Hello everyone. My name is Shogo Izumiya, and I am the chairperson of this year's ICT School Festival Executive Committee. I am very relieved, and at the same time sincerely happy that we were able to successfully hold the ICT School Festival on Saturday, October 19, 2024. Above all, I am very grateful to all the students and faculty members. It was the students' imagination and execution, as well as the help of the faculty and staff, that made this festival possible. I want to take this opportunity to express my gratitude once again.

Now, I would like to introduce, through this journal, what kind of events were carried out this year. Please take a moment to see the students' efforts and the lively environment they've cultivated.

During the day, exhibitions such as academic displays, ikebana exhibitions, and 1st year students’ art exhibitions were held at Maker Studio IV. Every year, 2nd year students take part in a practical course that covers the production-to-sale process of sweet potatoes. To check the progress, I visited the section where the results were exhibited. Another highlight was the 1st year students’ art exhibition, which featured numerous stunning works that showcased their enthusiasm and dedication. It was very touching to observe the activities and efforts of our junior students, something I don't usually get to see at Kanazawa campus.

 

In a place called the Learning Commons, two competitions were held in the morning and one in the afternoon. The first one was a card game tournament. The junior students of Hakusanroku Campus organized the event and brought the card games they usually enjoy to the desks in the Learning Commons for everyone to enjoy. The number and variety of cards they had were so large that we felt their enthusiasm was tremendous.

Next up was "Defeat Anish Kirpalani in a fighting game." You might be surprised by the name, but there's a 5th year student, Anish-senpai, who is a master of fighting games. This event was about defeating him in a particular game and winning a prize! These types of games can only be enjoyed on desktop computers or console gaming systems, so the preparation was a bit challenging. Although it was a game I wasn’t very familiar with, it turned out to be a wonderful event where we could interact with the senior students and have fun. Actually, my father, who came to watch, also tried it and managed to win with some handicaps.

In the afternoon, we had the "Big Fighting Game Tournament." Although we can't disclose the title of the game, we’ll leave it to your imagination. This event was held in a tournament format with a total of 18 players battling fiercely for prizes. The junior students were incredibly skilled, and I unfortunately lost in the quarter-finals. Each match was thrilling and kept us on the edge of our seats, making the experience immensely enjoyable.

After these events, the highlight of the day was the Bingo game. It was incredibly fun and lively, with the excitement of getting close to a Bingo but not quite hitting it, adding to the atmosphere. This annual event features gorgeous prizes that were competed for in the order of the earliest bingo winners. As more and more people got closer to bingo, I was enjoyed how everyone started fidgeting every time I brought out the bingo ball.

After the Bingo game, the final event was a debriefing session for the Kosen ROBOCON 2024 held in early October. With this, this year's ICT School Festival came to an end. Lately, ICT has begun actively participating in the Kosen ROBOCON, and their hard work and creativity, along with their perseverance in repeatedly testing and improving their ideas, make me proud as ICT student. Best of luck for next year as well!

Well, here is a summary of this year's ICT School Festival along with my impressions. How was it? ICT has just begun. Many students are now enrolling in our school, and the number of attractive junior students is increasing rapidly. We will continue to create better events in the future, and we look forward to seeing you again at next year's ICT School Festival.

Shogo Izumiya

 Have you ever heard of a "learning mentor"? Many people may not know a lot about this job and I want to share what my day is like.

 My name is Apirak Sang-ngenchai, and I am a learning mentor. My work begins in the afternoon when I join the classes I am assigned to. I usually sit at the back of the classroom to listen to the lecture in order to understand the topics and context, which helps me better support the students later on. If students have questions, I provide explanations. Sometimes, I assist students who feel shy about speaking up in class.

 The evening learning session runs from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. This is the heart of my job. Students come to me for help with their studies during these two hours.

●Homework and Quizzes: During the evening session, many students bring their homework to ask for guidance. Some assignments are straightforward, like math problems or writing exercises, but others can be more complex, like science reports or project research.
●Projects and Activities: Not all students come for help with homework. Some need support for extracurricular activities or personal projects. For students interested in robotics, I help them design, build, and program robots for competitions like Robocon. This includes brainstorming ideas, debugging code, and testing the robot’s performance. Some students have their own goals, like creating a small AI application or programming a game. I guide them by teaching coding techniques, suggesting tools, and troubleshooting their problems. It’s inspiring to see their creativity and determination.
●Life Issues: Some students just want to talk. They share their worries or ask for life advice. Some students need someone to talk to. They might feel stressed about exams, homesick, or unsure about their future plans. I listen without judgment and offer encouragement. Other students ask for advice on balancing school and personal life, building friendships, or setting goals. I try to give them practical tips and share my own experiences to help them feel more confident.

