Hello this is Kuroda, one of the Japanese language teachers at ICT. I would like to introduce some of the 2nd year students’ stories created in Japanese Expression IIB.
 In this class, instead of starting to write a story straight away, they wrote the main character's background and personality on a character sheet in the first lesson, wrote how the main character's problems would be solved on a story map in the second lesson, and finally started to write the main text in the third lesson. The character sheets for the teaching materials were created with reference to Eishi Otsuka's Character Maker (ASCII Shinsho, 2008) and the story maps were created with reference to Shigeki Yamamoto's Story Map for Creating Japanese Language Lessons (Toyokan Shuppansha, 2014).

 Yoh Nieda's work “Smoked Friendship” tells the story of the protagonist Chris P. Bacon, who loves bacon so much that he plots to ‘baconise all mankind’, but his friends, the roast pig man and Sal S. Chorizo stop him and return him to normal.
 I liked the ending, in which the protagonist's perverse wish is prevented by his friends, their friendship grows, and the culminating scene flows well. The work was also highly praised by other students.

 In Ruuna Nakazawa's work “Star Voyagers”, the main character is an alien who has lost his home planet. At the character sheet stage, the story seemed too grandiose, so she decided to cut out the scene where he lands on Earth first. Then, during writing the story map stage, she came up with the idea of transforming the protagonist into a police dog. This sci-fi-like story style setting makes me want to read the rest of the story.

 The protagonist of Kaya Yasuda's work “One Man and One Cat” is about an old man who lives by a lake. Since the death of his wife, he spends his days feeling as if he is neither alive nor dead, but an encounter with a cat brings about a small change. It is a quiet, heart-warming work, like a ray of light shining through an open window. Kaya says it was difficult to choose words that matched the atmosphere of the story. It is proof that he paid attention to every detail.

There were many other unique pieces of work. One student included his own rap lyrics. Another student included an image of an example of an Instagram anniversary story. Some students projected their personal problems onto the main character.
Although the class time was short, everyone seemed to concentrate on their creation.
 One student commented: ‘It was difficult to make the dialogue natural, professional writers are amazing’.
 There is no correct method for creating a story. However, in this assignment, I hope they were able to experience a process similar to engineering, such as designing the overall structure in advance and adjusting the detailed expressions. I hope that students enjoyed making the stories as much as they enjoy making things.

Kuroda

  Hello, This is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku Office.
 The 32nd MILE (Mobile Intensive Learning Experience) Program was held from Tuesday, December 17th, 2024, to Monday, December 23rd, 2024, for 6 nights and 7 days. The MILE Program, which began in 1989, is an exchange program with Singapore Polytechnic (SP), and this year marked its 32nd iteration. When ICT was Kanazawa Technical College (KTC), KTC students would visit Singapore as a school trip and then SP students would also visit Japan. SP students were hosted in homestays in Kanazawa, which fostered mutual friendships. There was a period of time when exchanges could not take place due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the program resumed last year, and this year, 10 SP students and 2 chaperones visited our school.
 For the first half of the program, the participants stayed at the KIT International Community House, where they mainly interacted with KIT students. In the latter half, they moved to the Hakusanroku Campus where they lived with ICT students. The main activities of the program at Hakusanroku Campus are listed below:

Friday, December 20th: Arrival at Hakusanroku Campus

 On December 20th, SP students spent the morning at KIT before arriving at Hakusanroku Campus in the evening. Then they were given an introduction lecture about our school and a tour of the Hakusanroku campus. After that, they had dinner at the cafeteria, then ice breaking activities were held with 1st and 2nd year students.
 During the ice breaking activities, 2 games were played. The first game was called Mingo. In this game, there are 25 squares with various questions, and you ask your partner one question, and if you get an answer, you fill in the name of your partner in that square and then find a new partner. Questions included “Do you like spicy food?” “Can you sleep sitting up?” and “Do you like Japanese manga?” The students were able to get to know each other by asking each other questions.
 Next was a game called Building a Paper Cup Tower, in which each student was given a chopstick and had to work with their teammates to transport and stack cups. SP students and ICT students formed mixed teams. When the start signal was given, the students struggled to pick up the cups and dropped them several times, but they gradually got the hang of it and succeeded in building up the cups by cooperating and supporting each other.

