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HONORS EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING PROJECT PROPOSAL FORM

Complete this proposal prior to your projects start date and upload it in the UHP Database
(https://webapps.uc.edu/uchonorsstudent). Create a project (Add a new record) in the Tracking Project tab and then
upload your proposal document as an attachment. The deadline for submitting proposals is on the 5th of each month.
While the quality of the proposal is most important, strong proposals are typically 3-4 pages in length (single-spaced).
Please maintain the proposal format.
Basic Information
Full Name: Samuel Blike
UC Email: blikesj@mail.uc.edu
College: Engineering and Applied Sciences
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Title of Project: Japan Trip
Thematic Area (choose only one): Community Engagement, Creative Arts, Global Studies, Leadership, OR Research
Expected Project Start Date: 7/12/15
Expected Project End Date: 7/18/15
Project Information
1. Provide a detailed abstract of your proposed honors experiential learning project.
This summer I plan to embark on a trip to the country of Japan. This trip comes by way of my uncle Kurt, who 13
years ago took my older brother on a trip to Alaska for his sixteenth birthday. Seven years later he took my sister
to France (specifically Paris, France), also for her sixteenth birthday. But when three years ago my sixteenth came
around, my uncle did not have the funds to take me on this trip. However, as of this last year he told me he is in a
situation to be able to take me on my sixteenth birthday trip, and I have decided to go to Japan. I have always
had a great interest in the culture of Japan, and have wanted to explore this culture first hand. Growing up in
middle class Midwestern suburbia, I am very used to one type of person. This being the first time Ive been out of
the country (besides Canada), and it will be a new experience for me. As well, I do not speak the language of
Japanese, so that alone will be a constant reminder of how different Japan is from everything I am used to. I hope
to really embrace this difference in order to have some new perspectives coming back to Ohio. While Im there I
will be sure to get the full experience. I will surely go to all the biggest tourist attractions to be able to say I did,
but throughout my last free summer I will research some more hidden places that directly connect with my
interest in the Japanese culture. After all of the exploring to be done, I hope to have a greatly broadened
perspective through which I can be a more informed and open-minded global citizen.

Clearly and thoroughly address how each of the following elements will be exhibited in your work:
2. Connection to Learning Outcomes within the Honors Thematic Area (identified above)
Possess global literacy, including knowledge of geography, history, current world issues and similarities and
differences among cultures.
Having never been outside of the country, my views have been heavily influenced by the views of my parents as
well as by this region of the United States. Coming to college, they have been slightly broadened, but are still very
naively similar to that of those around this area. Just in traveling to different cities (i.e. New York, San Francisco,
Chicago), I can see how culturally different places can be. I cannot even imagine the difference I will see when
travelling to the other side of the world.
Interact with individuals from different cultures and express a sensitivity, appreciation and respect for the complex
range of experiences of diverse peoples.
As I have said, I have not been exposed to many different people. I grew up in a small town where everybody had very
similar ideas about everything, and there was very limited racial diversity. I took French in high school and in class
learned about the French culture and the French people, but I never had the opportunity to interact with them. In my
short time so far here at UC I have interacted with many more types of people than I ever have in my life. I have always
been a very tolerant person who gets along fairly well with everyone, and adapts quickly. Therefore on this trip I do not
see me having very much trouble adjusting to a society so different from my own, but rather I relish the chance at doing

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so. I hope to really be able to understand the people of this different culture, and to be able to use this understanding to
have an appreciation of people all around the world.

3. Connection to Goals and Academic Theories (include reference list, as appropriate)

A. One of my hobbies which started in fifth grade is making origami. I have always been one to build
things, and being able to build things using just paper was an amazing thing to me. I bought books
filled with designs, watched Youtube videos, and memorized how to make tons of little animals and
objects out of paper. Therefore going to Japan, the home of this amazing art, will be a great
experience for me. I hope to find places at which I can explore the roots of this art to gain a better
appreciation for it.
Another hobby of mine is playing video games. The system that I started playing games on was the
Nintendo 64. To this day, I still own and avidly play my Gameboy, my DS, my 3DS, my Gamecube,
and my Wii. It is great that Nintendo has thrived so well in the United States, but it is still centered
and most popular in Japan. On this trip I would love to go to the headquarters of my favorite gaming
company and see firsthand what they are planning for the future.
Through the investigation of both of these hobbies of mine, I hope to strengthen my interest in them
and learn to enjoy and appreciate them more in the future. There is no better way to learn more about
something than to go right to where it started.

