When students returned to Yo San after the three week Christmas break, the building was filled with an overwhelming number of exciting (and a bit disorienting) surprises. It was a bit like being in a special holiday episode of “Ultimate Makeovers” where we all had starring roles. For example…
Our fabulous, huge new Learning Resource Center/Library was open and ready for use. The new center, which is located on the 3rd floor of the building, has almost triple the space of the old YSU library. There are more study areas, new private study carrels, more internet-ready computers, a semi-private group study area, special areas for personal laptop computers, and tons of new resources, including a dizzying array of new electronic resources. Our librarian Sage Goodman will be happy to help you get acquainted with everything! Sage will also be holding ongoing Resource Center Orientations to help everyone get acclimated to this extraordinary new addition to the university.
We have new classrooms! The large “Seven Star” classroom, located on the 3rd floor directly across from the Shrine Room, will easily accommodate our largest classes and special events. The room has beautiful views of the Santa Monica Mountains and, on a clear night, you can even see the stars. For those of you who want to know more about the significance of the seven star constellation (from which the room’s name is derived), Dr. Brady Chin will be happy to fill you in!
If you spend any time in the Yo San Clinic you probably immediately noticed that the entire clinic has a few new coats of paint! New artwork adorns the waiting area and corridors, and every treatment room has been painted in of three new beautiful colors. With new art, new décor, and this professional paint job, the clinic looks more vibrant than ever. And with the holiday season at an end, we are packed with patients!
Our administrative team is expanding, and we have been adding offices to accommodate that expansion. There are four new Admin offices – Rooms A,B,C & D – that take up the former library location. Shuilan May (Bursar), Jyotika Karan (bookkeeper), Yvonne Farrell (Doctoral Program Director), and Mark Franco (Doctoral Program Assistant) will occupy these offices.
There is also room where faculty, tutors, and admin staff will be able to meet with students. Some privacy! Tutors can reserve rooms 24 hours in advance – please see our Office Manager Tora for more info.
We’re probably leaving out some of the details, but you probably get the picture: lots of amazing changes have taken place. We are so excited to welcome our students back to Yo San 2010, and that includes our newest cohort of Masters Degree candidates and our very first cohort of Doctoral candidates. As the Year of the Tiger approaches, we wish you the very best!!!