 Learning mentors are like the students' older brother or sister. We play, study, and enjoy time together. It’s not just about schoolwork. It’s about building relationships. Students often feel more comfortable sharing their thoughts with me than with their teachers. For example, some students ask me for help with programming, especially for robots or AI. Then I guide them step by step through the process, and it makes me happy to see their progress.

 Besides helping students with their studies, learning mentors organize events like Halloween parties, Christmas celebrations, or cultural festivals. These events help students feel more connected to each other and the school.

 

 Being a learning mentor is busy, but it is also very rewarding. The best part of the job is watching students grow, solve problems, and become more confident. We are not just helping them with school; we are helping them with life. Now if you meet a learning mentor, you know what we do!

Apirak Sang-ngenchai

 Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku Campus office. On Saturday, November 9th, 2024, a team Ekiden (Relay Race) involving 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th year students, along with faculty and staff members, was held at the Hakusanroku Campus. It was a cool and sunny autumn day with clear blue skies, creating the perfect atmosphere for the event.
 The race took place on a roughly 670m course around the Hakusanroku Campus. Four teams were formed, each consisting of both students, faculty, and staff members. The start and handoff point was next to the gymnasium, with the course passing the dormitory, the KIT Innovation Hub, and the Hakusanroku Campus entrance before completing a full lap. Each team, made up of about 15 members, took turns running one lap at a time, completing a total of 30 laps (about 20.1 km).

 After Philip Cadzow sensei, Health and Physical Education teacher, gave the signal to start, the starting runners each team sprinted off. Right from the beginning, the starting runners added a touch of excitement to the event: among them, 4th year student Kan Kinoshita performed a backflip before starting, and Learning Mentor Apirak Sang-ngenchai sensei ran in a banana costume. As each runner completed their lap, they handed off their sash to their teammate, leading to a thrilling and competitive race. Students showed a mix of emotions—some were nervous before their turn, but they smiled as they took the sash and began running. Some students tried their best to outrun pursuing faculty and staff members. Philip sensei ran multiple laps, and Ian Stevenson sensei went above and beyond, running continuously regardless of his turn, completing an impressive 21 laps (roughly 13.5 km) on his own. In the second half of the race, the Yellow Team surged ahead, leaving the other teams two laps behind and securing a decisive victory!
 At the end of the event, Amazon gift cards were awarded to all members of the winning Yellow Team and the MVPs of each of the four teams.

 The sight of everyone, including students, faculty, and staff cheering each other on, continued until the very end of the race. It was truly moving to see the runners pushing through with labored breaths and heavy legs as the sash was passed from one teammate to another. The event was a wonderful experience, with all the team members united as one.

@ictkanazawa

2024年11月9日（土）、白山麓キャンパスで1、2、4、5年生と教職員が4チームに分かれてチーム対抗の駅伝大会が開催されました！各チームは15人で、合計30周（1周約670m）を走り切りました。🏃‍♀️🏃🔥✨ #国際高専 #駅伝 #ict #kosen #白山麓キャンパス #金沢キャンパス #ekiden

♬ familie - Mrs. GREEN APPLE

Yuri Makada

 

Hello, this is Yuri Makada from the Hakusanroku Campus office. Today, I would like to write about the Halloween events held at Hakusanroku Campus.

 Every year when Halloween comes around, the Hakusanroku Campus is decorated with a festive Halloween theme by students and learning mentors. Students and Learning Mentors decorated the big stairs with Halloween decorations and attached plastic bags with pictures drawn on them to the air conditioner vents blowing air out from the floor. The plastic bags were decorated with pictures such as Moo deng (หมูเด้ง), the adorable baby hippo from Thailand beloved on social media, along with other animated characters and cute ghosts. The bags would sway like little ghosts in the breeze, bringing delight to teachers and staff! Additionally, a "Making Jack-o'-Lanterns" event was held, led by Ian Stevenson sensei.

 On Friday, October 25th, 2024, during the optional Learning Session, a game of hide and seek was held. The game consisted of four rounds. The students who were hiding took cover inside the school building, while the seekers had 5 minutes in the first round and 10 minutes in rounds 2 to 4 to find the hidden students. The number of seekers ranged from 3 to 6 students per round, and the goal was to find all the hidden students within the time limit. 

 The dark, quiet atmosphere of the school added an extra thrill to the game, and the students seemed to have a lot of fun. Initially, only 3 rounds of hide and seek were planned, but the excitement was so high that an additional round was added. Students who weren’t found within the time limit were rewarded with a snack by learning mentors.

