The Bloggers

Samantha Rabang

Hi everyone! My name is Samantha Rabang, and I am one of the bloggers for this course. I am a sophomore from Des Moines, Iowa double-majoring in psychology and music. Outside of classes, I serve as a co-president for the Catholic Student Community on campus and participate in a plenitude of music ensembles, including Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Orchestra. I can't wait to share this amazing journey with you!

Siobhan Chantigian

Hello! My name is Siobhan Chantigian. I am from Byron, Minnesota and am currently a sophomore. I am working towards a biology major, a psychology minor and pre-medicine requirements. I am on the ultimate frisbee team, sing in Cantorei, and am a part of PALs.

Erik Hahn

Greetings and welcome! My name is Erik Hahn and I am your decated blogger bringing you the latest from Japan and China. I am a local from Davenport, Iowa and a senior. I came to Luther as chemistry major but realized the error of my ways and wisely switched to biology. My sophomore year I awoke from my dogmatic slumbers and started studying philosophy. I took a religion seminar with Dr. Kopf (one of the instructors of this course) last year and he turned me on to Buddhist philosophy. Earlier this year I read Heidegger and realized that learning German is easier than Sanskrit so although I am may not be interested in Buddhist philosophy as a career pursuit Dr. Kopf has inspired me to cross the Pacific and learn about Pilgrimages in Japan and China. With my majors in biology and philosophy I hope to either pursue a medical doctorate or brave the competitive waters in the booming career field of academic philosophy. I am involved in the rock climbing scene at Luther, am active in Philosophy Society and Big Idea Reading Discussion Society (BIRDS), and am a resident assistant (RA).   

The Trip

We will start our journey off in Tokyo where we will spend two weeks traveling across Japan. Then, we will cross over to China and spend one week there. During that time, we will visit temples and important landmarks such as Hiroshima, Japan and Nanjing, China. We can't wait to share our experience with you!