2018 BACS Learn and Share Orientation for Freshmen

BACS held its first annual special orientation for freshmen on Thursday, April 26th. This event, supported by the Chukyo University English Society, aims to help new students get ready for success in our program.

The day of activities included inspirational talks, tips for successful English studies, information about study abroad programs and more than 20 prizes for participants.

In the morning in the 1st year seminar Introduction to English Studies, students received their Language Portfolios, which will help guide students towards their English goals and keep a record of their work and accomplishments.

At lunchtime in the Wing, the 2017 BACS Portfolio Writing Awards were presented, with the help of 2nd year Academic Writing teacher Allen Williams. We also heard a presentation from Chukyo ESS, who are planning another year of drama events for Chukyo students.

In afternoon Oral Communication classes, students heard presentations by senpai about their study abroad experience. In the 3rd period, Nagisa Sakaguchi talked about his experience in the US on the semester program while Ms. Mika Mashimo from the International Center talked about her overseas experience and the various programs offered by the Center. In the 4th period, it was Misaki Hagiwara, a senior in BACS, who presented her experience as an exchange student at Marshall University in the US. Ms. Saki Kajita from the Center talked about her overseas experience and the programs available from the Center.

In the 5th period, BACS held a special event in the L.S. Wing, which was attended by more than 40 freshmen and senpai. Things started off with a talk by Kaishu Hijikata entitled “English was My Game Changer,” in which Kaishu explained the many ways in which English has changed his life.

Students enjoyed drinks and snacks.

The event also featured a Stamp Rally with four presentations on English skills by 2nd and 4th year students. Natsumi Kato talked about improving speaking skills while Riki Hotta gave advice about English reading. Naoko Agata told students how to use pop music for learning everyday English expressions while Koyuki Ishikawa talked about ways to use movies for improving listening skills.

Things concluded with a draw for more than 20 prizes to help out with university life: App Store cards, Starbucks cards (You need coffee to study, right?), book coupons, pens and notebooks, USB drives and more.

Two groups of students have taken prizes in this year’s BACS Presentation Contest.

Third-year students from Professional English classes competed via video submissions of their presentations on business related topics.

First prize went to Yuma Suzuki, Tomoe Goto and Shizuka Okuhara for their presentation entitled “Sugu-Tra,” a proposal for an online instant-messaging translation service for foreign visitors to Japan.

Second prize was award to Masato Miyazaki and Testuro Kawakami for their presentation “Selling a Japanese Book Overseas,” a proposal to a foreign publishing company to translated and distribute book for young adults that teaches science through the high-tech themes found in manga.

Awards were made in a short ceremony at lunchtime on Friday, October 6th in the L.S. Wing.

The Presentation Contest and the Professional English class are  part of BACS Professional English program.

Chukyo ESS performed Annie in their first drama contest, the TOKAI ESS Short Play Contest, on July 2 at Nanzan University.

Chukyo ESS, under the direction of Tomone Kondo, won the 2nd prize, a stellar achievement for a first time performance!

Yukai Otani and Shota Okamoto earned acting awards for their portrayals of Annie and Daddy Warbucks, respectively.

Hikari Oshikiri received a special judge’s prize for her splendid singing.

The hardworking cast and crew included Miwa Morishita (Grace), Akari Kojima (Rooster), Shizuka Okuhara (Hannigan), Alice Oshima (Guard), Tomone Kondo (Assassin), Samuel Avins (Narrator), Aubree Payne (costumes), Misaki Hagiwara, Kakeru Asida and Masaki Makita (lights), Riki Hotta (video) and Miyu Furukawa (photos).

Tuesday, June 27th marked the 6th Annual English Skit and Performance Contest for 2nd year students in Oral Communications III of the British and American Studies Department at Chukyo University.  All students involved in the mainstream Oral Communication III classes participated. The event took place in the theater in Room 0304 of the Center Building during 3rd and 4th periods. The directors and organizers were Terry Wacholtz and Allen Williams. The performances were also attended by other students from the department as well as some instructors.