Saturday, December 21st: Group Tour of Kanazawa City

 In 2 groups, SP students explored Kanazawa City with 12 ICT students. They enjoyed shopping and dining while conversing in English. They learned about the preferences of Japanese students and deepened their friendships through shared experiences. This cultural exchange provided new and valuable time to foster friendships.

Sunday, December 22nd: Hinoki Craft Experience and Farewell Party

 Under the guidance of an instructor, the SP students made hinoki woodcraft coasters, a traditional craft of Ishikawa Prefecture. Working together with ICT students, translating Japanese into English, they created their pieces, and the students cherished their completed works. In the afternoon, a farewell party was held. Students presented about their countries, cultures, histories, and schools, deepening mutual understanding. Traditional games were introduced and enjoyed by all, further strengthening friendships.

 The SP students were impacted by their experience in Japan. They were deeply moved by their exposure to Japanese history, culture, and daily life, gaining new perspectives and understanding. Through interactions with Japanese students of the same age, they experienced moments of connection beyond language barriers, realizing the importance of intercultural communication. They cherished their experiences in Japan and were motivated to pursue their future goals with renewed enthusiasm.
 Similarly, our students deepened their understanding of foreign cultures and customs through exchanges with SP students, broadening their global perspectives. Making new friends expanded their international networks and provided wonderful opportunities to build friendships.
 The MILE Program offers students valuable experiences that lead to new discoveries and growth by exposing them to different cultures, significantly impacting their futures. The sight of students interacting with bright smiles remains vivid in our memories. We hope to continue cherishing such exchange programs, providing students with wonderful memories and experiences that will benefit their futures.

@ictkanazawa

2024年12月20日（金）〜23日（月）、シンガポール理工学院の学生が国際高専白山麓キャンパスに滞在し、国際交流を目的とした「マイルプログラム」が実施されました🇸🇬🇯🇵日本文化体験や金沢市内•白川郷での観光、学生同士の交流を通じて親睦を深めました🤝🌟 #singaporepolytechnic #ict

♬ Lilac - Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Yuri Makada

From left, 2nd year students, Ruuna Nakazawa, Hiroko Takeda, Rinse Okiyama, and Kaya Yasuda左から、2年生 中澤 琉月さん、武田 洋子さん、沖山 琳世さん、安田 萱さん

Meguru Ito sensei and Michihiro Hayashi sensei, who are in charge of Physics and Engineering Design classes, would like to introduce the ICT 3D Modeling Contest 2024.

 The ICT 3D Modeling Contest is a 3D CAD-themed contest for 1st and 2nd year students at the Hakusanroku Campus. ICT students begin using Autodesk Fusion 3D CAD software in their 1st year, and use 3D CAD modeling and 3D printers to output parts for use in classes and projects to improve student 3D CAD modeling skills. ICT holds a yearly competition called the ICT 3D Modeling Contest.
 The theme of this year's contest was “What You Want to Bring to an Evacuation Shelter.” Many victims of the Noto Peninsula Earthquake on January 1st, 2024 were forced to live in evacuation centers for a long time. We chose this theme because we wanted students to think about what they need while imagining such a situation and creating their models. Students at Hakusanroku Campus completed and submitted their models as their summer vacation homework. After being reviewed by several judges, four students were selected as Excellence Award winners.
The following are the comments of the four students.

