Harumatsuri, an annual Japanese festival celebration for the arrival of spring, was held by Baylor’s Japanese Student Association Friday night on Fountain Mall and featured traditional games, crafts and food stalls, as well as traditional performances. The evening served as a reminder for attendees to embrace new cultures with curiosity to foster better cultural understanding among the Baylor and Waco communities.
Browsing: Japanese Student Association
Of the many clubs Baylor has to offer, Aikijujutsu Club is the only one of its kind. This modern Japanese, comprehensive martial art focuses on blending an opponent’s energy and redirecting it with fluid, graceful movements, turning conflict into harmony.
Cultural diversity brings a deeper understanding of the world — and with Baylor’s student body continuously growing in diversity, the opportunities to learn about cultures keep expanding. Baylor currently has over 40 academic/professional, religious, Greek and special interest multicultural groups that host events anyone can attend.
“I just hope that we’re able to bring an appreciation of Asian culture and openness to engage in conversation, especially difficult conversations, because those are so often needed,” Chung said.
Hong Kong sophomore Taylor Chung, secretary of ASA, said the importance of this event is to represent and share Asian heritage with the entire Baylor community. Chung said it’s important to allow students to understand and learn about this culture in a familiar environment.
As the death toll of tsunami victims in Japan approaches 11,000, Baylor students are raising donations and awareness across campus. The Japanese Student Association has set up donation stations in the Baylor Sciences Building, Hankamar School of Business, and residential and dining halls.
After the recent disasters in Japan, several of Baylor’s exchange students found themselves facing the challenges of truly comprehending what had happened in their homelands and trying to find ways to help from afar.
