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Elolh teerh, If you were able to decipher the above gibberish, congratulations: you're a successful cryptographer! Cryptography is the act of transforming data into an unreadable format, known as cipher text, and then after the data has been encrypted, those in possession of the secret key can reveal its content. Thanks to encryption, we are now able to securely shop online, swipe credit cards in a store, and network on...

Author's note: A little experimentation with stream of consciousness, and putting everything I have learned throughout the last three months living in Hiroshima into words. I came to this city with naïve opinions and assumptions, and they have been turned on upside down and rightside up again. Did my moral values change? Maybe. Am I still confused? You bet I am. But hey, it's all a learning curve. Red  ...

  I saw fragments of people hovering between life and death I saw human canvas painted with black glistening bits and pieces of the charred human suit fell to the burning ground revealing everything underneath every thought every hope every dream every love every loss every hurt no longer protected by the melting mask enveloped by the never-ending fire it was beautiful like a distant star dying like cancer under...

Let's face it: finding spare time in this day and age is no easy task; we all have things that we need or want to be doing. Take the life of a student as an example: each day they must attend class, socialize, exercise, and complete their homework -- not to mention somehow fitting in time to eat, shower and hopefully relax before going to sleep. Despite this hectic onslaught...

See the projects  Few countries on earth boast a culture as diverse and multifaceted as that of Japan, where modernity and tradition blend seamlessly. It’s a land where people take light speed rails to visit Shintō shrines, and oversized cell phones are viewed as the quintessential fashion accessory for a kimono. Gaining a deeper understanding of the Japanese culture through experiential learning has been a focal point for global studies,...

"At 14:46 this afternoon there will be a school-wide two-minute silence to mark the third anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake: teachers will be asked to switch off classroom lights, and everyone is asked to reflect silently on the suffering of those involved in the earthquake as well as what we can all do to support those who experience such natural disasters." TGS students heard this announcement over the...

  In the past, disruptive behavior by teenagers was something that was generally chastised or frowned upon. After all, class clowns have been distracting their teachers and fellow students for as long as schools have been in existence. But something is happening to dispel that notion. Today's teenagers are proving that disruption can be a good thing -- even a life-altering thing -- not just for the disruptor, but potentially...

As I stood and read one of the plaques in the Peace Park in Hiroshima, a myriad of emotions ran through my mind; part of which imagined myself there on the 6th August 1945. It was early in the morning; people were starting their day, thinking of what they had to do, how their relatives were and many just normal musings. Little did they know that an airplane was moving...

Since arriving here in Japan, we have seen and been told numerous times that the Japanese are different. We are told that as "outside people" or "gaijin," we will struggle to conform to the daily practices of the Japanese. As traveling students of anthropology, we have always attempted to see the similarities of human beings rather than the differences. After our first 48 hours in Japan, I think we can...