MARIST BROTHERS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Issue No. 2 | February 2023

In this issue:
Getting to Know
Mr. Hutchinson

For You, By You
by Mrs. Neill

I am excited to introduce to you the second edition of our student
newsletter, created by a group of talented and dedicated students. As
the teacher in charge, I would like to take this opportunity to extend
my heartfelt gratitude to these students for their hard work andcommitment to this project.
The newsletter is a testament to the exceptional skills, passion, andcreativity that exist within our student body. The articles featured inthis edition reflect a diverse range of topics, from current events topersonal experiences and perspectives. I believe that this newsletter isan excellent platform for our students to share their thoughts,
opinions, and voices. As you read through the articles, opinion pieces,and stories in this newsletter, I hope you will be inspired and informedby the perspectives and experiences of your peers.
I am proud to have been a part of this project and to witness firsthandthe passion and enthusiasm that the student writers brought to thetable. Their hard work and dedication have truly paid off, and theresult is an outstanding publication. It is through collaboration andteamwork that we can achieve great things, and this newsletter is aprime example of that.
I am excited to see what the future holds for our student newsletter,and I encourage all students to get involved, share your ideas, andcontribute your voices to the conversation.
Thank you for your continued dedication and hard work of the
Yearbook and Journalism students, and I look forward to seeing what
you will accomplish in the future.

What's New Around
MBIS?

Student Leader
ProfilesMarist History Quiz

Editorial: Don't Let
Grades Define You

What's Your MBPI?

Leading With
Compassion
by Kazusa Yumitate
Mr. Shawn Hutchinson is our new Head of
School at Marist Brothers International School. He
most recently worked in Jakarta, Indonesia, and he’s
been leading schools for the past 20 years in many
countries including New Zealand, Vietnam, andChina. His passion for education and learning wasevident through the early stages of his career as ahigh school English and Special Education teacher.
In the short time he has been at Marist, he has
already started working on making our school
better by updating our school facilities such as thechanging/shower room in the gym as well as thedemolition of the old building. He is currently
working with the Marist School Board to develop acampus master plan and strategic plan to improve
facilities, school operations, and teaching andlearning. His passion for service learning has him
thinking of more service opportunities for the highschool students, as well as our very young students
in the Elementary School. He says that he isconfident that we can achieve our school goals andreflect on our success at the end of the academic
year.

In Mr. Hutchinson's free time, he enjoys goingto cafes with his wife for a cup of coffee on a
Sunday morning, listening to his daughter’s music
playlist, and watching rugby games even though heclaims “I am not the sporty guy.” Being the firsttime for Mr. Hutchinson and his family living in
Kobe, he says how he enjoys how he canexperience having both mountains and the beachnear his house and how everything is conveniently
near him. It has only been about five months since
the school started but we can already tell how
enthusiastic he is about Marist and the amount ofeffort he put in making this school a better place.

Mr. Hutchinson says that he was drawn to Marist
because his values align with the core values of theschool. Furthermore, he mentions how “the size ofthe school was very appealing” as well as the historyof this school and the fact of being committed tofamily and helping others really inspired him tobecome the Head of School at MBIS. He states, “Themotivation this school has for service work isimportant, and I saw that the school has the ability
to work for others.”
His goal for Marist is to have or to build better
facilities for everyone in Marist; however, his shortterm goal for this school year is to increase thenumber of service work in the elementary school.
This is because he noticed how the upper school
students are well committed to being a part of thecommunity and the idea of helping others, so hewishes he could see more of that in the younger kids.

2

Mr. Hill's
Journey toMaristby Aannya Javeri

Mr. Taylor Hill is a 31-year-old teacher at Marist Brothers
International School. He teaches the DP Business
Management class for grades 11 and 12, and Social Studies
for grades 6 and 7. He has been married for 7 months toNina, a beautiful woman from Vietnam. Mr. Hill is a newteacher at Marist who is eager to interact with thestudents. This is his first time in a new country, it must be alittle intimidating, scary, and frightening all at once.
However, Mr. Hill has been courageous in taking thechallenge to move from China to Vietnam and then to
Japan. As a new teacher, I wanted to know more about Mr.
Hill, so I interviewed him to ask him a few questions.
When asked how do you feel about teaching at Marist,
there was a slight pause, he looked at the camera andsmiled. “I …… I love it. It's pretty much exactly what I
expected. It does hold up to those claims that have beenfound to be family-oriented and community-based. The
students are incredibly well-behaved, respectful, and hardworking as well. Also, the teachers are really helpful, andsupportive as well, so it's been great so far.” Mr. Hill has
only been here for few months, he already seems to love it
here. Coming to a new school and not knowing what toexpect from the students and teachers can be really nerveracking. However, Marist makes people feel welcomed andloved which is a factor that will always be true.
As a new teacher to the school, the first thing thatyou need to do is make a connection with the students andget to know them which is exactly what Mr. Hill did. He
volunteered to coach the high school boys' volleyball teameven though he has never coached a volleyball team before.
This feeling of leading a sports team and watching themplay with their hearts passionately excites him. “I amdefinitely proud of the volleyball team for just how hard
they've worked. Especially the varsity with having all the

injuries and all the problems. Seeing them fight, challengethemselves, and really try to win those games on theweekend just made me really proud to be their coach.”
He especially wants to give special thanks to Joshua
and Sanu for leading the teams throughout the wholeseason. While Mr. Hill sat on the bench answering thesequestions, I could see a big heartwarming smile appear.
This is the feeling of family and togetherness. He feels
proud to coach a team who has great sportsmanship,amazing communication skills, and the will to win.
Marist is a very small school compared to other schools
around the world. So when asked what’s unique about
Marist? There was no thinking, no pausing, and definitely
no hesitation in his response. “It being a small communitybased school, everyone seems so close to each other,helpful and supportive. I haven't had that really before in
my previous school, so that's what is really special. I believethat the smaller schools always have the biggest hearts.
Everyone knows each other personally, not just by name.
Throughout the day everyone is smiling and laughing. The
hallways are always filled with laughter and joy, and theclassrooms are always filled with excitement and eagerness
to learn something new."As a new teacher at this school, there are some changes
that Mr. Hill would like to see in the future. “Hopefully, we
can develop some more projects. Maybe integrate business
management with some of the stuff the MAA, MHS, and
NHS do to get some business social enterprises going,” As
Mr. Hill is a business teacher, I can see how he wants tofurther educate Marist about the business world and try
something new. He has a plan and vision for the school andwishes to carry them out.
In the end, I have learned a lot about Mr Hill. I knowwhat he plans to do in the future, I know how he feels
about teaching at Marist, and also I know how much heappreciates the high school volleyball team for all their
hard work, dedication, and hours spent training.

