News and Events

On Saturday, April 19, the 29th Annual Toyama Cup speech contest was held.

The event is sponsored and hosted by Japan’s Toyama prefecture, Oregon’s sister state, and the Japan-America Society of Oregon (JASO). The event consists of a lower and higher level, with the champion of the higher level winning a trip and week-long stay in Toyama, Japan. All winners and runners-up received a variety of gifts from Toyama.

This year, students from Lewis & Clark, Oregon State University, Pacific University, Portland Community College, University of Oregon, and Mt.Hood Community College had a heated competition, where everyone demonstrated impressively high Japanese skills.

After extremely close-fought competitions, Charlotte Jaguzuy (Asian Studies major, Japanese minor ’25) came in first in the upper division, and Nico Quade (English Major ’27) came in third place in the lower division.

Charlotte will go visit the Toyama prefecture this summer as a cultural envoy!

Everyone in the Japanese section is so proud of them!

It is with great pleasure to announce and congratulate our 2025 Teacher of the Year: Satomi Newsom, Instructor of Japanese. Satomi has inspired students through her dedication, passion, and excellence in teaching. Her commitment to student success and her dynamic contributions to the academic life of our college have truly set her apart.

At the 2025 “Chinese Bridge” Chinese Proficiency & Talent Competition – Oregon Preliminary our very own Trevor Koo won 1st place, and Marta Alpresa Balaguer, took the 2nd place awards. This is an incredible accomplishments that reflect their dedication, hard work, and talent in learning Chinese. Our Chinese instructor, Meiru Liu said, “I’m so proud of how far you’ve come and the passion you both bring to studying the language and engaging with Chinese culture. Keep up the great work—this is a wonderful milestone on your Chinese learning journey, and I look forward to seeing what you’ll accomplish next!”

Lewis & Clark alum, Helen Cecile Nowatka graduated in 2022 with a major in Asian studies. She had her article The Energy Blind Spot in Japan’s National Security Strategy published in the Tokyo Review on February 11th, 2026.
You can read her article here!

When Chinese student Keilani set out to share her experience traveling in China, she never imagined her story would soon be recognized on an international stage. Guided by curiosity, creativity, and a passion for cultural connection, she crafted a short video that not only captured her journey but also resonated deeply with audiences and judges alike.