My opinion about using the death penalty by Chiaki K.

              I am against using the death penalty as a form of criminal punishment. There are three reasons. First of all, the death penalty is not enough as a deterrent to crime. It is said that the death penalty is a good deterrent, but there is no reliable data that proves that the death penalty decreases the number of dreadful crimes. Also, I think that the deterrent to crime is not only the death penalty but also, for example, life imprisonment. In other words, the death penalty is not a special means to deter crimes, so the death penalty is no excuse for killing a person. In addition, there is a economic problem to continue the death penalty. When the defendant is sentenced to death, it costs enormous amounts of money for retrial and other things, so we can’t save money. Also, in Japan, while prisoners make money by their work at prison, condemned criminals don’t work at detention rooms and they don’t make them. The money that prisoners make become the profit for nation and helps to support victims. So, by abolishing the death penalty, the economic burden for trial becomes lighter and we can support victims and their families by the money that is saved and that prisoners make. I think that it is more important to support victims and their families than execution, so we should save money by abolishing the death penalty. Finally, there is a risk that the judgment is false. For example, in 25 states of America, 124 condemned criminals were released by 2007 because the truth that they are falsely accused became clear before their execution. Like this, there is a possibility that the decision of the death penalty will be reversed. Even if the condemned criminal is actually innocence, the death penalty cannot be redone and it becomes only murder. So, I think that the death penalty should not be executed because of the possibility that the judgment is uncertain. For these reasons, I believe that the death penalty should be abolished.

The reasons why I chose the University of Tsukuba by Chiaki K.

              There are four reasons why I decided to come to the University of Tsukuba. First, Tsukuba City is near my home town, Iwaki City. I like my home and my home town, so I thought that my university should be near, so I could go back easily. Secondly, the University of Tsukuba is a national university. School expenses of a national university are cheaper than that of private universities, so the burden to my parents is lighter. I think that lightening the burden to my parents is a filial duty. Thirdly, the University of Tsukuba is a big university. This university is a good place for studying because it has good facilities for study. Especially the very big university library is the best facility for me because I will major in literature. Finally, I thought that I can study widely at the College of Comparative Culture of the University of Tsukuba. I want to study about myth and literature with myth for their motif, especially Western classics because I like a mythical motif. In addition, I am interested in Western arts with mythical motifs and European Folklore. When I looked at the web site of the College of Comparative Culture, I thought that I could study all that I wanted to at this college, so I was attracted to it. For these four reasons, I chose the University of Tsukuba to study.

 

The Meaning of Studying Western Classics by Chiaki K.

              The study of Western classics includes mainly Greco-Roman literature about various fields such as myth, philosophy or history, the Old Testament or other Christian documents. Because they are written in Ancient Greek or Latin which have a wide influence, there are very many documents which are studied. Many people, for example, professors or teachers say that the Western classics are the basis of Western culture. I think that classics are very meaningful and attractive. There are two main reasons for this. First, studying classics is beginning to understand the culture of the West which built the modern world system. Second, the view of the world of the Western classics has fertile images.

              Studying classics is a beginning to understand the culture of the West which built the system of the modern society. The basis of the modern world lies in the modern philosophy which supports the modern Western system, and there are two sources of the modern philosophy. One is the Greek idea and the other is the faith of the Hebrews. As Iwata (2003, p.ⅲ) says, modern philosophy in Europe is the development of these two sources, the rebellion against them, or the transformation of them. So, to understand radically the idea ruling the modern society, we need to understand its source, the Greek idea and the faith of the Hebrew, by studying classics. So, classics is very meaningful to study for us living in the modern society.

              Another reason why classics is the study worth studying is that the view of the world of the Western classics has fertile images. Images of Greek gods expressed in works of Ancient Greek or Roman epic poets supplied the inspiration for many writers and artists and they are used as a theme or motif of many drama or pictures. For example, the story of Pyramus and Thisbe from “Metamorphoses” by the roman poet Ovid was the motif of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”. Of course, stories in the Bible are used as a theme of many works, too. So, it may be said that we can develop our sensitivity when we study classics.

              Classics is a meaningful study for us and it attracts people for a long time. It is a beginning to understand the modern world based on the modern Western philosophy. Furthermore, it has fertile imagines and supplied inspiration for people from way back. Classics should be studied more positively in Japan now.

405 Words

References

Iwata, Y. (2003), Yoroppa Shiso Nyumon, Tokyo, Iwanami Shoten, Publishers.

The most hurtful experience of my life by Chiaki K.

The worst experience of my life is when I cut my finger. In the third grade, my older sister in the fifth grade had a knife to use for arts and crafts class. On a Saturday, she showed it to me and then I began to play with it because I had hardly ever looked at a knife and I was interested in it. Its name was “Safe”, so I thought that the knife was safe. After a while, My hand slipped and unfortunately I cut the middle finger of my left hand. The cut was deeper than I had expected, so the blood ran copiously and my beige pants became dirty with blood. When my mother came home, she was angry at me because I played with a knife despite it being so dangerous to do that. In the evening, I was taken to the hospital by my parents. Before we arrived at the hospital, I was crying in the car because I was afraid of the hospital. While The doctor disinfected my cut with Isodine lotion, I cried too because of the pain. The next day, I was absent from school just to be on the safe side. The school lunch of that day was a rare dish, Sankaku Pizza (Triangle Pizza) and I couldn’t eat it, of course. Surprisingly, Sankaku Pizza was never served again in the school lunch until the day I graduated from the junior high school. So I’m very regretful even now. For a while after that day, I had to disinfect with Isodine lotion and I cried every time. As a result of this experience, I came to dislike to use a knife such as cutters or knives for cooking. In addition, I came to be more careful when I use a knife because I learned that knives are dangerous. This is the most hurtful experience of my life.

 

My wonderful student life in Tsukuba by Chiaki K.

 

My student life at the University of Tsukuba is wonderful. First, I’m satisfied with the classes which I have selected. I can study what I want to, especially comparative literature and culture. I feel happy when I study them. Second, the University of Tsukuba has very big libraries. In particular, the central library has so many books. They are so interesting for me and they help me when I study by myself. So I like to go to the central library. Third, I like to do my club activity. I belong to an art club, Zugadan. I enjoy not only drawing but also sometimes going to art museums with members. And I can make friends besides that in the Comparative Culture Department. It is fun to talk with friends and I learn from talking with senior members about the fine arts, studying, the future and so on. I look forward to seeing them on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Finally, I have many friends. My friends are great people. They are interesting, kind and intelligent. Thanks to them, I can find new perspectives and I can learn many things every day. When I spend time with my friends, I don’t feel lonely about living alone. I live a good student life at the University of Tsukuba with interesting classes, good libraries and very nice friends.