３

Getting To Know

MS . Y U K S E L
by Haruhi Hayashi

ABOUT HER

M s . G u n s e l i Y u k s e l i s f r o m T u r k e y . A lt h o u g h
she doesn't have any pets at the moment,s h e l o o k s f o r w a r d t o h a v i n g a fu r r y fr i e n dwhen she returns to her home country. Shea c k n o w l e d g e s t h a t t a k i n g c a r e o f a n i m a ls
c a n b e d i f f i c u l t , b u t h e r l o v e fo r t h e m m a k e s
i t a l l w o r t h w h i l e . I f s h e c o u ld h a v e a n y p e t ,it would be a dog. However, she admits thats h e ' s n o t e n t i r e l y c o n f i d e n t i n h e r a b i li t y t odedicate enough time and attention toproperly care for a pet.
In her free time, Ms. Yuksel enjoys reading,a n d s h e e n j o y s b a k i n g . W h i le s h e u s e d t ocook frequently in Turkey, she's had toa d j u s t t o a s m a l l e r k i t c h e n a n d d i ffe r e n t
ingredients since moving to Japan. One of
the biggest differences she's noticed is that
yogurt is sold in stores in Japan, whereas inTurkey, it was commonly homemade. She
also expressed curiosity about natto, a
traditional Japanese dish, and hopes to try itsoon.

WHY SHE CAME TO MARIST
Last year, several teachers left Marist to
pursue different opportunities. However, with
their departure came the arrival of newteachers, including Ms. Yuksel. She is anincredibly kind and polite teacher who joined
Marist this year. Ms. Yuksel was drawn toMarist because she had heard great things
about the polite and friendly students, as wellas the school' s International Baccalaureate(IB) system. She currently serves as the IB
coordinator at Marist, and can often be foundteaching English in the main building or
working in her office located in the Annex.
If you haven' t had the opportunity to meet Ms.
Yuksel yet, be sure to stop by her office or say
hello to her in the halls. She is a fantastic
addition to the Marist community, and we' relucky to have her as part of our teaching staff.

T h e f i r s t t h i n g Ms .
Y u k s e l ma k e s s u r e
t o k e e p i n mi n d
wh i l e t e a c h i n g i s
for students tohave fun and enjoyh e r c l a s s . Wh e n
s t u d e n t s c o me t oh e r c l a s s , s h e wa n t s
t o s e e t h e m s mi l e
a n d e n j o y wh a t t h e y
are learning.
4

BY HARUHI HAYASHICHANGES TO USHERIN A NEW CLASS
To decrease the amount of stress a
student holds—-

GRADES
Last August, the class of 2028
graduated from grade 6 and now is thecurrent grade 7 class. There are new
systems in grade 7 that have been
updated from last year. Mr. Lipp, theHead of Upper School, explained whyt h e P o w e r S c h o o l g r a d e s f o r a ll o f
upper school are reported using the 17 scale. He states the main reason is
to take away the focus on numbers.
For example, if a student gets a 94
they’ll feel like they didn’t get a good
grade because it's not perfect, but ifthat same grade is reported as a 7,
students will realize "they don't haveto be perfect to get the top score.”
The goal of this change is to decrease
the focus on numbers because there’sr o o m f o r s e v e n s , s i x e s , o r fi v e s t oearned second honors.
A big step from grade 6 to 7—

GUIDING STUDENTS

MR.LIPP—G u i d a n c e i s a l s o n e w f o r t h e g r a d e 7 s t h i s y e a r t o m ak e o p p o r tu n i ti e s fo r th e
g r a d e 7 s e m o t i o n a l l y a n d fo r t h e i r fu t u r e c a r e e r s . M r . L i p p e m p h a si z e s th ei m p o r t a n c e o f g u i d a n c e b y s t a t i n g , “E s p e c i a lly fo r G r a d e 7 s, co m i n g i n to u p p e r
s c h o o l i s a b i g s t e p f o r t h e m . ” T h i s i s o ft e n a t i m e i n w h i ch stu d e n ts m i gh t
d e v e l o p p r o b l e m s , a n d t h e s c h o o l w a n t e d t o p r o v i d e s u p p o r t fo r stu d e n ts so ci a l l y ,emotionally, and mentally if needed.

LAPTOPST h e G r a d e 7 c l a s s l a p t o p s w e r e a ls o u p g r a d e d s o e a ch stu d e n t
r e c e i v e d a t o u c h s c r e e n C h ro m e b o o k . L a s t y e a r , s o m e m i d d l e sch o o ls t u d e n t s w e r e i s s u e d a n o l d e r la p t o p w h i le o t h e r s h a d n e w e r m o d e l s.
T h i s h e l p s t o u n i t e t h e c l a s s a n d t o e n s u r e a ll s t u d e n t s ha ve a cce ss tothe same technology.

5

FEBRUARY 2023

ISSUE 2

However, multiple Upper School students haverecently voiced their opinions about the updatedroute.

9th

student,

CoconaMatsushita,

addressed that “going all the way around to theNorth Gate” is the unfavorable part of thetemporary

campusarrivalanddepartureprocedures.

Campus Arrival
Proceduresby Momo Kihara

Initiating on July 2nd, Miki Construction Co has beenworking on covering the field and installing external
scaffolding and barriers for student safety. The removalofinterior

andexterior

materials

wasa“smoothoperation with all health and safety regulations obeyed,”says Mr. Hutchinson,
result,

the

upper

Head of School at MBIS. As afloors

of

the

old

building

weredemolished right ahead of the original schedule. As asurprise, we encountered a time capsule from thedemolition dating back to 1955, including old notes fromthat time. Furthermore, the completion of the basement
demolitionwasscheduled

for

early

September.

Alldemolition work was achieved by late September, aheadof schedule.

To encourage our Marist spirit, our school
association

leaders

andour

NHS/MHS

moderator Mrs. Mio Ranni greets us with awarm welcome every morning. Early in August,
NHS/MHS president Yusei Noguchi added thathe “[intended] to share this responsibility withother members of the MHS in order to ensurethat all members are engaged in supporting ourschool community.” Presently, MHS members
are ensuring student safety with a hospitablewelcomebypositioning

themselvesalongpedestrian routes leading to the campus to

Due to the protection of all MBIS community members,
students are asked to be aware of the updated campus

supportall

MBIS

community

members

throughout the 2022-2023 school year.

arrival and departure arrangements that are temporarily
in function. The updated campus arrival and departureroute are organized to be continued until all theredevelopment's demolition and construction phases are
fully

completed.

The

Montessori

andKindergarten

students utilizes the South Gate, while the Lower andUpper School students are asked to use the North Gate.
(Siblings of Montessori and Kindergarten students canAs of the beginning of February, students are
now allowed to enter using the West Gate with
the North Gate still an option for students.
Please make sure to follow the correct routewhich involves going through the pedestriantunnel and up the stairs to enter through theWest Gate.

also arrive and depart from campus using the South
Gate.)

