A Student-Led TUJ: Student-Faculty Interactions Outside the Classroom

by Toshimasa Hatori, sophomore of International Business Studies , Student Government vice president, and captain of Basketball Club at TUJ.

The Real Life of a Professor” featured Professor B.Anthony (Tony) Bedard, TUJ’s back-to-back Teacher of the Year, speaking about his past, present, and future experience outside his career as a university professor. This event provided an opportunity to students to learn and grow by engaging in a non-academic discussion with faculty and staff. The event was organized by William J. Swinton, director of International Business Studies, and me.

“A good idea.” Bedard said of the event. “It allows students to better understand that professors are actually human!” Professor Bedard shared words of wisdom on everything from happiness to living successfully in Japan.

There were close to 70 participants, including students, alumni, staff, and faculty across many departments as well as from different programs such as the Undergraduate Program, the Bridge Program, and the Continuing Education Program. Due to COVID-19, the event took place both online and on campus.

Learning outside of class

Mirei Fujino, a third-year International Business Studies student, joined as a panelist. “It was inspiring to hear stories about professors that are outside academic topics. Having the open-ended discussion to exchange the ideas and hearing what others think also made me re-think about my values more than ever.”

“Listening to Anthony and questions and the discussion about his life was truly a great opportunity to think about why and how to live.” Yumi Shiina, a student of Bedard’s from the Continuing Education Program in 2013 said. “I enjoyed this lively session even remotely with my baby boy.”

TUJ Dean Matt Wilson said, “The Real Life of a Professor event was exceptional as it attracted students, professors, and staff into an informal and comfortable environment that celebrated learning.” He showed great energy when interacting with students during the event.

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs George Miller, said, “Education starts in the classroom. That’s where you meet professors and classmates and you initiate the process. Faculty are mentors beyond the classroom, and beyond the semesters when we share classes. Even long after students graduate. The education, the mentorship, continues for life.”

Moving forward

Many participants are interested in the next event in the series. I also believe these events should continue because the chance for us students to interact with professors outside class is rare. Such an event makes bonds closer. This helps us respect and trust our professors as someone more than a scholar. It also improves the quality of our learning quality and the environment more.

Temple Alumna Inspires Tsukuba Student Athletes (元学生アスリートの米テンプル大学職員が筑波大学で特別講義)

(English text to follow)

2018年師走も後半戦、平成最後の年末が近づいていますね。

今回の「こぼれ話」は去る12月12日、筑波大学アスレチックデパートメント(AD)の招きで、テンプル大学米国本校から来日したAD職員アリッサ・ドレイクスリンの特別講義の模様を、TUJ学生ライターのジョン・ザラスさんがリポートします。

今年はスポーツの世界で様々な問題提起のあった年でした。変革期にある日本の大学スポーツ界で、筑波大学は”スポーツの力で大学の価値向上”を全学的な取り組みとして積極的に推進、今年4月に日本で初の米国型「AD」を立ち上げました。設立に際しては、2016年からテンプル大学米国本校が、筑波大学との「日米大学スポーツに関する共同研究」に参画、株式会社ドームとの産学連携で、日本の大学スポーツ界での最適モデル確立へ向けて取り組んできました。

今回来日したドレイクスリンは、テンプル大在学中にはバレーボールの選手として文武両道に勤しみ、2016年には「女性学業成績優秀アスリート賞」を受賞、NCAA（全米大学競技スポーツ協会）の学生代表なども務めています。現在は母校の職員として学生アスリートの学業支援、キャリア支援に携わるよきロールモデルとなり、この特別講義では自身の学生アスリート時代の経験、NCAAの組織、テンプル大ADでの取り組みについて語りました。

（※以下、リポート本文は英語）

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By John Szalas, student writer and junior International Affairs major

In recent years the Japanese government has begun reforming  its collegiate athletic institutes to create a single governing organization similar to the NCAA in the United States. Currently Japanese college level sports are treated more like clubs operated under federations of each sport and have no nationwide level of organization or support. Taking its own initiative for this, the University of Tsukuba, a school famous for producing many famous athletes and experts in various fields, is collaborating with Temple University’s Philadelphia  Main Campus to learn what the America’s system is like and adapt practices which might best work in Japan. In the future, students from Tsukuba may have the opportunity to go to Temple’s Main Campus to see how the athletics program operates.

On December 12, the University of Tsukuba invited a former athlete and staff member of Temple’s athletic department to give a lecture in their credit-bearing lecture series. The lecture series is organized by Tsukuba’s Athletic Department and open to all students as an elective where they can hear from former athletes and various experts in the sports industry. Alyssa Drachslin is a Temple alumna who led Temple’s volleyball team during her time as a student. At Temple, she was named Female Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2016. After graduating she decided she wanted to improve the athletic department to make sure future student athletes can not only succeed in school and sports, but also in a career afterwards. Currently she works for Temple’s Athletic Department as a Coordinator for Leadership and Professional Development. Her lecture was about her athletic experience, the NCAA, and how Temple manages and supports its own student athletes.

University of Tsukuba Athletic Department’s Mr. Shinzo Yamada (left) and Temple University’s Alyssa Drachslin (right)

She started off her lecture explaining about the structure of the NCAA. It organizes, regulates, and supports various sports. She also discussed how the NCAA organizes collegiate sports programs into tiered divisions and how this supports students. Division 1 schools are larger, have bigger budgets, and offer more athletic scholarships. Temple University qualifies as a Division 1 university.

