JASP Newsletter

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Letter from the Chairman

Dear JASP Members,   It never ceases to amaze me how dynamic the world is.  In governments, economies and our lives, change seems to be constant and rapid.  This fact of life is reflected in the JASP itself.   It is my pleasure to announce that, effective February 1st, Donna Lee Siple is succeeding Wendy Bennett and serve as the “new” Executive Director of the Japan-America Society of Pennsylvania.  While we thank Wendy for her service and wish her the best,  Donna Lee is certainly not new to our membership.  She previously served with distinction as our Interim Executive Director in 2008, and she has over twenty years of first-hand experience with Japanese culture, language, and business practices.    To refresh your memory, Donna Lee’s experience in Japan began shortly after graduating from Geneva College with a double major in public relations and communications.  She first traveled to Japan in 1986 to manage a group of native English teachers for a university in Osaka.  Then, in 1988, she relocated to the San Francisco area where she worked as Director of New Business Development for a Japanese consulting firm.  There she helped to negotiate opportunities for businesses to enter the Japanese market through direct marketing avenues.  She also spent time continuing her studies of the language and made several business trips to Japan. Donna Lee moved back to the Kansai region of Japan in 1992, where she began an English Academy, Jack & Betty, named after the first English primer used in Japan, which her Uncle Jack wrote.  Donna Lee returned home to Pittsburgh in 1998 to work for Hiland Presbyterian Church and subsequently the Beaver Valley Youth Network and Eden Christian Academy.  In addition to her professional experiences, for the past twelve years Donna Lee has been actively involved in JASP as well as the Japanese community in Pittsburgh in general. She has volunteered for and participated in various activities and events such as the Japan Bowl, the JASP golf outing, the Japan in the Schools program, Saitama Sister City program and the G-20 Summit.   Please join Sam Ishihara and me in welcoming back Donna Lee, and we know that she can look forward to the full support of friends and members as we chart an exciting future for our Society.   Sincerely yours,    Stephen Ceurvorst, Chairman

Upcoming Events

Date/Time:  Friday, March 5, 2010 Registration Begins at 8:30 am   Location: William Pitt Union on the University of Pittsburgh Oakland Campus   Cost: $15 per student. Participating students will receive a T-shirt, continental breakfast, lunch and admission to this year’s movie screening.   The high school Japanese speech contest is a contest for high school Japanese language learners in our region (Western PA, eastern Ohio and northern West Virginia). The purpose of the contest is for students of Japanese to learn how to give a memorized speech, without notes, using language level that is appropriate to their level of learning. The speech contest is open to all high school students of Japanese in our immediate region who speak Japanese as a second language (foreign language) and who do NOT live in a household where Japanese is spoken (in other words, students cannot be heritage speakers of the language.) The contest will provide Japanese language learners with the chance to use their Japanese language skills to talk about themselves and their interests, and to demonstrate their growing knowledge of Japan. Thank you to our 2010 Sponsors:  Platinum Sponsor        Gold Sponsor             Silver Sponsor

Paper Art Workshop  Date/Time:  Saturday, February 27 Session 1:10:00-11:30 Session 2: 1:00-2:30 Location: Chaya Japanese Cuisine   2032 Murray Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15217  Cost: $10 for JASP Members and $20 for Non-members Please join us for this one-of-a-kind Paper Art Workshop featuring the famous Japanese paper cutout artist Shu Kubo. Mr. Kubo is well regarded amongst Japan’s modern art scene and his work has appeared on postage stamps and on New Year’s greeting cards in Japan. The themes explored in Kubo’s work are largely ‘Japonism on Paper’.  He captures the dynamics of the seasonal traditions of Japanese life and food in a fresh and beautiful new way. Under the guidance of Mr. Kubo, participants will be provided with tools and materials to produce their own kirié creation. The general admission fee is $20 and $10 for Japan America Society of PA members and the workshop will be 1.5 hours. For more information, please call 412-433-5021 or visit http://www.us-japan.org/jasp/events.html. Save the Date! Paul J Wilhelm Memorial Golf Outing May 10, 2010 Location: Valley Brook Country Club Join us for a fun day of lunch, golf, dinner and exciting raffle opportunities! Registration begins April 1, 2010.