6

THE RENOVATED
GYM

BY MIREI SHI

As many people have noticed by now, the school
gym has been renovated. When you enter thegym, you expect warm, humid air in the summer
and a cold floor in the winter. However, due tothe renovation, this has changed. Momo from
Grade 10 explained how the "air conditioning
makes it better for sports players because,
during summer practice, some people getheadaches from the hot temperature." However,there were also opposite opinions, talking about
how the air conditioning hasn’t helped the heatin the gym much.
Another huge part that has been changed in the
gym is the changing room. The toiletries case in
the shower room has changed from a normal
bottle type to a stylish metal-colored container.
The floor has completely changed into whitemarble patterns, and the shelves have been
painted white. The mirror has also changed size
into a larger one where more than two people
can stand side by side to see their whole bodies.
A clothes rack was also added to hang clothes
easily, and an air conditioner was also installed
to make the temperature better. Many students
have complimented the color of the changing
room. It seems that everyone likes the whitebased shelve and floor, and how clean it looks.

This renovation was a surprise to most teachersand students. What we are curious about is when
and who made this happen. An interview with Mr.
Kobo has answered this question. He, who is always
welcoming people with his huge smile, politely
answered the question. Surprisingly, Mr. Kobo
didn’t know about the renovation during summer
break. "This was something that happened when I
was in Canada," he expressed. "Well, who planned
this?" was the question that came to mind. He goeson, "Mr. Hutchinson came and saw the changing
room, and he thought the students were kawaisou(or in other words, felt sorry), so he felt we should
put air conditioning in the changing room."
However, there was one problem in that the gym
does not have enough electricity to run a big air
conditioner. Thanks to Mr. Hutchinson, some air
conditioners have been installed now. Mr. Kobo wasvery joyful about how "people were doing
something for the students and the school was
thinking about the students.” Lastly, asking Mr.
Kobo where else would you fix the gym, heanswered that he wanted "something to absorb thesound" of the gym. "My hope is that someday wecan build a new gym, but that's going to be a while."
Wishing for a "new gym," I asked some students
what else they would like to change in the gym.
Sara Koda from grade 10 requested, "I want the[lights] to change. When doing things likevolleyball, I have to be careful so I don’t hit them."
An idea for the lights came up. The swinging lights
do sometimes look dangerous, and other things
such as the aircons should be protected withcovers from the balls flying around the gym. Other
ideas that came up were changing the roof andhaving the running track fence repaired. As Mr.
Kobo has mentioned, the gym is getting older, and a
new gym could be a great idea in the future.

7

by Kazusa Yumitate

The Return of Field Trips
As COVID-19 has been getting better, things are all
going back to “normal” in a lot of schools. At Marist
Brothers International School, more fun activities, events,
sports games/tournaments, and finally field trips arecoming back! Since 2019, when COVID-19 began, a lot of
our freedom has been taken away from us. One major
thing that affected young people in the world was thechanges in school life. All of our fun events like field trips,
Marist Cafe, and Food Fair were not allowed due to COVID
Protocols.
One major event that got taken away from students was
field trips. I remember when I was in second grade, thefield trip to I took to Kidzania is still one of my favorite
memories as a Marist student being here for 12 years. Field
trips bring students together along with having fun andcreating long-lasting memories. Now that the COVID-19
Protocols have been loosened, there are more
opportunities for hosting different events. Marist has been
hosting field trips for the students to get back on track,
not just with their studies but with them also having fun!
The new school year 2022-2023 has had the first upper
school field trip to an art museum called Chronicles of
Warriors: Japanese Sword × Ukiyo-e. The IB art students

in grade 11 got the opportunity to go to a Hyogo
Prefectural Museum of Arts to learn more about theJapanese warriors with Mrs. Carter, the Art teacher. A
student in the IB art class that went to the museum
claims “After a long period of being unable to go on field
trips, it was really exciting to be allowed to do so again.
With regard to our current project, we were able toattend a gallery visit on the theme of heroism. We all had
a great time on the field trip and are excited for more.”
The students having a great opportunity to observewith their own eyes of what they’re currently learning
gave them a more vivid image of what they are learning.
Furthermore, she states how she had a great time whichis the whole point of the field trip!
More field trips including grade 8 going to a church
for their religion class, as well as the homerooms ofgrade 9 and 10 planning their own trips, ice skating,bowling, and many more. I hope that more chances withfield trips can increase in this school year of 2022-2023
as the COVID-19 cases have been getting less stressful
for all of us.

8TOURNAMENTS BACKTO SCHOOL

By: Cocona Matsushita

After the pandemic broke out, sports in Marist changed 180 degrees. Students had to wear masks
during games, keep social distance from each other, and were not able to play against otherinternational schools. Three years after COVID entered our lives, finally there was a mid-tournament
for varsity boys and middle school girls volleyball held at Marist with five other schools coming toMarist. Even though there were some restrictions due to COVID, there were food booths open andplayers from other schools connecting with each other.
Players from other schools interact by following their INSTAGRAM and LINE. Some players wereable to meet their old friends that they became friends with at the tournaments that were hosted overthree years ago. The gym was full of excitement from the players and students.

MAA students played a big role in getting ready for the players from other schools to sleep overat Marist, setting up for the two-day tournaments, and welcoming the coaches and players fromvisiting schools. Some MAA students were rehearsing to make the tournaments fun after a three-year
gap. For example, there is a mini-game that is hosted by the MAA where the MAA students wear
hockey gear and the players serve or spike the balls to hit the MAA students. This mini-game is acompetition with each school and the school that was able to knock down most MAA students was able
to get a snack and a volleyball. The freshmen and sophomores experienced hosting the midtournament for the first time and learned new things.
I can say that I really missed the feeling of students cheering for our team and each school
cheering for each other. This was my first year in MAA and I was a little nervous, but I learned newthings and had a fun time.
While COVID changed our life with sports for about three years, we were able to have a fun midseason tournament where every player and the MAA students had a fun time and got to experiencesome normalcy. Although there were some injuries and tears, every player tried their best which
resulted in a successful tournament hosted at MBIS.

9STUDENTASSOCIATIONS AT
MARIST

by Aannya Javeri

MAA
The MAA (Marist Athletic Association) is an association to promote the spirit of thestudents. The MAA helps run tournaments and set up games. During these events andgames, you will see the MAA students being linesmen and managing scoresheets andscoreboards. At the same time, other members are helping maintain the court or the field.
The MAA also has special events such as a Christmas Party with a Secret Santa giftexchagne, the MAA barbecue, the end-of-year award ceremony and dance performance.

MHS & NHS
Marist Honors Society (MHS) is an organization to promote service and helps thecommunity around us. In MHS, students help the community through several activities suchas beach clean ups, forest conservation, farming, the Red Feather charity, morning safe
guiding, Red Cross, the Christmas matsuri, working at the Kobe Global charity festival, andcollaborating with other organizations and school to help protect the environment as wellas the community.
The NHS (National Honors Society) is for students at Marist who demonstrate thecharacteristics of leadership, service, character, and citizenship. Students in NHS arerecognized for their effort and time put into the four characteristics. NHS is an academicorganization that helps and serves the community as well as Marist as a school.

