SUA Founders 2014 Fall

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2014 – 2015

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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4The Art of Mapping: Twenty-Five Years ofPaintings by Spelman Evans DownerDate: 09.11.2014 - 01.02.2015Time: 9:00 am - 5:00 pmLocation: Founders Hall Art Gallery

Aliso Viejo Holiday Show "Voices ofPeace"Date: 12.06.2014Time: 7:00 pm - 8:30 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

CANTUS: “All is Calm”Date: 12.07.2014Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Na Leo Holiday ConcertDate: 12.12.2014Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

All-American Boys Chorus: “Sounds ofChristmas”Date: 12.14.2014Time: 4:00 pm - 6:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

J A N U A RY 2 0 1 5Emanuel Ax, Solo PianoDate: 01.09.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Community Cinema at Soka University –A Path AppearsDate: 01.15.2015Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pmLocation: Pauling 216

Mary Stallings, Jazz VocalistDate: 01.16.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Pacific Symphony featuring Chee-YunKim, ViolinDate: 01.18.2015Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Aliso Niguel High School Solo andEnsemble ConcertDate: 01.23.2015Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

St. Petersburg State Symphony OrchestraDate: 01.24.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Muriel Anderson and Stanley JordanDate: 01.31.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

F E B R U A RY 2 0 1 5Dale Kristien and Bill HuttonDate: 02.08.2015Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Orchestre de la Suisse RomandeDate: 02.12.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

2015 Soka Education ConferenceDate: 02.14.2015 - 02.15.2015Time: 9:30 am - 6:00 pmLocation: Pauling Hall 216

Kaulana Na PuaDate: 02.15.2015Time: 3:30 pm - 5:30 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

International Guitar NightDate: 02.20.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Ziba ShiraziDate: 02.21.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Dori CaymmiDate: 02.27.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

M A R C H 2 0 1 5Chamber Music|OCDate: 03.01.2015Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

CharoDate: 03.08.2015Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Aliso Niguel High School Spring Festivalof MusicDate: 03.13.2015Time: 7:00 pm - 9:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Academy of St Martin in the FieldsDate: 03.14.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Trio Con Brio CopenhagenDate: 03.21.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Conrad TaoDate: 03.27.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Pacific Symphony featuring MayukoKamio, ViolinDate: 03.29.2015Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

A P R I L 2 0 1 5Daniil Trifonov, Solo Piano Date: 04.12.2015Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

The Other 3 TenorsDate: 04.19.2015Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Fred Hersch, Solo PianoDate: 04.26.2015Time: 3:00 pm - 5:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

M AY 2 0 1 514th Annual International FestivalDate: 05.02.15Time: 10:30 am - 5 pmLocation: Soka University

Pablo Ziegler QuartetDate: 05.09.2015Time: 8:00 pm - 10:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts Center

Soka University’s 2015 CommencementCeremonyDate: 05.22.15Time: 2:00 pmLocation: Soka Performing Arts CenterBy invitation only


A Message from the President

Dear Friends and Supporters,

W elcome to SUA Founders, our special newsletter for our donors and friends, filled with updates on recentuniversity happenings and events. I hope that you enjoy browsing through these pages and see all that SokaUniversity of America (SUA) has to offer.

This past August, we welcomed our newest undergraduate Class of 2018 and the graduate Class of 2016 to Soka University ofAmerica (SUA). The undergraduate Class of 2018 is comprised of 101 students from 15 different countries, including Australia,Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Czech Republic, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Slovakia, Spain and Sri Lanka. From theUnited States, our students come from 21 different states. For the new Educational Leadership and Societal Change MAprogram, we welcomed 6 new graduate students from countries including India, Africa and the U.S. Since expanding our SokaOpportunity Scholarship (SOS) program, more students were able to enter SUA this year. We could not maintain our generousfinancial aid program without our wonderful donors, like you, who support the Soka Education Fund.

Also this fall, we received official news of SUA’s rankings in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges 2015 Rankings. I amvery pleased to share with you that we are again tied for 41st in the national liberal arts college rankings. We also ranked #1 infaculty resources and #1 in financial resources. SUA placed #5 in Ethnic Diversity among National Liberal Arts Colleges and#1 for Foreign Student Factor. Finally we came in at #5 for Best Value among the top National Liberal Arts Colleges. Althoughthese rankings are subjective, I am proud to see SUA’s competitive rankings for a liberal arts program that is only 13 years old.This is a reflection of all of the hard work and effort being put in by our students, faculty and staff and I share this informationwith deep appreciation for their efforts. At the same time, your contributions have enabled us to achieve the #1 ranking in financialresources and #5 in best value.

I am pleased to share that we held the inaugural Dialogue on Culture of Peace and Non-Violence together with leading figuresin the field of peace on October 2nd at SUA. October 2nd also marks the United Nations’ International Day of Peace and thebirthday of Mahatma Gandhi. It is also on this day that the university founder, Mr. Daisaku Ikeda, took his first trip outsideof Japan to the United States where he began to make efforts to spread peace throughout the world. On this day, we werehonored to welcome back Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative ofthe United Nations, who chaired the event together with the support and leadership of SUA’s Dean of Faculty Ed Feasel. Thedialogue participants included distinguished leaders working for peace in their respective fields including education, science,law, medicine, social media and more. With this in mind, I look forward to continuing to advance our academic excellenceinto the future.

We also held the 10th annual Peace Gala on Saturday, October 12, where we welcomed 500 guests to our campus andraised proceeds for our student scholarships. This year, we welcomed Broadway star, Ivan Rutherford, for a powerful performanceincluding songs from Les Miserables and much more. I heard from many new Gala participants that despite their experienceattending other fundraising events, SUA has a special culture of care evident throughout the evening with the presence of manyvolunteers, performers and the powerful student experience.

