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	Vol.7, No 33, October 26, 1999
	Flower festival celebrates culture By Rebecca Brown Daily Forty-Niner Chrysanthemums in a vast array of fall colors were planted throughout the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden in honor of its annual Chrysanthemum Festival, held Sunday at Cal State Long Beach. "The ceremony took a great deal of planning and collaboration on the part of the Friends of the Japanese Garden members and the staff and volunteers that we have," said Jeanette Schelin, the garden's director. The chrysanthemum, called kiku in Japanese, is an empirical symbol, Schelin said. "It is a very well-loved flower in Japanese culture," she said.  "It is the last flower that blooms before winter. It gives people hope that spring is not too faraway." Tables were scattered around the entrance of the garden, with volunteers showing guests how to do a variety of Japanese past-times, such as take-take, a game similar to the American game of pick-up sticks, according to a poster displayed beside the table. The Ikebana Ikenobo Club gave a demonstration of Japanese flower arranging, using many varieties and colors of chrysanthemums.  Members of the club described one arrangement style in particular, called Shaka. "The object of Shaka is to make the bottom of the arrangement where the stems meet the vase form a straight line," said Joanne Matsumaya, a club member. "This develops the clean-cut style and balance that makes the arrangement true to Shaka style." Soyo Sato, who was clad in a bright-green kimono, performed a traditional tea ceremony for the audience in front of the Koi pond.  Sato poured steaming water with a bamboo ladle over tealeaves and served it to audience members. Kendo Dojo, a Long Beach martial arts team, gave a demonstration in Kendo, which event announcer Fujio Takada described as a "way of swords." "We work with bamboo, so no one gets hurt," Takada said, as the demonstrators mounted the stage dressed in traditional Japanese armor and mesh helmets. "We like to keep Japanese traditions in order to learn respect and loyalty to our teachers and family," Takada said. The garden is open to students Tuesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. On Sunday, the garden is open from noon to 4 p.m.		Loved ones say goodbye to student Flower festival celebrates culture   Students meet to repeal textbook tax   A.S.I. consolidates various commissions   Freshman application deadline set   Muslim students regain access to prayer room   CSULB stars combat racism in local schools Call box for the deaf   A.S.I. president leads reform   Help in the lab Jambalaya poetry reading offers expression   Reviewer suggests 'The Shining,' 'Nightshift'   Coroner has light mood   Debate team grabs top spot in contest LBSU hockey team wins   Soccer team can't sweep   Team triumphs despite injuries Fall 99 ISSUES DAILY 49ER HOMEPAGE
Forty-Niner Publications, Department of Journalism, California State University, Long Beach ©1999 All rights reserved.