Walking With Anthony
By Dr. Pauline Baird

At ICT, students are encouraged to "SHINE IN YOUR OWN WAY." Let me introduce one such student.
His name is Anthony Purba, a 2nd year student. On almost any weekday at about 4:45 p.m., you can find him walking around campus. His route takes him past the gymnasium, the dormitories, the onsen, the cafeteria, the main office building, and the school building—circling the campus again and again.
At first, I simply noticed him walking. Then one Sunday, I decided to join him. As we walked, I discovered that he often uses this time to call his mother in Indonesia. Since then, we have walked together after school on most weekdays and occasionally on weekends. Anthony has made walking something worth noticing.
Many students shine in sports such as basketball and badminton, while others excel in academics. Anthony may enjoy those activities too and do well in his studies, but what stands out to me is his commitment to a simple daily habit. From approximately 4:45 p.m. until 6:30 p.m., when the cafeteria opens for dinner, he walks steadily around campus. On his busiest day, he completed 17 laps. More than once, we have ended our walk by heading directly from the pathway into the cafeteria for our evening meal.
When I asked Anthony how this routine began, his answer was surprisingly simple.
"Nothing inspired me to start walking every day," he explained. "I just wanted to spend time on my own by calling my mom or listening to music. Sitting made me feel bored, so I decided to make my body move by walking."

For Anthony, the walk is also a chance to stay connected with home.
"I wanted to talk with someone I trusted the most in Indonesian," he said.
Over the past two months, a few other students have joined us from time to time. As we walk, our conversations wander naturally through topics such as family, hobbies, future dreams, personal challenges, and everyday life. Sometimes, we spend several laps simply enjoying the quiet.
Anthony says what he enjoys most is "talking about any topic while keeping my body fit." He hopes more students will join in the future so they can "share a lot of stories while keeping our body sustained."
Walking with Anthony becomes more than physical activity; it becomes a time for friendship, reflection, and connection. What appears to be an ordinary walk is, in fact, something quite meaningful. Anthony is quietly demonstrating another way to experience campus life—by spending time outdoors, enjoying the fresh mountain air, maintaining a healthy routine, and making space for conversations with family and friends.
When I asked Anthony what he would say to someone who thinks walking is boring, he smiled and replied,
"Be grateful to have the ability to walk. Not all people can enjoy what you have."
At ICT, students are encouraged to shine in their own way.
I believe Anthony is doing exactly that.

By Dr. Pauline Baird

Hello! My name is Yuka Yano and I am a 1st year student at International College of Technology, Kanazawa. In this article, I will write about the time when six American students came to our Hakusanroku campus.

On the first day, we were nervously waiting for the American students to arrive. What will they be like? Would we be able to become friends? Whilst we were nervous, the excitement was winning. Once we met them, we were surprised by how tall they were. However, we were soon able to become friends with them. From the first day, we introduced ourselves in our unit and talked a lot about our interests.

During the Kanazawa tour, we were able to visit various tourist spots and experienced a vast array of things. Since I had never gone around Kanazawa, I was learning about the city with the American students at the same time. Though this experience, we were able to make bonds with the Americans.

I especially remember the time when we played UNO. We made groups with many people and everyone was hyped up during the game. In the end, everyone was laughing until their throats hurt. I think worldwide games such as UNO can create connections between people.

Throughout this experience, I was able to learn various things and create friendships with the American students. Next time I hope to be able to explain the aspects of Kanazawa to the American students with more detail.

Yuka Yano

Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the office. On Saturday, June 20th, 2026, Sports Festival for1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grade students was held at Kanazawa Campus.

The event featured four activities: volleyball, dodgeball, an obstacle race, and tug-of-war. Students were divided into six mixed teams composed of members from different grade levels, and each team competed in all events in a rotation format. Throughout the day, 1st and 2nd year students were seen encouraging and communicating with their 4th and 5th senior students. They do not usually do this since the 1st and 2nd year students study at the Hakusanroku Campus while the 4th and 5th year students study at the Kanazawa Campus. This created a strong sense of unity across the venue. All competitions were highly engaging and intense, filled with the excitement of serious matches and loud cheers from participants and spectators alike. While students experienced both victories and defeats, what stood out most was how they praised and supported one another. 

