Hi! It's Jonathan, the camera man. Today I would like to briefly talk about some of events that happened during September. Students returned to the Hakusanroku Campus between late August and early September. However, classes did not begin until the 24th. Instead, there were several special events organized as we waited for the two weeks to confirm the lack of COVID-19 to pass. (There was none, thank god.)

こんにちは、ジョナサンです！2020年9月の白山麓キャンパスで行われたイベントをいくつか紹介したいと思います。1，2年生は8月の終わりから9月頭にかけて白山麓キャンパスに戻ってきましたが、授業が開始されるのは24日です。その間は新型コロナウィルス対策として2週間の自粛期間として特別活動期間に設定されました。（感謝すべきことに戻ってきた学生たちの中に感染者はいませんでした）

World Language

On September 10, several teachers organized a special class to teach languages "other than English". This special class was titled "World Language" and students could choose two languages from Arabic, Malay, Thai, and French. Teachers native to these languages taught the basic alphabet, some common phrases, how to write your name, and other interesting things depending on the teacher. The Arabic class was conducted by Nagwa sensei and Alaa sensei, the Malay by Hazwan sensei, Thai by Apirak sensei, and French by Jason sensei. 

ワールドランゲージ

9月10日（火）、外国教員による英語以外の外国語特別講座「ワールドランゲージ」が実施され、1、2年生がアラビア語、マレー語、タイ語、フランス語から２つ選択して受講しました。講座では文字の読み書き、あいさつなどの簡単な話し言葉、名前の書き方など、担当教員によるオリジナリティ溢れる講座となりました。アラビア語講座はナグワ先生とアラー先生、マレー語講座はハズワン先生、タイ語講座はアピラク先生、フランス語講座はジェイソン先生によってそれぞれ行われました。

Book Review

On September 16, the first year students gave their book review presentations. Each student chose three books to read during the summer and give a brief presentation in English and Japanese. There were novels, how-to books, English books for beginners, and many unique books depending on the students' interests. All the presentations were extremely interesting, however we had to choose a "best book review" and so teachers and students voted on three presenters. You can see the first year students giving their presentations and the results in the pictures below.

ブックレビュー

9月16日（水）、1年生によるブックレビュー発表会が開催されました。学生たちは夏休みの間に読んだ本の中から3冊を選んで、日本語と英語を交えたプレゼンテーションを行いました。発表された本には小説、専門書、技術書、初心者向けの英語の本、画集など、学生たちの興味に合わせてさまざまな分野のものがあって大変面白かったです。担任の津田先生も「興味がある本を知ることで、君たちのことがもっと知れたようで嬉しかった」と語りました。また、「ベストブックレビュー」が学生と教職員の票によって選ばれました。発表の様子と上位3名は下の写真でご覧ください。

Sweet Potato Harvest

A group of second year students planted sweet potatoes as part of their Engineering Design project during the first semester. September marked the time for harvest. Actually, this is our second attempt at growing sweet potatoes. Last year, we were raided by the local monkey population just before harvest and lost 90% of our crop. To avoid the same outcome, students built a electrical fence and decided to harvest at the first signs of monkey attack. As a result we succeeded in collecting about 95% of this year's sweet potatoes. The four students of the group really got their hands dirty as they dug through the soil. You can see them and the sweet potatoes in the pictures below. These sweet potatoes will be branded, packaged, and sold by the students at local shops and farmer markets. I cannot wait to see what that will be like.

さつまいも「紅はるか」収穫

前学期のエンジニアリングデザインの活動として、国際高専の前にある畑にさつまいも「紅はるか」を植えた2年生のグループがいます。そのさつまいもがいよいよ収穫の時を迎えました。実は去年も同じようにさつまいもを植えた学生のグループがいましたが、猿の襲撃によって収穫のほとんどを奪われてしまいました。今年は対策として電気柵を設置し、猿が現れたら即座に収穫するという電撃作戦のおかげで植えたさつまいものうち、9割以上を収穫することができました。グループ4名の学生は手で土を掘って、芋を回収しました。下の写真でその様子を見ることができます。これらのさつまいもは学生がデザインしたブランド芋として包装されて、地元のスーパーやファーマーズマーケットで販売されます。去年の無念を乗り越えたさつまいもがどうなっていくのか、今後の活動が楽しみです。

Sports Day

On September 17 and 19, we held a special Hakusanroku Sports Day. This Sports Day event was organized by the P.E. teachers to give the students a chance to blow their steam from being crammed in isolation. Three teams: first year, second year, and teacher and staff, played against each other in basketball, volleyball, and badminton.

Basketball was a battle between the second year students and the teachers all star team. The teachers are much larger and more experienced. However, basketball is a popular free time activity among many of the second year students and they had secretly practiced leading up to this event. Teachers dominated the first half, but the second year team fought back and ended the exciting game with a draw of 8-8. Volleyball was also a close game between all three teams. Students enjoyed it so much that they created a student all star team to challenge the winning teacher and staff team after the tournament. 

