Monday, September 20, 2010

Joining an APA group on campus by Janani Ramachandran, Vice Chair of Development

Why join an “Asian” group? I don’t want to be pigeon-holed or labeled… and I mean, I’m not even that “Asian”…. Arriving at Penn my freshman year, these thoughts ran through my mind. But, after an eye-opening APALI retreat, and meeting some wonderful friends who were passionate about APA issues, I was pulled into being active in Penn’s APA community and it has been one of the most rewarding parts of my college experience.


I realized that involving myself in an APA group, and learning about the culture and the issues which its members share didn’t prevent me from enjoying friendships and experiences outside the Asian community. In fact, I found that by better understanding my own culture and being able to appreciate the cultures of others, I didn’t become more stereotypically “Asian”, but that I became more aware of what made me proud to be “American”. I learned to appreciate all the values and freedoms that this country gives us, and respect the opportunities it afforded to our parents and grandparents.


Sharing a piece of tradition with my friends, whether it was doing a traditional Filipino dance, singing in the traditional Karnatic Indian style, or eating mooncakes and mochi was fun! And, through talking to friends about their experiences going to Chinese school, how it was growing up in a town where nobody was Asian, and how they struggled to identify themselves, I discovered a lot about how my own traditions and experiences shape my outlook on life.


Joining an APA group on campus is an opportunity to learn and grow, regardless of your ethnic background or origin. It’s a way to express yourself and rejoice with others as they express themselves. For me, it was a way to rise above ethnicity and background and appreciate the common ties between several cultures. Understanding your origin and being proud of who you are is a big part of being comfortable with yourself. And, being involved in the APA community has really given me that…. Not to mention it opened my eyes to a ton of delicious food… which is always a plus!

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Mental Health Camp

Last Wednesday, we had our third annual mental health camp. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Eran Magen spoke about how to be a better listener, and hence a better friend. His workshop was very informative and interactive! Afterward, people stuck around for some of our table events, which included a time management session with reps from Wiengarten, APA and mental health, a depression screening and some graduate student tables. There was also free massages!
Checking out the DP article on it here.


Nutter and the Census

Last Wednesday, Mayor Nutter came to Penn's campus to promote the Census! Our very own chair, Rohan Grover, introduced him. Check out the full story here. Make sure you send in your Census form!!

Sunday, April 4, 2010

The Census...Again

Yes, I'm writing about the Census again! Besides today being Easter, today also marks the first day of Census week at Penn! Again, remember to drop your forms in the box outside of your College House's information desk.

Here's a picture of us at our last GBM, promoting our Census to AngryAsianMan.com:

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Diversity at Penn

Recently, an opinion piece appeared in the Daily Pennsylvanian about the presidential debates that centered around diversity. Read it here. Here's our response, also published in the DP.

Ashwin Shandilya wrote about how minorities at Penn are being “overzealous about diversity.” He asks if there was a recent wave of discrimination that he had missed.

To answer his question, no, he did not miss a recent wave of discrimination. We are used to living a life where everyone appears satisfied, but remember there exists an American tradition of systematic marginalization. It’s crucial to be aware of the racial disparities on this campus.

To us, diversity is not a nebulous ideal that we use to legitimize our interests. There are real inequalities on this campus that need to be addressed. That is why we collaborated with other coalitions to put on the presidential debate. Perhaps Shandilya heard something that he did not agree with, but the debate served as an open forum. The Asian Pacific Student Coalition’s questions dealt specifically with mental health disparities and supporting Asian American and South Asian Studies. Indeed, not being able to learn about our history is something that minorities — including Shandilya — have to “go through,” which is why it was central to hear the candidate’s opinions on these affairs. Whether or not the debate was important to him as an individual is not nearly as important as whether the opportunity exists for the nearly 2,500 Asian American students on Penn’s campus.

Marginalization is not a binary up to an individual’s judgment, but rather a system applied to a population.

Census 2010

Tomorrow marks the final day that Census forms need to be sent in. But for college students, tomorrow is when we finally get the forms! APSC has been working with the school to make sure that students remember to fill out the Census and that they hand them in. On Thursday, April 1, all students that live in College Houses will receive their Census form. They have until April 9th to hand in those forms. There will be boxes at the front of their information desks for them to drop off their forms. The College Houses will also be holding a contest to see which house hands in the most forms! Next Wednesday at 4:30, Mayor Nutter of Philadelphia will be stopping by Lower Quad to celebrate the Census. Free pizza!

