In the end, farewell

Published 06-04-2009 in The California Aggie

The columnist is a story of contradiction. At once he must act as the interlocutor of opined reason and customized analysis, yet by the sheer necessity for argument, he must take a stand. At times, these demands conflict; for a columnist, thus, the attainment of a perfect balance is a lasting achievement.

Writing is about eloquence magnified by personal ambition. In the beginning, the columnist sees privilege. Like a child, he’s afforded space and time to write whatever he desires. He is hence impressionable, wondrous, admiring the instant subject-connection he has established. The responsibility liberates as it is large.

At this moment, the world with its inherent flaws seems raw and callow. Viewing this situation, the columnist is heightened with confidence, trusting his instincts, transfixed by the finality of his thoughts. He asserts order to a disordered world, proclaiming certainty to unpredictability. For him, his eyes have been opened by limitless possibilities. He is the master of his own destiny — he passionately knows everything and says anything. The world can be bent to his will.

But then comes recognition. Initially, the columnist found the power refreshing, mutual. Slowly, he realizes that things weren’t as simple as he envisioned. He previously saw the world as a closed system with finite alternatives, but now notices that society, with its quirks and imperfections, is a fragile state of nature. They constantly evolve and revolt, never having any certainty but always having plenty of fluidity. The columnist no longer sees things the same way.

With time comes appreciation. The grandest plays are defined by the smallest details, and as the columnist accepts the circumstances, he now understands how elements combine, transform and reciprocate. He identifies their finer qualities, learns the overarching narrative and the geometric pattern that defines things.

Now, the columnist masters. Through deliberate practice and constant writing, he expands his scope of both idealism and practicality. He learns to integrate the constraints of abstract play to the chaos that envelope the real world. Rather than merely dictating play, he now synchronizes them. Minds and hearts unite — at this moment, they are one.

The columnist is no longer defined by the column, but has elevated it to a performance art. At its essence, the column is the potential for majesty and grandeur. The columnist has synthesized a desire for performance with the practicalities of reality. His goal is accomplished. He has attained the very best.

---

Our ideals are our defining identities. Ideals convey a sense of belonging, a precept and belief in the capacity to achieve something truly meaningful.

In life, sometimes we have no choice. We are often shaped by external circumstances, influenced and affected by what society demands from us. Choice becomes secondary.

Despite these challenges, it is important to remain true to one’s identity, to maintain an unyielding, principled belief in the face of withering criticism, spreading debauchery and uninformed opinion. Remaining true to one’s intrinsic, fundamental principles, that can define the whole world.

---

There is an idealistic benefit of longevity. It is familiarity. With increasing identification comes assimilation, an intrinsic joy to operate within the framework that has been established.

While longevity matters, equally important is the need to outreach. One must reach outside comfort to seek the unseen and to explore the unexpected. Life is a journey often displaced by another challenge, to shatter boundaries, to redefine paradigms. It must be tested again and again.

For the past three years, the experience of writing as a columnist for The California Aggie has at once been exhilarating, unpredictable, joyful and satisfying. Personally, now is the time to finally move on, to try the other vagaries that life has to offer. As Tennyson mentioned, it is the time to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield. Farewell, UC Davis. it’s time for a new journey!

It’s been a wonderful and exciting three years — ZACH HAN thanks you all from zklhan@ucdavis.edu for your readership, encouragement and emails; they were greatly motivating and sincerely touching, thank you!

The strange country

Published 05-28-2009 in The California Aggie

America is a strange nation. She is a country that produces the very best and the very worst, whether in political, economic or cultural aspects. Everything and anything happens in America.

Take its politics. America’s politics are bitterly partisan, often divided around staunch, sometimes less-clear, battle lines. Republicans and Democrats represent the dual extremes of two highly polar positions, but swing moderates, special interests groups and think tanks also influence. Thus the process to win votes are frequently organized and mechanized.

Here, everyone argues about equal pay to minority representation to marriage rights to corporate reform to entitlement crises to environmental preservation. The debate is so intense and noisy that at times, America seems incapable of governing or achieving anything at all.

Yet the very fact that we hear so much about the nation’s ills and maladies and doom illustrates the very strength of its democratic vibrancy. There is a desire to constantly change, renew and elevate the nation to something grander. People vote according to their perspectives and context. Hence here dissent is the best form of acceptance.

