Page 15 • Thursday, January 19, 2005
FEATURES
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The Pendulum
ELON
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Student shares unique life experiences
Martha-Page Ransdell
Copy Editor
Asami Sudani is the kind of person who’s
never met a stranger. She knows everyone
and everyone knows her.
Nearly everyone who passed her in the
lounge of the International Pavilion, a place
where International students mix with
American students at Elon, stopped to say
hi and see how she was doing. And she
returned their friendliness.
After several people walked by in a cho
rus of greetings, she looked sheepish and
offered an explanation: “I think it’s because
I’m the RA here.”
She is more than a resident adviser,
though. A senior at Elon University,
Sudani’s friendly personality has made her
one of the most well-known international
students on campus, and her sunny disposi
tion has made her a popular, well-liked per
son. She never stops smiling.
Ask her about the classes she’s taking this
semester and she’ll answer with a big smile.
Ask about her family back in Japan and
she’ll smile broadly the whole time she’s
talking. Ask her what it was like to move to
America by herself at the age of 16 and yes,
she’ll reply with a grin.
“I consider myself to be a very positive
thinker,” Sudani said. “I always think to
myself, what can I learn from this bad expe
rience? Is this even worth getting depressed
over?”
While many people may try to follow this
sentiment, Sudani lives her life by it. Her
cheerful outlook on life stems from a sub
ject important to her, and her smile grows
even bigger when she’s given the chance to
share her beliefs.
Religion plays a large role in Sudani’s
life, and although she’s thousands of miles
away from Japan, she has remained stead
fast in her beliefs.
Shinto and Zen Buddhism are two beliefs
that are more of a way of being than a form
of organized religion. However, the two are
interdependent and work together in
Sudani’s life to make her live in a more
compassionate manner, one with nature and
in harmony with reality.
Zen Buddhism is based on the belief that
humans create their own suffering with
things like desire, envy and the ego. To
truly live a happy, peaceful life, it is up to
each individual to make sacrifices.
“If you can get rid of all these things,
then you will be happy,” Sudani said. “You
are creating this suffering for yourself.”
Far away from the Buddhism temples she
grew up around in Japan, Sudani claims that
moving to Elon hasn’t affected her religious
beliefs. Despite living in a community full
of Catholic churches and conservative
Christians, Zen Buddhism is something that
followers can practice wherever they want,
she explained.
“Zen Buddhism is all about the individ
ual,” she said. “It’s all about yourself. I can
practice Zen in my dorm room, in class,
wherever.”
Because her religion is one that the aver
age Elon University student might not be
familiar with, Sudani enjoys her chances to
share her culture.
In celebration of United Nations day last
October, Sudani spoke to other students
during a Thursday chapel service. She
shared with the audience a piece of art that
her grandmother had given her. Holding up
the calligraphy piece that was bought at a
Zen temple in Kyoto, Sudani explained its
significance and value.
“This piece of art reminds me of two of
the most precious things in my life—my
grandmother and Zen Buddhism,” she said.
Sudani then gave an analogy that she
learned from her eastern philosophy class
with Professor John Sullivan.
“It’s like we are peanuts,” she said, as the
crowd laughed. “Our beauty, our perfect
being is inside of us. It’s the peanut. It is
covered by a thick skin of our egos, desires
and jealousy. To get to the peanut, you have
to get rid of the covering.”
This seemed to click with the audience,
and heads nodded in agreement. Life is
suffering, but the suffering comes from you,
she explained, stressing the importance of
letting go of everything.
“You already have everything you need to
Martha-Page Ransdell/ Photographer
Asami Sudani expresses her thoughts about Zen Buddhism and how much it means to her,
while an audience listens intently at a Thursday Chapel meeting.
live your life, so get rid of all that holds you
back,” she said.
Encouraging everyone to be happy with
what they already have, Sudani spoke on
the importance of living life in the present,
and not dwelling on the negative.
Telling students to appreciate the nature
around them, she offered a challenge to her
raptured audience.
“Everyone talks so much about Elon’s
beautiful campus, but do you enjoy it?
Enjoy the nature when you are walking
through campus, concentrate on the little
things you see. Don’t let your mind be so
preoccupied with other worries and
thoughts, but live in the present.”
This outlook helps her deal with the stress
and pressure she is under as a college sen
ior. Her religion does not dictate that she
can’t do certain things. Instead, it helps her
manage the demands of her life.
“Zen is like a therapy for me,” she said.
“I want to do so many things, I want to see
things and Zen never forces someone to do
anything.”
Her decision to attend both high school
and college in America is something that
has allowed her to experience things she
never would have been able to if she had
stayed in Japan. Moving to America was a
sort of culture shock for Sudani, but she
says she loves the opportunity to meet
American students and tell them about her
culture.
“I think Elon students need to be more
open minded to other cultures and not so
afr^d to come up and ask me about my cul
ture,” she said.
See Sudani p, 16