Make sure you count! The Census is of utmost importance--it's how each district gets federal money and how Congressional representatives are split up! Don't let Asian Americans get under-counted. Encourage your parents to fill out their forms (but remember to fill out yours too)!

Friday, March 26, 2010

Third Annual Mental Health Camp--Let's Care About our Mental Health

Asian American women have a higher rate of depression and suicide. APSC is dedicated to providing support for those that need it and this year, we worked with Counseling and Psychological Services to bring you another Mental Health Camp. Make sure to come!! Lots of food =]

http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=103378959700706&ref=mf

Come attend this year’s Mental Health Camp organized by students for students!

This year’s Keynote speaker is Dr. Eran Magen who will lead an interactive session on how to transform our social interactions into opportunities for stress reduction by making them positive and supportive. Developing greater peer support will enhance overall well-being of students.

The Camp will also have information that deals with specific issues concerning Penn students like Depression, Perfectionism, Minority mental health concerns, time management, work/life balance and much more. . . Representatives from student groups and CAPS will be available for consultation.

Free Dinner and massages are provided for attendees!!!

Sponsors: Counseling and Psychological Services, Asian Pacific Student Coalition, Lamda Alliance, United Minorities Council, Umoja, Rapline, Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA), Penn Medical Students

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

ASAM and SAST Fall 2010 Classes

Advance registration is up! Make sure to take an ASAM and SAST class!

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDIES FALL 2010 COURSES

ASAM 001 Asian Amer. in Contemporary Society (Grace Kao)
Cross listed with SOCI 103
LEC MW 3:30-5PM

This course presents an overview of sociological research on Asian Americans in the U.S., framed around the evaluation of Asian Americans as "model minorities." We begin with a brief overview of popular images of Asian Americans as seen through recent portrayals in mainstream media (movies, television). We review general sociological frameworks used to understand racial and ethnic groups in the U.S. and move quickly to document the history of Asian immigration to the U.S. We explore how Asian Americans fare in educational attainment, labor market experiences, political organizations, urban experience, and Asian interracial marriage and biracials. We examine whether and how "Asian American" is a meaningful label.

ASAM 002 Intro to Asian American Literature (Staff)
Cross listed with ENGL 072
LEC M 5-8PM

This course will explore the varieties of Asian American Experience by considering the literary forms they take. Ourreadings will range from poems carved into the walls of a detention center at the beginning of the century to experimentsin literary form in the eighties and nineties. The course will consider literary representations of a broad range of AsianAmerican experience: tales of migratory labor, Chinatown stories, the extraordinary case of Japanese internment,panethnic activist literature, and the different accounts that emerge when Asian America expands beyond East Asia toinclude South and Southeast Asian American experience. In each instance, we will read these forms within theirhistorical moments, ultimately asking how these formal expressions map onto the conditions of Asian America.

ASAM 006 Race & Ethnic Relations (Grace Kao)
Cross listed with SOCI 006
LEC MW 10-11AM
402 REC F 11-12PM
403 REC F 10-11AM

The course will examine how social networks, neighborhood context, culture, and notions of race affect inequality and
ethnic relations. The course reviews the studies of ethnic entrepreneurship, urban segregation, labor force participation,
and assimilation processes. The course emphasizes how inequality affects ethnic relations as well as the economic and
social integration of different groups in society.

ASAM 150 Ethnic Economies & Globalization (Tamara Nopper)
Cross listed with URBS 215 / SOCI 150
LEC W 5:30-8:30PM

Nail salons, nursing, hair care stores, pizza shops, parking garages, donut shops, and taxis represent niche industries for different ethnic groups across the racial and national spectrum. We will explore how and why particular groups have concentrated in certain industries, and how processes related to globalization, such as diplomatic ties, the globalization of banking, foreign investment, trade, labor recruitment, transnational economic activities, and immigration contribute to their concentration. We will learn scholarly explanations for why ethnic groups concentrate in key industries by engaging literature that spans across the fields of sociology, urban studies, business, and migration. We will examine case studies of several ethnic groups and draw from examples in Philadelphia. This course will introduce students to a range of data and sources that are used by those studying and working in economic and urban development, finance, business, and immigration and will emphasize analysis of data and critical thinking skills.

