Bangkok International Vegetarian (BIVA) launches Dr Warren Shipton’s Book “Health IQ”

“Health IQ,” the latest book written by our University President Dr Warren Shipton, was launched in Bangkok at the 18th Anniversary of Bangkok Inter­national Vegetarian (BIVA) on October 1, 2009. The event was held at the Novotel Lotus Hotel in Bangkok at 6 pm and was attended by more than a hundred mem­bers and friends of BIVA, including some distinguished guests.
The founding president of BIVA, Khun Pornthep Narula, welcomed everyone and pointed out that Asia-Pacific Interna­tional University is the only University in Thailand that serves all-vegetarian food on campus. He went on to congratulate Dr Shipton for his accomplishment in authoring a much needed book on health for the community in Thailand and around the world. Following his remarks the co-founder of BIVA, Pastor Virendra Arora, introduced Dr Warren Shipton and praised him for being a man of honor in keeping a promise made more than 2 years earlier in allowing BIVA to have the honor of launching his book.
The event was also attended by some distinguished individuals such as Dr Art-Ong Jumsai Na Ayudhaya, Former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs,Thailand. He is also a former NASA sci­entist who is currently director of Sathya Sai Education in Lopburi, Thailand. A second guest was Khun Rubina Kraivi­chian Suwanapong, who is president of Hope of Thai People Foundation. Khun Supanut Donchan, host of Nation TV Channel, also interviewed several of the guests and Dr Shipton at the end of the ceremony and picture taking sessions.
The dinner included an array of delicious vegan dishes and the serving of a special vegan cake as part of the 18th anniver­sary. It was followed by a panel session where Dr Shipton was asked several questions regarding his book. Everyone in attendance was given an autographed copy of the book and many of them could not wait to get started on reading the book.
The occasion certainly helped in spot­lighting the University. Towards the end of the ceremony, Khun Narula said to Dr Shipton that he is considering sending his son, who is a senior at Ekamai Inter­national School, to our university next year. Congratulations Dr Shipton on the launching of “Health IQ.” The book is available at MC Mart at the price of 100 Baht each.

One of the goals of the class isto help our students make good choices in the movies they watch

and therefore we have tried to apply some biblical principles to what they watch and read. Some of the principles that the students have considered are as follow:
1. “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)
If our eyes see what is good, whole­some, and true, our minds will be filled with light rather than darkness, joy rather than sorrow, peace rather than disturbance.
2. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

When we think about noble, right, pure and admirable things, our minds are filled with noble, right, pure, and admi­rable things, and our words and actions will be noble, right, pure, and admirable.

On most Tuesday evenings you may notice a group of stu­dents from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities rushing to the third floor of the IT building. What is the hurry? Aren’t Tuesday evenings usually reserved for appointments at the Tuesday market? Well, they just happen to be enrolled in a Film and Media Studies class which meets on Tuesday eve­nings to watch movies as a part of their class requirement. ENGL 425 Film and Media Studies is one of the new courses offered by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities for the Communication strand students. The course is mainly a study of films adapted from novels and plays and an analysis of film form and technique in relation to both.
As part of the requirement for the course the students have to watch films outside of class hours, analyze the film in rela­tion to form, narration, style, technique, and mise-en-scène (setting, lighting, cos­tumes, movement, and music). If it is a film based on a book, the analysis would include a comparison of both. Students usually need to write an analysis of the movie the following day. Some of the books that the students are studying this semester that have been made into movies are The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis, A Christ­mas Carol by Charles Dickens, and a play The Proposal by Anton Chekhov.
Some of the movies watched so far include old classics like The Wizard of Oz, Citizen Cane, Chariots of Fire, and also new ones like Bella, which won the “Crystal Heart Award” for 2007 and the “Grace Award” in 2008 for the Most Inspirational Movie Acting by Eduardo Verástegui. The modern media (TV, radio, internet, etc) is shaping much in our lives today. In fact “Media culture” term talks about a specific kind of culture formed by people across the globe being influenced by the media. Kellner (1995) in his book Media Culture states, “Media culture helps shape the prevalent view of the world and deep­est values: it defines what is considered good or bad, positive or negative, moral or evil” (p.1). Thus it follows that what we watch is of utmost importance and thus requires our keenest judgment and acute wisdom as it shapes our perception of life and the values we want to develop. The Film and Media Studies class aims to not only teach students to evaluate the movies they watch but also consider what they watch.If you are free on Tuesday evenings and would like to watch a good movie, join our class at 7 pm, IT 328. It is a class to remember.