B. One book that I have heard only good things about is Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden. This
book gives insight into the culture of Japan, specifically the life of a Geisha around World War II.
Though this book is fictional (though based on the story of a real geisha) and set about 70 years ago, I
feel it will still be a very useful resource in associating myself with the Japanese culture before I go.
As well, it will be interesting to compare and contrast the culture shown in this book to what the
culture in Japan is like current day.
Another resource I will be reading is An Enigma of Japanese Power: People and Politics in a
Stateless Nation by Karel Van Wolferen. This book provides a view of the Japanese Political system
which I believe will be a good resource to consult before being immersed in Japan. On amazon, one
review of the book was by a Japanese man who praised Wolferen, an outsider, for being able to
understand the Japanese culture and social system so well. I think this resource will be very important
so that I have an idea of what Japanese culture is like being going there.

4. Initiative, Independence, and/or Creativity

When my uncle told me I could go on this trip I had the choice of anywhere in the world. I thought greatly about
this and decided on Japan because of its connection to some of my interests and well as my interest in the
Japanese culture as a whole. I believe this trip will be amazingly eye-opening for me and will allow me to come
back to the United States with entirely new perspectives. As well, my uncle has limited experience with Japan and
therefore I will be making the majority of the decisions on what we do, where we eat, etc. This is important
because I can truly make this trip a reflection of my own interests and mindset, and learn all that I would like
about this culture that interests me. In this way this trip is like a sandbox for me building my own experience as I
would like it, contrary to some school or family trips I have taken in the past.

5. Reflection
While in Japan, I intend to keep a journal of my experiences day-by-day. This will allow me to reflect upon the
days events while there, as well as being able to reflect on the trip as a whole later on. It is always a struggle to
get myself to write, so this will be a good avenue by which to become more comfortable with, and (God forbid)
learn to enjoy writing. As well, I will take a lot of pictures. My cell phone has a very good camera and I hope to
fill it to bursting with my experiences so that I can look at them later. At the end of each day, I will look through
all of the pictures to help remind me of what I saw while writing the journal entries. This will allow the journal
entries to be as detailed as possible.

6. Dissemination
Another passion of mine is watercolor painting. I particularly enjoy painting people, though I also have painted
landscapes, cityscapes, etc. in the past. While interacting with people of this separate culture, as stated in one of
the learning outcomes, I will be taking many pictures of these people and the scenery around them for the use of
reflection. Upon my return to the great state of Ohio, I will take the few favorites of these pictures and make a
mini portfolio of paintings to summarize my trip. Ideally, I would like this portfolio to consist of about six
paintings, and depict the people, places, and interesting aspects of Japan. To supplement this and tie in to my love
of origami, I plan to also make many origami creations while there and when I get back based on things I learn
about the art while there. Hopefully I will have learned about the art enough to know some new models and new
techniques about the art, and perhaps design my own creation.
These pieces of artwork will be shown in the honors lounge for students to view. Through this art, I hope to give
other students like myself who have never travelled outside of the United States an idea of what it is like and how
important it is to do so. By viewing said exhibit, people will be able to get a taste of Japan.

7. Project Advisor(s)
Dr. Noriko Fujioka
Professor of Japanese Language at UC
noriko.fujioka@uc.edu

8. Budget (if applicable)

Flight (American Airlines from Expedia.com): $2293.73
Daily budget (Hotel and food according to japan-guide.com): ~ 15,000 yen or $129
For 7 days: ~ $903
The remainder of costs (i.e. to enter museums, etc.) will be covered by my uncle
Itinerary TBD. Many tour services are available and shown on japan-guide.com, as well as recommended
itineraries. However, the goal of this trip is to develop a self-created experience of Japanese culture based on my
personal interests.