STUDENT COUNCIL
Student council is a student-led organization. Student Council is present in elementary as well as
in upper school. Student council gives responsibility to students who take part in leadership roles,
work collaboratively with the students, organize and run events, promote school spirit, and makethe school a better place. Student representatives from each grade can take represent their class orgrade in the student council.

10Juri Kubota
MAA President

What was the reason you chose to become aleader of this organization?
Since kindergarten, I have been fascinated by the
MAA's performance every year. I made a promise
to myself to join MAA once I become a freshman.
The MAA President of 20' looked after me andthe athletic director treated me like his own
daughter. I've had so much support fromeveryone in this organization that it motivatedme to become a leader who looks out for the
younger people the way they did for me.

How has becoming a leader impacted you?
I believe that being a leader impacted mypersonality the most. I find myself being more
affectionate and being more joyful. I noticed that
I love being a leader and it gave me theopportunity to engage with many people,
especially the young ones. This opportunity gaveme the idea to become a teacher one day.
I personally think that I started to view things
What’s one word you would use to describe differently, such as, viewing things from different
yourself and why?
perspectives and making actions before others
Dedicated. I consider myself to be a committed sees. I believe that I’ve shown so much growth inindividual since I like to give everything I do my all. becoming a part of the leadership organization.
Particularly in regards to MAA, where I received
the Most Dedicated Award twice. Personally, I What advice do you have for the students atreally enjoy the work I do for MAA, thus I'm this school?
devoted to the service I provide to this school.
I would advise the students in our school what
What is the role of your organization within our
school?
The Marist Athletic Association, or MAA for short,
is a student-run sports council. The MAA is a groupthat hosts intramural athletic events every week allyear long for all sports, including volleyball,basketball, soccer, baseball, and softball. We alsoorganize athletic ceremonies and events withperformances. Our organization has a role toofficiate the games and represent our school withbest service.

my first grade teacher has taught me when she
used to teach me. I learned from her to treat
others how you would like to be treated.
Although it may seem obvious and has been said
repeatedly, it is actually fairly common for many
people to lack. Being a leader does not mean thatyou instantly earn attention due to your status;
rather, you must first earn their respect by being
respectful to them. This is an advice I received
from the athletic director when I was struggling
being new to being a leader. Being able to showrespect to others can make strong connections
with others in building trust.

"I would describe our school as a place I can call home. Marist
is a wonderful community with kind people. Marist is so
beautiful in every way that it makes me appreciate
everything in life."
11

What’s one word you would use to describe
yourself and why?
One word I would use to describe myself would be"observant". I believe this word represents me thebest because I always strive to understand thepeople who I work with on a deeper level. I may not
be the most talkative person at meetings, but I try
to absorb as much information as I can from mysurroundings, to offer productive and meaningful
input to conversations. Being observant also helps
me to see the situation from a neutral perspective,
which is crucial to resolving issues and conflicts
within a group of people.
What is the role of your organization within our
school?
The role of the MHS/NHS is to act as a bridge thatconnects the school community to the
local/international
community
throughvolunteerism. We work with organizations such as
the Hyogo Red Cross, Soroptimist International of
Kobe, and the Ministry of Land and Transport toleverageourcommunity
service
impact,contributing to the betterment of the school andthe local community.
What was the reason you chose to become aleader of this organization?
The reason I chose to become a leader of the
MHS/NHS, is that I found community service to be
an integral part of my life. Working to help out
others, whether it be a friend or a trafficked childin a distant country, makes the lives of people somuch better. By being a leader, I thought I could
pursue this spirit of volunteerism and promote it topeople within our school community.
How has becoming a leader impacted you?
Becoming a leader has impacted me in a multitudeof ways. It has made me a more responsible person,
a more active listener, and a more organizedperson. Most importantly, however, becoming a

Yusei Noguchi
NHS/MHS President

leader has made me realize the importance ofcooperation. I have come to understand that
nothing is achievable with a single effort — it is
the moderator, the executive members, theleadership team, and each individual member ofthe MHS/NHS that has made our achievements
possible.
What advice do you have for the students at
this school?
One piece of advice that I have for students at
Marist is to manage your workload effectively.
With many sports, clubs, and extracurricular
activities available, it is often the case that weput too much on our plates. Understand that wehave limits and that we have to make decisions
to get some things off of our plates; it is
impossible to pursue everything to the same
extent.

"I would describe Marist as a very relaxing and comfortableenvironment to be in. There is minimal social pressure among thestudent body: students are respected and appreciated for being
who they are."12

Maahi Shah
StuCon President

What was the reason you chose to become aleader of this organization?
The reason why I became a leader of theStudent Council, was because I believed that I
was able to use my dedication that I have, tomake a change in our school. I wanted to beable to use my voice to represent the feelings
and ideas that the students have, and use thatto make the changes necessary.
How has becoming a leader impacted you?
Being a leader has impacted me in positive
ways. I was able to grow the courage to speakin public. I was able to lead large groups ofpeople in an organized manner. I was also able
to work on my social skills whencommunicating with other students andfaculty members.

What advice do you have for the students at
this school?
An advice I would give to students of Marist isthat they should always try and participate in
the different organizations we have. Marist has
several organizations, which have different
impacts and motives behind them. Fromorganizations specifically for sports toorganizations that focus on the environment,
What is the role of your organization within ourMarist provides them all. Therefore, by joining
school?
these organizations you’ll be able to develop
As the President of the Student Council inyour knowledge and be able to bond with other
Marist, my role is to be able to get the voices ofstudents from different grades.
our fellow students out. By representing theentire student body when meeting with faculty, I
try my best to incorporate the voices of theentire school. Alongside that, making sure that
we are able to hold events for the students toenjoy is something that I also do.
What’s one word you would use to describe
yourself and why?
One word that I would use to describe myself isdedicated. I believe that whatever I set my mind
to, I am dedicated to finishing that, to the best of
my ability. I want to be able to do my best formyself, and for others around me.

"Marist for me is extremely homely. With people from different culturesand backgrounds, we are constantly working together and participating in
events with one another. As well as that, with the different organizations
that we have, we are able to bond with students from different gradelevels, allowing us to feel like a big family. "13

Why Starbucks Is Popular Among
Marist Students
By Sara Koda

What is Starbucks?
Everyone knows what the green icon with a two tailedsiren in the middle represents. Of course, it's the
Starbucks logo, the most recognized coffee chain in
the world. It has more than 32,000 stories in 80
different countries and is loved by all peopleinternationally. By all means, students here at Marist
are fond of it too. As a matter of fact, out of the 63
upper school students I surveyed, 88.9% answeredthat Starbucks has a special place in their hearts. Is it
the siren and the drinks that attract them like amagnet? What makes Starbucks so special to them?