“LOVE & SHARE” CHARITY CONCERT

“LOVE & SHARE” CHARITY CONCERT
raising funds for beds at the KANCHANABURI BAMBOO HOSPITAL
Sunday, October 18, 2009 @ 7 pm @ Kiti-Tasanee Auditorium
Students 20 Baht per person
Faculty & Staff 50 Baht per person

* extra donation is highly encouraged and appreciated

The Student Administra­tion (SA) intro­duces volunteer mr poso- thear kim as Assistant Student Activity Coordi­nator. Mr Kim helps to manage and monitor student activities related to the dorm such as room assignments, regulations, curfews and more. He also coordinates the implementation of the bar code device, which is to be used for student attendance during chapel, assembly and other specific events as­signed by the SA department. Mr Kim attempts to live his life by referring to a famous quote by Chinese philoso­pher Lao Tzu. “The journey of a thou­sand miles begins with a single step. Making the first step is something that I’m happy to make.” Originally from Cambodia, Mr Kim graduated with an Entrepreneurship degree from then Mission College in 2007. Contact posothear@yahoo.com, ext 1406.

Finding God (and Fellowship) in nature

For many Uni­versity Chinese Cell Group mem­bers, October 3rd was one of their most unforgettable Sabbaths ever. On this particular Sat­urday, 44 members had gathered and worshiped God to­gether at the Jedkod Pongkansao Natural Study and Ecotour­ism Center, where the beauty of God’s work reminded and told them much about their Heavenly Father.
With its 6 faculty members including Dr Mack Tennyson, Dr Pak Lee with Teacher Wilma, Dr Chew, Mr David Tan, and Mr Stephen Loo as well as 38 uni­versity students, the group left the campus grounds around 8 am and reached the park around 9 am. Once off the bus, a sala near the lake was chosen as their meet­ing hall and Sabbath school was started with a short song service led by Ian and friends. Lesson study by Mr Loo was up next, followed by Dr Chew’s short sermon about the wonders of a heavenly home which the “…Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man…” (1 Corinthians 2:9). A message of encouragement for all listeners was in­cluded, where everyone were urged to stay firm and “persevere to the end” for the beautiful reward they will receive when Jesus comes again.
After a healthy and tasty lunch prepared by the faculty and some of the members themselves, the rest of the day was then spent in playing Bible games and going on nature walks. Most also went for a refreshing dip in the waterfall.
The outing ended with a surprise birth­day party for all birthday boys and girls of September and October, as well as an early mid-autumn celebration where many were reminded of their own fam­ily. With its touch of nature along with the close companionship shared among the participants, birthday girl April Lee (who had her birthday on that day) most likely spoke for many others when she said that this special day will remain with the Chinese Cell Group forever.

Prof Dr Krasae Chanawongse speaks at University management seminar at Muak Lek

On Sunday, October 11th, 2009, Asia-Pacific International University had the honor to welcome Professor Dr Krasae Chana­wongse who was invited to speak at the management seminar on the topic “Lead­ership in a Changing World.” The seminar was organized by the Principles of Manage­ment class that is lectured by Mr Sundaresan Mohan.
About 500 students, faculty members, and guests gathered at the Kiti-Tasanee auditorium to hear the speak­er, who is a winner of the prestigious Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership in 1973. Amongst other highly decorated honors and positions, he is the former Foreign Minister and former Minister for University Affairs in Thailand.
Speaking out of experience, Professor Chanawongse highlighted the keys to successful leadership. He summed up the core of leadership in “4 L’s” and “5 F’s”. To Live with discipline, to Learn, to Love, and to leave a Legacy were the key values that he marked as the “4 L’s”. These values are to be supported by keeping a constant Focus, being Flexible, responding Fast, having a Friendly nature, and having Fun with what we do. These values he called the “5 F’s”.
The values, according to him, are time­less attributes to possess and under­score the importance of people skills in leadership more than the technical skills. He also highlighted the qualities of humor and camaraderie which helps to turn around tricky and tense situ­ations to the leader’s advantage. The audience was also impressed with his humility and simple demeanor, which were reflected in his speech. Professor Chanawongse encouraged all students to read two particular articles, “The Good Doctor from Khon Kaen” and “From Small to Tall” published in the Reader’s Digest. These articles describe his own story of struggles and successes. The seminar concluded with a token of appre­ciation by Dr Warren Shipton, University President.
The seminar was organized by students as part of their class requirements. We appreciate their efforts and thank all other helpers and coworkers who helped make this event possible. The University and the Faculty of Business were happy to host a speaker of his caliber on campus and we hope that this event will inspire more such events in the future.

