Campus Newspaper Published by English Workshop A/I

THURSDAY July 18, 2013

New Material for Self-studying
English Started This Year

By Miu Takahashi(No. 11)

A new material for self-studying English online is now in force for students of the English Department starting this semester. It iscalled Super Eigo, and is taking place of the Listening Marathon which had been assigned to the students of the department until
last year. This is a big change for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. Prof. Hitoshi Eguchi, who is in charge of managing the new
project, explained what it is like, how good the material is, and so forth.

What Is Super Eigo?
It is a material for studying English on the website provided by
Chieru.net, and was introduced to the English Department students fromthis year. They are expected to use the program for self-study by using theirown web accounts. Although the time to study is not regularly fixed, thetotal number of hours for self-study is fixed in advance according to theiryear. The students can access to Super Eigo from Hokusei Gakuen Univ. IT
Systems Center.

How It was Introduced
Prof. Eguchi spent the last two years asking many sample students to help
him with testing whether Super Eigo is effective in improving their English
skills. The sample students used this material for a while, and finally it wasproved to be very useful for upgrading their skills. They answered questionnaires and said “the placement test and the dictation part are very effective
for students.” Prof. Eguchi then suggested to the faculty that the English
Department introduce the material, and his proposal was approved last fall.
Then the university purchased about 1,000 user accounts for students.

A student is doing dicta on
in Super Eigo.

The Strong Point ofSuper Eigo

Super Eigo vs. Listening Marathon
Listening Marathon was assigned to all the students to take the samelevel of listening exercises no matter how they are good in listening skills
or not. The materials were provided every week and they had to be finishedin a week. With Super Eigo, on the other hand, they can choose whicheversection and level they want to study, and there is no due date; they can train
their skill any time and the quantity of study is up to them. However, it
does not mean that they can neglect it. At the end of each semester, theirwork will be checked.
Listening

Super Eigo

Marathon
Skill

Listening only

Listening, reading,
vocabulary, grammar

Level

Cannot choose

Can choose

Due

Every week-

Comparison between Listening Marathon and Super Eigo

Super Eigo covers different skills of English;
students can train not only the listening skill but
also the reading skill and improve grammar according to their own ability. This means that if theyuse it effectively, it will help them to get higherscores in their TOEFL and TOEIC. Thanks to theplacement test, they can choose the proper section
which suits their level. That is why their English
skills can be improved more effectively.

Extra Good Point
Prof. Eguchi points out that students no longer
need to worry about choosing and buying suitabletextbooks for TOEFL and TOEIC themselves as longas they study through Super Eigo. Students who wantto get higher scores in these tests used to buy some
textbooks themselves before, and choosing a good
textbook was not easy for them. However, the new
self-study material will set them free from such aproblem, he explains.

2
By Hiroko Takamura &Yuka Ito

Total Ban on
Smoking facedwith dilemma
Two years have passed since the total ban on smoking
was introduced on the campus of Hokusei Gakuen University. Now, however, smoking corners have returned tothe campus despite the smoking ban is still in force. The
school authorities are now contemplating on whether tokeep the loophole temporary measure or return to the“strict” policy.

Poster of smoking ban (le )Smorking corner on campus (right)Hokusei Gakusen University still in force. Before smoking was total- source of trouble with some of the local
introduced a total ban on ly banned, there were some smoking residents in the neighborhood. As a resmoking on campus on rooms in the buildings. However, after sult, the university decided to set up
April 1st 2011. Now, after the total ban on smoking, smokers be- temporary smoking corners to deal with
two years, in April 2013, the university gan to smoke on the roadside in front of this problem. The university is now in a
set up two smoking corners on campus the main entrance, and they littered cig- great dilemma over the issue of the total
for all that the total ban on smoking is arette butts on the street. It became the ban on smoking.

Why was the toal ban on smoking introduced?
The total ban on smoking was intro- smoking prevention measures” aim to ban decided on its own to give some considerduced in 2011 based on the Health Pro- smoking totally at public places and pre- ations to the complete separation of
motion Act and “Passive smoking preven- vent passive smoking. It is scientifically smoking and the nonsmoking areas andtion measures” provided by the director proven that passive smoking can cause an total ban on smoking. Finally, in 2009,of the Health Service Bureau of the illness, a disorder and even a death in the school decided to enforce the total ban
Health and Welfare Ministry in a bid to some cases. Before the school was asked on smoking throughout the campus fromprevent health hazards to the public to prevent passive smoking by the Health 2011.
caused by passive smoking. “Passive Service Bureau, in July 2008 the school

Column :Health damages caused by passive smoking
There is a lot of information which show harmful effects caused bypassive smoking: various symptoms such as lacrimation, nasal obstruction and headache, and slowed breathing, increased heart rate,
and vasoconstriction such as physiological response. Along withthis information, an epidemiological study demonstrates increased
risk of lung cancer and circulatory disease as chronic effects. There
are also research papers which report that passive smoking causes
an increase in the incidents of low-birth-weight baby. Also, an international organization and foreign countries including the US andthe UK gave reports that cigarette smoke contains a lot of harmful
substances such as nicotine and carbon monoxide which causes
child’s respiratory tract infection and asthmatic attack. Especiallyparent’s passive smoking brings about respiratory symptom likeasthma and phlegm, and it has a bad effect on growth of respiratory
functions.