ASAM 209 South Asians in the US (Fariha Khan)
Cross listed with SAST 290
LEC TR 12-1:30PM

This course investigates the everyday practices and customs of South Asians in America. Every immigrant group has its own history, customs, beliefs and values, making each unique while simultaneously a part of the "melting pot" or salad bowl" of American society. Yet how do people define themselves and their ethnicities living in a diasporic context? By taking into account the burgeoning South Asian American population as our model, this course will explore the basic themes surrounding the lives that immigrants are living in America, and more specifically the identity which the second generation, born and/or raised in American, is developing. South Asians in the U.S. will be divided thematically covering the topics of ethnicity, marriage, gender, religion, and pop culture. Reading and assignments will discuss a variety of issues and viewpoints that are a part of the fabric of South Asia, but will focus on the interpretation of such expressive culture in the United States.

ASAM 354 American Expansion in the Pacific (Eiichiro Azuma)
Cross listed with HIST 354
LEC MW 2-3:30PM

This course will delve into the continuing process of westward American expansion into the Pacific after the 1890s. Such questions as immigration, race relations, and diplomacy will be discussed in the class. Students who are interested in U.S.-Asia relations, Asian immigration, and histories of Hawaii and the Philippines as part of the American Empire are especially encouraged to take this course.

ASAM 299 Independent Study
PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT

SOUTH ASIA STUDIES FALL 2010 COURSES


SAST-002 THE CITY IN SOUTH ASIA 1 CU
SOCEITY SECTOR
401 LEC MW 3:30-5PM
MITCHELL L
CROSS LISTED: ANTH 107, URBS 122
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 75

This interdisciplinary social science course examines key topics, themes, and analytic methods in the study of South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal) by focusing on significant South Asian cities. With one-fifth of the world population, South Asia and its urban centers are playing an increasingly important role in recent global economic transformations, resulting in fundamental changes within both the subcontinent and the larger world. Drawing primarily on ethnographic studies of South Asia in the context of rapid historical change, the course also incorporates research urban studies, architecture, political science, and history, as well as fiction and film. Cities of particular focus may include Bangalore, Chandigarh, Chennai, Colombo, Delhi, Dhaka, Hyderabad, Kathmandu, Karachi, Kolkata, Lahore, and Mumbai. Topics include globalization and new economic dynamics in South Asia; the formation of a new urban middle class; consumption and consumer culture; urban political formations, democratic
institutions, and practices; criminality and the underworld; population Growth, changes in the built environment, and demographic shifts; everyday life in South Asia and ethnic, cultural and linguistic identities, differences and violence in South Asia's urban environments. This course is appropriate for students with no background in South Asia, or for those seeking to better understand South Asia's urban environments in the context of recent globalization and rapid historical changes.

SAST-003 HIST, CULT, RELIG E. INDIA 1 CU
HISTORY AND TRADITION SECTOR
401 LEC TR 1:30-3PM
ALI D
CROSS LISTED: HIST 086
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 50

This course surveys the culture, religion and history of India from 2500 BCE to 1200 CE. The course examines the major cultural, religious and social factors that shaped the course of early Indian history. The following themes will be covered: the rise and fall of Harappan civilization, the Aryan invasion and vedic India, the rise of cities, states and the religions of Buddhism and Jainism, the historical context of the growth of classical Hinduism, including the Mahabharata, Ramayana and the development of the theistic temple cults of Saivism and Vaisnavism, processes of medieval agrarian expansion and cultic incorporation as well as the spread of early Indian cultural ideas in Southeast Asia. In addition to assigned secondary readings students will read select primary sources on the history religion and culture of early India, including Vedic and Buddhist texts, Puranas and medieval temple inscriptions. Major objectives of the course will be to draw attention to India's early cultural and religious past and to assess contemporary concerns
and ideologies in influencing our understanding and representation of that past.