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2nd year student, Hiroko Takeda
Title: Hardtack and Sugar Shimaenaga (a bird called Long-Tailed Tit) Candies

Production time: about 4 hours for the package, about 8 hours for modeling
Points of particularity: package
I created a shimaenaga version of the packaging to resemble the hardtack packaging that I remember from when I was a child. (The product information on the back of the package was faithfully reproduced down to the line breaks.)
Another key point is that I drew the Striped Shimaenaga to resemble the color scheme of the character on the original hardtack.

Modeling:
・When I creating the lid part of the can, I utilized both surface(*1) modeling and sheet metal(*2) techniques. (I didn't know how to do this, so I asked a question on the forum where I learned about it during the Fusion workshop last year, and they gave me detailed instructions.)
・I created the design for the hardtack package pattern myself and applied it to achieve a more realistic texture, striving to make it as authentic as possible.
・I tried to apply the decals to the package, but the image was cut off because of the curved surface. As a solution, I enclosed the solid (*3) with a surface, and then applied the package in two parts on top of the solid.

Judges’ Comments:
The modeling closely resembles the actual can shape, including how the lid bends when opened. The textures have also been meticulously created, making the overall work very impressive. The contents, the hardtack, have been designed in the style of Shimaenaga, showcasing creative attention to detail. However, the arrangement of the hardtack appears somewhat unnatural. Next time, you could try using features like physics simulations to calculate a more realistic stacking arrangement.

(*1) Surfaces: Function to make objects without thickness exist and express shapes in software.
(*2) Sheet metal: Function to bend, cut and change the thickness of plate-like objects.
(*3) Solid: Function to express a three-dimensional object as if it were packed inside.

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2nd year student, Rinse Okiyama
Title: Bag

Production time: 2 days
Points of particularity:
The theme of this modeling contest was “What You Want to Bring to an Evacuation Shelter,” so I aimed to create a backpack that would be fun to prepare in everyday life. Therefore, I decided to add a unique face design to the front of the backpack while keeping in mind its need for a simple structure and portability. I spent about two days in the production process, paying particular attention to the backpack's three-dimensional shape, cloth-like texture, and easy-to-use zipper. I carefully adjusted the thickness and roundness of each part to give it a three-dimensional feel and to pursue realism. Since, I am a Fusion beginner, I faced many challenges during the production. Each time, I utilized the well-known forum function and quickly solved the problems that I did not understand. By referring to the advice of other users, I was able to learn as I went along. I am very happy that my work won an award for my persistence.

Judges’ Comments:
I think the soft impression of curved surfaces, which is a weakness of mechanical CAD, was well modeled. The fasteners are modeled a little larger than usual, but this may have contributed to the prettier impression. Whenever there was something unclear in the operation, she was able to ask a question to the forum and solve the problem, and I felt that it showed her willingness to learn independently. It would have been even better if the zipper was slightly opened to show the inside.

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2nd year student, Ruuna Nakazawa
Title: Slim Compact Fan

Production time: about 5 hours
Points of particularity: The focus of my work is the shape of the internal propeller. I adjusted the direction, angle, and length of the propeller from a three-dimensional perspective in order to express the propeller's unique bend. I also tried to make the design as patterned as possible so that it would be close to the actual product I used as a reference.

Judges’ Comments:
I thought that the designer made good use of CAD functions, such as setting up “joints” for the parts where the handy fan folds up, and modeling “curved surfaces” with twists and turns. Also, she seems to have an excellent ability to carefully and in detail observe the actual objects and express them in CAD. The modeling of propellers, etc., is useful for fluid dynamics analysis, and I hope that she will be able to use even higher level CAD/CAE functions in the future.

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2nd year student, Kaya Yasuda
Title: Home Fire Extinguisher

Production time: 6 hours
Points of particularity:
The main focus of this work is the parts that actually operate the fire extinguisher, such as the handle and pins. In this part, instead of combining the moving elements into a single shape, I separated them into individual parts and later assembled them. By doing this, I was able to create gaps and shadows between the parts and make them look good. I also spent a lot of time on the handles. It was difficult to create not only the shape and size, but also a complicated shape that was not filled in, so I made it little by little, changing the way it was made.