We are truly fortunate to have such generous donors and supporters who believe in our university’s mission to foster futureleaders who will become contributive citizens around the world. Thanks to your support, we are able to carry on the dreamenvisioned over 80 years ago by the founder of Soka Education, Mr. Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, to provide students with anoutstanding education for the sake of humanity’s future. We will continue to do our best to offer the level of academic excellenceand access for all students regardless of need that will foster the future leaders for peace. I wish you and your families the very best.

Sincerely,

Daniel Y. Habuki, Ph.D.President


continued on page 8

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The tenth anniversary Peace Gala, Celebrating a Vision of Peace, was held on the SUA campuson Saturday, October 11, 2014. 500 guests

attended and helped raise $600,000 for the evening,bringing the total funds contributed toward scholarshipsfrom the Peace Gala over 10 years to $6.1 million.

Guests were welcomed to the Soka Performing ArtsCenter lobby where they were able to enjoy drinks andhors d’oeuvres with friends while shopping at the silentauction. A line of SUA students thanked the attendeesas they transitioned to the second portion of the evening.The Josho Daiko Club, SUA’s Taiko drummers,entertained guests before they entered the RecreationCenter that had been transformed into a sophisticatednight club. The Soka Singers kicked off the programwith two songs, “We Shall Be Free” and “Freedom.”SUA sophomore Prakash Bista then took the stage toshare the incredible story of his journey from a remotevillage in Nepal to the SUA campus. (Read his story onpages 6-7.)

the tenth anniversary


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peace gala


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Good evening, my name is PrakashBista and I am a sophomore hereat SUA. I was born into a very

poor family from a small remote village ofLalu in the foothills of the Himalayas inNepal, elevation 6,500 feet. As a child,going to school was not an option becausethe nearest school was a distance away andI was expected to stay home and help myfamily. My day would start out climbingup the hill for thirty minutes to fetch water,then going into the jungle to collect firewood to bring back for cooking and heat,and then cutting grass for our buffalo onthe land near our house. Electricity, citybuses and cars on paved roads were thingsI had never heard of. Despite this, I had ahappy childhood, very much a boy havingfun and getting into trouble pulling allkinds of pranks. I remember, one incidentwhen my dad caught me smoking with mychild-hood friends and put cow dung inmy mouth. I have never forgotten thatlesson or the taste.

I don’t recommend you try it.

Speaking of my father, when I was 8, I wasable to travel with him and some neighborsto buy household items, in the nearesttown, a 100 mile, four day journey, eachway by foot. I was mesmerized being in acity with real streets, vehicles and electricity.But what really captured my attention wasseeing school children my own age, dressedin uniforms, carrying book bags, thenbeing picked up by a school bus. I stood

there in shock and was almost left behindby my father who came back to find me. Inthat moment my life shifted because Irealized I wanted to be one of thosestudents, and told my father that I wantedto go to a school. This realization mighthave been accidental or an unconsciousdesire that I had never realized before. Myfather who was in construction havingfailed 10th grade four times and mymother who was illiterate, discussed for amonth and finally enrolled me in a boardingschool in my district 20 miles away.

Going to school changed me on manylevels. I learned about morals, and havinga passion for learning so I could become acontributive person in society. On top ofthat, my thirst for learning was stimulatedand for the next five years I was the topstudent in my school. That being said, Ihave to talk about the backdrop of thepolitical situation in my region of Nepalwhile in school. When I was in the seventhgrade, the Maoist communist guerrillainsurgency was in full force. The school Iwas attending shut down when somecommunist guerrilla threatened to bomb itdown and planted a huge bomb nearby. So,I returned home, when I got there, myhome was already destroyed by thegovernment forces; the communist guerrillamade our property their office “without ourconsent.” Because there were so few optionsfor youth from the villages, many of myfriends joined the communist army.

I will never forget when two people werekilled right in front of me. Also my uncleand my cousin, high ranking communistcommanders, were also killed in the war. Imanaged to have dialogue with some of theMaoist guerrillas, telling them stories inNapali while they shared ChineseCommunist books of war in English.

I did not want war!

I never believed killing people would bringpeace and make the society better. So thereat my shut down school, I told my father Iwanted to study further. Because of mygrades, the principal of my school was ableto help me get a full scholarship to a highschool in the capital of Kathmandu, 500miles away. There, I was safe. I was amongthe students from all over Nepal. Duringmy five years of studies, I went home onlyonce. But, the good thing was I was able tocontinue my education until the tenthgrade, receiving full tuition scholarship, forbeing top in my class each year. In mytenth grade, I even received an award fromChowdhury Group, the largest businessconglomerate in Nepal for being the topperformer in academics andextra-curricular activities among studentsin Nepal. My father was so excited for mewhen I told him that I wanted to furthermy education in America after my seniorhigh school. My joy however was shortlived as my dad’s spine was crushed by afalling boulder. Then my dad becameparalyzed and passed away in 3 months.Around the same time my mother wasdiagnosed with Rheumatic Heart Diseasewhich was at the incurable stage. She tookher last breath with her head on myshoulder. Having lost both of my parentsin such a short time, my heart felt broken.Coupled with having missed 9 months ofschool already I decided to return to myvillage permanently.

Prakash BistaClass of 2017


s u a f o u n d e r s | F a l l 2 0 1 4 s u a f o u n d e r s | S u m m e r 2 0 1 4 7

With these heartaches, I realized that noneof us knows when we will die! I felt that Ihad to make a difference right then, so inmemory of my parents’ hopes for me, at 19,on the site of bombed out house, Iestablished a service-oriented primary school.It truly took a village to create a school,because with their help we cut bamboo forwalls and carried the fallen stones from myhouse and built the foundations. We createdit and named it Modern Model ResidentialSchool.