Then there are America’s laws. The Constitution, with amendments such as gun-bearing rights and the secret deliberative process of the Supreme Court, can often appear antiquated. Yet its very antiquity testifies to its endurance to its very best ideals. Individuals yield to no authority or power, but subscribe to a clear if abstract ideal of justice and independence of thought.

Corruption and authoritarianism are endemic in many nations around the world, for instance, and America is no exception. Yet here none stands above the rule of law and communal moral certitude. Eliott Spitzer and John Edwards, two former successful national politicians, floundered their careers for personal indiscretions. Bernie Madoff is facing trials while Michael Vick was just released. The system allows for self-correction, regeneration and reversals.

And this is a nation of endless products and boundless consumption, products churned constantly one after another. Brands and retailers such as Staples, Quiznos, Target, Microsoft and Ford proliferate. Companies design and cater products for every subcategory, ethnicity, preference: financial and asset management needs, insurance needs, technological efficiency needs, lifestyle home interior needs, business leverage needs. The list is so diverse and plenty that one can feel lost in a world of profuse materialism.

Yet America also delivers the very best, cutting-edge leadership. Apple has conceived some of the finest consumer electronic advancements ever known, its revolutionary designs and powerful functionalities of iPhones, iPods and iMacs spawning imitators everywhere. Barring their questionable bets in risky securities, the investment banks also apply some of the most outstanding theoretical, modern approaches to facilitating business and creating conducive operating environments.

Living in America is at once seeing the world in all its forms and quirks. One tastes Korean BBQs, experience the Irish Catholicism, indulge in French wine, retaliate against Mexican jalapenos, enjoy Cirque du Soleil and watch taiko. Cultures and cuisines come in various forms. The celebrations are diverse as they are astounding.

But the diversity also sometimes creates problems. In studies on race, though narrowing, examination scores still show marked differences. Stereotypes permeate. Urban slums are the consequence of income disparity and class groupings. A class of the very rich versus the stagnant middle class craters from the unequal distribution and remuneration of equity. The juxtaposed show the very best and very worst.

America is a restless soul tempered by a resilient dedication. She exhibits very divergent behaviors and attitudes, demonstrating exceptionalism while desiring a national collectivity. The battle for the heart of America is often fierce, cunning, voracious and incomprehensible. And this weird character is what gives America her defining, unique identity.

ZACH HAN thanks all the diverse people who traversed into his life from zklhan@ucdavis.edu!

The relevant education

Published 05-21-2009 in The California Aggie

There is an increasing clamor for the bureaucratization of college education. For many, globalization reemphasizes the demand for technical expertise. To thrive in the current economic mode is to attain the very specific skill sets employers require — to the extent that “a humanities education,” as the New York Times reports, “may become “a great luxury that many cannot afford.”” The oft-cited resolution is simply to shift the focus of college education to align with global economic patterns.

This approach ignores the fundamental premise of a college education.

Education is the empowerment of minds allied to active emotional maturation. At its essence, learning isn’t merely about the absorption of information. Instead, it is acquiring the ability to understand complexity, to map the details and networks in the grand scheme of order, and articulate the resulting conclusions with flourish. It helps one think and reason through ambiguity.

In this respect, a diverse college education expands, not narrows, intellectual horizons. Utilized beneficially, individuals grow. Through an exposure not to a specific technical vocation, one gains the essential analytical skills and appreciative fervor for the canon of established knowledge — from Nietzsche’s existential nihilism to Chaos theory to Modigliani-Miller’s powerful model of financial leverage. This diversity provides a perspective of independence.

One prevalent problem with this goal, including at UC Davis, is the tendency for students to skip the personal inquiry step for top grades. At college, one’s understanding is evaluated through the assignment of grades. Grades illustrate one’s ability to thrive in challenging subject materials while balancing the demands of professional growth, healthy emotional lives, personal relationships and continuous leadership opportunities. They indicate one’s ability to multitask under intense time pressure.

But too often students cram at the expense of focused and dedicated learning. Cramming is short-term, instant memorization frequently consequent of poor time management. At times, in the busy, distractive pacing of today’s society, cramming is unavoidable as it is necessary. But the potential for abuse is high, and frequenting this behavior as a general form of study misses the endeavor that goes into actual learning. This prevents active intellectual curiosity.