Judges’ Comments: I liked how the model was divided and modeled for each component used in an actual fire extinguisher. I think the model shows how each part is combined and how it moves to perform the function of a fire extinguisher. I also felt that the modeling conveys that the shape of the handle was carefully observed and balanced in terms of size and bend. I think it would be even better if the “joints” were set up to actually simulate movement in the screen, so please give it a try next time.

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Judges' General Comments:
Continuing from last year, the 3D modeling contest was held again, and we received a large number of strong entries from students. Many of the models had curved surfaces, which are difficult to model, or were carefully textured or had rendering settings that made them enjoyable to look at. Among them, we have selected a few works that particularly caught our attention. we hope they will serve as a reference for everyone's future 3D model production.

All student models

 We were surprised again at this year’s students excellent work, and we are looking forward to next year’s contest.

Meguru Ito
Michihiro Hayashi

Hello everyone. I’m James Taylor, one of the English teachers at Hakusanroku Campus. I’d like to tell you about a couple of Christmas events that took place in the neighbourhood during December, 2024.

 First, on Tuesday, December 10th, the workers from the Oguchi Social Welfare Council – one of whom was dressed as Father Christmas – delivered Christmas cakes to every household with children. This year we got a snowman, a Santa, and a reindeer. My children ate the snowman and reindeer, and I had the Santa.

 Then, on Wednesday, December 18th, I went to Oguchi Community Centre, which is just down the road from ICT, to participate in the annual English Café Christmas party. This year we had 11 children and 4 adults from the Oguchi, Yoshino, and Shiramine areas. We started the party by decorating the tree and taking pictures when it was finished. Earlier in the afternoon, the staff from the Oguchi and Shiramine Community Centres spent hours making pancakes using a British recipe. After we’d finished decorating the tree, everybody was given a pancake and some ingredients to decorate it with, like cream, fruit, and sprinkles. While the guests were eating, I read them a story: ‘The Snowy Day’ by Ezra Jack Keats. When everyone had finished eating, I read ‘Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus’ by Mo Willems, which was as popular this time as it had been in Shiramine in the summer!

 We played bingo and a game called Stick the Nose on Rudolph, where players had to stick a red magnet on a picture of Rudolph without looking. The children got much closer to the right spot than the adults! The party ended with a visit from Father Christmas, who brought a small present for everyone.

 As ever, the staff from the Oguchi and Shiramine Community Centres worked really hard organising the event and preparing bingo prizes, presents, and food and drink for the party. I always appreciate their efforts.

James Taylor

 Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku office. After school on Friday, November 29th, 2024, students and teachers decorated a Christmas tree in the Living Commons.
 Students started by assembling the Christmas tree, and then both the students and teachers decorated it with colorful ornaments and sparkling lights. During Christmas tree decoration time, there were some unique moments, such as 1st year student Ikki Hashimoto and Domyson Abuan sensei dancing to a Christmas song, and 1st year student Soma Ioroi pretending to be a Christmas tree while students and teachers decorated him with ornaments. There was laughter and fun. Students and teachers also decorated the stairs and automatic doors, putting the whole school in a Christmas mood.
 Students took photos in front of the completed tree and chatted happily as they ate sweets. It was a wonderful day 🎄

@ictkanazawa

Decoration the Christmas tree🎄 2024年11月29日（金）の放課後、白山麓キャンパス（1、2年生）では、クリスマスツリーの飾り付けが行われました🎄🎅🏻可愛くて豪華なクリスマスツリーに仕上がりました💕🌟🤭 #国際高専 #白山麓キャンパス #クリスマス #クリスマスツリー飾り付け #ict #christmas #happyholiday #holidayseason #christmasdecorations #treedecoration #kosen #internationalcollegeoftechnology #koseninjapan #英語 #english #ボーディングスクール #boardingschool

♬ original sound - demis hitchhiker

Yuri Makada