University activities on DVDs
Khun Weerakoon from the Library Media Center has produced DVD recordings of the university activities in the past few months. They are available for sale at the Library Media Center on the third floor of the library. Please contact him at ext 1202 if you are interested to purchase some copies for your personal library. Proceeds from the DVD recording sales will go to the library fundraising account. Please support us by purchas­ing a copy or more. -- Mr Damian Ginajil, Library Director
Final Exam schedules & Course Offerings
The final examination for 1st Semester 2009-2010 (Thai & International Program) are available on the Intranet, and is also posted on the Academic Bulletin Board outside of the Registrar’s office.
The course offerings and class schedules for 2nd semester 2009-2010 (Thai & International program) are also available on the Intranet, as well as the Academic Bulletin Board.
Academic Bulletin available online
The Academic Bulletin 2009-2010 is available online at the Intranet and the Univer­sity website. Click on “Publications” on the vertical menu and then select “Academic Bulletin”

Save the Planet, Save the People!

ENGL 316 Expository Writing class is collecting used paper and used clothes for com­munity service. Before the end of this semester, the collected papers will be sold to a Recycling-Production Plant where it will be turned into gypsum fiber boards, while the clothes wildonated to a refugee camp. You can help by putting any kind of paper into the bright pink boxes that will be placed at the library, computer lab, MC Mart, Finance Office, Science Department Office, and Arts & Humanities department office. For clothes donation, you can contact Boon at 08 7048 6089 or give them directly to Mrs Bienvisa Nebres in her office at the Arts and Humanities Department. -- Felicia Johnny Mositun

Thai Management field trip to Sahapat Group

On Thursday, October 22, 2009, twenty-two Management stu­dents led by Acharn Wanlee Putsom and Acharn Subin Putsom visited Sahapat Group in Chonburi prov­ince. The main objective of this field trip was to see and learn the manage­ment system - planning, controlling, business policies, business develop­ment, and business problem solving. We have seen the production process of Sahapat Group and how the par­ent company takes care of the other companies in the group. We learned that the group produces not only Mama brand instant noodles, but also many other products such as electri­cal appliances, textiles, garments, food, soap, toothpaste, and more. However, we gained more than the planned objectives. We learned a lot about time management because each ac­tivity in this field trip involved scheduling and time management. We also learned how to work together as a group. On top of that, we shared love and care among our friends and teachers when we traveled and did activities together. We really appreciated this trip because we opened our minds to the outside world and learned many things

About one hundred students, faculty and staff attended the Cambodian Water Festival held at the Student Center on Muak Lek campus, Sunday, October 25, 2009. The celebration began in the after­noon with boat racing in the campus pond, continued with tasting scrump­tious Cambodian food (prepared by our students) and participating in traditional dance at night. In spite of the huge rain that came in the after­noon which disrupted some of the activities, the Cambodian club did not let the rain dampen their spirited celebration of the occasion.
The Water Festival is a big event in Cambodia, where people flock to Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh to celebrate the event. Chanthy Soeun, vice president of the Cambodian club, shares that part of the reason for holding this event is to help remedy the homesickness of their fellow members. “We hope we were able to accomplish that by hosting our water festival on campus.”

45 minutes

The day was another ordinary week­day. I had studied for my midterm Ecology theory exam but was shocked when Dr Perumal announced that he had a surprise practical exam. I, as most of my classmates, felt that this was going to definitely ruin the day. To our surprise, we were given garbage bags and sent out to assigned areas around the dormitory and football field in pairs. We were given 45 minutes to fill up the bags and to assemble with the trash in front of the science building. What began as something small turned out to be a memorable event. Those 45 minutes surprised us to see the amount of trash around where we live and play. To fill eleven bags of garbage took us only 45 minutes.