In this context, one’s focus is on the solutions, not the thought-process. This is a problem that must be resolved.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the second premise of a diverse college education is to help one integrate into institutionalized communal structures. As the New York Times columnist David Brooks describes the situation, “we are not defined by what we ask of life. We are defined by what life asks of us.” Precisely because society is organized around certain requisite norms and commonly agreed behavioral principles, one’s comprehension and practice of certain attitudes are essential. To succeed in society, one must acclimatize to the preset rules and precepts. Certain patterns of actions must be adhered to.

In this sense, college, by its very function of instruction, is responsible to provide a platform for the cultivation of mannerisms, etiquette, ethics and grace. Through a setting for character growth, one develops the ability to emote, to project passion and to express convictions. These skills are what define connections. A diverse education helps one train these soft skills.

A diverse college education, rather than specific technical development, helps one attain the height of human consciousness while adapting to the needs of society. It is to make or bring meaning to what can seem meaningless. The diversity promotes creativity, a willingness to look beyond the obvious, harnesses the power of imagination. In the end, thus, the clamor to design education to train specific technical skills comes at the great expense of many essential life skills.

ZACH HAN thinks college is the best experience to happen… agree at zklhan@ucdavis.edu

The Edwards predicament

Published 05-14-2009 in The California Aggie

Even in political asylum John Edwards cannot stop stealing the limelight. Earlier last week a federal investigation was launched against him for the potential abuse of public funds during his presidential election. His wife Elizabeth is currently promoting her book “Resilience” about the personal travails she undergone while her husband committed infidelity. For the man who seems almost politically irrelevant, the image of the smiling politician seems pretty alive in public consciousness.

But perhaps the most surprising reaction to his infidelity is their very ferocity.

John Edwards always framed his life story as a battle against difficult circumstances and debilitating adversity. Son of a mill worker, he rose to prominence as a leading senator and vice-presidential candidate. As a lawyer, he describes his goals as a crusade for the poor workers against large, exploitative corporations. For many, he appeared a model of strength, directed in resolve against the many injustices life offers. His success was an inspiring American Dream tale come true — many could have subconsciously wanted his ascension as President to make it complete.

But like all stories of overindulgence in the height of successes, he eventually dismissed his very values and succumbed to temptation.

The public office contains a special aura because its inhabitants are a reflection of the constitutional character of our values. For those seeking to assume leadership here, there is an established moral conduct and construct of behavior and engagement that must be fulfilled. The standards are exacting and rigorous.

The demands of the public office can seem exorbitant at times. Yet these demands are necessary as they can be overwhelming. The public office is an incubator of public trust. As much as officials are merely individuals prone to errors, they are volunteers of tremendous responsibility. Placed in their trust are enormous public resources, the authority for power and the privilege of public resource — they yield the power to affect billions of lives.

And while individuals and society has many imperfections, the community expects their leaders to exhibit sound judgment and stable ethical purpose. This includes the ability to resist temptation, be filial, maintain faith in God, organize family values, connect with the community and pay attention to the greater good. Thus they are there to only serve the people, independent from personal interests.

For that reason, the public official’s life is a public record. When one decides to run for public office, their lives are no longer theirs, but subject to the close examination of the public. To commit into public office is to abandon any opportunity at privacy.

For Edwards, his mistakes were twofold. The first mistake was to engage in a consensual illicit relationship with Rielle Hunter, a lady who also produced his campaign videos.

Perhaps more importantly, and what truly infuriates, is his compounding his error by continuing the affair. Despite, as Elizabeth testifies in “Resilience”, his admission that he committed personal foresight, even as she “cried and screamed,” he subsequently continued the relationship. And he did this all while continuing to contest the Democratic primary nomination, refusing to abandon his affair. Absent was any thought of public admission, apology and recrimination. Instead, Edwards quietly hid knowledge of the relationship from the public.

In this respect, Edwards was irresponsible as he was unqualified.

In many ways, John Edwards submitted in a moment of personal weakness. He lost control of his moral judgment despite his responsibilities as a public official. That doesn’t diminish his accomplishments as a crusader for justice or as an individual, loving family person. But the environment for public office just dictates that such a behavior and attitude isn’t tolerated.

As much as “Resilience” is the other side of the story, ZACH HAN still thinks its somewhat a last-attempt at publicity… concur at zklhan@ucdavis.edu

The individual war

Published 05-07-2009 in The California Aggie

A recent invention is threatening to become even more personal than Google. As The Independent reported, Wolfram Alpha promises access to a world designed uniquely to oneself: it “will understand questions and give specific, tailored answers in a way that the web has never managed before.” Alpha, in other words, delivers what humans always sought: immediate, accurate answers.