Students' Favorite Drinks
Similarly, the majority of students acknowledged that thedrinks there were enjoyable. The Caramel Frappuccino was
the students’ number one favorite. A junior, who is a fan of
this beverage commented that “the sweet caramel sauce goes
well with the drink.” I also agree with this. The combination of
caramel and frappuccino is very enchanting. It certainly
deserves first place.
Next up was a tie between a caramel macchiato andmatcha frappuccino. This was unsurprising since these menu
items are very well-known in Japan. By this, I could tell thatcaramel flavor is very popular among teenagers because two
caramel-flavored drinks ranked in number one and two
status. For the matcha frappuccino, almost everyone who
voted for this flavor expressed that it is sweet but not too
sweet. It is the right amount of sweetness that charms thestudents.
Lastly, for the third place, it was also a tie between thedark mocha chip frappuccino and the mango passion fruit
tea. For the dark mocha chip frappuccino, a senior of thisschool commented that “the choco chunk in it…makes it
crunchy and delicious.” On the other hand, for the mango
passion fruit tea, an 8th grader explained that “it is very sweetand has a tangy taste.” No wonder these drinks made it sohigh in the ranks.
My favorite way to order beverages is by trying customized
drinks. There are a variety of combinations to choose fromand the combination I would recommend is a customized
Oreo frappuccino. You can order it by getting a vanilla frappe
and adding choco chips and chocolate sauce to your order.
The Oreo customized frappuccino is very popular and isworth a try.

What makes Starbucks
so special to students?
There were numerous replies to this question. Somestudents said that it was the comfortable study place.
They explained that the aesthetic of the coffee shop isvery likable and is best suited for a cafe where they
can study with their friends. A high school
sophomore, Kazusa Yumitate, noted that “drinking
and eating from [Starbucks] while doing homework
motivates [her] to try harder.” I also think that this is
one of the best ways to boost productivity and to help
concentrate on assigned tasks. Also, most Starbucks
have free wifi so if you bring your laptop or iPad, you
could conveniently complete your homework there.

1stWinner: Caramel Frappe

14

MBIS HISTORY QUIZBY MIREI SHIMarist Brothers International School is a school (as you may already know) located in Kobe,
Suma. This year is its 72nd year since the school opened, so I would like to present you with a
Marist History quiz to know more about this school.

1. In what country did the Marist Brothers originate?
2. When did the first Marist Brothers School open?
3. When did Marist Brothers International School Kobe first
open its doors?
4. How many students were there in the first year?

1. France
2. January 2, 1817.
3. September 17, 1951
4. sixteen students

7. What are the MBIS expectations?

5. Marcellin Champagnat

6. Who was MBIS Kobe’s first founder?

ANSWERS
6. Brother Charles Fojoucyk andBrother Stephan Weber, in 1951
7. Inquiries, Knowledgeable,
Thinkers, Communicators,
Principled, Open-minded,
Caring, Risk-Takers, Balanced,
Reflective

5. Who was the first Marist founder in France?

15

The Man Who Lived in the
AirportMirei Shi
Mehran Karimi Nasseri was born in 1942 in Masjed
S o l e i m a n , I r a n . A f t e r c o m p le t i n g h i s e d u c a t i o n , h eb e c a m e a p r o t e s t o r o f M o h a m m a d R e z a S h a h , fo r m e r
Shah (king) of Imperial State Iran. He joined the WhiteR e v o l u t i o n ( 1 9 6 3 – 1 9 7 8 ) , c a u s i n g h i m t o g e t e x p e lle d fr o m
I r a n , s e p a r a t i n g h i m f r o m h i s fa m i ly . W i t h n o p la c e t o g o ,he became an Iranian refugee who received the right tolive in the UK.
Around the year of 1988, Nasserid e c i d e d t o m o v e t o L o n d o n . H i s p la n w a s t omove from Iran to Paris, then to London.
On the trip to London, a surprisingobstacle hit him. His suitcase containing
his passport and all other legal documents
w a s s t o l e n w h i l e h e w a s s t ill i n P a r i s . H efound a way to get to London hoping thatt h e a u t h o r i t i e s w i l l h e l p h i m , n e v e r t h e le s slife did not go easy for him. He was sentb a c k t o P a r i s a n d w a s a r r e s t e d fo r h a v i n g
no documents. However, soon, Nasseri got
released because he was able to go to Paris
legally.
Later on, his case was taken by ahuman rights lawyer in 1992, but Paris did
not admit Nasseri’s entry to Paris without
the missing legal documents. The courta l s o r u l e d t h a t h e c a n n o t b e a s k e d t o le a v e
the terminal or expelled from the airportw h i c h m a d e h i s l i f e i n P a r i s ' s C h a r le s d e
Gaulle airport start.

16

The Man Who Lived in the
AirportMirei ShiLife in a Terminal

N a s s e r i w o k e u p a t 5 : 3 0 a m b e fo r e t h e p a s s e n g e r swould arrive. He had travel kits to brush his teeth andtrim his beard. Throughout the day, he had conversations
w i t h t h e a i r p o r t s t a f f a n d t h e p a s s e n g e r s . T h e y o ffe r e d
h i m m e a l s , c l o t h e s , a n d m o n e y . H e w a s h e d h i s c lo t h e s
l a t e a t m i d n i g h t , o n c e a g a i n a ft e r p e o p le le ft t h e a i r p o r t .
H e w a s c o n s i d e r e d a m a s c o t - li k e c h a r a c t e r a t t h e a i r p o r t .
N a s s e r i s t r u g g l e d t o g e t t h e B e lg i u m r e fu g e e o ffi c i a ls
to send the original document because they asked him tol i v e i n B e l g i u m u n d e r s u p e rv i s i o n i n e x c h a n g e . N a s s e ri
d e c i d e d n o t t o g o t o B e l g i u m a n d c o n t i n u e d t o li v e i n t h eParis airport.

In 1999, he was finally permitted to move out of the
airport and move freely around Europe. However, opposedto the world’s expectations, he did not move out of the
airport. He explained that the reason was that he wasl i s t e d a s a n I r a n i a n i n t h e d o c u m e n t w h e n h e w a n t e d t o be
B r i t i s h . A m e d i c a l d o c t o r e x p la i n e d t h a t h e c o u ld p o s s i b l y
j u s t b e s c a r e d t o l e a v e t h e p la c e w h e r e h e li v e d m o s t of
his life and step into a society that he never experienced.
D u r i n g 2 0 0 6 - 2 0 0 7 , N a s s e r i w a s h o s p i t a li z e d a n d w as
looked after by the airport’s French Red Cross. He wastransferred to a charity center in Paris. He came back toParis airport in mid-September of 2006 and passed away
on Nov 12, 2022 from a heart attack.
H e l i v e d i n t h e C h a r l e s d e G a u lle a i r p o r t fo r 1 8 y e a r s a n d
the movies The Terminal (2004) and Lost in Transit (1993)
are inspired by his life story.
17

Da Vinci'sHaruhi Hayashi

Mona Lisa Gets CAKED!