Over time, with a $30,000.00 loan andgoing door to door to promote it, my wholevillage helped to not only raise those funds,but also helped build the first concretebuilding with electricity, computers and TVusing modern solar power which helicoptershad to fly in from the nearest town. Itbecame a model school in three years andhelped my village leap into the 21st century.

Then with stronger conviction, I decided toreturn to Kathmandu to pursue highereducation. After a few months, USEF-Nepalopportunity program funded by the USenabled me to apply to American universities.While surfing the internet, I found manyopportunities for an education, but when Idiscovered the Soka University website, itwas immediately obvious that SOKA wasthe only place that would provide me withthe tools to change the world. I immediatelyapplied and to my great happiness, I wasaccepted. Because of the liberal scholarshipavailable, I became a proud member of theclass of 2017.

Coming here was an explosion of newexperiences visually, technologically, sociallyand most important to me educationally.The professors were welcoming andavailable; I could even drop by their officesto chat. The classroom size was not onlysmall and intimate but was an actual forumopen to individual thoughts, ideas and

opinions. Here I could not only excel ineducation but also develop and hone skillsto think and act globally and to bring changeback to my homeland. Besides regular classes,I was able to take four weeks of LearningCluster with Ambassador Choudhury,former undersecretary general of the UN.Through Soka Changemakers, I was able toexpand my leadership skills, meetingstudents from top universities, attendingamazing conferences, even winning a globalsocial entrepreneurship competition with acash prize and even another scholarship fora leadership and social innovation programthis past summer. I am so appreciative of allof these opportunities, and that was just myfirst year at Soka.

When I returned to Nepal this summer, myvillage greeted me happily and with muchexcitement. Everyone wanted to hear aboutmy experiences at Soka University and inAmerica. I had so much to share about mylife here. I had returned to Nepal for twomonths with two very specific goals toaccomplish. Firstly, I had received a PacificBasin Research Center summer grant at Sokato do an educational research in my districtof Kalikot, which is made up of 30 villages.Despite heavy monsoons, I and twovolunteers from the capital city reached outto 15 public high schools in different villages,and tested basic literacy skills in English andmathematics among the students of the fifth,eighth and tenth grade. We hope theresearch will be a useful tool for thegovernment to plan and implementeducational policies.

Secondly, I focused on finalizing locationsfor two more schools we are building nextyear. The short term goal of Modern ModelResidential School team is to build tensustainable model schools in our district inthe next four years. Let me explain to youwhy these schools are so important in

bringing a revolution in education todeveloping countries like Nepal. I would liketo go into just a little detail.

Our schools are non-governmental, privateand service oriented schools. At our schools,parents who have jobs or secured means ofincome pay as little as $100 a year for theirchildren’s tuition which includes books,uniforms, and a meal a day. Parents who donot have a means of income volunteer 30days a year at our school, buildinginfrastructure and working school operatedbusiness ventures like goat farming or thecopy and stationery center. Finally, orphansand those who come from critical familybackgrounds get all expenses paid by theschool. We partner with organizations,individuals and impact investors to buildand expand this great network of educationto create a social impact changing the livesof thousands of youth and their families inneed of support.

Let me end my experience today with aquotation by the founder of SUA DaisakuIkeda, which has been a powerful motivationfor me to be passionate and bold in my workfor creating these schools:

The proud mission of those who have been ableto receive education must be to serve, in seenand unseen ways, the lives of those who havenot had this opportunity.

This is why I build schools. I have had toovercome major obstacles to receive atremen-dous education. In gratitude, I wantto foster new generations of students withthe same opportunities that were firstlyprovided to me by my parents and secondlyyou, the donors of SUA, who have made itpossible for me to stand here today.

Upasthit sabailai hridaye dekhinai dhanyabad.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

You have my commitment to make the world a better place.

the tenth anniversary peace gala


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SUA Director of Philanthropy Linda Kennedyserved as the Mistress of Ceremonies and led gueststhrough the evening. President Danny Habukishared news of the latest U.S. News & World ReportBest College Rankings 2015 with the crowd andthanked more than 200 volunteers composed ofstudents, staff, and community members who hadmade the evening possible. Auctioneer DawnMarieKotsnois returned for the ninth time and helped raisemore than $45,000 during the live auction andanother $154,900 with the fund-a-need campaign.

Broadway star Ivan Rutherford, who has performedthe role of Jean Valjean in Les Miserables more than2,000 times, dazzled the audience with a renditionof Broadway tunes. Finally, local artist DerekBordeaux ended the evening performing his versionof many Motown hits to the delight of the studentsand guests on the dance floor.

Thank you to everyone who attended

and helped make the tenth anniversary

of the Peace Gala a huge success.

Mark your calendar now for the

Eleventh annual Peace Gala,

Celebrating a Vision of Peace,

Saturday, October 10, 2015.

continued from page 4

more from the peace gala


s u a f o u n d e r s | F a l l 2 0 1 4 9

Study AbroadScott Bower chose to spend his study abroad semester inLima, Peru, with hopes to improve his Spanish while meetingnew people and to learn more about Peru’s vibrant culture.Although he encountered many challenges like a chaotictransit system, a long commute to school, and humid weather,he felt truly privileged to live in such a beautiful andinteresting place.