Asia-Pacific International University campus is our home and we are a family here. Subsequently, we should encour­age each one of our family members to take good care of our home by keeping it clean. For those who do not know how to keep it clean, we hope that you will not dirty it either. Each one of us is old enough to differentiate between clean and dirty. It is so embarrassing for our friends and neighbors to see the trash around our campus. This world is entrusted to us by God and we are ac­countable to keep it clean.

Charity concert raise 8,000 baht for Kanchanaburi Bamboo Hospital

More than twenty students and faculty participated in the “Love & Share” charity concert on Sunday, October 19, 2009. The 2-hour music program saw 16 items ranging from singing to instrumental performance. Mrs Val Sherman, representative of the bamboo school, also made a short presentation about the school, hospital and their needs. 8,000 baht was raised in spite of the small turnout to the program. Information was later clari­fied that the money will be used to help cover medical expenses of children with severe cases. The concert was organized by the International Club.

First Thai staff to publish book

On Tuesday, October 27, 2009, Student Administration staff Khun Sureerat Pothong presented two cop­ies of her book to Mr Damian Ginajil, the University Library director. Recently published this month, the book shares on how to blog to generate income and ways to improve and promote blogs. There are also guidelines on how to incorporate Amazon.com as well as Google Adsense in blogging. This book is written in Thai language. Khun Sureerat also gave her books to the Volunteer Club to organize a sale for her book. All profits will support volunteer projects for the club in December this year. For more information, contact Ms Narintida (Volunteer Club President) at 08 7877 0973 or Khun Sureerat at 1404.

Official opening of new university dormitory at Muak Lek campus

The official opening of the new Uni­versity residential hall took place on Monday, October 26, 2009 at Muak Lek campus. During the program, University president Dr Warren Shipton acknowl­edged several key donors and people who contributed towards the construction of the dormitory. Among them were Geneva Beatty Bendelius, Chan Shun Inter­national Foundation, Mr and Mrs Kiti and Tasanee Taychachaiwongse, and Mr and Mrs Clyde and Kathy Willy. “Many people, both small and big givers, put a lot of effort and enthusiasm into this build­ing,” added Dr Shipton.

In his thoughts of praise, Southeast Asia Union Mission president Pastor Ronald Townend mentioned that building the dormitory reminded him of two Bible stories; Nebuchadnezzar and Solomon. Unlike Nebuchadnezzar, Solomon praised God instead of himself on the construc­tion of a magnificent temple. Likewise, Pastor Ronald Townend echoes Solo­mon’s attitude. “I believe as we are here for this official opening of this residential hall, we can say look at what God has done.” He added, “We have a wonderful campus here, beautiful location and now we have this building that will be a bless­ing to many students. I know that God’s blessings will continue to rest upon Asia-Pacific International University.” A ribbon-cutting ceremony followed the dedication prayer by Pastor Samart Wongnaphaphaisan.

All faculty, staff, students and visi­tors were then invited to enter the new residence.
The name for the new dormitory was revealed. It is now called the Solomon Hall.

ESL vespers Manapong the “Good Samaritan” helping Preecha

ESL vespers
This past Friday, October 30, 2009 the ESL students held the vespers program. Each year the department is asked to be in charge of one vespers program. What makes these events special is that, a few weeks beforehand, the whole ESL department gets in­volved with preparations, whether it be acting, leading out in the song service, or helping to prepare props. All the stu­dents and teachers become a part of it.
This year the program was entitled “Parables for Student Life.” The theme of the program was to focus on three parables which Jesus told, and which can be applied to have a happy life as a student here. The parables were the Good Samaritan, the Wise and Foolish Builders, and the Parable of the Talents.
One of the Advanced ESL students, Ly­Heang, said he enjoyed participating in the skit. He felt that when there is action and music, the message is clearer and more interesting than if a speaker simply speaks for a long time.
The final scene gave everyone an invitation to use this school year to get to know Jesus and His Word better. The invitation is still open!