What happened?
On May 30, 2020 at the Louvre museum in Paris, anenvironmental protestor threw cake on the "Mona Lisa" toattempt to bring awareness to climate change. The
protester wanted to teach people that humans are the ones
who are destroying the earth by saying, "Think of the Earth,people are destroying the Earth" as he was being taken away
by security guards. The art itself wasn’t damaged because ishung behind a protective screen. Did this stunt still impact
the world even though there was no actual damage? I thinkit’s was effective because this incident did influence me.
Because it was so widely reported on the news, the message
was sent to many people, not just people who were at themuseum.

A Second Protest

V a n G o g h ’ s ' S u n f l o w e r s ' i n L o n d o n a ls o w a s u s e d
in a protest by climate activists. Two women
w e a r i n g s h i r t s s a y i n g " J u s t S t o p O i l" s p la s h e d
t o m a t o s o u p o n t h e a r t w o r k a n d g lu e d t h e i r h a n d s
to the wall under the painting. They spoke about
how life should be worth more than art siting thecost of living crisis as part of the cost of oil crisis.

The Two Different Incidents

A l t h o u g h t h e t w o i n c i d e n t s o c c u r r e d i n d i ffe r e n t m u s e u m s a n d w e r e
c a r r i e d o u t b y d i f f e r e n t p e o p le , t h e y d i d s e n d o u t t h e s a m e m e ssa ge :H u m a n s a r e d e s t r o y i n g t h e E a r t h a n d s o m e t h i n g m u s t b e d o n e . T h e sep r o t e s t e r s a n d o t h e r s w h o a r e t r y i n g t o r a i s e a w a r e n e s s a bo u t cl i m a tec h a n g e g i v e s p e e c h e s a n d s o d o o t h e r a c t i v i t i e s t o r a i s e a w a r e n e ss, bu t
n o t e v e r y o n e p a y s a t t e n t i o n n o r b e li e v e s t h a t c li m a t e c h a n ge i s r e a l . I
h o p e t h e s e p r o t e s t e r s ' a c t i o n s c a u s e m o r e p e o p le t o b e aw a r e o f w h a t i s
happening on Earth and what humans can do to stop it.
What did you think about these incidents?

18

COVID FAKENEWS
BY SARA KODALOOKING BACKWe are welcoming 2023 now and is slowly
getting away from the pandemic that has left a
big scar on this globe. It was a difficult time foreveryone, and people were tired of staying
home. Therefore, some people started
spreading false news around social media.
Today, I will share three examples of fake news
that I found the most appealing. It wasinteresting how boredom formed and brought
people together with such amusing gossip.

TOILET PAPER
PHENOMENACOVID CREATESZOMBIE CELLS

Most people might be familiar
with this incident. On SNS, there
was a false rumor that toilet
paper would not be restocked
since most of it was imported
from China. This rumor spread
rapidly like the virus itself.
Everyone rushed to the storesand raided all the toilet paperand other paper goods. This wasa global phenomenon and evenin Japanese stores, all paper
goods displayed on one wall
were gone. Now that we thinkback, this was very funny andbothersome for all people.

For the last inauthentic news, I
think this is the one that I
consider the most entertaining. I
also
frequently
saw
this
information on Tiktok that
COVID-19 is able to create andreplicate new cells that turns
organisms into zombies. Theinteresting thing was that there
were actually some clips of someanimals behaving weirdly. Even
though I am sure that there areno such things as “Animal
Zombies,” I am still left to wonder
why the animals were acting odd.

MAGNET STICKING
Gaining magnetic superpowers bygetting the COVID vaccination shot
was a trend that went viral on
TikTok.
MainlyinWesterncountries,
teenagers
starteduploading videos of magnets
sticking onto the side of their arms
when they took the vaccine. Moreand more people mimicked this joke
to gain more followers and views.
This situation made this myth more
popular that even international TV
news started talking about this. It
was funny when I heard stories
about some people believing in thisand trying this trick out when they
got their first vaccination.

19

Aannya Javeri

Grades Don't Define You

S

everal people based their day
on their grades or the score they
got on a test or quiz. Moodschange, anxiety increases, pressure
piles on you, and depression
increases. People base their whole
lives on a number and depend onthat number for their happiness.
Grades aren’t going to define who
you are and what your personality
is; grades are numbers on a paper.
It doesn't show your knowledge, it
doesn't show your skills, and finallyit doesn’t show what makes you
who you are. Your skills andabilities and strengths are all
aspects of who you are which
grades and a number don’t show.

Humans are more than just a number
on a paper, everyone has a set of skills or
talents which grades don't show at all.
Looking at a number or your grade doesn'tshow the amount of skill, talent, work
ability, knowledge, and creativity you haveinside yourself. Focusing on grades andmaking sure you score a certain grade
which eventually lead you to miss out on
several great opportunities, and memories
you could make with your school life, andschool friends. If you are passionate aboutsomething and want to pursue it then you
have to follow your heart and do what you
want. Your passion is something that you
enjoy, which means no one has tounderstand why you like it, or why you
want to pursue it.

Your personality ismore than grades, you
could be a kind, sweet,
caring or loving person
but grades do not show
that. Your grades don't
show how much effort
you put, it doesn’t show
how many times you
struggled to study for aquiz or exam.

“ Students took a survey and out of
all of them 90% of them reported that
education is a cause of their stress andanxiety” (William Peace University).
Everyone is growing as a person and stilldeveloping skills that can end up being
your hobby. Students tend to give up or
demotivate themselves because of thegrade they got which then results in no orless interest in the subject or class they
are in. Just because of a bad grade doesn’tmean you are a failure or stupid. Don't let
grades tell you your worth.

20

WHAT CANFAILURETEACH USby KAZUSA YUMITATE

When you search the definition of the word failure
on Google, it says “lack of success.” Most of the time,
Google is always right; however, I believe that Google iswrong on this one. Failure isn’t the fact that you
couldn’t meet expectations or that you were lacking in
the ability to succeed. Yes, failure has a very negative
connotation and it usually gives people a dispiriting or
discouraging feeling. In spite of all those negative
feelings, I believe that those negative feelings are in fact
the key to success. People, including myself, tend tojust give up or stop when an inconvenience occurs.
When people stop trying after failure, they’re justscared and they fear the same thing happening to themagain even though every single one of us has the ability
to reach our maximum potential. Failure can, in fact,teach us to be more flexible, more adaptable, and to
overcome our fears and or obstacle. So do not fear
failure because they are, in fact, a tool you can use to
make yourself grow!

EACH MISTAKE TEACHES YOUSOMETHING NEW ABOUT YOURSELF.
THERE IS NO FAILURE, REMEMBER,
EXCEPT IN NO LONGER TRYING. IT IS THE
COURAGE TO CONTINUE THAT COUNTS.