After the competitions finished, one MVP was selected from each team and awarded a selection of snacks. In addition, all participating teams received snacks as participation prizes.

This Sports Festival provided a valuable opportunity for students to step away from their daily academic routines and experience the joy of teamwork and a sense of achievement. Through the mixed-grade team activities, students from both campuses were able to deepen their connections, making the day a lively and memorable one.

Opening Ceremony

Volleyball

Dodgeball

Obstacle Relay

Tug of War

Closing Ceremony and Awards presentation

Yuri Makada

Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku office. From Saturday, June 6th to Wednesday, June 17th, 2026, six high school students from Columbia, Missouri, USA visited the Hakusanroku Campus. They stayed at the Hakusanroku Campus dormitory and experienced school life together with 1st and 2nd year ICT students.

During their stay, the students from Columbia took part in various programs, including hands-on manufacturing activities and classes alongside ICT students. They also went on a sightseeing excursion in Kanazawa and took part in a homestay program in Hakusan City organized by the local government.
In addition, on Saturday, June 6th, an event titled “Sister City Exchange Program with Columbia, USA – Let’s Interact with American High School Students!” was held at the Hakusanroku Campus. It was organized by the Hakusan International Exchange Association. Elementary and junior high school students from Hakusan City, as well as ICT students, took part. After the visiting American students gave a presentation about Columbia, event participants enjoyed interacting with them in English through quizzes, games, and a campus tour.

For the ICT and American students, even within this relatively short two-week period, living together in the dormitory provided valuable opportunities to learn and build friendships. This made it an irreplaceable and meaningful experience.

American students arrive at the Hakusanroku Campus

Kanazawa sightseeing

Hands-on manufacturing activities and classes alongside ICT students

Sister City Exchange Program with Columbia, USA – Let’s Interact with American High School Students!

Farewell party

Yuri Makada

Hello. This is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku office. At ICT, we welcomed 23 new students, who now appear to be settling into their new campus life. This time, I would like to write about the icebreaker events jointly held on Wednesday, April 1st and Thursday, April 2nd, 2026.

After the entrance ceremony on Wednesday, April 1st, an icebreaker event for 1st and 2nd year students was held at the Hakusanroku campus. The event began with a Rock-Paper-Scissors Self-Introduction Game. Students played rock-paper-scissors with those around them, and the winner earned one point before introducing themselves to each other. Although many students appeared nervous at first, smiles gradually began to appear as they enjoyed the game. As they celebrated wins and lamented losses, the students were able to interact with many classmates in a short amount of time, and the venue was soon filled with a warm and friendly atmosphere. At the end of the game, medals were awarded to the two students who earned the highest number of points.

Next, a game focused on finding common interests was held. Students wrote down information such as their hobbies, hometowns, favorite foods, and special skills on pieces of paper. The learning mentors collected the papers and read the contents aloud one by one. When students found that they shared something in common with what was read, they quickly took a seat, similar to a game of musical chairs. The responses included items such as “I am from California,” “I like video games,” and “I enjoy listening to music,” as well as humorous entries like “I am a cat,” which prompted bursts of laughter throughout the activity.

 

On Thursday, April 2nd, an icebreaker event for 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th year students, organized by the Student Council, was held at Kanazawa Campus. Students were divided into mixed-grade teams and began by introducing themselves to get to know one another. After that, each team took part in a Puzzle-Solving Game. Faculty members and representatives from the Student Council were stationed in various classrooms, and each team explored the campus to locate them. At each location, a variety of missions such as quizzes and gesture-based games were prepared, and teams earned points by completing the challenges successfully. As the students worked together to solve the quizzes and finish the missions, they could be seen actively discussing and cooperating, gradually deepening their friendships. 

This icebreaker event provided a valuable opportunity for interaction across different grade levels and served as a positive start to student life in the new academic year.

Yuri Makada