THE PLACE TO BE:
As many of you may know, our Student Division conference (August 17-20) is
about one month away. Yippeeeeeeee!

Like a divine flamenco dance on a grand scale, planning for this
conference is coming together nicely. (Well, right now it's a bit like a
shuffle and a hop..... soon to gain a lot of momentum and explode like
River Dance.) We would love to have more conference participants support,
so please contact your Student Division region leaders for more
information. For those areas that do not have a SD Region leader but would
like to get involved, please contact us at Studentdiv@sgi-usa.org .  

Thank you so much!
Best Regards and Salutations,
Daisaku, Wendy, Boston, and Maggie

by Wendy DeSouza
It's to be expected that many students--if not the majority-- groan over
the thought of turning over $375 PLUS airfare to attend the Student
Division conference at the FNCC. As students we are one of the most
poverty-stricken divisions in the Gakkai! I remember it was only last year
while I was finishing up my last semester in graduate school that I
couldn't afford $15 to subscribe to the World Tribune. I also received
"concerned" messages from the phone company, and friendly reminders to pay
my rent 'in case I forgot.'
I have talked with many students who say that they would like to go to the
conference, yet they cannot come up with the money. One student in Chicago
shared his struggle:

My determination [is] to defeat the world of hunger where money is
concerned......To do so I made an outrageous determination for next year's
contributions. I really want to purify my relationship with money.  I will
realize my determination!! 

Ken Corwin, a Student Division leader in New York, wrote the following
encouragement:

If you don't have the $375 plus airfare: make this the opportunity to
prove the power of the Gohonzon that everyone talks about. Chant
feverishly, "I MUST GO TO BE WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN FAITH.
GOHONZON, SHOW ME THE MONEY!!" And take action. 

We are probably too old to ask our 'folks, too maxed-out on our credit
cards, or too behind on our bills to even think of going to the Student
Division conference. Yet one thought remains..... Why don't we challenge
to go and earnestly pray? Why not???

I have total conviction that this conference will change all of our lives,
and I don't want anyone to miss this opportunity. The power of each
members' heart and life experience guarantees this conference to be
phenomenal. Multiply all the experiences you have heard of students
overcoming adversity, depression, and other strife, by 180---dynamic,
creative, and inspiring young people. Moreover, the beauty and electricity
of the FNCC truly conveys Sensei's heart on American soil.

Whether or not we have the money is not important. Our determination to go
to the conference to strengthen our faith, deepen our friendships, seek
out training and heartfelt experience on the mentor-disciple relationship,
and win over doubt, is what is important. If we let money be an obstacle
and we do not use faith, then how can we be victorious in our lives? We
are defeated before we even try. This is such a great opportunity to test
our prayer to the Gohonzon because we really have no other choice but to
use the strategy of the Lotus Sutra. 

Let's challenge with all our hearts to support this conference and win
whether we are there physically or not. I really appreciate your unsung
efforts. Take care!

By Christine Pinson

The Orange County Region, West Area Student Division held Victory Over
Violence seminars for UC Irvine students back in April. The seminars were
held on Monday, April 17th and began every other hour from 9am to 7pm. We
had set up 2 tables with more information on VOV and the SGI and we were
also able to spread fliers around to the students who were passing by.
Despite the wind and rain, the Student Division were able to get many
people to come. Students passed by one of the tables that had a big
display board of famous and ordinary people along with numbers dealing
with violence, and the students showed an interest in the board and the
cause. During the seminars the students saw a short film put together by
the SGI-USA Youth Peace 
Committee, heard statistics, saw a skit and heard pretty interesting and
heart-warming experiences dealing with passive violence. The UCI club on
campus made up of SGI members, called "Buddhists for World Peace,"
sponsored the event. The event had many students declare their interest in
finding out more information about VOV. The Student Division members had
many break throughs that day organizing the event and have learned that
the word is ready to be spread even more about passive violence. So many
hours were put into planning and carrying out the seminar, and it was
great to see it all end with our own victory. 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wonderful friends come join me now
let us talk about our dreams
let us talk about our future. 
Chanting for world peace across the nations
spreading the word about how to stop the violence
not just changing our lives but touching those 
who come in contact with our electricity
and power.
We are the future
We are the students
We ar the youth of SGI!
Wonderful friends come join me now
we have a lot of work to do
but anything is possible 
if we use our hearts 
we are the youth of SGI
making a difference today
for tomorrow!
---by Christine Pinson