At the end of each year, the weekend before finals, the UCLA Nikkei Student Union holds its annual Banquet. This year I had the privilege to be the banquet co-head with my wonderful friend Cyndi, and our wonderful "Newbie" class was pretty much our committee. Our theme for this year was "The Little Prince," in commemoration of our graduating class. “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." This applies not only to those who inspire us and encourage us to step out of our comfort zones and explore, but I think it is applicable to the Nikkei community. What makes a community so strong is our passion and effort. Regardless of where we come from, what generation we are, how familiar we have been with the Nikkei community in the end it is never to late to be involved and there are no limits, no time frames, no set definitions.

As our final event this gave us the opportunity to have one last get together and destress a bit before our finals. But, it's not an end. Rather, it's a new chapter that is just beginning.

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Photo courtesy of Angelina Huang (2009)
Nikkei Student Union