BY CHRIS BRADFORD

21

WHAT IS YOUR
MBTI?
BY MOMO KIHARAINTRODUCTION
Have you ever heard some of your peers describing themselves as an ESTJ
or an INFP and wondered what those cryptic-sounding letter codes could
represent? These people are referring to their personality style based on
the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, often abbreviated as the ‘MBTI’ test. The
Myers-Briggs Personality Type Indicator is a self-report inventoryarranged to determine an individual’s personality type, with potential
strengths and preferences. The questionnaire was developed by Isabel
Myers and her mother, Katherine Briggs. Presently, the MBTI inventory is
one of the most widely used psychological instruments globally.
The final goal of the MBTI is to allow people to expand further
understanding of their personalities, including personal preferences (likes
and dislikes), strengths and weaknesses, possible career choices, andcompatibility with their surrounding peers. Based on the answers to thedesigned questions on the test, respondents are classified into 16 different
personality types. However, please note that no one personality type is"best" or "better" than another. The inventory is not designed to test for
any kind of abnormality; instead, its purpose is to explore your personality
further to aid in learning more about yourself. The questionnaire itself isconstructed of four distinct scales.

EXTRAVERSION (E)VS.
INTROVERSION (I)SENSING (S)VS.
INTUITION (N)THINKING (T)VS.
FEELING (F)JUDGING (J)VS.
PERCEIVING (P)The extraversionintroversion dichotomy was
the first to be explored in
the existing theory of
personality types by Carl
Jung as one way to describe
how individuals react andrespond to the surrounding
world. Extroverts aredescribed as "outwardturning" or “actionoriented” and tend to enjoy
frequent social interaction
and feel energized after
spending quality time with
their peers. In comparison,
introverts are expressed as"inward-turning" or“thought-oriented”
individuals who rather
appreciate deep social
relations or interactions
and feel revitalized after
spending time
independently.

This scale represents how
people collect and assess
information from thesurrounding world.
According to the MBTI,
people tend to be
predominant in one area or
the other. Such as, people
who favor ‘sensing’ havetendencies to pay more
attention when dealing withreality. Sensing people claim
to be focused on objective
information and enjoy
gaining hands-on
experiences. However, thoseintuitive people preferinformation based on
impressions or patterns.
They relish considering
abstract theories such as
potentials and envisioning
the future.

This scale focuses on how
individuals make judgments
based on the gathered
information through their
sensing or intuition
procedures. People with‘thinking’ tend to put greater
stress on factual data. They
prefer to be more logical andconsistent when they weighpossible options. In contrast,
those who favor ‘feeling’
presumably place greater
emphasis on regarding
people and emotions whenreaching a decision.

The last scale describes how
individuals prefer to deal
with their exterior worlds.
People who depend on‘judging’ choose to structureand draw firm conclusions. In
opposition, people with‘perceiving’ are often more
open and flexible to abrupt
adjustments and more
adaptable.

22

WHAT IS YOUR
MBTI?
BY MOMO KIHARARESULTS

After the questionnaire, each personality type is listed by its four-letter code:
Take the questionnaire (10-15 minutes): https://www.16personalities.com/freepersonality-test

ANALYSTS
INTJ - The Architect:High logical, they
are both very
creative andanalytical.
INTP - The Logician:Quiet andintroverted, they
are known forhaving a richinner world.
ENTJ - The
Commander:
Outspoken andconfident, they
are great at
making plans andorganizing
projects.
ENTP - The Debater:
Highly inventive,
they love being
surrounded byideas and tend to
start many
projects (but may
struggle to finishthem).

DIPLOMATS
INFJ - The Advocate:
Creative andanalytical, they
are considered
one of the rarest
Myers-Briggs
types.
INFP - The Mediator:
Idealistic withhigh values, they
strive to make theworld a better
place.
ENFJ - The
Protagonist:
Loyal andsensitive, they are
known for being
understanding
and generous.
ENFP - The
Campaigner:
Charismatic andenergetic, they
enjoy situations
where they can
put their
creativity to work.

SENTINELSISTJ - The Logistician:Reserved andpractical, theytend to be loyal,orderly, andtraditional.
ISFJ - The Defender:Warm-hearted
and dedicated,
they are always
ready to protect
the people theycare about.
ESTJ - The Executive:
Assertive andrule-oriented,
they have highprinciples and atendency to takecharge.
ESFJ - The Consul:
Soft-hearted andoutgoing, theytend to believe
the best aboutother people.

EXPLORERSISTP - The Virtuoso:
Highlyindependent,
they enjoy newexperiences thatprovide first-handlearning.
ISFP - The
Adventurer:
Easy-going andflexible, they tend
to be reserved
and artistic.
ESTP - The
Entrepreneur:
Out-going anddramatic, they
enjoy spendingtime with others
and focusing on
the here-andnow.
ESFP - TheEntertainer:
Outgoing andspontaneous,they enjoy taking
center stage.

CITATION
Cherry, Kendra. “Myers-Briggs Type Indicator: The 16 Personality Types.” Edited by David
Susman, Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 28 July 2022, https://www.verywellmind.com/themyers-briggs-type-indicator-2795583.

23

TAYLOR SWIFT'S
MIDNIGHTS RELEASE

By Sara Koda

Taylor Swift is an icon of the music industry. Since her debut in 2006, she
has been attracting fans like a magnet. Until now, she has had 46 Grammy
nominations and 12 wins. This is all due to the fact that she has created hits
after another like “You Belong With Me” (2009), “Shake It Off” (2014), “Blank
Space” (2014), and “Look What You Made Me Do” (2017).

"Meet Me At
Midnight"
Taylor SwiftAll of her songs are addictive, relatable, and fascinating. Her storytellingstyled song and well-coordinated lyrics make you feel like you are the main
character in that song. Throughout the 16 years of her career, she has been
breaking a myriad of records like being the youngest singer to berecognized as the best entertainer of the year and, being the first person inhistory to score the most million-selling weeks on TOP album 200.
Now, she has recently made a comeback with her new album 'Midnights'.
Her fans worldwide, “Swifties,” were longing for her return, and showed
excitement when she announced her Midnights release back in September
2022. As the release date got closer, Taylor Swift started revealing her 13track songs on her TikTok account. Even though all 13 videos were
uploaded at midnight, all of the videos instantly got more than 500.0K
likes. When her album finally came out on October 21, Swifties started
wreaking the internet. 10 of her 13 songs dominated all top NO.1 to NO.10
spots on billboard charts! She is the first artist to ever claim the top 10
spots and once again broke the record. Swifties are now excited about her
Eras tour coming up in March of 2023.

24

RATING MIDNIGHTS' SONGSBY SARA KODA

ANTI-HERO (5/5)
Anti Hero is on the No.1 rank on Billboard rightnow. It is electro-pop, which is not Taylor’s go-to
tune. Despite that, it turned out to be one of her
greatest masterpieces. In the song, she sings “Itme/hi, I’m the problem” and “must be exhaustingalways rooting for the Anti Hero”. This was foundvery relatable by people who struggle with theirinternal conflicts. Taylor, herself mentioned that
Anti Hero was “one of [her] favorite songs [she has]ever written.”