The university Scott attended was huge in comparison toSUA and contributed to his experience being different fromwhat he had anticipated. The campus was more like a smalltown, and he was one of approximately 60 students in eachclass. Furthermore, the classes were lecture based with noroom for individual interaction. At first he struggled becausein two of the classes he was the only international student.Although proficient in Spanish, he found the professorsspoke very fast, and often he was not able to understand them.This was complicated by the fact that the professors did nothave office hours; in fact, during the first week of class hehad to wait in line for three hours just to get his homeworkassignments. At this point Scott began to realize one of thetrue benefits of SUA is the small class sizes and studentprofessor ratio of 8:1.

Scott states that his most meaningful experience in Peruoccurred when he was a volunteer at a girl’s shelter in theprovince of Cusco. There were 25 girls between the ages offour and fifteen. His work consisted of teaching English andbuilding dignity workshops. And he had fun bonding with the girls while playing volleyball. Scott presented theshelter with a new volleyball net in appreciation for theunforgettable experiences he had with the girls.

Scott summed up his experience by saying, “I believe thatstudy abroad for SUA students is the preliminary test todiscover how Soka education manifests in society throughour actions. Our unique experiences challenge perceptionsof ‘the other,’ peel back the layers that imbricate our stratifiedworld, and garner newfound friendships and/or contacts thatwill aid us in the future.”

SCOTT BOWERCLASS OF 2015

LIMA, PERU


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Please provide a brief backgroundabout yourself.Growing up in western Canada, I actually did notleave my island very much. Early in my education Ideveloped an interest in Southeast Asia when I cameacross a Southeast Asian studies course. It was a uniquecourse compared to the general educational studies Iwas undergoing. I found the course to be veryinteresting, and I was intrigued to further my studiesin the subject. In particular, I found Indonesia to beespecially interesting because it is the largest Muslimcountry in the world with a liberal democracy system,yet it still lacks much attention from other countries.After completing my undergraduate studies, I movedto Bangkok for an internship at Forum-Asia, aThailand-based human rights NGO. During myinternship, I worked on a project related to Indonesia.Living between Bangkok and Sumatra for a year and ahalf was a very different experience that opened my eyes.

From which institutions do you holddegrees?I began my studies at a community college because Idid not have the money to attend university. Workingmy way up with good grades and scholarship, Itransferred and completed coursework in 2003 with adouble bachelor’s degree in Southeast Asian historyand comparative politics from the University ofVictoria. Afterwards, I worked for President Carter atThe Carter Center and and later the European Unionas an election observer. After this time in the field, Iwent back to pursue my master's degree at theUniversity of British Colombia and continued on tocomplete my Ph.D. I was hired as I completed by Ph.D.,and have been fortunate to work at Soka since 2011.

What attracted you to SUA?Adventure! Having lived in Thailand and Indonesiafor several years, but never in the US, I thought Sokawould provide a wonderful adventure for me.Particular curriculum interests included things likestudy abroad, learning clusters, the opportunity towork closely with and to mentor students, and theopportunity to take students to conferences. I thoughtit was exciting that Soka has one foot off campus. Ialso found learning clusters to be unique. Professorspick topics that they themselves may not be specializedin and learn together with the students. Professors herecontinue learning together with the students.

What distinguishes Soka students inyour opinion?Students at Soka learn the ability to socialize, listen,articulate, and provide constructive criticism at a veryhigh level. The small class size forces students to speakup and encourages even those who are shy to find theirvoice. For every upper division course that I teach, I takeSoka students to a conference. Seeing them interactalongside Graduate students is very encouraging.Watching students interact outside Soka is veryrewarding as a professor because I have the opportunityto see that students will leave Soka having learned a veryvaluable skill: how to interact with people.

What inspires you?When I know that a student is struggling with aconcept and then, through discussion with peers andwith their instructor, finally understands, it is mostinspiring and rewarding for a professor.

Do you have other reflections about yourexperience as a faculty member at SUA?My most memorable experience as a professor was thelearning cluster entitled “Mass Transit in ComparativeContext” that I taught in January 2013. This coursetook us from Vancouver, down the west coast, andback to Soka, exploring how transit affects society, theeconomy, and the environment. We learned andexamined much about the transit system in California,but students also obtained many life skills throughoutthe course. Students built friendships with one anotheras they worked together towards a project, and thatwas a wonderful experience.

As the Associate Director of the Pacific Basin ResearchCenter (PBRC), I have been given many opportunitiesto travel and spread the word about Soka. I supportand organize on-campus events, bringing speakers tothe campus community and award students andfaculty summer research grants. Working closely withBill Ascher, the director of PBRC, I have joined aneditorial team to support book publications. Professorsat Soka have an important mission to spread the wordabout Soka to the academic community. Because ofour donors at Soka, we are able to make magic possible.Students are fortunate to have many opportunities tolearn both in and out of the classroom by observingtheories in action.


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Shane Barter, Ph.D.Assistant Professor of Comparative PoliticsAssociate Director of the Pacific Basin Research Center


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Undergraduate Alumni Highlight

EUN YI CHUNGCLASS OF 2005

Despite having already graduated from auniversity in South Korea with abachelor’s degree in mathematics, Eun

Yi Chung was intrigued by SUA’s missionstatement and the emphasis placed on globalcitizenship. She thought SUA offered a greatopportunity to challenge herself in a completelynew environment while helping her to discoverher future path in life. Eun Yi states, “It wasthrough my relationships with fellow SUAstudents and the amazing support we receivedfrom the faculty and staff that I was able to findvalue in my challenges. I feel that I grew so muchas an individual during my four years at SUA,my challenges were ultimately a springboard thatpushed me forward towards my dreams.”

