T E R R A N C E. M. J A M E S

The following feature story appeared in the campus publication Mosaic in February, 1998.

Terrance M. James

Tackling the study of China with rare tenacity and enormous enthusiasm

Last year, Terrance M. James '98 spent six months in the People's Republic of China and Tibet, where he studied the history and experienced the culture of the lands he one day hopes to teach about. When he returned for his final semester at Trinity, the Asian studies major expected to use his experiences, previous coursework, and long-held opinions as the basis for a senior thesis about the relationship between the two countries. Since returning to Trinity, however, James has learned that there is yet more fodder for his culminating project. The presence on campus of a group of Tibetan Buddhist nuns, who are creating a mandala during the next two months, and Wang Meng, a prominent Chinese writer and former Minister of Culture who is now at Trinity as a Presidential Fellow, have given James new opportunities for further insights into his chosen field. "With opportunities like the visit from the Tibetan nuns, it's a big semester for all things Asian at Trinity," he says.

James did not expect to become an Asian studies major. Uncertain about an academic direction, the California native sampled courses in a variety of disciplines. What he found in an "Asian Literature" course taught by Assistant Professor of Modern Languages and International Studies King-Fai Tam was unexpected, if fortuitous. "I always thought Chinese was an ugly language," he says. "But when you hear it spoken by someone with the experience and qualifications of Professor Tam, it's beautiful." He soon enrolled in additional Asian studies courses and last year became a student mentor in a seminar taught by his academic adviser, Associate Professor of History Michael M. Lestz.

A gifted student
Lestz says of his advisee, "Terry is a very gifted student who has approached the study of China with rare tenacity and enormous enthusiasm. He has made China real for himself, with structures of knowledge and firsthand experience in many parts of the People's Republic of China. As a mentor for my first-year seminar, "The Quest for Friendship," that I teach with Visiting Lecturer in History Richard M. Ratzan, Terry was sensitive to the students' needs, a scrupulous reader, and critic of their essays and other written work."

After deciding to explore his chosen discipline firsthand rather than from afar, James participated in Duke University's prestigious study-abroad program in China. He left last June and spent the first two months in Beijing in intensive language training at Capital Normal University. His classroom studies were important, but the Chinese people themselves provided him with what he believes was a better means of instruction. "The best way to learn was to go out to the street vendors and just talk," he says. James is continuing that approach to his study of Chinese by participating in an informal tutoring program with Presidential Fellow Wang Meng, who is helping him and several other Asian studies students with their proficiency in Chinese. They, in turn, are assisting their tutor with his mastery of English. Says James, "It's an amazing opportunity and such a great honor to work with Wang Meng."

During his time in China, James followed the Great Wall and the Yellow River into the heart of China. "We saw some really terrible things like mass deforestation in Shaanxi province. In contrast, we also saw how those trees were being replanted through a provincial initiative." He also visited the Forbidden City, museums commemorating important moments in Chinese history, and many other traditional Chinese landmarks. He recalls, "The Chinese people were always surprised that we wanted to take pictures. They didn't realize that for us it was like being in National Geographic." James also took a personal seven-day trip to Tibet to see the state of Tibetan culture firsthand. He concluded his six-month experience abroad in Nanjing, where he participated in classes in Chinese literature, history, and civilization.

Residential life and rugby
James has not allowed the Far East to be his only focus at Trinity. He has found that being an academic mentor for first-year students, a resident assistant, a rugby player, and treasurer of the Rugby Club have rounded out his experience at Trinity very nicely.

Like his entry into Asian studies, James' entrance into the residential life arena was not something he had planned. Knowing of his interest in social activities, his own R.A. urged him to apply to the program when he was a first-year student. Guided by that suggestion, James did apply and was hired to work with first-year students when he was a sophomore. "I loved being a part of the energetic atmosphere of a first-year hall," he recalls.

James is excited about his final semester at the College. As treasurer for the men's rugby club, which won the "Beast of the East" Tournament last season, he has helped coordinate a club trip to England and Wales, where the team will compete during spring break. He is equally excited about his life after Trinity. Following graduation, he plans to continue his focus on Asia and to explore the possibility of a postgraduate fellowship for study in Taiwan. And then? "Maybe later on I'll go back and get a Ph.D. in Chinese history. I don't think I ever will tire of learning -- or teaching. Maybe I'll teach for the rest of my days."

-Jenica Parker Rogers '98

">