YOU'RE ON YOUROWN KID (100/5)“The scary news is: you’re on your own now. But
the cool news is: you’re on your own now” is what
Taylor said in her marvelous NYU graduation
speech. This song, I believe is like a summary ofthis speech. For the adolescents transitioning into
adults, and those who fear entering a big societyon their own, she is trying to reassure them thateverything will be okay. “Everything you lose is a
step you take”. I love this message and this is thereason why this is one of my favorite song fromthis album.

MIDNIGHT RAIN (7/5)
Midnight rain is the song that me and my friends
always sing along to. The pitch getting higher at theend of each sentence makes the song 10 times
more addictive and meaningful. “He was sunshine
and I was midnight rain”. We all know or have seen
people with these kinds of relationships. Having to
cut a tie to pursue one's goal is always hard to do
or see. Despite there being lots of songs from theside of the ones who had their hearts broken, thissong does an excellent job of capturing theremorseful feeling from the perspective of the one
breaking the other’s heart.

25

Crush on You
BY MOMO KIHARA
A South Korean R&B singer-songwriter and producer, professionally known as
Crush (크러쉬), has recently released his new single, “More,” on November 11th,
featuring Iris Grey. Under P-NATION, led by PSY (artist of the hit song“Gangnam Style”), he officially debuted as a soloist on April 1, 2014, with thesingle "Sometimes." Prior to his debut, he released two other singles, "Red Dress"
and "Crush On You." His first album, Crush on You, was released on June 5, 2014,
and went on to win Best R&B & Soul Album at the 12th Korean Music Awards.
He is well known as a “Prince of Soundtracks” for his original soundtracks, suchas;
‘No Words (어떤 말도)’ for Itaewon ClassLet Us Go (둘만의 세상으로 가)’ for Crash Landing on You
Beautiful’ for Guardian: The Lonely and Great God,
‘Sleepless Night (잠 못드는 밤)’ for It's Okay, That's Love.

"환하게웃고있는
네사진들버리게되면영영널
잊게될까봐
두려워져"
SHIN HYO-SEOB'SOMETIMES (가끔)'‘Sleepless Night’ was released in 2014 and became a superior hit for the agency.
The TV series itself has won 17 awards along with 13 nominations. Following thehit, the OST “Beautiful” by Crush became a nationwide hit after its release.
Crush often uses Jazz musical instruments in his style of music, implementing
modern tunes. On September 22nd, He has released ‘Rush Hour (Feat. j-hope of
BTS),’ a song that collaborated with a BTS member, j-hope, and was nominatedfor the Best Collaboration award in the 2022 MAMA Awards. This thrilling,energetic song of Crush was the first song released after the completion of his
mandatory military service in August 2022. Ever since the release of the first teaser,
both of their fans had been eagerly waiting for the song's release. In contrast withhis OST songs, ‘Rush Hour’ is a catchy song that you would love to vibe along toand get hooked on with the trendy dance moves. The lyrics refer directly to his
release by describing the traffic jam, which is 'busy and stuffy.' As the feature,
Crush has invited j-hope of BTS, as they share similar approaches to their own
solo musics.
Crush began composing music during his first year of middle school with a friend
and sending demos to Amoeba Culture, the group's record label. Nicknamed "ShiSyeob" (시셥), he wrote the moniker "C-sub" in English as a tentative stage name.
However, his friend misread his handwriting as "Crush," which he liked anddecided to use.
My top 3 favorites are:'Sometimes' by Crush'what2do' by Dean (feat. Crush, Jeff Bernat)'Make Up' Sam Kim (feat. Crush)

26

TREASURE
TREASURE

by Cocona Matsushita

WHO
WHO AREARE THEY?
THEY?
Treasure is a K-pop boy band group that made their debut on August 7th, 2020 under YG Entertainment. Since
their debut, the group has been rising in popularity and success. The group was formed through an audition
called "YG Treasure Box", which began with 28 trainees from YG Entertainment. From this audition, only 13
trainees were chosen to debut as Treasure. However, due to withdrawals, the group currently has 10 members.
Treasure is made up of a diverse group of members, with three Japanese members and seven Korean members.
The members are Choi Hyunsuk (Leader), Park Jihoon, Kanemoto Yoshinori (Yoshi), Kim Junkyu, Yoon Jaehyuk,
Hamada Asahi, Kim Doyoung, Watanabe Haruto, Park Jeongwoo, and So Junghwan. Ha Yoonbin, Takata Mashiho,
and Bang Yedam were the former members of Treasure but withdrew from the group.

MUSIC
MUSIC
Treasure is known for producing music that appeals to a wide range of listeners. Their ability to blend various
genres in their music has helped them attract a diverse fanbase. One of the reasons for their popularity is thatseveral members of the group are involved in writing and producing their own music. This allows for a more
personal touch to their songs and a deeper connection to their fans, who are known as Treasure Makers. Overall,
Treasure's ability to create music that is both relatable and enjoyable has helped them become a beloved groupin the K-pop industry.

FANDOM
FANDOM
The fans of Treasure, known as Treasure Makers, have played a significant role in the group's success. The name"Treasure Maker" was derived from the survival program "YG Treasure Box" where the trainees were called
Treasures and viewers and supporters of the program were called Treasure Makers. Although Treasure Makers
are primarily concentrated in South Korea, the group has garnered a significant fandom worldwide.

OFFICIAL CHARACTER
Treasure has an official character that the members designed and collaborated with LINE FRIENDS through theLINE FRIENDS CREATOR project. Hyunsuk’s character is called CHILLI. CHILLI wants to be called cool more thancute. Jihoon’s character is called ROMY. ROMY is a bright, smiling, white rose that can lighten up the mood
wherever it goes. Yoshi’s character is called YOCHI. YOCHI is a shy, small prince with a pink cheeks. Junkyu’s
character is called BONBON. On lucky days you can spot its face shaped like a heart, but on unlucky days it canlook like a skull. Jaehyuk’s character is called LAWOO. LAWOO is a courageous lion who can be a bit self-loving.
Asahi’s character is called HIKUN. The first impression of HIKUN might be a little cold, but once you become
close to him you can see numerous expressions that will cheer you up anytime. Doyoung's character is called
SOM. SOM is free as a cloud and sweet as candy. Haruto’s character is called RURU. RURU is a small and cutemarshmallow, and when in need of extra strength, RURU can clone itself infinitely. Jeongwoo’s character iscalled WOOPY. WOOPY is a fun little mischief that loves to joke around with friends. Junghwan’s character iscalled PODONG. PODONG wears a baby bonnet and its mouth is an infinite black hole. Mashiho’s character iscalled MATETSU. MATETSU is an athlete, an awesome dancer, a multi-lingual, and a fashionista. Yedam’s
character is called YE-DEE. YE-DEE is a mint colored forest fairy with a cozy aura.

27