Drachslin went on to explain the lifestyle most college student athletes have, as well as some programs which support them. One such program is called Verified, which helps students focus on career goals as they juggle their athletic, academic and other commitments. A new program Drachslin has helped create is the Temple Flight Leadership Academy, which helps students hone teamwork, communication, and leadership skills they develop through sports, and then apply those to future careers. While sports are a high priority for student athletes, Temple makes sure they are prepared for the world after Temple.

Hopefully Drachslin’s lecture will inspire students to help create such programs as Temple has and envision their future career in various paths. Megumi Kameyama, a Tsukuba cheerleader and freshman in Library Sciences thought “it’s great for former athletes like Alyssa to work for Temple and support the organization that helped her succeed.”

Personally, I would say the lecture was successful since many students gave Drachslin a positive reception. Reforming the organization of collegiate athletics may lead to the further development of sports in Japan, and to even more success in the Olympics and other sporting events. The Olympic Games in summer 2020 in Tokyo may provide us a chance to see.

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<Student writer>  John Szalas is studying International Affairs at TUJ in order to gain a better understanding of the international world to make it a better place. He speaks English, Hungarian, and soon to be Japanese. John also makes a mean chicken and dumplings😉

“2 Chome-8-12, 2nd Floor”, A Group Show with Works from Ten Tyler Students Who Studied at TUJ

(English text to follow)

まだまだ暑い夏が続きますね。

テンプル大学フィラデルフィア本校のアートプログラム、Tyler School of Artが8月29日より本校のステラ・エルキンス・タイラー・ギャラリーでグループ展「2 Chome-8-12, 2nd Floor」を開催しています。

どこかで聞き覚えがあるこのタイトル・・・。そうなんです、テンプル大学ジャパンキャンパス（TUJ）のアートプログラムは港区南麻布2-8-12 麻布校舎2Fで開講されており、本校から来る学生も多くこの場所でアート制作に励んでいます。今回の展示は2018年の春、夏学期にTUJで学んだ10人の学生を中心に版画、ビデオ、写真、絵画などの様々な作品を展示しており、西洋文化とは違った日本での生活がどのように自分の芸術や世界の見方へ影響したのかを表現しています。

このブログでも展示作品をご紹介します。

以下、本校ウェブサイトより

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Tyler School of Art is hosting a group show called “2 Chome-8-12, 2nd Floor” at Stella Elkins Tyler Gallery from Aug 29 to Sep 15.

2 Chome-8-12, 2nd Floor showcases the work of ten students from Tyler School of Art who studied at Temple University’s Japan Campus during the 2018 spring or summer semester. Through various media and technique, including printmaking, video, photo and painting, these artists open a window to their experiences abroad. Tokyo is often overlooked by art students as a place of study. However, these ten artists demonstrate how the experience of living outside of Western culture can have an immense impact not only on one’s art practice, but more importantly, on one’s perception of the world. The title of the exhibition is the address of Azabu Hall, Temple Japan’s main building, where the art department comprised two rooms and an office on the second floor.

More info:
https://events.temple.edu/2-chome-8-12-2nd-floor

スーパーボウルでイーグルス初勝利！ チームお膝元のフィラデルフィア凱旋パレードでテンプル大学生も大興奮

アメリカ・ミネソタ州ミネアポリスのUSバンク・スタジアムで行われた第52回スーパーボウル（日本時間2月5日）で、フィラデルフィア・イーグルスが、ニューイングランド・ペイトリオッツを41対33で下して、スーパーボウル初制覇を成し遂げました。

 

Photography By: Betsy Manning / Temple University
A Temple hat makes a cameo among a group of people celebrating the Eagles during the parade in Center City. (Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.)

 

チームのお膝元、ペンシルベニア州フィラデルフィアといえば、テンプル大学本校の拠点でもあります。凱旋パレード（日本時間９日）の当日は大学も休講となり、市街を南北に貫くブロード・ストリートには、テンプル大の学生たち、Owls（ふくろう＝テンプル大のマスコットキャラ。学生たちもOwlsと呼ばれます）も詰めかけ、選手を祝福しました。

（↓↓写真で見る凱旋パレードで盛り上がるテンプル大生たち／本文英語）

 Owls join celebration of Eagles’ Super Bowl win　

 

<MM>

フィラデルフィアから 使節団がＴＵＪを訪問！

今年は長かった桜もすっかり緑がまぶしい今日この頃、日本では新学期、新年度がスタートする4月ですが、アメリカの大学であるＴＵＪ（テンプル大学ジャパンキャンパス）では1月から始まった春学期末の追い込み、最終試験の真っ只中です。

今学期もフィラデルフィア本校から多数の教職員が来日して、私たちジャパンキャンパスの教職員とさまざまな形での交流が盛んに行われてきました。その中の使節団の一つ、先月は6名のアカデミック・アドバイザー（教務担当）がＴＵＪを訪問し、双方新たな発見と今後の更なる連携へ向けて、実りある意見交換の機会となりました。日米高等教育の国際化を軸に考えられる連携の示唆や、2020年東京オリンピックへの期待が高まるスポーツ分野での連携（※米国本校はスポーツの取り組みにも積極的に注力）のほか、ビジネスとの連携含めたコミュニティとのかかわりについてなど、話題は多岐にわたりました。また、ローマ校も巻き込んだグローバル展開やインターンシップ・プログラムの更なる発展など、夢はますます広がるテンプル大学ファミリートークで盛り上がりました！

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