Eun Yi went on to earn a MS in statistics and aPhD in economics from Stanford University.Currently she is an assistant professor ofeconomics at the University of Illinois,Urbana-Champaign. Her main responsibilitiesare to conduct research, teach courses ineconometrics, and serve as a committee memberfor doctoral students. In addition she supportsthe administration by helping on the facultysearch committee. She lives with her husband inUrbana, Illinois.

One of Eun Yi’s fondest memories at SUA wasthe midnight snacks provided by the founderduring finals week. She will never forget hissincere care for each of the students at SUA.



Graduate School Alumni Highlight

KYOKO AKITAYA HINCAPIECLASS OF 1994

Kyoko Akitaya Hincapie was studying for her master’s degree in linguistics at the University of Londonwhen Soka University of America announced the opening of the graduate program in applied linguisticson the Calabasas campus. She jumped at the chance to continue her studies and to help shape the brandnew Soka University of America. She was proudly accepted into the first class in 1994.

When asked to describe the top things she learned while at Soka that will influence her for the rest ofher life, Kyoko replied, “I learned from my professors’ humanistic behaviors that teachers should servetheir students and give their all for the students’ learning and success.” She also referred to the strongrelationships forged with her professors and classmates. One of her fondest memories is the night beforethe submission deadline for her thesis when all of the professors stayed on campus to provide supportuntil all the students had completed their projects.

After graduating from SUA, believing that psychology and counseling skills are helpful in the field ofeducation, she studied counseling psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, earning anothermaster’s degree in 2003. After working as an English teacher and a college counselor, among other things,she has returned to teaching Japanese. Today she teaches part-time at The New School in NYC andWilliam Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey.

Kyoko resides in Closter, New Jersey, with her husband, Juan, and their three children, Yuichi (9),Nobuko (7), and Yoko (4). She stays connected with her SUA classmates through Facebook.


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On October 29, 2014, the Soka Changemakers program atSUA presented Outrageous Acts of Peace: The role ordinarypeople must play in transforming violence to peace. Leymah

Gbowee, winner of the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize shared her journeyfrom aspiring student to feisty world leader in front of a sold-outaudience at the Soka Performing Arts Center.

As featured in the award winning documentary, Pray the Devil Backto Hell, Gbowee’s non-violent movement of Christian and Muslimwomen culminated in the exile of unscrupulous leader Charles Taylor,and the election of the first female head of state in Africa sinceCleopatra. It began on a dusty football field near the fish market inMonrovia, Liberia, where she sat every day, dressed in white, withthousands of women – mothers and grandmothers – praying, singingand fasting. They protested so they could have peace after 14 years ofbrutal civil war that had killed their men, turned their girls into childprostitutes and little boys into ruthless soldiers.

Leymah Gbowee

Outrageous Acts of Peace: The role ordinary people must playin transforming violence to peaceLeymah Gbowee

2011 NOBEL PEACE LAUREATE

The role ordinary people must play in transfo rm

Outrageous Acts of Peace

with Karima Bennoune



Changemakers attend Net Impact ConferenceThe Net Impact Conference is a leading forum forstudents and professionals who want to tackle the world’stoughest social and environmental problems. This year,the theme was breaking boundaries – leaving limitsbehind, forging unexpected alliances, and exploringcreative solutions to transform the world. Five SUAstudents in the Soka Changemakers program won grantsto attend the conference that took place in Minneapolis,Minnesota, November 6th, 7th and 8th.

"[It] gave me a taste of what the real world feels like,”said sophomore Kenichi Morita. “It helped me seepossibilities in the world where I didn't see them before.”

One of the most important parts of the conference wasallowing students to network with young professionalswho are creating meaningful careers. It was an amazingopportunity to hear about current projects andbusinesses that have goals to positively impact society.

“I have learned about social entrepreneurship before,” saidjunior An Pho. “Although I understand how meaningfulit can be, I never honestly thought that I would be ableto launch my own start-up social enterprise. However,through workshops and discussions [I learned] there aremany opportunities for anyone who has a dream andpassion…the idea of being a social entrepreneur is, infact, totally feasible!”

“It helped me see possibilities in theworld where I didn’t see them before.”

Kenichi Morita, Class of 2017

fo rming violence to peace.

Soka Changemakers’ community events are produced to create meaningfulopportunities for students and community members to engage with innovative leaders, change agents, social enterprises, and other purpose-driven organizations.

“When you are faced with such a situation,” Gbowee said, “you askyourself: Do we sit or do we fight? If we don’t fight, we will die. Ifwe fight, we might die. We wanted to leave our children with thenarrative that we died fighting for their freedom.”

Gbowee took the stage with international law professor KarimaBennoune, author of Your Fatwa Does Not Apply Here: UntoldStories from the Fight Against Muslim Fundamentalism, andmoderator Ross Frenett, from the Against Violent ExtremismNetwork.

Onstage, Gbowee and Bennoune engaged in a spirited conversationabout war, peace, terrorism, Ebola, women’s rights, and therelationship between forgiveness and accountability, to a packedaudience that included over 300 local high school students.


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The United Nations’ International Day of Non-Violenceis a global observance held annually on October 2 tocoincide with Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. This year,

SUA participated by hosting a dialogue on building a Culture ofPeace and Non-Violence with 15 international peace activists.Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury convened the dialogue oncampus in the Athenaeum. After a welcome greeting fromPresident Danny Habuki, participants introduced themselves,shared what brought them to their peace work, and discussedhow to encourage the growth of the Culture of Peace in oursociety. The day ended with a wrap-up session during which Sokastudents were part of a question and answer exchange with thedialogue participants.