The badminton tournament was a twelve-round three-way competition. There were three courts and each team chose two pairs to compete each round. The winner would be the team with the most wins and the least losses. The great part of this system was that more people had the chance to play. Each team was hungry for the final victory, and each round was both competitive and fun to play and watch. In the end, the first and second year teams ended with the exact same points. Takimoto sensei was about to end the event with a draw, but the students insisted on a deciding match between the best two pairs. The second year students won this game and were declared the winners of the badminton portion.

Results:
Basketball: Second Year Team, Teacher and Staff Team (draw), First Year Team (3rd)
Volleyball: Teachers and Staff Team (1st), Second Year Team (2nd), First Year Team (3rd)
Badminton: Second Year Team (1st), First Year Team (2nd), Teachers and Staff Team (3rd)

The event was a great success and I heard many students remarking that they enjoyed it so much that they wished we could do it EVERY month.

スポーツデー

9月17日と19日の2日間、白山麓キャンパスのスポーツデーが開催されました。外界と隔離されている１、２年生が夏休みから戻ってから無事に2週間が経ち、PCR検査も全員陰性だったことを受け、我慢を乗り切った祝賀イベントとして学生・教職員対抗の球技大会が企画されました。競技はバスケットボール、バレーボール、バドミントンの3種目で、1年生、2年生、教職員の３チームが競い合いました。

バスケットボールは普段からプレイしている2年生チームと、技術と体格を兼ね備えた教職員チームが決勝で衝突し、激しい試合の末８対８の同点を迎えました。バレーボールはフルセットまで競う好勝負が続き、最後は優勝した教職員チームと1年生と2年生を混ぜたオールスターチームが競うエキシビション・マッチが行われました。

バドミントンはそれぞれのチームがダブルスを組んで12試合の総当たり戦を行いました。ほかの種目と異なり、それぞれのチームメンバーのほぼ全員が1度は出場をする総力戦となりました。最後は1年生と2年生チームが同率1位となり、決勝戦を制した2年生チームが優勝となりました。学生からは「楽しかった」「毎月やりたい」という声が相次ぎ、両学年と教職員の距離を縮める大成功となりました。

Voting Simulation

On September 18, the second year students participated in a voting simulation by the election association of Ishikawa prefecture and Hakusan city. Students first listened to Ms. Natsumi Nakao from the Ishikawa Election Committee talk about the importance of voting, laws of to voting and election campaigning, and the how the election system works. Afterwards, the students participated in a simulation where they considered the manifest of two imaginative candidates and went through the process of posting a vote. The simulation was quite realistic and hopefully gave the students a taste of deciding their representor in the future.

選挙講話

9月18日（金）、2年生対象の選挙講話が石川県選挙管理委員会、白山市選挙管理委員会、白山市明るい選挙推進協議会の協力によって行われました。まず、石川県選挙管理委員会の中尾夏美さんが、選挙の大切さ、投票や選挙運動の注意点、選挙の方法について話をしました。その後、本物の選挙さながらのシミュレーションが行われ、学生たちは架空の立候補者2名のマニフェストを吟味した上で、受付、記入、投票までの流れを体験しました。選挙の重要性を知って実際に体験することで、18歳になった時に納得が行く代表者選びができるようになることを願っています。

The Writers’ Celebration is an opportunity for students to showcase their writing to students, teachers, and staff in the ICT Hakusanroku community. First and second year students in World Literature and English Expressions displayed various writing pieces--name affirmations, short stories, essays, etc.

We held Writers’ Celebration last year and it was beneficial for both students and teachers. Students who displayed pieces received feedback and compliments, as well as suggestions for improving their writing. Other students got to read each other’s writing and practice giving feedback and comments. Teachers had the chance to see what students were writing about, how they expressed themselves, and get to know the students a little better through their writing.

The night before the start of the celebration, many students, even those who were not displaying writing this time, stayed in the library until curfew to help set up and decorate. Even before the celebration started, there was already a festive atmosphere. Students were drawing characters, making sentences with word magnets, and putting up balloons and decorative washi tape. The students had to be chased away to make it to curfew on time.

During the Writers’ Celebration, students and teachers gathered to read the writing pieces, eat snacks, and talk and laugh together. Chips and salsa were provided and Mr. B made a special bacon cheese dip that was a huge hit with all the students. Each student’s board had a comment sheet where students and teachers could give feedback and encouragement.

Although students can often view writing as a tedious or boring part of school, the Writers’ Celebration gives our students a chance to be proud of their work and builds positivity in our community. For teachers, we get the chance to get to know our students more and reading their honest opinions and views in their writing is a delight.

