Tucked away in the basement of O'Brien Hall is UB's newest course in classical Tibetan. The new option for students looking to fulfill a language requirement is a great way to relive the Dalai Lama's historic speech at UB last fall.
"As a result of the Dalai Lama's visit, there has been a heightened interest in Tibetan and Buddhist cultures on campus and in the community," said Thomas Burkman, former director of the Asian Studies Program. "The interest in Tibetan life and culture is evident that the Dalai Lama left an imprint."
For the first time, UB is offering a class in Classical Tibetan Literature. The hope is that students will become inspired to pursue vastly untapped resources.
"This is a rare and exciting opportunity for students and people in the community, and there's been lots of interest," said Kristen Stapleton, director of the Asian Studies Program. "The emphasis is not on contemporary Tibetan, but on reading religious texts."
The two-part course fulfills the language requirement in the College of Arts and Sciences, and although classical Tibetan is no longer spoken, taking the course can make the college experience more fulfilling, according to Kryder.
"It's instant access to a whole different culture," Kryder said. "I have a good friend who's Tibetan, and I'm looking forward to surprising him."
Students leave their self-consciousness behind as they learn to pronounce the Tibetan alphabet.
"Nya," Professor Craig Preston annunciates, drawing a symbol similar to the number three with a dot after it.
In Tibetan, the word "nya" means "fish," and it is the first Tibetan word taught in the class.
Despite the oral component and learning pronunciation, the course focuses on reading classical Tibetan, which is different in structure from modern Tibetan.
Professor Craig Preston studied at the University of Virginia, and was a trial lawyer for seven years before returning to teach classical Tibetan 15 years ago.
Preston opened his own language establishment - the Nagarjuna Language Institute in Ithaca, NY - and serves as an adjunct professor at UVA during the summer.
Rebecca French, a professor in the UB Law School, invited Preston to help translate Tibetan legal codes as a result of his legal experience. According to French, Preston is the best man for the job since he's trained most classical Tibetan translators in the US.
While learning Tibetan may seem like an overwhelming endeavor for some, Preston said he designed the course with beginners in mind. Preston promises a low-key class that he assures everyone will pass - granted they do the assignments.
"It took me three years and two summers to do two years of high school French," Preston said. "You don't have to be good at languages to take this course."
According to Preston, the demand for Tibetan translators is high - only 25 percent of Tibetan texts have been translated into Western languages.
"There's no risk involved," said Adam Kryder, a junior Chinese-language and culture major. "It's a win-win situation with a good instructor and interesting material. It's a good experience in education."
The class meets every Thursday in 12 O'Brien Hall from 5:30 p.m. until 8:10 p.m.
"Part of the college experience is grabbing opportunities you didn't know you had," Preston said. "It's a time of personal exploration."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