This era is an era of looping, endless mass production and mass consumption. Products proliferate and advertisements abound. For many, this can be jarring as it can be disorienting — too much is also too little. Which precisely is why the future is increasingly shaping to be a war to reclaim individual identity. The strides for individuality brims like never before.

Take workplace changes. For companies, formal titles and dressing often convey professionalism and unity of purpose. These promote a sense of togetherness and focus toward corporate objectives. It is collective and distinctive by its sameness.

Yet that culture is evolving. In industries reliant on creative impulses especially, adopted are more casual dress codes; some tech companies even allow employees to name their own titles. For one reason, hierarchies seemingly impose levels and corporatism; these fail to humanize. By forsaking these attitudes, subordination is displaced by independent and organic values. They glorify individualism.

Popular culture is also affected. Marketers are appealing to the desire for individualism by discarding utility for prestige and purpose. Rather than portraying products as attractive commodities, they advertise emergent external product experiences: the iconic Haagen Daaz ad of a lady sumptuously enjoying a slice, the Toyota ad illustrating a commitment to environment. Absent in these are any mentions of business transactions. Instead, present is impressions of pleasure.

Similarly, Internet 2.0 is not about the dissemination of information. Instead they strive to empower users. New business models such as FML, Twitter, Facebook and digg.com thrive exactly because users can control their direction. Users discuss their daily lives and others respond. They post and calibrate individual information, others observing and listening. It is all for the individual feeling

What are the consequences? Manifold.

The first noticeable change is the way of interaction. Efficiency is now king. In cable news and papers, presentations must be condensed into immediate, comprehensible fragments. Complex sentence infrastructures are curtailed. Speed of understanding trumps artistry. Everything must be fast. Individuals, not issues, take priority.

Pleasure has also become mechanized. Theme parks imitate real beaches and forests while gaming is becoming Wii-fied. Actual substantive experiences are transformed into replicated similar experiences. Technology mimics traditionalism, the surreal becomes the reality and the artificial becomes the authentic. Everything is geared towards individual pleasure.

At a time when prior institutions and ways of life are under assault, one sees what one had previously with a special clarity and realizes the expensive price of modernization. And it is steep: the loss of meaning creates disillusionment and existential crises at the endless, same products. But humanity is retaliating in attempt to regain individual freedom and identity, which is why Wolfram Alpha is probably going to be the next dominant thing.

ZACH HAN is excited about Wolfram Alpha, expecting to instantly find a delivered email at zklhan@ucdavis.edu when he submits a query. Prove him wrong!

The 100-day context

Published 04-30-2009 in The California Aggie

The 100-day mark is an exercise in futility. It neither provides any defining, authoritative conclusions, nor does it lay sufficient evidence for future successes. But the mark, however flawed a construct it is, is not just an indicator and predictor of performance. Rather, it conveys a perspective of context.

And the perspective of context matters, as it then emerges as a template from where we can evaluate the short-term projects that have been implemented. And sometimes, early successes or failures can define a presidency.

The past few years witnessed a successive failure of American leadership. This incident was at once a function of Boomer quarrels, cultural misalignment, racial fragments and technological distraction. Mired in internal conflict, America consequently and consistently ignored the most pressing problems she faced. It threatened the very values and essence of America.

It is this framework of failure that President Obama is cast into. The presidency is not a tale about Obama, but by virtue of his role, his identity and actions are central to it. Subsequently, he has come to illustrate that substantially, while his success in setting and driving the agenda for legislation has yet to truly manifest its projected long-term impact, he has changed something fundamental in us. And that something is perception, at domestic, foreign and local levels.

The domestic perceptions are our conceptions of the role of government in the public sphere. If Reagan thought the solution to societal ills was to remove government from the equation, Obama proposes to re-center government to the very heart of problems. He has almost nationalized banks, dramatically increased the influence of the government for the next decade, proposed activism. It is almost a story of continuous government stewardship in a more fragile, interdependent world.

Then there is America’s tarnished international reputation. After years of dwindling American moral stature — culminating in the shoe-throwing incident of President Bush — Obama has reoriented our image through choice and circumstance.

Choice by his decision to embrace hostile regimes, including negotiating with socialist dictators and releasing torture memos, while circumstance by his apologetic remarks during the European summit. At once, Obama has reshaped the contours of America to a more tolerant, open nation, a claim of the moral high ground.