Anne Isobel Tan

Writers' Celebrationは学生たちが自分の書いた作品を白山麓キャンパスの他の学生と教職員に披露できるイベントです。世界文学と英語表現を受講している１、２年生は様々な作品（Name Affirmations、短編小説、エッセイ等）でその才能を発揮しました。

去年開催したWriters' Celebrationは学生にとっても先生にとっても有益なものでした。作品を掲示した学生はフィードバックや称賛の言葉、アドバイスを貰いました。他の学生は他人の作品を読む機会と、フィードバックと称賛を与える側を体験できました。先生たちは学生がどんなことについて書いているのか、どんな風に自身を表現するのかを見て、その作品を通して学生のことをもっとよく知ることができました。

前夜は多くの学生（作品を掲示しない学生も）消灯時間まで図書室に残って飾り付けをしました。ですので、開始前からすでに会場は盛り上がりを見せていました。学生たちはキャラクターを描いたり、単語のマグネットで文章を作ったり、風船やマスキングテープで飾り付けをしたりしていました。消灯時間になっても帰らないので、追い出さないといけなかったくらいです。

Writers' Celebration開催中は学生と先生が作品を読むために集まって、スナックを食べたり、楽しくお話したりしました。チップスとサルサソースが登場し、Mr.B特製のベーコンチーズディップは学生たちに大ウケでした。それぞれの学生のボードにはコメントシートが用意されて、他の学生や先生がフィードバックや称賛の言葉を書けるようになっていました。ライティングの課題は地味でつまらない作業というイメージもありますが、Writers' Celebrationでは学生が自ら書いた作品を自信もって披露しますので、クラスの雰囲気も良くなります。先生にとっても学生が普段思っていることや、率直な意見を読むことが出来て大変嬉しいです。

アン・イソベル・タン

Hello, it's Jonathan, the camera man. Last month we held the Global Winter Camp where fourteen student from Thailand came to ICT to take STEM courses and learn about Japanese Culture. This year's Global Winter Camp was a week long program starting on December 15. During the program, the Thai students stayed in our dormitories at Hakusanroku campus and participated in STEM classes and Japanese cultural classes hosted by ICT teachers, various activities, and visited a local elementary school and tourist spots in Ishikawa prefecture.

Day 1

On the first day, students arrived at Hakusanroku campus after a long journey and checked in. We held a orientation ceremony and introduced our school and each other. In the evening we held a mini workshop to make key chains using the laser cutting machine.

Day 2

On day two, students first received a lecture on Japanese culture and language. In the afternoon, we visited the Hakusan Folk Museum in Shiramine, which is a town about fifteen minutes up the mountain from ICT. We also cut and made cups out of bamboo and experienced cooking rice over a bonfire.

Day 3

Day three was the day we visited Hakurei Elementary School, a local public school about five minutes from ICT. Both students had prepared a presentation of their culture and a kids game that they could play together. The Japanese students introduced the game "Darumasan-ga-koronda." In this game, one person covers their eyes and the other players sneak up on him/her while the person says "Darumasan-ga-koronda", which means "the daruma falls down." When the person opens their eyes, all the other players must freeze and cannot move or else they will be captured. After they are touched, the person has ten steps to tag another player.

In exchange the Thai students introduced a type of stilts made out of two cut coconuts and string. The students practiced walking with these coconuts and finally faced off in a race of Thailand vs Japan. You can see both games in action in the video at the bottom of the article. We also challenged ourselves with cooking some Japanese "dango" (dumplings). Both students mixed, boiled, and covered the dumplings with kinako powder. Afterwards, we ate lunch together in the Hakurei cafeteria.

In the evening back at ICT, the students enjoyed bouldering with the assistance of Philip-sensei.

Day 4

The STEM courses began from the fourth day. These include the Digital Fabrication Introduction by Omi-sensei, Circuit Board Decoration Workshop by Hayato-sensei, Chemistry & Biology Workshop by Nagwa-sensei and Jason-sensei, and the Paper Rocket Design Challenge by Anne- and Ryan-sensei.

Day 5

On day five, students participated in the Design Thinking Workshop by Omi-sensei, Drone Programming Workshop by Maesa-sensei, Laser Cutter Workshop by KK-sensei, and AI & IoT Workshop by Fukuda-san. The students experienced a wide assortment of STEM courses during the span of two short days, hopefully sparking an interest as a engineer of the future.

Day 6

The sixth and final full day was dedicated to sightseeing in Ishikawa prefector. We first departed ICT for Kaga Fruit Land to pick strawberries. There were green houses where you could pick and eat as many strawberries as you want. The strawberries were fresh and delicious and everyone ate their fill.

