College senior to reign as Blossom Queen

As daylight hours finally begin to lengthen, the University community is getting ready to celebrate the coming of spring. But for College senior Jessica Stoner, the celebration has already begun. Stoner will represent the University and officially welcome the coming of the new season as the 1996 National Cherry Blossom Festival Queen. Each year the advent of spring is honored in Washington, D.C. with a two-week festival commemorating a gift of cherry blossom trees that Japan presented to the United States 84 years ago. The people of Japan gave thousands of the trees to the United States as a symbol of goodwill and friendship. Stoner will be reigning over the festival, which begins on March 31 with a public ceremony in Washington. While on the trip, Stoner will be crowned with the priceless Mikimoto crown, handcrafted with 1,585 pearls, before American and Japanese dignitaries at an April 12 gala. "Jessica's academic achievements, her fluency in Japanese and her involvement in the community stood out in an impressive group of candidates from all over America," Festival President Drew Von Bergen said in a press release. Stoner was selected by the 1996 National Cherry Blossom Festival Committee, which reviewed nominations submitted for students of Japanese and Asian Studies at colleges and universities across America. During her service, Stoner plans to draw on her own experiences to encourage people to learn about Japan. "I recognize the importance of integrating culture into the world community," Stoner said. She will be joined in Washington by Goodwill Ambassadors Calantha Caesar, a junior at the University of Florida, and Angela Ray, a senior at the University of Wisconsin. During her sophomore year, Stoner's interest in East Asia was sparked by a Japanese language class. The same year she changed her major from Biology to East Asian Studies. "I really came around to a full tilt with my majors," Stoner explained. "But I feel like it opened doors for me." Stoner, who has a 3.75 grade point average, spent her junior year abroad at the International Christian University in Tokyo. She is a member of the Alpha Phi sorority, Campus Hosting and Mentoring for International Students and a varsity cheerleader. After pursuing a doctoral degree in East Asian International Relations and Peace Studies, Stoner hopes to teach at the university level. Stoner will be starting her graduate studies this fall at Cambridge University as this year's recipient of the Thouron Scholarship. She plans to return to the United States after completing her graduate program to work on a doctorate degree in East Asian political philosophy. "I am really excited about the festival," Stoner said. "I know I will be meeting a lot of important people in Washington and I will try to represent myself and the University well."