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 chorus 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 disposition has made her a popular,
well-liked person. 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 experience? 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 subject 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 steadfast 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 individual," 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 average 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 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 senior. 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 afraid to come up and ask me about
my culture," she said.
"These four years of college are the best place to
learn a lot of stuff. I hope people will get the chance to
know other cultures and know more about me. I love telling my
stories."
Sudani already has some impressive stories to share. For
starters, there was the time she left Japan at the age of 16
to attend high school in America all alone. Leaving her
family and friends behind, Sudani enrolled in St. Mary's
Hall High School, in San Antonio, Texas.
Having taken ballet lessons for 12 years when she was
growing up, Sudani chose to attend St. Mary's for
it's prestigious dance program.
"That is probably the most courageous and brave thing
I've ever done," she said. "I left my comfort
zone, but I never would call home and cry."
Like any other student in her senior year of high school,
Sudani began thinking about colleges. She told her counselor
she wanted to attend a "small school that is not too
small," with few Japanese students ("I didn't
want to hang out with Japanese people all the time") and
a beautiful campus. Her counselor suggested she check out
Elon.
"I jut fell in love with this school and its beautiful
campus," she said. "I knew I would get a good
education here."
Sudani, who is majoring in international studies and
pursuing a minor in communications, acknowledges that there
are many challenges she has had to overcome in her schoolwork
since she is an international student.
One of the biggest is the language barrier that separates
her from her professors and peers. She is proficient in
English, but she admits that it has been hard for her to do
things like make class presentations, read lengthy novels in
English and complete basic homework assignments.
"Giving presentations in English in front of my whole
class was the worst," she said. "I would practice,
like, 20 times beforehand."
Sullivan, a philosophy professor, said she makes good use of
his office hours and doesn't think twice about asking for
help.
"She often asks for clarification of the things we
discussed in class," he said. "She is very involved
and anxious to learn about things, people and other cultures.
Giving class presentations can be difficult because you are
crossing from one culture to another, but I think she has
navigated very well."
Sudani attributes her academic success in part to her
professors who have helped her overcome the language
difference. She said all of her professors have been helpful
and generous, giving her time to complete assignments,
chances to earn extra credit or even giving her different
assignments geared to international students.
Although she said she looks forward to graduating in the
spring, Sudani says she'll be sad to leave behind her
younger sister Keiko, who is a sophomore at Elon.
"I try not to think about her graduating in a few
months," said Keiko, who commented that her older sister
was more of a mother figure to her, always looking out for
her and keeping her best interests in mind. "Something
in my mind is sad, but hopefully she'll stay here and
work so I won't have to be alone."
Sudani said that given her personality and her own
experiences as an international student, helping foreign
students adjust to college life would be the perfect job for
her.
"She has a certain vitality and she is outgoing, warm
and compassionate," Sullivan said. "She has all the
qualities to work with international students in a university
setting."
A job helping others on a college campus would complement
Sudani's interests and passions in life. With an inner
strength that stems from her Zen Buddhist beliefs, she says
she is always looking for new ways to talk to others about
her life, her background and her faith.
"It's like I'm a peanut," she explained,
her hands gesturing wildly and eyes glowing with the idea of
sharing her religion with someone unfamiliar. So she does,
smiling the entire time.
Contact Martha-Page Ransdell at pendulum@elon.edu or
278-7247.
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Martha-Page
Ransdell / Photographer
Martha-Page Ransdell /
Photographer