SAST-005 PERFORM ARTS SOUTH ASIA 1 CU
CROSS CULTRL ANALYSIS - CL OF '10 & AFTER
401 LEC TR 3-4:30PM
STAFF
CROSS LISTED: MUSC-165
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 28

This course is a survey of selected traditions of theater, music, and dance in India and surrounding regions. Topics include ritual practices, theater, classical dance, classical music, devotional music, regional genres, and contemporary popular musics. Readings and lectures are supplemented by audio and visual materials and live performances. The aim of the course is to expose students to a variety of performance practices from this part of the world and to situate the performing arts in their social and cultural contexts. The course has no prerequisites.

SAST-006 HINDU MYTHOLOGY 1 CU
ARTS AND LETTERS SECTOR-ALL CLASSES.
401 SEM MW 2-3:30PM PATEL D
CROSS LISTED: RELS-066
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 75

Premodern India produced some of the world's greatest myths and stories: tales of gods, goddesses, heroes, princesses, kings and lovers that continue to capture the imaginations of millions of readers and hearers. In this course, we will look closely at some of these stories especially as found in Purana-s, great compendia composed in Sanskrit, including the chief stories of the central gods of Hinduism: Visnu, Siva, and the Goddess. We will also consider the relationship between these texts and the earlier myths of the Vedas and the Indian Epics, the diversity of the narrative and mythic materials within and across different texts, and the re-imagining of these stories in India's vernacular languages as well as in the modern world.

SAST-008 INDIA: CULTURE & SOCIETY 1 CU
CROSS CULTRL ANALYSIS - CL OF '10 & AFTER
401 LEC TR 3-4:30PM VISWANATH R
CROSS LISTED: RELS-068
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 75

What makes India INDIA? Religion and Philosophy? Architectural splendor? Kingdoms? Caste? The position of women? This course will introduce students to India by studying a range of social and cultural institutions that have historically assumed to be definitive India. Through primary texts, novels and historical sociological analysis, we will ask how these institutions have been reproduced and transformed, and assess their significance for contemporary Indian society.

SAST-057 PLANNING TO BE OFFSHORE 1 CU
401 SEM TBA GANGULEE S
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 30

In this course we will trace the economic development of India from 1947 to the present. Independent India started out as a centrally planned economy in 1949 but in 1991 decided to reduce its public sector and allow, indeed encourage, foreign investors to come in. The Planning Commission of India still exists but has lost much of its power. Many in the U.S. complain of American jobs draining off to India, call centers in India taking care of American customer complaints, American patient histories being documented in India, etc. At the same time, the U.S. government encourages highly trained Indians to be in the U.S. Students are expected to write four one-page response papers and one final paper. Twenty percent of the final grade will be based on class participation, 20 percent on the four response papers and 60 percent on the final paper.

SAST-059 TPCS IN ASIAN-AMER SOCI 1 CU
401 SEM TBA KHAN F
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 20

SAST - 063 EAS/WEST:MDRN WRLD HIST 1 CU
401 LEC MW 12-1PM MITCHELL L
CROSS LISTED: ANTH 063
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 75

Sugar and Spices. Tea and Coffee. Opium and Cocaine. Hop aboard the Indian Ocean dhows, Chinese junks, Dutch schooners, and British and American clipper ships that made possible the rise of global capitalism, new colonial relationships, and intensified forms of cultural change. How have desires to possess and consume particular commodities shaped cultures and the course of modern history? This class introduces students to the cultural history of the modern world through an interdisciplinary analysis of connections between East and West, South and North. Following the circulation of commodities and the development of modern capitalism, the course examines the impact of global exchange on interactions and relationships between regions, nations, cultures, and peoples and the influences on cultural practices and meanings. The role of slavery and labor migrations, colonial and imperial relations, and struggles for economic and political independence are also considered. From the role of spices in the formation of European joint stock companies circa 1600 to the contemporary cocaine trade, the course’s use of both original primary sources and secondary source readings written by historians and anthropologists will enable particular attention to the ways that global trade has impacted social, cultural, and political formations and practices throughout the world.