The emphasis for this year’s skits was to take a well-known story and mix a character or storyline from another well-known story or adapt a significant change to the standard tale. All skits were 100% original works. This year saw performances which included classics from the likes of the “3 Little Pigs and the Lonely Wolf” to “Peach and the Beast”, a mixture of “Momotaro” and “Beauty and the Beast”. There were also stories such as “The New Titanic on a Bus” and “The 3 Little Wolves and the Bad Pig”.

For each of the time periods 1st and 2nd Place Team winners were chosen by student voting with Mr. Wacholtz and Mr. Williams determining the Spirit Awards presented to outstanding performers, sort of a 6th Man Award for key role players.

A special thanks to the BACS Department and Professor Chris Armstrong for their continued support for this event and the contributions for the prizes.

3rd Period Winners

1st place group: “New Titanic on the Bus”

Yushi Suzuki

Shunsuke Hirano

Kiyoka Yamamoto

Kohei Sadoyama

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2nd Place: “Twisted Peter Pan”

Hitomi Ito

Risa Sakai

Yuki Senda

Koyuki Murasato

Takumi Sugimoto

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Spirit Awards 3rd Period

Megumi Hoshi for the Role of Grandpa in “Whisper of the Heart”

Kohei Akao for the Role of Woodsman in “Moon Princess”

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4th Period Winners

1st Place Group: “The Woodman & the Golden Axe”

Aoi Suzuki

Eri Tomida

Mana Aoi

Rie Naito

Moe Saito

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2nd Place Group: “Snow White and Hanako”

Toshiharu Goda

Miku Tsunashima

Aoki Miyuki

Marino Koike

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Spirit Awards 4th Period

Ryunosuke Kakehashi for the Role of Moon Princess in “Moon Princess”

Ayumi Natsume for the Role of Detective in “Detective Konan”

Join us for Open Campus 2017. You will hear presentations, talk with BACS students and join some fun activities.

Watch this promotional video created by Kakeru, Yuka, Miyu, Riki and Nagisa.

During the fall intensive course period, from February 1st to 7th, a group of BACS students entered the exciting world of sound recording and Internet radio. English Project Workshop 4, Radio for the 21st century, was taught by Montreal-based educator and communications specialist Iain Cook.

The class offered an introduction to sound and techniques of sound recording, including using microphones and editing sound as well as hands-on sound assignments and radio production projects.

The students created two radio programs for the newly renovated BACS Radio homepage. “Working Overseas” was produced by Yuko, Yuto, Ayaka, Kaho, Miyuki and Shuya and features an interview with Chika Oshima, a BACS student who worked in Auckland, New Zealand for a year. The show also includes an interview with Professor Cook about his experience as a musician and teacher in Canada, and his impressions of working in Japan.

“Chukyo Success,” produced by Kanami, Yuki, Rikki, Fuyu and Takamaru, features an interview with BACS student Hirotaka Nishimura, who along with his partner Yumi Kurobe, placed in the top 50 among a field of 700 students at this year’s All-Japan English Presentation Contest.

Iain Cook is a former professor in the Department of Communications Studies at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada, who is now working as a communications officer for the Cree Health Board in northern Quebec. Iain’s love of music and radio go way back to his student days at King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Iain fronted the punk band Fail-Safe, which released a self-titled album in 1987. He hosted a CKUT (McGill University community radio) program for more than a decade. Iain has taught a number of talented students who have gone on to successfull careers. Most famous among them is Régine Chassagne (Concordia University BA 1998), a founding member of Montreal’s Arcade Fire. Read more about Régine and Iain here.

Iain will return to Chukyo next year to teach Radio in the 21st Century here in BACS.

Visit BACS Radio here.

English Project Workshop 4: Radio in the 21st Century is part of BACS’ Professional English Program. Read more about it here ( English | 日本語 )

 

Each year, BACS recognizes excellence in writing by awarding prizes to the best work in 1st and 2nd year Academic Writing classes. Students in both years are required to keep a portfolio of writing. These writings tasks—themed paragraph writing, book reports, research and opinion essays, and other kinds of writing—are produced in all Language Program courses (Oral Communication, Reading, Presentation and Computer classes) and submitted to the Academic Writing teachers as part of the course assessment. Work is also added from the Academic Writing class. At the end of the year, 1st and 2nd year writing teachers meet to decide the the Best Essay, the Best Portfolio and the Most Improved Writer.

