-- Allie Hill, director, international alumni relations, EAA

The program included the Conference on Compassion Meditation. That title would indicate we would be taught what compassion meditation is and how to do it. But the key is in the second part of the title: "Mapping Current Research and Charting Future Directions." The program was split into two sessions: 9:30–11:30 a.m. and 1:30–3:30 p.m.

In the morning, we were introduced to some serious science, which included maps of the brain showing the effect of compassion meditation on the amygdala. I learned from another speaker about the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the heart.

The scientists updated the Dalai Lama on the progress of their studies and research, and then he would provide comments or ask questions. One of the Dalai Lama's many great comments that I wrote down in my new blue book is: “Compassion brings inner strength and that loving-kindness connects us to wisdom.”

Next was lunch at Cox Hall. The Dalai Lama ate elsewhere and then joined us for dessert. The security was intense. There was a long table at the front of the room where a panel sat with His Holiness in the middle. After the introductions, he pointed to the empty chair on his right, laughed, made eye contact with President Jim Wagner and said “your chair is empty.” President Wagner promptly moved from his table to the empty chair.

We saw examples on some of the work being done by the Emory-Tibet partnership as there were samples at each table. We saw a textbook with English on the left and Tibetan on the right.

One of the discussions was about how hard it is to translate Tibetan into English. The primers and texts have really helped the monasteries and future generations. His Holiness believes that the fruits of these collaborations will provide benefits for years to come. He also said that both sides of the partnership should learn both languages ... perhaps Western languages are best for science but Sanskrit is better for the mind.

The afternoon brought more information about future research projects. Everything was fantastic. All of the work being done is important; one project that stuck in my mind was a study of the children in London who were evacuated to the English countryside to escape the London Blitz during the Second World War. The study showed that the children were better off with their mothers.

There was also a pilot program for foster children ages 13-16 using the compassion meditation that has shown so much promise that it has been extended. The speaker gave a specific example of a girl who testified to the judge (related to her foster situation), saying that she practiced one hour every day and learned that she did not need to clamp down her emotions. The judge was so impressed by the girls that he helped to expand the program. All it took was one pebble in a pond to make a difference.

After learning about the various studies using compassion meditation (or something similar) it had made me want to learn more about it and how to do it myself. Study myself, do compassion meditation for six weeks and journal the before and after, could be interesting. At the end we were told to work on having more ethics based on secularism and to work hard to eliminate bias.

--Kathleen E. Hedrick 89B, past-president, Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of Emory Alumni

Sunday is a beautiful day on campus. As I walk to the gym I see police, men in fatigues, and many people already lining up around the outside of the Woodruff PE Center track. I approach the nearest volunteer to find out where I need to enter. Turns out it was back at the entrance near Dobbs Hall (my freshman dorm).

I am early, as recommended, so there is not much of a line. Being a sponsor has some perks and this is one of them. After I pass through security, I realize the main doors are blacked out and I do not know where to go. I follow a yellow power cord. I follow it down a back hallway, alone. I open the door, and the hallway is transformed. Turns out I missed a lunch, so I get some water and sit down for a second to collect myself.

OK, time to find my seats. Once I leave this area it is full of people and there is a long line--for the women’s bathroom. There is no line for the souvenir booths, so I shop a little bit. I venture into the gym to find my seat. The gym has been completely transformed. You would not know if was the same place except for some permanent banners near the ceiling. The room is fairly dark. There are rows of white folding chairs with little stick-on lights on the legs of the chairs on the isles. Helpful volunteers lead me and everyone else to our correct seats. I am in section 2; row L, which is pretty nice.

The stage background is set up to mimic Emory's front gate. It is breathtaking.

This session is called “Interfaith Summit on Happiness”. It includes representatives from the Christian faith, Katharine Jefferts Schori (Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church); Jewish faith, Lord Jonathan Sacks (Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregation of the Commonwealth); Muslim faith, Seyyed Hossein Nasr (University Professor of Islamic Studies at George Washington University), and His Holiness to represent Buddhism. Krista Tippett

moderates the talk.

A cool thing is that stage right is someone signing for the hearing impaired. I wish I knew sign language. To the left in the audience area is a raised platform where mostly monks and a few others sit on meditation cushions instead of chairs.

I could write volumes about the session, but I know there are probably podcasts of the whole thing. If so, it would be worth listening to.

The Dalai Lama begins the program and says that happiness is deep satisfaction. You have to listen closely because his English is sometimes hard to understand. I love when he laughs. He has the best laugh and it makes me feel good just hearing it. Another thing I like is that he says the religion is not for misery but to give us hope.

After he speaks, the others talk about happiness in their faith. Then, the moderator poses some questions. The best part is toward the end when they discuss sensitive issues of hate and how many people hate Muslims in America post-9/11. Much hate for the actions of a few. The Dalai Lama asks the definition of Jihad.

The response is to combat negative forces within you. So His Holiness laughs and says then Buddhism is Jihad. The moderator asks His Holiness how he always seems to radiate happiness even though he and his people have suffered.

