Hey there! My name is Kimberly Hassel, and I am this year’s DA (Director’s Assistant) for Dartmouth’s Japanese LSA+ in Chiba, Japan. For those of you who may not know, this is an advanced language study abroad program in which Dartmouth students take classes at Kanda University of International Studies (KUIS), live with homestay families located throughout Chiba, and participate in excursions all around Japan. The program lasts about 10 weeks (the length of a classic term at Dartmouth), which gives students time to immerse themselves in their new environments. It’s an amazing program, and many alumni of the program look back fondly upon their LSA experience. Some even participate in the program three years later as a Director’s Assistant (hint: me)!
The LSA+ Director (Professor James Dorsey, right) and Director's Assistant (Kimberly Hassel, left)
The current director of the LSA+ is Professor James Dorsey, an associate professor of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literatures (Japanese) at Dartmouth. On the LSA+, Professor Dorsey teaches Japanese 11: "Hear the Songs of Love: Love, Gender, and Marriage in Japanese Popular Culture." It's an incredibly fun class that utilizes Japanese music (specifically folk) as a form of language study and critical analysis of themes in Japanese society. Professor Dorsey is an expert in many things, including Japanese folk music, Japanese literature, and translation. He also dabbles in aikido during his free time. The LSA+ is very lucky to have a Director like Professor Dorsey! 感謝しています！
A few fun facts about myself: I am a recent graduate of Dartmouth (Class of 2016), where I majored in Japanese modified with Anthropology. I’ll be pursuing a PhD in East Asian Studies at Princeton in the fall, though I was fortunate enough to be selected to serve as the DA for the Japanese LSA+ the summer before beginning my graduate studies. I traveled to Japan several times throughout my Dartmouth career. During my freshman year I embarked on the LSA+, which solidified my interest in studying Japanese at Dartmouth. During my junior fall, I participated in a teaching internship at Ibaraki Christian University in Hitachi, Ibaraki Prefecture. Finally, during my junior summer, I returned to Japan and traveled throughout the country to perform fieldwork for my senior honors thesis, which investigated the Japanese school uniform (seifuku) as an embodiment of supernatural, commodity, and sexual fetishisms. I am so glad to be back in Japan as the DA; this summer is bound to bring back so many pleasant memories of my own LSA+ experience!
This blog will serve as a way to document our adventures in Japan and demystify the program for current and prospective students. I’ll do my absolute best to be as witty as possible.
I hope that you enjoy reading about our adventures! よろしくお願いします！