Next, we moved to Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT) to eat lunch in the cafeteria and take a campus tour. Students especially enjoyed the PMC's (Popular Music Collection) collection of records and special chairs to listen to them. After KIT, we did some sightseeing in Kanazawa city. Kanazawa is often called "small Kyoto" and we made time to visit Nagamachi Samurai District, Kenrokuen Garden, Kanazawa Castle, and Higashi-chayagai. At Nagamachi, we visited Nomura-ke, which is a samurai residence open to the public. Here, the students had their first taste of Matcha green tea. At Kenrokuen Garden, some students discovered their love for Mitarashi-dango. (dumpling with sweet soy sauce) Finally, we joined a gold leaf experience at the shop "Sakuda." Here, students decorated small boxes with gold leaf. We returned to Hakusanroku and packed our bags for it was our last night at ICT.

Day 7

On the final day, students gave presentations on their experience at ICT. It was interesting to see how each students had taken alike to a different activities. I am glad that they all have special memories that they will take back to their homes in Thailand. You can see a video of their presentations and some scenes during the trip. I look forward to the next camp and hopefully seeing our friends from Thailand again someday. Thanks for coming and take care!

Jonathan

 

　Hi everyone, its Ryan again! Today I’d like to talk about one of the highlights of November, the school’s Sports Festival (球技大会).
　On 11/16, the S class students travelled down the mountain to compete with their classmates in the school’s annual Sports Festival. This year, the S1 and S2 students combined forces in badminton, basketball, and dodgeball to compete against the upperclassmen. 
　The S class teams faced tough opposition against bigger, stronger, and more experienced students, but they still fought hard. Their tenacity and enthusiasm were impressive, and the underclassmen were able to win many matches against their seniors. Ultimately, S class teams were able to secure 5th place in both the basketball and dodgeball tournaments. 
　Results aside, the festival was a good opportunity for the students to break up the monotony of their schoolwork while working together with their classmates. The students enjoyed their chance to get moving and test their skills while being supported and cheered on by their friends and cleverly took advantage of the nearby bookstore to purchase the latest volumes of their favorite manga and light novels.
　In the end, the Sports Festival was a great experience for all the students. The only complaint that anyone seems to have is that they weren’t able to stop at McDonald’s on the way back!

Ryan J. Vicencio

　やあ、みんな！ライアンだよ！今日は11月にあった球技大会のハイライトを紹介していきます。
　11月16日、Ｓ科の学生が恒例の球技大会に出場するために山を下りました。今年はS1とS2の学生がひとつのチームとなってバドミントン、バスケットボール、ドッジボールの種目で先輩たちと対決しました。
　Ｓ科が相対するチームは自分たちより身体が大きく、力が強く、経験値も勝る上級生たちでしたが、必死に食らいつきました。その粘り強さと根性は目を見張るものがあり、年下にもかかわらず先輩に勝利する試合がたくさんありました。結果的にＳ科はバスケットボールとドッジボールのトーナメントで5位に入賞することができました。
　結果はさておき、球技大会のおかげで毎日の学業から離れて仲間と力を合わせる良い機会となりました。身体を動かして、友達に応援されつつ自分の力を試すことを楽しみました。また、ちゃっかり近くの本屋で好きな漫画の最新刊やライトノベルを購入する気転も見せました。
　球技大会は全学生にとって素晴らしい体験となりました。唯一聞こえた文句は帰り道でマクドナルドに寄れなかったことです！

ライアン・J・ビセンシオ

 

Hello, it's Jonathan, the camera man. On November 30 (Sun), we held a barbecue party at the Hakusanroku campus. This was no regular barbecue party with  beef, pork, and yakisoba. We had wild boar, venison, and bear meat as well, and lots of it!  There was even bear soup cooked "tonjiru" style with vegetables and miso. The nurse ladies also brought a wood stove, which the students used to make original pizzas. Students and teachers sat down around the grills and ate delicious food to their heart's content. Thankfully, we had sunny blue skies and the heat from the flames kept us warm. There was a lot of chatting, laughing, and merriment all around. This event was only made possible with the help of many people. It has been an annual event for two years and I hope it continues to be so.

Jonathan

皆さん、お元気ですか？ジョナサンです。2019年11月30日（土）、白山麓キャンパスでバーベキュー大会が行われました。牛肉、豚肉、焼きそばのレギュラーメンバーに加え、なんとイノシシ、鹿肉、熊肉が出ました！しかも大量にです！豚肉の代わりに熊肉を入れた豚汁ならぬ「熊汁」も登場しました。また、クリニックの看護師さんが薪ストーブを持参し、学生がオリジナルのピザを焼くこともきました。学生と先生はグリルを囲んで満足のいくまで美味しい物を食べて会話を弾ませました。ありがたいことにこの日は晴天に恵まれ、冷たい風が吹いていましたがバーベキューの炎と愉快な仲間で暖かい時間を過ごしました。このイベントはたくさんの方々の協力のおかげで実現しました。去年に引き続き2回目ですが、来年も行われることを願っています。

ジョナサン