Finally, the most palpable change Obama has delivered is elevating a sense of national purpose. After years of fractious contentions created a legacy of disorientation with the government, applications for public service is on the rise, while as the New York Times reported, “two-thirds of Americans now say race relations are generally good.” Meanwhile, incendiary Republican rhetoric increasingly appear extremist and vacuous. The optimism that America, at its core, is capable for dedicating service is finally returning.

Sometimes, there are aspects in life and in society that cannot be merely reduced to statistics and numbers. Instead, by its arbitrary, transient nature, these are categories that defy measurements and quantification.

Similarly, we cannot judge Obama’s 100 days by merely ranking the state of the economy or the legislation he passed. But we can try to understand the quiet and implicit transformations he brings: the sense that something grand is occurring, the anticipation that at a critical moment in our history, we are finally moving past our old battles and confronting our new ones.

For that reason, the 100-day mark is instructive as it is pointless.

Astounding feats of leadership are often demonstrated during moments of gravest dangers. Obama has shown us glimpses of what he can achieve — demonstrating, through a sincerity to resolve, a willingness to listen, and political poise, that America can assert its authority as the force of democratic good that it has often been.

ZACH HAN demands a 100-day evaluation for everything in life. Propose a different solution at zklhan@ucdavis.edu

The international problem

Published 04-23-2009 in The California Aggie

One of the least discussed problems at UC Davis is the under representation, both politically and in popular awareness, of the international student population.

They currently represent around 2,500 students or almost 10 percent of the student population, yet at times they seem almost non-represented. More should be done.

For the international students, there are multiple, significant barriers to integration. At once there are linguistic, lifestyle and cultural challenges.

The language problem consists of the difficulty comprehending the unique style and reaction of a native speaker. For locals, phrases like “hella,” “tight,” and “what’s up?” permeate daily speech. To the international, schooled and versed more in the academic art of English conversation, this novelty can be as disorienting as it can be disheartening.

Then there are lifestyle issues. The average UC Davis student’s immediate interest lies at their place in and contributions to society. Hence what motivate them are the events that directly affect their lives — the success of the local Sharks team, Colbert’s latest parody, the policy suggestions of President Obama. Their activities also differ fundamentally: alcohol and outdoor hikes are local ways of life. Even in sports — the great equalizer of human aspirations — the most universally popular sport of all, soccer, is relegated to a position behind the Red Sox, the Lakers and the Raiders.

For the foreigner, the differences in shared experiences often prevent active emotional connection. Mutual engagement is undoubtedly possible, but it requires great effort to learning. For some, the demands of adapting an entirely new lifestyle can be hugely demoralizing.

The final challenge is cultural. America’s openness to intimate human relations and contact is commonplace, and rightly so. Thanks to the 1970s sexual revolution and subsequent liberal attitudes towards natural human desires, gender separation is virtually nonexistent. For those from more conservative nations, this can be shocking and daunting. It challenges a lifetime’s conception of morality and tradition.

The confluence of these factors, to an international student, often hinders individual growth and professional development. In a way, this consequence is somewhat inevitable as it is natural.

And in the long-term, the broader, underlying problem can manifest both voluntary and involuntary segregation. Failure to become involved locally pushes some to support groups, including peer counseling, nationality-based networks and CAPS. An inability to integrate can also lead to loneliness, depression, withdrawal and, in extreme cases, suicide. For many, this experience then emerges as a story of unfulfilled potential and missed opportunity.

What can be done? Presently, the Services for International Students and Scholars, with their numerous cultural events, functions and workshops, attempts to assist with the international students’ numerous needs and integration.

But more can be done at a local level to provide the integral emotional and linguistic support. For the international student, reaching out is both a function of individual resilience and external approval. Individual resilience entails a personal willingness to learn and a dedication to thrive in a culture that is foreign and alien. Meanwhile, external approval embodies our collective responses to those who, at times, are confounded by what for us seems natural. A patient understanding and acceptance of those unfamiliar with localities can greatly inspire.

An establishment of a position in the student government, specifically focusing on certain aspects, is also necessary and pivotal. This guarantees an opportunity for active political representation, especially with regards to numerous welfare and personal needs.

The challenges confronting an international student are diverse and, at times, dispiriting. More can and should be done to address this.

After all, living far away from home is both an opportunity for crisis or achievement.

ZACH HAN salutes those who come from afar to learn and achieve, and sends his regards from zklhan@ucdavis.edu