Smorking corner in front of the student ac!vi!es building

3

Effects of total ban
on smoking

The total ban on smoking on
campus, which started fromthe 2011 school year, hasbeen effective in preventing
passive smoking on the campus. According to the General Affairs office, the rateof smoking among students decreased
from 10 percent to seven percent after
the total ban on smoking on campus wasintroduced.
Two ‘‘smoking areas’’ provided temporarily in Hokusei, one is near the
student ac vi es building and the other is next to the college hall.

Negative effects from die-hard smokers
Smokers were driven out from the smoking areas due to the cigarette is the same as that of the head of a little child, so it istotal ban on smoking. Therefore, the number of students who dangerous.’’ In addition, the Atubetsu Local Fire Station foundsmoke on the road side in front of the main gate of the universi- cigarette butts inside the hydrant and Hokusei Gakuen University increased. Local residents started complaining about the ty got a strong warning by the fire station in 2012. More serimanner of such student smokers, ‘‘We are annoyed because ously on campus, there was a time when someone threw a burnstudents prevent us from passing the road,’’ ‘‘It is possible they ing cigarette into a trash can, and it ignited paper trash.
cause a traffic accident,’’ ‘‘The height of their hand holding a
No ce on the total ban on smoking on campus

Measures for littering cigarette butts
The university set up ashtrays on the campus from April 2013as a temporary measure to deal with complaints and the advice.
Currently, there are two ashtray stands on the campus and they arecontributed by Japan Tabaco Inc. (See the map above for locations.) Thanks to the ashtray stands, no one smokes on the roadside in front of the main gate anymore. As a result there are nolonger complaints from local residents over littering of cigarettebutts. Furthermore, smokers are pleased with the temporary measure. Syunsuke Maeda, a junior of the economics department,
said, ‘‘I think we need the ashtrays and the smoking corners. Before the return of the ashtray stands, most of the smokers smokedon the road side in front of the campus, and they threw their cigarette butts on the street. Now, everyone throws them into ashtrays.’’ Some nonsmokers agree, ‘‘We are happy that there are nocigarette butts on the road.’’ And yet, many people wonder why
the school decided to set up ashtray stands when the total ban on
smoking is being still enforced.

The university has banned smoking on campus under the
Health Promo on Law Ar cle 25 since April 1, 2011.

Editor’s note
It seems that the problem of the cigarette butts complained the regulations have been in effect, the situation of the smokby local residents is almost solved, but providing ashtray ing seems to have turned back to the previous state. It will
stands for smokers is a temporary measure, and the school take more time to achieve complete total ban on smoking andauthorities will not change their regulations of the total ban the university and the students should cooperate to aim aton smoking on campus. Although two years have passed since implementation of the total ban on smoking.

4

The thing we can

By Eri Higashida and Miku Sato

Hokusei Gakuen University has volunteer program and organized Hokus- ed, with the male-to-female ratio of 3:7
entered the second stage in its sup- ei Net as a group of Smith Mission Cen- or 4:6. The university defrays only transport program for the stricken areas ter students. The purpose of Hokusei Net portation expenses for volunteer students.
in the Tohoku region, with students is planning and carrying out the program Entry fee is reasonable ¥ 20,000 per perof dispatching volunteers and supporting son a week with food and lodgings. Now,
taking an initiative in organizing
the stricken area and victims composed they are planning to dispatch about 20
volunteer work independently.
chiefly of students. Hokusei Net itself is volunteers for the project this summer.
Hokusei Net was organized in Novem- directed for making a dispatch of volunber 2011 after the Great East Japan teers; sometimes they go to the stricken
Earthquake occurred on March 11th. In area as a leader. They have so far volunApril and July 2011, Hokusei Gakuen teered mainly in the Tohoku region, but
University sent student volunteers to hereafter they plan to help and support
Iwate Prefecture. Some of them with the victims in Hokkaido. Mainly, they will
volunteer experience wanted to do some- volunteer to play with children, whothing more and help to send volunteers to came from Fukushima to Sapporo to takethe stricken area by themselves. They shelters, and help to reduce their stress.
wanted to continue Hokusei Gakuen’s So far, more than 100 students participat-