BACS is proud to announce the winners of this year’s Writing Portfolio Awards. We would like to extend a warm thank-you to all teachers who worked with students on their writing this year. Names and winning essays are published in BACS’ English Society journal.

 

1st Year Writing Awards

Best Portfolio:

Yuriko Yoshikawa

Most Improved Writer:

Miku Tsunashima

Best Essay:

Megumi Hoshi for “The Prevention and Treatment of Pollinosis”

2nd Year Writing Awards

Best Portfolio:

Riki Hotta

Most Improved Writer:

Masato Miyazaki

Best Essay:

Hina Ono for “Reasons for the Low Percentage of Single-Parent Students Enrolling in University”

Yuma Suzuki, who was away in the US for one year, was awarded her prize for Best Essay for 2015.

On Wednesday, January 18th, students in English Project Workshop 1: Drama Performance presented three short comedy skits under the direction of John Lenihan.

“Tom, Emily, Marian and Max” takes place in Tokyo as two couples meet in Disneyland. It starred Mihori, Rina, Yumi and Yuko.

“Gerry Thatcher’s Party” follows Horace, who tries unsuccessfully to ask out a lady guest at the party, and starred Sehina, Erika, Mayu, Yuki, and Keiko and.

Set in Rome and starring Sehina, Yuko, Moe and Eriko, “Giovanni’s Cafe” features lovers on their second honeymoon and the chance meeting of an old girlfriend and a mysterious waiter.

“Gerry Thatcher’s Party” and “Giovanni’s Cafe” were reprised by another cast of actors. Chisato, Jyune, Marina and Kanami starred “Party”; Rina, Yumi, Mihori, and Kazuki in “Cafe.” The reprised “Givanni’s Cafe” featured a delightful song and dance number by Yumi and Rina.

The plays were performed on the big stage in room 431, doors opened at 1:45.

English Project Workshop is part of BACS’ new third-year Professional English Program. You can learn more about the program here: English / 日本語 .

BACS held its 13th annual Pop Culture Workshop on Saturday, January 21st in the L. S. Wing.

Fifteen students gave research presentations on a variety of topics related to music, literature, history media and cultural studies. A keynote lecture by Professor Sumiko Shirai of Shirayuri University in Tokyo closed the event.

Third-year BACS students were joined by four conference participants from Nagoya University. Topics included the culture and politics of World’s Fairs, cultural policy in Canada and the theme of the road in American film and literature.

A number of talks focused 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, also known as the Columbian Exposition: the ferris wheel as a symbol of the fair, the experience of native Americans at the fair, the lively appeal of the fair’s midway plaisance, and “the war of the currents” between inventors Edison and Tesla.

Attendees were also treated to the macabre story of America’s first serial killer, who stalked the fair grounds. Other presenters dealt with Canada’s support for its music industry, the origins of Canada’s French immersion education and its Canadian flag, and the situation of aboriginal youth today.

A special session focused on the road in American film and literature with discussions of John Ford’s The Grapes of Wrath, Ridley Scott’s Thelma and Louise and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby.

Other highlights included a talk on the influence of Japanese ukiyo-e prints on European art and the distorted image of aboriginal people in North America.

Professor Shirai, chair of the Department of Children’s Culture at Shirayuri University in Tokyo, gave a lively and informative talk entitled “Canadian Culture through Anne of Green Gables,” delving into a number of fascinating aspects of the classic Canadian–and internationally famous–novel published in 1908.

Staff from Chukyo University’s publicity office were on hand to take photographs while a camera crew taped portions of the event.

Pop Culture Workshop is BACS’ annual student conference, which is open to students across the program. 2016 marks the 13th year the conference has been held. The event is supported by BACS and the Chukyo English Society.