By Andy Anderson | Co-Chair
Randolph Macon College (R-MC) and Ishinomaki Senshu University ( ISU) TOMODACHI Exchange Program
The first year exchange of a two-year exchange program between Ishinomaki Senshu University (ISU) and Randolph-Macon College (R-MC) started with the ISU group consisting of five students and two faculty arriving September 4th in Washington, DC. The first day included a visit for a visit to The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and some sightseeing. The next day included a great morning at the U.S.-Japan Council (the TOMODACHI program creator and administrator), followed by some sightseeing in DC before getting on the train to R-MC in Ashland, VA!
The Richmond area portion of the visit included visits to President James Madison’s Montpelier, San-J (Japanese soy sauce company with its U.S. headquarters in Richmond, R-MC baseball team library and new science building, dinner with R-MC’s President Lindgren, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with it’s amazing Faberge collection, brunch and shopping in Carytown, the James River and Short Pump mall. It was a great honor to be greeted by Mayor Trivett, the council members of the Ashland Town Hall and APD officers one morning.
.the ISU students made truly impressive presentations of their research. The research work itself is exciting and innovative but the fact that they each prepared and presented a detailed presentation in *English* was truly amazing. Subarashi!! Special attention was given to the themes of disaster and recovery, in recognition not only of the 3.11.11 disasters in Tohoku, but also of the continuing challenges posed more recently by natural disasters in the U.S., Japan and elsewhere.
A special collaboration class of Japanese elementary courses(JAPN111, section 1 and 2) with the ISU group from Japan yesterday was held. The students of R-MC learned Kanji of the days of the week, enjoyed communication in both languages. They also made a Talkative Fox with Origami paper.
The last day before returning home was spent at the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) in Gloucester Point, a quick trip to Williamsburg, and a farewell dinner with some of the R-MC students and faculty who were a big part of the program’s success.
We are excited to once again have TOMODACHI’s (usjapantomodachi.org) support with this exchange and to see the partnership between these two schools continue to expand since the initial 2015 and 2016 exchanges..
#GivingTuesday Campaign November 27, 2018
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Thank you for your support which helps us continue programs like these to help Ishinomaki families, schools and students affected by the disaster to continue to recover, learn and expand their horizons! Please follow us on Facebook/Tamfjp
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