SAST-106 BEGINNING SITAR I 1 CU
CROSS CULTURAL ANALYSIS
401 LEC TR 5-6:30PM STAFF
CROSS LISTED: MUSC 061
MAX: 5

This course is an introduction to the repertoire and performance practices of the North Indian sitar. Fundamentals of sitar technique, composition, and improvisation are presented and practiced in class. Class lectures and discussions, audio and video material, and reading and listening assignments on selected topics supplement practice, to provide an overview of the social and historical context and the formal structures of North Indian music in general. There are no prerequisites for the course, but some experience with instrumental or vocal music is suggested. Each student is expected to put in two hours of individual practice per week, and complete reading, audio, and written assignments. The class gives a group performance at the end of the semester.

SAST-108 INTERMEDIATE SITAR I 1 CU
CROSS CULTURAL ANALYSIS
401 LEC MW 3:30-5PM STAFF
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 8

This is a performance course open to students who have completed both semesters of Beginning Sitar, or to others by permission from the instructor. Students will work with right and left-hand techniques, study three ragas in depth, learn the contours of several other ragas, and work with concepts of tala, composition, and improvisation. Assigned readings and listening will complement the performed material. A group performance will be given at the end of the semester.

SAST-150 INTRO TO INDIAN PHILOS 1 CU
CROSS CULTURAL ANALYSIS/ HISTORY AND TRADITION SECTOR
401 LEC TR 10:30-12NOON PATEL D
CROSS LISTED: PHIL 050
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 75

This course will take the student through the major topics of Indian philosophyby first introducing the fundamental concepts and terms that are necessary for a deeper understanding of themes that pervade the philosophical literature of India -- arguments for and against the existence of God, for example, the ontological status of external objects, the means of valid knowledge, standards of proof, the discourse on the aims of life. The readings will emphasize classical Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain philosophical articulations (from 700 B.C.Eto 16th century CE) but we will also supplement our study of these materials with contemporary or relatively recent philosophical writings in modern India.

SAST-169 TRANSNATIONAL ISLAM 1 CU
401 LEC TR 3-4:30PM CARON J
MAX : 40

From the age-old networks of merchant-saints from Yemen to Malaysia, to present-day migrant labor in Dubai who send money home to Pakistan to construct mosques and madrasas, histories of economy, travel, and religious culture have been deeply interwined across the entire Indian ocean rim. How have cross-regional and local culture interacted over time, as various powers extended supremacy over different aspects of this arena since 1200? Through the study of this region, we will think critically about the place of individuals in cross-regional social change. In addition to scholarly works, we will read literature to bring our picture of this region alive. By the end, students should have good understanding of the historical geography of the Indian Ocean region; the shifting nature of cross-cultural interactions over time in that region; and the way this region contributes to continuing change in global political economy.

SAST-260 MDRN HIST AFGHAN/PKSTN 1 CU
401 SEM TR 1:30-3PM CARON J
CROSS LISTED: HIST 384
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 40

This course is designed as an introduction to the contemporary history of Afghanistan and Pakistan, with an emphasis on the intertwined history of both countries; their other regional neighbors; and global politics. The course focuses on global trends such as empire, nationalism, the Cold War, superpower competition, and transnational Islamism. At the same time, participants will explore how local people viewed their lives amidst these trends, and how local dynamics on this northwestern fringe of the Subcontinent changed the face of global politics. The readings supplement political and economic history with primary sources drawn from popular poetry, oral narrative, and memoir. Finally, we'll be following current events in the region, and placing them in their sociohistorical context. Therefore, there are two main goals for this course: (1) to introduce the specific history of Afghanistan and Pakistan up to present, and (2) to introduce typologies of social institutions and events, assisting class participants to develop their own frameworks for interpreting current events in the region after the end of the course.