A common thread in the discussion throughout the day was theexperience of heart break. The participants agreed peace work isabout opening the heart to a larger group of people than is usualin our daily lives. Sandra de Castro Buffington, FoundingDirector of Global Media Center for Social Impact at UCLA,believes this opening of the heart to new people happens best

“Attention is the rarest andpurest form of generosity”

Simone Weil

A Culture of Peace andNon-Violence Dialogue



with storytelling. Her center brings togetherscript writers from around the world whohave transformative stories to tell.

Cassandra Vieten, President of the Instituteof Noetic Sciences and a scientist at theMind-Body Medicine Research Group inSan Francisco, agrees that storytelling is apowerful tool in changing people’s hearts.

Philip M. Hellmich, Director of Peace at theShift Network, shared how his Peace Corpsworks with villagers in Sierra Leone brokehis heart when he saw their suffering after a civil war. His mission is to help peopletransform their inner experiences tointernational action.

Kevin Clements, Chair of Peace andConflict Studies and Director of the NewZealand National Centre for Peace andConflict Studies at the University of Otagoin New Zealand, contributed the favoritequotation of the day: “Attention is the rarestand purest form of generosity” (SimoneWeil). His work focuses on building politicsof compassion. He reminded us that we arehardwired not just for fear, but also forbonding.

Azim Noordin Khamisa used the raw painhe felt following his son’s murder to commithimself to ending the cycle of violenceamong youth. He and the grandfather of hisson’s murderer created the Tariq KhamisaFoundation to reach out to young people.He encapsulated the theme of the day witha quotation from the Persian mystic Rumi:

“God will break your heart over and over andover, until it stays open.”

Michael Nagler, Professor emeritus andfounder of the Metta Center forNon-violence, uses his voice to contribute toa new story that is grounded in nonviolence.He reiterated a theme of the day: Don’t usewill power to do the right thing, shift yourworld view and consciousness so youCAN’T avoid doing the right thing.

Luis Nieves, a Soka benefactor, provided aninspirational and concrete example ofbuilding a business with the Culture ofPeace. He has made respect the cornerstoneof his business by creating an atmosphere inwhich all employees respect not only theirclients but their co-workers and themselves.

Tetsushi Ogata, from the first graduatingclass of Soka University, came to thedialogue as a lecturer in Peace and ConflictStudies at UC Berkeley. He is involved ingenocide prevention, especially integratingtheory and action. He is glad that a positiveindex for peace has been developed sincetraditionally only negative peace (theabsence of war) has been studied.

Bettina Hausmann experienced the historyof non-violent change when the peace workshe and her parents engaged in helped bringdown the Berlin wall in 1989. She knowsfirsthand that when we pull together we canmake foundational change. In her positionas the Director of the San Diego Museumof Art, she is involved in bringing peacestudies into school curriculum and the arts.

B. Jeannie Lum, editor of the Journal ofPeace Education and professor at Universityof Hawaii, asked how we can go from being

embedded in a culture of war to a culture ofpeace. She has discovered we can do it withour actions. Everything we do creates ourreality. She has found that experientiallearning has the best results for her students.

Borislava Manojlovic has been a conflictresolution practitioner with the UnitedNations in her native Croatia and Kosovo.She sees collaborative learning as thesolution since it encourages us to really seethe OTHER.

Mikiko Otani is an international humanrights lawyer in Tokyo, She does outreachwith lawyers, judges, university students,and the general public. She discussed howthe Human Rights of the Child UNDeclaration was resisted and then enactedin Japan.

Gail Thomas, Professor of Sociology at Soka,started her peace work when she marchedfor civil rights in the south in the 1960s. Shebrought up the issue of low income studentsnot getting the enriched peace cultureeducation in their schools. She suggestedcreating small schools within large schoolsthrough dialogue.

Edward Feasel, Dean of Faculty and Professorof economics at Soka, discussed how Sokawas developed to be a model of melding Eastand West in a university to create globalcitizens. He mentioned the university’s pride in having the largest percentage ofinternational students in the US.


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“As we launch the new MA program, I wish todedicate these words to you: Harness the power ofeducation and use it to create hope and value forhumankind.” With this message of encouragementfrom Daisaku Ikeda, the founder of SUA, six studentsin the university’s new Master of Arts in EducationalLeadership and Societal Change embarked August 4,2014, on an exciting two-year program of studies,beginning with an inaugural seminar concerning theoverarching themes of the program led byDistinguished Visiting Professor Fenwick English andR. Wendell Eaves, Sr., Professor of EducationalLeadership at the University of North Carolina,Chapel Hill. After a full day of orientation on Friday,August 1, students participated on Saturday in the20th reunion of the graduate school, during whichthe director of the new MA program, Professor JayHeffron, remarked: “To those who have gone beforeus, thank you for laying the foundation for our owngreat future development. We definitely took a pagefrom your playbook when we developed the new MAProgram, adopting as our own the global sweep of itsinterests, the rigor of its research pursuits, and theunderlying humanism of its mission and intent – inour case, the development of educational leaders whocan help bring about positive societal changewherever they are.”

At a dinner reception for the new class, Jay Heffronread a message of congratulations from theUniversity’s founder, which read in part: “I ask thatyou, as pioneers of education for global citizenry whowill go on to create hope-filled value for the future ofmankind, spend the next two years engaged inmeaningful scholarship. Please know that mythoughts are always with you as I follow your progress,earnestly praying that each of you will become keyagents of change in a renaissance in education.”

