Japanese | North Central College

Japan disasters alter students’ plans

Life in Japan is gradually returning to normal for North Central student Ereka Funkhouser ’12.

Funkhouser, who’s majoring in Japanese and classical civilization, studies abroad at Iwate University in Morioka, a town of about 300,000 located in the Iwate Prefecture. She was shaken by the March 11 earthquake, but her school, 40 miles from the coast, was not directly impacted by the devastating tsunami. “The coastline was really decimated by the tsunami, but Morioka’s own earthquake damage was minimal,” she said in mid-April.

Experience Japanese culture at annual spring festival

North Central’s Japanese program and Japan Club will host a Japanese Spring Festival May 3. The family-friendly event is free and celebrates Japanese culture.

April 29, 2011—North Central College’s Japanese program and Japan Club will host their annual Japanese Spring Festival May 3. The family-friendly festival is free and open to the public and celebrates Japanese culture at the start of a new school year in Japan.

The festival will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 3, in North Central’s Harold and Eva White Activities Center, 325 E. Benton Ave.

North Central College students, alumni impacted by disaster in Japan

Student Ereka Funkhauser photographed this scene near her home in Japan.

Life in Japan is gradually returning to normal for North Central College student Ereka Funkhouser.

Funkhouser—a junior majoring in Japanese and classical civilization—studies at Iwate University in Morioka, a town of about 300,000 located in the Iwate Prefecture. She was shaken by the March 11 earthquake, but her school 40 miles from the coast was not directly impacted by the devastating tsunami.

Plans underway for Japanese relief efforts

The Japan Club, International Club, and Offices of International Programs, Ministry and Service and Residence Life are coordinating College-wide relief efforts for the people of Japan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami March 11. To start, students will accept donations to the American Red Cross during weeks three, five, seven and nine, from noon to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the lobby of WAC and from 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesdays in Kaufman Dining Hall.

Student in Japan shares story with local media

With the six North Central students who were studying in Japan during the earthquake and tsunami safely accounted for, some are beginning to share their stories with media. Erica Funkhouser ’12 spoke via Skype to Chicago’s ABC7 TV on Tuesday, March 15. Funkhouser, a Japanese and classical civilization major, is studying at Iwate University in Morioka, Japan, in the Iwate Prefecture about an hour from the earthquake’s epicenter.

Record number of students to present at national research conference

A record 38 students from various academic areas will represent North Central at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research this spring.

Contact: Nancy Dunker, associate director of public relations, 630-637-5306

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Jan. 31, 2011)—For the second year, a record number of North Central College students have been chosen to participate in the nation’s leading conference on undergraduate research.

D-Term courses take students around the globe

In December, students take advantage of life-changing study abroad opportunities.

Jan. 24, 2011—North Central College’s trimester format offers students a break from regular classes between Thanksgiving and the new year. During December—or D-Term—students can take advantage of North Central’s study abroad opportunities.

North Central College offers five-year bachelor’s/master’s degree in leadership

North Central College is offering a new option to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master of leadership studies degree in just five years.

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Nov. 16, 2010)—North Central College is offering a new option to earn both a bachelor’s degree and a master of leadership studies degree in just five years.

Students accepted into this program earn both a bachelor’s degree—in any discipline—and the master of leadership studies with the completion of 141 credit hours.

Forensics team is on a roll!

North Central’s forensics team takes first place at recent tournament, with students placing in the finals and semi-finals in contests during fall term.

During the last weekend in October, the forensics team traveled to Lee’s Summit, Mo., near Kansas City, to compete at the Central States Swing Forensics Tournament, which included two different tournaments on Oct. 30-31. North Central’s team took first place both days and six students placed in the finals—“an incredible feat,” says John Stanley, assistant professor of speech communication, assistant director of forensics and director of individual events.