Emergency Food for Victims

Angels smile: “It’s a sunny day!”Restoration Works

The Flower of the Hope

“In Japan, we face many invisible hardships.”
The students who are interested in participating in the vol- meeting, a gathering of report by participants is also held inunteer work through Hokusei Net, at first, must make contact the chapel in order to spread the knowledge about the situation
with “Iwate GINGA-NET” which offers information about the of a stricken area.
volunteer dispatch, and then, to apply in the university by an
Mr. Taniguchi, who is a representative of Hokusei Net, said,
advertisement. The students must send an e-mail to Hokusei“the contents of the volunteer activity are different depending
Net, and it is reserved on a first-come-first-served basis. Afteron the needs of the occasion. In the beginning, the primary
they are accepted as participants, they need to take out an inactivity was removing rubbles, but now, the activities are
surance policy of volunteer job, and also provide their parent’s
mainly a support of the community to mediate for residents
written consent. Before dispatching to a stricken area, there is
who live in temporary housing. Nowadays, victims need ana study and training session in order to ease the participants’
incentive for living. They lost the job, and they are also wortensions. There, they learn about the situation of the stricken
ried about the uncertain future as they will have to move out
area and the basics of volunteer work. The training aims at
the temporary housings in a few years. At first, I felt a foodpromoting mutual friendship. Thereafter, the students actuallyshortage was their main concern, but victim’s lives are graduvisit the stricken area. After the dispatch, a meeting will beally becoming more stable, so I hope that they can live ordiheld to review the volunteer activities. In addition, after thenary lives in the future without volunteers.”

5

Volunteers Tell Experiences in Stricken Areas
By Miku Sato and Eri Higashida“Victims gave me vigor”~Holding Out a Helping Hand~

the victims, volunteers received wakame
seaweeds that are local specialty.

Ayaka Matsumura who is a junior of
She participated in the volunteer work
the School of Humanities volunteered in
Iwate Prefecture for a week in February to build accommodations for volunteers.
2012. It took 3 hours to go to the disaster The building was to be constructed in a
- stricken area by taking JR through the vacant area and she had to start from
Seikan tunnel. However, on the departure scratch. People of a construction compaday, JR was stopped due to heavy snow ny told her, “There used to be a refrigeraand the departure was put off until the tor, but it was carried away by the tsunami and the place was completely envelnext day.
oped with sauries. Because it was sumShe decided to participate in the volun- mer, the sauries got rotten and volunteers
teer work because she wanted to see the who came in the summer removed them.
state of the stricken area with her own When they cleared them away, we felt aeyes. She took part in various volunteer progress in restoration.” Also, there is theactivities such as the event of mochi (rice monument for people never to forget this
Ms. Ayaka Matsumura-ake) pounding, building facilities for disaster and the names of victims arevolunteers and sorting the books in the carved on the tree.
Found and △means Not Searched Yet. It
library. “People were pleased that college
is difficult to search every house in a
The buildings in the stricken area were year. “Despite their adversity, the victims
students came there to volunteer,” sheweathering. Already one year had passed looked good and well. They were happy
said.
from the disaster. Although restoration
She stayed in a shack and slept in a effort was progressing, the place was not for volunteers coming there, so I was
sleeping bag with many people in a large dirty and the vacant area was spreading happy too,” said Matsumura. “Throughroom. There was a stove in the middle of out. It was hard to believe that there had the volunteer work, I thought people who
the room, but it did not work. She had to been a house there. Houses which were watch news of the disaster but do not see
go to the public bath to take a bath and not swept away by the tsunami were the stricken area directly do not know thereal situation. In contrast, I went there
she cooked her own meals. The room
marked
with
×,
○
and
△
.
×
means
and saw the real state there, so I can tell
was decorated with letters of thanks fromvictims and paper cranes. As a gift from Missing People, ○ means Dead People the others all about it.”students come and quickly return theirhometown. I could see from their expresShe visited temporary shelters for vicsion, so I was sad.” She talked about thetims as a member of the volunteer group,
situation of the stricken area, “Disposal
and helped or talked with them. There
work of the area was beyond my expectawas “Ochakko salon” which serves fortion, and there was a completely vacantvictims, and she offered drinks or deserts
lot. The coastal area nearby sea was also
like a “Warabi-mochi” in order to comclean. Therefore, in the green all around,municate with local people in the tempothe foundations of houses or buildings
rary community center. Iwate Prefecwere left. So I could guess that once
ture’s temperature was 35 degrees inthere was a house where a family had
centigrade, and very humid in the middle
lived.” However, they need a permissionof the summer. She stayed at an abanfrom the city authorities to construct a
doned elementary school building, andnew building. As the situation of strickslept in a sleeping bag. There was no air
en area, the problem of land is big, andconditioner, so it was hard for students
also the on-the-spot investigation doesn’t
from Hokkaido, but others from Honshu,
seem to work well. So nobody in thethe main island of Japan, worked enerarea can do anything about it now.
Ms. Saya Komatsu
getically.
She said about a change of mind of
Saya Komatsu, a junior of the School of Komatsu said, “A year has passed
herself,“On that day when the earthHumanities, went to Kamaishi city, Iwate since the earthquake disaster happened,quake
disasterhappened, I could not halfPrefecture as a volunteer for the disaster- and I went there to volunteer when the
believethescenesof the terrible condistricken area for a week in August, 2012. victims were gradually restoring their
tions
of
some
strickenareas reported by
She visited the stricken area because she ordinary lives. I didn’t expect such a
the
TV
news.
However,
I realized again
thought the situation of the Tohoku area welcome from the victims, but I mean I
that
such
a
terriblething
reallyhappened,
was different from the news report by was just a visitor for them. There is suchbylisteningtorealstoriesofsome viclistening to Matsumura’s experience of a volunteer group that they were statims
who
lost
their
close
friends
and relavolunteer activities in the area, so she tioned in the area to support the victims.
tives.”
wanted to see how it is there with her So they seemed to think that volunteer“Seeing is believing.”

own eyes.