He responds via the translator: the first when I see some problem or tragedy I try to see the positive thing from that event. It is sad that they have lost their country but living in his host country has brought new opportunities. He does get sad sometimes and has anger due to irritations. But later he comments that the purpose of life is happiness, the purpose of existence is happiness and the hope of something better despite today’s differences.

“ Hope for better, hope for happiness. Happiness not come from the sky but to be created within ourselves.”

--Kathleen E. Hedrick 89B, past-president, Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of Emory Alumni

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The flight from Seoul, South Korea to Shanghai, China was a little less than two hours long. This trip to Shanghai would be the first time that I had visited China and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, especially since it was the only country on my Asia trip that required a visa.

I quickly cleared customs and border control with no issues at all and easily made my way to the metro stop for the airport. Signs for the Shanghai Expo reminded locals to smile at the foreigners and there were posters plastered all over the subway with the phrase “better city, better life.”

After one metro line change and 18 stops later, I was deposited at People’s Square in Shanghai, a large park in the center of the city that was a racetrack until 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was instituted and gambling and horse racing were banned. Across from my hotel was Nanjing Road, one of the most well-known shopping streets in Shanghai, selling everything from Chinese herbs and pearls to westernized malls with stores like Gucci and Prada. Just about everything you could ever want to buy could be found on Nanjing Road.

Located at the end of Nanjing Road is The Bund, one of the most famous tourist destinations in Shanghai. The Bund sits on the banks of the Huangpu River, the major water supply and thoroughfare for ships entering and leaving the port in Shanghai. This area is an interesting juxtaposition of old and new on opposite sides of the river. On one side is the Shanghai World Financial Center, one of the tallest buildings in the world, and the futuristic Pearl Tower. On the other side are historic buildings from the late 19th and early 20th century, designed by European architects with buildings that remind me of Paris or London.

Our Emory reception in Shanghai was held in the Sky Bar at the Radisson Hotel, with amazing views of the twinkling city skyline. Several parents of current Emory students attended along with a mix of alumni expats and Shanghai natives. All were eager to meet again soon and were interested to find out how they could get more students from Shanghai to come to Emory.

(See my Shanghai photos on the Emory Travel Program Facebook page!)

After eating my fill of Chinese dumplings for breakfast, lunch and dinner (by choice), I was back again at the airport for another quick flight, this time to visit our most active Asian chapter in Hong Kong. Somewhere between the mainland of China and the island of Hong Kong, the temperature went from comfortable but warm in Shanghai to steamy and humid in Hong Kong. It reminded me of a typical July day in Atlanta.

As a former colony of the British Empire, the English influence is still heavily present in Hong Kong. Cars drive on the opposite side of the road, and you must be careful when crossing the road to look right, left, right instead of the reverse in order to keep from getting run over in this densely populated and incredibly vertical city.

The Emory alumni in Hong Kong gather regularly for happy hours and networking, host Lets’ Go Emory parties in the late summer to send off incoming students and participate in April yield callings through the admissions office to answer question for parents or students in Hong Kong who have applied to Emory.

This fall, the chapter will also be participating in Emory Cares, our international day of Service in November. After a brief 24 hour visit to Hong Kong, I was off again. This time, headed for the last country on my trip, Singapore.

-- Allie Hill, director, international alumni relations, EAA

--Kathleen E. Hedrick 89B, past-president, Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter of Emory Alumni

I have the privilege of working with the Emory Alumni Board (EAB), a group of 44 alumni representing the schools and units of the University. They have proven their dedication to Emory by being involved leaders in their schools, local chapters or through other Emory programs, and come to work with us at the EAA to serve as an advisory Board to our staff and to the university as a whole. Basically, we’re kind of a big deal. Yes, I did include myself in that by association. Deal with it. (Really I’m the one behind the scenes who plans the meeting and keeps things running smoothly).

We have three full day meetings a year and one meeting of just the committees, but the fall meeting is my favorite by far. It’s when I finally get to meet our new members in person and put my stalker-esque knowledge about them to work. I have a good memory and can recite out most of their class years, addresses, work places, etc. Really more than anyone should ever know, so I pretend it makes me better at my job and not creepy at all.

This past Friday, October 8, was our first meeting of the year and it was a great two days, if I do say so myself. We have six new members this year and we hosted them here at the Miller-Ward Alumni House (MWAH) for orientation on Thursday the 7th before heading over to the Emory Medal.

On Friday we kicked off the meeting with Breakfast with the Administrators, where all of the EAB met with their Dean or alumni relations staff from their school or unit. I sat with the Goizueta Business School for breakfast (I am an alum after all) with Dean Kazanjian. He told us about many current issues there and even though I work on campus and feel pretty knowledgeable about what’s happening, it was great to talk with him.

The rest of the day flew by. We had lunch with President Wagner, heard from Gary Hauk about his new book, Where Courageous Inquiry Leads, which was the Board gift for this year, and heard from EAA staff about our new strategic plan.

The day ended with a wine and cheese reception and I finally had some time to chat with EAB members, since the longest conversation I had with anyone all day was “We’re starting again. Can you please head back to your seat?”

I was exhausted afterwards, but pleased that everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. I didn’t make it to Bacchanal as I was supposed to, but sometimes a girl just needs to sleep.

