Happy New Year everyone! I am Krishia Atillo, one of the learning mentors here at Hakusanroku Campus. I am delighted to share our Christmas Gift Exchanges from last year.

 To celebrate the essence of Christmas, we had a Christmas Gift Exchange for faculty, staff, and students last Tuesday, December 24th. We first had a White Elephant Christmas Gift Exchange for the faculty and staff who wished to participate. Since this type of gift exchange didn’t have a specific receiver, each person had to buy one generic gift that could be given to either male or female, young or old. All participating faculty and staff had to choose a number that corresponded to the gift they got. Once everyone got their numbers, we started to open the presents. The presents that each faculty and staff received were all useful and wonderful gifts, especially this winter season!

 During the learning session on the 24th, we held a Christmas Party Gift Exchange for the students. To make the party more fun and exciting, the Learning Mentors decided to hide the Christmas presents so students would have to find them. Once the students were able to find their Christmas gifts, each of them had to go to the center to open their presents. All of them were excited to open their presents! They were all delighted to receive their Christmas gifts!

 After the Christmas gift exchange, the Learning Mentors also prepared snacks for students to enjoy. They were able to enjoy drinking hot cocoa in cold weather, and ate cookies, chocolates, popcorn, and many more! Overall, the students had fun and were able to enjoy the Christmas Party Gift Exchange.

Krishia Atillo

  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

 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

Hello, I am Haruki Ohta, a 3rd year student of ICT. I am currently studying abroad in New Zealand and enjoying the most wonderful life. Eight months have passed since April, and it is already December. Time really flies. I am so grateful to my parents for allowing me to enter ICT and study abroad in New Zealand. Thank you.

By the way, I ride a road bike in New Zealand. I didn't bring the bike from Japan, but bought a used bike in New Zealand for about 60,000 yen. It is for commuting and training. However, I had a certain assumption. "Dunedin is a city, so there are fewer mountains than Japan, it is flat, and a road bike is good." This was a big mistake. After buying a road bike, I was excited to explore the area around the school, but there were only steep slopes. My homestay is in an area with a series of steep slopes to the school, and there are many steep slopes with an average gradient of 14%, which is even difficult to walk on. You may be able to climb the slopes if you go on a mountain bike or electric bicycle, but road bikes require power because the gear ratio is small. Local people even push their bikes. In other words, it's "tough (I can't climb)". I completely regret it. When I commute, I ride while carrying a bag with my laptop and other items, which adds extra weight on top of the steep hills. To be honest, it's hell. But it is good for me and I think it is necessary to get stronger in competitions, so I haven't given up and ride almost every day without getting off my bike. After 8 months, I am now able to easily climb steep slopes (I think). I am happy that I have gotten a little stronger, but another problem has occurred. My thighs got too big and I can’t wear 90% of the pants I brought from Japan.

I've been riding road bikes in New Zealand since April, and there have been many good and difficult things. What I learned here is "There is no limit! Break through with determination!" I've always had a strong spirit of challenge and have done many things, and of course I did stupid and dangerous things. But until now, I was just challenging myself, or I would give up if I thought it was even a little difficult. Through my road bike experience, I have been able to push myself and go beyond my limits. I think this is something that is common everywhere. At first, I thought I was bad at data analysis and programming for AI research, which I have never done before, but I persevered and am now gradually becoming good at it.

At first glance, road bikes may seem like just expensive bikes, but I think there is a lot to be gained from riding a road bike. It may be better to try something and put in a little effort. This is not just about road bikes, but rather it is about not being interested in anything or not trying anything because of prejudice.

I have been able to have a variety of experiences through this study abroad. It is rare to study abroad for a long period of time, such as a year, rather than a short period of time, and not everyone can experience it. I am truly grateful to my parents for allowing me to enter ICT and for giving me this valuable opportunity. I would like to live my life in New Zealand from now on, realizing that this is not something to be taken for granted and feeling grateful.

Haruki Ohta

 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