My name is Tessa Calvin (テサカルビン). I am from Sitka originally, but have lived in Anchorage for the last two years while studying at UAA and will graduate in Spring 2017. As a Medical Laboratory Science major, I have mainly focused chemistry and biology in my studies, but decided to pick up Japanese out of curiousity and just finished JPN202 with Dr. Harada. I have also taken The Way of the Tea Ceremony twice, and I absolutely love the art form and its delicious green tea. 

This course is exciting for me because it combines my interest in Japanese culture and resilience with my lifelong fascination with earthquakes and tsunamis. Additionally, because my major and associated degree field are very reliant on control, perfect conditions, and complicated machinery, I am interested in learning about how the Japanese have handled the more complex needs of their society in the face of chaos and destruction.

My summer job for many years has been at the Sitka Sound Science Center, a marine research and education facility. One of our long-term projects focuses on marine debris, and now includes debris from the 3/11 tsunami as it washes onto Southeast Alaska beaches. Many of the beaches are very remote and rocky, so it's a bit of a dangerous job. But, if the trash is not removed, it can often severely damage the ecosystem and kill fish and seabirds. It is a strong reminder that disaster in Japan, the other side of the ocean, can affect Alaska for years - our fates are closely tied!

Below is a link to the SSSC's information page about the project. 

http://www.sitkascience.org/research/marine-debris/