6What is Table for Two?
By Rei Kimura
Source: Facebook of Table for Twoable for Two (TFT) is a non-profit organization (NPO), which is organized on October 24th, 2007. It is intended to send food to African
children who are suffering from starvation. During the four years from2007, the number of participating companies and communities increased to more than 450. There are many kinds of communities, for example,
cafés, restaurants, convenience stores and online supermarkets. TFT’s activities
are not only to sell food but also to bring out books and hold lecture presentations. TFT is organized in Japan but the affiliate is settled in New York, the U.S.
in 2008.

T

According to TFT’s web site, 1 billion people in developing countries are suffering from under nutrition all over the world, while 1 billion people in developed
countries are suffering from adult disease especially obesity which comes fromovereating. By encouraging people in developed countries eating a healthy menu
and contributing part of the payment to Africa, the food imbalances can be rectified. TFT’s amount of donations is decided to twenty yen, which corresponds to aschool lunch fee in Africa. TFT gives three factors for deciding which country
they support. First, twenty percent of children weigh less than the average. SecSource: http://jp.tablefor2.org/ ond, the political situation is safe. Third, school lunch’s project is well prepared.
Now, TFT supports Uganda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda. TFT supported Malawi, too, but they have stopped sending food because the other group started to support Malawi.
TFT’s concept is to share a dinning table over the sea between African children and developed countries’. TFT says thatpeople can share the feeling of unity and humanity by taking part in TFT. Also, according to TFT, this feeling is absolutely
imperative for the world.

Uganda’s School Lunch
Sending school lunch surely saves children from starvation, but it also leads to improving school attendance rate and academics. In addition, it is very good for rising children’s basic physical fitness and strengthening of preventing disease. It will
be a fundamental solution to poverty. In Ruhiira in Uganda, which is one of the countries that TFT supports, the number ofstudents rose by a large margin after this TFT’s project started. By keeping the hand-wash and dish care a habit, the numberof victims of infection decreased.
In Uganda, TFT’s school lunch is distributed twice aday. In the morning, to concentrate on studying, porridge of corn is distributed. At noon, children can get aposho, which is a staple food - rice cake made of corn’s
powder with bean’s soup. Anyway, poor nutrition is
widespread in Africa because their staple food is a banana. To solve the problem, TFT cooperates with an
American team of nutrition science to decide the menu.
Shortage of food is surely a problem but it is also a
problem that parents do not have enough knowledge
about nutrition. They have a wrong knowledge. To
teach parents about nutrition, TFT invites them toschool and teach them about nutrition. TFT intends toimprove the African poverty in a fundamental way.

Source: Facebook of Table for Two

7

TFT
TFT--Hokusei

by Risa Yonezu

From April 8th to April 19th 2013,
TFT-Hokusei carried out a campaign tosell Pirika-Don (a bowl of rice topped
with pork, bean sprouts and leeks) on the
2nd floor of the university co-op. It plays apart in saving African children from starvation. Now, the leader of TFT-Hokusei
is Saori Aoki. She is a junior in the department of Social Work. She copes with introduction of TFT menus to the co-op andthe school cafeteria at TFT-Hokusei. Also,
she tries to promote the existence of TFT.
She said, “I wish everyone makes international contributions readily. And I hope
they will be healthy at the same time as
volunteers.” Pirika-Don tastes soybean
TFT-Hokusei members sell Pirika-Don to Hokusei students on the 2nd
paste, salt and soy sauce. At first, theyfloor of the co-op.
Photo from the Web site of Hokusei
had planned to sell it in the school cafeteGakuen University
ria, but they decided to sell it on the 2nd
floor of the co-op to reduce congestion of food ingredients were procured from the The proceeds totaled 104,780 yen andthe school cafeteria. From the start of TFT co-op. So they made a suggestion and co- 4,980 yen of the proceeds was contributed-Hokusei, they had decided to sell Pirika- ordinated with the co-op several times. At to the TFT project. Also, they set up a
Don for a first project because the project long last, they managed to start selling donation box and collected 2,632 yen
had to have a connection with the co-op Pirika-Don. Their sales target was to sell it from it. The total contribution came to
and Prika-Ramen were a popular menu in thirty meals per day. They achieved their 7,612 yen. It amounted to about 381 Afrithe school cafeteria. After twice food tast- goal except for only one day. They sold can children’s school lunch.
ing, they completed Pirika-Don. All of the 249 meals in total during the campaign.

The project of Pirika-Don

Pirika-Don is selling hot.