SAST-262 MAKING/MEDEIVAL INDIA 1 CU
CROSS CULTURAL ANALYSIS
401 LEC TR 12-1:30PM ALI D
CROSS LISTED: SAST-562
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 20

This course will provide an in-depth understanding of South Asia in what is often called its 'medieval' period--from the rise of the great temple kingdoms until the end of the Delhi Sultanate in the sixteenth century (c. 500 CE - c. 1500 CE). This millennium is arguably one of the most transformative in South Asia's history, a period when many of its most distinctive social and cultural features evolved. The course will provide both an overview of the period as well as an introduction to major interpretations and types of sources (textual, visual, and archaeological). The focus throughout the course will be on the heterogeneous development of states, societies and cultures with special attention to long-term processes of transformation. One set of themes explored will be largely social and economic, focusing on the development of agrarian and peasant societies, aristocracies and intellectuals, as well as the role of mercantile, pastoralist, nomadic and forest-living groups. Another set of themes will explore cultural transformation, including the development, transformation and interaction of religious practices, the emergence of cosmopolitan and regional literary cultures, and the rise of distinctive urban, courtly, and rural world views. Special themes of discussion may include violence and manners, material cultures, religious conflict, devotional religion and gender relations.

.

SAST-300 DIRECTED STUDY 1 CU
000 IND TBA STAFF
PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT

SAST-399 INDEPENDENT STUDY 1 CU
000 IND TBA
PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT

SAST-562 MAKING/MEDEIVEL INDIA 1 CU
CULTURAL CULTURAL ANALYSIS
401 LEC TR 12-1:30PM ALI D
CROSS LISTED: SAST-262
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 20

This course will provide an in-depth understanding of South Asia in what is often called its 'medieval' period--from the rise of the great temple kingdoms until the end of the Delhi Sultanate in the sixteenth century (c. 500 CE - c. 1500 CE). This millenium is arguably one of the most transformative in South Asia's history, a period when many of its most distinctive social and cultural features evolved. The course will provide both an overview of the period as well as an introduction to major interpretations and types of sources (textual, visual, and archaeological). The focus throughout the course will be on the heterogeneous development of states, societies and cultures with special attention to long-term processes of transformation. One set of themes explored will be largely social and economic, focusing on the development of agrarian and peasant societies, aristocracies and intellectuals, as well as the role of mercantile, pastoralist, nomadic and forest-living groups. Another set of themes will explore cultural transformation, including the development, transformation and interaction of religious practices, the emergence of cosmopolitan and regional literary cultures, and the rise of distinctive urban, courtly, and rural world views. Special themes of discussion may include violence and manners, material cultures, religious conflict, devotional religion and gender relations.

SAST-644 RELIGION AND SECULARISM 1 CU
401 SEM W 2-5PM VISWANATH R
LISTED: ENGL 765
MAX W/CROSS LIST: 14

SAST-990 MASTERS THESIS 1 CU
000 MST TBA STAFF
PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT

SAST-995 DISSERTATION 1 CU
PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT
000 DIS TBA STAFF

SAST-999 INDEPENDENT STUDY 1 CU
PERMISSION NEEDED FROM DEPARTMENT
000 IND TBA STAFF

Monday, March 22, 2010

The 2010 U.S. Census

It's that time of the decade...CENSUS YEAR! APSC has been working with the Office of Governmental Affairs to make sure that Penn students fill out this VERY IMPORTANT form by April 9th, 2010. The Census determines the amount of funding each district gets and how many political representatives we send to Washington. In short, it is absolutely vital that everyone fills out a Census form so that they are accurately represented. Students who reside on Penn campus should fill out the form for their Penn address, not their parents' home address. A breakdown of the Census is provided by the Daily Pennsylvanian.

Make sure to check your mailbox by April 1 and fill it out!
In the meantime, check out this Daily Show episode that features Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke, who explains the Census. He appears at around minute 15:30. Or check out the beginning of the episode as well! Who needs to study right?

Mental Health and Internships

Managing Job and Internship Search Stress: Coping Skills and Strategies

At this time of the year, there's usually only one thing on student's minds--finals & internships. Freaking out about both? Do you keep hearing your friends talk about how their summer plans are already set? Don't stress. This interactive workshop helps you identify and discuss stressors related to the job and internship search process. Career Services and CAPS will present on effective strategies to help manage the stressors and anxiety associated with the process, as well as identify different options that are available at different parts of the process.

Help us make this workshop cater to your specific needs. Fill out this survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/P6T2RZF

Date and time: Thursday, March 25 at 12noon to 1PM
Location: ARCH Fireside

APSC has continually been dedicated to raising awareness about issues of mental health that affect our community. Look out for the annual mental health camp coming soon!