Prince Heto, a student from Ghana, remarked: “As achild, I made a vow to show the youth of Africa thatunder our circumstances we can build the kind ofsociety we want and live the kind of lives we want,irrespective of all the constraints in our lives…I willdo my utmost best to understand the transformativepower of education, so that together with my cohortsI can harness this power to create hope for eachperson, to redirect society toward peace and theharmonious coexistence of all humanity.” Anotherstudent, Alankrita Chhikara from India, remarked: “Iam committed to spending the next 2 years, as thefounder said, in ‘rigorous scholarship,’ excelling in mystudies and spreading the values of Soka educationtaught to us by Tsunesaburo Makiguchi, Josei Toda,and Daisaku Ikeda.”

Applications are now being accepted for admission to the second cohort of MA students, the Class of 2017. For more information about the MA program visit: www.soka.edu/academics/academics-overview-ma-program

Graduate School



On September 2, 1994, the Soka University ofAmerica Graduate School welcomed to the originalSUA campus in Calabasas, California, the first

students in the master’s degree program in second and foreignlanguage education. Twenty years later, on August 2, 2014,twenty graduate school alumni gathered on the SUA campusin Aliso Viejo to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their almamater. Alumni traveled from as far away as Canada, Japan,Russia, and Taiwan to attend the celebration, many of thembringing their families.

In August of 2014, the SUA Graduate School (now on theAliso Viejo campus) opened to welcome the first class ofstudents enrolled in the new master’s degree in educationalleadership and societal change program. The students in thisprogram were included in the celebration and were warmlygreeted by the graduates who came before them.

Daniel Sasaki (Class of 2005) oversaw the one-day programas Master of Ceremonies. He led the participants throughclass roll calls, a photo slide show, and the singing of “TheLight of Hope.” At the luncheon, Dr. Tomoko Takahashi, thefounding and current Dean of the Graduate School, sharedthe history of the graduate school and congratulated all theattendees for being part of the graduate school’s history. Shenoted: “The new Master of Arts in Educational Leadershipand Societal Change signifies the beginning of a new chapterof SUA history.”

The day concluded with a mini lecture series by alumni andprofessors. Graduate School Visiting Professor Dr. FenwickEnglish spoke about educational leadership; Daniel Sasakispoke about Soka education; and Jonathan Epstein, a formergraduate school professor, talked about classroommethodology.

The reunion was a joyful gathering of old friends and newfriends, during which alumni renewed their determinationand purpose as SUA graduates.

“As we launch the new MAprogram, I wish to dedicatethese words to you: Harness thepower of education and use it to create hope and value forhumankind.” – Daisaku Ikeda

Fenwick English, asked to share his impressions of thenew program, responded: “There are about 550institutions in the U.S. that provide training in schooladministration, but Soka will be unique because of itsemphasis on Tsunesaburo Makiguichi’s inclusion of theconcepts of beauty and goodness as part of the purposeof education. With those elements, leadership has tobecome more than simply management technique. It iswhat connects Soka education to the well-being of thelarger human society across the globe. Educationalleaders committed to that goal will be true internationalbeacons of hope.”

During the first week of classes, students were able toattend the annual meeting of the National Council ofProfessors of Educational Administration (NCPEA)held on the California State University Channel Islandscampus. Accompanied by Professor English (formerpresident of the NCPEA and the recipient in 2013 ofits Living Legend Award), students were given theopportunity not only to learn firsthand of the latestdevelopments in the field, but to meet leading scholarsand researchers from around the United States.Professors English and Heffron conducted a panel at theconference entitled “East Meets West: Soka Universityof America’s New MA Program in EducationalLeadership and Societal Change.”

SUA Graduate School’s20th Anniversary Celebration


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Ways to Give

As we approach the end of 2014 we are reminded of all the generous benefactors whose gifts have helped build a truly uniqueeducational institution – a university that graduates young men and women who go out into the world, serving others locally andglobally, dedicated to the cause of peace. Many of our donors desire to leave a lasting legacy to ensure that Soka University ofAmerica flourishes for centuries to come. To honor those who include Soka University of America in their estate plans, the universityestablished the Legacy Society.

Too often estate gifts are unrecognized because they come at the end of the donors’ lives. The Legacy Society provides a way torecognize and thank donors during their lifetimes. You may always choose to remain anonymous in your philanthropic supportof SUA. However, participation in the Legacy Society can be an inspirational experience and may encourage others to look towardthe future and how they too can help ensure the vitality and viability of Soka for generations to come.

By including SUA in your estate plans, you may also enjoy tax advantages and do more than you ever dreamed possible. Throughcareful planning you can maximize the impact of your assets and ensure that these assets will be distributed according to yourwishes upon your death.

There are several ways you can include SUA in your estate plans, including:

Making a bequest through your will or revocable trust

Naming Soka as a beneficiary of and IRA or other retirement plan

Making Soka a remainder beneficiary of a charitable remainder trust

Establishing a charitable lead trust designating the charitable distribution to SUA

Making SUA the owner of a paid-in-full life insurance policy

To gain membership in to the SUA Legacy Society, simply notify the university about your gift intention of $5,000 or more. Butthe most fulfilling benefit of becoming a member of the Legacy Society is the satisfaction of knowing your legacy gift will impactthe future of Soka University of America and in doing so, the future of the world.

If you would like to join the SUA Legacy Society or would like additional information about making a gift to SUA through yourestate plans, please contact Linda Kennedy, Director of Philanthropy, at 949-480-4072 or [email protected].