In March 2012, Table For Two- kusei Gakuen University, Fuji Women’s
Hokkaido (TFT-Hokkaido) was started university, Otaru University of Comby a Hokkaido University student, Ko- merce, Sapporo Gakuin University, Sapshiji Hiroki. Table For Two Program poro International University, Tokai
was thus launched in Japan, and after University, Rakuno Gakuen Universitythat many universities and companies and Hokkaido University of Education.
participated in it. Many universities TFT-Hokkaido’s main members are
make TFT-University Association (TFT- Hokkaido University, Hokusei Gakuen
UA). TFT-Hokkaido belongs to TFT- University and Fuji Women’s UniversiUA. TFT-Hokkaido’s membership uni- ty. Last May, Akari Kudo, a graduate ofversities are Hokkaido University, Ho- Hokusei, started TFT-Hokusei.

The next projectNow, TFT-Hokusei is planning for a next the negotiations were back to square one.
project. It is “black pearl milk tea.” The idea is These problems are solved by a TFTadopted because it is easy to drink; sweets are Hokusei’s counselor, Mr. Katumura. He acts
already sold on the 2nd floor of the co-op and as a mediator between TFT members and theplain juices are sold in the co-op shop. They co-op. Moreover, one of the problems is theplan to sell it on the 2nd floor. They will go on lack of recognition. They want to solve thiswith this project with the co-op, but contact point by Twitter and Facebook. So if you arewith the co-op is very difficult . Also, the new interested in TFT, please check here!
co-op manager took over from this year andTwitter of TFT-Hokusei: https://twitter.com/

Saori Aoki
Photo by Rei Kimura

8

If you want to study abroad, thisyear might be a good opportunity !
From this year, four universities in
Europe and Asia are newly added asoverseas schools affiliated with
Hokusei Gakuen University.

CEU University of San Pablo

University of Madrid Antonio Nebrija

Spain
Geneva Business School
Maranatha Christian University

Switzerland

Indonesia

There are more sister schools of Hokusei inSouth Korea, Taiwan, the United States, Canada andChina. But why have they tied up with these universities
additionally ? Well, the next page will tell you why.

9

By Akiko Maehana and Shiori Yamauchi
Hokusei Gakuen University is making a major change swiftly in its international exchange
program by welcoming tie-ups with countries in Europe and Southeast Asia. It has signed a newcontract with six universities in Asia and Europe. Consequently, from this autumn, Hokusei
cancels the contract with BCA ( Brethren Colleges Abroad) about studying abroad. But why?
Professor Masae Harashima, the former chief of International Education and Language Center,and also now the head of the economics department, answered the following questions.

Q. Why have these 4 universities become our
new partners?
I participated in a conference related
to the exchange program at Regents College
in London which is already a partner of
Hokusei. Participants were from around theworld. I talked with representatives from
Italian schools, Filipino schools and so on but
finally we agreed to tie up with universities in
Spain, Indonesia and Switzerland.

Q. How do you want Hokusei to be as aninternational college?
I hope Hokusei’s curriculum will be moreinternationalized. I think more classes held at Hokusei
should be taught in English and raise the students’ English
level. In my opinion, students of the English Department
should study overseas for one semester as a duty. Living
overseas will help students to brush up their language
skills and it also helps students to grow as people who are
active on the international stage. In addition, we should
prepare a new curriculum which helps students obtain the
doctor’s degree at overseas universities through thestudying abroad system.

Q. Are you planning to add new partner colleges
more in the future?
Yes. We’d like to expand variations of countries
for studying. We are wishing to have an agreement withsome of the universities in Oceania area such as Australia
and New Zealand. We are also targeting Asian countries.
Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, where the economy isdeveloping dramatically, would be our next choices. Also,
I think two more universities in the U.S.A will be needed.
Variation of countries where students can study is one of
the strong points of Hokusei’s international exchangesystem.

Yoshitaka Kawashima, the section chief of the International Education and Language Center,
explained why Hokusei decided to cancel a contract with BCA Study Abroad.

We have been thinking about dissolving the agreement for a long time because of the unbalance of exchange
students between us. As of May 1, 2013, the number of students sent overseas from Hokusei was 625 but in contrast, we
accepted 923 foreign students. Moreover, BCA Study Abroad makes paper work for application complicated, which often
delayed the seasons for students to study abroad. These two main reasons led us to sever the deal.
In addition to these facts, the change of ultimate goal of BCA Study Abroad is also another factor. BCA was a
fully accredited student exchange program affiliated with the Church of the Brethren. BCA offers opportunities to study
abroad for a single semester or a full academic year between Brethren Universities or Colleges. The organization works
with college students to promote international understanding, an awareness of global citizenship issues, and opportunities
for academic scholarship through educational exchanges. However, its initial purpose has changed and now BCA Study
Abroad was just a Study Abroad Organization of exchange programs. They offer not only Brethren Universities, but also
other denomination-affiliates such as Soka Gakkai which is non-Christian.