I look forward to seeing everyone again for our meeting in December. Until then, check out a few pictures from the day.

--Kelley Quinn 08B, coordinator, Emory Alumni Board

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Emory's largest percentage of international alumni live in Korea, thanks in part to Emory President Emeritus James Laney 94H, also a former ambassador to South Korea.

At my latest stop on multicity Asia trip, I was fortunate enough to meet more that 100 alumni in Seoul on Saturday evening, October 9, as we celebrated the naming of the James T. Laney Graduate School at Emory.

Seoul was a short flight from Tokyo at just under two hours. The first thing that I noticed upon landing at the airport was the thick, soupy smog that penetrated the air, almost like a dense cloud covering that lasted throughout the day. The city of Seoul was bustling with activity and preparation for the G20 Summit in November. I witnessed the planning first hand on Friday morning at my hotel, the first Western-style hotel built in Seoul and the host to many visiting dignitaries and foreign officials during the upcoming meeting of the nations. Check out my YouTube video about this.

While in the lobby on Friday morning, I noticed a lot of activity by officials with clipboards. A short time later, the lobby filled with smoke and the fire alarms sounded. The hotel was evacuated.

When I exited the hotel, it was surrounded by four fire trucks, multiple ambulances, and several military emergency response vehicles with weapons poised. I established a vantage spot across the street to watch the activities unfold--luckily it was just a drill. Sirens blared, pretend victims were rescued from the roof of the hotel while fake explosives were detonated, and smoke continued to fill the air. Seoul definitely takes the upcoming summit seriously and is prepared!

I met several of our local Seoul alumni chapter leaders for a traditional Korean dinner that evening. The meal was 10 courses long with my favorite dish being the jellyfish salad.

I am sure that you are wondering how jellyfish tastes. Honestly, it doesn't taste like much, is hard to eat with chopsticks and could easily be mistaken for pasta--except it is clear! Other courses included kimchi, tempura style shrimp, and a delicious fruit-punch-type drink for dessert.

My visit to South Korea may have been short, but was definitely eventful and I leave with the knowledge that our alumni in South Korea are full of pride and dedication to their alma mater, even halfway around the world!

-- Allie Hill, director, international alumni relations, EAA

-- Becky Herring 08C, events coordinator, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts

Ok, so opening night literally ended 30 minutes ago, and after saying “hello” and “thank you” to my wonderful friends who came out, I rushed over to El Azteca on Ponce so I could scarf down a number six combo and write this blog.

Let me ‘splain.

So ever since I started performing I have this thing where I get so nauseated before a performance I can’t eat (sorry, I know that's a bit too much information)…so needless to say I’m STARVING!

Ok, ok, enough of that…how was the show you ask?

It was incredible!

Everything clicked once we put it all on the line for a sold-out crowd. There are definitely some long-standing pitfalls of the opening night performance. The adrenaline causes tempo to push, diction to falter, and the worst, voices to blow out. Don’t get me wrong. It’s all done with good intentions for a rockin’ show, but I’m happy to report that none of that happened tonight. Thanks to our extensive preparation, we were actually able to ride our residual confidence all the way to the last bow.

And what a great crowd! They laughed when it was appropriate, clapped when it was appropriate (or even better didn’t clap when it wasn’t, many a heartfelt moment has been ruined by the overzealous clappers out there). There was such a mutual communication of joy and love, we sent it to them, and they gave it right back to us.

And speaking of the musical theater “splash zone” that I wrote about in my last blog, who did my eyes go directly to in the second row as I danced out on stage? Former Emory College dean and well-known arts supporter Bobby Paul! The overwhelming support of the Emory community is just one of the elements that makes the whole experience so worthwhile.

Am I sad that opening night went by so quickly? Absolutely.

Am I psyched that there are three shows left, two of which I know are sold-out (tickets for Sunday’s 2 p.m. show are still available)?

Absolutely.

-- Becky Herring 08C, events coordinator, Schwartz Center for Performing Arts

Paired with it was an orientation session for Emory's Alumni Interviewing Program, which expands to Boston (and Tampa Bay) this academic year.

About two dozen alumni sat in on the session to learn about their role in helping chose the next generation of Emory alumni, and more than half of them stuck around for Destinations: Boston, featuring President Jim Wagner. In all, more than 70 attended the event, one of the city's largest Emory gatherings ever.

The core of Wagner's presentation was to answer the question, "Why We Need Universities More than Ever." The short answer, which he laid out early in the 25-minute talk, is that universities prepare people for citizenship. He expanded on that thought in his conclusion, weaving in the importance of values.

"We need health professionals who are focused not just on curing disease, but curing people who have disease," Wagner said. "We need lawyers, who--beyond having a facility for the finer points of law--have a commitment to preserve the thin veneer of civilization. We need captains of business, who--in creating wealth--do so as much for the benefit of society as for personal gain."

"We need politicians with the moral courage and the wisdom to do for us what we need rather than simply pander to us and tell us what we think we want to they can continue to be re-elected," he continued. "We need genius of artists to tell us how to communicate in ways beyond words. We need the insights of scholars, we need people with imagination to give birth to new ideas.