – Jaslyn

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (42)

Alisa Yushchenko:
The Model United Nations community is one of the strongest at our Academy. KSAEL Debate club exists since 2000.
I`ve been a member of the Club for 4 years already (since the first year of studies). Since March 2008 I`ve been the President of the club.
During all this years MUN has been my favorite University activity, a hobby and beloved part of my life.

I have found here many good friends who have the same interests as me (in international economics, politics and social sciences). We meet twice a week and discuss different UN topics in English (and is a great opportunity to practice foreign language). This sessions help not only to learn more about international affaires, but to learn to communicate with people, to listen and to find arguments and practice public speaking.

We also do community service. Each year we arrange New Year parties for children from city’s orphanages. Each year we have social projects we create and carry out by ourselves.
In 2005 – 2006 we had our first big social project “Smile”. We taught English to handicapped children. It was my first experience of this kind and it was unforgettable. This lessons helped children not only to improve their knowledge, but to become more open and sociable. And this was the most important result for al of us. So, we decided to keep on creating and carrying out various community service/social activities.

In 2006-2007 in the frames of project “Tolerance” we delivered lectures on tolerance at Khabarovsk secondary schools. We created costumes of different cultures and told children about other traditions and customs. We also played games and encouraged children to participate and share their cross-cultural experiences. So, this lectures looked more like seminars and it was of great interest to all.
Last year we arranged a project “The Way to See the World”. We taught orphans English and Japanese. This project was the most serious for me as I took a role of a manager. I was in charge of establishing relations with orphanage administration, finding volunteers, organization of project activities as well as public relations. It was a great experience which I appreciate a lot.

Besides regular sessions and social activities members of our Debate club participate in national and international MUN conferences.
This is my favorite part of MUN life))) I was lucky to participate in various international MUNs. Among them are 3rd Asia – Pacific Model UN Conference in Incheon, Republic of Korea; Moscow International Model United Nations conference 2008 at MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia; Imagine Peace Model United Nations conference at Kyoto University of Foreign Studies, Kyoto, Japan; European Week Eindhoven, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Harvard Annual World Model United Nations conference, Beijing, China.

I have also been a Chair of Historical General Assembly at International Symposium “Youth and Its Initiatives in Economy, Law and Politics of APR Countries” at Khabarovsk State Academy of Economics and Law in 2007. It was a new and outstanding experience for me.

This year I am going to chair UNEP at Geneva International MUN 2009. This will be my first international experience of this kind and I am looking forward to doing it.
All the conferences I participated in made me a part of international MUN community. This community is very diverse in cultural background. Thanks to it I have friends from different continents. We all are different (we look different, speak different languages, eat different food and dress up differently). But at the same time we have very important feature in common – we all are interested in international relations and learning about other cultures. During MUN conferences we learn about others, but at the same time we discover ourselves too. We see, we compare, we analyze and make conclusions.
I believe that MUN community is a chance for youth to see the “differences” and to learn to respect them. As people from different counties communicate, establish relations and become friends, they will always have a chance to find common solution of the problem. And in the times of globalization this skill is hard to overestimate.

Posted by Olga Kovbasyuk, Khabarovsk State Academy at 10:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (14)

Chris:
Halfway through my sophomore year I left campus for almost a year to do ecology research and study by the ocean. The first half I was in Monterey, California. It was cold. The second half I was in Australia. It was much warmer. They were both great experiences. But I am not writing as a member of those scientific research communities, I am writing as a member of the community of recent Stanford transfers and return students. Like everyone in this community, I love being back at Stanford, but it feels different from before because we now are more at the beautiful mercy of the outside world. For me, this is mostly because I feel much more like I’m living on borrowed time. No, I’m not dying. But the difference between sophomore and junior year is starker than you may think. As a sophomore I would not even be halfway through school. Now, as a junior, I am almost 75% done. The opportunities at Stanford that I have had, already experienced, or passed over are beginning to outweigh those that are still potentially ahead of me. But that's life – I learned about it. And I definitely don’t regret it either.

What I did instead...

(Monterrey, CA)

(Great Barrier Reef, Queensland)

Heather:

Unlike many Stanford students, I began my college journey elsewhere and transferred here. Transfer students at Stanford are diverse and varying group of students. Many transfer students come to Stanford simply because they wish to change schools and are similar in age to the typical transfer student. Some are veterans and have served in Iraq, Afghanistan, and/or another foreign country. Most of the veterans and others, like me, began their college careers at small two-year community colleges and some are quite older than many undergraduates at Stanford. I started college when I was 21, and after taking a year off of school, began my education at Stanford last autumn at the age of 24.

I don’t live in the dorms with the other undergraduates, because of my age I am allowed to live in very special housing, it’s called graduate housing. I live in an apartment with two roommates, the bathrooms are much less communal, and we have a kitchen (pictured), which is great because I love to cook.

Fish Background: http://www.like-fish.com/page/2

Sometimes I feel like an old person swimming in a sea of bright young students who can think and learn better. That’s me, up above, with all the bright young students (guppies). And, now, here I am in PWR-2, a class dominated by young sophomores and I am stuck somewhere between a being a junior and a sophomore (technically, I have enough credits for junior standing) because of my major requirements. It can be frustrating working out all the kinks to make your classes fit and I have had to resolve myself to three full years at Stanford. It is crazy to think that I will be 27 when I graduate with my B.S. If I had started at 18, like most college students then I should have a doctorate by that time. But, I have a great deal of life experience that many college students have yet, or perhaps will never, gain; having tried to live without a formal education, I appreciate my education at Stanford that much more. Plus, it helps that I am far from the oldest undergrad student who roams campus.