10

Dancing their way to all the “Future Dreams”
By Mai Matsumoto & Shiori Shinohara

Quartz to keep dancing for 10 years

Quartz, a street dancing teamorganized by three girls, Gao,
Sara and Mapp, won the Special Prize in March, 2013. Theirdream was to enter the compe##on, called
KING FINAL 2012, one of the largest street
dance compe##ons in Hokkaido held in the
Zepp Sapporo. Each ﬁnalist from ﬁve ci#es,
Sapporo, Asahikawa, Hakodate, Obihiro
and Tomakomai gathered in Sapporo to win
the championship. Quartz has barely
marked its ﬁrst anniversary since the girls
made the team. They launched the Quarts
on March 6th, 2012 when they turned just“From Dance Face Magazine Volume 7”

20 years old. They are college students and a part-#me worker. There is no leader in the group. However, they never quarrel with each other and they get along very well. Their goal is to keep dancing
together for 10 years as the Quartz.

☆QUARTZ(2012～)

2012.5 Dance Face Live vol.6 : the first place2012.6 Hokkaido University Festival show case2012.6 Dance Face Live vol.7 dance show case2012.7 KING2012 2nd. ：the third place2012.9 EBETSU DANCE PERFORMANCE2012：BEST DREAM award
2012.10 Hokusei Gakuen University Festival show case2012.11 QUEEN：the second place2012.12 DANCE FACE FINAL
2013.1 Town Revitalization Event: 13th Anniversary show
case
Quartz promo#onal photoNow, Mafuyu Sato is dancing in QUARTZ with the twoother members but when she had
started to dance ﬁrst, she wasalone.

2013.3 KING FINAL 2012：Special Prize
2013.3 U-gata DANCE BATTLE
2013.4 QUARTZ Work Shop
2013.4 Twilight show case11

Starting a New Life with Dance
Mafuyu Sato is a third year stu-

QUARTZ’s symbol

Un0l she became a ﬁ2h grader, shedancedonce a week in Chitose. Whendent of Hokusei Gakuen University’s
shewasin the ﬁ2h grade, she saw a
English department. She was born
dance
stage
performance by her stuon December 8, in Chitose, Hokkaido and has been living there since dio members and wanted to be athen. When she was a second grad- member of that group. To be a memer in elementary school, there was ber, there was an audi0on and theonly one new dance school in Chi- lessons for that were held in Sapporo.
tose. She was interested in dancing, She passed the audi0on and began toso she went to see the lesson at the take lessons in Sapporo. She had two
dance studio at ﬁrst. At that 0me, lessons a week, one was in Chitose
she said, she met one person who and the other was in Sapporo. At ﬁrst
played a key role in her life. The she had no friends at the studio in
man’s name was Hiroaki Kumagai. Sapporo. That was hard on her but
She saw his dance and was im- she didn’t mind it and said, “I justpressed very much, so she decided wanted to dance.”
to take lessons at the studio.

The core of her life is DANCE
When she had to decide which high school to
a6end, she wanted to go to any high school in Sapporo as long as she could a6end the dance lessons a2er
school but her mother did not allow her to go to a highschool in Sapporo just to dance. Her mother gave her
one condi0on that she must pass a be6er-level school
than the top-ranking school in her school district. She
studied very hard and passed the entrance exam andbecame a high school student in Sapporo. When she
was a high school student, she took the ﬁrst bus every
day, 5:59 in the morning, and a2er school she went to
the dance lesson and came home around 23:30. She
a6ended the lessons ﬁve 0mes a week, Monday
through Friday, when she was a third year student.
“When I was a second year student in high-school,
I worried about my future, whether to go to a nursing
school or to go to Hokusei. But I realized if I become anurse and meet anyone who can speak English well, I
surely will regret to stop studying English. So I decided
to take the exam for Hokusei.” Her life at the university was decided by her desire for dancing. Dance wasthe core of her life. Now, she is a third year student.
She worries about her future career now. Her core oflife is dance, so she has decided to give a challenge byherself. She is going to Los Angeles in this summer.
She said that will be a big challenge for her. “Lots ofdancers go to Tokyo but if they could speak English,
they might choose to go to Los Angeles or New York. I
can speak English and it will be a great chance for me
to study English further. So I am going to Los Angeles.”Her plan is to stay there for one and a half month. She
has found two studios that she wants to go.

Mafuyu Sato tells about her future with passion.
Photo by Shiori SHINOHARA

She has booked for a dormitory and ﬂight 0ckets but
she has no speciﬁc plans for now what to do there. But
her mind is all set to go there. Why is she going to go to
Los Angeles? She thought she wanted to do something
to help her studio in Sapporo to grow big. She thinks if
QUARTZ becomes famous, her studio will expand andbecome a big studio. To make the group famous, shebelieves she must become a be6er dancer. That’s why;
she decided to take the homeland lesson in USA. A2erher Los Angeles challenge, her mind might change to adegree, but the core of her life is unchangeable evena2er she gets a job. She will ﬁnd a job in Sapporo where
she will con0nue dancing as a member of QUARTZ anddance every day.