A Gift for Tomorrow

342482_R2p20_ONLY_Layout 1 11/25/14 2:24 PM Page 20


2015 Soka Lions Athletic Schedule

DATE EVENT LOCATION

1/4 Soka vs. Lake Forest College Aliso Viejo, CA

1/16-1/18 Colorado College Classic Colorado Springs, CO

2/6 Soka vs. College of Idaho Aliso Viejo, CA

2/18-2/21 PCSC Championships La Mirada, CA

3/4-3/7 NAIA Championships Oklahoma City, OK

DATE EVENT LOCATION

1/23 Lion’s Intrasquad Meet Aliso Viejo, CA

1/31 Concordia Indoor Irvine, CA

2/7 Bronco Invitational Boise, ID

2/14 Soka LCQ Aliso Viejo, CA

3/5-3/7 NAIA Indoor NationalChampionships Geneva, OH

3/13 Oxy Distance Carnival Occidental College

3/21 Point Loma Invitational Point Loma Nazarene

3/27 Aztec Invitational San Diego State

4/3-4/4 California Collegiate Invitational UC San Diego

4/17 Bryan Clay Invitational Azusa Pacific University

4/24-4/25 Triton Invitational UC San Diego

5/9 Oxy Invitational Occidental College

5/21-5/23 NAIA National Championships Gulf Shores, AL

SWIMMING & DIVING

TRACK & FIELD

2014-2015 Men’s Soccer 9 wins! New Record!

2014-2015 Women’s Soccer7-9-0 New Record!

2014-2015 Cross Country SquadCal Pac Conference Championships:Mens: 6th place | Women’s: 4th place


22 w w w . s o k a . e d u

The TEDxOrangeCoast Annual Conference washeld on the SUA campus September 19 and 20, 2014.Approximately 1,500 guests attended the program based onthe theme of “Tipping Point,” featuring the popular18-minute talks. Additionally, guests were offered immersiveexperiences where they could interact with exhibitors,speakers and each other in casual social settings. Theconference speakers included a 13-year-old pianist (localprodigy Umi Garrett), a 15-year-old scientist, Olympicathletes, Hollywood actors and CEOs of innovativecompanies.

In the Soka Performing Arts Center, the concert hall lobbywas a bedrock of idea sharing and engaging conversationsamong speakers, guests and exhibitors. In the lobby someof the highlights included Tipping Point boards whereguests could write out the game-changing moments in theirlives, a 3D printer, and a large structure made from waterbottles. The event consisted of five sessions with a total of40 speakers and several performances over the course of twodays. SUA students, faculty and staff were able to participatein this idea inspiring event.

Soka Leaders AssemblyThe student government structure at SUA is known asSoka Leaders Assembly (SLA). The SLA consists of anExecutive Council (EC), the Class Senate, and the ClubSenate. The EC consists of a president (Scott Bower,2015), Vice President (Aishani Khurana, 2015), Secretary(Aimee Nagao, 2017), Treasurer (Wei San Loh, 2015) andAttorney General (Yuko Nakajima, 2015). Reporting tothe EC are the Class Senate representatives. Class Senateis divided into four government entities that correspondto the four classes (seniors, juniors, sophomores, andfreshmen) whose task it is to relay information, planevents, and gather suggestions from their respective classes.Club Senate consists of three members who areresponsible for overseeing all of the student clubs oncampus. Members of the SLA are elected annually.

In July, the Association for Leadership in EducationalFacilities awarded its highest institutional honor – the2014 Award for Excellence in FacilitiesManagement – to Soka University duringthe annual conference and 100th Anniversarycelebration in San Diego. The Award for Excellence isdesigned to recognize and advance excellence in thefield of educational facilities.

“Campuses that receive the Award for Excellence aretrue leaders in educational facilities management,” saidDavid Cain, Chair of the Awards and RecognitionCommittee. “These institutions demonstrate acommitment to providing a strong learningenvironment that supports its educational direction.”


23

Soka University’s 14th Annual

International Festival

May 2, 201510:30 a.m. - 5:0 0 p.m.

www.soka.edu/festival

SAVETHE DATE


Soka University of America

1 University Drive

Aliso Viejo, California 92656PublisherSoka University of America

PresidentDaniel Y. Habuki, Ph.D.

Executive EditorLinda Kennedy

EditorMegumi Tanaka (Class of 2011)

Graphic DesignCathy Cervantes

Cover PhotoMitsu Kimura

PhotographerMitsu Kimura

Have You Moved Recently?

We would like to keep you informed of the

wonderful news from SUA, so if you have a new

address, please let us know by going to our website

www.soka.edu/giving/u.s.-donor-address-u

pdate.aspx or send an email to Coleen

Scherf-Ghara at [email protected] or contact

her directly at (949) 480-4073. If you know

someone who has mentioned they no longer hear

from SUA, please make sure they contact us so we

can update their information.

FALL 2014 | WWW.SOKA.EDU

IN THIS ISSUE

2014 Peace Gala 4

Study Abroad 9

Professor Q&A 10

Soka Changemakers 14

A Culture of Peace 16

Soka Athletics 20

TEDxOrange Coast 22

Find Us on Facebook!www.facebook.com/Soka.University.of.Americawww.facebook.com/CelebratingAVisionofPeacewww.facebook.com/suayoungfounders (UG Alumni)

News BitesSUA thanks Edison International for providingSTEM Scholarship Grants for students inthe Environmental Studies concentration and asecond grant supporting Capstone Projects forseniors.

The new look of www.soka.eduwith its complete re-design!

Soka’s new rankings in US News &World Report’s “Best Colleges 2015”

#1 in Study Abroad

#1 in Faculty Resources

#5 in Diversity

Top 5 Best Value National Liberal Arts Colleges

Top 7 West Coast Liberal Arts Colleges

Also, Soka was ranked as Top 10 Best Colleges in California in USA Today


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SUA Founders 2014 Fall

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