In short, Stanford is extremely diverse and there are many non-traditional students. A great deal of students here follow the same educational path and often take many of their required classes together. But, many deviate, they take breaks and go their own way and then come back and join the student population, and mix those young guppies, to finish what they started.

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 03:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Stanford is well known for a lot of things, but the first thing that people often think of when imagining this great university is it’s impact on the field of engineering. Starting at the end of World War II, Stanford has set the pace in the field of technology, not only defining what was cutting edge, but creating careers and corporations out of it. Although it’s just personal opinion, we consider Stanford’s School of Engineering to be the university’s crown jewel.

Stanford’s School of Engineering has fields ranging from computer science to mechanical engineering. With notable graduates such as David Packard and William Hewlett, the School of Engineering has made an indelible mark on the world of technology. The University’s primary strength is the amount of effort it can put into research including undergraduate research. Being able to work on high-level projects at the undergraduate level is a great advantage preparing them both for industry and research.

Stanford is a part of a revolution in engineering, beginning with a design process that doesn’t just consider the bottom line. At the “d.school,” people from many different disciplines from traditional engineering such as psychology and art work to develop products that are not only stylish, but respectful of the environment and sustainable to boot.

One of the biggest projects is the Solar Car project. Undergraduates, graduates, and professors work together on a government sponsored project to push the limits of solar energy generation. The project develops a car that participates in a race at the end. There are other projects such as the Stanley car project which is developing a car that can drive itself under current conditions.

Basically, Stanford’s School of Engineering develops people like us, who are ready to take on the world and try to make it a better place.

-Chidozie Nwobilor
-David Newell

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 10:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (7)

FroSoCo stands for Freshman-Sophomore College, which is the name of an undergraduate dorm at Stanford University. As the name suggests, the dorm houses freshman (first year) and sophomore (second year) students. Here are some representative photos that depict our community at FroSoCo.

Every year, we go to San Francisco, a big city about half an hour away from campus, to participate in a scavenger hunt. Our mission is to take the most funny photos of ourselves in the city. Here are a few FroSoCo residents dressing up in a costume shop. One of the authors, Tri Hung, is wearing a black hat in the picture.

FroSoCo celebrates birthdays with much fanfare. At midnight, everyone bursts into the victim's room and sings "Happy Birthday." Then, they throw the lucky kid into the shower! Here, Josh, the co-author, is recovering from his birthday surprise.

American football is extremely popular in the United States, and Stanford has a very good team. Here are FroSoCo residents dressed up and ready for the first football game of the season. Stanford's official color is Cardinal (red), and we are known as the Stanford Cardinal.

There's no snow at Stanford, but every year the dorm makes a four-hour trip to Lake Tahoe to go skiing and snowboarding. Besides the annual Snow Trip, we also travel as a dorm community to different places off-campus, such as the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland, Oregon.

Here, again, are FroSoCo football fans going to a game. This time we actually won the match, to the delight of all these half-naked young men.

After an entire year of fun and occasional work, the entire dorm gathered at this dinner to celebrate before summer vacation started. Although some of these residents will move away from FroSoCo, many will come back to continue the FroSoCo community next year, along with new freshmen faces that will join us in September.

Now that you've seen a little bit of our community, we can't wait to read about yours and meet you at the video-conference.

See you soon!
Josh Chan and Tri Hung Nguyen

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

The Jewish community is one of the strongest communities I am a part of. It does not matter whether I walk into a synagogue in Prague or Shanghai or Moscow, I will be able to follow the service and feel connected to a community of people who share my faith. The pictures we are sharing are of ceremonies and celebrations that are recognizable to anyone who is Jewish. Being part of the Jewish community means always having a home, no matter where I may be. In the picture below, I am at a United Synagogue Youth convention with two friends. For me, being part of the Jewish community means upholding ancient traditions that have been passed down through time. Here is a picture of my sister and I lighting the candles at Hanukkah, while reciting the Hebrew prayer that accompanies the ceremony. We, like most members of the Jewish community, perform this ceremony every year in order to remember our ancestors and uphold the traditions that are intrinsic to our culture. The religion is old and beautiful (and sometimes ugly) just like many other religions in that world. Being Jewish means more than being a practitioner of that religion. It means being part of a community of people who have shared the same experiences with you. All across the country children have the same kinds of experiences growing up in Jewish families, and this brings them together. Even more than that, just knowing you are the child of jews can create a community. The boundaries are not clearly defined, nor perhaps is what everyone feels they share. The photo below is of my family at my brother’s bar mitzvah. The exciting part of this photo is how all over the world people have photos like this – of them and their family at a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. While I am not the most religious person, nor do I believe or understand all that I am saying when I recite ancient Jewish prayers, I feel comfortable in the Jewish community because the traditions connect me to the other members of the community. I feel at home because I share certain aspects of my identity with the rest of the community. My Bar Mitzvah meant little to me at the time, but it always has and always will connect me to a large Jewish community based around beliefs, prayers, traditions, and most importantly food. Being a part of the American Jewish community can mean acting for positive social change and social justice with other Jewish and non-Jewish people. This is because a central Jewish value is that of “Tikkun Olam”, or repairing the world. The idea of “Tikkun Olam” moves Jews to work for justice on issues such as poverty, hunger, health, the environment, and human rights. This picture shows a friend and I outside of a garden that we built with local students at an elementary school in Caribbean Costa Rica, in order to enrich their learning experience. It was during a Jewish service-learning trip, in which we studied social and environmental issues in Costa Rica. This blog entry was created by Jacob Boehm, Katie Dektar, Zev Karlin-Neumann, Rachel Wolfson, and Lucy Litvak

Posted by Stanford: Environmental Rhetoric at 09:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (27)