How many Fulbright scholars does it take to screw in a light bulb? We don't know, ask College senior Mana Nakagawa.
Street: You won a Fulbright! What do you plan on doing with it?
Mana Nakagawa: I'll be spending 12 months in Japan doing research on a social phenomenon called hikikomori . in which individuals socially withdraw from society, confining themselves into their rooms for six months or longer, sometimes up to more than a decade, with no social life beyond their homes.
Street: How did you find out you won, and what was your reaction?
MN: I hadn't checked my mailbox in over a month, and it was so packed with mail that it took me almost an hour to get to the actual letter. This one batch of mail was a total emotional roller coaster: overdue bills, Victoria's Secret catalogues . a letter of rejection from Harvard grad school . and a letter of acceptance from Fulbright. That trumped everything, thank goodness. It was sweet.
Street: What's your breakfast of champions?
MN: Leftovers. I don't care what it is, as long as it's leftovers.
Street: You're a Sphinx. Why are Sphinges better than Friars?
MN: I'm not a Friar, so I'm not in a proper position to compare the two . it's kind of like asking, which hurts more, giving birth, or getting kneed in the groin? You'd never know, you're just thankful you're not the other one. Just kidding! Sphinges and Friars '07 are all incredible people.
Street: Where do you feel most at peace?
MN: Sand in my toes, salt in my hair, Coldstone in my hand, and mommy by my side.