Hope to see you at the workshop!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

UA Endorsements

It's that time of the year again--student government elections! Check out our letter of UA endorsement:

Dear APSC family and friends,
The Asian Pacific Student Coalition Board is proud to announce this year's endorsements for President, Vice President, and Undergraduate Assembly Representatives! We are extremely confident in each endorsed candidate's experience, vision, and ability to advance our community's interests.
Please find our President and Vice President rationales below the list of endorsements.
UA President: Matt Amalfitano
Vice President: Mark P. Pan
SAS Rep: Matt Amalfitano, Cynthia Ip, Andrew Lum, Albert Pak, Mark P. Pan, Alec Webley, Amanda Young
Wharton Rep: Faye Cheng, Faizan Khan
Nursing Rep: G.J. Melendez-Torres
Rationale: Matt Amalfitano for UA President
After three years on the UA and serving as this year's Vice Chair of External Affairs, Matt has an understanding of the issues that APSC has dealt with in the past and what we need to do in the future. He went above and beyond his responsibilities as Vice Chair of External Affairs to build a fruitful relationship between APSC and the UA, including regularly reaching out to APSC, inviting the board to a UA general body meeting, and constantly offering his support. Previously, Matt has helped secure additional funding for APAHW, a signature event in the APA community, and volunteered for ECAASU 2010, demonstrating his dedication and involvement with our community. Last year as Academic Affairs Committee Director, he helped lead a resolution to support and develop the Asian American Studies Program. He is well versed in the issues affecting the APA community, including our continued work to support ASAM, our latest effort to support the South Asia Studies Department, and the importance of addressing mental health issues. Additionally, we are impressed by his inclusive vision of diversity that will benefit the entire campus. We proudly support Matt Amalfitano for UA President.
Rationale: Mark P. Pan for UA Vice President
After serving three years on the UA, including as last year's Director of the UA's Civic & Community Engagement Committee and this year's first-ever Communications Director, Mark is a phenomental candidate for Vice President. Mark has extensive experience bringing dozens of UA proposals to fruition and leading innovative efforts to engage disparate communities. Consequently, he has a thorough understanding of the UA's process and we believe that he will best support the APA community by connecting APSC with UA members to achieve tangible results, building relationships between Steering organizations, and brainstorming outlets for new ways to engage in our community. Additionally, Mark will further this year's efforts to make UA Steering meetings a space to bring organizations together and truly steer the UA's agenda. We are also impressed by his commitment to engage beyond our campus boarders in West Philadelphia and the greater Philadelphia community. We proudly support Mark Pan for UA Vice President.
Please feel free to reach out to anyone on APSC board if you have any questions about a particular candidate; we want to do everything we can to support them! Voting opened just minutes ago and polls close on Friday, so please remember to vote as soon as possible at pennstudgov.com!
Sincerely,

APSC Board 2010
Rohan Grover, Chair
Therese Parker, Vice Chair
Bonny Tsang, Vice Chair of Political Affairs
Tenn Nuchkasem, Vice Chair of Cultural Programming
Alex Lim, Vice Chair of University Relations
Cindy Ju, Vice Chair of External Affairs
Fannie Liu, Vice Chair of Communications
Janani Ramachandran, Vice Chair of Development

Sunday, February 21, 2010

South Asia Studies Department

APSC is no stranger to working with the administration about the lack of support that relevant academic programs and departments get at Penn. The Asian American Studies Program continues to only be a small program. We are working to expand it but progress is slow!

Another problem? The South Asia Studies Department. Unlike the ASAM, it is already a department. However, it is slowly declining. Back when the department first started in 1948, Penn was the place to study South Asia. Now, it suffers from having few faculty members that specialize in few areas. APSC is working with the department and other student organizations, including Sangam, the South Asia Society, and Penn Pakistan, to create an undergraduate advisory board and to articulate student concerns to the school administration. We need to make sure that the department continues to be supported by the administration and that it will progress, not decline. Penn will benefit from finding more professors that specialize in more areas. As students, our first priority is to acquire a rich education and we hope that Penn works to better support SAST.

Check out the DP article on it: http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/article/students-push-expansion-south-asia-studies-dept