12

New Era for Our Chapel Time May Come
Even though Hokusei Gakuen University is a Christian school, most students who wish to be saved from theirpersonal troubles rarely participate in
the “Chapel Time,” and miss the
chance of listening to some helpful
inspiring talks delivered there. The
newly-appointed chaplain, YoshihikoHidaka, 55, joined Hokusei Gakuen in2013, and now wants to bring in a new
era for the Chapel Time. In a recent
interview with The Hokusei Times,
Chap. Hidaka talks about his philosophy developed through his 17 years oflife in Thailand. He also talks about
the Japanese people in their relationship with others.

Chap. Yoshihiko Hidaka gives a talk and a prayer at Chapel Time.
Photo by Masahiro Saikawa

the Chapel Time, the chaplain, teachers, as well as some
Chap. Hidaka first addresses the Thai term “sanuk” Atnative
speakers of English take turn to give their unique lecwhich means “enjoy” in English. The word, however, means tures. However, the speakers usually come spontaneously, andmore than that. “It is important for us to feel and find euphoria certain faculty members, such as English department profesin what we perceive as trivial encounters around us,” he ex- sors, part-time teachers, and students seldom come to the chapplained. He holds that people whose life is always filled with el to give their discourses. Chap. Hidaka wants to make ahappiness cannot feel a real happiness. “You can feel happi- change so that various people with special backgrounds give
ness as you can contrast it with negative feelings such as grief, lectures. For instance, economics department teachers gave
anger and emptiness. You can find a small happiness, such as lectures in April, and some exchange students took part inMay. “We have little time to discuss what we should do on thecherry blossoms you can see in the springtime,” he added.
campus, since we have to go through the daunting academic
Chap. Hidaka points out that Japan faces a serious crisis inassignments in a short time of each semester,” he said. For thishuman relationships today. “Most Japanese people always
reason, we can listen to the wholesome lectures by attending
think it essential to be common and to coordinate their steps
the Chapel Time.
with others’,” he said. He believes that Japanese people like tomimic others’ behavior. In addition, they have the propensity
His second plan is that Hokusei students organize a musito criticize “unique” people as being “weird.” This might in cal group and sing the campus hymns and some verses fromthe end ruin potential and promising characters of the people the Testament. He articulates that there are two crucial points
that Japan needs today. Furthermore, Japanese people have in doing this. That is, the band must modify lyrics into simple
gradually lost their cordiality toward others, with the use of expressions, and change the rhythm to go along with recent
hospitable words decreasing. “This means,” he said, “we seem music like J-pop. According to him, once these changes areto have lost some of the indispensable Japanese words that we made, students can see the Christianity in a new light. What ismore, they can easily get more interested in the chapel, beonce had.
cause it is “young” students who sing their original hymns. As
For example, the Japanese usually say “sumimasen” (“Excuse
a result, the whole academic community can procure its comme” in English) when they ask someone directions. “The exmon religious basis.
pression is self-centered because it just refers to the firstperson himself,” he said. “Such a wording does not connect
Finally, he reiterates that Japanese people have recently
people emotionally.”
suffered from chronic depressed feelings, and the original
When he lived in Thailand, Chap. Hidaka learned Thai terms cause might be our implicitly accepted culture to follow other“phi” and “nong” which mean “brother” and “sister” in Eng- people’s behavior. With such group mentality, the society relish. “By using these words when addressing people, we can sults in contradicting its goal of creating unique individuals.
feel emotionally closer with each other, as the words mean a “We should not worry about being an outcast, but should rather worry about being conformed,” he emphasized. Perhaps‘family member,’” he said.
the answer for gaining a strong identity is to attend the chapel
As a newly-appointed chaplain, Mr. Hidaka has two ambitime as we can listen to life-edifying lectures and find yourtious ideas to galvanize the chapel and the university with
Christianity. His first plan is the “new Chapel Time” which true self.
takes place during the lunchtime from 12:05 to 12:30 as usual.

13

Hokusei Seikyo
By Anri Takeda

Original goods
T

he University Co-op shop commonly called “Hokusei
Seikyo” in Hokusei Gakuen University has served many students and teachers with foods, drinks, stationary, books and soon in the past five years. A lot of items of various kinds havebeen sold there. There is the special section at the entrance of
Hokusei Seikyo dealing with original goods of Hokusei
Gakuen University. Hokusei Seikyo designs and makes Hokusei’s original goods and sells them there. Their original
goods section has been established at the entrance to attract thecustomer’s attention easily. Their original goods started to go
on sale from five years ago. These goods are designed by the
manufacturer that is connected with Seikyo and printed with astar mark as a symbol of Hokesei Gakuen University. There
are about ten items of original goods that are clear files, sharp
pencils, pens, tumblers, T-shirts, and so on. These goods which
are on sale now were produced last year. Because they weremade in mass production, new goods will be not produced forsome years. However, if they sell well, the goods will be madeadditionally and sold in the near future.

The inside of Hokusei Seikyo. There is the section of Original goods at the entrance. It is the left of this picture.