The Learning Mentors created a video trailer for Hide and Seek👻

@ictkanazawa

ラーニングメンターからハロウィンにちなんだ動画をもらいました🎃今後、校内で「ハロウィン隠れんぼ」が開催されるそうです👻楽しみですね🎃👻👻 #国際高専 #白山麓キャンパス #ict #寮生活 #hakusanrokucampus #dormlife #schoollife #halloween #hideandseek

♬ オリジナル楽曲 - 【公式】国際高等専門学校 - 【公式】国際高等専門学校

The day of hide-and-seek👻

@ictkanazawa

2024年10月25日（金）のラーニングセッション（夜の学校）オプショナルの日では、「校内隠れんぼ」が開催されました🎃👻 #国際高専 #ict #internationalcollegeoftechnology #ハロウィン #隠れんぼ #寮生活 #寮 #学生生活 #学校 #高専 #Halloween #hideandseek #schoollife #dorm #kosen #kosenjapan #technicalcollege #japan #school

♬ Pumpkins Dance Halloween - AF_Sounds

 On Thursday, October 31st, 2024, teachers and students dressed in Halloween costumes for classes, strengthening the Halloween atmosphere. Students wore costumes such as Pokémon characters and movie protagonists, while teachers appeared in unique outfits like maid costumes and hot dog suits, making for a uniquely styled day of classes.

 

 Additionally, a Halloween special lunch menu was offered. The selection included a cute ghost-shaped salad and seven varieties of freshly baked bread and cookies. Students cheerfully chose their favorite treats and had a lot of fun!

 After classes, a Halloween Costume Parade was held. Students and teachers walked the stage, striking poses and performing skits they had created. Among the highlights were 1st year students Ayane Ito, Madoka Nakazawa, and Kotori Mae, who wore matching costumes from the movie Mr. Vampire and performed a dance to the music, drawing cheers of "So cute!" from the audience. Another memorable moment came when 1st year student Lapananrat Pantawat who had not worn a costume during class, surprised everyone just before the parade by appearing in a giant dinosaur costume, bringing laughter and delight to the crowd. Following the costume parade, a contest was then held to determine the most creative, scariest, cutest and funniest costumes.

 The last event was the piñata event. In this popular Mexican tradition, blindfolded students swung a stick at a piñata. They were guided by the voices around them until they hit piñata and it burst, scattering candy. Cheers erupted as treats rained down, adding excitement to the celebration.

 In October, Hakusanroku Campus was fully immersed in a Halloween atmosphere, creating a fun and lively environment. This unique Halloween event, characteristic of ICT, surely made for a memorable time for the students.

Halloween day🎃

@ictkanazawa

ハッピーハロウィン🎃👻👻👻 10月31日（木）、白山麓キャンパスの1、2年生と教職員は仮装をして1日過ごしました。夜にはハロウィンコスチュームパレードなども開催されて賑やかな1日となりました🎃🧁🧡🧡 #国際高専 #高専 #石川県 #白山麓キャンパス #ict #internationalcollegeoftechnology #kosen #kosenjapan #japan #ハロウィン #仮装 #パレード #Halloween #costume #funevent #event

♬ APT. - ROSÉ & Bruno Mars

👻Costume contest video🎃

@ictkanazawa

2024年10月31日（木）の放課後、白山麓キャンパス（1、2年生）では、ハロウィンコスチュームパレードが開催されました🎉🎃👻 学生と教員たちはステージでダンスをしたり、自分たちで考えた演劇などを披露したりして、思い思いの仮装をアピールしました🕺🏻💕🎃 #国際高専 #白山麓キャンパス #ハロウィン #ict #halloween #高専 #internationalcollegeoftechnology #party #仮装 #パレード #costume #funevent

♬ Happy Halloween - Junky

Costume Contest
🏆The Funniest Award🏆

🏆The Scariest Award🏆

🏆The Cutest Award🏆

🏆The Most Creative Award🏆

Piñata

 

Yuri Makada

Hello, I am Ian Stevenson, an English teacher here at Hakusanroku Campus.
 On Thursday, October 24th, 2024, in what has become an annual tradition at ICT, students made jack-o'-lantern. This year, because of weather and monkeys, I was not able to grow any pumpkins in my garden. All the jack-o'-lanterns this year are made from paper mache. 

If you’re interested in making paper mache see the link below for the recipe.
Hakusanroku Journal: November 19, 2022 Making Jack-o’-lantern

 1st year students Kotori Mae, Madoka Nakazawa, Ayane Ito and Takeshi Murayama, as well as Learning Mentor Sade Moore sensei, all made jack-o'-lanterns, put lights in the jack-o'-lanterns’ mouths and hung them so they could look across the road at Sena Roadside Station. Madoka cut a fanged and star eyed monster from her paper mache pumpkin, Sade sensei made a Cinnamoroll Roll jack-o-lantern, Kotori’s jack-o'-lantern had green hair, Ayane created an original pumpkin character called “Kabo Kabo” and Takeshi turned his paper mache pumpkin into a bat.