The CIS class of 2009 includes three East Asian Studies majors.  These adventurous and well-traveled students have combined various disciplines in order to pursue their interests.   East Asian Studies is offered as a self-designed major where students may combine relevant courses, such as political science, anthropology, history, and Chinese language, literature, and culture under the guidance of two or three advisers.  This year’s senior East Asian Studies majors are advised by Dr. Joe Dennis (History), Dr. Fuji Lozada (Anthropology), Dr. Shelley Rigger (Political Science), Dr. Ping Shao (Chinese) and Dr. Brian Shaw (Political Science).  The students’ research trips to China and Japan have been supported by a variety of internal and external grants and fellowships.

Brian Aoyama '09 - Darien, CT
Brian first approached the Center because he felt that the CIS major offered a unique opportunity to examine human rights issues in China from an interdisciplinary perspective.  He designed a course of study that combines anthropology, political science, and Chinese. In order to develop his language skills to the point where he could conduct fieldwork in Mandarin, Brian attended two intensive language programs: Middlebury College’s Chinese Language school in the summer of 2007 and Hamilton College’s Associated Colleges in China (ACC) program in Beijing during the fall of 2007. Last year, he was selected as one of 20 American delegates to a series of conferences on US-China relations hosted by the Forum for American/Chinese Exchange at Stanford (FACES). The Chinese students he befriended during these weeklong conferences at Stanford University and Fudan University (in Shanghai) provided insights that ultimately led him to write a thesis that examines the causes and implications of contemporary Chinese student nationalism. This past summer, Brian received both Dean Rusk and Abernethy grants to spend eight weeks researching his thesis in Shanghai, Xinjiang and Tibet. Next year he will begin working for Bain & Company, after which he plans to pursue a M.A. in international relations.

Idris Evans '09 - South Orange, NJ              
Idris first became interested in Japan through Japanese animation in middle school, and he suspected that he would eventually study East Asian cultures and languages. Once at Davidson, history and international politics piqued his interest, especially in the realm of the complicated bilateral relations and historical tensions between Japan and China. The semester Idris spent in Japan contributed greatly to his passion for Japanese politics and history, and his travels in China opened his eyes to the startlingly rapid transformation of the world’s most populous nation. Idris’s research attempts to answer how and why Japan and China have been continuously locked in a conflict over history and memory. He looks at memorial culture and the historiography of Second-Sino Japanese War (1937-1945) as his case study, with museums and memorials in China and Japan at the center of his research.  As a fellow of the prestigious Institute for International Public Policy Idris has spent summers engaged in policy analysis and training in international relations. After graduation Idris hopes to attend the Middlebury College Summer Language School in preparation to return to Japan to teach English and intern for at least a year. After that, he’d like to pursue graduate studies in international relations, conflict resolution, or peacekeeping with the goal of advising and developing U.S. foreign policy or serving as a foreign service officer.

Michelle Jester '09 - Rome, GA
When Michelle came to Davidson, she knew she wanted to do something different.  She didn’t know what she meant by “different,” but she was keen to find it.  In her junior year of high school she developed an interest in Buddhist philosophy and Asian culture, so she wanted to take a religion course in Buddhism.  On a whim, Michelle also opted to take Chinese language since she had taken Spanish since middle school and was ready for a change. While she didn’t get into Buddhism, she did get into Chinese language.  It stuck.

Although Michelle seriously considered becoming a biology or neuroscience major to complement her interest in health and medicine, her excitement over Chinese led her to create an East Asian Studies major.  Her thesis incorporates these interests—focusing on beauty and feminine ideals in China and how they have led to the cosmetic surgery phenomenon and the dietary craze that is becoming widespread in China.

After graduation Michelle will be working towards a master’s degree in holistic health or public health at Australia National University in Canberra with the generous funds from the Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship, which finances a year of study, service, and travel abroad.  While Michelle has no idea where her experiences may take her, she is currently considering pursuing behavioral medicine, positive psychology, or international public health.