A truly busy weekend

The last weekend of October 2009 was a busy one for the students from the course RELP 377 Christian Worship and Music. For the past three weeks the students had been putting together the program for the Sabbath worship service. Their assignment was to produce a Word-based worship experience and they accomplished the assignment with flying colors.
The worship was a dramatic re-en­actment of the story of King Josiah. It took the congregation through the crucial period of Josiah’s life which culminated with the celebration of the Passover. The worship commenced with a portrayal of the apostasy of his father Amon, followed by the reforms of Josiah, the discovery of the Torah scroll, and the subsequent Passover.
The congregation participated in some­thing new: multiple group worship ex­periences within the sanctuary and the distribution of food (a doughnut) to each worshipper. This brought the Pass­over to life. The three attending priests read substantial portions of the book of Deuteronomy as was done for King Josiah. This was the centre-piece of the worship. The detailed props erected on the stage added to the ambience of the worship and rendered the worship a multiple intelligences learning experi­ence.
For the class, this beautiful worship was followed by a Sabbath lunch which helped to build the camaraderie in the group. Then at 5 o’clock the following morning, Sunday, November 1, 2009, the students boarded the University bus for their class field trip. The trip took them to a 7:30 morning service at Christ Church, an Anglican church on Sathorn Road, Bangkok. This worship is the traditional ‘high’ church of the Anglican denomina­tion. This was a marked contrast to the worship the students had had the previous day. All of them (with the exception of an Anglican student in the group) admit­ted that it was their first time to taste this high liturgical form of worship.
From Christ Church, the class proceeded to Calvary Baptist on Sukhumvit Soi 2, Bangkok. The 10:45 morning worship ser­vice is similar to conventional Adventist worship. However, the church had the organ, a piano, a guitar, and drums for their accompaniment. The worship was more contemporary in style. The Lord’s Supper at Calvary Baptist was celebrat­ed in the same way as in most Adventist churches but without the ordinance of humility (foot washing).
After the service (around 12:30 pm), the group drove to MBK for lunch and a little bit of shopping. The class made it back to campus just in time for the Loy Krathong festivities. All in all this was a busy but educational weekend.

Loy Krathong festival at the APIU

Loy Krathong festival at the University
Muak Lek campus
Ferlyn Candee Josiah
The Loy Krathong festival was celebrated at the University last Sunday, November 1, 2009. The Student Council (SC), together with their advi­sor, came up with something slightly dif­ferent than any previous Loy Krathong celebration on campus. Although there were no beauty contests like the previ­ous years, students, faculty, and staff still enjoyed the celebration this year as they expressed how they got to see the differ­ent costumes and dances from four parts of Thailand. The SC team also provided free ice-cream, drinks and snacks as the audience were enjoying the shows. Beau­tiful fireworks were among the highlights of the night.

New computers at IT 128

Thai Accounting students in IT 128.

Thirty-three new computers were in­stalled in IT 128 on Friday, October 26, 2009. According to ITS director Mr Marco Carrillo, the new computers have thirty times more RAM memory com­pared to the previous computers, and the storage capacity increased by 20 times. “Now, the computers have the capacity to run more sophisticated software.” The monitors were also changed to LCD 20” wide screen monitors that supports high resolutions.
Room IT 128 is a computer lab which is utilized in the International and Thai Business programs, and Nursing. The lab provides an environment where students immerse in practical learning experiences related to technology. For next semester, almost all daily hours are scheduled to use this lab.
“Many students have expressed how dif­ferent the new computers are compared to the old ones,” stated Mr Marco. “We appreciate the effort put by the present administration to provide new technology to our students”.

Come to “Hobby Celebration!”

Hobby Celebra­tion, a first-of-its-kind event at Asia-Pacific Interna­tional University, will be held this Sunday, November 8, 2009 at the Kiti-Tasanee Auditorium from 7 pm to 9 pm
Many faculty and staff are participating in this event and will be displaying their hobby items. Come and be fascinated by the unique items that your teachers and staff collect as their hobbies.
The organizers have planned fun games and there will be prizes given away. There will also be free refreshments at this program.
“Hobby Celebration” is a fun-for-all event. Come and make this program an exciting evening to remember! This event is organized by the MGMT 200 Principles of Management students