LETTER: Abhors a Vacuum

Last semester, Japanese Studies ended admitting students to its graduate program as a result of a lack of academic support for Japanese Studies at Penn (DP 11/7/91). Over half of the undergraduate majors in Oriental Studies presently concentrate in Japanese Studies. But for these numbers, Penn only has one tenured professor and one assistant professor, and a listing of under twenty Japanese courses. These figures are significantly lower than East Asian departments in other schools. In the last five years, nine professors and lecturers have left Japanese Studies, which has created a vacuum within the program and was a contributing factor in the decision to impose the moratorium on graduate admissions in Japanese Studies. The lack of graduate teaching assistants jeopardizes the existence of many introductory courses. The grave state of Japanese Studies at Penn should be everyone's concern. Considering the increasing need for understanding between the United States and Japan, Penn cannot afford to lose a program which fosters this cultural exchange. Students at Penn can become directly involved in saving Japanese Studies. A petition will be recirculated throughout the campus, which will ask to revitalize Japanese Studies. The re-expansion of Japanese Studies should not just be a problem of a small group of Oriental Studies scholars and students. The purpose of this petition is to raise awareness of the issue, to interest people beyond the confines of the Oriental Studies Department. Despite the current budget restraints at Penn, we cannot allow the current state of Japanese Studies to be ignored. NORBERT HSU Chairperson Students for Asian Affairs College '94 EUGENE CHAY Vice-Chairperson College '93 WILSON JOE Member College '94 JIM LEE Member College '92

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