日本 Japan

Last week, our globe was struck by one of the worst naural disasters is all of history. One country, however, was found the main target for destruction. Japan was hit hard with a lethal 8.9 earthquake. The tsunami that soon followed wiped away much of the Sendai region. The result was deadly. As of right now, the official death toll is nearing 5,000 people, however, there are thousands more missing. The projected death toll is nearly 15,000.

As many in the office know, I was expected to move to Japan in early August for a study abroad term. After speaking with the Office of Study Abroad, no changes have been made to my travels just yet. The university I chose to attend in Japan is in the Nagoya area of Japan. Nagoya is just south of Tokyo, slightly further inland as well. Now the earthquake occured off the coast of Northern Japan, creating a tsunami that hit the northern coast the hardest. My university was not nearly as affected as other places in Japan.

Yesterday, I went to Japanese class for the first time since the earthquake. My professor walked in with a forced smile on her face. She calmly told us that she had just found out that the tsunami hit her hometown in Japan. She said that she had not heard from her family yet. Everyone in my class saw she was holding back her tears as she handed us a studyguide for our upcoming test and let us go. It's experiences like these that make me feel helpless to the world. I texted my friend Ayako, who is an exchange student from Japan, and she said that many of her friends lived in the Sendai area and had not heard from them either. The sad truth is that she may never hear from them again. Sendai was hit hard. All the footage you see on the news is footage of Sendai. I put myself in her shoes, being away in a foreign country as disaster hits my home and I can't help but feel unbearable regret and sadness. All I can do for her, my teacher and the rest of Japan is pray that God will take care of them.

The Japanese are a people of strict social order and incredible discipline. Even in times of disaster, they keep their composure; refraining from all theft and instead helping eachother. My teacher taught us a word that sums up the Japanese reaction to something like this. The word is がまん (or Gaman). Although there is no translation for the word in English, it means to persever; to help one another even when you yourself needs help. 日本人にがまんある.

If you live in Las Cruces or attend NMSU, please donate whatever you can to J.A.P.A.N. club in Corbett Center. They are giving all donations to the Red Cross for relief effort in Japan. Keep these people in your prayers and hope that tomorrow will bring more survivors.

-Chavo

Midterm Reports

Well, I hate to say it, but our semester is just about half way over! It feels like I just got back into my dorm yesterday from my winter break in the frigid northeast and overnight I somehow ended up in March. Two weeks from today, spring break will be here and then just a few more weeks after that, we will be getting ready for finals! I don't even want to think about me starting my junior year for college, I can't be THAT old already!

So you're probably wondering why I called this blog post "Midterm Reports". Now college isn't like high school where you get your mid-quarter progress reports and parent-teacher conferences. College is a new stage of maturity, so I suggest to all my fellow Aggies that you all sit down and look at where are you are acedmically. What classes need a little more time and what goals should you aim for? As well as academically, make sure you are getting the most out of your semester before it is too late! Take advantage of the opportunities the NMSU campus offers such as career services and the aggiefit classes at the Activity Center. Summer break is a great time to catch up with summer classes or to get an internship. So don't slack on the future goals. As much of a pain it is to plan out growing up, it's important to do before you miss out on some good opportunities.

Well it's Friday, and I think that's all the blogging my brain can handle for today. Have a good weekend!!

Carley

Don't Forget

It's rare that a busy college kid would take the time to sit back and look at themselves 20 years from now and think about how much they wish they were back in college. From my experience, I always look back to when I was 3, 5, 10, 15 and even 17 and wish I could do it all over again. Time is something we won't get back. My parents, grandparents and even great-grandparents often speak of the past times, how much they enjoyed them and how they wish they could go back. Maybe the past times were just as good as the present time, but they are a period of your life you can never get back which makes one yearn to relive it and enjoy it all over again, or maybe change the way they experienced it.

So to all who are reading this blog post, take a minute and savor the moment you are living in right now. What's good about it? What's not so good about it? And what can you learn from it? Appreciate the times you have and the manner at which you are living them, because they will never happen again. Keep up the studying! Spring break will be here before you know it!

Carley

The Stress of Tests!

So lately it seems like my professors are plotting against me and seeing how many exams they can stuff into just a few weeks. Environmental Engineering last week, Organic Chemistry and Biology this week, and Soil Science next week...thanks teachers. But when things get overwhelming (forgot to mention the 3 labs a week) you just got to take it day by day.

Looking at each class syllabus, I plan out all of my upcoming exams which gets overwhelming when I have times like these. But at the same time, I feel motivated to take on this challenge. If it takes staying in the library until it closes each night and then returning to my room to study until 2 am and then waking up at 6 the next morning to cram before the test, I will do that. I know that making that sacrifice is better than feeling the guilt and shame when you know you didn't put in your all (especially if you don't get a good grade). So yes, I know how important sleep is and I'm not suggesting to anyone that they go by my crazy schedule, but I'd much rather be sleep-deprived than not feel prepared for an exam.

So I have concluded that studying gets priority over sleeping. But it's not worth the head-bobbing in class and living off of coffee just to get through your day. So fellows Aggies, I suggest that you prioritize and practice good time management. Otherwise, you will end up like me-a regular at java city who spends too much time in the library. Take care and talk to ya'll soon!

Carley