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The Gamut

The Gamut

The Gamut

Bridging cultures with Oxford’s Japanese Club

Connecting+Cultures%3A+President+Nina+Larsen+of+OA+Japanese+Club+leads+a+Kahoot+with+trivia+about+Japanese+culture.
Dylan Nguyen
Connecting Cultures: President Nina Larsen of OA Japanese Club leads a Kahoot with trivia about Japanese culture.

One of Oxford Academy’s newest clubs on campus, find OA Japanese Club in Room 404 every Wednesday! A look inside the room will find enthusiastic students sharing Japanese traditions with presentations and group bonding activities. Striving to diversify cultural appreciation on campus, the club covers a wide range of topics, from the Japanese language to film comparisons.

 

“We hope to teach our members about Japanese culture so they could appreciate it more than just surface level, which often stops at food, anime, and J-Pop,” said club president Nina Larsen, a junior. “We want to show the traditions, customs and people because we want people to appreciate other cultures than just their own.”

 

Motivated by a love for her heritage and noticing its lack of representation at Oxford, Larsen started OA Japanese Club this year as she saw an opportunity to involve students in Japanese traditions and lifestyle. On Nov. 11, the club hosted a group of Japanese foreign exchange students at Oxford. Members got the chance to experience and interact with Japanese culture while sharing some of their own culture in return. Through a focus on education and connection, OA Japanese Club hopes to expand students’ knowledge of Japanese heritage beyond typical preconceptions. 

 

“As a Japanese club, there’s still a stigma no matter what we do that we’re an anime club [and] some people question whether non-Japanese people can be a member or lead the club,” Larsen said. “But as a culture club, we want people to realize that there’s no limit to appreciating another culture. Whether or not you’re a different ethnicity or race, that doesn’t matter. Appreciating another culture comes from your heart.”

About the Contributor
Trisha Phan, Editor in Chief
Trisha Phan, a senior at Oxford, is this year's Editor in Chief of The Gamut. A staff member since freshman year, she served as the Lifestyle Editor for the 22-23 school year (her personal favorite section, as a lover of fun diction and features). Trisha is also the Co-President of the new Law and Politics Club and the Co-President of Cartooning Club (and advises all who love drawing to join). During her free time, she enjoys crocheting stuffed animals and reading. A Lana Del Rey and Taylor Swift enthusiast, her favorite albums are NFR and Reputation. Since becoming part of the Gamut in her freshman year, Trisha has fallen in love with journalism, and is looking forward to trying new things this school year.
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Bridging cultures with Oxford’s Japanese Club