Items of goodsThere are about ten items of the Hokusei original
goods; they are a pencil, an eraser, chopsticks, a clear file, atumbler, an eco bag and so on. The number of the items has
not been changed for a few years. They sell well, and thesales of them improved in the new school semester this year.
Although students buy these goods, their parents also buy
them. It is surprising that they
buy them as a memento when
they visit Hokusei Gakuen University. The most popular Eco bags
goods with them is the original
pencil. It is sold at a reasonableecond, it is an eco bag. It
price, with a printed logo of comes in two colors which are blue
Hokusei and has a good func- and pink and are printed with a bigtion that it can be used as a pen star mark of the symbol of Hokusei
and a pencil. In addition, teach- Gakuen University. It can holders of this university buy these many things. If you always carry it
goods to advertise Hokusei around, you can show off as a stuGakuen University, when they dent of Hokusei Gakuen University
visit other schools to join an and advertise this school. Its price isacademic meeting and meet 210 yen. (See the picture above.)
Hokusei original pens teachers of other schools. So,
three items are introduced here.
inally, it is a tumbler. It
and pencils.
comes in four colors which are red,
irst, it is a pencil called “Sya- pink, orange, and green and have abo”. It can be used as a pencil and a pen, is printed with Ho- printed logo of Hokusei Gakuen Hokusei original tumkusei’s logo, and made by ZEBRA. It is a very useful item, University.
bler.
with the price tag of 200 yen. (See the picture above.)

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The Hokusei Times published by English Workshop A/I

Face-Off Toward The Top

T

Thursday, July 18, 201314

BY Yuka Ozeki

he new semester has started, withleaves changing their color to green― this spring, and Hokusei Ice Hockey
club became bigger including newlyjoined freshmen. Nine players and threemanagers newly joined the club this yearwith the membership reaching 33 in total.

The team, before the new recruitment,
got the third place in the Asahikawa competition in March although they were only
freshmen and sophomores. How did theclub was born? And how did the membership grow so much in only one or two
years?

T

he Ice Hockey club of Hokusei
Gakuen University was established
about 10 years ago. “At first, it beganfrom a small talk with one of the students
in my seminar,” said Prof. Atsushi Isagoda, the advisor of this club. There was astudent who belonged to an Ice Hockey
club team individually outside of the college. The student knew Prof. Isagoda had
been a great ice hockey player when he
was younger, and he had been a coach of astrong ice hockey club at the university he
had worked before he joined Hokusei.
The student recruited members in the university and asked prof. Isagoda to become
an advisor of that club. Prof. Isagoda re-Club members a er The Asahikawa compeon in Marchcalled his initial feeling, “I would never Actually, lots of practice and experiences
think about making an ice hockey club in are necessary for this sport, ice hockey,”
Hokusei if it were not for his request, and Prof. Isagoda said. “But still, it is gratifyhe might not have thought about making ing for us, the League of Ice Hockey, thatthe club unless he met me. It was a mira- the number of the players is increasing.
And also, it is important for students to docle encounter.”something enthusiastically aside fromf course there were few students
studies or part time jobs,” he added. The
who entered Hokusei in order topractice on ice links costs very expensive
play ice hockey. Even now, after about 10
and it is often difficult to reserve theseyears since the club was formed, the Ice
links but they concentrate on each practice
Hockey club is not so popular and every
so much and improve day by day. The
year the members of the club have a hardmost attractive point of this club is all thetime recruiting new members. But surprismembers are very close to each other.
ingly, almost all the members started this
They spend much of their time together.
sport for the first time in their lives after
This year, they may get more prizes thanthey entered this college. “It is a rare case.
ever.

O

dents.” International students seldom join local clubs, because it
is too tough to manage to study and do other activities earnestly.
So that was really a rare case, but he did not have any anxiety atall. He was filled with confianada is popular for ice hockey. Kazuki Ota, a fifth year dence and very curious about
student of Hokusei now, started to play ice hockey at the many things but his life ofIce Hockey club of Hokusei Gakuen University when he entered studying abroad in Canada
the university. He had never played this sport before but soon was not so easy. He had a brobecame crazy about it. He decided to go to St. Thomas Universi- ken bone twice. It took two
ty in Canada through a student exchange program of Hokusei on months to heal the first broken
Prof. Isagoda’s advice. Most of students’ goals of studying bone, and the second one stillabroad are to improve their language skills or experience cross- annoys him now. “However,cultures, but he was different. His main purpose was playing ice my hockey days were satisfachockey. Better facilities for ice hockey are provided surrounding tory and I became loving
the university there than in Sapporo; three skating rinks and a hockey even more,” he said.
training room. He said, “The environment surrounding the uni- He came back to Japan thisversity was similar to that of Oyachi, so it was comfortable to spring and now practice toKazuki Ota is playing Ice
live there.” And he added, “I could get great team mates in Can- gether with other teammates.
hockey at St. Thomas Uniada. Usually, Japanese exchange students tend to keep company He will play a greater role inversity in Canada.
with Asians, but I got a chance to associate with many local stu- the club of Hokusei.

To Play Ice Hokey

C